bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating mathematical models for predicting the transmission of COVID-19 and its variants towards sustainable health and well-being
Authors: Sabherwal Amarpreet Kaur , Sood Anju , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: March 2024

This review thoroughly explores numerous key areas contributing to sustainable health and well-being. It encompasses precision medicine, eco-friendly healthcare practices, digital health technologies, holistic well-being approaches, community health promotion, global health protection, and data-driven public health techniques, providing a roadmap for a greater resilient healthcare future. The study evaluates the effectiveness of mathematical modelling in predicting COVID-19 transmission patterns and variants. It starts by providing an overview of COVID-19 and its variants, which include their origins and modes of transmission, then delves into prediction techniques and mathematical modelling, focusing especially on the use of differential equations-based modelling to understand disease progression. The objective is to enhance scientific information of COVID-19 variants and their effect on public health by providing insights, situation analyses, and policy recommendations derived from mathematical modelling. This comprehensive review focuses on serving as a useful resource for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare experts in addressing the pandemic and its evolving variants.
Antiangiogenic therapy: how far is it to upgrade?
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Kai
Published: March 2024

Early vascular-targeted drugs represented by VEGF single-pathway inhibitors pioneered the idea of regulating the tumor growth microenvironment and enhanced the chemotherapy effect in a variety of tumors. However, their shortcomings of “only winning PFS but not OS” have gradually revealed and warned that drug-resistant growth of tumors is unavoidable after long-term use. The activation of intracellular bypass signaling after inhibiting a single target may be an important reason. In order to eliminate this problem, attempts have been made to expand the combination of drug types and increase the intensity of drug treatment. The possibility of replacing single-target anti-angiogenic therapeutic drugs with multiple targets has also be explored. A new generation of “dual-dimension, multi-pathway” drugs that simultaneously inhibit multiple targets both in tumors and microvascular endothelial cells can be used either as single drugs in multiple tumor types, or in combination with chemotherapy, EGFR-TKI, or even immunological drugs. It demonstrates good efficacy and great potential and hope for upgrading vascular targeted therapy. It also enlightens us that future treatment and new drug development strategies cannot rely solely on the most precise target inhibition, but should have a “dual-dimension, multi-pathway” integration concept that looks at the overall situation from one corner.
The prevalence of gram-negative bacteria with difficult-to-treat resistance and utilization of novel β-lactam antibiotics in the southeastern United States
Authors: Tsai Y. Vivian , Bookstaver P. Brandon , Kohn Joseph , Justo Julie Ann , Childress Darrell , Stramel Stefanie , Slain Douglas , Tu Patrick , Wingler Mary Joyce B. , Jones Bruce M. , Anderson Daniel T. , Seddon Megan M. , Cretella David A. , Eudy Joshua , Winders Hana , Antosz Kayla , Bailey Pamela , Al-Hasan Majdi N.
Published: March 2024

Objective:

To evaluate temporal trends in the prevalence of gram-negative bacteria (GNB) with difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) in the southeastern United States. Secondary objective was to examine the use of novel β-lactams for GNB with DTR by both antimicrobial use (AU) and a novel metric of adjusted AU by microbiological burden (am-AU).

Design:

Retrospective, multicenter, cohort.

Setting:

Ten hospitals in the southeastern United States.

Methods:

GNB with DTR including Enterobacterales,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andAcinetobacterspp. from 2015 to 2020 were tracked at each institution. Cumulative AU of novel β-lactams including ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam, and cefiderocol in days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient-days was calculated. Linear regression was utilized to examine temporal trends in the prevalence of GNB with DTR and cumulative AU of novel β-lactams.

Results:

The overall prevalence of GNB with DTR was 0.85% (1,223/143,638) with numerical increase from 0.77% to 1.00% between 2015 and 2020 (P= .06). There was a statistically significant increase in DTR Enterobacterales (0.11% to 0.28%,P= .023) and DTRAcinetobacterspp. (4.2% to 18.8%,P= .002). Cumulative AU of novel β-lactams was 1.91 ± 1.95 DOT per 1,000 patient-days. When comparing cumulative mean AU and am-AU, there was an increase from 1.91 to 2.36 DOT/1,000 patient-days, with more than half of the hospitals shifting in ranking after adjustment for microbiological burden.

Conclusions:

The overall prevalence of GNB with DTR and the use of novel β-lactams remain low. However, the uptrend in the use of novel β-lactams after adjusting for microbiological burden suggests a higher utilization relative to the prevalence of GNB with DTR.
Assessing the rationale of prescribing carbapenems among hospitalized patients with documented penicillin allergy: implications for stewardship
Authors: Burgener-Gasser Anne-Valérie , Fasel Jeanne , Halbeisen Delia , Hartmann Karin , Weisser-Rohacek Maja , Kaufmann Carole , Tschudin-Sutter Sarah
Published: March 2024

Background:

A reported history of penicillin allergy frequently leads to the prescription of carbapenems as a substitute for penicillin to avoid allergic reactions. Such self-reported allergies need to be accurately characterized to identify targeted antibiotic stewardship interventions that potentially minimize unnecessary carbapenem use.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Method:

The proportion of hospitalized patients with penicillin allergy history receiving carbapenem prescriptions was evaluated between January 1st, 2017 and December 31st, 2018 at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. The appropriateness of carbapenem prescription of each patient was evaluated using institutional guidelines based on previously published recommendations.

Results:

Our analysis revealed that among 212 patients with recorded penicillin allergy, of the 247 carbapenem treatment episodes, 79 (32%) were unjustified. Abdominal and lower respiratory tract infections were most frequently associated with inappropriate carbapenem use (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.22–5.71, P = .014 and OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.08–4.73, P = .031). The recorded allergy type was not documented or unclear in 153 patients (72%) and penicillin allergy was only confirmed in 2 patients (0.9%). Inconsistencies in allergic symptom documentation and allergy types were found between the institution’s two software programs.

Conclusion:

While a multimodal approach to identify and accurately label penicillin allergies remains essential to reduce inappropriate carbapenem use, our findings highlight the need for comprehensive and easily accessible guidelines for carbapenem utilization and structured history-based allergy assessment as an initial screening tool, embedded in a tailored digital allergy record template.
From Fact to Applicable Law: What Role for the International Climate Change Regime in Investor-State Arbitration?
Authors: Martini Camille
Published: March 2024

While many investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) proceedings based on international investment agreements have dealt, directly or incidentally, with environmental issues, state measures relating to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change have been subject to a small number of reported cases. This article demonstrates that there is a significant gap between the number of investor-state disputes having a direct relevance with climate change, on the one hand, and the number of such cases that have actually raised climate change as a material legal or factual issue. In addition, arbitral tribunals faced with disputes related to measures or sectors that are of direct relevance to climate action have, to date, virtually never engaged in any sort of substantial analysis of international climate change treaties and related instruments, rules, or practices. Against this backdrop, this article will explore ways for arbitrators and parties to ISDS proceedings to better consider the climate regime — in particular, the Paris Agreement and instruments arising therefrom — in ISDS proceedings beyond its current limited role as an element of context. While the literature has mostly focused on integrating climate change concerns in ISDS, this article goes further by exploring how states’ international climate obligations could play a greater role in the adjudication of investor-state disputes, including by providing states with a justification for implementing more ambitious regulations as well as tribunals with guidance for interpreting substantive obligations in investment treaties.
Can refugees improve native children's health?: evidence from Turkey
Authors: Oymak Cansu , Maystadt Jean-François
Published: March 2024

Following the most dramatic migration episode of the 21st century, Turkey hosted the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world. This paper assesses the impact of the arrival of Syrian refugees on the Turkish children's health, with a focus on height – a standard nutritional outcome. Accounting for the endogenous choice of immigrant location, our results show that Turkish children residing in provinces with a large share of refugees exhibit a significant improvement in their height as compared to those living in provinces with fewer refugees. Against other potential channels, a refugee-induced increase in maternal unemployment and the associated increase in maternal care seem to explain the observed positive effect on children's health.
Undecidability of polynomial inequalities in weighted graph homomorphism densities
Authors: Blekherman Grigoriy , Raymond Annie , Wei Fan
Published: March 2024

Many problems and conjectures in extremal combinatorics concern polynomial inequalities between homomorphism densities of graphs where we allow edges to have real weights. Using the theory of graph limits, we can equivalently evaluate polynomial expressions in homomorphism densities on kernels W, that is, symmetric, bounded and measurable functions W from

$[0,1]^2 \to \mathbb {R}$

. In 2011, Hatami and Norin proved a fundamental result that it is undecidable to determine the validity of polynomial inequalities in homomorphism densities for graphons (i.e., the case where the range of W is

$[0,1]$

, which corresponds to unweighted graphs or, equivalently, to graphs with edge weights between

$0$

and

$1$

). The corresponding problem for more general sets of kernels, for example, for all kernels or for kernels with range

$[-1,1]$

, remains open. For any

$a> 0$

, we show undecidability of polynomial inequalities for any set of kernels which contains all kernels with range

$\{0,a\}$

. This result also answers a question raised by Lovász about finding computationally effective certificates for the validity of homomorphism density inequalities in kernels.
Care and the Limits of a Pro-Choice Discourse
Authors: Bartos Ann E.
Published: March 2024

The global pandemic exposed many flaws in the gendered political economy. It also illuminated how essential care is to our economy and to our flourishing. Yet, when care is dependent on a capitalist system that relies on competition, there will always be people who receive care and those that will not. In such a system, care is wrongly perceived to be a “choice” one can opt into or out of. This short essay grapples with the discourse of care as a choice, particularly around reproductive decisions. Choices offered within a neoliberal market logic fail to understand the political relationalities of such choices. Drawing on my personal experience of an abortion and other examples from the first year of COVID-19, this essay demonstrates how little choice there is in matters of care; care connects and disconnects one another regardless of personal choices. If matters of care persist in the realm of the market reliant on rational economic autonomous actors, then the many interrelationalities of care that the pandemic exposed will not have any impact on attaining a more caring society. This is particularly important given the nature of abortion politics in the United States. I argue that abortion is health care, and is often the most caring decision a pregnant person can make for the world they are trying to maintain, continue, and repair (per Tronto 1993). Care is not a choice; it is fundamental to human society.
Population and hospital-level COVID-19 measures are associated with increased risk of hospital-onset COVID-19
Authors: Schmitz Emily , Anderson Laura , Hatas Gabrielle , Stevens Linda , Osman Fauzia , Schweizer Marin , Safdar Nasia , Shirley Daniel
Published: March 2024

A review of hospital-onset COVID-19 cases revealed 8 definite, 106 probable, and 46 possible cases. Correlations between hospital-onset cases and both HCW and inpatient cases were noted in 2021. Rises in community measures were associated with rises in hospital-onset cases. Measures of community COVID-19 activity might predict hospital-onset cases.
An epistemology for assessment and development: How do we know what we know?
Authors: Rupp Deborah E. , Thornton George C. , Bisbey Tiffany M. , Hoover Anna N. , Salas Eduardo , Murphy Kevin R.
Published: March 2024

To make informed decisions, assessment theorists, researchers, and practitioners can evaluate the overlap among (1) relevant theories, (2) empirical contributions, and (3) best practices. Unfortunately, such a task may seem daunting due to the so-called science-practice gap, which can thwart collaboration among these parties. This paper presents an epistemology for delineating the importance of integrating these three sources of knowledge. We then apply this epistemology to show that our current knowledge of assessment and development topics are well integrated in some places, but still quite lacking in others.
Perceptions of assessment center exercises: Between exercises differences and interventions
Authors: Roch Sylvia G.
Published: March 2024

Preliminary research has demonstrated that not all assessment center (AC) exercises are viewed as equally just or motivating. The current research builds upon this research and investigates the relationships between six AC exercises and perceptions of self-efficacy, motivation, assessor bias, and fairness. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design (two informational justice interventions and one rating timing intervention), 286 working adults completed a survey designed to investigate differences between AC exercises and to investigate interventions designed to influence AC exercise perceptions. The results show not only significant perceptual differences between assessor-rated exercises and an ability test but also differences among the rated exercises. The results suggest that an ability test can be perceived as both among the most just and motivating exercises. Lastly, even though the experimental interventions did not have their anticipated effects, the results suggest benefits to having assessors rate recorded participant behaviors versus rating “live” behaviors, benefits that to a certain extent depend on whether participants had previously attended an assessment center.
New insights into head-on bouncing of unequal-size droplets on a wetting surface
Authors: Ray Saroj , Han Yu , Yue Zongyu , Guo Hengjie , Chao Christopher Yu Hang , Cheng Song
Published: March 2024

The impact of a liquid droplet with another droplet or onto a solid surface are important basic processes that occur in many applications such as agricultural sprays and inkjet printing, and in nature such as pathogens transport by raindrops. We investigated the head-on collision of unequal-size droplets of the same liquid on wetting surfaces using the direct numerical simulations technique at different size ratios. The unsteady Navier–Stokes equations are solved and the liquid–gas interface is tracked using the geometric volume-of-fluid method. The numerical model is validated by comparing simulation results of two extreme cases of droplets bouncing with the experimental data from previous studies and the agreement is quite accurate. The validated model is employed to simulate droplets bouncing at several size ratios at different Weber numbers and Ohnesorge number. Two distinct regimes are identified, namely, the inertial regime, where the restitution coefficient is a constant value close to 0.3, the viscous regime, where the restitution coefficient declines. To understand the bouncing behaviour, the velocity field is analysed and an energy budget calculation is performed. The distribution of the sessile droplet energy is found to be important and the sessile droplet surface energy is calculated by its deformation characteristics such as crater depth. Finally, a scaling analysis is performed to rationalize the insensitivity of the coefficient of restitution in the inertial regime, and its decline in the viscous regime, at large size ratios.
Spanish–French leech trade and its consequences: From the increase in medical demand to resource depletion and technical innovation
Authors: Copena Damián , Gómez-Martín María
Published: March 2024

This article studies the impact caused by the success and dissemination of Broussais’ theories on the use of leeches as a medical supply on Spanish–French trade relations, as well as its consequences for the Spanish market between 1821 and the 1860s. Analysing the documents produced by the different public administrations, together with newspaper and archival sources in both Spain and France and the literature and legislation of that period, allows us to understand the evolution of this trade and the heavy impact it had on the autochthonous population of this animal resource. The article reveals how, at the beginning of the 1820s, leeches became an important medical supply and how the demand for them increased significantly. This gave rise to a trade relation between Spain and France that led to the overexploitation of the resource, the issuing of regulations on the matter, and the search for technological solutions to increase the production of leeches.
A mathematical analysis of the Kakinuma model for interfacial gravity waves. Part II: justification as a shallow water approximation
Authors: Duchêne Vincent , Iguchi Tatsuo
Published: March 2024

We consider the Kakinuma model for the motion of interfacial gravity waves. The Kakinuma model is a system of Euler–Lagrange equations for an approximate Lagrangian, which is obtained by approximating the velocity potentials in the Lagrangian of the full model. Structures of the Kakinuma model and the well-posedness of its initial value problem were analysed in the companion paper [14]. In this present paper, we show that the Kakinuma model is a higher order shallow water approximation to the full model for interfacial gravity waves with an error of order$O(\delta _1^{4N+2}+\delta _2^{4N+2})$in the sense of consistency, where$\delta _1$and$\delta _2$are shallowness parameters, which are the ratios of the mean depths of the upper and the lower layers to the typical horizontal wavelength, respectively, and$N$is, roughly speaking, the size of the Kakinuma model and can be taken an arbitrarily large number. Moreover, under a hypothesis of the existence of the solution to the full model with a uniform bound, a rigorous justification of the Kakinuma model is proved by giving an error estimate between the solution to the Kakinuma model and that of the full model. An error estimate between the Hamiltonian of the Kakinuma model and that of the full model is also provided.
Political communication in the real world: evidence from a natural experiment in Germany
Authors: Seimel Armin
Published: March 2024

Various robust communication effects have been identified, but evidence is overwhelmingly based on artificial survey treatments with limited real-world insight. I conducted a natural experiment on the impact of the European–Turkey statement closing the Balkan route during the 2015/16 European refugee crisis in Germany. This design tests the lasting effect of the statement's framing on public sentiment. I identify treatment and control groups based on timing to demonstrate its effect on perceptions of the crisis, asylum attitudes, and policy preferences. Effects are largest immediately following the announcement but decline rapidly. This shows political communication can significantly change opinion within a limited time frame. This study enhances our understanding of real-world communication effects and offers a broadly applicable methodology.
Assessing teat canal morphology in the dry period and during lactation by high-resolution ultrasound
Authors: Berteau Micheline , Pepler P. Theo , Broadhurst Ann , Hammond Gawain , Zadoks Ruth N. , Viora Lorenzo
Published: March 2024

Our objectives were to quantify the dimensions of a fully ‘closed’ teat canal in dry cows and to describe recovery of the teat canal between milkings in lactating cows to assess whether and when full closure is attained, since this is an important determinant of udder health. Using an ultrasound scanner, teat canal length and diameter (proximal, midpoint and distal), teat cistern width, teat end width, whole teat width and teat wall thickness in 77 dry and 39 lactating dairy cows were measured. The dry cows represented a cross section of the dry population, with days since dry off ranging from 0 to 69 (median: 27). Data from lactating cows were recorded just before milking, and every 3 h post-milking. To control for location a cross-over (parlour vs. barn) study design was used. In dry cows, teat canal length and diameter did not vary by quarter or days since dry off, but multiparous cows had significantly wider teat canals than primiparous cows. The dry cow measurements can be used as baseline for dimensions for closed teats. In lactating cows, all teat dimensions except teat end width changed significantly during the 12-h milking cycle. Location (parlour vs. barn) did not affect the measurements, except teat end width and teat wall thickness. Teat canal length increased after milking and returned to pre-milking values by 9 h. Proximal and midpoint teat canal diameters decreased slightly just after milking and then progressively increased to above the pre-milking values by 9 h. Distal teat canal diameter increased after milking, partially contracting by 9 h. We found that during the dry period the teat canal is in a steady state, but its diameter is not zero, while during the lactation, the teat canal is in a near constant state of remodelling.
Evaluating the effectiveness of protected area management in Indonesia
Authors: Nugraha Rudijanta Tjahja , Komara Wenda Yandra , Krisna Peggy Awanti Nila , Puspita Oktafa Rini , Muslich Muhamad , Mardhiah Ulfah , Marthy William
Published: March 2024

Protected areas worldwide are strongholds for safeguarding biodiversity, natural habitats, ecosystem services and cultural values. Yet despite their importance, the effectiveness of protected area management varies greatly. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, with 554 protected areas that cover 27 million ha across the archipelago. To assess and improve the management effectiveness of these protected areas, the Government of Indonesia applied an adapted version of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) to assess 422 of the country's protected areas, of which 170 were repeatedly assessed in 2015, 2017 and 2019. We investigated the METT score changes across these protected areas and the factors explaining the varying scores. Over the study years, METT scores significantly improved (mean increase of 44.1%). National parks had the highest mean score, which was 13.4 points higher than other protected area types. After correcting for spatial autocorrelation using a generalized least-squares model, we found that METT score increase was positively influenced by year of assessment and having a well-resourced management authority, with no influence of protected area size or mean protected area budget allocation per ha. The assessments identified five main threats to protected areas: poaching, illegal logging, human settlements, tourism and non-timber cultivation. The widespread and repeated use of METT across the protected areas of Indonesia and the increasing METT scores indicate an overall improvement in management and professionalism. Building on the foundational work in our study, future studies should assess the association between METT scores and progress made towards achieving the conservation objectives of protected areas.
Multilingualism and native speakerism in academic journals’ language policies: Exploring a potential power of applied linguistics journals in promoting equitable publishing practices
Authors: Warren Leiry K. , Sato Masatoshi
Published: March 2024

Multilingualism in the context of academic publishing involves beliefs and actions manifested through publications in multiple languages. However, a systematic analysis of how academic journals practice multilingualism has been scant. Therefore, the present study analyzed how indexed journals of applied linguistics promote and practice multilingualism following their scopes and language policies (LPs). Initially, 67 journals underwent screening based on their “aims and scope,” resulting in 11 journals that actively promoted multilingualism. Employing a critical discourse analysis (CDA) framework, the main analysis focused on the assumptions embedded within the journals’ LPs. The findings indicated an incongruity between the journals’ stated commitment and their practices of multilingualism. Specifically, all the journals mandated submissions exclusively in English with implicit biases toward native speakerism. The study underscores the need for a collective effort within and beyond the applied linguistics community to address linguistic biases and for more equitable and inclusive academic publishing practices.
Rapid assessment of data systems for COVID-19 vaccination in the WHO African Region
Authors: Mboussou Franck , Nkamedjie Patrick , Oyaole Daniel , Farham Bridget , Atagbaza Ajiri , Nsasiirwe Sheillah , Costache Ana , Brooks Donald , Wiysonge Charles Shey , Impouma Benido
Published: March 2024

Most countries in Africa deployed digital solutions to monitor progress in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines. A rapid assessment of existing data systems for COVID-19 vaccines in the African region was conducted between May and July 2022, in 23 countries. Data were collected through interviews with key informants, identified among senior staff within Ministries of Health, using a semi-structured electronic questionnaire. At vaccination sites, individual data were collected in paper-based registers in five countries (21.7%), in an electronic registry in two countries (8.7%), and in the remaining 16 countries (69.6%) using a combination of paper-based and electronic registries. Of the 18 countries using client-based digital registries, 11 (61%) deployed the District Health Information System 2 Tracker, and seven (39%), a locally developed platform. The mean percentage of individual data transcribed in the electronic registries was 61% ± 36% standard deviation. Unreliable Internet coverage (100% of countries), non-payment of data clerks’ incentives (89%), and lack of electronic devices (89%) were the main reasons for the suboptimal functioning of digital systems quoted by key informants. It is critical for investments made and experience acquired in deploying electronic platforms for COVID-19 vaccines to be leveraged to strengthen routine immunization data management.
The relationships between parental attachment, peer attachment, automatic thoughts, and mindfulness skills among Iranian adolescents
Authors: Rabbani Mohtaram , Hosseinian Simin , Nosrati Saeid
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to examine the relationship between parental attachment, peer attachments, and automatic thoughts with adolescent mindfulness skills in Iranian adolescents, drawing on internal working models and social cognitive theory. The data was collected from a sample of Iranian adolescents in Tehran using standardized measurement instruments previously developed by researchers. The collected data was analyzed using both simple and multiple regression analyses. The results revealed a positive and significant association between parental attachment and peer attachments with adolescent mindfulness skills. Conversely, automatic thoughts were found to have a negative impact on adolescent mindfulness skills. These findings suggest that strengthening attachments can contribute to the enhancement of mindfulness skills in adolescents, while addressing automatic thoughts is crucial in preventing the erosion of mindfulness skills. Consequently, experts can design interventions that focus on improving attachments and addressing automatic thoughts to promote adolescent mindfulness skills.
Pflegerische Qualifikationsniveaus und Umsetzung von Aufgaben für eine Advanced Nursing Practice in Österreich
Authors: Herzog Michaela , Schönfelder Birgit , Barton Melanie , Gugler Pia , Aghaizu Christiana , Nagl-Cupal Martin , Mayer Hanna
Published: March 2024

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Unter dem Konzept „Advanced Nursing Practice“ (ANP) entstehen neue Handlungsfelder, in denen Pflegende mit Masterabschluss spezialisierte Pflege anbieten. In Österreich werden bereits Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) ausgebildet. Ziel: Das Ziel war zu untersuchen, welche Aufgaben einer erweiterten Pflegepraxis nach dem Hamric-Modell von Pflegenden auf unterschiedlichem Qualifikationsniveau in Österreich ausgeführt werden. Methoden: In einer Querschnittsstudie wurden diplomierte Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegepersonen mittels eines auf dem Role Delineation Model basierenden und an den österreichischen Kontext angepassten Online-Fragebogens befragt. Mittels Faktorenanalyse wurden die Aufgaben entsprechend dem Hamric-Modell zugeordnet, geprüft und deskriptiv nach Qualifikationsniveau ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Von 105 Teilnehmenden lagen vollständige Daten vor, darunter 80% mit abgeschlossener Grundausbildung, 20% mit einem Masterabschluss. Es zeigte sich eine Tendenz der durchgeführten Tätigkeiten in Zusammenhang mit dem Qualifikationsniveau. Je höher der akademische Grad, desto stärker liegen die Tätigkeiten im Bereich Führung. Die ANP-Kernkompetenzen Forschung und Edukation sind bei allen Befragten eher schwach ausgeprägt. Schlussfolgerungen: Es wird aus den Ergebnissen ersichtlich, dass eine heterogene Gruppe von Pflegepersonen Tätigkeiten übernimmt, die den Kompetenzen einer ANP entsprechen. Es müssen noch Rahmenbedingungen sowie ein einheitliches Verständnis für ANP geschaffen werden, um eine zum Kompetenzprofil passende Berufspraxis bieten zu können.
Archaeal Hydroxylated Isoprenoid GDGTs in Asian Lake Sediments: A New Tool for Terrestrial Paleotemperature Reconstructions
Authors: Wu Jie , Yang Huan , Shen Caiming , Zhu Liping , Yang Yi , Xie Shucheng
Published: March 2024

Hydroxylated isoprenoid GDGTs (OH‐GDGTs) have emerged as a novel tool for reconstructing sea surface temperatures. However, when using marine OH‐GDGT calibration in lacustrine settings, it leads to a significant overestimation of temperatures, emphasizing the necessity for a thorough examination of OH‐GDGTs in lakes. Here, we investigated OH‐GDGT distributions in surface sediments from 65 lakes in West China and compiled published Asian lake and global marine OH‐GDGT data sets. Among all GDGT‐based indices, RI‐OH showed the strongest correlation with temperature across Asian lakes. The RI‐OH value was higher in lakes than in marine sediments, likely due to differences in the composition of Group 1.1a thaumarchaeotal species between the two settings. The first RI‐OH temperature calibration for lakes was developed and it addressed the issue of temperature overestimation when applied to both water column and sediment core, highlighting the potential of OH‐GDGTs as a new terrestrial paleothermometer.
Kinematics of the Reykjanes Ridge: Influence of the Iceland Hotspot on Plate Boundary Evolution
Authors: Thorhallsson Daniel , Martinez Fernando , Hey Richard , Höskuldsson Ármann
Published: March 2024

The slow spreading Reykjanes Ridge overlies the Iceland hotspot and has undergone well ordered changes in crustal segmentation. Previous studies have attributed these changes to varying mantle plume thermal effects, rendering the lithosphere ductile or brittle. Here we use seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies to show that crustal accretion has been focused throughout its spreading history and to determine the detailed evolution of Reykjanes Ridge segments. By ∼53 Ma, organized spreading had developed on an orthogonally spreading linear axis following continental breakup. After a plate motion change at ∼38 Ma, orthogonally spreading offset ridge segments formed by ridge propagation forming varying length fracture zones. From then to the present, the offset segments diachronously migrated back to the original linear geometry from north to south replacing orthogonal with oblique spreading as the axis became linear again. Fracture zones were not terminated, however, simply by reducing segment offsets even to zero. Their termination involved the axial propagation of buoyant upwelling instabilities across the discontinuities, correspondingly extending V‐shaped crustal ridges southward. This evolution was guided by a persistent linear deep damp mantle melting interval maintained by the episodic propagation of buoyant upwelling instabilities. Our study indicates that at slow spreading ridges, where buoyant upwelling instabilities govern crustal segmentation, spatial gradients in mantle melting properties may direct the behavior of the instabilities. Where ridges overlie regional hotspot gradients in mantle melting, buoyant instabilities may propagate systematically, and plate boundary evolution may follow an organized pattern.
Mixing of the Connecticut River Plume During Ambient Flood Tides: Spatial Heterogeneity and Contributions of Bottom‐Generated and Interfacial Mixing
Authors: Whitney Michael M. , Spicer Preston , MacDonald Daniel G. , Huguenard Kimberly D. , Cole Kelly L. , Jia Yan , Delatolas Nikiforos
Published: March 2024

The Connecticut River plume is influenced by energetic ambient tides in the Long Island Sound receiving waters. The objectives of this modeling study are (a) characterizing the spatial heterogeneity of turbulent buoyancy fluxes, (b) partitioning turbulent buoyancy fluxes into bottom‐generated and interfacial shear contributions, and (c) quantifying contributions to plume‐integrated mixing within the tidal plume. The plume formed during ambient flood tides under low river discharge, spring tides, and no winds is analyzed. Turbulent buoyancy fluxes (B) and depth‐integrated B through the plume (Bd) are characterized by pronounced spatial heterogeneity. Strong mixing (Bd ∼ 10−5‐10−4 m3/s3) occurs near the mouth, in the nearfield plume turning region, over shoals, and nearshore shallow areas. Low to moderate mixing (Bd ∼ 10−8‐10−6 m3/s3) occupies half the plume. Buoyancy fluxes are first partitioned based on the depth of the shear stress minimum between plume‐generated and bottom‐generated shear maxima. Four other tested partitioning methods are based on open channel flow and stratified shear flow parameterizations. Interfacial and bottom‐generated shear contribute to different areas of intense and moderate mixing. All methods indicate a significant plume mixing role for bottom‐generated mixing, but interfacial mixing is a bigger contributor. Plume‐integrated total and interfacial mixing peak at max ambient flood and the timing of peak bottom‐generated mixing varies among partitioning methods. Two‐thirds of the mixing occurs in concentrated intense mixing areas. A parameter space with the ambient tidal Froude number and plume thickness to depth ratio as axes indicates many tidally modulated plumes are moderately to dominantly influenced by bottom‐generated tidal mixing.
Regional Inversion Shows Promise in Capturing Extreme‐Event‐Driven CO2 Flux Anomalies but Is Limited by Atmospheric CO2 Observational Coverage
Authors: Byrne B. , Liu J. , Bowman K. W. , Yin Y. , Yun J. , Ferreira G. D. , Ogle S. M. , Baskaran L. , He L. , Li X. , Xiao J. , Davis K. J.
Published: March 2024

Extreme climate events are becoming more frequent, with poorly understood implications for carbon sequestration by terrestrial ecosystems. A better understanding will critically depend on accurate and precise quantification of ecosystems responses to these events. Taking the 2019 US Midwest floods as a case study, we investigate current capabilities for tracking regional flux anomalies with “top‐down” inversion analyses that assimilate atmospheric CO2 observations. For this analysis, we develop a regionally nested version of the NASA Carbon Monitoring System‐Flux system for North America (CMS‐Flux‐NA) that allows high resolution atmospheric transport (0.5° × 0.625°). Relative to a 2018 baseline, we find the 2019 US Midwest growing season net carbon uptake is reduced by 11–57 TgC (3%–16%, range across assimilated CO2 data sets). These estimates are found to be consistent with independent “bottom‐up” estimates of carbon uptake based on vegetation remote sensing (15–78 TgC). We then investigate current limitations in tracking regional carbon budgets using “top‐down” methods. In a set of observing system simulation experiments, we show that the ability of atmospheric CO2 inversions to capture regional carbon flux anomalies is still limited by observational coverage gaps for both in situ and satellite observations. Future space‐based missions that allow for daily observational coverage across North America would largely mitigate these observational gaps, allowing for improved top‐down estimates of ecosystem responses to extreme climate events.
Phase-driven progress in nanophotonic biosensing
Authors: Barth Isabel , Lee Hakho
Published: March 2024

In the continuous pursuit of enhancing the sensitivity of nanophotonic biosensors by leveraging phase phenomena, a recent development involved the engineering of an atomically thin Ge2Sb2Te5 layer on a silver nanofilm to generate large Goos–Hänchen-shifts associated with phase singularities. The resulting detection limit reached ~7 × 10−7 RIU.
Multimodal digital assessment of depression with actigraphy and app in Hong Kong Chinese
Authors: Chen Jie , Chan Ngan Yin , Li Chun-Tung , Chan Joey W. Y. , Liu Yaping , Li Shirley Xin , Chau Steven W. H. , Leung Kwong Sak , Heng Pheng-Ann , Lee Tatia M. C. , Li Tim M. H. , Wing Yun-Kwok
Published: March 2024

There is an emerging potential for digital assessment of depression. In this study, Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and controls underwent a week of multimodal measurement including actigraphy and app-based measures (D-MOMO) to record rest-activity, facial expression, voice, and mood states. Seven machine-learning models (Random Forest [RF], Logistic regression [LR], Support vector machine [SVM], K-Nearest Neighbors [KNN], Decision tree [DT], Naive Bayes [NB], and Artificial Neural Networks [ANN]) with leave-one-out cross-validation were applied to detect lifetime diagnosis of MDD and non-remission status. Eighty MDD subjects and 76 age- and sex-matched controls completed the actigraphy, while 61 MDD subjects and 47 controls completed the app-based assessment. MDD subjects had lower mobile time (P = 0.006), later sleep midpoint (P = 0.047) and Acrophase (P = 0.024) than controls. For app measurement, MDD subjects had more frequent brow lowering (P = 0.023), less lip corner pulling (P = 0.007), higher pause variability (P = 0.046), more frequent self-reference (P = 0.024) and negative emotion words (P = 0.002), lower articulation rate (P < 0.001) and happiness level (P < 0.001) than controls. With the fusion of all digital modalities, the predictive performance (F1-score) of ANN for a lifetime diagnosis of MDD was 0.81 and 0.70 for non-remission status when combined with the HADS-D item score, respectively. Multimodal digital measurement is a feasible diagnostic tool for depression in Chinese. A combination of multimodal measurement and machine-learning approach has enhanced the performance of digital markers in phenotyping and diagnosis of MDD.
Progression free survival of myeloma patients who become IFE-negative correlates with the detection of residual monoclonal free light chain (FLC) by mass spectrometry
Authors: Giles H. V. , Drayson M. T. , Kishore B. , Pawlyn C. , Kaiser M. , Cook G. , de Tute R. , Owen R. G. , Cairns D. , Menzies T. , Davies F. E. , Morgan G. J. , Pratt G. , Jackson G. H.
Published: March 2024

Deeper responses are associated with improved survival in patients being treated for myeloma. However, the sensitivity of the current blood-based assays is limited. Historical studies suggested that normalisation of the serum free light chain (FLC) ratio in patients who were negative by immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) was associated with improved outcomes. However, recently this has been called into question. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based FLC assessments may offer a superior methodology for the detection of monoclonal FLC due to greater sensitivity. To test this hypothesis, all available samples from patients who were IFE negative after treatment with carfilzomib and lenalidomide-based induction and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the Myeloma XI trial underwent FLC-MS testing. FLC-MS response assessments from post-induction, day+100 post-ASCT and six months post-maintenance randomisation were compared to serum FLC assay results. Almost 40% of patients had discordant results and 28.7% of patients with a normal FLC ratio had residual monoclonal FLC detectable by FLC-MS. FLC-MS positivity was associated with reduced progression-free survival (PFS) but an abnormal FLC ratio was not. This study demonstrates that FLC-MS provides a superior methodology for the detection of residual monoclonal FLC with FLC-MS positivity identifying IFE-negative patients who are at higher risk of early progression.
Mesoscale DNA features impact APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B deaminase activity and shape tumor mutational landscapes
Authors: Sanchez Ambrocio , Ortega Pedro , Sakhtemani Ramin , Manjunath Lavanya , Oh Sunwoo , Bournique Elodie , Becker Alexandrea , Kim Kyumin , Durfee Cameron , Temiz Nuri Alpay , Chen Xiaojiang S. , Harris Reuben S. , Lawrence Michael S. , Buisson Rémi
Published: March 2024

Antiviral DNA cytosine deaminases APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B are major sources of mutations in cancer by catalyzing cytosine-to-uracil deamination. APOBEC3A preferentially targets single-stranded DNAs, with a noted affinity for DNA regions that adopt stem-loop secondary structures. However, the detailed substrate preferences of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B have not been fully established, and the specific influence of the DNA sequence on APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B deaminase activity remains to be investigated. Here, we find that APOBEC3B also selectively targets DNA stem-loop structures, and they are distinct from those subjected to deamination by APOBEC3A. We develop Oligo-seq, an in vitro sequencing-based method to identify specific sequence contexts promoting APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B activity. Through this approach, we demonstrate that APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B deaminase activity is strongly regulated by specific sequences surrounding the targeted cytosine. Moreover, we identify the structural features of APOBEC3B and APOBEC3A responsible for their substrate preferences. Importantly, we determine that APOBEC3B-induced mutations in hairpin-forming sequences within tumor genomes differ from the DNA stem-loop sequences mutated by APOBEC3A. Together, our study provides evidence that APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B can generate distinct mutation landscapes in cancer genomes, driven by their unique substrate selectivity.
Hepatic nutrient and hormone signaling to mTORC1 instructs the postnatal metabolic zonation of the liver
Authors: Plata-Gómez Ana Belén , de Prado-Rivas Lucía , Sanz Alba , Deleyto-Seldas Nerea , García Fernando , de la Calle Arregui Celia , Silva Camila , Caleiras Eduardo , Graña-Castro Osvaldo , Piñeiro-Yáñez Elena , Krebs Joseph , Leiva-Vega Luis , Muñoz Javier , Jain Ajay , Sabio Guadalupe , Efeyan Alejo
Published: March 2024

The metabolic functions of the liver are spatially organized in a phenomenon called zonation, linked to the differential exposure of portal and central hepatocytes to nutrient-rich blood. The mTORC1 signaling pathway controls cellular metabolism in response to nutrients and insulin fluctuations. Here we show that simultaneous genetic activation of nutrient and hormone signaling to mTORC1 in hepatocytes results in impaired establishment of postnatal metabolic and zonal identity of hepatocytes. Mutant hepatocytes fail to upregulate postnatally the expression of Frizzled receptors 1 and 8, and show reduced Wnt/β-catenin activation. This defect, alongside diminished paracrine Wnt2 ligand expression by endothelial cells, underlies impaired postnatal maturation. Impaired zonation is recapitulated in a model of constant supply of nutrients by parenteral nutrition to piglets. Our work shows the role of hepatocyte sensing of fluctuations in nutrients and hormones for triggering a latent metabolic zonation program.
Button shear testing for adhesion measurements of 2D materials
Authors: Schätz Josef , Nayi Navin , Weber Jonas , Metzke Christoph , Lukas Sebastian , Walter Jürgen , Schaffus Tim , Streb Fabian , Reato Eros , Piacentini Agata , Grundmann Annika , Kalisch Holger , Heuken Michael , Vescan Andrei , Pindl Stephan , Lemme Max C.
Published: March 2024

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are considered for numerous applications in microelectronics, although several challenges remain when integrating them into functional devices. Weak adhesion is one of them, caused by their chemical inertness. Quantifying the adhesion of 2D materials on three-dimensional surfaces is, therefore, an essential step toward reliable 2D device integration. To this end, button shear testing is proposed and demonstrated as a method for evaluating the adhesion of 2D materials with the examples of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), molybdenum disulfide, and tungsten diselenide on silicon dioxide and silicon nitride substrates. We propose a fabrication process flow for polymer buttons on the 2D materials and establish suitable button dimensions and testing shear speeds. We show with our quantitative data that low substrate roughness and oxygen plasma treatments on the substrates before 2D material transfer result in higher shear strengths. Thermal annealing increases the adhesion of hBN on silicon dioxide and correlates with the thermal interface resistance between these materials. This establishes button shear testing as a reliable and repeatable method for quantifying the adhesion of 2D materials.
Distinguishing preferences of human APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B for cytosines in hairpin loops, and reflection of these preferences in APOBEC-signature cancer genome mutations
Authors: Butt Yasha , Sakhtemani Ramin , Mohamad-Ramshan Rukshana , Lawrence Michael S. , Bhagwat Ashok S.
Published: March 2024

The APOBEC3 enzymes convert cytosines in single-stranded DNA to uracils to protect against viruses and retrotransposons but can contribute to mutations that diversify tumors. To understand the mechanism of mutagenesis, we map the uracils resulting from expression of APOBEC3B or its catalytic carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) in Escherichia coli. Like APOBEC3A, the uracilomes of A3B and A3B-CTD show a preference to deaminate cytosines near transcription start sites and the lagging-strand replication templates and in hairpin loops. Both biochemical activities of the enzymes and genomic uracil distribution show that A3A prefers 3 nt loops the best, while A3B prefers 4 nt loops. Reanalysis of hairpin loop mutations in human tumors finds intrinsic characteristics of both the enzymes, with a much stronger contribution from A3A. We apply Hairpin Signatures 1 and 2, which define A3A and A3B preferences respectively and are orthogonal to published methods, to evaluate their contribution to human tumor mutations.