Peer-reviewed Scientific Papers Research Articles

Narrowing down the drivers of flood risk in medium-sized sub-Saharan African cities: insights from the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

ABSTRACT Literature on the drivers of flooding in sub-Saharan Africa is mostly focused on large and megacities, despite the majority of cities in the region being medium- and small-sized. We conducted a systematic review using 27 peer-reviewed scientific papers selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocols using the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA), Ghana, as a case study, and validated the results in a workshop attended by 51 stakeholders. We found that the reported drivers of flood risk in GKMA are land cover changes (61.5%) (e.g. wetlands degradation); governance challenges (16.2%); challenges with drainage (13%); extreme rainfall (6.5%); and apathy towards nature (3.2%). We conclude that floods in GKMA are overwhelmingly human induced through unsustainable urbanization processes that are so rapid that city authorities are unable to properly control them. Also, a holistic understanding of flood risk is missing since majority of the included papers rather used qualitative methodologies.

Children's and parents' experiences of home care provided by hospital staff: A scoping review.

To describe what is known from existing scientific literature on children's and parents' experiences of hospital-based home care and to identify future research areas. The scoping review design used adheres to the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley, and to the PRISMA-ScR checklist. A systematic search was conducted, and peer-reviewed scientific papers were screened through the application of Rayyan software. Data were extracted and presented in table and synthesised thematically as narrative text. Searches were carried out November 2021 and updated November 2022 in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Elite, and Amed databases and Google Scholar. A total of 1950 studies were screened and assessed for eligibility. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria by reporting on parents' experiences, whereas five out of these eight studies also reported on the experiences of children. Parents of children with cancer and preterm children reported feeling more in control, being empowered, and being more connected to their children's care team when their children were receiving hospital-based home care. The family's own resources were activated, and they felt more involved in their children's care compared to being in an inpatient setting. Children with cancer, acute infection, chronic disease, and/or a syndrome reported feeling safer and more comfortable in their home environment and experienced better interaction with their care providers. Some aspects of the children's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were improved. The identified studies indicate that hospital-based home care is a valued alternative to traditional inpatient care by both parents and children. The mode of care has no crucial negative effects. Future studies should encompass the experiences of children with different diagnoses and syndromes and compare patients treated in a traditional hospital setting with those in a hospital-based home-care programme. Children's and parents' experiences of HBHC indicate that it offers a good solution if parents are well prepared and feel in control. In addition, certain structural conditions must be in place before this type of care can be established: there must be a certain number of patients and the hospital must not be too far away. In the field of neonatal home care, professionals should be more responsive to fathers' needs and tailor support by focusing on their individual experiences and needs. Our findings may guide and inform best practice for present and future providers of HBHC. Hospital-based home care can offer families a greater degree of autonomy, more flexible care options, improved family functioning, improved communication with care providers, and more control over the child's care. When certain structural conditions are met, such as a certain number of patients, the hospital not being too far away, and parents being well prepared and feeling in control, then hospital-based home care is valued as an alternative to traditional inpatient care. Specific aspects of children's HRQOL may improve, and the psychosocial burden on the family does not increase. HBHC provides a valued alternative to traditional inpatient care and allows families to receive care in the comfort of their own home. Our findings may guide and inform best practice for present and future providers of hospital-based home care. In this scoping review, we have adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. There has been no direct patient or public contribution to the review. Not required.

Defining Life Skills in health promotion at school: a scoping review.

Life Skills have been central to Health Promotion interventions and programmes with children and adolescents for over 40 years. School is a strategic setting for Life Skills education. Recently, policy-and decision-makers have focused on Life Skills development for youth. Research on Life Skills has gained momentum. Different terms are used to discuss and define Life Skills. Research identifies a lack of conceptual definition. The purpose of this study is to identify the definitions in the literature in English and French, and to reach a conceptual and consensual definition. The Scoping Review methodology was used. Three research questions aim to identify how Life Skills are defined in the field of health promotion at school, to see whether a conceptual and consensual definition exists, and, if relevant, to propose a conceptual definition. The search was conducted in 5 databases by 3 reviewers. This study focused on full-text publications in English or French, human studies, health promotion in school, school pupils, teacher training, and with a definition of Life Skills. Publications on after-school activities, higher education outside teacher training, adult education, other than peer-reviewed scientific papers were excluded. 48 publications were included in English and 7 in French. NVIVO was used to determine and compare the French and English terms used for Life Skills and their definitions. According to the three research questions, (i) the terms used to define Life Skills are diverse and numerous, with different purposes at school in relation to health promotion, and different taxonomies, and relate to different areas of research; (ii) no consensual, conceptual definition of Life Skills was found; (iii) further semantic, epistemological and ontological clarifications are required. Some conceptual definitions of Life Skills exist without consensus. Life Skills being at the crossroads between different fields could explain this and is illustrated by the multiplicity and diversity of the terms employed, and the various taxonomies and purposes used at school in health promotion. This may also explain why they are difficult to evaluate. Defining Life Skills consensually cannot be achieved due to the diversity of research perspectives from different fields.

Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the contralesional dorsal premotor cortex on upper limb function in severe ischaemic stroke: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an evidence-based treatment widely recommended to promote hand motor recovery after ischaemic stroke. However, the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS over the motor cortex in...

Effect of bovine subclinical mastitis on milk production and economic performance of Brazilian dairy farms

This review summarized the significant results from Brazilian studies published in peer-reviewed scientific papers about the effect of bovine subclinical mastitis (SM) on economic performance and milk production. Different approaches were considered for (i) disease detection (indirect measurement of somatic cell count (SCC) and directly using microbiological culture) and (ii) milk sampling strategy (mammary quarters, composite cow samples, and bulk milk tank). Globally, bovine mastitis is the most common disease of dairy herds, and the subclinical presentation is the most frequent. Dairy farmers usually underestimate the economic losses associated with SM because no visual changes in milk and quarters, udder, and systemic symptoms are observed. SM reduces milk yield and quality, reducing dairy herds’ profitability. The estimation of losses depends on the causative pathogen, the lactation stage, and the parity of affected cows. Thus, estimating the economic caused by SM in milk production and economic performance in dairy herds can be used to decide which mastitis control strategies to adopt. Mastitis control involves adopting specific measures associated with the characteristics of each herd, the period of the highest frequency of cases, the transmission form, and the profile of the pathogens involved in cases of intramammary infection. Thus, using individual SCC, the microbiological identification of pathogens causing SM, adopting efficient drying-off protocols, and other management practices are essential for mastitis control, improved milk quality, and greater profitability of dairy herds.

Interdisciplinary Integration of Computational Thinking in K-12 Education: A Systematic Review

There is an increasing interest in the integration of computational thinking (CT) in the K-12 curriculum. By integrating CT into other disciplines, the aim is to equip students with essential skills to navigate domain-specific challenges. This study conducts a systematic review of 108 peer-reviewed scientific papers to analyze in which K-12 subjects CT is being integrated, learning objectives, CT integration levels, instructional strategies, technologies and tools employed, assessment strategies, research designs and educational stages of participants. The findings reveal that: (a) over two-thirds of the CT integration studies predominantly focus on science and mathematics; (b) the majority of the studies implement CT at the substitution level rather than achieving a transformation impact; (c) active learning is a commonly mentioned instructional strategy, with block-based languages and physical devices being frequently utilized tools; (d) in terms of assessment, the emphasis primarily lies in evaluating attitudes towards technology or the learning context, rather than developing valid and reliable assessment instruments. These findings shed light on the current state of CT integration in K-12 education. The identified trends provide valuable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers seeking to effectively incorporate CT across various disciplines in a manner that fosters meaningful skill development with an interdisciplinary approach. By leveraging these insights, we can strive to enhance CT integration efforts, ensuring the holistic development of students' computational thinking abilities and promoting their preparedness for the increasingly interdisciplinary domains of digital world.

Ethics of data-driven innovation in the treatment and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest

Ethics of data-driven innovation in the treatment and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest ESCAPE-NET aims to discover inherited, acquired and environmental causes of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and to improve resuscitation treatment for SCA. A shared database of more than 100,000 SCA patients has been created and less than 10,000 DNA samples collected, with procedures for data access by researchers outside the project consortium. ESCAPE-NET has generated 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Coping in soccer athletes: A systematic review

Objective: Review the studies that investigated coping in soccer. Methods: A systemic search was carried out in the following databases: Pubmed, Web of Science, Scielo, Scopus, PsychINFO and SPORTDiscus. The descriptors related to the terms (Coping skills, Sport and Football) were verified in the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database. The inclusion criteria used were: Empirical studies published in journals peer-reviewed scientific papers; b) Studies published from December 2014 to December 2019; c) with at least one quantitative measure; d) Studies with samples of soccer athletes; and e) Articles with specific reference to the topic 'Coping skills'. Results: The results showed that coping skills interact with important variables for good performance in elite soccer, such as competitive level, sports talent, psychopathologies, age group and sex. More specifically, it was noted that the development of some coping strategies, such as facing adversity, trust/motivation and performance under pressure, are potentially common to these variables. Conclusion: It is concluded that the development of some coping strategies is fundamental to the elite athlete, since it is positively associated with the optimal development of most of the variables analyzed in the synthesized studies.

A Scaffolded Module to Improve Scientific Literacy by Engaging Students with Primary Literature Using the Instructor's Research Experience.

To improve students' scientific literacy, I designed a learning module that built upon my personal research experience and interest to actively engage students in reading primary literature. Here, I describe the scaffolded procedure in six steps, each linked to a learning outcome and assessment using Bloom's taxonomy as a framework of increasing from lower-order to higher-order cognition: (i) storytelling and discussion, i.e., remember; (ii) guided reading, i.e., understand; (iii) group reading, i.e., apply; (iv) shared reading, i.e., analyze; (v) self-selected reading, i.e., evaluate; and (vi) research proposal, i.e., create. By using my personal science story as introduction and foundation, students were able to connect to the content and consider the importance of the process of science. By providing a scaffolded introduction and guided support, students were able to read primary literature with less frustration and with greater confidence. I assessed these activities to determine if they increased student engagement and student confidence in reading peer-reviewed scientific papers. Students completed a survey rating their confidence reading scientific papers on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). Reported confidence increased following the activities (mean of 1.9 before to 3.2 after) and activities were rated as helpful (mean of 3.1). These activities can be applied to most fields of research, allowing faculty at nonresearch institutions the opportunity to incorporate their research into teaching while achieving successful general education outcomes.

Modelling CH4 emission from rice ecosystem: A comparison between existing empirical models

Rice is a staple food for more than three billion people and accounts for up to 11% of the global methane (CH4) emissions from anthropogenic sources. With increasing populations, particularly in less developed countries where rice is a major cereal crop, production continues to increase to meet demand. Implementing site-specific mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice is important to minimise climate change. Measuring greenhouse gases is costly and time-consuming; therefore, many farmers, supply chains, and scientists rely on greenhouse gas accounting tools or internationally acceptable methodologies (e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to estimate emissions and explore mitigation options. In this paper, existing empirical models that are widely used have been evaluated against measured CH4 emission data. CH4 emission data and management information were collected from 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Model input variables such as soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, water management during crop season and pre-season, and organic amendment application were collected and used for estimation of CH4 emission. The performance of the models was evaluated by comparing the predicted emission values against measured emissions with the result showing that the models capture the impact of different management on emissions, but either under- or overestimate the emission value, and therefore are unable to capture the magnitude of emissions. Estimated emission values are much lower than observed for most of the rice-producing countries, with R correlation coefficient values varying from −0.49 to 0.87 across the models. In conclusion, current models are adequate for predicting emission trends and the directional effects of management, but are not adequate for estimating the magnitude of emissions. The existing models do not consider key site-specific variables such as soil texture, planting method, cultivar type, or growing season, which all influence emissions, and thus, the models lack sensitivity to key site variables to reliably predict emissions.

Legendary Women in Dentistry: Racquel Z. LeGeros.

Racquel LeGeros' life demonstrates an inspirational phenomenon by which, through scholarly and academic production, one woman can have a dramatic effect shaping society. Although famous for her focus on biomaterials, ranging from bioceramics to calcium phosphates, her personal experiences likely shaped her work in public health, which took aim at oral health disparities. LeGeros left her home in Manila, Philippines and came to Manhattan at 18 years old to pursue her Master's degree at New York University. She served with great distinction NYU for over 50 years, rising to the rank of professor and associate chair of the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics. Her life experience allowed her to improve conditions for others like her. Her roles in life, the oldest daughter of eight children, a mother and a wife, likely gave her the tools to mentor. Not only did teaching and mentorship within her laboratory research generate a pipeline of independent researchers carrying forward biomaterials research, development, and implementation, but it also exemplified inclusion of individuals from a variety of demographics around the world who, today as independent scientists, bring diverse perspectives to science. A thorough evaluation of her over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, tells a story that extends beyond the very important pioneering strides beyond materials development and public health dentistry. Her career arc amplifies the understanding of how scientific discovery translates to improve and upgrade society. LeGeros' progressive and comprehensive mindset is evident as she considered the implications of her science on larger problems facing society, dedicating her investigations to uncovering the causes and structures that reify healthcare inequity. Beyond clinical science, LeGeros applied research findings to improve health equity, social justice. Through her work and its impact on society, Dr. Racquel LeGeros is a remarkable figure.

Using Hexbugs™ to model gas pressure and electrical conduction: A pandemic-inspired distance lab

We describe a pandemic-inspired, modern physics distance lab course, focused both on engaging undergraduate physics majors in scientific research from their homes and on building skills in scientific paper reading and writing. To introduce the experimental and analytic tools, students are first asked to complete a traditional lab assignment in which collections of Hexbugs™, randomly moving toy automatons, are used to model gas molecules and to confirm the ideal gas law. Subsequently, after consulting the literature, students propose and implement semester-long experiments using Hexbugs™, smartphones, and materials commonly found at home to model various concepts in statistical mechanics and electrical conduction. A sample project focused on the Drude model, in which Hexbugs™ on a tilted plane are used to model electrical conduction, is described in detail. Alongside the research projects, students write formal, peer-reviewed scientific papers on their work, modeling the professional publication process as closely as possible. Somewhat paradoxically, we found that the pandemic-inspired exigency of reliance on simple, home-built experiments enabled an increased focus on developing experimental research skills and achieving the laboratory learning objectives recommended by the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Instruments for measuring patient safety competencies in nursing: a scoping review

BackgroundPatient safety competencies in nursing are essential for the quality of healthcare. To develop practices and collaboration in nursing care, valid instruments that measure competencies in patient safety are needed.ObjectiveTo...

Molecular Dynamics Study of Citrullinated Proteins Associated with the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Biological activity regulation by protein post-translational modification (PTM) is critical for cell function, development, differentiation, and survival. Dysregulation of PTM proteins is present in various pathological conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects joints, and there are three main types of protein PTMs associated with the development of this disease, namely, glycosylation, citrullination, and carbamylation. Glycosylation is important for the processing and presentation of antigen fragments on the cell surface and can modulate immunoglobulin activity. The citrullination of autoantigens is closely associated with RA, as evidenced by the presence of antibodies specific to citrullinated proteins in the serum of patients. Carbamylation and dysregulation have recently been associated with RA development in humans.In this study, we performed an overview analysis of proteins with post-translational modifications associated with the development of RA adverted in peer-reviewed scientific papers for the past 20 years. As a result of the search, a list of target proteins and corresponding amino acid sequences with PTM in RA was formed. Structural characteristics of the listed modified proteins were extracted from the Protein Data Bank. Then, molecular dynamics experiments of intact protein structures and corresponding structures with PTMs were performed regarding structures in the list announced in the ProtDB service. This study aimed to conduct a molecular dynamics study of intact proteins and proteins, including post-translational modification and protein citrullination, likely associated with RA development. We observed another exhibition of the fundamental physics concept, symmetry, at the submolecular level, unveiled as the autonomous repetitions of outside the protein structural motif performance globule corresponding to those in the whole protein molecule.

European sudden cardiac arrest network: towards prevention, education, and new effective treatments

European sudden cardiac arrest network: towards prevention, education, and new effective treatments ESCAPE NET aims to discover inherited, acquired and environmental causes of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and to improve resuscitation treatment for SCA. A shared database of less than 100,000 SCA patients has been created and more than 10,000 DNA samples collected, with procedures for data access by researchers outside the project consortium. ESCAPE-NET has generated 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Identifying personal health-related resources of women with breast cancer for nursing: An integrative review.

Personal health-related resources are essential for women with breast cancer, as these help them to maintain their own health and well-being during different phases of their illness. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify, describe and synthetise what personal health-related resources have already been identified for this patient group. We carried out an integrative review to find papers that focused on personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer aged 18-64years. The search covered 1January 2005 to 31May 2021 and was carried out using the CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. It was limited to peer-reviewed scientific papers with abstracts published in English and 23 papers met the inclusion criteria. The data were analysed using content analysis. Personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer consisted of three different, but inherently interconnected, categories of personal strengths, person-centred cancer care and social support from and involvement in their cultural community. Personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer were multifaceted. Women need nursing support to identify and use these resources and future studies are needed to strengthen how they are measured.

Nursing support for older people's autonomy in residential care: An integrative review.

Nurses play a crucial role in enabling older people's autonomy in residential care. However, there is a lack of synthesised knowledge about how nurses can support older people. The aim of this study was to identify and synthesise nursing support for older people's autonomy in residential care. An integrative review was carried out by searching the CINAHL, Philosopher's index, PubMed, SocINDEX, Scopus and Web of Science databases, supplemented by manual searches. The searches focused on peer-reviewed scientific empirical research papers published in English, without date limitations. The constant comparison method was used for the analysis. The review identified 24 papers, and these showed that older people's autonomy was based on dignity. Nurses protected older people's autonomy in eight different ways. They protected their right to make their own decisions, acted as advocates, respected their wishes, provided opportunities for autonomy, fostered independence, gave information to residents and relatives, provided individualised care practices and protected older people's safety. However, there were also barriers that needed to be overcome. Nurses used multiple, individually tailored activities to support older people's autonomy, but they also had different reasons for supporting or hindering it. Work and leadership structures are needed to ensure that older people's autonomy is driven by ethical practices. The results of this review can help nurses who provide residential care for older people to recognise the different nursing activities that can be used to support older people's autonomy and to develop strategies to apply them in different daily care situations. However, further research is needed to determine how these activities can be realised in daily care and how they cover different aspects of older people's lives in residential care.

Indoor exposure levels of radon in dwellings, schools, and offices in China from 2000 to 2020: A systematic review.

After decades of development, the indoor environment in China has changed. A systematic review was conducted from peer-reviewed scientific papers with field test data of indoor radon in China from 2000 to 2020 for three types of buildings. The mean concentrations of indoor radon for dwellings, school buildings, and office buildings are 54.6, 56.1, and 54.9Bq/m3 . The indoor radon concentration was related to seasons, climate regions, ventilation, decoration, and other factors such as soil and outdoor air. Colder seasons, especially in severe colder areas of China, newer decorated buildings, closed windows, and doors were all associated with higher indoor radon concentrations. Variables like climate region and ventilation showed statistical significance in the correlation analysis. Regarding the increasing trend of indoor radon concentration in China during the last two decades, further study of indoor radon is necessary especially for school buildings and office buildings, and will help access its environmental burden of disease in China more accurately.

A Comprehensive View on Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs): Genetics, Risk Factors & Preventions

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are one of the foremost causes of deaths across the world. This review aims to evaluate the genetics and risk factors involved in CVDs and to assess the preventive measures which can be taken for diminishing the chances of developing CVDs. The goal of this review is to provide researchers and clinicians dealing with vascular disorders with a compendium of data about the genetic causes, risk factors, and preventive strategies to combat the development of CVDs. We searched online databases including PubMed for peer-reviewed scientific papers, case studies and review articles related to CVDs, emphasizing on the role of genetics and risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, age & gender in the progression of CVDs, and reviewing the role of diet and exercise in the prevention of CVDs. Managing the risk factors involved in CVDs is the most essential step for the inhibition of vascular diseases. Healthy lifestyle interventions consisting of a well-balanced diet and physical activity are very critical for the prevention of CVDs. Trials carried out on model organisms have indicated a direct link between diet and exercise on cardiovascular conditions. Strategies involved in the treatment of vascular diseases should also include low-fat diet plans like consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, yogurts and avoiding high-saturated fat-containing foods with the addition of performing moderate aerobic exercises including cycling, swimming, hiking, and running to eliminate the root of the problem.

Striving for Inclusion—A Systematic Review of Long-Term Participation in Strategic Management of Urban Green Spaces

This systematic review contributes to the research field of user participation by suggesting a new holistic approach comprising a cyclic process model for long-term participation in the strategic management of urban green spaces, including analysis, design, and implementation phases, each followed by an evaluation. User participation in urban green spaces is encouraged in international conventions. Such initiatives aim to involve citizens more closely in decisions regarding local spaces, based on the premise that this will create better, more inclusive, and sustainable local environments. However, a social inclusion perspective is largely absent in the growing body of European scientific literature on urban green spaces. Further, user participation processes are often carried out within projects, with uncertainties about which strategic management phase (planning, design, construction, and/or maintenance) to emphasize and about the long-term sustainability of project-based participation. Therefore, the literature was examined for tools for participation with the focus on participation of local users in the strategic management of urban green spaces, and in particular, marginalized groups. A systematic review based on peer-reviewed scientific papers revealed the necessity for adapting participation processes to the known needs of different participant groups, including those of marginalized groups often excluded in the past. Local authorities have several pathways to socially inclusive and long-term participation. These include choosing and employing a suitable participation approach, anchoring repeated project-based participation in existing municipal long-term strategies, continuously supporting participating users and evaluating ongoing participation processes, and employing a mix of participation types and approaches. The “cyclic process model for long-term participation in strategic management of UGS” presented in this paper could guide such efforts.