bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on the China-Europe and China-Middle East trading route selection
Authors: Alam Khalid Mehmood , Xuemei Li , Baig Saranjam , Muhammad Faqeer , Sun Jingxiao , Tariq Muhammad
Published: July 2023

This research examines the potential impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the selection of trading routes between China, the Middle East, and Europe, with a specific focus on the transportation of a 40-foot standard container carrying general commodities. The study compares traditional routes with the new CPEC routes in terms of time, distance, and cost. The findings indicate that the new CPEC routes offer reduced travel time and distance when compared to the traditional routes across all provinces involved. The research reveals that the cost of road transportation along the new CPEC route is lower for Xinjiang province, but higher for the other provinces. By utilizing the new CPEC routes, the time required for goods to travel from China to the Middle East and Europe will be reduced by 10 to 20 days. Furthermore, the distance covered in this trade route will be shortened by 3,000 to 10,000 kilometres. Specifically, the province of Xinjiang in western China stands to benefit significantly from the new CPEC routes, saving approximately $2,000 on trade with the Middle East and Europe. These findings highlight the potential advantages and economic benefits that can be realized by leveraging the CPEC for trade between China, the Middle East, and Europe, particularly in terms of reduced transportation time and distance.
Delayed treatment with ceftriaxone reverses the enhanced sensitivity of TBI mice to chemically-induced seizures
Authors: Romariz Simone A. A. , Main Bevan S. , Harvey Alex C. , Longo Beatriz M. , Burns Mark P.
Published: July 2023

The pathophysiological changes that occur after traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to the development of post-traumatic epilepsy, a life-long complication of brain trauma. The etiology of post-traumatic epilepsy remains unknown, but TBI brains exhibit an abnormal excitatory / inhibitory balance. In this study, we examine how brain injury alters susceptibility to chemically-induced seizures in C57Bl/6J mice, and if pharmacological enhancement of glutamate transporters can reduce chronic post-traumatic seizures. We found that controlled cortical impact (CCI) mice display delayed susceptibility to pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures. While CCI mice have no change in seizure susceptibility at 7d post-injury (dpi), at 70dpi they have reduced latency to PTZ-induced seizure onset, higher seizure frequency and longer seizure duration. Quantification of glutamate transporter mRNA showed that levels ofScl1a2andScl1a3mRNA were increased at 7dpi, but significantly decreased at 70dpi. To test if increased levels of glutamate transporters can ameliorate delayed-onset seizure susceptibility in TBI mice, we exposed a new cohort of mice to CCI and administered ceftriaxone (200mg/kg/day) for 14d from 55-70dpi. We found that ceftriaxone significantly increasedScl1a2andScl1a3in CCI mouse brain at 70dpi, and prevented the susceptibility of CCI mice to PTZ-induced seizures. This study demonstrates cortical impact can induce a delayed-onset seizure phenotype in mice. Delayed (55dpi) ceftriaxone treatment enhances glutamate transporter mRNA in the CCI brain, and reduces PTZ-induced seizures in CCI mice.
The difficulty of aligning intrinsically disordered protein sequences as assessed by conservation and phylogeny
Authors: Riley Andrew C. , Ashlock Daniel A. , Graether Steffen P.
Published: July 2023

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are proteins that lack a stable 3D structure but maintain a biological function. It has been frequently suggested that IDPs are difficult to align because they tend to have fewer conserved residues compared to ordered proteins, but to our knowledge this has never been directly tested. To compare the alignments of ordered proteins to IDPs, their multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) were assessed using two different methods. The first compared the similarity between MSAs produced using the same sequences but created with Clustal Omega, MAFFT, and MUSCLE. The second assessed MSAs based on how well they recapitulated the species tree. These two methods measure the “correctness” of an MSA with two different approaches; the first method measures consistency while the second measures the underlying phylogenetic signal. Proteins that contained both regions of disorder and order were analyzed along with proteins that were fully disordered and fully ordered, using nucleotide, codon and peptide sequence alignments. We observed that IDPs had less similar MSAs than ordered proteins, which is most likely linked to the lower sequence conservation in IDPs. However, comparisons of tree distances found that trees from the ordered sequence MSAs were not significantly closer to the species tree than those inferred from disordered sequence MSAs. Our results show that it is correct to say that IDPs are difficult to align on the basis of MSA consistency, but that this does not equate with alignments being of poor quality when assessed by their ability to correctly infer a species tree.
Benefits and harms of gastric suction or lavage at birth for gastrointestinal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Phattraprayoon Nanthida , Ungtrakul Teerapat , Na Takuathung Mingkwan
Published: July 2023

The benefits of routine gastric suctioning or lavage in neonates remain uncertain, despite the common practice worldwide. To investigate the potential advantages and harms, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of these procedures in healthy or meconium-stained neonates at birth. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to February 9, 2023. We included only RCTs assessing the outcomes of gastric suction or lavage in neonates at birth. We calculated risk ratio (RR) and weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model. The primary outcomes were gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, retching, feeding intolerance, and secondary aspiration. The secondary outcomes included time to initiation of breastfeeding and potential adverse procedure-related events. Twelve RCTs with a total of 4,122 neonates were analyzed. All the studies compared neonates who received gastric suction or lavage with those who received usual care. Gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly reduced in neonates receiving gastric suction or gastric lavage compared with the control group (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63–0.89). Gastric lavage was beneficial for infants with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (RR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60–0.84), while gastric suction had no significant benefit in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms in infants without meconium-stained amniotic fluid (RR 0.91; 95% CI, 0.61–1.37). Our findings suggest that gastric suction or lavage may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in neonates; however, these procedures may only benefit infants born with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Vigorous newborns without meconium-stained amniotic fluid may not benefit from these procedures. Furthermore, gastric suction may lead to adverse outcomes such as apnea and bradycardia.

Registration: This study was registered in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews in health and social care (CRD42023247780).
The PiNe box: Development and validation of an electronic device to time-lock multimodal responses to sensory stimuli in hospitalised infants
Authors: Worley Alan , Pillay Kirubin , Cobo Maria M. , Mellado Gabriela Schmidt , van der Vaart Marianne , Bhatt Aomesh , Hartley Caroline
Published: July 2023

Recording multimodal responses to sensory stimuli in infants provides an integrative approach to investigate the developing nervous system. Accurate time-locking across modalities is essential to ensure that responses are interpreted correctly, and could also improve clinical care, for example, by facilitating automatic and objective multimodal pain assessment. Here we develop and assess a system to time-lock stimuli (including clinically-required heel lances and experimental visual, auditory and tactile stimuli) to electrophysiological research recordings and data recorded directly from a hospitalised infant’s vital signs monitor. The electronic device presented here (that we have called ‘the PiNe box’) integrates a previously developed system to time-lock stimuli to electrophysiological recordings and can simultaneously time-lock the stimuli to recordings from hospital vital signs monitors with an average precision of 105 ms (standard deviation: 19 ms), which is sufficient for the analysis of changes in vital signs. Our method permits reliable and precise synchronisation of data recordings from equipment with legacy ports such as TTL (transistor-transistor logic) and RS-232, and patient-connected networkable devices, is easy to implement, flexible and inexpensive. Unlike current all-in-one systems, it enables existing hospital equipment to be easily used and could be used for patients of any age. We demonstrate the utility of the system in infants using visual and noxious (clinically-required heel lance) stimuli as representative examples.
Standardized tissue sampling guidelines for histopathological and molecular analyses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in ecotoxicological studies
Authors: Fiedler Sonja , Schrader Hannah , Theobalt Natalie , Hofmann Isabel , Geiger Tobias , Arndt Daniela , Wanke Rüdiger , Schwaiger Julia , Blutke Andreas
Published: July 2023

In ecotoxicology, evaluation of toxicities and no observed effect concentrations (NOEC) of test compounds in experimental fish is commonly based on molecular-, biochemical- and analytical chemistry analyses of organ/tissue samples and the assessment of (histo-) pathological lesions. Standardization of organ/tissue sampling locations, sample numbers, and sample processing contributes to warrant the reproducibility and inter- and intra-study comparability of analysis results. The present article provides the first comprehensive tissue sampling guidelines specifically adapted to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as a frequently used fish species in ecotoxicological studies. A broad spectrum of ~40 different organs and tissues is covered. Appropriate sampling locations, sample sizes and sample numbers for subsequent routine histopathological evaluation (all organs/tissue) and for molecular analyses (~30 organs/tissues) are described in detail and illustrated with schematic drawings and representative macroscopic and histological images. These field-proven sampling guidelines were developed based on the pertinent literature and practical experience in ecotoxicological fish studies. They are intended to serve as a standard reference for any routine ecotoxicological study using rainbow trout as a test system. A broad application of the featured tissue sampling procedures will help to improve the reproducibility of analyses and to reduce inter- and intra-study variability induced by sampling bias and (normal) inter-sample morphological variation, and will therefore provide a robust basis for reliable characterization of toxicity and NOEC identification of diverse test substances and aquatic pollutants.
Characterization of cysteine proteases from poultry red mite, tropical fowl mite, and northern fowl mite to assess the feasibility of developing a broadly efficacious vaccine against multiple mite species
Authors: Win Shwe Yee , Murata Shiro , Fujisawa Sotaro , Seo Hikari , Sato Jumpei , Motai Yoshinosuke , Sato Takumi , Oishi Eiji , Taneno Akira , Htun Lat Lat , Bawm Saw , Okagawa Tomohiro , Maekawa Naoya , Konnai Satoru , Ohashi Kazuhiko
Published: July 2023

Infestation with poultry red mites (PRM, Dermanyssus gallinae) causes anemia, reduced egg production, and death in serious cases, resulting in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. As a novel strategy for controlling PRMs, vaccine approaches have been focused upon and several candidate vaccine antigens against PRMs have been reported. Tropical (TFM, Ornithonyssus bursa) and northern (NFM, Ornithonyssus sylviarum) fowl mites are also hematophagous and cause poultry industry problems similar to those caused by PRM. Therefore, ideal antigens for anti-PRM vaccines are molecules that cross-react with TFMs and NFMs, producing pesticidal effects similar to those against PRMs. In this study, to investigate the potential feasibility of developing vaccines with broad efficacy across mite species, we identified and characterized cysteine proteases (CPs) of TFMs and NFMs, which were previously reported to be effective vaccine antigens of PRMs. The open reading frames of CPs from TFMs and NFMs had the same sequences, which was 73.0% similar to that of PRMs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CPs of TFMs and NFMs clustered in the same clade as CPs of PRMs. To assess protein functionality, we generated recombinant peptidase domains of CPs (rCP-PDs), revealing all rCP-PDs showed CP-like activities. Importantly, the plasma obtained from chickens immunized with each rCP-PD cross-reacted with rCP-PDs of different mites. Finally, all immune plasma of rCP-PDs reduced the survival rate of PRMs, even when the plasma was collected from chickens immunized with rCP-PDs derived from TFM and NFM. Therefore, CP antigen is a promising, broadly efficacious vaccine candidate against different avian mites.
Evaluation of multiple sclerosis severity using a new OCT tool
Authors: Viladés Elisa , Cordón Beatriz , Pérez-Velilla Javier , Orduna Elvira , Satue Maria , Polo Vicente , Sebastian Berta , Larrosa Jose Manuel , Pablo Luis , García-Martin Elena
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To assess the ability of a new posterior pole protocol to detect areas with significant differences in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness in patients with multiple sclerosis versus healthy control subjects; in addition, to assess the correlation between RNFL and GCL thickness, disease duration, and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Methods

We analyzed 66 eyes of healthy control subjects and 100 eyes of remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) patients. Double analysis based on first clinical symptom onset (CSO) and conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS) was performed. The RR-MS group was divided into subgroups by CSO and CDMS year: CSO-1 (≤ 5 years) and CSO-2 (≥ 6 years), and CDMS-1 (≤ 5 years) and CDMS-2 (≥ 6 years).

Results

Significant differences in RNFL and GCL thickness were found between the RR-MS group and the healthy controls and between the CSO and CDMS subgroups and in both layers. Moderate to strong correlations were found between RNFL and GCL thickness and CSO and CDMS. Furthermore, we observed a strong correlation with EDSS 1 year after the OCT examination.

Conclusions

The posterior pole protocol is a useful tool for assessing MS and can reveal differences even in early stages of the disease. RNFL thickness shows a strong correlation with disability status, while GCL thickness correlates better with disease duration.
Feature interaction network based on hierarchical decoupled convolution for 3D medical image segmentation
Authors: Shen Longfeng , Zhang Yingjie , Wang Qiong , Qin Fenglan , Sun Dengdi , Min Hai , Meng Qianqian , Xu Chengzhen , Zhao Wei , Song Xin
Published: July 2023

Manual image segmentation consumes time. An automatic and accurate method to segment multimodal brain tumors using context information rich three-dimensional medical images that can be used for clinical treatment decisions and surgical planning is required. However, it is a challenge to use deep learning to achieve accurate segmentation of medical images due to the diversity of tumors and the complex boundary interactions between sub-regions while limited computing resources hinder the construction of efficient neural networks. We propose a feature fusion module based on a hierarchical decoupling convolution network and an attention mechanism to improve the performance of network segmentation. We replaced the skip connections of U-shaped networks with a feature fusion module to solve the category imbalance problem, thus contributing to the segmentation of more complicated medical images. We introduced a global attention mechanism to further integrate the features learned by the encoder and explore the context information. The proposed method was evaluated for enhance tumor, whole tumor, and tumor core, achieving Dice similarity coefficient metrics of 0.775, 0.900, and 0.827, respectively, on the BraTS 2019 dataset and 0.800, 0.902, and 0.841, respectively on the BraTS 2018 dataset. The results show that our proposed method is inherently general and is a powerful tool for brain tumor image studies. Our code is available at: https://github.com/WSake/Feature-interaction-network-based-on-Hierarchical-Decoupled-Convolution.
Educação linguística e os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS)
Authors: Nunes Júnior Marco Antônio , Arantes Kássia Gonçalves , Córdula Maíra Sueco Maegava , Castro Sabrina França de
Published: July 2023

O projeto de extensão “Adolescentes Poliglotas” tem por objetivo desenvolver nos participantes uma postura plurilíngue, com vistas a contribuir para a formação linguística para a diversidade dos adolescentes participantes. Este artigo visa, a partir dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentáveis (ODS) da Agenda 2030 da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), a apresentar uma análise sobre o material didático e a vivência dos participantes. Foi realizado o levantamento das atividades com temática relativa aos 17 ODS. Além da descrição das atividades e do relato sobre o que foi realizado durante o primeiro semestre de 2022, este trabalho apresenta uma reflexão sobre possíveis inserções da temática dos ODS no projeto em futuras edições. Foi possível identificar a presença dos ODS 5, 10, 11, 12 e 13 em atividades específicas e a pertinência do projeto ao ODS 4. A análise também mostra que há possibilidades de ampliação e aprofundamento do tratamento dos ODS no contexto específico do curso “Adolescentes Poliglotas”.
Percepções sobre o impacto de um projeto de palhaçaria hospitalar na humanização da atenção à saúde e na saúde mental dos envolvidos participantes
Authors: Souza Andressa Duarte de , Aguiar Guilherme Augusto Barroso de , Glória Michelly Siman , Lima Karen Santos , Guelpeli Alison Cristine Pinto
Published: July 2023

Este trabalho avaliou o impacto de um projeto de palhaçaria hospitalar, vinculado à Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), na humanização da atenção à saúde e na saúde mental dos envolvidos. Participaram 35 alunos da instituição, que responderam ao questionário e enquadraram-se nos critérios de inclusão, sendo 17 participantes do projeto de palhaçaria e 18 não participantes. O questionário foi composto por questões objetivas e dissertativas, sendo dividido em três blocos: o Bloco 1 avaliou o perfil dos participantes da pesquisa; o Bloco 2 abrangeu a humanização; e o Bloco 3, a saúde mental. As perguntas contidas em cada bloco variaram entre os grupos. Os dados obtidos foram analisados com base na técnica de análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin (2011), sendo feita em pares para garantir a confiabilidade dos resultados. Pelos relatos dos dois grupos, identificaram-se impactos positivos para os participantes, pacientes, acompanhantes e profissionais de saúde, tais como: a maior humanização na área da saúde; a contribuição no processo de formação dos estudantes da área da saúde; a mitigação dos fatores estressores que esses sofrem no período universitário; a promoção de momentos de escapismo do contexto hospitalar; e a agilização do processo de cura.
Universalizando o acesso à Justiça
Authors: Ferraz Samuel Geraldo dos Santos , Casemiro Diego Márcio Ferreira , Gomes Camila Silva , Pazó Cristina Grobério
Published: July 2023

Por meio da nossa experiência no projeto extensionista “Assessoria jurídica online e gratuita em tempos de pandemia COVID-19”, desenvolvido no âmbito do Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas, da Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia, Brasil, objetivamos descrever o que experimentamos com o atendimento ao público, interno e externo da UFSB, durante a pandemia de COVID-19, além de refletirmos sobre o estado do acesso à justiça no extremo-sul da Bahia. Assim sendo, visamos demonstrar nossas motivações que inspiraram a criação do projeto, bem como apresentar nossa metodologia de auto-organização e as ações realizadas, além dos desafios que encontramos. Destacamos a relevância desse projeto de extensão, que perdurou por mais de um ano e meio, embora o objeto deste relato de experiência seja apenas o período de atendimento em 2020, que compreendeu seis meses, para entender as relações de desigualdades, acesso à justiça, contexto político e direito privado, especialmente em suas vertentes críticas.
ANALISIS PENGARUH PANDEMI COVID-19 TERHADAP HARGA BERAS PROVINSI DI PULAU JAWA
Authors: Susanti Riska Tri
Published: July 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted several sectors in Indonesia, but the agricultural sector continues to grow amid the weakening national economy. This study aims to analyze the fluctuations in the price of provincial rice in Java before and during Covid-19 and the factors that affect the price of provincial rice in Java using panel data. The results showed that the Covid-19 pandemic affected rice prices and resulted in fluctuations in provincial rice prices on the island of Java. Provincial rice prices in Java are also influenced by international rice prices, HPP and per capita consumption, while rice production has a negative effect on rice prices. In the short and long term, every increase in international rice prices, per capita consumption, HPP, and cases of Covid-19 will increase the price of rice, while every increase in rice production will reduce the price of provincial rice on the island of Java.
Language, race and work in the Caribbean: a Bakhtinian approach
Authors: Valldejuli Luis Galanes
Published: July 2023

This essay is interested in exploring the interconnections between language, race, work and power, particularly as it concerns the Caribbean region. Drawing on ethnographic data gathered in the Puerto Rican island-municipality of Vieques, and borrowing theoretical insight from the ideas of Mikhail Bakhtin, among others, we try to make sense of the linguistic strategies employed by racially marginalized subjects to resist and contest racism, colonialism and labor exploitation in their daily lives, within the context of a tourism economy. We argue that Bakhtin’s approach to language use in conflict-ridden and ideologically-saturated contexts, particularly his treatment of linguistic phenomena like double-voicing, multilingualism and heteroglossia, proves useful in shedding light on the strategic uses of language of, or to the ways in which racially-marginalized subjects create and employ locally-specific linguistic registers as a form of claiming agency and as a mechanism of resistance. In the context of Vieques, we argue, language has become the main vehicle through which Viequense workers resist and accommodate to work in the tourism sector while retaining and preserving a unique ethnic identity.
Ribonucleotide synthesis by NME6 fuels mitochondrial gene expression
Authors: Grotehans Nils , McGarry Lynn , Nolte Hendrik , Xavier Vanessa , Kroker Moritz , Narbona‐Pérez Álvaro Jesús , Deshwal Soni , Giavalisco Patrick , Langer Thomas , MacVicar Thomas
Published: July 2023

Replication of the mitochondrial genome and expression of the genes it encodes both depend on a sufficient supply of nucleotides to mitochondria. Accordingly, dysregulated nucleotide metabolism not only destabilises the mitochondrial genome, but also affects its transcription. Here, we report that a mitochondrial nucleoside diphosphate kinase, NME6, supplies mitochondria with pyrimidine ribonucleotides that are necessary for the transcription of mitochondrial genes. Loss of NME6 function leads to the depletion of mitochondrial transcripts, as well as destabilisation of the electron transport chain and impaired oxidative phosphorylation. These deficiencies are rescued by an exogenous supply of pyrimidine ribonucleosides. Moreover, NME6 is required for the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA when the access to cytosolic pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides is limited. Our results therefore reveal an important role for ribonucleotide salvage in mitochondrial gene expression.
Impacts of Store Trust Antecedents on Willingness to Disclose Personal Data in Online Shopping
Authors: Urbonavičius Sigitas , Degutis Mindaugas , Zimaitis Ignas , Skare Vatroslav
Published: July 2023

Personal data disclosure is crucially important to modern business, and specifically – to online stores. It is largely predicted by the willingness to disclose personal data that significantly varies among emerging economies due to impacts of numerous factors. One of the important factors that impacts willingness to disclose personal data in online shopping is trust in an online store. However, the importance of trust in a store partly occurs because it mediates effects of other antecedents. This study conceptualizes three groups of important antecedents: personal, infrastructural and store-related factors. The study tests indirect effects of the most typical factors from each group: general trust (personal factor), legal regulations (infrastructural factor) and presence of an off-line selling channel in addition to the online channel offered by a store (e-store factor) on willingness to disclose personal data online. The findings show that all these factors, mediated by store trust, have significant positive effects on willingness to disclose personal data. The findings contribute to the knowledge of the groups of factors that impact willingness to disclose personal data online and help to set directions for future research.
Consumer Law and Environmental Protection: Consumer Sales Directive 2019/771 Example
Authors: Selvestravičiūtė Agnė
Published: July 2023

This paper reviews principal coherence of EU Consumer law and environmental protection as demonstrated through analysis of Consumer Sales Directive. After dichotomy between EU consumer and environmental protection, and EU primary law’s obligation to coordinate these areas is assessed, rules of directive which reflect (or conversely – neglect) environmental protection goal are analysed. It is later argued that directive basically ignores Union’s quest towards sustainability. Although singular rules from directive may indeed be changed hoping it would help to fight ecological problems, taking consumer law’s role in solving ecological challenges seriously means more than fine-tuning several provisions but changing consumer law fundaments’ instead.
Victim’s Paradigm in European Union Criminal Law
Authors: Gurevičs Dāvids
Published: July 2023

The victim’s legal status and participatory rights in criminal proceedings vary among the European Union member states, which can potentially hinder the harmonisation of the field of criminal law. The aim of this article is to reveal the main features that determine the victim’s paradigm in European Union criminal law by focusing on the rights which the member states are obliged to guarantee in their criminal justice systems. Considering that criminal proceedings must result in a fair balance of interests of the parties involved, this article concludes that, in the victim’s paradigm enshrined in the European Union legal acts concerning the area of criminal law, the victim must be endowed with certain procedural rights, however, for that very reason, as an actor of the criminal justice system, the victim might be required to participate in the proceedings.
Investigating the Cost of Election in Nigeria: The 2019 General Election in Focus
Authors: Sule Babayo , Sambo Usman
Published: July 2023

Political party funding is an important issue for all global key players in democratic accountability and transparency. One of the areas where the phenomenon is attracting interest is Nigeria. The 2019 General Election represents an important period for the study of party financing in Nigeria. This study critically examines the cost of an election in Nigeria from four perspectives: the cost of nominations, the cost of party primaries, the cost of the actual campaign, and the cost of running the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The study collected data using a qualitative research design that employed the tools of key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The data collected were analysed and interpreted using thematic descriptive qualitative discussions. The study uncovers that the cost of an election in Nigeria is exorbitant and unbearable and the most disturbing aspect is the illegality involved in terms of the violation of maximum spending limit, the use of state resources, and setting a price of nomination above the reach of the common and average man. Thus, it is recommended among others that a strict regulatory sanction and monitoring form compliance should be applied appropriately.
Assessing and Improving WIC Enrollment in the Primary Care Setting: A Quality Initiative
Authors: Monroe Bryan S. , Rengifo Lina M. , Wingler Meagan R. , Auriemma Jeanna R. , Taxter Alysha J. , Ramirez Brenda , Albertini Laurie W. , Montez Kimberly G.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides food and other resources to mitigate the harmful effects of food insecurity on child and maternal health. From a 2009 peak, nationwide WIC participation declined through 2020. Our objectives were to understand factors influencing WIC engagement and improve WIC enrollment through novel, primary care-based quality improvement interventions.

METHODS

Plan-do-study-act cycles were implemented at a majority Medicaid-insured pediatric primary care clinic. Universal WIC screening at <5-year-old well-child visits was initiated, with counseling and referrals offered to nonparticipants. Clinic providers received WIC education. WIC screening, counseling reminders, and referrals were streamlined via the electronic health record. Families were surveyed on WIC participation barriers. Patient demographic data were analyzed for predictors of WIC participation.

RESULTS

Mean new WIC enrollments increased significantly (42%) compared with baseline, with sustained special cause variation after study interventions. Provider WIC knowledge improved significantly at study end (P <.001). Rates of WIC screening, counseling, and referrals remained stable for >1 year after study interventions. The most common family-reported barriers to WIC participation were “Access problems” and “WIC knowledge gap.” Factors associated with decreased WIC participation in multivariable analysis were increasing age (P <.001), and non-Medicaid insurance status (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate feasible primary care-based screening, education, and referral interventions that appear to improve WIC enrollment. We identify knowledge gap and access problems as major potentially modifiable barriers to WIC participation. The expansion of similar low-cost interventions into other settings has the potential to benefit under-resourced children and families.
Darrelyn Gunzburg and Bernadette Brady, eds, 'Space, Place and Religious Landscapes: Living Mountains'
Authors: Rashed Mai A.
Published: July 2023

Darrelyn Gunzburg and Bernadette Brady, eds, Space, Place and Religious Landscapes: Living MountainsLondon & New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2021. Hardback, 271pp.IBSN 978-1-3500-7988-5. Paperback £26.09. Ebook £20.87. Hardback £81.00.
Steven Gullberg, 'Astronomy of the Inca Empire: Use and Significance of the Sun and the Night Sky'
Authors: Estrázulas Monica , Vasconcellos César Zen
Published: July 2023

Steven Gullberg, Astronomy of the Inca Empire: Use and Significance of the Sun and the Night SkyCham, Switzerland: Springer, 2020. E-Book, 370pp., 42 b/w illus., 275 colour illus. ISBN: 978-3-030-48366-1. £71.50.
“Living Skies / Cielos Vivos”. Oxford XII Conference, ISAAC & VIII Jornadas Interamericanas de Astronomía Cultural, SIAC, La Plata, Argentina, 31st October–4th November, 2022
Authors: González-García A. César
Published: July 2023

“Living Skies / Cielos Vivos”.
Oxford XII Conference, ISAAC & VIII Jornadas Interamericanas de Astronomía Cultural, SIAC, La Plata, Argentina, 31st October–4th November, 2022
“Signs and Symbols: Above and Below”. The 29th Annual Conference of the European Society of Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), Timisoara, Romania, 5th–9th September, 2022
Authors: Iwaniszewski Stanislaw
Published: July 2023

“Signs and Symbols: Above and Below”.
The 29th Annual Conference of the European Society of Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), Timisoara, Romania, 5th–9th September, 2022
Nierówności w health literacy – aspekty przestrzenne i edukacyjne
Authors: Korporowicz-Żmichowska Violetta
Published: July 2023

Health literacy (literacy) jest to zdolność jednostki do „odczytywania zdrowia” przez uzyskiwanie dostępu do informacji oraz efektywnego wykorzystywania jej w celu utrzymania dobrego stanu zdrowia. Przejawia się to przez: rozumienie treści przekazywanych w informacjach medycznych, umiejętności korzystania z usług medycznych, a następnie respektowanie zaleceń profesjonalistów. Występują tutaj jednak liczne nierówności. Nierówności te związane są zarówno z typem kształcenia (różnice między uczniami uczącymi się w różnych typach szkół), jak i przestrzenią, i to nie tylko między regionami, ale też wewnątrz regionów, czyli między młodzieżą mieszkającą w miastach i mieszkającą na wsiach.Celem artykułu jest wskazanie na nierówności dotyczące health literacy dorosłej, uczącej się młodzieży województwa mazowieckiego, biorąc pod uwagę typ kształcenia: licea ogólnokształcące, technika i szkoły branżowe i układ przestrzenny (miasto – wieś) oraz prezentacja sondażu diagnostycznego (badania) „Młodzież Mazowsza”. Tezą badania jest stwierdzenie, że nierówności w zachowaniach zdrowotnych zależne są od typu kształcenia i od zróżnicowań przestrzennych. Sondaż był realizowany wśród młodzieży uczącej się w szkołach ponadpodstawowych w roku szkolnym 2017/2018. Narzędziem badawczym jest tu skonstruowany na potrzeby badania autorski kwestionariusz ankiety do przeprowadzenia wywiadu audytoryjnego. Na podstawie sondażu z zakresu health literacy oceniano, w jaki sposób typ kształcenia wpływa na ocenę własnego zdrowia oraz na świadomość możliwości jego kształtowania przez własne zachowania, gdzie pod uwagę brano poszczególne wytypowane zachowania, a następnie zróżnicowania tych zachowań między miastem a wsią. W świetle badania „Młodzież Mazowsza” można zaobserwować wśród respondentów województwa mazowieckiego szczególnie ze szkół branżowych ogólną, stosunkowo niższą w stosunku do pozostałej badanej młodzieży ocenę własnego zdrowia i zachowań zdrowotnych. Natomiast brak jest istotnych zróżnicowań między miastem a wsią.
EDITORIAL
Authors: Crippa Anelise
Published: July 2023

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O DIREITO À SAÚDE E O CONCEITO DE JUSTIÇA DISTRIBUTIVA – ANÁLISE DOS CRITÉRIOS ESTABELECIDOS NO REsp 1.657.156 PELO SUPERIOR TRIBUNAL DE JUSTIÇA
Authors: Guizzo Antonio Rediver , Soalheiro Grade Maíra
Published: July 2023

O direito à saúde e as diversas controvérsias dele decorrentes têm ocupado um amplo espaço  nos debates jurídicos na atualidade. A inserção no texto constitucional da saúde como direito humano e fundamental e, por consequência, a responsabilidade pela garantia a todos os cidadãos do acesso universal e igualitário às ações e serviços para a promoção, proteção e recuperação da saúde constitui um enorme desafio para o Estado brasileiro. Neste contexto, o presente artigo, por meio da reflexão sobre o direito à saúde e o conceito de justiça distributiva na visão de autores como Aristóteles, John Rawls e Amartya Sen, possui o objetivo de analisar se o Superior Tribunal de Justiça, ao estabelecer a observância obrigatória de três requisitos cumulativos para o fornecimento de medicamentos não incorporados em atos normativos do SUS, por ocasião do julgamento do REsp 1.657.156, aproximou-se da garantia de equidade no direito à saúde no Brasil. Quanto à metodologia referente ao presente trabalho, utilizou-se o método dedutivo, com pesquisa bibliográfica e abordagem qualitativa. A análise realizada por meio do presente artigo permitiu concluir que ainda constitui um grande desafio para o sistema de saúde e para o Judiciário brasileiro a efetivação de um acesso justo e equitativo à saúde, pois a despeito da necessidade do estabelecimento de critérios objetivos para a uniformização das decisões judiciais, a utilização do requisito da incapacidade financeira do paciente para arcar com o custo do medicamento deixa de ponderar fatores relevantes para o estabelecimento da efetiva necessidade da prestação jurisdicional.
The Digital Practices of Portuguese Children (6-18) during Covid-19 Lockdown
Authors: Dias Patrícia , Brito Rita
Published: July 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic was addressed, in most European countries, with a mandatory lockdown period, during which the use of digital technologies was intensified, for remote working, communication, entertainment, consumption and learning. Our research aims to map the digital practices of Portuguese children (6-18) during lockdown (between March 19th and May 2nd 2020), focusing on their experience of formal Education and on their wellbeing.

Our empirical work follows a mixed method, combining an online survey to a representative sample of 509 dyads of parents and children (10-18) and in-depth interviews to families with younger children (6-12).

Our findings confirm a significant intensification of the use of digital technologies by children, partly required by school, partly due to the lack of alternatives for entertainment and socialization. Most children find using digital technologies for long periods, due to remote schooling, tiresome and feel anxious due to recurrent news about Covid-19.
Usos políticos de las fake news en el contexto de las protestas de 2021 en Cuba
Authors: Morales Liudmila , Landaburo Liosday , Rodríguez Déborah
Published: July 2023

Las protestas del 11 de julio de 2021 en Cuba fueron las más grandes luego del triunfo de la Revolución. Las redes sociales jugaron un papel clave como vía para extender la convocatoria, documentar los sucesos y como medio de información ante la deficiente cobertura de los medios tradicionales. El contexto favoreció la proliferación de fake news, que se situaron en el centro de las disputas sobre la legitimidad del estallido. Este artículo tiene por objetivo general explicar los usos políticos de las fake news durante las protestas. Se analiza tanto el empleo del concepto en el discurso político del Gobierno cubano sobre las protestas como las fake news con contenido político difundidas en Facebook. La aplicación del método de análisis del discurso político, con enfoque cualitativo, permite identificar cinco usos políticos del concepto por parte del Gobierno y siete en las noticias falsas con contenido político. Se concluye que el concepto de fake news fue usado por el Gobierno como recurso retórico estratégico para 1) fortalecer una posición discursiva de defensa del “nosotros” frente al “ellos”, y 2) anular la disputa política colectiva por la idea de “verdad” a partir de una lectura y apropiación intencionados de hechos noticiosos, de lo cual resultaron prácticas como el corte de los servicios de internet y el acceso a medios digitales desde la isla, así como el desconocimiento del estallido en las agendas mediáticas oficialistas. A la par, las noticias falsas con contenido político involucraron procesos de significación que exacerbaron la polarización.
Pôr like na saúde cardiovascular: a estratégia positiva e negativa e a receção da mensagem de Facebook de entidades de saúde públicas e organizações de cardiologia portuguesas
Authors: Baptista Raphaël , Belim Célia
Published: July 2023

Segundo a revisão da literatura, a comunicação é um pilar na saúde, reforçando a promoção da mesma e a prevenção da doença. Com a emergência dos meios sociais, as redes sociais online e os websites tornaram-se ferramentas ao serviço da comunicação para a saúde, ainda que existam relutâncias quanto à sua viabilidade. As doenças cardiovasculares são as principais causas de morte em Portugal e em todo o mundo.

A presente investigação propõe-se a caracterizar a estratégia, positiva e negativa, da mensagem para a saúde cardiovascular presente no Facebook das entidades de saúde públicas e de cardiologia portuguesas em estudo e apurar a influência da estratégia, positiva e negativa, da mensagem nos residentes do concelho de Lisboa.

A partir da análise de conteúdo a 1946 publicações do Facebook, a investigação apurou que enquadramento negativo e os apelos negativos são utilizados contidamente, ainda que, dos resultados do inquérito por questionário, se concluiu que a negatividade é referida como a que mais motiva a adoção de comportamentos saudáveis.

Ainda assim, os resultados não são conclusivos quanto à identificação da melhor estratégia: positiva ou negativa. Existem características promissoras na negatividade, como a motivação para a noção de comportamentos saudáveis, mas a sua aplicação pode também negligenciar o caráter pedagógico da comunicação para a saúde. O enquadramento positivo, por sua vez, revela-se melhor no âmbito da educação.

Existem também relações estatisticamente significativas entre o género e a idade e o tipo de publicação que mais motivaria uma mudança de comportamentos.
Children’s digital mediation: The family climate in Spain, Italy and Portugal
Authors: Ponte Cristina , Mascheroni Giovanna , Batista Susana , Garmendia Maialen , Martinez Gemma , Cino Davide
Published: July 2023

Considering parental mediation as a dual process that starts with the child and varies according to their age and online activities, this article examines digital socialization in the broader context of family communication. Based on the EU Kids Online questionnaire (2017-2019) which surveyed children (9-16 years old) in 19 countries, and on previous pan-European studies, the article explores results from Spain, Italy and Portugal in a comparative perspective among them and with then 19 countries average. In the three Latin countries, in line with the average, safety, support and family communication are more highlighted by children than digital socialization, which is marked by a protectionist and risk prevention approach. However, the three countries present variations in children’s perceptions about their online well-being, the support they use to deal with risks and their own role in digital socialization. Acknowledging these national differences favors appropriate interventions by decision makers of public safety and well-being policies, as well as from education, health, and family counseling professionals.
ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS FOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY: WHEN TO RECOMMEND? BRAZILIAN COLLEGE OF DIGESTIVE SURGERY POSITION PAPER
Authors: FREITAS Alexandre Coutinho Teixeira de , FERRAZ Álvaro Antonio Bandeira , BARCHI Leandro Cardoso , BOIN Ilka de Fátima Santana Ferreira
Published: July 2023

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is an essential component of perioperative care. The use of prophylactic regimens of antibiotics is a well-established practice that is encouraged to be implemented in preoperative/perioperative protocols in order to prevent surgical site infections. AIMS: The aim of this study was to emphasize the crucial aspects of antibiotic prophylaxis in abdominal surgery. RESULTS: Antibiotic prophylaxis is defined as the administration of antibiotics before contamination occurs, given with the intention of preventing infection by achieving tissue levels of antibiotics above the minimum inhibitory concentration at the time of surgical incision. It is indicated for clean operations with prosthetic materials or in cases where severe consequences may arise in the event of an infection. It is also suitable for all clean-contaminated and contaminated operations. The spectrum of action is determined by the pathogens present at the surgical site. Ideally, a single intravenous bolus dose should be administered within 60 min before the surgical incision. An additional dose should be given in case of hemorrhage or prolonged surgery, according to the half-life of the drug. Factors such as the patient’s weight, history of allergies, and the likelihood of colonization by resistant bacteria should be considered. Compliance with institutional protocols enhances the effectiveness of antibiotic use. CONCLUSION: Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with reduced rates of surgical site infection, hospital stay, and morbimortality.
El análisis de la actividad como herramienta de intervención en terapia ocupacional
Authors: Bullón Benito Elisa , Álvarez Mar´tinez Antonio Javier , Carpena Niño María Gracia , Calvo Arenillas José Ignacio
Published: July 2023

El análisis de la actividad es una herramienta fundamental dentro de la Terapia Ocupacional, ya que aporta conocimiento específico de los requerimientos y características de la misma. Esto hace posible que estos profesionales puedan facilitar o promover el desempeño autónomo de personas con diferentes dificultades. Por este motivo, se considera uno de los contenidos básicos a impartir dentro de los títulos de grado que habilitan a estos profesionales y resulta relevante conocer cómo se está llevando a cabo, ya que repercute en las intervenciones realizadas con diferentes usuarios del servicio. Con este objetivo, se realizó una consulta sobre el conocimiento y uso de esta herramienta a tres colectivos: terapeutas ocupacionales formados en España, alumnos y docentes actuales del grado en terapia ocupacional en España. Este aportó información de interés para favorecer estrategias que proporcionen un mayor conocimiento de la ocupación por parte de este colectivo y con ello, promover el crecimiento de la profesión y la identidad ocupacional de los terapeutas ocupacionales.
Hábitos de consumo de apuestas deportivas en estudiantes universitarios extremeños
Authors: Gozalo Delgado Margarita
Published: July 2023

Los cambios sociales y los nuevos usos que se hacen de las nuevas tecnologías en el ámbito del ocio tienen una clara influencia en la salud mental de nuestros jóvenes. Las apuestas deportivas y el juego on-line son una alternativa de ocio para jóvenes y adolescentes que en determinados casos se asocia al juego patologico constituye un verdadero problema de social y de salud. Objetivo: En este estudio nos propusimos estudiar la prevalencia de las apuestas deportivas entre los Universitarios de la Universidad de Extremadura. Metodo: Para ello, el pasado curso 2021/22, 469 estudiantes de distintas Facultades de la UEX respondieron de forma anonima y voluntaria a una encuesta sobre hábitos saludables, su participacion en apuestas deportivas, y sus creencias sobre el juego. Resultados: Aproximadamente la mitad de los participantes declararon haber apostado alguna vez en su vida, aunque la gran mayoría de los participantes no tienen como hábito el apostar o incluso no lo han llegado a hacer, al menos en el último año. Las diferencias más relevantes no se asociaron al curso, ni a la titulación sino al género de los/as participantes. Discusión: Si bien la prevalencia en el consumo de apuestas varía respecto a estudios desarrollados en otras poblaciones, la diferencias de género coinciden con las obtenidas en estudios previos. Los chicos jugaron más que las chicas y los que practican deporte apostaron con mayor frecuencia. Se destaca la necesidad de realizar programas formativos con el fin de prevenir los problemas asociados a estas conductas.