bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing bacterial prevalence and resistance in paediatric meningitis: safeguarding the central nervous system
Authors: Bhatti Sania , Chaurasia Bipin , Yaqoob Eesha , Ameer Jannat , Shehzad Yasir , Shahzad Khuram , Mahmood Ashraf , Scalia Gianluca , Umana Giuseppe Emmanuele , Javed Saad 
Published: March 2024

Introduction:
Paediatric bacterial meningitis (PBM) represents a major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality globally, with heightened susceptibility in low- and middle-income nations where antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is highly prevalent. Pakistan exemplifies this setting, with widespread antibiotic overuse driving AMR expansion. Thus, expediting PBM diagnosis and targeted antibiotic therapy is imperative yet challenged by the dynamic local epidemiology. This study aimed to delineate the recent bacterial etiologies and AMR profiles of PBM from a major Pakistani diagnostics laboratory to inform empirical treatment.

Materials and methods:
This prospective observational investigation evaluated PBM epidemiology in patients under 18 years old admitted to the study hospital. Standard cerebrospinal fluid analysis identified bacterial pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility patterns.

Results:
Among 171 PBM cases, 152 (88.9%) had bacterial isolates confirmed via culture. The cohort was 42.7% male with a mean age of 3 months. The most prevalent pathogens among infants younger than 3 months were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, contrasting with S. epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus hominis predominating in older children. Staphylococcal isolates exhibited considerable penicillin and erythromycin resistance but maintained vancomycin and linezolid susceptibility. Other resistance patterns varied.

Conclusion:
These findings highlight the pressing threat of paediatric AMR in Pakistan, underscoring the need for vigilant AMR surveillance and judicious antimicrobial use. This study provides a reference to current PBM epidemiology to guide context-specific empirical therapy.
Enhanced Muscle Endurance Through Self-regulated Dual-Task Exercises in Elbow Fracture Rehabilitation: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Cruz-Montecinos Carlos , López-Bueno Laura , Núñez-Cortés Rodrigo , López-Bueno Rubén , Suso-Martí Luis , Méndez-Rebolledo Guillermo , Morral Antoni , Andersen Lars Louis , Casaña José , Calatayud Joaquín 
Published: March 2024

Objective
The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a self-regulated dual task on muscle endurance within a single rehabilitation session in patients recovering from an elbow fracture.

Design
This is a cross-sectional study of individuals recovering from elbow fractures (N = 20). Muscle endurance was tested using elastic bands at Borg’s CR10 intensity 3—during four conditions: single-task and dual-task for elbow flexion and extension.

Results
The cognitive condition significantly influenced muscle endurance (P < 0.001), while the type of elbow exercise (flexion or extension) did not show significant differences (P = 0.592). The perceived difficulty of the tasks showed a significant interaction effect (P = 0.032). The dual-task condition showed an average increase of about 15 repetitions. A moderate negative correlation was found between the differences in repetitions and the perceived difficulty of the flexion exercise (r = 0.677, P = 0.001).

Conclusions
Dual-task with self-regulation enhances muscle endurance among patients recovering from an elbow fracture. However, the improvements seem to depend on the perceived difficulty of the cognitive task. Future randomized controlled trials are required to understand the therapeutic implications of dual-tasking.
Challenges during implant-assisted prosthetic rehabilitation in fibula reconstructed jaws and its management: a scoping review protocol
Authors: V N Krishnapriya , Ramanarayanan Venkitachalam , V Manju , Janakiram Chandrashekar , Subash Pramod , Iyer Subramania 
Published: March 2024

Introduction:
Oral cancer is the sixth most prevalent cancer type worldwide. Patients are placed in a crippling predicament due to the functional and psychosocial difficulties brought on by the illness and its treatments. Both surgeons and maxillofacial prosthodontists may encounter challenges with reconstruction and therapy following cancer treatment. Over 20 years, the fibula has remained the mainstay of reconstructions for head and neck cancer. Maxillary and mandibular jaws with fibula reconstructions can use fixed or removable prosthetic rehabilitation solutions. The proposed scoping review aims to ascertain the volume and nature of evidence concerning the difficulties and corrective measures in the prosthetic rehabilitation of fibula-reconstructed head and neck cancer cases. The findings will aid in improving the prosthetic treatment care for the affected population.

Materials and Methods:
The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review protocol will be followed in developing and reporting the scoping review methodology. Methods to identify the relevant literature will involve the systematic search of databases like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and gray literature sources for pertinent articles on the subject. Only papers published in English literature will be considered for the review, and the data collection period is limited to the past 20 years. The screening process will utilize defined inclusion/exclusion criteria for Title/Abstract and Full-text screening by two independent reviewers in covidence, and a third reviewer will resolve any conflicts. The data extracted will include specific details about the participants, concept, population, study methods, challenges encountered during prosthetic rehabilitation, and their management. Inductive thematic analysis and descriptive statistics will be applied where appropriate. The narrative synthesis of the evidence will be accomplished through data extraction in a tabular format, and the results will be presented as a narrative summary.
Implication of Neighborhood Deprivation Index on Pelvic Organ Prolapse Management
Authors: Alagh Amy , Ramm Olga , Lyon Liisa L. , Ritterman Weintraub Miranda L. , Shatkin-Margolis Abigail 
Published: March 2024

Importance
Differences in the rate of diagnosis of POP have been described based on race and ethnicity; however, there are few data available on the management and treatment patterns of POP based on multiple factors of socioeconomic status and deprivation.

Objective
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between pelvic organ prolapse (POP) management and the Neighborhood Deprivation Index (NDI), a standardized multidimensional measure of socioeconomic status.

Study Design
This retrospective cohort study included female members of a large integrated health care delivery system who were 18 years or older and had ≥4 years of continuous health care membership from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. Demographic, POP diagnosis, urogynecology consultation, and surgical treatment of POP were obtained from the electronic medical record. Neighborhood Deprivation Index data were extrapolated via zip code and were reported in quartiles, with higher quartiles reflecting greater deprivation. Descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were conducted by NDI.

Results
Of 1,087,567 patients identified, 34,890 (3.2%) had a POP diagnosis. Q1, the least deprived group, had the highest prevalence of POP (26.3%). Most patients with POP identified as White (57.3%) and represented approximately a third of Q1. Black patients had the lowest rate of POP (5.8%) and comprised almost half of Q4, the most deprived quartile. A total of 13,730 patients (39.4%) had a urogynecology consultation, with rates ranging from 23.6% to 26.4% (P < 0.01). Less than half (12.8%) of patients with POP underwent surgical treatment, and the relative frequencies of procedure types were similar across NDI quartiles except for obliterative procedures (P = 0.01). When controlling for age, no clinically significant difference was demonstrated.

Conclusions
Differences in urogynecology consultation, surgical treatment, and surgical procedure type performed for prolapse across NDI quartiles were not found to be clinically significant. Our findings suggest that equitable evaluation and treatment of prolapse can occur through a membership-based integrated health care system.
Visual snow syndrome: recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and potential treatment approaches
Authors: Aeschlimann Sarah A. , Klein Antonia , Schankin Christoph J. 
Published: March 2024

Purpose of review
Visual snow syndrome (VSS) is a disorder characterized by persistent visual disturbances, including the visual snow phenomenon, palinopsia, heightened perception of entoptic phenomena, impaired night vision, and photophobia. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on recent findings over the past 18 months in VSS research and to summarize the current state of treatment approaches.

Recent findings
Electrophysiological studies have revealed cortical hyperresponsivity in visual brain areas, imaging studies demonstrated microstructural and functional connectivity alterations in multiple cortical and thalamic regions and investigated glutamatergic and serotoninergic neurotransmission. These findings suggest that VSS might be a network disorder.
Only few treatment studies are currently available demonstrating limited response to medication and even worsening or triggering of visual symptoms by certain antidepressants. Promising nonpharmacological treatments include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, the use of chromatic filters, and research on visual noise adaption and neuro-optometric visual rehabilitation therapy (NORT). However, the level of evidence is still low and further research is needed including larger trials and involving objective m
easures of individual dysfunction.

Summary
Although there has been recent progress, we still have not fully understood the nature of VSS. Further research is needed on a clinical and pathophysiological level to successfully treat the condition.
Cell-substrate distance fluctuations of confluent cells enable fast and coherent collective migration
Authors: Jipp Marcel , Wagner Bente D. , Egbringhoff Lisa , Teichmann Andreas , Rübeling Angela , Nieschwitz Paul , Honigmann Alf , Chizhik Alexey , Oswald Tabea A. , Janshoff Andreas 
Published: March 2024

SummaryCollective cell migration is an emergent phenomenon, with long-range cell-cell communication influenced by various factors, including transmission of forces, viscoelasticity of individual cells, substrate interactions, and mechanotransduction. We investigate how alterations in cell-substrate distance fluctuations, cell-substrate adhesion, and traction forces impact the average velocity and temporal-spatial correlation of confluent monolayers formed either by wild-type MDCKII cells or zonula occludens (ZO) 1/2-depleted MDCKII cells (dKD) representing highly contractile cells.The data indicates that confluent dKD monolayers exhibit decreased average velocity compared to less contractile WT cells concomitant with increased substrate adhesion, reduced traction forces, a more compact shape, diminished cell-cell interactions, and reduced cell-substrate distance fluctuations. Depletion of basal actin and myosin further supports the notion that short-range cell-substrate interactions, particularly fluctuations driven by basal actomyosin, significantly influence the migration speed of the monolayer on a larger length scale.
When infrastructures collide: transnational higher education and Chinese international students' (im)mobility in the pandemic era
Authors: Li Xiaoyuan , Zhou Weile 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThis study aims to unravel the tensions and convergences between market-oriented neoliberal education and state-serving transnational higher education (TNHE) practices through an infrastructural lens within the broad context of post-pandemic geopolitics.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes a case study approach, with a diverse array of data collection methods, including observations, interviews and review of material/online documents issued by the TNHE-related institutions and the Chinese Ministry of Education.FindingsThe study identifies three findings: (1) Re-articulation of transnational infrastructures, valuing ‘glocal' education and casting immobility as advantageous yet quasi-mobile; (2) Infrastructural tensions arising from stakeholder contests over program control and (3) Infrastructural dialectics, illustrating how promised (im)mobility becomes a tightly regulated academic journey due to institutional constraints and conflicts.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings elucidate the dynamic interplay between international education and TNHE amidst neoliberal pedagogical trends and pandemic-driven geopolitical shifts in China. While the interplay showcased a notable effect on Chinese students' (im)mobility during the pandemic, more empirical research is needed to understand international student (im)mobility issues in the post-pandemic era.Originality/valueThis study explores the infrastructural intersections between international and transnational education during the unprecedented Covid-19. Findings may provide a reference for policymakers and practitioners to strategize the “glocal” approach to international/transnational education in China after the pandemic.
The ambiguous impact of supplier involvement in product development on supplier relationship resilience and company performance
Authors: Kędzia Grażyna 
Published: March 2024

PurposeI aimed to obtain a deeper insight into the link between supplier involvement in product development (SIPD), supplier relationship resilience and company performance.Design/methodology/approachTo collect data, a survey among 500 Polish manufacturing companies was conducted. I used quantitative methods (structural equation modeling) to test several research hypotheses referring to a single supplier–customer relationship. Thanks to the use of multi-construct measurement of SIPD and supplier relationship resilience, the study provides detailed research results on the topic.FindingsCollaborative practices implemented during SIPD increase procurement flexibility and decrease redundancy in the relationship with the involved supplier. Communication during SIPD increases supplier flexibility and procurement flexibility. Increased supplier flexibility and increased procurement flexibility in the relationship with the involved supplier as well as collaborative practices during SIPD positively impact company performance. I confirmed the indirect effect between communication during SIPD and company performance when the mediators are supplier flexibility and procurement flexibility. Decreased redundancy in relationship with involved supplier does not impact company performance.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers need to rethink SIPD practice to effectively ensure supply chain resilience (SCRES), especially in the face of the contemporary global crisis and black swans affecting the supplier base. My article provides important managerial insights into drivers of SCRES and company performance.Originality/valueTo the best of my knowledge, this research is among the first to conclude that SIPD does not have an unequivocally positive or direct impact on supplier relationship resilience. The research fills the gap by analyzing the impact of SIPD on two main SCRES elements. The study examines supplier relationship resilience, understood as flexibility and redundancy elements, in a single supplier–buyer relationship perspective. Thus, the presented considerations go beyond the traditional understanding of flexibility and redundancy in supplier relationship management, that is through the prism of double or multi sourcing and having back up-suppliers.
How informal financial service institutes facilitate the financial inclusion of low-income, unbanked consumers
Authors: Kamran Sohail , Uusitalo Outi 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThe present study aimed to provide an understanding of the roles of community-based financial service organizations (i.e. rotating savings and credit associations [ROSCAs] as institutional pillars in facilitating low-income, unbanked consumers’ access to informal financial services).Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 low-income, unbanked consumers participating in ROSCAs in Pakistan, where only 21% of adults have a bank account and almost four out of five individuals live on a low income. The obtained data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique.FindingsROSCAs’ regulatory, sociocultural and cognitive aspects facilitate low-income, unbanked consumers’ utilization of informal financial services owing to their approachability by, suitability for, and fairness to such consumers. Thus, they promote such consumers’ financial inclusion.Practical implicationsLow-income consumers are mostly unable to access formal financial services due to the existing supply- and demand-side impediments. Understanding ROSCAs’ institutional functioning can help formal financial service providers create more transformative financial services based on the positive institutional aspects of ROSCAs to enhance poor consumers’ financial inclusion and well-being.Social implicationsThe inclusion of low-income, unbanked consumers in formal banking services will help them better control their finances.Originality/valueMany low-income, unbanked consumers in developing countries utilize informal financial services to meet their basic financial needs, but service researchers have rarely investigated how informal financial institutions function. The present study showed that ROSCAs, as informal institutions, meet low-income, unbanked consumers’ personal, social and financial needs in a befitting manner, which encourages such consumers to use the financial services offered by ROSCAs.
Assessing resilience in mechanical systems: an industrial perspective
Authors: Rahimazar Ali , Nouri Qarahasanlou Ali , Khanzadeh Dina , Tavaghi Milad 
Published: March 2024

PurposeResilience as a novel concept has attracted the most attention in the management of engineering systems. The main goal of engineering systems is production assurance and increasing customer satisfaction which depends on the suitable performance of mechanical equipment. “A resilient system is defined as a system that is resistant to disruption and failures and can recover itself and returns to the state before failure as soon as possible in the case of failure.” Estimate the value of the system’s resilience to increase its resilience by covering the weakness in the resilience indexes of the system.Design/methodology/approachIn this article, a suitable approach to estimating resilience in complex engineering systems management in the field of mining has been presented. Accordingly, indexes of reliability, maintainability, supportability, efficiency index of prognostics and health management of the system, and ultimately the organization resilience index, have been used to evaluate the system resilience.FindingsThe results of applying this approach indicate the value of 80% resilience if the risk factor is considered and 98% if the mentioned factors are ignored. Also, the value of 58% resilience of this organization’s management group indicates the weakness of situational awareness and weakness in the vulnerable points of the organization.Originality/valueTo evaluate the resilience in this article, five indicators of reliability, maintainability, and supportability are used as performance indicators. Also, organization resilience and the prognostic and health management of the system (PHM) are used as management indicators. To achieve more favorable results, the environmental and operational variables governing the system have been used in performance indicators, and expert experts' opinions have been used in management indicators.
Institutional quality, information and communication technologies and gender inclusion nexus: global comparative evidence
Authors: Achuo Elvis , Nkoa Bruno Emmanuel Ongo , Ndam Nembo Leslie , Forgha Njimanted G. 
Published: March 2024

PurposeDespite the longstanding male dominance in the socio-politico-economic spheres, recent decades have witnessed remarkable improvements in gender inclusion. Although the issue of gender inclusion has been widely documented, answers to the question of whether institutional arrangements and information technology shape gender inclusion remain contentious. This study, therefore, empirically examines the effects of institutional quality and information and communication technology (ICT) penetration on gender inclusion on a global scale.Design/methodology/approachTo control for the endogeneity of modeled variables and cross-sectional dependence inherent with large panel datasets, the study employs the Driscoll-Kraay fixed effects (DKFE) and the system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimators for a panel of 142 countries from 1996 to 2020.FindingsThe empirical findings from the DKFE and system GMM estimators reveal that strong institutions significantly enhance gender inclusion. Moreover, by disaggregating institutional quality into various governance indicators, we show that besides corruption control, which has a positive but insignificant effect on women’s empowerment, other governance indicators significantly enhance gender inclusion. Furthermore, there is evidence that various ICT measures promote gender inclusion.Practical implicationsThe study results suggest that policymakers in developing countries should implement stringent measures to curb corruption. Moreover, policymakers in low-income countries should create avenues to facilitate women’s access to ICTs. Hence, policymakers in low-income countries should create and equip ICT training centers and render them accessible to all categories of women. Furthermore, developed countries with high-tech knowledge could help developing countries by organizing free training workshops and sensitization campaigns concerning the use of ICTs vis-à-vis women empowerment in various fields of life.Originality/valueThe present study fills a significant research gap by comprehensively exploring the nexuses between governance, ICT penetration and the socio-politico-economic dimensions of gender inclusion from a global perspective. Besides the paucity of studies in this regard, the few existing studies have been focused on either region and country-specific case studies in developed or developing economies. Moreover, this study is timely, given the importance placed on gender inclusion (SDG5), quality of institutions (SDG16) and ICT penetration (SDG9) in the 2015–2030 global development agenda.