bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the research productivity of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council: a scientometric study
Authors: Akbar Faheem , Arif Muhammad , Rafiq Muhammad
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the research productivity of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council’s (PARC’s) researchers published during 2001–2020 by using scientometric indicators. The study explored the growth and collaborative trends along with authorship and institutional collaborative patterns at the national and international levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in four phases. Firstly, a search strategy was designed to retrieve reliable data sets. During the second phase, data from PARC research was retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). In the third phase, the data were combined, and duplications were removed. Finally, the data were analysed using RStudio and VOSviewer.

Findings

The study identified 2,868 research publications from 16 communication channels spanning over the period of 2001–2020. The growth rate varied during the study period and the year 2020 was the most productive year of the organization. Most of the research was produced in multi-authorship and five authors were dominant. Pakistan Journal of Botany was the most preferred and cited source. Moreover, PARC research collaboration with Pakistani researchers was more than their international counterparts.

Research limitations/implications

Like other research, this research has some limitations. For example, this research is based on secondary data extracted from WoS and Scopus databases, world-renowned online academic. However, researchers should keep in mind while interpreting the results of this study. Secondly, the research publications published by PARC researchers during 2001–2020 were considered. Finally, this research considered English language literature only.

Practical implications

The study’s key theoretical contribution is its strategy for merging WoS and Scopus in RStudio, while its findings could assist agriculture research stakeholders in identifying new areas of research, awards, promotions and identification of research gaps.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to use scientometric indicators to evaluate PARC’s research productivity. This detailed analysis provides a deeper understanding of PARC’s contribution to agriculture research and its potential implications.
The assessment of national conduct in realizing the right to heath: using the framework of United Nations
Authors: Kokabisaghi Fatemeh
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Health is a human right and a fundamental building block of sustainable development, economic prosperity and poverty reduction. To realize people’s right to health, evaluating the situation of the right and its determinants is necessary. This paper aims to analyze Iran’s conduct in realizing its population’s right to health.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study design involving a structured review of relevant laws, policy documents, reports and academic literature was undertaken. The data were collected from electronic databases and the official Web pages of the United Nations (UN) and Iran’s Government and analyzed by a framework suggested by the UN.

Findings

Iran’s law and policies intend to combat health inequalities and to provide an adequate standard of living for everyone, particularly disadvantaged groups and individuals. However, not all laws and policies protecting disadvantaged groups are adequately implemented. There are disparities in health status and access to health care among different socio-economic groups. International economic sanctions and government policies decreased people’s ability to access the necessities of life including health care. Moreover, social determinants of health, such as cultural beliefs regarding women’s rights have not been addressed sufficiently in the country’s laws.

Research limitations/implications

This study includes a broad range of subjects and provides an overview of the health-care system of Iran. However, more detail is needed to describe every aspect of the right to health. It was not feasible to address them all in this paper and needs more research. In addition, as with the majority of qualitative studies, the design of the current study is subject to limitations. Firstly, the research quality of narrative reviews is dependent on the researcher’ skills and more easily can be influenced by his/her personal biases. Second, the rigor is more difficult to maintain, assess and demonstrate. Nevertheless, narrative studies often complement quantitative studies and are informative.

Originality/value

To fulfill the right to health, Iran should improve affordability and quality of care and the situation of the determinants of health. The gaps in people’s access to health care need to be identified, and all necessary means and scarce resources be allocated to remove access barriers and to improve the situation of disadvantaged people. The adoption of relatively low-cost targeted programs, the proper management of resources and the prevention of unnecessary costs are suggested.
LiDAR-based SLAM for robotic mapping: state of the art and new frontiers
Authors: Yue Xiangdi , Zhang Yihuan , Chen Jiawei , Chen Junxin , Zhou Xuanyi , He Miaolei
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In recent decades, the field of robotic mapping has witnessed widespread research and development in light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques. This paper aims to provide a significant reference for researchers and engineers in robotic mapping.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper focused on the research state of LiDAR-based SLAM for robotic mapping as well as a literature survey from the perspective of various LiDAR types and configurations.

Findings

This paper conducted a comprehensive literature review of the LiDAR-based SLAM system based on three distinct LiDAR forms and configurations. The authors concluded that multi-robot collaborative mapping and multi-source fusion SLAM systems based on 3D LiDAR with deep learning will be new trends in the future.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first thorough survey of robotic mapping from the perspective of various LiDAR types and configurations. It can serve as a theoretical and practical guide for the advancement of academic and industrial robot mapping.
Hierarchical value mapping of diners in Macao's casino restaurants
Authors: Fan Pui Kuan Tina , Choe Ja Young (Jacey) , Na Yeseul
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study explores the linkages between various attributes, consequences and values of casino restaurants and the differences in the hierarchical value maps between female and male customers and between casino players and non-casino players.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted using the means-end chain (MEC) theory. The data were collected using the hard-laddering method. Two hundred forty-one responses were analyzed.

Findings

Attributes such as “taste,” “reasonable prices,” and “discounts” were associated with the values “personal happiness,” “considered,” “life satisfaction,” and “life-quality enhancement” at casino restaurants. Males were found to hold “prompt services” as important when dining at casino restaurants, while females held a “spacious environment” to be critical. Furthermore, “use of casino complimentary credits” was important to casino players, while “free parking” and “comfortable seats” mattered for non-casino players.

Practical implications

It is suggested that casinos add more Asian cuisines in their casino restaurants in Macao to attract customers who value culinary and cultural exploration while simultaneously satisfying tourists from neighboring regions who wish to enjoy familiar foods when they visit Macao. In addition, the authors recommend that casinos develop menu items that can be served quickly to casino players.

Originality/value

This study is based on the MEC theory and broadens the range of studies on casino restaurants. Furthermore, it provides useful information to guide casino restauranteurs in developing their marketing and operational strategies for different customer segments.
Hotel leaders' benevolent leadership, career management and employees' work engagement during COVID-19: a conservation of resources perspective
Authors: Potipiroon Wisanupong , Junthong Hataikwan
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Drawing upon conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine whether benevolent leadership from top hotel leaders can foster employees' work engagement during COVID-19 via two valued career-related resources, namely organizational career management (OCM) and individual career management (ICM). This study also proposes that the importance of ICM as a resource diminishes when ICM plays a prominent role.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 600 employees in 20 hotels located in a major tourist destination in Thailand during COVID-19. The data were analyzed using latent moderated mediation structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

This study found that the relationship between hotel leaders' benevolent leadership and employees' work engagement was mediated by both OCM and ICM. Furthermore, as expected, this study found that the indirect effect of benevolent leadership via OCM was weaker when ICM was high.

Practical implications

This study sheds light on the importance of hotel leaders and career management activities in promoting employees' work engagement. Thus, despite concerns that investing in career management activities might lead employees to manage themselves out of the organization, the current findings indicate otherwise.

Originality/value

Based on the resource-gain perspective, this study contributes to the leadership and hospitality literature by being among the first to show that the influence of benevolent leadership on work engagement occurs through the simultaneous mediating roles of OCM and ICM. Moreover, this study contributes to the current debate about the interactive effects of OCM and ICM.
Embedding anatase, rutile, and brookite TiO2 nanoparticles to cotton fabric with epoxy silane and comparison of their effects on photodegradation
Authors: Sezgin Bozok Sabiha
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to embed anatase, rutile and brookite TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with different crystal phases into cotton fabrics by epoxy silane and to examine the effect of these applications on the photocatalytic and mechanical properties of the fabric.

Design/methodology/approach

Different aqueous dispersions which contain anatase, rutile and brookite were prepared at three different concentrations (5%, 10% and 15%). These NPs were embedded in cotton fabrics by using GPTS [(3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane]. Characterization tests were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT/IR). Samples were stained with methylene blue (MB) and then exposed to solar light for different periods. Color changes of the samples were examined with a spectrophotometer. Air permeability, abrasion and tear strength tests were applied to all samples.

Findings

According to SEM images, the NPs were successfully attached to the cotton fabrics, and epoxy silane coating surrounded the fiber surfaces. The presence of the coating was also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and FT/IR. The treatments reduced the stainability of the samples. The most effective applications for ensuring photocatalytic activity in cotton fabrics were suspensions as 10% brookite, 10% anatase and 5% anatase, in descending order. The applied coating slightly reduced the samples’ air permeability, and wear and tear strength.

Originality/value

The importance of this study is to determine the optimal crystal phase and its concentration by using epoxy silane to ensure self-cleaning properties on cotton fabrics. The sample treated with 10% brookite is the most approached its original white color by 99.65% as a result of degradation of MB (after 120 min). On the other hand, using the pure rutile with epoxy silane was not suitable for removing MB from the fabric.
Machine learning for forecasting the biomechanical behavior of orthopedic bone plates fabricated by fused deposition modeling
Authors: Sharma Shrutika , Gupta Vishal , Mudgal Deepa , Srivastava Vishal
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is highly dependent on printing process parameters for achieving high mechanical strength. It is a time-consuming and expensive operation to experiment with different printing settings. The current study aims to propose a regression-based machine learning model to predict the mechanical behavior of ulna bone plates.

Design/methodology/approach

The bone plates were formed using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique, with printing attributes being varied. The machine learning models such as linear regression, AdaBoost regression, gradient boosting regression (GBR), random forest, decision trees and k-nearest neighbors were trained for predicting tensile strength and flexural strength. Model performance was assessed using root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2) and mean absolute error (MAE).

Findings

Traditional experimentation with various settings is both time-consuming and expensive, emphasizing the need for alternative approaches. Among the models tested, GBR model demonstrated the best performance in predicting both tensile and flexural strength and achieved the lowest RMSE, highest R2 and lowest MAE, which are 1.4778 ± 0.4336 MPa, 0.9213 ± 0.0589 and 1.2555 ± 0.3799 MPa, respectively, and 3.0337 ± 0.3725 MPa, 0.9269 ± 0.0293 and 2.3815 ± 0.2915 MPa, respectively. The findings open up opportunities for doctors and surgeons to use GBR as a reliable tool for fabricating patient-specific bone plates, without the need for extensive trial experiments.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is limited to the usage of a few models. Other machine learning-based models can be used for prediction-based study.

Originality/value

This study uses machine learning to predict the mechanical properties of FDM-based distal ulna bone plate, replacing traditional design of experiments methods with machine learning to streamline the production of orthopedic implants. It helps medical professionals, such as physicians and surgeons, make informed decisions when fabricating customized bone plates for their patients while reducing the need for time-consuming experimentation, thereby addressing a common limitation of 3D printing medical implants.
Do millennials’ personalities and smartphone use result in materialism? The mediating role of addiction
Authors: Tan Christine Nya-Ling
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to use the five-factor model’s (FFM: emotional instability, introversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness) personality traits and the need for arousal to explain millennials’ habitual and addictive smartphone use and resultant materialistic inclinations. The study also test the mediating role of addictive use in the relationship between habitual use and materialism.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants’ self-reported data (n = 705) from a sample of millennials were gathered using a cross-sectional survey approach conducted in Malaysia and studied using structural equation modelling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The results discover that emotional instability, openness to experience, agreeableness and need for arousal have a significant influence on habitual smartphone use. Conversely, introversion and conscientiousness have no significant impact on habitual use. Fascinatingly, millennials’ habitual use positively influences their materialism. Furthermore, addictive smartphone use positively affects materialism and mediates the relationship between habitual use and materialism.

Originality/value

The FFM, a prominent personality trait model, has been used in numerous studies to predict usage intention. However, the particular dimension of the FFM personality traits that drive habitual and addictive smartphone use to trigger materialistic tendencies among millennials needs to be exposed in an emerging market context. The results emphasise the need to consider this demographic’s personalities when attempting to comprehend how habitual use and materialism occur. This study also provides practitioners with helpful information in creating targeted interventions to encourage healthy smartphone use behaviours and reduce possible adverse effects related to addictive smartphone use and materialistic attitudes.
Data driven or data informed? How general practitioners use data to evaluate their own and colleagues’ clinical work in clusters
Authors: Haase Christoffer Bjerre , Bearman Margaret , Brodersen John Brandt , Risor Torsten , Hoeyer Klaus
Published: December 2023

In contemporary policy discourses, data are presented as key assets for improving health‐care quality: policymakers want health care to become ‘data driven’. In this article, we focus on a particular example of this ambition, namely a new Danish national quality development program for general practitioners (GPs) where doctors are placed in so‐called ‘clusters’. In these clusters, GPs are obliged to assess their own and colleagues’ clinical quality with data derived from their own clinics—using comparisons, averages and benchmarks. Based on semi‐structured interviews with Danish GPs and drawing on Science and Technology Studies, we explore how GPs understand these data, and what makes them trust—or question—a data analysis. The GPs describe how they change clinical practices based on these discussions of data. So, when and how do data for quality assurance come to influence their perceptions of quality? By exploring these issues, we carve out a role for a sociological engagement with evidence in everyday medical practices. In conclusion, we suggest a need to move from the aim of being data driven to one of being data informed.
Dementia, nurse staffing, and health outcomes in nursing homes
Authors: Mukamel Dana B. , Ladd Heather , Saliba Debra , Konetzka R. Tamara
Published: December 2023

Objective

To estimate and contrast the relationships between nurse staffing and health outcomes in nursing homes with low and high dementia census, to understand the association of staffing hours with dementia care quality.

Data Sources and Study Setting

A national sample of nursing homes during 2017–2019 (pre‐COVID). Data included the Payroll‐Based Journal, Medicare Claims, Nursing Home Care Compare, and Long‐Term Care Focus.

Study Design

Retrospective, regression analyses. We estimated separate linear models predicting six long‐term facility‐level outcomes. Independent variables included staffing hours per resident‐day (HPRD) interacted with the facility percentage of dementia residents, controlling for other resident and facility characteristics.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Hospital‐based nursing homes, those with fewer than 30% dementia residents, and missing data were excluded.

Principal Findings

We found that registered nurses and certified nurse assistants HPRDs were likely to exhibit positive returns in terms of outcomes throughout most of the range of HPRD for both high and low‐census dementia facilities, although, high‐ and low‐dementia facilities differed in most outcome rates at all staffing levels. Average predicted antipsychotics and activities of daily living as functions of HPRD were worse in higher dementia facilities, independent movement, and hospitalizations did not differ significantly, and Emergency Rooms and pressure sores were worse in lower dementia facilities. Average marginal effects were not statistically different [CI included zero] between the high and low dementia facilities for any outcome.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that increasing staffing will improve outcomes by similar increments in both low‐ and high‐dementia facilities for all outcomes. However, at any given level of staffing, absolute differences in outcomes between low‐ and high‐dementia facilities remain, suggesting that additional staffing alone will not suffice to close these gaps. Further studies are required to identify opportunities for improvement in performance for both low‐ and high‐dementia census facilities.
Clinical validation of the nursing diagnosis of impaired mood regulation among individuals with experience of mood disorders
Authors: Oladokun Munirat Olayinka , Olaogun Adenike Ayobola , Mosaku Samuel Kolawole
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The aim of the study was to validate the defining characteristics (DCs) of the nursing diagnosis impaired mood regulation using related criteria in an African context.

Methods

This descriptive study was conducted in two tertiary mental healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Richard Fehring's clinical diagnostic validity model was employed to collect data from 87 individuals experiencing mood problems. Their scores were validated with other criteria, and the influence of socio‐demographic and clinical variables on participants’ identification of the DCs was determined using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The significance level was 0.05.

Findings

Five of the 27 DCs validated were rated major, 5 considered not characteristics, and the rest were minor characteristics of the diagnosis. A two‐way subject ANCOVA was significant for diagnosis alone, F (2, 87) = 7.41, p = 0.006 (after eliminating the effect of age and gender of the participants), and when combined with duration of illness, F (38, 87) = 2.38, p = 0.036. A positive but weak correlation was found between the DC scale and mood disorder questionnaire, rs (85) = 0.353, n = 87, p = 001 with R2 = 0.102, but a positive and strong correlation with patient health questionnaire, rs (85) = 0.733, n = 87, p = 000 with R2 = 0.565.

Conclusions

The DCs listed in NANDA‐I nursing diagnoses manual were valid for the nursing diagnosis. However, there are additional characteristics that would further enhance the applicability of the diagnosis.

Implications for nursing practice

The result of this study will contribute immensely to the identification of individuals experiencing problems with mood regulation that would otherwise have been missed, thus facilitating early intervention and good outcome. Furthermore, additional characteristics validated in this study offered opportunity for further research on the diagnosis.
Sorbent functionalization with vancomycin enhances bacteria killing in extracorporeal hemoadsorption
Authors: Ramírez‐Guerrero Gonzalo , de Cal Massimo , Lorenzin Anna , Vigolo Dario , Toscano Anna Italia , Araya‐Rojas Marisel , Zanella Monica , Ronco Claudio
Published: December 2023

Background

The level of bacteremia in patients with sepsis and septic shock is a predictor of complications and mortality, regardless of the type of bacteria. Devices for bacteria, endotoxin and cytokines removal by adsorption have been recently developed. Thus, extracorporeal blood purification therapies have been proposed as adjunctive therapy in sepsis in combination with drugs. Some potentially useful drugs, however, are precluded due to their organ or metabolic toxicity. The present study represents a preliminary report on the in vitro effect of a sorbent device (minimodule with HA380 beads, Jafron medical, Zhuhai, China) in which the particles have been functionalized with vancomycin on the surface. The impact of the surface‐modified beads on circulating bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) has been tested in a simulated in vitro circulation.

Methods

In vitro experiments were carried out with 800 mL of blood enriched with S. aureus species. Blood was circulated in the vancomycin‐functionalized and non‐functionalized mini‐module cartridges in hemoadsorption setup (300 mL each) and the bactericidal effect was assessed. Also, 200 mL of blood was used as a control.

Results

A significant increase in the time to positivity of blood cultures was observed after 60 min and also after 120 min of therapy with the mini‐module functionalized with vancomycin as opposed to the non‐functionalized cartridge.

Conclusions

These results suggest a possible way of treating sepsis by using drug‐ or antibiotic‐functionalized cartridges without worrying about pharmacological toxicity. The prolongation of the time to bacterial culture positivity to S. aureus after a passage through a column packed with beads functionalized with vancomycin represents a proof of concept.
Epstein–Barr virus‐associated lymphomas decoded
Authors: Bednarska Karolina , Chowdhury Rakin , Tobin Joshua W. D. , Swain Fiona , Keane Colm , Boyle Stephen , Khanna Rajiv , Gandhi Maher K.
Published: December 2023

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐associated lymphomas cover a range of histological B‐ and T‐cell non‐Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. The role of EBV on B‐cell malignant pathogenesis and its impact on the tumour microenvironment are intriguing but incompletely understood. Both the International Consensus Classification (ICC) and 5th Edition of the World Health Organization (WHO‐HAEM5) proposals give prominence to the distinct clinical, prognostic, genetic and tumour microenvironmental features of EBV in lymphoproliferative disorders. There have been major advances in our biological understanding, in how to harness features of EBV and its host immune response for targeted therapy, and in using EBV as a method to monitor disease response. In this article, we showcase the latest developments and how they may be integrated to stimulate new and innovative approaches for further lines of investigation and therapy.
Early concrete bridges in China as (dissonant) modern heritage: A case study of the double‐curved bridges in Nanjing
Authors: Chen Yichuan
Published: December 2023

This research aims to explore early concrete bridges in China, especially those from 1950s to 1970s, as a form of modern heritage. It asserts that there are inherent contradictions in how these bridges were perceived over half a century later. Although this may affect their listing as cultural heritage, it also makes them a representative case for a decentered approach to modern heritage not only at an international level, but also within a particular national context. In a country still building concrete bridges of ever‐increasing scales, early concrete bridges in China, despite their age, are seldom considered as cultural heritage. However, while historically and technologically these bridges were close to the everyday lived experiences, they are often more difficult to research than older, pre‐1949 buildings and structures. This is not only because of the lack of readily available archives, but also that these bridges, especially the iconic “double‐curved” bridges, which were politicized during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), represented an important period in modern Chinese history that is still politically sensitive and contested, possessing cultural values that mean vastly different things for different people. This is illustrated by the case study of three bridges in Nanjing: the Yangtze River Bridge of Nanjing, arguably the most famous Chinese bridge in the twentieth century; the Little Egret Bridge (Bailu Bridge), an early double‐curved bridge, which is said to be a prototype of the former; and the Xiaolingwei Experimental Bridge, an important landmark in the development of the double‐curved bridge but entirely forgotten after the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Accounts from before, during, and after the Cultural Revolution provide very different narratives about the process of their design and construction. Their different geographical locations and different associations with this turbulent and contested period of modern Chinese history also affects their conservation status today. All these factors combined make these bridges an exemplar of dissonant modern heritage that, although situated in a Chinese context, has important lessons globally for our understanding of the impact and legacies of modernity.
Leaves stimulate aquatic phosphorus uptake by dark‐grown but not by light‐grown microbial communities in sediments: A laboratory study
Authors: Akbari Elmira , Baldan Damiano , Watzinger Andrea , Weigelhofer Gabriele
Published: December 2023

It is a widely discussed topic in restoration ecology to use organic carbon (OC) management to increase nutrient uptake in chronically loaded agricultural streams. However, although nitrate uptake has been shown to correlated closely with the availability of dissolved OC, this relationship is less clear for phosphate. Likewise, the role of particulate OC (POC) on stimulating nutrient uptake has to be clarified. We aimed at investigating the effects of leaf additions on the net uptake of soluble reactive phosphorus and nitrate‐nitrogen from the water column by benthic biofilms in combined laboratory flume and batch experiments.

Fine sediments were colonised under nutrient‐enriched conditions in the dark (dark‐grown heterotrophic biofilms) and under a 12/12‐hr dark/light cycle (light‐grown photoautotrophic biofilms) in flumes. In each light treatment, half of the biofilms were grown under strong OC‐limitation, the other half under near‐optimal C:N:P ratios. For the uptake experiments, the colonised sediments were incubated in nutrient‐enriched water to which (1) fresh alder leaves, (2) pre‐leached leaves, or (3) no leaves were added. Net nutrient uptake (or release) rates were determined via the change in nutrient concentrations in the water column over time.

Net phosphorus uptake by dark‐grown biofilms was significantly increased by the addition of leaves. Despite their high initial nutrient leaching, fresh leaves showed stronger stimulating effects on the net P uptake than leached leaves over the entire experiment. Furthermore, biofilms grown under near‐optimum C:N:P ratios responded stronger to the POC supply than biofilms grown under C‐limited conditions. In contrast to dark‐grown biofilms, leaf additions had no significant effects on the net P uptake by light‐grown biofilms. We also found no effects of leaf additions on net nitrate uptake.

Our study shows that an increased POC supply in nutrient‐impacted streams may boost heterotrophic phosphate uptake. However, the stimulating effect of the POC addition depends on a variety of POC‐dependent (e.g. respiration, heterotrophic assimilation, denitrification) and independent (e.g. adsorption, photoautotrophic assimilation) processes, making nutrient control via POC management challenging. We suggest application of management approaches that focus on restoration of riparian areas and wetlands to increase the amount of natural, complex POC with a moderate degradability, thus keeping the heterotrophic metabolism low but potentially stimulating in‐stream N and P retention.
Size matters: Aerobic methane oxidation in sediments of shallow thermokarst lakes
Authors: Manasypov Rinat , Fan Lichao , Lim Artem G. , Krickov Ivan V. , Pokrovsky Oleg S. , Kuzyakov Yakov , Dorodnikov Maxim
Published: December 2023

Shallow thermokarst lakes are important sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from continuous permafrost thawing due to global warming. Concentrations of GHGs dissolved in water typically increase with decreasing lake size due to coastal abrasion and organic matter delivery. We hypothesized that (i) CH4 oxidation depends on the natural oxygenation gradient in the lake water and sediments and increases with lake size because of stronger wind‐induced water mixing; (ii) CO2 production increases with decreasing lake size, following the dissolved organic matter gradient; and (iii) both processes are more intensive in the upper than deeper sediments due to the in situ gradients of oxygen (O2) and bioavailable carbon. We estimated aerobic CH4 oxidation potentials and CO2 production based on the injection of 13C‐labeled CH4 in the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm sediment depths of small (~300 m2), medium (~3000 m2), and large (~106 m2) shallow thermokarst lakes in the West Siberian Lowland. The CO2 production was 1.4–3.5 times stronger in the upper sediments than in the 10–20 cm depth and increased from large (158 ± 18 nmol CO2 g−1 sediment d.w. h−1) to medium and small (192 ± 17 nmol CO2 g−1 h−1) lakes. Methane oxidation in the upper sediments was similar in all lakes, while at depth, large lakes had 14‐ and 74‐fold faster oxidation rates (5.1 ± 0.5 nmol CH4‐derived CO2 g−1 h−1) than small and medium lakes, respectively. This was attributed to the higher O2 concentration in large lakes due to the more intense wind‐induced water turbulence and mixing than in smaller lakes. From a global perspective, the CH4 oxidation potential confirms the key role of thermokarst lakes as an important hotspot for GHG emissions, which increase with the decreasing lake size.
Cartels in infrastructure procurement—Evidence from Lebanon
Authors: Mahmalat Mounir , Maktabi Wassim
Published: December 2023

We study cartels in public infrastructure procurement and analyze the conditions under which they succeed in generating rents. We first conceptualize the interplay of the central actors of a procurement project, notably the contractor, the procurement agency, as well as the supervision and design consultants. By focusing on consultants, our framework includes important yet understudied actors in cartels that design tenders, evaluate bids, and supervise the implementation of projects. We go on to explore an original dataset of infrastructure procurement contracts in Lebanon and analyze the conditions under which powerful political elites can broker deals to overprice and/or overspend contracts. To examine how cartels operate, we identify the political connections of contractors and consultants and classify them according to their “quality” in terms of access to institutional functions of the implementing agency. We argue that design consultants serve as the lynchpin of the cartel by reducing transaction costs for searching, bargaining, and enforcing of corrupt deals.
Validation of schedules for optimal prostate‐specific antigen monitoring after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Blas Leandro , Shiota Masaki , Tanegashima Tokiyoshi , Tsukahara Shigehiro , Ueda Shohei , Mutaguchi Jun , Goto Shunsuke , Kobayashi Satoshi , Matsumoto Takashi , Inokuchi Junichi , Eto Masatoshi
Published: December 2023

Background

Early detection of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is crucial for early treatment and improving survival outcomes. The optimal prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) monitoring remains unclear, and several models have been proposed. We aimed to externally validate four models for optimal PSA monitoring after RP and propose modifications to improve them.

Methods

We reviewed the clinicopathological data of 896 patients who underwent robot‐assisted RP between 2009 and 2022. We examined all PSA values and estimated the PSA value for four monitoring schedules at each time point in the virtual follow‐up. We defined the ideal PSA for BCR detection between 0.2 and 0.4 ng/mL.

Results

During the median follow‐up of 21.4 months, 128 (14.3%) patients presented BCR. The original and modified Keio models, National Cancer Center Hospital model, and American Urological Association/American Society for Radiation Oncology model detected BCR in 14 (10.9%), three (2.3%), 12 (9.4%), and 11 (8.6%) patients with PSA >0.4 ng/mL. Most patients experienced BCR detected with PSA >0.4 ng/mL during the first year postoperative. The modification of interval within 6 months postoperative avoided BCR detection with PSA >0.4 ng/mL within the first year postoperative in 8/9 (88.9%), 1/2 (50.0%), 5/6 (83.3%), and 4/4 (100%) for the original and modified Keio models, National Cancer Center Hospital model, and American Urological Association/American Society for Radiation Oncology model, respectively.

Conclusion

We validated four models for PSA monitoring after RP to detect BCR and suggested modifications to avoid detections out of the desired range of PSA. These modifications could help to establish an optimal PSA monitoring schedule after RP.
Stepping outside national borders: International active learning educational collaboration events
Authors: L Mackavey Carole , Henderson Colette , Stout Tammy
Published: December 2023

Aim

This paper discusses the benefits of international collaborations for advanced practice nursing education. It identifies new perspectives and innovative practices to enhance cultural competency.

Background

Competent, well‐trained advanced practice nurses (APNs) are necessary to provide high‐quality and safe patient care, improve access to care, and address health disparities that are no longer geographically bound.

In 2021, an international network of advanced practice educators established an active learning program to teach students their role in global citizenship and increase awareness of health disparities. APN students from Scotland, Wales, Minnesota, Houston, and Rotterdam participated in presentations, online discussions, and in‐country scholarships.

Sources of evidence

Growing health disparities have created the need for efficient international collaboration to develop new concepts, approaches, and bidirectional exchange of experiences, culture, and knowledge. Integrating global health into curricula engages students’ curiosity and integrates education, research, practice, and leadership while improving cultural competency.

Discussion

Forty‐two students participated in the international presentations. The students strongly believed in the benefit of international collaboration and the need for a universal role for the advanced practice nurse. They responded positively to sharing cultural and clinical experiences.

Conclusion

The recent global health challenge supported the development of innovative methods to deliver education and created an opportunity for advanced practice students to develop cultural competence and critical thinking. Collaborative solutions are essential to education and healthcare as we move forward in the 21st century.

Implications for nursing practice

Robust international collaborations have enabled the development of cultural competence and critical thinking. These are crucial elements for advanced practice roles.
CIMER in Turkey: A revolutionary platform for political participation or a tool for authoritarianism?
Authors: Ezikoğlu Çağlar
Published: December 2023

This article explains CIMER (Presidency's Communication Centre) in Turkey, one of the e‐government applications in Turkish public administration that transform political communication and political participation from theory to practice. In this context, it examines the debates that CIMER, which is described as an important institution in the context of political participation, has allegedly turned into an institution that contributed to authoritarianism in Turkey in the following years. Methodologically, legal regulations on the historical establishment of CIMER, public statements of CIMER's bureaucrats and news about CIMER reflected in the media will be used as the primary research data. The result obtained from these data shows the originality of the study and its contribution to the field. Unlike the studies conducted so far, which are limited to the positive contributions of CIMER and public policy analysis, CIMER has been explored as a tool of authoritarianism on the axis of political science.
Contrasting invasion patterns of two closely related Solidago alien species
Authors: Skokanová Katarína , Španiel Stanislav , Šingliarová Barbora , Mereďa Pavol , Hodálová Iva , Svitok Marek
Published: December 2023

Aim

New areas are often simultaneously invaded by closely related alien species; however, between‐species differences in the course of their invasive spreading due to diverse ecological preferences have rarely been investigated. Here, we aim to study the species‐specific spatio‐temporal invasion patterns of Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea.

Location

Slovakia—the Western Carpathian and adjacent Pannonian regions.

Taxon

Invasive alien Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea.

Methods

Our study was based on revised herbarium specimens, a recent field survey which included gathering abundance and habitat data, and environmental data from GIS layers. We characterised the environmental niche differentiation between S. canadensis and S. gigantea. Generalised additive models were then used to identify the key drivers of the species' occurrences and to assess their potential current and future distributions.

Results

Both species began to spread in Slovakia in the 1850s; in the first 100 years, the number of S. gigantea sites increased exponentially, while that of S. canadensis remained low. Currently, S. canadensis is more widespread in the region. The species have similar habitat preferences. Their environmental niches overlap, but are not identical. The core distribution of S. canadensis is in foothills and valleys that experience lower annual mean temperatures, while that of S. gigantea is in lowlands with higher annual mean temperatures. A large part of their potential distribution areas seems to be already invaded. Possible future climate change could stimulate the spreading of S. canadensis into higher altitudes and S. gigantea farther into lowlands and Carpathian foothills.

Main conclusions

The studied invasive Solidago species differed considerably in the early stages of invasion. Their environmental niches, current realised and potential distribution patterns are different. In the studied region, further spreading, with an increase in the number and size of populations, is likely unless effective measures are undertaken.
Workforce resilience supporting staff in managing stress: A coherent breathing intervention for the long‐term care workforce
Authors: DeGraves Brittany S. , Titley Heather , Duan Yinfei , Thorne Trina E. , Banerjee Sube , Ginsburg Liane , Salma Jordana , Hegadoren Kathleen , Angel Cybele , Keefe Janice , Lanius Ruth , Estabrooks Carole A.
Published: December 2023

Background

Staff in long‐term care (LTC) homes have long‐standing stressors, such as short staffing and high workloads. These stressors increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic; better resources are needed to help staff manage stress and well‐being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a simple stress management strategy (coherent breathing).

Methods

We conducted a pre–post intervention study to evaluate a self‐managed coherent breathing intervention from February to September 2022. The intervention included basic (breathing only) and comprehensive (breathing plus a biofeedback device) groups. Six hundred eighty‐six participants were initially recruited (359 and 327 in the comprehensive and basic groups respectively) from 31 LTC homes in Alberta, Canada. Two hundred fifty‐four participants completed pre‐and post‐intervention questionnaires (142 [55.9%] in comprehensive and 112 [44.1%] in basic). Participants were asked to use coherent breathing based on a schedule increasing from 2 to 10 min daily, 5–7 times a week over 8 weeks. Participants completed self‐administered online questionnaires pre‐ and post‐intervention to assess outcomes—stress, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, resilience, insomnia, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. We used a mixed‐effects regression model to test the main effect of time (pre‐ and post‐intervention) and group while testing the interaction between time and group and controlling for covariates.

Results

We found statistically significant changes from pre‐ to post‐intervention in stress (b = −2.5, p < 0.001, 95% CI = −3.1, −1.9), anxiety (b = −0.5, p < 0.001, 95% CI = −0.7, −0.3), depression (b = −0.4, p < 0.001, 95% CI = −0.6, −0.2), insomnia (b = −1.5, p < 0.001, 95% CI = −2.1, −0.9), and resilience (b = 0.2, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.2). We observed no statistically significant differences between the two intervention groups on any outcome.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that coherent breathing is a promising strategy for improving stress‐related outcomes and resilience. This intervention warrants further, more rigorous testing.
Pre‐hospitalization dysphagia and feeding tube placement in nursing home residents with advanced dementia
Authors: Robison Raele Donetha , Patel Sweta , Bunker Jennifer , Rudolph James L. , Teno Joan M. , Rogus‐Pulia Nicole
Published: December 2023

Background

Despite research demonstrating the risks of using feeding tubes in persons with advanced dementia, they continue to be placed. The natural history of dysphagia among patients with advanced dementia has not been examined. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national cohort of persons with advanced dementia staying at a nursing home stay before hospitalization to examine (1) pre‐hospitalization dysphagia prevalence and (2) risk of feeding tube placement during hospitalization based on preexisting dysphagia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study consisting of all nursing home (NH) residents (≥66 years) with advanced dementia (Cognitive Function Scale score ≥2), a hospitalization between 2013–2017, and a Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 assessment within 120 days before hospitalization. Pre‐hospitalization dysphagia status and surgically placed feeding tube insertion during hospitalization were determined by MDS 3.0 swallowing items and ICD‐9 codes, respectively. A multivariate logistic model clustering on hospital was used to examine the association of dysphagia with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube placement after adjustment for confounders.

Results

Between 2013 and 2017, 889,983 persons with NH stay with advanced dementia (mean age: 84.5, SD: 7.5, and 63.5% female) were hospitalized. Pre‐hospitalization dysphagia was documented in 5.4% (n = 47,574) and characterized by oral dysphagia (n = 21,438, 2.4%), pharyngeal dysphagia (n = 24,257, 2.7%), and general swallowing complaints/pain (n = 14,928, 1.7%). Overall, PEG feeding tubes were placed in 3529 patients (11.2%) with pre‐hospitalization dysphagia, whereas 27,893 (88.8%) did not have pre‐hospitalization dysphagia according to MDS 3.0 items. Feeding tube placement risk increased with the number of dysphagia items noted on the pre‐hospitalization MDS (6 vs. 0 dysphagia variables: OR = 5.43, 95% CI: 3.19–9.27).

Conclusions

Based on MDS 3.0 assessment, only 11% of PEG feeding tubes were inserted in persons with prior dysphagia. Future research is needed on whether this represents inadequate assessment or the impact of potentially reversible intercurrent illness resulting in feeding tube placement.