bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Η ηλικία στην υιοθεσία ανηλίκων και στην ΙΥΑ
Authors: Γιακουμή Βασιλική
Published: August 2022

Στόχος της εργασίας με θέμα «Η ηλικία στην υιοθεσία ανηλίκων και στην ΙΥΑ» είναι να προσεγγίσει τους δύο θεσμούς του οικογενειακού δικαίου - την υιοθεσία και την ΙΥΑ - μέσα από το πρίσμα της σχετικής νομολογίας που έχει επικεντρωθεί στο ζήτημα της ηλικίας των εμπλεκομένων στην εκάστοτε διαδικασία μερών - κυρίως αναφορικά με τα ανώτατα όρια ηλικίας των αιτούντων -. Το εν λόγω θέμα, με νομικό όσο και κοινωνικό ενδιαφέρον, προσεγγίζεται μέσα από συγκεκριμένες δικαστικές υποθέσεις, όπως αναλύονται στα σχετικά παραρτήματα της εργασίας, σε συνδυασμό με το αντίστοιχο νομικό πλαίσιο. Μέσα από αυτή τη συγκριτική επισκόπηση φαίνεται να αναδεικνύεται η «συγγένεια» των δύο αυτών θεσμών και η παραπληρωματική τους, εν μέρει, πορεία και φύση. Αν και αμφότεροι έχουν ταυτόσημους αποδέκτες, διαφοροποιούνται στον αξιολογικό ρόλο αυτών. Προσομοιάζουν μεν στον σκοπό, αλλά διαφοροποιούνται, και πάλι αξιολογικά, στην προτεραιότητα του τελικού αποδέκτη αυτών. Ομοίως, διαφοροποιούνται ουσιαστικά και στην ακολουθούμενη διαδικασία. Καλούνται πάντως και οι δύο θεσμοί να καλύψουν μία ανάγκη ανθρώπινη σε κάθε περίπτωση, ιδωμένη, ωστόσο, από διαφορετική σκοπιά και με διαφορετική βαρύτητα για κάθε θεσμό ως προς τον τελικό αποδέκτη. Μέσα από τη μελέτη δε των σχετικών δικαστικών αποφάσεων και τη συγκριτική επισκόπηση αυτών αναδεικνύεται, κι επιβεβαιώνεται ενδεχομένως, μια τάση «υπέρβασης» των ανώτατων ορίων ηλικίας που τίθενται από τις εφαρμοστέες διατάξεις. To γεγονός αυτό αναπόφευκτα προβληματίζει και αποτελεί βασικό άξονα μελέτης για την εν λόγω εργασία, οδηγώντας σε αντίστοιχα συμπεράσματα ως προς την ανάγκη επικαιροποίησης τόσο του εκάστοτε πλαισίου, όσο και του τρόπου προσέγγισης και ερμηνείας αυτού.
Making the most of a few small population clinical trials
Authors: Πατέρας Κωνσταντίνος
Published: August 2022

"Οι ασθενείς με σπάνια νοσήματα δικαιούνται την ίδια θεραπευτική ποιότητα όπως και οι υπόλοιποι ασθενείς". Η πρόσφατη υλοποίηση διεθνών και εθνικών στρατηγικών σχεδίων για τα σπάνια νοσήματα έχει φέρει μία μεγάλη αύξηση στο μέγεθος των διαθέσιμων δεδομένων. Όπως είναι γνωστό, τέτοια δεδομένα γίνονται διαθέσιμα μέσω διαφόρων πηγών, για παράδειγμα; βάσεις δεδομένων, ηλεκτρονικά μητρώα υγείας, εθνικά μητρώα αλλά και κλινικές πειραματικές μελέτες. Πληροφορία που προέρχεται από οποιαδήποτε από τις παραπάνω πηγές μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί κατά την αξιολόγηση μίας (νέας) θεραπευτικής αγωγής. Ανάλογα τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη, συνήθως αξιολογούμε πολλαπλά ερωτήματα όπως, (i) οι κίνδυνοι λήψης της φαρμακευτικής αγωγής υπερισχύουν του πρόσθετου κέρδους;, (ii) το κέρδος της λήψης θεραπείας υπερισχύει του οικονομικού βάρους;, (iii) βοηθάει η θεραπεία όλους τους ασθενείς; ή/και (iv) λειτουργεί όντως η νέα θεραπεία; Το τελευταίο ερώτημα συχνά αξιολογείται με τη χρήση μίας τυχαιοποιημένης κλινικής δοκιμής. Σύμφωνα με τη βάση Orphanet, τρέχουν περισσότερες από 1829 κλινικές δοκιμές μεταξύ 29 χωρών για περισσότερα από 800 φάρμακα. Αυτός ο αριθμός ιστορικών και τρεχόντων κλινικών δοκιμών εξηγεί την άμεση ανάγκη να αξιολογηθούν και να υλοποιηθούν νέες στοχευμένες στατιστικές μέθοδοι για μικρούς πληθυσμούς. Τουλάχιστον τρία μεγάλα ευρωπαϊκά προγράμματα υλοποιήθηκαν για να καλύψουν αυτή την ανάγκη. Στατιστικοί, επιδημιολόγοι, ιατροί και ασθενείς, όλα τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη, αναγνωρίζουν το θέμα της αυξημένης ετερογένειας ανάμεσα σε ασθενείς που πάσχουν από κάποιο σπάνιο νόσημα. Η ετερογένεια αυτή φέρνει επιπλέον πολυπλοκότητα κατά την αξιολόγηση μίας (νέας) θεραπείας μέσα σε μία μοναδική τυχαιοποιημένη κλινική δοκιμή, όπου το μέγεθος του δείγματος περιορίζει τους ερευνητές να πραγματοποιήσουν ανάλυση σε υποομάδες ασθενών.Τα ορφανά φάρμακα στα σπάνια νοσήματα συνήθως ερευνούνται μέσω μικρών κλινικών δοκιμών ή μέσω μεγαλύτερων πολυεθνικών τυχαιοποιημένων κλινικών δοκιμών. Η έρευνα σε τέτοιο παγκόσμιο επίπεδο μπορεί να επιφέρει αύξηση της ασυνέπειας και της ετερογένειας εφόσον, π.χ. η κλινική γνώση, η καθιερωμένη φροντίδα αλλά και οι υπάρχουσες εγκαταστάσεις διαφέρουν από χώρα σε χώρα. Τέτοιου είδους η ομογενοποιημένα δεδομένα μειώνουν την εμπιστοσύνη των ερευνητών σε μεμονωμένες (μικρές) κλινικές δοκιμές, κάτι που σημαίνει ότι η σύνθεση τέτοιων μελετών μέσω μίας μέτα-ανάλυσης είναι αναγκαία. Η διατριβή αυτή συγκεντρώνεται στο τελευταίο σημείο εκ των παραπάνω.
Ο ρόλος της χαμηλής οστικής πυκνότητας και βιταμίνης D στην εμφάνιση οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος σε μετεμμηνοπαυσιακές γυναίκες
Authors: Ζαφείρης Ευάγγελος
Published: August 2022

Εισαγωγή: Η οστεοαρθρίτιδα και η οστεοπόρωση είναι δύο από τις πιο διαδεδομένες μυοσκελετικές διαταραχές, με τεράστιο κοινωνικοοικονομικό φορτίο. Η ανεπάρκεια βιταμίνης D είναι ένα κοινό χαρακτηριστικό στους ηλικιωμένους, επηρεάζοντας την υγεία και το μεταβολισμό των οστών. Σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης είναι να αναλύσει τη συσχέτιση της οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος με την οστική πυκνότητα και τα επίπεδα βιταμίνης D ορού σε μετεμμηνοπαυσιακές γυναίκες. Μέθοδοι: Διεξήχθη μια μελέτη παρατήρησης ασθενών εγκάρσιας τομής που περιελάμβανε 240 μετεμμηνοπαυσιακές γυναίκες με οστεοαρθρίτιδα γόνατος. Καταγράφηκαν δημογραφικά δεδομένα μαζί με βαθμολογίες ισορροπίας και λειτουργικότητας. Η βαρύτητα της οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος εκτιμήθηκε από την ακτινολογική κλίμακα Kellgren & Lawrence. Η οστική πυκνότητα και τα T-scores υπολογίστηκαν στα ισχία και στην οσφυϊκή μοίρα της σπονδυλικής στήλης. Επίσης μετρήθηκαν τα επίπεδα της βιταμίνης D στον ορό. Αποτελέσματα: Το υψηλό ΒΜΙ (p <0,005), ο μεγάλος αριθμός παιδιών (p = 0,022) και το οικογενειακό ιστορικό κατάγματος ισχίου (p = 0,011) σχετίζονται σημαντικά με τη βαρύτητα της οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος. Η χαμηλή οστική πυκνότητα της οσφυϊκής μοίρας της σπονδυλικής στήλης σχετίζεται αρνητικά με την οστεοαρθρίτιδα γόνατος (p <0,005). Σημαντική διαφορά εντοπίστηκε μεταξύ της έλλειψης βιταμίνης D και της βαριάς οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος, σταθμισμένη για την οστική πυκνότητα [OR (95%CI). 3,1 (1,6-6,1), ρ = 0,001]. Η οστική πυκνότητα δεν επηρεάζει τη σχέση των επιπέδων βιταμίνης D σε σχέση με την οστεοαρθρίτιδα και τα επίπεδα της βιταμίνης D δεν επηρεάζουν τη σχέση της οστικής πυκνότητας με την οστεοαρθρίτιδα. Συμπεράσματα: Η χαμηλή οστική πυκνότητα έχει προστατευτικό ρόλο έναντι της οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος ενώ η έλλειψη βιταμίνης D συμβάλλει σημαντικά στη βαρύτητα της οστεοαρθρίτιδας γόνατος. Ωστόσο, η σχέση μεταξύ οστεοαρθρίτιδας και οστεοπόρωσης δεν επηρεάζεται από την έλλειψη βιταμίνης D και η συσχέτιση της οστεοαρθρίτιδας και των επιπέδων βιταμίνης D στον ορό δεν επηρεάζεται από την οστική πυκνότητα. Απαιτούνται περαιτέρω μελέτες προκειμένου να αποσαφηνιστεί πλήρως η αλληλεπίδραση της οστικής πυκνότητας και της βιταμίνης D στην παθογένεια της οστεοαρθρίτιδας.
Η ενέργεια ως παράγων ισχύος στη διεθνή πολιτική
Authors: Μπαλάφας Βασίλειος
Published: August 2022

Η περίοδος μετά το 2000 και μέχρι σήμερα είναι μια περίοδος έντονης πολιτικοποίησης των ενεργειακών ζητημάτων σε διεθνές επίπεδο. Η διεθνής ενεργειακή αρένα, που έχει εκ των ουκ άνευ δημιουργηθεί, λειτουργεί σαν μια παράλληλη και διακριτή διάσταση των διακρατικών ανταγωνισμών και αντιπαραθέσεων στο διεθνές περιβάλλον. Η ενέργεια δεν είναι δυνατό πλέον να αντιμετωπίζεται με καθαρά τεχνικούς και εμπορικούς όρους. Τίθεται με διάφορες μορφές στον πυρήνα των εθνικών συμφερόντων και των εθνικών στρατηγικών και μπαίνει στο επίκεντρο πολλαπλών και πολυεπίπεδων διαδράσεων μεταξύ των κεντρικών παικτών που δεν είναι άλλοι από τα κυρίαρχα κράτη ως βασικοί δρώντες του ενεργειακού παιχνιδιού εντός του ευρύτερου πλαισίου της διεθνούς πολιτικής. Ο Περικλείων Ρεαλισμός προτείνεται ως μια συνολική ερευνητική και επεξηγηματική προσέγγιση που εξετάζει και αναδεικνύει την ενέργεια ως παράγοντα ισχύος στη διεθνή πολιτική. Εδράζεται σε τρία θεμελιώδη συστατικά στοιχεία, το Αποθετήριο Ρεαλισμού, το Στόχο Ενεργειακού Στάτους και το Γρίφο της Ενεργειακής Ασφάλειας. Τα στοιχεία αυτά αξιοποιούνται με τη χρήση ενός πολυπρισματικού ερευνητικού φακού προκειμένου να αναδείξουν τη συσχέτιση της ενέργειας με ζητήματα ισχύος, ασφάλειας και αντιμετώπισης απειλών από τα κράτη. Ταυτόχρονα, ιχνηλατείται και αναδεικνύεται ο ρόλος της ενέργειας ως μοχλός έκφρασης και επιδίωξης της φιλοδοξίας βελτίωσης της σχετικής θέσης των κρατών εντός της διεθνούς τάξης, καθώς και της προώθησης των εθνικών συμφερόντων τους.
Perceiving the past in the Early Hellenistic Period
Authors: Πάγκαλος Μανόλης
Published: August 2022

Η παρούσα διατριβή εξετάζει τη χρήση του παρελθόντος ως πολιτικού μέσου για τη διαπραγμάτευση της πολιτικής εξουσίας κατά την πρώιμη ελληνιστική περίοδο. Η ελληνιστική περίοδος σηματοδοτεί μια εποχή μεγάλων αλλαγών τόσο στα πολιτικά όσο και στα γεωγραφικά τοπία. Η πόλη, που παραμένει το κέντρο της πολιτικής ζωής, παλεύει μεταξύ αυτονομίας και εξάρτησης απέναντι από τα αναδυόμενα πολιτικά σχήματα (ελληνιστικά βασιλεία και Συμπολιτείες). Στο ρευστό αυτό πολιτικό περιβάλλον, το παρελθόν παρουσιάζει μια εξαιρετική ευκαιρία: μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για να (επανα)επιβεβαιώσει μια συγκεκριμένη ταυτότητα, είτε είναι αστική είτε συλλογική, ή μπορεί να βοηθήσει στην δημιουργία μιας νέας. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, οι δυνατότητές του είναι τεράστιες. Στον σύγχρονο κόσμο, η σύνδεση μεταξύ της χρήσης του παρελθόντος και της πολιτικής έχει επιβεβαιωθεί. Ωστόσο, αυτή η σχέση ήταν σαφώς αντιληπτή και στον αρχαίο ελληνικό κόσμο. Λόγω της λειτουργίας της μνήμης, το παρελθόν έχει κεντρικό ρόλο στην πολιτική ζωή των κοινοτήτων. Η μνήμη και η χρήση του παρελθόντος είναι κοινωνικές και πολιτιστικές δυνάμεις, που μεταβάλλουν ουσιαστικά τους τρόπους αναπαράστασης και τις σύγχρονες κοσμοθεωρίες. Και αντιστρόφως, οι όποιες πολιτικές αποφάσεις εξετάζονται υπό το πρίσμα των αστικών ή κοινοτικών παραδόσεων – της πολιτιστικής μνήμης κάθε κοινωνίας. Στην περίπτωση της Αθήνας και της Σπάρτης, η αντίθεση μεταξύ της σύγχρονης πραγματικότητας και πολιτιστικής μνήμης είναι γόνιμη και οδηγεί σε πρωτοφανείς πράξεις. Ελλείψει ενός τόσο ένδοξου παρελθόντος, ο πολυγραφότατος ιστορικός Πολύβιος κατασκευάζει ένα για την Αχαϊκή Συμπολιτεία. Η Σάμος και η Πριήνη, χωρίς αντίστοιχες ηγεμονικές παραδόσεις αλλά με έντονη τοπική παρουσία, χρησιμοποιούν το παρελθόν για άμεσα οφέλη. Η εξέταση των δεδομένων μας επιτρέπει να βγάλουμε κάποια συμπεράσματα σχετικά με τους παράγοντες πίσω από την ενεργό χειραγώγηση του παρελθόντος. Μέσα στο πολιτικό πλαίσιο της ελληνιστική εποχής, οι δυνατότητες του παρελθόντος και η πολιτική του χρήση γίνονται σε μεγάλο βαθμό αντιληπτές από μια δραστήρια και φιλόδοξη ελίτ με προσωπικές και κρατικές σκοπιμότητες. Η έκταση της επιτυχίας της ελίτ αυτής εξαρτάται εν μέρει από την συνειδητοποίηση της εξουσίας που κατέχει.
An evaluation of the three measurable cardinal objectives of the National Youth Service Corps programme: a survey dataset
Authors: Owan Valentine J. , Emanghe Emanuel E. , Akpan Samuel M. , Alawa David A. , Ebuara Victor O. , Abanyam Victor A. , Owan Mercy V. , Unimna Fidelis A. , Ajigo Ikutal
Published: August 2022

Background: The National Youth Service Corps programme is, among other targets, aimed at promoting national inclusiveness and tolerance in a culturally heterogeneous society. Despite the importance of this programme, little has been done to evaluate its degree of success. Where evaluations are done, they are never made public. There is a need for the NYSC programme, just like all other public programmes, to be evaluated for transparency, accountability and decision-making. From an evaluation of the three measurable objectives of the NYSC programme, this dataset bridges this gap.

Methods: This dataset was collected from Nigerian graduates that completed their national service between 2012 and 2021. The data was collected through an electronic survey posted to various online platforms hosting National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members of the various sets and batches. The data collection aimed to evaluate the three cardinal objectives of the programme. After three years of data collection (from 2019 to 2021), responses were obtained from 19,278 participants that met the eligibility criteria. The data is an Excel (.xlsx) document with 19,278 cases and 95 variables. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and simple percentages were used to summarise the data. However, charts are further used to illustrate the demographic attributes of the respondents. The dataset is broad and covers all the 36 states in Nigeria plus the Federal Capital Territory.

Results: The data set has many reuse potentials because it contains information on camp activities (such as parades, military drills, redeployment, quality of food, and facilities, among others), primary assignments and community service engagements of corps members.

Conclusions: The data can offer a complete evaluation of how the (NYSC) has attained three of its four cardinal objectives. A series of relationships can further be determined and tested using inferential statistics among the variables included in the dataset.
The implementation of a competency-based nursing curriculum in a developing country: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Nguyen Anh T.H. , Kunaviktikul Wipada , Stone Teresa Elizabeth , Sripusanapan Acharaporn , Thungjaroenkul Petsunee , Pham Dung T.T.
Published: August 2022

Background: Competency-based nursing curricula prepare nurse graduates with the required competencies to function effectively in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex healthcare environment. Implementation of a competency-based curriculum requires considerable investment in time and resources, and this process has not been described in Vietnam, a developing country. This research explores nurse educators' experiences from six Vietnamese nursing schools regarding implementing a competency-based nursing curriculum through the lens of McGrath’s Input-Process-Output model.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive method was used. A total of 11 participants were nurse academics purposively chosen from six nursing schools where a competency-based nursing curriculum has been implemented, and 11 in-depth interviews were conducted.

Results: Participants identified various issues in implementing a competency-based nursing curriculum, including the need for curriculum redesign, required improvements in teaching and learning, and resistance from teaching staff. Adequate human resources and the availability of infrastructure facilitated the process. Simultaneously, barriers to implementation included nurse educators with poor preparation for a new curriculum, inadequate infrastructure, limited equipment, and no policies that support a competency-based curriculum.

Conclusions: The study findings describe the process of moving to a competency-based nursing curriculum implementation in a low to the middle-income country from the perspective of nurse educators and indicate critical success factors in facilitating the process in similar environments.
Case Report: Optical coherence tomography angiography findings in radiation retinopathy
Authors: Ammari Wafa , Zaghdoudi Asma , Berriche Olfa , Messaoud Riadh
Published: August 2022

We report the observation of a 31-year-old patient followed for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma since 2009, treated by locoregional radiotherapy, with a cumulative dose of 70 Gray.  This case presented all ocular complications of radiotherapy; radiation retinopathy (RR), which is the most severe complication, could be diagnosed earlier and have a better prognosis if optic coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was performed.

She presented with a progressive decline in bilateral visual acuity. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral posterior subcapsular cataract, radiation retinopathy, and optic neuropathy. The OCT B-scan showed more pronounced macular edema in the right eye.  The OCTA revealed enlargement of the central avascular zone and loss of the deep and superficial retinal vascular network. The patient received three consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), without improvement in visual acuity.

The aim of this case report is to present the contribution of OCT-A in the diagnosis of radiation maculopathy, and attribute these changes to ischemia at the level of the retinal vascular network.
Can behavioural change interventions improve self-efficacy and exercise adherence among people with Parkinson’s? A systematic review protocol
Authors: Ahern Leanne , Timmons Prof Suzanne , Lamb Prof Sarah E , McCullagh Dr Ruth
Published: August 2022

Background: People with Parkinson’s (PwP) have a higher tendency to adopt sedentary lifestyle behaviours and have lower physical activity levels compared to their healthy peers. Previous research has indicated that personal factors including poor outcome expectation and low self-efficacy are stronger predictors of exercise adherence than disease severity.: The purpose of this review is to synthesize the best available evidence on interventions that encompass self-management strategies to overcome barriers to exercise and improve self-efficacy and exercise adherence among PwP.

Methods: The following databases will be searched using a comprehensive search strategy: EBSCO, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library from database inception to 2020. Interventional studies including behavioural change interventions will be included in this review. The title, abstract and full-text screening will be conducted by two independent reviewers. The Joanne Briggs Institute Checklist will be used to assess the quality of each included study. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers. The outcomes of interest will be self-efficacy outcomes and measures of exercise adherence. A systematic narrative synthesis will be conducted using a framework analysis, applying the Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Wheel, producing findings focusing on practice-orientated outcomes. Presentation of data will include tables and text summarizing the characteristics and findings of the eligible studies. Data synthesis and statistical analysis will be performed in Review manager 5.3. The quality of evidence will be reviewed using the GRADE criteria.

Discussion: The review will comprehensively synthesize the  available evidence on interventions to enhance self-efficacy, improve quality of life, physical function,  ultimately improving exercise adherence among PwP and provide invaluable information for healthcare professionals.. This review will make recommendations for appropriate self-management strategies for maximum effect and may have implications for policy and practice regarding enhancing self-efficacy and long-term exercise adherence among PwP.
How do career promotion policies affect research publications and open access?
Authors: Pontika Nancy , Gyawali Bikash , Corriea Antonia , Brinken Helene , Pride David , Cancellieri Matteo , Knoth Petr
Published: August 2022

We present a novel dataset which enables quantitative analysis of the relationship between institutional support for Open Science and research performance. We analysed promotion, review, and tenure policies (PRT) from institutions originating from seven countries and combined them with bibliographical data from the outputs generated by each institution. The data were normalised and evaluated against Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) indicators, to enable comparisons and easy machine readable access. The significance of this dataset lies in its potential to answer a range of questions that are key to the understanding of what motivates academics with regards to their research practices and publishing behaviors, using various indicators, including the MoRRI. To our knowledge, this collection constitutes one of the first efforts in delivering a large machine readable dataset enabling quantitative analysis on these aspects, as much work in this area has been carried out only through surveys and qualitative analysis.
MTaxi: A comparative tool for taxon identification of ultra low coverage ancient genomes
Authors: Atağ Gözde , Vural Kıvılcım Başak , Kaptan Damla , Özkan Mustafa , Koptekin Dilek , Sağlıcan Ekin , Doğramacı Sevcan , Köz Mevlüt , Yılmaz Ardan , Söylev Arda , Togan İnci , Somel Mehmet , Özer Füsun
Published: August 2022

A major challenge in zooarchaeology is to morphologically distinguish closely related species’ remains, especially using small bone fragments. Shotgun sequencing aDNA from archeological remains and comparative alignment to the candidate species’ reference genomes will only apply when reference nuclear genomes of comparable quality are available, and may still fail when coverages are low. Here, we propose an alternative method, MTaxi, that uses highly accessible mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to distinguish between pairs of closely related species from ancient DNA sequences. MTaxi utilises mtDNA transversion-type substitutions between pairs of candidate species, assigns reads to either species, and performs a binomial test to determine the sample taxon. We tested MTaxi on sheep/goat and horse/donkey data, between which zooarchaeological classification can be challenging in ways that epitomise our case. The method performed efficiently on simulated ancient genomes down to 0.5x mitochondrial coverage for both sheep/goat and horse/donkey, with no false positives. Trials on n=18 ancient sheep/goat samples and n=10 horse/donkey samples of known species identity with mtDNA coverages 0.1x - 12x  also yielded 100% accuracy. Overall, MTaxi provides a straightforward approach to classify closely related species that are compelling to distinguish through zooarchaeological methods using low coverage aDNA data, especially when similar quality reference genomes are unavailable. MTaxi is freely available at https://github.com/goztag/MTaxi.
Distributionally Robust Optimization Based on Kernel Density Estimation and Mean-Entropic Value-at-Risk
Authors: Liu Wei , Yang Li , Yu Bo
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a distributionally robust optimization model based on kernel density estimation (KDE) and mean entropic value-at-risk (EVaR) is proposed, where the ambiguity set is defined as a KDE-[Formula: see text]-divergence “ball” centered at the empirical distribution in the weighted KDE distribution function family, which is a finite-dimensional set. Instead of the joint probability distribution of the random vector, the one-dimensional probability distribution of the random loss function is approximated by the univariate weighted KDE for dimensionality reduction. Under the mild conditions of the kernel and [Formula: see text]-divergence function, the computationally tractable reformulation of the corresponding distributionally robust mean-EVaR optimization model is derived by Fenchel’s duality theory. Convergence of the optimal value and the solution set of the distributionally robust optimization problem based on KDE and mean-EVaR to those of the corresponding stochastic programming problem with the true distribution is proved. For some special cases, including portfolio selection, newsvendor problem, and linear two-stage stochastic programming problem, concrete tractable reformulations are given. Primary empirical test results for portfolio selection and project management problems show that the proposed model is promising.

Funding: This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 11971092 and 11571061] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grants DUT15RC(3)037 and DUT18RC(4)067].
Case studies 4–6: diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Wilde Kimberley
Published: August 2022

Kimberley Wilde, Advanced Podiatrist, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Foreword
Authors: Atkin Leanne
Published: August 2022

Leanne Atkin, Vascular Nurse Consultant, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Huddersfield
Drug Breakdown: Omalizumab
Authors: Rees Sharon
Published: August 2022

In this column, Sharon Rees aims to refresh knowledge and interest in some of the commonly used drugs in a series of tweets. This month she is talking about #omalizumab
Psilocybin administration
Authors: Winter George
Published: August 2022

George Winter looks at the possibilities of incorporating psilocybin administration into healthcare
An Inventory of Acquired Attributes of Graduates in a Higher Education Institution Versus Industry Required Attributes
Authors: Malinao Client William M. , Sotto Mark M. , Vera Joana Marie De , Laguerta Jessa Mhae , Domingo Winston G.
Published: August 2022

COVID-19 has substantially affected the majority of work capabilities. Higher education is responsible for preparing graduates for employment and well-rounded individuals with varied talents. This study determined the acquired attributes of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) graduates and whether it is anchored to the required attributes by the industry. Descriptive and comparative research designs of the quantitative research method were used in this study. This study had two sets of participants. Data on acquired attributes were gathered from the BSIT graduates from 2017-2020 of the Private Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Santiago City, Philippines, who are presently employed. At the same time, required graduate attributes were provided by the representatives from the industry partners of the Private HEI. A total of 45 BSIT graduates and 26 companies participated in the study. Data were collected using a modified questionnaire through online surveys and drop and collect method. Through confirmatory factor analysis, mean scores, t-tests, and ANOVA, rankings, findings revealed the six-factor result, which tallies the latent variables used for this study. BSIT graduates confirmed that they acquired the necessary attributes to be competitive in the IT industry according to the prescribed attributes for BSIT graduates. The Graduates and the Industry agreed that Modern tool usage and resiliency are essential in these challenging times in the workplace. According to the findings, graduates' university-acquired skills and competencies considerably increased their opportunities in national and global markets and sectors, making them timely and relevant during COVID-19 and beyond.
Optimum Design of Impact Sensors With Array Structure Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Films
Authors: Ying Sun , Nie Xin , Zhou Yuhan , Cao Rui , Yu Yonghua , Tian Hongping , Qian Xiangqun , Wang Jianping
Published: August 2022

Highlights

The impact sensors protected by shells and integrated with process circuits were proposed.

Simulations and collision tests were performed to optimize the structure of the sensor.

Accessories that can improve sensors’ detection accuracy were proposed.

Multi-grain impact tests in a laboratory showed the RMSEs of two sensors were less than 1.67%.

Abstract. Impact sensors are widely used to detect grain loss in harvesters, and the impact sensors with array structure polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films have been proven to significantly increase the detection efficiency. However, uneven sensitivity and clutters from non-impacted sensitive units seriously affect the detection accuracy. This article proposes a protective shell for the impact sensors with array structure PVDF films. To improve the performance of this kind of sensor, we optimized the structure through finite element simulations and particle impact tests. The vibration modes under three pasting methods of sensitive units were analyzed. The relationship between the hardness of the elastic layer and response performances was investigated. To suppress the clutters, a method of splitting the elastic layer was proposed. Then, we manufactured two optimized impact sensors with one layer and two crossed layers of PVDF films and tested their performances. The results demonstrated that the sensitivities of the gaps between the PVDF films are poor. But when excluding the gaps’ data, the two sensors can meet the detection requirement. Accessories were proposed based on that characteristic to prevent particles from colliding with the gaps. After assembling the accessory, multi-grain impact tests showed that the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of the impact sensors with one layer and two crossed layers of PVDF films were 1.67% and 1.63%, respectively. Keywords: Grain loss detection, Particle impact test, Protective shell, Sensor accessory, Structure optimization.
Design and Evaluation of End Effectors for a Vacuum-Based Robotic Apple Harvester
Authors: Lu Renfu , Dickinson Nathan , Lammers Kyle , Zhang Kaixiang , Chu Pengyu , Li Zhaojian
Published: August 2022

Highlights

A critical torque of 0.257 N-m is required to detach 95% of apples, when the preferred twist picking mode is used.

New silicone-based end effectors performed much better than the original, non-conformable end effector.

The straight end effector had the best overall picking performance with 87% picking success rate.

The new vacuum-based harvesting robot looks promising for automated harvesting of apples.

Abstract. The end effector plays a critical role in fruit picking by a robotic fruit harvesting system. A newly developed vacuum-based robotic apple harvesting system, using the twist-and-pull fruit picking method, has shown promise in picking fruit from clusters and navigating through the tree canopies. The robot’s original thin foam end effector failed to achieve acceptable picking performance because it was unable to conform to fruit of different sizes and thus could not generate sufficient suction forces needed to detach fruit. This research was therefore aimed at developing new end effectors to greatly enhance the robot’s fruit picking performance. Field manual pulling and twisting experiments for three varieties of apples were conducted, and the critical pulling or suction force and twisting torque needed to detach 95% of apples were determined to be 28.3 N and 0.257 N-m (equivalent to a pulling force of 21.0 N for the current robot’s configuration), respectively. Three new silicone-based end effectors of different geometries (denoted as “Straight”, “Bellow” and “Curved”) were designed and fabricated, and they were evaluated in lab and field experiments. Results showed that the three new end effectors performed significantly better than the original, unconformable end effector based on multiple performance metrics, including vacuum pressure, overall picking success rate, picking rate by the rotation mechanism, and fruit attachment orientation. The “Straight” end effector performed consistently better than the other two new end effectors; it had 87% overall picking success rate, 65% success rate by the rotation mechanism alone, and 89% success rate when the middle section or cheek of fruit attached to the end effector. With further improvements, the “Straight” end effector should meet the apple picking performance requirement for the new vacuum-based robotic harvesting system. Keywords: Apple, End Effector, Fruit, Harvest, Robotics, Vacuum.
New procedure to design low radar cross section near perfect isotropic and homogeneous triangular carpet cloaks: comment
Authors: Eslamzadeh Sajad
Published: August 2022

This comment addresses errors in J. Opt. Soc. Am. A
33, 2066 (2016)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.33.002066
and corrects the material parameters and simulated field distributions
of the carpet cloak.
Time-varying electromagnetic media: opinion
Authors: Pacheco-Peña Victor , M. Solís Diego , Engheta Nader
Published: August 2022

In this opinion article, we briefly summarize some of the background materials and recent developments in the field of temporal and spatiotemporal media and provide our opinion on some of potential challenges, opportunities, and open research questions for manipulation of fields and waves in four dimensions.
Spatiotemporal cluster patterns of hand, foot, and mouth disease at the province level in mainland China, 2011–2018
Authors: Wu Yuanzhe , Wang Tingwei , Zhao Mingyi , Dong Shumin , Wang Shiwen , Shi Jingcheng
Published: August 2022

Although three monovalent EV-A71 vaccines have been launched in mainland China since 2016, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) still causes a considerable disease burden in China. Vaccines’ use may change the epidemiological characters of HFMD. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and space-time scan statistics analysis were used to explore the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of this disease at the provincial level in mainland China. The effects of meteorological factors, socio-economic factors, and health resources on HFMD incidence were analyzed using Geodetector. Interrupted time series (ITS) was used to analyze the impact of the EV-A71 vaccine on the incidence of HFMD. This study found that the median annual incidence of HFMD was 153.78 per 100,000 (ranging from 120.79 to 205.06) in mainland China from 2011 to 2018. Two peaks of infections were observed per year. Children 5 years and under were the main morbid population. The spatial distribution of HFMD was presented a significant clustering pattern in each year (P<0.001). The distribution of HFMD cases was clustered in time and space. The range of cluster time was between April and October. The most likely cluster appeared in the southern coastal provinces (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan) from 2011 to 2017 and in the eastern coastal provinces (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) in 2018. The spatial heterogeneity of HFMD incidence could be attributed to meteorological factors, socioeconomic factors, and health resource. After introducing the EV-A71 vaccine, the instantaneous level of HFMD incidence decreased at the national level, and HFMD incidence trended downward in the southern coastal provinces and increased in the eastern coastal provinces. The prevention and control policies of HFMD should be adapted to local conditions in different provinces. It is necessary to advance the EV-A71 vaccination plan, expand the vaccine coverage and develop multivalent HFMD vaccines as soon as possible.
Study on connectivity of buried pipeline network considering nodes reliability under seismic action
Authors: Huang Delong , Zong Zhongling , Tang Aiping
Published: August 2022

Currently, the connectivity calculation of complex pipeline networks is mostly simplified or ignores the influence of nodes such as elbows and tees on the connectivity reliability of the entire network. Historical earthquake damage shows that the seismic performance of municipal buried pipelines depends on the ability of nodes and interfaces to resist deformation. The influence of node reliability on network connectivity under reciprocal loading is a key issue to be addressed. Therefore, based on the general connectivity probabilistic analysis algorithm, this paper embeds the reliability of nodes into the reliability of edges, and derives a more detailed and comprehensive on-intersecting minimum path recursive decomposition algorithm considering elbows, tees, and other nodes; then, based on the reliability calculation theory of various pipeline components, the reliability of various nodes in different soil is calculated using finite element numerical simulation; finally, the reliability of a small simple pipeline network and a large complex pipeline network are used as examples to reveal the importance of considering nodes in the connectivity calculation of pipeline network. The reliability of the network system decreases significantly after considering the nodes such as elbows and tees. The damage of one node usually causes the failure of the whole pipes of the path. The damage probability is greater in the area with dense elbow and tee nodes. In this study, all types of nodes that are more prone to damage are considered in detail in the calculation. As a result, the proposed algorithm has been improved in computational accuracy, which lays the foundation for further accurate calculation of pipeline network connectivity.
Distributional analyses reveal the individual differences in congruency sequence effect
Authors: Tang Dandan , Chen Xuefei , Li Hong , Lei Yi
Published: August 2022

As a sequential modulation of conflict, congruency sequence effect indexes a conflict-induced performance improvement, which is observed as reduced congruency effects for trials after the incongruent trials than for trials after the congruent trials. Although congruency sequence effect has been investigated widely in healthy humans, the studies of distributional characteristics across prototypical congruency tasks are scarce. To investigate this issue, the present study adopts the between-subjects design to carry out three experiments, where subjects were separately informed to perform the Stroop, word Flanker, and letter Flanker tasks. The results showed that congruency sequence effect occurred in the congruent and incongruent trials in the Stroop and word Flanker tasks, respectively, and absented in the letter Flanker task, which is interpreted as the differences in the nature and difficulty of the tasks. The distributional properties of congruency sequence effect did not significantly differ from the Gaussian distribution in the Stroop and word Flanker tasks, but not in the letter Flanker task, suggesting the inter-individual variability of congruency sequence effect depends on the nature of tasks. Importantly, the delta plot analyses showed pronouncedly increased congruency sequence effect over the slowest percentile bines in both the Stroop and word Flanker tasks, verifying the activation suppression hypothesis. Altogether, the present study enriches the literature on the distributional characteristics of congruency sequence effect.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in King County, WA—Cross-sectional survey, August 2020
Authors: Cowgill Karen D. , Erosheva Elena A. , Elder Adam , Miljacic Ljubomir , Buskin Susan , Duchin Jeffrey S.
Published: August 2022

We conducted a seroprevalence survey to estimate the true number of infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in King County as of August 2020 by measuring the proportion of residents from who had antibodies against the virus. Participants from 727 households took part in a cross-sectional address-based household survey with random and non-random samples and provided dried blood spots that were tested for total antibody against the viral nucleocapsid protein, with confirmatory testing for immunoglobulin G against the spike protein. The data were weighted to match King County’s population based on sex, age group, income, race, and Hispanic status. After weighting and accounting for the accuracy of the tests, our best overall estimate of anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in King County as of August 2020 is 3.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4%-6.0%) with an effective sample size of 589. Comparing seroprevalence with positive test reports, our survey suggests that viral testing underestimated incidence by a factor of about five and suggests that the proportion of cases that were serious (based on hospitalization) or fatal was 2.4% and 0.8%, respectively. Prevalence varied by subgroup; households reporting incomes at or below $100,000 in 2019 had nearly five times higher estimated antibody prevalence than those with incomes above $100,000. Those reporting non-White/non-Asian race had roughly seven times higher estimated antibody prevalence than those reporting White race. This survey was noteworthy for including people of all ages; among all age groups, the weighted estimate of prevalence was highest in older teens and young adults and lowest in young children, although these differences were not statistically significant.
Rule-based classifier based on accident frequency and three-stage dimensionality reduction for exploring the factors of road accident injuries
Authors: Cheng Ching-Hsue , Yang Jun-He , Liu Po-Chien
Published: August 2022

Road accidents are one of the primary causes of death worldwide; hence, they constitute an important research field. Taiwan is a small country with a high-density population. It particularly has a considerable number of locomotives. Furthermore, Taiwan’s traffic accident fatality rate increased by 23.84% in 2019 compared with 2018, primarily because of human factors. Road safety has long been a challenging problem in Taiwanese cities. This study collected public data pertaining to traffic accidents from the Taoyuan city government in Taiwan and generated six datasets based on the various accident frequencies at the same location. To find key attributes, this study proposes a three-stage dimension reduction to filter attributes, which includes removing multicollinear attributes, the integrated attribute selection method, and statistical factor analysis. We applied five rule-based classifiers to classify six different frequency datasets and generate the rules of accident severity. The order of top ten key attributes was hit vehicle > certificate type > vehicle > action type > drive quality > escape > accident type > gender > job > trip purposes in the maximum accident frequency CF ≥ 10 dataset. When locomotives, bicycles, and people collide with other locomotives or trucks, injury or death can easily occur, and the motorcycle riders are at the highest risk. The findings of this study provide a reference for governments and stakeholders to reduce the road accident risk factors.
Comparison between the persistence of post COVID-19 symptoms on critical patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and non-critical patients
Authors: Irisson-Mora Irene , Salgado-Cordero Angélica M. , Reyes-Varón Estefanía , Cataneo-Piña Daniela J. , Fernández-Sánchez Mónica , Buendía-Roldán Ivette , Salazar-Lezama Miguel A. ,   on behalf of the Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine Consortium
Published: August 2022

Background

During follow-up, patients severely affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), show symptoms of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) such as cognitive impairment, psychological disability, and neuromuscular deconditioning. In COVID-19 pandemic, it is a priority to develop multidisciplinary post-acute care services to address the long-term multisystemic impact of COVID-19.

Research question

Which are the most relevant multisystemic sequelae in severe post-COVID-19 patients?

Study design and methods

Observational chart review study that included adult patients discharged from a referral hospital for respiratory diseases in Mexico after recovering from severe COVID-19 disease from December 23, 2020, to April 24, 2021. Data were collected from 280 of 612 potentially eligible patients to evaluate persistent symptoms and compare sequelae in patients who required intubation, using a standardized questionnaire of symptoms, in addition to findings reported during the face-to-face health assessment. Univariable and multivariate analyses were performed for the association among the requirement of IMV and the long-term persistence of symptoms.

Results

280 patients were included. The median age was 55 (range, 19 to 86) years, and 152 (54.3%) were men. The mean length of hospital stay was 19 (SD, 14.1) days. During hospitalization 168 (60%) participants received IMV.

A large proportion of these patients reported fatigue (38.7%), paresthesia (35.1%), dyspnea (32.7%) and headache (28%); meanwhile only 3 (1.8%) of them were asymptomatic. Patients who required intubation were more likely to have neuropsychiatric (67.3% vs 55.4%; OR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.08 to 2.97]) and musculoskeletal involvement (38.7% vs. 25.9%; OR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.12 to 3.27]), adjusted for age,sex and hospitalization time.

Interpretation

The proportion of patients requiring intubation was 60%, reporting persistent symptoms in 98% of them. Neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal symptoms were the most predominant symptoms in these patients, with a significant difference. Post-COVID-19 syndrome is a frequent problem in patients who required IVM. Physicians in ICU and in care of COVID-19 patients should be aware of this syndrome in order to avoid more complications.
From rammed earth to stone wall: Chronological insight into the settlement change of the Lower Xiajiadian culture
Authors: Tang Xiaojia , Shen Shui , Su Xin
Published: August 2022

In this article, we investigate the chronological change of settlements of the Lower Xiajiadian (LXJD) culture in northeast China. On the basis of excavation data, two types of settlements can be identified based on the methods of site construction: earthen (rammed earth/mudbrick) settlements and stone-constructed settlements. After integrating and reanalyzing all published 14C radiocarbon data of different LXJD sites, we argue that there is a clear chronological difference between these two types of settlements. It is revealed by the OxCal model that settlements built with earthen structures are generally earlier than those constructed with stones, and the changes in settlement spatial distribution and constructive material largely happened after 1500 BC. By means of correlation analysis with other related archaeological evidence, we suggest that the underlying social dynamics that contributed to LXJD settlement changes can be explored through multiple prospects.
Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8–13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway
Authors: Stavem Knut , Einvik Gunnar , Tholin Birgitte , Ghanima Waleed , Hessen Erik , Lundqvist Christofer
Published: August 2022

Studies have reported reduced cognitive function following COVID-19 illness, mostly from hospital settings with short follow-up times. This study recruited non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients from a general population to study prevalence of late cognitive impairment and associations with initial symptoms. We invited patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19. A postal questionnaire addressed basic demographics, initial COVID-19 symptoms and co-morbidity about 4 months after diagnosis. About 7 months later, we conducted cognitive tests using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, comprising four tests for short-term memory, attention and executive function. We present descriptive statistics using z-scores relative to UK population norms and defined impairment as z-score <-1.5. We used multivariable logistic regression with impairment as outcome. Continuous domain scores were analysed by multiple linear regression. Of the initial 458 participants; 305 were invited, and 234 (77%) completed cognitive testing. At median 11 (range 8–13) months after PCR positivity, cognitive scores for short term memory, visuospatial processing, learning and attention were lower than norms (p≤0.001). In each domain, 4–14% were cognitively impaired; 68/232 (29%) were impaired in ≥ 1 of 4 tests. There was no association between initial symptom severity and impairment. Multivariable linear regression showed association between spatial working memory and initial symptom load (6–9 symptoms vs. 0–5, coef. 4.26, 95% CI: 0.65; 7.86). No other dimension scores were associated with symptom load. At median 11 months after out-of-hospital SARS-Cov-2 infection, minor cognitive impairment was seen with little association between COVID-19 symptom severity and outcome.
Reforming the core executive to undermine the influence of the minister of Finance? A case study from Spain: The first Zapatero government (2004–08)
Authors: Ortega-Ruiz Manuela , Luque-Castillo Francisco-Javier
Published: August 2022

Claims from the media and academic research suggest that during the first Zapatero government (2004–08), theOficina Económica del Presidente(President’s Economic Office) played an activist role, not only in the development of its legal functions but also in the decision-making process related to economic policy. Given that the OEP was headed by individuals who had no political experience at the time they were appointed, and moreover were assisted by technical experts of the same background, this article intends to examine the extent to which this kind of reform of the core executive – seen as a product of presidentialization – undermined the influence of the minister of Finance.
Envejecimientos y cines ibéricos, Barbara Zecchi, Raquel Medina, Cristina Moreiras-Menor and María Pilar Rodríguez (eds) (2021)
Authors: Miller Gabrielle
Published: August 2022

Review of: Envejecimientos y cines ibéricos, Barbara Zecchi, Raquel Medina, Cristina Moreiras-Menor and María Pilar Rodríguez (eds) (2021)

Valencia: Tirant Humanidades, 565 pp.,

ISBN 978-8-41880-220-1, p/bk, €37.91, e-book, €24.00