bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optical wave microphone for detection of acoustic waves generated by pulsed and CW lasers
Authors: Paiva Victoria S. C. , Mitsugi Fumiaki , Sonoda Yoshito , Nakamiya Toshiyuki , Lima Milton F. S. , Riva Rudimar , Sakamoto João M. S.
Published: November 2022

The optical wave microphone was characterized and validated for the detection of sinusoidal acoustic waves generated by a piezoelectric transducer and arbitrary-shaped acoustic waves generated by pulsed and CW lasers.
Real-Time Structural Health Monitoring Assessment of a Flying Aircraft Using Principal Component Analysis Based Statistics
Authors: Bohbot Jonathan , Ofir Yoav , Kressel Iddo , Tur Moshe
Published: November 2022

A Structural Health Monitoring assessment of a small aircraft demonstrator is done in real time using Principal Component Analysis based statistical methods. Real flying aircraft data is used to detect an overload caused by a High-G maneuver.
Low-speed Data Transmission using a Modulated Vibration Signal on an Optical Cable’s Outer Sheath
Authors: Manabe Tetsuya , Hashimoto Ryoga , Fujita Hiroki , Nakamura Atsushi , Koshikiya Yusuke
Published: November 2022

A novel data transmission method, where a vibration signal is applied to the outside of an optical fiber cable, is proposed. In this method, a vibration signal is received using an optical fiber vibration sensor.
Distributed Fibre Optic Thermo-hygrometer for Monitoring the Concrete Curing
Authors: Neves Tiago , Scherino Lorenzo , Da Silva José C. , Bernard Remy , Bouet Monika , Tow Kenny Hey , Petagna Paolo , Thévenaz Luc
Published: November 2022

The moisture content in concrete is a critical parameter for most of the degradation processes such as shrinkage and cracking. In this paper, we present the first kilometre-range thermo-hygrometer for monitoring the concrete curing.
Optical Fiber Temperature Sensors Embedded in a Metal Casting Mold
Authors: Roman Muhammad , Balogun Damilola , Bartlett Laura , O’Malley Ronald J. , Gerald Rex E. , Huang Jie
Published: November 2022

We present a dip testing setup, which employs a copper mold instrumented with high resolution distributed fiber-optic sensors, to precisely map closely spaced thermal features that are imparted to the mold during steel shell solidification.
Application of Fibre Bragg Gratings for Curing Temperature and Strain Monitorisation of Multidirectional Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer
Authors: Maldonado-Hurtado Daniel , Madrigal Javier , Barrera David , Ruiz Rocío , Roig Inmaculada , Sales Salvador
Published: November 2022

We monitored the curing temperature and strain of multidirectional carbon-reinforced polymer test pieces cured by oven or microwave radiation heating method through embedded fibre optical sensors based on fibre Bragg gratings.
Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance based Polymer Optical Fiber Cortisol Aptasensor for Aquaculture
Authors: Janting Jakob , Semwal Vivek
Published: November 2022

We present the fabrication steps for a polymer optical fiber aptasensor for cortisol using localized surface plasmon resonance together with some preliminary results related to the components of the sensor.
Microfluidic sensor based on a microbubble-phase-shifted fibre Bragg grating
Authors: Algorri J. F. , Roldán-Varona P. , Ochoa M. , Rodriguez-Cobo L. , López-Higuera J. M.
Published: November 2022

This work presents a novel kind of microfluidic refractive index sensor based on a microbubble-phase-shifted fibre Bragg grating that is highly sensitive to the refractive index of the medium in the bubble.
Stable L-band Fiber Laser Sensor using a Backscattering-Based Multimode Fiber Reflector
Authors: Perez-Herrera R. A. , Roldan-Varona P. , Sanchez-Gonzalez A. , Durán M. , Rodriguez-Cobo L. , Lopez-Higuera J. M. , Lopez-Amo M.
Published: November 2022

A new and highly stable L-band fiber laser for sensing is demonstrated. An emission line at 1575.47 nm, was achieved using a special reflector. Good strain sensitivity, optical signal to noise ratio and output power stability were measured.
OFDR system with broadened frequency sweep range assisted by dual electro-optic frequency comb
Authors: Zhu Yidai , Fan Xinyu , Zhang Zhaopeng , Yuan Zhengchao , Xu Bingxin , He Zuyuan
Published: November 2022

We propose an OFDR system with the assistance of dual electro-optic frequency comb (EOFC). Rayleigh backscattering signals collected by multiple comb lines are synthesized to broaden the frequency sweep range for the improvement of spatial resolution.
Design and Manufacturing of Polymer Optical Fiber (POF) Pressure Sensors for User Posture Monitoring in a Wheelchair
Authors: González-Cely A.X. , Natali A. , Díaz C.A. , Salles E. , Bastos-Filho T.
Published: November 2022

This work presents a low-cost system based on Polymer Optical Fiber pressure sensors fabricated in a 3D structure for user posture monitoring in a wheelchair. The sensor was characterized by tensile tests, showing linearity up to 0.9975.
Partial Discharge Detection using FDM Phase-Sensitive OTDR with Crosstalk Noise Suppression
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Zhang Hongjuan , Xu Nuo , Wang Yu , Jin Baoquan
Published: November 2022

A partial discharge detection method is proposed based on the FDM φ-OTDR with the crosstalk noise suppressed algorithm. The SNR of the detected discharge reaches 39.24dB, and the average noise is reduced by 54.48%.
Computationally efficient mechanism discovery for cell invasion with uncertainty quantification
Authors: VandenHeuvel Daniel J. , Drovandi Christopher , Simpson Matthew J.
Published: November 2022

Parameter estimation for mathematical models of biological processes is often difficult and depends significantly on the quality and quantity of available data. We introduce an efficient framework using Gaussian processes to discover mechanisms underlying delay, migration, and proliferation in a cell invasion experiment. Gaussian processes are leveraged with bootstrapping to provide uncertainty quantification for the mechanisms that drive the invasion process. Our framework is efficient, parallelisable, and can be applied to other biological problems. We illustrate our methods using a canonical scratch assay experiment, demonstrating how simply we can explore different functional forms and develop and test hypotheses about underlying mechanisms, such as whether delay is present. All code and data to reproduce this work are available athttps://github.com/DanielVandH/EquationLearning.jl.
Brain connectivity meets reservoir computing
Authors: Damicelli Fabrizio , Hilgetag Claus C. , Goulas Alexandros
Published: November 2022

The connectivity of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) is different from the one observed in Biological Neural Networks (BNNs). Can the wiring of actual brains help improve ANNs architectures? Can we learn from ANNs about what network features support computation in the brain when solving a task? At a meso/macro-scale level of the connectivity, ANNs’ architectures are carefully engineered and such those design decisions have crucial importance in many recent performance improvements. On the other hand, BNNs exhibit complex emergent connectivity patterns at all scales. At the individual level, BNNs connectivity results from brain development and plasticity processes, while at the species level, adaptive reconfigurations during evolution also play a major role shaping connectivity. Ubiquitous features of brain connectivity have been identified in recent years, but their role in the brain’s ability to perform concrete computations remains poorly understood. Computational neuroscience studies reveal the influence of specific brain connectivity features only on abstract dynamical properties, although the implications of real brain networks topologies on machine learning or cognitive tasks have been barely explored. Here we present a cross-species study with a hybrid approach integrating real brain connectomes and Bio-Echo State Networks, which we use to solve concrete memory tasks, allowing us to probe the potential computational implications of real brain connectivity patterns on task solving. We find results consistent across species and tasks, showing that biologically inspired networks perform as well as classical echo state networks, provided a minimum level of randomness and diversity of connections is allowed. We also present a framework, bio2art, to map and scale up real connectomes that can be integrated into recurrent ANNs. This approach also allows us to show the crucial importance of the diversity of interareal connectivity patterns, stressing the importance of stochastic processes determining neural networks connectivity in general.
Decolonising global health evaluation: Synthesis from a scoping review
Authors: Pant Ichhya , Khosla Sonal , Lama Jasmine Tenpa , Shanker Vidhya , AlKhaldi Mohammed , El-Basuoni Aisha , Michel Beth , Bitar Khalil , Nsofor Ifeanyi McWilliams
Published: November 2022

As decolonisation awareness and activism amplifies in the mainstream masses and within academic realms across a variety of fields, the time is right to converge parallel movements to decolonise the fields of global health and evaluation by restructuring relations of dependency and domination reified through the “foreign gaze”1or “white gaze.” We conducted a review of relevant records with the following inclusion criteria–they define or advocate for the decolonisation of global health evaluation or explicate methods, policies or interventions to decolonise global health evaluation published by advocates of the decolonisation movement from both fields. These records were derived following a systematic article search by the lead autthor on Google, Google Scholar, NewsBank, and PubMed using the following keywords: “decolonising” and “global health,” “evaluation,” or “global health evaluation” replicating a digital search strategy utilized by scoping reviews across a variety of topics. Because the topic of interest is nascent and still emerging, the date range was not restricted. The lead author screened abstracts retrieved from the search. In total, 57 records, ranging in publication date from 1994 to 2020, were selected and charted for this review. We reviewed these records to identify socio-ecological factors that influence the decolonisation of global health evaluation, such as decolonising minds; reorienting funders and reforming funding mechanisms; and investing in sustainable capacity exchange. In doing so, we reflected on our positionality as well as our internalisation and potential reinforcement of colonial relations in the process of reporting our results. In the context of turmoil and transition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our scoping review offers a starting point to embark on a journey first to transform and decolonise global health evaluation and then to achieve the greater goal of equity and justice.
What are the barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination and eradication programs? A systematic review
Authors: Ezezika Obidimma , Mengistu Meron , Opoku Eric , Farheen Aiman , Chauhan Anuradha , Barrett Kathryn
Published: November 2022

Global efforts to eradicate polio by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative agency partners and country-level stakeholders have led to the implementation of global polio vaccination programs. This study presents the findings of existing studies regarding the barriers and facilitators that countries face when implementing polio interventions. A comprehensive search was conducted in OVID Medline, OVID Embase, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies underwent quality assessment. A qualitative evidence synthesis approach was conducted and aligned to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The search identified 4147 citations, and following the removal of duplicates and screening according to our inclusion/exclusion criteria, 20 articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. Twelve countries were represented in this review, with India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan having the most representation of available studies. We identified 36 barriers and 16 facilitators. Seven themes emerged from these barriers and facilitators: fear, community trust, infrastructure, beliefs about the intervention, influential opinions, intervention design, and geo-politics. The most frequently cited CFIR constructs for the facilitators and barriers were knowledge and beliefs about the intervention, followed by available resources. This study identified a wide range of barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination implementation across the globe, adding to the scarce body of literature on these barriers and facilitators from an implementation perspective and using a determinant framework. The diversity of factors among different groups of people or countries highlights the relevance of contexts. Implementers should be conversant with the contexts within which polio eradication programs boost intervention coverage and capacity. This study provides policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with a tool for planning and designing polio immunization programs.

Trial registration: A protocol for this systematic review was developed and uploaded onto the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews database (Registration number: CRD42020222115).
Case-control study of activities associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in an adult unvaccinated population and overview of societal COVID-19 epidemic counter measures in Denmark
Authors: Munch Pernille Kold , Espenhain Laura , Hansen Christian Holm , Krause Tyra Grove , Ethelberg Steen
Published: November 2022

Measures to restrict physical inter-personal contact in the community have been widely implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied determinants for infection with SARS-CoV-2 with the aim of informing future public health measures. We conducted a national matched case-control study among unvaccinated not previously infected adults aged 18–49 years. Cases were selected among those testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR over a five-day period in June 2021. Controls were selected from the national population register and were individually matched on age, sex and municipality of residence. Cases and controls were interviewed via telephone about contact with other persons and exposures in the community. We determined matched odds ratios (mORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) by conditional logistical regression with adjustment for household size and immigration status. For reference, we provide a timeline of non-pharmaceutical interventions in place in Denmark from February 2020 to March 2022. We included 500 cases and 529 controls. We found that having had contact with another individual with a known infection was the main determinant for SARS-CoV-2 infection: reporting close contact with an infected person who either had or did not have symptoms resulted in mORs of 20 (95%CI:9.8–39) and 8.5 (95%CI 4.5–16) respectively. Community exposures were generally not associated with disease; several exposures were negatively associated. Consumption of alcohol in restaurants or cafés, aOR = 2.3 (95%CI:1.3–4.2) and possibly attending fitness centers, mOR = 1.4 (95%CI:1.0–2.0) were weakly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Apart from these two factors, no community activities were more common amongst cases under the community restrictions in place during the study. The strongest risk factor for transmission was contact to an infected person. Results were in agreement with findings of our similar study conducted six month earlier.
The association between women’s economic participation and physical and/or sexual domestic violence against women: A case study for Turkey
Authors: Greulich Angela , Dasré Aurélien
Published: November 2022

We test in how far women’s economic participation can be associated with physical and/or sexual domestic violence against women in Turkey, by mobilizing the Survey “National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey” (wave 2014). Several studies found that economically active women have a similar, if not a higher risk of experiencing domestic violence than inactive women in Turkey, as well as in other emerging countries. We challenge these findings for Turkey by distinguishing between formal and informal labor market activities as well as between women who do not work because their partner does not allow them to and women who are inactive for other reasons. To increase the control for endogeneity in this cross-sectional setting, we apply an IV-approach based on cluster averages. We find that, while overall employment for women cannot be associated with a lower risk of experiencing domestic violence for women in Turkey, those women who participate in theformallabor market and those women who contributeat leastthe same as their partner to household income are less exposed to physical and/or sexual domestic violence than their counterparts. Distinguishing between formal and informal employment is thus important when it comes to investigate the association between women’s economic activity and domestic violence. This is especially the case in a country like Turkey, which currently undergoes important socio-economic changes and where women in formal and informal employment have therefore very different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Genetic ablation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in rats results in an autism-like behavioral phenotype
Authors: Eshraghi Adrien A. , Memis Idil , Wang Florence , White Isaiah , Furar Emily , Mittal Jeenu , Moosa Moeed , Atkins Coleen M. , Mittal Rahul
Published: November 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication, and social skills, as well as repetitive and/or restrictive interests and behaviors. The severity of ASD varies from mild to severe, drastically interfering with the quality of life of affected individuals. The current occurrence of ASD in the United States is about 1 in 44 children. The precise pathophysiology of ASD is still unknown, but it is believed that ASD is heterogeneous and can arise due to genetic etiology. Although various genes have been implicated in predisposition to ASD, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is one of the most common downstream targets, which may be involved in autism. mGluR5 signaling has been shown to play a crucial role in neurodevelopment and neural transmission making it a very attractive target for understanding the pathogenesis of ASD. In the present study, we determined the effect of genetic ablation of mGluR5 (Grm5) on an ASD-like phenotype using a rat model to better understand the role of mGluR5 signaling in behavior patterns and clinical manifestations of ASD. We observed that mGluR5 Ko rats exhibited exaggerated self-grooming and increased marble burying, as well as deficits in social novelty. Our results suggest that mGluR5 Ko rats demonstrate an ASD-like phenotype, specifically impaired social interaction as well as repetitive and anxiety-like behavior, which are correlates of behavior symptoms observed in individuals with ASD. The mGluR5 Ko rat model characterized in this study may be explored to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying ASD and for developing effective therapeutic modalities.
The Safety INdEx of Prehospital On Scene Triage (SINEPOST) study: The development and validation of a risk prediction model to support ambulance clinical transport decisions on-scene
Authors: Miles Jamie , Jacques Richard , Campbell Richard , Turner Janette , Mason Suzanne
Published: November 2022

One of the main problems currently facing the delivery of safe and effective emergency care is excess demand, which causes congestion at different time points in a patient’s journey. The modern case-mix of prehospital patients is broad and complex, diverging from the traditional ‘time critical accident and emergency’ patients. It now includes many low-acuity patients and those with social care and mental health needs. In the ambulance service, transport decisions are the hardest to make and paramedics decide to take more patients to the ED than would have a clinical benefit. As such, this study asked the following research questions: In adult patients attending the ED by ambulance, can prehospital information predict an avoidable attendance? What is the simulated transportability of the model derived from the primary outcome? A linked dataset of 101,522 ambulance service and ED ambulance incidents linked to their respective ED care record from the whole of Yorkshire between 1st July 2019 and 29th February 2020 was used as the sample for this study. A machine learning method known as XGBoost was applied to the data in a novel way called Internal-External Cross Validation (IECV) to build the model. The results showed great discrimination with a C-statistic of 0.81 (95%CI 0.79–0.83) and excellent calibration with an O:E ratio was 0.995 (95% CI 0.97–1.03), with the most important variables being a patient’s mobility, their physiological observations and clinical impression with psychiatric problems, allergic reactions, cardiac chest pain, head injury, non-traumatic back pain, and minor cuts and bruising being the most important. This study has successfully developed a decision-support model that can be transformed into a tool that could help paramedics make better transport decisions on scene, known as the SINEPOST model. It is accurate, and spatially validated across multiple geographies including rural, urban, and coastal. It is a fair algorithm that does not discriminate new patients based on their age, gender, ethnicity, or decile of deprivation. It can be embedded into an electronic Patient Care Record system and automatically calculate the probability that a patient will have an avoidable attendance at the ED, if they were transported. This manuscript complies with the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) statement (Moons KGM, 2015).
Influencing factors of anxiety and depression of discharged COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China
Authors: Dai Zhenwei , Xiao Weijun , Wang Hao , Wu Yijin , Huang Yiman , Si Mingyu , Fu Jiaqi , Chen Xu , Jia Mengmeng , Leng Zhiwei , Cui Dan , Dong Liming , Mak Winnie W. S. , Su Xiaoyou
Published: November 2022

Objectives

This study is intended to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety in individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 and been discharged from hospital (RD hereafter) in Wuhan, China, and to explore the factors associated with these mental disorders.

Methods

Participants of this study were the RD who were infected at the beginning of the outbreak from 13 communities in Jianghan District of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China by convenience sampling in mid-2021. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, the
Patient Health Questionnaire, the Short Version of COVID-19 Stigma Scale, the Peace of Mind Scale, the Resilience Style Questionnaire, and the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire were used to collect relevant information of the participants. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlation analysis, and logistic regression analysis were used to describe and analyze the data and to examine the factors associated with the mental health status of this population.

Results

In total, we recruited 1601 participants from 3059 COVID-19 patients, and 1541 participants completed the questionnaire survey, with a response rate of 96.25%. Finally, 1297 participants met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in this study, of whom 28.8% and 37.9% reported mild to severe levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. Perceived better mental health status during hospitalization, higher frequency of alcohol use per week, peace of mind, higher education level, and resilience were negatively associated with anxiety, while stigma and history of psychological or emotional counseling before infection was positively associated with anxiety. More severe clinical classification of COVID-19 and stigma (AOR = 1.057, P<0.001) were both positively associated with depression, while perceived better mental health status during hospitalization (AOR = 0.564, P<0.001), higher frequency of alcohol use per week (AOR = 0.462, P = 0.004), peace of mind (AOR = 0.857, P<0.001), and social support (AOR = 0.972, P = 0.034) were negatively associated with depression.

Conclusions

Tailored interventions on reducing stigma, enhancing mindfulness and social support should be taken into account to alleviate anxiety and depression among RD.
How do international humanitarian aid workers stay healthy in the face of adversity?
Authors: De Jong Kaz , Martinmäki Saara , Brake Hans Te , Kleber Rolf , Haagen Joris , Komproe Ivan
Published: November 2022

Background

International humanitarian aid workers (iHAWs) are motivated strongly to travel abroad to help communities affected by war, famine, disaster and disease. They expose themselves to dangers and hardships during their field assignments. Despite working under such challenging circumstances, most workers remain healthy. The objective of the present study was to unravel the mechanism that enables workers to remain healthy under the same circumstances that affect these communities. We hypothesised that the different components of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) health mechanism mediate the relationship between field stressors and post-assignment health.

Methods and findings

The stress-health model was tested among 465 international aid workers using a longitudinal pre-post assignment study design and structural equation modelling for path analyses. The (health) outcome variables were PTSD, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion, and work engagement. Our findings highlight the importance of being healthy before aid assignment and the negative health impact of field stressors that were not potentially traumatic. The SOC components mediated the relationship between field stress and post-assignment health, with males and females using different SOC components to alleviate stress. Males are more likely trying to understand the nature of the stressor, whereas females mobilise their resources to manage stressors. In both groups, a high level of meaningfulness of the work was an important component in maintaining health. Regarding using the SOC concept for understanding the process of maintaining health, our findings indicated that SOC is best considered context-specific and multidimensional.

Conclusion

In addition to good pre-mission health, the SOC components help prevent field assignment-related negative health effects in iHAWs. Our findings support the idea to compose gender-balanced teams of iHAWs to maintain and promote health. The findings can be used to develop or refine health conversation tools and SOC based health interventions to promote health and wellbeing and prevent ill-health among aid workers and other stress-exposed populations.
Climate change and international migration: Exploring the macroeconomic channel
Authors: Rikani Albano , Frieler Katja , Schewe Jacob
Published: November 2022

International migration patterns, at the global level, can to a large extent be explained through economic factors in origin and destination countries. On the other hand, it has been shown that global climate change is likely to affect economic development over the coming decades. Here, we demonstrate how these future climate impacts on national income levels could alter the global migration landscape. Using an empirically calibrated global migration model, we investigate two separate mechanisms. The first is through destination-country income, which has been shown consistently to have a positive effect on immigration. As countries’ income levels relative to each other are projected to change in the future both due to different rates of economic growth and due to different levels of climate change impacts, the relative distribution of immigration across destination countries also changes as a result, all else being equal. Second, emigration rates have been found to have a complex, inverted U-shaped dependence on origin-country income. Given the available migration flow data, it is unclear whether this dependence—found in spatio-temporal panel data—also pertains to changes in a given migration flow over time. If it does, then climate change will additionally affect migration patterns through origin countries’ emigration rates, as the relative and absolute positions of countries on the migration “hump” change. We illustrate these different possibilities, and the corresponding effects of 3°C global warming (above pre-industrial) on global migration patterns, using climate model projections and two different methods for estimating climate change effects on macroeconomic development.
Offset nail fixation for intertrochanteric fractures improves reduction and lag screw position
Authors: Matsubara Takehiro , Soma Kazuhito , Yamada Ikufumi , Fujita Hiroshi , Yoshitani Junya , Oka Hiroyuki , Okada Hiroyuki , Tanaka Sakae
Published: November 2022

Background

Surgery for intertrochanteric fractures using intramedullary hip nails (IHNs) is among the most common surgical procedures in the orthopedic field. Although IHNs provide good overall outcomes, they sometimes cause complications, such as loss of reduction and cut-out. Here, we investigated the usefulness of IHNs with an anterior offset (Best Fit Nail® [BFN]) in maintaining fragment reduction and ensuring proper lag screw position compared with conventional non-offset nails (Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation® [PFNA]), using postoperative computed tomography (CT).

Methods

Fifty consecutive patients with intertrochanteric fractures who underwent surgery with BFNs (BFN group) and 50 patients who underwent surgery with PFNAs (PFNA group) were retrospectively analyzed. Indices evaluated by postoperative CT were displacement distance of proximal fragment relative to distal fragment, reduction status (intramedullary, anatomical, and extramedullary types), lag screw direction, and angle between lag screw and femoral neck axis (deviation angle).

Results

Median [interquartile range] displacement distance was significantly smaller in the BFN group (0 [0, 0] mm) compared with the PFNA group (5.2 [3.6, 7.1] mm) (p<0.001). Reduction status was significantly better in the BFN group (anatomical type, 40 cases; intramedullary type, in 9 cases, and extramedullary type in 1 case) than in the PFNA group (anatomical type, 6 cases; intramedullary type, 43 cases; extramedullary type, 1 case) (p<0.001). Deviation of lag screw direction was observed in significantly fewer cases in the BFN group (20 cases; 40%) compared with the PFNA group (36 cases; 72%). Lag screw deviation angle was significantly smaller in the BFN group (−0.71°±4.0°) compared with the PFNA group (6.9°±7.1°). No adverse events related to surgery were observed in either group.

Conclusions

Intertrochanteric fracture surgery using offset BFNs exhibited significantly smaller displacement distance, better reduction status, and higher frequency of no deviation with central lag screw position, compared with surgery using non-offset PFNAs.
Examining the differential use of a North American animal poison control call center by veterinarians and the public for dog-related calls
Authors: Shahin Keana , Pearl David L. , Martinko Carolyn , Berke Olaf , O’Sullivan Terri L.
Published: November 2022

Tele-triage, a subset of telehealth services, is becoming increasingly common, they offer users the ability to receive credible health advice from licensed professionals in the comfort of their own home. In the field of veterinary medicine, tele-triage services have been employed since the early 2000s, but there has been little examination of how these services are used by callers. The objectives of this study were to explore how the use of an animal poison control center (APCC) tele-triage service varied between veterinarians and the public in terms of toxicant type, animal demographics, availability of veterinary services, as well as seasonal and secular trends. Data regarding dog poisoning events were obtained from the APCC of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA). We fitted a mixed logistic regression model with random intercepts for county and state and identified associations between caller type and the following: animal characteristics (i.e., age, weight, breed-class), type of toxicant, season, year, and access to veterinary services (i.e., veterinarians per capita in the county of the caller). The model included interaction effects between season and both plant and pesticide toxicants. There was also an interaction between year and access to veterinary care. Further investigations are needed to understand how the novelty of a toxicant and the severity of clinical signs associated with a toxicant predict the type of caller, if pet demographics are associated with the caller based on medical issues or owner attitudes, and how access to veterinary care influences the use of this tele-triage service.
Risky sexual behaviours among Ugandan university students: A pilot study exploring the role of adverse childhood experiences, substance use history, and family environment
Authors: Kaggwa Mark Mohan , Muwanguzi Moses , Najjuka Sarah Maria , Nduhuura Elicana , Kajjimu Jonathan , Mamun Mohammed A. , Arinaitwe Innocent , Ashaba Scholastic , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: November 2022

Background

University students are known to have risky sexual behaviours (RSBs). The severity of the RSB is influenced by many factors, including the family environment, exposure to adverse childhood events (ACEs), and the use of addictive substances. However, there is limited information about the influence of ACEs and the family environment of these students in low-and medium-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, a pilot study was conducted among university students from a LMIC, Uganda.

Methods

The present study comprised a cross-sectional online survey among Ugandan students at a public university (N = 316; 75% male; 52.2% aged between 18–22 years). The survey included questions relating to socio-demographic information, family environmental information, the Sexual Risk Survey (SRS), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ).

Results

Over half (53.8%) reported having had sexual intercourse. Males reported over two times higher mean total SRS score compared to females (χ2 = 4.06, p = 0.044). Approximately one-sixth of the sample had drunk alcohol or used illicit psychoactive substances in the past six months (16.1%). Among four regression analysis models, sociodemographic variables predicted the highest variance (13%), followed by family environment variables (10%), and both psychoactive substance use history (past six months) and ACEs individually explained approximately 5% variance in total SRS score, with the final model predicting 33% of the variance in RSB.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated a gender disparity with males involved in more RSB than females, as has been reported in most previous RSB studies. Family environment, sociodemographic factors, substance use, and ACEs all appear to contribute to RSB among university students. These findings will benefit other researchers exploring factors associated with RSB among university students and will help develop interventions to reduce RSB to protect students from unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS.
Incidence, subtypes, sex differences and trends of stroke in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Chung-Fen , Wang Ya-Hui , Teng Nai-Chi , Yip Ping-Keung , Chen Li-Kwang
Published: November 2022

Background

Chinese populations have been reported higher incidence of all strokes and intracerebral hemorrhage. However, few large-scale studies have evaluated changes of stroke epidemiology in the 21st century.

Methods

We explored the rates of incidence of all first-ever strokes, subtypes, and 1-month case fatality by using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database since 2004. Also, we investigated sex differences in stroke. Time-trend analysis was performed for incidence and case fatality rates of all strokes and subtypes in both sexes.

Results

The age-adjusted incidence of all strokes per 100,000 person-years decreased by 16%, from 251 (95% confidence interval [CI] 249–253) in 2004 to 210 (95% CI 209–212) in 2011 (p<0.001); it was always higher in Chinese men than in women. Among pathological subtypes, the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage markedly decreased by 26% over the years (p<0.001), while that of ischemic stroke slightly decreased by 8%. However, when stratified by sex, the incidence of ischemic stroke decreased significantly in only women, not in men (men: p = 0.399, women: p = 0.004). Regarding the incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, it remained unchanged. Furthermore, the rate of 1-month case fatality decreased significantly for all strokes in both sexes (p<0.001).

Conclusions

In Taiwan, the incidence rate of first-ever stroke decreased in both Chinese men and women in the early 21st century. Men had a higher incidence rate than women. Furthermore, a marked decrease was noted in the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage, while a slight decrease was noted in that of ischemic stroke; however, the decreased incidence of ischemic stroke was significant in only women.
Repositioning of anti-dengue compounds against SARS-CoV-2 as viral polyprotein processing inhibitor
Authors: Bajrai Leena H. , Faizo Arwa A. , Alkhaldy Areej A. , Dwivedi Vivek Dhar , Azhar Esam I.
Published: November 2022

A therapy for COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains elusive due to the lack of an effective antiviral therapeutic molecule. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which plays a vital role in the viral life cycle, is one of the most studied and validated drug targets. In Several prior studies, numerous possible chemical entities were proposed as potential Mpro inhibitors; however, most failed at various stages of drug discovery. Repositioning of existing antiviral compounds accelerates the discovery and development of potent therapeutic molecules. Hence, this study examines the applicability of anti-dengue compounds against the substrate binding site of Mpro for disrupting its polyprotein processing mechanism. An in-silico structure-based virtual screening approach is applied to screen 330 experimentally validated anti-dengue compounds to determine their affinity to the substrate binding site of Mpro. This study identified the top five compounds (CHEMBL1940602, CHEMBL2036486, CHEMBL3628485, CHEMBL200972, CHEMBL2036488) that showed a high affinity to Mpro with a docking score > -10.0 kcal/mol. The best-docked pose of these compounds with Mpro was subjected to 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulation followed by MM/GBSA binding energy. This showed the maximum stability and comparable ΔG binding energy against the reference compound (X77 inhibitor). Overall, we repurposed the reported anti-dengue compounds against SARS-CoV-2-Mpro to impede its polyprotein processing for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Soil microbiome disruption reveals specific and general plant-bacterial relationships in three agroecosystem soils
Authors: DiLegge Michael J. , Manter Daniel K. , Vivanco Jorge M.
Published: November 2022

Soil microbiome disruption methods are regularly used to reduce populations of microbial pathogens, often resulting in increased crop growth. However, little is known about the effect of soil microbiome disruption on non-pathogenic members of the soil microbiome. Here, we applied soil microbiome disruption in the form of moist-heat sterilization (autoclaving) to reduce populations of naturally occurring soil microbiota. The disruption was applied to analyze bacterial community rearrangement mediated by four crops (corn, beet, lettuce, and tomato) grown in three historically distinct agroecosystem soils (conventional, organic, and diseased). Applying the soil disruption enhanced plant influence on rhizosphere bacterial colonization, and significantly different bacterial communities were detected between the tested crops. Furthermore, bacterial genera showed significant abundance increases in ways both unique-to and shared-by each tested crop. As an example, corn uniquely promoted abundances of Pseudomonas and Sporocytophaga, regardless of the disrupted soil in which it was grown. Whereas the promotion of Bosea, Dyadobacter and Luteoliobacter was shared by all four crops when grown in disrupted soils. In summary, soil disruption followed by crop introduction amplified the plant colonization of potential beneficial bacterial genera in the rhizosphere.
Cryo-EM reveals the conformational epitope of human monoclonal antibody PAM1.4 broadly reacting with polymorphic malarial protein VAR2CSA
Authors: Raghavan Sai Sundar Rajan , Dagil Robert , Lopez-Perez Mary , Conrad Julian , Bassi Maria Rosaria , Quintana Maria del Pilar , Choudhary Swati , Gustavsson Tobias , Wang Yong , Gourdon Pontus , Ofori Michael Fokuo , Christensen Sebastian Boje , Minja Daniel Thomas Remias , Schmiegelow Christentze , Nielsen Morten Agertoug , Barfod Lea , Hviid Lars , Salanti Ali , Lavstsen Thomas , Wang Kaituo
Published: November 2022

Malaria during pregnancy is a major global health problem caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Severe effects arise from the accumulation of infected erythrocytes in the placenta. Here, erythrocytes infected by late blood-stage parasites adhere to placental chondroitin sulphate A (CS) via VAR2CSA-type P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion proteins. Immunity to placental malaria is acquired through exposure and mediated through antibodies to VAR2CSA. Through evolution, the VAR2CSA proteins have diversified in sequence to escape immune recognition but retained their overall macromolecular structure to maintain CS binding affinity. This structural conservation may also have allowed development of broadly reactive antibodies to VAR2CSA in immune women. Here we show the negative stain and cryo-EM structure of the only known broadly reactive human monoclonal antibody, PAM1.4, in complex with VAR2CSA. The data shows how PAM1.4’s broad VAR2CSA reactivity is achieved through interactions with multiple conserved residues of different sub-domains forming conformational epitope distant from the CS binding site on the VAR2CSA core structure. Thus, while PAM1.4 may represent a class of antibodies mediating placental malaria immunity by inducing phagocytosis or NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, it is likely that broadly CS binding-inhibitory antibodies target other epitopes at the CS binding site. Insights on both types of broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies may aid the development of a vaccine against placental malaria.
Enabling student participation in syllabus design through film nominations and voting: an action research project
Authors: Sava Laura
Published: November 2022

This article uses the ‘students as partners’ framework to examine the implications of an action research project conducted as part of a film studies module, delivered at a transnational tertiary education provider, a Sino-British university in China. The action research project consisted of the implementation of a system of film nomination and voting that allowed students to actively participate in one element of the syllabus design, namely, the choice of films to be screened and discussed in a segment of the module’s curriculum, spanning 3 out of the total 14 weeks of the semester. Using as a dataset a series of semi-structured interviews with students who participated in the project, the article analyses their attitudes towards the process of nomination and voting, and points to future directions of research. By focusing on the intended democratic stakes of the project, the article argues that although the students evidenced some of the expected benefits of the collaboration, they also discursively privileged the role, the experience and the perspective of the teacher over their own.
Learning to play with film: play-based learning in a tertiary film studies classroom
Authors: Henderson Laura
Published: November 2022

Student engagement in tertiary cinema studies can be fickle: while most students respond strongly to films, little regard is similarly paid to prescribed readings or other coursework that is crucial to developing complex critical thinking with media. This paper presents a case study of an intervention aimed to remedy this disparity of student interest: play-based learning. Play-based learning, here defined as ‘the use of playful elements in both the explanation of subjects and their evaluation’ (Torres-Toukoumidis et al., 2020: 1), has a long history of encouraging lateral and creative modes of thinking, increasing engagement and participation, and fostering a supportive and enjoyable learning community. This paper outlines the ways that play-based learning was engaged in a small-scale action research project, and the positive effects that this created within the cinema studies classroom. Critically, it shows the value of play-based learning in fostering resilient, creative and motivated students, particularly at the first-year level of tertiary film education.
Constructing imperial imaginations through educational cinema in Britain and Italy (1922–1937)
Authors: Masini Leonora
Published: November 2022

During the period 1922–37, both the British and Italians launched institutes for educational cinematography and collaborated in the creation of the League of Nations’ International Educational Cinematographic Institute. Their leading newspapers dedicated entire sections to the advertising of educational campaigns through cinema. Comparing official documents and the print apparatus about the establishment and the activities of two institutes for educational cinema in Europe gives us a perception of how similarly and differently the British and Italians used their educational films to convey imperial sentiments and rhetoric into civilian life during fifteen years of colonial rule.
Our Cinema: exploring the development and proposal of a new programme of vernacular-based film education in Scotland
Authors: Chambers Jamie
Published: November 2022

This article explores the development of the Our Cinema project in Scotland: a revolving annual curriculum of film education for upper primary and lower secondary age children in state schools that, at the time of writing, is approaching a pilot phase. Discussion explores the project’s origins in France’s Cinéma Cent Ans de Jeunesse, and its relationship with the Catalan film education project Cinema en curs, before focusing in particular upon how a school-based programme of film education might seek to explore vernacular conceptions of cinema, through a focus on dialect, place and the lived experiences of participants. The article concludes by offering a detailed, concrete proposal of a film education curriculum, comprising two years (each broken up into 32 weeks) of creative learning activities.
Editorská poznámka
Authors: Králová Jana
Published: November 2022

Editorial
Umělá inteligence a tlumočníci – víme, co nás čeká?
Authors: Čeňková Ivana
Published: November 2022

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence today, and it is a topic that hits the headlines. International research and projects include it in their terms of reference in the hunt for subsidies. It is well established in numerous industrial sectors and is presented as an integral part of new technologies. In short, it enters all areas of human activity and is becoming an unavoidable and omnipresent subject in 21st century society, and in the everyday lives of all of us. But do we really know what it means – or will mean – for us, and notably for interpreters? Will it influence or change interpreter training and the whole profession? If so, how? The author will be taking a layman’s view of this subject and put these questions (among many others) to students and interpreter trainers at the Institute of Translation Studies, Charles University and to Czech interpreters on the local and European market to see what they think, what they know, and how they view the future. After going through and analysing all the 77 answers from the sample, the author presents the results of this survey and will attempt to draw conclusions which will be preliminary, as this area is developing at breakneck speed.