bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic perceptions and attitudes towards the European Union: A survey experiment
Authors: Jurado Ignacio
Published: June 2022

This article analyses the effect of economic assessments on attitudes towards the European Union. The literature has mostly studied this question with observational data (which does not allow to establish a causal link), and has not explored how different countries's experiences during economic hardship shape opinions about the European Union. To account for this, I run a survey vignette experiment in Germany – a creditor countries's during the Great Recession – and Spain – a debtor country. I find that having worse perceptions about the impact of the crisis erodes attitudes towards the European Union. The mechanism is, however, different across countries. In Germany, worse economic evaluations reduce the perception that the European Union is a beneficial project. Conversely, in Spain, negative assessments about the financial crisis are linked to beliefs that democratic representation is limited in the European Union. These results are relevant to understand the conditions and mechanisms by which attitudes towards the European Union are worsened.
Robust security transmission design for multi-user peer-to-peer wireless relay networks
Authors: Yang Dongmei , Li Hongjun , Ren Baoquan , Zhong Xudong
Published: June 2022

In this article, we studied the robust security transmission design for multi-user peer-to-peer relay networks, where all users demand secure communication and the eavesdropper is passive. Although the previous researches have designed the physical-layer security schemes under perfect channel state information, this study focuses on investigating the robust transmission design in the presence of a passive eavesdropper. Our goal is to maximize the artificial noise power to confuse the passive eavesdropper and subject to the worst-case signal-to-interference-noise-ratio constraints for all users under a bounded spherical region for the norm of the channel state information error vector from the relays to the destinations and the individual power constraints of all relay nodes. Mathematically, the original robust problem is difficult to solve due to its non-linearity and non-convexity. We propose to adopt S-Procedure and rank relaxation techniques to convert it to a semidefinite programming convex problem. The numerical results show the advantage of the proposed robust method.
Leveraging the Strengths of Psychologists With Lived Experience of Psychopathology
Authors: Victor Sarah E. , Schleider Jessica L. , Ammerman Brooke A. , Bradford Daniel E. , Devendorf Andrew R. , Gruber June , Gunaydin Lisa A. , Hallion Lauren S. , Kaufman Erin A. , Lewis Stephen P. , Stage Dese’Rae L.
Published: June 2022

Psychopathology is a common element of the human experience, and psychological scientists are not immune. Recent empirical data demonstrate that a significant proportion of clinical, counseling, and school psychology faculty and graduate students have lived experience, both past and present, of psychopathology. This commentary compliments these findings by leveraging the perspectives of the authors and signatories, who have personal lived experience of psychopathology, to improve professional inclusivity in these fields. By “coming out proud,” the authors aim to foster discussion, research, and inclusion efforts as they relate to psychopathology experiences in psychological science. To that end, the authors describe considerations related to disclosure of lived experience, identify barriers to inclusion, and provide concrete recommendations for personal and systemic changes to improve recognition and acceptance of psychopathology lived experience among psychologists.
System-Level Quality Improvement Initiatives for Tobacco Use in a Safety-Net Health System During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chung Kara , Rafferty Henry , Suen Leslie W. , Vijayaraghavan Maya
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

The shift from in-person care to telemedicine made it challenging to provide guideline-recommended tobacco cessation care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We described quality improvement (QI) initiatives for tobacco cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on African American/Black patients with high smoking rates.

Methods:

The QI initiatives took place in the San Francisco Health Network, a network of 13 safety-net clinics in San Francisco, California between February 2020 and February 2022. We conducted direct patient outreach by telephone and increased staff capacity to increase cessation care delivery. We examined trends in tobacco screening, provider counseling, and best practice for cessation care (ie, the proportion of patients receiving at least 1 smoking cessation service during a clinical encounter).

Results:

In-person visits at the onset of the pandemic was 20% in April 2020 and increased to 67% by February 2022. During this time, tobacco screening increased from 29% to 74%. From March 2020 to March 2021, 34% more patients received provider counseling by telephone than in-person. The trend reversed from April 2021 to February 2022, where 23% more patients received counseling in-person than by telehealth. Best practice care increased by 23% from June 2020 to February 2022: 24% for African American/Black patients and 23% for other patients.

Conclusions:

Telehealth adaptations to the EHR, targeted outreach to patients, and a multi-disciplinary medical team may be associated with increases in cessation care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduction to a review series on pediatric hematology
Authors: Ortel Thomas L. , Roberts Irene
Published: June 2022

Commissioned and introduced by Associate Editors Irene Roberts and Thomas Ortel, this Review Series focuses on common areas in pediatric hematology practice, emphasizing new therapeutic and diagnostic developments. The specific challenges of managing hemostatic and thrombotic disorders in children are described by O’Brien and Zia. Distinguishing acquired immune diseases from inherited disorders of blood counts is a common problem for pediatric hematologists, and this is tackled in reviews by Grace and Lambert for thrombocytopenias and by Dokal et al for bone marrow failure. Finally, Gallagher provides a stepwise approach to the diagnosis and treatment of anemia in infancy and childhood, at both the individual patient level and the population level.
Calculating genetic risk for dysfunction in pleiotropic biological processes using whole exome sequencing data
Authors: Veatch Olivia J. , Mazzotti Diego R. , Schultz Robert T. , Abel Ted , Michaelson Jacob J. , Brodkin Edward S. , Tunc Birkan , Assouline Susan G. , Nickl-Jockschat Thomas , Malow Beth A. , Sutcliffe James S. , Pack Allan I.
Published: June 2022

Background

Numerous genes are implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD encompasses a wide-range and severity of symptoms and co-occurring conditions; however, the details of how genetic variation contributes to phenotypic differences are unclear. This creates a challenge for translating genetic evidence into clinically useful knowledge. Sleep disturbances are particularly prevalent co-occurring conditions in ASD, and genetics may inform treatment. Identifying convergent mechanisms with evidence for dysfunction that connect ASD and sleep biology could help identify better treatments for sleep disturbances in these individuals.

Methods

To identify mechanisms that influence risk for ASD and co-occurring sleep disturbances, we analyzed whole exome sequence data from individuals in the Simons Simplex Collection (n = 2380). We predicted protein damaging variants (PDVs) in genes currently implicated in either ASD or sleep duration in typically developing children. We predicted a network of ASD-related proteins with direct evidence for interaction with sleep duration-related proteins encoded by genes with PDVs. Overrepresentation analyses of Gene Ontology-defined biological processes were conducted on the resulting gene set. We calculated the likelihood of dysfunction in the top overrepresented biological process. We then tested if scores reflecting genetic dysfunction in the process were associated with parent-reported sleep duration.

Results

There were 29 genes with PDVs in the ASD dataset where variation was reported in the literature to be associated with both ASD and sleep duration. A network of 108 proteins encoded by ASD and sleep duration candidate genes with PDVs was identified. The mechanism overrepresented in PDV-containing genes that encode proteins in the interaction network with the most evidence for dysfunction was cerebral cortex development (GO:0,021,987). Scores reflecting dysfunction in this process were associated with sleep durations; the largest effects were observed in adolescents (p = 4.65 × 10–3).

Conclusions

Our bioinformatic-driven approach detected a biological process enriched for genes encoding a protein–protein interaction network linking ASD gene products with sleep duration gene products where accumulation of potentially damaging variants in individuals with ASD was associated with sleep duration as reported by the parents. Specifically, genetic dysfunction impacting development of the cerebral cortex may affect sleep by disrupting sleep homeostasis which is evidenced to be regulated by this brain region. Future functional assessments and objective measurements of sleep in adolescents with ASD could provide the basis for more informed treatment of sleep problems in these individuals.
A novel 7 RNA-based signature for prediction of prognosis and therapeutic responses of wild-type BRAF cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Sun Ruizheng , Liu Yaozhong , Lei Cheng , Tang Zhenwei , Lu Lixia
Published: June 2022

Background

The prognosis of wild-type BRAF cutaneous melanoma (WT Bf-CM) patients remains poor due to the lack of therapeutic options. However, few studies have investigated the factors contributing to the prognosis of WT Bf-CM patients.

Methods

In this paper, we proposed and validated a novel 7-RNA based signature to predict the prognosis of WT Bf-CM by analyzing the information from TCGA database.

Results

Dependence of this signature to other clinical factors were verified and a nomogram was also drawn to promote its application in clinical practice. Functional analysis suggested that the predictive function of this signature might attribute to the prediction of the up-regulation of RNA splicing, transcription, and cellular proliferation in the high-risk group, which have been demonstrated to be linked to malignancy of cancer. Moreover, functional analysis and therapy response analysis supported that the prognosis is highly related to PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway among WT Bf-CM patients.

Conclusion

Collectively, this study will provide a preliminary bioinformatics evidence for the molecular mechanism and potential drug targets that could improving WT Bf-CM prognosis.
A state-of-the-art technique to perform cloud-based semantic segmentation using deep learning 3D U-Net architecture
Authors: Shaukat Zeeshan , Farooq Qurat ul Ain , Tu Shanshan , Xiao Chuangbai , Ali Saqib
Published: June 2022

Glioma is the most aggressive and dangerous primary brain tumor with a survival time of less than 14 months. Segmentation of tumors is a necessary task in the image processing of the gliomas and is important for its timely diagnosis and starting a treatment. Using 3D U-net architecture to perform semantic segmentation on brain tumor dataset is at the core of deep learning. In this paper, we present a unique cloud-based 3D U-Net method to perform brain tumor segmentation using BRATS dataset. The system was effectively trained by using Adam optimization solver by utilizing multiple hyper parameters. We got an average dice score of 95% which makes our method the first cloud-based method to achieve maximum accuracy. The dice score is calculated by using Sørensen-Dice similarity coefficient. We also performed an extensive literature review of the brain tumor segmentation methods implemented in the last five years to get a state-of-the-art picture of well-known methodologies with a higher dice score. In comparison to the already implemented architectures, our method ranks on top in terms of accuracy in using a cloud-based 3D U-Net framework for glioma segmentation.
Understanding the relationship between eye disease and driving in very old Australian women: a longitudinal thematic evaluation
Authors: White Jennifer , Hambisa Mitiku Teshome , Cavenagh Dominic , Dolja-Gore Xenia , Byles Julie
Published: June 2022

Background

Over recent decades an increasing number of adults will retain their driver’s licenses well into their later years. The aim of this study was to understand and explore the experience of driving and driving cessation in very old Australian women with self-reported eye disease.

Methods

An interpretative qualitative study. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (cohort born in 1921–26), a sample broadly representative of similarly aged Australian women. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed using an inductive thematic approach, employing a process of constant comparison.

Results

Qualitative data were from 216 older women with eye disease who made 2199 comments about driving, aged between 70 and 90 years depending on the timing of their comments. Themes included: (1) Access to treatment for eye disease promotes driving independence and quality of life; (2) Driving with restrictions for eye disease enables community engagement and (3) Driving cessation due to poor vision leads to significant lifestyle changes.

Conclusions

Key findings highlighted driving cessation, or reduction, is often attributed to deterioration in vision. The consequence is dependence on others for transport, typically children and friends. Access to successful treatment for eye disease allowed older women to continue driving. We posit that occupational therapists can play an essential role in promote driving confidence and ability as women age.

Trial registration: Not applicable.
Postoperative radiotherapy may not be necessary for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a case-match multicentre study
Authors: Ren Zhen-Hu , Lei Jing-Shi , Yang Zhi-Min , Zhang Sheng , Yu Jian-Jun , Wu Han-Jiang
Published: June 2022

Background

Some head and neck cancer surgeons found that many patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) without postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) also have a good prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PORT on survival in patients with LA-HNSCC.

Methods

A case-match cohort analysis was performed at two institutions on patients with LA-HNSCC. Patients who received surgery alone were case-matched 1: 1 with patients treated by surgery plus PORT based on pT, pN, tumor subsite etc.

Results

114 patients were matched into 57 pairs, with a median follow-up period of 40.2 months. No difference in overall survival (OS, HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.50–1.58; P = 0.79) or disease-specific survival (DFS, 0.86; 95% CI 0.50–1.50; P = 0.76) was observed with no PORT.

Conclusions

PORT isn’t necessary for patients with LA-HNSCC who are treated for the first time as long as the head and neck cancer surgeon adhere to appropriate surgical concepts. The indications of PORT for patients with LA-HNSCC need to be further discussed.
Coping strategies of stress and its associated factors among breast cancer patients in Tikur Anbesa specialized hospital, Ethiopia: Institution-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Kelkil Bethlehem Assefa , Atnafu Niguse Tadele , Dinegde Negalign Getahun , Wassie Mulugeta
Published: June 2022

Background

Diagnosed with breast malignancy can be stressful, affecting several domains of life, affecting physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being that can lead to stress. To adapt to stress, the patient can use different coping methods. Therefore the objective of this research was to assess coping strategies for stress and its associated factors among breast cancer patients in Tikur Anbesa specialized hospital, Ethiopia.

Methods and materials

The institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 272 study participants attending Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital from February to April 2020. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata 4.2. Descriptive statistics was employed for data analysis and tables and figures were used to present the results. Binary logistic regression was used to identify variables that affected the outcome variables.

Result

Majority (45.8%) of the study participants were in the age range 40–54 years. About 51.1% [95% CI (45.1–57.2)] of breast cancer patients have positive coping strategies to stress in the current study. About 64% solve stress through the Confrontive strategy and more than 73% of participants solve their problems by distancing. In self-controlling coping mechanisms, most participants do positive coping strategies. Having social support and taking only chemotherapy increased positive coping strategy but being single and time since diagnosis (1–3 years) increased negative coping.

Conclusions

About 51% of breast cancer patients have a positive coping strategy. Since the majority of breast cancer patients in the current study experienced negative coping strategies, it is better to expand health education regarding stress coping strategies. In addition, it is better to link patients to clinical psychologists and organizations that aimed to social support to cancer patients.
Assessing multidimensional complexity in home care: congruencies and discrepancies between patients and nurses
Authors: Busnel Catherine , Vallet Fanny , Ashikali Eleni-Marina , Ludwig Catherine
Published: June 2022

Background

Person-centered care allows for the inclusion of the totality of a person’s needs and preferences, beyond just the clinical or medical aspect. This approach requires the development of tools to allow for the integration of the patient in his/her healthcare. Based on a 30-item tool developed for nurses to evaluate the complexity of home care situations (COMID), this study proposed a version for the patients (i.e. COMID-P). Both instruments were used, independently by nurses and patients, to rate the complexity of individual situations, in order to compare ratings.

Methods

The COMID-P and the COMID were completed during the fraXity study at the patients’ homes, independently by patients (aged 65 and over) and nurses. Item-level and scale-level analyses were performed using, Kappa and McNemar tests, and intra-class correlation (ICC).

Results

A total of 159 pairs of COMID and COMID-P ratings were retained for analyses. Results demonstrated a high degree of patient/nurse agreement for 12/30 items, a moderate agreement for 10/30 items, and a low degree of agreement for 7/30 items. The intra-class correlation between the COMID-P and the COMID was high (ICC= .826, 95%CI [.761-.873]).

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that patients and nurses can assess complexity using tools that have comparable structural properties. They also reveal congruencies and discrepancies in scoring the components of complexity, highlighting the need of reaching consensus in designing care plans. Further work is needed to demonstrate the benefits of joint assessment in developing care plans that truly meet patients’ needs.

Trial registration

The fraXity study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03883425, on March 20, 2019.
“Not shifting, but sharing”: stakeholders' perspectives on mental health task-shifting in Indonesia
Authors: Efendi Ferry , Aurizki Gading Ekapuja , Yusuf Ah , McKenna Lisa
Published: June 2022

Background

Task-shifting, the distribution of tasks among health workers to address health workforce shortage, has been widely used to tackle mental health treatment gaps. However, its implementation in Indonesia has still been rarely explored. This study aimed to explore stakeholders’ perspectives on the implementation of mental health task-shifting to nurses in Indonesia's primary health care.

Methods

An exploratory descriptive approach using in-depth interviews and focused group discussions (FGDs) was used. The study involved 19 stakeholders from the government's ministry directorates, professional organisations, and mental health practitioners. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results

Three themes emerged namely, task-shifting feasibility and acceptability, shared task implementation, and nurse role enhancement issues, with 14 sub-themes.

Conclusions

Task-shifting on mental health issues in the eye of Indonesian stakeholders is viewed as a matter of sharing and collaboration. Implementation of task-shifting in Indonesia may require policies in place and political will across stakeholders. Further scrutiny on task-shifting implementation is needed by considering the local context and national environment.
Identifying desired qualifications, tasks, and organizational characteristics of practice managers—a cross-sectional survey among group practice physicians in Germany
Authors: Schricker Clemens , Strumann Christoph , Steinhäuser Jost
Published: June 2022

Background

The increase of centralization developments in primary and secondary care practices may cause the organizational needs to increase as well, as the practices grow in size. This continuous change is observed in different stages in various countries since, from the perspective of a physician, it is reinforced by the benefits it adds to flexible work configuration, professional exchange and specialization. However, in order to benefit from the joint practice system, the proper managerial skills of practice managers are required, as doctors are not naturally prepared to fulfill such tasks. This study thus aims to gain insight into physicians' views in group practices and acquire a greater understanding of expectations towards practice management and the emerging role of practice managers (PM).

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was employed which utilized an anonymous online questionnaire. In total, 3,456 physicians were invited to participate in the study between February 8th and March 17th 2021 by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were applied to characterize the expectations of physicians towards practice management.

Results

The survey yielded 329 replies (9,5%). 50% of the participating practices already had a PM employed. In general, these practices were larger than practices without a PM. Most physicians (85%) considered a medical background to be essential for the task of a PM. While practices without a PM considered it important for PMs to have medical qualifications, practices with a PM favored qualifications in business administration. 77.2% of physicians preferred to educate and recruit PMs out of their current practice staff. Competence in organizational tasks, such as coordination of tasks and quality management, was considered to be an essential skill of a PM and had the highest agreement levels among those surveyed, followed by staff management of non-physicians, billing, bookkeeping, staff management of physicians and recruiting. Based on multivariate regression analysis, larger practices valued the role of a PM more and were more likely to employ a PM. Notably, the effect that size had on these items was more substantial for generalists than specialists.

Conclusions

The benefits and importance of PMs as well as the potential for delegation are recognized, in particular, by larger practices. The positive feelings that physicians who already employ PMs have towards their contribution to ambulatory care are even more significant. Pre-existing medical support staff has been identified to be the most desirable candidates for taking on the role of PM.
Endotracheal tube microbiome in hospitalized patients defined largely by hospital environment
Authors: Cifuentes Erika Alejandra , Sierra Maria A. , Yepes Andrés Felipe , Baldión Ana Margarita , Rojas José Antonio , Álvarez-Moreno Carlos Arturo , Anzola Juan Manuel , Zambrano María Mercedes , Huertas Monica G.
Published: June 2022

Background

Studies of the respiratory tract microbiome primarily focus on airway and lung microbial diversity, but it is still unclear how these microbial communities may be affected by intubation and long periods in intensive care units (ICU), an aspect that today could aid in the understanding of COVID19 progression and disease severity. This study aimed to explore and characterize the endotracheal tube (ETT) microbiome by analyzing ETT-associated microbial communities.

Methods

This descriptive study was carried out on adult patients subjected to invasive mechanical ventilation from 2 to 21 days. ETT samples were obtained from 115 patients from ICU units in two hospitals. Bacteria isolated from endotracheal tubes belonging to the ESKAPE group were analyzed for biofilm formation using crystal violet quantification. Microbial profiles were obtained using Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene.

Results

The ETT microbiome was mainly composed by the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Microbiome composition correlated with the ICU in which patients were hospitalized, while intubation time and diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) did not show any significant association.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the ICU environment, or medical practices, could be a key to microbial colonization and have a direct influence on the ETT microbiomes of patients that require mechanical ventilation.
Plastisphere community assemblage of aquatic environment: plastic-microbe interaction, role in degradation and characterization technologies
Authors: Dey Sujata , Rout Ajaya Kumar , Behera Bijay Kumar , Ghosh Koushik
Published: June 2022

It is undeniable that plastics are ubiquitous and a threat to global ecosystems. Plastic waste is transformed into microplastics (MPs) through physical and chemical disruption processes within the aquatic environment. MPs are detected in almost every environment due to their worldwide transportability through ocean currents or wind, which allows them to reach even the most remote regions of our planet. MPs colonized by biofilm-forming microbial communities are known as the ‘‘plastisphere”. The revelation that this unique substrate can aid microbial dispersal has piqued interest in the ground of microbial ecology. MPs have synergetic effects on the development, transportation, persistence, and ecology of microorganisms. This review summarizes the studies of plastisphere in recent years and the microbial community assemblage (viz. autotrophs, heterotrophs, predators, and pathogens). We also discussed plastic-microbe interactions and the potential sources of plastic degrading microorganisms. Finally, it also focuses on current technologies used to characterize those microbial inhabitants and recommendations for further research.
Evaluation of the feasibility of the FAST-M maternal sepsis intervention in Pakistan: a protocol
Authors: Ahmed Sheikh Irfan , Sikandar Raheel , Barolia Rubina , Hanif Khowaja Bakhtawar M. , Memon Kashif Ali , Cheshire James , Dunlop Catherine , Coomarasamy Arri , Sheikh Lumaan , Lissauer David
Published: June 2022

Background

Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition, defined by organ dysfunction caused by infection during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It is estimated to account for between one-tenth and half (4.7% to 13.7%) of all maternal deaths globally. An international stakeholder group, including the World Health Organization, developed a maternal sepsis management bundle called “FAST-M” for resource-limited settings through a synthesis of evidence and international consensus. The FAST-M treatment bundle consists of five components: Fluids, Antibiotics, Source identification and control, assessment of the need to Transport or Transfer to a higher level of care and ongoing Monitoring (of the mother and neonate). This study aims to adapt the FAST-M intervention and evaluate its feasibility in Pakistan.

Methods

The proposed study is a mixed method, with a before and after design. The study will be conducted in two phases at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Hyderabad. In the first phase (formative assessment), we will adapt the bundle care tools for the local context and assess in what circumstances different components of the intervention are likely to be effective, by conducting interviews and a focus group discussion. Qualitative data will be analyzed considering a framework method approach using NVivo version 10 (QSR International, Pty Ltd.) software. The qualitative results will guide the adaptation of FAST-M intervention in local context. In the second phase, we will evaluate the feasibility of the FAST-M intervention. Quantitative analyses will be done to assess numerous outcomes: process, organizational, clinical, structural, and adverse events with quantitative comparisons made before and after implementation of the bundle. Qualitative analysis will be done to evaluate the outcomes of intervention by conducting FGDs with HCPs involved during the implementation process. This will provide an understanding and validation of quantitative findings.

Discussion

The utilization of care bundles can facilitate recognition and timely management of maternal sepsis. There is a need to adapt, integrate, and optimize a bundled care approach in low-resource settings in Pakistan to minimize the burden of maternal morbidities and mortalities due to sepsis.
Assessment of freight traffic flows and harmful emissions in euro-mediterranean context: scenario analyses based on a gravity model
Authors: Gattuso Domenico , Cassone Gian Carla , Pellicanò Domenica Savia
Published: June 2022

Maritime transport contributes significantly to environmental pollution. The Mediterranean Sea Area is particularly affected by marine emissions from particulate matter, black carbon, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. In addition to international and crossing traffic, the Mediterranean Sea is affected by the freight flows moved between its shores (in the North–South direction and vice versa), but also by transverse freight flows (East–West); these are freights transported through Short Sea Shipping. The Mediterranean Sea is the area where there is the highest concentration of short sea shipping in the EU-27. There are different types of Short Sea transport: container and bulk handling, general cargo ships and Ro-Ro transport. In such scenario, the analysis of trade flows as well as their spatial and geographical distribution, becomes fundamental. The paper proposes a gravity model for estimating trade flows, considering 18 countries boarding the Euro-Mediterranean Sea, in 2019. The proposed gravity model assumes that one of the main factors affecting trade is the economic dimension of a country which is directly related to the volume of imports and exports. In the paper, after a literature review on the gravity models, the illustration of the different phases investigation and construction of the database (specification, calibration and validation) to the definition and implementation of the proposed model is proposed. Scenario analyses are therefore proposed for assessing the environmental impacts generated by maritime transport in the Mediterranean basin as the freight flows vary. The analyses are carried out using a simulation approach which, starting from hypotheses on the economic and social development trends of the countries of the southern shore, made it possible to evaluate the variations in terms of freight flows and environmental impacts in terms of pollution.
Natural time analysis of acoustic emissions before fracture: Results compatible with the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld model
Authors: Loukidis A. , Perez-Oregon J. , Pasiou E. D. , Kourkoulis S. K. , Sarlis N. V. , Triantis D.
Published: June 2022

Natural time analysis has been recently applied for the elaboration of data recorded by means of the Acoustic Emission (AE) sensing technique while specimens and structures are mechanically loaded at levels approaching those causing macroscopic fracture. In terms of the variance

, the entropy in natural time S, as well as the entropy in natural time under time reversal

, a complex behavior was observed, which could be understood by the Burridge-Knopoff train model and the Olami-Feder-Christensen earthquake model. Here, the AE data recorded when notched fiber-reinforced concrete specimens were subjected to three-point bending until fracture, are analysed in natural time. The analysis leads to

, S, and

values that are compatible with those obtained by a centrally fed Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model, which was theoretically studied in natural time almost a decade ago.
The influence of stochastic temperature fluctuations in shaping the physiological performance of the California mussel,Mytilus californianus
Authors: Nancollas Sarah J. , Todgham Anne E.
Published: June 2022

Climate change is forecasted to increase temperature variability and stochasticity. Most of our understanding of thermal physiology of intertidal organisms has come from laboratory experiments that acclimate organisms to submerged conditions and steady-state increases in temperatures. For organisms experiencing the ebb and flow of tides with unpredictable low tide aerial temperatures, the reliability of reported tolerances and thus predicted responses to climate change requires incorporation of environmental complexity into empirical studies. Using the mussel Mytilus californianus, our study examined how stochasticity of the thermal regime influences physiological performance. Mussels were acclimated to either submerged conditions or a tidal cycle that included either predictable, unpredictable or no thermal stress during daytime low tide. Physiological performance was measured through anaerobic metabolism, energy stores and cellular stress mechanisms just before low tide, and cardiac responses during a thermal ramp. Both air exposure and stochasticity of temperature change were important in determining thermal performance. Glycogen content was highest in the mussels from the unpredictable treatment, but there was no difference in the expression of heat shock proteins between thermal treatments, suggesting that mussels prioritise energy reserves to deal with unpredictable low tide conditions. Mussels exposed to fluctuating thermal regimes had lower gill anaerobic metabolism, which could reflect increased metabolic capacity. Our results suggest that although thermal magnitude plays an important role in shaping physiological performance, other key elements of the intertidal environment complexity such as stochasticity, thermal variability and thermal history are also important considerations for determining how species will respond to climate warming.
Translational Significance of the LINE-1 Jumping Gene in Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Romero Matthew A. , Mumford Petey W. , Roberson Paul A. , Osburn Shelby C. , Young Kaelin C. , Sedivy John M. , Roberts Michael D.
Published: June 2022

Retrotransposons are gene segments that proliferate in the genome, and the Long INterspersed Element 1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposon is active in humans. Although older mammals show enhanced skeletal muscle L1 expression, exercise generally reverses this trend. We hypothesize skeletal muscle L1 expression influences muscle physiology, and additional innovative investigations are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Pomniki przyrody i drzewa pomnikowe wybranych gmin powiatu wejherowskiego (województwo pomorskie)
Authors: Antkowiak Wojciech , Grucza Michał
Published: June 2022

The paper presents results of a survey of natural monuments and monumental trees in the Wejherowo County, Poland. During the field research it was found that there are 106 monuments of nature in the community of Gniewino, Linia, Luzino and Łęczyce. Under monument protection are as follows: 1 climber, 69 individual trees, 3 alleys, 18 groups of trees and 15 erratic boulders. The largest number of monuments of nature is located in the Łęczyce community (51 natural monuments), while the smallest monuments number is located in the area of the Linia community (3 monuments). In total, there are 65 monuments of nature in the State Forests, which constitutes as much as 61% of the total number in the studied area. Along the roads, there are 22 monuments in cemeteries and 19 on private land. Manor parks are rich in monuments of nature. There are a total of 23 monuments in them. All natural monuments should be labeled with the word “NATURE MONUMENT”, while only 72 of them are marked as such. During the research work, 7 monument trees were selected as follows: 4 specimens of the common beech Fagus sylvatica L., 2 specimens of Coast Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and 1 specimen of small-leaved lime Tilia cordata Mill. Due to its impressive size and standing out among other trees of the same genus or species, they should be taken under monument protection.
Occurrence of Megaselia scalaris Loew (Diptera: Phoridae) in Mischocyttarus cassununga Von Ihering (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) nests
Authors: Francisco Sheliane Cristina Coelho , Jacques Gabriel de Castro , Silveira Luís Cláudio Paterno
Published: June 2022

Social wasp nests create an environment rich in resources, such as food and shelter, which consequently attract predators, parasites, and parasitoids. Parasitoids attacks can be one of the main causes of mortality among social wasps in the early stages of development. Therefore, the aim of this work is to report the occurrence of parasitoids in Mischocyttarus cassununga Von Ihering (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) nests, in an area of Cerrado, at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Minas Gerais (IFMG) - Campus Bambuí, Brazil. There was an emergence of four parasitoids from two nests of M. cassununga, identified as Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae), the first record of this parasitoid in M. cassununga in a Cerrado area.
Desafíos de la digitalización de las relaciones laborales: algoritmos digitales, robotización y trabajo a distancia.
Authors: Aragüez Valenzuela Lucía Dolores
Published: June 2022

La presente obra colectiva se circunscribe a una ayuda obtenida por la Unidad de Igualdad de la Universidad de Málaga para el desarrollo de actividades en materia de igualdad de género. Gracias a la misma tuvo lugar el pasado mes de septiembre de 2021 el “I Seminario Internacional sobre género y colectivos desfavorecidos: discriminación en el empleo, el uso de algoritmos digitales y la inteligencia artificial”. Tras su éxito y las brillantes reflexiones de los ponentes, comunicantes y participantes al mismo, se consideró oportuno efectuar una obra colectiva, la cual se encuentra incluida igualmente en el Proyecto de Investigación recientemente concedido del Plan Propio de la Universidad de Málaga para proyectos dirigidos por jóvenes investigadores denominado: “Legal Tech en el ámbito de las relaciones de trabajo y el uso de algoritmos digitales: primeras aproximaciones” dirigido por la profesora Lucía Aragüez Valenzuela.
La inteligencia artificial para el entorno laboral. Un enfoque en la predicción de accidentes.
Authors: Macías García María del Carmen
Published: June 2022

La Inteligencia Artificial está presente en todos los ámbitos de nuestra vida, sin embargo, poco o nada se sabe sobre qué supone dicho concepto, qué implica, en qué ámbitos o situaciones de nuestra vida está presente, pero sobre todo si es aplicable a la identificación y prevención de accidentes de trabajo en nuestras empresas. Para ello, realizaremos un breve acercamiento al nacimiento y evolución de la Inteligencia Artificial, así como sus usos y aplicaciones en la actualidad. Presentaremos también las posibles implicaciones que tiene en la seguridad y salud en el trabajo y constataremos la existencia o no de herramientas y programas que se sirvan de ella para la prevención de accidentes, concluyendo que es la realidad virtual la que más importancia tiene en dichas áreas.
„Lwów jest wszędzie”. „(Geo)poetyckie zamieszkiwanie świata” w twórczości Adama Zagajewskiego
Authors: Pawełczak Maria
Published: June 2022

“IT IS EVERYWHERE”. “(GEO)POETIC INHABITING OF THE WORLD” IN ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI’S WRITING In the paper, the author wonders how urban, metaspatial and geopolitical Lvov had an influence on Adam Zagajewski’s poetry. The author connects her interpretation of the poem To Go to Lvov with Kenneth White’s geopoetic theory
Odkrywając przestrzeń, odkrywając siebie. Więcej niż „dwa” miasta Adama Zagajewskiego
Authors: Fabiś Magdalena
Published: June 2022

DISCOVERING THE SPACE, DISCOVERING ONE’S SELF. MORE THAN A CITY IN ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI’S PROSE The article aims at presenting Adam Zagajewski’s model of describing and perceiving the city and life space as well as its role in human’s life. Mostly discussed is the city of author’s childhood – Gliwice. To analyze the important role of city from the past in the writer’s life and the experience of building identity, the author of this article uses categories of the topographical turn in conjunction with post memory statements. The last but not least point of this short consideration is to introduce another perspective of Adam Zagajewski’s essays – the identity of a modern flaneur.
Miasto (w) pamięci. Przemyskie wspomnienia Jadwigi Gamskiej-Łempickiej
Authors: Pekaniec Anna
Published: June 2022

THE TOWN (IN) THE MEMORY. JADWIGA GAMSKA-ŁEMPICKA AND HER AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES FROM PRZEMYŚL The main aim of this text is to show the poetics of recollection of the town where Jadwiga Gamska spend her childhood. As a translator and historian she left a formidable testimony, in which she confronts memories about her town with attempts of its autobiographical mediation. She draws a map of a town (in) memory with accuracy, at the same time connecting it with story of her life. Thanks to that town cartography becomes inseparably linked with (auto)biography of a melancholic authoress. Ideas created by Pierre Nora and Małgorzata Czermińska make this recalling of the past possible to include in geopoetics discourse, where space is entangled with words.
Identifying and Correcting Students’ Misconceptions in Defining Angle and Triangle
Authors: Kusno Kusno , Sutarto Sutarto
Published: June 2022

Misconceptions are one of the biggest obstacles in learning mathematics. This study aimed to investigate students’ common errors and misunderstandings they cause when defining the angle and the triangle. In addition, we investigated the metacognition/ drawing/ writing/ intervention (MDWI) strategy to change students’ understanding of the wrong concepts to the correct ones. A research design was used to achieve this goal. It identified and solved the errors in the definition of angle and triangle among first-year students in the Department of Mathematics Education at an excellent private college in Mataram, Indonesia. The steps were as follows: A test instrument with open-ended questions and in-depth interviews were used to identify the errors, causes, and reasons for the students’ misconceptions. Then, the MDWI approach was used to identify a way to correct these errors. It was found that students generally failed in interpreting the concept images, reasoning, and knowledge connection needed to define angles and triangles. The MDWI approach eliminated the misconceptions in generalization, errors in concept images, and incompetence in linking geometry features.
Factors and Parameters Influencing Student Achievement in Mathematics: A Comparative Study between Israel and Finland
Authors: Cohen Shirly Ester
Published: June 2022

In all years of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in primary mathematics education, Finland ranked in the lower places (44-61) in the dispersion index (the difference in scores between the 95th percentile and the 5th percentile), while Israel ranked in the upper places (1-3) in the same index. In the last PISA test, Israel ranked first (among the 78 participating countries) in grade differences, while Finland ranked 61st. The score for dispersion in Israel is 356 points, the highest among the countries and economic entities of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Based on these results, this comparative study between Israel and Finland was conducted to investigate the most important sociological factor in the Pisa test that influences most student achievements in mathematics in Finland and Israel, as well as the reasons for the differences in achievement between mathematics scores. The results of this study show that the differences in achievement in Israel are due to students' socio-economic status and the sector. In contrast, Finland's first sociological factor influencing student performance is socio-economic status. Nevertheless, it has a more negligible influence than in Israel. The second factor is student motivation.
Exploring English as a Foreign Language High School Teachers’ Perceptions of Reflective Teaching Strategies in Language Teaching
Authors: Van Thi Tuyet , Nguyen Phan Ly Truc , Nguyen Khang Duy
Published: June 2022

This study aimed at exploring teachers’ perceptions of reflective teaching strategies in their teaching practice and the barriers that hinder the implementation of reflective teaching strategies. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained by using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The study took place in the context of high schools in most of the provinces in the Mekong Delta. The respondents involved in this research were fifty English as a foreign language (EFL) high-school teachers. The results revealed that most teachers have positive perceptions of the significance of reflective teaching strategies in their teaching. At the same time, the participants found barriers preventing them from implementing reflective teaching strategies in their language teaching such as lack of awareness of reflective teaching strategies, time or workload limitations as well as some obstacles related to the application of peer observation as a strategy of the reflective process. Finally, accordingly, the findings gained from two types of research tools, some pedagogical implications, and research suggestions on the effectiveness of EFL teachers’ application of self-reflection strategies in the teaching-learning process were proposed in the study.
INSTRUMENTALISMO E A CIÊNCIA DA CONSCIÊNCIA
Authors: Sousa Alves Marco Aurélio , Ramos João César
Published: June 2022

O problema da consciência continua incomodando muitos filósofos e alguns cientistas. Muitas vezes é dito que a ciência deixa escapar algo essencial a respeito da consciência, e que por isso a primeira deve ser reformulada de algum modo, de maneira a contemplar devidamente o fenômeno em questão. Em outras oportunidades, o problema é pretensamente resolvido a partir da simples eliminação do desideratum. O presente trabalho almeja delinear uma abordagem alternativa. Sugerimos que o instrumentalismo, quando devidamente compreendido e aplicado à ciência da consciência, é potencialmente iluminador para superação do problema em questão, e faz isso sem eliminar o fenômeno que almejamos explicar e sem demandar uma reformulação da área científica relevante.
A PHILOSOPHICAL RECAP OF THE NOTION OF SEMANTIC VALUE
Authors: Vollet Lucas Ribeiro
Published: June 2022

This paper is an assessment of the scientific role of the study of semantics to represent the technical types of consensus produced in human practice. We propose that "meaning" should not be understood as a projection of success, canonized as an absolute rational method; but rather as a series of strategies of meaning, which develop circularly in the historical sphere of communication. With this we intend to bring up the problem of meaning outside the comfortable sphere of a simple, synchronic and a-historical line between meaning and pseudo-meaning. In the conclusion we will reach a reflective take on the philosophical spaces where the problem of meaning is conciliated to the problem of consensus and its formation, and then we will suggest a philosophical reflection on “failure” to mean. Among these philosophical spaces of reflection, we will discuss transcendentalism and dogmatism, and suggest the question on whether semantics can escape these so to speak atavistic patterns of philosophical expression.