bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workplace empowerment and organisational commitment: a correlational study in a Saudi Arabian hospital
Authors: Al Mutair Abbas , Alghadheeb Fatemah , Aldukhi Zahra , Alarab Ghina , Ahmad Gasmelseed Y
Published: February 2023

Background/Aims

Structural empowerment of employees can increase job satisfaction and performance. This study explored the relationships between workforce empowerment and measurable levels of organisational commitment among employees in a private, tertiary-level hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A correlational cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered anonymous survey, which incorporated the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Three-Component Model Employee Commitment Survey and a sociodemographic survey created by the authors. The questionnaire was distributed through the hospital's website with the aim of reaching every medical and non-medical employee (n=1900). A total of 739 staff members completed the questionnaire. Analysis was performed to identify relationships between empowerment, commitment and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

There was a significant positive correlation between empowerment and organisational commitment. Age and years of experience in the profession, hospital and country were positively correlated with both empowerment and commitment. Those who were Saudi Arabian citizens and/or of Arab ethnicity had lower levels of workforce empowerment than those of other ethnicities and nationalities.

Conclusions

Workplace empowerment can directly influence organisational commitment among medical and non-medical healthcare staff, which has implications for staff retention and satisfaction. Employers should target interventions at staff groups with lower levels of empowerment, such as younger and less experienced professionals.
The experiences of mental health nurses working through COVID-19: an analysis of long-term support needs
Authors: Farrington Aoife , King Marie , Donohue Gráinne , McCann Edward
Published: February 2023

Background/Aims

Throughout the global pandemic, nurses have had to deal with increased workloads, the fear of exposure to COVID-19 on top of risking their own health and that of their families. In mental health services, the challenge of providing care for distressed service users while managing identified personal experiences has been significant. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses' professional experiences of working through the global pandemic and how personal circumstances may have impacted on this. The objectives were to examine the consequences of working through the pandemic to identify future support needs.

Methods

This qualitative study used descriptive data from (n=161) responses received via a Qualtrics survey that was subjected to a thematic analysis.

Results

Following data analysis, four themes were identified: contamination; alienation; resilience; and existential shift.

Conclusions

Mental health nurses continue to prove their ability to adapt and operationalise change in a high intensity environment. However, there is an impact in having to manage personal safety, fears, personal circumstances and mental health in the long term. Strong and emotionally supportive leadership and individualised support is needed to help alleviate the long-term burden on mental health nurses.
Upcoming Conferences of Interest to the AHP/ANP Community
Authors: Karpak Birsen
Published: February 2023

There are three upcoming conferences that would be beneficial for the AHP/ANP community. 
The first conference is “The 23rd Conference of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies”, IFORS2023 STGO to be held in Santiago, Chile, July 10-14, 2023.
Second, the INFORMS Annual Conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, October 15-18, 2023. Phoenix is a popular location with INFORMS members. We are expecting some AHP/ANP and extensions scholars to participate in this conference. I am planning to invite our AHP/ANP colleagues from all over the world.
In the scientific program, there is a cluster for Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis, in which there will be at least one AHP/ANP invited session:  AHP/ANP and extensions (Organized by Birsen Karpak, Ilker Topcu)
Last, but not least, is the MCDM 2024 conference. The Tunisian Decision Aid Society is organizing this international conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making which will be held in Hammamet, Tunisia, June 2-7, 2024.
La villa y La villa de César Aira: territorio y literatura en un pliegue de la crisis
Authors: Márquez Joaquín
Published: February 2023

A partir de las nociones de territorio e isla urbana elaboradas por Ludmer (2020), el trabajo propone una lectura de La villa de César Aira que problematiza algunos aspectos de su lectura de la novela y su especulación teórica. Se plantea que aquello que une a los habitantes de la villa y forma comunidad no está dado por un sustrato biológico invariante, sino por una serie de prácticas que surgen como «adaptaciones súbitas» a la precariedad impuesta por la crisis argentina de fines de la década de 1990. Estas prácticas constituyen improvisaciones de invención colectiva con las cuales los habitantes de la villa organizan el territorio y transforman sus condiciones de vida. Elaborada con materiales precarios, la escritura de la novela se deja permear por estas prácticas, cuya lógica adopta como principio constructivo de la trama. La villa y La villa, el territorio y la escritura de Aira se identifican en tanto invenciones de nuevas posibilidades de vida en un pliegue de la crisis neoliberal. Por último, el territorio de la villa permite distinguir la literatura de Aira tanto de la literatura autónoma moderna como del modo de funcionamiento de la televisión.
Enfrentar aquello que fue oculto: testimonios sobre el abuso en la obra de Belén López Peiró
Authors: Indri Carla Maria
Published: February 2023

El presente artículo analiza los libros Por qué volvías cada verano (2018) y Donde no hago pie (2021) de la autora Belén López Peiró. Se pretende demostrar el valor que adquiere la mirada dentro de la trama que narra las experiencias de abuso sexual sufridas durante la adolescencia de la autora/narradora. El testimonio y la non-fiction hacen visibles las condiciones en las cuales tuvieron lugar los abusos y también muestran, años después, el contexto que posibilita el empoderamiento de la víctima. En este sentido, las marcas de la violencia vivenciada en el cuerpo adquieren un nuevo significado al quebrar el silencio y habilitar un efecto reparador para la protagonista.
Osvaldo Lamborghini visual: corporalidad y escritura
Authors: Noguera Valeria Agustina , Caminada Rossetti Lucía
Published: February 2023

En este artículo se analiza una selección de dibujos y bocetos recientemente rescatados del archivo visual del escritor argentino Osvaldo Lamborghini. Lo visual en relación con las marcas de escritura que se superponen interpela su narrativa, por ello se hace hincapié en el estudio de las políticas corporales que se destacan por el exceso, la obscenidad y los ritos vinculados con la violencia. La totalidad de su legado se aparta voluntaria y constantemente de la exigencia canónica para situarse fuera del universo legítimo de la producción artística y literaria de la época. En su obra tanto literaria como artística se manifiesta la corporalidad y los mecanismos de poder que operan desde lo sexual, lo pornográfico y lo político.  La hipótesis de esta propuesta plantea que, en la obra visual póstuma de Osvaldo Lamborghini, el cuerpo se ubica como objeto de dominación sexual, se destaca el vínculo entre amo y esclavo y, a su vez, el ojo y la mano conforman las partes sensibles que habilitan su lectura desde la estética visual. El objetivo es presentar la mirada desde la corporalidad demarcada y atravesada por políticas que presentan una importante contribución a las discusiones actuales en torno a la construcción de poéticas del cuerpo en el cruce con estéticas visuales.
La utopía cardenista: la construcción del pueblo durante el gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas
Authors: Quintana Navarrete Jorge
Published: February 2023

Este artículo analiza el potencial utópico del cardenismo en el México posrevolucionario y su relación con la construcción política del «pueblo». Partiendo de una distinción propuesta por Agamben entre el Pueblo como sujeto político hegemónico y el pueblo como multitud subalterna, el artículo argumenta que los intelectuales cercanos al gobierno proyectaron la creación del Pueblo cardenista como un sujeto unificado, sin conflictos ni fisuras. Según su perspectiva, antes de la llegada del cardenismo no existía un Pueblo propiamente dicho, sino apenas un pueblo, es decir, masas de campesinos subalternos sin la capacidad de generar una transformación política. La construcción del Pueblo sería entonces el producto de una maquinaria estatal conformada por aparatos tecnológicos, instituciones e infraestructura. Sin embargo, esta concepción de los intelectuales orgánicos cardenistas invisibiliza el hecho de que las movilizaciones populares no solo antecedieron y sentaron las bases para las reformas políticas cardenistas, sino que también permanecieron como una presencia subterránea que la maquinaria estatal buscaba orientar y canalizar. En esta posible irrupción de la multitud heterogénea del pueblo y su tensión con el Pueblo constituido reside el potencial utópico relacionado con el cardenismo como discurso político.
Escala neuroeducativa para la Planeación y la Intervención Didáctica (ENEPID)
Authors: Díaz-Cabriales Alejandro
Published: February 2023

El presente reporte de investigación muestra el trabajo realizado en el diseño y validación de un instrumento para medir el nivel neuroeducativo de la práctica docente o de la planeación didáctica. Para ello se estableció una base teórica a partir de las propuestas más recientes en neurociencia cognitiva aplicada y de algunas áreas afines con aportes útiles para el enfoque del aprendizaje basado en el cerebro, con el objetivo de desarrollar una escala neuropedagógica para la planeación y la intervención didáctica (ENEPID). A partir de las aportaciones de múltiples autores se logró la consolidación de 11 dimensiones que engloban aspectos esenciales para que la práctica docente y/o la planeación didáctica estén alineadas con el aprendizaje basado en el cerebro: atención, curiosidad, diseño universal para el aprendizaje, emociones, funciones ejecutivas y cognitivas, memorias, neuroaprendizaje, neuroeducador, neuroevaluación, periodos atencionales y planeación neurodidáctica. Bajo el diseño de una escala tipo Likert se produjo la ENEPID, la cual fue piloteada con 10 docentes y validada por expertos bajo la metodología V de Aiken. Posteriormente la escala fue aplicada a 176 maestros de diferentes niveles educativos en el estado de Durango, México. Con los datos obtenidos, el instrumento fue analizado por medios estadísticos para determinar su validez, confiabilidad y consistencia interna. Como resultado se concluye que el instrumento es totalmente viable para ser utilizado en la medición del nivel neuroeducativo tanto de la práctica docente como de la planeación didáctica en cualquier nivel educativo, observando además una influencia equilibrada todas las dimensiones en el nivel neuroeducativo.
Calculation of the optical forces exerted on a nano-dielectric sphere induced by a pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian beam
Authors: Shukri M. A. , Thabit F. M.
Published: February 2023

Theoretically, we investigated the optical force exerted on a nano-dielectric sphere illuminated by a pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian beam. In the frame of the dipole approximation, analytical expressions for the optical force were derived. Based on these analytical expressions, the effects of pulse duration τ and beam mode order (l,p) on the optical force were studied. It is recognized that the optical force values and the trapping regions are remarkably affected by changing pulse duration and mode parameters. Our results show good agreement with the results obtained by other authors for the use of a continuous Laguerre–Gaussian beam and pulsed Gaussian beam.
Fresnel zone plate sculptured out of diamond by femtosecond laser for harsh environments
Authors: Wu Peichao , Cao Xiaowen , Chu Wubo , Chen Zhihao , Yuan Hongbing , Wang Rujia , Yao Songbai , Juodkazis Saulius , Zhang Wenwu
Published: February 2023

With the rapid development of micro-optical applications, there is an increasing demand for micro-optical elements that can be made with minimal processing steps. Current research focuses on practical functionalities of optical performance, lightweight, miniaturization, and easy integration. As an important planar diffractive optical element, the Fresnel zone plate (FZP) provides a compact solution for focusing and imaging. However, the fabrication of FZPs with high quality out of hard and brittle materials remains challenging. Here, we report on the fabrication of diamond FZP by femtosecond laser direct writing. FZPs with the same outer diameter and different focal lengths of 250–1000 µm were made via ablation. The fabricated FZPs possess well-defined geometry and excellent focusing and imaging ability in the visible spectral range. Arrays of FZPs with different focal lengths were made for potential applications in imaging, sensing, and integrated optical systems.
Sub-Rayleigh dark-field imaging via speckle illumination
Authors: Dou Ling-Yu , Cao De-Zhong , Gao Lu , Song Xin-Bing
Published: February 2023

We demonstrate sub-Rayleigh dark-field imaging via speckle illumination. Imaging is achieved with second-order autocorrelated measurement by illuminating objects with hollow conical pseudothermal light. Our scheme can work well for highly transparent amplitude objects, pure phase objects, and even more complex transparent objects. The autocorrelated dark-field images show better resolution than intensity-averaged images and an ability in filtering out low-frequency noises.
Phase shift optimization of III/V-on-bulk-Si DFB LD for single-mode stability
Authors: Shin Dong , cha jungho , Shin Yong-hwack , shin changgyun , Byun Hyunil , Lee Changbum , Kim Woosung , Ha Kyoungho
Published: February 2023

A III/V-on-Bulk-Si DFB laser with a long phase shift section optimized for single-mode stability is presented. The optimized phase shift allows stable single-mode operations up to 20 times a threshold current. This mode stability is achieved by a gain difference between fundamental and higher modes maximized by sub-wavelength-scale tuning of the phase shift section. In SMSR-based yield analyses, the long-phase-shifted DFB laser showed superior performance compared to the conventional λ/4-phase-shifted ones.
Diffuse photon-remission associated with the center-illuminated-area-detection geometry. II, an approach to the time-domain model
Authors: Piao Daqing Daching , Sun Tengfei
Published: February 2023

Steady-state diffuse reflectance associated with a center-illuminated-area-detection (CIAD) geometry has shown potentials for tissue assessment and elucidating the patterns of single-fiber reflectance (SFR) via a simple scaling of the photon remission between the two geometries. Part I has demonstrated a new algebraic model approach to the steady-state diffuse photon remission associated with the CIAD geometry, by means of area-integration of a radially resolved diffuse photon remission projected by a master-slave dual-source scheme. This Part II proposes a model of time-dependent diffuse photon remission for the CIAD geometry, by virtue of area-integration of the radially resolved time-dependent diffuse photon remission formulated with the master-slave dual-source scheme. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, limiting to only the Heyney-Greenstein scattering phase function, are used to examine the outputs of the terminally algebraic model of the time-dependent photon remission associated with the CIAD geometry. The time-domain model is assessed against MC for CIAD of physical scales and medium properties that may be relevant to SfR and over a 2 ns duration in compliance with the timespan of the only experimental report of SfR demonstrated with a 50 μm gradient index fiber. The time-domain model-MC assessments are carried out for an absorption coefficient ranging 3-orders of magnitude over [0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1] mm-1 at a fixed typical scattering, and a reduced scattering coefficient ranging 3-orders of magnitude over [0.01, 0.1, 1, 10] mm-1 at a fixed typical absorption, among others, in association with a CIAD geometry of up to 1mm in diameter. Photons of shorter and longer propagation times, relative to the diameter of the area of collection, respond differently to the scattering and absorption changes, which indicates the benefit of time-domain information. Limited comparisons of MC between CIAD and a top-hat illumination-collection overlapped geometry reveal that the time-domain photon remissions of the two geometries differ appreciably in only the early arriving photons.
Food insecurity and risk of cholera: A cross-sectional study and exploratory analysis of potential mediators
Authors: Elnaiem Ahmed D. , Franke Molly F. , Richterman Aaron , Guillaume Yodeline , Vissieres Kenia , Augustin Gertrude Cene , Ternier Ralph , Ivers Louise C.
Published: February 2023

Background

Food insecurity has been independently associated with developing cholera and there is an inverse relationship between national food security and annual cholera incidence. However, the factors that mediate the risk of cholera among food insecure households remain largely unexplored.

Methodology and principal findings

In a cross-sectional survey of rural households in Haiti, we explored the role of food behaviors (i.e., dietary choices and food-handling practices) as mediators of cholera risk among food-insecure families. We generated a series of multivariable regression models to test hypothesized associations between the severity of food insecurity (measured by the Household Hunger Scale), hygiene and food behaviors, and history of severe, medically-attended cholera.

Moderate household hunger (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.47, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.05–2.04; p = 0.021) and severe hunger (AOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.45–4.15; p = 0.001) were positively associated with a history of severe, medically-attended cholera compared with little to no household hunger. Household hunger was positively associated with three behaviors: antacid use, consumption of leftover non-reheated food, and eating food and beverages prepared outside of the home (i.e., at a restaurant or from a vendor). Consumption of outside food items and antacid use were positively associated with a history of cholera.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that food behaviors may mediate the association between food insecurity and cholera and contribute to an understanding of how interventions could be designed to target food insecurity as part of cholera prevention and control.
Performance estimation of two in-house ELISA assays for COVID-19 surveillance through the combined detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA, IgM, and IgG immunoglobulin isotypes
Authors: Ramírez-Reveco Alfredo , Velásquez Gerardo , Aros Christopher , Navarrete Gabriela , Villarroel-Espíndola Franz , Navarrete Maritza , Fica Alberto , Plaza Anita , Castro Natalia , Verdugo Claudio , Acosta-Jamett Gerardo , Verdugo Cristóbal C.
Published: February 2023

The main objective of this study was to estimate the performance, under local epidemiological conditions, of two in-house ELISA assays for the combined detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA, IgM, and IgG immunoglobulins. A total of 94 serum samples were used for the assessment, where 44 corresponded to sera collected before the pandemic (free of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies), and 50 sera were collected from confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the main public hospital in the city of Valdivia, southern Chile. The Nucleocapsid (Np) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) proteins were separately used as antigens (Np and RBD ELISA, respectively) to assess their diagnostic performance. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to estimate the optical density (OD) cut-off that maximized the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the ELISA assays. Np ELISA had a mean Se of 94% (95% CI = 83.5–98.8%) and a mean Sp of 100% (95% CI = 92.0–100%), with an OD 450 nm positive cut-off value of 0.88. On the other hand, RBD ELISA presented a mean Se of 96% (95% CI = 86.3–99.5%) and a mean Sp of 90% (95% CI = 78.3–97.5%), with an OD 450 nm positive cut off value of 0.996. Non-significant differences were observed between the Se distributions of Np and RBD ELISAs, but the latter presented a significant lower Sp than Np ELISA. In parallel, collected sera were also analyzed using a commercial lateral flow chromatographic immunoassay (LFCI), to compare the performance of the in-house ELISA assays against a commercial test. The LFCI had a mean sensitivity of 94% (95% CI = 87.4–100%) and a mean specificity of 100% (95% CI = 100–100%). When compared to Np ELISA, non-significant differences were observed on the performance distributions. Conversely, RBD ELISA had a significant lower Sp than the LFCI. Although, Np ELISA presented a similar performance to the commercial test, this was 2.5 times cheaper than the LFCI assay (labor cost not considered). Thus, the in-house Np ELISA could be a suitable alternative tool, in resource limited environments, for the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection, supporting further epidemiological studies.
Fast detection of dam zone boundary based on Otsu thresholding optimized by enhanced harris hawks optimization
Authors: Qu Xiaofeng , Wang Jiajun , Wang Xiaoling , Hu Yike , Tan Tianwen , Kang Dong
Published: February 2023

Earth-rock dams are among the most important and expensive infrastructure projects. A key safety issue is dam zone boundary detection to prevent the intrusion of materials from different zones. However, existing detection methods strongly highly depend on human judgement, which is time consuming and labor intensive. To solve this problem, this work proposes a fast boundary detection method based on the Otsu algorithm optimized by enhanced Harris hawks optimization (HHO). Compared with the original Otsu algorithm, the proposed method has a higher computation speed to meet the time requirements of engineering projects. Particle swarm optimization is adopted to enhance the exploration stage of HHO. In addition, a tangent function and chaotic sine map are used to improve the convergence speed and robustness. The application of the proposed method to a real-life project shows that the calculation time can be reduced to 20 s, which is approximately 18.8% of the original calculation time.
Missed opportunities to address common mental disorders and risky alcohol use among people living with HIV in Zomba, Malawi: A cross sectional clinic survey
Authors: Kawiya Harry Henry , Davies Thandi , Lund Crick , Sorsdahl Katherine
Published: February 2023

Common mental disorders (CMDs) and risky alcohol use are highly prevalent among people living with HIV, yet many do not receive treatment for these mental health problems. In Malawi, despite a mental health policy aiming to include mental healthcare into primary health care, many clients with HIV go unscreened and untreated for mental illnesses, indicating missed opportunities to offer mental health care to people living with HIV. The aim of this study was to determine the numbers and types of missed opportunities for screening and treatment of CMDs and risky alcohol use amongst a sample of people living with HIV attending anti-retroviral (ART) clinics in Zomba Malawi. A descriptive cross-sectional clinic survey was used, at three ART clinics in the Zomba district. Random sampling was conducted for all clients attending their ART clinics on specific days. The study surveyed 382 participants living with HIV. Of these participants, the majority were women (N = 247, 64.7%), and 87 (22.8%) screened positive for CMDs and/or alcohol misuse using the self-reporting questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20) and alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). Of these, only 47 (54%) had been screened by health workers for CMDs or risky alcohol use in the past 12 months, and 66 (76%) wanted to receive treatment. Of the total sample of 382 participants, only 92 (24%) and 89 (23%) had been screened for CMDs or risky alcohol use by health workers. Failures by clinical officers and nurses to screen or treat CMDs and risky alcohol use in ART clinics represent missed opportunities to address the mental health of people living with HIV. Providing psychoeducation for staff, guidelines for screening and managing CMDs and alcohol use, increasing human resources, and accelerating implementation of the mental health policy in Malawi may be a few ways of improving mental health service provision at ART clinics in Malawi.
Understanding the effect of sociodemographic and psychological latent characteristics on flex-route transit acceptance
Authors: Yu Jingcai , Li Wenquan , Zhang Jin , Guo Rongrong , Zheng Yan
Published: February 2023

Flex-route transit (FRT) has significant advantages in low-demand areas. Existing studies have focused on practical experience, strategic planning, and operational planning. Few studies have addressed the effect of sociodemographic and psychological latent characteristics on the acceptance of FRT. This study aims at exploring the effect of sociodemographic and psychological latent characteristics on FRT acceptance. To finish the goal, a household survey is conducted from April to May 2020 in Nanjing, China. The survey includes sociodemographic characteristics and observed variables of individuals. Firstly, the study extracts six psychological latent characteristics to reflect individuals’ attitudes based on previous and mature researches in the field of technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB). Then, a multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) is applied to calculate six psychological latent characteristics. Finally, an integrated model, consisting of the MIMIC and a binary logit model (BLM), is applied to match sociodemographic and psychological latent characteristics. The BLM with sociodemographic characteristics is developed as the reference model to compare the effects of psychological latent characteristics. Results show that psychological latent factors play a significant role in estimating the effect on FRT acceptance. Results of the integrated model show that the parameter of car is -0.325, displaying individuals with private cars are more reluctant to use FRT. Therefore, restricting private cars is an effective measure to facilitate FRT. Improving flexibility (0.241) is a significant measure to facilitate FRT. Findings are expected to facilitate decision-making of transport planners and engineers, and therefore enhance the service of the FRT system.
High sensitivity and specificity rates of cobas® HPV test as a primary screening test for cervical intraepithelial lesions in a real-world setting
Authors: Fleider Laura Alicia , de los Ángeles Tinnirello María , Gómez Cherey Facundo , García María Gabriela , Cardinal Lucía Helena , García Kamermann Florencia , Tatti Silvio Alejandro
Published: February 2023

Cervical carcinoma (CC) is the fourth most common malignancy among women. Screening with Papanicolau smear is linked to a reduction in CC incidence rates when screening programs have been developed. However, this technique has several limitations, including moderate sensitivity rates for detection of cervical preneoplastic HPV-related lesions. In this real-world study, we proposed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity rates of cobas® test, which amplifies target DNA fragments by polymerase chain reaction and hybridization of nucleic acids for the detection of 14 HR-HPV types in a single analysis) used as primary screening test for CC and preneoplastic lesions in women aged 25–65 years in a large University Hospital in Buenos Aires. A total of 1044 patients were included in the sample (median age: 46 years); sensitivity and specificity rates for the HR-HPV test used as primary screening test were 98.66% (95% confidence interval [95CI]: 97.67–99.3%) and 87.15% (95CI: 84.93–89.15%), respectively. The positive predictive value was 88.47% (95CI: 86.54%-90.42%) and the negative predictive value was 98.48% (95CI: 97.75%-99.23%). The cobas® HR-HPV testing was highly sensitive and specific for the detection of CC and preneoplastic lesions in real practice.
Profiles of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by race and ethnicity in eastern Pennsylvania
Authors: Colvin Kenya M. , Camara Kennedy S. , Adams Latasha S. , Sarpong Adline P. , Fuller Danielle G. , Peck Sadie E. , Ramos Anthony S. , Acevedo Ariana L. , Badume Meless A. , Briggs Shae-lyn A. , Chukwurah Tiffany N. , Davila-Gutierrez Zanett , Ewing James A. , Frempong Jemimah O. , Garrett Amirah A. , Grampp Steven J. , Gillespie Jahasia W. , Herrera Emmanuel J. , Horsford Shantia M. E. , Maddox Emis J. , Pelaez John C. , Quartey Olivia L. , Rodriguez Fanny , Vasquez Luis A. , Piper Brian J. , Gowtham Swathi
Published: February 2023

Background

Throughout US history, chronic and infectious diseases have severely impacted minority communities due to a lack of accessibility to quality healthcare and accurate information, as well as underlying racism. These fault lines in the care of minority communities in the US have been further exacerbated by the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by race and ethnicity, particularly among African American and Latinx communities in Eastern Pennsylvania (PA).

Methods

Survey data was collected in July 2021 in Philadelphia, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, PA. The 203 participants (38.7% Black, 27.5% Latinx) completed the 28-question survey of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in either English or Spanish.

Result

Out of the 203 participants, 181 participants met all the inclusion criteria, including completed surveys; of these participants, over three-fifths (63.5%) were acceptant of the COVID-19 vaccine whereas the remainder (36.5%) were hesitant. Binary logistic regression results showed that age, concern for vaccine efficacy, race, knowledge on the vaccine, and belief that the COVID-19 virus is serious significantly influenced COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Minorities were more likely to be hesitant toward vaccination (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.8) than non-Hispanic whites. Those who believed the COVID-19 vaccine was ineffective (OR: 8.3, 95% CI: 3.8, 18.2), and that the virus is not serious (OR: 8.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 61.8) showed the greatest odds of hesitancy.

Conclusions

Minority status, age less than 45 years, misinformation about seriousness of COVID-19 illness, and concern about vaccine efficacy were contributing factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, understanding and addressing the barriers to COVID-19 vaccination in minority groups is essential to decreasing transmission and controlling this pandemic, and will provide lessons on how to implement public health measures in future pandemics.
Impulse oscillometry system for assessing small airway dysfunction in pediatric bronchiolitis obliterans; association with conventional pulmonary function tests
Authors: Lee Hye Jin , Kim Hwan Soo , Yoon Jong-seo
Published: February 2023

Impulse oscillometry system (IOS) is a simple, and less invasive method for assessing small to total airway resistance in children. We analyzed the correlation between IOS, spirometry, and plethysmographic parameters performed for the diagnosis of pediatric BO patients. A total of 89 IOS assessments of pediatric BO patients or children without lung disease were included, and the relationship between pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and diagnostic performance was analyzed. R5, R5-20, X5, and AX were statistically significantly worse in the BO group. In general linear correlation analysis, R5% (adjusted β [aβ], -0.59; p < 0.001) and AX % (aβ, -0.9; p < 0.001) showed the strongest correlation with conventional PFT parameters. R5% and AX % also showed the highest correlation with FEF25-75% (aβ, -0.48; p < 0.001 and aβ, -0.83; p < 0.001), and sRaw % (aβ, -0.73; p = 0.003 and aβ, -0.59; p = 0.008, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that R5 Z-score showed the highest ORs with FEV1 (OR = 3.94, p = 0.006), FEF25-75% (OR = 5.96, p = 0.005), and sRaw % (OR = 4.85, p = 0.022). Receiver operating curve analysis suggested AX % and R5% as the most optimal IOS parameters for BO diagnostic performance with the area under the curve of 0.915 and 0.882, respectively. In conclusion, R5 and AX are the parameters that can independently identify the severity of airway obstruction in pediatric BO patients without conventional lung function tests. IOS is an easy-to-perform, and reliable diagnostic method capable of detecting pathological obliteration of the small airways in children with BO.
Characterisation of meteorological drought at sub-catchment scale in Afghanistan using station-observed climate data
Authors: Chen Yun , Penton David , Karim Fazlul , Aryal Santosh , Wahid Shahriar , Taylor Peter , Cuddy Susan M.
Published: February 2023

Droughts have severely affected Afghanistan over the last four decades, leading to critical food shortages where two-thirds of the country’s population are in a food crisis. Long years of conflict have lowered the country’s ability to deal with hazards such as drought which can rapidly escalate into disasters. Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of droughts is needed to be able to respond effectively to disasters and plan for future occurrences. This study used Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at monthly, seasonal and annual temporal scales to map the spatiotemporal change dynamics of drought characteristics (distribution, frequency, duration and severity) in Afghanistan. SPEI indices were mapped for river basins, disaggregated into 189 sub-catchments, using monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration derived from temperature station observations from 1980 to 2017. The results show these multi-dimensional drought characteristics vary along different years, change among sub-catchments, and differ across temporal scales. During the 38 years, the driest decade and period are 2000s and 1999–2022, respectively. The 2000–01 water year is the driest with the whole country experiencing ‘severe’ to ‘extreme’ drought, more than 53% (87 sub-catchments) suffering the worst drought in history, and about 58% (94 sub-catchments) having ‘very frequent’ drought (7 to 8 months) or ‘extremely frequent’ drought (9 to 10 months). The estimated seasonal duration and severity present significant variations across the study area and among the study period. The nation also suffers from recurring droughts with varying length and intensity in 2004, 2006, 2008 and most recently 2011. There is a trend towards increasing drought with longer duration and higher severity extending all over sub-catchments from southeast to north and central regions. These datasets and maps help to fill the knowledge gap on detailed sub-catchment scale meteorological drought characteristics in Afghanistan. The study findings improve our understanding of the influences of climate change on the drought dynamics and can guide catchment planning for reliable adaptation to and mitigation against future droughts.
Modeling the iron storage protein ferritin reveals how residual ferrihydrite iron determines initial ferritin iron sequestration kinetics
Authors: Masison Joseph , Mendes Pedro
Published: February 2023

Computational models can be created more efficiently by composing them from smaller, well-defined sub-models that represent specific cellular structures that appear often in different contexts. Cellular iron metabolism is a prime example of this as multiple cell types tend to rely on a similar set of components (proteins and regulatory mechanisms) to ensure iron balance. One recurrent component, ferritin, is the primary iron storage protein in mammalian cells and is necessary for cellular iron homeostasis. Its ability to sequester iron protects cells from rising concentrations of ferrous iron limiting oxidative cell damage. The focus of the present work is establishing a model that tractably represents the ferritin iron sequestration kinetics such that it can be incorporated into larger cell models, in addition to contributing to the understanding of general ferritin iron sequestration dynamics within cells. The model’s parameter values were determined from published kinetic and binding experiments and the model was validated against independent data not used in its construction. Simulation results indicate that FT concentration is the most impactful on overall sequestration dynamics, while the FT iron saturation (number of iron atoms sequestered per FT cage) fine tunes the initial rates. Finally, because this model has a small number of reactions and species, was built to represent important details of FT kinetics, and has flexibility to include subtle changes in subunit composition, we propose it to be used as a building block in a variety of specific cell type models of iron metabolism.
Supporting DACA recipients and international students pursuing careers in medicine: A pilot program for advisors
Authors: Iwai Yoshiko , Brizuela Keny Murillo , Ruiz Jesus , Gustafson Erin , Kuczewski Mark G. , Beck Dallaghan Gary L.
Published: February 2023

The United States (U.S.) health professions are becoming more invested in diversity. Information on students who are undocumented or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and international students on student visas entering U.S. medical education is sparse. Few programs offer targeted training for educators on advising students who are undocumented, DACA recipients, or on a visa. We piloted a virtual program for pre-health advisors and educators on supporting students who are undocumented or recipients of DACA and international students transitioning to medical school. Program evaluation consisted of an anonymous retrospective pre-post survey. Of 117 registrants, 40% completed the survey. Prior to the program, most participants indicated that they were unsure or thought students were ineligible for financial aid during medical school if they were DACA recipients (40% unsure, 26.6% ineligible) or on a student visa (30% unsure, 30% ineligible). After the program, most respondents reported students were eligible for merit scholarship or private loans with DACA (66.6% eligible) or an international student visa (60% eligible). Perceptions of students with DACA being able to lawfully practice medicine in the U.S. changed from pre-program (43.3% unsure or not eligible) to post-program (90% eligible). Participants indicated they were more confident advising DACA recipients and international students post program. This virtual program was an effective step in providing support for advisors who are assisting non-citizen or permanent resident students start their careers in healthcare. Our findings show the need for more information on advising students who are DACA recipients, undocumented, or on student visas prior to matriculating to medical school and throughout training.
Decolonizing art and design: Rethinking critical and contextual studies
Authors: Arya Rina
Published: February 2023

The history of art, more accurately described as the history of western art, has been premised on a history of cultural imperialism that privileges certain traditions and ideologies over others. The decline of the discipline within the academy in recent decades and replacement in many cases with the more critically evaluative and broader area of critical and contextual studies (CCS) has filled a function in art and design education but needs to be critically interrogated for its relevance and its pedagogical usefulness in thinking about the politicized discourse of art. Attempts have been made within the academy to decolonize the curriculum. Within the context of CCS this entails ensuring standardizing the approach to the subject but not the content, which would be neither desirable nor possible given the decentralized way in which CCS is staffed. A standardization of approach means the inculcation of critical reflexivity when considering structures of knowledge, which helps identify gaps in the curricula and ways of addressing these. Decolonizing is a process that needs to be continuous and reflexive in order to embed significant change.
Teaching beyond control? On situating a fence and the agonizing effect of graffiti-based cultural practices as challenge and chance for museum education
Authors: Fridrik Stefanie
Published: February 2023

In autumn 2020 the open-air construction fence exhibition Face It! of Vienna’s city museum (Wien Museum) was repeatedly damaged and marked with graffiti during demonstrations against measures taken by the government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the museum decided to re-curate the initial exhibition and exhibited the protesters’ graffiti markings instead. Approaching these events through situational analysis, I interrogate their political and politicizing dimension in reference to Chantal Mouffe’s idea of ‘agonistic pluralism’ and a radical democratic conceptualization of museum practice. By delineating their agonizing effect, I argue for a conflict-attuned notion of graffiti-based cultural practices in order to foster their democratic potential. In the end, I assess the museum’s decision to re-curate and ask if it contributes to a democratization of its practice and furthermore which role (re-politicized) museum education did and could play in this context.
Taking back self-care! Challenging the invisibility of unpaid care work through feminist art
Authors: Höft Swantje , Micić Jelena
Published: February 2023

Once again, the COVID-19 pandemic has tragically made visible on whose shoulders the functioning of our society rests. While precarious workers faced depletion and increased time-poverty, the privileged gained an extra portion of leisure time. Under the present conjectures, politics of time allocation have exacerbated. We are a Vienna-based feminist art collective, which during the pandemic experienced an urge to shift our work on unpaid care work towards the dimension of self-care. We stress on the feminist potential of practices of self-care, to subvert, as a collective action, neo-liberal notions of individualized ‘self-carishness’. In this article, we illustrate this shift with an array of selected artworks, which problematize the social relations around unpaid and underpaid labour in relating to historical sites. Hereby we search historically meaningful venues of feminist struggles to create a public sphere of discussion. Our artwork consists of a range of emancipatory practices from performance to fine arts, including pieces like public psychotherapy consultations, a video installation of the invisibility of the cleaning body, a performance of ‘the mother that is not present’. Besides exhibiting, the collective also engaged in editing an art book, featuring artist workshops on the legal dimension of care, labour union activism, feminist writing and other collective strategies of taking back self-care.
Redes de parentesco y familias de los inmigrantes chinos en España: estudio de casos
Authors: Jin Yangmin , Gómez-Pellón Eloy
Published: February 2023

El presente texto es el resultado de un trabajo de investigación acerca del papel de las redes familiares en el fenómeno de las migraciones chinas en España. El trabajo de campo se llevó a cabo en la provincia de Salamanca, a partir de la observación participante y de una larga serie de entrevistas semiestructuradas y relatos de vida que permitieron reconstruir las peripecias vitales de estos inmigrantes en suelo español. El común denominador de los relatos de los protagonistas viene dado por la importancia que estos inmigrantes, procedentes de las áreas de Guangxi, Fujian y Qingtian, le atribuyen a la familia y a las redes de parentesco en su vivencia cotidiana. Se trata de espesas redes, que, sirviéndose del soporte étnico, llegan a proveer al migrante de recursos, de apoyo y de un profundo sentido identitario. El hecho de que estas redes de parentesco sean transoceánicas determina la complejidad de un proceso que no está exento de tensiones, y cuya gestión corresponde a la familia nuclear.
Sinhogarismo y fuente de ingresos: estudio longitudinal sobre la influencia del apoyo formal y la renta del trabajo en la reducción del sinhogarismo
Authors: Rodilla Navarro Juan Manuel , Puchol Ros Gloria , Botija Yagüe Mercedes
Published: February 2023

El presente estudio muestra los resultados de un análisis cuantitativo longitudinal, obtenidos a partir de una muestra de 137 personas sin hogar atendidas en un recurso residencial de personas sin hogar en la ciudad de Valencia (España). El análisis se centra en estudiar la evolución de la situación residencial y económica de la muestra después de veinticuatro meses de la salida del recurso residencial. De las personas contactadas dos años más tarde a la salida del recurso, casi la totalidad se encontraban con techo (categoría Operacional B o superior de la Tipología Europea de Sin Hogar y Exclusión Residencial), y habían aumentado sus ingresos económicos en un 600%. Siendo la principal causa del incremento de la fuente de ingresos la recepción de rentas mínimas u otro tipo de ayudas, y no tanto la renta del trabajo. Los hallazgos del estudio longitudinal realizado han permitido constatar que cuando la atención recibida permite mejorar la fuente de ingresos, las personas atendidas mejoran su situación residencial tanto a la salida como a los dos años de dejar el recurso. Esta relación vendría a ratificar el enfoque de la nueva ortodoxia por la cual las estructuras de apoyo formal (acceso a ayudas públicas) y desarrollo de capacidades individuales (programas de empleo) son mecanismos efectivos de prevención y mitigación del sinhogarismo. Los resultados subrayan las dificultades asociadas al acceso de la población sin hogar al mercado laboral, subrayando la efectividad de medidas de protección social que garantizan un ingreso mínimo, como las rentas básicas, para gran parte de la población sin hogar.
WORK-FROM-HOME PRODUCTIVITY IN INDONESIA
Authors: Saputra Nopriadi , Hayat Hayat , Ardyansyah Farid , Palupiningtyas Dyah , Khusna Khanifatul , Karneli Okta
Published: February 2023

During COVID-19, working from home (WFH) becomes most possible working arrangement alternative in order to practice social distancing. The productivity of WFH is still questioned by many organizations, especially companies which conduct WFH extensively for the first time. Do digital skills, work motivation, digital leadership, digital collaboration, perceived organizational support, and performance management impact positively and significantly on work productivity? This paper is based on cross-sectional study which involved 855 office workers from 32 provinces in Indonesia.  PLS SEM and SmartPLS version 3.0 were used to structure and test the research model. The analysis result reveals that individual factor influences WFH productivity directly, while group and organizational antecedents influenced indirectly. To leverage WFH productivity, organizations should focus to develop digital skills and work motivation as individual factor. The organizational and group antecedents should be aligned and directed to impact on WFH productivity.