bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of proactive management of healthcare risks to the reduction of adverse events in a maternity hospital
Authors: Negrini Romulo , Appel Liliane Costa , Beck Ana Paula Avritscher , Eisencraft Ana Carolina Guimarães , Fascina Linus Pauling , Fernandes Fernanda Paulino
Published: February 2024

Background

The risks of the childbirth assistance process are still very high, both for mothers and babies. According to the WHO, birth-related asphyxia accounts for 23% of all 3.3 million annual neonatal deaths and an even larger number of survivors with disabilities. On the other hand, maternal mortality is still a global challenge, affecting 17 mothers per 100 000 births in the USA. This is associated with the use of outdated technologies and a lack of well-defined processes in monitoring labour and early recognition of maternal clinical deterioration.

Method

This study used Lean methodology to map the care flow for pregnant women in a Brazilian maternity hospital (Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein) in order to identify the risks within this process and a set of actions to minimise them. The work team consisted of 29 individuals, including local medical and nursing leaders, as well as healthcare professionals. The What-if tool was used to categorise the levels of risks, and the proportion of severe and catastrophic adverse events was evaluated before and after the implementation of changes.

Results

After the implementation of the actions, 100% of the extreme risks (28 risks) and 8% of the high risks (4 risks) were eliminated. This led to a reduction in the interval between severe/catastrophic events from 126 to 284 days, even with an increase in the average monthly number of visits from 367 to 449. Consequently, the weighted value of events decreased from 7.91 to 3.29 per 1000 patients treated, resulting in an annual cost savings of R$693 646.80 (US$139 000.00).

Discussion

The construction of a process based on Lean methodology was essential for mapping the involved risks and implementing a set of actions to minimise them. The participation of the healthcare team and leadership seemed to be important in choosing the measures to be adopted and their applicability. The results found can be attributed to both the established changes and the safety culture brought about by this constructive process.
Home delivery among women who receive antenatal care in Ethiopia, design-based logistic regression analysis
Authors: Yimer Yimer Seid , Tesfaye Tariku , Zemelak Awgichew Kifle , Ferede Solomon Emyu
Published: February 2024

Background

In Ethiopia, a significant proportion of women who receive antenatal care (ANC) deliver at home. This study aims to investigate home delivery among pregnant women who receive ANC during pregnancy in Ethiopia. Increased coverage of ANC is advised to improve institutional delivery, which in turn prevents maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Patients and methods

We used data from the Performance Monitoring for Action Ethiopia panel study, which followed pregnant women 1 year through post partum. A total of 1749 women who received ANC during pregnancy were included in this study. To identify risk factors associated with home delivery, a design-based binary logistic regression analysis was used.

Results

Of 1749 women who received ANC, 515 (29.4%) gave birth at home. Discussions on place of delivery with partner (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.56, 95% CI=0.35 to 0.90); desire to deliver at home (AOR=3.35, 95% CI=2.15 to 5.22); multiple birth readiness topics during ANC visits (AOR=0.39, 95% CI=0.21 to 0.63); and had ANC by a professional healthcare provider (AOR=0.40, 95% CI=0.23 to 0.70) were found to be significant predictors of home delivery.

Conclusion

This study found that one-third of women who received ANC gave birth at home. Discussions on place of delivery with partner, birth readiness topics, women’s desire for place of delivery and type of ANC provider were found to be independent predictors. Our results indicate for special attention to the evaluation and improvement of health extension workers’ competency in ANC delivery, and counselling women on various aspects of birth readiness during ANC visits.
Assessment of parental satisfaction with paediatric health services in public sector tertiary hospitals within a low-income setting using Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18)
Authors: Naeem Babar , Nasim Javeria , Anwar Amna , Noor Sheh , Arshad Aqdas , Zamrood Khan Mohammad , Ahmed Muhammad , Shah Imad Ali
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Patient satisfaction is an integral part of healthcare quality, impacting treatment adherence, patient loyalty and healthcare utilisation. Parental satisfaction is particularly crucial as parents influence decision-making for their child’s healthcare.

Objective

The objective was to assess parental satisfaction levels (as measured by Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18)) related to paediatric healthcare services and identify specific factors significantly influencing parental satisfaction with paediatric healthcare services.

Methodology

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that used a structured questionnaire based on the PSQ-18. The study was conducted in Faisalabad, Islamabad, Peshawar and Swat. Seven subscales measured satisfaction across various dimensions.

Results

We found 882 suitable responses indicating a diverse participant demographic, with the largest group in the 6–12 years age category. The overall mean parental satisfaction score was 2.0±0.5 (40.0%). Notably, financial aspects scored highest at 2.8 (55%), followed by accessibility and convenience at 2.0 (40.5%). However, lower satisfaction scores in the interpersonal relationship (1.8±0.5) and technical quality (1.8±0.5) domains were recorded. Sociodemographic analysis indicated age, education and occupation significantly influenced satisfaction. Conversely, factors such as gender, residence and the presence of chronic disease did not significantly impact satisfaction levels.

Conclusion

The study offers valuable insights into paediatric patient satisfaction in Pakistan, emphasising the need for targeted interventions and improvements in specific domains to enhance overall healthcare quality.
Implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol for colorectal cancer in a regional hospital network supported by audit and feedback: a stepped wedge, cluster randomised trial
Authors: Pagano Eva , Pellegrino Luca , Robella Manuela , Castiglione Anna , Brunetti Francesco , Giacometti Lisa , Rolfo Monica , Rizzo Alessio , Palmisano Sarah , Meineri Maurizio , Bachini Ilaria , Morino Mario , Allaix Marco Ettore , Mellano Alfredo , Massucco Paolo , Bellomo Paola , Polastri Roberto , Ciccone Giovannino , Borghi Felice
Published: February 2024

Background

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are known to potentially improve the management and outcomes of patients undergoing colorectal surgery, with limited evidence of their implementation in hospital networks and in a large population. We aimed to assess the impact of the implementation of an ERAS protocol in colorectal cancer surgery in the entire region of Piemonte, Italy, supported by an audit and feedback (A&F) intervention.

Methods

A large, stepped wedge, cluster randomised trial enrolled patients scheduled for elective surgery at 29 general surgery units (clusters). At baseline (first 3 months), standard care was continued in all units. Thereafter, four groups of clusters began to adopt the ERAS protocol successively. By the end of the study, each cluster had a period in which standard care was maintained (control) and a period in which the protocol was applied (experimental). ERAS implementation was supported by initial training and A&F initiatives. The primary endpoint was length of stay (LOS) without outliers (>94th percentile), and the secondary endpoints were outliers for LOS, postoperative medical and surgical complications, quality of recovery and compliance with ERAS items.

Results

Of 2626 randomised patients, 2397 were included in the LOS analysis (1060 in the control period and 1337 in the experimental period). The mean LOS without outliers was 8.5 days during the control period (SD 3.9) and 7.5 (SD 3.5) during the experimental one. The adjusted difference between the two periods was a reduction of −0.58 days (95% CI −1.07, −0.09; p=0.021). The compliance with ERAS items increased from 52.4% to 67.3% (estimated absolute difference +13%; 95% CI 11.4%, 14.7%). No difference in the occurrence of complications was evidenced (OR 1.22; 95% CI 0.89, 1.68).

Conclusion

Implementation of the ERAS protocol for colorectal cancer, supported by A&F approach, led to a substantial improvement in compliance and a reduction in LOS, without meaningful effects on complications.

Trial registration numberNCT04037787.
Paired single-B-cell transcriptomics and receptor sequencing reveal activation states and clonal signatures that characterize B cells in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Guo Shengnan , Mohan Gopi S , Wang Bofei , Li Tianhao , Daver Naval , Zhao Yuting , Reville Patrick K , Hao Dapeng , Abbas Hussein A
Published: February 2024

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with a dismal prognosis. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to induce antitumor activity in AML patients has yielded mixed results. Despite the pivotal role of B cells in antitumor immunity, a comprehensive assessment of B lymphocytes within AML’s immunological microenvironment along with their interaction with ICB remains rather constrained.

Methods

We performed an extensive analysis that involved paired single-cell RNA and B-cell receptor (BCR) sequencing on 52 bone marrow aspirate samples. These samples included 6 from healthy bone marrow donors (normal), 24 from newly diagnosed AML patients (NewlyDx), and 22 from 8 relapsed or refractory AML patients (RelRef), who underwent assessment both before and after azacitidine/nivolumab treatment.

Results

We delineated nine distinct subtypes of B cell lineage in the bone marrow. AML patients exhibited reduced nascent B cell subgroups but increased differentiated B cells compared with healthy controls. The limited diversity of BCR profiles and extensive somatic hypermutation indicated antigen-driven affinity maturation within the tumor microenvironment of RelRef patients. We established a strong connection between the activation or stress status of naïve and memory B cells, as indicated by AP-1 activity, and their differentiation state. Remarkably, atypical memory B cells functioned as specialized antigen-presenting cells closely interacting with AML malignant cells, correlating with AML stemness and worse clinical outcomes. In the AML microenvironment, plasma cells demonstrated advanced differentiation and heightened activity. Notably, the clinical response to ICB was associated with B cell clonal expansion and plasma cell function.

Conclusions

Our findings establish a comprehensive framework for profiling the phenotypic diversity of the B cell lineage in AML patients, while also assessing the implications of immunotherapy. This will serve as a valuable guide for future inquiries into AML treatment strategies.
Fluctuations in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration may predict the onset of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related hypophysitis
Authors: Bando Hironori , Yamamoto Masaaki , Urai Shin , Motomura Yuma , Sasaki Yuriko , Ohmachi Yuka , Kobatake Masaki , Tsujimoto Yasutaka , Oi-Yo Yuka , Suzuki Masaki , Yamamoto Naoki , Takahashi Michiko , Fukuoka Hidenori , Iguchi Genzo , Ogawa Wataru
Published: February 2024

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-related hypophysitis (RH) is a common immune-related adverse event. The early detection of ICI-RH prevents life-threatening adrenal insufficiency. However, good predictors of secondary adrenal insufficiency in ICI-RH have not yet been reported. We hypothesized that fluctuations in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels occur similarly to those in thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormone (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) levels in ICI-related thyroiditis. Here, we sought to test this hypothesis. Patients who used ICI and had a history of measurement of plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were retrieved from electronic medical records, and those with a history of glucocorticoid use were excluded from the analysis. We evaluated fluctuations in plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations and the development of ICI-RH. For patients with ICI-RH, data at three points (before ICI administration (pre), maximum ACTH concentration (peak), and onset of ICI-RH) were analyzed to evaluate hormone fluctuations. A total of 202 patients were retrieved from the medical record. Forty-three patients were diagnosed with ICI-RH. Twenty-six out of 43 patients had sufficient data to evaluate fluctuations in plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations and no history of glucocorticoid use. ACTH concentrations changed from 37.4 (29.9–48.3) (pre) to 64.4 (46.5–106.2) (peak) pg/mL (1.72–fold increase, p=0.0026) in the patients with ICI-RH before the onset. There were no differences in cortisol concentrations between the pre and peak values in patients with ICI-RH. We also evaluated the fluctuations in plasma ACTH and serum cortisol levels in patients who did not receive ICI-RH (62 cases). However, elevation of plasma ACTH levels was not observed in patients without ICI-RH, suggesting that transient elevation of plasma ACTH levels is a unique phenomenon in patients with ICI-RH. In conclusion, plasma ACTH levels were transiently elevated in some patients with ICI-RH before the onset of secondary adrenal insufficiency. Monitoring the ACTH levels and their fluctuations may help predict the onset of ICI-RH.
Expert consensus guidelines on management and best practices for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cell therapy
Authors: Betof Warner Allison , Hamid Omid , Komanduri Krishna , Amaria Rodabe , Butler Marcus O , Haanen John , Nikiforow Sarah , Puzanov Igor , Sarnaik Amod , Bishop Michael R , Schoenfeld Adam J
Published: February 2024

Adoptive cell therapy with autologous, ex vivo-expanded, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is being investigated for treatment of solid tumors and has shown robust responses in clinical trials. Based on the encouraging efficacy, tolerable safety profile, and advancements in a central manufacturing process, lifileucel is now the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved TIL cell therapy product. To this end, treatment management and delivery practice guidance is needed to ensure successful integration of this modality into clinical care. This review includes clinical and toxicity management guidelines pertaining to the TIL cell therapy regimen prepared by the TIL Working Group, composed of internationally recognized hematologists and oncologists with expertize in TIL cell therapy, and relates to patient care and operational aspects. Expert consensus recommendations for patient management, including patient eligibility, screening tests, and clinical and toxicity management with TIL cell therapy, including tumor tissue procurement surgery, non-myeloablative lymphodepletion, TIL infusion, and IL-2 administration, are discussed in the context of potential standard of care TIL use. These recommendations provide practical guidelines for optimal clinical management during administration of the TIL cell therapy regimen, and recognition of subsequent management of toxicities. These guidelines are focused on multidisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, and stakeholders involved in the care of these patients.
Shrinking lung syndrome mimicking diaphragmatic palsy in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Mirg Shivam , Das Animesh , Pandit Awadh Kishor , Sharma M C , Srivastava Achal K
Published: February 2024

A 25-year-old woman presented with 1 year of progressive orthopnoea, initially explained as bilateral diaphragmatic paresis caused by seronegative myasthenia gravis. She required assisted ventilation and received pyridostigmine and corticosteroids. She had minimal (particularly proximal) symmetrical tetraparesis with apparent bilateral diaphragmatic weakness, but had normal sensation. Further investigation suggested an overlap myositis with shrinking lung syndrome from systemic lupus erythematosus. She improved following immunosuppression with pulse corticosteroids and rituximab, and at 3 months no longer needed bilevel positive airway pressure support.
Spatial ecotoxicology: what we know about the relationship between avian movements and contaminant levels
Authors: Baak Julia E. , Provencher Jennifer F. , Mallory Mark L. , Elliott Kyle H.
Published: February 2024

Birds are widely used as indicators of environmental contamination because they integrate signals across space and time. However, this advantage also means that locating the source of pollution can be challenging, especially for species that migrate large distances. Historically, the assignment of contaminant burden to particular life stages or locations has been made by sampling tissues with varying time signals and associating those signals with locations assigned from band recoveries or stable isotope analyses. Unfortunately, these assignments are geographically coarse. More recently, tracking devices have been increasingly used to determine more precisely where and when contamination is likely to occur. Here, we review current knowledge on using tracking devices to examine the relationship between avian movements and contaminant loads. We found 42 published articles with samples collected from 1986 to 2021 that used tracking devices to examine the relationship between avian movement and contaminant loads, where studies were primarily concentrated in the northern hemisphere, notably in the North Atlantic. Tracking methodology varied widely across studies to date, but the use of radiotransmitters and satellite tags generally decreased as newer technologies, such as global positioning systems and geolocation sensors, were developed. Blood and feathers were the most commonly used tissues to assess contaminant concentrations, but sample sizes were often low (<40, the recommended sample size for some tracking or contaminant studies), and one-quarter of studies did not statistically test the relationship between tracking data and contaminant concentrations. Moving forward, studies should (1) consider statistical power; (2) consider tissue turnover rates, contaminant turnover rates, and tracking device resolution; (3) examine tissues that inform different time scales; 4) explore the impacts of contaminants on behaviour and movement; and 5) increase collaboration, standardization, and information sharing across existing tracking or contaminant monitoring programs. Focusing on these aspects will enhance our ability to identify the source, transport, and fate of contaminants in avian species across the globe.
Pulsating strings in I-brane background
Authors: Biswas Sagar , Padhi Nibedita , Panigrahi Kamal L.
Published: February 2024

We study pulsating strings both on a single stack of NS5-branes and two orthogonal stacks of NS5-branes (the so called I-brane) by using the Polyakov form of the fundamental string action. For the I-brane background, by using a symmetry that decouples the two spheres from the flat geometry, we study pulsating solutions of the string when it pulsates on both the spheres independently and simultaneously. We finally derive the energy of pulsating strings as a function of adiabatic invariant oscillation number in these cases and studied some limiting cases in detail.
Building cubic gravity with healthy and viable scalar and tensor perturbations
Authors: Asimakis Petros , Basilakos Spyros , Saridakis Emmanuel N.
Published: February 2024

We investigate sufficient conditions under which cubic gravity is healthy and viable at the perturbation level. We perform a detailed analysis of the scalar and tensor perturbations. We impose the requirement that the two scalar potentials, whose ratio is the post-Newtonian parameter $$\gamma $$
γ
, should deviate only minimally form general relativity. Additionally, concerning tensor perturbations we impose satisfaction of the LIGO-VIRGO and Fermi Gamma-ray Burst observations, and thus we result to a gravitational-wave equation with gravitational-wave speed equal to the speed of light, and where the only deviation from general relativity appears in the dispersion relation. Furthermore, we show that cubic gravity exhibits an effective Newton’s constant that depends on the model parameter, on the background evolution, and on the wavenumber scale. Hence, by requiring its deviation from the standard Newton’s constant to be within observational bounds we extract the constraints on the single coupling parameter $$\beta $$
β
.
Electromagnetic field on a photothermal semiconducting voids medium under Lord–Shulman and refined multi-phase lag models in thermoelasticity
Authors: Hafed Zahra S. , Abo-Dahab S. M. , Kilany A. A. , Ahmed Sameh E.
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the contemporary thermoelasticity theories in a photothermal semiconducting medium with voids influenced by the electromagnetic field. Boundary conditions of the phenomenon were based on the equations that regulate it concerning the stresses, carrier density, change in volume fraction field and temperature on the surface space. The equations were solved in normal mode technique, and the results are displayed by graphs. A comparison has been made with the findings of the literature when neglecting the new external parameters. The findings show that the presence or absence of electromagnetic field and carrier density significantly impacts on the phenomenon. From the results obtained, it is clear that the effects of electromagnetic field, carrier density, volume fraction and thermal relaxation times are very pronounced and applicable in diverse fields including geophysics, astronomy, engineering, biology, etc.
CASE REPORT: INHERITED MACROTHROMBOCYTOPENIA IN A CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL
Authors: Ma Tzu-Yi , Kuo Chih-Jung , Chou Chih-Chung , Liu Pin-Chen
Published: February 2024

A 11-month-old intact male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dog was presented at the Teaching Hospital of National Chung Hsin University (NCHU-VMTH) due to thrombocytopenia without relevant clinical signs and no significant improvement after medication treatment. As per the complete blood profile, there was significant thrombocytopenia (platelet count 1–[Formula: see text] L) with mean platelet volume (MPV) ranging from 20.3 to 25.7[Formula: see text]fl. Tests for Babesia canis, B. gibsoni, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum yielded negative results. Despite treatment with antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs, the dog’s condition did not improve. The dog’s platelet morphology and absence of symptoms raised the suspicion of inherited macrothrombocytopenia. Genomic DNA sequencing analysis of the [Formula: see text]1-tubulin gene revealed a single-point mutation, specifically c.745[Formula: see text]G>A. This genetic analysis confirmed the presence of a [Formula: see text]1-tubulin mutation, marking the first reported case of such a mutation in a CKCS in Taiwan. Despite the diagnosis of this condition, both partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and active partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were within normal ranges before neutering. When diagnosing the causes of thrombocytopenia in young patients, especially when there are no related clinical signs, it is crucial to consider prioritizing inherited macrothrombocytopenia, then thrombocytopenia secondary to parasite infection, or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) to minimize unnecessary medication.
Machining Performance Analysis of Ti6-Al-4V in Powder-Mixed EDM Using Green Dielectric Oil
Authors: Pal Manas Ranjan , Debnath Kishore , Mahapatra Rabindra Narayan
Published: February 2024

In this investigation, the factors were oil type ([Formula: see text]), powder type ([Formula: see text]), and powder concentration ([Formula: see text]) level, and the machining parameters were the voltage (V), capacitance (pf), pulse-on time ([Formula: see text]), and pulse-off time ([Formula: see text]). The output parameters were the material removal rate (MRR), and tool wear rate (TWR). Three types of oils and powders, along with their respective particle concentrations, were selected for this experiment. Neem, Karanja, and sesame oils were mixed with aluminum oxide (Al2O3), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) powder at 4, 6, and 8[Formula: see text]gm/l, respectively, using an overhead stirrer to investigate the conditions under which the green oil powder mixed mixture yielded a higher MRR and lower TWR during the micro-EDM process of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using a 0.8[Formula: see text]mm tungsten carbide (WC) tool with fixed machining parameters (240[Formula: see text]V, 100[Formula: see text]pf, 20[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s [Formula: see text], and 5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s [Formula: see text]). All the powders used in this experiment had a 32-micron (450 mesh) size. The Taguchi L[Formula: see text] orthogonal array and grey relational analysis methods were used to design and optimize the input process parameters for both responses. SEM, optical microscopic analysis, and EDS analysis were performed to examine the surface morphology, characteristics of the WC tool, and elemental composition of both the tool and the workpiece material. The optimum conditions for Karanja oil with a Cr powder mixture concentration of 4[Formula: see text]g/l resulted in higher MRR and lower TWR. However, machining with neem and sesame oils resulted in higher TWR and lower MRR.
Innovative Stripe Noise Image Correction Method for Remote Sensing
Authors: Hamadouche Sid Ahmed , Boutemedjet Ayoub , Bouaraba Azzedine
Published: February 2024

Due to their propensity for stripe noise distortions, infrared remote sensing images present substantial difficulty for interpretation. Our ability to address this issue by offering an easy, efficient, and fast technique for image stripe noise correction is what makes our work unique. Our proposed solution tackles stripe noise by subtracting the mean value along the stripes from the noisy image. Additionally, we leverage the wavelet transform on the average signal to exploit the inherent sparsity of noise in the wavelet domain. This approach not only enhances denoising performance without introducing blurring effects but also enables us to recover image details with remarkable precision, all without the need for intricate algorithms, iterative processes, or training models. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted evaluations using a dataset of real-world infrared remote sensing images. This dataset encompasses a wide range of examples, featuring both real and artificially induced noise scenarios.
“Gentle Disruptions”: A Critical Reflection on Participatory Arts in Expanding the Language System for Meaningful Community Engagement Around Local Climate Adaptation
Authors: Liguori Antonia , McEwen Lindsey , Rossignol Karen Le , Kraus Sharron , Wilson Michael
Published: February 2024

This paper proposes a critical reflection on the use of language to address the challenge of promoting and supporting civic agencies in adaptation to increasing extreme weather risk. Such reflection needs to focus on the opportunities and limitations of language, and the navigation amongst multiple or contested meanings within interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial collaborations. This commentary was inspired by the authors’ conversations on their journey in writing the paper — Liguori et al. (2023) “Exploring the uses of arts-led community spaces to build resilience: Applied storytelling for successful co-creative work” and the impact it had on their understanding of various language systems. Here writing was conceived as a form of networking, undertaking a sequence of intimate, in-depth discussions in a safe space. ‘Playing’ with words, moving out from our disciplinary homes, provided a fertile way of thinking within multi/inter-sectorial/disciplinary conversations to expand the language system for meaningful community engagement around local climate adaptation. Three key terms were at the core of these diverse — and sometimes divergent — ways of looking at social preparedness for extreme weather events: disruption, empowerment, and creative ecosystem. The meta-reflections, based on iterative conversations around these three key terms, highlight the importance of explorations of language as a generative meaning-making process that can be boundary-spanning.

There is significant value in understanding the implications of language used in public engagement — its different interpretations, their loading and potential for transformed thinking when conceived creatively. Such insight can contribute to more effective approaches for participatory research and practice working with communities when addressing issues related to climate adaptation. This commentary argues that the socially engaged or participatory arts are particularly well placed to be active in such processes.
Emerging Scientific Frameworks and Tools for Sustainable Cities
Authors: Bettencourt Luís M. A.
Published: February 2024

Despite growing evidence of general patterns of urban development, urban planning and policy have remained largely normative, still lacking the conceptual frameworks and technical tools to learn cumulatively from work around the world and to extrapolate to entirely new situations, such as future sustainable cities. I argue here that a deeper understanding of urban processes using scientific methods appropriate to the study of cities and human development provides a host of new concepts and tools for this purpose. The present discussion gives a brief overview of the emerging conceptual and empirical basis for these findings. It illustrates the approach with the description of two conceptual tools, (i) the human-centric city, and (ii) the circularity diagram for material flows. These tools show how fundamental urban concepts can be articulated to analyze specific contextual situations and expand equity and sustainability in explicitly diverse, connected, and fast-changing cities.
Man and the Machine: Effects of AI-assisted Human Labeling on Interactive Annotation of Real-time Video Streams
Authors: Radeta Marko , Freitas Ruben , Rodrigues Claudio , Zuniga Agustin , Nguyen Ngoc Thi , Flores Huber , Nurmi Petteri
Published: February 2024

AI-assisted interactive annotation is a powerful way to facilitate data annotation—a prerequisite for constructing robust AI models. While AI-assisted interactive annotation has been extensively studied in static settings, less is known about its usage in dynamic scenarios where the annotators operate under time and cognitive constraints, e.g., while detecting suspicious or dangerous activities from real-time surveillance feeds. Understanding how AI can assist annotators in these tasks and facilitate consistent annotation is paramount to ensure high performance for AI models trained on these data. We address this gap in interactive machine learning (IML) research, contributing an extensive investigation of the benefits, limitations, and challenges of AI-assisted annotation in dynamic application use cases. We address both the effects of AI on annotators and the effects of (AI) annotations on the performance of AI models trained on annotated data in real-time video annotations. We conduct extensive experiments that compare annotation performance at two annotator levels (expert and non-expert) and two interactive labeling techniques (with and without AI assistance). In a controlled study with

\(N=34\)

annotators and a follow-up study with 51,963 images and their annotation labels being input to the AI model, we demonstrate that the benefits of AI-assisted models are greatest for non-expert users and for cases where targets are only partially or briefly visible. The expert users tend to outperform or achieve similar performance as the AI model. Labels combining AI and expert annotations result in the best overall performance as the AI reduces overflow and latency in the expert annotations. We derive guidelines for the use of AI-assisted human annotation in real-time dynamic use cases.
Batch Active Learning of Reward Functions from Human Preferences
Authors: Biyik Erdem , Anari Nima , Sadigh Dorsa
Published: February 2024

Data generation and labeling are often expensive in robot learning. Preference-based learning is a concept that enables reliable labeling by querying users with preference questions. Active querying methods are commonly employed in preference-based learning to generate more informative data at the expense of parallelization and computation time. In this article, we develop a set of novel algorithms,
batch active preference-based learning
methods, that enable efficient learning of reward functions using as few data samples as possible while still having short query generation times and also retaining parallelizability. We introduce a method based on determinantal point processes for active batch generation and several heuristic-based alternatives. Finally, we present our experimental results for a variety of robotics tasks in simulation. Our results suggest that our batch active learning algorithm requires only a few queries that are computed in a short amount of time. We showcase one of our algorithms in a study to learn human users’ preferences.
Artwork Recommendations based on User Preferences: Integrating Clustering Analysis with Visual Features
Authors: Kim Eunhoo , Cha Junyeop , Jeong Dahye , Park Eunil
Published: February 2024

Recently, recommendation systems have become one of the important elements for sales and marketing, and their application is almost essential in the shopping and cultural industries. Despite the increase in online exhibitions and the growing audience engaging with artworks in digital spaces, the utilization of artwork recommendation systems remains inadequate. Thus, this study proposes an artwork recommendation system, which provides artwork groups based on a visual clustering technique and user preferences with WikiArt datasets. The visual attributes of artworks were extracted using VGG16, and
k
-means clustering was utilized to group a set of images according to their feature similarities. To generate recommendations, new artworks were randomly selected from particular clusters, taking into account users’ preferences. Then, an experiment was conducted to investigate whether the recommended artworks satisfied the users. The statistical results indicate that users’ perceived satisfaction with the recommended artworks is notably more positive compared to their satisfaction with traditional suggested artworks. Based on this study’s findings, we present implications and limitations for future research.
Electrochemical Sensor Based on Electrodeposited Zinc-Aluminium Layered Double Hydroxide Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Chlorpromazine Sensing
Authors: Srinivasan Soorya , Siva Sankara Narayanan Charuchitra , J. Kanimozhi , Suresh Indhu , Gunasekaran Balu Mahendran , Ezhilan Madeshwari , Nesakumar Noel , Venkatachalam Rajagopal
Published: February 2024

Chlorpromazine functions as a potent dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, leading to adverse motor-related effects encompassing cataracts, musculoskeletal disorders, alterations in eyelid pigmentation, muscle contractions, and tremors-addressing the need for a reliable analytical tool, an electrodeposited thin film was synthesized on a glassy carbon electrode (GC) surface. This film comprised zinc-aluminium layered double hydroxide (Zn-Al LDH), with nitrate ions intercalated between the LDH layers. The electrocatalytic behavior of the resulting electrode (GC/Zn-Al LDH) in the oxidation and reduction of nitrogen and sulfur atoms within the thiazine ring structure of chlorpromazine was systematically studied using cyclic voltammetry. Evaluation of the electrode’s analytical response through diverse electroanalytical techniques demonstrated that the square wave voltammetry-assisted electrochemical sensor displayed a broad detection range for chlorpromazine (1 × 10−4 to 1 mM), with a sensitivity of 91.86 μA mM−1 and an impressive low detection limit of 16 × 10−6 mM. Furthermore, the performance of the developed electrode was assessed in detecting and quantifying chlorpromazine levels in simulated human urine samples through recovery studies. The results indicated satisfactory recovery rates, affirming the efficacy of the Zn-Al LDH-modified GC electrode. Noteworthy features of the electrochemical sensor included high surface coverage, improved electron transfer rate, reliable repeatability, and exceptional reproducibility. These characteristics collectively contribute to the sensor’s popularity for accurately detecting and quantifying of chlorpromazine in real-world samples.
Misuse of XPS in Analyzing Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries
Authors: Breuer Ortal , Gofer Yosef , Elias Yuval , Fayena-Greenstein Miryam , Aurbach Doron
Published: February 2024

One of the most powerful spectroscopic tools for battery analysis is X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); however, its great power, must be accompanied by great responsibility for authenticity. Fluorine is documented to be unstable under XPS conditions, and fluorinated salts used in Li batteries show photodecomposition. As all-solid-state batteries advance, demand for surface characterization is increasing. Here, a popular solid polymer electrolyte comprising a fluorinated salt in a PEO matrix was measured by XPS. Rapid photodecomposition after few minutes produced mainly LiF, initially not found on the surface. Not being aware of such artifacts may lead to an erroneous analysis of the characterized electrochemical system.
Teaching critical thinking in nutritional sciences: a model course and assignments
Authors: Becker Tyler B. , Cardino Vanessa N. , Lucas James , Fenton Jenifer I.
Published: February 2024

This paper describes how a scaffolded nutrition and health claim assignment is used to teach critical thinking skills among nutritional sciences students and examine the program’s learning outcomes. Further, this course example is to serve as an model for STEM majors on how to incorporate case-based and problem-based learning strategies into an undergraduate course.
Optimizing Anesthetic Selection in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Striking a Delicate Balance between Efficacy and Minimal Intervention
Authors: Fadah Kahtan , Khalafi Seyed , Corey Miller , Sotelo Jose , Farag Ahmed , Siddiqui Tariq , Abolbashari Mehran
Published: February 2024

Patients with severe calcific native aortic valve stenosis (AS) who require valve replacement have two options, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). TAVR was approved in late 2011 for extremely high-risk patients and was subsequently approved for high-risk (2012), intermediate-risk (2016), and low-risk (2019) patients. In 2019, TAVR procedures surpassed SAVR procedures for the first time in the United States. The approach to anesthesia for this procedure has also evolved. Initially, general anesthesia (GA) was preferred, but currently, conscious sedation (CS) is favored. This review aims to clarify the indications and contraindications for both approaches, as well as the advantages of one approach over the other. Recent studies show that conscious sedation has better outcomes in terms of all-cause mortality, procedure complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, infection requiring antibiotics, acute kidney injury, and the need for inotropes or vasopressors.
Effects of Heat Treatment on Structure and Processing Characteristics of Donkey Milk Whey Protein
Authors: Li Weixuan , Wei Mingming , Zhao Yujing , Li Leyuan , Ning Chong , Hu Fengqing
Published: February 2024

Donkey milk is nutritionally rich and has low allergenicity; thus, whey protein derived from donkey milk is a suitable hypoallergenic alternative. However, the temperature during pasteurisation considerably influences the structure and processing characteristics of whey proteins. We found that donkey milk has poor thermal stability; the secondary structure of the whey proteins loosened and became disordered as the temperature increased. In addition, exposing tryptophan and tyrosine to an external polar environment changed the tertiary structure. High-temperature and long-duration heat treatments significantly affected the processing properties, such as emulsification, foaming, and rheological properties. However, a short treatment at approximately 85°C improved the processing properties. Therefore, we recommend that donkey milk be processed at temperatures no higher than this temperature to maintain the beneficial qualities of the whey proteins and provide a reference for processing donkey milk products.
Understanding the Perception of Mango (Mangifera indica) Farmers on the Impact of Climate Change on Mango Farming in Nigeria
Authors: Ogunbode Timothy O. , Esan V. I. , Ayegboyin M. H. , Ogunlaran O. M. , Sangoyomi E. T. , Akande John A.
Published: February 2024

Climate change (CC) scenario is already acknowledged as one of those environmental challenges that threaten every facet of life including mango farming. This study was designed to investigate into mango farmers’ perception of the impacts of climate change (CC) on mango farming. A structured questionnaire was administered among 480 mango farmers across six of the states where mango farming is carried out in Nigeria. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied in the analysis of the data. From the 418 completed and returned questionnaires analysed, it was found that the male gender dominated the respondents in the survey with a proportion of 68% while 61% use pesticides to control pests and 35% own between 1 and 3 acres of mango farmland. The data were subjected to KMO and Bartlett’s tests, the results of which showed that the data are factorable with p≤0.05. Factor analysis (FA) extracted six (6) out of the fourteen (14) variables analysed which were significant to explain the perceptions of the farmers on the impact of CC on mango farming, namely: (i) change in the volume of mango production; (ii) effect of high temperature; (iii) prolonged dry season; (iv) rainfall pattern; (v) incidence of flooding; and (vi) poor performance of mango seedlings. Further analysis showed the prominence of issues relating to climate change. The implication of these results is that mango farming is also being threatened by CC. Hence, it calls for urgent mitigation actions to salvage this subsector. Farmers need to be adequately supported by stakeholders in their efforts to adapt to the ravaging effects of CC on mango farming through relevant policies and programmes. The work also recommended further investigation on the efficacy of the adaptive methods on mango yields.
Assessing the Causal Relationship between Genetically Determined Inflammatory Cytokines and Parkinson’s Disease Risk: A Bidirectional Two‐Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Xue Hua , Luo Qian , Chen Jiajia , Fan Wenhui
Published: February 2024

Background. Observational studies have suggested an association between inflammatory cytokines and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This Mendelian randomization (MR) was conducted to further assess the causal correlations between inflammatory cytokines and PD. Methods. Genetic instruments associated with inflammatory cytokines were extracted from a large summary genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) involving 8,293 European participants. Summary‐level statistics for PD were obtained from a large‐sample GWAS containing 17 studies that involved European participants. Causalities of exposures and outcomes were explored mainly using inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Results. The IVW method indicated that basic fibroblast growth factor (FGFBasic), interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) may be suggestively associated with the risk of PD (OR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.52–0.96, P = 0.027; OR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.01–1.38, P = 0.041; and OR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.04–1.46, P = 0.018). In the reverse direction, monokine induced by interferon gamma (MIG), beta nerve growth factor (bNGF), interleukin‐17 (IL‐17), and interferon gamma (IFNg) are suggested to be the consequences of PD. Conclusion. Our MR analysis indicated that suggestive associations between circulating levels of FGFBasic, IL‐2, and MIF and PD risk. In addition, MIG, bNGF, IL‐17, and IFNg are more likely to be involved in the development of downstream PD.
Cardiovascular Protective Effect of Garcinia dulcis Flower Acetone Extract in 2-Kidney-1-Clip Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Thongsepee Nattaya , Martviset Pongsakorn , Himakhun Wanwisa , Chantree Pathanin , Sornchuer Phornphan , Sangpairoj Kant , Hiranyachattada Siriphun
Published: February 2024

Morelloflavone and camboginol are bioactive compounds purified from Garcinia dulcis (GD), which has anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive properties. The objective of this study was to examine the cardiovascular protective effect of GD flower acetone extract in 2-kidney-1-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats. Male Wistar rats underwent 2K1C or sham operation (SO) and were housed for 4 weeks. Each group of rats, then, was further divided into 2 subgroups receiving oral administration of either 50 mg/kg BW GD extract or corn oil (vehicle) daily for 4 weeks. Noninvasive blood pressure (BP) and body weight were measured weekly throughout the study. Subsequently, the invasive measurement of arterial BP and the heart rate were determined in all anesthetized rats. The baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) was investigated by injection of either phenylephrine or sodium nitroprusside for bradycardia or tachycardia response, respectively. Histological examination of the heart and thoracic aorta was also performed in order to investigate the general morphology and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression. We found that the GD flower extract significantly diminished the BP and restored the impaired BRS. Moreover, it also decreased the TNF-α expression in the cardiac muscle and thoracic aorta of 2K1C when compared to the SO group. Taken together, our data showed that GD flower extract exhibits the cardiovascular protective effect in the 2K1C hypertensive rats.
Screening Marine Microbial Metabolites as Promising Inhibitors of Borrelia garinii: A Structural Docking Approach towards Developing Novel Lyme Disease Treatment
Authors: Basharat Zarrin , Sattar Sadia , Bahauddin Ammar Abdulraheem , Al Mouslem Abdulaziz K. , Alotaibi Ghallab
Published: February 2024

Lyme disease caused by the Borrelia species is a growing health concern in many parts of the world. Current treatments for the disease may have side effects, and there is also a need for new therapies that can selectively target the bacteria. Pathogens responsible for Lyme disease include B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii. In this study, we employed structural docking-based screening to identify potential lead-like inhibitors against the bacterium. We first identified the core essential genome fraction of the bacterium, using 37 strains. Later, we screened a library of lead-like marine microbial metabolites (n=4730) against the arginine deiminase (ADI) protein of Borrelia garinii. This protein plays a crucial role in the survival of the bacteria, and inhibiting it can kill the bacterium. The prioritized lead compounds demonstrating favorable binding energies and interactions with the active site of ADI were then evaluated for their drug-like and pharmacokinetic parameters to assess their suitability for development as drugs. Results from molecular dynamics simulation (100 ns) and other scoring parameters suggest that the compound CMNPD18759 (common name: aureobasidin; IUPAC name: 2-[(4R,6R)-4,6-dihydroxydecanoyl]oxypropan-2-yl (3S,5R)-3,5-dihydroxydecanoate) holds promise as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of Lyme disease, caused by B. garinii. However, further experimental studies are needed to validate the efficacy and safety of this compound in vivo.