bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Das Lehrnetzwerk Migration und Gesundheit: Aus- und Weiterbildung konsolidieren und weiterentwickeln
Authors: Führer Amand , Taché Stephanie , Riemenschneider Henna , Bozorgmehr Kayvan , Diaz-Monsalve Sonia , Knipper Michael , Mews Claudia , Schwienhorst-Stich Eva-Maria , Siebert Ute , Strelow Kai-Uwe , Ziegler Sandra
Published: September 2023

Patient*innen mit Migrationsgeschichte stoßen im deutschen Gesundheitssystem vielfach auf Zugangsbarrieren, die die Qualität der ihnen zugänglichen Versorgung mindern und ihre Gesundheit beeinträchtigen. Diese Barrieren haben einerseits politische Ursachen, sind jedoch auch auf einen Mangel an migrations- und diversitätsbezogenen Inhalten im Medizinstudium und in anderen gesundheitsbezogenen Studien- und Ausbildungsgängen zurückzuführen. Obwohl die Versorgung von Patientinnen und Patienten mit eigener oder familiärer Migrationsgeschichte zum Alltag gehört, sind dafür relevante Inhalte bislang nicht in den Curricula verankert und werden bestenfalls in Form von Wahlpflichtfächern oder anderen fakultativen Lehrangeboten vermittelt.

Um diese Situation zu verbessern und eine menschenrechtsbasierte, diversitätssensible und Equity-orientierte Weiterentwicklung der Curricula voranzutreiben, hat sich das „Lehrnetzwerk Migration und Gesundheit“ gegründet. Es zielt darauf ab, 1) in der Lehre aktive Personen miteinander zu vernetzen und den Austausch sowie die gemeinsame Weiterentwicklung von Lehrmaterial zu fördern, 2) darauf aufbauend einen Modellkurs „Migration und Gesundheit“ zu entwickeln und 3) Strategien für die longitudinale Implementierung entsprechender Inhalte in Pflichtcurricula zu erarbeiten. Diese Bestrebungen werden von Lehrforschung flankiert. An Mitarbeit im Lehrnetzwerk Interessierte sind herzlich eingeladen, die Autor*innen zu kontaktieren und an diesen Vorhaben mitzuwirken.
Patterns of PET-positive residual tissue at interim restaging and risk of treatment failure in advanced-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma: an analysis of the randomized phase III HD18 trial by the German Hodgkin Study Group
Authors: Ferdinandus Justin , van Heek Lutz , Roth Katrin , Dietlein Markus , Eich Hans-Theodor , Baues Christian , Borchmann Peter , Kobe Carsten
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Response-adapted treatment using early interim functional imaging with PET after two cycles of chemotherapy (PET-2) for advanced-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma (AS-HL) is the standard of care in several countries. However, the distribution of residual metabolic disease in PET-2 and the prognostic relevance of multiple involved regions have not been reported to date.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from all PET-2-positive patients included in HD18. Residual tissue was visually compared with reference regions according to the Deauville score (DS). PET-2 positivity was defined as residual tissue with uptake above the liver (DS4). PFS was defined as the time from staging until progression, relapse, or death from any cause, or to the day when information was last received on the patient’s disease status and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regressions. Comparisons were made between patients with 1–2 and >2 positive regions in PET-2 as well as patients without PET-2-positive regions randomized into comparator arms of HD18.

Results

Between 2008 and 2014, 1964 patients with newly diagnosed AS-HL were recruited in HD18 and randomized following their PET-2 scan. Of these, 480 patients had a positive PET-2 and were eligible for this analysis. Upper and lower mediastinum in almost half of all patients: 230 (47.9%) and 195 (40.6%), respectively. 372 (77.5%) of patients have 1–2 positive regions in PET-2. 5y-PFS for patients with 1–2 regions was 91.7% (CI95: 88.7–94.6) vs. 81.8% (CI95: 74.2–90.1) for those with >2 regions with a corresponding hazard ratio (HR) of 2.2 (CI95: 1.2–4.0). Compared with patients without PET-2-positive disease receiving 6–8 cycles of chemotherapy, patients with 1–2 had a higher risk for a PFS event (HR 1.35; CI95 0.81–2.28), but it was not statistically significant (p=0.25). Patients with >2 PET-2-positive lesions had a significantly higher risk (HR 2.95; CI95: 1.62–5.37; p<0.001).

Conclusion

PET-2-positive residuals of AS-HL are mostly located in the mediastinum, and a majority of patients have few affected regions. The risk of progression was twofold higher in patients with more than two positive regions in PET-2.
Effects of matcha tea extract on cell viability and estrogen receptor-β expression on MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Keckstein Simon , Tilgener Constantin , Jeschke Udo , Hofmann Simone , Vilsmaier Theresa , Keilmann Lucia , Heidegger Helene , Kaltofen Till , Batz Falk , Mahner Sven , Schröder Lennard
Published: September 2023

Purpose

In the following work, we investigated the effect of matcha green tea extract (MTE) on MCF-7 breast cancer cell viability and estrogen receptor-beta expression (ERβ).

Methods

MCF-7 cells were stimulated with MTE at concentrations of 5 and 10 µg/ml. Cell viability was assessed using a water-soluble tetrazolium assay (WST-1 assay) after an incubation time of 72 h. ERβ was quantified at gene level by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A western blot (WB) was carried out for the qualitative assessment of the expression behavior of on a protein level.

Results

The WST-1 test showed a significant inhibition of viability in MFC-7 cells after 72 h at 10 µg/ml. The WB demonstrated a significant quantitative decrease of ERβ at protein level with MTE concentrations of 10 µg/ml. In contrast, the PCR did not result in significant downregulation of ERβ.

Conclusion

MTE decreases the cell viability of MCF-7 cells and furthermore leads to a decrease of ERβ at protein level.
Boron-doped diamond nanosheet volume-enriched screen-printed carbon electrodes: a platform for electroanalytical and impedimetric biosensor applications
Authors: Ficek Mateusz , Cieślik Mateusz , Janik Monika , Brodowski Mateusz , Sawczak Mirosław , Bogdanowicz Robert , Ryl Jacek
Published: September 2023

This paper focuses on the development of a novel electrode based on boron-doped diamond nanosheet full-volume-enriched screen-printed carbon electrodes (BDDPE) for use as an impedimetric biosensor. Impedimetric biosensors offer high sensitivity and selectivity for virus detection, but their use as point-of-care devices is limited by the complexity of nanomaterials’ architecture and the receptor immobilisation procedures. The study presents a two-step modification process involving the electroreduction of diazonium salt at the BDDPE and the immobilisation of antibodies using zero-length cross-linkers for a selective impedimetric biosensor of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi). The incorporation of diamond nanosheets into BDDPE leads to enhanced charge transfer and electrochemical behaviour, demonstrating greatly improved electrochemically active surface area compared with unmodified screen-printed electrodes (by 44% and 10% on average for [Ru(NH3)6]Cl2 and K3[Fe(CN)6], respectively). The presented sensing system shows high specificity towards protein D in Hi bacteria, as confirmed by negative controls against potential interference from other pathogens, with an estimated tolerance limit for interference under 12%. The Hi limit of detection by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was 1 CFU/mL (measured at − 0.13 V vs BDDPE pseudo-reference), which was achieved in under 10 min, including 5 min sample incubation in the presence of the analyte.

Graphical abstract
Cytogeography of Gagea bohemica (Liliaceae) outside the Mediterranean: two ploidy levels, spatial differentiation of cytotypes, and occurrence of mixed-ploidy populations
Authors: Horák David , Trávníček Bohumil , Király Gergely , Détraz-Méroz Jacqueline , Vymyslický Tomáš , Kozoni Marianthi , Harpke Dörte , Hroneš Michal
Published: September 2023

Gagea bohemica s.l. is a morphologically and karyologically highly variable group with many morphologically similar “narrow” taxa currently considered as a single variable species. It is predominantly distributed in Mediterranean and warmer parts of temperate belt of Europe. The large-scale data on its cytogeography and population cytotype structure which could provide a basis for taxonomy are lacking, only scattered data on ploidy have been published from various parts of its range. In this study, we sampled 106 populations in broader Central Europe, the northeastern Balkan Peninsula and the northwestern Black Sea coast in order to analyze their ploidy level, genome size and pollen stainability. Two cytotypes, i.e., tetraploid (2n = 48) and pentaploid (2n = 60), were found in the study area using chromosome counting and flow cytometry, both in pure and mixed-ploidy populations. Pure pentaploid populations are mainly distributed in Austria, Czechia, northwestern Hungary and Slovakia while tetraploid cytotype in pure and mixed-ploidy populations forming two lineages which are concentrated into two disjunct geographical areas: a western lineage in Germany and Switzerland and an eastern one in Bulgaria, southeastern Hungary, northern Greece, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. The two lineages differ in their genome size regardless of their ploidy, indicating their independent origin. Analysis of pollen stainability using a modified Alexander stain revealed an unusual pattern with tetraploids having a lower pollen stainability (mean 44.29%) than pentaploids (mean 70.70%), but the western and eastern populations differed again from each other.
Lebensbedrohliche Verätzungen und Atemwegsschwellung nach Trinken von Rohrreiniger
Authors: Suárez Victor , Strom Olga , Blomeyer Ralf , Hamacher Laura , Hüser Christoph , Sieg Noëlle , Hackl Matthias Johannes , Burst Volker
Published: September 2023

Vergiftungen mit im Haushalt verfügbaren Chemikalien sind im Erwachsenenalter selten und kommen meist in suizidaler Absicht vor. Die in Rohrreinigern enthaltenen Substanzen bilden bei Kontakt mit Wasser stark ätzende Laugen, bei der Reaktion entsteht außerdem große Hitze. Im vorliegenden Fall kam es nach Ingestion verhältnismäßig geringer Mengen von Rohrreiniger zu ausgeprägten Verletzungen des Gastrointestinaltrakts sowie zur Entwicklung einer lebensbedrohlichen Atemwegsschwellung und Aspiration. Essenziell ist daher – neben Maßnahmen der Dekontamination und Kreislaufstabilisierung – eine rechtzeitige Sicherung der Atemwege. Die Patienten sollten schnellstmöglich in einem Krankenhaus mit 24 h-Gastroskopiebereitschaft vorgestellt werden.
On efficiency and the Jain’s fairness index in integer assignment problems
Authors: Rezaeinia Nahid , Góez Julio C. , Guajardo Mario
Published: September 2023

Given two sets of objects, the integer assignment problem consists of assigning objects of one set to objects in the other set. Traditionally, the goal of this problem is to find an assignment that minimizes or maximizes a measure of efficiency, such as maximization of utility or minimization of cost. Lately, the interest in incorporating a measure of fairness in addition to efficiency has gained importance. This paper studies how to incorporate these two criteria in an integer assignment, using the Jain’s index as a measure of fairness. The original formulation of the assignment problem with this index involves a non-concave function, which renders a non-linear non-convex problem, usually hard to solve. To this aim, we develop two reformulations, where one is based on a quadratic objective function and the other one is based on integer second-order cone programming. We explore the performance of these reformulations in instances of real-world data derived from an application of assigning personnel to projects, and also in instances of randomly generated data. In terms of solution quality, all formulations prove to be effective in finding solutions capturing both efficiency and fairness criteria, with some slight differences depending on the type of instance. In terms of solving time, however, the performances of the formulations differ considerably. In particular, the integer quadratic approach proves to be much faster in finding optimal solutions.
A Note on the Global Dimension of Shifted Orders
Authors: Esentepe Özgür
Published: September 2023

We consider the dominant dimension of an order over a Cohen-Macaulay ring in the category of centrally Cohen-Macaulay modules. There is a canonical tilting module in the case of positive dominant dimension and we give an upper bound on the global dimension of its endomorphism ring.
Adapting a multiscale approach to assess the compositional diversity of landscapes
Authors: Konrád Krisztina Dóra , Bede-Fazekas Ákos , Bartha Sándor , Somodi Imelda
Published: September 2023

Context

The role of landscape diversity and structure is crucial for maintaining biodiversity. Both landscape diversity and structure have often been analysed on one thematic layer, focusing on Shannon diversity. The application of compositional diversity, however, has received little attention yet.

Objectives

Our main goal was to introduce a novel framework to assess both landscape compositional diversity and structure in one coherent framework. Moreover, we intended to demonstrate the significance of the use of a neutral model for landscape assessments.

Methods

Both entire Hungary and nine of its regions were used as study areas. Juhász-Nagy’s information theory-based functions, i.e. “compositional diversity” and “associatum”, were introduced and applied in landscape context. Potential and actual landscape characteristics were compared by analysing a probabilistic representation of potential natural vegetation (multiple PNV, MPNV) and actual vegetation (AV), treating MPNV as a neutral model.

Results

A significant difference was found between the MPNV- and AV-based, maximal compositional diversity estimates. MPNV-based maximal compositional diversity was higher and the maximum appeared at a finer spatial scale. The differences were more prominent in human-modified regions. Associatum implied the spatial aggregation of both MPNV and AV. Fragmentation of AV was indicated by larger units carrying maximal compositional diversity and maximal associatum values.

Conclusions

Applying the multiscale Juhász-Nagy’s functions to landscape composition allowed more precise characterization of the landscape state than traditional Shannon diversity. Our results underline, that increasingly transformed landscapes host decreasing complexity of vegetation type combinations and increasing grain that carries the richest information on landscape vegetation patterns.
Multi-objective optimization for timber harvest management incorporating wildlife habitat goals
Authors: Schooler Sarah L. , Svoboda Nathan J. , Kroll Charles N. , Finnegan Shannon P. , Belant Jerrold L.
Published: September 2023

Context

The forestry industry provides important goods, services and economic benefits, but timber harvest can adversely impact ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat. Timber harvest planning can integrate wildlife habitat quality through multi-objective optimization for timber harvest and wildlife habitat suitability.

Objectives

Our objective was to develop a method to find optimal solutions for timber harvest and wildlife habitat suitability individually and concurrently, then apply the method to Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) on Afognak Island, Alaska.

Methods

We developed three seasonal habitat suitability models using elk locations and landscape variables including historical timber harvest on Afognak Island, Alaska. We used threshold-accepting optimization over a 50-year planning horizon to maximize timber harvest yield and habitat suitability in each season, then used multi-objective goal-deviation optimization to simultaneously maximize timber harvest volume and seasonal habitat suitability.

Results

The optimal solution for timber yield decreased seasonal average habitat suitability by 5.7%. Elk habitat suitability and corresponding optimal solutions varied seasonally; elk generally selected open landcovers and early- to mid-successional timber stands over late-successional and mature stands. Therefore, in the optimal solutions, stands were harvested before they reached maximum volume and few stands were harvested in early planning periods, resulting in a seasonal average loss of 17.5% yield. Multi-objective optimization decreased seasonal average suitability by 3.9% and yield by 1.4% compared to single-objective optimization.

Conclusions

Our multi-objective optimization approach that incorporates data-driven habitat suitability models using open-source software can enable managers to achieve desired quantity and quality of wildlife habitat while providing for resource extraction.
Long COVID quality of life and healthcare experiences in the UK: a mixed method online survey
Authors: Owen Rebecca , Ashton Ruth E. , Skipper Lindsay , Phillips Bethan E. , Yates James , Thomas Callum , Ferraro Francesco , Bewick Tom , Haggan Kate , Faghy Mark A.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The complexity of long COVID and its diverse symptom profile contributes to unprecedented challenges for patients, clinicians, and healthcare services. The threat of long COVID remains ignored by Governments, the media and public health messaging, and patients’ experiences must be heard through understanding of the lived experience. This study aimed to understand the lived experience of those living with long COVID.

Methods

An online web-based survey was designed using Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) to increase understanding of the lived experiences of long COVID, and was distributed through PPIE groups, social media, and word of mouth. The survey used closed and open questions relating to demographics, pre- and post-COVID-19 health quality of life, daily activities and long COVID experiences.

Results

Within our sample of 132 people living with long COVID, the findings highlight that individuals are being severely impacted by their symptoms and are unable to or limited in participating in their daily activities, reducing quality of life. Long COVID places strain on relationships, the ability to live life fully and is detrimental to mental health. Varying health care experiences are described by participants, with reports of medical gaslighting and inadequate support received.

Conclusions

Long COVID has a severe impact on the ability to live life fully, and strains mental health. The appropriate mechanisms and support services are needed to support those living with long COVID and manage symptoms.
Oppy on arguments and worldviews: an internal critique
Authors: Békefi Bálint
Published: September 2023

This paper develops an internal critique of Graham Oppy’s metaphilosophy of religion – his theories of argumentation, worldview comparison, and epistemic justification. First, it presents Oppy’s views and his main reasons in their favor. Second, it argues that Oppy is committed to two claims – that only truth-conducive reasons can justify philosophical belief and that such justification depends entirely on one’s judgments about the theoretical virtues of comprehensive worldviews – that jointly entail the unacceptable conclusion that philosophical beliefs cannot be justified. Third, it briefly argues that of his two claims, it is his thoroughgoing coherentism that should be rejected.
Axial curvatures for corank 1 singular n-manifolds in $${{\mathbb {R}}}^{n+k}$$
Authors: Benedini Riul P. , Deolindo-Silva J. L. , Oset Sinha R.
Published: September 2023

For singular n-manifolds in $${{\mathbb {R}}}^{n+k}$$

R

n
+
k

with a corank 1 singular point at $$p\in M^n_{{\text {sing}}}$$

p
∈

M
sing
n

we define up to $$l(n-1)$$

l
(
n
-
1
)

different axial curvatures at p,  where $$l=\min \{n,k+1\}.$$

l
=
min
{
n
,
k
+
1
}
.

These curvatures are obtained using the curvature locus (the image by the second fundamental form of the unitary tangent vectors) and are therefore second order invariants. In fact, in the case $$n=2$$

n
=
2

they generalise all second order curvatures which have been defined for frontal type surfaces. We relate these curvatures with the principal curvatures in certain normal directions of an associated regular $$(n-1)$$

(
n
-
1
)

-manifold contained in $$M^n_{{\text {sing}}}.$$

M
sing
n

.

We obtain many interesting geometrical interpretations in the cases $$n=2,3.$$

n
=
2
,
3
.

For instance, for frontal type 3-manifolds with 2-dimensional singular set, the Gaussian curvature of the singular set can be expressed in terms of the axial curvatures. Similarly for the curvature of the singular set when it is 1-dimensional. Finally, we show that all the umbilic curvatures which have been defined for singular manifolds up to now can be seen as the absolute value of one of our axial curvatures.
The derived Brauer map via twisted sheaves
Authors: Nocera Guglielmo , Pernice Michele
Published: September 2023

Let X be a quasicompact quasiseparated scheme. The collection of derived Azumaya algebras in the sense of Toën forms a group, which contains the classical Brauer group of X and which we call $$\textsf{Br}^\dagger (X)$$

Br
†

(
X
)

following Lurie. Toën introduced a map $$\phi :\textsf{Br}^\dagger (X)\rightarrow H ^2_{\acute{e }t }(X,{\mathbb {G}}_{\textrm{m}})$$

ϕ
:

Br
†

(
X
)

→

H

e
´

t

2

(
X
,

G
m

)

which extends the classical Brauer map, but instead of being injective, it is surjective. In this paper we study the restriction of $$\phi $$
ϕ
to a subgroup $$\textsf{Br}(X)\subset \textsf{Br}^\dagger (X)$$

Br

(
X
)

⊂

Br
†

(
X
)

, which we call the derived Brauer group, on which $$\phi $$
ϕ
becomes an isomorphism $$\textsf{Br}(X)\simeq H ^2_{\acute{e }t }(X,{\mathbb {G}}_{\textrm{m}})$$

Br

(
X
)

≃

H

e
´

t

2

(
X
,

G
m

)

. This map may be interpreted as a derived version of the classical Brauer map which offers a way to “fill the gap” between the classical Brauer group and the cohomogical Brauer group. The group $$\textsf{Br}(X)$$

Br
(
X
)

was introduced by Lurie by making use of the theory of prestable $$\infty $$
∞
-categories. There, the mentioned isomorphism of abelian groups was deduced from an equivalence of $$\infty $$
∞
-categories between the Brauer space of invertible presentable prestable $${{\mathcal {O}}}_X$$

O
X

-linear categories, and the space $$Map (X,K ({\mathbb {G}}_{\textrm{m}},2))$$

M
a
p
(
X
,
K

(

G
m

,
2
)

)

. We offer an alternative proof of this equivalence of $$\infty $$
∞
-categories, characterizing the functor from the left to the right via gerbes of connective trivializations, and its inverse via connective twisted sheaves. We also prove that this equivalence carries a symmetric monoidal structure, thus proving a conjecture of Binda an Porta.
The Infidelity Protection Nature of Romantic Jealousy: Testing Five Predictions in the Greek Cultural Context
Authors: Apostolou Menelaos , Tzannetatou Georgia
Published: September 2023

Romantic jealousy can lead to several negative outcomes, such as tensions between intimate partners, domestic violence, and even homicide. On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that this mechanism has a protective effect against infidelity. In the current research, we aimed to examine five predictions derived from this hypothesis. Specifically, we conducted a study with a sample of N = 333 Greek-speaking participants who were in an intimate relationship. Our findings revealed that intimate partners’ jealousy was predicted by discrepancies in mate value, attitudes toward cheating, and interactions with individuals of the opposite sex. Notably, the latter effect was observed exclusively among male participants. Furthermore, we found that an intimate partner exhibiting higher romantic jealousy was associated with reduced freedom to flirt with others. This effect was both direct and indirect, mediated by an increased fear of their partner’s reactions.
Predicting variable-length paths in networked systems using multi-order generative models
Authors: Gote Christoph , Casiraghi Giona , Schweitzer Frank , Scholtes Ingo
Published: September 2023

Apart from nodes and links, for many networked systems, we have access to data on paths, i.e., collections of temporally ordered variable-length node sequences that are constrained by the system’s topology. Understanding the patterns in such data is key to advancing our understanding of the structure and dynamics of complex systems. Moreover, the ability to accurately model and predict paths is important for engineered systems, e.g., to optimise supply chains or provide smart mobility services. Here, we introduce MOGen, a generative modelling framework that enables both next-element and out-of-sample prediction in paths with high accuracy and consistency. It features a model selection approach that automatically determines the optimal model directly from data, effectively making MOGen parameter-free. Using empirical data, we show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art sequence modelling techniques. We further introduce a mathematical formalism that links higher-order models of paths to transition matrices of random walks in multi-layer networks.
Digital twins of organization: implications for organization design
Authors: Lyytinen Kalle , Weber Barbara , Becker Markus C. , Pentland Brian T.
Published: September 2023

The recent rise of using digital representations for products and processes has created a movement to use ‘digital twins’ for organization design. We provide an overview of the notion of digital twin as a synchronized, real-time two-way interacting digital representation of the real-world phenomenon it is expected to replicate as a twin. The claim of a two-way causal connection between the real-world and the digital representation makes the current rhetoric about Digital Twins especially problematic. To grasp the challenges involved in Digital Twins of Organizations (DTO), we start from Digital Twins of Things (DTT) and Digital Twins of Business Processes (DTBP). We analyze and compare different kinds of digital twins using Peircean theory of semiotic relationships, which differentiate between signals, icons, and symbols. We posit that in order to fully model organizations as digital twins, an organization designer needs to model features of organizations that are not present in DTTs and DTBPs, such as agency, conflict, and emergence. Given the inevitable presence of symbolic phenomena, we speculate to what extent it is possible to move towards full DTOs, what characteristics broader DTOs need to have, and what benefits more extensive use of DTOs will offer for organization designers. We finally offer pointers towards a research agenda for DTOs that have the potential to improve organization designs and contribute to theory on organization design.
Situational analysis of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) among public and private sector tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan: A qualitative case study
Authors: Pethani Asma , Riaz Atif , Perveen Shagufta , Saleem Ali Faisal
Published: September 2023

Objective:

To assess the current status of implementation of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) across Tertiary Care Hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.

Design:

Exploratory qualitative case study.

Setting:

Public and private tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan

Participants and Methods:

The study data were collected from 3 public and 4 private tertiary care hospitals. Twenty-eight in-depth interviews were conducted from the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Superintendent, and departmental heads of internal medicine, general surgery, and pediatric, respectively. Purposive sampling was done to include higher and middle managers, whereas the infectious diseases consultant, infectious diseases/clinical pharmacist, and clinical microbiologist were interviewed through snowball sampling methodology. Analysis was done using NVivo. Data were source-triangulated within and among the study setting and study participants.

Results:

We found that more than two-thirds (n = 5, 71%) of tertiary care hospitals in Karachi do not have a structured ASP which includes major public sector hospitals (n = 3, 43%) and half of the private sector hospitals (n = 4, 29%). The study results led to four broad themes, (1) ASP structure, (2) ASP interventions, (3) hospital medical record-keeping system, and (4) structured way for analyzing and reporting mechanism of data related to the ASP. At H1 and H2, there was a consistency in ASP structure and interventions, whereas paucity seen among remaining tertiary care hospitals.

Conclusion:

There is an alarming need for ASP in the public and private sector hospitals in Karachi. This study can inform future stakeholders regarding ASP and strategies for structural change at hospitals.
Stochastic particle transport by deep-water irregular breaking waves
Authors: Eeltink D. , Calvert R. , Swagemakers J.E. , Xiao Qian , van den Bremer T.S.
Published: September 2023

Correct prediction of particle transport by surface waves is crucial in many practical applications such as search and rescue or salvage operations and pollution tracking and clean-up efforts. Recent results by Deike et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 829, 2017, pp. 364–391) and Pizzo et al. (J. Phys. Oceanogr., vol. 49, no. 4, 2019, pp. 983–992) have indicated transport by deep-water breaking waves is enhanced compared with non-breaking waves. To model particle transport in irregular waves, some of which break, we develop a stochastic differential equation describing both mean particle transport and its uncertainty. The equation combines a Brownian motion, which captures non-breaking drift-diffusion effects, and a compound Poisson process, which captures jumps in particle positions due to breaking. From the corresponding Fokker–Planck equation for the evolution of the probability density function for particle position, we obtain closed-form expressions for its first three moments. We corroborate these predictions with new experiments, in which we track large numbers of particles in irregular breaking waves. For breaking and non-breaking wave fields, our experiments confirm that the variance of the particle position grows linearly with time, in accordance with Taylor's single-particle dispersion theory. For wave fields that include breaking, the compound Poisson process increases the linear growth rate of the mean and variance and introduces a finite skewness of the particle position distribution.
Early Eocene fossils elucidate the evolutionary history of the Charadriiformes (shorebirds and allies)
Authors: Mayr Gerald , Kitchener Andrew C.
Published: September 2023

We report charadriiform and charadriiform-like birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). A partial skeleton of a small modern-type charadriiform is described as a new species, Charadriisimilis essexensis n. gen. n. sp., and most closely resembles taxa of the Charadrii (plovers, stilts, oystercatchers, and other “wader-like” shorebirds). Affinities to this clade were also supported by phylogenetic analyses, which placed the fossil as the sister taxon of either the Burhinidae or all crown group Charadrii. In addition, we identify specimens of the charadriiform-like taxon Scandiavis, which was before known only from the early Eocene Fur Formation in Denmark. Associated limb elements of two individuals are classified as Scandiavis cf. mikkelseni Bertelli et al., 2013, and remains of two further individuals are tentatively assigned to Scandiavis. The presence of a processus supracondylaris dorsalis on the previously unknown humerus corroborates charadriiform affinities of Scandiavis, whereas a plesiomorphic hypotarsus morphology indicates a position outside crown group Charadriiformes. Charadriisimilis essexensis is one of the earliest modern-type charadriiforms, and the holotype of the species is the most substantial early Paleogene fossil record of a charadriiform bird. Together with Scandiavis, as the best-represented taxon to be considered as a stem group charadriiform, it provides the basis for an improved understanding of the evolutionary history of charadriiform birds.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/ca15ee81-09e8-4577-8beb-a362debf6636
The Eagle, the Rocket, and the Moon: U.S. Postal Iconography at the End of History
Authors: Goldblatt Laura , Handler Richard
Published: September 2023

In this Photoarticle, we survey what we will call the post-historical U.S. postage stamps of the last third of the twentieth century. We focus on stamps depicting the space race and space travel, as well as the linkage of some of those stamps to the 1992 Olympic games, to analyze the iconographic and narrative consequences of an increasing turn toward the commercialization of postal services. The stamps we consider coincide with a series of new commercial strategies on the part of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and a broad resurgence in public interest in space travel. While many critics during the 1960s considered the space race to be a distraction from more pressing political concerns—such as urban poverty or the war in Vietnam—by the 1980s and 1990s, space travel had become a less controversial endeavor (perhaps due to its large-scale defunding), and astronauts, especially the Apollo 11 astronauts, were widely lauded as heroes. We have chosen this “topical” focus (as stamp collectors say) for two reasons. First, the iconography of space exploration is dominated by one specific moment, when the lunar module Eagle touched down on the moon on July 20, 1969. Despite an ongoing history of space exploration before and after 1969, the moon landing, we will argue, was treated in postal iconography as a timeless event —a climactic technological triumph that seemed to announce what Francis Fukuyama, in an influential essay, called “the end of history.”
Effects of diets containing fish oils or fish oil concentrates with high cetoleic acid content on the circulating cholesterol concentration in rodents. A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mjaatveit Margrete , Oldernes Helle , Gudbrandsen Oddrun Anita
Published: September 2023

Hypercholesterolaemia is a major risk factor for CVD. Fish intake is associated with lower risk of CVD, whereas supplementation with n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) has little effect on the cholesterol concentration. We therefore investigated if cetoleic acid (CA), a long-chain MUFA (LC-MUFA) found especially in pelagic fish species, could lower the circulating total cholesterol (TC) concentration in rodents. A systematic literature search was performed using the databases PubMed, Web of Science and Embase, structured around the population (rodents), intervention (CA-rich fish oils or concentrates), comparator (diets not containing CA) and the primary outcome (circulating TC). Articles were assessed for risk of bias using the SYRCLE’s tool. A meta-analysis was conducted in Review Manager v. 5.4.1 (the Cochrane Collaboration) to determine the effectiveness of consuming diets containing CA-rich fish oils or concentrates on the circulating TC concentration. Twelve articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, with data from 288 rodents. Consumption of CA-rich fish oils and concentrates resulted in a significantly lower circulating TC concentration relative to comparator groups (mean difference −0·65 mmol/l, 95 % CI (−0·93, −0·37), P < 0·00001), with high statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 87 %). The risk of bias is unclear since few of the entries in the SYRCLE’s tool were addressed. To conclude, intake of CA-rich fish oils and concentrates prevents high cholesterol concentration in rodents and should be further investigated as functional dietary ingredients or supplements to reduce the risk for developing CVD in humans.
The genus Schaereria Körb. in Australia
Authors: Kantvilas Gintaras
Published: September 2023

Five species of Schaereria Körb. are known to occur in Australia (including Tasmania). The new species S. australis Kantvilas is described from alpine Tasmania and New South Wales; it is characterized by a thallus lacking lichen substances, apothecia with only brown pigments, and ellipsoid, uniseriate ascospores, 10−17 × 6−9 μm. Also treated are: S. bullata Kantvilas, endemic to Tasmania; S. dolodes (Nyl. ex Hasse) Schmull & T. Sprib., first described from North America and recorded here for the first time from the Southern Hemisphere (Tasmania); the bipolar S. fuscocinerea (Nyl.) Clauzade & Cl. Roux and the Australian endemic S. xerophila Rambold & H. Mayrhofer, both recorded for the first time from Tasmania. The species are illustrated and an identification key is provided.
Towards a nomenclatural clarification of the Peltigera ponojensis/monticola clade including metagenomic sequencing of type material and the introduction of P. globulata Miadl. & Magain sp. nov.
Authors: Miadlikowska Jolanta , Magain Nicolas , Medeiros Ian D. , Pardo-De la Hoz Carlos J. , Carbone Ignazio , LaGreca Scott , Barlow Thomas , Myllys Leena , Schmull Michaela , Lutzoni François
Published: September 2023

Peltigera globulata Miadl. & Magain, a new species in the P. ponojensis/monticola species complex of section Peltigera, is formally described. This clade was previously given the interim designation Peltigera sp. 17. It is found in sun-exposed and xeric habitats at high altitudes in Peru and Ecuador. Peltigera globulata can be easily recognized by its irregularly globulated margins covered mostly by thick, white pruina, somewhat resembling the sorediate thallus margins of P. soredians, another South American species from section Peltigera. The hypervariable region of ITS1 (ITS1-HR), which is in general highly variable among species of section Peltigera, does not have diagnostic value for species identification within the P. ponojensis/monticola complex. Nevertheless, no significant level of gene flow was detected among eight lineages representing a clade of putative species (including P. globulata) within this complex. ITS sequences from the holotype specimens of P. monticola Vitik. (collected in 1979) and P. soredians Vitik. (collected in 1981) and lectotype specimens of P. antarctica C. W. Dodge (collected in 1941) and P. aubertii C. W. Dodge (collected in 1952) were successfully obtained through Sanger and Illumina metagenomic sequencing. BLAST results of these sequences revealed that the type specimen of P. monticola falls within the P. monticola/ponojensis 7 clade, which represents P. monticola s. str., and confirmed that the type specimen of P. aubertii falls within a clade identified previously as P. aubertii based on morphology. The ITS sequence from the type specimen of P. soredians, which superficially resembles P. globulata, confirms its placement in the P. rufescens clade. Finally, we discovered that the name P. antarctica was erroneously applied to a lineage in the P. ponojensis/monticola clade. The ITS sequence from the type specimen of P. antarctica represents a lineage within the P. rufescens clade, which is sister to the P. ponojensis/monticola clade.
Can we trust iNaturalist in lichenology? Evaluating the effectiveness and reliability of artificial intelligence in lichen identification
Authors: Munzi Silvana , Isocrono Deborah , Ravera Sonia
Published: September 2023

iNaturalist is a widely-utilized platform for data collection and sharing among non-professional volunteers and is widely employed in citizen science. This platform's data are also used in scientific studies for a wide range of purposes, including tracking changes in species distribution, monitoring the spread of alien-invasive species, and assessing the impacts of urbanization and land-use change on biodiversity. Lichens, due to their year-round presence on trees, soil and rocks, and their diverse shapes and colours, have captured the attention of iNaturalist users, and lichen records are widely represented on the platform. However, due to the complexity of lichen identification, the use of data collected by untrained, or poorly trained volunteers in scientific investigation poses concerns among lichenologists. To address these concerns, this study assessed the reliability of lichen identification by iNaturalist users by comparing records on the platform with identifications carried out by experts (experienced lichenologists) in three cities where citizen science projects were developed. Results of this study caution against the use of unchecked data obtained from the platform in lichenology, demonstrating substantial inconsistency between results gathered by iNaturalist users and experts.
A Special Issue dedicated to Professor Pier Luigi Nimis
Authors: Muggia Lucia , Martello Stefano , Tretiach Mauro
Published: September 2023

This Special Issue is dedicated to Professor Pier Luigi Nimis on the occasion of his 70th birthday and retirement. It was our aim to publish papers addressing the three major research fields that Pier Luigi dealt with during his career: systematics and taxonomy, biomonitoring and ecology, and data resources and digitization. The papers in this Special Issue provide a vivid overview of the state of the art in the three research fields, and they reflect on Pier Luigi's outstanding contribution to lichenology. They offer a wide array of different methodologies, from the traditional approaches investigating lichen diversity and taxonomy by means of morpho-anatomical analyses, culture isolations and phylogenetic systematics, to the most modern sequencing techniques, and to the development of computer-aided tools and databases for facilitating lichen identification.
Synthesizing Methuselah: The Question of Artificial Agelessness
Authors: Gibson Richard B.
Published: September 2023

As biological organisms, we age and, eventually, die. However, age’s deteriorating effects may not be universal. Some theoretical entities, due to their synthetic composition, could exist independently from aging—artificial general intelligence (AGI). With adequate resource access, an AGI could theoretically be ageless and would be, in some sense, immortal. Yet, this need not be inevitable. Designers could imbue AGIs with artificial mortality via an internal shut-off point. The question, though, is, should they? Should researchers curtail an AGI’s potentially endless lifespan by deliberately making it mortal? It is this question that this article explores. First, it considers what type of AGI is under discussion before outlining how such beings could be ageless. Then, after clarifying the type of immortality under discussion and arguing that imbuing an AGI with synthetic aging would be person-affecting, the article explores four core conundrums: (i) deliberately causing a morally significant being’s death; (ii) immortality’s associated harms; (iii) concerns about immortality’s unequal assignment; and (iv) the danger of immortal AGI overlords. The article concludes that while prudence requires we create an aging AGI, in the face of the material harm such an action would constitute, this is an insufficient reason to justify doing so.
73% of the observed bilingual (dis)advantageous effects on cognition stem from sociolinguistic factors: A systematic review
Authors: Masullo Camilla , Dentella Vittoria , Leivada Evelina
Published: September 2023

Being bilingual confers certain behavioral effects. Determining their precise origin is of utmost importance given the need to avoid unjust misattribution of labels such as “bilingual (dis)advantage” to people's bilingual experiences. To this end, this systematic PRISMA-based review aims to shed light on the social and sociolinguistic origins of bilingualism-related behavioral effects. Analyzing 368 studies, we find that 73.41% of the 267 studies that report such effects attribute them either to sociolinguistic factors alone or to the interaction of sociolinguistic and cognitive factors. Linking the two fronts, type of effect and origin of effect, we find a previously unreported correlation: Studies that find evidence for bilingual disadvantages are more likely to claim a sociolinguistic origin, while studies that report advantages are more likely to link their findings to a cognitive origin. We discuss these results and present the key components of a sociolinguistic theory of the origin of bilingual effects.
New Geochronological Age Constraint and Chemostratigraphy for Aptian Lacustrine Strata, Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah
Authors: Suarez Marina B. , Al Suwaidi Aisha , Montgomery Elizabeth H. , Kirkland James I. , Andrew Joe , Mclean Noah , Möller Andreas , Ludvigson Gregory , Suarez Celina A.
Published: September 2023

The Early Cretaceous is an important time of transition in Earth history, marked by a succession of oceanic anoxic events and carbon cycle perturbations that drove changes on land and in the ocean. The need for more precise geochronologic constraints in terrestrial sediments of Early Cretaceous age that record faunal and floral transitions is especially critical. The Cedar Mountain Formation (CMF) is a continental lithostratigraphic unit that hosts a trove of paleoclimate archives and important dinosaurian fossil localities. Determining the timing of deposition of CMF strata has been an ongoing effort for many years. Here, we present new lithostratigraphic and carbon isotope chemostratigraphic data along with high‐precision radiometric ages to further constrain the Ruby Ranch Member of the CMF at a unique locality referred to as “Lake Carpenter,” where a thick section of dominantly lacustrine strata overlies fluvial‐overbank to palustrine strata more typical of other Ruby Ranch Member outcrops. A bentonite bed near the base of the section provides one of the most precise ages yet determined within the Ruby Ranch Member of 115.92 ± 0.14 Ma via CA‐ID‐TIMS U‐Pb analysis of zircons. The age and the trends in the carbon isotope record indicate that the Lake Carpenter sediments were deposited entirely within the late Aptian Stage. These unique new data provide an important step toward improving our understanding of the timing of Early Cretaceous evolutionary and paleoclimate events.
Predicting Tropical Cyclone‐Induced Sea Surface Temperature Responses Using Machine Learning
Authors: Cui Hongxing , Tang Danling , Mei Wei , Liu Hongbin , Sui Yi , Gu Xiaowei
Published: September 2023

This study proposes to construct a model using random forest method, an efficient machine learning‐based method, to predict the spatial structure and temporal evolution of the sea surface temperature (SST) cooling induced by northwest Pacific tropical cyclones (TCs), a process of the so‐called wind pump. The predictors in use include 12 predictors related to TC characteristics and pre‐storm ocean conditions. The model is shown to skillfully predict the spatiotemporal evolutions of the cold wake generated by TCs of different intensity groups, and capture the cross‐case variance in the observed SST response. Another model is further built based on the same method to assess the relative importance of the 12 predictors in determining the magnitude of the maximum cooling. Computations of feature scores of those predictors show that TC intensity, translation speed and size, and pre‐storm mixed layer depth and SST dominate, depending on the area where the cooling is considered.