bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical care beyond organ support: the importance of geriatric rehabilitation
Authors: Jacobs Jeremy M. , Rahamim Ana , Beil Michael , Guidet Bertrand , Vallet Helene , Flaatten Hans , Leaver Susannah K. , de Lange Dylan , Szczeklik Wojciech , Jung Christian , Sviri Sigal
Published: May 2024

Very old critically ill patients pose a growing challenge for intensive care. Critical illness and the burden of treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to a long-lasting decline of functional and cognitive abilities, especially in very old patients. Multi-complexity and increased vulnerability to stress in these patients may lead to new and worsening disabilities, requiring careful assessment, prevention and rehabilitation. The potential for rehabilitation, which is crucial for optimal functional outcomes, requires a systematic, multi-disciplinary approach and careful long-term planning during and following ICU care. We describe this process and provide recommendations and checklists for comprehensive and timely assessments in the context of transitioning patients from ICU to post-ICU and acute hospital care, and review the barriers to the provision of good functional outcomes.
Simple subspace based adaptive beamforming under Toeplitz covariances
Authors: Choi Yang-Ho
Published: May 2024

When uncorrelated signals are incident on a uniform linear array, the array covariance matrix is of the Toeplitz form. An adaptive beamforming method is proposed based on the signal-plus-interference (SI) subspace via the Toeplitz rectification of the sample matrix. The rectified matrix is shown to be more accurate in a norm sense than the modified matrix according to the centro-Hermitian property. Since the former also is centro-Hermitian we can efficiently obtain its eigen-decomposition from a real matrix and then the weight vector in the estimated SI subspace. The proposed method, showing robustness to pointing errors, is not only computationally efficient but also very quickly converges to the optimum performance as demonstrated in the simulation.
Rinse, gel, and foam – is there any evidence for a difference in their effectiveness in preventing infections?
Authors: Boyce John M. , Pittet Didier
Published: May 2024

Background

Following publication of the 2009 World Health Organizations Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Health Care, a debate has emerged regarding the relative antimicrobial efficacy of the different formats (rinse, gel, foam) of ABHRs and their ability to contribute to reduction of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Methods

Data regarding the in-vivo antimicrobial efficacy of ABHRs and other factors that likely affect their effectiveness in reducing HAIs were reviewed, and a comprehensive review of studies that reported the effectiveness of each of the three ABHR formats to improve hand hygiene compliance and reduce HAIs was conducted.

Results

The amount of rubbing time it takes for hands to feel dry (dry time) is the major driver of ABHR antimicrobial efficacy. ABHR format is not a major factor, and several studies found that rinse, gel, and foam ABHRs have comparable in-vivo antimicrobial efficacy. Other factors that likely impact the ability of ABHRs to reduce transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens and HAIs include ABHR formulation, the volume applied to hands, aesthetic characteristics, skin tolerance, acceptance by healthcare personnel, and hand hygiene compliance rates. When accompanied by complementary strategies, promoting the use of each of the three ABHR formats has been associated with improvements in hand hygiene compliance rates. A review of 67 studies failed to identify an ABHR format that was significantly more effective in yielding statistically significant reductions in transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens or HAIs.

Conclusions

Current evidence is insufficient to definitively determine if one ABHR format is more effective in reducing transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens and HAIs. More rigorous studies such as multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing the different formats are needed to establish if one format is significantly more effective in reducing HAIs.
Comparative analysis of key factors influencing urban green space in Mashhad, Iran (1988–2018)
Authors: Rahmati Leila , Hanaei Toktam
Published: May 2024

This paper analyzed the role of national economic factors, in addition to some key city-level variables, in the variation of the urban green space (UGS) in Mashhad City (Iran) during three decades (1998–2018). The correlation result revealed the effects of the increasing trend of land price, population rate, and construction of built-up areas in the decreasing trend of UGS in the study area (R from − 0.95 to -0.99 at p-value > 95%). Also, the country-level economic factors, i.e., GDP per capita, oil price, export total value, and FDI, represented the overall increasing trend from 1988 to 2018, correlating with the decrease of green space areas (R from − 0.76 to -0.92 at p-value > 75%). Some statistical analyses, such as the run-test, the skewness and kurtosis tests, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the ANOVA test were done to confirm the normality of the data distribution and reliability of the results. Ultimately, clustering the research variables based on the significance and confidence levels of the estimated correlation results revealed that the change in the oil price and national export values in the petroleum-dependent economy of Iran can be assumed as the lead key economic factors to fluctuate all city-level variables, particularly the UGS variations.
Development, validation and application of single molecule molecular inversion probe based novel integrated genetic screening method for 29 common lysosomal storage disorders in India
Authors: Sheth Harsh , Nair Aadhira , Bhavsar Riddhi , Kamate Mahesh , Gowda Vykuntaraju K. , Bavdekar Ashish , Kadam Sandeep , Nampoothiri Sheela , Panigrahi Inusha , Kaur Anupriya , Shah Siddharth , Mehta Sanjeev , Jagadeesan Sujatha , Suresh Indrani , Kapoor Seema , Bajaj Shruti , Devi Radha Rama , Prajapati Ashka , Godbole Koumudi , Patel Harsh , Luhar Zulfiqar , Shah Raju C. , Iyer Anand , Bijarnia Sunita , Puri Ratna , Muranjan Mamta , Shah Ami , Magar Suvarna , Gupta Neerja , Tayade Naresh , Gandhi Ajit , Sowani Ajit , Kale Shrutikaa , Jalan Anil , Solanki Dhaval , Dalal Ashwin , Mane Shrikant , Prabha C. Ratna , Sheth Frenny , Joshi Chaitanya G. , Joshi Madhvi , Sheth Jayesh
Published: May 2024

Background

Current clinical diagnosis pathway for lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) involves sequential biochemical enzymatic tests followed by DNA sequencing, which is iterative, has low diagnostic yield and is costly due to overlapping clinical presentations. Here, we describe a novel low-cost and high-throughput sequencing assay using single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs) to screen for causative single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in genes associated with 29 common LSDs in India.

Results

903 smMIPs were designed to target exon and exon–intron boundaries of targeted genes (n = 23; 53.7 kb of the human genome) and were equimolarly pooled to create a sequencing library. After extensive validation in a cohort of 50 patients, we screened 300 patients with either biochemical diagnosis (n = 187) or clinical suspicion (n = 113) of LSDs. A diagnostic yield of 83.4% was observed in patients with prior biochemical diagnosis of LSD. Furthermore, diagnostic yield of 73.9% (n = 54/73) was observed in patients with high clinical suspicion of LSD in contrast with 2.4% (n = 1/40) in patients with low clinical suspicion of LSD. In addition to detecting SNVs, the assay could detect single and multi-exon copy number variants with high confidence. Critically, Niemann-Pick disease type C and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis-6 diseases for which biochemical testing is unavailable, could be diagnosed using our assay. Lastly, we observed a non-inferior performance of the assay in DNA extracted from dried blood spots in comparison with whole blood.

Conclusion

We developed a flexible and scalable assay to reliably detect genetic causes of 29 common LSDs in India. The assay consolidates the detection of multiple variant types in multiple sample types while having improved diagnostic yield at same or lower cost compared to current clinical paradigm.
Validation of the Chinese version of the coping strategies for victims of cyberbullying scale
Authors: CHEN Qiqi , LU Zujian , LIU Bofan , XIAO Qiao , ZHU Yuhong , CHAN Ko Ling
Published: May 2024

Background

Although abundant evidence has confirmed cyberbullying as a global online risk, little is known about the coping strategies employed by victims and those who experiencing bullying. A validated scale for coping with cyberbullying could inform evidence-based social services and enable comparative studies of this phenomenon among victims from different backgrounds. This study aims to validate the Coping Strategies for Victims of Cyberbullying (CSVC) scale among Chinese adolescents and to compare its effectiveness between victims and bully-victims (individuals with dual roles).

Methods

A 25-item CSVC scale was translated and adapted for cultural relevance in the Chinese context. A sample of 1,716 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, from two middle schools and one high school in China, was recruited. Both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted.

Results

The EFA revealed that the Chinese version of the CSVC scale had satisfactory validity. The CFA demonstrated a good fit for the eight-factor model in assessing different coping strategies for cyberbullying. Differences in the selection of coping strategies were observed between the general adolescent population and sexual and gender minorities.

Conclusions

Future intervention studies may use this validated scale to educate adolescents, both those affected by cyberbullying and those who are not, to learn a broader range of coping strategies and to choose more effective ones.
Tsunami waveform inversion using Green’s functions with advection effects: application to the 2003 Tokachi–Oki earthquake
Authors: Yamanaka Yusuke , Tanioka Yuichiro
Published: May 2024

We explored nonlinear effects within the context of tsunami waveform inversion, wherein Green's functions were linearly superimposed to estimate earthquake slips. We focused on these effects while developing a source model for the 2003 Tokachi–Oki earthquake off Hokkaido, Japan. A source model for this earthquake was developed based on linear tsunami waveform inversion using Green’s functions and tsunami waveforms observed at tide gauge stations. Subsequently, tsunami waveforms from the source were simulated at the stations using nonlinear long-wave theory and compared with those estimated by inversion. The comparisons demonstrated that the waveforms had a non-negligible discrepancy that was attributed to advection effects, even for the primary wave used in the inversion at the two stations. This result strongly suggests that advection effects should be considered in the source modeling of the 2003 earthquake based on tsunami waveforms observed by tide gauges. Based on these results, a new tsunami waveform inversion technique that incorporates linearly approximated advection effects and maintain the framework of linear tsunami waveform inversion using Green’s functions is proposed and applied. The proposed method successfully mimicked the advection effects during the 2003 tsunami, reproduced better tsunami waveforms, and developed a source model for the 2003 earthquake using these effects. The peak slip amount and seismic moment were greater in the source model with advection effects than those without the effects. This finding suggests that the values in the source models developed for other earthquake events without considering these effects may have been underestimated.

Graphical abstract
Perineoplasty for anal incontinence after obstetric anal sphincter injury repair: a case report
Authors: Kojima Masatsugu , Miyake Toru , Tani Soichiro , Sakai Sachiko , Nishina Yusuke , Kaida Sachiko , Takebayashi Katsushi , Maehira Hiromitsu , Mori Haruki , Otake Reiko , Matsunaga Takashi , Ishikawa Hajime , Shimizu Tomoharu , Tani Masaji
Published: May 2024

Background

The rectal and vaginal walls are typically sutured if severe perineal lacerations with rectal mucosal damage occur during vaginal delivery. In case of anal incontinence after the repair, re-suturing of the anal sphincter muscle is standard procedure. However, this procedure may not result in sufficient improvement of function.

Case presentation

A 41-year-old woman underwent suture repair of the vaginal and rectal walls for fourth-degree perineal laceration at delivery. She was referred to our department after complaining of flatus and fecal incontinence. Her Wexner score was 15 points. Examination revealed decreased anal tonus and weak contractions on the ventral side. We diagnosed anal incontinence due to sphincter dysfunction after repair of a perineal laceration at delivery. We subsequently performed sphincter re-suturing with perineoplasty to restructure the perineal body by suturing the fascia located lateral to the perineal body and running in a ventral–dorsal direction, which filled the space between the anus and vagina and increased anal tonus. One month after surgery, the symptoms of anal incontinence disappeared (the Wexner score lowered to 0 points), and the anorectal manometry values increased compared to the preoperative values. According to recent reports on the anatomy of the female perineal region, bulbospongiosus muscle in women does not move toward the midline to attach to the perineal body, as has been previously believed. Instead, it attaches to the ipsilateral surface of the external anal sphincter. We consider the fascia lateral to the perineal body to be the fascia of the bulbospongiosus muscle.

Conclusions

In a case of postpartum anal incontinence due to sphincter dysfunction after repair of severe perineal laceration, perineoplasty with re-suturing an anal sphincter muscle resulted in improvement in anal sphincter function. Compared to conventional simple suture repair of the rectal wall only, this surgical technique may improve sphincter function to a greater degree.
The implications of the ecological footprint and renewable energy usage on the financial stability of South Asian countries
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Kamran , Alam Shabbir , Wahab Salman , Tufail Muhammad , Jijian Zhang
Published: May 2024

This study explores the complex relationships involving ecological footprints, energy use, carbon emissions, governance efficiency, economic prosperity, and financial stability in South Asian nations spanning the period from 2000 to 2022. Employing various methodologies such as cross-sectional dependence tests, co-integration analysis, and first- and second-generation unit-root tests, we use a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag model, feasible generalized least squares, and Panel Corrected Standard Errors to ensure the robustness of our findings. We find noteworthy positive correlations between several variables, including heightened ecological consciousness, effective governance structures, increased GDP per capita, and amplified CO2 emissions. These relationships suggest potential pathways to strengthen the financial stability of the entire region; they also highlight the latent potential of embracing ecologically sustainable practices to fortify economic resilience. Our results also underscore the pivotal role of appropriate governance structures and higher income levels in bolstering financial stability in South Asian countries. Interestingly, we also find negative coefficients associated with the use of renewable energy, suggesting that escalating the adoption of renewable energy could create financial instability. This finding stresses the importance of diversification in energy strategies, cautioning policymakers to carefully consider the financial ramifications of potentially costly imports of renewable energy sources while seeking to reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between ambitious sustainability goals and the pursuit of sustained economic robustness in the region. In considering the implications of these findings, it is crucial to consider each country’s broader socioeconomic context. Our results offer valuable insights for policymakers in developing renewable energy strategies.
“The patient is awake and we need to stay calm”: reconsidering indirect communication in the face of medical error and professionalism lapses
Authors: Taylor Taryn , Columbus Lauren , Banner Harrison , Seemann Natashia , Duncliffe Trevor Hines , Pack Rachael
Published: May 2024

Background

Although speaking up is lauded as a critical patient safety strategy, it remains exceptionally challenging for team members to enact. Existing efforts to address the problem of silence among interprofessional teams involve training low-authority members to use direct language and unambiguous challenge scripts. The role or value of indirect communication in preventing medical error remains largely unexplored despite its pervasiveness among interprofessional teams. This study explores the role of indirect challenges in the face of medical error and professionalism lapses.

Methods

Obstetricians at one academic center participated in an interprofessional simulation as a partial actor. Thirteen iterations were completed with 39 participants (13 obstetrician consultants, 11 obstetric residents, 2 family medicine consultants, 5 midwives, and 8 obstetrical nurses). Thirty participants completed a subsequent semi-structured interview. Five challenge moments were scripted for the obstetrician involving deliberate clinical judgment errors or professionalism infractions. Other participants were unaware of the obstetrician’s partial actor role. Scenarios were videotaped; debriefs and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a constructivist qualitative approach.

Results

Low-authority team members primarily relied on indirect challenge scripts to promote patient safety during simulation. Faculty participants were highly receptive to indirect challenges from low-authority team members, particularly in front of awake patients. In the context of obstetric care, direct challenges were actually viewed by participants as threatening to patient trust and disruptive to the interprofessional team. Instead of exclusively focusing our efforts on encouraging low-authority team members to speak up through direct challenges, it may be fruitful to expand our attention toward teaching faculty to identify, listen for, and respond to the indirect, subtle challenges that are already prolific among interprofessional teams.
Histological features of the gastrointestinal tract of elongate tigerfish, Hydrocynus forskahlii (Cuvier, 1819), from Lake Albert
Authors: Kasozi Nasser , Iwe Gerald D. , Langi Sandra , Namulawa Victoria T. , Walakira John
Published: May 2024

Background

The tigerfish (Hydrocynus forskahlii) is an important food fish in different regions of Africa. As such, interest in its performance and nutritional requirements as a potential candidate for aquaculture is increasing. Characterization of the morpho-histological features and functions of the gut provides valuable insights into the feeding physiology and digestive system of fish species.

Result

An investigation of the morpho-histological features of the gastrointestinal tract of H. forskahlii captured from Lake Albert was conducted over an eight-month period. The digestive tract of H. forskahlii is characterised by a short oesophagus, well-developed and distensible stomach and moderately long intestine. The oesophagus had a higher abundance of mucous-secreting goblet cells compared to other digestive tract tissues. The stomach had a bag-like shape for swallowing large prey and was distinguishable into the cardiac, fundic and pyloric regions. Both the cardiac and fundic regions of the stomach had numerous gastric glands, whereas the pyloric region had large compound folds consisting of pseudo-stratified columnar epithelium. Many goblet cells were also observed in the mid and posterior regions of the intestine. The relative length of the gut of the H. forskahlii was 1.27 ± 0.03 cm, and it had a total of 20–22 pyloric caeca. The liver was observed to be divided in lobules by a central vein contained within connective sheets. Irregular cords of hepatocytes were also visible throughout the parenchyma.

Conclusions

The histological features of the H. forskahlii gut observed in the present study are consistent with those of carnivorous and omnivorous fish.
Profile of adult -onset epilepsy in Zagazig university hospitals
Authors: Nageeb Rania S. , Ismail Adaham Mahmoud Mohamad , Youssef Sawsan Abd El Aziz , Mohamed Eman Atef
Published: May 2024

Background

Epilepsy has many neurobiological consequences. This study aimed to identify the profile of adult patients with new onset epilepsy in our university hospitals as regarding clinical picture, etiology, cerebral imaging and electroencephalogram (EEG) correlation, comorbidities, management, drug therapy and seizure severity and quality of life. We recruited one hundred patients with adult onset epilepsy, and we assessed them clinically, radiologically, and electrophysiologically. We performed Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale (LSSS) to assess seizure severity and the Quality of Life In Epilepsy-10 Questionnaire (QOLIE-10) to assess quality of life of adult patients with new onset epilepsy.

Results

Fifty-seven percent of the studied patients were males, and 43.0% were females with mean (± SD) of age was 52.83 (± 17.33), 13.0% of the studied patients had positive family history of epilepsy. 32.0% had focal epilepsy, and 68.0% had generalized epilepsy, 53% of patients had uncontrolled seizures, 49% of patients were on monotherapy, and 51.0% were on polytherapy. The mean (± SD) seizure frequency per month in the studied patients was 4.0 (± 3.15). Imaging abnormalities were found in 88% of studied patients. 43% of the studied patients had abnormal EEG. Post-traumatic epilepsy, focal cortical dysplasia and mesial temporal sclerosis were statistically significant higher in male patients than female patients. Arteriovenous malformations were significantly higher in females. Middle-aged adults’ group had hypertension more than other age groups, older adult age group had atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia more than other age groups. Young adults had migraine more than other age groups. Post-stroke epilepsy was higher in older adult and middle-aged adult groups more than young adult age group. Intracranial neoplasms were higher in older adult age group than other age groups. Patients with moderate, severe, and very severe LSSS score had significantly more frequent uncontrolled seizures, abnormal EEG and higher rate of polytherapy as compared to those with mild LSSS score. Patients with impaired quality of life had more seizure frequency, less seizure control, higher seizure severity, more EEG abnormalities and were mostly treated by AEDs polytherapy than those with average life quality.

Conclusions

Levetiracetam was the most preferred drug for treating patients with adult-onset epilepsy (40%), whether used as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs. Seizure severity, and seizure frequency per month strongly impaired patients’ quality of life.
Investigating white matter changes in auditory cortex and association fibres related to speech processing in noise-induced hearing loss: a diffusion tensor imaging study
Authors: Zolkefley Mohd Khairul Izamil , Abdull Norhidayah , Shamsuddin Perisamy Rajeev , Mustapha Muzaimi , Adam Daud , Muhamad Noordin Muhamad Ariff
Published: May 2024

Background

This study explores the impact of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on the microstructural integrity of white matter tracts in the brain, focusing on areas involved in speech processing. While the primary impact of hearing loss occurs in the inner ear, these changes can extend to the central auditory pathways and have broader effects on brain function. Our research aimed to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying hearing loss-related deficits in speech perception and cognition among NIHL patients.

Methods

The study included two groups: nine bilateral NIHL patients and nine individuals with normal hearing. Advanced diffusion tensor imaging techniques were employed to assess changes in the white matter tracts. Regions of interest (ROIs), including the auditory cortex, cingulum, arcuate fasciculus, and longitudinal fasciculus, were examined. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values from these ROIs were extracted for analysis.

Results

Our findings indicated significant reductions in FA values in NIHL patients, particularly in the left cingulum, right cingulum, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Notably, no significant changes were observed in the auditory cortex, arcuate fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, middle longitudinal fasciculus, and right inferior longitudinal fasciculus, suggesting differential impacts of NIHL on various white matter tracts.

Conclusions

The study's findings highlight the importance of considering association fibres related to speech processing in treating NIHL, as the broader neural network beyond primary auditory structures is significantly impacted. This research contributes to understanding the neurological impact of NIHL and underscores the need for comprehensive approaches in addressing this condition.
Participatory action research to develop and implement multicomponent, multilevel strategies for implementing colorectal cancer screening interventions in American Indian communities in New Mexico
Authors: Adsul Prajakta , English Kevin , Jim Cheyenne , Pankratz V. Shane , Edwardson Nicholas , Sheche Judith , Rodman Joseph , Charlie Jimmie , Pagett John , Trujillo Jonathan , Grisel-Cambridge Jillian , Mora Steven , Yepa Kaitlyn L. , Mishra Shiraz I.
Published: May 2024

Background

Despite the effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, American Indians (AIs) have low screening rates in the US. Many AIs receive care at Indian Health Services, Tribal, and Urban Indian (I/T/U) healthcare facilities, where published evidence regarding the implementation of CRC screening interventions is lacking. To address this gap, the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center collaborated with two tribally-operated healthcare facilities in New Mexico with the goal of improving CRC screening rates among New Mexico’s AI communities.

Methods

Guided by the principles of Community Based Participatory Research, we engaged providers from the two tribal healthcare facilities and tribal community members through focus group (two focus groups with providers (n = 15) and four focus group and listening sessions with community members (n = 65)), to elicit perspectives on the feasibility and appropriateness of implementing The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) recommended evidence-based interventions (EBIs) and strategies for increasing CRC screening. Within each tribal healthcare facility, we engaged a Multisector Action Team (MAT) that participated in an implementation survey to document the extent to which their healthcare facilities were implementing EBIs and strategies, and an organizational readiness survey that queried whether their healthcare facilities could implement additional strategies to improve uptake of CRC screening.

Results

The Community Guide recommended EBIs and strategies that received the most support as feasible and appropriate from community members included: one-on-one education from providers, reminders, small media, and interventions that reduced structural barriers. From the providers’ perspective, feasible and acceptable strategies included one-on-one education, patient and provider reminders, and provider assessment and feedback. Universally, providers mentioned the need for patient navigators who could provide culturally appropriate education about CRC and assist with transportation, and improved support for coordinating clinical follow-up after screening. The readiness survey highlighted overall readiness of the tribal facility, while the implementation survey highlighted that few strategies were being implemented.

Conclusions

Findings from this study contribute to the limited literature around implementation research at tribal healthcare facilities and informed the selection of specific implementation strategies to promote the uptake of CRC screening in AI communities.
Meta-analysis on the global prevalence of Arcobacter in food-producing animals and humans
Authors: Zhang Penghang , Liu Yuzhu , Fu Mengjiao , Wang Bing , Ding Shuangyang , Ma Xiaochen , Zhang Xiaoai , Shen Zhangqi
Published: May 2024

The genus Arcobacter has been associated with illnesses in both animals and humans, where Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii have been linked to numerous cases of gastrointestinal diseases in humans. While isolated instances of Arcobacter infection have been reported in certain areas, comprehensive data reflecting the global impact of Arcobacter infection are lacking. This meta-analysis was conducted with the objective of assessing the aggregated prevalence of Arcobacter across diverse sources on a global scale. We conducted a thorough literature search of the Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases to identify studies published from 1992 to 2022 on Arcobacter prevalence in humans and food-producing animals. We utilized multilevel random effects meta-analysis models to gauge the average occurrence of Arcobacter and to examine various factors that could influence incidence outcomes. Seventy-five articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of Arcobacter spp. from different sources was 21.9% (95% CI: 18.0%–26.1%), and the mean prevalence of A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii was 15.1%, 2.8%, and 0.1%, respectively. Arcobacter spp. had the lowest prevalence in humans (1.8%; 95% CI: 0.7%–3.3%) and the highest in broilers (38.8%; 95% CI: 28.0%–50.1%). Among animal-derived food products, carcasses or carcass parts exhibited the highest Arcobacter spp. prevalence of 28.6% (28.6%; 95% CI: 23.7%–33.7%). This meta-analysis revealed that A. butzleri is the most prevalent Arcobacter species worldwide, with broilers, as well as seafood, being the primary hosts of Arcobacter spp. We recommend developing appropriate prevention strategies and conducting further local in-depth studies to establish the actual epidemiological burden of Arcobacter.
Exploring the differential effects of psychological resilience and social support in mitigating post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms: real-world network analysis of front-line rescuers
Authors: Cheng Peng , Wang Lirong , Zhou Ying , Ma Wenjing , Li Weihui
Published: May 2024

Background

Although both psychological resilience and social support are widely believed to be effective in alleviating post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms in individuals with traumatic events, there has been a lack of comparative analysis of their intervention effects on different post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, previous studies have mostly failed to control for potential confounding effects caused by different traumatic events.

Aims

We used the novel network analysis approach to examine the differential moderating effects of psychological resilience and social support on post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms, controlling for the confounding effects of traumatic events.

Method

We recruited 264 front-line rescuers who experienced the same traumatic event. Quantified edge weights and bridge expected influence (BEI) were applied to compare the alleviating effects of psychological resilience and social support.

Results

Our study revealed distinct correlations in a sample of front-line rescuers: social support negatively correlates more with psychosomatic symptoms, notably fatigue in depressive networks and sleep disturbance in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) networks, whereas psychological resilience shows fewer such correlations. Quantitative analysis using BEI indicated that psychological resilience more effectively suppresses depressive and anxiety symptom networks, whereas social support more significantly inhibits PTSD symptom networks.

Conclusions

The current study represents the first attempt to examine the differential effects of psychological resilience and social support on post-traumatic outcomes in real-world emergency rescuers, controlling for the confounding effect of traumatic events. Our results can act as the theoretical reference for future precise and efficient post-trauma psychological interventions.
Continuous Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Catheters for Poststernotomy Pain Control: A Case Series
Authors: Best Gavin T. , Tsai Edward H. , Deng Yi , Ibekwe Stephanie O.
Published: May 2024

This case series describes the safety and effectiveness of superficial parasternal intercostal plane catheters for poststernotomy pain control in 4 patients who underwent multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients had reduced sternal pain and opioid consumption while the catheters ran continuously for 72 hours without complications. Our experience suggests the effectiveness of parasternal blocks can be safely prolonged with catheters, and they can be a useful addition to pain management strategies for this patient population.
Oscillatory control of embryonic development
Authors: Chandel Angad Singh , Keseroglu Kemal , Özbudak Ertuğrul M.
Published: May 2024

Proper embryonic development depends on the timely progression of a genetic program. One of the key mechanisms for achieving precise control of developmental timing is to use gene expression oscillations. In this Review, we examine how gene expression oscillations encode temporal information during vertebrate embryonic development by discussing the gene expression oscillations occurring during somitogenesis, neurogenesis, myogenesis and pancreas development. These oscillations play important but varied physiological functions in different contexts. Oscillations control the period of somite formation during somitogenesis, whereas they regulate the proliferation-to-differentiation switch of stem cells and progenitor cells during neurogenesis, myogenesis and pancreas development. We describe the similarities and differences of the expression pattern in space (i.e. whether oscillations are synchronous or asynchronous across neighboring cells) and in time (i.e. different time scales) of mammalian Hes/zebrafish Her genes and their targets in different tissues. We further summarize experimental evidence for the functional role of their oscillations. Finally, we discuss the outstanding questions for future research.
Διερεύνηση παραμέτρων της ψυχικής υγείας και της σχέσης τους με την ικανοποίηση από την αποκατάσταση με χρήση διατατήρων ή αυτόλογων ιστών σε γυναίκες με καρκίνο του μαστού
Authors: Τσαντάκης Βλάσιος
Published: May 2024

Υπόβαθρο: Ο καρκίνος του μαστού αποτελεί τον πρώτο σε συχνότητα γυναικείου τύπου καρκίνου σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. Αποτελεί μία ιδιαίτερα έντονη και στρεσογόνο εμπειρία, που συνεπάγεται πληθώρα αρνητικών επιδράσεων στην ψυχική υγεία των γυναικών. Το μεγάλο προσδόκιμο ζωής των ασθενών και το γεγονός πως πλήττει σε σημαντικό βαθμό τη σεξουαλική τους ταυτότητα υπαγορεύει την αναγκαιότητα ανάπτυξης σχετικών παρεμβάσεων για την αναχαίτιση των αρνητικών επιδράσεων. Η αποκατάσταση του μαστού προκρίνεται ως κατεξοχήν στρατηγική προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση. Στόχος: Στόχος της συγκεκριμένης μελέτης ήταν η διερεύνηση της επίδρασης που συνεπάγεται ο χρόνος αποκατάστασης του μαστού στην ποιότητα της ζωής, την αυτοεκτίμηση, το αίσθημα ενοχών και η ντροπή των γυναικών. Μεθοδολογία: Η συλλογή των δεδομένων της μελέτης πραγματοποιήθηκε από ένα δείγμα 150 γυναικών με καρκίνο του μαστού που είχαν προχωρήσει σε αποκατάσταση. Για τη μελέτη των ανωτέρω μεταβλητών χρησιμοποιήθηκαν τα ερωτηματολόγια Breast-Q, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale και State Shame and Guilt Scale. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε μέσω του SPSS. Αποτελέσματα: Η ταυτόχρονη πραγματοποίηση μαστεκτομής και αποκατάστασης συνδέεται με υψηλότερες τιμές ψυχοκοινωνικού και σεξουαλικού ευ-ζην (p=0.014 & 0.016 αντίστοιχα). Καμία άλλη παράμετρος της ποιότητας της ζωής, αλλά ούτε η αυτοεκτίμηση, το αίσθημα ενοχών, ντροπής και περηφάνειας δεν σχετίζεται με την ταυτόχρονη ή όχι πραγματοποίηση μαστεκτομής και αποκατάστασης. Επιπλέον, για τις γυναίκες που δεν πραγματοποίησαν ταυτόχρονη αποκατάσταση, το χρονικό διάστημα που παρήλθε μέχρι την αποκατάσταση δεν συνδέεται με την ποιότητα της ζωής, την αυτοεκτίμηση, το αίσθημα ενοχών ντροπής και περηφάνειας. Συμπεράσματα: Η συγκεκριμένη μελέτη αναδεικνύει την αναγκαιότητα ταυτόχρονης μαστεκτομής και αποκατάστασης του μαστού, δεδομένου ότι συνδέεται με υψηλότερη ψυχοκοινωνική και σεξουαλική ποιότητα της ζωής. Συνεπώς, η ταυτόχρονη αποκατάσταση του μαστού είναι επιβεβλημένο να προβλέπεται από τα ασφαλιστικά ταμεία, οδηγώντας έτσι σε αυξημένες δυνατότητες για τις γυναίκες ώστε να προχωρούν σε αυτή.
Policy Strategies for Training Public Sector Executives to Develop Artificial Intelligence Skills
Authors: Niari Maria
Published: May 2024

The aim of the study is to present the current situation regarding the strategies and policies for the development of AI skills in public sector executives and to establish a holistic training framework based on European and international standards. The paper systematically presents the existing literature on AI, focusing on policy strategies for the training of public sector executives. Hence, the key points of the strategies for AI, as well as the UNESCO Competency Framework for Digital Transformation and AI, the e-CF, the DigComp and the EQF frameworks are presented. Based on the theoretical tools emerged from the literature review, an assessment of the existing situation and the identification of the needs of the Greek reality is presented. Most importantly, the paper attempts to create a holistic four-level strategic framework, which can be used by the public administration as a roadmap to lay the foundations for a basis for public sector training programmes, and which takes into account a number of factors, such as the hierarchical structure of the public administration, the various qualification and competence frameworks, as well as the principles of educational design and adult education.
Towards a quality indicator for research data publications and research software publications – a vision from the Helmholtz Association
Authors: zu Castell Wolfgang , Dransch Doris , Juckeland Guido , Meistring Marcel , Fritzsch Bernadette , Gey Ronny , Höpfner Britta , Köhler Martin , Meeßen Christian , Mehrtens Hela , Mühlbauer Felix , Schindler Sirko , Schnicke Thomas , Bertelmann Roland
Published: May 2024

Research data and software are widely accepted as an outcome of scientific work. However, in comparison to text-based publications, there is not yet an established process to assess and evaluate quality of research data and research software publications. This paper presents an attempt to fill this gap. Initiated by the Working Group Open Science of the Helmholtz Association, the Task Group Helmholtz Quality Indicators for Data and Software Publications currently develops a quality indicator for research data and research software publications to be used within the Association. This report summarizes the vision of the group of what all contributes to such an indicator. The proposed approach relies on generic well-established concepts for quality criteria, such as the FAIR Principles and the COBIT Maturity Model. It does – on purpose – not limit itself to technical implementation possibilities to avoid using an existing metric for a new purpose. The intention of this paper is to share the current state for further discussion with all stakeholders, particularly with other groups also working on similar metrics but also with entities that use the metrics.
On elastic deformations of cylindrical bodies under the influence of the gravitational field
Authors: Barzegar Hamed , Chruściel Piotr T. , Steininger Elisabeth
Published: May 2024

Background Large elastic deformations of gravitating cylindrical bodies play a significant role in everyday life. On the other hand, tiny such deformations are relevant for state-of-the art experiments, as they affect the physical properties of materials under consideration, impacting wave propagation. This is of key importance for a recently planned experiment to explore the influence of the gravitational field on entangled photons propagating in waveguides. The purpose of this work is to determine this influence. Methods We use the methods of linear elasticity, including thermoelasticity, to determine the stresses and strains of the medium. For this, the symmetry of the cylinder allows us to solve the problem by using Mitchell’s solutions of the equations satisfied by the Airy functions. The boundary conditions are implemented by an approximation of the Hertz contact method. Results We calculate the displacements, the stresses and strains for several classes of boundary conditions, and give explicit solutions for a number of physically motivated configurations. The influence of the resulting deformations on the planned GRAVITES experiment is determined. Conclusions The results are relevant for fiber interferometry experiments sensitive to the effects of the gravitational field on photon propagation. Our calculations give stringent bounds on the environmental variables, which need to be controlled in such experiments.
Physics-informed neural networks for high-resolution weather reconstruction from sparse weather stations
Authors: Moreno Soto Álvaro , Cervantes Alejandro , Soler Manuel
Published: May 2024

Background The accurate provision of weather information holds immense significance to many disciplines. One example corresponds to the field of air traffic management, in which one basis for weather detection is set upon recordings from sparse weather stations on ground. The scarcity of data and their lack of precision poses significant challenges to achieve a detailed description of the atmosphere state at a certain moment in time. Methods In this article, we foster the use of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), a type of machine learning (ML) architecture which embeds mathematically accurate physics models, to generate high-quality weather information subject to the regularization provided by the Navier-Stokes equations. Results The application of PINNs is oriented to the reconstruction of dense and precise wind and pressure fields in areas where only a few local measurements provided by weather stations are available. Our model does not only disclose and regularize such data, which are potentially corrupted by noise, but is also able to precisely compute wind and pressure in target areas. Conclusions The effect of time and spatial resolution over the capability of the PINN to accurately reconstruct fluid phenomena is thoroughly discussed through a parametric study, concluding that a proper tuning of the neural network’s loss function during training is of utmost importance.
Target Firm Advertising and Firm Value
Authors: Fich Eliezer M. , Starks Laura T. , Tran Anh L.
Published: May 2024

Consistent with hypotheses underlying firm advertising, we find that targets with pretakeover advertising obtain higher premiums, whereas their acquirers earn lower announcement returns. These economically significant effects suggest that through advertising, targets increase their profile and negotiating power. Further, targets that advertise are more likely to initiate their takeovers, attract multiple bidders, receive enhanced bids, capture more merger rents, and even in failed acquisitions, experience a 1% permanent revaluation. The latter result differentiates between information asymmetry and behavioral explanations for the target advertising. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that management advertises to transmit information to investors and potential acquirers.

This paper was accepted by Victoria Ivashina, finance.

Funding: A. L. Tran acknowledges financial support from the Mergers and Acquisitions Research Centre at Bayes Business School.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01534 .
“ESCREVA A UM DETENTO, MUDE UMA VIDA”: UM ESTUDO SOBRE O CRONOTOPO DA PRISÃO “WRITE A PRISONER, CHANGE A LIFE”: A STUDY OF THE PRISON CHRONOTOPE
Authors: Reich da Silva João Augusto , Da Silva Valério Patrícia
Published: May 2024

Este artigo propõe um olhar para o discurso de pessoas privadas de liberdade sob o ponto de vista do cronotopo, noção de tempo-espaço desenvolvida pelo filósofo russo Mikhail Bakhtin. O corpus de análise é constituído de quatro textos de apresentação de perfis de detentos inscritos em WriteAPrisoner.com, um site norte-americano que promove a troca de cartas entre detentos e pessoas de fora da prisão, através do programa conhecido como pen-pal (amigos por correspondência). Os textos dos detentos, entendidos como enunciados, são analisados com o objetivo de compreender as características do que chamamos de cronotopo da prisão, isto é, com vistas a estudar as relações espaçotemporais e alteritárias que surgem a partir da escrita dos aprisionados. Os resultados aqui apresentados fazem parte de uma pesquisa de caráter bibliográfico, exploratório, documental e com abordagem qualitativa do corpus de estudo. Assim, por meio da análise dos textos foi possível caracterizar o cronotopo da prisão como um tempo-espaço marcado por um ritmo lento e exaustivo, que pode (ou não) ser propício ao exercício do autoconhecimento por parte do detento, e que promove a imagem de um sujeito marcada por categorias retórico-jurídicas como inocência e culpabilidade, que exprimem a estreita relação entre o tempo, o espaço e o ser humano.
“EU GOSTARIA DE PODER DIZER QUE A LITERATURA É INÚTIL, MAS NÃO É (...)”, UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA EM UM PROJETO DE EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA SOBRE A REMIÇÃO DA PENA PELA LEITURA / “I WISH I COULD SAY THAT LITERATURE IS USELESS, BUT IT’S NOT (...)”, AN EXPERIENCE REPORT IN A UNIVERSITY EXTENSION PROJECT ON THE REMEDY OF PENALTY FOR READING
Authors: Patrocínio Paulo Roberto Tonani
Published: May 2024

O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar uma espécie de relato das experiências construídas a partir de um projeto de extensão universitária que atua na promoção da remição da pena pela leitura em unidades prisionais do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. A partir de uma metodologia participativa, docentes e estudantes monitores atuantes no projeto apresentam e discutem obras literárias com o objetivo garantir a realização da remição de 4 (quatro) dias da pena para cada livro lido pelos participantes, após avaliação do relatório de leitura ou da resenha crítica correspondente à obra literária lida. Além da realização de rodas de leitura em unidades prisionais, o projeto também apresenta um importante eixo formativo a partir da discussão de textos de sociólogos, filósofos ou antropólogos que investigam, criticam e apresentam dados sobre o sistema prisional, além de uma abordagem da relação entre literatura e cárcere, seja por meio de representações da experiência prisional ou a partir da reflexão sobre a importância da leitura em espaços de privação de liberdade. A partir do relato da experiência construída no âmbito do projeto busca-se refletir sobre o lugar e o papel da leitura literária em espaços de privação de liberdade. O referencial teórico adotado utilizado para a produção desta reflexão crítica parte das contribuições de Antonio Candido presentes no ensaio “O direito à literatura” e também dos pesquisadores Ana Claudia Ferreira Godinho e Elionaldo Fernandes Julião, reunidas no volume “Remição de pena pela leitura no Brasil: o direito à educação em disputa”.