bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DiffErential attainment and Factors AssoCiated with Training applications and Outcomes (DE FACTO) study: Trauma & Orthopaedic surgery in the UK
Authors: Raj Siddarth , Grover Sarika , Spazzapan Martina , Russell Beth , Jaffry Zahra , Malde Sachin , Vig Stella , Fleming Simon
Published: August 2024

Aims

The aims of this study were to describe the demographic, socioeconomic, and educational factors associated with core surgical trainees (CSTs) who apply to and receive offers for higher surgical training (ST3) posts in Trauma & Orthopaedics (T&O).

Methods

Data collected by the UK Medical Education Database (UKMED) between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2019 were used in this retrospective longitudinal cohort study comprising 1,960 CSTs eligible for ST3. The primary outcome measures were whether CSTs applied for a T&O ST3 post and if they were subsequently offered a post. A directed acyclic graph was used for detecting confounders and adjusting logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs), which assessed the association between the primary outcomes and relevant exposures of interest, including: age, sex, ethnicity, parental socioeconomic status (SES), domiciliary status, category of medical school, Situational Judgement Test (SJT) scores at medical school, and success in postgraduate examinations. This study followed STROBE guidelines.

Results

Compared to the overall cohort of CSTs, females were significantly less likely to apply to T&O (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.46; n = 155/720 female vs n = 535/1,240 male; p < 0.001). CSTs who were not UK-domiciled prior to university were nearly twice as likely to apply to T&O (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.85; n = 50/205 vs not UK-domiciled vs n = 585/1,580 UK-domiciled; p < 0.001). Age, ethnicity, SES, and medical school category were not associated with applying to T&O. Applicants who identified as ‘black and minority ethnic’ (BME) were significantly less likely to be offered a T&O ST3 post (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.97; n = 165/265 BME vs n = 265/385 white; p = 0.034). Differences in age, sex, SES, medical school category, and SJT scores were not significantly associated with being offered a T&O ST3 post.

Conclusion

There is an evident disparity in sex between T&O applicants and an ethnic disparity between those who receive offers on their first attempt. Further high-quality, prospective research in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period is needed to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion in T&O training.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(8):697–707.
A Paddy Image Segmentation Method Based on Improved Mask R-CNN
Authors: Li Zhixiang , Liu Zhaopeng , Fang Peng , Liu Muhua , Chen Xiongfei , Yu Jiajia , Xiao Liping , Cai Jinping , Liu Junan , Yang Yingting
Published: August 2024

Highlights

A semantic segmentation model is proposed for paddy field images that uses a lightweight backbone network and a boundary enhancement module to enable end-to-end training with annotated images.

Morphological operations are employed to achieve field ridge closure.

Abstract. The precise positioning data for farmland boundaries serves as crucial support for creating high-precision farmland maps, guiding intelligent agricultural machinery in autonomous field operations, and accurately measuring the coverage areas. This study proposes a method for the automatic extraction of farmland boundaries based on low-altitude remote sensing images with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). To effectively segment the boundaries of paddy fields in UAV low-altitude remote sensing images, a semantic segmentation model is constructed, which is based on an improved version of the Mask R-CNN model. The network architecture incorporates MobileNet V2 and Feature Pyramid Networks (FPN) as the backbone network, while the PointRend boundary enhancement module is introduced. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The experiments were trained and tested on paddy fields in the dataset; the results showed that the mean values of MPA, MIoU, the Average Inference Time per Single Image, and the Quantity of Model Parameters reached 0.9308, 0.8996, 2.6 s, and 6.12 M. When compared to the original model, the improved model brought about an increase in the measures of performance of 0.015 (MPA) and 0.019 (MIoU), while the performance measures decreased by 0.847 (the Average Inference Time per Single Image) and 0.202 (the Quantity of Model Parameters). To address the issue of incomplete paddy field boundary segmentation, a series of morphological operations, including erosion operations and dilation operations, is iteratively applied. The results indicate that the mean pixel accuracy (MPA) of the morphologically processed farmland image is 93.14%, and the mean intersection over union (MIoU) is 89.98%. This iterative process aids in achieving field ridge closure, thereby facilitating the acquisition of boundary information for narrow field ridges and incomplete ridges caused by agricultural machinery. Keywords: Deep learning, Morphological operations, Paddy field boundaries, Semantic segmentation.
Spectatissima Femina : Female Visibility and Religion in Urban Spaces in Republican Rome
Authors: Webb Lewis
Published: August 2024

Abstract: This article challenges and reevaluates the model of the domesticated, invisible Roman woman, and seeks out the relationships between female visibility, religion, and urban spaces in Republican Rome. I adopt an intersectional approach to female visibility, focusing especially on religious rites, temporality, and on status symbols. I argue that women of various backgrounds used and were visible in numerous urban spaces, drawing on instances of their regular and episodic female religious activity, and on matronal vehicles and mobility privileges. At times, the Urbs was visibly female.
Palaeoecology of small round holes in Mississippian crinoids: Salthill Quarry, Clitheroe, UK
Authors: Donovan Stephen K.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: The ichnogenus Oichnus Bromley (= small round holes) is uncommon between the Carboniferous and Triassic. Fossil crinoids from Salthill Quarry, Lancashire, England (Mississippian, Chadian) were uncommonly infested by pits assigned to Oichnus paraboloides Bromley. These may be solitary in the disparid Synbathocrinus conicus Phillips or gregarious in the monobathrid Amphoracrinus gilbertsoni (Miller) and certain pluricolumnals. The infesting organisms were not predatory; the pits were certainly protective domiciles and harvesting of plankton may be considered parasitic on the host's food source. The two contrasting habits of O. paraboloides suggests that these identical pits were produced by two different species with contrasting habits. The organisms that produced solitary O. paraboloides were likely reproducing by shedding their gametes into the water column. In contrast, gregariousness may have been necessary of an organism that reproduced by copulation, a habit similar to extant balanid barnacles.
A stratigraphic and geographic extension to the Castle Espie Group (Carboniferous, Brigantian) of Strangford Lough, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Authors: Simms Michael J.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: The outcrop of the Castle Espie Limestone Formation, in the northwest corner of Strangford Lough, County Down, is poorly documented, with conflicting accounts of the overall stratigraphy of the Castle Espie Group. A survey of the foreshore from Castle Espie south-eastwards to Mahee Island reveals several limestone boulder-fields adjacent to areas with distinctive sandstone and siltstone clasts. Termed the Castle Espie Sandstone Formation, these clastics lie beneath the limestone and are divisible into two lithologically distinct units: the Paddy's Point Siltstone Member, dominated by unfossiliferous red siltstones, mudstones and fine sandstones, and the succeeding Horse Island Sandstone Member, characterised by coarser sandstones with abundant bioturbation and development of palaeosols. Boundaries are sharply defined between each of the lithostratigraphic units within the Castle Espie Group. The distribution of the limestone boulder fields, and the associated areas of sandstone debris, suggests that the Castle Espie Group outcrop extends, at shallow depth, south-eastwards to the eastern tip of Mahee Island and possibly beyond. Long-distance glacial transport of these Carboniferous lithologies from similar facies in the Ballycastle area, more than 80km further to the north, can be discounted.
Namurian succession at Ballahacommane, Killarney, Ireland
Authors: Philcox Michael E.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: The Namurian (Carboniferous; Serpukhovian-Bashkirian) phase of the Shannon Basin in western Ireland has been intensively studied in the axial region and towards its northern margin. The southern margin is less well known. Quarrying at Ballahacommane, c .50km south of the basin axis, over the last 23 years has revealed a succession c .180m thick near the base of the Namurian. An unfossiliferous mudstone unit >38m thick is overlain by 16.5m of black shales with H1b (Chokierian) to R1a2 (Kinderscoutian) goniatite bands. The overlying unfossiliferous succession consists of alternating sandstone- and mudstone-dominant units 3–15m thick. Most of the mudstone units are partly or wholly slumped. The sandstone-dominant units show some thickening-up sequences, but are commonly poorly organised. The sandstones are fine-grained and slightly argillaceous. The succession is interpreted to show early basin-floor muds overlain by distal distributary lobes advancing across an unstable slope.
Permian asteroids (Echinodermata) from Australia
Authors: Gale Andrew S. , McNamara Kenneth J.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: The taxonomy of asteroids from the Permian of Australia is revised on the basis of new and rediscovered historical material. A total of eight species belonging to four genera are described from the Artinskian to Roadian stages, of which one is new ( Ambigaster kapitanyi sp. nov.), and a new family, the Ambigasteridae, is described. The fauna represents the most abundant and diverse asteroid fauna known from the Permian Period, with a total of only four specimens belonging to three taxa known from other regions of the world. The significance of this fauna, which immediately predates a major turnover in asteroids around the Permo–Triassic boundary, approximately coincident with the appearance of the Triassic to present day Neoasteroidea, is discussed. Although the affinities of the Permian asteroid faunas are closest to Carboniferous forms, a number of species display derived characters which may herald major morphological changes subsequently seen in Triassic taxa.
Spenser's Faerie Virtues and the Tautology of Occasion
Authors: Curran John E.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: This article focuses on the treatment of occasion through the even-numbered books of 'The Faerie Queene', a pattern which constitutes part of the poem's incorporation of logic into moral thinking. Spenser's 'pleasing Analysis' of virtue ethics has two senses of 'Methode', the analytic and the cryptic. Whereas for the humans logic is integrated into how they exercise virtue and advance their own and our understanding of it, the virtues patronised by faerie knights, Temperance, Friendship, and Courtesy, while they use logic, are surreptitiously revealed to depend on circular reasoning. For these more tautological virtues, the cryptical method allows for inversion and redundancy geared both to exalt virtue and to gloss over conceptual limitations in received traditions of virtue ethics. Occasion marks a specific means to observe this hidden circularity.
Synergistic patient factors are driving recent increased pediatric urgent care demand
Authors: Lehan Emily , Briand Peyton , O’Brien Eileen , Hafeez Aleena Amjad , Mulder Daniel J.
Published: August 2024

Objectives

We aimed to use the high fidelity urgent care patient data to model the factors that have led to the increased demand at our local pediatric urgent care centre.

Methods

The dataset for this retrospective cohort study was obtained from our local healthcare centre’s national reporting data for pediatric urgent care visits from 2006 to 2022. Variables analyzed included: basic patient demographics, chief complaint, triage urgency, date and time of registration/discharge, discharge diagnosis, and discharge destination. Statistical analysis of non-linear trends was summarized by locally estimated scatterplot smoothing splines. For machine learning, we used the tidymodels R package. Models were validated in training using k-fold cross validation with k = 5. We used univariate linear regression as a baseline model. After the data was standardized, correlation and homoscedasticity were evaluated between all parameter permutations.

Results

This dataset consisted of 164,660 unique visits to our academic centre’s pediatric urgent care. Over the study period, there was an overall substantial increase in the number of urgent care visits per day, with a rapid increase beyond previous levels in 2021 and further in 2022. The increased length of stay trend was consistent across presenting complaint categories. The proportion of patients without primary care in 2022 was 2.5 times higher than in 2013. A random forest machine learning model revealed the relative importance of features to predicting a visit in 2022 were: longer stay, later registration in the day, diagnosis of an infectious illness, and younger age.

Conclusions

This study identified a combination of declining primary care access, circulating viral infections, and shifting chief complaints as factors driving the recent increase in frequency and duration of visits to our urgent care service.
Perceptions and attitudes towards unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) use for delivery of HIV medication among fisher folk communities on the Islands of Kalangala, Uganda
Authors: Ssemata Jackie Lydia N. , King Rachel , Ssesaazi Patrick , Naggirinya Agnes Bwanika , Beinomugisha Joshua , Parkes-Ratanshi Rosalind
Published: August 2024

The study aimed to assess the attitudes of stakeholders towards the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (medical drones) for delivering antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Kalangala district of Uganda, which is comprised of 84 islands and has approximately 18,500 People Living with HIV (PLHIV). A qualitative baseline study was conducted to assess the acceptability and feasibility of using a medical drone for ART delivery in the island settlements of Kalangala Islands. The data revealed four emerging themes: knowledge about the drones, perceived benefits of medical drone delivery, perceived risks of medical drone use, and recommendations for future use. The study found that most participants, especially healthcare workers and key opinion leaders, were aware of the medical drones, which could reduce transport costs, deliver medication on time, and reduce healthcare workers’ workload. However, there were also perceived risks related to the use of medical drones, such as stigma, reduced contact with healthcare providers, and maintenance and security issues. The study provided evidence that medical drones would be acceptable and have support from various stakeholders in the island settlements for ART delivery. However, concerns were raised about potential stigma and less health worker interaction. This qualitative work allowed the team to address these concerns during the pilot phase.
Laying the foundation for iCANmeditate: A mixed methods study protocol for understanding patient and oncologist perspectives on meditation
Authors: Lalani Yasmin , Godinho Alexandra , Ellison Kirsten , Joshi Krutika , Curtin Wach Aisling , Rana Punam , Wegier Pete
Published: August 2024

Background

People with cancer experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety, including psychological or physical. In recent years, digitally delivered complimentary therapies, such as meditation, have gained attention in cancer research and advocacy communities for improving quality of life. However, most digital meditation resources are commercially available and are not tailored to the unique needs of cancer patients (addressing fears of recurrence). As such, this study lays the foundation to co-design a publicly available digital meditation program called iCANmeditate that contains cancer-specific meditation content.

Aims

To understand: (1) cancer patients’ perceptions and practices of meditation, as well as their needs in addressing the stress that accompanies their cancer diagnosis and (2) current knowledge of meditation and prescribing trends amongst oncologists in Canada.

Methods and analysis

A mixed-methods design comprised of online patient and oncologist surveys and interviews with patients will be used. Survey data analysis will use multivariate logistic regressions to examine predictors of: (1) interest in using a meditation app among patients and (2) prescribing meditation among oncologists. Patient interviews will gather insights about the contexts of daily living where meditation would be most beneficial for people with cancer; this data will be analyzed thematically.

Discussion

The results of this study will inform iterative co-design workshops with cancer patients to build the digital meditation program iCANmeditate; interview results will be used to develop vignettes or “personas” that will supply the initial stimulus material for the iterative co-design workshops. Once the program has been finalized in partnership with cancer patient participants, a usability and pilot study will follow to test the functionality and efficacy of the tool. Results from the oncologist survey will form the basis of knowledge mobilization efforts to facilitate clinical buy-in and awareness of the benefits of meditation to cancer patients.
Investigation of eye movement characteristics during free throws at varying intensities among basketball players and its correlation with free throw percentage
Authors: Zhao Chunzhou , Liu Na , Li Sunnan , Zhao Xuetong
Published: August 2024

Background

Free throws serve as a crucial scoring mechanism in basketball games. As the level of basketball and the intensity of competition continue to improve, the frequency of free throw attempts gradually rises. However, with heightened game intensity, maintaining a consistent free throw success rate becomes increasingly challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the eye movement characteristics exhibited by basketball players during free throws of varying intensities, as well as explore the relationship between these eye movement characteristics and free throw percentage.

Methods

Twenty elite female basketball players were recruited to perform free throws at varying exercise intensities (low, moderate, and high) while wearing an eye tracker device. Eye tracking data was collected using the Tobii Glasses 3 eye tracker. Additionally, the Polar team pro, a heart rate monitoring system manufactured in Finland, was utilized to monitor participants’ heart rates during different exercise intensities.

Results

The average number of fixations on the hoop and net during free throws of varying intensities exhibited statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The fixation durations of the hoop, backboard, and net exhibited statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Notably, the hoop accounted for the highest proportion of the overall average fixation duration. high-intensity free throws necessitate lengthier processing durations compared to low-intensity and medium-intensity free throws. Furthermore, for free throws of moderate intensity, there was a significant negative correlation between the number of fixations on the hoop and free throw percentage (P < 0.05). Conversely, for high intensity free throws, there was a significant positive correlation between the fixation duration on the hoop and free throw percentage (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Under the three kinds of sports intensity, the players mainly focus on the hoop position, the moderate intensity free throw has the best stability, and the information search strategy and information processing efficiency are the highest. In high intensity free throws, the longer the fixation duration at the hoop, the higher the free throw percentage; The higher the number of fixations at the hoop, the lower the percentage of free throws.
Blocking IL-33 decelerates cartilage degeneration in knee osteoarthritis through mice model
Authors: Wu Fan , Zhang Siyuan , Zhuang Rujie , Hu Chuanxiao , Zhu Kangxiang
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory disease where pro-inflammatory cytokines, damage-associated molecular patterns and macrophages play a crucial role. However, the interaction of these mediators, the exact cause, and the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are still unclear. Moreover, the interaction of interleukin (IL)-33, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) with other factors in the pathogenesis of KOA has not been elaborately explored.

Method

Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the expression of IL-33, PDGF-BB, and MMP-9 in the knee cartilage tissue of model mice, murine KOA was induced by using the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model.

Results

Compared with the sham operation control group, the expression levels of PDGF-BB, IL-33, and MMP-9 were increased significantly, and the pathological sections showed obvious cartilage damage. Additionally, we assessed the levels of IL-33 and MMP-9 expression in the knee joint of KOA model mice following intervention with PDGF-BB antibody, and we found that the expression level of MMP-9 was reduced following intervention with IL-33 antibody. When the effects of the three antibodies were compared in a mouse disease model, it was discovered that the IL-33 antibody could dramatically lower the relative expression level of MMP-9, resulting in the least amount of cartilage damage and improved protection. In conclusion, inhibiting IL-33 can significantly lower inflammatory factor levels in the knee joint, including IL-33 and MMP-9, and it can improve cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Conclusion

Overall, the results indicate that IL-33 has a therapeutic function in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and may be a novel target for treatment of the underlying causes of KOA. Additionally, PDGF-BB might be an upstream pathway of IL-33, and KOA’s MMP-9 is an downstream pathway of IL-33.
Menstrual hygiene management interventions and their effects on schoolgirls’ menstrual hygiene experiences in low and middle countries: A systematic review
Authors: Betsu Balem Demtsu , Medhanyie Araya Abrha , Gebrehiwet Tesfay Gebregzabher , Wall L. Lewis
Published: August 2024

Background

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management can result in physical, social, psychological, and educational challenges for schoolgirls. To address these issues, researchers have conducted intervention studies, but the impact on school attendance has varied. This review has systematically collected and evaluated evidence about the effects of menstrual hygiene interventions on schoolgirls.

Method

A systematic search of the literature was done and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA statement). Both peer-reviewed journals and gray literature were searched using PubMed and Google Scholar. The search included individual, or cluster randomized controlled trials, and quasi-experimental studies, and covered the period from the date of indexing until January 3, 2023.

Result

A review of sixteen trial studies showed that menstrual hygiene interventions have a positive effect on schoolgirls’ school attendance, performance, and dropout rates, as well as on their menstrual knowledge, attitudes, practices, and emotional well-being. There was a low to medium risk of bias in most of the studies. Additionally, the literature overlooked the impact of interventions that involve parental and male engagement, interventions correcting community misperceptions about menstruation, and the impact of infrastructure improvements on water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Conclusion

Interventions aimed at improving menstrual hygiene management can enhance schoolgirls’ educational outcomes, and can improve their menstrual knowledge, attitudes, and practices by helping them manage their periods more effectively. Most interventions have focused on the provision of menstrual products and menstrual education but have neglected improvements in the physical environment at home and school and the social norms surrounding menstruation. Trial studies should take a holistic approach that considers the total socio-cultural environment in which menstrual hygiene management takes place, thus enabling stakeholders and policymakers to develop sustainable, long-term solutions to these problems.
The relationship between mechanical power normalized to dynamic lung compliance and weaning outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients
Authors: Yan Yao , Du Zhiqiang , Chen Haoran , Liu Suxia , Chen Xiaobing , Li Xiaomin , Xie Yongpeng
Published: August 2024

Background

Prolonged mechanical ventilation is associated with an increased risk of mortality in these patients. However, there exists a significant clinical need for novel indicators that can complement traditional weaning evaluation methods and effectively guide ventilator weaning.

Objectives

To investigate the specific relationship between mechanical power normalized to dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn-MP) and weaning outcomes in patients on mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours, as well as those who underwent a T-tube weaning strategy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV v1.0 database (MIMIC-IV v1.0). Patients who received invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours and underwent a T-tube ventilation strategy for weaning were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups based on their weaning outcome: weaning success and failure. Ventilation parameter data were collected every 4 hours during the first 24 hours before the first spontaneous breathing trial (SBT).

Results

Of all the 3,695 patients, 1,421 (38.5%) experienced weaning failure. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of weaning failure increased as the Cdyn-MP level rose (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.31–1.38, P<0.001). After adjusting for age, body mass index, disease severity, and pre-weaning disease status, patients with high Cdyn-MP quartiles in the 4 hours prior to the SBT had a significantly greater risk of weaning failure than those with low Cdyn-MP quartiles (odds ratio 10.37, 95% CI 7.56–14.24). These findings were robust and consistent in both subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion

The increased Cdyn-MP before SBT was independently associated with a higher risk of weaning failure in mechanically ventilated patients. Cdyn-MP has the potential to be a useful indicator for guiding the need for ventilator weaning and complementing traditional weaning evaluation methods.
One-year experience with latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution 0.024% in clinical practice: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Hsueh Chun-Mei , Tsai Chen-Hsin , Huang Jou-Chen , Lee Si-Huei , Wang Tsung-Jen , Guo Siao-Pei
Published: August 2024

Purpose

We evaluated the IOP-lowering efficacy and safety of latanoprostene bunod (LBN) ophthalmic solution 0.024% (Vyzulta®), the first topical nitric oxide-donating prostaglandin analog (PGA), in clinical practice.

Materials and methods

A retrospective medical chart review from July 2021 to July 2023 of patients with open-angle glaucoma receiving LBN with at least 1 year follow–up was conducted. All included patients received LBN 0.024% as a replacement for a PGA, with examinations at 1-, 3-, 6-and 12-months follow-up. Main outcome measures were IOP, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, visual fields before/after LBN use and adverse effects. Subgroup analysis with glaucoma types and PGA use were performed for additional IOP reduction after LBN use.

Results

Among 78 included patients, 47 patients (81 eyes), 60% with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) remained on LBN throughout 12-month follow-up. Baseline IOP was 18.2±4.2 mm Hg, and Prostaglandin analog (PGA)-IOP was 14.4 ± 3.0 mm Hg (21% mean IOP reduction). After switched to LBN, mean additional IOP reduction was 1.0 mm Hg at month 1, and the greatest reduction was 1.6 mm Hg (8.8% additional mean IOP reduction) at month 12 (P<0.0001). Subgroup analysis (NTG, 73%) showed that mean additional IOP reduction at month 12 was 1.3±2.0 mm Hg in NTG group and 2.1±3.2 mm Hg in POAG group (7.7% vs. 8.7% additional IOP reduction rates, P = 0.23). Subgroup analysis of PGA use at month 12 was 1.8±2.3 mm Hg in tafluoprost group and 0.5±1.7 mm Hg in travoprost group (9.5% vs.2.6% additional IOP reduction rates, P = 0.02). Tolerable ocular adverse effects included irritation (n = 16, 19.8%), mild conjunctival hyperemia (n = 11, 13.6%), dark circles (n = 4, 4.9%) and blurred vision (n = 2, 2.5%). There were no significant visual field and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness changes after 12 months of treatment with LBN 0.024%.

Conclusions

Although high intolerable adverse effects including conjunctival hyperemia and eye irritation happened in the first month, remaining sixty percent of patients exhibited statistically significant additional IOP reductions in the replacement of other PGAs during 12 months of clinical use of LBN 0.024%.
Knowledge of abortion legality among health facility staff in Ghana
Authors: Sheehy Grace , Polis Chelsea , Otupiri Easmon , Moreau Caroline
Published: August 2024

Background

Abortion has been legal for multiple indications in Ghana since 1985, and efforts have been made to expand the availability of safe abortion care in the years since. However clandestine, and potentially unsafe, abortions remain common, suggesting numerous barriers to access persist; one possible barrier is poor knowledge of the abortion law among those working in health facilities. Our study aimed to identify levels of legal knowledge among health facility staff across Ghana.

Methods

Data for this paper are drawn from a nationally representative cross-sectional health facility survey conducted in 2018; our analytic sample includes 340 facilities that provide induced abortion and/or postabortion care (PAC). The survey collected data on provision of abortion and PAC, as well as knowledge of abortion legality and recommendations for reducing unsafe abortion. We used descriptive statistics to examine levels of knowledge and recommendations, and logistic regression to assess associations with individual and facility characteristics.

Findings

Comprehensive knowledge of the legal indications for abortion was low among health facility staff; just 6% identified all legal indications, and the majority (83%) underestimated the number of conditions under which abortion is legal. Knowledge was higher for more restrictive indications, such as a woman’s life being at risk, which was identified by 72% of respondents, than more broadly interpretable indications, such as mental health, identified by 29%. Respondents in facilities providing both induced abortion and PAC had better knowledge of several legal indications than those in facilities providing PAC only.

Conclusions

Health facility staff have significant gaps in their knowledge of abortion legality. Knowledge of the law among this population is highly important for ensuring that abortion care is made available to the fullest extent of the law. Efforts are needed to improve knowledge of the law among providers and facility staff, particularly for indications with broad interpretability.
MRI paraspinous skeletal muscle enhancement: A potential imaging biomarker for assessing clinical liver cirrhosis severity
Authors: du Pisanie Johannes L. , Ramakrishnan Venkateswaran , Patel Vedang , Commander Clayton , Yu Hyeon
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To evaluate for correlation between MRI paraspinous muscle (PSM) enhancement and clinical measures of cirrhosis severity (CMCS) utilizing established imaging biomarkers of sarcopenia as comparison.

Materials and methods

Retrospective evaluation of 224 patients (mean age 59.6± 9.7 years, 135 males and 89 females) with liver cirrhosis who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI between August 2021 and August 2022 was performed. Assessed variables included: body mass index (BMI), varices and ascites present on imaging (VPI and API), albumin, total bilirubin (Tbili), international normalized ratio (INR), creatinine, MELD score, as well as history of paracentesis (PH), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and variceal bleed (VBH). These variables were compared to PSM skeletal muscle index (SMI), PSM signal fat fractions (sFF), and PSM contrast enhancement fraction (CEFR) calculated on arterial (CEFR-ART), portal venous (CEFR-PV), and delayed (CEFR-DEL) phases collected on MRI.

Results

Patients with MELD>17, PH, and VPI had lower PSM CEFR-ART (0.06vs. 0.11, p = 0.01; 0.07vs. 0.11, p = 0.01; and 0.09vs. 0.13, p = 0.03, respectively). PSM CEFR-ART correlated negatively with MELD. Patients with MELD>17 and PH had lower PSM CEFR-PV (0.16vs. 0.23, p = 0.02; 0.18 vs. 0.23, p = 0.01, respectively). PSM CEFR-PV correlated positively with albumin and negatively with Tbili, INR, and MELD. PSM CEFR-DEL correlated negatively with Tbili and MELD. Patients with API, PH, and VBH had lower PSM SMI (4.68vs. 5.59, p<0.001; 4.37vs. 5.48, p<0.001; 4.78vs. 5.35, p = 0.04, respectively). PSM SMI correlated negatively with Tbili and positively with BMI. PSM sFF correlated positively with BMI, PSM CEFR-PV, and PSM CEFR-DEL.

Conclusion

PSM CEFR is significantly reduced on MRI in patients with clinical manifestations of severe liver cirrhosis. Further investigation into PSM CEFR’s usefulness as an imaging biomarker for evaluating liver disease severity is warranted.
Impact of methane mitigation strategies on the native ruminant microbiome: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Frazier A. Nathan , Belk Aeriel D. , Beck Matthew R. , Koziel Jacek A.
Published: August 2024

Recently, research has investigated the role of the ruminant native microbiome, and the role microbes play in methane (CH4) production and mitigation. However, the variation across microbiome studies makes implementing impactful strategies difficult. The first objective of this study is to identify, summarize, compile, and discuss the current literature on CH4 mitigation strategies and how they interact with the native ruminant microbiome. The second objective is to perform a meta-analysis on the identified16S rRNA sequencing data. A literature search using Web of Science, Scopus, AGRIS, and Google Scholar will be implemented. Eligible criteria will be defined using PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes) elements. Two independent reviewers will be utilized for both the literature search and data compilation. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias 2.0 tool. Publicly available 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing data will be downloaded from NCBI Sequence Read Archive, European Nucleotide Archive or similar database using appropriate extraction methods. Data processing will be performed using QIIME2 following a standardized protocol. Meta-analyses will be performed on both alpha and beta diversity as well as taxonomic analyses. Alpha diversity metrics will be tested using a Kruskal-Wallis test with a Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction. Beta diversity will be statistically tested using PERMANOVA testing with multiple test corrections. Hedge’s g standardized mean difference statistic will be used to calculate fixed and random effects model estimates using a 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. Potential publication bias will be further assessed using Begg’s correlation test and Egger’s regression test. The GRADE approach will be used to assess the certainty of evidence. The following protocol will be used to guide future research and meta-analyses for investigating CH4 mitigation strategies and ruminant microbial ecology. The future work could be used to enhance livestock management techniques for GHG control. This protocol is registered in Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/vt56c) and available in the Systematic Reviews for Animals and Food (https://www.syreaf.org/contact).
Neutralizing antibody against GDF15 for treatment of cancer-associated cachexia
Authors: Xiong Junyi , Wu Guojin , Ning Jinying , Yan Junlin , Yang Jian , Kang Jinsen
Published: August 2024

GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), also known as macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1), is a circulating protein involved in the regulation of energy balance and weight control. Elevated levels of GDF15 have been associated with cachexia and reduced survival rates in cancer patients. Through the activation of the GFRAL (GDNF-family receptor α-like)-RET (Rearranged during Transfection) signaling pathway, GDF15 can induce weight loss, making it a potential target for treating cachexia. Currently, there are no approved antibody drugs specifically targeting GDF15 for cancer cachexia treatment. However, efforts have been made to develop antibody-based therapeutics against this emerging target. In this study, we generated a monoclonal antibody KY-NAb-GDF15 against GDF15 that effectively blocks downstream signaling mediated by GFRAL upon stimulation by GDF15. This antibody demonstrates robust neutralizing activity and exhibits high binding specificity. Importantly, our findings indicate that this antibody holds promise in alleviating cancer-induced cachexia and mitigating chemotherapy-induced weight loss, thereby offering significant therapeutic potential for managing cancer cachexia.
Ecoarte
Authors: Quiñonero Ortuño Sergi
Published: August 2024

Este artículo propone una aproximación crítica a diversas cuestiones: el espacio que nuestra especie ocupa en el planeta Tierra, los impactos que provoca, o la relación que mantenemos con la naturaleza. Y, sobre todo, cómo reflexionar acerca de estos temas a través del arte, entendido desde una perspectiva ecológica.
 
Se plantean también casos de estudio, en los que ha estado vinculado el autor, y con los que se pone de manifiesto la difícil relación entre los conceptos de arte y ecología.
revisión crítica del modelo de progreso occidental
Authors: Rodríguez Cañestro Sheila
Published: August 2024

Este artículo propone una reflexión sobre el paradigma occidental de progreso, que históricamente ha implicado la explotación de la naturaleza y la subordinación de las mujeres. Para abordar esta cuestión, se centra en el análisis del proyecto expositivo «Raíces secundarias» (2022) de la artista Gabriela Bettini, donde aborda la intersección entre el colonialismo europeo en América Latina, el surgimiento del capitalismo en la región y la crisis actual de los recursos naturales. Para contextualizar esta temática, se recurre a las contribuciones de teóricas ecofeministas como Alicia H. Puleo, Vandana Shiva y Yayo Herrero, quienes han analizado las relaciones existentes entre la opresión de las mujeres y la degradación de la naturaleza. Como conclusión, se plantea que la propuesta pictórica de Bettini invita a reconsiderar la relación del ser humano con la naturaleza, superando las visiones antropocéntrica y androcéntrica arraigadas en la cultura occidental, con el fin de transitar a un mundo justo y sostenible.
Patronage and experiences of sexually abused Christian teenagers in baby factories in Nigeria
Authors: Uroko Favour
Published: August 2024

This study examines the experiences and challenges that Christian teenagers who have been enslaved in baby factories are going through. The interviews for the study were conducted from 2022–2023 in Nigeria. Delta, Port Harcourt, and Enugu were chosen as the study areas because of the various cases of baby factory businesses that have been discovered in these areas. The study consisted of 19 teenagers who served as informants. The informants were between ages 10 and 30. This qualitative study was conducted with a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach. Findings reveal that the factors that led to increased patronage of baby factories include less stringent requirements at baby factories, barren couples, no monitoring after adoption of the child, Christian teenagers lured under the deception of better lifestyles, and poverty. Also, the findings show that, as part of the experiences and challenges of teenagers in baby factories, some are forced to have sex with the men, their child is forcefully taken away, the teenager looks unhealthy and malnourished, she is not allowed to attend formal education, and she is paid less when she gives birth to a girl child compared to when she gives birth to a boy child. Recommendations were discussed.
Chemical Submission
Authors: Suárez Alonso Daniel
Published: August 2024

Chemical submission has become a matter of interest in crimes against sexual freedom in recent years. This paper aims to reduce and prevent this type of crime. It will address the element of chemical submission within the crimes of sexual freedom, the analysis of the problem of sexual assaults, highlighting the type of substance and the most used psychoactive groups and all this analyzing the most important changes introduced by the new Organic Law 10/2022, of September 6, of integral guarantee of sexual freedom and its current modification. And an action procedure for the prevention of this type of crime will be established. A bibliographic review will be carried out by means of the PRISMA methodology for systematic reviews of the last year. The results obtained will highlight the most commonly used drug, the victim, the aggressor and the need for action protocols. In the future, the research should be based on real databases, expanding and updating the information, in order to be able to make more effective action guidelines, being able to inform and raise awareness in society about this type of crime.
Delito de Online Grooming
Authors: Matthews Bautista Isabel
Published: August 2024

Entre todas las formas de victimización online que son susceptibles de atentar contra el menor, aquella que más inquieta, por sus consecuencias tanto físicas como psicológicas, es la victimización por delitos sexuales, de ahí el papel relevante que adquiere el online grooming. El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como objetivo elaborar un perfil criminológico de los potenciales autores del delito en cuestión mediante un análisis de contenido tanto de 107 conversaciones reales en inglés entre groomers y falsos menores como de 20 sentencias españolas.
Los resultados obtenidos revelaron que el perfil del potencial groomer es el siguiente: un hombre con una edad que oscila entre los 18 y 49 años que busca principalmente a niñas de 13 a 15 años. Aparte del comportamiento acogedor, afectivo-íntimo, cuidadoso, engañoso y agresivo, se observó que la mayoría tenía un comportamiento exclusivamente sexual, asemejándose a la clasificación del groomer hipersexualizado de la literatura científica.
Cutaneous cervical metastasis from an esophageal adenocarcinoma mimicking a dental cervical cellulitis: A case report
Authors: Arnal-Etienne Andrea , Fourneau Eleonore , Dewaele Nathan , Mengeot Nathalie , Magremanne Michele
Published: August 2024

Cutaneous metastases occur in 0.5 to 9% of all cancers. Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers worldwide. Most cutaneous metastases from esophageal cancer were related to squamous cell carcinomas. Few cases have been described about cutaneous metastases related to esophageal adenocarcinomas. These metastases mostly affect patients over 60 years-old, and present as cutaneous asymptomatic nodules. A 69-year-old male presented with a painless and extensive left neck cutaneous induration and erythema. The lesion that was initially diagnosed as a dental cervical cellulitis by his dental practitioner. The patient was known since 2019 to suffer from a esophageal adenocarcinoma whose first treatment was surgery. The patient was currently under immunotherapy for a local recurrence. We firstly assessed the uncommon cervical cellulitis by carrying out an injected head and neck computed tomography (CT) scan which showed an unspecific skin, dermal and muscular infiltration of the left cervical region. The 18-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a suspicious fixation of the neck that was followed by a skin biopsy. The histological and immunohistochemical examination showed the metastatic adenocarcinomatous origin of the cervical skin lesion. The patient was upstaged to a stage IV of his esophageal cancer and started palliative chemotherapy. Special attention must be paid in case of diffuse cervical skin infiltrations, even in the presence of a dental infection, in patients with cancer, in order to perform the correct diagnosis.
Can a Mood Tracker Improve Young People's Mental Health?
Authors: Kaneko Izumi
Published: August 2024

Background: Today, mental health is a major concern among all age groups. Japan is the only country among G7 countries where suicide is the largest cause of death among youths 10-19 years old. However, many people find it difficult to confide in others about private mental health issues. Objective: We pilot-tested a “Mood Tracker” tool intended to help users record, reflect upon, and exercise control over their own emotions, in order to assess its acceptability and to explore its impact among Japanese university students.Methods: Participants were 20 medical students recruited at Fukushima Medical University. They were given a calendar and a paper listing 16 different emotions, with instructions to designate a different color for each emotion on the list, and to color each day of a month according to that day’s overall emotion. In addition, participants filled out a questionnaire before, right after, and a month after mood tracking, for self-assessment of mental state and satisfaction with the tool. Results: All participants except for one completed the intervention and provided positive comments. Although not statistically significant, the proportion of students who were highly satisfied with their school life increased from 25% before the intervention to 42% one month after the intervention. Conclusion: This small-scale pilot test suggested that mood tracking was well accepted among Japanese medical students and worth further investigation for its potential to positively impact mental health.
Legal Issues of Artificial Intelligence – Generated Works: Challenges on Indonesian Copyright Law
Authors: Mayana Ranti Fauza , Santika Tisni , Win Yin Yin , Matalam Jamil Adrian Khalil , Ramli Ahmad M
Published: August 2024

Digital transformation fosters the massive utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in creating literary, artistic, and musical works worldwide, including in Indonesia. The autonomous functioning of AI challenges the essential presumption that technology is merely a device in the hands of humans in the creation process of Works. This paper examines several legal issues and problems concerning the copyright-ability, authorship, and ownership of AI-generated works using a juridical normative approach. The result of the analysis shows that although the framework of Indonesia's copyright law is based on the principle of human authorship, the rapid development of AI must be balanced with an accommodating legal framework. In conclusion, the Indonesian government can open up the possibility of accepting AI's role in the creation of the work and formulate the limited artificial legal personhood of AI by granting exclusive rights, copyright protection, moral rights, and economic rights to individuals or groups of individuals who produce AI or whose contribution is required for AI function. This formulation is expected to encourage the utilization of AI also provide legal certainty and solve the problem concerning the lack of legal accountability for AI-generated works. In addition, the advancement of technical and legal support is needed in implementing this provisioning model.