Restricted Period Research Articles

A spatial analysis of risk factors associated with road collisions in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and using a geographically weighted regression approach

This study examined changes in the spatial patterns and determinants of road collisions in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 2019 and 2020, encompassing the initial period of COVID-19 mobility restrictions. Kernel density estimation and local indicators of spatial association were used to compare collision distributions and identify significant clusters between years. A geographically weighted negative binomial regression model then generated local coefficients to analyze how demographic, socioeconomic, land use, and road network factors influenced collision probability spatially. Results show collisions decreased 13.18% in 2020 but clustered differently, validating restrictions' impact. Population aged 15–64 and industrial land uses significantly increased risk spatially, whereas commercial uses decreased. Lower socioeconomic conditions also correlated with higher risk. Younger populations presented varying collision likelihoods intra-urbanly. This research thus emphasizes how local contexts shape risk factors’ effects and informs data-driven safety policies accounting for place-specific issues. By adopting an explicitly spatial modeling approach, localized risk patterns were uncovered not detectable through traditional methods.

COVID-19 experience of people with severe mental health conditions and families in South Africa.

People with severe mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, and their family caregivers are underserved in low- and middle-income countries where structured psychosocial support in the community is often lacking. This can present challenges to recovery and for coping with additional strains, such as a pandemic. This study explored the experiences and coping strategies of people with lived experience of a severe mental health condition, and family caregivers, in South Africa during the initial stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This qualitative study was conducted in the Nelson Mandela Bay District, Eastern Cape, South Africa, in the most restrictive period of the COVID-19 lockdown. Telephonic qualitative interviews were conducted with people with lived experience (n = 14) and caregivers (n = 15). Audio recordings were transcribed and translated to English from isiXhosa. Thematic analysis was conducted with NVivo 12. Participants described negative impacts including increased material hardship, intensified social isolation and heightened anxiety, particularly among caregivers who had multiple caregiving responsibilities. Coping strategies included finding ways to not only get support from others but also give support, engaging in productive activities and taking care of physical health. The main limitation was inclusion only of people with access to a telephone. Support needs for people with severe mental health conditions and their families should include opportunities for social interaction and sharing coping strategies as well as bolstering financial security. These findings indicate that current support for this vulnerable group is inadequate, and resource allocation for implementation of additional community-based, recovery-focused services for families must be prioritised.

Teaching Experimental Instrumental Analytical Chemistry Are we forming professionals, training operators or illuding students (and ourselves)?

Teaching Experimental Instrumental Analytical Chemistry Are we forming professionals, training operators or illuding students (and ourselves)?

Temporary Seismic Network in the Metropolitan Area of Rome (Italy): New Insight on an Urban Seismology Experiment

Abstract This study presents data and preliminary analysis from a temporary seismic network (SPQR), which was deployed in the urban area of Rome (Italy) for three months in early 2021. The network was designed to investigate the city’s subsurface while evaluating the feasibility of a permanent urban seismic network, and consisted of 24 seismic stations. Despite significant anthropogenic noise, the SPQR network well recorded earthquake signals, revealing clear spatial variability referable to site effects. In addition, the network’s continuous recordings allowed the use of seismic noise and earthquake signals to derive spectral ratios at sites located in different geological and lithological settings. During the experiment, there were periods of activity restrictions imposed on citizens to limit the spread of COVID-19. Although the observed power spectral density levels at stations may not show visible noise reductions, they do cause variations in calculated spectral ratios across measurement sites. Finally, a statistical noise analysis was conducted on continuous seismic station data to evaluate their performance in terms of detection threshold for earthquakes. The results indicate that all network stations can effectively record earthquakes with a good signal-to-noise ratio (≥5 for P and S phases) in the magnitude range of 1.9–3.3 at distances of 10 km and 80 km, respectively. In addition, the network has the potential to record earthquakes of magnitude 4 up to 200 km, covering areas in Central Italy that are far from the city. This analysis shows that it is possible to establish urban observatories in noisy cities such as Rome, where hazard studies are of particular importance due to the high vulnerability (inherent fragility of its monumental heritage) and exposure.

Use of progestogens and the risk of intracranial meningioma: national case-control study

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess the risk of intracranial meningioma associated with the use of selected progestogens.DesignNational case-control study.SettingFrench National Health Data System (ie, Système National des Données de Santé).ParticipantsOf 108 366 women...

Ca isotopic gradients in epeiric marine carbonates: Diagenetic origins of and significance for Ca cycle reconstructions

Marine carbonates record geochemical information on the state of Earth’s surface environment in the geological past, but recrystallization during burial can make the records difficult to interpret. Here, we report shore to basin gradients in δ44Ca values in matrix limestone and burrow dolomite across a sequence of Late Ordovician (Katian Stage) burrow-mottled carbonates in the Williston Basin, an intracratonic epeiric marine basin in North America. Both gradients are interpreted to have diagenetic origins. The gradient in limestone δ44Ca values developed in a bathymetrically controlled sediment- to fluid-buffered diagenetic system operating between the center and the edges of the basin. Two dolomitizing events formed the gradient in dolomite δ44Ca values. The sediment-buffered end of the limestone gradient preserves the δ44Ca value of the original carbonate mud (∼–1.28 ± 0.10 ‰). The fluid-buffered end of the gradient conserves the δ44Ca value of contemporaneous seawater (–0.47 ± 0.10 ‰), because: (1) pore water exchange drivers operated with greater variety and intensity in shallow water settings, (2) shallow nearshore deposits exchanged more Ca with seawater during recrystallization to diagenetic calcite than deeper offshore deposits, and (3) diagenetic calcite formed with negligible fractionation under equilibrium conditions. The gradient conserves the local value of Δsed (–0.81 ± 0.20 ‰) despite its diagenetic origin, and the magnitude of Δsed is consistent with primary calcite precipitation in a ‘calcite sea’. Field assessment of the equilibrium Ca isotope fractionation factor between calcite and dolomite of –0.41 ± 0.17 ‰ at ambient temperature is applied to correct basin-centered dolomite for fractionation, yielding –1.62 ± 0.27 ‰, which is very different from the –0.25 ± 0.07 ‰ value of Ca in evaporatively concentrated seawater from which the dolomite originally formed. Applying the same fractionation factor to correct literature data on early diagenetic dolomite in the Great Basin, North America, yields –0.69 ± 0.22 ‰ for the δ44Ca value of seawater, which is ∼0.2 ‰ lower than ‘normal marine’ waters in stratigraphically equivalent deposits in the Willison Basin, and 0.44 ‰ lower than evaporatively concentrated seawater during a brief period of basin restriction and anhydrite deposition. The nearly 0.5 ‰ variation in the δ44Ca value of Katian seawater falls within the range of scatter in the brachiopod reconstruction of seawater Ca isotopes. Here, we propose that the true ocean record of secular change lies towards the bottom of the range of scatter, and that the higher values in the record reflect local Ca cycling and circulation restriction in epeiric seas. Epeiric seas cultivate the fluid-buffered diagenetic conditions required to promote Ca isotope exchange between reactive carbonate sediments and seawater through carbonate mineral dissolution/recrystallization, crystal coarsening by way of Ostwald ripening, and replacive dolomitization. It is not the apportioning of kinetically fractionated aragonite and calcite in the carbonate deposition flux that drove secular changes in global value of Δsed between ‘calcite’ and ‘aragonite’ seas, but rather the replacement of kinetic fractionations with equilibrium fractionations during fluid-buffered diagenesis with seawater.

Инвестиционный процесс в России: проблемы и перспективы в санкционный период

The article analyzes the investment process in the Russian economy during the period of serious sanctions restrictions. Since the Russian economy has an export-raw materials orientation, the industry, primarily processing, does not receive proper development, and many large manufacturing companies are foreign partners, who for the most part either closed their business in Russia altogether or sold it to Russian partners, today there are difficulties with the development of the main – the real sector of the economy. The purpose of the work was to study the current situation with the volume and structure of investments in the Russian economy. To do this, the statistical data of Rosstat by federal districts, by sources of financing in fixed assets and by types of fixed assets were analyzed. The authors identified the most pressing problems of the Russian economy for 2023, including: lack of funds for the development of industry, lack of technologies for the development of knowledge-intensive industries due to lack of funding, withdrawal of foreign partners, insufficient state support within state funds, etc. Based on this, practical ways of solving the difficulties that have arisen in the framework of the investment process in the Russian economy have been proposed.

An early enriched experience drives targeted microglial engulfment of miswired neural circuitry during a restricted postnatal period.

Brain function is critically dependent on correct circuit assembly. Microglia are well-known for their important roles in immunological defense and neural plasticity, but whether they can also mediate experience-induced correction of miswired circuitry is unclear. Ten-m3 knockout (KO) mice display a pronounced and stereotyped visuotopic mismapping of ipsilateral retinal inputs in their visual thalamus, providing a useful model to probe circuit correction mechanisms. Environmental enrichment (EE) commenced around birth, but not later in life, can drive a partial correction of the most mismapped retinal inputs in Ten-m3 KO mice. Here, we assess whether enrichment unlocks the capacity for microglia to selectively engulf and remove miswired circuitry, and the timing of this effect. Expression of the microglial-associated lysosomal protein CD68 showed a clear enrichment-driven, spatially restricted change which had not commenced at postnatal day (P)18, was evident at P21, more robust at P25, and had ceased by P30. This was observed specifically at the corrective pruning site and was absent at a control site. An engulfment assay at the corrective pruning site in P25 mice showed EE-driven microglial-uptake of the mismapped axon terminals. This was temporally and spatially specific, as no enrichment-driven microglial engulfment was seen in P18 KO mice, nor the control locus. The timecourse of the EE-driven corrective pruning as determined anatomically, aligned with this pattern of microglia reactivity and engulfment. Collectively, these findings show experience can drive targeted microglial engulfment of miswired neural circuitry during a restricted postnatal window. This may have important therapeutic implications for neurodevelopmental conditions involving aberrant neural connectivity.

Antibiotic management programme in a tertiary intensive care unit: effects of a carbapenem-restricted period on clinical and laboratory parameters and costs of infections

Carbapenems are antibiotics used for serious infections. The consumption of carbapenems has increased worldwide due to increasing microbial resistance. To investigate the effects of a carbapenem-restricted antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) on changes in the resistance profiles of infectious agents, the amount of antibiotics used, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), mortality, and costs. Patients hospitalized in ICU between July 1st, 2020 and May 1st, 2021 were divided into two periods: the carbapenem-non-restricted period (CNRP); and the carbapenem-restricted period (CRP) in which alternative antibiotics to carbapenems were preferred during infection. The defined daily dose (DDD) per 100 patient-day methodology was used to calculate the antibiotic consumption. Of the 572 patients included in the study, 62.2% were male, and mean age was 70.5 years. In the blood culture the most frequently Gram-negative agent was Acinetobacter baumannii (25%). A.baumannii bloodstream infections with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug resistant micro-organisms were significantly different between the two periods (CNRP: 95.6% (N= 22), CRP: 66.6% (N= 8); P= 0.04). There was a gradual decrease in the incidence density and rate of nosocomial infection (P= 0.06), and a significant decrease in meropenem consumption between the two periods (CNRP vs CRP: 21.19 vs 6.37 DDD per 100 patient-days respectively; P= 0.007). ASP yielded US$8,600 of antibiotic cost savings and a total of 14% patient cost savings (P < 0.05) per patient. Combining an effective ASP with a comprehensive infection control programme may mitigate the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Description of the fasted serum metabolomic signature of lean and obese cats at maintenance and of obese cats under energy restriction.

This study aimed to investigate the serum metabolomic profile of obese and lean cats as well as obese cats before and after energy restriction for weight loss. Thirty cats, 16 obese (body condition score 8 to 9/9) and 14 lean (body condition score 4 to 5/9), were fed a veterinary weight loss food during a 4-week period of weight maintenance (L-MAINT and O-MAINT). The 16 obese cats were then energy restricted by a 60% energy intake reduction with the same food for a 10-week period (O-RESTRICT). Fasted serum metabolites were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance and direct infusion mass spectrometry after the maintenance period for L-MAINT and O-MAINT cats and after the energy restriction period for O-RESTRICT and compared between groups using a two-sided t-test. Obese cats lost 672 g ± 303 g over the 10-week restriction period, representing a weight loss rate of 0.94 ± 0.28% per week. Glycine, l-alanine, l-histidine, l-glutamine, 2-hydroxybutyrate, isobutryric acid, citric acid, creatine, and methanol were greater in O-RESTRICT compared to O-MAINT. There was a greater concentration of long-chain acylcarnitines in O-RESTRICT compared to both O-MAINT and L-MAINT, and greater total amino acids compared to O-MAINT. Glycerol and 3-hydroxybutyric acid were greater in O-MAINT compared to L-MAINT, as were several lysophosphatidylcholines. Thus, energy restriction resulted in increased dispensable amino acids in feline serum which could indicate alterations in amino acid partitioning. An increase in lipolysis was not evident, though greater circulating acylcarnitines were observed, suggesting that fatty acid oxidation rates may have been greater under calorie restriction. More research is needed to elucidate energy metabolism and substrate utilization, specifically fatty acid oxidation and methyl status, during energy restriction in strict carnivorous cats to optimize weight loss.

Water restriction increases oxidation of endogenous amino acids in house sparrows (Passer domesticus).

Animals can cope with dehydration in a myriad of ways, both behaviorally and physiologically. The oxidation of protein produces more metabolic water per kilojoule than that of fat or carbohydrate, and it is well established that birds increase protein catabolism in response to high rates of water loss. However, the fate of amino acids mobilized in response to water restriction has not been explicitly determined. While protein catabolism releases bound water, we hypothesized that water-restricted birds would also oxidize the resulting amino acids, producing additional water as a product of oxidative phosphorylation. To test this, we fed captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus) 13C-labeled leucine for 9 weeks to label endogenous proteins. We conducted weekly trials during which we measured the physiological response to water restriction as changes in lean mass, fat mass, metabolism and the enrichment of 13C in exhaled CO2 (δ13Cbreath). If water-restricted birds catabolized proteins and oxidized the resulting amino acids, we expected to simultaneously observe greater lean mass loss and elevated δ13Cbreath relative to control birds. We found that water-restricted birds catabolized more lean tissue and also had enriched δ13Cbreath in response to water restriction, supporting our hypothesis. δ13Cbreath, however, varied with metabolic rate and the length of the water restriction period, suggesting that birds may spare protein when water balance can be achieved using other physiological strategies.

Acute and chronic sleep restriction differentially modify maternal behavior and milk macronutrient composition in the postpartum rat

BackgroundsSleep restriction is considered a stressful condition itself, causing a wide variety of physiological alterations, from cognitive and hormonal to immunological status. In addition, it is established that stress in mother rats can modify milk ejection, milk composition, and maternal care of the pups. Also, sleep disturbances during the early stages of motherhood are a common feature of all studied species. In this context, while the impacts of sleep disruption in non-lactating animals were extensively investigated, its repercussions during the initial phases of motherhood have been poorly explored. Therefore, we wonder if maternal behavior, milk ejection and its macronutrient composition would be disrupted when mother rats are subjected to an additional acute or chronic sleep restriction to the already existing sleep disturbances. MethodsLactating rats were implanted with unilateral electrodes for polysomnographic recordings and for deep brain electrical stimulation into mesopontine waking-promoting area (for sleep deprivation). During the early postpartum period (postpartum day 5–9), mother rats were randomly assigned into one of three groups: chronic sleep restriction group (CSR; 6 h of sleep deprivation/day for five consecutive days), acute sleep restriction group (ASR; 6 h of sleep deprivation only for one day), or undisturbed group (control group). Active maternal behaviors (retrievals of the pups into the nest, mouthing, lickings [corporal and anogenital] and sniffing the pups) and passive maternal behaviors (kyphotic and supine nursing postures) were evaluated during a 30 min period without sleep restriction immediately after the sleep restriction or control period. The litter weight gain was assessed every day, and on the last experimental session mothers were milked for posterior macronutrients analysis (protein, carbohydrates and fat). ResultsWhen compared to control group, CSR decreased the amount of milk ejected in the middle days of the sleep restriction period, while ASR did not affect this parameter. Moreover, ASR reduced milk protein content compared to control and CSR groups. Finally, compared to the control group, CSR reduced active maternal behaviors towards the end of the treatment days. ConclusionsWe demonstrated that not only acute but also chronic sleep restriction impacts on the postpartum period, each one affecting different aspects of maternal behavior and lactation. Our results suggest the existence of a homeostatic recovery mechanism in breastfeeding during CSR, possibly ensuring the survival of the litter, while the decline in active maternal behaviors appears to be cumulative.

Acquired immune resistance is associated with interferon signature and modulation of KLF6/c-MYB transcription factors in myeloid leukemia.

Resistance to immunity is associated with the selection of cancer cells with superior capacities to survive inflammatory reactions. Here, we tailored an ex vivo immune selection model for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and isolated the residual subpopulations as "immune-experienced" AML (ieAML) cells. We confirmed that upon surviving the immune reactions, the malignant blasts frequently decelerated proliferation, displayed features of myeloid differentiation and activation, and lost immunogenicity. Transcriptomic analyses revealed a limited number of commonly altered pathways and differentially expressed genes in all ieAML cells derived from distinct parental cell lines. Molecular signatures predominantly associated with interferon and inflammatory cytokine signaling were enriched in the AML cells resisting the T-cell-mediated immune reactions. Moreover, the expression and nuclear localization of the transcription factors c-MYB and KLF6 were noted as the putative markers for immune resistance and identified in subpopulations of AML blasts in the patients' bone marrow aspirates. The immune modulatory capacities of ieAML cells lasted for a restricted period when the immune selection pressure was omitted. In conclusion, myeloid leukemia cells harbor subpopulations that can adapt to the harsh conditions established by immune reactions, and a previous "immune experience" is marked with IFN signature and may pave the way for susceptibility to immune intervention therapies.

Improving access to melarsomine therapy: treating canine heartworm infection in a high-volume, outpatient community clinic setting

BackgroundModels that provide high-quality veterinary care for more affordable prices are emerging, but not well documented outside of wellness and preventative care. Effective treatment guidelines for heartworm disease have been developed by the American Heartworm Society; however, not all owners are able to access treatment due to the high costs associated with sick and emergency care services.MethodsTo increase access to high-quality adulticidal treatment of canine heartworm disease, we developed and implemented a technician-leveraged heartworm treatment protocol for high-volume, outpatient community clinic settings based on the American Heartworm Society guidelines. Modifications were few and included limited pre-treatment blood work, pre-injection sedation, post-injection pain medication, and a reduced exercise restriction period. We monitored retention rates for 556 dogs throughout treatment, evaluated treatment success (defined as no antigen detection 9 months post treatment) for patients that returned for post-treatment antigen testing, and reported on adverse reactions and therapy adherence throughout treatment.ResultsOf the patients that began adulticide therapy, 539/556 (97%) successfully completed the three-injection series. No microfilariae were detected in 99% (428/433) of those who returned for post-injection microfilaria testing. Among those that returned for or reported the results of post-injection antigen testing, no antigen was detected for 99% (245/248) and no microfilariae were detected for 99.5% (200/201). During the course of treatment, 483/539 (90%) of patients experienced at least one adverse reaction, with the most frequently reported types being behavioral and injection site reactions. 25/539 (4.6%) of owners sought additional medical care for adverse reactions at some point during the treatment course. The overall mortality rate was 1.3% (7/556).ConclusionsThis study represents the first evaluation of a heartworm treatment protocol optimized for implementation in a high-volume, outpatient community clinic setting. Our findings align with those previously reported in private practice or tertiary referral centers, illustrating that through the inclusion of pre-treatment blood work, employing short-acting or reversible sedatives, ensuring proper analgesia, minimizing the use of ancillary diagnostics, reducing the duration of in-clinic monitoring while focusing on outpatient care, and maximizing technician involvement, we can deliver effective and safe melarsomine therapy at a more affordable cost to pet owners.Graphical

Investigation of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in motor and visuomotor performance of Brazilian schoolchildren

Motor skills are important for building autonomy in daily life activities and school activities, being acquired through lived experiences and neurocognitive maturation. However, with the pandemic, there was a period of social restrictions. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian schoolchildren stopped attending school in person from March 2020 to July 2021. The effects of this change are still largely unknown, as the school is the main means of socialization, communication and to practice motor activities for many children. Therefore, this study aimed investigate, correlate and find predictors of gross and fine motor proficiencies and visual perception between pre- and post-pandemic schoolchildren. This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. Forty schoolchildren participated in this study, being divided into groups GI (20 schoolchildren, from the 1st and 2nd grades, evaluated after remote teaching); GII (20 schoolchildren, paired with GI, in relation to sex and chronological age, being evaluated before the Pandemic). They underwent the procedures of motor Proficiency and visual perception development test. GI showed lower performance when compared to GII for motor and visual variables. No correlation was found between the motor and visual variables. Regression analysis explained 86.5% to 98.7% of the variance of motor performance. The visual variables of did not influence motor performance. Regression analysis explained between 75.8% and 96.7% of the variance of the visual performance. GI showed lower performance when compared to GII for motor and visual variables. The presence of several predictors for the classification of motor and visual performance suggests the presence of neurodevelopmental delay, which might be aggravated by social isolation resulting from the Pandemic, which must be seen as a warning sign for speech therapists and pedagogues.

The features of multidrug-resistant organisms between 2016 and March 2023 and its change after the end of zero-COVID-19 policy in a teaching hospital in Shenzhen, China

To investigate the clinical distribution and changing trend of antibiotic resistance profiles of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), a retrospective study was undertaken. The characteristics of MDROs isolated from 2016 to March 2023 were retrospectively analysed. The detection rate of these MDROs was compared prior to COVID-19 (Period 1, 2016-2019), during the COVID-19 pandemic with restrictions (Period 2, 2020-2022), and after the end of zero-policy (Period 3, Jan-March, 2023). Antibiotic-resistant genes were detected. The overall detection rates of CRPA, CRAB, CREC, CRKP, MRSA, and VREfm were 22.6%, 22.6%, 1.3%, 4.0%, 19.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. The detection rate of CRAB was significantly lower in Period 2 and 3 compared with Period 1 (P < 0.0001). The detection rate of CRPA and VREfm was significantly increased in Period 3 compared with Period 1 and 2 (P < 0.0001). The resistance rate to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (TIM) and piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) has gradually increased in CRPA since 2018. NDM and KPC were the most common carbapenemase genes identified in CREC (60.0%) and CRKP isolates (47.8%), respectively. All the 10 VREfm isolates carried the vanA gene. The detection rate of CRAB has decreased since 2018, but a significantly increased prevalence of CRPA and VREfm was seen after the end of zero-policy. An increasing resistance rate to TIM and TZP was seen in CRPA. NDM, KPC, and vanA were the common genes harboured by CREC, CRKP, and VREfm, respectively. Ongoing surveillance after the COVID-19 era is suggested.

The effect of the 2008–09 short selling sales ban on UK security equities in relation to market metrics of volatility, liquidity, and price discovery

In this study we look at the Financial Services Authority imposed short sale ban of UK financial equities in the 2008–2009 financial crisis to explore the effects of the short selling ban on liquidity, volatility, and price discovery on alternative portfolios of UK equity stocks. To this end we employ a control portfolio as well a portfolio of banned stocks. By using a GARCH model to explore the effects of short selling on portfolios’ returns volatility, we find a decline of volatility for selected UK financial stocks during the short sale restriction period. Further, we employ a bid-ask spread model to explore the effects of short selling on liquidity and find that liquidity deteriorates during the short sale ban period. We also employ a Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test to investigate the effects of the short sale ban on price discovery and find that price discovery deteriorated during the short sale ban period. Finally, we examine the causal relationships among the market metrics in order to provide additional insight into the structure of the UK equity market during the period under study.

Lark: As a Medium of Interpersonal Communication for TNS Employees to Manage Work Stress Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

Working from home (WFH) during the community activity restrictions period (PPKM), such as those imposed by Indonesia’s government, leaves employees with little choice in dealing with work stress. Lark is a collaborative working media tool, during work from home all communication in TNS department took place in Lark. This study's importance is to see how Lark basically a formal working media tool can form an interpersonal communication between woman employees that help them to manage work stress during WFH and PPKM period. Since the trend of working from home is likely to continue even after pandemic, this research provides contribution and information related to communication tools and work from home consequences.The theory for this research is Computer-mediated Communication and Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT). This research method employs a qualitative approach through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and library study. This study finds that implementing WFH during the Covid-19 period resulted in heightened work stress among female employees in TNS Department. It was observed that sharing work-related burdens with coworkers proved to be effective in reducing work stress. Interestingly, sharing witha coworker was considered more beneficial than sharing with a spouse or family. Lark application which serves as a working media tool turns out can facilitate interpersonal communication among female employees. The application's instant messenger, phone call, and expressive emoji make it convenient for employees to share their concerns and stress, as compared to using video conferences.

Trends in low-value GP care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundSeveral studies showed that during the pandemic patients have refrained from visiting their general practitioner (GP). This resulted in medical care being delayed, postponed or completely forgone. The provision of low-value care, i.e. care which offers no net benefit for the patient, also could have been affected. We therefore assessed the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on three types of low-value GP care: 1) imaging for back or knee problems, 2) antibiotics for otitis media acuta (OMA), and 3) repeated opioid prescriptions, without a prior GP visit.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study using registration data from GPs part of an academic GP network over the period 2017–2022. The COVID-19 period was defined as the period between April 2020 to December 2021. The periods before (January 2017 to April 2020) and after the COVID-19 period (January 2022 to December 2022) are the pre- and post-restrictions periods. The three clinical practices examined were selected by two practicing GPs from a top 30 of recommendations originating from the Dutch GP guidelines, based on their perceived prevalence and relevance in practice (van Dulmen et al., BMC Primary Care 23:141, 2022). Multilevel Poisson regression models were built to examine changes in the incidence rates (IR) of both registered episodes and episodes receiving low-value treatment.ResultsDuring the COVID-19 restrictions period, the IRs of episodes of all three types of GP care decreased significantly. The IR of episodes of back or knee pain decreased by 12%, OMA episodes by 54% and opioid prescription rate by 13%. Only the IR of OMA episodes remained significantly lower (22%) during the post-restrictions period. The provision of low-value care also changed. The IR of imaging for back or knee pain and low-value prescription of antibiotics for OMA both decreased significantly during the COVID-restrictions period (by 21% and 78%), but only the low-value prescription rate of antibiotics for OMA remained significantly lower (by 63%) during the post-restrictions period. The IR of inappropriately repeated opioid prescriptions remained unchanged over all three periods.ConclusionsThis study shows that both the rate of episodes as well as the rate at which low-value care was provided have generally been affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. Furthermore, it shows that the magnitude of the impact of the restrictions varies depending on the type of low-value care.This indicates that deimplementation of low-value care requires tailored (multiple) interventions and may not be achieved through a single disruption or intervention alone.

Transcriptome Analysis of Compensatory Growth and Meat Quality Alteration after Varied Restricted Feeding Conditions in Beef Cattle.

Compensatory growth (CG) is a physiological response that accelerates growth following a period of nutrient limitation, with the potential to improve growth efficiency and meat quality in cattle. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, 60 Huaxi cattle were divided into one ad libitum feeding (ALF) group and two restricted feeding groups (75% restricted, RF75; 50% restricted, RF50) undergoing a short-term restriction period followed by evaluation of CG. Detailed comparisons of growth performance during the experimental period, as well as carcass and meat quality traits, were conducted, complemented by a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of the longissimus dorsi muscle using differential expression analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene set variation analysis (GSVA), and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). The results showed that irrespective of the restriction degree, the restricted animals exhibited CG, achieving final body weights comparable to the ALF group. Compensating animals showed differences in meat quality traits, such as pH, cooking loss, and fat content, compared to the ALF group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 57 genes and 31 pathways differentially regulated during CG, covering immune response, acid-lipid metabolism, and protein synthesis. Notably, complement-coagulation-fibrinolytic system synergy was identified as potentially responsible for meat quality optimization in RF75. This study provides novel and valuable genetic insights into the regulatory mechanisms of CG in beef cattle.