bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boosting Multi-Professional Collaboration in Palliative Care Through Digital Technologies: An Action Design Research Study
Authors: Wöhl Moritz , Gimpel Henner , Meindl Oliver , Ostgathe Christoph , Peuten Sarah , Schneider Werner , Steigleder Tobias
Published: September 2024

The success of palliative care requires collaboration among multiple professions within a sensibly digitized work system. The diverse perspectives and expertise of team members inform their collective endeavor, often leading to differing interpretations and priorities in patient care. This diversity necessitates a continual exchange of knowledge and information. Current technologies, including the hospital information system, do not foster such collaboration, particularly in palliative care. This study explores digital enhancements that can promote multi-professional collaboration (MPC). The authors employed action design research and used a work system theory lense to examine the palliative care work systems in two hospital wards in Germany. Through extensive on-site observations and interventions with practitioners, the study identified challenges that arose during MPC. This paper presents the proposed organizational and technical solutions. The paper provides design principles and guidelines for a collaboration support system to maximize MPC. Theoretical contributions include insights into the challenges of MPC and design knowledge about collaboration support. This work can inform practitioners about common challenges and offers potential solutions and guidance for implementing a collaboration support system.
Thermal video-based hand gestures recognition using lightweight CNN
Authors: Birkeland Simen , Fjeldvik Lin Julie , Noori Nadia , Yeduri Sreenivasa Reddy , Cenkeramaddi Linga Reddy
Published: September 2024

Hand gesture recognition has gained a lot of attention in computer vision due to multiple applications. Further, most of the existing works utilized RGB data for hand gesture recognition. However, RGB cameras mainly depend on lighting, angles, and other factors including skin color which impacts the accuracy. Thus, we propose a methodology for video hand gesture recognition using thermal data in this work. Initially, we created a dataset of short video sequences captured from a thermal camera. Thereafter, a lightweight convolutional neural network model (CNN) is proposed for hand gesture recognition. Further, the performance of the proposed CNN model is evaluated on different sizes of the dataset consisting of 15, 10, and 5 frames per sequence. Results show that the proposed model achieves an accuracy of $$97\% \pm (0.05)$$, $$96\% \pm (0.05)$$, and $$87\% \pm (0.1)$$ on the dataset consisting of 15, 10, and 5 frames per sequence, respectively.
Entwicklung einer Skala zur Erfassung elterlicher Unterstützung für die körperlich-sportliche Aktivität von Kindern im Grundschulalter
Authors: Ennigkeit Fabienne , Czogalla Jasmin , Heim Christopher
Published: September 2024

Mehrere Übersichtsarbeiten zeigen, dass elterliche Unterstützung in Zusammenhang mit der körperlich-sportlichen Aktivität von Kindern und Jugendlichen steht. Bemängelt wird jedoch, dass zur Erfassung des Unterstützungsverhaltens häufig psychometrisch wenig validierte Fragebögen zum Einsatz kommen, die zudem das Unterstützungsverhalten eindimensional abbilden. Daher wird im vorliegenden Beitrag die Entwicklung einer deutschsprachigen Skala vorgestellt, mit der die elterliche Unterstützung für die körperlich-sportliche Aktivität von Kindern im Grundschulalter mehrdimensional erfasst werden kann. Im Rahmen der ersten Studie (N = 489 weibliche Elternteile) wurde der initiale Itempool auf Basis eines explorativen Strukturgleichungsmodells sukzessive reduziert und die Faktorstruktur optimiert. Die ursprünglich konzipierte Subskala „informative Unterstützung“ erwies sich als nicht haltbar. Eine Kreuzvalidierung im Rahmen der zweiten Studie (N = 356) ergab konfirmatorisch akzeptable bis gute Fitwerte für eine vierfaktorielle Lösung (CFI = 0,940, RMSEA = 0,053) mit den Subskalen „Unterstützung als Vorbild“, „Unterstützung durch Partizipation“, „emotionale Unterstützung“ sowie „instrumentelle Unterstützung“. Erste Hinweise auf die Konstruktvalidität liegen in Bezug auf Zusammenhänge zwischen dem Unterstützungsverhalten und der Sportvereinsmitgliedschaft der Eltern bzw. der Kinder vor. Limitationen beziehen sich u. a. auf noch nicht geprüfte Messinvarianz zwischen männlichen und weiblichen Elternteilen sowie die Nichtberücksichtigung elterlicher Verhaltensweisen, die sich negativ auf die körperlich-sportliche Aktivität des Kindes auswirken könnten. Dennoch scheint das Instrument vielversprechend für die Bearbeitung verschiedener Fragestellungen im Kontext elterlichen Einflusses auf körperlich-sportliche Aktivität von Kindern.
Study of borehole stability of volcanic rock formation with the influence of multiple factors
Authors: Zhang Mingming , Wen Jinglin , Xu Zhiming , Xu Zhiwei , Feng Jiang , Zhao Xingdong
Published: September 2024

Borehole instability in igneous rock formation has attracted more and more attention in recent ten years. In order to understand the mechanism of wellbore instability in igneous formation, a borehole stability model is established by applying the thermal, seepage and stress coupling model combined with a true triaxial rock strength criterion, which can reveal evolution of borehole collapse pressure with time. The effect of drilling cycle on borehole collapse pressure considering the coupling effects of temperature, seepage, and stress is quantitatively analyzed. Results show that, compared with only considering the effect of stress, wellbore collapse pressure increases with the coupling effect of temperature, seepage, and stress. Meanwhile, the stability of wellbore can be enhanced by reducing drilling fluid temperature; with the increase of formation porosity, the borehole collapse pressure increases rapidly, and then remains unchanged or decreases; while with the increase of formation permeability, borehole collapse pressure decreases rapidly, i.e. the shear failure of wellbore is mitigated. Besides, compared with vertical well, the horizontal well is more sensitive to the change of rock permeability. The investigation of drilling cycle shows that, the borehole collapse pressure increased sharply when the formation was drilled instantaneously. However, the subsequent growth trend slows down, which suggests that during the early stages of drilling operation, it is advisable to appropriately increase the mud weight to enhance the wellbore’s support capability by the bottomhole pressure. The research findings can enhance the understanding of the instability mechanism of igneous rock formations and reduce the risk of wellbore instability in igneous rock formations.
Our “Cognitive Limitations” and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Authors: STARK ANDREW
Published: September 2024

Philosophers have conjectured that human cognitive limitations might preclude our ever resolving the hard problem of consciousness. Few, however, have offered suggestions as to what it might be about our conceptual apparatus that poses the problem. I do so in this essay, arguing that our central difficulties lie with two conceptual categories that pervade philosophical discussion of the hard problem. They are compositional concepts -- part/whole, constituents/constitution, and the like – and instantiational concepts: properties/objects, universals/particulars, and the like. I look at the uses of these two conceptual categories in four contexts in which the hard problem is considered: multiple realizability, zombies, mental causation, and panpsychism. I show that the two conceptual categories run into the same kinds of obstacles in each case, which suggests that they might be key to the cognitive limitations about which some have speculated
Phase I clinical trial designs in oncology: A systematic literature review from 2020 to 2022
Authors: Li Ning , Zhou Xitong , Yan Donglin
Published: September 2024

Background:

Phase I clinical trials aim to find the highest dose of a novel drug that may be administrated safely without having serious adverse effects. Model-based designs have recently become popular in dose-finding procedures. Our objective is to provide an overview of phase I clinical trials in oncology.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of phase I clinical trials in oncology was performed by using the PubMed database between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022. We extracted all papers with the inclusion of trials in oncology and kept only those in which dose escalation or/ and dose expansion were conducted. We also compared the study parameters, design parameters, and patient parameters between industry-sponsored studies and academia-sponsored research.

Result:

Among the 1450 papers retrieved, 256 trials described phase I clinical trials in oncology. Overall, 71.1% of trials were done with a single study cohort, 56.64% of trials collected a group of at least 20 study volunteers, 55.1% were sponsored by industry, and 99.2% of trials had less than 10 patients who experienced DLTs.

The traditional 3 + 3 (73.85%) was still the most prevailing method for the dose-escalation approach. More than 50% of the trials did not reach MTDs. Industry-sponsored study enrolled more patients in dose-escalation trials with benefits of continental cooperation. Compared to previous findings, the usage of model-based design increased to about 10%, and the percentage of traditional 3 + 3 design decreased to 74%.

Conclusions:

Phase I traditional 3 + 3 designs perform well, but there is still room for development in novel model-based dose-escalation designs in clinical practice.
A perspective about the potential use of nanotechnology to monitor immune correlates of the clinical course of major mood disorders
Authors: Wuethrich Alain , Crouse Jacob J. , Vedelago Courtney , Zhang Yiwen , Farokhinejad Fahimeh , Hickie Ian B. , Trau Matt
Published: September 2024

In the question put forward by Scott et al., implications about the role of immune activation in depressive or other mood disorders were suggested. Low-level inflammation, triggered by the release of inflammatory molecules such as cytokines, has been detected in individuals with major mood disorders. These markers can be present in very low concentrations, posing a significant analytical challenge and complicating their use as reliable biomarkers. In this Perspective, we discuss the potential promise in leveraging nanotechnology and trace-level analysis of biomarkers of immune activation to enhance our molecular understanding of the immune system’s functioning and its association with depressive and other mood disorders. This Perspective critically discusses the analytical challenges of trace biomarker detection, highlighting issues with variability in study methodologies and cohort heterogeneity and emphasising the need for diurnal and longitudinal sampling to study circadian disruption and immune activation. Profiling inflammatory markers in this manner could create individualised molecular fingerprints, revealing disruptions in immune synchronisation with circadian rhythms and detecting abnormalities linked to specific mood disorder subtypes, and particularly ‘circadian depression’. As the profiling of general inflammatory markers may not be sufficient to study any causative relationship between immune activation and major mood disorders, we propose the exploration of novel biomarkers such as extracellular vesicles to support these investigations. The use of nanotechnologies for trace profiling of diurnal variations of inflammatory molecules, in combination with novel biomarkers, offers a promising strategy to develop a molecular understanding of the role of immune activation in depressive and other mood disorders.
On the critical regularity of nilpotent groups acting on the interval: the metabelian case
Authors: ESCAYOLA MAXIMILIANO , RIVAS CRISTÓBAL
Published: September 2024

Let G be a torsion-free, finitely generated, nilpotent and metabelian group. In this work, we show that G embeds into the group of orientation-preserving

$C^{1+\alpha }$

-diffeomorphisms of the compact interval for all

$\alpha < 1/k$

, where k is the torsion-free rank of

$G/A$

and A is a maximal abelian subgroup. We show that, in many situations, the corresponding

$1/k$

is critical in the sense that there is no embedding of G with higher regularity. A particularly nice family where this happens is the family of

$(2n+1)$

-dimensional Heisenberg groups, for which we can show that the critical regularity is equal to

$1+1/n$

.
A parameter ASIP for the quadratic family
Authors: ASPENBERG MAGNUS , BALADI VIVIANE , PERSSON TOMAS
Published: September 2024

Consider the quadratic family
$T_a(x) = a x (1 - x)$
for
$x \in [0, 1]$
and mixing Collet–Eckmann (CE) parameters
$a \in (2,4)$
. For bounded
$\varphi $
, set
$\tilde \varphi _{a} := \varphi - \int \varphi \, d\mu _a$
, with
$\mu _a$
the unique acim of
$T_a$
, and put
$(\sigma _a (\varphi ))^2 := \int \tilde \varphi _{a}^2 \, d\mu _a + 2 \sum _{i>0} \int \tilde \varphi _{a} (\tilde \varphi _{a} \circ T^i_{a}) \, d\mu _a$
. For any mixing Misiurewicz parameter
$a_{*}$
, we find a positive measure set
$\Omega _{*}$
of mixing CE parameters, containing
$a_{*}$
as a Lebesgue density point, such that for any Hölder
$\varphi $
with
$\sigma _{a_{*}}(\varphi )\ne 0$
, there exists
$\epsilon _\varphi>0$
such that, for normalized Lebesgue measure on
$\Omega _{*}\cap [a_{*}-\epsilon _\varphi , a_{*}+\epsilon _\varphi ]$
, the functions
$\xi _i(a)=\tilde \varphi _a(T_a^{i+1}(1/2))/\sigma _a (\varphi )$
satisfy an almost sure invariance principle (ASIP) for any error exponent
$\gamma>2/5$
. (In particular, the Birkhoff sums satisfy this ASIP.) Our argument goes along the lines of Schnellmann’s proof for piecewise expanding maps. We need to introduce a variant of Benedicks–Carleson parameter exclusion and to exploit fractional response and uniform exponential decay of correlations from Baladi et al [Whitney–Hölder continuity of the SRB measure for transversal families of smooth unimodal maps. Invent. Math.201 (2015), 773–844].
Influence of thermal buoyancy on the wake dynamics of a heated square cylinder
Authors: Ali Mohd Perwez , Hasan Nadeem , Sanghi Sanjeev
Published: September 2024

Direct numerical simulation of the three-dimensional (3-D) wake transition of a heated square cylinder subjected to horizontal cross-flow is performed in the presence of buoyancy. In order to capture the effects of large-scale heating, a non-Oberbeck–Boussinesq model is utilized, which includes the governing equations for compressible gas flow. All computations are performed at low free stream Mach number

$M=0.1$

using air (free stream Prandtl number,

$Pr=0.71$

) as the working fluid. The 3-D instability modes A and B, which correspond to free stream Reynolds numbers of 180 and 250, are observed with longer and shorter spanwise wavelengths, respectively, and the onset of three-dimensionality is triggered at a Reynolds number of 173. In the presence of buoyancy, baroclinic vorticity production in the near-wake plays an important role for streamwise vorticity generation. The chaotic wake of the Mode-A instability bifurcates into periodic and quasiperiodic wakes at various heating levels, expressed by the overheat ratio,

$\varepsilon =(T_w-T_\infty )/T_\infty$

, where

$T_w$

and

$T_\infty$

are the temperature of the cylinder surface and the ambient air, respectively. At low heating (

$\varepsilon =0.2$

), the 3-D Mode-A instability is suppressed leading to a two-dimensional wake flow. Further increase in heating, again brings back the three-dimensionality in the wake through Mode-E instability. The variation of thermophysical properties and the effective Reynolds number with increase in heating level around the cylinder is examined. It is shown that the effect of thermophysical properties competes with the baroclinic streamwise vorticity generation at higher levels of heating (

$\varepsilon \geqslant 0.4$

) to control the 3-D modes and wake dynamics.
Vertical and lateral dynamics of middle managers’ strategizing for institutional complexity
Authors: Jonasson Charlotte , Bjerregaard Toke
Published: September 2024

Research suggests that institutional complexity is of strategic importance and recent calls have been made to investigate organizational strategizing in such a situation of multiple institutional logics. We therefore investigate middle managers’ strategizing for institutional complexity. In doing so, we follow theoretical suggestions of a renewed practice-based view on strategizing as a broad social accomplishment beyond top management activities. Based on a qualitative field study in a company under influence of substantive financial reform, findings show that middle managers re-strategize institutional complexity at the vertical interstices of top management strategies and the distributed agency of their followers. Furthermore, the study highlights the character and effects of lateral dynamics of middle managers’ competing strategizing. We explain how these vertical and lateral dynamics provide insight into strategizing for institutional complexity as a distributed, situated, and emergent social accomplishment. Such strategizing practices have unintended organizational consequences beyond both top and middle management control.
Constraining the physical parameters of blazars using the seed factor approach
Authors: Deng Chang-Bin , Shi Yong-You , Song Yu-Jie , Xue Rui , Du Lei-Ming , Wang Ze-Rui , Xie Zhao-Hua
Published: September 2024

The discovery that blazars dominate the extra-galactic

$\gamma$

-ray sky is a triumph in the Fermi era. However, the exact location of

$\gamma$

-ray emission region still remains in debate. Low-synchrotron-peaked blazars (LSPs) are estimated to produce high-energy radiation through the external Compton process, thus their emission regions are closely related to the external photon fields. We employed the seed factor approach proposed by Georganopoulos et al. It directly matches the observed seed factor of each LSP with the characteristic seed factors of external photon fields to locate the

$\gamma$

-ray emission region. A sample of 1 138 LSPs with peak frequencies and peak luminosities was adopted to plot a histogram distribution of observed seed factors. We also collected some spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of historical flare states to investigate the variation of

$\gamma$

-ray emission region. Those SEDs were fitted by both quadratic and cubic functions using the Markov-chain Monte Carlo method. Furthermore, we derived some physical parameters of blazars and compared them with the constraint of internal

$\gamma\gamma$

-absorption. We find that dusty torus dominates the soft photon fields of LSPs and most

$\gamma$

-ray emission regions of LSPs are located at 1–10 pc. The soft photon fields could also transition from dusty torus to broad line region and cosmic microwave background in different flare states. Our results suggest that the cubic function is better than the quadratic function to fit the SEDs.
Reflecting on Armenians in Ottoman Historiography
Authors: Antaramian Richard , Derderian Dzovinar , Gutman David
Published: September 2024

The Workshop for Armenian/Turkish Scholarship (WATS) convened its first meeting at the University of Chicago in March 2000. Since then, the historical literature on not only the Armenian Genocide, but also Ottoman Armenians more generally, has grown ever more sophisticated. This essay takes stock of the growing visibility of Armenians in Ottoman historiography over the last two decades, and other developments. In particular, it asks why historical scholarship on Armenians has yet to have a transformative effect on the frameworks used to study the Ottoman Empire's history? The essay first identifies a series of obstacles that have prevented Armenian and Ottoman studies scholarship from developing a shared set of questions. It then offers suggestions for more carefully addressing the underlying problematics of empire that can bridge this divide without inadvertently reproducing national or regional paradigms that have long left an imprint on Ottoman historiography.
‘Luxuries of the mind’: Contextualising Art Photography, Eroticism and History of Medicine in the Social tableaux vivants of Lejaren à Hiller's Sutures in Ancient Surgery (1920s–1940s)
Authors: Connor J. T. H.
Published: September 2024

In 1927 Lejaren à Hiller (1880–1969) produced a series of black and white art photographs entitled Sutures in Ancient Surgery evoking scenes from the distant past of surgery and medicine. Commissioned and distributed in North America by Davis & Geck, Inc. to promote sales of its surgical sutures (stitches), several depictions were erotic owing to the centrality and poses of nude female models. The first series appeared as ads in professional technical journals, then as packets assembled in paper portfolios distributed to doctors who were primarily men. The creation of Hiller's oeuvre in different forms over almost a century – journal advertisement, portfolio, book, exhibit, magazine features and textbook illustration – highlights his enduring broad appeal, although his work has since been subject to criticism because of its perceived sexism. At its root, Sutures was an advertising medium that connected a seller to a potential buyer. The content and presentation of the project also connected medicine present with medicine past, which also may have helped physicians to connect with the then blossoming field of medical history. The appeal Sutures may have had for a past male medical culture would not resonate with the more gender-inclusive and less overtly sexist medical profession of today, which also prompts discussion of the associations across art, obscenity, medicine and society. My reassessment of Hiller's work based on analysis of his artwork, contemporary interviews, published critiques, Hiller's own writings and DG company records extends previous analyses as it is more comprehensive in scope and also considers more fully works by Hiller antecedent to Sutures that probably greatly influenced it, such as photopoetry books, other advertising projects and his silent movie films.
Meta-learning and the evolution of cognition
Authors: Veit Walter , Browning Heather
Published: September 2024

Meta-learning offers a promising framework to make sense of some parts of decision-making that have eluded satisfactory explanation. Here, we connect this research to work in animal behaviour and cognition in order to shed light on how and whether meta-learning could help us to understand the evolution of cognition.
Linking meta-learning to meta-structure
Authors: Schilling Malte , Ritter Helge J. , Ohl Frank W.
Published: September 2024

We propose that a principled understanding of meta-learning, as aimed for by the authors, benefits from linking the focus on learning with an equally strong focus on structure, which means to address the question: What are the meta-structures that can guide meta-learning?
Desert or dignity? Rethinking injustice in wages
Authors: Napoletano Toby
Published: September 2024

A common idea, both in ordinary discourse and in the desert literature, is that wages can be deserved. The thought is not only highly intuitive, but it is also often appealed to in order to explain various injustices in employment income – pay gaps, for instance. In this paper, I challenge the idea that income from employment is the kind of thing that can be deserved. I argue that once one gets clear on the metaphysics of jobs and wages within the context of economic exchange more generally, there are natural principles concerning such exchanges which generate puzzles for that view. The puzzles, I argue, are especially acute for meritocrats who conceive of justice in wages in terms of desert. Additionally, I argue that appealing to dignity (rather than desert) offers better hope of explaining the kinds of injustices in wages that motivate the appeal to desert. In that case, no explanatory gap is left by abandoning the idea that wages can be deserved either, and so, I argue, we have good reason to doubt it.
Shaping people’s preferences: liberal neutrality, means paternalism and tobacco control
Authors: Kniess Johannes
Published: September 2024

Liberal neutrality compels governments to respect individual preferences. Yet health-promotion campaigns, such as modern tobacco control policies, often seek to cultivate a preference for a healthy lifestyle. Liberal theorists have attempted to justify these policies by appealing to the concept of ‘means paternalism’, whereby these policies align with existing preferences. In contrast, this article argues that shaping preferences can be not only permissible but also morally required. Governments can preserve neutrality while influencing preferences by promoting generic goods valued in diverse societies and considering the preference-formation of future generations. This argument provides a stronger rationale for tobacco control policies.
On not holding women to higher standards of justice than men: gender justice, even for millionaire women
Authors: Barclay Linda , McKenna Tessa
Published: September 2024

In a recent article in this journal, James Christensen, Tom Parr and David Axelsen argue that millionaire salaries are unjust and women have no grounds of fairness to unjust salaries in parity with men. They accept that disrespect is expressed toward women when they are paid less than men because of their gender. Their argument largely replicates a similar argument developed earlier by Anca Gheaus. By drawing on the distinction between ideal and nonideal theory, we argue that Christensen et al. and Gheaus hold women to unacceptably high standards of justice and arguably higher standards than men are held to.
The Servant Vocation
Authors: Gerard M.
Published: September 2024

In sacred scripture, to be God's servant is to be God's friend. The
servant is someone especially chosen, especially loved. God
prefers him to others. He is
‘my servant'. There is a wonderful sense of
intimacy and belonging in that possessive my'. God chooses his servants with
a spontaneity and freedom which we see reflected in our own choice of
friends. And to be chosen is to belong. We are no longer our own. We are
committed to another. The choice is not only one of love but of demand. To
be a friend is to be someone of whom a great deal may be asked. God's
servant is always someone from whom God feels free to ask for more, much
more, than other men.

Sacred scripture bears constant, unswerving witness to this fact.
Intimacy with Yahweh means demands by Yahweh. If he chooses someone to be
his servant it will inevitably follow that he will have sometliing to ask of
them, a task, a mission, an assignment.
Religious Tolerance and Intolerance
Authors: Lercaro Cardinal
Published: September 2024

The Concept of Tolerance. There is about
tolerance something paradoxical, for it consists, in fact, in permitting
something which we know with certainty to be either an evil or an error:
permissio negativa mali, as the theologian
carefully defines it. Negative, because the permission does not imply either
encouragement or approval.

From this definition it follows that tolerance is not, in the strict
sense of the word, a virtue. We ought rather to say that the exercise of
tolerance is authorized and required by a virtue,
on account of some greater good which must be promoted or defended. The
ultimate justification for tolerance has to be sought in the reflection of
the divine laws governing the world, which human rulers are required to
achieve. ‘Human government', says St Thomas, ‘is derived from the divine
government, and must imitate it.
Non-conforming dialect and its (social) meanings: younger and older speakers’ reactions to hyperdialectisms in Brabantish
Authors: Doreleijers Kristel , Swanenberg Jos
Published: September 2024

This paper discusses the social meaning of variation in adnominal gender marking in the Dutch dialect of North Brabant. Previous studies reveal that the masculine gender suffix gains social meaning at the expense of grammatical function. However, it remains unclear what kinds of meanings the suffix can have, and how it becomes part of a Brabantish speech style. Therefore, we present statements from ten focus group interviews featuring 50 younger and older speakers. In these sessions, participants were asked to reflect on hyperdialectal usages of the gender suffix. We argue that the indexicalization of the suffix does not yield one fixed social meaning but rather a range of potential meanings, i.e. indexical field, that can be called upon by individual speakers depending on the context. However, the ranges of potential meanings clearly differ between both age groups, unraveling the different norms associated with the suffix.
Providers’ experience on essential health services in primary healthcare units of Ethiopia during COVID-19: a qualitative study on impact and response
Authors: Mitike Getnet , Nigatu Frehiwot , Wolka Eskinder , Defar Atkure , Tessema Masresha , Codington David , Nigussie Tezita
Published: September 2024

Aim:

The objective of this study was to explore how selected sub-national (provincial) primary healthcare units in Ethiopia responded to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and what impact these measures had on essential health services.

Background:

National-level responses against the spread of COVID-19 and its consequences are well studied. However, data on capacities and challenges of sub-national health systems in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on essential health services are limited. In countries with decentralized health systems like Ethiopia, a study of COVID-19 impacts on essential health services could inform government bodies, partners, and providers to strengthen the response against the pandemic and document lessons learned.

Methods:

We conducted a qualitative study, using a descriptive phenomenology research design. A total of 59 health leaders across Ethiopia’s 10 regions and 2 administrative cities were purposively selected to participate in key informant interviews. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide translated into a local language. Interviews were conducted in person or by phone. Coding of transcripts led to the development of categories and themes, which were finalized upon agreement between two investigators. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings:

Essential health services declined in the first months of the pandemic, affecting maternal and child health including deliveries, immunization, family planning services, and chronic disease services. Services declined due to patients’ and providers’ fear of contracting COVID-19, increased cost of transport, and reallocation of financial and human resources to the various activities of the response. Authorities of local governments and the health system responded to the pandemic immediately, capitalizing on multisectoral support and redirecting resources; however, the intensity of the response declined as time progressed. Future investments in health system hardware – health workers, supplies, equipment, and infrastructure as well as carefully designed interventions and coordination are needed to shore up the COVID-19 response.
Floral biology and breeding behaviour of Melia azedarach L.: imperative for hybridization
Authors: Mohapatra Sourav Ranjan , Das Susanta Kumar , Kar Manas Ranjan , Das Harekrishna
Published: September 2024

Melia azedarach L. commonly called Maha Neem is an economically and industrially important tree species with global significance. Although species possess versatile importance worldwide, information on reproductive biology and breeding system is scarce and limited for eastern coastal plain of India. Therefore, current study provides a detailed report on reproductive biology of M. azedarach. Maha Neem was found to bear violet to whitish violet, slightly fragrant, 14.99 ± 0.05 mm. long and 17.01 ± 0.08 mm. wide flowers. This tree commenced opening of floral buds during March and continued until May with a peak during March-end. The anthesis of species peaked between 08:00 and 10:00 am, which coincides with insect activity. Anthers were observed to dehisce during or shortly before anthesis; however, stigma started receptivity before anthesis and continued invitation up to 12 h after anthesis. Pollen viability ranged from 96.67 ± 1.6% to 98.26 ± 1.2 at the time of anthesis; after that decreased rapidly. Pollen: ovule ratio of 1096.38 ± 108.70 indicated the possibility of autogamy. The breeding system of M. azedarach revealed that fruit sets under natural pollination (NP) were significantly higher than Xenogamy. However, substantial difference was not reported in fruit set percentage under natural pollination and Autogamy, which is strong evidence in favour of self-pollination. Moreover, Maha-Neem is entomophilous with frequent visits by Apis and Syrphid flies. Current findings will be helpful in designing potent conservation strategies and planning successful breeding programmes.
Fatty acids profile in pregnancies affected by neural tube defects
Authors: Nasri Kaouther , Fenina Hana , Kloula Ben Ghorbal Salma , Maamer Dhouha , Ben Jamaa Nadia , Feki Moncef , Siala Gaigi Soumeya
Published: September 2024

This study aimed to determine if maternal fatty acids (FA) levels during pregnancy are associated with the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) and to explore the correlation between FA and maternal vitamin D, homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate in cases. Plasma FA composition was assessed using capillary gas chromatography. Comparisons between cases and controls were performed by independent samples t-test for continuous variables. Cases had significantly higher levels of heptadecanoic acid, linolelaidic acid, and arachidonic acid (ARA):(eicosapentaenoic acid+docosahexaenoic acid) ratio than controls (p < 0.05). Nervonic acid, ARA, adrenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) levels were significantly lower in cases (p < 0.05). Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were positively correlated with maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. RBC folate levels were negatively correlated with n-3 PUFA.

Further research is required to clarify the association of FA metabolism with NTDs.
Let’s talk about recovery in mental health: an international Delphi study of experts by experience
Authors: Guerrero E. , Barrios M. , Sampietro H. M. , Aza A. , Gómez-Benito J. , Guilera G.
Published: September 2024

Aims

The concept of recovery is featured in the strategic plans of the World Health Organization as well as in other national mental health plans; however, there have been differing interpretations of what it means. This article aims to achieve a consensus on the key aspects of recovery in mental health from the perspective of movements of users and survivors of psychiatry at an international level. Four specific objectives were proposed in this study: (1) to identify what recovery in mental health means, (2) to identify the indicators that a person is progressing in their recovery, (3) to determine the factors that facilitate the recovery process, and (4) to determine the factors that hinder the recovery process.

Methods

A three-round e-Delphi study was conducted with the participation of 101 users and survivors of psychiatry, adhering to the CREDES checklist to ensure methodological rigour.

Results

The results reveal 26 key aspects that define recovery, 31 indicating that a person is progressing in their recovery process, 8 that facilitate recovery and 12 that hinder recovery. The most agreed-upon statements for defining recovery highlight the importance of empowerment, leading a fulfilling life, ensuring safe-living conditions and acknowledging individuals as holders of rights. Similarly, empowerment and agency were highly agreed upon as relevant recovery indicators. Key findings underscore the significance of a supportive and respectful social environment in facilitating recovery, while coercion, discrimination and lack of support from significant others hinder recovery.

Conclusions

Despite cultural differences and recovery’s subjective nature, our results demonstrate that an international consensus on critical recovery aspects is attainable. Highlighting a significant shift, we emphasize the ‘Transition’ process to signify moving away from the biomedical model approach and advocating for collective rights. Our findings advocate for empowerment, users’ rights and the move towards person-centred care that integrates social, political and economic contexts. These consensus statements lay the groundwork for future research across diverse regions and cultures, offering insights into recovery’s meaning and potential for innovative approaches in diagnosis, intervention and evaluation.
Sustainability scientists’ critique of neoclassical economics
Authors: Diesendorf Mark , Davies Geoff , Wiedmann Thomas , Spangenberg Joachim H. , Hail Steven
Published: September 2024

Non-technical summary

Neoclassical economics (NCE) theory and neoliberal economics practice together form one of the principal driving forces of environmental destruction and social injustice. We critically examine ten key hypotheses that form the foundations of NCE, and four other claims. Each fails to satisfy one or more of the basic requirements of scientific practice. Hence, NCE is fundamentally flawed, is irrational in the common meaning of the word, and should not be used as a guide for government policies. Because NCE is socially constructed, it can be replaced with an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that is compatible with ecological sustainability and social justice.

Technical summary

Neoclassical economics (NCE) is widely regarded as providing theoretical justification for neoliberal notions such as ‘governments should minimize regulation and spending, and hence leave major socioeconomic and environmental decisions to the market’. A large body of literature finds that NCE is largely responsible for environmental destruction and social inequality. As NCE is claimed to be a science and has appropriated terminology (without the content) from physics, we examine critically its basic hypotheses and four other claims from a viewpoint of natural scientists and an ecological economist, each a sustainability researcher. This paper defines NCE in two ways: as a theoretical structure for economics based on (1) the hypotheses of methodological individualism, methodological instrumentalism and methodological equilibration, and (2) the three hypotheses named above together with seven other common hypotheses of NCE. We find that each hypothesis and claim fails to satisfy one or more basic requirements of scientific practice such as empirical confirmation, underlying credible or empirical assumptions, consistency with Earth system science, and internal consistency. Sensitivity analysis is rare and ability to predict is lacking. Therefore, we recommend that neoclassical microeconomics be reformed and neoclassical macroeconomics be abandoned and replaced with a transdisciplinary field such as social ecological economics.

Social media summary

Conventional economics, a driver of environmental damage and social inequality, fails examination by sustainability scientists.
Mars Soil Temperature and Thermal Properties From InSight HP3 ${\mathrm{H}\mathrm{P}}^{3}$ Data
Authors: Spohn T. , Müller N. , Knollenberg J. , Grott M. , Golombek M. P. , Plesa A.‐C. , Bickel V. T. , Morgan P. , Krause C. , Breuer D. , Smrekar S. E. , Banerdt W. B.
Published: September 2024

Diurnal and seasonal variations in soil and surface temperature measured with the thermal probe and radiometer of NASA's InSight Mars mission are reported. At a representative depth of 10–20 cm, an average temperature of 217.5 K was found, varying by 5.3–6.7 K during a sol and by 13.3 K during the seasons. From the damping of the temperature variation with depth and the phase shift, a thermal diffusivity of (3.93  0.39) ×  /s was derived for the upper 10 cm from the diurnal temperature variation and of (3.63  0.53) ×  /s for the 40 cm depth range of the mole from the annual temperature variation. Using published thermal conductivity and inertia values together with the diffusivities, soil densities of 1,470 and 1,730 kg/ were derived for these depths. The temperatures allow the deliquescence of thin films of brine, the efflorescence of which may explain the cemented duricrust observed.
Seismic Modeling of Bedload Transport in a Gravel‐Bed Alluvial Channel
Authors: Luong Loc , Cadol Daniel , Bilek Susan , McLaughlin J. Mitchell , Laronne Jonathan B. , Turowski Jens M.
Published: September 2024

Recent theoretical models and field observations suggest that fluvial bedload flux can be estimated from seismic energy measured within appropriate frequency bands. We present an application of the Tsai et al. (2012, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gl050255) bedload seismic model to an ephemeral channel located in the semi‐arid southwestern US and incorporate modifications to better estimate bedload flux in this environment. To test the model, we collected streambank seismic signals and directly measured bedload flux during four flash‐floods. Bedload predictions calculated by inversion from the Tsai model underestimated bedload flux observations by one‐to‐two orders of magnitude at low stages. However, model predictions were better for moderate flow depths (>50 cm), where saltation is expected to dominate bedload transport. We explored three differences between the model assumptions and our field conditions: (a) rolling and sliding particles have different impact frequencies than saltating particles; (b) the velocity and angle of impact of rolling particles onto the riverbed differ; and (c) the fine‐grained alluvial character of this and similar riverbeds leads to inelastic impacts, as opposed to the originally conceptualized elastic impacts onto rigid bedrock. We modified the original model to assume inelastic bed impacts and to incorporate rolling and sliding by adjusting the statistical distributions of bedload impact frequency, velocity, and angle. Our modified “multiple‐transport‐mode bedload seismic model” decreased error relative to observations to less than one order of magnitude across all measured flow conditions. Further investigations in other environmental settings are required to demonstrate the robustness and general applicability of the model.
Association of metabolic obesity phenotypes with risk of overall and site-specific cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
Authors: Mahamat-saleh Yahya , Aune Dagfinn , Freisling Heinz , Hardikar Sheetal , Jaafar Rola , Rinaldi Sabina , Gunter Marc J. , Dossus Laure
Published: September 2024

Background

Adiposity is a known risk factor for certain cancers; however, it is not clear whether the risk of cancer differs between individuals with high adiposity but different metabolic health status. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis of cohort studies was to evaluate associations between metabolic obesity phenotypes and overall and site-specific cancer risk.

Methods

PubMed and Embase databases were used to identify relevant cohort studies up to the 6th of June 2023. Random-effects models were used to estimate summary relative risks (SRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between metabolic obesity phenotypes and cancer risk. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane methods and the GRADE tool. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42024549511.

Results

A total of 15,556 records were screened, and 31 publications covering 15 unique cohort studies were included in this analysis. Of these studies, 22 were evaluated as being at low risk of bias and 9 at moderate risk of bias. Compared to metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUOW/OB) individuals had a higher risk of overall (SRR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02–1.44, n = 3 studies, high certainty) and obesity-related cancers (SRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.15–1.74, n = 3, very low certainty). Specifically, MUOW/OB individuals were at higher risk of cancers of the postmenopausal breast (SRR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.17–1.48, n = 7, low certainty), colorectum (SRR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.16–1.31, n = 6, moderate certainty), endometrium (SRR = 2.31, 95% CI = 2.08–2.57, n = 4, high certainty), thyroid (SRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.29–1.57, n = 4, moderate certainty), kidney (SRR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.40–2.10, n = 3, low certainty), pancreas (SRR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.24–1.47, n = 3, high certainty), liver (SRR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.36–2.42, n = 2, moderate certainty), gallbladder (SRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.17–1.73, n = 2, high certainty), bladder (SRR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.19–1.56, n = 2, moderate certainty), and stomach (SRR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.12–2.01, n = 2, high certainty). In addition, we found elevated risks of most of these cancers among individuals classified as MUNW and MHOW/OB phenotypes compared to those with MHNW phenotype. Our stratified analyses according to metabolic obesity phenotypes suggested that the elevated risks of some cancers were stronger in individuals with MUOW/OB versus those with MHOW/OB or MUNW phenotypes.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that both higher adiposity and metabolic dysfunction were independently associated with increased risk of several cancers, with the strongest associations generally observed among those with both metabolic dysfunction and obesity.
Core and accessory genomic traits of Vibrio cholerae O1 drive lineage transmission and disease severity
Authors: Maciel-Guerra Alexandre , Babaarslan Kubra , Baker Michelle , Rahman Aura , Hossain Maqsud , Sadique Abdus , Alam Jahidul , Uzzaman Salim , Ferdous Rahman Sarker Mohammad , Sultana Nasrin , Islam Khan Ashraful , Ara Begum Yasmin , Hassan Afrad Mokibul , Senin Nicola , Hossain Habib Zakir , Shirin Tahmina , Qadri Firdausi , Dottorini Tania
Published: September 2024

In Bangladesh, Vibrio cholerae lineages are undergoing genomic evolution, with increased virulence and spreading ability. However, our understanding of the genomic determinants influencing lineage transmission and disease severity remains incomplete. Here, we developed a computational framework using machine-learning, genome scale metabolic modelling (GSSM) and 3D structural analysis, to identify V. cholerae genomic traits linked to lineage transmission and disease severity. We analysed in-patients isolates from six Bangladeshi regions (2015-2021), and uncovered accessory genes and core SNPs unique to the most recent dominant lineage, with virulence, motility and bacteriophage resistance functions. We also found a strong correlation between V. cholerae genomic traits and disease severity, with some traits overlapping those driving lineage transmission. GSMM and 3D structure analysis unveiled a complex interplay between transcription regulation, protein interaction and stability, and metabolic networks, associated to lifestyle adaptation, intestinal colonization, acid tolerance and symptom severity. Our findings support advancing therapeutics and targeted interventions to mitigate cholera spread.