bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mathematical modeling of the influence ofACE I/Dpolymorphism on blood pressure and antihypertensive therapy
Authors: Kutumova Elena , Kovaleva Anna , Sharipov Ruslan , Lifshits Galina , Kolpakov Fedor 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has attracted much attention in recent years, as it raises the hope of personalizing ACE inhibitor therapy to optimize its efficiency and reduce side effects for genetically distinct subgroups. However, the extent of its influence among these subgroups remains inconclusive. Therefore, we extended our computational model of blood pressure regulation to investigate the effect of theACE I/Dpolymorphism on hemodynamic parameters in humans and antihypertensive therapy. The model showed that the dependence of blood pressure on serum ACE activity is a function of saturation. Hence, a possible reason for the lack of association betweenACE I/Dand blood pressure levels could be a fairly high ACE activity in populations. Additionally, in an extended model simulating the effects of different classes of antihypertensive drugs, we explored the relationship betweenACE I/Dand the efficacy of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The model predicted that the response of cardiovascular and renal parameters to treatment directly depends on ACE activity. However, significant differences in parameter changes were observed only between groups with high and low ACE levels, whileACE I/Dgenotypes within the same group had similar changes in absolute values. We conclude that a single genetic variant is responsible for only a small fraction of heredity in treatment success, so its predictive value is limited.
Feature-rich electronic properties of three-dimensional ternary compound: Li7P3S11
Authors: Liu Hsin-Yi , Wu Jhao-Ying 
Published: January 2024

PurposeThe theoretical findings serve as a foundation for further research into understanding sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes, ultimately advancing the progress of all-solid-state batteries.Design/methodology/approachThe electronic properties of Li7P3S11 are thoroughly explored through first-principles calculations.FindingsThis investigation encompasses the intricate atom-dominated valence and conduction bands, spatial charge density distribution and the breakdown of atom and orbital contributions to van Hove singularities. Additionally, the compound’s wide and discrete energy spectra reflect the substantial variations in bond lengths and its highly anisotropic geometric structure. The complex and nonuniform chemical environment indicates the presence of intricate hopping integrals.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights into the critical multiorbital hybridizations occurring in the Li-S and P-S chemical bonds. To validate the theoretical predictions, experimental techniques can be employed. By combining theoretical predictions with experimental data, a comprehensive understanding of the geometric and electronic characteristics of Li7P3S11 can be achieved.
Preparation of polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone-SiO2 nanofiltration membrane and its performance characterization
Authors: Chen Liangbin , Zhao Lihong , Ding Keren , Xu Kaibo , Tang Xianzhe 
Published: January 2024

Purpose
This study aims to optimize the preparation conditions and modify the nanofiltration (NF) membranes to prepare high-performance polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone composite nanofiltration (PSF/SPSF-NF) membranes through interfacial polymerization.

Design/methodology/approach
Investigating the impacts of anhydrous piperazine (PIP) concentration, trimesoyl chloride (TMC) concentration and basement membrane type on NF membrane performance, the optimal membrane was prepared. In addition, nano-SiO2 was added to the active separation layer to modify the NF membranes.

Findings
The comprehensive performance of PSF/SPSF-NF membranes was optimized when the concentration of PIP was 0.75 Wt.% and the concentration of TMC was 0.15 Wt.%, at which time the water flux was 66.1 L·m−2·h−1 and the retention rate of Na2SO4 was 98.1%. The comprehensive performance of polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone-SiO2 nanofiltration (PSF/SPSF-SiO2-NF) membranes was optimized when the blending ratio of nano-SiO2 to PIP was 2:3, with a pure water flux of 81.9 L·m−2·h−1 and a Na2SO4 retention rate of 95.9%. Compared to polysulfone nanofiltration (PSF-NF) membranes and PSF/SPSF-NF membranes, NF membranes with nano-SiO2 increased the flux recovery rate by 22.9% and 8.7%.

Practical implications
PSF/SPSF-SiO2-NF membrane exhibits excellent antifouling properties.

Originality/value
There is currently no literature available on the preparation of NF membranes using polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone (PSF/SPFS) as a substrate. This provides a method for modifying NF membranes, starting with the modification of the basement membrane and then modifying the active separation layer.
Landscape and domains of possible future threats from a societal point of view
Authors: Tähtinen Lassi , Toivonen Saija , Rashidfarokhi Anahita 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe are currently amid multiple interconnected and complex crises within the different dimensions of our society—a polycrisis, and the future promises even greater complexity in terms of threats. However, the existing crisis typologies and crisis identification often have an introspective organisational focus and tend to concentrate on a limited set of historically known threats. This study takes an exploratory, futures studies‐based approach with a broader societal perspective. Through environmental scanning using 1714 literature sources and consultations with 54 experts, we have identified 153 potential future crises spanning various societal domains. We utilize the PESTLE framework to outline the possible emergence of these crises. Our findings reveal a considerably larger number of potential crisis phenomena than previously proposed, aiming for objective sensemaking of the complex crisis landscape. The results also demonstrate crises vary in their temporal development, albeit evaluating this is challenging. This study challenges the prevalent myopic and subjective prioritisation‐based crisis identification and provides a comprehensive yet comprehensible list of possible future crises. In the current context of siloed decision‐making structures, both public and private organisations can use this list to enhance their future‐oriented preparedness and assess their responsibilities in managing these crises, as well as identifying necessary stakeholders.
Influence of the cash conversion cycle on firm's financial performance: Evidence from publicly traded firms in the Latin American context
Authors: Figlioli Bruno , Antônio Rafael Moreira , Gatsios Rafael Confetti , Lima Fabiano Guasti 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between the cash conversion cycle (CCC) and the financial and market performances of publicly traded” firms in six Latin American (LatAm) countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The analysis covers the period from 2000 to 2018. The results indicate that increases in CCC negatively impact the generation of operating cash flows and long‐term investments, and increase financial risk. Other findings suggest that the mechanisms through which CCC affects a firm's financial performance can provide a satisfactory explanation of its market performance. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that CCC is a relevant driver of value in working capital management in undeveloped or emerging economies.
Inequalities in dental caries among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children in Australia: A literature review
Authors: Wang X , Ghanbarzadegan A , Sohn W , Taylor E , Gao J , Christian B 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDental caries constitutes one of the most ubiquitous diseases in Australia, with Indigenous children presenting a notably higher prevalence than their non‐Indigenous peers. This literature review aims to update the knowledge base developed by Christian and Blinkhorn in 2012, with a particular focus on the contemporary disparities in dental caries between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children. Our research strategy involved a thorough exploration of the Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify pertinent studies published between 2009 and 2022. Supplementary resources included various government websites and citation searches. We prioritised studies that focused on children aged 5–6 or 12 years—reflecting the World Health Organization's index ages for oral health—and that reported dental caries prevalence and experience indicators. Our review methodology was guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) statement. The updated search, spanning 2009 to 2023, retrieved studies that reported caries estimates exclusively from 2009 to 2014. Within this period, the prevalence of dental caries in Indigenous children's primary teeth ranged between 52% and 77%, while the prevalence in permanent teeth varied from 36% to 60%. This updated review indicated that Indigenous children continue to experience caries at an approximately twice higher rate than non‐Indigenous children, sustaining the persisting disparity in caries estimates. The findings from this review show that no discernible improvement in dental caries rates among Australian Indigenous children has been observed in comparison to the previous review; and that Indigenous children continue to experience both higher prevalence and severity of dental caries compared to non‐Indigenous children.
‘My pet can't come with me’: Pets as a barrier against moving into supported accommodation
Authors: Collier Janette , Lewis Virginia Jane , Bennett Pauleen 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the impact of pet ownership on older people's decision to move to supported accommodation.MethodsOnline survey.ResultsOlder Australians who were current or past pet owners were invited to complete an online survey, with 193 participants providing valid data. Almost two‐thirds of the respondents who said they did not intend to move in the foreseeable future (n = 85) said their pet was an important reason. When asked to rate which factors would be hardest to come to terms with if they had to move because they needed more assistance in future, three groups emerged: the first group (37%) thought the impact on their pet of moving would not be difficult and the pet was not an important reason for staying in their current home. The second group (36%) were the opposite; they believed there would be a negative impact on their pet if they moved and the pet was an important reason for them to stay. The final group (27%) thought their pet was not an important reason to stay in their current location but if they did have to move, the impact on the pet would be quite difficult. No one fell into the category of identifying that their pet was an important reason to stay but having to move would have no impact on the animal.ConclusionsMany older people think about their pets when making a decision to move house, including considering whether a move to supported accommodation will be difficult for their pet. A perceived absence of pet‐friendly supported accommodation may be contributing to sub‐optimal decision‐making by older people.
The prognostic validity of delirium severity as measured by Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS scale) on adverse outcomes
Authors: Gray Elyshia Ann , Ranasinghe Champa , Lin Hui‐Shan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether an assessment of delirium severity at diagnosis using the Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS scale) predicts adverse outcomes in hospital and on discharge.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted on a convenience sample of patients admitted to an acute geriatric ward with delirium over an eight‐month period. DOS scale was administered to the patients within 48 h of delirium diagnosis to measure delirium severity. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between DOS scale and adverse outcomes.ResultsFifty‐nine patients were included in the study. There was a moderate correlation between increasing DOS scores and duration of delirium (r = 0.46, p < 0.001), as well as increasing DOS scores and decline in mobility on discharge (r = 0.35, p = 0.007). There was a weak correlation between increasing DOS scores and functional decline as measured by change in Katz Index from admission to discharge (r = −0.27, p = 0.04). No statistically significant correlations were found between DOS scores and in‐hospital mortality, inpatient complication rates or discharge to higher level of care.ConclusionDelirium severity as measured by DOS scale may be useful in predicting delirium duration and decline in mobility and function on discharge. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to establish if this finding can be replicated and whether delirium severity predicts additional adverse outcomes. Measuring delirium severity at diagnosis may be useful for communicating prognostic information to family members and setting expectations and treatment goals.
Potential of plasma inflammatory and angiogenic mediators for predicting spontaneous preterm delivery, intraamniotic infection/inflammation, and composite neonatal morbidity/mortality in women with early preterm premature rupture of membranes
Authors: Kim Hyeon Ji , Park Kyo Hoon , Joo Eunwook , Lee Min Jung , Choi Bo Young 
Published: January 2024

AbstractProblemTo assess the potential of five inflammatory and six angiogenic/antiangiogenic plasma proteins for predicting imminent spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD; ≤14 days of sampling), microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity and/or intraamniotic inflammation (MIAC/IAI), and composite neonatal morbidity and mortality (CNMM) in women with early preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).Methods of StudyThis retrospective cohort study included 76 singleton pregnant women with early PPROM (23–30 weeks). Amniotic fluid obtained via amniocentesis was cultured for microorganism detection and assayed for interleukin‐6 to define IAI (≥2.6 ng/mL). Plasma C4a, endoglin, endostatin, IGFBP‐1, IGFBP‐2, MMP‐9, PlGF, S100A8, S100A9, S100 A8/A9, and VEGFR‐1 levels were determined using ELISA.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between (i) high levels of plasma S100A8/A9, SPTD ≤14 days after sampling, and shorter sampling‐to‐delivery intervals; (ii) elevated plasma MMP‐9, S100A9, and S100A8/A9 levels and MIAC/IAI, and (iii) decreased plasma endoglin levels and increased CNMM risk, while adjusting for gestational age at sampling (or delivery) and tocolytic use. The area under the curves of the aforementioned proteins ranged from 0.655 to 0.731 for each outcome. Notably, the SPTD risk increased significantly with increasing plasma S100A8/A9 levels (P for trend < .05).ConclusionsPlasma S100A8/A9, MMP‐9, S100A9, and endoglin may represent valuable biomarkers associated with SPTD, MIAC/IAI, and CNMM in women with early PPROM. Owing to their less invasive nature, repeatability, and fair‐to‐moderate diagnostic accuracy, these biomarkers may contribute to risk stratification of PPROM‐related complications in the clinical setting.
Robotic surgery education in Australia and New Zealand: primetime for a curriculum
Authors: Harrison William , Munien Kale , Desai Devang 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundGlobally, robotic surgery (RS) has witnessed remarkable growth, yet Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) lack dedicated RS training programs, creating a workforce gap. This narrative review synthesises international research to explore trends and challenges in robotic education.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature review, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE using keywords like ‘robotic surgery’, ‘surgical education’, ‘robotic surgery training’, and ‘robotic surgery curriculum’. We selected studies contributing to understanding current curricula, training tools, and issues in robotic education, utilising the international experience and how it might apply to the ANZ context.ResultsRS in ANZ has grown significantly over two decades, but formal curricula for trainees are absent. North America and Europe employ diverse training tools and curricula. Barriers include cost, access, time constraints, equipment complexity, changing training environments, and competition from emerging robotic surgical systems. Balancing the curriculum's demands with trainees' existing requirements is essential.ConclusionDeveloping a tailored RS curriculum within ANZ's surgical training is crucial for RS to become the primary surgical approach in the future. By working towards a national curriculum we can prepare skilled trainees in robotics to meet the rising demand. The most significant barrier is the lack of robotics in public hospital where trainees are based. This curriculum should encompass online teaching modules, bedside assistance, surgical simulation, dual console mentoring, and primary operator experience.
Sense of belonging, academic self‐efficacy and hardiness: Their impacts on student engagement in distance learning courses
Authors: Yi Suping , Zhang Yanyan , Lu Yefeng , Shadiev Rustam 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate how postgraduate engagement is affected by the sense of belonging, academic self‐efficacy and academic hardiness. The validated self‐reported scales were used to survey 308 postgraduate students in Mainland China who had taken distance learning courses. The proposed research model exhibited high predictive performance, confirming the established 10 hypotheses. The results indicated that sense of belonging positively and significantly influenced academic self‐efficacy, academic hardiness and postgraduates' emotional engagement. Academic self‐efficacy and academic hardiness had a positive and statistically significant impact on postgraduates' cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement. Therefore, sense of belonging directly impacted postgraduates' emotional engagement and indirectly impacted postgraduates' cognitive and behavioural engagement. We also found a significant mediation effect of academic self‐efficacy and academic hardiness in distance learning courses. Overall, our proposed research model revealed the influence mechanism of sense of belonging, academic self‐efficacy and academic hardiness in postgraduate engagement in distance learning courses. These factors need to be considered when designing and implementing distance learning courses, teachers and researchers need to be aware of these interdependencies in order to maximize learning effects in the distance learning environment.
The short‐term macroeconomic impact of populism: A case study of Poland
Authors: Brzezinski Michal , Sałach‐Dróżdż Katarzyna 
Published: January 2024

AbstractRecent research shows that populist governments in general depress countries' economic growth and fail to improve income distribution. We study the short‐term macroeconomic consequences of populist policies implemented in Poland since 2015. Using the augmented synthetic control method, we find that the populists boosted the gross domestic product per capita by almost 8% between 2016 and 2019. We do not find any effect of populism on inflation and estimate only small labor market impacts. The populists improved tax revenue collection and reduced public debt. A generous child benefit program and other redistributive policies introduced by the populists significantly reduced overall poverty and almost eradicated absolute child poverty. Our results suggest that antiestablishment populists may have macroeconomic viability, at least in the short term.
Views and preferences of food‐insecure pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support within routine antenatal care
Authors: Zinga Julia , van der Pligt Paige , McKay Fiona H. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundFood insecurity is a public health concern that has profound impact on physical and mental health, and on social well‐being. Pregnancy is a period in which food insecurity is likely to be particularly deleterious, due to the serious impact on both mother and child. Food insecurity is not routinely screened in antenatal healthcare settings, and the preferences of pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support are poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the views and preferences of food‐insecure pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support within antenatal healthcare.MethodsThis qualitative descriptive study used face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews, conducted in February and March 2023, to gain the views of purposively sampled food‐insecure, pregnant women in Melbourne, Australia. Food insecurity was evidenced by an affirmative response to at least one of three assessment items in a screening questionnaire. Qualitative content analysis was conducted to summarise the views and preferences of women.ResultsNineteen food‐insecure pregnant women were interviewed. Three themes were identified: (1) acceptability of being screened for food insecurity, (2) concerns about the consequences of disclosure and (3) preferences regarding food insecurity screening and supportive strategies that could be offered within an antenatal healthcare setting.ConclusionWomen were accepting of food insecurity screening being conducted within routine healthcare. Women identified potential benefits of routine screening, such as feeling supported by their clinician to have a healthy pregnancy and less pressure to voluntarily ask for food assistance. Women gave suggestions for the implementation of food insecurity screening to optimise their healthcare experience, maintain their dignity and feel able to disclose within a safe and caring environment. These results indicate that food insecurity screening in the antenatal setting is likely to have support from pregnant women and is urgently needed in the interest of promoting optimal nutrition for women and children.Patient ContributionPregnant women with lived experience of food insecurity were purposively sampled to obtain their insights regarding screening and support within a pregnancy healthcare setting. Member‐checking occurred following data collection, whereby all participants were offered the opportunity to review their interview transcript to ensure trustworthiness of the data.