bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Canonical structure of A and B maps
Authors: Sudha Sudha , Karthik B. N. , Usha Devi A. R. , Rajagopal A. K.
Published: November 2021

In their seminal 1961 paper, Sudarshan, Mathews and Rau investigated properties of the dynamical A and B maps acting on n-dimensional quantum systems. The nature of dynamical maps in open quantum system evolutions has attracted great deal of attention in the later years. However, the novel paper on the A and B dynamical maps has not received its due attention. In this tutorial article, we review the properties of A and B forms associated with the dynamics of finite dimensional quantum systems. In particular, we investigate a canonical structure associated with the A form and establish its equivalence with the associated B form. We show that the canonical structure of the A form captures the completely positive (not completely positive) nature of the dynamics in a succinct manner. This feature is illustrated through physical examples of qubit channels.Quanta 2021; 10: 34–41.
Vivienda social: necesidades comunes, caminos comunes y dificultades comunes. La experiencia uruguaya.
Authors: Nahoum Benjamín
Published: November 2021

This paper attempts to describe a particularly successful model of social production of habitat, that of Uruguayan housing cooperatives, which has already been developed for more than half a century, linking it with the conclusions of studies on the management of common goods by the people own selves by the Elinor Ostrom. Uruguayan housing cooperative´s characteristics and central aspects are analysed. Main singularities of the system are self-management, direct involvement of future users throughout their work or savings, and collective ownership of the houses, granting the right to use and enjoy to households. Subsequently, it is made a brief presentation of Ostrom’s work on commons and the Uruguayan cooperative model is taken up considering these concepts. This paper concludes that this social housing model would have great potential if had the support of the governments, currently oriented to free market, throughout development of an adequate legal framework, public funding, and access to land.
An Analytic Center Cutting Plane Method to Determine Complete Positivity of a Matrix
Authors: Badenbroek Riley , de Klerk Etienne
Published: November 2021

We propose an analytic center cutting plane method to determine whether a matrix is completely positive and return a cut that separates it from the completely positive cone if not. This was stated as an open (computational) problem by Berman et al. [Berman A, Dur M, Shaked-Monderer N (2015) Open problems in the theory of completely positive and copositive matrices. Electronic J. Linear Algebra 29(1):46–58]. Our method optimizes over the intersection of a ball and the copositive cone, where membership is determined by solving a mixed-integer linear program suggested by Xia et al. [Xia W, Vera JC, Zuluaga LF (2020) Globally solving nonconvex quadratic programs via linear integer programming techniques. INFORMS J. Comput. 32(1):40–56]. Thus, our algorithm can, more generally, be used to solve any copositive optimization problem, provided one knows the radius of a ball containing an optimal solution. Numerical experiments show that the number of oracle calls (matrix copositivity checks) for our implementation scales well with the matrix size, growing roughly like [Formula: see text] for d × d matrices. The method is implemented in Julia and available at https://github.com/rileybadenbroek/CopositiveAnalyticCenter.jl .

Summary of Contribution: Completely positive matrices play an important role in operations research. They allow many NP-hard problems to be formulated as optimization problems over a proper cone, which enables them to benefit from the duality theory of convex programming. We propose an analytic center cutting plane method to determine whether a matrix is completely positive by solving an optimization problem over the copositive cone. In fact, we can use our method to solve any copositive optimization problem, provided we know the radius of a ball containing an optimal solution. We emphasize numerical performance and stability in developing this method. A software implementation in Julia is provided.
Enhancing undergraduate midwifery: using drug and alcohol baby simulators in education
Authors: Khan Humaira , Cescutti-Butler Luisa
Published: November 2021

Background

In the UK, simulation in midwifery education mostly relates to developing clinical skills such as managing obstetric emergencies. However, there is minimal use of neonate simulators in educating student midwives on the impact of teratogens on fetal development. There is also limited research on using neonatal simulators as a creative pedagogical tool in undergraduate midwifery education.

Objectives

The two main objectives of this study were to ascertain whether students could recognise the physical impact of teratogens in the early postnatal period while interacting with simulators and to explore whether midwifery students understood their role as future midwives when working with pregnant women who may be misusing substances.

Methods

This qualitative research involved Level 4 student midwives from south England. A taught session on protecting the unborn environment was provided and students were tasked to interact with low fidelity fetal alcohol syndrome simulators and medium fidelity drug affected simulators. Student responses to group activities, such as interacting with the simulators and considering their role as future midwives in educating pregnant women about the impact of teratogens on a fetus and newborn baby, were collected.

Results

The use of the simulators was a useful pedagogical tool for enhancing student knowledge around teratogenesis and fetal impact.

Conclusions

Neonatal simulators can be used to engage undergraduate midwifery students and enhance their learning and knowledge.
Introducing a day-case arthroplasty pathway significantly reduces overall length of stay
Authors: Saunders Paul , Smith Nick , Syed Farhan , Selvaraj Thomas , Waite Jon , Young Stephen
Published: November 2021

Aims

Day-case arthroplasty is gaining popularity in Europe. We report outcomes from the first 12 months following implementation of a day-case pathway for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) in an NHS hospital.

Methods

A total of 47 total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 24 unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) patients were selected for the day-case arthroplasty pathway, based on preoperative fitness and agreement to participate. Data were likewise collected for a matched control group (n = 58) who followed the standard pathway three months prior to the implementation of the day-case pathway. We report same-day discharge (SDD) success, reasons for delayed discharge, and patient-reported outcomes. Overall length of stay (LOS) for all lower limb arthroplasty was recorded to determine the wider impact of implementing a day-case pathway.

Results

Patients on the day-case pathway achieved SDD in 47% (22/47) of THAs and 67% (16/24) of UKAs. The most common reasons for failed SDD were nausea, hypotension, and pain, which were strongly associated with the use of fentanyl in the spinal anaesthetic. Complications and patient-reported outcomes were not significantly different between groups. Following the introduction of the day-case pathway, the mean LOS reduced significantly by 0.7, 0.6, and 0.5 days respectively in THA, UKA, and total knee arthroplasty cases (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Day-case pathways are feasible in an NHS set-up with only small changes required. We do not recommend fentanyl in the spinal anaesthetic for day-case patients. An important benefit seen in our unit is the so-called ‘day-case effect’, with a significant reduction in mean LOS seen across all lower limb arthroplasty. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(11):900–908.
The US in China's Nuclear Threat Perception
Authors: Abbasi Khusrow Akkas , Khalid Zahida
Published: November 2021

China's nuclear threat perception, of which its nuclear weapons program is the by-product, is driven by the external strategic environment where the United States (US) is a key player. Chairman Mao Zedong, after the US nuclear intimidation during the Korean War and the Cross-Strait Crises, considered that nuclear weapons were central not only to deter their potential use against China but also to counter the nuclear threat. The geostrategic location of the country makes it vulnerable to a few nuclear powers. However, not all of these states constitute a key concern in Beijing's nuclear threat perception. In this regard, an analysis of the US nuclear weapons program and capabilities would help understand China's nuclear threat perception. The paper aims to explore the threat that China perceives from the US given the latter's growing focus against it, including through its nuclear arsenal. The study, after a brief historical background, begins with a cursory discussion on theoretical underpinnings for threat perception. The next section outlines the US nuclear weapon policy and capability that has a bearing on China's nuclear threat perception. The paper argues that with its intentions and excessive capability, the US is a primary actor in shaping China's nuclear threat perception and altering its long-standing nuclear weapons policy and modernization of its nuclear forces.
China as a “Quasi-Center” in the World Economic System: Developing a New “Center–Quasi-center–Semi-periphery–Periphery” Theory
Authors: Cheng Enfu , Zhai Chan
Published: November 2021

Based on the “center–periphery” and “center–semi-periphery–periphery” theories, as well as on the analysis of data related to China's GDP, foreign trade, finance, foreign investment and aid, comprehensive competitiveness, the Belt and Road Initiative, and so forth, this article explains that while a gap still exists between China and the major countries at the center of the world economic system, China's tremendous growth obviously distinguishes it from the countries of the periphery or “semi-periphery.” If we are to present an objective description and definition of China's status and role in the world economic system since 2012, we must therefore adopt the concept of a “quasi-center.” This innovation supplements the dichotomy involved in the “center–periphery” theory, and requires the formulation of a new theory with a three-tier structure of “center–quasi-center–periphery,” or even a four-tier structure of “center–quasi-center– semi-periphery–periphery.”
Why China's Capital Exports Can Weaken Imperialism
Authors: Tharappel Jay
Published: November 2021

The rise of China has prompted US geostrategic thinkers over the past decade to talk about the degree to which another “world war” is inevitable, and has also contributed to growing accusations that China is “imperialist.” It will be argued that it is possible to accuse China of “imperialism” under the definitional outline Vladimir Lenin popularised, but only because, in his model of the world, he considered the export of capital to be a defining feature of imperialism; however, this is flawed because his model had no theoretical space for the mechanisms of national exploitation that prevailed at that time, most importantly the “drain” of wealth from India. This is because Lenin's model was borrowed from that of John A. Hobson, who outright denied the “drain.” At the time, the claim of the “drain” was pioneered by Indian economist Dadabhai Naoroji, who in turn greatly influenced contemporary pioneers about the topic, namely Utsa Patnaik and Prabhat Patnaik, whose framework offers useful insights. After reconstructing the term “imperialism,” it will be argued that Chinese capital exports are actually weakening national exploitation, which is weakening imperialism and raising tensions, not towards “inter-imperialist” conflict, but “hegemon–rival” conflict.
Global Reset: The Role of Investment, Profitability, and Imperial Dynamics as Drivers of the Rise and Relative Decline of the United States, 1929–2019
Authors: Dunford Michael
Published: November 2021

A new world order is taking shape as a result of the relative decline of the United States (US) and other Western economies. An important aspect of relative decline is a progressive secular slowing down of productivity growth. Another is the way US development has been shaped and to some extent offset by international resource transfers. To explain these phenomena, attention is paid to the role of profitability as a driver of productivity and investment and global hegemony as a driver of international resource transfers. Particular attention is paid to an empirical analysis of the profitability of the US corporate non-financial sector and the existence of a secular decline in profitability since the mid-1960s interrupted only by the upward phases of a series of shorter-term economic cycles. Attention is also paid to the role of financial investments and some of the international resource transfers that have shaped, offset, and contained relative economic decline. An analysis of these trends frame and explain epochal changes in the dynamics and map of uneven and combined development and the likelihood of a global reset as the centre of world development shifts to Asia and the Eurasian continent.
Content-Plurality and Political-Unity in the Debate on the Transformation Problem
Authors: Lopes Tiago Camarinha
Published: November 2021

The paper presents a guideline to discuss a collective strategy for dealing with the controversy on the transformation problem of values into prices. The main argument is that the individual search for solutions to the transformation problem creates a variety of models that weaken the Marxist field in economics if they are seen as competing, adversary proposals, with each one possessing the pretension of being the unique correct path. This individualist procedure generates misunderstandings among authors that are on the same side in the political struggle against capitalist ideology in Political Economy. Accordingly, every single individual solution that seeks to defend Marx's theory must be supported in an organized framework aiming at the union. Five steps for this organization are presented in the hope of contributing to a collective engagement with the transformation problem.
Recursos de orientación para la transición académica y la toma de decisiones del alumnado: el programa “Universitarios por un día”
Authors: Álvarez-Pérez Pedro Ricardo , López-Aguilar David
Published: November 2021

Las dificultades que muestra el alumnado de nuevo ingreso para adaptarse a la enseñanza universitaria, ha venido a destacar la necesidad de poner en práctica programas preventivos de Orientación, que den sentido y coherencia a las distintas trayectorias académicas. Los estudios realizados hasta el momento han puesto de manifiesto que muchos estudiantes no están preparados para afrontar la transición a la educación superior y tienen serias dificultades para mantenerse en la titulación elegida, lo que hace que, en muchos casos, terminen fracasando o abandonando la universidad. Para hacer frente a esta problemática se creó el programa "Universitarios por un día, Ux1d", con la finalidad de prevenir falsas expectativas hacia la educación superior, desarrollar competencias de adaptabilidad, ayudar a definir el proyecto formativo y promover una toma de decisiones responsable. Los resultados reflejaron una alta valoración del programa, ya que todos los participantes (alumnado de bachillerato, alumnos tutores, orientadores y profesorado universitario) consideraron que había constituido una experiencia constructiva de socialización académica para preparar el acceso y la adaptación a los estudios superiores. A través de las actividades, se logró un acercamiento del alumnado de bachillerato a la vida universitaria, lo cual podría prevenir futuros desajustes.
Metodologías activas y desarrollo de competencias en estudiantes universitarios con diferentes estilos de pensamiento
Authors: García Fernández Trinidad , Arias-Gundín Olga , Rodríguez Pérez Celestino , Fidalgo Raquel , Robledo Patricia
Published: November 2021

La implementación exitosa de metodologías activas para estimular el desarrollo de competencias en el contexto universitario requiere la consideración previa de aquellas características de los alumnos que pueden mediar en su manera de afrontar el aprendizaje, como son sus estilos de pensamiento. En este contexto se ha planteado el presente estudio el cual tiene como objetivos, en primer lugar, comparar el potencial diferencial de diferentes metodologías activas (expertos, Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas, estudio de casos, estudio dirigido y estudio compartido) para estimular el desarrollo de competencias generales en los estudiantes universitarios y, en segundo lugar, analizar si el estilo de pensamiento de los alumnos predice el desarrollo de competencias en función de la metodología empleada. La muestra ha estado compuesta por 87 estudiantes de Grado de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de León (España), quienes cursaron varias asignaturas cuyas unidades temáticas fueron implementadas mediante las distintas metodologías activas objeto de análisis. Para valorar el estilo de pensamiento de los alumnos se empleó la adaptación española del Thinking Styles Inventory (Sternberg y Wagner, 1991). Para conocer el desarrollo de competencias percibido por los alumnos, éstos debieron responder, tras la implementación de cada metodología, al Cuestionario de Evaluación de las Competencias Transversales (Fidalgo, Arias y García, 2007). Los resultados indican, por un lado, que las cinco metodologías analizadas estimulan de manera similar el desarrollo de competencias en los universitarios, siendo las competencias instrumentales las más favorecidas en todos los métodos. Por otro lado, los resultados evidencian que los estilos de pensamiento de los alumnos y su edad actúan como variables predictoras del desarrollo competencial de manera diferente en relación a cada método. Por lo tanto, desde el punto de vista aplicado, se recomienda el uso combinado de diferentes metodologías activas para ajustarse a los perfiles diversos de la generalidad de los estudiantes y estimular así el óptimo desarrollo de las competencias transversales en todos ellos.
Proyecto E-Orientación, una necesidad desde el campo de la orientación educativa
Authors: Bernardo Gutiérrez Ana Belén , Casanova Joana R. , Cervero Fernández-Castañón Antonio , Esteban García María , Solano Pizarro Paula , Tuero Herrero Ellián
Published: November 2021

La Ley Orgánica 2/2006 de Educación incluye la orientación educativa y profesional como uno de los principios básicos y de los fines del sistema educativo. Sin embargo, esta orientación continúa precisando una considerable mejora según los propios alumnos. En este trabajo se presenta el Proyecto E-Orientación: diseñando mi proyecto vital a través de la red, a través del cual se está validando una innovadora metodología de orientación online en dos centros del Principado de Asturias. Adicionalmente, se da cuenta de los resultados obtenidos en el estudio previo a su implementación: Con una muestra de 167 sujetos, los resultados permiten confirmar que los alumnos presentan una percepción negativa de la orientación recibida hasta el inicio del proyecto, pese a que parece favorecer los procesos de autorregulación y toma de decisiones con fines académico-profesionales.
Variables relacionadas con la intención de abandono universitario en el periodo de transición
Authors: Fernández González Andrea , Agulló Tomás Esteban , Bernardo Gutiérrez Ana Belén , Cervero Fernández-Castañón Antonio , Esteban García María , Solano Pizarro Paula
Published: November 2021

La etapa de transición que comprende desde el inicio del último año de educación secundaria hasta la conclusión del primer año en la universidad es un periodo especialmente relevante en la vida del estudiante. El objetivo de la presente investigación es indagar en este proceso para conocer las variables que influyen en la intención de abandono de aquellos estudiantes que tras un breve periodo transcurrido desde su ingreso en la titulación, se plantean abandonar la universidad. Para ello, hemos implementado un cuestionario diseñado ad hoc, respondido por una muestra de 316 estudiantes de los Grados de Psicología, Logopedia, Maestro en Educación Infantil y Maestro en Educación Primaria. Los resultados indican que las variables que diferencian aquellos alumnos que se plantean abandonar la titulación de los que no, son: la elección de carrera por vocación, cursar la titulación elegida como primera opción, la satisfacción con la titulación, la utilidad percibida de los estudios y el interés por los contenidos de las asignaturas. El conocimiento en este ámbito permite, entre otros, la mejora de los procesos de orientación académica y el incremento de la satisfacción en la elección de los estudios.
Received probability of perfect optical vortex in absorbent and weak turbulent seawater links
Authors: Yang Hongbin , Yan Qingze , Zhang Yixin , Hu Lifa
Published: November 2021

We investigated the effects of absorbent and weak turbulent seawater channels on the orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode carried by perfect optical vortex (POV) based on the Rytov approximation. After deriving the received probability of OAM modes, some numerical results are worked out to show that the receiving probability of OAM modes decreases linearly with the increase of virtual refractive index of the water body. An underwater communication link with POV as the signal carrier can obtain high receiving probability by adopting long signal wavelength in intervals of “seawater window wavelength,” low OAM quantum number, a POV with a larger ring radius, and a transmitter as well as receiver with a smaller aperture. The transmission distance of OAM mode carried by POV in four kinds of seawater is better than that of a Bessel–Gaussian beam.
Ellipticity-encrypted orbital angular momentum multiplexed holography
Authors: Cheng Pengyu , Huang Sujuan , Yan Cheng
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we propose orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing at different ellipticity channels using a computer-generated hologram for holographic encryption. By encoding information into elliptic vortex beams with different helical mode indices and ellipticities, the OAM selective holographic information can only be reconstructed by an incident elliptic optical vortex (EOV) with an inverse helical mode index under a specific ellipticity. Holograms for different EOVs and multichannel multiplexing are well designed. Experimental results agree well with the theoretical design and numerical simulations, verifying the feasibility of OAM multiplexing-based ellipticity encrypted holography. This method can further increase data storage and enhance information security in different holographic systems.
3D denoised completion network for deep single-pixel reconstruction of hyperspectral images
Authors: Pronina Valeriya , Lorente Mur Antonio , Abascal Juan F. P. J. , Peyrin Françoise , Dylov Dmitry V. , Ducros Nicolas
Published: November 2021

Single-pixel imaging acquires an image by measuring its coefficients in a transform domain, thanks to a spatial light modulator. However, as measurements are sequential, only a few coefficients can be measured in the real-time applications. Therefore, single-pixel reconstruction is usually an underdetermined inverse problem that requires regularization to obtain an appropriate solution. Combined with a spectral detector, the concept of single-pixel imaging allows for hyperspectral imaging. While each channel can be reconstructed independently, we propose to exploit the spectral redundancy between channels to regularize the reconstruction problem. In particular, we introduce a denoised completion network that includes 3D convolution filters. Contrary to black-box approaches, our network combines the classical Tikhonov theory with the deep learning methodology, leading to an explainable network. Considering both simulated and experimental data, we demonstrate that the proposed approach yields hyperspectral images with higher quantitative metrics than the approaches developed for grayscale images.
Robust emitter localization with enhanced harmonic analysis
Authors: Ma Hongqiang , Liu Yang
Published: November 2021

We present a non-iterative and model-free algorithm for three-dimensional (3D) single emitter localization. Our algorithm decodes the axial position and the emitter width via the ratio of the first and second Fourier harmonic. The retrieved width information is further used for dynamic extraction of the proper region of interest to robustly eliminate the outer noisy background, thus improving the localization precision over existing non-iterative algorithms. Using simulated and experimental datasets, we demonstrate that our algorithm achieves localization precision approaching the state-of-the-art iterative fitting-based methods in all three dimensions at two orders of magnitude faster speed, applicable in various 3D single-molecule localization techniques.
Filter width affects the transmittance of patterned all-dielectric Fabry–Perot filters
Authors: Goossens Thomas
Published: November 2021

Thin-film all-dielectric Fabry–Perot filters can nowadays be patterned onto pixels of commercial imaging sensors used for spectral imaging. For these patterned filters, standard transfer-matrix thin-film calculations fail to predict their angular dependency. This Letter attributes the discrepancy to the finite filter size and is also, to my knowledge, the first study to analyze this for patterned all-dielectric Fabry–Perot filters. An angular spectrum approach that enables prediction without full knowledge of the filter design is introduced. In addition, the contribution of diffraction at normal incidence is characterized by a single dimensionless parameter. Knowing that patterned filter size matters and having a method to efficiently simulate its effect can guide ongoing miniaturization efforts and filter design.
Analysis of growth cone extension in standardized coordinates highlights self-organization rules during wiring of the Drosophila visual system
Authors: Ji Weiyue , Wu Lani F. , Altschuler Steven J.
Published: November 2021

A fascinating question in neuroscience is how ensembles of neurons, originating from different locations, extend to the proper place and by the right time to create precise circuits. Here, we investigate this question in the Drosophila visual system, where photoreceptors re-sort in the lamina to form the crystalline-like neural superposition circuit. The repeated nature of this circuit allowed us to establish a data-driven, standardized coordinate system for quantitative comparison of sparsely perturbed growth cones within and across specimens. Using this common frame of reference, we investigated the extension of the R3 and R4 photoreceptors, which is the only pair of symmetrically arranged photoreceptors with asymmetric target choices. Specifically, we found that extension speeds of the R3 and R4 growth cones are inherent to their cell identities. The ability to parameterize local regularity in tissue organization facilitated the characterization of ensemble cellular behaviors and dissection of mechanisms governing neural circuit formation.
Influence of various chilling methods on the sustainable beef production based on high voltage electrical stimulation
Authors: Banach Joanna Katarzyna , Żywica Ryszard , Matusevičius Paulius
Published: November 2021

Among the challenges of sustainable management of meat production, the key issue is to improve the energy efficiency of production processes, which will consequently affect the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Such effects are achieved by combining various chilling systems with electrical stimulation that determines the quality of meat at the slaughter stage. The novelties of the research undertaken included determining the impact of various variants of meat production (chilling method: slow, fast, accelerated + HVES/NES) on changes in the basic (industrial) quality indicators (pH and temperature) of beef produced from Polish Holstein-Friesian breed cattle, and then indicating the optimal variant for energy-efficient (sustainable) beef production. The HVES and the fast chilling method yielded positive economic (meat weight loss), technological (high quality, hot-boning), energetic (lower electricity consumption), and organizational effects (reduced chilling and storage surfaces and expenditures for staff wages) compared to the slow and accelerated methods. Reaching the desired final temperature with an increased amount of chilled meat enables obtaining a few-fold decrease in the specific energy consumption and a higher energy efficiency of the process. This allows recommending the above actions to be undertaken by entrepreneurs in the pursuit of sustainable meat production.
Psychological distress during the COVID-19 epidemic in Chile: The role of economic uncertainty
Authors: Duarte Fabián , Jiménez-Molina Álvaro
Published: November 2021

Previous research has shown that the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing, and lockdown can affect people’s psychological well-being. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the extent to which perceptions and expectations regarding the social, economic, and domestic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak are associated with psychological distress and (2) to identify some demographic, psychosocial, and economic factors associated with increased vulnerability to psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak in Chile. 1078 people participated in a telephone survey between May 30 and June 10, 2020. The sample is representative of the Chilean adult population. Psychological distress was assessed through a questionnaire of anxious and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4). We analyzed the data set using ordinary least-squares regression models, first estimating models for the entire sample, and then stratifying the sample into different groups to explore differences by gender and age. 19.2% of participants displayed significant psychological distress (PHQ-4 ≥ 6), with moderate to severe anxiety-depression symptoms being more prevalent in women than in men (23.9% vs 14.1%, χ2 16.78, p<0.001). The results of this study suggest that being a woman, feeling lonely and isolated, living in the areas hit hardest by the pandemic and lockdown, expecting a lack of income due to having to stop working as a consequence of the pandemic, and having a history of diagnosed mental disorders are significantly associated with psychological distress (p<0.05). The results of this study highlight the need to implement psychosocial programs to guard people’s psychological well-being and social policies to address economic uncertainty during the current COVID-19 outbreak in Chile.
Triaging and referring in adjacent general and emergency departments (the TRIAGE trial): A cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Morreel Stefan , Philips Hilde , De Graeve Diana , Monsieurs Koenraad G. , Kampen Jarl K. , Meysman Jasmine , Lefevre Eva , Verhoeven Veronique
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To determine whether a new triage system safely diverts a proportion of emergency department (ED) patients to a general practitioner cooperative (GPC).

Methods

Unblinded randomised controlled trial with weekends serving as clusters (three intervention clusters for each control). The intervention was triage by a nurse using a new extension to the Manchester Triage System assigning low-risk patients to the GPC. During intervention weekends, patients were encouraged to follow this assignment; it was not communicated during control weekends (all patients remained at the ED). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients assigned to and handled by the GPC during intervention weekends. The trial was randomised for the secondary outcome: the proportion of patients assigned to the GPC. Additional outcomes were association of these outcomes with possible confounders (study tool parameters, nurse, and patient characteristics), proportion of patients referred back to the ED by the GPC, hospitalisations, and performance of the study tool to detect primary care patients (the opinion of the treating physician was the gold standard).

Results

In the intervention group, 838/6294 patients (13.3%, 95% CI 12.5 to 14.2) were assigned to the GPC, in the control group this was 431/1744 (24.7%, 95% CI 22.7 to 26.8). In total, 599/6294 patients (9.5%, 95% CI 8.8 to 10.3) experienced the primary outcome which was influenced by the reason for encounter, age, and the nurse. 24/599 patients (4.0%, 95% CI 2.7 to 5.9) were referred back to the ED, three were hospitalised. Positive and negative predictive values of the studied tool during intervention weekends were 0.96 (95%CI 0.94 to 0.97) and 0.60 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.62). Out of the patients assigned to the GPC, 2.4% (95% CI 1.7 to 3.4) were hospitalised.

Conclusions

ED nurses using a new tool safely diverted 9.5% of the included patients to primary care.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03793972
The role of selective attention in the positivity offset: Evidence from event related potentials
Authors: Booy Regard M. , Carolan Patrick L.
Published: November 2021

Some research suggests that positive and negative valence stimuli may be processed differently. For example, negative material may capture and hold attention more readily than equally arousing positive material. This is called the negativity bias, and it has been observed as both behavioural and electroencephalographic (EEG) effects. Consequently, it has been attributed to both automatic and elaborative processes. However, at the lowest levels of arousal, faster reaction times and stronger EEG responses to positive material have been observed. This is called the positivity offset, and the underlying cognitive mechanism is less understood. To study the role of selective attention in the positivity offset, participants completed a negative affective priming (NAP) task modified to dissociate priming for positive and negative words. The task required participants to indicate the valence of a target word, while simultaneously ignoring a distractor. In experiment 1, a behavioural facilitation effect (faster response time) was observed for positive words, in stark contrast to the original NAP task. These results were congruent with a previously reported general categorization advantage for positive material. In experiment 2, participants performed the task while EEG was recorded. In additional to replicating the behavioural results from experiment 1, positive words elicited a larger Late Positive Potential (LPP) component on ignored repetition relative to control trials. Surprisingly, negative words elicited a larger LPP than positive words on control trials. These results suggest that the positivity offset may reflect a greater sensitivity to priming effects due to a more flexible attentional set.
Genetic ancestry, admixture, and population structure in rural Dominica
Authors: Keith Monica H. , Flinn Mark V. , Durbin Harly J. , Rowan Troy N. , Blomquist Gregory E. , Taylor Kristen H. , Taylor Jeremy F. , Decker Jared E.
Published: November 2021

The Caribbean is a genetically diverse region with heterogeneous admixture compositions influenced by local island ecologies, migrations, colonial conflicts, and demographic histories. The Commonwealth of Dominica is a mountainous island in the Lesser Antilles historically known to harbor communities with unique patterns of migration, mixture, and isolation. This community-based population genetic study adds biological evidence to inform post-colonial narrative histories in a Dominican horticultural village. High density single nucleotide polymorphism data paired with a previously compiled genealogy provide the first genome-wide insights on genetic ancestry and population structure in Dominica. We assessed family-based clustering, inferred global ancestry, and dated recent admixture by implementing the fastSTRUCTURE clustering algorithm, modeling graph-based migration with TreeMix, assessing patterns of linkage disequilibrium decay with ALDER, and visualizing data from Dominica with Human Genome Diversity Panel references. These analyses distinguish family-based genetic structure from variation in African, European, and indigenous Amerindian admixture proportions, and analyses of linkage disequilibrium decay estimate admixture dates 5–6 generations (~160 years) ago. African ancestry accounts for the largest mixture components, followed by European and then indigenous components; however, our global ancestry inferences are consistent with previous mitochondrial, Y chromosome, and ancestry marker data from Dominica that show uniquely higher proportions of indigenous ancestry and lower proportions of African ancestry relative to known admixture in other French- and English-speaking Caribbean islands. Our genetic results support local narratives about the community’s history and founding, which indicate that newly emancipated people settled in the steep, dense vegetation along Dominica’s eastern coast in the mid-19thcentury. Strong genetic signals of post-colonial admixture and family-based structure highlight the localized impacts of colonial forces and island ecologies in this region, and more data from other groups are needed to more broadly inform on Dominica’s complex history and present diversity.
Burden of kidney disease on the discrepancy between reasons for hospital admission and death: An observational cohort study
Authors: Mandai Shintaro , Ando Fumiaki , Mori Takayasu , Susa Koichiro , Iimori Soichiro , Naito Shotaro , Sohara Eisei , Uchida Shinichi , Fushimi Kiyohide , Rai Tatemitsu
Published: November 2021

Background

Physicians have long noted a substantial discrepancy between the reasons for hospital admission and ultimate causes of death, particularly among older adults or patients with complex underlying diseases. However, objective data on this phenomenon are lacking. We aimed to examine the risk of in-hospital death caused by a reason other than the original reason for hospitalization and its association with underlying kidney disease in a nationwide inpatient database.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we studied 639,556 Japanese adults who died in the hospital from 2012 to 2015, using data from Japan’s Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. We analyzed the discrepancy rate between reasons for hospital admission and death and associated factors using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnostic codes and seven related categories.

Results

Among non-chronic kidney disease (CKD) (590,551), CKD (24,708), and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (24,297) patients, the median age was 77 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 67–84 years), 83 years (IQR: 75–88), and 75 years (IQR: 67–81), and 25.7%, 30.3%, and 41.6% died from a reason other than the original reason for hospitalization, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses determined CKD/ESKD as the predominant risk factor for this discrepancy, rather than older age, male sex, obesity, and other comorbidities. Sankey diagrams that presented diagnostic changes from hospital admission to death revealed multiple wider segments connecting to different disease classifications, particularly to congestive and septic death in CKD and ESKD patients, respectively. Death owing to another disease classification led to an increase in the median length of hospital stay by 5–7 days and to a 1.3-–1.4-fold increase in medical costs across the populations.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of patients with CKD and ESKD died during hospitalization for a reason other than their original reason for admission, leading to increased length of hospital stay and cost.
Changes in the quantity and quality of time use during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK: Who is the most affected?
Authors: Lee Ines , Tipoe Eileen
Published: November 2021

We investigated changes in the quantity and quality of time spent on various activities in response to the COVID-19-induced national lockdowns in the UK. We examined effects both in the first national lockdown (May 2020) and the third national lockdown (March 2021). Using retrospective longitudinal time-use diary data collected from a demographically diverse sample of over 760 UK adults in both lockdowns, we found significant changes in both the quantity and quality of time spent on broad activity categories (employment, housework, leisure). Individuals spent less time on employment-related activities (in addition to a reduction in time spent commuting) and more time on housework. These effects were concentrated on individuals with young children. Individuals also spent more time doing leisure activities (e.g. hobbies) alone and conducting employment-related activities outside normal working hours, changes that were significantly correlated with decreases in overall enjoyment. Changes in quality exacerbated existing inequalities in quantity of time use, with parents of young children being disproportionately affected. These findings indicate that quality of time use is another important consideration for policy design and evaluation.
Trends in the quality and cost of inpatient surgical procedures in the United States, 2002–2015
Authors: Ning Ning , Haynes Alex , Romley John
Published: November 2021

Objectives

This study documents trends in risk-adjusted quality and cost for a variety of inpatient surgical procedures among Medicare beneficiaries from 2002 through 2015, which can provide valuable insight on future strategies to improve public health and health care.

Methods

We focused on 11 classes of inpatient surgery, defined by the Agency for Health Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) Clinical Classification System. The surgical classes studied included a wide range of surgeries, including tracheostomy, heart valve procedures, colorectal resection, and wound debridement, among others. For each surgical class, we assessed trends in treatment costs and quality outcomes, as defined by 30-day survival without unplanned readmissions, among Medicare beneficiaries receiving these procedures during hospital stays. Quality and costs were adjusted for patient severity based on demographics, comorbidities, and community context. We also explored surgical innovations of these 11 classes of inpatient surgery from 2002–2015.

Results

We found significant improvements in quality for 7 surgical classes, ranging from 0.08% (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) to 0.74% (heart valve procedures) per year. Changes in cost varied by surgery, the significant decrease in cost ranged from -2.59% (tracheostomy) to -0.34% (colorectal resection) per year. Treatment innovation occurred with respect to surgical procedures utilized for heart valve procedures and colorectal resection, which may be associated with the decrease in surgical cost.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that there was significant quality improvement for 7 surgery categories over the 14-year study period. Costs decreased significantly for 6 surgery categories, and increased significantly for 3 other categories.
Slope and distance from buildings are easy-to-retrieve proxies for estimating livestock site-use intensity in alpine summer pastures
Authors: Pittarello Marco , Ravetto Enri Simone , Lonati Michele , Lombardi Giampiero
Published: November 2021

Regardless of the issue, most of the research carried out on summer pastures of European Alps had to consider the effects of grazing management, as it is an intrinsic component of alpine environment. The management intensity of grazing livestock is measured in terms of livestock stocking rate, but not always a direct measure of it is easily retrievable. Therefore, the aim of the research was to test the reliability of proxies easily retrievable from open data sources (i.e. slope and distance from buildings) in approximating the pastoral site-use intensity. To test the proxies’ effectiveness two different approaches were used. With the first one, the proxies’ reliability was assessed in a case-study conducted at farm scale by using the number of positions gathered with GPS collars, which are a reliable measure of livestock site-use intensity. With the second, the proxies’ reliability was assessed by means of five Vegetation Ecological Groups (VEGs), used as a tool for indirect quantification of livestock site-use intensity at regional scale (thirty-two alpine valleys of the Western Italian Alps, Piedmont Region—Italy). At farm scale, distance from buildings and slope were both reliable predictors of the number of GPS locations as assessed with a Generalized Additive Model. Results of Generalized Linear Models at the regional scale showed that the values of both the slope and the distance from buildings were able to separate VEGs along the same site-use intensity gradient assessed by modelling the number of GPS locations at farm scale. By testing proxies’ reliability both with a direct (i.e. GPS collar positions) and indirect (i.e. VEGs) measurement of livestock site-use intensity, results indicated that slope and distance from buildings can be considered effective surrogates of site-use intensity gradient in alpine grasslands managed under livestock grazing. Therefore, when the level of site-use intensity in research carried out in alpine summer pastures is not directly available, a reliable solution consists in the use of the terrain slope and the distance from buildings, which are also easily retrievable from open data sources or computable.
Sector-by-sector analysis of dependence dynamics between global large-cap companies and infectious diseases: A time-varying copula approach in EBOV and COVID-19 episodes
Authors: Ghaemi Asl Mahdi , Tavakkoli Hamid Reza , Rashidi Muhammad Mahdi
Published: November 2021

Infectious diseases and widespread outbreaks influence different sectors of the economy, including the stock market. In this article, we investigate the effect of EBOV and COVID-19 outbreaks on stock market indices. We employ time-varying and constant bivariate copula methods to measure the dependence structure between the infectious disease equity market volatility index (IEMV) and the stock market indices of several sectors. The results show that the financial and communication services sectors have the highest and the lowest negative dependency on IEMV during the Ebola virus (EBOV) pandemic, respectively. However, the health care and energy sectors have the highest and lowest negative dependency on IEMV during the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Therefore, the results confirm the heterogeneous time-varying dependency between infectious diseases and the stock market indices. The finding of our study contributes to the ongoing literature on the impact of disease outbreaks, especially the novel coronavirus outbreak on global large-cap companies in the stock market.