bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paddling Together: Water Trails as Innovative Public Health Strategies
Authors: Shopinski Samuel , Tejada Theresa , Jenkins Herman , Raad Samantha , Quinn Martha , Lachance Laurie
Published: March 2023

Background

Blueways can help improve health and quality-of-life by providing places for exercise, recreation, and community gatherings. The Rouge River Watershed is an industrialized region in Southeast Michigan with high rates of chronic disease and historic disinvestment in social and environmental conditions. The purpose of this article is to describe the process taken to develop an equitable, community-driven vision and approach for developing a water trail along the Lower Rouge River and to identify the key elements that emerged.

Methods Utilized to Create a Community-Driven Approach

Project leaders incorporated community-driven planning, community outreach, and community ownership strategies. The Rouge River Water Trail Leadership Committee engages the public, those affected by decisions, with a transparent, fact-based process. The public is given equal status and shares decision-making authority.

Initial Results

This approach led to the development of a Water Trail Strategic Plan, community-informed recommendations for capital improvements, development of key relationships, and coalitions that provide a vehicle for ongoing community engagement and ownership. Five main elements, considered through an equity lens, go into building a water trail: (1) creating access points, (2) water quality monitoring, (3) woody debris management, (4) signage, and (5) developing a safety plan.

Implications for Practice, Policy, and Research

Water trail development should consist of (1) environmental change through the creation of access points and safe, navigable waterways and (2) opportunities to utilize the infrastructure through programming and initiatives to make the trail accessible to all communities.
Facilitating Nutrition and Physical Activity-Focused Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change in Rural Areas: A Methodological Approach Using Community Wellness Coalitions and Cooperative Extension
Authors: Meendering Jessica R. , McCormack Lacey , Moore Lindsay , Stluka Suzanne
Published: March 2023

Obesity prevalence is higher among rural populations than urban, which may be related to differences in environments. Rural counties face barriers to accessing healthy foods and physical activity opportunities including isolation, transportation distances, and lack of facilities. As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity High Obesity Program, community-based wellness coalitions were established in six South Dakota counties with adult obesity prevalence >40%. The community coalitions were charged with improving access to healthy foods and safe and accessible places to participate in physical activity within their rural, underserved communities. Coalitions were created and members were recruited by Cooperative Extension staff who had existing relationships with key stakeholders within the community. Within these coalitions, champions were identified to provide leadership and ensure project implementation. Ongoing support and technical assistance were provided to the community coalitions by Cooperative Extension staff as they completed a community needs assessment, disseminated results of the needs assessment with the community, created action plans based on needs assessment data, implemented evidence-based interventions to support nutrition and physical activity policy, system and environmental changes, and assessed impact within their community. Overall, the purpose of this article is to share the project methodology, which capitalized on using Cooperative Extension, to build capacity to improve the nutrition and physical activity environment in rural, unserved communities. Sustainability of this work, along with lessons learned, is also discussed.
Chemokine CCL7 mediates trigeminal neuropathic pain via CCR2/CCR3-ERK pathway in the trigeminal ganglion of mice
Authors: Zhu Lin-Peng , Xu Meng-Lin , Yuan Bao-Tong , Ma Ling-Jie , Gao Yong-Jing
Published: March 2023

Background

Chemokine-mediated neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. The chemokine CC motif ligand 7 (CCL7) and its receptor CCR2 have been reported to contribute to neuropathic pain via astrocyte-microglial interaction in the spinal cord. Whether CCL7 in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) involves in trigeminal neuropathic pain and the involved mechanism remain largely unknown.

Methods

The partial infraorbital nerve transection (pIONT) was used to induce trigeminal neuropathic pain in mice. The expression of Ccl7, Ccr1, Ccr2, and Ccr3 was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The distribution of CCL7, CCR2, and CCR3 was detected by immunofluorescence double-staining. The activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was examined by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The effect of CCL7 on neuronal excitability was tested by whole-cell patch clamp recording. The effect of selective antagonists for CCR1, CCR2, and CCR3 on pain hypersensitivity was checked by behavioral testing.

Results

Ccl7 was persistently increased in neurons of TG after pIONT, and specific inhibition of CCL7 in the TG effectively relieved pIONT-induced orofacial mechanical allodynia. Intra-TG injection of recombinant CCL7 induced mechanical allodynia and increased the phosphorylation of ERK in the TG. Incubation of CCL7 with TG neurons also dose-dependently enhanced the neuronal excitability. Furthermore, pIONT increased the expression of CCL7 receptors Ccr1, Ccr2, and Ccr3. The intra-TG injection of the specific antagonist of CCR2 or CCR3 but not of CCR1 alleviated pIONT-induced orofacial mechanical allodynia and reduced ERK activation. Immunostaining showed that CCR2 and CCR3 are expressed in TG neurons, and CCL7-induced hyperexcitability of TG neurons was decreased by antagonists of CCR2 or CCR3.

Conclusion

CCL7 activates ERK in TG neurons via CCR2 and CCR3 to enhance neuronal excitability, which contributes to the maintenance of trigeminal neuropathic pain. CCL7-CCR2/CCR3-ERK pathway may be potential targets for treating trigeminal neuropathic pain.
Concurrent validity of the Polar Precision Prime® photoplethysmographic system to measure heart rate during a tennis training session
Authors: Ruiz-Malagón Emilio J , Castro-Infantes Santiago , Ritaco-Real Maximiliano , Soto-Hermoso Victor M
Published: March 2023

Monitoring heart rates has always been important for coaches and athletes. Photoplet-ismographic systems (PPG) are supposed to be less capable of determining heart rate measure in activities with high upper limb movement, such as tennis. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of the Polar Precision Prime® (PPP®) system existing in the Polar Ignite® sports watch. This was accomplished by measuring averaged heart rates during a tennis training session, divided in three parts (warm-up, main-part and cool-down) and averaged per 10 s intervals by comparing data with the Polar H-10® chest strap synchronised with the Polar V800® (criterion measure). A group of 40 tennis players (32 males, 8 females) took part in the study. Mean average values and between-systems differences and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) were obtained (<4.04 bpm; <5.03%), reporting small differences in all session parts and 10 s intervals. The PPP® system reported high correlation ( r > 0.89) and excellent ICC (ICC > 0.96) in all session parts except the 10 s intervals where the ICC were good (0.85). The systematic bias and random error during the warm-up and 10 s intervals were greater (−0.99 ± 6.02 bpm and −2.41 ± 5.86 bpm, respectively) than the main-part and cool-down (−0.51 ± 1.16 bpm and −0.44 ± 4.02 bpm, respectively). Results suggest that the PPP® system precision is not altered despite upper limb movements during 1-h tennis training sessions. In conclusion, the Polar Ignite® PPG system is a valid tool for monitoring heart rate during a tennis training session.
In-Person and Telehealth Provider Access and Glycemic Control for People With Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Eiland Leslie , Datta Proleta , Samson Kaeli , Anzalone Jerrod , Donovan Anthony , McAdam-Marx Carrie
Published: March 2023

Background:

Ambulatory care underwent rapid changes at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Care for people with diabetes shifted from an almost exclusively in-person model to a hybrid model consisting of in-person visits, telehealth visits, phone calls, and asynchronous messaging.

Methods:

We analyzed data for all patients with diabetes and established with a provider at a large academic medical center to identify in-person and telehealth ambulatory provider visits over two periods of time (a “pre-COVID” and “COVID” period).

Results:

While the number of people with diabetes and any ambulatory provider visit decreased during the COVID period, telehealth saw massive growth. Per Hemoglobin A1c, glycemic control remained stable from the pre-COVID to COVID time periods.

Conclusions:

Findings support continued use of telehealth, and we anticipate hybrid models of care will be utilized for people with diabetes beyond the pandemic.
3-D tissue-engineered epidermis against human primary keratinocytes apoptosis via relieving mitochondrial oxidative stress in wound healing
Authors: He Shan , Wu Han , Huang Junqun , Li Qingyan , Huang Zijie , Wen Huangding , Li Zhiqing
Published: March 2023

The tissue-engineered epidermal (TEE), composed of biocompatible vectors and autogenous functional cells, is a novel strategy to solve the problem of shortage of donor skin sources. The human primary keratinocyte (HPK), the major skin components, are self-evident vital in wound healing and was considered as one of the preferred seed cells for TEEs. Since the process of separating HPKs from the skin triggers a stress state of the cells, achieving its rapid adhesion and proliferation on biomaterials remains challenging. The key to the clinical application is to ensure the normal function of cells while improving the proliferation ability in vitro, and to complete the complex mesenchymal epithelialization to achieve tissue remodeling after vivo implantation. Herein, in order to aid HPKs adhesion and proliferation in vitro and promoting wound healing, we developed a three dimensional collagen scaffold with Y-27632 sustainedly released from the nanoplatform, hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMON). The results showed that the porous structure within the TEE supports the implanted HPKs expanding in a three-dimensional mode to jointly construct the tissue-engineered epidermis in vitro and inhibited the mitochondria-mediated cell apoptosis. It was confirmed that the TEEs with suitable degradation rate could maintain drug release after implantation and could accelerate vascularization of wound base and further revealed the involvement of mesenchymal transformation of transplanted HPKs during skin regeneration in a nude mouse model with full-thickness skin resection. In conclusion, our study highlights the great potential of constructing TEE using a nanoparticle platform for the treatment of large-area skin defects.
Malaria among the elderly in five communities of Osun East district, Southwest Nigeria: Prevalence and association with non-communicable diseases
Authors: Bello Ibrahim Sebutu , Olajubu Temitope Oluwafemi , Osundiya Olusegun Olumuyiwa , Salami Oluwasina Tajudeen , Ibrahim Azeez Oyemomi , Ahmed Abdulakeem Ayanleye
Published: March 2023

Objective:

The level of immunity against pathogens decreases with old age. As a result, the elderly may be regarded to be at increased risk of malaria morbidity and fatality. There is paucity of studies on malaria among the elderly population in Osun East district, Southwest Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria and its association with medical comorbidities among the elderly.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, which involved 972 adult residents of five communities in Osun State, who were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. Data was collected with aid of a structured questionnaire. The medical history of respondents and anthropometric measures were obtained. The presence of malaria parasitaemia in the respondents was determined by rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Appropriate descriptive and inferential analyses were done.

Results:

Out of the 972 respondents, 504 (51.9%) were 60 years and above. The overall prevalence of malaria RDT positivity was 4%. The positivity rate was higher among the elderly (4.6%) compared to those less than 60 years (3.4%), albeit not statistically significant ( p = 0.36). Among these elderlies, 52.6% and 16.1% used insecticide-treated nets and insecticide sprays, respectively. There was no association between the prevalence of malaria positivity and comorbid conditions, such as hypertension ( p = 0.37), overweight/obesity ( p = 0.77), or diabetes ( p = 0.15). Malaria positivity rate was also not significantly associated with the use of insecticide-treated nets ( p = 0.64) or insecticide sprays ( p = 0.45).

Conclusion:

The malaria positivity rate was higher among the elderly in the study area, although not statistically significant. The prevalence was not associated with comorbid medical conditions.
Combined cemiplimab and radiotherapy for advanced basal cell carcinoma: A case report
Authors: Sarfaraz Sidra , Hayes Robert C , Hunt Anne-Marie
Published: March 2023

Advanced basal cell carcinoma may be treated with systemic therapies such as hedgehog pathway inhibitors or programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors, namely cemiplimab. We report a case of a 70-year-old man with a nodulo-infiltrative advanced basal cell carcinoma over the right posterior neck and scapula. The patient had a partial response to the hedgehog pathway inhibitor, vismodegib. The tumour progressed, and the patient was switched from vismodegib to radiotherapy combined with cemiplimab, which led to a significant reduction in pain, bleeding, and tumour size. A combined treatment approach with radiotherapy and cemiplimab may be beneficial for advanced basal cell carcinoma cases that progress after treatment with hedgehog pathway inhibitors.
“One button in my pocket instead of the smartphone”: A methodological assemblage connecting self-research and autoethnography in a digital disengagement study
Authors: Senabre Hidalgo Enric , Greshake Tzovaras Bastian
Published: March 2023

In this article we present a “methodological assemblage” and technological prototype connecting autoethnography to the practices of self-research in personal science. As an experimental process of personal data gathering, one of the authors used a low-tech device for the active registration of events and their perception, in a case study on disengaging from his smartphone. For the visualization of this data the other author developed a novel treatment of fieldnotes in analytic autoethnography through an open source, interactive notebook. As a proof of concept, we provide a detailed description of the corresponding protocol and prototype, also making available the notebook source code and the quantitative-qualitative open dataset behind its visualization. This highly personalized methodological assemblage represents a technological appropriation that combines self-research and autoethnography—two disciplinary perspectives that share a type of inquiry based on situated knowledge, departing from personal data as empirical basis. Despite recent autoethnographic literature on the phenomenon of self-tracking and the Qualified Self, our contribution addresses a lack of studies in the opposite direction: how the practice of self-research mediated by technology can lead to bridges with digital autoethnography, validating their hybrid combination. After addressing diverse conceptual, ontological and methodological similarities and differences between personal science and autoethnography, we contextualize the case study of digital disengagement and provide a detailed description of the developed self-protocol and the tools used for data gathering.
The Transition to Vocational Secondary School in Serbia: A Two-Wave Moderated Mediation Study on School Climate, Teacher Support, Engagement and School Adjustment
Authors: Simić Nataša , Vukelić Milica
Published: March 2023

The transition from primary to secondary school is a highly stressful period for vocational school students because they need to adjust both to the school and their future vocation at the same time. The current study examines the relationship between the school climate, teacher support, school engagement and subsequent students’ school adjustment by testing a two-wave moderated mediation model. The study included 251 vocational secondary school first-year students from Serbia. A significant indirect effect of the perceived school climate on school adjustment through school engagement was determined. Teacher support had a moderating role on the relationship between school climate and school engagement. Students from Serbia reported lower school engagement and teacher support than their peers from other countries. The findings indicate that school engagement is a mechanism of adjusting to a new school environment and that teachers have a role as catalysts of that adjustment.
Endoscopic Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion, and Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion for the Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hu Xijian , Yan Lei , Jin Xinjie , Liu Haifeng , Chai Jing , Zhao Bin
Published: March 2023

Study Design

network meta-analysis

Objective

To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-LIF), minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF), and open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (OTLIF) in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases (LDDs).

Method

A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies comparing Endo-LIF, MIS-TLIF and OTLIF published from September 2017 to September 2022 for the treatment of LDD were retrieved. Data were extracted from preset clinical outcome measures, including operation time, estimated intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL), length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, etc.

Result

Thirty-one studies with 3467 patients were included in this study. Network meta-analysis showed that in the comparison of the 3 procedures, Endo-LIF was superior to MIS-TLIF and OTLIF in terms of reducing EBL, LOS, time to ambulation, and VAS score of back pain. MIS-TLIF was superior to Endo-LIF in terms of ODI improvement, and OTLIF required the shortest intraoperative fluoroscopy time. There was no significant difference in operative time, complication rate, fusion rate, VAS score of leg pain, or JOA score among the 3 procedures.

Conclusion

Endo-LIF, MIS-TLIF and OTLIF each have their own advantages and disadvantages and show similar results in many respects, except for better early outcomes achieved with the more minimally invasive procedure.
Epidemiological shift of paediatric fracture characteristics during COVID-19 in Hong Kong – a reflection on bone health crisis
Authors: Leung SCG , Kwok PP , Choi KYA
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Since the beginning of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, schools in Hong Kong were suspended intermittently as part of the anti-epidemic measure. This study aims to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of paediatric fracture and bone health of children.

Methods

We recruited patients aged 3–17 admitted to tertiary paediatric orthopaedic trauma centres for fractures from 1st February 2020 till 4th March 2021 during COVID-19 period as study group and compared with patients admitted from 1st February 2019 till 31st January 2020 before COVID-19 as control group.

Results

Total number of admissions due to fracture was reduced by 49% (pre-COVID period: 345, COVID period: 177). Demographic data such as age, age group distribution, sex, location of fractures, energy of injury, prior history of fracture were comparable in the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients requiring operative treatment. Significant change was found in injury mechanisms, with injury related to body-powered vehicles (33.7%, n = 58) becoming the leading cause of injury during COVID period ( p < 0.001). There was significant drop in proportion of patient with injury from level ground fall ( p < 0.001) and sports ( p < 0.001). The percentage of obese children increased significantly ( p = 0.009) during the COVID period (32.7%, n = 48) than pre-COVID period (21.0%, n = 67). The proportion of patients with hypocalcaemia was found to be higher ( p = 0.002) during COVID period.

Conclusions

This study reflects paediatric bone health issues during COVID-19 pandemic. We postulate the reduction in fracture incidence, change in the distribution of injury mechanisms, and more obesity could be related to a more sedentary lifestyle during COVID period. Hypocalcaemia can be associated with reduced sunlight exposure, obesity, and lack of physical activities. If the problem is left neglected, it can lead to long-term bone health problems.
Sources of Work-Related Stress Among Omani Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: AL-Yaqoubi Safiya , Arulappan Judie
Published: March 2023

Nurses experience high levels of stress as they deal with the patients having complex health care problems. Stress in nursing affects the practice of nursing profession worldwide. In response to this, the investigators explored the sources of work-related stress (WRS) among Omani Nurses. Samples were selected through proportionate population sampling from 5 selected tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected through self-administered nursing stress scale (NSS). The study included 383 Omani nurses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The sources of WRS among nurses showed the percentage mean scores ranging from 8.5% to 21%. The overall mean score for the NSS was 42.85 ± 17.705. Out of 7 subscales, the highest level of WRS was on workload with a mean score of 8.99 (21%) followed by emotional issues related to death and dying 8.72 (20.4%). The lowest mean score was seen on the lack of support 3.65 (8.5%) and inadequate preparation to meet the emotional demands of patients and their families 3.86 (9%) of the total mean. WRS was associated with the nursing position as staff nurses, performing night shift and reduced job satisfaction. The study's results may help in developing human resource strategies aimed at minimizing nurses’ stress and improving quality of health care and task force performance.
Determinants of Low Birth Weight Among Newborns at Debre Tabor Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Muluneh Mitiku Wale , Mulugeta Solomon Sisay , Belay Alebachew Taye , Moyehodie Yikeber Abebaw
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Low birth weight is one of the important predictors of perinatal survival, infant morbidity, and mortality, as well as the risk of developmental disabilities and diseases in the future.

Objective(s)

The study aimed to identify the associated factors of low birth weight among newborns at Debre Tabor referral hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1, 2021 to October 30, 2021 at Debre Tabor Referral Hospital. A total sample of 420 newborn birth records was considered. The binary logistic regression model was used to assess the associated factors of low birth weight. The results are presented as crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Results

In this study, 422 participants were included. Rural residence (AOR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.10–3.69), married marital status (AOR = 0.82; 95%CI 0.78–0.86), formal education (AOR = 0.79; 95%CI 0.67–0.92), smoking during pregnancy (AOR = 1.19; 95%CI 1.07–1.33), attended antenatal care (ANC) visits (AOR = 0.57; 95%CI 0.35–0.91), diabetes during pregnancy (AOR = 4.34; 95%CI 3.50–5.39), iron supplementation (AOR = 0.23; 95%CI 0.20–0.25), and maternal history of anemia (AOR = 5.87; 95%CI 2.67–12.89) were significantly associated with low birth weight of newborns.

Conclusion

This finding showed that residence, marital status, educational status, smoking during pregnancy, ANC visit, diabetes during pregnancy, iron supplementation, and mother's history of anemia were significantly associated with low birth weight. Therefore, policy makers and public health experts/practitioners should plan smoking preventive public health promotion campaigns. Furthermore, it is important that all health professionals properly manage the possible cause of LBW during pregnancy.
Teaching the Subject of Nursing—Academic Teaching Based on Dossey's Holistic Nursing Theory
Authors: Garmy Pernilla
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Being a teacher of nursing education can be challenging. Nursing theories can guide clinical nurses in their work, but is it possible to apply a nursing theory in the context of academic teaching?

Purpose

To investigate if it is possible to apply Dossey's holistic nursing theory into the context of teaching the subject of nursing.

Conclusion

This article proposes that Dosseys holistic nursing theory could be applied in the context of nursing education.
Ancient Vietnamese scholars’ views on Chinese characters
Authors: Huynh Duc Du
Published: March 2023

Based on the preface and postscript in Vietnamese Chinese dictionaries and related documents, this article comprehensively compares the similarities and differences between the ancient Chinese and Vietnamese views of Chinese characters from the perspectives of the origin of Chinese characters, the introduction of Chinese characters, the relationship between Chinese characters and Nom characters, the survival and development of Chinese characters, the variation of Chinese character forms, and the morphological and phonological values of Chinese characters. It summarizes the inheritance and variation of Chinese characters in Vietnam, and attempts to provide a new perspective for studies related to the history of the development of Vietnamese Chinese characters and the history of the spread of Chinese characters.
A shelter from the abyss: exploring Cicely Saunders’ vision of hospice care through the concept of worldview
Authors: Metzger Gaudenz Urs
Published: March 2023

Over the past two decades, a debate has arisen concerning the history and philosophy of hospice and palliative care. This critical essay extends this debate by linking the analysis of Dame Cicely Saunders’ writings with the concept of worldview, exploring the modern hospice movement vis-à-vis Saunders’ approach to terminal care. Worldviews as cultural classifications of reality provide groups and individuals with meaning to navigate everyday and liminal situations. Using this concept in connection to the discipline of the sociology of knowledge, it is possible to grasp how the origins and principles of modern hospice care, from which current palliative care practices evolved, relate to the sociocultural environment of the postwar era in the West. The analysis focuses on a selected body of Saunders’ writings, mainly written in the 1960s and 1970s, and discusses different components and functions of her revolutionary care paradigm. In this essay, I show that Saunders’ vision of hospice care entails much more than a set of health care practices; it is a complex construct of knowledge and ideas that offers distinct procedures to shelter the dying from pain and loss of meaning. Her vision builds on medical advances and incorporates norms and attitudes related to secularised Protestant and New Age culture, which fostered privatised types of religion and individualistic ideologies and theodicies.
Dying at home for people experiencing financial hardship and deprivation: How health and social care professionals recognise and reflect on patients’ circumstances
Authors: Quinn Sam , Richards Naomi , Gott Merryn
Published: March 2023

Background:

International palliative care policy often views home as the most desirable location for end-of-life care. However, people living in more deprived areas can worry about dying in poor material circumstances and report more benefits from hospital admission at the end of life. There is increasing recognition of inequities in the experience of palliative care, particularly for people living in more deprived areas. Promoting an equity agenda in palliative care means building healthcare professionals’ capacity to respond to the social determinants of health when working with patients near the end of their life.

Objectives:

The purpose of this article is to present data which reveal how some health and social care professionals view home dying for people experiencing financial hardship and deprivation.

Design:

This work was framed by social constructionist epistemology.

Methods:

Semi-structured qualitative interviews ( n = 12) were conducted with health and social care professionals who support people at the end of life. Participants were recruited from one rural and one urban health board area in Scotland, UK. Data collection occurred between February and October 2021.

Analysis:

Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data.

Discussion:

Our findings suggest that healthcare staff relied on physical clues in the home environment to identify if people were experiencing financial hardship, found discussions around poverty challenging and lacked awareness of how inequities intersect at the end of life. Health professionals undertook ‘placing’ work to try and make the home environment a suitable space for dying, but some barriers were seen as insurmountable. There was recognition that increased partnership working and education could improve patient experiences. We argue further research is needed to capture the perspectives of individuals with direct lived experience of end-of-life care and financial hardship.
BarleyExpDB: an integrative gene expression database for barley
Authors: Li Tingting , Li Yihan , Shangguan Hongbin , Bian Jianxin , Luo Ruihan , Tian Yuan , Li Zhimin , Nie Xiaojun , Cui Licao
Published: March 2023

Background

RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) has been widely used to study the dynamic expression patterns of transcribed genes, which can lead to new biological insights. However, processing and analyzing these huge amounts of histological data remains a great challenge for wet labs and field researchers who lack bioinformatics experience and computational resources.

Results

We present BarleyExpDB, an easy-to-operate, free, and web-accessible database that integrates transcriptional profiles of barley at different growth and developmental stages, tissues, and stress conditions, as well as differential expression of mutants and populations to build a platform for barley expression and visualization. The expression of a gene of interest can be easily queried by searching by known gene ID or sequence similarity. Expression data can be displayed as a heat map, along with functional descriptions as well as Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Proteins Families Database, and Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool annotations.

Conclusions

BarleyExpDB will serve as a valuable resource for the barley research community to leverage the vast publicly available RNA-seq datasets for functional genomics research and crop molecular breeding.
The relationship between pre-surgery self-rated health and changes in functional and mental health in older adults: insights from a prospective observational study
Authors: Mennig Eva F. , Schäfer Sarah K. , Eschweiler Gerhard W. , Rapp Michael A. , Thomas Christine , Wurm Susanne
Published: March 2023

Background

Elective surgeries are among the most common health stressors in later life and put a significant risk at functional and mental health, making them an important target of research into healthy aging and physical resilience. Large-scale longitudinal research mostly conducted in non-clinical samples provided support of the predictive value of self-rated health (SRH) for both functional and mental health. Thus, SRH may have the potential to predict favorable adaptation processes after significant health stressors, that is, physical resilience. So far, a study examining the interplay between SRH, functional and mental health and their relative importance for health changes in the context of health stressors was missing. The present study aimed at addressing this gap.

Methods

We used prospective data of 1,580 inpatients (794 complete cases) aged 70 years or older of the PAWEL study, collected between October 2017 and May 2019 in Germany. Our analyses were based on SRH, functional health (Barthel Index) and self-reported mental health problems (PHQ-4) before and 12 months after major elective surgery. To examine changes and interrelationships in these health indicators, bivariate latent change score (BLCS) models were applied.

Results

Our analyses provided evidence for improvements of SRH, functional and mental health from pre-to-post surgery. BLCS models based on complete cases and the total sample pointed to a complex interplay of SRH, functional health and mental health with bidirectional coupling effects. Better pre-surgery SRH was associated with improvements in functional and mental health, and better pre-surgery functional health and mental health were associated with improvements in SRH from pre-to-post surgery. Effects of pre-surgery SRH on changes in functional health were smaller than those of functional health on changes in SRH.

Conclusions

Meaningful changes of SRH, functional and mental health and their interplay could be depicted for the first time in a clinical setting. Our findings provide preliminary support for SRH as a physical resilience factor being associated with improvements in other health indicators after health stressors. Longitudinal studies with more timepoints are needed to fully understand the predictive value of SRH for multidimensional health.

Trial registration

PAWEL study, German Clinical Trials Register, number DRKS00013311. Registered 10 November 2017 – Retrospectively registered,https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00013311.
Is low dose of liposomal amphotericin B effective in management of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis? Our conclusions from Al-Mowassat University Hospital, Syria: a prospective observational study
Authors: Alabdullah Muhammad Nour , Yousfan Abdulmajeed
Published: March 2023

Background

Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) is a fatal infection associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although it is a rare disease, upsurge of AIFRS was noticed during the second wave of COVID-19 disease. Early diagnosis and management is the cornerstone for good outcomes. However, management of AIFRS is challengeable especially in developing countries due to limited resources and high prices of antifungal agents. No previous studies have been conducted to evaluate the outcomes of management of AIFRS in Syria. The purpose of this study is to report the results of management of AIFRS with low doses of liposomal amphotericin B in our tertiary hospital in Syria.

Methods

The outcomes of management of AIFRS cases were followed through a prospective observational study between January 2021 and July 2022. The required medical data were collected for each individual. Three-month mortality rate was studied. SPSS v.26 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Pearson Chi-square test was used to study the associations between different variables and mortality. Survival curves were plotted by the Kaplan–Meier to compare the survival probability. Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) test and Cox regression were conducted to evaluate the factors affecting survival within the follow up period.

Results

Of 70 cases, 36 (51.4%) were males and 34 (48.6%) were females. The mean age of patients was 52.5 years old. The most common underlying risk factor was diabetes mellitus (84.3%). The used dose of liposomal amphotericin B ranged between 2–3 mg/kg per day. The overall 3-month mortality rate was 35.7%. Significant association was found between survival and the following variables: Age, orbital involvement, stage, and comorbidity.

Conclusion

The overall mortality rate was close to other studies. However, survival rate was worse than comparable studies in selected cases of AIFRS (older ages, involved orbits, advanced stages, and chronic immunodeficiency). Therefore, low doses of liposomal amphotericin B could be less effective in such cases and high doses are recommended.
Analysis of the strategies used by iranian nurses for management of provided care for patients with COVID- 19: a qualitative study
Authors: Varaei Shokoh , Caihong Zhang , Siqi Zhang , Mahmoodi Parvin , Rezaee Mehdi , Rezveh Ali Karimi , mirbazegh Seydeh fatemeh
Published: March 2023

Background

Nurses have been at the center of managing the COVID-19 outbreak through direct bedside care in respiratory, emergency and intensive care environments, managing hospital units, providing Covid-19 testing, vaccination and contact tracing. Thus, the present study aimed to analysis the strategies used by Iranian nurses for management of Provided Care for patients with COVID- 19.

Methods

The present study was conducted based on the conventional content analysis method and Graneheim & Lundman approach. The participants included the nurses working in the COVID-19 wards and were recruited by purposeful sampling and based on inclusion criteria. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured, in-depth, one-to-one interviews until reaching data saturation.

Results

In-depth interviews with 10 nurses represented four main categories and fifteen subcategories. Four main categories emerged in this study i.e. “justice in human resources management”, “The art and science of comprehensive nursing care”, “managers as agents of change in crisis” and “challenges and its management”.

Conclusion

The nurses’ experiences of management strategies showed that paying attention to the financial, psychological, educational, equipment needs of nurses and maintaining their safety make the suitable environment for providing high quality care for patients with covid-19.
The stromal-tumor amplifying STC1-Notch1 feedforward signal promotes the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Bai Shuya , Zhao Yuchong , Chen Wei , Peng Wang , Wang Yun , Xiong Si , Aruna  , Li Yanling , Yang Yilei , Chen Shiru , Cheng Bin , Wang Ronghua
Published: March 2023

Background

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), an important component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), play crucial roles in tumor stemness. It has been shown in various cancer studies that stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) is secreted by CAFs, however, its function in HCC is still not clear.

Methods

The serum concentration and intracellular expression level of STC1 were quantified by ELISA and western blotting, respectively. The role of CAF-derived STC1 in HCC stemness was investigated by sphere formation, sorafenib resistance, colony formation, and transwell migration and invasion assays in vitro and in an orthotopic liver xenograft model in vivo. An HCC tissue microarray containing 72 samples was used to evaluate the expression of STC1 and Notch1 in HCC tissues. Coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to further explore the underlying mechanisms. ELISAs were used to measure the serum concentration of STC1 in HCC patients.

Results

We demonstrated that CAFs were the main source of STC1 in HCC and that CAF-derived STC1 promoted HCC stemness through activation of the Notch signaling pathway. In HCC patients, the expression of STC1 was positively correlated with Notch1 expression and poor prognosis. The co-IP assay showed that STC1 directly bound to Notch1 receptors to activate the Notch signaling pathway, thereby promoting the stemness of HCC cells. Our data further demonstrated that STC1 was a direct transcriptional target of CSL in HCC cells. Furthermore, ELISA revealed that the serum STC1 concentration was higher in patients with advanced liver cancer than in patients with early liver cancer.

Conclusions

CAF-derived STC1 promoted HCC stemness via the Notch1 signaling pathway. STC1 might serve as a potential biomarker for the prognostic assessment of HCC, and the stromal-tumor amplifying STC1-Notch1 feedforward signal could constitute an effective therapeutic target for HCC patients.
Rapid non-destructive method to phenotype stomatal traits
Authors: Pathoumthong Phetdalaphone , Zhang Zhen , Roy Stuart J. , El Habti Abdeljalil
Published: March 2023

Background

Stomata are tiny pores on the leaf surface that are central to gas exchange. Stomatal number, size and aperture are key determinants of plant transpiration and photosynthesis, and variation in these traits can affect plant growth and productivity. Current methods to screen for stomatal phenotypes are tedious and not high throughput. This impedes research on stomatal biology and hinders efforts to develop resilient crops with optimised stomatal patterning. We have developed a rapid non-destructive method to phenotype stomatal traits in three crop species: wheat, rice and tomato.

Results

The method consists of two steps. The first is the non-destructive capture of images of the leaf surface from plants in their growing environment using a handheld microscope; a process that only takes a few seconds compared to minutes for other methods. The second is to analyse stomatal features using a machine learning model that automatically detects, counts and measures stomatal number, size and aperture. The accuracy of the machine learning model in detecting stomata ranged from 88 to 99%, depending on the species, with a high correlation between measures of number, size and aperture using the machine learning models and by measuring them manually. The rapid method was applied to quickly identify contrasting stomatal phenotypes.

Conclusions

We developed a method that combines rapid non-destructive imaging of leaf surfaces with automated image analysis. The method provides accurate data on stomatal features while significantly reducing time for data acquisition and analysis. It can be readily used to phenotype stomata in large populations in the field and in controlled environments.
VSFlow: an open-source ligand-based virtual screening tool
Authors: Jung Sascha , Vatheuer Helge , Czodrowski Paul
Published: March 2023

Ligand-based virtual screening is a widespread method in modern drug design. It allows for a rapid screening of large compound databases in order to identify similar structures. Here we report an open-source command line tool which includes a substructure-, fingerprint- and shape-based virtual screening. Most of the implemented features fully rely on the RDKit cheminformatics framework. VSFlow accepts a wide range of input file formats and is highly customizable. Additionally, a quick visualization of the screening results as pdf and/or pymol file is supported.

Graphical Abstract
Predicting oral cancer risk in patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis using machine learning
Authors: Adeoye John , Koohi-Moghadam Mohamad , Choi Siu-Wai , Zheng Li-Wu , Lo Anthony Wing Ip , Tsang Raymond King-Yin , Chow Velda Ling Yu , Akinshipo Abdulwarith , Thomson Peter , Su Yu-Xiong
Published: March 2023

Oral cancer may arise from oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis (oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions) subtypes of oral potentially malignant disorders. As not all patients will develop oral cancer in their lifetime, the availability of malignant transformation predictive platforms would assist in the individualized treatment planning and formulation of optimal follow-up regimens for these patients. Therefore, this study aims to compare and select optimal machine learning (ML)-based models for stratifying the malignant transformation status of patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis. One thousand one hundred and eighty-seven patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis treated at three tertiary health institutions in Hong Kong, Newcastle UK, and Lagos Nigeria were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, pathological, and treatment-based factors obtained at diagnosis and during follow-up were used to populate and compare forty-six machine learning-based models. These were implemented as a set of twenty-six predictors for centers with substantial data quantity and fifteen predictors for centers with insufficient data. Two best models were selected according to the number of variables. We found that the optimal ML-based risk models with twenty-six and fifteen predictors achieved an accuracy of 97% and 94% respectively following model testing. Upon external validation, both models achieved a sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 1, 0.88, and 0.67 on consecutive patients treated after the construction of the models. Furthermore, the 15-predictor ML model for centers with reduced data achieved a higher sensitivity for identifying oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis patients that developed malignancies in other treatment settings compared to the binary oral epithelial dysplasia system for risk stratification (0.96 vs 0.82). These findings suggest that machine learning-based models could be useful potentially to stratify patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis according to their risk of malignant transformation in different settings.
Sustainable rural infrastructure: guidelines for roadside slope excavation
Authors: Paudyal Prabhat , Dahal Pranish , Bhandari Prakash , Dahal Bhim Kumar
Published: March 2023

The construction of non-engineered, equipment-based rural roads in Nepal Himalaya is one of the predominant causes of landslides. The construction frequency of such roads has significantly increased over the past decade. However, the present guidelines governing slope excavation for these roads are not based on geotechnical characterizations of sites. The current study uses the limit equilibrium method with the Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model to determine safe cut heights and slopes for varying geometric and material parameters. GeoStudio Slope/W was used to model soil slopes with various gradients, and cuts with varying depths and slope angles were modeled to calculate the factor of safety (FoS) against shear failure for different geometric and material conditions. The results of the study were visualized in design charts with FoS as the dependent variable. The analysis highlights the importance of different parameters, i.e., excavation depth, excavation slope, and existing ground slope in the FoS, in addition to the slope-forming material. Furthermore, a field study was carried out to validate the model using the clustering approach. The results from the field are similar to those from the numerical model, although some additional site-specific parameters like vegetation cover and surface runoff conditions should be considered before selecting the cut slope. Finally, this study proposes that future road construction guidelines should consider terrain parameters, hydrology, and geotechnical site conditions to promote sustainable road infrastructure and reduce future disaster risks in the Himalayan region.