bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Relative Sea Surface Temperature Index for Classifying ENSO Events in a Changing Climate
Authors: L’Heureux Michelle L. , Tippett Michael K. , Wheeler Matthew C. , Nguyen Hanh , Narsey Sugata , Johnson Nathaniel , Hu Zeng-Zhen , Watkins Andrew B. , Lucas Chris , Ganter Catherine , Becker Emily , Wang Wanqiu , Di Liberto Tom
Published: December 2023

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is often characterized through the use of sea surface temperature (SST) departures from their climatological values, as in the Niño-3.4 index. However, this approach is problematic in a changing climate when the climatology itself is varying. To address this issue, van Oldenborgh et al. proposed a relative Niño-3.4 SST index, which subtracts the tropical mean SST anomaly from the Niño-3.4 index and multiplies by a scaling factor. We extend their work by providing a simplified calculation procedure for the scaling factor, and confirm that the relative index demonstrates reduced sensitivity to climate change and multidecadal variability. In particular, we show in three observational SST datasets that the relative index provides a more consistent classification of historical El Niño and La Niña oceanic conditions that is more robust across climatological periods compared to the nonrelative index. Forecast skill of the relative Niño-3.4 index in the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) and ACCESS-S2 is slightly reduced for targets during the first half of the year because subtracting the tropical mean removes a source of additional skill. For targets in the second half of the year, the relative and nonrelative indices are equally skillful. Observed ENSO teleconnections in 200-hPa geopotential height and precipitation during key seasons are sharper and explain more variability over Australia and the contiguous United States when computed with the relative index. Overall, the relative Niño-3.4 index provides a more robust option for real-time monitoring and forecasting ENSO in a changing climate.

Significance Statement

The goal of this study is to further explore a relative sea surface temperature index for monitoring and prediction of El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Sea surface temperature indices are typically computed as a difference from a 30-yr climatological average, and El Niño and La Niña events occur when values exceed a certain threshold. This method is suitable when the climate is stationary. However, because of climate change and other lower-frequency variations, historical El Niño and La Niña events are reclassified depending on which climatological period is selected. A relative index is investigated to ameliorate this problem.
Energetic Stratified Turbulence Generated by Kuroshio–Seamount Interactions in Tokara Strait
Authors: Takahashi Anne , Lien Ren-Chieh , Kunze Eric , Ma Barry , Nakamura Hirohiko , Nishina Ayako , Tsutsumi Eisuke , Inoue Ryuichiro , Nagai Takeyoshi , Endoh Takahiro
Published: December 2023

Generating mechanisms and parameterizations for enhanced turbulence in the wake of a seamount in the path of the Kuroshio are investigated. Full-depth profiles of finescale temperature, salinity, horizontal velocity, and microscale thermal-variance dissipation rate up- and downstream of the ∼10-km-wide seamount were measured with EM-APEX profiling floats and ADCP moorings. Energetic turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates and diapycnal diffusivities above the seamount flanks extend at least 20 km downstream. This extended turbulent wake length is inconsistent with isotropic turbulence, which is expected to decay in less than 100 m based on turbulence decay time of N−1 ∼ 100 s and the 0.5 m s−1 Kuroshio flow speed. Thus, the turbulent wake must be maintained by continuous replenishment which might arise from (i) nonlinear instability of a marginally unstable vortex wake, (ii) anisotropic stratified turbulence with expected downstream decay scales of 10–100 km, and/or (iii) lee-wave critical-layer trapping at the base of the Kuroshio. Three turbulence parameterizations operating on different scales, (i) finescale, (ii) large-eddy, and (iii) reduced-shear, are tested. Average ε vertical profiles are well reproduced by all three parameterizations. Vertical wavenumber spectra for shear and strain are saturated over 10–100 m vertical wavelengths comparable to water depth with spectral levels independent of ε and spectral slopes of −1, indicating that the wake flows are strongly nonlinear. In contrast, vertical divergence spectral levels increase with ε.
Dynamics of the Agulhas Current Influenced by the North–South Shift of Subtropical Front
Authors: Mei Huan , Dong Jianxin , Wu Xiangbai
Published: December 2023

The influence of meridional shift of the oceanic subtropical front (STF) on the Agulhas Current (AC) regime shifts is studied using satellite altimeter data and a 1.5-layer ocean model. The satellite observations suggest the northward shift of the STF leads to the AC leaping across the gap with little Agulhas leakage, and the southward shift of the STF mainly results in the AC intruding into the Atlantic Ocean in the forms of a loop current and an eddy-shedding path, while there are three flow patterns of AC for moderate latitude of the STF. The ocean model results suggest no hysteresis (associated with multiple equilibrium states) exists in the AC system. The model reproduces similar AC regimes depending on different gap widths as in the observations, and model results can be used to explain the observed Agulhas leakage well. We also present the parameter space of the critical AC strength that results in different AC flow patterns as a function of the gap width. The vorticity dynamics of the AC regime shift suggests that the β term is mainly balanced by the viscosity term for the AC in the leaping and loop current paths, while the β and instantaneous vorticity terms are mainly balanced by the advection and viscosity terms for the AC in the eddy-shedding path. These findings help explain the dynamics of the AC flowing across the gateway beyond the tip of Africa affected by the north–south shift of the STF in the leaping regime or penetrating regime.
The Way I Feel, the Way I Play? The role of affect in goal realization in musical practice
Authors: Mazur-Socha Zofia , Laguna Mariola
Published: December 2023

We examined practice-related affect to determine the role it plays in four phases of goal realization in musical practice. Study 1 with a sample of 171 piano students and Study 2 with 235 students playing various instruments allowed for testing the relationships between four types of affect differing in valence and activation level based on the circumplex model and the phases of goal realization: practice intention, practice planning, actional phase of practice, and performance evaluation. In Study 2 we also analyzed longitudinal relationships between affect measured at Time 1 and actional phase of practice and performance evaluation measured 2 weeks later at Time 2. In both studies, highactivation positive affect was related to higher practice intention, while both high- and low-activation negative affect were related to more negative performance evaluation. The results are important for advancing affect and goal theories and for improving theoretical models of musical practice. They are relevant for music educators and music education researchers and can be used in screening and progressmonitoring efforts, shaping interventions to enhance students’ motivation to practice their instruments.
Development of the Protective Strategies for Psychedelics Scale: A novel inventory to assess safety strategies in the context of psychedelics
Authors: Mian Maha N , Altman Brianna R , Low Fiona , Earleywine Mitch
Published: December 2023

Background:

Individuals who use psychedelics take efforts to mitigate unintended consequences. Despite the demonstrated utility of analogous protective behavioral strategies (PBS) assessments for other substances, no standardized scale exists to capture these protective strategies for psychedelic use.

Objective:

The present study addresses a notable gap concerning the assessment of psychedelic use, specifically by developing a scale measuring the protective strategies employed around use, called the Protective Strategies for Psychedelics Scale (PSPS).

Methods:

A sample ( Mage = 36.85 years old, standard deviation = 10.3; male = 61.9%; White = 85.2%) of 434 adults with lifetime use of psychedelics reported on initial qualitatively developed items for the PSPS, PBS scales for cannabis and alcohol, and use of alcohol, cannabis, and psychedelics.

Results:

Iterative principal components analyses began with 37 items and yielded a 32-item two-factor solution demonstrating excellent internal reliability (Cronbach’s α = .95) and accounted for 51.3% of the variance. Nineteen items loaded on PSPS factor 1, which focused on long-term preparation, emphasizing strategies focused on mood/intentions, preparing the substance, environment, and scheduling episode of use; 13 items loaded on factor 2, which focused on short-term preparation, highlighting strategies surrounding social context, health, and other substances. The PSPS demonstrated convergent validity with validated PBS scales for cannabis and alcohol ( r = 0.71–0.79, p < 0.001), and was moderately associated with lifetime psychedelic use ( r = 0.28, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The PSPS demonstrates promising psychometric properties, and future work validating the scale for diverse samples across research and clinical settings is warranted.
How Servant Leadership Influences Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Work Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Motivating Language and Perceived Organizational Support
Authors: Uluturk Bulent
Published: December 2023

The present study seeks to expand our understanding of leadership in the public sector by examining the link between servant leadership and work engagement of street-level bureaucrats through the mediating roles of leader motivating language and perceived organizational support. Drawing on theories of social exchange, social learning, motivating language, and job demands-resources, the research proposed that servant leaders can enhance employee work engagement by utilizing motivating language and boosting perceptions of organizational support. Using a survey of 553 police officers and first-line supervisors in Turkey, the results of structural equation modeling reveal that officers’ perceptions of their supervisors’ servant leadership are related to work engagement both directly and indirectly through motivating language and perceived organizational support. This study is the first to investigate the role of leader motivating language as a mediator between servant leadership and work engagement in public sector organizations.
Behind the Crowdsourcing Platform: Assessing Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement Instruments
Authors: Prats López Montserrat , Rijpma Auke , Moor Tine De , Reijerink Jolien
Published: December 2023

Involving volunteers to perform tasks through crowdsourcing projects is gaining popularity. However, attracting volunteers and keeping them engaged throughout a project sets great challenges to project managers. This article analyzes the effectiveness of recruiting and engagement instruments on volunteers’ activity. A mixed-method approach has been used, including interviews with project managers and quantitative data from a large Dutch crowdsourcing platform. The research results show that crowdsourcing projects benefit from being part of a platform because of the higher activity of experienced participants. The study also provides empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of timely communication and the speed of quality checks, both of which require project management resources. Finally, the study suggests that material rewards are less important for volunteer engagement than the intrinsic motivation of a point-based reward system.
Does the provision of childcare reduce motherhood penalties in job-related training participation? Longitudinal evidence from Germany
Authors: Zoch Gundula
Published: December 2023

Previous studies highlight gender differences in job-related training participation, particularly in countries with few family policies supporting maternal employment. This study examines whether higher levels of state-subsidized childcare provision are positively linked to mothers’ participation in job-related training. It combines individual-level data from the National Educational Panel Study for Germany (NEPS-SC6 adult cohort, N = 5504, 2008–20) with annual administrative records on county-level childcare coverage. Results from fixed effects models provide evidence that higher childcare levels reduce the negative impact of childbirth on mothers’ job-related training participation. Nevertheless, motherhood training penalties exist even in contexts with higher childcare coverage levels, especially in West Germany. The findings highlight the importance of supporting family policies to reduce motherhood training penalties and associated gender inequalities in the labour market.
How do Public-Private Partnerships Affect Public Service Principles? A Case of City Hospitals in Türkiye
Authors: Aydin Yunus Emre , Altindag Halil
Published: December 2023

Public-private partnership (PPP) policies have been on the Turkish Government’s healthcare agenda for a long time. Türkiye has implemented a series of policies with various elements of neoliberal reforms over the last 20 years and the Turkish Government initiated the PPP policy in 2013 as the final step of the Health Transformation Program. This article reviews the policy process that led to extensive collaboration with the private sector in public health and also examines the effect of the policy on the principles of public service. Türkiye’s policy experience has elements that reinforce the principles of continuity, variability, and equality in many ways. However, this policy was found to have weakened the long-term financial viability of healthcare and led to its fragmentation and the government eventually abandoned this policy in the construction of new hospitals. Türkiye’s experience demonstrates that governments seeking to establish sustainable PPP policies for healthcare must consider the unique dynamics inherent to public service.
Being Alone or Together: How Frontline Anthropomorphized Robots Affect Solo (vs. Joint) Service Consumption
Authors: Khoa Do The , Chan Kimmy Wa
Published: December 2023

Solo consumption has become an emerging trend in recent years. However, the service experiences of solo customers with the growing adoption of frontline humanlike robots remain unclear, particularly in direct comparison with joint customers. Building on the literature of anthropomorphism and information processing theory, this study examines whether and how frontline anthropomorphized robots (FAR) might improve the service experiences of solo customers relative to their joint counterparts. Data from four studies, including field and online experiments, reveal that solo customers are more likely than joint customers to perceive FAR as offering rapport but also as being eerie, leading to different service evaluations (both attitudinal and behavioral outcomes). Nevertheless, as parallel mechanisms, these levels of social rapport and eeriness are contingent on features of the FAR, the service delivery process, and customers’ consumption goals. The rapport (eeriness) mechanism is strengthened (weakened) when the robot is of in-group favoritism, the service process deprives customers of control, and customers have a hedonic consumption goal. With the boom in adopting frontline humanlike robots in hospitality services, this study offers managerially relevant implications for serving solo customers as an emerging segment along with the traditional segment of joint customers.
Anthropogenic impacts of mining on indigenous peoples in Western Australia: Divergent values
Authors: Dobinson Toni , Gower Graeme , Fahey-Palma Tania
Published: December 2023

The Anthropocene epoch is known as the time when the actions of humans began to impact the planet in unprecedented ways. There is consensus that the “golden spike” coincided with the advent of colonialism and especially settler colonialism. Indigenous Peoples have been impacted by what has been called contemporary colonialism or new colonialism. This has had implications, not only for their local environment, but also for their cultures, languages, health, economies, and political self-determination. Our study is framed by theories of contemporary and new colonialism as well as cultural colonialism and how this is manifested in the discourses of mining companies as they trivialise or ignore community and fuse Indigenous futures with extractive industries, also failing to recognise the non-human rights of the land and post-humanist/new materialist perspectives. The auto-ethnographic yarn (knowledge sharing) told in this article is the voice of an Indigenous Aboriginal Yawuru man living in Western Australia. Through thematic analysis of his, and other Aboriginal people’s yarns, we reveal Indigenous values and beliefs of permanence, community care, and the ensoulment of nature. Thematic analysis of the scripted narratives of the value statements of two mining companies operating in Western Australia uncovers a notion of community care discordant with that of Aboriginal people as well as a focus on courage and curiosity. The occlusion of any traditional, bottom-up understandings of human/non-human relationships in the values statements of the mining companies contrast with the way that Indigenous People’s narratives point towards ecological, social and economic sustainability in an Anthropocene dystopian future.
The Efficacy of Second-Stage Endovascular Repair Strategy for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection
Authors: Yamana Fumio , Kuratani Toru , Domae Keitaro , Sakamoto Tomohiko , Hata Masatoshi , Shirakawa Yukitoshi , Masai Takafumi , Sawa Yoshiki
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

To evaluate the usefulness of a hybrid treatment strategy for acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD).

Methods:

We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 39 partial arch replacements (PAR; 26 male/13 female, mean age=67.9 years) in 62 patients with AAAD operated at our hospital from January 2019 to January 2023. The technique included PAR with graft-designed landing length and translocated the brachiocephalic artery inflow site during the initial surgery to minimize the invasiveness of the surgery. Thereafter, second-stage thoracic endovascular aortic repair (second TEVAR) for distal aortic events in the chronic phase was performed.

Results:

There was 1 case of 30-day mortality (2.6%) and 2 cases of postprocedural cerebral infarction (5.1%). The cumulative survival rates were 97.4%/1 year and 97.4%/3 years. The cumulative freedom from aorta-related second-stage procedure for the distal aortic event after initial PAR, which was performed in 13 patients (33.3%), was 63.9%/1 year and 59.7%/3 years. All patients requiring re-intervention after initial PAR underwent a second TEVAR with a 100% success rate and no postoperative complications.

Conclusion:

Initial PAR for AAAD in anticipation of the second TEVAR is a valuable strategy for enabling minimally invasive additional treatment of aorta-related re-intervention for distal aortic events in the chronic phase.

Clinical Impact

This study provides detailed information on the hybrid aortic repair strategy of the initial open partial arch repair and second staged endovascular repair for the acute type A aortic dissection. Based on this study, distal aortic re-intervention after initial open partial arch repair was necessary only in about 30% of cases, and no cases of SCI were observed in the initial treatment or in the second-stage endovascular repair and no cases of distal SINE were observed after the second staged endovascular repair. Overall, the results suggest that limiting the initial open partial arch repair can achieve good perioperative and early outcomes of initial surgery, and that second staged endovascular re-intervention for distal aortic events can be performed reliably, safely, and with minimal invasiveness.
Indigenous or Biomedical Ethics, or Both? A Consideration From Health-Related Ethnographic Research Conducted in a Rural Setting
Authors: Kukeba Margaret Wekem , Achaliwie Francisca , Poku Brenda Agyeiwaa
Published: December 2023

Generally, conventional biomedically rooted ethical guidelines developed in Western countries for ethnographic research in non-Western countries are often impractical and raise contention. Ethical approval from research ethics committees (RECs) is a significant aspect of the research process. However, for researchers wanting to conduct a research study in an African context in a culturally sensitive manner, identifying ethics procedures that meet the demands of RECs while acknowledging the indigenous ethics of the research context creates ethical dilemmas. In this article, we reflect on our experiences conducting a study on child feeding practices in a rural community in Ghana. The aim is to discuss some ethical dilemmas that confront researchers as they seek to adhere to conventional ethical protocols and regulations while respecting the indigenous ethics, values, and practices of the research setting. RECs need to acknowledge that while researchers must uphold core ethical principles, ethics procedures must also meet the contextual requirements of the research participants. Research ethics is an ongoing process subject to re-negotiation and re-interpretation; therefore, RECs should allow researchers to adapt their methods to local circumstances without needing further review. Consequently, RECs must allow for culturally sensitive ethics procedures. These suggestions have the potential to ensure that research projects in Africa are culturally appropriate, increasing the acceptability of research by indigenous communities.
Prevalence and risk factors for early medical and surgical complications following an admission for acute severe ulcerative colitis
Authors: Li Angel , Coote Matthew , Thin Lena
Published: December 2023

Background:

Risk factors for colectomy following an episode of acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) have been well studied, but data examining the early complications following an episode is limited.

Objectives:

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for medical and surgical complications within 90 days of an ASUC admission and determine if a high-intensity induction infliximab dose is associated with these complications.

Design:

Retrospective analysis.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective study of ASUC admissions between January 2015 and July 2021 at a tertiary hospital. The primary outcome was the prevalence of total, medical and surgical complications within 90 days following an ASUC admission. Multivariate linear regression analysis assessed for factors associated with the prevalence of complications.

Results:

A total of 150 patients had 186 hospital admissions for ASUC. In total, 101/186 (54.3%) admissions required rescue medical therapy. Standard infliximab induction occurred in 65/100 admissions, accelerated infliximab induction in 35/100 and cyclosporine in 1/100 of admissions. In total, 117 complications, including 74/117 (63.2%) medical and 43/117 (36.8%) surgical complications, arose. Low serum albumin was independently associated with a higher incidence of total [β = −0.08 (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.15, −0.01), p = 0.03] and surgical complications [β = −0.1 (95% CI: −0.18, −0.001), p = 0.047], while an increased age was associated with increased incidence of surgical complications [β = 0.06 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.12), p = 0.02]. A higher Charlson score was associated with increased medical complications [β = 0.12 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.24), p = 0.03]. Infliximab induction dose intensity was not associated with an increased incidence of any complications.

Conclusion:

Early complications following an ASUC admission is prevalent although the majority are not serious. Risk factors associated with complications include low serum albumin, older age and a higher comorbidity score. Induction infliximab dose intensity, however, is not a risk factor.
A Journey From Customer Acquisition to Retention: An Integrative Model for Guiding Future Gaming Marketing Research
Authors: Tuguinay Jovanie , Prentice Catherine , Moyle Brent , Vada Sera , Weaven Scott
Published: December 2023

Casinos operate in a competitive environment. Relationship marketing has become a central focus of casino marketing practice. However, the literature lacks any clearly identified marketing strategies for customer acquisition and retention. This article employs a systematic literature review method to identify and delineate acquisition and retention strategies for the casino sector. The findings revealed measures and antecedents for customer acquisition, retention, casino consumption, and loyalty. The study draws on these findings to present a conceptual model that categorizes customer acquisition and retention strategies. Suggestions and recommendations are highlighted for practitioners and researchers.
The role of teacher support in the self-esteem of Korean adolescents with burnout
Authors: Choi Hyunju , Cho Soohyun , Kim Jiwon , Lee Sang Min
Published: December 2023

This longitudinal study examined the mediating role of teacher support in the relationship between academic burnout and self-esteem among adolescents in Korea. A total of 154 adolescents (13 years old) were followed up for 4 years at 1-year intervals. Path analysis indicated that the developmental trajectory of academic burnout (i.e. the intercept and slope) leads to a lower level of teacher support (T4) and self-esteem (T4) after controlling for the effect of gender and self-worth. Moreover, teacher support mediated the relationship between development of academic burnout and self-esteem. The rate of change of academic burnout, as well as its initial value, exerted an indirect negative effect on self-esteem through the mediator of teacher support. It has been generally accepted that low self-esteem is the cause of academic burnout. However, our findings indicate that academic burnout might be an influencing factor of self-esteem, implying that the causal relationship between self-esteem and academic burnout should be reconsidered.
A qualitative study of trainee school psychologists’ experiences of an online mindfulness-based intervention
Authors: Pickard Judy A , Allsop Kendall , Deane Frank P
Published: December 2023

Prior research suggests mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduce stress in trainee psychologists, enhance wellbeing and cultivate clinical skills and competencies. This study explored how trainee school psychologists perceived the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on their development as psychologists. Forty trainee school psychologists participated in a 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention. They completed weekly written reflective journals throughout the programme which were later analysed using thematic analysis. Four core themes were identified: (1) changes in awareness and attention; (2) enhanced wellbeing; (3) commitment to ongoing personal practice and (4) cultivation and enhancement of professional development. Participants ( n = 24) who completed the mindfulness workshop during the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that mindfulness practice was particularly useful for managing uncertainty and other related stressors. It was concluded that practicing mindfulness supported trainee school psychologists’ personal and professional development, particularly related to compassion, resilience and therapeutic presence.
Prevalence and Missed Cases of Respiratory Distress Syndrome Disease Amongst Neonatal Deaths Enrolled in the Kenya Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network (CHAMPS) Program Between 2017 and 2021
Authors: Owuor Harun O. , Akelo Victor , Murila Florence , Onyango Dickens , Kuria Magdalene , Rogena Emily , Revathi Gunturu , Mitei Paul , Sava Solomon , Were Joyce , Igunza Aggrey , Khagayi Sammy , Zielinski-Gutierrez Emily , Hawi Sarah , Gethi Dickson , Verani Jennifer R. , Onyango Clayton , Blau Dianna M. , Tippett Barr Beth A.
Published: December 2023

Objectives. To describe RDS in neonatal deaths at the CHAMPS-Kenya site between 2017 and 2021. Methods. We included 165 neonatal deaths whose their Causes of death (COD) were determined by a panel of experts using data from post-mortem conducted through minimally invasive tissue specimen testing, clinical records, and verbal autopsy. Results. Twenty-six percent (43/165) of neonatal deaths were attributable to RDS. Most cases occurred in low birthweight and preterm neonates. From these cases, less than half of the hospitalizations were diagnosed with RDS before death, and essential diagnostic tests were not performed in most cases. Most cases received suboptimal levels of supplemental oxygen, and critical interventions like surfactant replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation were not adequately utilized when available. Conclusion. The study highlights the urgent need for improved diagnosis and management of RDS, emphasizing the importance of increasing clinical suspicion and enhancing training in its clinical management to reduce mortality rates.
Actionable descriptors of spatiotemporal urban dynamics from large-scale mobile data: A case study in Lisbon city
Authors: Silva Miguel G , Madeira Sara C , Henriques Rui
Published: December 2023

Mobile phones share location records, offering the opportunity to monitor and understand emerging population dynamics in urban centers. With the aim of supporting urban planning, this study introduces a scalable methodology grounded on extracting and organizing spatiotemporal statistics from decomposed population density data. The proposed methodology serves three major purposes: (i) assess the predictability of spatiotemporal citizen density patterns; (ii) detect emerging spatiotemporal trends in population density; and (iii) uncover multi-level seasonality patterns with guarantees of actionability. Additionally, it makes available an open-access tool for deploying the proposed methodology and analyzing mobile phone network data with easy-to-use spatiotemporal visualization and navigation facilities. The results obtained from real-world, large-scale mobile data in Lisbon, Portugal, demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the proposed methodology in extracting actionable statistics in linear time to guide both tactic and strategic urban planning.
Neoliberalism, education financing and development in Africa: The politics, synergism and contradictions in the Ghanaian perspective
Authors: Braimah Awaisu Imurana , Forson Joseph Ato
Published: December 2023

The paper examines the sustainability of the new education policy in the light of the drifted neoliberal policies around the world. The researchers adopted a mixed method (MM) approach with the parallel mixed designs type to inquiry. The sampling approach is purposive sampling technique. The sample targeted 10 heads of senior high school, 50 teachers and 100 students in 10 deprived senior high schools across northern Ghana. More specifically, the study covered four thematic areas. It emerged that the free pre-tertiary education policy was implemented contra mundum by government; even though, the policy in principle has support from all spectrum of life. There has been a spillover effect and other contraindications of the policy in terms of funding, materials, manpower and infrastructure. Government and stakeholders in education need to find indigenous or domestic sources of funding the policy, since its benefits in the long run will outweigh its pitfalls.
Out-of-pocket expenditures and catastrophic expenditures on inpatient care among households of an urban village in Delhi
Authors: Prakash Singh Suraj , Khokhar Anita
Published: December 2023

Background:

Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for inpatient care has been known to cause maximum impoverishment. It can have debilitating consequences for urban poor households. It is necessary to study inpatient care costs and the related factors among the households of an urban village to determine their vulnerability to catastrophic expenditure and to protect them from it.

Objective:

The study aimed to calculate the mean OOPE on inpatient care, and catastrophic health expenditure among households of an urban village in Delhi.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional study conducted over 18 months among urban village households of Delhi who have been residing for the last 1 year.

Methods:

A sample size of 188 was calculated based on another study, and households were selected using systematic random sampling. A pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured, and interviewer-administered questionnaire in Hindi was used to elicit and record relevant information. Data were recorded and coded, and analysis was done using licensed SPSS v.26 software. Tables were generated for relevant data, and cross-tables were used to assess statistical association with chi-square or Fisher exact tests, as required. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

The mean annual OOPE borne by a household on inpatient care was INR 6870.3 (SD ± 30,580.6), where 93.3% of OOPE was incurred while seeking treatment from public facilities. The OOPE on inpatient care had a statistically significant association with households having joint family, members from vulnerable population, and belonging to Delhi.

Conclusion:

The households of an urban village of Aliganj, Delhi, have high OOPE on inpatient care (60.6%) and catastrophic health expenditure (75.6%).
Protein–protein interaction site prediction by model ensembling with hybrid feature and self-attention
Authors: Cong Hanhan , Liu Hong , Cao Yi , Liang Cheng , Chen Yuehui
Published: December 2023

Background

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are crucial in various biological functions and cellular processes. Thus, many computational approaches have been proposed to predict PPI sites. Although significant progress has been made, these methods still have limitations in encoding the characteristics of each amino acid in sequences. Many feature extraction methods rely on the sliding window technique, which simply merges all the features of residues into a vector. The importance of some key residues may be weakened in the feature vector, leading to poor performance.

Results

We propose a novel sequence-based method for PPI sites prediction. The new network model, PPINet, contains multiple feature processing paths. For a residue, the PPINet extracts the features of the targeted residue and its context separately. These two types of features are processed by two paths in the network and combined to form a protein representation, where the two types of features are of relatively equal importance. The model ensembling technique is applied to make use of more features. The base models are trained with different features and then ensembled via stacking. In addition, a data balancing strategy is presented, by which our model can get significant improvement on highly unbalanced data.

Conclusion

The proposed method is evaluated on a fused dataset constructed from Dset186, Dset_72, and PDBset_164, as well as the public Dset_448 dataset. Compared with current state-of-the-art methods, the performance of our method is better than the others. In the most important metrics, such as AUPRC and recall, it surpasses the second-best programmer on the latter dataset by 6.9% and 4.7%, respectively. We also demonstrated that the improvement is essentially due to using the ensemble model, especially, the hybrid feature. We share our code for reproducibility and future research at https://github.com/CandiceCong/StackingPPINet.
Exploring the mechanism of artificial selection signature in Chinese indigenous pigs by leveraging multiple bioinformatics database tools
Authors: Feng Xueyan , Diao Shuqi , Liu Yuqiang , Xu Zhiting , Li Guangzhen , Ma Ye , Su Zhanqin , Liu Xiaohong , Li Jiaqi , Zhang Zhe
Published: December 2023

Background

Chinese indigenous pigs in Yunnan exhibit considerable phenotypic diversity, but their population structure and the biological interpretation of signatures of artificial selection require further investigation. To uncover population genetic diversity, migration events, and artificial selection signatures in Chinese domestic pigs, we sampled 111 Yunnan pigs from four breeds in Yunnan which is considered to be one of the centres of livestock domestication in China, and genotyped them using Illumina Porcine SNP60K BeadChip. We then leveraged multiple bioinformatics database tools to further investigate the signatures and associated complex traits.

Results

Population structure and migration analyses showed that Diannanxiaoer pigs had different genetic backgrounds from other Yunnan pigs, and Gaoligongshan may undergone the migration events from Baoshan and Saba pigs. Intriguingly, we identified a possible common target of sharing artificial selection on a 265.09 kb region on chromosome 5 in Yunnan indigenous pigs, and the genes on this region were associated with cardiovascular and immune systems. We also detected several candidate genes correlated with dietary adaptation, body size (e.g., PASCIN1, GRM4, ITPR2), and reproductive performance. In addition, the breed-sharing gene MMP16 was identified to be a human-mediated gene. Multiple lines of evidence at the mammalian genome, transcriptome, and phenome levels further supported the evidence for the causality between MMP16 variants and the metabolic diseases, brain development, and cartilage tissues in Chinese pigs. Our results suggested that the suppression of MMP16 would directly lead to inactivity and insensitivity of neuronal activity and skeletal development in Chinese indigenous pigs.

Conclusion

In this study, the population genetic analyses and identification of artificial selection signatures of Yunnan indigenous pigs help to build an understanding of the effect of human-mediated selection mechanisms on phenotypic traits in Chinese indigenous pigs. Further studies are needed to fully characterize the process of human-mediated genes and biological mechanisms.
Evaluation of potassium-enriched biochar and GA3 effectiveness for Improving wheat growth under drought stress
Authors: Sarwar Ghulam , Anwar Tauseef , Malik Mehvish , Rehman Haseeb ur , Danish Subhan , Alahmadi Tahani Awad , Ansari Mohammad Javed
Published: December 2023

Osmotic stress is a significant concern in agricultural crop production as it can harm crop growth, development, and productivity. Agriculture crops are particularly vulnerable to osmotic stress due to their reliance on water availability for various physiological processes. Organic amendments like activated carbon biochar and growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA3) can play a vital role. However, the time needed is to modify the established amendment to achieve better results. That’s why the current study used potassium-enriched biochar (KBC = 0.75%) with and without GA3 (15 mg/L) as amendments under no osmotic stress and osmotic stress in wheat. Results showed that GA3 + KBC caused significant enhancement in germination (9.44%), shoot length (29.30%), root length (21.85%), shoot fresh weight (13.56%), shoot dry weight (68.38), root fresh weight (32.68%) and root dry weight (28.79%) of wheat over control under osmotic stress (OS). A significant enhancement in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll, while the decline in electrolyte leakage of wheat, also validated the effectiveness of GA3 + KBC over control in OS. In conclusion, GA3 + KBC is the most effective among all applied treatments for improving wheat growth attributes under no osmotic and osmotic stress. Further research is needed at the field level, focusing on various cereal crops, to establish GA3 + KBC as the optimal treatment for effectively mitigating the impacts of osmotic stress.
3 L split-dose polyethylene glycol is superior to 2 L polyethylene glycol in colonoscopic bowel preparation in relatively high-BMI (≥ 24 kg/m2) individuals: a multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yan Hailin , Huang Hongyu , Yang Dailan , Chen Zonghua , Liu Chao , Huang Zhong , Zhao Rui , Shan Jing , Yang Li , Yang Jinlin , Deng Kai
Published: December 2023

Background

Whether body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for poor bowel preparation is controversial, and the optimal bowel preparation regimen for people with a high BMI is unclear.

Methods

We prospectively included 710 individuals with high BMIs (≥ 24 kg/m2) who were scheduled to undergo colonoscopy from January to November 2021 at 7 hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated into 3 L split-dose polyethylene glycol (PEG) group (n=353) and 2 L PEG group (n=357). The primary outcome was the rate of adequate bowel preparation, and the secondary outcomes included Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score, polyp detection rate, cecal intubation rate, and adverse reactions during bowel preparation. Furthermore, we did exploratory subgroup analyses for adequate bowel preparation.

Results

After enrollment, 15 individuals didn’t undergo colonoscopy, finally 345 participants took 3 L split-dose PEG regimen, and 350 participants took 2 L PEG regimen for colonoscopic bowel preparation. 3 L split-dose PEG regimen was superior to 2 L PEG regimen in the rate of adequate bowel preparation (81.2% vs. 74.9%, P = 0.045), BBPS score (6.71±1.15 vs. 6.37±1.31, P < 0.001), and the rate of polyp detection (62.0% vs. 52.9%, P = 0.015). The cecal intubation rate was similar in both groups (99.7%). Regarding adverse reactions, individuals were more likely to feel nausea in the 3 L PEG group (30.9% vs. 19.3%; P = 0.001); however, the degree was mild. In the subgroup analysis for adequate bowel preparation, 3 L split-dose PEG regimen performed better than 2 L PEG regimen in the overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 ) (P = 0.006) and individuals with constipation (P = 0.044), while no significant differences were observed in relatively normal (BMI 24-24.9 kg/m2) (P = 0.593) and obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) (P = 0.715).

Conclusions

3 L split-dose PEG regimen is superior to 2 L PEG regimen for colonoscopic Bowel Preparation in relatively high-BMI individuals, especially overweight individuals (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 ).

Trial Registration

This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000039068). The date of first registration, 15/10/2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn
Patience with foster children as a major problem for grandparents in the role of kinship carers aged 60 + and the psychosocial determinants of this deficit
Authors: Giezek Marta , Wojtkowska Anna , Zabielska Paulina , Karakiewicz Beata
Published: December 2023

Kinship care represents the most prevalent form of foster care in Poland. Most commonly, the role of kinship carers is taken on by grandparents, who may struggle with various problems, needs and deficits in this role. The aim of this study was to investigate the problem of patience in kinship carers aged 60 + and its impact on deficits in the performance of roles and duties.

Methods Seventy-five foster grandparents (63 female, 84%) aged from 61 to 97 years (M = 69,12; SD = 6.22) were investigated in north-western Poland in 2018 and 2019. The study was based on the diagnostic survey method.

Results Psychological disposition, functioning, health problems and parental needs and deficits were assessed using standardised psychometric scales and tools self-constructed for this research study. A lack of patience with foster children was reported by 46.7% (n = 35) of the respondents. Patience deficits corresponded with a significantly lower sense of coherence, especially in the manageability domain (p < 0.001) and such stress coping strategies as lower positive reappraisal (p = 0.016) and seeking of emotional support (p = 0.025), as well as a greater tendency for suppression of activities (p = 0.014) and venting of emotions (p = 0.035). Relatively permanent personality traits and general self-efficacy were not differentiated by patience with children.

Conclusions The results suggest that patience – so important for biological and foster parents – is related to psychological competencies that can be improved through psychoeducation and skills-training, which may be beneficial for improving foster carers’ effectiveness.
Cross-cultural adaption and inter-rater reliability of the Swedish version of the updated clinical frailty scale 2.0
Authors: Olsson Henrik , Åhlund Kristina , Alfredsson Joakim , Andersson David , Boström Anne-Marie , Guidetti Susanne , Prytz Mattias , Ekerstad Niklas
Published: December 2023

Background

Worldwide, there is a large and growing group of older adults. Frailty is known as an important discriminatory factor for poor outcomes. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) has become a frequently used frailty instrument in different clinical settings and health care sectors, and it has shown good predictive validity. The aims of this study were to describe and validate the translation and cultural adaptation of the CFS into Swedish (CFS-SWE), and to test the inter-rater reliability (IRR) for registered nurses using the CFS-SWE.

Methods

An observational study design was employed. The ISPOR principles were used for the translation, linguistic validation and cultural adaptation of the scale. To test the IRR, 12 participants were asked to rate 10 clinical case vignettes using the CFS-SWE. The IRR was assessed using intraclass correlation and Krippendorff’s alpha agreement coefficient test.

Results

The Clinical Frailty Scale was translated and culturally adapted into Swedish and is presented in its final form. The IRR for all raters, measured by an intraclass correlation test, resulted in an absolute agreement value among the raters of 0.969 (95% CI: 0.929–0.991) and a consistency value of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.953–0.994), which indicates excellent reliability. Krippendorff’s alpha agreement coefficient for all raters was 0.969 (95% CI: 0.917–0.988), indicating near-perfect agreement. The sensitivity of the reliability was examined by separately testing the IRR of the group of specialised registered nurses and non-specialised registered nurses respectively, with consistent and similar results.

Conclusion

The Clinical Frailty Scale was translated, linguistically validated and culturally adapted into Swedish following a well-established standard technique. The IRR was excellent, judged by two established, separately used, reliability tests. The reliability test results did not differ between non-specialised and specialised registered nurses. However, the use of case vignettes might reduce the generalisability of the reliability findings to real-life settings. The CFS has the potential to be a common reference tool, especially when older adults are treated and rehabilitated in different care sectors.
Fibronectin glomerulopathy in a kidney allograft biopsy
Authors: Klair Nathaniel , Mahmood Salman B. , El-Rifai Rasha , Nast Cynthia C. , Bu Lihong , Bregman Adam
Published: December 2023

Background

Fibronectin glomerulopathy is a rare genetic nephropathy with only a few cases of post-transplant recurrence being reported previously. We highlight a case that was initially misdiagnosed and emphasize the importance of full immunofluorescence and electron microscopy evaluation in allograft biopsies.

Case presentation

A 36-year-old male with a history of end-stage kidney disease secondary to biopsy-proven type 1 membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) status-post living unrelated donor kidney transplant 12 years prior, presented with increasing creatinine and proteinuria. Biopsy was performed and was consistent with fibronectin glomerulopathy. Subsequent genetic testing revealed an FN1 mutation, the primary gene associated with this condition.

Conclusions

Full histologic evaluation of the allograft biopsy corrected the diagnosis and additionally suggested that the patient's mother, who had expired in her 30s and had received a diagnosis of type 1 MPGN on autopsy, likely also had fibronectin glomerulopathy, enabling appropriate genetic counseling for the family.