bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing tourism demand forecasting in Sri Lanka: evaluating the performance of machine learning models and the impact of social media data integration
Authors: Hewapathirana Isuru Udayangani
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study explores the pioneering approach of utilising machine learning (ML) models and integrating social media data for predicting tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

Two sets of experiments are performed in this research. First, the predictive accuracy of three ML models, support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF) and artificial neural network (ANN), is compared against the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model using historical tourist arrivals as features. Subsequently, the impact of incorporating social media data from TripAdvisor and Google Trends as additional features is investigated.

Findings

The findings reveal that the ML models generally outperform the SARIMA model, particularly from 2019 to 2021, when several unexpected events occurred in Sri Lanka. When integrating social media data, the RF model performs significantly better during most years, whereas the SVR model does not exhibit significant improvement. Although adding social media data to the ANN model does not yield superior forecasts, it exhibits proficiency in capturing data trends.

Practical implications

The findings offer substantial implications for the industry's growth and resilience, allowing stakeholders to make accurate data-driven decisions to navigate the unpredictable dynamics of Sri Lanka's tourism sector.

Originality/value

This study presents the first exploration of ML models and the integration of social media data for forecasting Sri Lankan tourist arrivals, contributing to the advancement of research in this domain.
The authentic experiences of tourists in Chinese traditional villages based on constructivism: a case study of Chengkan village
Authors: Yuan Chao , Kong Xiang , Chen Pinyu
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of authenticity in tourists’ destination selection, analyze the factors that influence tourists to form their initial opinions and explore how tourists construct the authenticity of traditional villages. The authors selected Chengkan village in Huizhou district, Huangshan city, as a case. In the study, the authors constructed an attribute-hardware-software research framework and analyzed tourists’ authentic emic experiences from the perspective of constructivism. The findings of this study suggest that tourists’ destination selection is influenced by authenticity. The destination culture brokers who interact with tourists play an essential role in forming authentic experiences. According to differences in how tourists construct authenticity, the study divided tourists into three types: primitive imagination, aesthetic reality and rational cognition. The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of various viewpoints about authenticity research and contribute to the academic discussion on how to understand the authenticity of unique cultural heritage sites such as traditional villages in the context of tourism development.
Family conflict as ontological (in)security for young people with experiences of homelessness
Authors: Roche Steven , Barker Justin , Noble‐Carr Debbie
Published: December 2023

Experiences of family conflict are common in young people's accounts of homelessness, yet in‐depth explorations and conceptualisations of these experiences remain sparse. Drawing on focus group discussions with 29 participants, this article explores the accounts of young people and carers and parents about the dynamics, interactions and characteristics of family conflict. Findings highlight the primacy of verbal insults, criticisms or threats, as well as acts of aggression and violence in young people's and parent's understandings of family conflict. Feelings of mistrust, instability and a lack of safety also pervade family conflict and are considered its most impactful elements. We contend that these impacts are best understood via the concept of ontological (in)security, whereby young people's sense of self, belonging and stability are undermined by family conflict. This provides important insights for developing practice in this space, where working to remove long‐term patterns of family conflict, restoring young people's sense of self and belonging within their family, and supporting the stability and trust within a family may prove beneficial.
WITH OR AGAINST HAYDEN WHITE? REFLECTIONS ON THEORY OF HISTORY AND SUBJECT FORMATION
Authors: La Greca María Inés
Published: December 2023

This article reflects on Hayden White's understanding of the subject and explores how best to move forward discussions in theory of history after his arguments about narrativity. To do so, I reconsider his arguments in light of more recent feminist and queer theorizations. Through a reconstruction of the current international new wave of feminism and LGBTQ+ activism as a rich and complex social movement that involves a narration of its own (practical) past, I will recontextualize and revaluate White's insight from the perspective of Judith Butler's theory of subject formation. The argument will unfold in four parts. First, I will recall White's ironic and existential stance on language and narrativity in the representation of reality and in relation to social beliefs. Second, I will again raise the question of the value of narrativity, as framed by White, in the context of the publication of a recent feminist manifesto. It is here that another issue will emerge as crucial: the relationship between the limits of linguistic self‐consciousness and the question of the subject. In the third part, my argument will take a partial turn “against White” and toward Butler's subject formation theory. My claim will be that there is a residue of the belief in the sovereign individual in White's insistence on self‐consciousness. However, I will also show that his suspicion regarding the psychological impulse toward narrative closure can be re‐elaborated as the challenge Butler is facing with their theory of subject formation: that of critically resisting the belief in our being coherent and self‐sufficient individuals. In the fourth part, I will present Butler's refiguration of the thesis of the subject's opacity in terms of the primary relationality that binds human beings to one another, and I will offer a new understanding of the individual, norms, agency, infancy, and ethics. Finally, I will conclude that we are bodies in history and that theory of history can find a promising line of research through this conception of the subject, a conception that reframes how we understand the intimate links between political consciousness, historicity, and embodiment. I also claim that this line of research constitutes an ethics for our historical undoing.
Food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome is an important differential diagnosis of vomiting in pediatric emergency
Authors: Ohnishi Shima , Yamamoto‐Hanada Kiwako , Sato Miori , Uematsu Satoko , Ohya Yukihiro
Published: December 2023

Background

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics and management of infants with suspected acute food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) who presented to the pediatric emergency department (ED) before and after the guidelines were published.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. We classified the infants as “acute FPIES‐like symptoms” who were younger than 12 months of age and visited the pediatric ED of the National Center for Child Health and Development due to vomiting 1–4 h after food ingestion without any causative disease, such as infection. The medical records of those infants in 2015 and 2021 were reviewed. We used the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test to compare two groups for continuous variables, whereas chi‐squared or Fisher's exact tests were used for nominal variables.

Results

The number of infants with acute FPIES‐like symptoms was 15 (13%) in 2015 and 14 (15%) in 2021. The trigger foods were cow's milk or dairy products in half of the infants, and five as a result of ingestion of hen's eggs in 2021, compared to zero cases in 2015. Five in 2015 and 12 in 2021 required examination at the ED. Three in 2015 and six in 2021 met the diagnostic criteria for acute FPIES in the international consensus guidelines. The emergency physicians did not record at least four minor criteria for acute FPIES in seven in 2015 and five in 2021. No infants (0%) in 2015 and two (14%) in 2021 were referred to the allergy department by an emergency physician.

Conclusions

Acute FPIES should be considered one of the differential diagnoses of vomiting, and pediatric medical staff should be aware of FPIES diagnostic criteria and appropriately refer suspected cases to a specialist.
Examining the influence of information‐related factors on vaccination intentions via confidence: Insights from adult samples in Italy and Serbia during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Di Napoli Francesca , Mari Silvia , Đorđević Jasna Milošević , Kljajić Duško
Published: December 2023

The research investigates the antecedents of immunisation intentions during the COVID‐19 pandemic, including information‐related factors (conspiracy beliefs, immunisation knowledge and health communication perception) and confidence‐related factors (trust in healthcare institutions and vaccine risk perception). Data were collected online from two samples of Italian (N = 324) and Serbian (N = 486) participants. Path analyses confirmed a mediation mechanism: trust in health institutions and vaccine risk perception mediate the relationship between information‐related factors and vaccination intentions, both towards COVID‐19 and other diseases, with a few exceptions and differences between the samples. Findings show a glimpse into the inner psychological mechanisms of vaccination intentions. During times of crisis, such as pandemics, compliance toward vaccination can be fostered through the quality of information and the promotion of citizens' trust towards health institutions and vaccines.
Experimental Study of the Compressibility of a Helium Plasma at a Pressure up to 20 TPa
Authors: Mochalov M. A. , Il’kaev R. I. , Erunov S. V. , Blikov A. O. , Ogorodnikov V. A. , Elfimov S. E. , Arinin V. A. , Komrakov V. A. , Likhutov M. I. , Maksimkin I. P.
Published: December 2023

A nonideal helium plasma has been compressed to a density of ρ ≈ 14 g/cm3 at a pressure of $$P \approx 20{\kern 1pt} $$ TPa (200 Mbar) in a spherical two-cascade device. The design of the device has been presented and the thermodynamic parameters of the helium plasma reached in it have been estimated. Data on the dynamics of the external and internal cascades in the device used to choose the calculation method have been obtained in a preliminary experiment with a hemispherical prototype. The experiment has been performed on the X-ray complex at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics, which includes BIM 234.3000 betatrons with a boundary energy of 60 MeV used in the multipulse bremsstrahlung generation regime with a multichannel optoelectronic system of recording X-ray images. A high-current linear accelerator LIU-R-T and an image detector assembly consisting of photochromic ADC screens have been used in addition to betatrons to detect the compressed shell cavity.
Influence of Noise and Frequency Distortions in a Communication Channel on a Communication Scheme Based on a Hyperbolic Chaos Generator
Authors: Lyubchenko D. O. , Isaeva O. B.
Published: December 2023

The article analyses the effectiveness of a chaotic communication scheme based on synchronization of hyperbolic chaos generators used as a receiver and a transmitter. It is shown that useful information nonlinearly mixed into the transmitter signal can be detected by the receiver if the receiver has stable synchronization with the transmitted signal. Research, aimed to confirm the hypothesis that robustness, strong chaoticity and noise-like wideband spectrum of this type of oscillators provide reliability and stability of transmission, has been carried out. This study also shows the effect of noise and frequency distortion of the signal in a communication channel on the quality of information detection.
Pacemaker Lead Entanglement during Interventional PFO Occlusion: Salvage Using a Sizing Balloon
Authors: Goldschmied Andreas , Schreieck Juergen , Droppa Michal
Published: December 2023

We present a case of a patient with a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) likely due to paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Her medical history included 2nd-degree heart block Mobitz II, which manifested with recurrent syncopes and was treated with a dual chamber pacemaker. During the interventional PFO closure procedure, we noted entrapment of the atrial pacemaker lead between the right-sided occluder disc and the interatrial septum. We were able to successfully move the lead aside using a 24 mm sizing balloon and subsequently developed the right-sided occluder disc in the correct position. In conclusion, pacemaker-lead entrapment between a PFO occluder disc and the interatrial septum can be prevented using a sizing balloon.
Supplementary Table S4 from Spatial and Temporal Mapping of Breast Cancer Lung Metastases Identify TREM2 Macrophages as Regulators of the Metastatic Boundary
Authors: Yofe Ido , Shami Tamar , Cohen Noam , Landsberger Tomer , Sheban Fadi , Stoler-Barak Liat , Yalin Adam , Phan Truong San , Li Baoguo , Monteran Lea , Scharff Ye'ela , Giladi Amir , Elbaz Miriam , David Eyal , Gurevich-Shapiro Anna , Gur Chamutal , Shulman Ziv , Erez Neta , Amit Ido
Published: December 2023

Gene expression enrichment analysis (GSEA)
Supplementary Table S3 from Spatial and Temporal Mapping of Breast Cancer Lung Metastases Identify TREM2 Macrophages as Regulators of the Metastatic Boundary
Authors: Yofe Ido , Shami Tamar , Cohen Noam , Landsberger Tomer , Sheban Fadi , Stoler-Barak Liat , Yalin Adam , Phan Truong San , Li Baoguo , Monteran Lea , Scharff Ye'ela , Giladi Amir , Elbaz Miriam , David Eyal , Gurevich-Shapiro Anna , Gur Chamutal , Shulman Ziv , Erez Neta , Amit Ido
Published: December 2023

Differentially expressed genes
Supplementary Table S2 from Spatial and Temporal Mapping of Breast Cancer Lung Metastases Identify TREM2 Macrophages as Regulators of the Metastatic Boundary
Authors: Yofe Ido , Shami Tamar , Cohen Noam , Landsberger Tomer , Sheban Fadi , Stoler-Barak Liat , Yalin Adam , Phan Truong San , Li Baoguo , Monteran Lea , Scharff Ye'ela , Giladi Amir , Elbaz Miriam , David Eyal , Gurevich-Shapiro Anna , Gur Chamutal , Shulman Ziv , Erez Neta , Amit Ido
Published: December 2023

Mouse cellular makeup
Supplementary Figure S6 from Spatial and Temporal Mapping of Breast Cancer Lung Metastases Identify TREM2 Macrophages as Regulators of the Metastatic Boundary
Authors: Yofe Ido , Shami Tamar , Cohen Noam , Landsberger Tomer , Sheban Fadi , Stoler-Barak Liat , Yalin Adam , Phan Truong San , Li Baoguo , Monteran Lea , Scharff Ye'ela , Giladi Amir , Elbaz Miriam , David Eyal , Gurevich-Shapiro Anna , Gur Chamutal , Shulman Ziv , Erez Neta , Amit Ido
Published: December 2023

The metastatic core and invasive margin are populated by distinct macrophage subpopulations.
Supplementary Figure S1 from Spatial and Temporal Mapping of Breast Cancer Lung Metastases Identify TREM2 Macrophages as Regulators of the Metastatic Boundary
Authors: Yofe Ido , Shami Tamar , Cohen Noam , Landsberger Tomer , Sheban Fadi , Stoler-Barak Liat , Yalin Adam , Phan Truong San , Li Baoguo , Monteran Lea , Scharff Ye'ela , Giladi Amir , Elbaz Miriam , David Eyal , Gurevich-Shapiro Anna , Gur Chamutal , Shulman Ziv , Erez Neta , Amit Ido
Published: December 2023

Detailed atlas of the immune microenvironment in breast cancer lung metastasis.
Supplementary Figure 4 from Monitoring Glucocorticoid Receptor in Plasma-derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Marker of Resistance to Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibition in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gentile Emanuela , Hahn Andrew W. , Song Jian H. , Hoang Anh , Shepherd Peter D. A. , Ramachandran Sumankalai , Navone Nora M. , Efstathiou Eleni , Titus Mark , Corn Paul G. , Lin Sue-Hwa , Logothetis Christopher J. , Panaretakis Theocharis
Published: December 2023

GR inhibition in vivo
Supplementary Figure 1 from Monitoring Glucocorticoid Receptor in Plasma-derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Marker of Resistance to Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibition in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gentile Emanuela , Hahn Andrew W. , Song Jian H. , Hoang Anh , Shepherd Peter D. A. , Ramachandran Sumankalai , Navone Nora M. , Efstathiou Eleni , Titus Mark , Corn Paul G. , Lin Sue-Hwa , Logothetis Christopher J. , Panaretakis Theocharis
Published: December 2023

Cells and EVs characterization.
FIGURE 3 from Monitoring Glucocorticoid Receptor in Plasma-derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Marker of Resistance to Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibition in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gentile Emanuela , Hahn Andrew W. , Song Jian H. , Hoang Anh , Shepherd Peter D. A. , Ramachandran Sumankalai , Navone Nora M. , Efstathiou Eleni , Titus Mark , Corn Paul G. , Lin Sue-Hwa , Logothetis Christopher J. , Panaretakis Theocharis
Published: December 2023

Effect of ENZA on GR in EVs in LNCaP tumors in vivo. Schema and treatment planning for in vivo experiment with subcutaneously injected LNCAP cells in NOD SCID mice. A, Tumor volume VEHICLE, ENZA-S and ENZA-R groups after 14–21 days of treatment (ENZA-S vs. VEHICLE, *, P = 0.0160). B, qRT-PCR for GR 14 days vs. BL: VEHICLE group (n = 18), ENZA-S group (n = 22; **, P = 0.0083) and ENZA-R group (n = 20; ***, P = 0.0009). C, Final tumor growth analysis of VEHICLE group (n = 18) and ENZA-S group (n = 22; ENZA-S vs. vehicle, **, P = 0.0017) and ENZA-R group (n = 10) vs. ENZA-S (**, P = 0.0088). D, Comparison of qRT-PCR results of GR between BL and ENZA-R and ENZA-S at end of the experiment (ENZA-R, END vs. BL, ****, P < 0.0001; ENZA-S, END vs. BL, ***, P = 0.0004). E, Comparison of tumor volume between ENZA-S and ENZA late resistance mice (ENZA-R LATE) in ENZA-S mice. (*, P = 0.0212).
FIGURE 1 from Monitoring Glucocorticoid Receptor in Plasma-derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Marker of Resistance to Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibition in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gentile Emanuela , Hahn Andrew W. , Song Jian H. , Hoang Anh , Shepherd Peter D. A. , Ramachandran Sumankalai , Navone Nora M. , Efstathiou Eleni , Titus Mark , Corn Paul G. , Lin Sue-Hwa , Logothetis Christopher J. , Panaretakis Theocharis
Published: December 2023

ENZA-induced GR RNA changes in EVs in vitro.A, Characterization of LREX EVs using NTA. B, qRT-PCR for GR and KLK3 in RNAs isolated from LREX cells and LREX EVs, respectively. C, LNCaP EVs characterization using NTA. D, qRT-PCR for the expression of GR and KLK3 in RNAs isolated from cells and EVs after LNCaP were treated for 5 days with 1 µmol/L ENZA. Actin and 18s are used for total cellular RNA and total RNA from EVs normalization, respectively.
Registros de compra e venda de imóveis no Pari: um olhar sobre a urbanização de São Paulo no início da República
Authors: Barbour Ana Maria
Published: December 2023

Este artigo apresenta uma análise sobre o vetor de urbanização do Pari – bairro localizado na Zona Leste da cidade de São Paulo – na virada do século XIX para o XX, a partir da elaboração de um sistema de informação geográfica (SIG), com base na espacialização dos dados encontrados em livros de transcrição de imóveis (registros de compra e venda de propriedades), entre 1890 e 1900. Composta basicamente por chácaras e terras devolutas, a localidade viveu, naquele momento, o início da sua urbanização, em razão das transformações que atingiam a cidade como todo, motivadas pelo desenvolvimento da economia cafeeira, pelo fim da escravidão, pela imigração em massa e início da sua industrialização. Em um curto espaço de tempo, a capital paulista se expandiu em tamanho, número de pessoas, edifícios e funções. Nesse cenário, as áreas rurais e de várzea ao redor do centro da cidade passaram a ser foco de ocupação, entre elas o Pari. Cortado pela estrada de ferro que ligava a cidade de Santos à de Jundiaí, em 1867, o bairro foi sendo, paulatinamente, retalhado por uma série de ruas, ocupado por indústrias, atividades, serviços e moradores de diferentes classes sociais, impulsionando o mercado de imóveis.Compreender aspectos do processo de apropriação e produção dos espaços dessa localidade, assim como os diferentes grupos sociais envolvidos, auxilia-nos a entender a natureza do processo de urbanização de São Paulo como um todo, suas especificidades e a relação com outras regiões da cidade.
Kant e a filosofia natural
Authors: Reichenbach Hans , Alves Alexandre
Published: December 2023

Tradução do texto “Kant und die Naturwissenschaft” de Hans Reichenbach.
Da estética da vida à estetização generalizada: uma introdução ao pensamento de Jean Galard
Authors: Rodrigues Leonardo da Silva
Published: December 2023

O artigo tem como finalidade esboçar uma introdução ao pensamento estético de Jean Galard, filósofo e historiador da arte que lecionou Estética no departamento de Filosofia da Universidade de São Paulo entre os anos de 1968 e 1971, e que esteve por décadas ligado ao meio artístico institucional francês, tendo criado, em 1987, o Serviço Cultural do Museu do Louvre. Para tanto, faremos um percurso sintético por quatro diferentes trabalhos de Galard que lidam com a questão da estetização da vida, questão essa que percorre toda sua reflexão e sofre transformações circunstanciais com o passar das décadas: trata-se dos livros Mort des Beaux-Arts (1971), A beleza do gesto (1984) e Beleza exorbitante (2012), e do artigo “L’art sans oeuvre” (2003). Por meio desse movimento, pretendemos mostrar como, sob o mesmo conceito de “esteticismo”, Galard busca rejeitar um ideal de beleza distanciada, regressiva e abusiva, que “desrealiza” o real, seja por meio da contenção das potências “desobradas” da arte por parte do sistema das Belas-Artes, seja por meio da destituição empática da experiência vivida nas imagens da mídia e da propaganda, ao passo que busca considerar a possibilidade de uma potência perturbadora em certos momentos e passagens da vida, em certos gestos e acontecimentos, que contêm simultaneamente o belo e o terrível.
Inteligência artificial como phármakon: a arte algorítmica entre o remédio e o veneno
Authors: Beiguelman Giselle
Published: December 2023

Este ensaio visual apresenta imagens da série Venenosas, Nocivas e Suspeitas, de minha autoria e em processo. Desenvolvida com recursos de inteligência artificial, a série foca plantas proibidas pelo processo “civilizador” colonial devido ao seu uso em rituais sagrados e poderes alucinógenos e afrodisíacos, contradizendo o cânone do homem branco europeu idealmente moral e fisicamente superior. O projeto aborda criticamente os modelos baseados na chamada Linguagem natural, que criam imagens a partir de textos e outras imagens em um processo quase intersemiótico de tradução. O título da obra é emprestado de um manual científico do século XIX, publicado na Inglaterra pela Sociedade Científica Cristã, de autoria de Anne Pratt (1857). Por meio do contraponto entre veneno e remédio, que constituem a ambivalência do phármakon, questiona-se como a inteligência artificial reforça pressupostos colonialistas e antropocêntricos, ao mesmo tempo em que abre possibilidades para novas alteridades entre humanos e não humanos.
Lectotypification of the names Shorea tumbuggaia and S. penicillata (Dipterocarpaceae)
Authors: SINGH RAJEEV KUMAR , REDDY A. MADHUSUDHANA , ARIGELA RAVI KIRAN
Published: December 2023

N/A
Geranium janakianum (Geraniaceae), a new species from Uttarakhand, India
Authors: SHUKLA APARNA R. , SAHU NAYAN , HURRAH IMTIYAZ A. , AHMAD MAIRAJ , WAGH VIJAY V.
Published: December 2023

A new species, Geranium janakianum, is described and illustrated here from Uttarakhand State, India. Photographs and a comparison of the diagnostic features of the new taxon with those of the morphologically similar species, G. himalayense and G. wlassovianum, are provided. These three species are characterised by palmatipartite leaves and relatively less lobed leaf segments. However, G. janakianum is clearly distinguished from its close relatives by having a pentamerous leaf lamina, rounded petal apex, micro-morphological features of the seed, mericarp and pollen in addition to the presence of stomata all over the plant.
Taxonomic revision of Orcevia Thorell, 1890, with description of fifteen new species (Araneae, Salticidae, Euophryini)
Authors: YU KUN , MADDISON WAYNE P. , ZHANG JUNXIA
Published: December 2023

The Asian euophryine genus Orcevia Thorell, 1890 is revised, and fifteen new species from southern China and Southeast Asia are described: Orcevia bokoblin Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. calcicola Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. deelemanae Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. feitongae Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. gongae Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂), O. jinping Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. meinei Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. mercuryi Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. nietzschei Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. pakse Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂), O. shuyuani Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. timburtoni Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. wuliang Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. yahaha Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀), O. zabkai Yu, Maddison & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀) and O. zu Yu & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀). Three new combinations and one new synonym are proposed: Orcevia sokoli (Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2013) comb. nov. (transferred from Echeclus Thorell, 1890), O. sica (Wu & Yang, 2008) comb. nov. (=Laufeia longapophysis Lei & Peng, 2012 syn. nov.; transferred from Laufeia Simon, 1889), and Magyarus terrestris (Logunov, 2021) comb. nov. (transferred from Orcevia). The previously unknown females of Orcevia sica (Wu & Yang, 2008) comb. nov. and O. proszynskii (Song, Gu & Chen, 1988) are described. O. perakensis (Simon, 1901) is herein listed as a species inquirenda.
Association between oral health and locomotive syndrome: a cross-sectional study in Japanese adults
Authors: Saito Mizuki , Shimazaki Yoshihiro , Yoshii Saori , Takeyama Hideo
Published: December 2023

Background

Many studies have examined the association between oral health, care needs, and physical function, but few have focused on the association between oral health and locomotive syndrome (LS). We examined the association between LS and oral-health status, such as the number of teeth and chewing function, in an adult population.

Methods

The study included 2888 participants who underwent examinations of motor function and oral health. Individuals with LS stage 1 or higher were classified as having LS, while others were classified as not having it. Logistic regression analysis was performed using the presence or absence of LS as the dependent variable and age, sex, smoking status, drinking habit, exercise habit, walking speed, history of stroke, bone density, body mass index, metabolic syndrome, chewing function, and the number of teeth as independent variables to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each independent variable.

Results

When the number of teeth and chewing function were included separately in multivariate analyses, the OR for LS was significantly higher for participants with 0–19 teeth than for those with 28 teeth, and for participants with poor chewing function than for those with good function (adjusted ORs, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.01–2.15] and 1.73 [95% CI, 1.37–2.18], respectively). In analyses that included tooth number and chewing function as a combined independent variable, relative to individuals with 28 teeth and good masticatory function, the adjusted ORs were 2.67 (95% CI, 1.57–4.52) for those with 28 teeth and poor chewing function, 1.63 (95% CI, 1.20–2.22) for those with 20–27 teeth and poor chewing function, and 1.83 (95% CI, 1.06–3.18) for those with 0–19 teeth and poor chewing function.

Conclusion

Having fewer teeth and poor chewing function may be associated with LS. The maintenance of masticatory function may be important to prevent LS in adulthood.
Interferon-gamma release assay for screening of tuberculosis infection in children
Authors: Zheng Huiwen , Xiao Jing , Li Feina , Chen Hao , Li Deze , Wang Yonghong , Guo Yajie , Chen Yuying , Shen Chen
Published: December 2023

Background

Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) is the main tool for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI). However, the indeterminate results were more frequent in children, and the underlying reasons were largely speculative. We aimed to compare QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) with X.DOT-TB (XDOT) for diagnosing LTBI, and to identify the risk factors associated with indeterminate results in children.

Methods

A retrospective study for children<18 years old, at risk for LTBI or progression to TB disease, received either QFT-GIT or X.DOT-TB tests was performed at Beijing Children’s Hospital from August 2019 to August 2022.

Results

A total of 33,662 children were recruited, including 15,129 (44.9%) tested with X.DOT-TB and 18,533 (55.1%) with QFT-GIT. Proportion of positive and indeterminate results in children with respiratory disease was significantly higher than did that with other diseases, respectively (P < 0.001). The indeterminate rate of X.DOT-TB and QFT-GIT results decreased with increasing age (P < 0.001). Proportion of QFT-GIT indeterminate results was higher than that of X.DOT-TB across age groups. Male, age and disease classification all presented a statistically significant association with indeterminate IGRA results.

Conclusions

The positive rates of X.DOT-TB and QFT-GIT in children were 3.1% and 1.8%, respectively. The X.DOT-TB assay performed better than QFT-GIT in children, and male, age and underlying diseases were associated with an increased risk of indeterminate IGRA results.
A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of maternity models of care
Authors: Martin Elizabeth , Ayoub Bassel , Miller Yvette D.
Published: December 2023

Objectives

In this systematic review, we aimed to identify the full extent of cost-effectiveness evidence available for evaluating alternative Maternity Models of Care (MMC) and to summarize findings narratively.

Methods

Articles that included a decision tree or state-based (Markov) model to explore the cost-effectiveness of an MMC, and at least one comparator MMC, were identified from a systematic literature review. The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases were searched for papers published in English, Arabic, and French. A narrative synthesis was conducted to analyse results.

Results

Three studies were included; all using cost-effectiveness decision tree models with data sourced from a combination of trials, databases, and the literature. Study quality was fair to poor. Each study compared midwife-led or doula-assisted care to obstetrician- or physician-led care. The findings from these studies indicate that midwife and doula led MMCs may provide value.

Conclusion

The findings of these studies indicate weak evidence that midwife and doula models of care may be a cost-effective or cost-saving alternative to standard care. However, the poor quality of evidence, lack of standardised MMC classifications, and the dearth of research conducted in this area are barriers to conclusive evaluation and highlight the need for more research incorporating appropriate models and population diversity.
Experience and perceptions of healthcare providers on clinical management and care of near-miss infants: a qualitative content analysis
Authors: Asaye Mengstu Melkamu , Gelaye Kassahun Alemu , Matebe Yohannes Hailu , Lindgren Helena , Erlandsson Kerstin
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Neonatal Near Miss (NNM) refers to neonates with severe complications who almost died but survived immediately after birth. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of NNM has been assessed using a validated Neonatal Near-Miss Assessment Scale. However, understanding the experiences and perceptions of healthcare providers in the clinical management and care of NNM infants remains unexplored. The aim was to investigate the determinants contributing to the survival of neonatal near-miss babies and to identify any barriers encountered, as reported by the experiences of healthcare providers in public hospitals of Amhara Regional State, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

Semi structured interviews were used to collect data from 25 midwives, nurses, and pediatricians with at least six months of prior experience in one of the labor wards or neonatal intensive care units at one of the four public health hospitals in the Amhara Regional state of northwest Ethiopia included in a large intervention study assessing a NNM scale. Purposeful sampling was used, selecting participants based on their experiences related to the aim of this study. The participants had a varying level of education and years of experience to care for NNM infants. The average age of the healthcare providers was 31 years, with 7 years of work experience. The transcripts of the interviews with the healthcare providers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The experience and perceptions of healthcare providers was described in the main category “A sense of hopelessness when caring for the baby” capturing a broader emotional and professional aspect, while the subcategories “Unclear responsibilities discharging one’s mission”, “Provision of kangaroo mother care” and “Quick action required at birth” are more specific and practical. Healthcare providers perceived a sense of hopelessness when caring for the NNM infant, particularly providing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and quick actions when required at birth to save the life of the infant.

Conclusion

Unclear responsibilities and a sense of hopelessness could have acted as barriers, hindering the ability of healthcare providers to fulfill their mission of taking swift actions and providing KMC to NNM infants, thus impacting their ability to save the lives of these infants. Healthcare providers’ and parents’ attitudes must be changed towards hope rather than hopelessness when caring for NNM infants.
Blended-ALMAMAR app for inpatient mental health care for refugees: study protocol for a multicenter implementation study within the I-REACH consortium (Internet based REfugee mentAl healtH Care)
Authors: Reinhardt Isabelle , Schmidt Laura , Reske Dirk , Zielasek Jürgen , Braun Gracia , Böttche Maria , Boettcher Johanna , Burchert Sebastian , Glaesmer Heide , Knaevelsrud Christine , Konnopka Alexander , Muntendorf Louisa , Nohr Laura , Paskuy Sophia , Renneberg Babette , Sierau Susan , Stammel Nadine , Wagner Birgit , Wirz Tina , Gouzoulis-Mayfrank Euphrosyne
Published: December 2023

Background

Refugees are at high risk for developing mental illnesses. Due to language and cultural barriers, there is need for specifically adapted therapeutic procedures for refugees in inpatient mental health care settings. Internet-based applications in refugee mother tongues have the potential to improve the outcomes of mental health care for this vulnerable population. The key research question of the present implementation study is whether the newly developed “blended ALMAMAR” app for Arabic and Farsi speaking refugees in Germany is used and accepted by patients and professionals in routine inpatient mental health care (blended care).

Methods

We present the design of an observational, prospective multicenter implementation study in eight psychiatric hospitals. We plan to recruit 100 Farsi or Arabic speaking refugees receiving in-patient treatment due to depression, anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or substance use disorders. These patients will get access to the “blended ALMAMAR” app during their inpatient stay in a blended-care approach. We will assess the usage (e.g., duration and frequency of use of the app) as well as subjective acceptability and usability of the intervention. To identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with “blended ALMAMAR” usage, we will also perform clinical and questionnaire assessments.

Discussion

The newly developed “blended ALMAMAR” app may help to close communication gaps for the hard-to reach and vulnerable group of refugees in inpatient mental health care. It is the first blended-care intervention that addresses severely mentally ill refugees in an inpatient psychiatric setting in Germany.

Trial registration

The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on November 11, 2021 (DRKS00025972) and adapted on November 14, 2023.
Antimicrobial use of patients with sexually transmitted infection symptoms prior to presentation at five health facilities in Southern Ghana
Authors: Attram Naiki , Dela Helena , Behene Eric , Kyei Nicholas N.A. , Ocansey Karen , Yanney Jennifer N. , Nyarko Edward O. , Addo Kennedy K. , Koram Kwadwo A. , Fox Anne , Letizia Andrew , Sanders Terrel
Published: December 2023

Background

Unregulated and inappropriate antimicrobial use are major contributors to the evolution of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. It is important to monitor and collect data on the use of antibiotics at health facilities and in the general population in order to support antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Methods

As part of a gonorrhea surveillance study that was conducted from June 2012 to Jan 2018, we administered a questionnaire to elicit information on the types of antimicrobials used by individuals to treat symptoms of a gonorrhea infection prior to presenting at five health facilities in Southern Ghana.

Results

Almost one-third (383/1,349; 28%) of study participants admitted taking one or more antimicrobial types before hospital presentation, while 138/383 (36%) of those who took antimicrobials could not remember what they ingested. A greater percentage of individuals who reported prior antimicrobial use before presentation at a health facility tested positive for gonorrhea by NAAT (30%), in contrast to 24% for those without prior treatment (p = 0.004). Penicillin and its derivatives, as well as ciprofloxacin and doxycycline, were the most used, while a few individuals reported taking drugs such as kanamycin and rifampin. Males were more likely than females to take an antimicrobial prior to attending a health center.

Conclusion

In order to curb excessive and inappropriate antimicrobial use, antibiotics used by patients before presenting at hospitals ought to be investigated by healthcare providers. It is recommended that health professionals receive continuing education on the consequences of unregulated antimicrobial use.
Overview of chemometrics in forensic toxicology
Authors: Singh Sukhwinder , Shakeel Hanan , Sharma Rakesh
Published: December 2023

Background

The beginning of chemometrics within pattern recognition of the 1960s and 1970s is defined. This article shows a comprehensive deliberation on application of the chemometric techniques to chemical data analysis.

Main body of the abstract

Many review papers along with the usage of chemometrics in forensic chemistry have been available. The present article has been distributed into several parts which comprise chemometrics, its history, its function and chemometrics methods.

Conclusion

It is advised that these new chemometrics methods should be applied in forensic chemistry to get accurate and fast results.
The Role of Foreign Law in the Courts’ Application of Estonian Law
Authors: Värv Age
Published: December 2023

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of comparative law in the legal developments of the restored Republic of Estonia. The country’s legislative drafting and jurisprudence frequently refer to and study legal solutions adopted in other countries, with private-law practitioners having even cited the comparative method as the main approach to drafting legislation and the best-practice rules for legislative drafting adopted in 2011 directing that the experience of other countries be considered in both the proposal for drafting and the draft law itself. While the comparative approach is followed so often for legal articles and doctoral theses that foreign law has even been referred to as an everyday tool for Estonian lawyers, reference to solutions in other legal orders is a much rarer phenomenon in application of the law, whether in the case law of Estonia or in that of other countries. The article provides an overview, based on legal literature and Estonian case law, of the arguments related to the admissibility of the use of foreign law in court decisions and examines the role of foreign law in the application of Estonian legal provisions. Its discussion focuses not on decisions that refer to the case law of the European Court of Justice or European Court of Human Rights or that cite case law from other countries with regard to applying international conventions but on those situations in which courts have used references to other countries’ legal provisions, case law, or legal literature (i.e., comparative arguments) when applying national law.
AI Systems’ Impact on the Recognition of Foreign Judgements: The Case of Estonia
Authors: Härmand Kai
Published: December 2023

Prominent search engines yield many millions of hits *1 when one searches for the keywords ‘robot judge’. While the discussion around AI technologies and their impact on society is increasingly focused on questions of whether and how the use of AI should be regulated and what kind of legal boundaries, we need for safeguarding fundamental rights in its context, the fact is that algorithmic systems are already used in the realms of litigation and judicial systems. The article presents an attempt to ascertain how the use of AI in judicial proceedings affects the cross-border recognition of judgements and, thereby, influences society in general. Special attention is given to the pivotal matter of trust in judicial decisions of other countries. More precisely, can the use of AI reshape or otherwise influence the current procedure of cross‑border recognition of judgements and the judicial duties of a judge in that procedure, at least in the case of Estonia?
Studying Works of Russian Folklore in Elementary School
Authors: Petrashko O.
Published: December 2023

The article discusses the problem of studying the epic as a means of developing a respectful attitude among younger schoolchildren towards representatives of various peoples of Russia. Using the example of familiarity with the image of a hero - a bright hero of many ethnic groups that have long inhabited the territory of our country, the methodological features of the process of studying folk culture are revealed. Comparing the images of heroic defenders of their native land from invaders and enslavers allows us to trace similar ideological traits and behavioral stereotypes characteristic of the peoples of our multinational state, their aspirations for a peaceful life devoted to work and creation. These basic values testify to a long-standing and deep dialogue of cultures and bring younger schoolchildren closer to understanding the common historical destiny of the peoples of Russia, raising them to be citizens and patriots.
Student nurse-midwives' knowledge and practice conducting normal labour in Windhoek, Namibia
Authors: Mateus Imanuel , Emvula Olivia , Nashandi Hilde Liisa
Published: December 2023

Background/Aims

It is crucial that maternity health workers understand how to prevent complications during labour. A lack of knowledge and the skills required to manage uncomplicated physiological labour (‘normal’ labour) may result in unanticipated complications, such as vaginal lacerations and perineal tears. This study's aim was to assess the knowledge and practices of undergraduate nurse-midwife students at the University of Namibia in conducting normal labour.

Methods

This quantitative study used a descriptive, non-experimental design to gather data from a total of 64 student nurse-midwives. A questionnaire was used to gather participants' sociodemographics and assess their knowledge and practice of normal labour. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

Results

The majority of the participants (87.3%) knew the correct supporting technique to prevent perineal tears. Most (84.1%) correctly indicated that a partograph is used to monitor labour progress. However, the majority (87.3%) did not practice episiotomy to prevent perineal tears.

Conclusions

Most students were knowledgeable on the use of a partograph, practices to prevent perineal tears and care of a newborn after birth. Students should receive continual education during clinical allocations, and be supervised and guided to improve practice and competency. Provision of sufficient preceptors is needed to cater for the high number of students. Future research should be conducted on the experiences and perspectives of students on conducting births and prevention of labour complications.
Hospital-related factors associated with incontinence following vesicovaginal fistula repair at Bwaila fistula care centre
Authors: Chipapa Smith , Changole Josephine , Lazaro Matthews , Kafulafula Ursula
Published: December 2023

Background/Aims

Surgery remains the only reliable treatment option for vesicovaginal fistula; however, not all women who undergo surgical treatment regain continence. Information on predictors of vesicovaginal fistula closure outcomes is scarce and mostly limited to patient-related factors. This study examined hospital-related factors associated with incontinence in women following vesicovaginal fistula repair at the Bwaila fistula care centre in Malawi.

Methods

This quantitative retrospective cross-sectional study used simple random sampling to identify 174 case files of women who underwent vesicovaginal fistula repair. Data were analysed using binary and multivariable logistic regression to explore the effects of hospital-related variables on the likelihood of women remaining incontinent after obstetric fistula repair.

Results

The overall closure rate was 73.6%. Only number of days with a Foley catheter was found to predict incontinence after fistula repair at discharge from the hospital (P=0.013), in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Number of days with a catheter was the only significant predictor of incontinence after repair. Surgeons should consider reducing the number of days assigned with a catheter following surgery. Future studies should follow a prospective approach in settings where all variables can be effectively explored.
Counselling on newborn danger signs for women in Bahirdar City, northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Worku Kalkidan , Amsalu Menichil
Published: December 2023

Background/Aims

The prevalences of good knowledge and health-seeking practice for newborn danger signs are generally low in Asia and sub-Saharan African countries. There is limited information available about the effect of maternal and child health service use on this issue among mothers in Bahirdar. This study's aim was to assess the effect of service use on knowledge and health-seeking practice related to newborn danger signs among women with infants in Bahirdar.

Methods

This community-based cross-sectional study involved 392 women with infants aged less than 6 months, who used maternal and child health services in Bahirdar between 10 September and 10 October 2020. Bivariable and multivariable regression were used to identify service use factors associated with health-seeking behaviour and knowledge related to newborn danger signs.

Results

Most of the participants recognised that frequent vomiting (81.1%), high fever (73.0%) and convulsion (69.9%) were neonatal danger signs. Postnatal care counselling was strongly associated with health-seeking practice (adjusted odds ratio=1.9, P<0.001). Antenatal care counselling was strongly associated with knowledge of newborn danger signs (adjusted odds ratio=1.57, P<0.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of maternal knowledge of newborn danger signs was lower compared to the literature. Similarly, the prevalence of health-seeking practice among mothers with an infant with a newborn danger sign was low. Interventions to improve the quality of antenatal and postnatal counselling are recommended.