Xavier University

International trade poses a growing threat to global biosecurity, with bark- and wood-boring beetles representing a major concern for forest health. Non-native species are frequently introduced at points of entry, where populations can establish in the surrounding landscape. To improve early detection, generic surveillance programs use traps in these high-risk areas, collecting a broad spectrum of species. These traps also capture native beetles, providing insights into the potential species pool that could become exotic elsewhere. However, implementing effective landscape-wide surveillance within reasonable resource limits remains challenging. In this study, we used trapping data of Cerambycidae and Scolytinae from 11 high-risk areas across Europe and North America to develop practical recommendations for generic surveillance at multiple spatial scales. Specifically, we attempted to address two key questions: (1) how to maximize the single-trap efficacy depending on the trap surroundings; and (2) how many traps should be used in a landscape-wide sampling depending on landscape composition. Under budget constraints, we recommend prioritizing trap placement within forest patches and avoiding locations surrounded by roads or buildings. Urban-dominated landscapes required greater sampling effort (i.e., more traps) than forest-dominated landscapes. Deploying fewer than four traps per square kilometer might lead to an incomplete representation of the local bark- and wood-boring beetle community, losing about 30%-50% of species. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of incorporating landscape ecology into generic surveillance planning to optimize trap effectiveness within resource limitations.

This study explores the associations between social media usage and the college major selection process among U.S. undergraduate students (N=255). The findings highlight that significant demographic disparities exist in how students perceive and use social media for major exploration, while accessible salary data serves as a powerful intervention for influencing actual choices. Descriptive and t-test analyses reveal that YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) are perceived as significantly less important to women than to men, with women also reporting fewer weekly usage hours for YouTube and X. While Black students reported higher usage across all platforms than White students, the difference was statistically significant only for X. The study identifies salary information as a more direct lever for influencing major considerations than social media. After reviewing actual median salary data, 33% of participants changed their top major selection. A probit model confirmed that the perceived importance of salary data significantly predicts the likelihood of a student switching majors post-intervention. Linear regression modeling further revealed that while White women selected majors with an average median salary of $66 747, men and Asian students selected majors with median salaries $3868 and $5971 higher, respectively. These results suggest that while social media engagement varies by race and gender, timely access to accurate economic data remains a critical factor in academic decision-making.

Neurologic deterioration following cardiac arrest is frequently attributed to global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. However, focal ischemic stroke may occur concurrently and represents an important diagnostic pitfall in post-resuscitation care. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with end-stage heart failure with reduced ejection fraction who developed acute neurologic impairment following prolonged pulseless electrical activity arrest. Early non-contrast CT of the head demonstrated a focal left cerebellar infarction without diffuse cerebral edema. MRI of the brain performed four days later showed no acute intracranial abnormality, illustrating radiographic discordance between early CT and delayed MRI in posterior circulation ischemia. These complementary imaging findings informed ongoing neurologic assessment and multidisciplinary discussions. This case underscores the importance of early neuroimaging and maintaining a broad neurologic differential diagnosis in post-cardiac arrest patients.

Ninety percent of the countries facing the highest disaster risks are middle- and lower-income countries. It is essential to improve the infrastructure’s resilience in these countries, as the trend of disastrous events is set to increase given the current forecast on climate change and urbanization. Two issues to be addressed in this context are (1) affordability of risk mitigation measures, and (2) decision independence for local communities in the face of limited resources. This paper presents the collaborative development and dissemination of a state-of-the-art decision-support tool with an exclusive focus on affordability and accessibility. The prototype tool focuses on the interdependence between schools and transport systems as disruption to either or both systems can impact education delivery. A probabilistic model is formulated using the Bayesian network (BN) method to perform system reliability analysis. The tool utilizes detailed hazard and vulnerability models, advanced reliability methods, and community perspectives. To gain such community involvement, transition the tool to the end-users, and facilitate capacity building, a workshop was organized involving researchers, stakeholders, and students in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. The platform is designed to facilitate two-way communication between a local community and the research team, to implement advanced decision-support tools independently through live exercises and feedback. The paper presents the methodological framework and delivery of this collaborative exercise.

Despite declining prevalence in some regions, female genital mutilation (FGM) remains a major public health issue, causing both immediate and long-term health complications. The objective of this present study was to determine the effect of training healthcare workers, providing access to resources for capacity-building, such as job aids, and its impact on knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward FGM and the quality of healthcare service delivery. The following major databases were searched from inception to May 2023: CINAHL Plus, IRIS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, without language restrictions. Controlled studies based on predefined objectives. Studies were independently assessed for eligibility and risk of bias. Data were extracted for meta-analyses and the evidence assessed using the GRADE approach. Eight studies, including one cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), were included The RCT showed moderate-quality evidence that training plus information, education, and communication (IEC) materials significantly improved knowledge, care practices, and confidence compared to IEC materials alone (P < 0.001). Similar trends were reported in the observational studies (very low-quality evidence). Point-of-care flip chart visual aids helped providers communicate messages more effectively to clients. This review found that providing FGM training to healthcare workers, in addition to capacity-building resources, may improve knowledge, care for women and girls with FGM, communication skills, and reduce their support for the practice. However, the limited number of studies and the overall low quality of evidence weaken the strength and limit the generalizability of the findings.

The study intends to update the literary view regarding the inventory financing service (IFS) and discuss the logistic service provider's (LSP) role in this type of service, presenting research and business opportunities in this niche. The study shows that the IFS theme focused on the LSP was relatively neglected by the services, operations and supply chain literature since the research had a greater focus on the financial issues correlated to the risks of the operation. The article contributes by clarifying the role of LSP in offering this service and pointing out gaps that can be better explored in future research.