Abstract Background Antimicrobial impregnated catheters (AIC) are one strategy to prevent CLABSI with existing data for central lines required for short duration, however, the strength of evidence, particularly for children, is lacking. Recent 3-year CLABSI data at our institution show 60 (51%) infections occurred in central lines within 8 weeks of insertion, suggesting an opportunity for evaluation of an intervention targeting this time frame. We implemented AIC to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing CLABSI standardized infection ratio (SIR) in patients requiring central venous access for less than 8 weeks. We also monitored for complications (malfunction, line exchange, fungal infection). Methods A stepped wedge observational design was used to implement Minocycline + Rifampin impregnated catheters in a rolling fashion across the institution. Children > 3kg were eligible if admitted to a participating unit and required central venous access through a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), non-tunneled catheter, or tunneled non-cuffed femoral catheter for < 8 weeks. Units, prioritized based on CLABSI SIR, were added to the intervention monthly until AIC were used throughout the institution. A multidisciplinary team (infectious diseases and infection control experts, CLABSI leaders, unit-based physicians and nurses, proceduralists, supply chain) met weekly to facilitate implementation, assess for CLABSI and monitor for complications. Figure 1. Study design. This figure describes the stepped wedge study design where units were phased into the invention on a rolling monthly basis allowing for comparison between and within units. The shaded boxes represent time periods when units were using antimicrobial impregnated catheters and the white boxes represent time periods when units were using standard non-impregnated catheters. Results AIC were systematically implemented over a 7-month period. The institution’s CLABSI SIR decreased from 0.80 to 0.59 during this timeframe. There were no NHSH defined CLABSI in patients with an AIC during the intervention. Obstacles included shortage of catheters due to supply chain disruption, adjustment of technique for line insertion and cracked/broken lines. Infections and complications were reviewed by the multidisciplinary team and compared to historical rates with non-impregnated lines. This figure shows the institution’s rolling 12-month SIR during the intervention period. Conclusion CLABSI SIR decreased at our institution during the intervention period. While many efforts likely led to this reduction (optimizing maintenance bundle, unit based CLABSI initiatives), we believe the use of AIC contributed to this improvement. There were no pediatric-specific safety events identified during implementation. Disclosures Ravi Jhaveri, MD, AstraZeneca (Consultant)Dynavax (Consultant)Elsevier (Other Financial or Material Support, Editorial stipend as Co-EiC, Clinical Therapeutics)Hologic (Consultant)Seqirus (Consultant)

INTRODUCTION Scientometrics is a subfield of bibliometrics that statistically analyzes publications trends. The aim of this initial study was to investigate trends in the 6 major neurosurgical journals from the last 10 years. METHODS We searched Web of Science and Scopus for articles published in Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Operative Neurosurgery, and World Neurosurgery from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020. Statistically analyzed parameters included national and continental distribution of articles, population density, density of neurosurgeons per 100,000 inhabitants, national per capita GDP, and national literacy rates. Bibliometric parameters assessed included total number of articles, H-indices, absolute/average number of citations per article, and article types. RESULTS A total of 39,239 articles were published in the 6 journals. Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery had the strongest source impact. The most productive year was 2019 with 6811 published articles. Corresponding authors from the USA, China, Japan, Western Europe, and Turkey were the most productive. Articles published by authors from the USA received the majority of citations. Publication numbers increased in proportion with increases in country population, literacy rate, per capita GDP, and neurosurgeon density. The highest number of articles were published in 2016, and the fewest were published in 2020. CONCLUSIONS Geographic trends in the diversity of neurosurgical publications sustained its steady increase in most developed counties. Simultaneously, the publication gap between developed and developing countries has remained stagnant.

Very little is known about how violent extremist practices are learned, and the role of educational channels through which they are spread. This empirical study extrapolates insights specific to the Bosnian and Herzegovinian context to demonstrate how one ultraconservative ideology, Salafism, can radically alter the dominant thinking and behavior of ordinary individuals once they feel displaced from the mainstream institutions and particularly from the formal education. At the core of the displacement and replacement model of radicalization is an informal and tactful teacher, influencer, or a mentor that individuals connect with either online or in person. Using the primary data collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina through 20 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with radicalized persons, the study sequences a ten-step radicalization model through which the interviewees have transformed from ordinary citizens into radicalized actors with a potential to engage in violent extremism.

Abstract We analyze if various programs for entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWD) positively impact their self-efficacy. We examine if variations in self-efficacy of EWD are related to perceptions of social support, quality assistance from service providers, and perceived barriers to entrepreneurship as a way to evaluate the impact of programs for EWD. We draw upon Critical Disability Theory to understand if service providers act as ‘sites of injustice’ for EWD, creating further barriers, or as ‘sites of justice’ that positively impact their self-efficacy. Using a sample of 127 EWD, we find a positive relationship between the services received from entrepreneurship and disability-specific support programs on self-efficacy. Conversely, we find a strong negative relationship between barriers to entrepreneurship and the self-efficacy of EWD. We contribute by forwarding Critical Disability Theory to the realm of entrepreneurship and shedding new empirical light on EWD.

This study reports on the effects of insertion velocity, needle tip geometry and needle diameter on tissue deformation and maximum insertion force. Moreover, the effect of multiple insertions with the same needle on the maximum insertion force is reported. The tissue deformation and maximum insertion force strongly depend on the insertion velocity and the tip geometry. No correlation was found between the outer diameter and the maximum insertion force for small needles (30G - 32G). The endurance experiments showed no remarkable difference in the maximum insertion force during 100 insertions.

Ex-vivo expanded tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) show promise in delivering durable responses among several solid tumour indications. However, characterising, quantifying and tracking the active component of TIL therapy remains challenging as the expansion process does not distinguish between tumour reactive and bystander T-cells. Achilles Therapeutics has developed ATL001, a patient-specific TIL-based product, manufactured using the VELOS™ process that specifically targets clonal neoantigens present in all tumour cells within a patient. Two Phase I/IIa clinical trials of ATL001 are ongoing in patients with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, CHIRON (NCT04032847), and metastatic or recurrent melanoma, THETIS (NCT03997474). Extensive product characterisation and immune-monitoring are performed through Achilles’ manufacturing and translational science programme. This enables precise quantification and characterisation of the active component of this therapy – Clonal Neoantigen T cells (cNeT) – during manufacture and following patient administration, offering unique insight into the mechanism of action of ATL001 and aiding the development of next generation processes.ATL001 was manufactured using procured tumour and matched whole blood from 8 patients enrolled in the THETIS (n=5) and CHIRON (n=3) clinical trials. Following administration of ATL001, peripheral blood samples were collected up to week 6. The active component of the product was detected via re-stimulation with clonal neoantigen peptide pools and evaluation of IFN-γ and/or TNF-α production. Deconvolution of individual reactivities was achieved via ELISPOT assays. Immune reconstitution was evaluated by flow cytometry. cNeT expansion was evaluated by restimulation of isolated PBMCs with peptide pools and individual peptide reactivities (ELISPOT).The median age was 57 (range 30 – 71) and 6/8 patients were male. The median number of previous lines of systemic anti-cancer treatment at the time of ATL001 dosing was 2.5 (range 1 – 5). Proportion of cNeT in manufactured products ranged from 0.20% - 77.43% (mean 26.78%) and unique single peptide reactivities were observed in 7 of 8 products (range 0 – 28, mean 8.6). Post-dosing, cNeTs were detected in 5/8 patients and cNeT expansion was observed in 3/5 patients.These data underscore our ability to sensitively detect, quantify and track the patient-specific cNeT component of ATL001 – during manufacture and post dosing. As the dataset matures, these metrics of detection and expansion will be correlated with product, clinical and genomic characteristics to determine variables associated with peripheral cNeT dynamics and clinical response.NCT04032847, NCT03997474The first 8 patients described have all been located within the UK and both trials (CHIRON and THETIS) have been approved by the UK MHRA (among other international bodies, e.g FDA). Additionally, these trials have been approved by local ethics boards at active sites within the UK. Patient‘s are fully informed by provided materials and investigators prior to consenting to enrol into either ATL001 trial.

Seismological constraints obtained from receiver function (RF) analysis provide important information about the crust and mantle structure. Here, we explore the utility of the free‐surface multiple of the P‐wave (PP) and the corresponding conversions in RF analysis. Using earthquake records, we demonstrate the efficacy of PPs‐RFs before illustrating how they become especially useful when limited data is available in typical planetary missions. Using a transdimensional hierarchical Bayesian deconvolution approach, we compute robust P‐to‐S (Ps)‐ and PPs‐RFs with InSight recordings of five marsquakes. Our Ps‐RF results verify the direct Ps converted phases reported by previous RF analyses with increased coherence and reveal other phases including the primary multiple reverberating within the uppermost layer of the Martian crust. Unlike the Ps‐RFs, our PPs‐RFs lack an arrival at 7.2 s lag time. Whereas Ps‐RFs on Mars could be equally well fit by a two‐ or three‐layer crust, synthetic modeling shows that the disappearance of the 7.2 s phase requires a three‐layer crust, and is highly sensitive to velocity and thickness of intra‐crustal layers. We show that a three‐layer crust is also preferred by S‐to‐P (Sp)‐RFs. While the deepest interface of the three‐layer crust represents the crust‐mantle interface beneath the InSight landing site, the other two interfaces at shallower depths could represent a sharp transition between either fractured and unfractured materials or thick basaltic flows and pre‐existing crustal materials. PPs‐RFs can provide complementary constraints and maximize the extraction of information about crustal structure in data‐constrained circumstances such as planetary missions.

Simple Summary The contamination of feed with mycotoxins is a global concern, resulting in adverse effects on productivity and animal health and, therefore, a great economic loss. Ochratoxin A and T-2 mycotoxins are among the mycotoxins that contaminate animal feed. These mycotoxins could adversely affect the health of broilers, and the most effective method to mitigate the toxic effects of mycotoxins is the use of detoxifying agents. In the present experiment, broiler chickens were allotted into five groups. Group 1 received a non-contaminated diet; group 2 received a non-contaminated diet + 3 g/kg of a mycotoxin binder (MMDA); group 3 received a non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin; group 4 received a non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin + 1 g/kg MMDA; and group 5 received a non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin + 3 g/kg MMDA for 35 days. The results revealed that OTA and T-2 toxin negatively affected the productive parameters and some blood and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. The addition of the detoxifying agent (MMDA at 1 or 3 g/kg feed) to contaminated diets alleviated the adverse effects observed on productivity and the broilers heath related parameters. Abstract The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the feed additive, a novel multicomponent mycotoxin detoxifying agent (MMDA) containing modified zeolite (clinoptilolite), Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls, and silymarin, as detoxifiers of 0.5 mg/kg (0.5 ppm) ochratoxin A (OTA) and 1 mg/kg (1 ppm) T-2 toxin on broiler chickens. A total of 240 1-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into five different dietary treatments: (1) control (non-contaminated diet); (2) non contaminated diet + 3 g/kg of MMDA; (3) non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin; (4) non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin + 1 g/kg MMDA; and (5) non-contaminated diet + 0.5 mg/kg OTA + 1 g/kg T-2 toxin + 3 g/kg MMDA. The results showed that, in the starter period, from 1 to 10 days, the presence of OTA and T-2 mycotoxins reduced the consumption of feed and the growth of the broilers, and no effects of the detoxifying product were observed in the productivity of the chickens, at any of the doses tested, compared to the contaminated control (treatment 3). However, in the growing period, the same negative effect of mycotoxins was registered, but a recovery was observed in the consumption of feed and in the weight of the broilers that consumed 3 g/kg of the MMDA mycotoxin binder, reaching similar values to those of chickens fed uncontaminated control diets. The presence of mycotoxins in feed led to a reduction in the concentration of total proteins and albumin in blood compared to controls, and the presence of the detoxifying product partially reversed this effect. The breast yield of the chickens fed with mycotoxins was lower than that of the animals fed with the control feed and was not affected by the presence of the product tested, at 1 or 3 g/kg. The weight of the different organs (liver, gizzard, kidneys, or spleen), the intestinal pH, the histology of the small intestine, and oral lesions were not affected by the experimental treatments. In summary, the productive parameters and some blood and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens were impaired by the dietary presence of OTA and T-2 toxin. The tested product included at 1 or 3 g/kg feed in contaminated diets improved performance and seems to be effective in partly counteracting the deleterious effects of the tested mycotoxins.

UDK: 630*9:502.1(234.422 Vranica) Nature conservation and sustainable management of forest resources become more important in Bosnia and Herzegovina, driven by the accession process toward the European Union as well as other international processes directed toward responsible management of forest resources. The forest certification has been widely adopted in the forestry sector and it implies meeting the sustainable forest management standard, whereas identification and proper management of high conservation value forests are one of the basic requirements. The NATURA 2000 ecological network is to become an important driver of reforms in the field of nature protection and forestry sector, due to the designation of new sites in forest area, which are under the responsibility of forestry institutions. This paper illustrates the scientific understanding of identification and management processes related to high conservation value forests that were proposed within potential NATURA 2000 habitats. The paper is based on analysis of main guiding principles for site designation and the role of the cross-sectoral approach applied identification and management of sites with high conservation value attributes. The case study research design was selected focusing on the Vranica Mountain due to recent activities implemented in this site. The in-depth face-to-face interviewing was used to collect qualitative data containing the key stakeholders' attitudes regarding the harmonization of NATURA 2000 habitats with the high conservation value forests – (HCVF), as well as the involvement of stakeholders in the processes of cross-sectoral cooperation. Results of this paper can be useful for the key forest and nature protection policy-makers, as well as to those responsible for managing of protected areas, or other stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the process of identification and management of HCVFs and NATURA 2000 sites. Harmonisation of guiding principles and cross-sectoral cooperation during the identification and management of HCVFs and NATURA 2000 forest habitats enables the proper implementation of conservation and management measures based on sustainable forest management activities.

Iterative methods are widely used for solving sparse linear systems of equations and eigenvalue problems. Their performances are relevant to the conditioning of the linear systems. This work explores factors which affects the conditioning of the discretized system, including material heterogeneity, different constitutive characteristics and element sizes, and reveals the dependencies among solvers performance and the conditioning of linear systems. Results show that multiple materials can alter the eigenvalue distributions significantly, while lowering Young’s modulus results in higher condition numbers but has less effects on the spectral scope, additionally, there is a approximately reciprocal square linear relation between element size and condition numbers. These entangled effects along with the chosen pre-conditioners render that there is no simple monotonic increasing dependency among condition numbers and solving time, except with specific conditions. It is hoped that this work will provide more understanding of the iterative sparse linear solver behavior used in similar structural problems.

Društveni značaj i kvalitet naučnog istraživanja u velikoj mjeri ovise o korisnosti rezultata istraživanja za društvenu i naučnu zajednicu. Nedostatak sredstava i želja da se sredstva dodijele visokokvalitetnim istraživanjima čine sve značajnijim procjenu kvaliteta istraživanja i valorizaciju znanja. Međutim, vrlo je teško primijeniti kriterije koji mogu objektivno procijeniti naučna istraživanja, pružajući precizne kvalitativne i kvantitativne podatke na kojima bi agencije za finansiranje mogle temeljiti svoje odluke. Proizvod naučnog istraživanja uglavnom su informacije objavljene u naučnim časopisima. One su temelj širenja znanja i osnovni kriterij za akademsku i naučnu evaluaciju, regrutovanje sredstava za naučna istraživanja i napredovanje u karijeri. Pored evaluacije naučnih publikacija, postoji širok spektar drugih aktivnosti koji odražavaju naučni kredibilitet znanstvenika, kao što su: broj i kvalitet grantova za naučnoistraživačke projekte, liderstvo u nacionalnim ili međunarodnim akademskim društvima, članstvo u redakcijama uglednih časopisa, mentorstva u doktorskim disertacijama i slično. Mada su te aktivnosti važne i daju kredibilitet znanstveniku, relevantni scientimetrijski sistemi pokrivaju samo publikacije, izostavljajući druge kriterije od naučne važnosti, u ocjenjivanju prilikom akademskog napredovanja znanstvenika, kao i konkursima za dobijanje grantova za finansijsku potporu naučnim istraživanjima. Razlog tome je činjenica da su ove aktivnosti, bez obzira na važnost, vrlo heterogene, sa specifičnim karakteristikama i zahtijevaju veoma raznolike parametre za ocjenu. Stoga, za ove aktivnosti ne postoje univerzalni kriterijumi vrednovanja i njihov se kvalitet, uglavnom, procjenjuje individualno, ovisno o namjeni procjene. Bez obzira na manjkavosti, sistemi rangiranja univerziteta su važni komparativni parametri za procjenu kvaliteta naučne i edukativne vrijednosti univerziteta.

The social significance and quality of scientific research largely depend on the usefulness of research results for the social and scientific community. The lack of funds and the desire to allocate funding to high-quality research projects make the assessment of the quality of research and the valorization of knowledge increasingly important. However, it is very difficult to apply criteria that can objectively assess scientific research, providing precise qualitative and quantitative data on which funding agencies could base their decisions. The product of scientific research is mainly information published in scientific journals. They are the basis for the dissemination of knowledge and the basic criteria for academic and scientific evaluation, fundraising for scientific research and career advancement. In addition to the evaluation of scientific publications, there is a wide range of other activities that reflect the scientific credibility of scientists, such as: number and quality of grants for scientific research projects, leadership in national or international academic societies, membership in editorial boards of reputable journals, doctoral dissertation mentorships and the like. Although these activities are important and give credibility to the scientist, the relevant scientometric systems cover only publications, neglecting other criteria of scientific importance in evaluation for purpose of academic advancement of a scientist, as well as competitions for grants for financial support of scientific research. The reason for this is the fact that these activities, regardless of their importance, are very heterogeneous, with specific characteristics, and require very diverse parameters for evaluation. Therefore, there are no universal evaluation criteria for these activities and their quality is generally assessed individually, depending on the purpose of the assessment. Regardless of the shortcomings, university ranking systems are important comparative parameters for assessing the quality of scientific and educational value of universities.