bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Συστατικά του έρωτα, διάρκεια και σεξουαλικές συνευρέσεις στις ανεπίσημες ερωτικές σχέσεις
Authors: Κορδούτης Παναγιώτης , Μάνεση Ζωή
Published: January 2021

Love consists of three components, intimacy, passion and decision/commitment (Triangular Theory of Love, Sternberg, 1986); the relative contribution of each to a love relationship is related to its outcomes. Such outcomes are the length or duration of the relationship and the frequency of sexual intercourse or sex in it. We first examined the construct validity and reliability of the components measure, that is of the Greek version of Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale (STLS); subsequently, we tested if the components were associated in a predictable manner with relationship length and frequency of sexual intercourse in the relationship, thus checking the external validity of the STLS. Participants were 177 male and female University students in dating relationships. They responded to the STLS, and indicated the length of their relationship and the frequency of sexual intercourse in it. Factor Analysis revealed that the STLS had a strong and compatible with theory structure, comprising three factors of high reliability. Consistent with expectation, regression analyses indicated that stronger decision/commitment predicted longer relationships and less frequent sexual intercourse, whereas stronger passion predicted shorter relationship length and more frequent intercourse. Contrary to expectation, intimacy predicted neither relationship length nor frequency of sex. Conclusively, STLS has construct validity and reliability with the Greek population of young people, but its external validity is limited to the components of decision/commitment and passion. Passion consumes fast the duration of dating relationships, as it is manifested through the frequency of sexual intercourse; on the other hand, decision/commitment contributes to the longevity of relationships, while paying the price of reduced frequency in sexual intercourse.
Η φεμινιστική πολυπολιτισμική προσέγγιση της συμβουλευτικής ψυχολογίας
Authors: Μαλικιώση - Λοΐζου Μαρία
Published: January 2021

The feminist multicultural model has emerged from the feminist counselling approach. The feminist approach in counselling psychology, which was developed especially during the 1960’s and 1970’s, focused on individual solutions to human problems and did not place a great emphasis on other multicultural factors in therapy. By acknowledgingthe influence of multiculturalism on people’s mental health, counselling psychology started to gradually pay more attention to the relationship between individuals and their environment and considered the culturalenvironment as a major influencing factor in the shaping of identity but also in the nature of problems faced. At the beginning, this multicultural dimension was included very often unevenly in the feminist therapy.Recently, we see an effort to integrate these two mainstreams towards the development of an integrated feminist multicultural therapeutic approach. This approach is based on the realization that, although intraditional therapies the emphasis has been intrapsychic and the main assumption was that man is responsible for his condition, more recent developments in the field of therapy acknowledge that peopledo not always have the same opportunities and cannot always be totally responsible for the adversities they face because any kind of oppression often reduces their power and limits their access to choices. This articlepresents the development of the model, the theoretical mainstreams, the principles and trends that reinforce this development and its impact on the therapeutic approach
Φεμινισμός και ψυχολογία: Συνέπειες στην έρευνα, στην κλινική πρακτική και στη συλλογική κοινωνική δράση
Authors: Αθανασιάδου Χριστίνα
Published: January 2021

The papers of this special issue fall into the general area of the feminist critical psychology, since they reveal the special and often marginalized experience of different groups of women, place and interpret the issues discussed within the context of the existing social-cultural ideology regarding to gender and/or ethnic identity and connect the scientific research with practice, the empowerment of the participants and the social-political action. This commentary underlies three important issues that have been brought into the front by this feminist critique on psychology and which are also discussed among all the papers. These are (a) the adaptation of qualitative methodology in psychological research, (b) the recognition of the interaction between the identity of gender and other identities, as well as (c) the notions of social justice and social action
«Ο Αγχόσαυρος»: ένα ψυχοεκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα για τη διαχείριση του άγχους σε παιδιά. Κατασκευή και πιλοτική έρευνα
Authors: Αγγελοσοπούλου Αργυρούλα , Ι. Ρούση - Βέργου Χριστίνα , Ζαφειροπούλου Μαρία
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study was to plan and to properly adapt basic cognitive and behavioural techniques for coping with anxiety so as to become suitable for children education. Within this context we developed a psychoeducational programme, suitable for children age 6-12, named Anxioussaure. The programme was developed and delivered by a psychologist under supervision, in the Laboratory of Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology of the University of Thessaly. The pilot study was based on 40 children of 4th grade of Elementary School (age 10). The effectiveness of the programme implementation was evaluated according to anxiety and depression measures. Preliminary results showed that Anxioussaure is a comprehensive, user friendly and funny programme, which efficiently helps children to understand and to use the cognitive-behavioural model of anxiety, namely the way that the thoughts, emotions, behaviours and bodily reactions are interconnected in the symptoms of anxiety. According to effect sizes, there is aconsiderable decrease in the symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to children’s as well as to their mothers’ observations. Our primary conclusion is that Anxioussaure can be a useful and effective tool for children psycheducation on anxiety according to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy model, although its effectiveness needs to be studied further by randomized control studies.
Measuring well-being in emerging adults: Exploring the PERMA framework for positive youth development
Authors: Leontopoulou Sophie
Published: January 2021

The PERMA theory brings together elements of the PERMA model, character strengths, and well-being. Set in the context of positive education this study set out to empirically test this multidimensional theory with emerging adults in higher education. 516 female and male students aged 18 to 29 years studying in Universities in Greece were asked to participate in a web-based survey of (a) the five elements of PERMA, i.e. positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment; (b) four character strengths, i.e. curiosity, gratitude, love for learning and humor; and (c) three well-being indicators, i.e. flourishing, resilience and positive perception. The patterning of associations within and between the three components of the theory was examined, leading to insights regarding both the multidimensionality of well-being and the specificity of relations between the three components. Conclusions were drawn regarding the theoretical and applied implications of the results for advancing positive youth development in higher education.
Investigating differences in self-compassion levels: effects of gender and age in a Greek adult sample
Authors: Karakasidou Eirini , Raftopoulou Georgia , Stalikas Anastassios
Published: January 2021

Self-compassion is a recently developed construct of positive psychology. Several studies have shed light on their benefits on people’s psychological well-being. Furthermore, studies have focused on examining changes in self-compassion according to gender, in specific age groups, demonstrating inconsistent results. The present study aimed to investigate the interaction between self-compassion and gender, overtime, in a wide age range of adulthood. The sample consisted of 291 participants, age range between 18 and 72 years of age, of the general population. The participants completed online self-report questionnaires of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) (Neff, 2003b). Overall results revealed that self-compassion levels were higher for men than women. In addition, self-compassion was positively correlated with age, while older men, of 50 years and above, demonstrated higher self-compassion levels compared to younger age groups. The findings suggest the prudence of self-compassion on psychological prosperity. It is also proposed that the outcomes could contribute to the design of more informed, structured, and well-established intervention planning, targeting groups according to age and gender, which appear to be the most vulnerable. Finally, probable suggestions for further investigation are considered.
Η πρώιμη παρέμβαση στην περίπτωση της ΔΕΠ-Υ στο πλαίσιο του βιοψυχοκοινωνικού μοντέλου
Authors: Μανιαδάκη Κατερίνα
Published: January 2021

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence regarding the necessity and the effectiveness of early intervention for ADHD, by reviewing the most important international early intervention programs for ADHD and by presenting a relevant program implemented in Greece, based on the multi-level approach in developmental psychopathology. These programs are underpinned theoretically by the biopsychosocial epigenetic model which claims that ADHD is not just the outcome of structural and functional neurobiological deficits but results from the dynamic interplay among genetic, neurophysiological, neurochemical, and environmental factors, affecting brain structure and function early in the process of development. Early intervention focuses on those processes that take place very early in development and have a causal relationship with ADHD, with the aim of modifying the underlying neurophysiology and producing generalized long-lasting change. The efficacy of early intervention mainly lies in the fact that it takes place during a period when brain plasticity is great. Plasticity is an intrinsic property of the brain that ensures dynamic modifications at multiple levels of neural organization, allowing the brain to process, encode, and implement new knowledge. Although this neuronal development is to a great extent genetically programmed, it is widely acknowledged that environment also plays a major role through the process of epigenesis by moderating gene expression with subsequent alterations in brain structure and function and allowing even modification of certain deficient structures.
Χρήση του διαδικτύου: Κοινωνικό άγχος και δυσλειτουργικές γνωσίες στην εφηβεία και την αναδυόμενη ενηλικίωση
Authors: Ρήγα Δέσποινα-Δήμητρα , Γκάρη Αικατερίνη
Published: January 2021

The aim of this study was to explore the associations of Internet dysfunctional use with social anxiety, the need to belong, collective self-esteem and demographic factors in a sample of 974 adolescents and emerging adults, aged 12-19 years. The following questionnaires were used: The Generalized Pathological Internet Use Scale (Caplan, 2002), the Greek Problematic Internet Use Scale (Roussos & Delizisi, 2011), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (La Greca & Lopez, 1998), the Need to Belong Scale (Leary et al., 2013), an adapted version of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (Luhtanen & Crocken, 1992), and an additional set of demographic questions including quantitative and qualitative aspects of Internet use. Dysfunctional Internet use was found to correlate significantly with social anxiety. Maladaptive cognitions were associated with social avoidance. Also, mood alteration correlated with the fear of negative evaluation. The exploration of alternative structural equation models showed that the main predictors of dysfunctional Internet use were the fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance. The need to belong mediated the relationship between the two social anxiety dimensions and dysfunctional cognitions. Additionally, collective self-esteem mediated the relationship between the two social anxiety dimensions and mood alteration. The findings of the study highlight the need to further examine Internet use in relation to social psychological relational factors.
DSM-5: Επτά χρόνια μετά -εξελίξεις και προκλήσεις στην ταξινόμηση ψυχικών διαταραχών
Authors: Χριστοπούλου Άννα , Γκιρλέμη Άρια , Αποστολίδου Άννα , Στεφάνου Ηλέκτρα , Κουτουματσιώτη Αναστασία , Μαρούλη Ελισάβετ , Φωτεινού Μαρία , Ερμηλίου Βασιλική , Κουτριάς Απόστολος , Ντάλη Ευδοκία
Published: January 2021

The DSM-5, the fifth publication of the diagnostic system DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) has been a source of intense scientific interest and debate.  The purpose of this article is to review the most important developments in this scientific dialogue during the seven years after the publication of the manual. To begin with, reference is briefly made to the development of the DSM-5 as well as to criticism and response to this criticism that immediately followed publication of the manual. Then, later developments regarding the DSM-5 are discussed, such as the focus on particular issues of concern as well as significant social and economic changes regarding contemporary classification systems. Research findings on the current use of diagnostic classification systems are also presented.  Finally, particular areas of interest and concern regarding future classification, and new proposals as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoc) of the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States are discussed.
Συζήτηση
Authors: Καραπέτσας Αργύρης
Published: January 2021

No abstract available
Falco: high-speed FastQC emulation for quality control of sequencing data
Authors: de Sena Brandine Guilherme , Smith Andrew D.
Published: January 2021

Quality control is an essential first step in sequencing data analysis, and software tools for quality control are deeply entrenched in standard pipelines at most sequencing centers. Although the associated computations are straightforward, in many settings the total computing effort required for quality control is appreciable and warrants optimization. We present Falco, an emulation of the popular FastQC tool that runs on average three times faster while generating equivalent results. Compared to FastQC, Falco also requires less memory to run and provides more flexible visualization of HTML reports.
An Analysis of Ecological Coexistence in Upaniṣads
Authors: Mohan M. Ajay
Published: January 2021

The paper intends to objectively review the ecological understanding of Upaniṣhadic ṛṣis. Since ecology is a modern notion, it is required to precisely place it within the Upaniṣhadic thought. For that purpose, a possible ontological structure of Upaniṣhadic philosophy is sorted in which the discussion of ecology becomes meaningful. Upaniṣhadic ṛṣis conceived ecology as a part of their metaphysics, that is, one which is assisted by the devatas. There is a dependent coexistence between Devatas, Humans and the world. This feature of Upaniṣhadic philosophy should not be treated as a declaration for environmental conservation. It is rather seen as a theory of consumption and calibration from both sides. Although ecology is integrated into the Upaniṣhadic metaphysics, it is not one of the subject matters of Upaniṣhads.  An understanding of ecology traceable from Upaniṣhads is supplementary to Upaniṣhadic theory of Devatas. Thus, the author concludes that the Upaniṣhadic ecology is metaphysical rather than natural.
Чловек, што остал президентом європской республикы
Authors: Маґочій Павел Роберт
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe Fellow Who Made Himself President of a European Republic. Gregory Ignatius Zhatkovych The study is the first comprehensive biography of Gregory Ignatius Zhatkovych, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer, who in 1918-1919 was instrumental in the creation of Czechoslovakia and the inclusion of its far eastern region, Subcarpathian Rus’/ Ruthenia, into the new country. Until now, information about Gregory Zhatkovych has come primarily from the extensive body of historical literature describing how Subcarpathian Rus’ was incorporated into Czechoslovakia at the close of World War I. The facts related in this literature are more or less the same. Their assessment, however, differs rather substantially depending on the ideological orientation of the authors and / or the time when they were writing. In the above literature Gregory Zhatkovych figures prominently, although until most recently he has been described in very different terms. For some authors, he is hailed as a friend of the young democratic Czechoslovak state. For others, especially those of Marxist persuasion, he is denigrated as a representative of Rusyn-American “bourgeois nationalist organizations”, a “lackey” and “loyal son of American capitalism”, and “an agent of American imperialism”. Finally, there are those who consider Zhatkovych a Carpatho-Rusyn patriot who did his best – but ultimately failed – to as sure that the promises made by the Czechoslovak government for Subcarpathian self-rule would be fulfilled. Despite his historic importance, to date there is no biography of Gregory Zhatkovych other than a few brief encyclopedic entries. Aside from their brevity, these entries generally focus on the few years just after World War I, when he was politically active in Europe. But Zhatkovych had a life both before and after those years as a lawyer and political activist in the United States, in particular in western Pennsylvania. Based on recently uncovered correspondence between Zhatkovych and his wife and between the wife and her sister, as well as unpublished biographical data provided by his surviving family members, the recently published correspondence with President Masaryk, and several rare newspaper reports especially from western Pennsylvania, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive biography that spans Gregory Zhatkovych’s pre- and especially post-World War I career in the United States until his death in 1967.
Exploración de las experiencias memorables y la fidelización en las ventas por catálogo
Authors: Tamayo-Buitrago Simón , Mejía-Gil María Claudia , Ceballos Lina M.
Published: January 2021

A pesar de la importancia del canal comercial de venta directa en países latinoamericanos, como Colombia, limitadas investigaciones abordan el tema. Con el fin de aportar al entendimiento de este canal, esta investigación tiene como objetivo el explorar las experiencias memorables de las vendedoras por catálogo y su importancia en la fidelización con sus empresas gestoras. Este estudio de enfoque etnográfico se concentra en 12 vendedoras, mujeres de diferentes edades y residentes del Área Metropolitana de la ciudad de Medellín, de los niveles socioeconómicos medio y medio-bajo, por ser las variables demográficas más usuales de las vendedoras de venta directa en este contexto. Por medio de entrevistas a profundidad y observación participante, se encontraron dos perfiles de vendedoras: Jóvenes Independientes y Mamás Entusiastas, según diferentes variables como intereses personales, motivaciones e inhibidores. En ellos, se identificaron también los factores y experiencias memorables que se relacionan con la fidelidad con las ventas por catálogo. Esta investigación busca generar una reflexión para entender qué se debe tener en cuenta en las estrategias de fidelización dentro del canal de venta directa, partiendo de la comprensión de las motivaciones de las vendedoras para la búsqueda de su mayor beneficio.
Fórmula Estratégica Empresarial para Pymes en Ecuador ante el Covid-19
Authors: Useche Aguirre Maria Cristina , Vásquez Lacres Lourdes Maribel , Salazar Vázquez Flor Isabel , Ordóñez Gavilanes Magdalena
Published: January 2021

Ante las desgarradoras consecuencias generadas por la pandemia COVID-19, el  gobierno del Ecuador  tomó medidas económicas y sociales para prevenir contagios masivos, sin embargo, las pequeñas y medianas empresas decidieron mantenerse en funcionamiento, pues el sustento diario familiar depende totalmente de sus esfuerzos económicos y ante sucumbir en estos tiempos prefieren arriesgarse e ir solucionando sus necesidades básicas en la medida de  sus posibilidades, aunque ello implique posible contagio. Ante esto, el objetivo del presente trabajo pretende establecer las estratégicas empresariales implementadas por las pequeñas y medianas empresas en la República del Ecuador en el marco de la pandemia COVID-19. En tal sentido, se ha empleado un tipo de investigación documental, acudiendo a fuentes institucionales, gubernamentales y empresariales de ese país, y la información extraída ha pasado por un proceso de depuración y análisis con la técnica del análisis de contenido. Se concluye que las PyMES requieren atender sus necesidades sociales y los requerimientos económicos que impone el mercado nacional e internacional y para ello se diseñaron cuatro estrategias interactivas para preservar la salud y adecuar sus acciones a la tecnología, estimular la capacidad de rápida adaptación ante adversidades e insertar su direccionamiento con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible.
Valor percibido y lealtad del cliente: estrategia co-branding de tarjetas de crédito en Bogotá – Colombia
Authors: Forero-Molina Sara Catalina , Neme-Chaves Samir Ricardo
Published: January 2021

El  co-branding es una oportunidad estratégica de cooperación entre marcas, al punto que las involucradas en la alianza buscan beneficios particulares sin perder su identidad. Existen múltiples tipos de co-branding, uno de los cuales es el cooperativo o de alcance y conocimiento, del que hace parte la estrategia de tarjetas de crédito de marca compartida. Se trata de un tipo de alianza creciente en los últimos años en Colombia con diversas pretensiones para las marcas, como la incursión en nuevos nichos de mercado, nuevos beneficios para los clientes, mayor fidelización de los clientes, entre otros. En conformidad, la presente investigación tiene como objetivo identificar la relación entre la percepción de valor hacia las tarjetas de crédito de marca compartida y la lealtad hacia marcas de ropa, accesorios y calzado en Bogotá - Colombia. Se llevó a cabo un estudio cuantitativo de corte correlacional con diseño transversal, contando con un muestreo no probabilístico – por conveniencia con un total de 250 encuestas válidas. Los resultados dejan entrever que existe relación entre los factores de valor percibido hacia las tarjetas de crédito de marca compartida y los factores de lealtad hacia las marcas estudiadas, pudiéndose así validar todas las hipótesis planteadas.
El rol de la RSE en el modelo de inclusión laboral para víctimas y desmovilizados del conflicto armado colombiano.
Authors: Sierra Rincon Sara Marcela
Published: January 2021

Estudios han analizado los efectos desfavorables que deja el conflicto armado en Colombia y las repercusiones en los ámbitos sociales y empresariales En la actualidad, el gobierno ha implementado, junto con el sector empresarial, un modelo de inclusión laboral para las víctimas del conflicto armado y desmovilizados, a fin de permitirles su reincorporación a la vida civil por medio de un empleo digno.
Se hace una revisión sistemática de literatura (RSL) dedicada a la conceptualización de la inclusión laboral. Lo que permite identificar como objetivos de investigación, elementos que forman parte de las prácticas empresariales que se llevan a cabo para la construcción de paz, vinculación laboral de víctimas y desmovilizados como también de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (RSE).
Los resultados obtenidos, sí bien se describen algunos casos, donde la RSE tiene apoyo de algunos empresarios en el desarrollo de programas de inclusión laboral para las víctimas y desmovilizados del conflicto, también se presentan la falta oportunidades y como se podrían crear partiendo de iniciativas de cambio y construcción de paz.
Accesibilidad al entorno físico en instalaciones de acondicionamiento para personas con discapacidad física: una revisión integradora
Authors: Ortega Luna Iván Darío , Ortiz Hernández María Angélica , Cervantes Olivares Carlos Martín , Rodríguez Ibagué Luis Fernando
Published: January 2021

Introducción: las personas en condición de discapacidad están expuestas a diferentes barreras físicas o arquitectónicas que impiden su acceso a instalaciones y su participación en actividades físicas, ejercicio y deporte. Esto les dificulta obtener los beneficios que implica su práctica y conduce a un deterioro de su calidad de vida. Materiales y métodos: revisión integradora de estudios cuantitativos a través de la metodología SPIDER, con los siguientes componentes: 1) identificación del problema, 2) búsqueda de literatura, 3) evaluación de datos y 4) análisis de estos. Resultados: se incluyeron 7 estudios en los cuales se evaluaron 429 instalaciones de acondicionamiento con 4 instrumentos de medición, por medio de la puntuación media en porcentajes identificados por el tipo de accesibilidad al entorno físico (física, al desplazamiento y a la implementación deportiva y recreativa), donde el 0 % es la accesibilidad mínima y el 100 % es la accesibilidad máxima. En ninguno de los estudios incluidos se identificó una media mayor al 60 %. La accesibilidad a la implementación deportiva y recreativa fue la más baja, con el 19.81%, y la accesibilidad física fue la más alta, con el 57.01 %. Conclusión: las instalaciones de acondicionamiento no son del todo accesibles para personas con discapacidad. Existe la gran necesidad de investigación en la accesibilidad a la implementación deportiva y recreativa en Latinoamérica y fundamentalmente en Colombia.
True Motives: Prosocial and Instrumental Justifications for Behavioral Change in Organizations
Authors: Amengual Matthew , Apfelbaum Evan P.
Published: January 2021

When organizations want their employees to adopt behaviors that advance prosocial and instrumental aims, which motive should they express? A groundswell of recent work suggests that highlighting prosocial actions inspires and motivates employees. Building on this work, we embed a field experiment in the context of an organizational change initiative (Study 1). A large university sought to change the behavior of administrative employees who purchase office supplies, encouraging them to place orders of at least $50, referred to as “bundling.” We exploit the fact that the organization could justify the same behavior in contrasting ways. We randomly assign employees to view either a prosocial (“limiting pollution”), instrumental (“limiting costs”), or mixed motive (“limiting pollution and limiting costs”) for caring about bundling each time they access the organization’s procurement system. We then evaluate changes in employees’ behavior by comparing a six-month baseline to a six-month experimental period, covering 10,169 purchases in 556 offices. Contrary to expectations from related research, the instrumental motive was most effective for changing behavior, leading to significantly more bundling than the prosocial motive. Two follow-up vignette experiments probe theoretical mechanisms. They indicate that an instrumental motive seems more genuine (i.e., reflecting the organization’s true motive) than a prosocial motive (Study 2) and that seeming genuine increases individuals’ intention to bundle (Study 3). This research reveals that prosocial justifications can be less effective than instrumental ones and suggests that perceptions of genuineness may shape the effectiveness of behavioral change efforts in organizations.

This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, decision analysis.
Multimodal Dynamic Pricing
Authors: Wang Yining , Chen Boxiao , Simchi-Levi David
Published: January 2021

We consider a single product dynamic pricing with demand learning. The candidate prices belong to a wide range of a price interval; the modeling of the demand functions is nonparametric in nature, imposing only smoothness regularity conditions. One important aspect of our model is the possibility of the expected reward function to be nonconcave and indeed multimodal, which leads to many conceptual and technical challenges. Our proposed algorithm is inspired by both the Upper-Confidence-Bound algorithm for multiarmed bandit and the Optimism-in-the-Face-of-Uncertainty principle arising from linear contextual bandits. The multiarmed bandit formulation arises from local-bin approximation of an unknown continuous demand function, and the linear contextual bandit formulation is then applied to obtain more accurate local polynomial approximators within each bin. Through rigorous regret analysis, we demonstrate that our proposed algorithm achieves optimal worst-case regret over a wide range of smooth function classes. More specifically, for k-times smooth functions and T selling periods, the regret of our proposed algorithm is [Formula: see text], which is shown to be optimal via the development of information theoretical lower bounds. We also show that in special cases, such as strongly concave or infinitely smooth reward functions, our algorithm achieves an [Formula: see text] regret, matching optimal regret established in previous works. Finally, we present computational results that verify the effectiveness of our method in numerical simulations.

This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, big data analytics.
Statistics of Robust Optimization: A Generalized Empirical Likelihood Approach
Authors: Duchi John C. , Glynn Peter W. , Namkoong Hongseok
Published: January 2021

We study statistical inference and distributionally robust solution methods for stochastic optimization problems, focusing on confidence intervals for optimal values and solutions that achieve exact coverage asymptotically. We develop a generalized empirical likelihood framework—based on distributional uncertainty sets constructed from nonparametric f-divergence balls—for Hadamard differentiable functionals, and in particular, stochastic optimization problems. As consequences of this theory, we provide a principled method for choosing the size of distributional uncertainty regions to provide one- and two-sided confidence intervals that achieve exact coverage. We also give an asymptotic expansion for our distributionally robust formulation, showing how robustification regularizes problems by their variance. Finally, we show that optimizers of the distributionally robust formulations we study enjoy (essentially) the same consistency properties as those in classical sample average approximations. Our general approach applies to quickly mixing stationary sequences, including geometrically ergodic Harris recurrent Markov chains.
Enhancing mental health literacy in schools through staff training: An integrative review
Authors: Buteau Regina M , Perron Tracy
Published: January 2021

Students who are not well cannot learn. As the prevalence of adolescent anxiety, depression, and behavioural dissorders continues to rise, it is important to identify children who suffer silently, as these disorders can have negative effects on academic performance and absenteeism. While the school nurse and social worker are important resources, it is teachers that have the most access to students. However, the literature shows that staff members often feel they lack training, competency and readiness in identifying and referring students in need. This integrative review examines not only the need for training, but the methods being employed worldwide. While the methods differ in format, all seven intervention studies indicate positive reception by staff members and the majority show improvement of staff knowledge and attitudes, which creates a greater chance of intervention and improved outcomes for students.
Behaviour: Promoting inclusion using a trauma-informed approach
Authors: Knightsmith Pooky
Published: January 2021

Children and young people who have experienced trauma may exhibit challenging behaviour as a result of learned trauma responses. Pooky Knightsmith provides some practical advice for school staff members on providing a more inclusive trauma-informed approach.
Handy hints: mitigating the spread of COVID-19
Authors: Allegra Enrico
Published: January 2021

With almost two thirds of practices unable to welcome back staff and patients, microbiologist Enrico Allegra considers how dental teams can help to halt the spread of COVID-19
Life on the frontline of COVID-19: Damian's story
Authors: Walicki Damian
Published: January 2021

Damian Walicki is a lead nurse at Royal Star and Garter's Surbiton Home. Here, he talks about the mental and physical toll of COVID-19, the heartbreak of losing residents to the virus and his pride in the staff who give their all for the residents.
Experiences and Challenges of Foreign Agricultural Workers in Finland
Authors: Mattila Tiina E. A. , Ovaska Ulla , Kinnunen Birgitta , Tuure Veli-Matti , Leppälä Jarkko , Taattola Kirsti , Rinnola Virve , Rautiainen Risto H.
Published: January 2021

Highlights

Better control of musculoskeletal workload remains a key factor in improving working conditions on Finnish farms.

Orientation and training of workers should be carefully prepared with attention to content, method, and timing.

Continued training is needed, especially for foremen and the increasing number of long-term foreign workers.

Abstract. Foreign workers have become an important part of the workforce on horticulture and livestock farms in Finland. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of foreign workers regarding their working and living conditions. We conducted semi-structured theme interviews during two time periods: in 2008-2009 (n = 40 workers on eight farms) and again in 2018-2019 (n = 9 workers on four farms). We found variations in expectations and goals among workers when they take a job abroad. Compelling factors in the origin country included unemployment, low wages, and low standards of living, and enticing factors in the destination country included social relationships and expectations of better income. Personal networks had a strong role in the recruiting processes. Work on farms is physically demanding, and being a foreign worker affects social life in many ways, such as being separated from family and facing pressures from the home community to arrange jobs for others. New communication technologies have improved possibilities to stay in contact. Employers could contribute to better working and living conditions for foreign workers by improving work organization, ergonomics at work, orientation of new workers, and continued training of supervisors. Worker orientation and training should be carefully planned, taking into consideration the limited language skills, work competence requirements, and possibilities for career advancement of the workers. Keywords: Descriptive study, Foreign farm workers, Horticulture, Occupational safety.
Non-reciprocity in the spin Hall effect based on multilayer magnetized plasma
Authors: Wang Pengxiang , Guo Sijia , Wang Qianyu , Zhang Haifeng , Zhang Dan
Published: January 2021

The phenomenon of non-reciprocity in the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) is studied in this paper. The proposed structure is composed of a glass layer, multilayer magnetized plasma layers, and an air layer. The multilayer magnetized plasma layers are arranged in accordance with the fifth Fibonacci sequence. The simulated results demonstrate that

ω

p
a

,

ω

p
b

(plasma frequencies of magnetized plasma for layers A and B),

f

(the frequency of the incident light), and the number of the magnetized plasma layers affect the behavior of non-reciprocity in the SHEL. The computed results also show that with the enhancement of

ω

p
a

,

ω

p
b

, and

f

, the phenomenon of non-reciprocity will be more obvious, evident by the distinct difference between the forward and backward incidence. However, the increase in the number of magnetized plasma layers has the effect of limiting the advantages of non-reciprocity in the SHEL. Those results demonstrate that the difference of

δ
H

(horizontal displacements) between the forward and backward incidence in the third sequence is 6 times greater than that in the fourth sequence, and the difference of

δ
H

in the fourth sequence is bigger than that in the fifth sequence. Through these findings, the non-reciprocity in the SHEL will be better understood and they will be of help in the development of optical isolators and non-reciprocal sensors.
Optimizing sample illumination scanning in transmission tomographic diffractive microscopy
Authors: Taddese Asemare Mengistie , Verrier Nicolas , Debailleul Matthieu , Courbot Jean-Baptiste , Haeberlé Olivier
Published: January 2021

Due to the sequential nature of data acquisition, it is preferable to
limit the number of illuminations to be used in tomographic
diffractive microscopy experiments, especially if fast imaging is
foreseen. On the other hand, for high-quality, high-resolution
imaging, the Fourier space has to be optimally filled. Up to now, the
problem of optimal Fourier space filling has not been investigated in
itself. In this paper, we perform a comparative study to analyze the
effect of sample scanning patterns on Fourier space filling for a
transmission setup. Optical transfer functions for several
illumination patterns are studied. Simulation as well as experiments
are conducted to compare associated image reconstructions. We found
that 3D uniform angular sweeping best fills the Fourier space, leading
to better quality images.
Improved algorithm for the quasi-discrete Hankel transform
Authors: Malinka Aleksey
Published: January 2021

An improved algorithm for numerical evaluation of the Hankel transform is developed. The algorithm originally proposed by Yu et al. [Opt. Lett. 23, 409 (1998)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.23.000409] uses the quadrature in which the nodes are zeros of the Bessel function. In this work, it is shown that the accuracy of the algorithm can be significantly improved, with virtually no increase in computation time, via two steps. One is to halve the weight of the last node, and the other is to extrapolate a function tail using the modified Bessel function of the second kind, which gives the analytical estimation of the integral remainder.
148-W single-frequency Nd:YAG Innoslab μs-amplifier at 1064 nm with high efficiency
Authors: Zhang Xuguang , Ye Junzhi , Luo Xingwang , Chen Xiaoming , Zhang Lei , Xu Xiafei , Ren Huaijin , Lu Yanhua , Ma Yi , Gao Qingsong , Sun Jun , Wang Weimin
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a single-frequency quasi-continuous-wave partially pumped slab (Innoslab) amplifier at 1064 nm is reported. The 4.4-W single-frequency seed laser was amplified to 148.1 W with optical-optical efficiency of 30.4%. The output pulse duration was 141.4 μs at the repetition of 500 Hz. The beam quality factors of M2 were 1.41 and 1.37 in the horizontal and vertical direction respectively. The experimental results match well with the numerical simulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on single-frequency Nd:YAG Innoslab amplifier with such a high output power and efficiency.
Vector magnetic field sensor based on U-bent single-mode fiber and magnetic fluid
Authors: Li Yongxi , Pu Shengli , Hao Zijian , Yan Shaokang , Zhang Yuxiu , Lahoubi Mahieddine
Published: January 2021

A novel, compact, and easy fabrication vector magnetic field sensor has been proposed and investigated. The proposed sensor consists of a U-bent single-mode fiber fixed in a magnetic-fluid-filled vessel. Neither mechanical modification nor additional fiber grating is needed during the sensor fabrication. The results show that the response of magnetic fluid to magnetic field can be used to measure the direction and intensity of magnetic field via whispering gallery modes supported by the U-bent fiber structure with suitable bending radius. The sensitivity of direction is 0.251 nm/°, and the maximum magnetic field intensity sensitivity is 0.517 nm/mT. Besides, the results of this work prove the feasibility for realizing vector magnetic sensors based on other bending structures (such as bending multimode interference, bending SPR structure) in the future.
Tunable electrochromic filter for in situ Fourier spatial frequency filtering
Authors: Hein A. , Kaiser B. , Kortz C. , Oesterschulze E.
Published: January 2021

Spatial optical Fourier filtering is a widespread technique for in situ image or light field processing. However, conventional fixed absorbing patterns or mechanical irises only allow an inflexible, very restricted control. Thus, we present two electrochromic spatial filters with ring-shaped or directional segments, which can be individually addressed and continuously tuned in transmission resulting in up to 512 different filtering states. For realization of the electrochromic devices, we overcome technical obstacles to realize seamless, gap-free electrochromic segments. We describe this novel fabrication process and demonstrate the successful application in an optical Fourier transform set-up.
Generating narrow bandwidth pulses in a hybrid mode-locked fiber laser
Authors: Wen Zengrun , Lu Baole , Wang Kaile , Chen Shuangcheng , Bai Jintao
Published: January 2021

We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, an all-fiber erbium-doped mode-locked laser in which mode-locking (ML) is realized by the combination of nonlinear polarization rotation and a saturable dynamic filtering effect, thereby generating nearly transform-limited ultrashort pulses with a pulse duration and spectral width of 45.2 ps and 0.0775 nm, respectively. The laser achieves both ML and harmonic ML by increasing the pump power. Simultaneously, the filtering function is maintained by the saturable dynamic induced grating (SDIG) throughout the power-modulation process. Furthermore, numerical simulations are used to analyze the pulse energy evolution in the cavity, revealing the advantages of hybrid ML in decreasing the pulse duration and time-bandwidth product under narrow filtering status. This work proposes a practical method to achieve ultrafast laser pulses with a narrow bandwidth, solving the problem that the SDIG has a hard time realizing a stable ML sequence.
Bio-inspired wrinkle microstructures for random lasing governed by surface roughness
Authors: Gummaluri Venkata Siva , Gayathri R. , Vijayan C. , Matham Murukeshan Vadakke
Published: January 2021

A method for fabricating bio-inspired scattering substrates based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for spatially incoherent random lasing is presented. The leaves of monstera and piper sarmentosum plants are used to mold PDMS polymer to form wrinkle-like scattering substrates, which are then used with a liquid gain medium for random lasing. Scattering is attributed to the surface roughness (

S

a

) of the samples. The rougher sample with 5.2 µm

S

a

shows a two-mode stable lasing with a 2 nm linewidth and a lower threshold fluence of

0.2

m
J

/

c
m

2

compared to the sample with smaller

S

a

(3.6 µm) with a linewidth of 5 nm and a threshold fluence of

0.5

m
J

/

c
m

2

. The waveguide theory substantiates the results of incoherent random lasing through a relation between the microstructure feature size and the mean free path. Power Fourier transform analysis is used to deduce the resonant cavity length of 180 µm in the rougher sample, and the observed variations in cavity length with

S

a

validate the optical feedback. PDMS being hydrophobic, the scattering substrate can be reused by wiping off the gain medium. This Letter paves the way for facile fabrication methods of bio-inspired random lasers for sensing and imaging applications.
Enhanced c-axis KTN beam deflector by compensating compositional gradient effect with a thermal gradient
Authors: Lee Yun Goo , Chen Chang-Jiang , Shang Annan , Liu Ruijia , Chao Ju-Hung , Yin Shizhuo
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we propose an enhanced c-axis potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) based electro-optic (EO) deflector by compensating the performance degradation using a thermal gradient. The naturally existing composition gradient in KTN crystals prevents KTN deflectors from working at its maximum functionality at all locations along the propagation path. To overcome this fundamental limitation, we propose a KTN deflector with a temperature gradient to ensure all locations of KTN to work at the temperature having its highest permittivity. Our experimental data shows the KTN deflector with temperature gradient has near three times higher deflection angle than that of the case under uniform temperature.
Grief reaction and psychosocial impacts of child death and stillbirth on bereaved North Indian parents: A qualitative study
Authors: Das Manoja Kumar , Arora Narendra Kumar , Gaikwad Harsha , Chellani Harish , Debata Pradeep , Rasaily Reeta , Meena K. R. , Kaur Gurkirat , Malik Prikanksha , Joshi Shipra , Kumari Mahisha
Published: January 2021

Background

Grief following stillbirth and child death are one of the most traumatic experience for parents with psychosomatic, social and economic impacts. The grief profile, severity and its impacts in Indian context are not well documented. This study documented the grief and coping experiences of the Indian parents following stillbirth and child death.

Methods

This exploratory qualitative study in Delhi (India) included in-depth interviews with parents (50 mothers and 49 fathers), who had stillbirth or child death, their family members (n = 41) and community representatives (n = 12). Eight focus group discussions were done with community members (n = 72). Inductive data analysis included thematic content analysis. Perinatal Grief Scale was used to document the mother’s grief severity after 6–9 months of loss.

Results

The four themes emerged were grief anticipation and expression, impact of the bereavement, coping mechanism, and sociocultural norms and practices. The parents suffered from disbelief, severe pain and helplessness. Mothers expressed severe grief openly and some fainted. Fathers also had severe grief, but didn’t express openly. Some parents shared self-guilt and blamed the hospital/healthcare providers, themselves or family. Majority had no/positive change in couple relationship, but few faced marital disharmony. Majority experienced sleep, eating and psychological disturbances for several weeks. Mothers coped through engaging in household work, caring other child(ren) and spiritual activities. Fathers coped through avoiding discussion and work and professional engagement. Fathers resumed work after 5–20 days and mothers took 2–6 weeks to resume household chores. Unanticipated loss, limited family support and financial strain affected the severity and duration of grief. 57.5% of all mothers and 80% mothers with stillbirth had severe grief after 6–9 months.

Conclusions

Stillbirth and child death have lasting psychosomatic, social and economic impacts on parents, which are usually ignored. Sociocultural and religion appropriate bereavement support for the parents are needed to reduce the impacts.