bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A variable step size least mean p-power adaptive filtering algorithm based on multi-moment error fusion
Authors: Zhu Boyu , Wang Biao , Cai Banggui , Zhu Yunan , Chao Peng , Fang Zide
Published: July 2023

For the channel estimation problem under α-stable distributed impulse interference, the traditional fixed-step adaptive filtering cannot satisfy the fast convergence speed and low steady-state error at the same time, whereas the variable-step method is able to effectively solve this contradiction. This paper proposes an improved variable step-size least mean p-power adaptive algorithm that offers good robustness against impulsive noise. The proposed algorithm takes into account the linkage between the errors and uses the adjustment of the step size based on the errors of the current moment and the previous k moments, thus overcoming the problems of poor anti-noise performance and large steady-state fluctuations of the fixed-step size algorithm. This algorithm ensures that the step size does not change abruptly when the system is disturbed by impulse noise and can achieve a lower steady-state error. The simulation results show that the algorithm has better convergence than the traditional fixed step-size algorithm and the existing variable step-size algorithm under the interference of impulsive noise.
Changes in movement, habitat use, and response to human disturbance accompany parturition events in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Authors: Brushett Aidan , Whittington Jesse , Macbeth Bryan , Fryxell John M.
Published: July 2023

Parturition and the early neonatal period are critical life history stages in ungulates with considerable implications for population growth and persistence. Understanding the changes in behaviour induced by ungulate parturition is important for supporting effective population management, but reliably identifying birth sites and dates presents a challenge for managers. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) are one such highly valued and ecologically important species in montane and subalpine ecosystems of Western North America. In the face of changing patterns of anthropogenic land use, wildlife managers increasingly require site-specific knowledge of the movement and habitat selection characteristics of periparturient sheep to better inform land use planning initiatives and ensure adequate protections for lambing habitat. We used movement data from GPS collared parturient (n = 13) and non-parturient (n = 8) bighorn sheep in Banff National Park, Canada to (1) identify lambing events based on changes in key movement metrics, and (2) investigate how resource selection and responses to human use change during the periparturient period. We fit a hidden Markov model (HMM) to a multivariate characterization of sheep movement (step length, daily home range area, residence time) to predict realistic lambing dates for the animals in our study system. Leave-one-out cross validation of our model resulted in a 93% success rate for parturient females. Our model, which we parameterized using data from known parturient females, also predicted lambing events in 25% of known non-parturient ewes in a test dataset. Using a latent selection difference function and resource selection functions, we tested for postpartum changes in habitat use, as well as seasonal differences in habitat selection. Immediately following lambing, ewes preferentially selected high-elevation sites on solar aspects that were more rugged, closer to escape terrain, and further from roads. Within-home range habitat selection was similar between individuals in different reproductive states, but parturient ewes had stronger selection for low snow depth, sites closer to barren ground, and sites further from trails. We propose that movement-based approaches such as HMMs are a valuable tool for identifying critical parturition habitat in species with complex movement patterns and may have particular utility in study areas without access to extensive field observations or vaginal implant transmitters. Furthermore, our results suggest that managers should minimize human disturbance in lambing areas to avoid interfering with maternal behaviour and ensure access to a broad range of suitable habitat in the periparturient period.
The epidemiology of firework-related injuries in the US, 2012–2022
Authors: Winicki Nolan M. , Waldrop Ian , Orozco Jesus V. , Novak Daniel , Sheets Nicholas W.
Published: July 2023

Background

This study aimed to examine the epidemiology of firework-related injuries within a national population between 2012 and 2022, including the severity of injury by year, patient demographics, body region injured, firework type, and diagnosis category of injury.

Methods

Data were collected from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is a representative nationwide database that collects data on consumer product-related injuries occurring in the US. Injury rates were calculated based on patient age, sex, body region injured, firework type, and diagnosis category.

Results

A total of 3219 injuries, representing an estimated 122,912 firework-related injuries, were treated in emergency departments within the US from 2012 to 2022. The overall incidence rate of firework-related injuries in the study rose by over 17% from 2012 [2.61 cases per 100,000 people (95% CI 2.03–3.20)] to 2022 and [3.05 cases per 100,000 people (95% CI 2.29–3.80)]. The rate of injuries was highest in adolescents and young adults (age 20–24; 7.13 cases per 100,000 people). Men experienced firework injuries at more than double the rate of women (4.90 versus 2.25 cases per 100,000 people). The upper extremities (41.62%), head/neck (36.40%), and lower extremities (13.78%) were the most commonly injured regions. Over 20% of cases in patients older than 20 were significant injuries requiring hospitalization. Aerial devices (32.11%) and illegal fireworks (21.05%) caused the highest rates of significant injury of any firework type.

Conclusions

The incidence of firework-related injuries has risen over the past decade. Injuries remain the most common among adolescents and young adults. In addition, significant injuries requiring hospitalization occur most often during aerial and illegal firework use. Further targeted sale restrictions, distribution, and manufacturing regulations for high-risk fireworks are required to reduce the incidence of significant injury.
The development of dress forms in standing and sitting postures using 3D body scanning and printing
Authors: Yu Minji , Kim Dong-Eun
Published: July 2023

3D body scanning and printing are attracting attention as innovative technologies for producing dress forms. While designing dress forms, the shape of the human body must be accurately reflected in the different postures. This study explored the development of dress forms as a tool to understand changes in body size and shape according to postures and reflect this information to design and fit evaluation in the apparel industry. The holistic development process of dress forms in standing and sitting postures was suggested for representing the body shape of a specific target group. The average shape of middle-aged Korean women was derived by analyzing the 6th Size Korea data. A representative participant whose dimensions were closest to the average size was selected among recruited participants for the dress form development. The body data were acquired with a portable 3D scanner and corresponding dress forms and accessories were modeled using 3D CAD software. The models were inspected and corrected through prototyping. Full-size dress forms in standing and sitting postures were printed using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer and post-processed. Completed dress forms were body-scanned and their accuracy was evaluated through morphological similarity comparison, cross-sectional image comparison, surface area and volume comparison, and mesh deviation analysis. Although there were some minor differences caused by the modeling process, the developed dress forms reflected the main characteristics and shapes of the representative body satisfactorily.
Evaluating the feasibility of prolonged-release buprenorphine formulations as an alternative to daily opioid agonist therapy regardless of prior treatment adherence: a pilot study
Authors: Hard Bernadette , DeSilva Mohan
Published: July 2023

Background

Effective opioid agonist therapy (OAT) depends on good patient adherence. However, the daily, supervised administration of standard OAT represents a significant burden to patients and often drives poor adherence. Prolonged-release buprenorphine (PRB) formulations may mitigate some of this burden, enabling clinic visits to be substantially reduced. For treatment guidelines to be effective, the likely benefit of a transition to PRB therapy in different patient populations must be established.

Methods

The aim was to determine the feasibility of assessing PRB as an alternative to daily OAT in two groups: those currently adhering well to daily OAT (group 1, N = 5) and those not currently showing adherence or a positive response to daily OAT (group 2, N = 10). This open-label, prospective, non-controlled pilot study was conducted at the Kaleidoscope Drug Project in South Wales, UK. Participants were assessed for history, drug use, psychosocial assessment scores, and clinical severity at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. Primary outcomes were the feasibility of assessing PRB as an alternative to daily OAT and the acceptability of PRB therapy in each group. Secondary outcomes were treatment response, on-top drug use, psychosocial measures, and assessment of clinical severity.

Results

Participants from both groups demonstrated high levels of participation with assessment protocols at both baseline and 6-month follow-up, indicating study feasibility. PRB treatment was acceptable to the majority of participants, with all of group 1 and 70% of group 2 adhering to PRB therapy for the duration of the study and opting to persist with PRB therapy over other OAT options after study completion. All participants who remained on treatment demonstrated marked improvements in psychosocial and clinical severity assessment scores, with some returning to employment or education. On-top drug use remained absent in group 1 and was reduced in group 2.

Conclusions

Evaluation of transition of participants from daily OAT to PRB therapy was shown to be feasible, acceptable, and effective across both groups. A larger randomised controlled trial is warranted, particularly to assess PRB therapy in participants with a history of poor treatment engagement, as the need for therapy is greater in this group and their management is associated with higher costs of care.
A direct comparison of sound and vibration as sources of stimulation for a sensory substitution glove
Authors: de Paz Carlos , Travieso David
Published: July 2023

Sensory substitution devices (SSDs) facilitate the detection of environmental information through enhancement of touch and/or hearing capabilities. Research has demonstrated that several tasks can be successfully completed using acoustic, vibrotactile, and multimodal devices. The suitability of a substituting modality is also mediated by the type of information required to perform the specific task. The present study tested the adequacy of touch and hearing in a grasping task by utilizing a sensory substitution glove. The substituting modalities inform, through increases in stimulation intensity, about the distance between the fingers and the objects. A psychophysical experiment of magnitude estimation was conducted. Forty blindfolded sighted participants discriminated equivalently the intensity of both vibrotactile and acoustic stimulation, although they experienced some difficulty with the more intense stimuli. Additionally, a grasping task involving cylindrical objects of varying diameters, distances and orientations was performed. Thirty blindfolded sighted participants were divided into vibration, sound, or multimodal groups. High performance was achieved (84% correct grasps) with equivalent success rate between groups. Movement variables showed more precision and confidence in the multimodal condition. Through a questionnaire, the multimodal group indicated their preference for using a multimodal SSD in daily life and identified vibration as their primary source of stimulation. These results demonstrate that there is an improvement in performance with specific-purpose SSDs, when the necessary information for a task is identified and coupled with the delivered stimulation. Furthermore, the results suggest that it is possible to achieve functional equivalence between substituting modalities when these previous steps are met.
Establishing clinically meaningful within-individual improvement thresholds for eight patient-reported outcome measures in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Greene Nupur , Quéré Stéphane , Bury Denise P. , Mazerolle Flora , M’Hari Manal , Loubert Angély , Regnault Antoine , Higuchi Keiko
Published: July 2023

Background

As disease-modifying therapies do not reverse the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), assessment of therapeutic success involves documenting patient-reported outcomes (PROs) concerning health-related quality of life, disease and treatment-related symptoms, and the impact of symptoms on function. Interpreting PRO data involves going beyond statistical significance to calculate within-patient meaningful change scores. These thresholds are needed for each PRO in order to fully interpret the PRO data. This analysis of PRO data from the PROMiS AUBAGIO study, which utilized 8 PRO instruments in teriflunomide-treated relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, was designed to estimate clinically meaningful within-individual improvement thresholds in the same manner, for 8 PRO instruments.

Results

The analytical approach followed a triangulation exercise that considered results from anchor- and distribution-based methods and graphical representations of empirical cumulative distribution functions in PRO scores in groups defined by anchor variables. Data from 8 PRO instruments (MSIS-29 v2, FSMC, MSPS, MSNQ, TSQM v1.4, PDDS, HRPQ-MS v2, and HADS) were assessed from 434 RRMS patients. For MSIS-29 v2, FSMC, MSPS, and MSNQ total scores, available anchor variables enabled both anchor- and distribution-based methods to be applied. For instruments with no appropriate anchor available, distribution-based methods were applied. A recommended value for meaningful within-individual improvement was defined by comparing mean change in PRO scores between participants showing improvement of one or two categories in the anchor variable or those showing no change. A “lower bound” estimate was calculated using distribution-based methods. An improvement greater than the lower-bound estimate was considered “clinically meaningful”.

Conclusion

This analysis produced estimates for assessing meaningful within-individual improvements for 8 PRO instruments used in MS studies. These estimates should be useful for interpreting scores and communicating study results and should facilitate decision-making by regulatory and healthcare authorities where these 8 PROs are commonly employed.
Structure, extraction, processing, and applications of collagen as an ideal component for biomaterials - a review
Authors: Chen Qijue , Pei Ying , Tang Keyong , Albu-Kaya Mǎdǎlina Georgiana
Published: July 2023

Collagen with a multi-hierarchical architecture exhibits powerful biological performance, thus being developed in biomedical applications as a processing building block. The isolated collagen after extraction from biological tissues can be processed into various forms such as fibrils, scaffolds, membranes, microspheres, hydrogels, and sponges for further use in specific applications. This review briefly discusses the multi-hierarchical structure, powerful biological performances, extraction, and processing approaches of collagen as a natural biomaterial. The processing of collagen including dissolution, self-assembly, cross-linking, and electrospinning, is discussed to show more feasibility for specific applications of collagen composite biomaterials. Further emphasis is directed towards the biomedical applications of drug and gene delivery, as well as tissue repair involving bone, cartilage, vascular, and corneal, along with wound healing. Additionally, there is a focus on the development of flexible sensors and electronic skins (e-skins). Furthermore, the potential challenges and perspectives for the development of collagen-based biomaterials are proposed. In short, collagen-based biomaterials are expected to facilitate sustainable development and the next generation of advanced biomaterial applications.

Graphical Abstract
A role for artificial intelligence applications inside and outside of the operating theatre: a review of contemporary use associated with total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Kurmis Andrew P.
Published: July 2023

Background

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become involved in many aspects of everyday life, from voice-activated virtual assistants built into smartphones to global online search engines. Similarly, many areas of modern medicine have found ways to incorporate such technologies into mainstream practice. Despite the enthusiasm, robust evidence to support the utility of AI in contemporary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains limited. The purpose of this review was to provide an up-to-date summary of the use of AI in TKA and to explore its current and future value.

Methods

Initially, a structured systematic review of the literature was carried out, following PRISMA search principles, with the aim of summarising the understanding of the field and identifying clinical and knowledge gaps.

Results

A limited body of published work exists in this area. Much of the available literature is of poor methodological quality and many published studies could be best described as “demonstration of concepts” rather than “proof of concepts”. There exists almost no independent validation of reported findings away from designer/host sites, and the extrapolation of key results to general orthopaedic sites is limited.

Conclusion

While AI has certainly shown value in a small number of specific TKA-associated applications, the majority to date have focused on risk, cost and outcome prediction, rather than surgical care, per se. Extensive future work is needed to demonstrate external validity and reliability in non-designer settings. Well-performed studies are warranted to ensure that the scientific evidence base supporting the use of AI in knee arthroplasty matches the global hype.
Unripe banana and defatted sesame seed flours improve nutritional profile, dietary fibre and functional properties of gluten-free sorghum cookies
Authors: Ayo-Omogie Helen Nwakego
Published: July 2023

Rising incidence of nutritional deficiency and chronic diseases among celiacs continuously drives the food industry to search for novel functional ingredients high in health-promoting constituents such as dietary fibre and protein. This study investigated the impact of unripe banana flour and sesame meal addition as functional ingredients to enhance the dietary fibre, nutritional profile and functional properties of gluten-free sorghum cookies. Gluten-free sorghum cookies were prepared using composite sorghum flours (SF) formulated by alternately replacing SF (30–65%) with unripe Cardaba banana flour (CBF) (30–65%) and sesame meal (SM) (5%). Nutritional composition, mineral molar ratios, dietary fibre and functional properties of the flours and cookies were assessed using standard methods. Physical parameters including diameter, thickness, spread ratio and weights as well as the sensory attributes of the cookies were evaluated. While sesame meal addition significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced protein enhancement, CBF inclusion significantly enhanced ash, insoluble dietary fibre, mineral contents and functional properties of sorghum flours and cookies. The significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher values in thickness, diameter and spread ratio composite cookies containing higher CBF [CBC65 (cookie with 65% CBF) had the highest values] may indicate CBF addition enhanced the cookie-making potential of sorghum flour. Similarly, its highest flavor, aftertaste and overall acceptability scores as compared to the control (100% wheat cookie) or other composite cookies may have been influenced by the combined sweetness of banana’s natural flavor and sugars produced during baking. The incorporation of Cardaba banana flour into sorghum cookie formulation may hold interesting potential as a rich source of dietary fibre and other bioactive compounds as well as aiding functional and sensory enhancement of sorghum flour. Defatted sesame seed flour when incorporated into this blend at a ratio not more than 5% may aid in the production of organoleptically acceptable enriched gluten-free sorghum:Cardaba banana:defatted sesame cookies that could offer nutritional and health benefits for both gluten-sensitive and non-gluten-sensitive consumers.

Graphical Abstract
Association of various factors related to mastoid buffer and middle ear ventilation in etiopathogenesis of squamous chronic otitis media—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Murali Mithula , Jain Shraddha , Hande Vaidehi , Singh Chandraveer , Deshmukh P. T. , Gaurkar Sagar , M Smriti V. , Patil Nimisha
Published: July 2023

Background

Active squamous chronic otitis media (COM) is an entity with a deep retraction pocket of the pars tensa or flaccida that has retained debris of squamous epithelial where the fundus cannot be visualized involving the pars flaccida or pars tensa, associated with cholesteatoma. Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a known etiological factor for squamous COM, based on Wittmack’s theory; however, there are very few recent studies in this regard. Contracted mastoid pneumatisation (diploic or primary sclerosis) and presence of Korner’s septum have also been implicated to be associated with middle ear pathology, with conflicting results.

Hence, the present study was undertaken to find out the association of three important factors, namely eustachian tube dysfunction, type of mastoid pneumatisation, and Korner’s septum related to mastoid buffer and middle ear ventilation in etiopathogenesis of active squamous chronic otitis media. The study also attempted to identify various conditions of nose and nasopharynx associated with ETD. This would enable us in appropriate surgical decision making with long term benefits in term of hearing and disease outcomes.

Results

Out of the total 37 patients, with active squamous chronic otitis media, it was observed that Eustachian tube dysfunction was found to be associated with 23 (62.16%). The majority of patients had a diploic/primary sclerosed mastoid pneumatization pattern which is 32 (86.48%) of patients. Korner’s septum was found to be associated with 13 (35.13%) patients of the total 37 patients with active squamous chronic otitis media. All these findings were found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that there was a statistically significant positive association of all etiological factors namely Eustachian tube dysfunction, contracted mastoid (diploic/primary sclerotic mastoid), and the presence of Korner’s septum with causation of active squamous otitis media. Out of these factors, occurrence of diploic mastoid seemed to be the most constant association. Eustachian tube dysfunction of mechanical type, associated with various nasal pathologies, most common was, deviated nasal septum.
Sensory quality and nutritional composition of carrot (Daucus carota L.) genotypes as affected by fertilization in production system in Cameroon
Authors: Djoufack Maxime Merlin Tonfack , Kouam Eric Bertrand , Foko Edith Marius Kouam , Anoumaa Mariette , Kaktcham Pierre Marie , Zambou François Ngoufack
Published: July 2023

Background

Recommendations for fertilizer use in agriculture do not take into account the growing region and the source of the organic matter. In addition, vegetable growers are unaware of the quantities of fertilizer to be applied during cultivation. Accordingly, there are increasing complaints about the poor quality of the vegetables produced which is likely associated to the type and the dose of fertilizer used. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the probable origin of poor carrot quality in production basins in Cameroon. The factors consisted of five carrot genotypes and nine fertilizer types arranged in the field in a split-split plot experimental design. The sensory quality of the carrot samples was assessed by a quantitative descriptive test. The nutritional value was determined according to the treatments performed.

Results

The results of this study showed that both the sensory quality and nutritional value of carrots significantly depend on the variety, and the type and dose of fertilizer used. However, the variety New Kuroda treated with 10 t ha−1 of chicken manure and the unfertilized variety Vanessa F1 were recorded as having the best sweetness and overall acceptability scores. The best nutrient parameters such as total carbohydrate, proteins, ash, cellulose, NDF and ADF were obtained with the carrot varieties New Kuroda grown with a combination of chemical fertilizer (300 kg ha−1) + chicken manure (10 t ha−1), Pamela + unfertilized, Madona fertilized with 10 t ha−1 chicken manure, with 600 kg ha−1 chemical fertilizer + 5 t ha−1 chicken manure or not fertilized, Amazonia fertilized with 300 kg ha−1 chemical fertilizer and Vanessa F1 fertilized with a combination of 600 kg ha−1 chemical fertilizer + 5 t ha−1 of chicken manure.

Conclusion

Carrots with good sensory quality such as sweetness and deep orange colour were obtained with unfertilized Vanessa F1 variety. The variety Amazonia fertilized with 300 kg ha−1 chemical fertilizer provided good nutritional parameters including carotenoids, fibres, carbohydrates proteins and lipids.
High-resolution static corrections derived from surface-wave tomography: Application to mineral exploration
Authors: Papadopoulou Myrto , Brodic Bojan , Koivisto Emilia , Kaleshova Albina , Savolainen Mikko , Marsden Paul , Socco Laura Valentina
Published: July 2023

In hard-rock mineral exploration using reflection seismic imaging, standard methods to estimate the static corrections based on the analysis of seismic body waves might be ineffective due to near-surface complexities. A workflow to estimate the P-wave statics based on high-resolution surface-wave (SW) tomography is adopted. We combine the S-wave velocity model retrieved by SW tomography, a method known for its high resolution, with the Poisson’s ratio estimated by the wavelength-depth method, a technique based on the analysis of skin depth of SWs. We apply the workflow to a 2D data set recorded at a phosphate mining site in Finland and to a 2D data set acquired at an iron-oxide mining site in Sweden. The retrieved models and statics are evaluated using prior information, and the stacked sections are compared with the ones resulting after standard body-wave statics. Improvements in the continuity of deep reflectors and increase in the extent and the amplitude of the horizons associated with the orebodies are evident in the stacked sections whose statics are computed with our workflow that we call SW tomostatics.
How can we overcome health inequalities in psychiatry?
Authors: Monk-Cunliffe Jonathan
Published: July 2023

Health inequalities in psychiatry are well established, with people living in poverty and those from minoritised groups receiving different care and experiencing worse health outcomes. Psychiatric patients experience significant differences in life expectancy compared with the general population. This article explores changes within psychiatric services and public health interventions that could address health inequalities and asks why this has not happened yet.
Synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators with mismatches
Authors: Nazerian Amirhossein , Panahi Shirin , Sorrentino Francesco
Published: July 2023

This perspective reviews the subject of synchronization in networks of coupled non-phase oscillators in the presence of parametric mismatches. We first discuss the case of small parametric mismatches, for which the conditions for stability of the synchronous solution are the same as in the case of identical oscillators, but the synchronization error increases with the size of the mismatches. We then analyze the case of larger parameter mismatches and provide an explanation for why parameter mismatches sometimes hinder and sometimes enhance stability of the synchronous solution.
L'oeuvre des ingénieurs français de la Compagnie française des mines du Laurion et leur contribution à la formation du Laurion industriel à la fin du XIXe siècle.
Authors: Μαμαλουκάκη Χριστίνα
Published: July 2023

Καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια του 19ου αιώνα, η συνεχής αύξηση της ζήτησης για μόλυβδο οδηγεί στην αναζήτηση νέων ορυκτών πόρων στην περιοχή της Μεσογείου. Το Λαύριο, στην Ελλάδα, γνωστό από την Αρχαιότητα για τα μεταλλικά του κοιτάσματα, πλούσια σε άργυρο και μόλυβδο, ανακαλύπτεται ξανά από Γάλλους επιχειρηματίες, έτοιμους να επενδύσουν σημαντικά κεφάλαια και να δημιουργήσουν νέες σύγχρονες βιομηχανίες. Ιδρυθείσα το 1875, η Γαλλική Εταιρεία Μεταλλείων Λαυρίου (Compagnie française des mines du Laurion) αποτελεί τον πυρήνα της βιομηχανικής ανάπτυξης και το κέντρο κάθε καινοτομίας στον τομέα της μεταλλουργίας για περισσότερο από έναν αιώνα. Οι Γάλλοι μηχανικοί, που απασχολούνται στη Γαλλική Εταιρεία, εισάγουν τη νέα τεχνολογία και μοντέρνες μηχανές, επιτυγχάνοντας να επιβάλλουν την παρουσία τους στην εγχώρια βιομηχανία. Η παρούσα έρευνα στοχεύει στην ανάδειξη του έργου των Γάλλων μηχανικών της Γαλλικής Εταιρείας Μεταλλείων Λαυρίου και του καθοριστικού τους ρόλου στη διαμόρφωση του σύγχρονου Λαυρίου.
A multi-site, non-randomized study of the feasibility and acceptability of a family-led postnatal care model in the Ada District, Ethiopia
Authors: Bekele Gadise , Berhanu Della , Wolde Konjit , Teshite Dedefo , Worku Walelegn , Hyre Anne , Noguchi Lisa , Worku Alemayehu
Published: July 2023

Background: Postnatal care is a critical intervention to reduce newborn and maternal mortality in high-mortality settings. However, it is underutilized in many countries. Family-led postnatal care (FPNC) is an innovative postnatal care service delivery model that leverages self-care principles to address key barriers identified in the Ethiopian context, including women’s preference to stay home in the first week after delivery and receive support from trusted family members. Utilizing an improved discharge process, coupled with user-friendly monitoring devices made available as a home care kit kept with preferred community custodians, this self-care model for postnatal care will be evaluated as a potential solution to very low coverage of postnatal care in the first week of life. 

Methods: The study will use mixed sequential methods: quantitative pre-intervention and post-intervention survey and phenomenological qualitative study. Four health centers in Ada Districtof Oromia, Ethiopia will be purposively selected. A pre-intervention survey will measure coverage and content of postnatal checks and care-seeking behavior. Health centers will then implement family led postnatal care. Once FPNC is initiated, post-intervention quantitative data will be collected. Approximately 218 postnatal women are to be included in the quantitative survey.  Qualitative interviews with approximately 20 mothers, 20 partners, 20 families, eight health managers, 12 postnatal discharge counselors, 20 health extension workers, and eight home care kit custodians will be conducted. A quantitative measurement of sustainability six months after the endline will also be assessed.

Conclusions: Optimally, the study will contribute evidence to inform decision makers locally and globally on whether FPNC is a feasible and acceptable service delivery model for postnatal care, and whether it improves women’s empowerment and/or increases men’s support and connection to women and newborns in the early postnatal period.
National health insurance contribution to family planning program funding in Indonesia: A fund flow analysis
Authors: Wahdi Amirah Ellyza , Sutanto Edward , Setyawan Althaf , Astrini Yufan Putri , Adani Nadhila , Mardani Halimah , Maulana Nirwan , Pattnaik Anooj , Trihono Trihono , Wilopo Siswanto Agus
Published: July 2023

Background: Launched in 2014, Indonesia’s national health insurance system (JKN) aimed to provide universal health coverage, including contraceptive services, to its population. We aim to evaluate the contribution of JKN to the overall spending for the family planning program in Indonesia. 

Methods: Data from the Indonesian Demographic Health Survey, Survey on Financial Flows for Family Planning, Indonesia Motion Tracker Matrix, World Population Prospect, and Indonesian ministries’ budget accountability reports were entered into the CastCost Contraceptive Projection Tool to define budgetary allocation and spending for the family planning program at the national level in 2019. 

Results: Indonesia’s family planning program in 2019 was financed mostly by the national budget (64.0%) and out-of-pocket payments (34.6%). There were three main ministries responsible for family planning financing: the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) (35.8%), the Ministry of Finance (26.2%), and the Ministry of Health (2.0%). Overall, JKN contributed less than 0.4% of the funding for family planning services in Indonesia in 2019. The majority of family planning spending was by public facilities (57.3%) as opposed to private facilities (28.6%). 

Conclusion: JKN’s contribution to funding Indonesia’s family planning programs in 2019 was low and highlights a huge opportunity to expand these contributions. A coordinated effort should be conducted to identify possible opportunities to realign BKKBN and JKN roles in the family planning programs and lift barriers to accessing family planning services in public and private facilities. This includes a concerted effort to improve integration of private family planning providers into the JKN program.
Balancing evidence-informed and user-responsive design: Experience with human-centered design to generate layered economic empowerment and SRH programming in Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Nigeria
Authors: Cutherell Meghan , Phillips Mary , Ellett Carrie , Woubishet Emnet , Ede Joy Otsanya , Adesina Akinjide , Kabahaula Arnold , Nana-Sinkam Alex , Musau Abednego , Nichol Katherine
Published: July 2023

In 2021, the Adolescents 360 (A360) project pursued a human-centered design (HCD) process to layer complementary economic empowerment components on top of its existing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions targeting adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. Given the volume of evidence informing successful approaches for improving economic and empowerment outcomes for adolescents, we pursued an intentionally evidence-informed and gender-intentional design process, while trying to also respond directly to user insights. In this open letter, we share how we utilized and validated the evidence-base while applying the core tenets of HCD (empathy and user insights) to design holistic, layered programming for girls. We describe three overarching categories which depict how we used the existing evidence and new user insights to strengthen our design process. Often the evidence base allowed us to expedite finding a solution that worked for our users. However, at times there was a disconnect between what we knew worked in the evidence base and what our users said they wanted. New insights also allowed us to build a greater understanding of our users’ lived experiences where there were existing evidence gaps. We were aided by the engagement of a technical partner, BRAC, who synthesized evidence for our design teams and functioned as an ‘on demand’ support mechanism as questions and challenges arose. Yet, the volume of information to absorb almost guaranteed that we would miss out on the opportunity to apply certain evidence-based practices. We encourage researchers to consider how to make evidence more easily digestible to practitioners and for the whole community of practice to work together to identify what questions need to be asked to effectively operationalize evidence in a local context.
nf-core/clipseq - a robust Nextflow pipeline for comprehensive CLIP data analysis
Authors: West Charlotte , Capitanchik Charlotte , Cheshire Chris , Luscombe Nicholas M. , Chakrabarti Anob , Ule Jernej
Published: July 2023

Crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) technologies have become a central component of the molecular biologists’ toolkit to study protein-RNA interactions and thus to uncover core principles of RNA biology. There has been a proliferation of CLIP-based experimental protocols, as well as computational tools, especially for peak-calling. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a well-documented bioinformatic pipeline that enshrines the principles of robustness, reproducibility, scalability, portability and flexibility while embracing the diversity of experimental and computational CLIP tools.

To address this, we present nf-core/clipseq - a robust Nextflow pipeline for quality control and analysis of CLIP sequencing data. It is part of the international nf-core community effort to develop and curate a best-practice, gold-standard set of pipelines for data analysis. The standards enabled by Nextflow and nf-core, including workflow management, version control, continuous integration and containerisation ensure that these key needs are met.

Furthermore, multiple tools are implemented (e.g. for peak-calling), alongside visualisation of quality control metrics to empower the user to make their own informed decisions based on their data.

nf-core/clipseq remains under active development, with plans to incorporate newly released tools to ensure that pipeline remains up-to-date and relevant for the community. Engagement with users and developers is encouraged through the nf-core GitHub repository and Slack channel to promote collaboration. It is available at https://nf-co.re/clipseq.
THE IMPORTANCE OF JOB SATISFACTION IN THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF A MODERN DOCTOR
Authors: Moskvicheva L.
Published: July 2023

Currently, the national project «Healthcare» is being actively implemented in the Russian Federation, the most important tasks of which are to increase the availability of medical care and the quality of medical services, the development of high-tech methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases, strengthening the personnel reserve of the industry and achieving maximum staffing of medical organizations at various levels with doctors, secondary and junior medical personnel. As a basis for achieving these goals, of course, an increase in the level of motivation, satisfaction and psycho-emotional well-being of healthcare workers should be considered, which can contribute to the retention of existing and influx of young personnel, increase the level of staff working capacity, increase the quality of services provided and the availability of medical care. The peculiarities of the doctor’s work determine a consistently high level of work stress, which to a certain extent is determined by individual factors and personal characteristics of the specialist, as well as a number of organizational predictors. The degree of satisfaction of healthcare professionals with the workflow largely determines the quality and availability of medical care. This article presents data from domestic and foreign literary scientific sources that highlight the level of satisfaction of doctors with work and various factors associated with it, the impact of this indicator on the social and professional life of doctors, as well as possible measures to increase the satisfaction of specialists with their own work.
Personnel Development Management at the Enterprise With Mixed Labor Organization
Authors: Tokareva Y. , Gasparovich E. , Uskova E. , Zotov A.
Published: July 2023

Personnel development management at an enterprise with a mixed labor organization is one of the promising areas of activity for a personnel management manager. The search for new managerial decisions on the implementation of this process in the practice of functioning of enterprise personnel management becomes significant.

The theoretical analysis of existing experience has shown the narrow industry focus of the developed solutions for enterprises with a traditional form of labor organization, which leaves them of little use in broad practical HR activities in the context of the digitalization of the economy and the transition to a mixed labor organization. It is important to create a holistic view of the implementation plan for managing the development of personnel in an enterprise with a mixed labor organization. The problem of the lack of personnel development management leads to poor awareness of personnel about the organization’s capabilities in terms of personnel development, a low level of involvement of all categories of personnel in the development process, a decrease in labor productivity, and, as a result, a decrease in the competitiveness of an enterprise in the market. Thanks to the solution of the issue of effective management of personnel development in an enterprise with a mixed organization of labor in modern realities, the formation of a staff of qualified employees who are highly motivated to perform the tasks of the enterprise is being successfully implemented. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the efficiency of each employee and the entire organization, which means that the value of human resources in the enterprise is also subject to growth and development.

The novelty of the study lies in the theoretical substantiation and development of the main provisions of personnel development management in a company division with a mixed labor organization.

The practical significance of the study is the possibility of further implementation of the personnel development management plan for the commercial division of an enterprise with a mixed labor organization.
POTENTIAL TO USE COACHING IN STAFF CAREER MANAGEMENT
Authors: Gasparovich E. , Koneva D. , Bel'ko N. , Tokarev A.
Published: July 2023

Personnel management at an enterprise using the potential of coaching seems to be a promising direction in the activity of a manager in personnel career management. Relevant is the definition of new HR-decisions on the implementation of this process in the practice of functioning of the enterprise’s personnel management.

In the theoretical part of the study, the definitions of career, coaching, and the goals of coaching are considered. The process of transformation of the personnel career management system in the application of career coaching technologies is analyzed. The problem is that the use of traditional tools in career management is losing its relevance and does not play a decisive role in the choice of career building strategies by employees. At the same time, the role of corporate coaching is growing in the field of professional development, which is becoming an effective tool for developing organizational culture and non-material motivation of employees. The purpose of the study is to reveal the potential of coaching in personnel career management and to develop recommendations for the use of coaching in the corporate system of personnel career management.

In the practical part, a study was made of the level of satisfaction of employees of large and medium-sized enterprises in the Tyumen region with a career management system. By the method of interviewing, the reasons for the departure of promising employees from companies were studied and analyzed. Based on the data obtained, practical recommendations were developed for the use of coaching in the corporate system of personnel career management. The novelty of the study lies in the theoretical substantiation and development of the main provisions for using the potential of coaching in personnel career management.

The practical significance of the study is the possibility of further realization of the potential of coaching in managing the career of the enterprise personnel.
Simulation in paramedic education
Authors: Wyatt Dan
Published: July 2023

Reflecting on the development of simulation in paramedic education and his own simulation experiences at Keele University, Dan Wyatt weighs in on the value of this learning tool
Pulmonary rehabilitation – an essential part of respiratory care
Authors: Henry Heather
Published: July 2023

Thousands of hospital admissions for respiratory patients could be avoided if all those eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) completed a programme, and yet uptake remains poor. Here Heather Henry outlines what PR has to offer and how to make a referral

Offering people with long term respiratory disease pulmonary rehabilitation is part of good long term condition management general practice nurses. This article explains why it is important, what it includes, the referral criteria and how GPNs may support people on completion.
Research Roundup
Authors: Winter George
Published: July 2023

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that may be of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Perks of the Job
Authors: Wilkie David
Published: July 2023

iVT'S COLUMNIST, LEGENDARY DESIGNER DAVID WILKIE, SHARES A RECENT – AND UNUSUAL – COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCE INVOLVING COFFEE
Vegas Baby!
Authors: Wordsworth Saul
Published: July 2023

NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION SHOWCASE IS BACK AND READY TO WOW US WITH NEW VEHICLES AND NEW INNOVATIONS – AS WELL AS A FEW SURPRISES. OVER THE NEXT 26 PAGES WE SPEAK WITH THE SHOW DIRECTOR, SELECT OUR OWN HIGHLIGHTS AND SHOWCASE LEADING SUPPLIERS
Association of Non-Genetic Risk Factors with Prostate Cancer in the Population of Jammu Region of J and K, India
Authors: Sharma Sourabh , Gupta Rahul , Raina Jyotdeep Kour , Sharma Ravi , Kumar Parvinder , Panjaliya Rakesh Kumar
Published: July 2023

ABSTRACT: The rising incidence rates of prostate cancer (CAP) have become a global health disorder. It has a complex etiology and includes both potentially modifiable environmental factors and non-modifiable genetic components. In this study, we aimed to identify the potential and significant non-genetic risk factors associated with CAP in the population of Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 320 study subjects (120 clinically confirmed CAP patients and 200 healthy age-matched unrelated participants) were registered for this investigation after obtaining their prior consent. A predesigned health questionnaire and hospital-based patient history were used to collect data pertaining to clinical variables, sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric parameters, and biochemical indices. The result revealed that diet patterns (non-vegetarianism, p=0.01), lack of physical activity (p=0.0007), dwelling (urban residents, p=0.0105), higher levels of serum LDL-cholesterol (p=<0.0001), triglyceride (p=0.01), VLDL-cholesterol (p=0.02), total cholesterol (p=0.0527), creatinine (p=0.0006), sodium (p=0.0429), urea (p=0.0006), and PSA (p=<0.0001) were significantly associated with CAP. Moreover, higher mean age (69.82±15.5), the extent/duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) (p=0.0007), lack of physical activity (p=0.0007), high intake of red meat (p=0.0005), LDL-Cholesterol (p=<0.0001) and positive family history (p=<0.0001) were found to be the most significant risk factors for CAP. The study notably identified the most significant and novel (extent/duration of diabetes and serum levels of LDL, VLDL) non-genetic risk factors associated with prostate cancer in the population of the Jammu region thus helping to target the high-risk populations and informing preventive interventions.