bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Centering Africa as context and driver for Global Health Ethics: incompleteness, conviviality and the limits of Ubuntu
Authors: de Vries Jantina
Published: July 2024

Silences exist in global health ethics scholarship because of the particular caricatures of Africa that abound in the world, and these silences profoundly impact scholarship in this field. In this paper, I outline three such silences. The first concerns the consequences of representations of Africa as a place of theoretical scarcity, where the only theory seemingly worth mentioning is relational ontology. The second issue I highlight is the impact of dehumanization on global health and ethics. The third concerns the expectation that African science should serve the goal of development, which limits not only the scientific imagination but also the range of ethical questions that are engaged with. Finally, I turn to Francis Nyamnjoh’s theory of incompleteness and conviviality to propose a shift in bioethics scholarship towards increased focus on the interconnections, encounters and mutual dependency of people and places elsewhere. Incompleteness requires epistemic humility and a curiosity about the views and experiences of others; conviviality is the predisposition required to allow for meaningful exchanges and mutual learning in global health ethics. As a theoretical framework, incompleteness and conviviality are part of a rich African intellectual tradition to help articulate opportunities for a transformative research agenda that helps us understand our world, and its crises, better.
Legal and organizational bases of the fight against drug trafficking
Authors: Prohorova Marina , Mihaylov Aleksey , Pikin Ivan , Gorshkova Natal'ya , Zezyulina Tat'yana , Ivanova E. , Kudryavtsev Alexey , Tarakanov Il'ya Aleksandrovich , Tkachuk Tat'yana
Published: July 2024

The State anti-drug policy is one of the most important elements of the state policy in the field of combating crime. Organized forms of criminal activity in the field of drug trafficking are considered as a threat to the national security of Russia. This actualizes the need to study the directions, forms and methods of countering drug crime, including within the framework of a special course, for the development of which a textbook has been developed.
It includes a complex of knowledge related to the subject of criminal law, criminal procedure law, criminology, theory of operational investigative law, criminology, forensic examination. Combining the knowledge of various sciences of the criminal law cycle within one publication makes it possible to comprehensively consider the mechanisms of combating drug trafficking in the framework of detection, suppression, disclosure and investigation of crimes.
It is intended for students in higher educational institutions of a legal profile, while due to the complexity of the knowledge presented in the textbook, it may also be of interest to teachers, graduate students and practitioners of law enforcement agencies engaged in the prevention of crimes in the field of drug trafficking and the fight against them.
SARS-CoV-2 and mammals: A short revision
Authors: Corrales-Aguilar Eugenia , Murillo Tatiana
Published: July 2024

En 2019, se reportó un brote de neumonía de origen desconocido en China, que recordaba al brote por el virus del Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) durante los años 2002-2003.  En Febrero de 2020 se identificó al nuevo virus como miembro de la familia Coronaviridae (CoV), nombrado inicialmente como nCOV-19 y asociado con la enfermedad llamada COVID-19.  Posteriormente, fue renombrado como SARS-CoV-2 por el comité internacional sobre taxonomía de virus (ICTV por sus siglas en inglés), ya que comparte similitudes con 6 coronavirus humanos conocidos y descritos previamente, incluidos SARS-CoV y MERS-CoV.  Los murciélagos, reservorios de muchos coronavirus, fueron los primeros mamíferos implicados en el ciclo de transmisión hacia los humanos.  La búsqueda del reservorio natural u hospedero del SARS-CoV-2 se ha centrado en los murciélagos del género Rhinolophus (murciélagos herradura asiáticos).  Sin embargo, como ocurre con otros coronavirus, pueden ser necesarios hospederos intermediarios que aún no han sido identificados en la transmisión hacia humanos.  El propósito de este trabajo fue realizar una revisión sobre el conocimiento actual de los mamíferos hospederos del SARS-CoV-2 y las manifestaciones clínicas que han presentado.  Además, se exploran los reservorios potenciales, y se proponen hospederos intermediarios.  Finalmente, se enumeran los desafíos para identificar estas especies claves en el ciclo de transmisión del virus y se aboga por un enfoque de Una Salud para prevenir futuras pandemias.
Dengue and Zika flaviviruses in bats
Authors: Aréchiga-Ceballos Nidia , Rendón-Franco Emilio , Muñoz-García Claudia I. , Olave-Leyva Ignacio , Aguilar-Setién Alvaro
Published: July 2024

Los murciélagos son reservorios naturales de virus que afectan a los humanos; empero, su papel como reservorios del dengue (DENV) y Zika (ZIKV) es controversial.  Su detección molecular y serológica en varias especies sugiere receptividad.  Al contrario, otros estudios sugieren que no son receptivos, pues no detectan anticuerpos ni virus.  Se examina dicha controversia, analizando estudios de laboratorio y de campo y 4 publicaciones sobre infección experimental de murciélagos Artibeus sp. con DENV y ZIKV.  Informes contradictorios sobre la susceptibilidad de las líneas celulares de quirópteros para replicar el DENV pueden deberse al origen filogenéticamente divergente de células utilizadas; en un estudio que reporta producción viral, proceden de murciélagos del Viejo Mundo (Megachiroptera).  Estudios en los que no se detecta producción, proceden de murciélagos neotropicales (Yangochiroptera).  Los informes serológicos contradictorios pueden deberse a las pruebas utilizadas.  La prueba más precisa es la seroneutralización (SNT).  Estudios en los que se emplearon la inhibición de la hemaglutinación (HIT) o ensayos de inmunoabsorción ligado a enzimas (ELISA) podrían dar falsos positivos.  Así, las 4 infecciones experimentales analizadas en este trabajo utilizaron murciélagos neotropicales (Yangochiroptera) Artibeus sp. y en las 4 se reportó replicación viral ineficiente para ambos flavivirus mediante RT-PCR.  Considerando la SNT como un estándar, no se detecta seroconversión; empero, se reportaron alteraciones histopatológicas en murciélagos infectados experimentalmente.  Los resultados sugieren que murciélagos del género Aribeus sp., no son amplificadores eficientes del DENV o ZIKA; empero, ambos flavivirus podrían causarles alteraciones. Faltaría estudiar otras especies.
Presence of medium-sized mammals in a fragment of tropical forest on the banks of the Bacalar Lagoon, Quintana Roo
Authors: Sánchez-Zavalegui Romeo Alejandro , Cimé-Ruiz María Marcela , Tuz-Catzin Carlos
Published: July 2024

Las investigaciones faunísticas desempeñan un papel crucial en los estudios de conservación de la fauna y ecosistemas.  En el caso de Bacalar, existe escasez de investigaciones locales sobre la fauna silvestre.  El objetivo de esta investigación fue identificar la presencia de mastofauna en un fragmento de selva semiconservada asociada a la Laguna de Bacalar.  La investigación se llevó a cabo en el periodo 2022-2023.  Se empleó un muestreo sistemático con transectos de 1 km y 2 m de ancho, recorridos diurnos (7:00 hr) y nocturnos (20:00 hr), y la técnica de fototrampeo con 10 cámaras trampa colocadas en zonas estratégicas (senderos de fauna, abrevaderos y periferia de árboles frutales).  Se registró la presencia de 12 especies de mamíferos, pertenecientes a 6 órdenes y 9 familias, destacando el orden Carnivora con 4 especies.  Se obtuvo un segundo registró de Potos flavus (martucha) en Bacalar, y Herpailurus yagouaroundi (jaguarundi) y Leopardus wiedii (tigrillo) escasamente citados en la zona.  Durante la temporada de secas (mayo-agosto), se observaron 8 de las 12 especies reportadas.  La riqueza de depredadores del orden Carnivora se atribuye al buen estado de conservación del área de estudio y la presencia de presas.  Además, el aumento de registros durante la temporada de secas puede relacionarse con la Laguna de Bacalar como fuente de abrevadero.  Se destaca la importancia de los estudios locales de fauna y la necesidad de efectuar mayores estudios de la mastofauna del estado de Quintana Roo.
Mechanisms and risk factors contributing to equine gastric ulcer syndrome
Authors: Paul Linda , Banse Heidi
Published: July 2024

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is widely prevalent in the domestic equine population, especially among athletic horses. While there are still a lot of unknowns, there have been many recent research advances in veterinary understanding of equine gastric ulcer syndrome pathophysiology. Two of the most notable factors are the influential roles of stress and exercise.
The Twentieth-Century Adaptation of the Captivity Narrative and the Act of Looking in Elmore Leonard’s Western Stories
Authors: Marotta Melanie A.
Published: July 2024

Abstract: In Leonard’s two versions of the western captivity narrative, “The Colonel’s Lady” and “The Tonto Woman,” the female characters are briefly empowered through the one-sided gaze to resist the men who gaze and reject their restrictive societal rules. In this moment, the women refuse to accept oppressive actions, thereby using the gaze to their advantage. It is notable that in each of the stories only one woman has been included, thereby calling attention to the inequality that exists in American Western society. For a brief time, each female protagonist controls her destiny. Since these stories rely on captivity narratives as source material, however, eventually these women must return to white society: two-sided staring allows for the accumulation of knowledge, which assists in their return.
Inverse design of topological photonic time crystals via deep learning
Authors: Long Yang , Zou Linyang , Yu Letian , Hu Hao , Xiong Jiang , Zhang Baile
Published: July 2024

Photonic time crystals are a new kind of photonic system in modern optical physics, leading to devices with new properties in time. However, so far, it is still a challenge to design photonic time crystals with specific topological states due to the complex relations between time crystal structures and topological properties. Here, we propose a deep-learning-based approach to address this challenge. In a photonic time crystal with time inversion symmetry, each band separated by momentum gaps can have a non-zero quantized Berry phase. We show that the neural network can learn the relationship between time crystal structures and Berry phases, and then determine the crystal structures of photonic time crystals based on given Berry phase properties. Our work shows a new way of applying machine learning to the inverse design of time-varying optical systems and has potential extensions to other fields, such as time-varying phononic devices.
Parameter estimation in a whole-brain network model of epilepsy: Comparison of parallel global optimization solvers
Authors: Penas David R. , Hashemi Meysam , Jirsa Viktor K. , Banga Julio R.
Published: July 2024

The Virtual Epileptic Patient (VEP) refers to a computer-based representation of a patient with epilepsy that combines personalized anatomical data with dynamical models of abnormal brain activities. It is capable of generating spatio-temporal seizure patterns that resemble those recorded with invasive methods such as stereoelectro EEG data, allowing for the evaluation of clinical hypotheses before planning surgery. This study highlights the effectiveness of calibrating VEP models using a global optimization approach. The approach utilizes SaCeSS, a cooperative metaheuristic algorithm capable of parallel computation, to yield high-quality solutions without requiring excessive computational time. Through extensive benchmarking on synthetic data, our proposal successfully solved a set of different configurations of VEP models, demonstrating better scalability and superior performance against other parallel solvers. These results were further enhanced using a Bayesian optimization framework for hyperparameter tuning, with significant gains in terms of both accuracy and computational cost. Additionally, we added a scalable uncertainty quantification phase after model calibration, and used it to assess the variability in estimated parameters across different problems. Overall, this study has the potential to improve the estimation of pathological brain areas in drug-resistant epilepsy, thereby to inform the clinical decision-making process.
High coral heat tolerance at local-scale thermal refugia
Authors: Lachs Liam , Humanes Adriana , Mumby Peter J. , Donner Simon D. , Bythell John , Beauchamp Elizabeth , Bukurou Leah , Buzzoni Daisy , de la Torre Cerro Ruben , East Holly K. , Edwards Alasdair J. , Golbuu Yimnang , Martinez Helios M. , van der Steeg Eveline , Ward Alex , Guest James R.
Published: July 2024

Marine heatwaves and mass bleaching have devastated coral populations globally, yet bleaching severity often varies among reefs. To what extent a reef’s past exposure to heat stress influences coral bleaching and mortality remains uncertain. Here we identify persistent local-scale hotspots and thermal refugia among the reefs of Palau, Micronesia, based on 36 years of satellite-derived cumulative heat stress (degree heating weeks–DHW, units: °C-weeks). One possibility is that hotspots may harbour more heat tolerant corals due to acclimatisation, directional selection, and/or loss of tolerant genotypes. Historic patterns of assemblage-wide mass bleaching and marine heatwaves align with this hypothesis, with DHW-bleaching responses of hotspots occurring at 1.7°C-weeks greater heat stress than thermal refugia. This trend was consistent yet weaker for Acropora and corymbose Acropora, with severe bleaching risk reduced by 4–10% at hotspots. However, we find a contrasting pattern for Acropora digitifera exposed to a simulated marine heatwave. Fragments of 174 colonies were collected from replicate hotspot and thermal refugium outer reefs with comparable wave exposure and depth. Higher heat tolerance at thermal refugia (+0.7°C-weeks) and a correlation with tissue biomass suggests that factors other than DHW may overwhelm any spatially varying effects of past DHW exposure. Further, we found considerable A. digitifera heat tolerance variability across sites; compared to the least-tolerant 10% of colonies, the most-tolerant 10% could withstand additional heat stresses of 5.2 and 4.1°C-weeks for thermal refugia and hotspots, respectively. Our study demonstrates that hotspot reefs do not necessarily harbour more heat tolerant corals than nearby thermal refugia, and that mass bleaching patterns do not necessarily predict species responses. This nuance has important implications for designing climate-smart initiatives; for instance, in the search for heat tolerant corals, our results suggest that investing effort into identifying the most tolerant colonies within individual reefs may be warranted.
Bystander intervention is associated with reduced early mortality among injury victims in Cameroon
Authors: O’Connor Kathleen , Driban Matthew , Oke Rasheedat , Dissak-Delon Fanny Nadia , Tanjong Signe Mary Magdalene , Mirene Tchekep , Dieudonne Mbeya , Kinge Thompson , Njock Richard L. , Nkusu Daniel N. , Tsiagadigui Jean-Gustave , Edouka Cyrille , Wonja Catherine , Eisner Zachary , Delaney Peter , Julliard Catherine , Chichom-Mefire Alain , Christie S. Ariane
Published: July 2024

Despite high injury mortality rates, Cameroon currently lacks a formal prehospital care system. In other sub-Saharan African low and middle-income countries, Lay First Responder (LFR) programs have trained non-medical professionals with high work-related exposure to injury in principles of basic trauma care. To develop a context-appropriate LFR program in Cameroon, we used trauma registry data to understand current layperson bystander involvement in prehospital care and explore associations between current non-formally trained bystander-provided prehospital care and clinical outcomes. The Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) is a longitudinal, prospective, multisite trauma registry cohort capturing data on injured patients presenting to four hospitals in Cameroon. We assessed prevalence and patterns of prehospital scene care among all patients enrolled the CTR in 2020. Associations between scene care, clinical status at presentation, and outcomes were tested using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Injury severity was measured using the abbreviated injury score. Data were analyzed using Stata17. Of 2212 injured patients, 455 (21%) received prehospital care (PC) and 1699 (77%) did not receive care (NPC). Over 90% (424) of prehospital care was provided by persons without formal medical training. PC patients were more severely injured (p<0.001), had markers of increased socioeconomic status (p = 0.01), and longer transport distances (p<0.001) compared to NPC patients. Despite increased severity of injury, patients who received PC were more likely to present with a palpable pulse (OR = 6.2, p = 0.02). Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for injury severity, socioeconomic status and travel distance found PC to be associated with reduced emergency department mortality (OR = 0.14, p<0.0001). Although prehospital injury care in Cameroon is rarely performed and is provided almost entirely by persons without formal medical training, prehospital intervention is associated with increased early survival after injury. Implementation of LFR training to strengthen the frequency and quality of prehospital care has considerable potential to improve trauma survival.
Factors associated with self-reported diagnosed asthma in urban and rural Malawi: Observations from a population-based study of non-communicable diseases
Authors: Amoah Abena S. , McLean Estelle , Price Alison J. , Amberbir Alemayehu , Crampin Amelia C.
Published: July 2024

The growing burden of asthma in low- and middle-income countries has been linked to urbanisation and lifestyle changes. However, this burden has not been well characterised in adults. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of self-reported diagnosed asthma and associated factors in urban and rural adults in Malawi, Southern Africa. Within a cross-sectional population-based survey to determine the burden and risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the city of Lilongwe and rural Karonga district, we collected information on self-reported previously diagnosed asthma and asthma-related symptoms using an interviewer-led questionnaire. Other data collected included: demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status indicators, NCD comorbidities, environmental exposures, and anthropometric measurements. We used multivariable logistic regression models to explore factors associated with self-reported asthma adjusting for variables associated with the outcome in univariable analysis. Findings were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method. We analysed data from 30,483 adult participants (54.6% urban,45.4% rural and 61.9% female). A prior asthma diagnosis was reported in 5.1% of urban and 4.5% of rural participants. In urban females, being obese (>30 kg/m2) compared to normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) was associated with greater odds of asthma (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.26–2.01], p<0.001), after adjusting for confounders. We observed associations between previously diagnosed heart disease and asthma in female participants which remained significant in rural females after Bonferroni correction (OR = 2.30,95%CI [1.32–4.02], p = 0.003). Among rural males, current smokers had reduced odds of diagnosed asthma (OR = 0.46,95%CI [0.27–0.79], p = 0.004) compared to those who had never smoked. In Malawi the prevalence of self-reported diagnosed asthma was greatest in females and urban dwellers. Notably, our findings indicate relationships between excess body weight as well as comorbidities and diagnosed asthma in females. Future investigations using longitudinally collected data and clinical measurements of asthma are needed to better understand these associations.
Maternal selenium deficiency was positively associated with the risk of selenium deficiency in children aged 6–59 months in rural Zimbabwe
Authors: Mutonhodza Beaula , Manzeke-Kangara Muneta G. , Bailey Elizabeth H. , Matsungo Tonderayi M. , Chopera Prosper
Published: July 2024

There is growing evidence showing the existence of selenium (Se) deficiency among women and children in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, the key drivers of Se deficiency are not clearly understood. This study assessed the determinants of Se deficiency among children aged 6–59 months and Women of Reproductive Age (WRA), in Zimbabwe. This cross-sectional biomarker study was conducted in selected districts in rural Zimbabwe (Murewa, Shamva, and Mutasa). Children aged 6–59 months (n = 683) and WRA (n = 683), were selected using a systematic random sampling approach. Venous blood samples were collected, processed, and stored according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Plasma selenium concentration was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Anthropometric indices were assessed and classified based on WHO standards. Demographic characteristics were adapted from the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey standard questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that children whose mothers were Se deficient were 4 times more likely to be Se deficient compared to those whose mothers were Se adequate (OR = 4.25; 95% CI; 1.55–11.67; p = 0.005). Girl children were 3 times more likely to be Se deficient compared to boys (OR = 2.84; 95% CI; 1.08–7.51; p = 0.035). Women producing maize for consumption were 0.5 times more likely to be Se deficient than non-producers (OR = 0.47; 95% CI; 0.25–0.90; p = 0.022). The risk of Se depletion in children was amplified by maternal deficiency. Therefore, initiation of maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation from preconception through lactation is beneficial to both children and women.
Preferences regarding COVID-19 vaccination among 12,000 adults in China: A cross-sectional discrete choice experiment
Authors: Yu Fengyun , Jiao Lirui , Chen Qiushi , Wang Qun , De Allegri Manuela , Cao Zhong , Chen Wenjin , Ma Xuedi , Wang Chao , Wachinger Jonas , Jin Zhangfeng , Bunker Aditi , Geldsetzer Pascal , Yang Juntao , Xue Lan , Bärnighausen Till , Chen Simiao
Published: July 2024

Understanding public preferences concerning vaccination is critical to inform pandemic response strategies. To investigate Chinese adults’ preferences regarding COVID-19 vaccine attributes, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey in 12,000 Chinese adults in June-July, 2021. Participants were requested to answer a series of discrete choice questions related to hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines. Using mixed logit models, our analysis revealed that participants had a higher preference for COVID-19 vaccines with longer duration of protection (coefficient: 1.272, 95% confidence interval [1.016 to 1.529]) and higher efficacy (coefficient: 1.063, [0.840, 1.287]). Conversely, participants demonstrated a lower preference associated with higher risk of rare but serious side-effects (coefficient: -1.158, [-1.359, -0.958]), oral administration (coefficient: -0.211, [-0.377, -0.046]), more doses (coefficient: -0.148, [-0.296, 0.000]) and imported origin (coefficient: -0.653, [-0.864, -0.443]). Moreover, preferences were heterogeneous by individual factors: highly educated participants were more sensitive to the negative vaccine attributes including price (coefficient -0.312, [-0.370, -0.253]) and imported vaccine (coefficient -0.941, [-1.186, -0.697]); there was also substantial heterogeneity in vaccine preferences with respect to age group, marital status, work status, income, chronic diagnosis history, COVID-19 vaccination history and geographic regions. As the first study of examining the public preferences for COVID-19 vaccine in China with a large nationwide sample of 12,000 adults, our results indicate that future vaccine should pose lower risk, possess longer protection period, have higher efficacy, be domestically produced, and have lower costs to increase the COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Our current study findings from this study provide insights and recommendations for not only COVID-19 vaccine design but also vaccine attribute preferences to increase vaccine uptake in potential future pandemics.
Senior executive characteristics: Impact on ESG practices and corporate valuation relationship
Authors: Cai Chunhua , Geng Yannan , Yang Fufei
Published: July 2024

In recent years, sustainable development and green growth and performance of companies in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) has received widespread attention from all sectors of society. Based on panel data of A-share listed companies in China from 2009 to 2022, this study employs a two-way fixed effects model to explore the mechanism of the relationship between ESG practices and corporate value, as well as the moderating effect of executive characteristics within this relationship. The results indicate a robust positive relationship between ESG practices and corporate value. ‎However, this relationship is moderated by the academic backgrounds of senior ‎executives, who negatively influence it, and by male executives, who exert a positive ‎moderating effect. Furthermore, this study reveals the variable impacts of ESG practices in different corporate ‎settings, industries, and institutional frameworks. Moreover, it demonstrates how ESG practices ‎boost corporate value through an enhanced reputation and increased government innovation ‎subsidies. It offers new insights on the strategic value of ESG for corporations and ‎policymakers. It also extends the theoretical framework by integrating attention-based and upper ‎echelons perspectives into the ESG discourse. ‎
Patterns of inpatient acute care and emergency department utilization within one year post-initial amputation among individuals with dysvascular major lower extremity amputation in Ontario, Canada: A population-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Guilcher Sara J. T. , Mayo Amanda L. , Swayze Sarah , de Mestral Charles , Viana Ricardo , Payne Michael W. , Dilkas Steven , Devlin Michael , MacKay Crystal , Kayssi Ahmed , Hitzig Sander L.
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Lower extremity amputation (LEA) is a life altering procedure, with significant negative impacts to patients, care partners, and the overall health system. There are gaps in knowledge with respect to patterns of healthcare utilization following LEA due to dysvascular etiology.

Objective

To examine inpatient acute and emergency department (ED) healthcare utilization among an incident cohort of individuals with major dysvascular LEA 1 year post-initial amputation; and to identify factors associated with acute care readmissions and ED visits.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using population-level administrative data.

Setting

Ontario, Canada.

Population

Adults individuals (18 years or older) with a major dysvascular LEA between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2018.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main outcome measures

Acute care hospitalizations and ED visits within one year post-initial discharge.

Results

A total of 10,905 individuals with major dysvascular LEA were identified (67.7% male). There were 14,363 acute hospitalizations and 19,660 ED visits within one year post-discharge from initial amputation acute stay. The highest common risk factors across all the models included age of 65 years or older (versus less than 65 years), high comorbidity (versus low), and low and moderate continuity of care (versus high). Sex differences were identified for risk factors for hospitalizations, with differences in the types of comorbidities increasing risk and geographical setting.

Conclusion

Persons with LEA were generally more at risk for acute hospitalizations and ED visits if higher comorbidity and lower continuity of care. Clinical care efforts might focus on improving transitions from the acute setting such as coordinated and integrated care for sub-populations with LEA who are more at risk.
Evaluation of a national program to distribute free face masks in Uganda: Evidence from Mbale District
Authors: Jakubowski Aleksandra , Egger Dennis , Mulebeke Ronald , Akankwasa Pius , Muruta Allan , Kiwanuka Noah , Wanyenze Rhoda K.
Published: July 2024

Background

COVID-19 posed a major threat to countries around the world, but many nations in sub-Saharan Africa avoided large-scale outbreaks. In Uganda, the government first enacted strict lockdowns but later focused on public health policies like masking and distancing. The government also embarked on an ambitious campaign to deliver a free face mask to all Ugandan citizens (approx. 30 million masks). We test whether mask distribution, and public education and encouragement of mask use by community health volunteers, affected mask behavior.

Methods

We collected data about mask behavior before and after masks were distributed in the Mbale district of Uganda. Trained enumerators directly observed mask wearing in public places and asked about mask use via phone surveys. We compared observed and self-reported mask behavior before and after masks were distributed. We also tested whether training volunteers from randomly selected villages to educate the public about COVID-19 and masks affected behavior, attitudes, and knowledge among mask recipients.

Results

We collected 6,381 direct observations of mask use at baseline (February 2021) and 19,855 observations at endline (April 2021). We conducted a listing of 9,410 households eligible for phone surveys and randomly selected 399 individuals (4.2%) at baseline and 640 (6.8%) at endline. Fewer than 1% of individuals were observed wearing masks at baseline: 0.9% were seen with a mask and 0.5% wore masks over mouth and nose. Mask wearing significantly increased at endline but remained low: 1.8% of people were observed with masks and 1.1% were seen wearing masks correctly after the distribution campaign. At the same time, a high proportion of people reported using masks: 63.0% of people reported using masks at baseline and 65.3% at endline when walking around their villages. When respondents were asked about mask use in public places, 94.7% reported using masks at baseline and 97.4% reported using masks at endline. We found no differences in knowledge, behavior, or attitudes among mask recipients in villages where volunteers were tasked with conveying information about COVID-19 and masks during distribution.

Conclusion

Mask use remained low in Mbale district of Uganda during study observation period even after free masks were distributed. Encouraging new health behaviors may need to involve more intensive interventions that include reminders and address social norms.
Public network attention to hiking in China and its influencing factors
Authors: Zhang Qing , Sun Huazhen , Lin Qiuyan , Lin Kaimiao , Chong Kim Mee
Published: July 2024

In the process of hikers’ choosing a destination, searching for information is one of the important elements, playing a decisive role in decision-making. Based on the Baidu Index for “hiking,” this paper analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of and factors that influenced network attention to hiking in China from 2016 to 2021. The study found that (1) Network attention to hiking in China was generally relatively stable across the period studied, with highly uneven distribution between different months. The search volume was higher on weekends, and mobile searches increased year by year, far exceeding computer searches. (2) Different regions in China experienced different levels of network attention, with the highest levels in the east, followed by the center, and the lowest in the west. Except for East China, network attention to hiking was highly unevenly distributed within each region. (3) The COVID-19 pandemic increased the geographical concentration index and coefficient of variation but reduced the primacy index. A region’s level of economic development, degree of network development, population size, and population age structure are proposed as factors that affect network attention to hiking.
Pooled prevalence, spatial variation and associated factors of HIV testing uptake among multiple sexual partners in Sub Saharan Africa: Spatial and multilevel analysis
Authors: Lealem Emebet Birhanu , Zeleke Ejigu Gebeye , Andargie Betelhem Abebe , Wagnew Alemakef
Published: July 2024

Background

Uptake of HIV testing is vital for the early diagnosis of HIV infection and initiation of treatment, which are used to eliminate the disease’s progression and reduce HIV-related mortality. Even if determining HIV testing is imperative to prevent HIV/AIDS among multiple sexual partners who are at higher risk of sexually transmitted infections, most of the countries in Sub Saharan Africa did not fulfil the global targets of UNAIDS. Moreover there is a paucity of literature on spatial variation and factors associated with HIV testing among high-risk groups in SSA. This study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence, spatial variation and determinants of HIV testing uptake among multiple sexual partners in Sub Saharan Africa.

Methods

The Demographic and Health Surveys data conducted between 2011 and 2021 in 30 Sub-Saharan Africa countries was used to analyze total weighted sample of 56,210 multiple sexual partners. Exploratory spatial data analysis, with countries as the unit of analysis was conducted using ArcGIS V10.7.1 and Sat Scan V 10.1 soft wares. A multilevel binary logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with the HIV testing uptake. The Adjusted odds Ratio with a 95% confidence interval was reported to declare the strength of association and their statistical significance.

Results

The spatial patterns of HIV testing uptake were found to be non-random. Primary clusters were identified around western and central sub- regions. Multiple sexual partners who were ever married, those attended primary level and above education, those from rich wealth status, aged above 24 years, having good HIV related knowledge, and exposed to media were positive association with HIV testing uptake. However, being male, having working status and living in rural area were negatively associated with HIV testing uptake. At the community-level, multiple sexual partners from communities in Eastern and southern sub regions, countries with upper middle income and countries with the survey year after 2014 were more likely to utilize HIV testing services compared with their counterparts.

Conclusion

In this study, the pooled prevalence of the HIV testing uptake among multiple sexual partners was found to be lower than the universal target and showed differences in HIV testing uptake across Sub-Saharan Africa region. Both individual and community-level factors affected HIV testing uptake among multiple sexual partners. Stakeholders should implement interventions to help increase the uptake of HIV testing among those risky groups in this region.
La excelencia en la escuela católica según el profesorado en formación: Análisis crítico-discursivo de las memorias de prácticas
Authors: Pineda-Alfonso José Antonio , Luna Diego
Published: July 2024

Para sobrevivir en el competitivo mercado de los centros educativos concertados y privados, la escuela católica ha experimentado últimamente una reconversión que le ha llevado a integrar nuevos tópicos discursivos (excelencia, calidad, resultados, innovación, etc.) en su particular modelo pedagógico. En el estudio que se presenta, se exploró el verdadero impacto de estos cambios desde la perspectiva del profesorado novel que realiza sus prácticas en escuelas concertadas católicas de la provincia de Sevilla (España). Para ello, se aplicó un procedimiento analítico múltiple sobre el material lingüístico de las memorias de prácticas elaboradas por dichos sujetos. Los resultados cuantitativos y cualitativos reflejan la existencia de determinados campos semánticos y categorías de análisis indicativas de las recientes transformaciones discursivas de la escuela católica. Tales transformaciones, impulsadas por el objetivo de ofrecer las propuestas educativas más diversas, innovadoras y efectivas, se alinean directamente con los parámetros del neoliberalismo educativo.
Study Shows New Co-Star Receptor to be Promising in Cancer Treatment
Authors: Hofland Peter ,   Sunvalley Communication, LLC / Onco'Zine
Published: July 2024

T-cell therapies such as engineered T-cell receptors or TCRs and Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) T-Cell have, with a doubt, revolutionized the health outcomes for patients diagnosed with certain subsets of B cell leukemia or lymphoma, while, at the same time offer durable clinical responses. However, there are numerous challenges that limit the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T-cells in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Among the barriers to of these therapies are severe life-threatening toxicities, possible side effects such as cytokine release syndrome, modest anti-tumor activity, antigen escape, restricted trafficking, and limited tumor infiltration. To overcome the limitations, scientists have produced so called Co-stimulatory Synthetic T-cell receptor and Antigen Receptor or Co-STAR cells.
Ember, gép, 200 év
Authors: Mátyás-Péter Tamás , Tósoki Samu
Published: July 2024

Az első ipari forradalommal a termelési folyamatokban megjelenő gépek térhódítása gyökeresen megváltoztatta a munka társadalmi megítélését, a munkavállalók helyzetét. Egyrészt a gyártás gépesítése elleni lázadások ellenére a termelésbővítés megtörtént. Másrészt a korábban jellemzően vízből származó energiával működő korai gépeket leváltotta a gőzgép, amelyek teljesítménye sokkal kevésbé függött a környezeti tényezőktől. Már nem volt a közeli vízpart telepítési tényező. A korábbi időszakhoz viszonyított extraprofitból a munkavállalóknak is jutott: a szintén környezeti tényezőknek kiszolgáltatott mezőgazdaság felől a foglalkoztatottsági struktúra a városi, ipari munkahelyek arányának növekedését eredményezte. Az ezzel járó relatív autonómia csökkenést az életszínvonal növekedése kompenzálta.
STRATEGY AND PARTICIPATION OF COFFEE AGRO-TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN WAGIR DISTRICT, MALANG REGENCY
Authors: Risvita Wuwun , Parmawati Rita , Mulyadi Fadli , Mamilianti Wenny
Published: July 2024

The coffee commodity and supported by a unique landscape on Mount Kawi's slopes, is an excellent potential for Wagir District to develop into a coffee agrotourism destination. This development cannot be separated from the cooperation needed from the government to the community, especially farmers so that this Coffee Agrotourism can have a welfare and sustainability impact on society and the environment.  Also, this study aims to describe the condition of coffee plantations and the level of community participation in their management and to analyze the company's internal and external factors that can formulate appropriate development strategies. Mixed methods were used in this research, and analytical tools such as AHP-SWOT and the Arnstein Participation Ladder Analysis were used. The study results showed that community participation in developing coffee agro-tourism is still relatively low. It is triggered by limited understanding and knowledge regarding the concept of agro-tourism. Recommendations for development strategies are based on the level of participation and conditions in the field, namely by increasing field extension resources to increase farmer institutions' role in creating good coffee agro-tourism. Good farmer institutions are expected to maintain coffee quality and uniformity of coffee quality through farmer groups and improve marketing efficiency.
Effects of Depsidones from Hypogymnia physodes on HeLa Cell Viability and Growth
Authors: Stojanović I. Ž. , Najman S. , Jovanović O. , Petrović G. , Najdanović J. , Vasiljević P. , Šmelcerović Andrija
Published: July 2024

The anti-proliferative activitiy of Hypogymnia physodes methanol extracts (ME) and its main constituents, physodalic acid (P1), physodic acid (P2), and 3-hydroxy physodic acid (P3), was tested on human cancer HeLa cell lines. Three lichen depsidones, P1, P2 and P3, were isolated from H. physodes ME using column chromatography and their structures were determined by UV, ESI TOF MS, 1H and 13C NMR. The content of P1, P2 and P3 in ME was determined using reversed-phase highperformance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. P1–3 represented even 70 % of the studied extract. The HeLa cells were incubated during 24 and 72 h in the presence of ME and depsidones P1, P2 and P3, at concentrations of 10–1000 μg/ml. Compounds P2 and P3 showed higher activity than compound P1. Half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50, μg/ml) of P1, P2, P3 and ME for 24-h incubation were 964, 171, 97 and 254 μg/ml, respectively, while for 72-h incubation they were 283, 66, 63 and 68 μg/ml. As far as we know, this is the first report on the effect of H. physodes ME and their depsidones on HeLa cells.
Działania prokuratury po wniesieniu zażalenia na postanowienia zamykające drogę do wydania wyroku
Authors: Karlik Piotr
Published: July 2024

Opracowanie dotyczy oceny działania prokuratury po wniesieniu przez pokrzywdzonego zażalenia na postanowienie o odmowie wszczęcia lub umorzenia postępowania. Jak pokazuje obecna praktyka, spotykamy tutaj specyficzne zachowanie organu, które w konsekwencji może prowadzić do istotnego naruszenia uprawnień procesowych pokrzywdzonego. Przedmiotem publikacji jest krytyczna ocena takiego działania oparta na gruntownej analizie przepisów regulujących funkcjonowanie postępowania w tym właśnie zakresie. Wniesienie środka odwoławczego, czyli poddanie decyzji procesowej kontroli odwoławczej, powinno petryfikować postępowanie dowodowe i wyłączać jakąkolwiek aktywność procesową, bez uprzedniej decyzji o podjęciu postępowania na skutek uwzględnienia zażalenia. W przeciwnym wypadku zostaje podważony sens sądowej kontroli, a w konsekwencji prawo do sądu zostaje istotnie ograniczone. Poniższe rozważania mają na celu wskazanie problemu istniejącego w praktyce i zwrócenie uwagi na negatywne konsekwencje z niej wynikające. Jak bowiem wynika z prezentowanych analiz, nie ulega wątpliwości, że obecna sytuacja musi ulec zmianie.
Satysfakcja z miejsca zamieszkania: analiza porównawcza państw Unii Europejskiej
Authors: Sadko Maria
Published: July 2024

Przedmiotem artykułu jest poziom satysfakcji z miejsca zamieszkania wśród mieszkańców państw Unii Europejskiej. Celem badania jest porównanie odczuwanego przez mieszkańców tych państw zadowolenia związanego z ich miejscem zamieszkania, podzielenie państw UE na jednorodne grupy ze względu na wcześniej wspomnianą satysfakcję, jak również ocena, czy modele polityki mieszkaniowej i społecznej realizowane w danych państwach są zbieżne z wynikami grupowania, oraz określenie, czy w powstałych grupach występuje zjawisko deprywacji mieszkaniowej. Dane zaczerpnięto z dwóch źródeł: Europejskiego Badania Jakości Życia (EQLS) 2016, które zawiera m.in. zmienne odzwierciedlające subiektywne poczucie satysfakcji z miejsca zamieszkania respondentów, oraz bazy danych Eurostat, zawierającej m.in. informacje na temat deprywacji mieszkaniowej. Analiza pokazała, że optymalnym rozwiązaniem jest podział państw na pięć grup. W powstałych grupach przeanalizowano, w jakim stopniu mieszkańcy odczuwają satysfakcję z miejsca zamieszkania, dzięki temu wskazano zbiory mieszkańców najbardziej oraz najmniej zadowolonych z miejsca swojego zamieszkania. Ponadto wykazano, że istnieje zauważalny związek między modelem polityki mieszkaniowej stosowanym w danym państwie a wynikami grupowania, natomiast w przypadku modeli polityki społecznej nie zauważono analogicznych powiązań. Dodatkowo wskazano, które elementy deprywacji mieszkaniowej występowały najczęściej, a które najrzadziej w wyznaczonych grupach państw. Problemami, które dotykają znaczną część gospodarstw domowych we wszystkich wyznaczonych grupach, są nadmierna wilgotność, hałas z ulicy lub od sąsiadów, zanieczyszczenie oraz przestępczość w okolicy miejsca zamieszkania. Artykuł wnosi wkład do literatury na temat jakości zamieszkania, która jest jednym z istotnych aspektów jakości życia. Pokazuje, które państwa są podobne ze względu na odczuwaną przez mieszkańców satysfakcję z miejsca zamieszkania oraz od czego to podobieństwo może zależeć.
Surgimiento y evolución de los sistemas de normalización para laboratorios clínicos
Authors: Khattar Rita B. , Nehme Maha E.
Published: July 2024

Introducción

La historia y evolución de la normalización de las actividades de laboratorio clínico va acompasada con el desarrollo de normas de calidad internacionales.

Contenido

En el presente estudio, presentamos los hitos que marcan las diferentes etapas en la evolución de los sistemas de calidad, a lo largo de las últimas décadas. La acreditación del cumplimiento de las normas nacionales e internacionales de calidad es obligatoria en la mayoría de los países. La aplicación de normas de calidad garantiza el reconocimiento internacional de la validez de los resultados informados a multitud de actores, especialmente a pacientes y médicos.

La nueva norma ISO 15189 es la norma internacional más específica dirigida a todo tipo de laboratorios clínicos.

Perspectiva

Sería necesario investigar más a fondo si las prácticas de laboratorio reflejan la evolución real de los estándares dentro del campo del laboratorio médico.
FAST-EM array tomography: a workflow for multibeam volume electron microscopy
Authors: Kievits Arent J. , Duinkerken B. H. Peter , Lane Ryan , de Heus Cecilia , van Beijeren Bergen en Henegouwen Daan , Höppener Tibbe , Wolters Anouk H. G. , Liv Nalan , Giepmans Ben N. G. , Hoogenboom Jacob P.
Published: July 2024

Elucidating the 3D nanoscale structure of tissues and cells is essential for understanding the complexity of biological processes. Electron microscopy (EM) offers the resolution needed for reliable interpretation, but the limited throughput of electron microscopes has hindered its ability to effectively image large volumes. We report a workflow for volume EM with FAST-EM, a novel multibeam scanning transmission electron microscope that speeds up acquisition by scanning the sample in parallel with 64 electron beams. FAST-EM makes use of optical detection to separate the signals of the individual beams. The acquisition and 3D reconstruction of ultrastructural data from multiple biological samples is demonstrated. The results show that the workflow is capable of producing large reconstructed volumes with high resolution and contrast to address biological research questions within feasible acquisition time frames.
Terms of Latin origin relating to sample characterization (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Peterson Vanessa K. , Bianchini Matteo , Chapman Karena W. , Elice Martina , Hibbert David Brynn , Roche Paul , Silvano Luigi , Stievano Lorenzo
Published: July 2024

The use of Latin origin terms, relevant for sample characterization modalities, is described with a focus on samples under controlled conditions, samples within devices, and samples during physico-chemical evolution. The terms in vitro, in vivo, in situ, ab initio, in silico, post mortem, ex situ, posthumous, in vacuo, (in) operando, post facto, and ex post facto, as used in the scientific literature, are considered. Uses of the Latin origin terms in situ, extra situm, in operando, in vivo, in vacuo, in vitro, extra vivum, post facto and ex post facto, ab initiis, computatro, and post mortem are discussed. It is suggested that these terms are to be used without hyphenation and that all Latin derived terms are set in italic font.