bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal weighting for estimating generalized average treatment effects
Authors: Kallus Nathan , Santacatterina Michele
Published: May 2022

In causal inference, a variety of causal effect estimands have been studied, including the sample, uncensored, target, conditional, optimal subpopulation, and optimal weighted average treatment effects. Ad hoc methods have been developed for each estimand based on inverse probability weighting (IPW) and on outcome regression modeling, but these may be sensitive to model misspecification, practical violations of positivity, or both. The contribution of this article is twofold. First, we formulate the generalized average treatment effect (GATE) to unify these causal estimands as well as their IPW estimates. Second, we develop a method based on Kernel optimal matching (KOM) to optimally estimate GATE and to find the GATE most easily estimable by KOM, which we term the Kernel optimal weighted average treatment effect. KOM provides uniform control on the conditional mean squared error of a weighted estimator over a class of models while simultaneously controlling for precision. We study its theoretical properties and evaluate its comparative performance in a simulation study. We illustrate the use of KOM for GATE estimation in two case studies: comparing spine surgical interventions and studying the effect of peer support on people living with HIV.
Die Gesundheitskompetenz von Jugendlichen mit dem MOHLAA-Q messen
Authors: Domanska Olga Maria , Jordan Susanne , Loer Anne-Kathrin Mareike
Published: May 2022

Im Projekt „Measurement of Health Literacy Among Adolescents“ (MOHLAA) wurde der Fragebogen MOHLAA-Q für 14- bis 17-Jährige in einem mehrstufigen Prozess entwickelt und validiert. Der MOHLAA-Q umfasst 29 Items und 4 Skalen, erfasst verschiedene Dimensionen von Gesundheitskompetenz und wurde in einer bundesweiten Online-Befragung bei 1.235 Jugendlichen erfolgreich eingesetzt. Mit dem MOHLAA-Q lassen sich differenziert Bedarfe zur Förderung der Gesundheitskompetenz bei Jugendlichen identifizieren.
Zum Verhältnis von Gesundheitskompetenz, Selbstwirksamkeit und gesundheitlichen Outcomes
Authors: Siegel Achim , Ehmann Anna T. , Rieger Monika A.
Published: May 2022

Als Ziel individueller Gesundheitskompetenz gilt gemeinhin der Erhalt oder die Verbesserung von Gesundheit und Lebensqualität. Dieser Beitrag knüpft an eine vorhergehende Studie an, in der anhand einer Stichprobe aus einer süddeutschen Region explorativ untersucht wurde, wie stark der Zusammenhang zwischen Gesundheitskompetenz einerseits sowie dem subjektiven Gesundheitszustand und der Lebensqualität andererseits ist. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird geprüft, ob anhand der vorliegenden Daten Selbstwirksamkeit als Mediator jener beiden Zusammenhänge interpretiert werden kann.
Gesundheitskompetenz und soziale Ungleichheit
Authors: Bittlingmayer Uwe H. , Bitzer Eva-Maria
Published: May 2022

Thematisiert wird Gesundheitskompetenz aus ungleichheitssoziologischer Perspektive. Die Verteilung individueller Gesundheitskompetenz mit den Verteilungslogiken gesellschaftlicher Ressourcen ist verschränkt. Durch die immer expansivere Definition von Gesundheitskompetenz wird es aber komplexer. Deshalb müssen Dimensionen von Anerkennung und Missachtung berücksichtigt und analysiert werden.
Modellierung und Messung elterlicher Gesundheitkompetenz im Bereich der frühkindlichen Allergieprävention
Authors: Wirtz Markus Antonius , Dresch Carolin , Heiberger Andrea , Schulz Anja Alexandra
Published: May 2022

Eltern können die zukünftige Entwicklung von Allergien bei Neugeborenen beeinflussen. Damit sie dies kompetent tun können, müssen sie Informationen zum Thema Allergien finden, verstehen, beurteilen und anwenden können. Es wird ein Test entwickelt, bei dem Eltern Informationen dazu erhalten, wovon das Risiko, das ihr Kind eine allergische Erkrankung entwickelt, abhängt. Nach der Bearbeitung der Aufgaben kann festgestellt werden, in welchem Maße Eltern über die Fähigkeit verfügen, Informationen zur Allergieprävention im frühen Kindesalter richtig zu verstehen.
Digitale Gesundheitskompetenz von Studierenden? Ergebnisse aus dem COVID-HL Netzwerk
Authors: Dadaczynski Kevin , Messer Melanie , Rathmann Katharina , Okan Orkan
Published: May 2022

Gesundheitsbezogene Informationen werden zunehmend über digitale Medien angeboten und vor allem von jungen Altersgruppen häufig rezipiert. Diese Entwicklung wurde durch die COVID-19 Pandemie beschleunigt. Vor diesem Hintergrund nimmt die digitale Gesundheitskompetenz einen höheren Stellenwert ein. Im Vordergrund dieses Beitrags steht die Zielgruppe der Studierenden, wobei die Ergebnisse des internationalen COVID-HL Studierendensurveys vorgestellt werden.
Die Rolle der Gesundheitskompetenz in den Gesundheitsfachberufen
Authors: Schwendemann Hanna E.
Published: May 2022

Eine Schlüsselrolle in der Versorgung von chronisch kranken Menschen nehmen Gesundheitsfachberufe ein. Chronisch kranke Menschen weisen zu 75% eine niedrige Gesundheitskompetenz auf und haben Schwierigkeiten damit, gesundheitsrelevante Entscheidungen zu treffen. Hier können Gesundheitsfachberufe die Gesundheitskompetenz von chronisch kranken Menschen stärken. Curricula der Gesundheitsfachberufe sollten deshalb so gestaltet sein, dass die Förderung der Gesundheitskompetenz gelehrt und gelernt wird.
Unterrichtsprogramm zur Stärkung der Gesundheitskompetenz Jugendlicher
Authors: Schulenkorf Tessa , Kirchhoff Sandra , Okan Orkan
Published: May 2022

Das Unterrichtsprogramm „Toolbox“ soll die Förderung der Gesundheitskompetenz von Schüler:innen durch Lehrkräfte anleiten. Es wurde durch die Verknüpfung obligatorischer Rahmenvorgaben der Digital- und Medienbildung in Schulen, sowie entlang der Dimensionen der Gesundheitskompetenz (Finden, Verstehen und Bewerten) strukturiert. Die Toolbox umfasst themenspezifische Querschnittsübungen, die die einzelnen Schritte der Internetrecherche für Gesundheitsinformationen steuern.
Inhalt und Qualität von webbasierten Gesundheitsinformationen zu Allergien bei Kindern
Authors: Gottschlich Linda , Dierks Marie-Luise , Lander Jonas
Published: May 2022

Bei der Suche nach Gesundheitsinformationen im Internet stehen Eltern vor der Herausforderung, unter den Angeboten „gute“ von „schlechten“ zu unterscheiden. Mittels einer Webseiten-Recherche wurden Verfügbarkeit, Inhalte und Qualität von Gesundheitsinformationen zur Prävention und Therapie von Allergien bei Kindern untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass in dem breiten Angebotsspektrum qualitätsgesicherte Informationen selten auffindbar sind. Im Sinne der organisationalen Gesundheitskompetenz sollten Strukturen für die Zugänglichkeit verbessert werden.
Oil in Ghana: The Work of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers' Union (GTPCWU)
Authors: McQuinn Mark , Sallah F.M.K.
Published: May 2022

Utilising elements of Coordination and Context-Appropriate Power Theory (CCAP) as a framework, this article assesses the efforts of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Union (GTPCWU) in Ghana to defend the rights of workers in the oil industry. Whether the GTPCWU has been able to effectively employ structural, institutional and conditional forms of power is examined within the CCAP framework. The analysis is informed by first-hand knowledge of trade union policies and practices, as one of the authors is a GTPCWU official. The research also draws on interviews and email communications with other Ghanaian trade unionists and an academic specialising in labour issues. The findings indicate that the structured labour regime, in which the GTPCWU is embedded, makes it hard for the union to employ structural, institutional and conditional forms of power fruitfully. Nevertheless, agency on the part of union officials and members is significant. This is evidenced by the success of individual union actions, indicating that the GTPCWU possesses a degree of structural power. Utilising institutional power effectively is difficult for the union, as enforcement of labour legislation is weak, and lengthy legal processes ensue when cases do reach court. It is also burdensome for the GTPCWU to exercise conditional power, based on obtaining support from non-union individuals and groups, since its members are widely perceived to have well-paid employment in the formal sector. The GTPCWU’s need for assistance in supporting its members through the transition away from fossil-based systems of energy production is outlined. Capacity-building initiatives, including the construction of a training and conference facility, and recruitment campaigns, focusing on attracting more women and youth members, are discussed.
KEYWORDS: Ghana; trade unions; oil industry; Coordination and Context-Appropriate Power Theory (CCAP); structural, institutional and conditional forms of power
Factors Modulating the Priming Response to Resistance and Stretch-Shortening Cycle Exercise Stimuli
Authors: Holmberg Patrick M. , Harrison Peter W. , Jenkins David G. , Kelly Vincent G.
Published: May 2022

“Priming exercises” are gaining popularity as a precompetition strategy to improve subsequent performance. Although priming exercise has been shown to improve various neuromuscular performance measures within 48 hours, a number of studies have also found no change or significant decreases in performance following priming interventions. Inconsistencies in findings are likely due to the many different variables used in the research. In addition, evidence suggests that the potential performance response following a priming stimulus is likely to be influenced by individual characteristics. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the available evidence and identify those variables that most strongly determine whether priming stimuli involving resistance and stretch-shortening cycle exercise tasks are likely to improve performance within 48 hours of that stimulus. In addition to making recommendations based on the evidence to date, directions for future research are also identified.
Pregnant Women's Perception and Attitude Towards Mode of Delivery in Erbil City- A Qualitative Study
Authors:   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq., Ahmed Khadija , Piro Tiran ,   Department of Midwifery, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq.
Published: May 2022

Background and objective: The childbirth experience has always been represented as a significant event in women’s lives. With the rising rates of cesarean sections in the Kurdi-stan region and lack of evidence, this study was conducted to explore women’s perceptions and attitudes towards a mode of delivery. Method: An exploratory qualitative design with indepth interviews was used to collect data from 18 pregnant women. All in-depth interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and subsequently analyzed. Inductive content analysis methods were used to establish the meaning units, subthemes, and main themes. Result: From the analysis of depth-interview data of 18 pregnant women, 48 meaning units were obtained. These meaning units were collected into four themes and nine sub-themes. These themes were identified as perceived advantages and disadvantages of a mode of delivery, knowledge deficit, weak healthcare provider's role, and fear related to vaginal delivery. Conclusion: Results showed that women’s decision-making on the mode of delivery depended on their family and friends’ opinions. Health care providers had few roles in providing the necessary information about the advantages and disadvantages of delivery modes, childbirth, and decreasing their fear of vaginal delivery.
Nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Duhok City
Authors:   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Duhok University, Duhok, Iraq., Barwari Ronak , Kadhim Sarah ,   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Duhok University, Duhok, Iraq., Mohammed-Saber Khalid ,   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Duhok University, Duhok, Iraq.
Published: May 2022

Background and Objectives: Covid-19 is one of the health issues that has had a major impact on health services all around the world. It was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2021. The nurses were on the frontline of the fight against the Covid-19, which had physical, psychological, social, and economic effects on health and health outcomes. It is crucial that nurses’ experiences during the pandemic are identified. This study aimed to explore nurses’ experiences, knowledge, and practices regarding the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses in the Duhok City in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The online survey was distributed to nurses using a structured questionnaire. The number of nurses who participated in the study was 110. The data col-lection was conducted from 10th May to 10th August 2021. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS statistical software (version 23.0). Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The study revealed that the mean age of nurses was 30 years with a standard deviation of 7 years. The highest percentage of the nurses (44.5) were a Bachelor’s degree holders. The nurses had concerns regarding their employment status, workload, and threatened to leave their job. Having sufficient personal protective devices and work protocols to help decrease the risk of infection and stress and anxiety were important issues. Nurses need more training and support systems from leaders and employers to go for-ward and work safely and comfortably. Conclusions: The study highlighted essential points regarding the nurses’ experiences during the pandemic such as the impact of workload, shortage in staffing, threatened termination of employment, and having to do non-nursing activities or tasks. It was clear that the nurse managers have a significant role in providing efficient support to nurses.
Knowledge and Attitude of Mothers about Children Immunization and Barriers to Adherence the Program, in Erbil City
Authors:   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq., Abdullah Suham , Mustafa Ibrahim ,   Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq.
Published: May 2022

Background and objective: Immunization programs are one of the most important methods to prevent infections and sickness among children. We can overcome many obstacles if mothers have the necessary knowledge and attitude regarding vaccines. The study aims to assess mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and barriers related to immunization programs and associations related to socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was carried out in Erbil city across six primary health care centers (Hawkari, Azadi, Runaki, Shadi, Mala Afandi, and Nazdar Bamarni) during the period of January 5, 2021, to April 8, 2021. Non-probability convenience sampling methods were used. The sample consisted of 410 mothers ages 18 and older. A questionnaire with four parts (socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and barriers to adherence immunization programs) was used to collect data. Statistical package for Social Science (version 23) was used for data analysis. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to determine the association between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitudes. Frequency and percentage were used to identify barriers. Results: The study findings showed a statistically significant association between the knowledge of mothers and their age, educational level, occupation, and socioeconomic status. Mothers have a high attitude regarding immunizations. The majority (69.3%) of mothers have not had any missed opportunities for not given immunizations. The most common reasons for not giving immunizations were mothers being busy and child sickness at the time of immunizations. Conclusions: There was statistically significant association between mother’s knowledge and age, education, occupations, and socioeconomic status. A high level of attitude was recorded among mothers regarding immunizations. Mothers reported being busy on the day of the immunizations and child sickness as the most common barriers to receiving immunizations.
Universal Guide for Skull Extraction and Custom-Fitting of Implants to Continuous and Discontinuous Skulls
Authors: Ahmed Zurna , Agha Naubahar , Trunk Attila , Berger Michael , Gail Alexander
Published: May 2022

Intracranial neurophysiological recordings require chronic implants to provide transcranial access to the brain. Especially in larger animals, which participate in experiments over extended periods of time, implants should match the skull curvature to promote osseointegration and avoid tissue and bacterial ingress over time. Proposed CAD methods for designing implants to date have focused on naive animals with continuous and even skull surfaces and calculate Boolean differences between implant and skull surface to fit the implant to the skull curvature. However, custom-fitting by calculating the difference fails, if a discontinuous skull surface needs to be matched. Also, the difference method does not allow designs with constant material thickness along the skull curvature, e.g., to allow fixed screw lengths. We present a universal step-by-step guide for custom-fitting implants which overcomes these limitations. It is suited for unusual skull conditions, like surface discontinuities or irregularities and includes virtual bending as a process to match skull surfaces while maintaining implant thickness. We demonstrate its applicability for a wide spectrum of scenarios, ranging from complex-shaped single-pieced implants to detailed multicomponent implant systems built on even or discontinuous skull. The guide uses only a few software tools and the final virtual product can be manufactured using CNC milling or 3D printing. A detailed description of this process is available on GitHub including step-by-step video instructions suitable for users without any prior knowledge in CAD programming. We report the experience with these implants over several years in 11 rhesus monkeys.
Visual Uncertainty Unveils the Distinct Role of Haptic Cues in Multisensory Grasping
Authors: Camponogara Ivan , Volcic Robert
Published: May 2022

Human multisensory grasping movements (i.e., seeing and feeling a handheld object while grasping it with the contralateral hand) are superior to movements guided by each separate modality. This multisensory advantage might be driven by the integration of vision with either the haptic position only or with both position and size cues. To contrast these two hypotheses, we manipulated visual uncertainty (central vs peripheral vision) and the availability of haptic cues during multisensory grasping. We showed a multisensory benefit regardless of the degree of visual uncertainty suggesting that the integration process involved in multisensory grasping can be flexibly modulated by the contribution of each modality. Increasing visual uncertainty revealed the role of the distinct haptic cues. The haptic position cue was sufficient to promote multisensory benefits evidenced by faster actions with smaller grip apertures, whereas the haptic size was fundamental in fine-tuning the grip aperture scaling. These results support the hypothesis that, in multisensory grasping, vision is integrated with all haptic cues, with the haptic position cue playing the key part. Our findings highlight the important role of nonvisual sensory inputs in sensorimotor control and hint at the potential contributions of the haptic modality in developing and maintaining visuomotor functions.
A Computational Biomarker of Photosensitive Epilepsy from Interictal EEG
Authors: Lopes Marinho A. , Bhatia Sanchita , Brimble Glen , Zhang Jiaxiang , Hamandi Khalid
Published: May 2022

People with photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) are prone to seizures elicited by visual stimuli. The possibility of inducing epileptiform activity in a reliable way makes PSE a useful model to understand epilepsy, with potential applications for the development of new diagnostic methods and new treatments for epilepsy. A relationship has been demonstrated between PSE and both occipital and more widespread cortical hyperexcitability using various types of stimulation. Here we aimed to test whether hyperexcitability could be inferred from resting interictal electroencephalographic (EEG) data without stimulation. We considered a cohort of 46 individuals with idiopathic generalized epilepsy who underwent EEG during intermittent photic stimulation: 26 had a photoparoxysmal response (PPR), the PPR group, and 20 did not, the non-PPR group. For each individual, we computed functional networks from the resting EEG data before stimulation. We then placed a computer model of ictogenicity into the networks and simulated the propensity of the network to generate seizuresin silico[the brain network ictogenicity (BNI)]. Furthermore, we computed the node ictogenicity (NI), a measure of how much each brain region contributes to the overall ictogenic propensity. We used the BNI and NI as proxies for testing widespread and occipital hyperexcitability, respectively. We found that the BNI was not higher in the PPR group relative to the non-PPR group. However, we observed that the (right) occipital NI was significantly higher in the PPR group relative to the non-PPR group. Other regions did not have significant differences in NI values between groups.
A Subregion of Insular Cortex Is Required for Rapid Taste-Visceral Integration and Consequent Conditioned Taste Aversion and Avoidance Expression in Rats
Authors: Jung A-Hyun , King Camille Tessitore , Blonde Ginger D. , King Michael , Griggs Camilla , Hashimoto Koji , Spector Alan C. , Schier Lindsey A.
Published: May 2022

Postingestive signals are important for shaping appetitive and consummatory responses, but the brain mechanisms required to assimilate interoceptive events with those at the frontlines of ingestion (taste-guided) are poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether an insular cortex (IC) region, which receives viscerosensory input, including gustatory, is required to modify taste-elicited consummatory reactions in response to a real-time interoceptive change using a serial taste reactivity (TR) test where the rats’ oromotor and somatic reactions to intraoral (IO) infusions of sucrose were periodically assessed over 45 min following lithium chloride (LiCl) administration. Results showed that neurally-intact rats shifted from an ingestive repertoire to an aversive one as LiCl took effect. Overall, this hedonic shift was delayed in rats with bilateral neurotoxic IC lesions. Rats with greater neuronal loss in posterior gustatory IC displayed fewer aversive reactions to sucrose following this initial LiCl injection. We further assessed whether the failure to integrate interoceptive feedback with ongoing taste-guided behavior impaired acquisition and/or expression of conditioned aversion and/or avoidance in these same rats. Although, as a group, LiCl-injected rats with IC lesions subsequently avoided the sugar in a 48-h two-bottle test, their preference for sucrose was significantly greater than that of the LiCl-injected neurally-intact rats. Overall lesion size, as well as proportion of the posterior gustatory and/or anterior visceral IC were each associated with impaired avoidance. These findings reveal new roles for the posterior gustatory and anterior visceral ICs in multisensory integrative function.
Pelagic ecosystem dynamics between late autumn and the post spring bloom in a sub-Arctic fjord
Authors: Walker E. Zoe , Wiedmann Ingrid , Nikolopoulos Anna , Skarðhamar Jofrid , Jones Elizabeth M. , Renner Angelika H. H.
Published: May 2022

Marine ecosystems, and particularly fjords, are experiencing an increasing level of human activity on a year-round basis, including the poorly studied winter period. To improve the knowledge base for environmentally sustainable management in all seasons, this study provides hydrographic and biological baseline data for the sub-Arctic fjord Kaldfjorden, Northern Norway (69.7° N, 18.7° E), between autumn 2017 and spring 2018. Field observations are integrated with results of a numerical ocean model simulation, illustrating how pelagic biomass, represented by chlorophyll a (Chl a), particulate organic carbon (POC), and zooplankton, is affected by stratification and circulation from October to May. We observed an unusually warm autumn that likely delayed the onset of cooling and may have supported the high abundances of holoplankton and meroplankton (5768 individuals m–3). With the onset of winter, the water column cooled and became vertically mixed, while suspended Chl a concentrations declined rapidly (< 0.12 mg Chl a m–3). In January and February, suspended POC concentrations and downward flux were elevated near the seafloor. The hydrodynamic model results indicate that the strongest currents at depth occurred in these months, potentially inducing resuspension events close to the seafloor. In spring (April), peak abundances of suspended biomass were observed (6.9–7.2 mg Chl a m–3 at 5–15 m; 9952 zooplankton ind. m–3 at 0–100 m), and field observations and model results suggest that zooplankton of Atlantic origin were probably advected into Kaldfjorden. During all investigated seasons, the model simulation suggests a complex circulation pattern, even in such a small fjord, which can have implications for environmental management of the fjord. We conclude that the pelagic system in Kaldfjorden changes continually from autumn to spring and that winter must be seen as a dynamic period, not a season where the fjord ecosystem is ‘at rest’.
Disulfiram bolsters T‐cell anti‐tumor immunity through direct activation of LCK‐mediated TCR signaling
Authors: Wang Qinlan , Zhu Ting , Miao Naijun , Qu Yingying , Wang Zhuning , Chao Yinong , Wang Jing , Wu Wei , Xu Xinyi , Xu Chenqi , Xia Li , Wang Feng
Published: May 2022

Activation of the T‐cell antigen receptor (TCR)–CD3 complex is critical to induce the anti‐tumor response of CD8+ T cells. Here, we found that disulfiram (DSF), an FDA‐approved drug previously used to treat alcohol dependency, directly activates TCR signaling. Mechanistically, DSF covalently binds to Cys20/Cys23 residues of lymphocyte‐specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) and enhances its tyrosine 394 phosphorylation, thereby promoting LCK kinase activity and boosting effector T cell function, interleukin‐2 production, metabolic reprogramming, and proliferation. Furthermore, our in vivo data revealed that DSF promotes anti‐tumor immunity against both melanoma and colon cancer in mice by activating CD8+ T cells, and this effect was enhanced by anti‐PD‐1 co‐treatment. We conclude that DSF directly activates LCK‐mediated TCR signaling to induce strong anti‐tumor immunity, providing novel molecular insights into the therapeutic effect of DSF on cancer.
Osteochondral lesion of the talus: still a problem?
Authors: Krause Fabian , Anwander Helen
Published: May 2022

Osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) often occurs after ankle trauma or repetitive micro-traumata, whereas the actual etiology remains unclear. The most common symptoms are local pain deep in the medial or lateral ankle that increases with weight-bearing and activity, accompanied by tenderness and swelling.

Eventually, most patients with symptomatic or unstable OLT require surgery. Many reasonable operative techniques have been described, whereas most lead to similar and satisfactory results. They can be divided into cartilage repair, cartilage regeneration and cartilage replacement techniques. The OLT size and morphology in the first place but also surgeon and individual patient aspects are considered when it comes to surgery.

For high postoperative success and low recurrence rates, underlying causes, for example, ligamentous instability and hindfoot malalignment should also be addressed during surgery.
Idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of heritability
Authors: Cheng Tian , Einarsdottir Elisabet , Kere Juha , Gerdhem Paul
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity and affects 1–3% of children and adolescents. Idiopathic scoliosis may run in families and the purpose of this systematic review was to describe the degree of heritability.

Methods

We searched Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE for family and twin studies reporting heritability estimates for idiopathic scoliosis, or studies from which heritability estimates could be calculated. Reference lists were screened for additional papers. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022307329).

Results

The literature search identified 1134 reports. After full-text screening, nine eligible reports were included for data extraction. Seven were twin studies containing between 5 and 526 pairs, and two were family studies with 1149 and 2732 individuals, respectively. Quality was ‘good’ in four studies and ‘fair’ in five studies. In general, studies with radiograph-confirmed diagnosis reported higher heritability estimates than studies with self-reported diagnosis. Population-based twin studies reported lower heritability estimates than clinic-based twin studies. Family-based studies reported higher heritability estimates than twin studies. Pairwise concordance for scoliosis ranged from 0.11 to 1.00 in monozygotic twins and from 0 to 1.0 in dizygotic twins. A meta-analysis of three studies resulted in a narrow sense heritability estimate of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.29–0.86).

Conclusion

Twin and family studies indicate a hereditary component in idiopathic scoliosis, but study heterogeneity is large, and the degree of the heritability is uncertain. Nevertheless, known genetic variants associated with idiopathic scoliosis can still only explain a minor part of heritability.
Management of fracture-related infection in low resource settings: how applicable are the current consensus guidelines?
Authors: Tissingh Elizabeth K , Marais Leonard , Loro Antonio , Bose Deepa , Paner Nilo T , Ferguson Jamie , Morgensten Mario , McNally Martin
Published: May 2022

The global burden of fracture-related infection (FRI) is likely to be found in countries with limited healthcare resources and strategies are needed to ensure the best available practice is context appropriate. This study has two main aims: (i) to assess the applicability of recently published expert guidance from the FRI consensus groups on the diagnosis and management of FRI to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); (ii) to summarise the available evidence on FRI, with consideration for strategies applicable to low resource settings.

Data related to the International Consensus Meeting Orthopaedic Trauma Work Group and the International Fracture Related Infection Consensus Group FRI guidelines were collected including panel membership, country of origin, language of publication, open access status and impact factor of the journal of publication. The recommendations and guidelines were then summarised with specific consideration for relevance and applicability to LMICs. Barriers to implementation were explored within a group of LMIC residents and experienced workers.

The authorship, evidence base and reach of the FRI consensus guidelines lack representation from low resource settings. The majority of authors (78.5–100%) are based in high-income countries and there are no low-income country collaborators listed in any of the papers. All papers are in English.

The FRI consensus guidelines give a clear set of principles for the optimum management of FRI. Many of these – including the approach to diagnosis, multidisciplinary team working and some elements of surgical management – are achievable in low resource settings. Current evidence suggests that it is important that a core set of principles is prioritised but robust evidence for this is lacking. There are major organisational and infrastructure obstacles in LMICs that will make any standardisation of FRI diagnosis or management challenging. The detail of how FRI consensus principles should be applied in low resource settings requires further work.

The important work presented in the current FRI consensus guidelines is relevant to low resource settings. However, leadership, collaboration, creativity and innovation will be needed to implement these strategies for communities who need it the most.
Deep learning‐based large‐scale named entity recognition for anatomical region of mammalian brain
Authors: Chai Xiaokang , Di Yachao , Feng Zhao , Guan Yue , Zhang Guoqing , Li Anan , Luo Qingming
Published: May 2022

Background

Images of anatomical regions and neuron type distribution, as well as their related literature are valuable assets for neuroscience research. They are vital evidence and vehicles in discovering new phenomena and knowledge refinement through image and text big data. The knowledge acquired from image data generally echoes with the literature accumulated over the years. The knowledge within the literature can provide a comprehensive context for a deeper understanding of the image data. However, it is quite a challenge to manually identify the related literature and summarize the neuroscience knowledge in the large‐scale corpus. Thus, neuroscientists are in dire need of an automated method to extract neuroscience knowledge from large‐scale literature.

Methods

A proposed deep learning model named BioBERT‐CRF extracts brain region entities from the WhiteText dataset. This model takes advantage of BioBERT and CRF to predict entity labels while training.

Results

The proposed deep learning model demonstrated comparable performance against or even outperforms the previous models on the WhiteText dataset. The BioBERT‐CRF model has achieved the best average precision, recall, and F1 score of 81.3%, 84.0%, and 82.6%, respectively. We used the BioBERT‐CRF model to predict brain region entities in a large‐scale PubMed abstract dataset and used a rule‐based method to normalize all brain region entities to three neuroscience dictionaries.

Conclusions

Our work shows that the BioBERT‐CRF model can be well‐suited for brain region entity extraction. The rankings of different brain region entities by their appearance in the large‐scale corpus indicate the anatomical regions that researchers are most concerned about.
E. N. Konshina and Her Work on the Publication of Dostoevsky’s Notebooks
Authors: Akhmetshin Ruslan
Published: May 2022

One of the most notable literary textual critics of the XX century is Elizaveta Nikolaevna Konshina (1890-1972), who studied and published A. P. Chekhov’s, and subsequently F. M. Dostoevsky’s notebooks and books. "Notebooks of F. M. Dostoevsky" were published in 1935 under her editorship. The article presents the main facts of the professional path of E. N. Konshina, analyzes the part of her considerable archive that is associated with the preparation of Dostoevsky's notebooks for publication, and notes the unique features of the researcher’s textual work. In the 1920s and 30s, E. N. Konshina used her own method of studying autographs in an attempt to understand the workings of the writer's creative thought. Her techniques include reproducing manuscripts and simultaneously reconstructing Dostoevsky’s text editing process. In addition to deep interpretations of the works of Pushkin, Chekhov, Bryusov, and Ibsen, few of which were published in Konshina's articles, her textual experience provides modern researchers with unique opportunities to understand the work of Dostoevsky and Chekhov.
In memory of Louis Allain
Authors: Andrianova Irina , Vyal Elena , Zavarkina Marina , Alekseeva Lyubov
Published: May 2022

On January 15, Louis Allain, one of the leading French Slavists, a researcher of F. M. Dostoevsky's work and literature of the Silver Age, honorary professor at the University of Lille, a member of the editorial board of "The Unknown Dostoevsky" journal, passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 88. Professor Allen's interests centered on Russian literature from Pushkin to Blok, but he is most renowned as the author of works dedicated to the work of Dostoevsky. An evening in memory of Louis Allain will be held at the Institute of Slavic Studies in Paris on April 13. Members of the Editorial Board of our journal express their deepest condolences to the relatives, friends and colleagues of Professor Allain. We grieve together with you for the irreparable loss. May this brilliant and wonderful man, researcher and educator stay in our memory forever!
Methods and models of estimating energy transition on the example of Zhytomyr united territorial community
Authors:   State Institution “Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine”, Diachuk Oleksandr , Semeniuk Andrii ,   State Institution “Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine”
Published: May 2022

The paper presents results of scenario modelling and assessment of energy transition to 2050 in the Zhytomyr territorial community (TC), which provides for a switching from fossil carbon based energy resources in the current TC energy system functioning to 100% use of renewable energy sources (RES) which meets all energy demands and supports the Sustainable Development of TC in accordance with the relevant UN goals. For this purpose, the optimizational economic and mathematical TIMES-Zhytomyr model (no analogues in Ukraine), based on the TIMES-Ukraine model, was developed. It includes 647 energy technologies that are currently available or may be presented in the coming years in Ukrainian market. For the development of the TIMES-Zhytomyr model, a low-available local energy statistics was processed. As a result, the first energy balance by the form of the International Energy Agency for the large Ukrainian city and the basic energy-technological system of Zhytomyr TC were developed. Using the TIMES-Zhytomyr model, based on foreign and Ukrainian experience, for the first time, four scenarios of Zhytomyr TC energy system development were designed and modelled, covering all economic sectors and household sector (population). The first one is the Baseline scenario, which displays the possible dynamics of the energy system development without a purposeful energy efficiency policy, the development of RES, etc. Three other scenarios are aimed at studying TC’s transition capabilities by 2050 to 100% renewable energy and environmentally friendly technologies use. The results of modelling confirmed that the available renewable energy resource and technological potential allows Zhytomyr TC to perform the energy transition to 2050 in an economically feasible and socially acceptable way, significantly reducing energy and carbon intensity of the local economy, substantially eliminating GHG emissions, increasing the welfare of citizens and creating at least 10 thousand new workplaces. It will also significantly contribute to Zhytomyr TC to reach at least 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The research results presented, due to a significant novelty and large-scale relevance of the task, are essential in both the theoretical and practical significance. They can be used by scientists for their research and by authorities and experts for development of local, regional or national level strategies, plans or programs of economic, energy, transport, climate and ecology scope. It can also be considered as one of the first steps in preparation of a comprehensive strategy for the Zhytomyr TC development to achieve climate neutrality in accordance with the current objectives of the European Union.
Corporate income tax gap estimation in the context of development of fiscal space
Authors:   State Institution “Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine”, Frolova Nataliya
Published: May 2022

The article is devoted to the analysis of the corporate income tax gap as one of the indicators that characterizes the tax revenues that a country can accumulate accounting for its economic potential. The author summarizes the main theoretical views on the causes of the tax gap and investigates existing methodological approaches to assess the tax gap on corporate income tax in OECD countries. The article estimates the income tax gap under the OECD Revenue Administration - Gap Analysis Program, which is based on determining potential tax revenues by adjusting the aggregate indicators of the system of national accounts (gross output, mixed income), which, according to the analysis, averaged at 1.4% GDP in the period 2017-2019, which shows a potential for the development of the fiscal space of Ukraine. Upon analysis of the distribution of the tax gap between institutional sectors of the economy, the largest gap in income tax was found in the sector of foreign corporations whose potential tax revenues were estimated as tripled relative to the declared tax revenues accrued in the Consolidated Budget of Ukraine in 2018. The author conducted a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of corporate income tax in Ukraine on the basis of tax efforts and budget efficiency ratios, which revealed significant weaknesses in comparison with similar indicators in other countries. The main measures aimed at eliminating tax gaps in OECD countries are summed up and recommendations are made for Ukraine.
Influence of copper iodide particles of different dispersity on the fermentation activity of yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors:   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bagatskaya H. M. , Mazurenko R. V. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Makhno S. M. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Gorbyk P. P. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: May 2022

The effect of different dispersity copper iodide (CuI) particles on vital activity in an aqueous yeast suspension of organisms of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae under anaerobic conditions under endogenous metabolism was studied by differential microcalorimetry. It has been found that an increase in the concentration of Cu+ to certain values leads to activation of the protective functions of cellular organisms, which is manifested in an increase in the energy costs of the yeast cell on the structural reorganization of the plasmolemma and possibly other membrane structures in order to counter the penetration of the bactericidal agent into the organism and its internal membrane structures. Upon reaching certain concentrations of Cu+, the yeast organism loses its original vitality, so that at its extreme values the organism completely stops its vital activity. The equilibrium concentration of Cu+ ions in aqueous solution for copper iodide nanoparticles is significantly higher in comparison with their microparticles, which is explained by the lower work function of CuI in the solution at the solid-liquid interface due to the increase in the curvature of the surface of the nanoparticle and the change in the surface tension at the interface.
Hong-Ou-Mandel quantum effect on “polymer - multiwall cnt” composites
Authors:   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kartel M. T. , Karachevtseva L. A. ,   V.E. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sementsov Yu. I. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Lytvynenko O. O. ,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: May 2022

The possibilities to enhance the properties of nanostructured surfaces are evaluated on “polymer-multiwall carbon nanotube” composites. Influence of sp3 hybridization bonds is investigated in composites derived from polypropylene, polyamide-6, polyamide-12 and polyvinyl chloride after adding CNTs to polymers. IR absorption of “polymer-CNTs” films exceeds that of polymer by 10-103 times in the entire measured spectral range. In addition, two-polar IR absorption are measured on composites with negative components at spectral positions of “D-band” and “2D-band” of sp3 hybridization. In this case, the greater oscillation amplitudes of C-C, CH2 and CH3 bonds correspond to a higher absorption at the vibration frequencies γω(CН) and γω(CH2). Two-polar oscillations of absorption with a negative component in the spectral band ranges “D” and “2D” of sp3 hybridization in nanotubes have been measured for the composites. Frequencies of 2D-band correspond to the second order frequencies of D-band. The intensity of 2D band increases with an increase in the concentration of defects. The absorption of light increases when the frequencies of local oscillations of surface bonds in carbon nanotubes correspond to the frequencies of slotted modes along the boundary of the “nanotube polymer” (surface polaritons). Two-polar oscillations have an ultra-small half width 0.4–0.6 cm–1, which indicates a strong interaction of surface polaritons with photons. Vertically polarized light along carbon nanotubes and horizontally polarized light of D and 2D bands resulted in light beams splitting, two-photon interference and realization of the quantum Hong-Ou-Mandel effect.
Changes in the structure and properties of graphene oxide surfaces during reduction and modification
Authors:   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kartel M. T. , Voitko K. V. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Grebelna Y. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Zhuravskyi S. V. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ivanenko K. ,   Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kulyk T. V. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Makhno S. M. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sementsov Yu. I. ,   Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: May 2022

The aim of the current study was to find changes in the structure and state of the surface of graphene oxide (GO) under the conditions of its reduction and modification by hetero atoms of nitrogen and amino acids. Reduction of GO was performed with hydrazine hydrate (R-GO), doping with nitrogen atoms - urea impregnation and subsequent heat treatment (N-GO), and the surface of GO was modified with sulfur-containing amino acid – L-cysteine by nucleophilic addition (L-GO). The samples obtained were characterized by analytical methods, such as Raman scattering, IR spectroscopy, TPD-mass-spectrometry, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy. The available Raman spectra indicate a defective structure of GO, reduction of GO leads to greater ordering of the structure in relation to GO, nitrating and modification by amino acid - to the opposite effect, a slight deterioration of the structural state. According to the results of IR spectroscopy, also confirmed by TPD-MS, GO has a large number of functional surface groups: (OH), (C=O), (C=C), (C-O-C), (CO-O-CO), (CH). Hydrazine reduction completely hydrophobizes the surface, in the IR spectra there is only a peak at ~ 1040 cm–1, which corresponds to CO-O-CO vibrations, with significantly reduced intensity, as well as bands at 2120 and 2300 cm–1, which indicate the aromatic nature of the samples and exist in all GO derivatives. In nitrogen and sulfur-containing samples (L-GO) a new peak of ~ 1520 cm–1appears, which corresponds to N-H vibrations in amines. Sulfur-containing derivatives have valence vibrations at 600 cm–1, which most likely corresponds to S-H bonds. Thus, modification of GO leads to a significant change in its structure and surface chemistry, which in turn affects the capability of the obtained samples to capture free radicals. Previous empirical studies have shown that this property increases in the series L-GO > GO > N-GO > R-GO.