bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A novel statistical method for long-term coronavirus modelling
Authors: Gaidai Oleg , Yan Ping , Xing Yihan , Xu JingXiang , Wu Yu 
Published: November 2022

Background: Novel coronavirus disease has been recently a concern for worldwide public health. To determine epidemic rate probability at any time in any region of interest, one needs efficient bio-system reliability approach, particularly suitable for multi-regional environmental and health systems, observed over a sufficient period of time, resulting in a reliable long-term forecast of novel coronavirus infection rate. Traditional statistical methods dealing with temporal observations of multi-regional processes do not have the multi-dimensionality advantage, that suggested methodology offers, namely dealing efficiently with multiple regions at the same time and accounting for cross-correlations between different regional observations. Methods: Modern multi-dimensional novel statistical method was directly applied to raw clinical data, able to deal with territorial mapping. Novel reliability method based on statistical extreme value theory has been suggested to deal with challenging epidemic forecast. Authors used MATLAB optimization software. Results: This paper described a novel bio-system reliability approach, particularly suitable for multi-country environmental and health systems, observed over a sufficient period of time, resulting in a reliable long-term forecast of extreme novel coronavirus death rate probability. Namely, accurate maximum recorded patient numbers are predicted for the years to come for the analyzed provinces. Conclusions: The suggested method performed well by supplying not only an estimate but 95% confidence interval as well. Note that suggested methodology is not limited to any specific epidemics or any specific terrain, namely its truly general. The only assumption and limitation is bio-system stationarity, alternatively trend analysis should be performed first. The suggested methodology can be used in various public health applications, based on their clinical survey data.
Effects of scapulothoracic exercises on chest mobility, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary function in male COPD patients with forward shoulder posture: a randomized control trial
Authors: Thongchote Kanogwun , Chinwaro Usa , Lapmanee Sarawut 
Published: November 2022

Background The postural abnormality, forward shoulder posture (FSP), is the most common cause of respiratory impairment in older individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A recent study found that performing pectoral stretching and scapular strengthening exercises for eight weeks could reduce FSP in healthy participants. We aimed to determine the effects of pectoral stretching and scapular stabilizer strengthening exercises on FSP, chest wall mobility, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary function in male patients with COPD. Methods This study was randomized clinical trial. Forty male COPD patients with FSP aged 60–90 years were included and randomly allocated to control (n=20) and exercise (n=20) groups. Following completion of the scapulothoracic exercises (three days/week, for eight weeks), respiratory functions were assessed by measuring the magnitude of FSP, chest mobility, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary functions. Results FSP and thoracic kyphosis angle significantly decreased compared to controls (p<0.001, p<0.001). Middle and lower chest mobility markedly increased (p<0.001, p<0.001) and the pectoralis minor index significantly improved (p<0.001). The strength of the lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles significantly increased at week eight of the exercise training (p<0.003, p<0.001). There was a marked increase in maximum inspiratory pressure and maximum expiratory pressure (p<0.001, p<0.001). Conclusions The eight-week combined pectoral muscles self-stretching and serratus anterior and lower trapezius strengthening exercises could be an effective treatment and/or prevention strategy for FSP reduction, leading to improved respiratory function in male COPD patients.
Analysis of energy storage materials for developments in solar cookers
Authors: Khatri Rahul , Goyal Rahul , Sharma Ravi Kumar 
Published: November 2022

Solar energy is accessible freely and can be utilized for many household and industrial applications. The consumption of solar energy for cooking applications has found significant success. Various innovations have been employed in facilitating cooking during off-sunshine hours. Thermal energy storage helps in overcoming the fluctuations in the supply of energy required for cooking during different time periods of the day. This study focuses on the different types of thermal energy storage mediums that are currently utilized in solar cooking. Primarily, oils and pebbles are most commonly used as sensible heat storage (SHS) while organic phase change materials (PCMs) are used as latent heat thermal energy storage materials (LHTES). The properties and performances of various SHS and latent heat storage (LHS) mediums have been compared for their suitable utilization. SHS materials are cost-effective but have lower thermal gradient compared to LHTES materials. The energy storage capability of LHTES is high while degradation with the increasing number of charging and discharging cycles is also considerable. The melting point should be close to the utilization temperature for being used as LHTES as thermal diffusivity of the materials greatly influences the performance of solar cookers. The cooking time is lower for solar cooking systems equipped with energy storage compared to non-equipped cooking systems. It is recognized that the use of energy storage has been proved as a huge advantage to solar cooking systems, however, the design, and heat transfer characteristics of the cooking vessel along with the storage material type and volume must be optimized in order to make this technology more influential.
Priorities for future research on reducing and stopping psychiatric medicines using a James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership: The PROTECT study protocol
Authors: Boland Miriam , Higgins Agnes , Beecher Claire , Bracken Pat , Burn Wendy , Cody Anne , Framer Adele , Gronlund Toto Anne , Horowitz Mark , Huff Christy , Jayacodi Sandra , Keating Dolores , Kessler David , Konradsson Geuken Asa , Lamberson Nicole , Montagu Luke , Osborne Brian , Smith Ruth , Cadogan Cathal 
Published: November 2022

Background: There is a growing number of service users looking to discontinue use of psychiatric medicines. Tapering is the recommended approach for reducing and/or discontinuing the use of psychiatric medicines. This involves gradually reducing the dose over time to minimise the potential for withdrawal symptoms. However, many uncertainties exist regarding the process of reducing and stopping psychiatric medicines. This study will use a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to determine the Top 10 unanswered questions and uncertainties about reducing and stopping psychiatric medicines. Methods: The Priority Setting Partnership will be conducted using the James Lind Alliance methodology. It will involve seven stages: (i) creating an international Steering Group of representatives from key stakeholder groups that will include people with lived experience of taking and/or stopping psychiatric medicines, family members, carers/supporters and healthcare professionals, and identifying potential partners to support key activities (e.g. dissemination); (ii) gathering uncertainties about reducing and stopping psychiatric medicines from key stakeholders using an online survey; (iii) data processing and summarising the survey responses; (iv) checking the summary questions against existing evidence and verifying uncertainties; (v) shortlisting the questions using a second online survey; (vi) determining the Top 10 research questions through an online prioritisation workshop; (vii) disseminating results. Conclusions: This study will use a Priority Setting Partnership to generate a Top 10 list of research questions and uncertainties about reducing and stopping psychiatric medicines. This list will help to guide future research and deliver responsive and strategic allocation of research resources, with a view to ultimately improving the future health and well-being of individuals who are taking psychiatric medicines.
Ultrasound appearance of the kidney among radiology department attendees of a tertiary centre in Malawi
Authors: Carey Laura , Tsidya Bright , Nkhalema Bazwell , Kaimba Sylvester , Chetcuti Karen , Joekes Elizabeth , Kreuels Benno , Henrion Marc , Rylance Jamie 
Published: November 2022

Background: Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in nephrology in low-resource settings are frequently based on ultrasound assessment of kidney size. An understanding of reference values is critical, particularly given the rise of non-communicable disease and the expanding availability of point-of-care ultrasound. However, there is a paucity of normative data from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We determined estimates of kidney ultrasound measures, including kidney size based on age, sex, and HIV status, among apparently healthy outpatient attendees of Queen Elizabeth Central hospital radiology department, Blantyre, Malawi. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional cohort study of 320 adults attending the radiology department between October 2021 and January 2022. Bilateral kidney ultrasound was performed on all participants using a portable Mindray DP-50 machine and a 5MHz convex probe. The sample was stratified by age, sex, and HIV status. Predictive linear modelling was used to construct reference ranges for kidney size estimating the central 95 percentiles of 252 healthy adults. Exclusion criteria for the healthy sample were known kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, BMI > 35, heavy alcohol intake, smoking and ultrasonographic abnormalities. Results: There were 162/320 (51%) male participants. The median age was 47 (interquartile range [IQR] 34-59). Of those whose HIV status was known and positive, 138/308 (45%), 134/138 (97%) were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Men had larger average kidney sizes: mean 9.68 cm (SD 0.80 cm), compared to 9.46 cm (SD 0.87 cm) in women (p = 0.01). Average kidney sizes in HIV-positive participants were not significantly different from those who were HIV-negative, 9.73 cm (SD 0.93 cm) versus 9.58 cm (SD 0.93 cm) (p = 0.63). Conclusions: This is the first report of the apparently healthy kidney size in Malawi. Predicted kidney size ranges may be used for reference in the clinical assessment of kidney disease in Malawi.
Midwives' decision making during normal labour and birth: a decision making framework
Authors: Jackson Karen 
Published: November 2022

Background/Aims Understanding how midwives make decisions and what influences those decisions during labour and birth might illuminate why childbirth is straightforward for some women but needs a more interventionist route for others. The aim of this study was to explore midwifery decision-making during normal labour and birth. Methods An interpretivist epistemology with a case-study approach was used for this study, which involved data collection at two case sites. The participants were midwives on duty at two labour suites of large regional teaching hospitals in the East Midlands. Focus group interviews, observations, diary keeping and documentary reviews were included. Results There were five main themes. The central theme was ‘the hybrid midwife’. Within this theme, midwives were found to be operating in dualistic belief systems. They were operating between woman-centred, intuitive philosophies and associated decision-making approaches, and organisation-centred, hypothetico-deductive philosophies and related decision-making strategies. From the literature review and study findings, the situated, dynamic midwifery decision-making framework ‘focus on straightforward labour and birth’ was developed to assist in midwifery decision-making. Conclusions Decision-making in normal labour and birth is a complex phenomenon, influenced by many factors. Midwives have to balance decision-making strategies that are appropriate for childbearing women across all risk categories. However, they do not always appear to be fully prepared for the reality of decision-making in clinical practice.
Clinical application of polylactic acid/gelatin nanofibre membrane in hard-to-heal lower extremity venous ulcers
Authors: Chen Hongrang , Shen Yun , Zhang Haitao , Long Xiaoyan , Deng Kunxue , Xu Tao , Li Yongsheng 
Published: November 2022

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of polylactic acid/gelatin nanofibre membranes (PGNMs) in treating hard-to-heal lower extremity venous ulcer wounds. Method: In this prospective study, patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs) were treated with PGNMs or standard of care. Wounds were assessed once a week until the wound was fully healed. Results: The treatment group was comprised of 10 patients with VLUs, aged between 47–64 years, with an average age of 56.58±6.19 years. The wounds were located in the lower leg and/or ankle. Average wound area was 8.91±13.57cm2 (range: 1.5–52.5cm2). Average wound healing time was 18.75±16.36 days. Of the patients, nine (90%) rated their pain as lighter when removing the dressing, with an average pain value of 2.0±1.0 points. There was less secondary trauma to the wound surface, and less bleeding. At six months after the wound healing, the scar evaluation (using the Vancouver Scar Scale) result was 3.75±1.96 points. Conclusion: In this study, the PGNMs were safe and effective in treating hard-to-heal lower extremity VLUs.
SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes: time to flozinate?
Authors: Davies Claire 
Published: November 2022

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have a wide range of benefits in people with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes. Claire Davies provides an overview of these drugs to support safe use in primary care Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, sometimes also referred to as ‘gliflozins’ or ‘flozins’, are an established class of medications used for the treatment of insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes. This article provides a summary of everything nursing staff in primary care need to know about the use of SGLT2 inhibitors for type 2 diabetes to support safe prescribing, monitoring and use.
Survival status and predictors of mortality among low-birthweight neonates admitted to KMC units of five public hospitals in Ethiopia: Frailty survival regression model
Authors: Debere Mesfin Kote , Haile Mariam Damen , Ali Ahmed , Mekasha Amha , Chan Grace J. 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundLow birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth are leading causes of under-five and neonatal mortality globally. Data about the timing of death and outcomes for LBW and preterm births are limited in Ethiopia and could be used to strengthen neonatal healthcare. This study describes the incidence of neonatal mortality rates (NMR) stratified by newborn size at birth for gestational age and identifies its predictors at five public hospitals in Ethiopia.MethodsA prospective follow-up study enrolled 808 LBW neonates from March 2017 to February 2019. Sex-specific birthweight for gestational age percentile was constructed using Intergrowth 21stcharts. Mortality patterns by birthweight for-gestational-age-specific survival curves were compared using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. A random-effects frailty survival model was employed to identify predictors of time to death.ResultsAmong the 808 newborns, the birthweight distribution was 3.2% <1000 g, 28.3% <1500 g, and 68.1% <2000 g, respectively. Birthweight for gestational age categories were 40.0% both preterm and small for gestational age (SGA), 20.4% term SGA, 35.4% appropriate weight for gestational age, and 4.2% large for gestational age (LGA). The sample included 242 deaths, of which 47.5% were both preterm and SGA. The incidence rate of mortality was 16.17/1000 (95% CI 14.26–18.34) neonatal-days of observation.Neonatal characteristics independently related to increased risk of time-to-death were male sex (adjusted hazards ratio [AHR] 3.21 95% CI 1.33–7.76), born preterm (AHR 8.56 95% CI 1.59–46.14), having been diagnosed with a complication (AHR 4.68 95% CI 1.49–14.76); some maternal characteristics and newborn care practices (like lack of effective KMC, AHR 3.54 95% CI 1.14–11.02) were also significantly associated with time-to-death.ConclusionsHigh mortality rates were measured for low birthweight neonates–especially those both preterm and SGA births–even in the context of tertiary care. These findings highlight the need for improved quality of neonatal care, especially for the smallest newborns.
Modelling the health and economic impact of sugary sweetened beverage tax in Canada
Authors: Liu Siyuan , Veugelers Paul J. , Maximova Katerina , Ohinmaa Arto 
Published: November 2022

Background
With the increasing concerns about the health and economic burden attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption, SSB taxation has been proposed and implemented in many countries. Many previous economic evaluations of SSB taxation have shown that this kind of policy is cost-effective. However, the magnitude of impact varies. This study aims to design a comprehensive model to estimate the impact and cost-effectiveness of the SSB tax in Canada.

Methods
A proportional multi-state life table-based Markov model was chosen to estimate the impacts of SSB tax in Canada. The health-related quality of life (including disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)), the costs (including health care costs and intervention costs), and the tax revenue were the main health and economic outcomes. We compared the simulated SSB tax with the current practice from the public health care payer perspective, and the tax was applied to the 2015 adult Canadian population up to 100 years. The economic model was built following guidelines from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health.

Results
After implementing a CAD$0.015/oz SSB tax, 282,104 cases of overweight and obesity, 210,542 cases of diseases, and 2,189 deaths could be prevented. The simulated SSB tax has the potential to avert 2.3 million DALYs, gain 1.5 million QALYs, and save CAD$32,583 million in health care costs in a lifetime period. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the SSB tax was CAD$ -24,933/QALY. The SSB tax with different tax levels (CAD$0.01/oz and CAD$0.02/oz) remained cost-effective.

Conclusion
Implementing the SSB tax in Canada is a potential cost-effective policy option for reducing obesity and related chronic diseases. The model built in this study provides a more accurate estimate of health and economic impact of SSB tax and could be used to estimate other sugar tax options.
Family Court in England and Wales: An Effective Safety Net?
Authors: Mant Jessica 
Published: November 2022

This article contributes an insight into how the decline of legal aid in family law has transformed the role of the family court in England and Wales, and how this is, in turn, is affecting the sustainability of the family justice system as a whole. It will begin by setting out some of the pressures that have historically characterized the legal aid system in England and Wales, focusing specifically on how family law advice and representation has been uniquely and particularly targeted by a host of intersecting political efforts to minimize people’s use of family lawyers and the family court when their relationships break down. The article will then turn to consider the consequences of this for the family court. Here, the article will reflect upon how these pressures have constrained capacity and altered working practices within the family court. In sum, it will examine how the decline of legal aid has impaired the extent to which the family court can effectively operate as a safety net for families in crisis, and what the future may hold for family justice.
Keywords: legal aid; access to justice; family law; litigants in person.
Beyond Advice Deserts: Strategic Ignorance and the Lack of Access to Asylum Legal Advice
Authors: Wilding Jo 
Published: November 2022

This essay explores the role of strategic ignorance in relation to access to legal advice in England and Wales, drawing on the work of Linsey McGoey (2012; 2019; 2020), taking areas of extreme shortage of immigration and asylum legal advice as an example of the wider phenomenon in access to justice. It argues that there is a misplaced belief in market-based procurement to meet advice needs, which leads to a failure to collect evidence to understand whether the market does in fact achieve this. This avoidance of evidence about market functioning and the relationship between demand and provision is facilitated by fragmentation of both policy and operational responsibilities, leaving large gaps for ignorance, in which the accounts and concerns of advice-users are dismissed as not credible. It argues that, in failing to collect adequate evidence about the functioning of the market, the Lord Chancellor is ignoring a statutory duty to secure the availability of legal aid.
Keywords: legal aid; advice deserts; strategic ignorance; asylum and immigration; LASPO Act 2012 section 2.
Sleep-Facilitated Sexual Assault
Authors: Rumney Philip N S , McPhee Duncan 
Published: November 2022

This note addresses a form of rape that is neglected in the scholarly literature. This form of offending occurs when a male uses his penis to vaginally, orally or anally penetrate a female or male who is sleeping at the time of the penetration. The data on which this note is based is gathered from a total sample of 441 police rape investigation case files, from which 39 of these sleep cases are identified. The note examines some of the characteristics of these cases, investigative trajectories through the criminal justice process and the behaviour of suspects. Given the neglect with which this issue has been treated, it is argued that further research would be beneficial so as to improve our understanding of the rape of those who are sleeping and the criminal justice and police response to this problem.
Keywords: rape; victims; suspects; sleep; police investigations.
Case Judgment: England & Wales - Bates v Post Office Ltd (No 4: Recusal Application) Judgment by Coulson LJ
Authors: Case Judgment: England & Wales 
Published: November 2022

Case citation:
Bates v Post Office Ltd (No.4: Recusal Application) Judgment by Coulson LJ on the application by the Post Office Limited to appeal the recusal decision, 9 May 2019 (A1/2019/0855), Court of Appeal, not reported, Supplement, 18 Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review (2021)