bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making the patient voice heard in a research consortium: experiences from an EU project (IMI-APPROACH)
Authors: Taylor Jane , Dekker Sjouke , Jurg Diny , Skandsen Jon , Grossman Maureen , Marijnissen Anne-Karien , Ladel Christoph , Mobasheri Ali , Larkin Jon , Weinans Harrie , Kanter-Schlifke Irene ,   on behalf of the APPROACH research consortium and APPROACH Principal Investigators, Marijnissen Anne-Karien , Ladel Christoph , Mobasheri Ali , Larkin Jon , Weinans Harrie
Published: May 2021

APPROACH is an EU-wide research consortium with the goal to identify different subgroups of knee osteoarthritis to enable future differential diagnosis and treatment. During a 2-year clinical study images, biomarkers and clinical data are collected from people living with knee osteoarthritis and data are analyzed to confirm patterns that can indicate such different subgroups. A Patient Council (PC) has been set up at project initiation and consists of five people from Norway, The Netherlands and UK. Initially, this group of individuals had to learn how to effectively work with each other and with the researchers. Today, the PC is a strong team that is fully integrated in the consortium and acknowledged by researchers as an important sounding board.

The article describes this journey looking at formal processes of involvement – organizational structure, budget, meetings – and more informal processes such as building relationships and changing researcher perceptions. It describes how the PC helped improve the experience and engagement of study participants by providing input to the clinical protocol and ensuring effective communication (e.g. through direct interactions with participants and newsletters). Furthermore, the PC is helping with dissemination of results and project advocacy, and overall provides the patient perspective to researchers. Additionally, the authors experienced and describe the intangible benefits such as a shift in researcher attitudes and a sense of community and purpose for PC members. Importantly, learnings reported in this article also include the challenges, such as effective integration of the PC with researchers’ work in the early phase of the project.

Trial registration

US National Library of Medicine, NCT03883568, retrospectively registered 21 March 2019.
Involving older adults in technology research and development discussions through dialogue cafés
Authors: Lund Anne , Holthe Torhild , Halvorsrud Liv , Karterud Dag , Johannessen Adele Flakke , Lovett Hilde Margrethe , Thorstensen Erik , Casagrande Flávia Dias , Zouganeli Evi , Norvoll Reidun , Forsberg Ellen Marie
Published: May 2021

Background

Citizen involvement is important for ensuring the relevance and quality of many research and innovation efforts. Literature shows that inadequate citizen involvement poses an obstacle during the research, development, and implementation of assistive technology. Previous studies have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of citizen engagement in health research and technology development, and there is concern about how to ensure valuable engagement to avoid situations where they don’t have influence. Frail older adults are often excluded from being active partners in research projects.

The overall objective of this commentary is to describe a case where dialogue cafés was used as a method for involving assisted living residents in technology discussions, elaborating on the following research question: In what ways are dialogue cafés useful for directing research and development and for engaging residents in assisted living facilities in assistive technology discussions?

Method

Six dialogue cafés with assisted living residents as participants were carried out over a period of 3 years (2016–19). Reports that were written after each café by the group leaders and rapporteurs provide the material for the analyses in this paper.

Results

This study demonstrates an example of facilitating user involvement where the participants felt useful by contributing to research and discussions on assistive technology and where this contribution in fact directed the research and development in the overall Assisted Living Project.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that dialogue cafés enable older residents at an assisted living facility to contribute with opinions about their needs and perspectives on assistive technologies. This negates the view of older adults as too frail to participate and demonstrates the importance of including and collaborating with older adults in research.
Development of the patient-oriented research curriculum in child health (PORCCH)
Authors: Macarthur Colin , Walsh Catharine M. , Buchanan Francine , Karoly Aliza , Pires Linda , McCreath Graham , Jones Nicola L.
Published: May 2021

Background

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research launched a national ‘Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research’ (SPOR) in 2011. Patient-oriented research is defined as a continuum of research that engages patients as partners, focuses on patient-identified priorities, and improves patient outcomes. Capacity development is a core element of SPOR. Barriers to patient-oriented research include unfamiliarity with the research process for patients and families and unfamiliarity with the methods of patient and family engagement for researchers.

Methods

The aim of the Patient-Oriented Research Curriculum in Child Health (PORCCH) is to build capacity in patient-oriented research in child health among patients and families, researchers, healthcare professionals, decision-makers, and trainees through a curriculum delivered via a series of interactive online modules (e-learning). A multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder steering committee, which included patients and families, guided the development of the curriculum and provided feedback on individual modules. The content, design, and development of each module were co-led by a parent and researcher in an equal partnership.

Results

PORCCH consists of a series of five modules. All modules are interactive and include video vignettes and knowledge comprehension questions. Access to the modules is free and each module takes approximately 30 min to complete. The five modules are: Research 101 (an Introduction to Patient-Oriented Research, parts 1 and 2), Patient Engagement 101 (an Introduction to Patient Engagement in Child Health Research, parts 1 and 2), and Research Ethics 101.

Conclusions

PORCCH was developed specifically to overcome recognized barriers to the engagement of patients and families in child health research. The aim of the curriculum is to build capacity in patient-oriented research in child health. The goal is for PORCCH to be a useful resource for all stakeholders involved in patient-oriented research: patients and families, researchers, healthcare professionals, decision-makers, and trainees.
Obstructs-equipped apparatus reduces cannibalism and improves larval survival of the Coccinellid, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Sun Yuan-Xing , Hao Ya-Nan , Liu Chang-Zhong , Zhou Jing-Jiang , Wang Sen-Shan
Published: May 2021

Background

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an important biocontrol agent in native region of Asia, while its high propensity for cannibalism causes great obstacles in mass production. Provisioning obstructs in rearing containers could decrease the cannibalism of ladybird beetles. In this study, three different patterns of obstructs (Con-A, Con-B, and Con-C) were designed and equipped in plastic Petri dishes (95.38 cm3) as rearing units, and their efficiency for H. axyridis larval survival was tested. The potential of the high-density rearing was then evaluated using the optimal units with 16, 24, or 32 larvae per unit (named 16-L, 24-L, or 32-L, respectively).

Results

Larval survivals in obstructs-equipped units were generally higher than those in control, and significantly increased with the Con-C units (39.8% versus 74.2% at adult stage). With the Con-C units, the survivals were significantly higher at 16-L density (82.5%) than those at 24-L density (62.5%), but both were non-significantly different from those at 32-L density (70.0%). The weights of newly emerged adults (fit with the expected sex ratio of 1:1) at the higher densities were lower than those at 16-L density.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that H. axyridis can be reared at a higher density (≈ 0.336 larvae/cm3) in a constrained unit and highlight the effects of obstructs in reducing cannibalism and improving insect survivals.
Composition, habitat preference and seasonal variation of malaria vector larval and pupa stage in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria
Authors: Olusi T. A. , Simon-Oke I. A. , Akeju A. V.
Published: May 2021

Background

The study of habitat preference and identification of malaria vector is one of the important steps in malaria control. Knowledge of local Anopheles mosquitoes capable of transmitting malaria parasites has contributed largely to the reduction in the menace caused by malaria infection. This present study examined the habitat nature and identified the species of Anopheles mosquitoes involved in malaria parasites transmission in the study area. Monthly collection and identification of the fourth larval stage was carried out from October 2018 to September 2019.

Result

The prevalence of An. gambiae complex and An. funestus larvae was 95.86 and 4.15%, respectively. The highest (14.17%) and the least (4.25%) number of larvae were collected in the month of November and May, respectively. Out of the total number of Anopheles mosquito larvae collected during the wet season, 69.77% of the larvae was collected from the clean habitat, while 30.23% was collected from the dirty habitats. During the dry season, the larvae dwell more in dirty aquatic habitat, with 64.74% of the larvae collected from the dirty habitats, while 35.27% was recorded from clean habitats. Statistically, there was no significant difference in the electrical conductivity when comparing both seasons (P = 0.19; X2 = 53.14). The average recorded electrical conductivity in dry and wet seasons were 350.76 µS/cm and 178.91 µS/cm, respectively. The pH recorded in dry and wet seasons were 6.78 and 7.04, respectively. There was no significant difference in the pH when both seasons were compared (P = 0.13; X2 = 54.89). The total dissolve solid where not significant different (P = 0.58; X2 = 13.35) when both seasons were compared. The temperature (P = 0.04; X2 = 43.54) and dissolve oxygen (P = 0.00; X2 = 30.09) were significantly different comparing dry and wet seasons in all the habitats where the immature stages of Anopheles mosquitoes were collected.

Conclusion

The study revealed major vector of malaria parasite in the study location, also the pattern of their breeding during dry and rainy season which is influenced by some selected ecological factors.
Effect of manure sources and rates on nitrogen replacement value, sesame yield and nutrient content under drip irrigation system
Authors: Abd El Lateef E. M. , Wali Asal M. , Abd El-Salam M. S.
Published: May 2021

Background

This work was conducted to investigate the effect of different manure types (compost, chicken manure and FYM) at 12, 24 and 48 m3 ha−1 with or without reduced N rate (72 kg ha−1) compared with N fertilizer levels: 0, 36, 72 and 108 kg ha−1 under drip irrigation system. Therefore, field trials were established in the summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 on a private farm, Belbais District, Sharkia Governorate, in a newly reclaimed soil (loomy calcareous). Sesame seed yield, oil content and macro- and micronutrients were determined.

Results

Highly significant effects due to organic sources applied were apparent on seed yield and yield components. Yield response to FYM at the lowest rate compared to the other two sources and rates was evident. Correlation analysis of the various yield characteristics with N fertilizer application was reported. Fertilizer replacement value in manure sources ranged between 30 and 62%. The chemical analysis of sesame seeds indicated that chemical composition of sesame seed was insensitive to the type of soil amendment.

Conclusion

It could be concluded from this study that the predictable benefits from manure application to sesame will increase farmer confidence in organic fertilizers reducing the reliance up on inorganic fertilizers for crop nutrition and improving the sesame seed nutrient content.
Molecular analysis of CFTR gene mutations among Iraqi cystic fibrosis patients
Authors: Abdul-Qadir Asal Gailan , Al-Musawi Bassam Musa , Thejeal Rabab Farhan , Al-Omar Saad Abdul-Baqi
Published: May 2021

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive multisystem disease that results from mutation(s) of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. More than 2100 mutations and polymorphisms have been reported in this gene so far. Incidence and genotyping of CF are under-identified in Iraq. This study aims to determine the types and frequencies of certain CFTR mutations among a sample of Iraqi CF patients. Two groups of patients were included: 31 clinically confirmed CF patients in addition to 47 clinically suspected patients of CF. All confirmed patients had typical, moderate-severe clinical presentation and course of the disease. Molecular analysis was performed on the majority of enrolled patients using the CF-stripAssay® kit supplied by ViennaLab diagnostics, GmbH, Austria.

Results

The mutation-detection rate from the tested 34 mutations in this study was 19.5% and the 8 detected mutations were as follows: 3120+1G>A and W1282X were found in 3 (4.17%) patients each; F508del and R1162X were found in 2 (2.78%) patients each; 3272-26A>G, R347P, I507del, and 2183AA>G were found in 1 (1.38%) patient each. Polymorphic variants of IVS8, namely 5T, 7T, and 9T, were detected in ~ 70%. These results were nearly similar to what was reported in regional countries.

Conclusion

Cystic fibrosis seems to be not rare as previously thought. 3120+1G>A and W1282X are the two most commonly detected mutations. F508del needs to be included in all future tests, while the I507del mutation was uniquely reported in this study but not in regional studies.
Norfloxacin with itopride versus norfloxacin alone in secondary prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a randomized trial
Authors: Younes Afaf Y. M. , Abd-Elsalam Sherief , Attia Gehan F. , Shehata Mona A. H.
Published: May 2021

Background

Bacterial translocation is considered the pathophysiological hallmark in the development of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Prokinetics can increase gastrointestinal (GIT) motility, reduce small bowel transit time, decrease bacterial translocation, and the possibility of SBP. The aim of this work was to compare the effectiveness and safety of itopride and norfloxacin versus norfloxacin only in secondary prophylaxis for cirrhotic ascitic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Results

Regarding the baseline clinical manifestations and laboratory investigations, there was no significant difference between both groups. The incidence of a recurrent SBP in group I, who had received itopride plus norfloxacin, reduced with a significant difference than other group II (P=0.018). The median time for recurrence of SBP was highly longer in group I than group II with a significant difference (P=0.042).

Conclusions

The combined usage of itopride with norfloxacin in patients with cirrhosis and ascites can decrease the occurrence of a recurrent SBP and significantly improve the survival of patients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04161768.
There is Only One Valid Definition of Clearance: Critical Examination of Clearance Concepts Reveals the Potential for Errors in Clinical Drug Dosing Decisions
Authors: Benet Leslie Z. , Sodhi Jasleen K. , Makrygiorgos George , Mesbah Ali
Published: May 2021

Drug dosing decisions in clinical medicine and in introducing a drug to market for the past 60 years are based on the pharmacokinetic/clinical pharmacology concept of clearance. We used chemical reaction engineering models to demonstrate the limitations of presently employed clearance measurements based upon systemic blood concentration in reflecting organ clearance. The belief for the last 49 years that in vivo clearance is independent of the mechanistic model for organ clearance is incorrect. There is only one valid definition of clearance. Defining organ clearance solely on the basis of systemic blood concentrations can lead to drug dosing errors when drug effect sites reside either in an eliminating organ exhibiting incremental clearance or in a non-eliminating organ where intraorgan concentration is governed by transporter actions. Attempts to predict clearance are presently hampered by the lack of recognition that what we are trying to predict is a well-stirred model clearance.
Does the Impact of Motherhood on Women's Employment and Wages Differ for Women Who Plan Their Transition Into Motherhood?
Authors: Bearak Jonathan Marc , Popinchalk Anna , Burke Kristen Lagasse , Anjur-Dietrich Selena
Published: May 2021

Women's ability to control their fertility through contraception and abortion has been shown to contribute to improvements in education and employment. At the same time, their employment and wages decline substantially when they transition to motherhood. About one-third of births are unintended, and it is unknown whether the impact of motherhood on employment, hours, and wages is smaller for women who planned their transition into motherhood compared with those who did not. To explore this, we examine fixed-effects models that estimate labor market outcomes using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979–2014. We estimate models for Black and White women and find that the relationship between motherhood and employment is significantly more negative among White women who plan their transition into motherhood than among those who have an unplanned first birth. Among those who remain employed, we find that those with a planned first birth work fewer hours and have lower wages relative to those with unplanned births. We do not find significant evidence that the association between motherhood and labor market outcomes differs by fertility planning among Black women. Prior research shows how women's choices are structurally constrained by sociocultural norms and expectations and by a labor market that may not readily accommodate motherhood. In this context, our findings may reflect differences in women's motherhood and employment preferences and their ability to act on those preferences. Our analysis also makes a novel contribution to the large body of research that associates unplanned births with negative outcomes.
The Comparability of Perceived Physical and Mental Health Measures Across Immigrants and Natives in the United States
Authors: Maskileyson Dina , Seddig Daniel , Davidov Eldad
Published: May 2021

The comparative study of perceived physical and mental health in general—and the comparative study of health between the native-born and immigrants, in particular—requires that the groups understand survey questions inquiring about their health in the same way and display similar response patterns. After all, observed differences in perceived health may not reflect true differences but rather cultural bias in the health measures. Research on cross-country measurement equivalence between immigrants and natives on self-reported health measures has received very limited attention to date, resulting in a growing demand for the validation of existing perceived health measures using samples of natives and immigrants and establishing measurement equivalence of health-related assessment tools. This study, therefore, aims to examine measurement equivalence of self-reported physical and mental health indicators between immigrants and natives in the United States. Using pooled data from the 2015–2017 IPUMS Health Surveys, we examine the cross-group measurement equivalence properties of five concepts that are measured by multiple indicators: (1) perceived limitations in activities of daily life; (2) self-reported disability; (3) perceived functional limitations; (4) perceived financial stress; and (5) nonspecific psychological distress. Furthermore, we examine the comparability of these data among respondents of different ethnoracial origins and from different regions of birth, who report few versus many years since migration, their age, gender, and the language used to respond to the interview (e.g., English vs. Spanish). We test for measurement equivalence using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The results reveal that health scales are comparable across the examined groups. This finding allows drawing meaningful conclusions about similarities and differences among natives and immigrants on measures of perceived health in these data.
Quantitative analysis of signaling responses during mouse primordial germ cell specification
Authors: Morgani Sophie M. , Hadjantonakis Anna-Katerina
Published: May 2021

During early mammalian development, the pluripotent cells of the embryo are exposed to a combination of signals that drive exit from pluripotency and germ layer differentiation. At the same time, a small population of pluripotent cells give rise to the primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors of the sperm and egg, which pass on heritable genetic information to the next generation. Despite the importance of PGCs, it remains unclear how they are first segregated from the soma, and if this involves distinct responses to their signaling environment. To investigate this question, we mapped BMP, MAPK and WNT signaling responses over time in PGCs and their surrounding niche in vitro and in vivo at single-cell resolution. We showed that, in the mouse embryo, early PGCs exhibit lower BMP and MAPK responses compared to neighboring extraembryonic mesoderm cells, suggesting the emergence of distinct signaling regulatory mechanisms in the germline versus soma. In contrast, PGCs and somatic cells responded comparably to WNT, indicating that this signal alone is not sufficient to promote somatic differentiation. Finally, we investigated the requirement of a BMP response for these cell fate decisions. We found that cell lines with a mutation in the BMP receptor (Bmpr1a−/−), which exhibit an impaired BMP signaling response, can efficiently generate PGC-like cells revealing that canonical BMP signaling is not cell autonomously required to direct PGC-like differentiation.
The Impact of Insulin Resistance on Cardiovascular Control During Exercise in Diabetes
Authors: Mizuno Masaki , Hotta Norio , Ishizawa Rie , Kim Han-Kyul , Iwamoto Gary , Vongpatanasin Wanpen , Mitchell Jere H. , Smith Scott A.
Published: May 2021

Patients with diabetes display heightened blood pressure response to exercise, but the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. There is no direct evidence that insulin resistance (hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia) impacts neural cardiovascular control during exercise. We propose a novel paradigm in which hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia significantly influences neural regulatory pathways controlling the circulation during exercise in diabetes.
Non-native Helix lucorum Linnaeus, 1758 (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Helicidae) after twelve years in Prague, Czech Republic
Authors: Doležal Jiři
Published: May 2021

The first occurrence of Helix lucorum Linnaeus in the Czech Republic was reported 12 years ago, at the closed train station Žižkov in Prague. A part of the station is a ruderal habitat while large patches are covered with partly damaged concrete. At the site where it was first recorded, and where the density of H. lucorum is still the highest, this invasive snail has now almost completely replaced the original H. pomatia Linnaeus. However, it has not expanded either inside or outside the station area.
Closing the communication gap in neonatal inter-hospital transfer: a neonatal referral form for resource-limited settings - a modified e-Delphi-consensus study
Authors: Mwizerwa Oscar , Umuhoza Christian , Corden Mark H. , Lissauer Tom , Cartledge Peter Thomas
Published: May 2021

Background: Standardised neonatal referral forms (NRFs) facilitate effective communication between healthcare providers and ensure continuity of care between facilities, which are essential for patient safety. We sought to determine the essential data items, or core clinical information (CCI), that should be conveyed for neonatal inter-hospital transfer in resource-limited settings (Rounds 1 to 3) and to create an NRF suitable for our setting (Round 4).

Methods: We conducted an international, four-round, modified Delphi-consensus study. Round-1 was a literature and internet search to identify existing NRFs. In Round-2 and -3, participants were Rwandan clinicians and international paediatric healthcare practitioners who had worked in Rwanda in the five years before the study. These participants evaluated the draft items and proposed additional items to be included in an NRF. Round-4 focused on creating the NRF and used five focus groups of Rwandan general practitioners at district hospitals.

Results: We identified 16 pre-existing NRFs containing 125 individual items. Of these, 91 items met the pre-defined consensus criteria for inclusion in Round-2. Only 33 items were present in more than 50% of the 16 NRFs, confirming the need for this consensus study. In Round-2, participants proposed 12 new items, six of which met the pre-defined consensus criteria. In Round-3, participants scored items for importance, and 57 items met the final consensus criteria. In Round-4, 29 general practitioners took part in five focus groups; a total of 16 modifications were utilised to finalise the NRF.

Conclusions: We generated a novel, robust, NRF that may be readily employed in resource-limited settings to communicate the essential clinical information to accompany a neonate requiring inter-hospital transfer.
Factors contributing to under-reporting of patient safety incidents in Indonesia: leaders’ perspectives
Authors: Dhamanti Inge , Leggat Sandra , Barraclough Simon , Rachman Taufik
Published: May 2021

Background: Understanding the causes of patient safety incidents is essential for improving patient safety; therefore, reporting and analysis of these incidents is a key imperative. Despite its implemention more than 15 years ago, the institutionalization of incident reporting in Indonesian hospitals is far from satisfactory. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors responsible for under-reporting of patient safety incidents in Indonesian public hospitals from the perspectives of leaders of hospitals, government departments, and independent institutions.

Methods: A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this study using semi-structured interviews of key informants. 25 participants working at nine organizations (government departments, independent institutions, and public hospitals) were interviewed. The interview transcripts were analyzed using a deductive analytic approach. Nvivo 10 was used to for data processing prior to thematic analysis.

Results: The key factors contributing to the under-reporting of patient safety incidents were categorized as hospital related and nonhospital related (government or independent agency). The hospital-related factors were: lack of understanding, knowledge, and responsibility for reporting; lack of leadership and institutional culture of reporting incidents; perception of reporting as an additional burden. The nonhospital-related factors were: lack of feedback and training; lack of confidentiality mechanisms in the system; absence of policy safeguards to prevent any punitive measures against the reporting hospital; lack of leadership.

Conclusion: Our study identified factors contributing to the under-reporting of patient safety incidents in Indonesia. The lack of government support and absence of political will to improve patient safety incident reporting appear to be the root causes of under-reporting. Our findings call for concerted efforts involving government, independent agencies, hospitals, and other stakeholders for instituting reforms in the patient safety incident reporting system.
Case Report: Literature review of a Complicated Postpartum Pubic Symphysitis case
Authors: Toumi Dhekra , Asma Korbi , Badr Marwa , Ennaceur Farouk , Touati Boujemaa , Hajji Ahmed , Faleh Raja
Published: May 2021

Post-partum pubic symphysitis is an exceptional pathology. Its diagnosis is difficult, based on a high clinical semiological finesse complemented by imaging examinations, the most specific of which are CT and pelvic MRI. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the evolution. We report a case of pubic symphysitis occurring in the aftermath of a low-pathway delivery discovered in a septic shock table. Evolution was good under antibiotic and heparin therapy.
Occupational differences in COVID-19 incidence, severity, and mortality in the United Kingdom: Available data and framework for analyses
Authors: Pearce Neil , Rhodes Sarah , Stocking Katie , Pembrey Lucy , van Veldhoven Karin , Brickley Elizabeth B. , Robertson Steve , Davoren Donna , Nafilyan Vahe , Windsor-Shellard Ben , Fletcher Tony , van Tongeren Martie
Published: May 2021

There are important differences in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death depending on occupation. Infections in healthcare workers have received the most attention, and there are clearly increased risks for intensive care unit workers who are caring for COVID-19 patients. However, a number of other occupations may also be at an increased risk, particularly those which involve social care or contact with the public.

A large number of data sets are available with the potential to assess occupational risks of COVID-19 incidence, severity, or mortality. We are reviewing these data sets as part of the Partnership for Research in Occupational, Transport, Environmental COVID Transmission (PROTECT) initiative, which is part of the National COVID-19 Core Studies. In this report, we review the data sets available (including the key variables on occupation and potential confounders) for examining occupational differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 incidence, severity and mortality. We also discuss the possible types of analyses of these data sets and the definitions of (occupational) exposure and outcomes.

We conclude that none of these data sets are ideal, and all have various strengths and weaknesses. For example, mortality data suffer from problems of coding of COVID-19 deaths, and the deaths (in England and Wales) that have been referred to the coroner are unavailable. On the other hand, testing data is heavily biased in some periods (particularly the first wave) because some occupations (e.g. healthcare workers) were tested more often than the general population. Random population surveys are, in principle, ideal for estimating population prevalence and incidence, but are also affected by non-response. Thus, any analysis of the risks in a particular occupation or sector (e.g. transport), will require a careful analysis and triangulation of findings across the various available data sets.
Estimation of Solar Radiation on Tilted Surface by Using Regression Analysis at Different Locations in India
Authors: Qadeer Abdul , Khan Mohammad Emran , Alam Shah
Published: May 2021

This study is to find the regression model for estimation of monthly meanhourly global solar radiation on tilted surface at different locations of India.This study is quite precious due to lack of solar radiation data availability onthe tilted surface. Firstly, we have selected some locations having differentclimatic conditions such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow andJaipur to find the solar radiation on tilted surface using Liu and Jordan model,HDKR model and Perez model. The mean values of these models are plottedalong with the daytime. Based on regression techniques, four empiricalmodels are developed which are tested to compute the solar radiation ontilted surface for three new stations Ahmadabad, Bangalore and Chennai.The estimated solar radiation by these four developed models are comparedwith the estimated values using existing models Lie & Jordan, HDKR andPerez based on mean bias error (MBE) and root mean square error (RMSE).It has been found that developed Model-3 has minimum error and the valuesestimated this model is comparable to existing models. The maximum values of RMSE in Model-3 in tested stations are 2.01% with Liu and Jordan, 2.63%with HDKR and 2.10% with Perez. Similarly, maximum values of MBE are−1.79% with Liu and Jordan, −2.27% with HDKR and −1.89% with Perez.Now the Model-3 finally selected to determine the solar radiation on Bhopal,Bhubneshwar, Dehradun, Guwahati and Trivendrum (Thiruvananthapuram).
A Modified Double-Integral-Sliding-Mode-Controller for a Microgrid System With Uncertainty
Authors: Pradhan Swati Sucharita , Pradhan Raseswari
Published: May 2021

Recently infiltration of large scale of microgrid systems into the power grid isrecorded. Among these systems, photovoltaic (PV) based microgrid systemsare more in demand due to its renewable, pollution free properties andabundantly available fuel. Grid integration of this microgrid system againenhanced its energy efficiency. But, dynamics of this PV based microgridsystem is highly nonlinear and uncertain in nature. It suffers from para-metric uncertainties. This kind of system can’t be controlled properly byconventional linear controllers. Sliding mode controller (SMC) is capableof controlling this kind of system with ease. However, SMC suffers from itsinherent chattering introduction in the system output waveform. To reduce thechattering from the output waveform, there is requirement of some modifica-tion in the existing SMC structure dynamics. This paper presents an extendedstate observer based double integral sliding mode controller (DISMC) for thisstudied system. By using DISMC, the chattering magnitude is diminishedgreatly. Parameter uncertainties of the system lead to some unknown controlstates. These unknown states are identified by the state observer. Therefore,the proposed controller is more efficient in reference tracking, disturbance rejection and robust stability. To test the efficacies of the proposed controller,results of the studied system with this controller are compared with that ofH∞ controller.
Simulation of Wind-solar Complementary Distribution Power Generation System Based on PSCAD
Authors: Zheng Yangbing , Xue Xiao
Published: May 2021

Toward to the situation that the overall model and simulation research ofcomplementary power generation system is less recently, a new structuremodel of the wind-solar complementary distribution power generation sys-tem is proposed. According to the models of wind power generation andphotovoltaic power generation, the PSCAD is used for building a three-phasephotovoltaic grid-connected power generation system. Through the model,the systm performance is analyzed, and the correctness of the developedcontrol element and the usability of the engineering simulation analysis areverified.
Substation Decision-making Platform Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Qin Jianhua , Zhu Xueqiong , Wang Zhen , Ma Jingtan , Gao Shan , Hu Chengbo
Published: May 2021

In view of the actual needs faced by the substation maintenance, this paperproposes a kind of substation decision-making platform based on artificialintelligence. The platform formalizes and integrates the basic data, electricaldata and the operational data of the equipment, qualitatively triggers themaintenance task abide by the result of the logistic regression model, providesfurther results of data processing through quantitative analysis, and providesknowledge navigation to the operation guidance of the corresponding equip-ment. The platform matches the electrical data with the inference enginestored in the knowledge base. If the data match the condition of the inferencesuccessfully, the inference is triggered and the action is executed. The resultis provided to the relevant staff as a suggestion to assist the final decision.After the task is completed, the cause, effect and solution of the equipmentfailure are backfilled and expanded into the equipment base as a new instance.
LVRT Enhancement in Grid Connected DFIG Based Wind Turbine Using PSO Optimized DVR
Authors: Kumar Ashwani , Mishra Vishnu Mohan , Ranjan Rakesh
Published: May 2021

This paper suggest a control strategy to enhance the LVRT capability ofdoubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind turbine system usingdynamic voltage restorer (DVR). Wind turbine generator should support thegrid during the fault time. The method used here is series compensationmethod at the point of common coupling on the occurrence of fault tomaintain the stator voltage constant. LVRT performance is improved byoptimization of PI parameters using particle swarm optimization as compareto conventional DVR. This PI controller is used to regulate the IGBT pulses ofthe inverter fed by DC source. To validate the improved LVRT performance,a 9 MW grid integrated DFIG based wind plant is considered. The resultshows that the voltage compensation of sag is greatly improved with PSOoptimized DVR.
Stochastic Distribution Controller for Wind Turbines with Doubly Fed Induction Generator
Authors: Munisamy Vijayalaxmi , Vadivoo Nayagam Shanmuga , Devasena Vaithilingam
Published: May 2021

The major purpose of this work is to design the controllers for controlling thevariable speed, variable pitch wind turbine (WT) with doubly fed inductiongenerator (DFIG). Vector control strategy is adopted for controlling theDFIG active and reactive power. Generator torque is control to provide theregulated real power with minimum fluctuation. The fixed gain proportional-integral (PI) controller designed to the converter of rotor side and gridside has limited operating range and inherent overshoot. Gain schedulingPI controller is designed to minimize the overshoot and fluctuation existsin proportional-integral controller. Since DFIG based wind energy conver-sion system (WECS) works in uncertain wind speed, stochastic distributioncontrol (SDC) method is proposed to control the probability distributionfunction (PDF) of DFIG based WECS. It copes with nonlinearities in theWECS and contiguous variations at operating point and provides satisfactoryperformance for the whole operating region. It improves the performancetogether with power quality of generated electric power thereby maximizing the lifespan of installation and ensures secure and acceptable operation of theDFIG based WECS.
Cognitive and autonomous QoT-driven optical line controller
Authors: Borraccini Giacomo , D’Amico Andrea , Straullu Stefano , Nespola Antonino , Piciaccia Stefano , Tanzi Alberto , Galimberti Gabriele , Bottacchi Stefano , Swail Scott , Curri Vittorio
Published: May 2021

In the direction of disaggregated and cognitive optical networks, this work proposes and experimentally tests a vendor-agnostic optical line controller architecture capable of autonomously setting the working point of optical amplifiers to maximize the capacity of a ROADM-to-ROADM (reconfigurable optical add–drop multiplexer) link. From a procedural point of view, once the equipment is installed, the presented software framework performs an automatic characterization of the line, span by span, to abstract the properties of the physical layer. This process requires the exploitation of monitoring devices such as optical channel monitors and optical time domain reflectometers, available, in a future perspective, in each amplification site. On the basis of this information, an optimization algorithm determines the working point of each amplifier to maximize the quality of transmission (QoT) over the entire band. The optical line controller has been experimentally tested in the laboratory using two different control strategies, achieving in both cases a homogeneous QoT for each channel close to the maximum average and an excellent match with respect to emulation results. In this framework, the Gaussian noise simulation in Python (GNPy) open source Python library is used as the physical model for optical propagation through the fiber, and the covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy is used as an optimization algorithm to identify properties of each fiber span and to maximize the link capacity.
Magnetically dependent plasmon drag in permalloy structures
Authors: Shahabuddin Mohammad , Keene David W. , Durach Maxim , Posvyanskii Vladimir S. , Atsarkin Vadim A. , Noginova Natalia
Published: May 2021

Significant photovoltages are observed in permalloy grating-like
structures in response to pulsed laser light illumination. Electrical
signals are enhanced at plasmon resonance conditions and show a clear
dependence on the magnetic field with a characteristic
hysteresis. Estimations show that the effect could not be explained
solely by laser-induced heating. Alternative mechanisms are
discussed.
Compact 200 line MATLAB code for inverse design in photonics by topology optimization: tutorial: erratum
Authors: Christiansen Rasmus E. , Sigmund Ole
Published: May 2021

This paper corrects an error in the software provided with
J. Opt. Soc. Am.
B 38, 510
(2021)JOBPDE0740-322410.1364/JOSAB.405955.
Femtosecond laser patterned superhydrophobic/hydrophobic SERS sensors for rapid positioning ultratrace detection
Authors: Yang Huan , Guan Xiangyun , Pang Gihong , Zheng Zhixia , Li Chunbo , Yang Can , Wang Meng , Xu Kaichen
Published: May 2021

Ultratrace molecular detections are vital for precancer diagnosis, forensic analysis, and food safety. Superhydrophobic (SH) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors are regarded as an ideal approach to improve detection performance by concentrating analyte molecules within a small volume. However, due to the low adhesion of SH surfaces, the analyte droplet is prone to rolling, making it hard to deposit molecules on a predetermined position. Furthermore, the sediment with a very small area on the SH-SERS surface is difficult to be captured even with a Raman microscope. In this study, femtosecond laser fabricated hybrid SH/hydrophobic (SH/HB) surfaces are successfully applied to realize a rapid and highly sensitive SERS detection. By modulating dual surface structures and wetting behaviors, the analyte molecules can be enriched at the edge of HB pattern. This improves the convenience and speed of Raman test. On a hybrid SH/HB SERS substrate with a circular HB pattern at 300-µm-diameter, a femtomolar level (10−14 M) of rhodamine 6G can be detected by using analyte volumes of just 5 µL. The SERS enhancement factor can reach 5.7×108 and a good uniformity with a relative standard deviation of 6.98% is achieved. Our results indicate that the laser fabrication of hybrid SERS sensor offers an efficient and cost-effective approach for ultratrace molecular detection.
Suppression of the optical crosstalk in a multi-channel silicon photomultiplier array
Authors: Masuda Takahiko , Ang Daniel G. , Hutzler Nicholas R. , Meisenhelder Cole , Sasao Noboru , Uetake Satoshi , Wu Xing , DeMille David , Gabrielse Gerald , Doyle John M. , Yoshimura Koji
Published: May 2021

We propose and study a method of optical crosstalk suppression for silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) using optical filters. We demonstrate that attaching absorptive visible bandpass filters to the SiPM can substantially reduce the optical crosstalk. Measurements suggest that the absorption of near infrared light is important to achieve this suppression. The proposed technique can be easily applied to suppress the optical crosstalk in SiPMs in cases where filtering near infrared light is compatible with the application.
High-pulse-energy passively Q-switched sub-nanosecond MOPA laser system operating at kHz level
Authors: Zhou Yiping , Li Xudong , Xu Haobo , Yan Renpeng , Jiang Yugang , Fan Rongwei , Chen Deying
Published: May 2021

A passively Q-switched sub-nanosecond master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser system at 1064 nm has been reported in this paper. The master oscillator was a passively Q-switched YAG/Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG microchip laser, yielding a pulse energy of 0.14 mJ and a pulse width of ∼490 ps at repetition rates of 500 Hz and 1 kHz. After passing a double-pass side-pumped Nd:YAG amplification system, the pulse energy reached 7.6 mJ and 1.7 mJ at 500 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. The spatial beam deformation caused by the thermally induced birefringence was investigated numerically and experimentally.
Enhancement of the photocurrents injected in gapped graphene by the orthogonally polarized two-color laser field
Authors: Zhang Yinfu , Li Jiapeng , Li Liang , Huang Tengfei , Zhu Xiaosong , Lan Pengfei , Lu Peixiang
Published: May 2021

We theoretically investigate the photocurrents injected in gapped graphene by the orthogonally polarized two-color laser field. Depending on the relative phase, the photocurrents can be coherently controlled by deforming the electron trajectory in the reciprocal space. Under the same field strength, the peak photocurrent in the orthogonally polarized two-color field is about 20 times larger than that for linearly polarized light, and about 3.6 times for elliptically polarized light. The enhancement of the photocurrent can be attributed to an obvious asymmetric distribution of the real population in the reciprocal space, which is sensitive to the waveform of the laser field and related to the quantum interference between the electron trajectories. Our work provides a noncontact method to effectively enhance the injected current in graphene.
Sensitivity-enhanced microwave-photonic optical fiber interferometry based on the Vernier effect
Authors: Zhu Chen , Huang Jie
Published: May 2021

This paper proposes optical carrier microwave interferometry (OCMI)-based optical fiber interferometers for sensing applications with improved measurement sensitivity with the assistance of the Vernier effect. Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) are employed in the proof of concept. A single-FPI-OCMI system is first demonstrated for measurements of variations of temperatures by tracking the spectral shift of the interferogram in microwave domain. By cascading two FPIs with slightly different optical lengths, the Vernier effect is generated in the magnitude spectrum of the system with a typical amplitude-modulated signal. By tracking the shift of the envelope signal, temperature measurements are experimentally demonstrated with greatly enhanced sensitivity. The amplification factor for the measurement sensitivity can be easily adjusted by varying the length ratio of the two cascaded FPIs. In addition to the experimental demonstration, a complete mathematical model of the FPI-OCMI system and the mechanism for the amplified sensitivity due to Vernier effect is presented. Numerical calculations are also performed to verify the analytical derivations.
Multipass cell for high-power few-cycle compression
Authors: Müller Michael , Buldt Joachim , Stark Henning , Grebing Christian , Limpert Jens
Published: May 2021

A multipass cell for nonlinear compression to few-cycle pulse duration is introduced composing dielectrically enhanced silver mirrors on silicon substrates. Spectral broadening with 388 W output average power and 776 µJ pulse energy is obtained at 82% cell transmission. A high output beam quality (

M

2

<

1.2

) and a high spatio-spectral homogeneity (97.5%), as well as the compressibility of the output pulses to 6.9 fs duration, are demonstrated. A finite element analysis reveals scalability of this cell to 2 kW average output power.
Measurements of the absolute timing jitter and intensity noise of an all-fiber Mamyshev oscillator
Authors: Poeydebat Etienne , Santarelli Giorgio , Casanova Alexis , Scol Florent , Vanvincq Olivier , Bouwmans Géraud , Hugonnot Emmanuel
Published: May 2021

We present the experimental investigation of timing jitter and relative intensity noise of a Mamyshev ring oscillator operating in the fundamental mode-lock regime. We find that both timing jitter and intensity noise spectra are correlated to the output optical power with noise increase close to the loss of the mode-locking. In addition, we have investigated the dependence of the spectral filters wavelength separation on both timing jitter and intensity noise showing a severe degradation with filters overlapping.