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The market power of monopolies can severely restrict citizens' freedom of choice. In the case of utilities, often portrayed as natural monopolies, such power may result in high prices and unreliable or absent services, especially in marginalized communities such as low-income neighborhoods or remote rural villages. While government regulation has been the traditional remedy to curb natural monopolies' power, in this paper, we address a different solution: monopoly bypassing through collective action. We present two types of monopoly bypassing—partial and complete—through the lens of civic wealth creation (CWC): the generation of social, economic, and communal endowments that benefit communities. Through our analysis of three water and sanitation utility services cases, we demonstrate how CWC is used to catalyze the collective action of engaged citizens to effectively bypass monopoly power. The cases highlight the three stakeholder categories involved in CWC initiatives—communities, enterprises, and regimes of support—and illustrate how they act collectively to provide credible market-based solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global impact of drug shortages on healthcare systems is a concerning issue that needs urgent attention. These shortages not only jeopardize patient care, public health, and healthcare delivery but also pose distinct challenges for pediatric populations due to their specific medication requirements and vulnerabilities. It is imperative to address this issue to safeguard the health and wellbeing of this specific age group. This review Gaimed to conduct a systematic analysis of strategies for addressing drug shortages in pediatric care from 2014 to 2024. The search included five databases: PubMed, Reaxys, Embase, Scopus, and Science Direct, using the keywords "drug shortage" and "pediatric". The final protocol was developed following the guidelines outlined in the " The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews". In total, 234 publications were identified. After screening the search results and applying inclusion and exclusion measures, a total of 27 original research papers were included. The primary finding indicates that a comprehensive approach rooted in risk management can significantly mitigate drug shortages in pediatric settings. This approach should address underlying causes such as manufacturer and delivery challenges and focus on prevention through enhanced forecasting and vigilant shortage monitoring. The most prevalent response involved seeking alternative treatment options. It is imperative to implement institutional and national guidelines, foster communication, and provider education, and minimize waste to effectively mitigate drug shortages in pediatric settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial titled "Youth vulnerabilities in European cities" published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. The editorial discusses the multifaceted landscape of youth vulnerabilities in European cities and the correlation between social and spatial inequalities. The editorial highlights the importance of examining local circumstances, policy responses, and youth participation in addressing these vulnerabilities. It also mentions specific papers included in the research topic that delve into these issues. The document emphasizes the need for comprehensive approaches to tackle youth vulnerabilities and create more sustainable and equitable cities. [Extracted from the article]

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the unique challenge of having to deliver novel vaccines during a public health crisis. For pediatric patients, it was further complicated by the delayed timeline for authorizing the vaccine and the differences in dosing/products depending on the patient's age. This paper investigates the relationship between the spatial accessibility and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in King County, WA, USA. Public data for COVID-19 vaccine sites were used to calculate spatial accessibility using an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) technique. Spatial regression analyses were performed to look at the relationship between spatial accessibility and ZIP-code-level vaccination rates. The relationships of these data with other socioeconomic and demographic variables were calculated as well. Higher rates of vaccine accessibility and vaccine coverage were found in adolescent (12- to 17-year-old) individuals relative to school-age (5- to 11-year-old) individuals. Vaccine accessibility was positively associated with coverage in both age groups in the univariable analysis. This relationship was affected by neighborhood educational attainment. This paper demonstrates how measures such as E2SFCA can be used to calculate the accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine in a region and provides insight into some of the ecological factors that affect COVID-19 vaccination rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into areas like financial planning has spurred interest in how various demographic groups, notably older adults, perceive and adopt this technology. This paper aims to identify personas and explore how factors like age, gender, and knowledge impact AI acceptance. The data shows varying levels of willingness to adopt AI in finance across demographics. Younger, more educated individuals demonstrate greater trust and usage of AI-enabled financial tools, raising concerns about inclusivity and potential barriers for older or less educated individuals. The paper will delve into these disparities, exploring the underlying reasons for resistance, such as perceived risks or lack of education about AI. To ensure equitable distribution of AI's benefits, we recommend enhancing AI literacy and designing more inclusive AI, as this approach paves the way for a society in which AI empowers all ages with its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attracting and retaining the attention of users, or motivating them to use the particular product being the main task of designers in graphic design for all materials, from printed to digital media. It is crucial to select colors that are more appealing to the target audience. The aim of this paper is to explore the differences in color preferences depending on age groups in a nationally representative sample of the Republic of Croatia consisting of 1,000 research participants. For this purpose, a questionnaire was created to collect information on the color preferences of participants, and as a result of this research, it was determined that there are statistically significant differences in the preferences for certain colors depending on the age groups of the participants. It has also been shown that there are both increasing and stable or decreasing trends in color preferences depending on age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Randomised, cluster-based study designs in schools are commonly used to evaluate children's physical activity interventions. Sample size estimation relies on accurate estimation of the intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC), but published estimates, especially using accelerometry-measured physical activity, are few and vary depending on physical activity outcome and participant age. Less commonly-used cluster-based designs, such as stepped wedge designs, also need to account for correlations over time, e.g. cluster autocorrelation (CAC) and individual autocorrelation (IAC), but no estimates are currently available. This paper estimates the school-level ICC, CAC and IAC for England children's accelerometer-measured physical activity outcomes by age group and gender, to inform the design of future school-based cluster trials. Methods: Data were pooled from seven large English datasets of accelerometer-measured physical activity data between 2002–18 (> 13,500 pupils, 540 primary and secondary schools). Linear mixed effect models estimated ICCs for weekday and whole week for minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and being sedentary for different age groups, stratified by gender. The CAC (1,252 schools) and IAC (34,923 pupils) were estimated by length of follow-up from pooled longitudinal data. Results: School-level ICCs for weekday MVPA were higher in primary schools (from 0.07 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.10) to 0.08 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.11)) compared to secondary (from 0.04 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.07) to (95% CI: 0.04, 0.10)). Girls' ICCs were similar for primary and secondary schools, but boys' were lower in secondary. For all ages, combined the CAC was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.44–0.72), and the IAC was 0.46 (95% CI: 0.42–0.49), irrespective of follow-up time. Estimates were higher for MVPA vs sedentary time, and for weekdays vs the whole week. Conclusions: Adequately powered studies are important to evidence effective physical activity strategies. Our estimates of the ICC, CAC and IAC may be used to plan future school-based physical activity evaluations and were fairly consistent across a range of ages and settings, suggesting that results may be applied to other high income countries with similar school physical activity provision. It is important to use estimates appropriate to the study design, and that match the intended study population as closely as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering the world's ethnic inequalities is hampered by a lack of ethnicity-annotated datasets. Name-ethnicity classifiers (NECs) can help, as they are able to infer people's ethnicities from their names. However, since the latest generation of NECs rely on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), they may suffer from the same racist and sexist biases found in many AIs. Therefore, this paper offers an algorithmic fairness audit of three NECs. It finds that the UK-Census-trained EthnicityEstimator displays large accuracy biases with regards to ethnicity, but relatively less among gender and age groups. In contrast, the Twitter-trained NamePrism and the Wikipedia-trained Ethnicolr are more balanced among ethnicity, but less among gender and age. We relate these biases to global power structures manifested in naming conventions and NECs' input distribution of names. To improve on the uncovered biases, we program a novel NEC, N2E, using fairness-aware AI techniques. We make N2E freely available at www.name-to-ethnicity.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge on refractive surgery performed in the myopic pediatric population. We describe the main concerns about refractive surgery in myopic children and the indications for refractive surgery in this age group. We present a range of surgical procedures that are being used for the management of unilateral/bilateral myopia in children: corneal refractive surgery (PRK, LASEK, LASIK, FS-LASIK and SMILE) and intraocular refractive surgery (phakic intraocular lens implantation, refractive lens exchange or clear lens extraction), with both their advantages and drawbacks. We also describe the various complications and measures to prevent them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Swedish National Diabetes Register, this study examines the gender disparity among patients with type 1 diabetes who have experienced a specific cardiovascular complication, while exploring the association between their weight variability, age group, and gender. Fourteen cardiovascular complications have been considered. This analysis is conducted using three-way correspondence analysis (CA), which allows for the partitioning and decomposition of Pearson's three-way chi-squared statistic. The dataset comprises information organized in a data cube, detailing how weight variability among these patients correlates with a cardiovascular complication, age group, and gender. The three-way CA method presented in this paper allows one to assess the statistical significance of the association between these variables and to visualize this association, highlighting the gender gap among these patients. From this analysis, we find that the association between weight variability, age group, and gender varies among different types of cardiovascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loneliness is a serious public health concern. Although previous interventions have had some success in mitigating loneliness, the field is in search of novel, more effective, and more scalable solutions. Here, we focus on "relational agents", a form of software agents that are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs). We report on a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the impact of relational agents on loneliness across age groups. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 11 databases including Ovid MEDLINE and Embase from inception to Sep 16, 2022. We included randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies of interventions published in English across all age groups. These loneliness interventions, typically attempt to improve social skills, social support, social interaction, and maladaptive cognitions. Peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, Master's and PhD theses, or conference papers were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias via the RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. We calculated pooled estimates of Hedge's g in a random-effects meta-analysis and conducted sensitivity and sub-group analyses. We evaluated publication bias via funnel plots, Egger's test, and a trim-and-fill algorithm. Findings: Our search identified 3,935 records of which 14 met eligibility criteria and were included in our meta-analysis. Included studies comprised 286 participants with individual study sample sizes ranging from 4 to 42 participants (x̄ = 20.43, s = 11.58, x̃ = 20). We used a Bonferroni correction with αBonferroni = 0.05 / 4 = 0.0125 and applied Knapp-Hartung adjustments. Relational agents reduced loneliness significantly at an adjusted αBonferroni (g = -0.552; 95% Knapp-Hartung CI, -0.877 to -0.226; P = 0.003), which corresponds to a moderate reduction in loneliness. Conclusion: Our results are currently the most comprehensive of their kind and provide promising evidence for the efficacy of relational agents. Relational agents are a promising technology that can alleviate loneliness in a scalable way and that can be a meaningful complement to other approaches. The advent of LLMs should boost their efficacy, and further research is needed to explore the optimal design and use of relational agents. Future research could also address shortcomings of current results, such as small sample sizes and high risk of bias. Particularly young audiences have been overlooked in past research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infertility is an important late effect of childhood cancer treatment. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) is established as a safe procedure to preserve gonadal tissue in (pre)pubertal girls with cancer at high risk for infertility. However, it is unclear whether elective laparoscopic OTC can also be performed safely in infants <1 year with cancer. This systematic review aims to evaluate the reported risks in infants undergoing elective laparoscopy regarding mortality, and/or critical events (including resuscitation, circulatory, respiratory, neurotoxic, other) during and shortly after surgery. Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. A systematic literature search in the databases Pubmed and EMbase was performed and updated on February 15th, 2023. Search terms included ‘infants’, ‘intubation’, ‘laparoscopy’, ‘mortality’, ‘critical events’, ‘comorbidities’ and their synonyms. Papers published in English since 2000 and describing at least 50 patients under the age of 1 year undergoing laparoscopic surgery were included. Articles were excluded when the majority of patients had congenital abnormalities. Quality of the studies was assessed using the QUIPS risk of bias tool. Results: The Pubmed and Embase databases yielded a total of 12,401 unique articles, which after screening on title and abstract resulted in 471 articles to be selected for full text screening. Ten articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review, which included 1778 infants <1 years undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery. Mortality occurred once (death not surgery-related), resuscitation in none and critical events in 53/1778 of the procedures. Conclusion: The results from this review illustrate that morbidity and mortality in infants without extensive comorbidities during and just after elective laparoscopic procedures seem limited, indicating that the advantages of performing elective laparoscopic OTC for infants with cancer at high risk of gonadal damage may outweigh the anesthetic and surgical risks of laparoscopic surgery in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I bring together the problems of justice between age groups and intergenerational cooperation in light of real-life demographic trends. I begin by presenting a simple model of intergenerational cooperation based on indirect reciprocity and show how cooperation can break down due to exogenous factors, including demographic change. I use the model to make the argument that principles for justice between age groups must be sensitive to the stability of intergenerational cooperation. I illustrate my thesis by considering the debate between distributive and relational egalitarians on justice between age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a three-year profile of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas, the Philippines, from 23 Mar 2020-31 Mar 2023 -- with descriptive data on temporal trends, geographical variations, demographic factors, clinical characteristics, transmission patterns, and outcomes for vaccinated and unvaccinated cases. We analyzed data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Department of Health--Eastern Visayas Center for Health and Development to identify associations between COVID-19 severity and mortality and demographic and clinical factors. Moreover, we examined significant differences across gender cohorts and between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. During the three-year period, Eastern Visayas recorded 64,740 confirmed cases, with 98.93% recovery and 1.07% mortality. Most cases (61.72%) occurred in 2021 -- with Tacloban, Ormoc, and Leyte having the highest attack rates per 100,000 population. Infections were asymptomatic (70.40%) or mild (21.83%), and 82.7% of deaths were linked to severe infections. Females accounted for 52.6% of the patients, with a lower mortality rate (44.5%) than males (55.5%). The 20-29 age group had the highest count (22.57%), whereas the 70-79 age group recorded the highest number of deaths (25.94%). The vast majority (93.6%) had no comorbidities. Comorbidities reported among deaths included kidney disease (11.3%), heart disease (7.6%), and hypertension (3.9%). Notably, no significant differences in recoveries and deaths were found between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups (p-value = 0.304). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age group, place of residence, comorbidity, and vaccination status were significantly associated with disease severity and mortality. Eastern Visayas demonstrated a relatively low COVID-19 caseload (1.59%) within the cumulative Philippine count. This is the most extensive COVID-19 case profile in the Philippines to date, hence providing essential data for pandemic preparedness, enhanced response strategies, and regional health crisis resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin aging is a complex physiological process, in which cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) interreact, which leads to a change in the mechanical properties of skin, which in turn affects the cell secretion and ECM deposition. The natural skin microrelief that exists from birth has rarely been taken into account when evaluating skin aging, apart from the common knowledge that microreliefs might serve as the starting point or initialize micro-wrinkles. In fact, microrelief itself also changes with aging. Does the microrelief have other, better uses? In this paper, owing to the fast-developing 3D printing technology, skin wrinkles with microrelief of different age groups were successfully manufactured using the Digital light processing (DLP) technology. The mechanical properties of skin samples with and without microrelief were tested. It was found that microrelief has a big impact on the elastic modulus of skin samples. In order to explore the role of microrelief in skin aging, the wrinkle formation was numerically analyzed. The microrelief models of different age groups were created using the modified Voronoi algorithm for the first time, which offers fast and flexible mesh formation. We found that skin microrelief plays an important role in regulating the modulus of the epidermis, which is the dominant factor in wrinkle formation. The wrinkle length and depth were also analyzed numerically for the first time, owing to the additional dimension offered by microrelief. The results showed that wrinkles are mainly caused by the modulus change of the epidermis in the aging process, and compared with the dermis, the hypodermis is irrelevant to wrinkling. Hereby, we developed a hypothesis that microrelief makes the skin adaptive to the mechanical property changes from aging by adjusting its shape and size. The native-like skin samples with microrelief might shed a light on the mechanism of wrinkling and also help with understanding the complex physiological processes associated with human skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of PM2.5 on human health fluctuate greatly among various age groups, influenced by a range of physiological and immunological reactions. This paper compares the pathogenesis of the disease caused by PM2.5 in people of different ages, focusing on how children, adults, and the elderly are each susceptible to it because of differences in their bodies. Regarding children, exposure to PM2.5 is linked to many negative consequences. These factors consist of inflammation, oxidative stress, and respiratory problems, which might worsen pre-existing conditions and potentially cause neurotoxicity and developmental issues. Epigenetic changes can affect the immune system and make people more likely to get respiratory diseases. On the other hand, exposures during pregnancy can change how the cardiovascular and central nervous systems develop. In adults, the inhalation of PM2.5 is associated with a wide range of health problems. These include respiratory difficulties, reduced pulmonary function, and an increased susceptibility to illnesses such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. In addition, exposure to PM2.5 induces systemic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, and neurotoxic consequences. Evident disturbances in the immune system and cognitive function demonstrate the broad impact of PM2.5. The elderly population is prone to developing respiratory and cardiovascular difficulties, which worsen their pre-existing health issues and raise the risk of cognitive decline and neurological illnesses. Having additional medical conditions, such as peptic ulcer disease, significantly increases the likelihood of being admitted to hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work presented in this paper makes multiple scientific contributions related to the investigation of the global fear associated with COVID-19 by performing a comprehensive analysis of a dataset comprising survey responses of participants from 40 countries. First, the results of subjectivity analysis performed using TextBlob, showed that in the responses where participants indicated their biggest concern related to COVID-19, the average subjectivity by the age group of 41–50 decreased from April 2020 to June 2020, the average subjectivity by the age group of 71–80 drastically increased from May 2020, and the age group of 11–20 indicated the least level of subjectivity between June 2020 to August 2020. Second, subjectivity analysis also revealed the percentage of highly opinionated, neutral opinionated, and least opinionated responses per age-group where the analyzed age groups were 11–20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 81–90. For instance, the percentage of highly opinionated, neutral opinionated, and least opinionated responses by the age group of 11–20 were 17.92%, 16.24%, and 65.84%, respectively. Third, data analysis of responses from different age groups showed that the highest percentage of responses indicating that they were very worried about COVID-19 came from individuals in the age group of 21–30. Fourth, data analysis of the survey responses also revealed that in the context of taking precautions to prevent contracting COVID-19, the percentage of individuals in the age group of 31–40 taking precautions was higher as compared to the percentages of individuals from the age groups of 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 81–90. Fifth, a deep learning model was developed to detect if the survey respondents were seeing or planning to see a psychologist or psychiatrist for any mental health issues related to COVID-19. The design of the deep learning model comprised 8 neurons for the input layer with the ReLU activation function, the ReLU activation function for all the hidden layers with 12 neurons each, and the sigmoid activation function for the output layer with 1 neuron. The model utilized the responses to multiple questions in the context of fear and preparedness related to COVID-19 from the dataset and achieved an accuracy of 91.62% after 500 epochs. Finally, two comparative studies with prior works in this field are presented to highlight the novelty and scientific contributions of this research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change increases the risk of illness through rising temperature, severe precipitation and worst air pollution. This paper investigates how monthly excess mortality rate is associated with the increasing frequency and severity of extreme temperature in Canada during 2000-2020. The extreme associations were compared among four age groups across five sub-blocks of Canada based on the datasets of monthly T90 and T10, the two most representative indices of severe weather monitoring measures developed by the actuarial associations in Canada and US. We utilize a combined seasonal Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and bivariate Peaks-Over-Threshold (POT) method to investigate the extreme association via the extreme tail index χ and Pickands dependence function plots. It turns out that it is likely (more than 10%) to occur with excess mortality if there are unusual low temperature with extreme intensity (all χ > 0.1 except Northeast Atlantic (NEA), Northern Plains (NPL) and Northwest Pacific (NWP) for age group 0-44), while extreme frequent high temperature seems not to affect health significantly (all χ ≤ 0.001 except NWP). Particular attention should be paid to NWP and Central Arctic (CAR) since population health therein is highly associated with both extreme frequent high and low temperatures (both χ = 0.3182 for all age groups). The revealed extreme dependence is expected to help stakeholders avoid significant ramifications with targeted health protection strategies from unexpected consequences of extreme weather events. The novel extremal dependence methodology is promisingly applied in further studies of the interplay between extreme meteorological exposures, social-economic factors and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Helanshan Mountain tectonic belt (HTB) is an intraplate deformation belt along the northwestern border of the Ordos Block in the North China Craton. When and why this intracontinental tectonic belt formed, its subsequent uplift and erosion, and the relationships between ranges and adjacent basins remain unclear. To better assess the connections between the temporal and structural activity in HTB, apatite fission-track (AFT) and zircon fission-track (ZFT) analyses were conducted in this study. The lack of adequate FT data from the HTB is a source of contention and dispute. This paper collected samples for AFT and ZFT techniques from the central and southern HTB, trying to improve the research. The ZFT and AFT ages could be divided into the following 7 groups: 279 Ma, 222–213 Ma, 193–169 Ma, 151–147 Ma, 130–109 Ma, 92–77 Ma, and 65–50 Ma. The inverse modeling results of AFT indicate 4 fast cooling episodes of 170–120 Ma, 120–95 Ma, 66–60 Ma, and ~10–8 Ma to the present. Combining the results of FT analysis with radial plot and inverse modeling of AFT, the following eight age groups are believed to reveal the distinct tectonic activities in HTB: the first age group of 279 Ma mainly represented the back-arc extension of the southern HTB; the age group of 222–213 Ma was bounded with NNE-SSE trending contraction between the South China block and North China Craton; the event of 193–169 Ma responded to the post-orogenic collapse followed after the second event; the 151–147 Ma group was interpreted as the eastward extrusion induced by the subduction between Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks; the Early Cretaceous (130–109 Ma) group was not only affected by the rollback of the Pacific Plate, but also denoted the collapse of the thickened lithosphere formed in the Late Jurassic; the Late Cretaceous (92–77 Ma) group was attributed to long-distance impact from the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate; the event during 65–50 Ma was a correspondence to far-field effect of the onset collision between the Eurasian and Indian Plates; and from 10–8 Ma to the present, the progressive collision of the Indian and Eurasian Plates have a significant impact on the HTB and the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China faces a significant population of individuals with disabilities, and the aging demographic exacerbates this challenge. There is an urgent need for accessible environments for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the factors influencing satisfaction with accessible travel in old communities in Nanchang City. Adopting a perspective encompassing vulnerabilities across all age groups, we employed interviews, on-site surveys, questionnaires, and literature reviews to construct a model of satisfaction with accessible travel. This model comprises five evaluation dimensions: pedestrian pathways, public spaces, signage guidance, social support, and software provision, encompassing twenty-seven influencing factors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to validate the model. The research findings indicated that social support (0.697), pedestrian pathways (0.480), and public spaces (0.291) exerted a significant overall effect on satisfaction within the model, whereas the influence of software provision (0.225) and signage guidance (0.249) was comparatively smaller. Vulnerable groups within the community prioritized operational maintenance (0.818) and cultural advocacy (0.791) within social support. They also emphasized aspects of pedestrian pathways such as elevation treatment (0.809) and pavement design (0.803), as well as rest facilities (0.804) and service facilities (0.790) within public spaces. Finally, based on the weighted ranking of factors among latent variables, we propose corresponding optimization strategies and development proposals. This paper contributes to providing theoretical, practical, and technical support for the design of community accessibility that caters to socially vulnerable groups across "universal and all-ages" groups. It plays a proactive role in enhancing the quality of life for these vulnerable groups and promoting the improvement of accessibility environments in old communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mealtimes are a period of heightened distress for individuals with eating disorders. Patients frequently display maladaptive coping strategies, such as hiding food and using distraction techniques to avoid eating. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence for meal support interventions as a first-line intervention for eating disorders. Method: Six databases were systematically searched in January 2024. Papers including patients with an eating disorder, and meal support or meal supervision, were examined. Quality appraisal was conducted. Results: Ten studies met inclusion criteria. Meal support was conducted individually and in group settings. Two studies examined the practical or interpersonal processes of meal support. Carers and trained clinicians implemented meal support. Individuals across the lifespan were examined. Settings included inpatient units, community clinics, and the home. Studies were heterogeneously evaluated with retrospective chart audits, pre- and post- cohort studies, semi-structured interviews, video analysis, and surveys. Discussion: Meal support intervention is potentially suitable and beneficial for patients of various age groups and eating disorder diagnoses. Due to the lack of consistent approaches, it is apparent there is no standardised framework and manualised approach. This highlights the need for the development of a co-designed approach, adequate training, and rigorous evaluation. Plain English summary: Previous research indicates that meal support may be potentially beneficial as an independent intervention in the treatment of eating disorders, but inconsistent approaches and a lack of standardization make evaluations challenging. The current study aims to provide an overview of current meal support interventions, how they are implemented, and their impacts on health outcomes and hospital admissions in people experiencing an eating disorder. Gaps in current knowledge and research highlight the need for further investigation, and the development of a co-designed approach, adequate training, and rigorous evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading global cause of mortality. Age is an important covariate whose effect is most easily investigated in a healthy cohort to properly distinguish the former from disease-related changes. Traditionally, most of such insights have been drawn from the analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) feature changes in individuals as they age. However, these features, while informative, may potentially obscure underlying data relationships. In this paper we present the following contributions: (1) We employ a deep-learning model and a tree-based model to analyze ECG data from a robust dataset of healthy individuals across varying ages in both raw signals and ECG feature format. (2) We use explainable AI methods to identify the most discriminative ECG features across age groups.(3) Our analysis with tree-based classifiers reveals age-related declines in inferred breathing rates and identifies notably high SDANN values as indicative of elderly individuals, distinguishing them from younger adults. (4) Furthermore, the deep-learning model underscores the pivotal role of the P-wave in age predictions across all age groups, suggesting potential changes in the distribution of different P-wave types with age. These findings shed new light on age-related ECG changes, offering insights that transcend traditional feature-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-to-human contact plays a leading role in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the contact pattern between individuals has an important influence on the intensity and trend of disease transmission. In this paper, we define regular contacts and random contacts. Then, taking the COVID-19 outbreak in Yangzhou City, China as an example, we consider age heterogeneity, household structure and two contact patterns to establish discrete dynamic models with switching between daytime and nighttime to depict the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 in population. We studied the changes in the reproduction number with different age groups and household sizes at different stages. The effects of the proportion of two contacts patterns on reproduction number were also studied. Furthermore, taking the final size, the peak value of infected individuals in community and the peak value of quarantine infected individuals and nucleic acid test positive individuals as indicators, we evaluate the impact of the number of random contacts, the duration of the free transmission stage and summer vacation on the spread of the disease. The results show that a series of prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government in response to the epidemic situation are reasonable and effective, and the young and middle-aged adults (aged 18-59) with household size of 6 have the strongest transmission ability. In addition, the results also indicate that increasing the proportion of random contact is beneficial to the control of the infectious disease in the phase with interventions. This work enriches the content of infectious disease modeling and provides theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of follow-up major infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses panel data for Canada from 1976 to 2018, across 10 provinces, to reassess the relationship between mortality rates and economic fluctuations. The key contribution of our paper lies in examining the extent to which this relationship is driven by the employment rate (extensive margin) versus average hours worked (intensive margin). We find evidence of procyclical mortality for females at the aggregate level; aggregate male mortality remains largely unaffected by economic fluctuations. Our findings also reveal temporal heterogeneity, as the extensive margin becomes the driving force for female mortality rates during the more recent period (1990 onwards). These findings remain robust when accounting for personal income and pollution. Finally, we find some support for a procyclical relationship for individuals in the working age groups, while mortality exhibits a countercyclical pattern for children (age 0 to 14) and the elderly (age 65 and above). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face recognition techniques have been widely employed in real-world biomimetics applications. However, traditional approaches have limitations in recognizing faces correctly with large age differences because of significant changes over age in the same person, leading to unsatisfactory recognition performance. To address this, previous studies propose to decompose and identify age and identity features independently in facial images across diverse age groups when optimizing the discriminative model so as to improve the age-invariant face recognition accuracy. Nevertheless, the interrelationships between these features make it difficult for the decomposition to disentangle them properly, thus compromising the recognition accuracy due to the interactive impacts on both features. To this end, this paper proposes a novel deep framework that incorporates a novel Hybrid Spatial-Channel Attention Module to facilitate the cross-age face recognition task. Particularly, the proposed module enables better decomposition of the facial features in both spatial and channel dimensions with attention mechanisms simultaneously while mitigating the impact of age variation on the recognition performance. Beyond this, diverse pooling strategies are also combined when applying those spatial and channel attention mechanisms, which allows the module to generate discriminative face representations while preserving complete information within the original features, further yielding sounder recognition accuracy. The proposed model is extensively validated through experiments on public face datasets such as CACD-VS, AgeDB-30, and FGNET, where the results show significant performance improvements compared to competitive baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reference intervals and median values of serum vitamin B12 level in blood from patients among the Latvian population were established for different age groups with a two-year step using data for a large number of patients, accumulated in E. Gulbis Laboratory in Latvia. The data represents the general population of Latvia. An indirect in silico method, developed in E. Gulbis laboratory for determination of serum vitamin B12 blood level reference intervals, was used. Strong elevation of serum vitamin B12 blood level was observed in children who were between 2 and 10 years old. The paper discusses the serum vitamin B12 values for children and a different serum vitamin B12 reference interval for young children is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes changes in the prevalence and intensity of schistosome parasite infections in a project integrating mass drug administration (MDA), water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), and behavioral change interventions. Methods: The Geshiyaro Project comprises three intervention arms. Arm 1 is subdivided into "Arm 1 pilot" (one district) and Arm 1 (four other districts), both receiving integrated community-wide MDA with intensive WaSH interventions. Arm 2 involves 17 districts with community-wide MDA interventions, while Arm 3 serves as a control with school-based MDA interventions in three districts. A total of 150 individuals, stratified by age group, were randomly selected from each of the 45 sentinel sites. Arm sizes were 584 (Arm 1 pilot), 1636 (Arm 1), 2203 (Arm 2), and 2238 (Arm 3). Statistical tests were employed to compare infection prevalence and intensity across the different arms. Results: The prevalence of schistosome parasite infection ranged from 0% to 2.6% and from 1.7% to 25.7% across districts, employing the Kato-Katz (KK) and point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) diagnostics, respectively. The mean infection intensity level showed no marked difference between baseline and follow-up surveys when measured by KK, except in Arm 2 (t = 6.89, P < 0.0001). Infection prevalence decreased significantly in Arm 1 (t = 8.62, P < 0.0001), Arm 2 (t = 6.94, P < 0.0001), and Arm 3 (t = 8.83, P < 0.0001), but not in Arm 1 pilot (t = 1.69, P = 0.09) by POC-CCA, when trace was considered positive. The decrease was significant only in Arm 1 (t = 3.28, P = 0.0001) and Arm 2 (t = 7.62, P < 0.0001) when the trace was considered negative in POC-CCA. Arm 2 demonstrated a significant difference in difference (DID) compared to the control group, Arm 3, regardless of whether trace in POC-CCA was considered positive (DID = 3.9%, df = 8780, P = 0.025) or negative (DID = −5.2, df = 8780, P = 0.0004). Conclusions: The prevalence of schistosomiasis was low when employing the KK diagnostic but moderate in some locations by the POC-CCA diagnostic. The infection level had decreased across all arms of the Geshiyaro study at mid-term of the 7-year project, but further efforts are needed to reduce the rate of parasite transmission based on the POC-CCA diagnostic scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the phenomenon of residential segregation in Berlin over time using a dynamic clustering analysis approach. Previous research has examined the phenomenon of residential segregation in Berlin at a high spatial and temporal aggregation and statically, i.e. not over time. We propose a methodology to investigate the existence of clusters of residential areas according to migration background, age group, gender, and socio-economic dimension over time. To this end, we have developed a sequential mixed methods approach that includes a multivariate kernel density estimation technique to estimate the density of subpopulations and a dynamic cluster analysis to discover spatial patterns of residential segregation over time (2009-2020). The dynamic analysis shows the emergence of clusters on the dimensions of migration background, age group, gender and socio-economic variables. We also identified a structural change in 2015, resulting in a new cluster in Berlin that reflects the changing distribution of subpopulations with a particular migratory background. Finally, we discuss the findings of this study with previous research and suggest possibilities for policy applications and future research using a dynamic clustering approach for analyzing changes in residential segregation at the city level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes changes in the prevalence and intensity of schistosome parasite infections in a project integrating mass drug administration (MDA), water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), and behavioral change interventions. Methods: The Geshiyaro Project comprises three intervention arms. Arm 1 is subdivided into "Arm 1 pilot" (one district) and Arm 1 (four other districts), both receiving integrated community-wide MDA with intensive WaSH interventions. Arm 2 involves 17 districts with community-wide MDA interventions, while Arm 3 serves as a control with school-based MDA interventions in three districts. A total of 150 individuals, stratified by age group, were randomly selected from each of the 45 sentinel sites. Arm sizes were 584 (Arm 1 pilot), 1636 (Arm 1), 2203 (Arm 2), and 2238 (Arm 3). Statistical tests were employed to compare infection prevalence and intensity across the different arms. Results: The prevalence of schistosome parasite infection ranged from 0% to 2.6% and from 1.7% to 25.7% across districts, employing the Kato-Katz (KK) and point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) diagnostics, respectively. The mean infection intensity level showed no marked difference between baseline and follow-up surveys when measured by KK, except in Arm 2 (t = 6.89, P < 0.0001). Infection prevalence decreased significantly in Arm 1 (t = 8.62, P < 0.0001), Arm 2 (t = 6.94, P < 0.0001), and Arm 3 (t = 8.83, P < 0.0001), but not in Arm 1 pilot (t = 1.69, P = 0.09) by POC-CCA, when trace was considered positive. The decrease was significant only in Arm 1 (t = 3.28, P = 0.0001) and Arm 2 (t = 7.62, P < 0.0001) when the trace was considered negative in POC-CCA. Arm 2 demonstrated a significant difference in difference (DID) compared to the control group, Arm 3, regardless of whether trace in POC-CCA was considered positive (DID = 3.9%, df = 8780, P = 0.025) or negative (DID = −5.2, df = 8780, P = 0.0004). Conclusions: The prevalence of schistosomiasis was low when employing the KK diagnostic but moderate in some locations by the POC-CCA diagnostic. The infection level had decreased across all arms of the Geshiyaro study at mid-term of the 7-year project, but further efforts are needed to reduce the rate of parasite transmission based on the POC-CCA diagnostic scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental degradation has become a major concern around the world. Fostering pro-environmental behaviour is considered among key solutions to reduce impacts towards conservation and rehabilitation of the environment. Various stakeholders have been developing strategies to promote pro-environmental behaviour, especially from an early age that is at student level but environmental issues still prevail on the local and global agenda. Therefore, this makes it questionable about the readiness of learners to change their behaviours towards implementing pro-environmental practices. Literature shows that limited work has been undertaken to assess readiness to change towards pro-environmental behaviour. Taking cognizance of this gap, this paper investigates and analyses the readiness of students towards pro-environmental behaviour by using the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change. A survey was conducted in secondary and higher education institutions in Mauritius. Results showed that demographic factors including gender, level of education and age group had an influence on pro-environmental behaviour. In addition, even though the larger group of participants showed positive attitudes towards protecting the environment, only a smaller percentage had actively changed their behaviours towards a pro-environmental one. As a solution, an integrated framework was proposed in this study to foster pro-environmental behaviour among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Among Korean research papers there have been studies on the correlation between tuberculosis-hypertension and diabetes and the correlation between dementia-hypertension and diabetes, but there were no analysis data specifically on tuberculosis and dementia. (2) Methods: A total of 2992 tuberculosis patients in the Gyeongbuk region were analyzed through a final analysis of integrated disease and health management system data collected from 2021 to 2022. In this selection, patients with tuberculosis under 50 years of age and 368 people diagnosed with tuberculosis were excluded. (3) Results: From 2021 to 2022, among the 2992 tuberculosis patients in Gyeongsangbuk-do aged 50 or older, 2722 (91.0%) belonged to the general tuberculosis patient group, while 270 (9.0%) belonged to the dementia–tuberculosis patient group. The average age in the dementia–tuberculosis group was 81.4 years, significantly higher than the general group's average of 75.7 years. Within the dementia–tuberculosis patient group, 235 patients (87.0%) had underlying medical conditions in addition to dementia and tuberculosis. The tuberculosis treatment cure rate was 56.3% (1477 patients) in the general group and 38.9% (105 patients) in the dementia–tuberculosis patient group. (4) Conclusions: The cure rate was notably higher in the general group. Similarly, the mortality rate (deaths due to tuberculosis) was significantly higher in the dementia–tuberculosis patient group (7.0%, 19 patients) compared to the normal group (3.0%, 81 patients). The mortality rate in the dementia group was more than twice that of the general group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective consecutive cohort study. Objective: For patients with mild to moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), bracing is the standard therapy to prevent progression of deformity. Still, not all patients benefit from treatment in the same way. Therefore, predictive parameters are needed to determine if patients are likely to benefit from brace therapy. Methods: Fourty-five AIS patients treated with a Chêneau brace were evaluated retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were based on SRS-criteria. Whole spine X-rays were performed pre-brace, in-brace, and at least 6 months after termination of brace treatment. Gender, age, Risser's sign, vertebral rotation determined by Nash and Moe grading system, in-brace correction and in-brace time per day were parameters evaluated. Treatment success and failure groups were compared to determine possible predictive parameters for successful brace treatment. Results: Chêneau brace treatment was successful preventing curve progression in 69%. We found significant differences between success and failure group concerning age (14 ±.22 vs 12.4 ±.4; P <.001) and Risser's sign (1.71 ±.16 vs.5 ±.17; P <.001) at beginning of brace treatment. Most significantly, initial in-brace curve correction was correlated with successful outcome after brace treatment (r =.64 (P <.001)). Conclusions: As one of few studies adhering to the criteria defined by the Scoliosis Research Society our study shows reliable predictive parameters for Chêneau brace treatment success in patients with AIS. Data shown in this paper will help to differentiate AIS patients who are likely to benefit from adequate bracing therapy from those who could rather benefit from early surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gaming industry has seen a considerable expansion thanks to the ever-increasing and widespread consumption of digital games in different contexts of use and across all age groups. We are witnessing a commercial boom and awakening the attention of researchers from different scientific areas to address an interdisciplinary topic. Digital games consumption has inspired some studies investigating the use and adoption of these games and, in this context, we ask: "how has the use and adoption of digital games by adults been studied?". We conducted a documental study with a meta-analysis approach to answer these questions, considering the most relevant research papers published in the last fifteen years, according to a set of inclusion criteria. The planned objectives consider identifying the main dimensions in the studies about the use and adoption of digital games by adults and the findings of this study delineate several dimensions as prospective latent variables for inclusion in future studies within acceptance models for digital games. Furthermore, our research illuminates the socialization dimension, particularly when amalgamated with other conceptual dimensions. This nuanced understanding underscores the intricate interplay between various factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of digital gaming technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a cosmopolitan parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus. We aimed to assess the epidemiological aspects of the disease in hospitalized children from Western Romania, a well-known endemic area for CE. We retrospectively investigated the medical records of children hospitalized between 1998 and 2022. A total of 144 patients were included, and 58.3% were from rural areas. The number of cases increased with age, from 9% in the age group 3–5 years to 59.7% in the age group 11–17 years. The liver was more frequently affected (65.3%), and a significant association between gender and the affected organ was noted; liver cysts were more frequently diagnosed in girls, while lung cysts were recorded mostly in boys. Complications were more frequently reported in patients with pulmonary CE compared to hepatic CE (p = 0.04). Boys had more complications (16/23, 69.6%) compared to girls (7/23, 30.4%) (p = 0.03). A third of the children were hospitalized for more than 14 days, and multiple hospitalizations were recorded in 31.3% of the patients. This paper provides new insights into the epidemiologic features of cystic echinococcosis in children from Western Romania. Our findings indicate that exposure to the parasite starts in childhood, and the rate of hospitalization increases with age. Public health strategies should be implemented and permanently improved in order to lower the prevalence of CE in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the dynamisms of house plans, family stages, and family backgrounds, and their interrelated dynamism, of lower-middle-class families in suburban residential areas in Sri Lanka. Through a literature review of Sri Lankan historical house plans and family units, parameters to categorize house plans, family stages, and background types were derived. Using measured drawings, interviews, and observations of the case study families, data regarding house plans, construction steps, family stages, family backgrounds, and their transition steps were collected, and a quantitative analysis was conducted. The research included identifying lower-middle-class house plan types and transition types, family stages, parents' employment types, and children's education types. The results show that the transition of family stages and family backgrounds has a relationship with the transition of house plan types, resulting in social mobility and different generations, in different social classes, living in the same house. This study proposes two new house plan types for two construction steps in two family stages, giving a mixed character of lower-middle-class and other social class house plans, providing flexibility to expand and adjustability to cater to residents in different generations and social classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a highly effective intervention for preventing malaria, particularly in areas with highly seasonal transmission. Monitoring and evaluating (M&E) SMC programmes are complex due to the scale, time-sensitive delivery of the programme, and influence of external factors. This paper describes the process followed to develop a comprehensive M&E framework tailored specifically for the SMC context. Methods: The Framework was developed through a literature and programme review, and stakeholder dialogues across three implementing countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, and Nigeria. Expert consultation further refined the Framework through an iterative approach drawing upon data collected through the three sources. The Framework was designed using the Logical Framework Approach incorporating external factors and intentionally aligned with global malaria M&E standards. Results: An overall aim and seven programme objectives were developed measured by 70 indicators. The indicators also capture the causal links between the implementation and results of the programme. The Framework leverages the use of current data sources and existing mechanisms, ensuring efficient data use without requiring a significant increase in resources for overall programme optimization. It also promotes the use of data triangulation, and stratification for a more nuanced understanding of factors affecting programme performance and timely data informed decision-making. Conclusions: The SMC M&E Framework presented here provides a standardized approach for programme implementers to enhance decision-making for optimal programme performance. This is an essential tool as the scope of SMC programmes expands to new geographies and target age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotic use during early infancy has been linked to childhood obesity in high-income countries. We evaluated whether a single oral dose of azithromycin administered during infant-well visits led to changes in infant growth outcomes at 6 months of age in a setting with a high prevalence of undernutrition in rural Burkina Faso. Methods and findings: Infants were enrolled from September 25, 2019, until October 22, 2022, in a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a single oral dose of azithromycin (20 mg/kg) compared to placebo when administered during well-child visits for prevention of infant mortality. The trial found no evidence of a difference in the primary endpoint. This paper presents prespecified secondary anthropometric endpoints including weight gain (g/day), height change (mm/day), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ), length-for-age Z-score (LAZ), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). Infants were eligible for the trial if they were between 5 and 12 weeks of age, able to orally feed, and their families were planning to remain in the study area for the duration of the study. Anthropometric measurements were collected at enrollment (5 to 12 weeks of age) and 6 months of age. Among 32,877 infants enrolled in the trial, 27,298 (83%) were followed and had valid anthropometric measurements at 6 months of age. We found no evidence of a difference in weight gain (mean difference 0.03 g/day, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.12 to 0.18), height change (mean difference 0.004 mm/day, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.06), WAZ (mean difference −0.004 SD, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.02), WLZ (mean difference 0.001 SD, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.03), LAZ (mean difference −0.005 SD, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.02), or MUAC (mean difference 0.01 cm, 95% CI −0.01 to 0.04). The primary limitation of the trial was that measurements were only collected at enrollment and 6 months of age, precluding assessment of shorter-term or long-term changes in growth. Conclusions: Single-dose azithromycin does not appear to affect weight and height outcomes when administered during early infancy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.govNCT03676764 Ali Sié and colleagues present pre-specified anthropometric outcomes from a randomized controlled trial that assessed the impact of a single-dose of oral azithromycin on infant mortality in Burkina Faso. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Antibiotics have been linked to obesity in children in nonrandomized studies in high-income settings. In low-income settings, malnutrition is a strong risk factor for child mortality, and interventions that increase weight gain may be beneficial. Single-dose azithromycin has previously been shown to reduce child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is possible that some of this effect is via weight gain. Why did the researchers do and find?: We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which infants aged 5 to 12 weeks were randomly assigned to a single dose of azithromycin or a matching placebo. The primary outcome of the parent trial was all-cause mortality, and the trial found no evidence of a benefit of azithromycin for prevention of mortality. Infants were followed until 6 months of age and had anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference, collected. We found no evidence of a difference in any anthropometric endpoint in infants randomized to azithromycin compared to placebo. What do these findings mean?: Single-dose azithromycin does not appear to affect growth when administered to healthy infants who are 5 to 12 weeks of age. Growth outcomes were only measured at 6 months of age, and thus, any shorter or longer-term effects of azithromycin would not be detected by this study. This study only considered a single dose of azithromycin, as is used for prevention of child mortality and trachoma, and thus, it is possible that higher doses or longer duration of antibiotics could have a different effects on child growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of "Clip Thinking" in the context of the digital age and investigates whether it is a complimentary or contradictory approach. Clip Thinking refers to the tendency of individuals to consume information and ideas in short, fragmented, and easily digestible formats, often facilitated by social media platforms and digital technologies. While Clip Thinking offers benefits such as quick access to diverse perspectives and efficient information processing, it also raises concerns about shallow engagement, echo chambers, and reduced critical thinking skills. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, to gather insights from participants representing different age groups, educational backgrounds, and digital media consumption habits. The qualitative interviews delve into participants' motivations, habits, and experiences related to Clip Thinking, providing an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. The quantitative surveys measure participants' information consumption patterns, cognitive abilities, and attitudes towards Clip Thinking. On one hand, participants appreciate the convenience and accessibility offered by short, clipped content. They find it easier to navigate the overwhelming information landscape, rapidly browse topics of interest, and connect with a broader range of ideas. On the other hand, concerns emerge regarding the potential for information overload, reduced attention spans, and a lack of depth in understanding complex issues. Participants express worries about the erosion of critical thinking skills and the creation of filter bubbles that reinforce pre-existing beliefs. By analyzing the data collected, this paper aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the impacts of Clip Thinking on individuals' cognitive processes, decision-making abilities, and overall information consumption habits. The study's conclusions will inform educators, policymakers, and media platforms about the challenges and opportunities associated with promoting a balanced information ecosystem in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the effectiveness of Chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) with 50% TCA peel and Microneedling in acne scars in the treatment of acne scars. Methods This trial was carried out from 15th March to 14th September 2022, at Outpatient Department of Dermatology, Services Hospital, Lahore. Patients of both genders and 18 to 50 years of age, who had grade 2 to 4 acne scars were enrolled. Their acne scars were graded by Goodman's Qualitative Acne Scarring Grading System. Paper lottery method was used to randomly divide them into 2 groups. Group A patients received 50% TCA peel whereas in Group B, patients were treated with microneedling with dermapen. Follow-up was done one month after the last treatment session and the response was recorded. Excellent response was labelled if patient's acne scars reduced by two grades, good response if one grade was reduced and a poor response was no improvement. Efficacy was considered as good or excellent response. Results A total of 84 patients were enrolled. The mean of the ages of patients in group A was 33.21±7.22 years and in group B was 32.12±6.59 years. Majority of the patients 60 (71.43%) were between 18 to 35 years of age. Out of 84 patients, 73 (86.90%) were females and 11 (13.10%) were males with female to male ratio of 6.6:1. Efficacy of Group A (50% TCA peel) was noted in 31 (73.81%) patients while in Group B (microneedling with dermapen) was seen in 39 (92.86%) patients (p-value = 0.019). Conclusion We concluded that microneedling with dermapen was more efficacious in the treatment of post acne facial scars than chemical reconstruction of scars (CROSS) with 50% TCA peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agent-based epidemiological simulators have been proven to be one of the most successful tools for the analysis of COVID-19 propagation. The ability of these tools to reproduce the behavior and interactions of each single individual leads to accurate and detailed results, which can be used to model fine-grained health-related policies like selective vaccination campaigns or immunity waning. One characteristic of these tools is the large amount of input data and computational resources that they require. This relies on the development of parallel algorithms and methodologies for generating, accessing, and processing large volumes of data from multiple data sources. This work presents a parallel workflow for extending the social modeling of EpiGraph, an agent-based simulator. We have included two novel parallel social generation stages that generate a detailed and realistic social model and one new visualization stage. This work also presents a description of the algorithms used in each stage, different optimization techniques that permit to reduce the application convergence time, and a practical evaluation of large workloads on HPC systems. Results show that this contribution can be efficiently executed in parallel architectures and the results allow to increase the simulation detail level, representing a significant advance in the simulator scenario modeling. As a summary of results, the first contribution of this paper is the development of two models (a spatial and a social one) that assign geographical and socioeconomic indicators to each simulated individual (i.e., agents), reproducing the real social distribution of the city of Madrid. The second contribution presents an improved parallel and distributed algorithm that executes the two aforementioned models using different parallelization strategies and preserving the load balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The health condition during childhood has been shown to influence an individual's health and socioeconomic status in adulthood. Understanding the concentration and persistence patterns in children's healthcare expenditures is crucial for providing risk protection and promoting the well-being of children. Studies regarding the concentration and persistence of health expenditures have focused mainly on elderly individuals in developed regions. To gain insights into factors that contribute to childhood health expenditures, this article examined children with high costs (that is, in the top 10% of the expenditure distribution) and explored the characteristics and spending patterns that distinguished them from other patients in the context of the largest developing economy—China. Methods: By using a unique individual-level administrative claims dataset over a 5-year observation period, this study identified spending concentrations and the proportion of children whose costs remained high over five years using a linear probability model and logit regression analysis. Results: Teenagers from 12 to 17 years old were more likely to persist in the high-cost group than any other age groups in the study. Pediatric complex chronic conditions and other severe health ailments were predictive factors for entry into and persistence in the high-cost category. More than half of the total health expenditures were attributed to children in the top 10% expenditure group. In addition, risk protection and healthcare insurance support for high-cost children was found to be inadequate, particularly for children from low-income families. Conclusions: Healthcare support for children impacts individual development and family financial status. This study described the characteristics and spending patterns of children patients in the largest developing country. The fact that over half of total expenditures are concentrated toward 10% of patients makes it valuable to consider relevant support for this group, especially for families whose medical costs are higher than income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Our aim was to compare the effects of intraarticular and intravenous (IV) tranexemic acid (TXA) application on bleeding and complication rates in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIAL AND METHODS Between 2017 and 2021, 406 patients who underwent TKA with 2 g of IV TXA and retrograde 1.5 g of TXA applied through the drain were included in the study. Of the patients, 206 were in the IV TXA group. Preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels, drain output, BMI, ASA score, blood loss, and the number of transfused patients were recorded. Complications such as symptomatic venous thromboembolism were also recorded. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, or BMI (p = 0.68, 0.54, 0.28, 0.45). Total drain output and blood loss were significantly higher in the IV TXA group than in the intraarticular TXA group (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). Eighteen patients in the IV TXA group and 1 patient in the intraarticular TXA group received a blood transfusion (p < 0.0001). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative hemoglobin or platelet count (p = 0.24). However, postoperative hemoglobin level was higher in the patients who received intraarticular TXA (p=0.0005). More thromboembolism events were seen in the IV TXA group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Intraarticular TXA application reduces blood loss more than IV application, reduces the blood transfusion rate, and causes fewer complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural processes underpinning cognition and language development in infancy are of great interest. We investigated EEG power and coherence in infancy, as a reflection of underlying cortical function of single brain region and cross-region connectivity, and their relations to cognition and early precursors of speech and language development. EEG recordings were longitudinally collected from 21 infants with typical development between approximately 1 and 7 months. We investigated relative band power at 3-6Hz and 6-9Hz and EEG coherence of these frequency ranges at 25 electrode pairs that cover key brain regions. A correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between EEG measurements across frequency bands and brain regions and raw Bayley cognitive and language developmental scores. In the first months of life, relative band power is not correlated with cognitive and language scales. However, 3-6Hz coherence is negatively correlated with receptive language scores between frontoparietal regions, and 6-9Hz coherence is negatively correlated with expressive language scores between frontoparietal regions. The results from this preliminary study contribute to the existing literature on the relationship between electrophysiological development, cognition, and early speech precursors in this age group. Future work should create norm references of early development in these domains that can be compared with infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this paper investigates the effect of public expenditures on household investment in risky financial assets. Our findings show that a higher level of public expenditures significantly increases household investment in stocks and other risky financial assets and that the respondent's overconfidence in their financial well‐being partially mediates such an effect. We further provide evidence that the influence of public expenditures on household investment behavior in risky financial assets is robust after considering various sample heterogeneities by disaggregating public expenditures and risky financial assets into different subcategories and dividing households into different age and socioeconomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the internal factors of ram age and litter-of-origin on semen quality during the cryopreservation process in Sumava sheep rams. This breed is included in the protected genetic resources of the Czech Republic. The sires were systematically divided into four groups according to age (under 1.5 years, 1.5 to 2.5 years, 2.5 to 3.5 years, and over 4.5 years) and according to litter frequency (singletons vs twins). Semen was evaluated after equilibration, and after cryopreservation using iSperm® mCASA and flow cytometry. During cryopreservation, there was a significant decrease in total sperm motility by 53.5%, progressive motility by 38%, and cells with intact plasma membrane and acrosome by 47%. Frozen-thawed sperm kinematic parameters showed significant age-related variations, with rams aged 4.5 and older displaying notably higher total and progressive motility (16.2% and 6.24%, respectively). Rams born as twins exhibited 3.77% (P < 0.05) higher progressive motility and 5.5% (P < 0.05) higher total motility compared to those born as singles. The sperm of older rams (> 4.5 years) exhibited higher viability (10.1%) and lower damage to the plasma membrane after freeze-thawing (23.6%), (P < 0.05). Twins showed significantly higher sperm viability (4.98%, P < 0.05) than singletons. These rams produce a larger quantity of higher-quality insemination doses after cryopreservation. For Sumava rams, in particular, broadening the sire selection base helps to select suitable rams for breeding. As the sire ages, his genetic value within the production herd may decline with time. This contrasts with genetic resource protection, where the aim is to preserve and store as many high-quality semen samples as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the long-term impacts of schooling disruptions on private returns to schooling in Kuwait. It applies an instrumental variables approach to estimate the private returns to schooling, using unique civil service payroll data, with Kuwaiti students' exposure to the Gulf War (1990–91) as the instrument. The Gulf War is a suitable instrument because it profoundly affected Kuwaiti students' schooling at the time and is unlikely to be correlated with many potentially problematic omitted variables, such as students' ability. The analysis finds that (i) people who were of schooling age during the Gulf War tend to have lower educational attainment than people who were of schooling age after the Gulf War; (ii) men who were of schooling age at the time of the Gulf War earn on average 5.6% less for each year of schooling lost, and women earn correspondingly 6.8% less for each year of schooling lost; (iii) female students who were in the age groups corresponding to lower school grades during the Gulf War tend to suffer a greater percentage wage loss for each year of lost schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research to date has failed to generate a comprehensive understanding of the source of the gender gap in financial literacy in adulthood. Using microdata from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and an analysis covering four age groups (15–19, 20–24, 25–29 and 30–34), this paper suggests that the gender gap starts young and well before individuals enter adulthood. The analysis also suggests that that raw (unadjusted) gender gap likely underestimates the underlying gap. It is important to establish whether the gap begins before or after children enter school, since policy aimed at addressing it would be very different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Remembering food resources is important for survival. Animals differ in their strategies to remember resources; some use spatial information, and others resource-specific information (colour, shape). Which strategy they use depends in part on their way of life (food-caching species and migratory species prefer spatial information), but is also affected by the salience of the information. Here, we investigated the strategy used in the colour-polymorphic Gouldian Finch by offering spatial and object (feature) cues. Birds were trained to find food either in a white or coloured feeder always positioned in the same location. In experimental trials, feeders were swapped, dissociating the feature and the spatial cues from the feature cue rewarded. Similar numbers of birds preferred the feature or the spatial cue in the first experimental trial, which was not affected by head colour morph, sex or age. However, birds with a spatial preference changed their choices over time, resulting in most birds choosing the feature cue at the end of the experiment. These results indicate that Gouldian Finches have individual preferences for one strategy or the other but can change their preference flexibly depending on the salience of the cue. Animals can use different cues to memorise food resources, which can be broadly divided into spatial and feature cues. Differences in species-specific preferences for spatial or feature cues has been historically linked to their reliance on spatial information (food-caching and migratory species prefer spatial cues), but more recently, attention has shifted to procedural differences largely affecting the salience of cues. Here, we investigated cue preferences in the colour-polymorphic Gouldian Finch to test a range of hypotheses. Birds were trained to find food either in a white or coloured feeder always positioned in the same location. In experimental trials, feeders were swapped, dissociating the feature and the spatial cue from the feature cue rewarded. Similar numbers of birds preferred the feature or the spatial cue in the first experimental trial. Preferences were not affected by head colour morph, sex or age group. However, birds with a spatial preference changed their choices over time, resulting in a significant number of birds choosing the feature cue at the end of the experiment. These results indicate that Gouldian Finches have individual preferences for one cue type or the other but can change their preference flexibly depending on the salience of the cue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the global aging, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have affected the place of death (PoD) in Japan, where hospital deaths have dominated for decades. We analyzed the PoD trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Methods: This nationwide observational study used vital statistics based on death certificates from Japan between 1951 and 2021. The proportion of PoD; deaths at home, hospitals, and nursing homes; and annual percentage change (APC) were estimated using joinpoint regression analysis. Analyses were stratified by age groups and causes of death. Results: After 2019, home deaths exhibited upward trends, while hospital death turned into downward trends. By age, no significant trend change was seen in the 0–19 age group, while hospital deaths decreased in the 20–64 age group in 2019. The trend change in home death in the ≥65 age group significantly increased since 2019 with an APC of 12.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.0 to 15.7), while their hospital death trends decreased by −4.0% (95% CI: −4.9 to −3.1) in 2019−2021. By cause of death, home death due to cancer and the old age increased since 2019 with an APC of 29.3% (95% CI: 25.4 to 33.2) and 8.8% (95% CI: 5.5 to 12.2), respectively. Conclusion: PoD has shifted from hospital to home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. The majority of whom were older population with cancer or old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]