bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Do Restrictions on High-Skilled Immigration Affect Offshoring? Evidence from the H-1B Program
Authors: Glennon Britta
Published: March 2023

Highly skilled workers are not only a crucial and relatively scarce input into firms’ productive and innovative processes, but are also a critical resource determining competitive advantage. An increasingly high proportion of these workers in the United States were born abroad and permitted to work on skilled worker visas. How do multinational firms respond when artificial constraints, namely, policies restricting skilled immigration, are placed on their ability to hire scarce human capital? This paper combines visa microdata and comprehensive data on U.S. multinational firm activity to demonstrate that firms respond to restrictions on H-1B immigration by increasing foreign affiliate employment at the intensive and extensive margins, particularly in China, India, and Canada. The most impacted jobs were R&D-intensive ones, but there is some evidence that non-R&D employment was also affected. The paper highlights a means by which firms can circumvent constraining policies and mitigate country-level risk, and it also suggests that, for the average multinational company (MNC), this means is imperfect; for every visa rejection, they hire 0.4 employees abroad. The most globalized MNCs are the most likely to respond to these restrictions by offshoring, highlighting that firm capabilities—in the form of prior internationalization—shape the decision and ability to offshore in response to skilled immigration restrictions; indeed, these firms hire 0.9 employees abroad for every visa rejection. More broadly, the paper provides evidence of a push factor for internationalizing knowledge activity: artificial constraints on resources result in firms circumventing restrictive policies in ways that may not be anticipated by policy makers.

This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy.

Funding: This work was supported by the Mack Institute for Innovation Management.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4715 .
“I Quit”: Schedule Volatility as a Driver of Voluntary Employee Turnover
Authors: Bergman Alon , David Guy , Song Hummy
Published: March 2023

Problem definition: Employers across many sectors of the economy have been fast to adopt variable work scheduling policies. The cost of this flexibility for employers is usually borne by employees, for whom unstable work schedules create several disruptions. In the context of home healthcare, we examine how employer-driven volatility in nurses’ schedules impacts their decision to voluntarily leave their job. Methodology/results: Using an instrumental variables approach, we causally identify the effect of schedule volatility on nurses’ voluntary turnover. We begin by constructing an operational measure of schedule volatility using time-stamped work log data from one of the largest home health agencies in the United States. Because this measure may be endogenous to the worker’s decision to quit, we instrument for schedule volatility using paid days off taken by other nurses in the same branch. We find that higher levels of schedule volatility substantially increase a worker’s likelihood of quitting. Specifically, a one-standard-deviation increase in schedule volatility increases the average worker’s propensity to quit on a given day by more than threefold. Translated into yearly terms, 30 days of high schedule volatility over the course of the year increases the average worker’s probability of quitting that year by 20%. Our policy simulations of counterfactual scheduling policies suggest that excess schedule volatility can explain a significant portion of voluntary turnover, and some interventions have the potential to substantially reduce workers’ daily propensity to quit. Managerial implications: This work contributes to the understanding of the extent to which employees value control over their own work schedules and are averse to volatile work schedules that are dictated by employers. Especially in the current environment where there is a growing emphasis on work-life balance and employee-driven flexibility, finding a way to support stable schedules could be important for employers to attract and retain workers.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Wharton Dean's Research Fund, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [T32 Grant 5T32HS26116], and the Claude Marion Endowed Faculty Scholar Award.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1205 .
Methodologies and Principles for Developing Nexus Definitions and Conceptualizations: Lessons From FEW Nexus Studies
Authors: Anandhi Aavudai , Srivastava Puneet , Mohtar Rabi H. , Lawford Richard G. , Sen Sumit , Lamba Jasmeet
Published: March 2023

Highlights

Synthesize existing knowledge in defining and conceptualizing FEW Nexus.

Provide scientists and practitioners in the FEW domains with the tools to define and conceptualize.

The study provides narrow-broad definitions and simple-complex conceptualization frameworks for the FEW Nexus.

Abstract. Food-energy-water (FEW) resources are fundamental to society’s functioning and understanding them is crucial for sustainable development and supporting life on earth. This article presents a review of the current approaches being used in the development of FEW Nexus frameworks, with an emphasis on the methods for defining and conceptualizing these frameworks by different types of stakeholders. This framework provides scientists, consultants, and practitioners in the FEW domains the tools and knowledge needed to successfully implement the Nexus. The article also describes knowledge gaps in the FEW Nexus domains. The objectives of this article are to (a) synthesize existing knowledge to support stakeholders in defining and conceptualizing their FEW Nexus, (b) provide a framework to clarify the definitions and conceptualizations of FEW Nexus for a project or an application being developed for a specific stakeholder application, and (c) apply the experience and principles of the FEW Nexus to other Nexus that can be developed. Stakeholders in this study include the users of the Nexus, scientists, and a range of practitioners, including policymakers, the private sector, practitioners in the field, and resource managers, among others. The following questions assisted in addressing the objectives: What are some existing definitions and conceptualizations in the FEW Nexus? Which elements are currently included in the definitions and conceptualizations? How should FEW Nexus be defined and conceptualized for a project or application? How can existing definitions be adapted, or new ones created, for a project or study? What are the consequences of choosing a particular definition or conceptualization? Based on this experience, the steps needed for developing a FEW Nexus are reviewed and clarified. The study provides narrow and broad definitions and simple and complex conceptualization frameworks of FEW Nexus that stakeholders can use while being aware of the limitations and knowledge gaps. Keywords: Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus conceptualizations, FEW Nexus definitions, Narrow and broad definitions, Simple and complex conceptualizations.
Modeling Neonatal Piglet Rectal Temperature with Thermography and Machine Learning
Authors: Xiong Yijie , Li Guoming , Willard Naomi C. , Ellis Michael , Gates Richard S.
Published: March 2023

Highlights

The rectal temperature and maximum ear base temperature were measured for neonatal piglets after birth.

Piglets’ rectal temperature dropped on average 5.1 °C and reached 33.6 °C 30-min after birth.

Machine learning algorithms were evaluated to predict piglet rectal temperature using ear temperatures.

Machine learning model performance was compared to that of a direct regression using maximum ear base temperature.

The best machine learning model was 0.2°C more accurate than the direct linear regression model.

Abstract. Piglet body temperature can drop rapidly after birth, and the magnitude of this drop can delay recovery to homoeothermic status and compromise the vigor of piglets. Understanding piglet body temperature changes provides critical insights into piglet thermal comfort management and preweaning mortality prevention. However, measuring neonatal piglet body temperature at birth is not generally practical in production facilities, and alternative sensing and modeling methods should be explored. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify the rectal temperature of wet neonatal piglets without any drying treatments across the first day of birth; (2) develop and evaluate thermography and machine learning models to predict piglet rectal temperature within the same period; and (3) compare the machine learning model’s performance with a simple regression model using the piglets’ thermographic information. Rectal temperatures and thermal images of the back of the ears were obtained at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 1440 minutes after birth for 99 neonatal piglets from 9 litters. Maximum ear base temperature extracted from thermal images, piglet gender, initial weight, and environmental variables (room temperature, relative humidity, and wet-bulb temperature) were used as inputs for machine learning model evaluation. A simple regression and fourteen machine learning models were compared for their performance in predicting piglets’ rectal temperature. Piglets dropped an average of 5.1°C in rectal temperature and reached the lowest temperature (33.6 ± 2.2°C) 30 (±15) minutes after birth, demonstrating a significant reduction from their birth rectal temperature (38.7 ± 0.8°C). The maximum ear base temperature had the highest feature importance score (= 0.606) among all input variables for the machine learning model’s development. A direct regression of maximum ear base temperature against measured rectal temperature produced a standard error of prediction of 1.7°C, while the best-performing machine-learning model (the Lasso regressor) produced a standard error of prediction of 1.5°C. Either prediction model is appropriate, with the direct regression model being more straightforward for field application. Keywords: Computer vision, Farrowing, Precision livestock farming, Pre-wean mortality.
Microcystin Shows Thresholds and Hierarchical Structure With Physicochemical Properties at Lake Fayetteville, Arkansas, May Through September 2020
Authors: Haggard Brian E. , Grantz Erin , Austin Brad J. , Lasater Abbie L. , Haddock Lillie , Ferri Alyssa , Wagner Nicole , Scott J. Thad
Published: March 2023

Highlights

Despite little to no dissolved nutrient supply in surface water, harmful algal blooms are sustained throughout the 2020 growing season.

Sediment phosphorus release was high in a lake that has annual harmful algal blooms, and it is an important piece of the watershed management puzzle.

Thresholds and hierarchical structure with individual physicochemical properties and pigment fluorescence at this lake explain a large portion of microcystin variability.

Abstract. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwaters are a global concern, and research has focused on the nutrient drivers of cyanobacterial growth and toxin production. We explored the importance of nutrients on sustained cyanobacterial HABs producing measurable microcystin at Lake Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. The specific objectives were to (1) quantify sediment phosphorus (P) flux and estimate potential equilibrium P concentrations (EPC0) in July 2020, (2) assess water quality conditions in the lake from March through September 2020, and (3) evaluate physicochemical thresholds (or change points, CPs) and hierarchical structure with total microcystin concentrations. The sediments were a potential P source under both oxic and anoxic conditions, and the SRP concentrations in the lake water were continuously less than the EPC0 estimated for bottom sediment (~0.03 mg L-1); sediments are likely a potential P source for cyanobacterial HABs at Lake Fayetteville. The physicochemical changes at Lake Fayetteville over the 2020 growing season were typical of small, hypereutrophic reservoirs, with low biomass in winter when nutrient supply was greatest and the greatest cyanobacterial growth and microcystin toxin as nutrient supply diminished into the growing season. Microcystin concentrations were elevated above 1 µg L-1 from mid-June through mid-August 2020, and most physicochemical parameters in this study showed thresholds or change points with microcystin. Hierarchical structure existed with total microcystin concentrations, showing the potential importance of cyanobacterial biomass, N supply, and total P on elevated microcystin. Nutrients and algal pigment raw fluorescence explained 83% of the variation in total microcystin concentrations at Lake Fayetteville during the 2020 growing season. Nutrients (both N and P) from external and internal sources are likely important drivers of these blooms and toxicity at Lake Fayetteville. Keywords: Harmful Algal Blooms, Nutrient Drivers, Sediment Phosphorus Release, Water Quality.
Integrating climate change into projections of soil carbon sequestration from regenerative agriculture
Authors: Wiltshire Serge , Beckage Brian
Published: March 2023

Computational models can project how changes in land use and management will affect soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over time, but these models usually assume an unchanging climate. We investigate how incorporating climate change projections affects carbon sequestration and SOC stocks. We apply the Rothamsted Carbon model (RothC) to study agricultural land use and management transitions in the U.S. state of Vermont, comparing several regenerative farming strategies, as well as afforestation, against business-as-usual. In 11 relatively-homogeneous Ecoregions within the study area, we run simulations for each land management scenario from 2022–2099, under both projected climate change and the static climate normal from 1991–2021. We use downscaled climate projections from four Global Climate Models, forced by RCP 4.5, that bracket the range of likely climate change. We find that rising temperatures decrease SOC stocks compared to static climate runs by 9.1% to 19.9% across management scenarios, leading to net SOC loss even under many regenerative farming scenarios. Other regenerative practices, notably rotational grazing, could maintain or slightly increase SOC through 2099, and old-growth afforestation could increase statewide stocks by up to 4.5 Mt. Although the potential for farmland management to increase SOC over current levels is diminished when accounting for climate change, it remains important to incentivize regenerative agriculture and afforestation, because this may be the only way to avoid SOC losses by end-of-century.
Whole exome sequencing study identifies candidate loss of function variants and locus heterogeneity in familial cholesteatoma
Authors: Cardenas Ryan , Prinsley Peter , Philpott Carl , Bhutta Mahmood F. , Wilson Emma , Brewer Daniel S. , Jennings Barbara A.
Published: March 2023

Cholesteatoma is a rare progressive disease of the middle ear. Most cases are sporadic, but some patients report a positive family history. Identifying functionally important gene variants associated with this disease has the potential to uncover the molecular basis of cholesteatoma pathology with implications for disease prevention, surveillance, or management. We performed an observational WES study of 21 individuals treated for cholesteatoma who were recruited from ten multiply affected families. These family studies were complemented with gene-level mutational burden analysis. We also applied functional enrichment analyses to identify shared properties and pathways for candidate genes and their products. Filtered data collected from pairs and trios of participants within the ten families revealed 398 rare, loss of function (LOF) variants co-segregating with cholesteatoma in 389 genes. We identified six genesDENND2C,DNAH7,NBEAL1,NEB,PRRC2C, andSHC2, for which we found LOF variants in two or more families. The parallel gene-level analysis of mutation burden identified a significant mutation burden for the genes in theDNAHgene family, which encode products involved in ciliary structure. Functional enrichment analyses identified common pathways for the candidate genes which included GTPase regulator activity, calcium ion binding, and degradation of the extracellular matrix. The number of candidate genes identified and the locus heterogeneity that we describe within and between multiply affected families suggest that the genetic architecture for familial cholesteatoma is complex.
Multiscale predictors of small tree survival across a heterogeneous tropical landscape
Authors: Helmer Eileen H. , Kay Shannon , Marcano-Vega Humfredo , Powers Jennifer S. , Wood Tana E. , Zhu Xiaolin , Gwenzi David , Ruzycki Thomas S.
Published: March 2023

Uncertainties about controls on tree mortality make forest responses to land-use and climate change difficult to predict. We tracked biomass of tree functional groups in tropical forest inventories across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and with random forests we ranked 86 potential predictors of small tree survival (young or mature stems 2.5–12.6 cm diameter at breast height). Forests span dry to cloud forests, range in age, geology and past land use and experienced severe drought and storms. When excluding species as a predictor, top predictors are tree crown ratio and height, two to three species traits and stand to regional factors reflecting local disturbance and the system state (widespread recovery, drought, hurricanes). Native species, and species with denser wood, taller maximum height, or medium typical height survive longer, but short trees and species survive hurricanes better. Trees survive longer in older stands and with less disturbed canopies, harsher geoclimates (dry, edaphically dry, e.g., serpentine substrates, and highest-elevation cloud forest), or in intervals removed from hurricanes. Satellite image phenology and bands, even from past decades, are top predictors, being sensitive to vegetation type and disturbance. Covariation between stand-level species traits and geoclimate, disturbance and neighboring species types may explain why most neighbor variables, including introduced vs. native species, had low or no importance, despite univariate correlations with survival. As forests recovered from a hurricane in 1998 and earlier deforestation, small trees of introduced species, which on average have lighter wood, died at twice the rate of natives. After hurricanes in 2017, the total biomass of trees ≥12.7 cm dbh of the introduced species Spathodea campanulata spiked, suggesting that more frequent hurricanes might perpetuate this light-wooded species commonness. If hurricane recovery favors light-wooded species while drought favors others, climate change influences on forest composition and ecosystem services may depend on the frequency and severity of extreme climate events.
Prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis among the mining communities in Mererani, Tanzania
Authors: Mbuya Alexander W. , Mboya Innocent B. , Semvua Hadija H. , Mamuya Simon H. , Msuya Sia E.
Published: March 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) is among diseases of global health importance with Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) accounting for 25% of the global TB burden. TB prevalence among miners in SSA is estimated at 3,000–7,000/100,000, which is about 3 to 10-times higher than in the general population. The study’s objective was to determine the prevalence of TB and associated risk factors among mining communities in Mererani, northern Tanzania. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from April 2019 to November 2021 involving current Small Scale Miners (SSM) and the General Community (GC). A total of 660 participants, 330 SSM and 330 GC were evaluated for the presence of TB. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) database (IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27.0.0.0). Binary logistic regression (Generalized Linear Mixed Model) was used to determine the association between TB and independent predictors. Prevalence of TB was 7%, about 24-times higher than the national prevalence of 0.295%. Participants from the general community had higher prevalence of TB 7.9% than SSM (6.1%). Both for SSM and the GC, TB was found to be associated with: lower education level (aOR = 3.62, 95%CI = 1.16–11.28), previous lung disease (aOR = 4.30, 95%CI = 1.48–12.53) and having symptoms of TB (aOR = 3.24, 95%CI = 1.38–7.64). Specifically for the SSM, TB was found to be associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection (aOR = 8.28, 95%CI = 1.21–56.66).

Though significant progress has been attained in the control of the TB epidemic in Tanzania, still hot spots with significantly high burden of TB exists, including miners. More importantly, populations surrounding the mining areas, are equally affected, and needs more engagement in the control of TB so as to realize the Global End TB targets of 2035.
Does information improve service delivery? A randomized trial in education in India
Authors: Pandey Priyanka
Published: March 2023

From a cluster randomized control trial in 610 villages, the study evaluates the impact of a community-based information campaign on school outcomes in three Indian states. The campaign consisted of eleven to fourteen public meetings over two rounds in treatment villages to disseminate information to the community about its state-mandated roles and responsibilities in school management. No intervention took place in control villages. The paper reports on the final follow up survey two and half years after the campaign. Providing information improved teacher effort and learning outcomes in schools. Bigger gains were seen in the two states, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Uttar Pradesh (UP), where baseline level of outcomes was lower than in the third state, Karnataka. The impact on teacher effort, primarily for civil-service teachers with permanent jobs and therefore lower accountability, was between 16%-43% in MP and UP. The shares of children able to do basic mathematics competencies improved. Due to low baseline learning levels, the magnitudes of the percentage increases were much larger compared to the absolute increases in shares. Fewer improvements occurred in language. This can be because of low teaching effectiveness as well as more time needed for larger and wider impacts on learning. School councils became more active after the campaign. Focus group discussions indicated discussions within communities and communities actively bringing up issues with teachers and school councils. Impacts were generally larger or broader than those at midline survey 2–4 months after one round of intervention. Overall providing information holds promise in improving public services via worker accountability.
Exploring the comparative adequacy of a unimanual and a bimanual stimulus-response setup for use with three-alternative choice response time tasks
Authors: Öttl Anton , Kim Jonathan D. , Behne Dawn M. , Gygax Pascal , Hyönä Jukka , Gabriel Ute
Published: March 2023

Research often conceptualises complex social factors as being distinct binary categories (e.g., female vs male, feminine vs masculine). While this can be appropriate, the addition of an ‘overlapping’ category (e.g., non-binary, gender neutral) can contextualise the ‘binary’, both for participants (allowing more complex conceptualisations of the categories than the ‘either/or’ conceptualisation in binary tasks), and for the results (by providing a neutral baseline for comparison). However, it is not clear what the best response setup for such a task would be. In this study, we explore this topic through comparing a unimanual (N= 34) and a bimanual response setup (N= 32) for use with a three-alternative choice response time task. Crucially, one of the stimulus categories (‘mixed’) was composed of stimulus elements from the other two stimulus categories used in that task (Complex Task). A reference button task was included to isolate the motoric component of response registration (Simple Task). The results of the simple task indicated lower motoric costs for the unimanual compared to the bimanual setup. However, when statistically controlling for these motoric costs in the complex task, the bimanual setup had a lower error rate and faster response times than the unimanual setup. Further, in the complex task error rates and response times were higher for the mixed than the matched stimuli, indicating that responding to mixed stimuli is more challenging for encoding and/or decision making processes. This difference was more pronounced in the unimanual than the bimanual setup. Taken together these results indicate that the unimanual setup is more adequate for the reference button task, whereas the intricacy of overlapping categories in the complex task is better contained in the bimanual setup, i.e. when some response alternatives are allocated to one hand and other alternatives to the other hand.
Cult, herding, and ‘pilgrimage’ in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia: Excavations at a mustatil east of AlUla
Authors: Kennedy Melissa , Strolin Laura , McMahon Jane , Franklin Daniel , Flavel Ambika , Noble Jacqueline , Swift Lauren , Nassr Ahmed , Fallon Stewart , Thomas Hugh
Published: March 2023

Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now called mustatil have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken, although this study could not determine the precise function of these features. Recent excavations in AlUla have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic taxa deposited around a betyl. This paper outlines the results of the University of Western Australia’s work at site IDIHA-0008222, a 140 m long mustatil (IDIHA-F-0011081), located 55 km east of AlUla. Work at this site sheds new and important light on the cult, herding and ‘pilgrimage’ in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia, with the site revealing one of the earliest chronometrically dated betyls in the Arabian Peninsula and some of the earliest evidence for domestic cattle in northern Arabia.
Gender-related and non-gender-related female homicide in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 2010 to 2016
Authors: Rios Angelita Maria Ferreira Machado , Crespo Kleber Cardoso , Martini Murilo , Telles Lisieux Elaine De Borba , Magalhães Pedro V. S.
Published: March 2023

Female homicide is a global phenomenon with a higher prevalence in countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Life expectancy in Brazil is compromised by the high risk of death from male and female homicides, a growing social problem. This study aimed to integrate different public datasets and describe the sociodemographic, criminal, and medicolegal characteristics of the homicides of girls and women occurring in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, from 2010 to 2016. The data were obtained from autopsy reports, police reports, and records from crime scenes. During this period, there was a significant increase in overall standardized rates of female homicides (4.98 to 10.85), with a pronounced increase in non-gender-related deaths, especially due to urban violence, such as involvement in drug trafficking and other crimes and robbery resulting in death. Young (15–29 years of age), non-White women were the most affected. Increased female homicide rates due to non-gender-related factors is a new and worrying phenomenon in Brazil. Obtaining specific data on the profile of victims and characteristics of violence is a crucial step in facing the problem and directing public policies.
Healthcare seeking patterns for TB symptoms: Findings from the first national TB prevalence survey of South Africa, 2017–2019
Authors: Moyo Sizulu , Ismail Farzana , Mkhondo Nkateko , van der Walt Martie , Dlamini Sicelo S. , Mthiyane Thuli , Naidoo Inbarani , Zuma Khangelani , Tadolini Marina , Law Irwin , Mvusi Lindiwe
Published: March 2023

Background

Although tuberculosis (TB) symptoms have limited sensitivity they remain an important entry point into the TB care cascade.

Objectives

To investigate self-reported healthcare seeking for TB symptoms in participants in a community-based survey.

Methods

We compared reasons for not seeking care in participants reporting ≥1 of four TB screening symptoms (cough, weight loss, night sweats, fever) in the first South African national TB prevalence survey (2017–2019). We used logistic regression analyses to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with healthcare seeking.

Results

5,168/35,191 (14.7%) survey participants reported TB symptoms and 3,442/5168 had not sought healthcare. 2,064/3,442(60.0%) participants intended to seek care, 912 (26.5%) regarded symptoms as benign, 399 (11.6%) reported access barriers(distance and cost), 36 (1.0%) took other medications and 20(0.6%) reported health system barriers. Of the 57/98 symptomatic participants diagnosed with bacteriologically confirmed TB who had not sought care: 38(66.7%) intended to do so, 8(14.0%) regarded symptoms as benign, and 6(10.5%) reported access barriers. Among these 98, those with unknown HIV status(OR 0.16 95% CI 0.03–0.82), p = 0.03 and those who smoked tobacco products(OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17–0.89, p = 0.03) were significantly less likely to seek care.

Conclusions

People with TB symptoms delayed seeking healthcare, many regarded symptoms as benign while others faced access barriers. Those with unknown HIV status were significantly less likely to seek care. Strengthening community-based TB awareness and screening programmes together with self-screening models could increase awareness of the significance of TB symptoms and contribute to improving healthcare seeking and enable many people with TB to enter the TB care cascade.
Eight years of community structure monitoring through recreational citizen science at the “SS Thistlegorm” wreck (Red Sea)
Authors: Lee Chloe , Caroselli Erik , Toffolo Mariana Machado , Mancuso Arianna , Marchini Chiara , Meschini Marta , Goffredo Stefano
Published: March 2023

Large artificial coral reef communities, such as those thriving on sunken shipwrecks, tend to mirror those of nearby natural coral reefs and their long-term dynamics may help future reef resilience to environmental change. We examined the community structure of the world-renown “SS Thistlegorm” wreck in the northern Red Sea from 2007 through 2014, analyzing data collected during the recreational citizen science Red Sea monitoring project “Scuba Tourism for the Environment”. Volunteer divers collected data on 6 different diving parameters which included the date of the dive, maximum depth, average depth, temperature, dive time, hour of dive, and gave an abundance estimation of sighted taxa from a list of 72 target taxa. Although yearly variations in community structure were significant, there was no clear temporal trend, and 71 of all 72 target taxa were sighted throughout the 8 years. The 5 main taxa driving variations among year clusters in taxa presence/absence (Soft Tree Coral—Dendronephthya spp., Giant Moray—Gymnothorax javanicus, Squirrel Fish—Sargocentron spp., Humpback Batfish—Platax spp., and Caranxes—Carangidae) and taxa abundance (Soft Tree Coral, Giant Moray, Red Sea Clownfish—Amphiprion bicinctus, Napoleon Wrasse—Cheilinus undulatus, and Caranxes) data were determined. The “SS Thistlegorm” provides a compelling example of how artificial coral reefs can sustain a well-established community structure similar to those of their natural counterparts.
Compensatory eating after exercise in everyday life: Insights from daily diary studies
Authors: Reily Natalie M. , Pinkus Rebecca T. , Vartanian Lenny R. , Faasse Kate
Published: March 2023

There is considerable variability in how successful people are in losing weight via exercise programs. Experimental research suggests that greater food intake after exercise may be one factor underlying this variability, but no studies have assessed patterns of post-exercise eating behaviour over time in naturalistic settings. Thus, we aimed to assess how exercise and contextual factors (e.g., hunger, presence of others) influence the healthiness and amount of food eaten after exercise in two daily diary studies. In Study 1, participants (n = 48) reported their food intake and exercise daily for 28 days. For each meal, they provided a brief description of the food(s) eaten which were then categorised as healthy, unhealthy, or mixed (neither healthy nor unhealthy) by two independent coders. Study 2 used the same method, but participants (n = 55) also reported the portion size of each meal. Hierarchical linear modelling showed that in Study 1, contrary to expectations, post-exercise meals were less likely to be unhealthy (relative to mixed) than were random meals from non-exercise days (OR = 0.63, p = .011), and that participants ate proportionally fewer unhealthy meals on exercise days compared to non-exercise days (b = -4.27, p = .004). Study 2 replicated these findings, and also found that participants consumed larger meals after exercise in comparison to random meals from non-exercise days (b = 0.25, p < .001). Participants were not consistently engaging in compensatory eating by eating less healthily after exercise compared to on non-exercise days, but they did eat larger portions post-exercise. This work highlights the need for naturalistic methods of assessing compensatory eating, and has the potential to facilitate development of strategies to improve health behaviour regulation.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its drivers: An empirical study of the vaccine hesitant group in Malaysia
Authors: Vaithilingam Santha , Hwang Li-Ann , Nair Mahendhiran , Ng Jason Wei Jian , Ahmed Pervaiz , Musa Kamarul Imran
Published: March 2023

Background

Sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 remain a threat to public healthcare, especially if vaccination levels do not improve. As Malaysia begins its transition into the endemic phase, it is essential to identify the key determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention amongst the pockets of the population who are still hesitant. Therefore, focusing on a sample of individuals who did not register for the COVID-19 vaccination, the current study integrated two widely used frameworks in the public health domain—the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of reasoned action (TRA)—to examine the inter-relationships of the predictors of vaccination intention amongst these individuals.

Methodology

Primary data from 117 respondents who did not register for the COVID-19 vaccination were collected using self-administered questionnaires to capture predictors of vaccination intention amongst individuals in a Malaysian context. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data.

Results

Subjective norms and attitude play key mediating roles between the HBM factors and vaccination intention amongst the unregistered respondents. In particular, subjective norms mediate the relationship between cues to action and vaccination intention, highlighting the significance of important others to influence unregistered individuals who are already exposed to information from mass media and interpersonal discussions regarding vaccines. Trust, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefits indirectly influence vaccination intention through attitude, indicating that one’s attitude is vital in promoting behavioral change.

Conclusion

This study showed that the behavioral factors could help understand the reasons for vaccine refusal or acceptance, and shape and improve health interventions, particularly among the vaccine-hesitant group in a developing country. Therefore, policymakers and key stakeholders can develop effective strategies or interventions to encourage vaccination amongst the unvaccinated for future health pandemics by targeting subjective norms and attitude.
In-vitro accuracy of casts for orthodontic purposes obtained by a conventional and by a printer workflow
Authors: Reich Sven , Herstell Hannah , Raith Stefan , Kühne Christina , Berndt Saskia
Published: March 2023

This in-vitro study was designed to investigate whether conventionally produced casts and printed casts for orthodontic purposes show comparable full-arch accuracy. To produce casts, either a conventional impression or a digital data set is needed. A fully dentate all ceramic master cast was digitized with an industrial scanner to obtain a digital reference cast [REF]. Intraoral scans [IOS] and alginate impressions were taken from the master cast so that ten printed and ten gypsum casts were obtained. The printed casts [DLP] were digitized by an industrial scanner and as well as the gypsum casts [GYPSUM]. The following absolute mean trueness evaluations by superimposition were accomplished: [REF vs. GYPSUM]; [REF vs. DLP]; [REF vs. IOS]; [IOS vs. DLP]. For precision analysis the data sets of [GYPSUM], [IOS] and [DLP] were available. The absolute mean trueness values were 68 μm ± 15 μm for [REF vs. GYPSUM], 46 μm ± 4 μm for [REF vs. DLP], 20 μm ± 2 μm for [REF vs. IOS] and 41 μm ± 4 μm for [IOS vs. DLP]. [REF vs. GYPSUM] and [REF vs. DLP], [REF vs. IOS], [REF vs. DLP] and [IOS vs. DLP] showed statistically significant differences. The precision values were 56 μm ± 17 μm for [GYPSUM], 25 μm ± 9 μm for [DLP] and 12 μm ± 2 μm for [IOS] and differed significantly among each other. In the present study the print workflow revealed superior results in comparison to the conventional workflow. Due to contrary deviations in the [REF vs. IOS] and the [IOS vs. DLP] data sets the overall trueness deviations was enhanced.
Population genetics and geographic origins of mallards harvested in northwestern Ohio
Authors: Schummer Michael L. , Simpson John , Shirkey Brendan , Kucia Samuel R. , Lavretsky Philip , Tozer Douglas C.
Published: March 2023

The genetic composition of mallards in eastern North America has been changed by release of domestically-raised, game-farm mallards to supplement wild populations for hunting. We sampled 296 hatch-year mallards harvested in northwestern Ohio, October–December 2019. The aim was to determine their genetic ancestry and geographic origin to understand the geographic extent of game-farm mallard introgression into wild populations in more westward regions of North America. We used molecular analysis to detect that 35% of samples were pure wild mallard, 12% were early generation hybrids between wild and game-farm mallards (i.e., F1–F3), and the remaining 53% of samples were assigned as part of a hybrid swarm. Percentage of individuals in our study with some form of hybridization with game-farm mallard (65%) was greater than previously detected farther south in the mid-continent (~4%), but less than the Atlantic coast of North America (~ 92%). Stable isotope analysis usingδ2Hfsuggested that pure wild mallards originated from areas farther north and west than hybrid mallards. More specifically, 17% of all Ohio samples hadδ2Hfconsistent with more western origins in the prairies, parkland, or boreal regions of the mid-continent of North America, with 55%, 35%, and 10% of these being genetically wild, hybrid swarm, and F3, respectively. We conclude that continued game-farm introgression into wild mallards is not isolated to the eastern population of mallards in North America, and may be increasing and more widespread than previously detected. Mallards in our study had greater incidence of game-farm hybridization than other locales in the mid-continent but less than eastern North American regions suggesting further need to understand game-farm mallard genetic variation and movement across the continent.
Awareness level, knowledge and attitude towards breast cancer among staff and students of Hail University, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Almeshari Meshari , Alzamil Yasser , Alyahyawi Amjad , Abanomy Ahmad , Althmali Omar , Al-Enezi Mamdouh S. , C. G. ShashiKumar , Osman Hamid , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Awareness of screening procedures and illness warning signals is critical for expanding and implementing screening programs in society, which would improve the odds of early identification of breast cancer.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices related to breast cancer risk factors, signs, symptoms and methods of screening among female faculty and students at Hail University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 through February 2021 in the Hail region of Saudi Arabia. A closed-ended questionnaire, which consisted of 37 questions, was distributed online (using a Google Forms link) in both English and Arabic languages. Data was collected from 425 female subjects who participated in the study.

Results

The study showed an overall knowledge level of 46.36% regarding breast cancer. Participants had average knowledge about risk factors, signs, and symptoms, whereas their awareness and practice of breast self-examination and screening methods were weak.

Conclusion

The current study concluded that public awareness of breast cancer remains relatively low, and Saudi Arabia still needs several public awareness initiatives using mass media, such as television, the Internet, and radio, as well as social media. Special awareness programs should also be held in places where a large number of women can easily be reached, such as colleges, universities, and hospitals.
Enhanced geocoding precision for location inference of tweet text using spaCy, Nominatim and Google Maps. A comparative analysis of the influence of data selection
Authors: Serere Helen Ngonidzashe , Resch Bernd , Havas Clemens Rudolf
Published: March 2023

Twitter location inference methods are developed with the purpose of increasing the percentage of geotagged tweets by inferring locations on a non-geotagged dataset. For validation of proposed approaches, these location inference methods are developed on a fully geotagged dataset on which the attached Global Navigation Satellite System coordinates are used as ground truth data. Whilst a substantial number of location inference methods have been developed to date, questions arise pertaining the generalizability of the developed location inference models on a non-geotagged dataset. This paper proposes a high precision location inference method for inferring tweets’ point of origin based on location mentions within the tweet text. We investigate the influence of data selection by comparing the model performance on two datasets. For the first dataset, we use a proportionate sample of tweet sources of a geotagged dataset. For the second dataset, we use a modelled distribution of tweet sources following a non-geotagged dataset. Our results showed that the distribution of tweet sources influences the performance of location inference models. Using the first dataset we outweighed state-of-the-art location extraction models by inferring 61.9%, 86.1% and 92.1% of the extracted locations within 1 km, 10 km and 50 km radius values, respectively. However, using the second dataset our precision values dropped to 45.3%, 73.1% and 81.0% for the same radius values.
A protocol for a systematic review of electronic early warning/track-and-trigger systems (EW/TTS) to predict clinical deterioration: Focus on automated features, technologies, and algorithms
Authors: Rostam Niakan Kalhori Sharareh , Deserno Thomas M. , Haghi Mostafa , Ganapathy Nagarajan
Published: March 2023

Background

This is a systematic review protocol to identify automated features, applied technologies, and algorithms in the electronic early warning/track and triage system (EW/TTS) developed to predict clinical deterioration (CD).

Methodology

This study will be conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to evaluate the features of EW/TTS in terms of their automated features, technologies, and algorithms. To this end, we will include any English articles reporting an EW/TTS without time limitation. Retrieved records will be independently screened by two authors and relevant data will be extracted from studies and abstracted for further analysis. The included articles will be evaluated independently using the JBI critical appraisal checklist by two researchers.

Discussion

This study is an effort to address the available automated features in the electronic version of the EW/TTS to shed light on the applied technologies, automated level of systems, and utilized algorithms in order to smooth the road toward the fully automated EW/TTS as one of the potential solutions of prevention CD and its adverse consequences.

Trial registration

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022334988.
Process description of developing HIV prevention monitoring indicators for a province-wide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Munasinghe Lalani L. , Toy Junine , Lepik Katherine J. , Moore David M. , Hull Mark , Bacani Nic , Sereda Paul , Barrios Rolando , Montaner Julio S. G. , Lima Viviane D.
Published: March 2023

In 2018, the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program was initiated in British Columbia (BC), Canada, providing PrEP at no cost to qualifying residents. This observational study discussed the steps to develop key evidence-based monitoring indicators and their calculation using real-time data. The indicators were conceptualized, developed, assessed and approved by the Technical Monitoring Committee of representatives from five health authority regions in BC, the BC Ministry of Health, the BC Centre for Disease Control, and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Indicator development followed the steps adopted from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention framework for program evaluation in public health. The assessment involved eight selection criteria: data quality, indicator validity, existing scientific evidence, indicator informativeness, indicator computing feasibility, clients’ confidentiality maintenance capacity, indicator accuracy, and administrative considerations. Clients’ data from the provincial-wide PrEP program (January 2018—December 2020) shows the indicators’ calculation. The finalized 14 indicators included gender, age, health authority, new clients enrolled by provider type and by the health authority, new clients dispensed PrEP, clients per provider, key qualifying HIV risk factor(s), client status, PrEP usage type, PrEP quantity dispensed, syphilis and HIV testing and incident cases, and adverse drug reaction events. Cumulative clients’ data (n = 6966; 99% cis-gender males) identified an increased new client enrollment and an unexpected drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 80% dispensed PrEP from the Vancouver Coastal health authority. The HIV incidence risk index for men who have sex with men score ≥10 was the most common qualifying risk factor. The framework we developed integrating indicators was applied to monitor our PrEP program, which could help reduce the public health impact of HIV.