bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High birefringence, single-polarization, low loss hollow-core anti-resonant fibers
Authors: Zhao Xingtao , Xiang Jingliang , Wu Xuanrui , Li Zhiwei
Published: October 2021

We present a novel hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (HC-ARF) with a cladding ring, two nested resonant tubes and two nested silicon tubes. The cladding ring in the fiber contributes to decrease the fundamental mode (FM) loss of x-polarization and enlarge the polarization-extinction ratio (PER). In addition, the nested silicon tubes can improve birefringence greatly. The combination of cladding ring, nested resonant tubes and nested silicon tubes can make the fiber obtain low FM loss, single-polarization, and high birefringence. Specifically, the proposed HC-ARF exhibits total FM loss of x-polarization, PER, and birefringence of 0.89 dB/km, 4432, 3.07×10−4, respectively, at 1.55 µm. Moreover, the y-bend direction has a great influence on the propagation properties of the fiber. The fiber in the x-bend direction has low total bend-loss of 0.004 dB/m for a small bend radius of 5.8 cm.
Self-adaptive control of infrared emissivity in a solution-processed plasmonic structure
Authors: Ono Masashi , Takata Masahiro , Shirata Masashi , Yoshihiro Tatsuya , Tani Takeharu , Naya Masayuki , Saiki Toshiharu
Published: October 2021

Active control of optical properties, particularly in the infrared (IR) regime, is critical for the regulation of thermal emission. However, most photonic structures and devices are based on a sophisticated design, making the dynamic control of their IR properties challenging. Here, we demonstrate self-adaptive control of IR absorptivity/emissivity in a simple stacked structure that consists of an oxide plasmonic nanocrystal layer and a phase change material (VO2) layer, both fabricated via a solution process. The resonance wavelength and emission intensity for this structure depend on the phase of the VO2. This has potential applications for thermal emission structures (e.g., self-adaptive radiative cooling and IR camouflage). The proposed structure is a candidate low-cost and scalable active photonic platform.
Critical aspects of AlGaInP-based LED design and operation revealed by full electrical-thermal-optical simulations
Authors: Fedorova Olga A. , Bulashevich Kirill A. , Karpov Sergey Yu.
Published: October 2021

Coupled electrical-thermal-optical simulations of a high-power AlGaInP-based red light-emitting diode (LED) are reported and compared with detailed characterization data of the device available in literature. The simulations enabled identification of the most critical factors limiting the LED performance. Among them, the following ones are found to be of primary importance: (i) absorption of emitted photons in a p+-GaAs contact layer, limiting the light extraction efficiency; (ii) device self-heating producing thermally stimulated electron leakage into the p-side of the LED structure; and (iii) current crowding around small circular p-electrodes enhancing additionally the electron leakage. Possible room for efficiency improvement is estimated by modeling. Optimization of some structural units of the LED design is discussed as well as further directions of the simulation model improvements.
Multi-wavelength solitons delivered by an evanescent-field device based on polarization-sensitive MoTe2 micro-sheets
Authors: Han X. , Hu X. , Feng L. , Yan X. , Wang C. , Xia Y. , Wang X. , Huang T.
Published: October 2021

Multi-wavelength fiber lasers have the advantages of low cost, easy integration with fiber systems, and wide tunable range, which is the key component of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). 2D MoTe2 micro-sheets have drawn lots of researchers’ attention due to their anisotropic layered structure and high optical adsorption. Evanescent-field (EF) devices have many applications in multi-wavelength and high-power fiber lasers. The integration of MoTe2 micro-sheets and an EF device is able to combine their advantages. Here, we report on the experimental observation of multi-wavelength solitons based on EF interaction with polarization-sensitive MoTe2 micro-sheet. Dual-wavelength conventional solitons (CSs) and switchable dual-wavelength dissipative solitons (DSs) are emitted by the proposed fiber laser. Different solitons can be effectively tuned by optimizing pump power and the state of the polarization controller. The proposed EF device and fiber laser are convenient and attractive in the fields of fiber-based sensing, frequency comb spectroscopy, and DWDM.
Association of accelerometer-derived sleep measures with lifetime psychiatric diagnoses: A cross-sectional study of 89,205 participants from the UK Biobank
Authors: Wainberg Michael , Jones Samuel E. , Beaupre Lindsay Melhuish , Hill Sean L. , Felsky Daniel , Rivas Manuel A. , Lim Andrew S. P. , Ollila Hanna M. , Tripathy Shreejoy J.
Published: October 2021

Background

Sleep problems are both symptoms of and modifiable risk factors for many psychiatric disorders. Wrist-worn accelerometers enable objective measurement of sleep at scale. Here, we aimed to examine the association of accelerometer-derived sleep measures with psychiatric diagnoses and polygenic risk scores in a large community-based cohort.

Methods and findings

In this post hoc cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank cohort, 10 interpretable sleep measures—bedtime, wake-up time, sleep duration, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, duration of longest sleep bout, number of naps, and variability in bedtime and sleep duration—were derived from 7-day accelerometry recordings across 89,205 participants (aged 43 to 79, 56% female, 97% self-reported white) taken between 2013 and 2015. These measures were examined for association with lifetime inpatient diagnoses of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder/mania, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders from any time before the date of accelerometry, as well as polygenic risk scores for major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Covariates consisted of age and season at the time of the accelerometry recording, sex, Townsend deprivation index (an indicator of socioeconomic status), and the top 10 genotype principal components. We found that sleep pattern differences were ubiquitous across diagnoses: each diagnosis was associated with a median of 8.5 of the 10 accelerometer-derived sleep measures, with measures of sleep quality (for instance, sleep efficiency) generally more affected than mere sleep duration. Effect sizes were generally small: for instance, the largest magnitude effect size across the 4 diagnoses was β = −0.11 (95% confidence interval −0.13 to −0.10,p= 3 × 10−56, FDR = 6 × 10−55) for the association between lifetime inpatient major depressive disorder diagnosis and sleep efficiency. Associations largely replicated across ancestries and sexes, and accelerometry-derived measures were concordant with self-reported sleep properties. Limitations include the use of accelerometer-based sleep measurement and the time lag between psychiatric diagnoses and accelerometry.

Conclusions

In this study, we observed that sleep pattern differences are a transdiagnostic feature of individuals with lifetime mental illness, suggesting that they should be considered regardless of diagnosis. Accelerometry provides a scalable way to objectively measure sleep properties in psychiatric clinical research and practice, even across tens of thousands of individuals.
Characterising the nationwide burden and predictors of unkept outpatient appointments in the National Health Service in England: A cohort study using a machine learning approach
Authors: Philpott-Morgan Sion , Thakrar Dixa B. , Symons Joshua , Ray Daniel , Ashrafian Hutan , Darzi Ara
Published: October 2021

Background

Unkept outpatient hospital appointments cost the National Health Service £1 billion each year. Given the associated costs and morbidity of unkept appointments, this is an issue requiring urgent attention. We aimed to determine rates of unkept outpatient clinic appointments across hospital trusts in the England. In addition, we aimed to examine the predictors of unkept outpatient clinic appointments across specialties at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT). Our final aim was to train machine learning models to determine the effectiveness of a potential intervention in reducing unkept appointments.

Methods and findings

UK Hospital Episode Statistics outpatient data from 2016 to 2018 were used for this study. Machine learning models were trained to determine predictors of unkept appointments and their relative importance. These models were gradient boosting machines. In 2017–2018 there were approximately 85 million outpatient appointments, with an unkept appointment rate of 5.7%. Within ICHT, there were almost 1 million appointments, with an unkept appointment rate of 11.2%. Hepatology had the highest rate of unkept appointments (17%), and medical oncology had the lowest (6%). The most important predictors of unkept appointments included the recency (25%) and frequency (13%) of previous unkept appointments and age at appointment (10%). A sensitivity of 0.287 was calculated overall for specialties with at least 10,000 appointments in 2016–2017 (after data cleaning). This suggests that 28.7% of patients who do miss their appointment would be successfully targeted if the top 10% least likely to attend received an intervention. As a result, an intervention targeting the top 10% of likely non-attenders, in the full population of patients, would be able to capture 28.7% of unkept appointments if successful. Study limitations include that some unkept appointments may have been missed from the analysis because recording of unkept appointments is not mandatory in England. Furthermore, results here are based on a single trust in England, hence may not be generalisable to other locations.

Conclusions

Unkept appointments remain an ongoing concern for healthcare systems internationally. Using machine learning, we can identify those most likely to miss their appointment and implement more targeted interventions to reduce unkept appointment rates.
Cesarean section: More than a maternal health issue
Authors: Temmerman Marleen , Mohiddin Abdu
Published: October 2021

A cesarean section (CS) can be a lifesaving intervention when medically indicated, but it may also lead to adverse short- and long-term health effects for women and children.
RNAseq and RNA molecular barcoding reveal differential gene expression in cortical bone following hindlimb unloading in female mice
Authors: Spatz Jordan M. , Ko Frank C. , Ayturk Ugur M. , Warman Matthew L. , Bouxsein Mary L.
Published: October 2021

Disuse-induced bone loss is seen following spinal cord injury, prolonged bed rest, and exposure to microgravity. We performed whole transcriptomic profiling of cortical bone using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and RNA molecular barcoding (NanoString) on a hindlimb unloading (HLU) mouse model to identify genes whose mRNA transcript abundances change in response to disuse. Eleven-week old female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to ambulatory loading or HLU for 7 days (n = 8/group). Total RNA from marrow-flushed femoral cortical bone was analyzed on HiSeq and NanoString platforms. The expression of several previously reported genes associated with Wnt signaling and metabolism was altered by HLU. Furthermore, the increased abundance of transcripts, such as Pfkfb3 and Mss51, after HLU imply these genes also have roles in the cortical bone’s response to altered mechanical loading. Our study demonstrates that an unbiased approach to assess the whole transcriptomic profile of cortical bone can reveal previously unidentified mechanosensitive genes and may eventually lead to novel targets to prevent disuse-induced osteoporosis.
High surface area nitrogen-functionalized Ni nanozymes for efficient peroxidase-like catalytic activity
Authors: Tripathi Anuja , Harris Kenneth D. , Elias Anastasia L.
Published: October 2021

Nitrogen-functionalization is an effective means of improving the catalytic performances of nanozymes. In the present work, plasma-assisted nitrogen modification of nanocolumnar Ni GLAD films was performed using an ammonia plasma, resulting in an improvement in the peroxidase-like catalytic performance of the porous, nanostructured Ni films. The plasma-treated nanozymes were characterized by TEM, SEM, XRD, and XPS, revealing a nitrogen-rich surface composition. Increased surface wettability was observed after ammonia plasma treatment, and the resulting nitrogen-functionalized Ni GLAD films presented dramatically enhanced peroxidase-like catalytic activity. The optimal time for plasma treatment was determined to be 120 s; when used to catalyze the oxidation of the colorimetric substrate TMB in the presence of H2O2, Ni films subjected to 120 s of plasma treatment yielded a much higher maximum reaction velocity (3.7⊆10−8 M/s vs. 2.3⊆10−8 M/s) and lower Michaelis-Menten coefficient (0.17 mM vs. 0.23 mM) than pristine Ni films with the same morphology. Additionally, we demonstrate the application of the nanozyme in a gravity-driven, continuous catalytic reaction device. Such a controllable plasma treatment strategy may open a new door toward surface-functionalized nanozymes with improved catalytic performance and potential applications in flow-driven point-of-care devices.
The association between time-of-day of habitual exercise training and changes in relevant cancer health outcomes among cancer survivors
Authors: Coletta Adriana M. , Playdon Mary C. , Baron Kelly G. , Wei Mei , Kelley Kristen , Vaklavas Christos , Beck Anna , Buys Saundra S. , Chipman Jonathan , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Walker Darren , White Shelley , Oza Sonal , Zingg Rebecca W. , Hansen Pamela A.
Published: October 2021

Objective

To assess the relationship between time-of-day of exercise training and changes in relevant cancer health outcomes among cancer survivors.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of data collected from 2016–2019 from a hospital-based exercise oncology program. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic, clinical, and exercise timing characteristics (e.g. AM, PM, or mix) among survivors with available data for exercise training time (n = 233). For the total sample and a breast cancer sub-analysis, univariate analysis of covariance, adjusted for age, was carried out by exercise training time, for change in the following outcomes collected during the program’s assessment sessions: cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular endurance (human performance variables), physical function, anthropometrics, self-reported fatigue, and quality of life (QoL). Change in body mass index (BMI) and body weight was included in the breast cancer analysis.

Results

Overall, 37.3% of survivors habitually engaged in AM exercise (e.g. ≥ 75% AM training), 34.3% in PM exercise, and 28.3% in a mix of AM and PM exercise training throughout the program. Median time in the program was 17 weeks. Significant improvements in most human performance and physical function variables were observed in the total sample regardless of exercise training time-of-day. Among breast cancer survivors, PM but not AM or mixed was associated with improvements in fitness, and lower-body muscular endurance and function. Mixed exercise timing was linked with greater increase in waist circumference (total sample: 3.02cm, 95%CI 1.55, 4.49; breast cancer: 3.57cm 95%CI 0.96, 6.18), body weight (breast cancer: 1.6kg, 95%CI 0.3, 2.8) and BMI (breast cancer: 0.6kg/m2, 95%CI 0.1, 1.0). AM and PM exercise, but not mixed, was associated with improvements in fatigue and QoL.

Conclusion

Time-of-day of exercise training may differentially impact changes in human performance and physical function variables. Mixed exercise training time may result in less favorable outcomes related of weight management variables among cancer survivors.
Ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland: A 45-year time-series study
Authors: Bundo Marvin , de Schrijver Evan , Federspiel Andrea , Toreti Andrea , Xoplaki Elena , Luterbacher Jürg , Franco Oscar H. , Müller Thomas , Vicedo-Cabrera Ana M.
Published: October 2021

Background

Psychiatric disorders constitute a major public health concern that are associated with substantial health and socioeconomic burden. Psychiatric patients may be more vulnerable to high temperatures, which under current climate change projections will most likely increase the burden of this public health concern.

Objective

This study investigated the short-term association between ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland.

Methods

Daily hospitalizations for mental disorders between 1973 and 2017 were collected from the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Bern. Population-weighted daily mean ambient temperatures were derived for the catchment area of the hospital from 2.3-km gridded weather maps. Conditional quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag linear models were applied to assess the association up to three days after the exposure. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, and subdiagnosis, and by subperiods (1973–1989 and 1990–2017). Additional subanalyses were performed to assess whether larger risks were found during the warm season or were due to heatwaves.

Results

The study included a total number of 88,996 hospitalizations. Overall, the hospitalization risk increased linearly by 4.0% (95% CI 2.0%, 7.0%) for every 10°C increase in mean daily temperature. No evidence of a nonlinear association or larger risks during the warm season or heatwaves was found. Similar estimates were found across for all sex and age categories, and larger risks were found for hospitalizations related to developmental disorders (29.0%; 95% CI 9.0%, 54.0%), schizophrenia (10.0%; 95% CI 4.0%, 15.0%), and for the later rather than the earlier period (5.0%; 95% CI 2.0%, 8.0% vs. 2.0%; 95% CI -3.0%, 8.0%).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that increasing temperatures could negatively affect mental status in psychiatric patients. Specific public health policies are urgently needed to protect this vulnerable population from the effects of climate change.
Predicting PY motif-mediated protein-protein interactions in the Nedd4 family of ubiquitin ligases
Authors: Hatstat A. Katherine , Pupi Michael D. , McCafferty Dewey G.
Published: October 2021

The Nedd4 family contains several structurally related but functionally distinct HECT-type ubiquitin ligases. The members of the Nedd4 family are known to recognize substrates through their multiple WW domains, which recognize PY motifs (PPxY, LPxY) or phospho-threonine or phospho-serine residues. To better understand protein interactor recognition mechanisms across the Nedd4 family, we report the development and implementation of a python-based tool, PxYFinder, to identify PY motifs in the primary sequences of previously identified interactors of Nedd4 and related ligases. Using PxYFinder, we find that, on average, half of Nedd4 family interactions are likely PY-motif mediated. Further, we find that PPxY motifs are more prevalent than LPxY motifs and are more likely to occur in proline-rich regions and that PPxY regions are more disordered on average relative to LPxY-containing regions. Informed by consensus sequences for PY motifs across the Nedd4 interactome, we rationally designed a focused peptide library and employed a computational screen, revealing sequence- and biomolecular interaction-dependent determinants of WW-domain/PY-motif interactions. Cumulatively, our efforts provide a new bioinformatic tool and expand our understanding of sequence and structural factors that contribute to PY-motif mediated interactor recognition across the Nedd4 family.
Practical considerations for Ultraviolet-C radiation mediated decontamination of N95 respirator against SARS-CoV-2 virus
Authors: Golovkine Guillaume R. , Roberts Allison W. , Cooper Chase , Riano Sebastian , DiCiccio Angela M. , Worthington Daniel L. , Clarkson Jeffrey P. , Krames Michael , Zhang Jianping , Gao Ying , Zhou Ling , Biering Scott B. , Stanley Sarah A.
Published: October 2021

Decontaminating N95 respirators for reuse could mitigate shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the United States Center for Disease Control has identified Ultraviolet-C irradiation as one of the most promising methods for N95 decontamination, very few studies have evaluated the efficacy of Ultraviolet-C for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. In addition, most decontamination studies are performed using mask coupons that do not recapitulate the complexity of whole masks. We sought to directly evaluate the efficacy of Ultraviolet-C mediated inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators. To that end we created a portable UV-C light-emitting diode disinfection chamber and tested decontamination of SARS-CoV-2 at different sites on two models of N95 respirator. We found that decontamination efficacy depends on mask model, material and location of the contamination on the mask. Our results emphasize the need for caution when interpreting efficacy data of UV-C decontamination methods.
Soccer-related injuries utilization of U.S. emergency departments for concussions, intracranial injuries, and other-injuries in a national representative probability sample: Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, 2010 to 2013
Authors: Flores Gerardo , Giza Christopher C. , Bates-Jensen Barbara , Brecht Mary-Lynn , Wiley Dorothy
Published: October 2021

Soccer participation in the United States (U.S.) has increased over time, and injuries as well as interest to prevent injuries has become more common. This study described Emergency Department (ED) visits related to concussions, intracranial injuries (ICI), and all-other injuries attributed to soccer play; described healthcare cost and length of hospital stay of soccer-related injuries; and determined independent predictors of concussions, ICI, and all-other soccer injuries leading to ED visits. The study examined soccer-related weighted discharge data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Weighted tabular analysis of univariate and bivariate analyses and weighted and adjusted logistic regression models were conducted. A total of 480,580 of U.S. ED visits related to soccer injuries were available for analysis between 2010 to 2013. Generally, 98% of soccer-related ED visits resulted in routine (treat-and-release) visits. However, the odds of transfer to a short-term hospital following ED evaluation and treatment was more than 37-fold higher for soccer-injured youth and adults diagnosed with ICI when compared to all-other soccer injuries; additionally, these patients showed 28-fold higher odds of being admitted for inpatient care at the ED-affiliated hospital. For concussion, soccer-injured patients with concussion showed nearly 1.5-fold higher odds of being transferred to a short-term hospital than did those with any other soccer injury. Soccer-related ED visits cost more than 700 million in U.S. dollars from 2010 to 2013. Notable differences were noted between concussions, ICI, and all-other soccer injuries presenting to U.S. ED. Albeit underestimated given that this study excludes other forms of health care and treatment for injuries, such as outpatient clinics, over the counter medications and treatment, and rehabilitation, healthcare cost associated with soccer-related injuries presenting to ED is high, and remarkably costly in those with an ICI diagnosis.
Mask exposure during COVID-19 changes emotional face processing
Authors: Barrick Elyssa M. , Thornton Mark A. , Tamir Diana I.
Published: October 2021

Faces are one of the key ways that we obtain social information about others. They allow people to identify individuals, understand conversational cues, and make judgements about others’ mental states. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, widespread mask-wearing practices were implemented, causing a shift in the way Americans typically interact. This introduction of masks into social exchanges posed a potential challenge—how would people make these important inferences about others when a large source of information was no longer available? We conducted two studies that investigated the impact of mask exposure on emotion perception. In particular, we measured how participants used facial landmarks (visual cues) and the expressed valence and arousal (affective cues), to make similarity judgements about pairs of emotion faces. Study 1 found that in August 2020, participants with higher levels of mask exposure used cues from the eyes to a greater extent when judging emotion similarity than participants with less mask exposure. Study 2 measured participants’ emotion perception in both April and September 2020 –before and after widespread mask adoption—in the same group of participants to examine changes in the use of facial cues over time. Results revealed an overall increase in the use of visual cues from April to September. Further, as mask exposure increased, people with the most social interaction showed the largest increase in the use of visual facial cues. These results provide evidence that a shift has occurred in how people process faces such that the more people are interacting with others that are wearing masks, the more they have learned to focus on visual cues from the eye area of the face.
Infectious diseases specialist consultation in Staphylococcus lugdunensis bacteremia
Authors: Forsblom Erik , Högnäs Emma , Syrjänen Jaana , Järvinen Asko
Published: October 2021

Background

Commensal coagulase negative Staphylococcus lugdunensis may cause severe bacteremia (SLB) and complications. Treatment of SLB is not fully established and we wanted to evaluate if infectious diseases specialist consultation (IDSC) would improve management and prognosis.

Methods

Multicenter retrospective study of SLB patients followed for 1 year. Patients were stratified according to bedside (formal), telephone (informal) or lack of IDSC within 7 days of SLB diagnosis.

Results

Altogether, 104 SLB patients were identified: 24% received formal bedside and 52% informal telephone IDSC whereas 24% were managed without any IDSC. No differences in demographics, underlying conditions or severity of illness were observed between the groups. Patients with bedside IDSC, compared to telephone IDSC or lack of IDSC, had transthoracic echocardiography more often performed (odds ratio [OR] 4.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31–12.2; p = 0.012) and (OR 16.0; 95% CI, 4.00–63.9; P<0.001). Bedside IDSC was associated with more deep infections diagnosed compared to telephone IDSC (OR, 7.44; 95% CI, 2.58–21.4; p<0.001) or lack of IDSC (OR, 9.56; 95% CI, 2.43–37.7; p = 0.001). The overall mortality was 7%, 10% and 17% at 28 days, 90 days and 1 year, respectively. Considering all prognostic parameters, patients with IDSC, compared to lack of IDSC, had lower 90 days and 1 year mortality (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02–0.51; p = 0.005) and (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.07–0.67; p = 0.007).

Conclusion

IDSC may improve management and outcome of Staphylococcus lugdunensis bacteremia.
Grouping successive freezing of gait episodes has neutral to detrimental effect on freeze detection and prediction in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Pardoel Scott , Shalin Gaurav , Lemaire Edward D. , Kofman Jonathan , Nantel Julie
Published: October 2021

Freezing of gait (FOG) is an intermittent walking disturbance experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Wearable FOG identification systems can improve gait and reduce the risk of falling due to FOG by detecting FOG in real-time and providing a cue to reduce freeze duration. However, FOG prediction and prevention is desirable. Datasets used to train machine learning models often generate ground truth FOG labels based on visual observation of specific lower limb movements (event-based definition) or an overall inability to walk effectively (period of gait disruption based definition). FOG definition ambiguity may affect model performance, especially with respect to multiple FOG in rapid succession. This research examined whether merging multiple freezes that occurred in rapid succession could improve FOG detection and prediction model performance. Plantar pressure and lower limb acceleration data were used to extract a feature set and train decision tree ensembles. FOG was labeled using an event-based definition. Additional datasets were then produced by merging FOG that occurred in rapid succession. A merging threshold was introduced where FOG that were separated by less than the merging threshold were merged into one episode. FOG detection and prediction models were trained for merging thresholds of 0, 1, 2, and 3 s. Merging slightly improved FOG detection model performance; however, for the prediction model, merging resulted in slightly later FOG identification and lower precision. FOG prediction models may benefit from using event-based FOG definitions and avoiding merging multiple FOG in rapid succession.
A retrospective observational study of the impact of 16s and 18s ribosomal RNA PCR on antimicrobial treatment over seven years: A tertiary hospital experience
Authors: Teoh TeeKeat , McNamara Rachel , Powell James , O’Connell Nuala H. , Dunne Colum P.
Published: October 2021

Background

Although culture-based methods remain a staple element of microbiology analysis, advanced molecular methods increasingly supplement the testing repertoire. Since the advent of 16s and 18s ribosomal RNA PCR in the 2000s, there has been interest in its utility for pathogen detection. Nonetheless, studies assessing the impact on antimicrobial prescribing are limited. We report a single-centre experience of the influence of 16s and 18s PCR testing on antimicrobial treatment, including a cost-analysis.

Methods

Data were collected retrospectively for all samples sent for 16s and 18s PCR testing between January 2014 and December 2020. Results were compared to any culture-based result. Assessment focused on any change of antimicrobial treatment based on PCR result, or use of the result as supportive evidence for microbiological diagnosis.

Results

310 samples relevant to 268 patients were referred for 16s/18s rRNA PCR testing during the period. Culture was performed for 234 samples. Enrichment culture was performed for 83 samples. 82 of 300 samples sent for 16s PCR had positive results (20.8%). When culture was performed, enrichment reduced the outcome of 16s PCR only positive results (4/36 [11.1%] versus 14/35 [40.0%], p = 0.030 where a pathogen found). 18s PCR yielded 9 positive results from 67 samples. The 16s PCR result influenced antimicrobial change for 6 patients (2.2%). We estimated the cost for 16s PCR testing to result in one significant change in antimicrobial therapy to be €3,340. 18s PCR did not alter antimicrobial treatment.

Conclusion

There was limited impact of 16s PCR results on antimicrobial treatments. Relevance to practice was affected by relatively long turn-around-time for results. Utility may be increased in specialised surgical centres, or by reducing turn-around-time. Enrichment culture should be considered on samples where 16s PCR is requested. There remains limited evidence for use of 18s PCR in clinical management, and further studies in this area are likely warranted.
Class and creativity in fashion education: A comparison of the pedagogies of making and design at British technical schools and art and design schools, 1870s‐1950s
Authors: Bide Bethan
Published: October 2021

Discourses of creativity play a crucial role in shaping cultural perceptions of what constitutes creative labour, who performs it and where it is located. This article explores the historical role that businesses, policy-makers and education providers played as co-producers of discourses
about creativity in British fashion and textile design education. Beginning with the emergence of new vocational courses for textile design and manufacture in the 1870s, it traces how the language used to describe conceptions of creativity evolved in relation to educational provision for textiles,
dressmaking and, later, fashion over the first half of the twentieth century. During this period, creativity became associated with labour related to designing fashion and textile goods ‐ such as illustration ‐ rather than the labour of making them. This shift resulted from the
establishment of fashion and textile design as respected courses within art and design schools, which backed the ideal of a professional designer. It was implemented at the expense of, and with the effect of undermining the creative labour of staff and students in vocational trade schools.
As a result, this article challenges the idea that the development of fashion and textile design courses in art and design schools democratized the creative labour of design in the British fashion industry by opening opportunities for the middle-classes. Rather, it finds that discourses around
creative labour worked to exclude the creativity of the predominantly working-class students at technical schools, with long-term implications for the relationship between socio-economic status and access to the creative industries.
Labouring up and down Prisunic’s styling streams: The creative studio of a retail chain in 1960s France
Authors: Chapdelaine de Montvalon Sophie
Published: October 2021

This article looks at the French retail chain Prisunic’s fashion production in the 1960s and, in particular, at the collective and invisible labour of its creative studio established in 1953. It examines the processes by which Prisunic evolved from selling clothes, infamous for
their shabbiness, to selling fashion during the 1960s. First, this article focuses on the organization of Prisunic. Second, it turns to the interactions between Prisunic as a fashion producer and cultural intermediaries such as forecasting agencies. Specifically, it analyses how Maïmé
Arnodin’s ‘colour books’ became instrumental to Prisunic’s design process. Third, it considers the diversity of occupations within the studio, including stylist, fashion designer, fashion photographer, graphic designer and typographer, and considers their interactions.
Fourth, the article delves into the interpersonal relations of studio members with fashion journalists and editors, as well as structural interactions between fashion producers and fashion media. Especially, it questions the role of French Elle in the visual and discursive construction
of Prisunic’s commodities as the product of creative labour. The article draws on sociologist Michel Callon’s focus on ‘agencies’ and ‘material devices’, which are instrumental in shaping markets and the cultural economy. Further, it builds on sociologist
Liz McFall’s characterization of material devices as shaped by the interaction of institutional, organizational and technological arrangements to analyse the studio’s labour practices within Prisunic, upstream with its suppliers and downstream with the press. This article traces
the processes, interactions and arrangements that make up Prisunic’s styling streams.
‘My favourite meme page’: Balenciaga’s Instagram account and audience fashion labour online
Authors: Skjulstad Synne
Published: October 2021

As fashion ‘goes viral’, adapting to digital popular cultural flows, streams, image aggregations and memes, there is a need for better grasping how these platforms feed into the aesthetics of mediations of fashion. Contemporary digitally mediated fashion is conditioned by what van Dijck and Poell refer to as a new media logic, one that permeates the ‘strategies, mechanisms, and economics underpinning these platforms’ dynamics’. This logic includes audience labour. This article focuses on how the audience is put to work and how such work becomes integral to the mediational aesthetic by using the Instagram account of Paris-based fashion brand Balenciaga as a heuristic device. In connecting perspectives from fashion and media studies, this article discusses how fashion mediation is entangled in processes that harness audience labour on Instagram. Balenciaga takes on communication strategies that expose the aesthetics of user engagement. On Instagram, the brand presents its take on fashion photography in the digital age as part of its visual identity on this platform. Furthermore, in feeding the comments section, users participate in ‘boundary maintenance’, separating Balenciaga insiders from outsiders who lack knowledge of the perpetually changing aesthetic codes of fashion imagery. Online audiences thus find themselves at the crossroads of consumption, production and gatekeeping.
Le travail n’est pas une marchandise: Contenu et sens du travail au XXIe siècle, Alain Supiot (2019)
Authors: Kurkdjian Sophie
Published: October 2021

Review of: Le travail n’est pas une marchandise: Contenu et sens du travail au XXIe siècle, Alain Supiot (2019)Paris: Éditions du Collège de France, Collection Leçons de clôture, vol. 17, 72 pp.,ISBN 978-2-72260-513-8,
p/bk, €6.80https://doi.org/10.4000/books.cdf.7026, EPUB, free
Cognitive Contemporary Behaviour Management Outline
Authors: Singh Birti , Deshmukh Seema
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND Paediatric dentists are expected to recognize and effectively treat childhood dental diseases which can be cumbersome owing to the child’s inert anxiety and fear. Behaviour management techniques facilitate communication and establish social and behavioural guidelines for the dental environment. On what basis do paediatric dentists decide the appropriate management techniques for a child? This requires an understanding of children’s expected behaviour at different stages of intellectual development. Jean Piaget theorized cognitive development through four stages. According to him, children’s knowledge about reality is acquired by touching and observing, balanced by an interplay between assimilation and accommodation. The objective of the study was to prepare an outline integrating contemporary behaviour management techniques with Piaget’s cognitive development stages for a child to be able to provide them with a positive dental experience. METHODS A thorough literature search was done utilising different search engines (PubMed, Scopus, MedLine and google scholar) using different key words from the MeSH terminologies database. Comparative clinical trials and randomized clinical trials were included in the study and the recommendations were tabulated. RESULTS After performing a literature review, relevant articles were identified from various search engines. Piaget’s theory was reviewed as it views cognitive and intellectual activities as adaptive and helpful for the child in coping, organizing and reorganizing their thoughts and actions. CONCLUSIONS A systematic outline was prepared with the goal to develop a guideline fitting the objectives of this paper. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This outline will enable the paediatric dentist to decide the appropriate behaviour management technique to provide a positive dental experience for a child in accordance with their expected cognitive and intuitive stage of development. KEY WORDS Cognitive Development Theory, Behaviour Management, Jean Piaget, Child Psychology
Comparative Study of Adaptive Hamiltonian Control Laws for DC Microgrid Stabilization: An Fuel Cell Boost Converter
Authors: Guilbert Damien , Nahid-Mobarakeh Babak , Pierfederici Serge , Bizon Nicu , Mungporn Pongsiri , Thounthong Phatiphat
Published: October 2021

Future smart grids can be seen as a system of interlinked microgrids, including small-scale local power systems. They consist of main power sources, external loads, and energy storage devices. In these microgrids, the negative incremental impedance behavior of constant power loads (CPLs) is of major concern since it can lead to instability and oscillations. To cope with this issue, this article aims to propose a comparative study of adaptive Hamiltonian control laws, also known as interconnection and damping–assignment–passivity–based controllers (IDA-PBC). These control laws are developed to ensure the stability of the DC output voltage of a boost converter supplied by a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) source. To validate the develop control laws, experiments have been performed on a fit test bench including a real 2.5 kW PEMFC stack (hydrogen is supplied by a reformer engine), a DC-DC step-up circuit, and a real-time controller dSPACE (implementation of the control laws). Moreover, a comparative study has been carried out between the proposed three adaptive Hamiltonian control laws and a classic linear cascaded proportional–integral (PI) control law. The obtained results by simulations through MATLAB/SimulinkTM and experimentally have allowed demonstrating that the third Hamiltonian control law presents the best performances over the other control laws.
Study the Effect of Doping Ratios the n-type Silicon SWCNTm / PLA on Solar Cell Efficiency
Authors: Salih Maan Abd-Alameer , Kareem Q.S. , Shinen Mohammed Hadi
Published: October 2021

In this work, SWCNTm / PLA was employed as a fundamental compound, and nanofilms of SWCNTm / PLA were coated onto n-kind silicon substrates. The spin coated technique was used to determine the thickness in (SWCNTm / PLA). Various thicknesses in (SWCNTm / PLA) (162, 100, and 82) n.m are procured via at vary spin spades (1500, 3000, and 4500) r.pm.' light (100 mw/cm2) and dark (J-V) requirements were used to produce the current denisity-volt features. The characteristics of the photovoltaic models namely, open circuit voltage (Voc), short–circuit current density (Jsc), foll ratio (FF), and energy conversion efficiency (ɳ) were calculated. The better thickness of (SWCNTm / PLA) films for highest (ɳ), (Jsc) and greatest power point presentation' is 100 n m, according to our findings.
Employee External Communication Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Case-study of a State-Owned Company
Authors:   Management Department, BINUS Business School Master Program, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia, Perdana Adam Priyo , Latifunnur Lusi ,   Management Department, BINUS Business School Master Program, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia, Hendriana Evelyn ,   Management Department, BINUS Business School Master Program, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia
Published: October 2021

A crisis can trigger employees to engage in external communication behavior. However, the inconsistency of the findings of studies on megaphoning behavior suggests the relationship depends on the type of crisis. With the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this study aims to examine the influence of employee-organization relations and symmetrical internal communication on employee external communication behavior. Data were collected from 400 employees of a state-owned company in Indonesia and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The result shows that good relations between employees and organization can encourage employees to stand up for the company, reduce employee’s intention to share negative communications, encourage employees to recognize crisis as a serious problem, can make employees feel more involved and less constrained in resolving the problems. Employees who feel that they could recognize the crisis tend to spread positive information and restraint from sharing negative information. Meanwhile, those who feel that they were involved in the crisis and less constrained in solving the problem do not influence their interest in spreading positive or negative information. The study finds that symmetrical communication between employees and their companies may encourage employees to spread positive information, but it did not affect their interest in disseminating negative information. Keywords: Employee-
The Integration of Self-directed Learning and Employee Competency in the 21st Century
Authors:   Faculty of Business and Technology, Stamford International University, Thailand, Vithayaporn Sanhakot , Yong Siew Siew ,   Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Malaysia, Chai Elena Gregoria ,   Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this paper is to examine the promotion of self-directed learning (SDL), a concept that can potentially increase employee competency in organisations. We present SDL as a pivotal 21st century skills that transforms traditional practices into competencies crucial for the success of an employee at the workplace. The paper utilised case studies, document analysis, and a systematic literature review to synthesise existing resources. A systematic review of 50 peerreviewed articles published in English-language Scopus indexed journals indicate the significance of promoting SDL in the 21st century workplace for employee competency development. The findings further highlight the practices that need to be integrated for SDL promotion in the workplace to enhance employee competency. Specifically, communication of a shared vision and knowledge among employees is essential to promote SDL. The literature suggests that SDL must be supported by employers and implemented in human resource development (HRD). The practical implications of this for Asian businesses is to introduce and inculcate SDL in organisational culture through a reward system and a conducive working environment. Overall, in recent years, researchers have recognised the critical role of SDL in the workplace in enhancing employee competencies by transferring the learning responsibility to employees.
Nilai Haugh Unit (HU), Indeks Kuning Telur (IKT) dan Ph Telur Itik Pengging Setelah Pemberian Tepung Daun Kelor (Moringa oleifera Lam.)
Authors: Nuraeni Susan , Djaelani Muhammad Anwar , Sunarno Sunarno , Kasiyati Kasiyati
Published: October 2021

Itik lokal banyak dibudidayakan sebagai penghasil telur. Daun kelor (Moringa oleifera) mengandung nutrisi esensial, seperti asam amino dan protein yang berpotensi meningkatkan kualitas telur, terutama telur itik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh tepung daun kelor terhadap kualitas fisik telur itik pengging. Penelitian menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (RAL) dengan 5 perlakuan dengan 4 ulangan, yaitu kelompok kontrol dan kelompok perlakuan pakan basal dengan tambahan tepung daun kelor 2,5; 5; 7,5; dan 10%. Parameter yang diamati pada penelitian ini yaitu nilai Haugh unit (HU), indeks kuning telur (IKT), dan pH telur. Sampel diambil setiap hari kemudian dikumpulkan dan dilakukan pengukuran. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis mengunakan analysis of variance (ANOVA), apabila terdapat beda nyata antar perlakuan dilakukan uji lanjut dengan uji Duncan pada taraf kepercayaan 95%. Hasil analisis menunjukan bahwa pemberian tepung daun kelor dalam pakan itik memberikan pengaruh yang nyata (P<0,05) pada nilai HU dan pH putih telur, namun tidak berpengaruh (P>0,05) pada IKT, pH kuning telur, dan bobot telur. Berdasarkan nilai HU, telur pada penelitian ini dikategorikan dalam kualitas AA, dan pH putih telur tertinggi terdapat pada perlakuan 10% dengan nilai 8,66. Berdasarkan penelitian tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa pemberian tepung daun kelor 7,5% dapat meningkatkan kualitas telur tanpa merubah bobot telur. Kata kunci: Itik pengging, daun kelor, kualitas telur