bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of shipping temperature on cell viability and T cell responses to bacterial antigens
Authors: Rongkard Patpong , Dunachie Susanna J. , Kronsteiner Barbara
Published: April 2023

Background: Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretion by T cells is a key correlate of immune protection against many pathogens including tuberculosis and the neglected tropical disease melioidosis. Clinical studies in tropical regions of immune responses to pathogens and vaccine monitoring studies require the collection of samples in resource-limited rural areas and subsequent shipment to central laboratories for downstream assays and long-term storage.

Here, we studied the impact of two different shipping temperatures on the viability, composition and function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using multi-colour flow cytometry and IFN-g enzyme-linked immunospot assay (IFN-g ELISpot), in order to provide guidance on sample shipment conditions for future clinical studies.

Methods: Paired peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from recovered melioidosis patients were stored in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) and then shipped from Bangkok, Thailand to Oxford, UK at either -80°C (dry ice) or -196°C (dry shipper). After thawing, cell viability and composition were assessed by flow cytometry and antigen specific responses to Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP) were measured using IFN-g ELISpot.

Results: We observed modest lowering of viability in the majority of samples and a reduction in IFN-g responses to BP which correlated to a decrease of monocytes and natural killer cells in samples shipped at -80°C compared to -196°C. Despite being lower in magnitude antigen-specific responses remained detectable in the majority of samples.

Conclusions: Here we demonstrate that shipment of cryopreserved PBMC at -196°C has a benefit on cell viability, recovery and T cell responses to bacterial antigens, although useful information can still be obtained from samples shipped at -80°C, thus providing important guidance for sample management in future clinical trials.
Preschool and primary teachers’ evaluations of their preparation, competence and experiences to teach newly arrived migrant students
Authors: Vanahans Maiki , Timoštšuk Inge , Uibu Krista
Published: April 2023

Kaasavas hariduses rõhutatakse sidusama ühiskonna loomise eesmärgil võrdset õigust haridusele. Õppijate kaasatus mitmekultuurilises õpikeskkonnas sõltub õpetajate kultuuridevahelisest pädevusest ja valmidusest toetuda õpetamisel iga õpilase kultuurile, keelele ja huvidele. Uurimuse eesmärk oli välja selgitada Eesti lasteaia- ja klassiõpetajate hinnangud oma ettevalmistusele, pädevusele ja kogemusele õpetada uussisserändajast õpilasi. Andmeid koguti poolstruktureeritud intervjuudega 14 lasteaia- ja põhikooliõpetajalt, kellel on varasem uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemus. Andmete analüüsimisel kasutati kvalitatiivset sisuanalüüsi. Uuringust selgus, et õpetajate ettevalmistus peaks sisaldama praktilisi koolitusi, kuidas korraldada õpet mitmekultuurilises keskkonnas. Kuigi uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemust peeti arendavaks ja rikastavaks nii õpetajale kui ka lastele, siis õppeprotsessis ja õpikeskkonnas lapse kultuurilise taustaga enamasti ei arvestatud. Õpetajate kogemustest tuli esile koostöö olulisus juhtkonna, tugispetsialistide ja kolleegidega. Probleemina tajuti keelebarjääri, mis takistas nii laste arengu hindamist kui ka suhtlust uussisserändajast lapsevanemaga. Õpetajakoolituses tuleks kujundada õpetajate arusaamu kultuurilisest mitmekesisusest kui väärtuslikust õpikeskkonna ressursist, mida arvesse võttes on kõigi laste õppimine efektiivsem.

 Summary
Treatment of phlegmonous esophagitis in various patients: a case series
Authors: Lee Han Sol , Lee Chul Ho , Jeon Yun-Ho
Published: April 2023

Acute phlegmonous esophagitis (APE) is a rare and fatal disease. Phlegmonous infection involves the submucosal layer and muscularis propria but not the mucosal layer. Because surgery is not the first treatment option for this disease, an accurate diagnosis is crucial. Herein, we report three cases of APE with various clinical features. All patients were successfully treated with antibiotics and appropriate medical procedures.
Formation of Reading Skills in Younger Schoolchildren
Authors: Filippova E.
Published: April 2023

The article deals with the problem of the formation and development of reading skills in primary schoolchildren as a component of functional literacy. The author presents the existing classifications of the considered skills in the methodological literature. The difficulties faced by schoolchildren in the process of analyzing works of different genres, and the reasons that cause them, are determined. Particular attention in the article is paid to the systematic and parallel use of methodological techniques in the lessons of literary reading that contribute to the formation of each reading skill in schoolchildren. The provisions on which the choice of the appropriate method depends are indicated.
Modeling in Solving Text Mathematical Tasks by Primary Schoolchildren
Authors: Kovaleva Evgeniya
Published: April 2023

The article deals with the problem of improving the teaching of mathematics to younger students. The author shares his experience of using modeling in solving text problems, which is a description of a process in mathematical language. The features and methods of work based on the construction of a mathematical model are characterized, which in the case of complex and multifactorial problems is often the best way to study them. Examples of modeling the text problem algorithm are given. The importance of mastering the ability to solve text problems by younger students, which stimulates the development of their mathematical thinking and creative activity, is emphasized.
New 3D printing process enables sustainable fiber composite components modeled on Nature's example
Authors: Selvarayan Sathis Kumar
Published: April 2023

Dr Ing Sathis Kumar Selvarayan, project leader at Deutsche Institute für Textil und Faserforschung Denkendorf, sets out new research involving 3D printed composite components using cellulose continuous fibers.
Secure and resilient remote access is what really matters
Authors: Stewart-Brown Alan
Published: April 2023

Forget the ‘edge vs cloud’ debate. These technologies each have their place, but they are both vulnerable to certain kinds of threats. And it is these risks that should be front of mind – especially for organisations adapting to new kinds of working.
Tackling new and emerging threats
Authors: Pescatore John
Published: April 2023

The threat landscape is never static. If you are to stay one jump ahead of attackers, you need to evolve your defences – with threat awareness and education being among our most important defences.
Terminal Velocity of Corn Stover Stem Fractions
Authors: Womac Alvin R. , Klasek Sarah E. , Yoder Daniel , Hayes Doug G.
Published: April 2023

Highlights

Terminal velocity was measured for small, standardized sizes of corn stover stem fractions with a vertical wind tunnel built to aerodynamically suspend particles.

Mean terminal velocity ranged from 2.84 m s-1 to 7.74 m s-1 for dry pith-internode and wet rind-node fractions, respectively.

Anticipated separation of corn stover stem particles using terminal velocity differences was viable for dry (11% w.b.) particles of pith, rind, node, and internode. But, many wet (43% w.b.) fractions had similar terminal velocities, thereby reducing separation propensity.

Abstract. Terminal velocity of corn stover stem fractions was determined for particles standardized to match particle sizes (1.3 cm long x 0.31 cm diameter) of switchgrass nodes and internodes. The practical application was to measure the potential aerodynamic conditions for sorting and separating size-reduced anatomical components of pith versus rind, node versus internode, and at two moisture contents (11% and 43%, wet basis). Terminal velocities grouped by dry pith, wet pith, dry rind, and wet rind resulted in a trend of increased mean terminal velocities of 3.28, 5.31, 6.38, and 7.68 m s-1, respectively, when averaged across node and internode. The increased moisture and the selection of the rind component had increased terminal velocity that was attributed to increased particle density. Terminal velocity for a node was generally statistically greater than that of an internode for a given condition, except for the statistically-equal terminal velocities for node and internode of wet rind. Also, terminal velocity for internode of dry pith and of wet pith were statistically equal. Thus, exceptions to the general trends were discovered. Mean terminal velocity ranged from 2.84 m s-1 to 7.74 m s-1 for dry pith-internode and wet rind—node particles, respectively. Practical separation of corn stover stem particles using terminal velocity differences was viable for dry (11% w.b.) particles of pith, rind, node, and internode. Many terminal velocities of wet (43% w.b.) fractions were statistically equal leaving only wet pith-internode available at this moisture for aerodynamic separation. Particle density varied almost 10-fold for the experiment, and this was attributed to the various anatomical component and range of moisture content. Highly significant correlations of particle density with terminal velocity may have represented a cause-and-effect factor. Keywords: Anatomical component, Biomass property, Corn Stover, Physical experiment, Separation, Sorting, Vertical wind tunnel.
Design and Fabrication of Waveguide Slot Antenna Using 3D Printing for 5G Application
Authors: Hanoosh Hatem O. , Rahim M. K. A. , Murad N. A. , Hussein Yaqdhan M.
Published: April 2023

This research constructs a 26 GHz waveguide slot antenna with decent gain. The application of millimeter-wave requires high bandwidth and gain to increase the traffic and users for millimeter-wave and 5G technology. The application of millimeter waves requires a high gain and bandwidth to achieve the requirements of traffic and users increasing for 5G technology and existing millimeter-wave. High-gain and power handling are provided by waveguide slot antennas. Three waveguide structures which are two waveguide antennae and a waveguide horn have been simulated by using CST and fabricated by a 3D printer. The tilt technique has been used with a waveguide to increase the bandwidth and gain of an antenna. A waveguide with broad wall tilt slots has one diction beam while a waveguide with broad and narrow wall tilt slots has two direction beams, each length of the wall enough to distribute six symmetric tilt slots. The gain of 14.3 dB and 1.9 GHz bandwidth are recorded for an antenna with broad wall tilt slots with one beam. While the waveguide with broad and narrow wall tilt slots achieved a gain of 13.9dB and a bandwidth of 1.9 GHz. The proposed antenna is a decent candidate for use with millimeter waves.
Movimiento obrero y culturas militantes a través de los testimonios orales. El caso de las islas Baleres (1930-1950).
Authors: Ginard i Féron David
Published: April 2023

El objetivo de este artículo es el de dar a conocer las principales líneas de trabajo de una investigación centrada en el análisis de unos ciento veinte testimonios de mujeres y hombres de las islas Baleares que vivieron en edad adulta el período histórico comprendido entre la proclamación de la Segunda República y la primera década de la dictadura franquista. La gran mayoría de las entrevistas fueron grabadas y transcritas entre 1989 y 1992, cuando todavía vivía un amplio colectivo de personas que habían desarrollado un rol relevante en los acontecimientos. Proyectadas desde un planteamiento de interacción y complementariedad de las fuentes orales con las escritas, dieron lugar en su momento a diversas monografías temáticas en las que los testimonios ocupaban un espacio muy secundario. Al cabo de veinte años, la edición y comentario de dicho material documental ha permitido establecer algunas reflexiones metodológicas en torno al quehacer de los historiadores que trabajan con testimonios orales y trazar algunas conclusiones en relación a las distintas culturas políticas de las izquierdas de la época y su autorepresentación.
Exhumación y estudio de los restos de Ramon Vila Capdevila en el cementerio de Castellnou de Bages
Authors: Pujol Masip Marta
Published: April 2023

Se presenta el caso de Ramon Vila Capdevila, alias «Maroto», «Caracremada», «Pasos Largos», los resultados de la excavación arqueológica, exhumación y estudio antropológico del guerrillero anarcosindicalista de la CNT durante la Segunda República Española, colaborador de la Resistencia francesa durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y el último maqui catalán durante el Franquismo. Fue abatido el 7 de agosto de 1963 durante un tiroteo en la localidad de Castellnou de Bages. La localización de sus restos esqueléticos el año 1999, en el marco de un proyecto de rehabilitación arquitectónica de la iglesia de Sant Andreu de Castellnou de Bages y la construcción del nuevo cementerio municipal, impulsado por la Diputación de Barcelona, permitió recuperar los restos óseos del guerrillero y contrastar las versiones oficiales que se dieron sobre su muerte.
Galería del recreador. Sargento de infantería (jefe de pelotón). Ejército "nacional", 1938
Authors: Alfonsea Romero Daniel , Muñoz Fe Diego
Published: April 2023

Recreación del uniforme de un sargento de infantería del ejército «Nacional», según el «Reglamento táctico de infantería», de 1929, publicado en 1938.
Agnotología, trabajo minero y contaminación por plomo en Linares (1880-1920)
Authors: Suay Matallana Ignacio
Published: April 2023

En 1884, comenzó una controversia en Linares (Jaén) sobre una nueva fundición de plomo que se pretendía construir junto al casco urbano, despertando quejas y temores de algunos vecinos por los posibles efectos de sus humos. El distrito plomífero de Linares era uno de los más dinámicos de España y, al duro trabajo y la siniestralidad en las minas y las fundiciones de plomo, se sumaban los efectos de la contaminación, tanto ambientales como en la salud. Este trabajo se centra en la minería del plomo en Linares, entre las décadas de 1880 y 1920, para analizar el impacto de las fundiciones de plomo, los debates sobre las cámaras de condensación y los efectos de los humos en la salud de obreros y vecinos. Se considera el papel de instituciones, como el ayuntamiento, de la prensa y de diferentes expertos, como ingenieros de minas o médicos, en la controversia. Al igual que sucedió en otros países, las grandes empresas mineras utilizaron la agnotología como una estrategia para ocultar y relativizar los riesgos asociados al plomo.
Algebraic ray trace analysis of spatial heterodyne spectrometers
Authors: Harlander John M.
Published: April 2023

Algebraic ray traces of various configurations of spatial heterodyne
spectrometers are developed to derive general, approximate, formulas
for resolving the power, fringe localization plane, and admissible
off-axis angle for each configuration. Michelson, all-reflective, and
field-widened configurations are considered separately. The
derived formulas for each configuration are tested
against exact numerical ray traces using optical design software and
in general found to be in good agreement.
Large regenerative parametric amplification on chip at ultra-low pump powers
Authors: Zhao Yun , Jang Jae K. , Ji Xingchen , Okawachi Yoshitomo , Lipson Michal , Gaeta Alexander L.
Published: April 2023

Chip-based optical amplifiers can significantly expand the functionalities of photonic devices. In particular, optical-parametric amplifiers (OPAs), with engineerable gain spectra, are well suited for nonlinear-photonic applications. Chip-based OPAs typically require long waveguides that occupy a large footprint, and high pump powers that cannot be easily produced with chip-scale lasers. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate a microresonator-assisted regenerative OPA that benefits from the large nonlinearity enhancement of microresonators and yields a high gain in a small footprint. We achieve 30-dB parametric gain with only 9 mW of cw pump power and show that the gain spectrum can be engineered to cover telecom channels inaccessible with Er-based amplifiers. We further demonstrate the amplification of Kerr-soliton comb lines and the preservation of their phase properties. Additionally, we demonstrate amplification by injection locking of optical parametric oscillators (OPOs), which corresponds to a regenerative amplifier pumped above the oscillation threshold. Dispersion engineering techniques such as coupled cavities and higher-order-dispersion phase matching can further extend the tunability and spectral coverage of our amplification schemes. The combination of high gain, small footprint, low pump power, and flexible gain-spectrum engineering of our regenerative OPA is ideal for amplifying signals from the nanowatt to microwatt regimes for portable or space-based devices where ultralow electrical power levels are required and can lead to important applications in on-chip optical-, and microwave-frequency synthesis and precise timekeeping.
High-throughput deep tissue two-photon microscopy at kilohertz frame rates
Authors: Xiao Sheng , Giblin John T. , Boas David A. , Mertz Jerome
Published: April 2023

High-speed laser scanning microscopes are essential for monitoring fast
biological phenomena. However, existing strategies that achieve
millisecond time resolution with two-photon microscopes (2PMs) are
generally technically challenging and suffer from compromises among
imaging field of view, excitation efficiency, and depth penetration in
thick tissue. Here, we present a versatile solution that enables a
conventional video-rate 2PM to perform 2D scanning at kilohertz frame
rates over large fields of view. Our system is based on implementation
of a scan multiplier unit that provides inertia-free multiplication of
the scanning speed while preserving all the benefits of standard 2PM.
We demonstrate kilohertz subcellular-resolution 2PM imaging with an
order of magnitude higher imaging throughput than previously
achievable and penetration depths exceeding 500 µm, which we
apply to the study of neurovascular coupling dynamics in the mouse
brain.
Ashes to eye: A skilled snake handler’s experience with ophthalmic envenomation
Authors: Williams Harry F. , Moejes Karin , Williams Jarred , Almeida José R. , Savania Ravi , Senthilkumaran Subramanian , Patel Ketan , Vaiyapuri Sakthivel
Published: April 2023

With the continued growth of human populations, rural urbanisation and habitat degradation are on the rise, resulting in the displacement of native wildlife and an increase in human-wildlife conflicts. The presence of human habitation and waste often attracts rodents and thereby, snakes, leading to increased snake sightings in homes. To address this problem, snake handlers, who are volunteers that remove and relocate snakes away from human development areas, are called upon. However, snake removal is a high-risk task that poses a risk of envenomation, particularly when dealing with spitting snakes. Several cobra species have the ability to spit venom. If the venom enters a person’s eye, it can result in ophthalmic envenomation, which can have serious consequences for their eyesight. Therefore, snake handlers should take precautions, wear suitable eye protection, and use appropriate tools to ensure their safety and that of the snake. In this case, an experienced snake handler was called to remove a spitting cobra, but they were ill-equipped. During the removal, the venom was sprayed across the handler’s face, and some of it entered their eye, resulting in ophthalmic envenomation. The handler promptly irrigated their eye, but medical treatment was still necessary. This report highlights the risks and consequences of ophthalmic injury and the importance of wearing appropriate eye protection and taking due care when dealing with venomous species, particularly those that can spit venom. It serves as a reminder that accidents can happen at any time and experienced snake handlers are not exempt from the risks.
Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis
Authors: Tix Leonie , Ernst Lisa , Bungardt Britta , Talbot Steven R. , Hilken Gero , Tolba René H.
Published: April 2023

The assessment of animals’ health and nutritional status using a Body Condition Score (BCS) has become a common and reliable tool in lab-animal science. It enables a simple, semi-objective, and non-invasive assessment (palpation of osteal prominences and subcutaneous fat tissue) in routine examination of an animal. In mammals, the BCS classification contains 5 levels: A low score describes a poor nutritional condition (BCS 1–2). A BCS of 3 to 4 is considered optimum, whereas a high score (BCS = 5) is associated with obesity. While BCS are published for most common laboratory mammals, these assessment criteria are not directly applicable to clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) due to their intracoelomic fat body instead of subcutaneous fat tissue. Therefore, this assessment tool is still missing for Xenopus laevis. The present study aimed to establish a species-specific BCS for clawed frogs in terms of housing refinement in lab-animal facilities. Accordingly, 62 adult female Xenopus laevis were weighed and sized. Further, the body contour was defined, classified, and assigned to BCS groups. A BCS 5 was associated with a mean body weight of 193.3 g (± 27.6 g), whereas a BCS 4 ranged at 163.1 g (±16.0 g). Animals with a BCS = 3 had an average body weight of 114.7 g (±16.7 g). A BCS = 2 was determined in 3 animals (103 g, 110 g, and 111 g). One animal had a BCS = 1 (83 g), equivalent to a humane endpoint. In conclusion, individual examination using the presented visual BCS provides a quick and easy assessment of the nutritional status and overall health of adult female Xenopus laevis. Due to their ectothermic nature and the associated special metabolic situation, it can be assumed that a BCS ≥3 is to be preferred for female Xenopus laevis. In addition, BCS assessment may indicate underlying subclinical health problems that require further diagnostic investigation.
Parliamentary roll-call voting as a complex dynamical system: The case of Chile
Authors: Morales-Bader Diego , Castillo Ramón D. , Cox Ralf F. A. , Ascencio-Garrido Carlos
Published: April 2023

A method is proposed to study the temporal variability of legislative roll-call votes in a parliament from the perspective of complex dynamical systems. We studied the Chilean Chamber of Deputies’ by analyzing the agreement ratio and the voting outcome of each vote over the last 19 years with a Recurrence Quantification Analysis and an entropy analysis (Sample Entropy). Two significant changes in the temporal variability were found: one in 2014, where the voting outcome became more recurrent and with less entropy, and another in 2018, where the agreement ratio became less recurrent and with higher entropy. These changes may be directly related to major changes in the Chilean electoral system and the composition of the Chamber of Deputies, given that these changes occurred just after the first parliamentary elections with non-compulsory voting (2013 elections) and the first elections with a proportional system in conjunction with an increase in the number of deputies (2017 elections) were held.
Secretive and close? How sharing secrets may impact perceptions of distance
Authors: Jaffé Mariela E. , Douneva Maria , Albath Elianne A.
Published: April 2023

Having secrets is incredibly common. However, secrecy has only recently started to receive more attention in research. What has largely been neglected are the consequences of secret-sharing for the relationship between sharer and receiver; a gap we aim to fill in this project. Previous research has shown that closeness can make secret-sharing more likely. Building on research from the self-disclosure and relationship literature, we experimentally investigate in three studies (N = 705) whether confiding a secret to somebody might in turn increase perceptions of closeness. In addition, we test whether the valence of the secrets moderates the hypothesized effect. While confiding negative secrets might signal a high level of trust and lead to a similar closeness as confiding positive secrets, they might also present a burden to the receiver and lead to a different pattern of closeness. To provide a holistic picture, we build on a variety of methods and investigate three perspectives: Study 1 focused on the receiver and showed that another person sharing secrets (vs. nonconfidential information) decreased the distance in the eyes of the receiver. Study 2 tested how an observer perceives the relationship between two people. Distance was judged to decrease when secrets (vs. nonconfidential information) were shared, however, this difference was not significant. Study 3 tested whether lay theories about sharing secrets predict behavior, and how sharing information may be used to change perceived distance on the receiver’s side. Participants preferred to share neutral compared to secret information and positive compared to negative secrets irrespective of the distance condition. Our results contribute to the understanding of how sharing secrets affects the way individuals think about each other, how close they feel to each other, and how they interact with each other.
Elevated ozone and carbon dioxide affects the composition of volatile organic compounds emitted by Vicia faba (L.) and visitation by European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta)
Authors: Otieno Mark , Karpati Zsolt , Peters Marcell K. , Duque Laura , Schmitt Thomas , Steffan-Dewenter Ingolf
Published: April 2023

Recent studies link increased ozone (O3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to alteration of plant performance and plant-herbivore interactions, but their interactive effects on plant-pollinator interactions are little understood. Extra floral nectaries (EFNs) are essential organs used by some plants for stimulating defense against herbivory and for the attraction of insect pollinators, e.g., bees. The factors driving the interactions between bees and plants regarding the visitation of bees to EFNs are poorly understood, especially in the face of global change driven by greenhouse gases. Here, we experimentally tested whether elevated levels of O3and CO2individually and interactively alter the emission of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) profiles in the field bean plant (Vicia faba, L., Fabaceae), EFN nectar production and EFN visitation by the European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta, Latreille, Megachilidae). Our results showed that O3alone had significant negative effects on the blends of VOCs emitted while the treatment with elevated CO2alone did not differ from the control. Furthermore, as with O3alone, the mixture of O3and CO2also had a significant difference in the VOCs’ profile. O3exposure was also linked to reduced nectar volume and had a negative impact on EFN visitation by bees. Increased CO2level, on the other hand, had a positive impact on bee visits. Our results add to the knowledge of the interactive effects of O3and CO2on plant volatiles emitted byVicia fabaand bee responses. As greenhouse gas levels continue to rise globally, it is important to take these findings into consideration to better prepare for changes in plant-insect interactions.
Target-based fusion using social determinants of health to enhance suicide prediction with electronic health records
Authors: Sacco Shane J. , Chen Kun , Wang Fei , Aseltine Robert
Published: April 2023

Objective

Preventing suicide in US youth is of paramount concern, with rates increasing over 50% between 2007 and 2018. Statistical modeling using electronic health records may help identify at-risk youth before a suicide attempt. While electronic health records contain diagnostic information, which are known risk factors, they generally lack or poorly document social determinants (e.g., social support), which are also known risk factors. If statistical models are built incorporating not only diagnostic records, but also social determinants measures, additional at-risk youth may be identified before a suicide attempt.

Methods

Suicide attempts were predicted in hospitalized patients, ages 10–24, from the State of Connecticut’s Hospital Inpatient Discharge Database (HIDD; N = 38943). Predictors included demographic information, diagnosis codes, and using a data fusion framework, social determinants features transferred or fused from an external source of survey data, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Social determinant information for each HIDD patient was generated by averaging values from their most similar Add Health individuals (e.g., top 10), based upon matching shared features between datasets (e.g., Pearson’s r). Attempts were then modelled using an elastic net logistic regression with both HIDD features and fused Add Health features.

Results

The model including fused social determinants outperformed the conventional model (AUC = 0.83 v. 0.82). Sensitivity and positive predictive values at 90 and 95% specificity were almost 10% higher when including fused features (e.g., sensitivity at 90% specificity = 0.48 v. 0.44). Among social determinants variables, the perception that their mother cares and being non-religious appeared particularly important to performance improvement.

Discussion

This proof-of-concept study showed that incorporating social determinants measures from an external survey database could improve prediction of youth suicide risk from clinical data using a data fusion framework. While social determinant data directly from patients might be ideal, estimating these characteristics via data fusion avoids the task of data collection, which is generally time-consuming, expensive, and suffers from non-compliance.
Chilean public attitudes towards beef production systems
Authors: Mansky de la Fuente Valentina , Enriquez-Hidalgo Daniel , Lemos Teixeira Dayane , Larrain Rafael , Hötzel Maria Jose
Published: April 2023

Much is discussed about the characteristics, efficiency, and externalities of indoor housing and pasture-based beef production systems, but little is known about how these features influence public attitudes towards beef production. This study aimed to explore Chilean citizens’ attitudes towards beef production systems and their underlying reasons. Citizens (n = 1,084) were recruited to participate in a survey and given information about one beef production system: indoor housing, continuous grazing or regenerative grazing. Participants had more favourable attitudes (from 1 = most negative attitudes to 5 = most positive attitudes) towards pasture-based systems (regenerative grazing = 2.94; continuous grazing = 2.83) than towards indoor housing (1.94), mainly due to concerns with animal welfare and environmental impacts. Productivity was not as important as the other sustainability aspects for participants as they were not willing to do that trade-off. Support for beef production may benefit if production systems adopt characteristics that are perceived by the public as positive for the environment and animal welfare.
Where are the data linking infant outcomes, breastfeeding and medicine exposure? A systematic scoping review
Authors: Jordan Sue , Komninou Sophia , Lopez Leon Sandra
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Information on the impact of medicines on breastfeeding and the breastfed infant remains scarce. The aims of this review were to identify databases and cohorts holding this information, and pinpoint current information and research deficits.

Method

We searched 12 electronic databases, including PubMed/ Medline and Scopus, using a combination of controlled vocabulary (MeSH terms) and free text terms. We included studies reporting data from databases with information on breastfeeding, medicines exposure, and infant outcomes. We excluded studies not reporting all three parameters. Two reviewers independently selected papers and extracted data using a standardised spreadsheet. Risk of bias was assessed. Recruited cohorts with relevant information were tabulated separately. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion.

Results

From 752 unique records, 69 studies were identified for full review. Eleven papers reported analyses from ten established databases with information on maternal prescription or non-prescription drugs, breastfeeding and infant outcomes. Twenty-four cohort studies were also identified. No studies reported educational or long-term developmental outcomes. The data are too sparse to warrant any firm conclusions, beyond the need for more data. The overall picture hints at 1) unquantifiable, but probably rare, serious harms to infants exposed to medicines via breastmilk, 2) unknown long-term harms, and 3) a more insidious but more pervasive harm in terms of reduced breastfeeding rates following medicines exposure in late pregnancy and peri-partum.

Implications

Analyses of databases reporting on the full population are needed to quantify any adverse effects of medicines and identify dyads at risk of harm from prescribed medicines while breastfeeding. This information is essential to ensure 1) infants are monitored appropriately for any adverse drug reactions 2) inform breastfeeding patients using long-term medicines as to whether the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh exposure to medicines via breastmilk and 3) target additional support to breastfeeding patients whose medicines may affect breastfeeding. The protocol is registered with the Registry of Systematic Reviews, no.994.
An ensemble of AHP-EW and AE-RNN for food safety risk early warning
Authors: Zhong Jie , Sun Lei , Zuo Enguang , Chen Cheng , Chen Chen , Jiang Huiti , Li Hua , Lv Xiaoyi
Published: April 2023

Food safety problems are becoming increasingly severe in modern society, and establishing an accurate food safety risk warning and analysis model is of positive significance in avoiding food safety accidents. We propose an algorithmic framework that integrates the analytic hierarchy process based on the entropy weight (AHP-EW) and the autoencoder-recurrent neural network (AE-RNN). Specifically, the AHP-EW method is first used to obtain the weight percentages of each detection index. The comprehensive risk value of the product samples is obtained by weighted summation with the detection data, which is used as the expected output of the AE-RNN network. The AE-RNN network is constructed to predict the comprehensive risk value of unknown products. The detailed risk analysis and control measures are taken based on the risk value. We applied this method to the detection data of a dairy product brand in China for example validation. Compared with the performance of 3 models of the back propagation algorithm (BP), the long short-term memory network (LSTM), and the LSTM based on the attention mechanism (LSTM-Attention), the AE-RNN model has a shorter convergence time, predicts data more accurately. The root mean square error (RMSE) of experimental data is only 0.0018, proving that the model is feasible in practice and helps improve the food safety supervision system in China to avoid food safety incidents.
Challenges and coping strategies among young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV infection in Botswana. A qualitative study
Authors: Karugaba Grace , Thupayagale-Tshweneagae Gloria , Moleki Mary M. , Matshaba Mogomotsi
Published: April 2023

Background

Due to antiretroviral therapy, many people with perinatally acquired HIV are surviving into young adulthood which is a critical period of human development. Research conducted in various settings globally has shown that young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV (YALPH) face multiple challenges related to HIV infection while also confronting the same challenges of young adulthood faced by other HIV-negative youth. However, there is a paucity of information on YALPH in Botswana and what needs to be done to improve their health and wellbeing. Therefore, this study explores the challenges and coping strategies of YALPH in order to inform health policies and programming in Botswana.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with 45 YALPH (ages 18–27 years) who were enrolled on antiretroviral therapy at the Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence (Botswana-Baylor Clinic). The Botswana-Baylor Clinic is the largest centre for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult HIV treatment and care in Botswana. The maximum variation sampling method was used to select information-rich participants. The questions focused on the challenges YALPH faced and how they coped with HIV. The data was analyzed using content analysis.

Results

The results showed that the majority of YALPH had suppressed HIV viral load and perceived themselves to be in good physical health and functioning. They did, however, face numerous challenges, including occasional or longstanding poor antiretroviral therapy adherence, disabilities and impairments, poor school performance and attainment, unemployment, financial stressors, fear of stigma, disclosure worries and concerns, and limited social support. The most vulnerable YALPH included those with disabilities and impairments, those transitioning out of residential care, young parents, the unemployed, and those with maladaptive coping strategies. The YALPH mainly used adaptive coping strategies. The most commonly used maladaptive coping strategies were self-distraction and venting.

Conclusion

Interventions to prevent, screen for, assess, and manage the challenges identified by this study are critical to improving the health and well-being of YALPH. In addition, diverse interventions that can contribute to the development of adaptive coping mechanisms and reduce the likelihood of maladaptive coping in YALPH should be sought.
Undernutrition and associated factors among children aged 6–59 months in nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention implemented Basona district, North Shewa Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Yehuala Gebretsadik Keleb , Orcho Afework Hailu , Gebresilassie Mizan Habtemichael , Meshesha Habtemariam Abate , Amera Tewodros Getnet , Tariku Eshetu Zerihun
Published: April 2023

Background

In Ethiopia, child malnutrition is a significant public health problem. To address the problem, Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) program was introduced. However, there is a paucity of evidence about the prevalence of child undernutrition in NSA-implemented districts. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition among children aged 6–59 months in NSA-implemented districts.

Method

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling 422 children aged 6–59 months paired with their mothers. A systematic sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data were collected by Open Data Kit (ODK) data collection platform, and Stata version 16 was used for analysis. The multivariable logistic analysis model was fitted to assess the association between variables, and 95% CI was estimated to measure the strength of the association. The level of statistical significance was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable model.

Result

Overall, 406 respondents participated in the study, and a response rate of 96.2% was obtained. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 24.1% (95% CI: 19.9–28.4), 8.87% (95% CI: 6.3–12.1) and 19.95% (95% CI: 16.2–24.2), respectively. Household food insecurity was significantly associated with being underweight (AOR: 3.31, 95% CI (1.7–6.3). Child dietary diversity (AOR: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01–0.48) and being a beneficiary of the NSA (AOR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02–0.96) program were associated with wasting. Lack of ANC visits and diarrhea in the past two weeks was associated with stunting and wasting, respectively.

Conclusion

The prevalence of malnutrition was a moderate public health problem. Wasting was more prevalent than the recent national and Amhara region averages. However, the prevalence of stunting and underweight was lower than the national average and other studies conducted in Ethiopia. Healthcare providers should work to increase dietary diversity, ANC visits, and reduce diarrheal disease.
Surfactant delivery via thin catheter in preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yeung Telford Y. , Zhou Qi , Kanmaz Kutman H. Godze , Pandita Aakash , Philippopoulos Eleni , Jasani Bonny
Published: April 2023

Objective

Surfactant administration via a thin catheter (STC) is an alternative to surfactant administration post endotracheal intubation in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS); however, the benefits particularly in infants <29 weeks’ gestation and the neurodevelopmental outcomes remain unclear. Thus, our objective was to systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy and safety of STC compared to intubation for surfactant or nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in preterm infants with RDS.

Methods

Medical databases were searched until December 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing STC compared to controls that included intubation for surfactant or nCPAP in preterm infants with RDS. The primary outcome was bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks gestation in survivors. Subgroup analysis was conducted comparing STC to controls in infants < 29 weeks’ gestation. The Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool was used and certainty of evidence (CoE) was rated according to GRADE.

Results

Twenty-six RCTs of 3349 preterm infants, in which half of the studies had low risk of bias, were included. STC decreased the risk of BPD in survivors compared to controls (17 RCTs; N = 2408; relative risk (RR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.85; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 13; CoE: moderate). In infants < 29 weeks’ gestation, STC significantly reduced the risk of BPD compared to controls (6 RCTs, N = 980; RR 0.63; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.85; NNTB = 8; CoE: moderate).

Conclusions

Compared to controls, STC may be a more efficacious and safe method of surfactant delivery in preterm infants with RDS, including infants < 29 weeks’ gestation.
Prediction of road dust concentration in open-pit coal mines based on multivariate mixed model
Authors: Wang Meng , Yang Zongwei , Tai Caiwang , Zhang Fan , Zhang Qiaofeng , Shen Kejun , Guo Chengbin
Published: April 2023

The problem of dust pollution in the open-pit coal mine significantly impacts the health of staff, the regular operation of mining work, and the surrounding environment. At the same time, the open-pit road is the largest dust source. Therefore, it analyzes the influencing factors of road dust concentration in the open-pit coal mine. It is of practical significance to establish a prediction model for scientific and effective prediction of road dust concentration in the open pit coal mine. The prediction model helps reduce dust hazards. This paper uses the hourly air quality and meteorological data of an open-pit coal mine in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Create a CNN-BiLSTM-Attention multivariate hybrid model consisting of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a bidirectional long short-term memory neural network (BiLSTM), and an attention mechanism, Prediction of PM2.5 concentration in the next 24h. Establish prediction models of parallel and serial structures, and carry out many experiments according to the change period of the data to determine the optimal configuration and the input and output size. Then, a comparison of the proposed model and Lasso regression, SVR, XGBoost, LSTM, BiLSTM, CNN-LSTM, and CNN-BiLSTM models for short-term prediction (24h) and long-term prediction (48h, 72h, 96h, and 120h). The results show that the CNN-BiLSTM-Attention multivariate mixed model proposed in this paper has the best prediction performance. The mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and coefficient of determination (R2) of the short-term forecast (24h) are 6.957, 8.985, and 0.914, respectively. Evaluation indicators of long-term forecasts (48h, 72h, 96h, and 120h) are also superior to contrast models. Finally, we used field-measured data to verify, and the obtained evaluation indexes MAE, RMSE, and R2 are 3.127, 3.989, and 0.951, respectively. The model-fitting effect was good.
When scientific experts come to be media stars: An evolutionary model tested by analysing coronavirus media coverage across Italian newspapers
Authors: Neresini Federico , Giardullo Paolo , Di Buccio Emanuele , Morsello Barbara , Cammozzo Alberto , Sciandra Andrea , Boscolo Marco
Published: April 2023

The article aims to understand the process through which scientific experts gain and maintain remarkable media visibility. It has been analysed a corpus of 213,875 articles published by the eight most important Italian newspapers across the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. By exploring this process along the different phases of the management of the emergency in Italy, it was observed that some scientific experts achieve high media visibility—and sometimes notwithstanding their low academic reputation–thus becoming a sort of “media star”. Scientific literature about the relationship between experts and media is considerable, nonetheless we found a lack of theoretical models able to analyse under which conditions experts are able to enter and to remain prominent in the media sphere. A Media Experts Evolutionary Model (MEEM) is proposed in order to analyze the main conditions under which experts can acquire visibility and how they can “survive” in media arena. We proceeded by analysing visibility of experts during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and considering both their individual credentials previously acquired and the media environment processes of selection; MEEM acts hence as a combination of these two levels. Regarding the credentials, we accounted for i) institutional role/position, ii) previous media visibility, and iii) matches between scientific credentials and media competence. In our analysis, we collected evidence that high visibility in newspapers can be seen as evolutionary in the sense that some profiles—i.e. a particular configuration of credentials—are more adapt to specific media environments.
Study of travellers’ preferences towards travel offer categories and incentives in the journey planning context
Authors: Malichová Eva , Straka Milan , Buzna Ľuboš , Scandolari Damiano , Scrocca Mario , Comerio Marco
Published: April 2023

Nowadays, efforts to encourage changes in travel behaviour towards eco-friendly and active modes of transport are intensifying. A promising solution is to increase the use of sustainable public transport modes. Currently, a significant challenge related to this solution is the implementation of journey planners that will inform travellers about available travel solutions and facilitate decision-making by using personalisation techniques. This paper provides some valuable hints to journey planner developers on how to define and prioritise the travel offer categories and incentives to meet the travellers’ expectations. The analysed data were obtained from a survey conducted in several European countries as part of the H2020 RIDE2RAIL project. The results confirm that travellers prefer to minimise travel time and stay on time. Also, incentives such as price discounts or class upgrades may play a crucial role in influencing the choices among travel solutions. By applying the regression analysis, it was found that preferences of travel offer categories and incentives are correlated with some demographic or travel-related factors. The results also show that subsets of significant factors strongly differ for particular travel offer categories and incentives, what underlines the importance of personalised recommendations in journey planners.