bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educational Needs of Pediatric Surgery Residents
Authors: Bostancı Süleyman Arif , Budakoğlu Işıl İrem
Published: August 2024

Objective: Surgical education and training play a critical role for surgeons to develop their professional skills and provide the best care to their patients. A survey was conducted to determine the education needs of surgery residents, especially in specialized fields such as pediatric surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the educational needs of pediatric surgery residents and to contribute to the development of educational programs for these needs.

Material and Methods: The study was conducted with a questionnaire designed to determine the demographic data and educational needs of pediatric surgery residents working in city hospitals in Ankara. The questionnaire questions covered topics such as surgical decision making, communication, leadership, professionalism, surgical ethics, surgical simulation, scientific research and patient management.

Results: Residents were 39% female who participated in the questionnaire and their graduation included Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. The most needed areas of education among residents were identified as scientific research (87%), surgical simulation (74%) and leadership (43%). Other important needs included surgical decision making, communication, professionalism and surgical ethics.

Conclusion: Increasing surgical simulation and scientific research training in surgical training programs will play an important role in improving the professional competencies of research assistants and the quality of patient care. Future studies may evaluate the generalizability of these findings with larger samples. In conclusion, more targeted and comprehensive approaches should be adopted in pediatric surgery education
Genomics and midwifery
Authors: Winter George F
Published: August 2024

George F Winter explores the benefits and challenges of genomics in the context of midwifery practice
Time for reflection
Authors: Cochrane Alice
Published: August 2024

Alice Cochrane shares the challenges of squeezing in time to complete her NQP portfolio
Working as a student
Authors: Workman Ellie
Published: August 2024

In this month's Student Column, Ellie Workman shares her experience of working alongside being a student, the value of having found work within the industry, and the challenges of juggling it all.
Percutaneous Achilles tendon tenotomy in clubfoot with a blade or a needle: a single-centre randomized controlled noninferiority trial
Authors: Pigeolet Manon , Ghufran Syed Jabbar , Ahmed Sadia , Chinoy Muhammad A. , Khan Mansoor A.
Published: August 2024

Aims

The gold standard for percutaneous Achilles tendon tenotomy during the Ponseti treatment for idiopathic clubfoot is a tenotomy with a No. 15 blade. This trial aims to establish the technique where the tenotomy is performed with a large-bore needle as noninferior to the gold standard.

Methods

We randomized feet from children aged below 36 months with idiopathic clubfoot on a 1:1 basis in either the blade or needle group. Follow-up was conducted at three weeks and three months postoperatively, where dorsiflexion range, Pirani scores, and complications were recorded. The noninferiority margin was set at 4° difference in dorsiflexion range at three months postoperatively.

Results

The blade group had more dorsiflexion at both follow-up consultations: 18.36° versus 18.03° (p = 0.115) at three weeks and 18.96° versus 18.26° (p = 0.001) at three months. The difference of the mean at three months 0.7° is well below the noninferiority margin of 4°. There was no significant difference in Pirani scores. The blade group had more extensive scar marks at three months than the needle group (8 vs 2). No major complications were recorded.

Conclusion

The needle tenotomy is noninferior to the blade tenotomy for usage in Ponseti treatment for idiopathic clubfoot in children aged below 36 months.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(8):871–878.
Bio-optical inversion scheme based on the radiative transfer equation
Authors: Moore Timothy S. , Kolluru Srinivas , Tonizzo Alberto , Twardowski Michael S.
Published: August 2024

An inversion algorithm based on a forward optical model based on a radiative transfer equation is developed in terms of IOPs with explicit inclusion of the volume scattering function (VSF). Key results from the analysis are: 1) the inversion retrievals perform to comparable levels as the operational configuration of the NASA’s Generalized Inherent Optical Property (GIOP) framework; 2) closure error between RT r
rs
and measured r
rs
have no significant effect on predicting the accuracy of the derived IOPs; and 3) is important to ZTT, but not explicitly included in other types of comparable semi-analytic algorithms.
Fast calculation of a cylindrical hologram by a preloaded stochastic gradient descent with skip connection
Authors: Wu Zhanghao , Wang Jun , Cheng Chuhang , Wang Jiabao , Zhou Jie , Yan Hua , Chen Chun
Published: August 2024

Cylindrical holography has received widespread attention due to its unique 360° viewing zone. To achieve commercial quality requirements, introducing stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is a potential approach for computer-generated cylindrical holography (CGCH). However, SGD applied to CGCH suffers from both slow convergence speed and unstable convergence, severely impacting its application. To address these issues, a preloaded SGD method with skip connection is proposed for fast calculation of cylindrical holograms in this paper. Preloaded-SGD (PSGD) exhibits a significant enhancement in convergence speed compared to the conventional SGD. Furthermore, the skip connection prevents oscillations from occurring by directly connecting the input and output, which is highly beneficial for obtaining high-quality holograms in the later stages of convergence. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method. PSGD with skip connection(SC-PSGD) achieves a 6.3-fold acceleration over conventional SGD. Notably, our proposed method has broad application prospects in cylindrical holographic displays and 3D displays.
Integrated plasmonic digital to analog converter based on broadband low-loss hybrid plasmonic switches having transparent conductive oxide layers
Authors: Ghosh Rajib Ratan , Dhawan Anuj
Published: August 2024

Integrated photonic devices or circuits that can process the input electrical (digital) signal into optical output (analog) signal and vice versa are considered as the interfacing elements between electronic and photonic domains. Electro-optic digital-to-analog converters can be used as the building blocks for high-speed optical signal processing and high-speed communications between digital-electronic and analog-photonic domains. Efficient hybrid electro-optic digital-to-analog converters have the capability to overcome the issues of bandwidth limitations, electromagnetic noise, and timing jitter in traditional electronic digital-to-analog converters. Here, we present plasmonic digital to analog converters (PDACs) using broadband low-loss electro-absorption hybrid plasmonic switches with near epsilon zero nonlinearity of transparent conducting materials (TCOs). The electro-absorption switch consists of a hybrid plasmonic waveguide having a thin layer of a TCO (such as ITO). The optical losses in the plasmonic waveguide are controlled by changing the carrier concentration in the TCO layer. The free carrier density tunability effect in the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure can be realized by applying an external voltage. The hybrid plasmonic waveguide-based electro-absorption switch shows very low insertion loss, high extinction ratio, high 3-dB bandwidth, ultra-compactness, low power consumption, very low-temperature sensitivity, and broadband optical operation. There is no previous report describing the design or fabrication of a plasmonic DAC. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, PDACs based on the hybrid plasmonic switches — being proposed in this paper — have not been reported in any previous literature. We demonstrate a PDAC in a silicon photonics platform with high sampling rates, high nonlinearity, high resolutions, high precision, and low operating power.
Femtosecond pulse amplification at 1770 nm using thulium- and terbium-doped fluoride fibers
Authors: Okada Kaito , Banguilan Dina Grace , Ogawa Kazuhiko , Kajikawa Eiji , Fuji Takao
Published: August 2024

We present a chirped pulse amplification system for ultrashort 1770 nm pulses, utilizing a multistage fiber amplifier based on thulium-doped core and terbium-doped cladding fluoride fibers (Tm:Tb:ZBLAN). The seed pulse is generated through stimulated Raman scattering in a silica fiber, pumped by an erbium-doped fiber laser. After temporal stretching with a silica dispersion compensation fiber, the pulse undergoes amplification in a two-stage Tm:Tb:ZBLAN amplifier. The pulse is further amplified with a power amplifier based on a thulium-doped fluoride fiber. The system achieves an average power of ∼1 W at megahertz repetition rates. The pulse is efficiently compressed down to 254 fs using a grism compressor,
Gender-based violence care in Mauritania: Experience and caseload of six specialized hospital units (2018–2023)
Authors: Bost Clairanne , Diagana Mouhamedou , Lebkem Houssein
Published: August 2024

Since 2017, six specialized care units, the USPEC (Unités Spéciales de Prise en Charge) have been implemented in Mauritanian hospitals with the support of the international organization Médicos del Mundo. They provide healthcare and comprehensive assistance to victims of gender-based violence (GBV), such as sexual violence (SV), intimate-partner violence (IPV), female genital mutilation (FGM), adolescent pregnancy and child marriage. In this retrospective, observational study, we investigated the caseload of the six USPEC countrywide between January 1st, 2018, and June 30th, 2023. We analyzed consultation data, victims’ sociodemographic characteristics, types of violence they were subjected to, specific patterns–location, relationship with the perpetrator, reoccurrence–, and medical care they received. 3550 cases were attended to, with a threefold increase in the mean number of monthly cases between 2018 and 2023. Women and girls accounted for 95.1% of victims; 78.7% were under 18 years old and 21.9% were under 12. All male victims (n = 172) were children. SV represented 79.8% of the caseload, early marriage/pregnancy 10.4%, IPV 7%, and FGM 0.7%. 80% of perpetrators were known to the victims, and the acts of violence had taken place in the victims´ own home for 60%. The proportion of cases received within 72 hours increased noticeably within the first two years before stabilizing at an average 81.3%. 7.21% of patients received local or surgical treatment and 1.8% were hospitalized. After SV, 996 received emergency contraception while 627, who sought care with delay, were already pregnant. Our findings suggest that the USPEC model responds to both victims’ and the health system’s needs to address GBV. Prevention, declaration and follow-up of pregnancy as a result of SV in young girls, likely constituted a major motivation for healthcare-seeking, yet more research is needed to document bottlenecks faced by GBV victims to access such services.
Protocol for a cluster randomized study to compare the effectiveness of a self-report distress tool and a mental health referral service to usual case management on program completion among vulnerable youth enrolled in a vocational training program
Authors: Bailey Shawna , Stoner Carrie , Cruise Kelly , DiDiodato Giulio
Published: August 2024

Objectives

1) To compare the effect of the self-report distress tool (DT) and rapid mental health referral process (MH) on vocational training program attendance.

2) To compare the effect of the DT and MH on vocational training program completion.

3) To compare the effect of the DT an MH on post-vocational training program employment.

Design

Pragmatic, multi-centre, 2x2 factorial, cluster randomized, superiority study with 4 parallel groups and primary endpoints of vocational program attendance and completion at 12 weeks and post-program employment at 24 months. Cluster randomization of each training cohort will be performed with a 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio using a site stratified, permuted-block group schema. Final sample size is expected to be 400 participants (100 per group).

Participants

Students enrolled in Community Builder’s Trades & Diversity Training Program in either the city of Barrie or Sudbury (in Ontario, Canada) will be eligible for enrollment if they have an active Ontario Health Insurance Plan number and Canadian Social Insurance Number and provide written informed consent prior to Training program commencement.

Outcomes

The primary outcome includes:

1) Difference in proportion of absence-free program days from date of randomization, where absence-free days are defined as being present in class or work setting for ≥ 8 hours from Monday to Thursday during the 12-week program duration.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05626374 (November 23, 2022).
In vivo induction of male sexual behavior in zebrafish by adding agents to water
Authors: Ahamed Saokat , Hassan Mohammad Maksudul , Mustary Umme Habiba , Amin Mohammad Tohidul , Tokumoto Toshinobu
Published: August 2024

Successful fertilization in fish mating occurs when egg maturation in the ovary of the female, ovulation, sperm maturation in the testis of the male, and reproductive behaviors in both sexes are triggered in synchrony. The male sexual behavior of fish is induced by hormones and pheromones. In a previous study, we demonstrated that externally applied hormones added to the water can induce oocyte maturation and ovulation in female zebrafish. Here, we attempted to establish a similar method to induce the sexual behavior of male zebrafish. The male sex steroid testosterone (Tes) triggered sexual behavior within several hours in vivo when administered directly into the surrounding water. A selective agonist for membrane progesterone receptor (mPR), Org OD-02 (Org), also induced sexual behavior. Through trials of various combinations of compounds, we found that the most effective conditions were achieved by treatment with a mixture of testosterone (Tes) and Org. The effect of treatment was evaluated by the number of fertilized eggs obtained by pairing with females with induced ovulation in vivo. The period necessary for the induction of male sexual behavior was evaluated by time course experiments. The success rate of mating and the number of fertilized eggs reached the maximum level at 3–4 hours of treatment. The duration of hormonal treatment was confirmed by counting the number of hooking occurrences, which is the final cue to induce spawning by females. In summary, we have established a method to induce male sexual behavior in zebrafish in vivo. The method can be used to obtain fertilized eggs in zebrafish by simply adding agents into the water.
Performance assessment of hybrid machine learning approaches for breast cancer and recurrence prediction
Authors: Pati Abhilash , Panigrahi Amrutanshu , Parhi Manoranjan , Giri Jayant , Qin Hong , Mallik Saurav , Pattanayak Sambit Ranjan , Agrawal Umang Kumar
Published: August 2024

Breast cancer is a major health concern for women everywhere and a major killer of women. Malignant tumors may be distinguished from benign ones, allowing for early diagnosis of this disease. Therefore, doctors need an accurate method of diagnosing tumors as either malignant or benign. Even if therapy begins immediately after diagnosis, some cancer cells may persist in the body, increasing the risk of a recurrence. Metastasis and recurrence are the leading causes of death from breast cancer. Therefore, detecting a return of breast cancer early has become a pressing medical issue. Evaluating and contrasting various Machine Learning (ML) techniques for breast cancer and recurrence prediction is crucial to choosing the best successful method. Inaccurate forecasts are common when using datasets with a large number of attributes. This study addresses the need for effective feature selection and optimization methods by introducing Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), in response to the limitations observed in existing approaches. In this research, the performance evaluation of methods is enhanced by employing the RFE and GWO, considering the Wisconsin Diagnostic Breast Cancer (WDBC) and Wisconsin Prognostic Breast Cancer (WPBC) datasets taken from the UCI-ML repository. Various preprocessing techniques are applied to raw data, including imputation, scaling, and others. In the second step, relevant feature correlations are used with RFE to narrow down candidate discriminative features. The GWO chooses the best possible combination of attributes for the most accurate result in the next step. We use seven ML classifiers in both datasets to make a binary decision. On the WDBC and WPBC datasets, several experiments have shown accuracies of 98.25% and 93.27%, precisions of 98.13% and 95.56%, sensitivities of 99.06% and 96.63%, specificities of 96.92% and 73.33%, F1-scores of 98.59% and 96.09% and AUCs of 0.982 and 0.936, respectively. The hybrid approach’s superior feature selection improved the accuracy of breast cancer performance indicators and recurrence classification.
Control of complex systems with generalized embedding and empirical dynamic modeling
Authors: Park Joseph , Sugihara George , Pao Gerald
Published: August 2024

Effective control requires knowledge of the process dynamics to guide the system toward desired states. In many control applications this knowledge is expressed mathematically or through data–driven models, however, as complexity grows obtaining a satisfactory mathematical representation is increasingly difficult. Further, many data–driven approaches consist of abstract internal representations that may have no obvious connection to the underlying dynamics and control, or, require extensive model design and training. Here, we remove these constraints by demonstrating model predictive control from generalized state space embedding of the process dynamics providing a data–driven, explainable method for control of nonlinear, complex systems. Generalized embedding and model predictive control are demonstrated on nonlinear dynamics generated by an agent based model of 1200 interacting agents. The method is generally applicable to any type of controller and dynamic system representable in a state space.
Effects of ankle Kinesio taping on knee and ankle joint biomechanics during unanticipated jumps in collegiate athletes
Authors: Liu Quan , Wang Ling , Dai Fan , Wang Guanglan , Chen Peng
Published: August 2024

Objective

Most biomechanical research on the application of Kinesio taping (KT) to the ankle joint focused on testing anticipated movements. However, ankle sprains frequently occur in real life in unanticipated situations, where individuals are unprepared and face sudden external stimuli. This situation is completely different from the anticipated situation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ankle KT application on the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of the knee and ankle joints during unanticipated jump tasks in collegiate athletes.

Methods

Eighteen healthy collegiate athletes experienced three taping conditions in a randomized order: no taping (NT), placebo taping (PT), and KT, and performed unanticipated jump tasks. A 9-camera infrared high-speed motion capture system was employed to collect knee and ankle kinematic data, and a 3-dimensional force plate was utilized to collect knee and ankle kinetic data during the tasks.

Results

During the right jumps, KT significantly increased peak knee flexion angle (P= 0.031) compared to NT and significantly decreased peak vertical ground reaction force (P< 0.001,P= 0.001) compared to NT and PT. During the left jumps, KT significantly reduced peak ankle inversion angle (P= 0.022,P< 0.001) and peak ankle inversion moment (P= 0.002,P= 0.001) compared to NT and PT.

Conclusion

During unanticipated jump maneuvers, KT reduced peak ankle inversion angle, peak vertical ground reaction force, and peak ankle inversion moment and increased peak knee flexion angle in collegiate athletes.
Acute febrile illness in Kenya: Clinical characteristics and pathogens detected among patients hospitalized with fever, 2017–2019
Authors: Verani Jennifer R. , eno Eric Ng’ , Hunsperger Elizabeth A. , Munyua Peninah , Osoro Eric , Marwanga Doris , Bigogo Godfrey , Amon Derrick , Ochieng Melvin , Etau Paul , Bandika Victor , Zimbulu Victor , Kiogora John , Burton John Wagacha , Okunga Emmanuel , Samuels Aaron M. , Njenga Kariuki , Montgomery Joel M. , Widdowson Marc-Alain
Published: August 2024

Acute febrile illness (AFI) is a common reason for healthcare seeking and hospitalization in Sub-Saharan Africa and is often presumed to be malaria. However, a broad range of pathogens cause fever, and more comprehensive data on AFI etiology can improve clinical management, prevent unnecessary prescriptions, and guide public health interventions. We conducted surveillance for AFI (temperature ≥38.0°C <14 days duration) among hospitalized patients of all ages at four sites in Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kakamega, and Kakuma). For cases of undifferentiated fever (UF), defined as AFI without diarrhea (≥3 loose stools in 24 hours) or lower respiratory tract symptoms (cough/difficulty breathing plus oxygen saturation <90% or [in children <5 years] chest indrawing), we tested venous blood with real-time PCR-based TaqMan array cards (TAC) for 17 viral, 8 bacterial, and 3 protozoal fever-causing pathogens. From June 2017 to March 2019, we enrolled 3,232 AFI cases; 2,529 (78.2%) were aged <5 years. Among 3,021 with outcome data, 131 (4.3%) cases died while in hospital, including 106/2,369 (4.5%) among those <5 years. Among 1,735 (53.7%) UF cases, blood was collected from 1,340 (77.2%) of which 1,314 (98.1%) were tested by TAC; 715 (54.4%) had no pathogens detected, including 147/196 (75.0%) of those aged <12 months. The most common pathogen detected was Plasmodium, as a single pathogen in 471 (35.8%) cases and in combination with other pathogens in 38 (2.9%). HIV was detected in 51 (3.8%) UF cases tested by TAC and was most common in adults (25/236 [10.6%] ages 18–49, 4/40 [10.0%] ages ≥50 years). Chikungunya virus was found in 30 (2.3%) UF cases, detected only in the Mombasa site. Malaria prevention and control efforts are critical for reducing the burden of AFI, and improved diagnostic testing is needed to provide better insight into non-malarial causes of fever. The high case fatality of AFI underscores the need to optimize diagnosis and appropriate management of AFI to the local epidemiology.
Brace compliance process in adolescents with spinal deformities: A qualitative study
Authors: Ghorbani Faezeh , Kamali Mohammad , Ranjbar Hadi , Kamyab Mojtaba , Razavi Hiva , Babaee Taher
Published: August 2024

Background

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis affects 2–4% of adolescents aged 10–16, while Scheuermann’s kyphosis affects 0.4–10% of adolescents aged 11 to 16. Over the past 50 years, brace treatment has been recommended as the most common non-surgical intervention for treating these spinal deformities. The effectiveness of brace treatment depends on the duration of brace wearing. This study aimed to understand the brace compliance process for adolescents with spinal deformities through a qualitative approach.

Method

This study applied multicenter exploratory qualitative research with an interpretative framework and enlisted the participation of as many individuals as possible involved in brace-wearing in adolescents with spinal deformities. Semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews and telephone conversations from September 2020 to May 2021 were conducted. The recorded audio of each interview was typed into Word software with each personal code. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data.

Results

Seventy-four participants were interviewed, including 32 adolescents treated with braces and their parents (27 mothers, five fathers), six orthotists, two physiotherapists, and two spine surgeons. Following data analysis, four main categories, 14 categories, and 69 subcategories of 2403 related codes were discovered.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the current qualitative research, adolescents with spinal deformities experience extensive challenges in the treatment process, which can affect the results and brace intervention efficacy. The current research findings showed that every adolescent goes through similar but unique conditions during the treatment. The importance of considering each adolescent’s specific conditions and characteristics and providing functional solutions and support was understood to help them navigate critical situations more quickly and achieve effective treatment outcomes.
Antioxidative effects of molybdenum and its association with reduced prevalence of hyperuricemia in the adult population
Authors: Joun Joo Hong , Li Lilin , An Jung Nam , Jang Joonho , Oh Yun Kyu , Lim Chun Soo , Kim Yon Su , Choi Kyungho , Lee Jung Pyo , Lee Jeonghwan
Published: August 2024

The relationship between molybdenum and kidney-related disease outcomes, including hyperuricemia, is not well investigated. This study aims to determine whether molybdenum and its antioxidative property are associated with systemic inflammation and kidney-related disease parameters including hyperuricemia. Urinary molybdenum’s epidemiological relationship to hyperuricemia and kidney-disease related outcomes was evaluated in 15,370 adult participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2016. Individuals’ urinary molybdenum levels were corrected to their urinary creatinine concentrations. The association between urinary molybdenum-to-creatinine ratio and kidney-disease related outcomes were assessed by multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for covariates including age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, body mass index, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Antimony and tungsten were used as control trace metals. Experimentally, HK-2 cell was used to assess molybdenum’s antioxidative properties. HK-2 cells were challenged with H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Oxidative stress was measured using a fluorescent microplate assay for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidation levels were assessed by measuring the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase. In the adult NHANES population, urinary molybdenum-to-creatinine ratio was significantly associated with decreased serum uric acid (β, -0.119; 95% CI, -0.148 to -0.090) concentrations, and decreased prevalence of hyperuricemia (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64–0.83) and gout (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52–0.94). Higher urinary molybdenum levels were associated with lower levels of systemic oxidative stress (gamma-glutamyltransferase levels; β, -0.052; 95% CI, -0.067 to -0.037) and inflammation (C-reactive protein levels; β, -0.184; 95% CI, -0.220 to -0.148). In HK-2 cells under H2O2-induced oxidative stress, molybdenum upregulated manganese superoxide dismutase expression and decreased oxidative stress. Urinary molybdenum levels are associated with decreased prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout in adult population. Molybdenum’s antioxidative properties might have acted as an important mechanism for the reduction of systemic inflammation, ROS, and uric acid levels.
The skin microbiota of preterm infants and impact of diaper change frequency
Authors: Younge Noelle E. , Parris D. Joshua , Hatch Daniel , Barnes Angel , Brandon Debra H.
Published: August 2024

Objective

To evaluate the impact of diaper change frequency, clinical characteristics, and skin health metrics on development of the skin microbiota in preterm infants.

Design

A randomized controlled parallel design was used.

Methods

Medically stable preterm infants born <33 weeks’ gestation were randomized to receive diaper changes at a frequency of every 3-hours or every 6-hours. Skin swabs were collected longitudinally from the diapered skin (buttocks) and chest. Skin pH and transepidermal water loss were measured with each sample collection. Stool samples were collected from the diaper. The microbiome at each site was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Associations between microbiome features, diaper change frequency, and other covariates were examined using mixed effect models and redundancy analysis.

Results

A total of 1179 samples were collected from 46 preterm infants, beginning at a median postnatal age of 44 days and continuing through hospital discharge. Alpha-diversity of the skin microbiota increased over time, but did not differ significantly between 3-hour (n = 20) and 6-hour (n = 26) diaper change groups. Alpha-diversity of the skin microbiota was inversely correlated with skin pH, but not transepidermal water loss. Microbiota community structure differed significantly between body sites (buttocks, chest, and stool) and between individuals. Among samples collected from the diapered skin, diaper change frequency, infant diet, antibiotic exposure, and delivery mode accounted for minor proportions of the variation in microbiota community structure between samples. Relative abundances of multiple genera differed between 3- and 6-hour diaper change groups over time.

Discussion/Conclusion

The diversity and composition of the diapered skin microbiota is dynamic over time and differs from other body sites. Multiple factors including interindividual effects, diaper change frequency, diet, and antibiotics contribute to variation in the diapered skin microbiota.
What drives water conservation in the supply chain of the Yellow River Basin? An empirical analysis based on SPD
Authors: Shi Yanhua , Fan Shanshan , Xiao Qianqian , Li Ziyu
Published: August 2024

Industrial water saving is an objective requirement for the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, as water resource is the largest rigid constraint. In this study, water resources input-output model, structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and structural path analysis (SPA) were constructed to decompose the driving factors of total water use in typical water-deficient provinces (Ningxia, Shanxi, and Henan) in China’s Yellow River Basin, to calculate their water use at each production stage and identify their key water-saving pathways. The results were as follows: (i) Water intensity had the most obvious impact on total water saving, resulting in efficiency improvements of 81.39%, 9.21%, and 78.45% for each province, respectively. The next factor was the final demand structure, which suppressed total water-saving efforts by 24.23%, 11.52%, and 113.12% in the respective provinces. (ii) The key water-saving paths in the typical water-deficient provinces of the Yellow River Basin were primarily centered around Sector 1. (iii) Water intensity had a strong water-saving effect on the key paths in the three provinces, with contribution rates of 100.42%, 59.02%, and 42.34% for Ningxia, Henan, and Shanxi, respectively. Final demand also contributed to water-saving in the key paths of Shanxi and Henan, with contribution rates of 35.06% and 28.23%, respectively. However, it inhibited water-saving efforts in the key paths of Ningxia, reducing it by 8.64%. Policy measures should be tailored to local conditions.
Changes in unmet need for family planning among married women of reproductive age in Nigeria: A multilevel analysis of a ten-year DHS wave
Authors: Oyinlola Funmilola Folasade , Kupoluyi Joseph Ayodeji , Adetutu Olufemi Mayowa
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Unmet need for family planning [UNFP] remains a serious public health concern in Nigeria. Evidence suggests that UNFP remains high over the last fifteen years despite numerous policies and programmes aimed at generating demand for family planning. This study used three Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted over a ten-year period (2008–2018) to assess the changes in unmet need for family planning and associated contextual determinants. Understanding changes in unmet need for family planning among women and its associated contextual factors is crucial for designing appropriate interventions.

Methods

We analysed datasets the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys of 2008, 2013 and 2018 to assess changes and contextual determinants of unmet need for family planning. Data were analysed using frequency distribution, chi-square statistical test and multilevel binary logistic regression models. Due to the hierarchical structure of the data in which individuals are nested within households, multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression models were constructed. We used a multilevel binary logistic regression model after adjusting for variables not significant at the bivariate level. An adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was reported, with a p-value less than 0.05 declared to be significant predictors of unmet need for family planning.

Results

Unmet need for family planning decreased from 20.21% to 16.10% between 2008 and 2013 but subsequently rose later from 16.10% to 18.89% between 2013 and 2018. The pattern of changes in unmet need for either limiting or spacing was consistently high over the 10-year period, with the highest rate of each of the indicators of unmet need for family planning occurring in 2018 while the lowest rate was in 2008, thus indicating an increase in the proportion of respondents having unmet need for family planning over the referenced period. Age of respondents, educational level, wealth status, religious affiliation, parity, sex of head of household, partner educational level, region of residence, and community socioeconomic status were significant factors associated with the unmet need for family planning across the different data waves in Nigeria (p < 0.05). An intraclass correlation (ICC) of 4.9% showed that the individual and household level factors had a greater influence on the variation in the unmet need for family planning than did community factors in Nigeria.

Conclusion

The overall prevalence of unmet need for family planning was consistently high over the ten-year period and community-level factors had lowest influence on the variation in unmet need for family planning compared to household and individual-level factors in Nigeria. Policies and interventions should focus on improving women’s socio-economic and demographic characteristics at individual, household, and community levels to improve unmet need for family planning.
Actinomycetes isolated from rhizosphere of wild Coffea arabica L. showed strong biocontrol activities against coffee wilt disease
Authors: Nuguse Mimi , Kejela Tekalign
Published: August 2024

Coffee, the second most traded commodity globally after petroleum and is the most exported cash crop of Ethiopia. However, coffee cultivation faces challenges due to fungal diseases, resulting in significant yield losses. The primary fungal diseases affecting coffee production include coffee berry disease, wilt disease (caused by Gibberella xylarioides), and coffee leaf rust. In this study, we aimed to isolate potentially antagonistic actinomycetes from the root rhizosphere of wild Coffea arabica plants in the Yayo coffee forest biosphere in southwestern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere, and actinomycetes were selectively isolated and identified to the genus level by morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization. These pure isolates were screened for their antagonistic activity against Gibberella xylarioides in vitro using a dual culturing method. Promising isolates demonstrating strong inhibition of fungal mycelial growth were further investigated through in vivo experiments using coffee seedlings. A total of 82 rhizobacteria were isolated. These isolates’ inhibition of fungal mycelial growth varied from 0% to 83.3%. Among them, four isolates MUA26, MUA13, MUA52, and MUA14 demonstrated the highest percentage inhibition of fungal mycelial growth: 83.3%, 80%, 76.67%, and 73.3%, respectively. Seedlings inoculated with MUA13, MUA14, and MUA26 during the challenge inoculations (Rhizobacteria + Gibberella xylarioides) exhibited the lowest disease incidence compared to the infected fungi (P < 0.05). Notably, the seedlings inoculated with MUA26 demonstrated the highest disease control efficiency, reaching 83% (P < 0.05). MUA26 was found to produce extracellular enzymes, including chitinase, protease, and lipase, which acted as inhibitors. In summary, this study highlights that MUA26, among the actinomycete isolates, exhibited significant antagonistic activity against Gibberella xylarioides f.sp. coffea. Its efficacy in controlling coffee wilt disease, both in vitro and in vivo, positions it as a potential bioinoculant for managing coffee wilt disease.
Uncertainty quantification in neural-network based pain intensity estimation
Authors: Ozek Burcu , Lu Zhenyuan , Radhakrishnan Srinivasan , Kamarthi Sagar
Published: August 2024

Improper pain management leads to severe physical or mental consequences, including suffering, a negative impact on quality of life, and an increased risk of opioid dependency. Assessing the presence and severity of pain is imperative to prevent such outcomes and determine the appropriate intervention. However, the evaluation of pain intensity is a challenging task because different individuals experience pain differently. To overcome this, many researchers in the field have employed machine learning models to evaluate pain intensity objectively using physiological signals. However, these efforts have primarily focused on pain point estimation, disregarding inherent uncertainty and variability in the data and model. A point estimate, which provides only partial information, is not sufficient for sound clinical decision-making. This study proposes a neural network-based method for objective pain interval estimation, and quantification of uncertainty. Our approach, which enables objective pain intensity estimation with desired confidence probabilities, affords clinicians a better understanding of a person’s pain intensity. We explored three distinct algorithms: the bootstrap method, lower and upper bound estimation (LossL) optimized by genetic algorithm, and modified lower and upper bound estimation (LossS) optimized by gradient descent algorithm. Our empirical results demonstrate that LossS outperforms the other two by providing narrower prediction intervals. For 50%, 75%, 85%, and 95% prediction interval coverage probability, LossS provides average interval widths that are 22.4%, 7.9%, 16.7%, and 9.1% narrower than those of LossL, and 19.3%, 21.1%, 23.6%, and 26.9% narrower than those of bootstrap. As LossS outperforms, we assessed its performance in three different model-building approaches: (1) a generalized approach using a single model for the entire population, (2) a personalized approach with separate models for each individual, and (3) a hybrid approach with models for clusters of individuals. Results demonstrate that the hybrid model-building approach provides the best performance.
Enteric tuft cells coordinate timely expulsion of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta from the murine host by coordinating local but not systemic immunity
Authors: Rajeev Sruthi , Li ShuHua , Leon-Coria Aralia , Wang Arthur , Kraemer Lucas , Wang Susan Joanne , Boim Annaliese , Flannigan Kyle , Shute Adam , Baggio Cristiane H. , Callejas Blanca E. , MacNaughton Wallace K. , Finney Constance A. M. , McKay Derek M.
Published: August 2024

Recognizing that enteric tuft cells can signal the presence of nematode parasites, we investigated whether tuft cells are required for the expulsion of the cestode, Hymenolepis diminuta, from the non-permissive mouse host, and in concomitant anti-helminthic responses. BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice infected with H. diminuta expelled the worms by 11 days post-infection (dpi) and displayed DCLK1+ (doublecortin-like kinase 1) tuft cell hyperplasia in the small intestine (not the colon) at 11 dpi. This tuft cell hyperplasia was dependent on IL-4Rα signalling and adaptive immunity, but not the microbiota. Expulsion of H. diminuta was slowed until at least 14 dpi, but not negated, in tuft cell-deficient Pou2f3-/- mice and was accompanied by delayed goblet cell hyperplasia and slowed small bowel transit. Worm antigen and mitogen evoked production of IL-4 and IL-10 by splenocytes from wild-type and Pou2f3-/- mice was not appreciably different, suggesting similar systemic immune reactivity to infection with H. diminuta. Wild-type and Pou2f3-/- mice infected with H. diminuta displayed partial protection against subsequent infection with the nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri. We speculate that, with respect to H. diminuta, enteric tuft cells are important for local immune events driving the rapidity of H. diminuta expulsion but are not critical in initiating or sustaining systemic Th2 responses that provide concomitant immunity against secondary infection with H. bakeri.
Assessing media roles in Egypt: A journalistic perspective on liberal media functions
Authors: Elsheikh Dalia , Jebril Nael , Jackson Daniel
Published: August 2024

This study critically engages with four main basic normative media functions that are commonly adopted in democratic media systems and assesses their relevance and suitability to a post-uprising context like Egypt. By interviewing twenty journalists representing all forms of news outlets and ownership models, this study examines whether journalists see these normative functions as important to Egypt’s political context and/or potential democratization, whether and how they try to engage with them, and what are their perceived societal benefits and limitations. Our findings suggest that despite the historical influence of the liberal paradigm on journalism practice in Egypt, the perceived benefit of some of these normative media functions in Egypt is quite limited. Structural and societal factors appear to influence the perception of these functions, in addition to other factors related to the journalists’ views and perceptions. The study’s findings are discussed in light of research on de-westernizing media studies and the role of media in democratization.
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan: Patterns old and new
Authors: Pieterse Jan Nederveen
Published: August 2024

Parallels between the Afghanistan and Iraq wars include phony victories (bought from local forces), phony aims and claims (train the Afghan army, secure women’s rights, rebuild Iraq), shifts of alliances (allies become outcasts), creating ‘homeless Sunnis’ (who later join the IS). If we view Iraq and Afghanistan on a wider canvas alongside Pakistan, do wider parallels emerge? The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are profoundly tragic, but are they exceptional? If we view Iraq and Afghanistan as extensions of and variations on the Cold War, do different patterns emerge? Would they help us understand problems of regime change more clearly? This article views the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a series and reflects on what this series tells us.
Films of Arab Loutfi and Heiny Srour: Studies in Palestine Solidarity Cinema, Terri Ginsberg (2021)
Authors: Broe Dennis
Published: August 2024

Review of: Films of Arab Loutfi and Heiny Srour: Studies in Palestine Solidarity Cinema, Terri Ginsberg (2021)

Cham: Palgrave Pivot, xii + 107 pp.,

ISBN-13 978-3-03085-353-2, h/bk, USD 49.99

ISBN-13 978-3-03085-354-9, e-book, USD 64.99
Characterization of Tourism Players Through Key Concepts of Discourse Analysis
Authors: Sousa Diogo
Published: August 2024

With the increasing use of discourse analysis (DA) methodology in the humanitiesand social sciences, including tourism, there is a need to determine which subjects are necessaryto understand and elucidate their discourses. Tourism, as a multifaceted phenomenon, tends tohave a multitude of actors in its formulation and implementation, which tends to make researcheven more complex. This paper provides a bibliographical study to outline these themes, theirimportance in tourism and the circumstances of their discourses for an analysis of the proposedmethodology based on the three key DA concepts: power, ideology and hegemony. As a result,this paper identifies six major groups of players: state and government; tourism trade; tourists;local residents; academy and media. As an implication, it is hoped that this paper will contributeto the advancement of discourse analysis methodology in tourism, particularly in the field ofpublic policy.
O turismo em meio à sociedade 5.0: estudo em materiais da Organização Mundial do Turismo de 2016 a 2023
Authors: Guizi Alan Aparecido
Published: August 2024

A sociedade 5.0 representa um novo passo na evolução tecnológica em benefício do ser humano, trazendo mais qualidade de vida, inclusão social e sustentabilidade. O turismo, por sua vez, obtém benefícios diretamente das evoluções tecnológicas, se tratando de um campo aberto às inovações trazidas pela sociedade 5.0. Portanto, estabelece-se como objetivo de estudo, constatar os efeitos das TIC (Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação) relacionadas à Sociedade 5.0 sobre o turismo, apresentados em livros eletrônicos da Organização Mundial do Turismo (OMT). Neste estudo qualitativo e exploratório, adotou-se a seção de e-library do portal da Organização Mundial do Turismo, para coleta de materiais, considerando o intervalo anual de 2016 a 2023, o primeiro ano de citação a respeito da sociedade 5.0 e o ano de realização deste estudo, respectivamente. Justifica-se a escolha da biblioteca da OMT, porque é a maior coleção online de publicações e estatísticas na área de turismo. Usando o critério de pesquisa “society 5.0”, o resultado mostrou um total de 1.438 materiais, dos quais 85 foram analisados. Através de uma metodologia qualitativa de análise de conteúdo, foram identificados impactes abrangentes em setores associados às políticas públicas, gestão e planejamento de destinos e recursos. O uso de diversas tecnologias de informação e comunicação permitiu a identificação de várias soluções, com destaque para as melhorias no acolhimento de turistas, na qualidade de vida e sustentabilidade das comunidades, na promoção dos territórios, na robustez da informação e na facilidade em realizar reservas para experiências turísticas. Todas essas funcionalidades tecnológicas contribuem para oferecer aos turistas uma experiência mais autônoma e enriquecedora.
The narrative organization of social representations in life stories
Authors: Tóth Dalma
Published: August 2024

This paper explores the evolving landscape of narratives, distinguishing it from the traditional approaches of classical cognitive psychology and social psychology. While cognitive psychology strictly models interpretations based on causal relations, narrative psychology perceives memory, thought, and perception as story construction processes, asserting that individuals contextualize experiences within narrative structures. Aim: The primary objective is to identify the factors shaping narratives, specifically within the context of referentiality, temporal structurality, and their implications for subjective well-being interpreted through social representations. Methodology: The research framework adopts a sociology-influenced lens to interpret narratives, emphasizing the determinacy of social situations and specific time periods. The narrative schemata is dissected, viewing it as an organizational tool for past events. To bring depth to the exploration, various life stories such as „the never tired worker” and „the photojournalist” serve as illustrative examples. Discussion: Exploring the role of referentiality and time within narratives, the essentiality of temporal structurality is emphasized. By juxtaposing distinct life stories, the nuances in social representations and their confluence in shaping narratives is underscored - reflecting to sources of subjective well-being. Conclusion: Personal narratives offer a fresh perspective in the field of sociology, opening doors to understanding how individuals create meaning through stories influenced by their social surroundings and temporal contexts. This framework promises insightful avenues for analyzing subjective well-being through the unique lens of social representations.