bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nurses’ perceptions on implementing a task-shifting/sharing strategy for hypertension management in patients with HIV in Nigeria: a group concept mapping study
Authors: Aifah Angela , Onakomaiya Deborah , Iwelunmor Juliet , Oladele David , Gbajabiamila Titilola , Obiezu-Umeh Chisom , Nwaozuru Ucheoma , Musa Adesola Z. , Ezechi Oliver , Ogedegbe Gbenga
Published: June 2020

Background

People living with HIV (PWH) in Africa have higher burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) compared to the general population, probably due to increased burden of hypertension (HTN). In this study, we explored nurses’ perceptions of factors that may influence the integration of an evidence-based task-shifting/sharing strategy for hypertension control (TASSH) into routine HIV care in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods

Using group concept mapping, we examined the perceptions of 22 nurses from HIV clinics in Lagos. Participants responded to a focused prompt on the barriers and facilitators of integrating TASSH into HIV care; next, separate focus groups generated relevant statements on these factors; and statements were then sorted and rated on their importance and feasibility of adoption to create cluster maps of related themes. The statements and cluster maps were categorized according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) domains.

Results

All study participants were women and with 2 to 16 years’ experience in the provision of HIV care. From the GCM activities, 81 statements were generated and grouped into 12 themes. The most salient statements reflected the need for ongoing training of HIV nurses in HTN management and challenges in adapting TASSH in HIV clinics. A synthesis of the cluster themes using CFIR showed that most clusters reflected intervention characteristics and inner setting domains. The potential challenges to implementing TASSH included limited hypertension knowledge among HIV nurses and the need for on-going supervision on implementing task-shifting/sharing.

Conclusions

Findings from this study illustrate a variety of opinions regarding the integration of HTN management into HIV care in Nigeria. More importantly, it provides critical, evidence-based support in response to the call to action raised by the 2018 International AIDS Society Conference regarding the need to implement more NCD-HIV integration interventions in low-and middle-income countries through strategies, which enhance human resources. This study provides insight into factors that can facilitate stakeholder engagement in utilizing study results and prioritizing next steps for TASSH integration within HIV care in Nigeria.
Immunological Differences Between Immune-Rich Estrogen Receptor–Positive and Immune-Rich Triple-Negative Breast Cancers
Authors: O’Meara Tess , Marczyk Michal , Qing Tao , Yaghoobi Vesal , Blenman Kim , Cole Kimberly , Pelekanou Vasiliki , Rimm David L. , Pusztai Lajos
Published: June 2020

PURPOSE

A subset of estrogen receptor–positive (ER-positive) breast cancer (BC) contains high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), similar to triple-negative BC (TNBC). The majority of immuno-oncology trials target TNBCs because of the greater proportion of TIL-rich TNBCs. The extent to which the immune microenvironments of immune-rich ER-positive BC and TNBC differ is unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; n = 697 ER-positive BCs; n = 191 TNBCs) were used for discovery; microarray expression data from Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC; n = 1,186 ER-positive BCs; n = 297 TNBCs) was used for validation. Patients in the top 25th percentile of a previously published total TIL metagene score distribution were considered immune rich. We compared expression of immune cell markers, immune function metagenes, and immuno-oncology therapeutic targets among immune-rich subtypes.

RESULTS

Relative fractions of resting mast cells (TCGA Padj = .009; METABRIC Padj = 4.09E-15), CD8+ T cells (TCGA Padj = .015; METABRIC Padj = 0.390), and M2-like macrophages (TCGA Padj= 4.68E-05; METABRIC Padj = .435) were higher in immune-rich ER-positive BCs, but M0-like macrophages (TCGA Padj = 0.015; METABRIC Padj = .004) and M1-like macrophages (TCGA Padj = 9.39E-08; METABRIC Padj = 6.24E-11) were higher in immune-rich TNBCs. Ninety-one immune-related genes (eg, CXCL14, CSF3R, TGF-B3, LRRC32/GARP, TGFB-R2) and a transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) response metagene were significantly overexpressed in immune-rich ER-positive BCs, whereas 41 immune-related genes (eg, IFNG, PD-L1, CTLA4, MAGEA4) were overexpressed in immune-rich TNBCs in both discovery and validation data sets. TGF-β pathway member genes correlated negatively with expression of immune activation markers ( IFNG, granzyme-B, perforin) and positively with M2-like macrophages ( IL4, IL10, and MMP9) and regulatory T-cell ( FOXP3) markers in both subtypes.

CONCLUSION

Different immunotherapy strategies may be optimal in immune-rich ER-positive BC and TNBC. Drugs targeting the TGF-β pathway and M2-like macrophages are promising strategies in immune-rich ER-positive BCs to augment antitumor immunity.
Perioperative Prescribing Practices of Extended-Release Opioids in Noncancer Surgical Patients, 2015–2018
Authors: Rodriguez-Monguio Rosa , Naveed Mahim , Croci Rhiannon , Gross Kendall , Langnas Erica , Chen Catherine L. , Seoane-Vazquez Enrique
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND:

Extended-release (ER) opioids are indicated for the management of persistent moderate to severe pain in patients requiring around-the-clock opioid analgesics for an extended period of time. Concerns have been raised regarding safety of ER opioids due to its potential for abuse and dependence. However, little is known about perioperative prescribing practices of ER opioids. This study assessed perioperative prescribing practices of ER opioids in noncancer surgical patients stratified by type of opioid exposure prior to admission and examined predictors of postoperative opioid administration in oral morphine equivalents (OME).

METHODS:

This was a retrospective cohort study using the University of California San Francisco Medical Center electronic health record data. This study included 25,396 adult noncancer patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia in the period 2015–2018. The primary study outcome was predictors of postoperative administration of opioids in hospitalized surgical patients. Secondary outcomes included patients discontinued and initiated on ER opioids during their hospital stay.

RESULTS:

substance use disorder diagnosis and use of opioids, surgery type, and postoperative administration of nonopioid analgesics were associated with postoperative administration of opioids (P < .0001). The estimated adjusted mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) of postoperative administration of OME prior to admission in ER opioid users (170.08 mg; 147.08–196.67) was twice the amount for opioid-naïve patients (81.36 mg; 70.7–93.63; P < .0001). One in 5 prior to admission ER opioid users were weaned off ER opioids while hospitalized without adversely affecting their postoperative pain or hospital length of stay (LOS). Four of 5 patients who used ER opioids prior to admission also received ER opioids after surgery, whereas, 1 in 100 opioid-naïve patients received ER opioids during their hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS:

We found significant variability in the perioperative prescribing practices of ER opioids in hospitalized noncancer surgical patients by use of opioids prior to admission and surgery type. Pain medicine practitioners and surgeons may play a significant role tackling the surgery-related risk of exposure to ER opioids and decreasing opioid-related complications.
Intraaortic Balloon Pump Counterpulsation, Part I: History, Technical Aspects, Physiologic Effects, Contraindications, Medical Applications/Outcomes
Authors: González Laura S. , Chaney Mark A.
Published: June 2020

Intraaortic balloon pump counterpulsation is the most common form of mechanical circulatory support used in patients with myocardial ischemia and cardiogenic shock. The physiologic principles of counterpulsation include diastolic augmentation of aortic pressure and systolic reduction of left ventricular afterload, resulting in hemodynamic benefits through increased coronary perfusion pressure and improved myocardial oxygen balance in patients with myocardial ischemia. Major trials have failed to conclusively demonstrate improvements in morbidity and mortality with counterpulsation therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), cardiogenic shock, and/or severe coronary artery disease undergoing revascularization therapy, and the debate over its applications continues. Part I of this review focuses on the history of the development of counterpulsation, technical considerations, and complications associated with its use, its physiologic effects, and evidence for its use in myocardial ischemia and cardiogenic shock.
Diminishing Democracy in Health Policy: Partisanship, the Courts, and the End of Health Politics as We Knew It
Authors: Morone James A.
Published: June 2020

Despite unprecedented partisanship, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) traced a familiar political arc: a loud debate full of dramatic symbols, a messy legislative process, clashes over implementation, a slow rise in popularity, entrenchment as part of the health care system, and growing support that blocked Congress from repealing. The politics of the ACA looked, from one angle, like a louder version of health politics as usual. But something new was stirring. Opponents pushed the debate outside the elected branches of government and into the courts—a move that reflects past eras of highly racialized conflict. A federal court marked the ACA's tenth anniversary by doing what Congress could not: it struck down the law, although the litigation continues to wend its way through the court system. The ongoing challenge to the ACA rests on a fundamental critique of the entire New Deal dispensation in jurisprudence. The consequence could be a new era in health care politics.
Comparatively Ineffective? PCORI and the Uphill Battle to Make Evidence Count in US Medicine
Authors: Patashnik Eric M.
Published: June 2020

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was established as part of the Affordable Care Act to promote research on the comparative effectiveness of treatment options. Advocates hoped this information would help reduce wasteful spending by identifying low-value treatments, but many conservatives and industry groups feared PCORI would ration care and threaten physicians' autonomy. PCORI faced three challenges during its first decade of operation: overcoming the controversy of its birth and escaping early termination, shaping medical practice, and building a public reputation for relevance. While PCORI has won reauthorization, it has not yet had a major impact on the decisions of clinicians or payers. PCORI's modest footprint reflects not only the challenges of getting a new organization off the ground but also the larger political, financial, and cultural barriers to the uptake of medical evidence in the US health care system. The growing attention among policymakers and researchers to provider prices (rather than utilization) as the driver of health care spending could be helpful to the political prospects of the evidence-based medicine project by making it appear to be less as rationing driven by costs and more as an effort to improve quality and uphold medical professionalism.
An Economic Perspective on the Affordable Care Act: Expectations and Reality
Authors: Nikpay Sayeh , Pungarcher India , Frakt Austin
Published: June 2020

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in 2010 to address both high uninsured rates and rising health care spending through insurance expansion reforms and efforts to reduce waste. It was expected to have a variety of impacts in areas within the purview of economics, including effects on health care coverage, access to care, financial security, labor market decisions, health, and health care spending. To varying degrees, legislative, executive, and judicial actions have altered its implementation, affecting the extent to which expectations in each of these dimensions have been realized. We review the ACA's reforms, the subsequent actions that countered them, and the expected and realized effects on coverage, access to care, financial security, health, labor market decisions, and health care spending.
Optimal Capital Requirements over the Business and Financial Cycles
Authors: Malherbe Frederic
Published: June 2020

I study economies where banks do not fully internalize the social costs of their lending decisions, which leads to real overinvestment. The bank capital requirement that restores investment efficiency varies over time. During booms, more investment is desirable, so the banking sector must be allowed to expand. This suggests a loosening of the requirement. However, there is also more bank capital. Since the banking sector exhibits decreasing returns to scale, this suggests a tightening instead. I find that the latter effect, which I dub the “bank capital channel,” dominates: the optimal capital requirement is tighter during booms than in recessions. (JEL E32, E44, G21, G28, G32)
Managing the UK National Debt 1694–2018
Authors: Ellison Martin , Scott Andrew
Published: June 2020

We examine UK debt management using a new monthly dataset on the quantity and market price of every individual bond issued by the government since 1694. Our bond-by-bond dataset identifies variations in the market value of debt and so captures investors’ one-period holding returns, which is the cost of debt management in the government’s intertemporal budget constraint. We find a substantial cost advantage in favor of issuing short bonds, even when considering some of the operational risks implied by cash flows and gross redemptions. (JEL F34, G15, H63, N23, N24, N43, N44)
The Fall in Global Fertility: A Quantitative Model
Authors: de Silva Tiloka , Tenreyro Silvana
Published: June 2020

Over the past six decades, fertility rates have fallen dramatically in most middle- and low-income countries. To analyze these developments, we study a quantitative model of endogenous human capital and fertility choice, augmented to allow for social norms over family size. We parametrize the model using data on socioeconomic variables and information on funding for population-control policies aimed at affecting social norms and improving access to contraceptives. We simulate the implementation of population-control policies to gauge their contribution to the decline in fertility. We find that policies aimed at altering family-size norms accelerated and strengthened the decline in fertility, which would have otherwise taken place much more gradually. (JEL J10, J13, J18, J24, O15, Z13)
COVID-19 and food security in Africa: Building more resilient food systems
Authors: Shilomboleni Helena
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of our food systems. Despite increased efficiencies in producing and supplying large volumes of food, our current food systems have generated multiple adverse outcomes comprising high greenhouse gas emissions, persistent hunger, and livelihood stress for farmers around the world. Nowhere else than in Africa have large numbers of people experienced more acutely these adverse shocks emanating from our food systems. Thus, building more resilient African food systems, which take a radical change of direction, is fundamentally a matter of survival. While there is broad consensus around a need for transformational change in food systems, what that entails is not always clear, and there are divergent views amongst experts on how to re-orient research priorities and agricultural solutions in ways that effectively address hunger and inequality while also protecting agrobiodiversity and the environment more broadly. This article engages with this debate and proposes an agricultural research for development agenda in Africa that balances technology transfer with realigning societal values, institutional arrangements, and policy decision-making towards the realization of greater sustainability and inclusive outcomes.
Methane emissions in triple rice cropping: patterns and a method for reduction
Authors: Oda Masato , Nguyen Huu Chiem
Published: June 2020

The Mekong Delta paddies are known as hotspots of methane emission, but these emissions are not well studied. We analyzed methane emission patterns based on monitoring data from typical triple rice cropping paddies collected over 5 years. We found that the total emissions in a crop season doubled in the second crop, tripled in the third crop, and reset after the annual natural flood of the Mekong River. The emission peaks occurred around 0 to 3 weeks after starting irrigation, then gradually decreased. This suggests that methane was generated by the soil organic matter, because the small rice plants provide little carbon for methanogenesis. In general, the main source of emitted methane is rice-derived carbon by current-season photosynthates and the emission peaks at the rice heading stage. However, the contribution of the rice-derived carbon is negligible in the hotspot paddies while total emission is high. The increase in emission levels from the first to the third crop can be explained by the accumulation of rice residue from the preceding crops, especially rice straw incorporated into the soil. The reset of emission levels after annual flood means that the rice straw is decomposed without methanogenesis in water with dissolved oxygen. Thus, the annual emission pattern shows that decomposing rice straw in paddy surface-water is an effective method to reduce methane emissions.
Clinical parameters and biomarkers predicting spontaneous operational tolerance after liver transplantation: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Appenzeller-Herzog Christian , Hartleif Steffen , Vionnet Julien
Published: June 2020

Objective: This scoping review aims at systematically mapping reported prognostic factors for spontaneous immunosuppression (IS) free allograft tolerance (operational tolerance, OT) in non-viral hepatitis and non-autoimmune disease liver transplant (LT) recipients who are undergoing immunosuppression withdrawal (ISW). The results may inform the subsequent conduct of a systematic review with a more specific review question.

Background: LT is currently the most effective treatment for end-stage liver diseases. Whereas the short-term outcomes after LT have dramatically improved over the last decades, the long-term outcomes remain unsatisfactory, mainly because of side effects of lifelong IS, such as infections, cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, and nephrotoxicity. ISW studies have shown that OT can be achieved by a subset of LT recipients and recent research has identified biomarkers of OT in these patients. However, an evidence-based selection algorithm for patients that can predictably benefit from ISW is not available to date. The planned review will, therefore, map existing knowledge on prognostic clinical parameters and biomarkers for OT.

Inclusion criteria: We will consider studies that record any clinical parameter or biomarker before the initiation of ISW in paediatric or adult non-viral hepatitis and non-autoimmune disease LT recipients and analyse their possible association with ISW outcomes (OT or non-tolerance). Studies addressing the effectiveness of OT-inducing treatments will be excluded.

Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library will be searched for relevant articles or conference abstracts. Full-texts of selected abstracts will be independently screened for inclusion by two reviewers. References and citing articles of included records will be screened for additional relevant records. Clinical trial registries will be searched for ongoing studies, and their investigators contacted for the sharing of unpublished data. Data from included records will be independently extracted by two reviewers using a prespecified data extraction table and presented in both tabular and narrative form.
The effect of two clinical criteria in the assessment of caries lesions around restorations in children (CARDEC-03): study protocol for a diagnostic randomized clinical trial
Authors: Moro Bruna Lorena Pereira , Signori Cácia , Freitas Raiza Dias , Pontes Laura Regina Antunes , Lenzi Tathiane Larissa , Tedesco Tamara Kerber , Raggio Daniela Prócida , Braga Mariana Minatel , Ekstrand Kim Rud , Cenci Maximiliano Sérgio , Mendes Fausto Medeiros ,   CARDEC collaborative group,   CaCIA collaborative group
Published: June 2020

Introduction: The detection of caries lesions around restoration can be challenging. Therefore, the use of some criteria has been proposed in order to give more objectivity to the diagnosis process. Two of them are the International Dental Federation (FDI) and the Caries Associated with Restorations and Sealants (CARS) criteria. Both methods have a different approach to caries, and it is not possible to know which one of them is the best to use in clinical practice to assess restorations in children. Thus, the present protocol aims to evaluate the effect of the use of the FDI and CARS criteria in the assessment of caries lesions around restorations in primary teeth on outcomes related to oral health in children and costs resulting from the assessments.

Methods and analysis: A total of 626 restorations of children from three to 10 years were randomly assessed and are being treated following the FDI criteria (FDI group) or CARS criteria (CARS group). Participants will be followed-up after six, 12, 18, and 24 months. The primary outcome will be the need for a new intervention in the evaluated restorations. This outcome consists of several components, and each of these events will be analyzed separately as secondary outcomes. The changes in children’s oral health-related quality of life and the cost of the restoration dental treatments will also be analyzed as secondary outcomes. The methods will be compared using the Cox regression model with shared frailty. A significance level of 5% will be adopted for all statistical analyses.

Discussion: This will be the first randomized clinical study carried out regarding the detection of caries lesions around restorations in primary teeth.

Trial registration: The study underwent registration in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03520309) on 9 May 2018.
Comparative analysis of mechanical complications of emergency versus planned ultrasound-guided internal jugular venous (IJV) cannulation: data from the emergency room of a third-level hospital in Quito, Ecuador
Authors: Maldonado Augusto , Vidal Luis , Estrella Porter Jorge , Endara Pablo
Published: June 2020

Background: Central venous catheters (CVC’s) are useful tools for the treatment of critically ill patients, especially in the emergency room, and are recognized for decreasing rates of failure and mechanical complications. Certain parameters can act as predictors to determine the likelihood of this type of complication. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and predictors of mechanical complications using internal jugular venous (IJV) cannulation, especially when considering planned versus emergency cannulation.

Methods: A prospective, observational study was performed at Hospital de los Valles, Quito, Ecuador, during a three-year period. All patients who presented to the emergency room with an indication for IJV cannulation and with no potential contraindications were included. Demographic, safety and procedure related data were collected. Variables were analyzed using STATA, and p-values <0.05 were considered significant.

Results: A total of 142 patients were included. The majority of procedures (64%) were planned. The main indication for CVC placement via IJV cannulation was chronic renal failure (54%), all of which were planned procedures, followed by sepsis (15%), where most procedures (91%) were emergencies. The IJV was anatomically located lateral to the carotid artery in 38.73% of cases. Mechanical/technical complications were reported in 13 patients. Cannulation time greater than two minutes was found to be the only factor independently associated with a higher probability (12.4 times) of developing mechanical/technical complications. The vessel location did not affect the incidence of complications either in emergency or planned procedures when using ultrasound.

Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided IJV cannulation is a safe technique that can be performed as an emergency or planned procedure without increased complication rates in the emergency room. Additionally, a puncture time of less than two minutes is associated with the safest profile in this patient population.
An ice-binding protein from an Arctic grass, Leymus mollis
Authors: Sformo Todd L. , Raymond James A.
Published: June 2020

Several cold-hardy grasses have been shown to have ice-binding proteins (IBPs) that protect against freeze-thaw injury. Here, we looked for IBP activity in an Alaskan coastal grass that had not previously been examined, Leymus mollis (Pooidae). Rhizome tissue had strong ice-structuring and ice recrystallization inhibiting (IRI) activities, indicating the probable presence of IBPs. The gene sequence of an IBP was obtained. The sequence encoded a 118-amino acid IRI domain that contained eight repeats. A 3D structure of the IRI domain was predicted from the structure of the IRI domain of the perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne. The predicted structure appeared to have the same eight beta-roll coils found in the L. perenne IBP.
Surveillance of endemic human coronaviruses (HCoV-NL63, OC43 and 229E) associated with pneumonia in Kilifi, Kenya
Authors: Otieno Grieven P. , Murunga Nickson , Agoti Charles N. , Gallagher Katherine E. , Awori Juliet O. , Nokes D. James
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) circulate endemically in human populations, often with seasonal variation. We describe the long-term patterns of paediatric disease associated with three of these viruses, HCoV-NL63, OC43 and 229E, in coastal Kenya.

Methods: Continuous surveillance of pneumonia admissions was conducted at the Kilifi county hospital (KCH) located in the northern coastal region of Kenya. Children aged <5 years admitted to KCH with clinically defined syndromic severe or very severe pneumonia were recruited. Respiratory samples were taken and tested for 15 virus targets, using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Unadjusted odds ratios were used to estimate the association between demographic and clinical characteristics and HCoV positivity.

Results: From 2007 to 2019, we observed 11,445 pneumonia admissions, of which 314 (3.9%) tested positive for at least one HCoV type. There were 129 (41.1%) OC43, 99 (31.5%) 229E, 74 (23.6%) NL63 positive cases and 12 (3.8%) cases of HCoV to HCoV coinfection.  Among HCoV positive cases, 47% (n=147) were coinfected with other respiratory virus pathogens. The majority of HCoV cases were among children aged <1 year (66%, n=208), though there was no age-dependence in the proportion testing positive. HCoV-OC43 was predominant of the three HCoV types throughout the surveillance period. Evidence for seasonality was not identified.

Conclusions: Overall, 4% of paediatric pneumonia admissions were associated with three endemic HCoVs, with a high proportion of cases co-occurring with another respiratory virus, with no clear seasonal pattern, and with the age-distribution of cases following that of pneumonia admissions (i.e. highest in infants). These observations suggest, at most, a small severe disease contribution of endemic HCoVs in this tropical setting and offer insight into the potential future burden and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2.
Development of Performance Indicators for the Digital Transformation of Public Administration in Russia
Authors: Sviridova Vera
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the article is to determine performance indicators for the digital transformation of public administration in Russia, to implement the benefits of the program, achieve its goals and improve the quality of public administration in our country. The study identified factors and criteria for the quality of digitalization of public administration at the international and regional levels. Using correlation analysis, it was determined that the current performance indicators of the "Information state" program are only indirectly related to improving the quality of public administration. That is why despite quite significant progress digitalization, the quality of public administration remains low. On the contrary, surveys about public services were positively interconnected with governance quality indicators. It was also proved that indicators and indexes of digitalization of public administration have a positive impact on governance quality indicators. Based on the results of the analysis, it was proposed to include the above-mentioned factors as performance indicators for the new program "Digital public administration", along with performance indicators of the program itself for quality control of its implementation.
Implementation of the Project Management in Iranian Projects to Complete High-Quality Projects in a Timely Manner
Authors: Naserizaker Nastaran
Published: June 2020

Today, in most large and small project-based organizations, senior managers, especially project managers, face many challenges in terms of resource allocation. Therefore, to reduce the cost and execution time as well as improve the quality of the project, the approach should be shifted from traditional management to scientific management to optimize the efficiency and performance of a project over its lifetime. To achieve this, an organized system for project management and planning will be needed. This study examines whether Iranian companies are familiar with project management in terms of cost, budget, and risk management. A questionnaire was designed to investigate how project funding (initial and during a project) is funded and how they manage risks throughout the project and are distributed to companies. Another reason is the severe international sanctions that have cast a heavy shadow over the Iranian economy and, unfortunately, cannot be ignored. No matter how economically self-sufficient a country is, the need for cooperation and exchange in neighboring or non-neighboring countries cannot be ignored. Therefore, this paper firstly reviews the theoretical framework of previous research on project management in Iran. Then the research methodology and how to collect and analyze the data are considered. The following is an overview of the problems encountered in the project management process in Iran. Finally, recommendations and suggestions will be provided.
Portfolio management at Thomson Reuters
Authors: Mihaylov Aleksey
Published: June 2020

The textbook includes the organization of independent work c system Thomson Reuters students studying disciplines related to the management of a portfolio of financial assets. Theoretical and practical information, as well as an algorithm for working with Thomson Reuters for solving educational and scientific problems. At the end of the training manuals given references.
Meets the requirements of Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
Designed for students enrolled in training 38.04.02 "Management" (master program "Investment management in the innovation economy").
Robust Auctions for Revenue via Enhanced Competition
Authors: Roughgarden Tim , Talgam-Cohen Inbal , Yan Qiqi
Published: June 2020

In “Robust Auctions for Revenue via Enhanced Competition,” T. Roughgarden, I. Talgam-Cohen, and Q. Yan revisit the classic Bulow–Klemperer result. This result compares the revenues of two well-known auction formats: the welfare-maximizing Vickrey auction and the revenue-maximizing Myerson auction. It shows that, with an extra bidder competing for the item, the Vickrey auction becomes as good as the Myerson auction in terms of revenue while maintaining independence from prior distributional information about bidders’ valuations. Unfortunately, Myerson’s toolbox for revenue-optimal auction design does not extend to combinatorial auctions with multiple heterogenous items, for which optimizing revenue remains a challenge—especially if we want auction designs that are simple and robust enough to use in practice. This paper extends the Bulow–Klemperer result to multiple heterogenous items by showing that a prior-independent, simple, welfare-maximizing auction with additional competing bidders achieves as much revenue as the ill-understood optimal auction.
Syagrus coronata (Arecaceae) phenology and the impact of fire on survival and reproduction of the licuri palm
Authors: Noblick Larry , Wintergerst Sabine , Noblick Daniela , Lima Joanna Tucker
Published: June 2020

Three years of reproductive phenological data (1983–1986) were analyzed for 331 licuri palms (Syagrus coronata) in a natural population in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. Using a one-year subset of the data, we also compared the phenologies of 83 individuals burned by wildfires and 248 unburned individuals to examine the impact of fire on S. coronata. Burned specimens showed slightly delayed fruiting compared to non-burned specimens, but a randomization test showed no significant difference between the two groups, suggesting that licuri palms are capable of surviving wildfires with almost no interruption to their phenological cycles.
Spectral characteristics and optical temperature sensing properties of Er3+/Yb3+-co-doped phosphate glasses with GeO2 modification
Authors: Zhang Bingtao , Wang Yong , Zhao Zigang , Yan Wei , Huo Mingming , Chen Guihuan
Published: June 2020

E

r

3
+

/

Y

b

3
+

-co-doped phosphate glasses with

G
e

O

2

modification (PLAZGs) were successfully prepared by the melt-quenching method. The phenomenological intensity parameters

Ω
t

(

t

=

2

, 4, 6) of the PLAZGs have been calculated by the Judd–Ofelt theory. Based on the phenomenological intensity parameters, the spectroscopic parameters of

E

r

3
+

and fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of green upconversion emissions were estimated. It was observed that, under 980 nm excitation, all samples exhibit green and red upconversion emissions of

E

r

3
+

. The 10 mol%

G
e

O

2

modified phosphate glass has the strongest upconversion emission. Additionally, the fluorescence decays of the

2

F

5

/

2

→

2

F

7

/

2

transition of

Y

b

3
+

ions were measured to evaluate the energy transfer efficiency from

Y

b

3
+

to

E

r

3
+

ions. Finally, the optical temperature sensing properties based on upconversion emissions were investigated at temperatures from 150 K to 600 K. The maximum absolute temperature sensitivity

S

value of

6.0

×

1

0

−
3

K

−
1

at 400 K is obtained, which indicates that the glass is promising for temperature sensing application based on the FIR technology.
Piston error correction of sparse aperture systems using the metaheuristic stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm
Authors: Yang Kaiyuan , Xie Zongliang , Ma Haotong , Hu Hongyi , Qi Bo , Shi Jianliang , Wang Qiang , Lv Wenyi
Published: June 2020

The next generation of optical telescopes will provide high-resolution imaging of celestial objects by using the aperture synthesis technique. To preserve the quality of the image, fast corrections of the pistons among subapertures have to be applied, namely, the co-phasing of the array. The image-based co-phasing method via an optimization procedure has been newly developed. Despite simplicity and strong commonality, when dealing with large piston errors, this correction method is also faced with a problem in which the metric function easily falls into the local convergence, especially in the case of broadband imaging with many subapertures. In this study, an improved stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm based on heuristic search is proposed for co-phasing, termed the metaheuristic SPGD algorithm. The heuristic research scheme assists the original SPGD algorithm in getting rid of local extrema. By iterations of this algorithm, the synthetic system can be co-phased without any additional instruments and operations. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by means of simulation. Given the efficiency and superiority, it is expected that the method proposed in this study may find wide applications in multi-aperture imaging.
Correcting lateral chromatic aberration using orthogonal fringe patterns
Authors: Chen Chao , Pan Bing
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we analyzed the distribution of lateral chromatic aberration (LCA) and proposed a high-accuracy and flexible LCA correction method by using orthogonal fringe patterns displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. In the proposed method, red, green, and blue orthogonal fringe patterns are consecutively displayed on the LCD screen. These fringe patterns are captured by a color camera from the front viewpoint for calculating the absolute phase maps. Then a pixel deviation matrix (PDM) of the LCA is determined by comparing the obtained phase maps of three channels. Finally, the LCA among the red, green, and blue channels of the color camera is corrected through the obtained PDM and the interpolation method in an application stage. Both simulated and real experiments verified the validity of the proposed method.
Single snapshot spatial frequency domain imaging for risk stratification of diabetes and diabetic foot
Authors: Li Ying , Guo Mingrou , Qian Xiafei , Lin Weihao , Zheng Yang , Yu Kangyuan , Zeng Bixin , Xu Zhang , Zheng Chao , Xu M.
Published: June 2020

Diabetic foot is one of the major complications of diabetes. In this work, a real-time Single Snapshot Multiple-frequency Demodulation (SSMD) - Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) system was used to image the forefoot of healthy volunteers, diabetes, and diabetic foot patients. A layered skin model was used to obtain the 2D maps of optical and physiological parameters, including cutaneous hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, scattering properties, melanin content, and epidermal thickness, from every single snapshot. We observed a strong correlation between the measured optical and physiological parameters and the degree of diabetes. The cutaneous hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, and epidermal thickness decrease, whereas the melanin content increases with the progress of diabetes. The melanin content further increases, and the reduced scattering coefficient and scattering power are lower for diabetic foot patients than those of both healthy and diabetic subjects. High accuracies (AUC) of 97.2% (distinguishing the diabetic foot patients among all subjects), 95.2% (separating healthy subjects from the diabetes patients), and 87.8% (classifying mild vs severe diabetes), respectively, are achieved in binary classifications in sequence using the SSMD-SFDI system, demonstrating its applicability to risk stratification of diabetes and diabetic foot. The prognostic value of the SSMD-SFDI system in the prediction of the occurrence of the diabetic foot and other applications in monitoring tissue microcirculation and peripheral vascular disease are also addressed.
3D printing of gas-dynamic virtual nozzles and optical characterization of high-speed microjets
Authors: Nazari Reza , Zaare Sahba , Alvarez Roberto C. , Karpos Konstantinos , Engelman Trent , Madsen Caleb , Nelson Garrett , Spence John C. H. , Weierstall Uwe , Adrian Ronald J. , Kirian Richard A.
Published: June 2020

Gas dynamic virtual nozzles (GDVNs) produce microscopic flow-focused liquid jets and droplets and play an important role at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facilities where they are used to steer a stream of hydrated biomolecules into an X-ray focus during diffraction measurements. Highly stable and reproducible microjet and microdroplets are desired, as are flexible fabrication methods that enable integrated mixing microfluidics, droplet triggering mechanisms, laser illumination, and other customized features. In this study, we develop the use of high-resolution 3D nano-printing for the production of monolithic, asymmetric GDVN designs that are difficult to fabricate by other means. We also develop a dual-pulsed nanosecond image acquisition and analysis platform for the characterization of GDVN performance, including jet speed, length, diameter, and directionality, among others. We show that printed GDVNs can form microjets with very high degree of reproducibility, down to sub-micron diameters, and with water jet speeds beyond 170 m/s.
Theoretical study of microcavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy for mid-infrared methane detection using a chalcogenide/silica-on-fluoride horizontal slot-waveguide racetrack resonator
Authors: Pi Mingquan , Zheng Chuantao , Peng Zihang , Zhao Huan , Lang Jiaming , Liang Lei , Zhang Yu , Wang Yiding , Tittel Frank K.
Published: June 2020

The reported chalcogenide (ChG) rectangular waveguide sensors with a small evanescent field need a large waveguide length to obtain an enhanced light-gas interaction effect. To make such sensors compact and improve the light-gas interaction effect, a microcavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy technique for methane (CH4) detection was proposed using a mid-infrared chalcogenide/silica-on-fluoride horizontal slot-waveguide racetrack resonator. For the horizontal slot waveguide, an equivalent sensor model (ESM) and related formulations were proposed to simplify the analysis of the racetrack resonator sensor model (RRSM), and the ESM was verified through a comparison between the theoretical result of ESM and the simulation result of RRSM based on the finite element method (FEM). Due to the use of a chalcogenide/silica-on-fluoride horizontal slot-waveguide structure, the waveguide parameters were optimized to obtain a high power confinement factor of 44.63% at the wavelength of 3291 nm, which is at least 5 times higher than other ChG rectangular waveguides. The waveguide length is reduced at least 30 times due to the use of the optimized chalcogenide/silica-on-fluoride horizontal slot-waveguide and racetrack resonator. The limit of detection (LoD) is 3.87 ppm with an intrinsic waveguide loss of 3 dB/cm and an amplitude coupling ratio of 0.1 for the resonator. The response time is less than 5 µs due to the small light-gas interaction area. The influences of environmental pressure and waveguide intrinsic loss on the sensing characteristics were discussed. The compact racetrack resonator sensor structure and equivalent analytical model can also be adopted in the design of an on-chip waveguide sensor for the detection of other gas species.
Measuring the rotational temperature and pump intensity in molecular alignment experiments via high harmonic generation
Authors: He Yanqing , He Lixin , Wang Pu , Wang Bincheng , Sun Siqi , Liu Ruxuan , Wang Baoning , Lan Pengfei , Lu Peixiang
Published: June 2020

We demonstrate a method to simultaneously measure the rotational temperature and pump intensity in laser-induced molecular alignment by the time-resolved high harmonic spectroscopy (HHS). It relies on the sensitive dependence of the arising times of the local minima and maxima of the harmonic yields at the rotational revivals on the pump intensity and rotational temperature. By measuring the arising times of these local extrema from the time-resolved harmonic signals, the rotational temperature and pump intensity can be accurately measured. We have demonstrated our method using N2 molecules. The validity and robustness of our method are tested with different harmonic orders and by changing the gas pressures as well as the distance between the gas exit and the optical axis. Moreover, we have also demonstrated the versatility of our method by applying it to CO2 molecules.
Broadband, background-free, single-laser-shot absorption
Authors: Stauffer Hans U. , Walsh Patrick S. , Schumaker S. Alexander , Roy Sukesh
Published: June 2020

A robust approach for acquiring background-free, multitransition
absorption spectra under single-laser-shot conditions is demonstrated
using broadband, ultrashort laser pulses. This technique—referred to
as time-resolved optically gated absorption (TOGA)—exploits the
inherent differences in timescales between broadband,
femtosecond-duration light sources and the longer-duration responses
of narrowband atomic or molecular absorption features. An optical
temporal gate, based on frequency mixing via sum-frequency generation
or difference-frequency generation, is used to isolate these
long-lived time-domain absorption features from the ultrashort
component associated with the broadband absorption light source. A
proof-of-principle demonstration of TOGA is provided using atomic Rb
as an absorbing medium. Application of this technique toward
single-laser-shot simultaneous detection of hydroxyl radical
concentration and the corresponding local temperature is also
demonstrated in a reacting flow. These results indicate that TOGA can
provide spectrally resolved, broadband, background-free absorption
measurements at laser-source repetition rates.
Hiding multi-level multi-color images in terahertz metasurfaces: retraction
Authors: Chanana Ashish , Paulsen Andrew , Guruswamy Sivaraman , Nahata Ajay
Published: June 2020

The referenced paper, Optica 3, 1466
(2016)OPTIC82334-253610.1364/OPTICA.3.001466, has been
retracted.
Die Schnittstelle zwischen Beratung und Coaching aus der Perspektive der Professionellen und Klient_innen
Authors: Best Laura
Published: June 2020

Dieser Artikel thematisiert Blickwinkel auf die Schnittstelle zwischen Beratung und Coaching aus der Perspektive von Professionellen und Klient_innen. Im Rahmen einer Dissertationsstudie wurden sechs Beratungsprozesse mit insgesamt 22 Sitzungen gefilmt und jeweils im Anschluss die Berater_innen und Klient_innen einzeln zu deren Erleben in Hinblick auf die Beziehungsgestaltung videogestützt interviewt. Als Nebenergebnis der Dissertationsstudie werden Aussagen der Beteiligten über die empfundene Schnittstelle zwischen Beratung und Coaching in diesem Artikel dargestellt. Insbesondere das gesellschaftliche Bild von Beratung und Coaching sowie die damit verbundenen Zuschreibungen und Erwartungshaltungen der Beteiligten stehen im Fokus des Artikels, weiterhin auch formatübergreifende Anforderungen an zeitliche und strukturelle Aspekte, das Vorgehen sowie der/die Berater/in oder Coach als Person. Abschließend werden anhand der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse Schlussfolgerungen für die Praxis abgeleitet, die insbesondere das Bedürfnis nach Sicherheit als zentrales Element von Coaching- und Beratungsprozessen sowie Erwartungen an das Vorgehen innerhalb der Prozesse in den Blick nehmen und somit die Frage nach der Relevanz einer Abgrenzung der Formate Beratung und Coaching aus der Sicht des Klientels aufwerfen.
The experiences of metal fans with mental and developmental disorders in the metal music community
Authors: Messick Kyle J. , Aranda Blanca , Day Chris
Published: June 2020

A series of interviews were conducted to explore the experience of what it is like to be a member of metal music culture living with mental health conditions and/or developmental disabilities. Ten participants were interviewed, three of which had schizophrenia, four with autism spectrum disorder, two had bipolar affective disorder and one had borderline personality disorder. Thematic analysis was utilized to explore the experiences of people living with various types of mental illness and developmental disabilities in the context of metal, which resulted in the development of three overarching themes. It was found that participants felt that the metal music community was more welcoming to them due to the broad use of lyrics about mental health topics and the prevalence of metal musicians that have mental health concerns. The broad application of mental health topics in metal was seen as having a de-stigmatizing effect towards mental health concerns, but at the cost of accuracy, as topics like schizophrenia are seen as fetishized and inaccurately depicted. Participants reported that the metal community affords its members with mental health conditions and developmental disabilities a number of benefits including a sense of belonging, the facilitation of mood maintenance and the management of lesser symptoms. Symptom management appeared to be mitigated by symptom severity and influenced how participants experienced metal music.