bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preconception education program for non-invasive prenatal testing focused on interest in genetics among female university students in Japan: a quasi-experimental study comparing pre-intervention, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up results
Authors: Katada Chihiro , Ohashi Kazutomo , Okada Kimie , Sawai Hideaki
Published: July 2023

Background

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is offered as a reproductive choice in many countries. However, pregnant women, particularly those who are primipara or lack knowledge of prenatal testing, experience difficulties understanding adequate information and making decisions on NIPT. This study developed a preconception education program about NIPT, focusing on interest in genetics, and aimed to clarify the effectiveness of the program to help women make decisions on future NIPT.

Methods

This was a one-group, quasi-experimental, pre-post-test study. The study population was female undergraduate students in Japan who participated in the education program. This program included two games and was based on the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) model, which is an instructional design that stimulates learning interest and motivation. The data of 73 pre-pregnant women who completed all three questionnaires—before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention—were analyzed to clarify the time effects. Moreover, all variables were analyzed using logistic regression analysis to investigate factors related to decisional conflict.

Results

Interest in genetics, knowledge of genetics and prenatal testing, and indecisive attitudes toward NIPT significantly improved immediately after the intervention, and consequently, these changes and reduction of decisional conflict were maintained at three months. Moreover, low decisional conflict at follow-up was significantly associated with a high interest in genetics (adjusted odds ratio, 3.42).

Conclusions

These findings provide preliminary evidence that this preconception education program, which focused on facilitating interest in genetics, assists pre-pregnant women to reduce decisional conflict about future NIPT.

Trial registration

The trial was registered at the UMIN-CTR registry (January 16, 2023), registration number UMIN000050047.
A microbial causal mediation analytic tool for health disparity and applications in body mass index
Authors: Wang Chan , Ahn Jiyoung , Tarpey Thaddeus , Yi Stella S. , Hayes Richard B. , Li Huilin
Published: July 2023

Background

Emerging evidence suggests the potential mediating role of microbiome in health disparities. However, no analytic framework can be directly used to analyze microbiome as a mediator between health disparity and clinical outcome, due to the non-manipulable nature of the exposure and the unique structure of microbiome data, including high dimensionality, sparsity, and compositionality.

Methods

Considering the modifiable and quantitative features of the microbiome, we propose a microbial causal mediation model framework, SparseMCMM_HD, to uncover the mediating role of microbiome in health disparities, by depicting a plausible path from a non-manipulable exposure (e.g., ethnicity or region) to the outcome through the microbiome. The proposed SparseMCMM_HD rigorously defines and quantifies the manipulable disparity measure that would be eliminated by equalizing microbiome profiles between comparison and reference groups and innovatively and successfully extends the existing microbial mediation methods, which are originally proposed under potential outcome or counterfactual outcome study design, to address health disparities.

Results

Through three body mass index (BMI) studies selected from the curatedMetagenomicData 3.4.2 package and the American gut project: China vs. USA, China vs. UK, and Asian or Pacific Islander (API) vs. Caucasian, we exhibit the utility of the proposed SparseMCMM_HD framework for investigating the microbiome’s contributions in health disparities. Specifically, BMI exhibits disparities and microbial community diversities are significantly distinctive between reference and comparison groups in all three applications. By employing SparseMCMM_HD, we illustrate that microbiome plays a crucial role in explaining the disparities in BMI between ethnicities or regions. 20.63%, 33.09%, and 25.71% of the overall disparity in BMI in China-USA, China-UK, and API-Caucasian comparisons, respectively, would be eliminated if the between-group microbiome profiles were equalized; and 15, 18, and 16 species are identified to play the mediating role respectively.

Conclusions

The proposed SparseMCMM_HD is an effective and validated tool to elucidate the mediating role of microbiome in health disparity. Three BMI applications shed light on the utility of microbiome in reducing BMI disparity by manipulating microbial profiles.
Developing an in-house colorimetric method for detecting organophosphate and carbamate residue using cricket cholinesterase
Authors: Wongta Anurak , Hongsibsong Surat , Anand Priyanshi , Jaitum Udomsurb , Sawarng Nootchakarn , Wongwilai Wasin , Dhumtanom Pongsathorn
Published: July 2023

Background

Pesticides such as organophosphates and carbamates are used to control pests, leaving residues on fruits and vegetables. The assessment of residues in food materials is required for consumer and agricultural worker health protection. The purpose of this study was to develop an in-house colorimetric method for detecting organophosphate and carbamate residues using cricket cholinesterase that can be used as a low-cost, simple-to-use, and widely used test.

Results

The method’s parameters, including substrate specificity, kinetics, and incubation time, were optimized. The results indicated that acetylthiocholine iodide was more active than butyrylthiocholine iodide. Using a buffer with a pH of 8.0 resulted in the greatest activity after 5 min. The same enzyme activity was observed at 25 °C and 30 °C, which was greater than at 35 °C and 40 °C. In this study, the Km and Vmax values for cricket cholinesterase were 3.75 mM and 35 µM/min, respectively. The specificity and purification factor of the produced ChE were 1.54 µM/min/mg and 1.43-fold, respectively. The limit of detection for detecting organophosphates and carbamates was in the range of 0.002–0.877 ppm. The validity of the method yielded the following results: relative sensitivity of 95%, relative specificity of 90%, relative accuracy of 93%, positive predictive value of 95%, and negative predictive value of 90%.

Conclusions

The developed method is simple and inexpensive, and it can analyze organophosphates and carbamates in a variety of vegetables at an appropriate detection level. Cholinesterase from cricket has the potential to be used for the development of a variety of methods for detecting residues, and the sensitivity could be enhanced using new techniques in the future.

Graphical Abstract
Hematoma expansion in intracerebral hemorrhage – the right target?
Authors: Haupenthal David , Schwab Stefan , Kuramatsu Joji B.
Published: July 2023

Background

The avoidance of hematoma expansion is the most important therapeutic goal during acute care of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Hematoma expansion occurs in up to 20–40% of patients and leads to poorer patient outcome in one of the most severe sub-types of stroke.

Main text

At current, randomized controlled trials have failed to provide evidence for interventions that effectively improve functional outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Hence, hematoma expansion may serve as important surrogate target that appears causally linked with a poorer prognosis. Therefore, reduction of hematoma expansion rates will eventually translate to improved patient outcome overall. Recent years have shed light on the importance of early and aggressive treatment in order to reduce the risk for hematoma expansion in these patients. Time measures and imaging markers have been identified that may allow patient selection at very high risk for hematoma expansion.

Conclusions

Refinements in patient selection may increase chance for randomized trials to show true benefit. Therefore, this current review article will critically evaluate and discuss available evidence associated with hematoma expansion in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.
Clinical Outcomes and Health Care Utilization in Patients With Burkitt Lymphoma
Authors: Johnson P. Connor , Markovitz Netana H. , Yi Alisha , Horick Nora , Newcomb Richard A. , Cronin Katherine , Schneider David , Nipp Ryan D. , El-Jawahri Areej
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE

Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma requiring intensive therapy, which places patients at risk for severe toxicity. However, few studies have described these patients' clinical outcomes and health care utilization, particularly among older adults.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults 40 years and older with Burkitt lymphoma at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from February 1999 to December 2020 (N = 97). We abstracted patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and health care utilization (unplanned hospitalizations, intensive care unit [ICU] admissions) during therapy from the electronic health record. Using univariate logistic regression, we examined factors associated with rates of unplanned hospitalization and ICU admission during therapy.

RESULTS

Among evaluable patients (median age, 69 years; 23.7% female; 19.3% with bone marrow involvement), 45.8% (38 of 83) experienced unplanned hospitalization and 23.2% (19 of 82) experienced ICU admission during therapy. Among those 70 years and older, rates of unplanned hospitalization and ICU admission were 36.8% (14 of 38) and 29.0% (11 of 38), respectively. Bone marrow involvement (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; P = .069) was associated with a nonsignificantly greater likelihood of unplanned hospitalization. Older age (OR, 1.06; P = .039), Charlson comorbidity index >0 (OR, 3.14; P = .038), and hypoalbuminemia (OR, 3.22; P = .035) were associated with greater likelihood of ICU admission. Overall, 8.7% (8 of 92) of patients died during treatment, all of whom were 70 years and older.

CONCLUSION

Adults with Burkitt lymphoma experience substantial rates of unplanned hospitalizations and ICU admissions, with older adults at especially high risk for ICU admission and death during treatment. Our findings underscore the need to develop supportive care interventions for patients with Burkitt lymphoma to help improve clinical outcomes and health care utilization.
Helping networks to get synchronized: Effect of external stimulation
Authors: Nezhad Hajian Dorsa , Vivekanandhan Gayathri , Natiq Hayder , Parastesh Fatemeh , Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Jafari Sajad
Published: July 2023

The attempts to evaluate the synchronizability of chaotic systems have shown that additive periodic forcing, as a relevant source of stimuli, significantly impacts multiple forms of synchrony. This paper investigates the complete synchronizability of coupled periodically forced chaotic systems using the master stability function method. Three classic chaotic systems, Lorenz, Chen's, and Hindmarsh-Rose models are employed for this study. The numerical simulations supporting master stability function findings are also reported. The impacts of forcing amplitude and frequency on the critical value of coupling strength at which synchronization occurs are determined. Evidence implies that, as the stimulation is amplified, the chaotic forced systems tend to synchronize at weaker couplings than the autonomous versions. In contrast, high-frequency stimulation is entirely ineffective. The required forcing amplitude is also relative to the system's attractor size.
Mechanistic Insights of Thyroid Cancer Progression
Authors: Leandro-García Luis Javier , Landa Iñigo
Published: July 2023

Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) are primarily initiated by mutations that activate the MAPK signaling cascade, typically at BRAF or RAS oncoproteins. DTCs can evolve to more aggressive forms, specifically, poorly differentiated (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancers (ATC), by acquiring additional genetic alterations which deregulate key pathways. In this review, we focused on bona fide mutations involved in thyroid cancer progression for which consistent mechanistic data exist. Here we summarized the relevant literature, spanning approximately 2 decades, highlighting genetic alterations that are unquestionably enriched in PDTC/ATC. We describe the relevant functional data obtained in multiple in vitro and in vivo thyroid cancer models employed to study genetic alterations in the following genes and functional groups: TP53, effectors of the PI3K/AKT pathway, TERT promoter, members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, NF2, and EIF1AX. In addition, we briefly discuss other genetic alterations that are selected in aggressive thyroid tumors but for which mechanistic data is still either limited or nonexistent. Overall, we argue for the importance conveyed by preclinical studies for the clinical translation of genomic knowledge of thyroid cancers.
Legislative and Regulatory Options for Improving Medicare Advantage
Authors: Fuse Brown Erin C. , Williams Travis C. , Murray Roslyn C. , Meyers David J. , Ryan Andrew M.
Published: July 2023

The Medicare Advantage program was created to expand beneficiary choice and to reduce spending through capitated payment to private insurers. However, many stakeholders now argue that Medicare Advantage is failing to deliver on its promise to reduce spending. Three problematic design features in Medicare Advantage payment policy have received particular scrutiny: (1) how baseline payments to insurers are determined, (2) how variation in patient risk affects insurer payment, and (3) how payments to insurers are adjusted for quality performance. The authors analyze the statute underlying these three design features and explore legislative and regulatory strategies for improving Medicare Advantage. They conclude that regulatory approaches for improving risk adjustment and for recouping overpayments from risk-score gaming have the highest potential impact and are the most feasible improvement measures to implement.
Unmaking the Feral
Authors: Keil Paul G.
Published: July 2023

Domesticated pigs (Sus scrofa) were introduced as livestock in Australia by European settlers, and now a large population is living wild. Rather than interrogate the settler pig as co-colonizer and destroyer of Australian ecologies, this article employs Deborah Bird Rose’s concept of “unmaking”—a process that fractures relationality in service of control—to articulate the relational violence done to the free-living pig by naming it a feral animal. An examination of the nonhuman’s historical entanglement with Anglo-Australian settlers in New South Wales will trace the free-living pigs’ shifting agency and identity. Introduced pigs were modern English breeds, domesticates in nascent capitalist stages of unmaking. Yet, these animals were made anew in Australia, living largely unmediated and demonstrating remarkable adaptability to novel environments. This article analyzes how porcine bodies and identities took shape in connection to a hunting culture and wild pork economy, a practice that encouraged Sus scrofa’s transformative ability to move between wild and domestic domains. Then, in the 1950s, how farmers, veterinarians, and government actors with converging motivations sought to reductively read the free-living pig as toxic and illegitimate, and to rebrand the “wild” pig as “feral.” To be feral in Australia is to be part of a systematic process that institutes strict limitations on an animal’s relational possibilities. By problematizing all life-sustaining connections the nonhuman being has with their environment, this process endeavors to radically unmake the socio-ecologies that constitute their being. Unmaking the feral targets the relational knots that make existence possible.
Becoming-with Donkeyness
Authors: Krawczyk Michał
Published: July 2023

As an environmental humanist, I grab a camera to mediate the world around me. The short film LAND/SCAPE (2020), cocreated by two donkeys (Dondolo and Giorgiana), fellow PhD candidate Giulia Lepori, and me, was filmed on the Mediterranean island of Sicily in the Valley of Sagana. As part of our doctoral projects, we were involved in managing the land in that valley and in undertaking caring performances among this lively meshwork. Simona Trecarichi and Danilo Colomela, the two permaculture designers behind this project, have been redesigning their landscape over the past fifteen years. In walking through the paths paved by the donkeys Dondolo and Giorgiana, I was slowly understanding other-than-human relations in the biome. I was becoming-with donkeys in their becoming-with land. Through my experimental aesthetic intervention in mediating the donkeys’ becoming-with land, I strapped the camera to Dondolo. In this article, I combine ethnographic multispecies vignettes from my fieldwork with my artist’s statement about my practice. I reflect upon cinema’s unique affinity with the Anthropocene—that double bind between the media and nature—and how the biogeomorphic qualities found in the film diffract the world back to us, enabling the viewers to feel the cinematic land affect. This is not the filmmaker’s gaze nor his story. It is a film world’s landsoundscape filled with more-than-human bodies; as such, this story belongs to the land and the earth others. Please watch the film LAND/SCAPE first, and only then engage with the written word.
The role of body size and cuticular hydrocarbons in the desiccation resistance of invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile)
Authors: Whyte Brian A. , Sandidge Rebecca , Buellesbach Jan , Cash Elizabeth I. , Scheckel Kelsey J. , Gibson Joshua D. , Tsutsui Neil D.
Published: July 2023

An insect's cuticle is typically covered in a layer of wax prominently featuring various hydrocarbons involved in desiccation resistance and chemical communication. In Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) communicate colony identity, but also provide waterproofing necessary to survive dry conditions. Theory suggests different CHC compound classes have functional trade-offs, such that selection for compounds used in communication would compromise waterproofing, and vice versa. We sampled sites of invasive L. humile populations from across California to test whether CHC differences between them can explain differences in their desiccation survival. We hypothesized that CHCs whose abundance was correlated with environmental factors would determine survival during desiccation, but our regression analysis did not support this hypothesis. Interestingly, we found the abundance of most CHCs had a negative correlation with survival, regardless of compound class. We suggest that the CHC differences between L. humile nests in California are insufficient to explain their differential survival against desiccation, and that body mass is a better predictor of desiccation survival at this scale of comparison.
The Missing Intercept: A Demand Equivalence Approach
Authors: Wolf Christian K.
Published: July 2023

I give conditions under which changes in private spending are accommodated in general equilibrium exactly like changes in aggregate fiscal expenditure. Under such demand equivalence, researchers can use time series evidence on fiscal multipliers to recover the general equilibrium “missing intercept” of shocks to private spending identified in the cross section. Through the lens of this theory, time series estimates of a fiscal multiplier around one suggest a missing intercept close to zero—an observation that I illustrate with an application to the 2008 tax rebates. I also discuss the robustness of this aggregation approach to plausible violations of demand equivalence. (JEL E12, E21, E24, E62, G51, H24, H31)
The representation of pain in selected works of Samuel Beckett, Sarah Kane and Howard Barker
Authors: Κοταμπίτση Μαρία
Published: July 2023

Παρόλο που η εμπειρία του πόνου αποτελεί έναν από τους κεντρικούς άξονες στα έργα του Σάμουελ Μπέκετ, της Σάρα Κέιν και του Χάουαρντ Μπάρκερ, ο τρόπος αναπαράστασής του στη σκηνή διαφέρει. Οι δυσλειτουργικοί χαρακτήρες του Μπέκετ αναπαριστώνται ως υπάρξεις που φιλοσοφούν για τετριμμένα θέματα, παγιδευμένοι και προδομένοι από το ηλικιωμένο σώμα τους που υποφέρει. Οι εμφανώς ακραίες εικόνες πόνου επί σκηνής στα έργα της Σάρα Κέιν εκθέτουν το κοινωνικό κακό και οι χαρακτήρες της παρουσιάζονται ως (αυτο)καταστροφικοί. Στον Μπέκετ και στην Κέιν η βάσανος λειτουργεί αρνητικά. Οι πάσχοντες χαρακτήρες προσπαθούν να αποφύγουν τον πόνο και παραμένουν ανήμποροι να ελέγξουν το σώμα τους και το νου τους. Αντίθετα, τα πάσχοντα σώματα του Μπάρκερ υιοθετούν την αγωνία και την απώλεια ως μια αναγκαιότητα ενσωματωμένη στο είναι. Οι χαρακτήρες του χειρίζονται τη θλίψη ως ένα είδος εργαλείου με το οποίο αντιστέκονται ενάντια στον ηθικό συμβιβασμό αλλά και ως μέσο διατήρησης της διασύνδεσής τους με τον περιβάλλοντα κόσμο. Η επιλογή της αποδοχής του πόνου και η χρήση της αμφίσημης φύσης του διαρρηγνύει τη διαχωριστική γραμμή μεταξύ σώματος και συνείδησης και μεταστρέφει το σώμα από δυσλειτουργικό και πάσχον σε λειτουργικό και δημιουργικό. Ο πόνος δεν αποτελεί ένα αποκλειστικά αρνητικό ζωτικό στοιχείο αλλά και μια εποικοδομητική δύναμη που μεταμορφώνει το άτομο σε ένα ισχυρό ον με απεριόριστες δημιουργικές δυνατότητες μέσα στον κόσμο. Η ανάλυση των κειμένων στηρίζεται κυρίως στη φαινομενολογία του σώματος του Μωρίς Μερλώ-Ποντύ ο οποίος υποστηρίζει ότι το ζωντανό σώμα το οποίο ζει και κινείται μέσα στον κόσμο προσδιορίζεται από αυτόν και τον δημιουργεί εκ νέου. Αυτό συμβαίνει επειδή το φυσικό σώμα είναι αυτό που δρα και η αντίληψή του σε σχέση με τα τεκταινόμενα στον κόσμο διαμορφώνεται ανάλογα με την κατάσταση στην οποία βρίσκεται το σώμα την δεδομένη στιγμή.
Η αγροτική αποκατάσταση των προσφύγων στο νομό Ροδόπης (1923-1930)
Authors: Φίλιου Βασιλική
Published: July 2023

Η ανά χείρας μελέτη αποτελείται από τέσσερα κεφάλαια, στα οποία πραγματεύομαι αντίστοιχα τις πολιτικές και δημογραφικές μεταβολές που συντελέστηκαν στη Θράκη από το 1919 ως το 1930, το έργο των ελληνικών και ξένων φορέων για την περίθαλψη και την εγκατάσταση των προσφύγων, την αγροτική αποκατάστασή τους στον νομό Ροδόπης και, τέλος, την πολιτική και κοινωνική τους ένταξη. Τα κύρια ερωτήματα, στα οποία προσπάθησα να απαντήσω είναι: α) Ποιος ήταν ο αριθμός των προσφύγων που εγκαταστάθηκαν στο νομό Ροδόπης, β) ποια ήταν η προέλευσή τους, γ) πώς αντιμετωπίστηκαν οι βασικές τους ανάγκες στα πρώτα χρόνια από την άφιξή τους στην περιοχή, δ) πώς πραγματοποιήθηκε η εγκατάστασή τους στις πεδινές και ορεινές περιοχές, δεδομένου ότι υπήρχε έλλειψη ζωτικού χώρου, αφού είχαν εξαιρεθεί από την ανταλλαγή οι ντόπιοι μουσουλμάνοι κάτοικοι, ε) ποια μέτρα έλαβε η Επιτροπή Αποκαταστάσεως των Προσφύγων, για να καταστεί μόνιμη η εγκατάσταση των αγροτών προσφύγων (κλήροι που παραχωρήθηκαν, οικήματα, γεωργικά εργαλεία και εφόδια, ζώα, δάνεια, μέτρα για τη βελτίωση της αγροτικής παραγωγής), στ) ποιος ο ρόλος των προσφύγων στην αγροτική οικονομία, ζ) από ποιες ασθένειες υπέφεραν και πώς αυτές αντιμετωπίστηκαν, η) ποια ήταν η μέριμνα για την εκπαίδευση των προσφυγόπουλων, θ) ποια ήταν η πολιτική συμπεριφορά των προσφύγων και, τέλος, ι) ποιες ήταν οι σχέσεις τους με τους ντόπιους κατοίκους.
Project Management of Companies’ Financial Recovery
Authors: Bobyleva Alla , Popov N.
Published: July 2023

The article is devoted to preventive measures for the financial recovery of companies under a threat of bankruptcy. These measures are not regulated by legislation or are only partially regulated and, as a rule, are aimed at obtaining a unique result – the restoration of the company's activities. This makes it possible to use project management technologies. The study classifies companies that may need financial recovery projects, identifies restructuring procedures known in both developed and developing countries, shows the heterogeneity of financial recovery projects and their differences depending on various determinants. Special attention is paid to the specific features of such projects’ management: in particular, the existence of stabilization phase, the necessity of organizing successful negotiations and mediation during the implementation of projects, the development of other intangible components of the success of financial recovery projects along with the search for new financing, postponement of payments on old debts.
Automotive Procurement Under Opaque Prices: Theory with Evidence from the BMW Supply Chain
Authors: Turcic Danko , Markou Panos , Kouvelis Panos , Corsten Daniel
Published: July 2023

Several features of automotive procurement distinguish it from the prototypical supply chain in the academic literature: pass-through pricing that reimburses suppliers for raw material costs, market frictions that prohibit cost transparency and imbue suppliers with pricing power, and contractual commitments that span multiple production periods. In this context, we formalize a procurement model by considering an automaker that buys components from an upstream supplier to assemble cars over several production periods in an environment where period demands and raw material costs are both stochastic. Our paper clarifies how information asymmetry and market factors that amplify or weaken this asymmetry affect the firms’ procurement protocol preferences. Then, using proprietary contract and supplier data from BMW, we empirically validate this model and show that it reflects BMW’s reality: the factors that should theoretically go into automotive procurement decisions do so. Our analysis also reveals that existing contracting protocols in this context are not optimal for procurement under asymmetric information, and so we propose an alternative contracting method. We calibrate our model and estimate an automaker’s performance improvement from this optimal contract over the status quo.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4880 .
Supporting patients with head and neck cancer-related lymphoedema
Authors: Dodd-Stokes Joanne
Published: July 2023

Joanne Dodd-Stokes, and the LymphCare UK Team, LymphCare UK ( jdodd-stokes@lymphcare.co.uk ) winners of a Silver Award in the Chronic Oedema Nurse of the Year category of the BJN Awards 2023
Preventing Risks of Infections and Medication Errors in IV therapy (PRIME): a patient safety initiative
Authors: Giri Jayant , Poojary Aruna , Coto Berling S , Agarwal Anuradha , Datta Babli , Ganguly Sumana , Hindlekar Prajakta , Patil Priyanka , Vitto Jasmine Virginia A. , Choi Aeri , Kim Sookhyun , Basaiawmoit Banrishisha , Biswas Doli , Prabhakar Shweta , Sharma Anita , Deshwal Neelam , Shin Jeong Ae , Jung JinYoung , Eshwara Vandana Kalwaje , Varma Muralidhar , Mukhopadhyay Chiranjay , Mundkur Suneel C , Shetty Avinash , Kurup Shreeshubha , Rajalakshmi Arjun , Kumar Rajiv , Shah Sweta , Fouzdar Havovi , Park OkSim , Kim HeeJung , Budhiraja Sandeep , Verma Arati , Dutt Arti , Mehta Yatin , Patil Nipun , Pollatu Joan Christina , Rikumahu Marisco , Inchaiya Phatharaporn , Weangsima Dararut , McCaughan Julie , Chandra Riny , Setyohariyati Florentina Dhianna Sri , Sihite Christin Rouli Juni , Bawaningtyas Benedikta Betty , Octaviani Susi Nur , Hoai Vu Thi Thu , Sang Doan Minh , Van Thang Bui , Van Anh Dinh Thi
Published: July 2023

Background:

Two major avoidable reasons for adverse events in hospital are medication errors and intravenous therapy-induced infections or complications. Training for clinical staff and compliance to patient safety principles could address these.

Methods:

Joint Commission International (JCI) consultants created a standardised, 6-month training programme for clinical staff in hospitals. Twenty-one tertiary care hospitals from across south-east Asia took part. JCI trained the clinical consultants, who trained hospital safety champions, who trained nursing staff. Compliance and knowledge were assessed, and monthly audits were conducted.

Results:

There was an overall increase of 29% in compliance with parameters around medication preparation and vascular access device management.

Conclusion:

The programme improved safe practice around preparing medications management and managing vascular access devices. The approach could be employed as a continuous quality improvement initiative for the prevention of medication errors and infusion-associated complications.
Barriers to Using a Patient Portal Among Low-income Patient Populations: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Matthews Alicia K. , Jung Min Young , Akufo Jennifer , Burke Larissa , Dodd Darcy , Donenberg Geri
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Purpose. To qualitatively examine barriers to patient portal use among low-income patients receiving health care services at a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with a volunteer sample of patients recruited from an FQHC. The interviews took 30–45 minutes. As participants arrived for each scheduled interview, written informed consent was obtained and participants completed a brief (5–10 minutes) self-administered survey. Results. Participants (N =25) were primarily middle-aged (M = 53 years), Black (76%), and male (60%). Over 60% of patients had heard of MyChart, but only 40% were enrolled. Barriers to enrollment and use of MyChart were organized into individual, organizational, and structural levels. Providing low-literacy informational materials and enrollment assistance emerged as potential strategies for increasing MyChart use. Conclusion. Federally-qualified health centers serving low-income populations should enhance patient portal use by increasing awareness of the benefits of portals and assisting patients with enrollment.
Low-income San Franciscans' Access to Basic Needs during COVID Shelter-in-Place: A Focus on People Who Use Drugs
Authors: McDonell Claire , Li Rocky , Runnels Anya , Morris Meghan D.
Published: July 2023

Abstract: We conducted a cross-sectional study of low-income San Franciscans to assess the impact of COVID-19 on their life and well-being during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic when the focus was on higher socioeconomic populations. Stratified analyses compared people who used drugs with those who did not and open-ended response data were sorted into themes. Of the 145 participants, most (70%) changed their behavior by practicing social distancing and reducing the number of their contacts. Of people who used drugs (98, 68%), 40% reported increased difficulty accessing/using drugs, 33% reduced access to drug treatment, and 41% increased concern about drug overdose for themselves or others. Compared with those who did not, people who used drugs experienced improvements in access to food, feeling supported by friends and family, and access to medical care. Our findings indicate the shift in services during COVID-19 had mixed impacts on people who use drugs.
Visit Data and Telehealth in a Clinic for Trafficked Persons: Virtual Care and Human Trafficking During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hadjikyriakou Maria , Martinez-Sosa Natalie , Harvey Philip D. , Potter JoNell Efantis , Johnson Latoya , Kenny Maureen C. , Alhajji Lujain
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Background. Human trafficking involves coerced labor or sex. THRIVE, a multidisciplinary University of Miami clinic for trafficked persons, transitioned to a hybrid telehealth model during the COVID-19 pandemic. Th is paper presents appointment data across THRIVE clinic services during this transition. Methods. A review of appointments for THRIVE patients (n=156) was conducted to compare pre-pandemic (February 2019 to February 2020) and pandemic (March 2020 to December 2021) appointment trends. Results. There were 15% more scheduled (n=51.1 versus n=44) and 8% more completed (n=30.2 versus n=27.9) appointments per month early in the pandemic period with telehealth use compared to the pre-pandemic period. Telehealth was most used within psychiatry. Rescheduled and no-show appointments per month significantly increased during the pandemic period (p=0.010 in pandemic period 1 and and p=0.028 in pandemic period 2). There were few significant differences in appointment trends according to demographic variables. Conclusion. Telehealth succeeded in connecting THRIVE patients during the pandemic, highlighting its potential for long-term use amongst trafficked persons.
Exploring the Association Between Detention Conditions, Detention-Related Abuse, and Mental Health Among Deported Mexican Migrants
Authors: Bakely Leah , Correa-Salazar Catalina , Gómez María Gudelia Rangel , González-Fagoaga Jesús Eduardo , González Ahmed Ali Asadi , Parrado Emilio A. , Riosmena Fernando , Martinez-Donate Ana P.
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Migration, detention, and deportation are often rife with violence. This study sought to examine associations among pre-migration experiences, detention conditions, and mental health among Mexicans deported from the U.S. to Mexico between 2020 and 2021. Data from the Migrante Project (N=306, weighted N=14,841) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and unadjusted and adjusted multivariate regression models. The prevalence of a lifetime mental health diagnosis was 18.5%. Exposure to adverse conditions in detention (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=17.56, p<.001) and having been detained in both immigration and non-immigration facilities (AOR=9.70, p=.042) were significantly associated with increased odds of experiencing abuse during migrants' most recent detention. Experiencing abuse during migrants' most recent detention was, in turn, associated with increased odds of a lifetime mental health diagnosis (AOR=4.72, p<.005). Targeted, trauma-informed mental health services are needed for deported Mexican migrants.
Bias control approach based on VMD and LIA demodulation of a lithium niobate polarization controller
Authors: Zhang Zhihang , Zhang Dengwei , Liang Cui , Yang Jianhua , Che Shuangliang , Shu Xiaowu
Published: July 2023

A bias control approach is an automatic lock working point algorithm based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) and lock-in amplification (LIA) demodulation for a lithium niobate polarization controller (LNPC). Commonly, the dither voltage applied to the LNPC is much smaller than the bias voltage to avoid the influence of the dither signal on the output light, which reduces the polarization control accuracy of the LNPC. In this paper, we use VMD and LIA, with which the polarization control accuracy of LNPC can be improved, to extract and amplify the dither signal to compensate the drift half-wave of LNPC. The light intensity fluctuations of the output polarized light in vertical or horizontal directions are less than 0.017%.
Interferometric phase stability using space-time wave packets
Authors: Diouf Mbaye , Lin Zixi , Harling Mitchell , Krishna Krishangi , Toussaint Kimani C.
Published: July 2023

We explore interferometric phase stability using space-time (ST) wave packets. We find that the interferometer exhibits significantly more stability when using an ST wave packets in comparison to a generic wave packet.
Anomalous Dispersion of Strongly Coupled Surface Plasmon Polaritons and Dye Molecules
Authors: Chowdhury Md G. R. , Hesami Leila , Howard S. , Noginov M. A.
Published: July 2023

We have observed and qualitatively explained anomalous dispersion of surface plasmon polaritons strongly coupled (in the Kretschmann geometry) to PMMA polymer single doped and co-doped with highly concentrated Rhodamine 590 and Rhodamine 610 dye molecules.
400 kHz repetition rate THz-TDS with 24 mW of average power driven by a compact industrial Yb-laser
Authors: Millon C. , Houver S. , Saraceno C. J.
Published: July 2023

We demonstrate a 24 mW average power THz-TDS at 400 kHz repetition rate, based on optical rectification in lithium niobate, driven directly by a compact commercial fs-laser. We study repetition rate effects between 40 and 400 kHz, showing thermal effects do not affect the generated THz pulse train in this average power regime.
Limits of Gain-Managed Nonlinear Fiber Amplifiers
Authors: Musgrave Jonathan , Prakash Neeraj , Huang Shu-Wei
Published: July 2023

We study the limitations of gain-managed nonlinear fiber amplifiers. The interaction between gain-management, polarization, and nonlinear-response are discussed in detail. An experimental, numerical, and theoretical framework is developed for the engineering of high-peak-power fiber amplifiers.
Perovskite quantum dot topological laser in the visible
Authors: Tian Jingyi , Tan Qi Ying , Wang Yutao , Yang Yihao , Yuan Guanghui , Adamo Giorgio , Soci Cesare
Published: July 2023

Topological lasers often require complex designs and fabrication that hinder their realization at short wavelengths. Here we report a green-emitting perovskite quantum-dot topological laser and discuss the persistence of topological states in VCSELs.
Processing single-photons from a quantum dot using high-speed integrated photonic circuits on the thin film lithium-niobate-on-insulator platform
Authors: Sund Patrik I. , Lomonte Emma , Paesani Stefano , Wang Ying , Carolan Jacques , Bart Nikolai , Wieck Andreas D. , Ludwig Arne , Midolo Leonardo , Pernice Wolfram H. P. , Lodahl Peter , Lenzini Francesco
Published: July 2023

We develop high-speed and low-loss lithium-niobate-on-insulator circuits and interface them with a quantum-dot-based deterministic single-photon source. We demonstrate key functionalities required for general-purpose quantum computing, including active photon routing and multimode quantum interference [1].
Noise canceling in optical measurement using broadband antiphase pulses by phase-controlled optical frequency comb
Authors: Kato Takashi , Hino Keito , Nekoshima Yasuhisa , Minoshima Kaoru
Published: July 2023

Noise canceling technique using destructive interference by broadband antiphase pulses generated by phase-controlled optical frequency comb was proposed. By simply controlling two frequencies of the comb, background noise is well-canceled as demonstrated in tomography.
High Energy, 10 Hz Repetition Rate, Petawatt Laser for the Matter in Extreme Conditions Upgrade
Authors: Reagan Brendan A. , Albrecht MariAnn , Alessi David , Ammons S. Mark , Banerjee Saumyabrata , Barillas Cris , Batysta František , Buckley Brandon , Chemali Alex , Clark Erin , Davila Edwin , Deri Robert J. , Eseltine Kevin , Fishler Barry , Fulkerson E. Steve , Galbraith Justin , Galvin Thomas , Gonzales Anthony , Gopalan Vinod , Herriot Sandrine , Hubka Zbynek , Jimenez Jessica , Kiani Leily , Koh Ed , Kupfer Rotem , Liao Zhi , Lusk Jeremy , Nguyen Hoang , Patel Ashay , Peer Aaron , Peterson John , Plummer Robert , Schaffers Kathleen , Sistrunk Emily , Spinka Thomas M. , Stolz Christopher , Tamer Issa , Tang Vincent , Telford Steve , Terzi Kenneth , Utley Pamela , Velas Katherine M. , Vella Anthony , Wong J. Nan
Published: July 2023

The design and status of the diode-pumped 10 Hz, 150 J, 150 fs, 1 PW laser system under development for the Matter in Extreme Conditions Upgrade (MEC-U) project will be presented.
Two phase-matching regimes in high-order harmonic generation
Authors: Appi E. , Weissenbilder R. , Nagyillés B. , Diveki Z. , Peschel J. , Farkas B. , Plach M. , Vismarra F. , Poulain V. , Weber N. , Arnold C. L. , Varjú K. , Kahaly S. , Eng-Johnsson P. , L’Huillier A.
Published: July 2023

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) provides scalable sources of coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation with pulse duration down to the attosecond time scale. Efficient HHG requires the constructive interplay between microscopic and macroscopic effects in the generation volume, which can be achieved over a large range of experimental parameters from the driving field properties to those of the generating medium. Here, we present a systematic study of the harmonic yield as a function of gas pressure and medium length. Two regimes for optimum yield are identified, supporting the predictions of a recently proposed analytical model. Our observations are independent on the focusing geometry and, to a large extent, on the pulse duration and laser intensity, providing a versatile approach to HHG optimization.
Demodulation of the overlapping reflection spectrum of serial FBGs based on a weighted differential evolution algorithm
Authors: Liu Weikang , Zhou Wensong , Li Hui
Published: July 2023

This study addresses the wavelength demodulation problem of the overlapping reflection spectrum of serial fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) with nearly-identical wavelength. Specifically, a novel demodulation model for the overlapping reflection spectrum was presented based on spectrum similarity, and this model encodes FBGs through reflectivity. Subsequently, a weighted differential evolution algorithm was employed to calculate the FBG wavelengths. And the factors affecting the demodulation accuracy of the proposed method were simulated and analyzed. Finally, the proposed method was applied to demodulate the overlapping reflection spectra of serial FBGs. The experiment results indicate that the proposed method is suitable for completely overlapping, partially overlapping, and non-overlapping reflection spectra of serial FBGs. The wavelength demodulation accuracy demonstrated here in fully overlapping situations for two, three, and four FBGs was only 4.5, 14.9, and 24.6 pm, respectively.
Probing the decelerating trajectory of a Raman soliton using temporal reflection
Authors: Zhang Junchi , Donaldson William R. , Agrawal Govind P.
Published: July 2023

Temporal reflection is a process where an optical pulse reflects off a moving boundary with different refractive indices across it. In a dispersive medium, this process creates a reflected pulse with a frequency shift that changes its speed. Such frequency shifts depend on the speed of the moving boundary. In this work, we propose and experimentally show that it is possible to probe the trajectory of the boundary by measuring the frequency shifts while changing the initial delay between the incident pulse and the boundary. We demonstrate this effect by reflecting a probe pulse off a short soliton, acting as a moving boundary that decelerates inside a photonic crystal fiber because of intrapulse Raman scattering. We deduce trajectory of the soliton from the measured spectral data for the reflected pulse.
Tunable Janus absorptive frequency-selective reflector with octave frequency absorption
Authors: Tang Zhao , Li Si-Ying , Xu Jie , Zhang Hai-Feng
Published: July 2023

A tunable Janus absorptive frequency-selective reflector (AFSR)
utilizing a graphene-based hyperbolic that showcases exceptional
doubling octave frequency absorption (DOFA) or tripling octave
frequency absorption (TOFA) is proposed. The multi-objective gray wolf
optimization algorithm is employed to drive the transfer matrix
method, optimizing parameters such as the dielectric permittivity,
thickness, and the Fermi level (E
f) to achieve harmonic absorption. By manipulating the
E f of graphene, the
dimensions of the absorption band and reflection window can be finely
adjusted. Additionally, a frequency-selective reflector is introduced,
enabling a seamless transition between selective absorption and
transmission by adjusting the E
f. This AFSR represents a groundbreaking approach to
achieving DOFA or TOFA while simultaneously offering valuable insights
into the design of intelligent AFSRs.
Representation of interactional metadiscourse in translated and native English: A corpus-assisted study
Authors: Chou Isabelle , Li Weiyi , Liu Kanglong
Published: July 2023

The present study aimed to investigate the differences between translated and non-translated English texts with regard to interactional metadiscourse features, which are crucial in engaging readers in the reasoning process and establishing the credibility of a proposition. Despite numerous studies investigating lexical and syntactic differences between translated and non-translated language, little research has been conducted on the textual level in terms of metadiscourse use. To address this gap, we conducted a comparative analysis of six interactional markers across two comparable multi-genre corpora, namely, FLOB (Freiburg-LOB Corpus of British English) comprising native English and the English subset of COCE (Corpus of Chinese-English) containing translated English. Our ANOVA analyses revealed that translated English exhibited a tendency to underuse stance features, such as hedges, boosters, and attitude markers, compared to native English. Furthermore, our post-hoc analysis revealed that genre modulated the use of metadiscourse features in both translated and native texts. Importantly, we found that there was greater cross-genre variation in the use of interactional metadiscourse in translated English than in native English. Our study highlights the unique characteristics of translation and emphasizes the importance of taking into account metadiscourse in the field of translation studies.
Adding mechanical vibration to a half squat with different ballasts and rhythms increases movement variability
Authors: Tuyà Viñas Sílvia , Fernández-Valdés Villa Bruno , Pérez-Chirinos Buxadé Carla , Morral-Yepes Mónica , del Campo Montoliu Lucas , Moras Feliu Gerard
Published: July 2023

The aim of this study was to determine whether whole body vibration increases movement variability while performing a half squat with different ballasts and rhythms through entropy. A total of 12 male athletes (age: 21.24 ± 2.35 years, height: 176.83 ± 5.80 cm, body mass: 70.63 ± 8.58 kg) performed a half squat with weighted vest, dumbbells and bar with weights suspended with elastic bands, with and without vibration at the squat rhythm of 40 and 60 bpm. Each ballast corresponded to 15% of the body mass. The movement variability was analysed by calculating the sample entropy of the acceleration signal, recorded at the waist using an accelerometer. With vibration, differences were found between weighted vest and dumbbells (t(121) = -8.81, p < 0.001 at 40 bpm; t(121) = -8.18, p < 0.001 at 60 bpm) and between weighted vest and bar at both rhythms (t(121) = -8.96, p < 0.001 at 40 bpm; t(121) = -8.83, p < 0.001 at 60 bpm). Furthermore, a higher sample entropy was obtained at 40 bpm with all ballasts (t(121) = 5.65, p < 0.001 with weighted vest; t(121) = 6.27, p < 0.001 with dumbbells; t(121) = 5.78, p < 0.001 with bar). No differences were found without vibration. These findings reveal that adding mechanical vibration to a half squat produces a non-proportional increase in movement variability, being larger when the ballast is placed on the upper limbs and when performed at a slow rhythm.