bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Building implementation capacity in health care and welfare through team training—study protocol of a longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation of the building implementation capacity intervention
Authors: Augustsson Hanna , Costea Veronica-Aurelia , Eriksson Leif , Hasson Henna , Bäck Annika , Åhström Mårten , Bergström Anna
Published: November 2021

Background

To ensure the provision of high-quality safety and cost-effective health and welfare services, managers and professionals are required to introduce and ensure the routine use of clinical guidelines and other evidence-based interventions. Despite this, they often lack training and support in implementation. This project aims to investigate how a team training intervention, with the goal to build implementation capacity, influences participants’ implementation knowledge and skills, as well as how it influences implementation activities and implementation capacity within participating health and welfare organizations. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate how the organizations’ contexts influence the intervention outcomes.

Methods

The building implementation capacity (BIC) intervention builds on the behavior change wheel, which considers implementation as a matter of behavior change. The intervention will be provided to teams of managers and professionals working in health and welfare organizations and seeking support to implement a guideline- or evidence-based intervention. The intervention consists of a series of interactive workshops that provides the participating teams with the knowledge and skills to apply a systematic implementation model. A longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation, including interviews, surveys, and document analysis, will be applied over 24 months. The normalization process theory measure will be used to assess how the intervention influences implementation activities in practice and implementation capacity in the teams and the wider organizations.

Discussion

This project has an ambition to add to the knowledge concerning how to promote the uptake of research findings into health care by building implementation capacity through team training in implementation. The project’s uniqueness is that it is designed to move beyond individual-level outcomes and evaluate implementation activities and implementation capacity in participating organizations. Further, the intervention will be evaluated over 24 months to investigate long-term outcomes of implementation training.
Cyclical fate restriction: a new view of neural crest cell fate specification
Authors: Kelsh Robert N. , Camargo Sosa Karen , Farjami Saeed , Makeev Vsevolod , Dawes Jonathan H. P. , Rocco Andrea
Published: November 2021

Neural crest cells are crucial in development, not least because of their remarkable multipotency. Early findings stimulated two hypotheses for how fate specification and commitment from fully multipotent neural crest cells might occur, progressive fate restriction (PFR) and direct fate restriction, differing in whether partially restricted intermediates were involved. Initially hotly debated, they remain unreconciled, although PFR has become favoured. However, testing of a PFR hypothesis of zebrafish pigment cell development refutes this view. We propose a novel ‘cyclical fate restriction’ hypothesis, based upon a more dynamic view of transcriptional states, reconciling the experimental evidence underpinning the traditional hypotheses.
Food and temperature change photoperiodic responses in two vole species
Authors: van Rosmalen Laura , Hut Roelof A.
Published: November 2021

Seasonal timing of reproduction in voles is driven by photoperiod. We hypothesized that a negative energy balance can modify spring-programmed photoperiodic responses in the hypothalamus, controlling reproductive organ development. We manipulated energy balance by the ‘work-for-food’ protocol, in which voles were exposed to increasing levels of food scarcity at different ambient temperatures under long photoperiod. We found that in common voles (Microtus arvalis) and tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus), photoperiod-induced pars tuberalis thyroid-stimulating hormone β-subunit (Tshβ) expression is reduced to potentially inhibit gonadal development when food is scarce. Reduction in gonadal size is more pronounced in tundra voles, in which anterior hypothalamic Kiss1 is additionally downregulated, especially in males. Low temperature additionally leads to decreased hypothalamic Rfrp expression, which potentially may facilitate further suppression of gonadal growth. Shutting off the photoperiodic axis when food is scarce in spring may be an adaptive response to save energy, leading to delayed reproductive organ development until food resources are sufficient for reproduction, lactation and offspring survival. Defining the mechanisms through which metabolic cues modify photoperiodic responses will be important for a better understanding of how environmental cues impact reproduction.
Theoretical and Pedagogical Foundations of Training Students in a Multifunctional Educational and Technological Cluster
Authors: Rudneva E. , Masyukov O. , Pohorukov Oleg , D'yachkov V.
Published: November 2021

The article discusses the theoretical foundations for creating a multifunctional educational and technological cluster with the participation of institutions of higher, secondary vocational and general education, enterprises, social partners. A brief overview of the study of the problems of creating clusters is given, prerequisites, features, goals, main strategies, structural organization, stages of formation and expected results of the implementation of a multifunctional educational and technological cluster are presented.
La Persia di Carlo Goldoni
Authors: Dygul Jolanta
Published: November 2021

In his Ircana trilogy (La sposa persiana, 1753; Ircana in Julfa, 1756; Ircana in Ispahan, 1757) Carlo Goldoni sets the plot in exotic Persia. In order to make the story more plausible, he refers to the book of an English traveller, Thomas Salmon and his Modern History or the Present State of all Nations: Describing Their Respective Situations, Persons, Habits, Animals and Minerals (Italian version: Lo stato presente di tutti i paesi e popoli del mondo naturale, politico e morale. Con nuove osservazioni e correzioni degli antichi e moderni viaggiatori, Venice 1731–1766), and in particular to the fifth volume of the work entitled Stato presente della Monarchia della Persia. Goldoni borrows various information from the book relating to the customs, cuisine, marriages, history, the structure of the government, and the character of people, sometimes quoting brief fragments of Salmon’s book, but despite the above, however, the image of Persia conforms to the tradition. The aim of this article is to analyse clichés and stereotypical image of Persia in the three Goldonian tragic comedies and to elucidate reasons for masking the exotic setting.
Inventory Management Using a Weekly Review (s, S) Policy at the Bank of Canada
Authors: Legrain Antoine , Patrick Johnathan
Published: November 2021

While the inventory management problem faced by central banks is complicated in that they must deal with two-way shipments, complex costing agreements and insurance limits on inventory, we were able to develop an adapted version of an (s,S) policy that reduced the costs of the central bank’s inventory management by 25%. Implementation required very little change to the regular practices of the Bank and resulted in very few unintended consequences.
Online-Exclusive or Hybrid? Channel Merchandising Strategies for Ship-to-Store Implementation
Authors: Ertekin Necati , Gümüş Mehmet , Nikoofal Mohammad E.
Published: November 2021

We study how merchandising products as online-exclusive (i.e., products available only online) versus hybrid (i.e., products available both online and offline) can improve the performance of ship-to-store (STS) services, an omnichannel retail fulfillment initiative that allows customers to pick up their online orders in-store. First, using a stylized model, we theoretically demonstrate that although STS is likely to increase sales, it may also entail the risk of losing some customers by exposing them to alternative products at nearby competitors during in-store pickup visits. Online-exclusive products and hybrid products are subject to this tradeoff at different degrees. To minimize the risk of STS, we theoretically propose a channel merchandising strategy for the STS implementation. Next, we empirically test our theoretical predictions using data from an omnichannel retailer that launched the STS functionality. We also conduct an empirical counterfactual analysis to quantify the benefits of our proposed channel merchandising strategy. Overall, our theoretical model coupled with the empirical analysis suggests that to improve the performance of STS implementation, an omnichannel retailer should offer (i) products that are somewhat generic, low-priced, and with high in-store availability as online-exclusive and (ii) products that are somewhat unique, high-priced, and with low in-store availability as hybrid. The counterfactual analysis reveals that the proposed channel merchandising strategy can improve STS performance by increasing overall retail sales by another 2.7% for the focal retailer.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
An evaluation of a virtual COVID-19 ward to accelerate the supported discharge of patients from an acute hospital setting
Authors: Swift Jim , Harris Zoe , Woodward Alex , O'Kelly Noel , Barker Chris , Ghosh Sudip
Published: November 2021

Background/Aims

In response to high numbers of hospital admissions as a result of COVID-19, a virtual ward was implemented to achieve accelerated discharge from hospital without compromising patient safety. This study assessed the impact of this virtual ward for patients admitted to the acute hospital setting with COVID-19.

Methods

A community-based intervention using digital technology and a multi-disciplinary team of specialist clinicians to monitor patients at home was established. An analysis was carried out within the service investigating the safety, health outcomes and resource use of the first 65 patients discharged from hospital into the virtual respiratory ward.

Results

Red days, where an urgent response was required, decreased from 33.8% of patients in their first 3 days at the virtual ward to 10.8% in their final 3 days (P=0.002). Four patients were readmitted to hospital, all for clotting disorders. There was one death, which was deemed unrelated to COVID-19. Length of stay was also reduced by 40.3% (P<0.001) and estimated overall savings were £68 052 (£1047 per patient).

Conclusions

The virtual ward appeared to assist with earlier discharges, had a low rate of clinically necessary re-admissions, and seemed to reduce costs without compromising patient safety. The authors believe that this intervention could be applied across other NHS trusts facing similar capacity issues as a result of COVID-19.
Java Bytecode Control Flow Classification: Framework for Guiding Java Decompilation
Authors: Sateanpattanakul Siwadol , Jetpipattanapong Duangpen , Mathulaprangsan Seksan
Published: November 2021

Decompilation is the main process of software development, which is very important when a program tries to retrieve lost source codes. Although decompiling Java bytecode is easier than bytecode, many Java decompilers cannot recover originally lost sources, especially the selection statement, i.e., if statement. This deficiency affects directly decompilation performance. In this paper, we propose the methodology for guiding Java decompiler to deal with the aforementioned problem. In the framework, Java bytecode is transformed into two kinds of features called frame feature and latent semantic feature. The former is extracted directly from the bytecode. The latter is achieved by two-step transforming the Java bytecode to bigram and then term frequency-inverse document frequency (TFIDF). After that, both of them are fed to the genetic algorithm to reduce their dimensions. The proposed feature is achieved by converting the selected TFIDF to a latent semantic feature and concatenating it with the selected frame feature. Finally, KNN is used to classify the proposed feature. The experimental results show that the decompilation accuracy is 93.68 percent, which is obviously better than Java Decompiler.
Development of Digital Libraries with Software Product Line Engineering
Authors: Pedreira Oscar , Ramos-Vidal Delfina , Cortiñas Alejandro , Luaces Miguel , Saavedra-Places Angeles
Published: November 2021

Digital Libraries have become popular nowadays since important libraries all over the world started distributing their collections online, properly classified, and, in many cases, with access to the digital version of the resource. These programs have been beneficial to the general population as well as research groups in fields such as language and literature. Nonetheless, since their creation is a time-consuming and costly process, small organizations are forced to rely on obsolete or poorly designed software. However, most of the features, including the data model, are shared by this type of system, with minor variations depending on the type of resources to be handled. This article presents a Software Product Line (SPL) for the semi-automatic generation of Digital Libraries (DL). Our SPL allows developers to specify which DL features are required, which will define the data model variationand the generated source code. The specification is then transformed into a fully functional DL application with the specified features that is ready for deployment. We present the feature model, the SPL implementation, and acase study on three sample projects that enabled us to evaluate the resulting software, with a focus on development effort savings.
Recognition and enforcement of judgments between China and the Caribbean: reflections from the perspective of Caribbean offshore financial centres
Authors: Yu Meng
Published: November 2021

Given that a substantial number of cross-border investments related to China involve companies registered in Caribbean offshore financial centres, the recognition and enforcement of judgments between China and Caribbean offshore financial centres directly affect the relevant cross-border dispute resolution. Effective dispute resolution is of great significance not only to Caribbean offshore financial centres’ offshore financial business, but also to China’s attraction of foreign investment. However, as yet, no effective mechanism exists for addressing the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments by China and Caribbean offshore financial centres. In light of the liberalisation of Chinese rules in this field, China and Caribbean offshore financial centres should seek ways, including signing international treaties, building consensus building, and promoting test cases, so as to promote the recognition and enforcement of judgments based on the cooperation platform under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Imaging performance of a mid-infrared metalens with a machining error
Authors: Ma Xinlei , He Weilin , Xin Lei , Yang Zhongming , Liu Zhaojun
Published: November 2021

Metalenses exhibit excellent performance as a new type of optical element; mid-infrared
devices based on metalenses are advantageous to numerous applications
in biomedical, military and industrial fields. The demand for
large-area and high-efficiency mid-infrared metalenses has increased
in recent years. However, the current processing methods for metalens
production introduce different types of processing errors. Therefore,
qualitative analyses of various errors that may exist in the
processing of metalenses should be performed. In this study, we use
the finite-difference time-domain calculation method and introduce
various typical errors into a transmission phase-based mid-infrared
metalens for simulation and analysis. The simulation results show that
the defects caused by these processes affect focusing efficiency, and
that some defects affect the quality of light. Subsequently, we
prepare a metalens within the allowable error range and test its
optical performances. The experiment confirms the excellent imaging
performance of our metalens. Our study can help manufacturers identify
defects to improve manufacturing processes, thereby enabling the
incorporation of metalenses in industrial applications.
SL-Hyper-FleX: a cognitive and flexible-bandwidth optical datacom network by self-supervised learning [Invited]
Authors: Liu Che-Yu , Chen Xiaoliang , Li Zhaohui , Proietti Roberto , Yoo S. J. Ben
Published: November 2021

This paper presents a cognitive flexible-bandwidth optical interconnect architecture for datacom networks. The proposed architecture leverages silicon photonic reconfigurable all-to-all switch fabrics interconnecting top-of-rack switches arranged in a Hyper-X-like topology with a cognitive control plane for optical reconfiguration by self-supervised learning. The proposed approach makes use of a clustering algorithm to learn the traffic patterns from historical traces. We developed a heuristic algorithm for optimizing the intra-pod connectivity graph for each identified traffic pattern. Further, to mitigate the scalability issue induced by frequent clustering operations, we parameterized the learned traffic patterns by a support vector machine classifier. The classifier is trained offline by self-labeled data to enable the classification of traffic matrices during online operations, thereby facilitating cognitive reconfiguration decision making. The simulation results show that compared with a static all-to-all interconnection, the proposed approach can improve the throughput by up to1.62×while reducing the end-to-end packet latency and flow completion time by up to3.84×and20×, respectively.
Confined hyperbolic metasurface modes for structured illumination microscopy
Authors: Haug John , Palei Milan , Shrout Joshua D. , Narimanov Evgenii , Bohn Paul W. , Hoffman Anthony J.
Published: November 2021

Plasmonic hyperbolic metasurfaces have emerged as an effective platform for manipulating the propagation of light. Here, confined modes on arrays of silver nanoridges that exhibit hyperbolic dispersion are used to demonstrate and model a super-resolution imaging technique based on structured illumination microscopy. A spatial resolution of ∼75 nm at 458 nm is demonstrated, which is 3.1 times better than an equivalent diffraction limited image. This work emphasizes the ability to engineer the properties of confined optical modes and to leverage those characteristics for applications in imaging. The results of this work could lead to improved approaches for super-resolution imaging using designed sub-wavelength structures.
Mid-infrared cavity-enhanced absorption sensor for ppb-level N2O detection using an injection-current-modulated quantum cascade laser
Authors: Yang Min , Wang Zhen , Nie Qinxue , Ni Kai , Ren Wei
Published: November 2021

We report a mid-infrared cavity-enhanced absorption sensor for atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) detection using a continuous-wave distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) at 4.5 µm. The QCL beam is coupled to a short (78 mm) Fabry-Pérot (F-P) optical cavity, which consists of two plano-concave dielectric mirrors with a reflectivity of 99.84%. The Pound-Drever-Hall technique is used to lock the QCL to the optical cavity by directly modulating the injection current of the QCL at 4 MHz. Our mid-infrared gas sensor achieves a minimum detection limit of 0.32 ppb at 50 s integration time. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept absorption spectral measurement of ambient air. Our study provides a promising way of developing compact and sensitive gas sensors for environmental monitoring.
Utilizing accelerating plane-wave beams for bendable light communications
Authors: Lin Shuqing , Lin Zhenrui , Chen Yujie , Lin Zhongzheng , Wen Yuanhui , Liu Jie , Yu Siyuan
Published: November 2021

Self-accelerating optical beams have attracted much attention for potential applications in obstruction-evading bendable free-space communication systems. In this work, accelerating plane-wave beams are used to enable a spatially multiplexed multi-channel free-space optical communication scheme. A method for generating and sorting an accelerating plane-wave beam family is proposed and experimentally verified. Employing a family of Airy plane-wave beams in particular, a 7-channel optical communication system with 56-Gbit/s OOK signal per channel transmitted along a parabolic trajectory is demonstrated with an increase in the ability to evade obstructions of up to 0.6 beam waist over that of Gaussian beams.
Finite-difference propagation for the simulation of x-ray multilayer optics
Authors: Soltau Jakob , Lohse Leon Merten , Osterhoff Markus , Salditt Tim
Published: November 2021

Recent progress in nanofabrication, namely of multilayer optics, and the construction of coherent hard x-ray sources has enabled high resolution x-ray microscopy with large numerical aperture optics for small focal spot sizes. Sub-10 nm and even sub-5 nm focal spot sizes have already been achieved using multilayer optics such as multilayer Laue lenses and multilayer zone plates. However these optics can not be described by the kinematic theory given their extreme aspect-ratio between the depth (thickness) and the layer width. Moreover, the numerical simulation of these optics is challenging, and the absence of an accessible numerical framework inhibits further progress in their design and utilization. Here, we simulate the propagation of x-ray wavefields within and behind optical multilayer elements using a finite-difference propagation method. We show that the method offers high accuracy at reasonable computational cost. We investigate how small focal spot sizes and highest diffraction efficiency of multilayer optics can be achieved, considering volume diffraction effects such as waveguiding and Pendellösung. Finally, we show the simulation of a novel imaging scheme, allowing for a detailed study of image formation and the development of customized phase retrieval schemes.
Dynamic generation of giant linear and circular dichroism via phase-change metasurface
Authors: Huang Hui , Qin Shuai , Jie Kaiqian , Guo Jianping , Dai Qiaofeng , Liu Hongzhan , Meng Hongyun , Wang Faqiang , Yang Xiangbo , Wei Zhongchao
Published: November 2021

Dichroism, an important property for the manipulation and characterization of polarization states, has been widely studied. However, owing to the inherent relationship between linear and circular polarization, it is difficult to generate high linear dichroism (LD) and circular dichroism (CD) in the same structure. Previous study can only solve this problem in the condition of oblique incidence. Here, a method is proposed to generate high LD and CD under normal incidence without any structural changes. By the design of metamolecule composed of two pairs of twin nanopillars, the polarization-dependent interference from those twin nanopillars can be utilized to achieve giant dichroism. Meanwhile, the phase state of Sb2S3 is introduced as an additional degree of freedom to further control the polarization-dependent interference thus generating LD and CD in the same structure. Moreover, the proposed method can achieve both LD and CD in transmission as well as reflection modes. This full-space feature was not achieved before. Due to the compactness and excellent performance, we envision that this work will advance the development of tunable dichroic devices and flat polarization optical elements in the optical integrated system.
Single-exposure multi-wavelength diffraction imaging with blazed grating
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Liu Qingwen , Zhao Shuangxiang , Sun Wenchen , Xu Bingxin , He Zuyuan , Zhang Junyong
Published: November 2021

Multi-wavelength diffraction imaging is a lensless, high-resolution imaging technology. To avoid multiple exposures and enable high-speed data collection, here an innovative setup for the single-exposure multi-wavelength diffraction imaging based on a blazed grating is proposed. Since the blazed angle varies with the wavelength, the diffraction patterns for the individual wavelengths can be separated from each other and recorded in a single measurement at one time. A method of high-precision position alignment between different wavelength patterns is proposed in our system to achieve good image quality and high resolution. Experiments on a phase-only USAF resolution target and biological samples were carried out to verify the effectiveness of our proposed method. This proposed setup has such advantages as a simpler structure, fast recording, and algorithm robustness.
Bulk–edge correspondence and trapping at a non-Hermitian topological interface
Authors: Longhi Stefano
Published: November 2021

In Hermitian systems, according to the bulk–edge correspondence, interfacing two topological optical media with different bulk topological numbers implies the existence of edge states, which can trap light at the interface. However, such a general scenario can be violated when dealing with non-Hermitian systems. Here we show that interfacing two semi-infinite Hatano–Nelson chains with different bulk topological numbers can result in the existence of infinitely many edge (interface) states; however, light waves cannot be rather generally trapped at the interface.
TLR7 modulating B-cell immune responses in the spleen of C57BL/6 mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum
Authors: Wei Haixia , Xie Hongyan , Qu Jiale , Xie Anqi , Xie Shihao , Huang He , Li Jiajie , Fang Chao , Shi Feihu , Qiu Huaina , Qi Yanwei , Tian Xu , Yang Quan , Huang Jun
Published: November 2021

B cells played an important role inSchistosomainfection-induced diseases. TLR7 is an intracellular member of the innate immune receptor. The role of TLR7 on B cells mediated immune response is still unclear. Here, C57BL/6 mice were percutaneously infected byS.japonicumfor 5–6 weeks. The percentages and numbers of B cells increased in the infected mice (p< 0.05), and many activation and function associated molecules were also changed on B cells. More splenic cells of the infected mice expressed TLR7, and B cells were served as the main cell population. Moreover, a lower level of soluble egg antigen (SEA) specific antibody and less activation associated molecules were found on the surface of splenic B cells fromS.japonicuminfected TLR7 gene knockout (TLR7 KO) mice compared to infected wild type (WT) mice (p< 0.05). Additionally, SEA showed a little higher ability in inducing the activation of B cells from naive WT mice than TLR7 KO mice (p< 0.05). Finally, the effects of TLR7 on B cells are dependent on the activation of NF-κB p65. Altogether, TLR7 was found modulating the splenic B cell responses inS.japonicuminfected C57BL/6 mice.
From sexual harassment to sexual assault: Prevalence and correlates of sexual trauma in the French military
Authors: Moreau Caroline , Bedretdinova Dina , Duron Sandrine , Bohet Aline , Panjo Henri , Bajos Nathalie , Meynard Jean Baptiste
Published: November 2021

Background

Sexual harassment (SH) is prevalent in military settings and dependent on the workplace environment. Few studies have investigated this issue in non-US military settings nor have examined how contextual and individual factors related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST) vary by gender.

Methods

This study draws on a national sexual survey in the French military including 1268 servicemen and 232 servicewomen. We examined four sexual stressors (repeated sexual comments, sexual coercion, repeated unwanted verbal sexual attention and sexual assault (SA)) and two combined measures of verbal SH (comments, unwanted attention) and MST (all forms). We conducted multivariate logistic regressions to identify contextual and individual factors related to these outcomes.

Results

36.7% of women and 17.5% of men experienced MST in the last year and 12.6% and 3.5% reported SA. Factors associated with verbal SH differed from those related to SA. The odds of verbal SH were elevated among men who had sex with men (OR = 3.5) and among women officers (OR = 4.6) while the odds of SA were elevated among men less than 25 years (OR = 3.5) and women with less than a high school diploma (OR = 10.9). The odds of SH increased by 20% to 80% when men worked in units with higher female representation, higher prevalence of MST (sexual comments, or sexual assault, coercion, repeated unwanted attention) and lower acceptance of women in the miliatry. The odds of SA also increased by 70% among men working in units with higher female representation and higher prevalence of sexual oppression. The odds of SA against women were particular high (OR = 5.7) in units with a high prevalence of sexual assault, coercion, or repeated unwanted attention.

Conclusion

MST is common in the French military, with women experiencing more severe forms than men. Our resuls call for programmatic action to reduce workplace factors related to verbal SH and SA in the French military.
The discourse of civic pride: Hawleri identity as one of the oldest Kurdistani cities in the Middle East
Authors: Sherwani Kawa Abdulkareem
Published: November 2021

Local identity and civic pride have not been comprehensively taken into consideration as the main parameters in the previous studies related to discourse and identity, especially in most of the developing countries. In other words, discourse analysts have not thoroughly studied the mentioned parameters, and systematic data on this path are very scarce. For that purpose, a critical discourse analysis approach was used to study the city identity of “Hawleri” people of Erbil city which is the capital and the most populated city in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and known as a center for the worship of the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. Thus, the ultimate goals of this study are to first understand how urban residents tend to group themselves according to the cities and communities they live in, and then to show how they proudly affiliate themselves to geographical regions. The data are taken from the city social media and through a survey distributed among people in Erbil. In order to achieve the goals of this study, the author attempted to investigate (i) how civic pride and urban identity are formed, (ii) in what ways people try to group themselves in the cities, (iii) what is the role of culture in shaping the community identity, (iv) who is called Hawleri, and (v) does the language variety have an impact on speakers’ civic identity, through studying the place, experience, emotions, history, culture, beliefs and language variety of Hawleri people. Additionally, the total number of participants is 809 people (236 people from the online community and 573 people from the survey). This study concludes that civic pride and city identity are found in the discourse of most people. Hawleri people, as the residents of the oldest city in the Middle East, tend to show this feeling and belonging through speaking a local variety of Kurdish language, their textiles and their common culture, history and geographical birthplace. These sentimentalities sometimes lead to discrimination, bias and racism among different ethnicities living in the city.
The use of professional help and predictors of unmet needs for dealing with mental health to legal problems among victims of violence, accidents, theft and threat, and nonvictims in the general population
Authors: van der Velden Peter G. , Contino Carlo , van de Ven Pien , Das Marcel
Published: November 2021

Aims

Victims of violence, accidents, theft, and serious threat (hereafter abbreviated as victims) are more than nonvictims at risk for problems in different domains, varying from mental health to legal problems. However, the extent to which victims with these problems compared to nonvictims with similar problems receive problem-related professional or formal help is unclear. It is unknown if predictors of unmet needs differ between victims and nonvictims. Aim of the present study is to fill this gap of knowledge.

Methods

Data was extracted from surveys of the VICTIMS-study (2018, 2019 and 2020), conducted with the Dutch population-based longitudinal LISS panel. Each survey assessed 1.) experiences with physical violence, accidents, theft, and serious threat and other traumatic or stressful events in the past 12 months and 2.) various problems and use of professional help, e.g. do receive help, do not need help, could use help but do not use it, cannot find or afford help for these problems. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess differences in problems, in the use of problem-related professional help, and in predictors of unmet needs between victims (N = 1,756) and nonvictims (N = 5,000).

Results

Victims more often had assessed problems than nonvictims. Victims compared to nonvictims with similar problems had 1.5 to 2 times more often unmet needs: they could not find or afford professional help for their mental, physical, partner/family, financial and legal problems. In addition, victims less often received help for legal and administrative problems. Most predictors of unmet needs, e.g. could use help but do not use it, cannot find or afford help, were not significant and hardly differed between both groups.

Conclusions

The findings that victims compared to nonvictims more often have various problems and more often cannot find or afford problem-related professional help, suggest that there is room for improvement for victims services.
“These pretzels are making me thirsty” so I’ll have water tomorrow: A partial replication and extension of adults’ induced-state episodic foresight
Authors: Mazachowsky Tessa R. , McKenzie Katarina , Busseri Michael A. , Mahy Caitlin E. V.
Published: November 2021

The ability to consider the future under the influence of an induced current state is known as induced-state episodic foresight. One study to date has examined adults’ induced episodic foresight and found that adults’ (like children’s) preferences for the future are related to their current state such that they predicted wanting water (vs. pretzels) in the future when experiencing a current state of thirst [1]. We attempted to replicate these findings in adults. In Study 1, adults (N= 198) in a laboratory selected pretzels for tomorrow at the same rate (around 20%) in an experimental condition (thirst induced) and a control condition (thirst not induced). In a lecture, 32% of adults preferred pretzels for tomorrow without thirst induction (Study 2,N= 63). Partially replicating Kramer et al. [1], we found that a minority of adults preferred pretzels (vs. water) when experiencing a current state of thirst. However, in contrast to their findings, our results showed that when thirst was not induced, a minority of adults also preferred pretzels for tomorrow. Thus, adults’ future preference was similar regardless of thirst induction. We also tested thirst as a mechanism for adults’ preference for the future and found that across conditions adults’ thirst predicted their choice of water (vs. pretzels) for the future. In sum, our results partially replicated Kramer et al. [1] by showing the current state, regardless of thirst induction, predicts adults’ choices for the future.
Epidemiology, etiology, and diagnosis of health care acquired pneumonia including ventilator-associated pneumonia in Nepal
Authors: Dongol Sabina , Kayastha Gyan , Maharjan Nhukesh , Pyatha Sarita , K. C. Rajkumar , Thwaites Louise , Basnyat Buddha , Baker Stephen , Karkey Abhilasha
Published: November 2021

Epidemiologic data regarding health care acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) from Nepal are negligible. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a major tertiary hospital in Nepal between April 2016 and March 2018, to calculate the incidence of VAP, and to describe clinical variables, microbiological etiology, and outcomes. Four hundred and thirty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Demographic data, medical history, antimicrobial administration record, chest X-ray, biochemical, microbiological and haematological results, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score and the sequential organ failure assessment scores were recorded. Categorical variables were expressed as count and percentage and analyzed using the Fisher’s exact test. Continuous variables were expressed as median and interquartile range and analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and the pairwise Wilcoxon rank—sum test. 46.8% (205/438) of the patients required intubation. Pneumonia was common in both intubated (94.14%; 193/205) and non-intubated (52.36%; 122/233) patients. Pneumonia developed among intubated patients in the ICU had longer days of stay in the ICU (median of 10, IQR 5–15, P< 0.001) when compared to non-intubated patients with pneumonia (median of 4, IQR 3–6, P< 0.001). The incidence rate of VAP was 20% (41/205) and incidence density was 16.45 cases per 1,000ventilator days. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with pneumonia requiring intubation (44.6%, 86/193) than patients with pneumonia not requiring intubation (10.7%, 13/122, p<0.001, Fisher’s exact test). Gram negative bacteria such as Klebsiella and Acinetobacter species were the dominant organisms from both VAP and non-VAP categories. Multi-drug resistance was highly prevalent in bacterial isolates associated with VAP (90%; 99/110) and non-VAP categories (81.5%; 106/130). HAP including VAP remains to be the most prevalent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) at Patan hospital. A local study of etiological agents and outcomes of HAP and VAP are required for setting more appropriate guidelines for management of such diseases.
Evaluation of the United States COVID-19 vaccine allocation strategy
Authors: Islam Md Rafiul , Oraby Tamer , McCombs Audrey , Chowdhury Mohammad Mihrab , Al-Mamun Mohammad , Tyshenko Michael G. , Kadelka Claus
Published: November 2021

Background

Anticipating an initial shortage of vaccines for COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States developed priority vaccine allocations for specific demographic groups in the population. This study evaluates the performance of the CDC vaccine allocation strategy with respect to multiple potentially competing vaccination goals (minimizing mortality, cases, infections, and years of life lost (YLL)), under the same framework as the CDC allocation: four priority vaccination groups and population demographics stratified by age, comorbidities, occupation and living condition (congested or non-congested).

Methods and findings

We developed a compartmental disease model that incorporates key elements of the current pandemic including age-varying susceptibility to infection, age-varying clinical fraction, an active case-count dependent social distancing level, and time-varying infectivity (accounting for the emergence of more infectious virus strains). The CDC allocation strategy is compared to all other possibly optimal allocations that stagger vaccine roll-out in up to four phases (17.5 million strategies). The CDC allocation strategy performed well in all vaccination goals but never optimally. Under the developed model, the CDC allocation deviated from the optimal allocations by small amounts, with 0.19% more deaths, 4.0% more cases, 4.07% more infections, and 0.97% higher YLL, than the respective optimal strategies. The CDC decision to not prioritize the vaccination of individuals under the age of 16 was optimal, as was the prioritization of health-care workers and other essential workers over non-essential workers. Finally, a higher prioritization of individuals with comorbidities in all age groups improved outcomes compared to the CDC allocation.

Conclusion

The developed approach can be used to inform the design of future vaccine allocation strategies in the United States, or adapted for use by other countries seeking to optimize the effectiveness of their vaccine allocation strategies.
Gait changes over time in hospitalized older adults with advanced dementia: Predictors of mobility change
Authors: Mehdizadeh Sina , Faieghi Mohammadreza , Sabo Andrea , Nabavi Hoda , Mansfield Avril , Flint Alastair J. , Taati Babak , Iaboni Andrea
Published: November 2021

People with dementia are at risk of mobility decline. In this study, we measured changes in quantitative gait measures over a maximum 10-week period during the course of a psychogeriatric admission in older adults with dementia, with the aims to describe mobility changes over the duration of the admission, and to determine which factors were associated with this change. Fifty-four individuals admitted to a specialized dementia inpatient unit participated in this study. A vision-based markerless motion capture system was used to record participants’ natural gait. Mixed effect models were developed with gait measures as the dependent variables and clinical and demographic variables as predictors. We found that gait stability, step time, and step length decreased, and step time variability and step length variability increased over 10 weeks. Gait stability of men decreased more than that of women, associated with an increased sacrum mediolateral range of motion over time. In addition, the sacrum mediolateral range of motion decreased in those with mild neuropsychiatric symptoms over 10 weeks, but increased in those with more severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. Our study provides evidence of worsening of gait mechanics and control over the course of a hospitalization in older adults with dementia. Quantitative gait monitoring in hospital environments may provide opportunities to intervene to prevent adverse events, decelerate mobility decline, and monitor rehabilitation outcomes.
Do interoception and attending to the upper limbs affect body ownership and body representation in the grasp illusion?
Authors: Butler Annie A. , Robertson Lucy S. , Wang Audrey P. , Gandevia Simon C. , Héroux Martin E.
Published: November 2021

Passively grasping an unseen artificial finger induces ownership over this finger and an illusory coming together of one’s index fingers: a grasp illusion. Here we determine how interoceptive ability and attending to the upper limbs influence this illusion. Participants passively grasped an unseen artificial finger with their left index finger and thumb for 3 min while their right index finger, located 12 cm below, was lightly clamped. Experiment 1 (n = 30) investigated whether the strength of the grasp illusion (perceived index finger spacing and perceived ownership) is related to a person’s level of interoceptive accuracy (modified heartbeat counting task) and sensibility (Noticing subscale of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness). Experiment 2 (n = 30) investigated the effect of providing verbal or tactile cues to guide participants’ attention to their upper limbs. On their own, neither interoceptive accuracy and sensibility or verbal and tactile cueing had an effect on the grasp illusion. However, verbal cueing increased the strength of the grasp illusion in individuals with lower interoceptive ability. Across the observed range of interoceptive accuracy and sensibility, verbal cueing decreased perceived index spacing by 5.6 cm [1.91 to 9.38] (mean [95%CI]), and perceived ownership by ∼3 points on a 7-point Likert scale (slope -0.93 [-1.72 to -0.15]). Thus, attending to the upper limbs via verbal cues increases the strength of the grasp illusion in a way that is inversely proportional to a person’s level of interoceptive accuracy and sensibility.
MAGEH1 interacts with GADD45G and induces renal tubular cell apoptosis
Authors: Shin Gyu-Tae , Park Ji Eun , Lee Min-Jeong
Published: November 2021

Background

Melanoma-associated antigen H1 (MAGEH1) is a protein that belongs to melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) superfamily. Growth arrest and DNA damage 45G (GADD45G) is a member of the DNA damage-inducible gene family which responds to environmental stresses. We have previously shown that GADD45G is a protein that promotes apoptosis of renal tubular cells in response to a nephrotoxic injury. In this study, we show evidence that MAGEH1 interacts with GADD45G and is involved in the induction of nephrotoxin-induced apoptosis of renal tubular cells.

Methods

Primary human renal tubular epithelial (HRE) cells and human kidney 2 (HK-2) cells were used in this study. To produce stable cell lines in which MAGEH1 expression was silenced, HRE cells were transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding a single guide RNA construct targeting the MAGEH1 gene. To knockdown GADD45G expression in HRE cells, a vector containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used. We used short interfering RNAs (siRNA) to achieve transient silencing of genes in HK-2 cells. Recombinant adenoviruses were synthesized to overexpress MAGEH1 and GADD45G proteins. Human protein microarray was used to identify proteins that binds to GADD45G. Co-immunoprecipitation assays were then performed to confirm microarray results. Cell death was induced by cyclosporine A (CsA). Real-time quantitative PCR assay was used to evaluate gene expression levels. The degree of apoptosis and necrosis of cultured cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Expression levels of caspases were examined using western blot analysis.

Results

We found that GADD45G bound to one protein spotted in the protein microarray, which was subsequently identified as MAGEH1. We confirmed the interaction between GADD45G and MAGEH1 protein using the co-immunoprecipitation assay. MAGEH1 gene expression was not altered by CsA-induced cytotoxic injury, whereas GADD45G gene expression was increased significantly upon CsA treatment. MAGEH1 expression was significantly downregulated in GADD45G knockdown HRE stable cells suggesting that MAGEH1 expression may be dependent on GADD45G expression. CsA-induced apoptosis was significantly reduced in MAGEH1 knockdown HRE stable cells which led to an increased survival of these cells. Similar results were observed in GADD45G knockdown HRE stable cells. Accordingly, CsA-induced apoptosis was significantly decreased in MAGEH1 siRNA and GADD45G siRNA transfected HK-2 cells. CsA-induced activation of caspase-7 and caspase-9 was inhibited in MAGEH1 knockdown HRE stable cells, and similarly in GADD45G knockdown HRE stable cells.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that MAGEH1 interacts with GADD45G and that MAGEH1 is involved in caspase-dependent apoptosis of renal tubular cells induced by nephrotoxic drugs.
How Negative Parenting May Link with Aggression in Children: Mediating Effects of Self-esteem, Friends, and Teachers
Authors: Sang Won Kim Sang Won Kim , Yeo Gyeong Yun Yeo Gyeong Yun , Hye Ji Kim Hye Ji Kim , Yang Hee Lee Yang Hee Lee ,   Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Praxis
Published: November 2021

Children’s aggression has been recognized as a social problem, and the need for its countermeasures is increasing. Based on previous studies, it is assumed that a negative parenting style can lead to aggression and that self-esteem, the relationships with friends and teachers, could mediate the pathway. Negative parenting is defined as rejecting, coercive, and chaotic parenting in this study. The responses of 2,607 4th grade children (49.6% female), extracted from the 2018 Child⋅Adolescent Panel Survey, were used. Negative parenting was positively associated with aggression, and it showed a negative relationship with self-esteem. The higher the self-esteem, the better the relationship with friends or teachers. Furthermore, the relationship with friends or teachers presented a negative association with aggression retrospectively. Self-esteem did not mediate the pathway. However, it was found that negative parenting led to aggression through self-esteem and relationships with friends or through self-esteem and relationships with teachers. Practical measures to intervene in children’s aggression were discussed based on the findings.