bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Undervalued essential work and lacking health literacy as determinants of COVID-19 infection risks: a qualitative interview study among foreign-born workers in Sweden
Authors: Söderberg Mia , Magnusson Maria , Swaid Juhaina , Jakobsson Kristina , Rosengren Annika
Published: December 2023

Objectives

To investigate work and living conditions as determinants of COVID-19 infection risks in foreign-born workers in non-healthcare occupations.

Design

Data were collected according to a qualitative design, using semistructured interviews. Verbatim transcripts of these interviews were analysed according to systematic text condensation.

Participants

We recruited foreign-born workers (n=15) and union representatives (n=6) among taxi drivers, bus and tram drivers, pizza bakers, cleaners and property caretakers, all indicated as risk occupations during COVID-19 in Sweden.

Results

Four overarching themes were found: ‘virus exposure at work’, ‘aspects of low status and undervalued work’, ‘lack of access to information’ and ‘foreign-born persons’ position’. Virus exposure was frequent due to many social interactions over a workday, out of which several were physically close, sometimes to the point of touching. The respondents fulfilled important societal functions, but their work was undervalued due to low job status, and they had little influence on improving safety at work. Lack of health literacy limited foreign-born workers to access information about COVID-19 infection risks and protection, since most information from health organisations and employers was only available in Swedish and not adapted to their living conditions or disseminated through unknown channels. Instead, many turned to personal contacts or social media, through which a lot of misinformation was spread. Foreign-born persons were also subjected to exploitation since a Swedish residency permit could depend on maintaining employment, making it almost impossible to make demands for improved safety at work.

Conclusions

Structural factors and a lack of adapted information manifested themselves as fewer possibilities for protection against COVID-19. In a globalised world, new widespread diseases are likely to occur, and more knowledge is needed to protect all workers equally. Our results are transferable to similar contexts and bring forth aspects that can be tried in quantitative studies or public health interventions.Cite Now
Benefits of cardiac coherence combined with medical hypnosis on preoperative anxiety before cancer surgery: the COHEC II study trial protocol
Authors: Amraoui Jibba , Bordenave Lauriane , Leclerc Gilles , Salvignol Geneviève , Jarlier Marta , Fiess Catherine , Philibert Laurent , Fuzier Régis , Touraine Célia
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Preoperative anxiety is a frequent problem that can lead to complications both during anaesthesia and in the postoperative period, especially in oncology. Studies have shown that it can be managed using non-pharmacological approaches, but few works have evaluated psychoeducational programmes. The aim of the COHErence Cardiaque (COHEC) II Study is to evaluate the combination of medical hypnosis (MH) and cardiac coherence (CC) training to manage preoperative anxiety in patients with cancer.

Methods and analysis

COHEC II is an ongoing multicentre randomised clinical trial carried out in three French comprehensive cancer centres. In total, 296 patients who will undergo surgery for cancer will be recruited during 18 months and will be randomised in the control arm or the intervention arm. Patients in the intervention arm will follow a daily programme that combines MH and CC, starting 7 days before surgery. The control arm will receive the standard treatment to manage preoperative anxiety. The primary endpoint is the anxiety level on surgery day, measured using a Visual Analogue Scale. Secondary endpoints are patient adherence to the programme, satisfaction and postsurgery recovery quality.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the French Ethics Committee (Comité de Protection des Personnes EST-II) on 24 November 2021 and will be carried out following the good practice guidelines and the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT05197972.
Development of indicators for avoidable emergency medical service calls by mapping paramedic clinical impression codes to ambulatory care sensitive conditions and mental health conditions in the UK and Canada
Authors: Agarwal Gina , Siriwardena Aloysius Niroshan , McLeod Brent , Spaight Robert , Whitley Gregory Adam , Ferron Richard , Pirrie Melissa , Angeles Ricardo , Moore Harriet , Gussy Mark
Published: December 2023

Objective

Paramedic assessment data have not been used for research on avoidable calls. Paramedic impression codes are designated by paramedics on responding to a 911/999 medical emergency after an assessment of the presenting condition. Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are non-acute health conditions not needing hospital admission when properly managed. This study aimed to map the paramedic impression codes to ACSCs and mental health conditions for use in future research on avoidable 911/999 calls.

Design

Mapping paramedic impression codes to existing definitions of ACSCs and mental health conditions.

Setting

East Midlands Region, UK and Southern Ontario, Canada.

Participants

Expert panel from the UK-Canada Emergency Calls Data analysis and GEospatial mapping (EDGE) Consortium.

Results

Mapping was iterative first identifying the common ACSCs shared between the two countries then identifying the respective clinical impression codes for each country that mapped to those shared ACSCs as well as to mental health conditions. Experts from the UK-Canada EDGE Consortium contributed to both phases and were able to independently match the codes and then compare results. Clinical impression codes for paramedics in the UK were more extensive than those in Ontario. The mapping revealed some interesting inconsistencies between paramedic impression codes but also demonstrated that it was possible.

Conclusion

This is an important first step in determining the number of ASCSs and mental health conditions that paramedics attend to, and in examining the clinical pathways of these individuals across the health system. This work lays the foundation for international comparative health services research on integrated pathways in primary care and emergency medical services.
Qualitative exploration of the perceptions of exercise in patients with cancer initiated during chemotherapy: a meta-synthesis
Authors: Andersen Christina , Adamsen Lis , Damhus Christina Sadolin , Piil Karin , Missel Malene , Jarden Mary , Larsen Anders , Larsen Hanne Baekgaard , Møller Tom
Published: December 2023

Objective

To synthesise qualitative literature on (1) the perceptions of patients with cancer of participating in an exercise intervention while undergoing chemotherapy and (2) to inform and guide professionals in oncology and haematology practice.

Design

A qualitative meta-synthesis based on Noblit and Hare’s seven-step meta-ethnography.

Data sources

Six electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, SCI-Expanded—SSCI and Scopus (final search June 2022) were used to identify qualitative literature containing individual or focus group interviews. The transparency of reporting for each study was assessed using the Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research checklist.

Results

The search identified 5002 articles, 107 of which were selected for full-text review. Seventeen articles from five countries with patients undergoing chemotherapy during exercise interventions were included. Eleven articles were included in the meta-synthesis, which comprised 193 patients with various cancer diagnoses, disease stages, sexes and ages. Four main themes were identified: chemotherapy overpowers the body; exercise in battle with side effects; a break from gloomy thoughts; and a question of survivorship.

Conclusions and implications

The meta-synthesis emphasised that patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and simultaneously participating in exercise interventions may experience momentary relief from overwhelming side effects, even though full bodily recovery may be perceived as a distant prospect. The synthesis offers a sparse empirical basis for gaining insight into what patients experience existentially following exercise interventions. It is up to patients to independently apply the transfer value of exercise to their own existential circumstances.
Prevalence of and factors associated with uncontrolled hypertension among patients with early chronic kidney disease attending tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Katatwire Denis D , Meremo Alfred
Published: December 2023

Objective

To determine the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension and its associated factors among patients with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) attending medical outpatient clinics at tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Two tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Participants

The participants in this study were adult patients (≥18 years) with early CKD stages (1, 2 and 3) who were attending nephrology and medical outpatient clinics from November 2020 to March 2021. Patients who had been attending the clinic for at least 3 months, had baseline clinical data on their files, had estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2and who provided written informed consent were eligible. A total of 352 patients were enrolled, of whom 182 were men and 170 were women.

Outcome measure

The dependent variable was uncontrolled hypertension among patients with early CKD, based on blood pressure measurements.

Results

The prevalence of hypertension was 58.5% (206 of 352) and the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 58.3% (120 of 206). Among patients with uncontrolled hypertension, 88.3% (106 of 120) had CKD stage 3, 80.2% (96 of 120) reported non-adherence to antihypertensives, 76.7% (92 of 120) were overweight or obese, 72.5% (87 of 120) reported current alcohol use and 26.7% (32 of 120) had diabetes mellitus. Factors that contributed to higher odds of uncontrolled hypertension were: age ≥50 years (OR=5.17, 95 % CI 2.37 to 13.33, p=0.001), alcohol use (OR=11.21, 95% CI 3.83 to 32.84, p=0.001), non-adherence to antihypertensives (OR=10.19, 95% CI 4.22 to 24.61, p=0.001), overweight/obesity (OR=6.28, 95% CI 2.54 to 15.53, p=0.001) and CKD stage 3 (OR=3.52, 95% CI 1.32 to 9.42, p=0.012).

Conclusion

Uncontrolled hypertension was highly prevalent among patients with early CKD in this setting and was associated with age, current alcohol use, non-adherence to antihypertensives, overweight/obesity and declining eGFR.
Taxonomy of advanced access practice profiles among family physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses in university-affiliated team-based primary healthcare clinics in Quebec
Authors: Breton Mylaine , Deville-Stoetzel Nadia , Gaboury Isabelle , Duhoux Arnaud , Maillet Lara , Abou Malham Sabina , Hudon Catherine , Vedel Isabelle , Légaré France , Berbiche Djamal , Touati Nassera
Published: December 2023

Objectives

The advanced access model is highly recommended to improve timely access to primary healthcare (PHC). However, its adoption varies among PHC providers. We aim to identify the advanced access profiles of PHC providers.

Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2019 and March 2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) measures were used to identify PHC provider profiles based on 14 variables, 2 organisational context characteristics (clinical size and geographical area) and 12 advanced access strategies.

Setting and participants

All family physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses working in the 49 university-affiliated team-based PHC clinics in Quebec, Canada, were invited, of which 35 participated.

Primary outcome measure

The LCA was based on 335 respondents. We determined the optimal number of profiles using statistical criteria (Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion) and qualitatively named each of the six advanced access profiles.

Results

(1)Low supply and demand planification(25%) was characterised by the smallest proportion of strategies used to balance supply and demand. (2)Reactive interprofessional collaboration(25%) was characterised by high collaboration and long opening periods for appointment scheduling. (3)Structured interprofessional collaboration(19%) was characterised by high use of interprofessional team meetings. (4)Small urban delegating practices(13%) was exclusively composed of family physicians and characterised by task delegation to other PHC providers on the team. (5)Comprehensive practices in urban settings(13%) was characterised by including as many services as possible on each visit. (6)Rural agility(4%) was characterised by the highest uptake of advanced access strategies based on flexibility, including adjusting the schedule to demand and having a large number of open-slot appointments available in the next 48 hours.

Conclusion

The different patterns of advanced access strategy adoption confirm the need for training to be tailored to individuals, categories of PHC providers and contexts.
Exploring challenges and recommendations for verbal autopsy implementation in low-/middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study of Iringa Region—Tanzania
Authors: Tunga Mahadia , Lungo Juma Hemed , Chambua James , Kateule Ruthbetha , Lyatuu Isaac
Published: December 2023

Background

Verbal autopsy (VA) plays a vital role in providing cause-of-death information in places where such information is not available. Many low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) including Tanzania are still struggling to yield quality and adequate cause-of-death data for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).

Objective

To highlight challenges and recommendations for VA implementation to support LMICs yield quality and adequate mortality statistics for informed decisions on healthcare interventions.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Study setting

Iringa region in Tanzania.

Participants

41 people including 33 community health workers, 1 VA national coordinator, 5 national task force members, 1 VA regional coordinator and 1 member of the VA data management team.

Results

The perceived challenges of key informants include a weak death notification system, lengthy VA questionnaire, poor data quality and inconsistent responses, lack of clarity in the inclusion criteria, poor commitment to roles and responsibilities, poor coordination, poor financial mechanism and no or delayed feedback to VA implementers. Based on these findings, we recommend the following strategies for effective adaptation and use of VAs: (1) reinforce or implement legislative procedures towards the legal requirement for death notification. (2) Engage key stakeholders in the overall implementation of VAs. (3) Build capacity for data collection, monitoring, processing and use of VA data. (4) Improve the VA questionnaire and quality control mechanism for optimal use in data collection. (5) Create sustainable financing mechanisms and institutionalisation of VA implementation. (6) Integrating VA Implementation in CRVS.

Conclusion

Effective VA implementation demands through planning, stakeholder engagement, upskilling of local experts and fair compensation for interviewers. Such coordinated endeavours will overcome systemic, technical and behavioural challenges hindering VA’s successful implementation.
Perioperative change trajectories and predictors of swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life in patients with oral cancer: a longitudinal observational study
Authors: Ou Meijun , Zhu Lihui , Chen Hong , Wang Guifen , Chen Furong , Xiao Zhirui
Published: December 2023

Objective

To determine change trajectories and predictors of swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life (QoL) in perioperative patients with oral cancer.

Design

Longitudinal observational study.

Setting

A tertiary cancer hospital in Hunan Province, China.

Participants

Patients with oral cancer scheduled for surgery were recruited using convenience sampling.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcomes were swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL. The secondary outcomes were the predictors of the swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL.

Methods

The participants completed the sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 and MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory before surgery, 7 days after operation and 1 month after operation. Data were analysed using t-test, analysis of variance and generalised linear models.

Results

Among 138 participants who completed all the three surveys, 41 (29.71%) had moderate to severe dysphagia before surgery. Swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL changed over time, showing the trend of decline first and then increase. Preoperative swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL were affected by sex, lymphocyte level, preoperative nutritional risk and primary tumour site. At 7 days postoperatively, tracheotomy affected swallowing function. At 1 month postoperatively, age and marital status influenced swallowing function, whereas age, type of job and preoperative nutritional risk influenced swallowing-related QoL.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that perioperative patients with oral cancer generally faced swallowing disorders, especially in the acute phase after surgery. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the swallowing function of perioperative patients with oral cancer, especially those with preoperative nutritional risk, tongue tumour, tracheotomy, age <60 years, and no spouse and the employed patients, and provide available interventions, such as swallowing and nutritional therapy, as early as possible to improve their swallowing function. Meanwhile, doctors should recommend the most evidence-based treatment options, such as reconstruction or not, preoperative chemotherapy or not, to patients.
Comparing the efficacies of transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments using different targeting methods in major depressive disorder: protocol for a network meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Sirui , Kong Gai , Wu Guanfu , Cui Huiru , Qian Zhenying , Xu Lihua , Wei Yumei , Wang Junjie , Huang Jingjing , Wang Jijun , Li Hui , Tang Yingying
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) has been widely used as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) in the past two decades. Different methods for localising the lDLPFC target include the ‘5 cm’ method, the F3 method and the neuro-navigational method. However, whether TMS efficacies differ between the three targeting methods remains unclear. We present a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the efficacies of TMS treatments using these three targeting methods in MDD.

Methods and analysis

Relevant studies reported in English or Chinese and published up to May 2023 will be identified from searches of the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Database, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database. We will include all randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy of an active TMS treatment using any one of the three targeting methods compared with sham TMS treatment or comparing efficacies between active TMS treatments using different targeting methods. Interventions must include a minimum of 10 sessions of high-frequency TMS over the lDLPFC. The primary outcome is the reduction score of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale or Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. The dropout rate is a secondary outcome representing the TMS treatment’s acceptability. Pairwise meta-analyses and a random-effects NMA will be conducted using Stata. We will use the surface under the cumulative ranking curve to rank the different targeting methods in terms of efficacy and acceptability.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review and NMA does not require ethics approval. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023410273.
Consensus building on definitions and types of child maltreatment to improve recording and surveillance in Europe: protocol for a multi-sectoral, European, electronic Delphi study
Authors: Nurmatov Ulugbek , Cowley Laura Elizabeth , Rodrigues Leonor Bettencourt , Naughton Aideen , Debelle Geoff , Alfandari Ravit , Lamela Diogo , Otterman Gabriel , Jud Andreas , Ntinapogias Athanasios , Laajasalo Taina , Soldino Virginia , Stancheva Vaska , Caenazzo Luciana , Vaughan Rachael , Christian Cindy W , Drabarek Katarzyna , Kemp Alison Mary , Hurt Lisa
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Child maltreatment (CM) is a complex global public health issue with potentially devastating effects on individuals’ physical and mental health and well-being throughout the life course. A lack of uniform definitions hinders attempts to identify, measure, respond to, and prevent CM. The aim of this electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) study is to build consensus on definitions and types of CM for use in surveillance and multi-sectoral research in the 34 countries in the Euro-CAN (Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe) project (COST Action CA19106).

Methods and analysis

The e-Delphi study will consist of a maximum of three rounds conducted using an online data collection platform. A multi-disciplinary expert panel consisting of researchers, child protection professionals (health and social care), police, legal professionals and adult survivors of CM will be purposefully recruited. We will approach approximately 100 experts, with between 50 and 60 of these anticipated to take part. Participants will rate their agreement with a range of statements relating to operational definitions and types of CM, and free-text comments on each of the statements to give further detail about their responses and areas of uncertainty. Consensus has been defined a priori as ≥70% of the panel agreeing or disagreeing with the statement after the final round. The responses to the open-ended questions will be analysed using a ‘codebook’ approach to thematic analysis, and used to refine the statements between rounds where no consensus is reached.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been granted from the Cardiff University School of Medicine ethics committee (reference number SMREC22/96). Results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at workshops (including for the participants) and international academic conferences. The Euro-CAN network will also be used to disseminate the results, with results briefings and presentations to key public health and other relevant organisations in the field.
Understanding and addressing changing administrative workload in primary care in Canada: protocol for a mixed-method study
Authors: Lavergne M Ruth , Moravac Catherine , Bergin Fiona , Buote Richard , Easley Julie , Grudniewicz Agnes , Hedden Lindsay , Leslie Myles , McKay Madeleine , Marshall Emily Gard , Martin-Misener Ruth , Mooney Melanie , Palmer Erin , Tracey Joshua
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Many Canadians struggle to access the primary care they need while at the same time primary care providers report record levels of stress and overwork. There is an urgent need to understand factors contributing to the gap between a growing per-capita supply of primary care providers and declines in the availability of primary care services. The assumption of responsibility by primary care teams for services previously delivered on an in-patient basis, along with a rise in administrative responsibilities may be factors influencing reduced access to care.

Methods and analysis

In this mixed-methods study, our first objective is to determine how the volume of services requiring primary care coordination has changed over time in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. We will collect quantitative administrative data to investigate how services have shifted in ways that may impact administrative workload in primary care. Our second objective is to use qualitative interviews with family physicians, nurse practitioners and administrative team members providing primary care to understand how administrative workload has changed over time. We will then identify priority issues and practical response strategies using two deliberative dialogue events convened with primary care providers, clinical and system leaders, and policy-makers.

We will analyse changes in service use data between 2001/2002 and 2021/2022 using annual total counts, rates per capita, rates per primary care provider and per primary care service. We will conduct reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes and to compare and contrast participant responses reflecting differences across disciplines, payment and practice models, and practice settings. Areas of concern and potential solutions raised during interviews will inform deliberative dialogue events.

Ethics and dissemination

We received research ethics approval from Nova Scotia Health (#1028815). Knowledge translation will occur through dialogue events, academic papers and presentations at national and international conferences.
Effectiveness, acceptability, and completeness and quality of intervention reporting of psychological interventions for people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment: protocol for a mixed-methods systematic review
Authors: Svedin Frida , Blomberg Oscar , Farrand Paul , Brantnell Anders , von Essen Louise , Åberg Anna Cristina , Woodford Joanne
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression have negative impacts on psychological well-being and are common in people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment. However, access to psychological treatments is limited. This mixed-method systematic review will: (1) examine the effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve mental health and psychological well-being in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment; (2) examine the effectiveness of these psychological interventions to improve mental health and psychological well-being in informal caregivers; (3) examine potential clinical and methodological moderators associated with effectiveness; (4) explore factors associated with the acceptability of psychological interventions from the perspective of key stakeholders; and (5) examine the completeness and quality of intervention reporting.

Methods and analysis

Electronic databases (ASSIA, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO and MEDLINE) will be systematically searched and supplemented with expert contact, reference and citation checking, and grey literature searches. If possible, we will conduct a meta-analysis to examine the overall effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve mental health and psychological well-being in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their informal caregivers; and examine potential clinical and methodological moderators associated with effectiveness. We will conduct a deductive framework synthesis, informed by the theoretical framework of acceptability, to explore factors associated with the acceptability of psychological interventions from the perspective of key stakeholders. In accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute guidance, we will adopt a convergent segregated approach to data synthesis and integration of quantitative and qualitative findings. We will examine the completeness and quality of intervention reporting according to the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist and guide.

Ethics and dissemination

No primary data will be collected, and therefore, ethical approval is not required. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, academic conferences, and plain language summaries.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023400514.
Patterns and predictors of racial/ethnic disparities in HIV care continuum in the Southern USA: protocol for a population-based cohort study
Authors: Yang Xueying , Zhang Jiajia , Olatosi Bankole , Li Zhenlong , Weissman Sharon , Li Xiaoming
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Health disparities exist at every step of the HIV care continuum (HCC) among racial/ethnic minority population. Such racial/ethnic disparities may have significantly delayed the progress in HCC in the Southern US states that are strongly represented among geographic focus areas in the 2019 federal initiative titled ‘Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America’. However, limited efforts have been made to quantify the long-term spatiotemporal variations of HCC disparities and their contributing factors over time, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This project aims to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of racial disparities of each HCC outcome and then determine the contribution of contextual features for temporal change of disparities in HCC.

Methods and analysis

This cohort study will use statewide HIV cohort data in South Carolina, including all people living with HIV (PLWH) who were diagnosed with HIV in 2005–2020. The healthcare encounter data will be extracted from longitudinal EHR from six state agencies and then linked to aggregated county-level community and social structural-level data (eg, structural racism, COVID-19 pandemic) from multiple publicly available data sources. The South Carolina Revenue of Fiscal and Affairs will serve as the honest broker to link the patient-level and county-level information. We will first quantify the HCC-related disparities by creating a county-level racial/ethnic disparity index (RDI) for each key HCC outcomes (eg, HIV testing, timely diagnosis), examine the temporal patterns of each RDI over time and then using geographical weighted lasso model examine which contextual factors have significant impacts on the change of county-level RDI from 2005 to 2020.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of South Carolina (Pro00121718) as a Non-Human Subject study. The study’s findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at national and international conferences and through social media.
Identifying sports chiropractic global research priorities: an international Delphi study of sports chiropractors
Authors: Belchos Melissa , Lee Alexander D , de Luca Katie , Perle Stephen M , Myburgh Corrie , Mior Silvano
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Developing a research agenda is one method to facilitate broad research planning and prioritise research within a discipline. Despite profession-specific agendas, none have specifically addressed the research needs of the specialty of sports chiropractic. This study determined consensus on research priorities to inform a global sports chiropractic research agenda.

Methods

A Delphi consensus methodology was used to integrate expert opinions. Clinicians, academics and leaders from the international sports chiropractic specialty were recruited using purposive sampling to participate in (1) a Delphi panel involving three voting rounds to determine consensus on research priorities and (2) a priority importance ranking of the items that reached consensus.

Results

We identified and contacted 141 participants, with response rates for rounds 1, 2 and 3, of 44%, 31% and 34%, respectively. From the original 149 research priorities, 66 reached consensus in round 1, 63 in round 2 and 45 items in round 3. Research priorities reaching consensus were collapsed by removing redundancies, and priority ranking identified 20 research priorities, 11 related to collaboration and 6 to research themes.

Conclusions

The top-ranked items for research priorities, research themes and collaborations included the effects of interventions on performance, recovery and return to play; clinical research in sport; and collaborations with researchers in chiropractic educational institutions, respectively.

Implications

The prioritisation of research items can be evaluated by key stakeholders (including athletes) and implemented to develop the first international research agenda for sports chiropractic.
Early-life exposures and the microbiome: implications for IBD prevention
Authors: Zhang Lin , Agrawal Manasi , Ng Siew C , Jess Tine
Published: December 2023

The early-life period is one of microbiome establishment and immune maturation. Early-life exposures are increasingly being recognised to play an important role in IBD risk. The composition of functions of the gut microbiome in the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal period may be crucial towards development of health or disease, including IBD, later in life. We herein present a comprehensive summary of the interplay between early-life factors and microbiome perturbations, and their association with risk of IBD. In addition, we provide an overview of host and external factors in early life that are known to impact gut microbiome maturation and exposures implicated in IBD risk. Considering the emerging concept of IBD prevention, we propose strategies to minimise maternal and offspring exposure to potentially harmful variables and recommend protective measures during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This holistic view of early-life factors and microbiome signatures among mothers and their offspring will help frame our current understanding of their importance towards IBD pathogenesis and frame the roadmap for preventive strategies.
Posture analysis in predicting fall-related injuries during French Navy Special Forces selection course using machine learning: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Verdonk Charles , Duffaud A M , Longin A , Bertrand M , Zagnoli F , Trousselard M , Canini F
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Injuries induced by falls represent the main cause of failure in the French Navy Special Forces selection course. In the present study, we made the assumption that probing the posture might contribute to predicting the risk of fall-related injury at the individual level.

Methods

Before the start of the selection course, the postural signals of 99 male soldiers were recorded using static posturography while they were instructed to maintain balance with their eyes closed. The event to be predicted was a fall-related injury during the selection course that resulted in the definitive termination of participation. Following a machine learning methodology, we designed an artificial neural network model to predict the risk of fall-related injury from the descriptors of postural signal.

Results

The neural network model successfully predicted with 69.9% accuracy (95% CI 69.3–70.5) the occurrence of a fall-related injury event during the selection course from the selected descriptors of the posture. The area under the curve value was 0.731 (95% CI 0.725–0.738), the sensitivity was 56.8% (95% CI 55.2–58.4) and the specificity was 77.7% (95% CI 76.8–0.78.6).

Conclusion

If confirmed with a larger sample, these findings suggest that probing the posture using static posturography and machine learning-based analysis might contribute to inform risk assessment of fall-related injury during military training, and could ultimately lead to the development of novel programmes for personalised injury prevention in military population.
Computational social science is growing up: why puberty consists of embracing measurement validation, theory development, and open science practices
Authors: Elmer Timon
Published: December 2023

Puberty is a phase in which individuals often test the boundaries of themselves and surrounding others and further define their identity – and thus their uniqueness compared to other individuals. Similarly, as Computational Social Science (CSS) grows up, it must strike a balance between its own practices and those of neighboring disciplines to achieve scientific rigor and refine its identity. However, there are certain areas within CSS that are reluctant to adopt rigorous scientific practices from other fields, which can be observed through an overreliance on passively collected data (e.g., through digital traces, wearables) without questioning the validity of such data. This paper argues that CSS should embrace the potential of combining both passive and active measurement practices to capitalize on the strengths of each approach, including objectivity and psychological quality. Additionally, the paper suggests that CSS would benefit from integrating practices and knowledge from other established disciplines, such as measurement validation, theoretical embedding, and open science practices. Based on this argument, the paper provides ten recommendations for CSS to mature as an interdisciplinary field of research.
On spectral and scattering theory for one-body quantum systems in crossed constant electric and magnetic fields
Authors: Adachi Tadayoshi , Tsujii Yuta
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we study the spectral and scattering theory on the Hamiltonians which govern one-body quantum systems in crossed constant electric and magnetic fields. As one of the spectral features of the Hamiltonians, we show the absence of bound states of theirs under some appropriate conditions on the potentials. Moreover, by using the limiting absorption principle for the Hamiltonians, we give a simplified proof of the asymptotic completeness in short-range scattering.
THE TRANSFORMATION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA
Authors: LI RUI , YU LITIAN , ZHANG JUN
Published: December 2023

This paper studies how the transformation to sustainable development affects short-term economic growth. In late 2013, the Chinese central government proposed a sustainable development transformation (SDT) program for resource-based regions, mainly targeted at improving environmental quality, promoting alternative industries, and improving social well-being. With the use of a difference-in-differences (DID) framework, our estimation shows that this program significantly reduces GDP per capita in resource-based counties by 5.1%. Mechanism analysis indicates that local governments implementing stricter environmental regulation, the failure of alternative industry strategies and the decline of officials’ economic growth incentive with the appraisal shift are the main channels through which the SDT program negatively impacts short-term economic growth. Further analysis indicates that this program improves environmental quality, but the employment and income of residents are negatively affected. Our findings provide valuable policy implications for developing countries to better balance economic growth and sustainable development.
Nonlinear metaheuristic cost optimization and ANFIS computing of feedback retrial queue with two dependent phases of service under Bernoulli working vacation
Authors: Mathavavisakan N. Micheal , Indhira K.
Published: December 2023

Today, with real-life problems, modeling is a primary step in organizing, analyzing and optimizing them. Queueing theory is a particular approach used to model this category of issues. Space constraints, feedback, service dependency, etc. are often inseparable from the issues they create. In light of this objective, this research presents a model and analysis of the steady-state behavior of an [Formula: see text] feedback retrial queue with two dependent phases of service under a Bernoulli vacation policy. The service times for the two stages are often independent in normal queueing frameworks. We presume that they are dependent random variables in this case. Indeed, this dependence is one-way (i.e., the service time of the second phase has no effect on the service time of the first phase). Yet, the first phase service time has an impact on the second phase service time. In order to determine the steady-state probabilities and probability-generating functions (PGF) for the different states, the supplementary variable technique (SVT) was utilized. Furthermore, a broad range of performance metrics had been established. The generated metrics are then envisioned and validated with the aid of graphs and tables. Additionally, a nonlinear cost function is constructed, which is subsequently minimized by distinct approaches like particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC) and genetic algorithm (GA). Furthermore, we used certain figures to examine the convergence of these optimization methods. Finally, validation outcomes are compared with neuro-fuzzy results generated with the “adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system” (ANFIS).
Effects of complete slip conditions on the peristaltic pumping of a Casson nanofluid with suction and injection in a vertical channel
Authors: Vijayakumar P. , Reddy R. Hemadri
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the effects of complete slip conditions on the peristaltic pumping of a Casson nanofluid with suction and injection in a vertical due to the crucial role that nano liquids play in a variety of technological and medical fields, particularly in peristalsis, a mechanism that transports liquids. The Casson fluid belongs to a class of non-Newtonian fluids that, through a particular stress threshold magnitude, exhibit elastic solid behavior before changing to liquid behavior. These fluids have several uses in engineering, food preparation, drilling and other fields. After establishing the governing conservation equations, the resulting flow model is effectively simulated using the realistic assumptions of a long wavelength and a low Reynolds number. The temperature distributions, velocity, pressure rate per wavelength and nanoparticle concentration of the resulting flow problem have been solved analytically. The effects of all physical factors on temperature, velocity, concentration fields, pressure rate, frictional force and pressure gradient are graphically examined using Wolfram MATHEMATICA software. There are a variety of biofluids that cannot be classified as liquids. For example, blood contains WBC, RBC and plasma. It is essential to model biofluids (blood) as nanofluids given the physical properties of these biofluids. According to reports, one of the finest yield stress models is the Casson model, and blood exhibits a similar behavior. We took these facts into consideration when thinking about Casson nanofluid flow in a vertical layer under peristalsis. Additionally, the suction and injection mechanisms can be used to represent the exchange of carbon dioxide in bold. In order to understand how blood flows through small blood vessels, this model must be examined. The obtained results show that the Newtonian case and those found in the literature have a very good agreement. Since the liquid moves faster and more effectively when the value is increased, it becomes clear that this increases the strength of the velocity.  In other words, nanoperistaltic pumps can maintain a pressure differential that increases or decreases at all operating flow rates with an increasing thermophoresis effect. Furthermore, it is obvious that the pressure reduction in a Casson fluid is greater than in a Newtonian fluid.
All-Day Object Detection and Recognition for Blind Zones of Vehicles Using Deep Learning
Authors: Chia Tsorng-Lin , Liu Pei-June , Huang Ping-Sheng
Published: December 2023

The neglect of perception ability to the surrounding traffic conditions has always been the major cause of traffic accidents and the inattention to blind spots is the most important factor during driving. Existing solutions are facing the problems of using expensive equipment, wrong classification of the target object type, not suitable for nighttime, and incorrectly determining if the target object is in the blind zones. This paper aims to improve driving perception ability by developing an all-day object detection and recognition system with more accurate performance for blind zones. The proposed method uses a general-purpose camera as a single input and a two-stage deep network architecture for object detection and recognition. The proposed system is based on a two-stage cascaded network structure. At first, the style conversion process is performed to convert the daytime and nighttime images with different brightness into consistent brightness. Then the objects in the visual blind zones are detected and identified. Therefore, the accuracy of object detection can be significantly improved. Due to the diversity and complexity of Taiwan’s road conditions, the public databases cannot effectively fulfill local application model training needs. Therefore, we have built training data set from available night images. Experimental results show that the proposed method has demonstrated promising performance in all-day object detection and recognition for blind zones.
A Locally Weighted Linear Regression-Based Approach for Arbitrary Moving Shaky and Nonshaky Video Classification
Authors: Halder Arnab , Shivakumara Palaiahnakote , Pal Umapada , Blumenstein Michael , Ghosal Palash
Published: December 2023

Classification and identification of objects are complex and challenging in pattern recognition and artificial intelligence if a shaky and nonshaky camera captures the videos at different distances during the day and nighttime. This work presents a model for classifying a given video as a static, uniform, or arbitrarily moving videos so that the complexity of the problem can be reduced. To avoid the threat of different distances between the objects and the camera, the proposed work introduces new steps for estimating the depth of the objects in the video frames. We explore locally weighted linear regression for feature extraction from depth information based on the notion that the regression line fits almost all the points for uniformity and does not fit for arbitrary moving. The extracted features are fed to a random forest classifier to classify static, uniform, or arbitrary moving video. The results on a large dataset, which includes videos captured day and night, show that the proposed method successfully classifies static, uniform and arbitrary videos with 0.86, 1.00 and 0.67 F-measures, respectively. Overall, our method obtains 87% accuracy for classification of static, uniform and arbitrary video, which is superior to the state-of-the-art methods.
Application of Deep Learning in Social Network Public Opinion Sentiment
Authors: Wu Lei
Published: December 2023

With the rapid development of social network platform, in order to purify the network environment, prevent the abuse of public opinion information, and control public opinion in a very short time, this paper proposes the application research of deep learning in social network public opinion sentiment recognition and analysis. Through the construction of social network model and social network knowledge map and the analysis of key technology, a network public opinion algorithm based on deep learning is proposed, and a competitive public opinion information communication model in online social networks is constructed, and then a simulation experiment is conducted on the improved model of the constructed social networks. The result shows that in public opinion management and control, for users with larger node degree, this technology can effectively understand and obtain public opinion information in a very short time with faster and wider information propagation speed, so as to realize the effective control of public opinion information and the processing of massive information.