bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Çocuk Yanık Merkezinde Sepsis Tedavisinde Terapötik Plazma Değişimi Uygulaması
Authors: ERTÜRK Ahmet , ÖZTORUN Can , BOSTANCI Süleyman Arif , DEMİRTAŞ Gökhan , EMEKSİZ Serhat , AZILI Müjdem Nur , OK BOZKAYA İkbal , ÖZBEK Namık Yaşar , DEMİR Sabri , ŞENEL Emrah
Published: August 2022

Objective: In our study, we aimed to analyze the use of Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in the manage-ment of septic and Thrombocytopenia-associated multiple-organ failure (TAMOF) in the burn in-tensive care unit of a children’s hospital retrospectively. Material and Methods: Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of the pediatric burn patients who were applied TPE between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2021 were obtained from the hospital information system and medical records and analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups those who died du-ring follow-up and those who recovered. Results: TPE was performed on 14 burned children (Boy: Girl 5:9). The median age of the patients was 6,6 years (range 1-18 years). The mean TBSA of the patients was 47.76% (20-75). The most common cause of burns was flame burn. The mean hospital stay of the patients was 18.4±12.6 (7-94) days. 4 patients in group 1 recovered and 10 patients in group 2 died during follow-up. There was no statistical difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, and TBSA (p=0.590, 0.890, 0.990). We determined that patients in group 2 were statistically higher in terms of MODS (p=0.030), Pelod score (p=0.001), and expected death rate according to Pelod score (p=0.003). It was observed that the application of TPE in the first 24 hours after the occurrence of TAMOF significantly reduced mortality (p=0.010). Conclusion: TPE should be used as an additional treatment method to conventional therapy in critically ill pati-ents in pediatric burn intensive care units. TPE application in the first 24 hours after the occurrence of TAMOF reduces mortality.
Towards net zero: reducing the carbon footprint of nursing uniforms
Authors: Wright Ken
Published: August 2022

Ken Wright, Head of Fabric Development, Dimensions (Mi Hub), discusses the role that uniforms play in the healthcare industry's carbon footprint
Real-time image-sharing to educate a patient with lymphoedema on self-care: a case study
Authors: Dai Misako , Yamashita Shuji , Okazaki Mutsumi , Kimori Keiko , Sanada Hiromi , Sugama Junko
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

Compression therapy is important in oedema control in lymphoedema. However, some patients have difficulties starting compression therapy because standard self-care education does not enable them to fully understand lymphoedema and recognise it as their problem. To overcome this, real-time image-sharing education, using a combination of indocyanine green lymphography (ICG) and ultrasonography, may be used to educate patients. In this case study, real-time image-sharing education promoted decision-making and behaviour change in a patient with lower extremity lymphoedema so she would wear elastic stockings.

Case:

A 51-year-old woman with a BMI of 31.7 kg/m2 and secondary lower extremity lymphoedema following cervical cancer surgery did not adhere to self-care instructions regarding wearing elastic stockings for 5 years. The oedema worsened, her limb circumference increased and she had two episodes of cellulitis within a year. Because the patient had a negative attitude towards elastic stockings, real-time image-sharing education was used to promote recognition of illness using ICG and an understanding of the condition of lymphoedema using ultrasonography. After the images were shared and explained, the patient discussed her recognition and understanding of lymphoedema, then decided to use compression stockings. She continued to wear them for 4 months, and her limb circumference decreased.

Conclusion:

Real-time image-sharing education using ICG and ultrasonography as self-care support for a lymphoedema patient who would not start compression therapy could result in behavioural changes and the patient starting and continuing to wear elastic stockings.
Perioperative anaemia and iron deficiency
Authors: Menon Arun , Warnakulasuriya Samantha R
Published: August 2022

Anaemia affects a third of surgical patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia and can be absolute or functional. Patients may require treatment with oral or intravenous iron.
Bullet jet as a tool for soft matter piercing and needle-free liquid injection
Authors: Rosselló Juan Manuel , Ohl Claus-Dieter
Published: August 2022

The collapse of a laser-induced vapor bubble near a solid boundary usually ends in a liquid jet. When the boundary is from a soft material the jetting may pierce the liquid-solid interface and result in the injection of liquid into it. A particular impulsive jet flow can be generated when a laser pulse is focused just below the free surface of a thin liquid layer covering a gelatin sample used as a surrogate of biological tissue. Here, a downwards jet forms from a liquid splash at the free surface and then penetrates through the liquid layer into the soft boundary. In the present manuscript we report on the use of this novel jet, termed “bullet” jet, to pierce soft materials and we explore its potential to become an optical needle-free injection platform. The dynamics and depth of the injection is studied as a function of the elasticity of the solid and the liquid properties. Injections of up to 4 mm deep into 4 %w/w gelatin within 0.5 ms are observed. The advantages of the bullet jet over other kinds of impulsively generated jets with lasers are discussed.
Modification and evaluation of the peripheral contrast sensitivity
function models
Authors: Bozorgian Aliakbar , Pedersen Marius , Thomas Jean-Baptiste
Published: August 2022

We propose a series of modifications to the Barten contrast sensitivity function model for peripheral vision based on anatomical and psychophysical studies. These modifications result in a luminance pattern detection model that could quantitatively describe the extent of veridical pattern resolution and the aliasing zone. We evaluated our model against psychophysical measurements in peripheral vision. Our numerical assessment shows that the modified Barten leads to lower estimate errors than its original version.
Technique for improving polarization conversion performance
Authors: Li Yupeng , Zeng Li , Zhang Haifeng
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a novel technology based on the addition of air through-hole structures (ATSs) is proposed to optimize the performance of polarization conversion. Based on the tree-shaped resonator (patch), the working band can be moved and widened by adding the ATS with a certain radius. Among them, in terms of a theorem, angular stability, parameters, and so on, the detailed analysis of the metasurface whose ATS radius is 5 µm is presented. Apart from this, to highlight the superiority and the role of the ATS, the metasurface without ATS is also discussed identically as above. To be specific, due to the addition of ATS, the two original narrowbands, which are operating at 0.725–1.013 THz and 1.225–1.423 THz (polarization conversion rate 

>

90

%

), are widened into a complete broadband (0.90–1.86 THz). In this case, the metasurface with ATS possesses a relative bandwidth of 69.6%. When the linearly polarized wave is irradiated vertically on the metasurface, the electric field orientation of the wave is converted by 90° from the

x

axis to the

y

axis. Therefore, the metasurface holds promising applications in radar, communications, and so on.
Photo-thermal modeling of laser–phosphor interaction in laser lighting
Authors: Yan Meng , Gong Mali , Ma Jianshe
Published: August 2022

In laser lighting, the heat generated in a phosphor has a great impact on the optical and thermal properties of the phosphor-converted white laser diode (PC-WLD), which is hard to be calculated and measured precisely. We, therefore, propose a photo-thermal modeling of laser–phosphor interaction in laser lighting (PTML) to simulate the illumination energy and temperature distribution of a phosphor. PTML consists of two parts: the modified Monte Carlo method (MCM) and the numerical calculation method based on the three-dimensional heat conduction equation. With full consideration of light scattering, fluorescence reabsorption, and thermal quenching effect, PTML is able to simulate the absorbed energy and temperature distribution inside a phosphor. Experiments with transparent and scattering Ce:YAG phosphor samples are carried out to validate this method. The results show that the difference between the PTML simulated and experimental light transmission energy (laser and fluorescence) is less than 10%. The temperature difference between the PTML simulation and experiment is less than 1.5°C when the laser irradiates on the Ce:YAG single crystal at pump power 1420 mW. Moreover, this method also has potential application in the photo-thermal interaction between bio-tissue and lasers.
Fusion-based underwater image enhancement with category-specific color correction and dehazing
Authors: Li Yiming , Zhu Chunli , Peng Junxin , Bian Liheng
Published: August 2022

Underwater imaging is usually affected by water scattering and absorption, resulting in image blur and color distortion. In order to achieve color correction and dehazing for different underwater scenes, in this paper we report a fusion-based underwater image enhancement technique. First, statistics of the hue channel of underwater images are used to divide the underwater images into two categories: color-distorted images and non-distorted images. Then, category-specific combinations of color compensation and color constancy algorithms are used to remove the color shift. Second, a ground-dehazing algorithm using haze-line prior is employed to remove the haze in the underwater image. Finally, a channel-wise fusion method based on the CIE L* a* b* color space is used to fuse the color-corrected image and dehazed image. For experimental validation, we built a setup to acquire underwater images. The experimental results validate that the category-specific color correction strategy is robust to different categories of underwater images and the fusion strategy simultaneously removes haze and corrects color casts. The quantitative metrics on the UIEBD and EUVP datasets validate its state-of-the-art performance.
Mach-Zehnder interferometer based fiber-optic nitrate sensor
Authors: Noman Abdullah Al , Dash Jitendra Narayan , Cheng Xin , Tam Hwa-Yam , Yu Changyuan
Published: August 2022

A biocompatible, reliable and quick responsive fiber-optic sensor based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is demonstrated for nitrate analytes tracing. The sensor was constructed by collapsing the air holes of a short length photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with the single-mode fibers (SMFs) on both ways. The proposed sensor has been coated with a graphene-PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) membrane using the thermal coating technique to make the sensor attractive to the nitrate ions in the aqueous solution. The maximum response is found to be 0.15 pm/ppm on the nitrate measurement scale of 0 ppm to 100 ppm with an average reaction time of ∼10 s. Also, a short length of FBG (fiber Bragg grating) is implanted with SMF to improve the sensing accuracy of the presented sensor.
Hybrid fiber–THz fronthaul supporting up to 16384-QAM-OFDM with the delta-sigma modulation
Authors: Zhang Lu , Chen Zefeng , Zhang Hongqi , Yang Zuomin , Wu Yixin , Yu Xiongbin , Pang Xiaodan , Bobrovs Vjaceslavs , Ozolins Oskars , Yu Xianbin
Published: August 2022

With the progress of high-capacity radio access networks, ultra-dense small cells are rapidly being deployed in urban areas. As a result, the deployment of a large number of optical fibers in urban areas becomes a severe issue. In this Letter, we propose a hybrid fiber–terahertz (THz) mobile fronthaul system supporting flexible and high-order wireless signal transmission with the delta-sigma modulation. The photonic THz transmission is used as the seamless extension of fiber-based fronthaul in small cells. A 20-Gbit/s digital fiber–THz fronthaul system is experimentally demonstrated to validate the proposed scheme, with 10-km optical fiber transmission and 300-GHz wireless relay. Carrier aggregation of up to 10 40-MHz and 60-MHz 5G-new radio (5G-NR) channels at the radio carrier frequency of 3.9 GHz is reported. The design of quantization noise suppressed delta-sigma modulation enables the system to transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation up to  16384 order quadrate amplitude modulation (QAM) mapping with the error vector magnitude (EVM) below 0.5%.
Evaluation of the surface topography quality of large-area diamonds by image processing and mathematical modeling
Authors: Zhou Yuting , Wang Yasi , Zeng Pei , Ji Zhiqiang , Wang Qingyu , Fan Fu , Shi Huimin , Chen Yiqin
Published: August 2022

Diamond with ultra-smooth and flat surface plays a crucial role in the various fields of nonlinear optics, NV center, waveguide, and so on, due to its remarkable physical properties. Consequently, the fast and efficient polishing and evaluating of diamond surfaces are indispensable to obtain high-quality smooth and flat diamond surfaces. As one of the most widespread techniques, atomic force microscope (AFM) and optical profilometry (OP) are enslaved to their small measurement regions and high time consuming, especially in the case of high-resolution measurement of large area diamond surfaces. Therefore, a novel approach to evaluate the polished diamond surface with high-efficiency and accuracy is desperately required. In this works, we propose a novel approach, surface topography quality (STQ) mathematical model, to achieve fast and large area evaluation to the polished diamond surface. Specifically, by combining currently popular image processing with mathematical statistics, STQ mathematical model generates a concept called surface topography quality rate (STQR) to quantitatively evaluate the surface quality of diamond. The results from large-area scanning electron microscope images before and after ion beam polishing demonstrates its reliability and preponderant advantage in dealing with large area surface compared to that of the conventional use of atomic force microscope. The mathematical model provides a unique and reliable approach to comprehensively and objectively evaluate diamond surface, which may promote the advancement of high-performance diamond-based devices.
System identification and mechanical resonance frequency suppression for servo control used in single gimbal control moment gyroscope
Authors: Yu Yue , Dai Lu , Chen Maosheng , Kong Lingbo , Wang Chaoqun , Li Gengyao , Xue Zhipeng
Published: August 2022

Effective identification of the control model is one of the key aspects in improving the performance of the single gimbal control moment gyroscope (SGCMG) servo system. The accuracy and stability of the servo system can be improved by studying system identification and mechanical resonance frequency. In this study, firstly, the SGCMG gimbal servo system was simplified to a two-mass block model. The theoretical mathematical model of the system’s transfer function and mechanical resonance frequency was derived. Secondly, this paper studied the effective suppression method for mechanical resonance. Thirdly, the mathematical model of the orthogonal correlation analysis method was deduced for system identification. Then, an experimental platform was investigated to obtain the frequency characteristic curve and the transfer function. Finally, the frequency characteristic curve obtained using the transfer function model was plotted and compared with the frequency characteristic curve obtained experimentally. Our results indicate that the orthogonal correlation analysis has a high identification accuracy.
Computational analysis on two putative mitochondrial protein-coding genes from the Emydura subglobosa genome: A functional annotation approach
Authors: Yu Megan
Published: August 2022

Rapid advancements in automated genomic technologies have uncovered many unique findings about the turtle genome and its associated features including olfactory gene expansions and duplications of toll-like receptors. However, despite the advent of large-scale sequencing, assembly, and annotation, about 40–50% of genes in eukaryotic genomes are left without functional annotation, severely limiting our knowledge of the biological information of genes. Additionally, these automated processes are prone to errors since draft genomes consist of several disconnected scaffolds whose order is unknown; erroneous draft assemblies may also be contaminated with foreign sequences and propagate to cause errors in annotation. Many of these automated annotations are thus incomplete and inaccurate, highlighting the need for functional annotation to link gene sequences to biological identity. In this study, we have functionally annotated two genes of the red-bellied short-neck turtle (Emydura subglobosa), a member of the relatively understudied pleurodire lineage of turtles. We improved upon initialab initiogene predictions through homology-based evidence and generated refined consensus gene models. Through functional, localization, and structural analyses of the predicted proteins, we discovered conserved putative genes encoding mitochondrial proteins that play a role in C21-steroid hormone biosynthetic processes and fatty acid catabolism—both of which are distantly related by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and share similar metabolic pathways. Overall, these findings further our knowledge about the genetic features underlying turtle physiology, morphology, and longevity, which have important implications for the treatment of human diseases and evolutionary studies.
Proportionate clinical burden of respiratory diseases in Indian outdoor services and its relationship with seasonal transitions and risk factors: The results of SWORD survey
Authors: Sharma Bharat Bhushan , Singh Sheetu , Sharma Krishna Kumar , Sharma Arvind Kumar , Suraj K. P. , Mahmood Tariq , Samaria Kumar Utsav , Kant Surya , Singh Nishtha , Singh Tejraj , Singh Aradhana , Gupta Rajeev , Koul Parvaiz A. , Salvi Sundeep , Singh Virendra ,   SWORD study group
Published: August 2022

Background

The Global Burden of Disease data suggest that respiratory diseases contribute to high morbidity in India. However, the factors responsible for high morbidity are not quite clear. Therefore, the Seasonal Waves Of Respiratory Disorders (SWORD) study was planned to estimate the point prevalence due to respiratory diseases in Indian OPD services and its association with risk factors and change in seasons.

Methods

In this point prevalence observational multicenter study conducted during 2017–18, participating physicians recorded information of consecutive patients in response to a questionnaire. The study was conducted on four predetermined days representing transition of Indian seasons i.e., February (winter), May (summer), August (monsoon), and November (autumn).

Results

The eligible number of patients from across 302 sites in India was 25,177. The mean age of study population was 46.1±18.1 years, 14102(56.0%) were males and 11075(44.0%) females. The common diagnoses were: asthma(29.8%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),15.6%, respiratory tract infections (RTIs),11.3%, and tuberculosis(8.7%). All these conditions showed significant seasonal trends (Asthma 31.4% autumn vs. 26.5% summer, COPD 21.1% winter vs. 8.1% summer, RTIs 13.3% winter vs. 4.3% summer, and tuberculosis 12.5% autumn vs. 4.1% summer, p<0.001 for each respectively). After adjustment for risk factors, asthma was significantly associated with exposure to molds (OR:1.12,CI:1.03–1.22), pet animals (OR:1.07,CI:1.01–1.14), recent-travel (OR:1.22,CI:1.13–1.32), and rain-wetting (OR:1.27,CI:1.15–1.40); and RTIs with rain-wetting (OR:1.53,CI:1.34–1.74), and recent-travel (OR:1.17,CI:1.05–1.30).

Conclusions

The SWORD study showed wide seasonal variations in outpatient attendance of patients with common respiratory conditions. Novel risk-factors associated with respiratory diseases were also identified.
Psychological price perception may exert a weaker effect on purchasing decisions than previously suggested: Results from a large online experiment fail to reproduce either a left-digit or perceptual-fluency effect
Authors: Fenneman Achiel , Sickmann Jörn , Füllbrunn Sascha , Goldbach Carina , Pitz Thomas
Published: August 2022

Retail store prices are frequently set to either a just-below (e.g., $1.99) or rounded to (e.g., $2.00) integer levels. Previous studies proposed two price-perception effects that may underly such psychological pricing strategies. First, the left-digit effect (LDE) assumes consumers read prices left-to-right. Cognitive limitations let consumers overweight the impact of digits on the left side of the price while underweighting digits on the right side of the price. This effect appears to conflict with the contradictory perceptual fluency effect (PFE), which proposes that a rounded price is more perceptual fluent and, thus, more attractive to consumers. To address these paradoxical effects, we conducted an online experiment with 266 participants making a total of 4788 purchasing decisions where we systematically varied the purchasing prices of otherwise identical lottery tickets across two price levels. Against expectations, we found no support for either of the two price-perception effects. We propose three possible explanations of these null results.
Factors associated with HIV viral suppression among adolescents in Kabale district, South Western Uganda
Authors: Gordon Tugume Peterson , Talbert Muhwezi , Mugisha Maud Kamatenesi , Herbert Ainamani Elvis
Published: August 2022

Background

The goal of antiretroviral therapy is to achieve sustained human immune deficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression. However, research on factors associated with viral load suppression among adolescents in low and middle-income countries is limited. The objectives of this study were to determine HIV viral suppression levels among adolescents in Kabale district and the associated clinical, adherence and psychosocial factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study designs were used. Two hundred and forty-nine adolescents living with HIV that attended clinics between September and October 2019 at nine health facilities were interviewed and their medical records reviewed. A data abstraction tool was used to collect clinical data from adolescent’s clinical charts, face to face interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaire adopted from the HEADS tool and in-depth interviews conducted with ten key informants. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. Logistic regression was used to determine the magnitude by which clinical and psychosocial factors influence viral load suppression. Odds Ratios (ORs) were used for statistical associations at 95% confidence interval considering statistical significance for p-values less than 0.05. Qualitative data collected from Key informants to support our quantitative findings was analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results

HIV viral suppression among (n = 249) adolescents was at 81%. Having no severe opportunistic infections was associated with viral load suppression among adolescent living with HIV (OR = 1.09; 95%CI [1.753–4.589]; p<0.001) as well as having no treatment interruptions (OR = 0.86; 95% CI [2.414–6.790]; p = 0.004). Belonging to a support group (OR = 1.01; 95% CI [1.53–4.88]; P = 0.020), having parents alive (OR = 2.04; 95% CI[1.02–4.12]; P = 0.047) and having meals in a day (OR = 5.68; C.I = 2.38–6.12, P = 0.010), were significantly associated to viral load suppression. The findings also indicated that long distances from health facilities, transport challenges and unprofessional conduct of health workers that make adolescent unwelcome at health facilities negatively affected viral suppression among adolescents.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that HIV viral suppression among adolescents on ART was at 81%. Kabale district was likely not to achieve the third 90 of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 global target for this population category. The findings further indicate that having no severe opportunistic infection and no treatment interruptions, good nutrition status, peer support and support from significant others, were highly associated with viral load suppression.
Interoceptive accuracy and bias in somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and functional syndromes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wolters Carolin , Gerlach Alexander L. , Pohl Anna
Published: August 2022

Somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and functional syndromes are characterized by burdensome preoccupation with somatic symptoms. Etiological models propose either increased interoceptive accuracy through hypervigilance to the body, or decreased and biased interoception through top-down predictions about sensory events. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes findings of 68 studies examining interoceptive accuracy and 8 studies examining response biases in clinical or non-clinical groups. Analyses yielded a medium population effect size for decreased interoceptive accuracy in functional syndromes, but no observable effect in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. The overall effect size was highly heterogeneous. Regarding response bias, there was a small significant effect in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. Our findings strengthen the notion of top-down factors that result in biased rather than accurate perception of body signals in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder.
Multi-omics assessment of dilated cardiomyopathy using non-negative matrix factorization
Authors: Tappu Rewati , Haas Jan , Lehmann David H. , Sedaghat-Hamedani Farbod , Kayvanpour Elham , Keller Andreas , Katus Hugo A. , Frey Norbert , Meder Benjamin
Published: August 2022

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a myocardial disease, is heterogeneous and often results in heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Unavailability of cardiac tissue has hindered the comprehensive exploration of gene regulatory networks and nodal players in DCM. In this study, we carried out integrated analysis of transcriptome and methylome data using non-negative matrix factorization from a cohort of DCM patients to uncover underlying latent factors and covarying features between whole-transcriptome and epigenome omics datasets from tissue biopsies of living patients. DNA methylation data from Infinium HM450 and mRNA Illumina sequencing of n = 33 DCM and n = 24 control probands were filtered, analyzed and used as input for matrix factorization using R NMF package. Mann-Whitney U test showed 4 out of 5 latent factors are significantly different between DCM and control probands (P<0.05). Characterization of top 10% features driving each latent factor showed a significant enrichment of biological processes known to be involved in DCM pathogenesis, including immune response (P = 3.97E-21), nucleic acid binding (P = 1.42E-18), extracellular matrix (P = 9.23E-14) and myofibrillar structure (P = 8.46E-12). Correlation network analysis revealed interaction of important sarcomeric genes like Nebulin, Tropomyosin alpha-3 and ERC-protein 2 with CpG methylation of ATPase Phospholipid Transporting 11A0, Solute Carrier Family 12 Member 7 and Leucine Rich Repeat Containing 14B, all with significant P values associated with correlation coefficients >0.7. Using matrix factorization, multi-omics data derived from human tissue samples can be integrated and novel interactions can be identified. Hypothesis generating nature of such analysis could help to better understand the pathophysiology of complex traits such as DCM.
Seeing oneself as a data reuser: How subjectification activates the drivers of data reuse in science
Authors: LaFlamme Marcel , Poetz Marion , Spichtinger Daniel
Published: August 2022

Considerable resources are being invested in strategies to facilitate the sharing of data across domains, with the aim of addressing inefficiencies and biases in scientific research and unlocking potential for science-based innovation. Still, we know too little about what determines whether scientific researchers actually make use of the unprecedented volume of data being shared. This study characterizes the factors influencing researcher data reuse in terms of their relationship to a specific research project, and introduces subjectification as the mechanism by which these influencing factors are activated. Based on our analysis of semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 24 data reusers and intermediaries, we find that while both project-independent and project-dependent factors may have a direct effect on a single instance of data reuse, they have an indirect effect on recurring data reuse as mediated by subjectification. We integrate our findings into a model of recurring data reuse behavior that presents subjectification as the mechanism by which influencing factors are activated in a propensity to engage in data reuse. Our findings hold scientific implications for the theorization of researcher data reuse, as well as practical implications around the role of settings for subjectification in bringing about and sustaining changes in researcher behavior.
A qualitative study of hospital and community providers’ experiences with digitalization to facilitate hospital-to-home transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Singh Hardeep , Gray Carolyn Steele , Nelson Michelle L. A. , Nie Jason X. , Thombs Rachel , Armas Alana , Fortin Christian , Molla Ghanbari Hedieh , Tang Terence
Published: August 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered substantial changes to the healthcare context, including the rapid adoption of digital health to facilitate hospital-to-home transitions. This study aimed to: i) explore the experiences of hospital and community providers with delivering transitional care during the COVID-19 pandemic; ii) understand how rapid digitalization in healthcare has helped or hindered hospital-to-home transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic; and, iii) explore expectations of which elements of technology use may be sustained post-pandemic.

Methods

Using a pragmatic qualitative descriptive approach, remote interviews with healthcare providers involved in hospital-to-home transitions in Ontario, Canada, were conducted. Interviews were analyzed using a team-based rapid qualitative analysis approach to generate timely results. Visual summary maps displaying key concepts/ideas were created for each interview and revised based on input from multiple team members. Maps that displayed similar concepts were then combined to create a final map, forming the themes and subthemes.

Results

Sixteen healthcare providers participated, of which 11 worked in a hospital, and five worked in a community setting. COVID-19 was reported to have profoundly impacted healthcare providers, patients, and their caregivers and influenced the communication processes. There were several noted opportunities for technology to support transitions.

Interpretation

Several challenges with technology use were highlighted, which could impact post-pandemic sustainability. However, the perceived opportunities for technology in supporting transitions indicate the need to investigate the optimal role of technology in the transition workflow.
Epidemiological characteristics and pathological changes of primary glomerular diseases
Authors: Li Yan , Yu XiaoYang , Zhang WenJing , Lv Jia , Lan Ping , Wang ZhiGang , Sun JiPing , Xie LiYi , Lu WanHong , Feng XueLiang , Jiang Hongli , Zhang Yali
Published: August 2022

Objective

By analyzing the pathological characteristics and clinical data of renal biopsy in our hospital in the past 20 years, to further understand the epidemic characteristics and pathological changes of primary glomerular disease, and to provide regional data for the big data of kidney disease in my country.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 9448 patients with primary glomerular disease who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2019, aged 18 years or older, and undergoing renal biopsy. Divided every 5 years into a group, a total of 4 groups (first group 2000.1.1–2004.12.31, second groups 2005.1.1–2009.12.31; third groups 2010.1.1–2014.12.31, fourth groups 2015.1.1–2019.12.31).

Results

① There were more males than females, and male: female vs 1.53:1. The proportion of men in the past five years has increased compared with the previous 15 years. ② Mostly middle-aged, with a median age of 41.39 years old. The age is increasing over time. There are differences between the four groups,P<0.001; ③ The most common clinical manifestations are nephrotic syndrome, followed by chronic glomerulonephritis. Occult glomerulonephritis, the proportion of patients with nephrotic syndrome increases over time, first to fourth group (40.08%< 42.64% < 47.08%< 53.69%); ④ The most common pathology type from 2000 to 2009 was mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. IgA nephropathy was the most common type from 2010 to 2014, but the proportion of membranous nephropathy increased year by year, and it became the most common pathological type from 2015 to 2019; ⑤ The clinical and pathological manifestations of different genders are different, but there is no statistical difference.

Conclusion

In the past 20 years, the primary glomerular disease is mainly middle-aged. There are more men than women. The most common type of clinical manifestation is nephrotic syndrome. The pathological type is mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Over time, the average age is increasing, and the proportion of patients with renal syndrome is increasing. IgA nephropathy is the most common pathological type from 2010 to 2014, and membranous nephropathy has become the main pathological type in the past 5 years.
How do Yolŋu recognise and understand their children’s learning? Nhaltjan ŋuli ga Yolŋuy nhäma ga märr-dharaŋan djamarrkuḻiw marŋgithinyawuy?
Authors: Armstrong Emily , Maypilama Ḻäwurrpa , Fasoli Lyn , Guyula Abbey , Yunupiŋu Megan , Garrutju Jane , Gundjarranbuy Rosemary , Gapany Dorothy , Godwin-Thompson Jenine , Lowell Anne
Published: August 2022

Indigenous families have culturally-specific strengths, priorities, and methods for assessing their children’s development. Recognition and support of children’s and families’ strengths are important for identity, health and wellbeing. However, strengths can be missed in assessment processes developed in non-Indigenous contexts. Yolŋu are First Nations Australian peoples from North-East Arnhem Land. This study was conducted to explore Yolŋu early childhood development, assessment and support in response to concerns that Yolŋu strengths and priorities are often not recognised. The cultural and linguistic expertise of Yolŋu researchers was central in this qualitative study. Rich empirical data were collected through a form of video reflexive ethnography with six children and their extended families over seven years and through in-depth interviews with 38 other community members. An iterative process of data collection and analysis engaged Yolŋu families and researchers in a collaborative, culturally responsive research process which drew on constructivist grounded theory methods. Findings illustrate how Yolŋu children are immersed in complex layers of intertwined and continuous testing and teaching processes integrating holistic frameworks of cultural identity and connection, knowledge and practices. Yolŋu families monitor and recognise a child’s development through both direct and explicit testing and through observing children closely so that children can be supported to keep learning and growing into their knowledge, strengths and identity. Yolŋu expressed concern that such learning is invisible when the child is viewed through non-Yolŋu lenses and assessed with processes and tools from outside the community. Indigenous peoples have a right to culturally congruent assessment of their children. Those who share the child’s culture and language have the expertise to ensure that cultural strengths and priorities are recognised and understood.
Parents’ views on accepting, declining, and expanding newborn bloodspot screening
Authors: van der Pal Sylvia M. , Wins Sophie , Klapwijk Jasmijn E. , van Dijk Tessa , Kater-Kuipers Adriana , van der Ploeg Catharina P. B. , Jans Suze M. P. J. , Kemp Stephan , Verschoof-Puite Rendelien K. , van den Bosch Lion J. M. , Henneman Lidewij
Published: August 2022

Introduction

The goal of newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) is the early detection of treatable disorders in newborns to offer early intervention. Worldwide, the number of conditions screened for is expanding, which might affect public acceptance. In the Netherlands, participation is high (>99%), but little is known about how parents perceive NBS. This study assessed parents’ views on accepting, declining and expanding NBS.

Methods

A total of 804 of 6051 (13%) invited parents who participated in NBS in the Netherlands during the last two weeks of December 2019, and 48 of 1162 (4%) invited parents who declined participation in NBS in 2019 and 2020, completed a questionnaire.

Results

The most important reason for parents to participate in NBS was to prevent health complaints, whereas the most important reason to decline NBS was parents’ viewpoint on life and the belief that the heel prick would be painful for the child. Compared to NBS participants, respondents who declined NBS were more actively religious, considered alternative medicine or lifestyle more important, were less inclined to vaccinate their child for infectious diseases, and reported more doubt about NBS participation (all differences p < .001). Informed choice was lower among respondents who declined NBS (44%) compared to participants in NBS (83%, p < .001), mostly due to insufficient knowledge. Of the NBS participants, 95% were positive about NBS expansion. Most NBS participants agreed to include conditions that could unintentionally reveal a diagnosis in the mother instead of the child (86%) or a condition that may not cause symptoms until later in the child’s life (84%).

Conclusion

Most participants made an informed decision to participate in NBS and are positive about screening for more conditions. Insights into parents’ views on (non-)participation and expansion of NBS can help to ensure that NBS suits the population needs while safeguarding ethical principles for screening.
ReLU-FCM trained by quasi-oppositional bare bone imperialist competition algorithm for predicting employment rate
Authors: Guo Aihua
Published: August 2022

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) are a powerful tool for system modeling, which can be used for static and dynamic analysis. However, traditional FCMs are usually learned by gradient-based methods, and the adopted sigmoid nonlinear activation function frequently causes gradient saturation. These two shortcomings set a limit on the modeling accuracy. To overcome those problems, we propose in this paper a new FCM with two improvements. First, the rectified linear unit (ReLu) activation function is adopted to replace the sigmoid function. Second, a newly proposed quasi-oppositional bare bone imperialist competition algorithm (QBBICA) is used to learn the FCM. The improved FCM is used to predict the employment rate of graduates from Liren College, Yanshan University. Experimental results show that the improved FCM is effective in employment rate prediction.
Analysis of the auditory processing skills in 1,012 children aged 6–9 confirms the adequacy of APD testing in 6-year-olds
Authors: Guzek Anna , Iwanicka-Pronicka Katarzyna
Published: August 2022

The aim of the study was to assess the validity of the use of the battery of tests assessing higher auditory functions in the diagnostic process of APD in 6-year-old children. The study involved 1,012 Polish-speaking children aged 6 to 9 years with normal hearing sensitivity. The evaluation of auditory functions was performed using the ATS Neuroflow test battery comprising: Adaptive Speech in Noise test (ASPN-S), Dichotic Digits Test (DDT) and Frequency Pattern Test (FPT). Two groups were distinguished: the group”S” (Study) containing 880 participants with APD (participants who obtained abnormal results in at least two tests) and the group”C” (Control) including 132 participants without APD. The results obtained by 6-year-old children in behavioral tests present a similar disorder’s profile to those of older children in terms of the prevalence of specific deficits and their severity. Performance in the APD tests of healthy 6-year-old children is higher than 9-year-old children with APD, despite the process of physiological development of hearing functions in older children. The test assessing understanding speech in noise was the most frequently impaired among all examined, while the dichotic listening with distracted attention was the least frequently impaired function. The deficit found in DDT was opposite between patients with APD and healthy children, we called the detected phenomenon the reversed lateralization pattern. The use of DDT, FPT and ASPN-S tests to evaluate higher auditory functions in the process of diagnosing APD in 6-year-old children is justified by the lack of discrepancy in the disorder profile of 6-year-old children in comparison with older children, both in the healthy population, and in children with impaired auditory function development. Early diagnosis can be beneficial for accurate programming of therapeutic goals.
Consumer awareness and production practices of farmers on antimicrobial residues in chicken eggs and Chinese cabbage in Dodoma, Central Tanzania
Authors: Mongi Richard John , Meshi Eugene Benjamin , Ntwenya Julius Edward
Published: August 2022

Background

Antimicrobial residues (ABs) in foods contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is becoming a major public health concern around the world. Understanding food production practices concerning antimicrobial use and consumer awareness on the possibility of ABs in foods is necessary for developing mitigation strategies. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the production practices and awareness among eggs and Chinese cabbage consumers in Dodoma city.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire and checklist to collect data on awareness and production practices from 420 consumers, 30 chicken egg farmers, and 30 Chinese cabbage farmers in eight city wards.

Findings

About 42% of consumers of eggs and Chinese cabbages were not aware of the likelihood of antimicrobial residues in these foods. The awareness was significantly influenced by the consumer’s educational level (p = 0.001) and geographical location (p = 0.045), with educated and urban consumers being 7.7 and 1.6 times more informed than their uneducated and peri-urban counterparts. Furthermore, the majority of chicken farmers raised more layers than broilers, and they all used antimicrobial drugs, mainly tetracycline and its variants, to treat and prevent diseases. The findings also revealed that many vegetable producers utilized wastes from animals treated with antimicrobials as manure to amend the soil.

Conclusion

In a view of the findings, a considerable number of egg and Chinese cabbage consumers in Dodoma city were unaware on the likelihood of antimicrobial residues in these foods from their production practices. All chicken farmers utilized antimicrobial drugs mainly tetracycline and its derivatives, for the treatment and prevention of diseases while vegetable producers used wastes from animals treated with antimicrobials as soil manure. Therefore, initiatives to inform farmers and consumers about the possibility of antimicrobial residues in these foods and their related public health risks upon long-term consumption are strongly advised.
Physical activity and sedentarism among seniors in France, and their impact on health
Authors: Pierre Jérémy , Collinet Cécile , Schut Pierre-Olaf , Verdot Charlotte
Published: August 2022

Background

In the context of the ageing of the French population, physical activity becomes a principal means for maintaining good health. International organisations are thus giving increasing importance to physical activity in programmes of disease-prevention. In parallel with these concerns, studies have shown the impact of sedentary activities (in particularly as a result of the seated position and screen time) on health.

Objective

To show the links between physical activity, sedentarism and health indicators and to identify the socio-demographic variables by which they are influenced (particularly gender).

Study design

This is a transversal epidemiological study conducted among the French population between 2014 and 2016 by Santé publique France, the national public health agency.

Methods

The RPAQ (Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire) was used to measure the physical activity and sedentary lifestyle of individuals. The analyses focus on the behaviours among the population of older adults (55–74 years old, n = 1155).

Results

A third of French older adults does not meet the WHO recommended physical activity levels, particularly so among women. The results of this survey point to significant links between health indicators (especially overweight and obesity) and the physical activity level and sedentarity of older adults. From the age of 60, energy expenditure linked to physical activity increases before decreasing from the age of 65. Older adults spend almost 6 hours per day in sedentary activities. The combinations between physical activity and sedentarism highlight four profiles of older adults. The most active profile is the one with the best health indicators.

Conclusion

The links between health, sedentarity and physical activity are unequivocal: people who achieve the WHO recommendations for physical activity and spend less than 7 hours each day in sedentary activities are those who also have the best health indicators. These results vary with sociographic characteristics and reveal significant links with health indicators.