bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can smart city policies foster digital innovation in the construction industry? Evidence from BIM-related patents in China
Authors: Liu Yuyang , Heng Mingzhu , Hu Caiwen , Zhang Huiling , Wang Zixuan , Ma Guofeng
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The construction of smart cities holds the potential to drive digital innovation in the construction industry through various means, such as enhancing supply and demand. This study echoes the urgent need for the construction industry to overcome development challenges. Hence, it is necessary to study the extent and ways in which smart city policies promote digital innovation in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This study treats China’s smart city policies as quasi-natural experiments. Using a dataset of Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2021 and a difference-in-differences model, the study scrutinizes the impact of smart city policies on digital innovation within the construction industry.

Findings

The study reveals a substantial positive influence of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry. In addition, the study explains these results by analysing supply-side and demand-side mechanisms. Moreover, the effect of smart city pilot policies on promoting digital innovation within the construction industry displays noteworthy heterogeneity across cities at different regional and political levels.

Originality/value

By exploring the impact and mechanisms of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry, this research contributes to a more comprehensive and profound comprehension of the role of policies in facilitating the digital transformation of the construction sector. It is a valuable reference for policymakers and industry practitioners aiming to advance digital development.
Fostering innovation through governance systems: empirical insights from South Asian countries
Authors: Farooq Umar , Tabash Mosab I. , Al-Faryan Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Innovation is necessary to ensure consistent economic growth and to meet the global competition. In view of this, the purpose of this study to check the effect of governance quality as a tool for fostering innovation performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis was arranged on 20 year’s (2000–2019) data from South Asian economies. Subject to the existence of cointegration, the authors use the fully modified ordinary least square model for regression analysis and check the robustness through robust least square model.

Findings

The empirical findings infer that all dimensions of governance have a positive significant impact on both research and development expenditures and trademark applications jointly known as innovation performance. In addition, the empirical analysis discloses the positive effect of all control variables, including FDI inflow, banking sector development, economic growth, ease of doing business index and government subsidies on innovation activities. The analysis confirms the “grease the wheel” role of governance in fostering innovation.

Practical implications

It is apparently recommended to strengthen the exercise of better governance to harvest better innovation scores.

Originality/value

This study advocates the positive role of individual dimensions of governance recommended by existing literature and complements the literature by jointly exploring the impact of all governance dimensions on overall innovation performance.
Rhetorical strategies in the climate change disclosures of Bangladeshi banking companies
Authors: Hossain Dewan Mahboob , Mazumder Mohammed Mehadi Masud , Alam Md. Saiful
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The main objective of this article is to explore the rhetorical persuasive strategies in the climate change-related disclosures of the annual reports of Bangladeshi banking companies.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfil this objective, content and rhetorical analyses are conducted on the climate change-related disclosures in the annual reports of Bangladeshi banks. The analysis is interpreted with the help of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos and pathos).

Findings

Evidence suggests that Bangladeshi banks disclose climate change-related issues in annual reports. These issues include demonstrating a genuine concern for climate change and exhibiting commitment to green finance and investment, paper and energy conservation, tree plantation, biodiversity and climate change risk funds. They also underscore challenges linked to carbon emissions, air pollution, and natural disasters. These disclosures are persuasive, and rhetorical strategies such as ethos, logos, and pathos are evident. However, the disclosures lacked consistency and comparability because of the absence of reporting regulations and a prescribed framework.

Practical implications

This study informs managers and policymakers about climate change disclosures in Bangladesh, particularly within the banking industry. The research suggests the need for improved reporting consistency and comparability, potentially achieved through standardised climate change reporting guidelines and mandatory requirements.

Originality/value

This paper’s uniqueness lies in its application of Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle to enhance our understanding of how banking companies in a developing economy strategically employ climate change-related disclosures to influence readers. Rhetorical analysis is limitedly used by accounting scholars in analysing corporate climate-change disclosures.
Revisiting design principles and guidelines for online makerspace services and programming in public libraries
Authors: Jung Yong Ju , Kim Soo Hyeon , Choi Gi Woong
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to revisit previous design principles and guidelines for online makerspaces in public libraries (Kim et al., 2020) and expand the design principles with more updated implications and examples from the literature published during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed recently published papers about online transitions of makerspaces, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, summarized their implications and deduced applicable design principles and guidelines.

Findings

This paper proposes updated design principles and guidelines based on four key areas: Program and service design; Tools and materials; Facilitation; and Logistic support. These updated design principles considered a wider range of patrons that public library makerspaces may serve, the digital divide issues and logistic concerns that should be addressed beyond the scope of a single makerspace.

Originality/value

This paper compiles various lessons learned and strategies regarding online makerspaces and maker programming for public libraries and provides helpful design principles and guidelines for the continued use of online components for makerspace services and programs.
Inter-organisational cooperation networks: a strategy for the knowledge-sharing and performance of higher education institutions
Authors: Silvério Ana , Franco Mário
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study aims to present how an inter-organisational cooperation network can contribute to the competitive performance of higher education institutions (HEI) and also to students’ academic performance. The intention is also to examine how knowledge-sharing processes should develop to meet the needs of maintaining cooperation networks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative approach, using the case study (network) method. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, group interviews and documentary analysis. The convenience sampling technique was used. Data analysis was carried out through a data triangulation process.

Findings

The general benefits arising from cooperation networks are encouraging. The HEIs improved not only through creating an environment that supports learning processes and knowledge-sharing efficiently, but also through cooperation between students and lecturers.

Practical implications

The cooperation network experience studied here can be used by other universities or HEIs as an approach/strategy to launch a cooperation initiative in order to increase levels of knowledge, learning, innovation and competitiveness. The results also help university or HEI leaders to understand the importance of academic cooperation networks, letting them form innovative teaching strategies that stimulate academic and competitive performance, as well as economic growth.

Originality/value

The central elements of originality lie in advancing a new vision of cooperation networks, creating a new, innovative framework that considers the dimensions presented from the theoretical and practical point of view. The framework helps to understand what is necessary for network cooperation to develop and create value for HEIs. Combining different perspectives of the cooperation network inevitably represents a significant innovation.
Selling soldiering: Marketisation, gender complementarity and the promise of military femininity in 1990s Sweden
Authors: Strand Sanna , Cottrell‐Sundevall Fia
Published: August 2024

This article examines the first large‐scale attempts to recruit women as soldiers and officers in 1990s Sweden, focusing on the techniques and promises employed by the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF). Building on a wide range of documents and audiovisual sources, we demonstrate how the SAF utilised various marketing techniques, including advertisements and sponsorships, to attract and ‘sell’ soldiering to young women. Analysing these efforts through scholarship on neoliberal governmentality and gendered military identity, we argue that these strategies marked the onset of military marketisation, reflecting broader neoliberal trends in 1990s Sweden. Moreover, we show how the SAF's marketing techniques promised women a narrowly defined, complementary, feminine military identity that reinforced existing gender stereotypes in the name of gender equality. Our findings shed new light on the instability of gender equality policies deemed progressive and pioneering and, in contrast, the stability of the global racialised hierarchies that inscribe some nations as gender equality forerunners.
Association between serum β2‐microglobulin and left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Zhang Yuling , Peng Guiliang , Leng Weiling , Li Ying , Li Haiyan , Zhou Ling , Ge Lichao , Shao Jiaqing , Li Xing , Long Min
Published: August 2024

Background

Beta 2‐microglobulin (β2‐MG) is a component of the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHCI) and has recently been reported to be involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. However, the association of β2‐MG with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in T2DM patients remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the correlation between serum β2‐MG and LVH in T2DM patients.

Methods

The retrospective analysis included 4602 eligible T2DM patients, divided into LVH and non‐LVH groups based on echocardiography results. Serum β2‐MG levels were measured, and participants were categorized into four groups (Q1–Q4) by their serum β2‐MG quartile. The relationship of serum β2‐MG level with LVH was evaluated using logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), subgroup analysis, and machine learning.

Results

The prevalence of LVH in T2DM patients was 31.12%. Each standard deviation increase in serum β2‐MG level corresponded to a 1.17‐fold increase in the prevalence of LVH [OR = 1.17, (95% CI: 1.05–1.31); p = 0.006]. When considering β2‐MG as a categorical variable (quartile), Q3 [OR = 1.36, (95% CI: 1.09–1.69); p = 0.007] and Q4 [OR = 1.77, (95% CI: 1.36–2.31); p < 0.001] had a significantly higher prevalence of LVH than Q1. RCS analysis found a nonlinear association between β2‐MG and LVH prevalence (p for nonlinearity <0.05). Additionally, machine learning results confirmed the importance of β2‐MG for LVH in T2DM patients.

Conclusion

Elevated serum β2‐MG levels were likely to be associated with an increased prevalence of LVH in T2DM patients, suggesting its potential role in LVH development.

image
Age disparity in couples and the sexual and general health of the male partner
Authors: Sparano Clotilde , Rastrelli Giulia , Corona Giovanni , Vignozzi Linda , Vignoli Daniele , Maggi Mario
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Several robust epidemiological studies suggest that men are often engaged in sexual relationships with younger women with a variable, age‐dependent age difference. However, the ageing process determines a significant worsening of the andrological status, which favors the onset of erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism.

Objectives

To analyze the effects of differences in age between the partners [delta (Δ) age (M − F)] on patients referring to the Andrology Unit of Careggi University Hospital for male sexual dysfunction.

Materials and methods

A monocentre cohort of 4055 male subjects was evaluated by SIEDY structured interview. The cross‐sectional analysis assessed the psychobiological and relational correlates. The rate of forthcoming major cardiovascular events (MACE) was investigated in the longitudinal analysis. All the models have been adjusted for age, education, lifestyle, and chronic disease score.

Results

∆ age (M–F) shows a stepwise increase, according to the increasing age bands of the male partner. ∆ age (M–F) was associated with a greater number of children, at the cost of more conflictual relationships within the family. The phenotype of these relationships is characterized by the report of a partner with a higher sexual desire and a higher ability to reach climax. Men seeking a younger partner show more often a histrionic personality (p = 0.023) and higher testosterone levels (p = 0.032). However, having a younger partner doesn't improve the ability to obtain a full erection. Kaplan–Maier analysis of a longitudinal subgroup of patients followed longitudinally (N = 1402) for 4.3 ± 2,59 years, showed that patients in the fourth quartile had a higher rate of forthcoming MACE versus those in the first quartile (p = 0.005).

Discussion and conclusion

In subjects with sexual dysfunctions (as in the general population) age‐different relationships increase as a function of male ageing. A greater Δ age (M–F) is associated with specific men and relationship features and a higher risk of MACE.
Rural songs for COVID‐19 times? UK folk music's resurgent engagement with the countryside
Authors: Halfacree Keith
Published: August 2024

The COVID‐19 pandemic somewhat unexpectedly promoted resurgent interest in the attractions of rural places, not least associated with nature, in many countries for especially urban people. The paper argues that this link was very fecund for many within the broad UK ‘folk music’ community specifically. After introducing COVID‐19's pro‐rural turn, the paper gives a brief overview of now substantial music geography scholarship, paying particular attention to what has been studied in respect of folk music, not least its examination of the latter's problematic links to English identities. It argues that folk music's resurgent rural links call for attention. It then introduces how the rural‐folk music COVID‐19 experience worked at three non‐exclusive levels. First, there was rural influence on the music being produced. Second, some musicians were also personally impacted strongly by rural experiences, evident not solely through their music. Third, some musicians developed original rural initiatives that saw audience members also gaining direct rural inspiration, not just via the strong growth in internet‐facilitated connections but through direct in‐place encounters with the musicians in the rural. Each reading is illustrated by two brief case studies, with the rural‐folk combination becoming increasingly alive and more‐than‐representational. It is suggested in conclusion that there remains a strong ‘life’ to these rural‐folk music connections in less predominant COVID‐19 times.
Hidden formaldehyde in cosmetic products
Authors: Søgaard Rebekka , Poulsen Pia Brunn , Gelardi Rikke Munch , Geschke Susann , Schwensen Jakob Ferløv Baselius , Johansen Jeanne Duus
Published: August 2024

Background

Formaldehyde is a common cause of contact allergy. Hidden formaldehyde, that is, formaldehyde in products without formaldehyde releasers, has previously been detected in cosmetic products.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the content and causes of hidden formaldehyde in leave‐on cosmetic products.

Methods

The formaldehyde release from 142 cosmetic products, primarily creams, was analysed using the chromotropic acid (CA) method. The study included 130 products with no formaldehyde releasers on the ingredient list and 12 products with formaldehyde releasers. Products without formaldehyde releasers positive to CA, that is, with formaldehyde ≥2.5 ppm, were additionally analysed using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Formaldehyde release from selected raw materials and packaging were also investigated.

Results

Hidden formaldehyde was found in 23 of the 130 products (18%) without formaldehyde releasers on the ingredient list. The average formaldehyde content was 105 ppm (range: 0.5–507 ppm) in products with hidden formaldehyde and 355 ppm (range: 75–637 ppm) in eight products with formaldehyde releasers, selected for HPLC analysis. Impurities of formaldehyde in dihydroxyacetone may be a cause of hidden formaldehyde in self‐tanners. No clear pattern was found for the other products with hidden formaldehyde.

Conclusions

Changes in regulation are needed to prevent allergic contact dermatitis from hidden formaldehyde in cosmetic products.
The effect of nurses' attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing on the level of compliance with isolation measures in nurses caring for liver transplant patients
Authors: Gürkan Kapıkıran , Okutan Şerafettin , Aktura Seher Çevik , Cici Remziye
Published: August 2024

Objective

Liver transplant recipients are at a high risk of infection during the first month. Therefore, it is crucial to implement isolation measures correctly to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections. Evidence‐based practices and proper implementation of isolation measures can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to investigate the impact of nurses' attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing on their compliance with isolation measures.

Methods

This is a descriptive study conducted between October 2023 and January 2024, with the participation of 137 nurses working in the organ transplant clinics of a university hospital in Turkey. Data was collected using a participant introduction form, the attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing scale, and the compliance with isolation measures scale.

Results

The mean total score for the scale of attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing among nurses was 55.95 ± 10.43 (15–75). Similarly, the mean total score for the scale of compliance with isolation measures was 71.44 ± 13.53 (18–90). Both scores were above the middle level. The study found a moderately significant positive correlation between attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing and compliance with isolation measures (r: 0.670, p: 0.000). The regression model showed that the attitude towards evidence‐based nursing explained 44.9% of the positivity towards isolation measures (R2 = 0.449).

Conclusions

The study found a positive correlation between nurses' positive attitudes towards evidence‐based nursing and their compliance with isolation precautions when caring for liver transplant patients. This highlights the significance of evidence‐based nursing in patient care and the importance of adhering to isolation measures to prevent nosocomial infections.
Twenty‐five emerging questions when detecting, understanding, and predicting future fish distributions in a changing climate
Authors: Kressler Molly M. , Hunt Georgina L. , Stroh Anna K. , Pinnegar John K. , Mcdowell Jonathan , Watson Joseph W. , Gomes Marcelo P. , Skóra Michał E. , Fenton Sam , Nash Richard D. M. , Vieira Rui , Rincón‐Díaz Martha Patricia
Published: August 2024

The 2023 Annual Symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles hosted opportunities for researchers, scientists, and policy makers to reflect on the state of art of predicting fish distributions and consider the implications to the marine and aquatic environments of a changing climate. The outcome of one special interest group at the Symposium was a collection of questions, organized under five themes, which begin to capture the state of the field and identify priorities for research and management over the coming years. The five themes were Physiology, Mechanisms, Detect and Measure, Manage, and Wider Ecosystems. The questions, 25 of them, addressed concepts which remain poorly understood, are data deficient, and/or are likely to be impacted in measurable or profound ways by climate change. Moving from the first to the last theme, the questions expanded in the scope of their considerations, from specific processes within the individual to ecosystem‐wide impacts, but no one question is bigger than any other: each is important in detecting, understanding, and predicting fish distributions, and each will be impacted by an aspect of climate change. In this way, our questions, particularly those concerning unknown mechanisms and data deficiencies, aimed to offer a guide to other researchers, managers, and policy makers in the prioritization of future work as a changing climate is expected to have complex and disperse impacts on fish populations and distributions that will require a coordinated effort to address.
Mock juries, real trials: how to solve (some) problems with jury science
Authors: ROSS LEWIS
Published: August 2024

Jury science is fraught with difficulty. Since legal and institutional hurdles render it all but impossible to study live criminal jury deliberation, researchers make use of various indirect methods to evaluate jury performance. However, each of these methods is open to methodological criticism and, strikingly, some of the highest‐profile jury research programmes in recent years have reached opposing conclusions. Uncertainty about jury performance is an obstacle for legal reform; ongoing debate about the ‘justice gap’ for complainants of sexual offences has rendered these problems acute. This article proposes a way to advance the debate.
Fostering intergenerational harmony: Can good quality contact between older and younger employees reduce workplace conflict?
Authors: Drury Lisbeth , Fasbender Ulrike
Published: August 2024

This study examines how workplace conflict between multigenerational co‐workers arises and can be reduced. Utilizing social categorization and intergroup contact theories, we hypothesized that good quality contact between older and younger employees decreases task and relationship conflict by reducing perceived age discrimination (PAD), above and beyond trust as a typical social exchange mechanism prevalent in relationships between co‐workers. Furthermore, we predicted that task interdependence would exacerbate the relationships between PAD with task and relationship conflict. We applied structural equation modelling using a sample of 567 older and younger British employees to test our hypotheses while controlling for trust as an alternative mechanism. In line with our predictions, we found that good quality contact between older and younger employees reduced employees' PAD, which in turn reduced task conflict and relationship conflict (above and beyond trust as a control mechanism). The indirect effects of intergroup contact on workplace conflict via PAD were further enhanced when cross‐age co‐workers were highly interdependent in conducting their work tasks. Our findings suggest that organizations should create practices to improve cross‐age contact in the workplace.
Displaying ingredients on healthy snack packaging: A study on visual attention, choice, and purchase intention
Authors: Retamosa Marta , Aliagas Irene , Millán Angel
Published: August 2024

The key packaging element in healthy snacks is the ingredient. This research highlights the use of eye tracking by companies to achieve greater effectiveness on the consumer's attention. Three healthy snacks were presented to analyze whether there are differences in their attention, choice, and purchase intention according to the type of ingredient. An eye‐tracking device and a questionnaire were applied and the results showed that the central area of the packaging of healthy snacks in which the ingredients are shown attracts more attention. Positive relationships between the choice of a snack and the intention to purchase it, and between the total fixation duration and the choice of a product were found. Food products with more hedonic components (flavor, e.g., chocolate) were much more visually attractive and captured more attention. At the same time, those products with less desirable or palatable ingredients were chosen less.

Practical Applications

This research provides insights into how packaging design influences consumer perceptions of healthy snacks. Food packaging plays a crucial role in capturing consumer attention and communicating information that affects their purchasing decisions. In this context, understanding how consumers direct their attention and what information they consider when evaluating products is essential for professionals in fields such as food science, marketing and graphic design, where the use of eye‐tracking devices is key. Furthermore, resistance to less desirable or unfamiliar products hinders purchase intent, suggesting the need to improve their appeal and communicate their health benefits. This study confirms that, when designing the packaging of healthy snacks, it is necessary to focus more on the central part of the packaging, which should show the composition and its appearance with a real image of it.
A comparative analysis of nurses' reported number of patients and perceived appropriate number of patients in integrated nursing care services
Authors: Kwon Hyunjeong , Kim Jinhyun
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to compare the number of assigned and appropriate patients per nurse in integrated nursing care service wards and analyze factors associated with the gap. For this cross‐sectional secondary analysis, data were collected from surveys of 2312 nurses and institutional data from their affiliated 106 hospitals in Korea. We used the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test and t‐test to compare the number of patients assigned to nurses with the number they considered appropriate. We used ratio analysis for measuring the gap between these numbers, and robust regression to evaluate the factors affecting this gap. The results found an average gap of 1.45, indicating that the reported number of assigned patients per nurse was 1.45 times higher than the appropriate number. Gender, employment type, wage satisfaction, workload, overtime work, and hospital level of care were identified as factors associated with the gap. Findings suggest that the current nurse staffing standard should be revised to consider nurses' professional judgments of appropriate staffing levels and adopt policies that reduce nurses' workload.
Fragmentation impacts may be mixed for conservation but generally bad for restoration
Authors: Watts Kevin , Hughes Samuel
Published: August 2024

The influence of fragmentation per se on biodiversity is hotly debated, with evidence of negative, neutral, or even positive effects after controlling for habitat amount. Principles from this debate are often used to inform biodiversity conservation in remnant habitat fragments but are rarely considered in a restoration context. Habitat restoration is essential to work alongside conservation and reverse biodiversity declines. Although restored habitats vary along a similar fragmentation gradient to remnant patches, the importance of different processes likely varies. Communities in remnant patches are largely determined by existing populations, while communities in restored patches are shaped by colonization from nearby populations. We illustrate how fragmentation per se can have variable outcomes for biodiversity depending on whether habitat is conserved or restored. The fragmentation debate, in its current form, has limited application for restoration ecology, and we emphasize the need for ecologists and conservationists to consider the directionality of the fragmentation process.
Regional evidence of environmental mobility in Southeast Asia: A systematic review of the empirical evidence
Authors: Thongchaithanawut Mongkon , Borderon Marion , Sakdapolrak Patrick
Published: August 2024

In recognition of the complex and context‐specific interplay between environmental change and human mobility, regionally focused systematic reviews have been acknowledged as very valuable. No such review exists for Southeast Asia (SEA), despite being a region that is significantly shaped by human mobility and a hotspot of environmental change. In this article, we aim to close the gap by systematizing the empirical literature on the causes and consequences of human mobility in the context of environmental change in SEA. The review is based on 63 scientific publications derived from the CliMig database and supplemented by additional backward and author‐citation search methods. The empirical evidence from SEA reveals several overarching themes that are consistent with global trends in the environment‐mobility nexus. In particular, we highlight the importance of remittances—both financial and social—as key mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to environmental uncertainty. We also identify several specific areas of research that require further investigation in the context of SEA, including the conditions faced by migrants in destination areas and the dual‐nature impacts of remittances on both the household and the migrant's perspective.
A prospective study evaluating the adhesive tape impression for the diagnosis of dermatophytosis in dogs and cats
Authors: Ludwig Courtney B. , Tyler Sophie A. , Lima Tatiana , Vogelnest Linda J.
Published: August 2024

Background

Potential contagion and zoonotic risk make rapid diagnosis of dermatophytosis important amongst companion animals.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To compare the adhesive tape impression (ATI), trichogram, Wood's lamp (WL) examination and fungal culture for diagnosis of dermatophytosis, and the ATI and trichogram for ease of use.

Animals

Five dogs and 15 cats with consistent lesions, history and at least two positive dermatophyte test results.

Materials and Methods

After WL examination, one representative lesion per patient was sampled for ATI, trichogram and fungal culture. Microscopic detection of fungal elements on ATI and trichogram were objectively and subjectively compared. The ability of all tests to correctly detect dermatophytosis, and the ability of ATI and trichogram to detect fungal elements in >20 high‐powered fields (HPF) were compared using Fisher's exact tests.

Results

ATI, trichogram, fungal culture and WL were positive in 100% (20 of 20), 90% (18 of 20), 95% (19 of 20) and 65% (13 of 20) of patients, respectively, with a significant difference between WL and ATI (p = 0.0499). Fungal culture revealed Microsporum. canis (n = 16), Nannizzia gypsea (n = 1), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (n = 1) and T. rubrum (n = 1). Fungal elements were detected in >20 HPF more frequently with ATI (18 of 20) than trichogram (11 of 20) (p = 0.017), and detection required careful scanning to distinguish from background debris more often with trichogram. Fungal elements were located with neutrophil clusters and keratinocyte rafts in addition to abnormal hair fragments more frequently on ATI.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

ATI had the highest ability to correctly diagnose dermatophytosis, and increased ease of detecting fungal elements compared to trichogram.
Chemical stability and in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of diluted silver sulfadiazine powder and cream over a six‐month period
Authors: Lopresto Christopher M. , Palmeiro Brian S. , Cole Stephen D. , Xu Xin , Dietrich Jaclyn , Stefanovski Darko
Published: August 2024

Background

Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is commonly formulated into otic preparations to treat otitis externa, although evidence of stability and antimicrobial efficacy with long‐term storage is lacking.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of storage time on chemical stability and in vitro antimicrobial activity of SSD diluted in sterile water, including two 1% suspensions using SSD pharmaceutical‐grade powder stored at room temperature (RT) in plastic or sterile glass bottles, and a 1:9 dilution using prescription SSD 1% cream stored at RT in a sterile glass bottle.

Materials and Methods

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) assessed chemical stability. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole‐susceptible and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole‐resistant strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (SP), meticillin‐resistant (MR) SP, S. schleiferi (SS), MRSS, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli evaluated by 24 h time–kill analysis assessed in vitro antimicrobial efficacy. Each assessment was performed at zero, one, three and six months of storage.

Results

LC–MS/MS showed no significant change in concentration over time for any suspension. When adjusted for time and species/strain, all SSD suspensions showed significant reductions in colony forming units (cfu)/mL at 24 h (p < 0.001). Including all suspensions, a bactericidal effect (minimum 3‐log cfu/mL reduction at 24 h) occurred against 94% of total isolates, with failure against 33 of 552 isolates (6%). Bactericidal failure was more likely with the cream‐based suspension (p < 0.05) and at six months (p < 0.01).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Powder‐based and cream‐based SSD/sterile water suspensions showed no significant change in concentration and demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity for six months. Bactericidal failure was more likely with the cream‐based suspension and after six months of storage.
Delivery of
Yersinia pestis
antigens via
Escherichia coli
outer membrane vesicles offered improved protection against plague
Authors: Tong Zehui , Zhang Xiangting , Guo Xiao , Wu Gengshan , Cao Shiyang , Zhang Yuan , Meng Xiangze , Wang Tong , Wang Yiqian , Song Yajun , Yang Ruifu , Du Zongmin
Published: August 2024

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from Gram-negative bacteria can be used as a vaccine platform to deliver heterologous antigens. Here, the major protective antigens of
Yersinia pestis,
F1 and LcrV, were fused either with the leader sequence or the transmembrane domain of the outer membrane protein A (OmpA), resulting in chimeric proteins OmpA-ls-F1V and OmpA
46-159
-F1V, respectively. We show that OmpA-ls-F1V and OmpA
46-159
-F1V can be successfully delivered into the lumen and membrane of the OMVs of
Escherichia coli,
respectively. Mutation of
ompA
but not
tolR
in
E. coli
enhanced the delivery efficiency of OmpA-ls-F1V into OMVs. The OmpA-ls-F1V protein comprises up to 20% of the total protein in OMVs derived from the
ompA
mutant (OMV
dA
-ALS-F1V), a proportion significantly higher than the 1% observed for OmpA
46-159
-F1V in OMVs produced by an
ompA
mutant that expresses OmpA46-159-F1V, referred to as OMV
dA
-LATM5-F1V. Intramuscular (
i.m
.) immunization of mice with OMV
dA
-ALS-F1V induced significantly higher levels of serum anti-LcrV and anti-F1 IgG, and provided higher efficacy in protection against subcutaneous (
s.c.
)
Y. pestis
infection compared to OMV
dA
-LATM5-F1V and the purified recombinant F1V (rF1V) protein adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. The three-dose
i.m
. immunization with OMV
dA
-ALS-F1V, administered at 14-day intervals, provides complete protection to mice against
s.c.
infection with 130 LD
50
of
Y. pestis
201 and conferred 80% against intranasal (
i.n
.) challenge with 11.4 LD
50
of
Y. pestis
201. Taken together, our findings indicate that the engineered OMVs containing F1V fused with the leader sequence of OmpA provide significantly higher protection than rF1V against both
s.c
. and
i.n
. infection of
Y. pestis
and more balanced Th1/Th2 responses.

IMPORTANCE

The two major protective antigens of
Y. pestis
, LcrV and F1, have demonstrated the ability to elicit systemic and local mucosal immune responses as subunit vaccines. However, these vaccines have failed to provide adequate protection against pneumonic plague in African green monkeys. Here,
Y. pestis
F1 and LcrV antigens were successfully incorporated into the lumen and the surface of the outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of
E. coli
by fusion either with the leader sequence or the transmembrane domain of OmpA. We compared the humoral immune response elicited by these OMV formulations and their protective efficacy in mice against
Y. pestis
. Our results demonstrate that the plague OMV vaccine candidates can induce robust protective immunity against both
s.c
. and
i.n. Y. pestis
infections, surpassing the effectiveness of rF1V. In addition, immunization with OMVs generated a relatively balanced Th1/Th2 immune response compared to rF1V immunization. These findings underscore the potential of OMVs-based plague vaccines for further development.
A genome-scale metabolic model of a globally disseminated hyperinvasive M1 strain of
Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Hirose Yujiro , Zielinski Daniel C. , Poudel Saugat , Rychel Kevin , Baker Jonathon L. , Toya Yoshihiro , Yamaguchi Masaya , Heinken Almut , Thiele Ines , Kawabata Shigetada , Palsson Bernhard O. , Nizet Victor
Published: August 2024

Streptococcus pyogenes
is responsible for a range of diseases in humans contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Among more than 200 serotypes of
S. pyogenes
, serotype M1 strains hold the greatest clinical relevance due to their high prevalence in severe human infections. To enhance our understanding of pathogenesis and discovery of potential therapeutic approaches, we have developed the first genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) for a serotype M1
S. pyogenes
strain, which we name iYH543. The curation of iYH543 involved cross-referencing a draft GEM of
S. pyogenes
serotype M1 from the AGORA2 database with gene essentiality and autotrophy data obtained from transposon mutagenesis-based and growth screens. We achieved a 92.6% (503/543 genes) accuracy in predicting gene essentiality and a 95% (19/20 amino acids) accuracy in predicting amino acid auxotrophy. Additionally, Biolog Phenotype microarrays were employed to examine the growth phenotypes of
S. pyogenes,
which further contributed to the refinement of iYH543. Notably, iYH543 demonstrated 88% accuracy (168/190 carbon sources) in predicting growth on various sole carbon sources. Discrepancies observed between iYH543 and the actual behavior of living
S. pyogenes
highlighted areas of uncertainty in the current understanding of
S. pyogenes
metabolism. iYH543 offers novel insights and hypotheses that can guide future research efforts and ultimately inform novel therapeutic strategies.

IMPORTANCE

Genome-scale models (GEMs) play a crucial role in investigating bacterial metabolism, predicting the effects of inhibiting specific metabolic genes and pathways, and aiding in the identification of potential drug targets. Here, we have developed the first GEM for the
S. pyogenes
highly virulent serotype, M1, which we name iYH543. The iYH543 achieved high accuracy in predicting gene essentiality. We also show that the knowledge obtained by substituting actual measurement values for iYH543 helps us gain insights that connect metabolism and virulence. iYH543 will serve as a useful tool for rational drug design targeting
S. pyogenes
metabolism and computational screening to investigate the interplay between inhibiting virulence factor synthesis and growth.
Low levels and determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months from Tigray, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Mulugeta Afework , Abebe Haftom Temesgen , Redae Getachew , Gebremariam Mebrahten , Abay Meseret , Yohannes Desta Berhe , Bazzano Alessandra N
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Complementary feeding is considered appropriate when introduced timely at 6 months of age, and where it fulfils the minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet. Sufficient evidence is available on the different individual indicators of appropriate complementary feeding.

Objective

This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Design and setting

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 52 districts of Tigray.

Participants

A total of 5321 children aged 6–23 months were included using stratified two-stage random sampling.

Results

Approximately 19% of children received appropriate complementary feeding. Maternal residence in urban areas (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.26; 95% CI 1.062 to 1.489), maternal education (AOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.111 to 1.611), antenatal care (ANC) visits (AOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.343 to 2.281), household food security (AOR 2.81; 95% CI 2.367 to 3.330) and provision of colostrum to newborns (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.139 to 2.711) were found predictors of appropriate complementary feeding. Moreover, children in the 12–17 and 18–23 months age groups were 1.3 (AOR 1.30; 95% CI 1.083 to 1.551) and 1.7 (AOR 1.73; 95% CI 1.436 to 2.072) times more likely to receive appropriate complementary feeding respectively, compared with children aged 6–11 months.

Conclusions

Appropriate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months remain unacceptably low in Tigray. Recommendations to improve nutrition outcomes include counselling on age-appropriate complementary feeding, education for girls and women, targeting families through food security initiatives, provision of nutrition education on appropriate complementary feeding practices during ANC visits, supporting mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of delivery and crafting context-based messaging for rural families.
Exploring the efficacy and safety of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Xiao Qiwei , Wu Yumi , Su Chenchen , Yang Jie , Wang Jian , Pei Lixia , Wang Yang , Hu Jie , Chen Li , Yang Li , Li Jiashan , Li Weixin , Gou Minghui , Feng Yixuan , Xu Huanfang , Fang Yigong
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The therapeutic needs of women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), coupled with the increasing application of acupuncture in improving ovarian function, have highlighted the need to verify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for DOR. This study aims to provide high-quality evidence by evaluating both ovarian reserve and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes.

Methods and analysis

A large-scale, multicentre, randomised controlled trial will be carried out across seven hospitals in China. 400 women with DOR will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to an acupuncture group or a sham acupuncture group. Acupuncture or sham acupuncture will consist of 36 sessions per participant over 12 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in antral follicle count (AFC) at week 12 from baseline. Secondary outcomes are AFC at week 24, the serum levels of basal follicle-stimulating hormone and anti-Mullerian hormone at weeks 12 and 24, the scores of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale at weeks 12 and 24, clinical pregnancy rate, and IVF embryo transfer related outcomes. Any adverse events during treatment will be documented.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol has been approved by all the participating institutions. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to participant enrolment. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2200062295

Protocol version

V2.0-20220317
Evaluating the gap in rapid diagnostic testing: insights from subnational Kenyan routine health data
Authors: Robert Bibian N. , Moturi Angela K. , Bahati Felix , Macharia Peter M. , Okiro Emelda A.
Published: August 2024

Background

Understanding diagnostic capacities is essential to addressing healthcare provision and inequity, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. This study used routine data to assess trends in rapid diagnostic test (RDT) reporting, supplies and unmet needs across national and 47 subnational (county) levels in Kenya.

Methods

We extracted facility-level RDT data for 19 tests (2018–2020) from the Kenya District Health Information System, linked to 13 373 geocoded facilities. Data quality was assessed for reporting completeness (ratio of reports received against those expected), reporting patterns and outliers. Supply assessment covered 12 RDTs reported by at least 50% of the reporting facilities (n=5251), with missing values imputed considering reporting trends. Supply was computed by aggregating the number of tests reported per facility. Due to data limitations, demand was indirectly estimated using healthcare-seeking rates (HIV, malaria) and using population data for venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL), with unmet need computed as the difference between supply and demand.

Results

Reporting completeness was under 40% across all counties, with RDT-specific reporting ranging from 9.6% to 89.6%. Malaria RDTs showed the highest annual test volumes (6.3–8.0 million) while rheumatoid factor was the lowest (0.5–0.7 million). Demand for RDTs varied from 2.5 to 11.5 million tests, with unmet needs between 1.2 and 3.5 million. Notably, malaria testing and unmet needs were highest in Turkana County, as well as the western and coastal regions. HIV testing was concentrated in the western and central regions, with decreasing unmet needs from 2018 to 2020. VDRL testing showed high volumes and unmet needs in Nairobi and select counties, with minimal yearly variation.

Conclusion

RDTs are crucial in enhancing diagnostic accessibility, yet their utilisation varies significantly by region. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to close testing gaps and improve data reporting completeness. Addressing these disparities is vital for equitably enhancing diagnostic services nationwide.