bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possible difference in the formation of coronal mass ejections of two types
Authors: Eselevich Viktor , Eselevich Maxim , Zimovets Ivan
Published: June 2022

Analysis of seven near-limb coronal mass ejections (CMEs) has shown that at distances R<1.4R from the center of the Sun CMEs according to their formation can be divided into two types: type 1 CMEs and type 2 CMEs. In the case of type 1 CMEs, the frontal structure (FS) is formed by processes occurring in FS itself, which is the outer shell of the magnetic flux rope. As for type 2 CMEs, EP-CME, internal arched structures erupt, explosively expand, capture and accelerate the more distant arched structures, which merge to form the frontal structure of the type 2 CMEs.
Alfvén waves: To the 80th anniversary of discovery
Authors: Guglielmi Anatol , Klain Boris , Potapov Alexander
Published: June 2022

The article is dedicated to the anniversary of the discovery of Alfvén waves. The concept of Alfvén waves has played an outstanding role in the formation and development of cosmic electrodynamics. A distinctive feature of Alfvén waves is that at each point in space the group velocity vector and the external magnetic field vector are collinear to each other. As a result, Alfvén waves can carry momentum, energy, and information over long distances. We briefly describe two Alfvén resonators, one of which is formed in the ionosphere, and the second presumably exists in Earth’s radiation belt. The existence of the ionospheric resonator is justified theoretically and confirmed by numerous observations. The second resonator is located between reflection points located high above Earth symmetrically with respect to the plane of the geomagnetic equator.
Diagnostics of emission intensities and electron density in auroras based on empirical precipitation models
Authors: Dashkevich Zhanna , Ivanov Vladimir
Published: June 2022

We have studied the influence of the precipitating electron spectrum shape on the integral intensity of emissions λ391.4 nm 1NG N⁺₂, λ670.4 mn 1PG N₂, λ337.1 nm 2PG N₂, λ320.0 nm VK N₂, λ127.3 nm LBH N₂, atomic oxygen emissions λ557.7 and λ630.0 nm, total electron content in the vertical column of aurora. The integral characteristics of the emission intensity and the total electron content are shown to weakly depend on the energy spectrum shape and to be determined mainly by average energy values Eev and energy flux value Fᴇ of precipitating electrons. An algorithm is proposed for diagnosing the planetary distribution of emission intensities and total electron content in auroras based on data from empirical electron precipitation models, without making a priori assumptions about the shape of the energy spectrum of precipitating electrons.
The empirical analysis of human capital competences on the example of company executives
Authors: Drozdowski Grzegorz
Published: June 2022

Motivation: Diagnosing the competences of human capital is a complex process, involving many approaches and steps leading to the recognition of the entire problem situations of the organization and its employees. Due to the increasingly higher and ever-growing position of the human capital formation system in the overall process of managing an organization, the analysis and diagnosis of management competencies is a process of particular importance. In the era of the knowledge-based economy, employee competencies are the key to competitive advantage. An important issue, therefore, is the constant monitoring of managers attitudes to improve their competences and conducting a systematic analysis of their component structure.

Aim: This article aims objective of developing a factor structure of the rational dimension of management competencies based on knowledge, skills, and comprehension. Due to this objective, the factor structure of the knowledge and skills that managers have was determined. The practical level of self-assessment of the rational components of competence from the point of view of the influence of situational factors was also determined.

Results: A questionnaire, an interview and literature studies were used for the research carried out in 2019–2020. The questionnaire was addressed to 282 employees of enterprises in the Lubusz Voivodeship of Poland. This allowed determining the degree of managers determination expressed in the need to adjust the competence potential they have to changeable situational factors.
Introduction: Special Issue Honoring Kenneth Arrow
Authors: Abbas Ali E. , Bell David E.
Published: June 2022

When our successors write about the first century of Operations Research, the name of Kenneth Arrow will be in lights. It is fitting that at this time, not long after his death, that we take a moment to consider Ken Arrow’s academic legacy. This introduction to the Special Issue honoring Ken Arrow highlights his contributions in the field of Operations Research and summarizes the papers published in the special issue that speak to his legacy.
Effectiveness of a Mental Health Program using Instagram (Friendship Town) for Newly Entered Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kim Ji Eun , Jung Miran
Published: June 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mental health program utilizing Instagram for nursing students.Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Fifty-seven nursing students who enrolled in a university during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea participated in the study: 30 nursing students (26 females and 4 males) in the experimental group and 27 nursing students (21 females and 6 males) in the control group. The Instagram Program for mental health provided 8 sessions for each topic. The data collected via questionnaires were statistically analyzed.Results: Significant differences were found between the two groups in depression (t=-2.32, p=.024) and anxiety (t=-2.43, p=.018), but there was no significant difference in loneliness (t=0.64, p=.263).Conclusion: The Instagram program is accessible for incoming nursing students and effective in decreasing their depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 era. Therefore, this intervention could enhance the mental health of nursing students by allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings through mutual interaction on Instagram.
Mobile phone use among mothers seeking postnatal services in Kakamega County, Kenya
Authors: Ngigi Charles Kiragu , Osero Justus Os , Wanyoro Anthony K
Published: June 2022

Background/Aims

Mobile phone use is increasing globally, with Kenya having increased use in rural and urban areas. Despite the widespread use of mobile phones, their use in health delivery services, such as to enhance postnatal care attendance, is low. Kenya is exploring interventions such as the use of mobile health to improve uptake. This study aimed to determine mobile phone use among postnatal mothers in Kakamega County, Kenya.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using quantitative data. It was carried out among 240 postnatal mothers in Kakamega County. Systematic sampling was used to recruit the participants from three hospitals and data were collected using questionnaires. Data were analysed using the Chi squared test to determine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and perceptions of mobile phone use to improve postnatal care attendance.

Results

The majority of participants (87.0%) owned a mobile phone. Over half (53.0%) used their mobile phone many times a day, with 61.0% sending SMS many times a day and 65.0% making voice calls many times a day. Almost all participants (93.0%) said they would recommend the use of an SMS or voice call service for postnatal care attendance to their friends. Frequency of mobile phone use (P=0.000), SMS use (P=0.042) and voice call use (P=0.007) were all significantly associated with perception of mobile phone use to improve postnatal care attendance, as was antenatal care visits (P=0.005).

Conclusions

The majority of participants owned mobile phones and felt positive about mobile phone use to improve postnatal care. The county government of Kakamega should integrate mobile phone technology with the delivery of postnatal services to improve attendance.
Tracts: a truly complementary research resource
Authors: Hogan Corinne
Published: June 2022

We take a look at the Tracts collection and why they are a valuable research resource.
Delusions erode capacity
Authors: Wheeler Robert
Published: June 2022

Our legal contributor discusses a case in which delusions were relevant in assessing a patient’s capacity, and how this affected the outcome.
System error: Recruitment, training and retention
Authors: Burke Josh
Published: June 2022

Associate Editor Josh Burke discusses the challenges faced by the workforce crisis and how we can address them.
Tackling the backlog
Authors: Eardley I
Published: June 2022

Changing the law on assisted dying may result in more preventable deaths. Chris Lavy and Nuha Yassin look at the arguments against AD.
Surgical hubs and the use of technology
Authors: Yang N , Rizkallah G , Vig S
Published: June 2022

Yang et al discuss their importance in terms of tackling the backlog and providing an invaluable opportunity to train the workforce.
The Surgical Scarf Project
Authors: Khatun Azra
Published: June 2022

Azra Khatun talks about her experience as a junior doctor and how it led to the inception of the Surgical Scarf project.
The true length of training in vascular surgery
Authors: Chan E , Shelmerdine L , Patel SR , Travers HC ,   On behalf of the Rouleaux Club
Published: June 2022

INTRODUCTION

Workforce planning in vascular surgery remains challenging since there are no data on career path intentions of trainees. The Rouleaux Club, which is the UK vascular trainee association, undertook a snapshot survey of the vascular surgery trainee workforce to help guide the allocation of the future vascular surgery workforce.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was sent to national training number (NTN) and non-NTN vascular surgery trainees. The survey was open for four weeks from 26 September to 23 October 2020. Data were analysed by two Rouleaux Club executive committee members using Microsoft Excel®.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 147 trainees (130 NTN and 17 non-NTN trainees). When taking into consideration time out of training and less than full-time training, the average predicted Certificate of Completion of Training date for NTN trainees is delayed by one year. Eleven per cent of NTN trainees had completed or were in less than full-time training at the time of the survey. Time out of training was taken by 75% and parental leave by 28%. Just under half (47%) of NTN trainees were planning on taking parental leave in the future. Over half (51%) of NTN trainees expected to retire aged between 61 and 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that vascular surgery training is not a simple six-year higher surgical training experience and may vary considerably between individuals. Future vascular workforce planning needs to take these factors into consideration. Action must be taken now to recruit and retain the future workforce so that the demand for vascular surgeons can be met.
Creating a dental trauma care pathway in a district general hospital
Authors: Fard Rana , Musa Afsha , McConville Bethan , Thomas Rhema , Rasaratnam Lakshmi
Published: June 2022

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic dental injuries occur frequently in children and adults. Many of these present to the hospital emergency department for acute management by maxillofacial dental core trainees.

METHODS

A quality improvement project was carried out at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust to introduce a defined multidisciplinary care pathway for the management of dental trauma patients to improve the quality of care and patient related outcome measures. This consisted of four main components including staff and patient education, departmental facilities and a four-cycle audit.

RESULTS

The recorded history of ‘when, where and what’ generally improved over the four audit cycles, as did documentation relating to medical history, medications, allergies and tetanus. By the fourth cycle, all areas had 100% compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been an improvement in the acute management of dental trauma in the trust. This quality improvement project has highlighted the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach with appropriate long-term patient follow-up. In addition, it has been successful in implementing a dental trauma care pathway.
The Use of an Incremental Learning Algorithm for Diagnosing COVID-19 from Chest X-ray Images
Authors: Amami Rimah , Saif Suleiman Ali Al , Amami Rim , Eleraky Hassan Ahmed , Melouli Fatma , Baazaoui Mariem
Published: June 2022

The new Coronavirus or simply Covid-19 causes an acute deadly disease. It has spread rapidly across the world, which has caused serious consequences for health professionals and researchers. This is due to many reasons including the lack of vaccine, shortage of testing kits and resources. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to present an inexpensive alternative diagnostic tool for the detection of Covid-19 infection by using chest radiographs and Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) technique. In this paper, we have proposed a reliable and economical solution to detect COVID-19. This will be achieved by using X-rays of patients and an Incremental-DCNN (I-DCNN) based on ResNet-101 architecture. The datasets used in this study were collected from publicly available chest radiographs on medical repositories. The proposed I-DCNN method will help in diagnosing the positive Covid-19 patient by utilising three chest X-ray imagery groups, these will be: Covid-19, viral pneumonia, and healthy cases. Furthermore, the main contribution of this paper resides on the use of incremental learning in order to accommodate the detection system. This has high computational energy requirements, time consuming challenges, while working with large-scale and regularly evolving images. The incremental learning process will allow the recognition system to learn new datasets, while keeping the convolutional layers learned previously. The overall Covid-19 detection rate obtained using the proposed I-DCNN was of 98.70\% which undeniably can contribute effectively to the detection of COVID-19 infection.
Color-Aware Two-Branch DCNN for Efficient Plant Disease Classification
Authors: Schwarz Schuler Joao Paulo , Romani Santiago , Abdel-Nasser Mohamed , Rashwan Hatem , Puig Domenec
Published: June 2022

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have been successfully applied to plant disease detection. Unlike most existing studies, we propose feeding a DCNN CIE Lab instead of RGB color coordinates. We modified an Inception V3 architecture to include one branch specific for achromatic data (L channel) and another branch specific for chromatic data (AB channels). This modification takes advantage of the decoupling of chromatic and achromatic information. Besides, splitting branches reduces the number of trainable parameters and computation load by up to 50% of the original figures using modified layers. We achieved a state-of-the-art classification accuracy of 99.48% on the Plant Village dataset and 76.91% on the Cropped-PlantDoc dataset.
Improving Initial Aerofoil Geometry Using Aerofoil Particle Swarm Optimisation
Authors: Muller Jan
Published: June 2022

Advanced optimisation of the aerofoil wing of a general aircraft is the main subject of this paper. Meta-heuristic optimisation techniques, especially swarm algorithms, were used. Subsequently, a new variant denoted as aerofoil particle swarm optimisation (aPSO) was developed from the original particle swarm optimisation (PSO). A parametric model based on B-spline was used to optimise the initial aerofoil. The simulation software Xfoil was calculating basic aerodynamic features (lift, drag, moment).
Collecting Memories of a Fading Glory: A Translation of Li Deyu’s (787–850) Ci Liushi Jiuwen
Authors: Zou Xin
Published: June 2022

Abstract: Anecdotes about historical figures proliferated after the An Lushan Rebellion (755–763). The loss of official accounts during this devastating war afforded the post-rebellion generation an opportunity to fix and reshape the collective memory of the recent past. Li Deyu, a highly influential Tang statesman and writer, was one of those who had direct access to rare materials through family ties and broader social connections and was, therefore, able to ride an early tide in his generation’s re-writing of recent history. Li’s Ci Liushi jiuwen (Sequenced old stories from the Lius) is a collection of stories concerning Emperor Xuanzong’s reign. These accounts were first presented to the throne in 834. They were later incorporated into official histories after the fall of the Tang dynasty, thus further becoming fertile soil for the growth of even more anecdotes. As such, an introduction and annotated translation of Li Deyu’s Ci Liushi jiuwen is offered here.
Automatic detection method for BGA defects based on x-ray imaging
Authors: Xiao Kai , Li Qin , Chen Yang
Published: June 2022

Ball grid array (BGA) packaging is a high-density surface mount technology with the advantages of small size, good heat dissipation, and electrical properties, and is widely applied in the production of large-scale integrated circuits. With the rapid development of IC integration, devices assembled using BGA technology generally have greater complexity. However, BGA defects can seriously affect device performance and bring difficulties to product quality inspection. More importantly, in the process of BGA defect inspection, the high complexity of the device brings unprecedented challenges to the precise location of defects, which means that corresponding inspection methods should be improved. To this end, this paper proposes an automatic detection method for BGA defects based on x-ray imaging. First, x-ray imaging technology is utilized to achieve non-destructive detection of the BGA area inside the device and generate image data. On this basis, a set of algorithms including threshold separation, detection filling, and closing operation is designed to complete automatic detection of BGA defects. Furthermore, to objectively evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed method, we conduct a series of comparative experiments using simulated and real data, and generate visual outputs. Through these experiments and analyses, we confirm that the proposed method plays an active and effective role and has robust performance in BGA defect detection. In particular, our method shows the expected performance in precisely finding BGA edge defects and subtle defects.
X-ray computed µ-tomography for the characterization of optical fibers
Authors: Ferraro Mario , Crocco Maria C. , Mangini Fabio , Jonard Maxime , Sangiovanni Francesco , Zitelli Mario , Filosa Raffaele , Beltrano Joseph J. , De Luca Antonio , Barberi Riccardo C. , Agostino Raffaele G. , Couderc Vincent , Wabnitz Stefan , Formoso Vincenzo
Published: June 2022

In spite of their ubiquitous applications, the characterization of
glass fibers by means of all-optical techniques is still facing some
limitations. Recently, X-ray absorption has been proposed as a method
for visualizing the inner structure of both standard and
microstructure optical fibers. Here, we exploit X-ray absorption as
nondestructive technique for the characterization of glass optical
fibers. Starting from absorption contrast X-ray computed
micro-tomography measurements, we obtain information about the spatial
profile of the fiber refractive index at optical frequencies. We
confirm the validity of our approach by comparing its results with
complementary characterization techniques, based on electron
spectroscopy or multiphoton microscopy.
All-optical sub-Kelvin sympathetic cooling of a levitated microsphere in vacuum
Authors: Arita Y. , Bruce G. D. , Wright E. M. , Simpson S. H. , Zemánek P. , Dholakia K.
Published: June 2022

We demonstrate all-optical sympathetic cooling of a laser-trapped microsphere to sub-Kelvin temperatures, mediated by optical binding to a feedback-cooled adjacent particle. Our study opens prospects for multi-particle quantum entanglement and sensing in levitated optomechanics.
“They will say you want to make their home die”: A mixed methods study to assess modern family planning use in partnered South Sudanese refugee and host populations in Northern Uganda
Authors: Singh Neha S. , Prabhakar Pallavi , Ssali Agnes , Namakula Sylvia , Namatovu Josephine , Kapiti Rogers , Kasiri Joram , Mounier-Jack Sandra
Published: June 2022

The unmet need for family planning among conflict-affected populations is high globally, leaving girls and women vulnerable to unintended pregnancies and poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Ours is the first known mixed-methods study to assess the use of modern family planning (FP) methods amongst married or partnered South Sudanese refugee and host populations in Northern Uganda and to explore differences between them. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in July 2019 which included 1,533 partnered women of reproductive age (15–49 years) from host and South Sudanese refugee communities in Kiryandongo and Arua. Qualitative data were collected in October 2019-January 2020 via 34 focus group discussions and 129 key informant interviews with refugee and host populations, health workers, community and religious leaders, health workers, local authorities and humanitarian actors. Our study did not find large differences between South Sudanese refugee and host populations in regard to modern FP use, though refugees reported somewhat poorer FP knowledge, accessibility and utilisation compared to Ugandan women. Reported barriers to FP use relate to access, quality of services, health concerns and family/community opposition, all of which emphasise the importance of men’s gendered roles in relationships, cultural and religious beliefs and lack of agency for most women to make their own decisions about reproductive health. Sexual and gender-based violence related to FP use was reported among both refugee and host populations. Additional barriers to FP use include lack of privacy at the public health facilities which reduces confidentiality, mistrust of health workers, and stockouts of FP commodities. Facilitating factors for FP use included: free government health services; the presence of well-trained health workers; and NGOs who give support to populations and conduct community outreaches. The findings of this study underscore the importance of developing and implementing tailored sexual and reproductive health information and services, especially for modern FP methods, in partnership with South Sudanese refugee and host populations in Northern Uganda.
Artificial intelligence in differentiating tropical infections: A step ahead
Authors: Shenoy Shreelaxmi , Rajan Asha K. , Rashid Muhammed , Chandran Viji Pulikkel , Poojari Pooja Gopal , Kunhikatta Vijayanarayana , Acharya Dinesh , Nair Sreedharan , Varma Muralidhar , Thunga Girish
Published: June 2022

Background and objective

Differentiating tropical infections are difficult due to its homogenous nature of clinical and laboratorial presentations among them. Sophisticated differential tests and prediction tools are better ways to tackle this issue. Here, we aimed to develop a clinician assisted decision making tool to differentiate the common tropical infections.

Methodology

A cross sectional study through 9 item self-administered questionnaire were performed to understand the need of developing a decision making tool and its parameters. The most significant differential parameters among the identified infections were measured through a retrospective study and decision tree was developed. Based on the parameters identified, a multinomial logistic regression model and a machine learning model were developed which could better differentiate the infection.

Results

A total of 40 physicians involved in the management of tropical infections were included for need analysis. Dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and scrub typhus were the common tropical infections in our settings. Sodium, total bilirubin, albumin, lymphocytes and platelets were the laboratory parameters; and abdominal pain, arthralgia, myalgia and urine output were the clinical presentation identified as better predictors. In multinomial logistic regression analysis with dengue as a reference revealed a predictability of 60.7%, 62.5% and 66% for dengue, malaria and leptospirosis, respectively, whereas, scrub typhus showed only 38% of predictability. The multi classification machine learning model observed to have an overall predictability of 55–60%, whereas a binary classification machine learning algorithms showed an average of 79–84% for one vs other and 69–88% for one vs one disease category.

Conclusion

This is a first of its kind study where both statistical and machine learning approaches were explored simultaneously for differentiating tropical infections. Machine learning techniques in healthcare sectors will aid in early detection and better patient care.
Proposal of Smith-Waterman algorithm on FPGA to accelerate the forward and backtracking steps
Authors: Oliveira Fabio F. de , Dias Leonardo A. , Fernandes Marcelo A. C.
Published: June 2022

In bioinformatics, alignment is an essential technique for finding similarities between biological sequences. Usually, the alignment is performed with the Smith-Waterman (SW) algorithm, a well-known sequence alignment technique of high-level precision based on dynamic programming. However, given the massive data volume in biological databases and their continuous exponential increase, high-speed data processing is necessary. Therefore, this work proposes a parallel hardware design for the SW algorithm with a systolic array structure to accelerate the forward and backtracking steps. For this purpose, the architecture calculates and stores the paths in the forward stage for pre-organizing the alignment, which reduces the complexity of the backtracking stage. The backtracking starts from the maximum score position in the matrix and generates the optimal SW sequence alignment path. The architecture was validated on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and synthesis analyses have shown that the proposed design reaches up to 79.5 Giga Cell Updates per Second (GCPUS).
Effects of multitask training on cognition and motor control in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Authors: Chien Tzu-Yun , Chern Jen-Suh , Wang San-Ping , Yang Yu
Published: June 2022

Schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) is a disabling mental illness that causes considerable deficits in motor and cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of combining traditional multitask training (TMT) and video games--a new form of multitask training (video game multitask training VGMT)--on cognition and motor control performance in people with SSD. This was a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design study. A total of 25 patients participated in this study voluntarily (13 males and 12 females, average age = 59.61 years, SD– 11.46 years). All participants underwent two stages of training. The first stage involved TMT, and the second stage involved VGMT. Each training stage was 12 weeks long, with sessions twice a week that lasted for 40 minutes. Cognition, upper extremity motor and postural control performance, and functional mobility and subjective balance confidence were measured at three times: before and after the first-stage training and after the second-stage training. The results revealed that TMT and the combination of TMT and VGMT improved SSD patient’s cognition, upper extremity motor control, functional mobility and postural control performance. The subjective confidence of balance during the performance of daily activities was also mildly improved. Training with multitasks in the form of video games tended to further improve the outcome measures. Patients with SSD could benefit from regular participation in various forms of multitasking activities. Whether video games training are better than TMT in improving the functional ability of people with SSD needs further investigation.

Study protocol registration:Clinicaltrials.gov, ID:NCT04629898. Registered brief title: Level of Immersion of Virtual Reality and Cognition and Motor Performance in Patients of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder.
A systematic review of match-play characteristics in women’s soccer
Authors: Harkness-Armstrong Alice , Till Kevin , Datson Naomi , Myhill Naomi , Emmonds Stacey
Published: June 2022

This review aimed to (1) systematically review the scientific literature evaluating the match-play characteristics of women’s soccer, (2) determine the methods adopted to quantify match-play characteristics of women’s soccer, and (3) present the physical, technical and tactical characteristics of women’s soccer match-play across age-groups, playing standards and playing positions. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted in May 2021; keywords relating to the population, soccer and match-play characteristics were used. Studies which quantified physical, technical or tactical performance of women’s soccer players during match-play were included. Excluded studies included adapted match-play formats and training studies. Sixty-nine studies met the eligibility criteria. Studies predominantly quantified match-play characteristics of senior international (n = 27) and domestic (n = 30) women’s soccer match-play, with only seven studies reporting youth match-play characteristics. Physical (n = 47), technical (n = 26) and tactical characteristics (n = 2) were reported as whole-match (n = 65), half-match (n = 21), segmental (n = 17) or peak (n = 8) characteristics. Beyond age-groups, playing standard, and playing position, fourteen studies quantified the impact of contextual factors, such as environment or match outcome, on match-play characteristics. Distance was the most commonly reported variable (n = 43), as outfield women’s soccer players covered a total distance of 5480–11160 m during match-play. This systematic review highlights that physical match-performance increases between age-groups and playing standards, and differs between playing positions. However, further research is warranted to understand potential differences in technical and tactical match-performance. Coaches and practitioners can use the evidence presented within this review to inform population-specific practices, however, they should be mindful of important methodological limitations within the literature (e.g. inconsistent velocity and acceleration/deceleration thresholds). Future research should attempt to integrate physical, technical and tactical characteristics as opposed to quantifying characteristics in isolation, to gain a deeper and more holistic insight into match-performance.
Source identification and toxicity apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface soils in Beijing and Tianjin using a PMF-TEQ method
Authors: Zhang Huashuang , Huang Qi , Han Ping , Zhang Zhicheng , Jiang Shengtao , Yang Wei
Published: June 2022

Beijing and Tianjin are two of the largest cities in northern China with high population densities and highly developed manufacturing industries. In the past decade, some authors have reported their PAH concentrations in surface soils, identified their sources and quantitatively reported their health risks. However, the contributions of different PAH sources to their toxicity have not been reported thus far. In this study, we reviewed the PAH concentrations, contributions of different sources to the toxicity, and cancer risks in soils from different land use types found within Beijing and Tianjin from data gathered by 41 studies. The total PAH concentration varied in the range of 175.7–1989.0 ng g-1 with a higher median PAH concentration detected in urban soils (789.7 ng g-1), followed by suburban soils (647.3 ng g-1) and rural soils (390.8 ng g-1). Source identification using diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that the PAHs in all three land use types mainly originated from biomass and coal combustion, vehicular emissions, and petrogenic processes with contributions varying from 13% to 62%. Furthermore, results from a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model suggested that vehicular emissions and coal combustion in urban soils, and the vehicular emissions, coal combustion and biomass combustion in suburban and rural soils dominated the total PAH concentrations (>85%). These results were consistent with those of the PCA model. Results of the additional toxicity apportionment performed using the PMF model suggested that vehicular emissions and coal combustion contributed the most to the toxic equivalent quantity for Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaPTEQ) and, by extension, to the carcinogenic potencies. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values suggested a low risk level for adults exposed to PAHs in the different land use types found within Beijing and Tianjin.
A co-creation roadmap towards sustainable quality of care: A multi-method study
Authors: Claessens Fien , Seys Deborah , Brouwers Jonas , Van Wilder Astrid , Jans Anneke , Castro Eva Marie , Bruyneel Luk , De Ridder Dirk , Vanhaecht Kris
Published: June 2022

Objective

Hospitals demonstrated increased efforts into quality improvement over the past years. Their growing commitment to quality combined with a heterogeneity in perceptions among healthcare stakeholders cause concerns on the sustainable incorporation of quality into the daily workflow. Questions are raised on the drivers for a sustainable hospital quality policy. We aimed to identify drivers and incorporate them into a new, unique roadmap towards sustainable quality of care in hospitals.

Design

A multi-method design guided by an eight-phase approach to develop a conceptual framework consists of multiple, iterative phases of data collection, synthesis and validation. Starting with a narrative review followed by a qualitative in-depth analysis and including feedback of national and international healthcare stakeholders.

Setting

Hospitals.

Results

The narrative review included 59 relevant papers focusing on quality improvement and the sustainability of these improved quality results. By integrating, synthesising and resynthesizing concepts during thematic and content analysis, the narrative review evolved to an integrated, co-creation roadmap. The Flanders Quality Model (FlaQuM) is presented as a driver diagram that features six primary drivers for a sustainable quality policy: (1) Quality Design and Planning, (2) Quality Control, (3) Quality Improvement, (4) Quality Leadership, (5) Quality Culture and (6) Quality Context. Six primary drivers are described in 19 building blocks (secondary drivers) and 104 evidence-based action fields.

Conclusions

The framework suggests that a manageable number of drivers, building blocks and action fields may support the sustainable incorporation of quality into the daily workflow. Therefore, FlaQuM can serve as a useful roadmap for future sustainable quality policies in hospitals and for future empirical and theoretical work in sustainable quality management.
An Rtn4/Nogo-A-interacting micropeptide modulates synaptic plasticity with age
Authors: Kragness S. , Clark Z. , Mullin A. , Guidry J. , Earls L. R.
Published: June 2022

Micropeptides, encoded from small open reading frames of 300 nucleotides or less, are hidden throughout mammalian genomes, though few functional studies of micropeptides in the brain are published. Here, we describe a micropeptide known as the Plasticity–Associated Neural Transcript Short (Pants), located in the 22q11.2 region of the human genome, the microdeletion of which conveys a high risk for schizophrenia. Our data show that Pants is upregulated in early adulthood in the mossy fiber circuit of the hippocampus, where it exerts a powerful negative effect on long-term potentiation (LTP). Further, we find that Pants is secreted from neurons, where it associates with synapses but is rapidly degraded with stimulation. Pants dynamically interacts with Rtn4/Nogo-A, a well-studied regulator of adult plasticity. Pants interaction with Nogo-A augments its influence over postsynaptic AMPA receptor clustering, thus gating plasticity at adult synapses. This work shows that neural micropeptides can act as architectural modules that increase the functional diversity of the known proteome.
Symptom profiling for infectious intestinal disease (IID): Do symptom profiles alter with age?
Authors: Donaldson Anna L. , Harris John P. , Vivancos Roberto , O’Brien Sarah J.
Published: June 2022

Symptom profiles have previously been identified for infectious intestinal disease (IID) which distinguish bacterial from viral organisms. However, there is evidence that the seasonality, severity, and duration of IID may differ between children, adults and elderly. A secondary data analysis was undertaken to explore whether symptom profiles for bacterial and viral IID vary across different age groups. Data from 844 cases of IID were divided into three age categories: <16 years, 16–65 years and >65 years. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to compare the significance of different symptoms across the three age groups. The odds of bacterial IID in children were increased by onset in the summer, diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting and fever. These symptoms were also associated with lower odds of a viral pathogen. In adults, diarrhoea but no vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days were associated with increased odds of a bacterial organism, whilst onset in the winter or spring and a loss of appetite were associated with viral IID. In the elderly, diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting and diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days were associated with higher odds of bacterial IID and lower odds of a viral cause. Only diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting emerged as a key symptom across all three age groups. Variation in symptom profiles by age has implications for clinicians, public health specialists and epidemiologists who use symptoms to guide presumptive diagnoses in the absence of microbiological confirmation.
Protocol for a scoping review on rehabilitation among individuals with traumatic brain injury who intersect with the criminal justice system
Authors: Chan Vincy , Estrella Maria Jennifer , Beaulieu-Dearman Zacharie , Babineau Jessica , Colantonio Angela
Published: June 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, is highly prevalent among individuals who intersect with the criminal justice system. TBI is associated with increased behavioural, psychological, or negative outcomes, such as higher rates of mental health problems, aggression, and violent offending that may lead to negative interactions with the criminal justice system, reincarceration, and recidivism. Although rehabilitation is often recommended and holds promise in addressing TBI-related impairments, there is currently a paucity of reviews on rehabilitation for individuals with TBI who intersect with the criminal justice system (CJS). Concurrently, to the best of our knowledge, there is currently no review that considers rehabilitation among individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS (i.e., policing, courts, corrections, and parole). This protocol is for a scoping review to address the above gaps, specifically, to identify the types of rehabilitation interventions and/or programs available to, or used by, individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS. Primary research articles that meet pre-defined inclusion criteria will be identified from electronic databases (MEDLINE® ALL, Embase and Embase Classic, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Clinical Trials, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Nursing and Allied Health, and Dissertation and These Global), reference lists of included articles, and scoping or systematic reviews. Grey literature will also be searched to identify non-peer-reviewed reports. Retrieved articles will be screened by two reviewers and any disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be summarized quantitatively and analyzed using content analytic techniques. Intersecting identities will be charted and considered in the analysis. Stakeholders will be engaged to obtain feedback on preliminary results and the implications of findings. The scoping review will summarize the current state of rehabilitation available to, or used by, individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS to (a) inform opportunities to integrate rehabilitation in the criminal justice system for diverse individuals and (b) identify opportunities for future research.
Exploring parental understanding of child sexual abuse and prevention as a measure for HIV prevention in Rwampara district
Authors: Kamukama Aloysious , Luwaga Rachel , Tugume Rodrick , Kanyemibwa Margaret , Birungi Betrace , Ndyamuhika Obed , Ampire Diana , Nduhukire Timothy , Shindell Deborah Lowell
Published: June 2022

Background

Worldwide, more than 95 million children are sexually abused each year with children in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing sexual assault at higher rates than those in more developed areas. In Uganda, 20% of young people indicated that their sexual debut was non-consensual. The risk for transmission of HIV to children through Child Sexual Abuse is high because of greater mucosal tissue damage and the often repetitive nature of abuse. This contributes significantly to the burden of HIV in Uganda. Despite these risks, studies have shown gaps in active parental involvement in child sexual abuse prevention despite their being the primary protectors of children. Against this background we sought to explore parental understanding of childhood sexual abuse and prevention as a measure for HIV prevention in Rwampara District, South Western Uganda.

Methods

A phenomenological study was carried out in four health centers that serve the communities of Rwampara district. A total of 25 (n = 25) parents or guardians of children aged 9–14 years were purposively selected to participate in the study. The participants were subjected to in-depth semi-structured interviews which were recorded, transcribed, and translated for thematic analysis.

Results

Parents’ understanding of child sexual abuse was limited to penetrative sex between a man and a child. Three of the parents interviewed reported to have had children who had been sexually abused while one of the parents had been abused when she was young. The children reported to have been abused were female and were between 3-14years. We also identified gaps in the sensitization of parents regarding home-based prevention of child sexual abuse and psychological support for the victims of abuse.

Conclusion

Our study shows that child sexual abuse exists in rural western Uganda. There remains a significant gap in the awareness of parents regarding the extent of sexual abuse, signs of sexual abuse, case handling, and psychological support for victims of sexual abuse. This significantly affects the capacity of parents as the primary protectors of children to identify and protect the children against the multiple forms of child sexual abuse.
Associations between neighbourhood street connectivity and sedentary behaviours in Canadian adults: Findings from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project
Authors: Nichani Vikram , Koohsari Mohammad Javad , Oka Koichiro , Nakaya Tomoki , Shibata Ai , Ishii Kaori , Yasunaga Akitomo , Vena Jennifer E. , McCormack Gavin R.
Published: June 2022

Evidence suggests that neighbourhood street connectivity is positively associated with physical activity, yet few studies have estimated its associations with sedentary behaviour. We estimated the associations between space syntax derived street integration, a novel measure of street connectivity, and sedentary behaviours among Canadian adults. Data were sourced from a population-based study–Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (n = 14,758). Items from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire captured sedentary behaviour, including sitting and motor vehicle travel time and walking. Street integration was measured within a 1600m radius of participants’ homes. Covariate-adjusted linear regression models estimated the associations between street integration and sedentary behaviour. Street integration was significantly positively associated with daily minutes of sitting on week (b 6.44; 95CI 3.60, 9.29) and weekend (b 4.39; 95CI 1.81, 6.96) days, and for week and weekend days combined (b 5.86; 95CI 3.30, 8.41) and negatively associated with daily minutes of motor vehicle travel (b -3.72; 95CI -3.86, -1.55). These associations remained significant after further adjustment for daily walking participation and duration. More research is needed to understand the pathways by which street integration positively and or negatively affects sedentary behaviour.
The differences in cocoon and silk qualities among sex-related mulberry and silkworm feeding groups
Authors: Bu Chunlan , Zheng Rui , Huang Gaiqun , Wu Jianmei , Liu Gang , Donald Marion L. , Dong Tingfa , Xu Xiao
Published: June 2022

Sexual dimorphism is seen in many dioecious plant and animal species, which may influence their trophic interactions. The differences in trophic interactions derived from sexual dimorphism in plants may influence herbivorous performance and population dynamics. Both silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) and mulberry (Morus alba L.) usually exhibit sexual dimorphism. However, few studies have been conducted on the effect of sex-related silkworm and mulberry pairings on cocoon and silk qualities, which are crucial in sericulture. Here, we compared the differences in cocoon and silk qualities under four feeding combinations (FS-FL: female silkworm fed with leaves from female mulberry trees; MS-FL: male silkworm fed with leaves from female mulberry trees; FS-ML: female silkworm fed with leaves from male mulberry trees; MS-ML: male silkworm fed with leaves from male mulberry trees). The results showed that silkworms exhibited male-biased herbivory with more male mulberry leaves digested. The FS-ML group had higher silk weight and silk ratio of fresh cocoons than the FS-FL group, and the MS-ML group had lower coarse points than the MS-FL group. Compared with groups FS-ML and FS-FL, both MS-FL and MS-ML had smaller cocoons with longer silk lengths and a higher silk ratio of the fresh cocoons. In addition, the Entropy Weight-TOPSIS method showed the cocoon quality rank as FS-ML > FS-FL > MS-FL > MS-ML, whereas silk quality rank was MS-ML > FS-FL > FS-ML > MS-FL. These results indicate that the quality of cocoon and silk is related to the interaction of silkworm and mulberry at the sex level. Furthermore, female silkworms fed with female and male tree leaves have a higher total yield in cocoon production, while male silkworms fed with male tree leaves produced higher silk quality.