bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Activated carbon cloth versus silver-based dressings in a population with diabetic foot ulcer: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bajuri Mohd Yazid , Nordin Abid 
Published: April 2024

Objective: Activated carbon cloth (ACC), known as Zorflex dressing, has emerged as an innovative approach in managing bacterial infection in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) treatment. This pilot study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of Zorflex ACC dressing (Chemviron Carbon Cloth Division, UK) compared to standard silver-based dressing on DFUs. Method: An open label, comparative, randomised controlled trial enrolling patients who attended the diabetic foot clinic was conducted between August 2022 and August 2023. The primary endpoint was a difference of 20% in wound area reduction with the ACC dressing compared to silver-based dressing within eight weeks. The secondary endpoints were proportion of complete healing, time to healing and adverse events. Results: The cohort comprised 40 patients. The mean wound reduction percentage at 8 weeks for patients in the ACC arm was 85.40±16.00% compared with 65.08±16.36% in the silver-based dressing arm. Complete healing was observed in six of 20 patients in the ACC arm compared to two of 20 in the silver-based dressing arm. Conclusion: These data suggest that the ACC dressing promotes better ulcer healing in DFU patients than the silver-based dressing.
Demonstration of photonics-based D-band integrated localization and communication
Authors: Wang Qigejian , Deng Yirui , Mishra Deepak , Xie Yixuan , Aboutanios Elias , Atakaramians Shaghik 
Published: April 2024

The terahertz spectrum has the ability to provide high-speed
communication and millimeter-level resolution. As a result,
terahertz-integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has been
identified as a key enabler for 6G wireless networks. This work
discusses a photonics-based D-band communication system for integrated
high-resolution localization and high-speed wireless communication.
Our empirical results show that a communication rate of 5 Gbps over a
distance of 1.5 m and location identification of the target with
millimeter-level (<4mm) range resolution can be conducted
simultaneously using the same signal. We also show that the error due
to the thickness of the beam splitter can be eliminated, while the
quantization error and the random drift errors are the limiting
factors of the resolution achieved. This experimental demonstration
using D-band communication indicates that terahertz ISAC can be
realized for 6G networks while considering the underlying system
restrictions (e.g., bandwidth limit and lens diameter).
High-speed eye tracking based on a synchronized imaging mechanism by a dual-ring infrared lighting source
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Wang Lihui , He Yuan , Mou Zhiwei , Cao Yiqi 
Published: April 2024

It is a challenge for conventional monocular-camera single-light source eye-tracking methods to achieve high-speed eye tracking. In this work, a dual-ring infrared lighting source was designed to achieve bright and dark pupils in high speed. The eye-tracking method used a dual-ring infrared lighting source and synchronized triggers for the even and odd camera frames to capture bright and dark pupils. A pupillary corneal reflex was calculated by the center coordinates of the Purkinje spot and the pupil. A map function was established to map the relationship between the pupillary corneal reflex and gaze spots. The gaze coordinate was calculated based on the mapping function. The average detection time of each gaze spot was 3.76 ms.
EMS injury cause codes more accurate than emergency department visit ICD-10-CM codes for firearm injury intent in North Carolina
Authors: Snyder Nicole L. , Ising Amy , Waller Anna E. 
Published: April 2024

Background
The timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of data for firearm injury surveillance is crucial for public health surveillance efforts and informing injury prevention measures. While emergency department (ED) visit data can provide near real-time information on firearms injuries, there are concerns surrounding the accuracy of intent coding in these data. We examined whether emergency medical service (EMS) data provide more accurate firearm injury intent coding in comparison to ED data.

Methods
We applied a firearm injury definition to EMS encounter data in NC’s statewide syndromic surveillance system (NC DETECT), from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022. We manually reviewed each record to determine intent, and the corresponding manual classifications were compared to the injury cause codes entered in the EMS data and to ED visit records where EMS-ED record linkage was possible. We then calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for each intent classification in SAS 9.4 using the manually reviewed intent classifications as the gold standard.

Results
We identified 9557 EMS encounters from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022 meeting our firearm injury definition. After removing false positives and duplicates, 8584 records were available for manual injury classification. Overall, our analysis demonstrated that manual and EMS injury cause code classifications were comparable. However, for the 3401 EMS encounters that could be linked to an ED visit record, sensitivity of the ED ICD-10-CM codes was low for assault and intentional self-harm encounters at 18.2% (CI 16.5–19.9%) and 22.2% (CI 16–28.5%), respectively. This demonstrates a marked difference in the reliability of the intent coding in the two data sources.

Conclusions
This study illustrates both the value of examining EMS encounters for firearm injury intent, and the challenges of accurate intent coding in the ED setting. EMS coding has the potential for more accurate intent coding than ED coding within the context of existing hospital-based coding guidance. This may have implications for future firearm injury research, especially for nonfatal firearm injuries.
Field evaluation of a novel semi-quantitative point-of-care diagnostic for G6PD deficiency in Indonesia
Authors: Sadhewa Arkasha , Panggalo Lydia V. , Nanine Illene , Price Ric N. , Thriemer Kamala , Satyagraha Ari W. , Ley Benedikt 
Published: April 2024

Background
The WHO recommends routine testing of G6PD activity to guide radical cure in patients with Plasmodium vivax malaria. Females may have intermediate G6PD enzyme activity and to date, only complex diagnostics are able to reliably identify them. The semi-quantitative G6PD diagnostic “One Step G6PD Test” (Humasis, RoK; “RDT”) is a lateral flow assay that can distinguish deficient, intermediate, and normal G6PD status and offers a simpler diagnostic alternative.

Methods
G6PD status of participants enrolled in Malinau and Nunukan Regencies and the capital Jakarta was assessed with the RDT, and G6PD activity was measured in duplicate by reference spectrophotometry. The adjusted male median (AMM) of the spectrophotometry measurements was defined as 100% activity; 70% and 30% of the AMM were defined as thresholds for intermediate and deficient G6PD status, respectively. Results were compared to those derived from spectrophotometry at the clinically relevant G6PD activity thresholds of 30% and 70%.

Results
Of the 161 participants enrolled, 10 (6.2%) were G6PD deficient and 12 (7.5%) had intermediate G6PD activity by spectrophotometry. At the 30% threshold, the sensitivity of the RDT was 10.0% (95%CI: 0.3–44.5%) with a specificity of 99.3% (95%CI: 96.4–100.0%); the positive predictive value was 50.0% (95%CI: 1.3–98.7%) and the negative predictive value 94.3% (95%CI: 89.5–97.4%). The corresponding figures at the 70% threshold were 22.7% (95%CI: 7.8–45.4%), 100.0% (95%CI: 97.4–100.0%), 100.0% (95%CI: 47.8–100.0%) and 89.1% (95%CI: 83.1–93.5%), respectively.

Conclusion
While there is a dire need for an easy-to-use, economical, semi-quantitative diagnostic for the point of care, the observed performance of the “One Step G6PD Test” in its current form was insufficient to guide antimalarial treatment.
From struggle to strength in African and Middle Eastern newcomers’ integration stories to Canada: A participatory health equity research study
Authors: Fong Maggie , Liu Amy , Lung Bryan , Alayche Ibrahim , Sayfi Shahab , Kirenga Ryan Yuhi , Chomienne Marie Hélène , Saad Ammar , Grenier Jean , Kassam Azaad , Ahmed Rukhsana , Pottie Kevin 
Published: April 2024

Background and objectives
Newcomers (immigrants, refugees, and international students) face many personal, gender, cultural, environmental and health system barriers when integrating into a new society. These struggles can affect their health and social care, reducing access to mental health care. This study explores the lived experiences of African and Middle Eastern newcomers to Ontario, Canada. An understanding of newcomer integration challenges, successes and social justice issues is needed to improve health equity and social services.

Methods
In this qualitative study, we used a participatory research approach to collect stories reflecting participants’ integration perspectives and experiences. Beginning with our immigrant community network, we used snowball sampling to recruit newcomers, ages 18 to 30, originating from Africa or the Middle East. We used qualitative narrative analysis to interpret stories, identifying context themes, integrating related barriers and facilitators, and resolutions and learnings. We shared our findings and sought final feedback from our participants.

Findings
A total of 18 newcomers, 78% female and approximately half post-secondary students, participated in the study. Participants described an unknown and intimidating migration context, with periods of loneliness and isolation aggravated by cold winter conditions and unfamiliar language and culture. Amidst the struggles, the support of friends and family, along with engaging in schoolwork, exploring new learning opportunities, and participating in community services, all facilitated integration and forged new resilience.

Conclusions
Community building, friendships, and local services emerged as key elements for future immigrant service research. Utilizing a participatory health research approach allowed us to respond to the call for social justice-oriented research that helps to generate scientific knowledge for promoting culturally adaptive health care and access for marginalized populations.
Dynamic cerebral autoregulation is preserved during orthostasis and intrathoracic pressure regulation in healthy subjects: A pilot study
Authors: Skytioti M. , Wiedmann M. , Sorteberg A. , Romundstad L. , Hassan Ali Y. , Mohammad Ayoubi A. , Zilakos I. , Elstad M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractResistance breathing may restore cardiac output (CO) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) during hypovolemia. We assessed CBF and cerebral autoregulation (CA) during tilt, resistance breathing, and paced breathing in 10 healthy subjects. Blood velocities in the internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral arteries (MCA, four subjects), and aorta were measured by Doppler ultrasound in 30° and 60° semi‐recumbent positions. ICA blood flow and CO were calculated. Arterial blood pressure (ABP, Finometer), and end‐tidal CO2 (ETCO2) were recorded. ICA blood flow response was assessed by mixed‐models regression analysis. The synchronization index (SI) for the variable pairs ABP–ICA blood velocity, ABP–MCA velocities in 0.005–0.08 Hz frequency interval was calculated as a measure of CA. Passive tilting from 30° to 60° resulted in 12% decrease in CO (p = 0.001); ICA blood flow tended to fall (p = 0.04); Resistance breathing restored CO and ICA blood flow despite a 10% ETCO2 drop. ETCO2 and CO contributed to ICA blood flow variance (adjusted R2: 0.9, p < 0.0001). The median SI was low (<0.2) indicating intact CA, confirmed by surrogate date testing. The peak SI was transiently elevated during resistance breathing in the 60° position. Resistance breathing may transiently reduce CA efficiency. Paced breathing did not restore CO or ICA blood flow.
Emergence and evolution of standardization systems in medical biology laboratories
Authors: Khattar Rita B. , Nehme Maha E. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Introduction
The history of standardization relating to the activities of medical laboratories traces the development of quality system standards in the world, and their evolution.

Content
In this study, we have included the key benchmarks that represent the stages of the quality system’s evolution in recent decades. Accreditation of medical laboratories has become compulsory in most countries, regarding national or international standards. International acknowledgment of the effectiveness of the results delivered to the many stakeholders, particularly patients and prescribers, is conferred through the use of standards.

Summary
The ISO 15189 standard represents the latest and most specific international standards for medical laboratories of all types.

Outlook
More research is necessary to study if laboratory practices reflect the evolution of standards within the medical laboratory field.
An improved implementation of metrological traceability concepts is needed to benefit from standardization of laboratory results
Authors: Panteghini Mauro 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Non-harmonization of laboratory results represents a concrete risk for patient safety. To avoid harms, it is agreed that measurements by in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD-MD) on clinical samples should be traceable to higher-order references and adjusted to give the same result. However, metrological traceability is not a formal claim and has to be correctly implemented, which in practice does not happen for a non-negligible number of measurands. Stakeholders, such as higher-order reference providers, IVD manufacturers, and External Quality Assessment organizers, have major responsibilities and should improve their contribution by unambiguously and rigorously applying what is described in the International Organization for Standardization 17511:2020 standard and other documents provided by the international scientific bodies, such as Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine and IFCC. For their part, laboratory professionals should take responsibility to abandon non-selective methods and move to IVD-MDs displaying proper selectivity, which is one of the indispensable prerequisites for the correct implementation of metrological traceability. The practicality of metrological traceability concepts is not impossible but relevant education and appropriate training of all involved stakeholders are essential to obtain the expected benefits in terms of standardization.
Contexts and pragmatic strategies of COVID-19 related cartoons in Nigeria
Authors: Olajimbiti Ezekiel Opeyemi , Jolaoso Oluwafemi Bolanle 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has been experienced differently by people depending on their socio-cultural contexts. These varied experiences are expressed in various forms of communication, including cartoons. This paper examines the pragmatic resources inherent in COVID-19-related cartoons depicting the impact of the virus on Nigerian society. Forty COVID-19-related cartoons, circulated on social media, were collected on Twitter and WhatsApp platforms between March and April 2020 as data. Multimodality and presupposition served as theoretical framework and descriptive research design was adopted. Findings reveal five socio-contextual domains, religion, health, economy, politics and governance nd family, characterizing the social experiences of Nigerians during the pandemic. Through the evocation of situational reality, pragmatic sarcasm, punning, and orientation to government insensitivity, the cartoonists evoke pragmatic functions of informing and warning about social behaviours in the religion, family and health domains; recreating situational realities on socioeconomic impacts in the domain of economy; and satirizing government policies and mocking politicians’ insincerity in the domain of politics and governance on sociopolitical experiences of Nigerians before and during the pandemic. The study concludes cartoons are a strong means of portraying societal realities and people’s experiences comically and graphically.
Minority genders in quantitative survey research: a data-driven approach to clear, inclusive, and accurate gender questions
Authors: Vriesendorp Hielke , Wilson Rory Thomas 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Whilst linguistic research on speakers of minority genders has increased in the past decade, much less is known about how they can best be included in broader (socio)linguistic research. The current paper compares the way a range of five different gender measures for survey research are filled out and evaluated by a sample of LGBTQ+ people (N = 682). It finds that providing a larger range of answering options allows researchers to gain a better view of the gender diversity in their sample, whilst preventing refusals and loss of participants. The gender question that was least likely to be refused and was rated the most accurate, most inclusive, and clearest was a six-option multiple-choice question which included a “prefer not to say” and a write-in option. This question reconciles two competing interests in the treatment of queer data: it explicitly recognizes and names minority genders and simultaneously carves out space for participants to refuse categorization or write out gender identities beyond those preset by the researcher.
Preparation and properties of acrylate/polyvinyl alcohol self-healing hydrogels based on hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds
Authors: Gu Yaxin , Sun Minghui , Liu Yunxue , Fan Zhaorong , Jin Henggang , Li Xiaoming 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Despite the widespread attention garnered by self-healing hydrogels in various fields, achieving a balance between high mechanical strength and self-healing capability remains a challenge. Particularly, the addition of fillers in the fabrication of spray-coated waterproof materials hinders the movement of molecular chains. Simultaneously, the self-repair of metal ions is hindered by issues such as a prolonged required time and low repair rate. Therefore, we introduce a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution subjected to freeze–thaw cycles into the acrylic acid magnesium/calcium hydrogel system, creating a self-healing hydrogel with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). Due to the abundance of hydroxyl groups on the PVA molecular chains, during the freezing process, some PVA chains form microcrystals that do not dissolve upon thawing at room temperature. These microcrystals act as cross-linking points, connecting PVA chains into a 3D network. Consequently, the hydrogel, under the dual effects of hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds, exhibits excellent mechanical properties and the ability to self-heal at room temperature. Furthermore, by adjusting the concentration of the PVA solution, the mechanical properties and healing ability of the hydrogel can be tailored to meet various construction requirements.
Improving Guideline-Concordant Care for Febrile Infants Through a Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: McDaniel Corrie E. , Kerns Ellen , Jennings Brittany , Magee Sloane , Biondi Eric , Flores Ricky , Aronson Paul L. ,   AAP REVISE II QI Collaborative
Published: April 2024

OBJECTIVES
We aimed to examine the impact of a quality improvement (QI) collaborative on adherence to specific recommendations within the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for well-appearing febrile infants aged 8 to 60 days.

METHODS
Concurrent with CPG release in August 2021, we initiated a QI collaborative involving 103 general and children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada. We developed a multifaceted intervention bundle to improve adherence to CPG recommendations for 4 primary measures and 4 secondary measures, while tracking 5 balancing measures. Primary measures focused on guideline recommendations where deimplementation strategies were indicated. We analyzed data using statistical process control (SPC) with baseline and project enrollment from November 2020 to October 2021 and the intervention from November 2021 to October 2022.

RESULTS
Within the final analysis, there were 17 708 infants included. SPC demonstrated improvement across primary and secondary measures. Specifically, the primary measures of appropriately not obtaining cerebrospinal fluid in qualifying infants and appropriately not administering antibiotics had the highest adherence at the end of the collaborative (92.4% and 90.0% respectively). Secondary measures on parent engagement for emergency department discharge of infants 22 to 28 days and oral antibiotics for infants 29 to 60 days with positive urinalyses demonstrated the greatest changes with collaborative-wide improvements of 16.0% and 20.4% respectively. Balancing measures showed no change in missed invasive bacterial infections.

CONCLUSIONS
A QI collaborative with a multifaceted intervention bundle was associated with improvements in adherence to several recommendations from the AAP CPG for febrile infants.