bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The pathway to residency in Germany: a survey study to identify factors that impact an international medical graduate from Syria
Authors: Saadoun Rakan , Risse Eva-Maria , Sadoun Leen , Surucu Yusuf , Bittar Ranim , Heshma Mhd Anas , Obermueller Theresa 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
The German health care system has recently become an attractive destination for international medical graduates, particularly from developing countries such as Syria. However, there are no studies about the factors that influence the successful entry into the German healthcare system at trainee level.

Method
An anonymous cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to Syrian medical graduates who successfully entered residency training in Germany. Collected data included demographics and factors that influence entering the residency, such as proven German proficiency and clinical experience in the home country. Hypothesis testing was used to assess the difference between the variables.

Results
A total of 109 participants responded to the survey. Twenty-three (21.1%) subjects completed a medical residency in Syria before moving to Germany, and 46 (42.2%) had no previous clinical experience before moving to Germany. The proven German proficiency of the participants upon arrival in Germany was less than B1 in 39 (35.8%), B1 in 37 (33.9%), and B2 in 33 (30.3%) cases. None of the participants had a language level beyond B2, and 18 (16.5%) had no German knowledge.
The median of months spent in Germany till residency for those with B1 or B2 certificates before moving to Germany (10.5 (6.25–16) months and 8 (5–11) months, respectively) differed significantly from those with German-language skills belowB1 ((21 (14–29) months, p < .001). Residency in the home country was not associated with a difference in the median of the months in Germany till entering residency, p = 0.84.

Conclusion
A crucial factor influencing the successful entry to the German medical system at the trainee level is the ability to speak German, measured in levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. A high language skill level is a crucial factor associated with a decrease in time in Germany till entering residency for an international medical applicant. In contrast, previous work experience is not influencing the entry into the German labor market.
Practice of code of ethics and associated factors among health professionals in Central Gondar Zone public hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: a mixed-method study design
Authors: Yeshineh Gebreyohannes , Feleke Amsalu , Tadie Chalie , Hagos Asebe , Debebe Wubshet , Teshale Getachew , Yazachew Lake 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundEthics is the science of moral and ethical rules recognised in human life and attempts to verify what is morally right and wrong. Healthcare ethics is seen as an integrated part of the daily activities of health facilities. Healthcare professionals’ standardisation and uniformity in healthcare ethics are urgent and basic requirements. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the practice of the code of ethics and associated factors among health professionals in Central Gondar Zone public hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study design with a mixed method was conducted on 631 health professionals from Central Gondar Zone public hospitals. For the quantitative part, pre-tested self-administered questionnaires were used, and for the qualitative part, key informant interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire were used. Variables with apvalue of < 0.2 in binary logistic regression entered into a multivariable logistic regression, thenpvalue < 0.05 and AOR were used to declare statistically significant variables in quantitative data. A thematic content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis.ResultsThis study revealed that only 286 (46.7%) health professionals had good practice of the code of ethics. Good ethical knowledge (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.37, 2.77), favourable attitude (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.11, 2.16), and satisfaction of health professionals with their jobs (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI (1.04, 2.04) were significantly associated with the practice of health care ethics.ConclusionsHealth professionals' overall level of practice of health care ethics in the Central Gondar Zone public hospitals was poor. This necessitates practical training, ongoing follow-up, availing of necessary medical equipment, a smooth working environment, and modification of the recognition system for health professionals.
Baccalaureate nursing students’ experiences of how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced learning – a mixed method study
Authors: Rohde Gudrun , Johannessen Berit , Maaseide Markus , Flateland Sylvi , Skisland Anne V. , Moi Ellen B. , Haraldstad Kristin 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic mandated the reconstruction of educational programs globally. For nursing students in need of practical learning and training as a part of their curriculum, the pandemic also caused restrictions and alterations in practical placements and limited access to simulation training at campuses. The aim of this study is therefore, to describe and explore how the COVID- 19 pandemic influenced baccalaureate nursing students’ experiences of learning and their social life as a student.

Method
We used a mixed method study design including quantitative data from one of the universities (University of Agder) from a national Norwegian survey of baccalaureate nursing students and qualitative data from focus-group interviews from the same university. The quantitative survey included 396 baccalaureate nursing students (response rate, 46%). We arranged five focus groups with a total of 23 students (15 females and 8 males). The students took part in one of the focus-group interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using chi-square test for categorical data and ANOVA tests for continuous data, while the qualitative data were analyzed using Systematic Text Condensation and an editing analysis style.

Results
Most students (70%) were concerned about the quality of the education program. In clinical placement, 83% of students had cared for patients with confirmed COVID-19 or unclear COVID-19 status. The qualitative data revealed three main themes: missing the social dimension of learning; worries and challenges in clinical placement; and experiencing normal instructive days in clinical placement. The general picture emerging from our analysis is the importance of social interactions for learning.

Conclusion
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, our findings of students’ worries about the quality of the education program and not reaching learning outcomes must be taken into consideration. Social interaction is considered crucial and fundamental for student learning. A follow-up study following baccalaureate completion is necessary to explore the consequences over time of disrupted education.
Mediation effects of thyroid function in the associations between phthalate exposure and lipid metabolism in adults
Authors: Huang Han-Bin , Cheng Po-Keng , Siao Chi-Ying , Lo Yuan-Ting C. , Chou Wei-Chun , Huang Po-Chin 
Published: July 2022

AbstractPhthalates are a group of industrial chemicals widely used in everyday products including cosmetics, food packaging and containers, plastics, and building materials. Previous studies have indicated that urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with metabolic effects including those on lipid metabolism, but the results are mixed. Furthermore, whether thyroid function mediates the association between phthalate exposure and lipid metabolism remains unclear. In the present study, we explored whether changes in thyroid function markers mediate the associations between phthalate exposure and lipid metabolism indicators in Taiwanese adults. The cross-sectional data were obtained from the Taiwan Environmental Survey for Toxicants conducted in 2013. Levels of 11 urinary phthalate metabolites, levels of 5 thyroid hormones, and 8 indicators of lipid metabolism were assessed in 222 Taiwanese adults. The relationships of urinary phthalate metabolite levels with serum thyroid hormone levels and lipid metabolism indicators were explored using multiple regression models. Mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of thyroid function in the association between phthalate exposure and lipid metabolism. The metabolite of di(− 2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHPm) exhibited a significant positive association with the lipid metabolite indicator of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; β = 0.059, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.009, 0.109) in adults, and the thyroid function indicator thyroxine (T4) had a significant negative association with the metabolite ∑DEHPm (β = − 0.059, 95% CI = − 0.101, − 0.016) and a significant negative association with HDL-C (β = − 0.284, 95% CI = − 0.440, − 0.128). The T4 indirect effect was 0.015 (95% CI = − 0.0087, 0.05), and the mediation effect was 32.2%. Our results support the assumption that exposure to phthalates influences the homeostasis of lipid metabolism by interfering with thyroid function.
How is the ecosystem services concept used as a tool to foster collaborative ecosystem governance? A systematic map protocol
Authors: Holzer Jennifer M. , Hobbs Imogen , Baird Julia , Hickey Gordon 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
While the concept of ecosystem services has been widely adopted by scholars and increasingly used in policy and practice, there has been criticism of its usefulness to decision-makers. This systematic map will collect and analyse literature that frames ES as a collaboration tool, rather than as an ecosystem assessment tool, to answer the research question—how is the ecosystem services concept used as a tool to foster collaborative ecosystem governance and management?

Methods
We will search for publications using designated keywords in Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, grey literature and conservation practitioner databases and websites. The search strategy aims to locate all ecosystem services studies related to collaboration and joint activities. After removing duplicates, we will screen papers in two stages—first by reviewing titles and abstracts and then by reviewing full text. Both stages will screen papers according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) the study is situated in the context of or related to environmental governance or management; (2) the study focuses on ecosystem services being used as a tool for collaboration; (3) the study describes a process resulting from applying the ecosystem services concept as a tool or approach; and (4) the ecosystem services concept is used in the study in a collaboration or group process in a substantial manner. We will exclude papers that do not address the ES concept as a process tool or approach or that use the ecosystem services concept to directly influence specific decisions or policy. Eligible studies will be critically appraised to assess their reporting quality. Studies will then be reviewed to determine: (a) the type of tool or mechanism that is the primary focus or example of the paper, (b) the rationale for using the ES concept, (c) whether a tool or approach was empirically tested in the study, (d) what the study found regarding the usefulness of ES as a tool or approach, and (e) any challenges to their use, if mentioned explicitly. A standard coding spreadsheet will be used by reviewers. Relevant metadata will be extracted for each paper assessed and used to construct an open-access online database. Finally, a narrative synthesis of metadata will be reported based on eligible studies.
Defensive gun use: What can we learn from news reports?
Authors: Hemenway David , Shawah Chloe , Lites Elizabeth 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
In the past decade, most people who buy and own guns are doing so for self-defense. Yet little is known about actual defensive gun use in the USA.

Methods
To discover what information newspaper articles and local news reports might add, we read the news reports of defensive use incidents assembled by the Gun Violence Archive. We examined a sample of more than a quarter of the incidents from 2019, the last year before the pandemic. We examined all cases from four months—January, April, July, and October. We created a typology of defensive gun use incidents.

Results
Of 418 incidents, in about half, the perpetrator was armed with a firearm. In almost 90% of the cases, the victim fired their firearm—315 perpetrators were shot and about half of them died. The average number of perpetrators shot per incident was 0.75; the average number of victims shot was 0.25. We estimate that in 2019 fewer than 600 potential perpetrators were killed in defensive gun use incidents that made the news. Among the thirteen categories of shooting were drug-related (4% of incidents), gang-like combat (6%), romantic partner disputes (11%), escalating arguments (13%), store robberies (9%), street robberies (5%), unoccupied vehicle theft (5%), unarmed burglaries (7%), home invasions (20%), and miscellaneous (6%).

Conclusion
We believe the Gun Violence Archive dataset includes the large majority of news reports of defensive gun use—and especially those in which the perpetrator is shot and dies. Some of the strengths of using news reports as a data source are that we can be certain that the incident occurred, and the reports provide us with a story behind the incident, one usually vetted in part by the police with occasional input from the victims, perpetrator, family, witnesses, or neighbors. Defensive gun use situations are quite diverse, and among the various categories of defensive gun use, a higher percentage of incidents in some of the categories seemed far less likely to be socially beneficial (e.g., drug-related, gang-like, escalating arguments) than in others (e.g., home invasions).
The influence of corneal ablation patterns on prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes
Authors: Yao Yunqian , Zhao Jing , Yu Jifeng , He Wenwen , Wei Ling , Zhou Xingtao , Lu Yi , Zhu Xiangjia 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the influence of corneal ablation patterns on the prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes.

Methods
Eighty-three post-myopic-LASIK eyes of 83 patients that underwent uneventful cataract surgery were retrospectively included. Predicted postoperative spherical equivalence (SE) was calculated for the implanted lens using the Haigis-L and Barrett True-K formula. Prediction error at one month postsurgery was calculated as actual SE minus predicted SE. For each eye, area and decentration of the ablation zone was measured using the tangential curvature map. The associations between prediction errors and corneal ablation patterns were investigated.

Results
The mean prediction error was − 0.83 ± 1.00 D with the Haigis-L formula and − 1.00 ± 0.99 D with the Barrett True-K formula. Prediction error was positively correlated with keratometry (K) value and negatively correlated with ablation zone area using either formula, and negatively correlated with decentration of the ablation zone using the Barrett True-K formula (all P < 0.05). In the K < 37.08 D group, prediction error was negatively correlated with decentration of the ablation zone with both formulas (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that with the Haigis-L formula, prediction error was associated with axial length (AL), K value and decentration, and with the Barrett True-K formula, prediction error was associated with AL and decentration (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion
A flatter cornea, larger corneal ablation zone and greater decentration will lead to more myopic prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes.
Digital portfolio and self-regulation in speaking tasks
Authors: Al-Hawamleh Maher S. , Alazemi Asmaa F. , Al-Jamal Dina A. H. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractSelf-regulated learning has been recognized as helpful in language learning. This study showed how self-regulated learning contributes to stimulating students’ speaking skills. In an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting, speaking is generally perceived as a challenging task requiring actions, skills, or strategies to achieve successful communication. As the actions, skills, or strategies feature learners' planning in class, digital portfolios substantially impact language learning. This study examined the impact on Kuwaiti female students' self-regulation processes during speaking tasks in EFL classes. The main results that pervaded were the anticipation, realization, and reflection phases in speaking tasks. Results have shown that self-regulated learners can speak successfully when they understand and regulate what they do with a speaking task.
Saudi students’ perspective towards language education policy of using the first language in teaching the second language
Authors: Alomaim Thamir Issa , Altameemi Yaser Mohammed 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThis is a mixed methodology study that explores language education policy (LEP) of using the first language (L1) in teaching the second language (L2). The literature points out that students’ perspective towards LEP of the preparatory year program (PYP) in Saudi universities has not been investigated before. This study engages with understanding students’ awareness about LEP of the PYP towards L1 and students perspectives towards using L1 in teaching L2. Students from all the tracks of the PYP, namely: medical, science and humanities tracks participated in this study. This study used interviews and questionnaires as tools to collect data. Data collection of this study was classified into two phases. The first phase was in 2015 and the second phase was in 2020. Data analysis of this study reveals that the majority of students in the first and second phases were not familiar with the LEP of the PYP towards L1. Data analysis points out that students’ perspective towards using L1 in teaching L2 did not correlate between the first and second phases of this study. Most of the participants in the first phase did not support using L1 in teaching L2. On the other hand, the majority of the participants in the second phase supported using L1 in teaching L2. Policy-makers in the PYP are encouraged, based on the results of this study, to adopt an “English-mainly” policy that considers students’ perspective in the LEP of the PYP and treats students as bilingual speakers of both the Arabic language and the English language.
A simple decision tree-based disturbance monitoring system for VSC-based HVDC transmission link integrating a DFIG wind farm
Authors: Damala Rajesh Babu , Patnaik Rajesh Kumar , Dash Ashish Ranjan 
Published: July 2022

AbstractFault detection and classification is a key challenge for the protection of High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission lines. In this paper, the Teager–Kaiser Energy Operator (TKEO) algorithm associated with a decision tree-based fault classifier is proposed to detect and classify various DC faults. The Change Identification Filter is applied to the average and differential current components, to detect the first instant of fault occurrence (above threshold) and register a Change Identified Point (CIP). Further, if a CIP is registered for a positive or negative line, only three samples of currents (i.e., CIP and each side of CIP) are sent to the proposed TKEO algorithm, which produces their respective 8 indices through which the, fault can be detected along with its classification. The new approach enables quicker detection allowing utility grids to be restored as soon as possible. This novel approach also reduces computing complexity and the time required to identify faults with classification. The importance and accuracy of the proposed scheme are also thoroughly tested and compared with other methods for various faults on HVDC transmission lines.
Synthesis, characterization, and suitability of cocoyam starch-banana peels nanocomposite film for locust beans packaging
Authors: Fadeyibi Adeshina , Alabi Kehinde Peter , Fadeyibi Mary , Adewara Adewale Oluwaseun 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Packaging of locust beans is done to prevent deterioration and promote its shelf-life. This research was carried out to develop and evaluate a cocoyam starch-banana peels nanocomposite film for locust beans packaging. The film was prepared by gelatinizing a mixture of 0.36 g banana peels nanoparticles (~ 1.14–1.64 nm), 18 g cocoyam starch, and 18 ml glycerol in 300 ml distilled water at 90 °C. The thermal, structural, mechanical and barrier properties of the film were determined using standard procedures. A 100 g of the locust beans condiment was packaged using the film and compared with packaging in a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) at 5.16–7.58 pH and 16.67–11.50% moisture ranges.

Results
Results indicate approx. 3% weight loss with an increase in temperature (≤ 250 °C). The heat of decomposition in the process was 4.64 J/g, which depended on the transition temperature. Also, the film has high stiffness and creep along the line of topography in the atomic force imaging. The material permeates more to CO2 (27%) and H2 (67%) but has a low O2 (4%) and N2 (1%) gas permeabilities. The size of particles in the film was in the range of 3.52–3.92 nm, which is distributed across its matrix to create the pores needed to balance the gases in the micro-atmosphere. The microbial load of the locust beans decreased with pH and increased with moisture, but this was generally lower compared to those packaged in the LDPE at p < 0.05.

Conclusions
The film was a better packaging material than the LDPE since it recorded lower counts of the microbes throughout the storage. Thus, the nanocomposite film was effective in controlling the microbial growth of the locust beans irrespective of the sample moisture and pH over the 30 days packaging duration.
The lived experiences of pre-service science teachers designing and teaching socioscientific issues-based units
Authors: Karahan Engin 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of secondary science preservice teachers while designing and implementing SSI-based instructional processes, as well as their interpretations from these experiences. Phenomenological research that relies upon how individuals live out meanings in our everyday life was employed in this study. The participants of this study involved seven senior pre-service science teachers. Based on Seidman’s (Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences, 2006) phenomenological interview model, three in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant. The data analysis procedure of this study was done inductively via thematic analysis. The analysis of the interviews revealed the following themes: (1) Transformation, (2) Dilemmas, (3) Critiques, (4) Struggles, and (5) Change. This study demonstrated that pre-service science teachers’ views, ideas, and practices were transformed and changed during the 8 months of involvement in this phenomenological study. It was, therefore, fair to claim that the nature of phenomenological methodology provided opportunities for not only improvements on the participants but also observing and illustrating these changes.