Publications In Scientific Journals Research Articles

From acute food insecurity to famine: how the 2023/2024 war on Gaza has dramatically set back sustainable development goal 2 to end hunger

The widespread destruction and the devastating humanitarian toll caused by the ongoing war on Gaza have transformed this besieged Strip into a place of death and despair. This review will explore the implications of this war for food security, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, which seeks to fight malnutrition and food insecurity and achieve zero hunger by 2030. This work is based on a review of grey literature, such as reports from government and non-governmental agencies, as well as recent scientific journal publications. Our results show that the ongoing war on Gaza has exacerbated the already acute food insecurity that Gazans have been struggling with since the blockade was imposed in 2007. Restless bombardment and ground operations have damaged or even razed agricultural land and all food production infrastructure (such as bakeries, mills, and food processing facilities), destroying Gaza’s food system. Facing catastrophic levels of hunger, some families, especially in northern Gaza have recently been resorting to eating animal feed and weeds to survive. With the starvation of civilians being used as a method of warfare, many experts and human rights organizations argue that Gaza is now the world’s worst hunger crisis and its population is on the verge of famine, if not already there. Moreover, this unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza could have significant consequences on global food security in its six pillars, jeopardizing the implementation of SDG 2. While international organizations are making efforts to mitigate the catastrophic food shortage and famine, more comprehensive and sustainable solutions are needed to address the root causes of food insecurity in Gaza and ensure that all residents have access to an adequate and nutritious diet.

Anaesthetic and perioperative considerations for extrapleural pneumonectomy and extended pleurectomy/decortication: a scoping review protocol.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and extended pleurectomy/decortication (ePD) are surgical cytoreductive techniques aimed at achieving macroscopic resection in malignant pleural tumours such as pleural mesothelioma, non-mesothelioma pleural malignancies such as thymoma and sarcoma, and rarely for pleural tuberculosis, in a more limited fashion. Despite extensive studies on both surgical techniques and consequences, a significant knowledge gap remains regarding how best to approach the perioperative anaesthesia challenges for EPP and ePD.It is unknown if the risk stratification processes for such surgeries are standardised or what types of functional and dynamic cardiac and pulmonary tests are employed preoperatively to assist in the perioperative risk stratification. Further, it is unknown whether the types of anaesthesia and analgesia techniques employed, and the types of haemodynamic monitoring tools used, impact on outcomes. It is also unknown whether individualised haemodynamic protocols are used to guide the rational use of fluids, vasoactive drugs and inotropes.Finally, there is a dearth of evidence regarding how best to monitor these patients postoperatively or what the most effective enhanced recovery protocols are to best mitigate postoperative complications and accelerate hospital discharge. To increase our knowledge of the perioperative and anaesthetic treatment for patients undergoing EPP/ePD, this scoping review attempts to synthesise the literature and identify these knowledge gaps. This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review Protocols methodology. Electronic databases, OVID Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library, will be systematically searched for relevant literature corresponding to EPP or ePD and perioperative or anaesthetic management. Data will be analysed and summarised descriptively and organised according to the three perioperative stages: preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors in clinical care. Ethics approval was not required. The findings will be disseminated through professional networks, conference presentations and publications in scientific journals.

Definition and Key Attributes of Impact Investments as an Object of Management

Since the introduction of the term “impact investments” into active use in 2007, the debate about their content and distinctive characteristics in comparison with other classes of investments remain open. To date, there are many different, and in some cases incompatible, points of view in interpreting their definition. This complicates the effective management of impact investments and hinders the pace of industry scaling. The purpose of the paper is to analyze and systematize theoretical and practical approaches to defining the concept of impact investments, as well as to identify their inherent demarcation features that determine the management features and peculiarities. The research methodology includes the analysis of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, comparison of the content of reports and reports of international organizations and institutions, as well as quantitative and qualitative content analysis of media materials relevant to this topic. The results obtained indicate the validity of accepting impact investments as an independent conceptual category and the expediency of their allocation and separation into an independent class of investments; their key attributes are established; the principles and features of the management approach applied to them are revealed. The paper has practical significance for actors and participants of the investment sphere as well as researchers and practitioners interested in innovative approaches to investing in social and environmental well-being.

A grasp of police research: characteristics of empirical research on police careers based on multiple scoping reviews

PurposeThis article provides an overview of the literature characteristics of empirical research on topics related to police careers from 2000 to 2021. Methodology, distribution in time and space and types of publication are presented. Recommendations for new research avenues are given.Design/methodology/approachEight scoping reviews on specific topics were carried out by criminology students under the close guidance and supervision of the first author, an academic researcher. The reviews followed the same procedure, enabling an overarching reflection.FindingsThe scoping reviews resulted in 179 unique publications for analysis. It appears that the topic of police professional competencies is studied more often in the field of police careers (n = 55), in contrast to informal learning in police training (n = 4) which was studied the least frequently. Since 2012, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of publications. Publications in scientific journals are by far the most common (n = 153), as is a quantitative research design (n = 123). All topics have been studied in Europe and North America.Research limitations/implicationsMore qualitative research and international dissemination of empirical results are recommended to gain a deeper understanding of police careers. As for the limitations, specific topics were selected, which limits the scope of the findings. Working with students for data collection has its benefits in terms of workload, but comes with potential limitations in terms of quality. It is recommended to conduct a screening using the four-eyed principle, as was done here by the first and second authors. Additionally, the review protocol (e.g. keywords and databases) has an influence on the outcome. Different choices may lead to different results.Originality/valueA comprehensive analysis of police career literature is made based on eight scoping reviews that followed the same procedure. It allows to study the literature in a broad sense rather than studying one topic in depth.

Interdisciplinary research approach based on a mixed-methods design to explore patient altruism at the end of life: a study protocol

IntroductionIn the end of life context, patients are often seen as somewhat passive recipients of care provided by health professionals and relatives, with little opportunity to be perceived as autonomous...

An observational study protocol to capture, validate and characterise lucid episodes in people living with advanced dementia receiving hospice care

IntroductionLucid episodes (LEs) in advanced neurodegenerative disease, characterised by a transient recovery of abilities, have been reported across neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Evidence on LEs in...

Why Peer Review?

With the explosion of open-access journals, is peer review suffering? Is there a real threat to the quality of scientific journal publications? Can peer review counteract and tackle the looming challenges?

Beta-blockers or Placebo for Primary Prophylaxis (BOPPP) of oesophageal varices: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundLiver disease is within the top five causes of premature death in adults. Deaths caused by complications of cirrhosis continue to rise, whilst deaths related to other non-liver disease areas are declining. Portal hypertension is the primary sequelae of cirrhosis and is associated with the development of variceal haemorrhage, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and infection, collectively termed hepatic decompensation, which leads to hospitalisation and mortality. It remains uncertain whether administering a non-selective beta-blocker (NSBB), specifically carvedilol, at an earlier stage, i.e. when oesophageal varices are small, can prevent VH and reduce all-cause decompensation (ACD).Methods/designThe BOPPP trial is a pragmatic, multicentre, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Patients aged 18 years or older with cirrhosis and small oesophageal varices that have never bled will be recruited, subject to exclusion criteria. The trial aims to enrol 740 patients across 55 hospitals in the UK. Patients are allocated randomly on a 1:1 ratio to receive either carvedilol 6.25 mg (a NSBB) or a matched placebo, once or twice daily, for 36 months, to attain adequate power to determine the effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing or reducing ACD.The primary outcome is the time to first decompensating event. It is a composite primary outcome made up of variceal haemorrhage (VH, new or worsening ascites, new or worsening hepatic encephalopathy (HE), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatorenal syndrome, an increase in Child–Pugh grade by 1 grade or MELD score by 5 points, and liver-related mortality. Secondary outcomes include progression to medium or large oesophageal varices, development of gastric, duodenal, or ectopic varices, participant quality of life, healthcare costs and transplant-free survival.DiscussionThe BOPPP trial aims to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of carvedilol in patients with cirrhosis and small oesophageal varices to determine whether this non-selective beta-blocker can prevent or reduce hepatic decompensation. There is clinical equipoise on whether intervening in cirrhosis, at an earlier stage of portal hypertension, with NSBB therapy is beneficial. Should the trial yield a positive result, we anticipate that the administration and use of carvedilol will become widespread with pathways developed to standardise the administration of the medication in primary care.Ethics and disseminationThe trial has been approved by the National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee (REC) (reference number: 19/YH/0015). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Participants will be informed of the results via the BOPPP website (www.boppp-trial.org) and partners in the British Liver Trust (BLT) organisation.Trial registrationEUDRACT reference number: 2018–002509-78.ISRCTN reference number: ISRCTN10324656. Registered on April 24 2019.

PRINCIPLES OF OPEN SCIENCE IN THE ACTIVITIES OF A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

The purpose of the article is to analyse and present the use of Open Science principles and their implementation in the activities of Lutsk National Technical University. Methodology. The main provisions of the Open Science concept and their implementation in European and Ukrainian official documents are analysed. It has been found that at Lutsk National Technical University (LNTU) the principles of Open Science are implemented in three main areas: in the educational process; in research activities; in informal promotion among students and other stakeholders. As a result, the authors found that participation in international projects, in particular ERASMUS+, causes changes in educational and scientific activities towards the creation of a fair and competitive educational space. New disciplines, such as Open Scientific Foundations and Information Management Practice, have been introduced into the educational process of masters and postgraduate students. The implementation of the policy of openness of scientific research is mainly limited to open publications in scientific journals and public discussion of research results at conferences and seminars. Informal trainings on academic integrity and Open Science involving students and teachers help to promote the principles of Open Science. The effectiveness of the training for LNTU students has been experimentally established. After the training, most students understood the basic principles of Open Science and were able to give examples of their use at LNTU, but they are not yet ready to apply them in their first scientific or academic achievements. Practical implications. These examples of implementation of Open Science principles in educational and scientific activities of LNTU illustrate an important vector of development of the technical university towards joining the European higher education area. At the same time, the authors came to the conclusion that it is necessary to conduct a broad information campaign among research and teaching staff for their further implementation.

Optimisation of Water-Use in Pulp and Paper Mills: A Streamlined Review of Scientific Journal Publications

The water-, and energy footprints of the processes in the pulp and paper industry are sizable enough to warrant investment of money and commitment of time truncate the same. Besides, there is also a nexus between water and energy here, with optimisation of the use of one of these resoruces enabling that of the other too. This streamlined review focuses on journal publications (originating from different parts of the world, and targeted at researchers and decision-makers in the industry) which train the lens on the optimisation of water use in this particular sector of the (forestry) bioeconomy. The synergies and complementarities which exist among different sustainable development goals (SDGs) , promise positive ripple effects, caused by attending to the truncation of the water footprint. The articles, in general, recommend effective in-plant wastewater treatment in combinaton with recirculating the treated effluent, and looking upon the water streams as carriers or bearers of valorisable substances – organics which can yield a host of bio-products in bio-refineries, including bio-energy. Availing of water-pinch analysis as a tool to uncover possibilities of water use in a cascade (depending upon the requirements imposed on the water, by processes downstream in the cascade), has been shown to aid in the optimisation of both water use and energy demand within the plant. One case study, for example, showed that the demand for steam can be decreased by about 4 GJ per ton of output, by recovering the waste heat in the water streams.

Frequency of self-directed dying in the Netherlands: research protocol of a cross-sectional mixed-methods study

IntroductionIn the Netherlands, assisting in suicide is allowed for physicians and regulated by the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (review procedures) Act. However, some people decide to...

Patient preferences in genetic newborn screening for rare diseases: study protocol

IntroductionRare diseases (RDs) collectively impact over 30 million people in Europe. Most individual conditions have a low prevalence which has resulted in a lack of research and expertise in this...

Тренды гендерных исследований в физкультурном образовании и спорте

The relevance of the research is determined by the necessity to analyze and summarize the results of gender studies devoted to physical education and sports. The objective of the research is to identify the trends in scientific studies in the field of physical education and sports using the method of a literature review of papers based on the gender approach. The research hypothesizes that gender studies in the field of physical education and sports are carried out in line with the main trends reflecting the specifics in the development of these areas of scientific theory and practice. Methods. The research has been carried out with the help of such methods as theoretical study and analysis of publications in scientific journals on the issue of physical education and sports based on the gender approach, synthesis, and methods of logical generalizations. Results. The research has actualized the necessity to analyze scientific publications in the field of physical education and sports, based on the gender approach, and the need to initiate the study integrating gender knowledge in the fields of pedagogy, physical education and sports. The research has also identified the trends of gender studies in the field of physical education and sports. The most significant among them are the theoretical-methodological and scientific-methodological foundations of the gender approach in physical education and sports; gender equality in the field of physical education and sports; sex, age and gender characteristics of the subjects of educational relations; sex and gender differences in particular kinds of sports. Conclusions. The listed trends attract attention of researchers to a great extent. At the same time, the direction associated with the study of gender aspects of value-semantic and motivational-volitional qualities of athletes and students requires further intensive scientific developments. The study determines gender characteristics of students’ motivation at the departments of physical education and sports as a perspective direction for further theoretical and empirical research.

Response to responsible research assessment I and II from the perspective of the DGPs working group on open science in clinical psychology

We comment on the papers by Schönbrodt et al. (2022) and Gärtner et al. (2022) on responsible research assessment from the perspective of clinical psychology and psychotherapy research. Schönbrodt et al. (2022) propose four principles to guide hiring and promotion in psychology: (1) In addition to publications in scientific journals, data sets and the development of research software should be considered. (2) Quantitative metrics can be useful, but they should be valid and applied responsibly. (3) Methodological rigor, research impact, and work quantity should be considered as three separate dimensions for evaluating research contributions. (4) The quality of work should be prioritized over the number of citations or the quantity of research output. From the perspective of clinical psychology, we endorse the initiative to update current practice by establishing a matrix for comprehensive, transparent and fair evaluation criteria. In the following, we will both comment on and complement these criteria from a clinical-psychological perspective.

Study on the mechanism of multidimensional cutting teeth and the influencing factors of rock breaking efficiency.

The innovative cutting mechanism of multi-dimensional teeth presents a groundbreaking approach to drill bit design, particularly optimizing drilling efficiency in challenging geological formations such as interlayers and gravel-rich layers within the Changqing Oilfield. Nevertheless, compared to conventional flat-tooth PDC drill bits, several aspects of the cutting mechanism and design parameters for multi-dimensional teeth require further elucidation. This article employs a linear cutting finite element model to establish cutting models for traditional flat teeth and two distinct types of multi-dimensional teeth, designated as Ridge and Benz. It systematically investigates the influence of varying cutting parameters on the effectiveness of rock-crushing within the multi-dimensional tooth-cutting mechanism. This study conducts laboratory-based single-tooth rock-crushing experiments to validate the numerical simulation results. Furthermore, applying principles derived from soil plastic mechanics contrasts the stress states experienced by rocks during the rock-crushing process between multi-dimensional teeth and conventional flat teeth, shedding light on the rock-crushing mechanism employed by multi-dimensional teeth. This research categorizes PDC cutting teeth on the drill bit into two groups: those near the center and those near the outer shoulder. A linear cutting model for teeth positioned near the outer shoulder is developed to analyze the impacts of different rake angles, side clearance angles, and welding errors on the tooth helix angle and the rock-crushing efficiency of the Benz tooth. This comprehensive study is a valuable reference for tailored drill bit design and holds potential for publication in a prestigious scientific journal.

High-impact journal publishing: the devil is in the detail!

Research in medicine is an indispensable tool to advance knowledge and improve patient care. This may be particularly true in the field of human reproduction as it is a relatively new field and treatment options are rapidly evolving. This is of particular importance in an emerging field like “human reproduction”, where treatment options evolve fast.The cornerstone of evidence-based knowledge, leading to evidence-based treatment decisions, is randomized controlled trials as they explore the benefits of new treatment approaches. The study design and performance are crucial and, if they are carried out correctly, solid conclusions can be drawn and be implemented in daily clinical routines. The dissemination of new findings throughout the scientific community occurs in the form of publications in scientific journals, and the importance of the journal is reflected in part by the impact factor. The peer review process before publication is fundamental in preventing flaws in the study design. Thus, readers of journals with a high impact factor usually rely on a thorough peer review process and therefore might not question the published data. However, even papers published in high-impact journals might not be free of flaws, so the aim of this paper is to encourage readers to be aware of this fact and critically read scientific papers as ‘the devil lies in the details’.

REKOVER study protocol: a pRospective patient treatment rEgistry of tramadol and dexKetoprofen trometamol oral fixed-dose combination (SKUDEXA) in mOderate to seVere acutE pain in Real-world setting in Asia

IntroductionSatisfactory management of acute pain remains a major medical challenge despite the availability of multiple therapeutic options including the fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs. Tramadol and dexketoprofen trometamol (TRAM/DKP) 75/25 mg...

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell therapy for renal dysfunction in Alport syndrome: protocol for an open-label, single-arm trial in China

IntroductionAlport syndrome (AS) is one of the most common fatal hereditary renal diseases in human, with a high risk of progressing to end-stage renal disease without effective treatments. Mesenchymal stem...

Pelatihan Digitalisasi Pemasaran Produk KWT Sejahtera Kelurahan Curup Jare

The aim of this service is to provide assistance with marketing promotions for the products of Sejatra Farmer Groups in the Curu Jare sub-district. Problems (1) Limited knowledge about technological advances also makes it difficult for the Curup Jare Women's Farmers Group (KWT) to expand the market, (2) lack of knowledge about the importance of business digitalization in the current modern era, (3) there is no online social media available. take advantage of (3) planning and implementation in the use of technology which is still limited to just updating personal status and modest business activities. A solution that can be used as an alternative is assistance with marketing methods through social media. This assistance utilizes social media such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to manage them. The result of this assistance is that the women's farming group can utilize technology in promoting the products they sell so that they can increase sales results. This means getting education regarding the theory of digital product marketing through effective and targeted social media. The output targets of this PkM activity are: 1) increased knowledge and skills of partners, 2) scientific publications in national journals with published status.

Employing “Issue” and “Number” in the enumeration of scientific journal releases: A brief analysis of foreign practice

Introduction. Publishers of scientific journals use the terms “Issue” and “Number” to denote individual issues of their publications. There are discussions within the professional community of scientific editors about the legitimacy of using one term over the other.Purpose. To analyse the practice of foreign journals regarding the marking of their issues with the terms Issue (Iss.) and Number (No.) to justify a strategy for the correct use of these terms in Russian scientific journals that have English-language or parallel bilingual titles.Materials and Methods. Policies of 130 foreign scientific journals indexed in the international scientometric database Scopus were analysed. All journals are distributed as open-access, are published in different countries, and cover various subject fields. An examination was carried out on the Archive section found on the official websites of the chosen journals, along with their covers and layouts available on these sites, to monitor the practices used in marking the issues.Results and Discussion. It has been found that there is no unification of issue numbering in the global scientific periodical press. The term Issue is frequently used on the websites of scientific journals, while the term Number, or no letter designation at all, is more often used on covers and other layout elements. This trend is characteristic both for the entire sample and for groups of journals grouped by individual features of belonging: to one country, to one language group of countries, to one scientific specialty. The exception is publications of major publishing houses, which use one publishing platform and / or uniform requirements for the journal format (House Style Guide) for all their journals, and thus regulate the numbering of issues.Conclusion. The accumulated international experience can contribute to the development of a unified approach to the presentation of issue numbering in Russian scientific journals and, as a result, to changes in normative documents and methodological recommendations.