bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of a Tertiary Hospital’s Systems Thinking Approach Using the World Health Organization Health System Framework in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
Authors: Nwatu C. B. 
Published: June 2023

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019, (COVID-19) pandemic dealt a catastrophic blow to health systems globally, especially those of middle and low-income-countries, whose health systems were already frail, pre-pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes six building blocks (BBs) for a sturdy health system, whose synergistic interaction, through a systems thinking approach, guarantees optimal and equitable health outcomes for the populace, while shielding them from financial risk.
Objectives: To showcase a Nigerian tertiary hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the application of systems thinking, to the WHO health systems BBs.
Methods: A questionnaire-based survey (utilizing a Likert scale of 1=very poor; 2=poor; 3=fair; 4=good and 5=excellent) of the hospital-wide efforts, employed by the leadership of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, utilizing the WHO BBs, during the COVID-19 pandemic, assessed the perceived impact of the individual BBs on the hospital system. Eighty key stakeholders (Females=55%), heads of departments and supervisors, comprising various categories of medical personnel, overseeing twenty critical service areas of the hospital undertook the survey.
Results: Leadership/Governance ranked highest in impact among the BBs (68.6%), with the availability of Medical products/Technology (65.9%), and Service delivery (64.4%) trailing closely at second and third, respectively. Perceived robustness and overall motivation of the Health Workforce was least ranked at 57.1%, closely followed by Healthcare Financing (58.2%) and Health Information Systems (61.9%).
Conclusion: At an average cumulative score of 62.7% for all the BBs, the UNTH leadership may be adjudged to have performed creditably in their efforts at COVID-19 containment. Staff welfare should be enhanced, to ensure a well-motivated staff which will likely translate to improved service delivery.
Thromboinflammatory challenges in stroke pathophysiology
Authors: Szepanowski R.D , Haupeltshofer S , Vonhof S.E , Frank B , Kleinschnitz C , Casas A.I 
Published: June 2023

AbstractDespite years of encouraging translational research, ischemic stroke still remains as one of the highest unmet medical needs nowadays, causing a tremendous burden to health care systems worldwide. Following an ischemic insult, a complex signaling pathway emerges leading to highly interconnected thrombotic as well as neuroinflammatory signatures, the so-called thromboinflammatory cascade. Here, we thoroughly review the cell-specific and time-dependent role of different immune cell types, i.e., neutrophils, macrophages, T and B cells, as key thromboinflammatory mediators modulating the neuroinflammatory response upon stroke. Similarly, the relevance of platelets and their tight crosstalk with a variety of immune cells highlights the relevance of this cell-cell interaction during microvascular dysfunction, neovascularization, and cellular adhesion. Ultimately, we provide an up-to-date overview of therapeutic approaches mechanistically targeting thromboinflammation currently under clinical translation, especially focusing on phase I to III clinical trials.
Does littoral substrate affect macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean lakes?
Authors: Mavromati Efpraxia , Kemitzoglou Dimitra , Tsiaoussi Vasiliki 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of substrate type in macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean lakes. Samplings have taken place in the littoral zone of 21 lakes in Greece, between 2015 and 2018. We compared benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages among three substrate types of their littoral zones; sandy, covered with macrophytes and stony substrate. Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages at sites with extended macrophyte cover differed only slightly in composition and abundance from the ones found in stony and sandy substrates. Coenagrionidae were indicative of sites covered with macrophytes and Oligochaeta and Erpobdellidae were representative of stony substrates. The type of substrate proved to be a statistically significant factor influencing the number of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, the relative abundance of Oligochaeta and the relative abundance of Odonata. In the context of designing site-adapted management measures, priority could be given to the conservation and restoration of aquatic vegetation in lake littoral zones, which host rich macroinvertebrate assemblages with abundant taxa of Odonata.
Evaluation of a Community COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassador Train-the-Trainer Program
Authors: Corley Alexandra M. S. , Gomes Stacey M. , Martin Keith J. , Watkins Sharon , Lindsey Kendal , Frenck Robert W. , Mitchell Monica J. , Rule Amy R. L. , Crosby Lori E. 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Racially minoritized groups are more likely to experience COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and have lower vaccination rates. As part of a multi-phase community-engaged project, we developed a train-the-trainer program in response to a needs assessment. “Community vaccine ambassadors” were trained to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We evaluated the program’s feasibility, acceptability, and impact on participant confidence for COVID-19 vaccination conversations. Of the 33 ambassadors trained, 78.8% completed the initial evaluation; nearly all reported gaining knowledge (96.8%) and reported a high confidence with discussing COVID-19 vaccines (93.5%). At two-week follow-up, all respondents reported having a COVID-19 vaccination conversation with someone in their social network, reaching an estimated 134 people. A program that trains community vaccine ambassadors to deliver accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines may be an effective strategy for addressing vaccine hesitancy in racially minoritized communities.
Effects of nitrogen and water addition on soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and their stoichiometry along soil profile in a semi-arid steppe
Authors: Niu Guoxiang , Zhong Buqing , Wang Ruzhen , Jin Yiqian , Wang Yinliu , Lü Xiaotao , Jiang Yong , Huang Jianhui 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Although past studies have found well-constrained soil carbon (C)/nutrient ratios, the effects of increased nitrogen (N) and water inputs on these ratios across soil depths have rarely been assessed in semi-arid grasslands.

Methods
In this study, we evaluated the contents of total C, N, phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and their stoichiometric ratios in a 0–80 cm soil profile following 13 years of successive N (at rates of 5 and 15 g m−2 yearr−1) and water addition (180 mm per growing season) in a semi-arid grassland of the Mongolian Plateau.

Results
In the 0–10 cm soil layer, long-term N addition tended to increase total C and N contents but decreased soil total P and S contents compared to the control. The effects of N addition, as observed in 0–10 cm soil, however, were not consistent with that in the deep 10–80 cm soil layers. Water addition increased the total C, N, and P contents across the entire soil profile but increased total S content only in 0–40 cm soil. Moreover, the combined addition of N and water generally had stronger effects on the four elements across the whole soil profile. For the stoichiometry of the four elements, a low rate of N addition (5 g m−2 year−1) increased soil C:N ratios and decreased soil P:S ratios in the 0–80 cm soils, but a high rate of N addition (15 g m−2 year−1) produced the opposite effect. Both N addition rates resulted in an increase in the soil C:P, C:S, N:P, and N:S ratios. Similarly, in plots that received water, water addition alone decreased the soil C:N ratios, while N addition caused higher fluctuations in these six elemental ratios. However, there was no consistent pattern of change in any one ratio, independent of the addition of water, when taking into account N addition rates and soil depths.

Conclusion
Our findings showed that the effects of N addition on soil total C, N, P, and S contents and their stoichiometric ratios were highly influenced by the rate of N addition and the depth of soil, and that these effects could be modulated by increasing precipitation. These results need to be carefully considered while managing the ecological environment in semi-arid steppes.
Patterns of Ips cembrae (Herr) infestation on trap and standing trees of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.)
Authors: Špoula Jakub , Kula Emanuel 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe large larch beetle, Ips cembrae, is a significant pest causing the death of larch. In 2020, the attack density of I. cembrae on larch trap trees and standing trees was evaluated using sample sections placed along the trunk. As a defensive measure against I. cembrae, trap trees were highly effective in both spring and summer. The attack density increased with increasing trap tree surface area/volume. Galleries were established evenly throughout the entire trunk including the thin upper portion. When the number of trap trees was low and their capacity full, a continual aggregation of adults occurred due to pheromone communication, leading to attacks on healthy standing trees in the immediate vicinity. It was found that I. cembrae attacked standing trees from the trunk base, with a continual colonization of the stem up to 70% of the tree height in a time-differentiated progression of development stages. The attack density of I. cembrae on standing trees was up to 40% lower than on the trap trees.
Investigation of collapse pressure in layered formations based on a continuous anisotropic rock strength criterion
Authors: Gao Fei , Guo Runsheng , Wang Wen , Zhang Yan , Zheng Shuangjin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractWellbore instability severely constrains the exploration and development of shale gas. In order to evaluate the impacts of anisotropy and water on wellbore instability, three different types of criteria are fitted to strength data of LMX shales with different moisture contents. A new model of transversely isotropic borehole stability considering compliance incremental tensor induced by natural fractures is proposed, then a more preferred drilling direction is performed by the new model. Results indicated that, Pariseau’s model is more attractive in predicting shale strength, including the difference of strength between vertical bedding and parallel bedding. Based on Pariseau’s model, the prediction accuracy of shale strength is improved by 33.04%. The Pariseau’ model gives a disparate collapse pressure from Jæger’s weak plane criterion, the most unstable drilling area shifts from northeast and southwest to the central area corresponding to relatively lower inclination. The collapse pressure only decreased by 0.55 MPa with considering the anisotropy of elastic parameters, but the strength criteria have a distinct influence. Compared with the results predicted by Jæger’s plane of weakness, the collapse pressure increased by 8.55 MPa using Pariseau’ model. Besides, invasion of water in bedding plane will aggravate borehole instability, especially in late drilling period, collapse pressure for the vertical wellbore increased by 6.35 MPa. Shale strength depends not only on the hydrostatic pressure and orientation angle, but also on the water content, which should be considered in mud weight design and well trajectory optimum.
Beyond Buzzwords: Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence and a Rights-Based Approach to Business Models
Authors: Leite Marianna 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThis article argues that the trend to zoom into mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD) as the sole solution to corporate abuse is misleading. In fact, it might risk missing entirely the main point which, as set out in this article, should be creating economic systems that enable rights-based and rights-driven business models. A small, but growing number of scholarly articles address the economic, fiscal and regulatory institutions needed to create an enabling environment for the fulfilment of human rights. These policy areas constitute what some of us understand as a ‘rights-based economy’ or ‘rights-enabling economies’. State-level efforts would be much more effective in promoting substantive equality if driven by a rights-based approach rather than a market logic. This article contends that while ensuring comprehensive mHRDD is in place as a preventative and mitigation tool, states must also push for transformative macroeconomic policies based on human rights principles as a way to fundamentally change business models.
P.141 The value of using flash visual evoked potentials monitoring during minimally invasive endoscopic meningioma resection: a retrospective chart review
Authors: Almarwani M , Ochoa-Sanchez R , Alsayadi S , Oumarou G , Kilty S , AlKherayf F 
Published: June 2023

Background: Endoscopic endonasal surgeries performed in areas involving the visual pathway are associated with postoperative visual dysfunction. We previously demonstrated that continued eye monitoring during surgery by flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) represents a good method to prevent/reduce visual deficit post-surgery. We wondered whether FVEP monitoring may be more beneficial in patients with meningioma, strongly associated with postoperative visual loss.The aim was to explore the visual capacity in patients subjected to meningioma resection at The Ottawa Hospital. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent minimally invasive endoscopic skull base surgery and FVEP monitoring for meningioma resection (July 2018 to present) was conducted. Only patients with available pre- (up to 3 months) and post-surgery (1-9 months) visual evaluation were analyzed. Results: 40 eyes were included (20 patients). The median age was 61 years (range:43-84) and 90% of patients were female. The LogMAR visual acuity was not significantly modified post-surgery (from +0.25 to +0.21; p=0.7). Color vision (# errors reading Ishihara/16-plates) was not modified post-surgery (from 2.6 to 3.2; p=0.6). Visual field (Humphrey, 32-2) was not significantly modified post-surgery (from 78.1% to 81.9%; p=0.7). Conclusions: The prevention of visual pathway injury during surgery by FVEP monitoring prevents visual deficits after endoscopic meningioma resection.
Healthcare worker perceptions surrounding Staphylococcus aureus transmission and prevention practices in the neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Partha Samik S. , Malone Sara M. , Bizzle Melissa , Ikpeama Geoffrey , Reich Patrick J. , Schuetz Carly R. , Fritz Stephanie A. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractObjective:To understand healthcare worker (HCW) perceptions surrounding Staphylococcus aureus transmission and prevention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Design:Qualitative case study with focus groups.Setting:A level IV, 150-bed NICU at a Midwestern academic medical center that conducts active surveillance and decolonization of S. aureus–positive patients.Participants:NICU HCWs, including bedside nurses, nurse managers, therapy services personnel, pediatric nurse practitioners, clinical fellows, and attending neonatologists.Methods:Semistructured focus group interviews, assembled by occupation, were conducted by 2 study team members. Interviews were video recorded and transcribed. Deductive coding and thematic analyses were performed using NVivo software.Results:In total, 38 HCWs participated in 10 focus groups (1–12 participants each), lasting 40–90 minutes. Four main themes emerged: (1) Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) are inconsistently described as high risk. (2) Infection prevention interventions are burdensome. (3) Multiple sources of transmission are recognized. (4) opportunities exist to advance infection prevention. HCWs perceived MSSA to be less clinically relevant than MRSA. Participants expressed a desire to see published data supporting infection prevention interventions, including contact precautions, environmental cleaning, and patient decolonization. These practices were identified to be considerable burdens. HCWs perceived families to be the main source of S. aureus in the NICU, and they suggested opportunities for families to play a larger role in infection prevention.Conclusions:These data highlight opportunities for HCW and parental education, research, and reevaluating interventions aimed at improving infection prevention efforts to reduce the burden of S. aureus in NICU settings.
The role of new ICT-based systems in modern management special issue editors:
Authors: Jafari Navimipour Nima , Wan Shaohua , Pasumarti Srinivas Subbarao , Fazio Maria 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn this special issue, we have collected eight articles that offer new points for research on information and communications technology (ICT)-based systems. We focused on the intuitive nature of the relationship between new ICT-based systems and contemporary management, forming an integrative unit of analysis instead of focusing solely on new ICT-based systems and leaving contemporary management as a moderating or mediating factor. This special issue promoted interdisciplinary research at the intersection of new ICT-based systems and contemporary management, including cybernetics systems and knowledge management, service managing and the Internet of things, cloud and marketing management, business process re-engineering and management, knowledge management, and strategic business management, among others.
Political Trust and Ecological Crisis Perceptions in Developing Economies: Evidence from Ecuador
Authors: Verner Marija 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACTCould an individual’s perception of the possibility of a future ecological crisis be linked to their level of political trust? Studies of environmental attitudes have identified political trust as an important predictor of support for environmental taxation or risk perceptions surrounding specific local environmental hazards, but less is known about its role when environmental risks are perceived as diffuse and distant. Using original survey data from Ecuador, this article finds that political distrust predicts heightened ecological crisis perceptions and that higher educational attainment intensifies this relationship. A follow-up analysis of the AmericasBarometer’s Ecuador survey shows that political distrust also predicts higher concern about climate change. These findings suggest that when evaluations of political institutions reflect perceptions of environmental risks, individuals blame the government for environmental failures. The implications of this study are particularly relevant for political institutions in developing economies, where the public sector often spearheads development efforts.
TWISTED SHIFT-INVARIANT SYSTEM IN
Authors: DAS SANTI RANJAN , VELSAMY RABEETHA , RAMAKRISHNAN RADHA 
Published: June 2023

AbstractWe consider a general twisted shift-invariant system,
$V^{t}(\mathcal {A})$
, consisting of twisted translates of countably many generators and study the problem of obtaining a characterization for the system
$V^{t}(\mathcal {A})$
to form a frame sequence or a Riesz sequence. We illustrate our theory with some examples. In addition to these results, we study a dual twisted shift-invariant system and also obtain an orthonormal sequence of twisted translates from a given Riesz sequence of twisted translates.
RADIOCARBON DATING OF GRASS-TEMPERED CERAMIC REVEALS THE EARLIEST POTTERY FROM SLOVAKIA PREDATES THE ARRIVAL OF FARMING
Authors: Tóth Peter , Petřík Jan , Bickle Penny , Adameková Katarína , Denis Solène , Slavíček Karel , Petr Libor , Pokutta Dalia , Isaksson Sven 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACTIn the absence of wood, bone, and other organics, one possible candidate for determining the age of a site is the radiocarbon (14C) dating of pottery. In central Europe during the Early Neolithic, pottery was ubiquitous and contained substantial quantities of organic temper. However, attempts at the direct dating of organic inclusions raises a lot of methodological issues, especially when several sources of carbon contribute to the resulting radiocarbon age. Hence an alternative approach to dating of the early pottery is necessary. Here, we present a novel method of bulk separation of organic content from the grass-tempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia). The procedure is based on the consecutive application of three inorganic acids, dissolving clay, silica content, and low molecular or mobile fractions to separate organic inclusions added to the pottery matrix during the formation of vessels. Radiocarbon dates obtained with this method are coherent and produce the shortest time span compared to other pretreatment methods presented in this study. The paired dates of grass-tempered pots with the 14C age of lipids extracted from the same pots point to a difference of 400–600 14C yr, however they are in line with the site’s chronostratigraphic Bayesian model. Grass-tempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia) is dated to the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC, making it the earliest pottery north of the Danube. It seems feasible that ceramic containers from Santovka were produced by hunter-gatherers, and pottery predated the arrival of farming in the Carpathian region by a couple of centuries.
Effects of a low FODMAP diet on gut microbiota in individuals with treated coeliac disease having persistent gastrointestinal symptoms – a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Herfindal Anne Mari , van Megen Frida , Gilde Mari K. O. , Valeur Jørgen , Rudi Knut , Skodje Gry I. , Lundin Knut E. A. , Henriksen Christine , Bøhn Siv Kjølsrud 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIndividuals with coeliac disease (CeD) often experience gastrointestinal symptoms despite adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). While we recently showed that a diet low in fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) successfully provided symptom relief in GFD-treated CeD patients, there have been concerns that the low FODMAP diet (LFD) could adversely affect the gut microbiota. Our main objective was therefore to investigate whether the LFD affects the faecal microbiota and related variables of gut health. In a randomised controlled trial GFD-treated CeD adults, having persistent gastrointestinal symptoms, were randomised to either consume a combined LFD and GFD (n 39) for 4 weeks or continue with GFD (controls, n 36). Compared with the control group, the LFD group displayed greater changes in the overall faecal microbiota profile (16S rRNA gene sequencing) from baseline to follow-up (within-subject β-diversity, P < 0·001), characterised by lower and higher follow-up abundances (%) of genus Anaerostipes (Pgroup < 0·001) and class Erysipelotrichia (Pgroup = 0·02), respectively. Compared with the control group, the LFD led to lower follow-up concentrations of faecal propionic and valeric acid (GC-FID) in participants with high concentrations at baseline (Pinteraction ≤ 0·009). No differences were found in faecal bacterial α-diversity (Pgroup ≥ 0·20) or in faecal neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (ELISA), a biomarker of gut integrity and inflammation (Pgroup = 0·74), between the groups at follow-up. The modest effects of the LFD on the gut microbiota and related variables in the CeD patients of the present study are encouraging given the beneficial effects of the LFD strategy to treat functional GI symptoms (Registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03678935).