bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytical-numerical method of analysis and behavioral modelling of non-linear dynamic systems
Authors: Bychkov Y A , Solovyeva E B , Scherbakov S V
Published: November 2019

An analytical-numerical method for solving non-linear integro-differential equation systems, that is based on the application of generalized functions, whose regular components are described by the Taylor series, is proposed. These non-linear integro-differential equation systems are applied for modelling of non-linear electrical circuits. The procedure for determining the parameters of oscillatory regimes in deterministic, non-linear, non-autonomous mathematical models with lumped parameters is described. Within the framework of the “black box” concept on establishing the input-output relationship of an object the behavioural models of non-linear compensators for a power amplifier are constructed and the results of the mathematical models comparison are represented.
Optimal free-burning AC arc model selection for electromagnetic transients in power systems
Authors: Brilinskiy A S , Evdokunin G A , Petrova A D
Published: November 2019

This paper provides a review of two different mathematical arc models. The first one is based on the arc diameter variation, the second one is defined as cylindrically-symmetric channel model of a vertical arc with a variable radius. The arc model based on the arc diameter was introduced for high current setup, while the channel model was implemented in software for low current experiment. Both models performed well, and the simulated curves matched with the experimental data taken as a basis. However, the model considering the arc diameter impact on its conductance requires additional parameters that should be estimated using measured data. In contrast, the channel model does not impose the use of such parameters, which makes it more flexible.
Methods of increasing the reliability of external memory of digital substation bay controllers
Authors: Lantsev D , Frolov V
Published: November 2019

The paper studies main technical requirements for digital substation bay controllers; substantiates the high reliability requirements for file systems running on Flash drives of such devices. An experimental test analysis of the most popular file systems for microcontrollers with limited resources with start-up systems on the STM32F407IGT6 controller have been made. The algorithm of Flash translation layer (FTL) is offered, and also its check on simulation model of the Flash drive and the experimental equipment is carried out. The results of comparing the characteristics of file systems and FTL algorithm are presented.
A group work of semiconductor resonant inverters of magnetically coupled induction systems
Authors: Dzliev S V , Abdulhakov I U
Published: November 2019

The paper presents the advantages of modular induction heating systems in the problems of group heating with individual power supply stations. When they are close to each other, a magnetic bond may occur between them. The paper shows the non-operability of power sources of magnetically coupled inductors. General principles of construction of noise-resistant magnetically coupled induction heating systems with individual power supply stations are given. A comparison and analysis of the stability of the power sources based on the current inverter and the voltage inverter has been carried out.
Controlled conditions of heat and mass transfer during crystallization as stimulating factors for improving the properties of metallic materials
Authors: Semyonov V I , Yu Chirkov A
Published: November 2019

The emergence of critical conditions in a meta-stable melt is considered under the influence of two main factors: pre-crystallization super-cooling and overcooling rate. The average density of free energy in such conditions is highly inhomogeneous. External impacts are considered as factors controlling the properties of materials. The solidification of the overcooled meta-stable melt is considered in a quasi-chemical approximation, assuming a transition state corresponding to an ideal solution type system. The finite time of existence of the meta-stable state is taken into account. The dimensions of the structural cell are determined by the ratio between the rate of diffusion and heat removal. The obtained estimate of the structure parameter is in qualitative agreement with the experimental dependence.
The influence of supercooling of the main condensate at the outlet of the condenser on the operation of a cogeneration steam turbine plant
Authors: Shempelev Alexander , Iglin Pavel
Published: November 2019

The article considers the issue of the influence of supercooling of the main condensate on the performance of a steam power plant. We describe the calculation method for a steam turbine condenser. Based on the mathematical model of a condenser, we propose a method for calculating supercooling degree of the condensate on its bottom with different air inflows in a turbo unit vacuum system. The degree of the condensate supercooling on the condenser bottom during the operation of the turbine unit in the heat and electricity production mode is determined in the example of the T-110/120-130 UTZ turbine unit. It is shown that an increase of air inflow into the vacuum system by four times leads to an increase in supercooling of the condensate from 3.5 to 11°C. It has been established that an increase in the condensate supercooling leads to additional heat losses of up to 1.100 kW in the turbine unit per a cycle in the power production operating mode and up to 500 kW per a cycle in the heat production mode.
Study of deformations depending on the influence of the reinforcing filler of the metal-based composite material
Authors: Arkhangelskaya Ekaterina , Safonova Maria , Syromyatnikova Aytalina , Fedotov Andrey
Published: November 2019

Metallic materials are reinforced by evenly distributed dispersed particles of various dispersities. We have studied deformations depending on the influence of ultrafine particles of the filler on the physical-mechanical properties and structure of the composite material. The 27.9% increase of modulus of elasticity and the limit of proportionality compared to that for a simple metal bond is explained by the formation of a strong adhesive bond at the interface due to the high specific surface and irregular particle shape which contribute to an increase in adhesion when filling irregularities by the liquid phase.
Combined-cycle gas turbine plant based on steam-turbine unit and a parallel superimposed gas-turbine plant with waste heat recovery boiler
Authors: Fomin V , Kalyutik A
Published: November 2019

We present a schematic diagram and the results of calculations of operating modes of the combined-cycle gas turbine plant (CCGTP) with a parallel superimposed gas-turbine plant (GTP). It is shown that at part-load operation in order to increase the efficiency of the unit, it is advisable to alter the steam turbine power while remaining the gas turbine power constant.
Selection of design parameters of automatic ring valves of reciprocating compressors
Authors: Kotlov A A
Published: November 2019

One of the main tasks at designing and operation of reciprocating compressors is provision of energy efficient and reliable operation of the automatic valves. Imposed to the automatic valves is a number of requirements (low gas-dynamic impedance to valve flow, timeliness of valve closing, etc.) the fulfillment of which requires multi-variant calculations in order to select efficient valve parameters for the specified operation modes. Given in the study are the results of valve design analysis depending on the compressor operating conditions (at change in the crankshaft speed) and valve parameters (at change in spring tension and maximum valve stroke).
Thermochemical processing of organic waste
Authors: Timerbaev N , Safin R , Mazarov I , Stepanova T
Published: November 2019

The article considers the problems of creation of new types of energy based on the processing of organic waste and methods for their transformation into gaseous, liquid and solid fuels. The technological scheme of complex processing of organic waste into liquid and solid fuels is presented. We consider the unit for organic waste processing with the possibility of generating not only electrical energy, but also a valuable product, namely an adsorbent.
Hybridization and the combination of technological solutions in small distributed energy
Authors: Afanaseva O V , Mingaleeva G R , Shamsutdinov E V , Toan N D , Nyat F D , Derevianko O V
Published: November 2019

In the article an exergy analysis of technological schemes of mini thermal power plants with technologies of hybridization and combination was carried out. The first technology deals with a low-power hybrid station that uses both traditional fuel (natural gas) and renewable energy sources (solar energy). The second technology deals with the combined production of energy (thermal and electrical) and by-products - activated carbon, sulfur, ash and slag materials. The values of the exergy efficiency of the considered schemes are obtained. It was concluded that the use of hybridization and combination technologies allows to increase the exergy efficiency in comparison with the typical scheme for obtaining energy at distributed energy objects.
Search for a compromise between the interests of water users while forming the operating modes of HPP cascade
Authors: Mardikhanov A , Sharifullin V
Published: November 2019

At present, there is no effective model of using a cascade of hydroelectric power stations in Russia, which allows equally to take into account the interests of all water users (consumers of agricultural products, fisheries, river transport, hydropower, water supply of the population and industry, etc.). The article provides a description of the developed methodology and software for optimizing the operating modes of a hydroelectric power station cascade using the example of the Volga-Kama cascade of Russia. The developed technique has proved itself as an effective means of finding compromise solutions in the formation of the regimes of operation of the hydroelectric power station cascade.
Preparation of PVA/Chitosan samples by electrospinning and film casting methods and evaluating the effect of surface morphology on their antibacterial behavior
Authors: Nokhasteh Samira , Molavi Amir Mahdi , Khorsand-Ghayeni Mohammad , Sadeghi-Avalshahr Alireza
Published: November 2019

Chitosan due to outstanding properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity and antibacterial activity has received considerable attention in different fields of biomedical engineering. To study the effect of morphology and topology on antibacterial activity of chitosan, two samples of PVA/Chitosan blend with the same concentration and volume ratio were prepared using electrospinning and film casting methods. To improve the electrospinability of chitosan, it was hydrolyzed by 50% V NaOH solution (95 °C for 48 h.) and PVA was used as an auxiliary polymer for electrospinning. The best electrospinning parameters for producing beadless structure were determined at a voltage of 21 kV and distance of 15 cm. Different physical and chemical characterizations of produced samples were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), viscosimetry, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and antibacterial assay by two different bacterium strains including Escherichia coli (E.coli) as the gram-negative and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) as the gram-positive bacteria. Antibacterial assays revealed higher sensitivity of E.coli in comparison with S.aureus in the two samples. Also, it revealed that nanotopography of surface wielded influence on the antibacterial activity of samples.
Fields definable in the free group
Authors: Dente Byron Ayala , Sklinos Rizos
Published: November 2019

We prove that no infinite field is definable in the theory of the free group.
POINT/COUNTER-POINT—Beyond the headlines: the actual evidence that traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for later-in-life dementia
Authors: LoBue Christian , Cullum C Munro
Published: November 2019

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for developing dementia later in life has been a subject of debate and controversy. TBI has been found to be associated with an increased likelihood for developing dementia 10–30 years later in several retrospective studies using population records. However, understanding the link between TBI and dementia requires looking beyond calculated risk estimates and delving into the association TBI has with pathological changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions, as well as those seen in normal aging. Some individuals with TBI, notably those with more serious injuries, show evidence of AD-related pathological changes, such as tau aggregates, at a much earlier age than healthy older individuals without a history of TBI. This would suggest that some people may be more susceptible to the effects of TBI, accumulating additional pathological changes seen in Alzheimer disease and related conditions, which may synergistically and/or cumulatively interact with factors associated with aging. The strongest support to date suggests that TBI may confer an increased risk for earlier onset of neurodegenerative changes in some individuals, possibly as a function of an accumulation of additional pathological changes. While there appears to be a link between TBI and the development of dementia in group studies, the evidence to date does not suggest an association between TBI and progressive cognitive decline during normal aging nor a greater rate of decline in those with dementia. Thus, there remains much to be learned about the pathophysiology of this apparent relationship.
Estimating chain length for time delays in dynamical systems using profile likelihood
Authors: Hauber Adrian L , Engesser Raphael , Vanlier Joep , Timmer Jens
Published: November 2019

Motivation

Apparent time delays in partly observed, biochemical reaction networks can be modelled by lumping a more complex reaction into a series of linear reactions often referred to as the linear chain trick. Since most delays in biochemical reactions are no true, hard delays but a consequence of complex unobserved processes, this approach often more closely represents the true system compared with delay differential equations. In this paper, we address the question of how to select the optimal number of additional equations, i.e. the chain length (CL).

Results

We derive a criterion based on parameter identifiability to infer CLs and compare this method to choosing the model with a CL that leads to the best fit in a maximum likelihood sense, which corresponds to optimizing the Bayesian information criterion. We evaluate performance with simulated data as well as with measured biological data for a model of JAK2/STAT5 signalling and access the influence of different model structures and data characteristics. Our analysis revealed that the proposed method features a superior performance when applied to biological models and data compared with choosing the model that maximizes the likelihood.

Availability and implementation

Models and data used for simulations are available at https://github.com/Data2Dynamics/d2d and http://jeti.uni-freiburg.de/PNAS_Swameye_Data.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
RaNA-Seq: interactive RNA-Seq analysis from FASTQ files to functional analysis
Authors: Prieto Carlos , Barrios David
Published: November 2019

RaNA-Seq is a cloud platform for the rapid analysis and visualization of RNA-Seq data. It performs a full analysis in minutes by quantifying FASTQ files, calculating quality control metrics, running differential expression analyses and enabling the explanation of results with functional analyses. Our analysis pipeline applies generally accepted and reproducible protocols that can be applied with two simple steps in its web interface. Analysis results are presented as interactive graphics and reports, ready for their interpretation and publication.

Availability and implementation

RaNA-Seq web service is freely available online at https://ranaseq.eu.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effectiveness and Safety of an Inactivated Enterovirus 71 Vaccine in Children Aged 6–71 Months in a Phase IV Study
Authors: Guan Xuhua , Che Yanchun , Wei Sheng , Li Shaoping , Zhao Zhimei , Tong Yeqing , Wang Lei , Gong Wensheng , Zhang Ying , Zhao Yanting , Wu Yang , Wang Siquan , Jiang Ruiju , Huang Jiao , Liu Ying , Luo Wenhua , Liao Yun , Hu Xingzhou , Zhang Wangsheng , Dai Yong , Jiang Guorun , Min Guoping , Liu Fan , You Xijun , Xu Xingli , Li Jiahong , Li Changhui , Fan Shengtao , Hang Lianju , Huang Qiaoxin , Li Qihan
Published: November 2019

Background

Evaluation of a licensed inactivated enterovirus type 71 (EV71) vaccine is needed in a phase IV study with a large population to identify its effectiveness and safety for further application.

Methods

An open-label, controlled trial involving a large population of 155 995 children aged 6–71 months was performed; 40 724 were enrolled in the vaccine group and received 2 doses of inactivated EV71 vaccine at an interval of 1 month, and the remaining children were used as the control group. The EV71-infected cases with hand, foot, and mouth disease were monitored in the vaccine and control groups during a follow-up period of 14 months since the 28th day postinoculation through the local database of the Notifiable Infectious Diseases Network. The effectiveness of the vaccine was estimated by comparing the incidence density in the vaccine group versus that in the control group based upon EV71-infected patients identified via laboratory testing. In parallel, the active and passive surveillance for safety of the vaccine was conducted by home or telephone visits and by using the Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) system, respectively.

Results

An overall level of 89.7% (95% confidence interval, 24.0–98.6%) vaccine effectiveness against EV71 infection and a 4.58% rate of reported adverse events were observed. Passive surveillance demonstrated a 0.31% rate of reported common minor reactions.

Conclusions

The clinical protection and safety of the EV71 vaccine were demonstrated in the immunization of a large population.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT03001986.
Consistent habitat preference underpins the geographically divergent autumn migration of individual Mongolian common shelducks
Authors: Meng Fanjuan , Wang Xin , Batbayar Nyambayar , Natsagdorj Tseveenmyadag , Davaasuren Batmunkh , Damba Iderbat , Cao Lei , Fox Anthony D
Published: November 2019

While many avian populations follow narrow, well-defined “migratory corridors,” individuals from other populations undertake highly divergent individual migration routes, using widely dispersed stopover sites en route between breeding and wintering areas, although the reasons for these differences are rarely investigated. We combined individual GPS-tracked migration data from Mongolian-breeding common shelduck Tadorna tadorna and remote sensing datasets, to investigate habitat selection at inland stopover sites used by these birds during dispersed autumn migration, to explain their divergent migration patterns. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate population-level resource selection, and generalized linear models to investigate stopover-site-level resource selection. The population-level model showed that water recurrence had the strongest positive effect on determining birds’ occupancy at staging sites, while cultivated land and grassland land cover type had strongest negative effects; effects of other land cover types were negative but weaker, particularly effects of water seasonality and presence of a human footprint, which were positive but weak or non-significant, respectively. Although stopover-site-level models showed variable resource selection patterns, the variance partitioning and cross-prediction AUC scores corroborated high inter-individual consistency in habitat selection at inland stopover sites during the dispersed autumn migration. These results suggest that the geographically widespread distribution (and generally rarity) of suitable habitats explained the spatially divergent autumn migrations of Mongolian breeding common shelduck, rather than the species showing flexible autumn staging habitat occupancy.
Chronic sleep deprivation and adolescent health: Two longitudinal studies of youth in Western Canada
Authors: Conklin A I , Yao C A , Richardson C G
Published: November 2019

Background

Chronic exposure to insufficient sleep may increase depression and poor health in adolescents who are particularly vulnerable to changes in sleep and neuro-cognitive development. The cumulative effects of persistent sleep deprivation on adolescent physical and mental health, and potential gender differences, are unknown. We investigated whether cumulative sleep deprivation is linked to sub-optimal health or depression in youth (13-18 y).

Methods

Longitudinal self-reported data (2011-2012) included three measures of sleep times and two of self-rated health (SRH) and depression (CESD). Missing data were multiply imputed using variables related to primary and secondary analyses for SRH (n = 3104) and CESD (n = 3071). Multivariable regression models with interaction terms estimated gender-specific associations; post-estimation calculated adjusted mean depression scores across levels of cumulative sleep deprivation.

Results

We found 11% of youth (56% females) in BC were chronically sleep deprived. Cumulative exposure to sleep deprivation was not associated with SRH in adolescents (all P-values ≥ 0.097), but was associated with increased risk of depression in young women only. Young women reporting chronic sleep deprivation had higher mean CESD scores (19.48 [17.59-21.38]), compared to counterparts reporting no history of sleep deprivation (16.59 [15.72-17.45]). No associations were seen in young men. Findings were robust to changes in model re-specification.

Conclusions

Results indicated that chronic sleep deprivation may be an important determinant of mental health outcomes in adolescents, particularly young women, although there was little support for effects on overall health status. Chronically impaired quality of sleep should be considered in future longitudinal work. Public health efforts to promote mental health for young people may require relevant strategies to support young women in achieving recommended amounts of sleep.

Key messages

Chronic sleep deprivation showed no association with adolescents’ self-rated health. Chronic sleep deprivation was linked to a higher risk of depression in young women only.
Economic evaluation of the Austrian telephone-based triage system
Authors: Ostermann H , Bachner F , Zuba M , Rainer L , Halla M
Published: November 2019

Background

In order to reduce avoidable consultations but also avoidable self-referrals to hospital outpatient departments, the Austrian authorities agreed to establish a voluntary telephone-based triage system in the course of the health reform 2013. Three regions piloted the system in early 2017.

Methods

An economic evaluation aimed to assess the impact on health service demand after having consulted the telephone-based system. For analysing the impact, we used the conceptual model of “shift cases” from one particular service setting such as outpatient clinic to another (e.g. GP office) and calculated savings realised through patient shifts. Based on potential savings in private and public costs and running costs of the service, we identified threshold values for cost-effective operation.

Results

In total, approximately 45,000 completed telephone consultations were registered in the pilot phase. 2,500 persons were advised to conduct self-care whereas more than 40,000 were recommended to contact a health service provider with differing levels of priority. Adherence to the initial recommendation of the provider setting was 70%, the level of priority was met in 90%. With regard to the economic impact, public savings of shift cases range from €31 (self-care instead of GP consultation) to €198 (GP/specialist instead of hospital outpatient clinic). Public costs ranged between €10 and €50 depending on the degree of capacity utilisation, contingency costs and duration of calls. Therefore, economic net gains can be realized if approximately 15% to 25% of callers choose a lower care setting due to the consultation service.

Conclusions

The tele-triage service has shown to be a potentially cost effective tool but largely depends on user uptake, patient adherence and local maintaining costs. In order to exploit the full potential of the system, policy makers are advised to promote the use of the system in general and to evaluate the used algorithm.

Key messages

Telephone-based triage systems are a potentially cost-effective strategy in order to reduce avoidable encounters both on a primary care level but also at hospital outpatient clinics. The public savings of a shift in the provider setting vary substantially depending on the level of service delivery with diminishing savings for shifts in lower levels.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) Care Pathway and its cost analysis
Authors: Giusti M , Battisti F , Kundisova L , Persiani N , Chellini E
Published: November 2019

MPM is one of the most serious professional cancer with a high frequency in subjects previously exposed to asbestos. Several trials have been made or are ongoing to define an effective therapy to allow a longer survival and to reduce its burdensome management by the health systems. The few MPM Care Pathways (CP), which have been suggested by groups of experts of scientific community, are only a list of practicable interventions without the structure of a pathway so the aims of this paper are the declination of possible cases of a MPM CP and the quantification of the costs using a regional consensus CP, verifying its application.

The diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of the regional CP were defined starting to a sample of 34 patients treated in public regional hospitals for MPM, diagnosed in 2015, and having.at least a one year follow up. The costs were attributed using the regional price list for outpatient health activities and the DRG for hospitalized activities. The formed cost accounting model was applied in order to calculate the cost for the public regional administration. Last, the obtained results were discussed with surgical thoracic surgeons of the three regional university hospitals.

The developed cost accounting model has identified three cases of a MPM CP. They present a common diagnostic phase (7.246,90€) following by three possible treatments, differently combinable between them: surgery (10.808,00€), chemotherapy (164,00€ + drug cost for access) and observation (41,00€). The cost will be due to the specific combination of the three treatments plus the diagnostic phase, predictable according to patient’s age and staging, which can afford each patient affected by MPM.

The contribution of the cost accounting model applied to the consensus regional CP for MPM allows to assess the care’s appropriateness of the cases actually treated. It could be used also for CPs of other diseases and as a method for institutional financing of the route.

Key messages

Relevance of a shared Care Pathway realisation for a rare, highly letal and complex professional disease. An accurate and scientific costs analysis model to a C is an innovation.
Association between fast-food outlet exposure and Body Mass Index in 124,286 Lifelines participants
Authors: van Erpecum C L , van Zon S K R , Bültmann U , Smidt N
Published: November 2019

Background

Elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) is a key risk factor for numerous non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes type II and dementia. Previous studies showed associations between fast-food outlet exposure and BMI, but contained methodological shortcomings. Particularly within the Netherlands, evidence is scarce. We aimed to examine the association between fast-food outlet exposure and BMI among the Dutch adult general population, and whether this association was mediated by daily caloric intake.

Methods

Cross-sectionally linking baseline adult data (N = 124,286) from the Lifelines cohort to fast-food outlet location (LISA: employer register) data, we regressed fast-food outlet density (within distances of 500 metre(m), and 1, 3, and 5 kilometre (km)) and fast-food outlet proximity around participants’ residential address on BMI. We used multilevel regression and multilevel mediation models, adjusting for age, sex, partner status, education, employment, neighbourhood deprivation and neighbourhood address density. We stratified analyses for urban and rural areas, as these involve different living environments and study populations.

Results

More than half (56%) of participants was overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0). The average BMI in urban and rural areas was 25.9 (SD 4.4) and 26.3 (SD 4.3), respectively. In rural areas, having at least three fast-food outlets within 500 m was associated with higher BMI (B = 0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 0.28). In urban areas, having at least five fast-food outlets within 1 km was associated with higher BMI (B = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.63). Having the nearest fast-food outlet within 100m was associated with higher BMI (B = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.67). The associations were partly explained by daily caloric intake.

Conclusions

Fast-food outlet exposure may be an important environmental determinant of BMI. Policy-makers should consider intervening upon the fast-food environment.

Key messages

Fast-food outlets within 500 metres in rural areas and 1 kilometre in urban areas may play a fundamental role in the rise of BMI. Targeting fast-food outlets may be key to reduce BMI on a population level.
Evaluation of Education for Public Health: A Practical Foundation for Solidarity
Authors: Perkiö M , Harrison R , Grivna M , Tao D , Evashwich C
Published: November 2019

Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals.

We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents.

Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations.

The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals.

Key messages

Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.
Sense of belonging and its association with health among people of foreign background in Finland
Authors: Seppänen A , Lilja E , Rask S , Kuusio H
Published: November 2019

Background

Sense of belonging is recognized as an important determinant of health. There is little research on the association between sense of belonging and health of people of foreign background (PFB) in Finland. In this study we examined: 1) to which extent PFB feel they belong to the Finnish society and citizens of their country of origin (CCO) and 2) if sense of belonging is associated with self-perceived health.

Methods

Data from a cross-sectional survey FinMONIK conducted in Finland 2018 was used. The random sample consisted of PFB (N = 12 877, response rate 53%). Identity was assessed by using the question “Which of the following areas or groups you feel you belong to?” with response options “My local municipality”, “Finns”, “the citizens of my country of birth or origin”. Based on this, we constructed a variable to group respondents belonging 1) only to the Finnish society, 2) only to CCO and 3) to both Finnish society and CCO (bicultural identity). Self-perceived health was measured by using a 5-point-scale and merging good and fairly good as a good perceived health factor. Logistic regression was used to test the association between perceived health and sense of belonging, adjusted for age, sex and country of origin.

Results

Majority of the respondents (39%) reported a bicultural identity, whereas 21% felt they belonged only to the Finnish society and 23% only to CCO. Self-perceived health was significantly associated with sense of belonging (p < 0.001). Good perceived health was more common among those with bicultural identity (73%) than among those who felt belonging only to the Finnish society (66%) and CCO (63%).

Conclusions

Bicultural identity was most common and also associated with better perceived health.

Key messages

Sense of belonging to both host country citizens and CCO is likely to benefit individual’s health. Identifying with host country citizens and maintaining sense of self as a member of CCO should be supported.
Community engagement towards the development of health promotion tools: Summary findings of Metaplan sessions in Barcelona
Authors: Evangelidou S
Published: November 2019

Background

Spain has been a popular destination for immigrants mainly because of its cultural proximity with Latin America and its geographical proximity with Africa. More than 70% of migrants in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia reside in its capital city, Barcelona. The community engagement in the development of tools, which facilitate access to health services while ensuring quality healthcare provision to Vulnerable Migrants and Refugees (VMRs), is pivotal in health promotion initiatives.

Methods

The participation of the target population in the decision-making process over strategies to increase healthcare access was assured by employing the Metaplan© methodology. Five Metaplan group sessions were conducted in Barcelona with VMR: One with professionals (N = 13), two with young adults (N = 4, N = 6), one with women (N = 6) and one with Latin Americans (N = 9). All sessions were conducted at the Community Medicine Unit of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.

Results

Two main categories of solutions were found through a thematic analysis. Primarily, the solutions associated to initiatives that the host community needs to undertake included: promotion of socio-economic stability for VMRs, communication campaigns though informative leaflets and orientation sessions on immigrants’ rights and available health services, as well as community-based interventions such as empowering the work of community agents/“health champions”, establishing mobile clinics and setting-up (peer) support groups. The second category of solutions was related to the personal barriers VMRs may face: improvement/acquisition of language skills and the importance of addressing one’s mental health problems.

Conclusions

Both the host community and the immigrants themselves are co-authors of the design and implementation of efficient health promotion strategies towards healthcare access and improvement of healthcare quality provision for VMRs in the given socio-cultural context of Barcelona city.
Informing the development of a pilot intervention to improve migrants’ healthcare assess in Brno, Czech Republic
Authors: Movsisyan N K , Matuchova E
Published: November 2019

Background

Third-country nationals have the least access to healthcare in the Czech Republic yet representing the largest group of migrants. This study aimed to inform the development of a pilot intervention to improve migrants’ healthcare access in Brno, Czech Republic, within the existing health policy framework.

Methods

A Metaplan© qualitative technique was applied to ensure the community participation, through separate sessions with social integration professionals and third countries nationals. Each group first identified issues in migrants’ healthcare, then suggested solutions to address these issues and prioritized these solutions.

Results

The professionals’ group included five representatives of social integration service providers and administrators. The majority of migrants were female, with higher education, ages 35-55 years, arrived in two years mainly from Ukraine, and not employed.

The social integration professionals were more knowledgeable of healthcare policy and migrants’ rights and suggested a wider scope of solutions. The migrants underscored the role of reliable information as a critical tool in utilizing healthcare services. Both groups prioritized an open access to the information as a direct benefit to the users. Other suggestions included multilingual mobile applications, visual aids and translation services, bilingual doctors and universal access to public health insurance. The feasibility of these solutions varied and so their value as intervention models.

Conclusions

The future interventions should focus on health literacy in the migrant community. This would include the dissemination of multilingual information on health emergency, children vaccinations, health insurance and healthcare system, among other topics, and interactive trainings for migrants and social counselors, to improve self-efficacy in both groups.
The joint action of health information
Authors: Gallay A
Published: November 2019

Presentation of the joint action of health information objectives and the burden of disease action of the workpackage 9 (Innovation in health information for public health policy development).
Metabolic syndrome and renal cell cancer risk in Chinese males: a population-based prospective study
Authors: Li X , Wang G , Feng X , Lyu Z , Wei L , Chen S , Wu S , Dai M , Li N , He J
Published: November 2019

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is now a common public health problem. Few researches have reported the relationship between MetS and the risk of renal cell cancer (RCC). To investigate the association of metabolic syndrome and its components with the risk of RCC in Chinese males, the study was performed in the Kailuan male cohort, a large prospective cohort study.

Methods

A total of 104,333 eligible males enrolled in the every 2-year health checkup were involved in the Kailuan male cohort study (2006-2015). Information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, lifestyle, medical history and laboratory tests at baseline entry was obtained. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association between MetS and the RCC risk.

Results

During a median follow-up of 8.9 years, 131 RCC cases were verified over a total of 824,211.96 person-years. Among the 5 single MetS components, hypertension (Systolic/diastolic blood pressure≥130/85 mm Hg or antihypertensive drug treatment of previously hypertension) (HR = 2.35, 95%CI:1.48-3.72) and elevated triglyceride (TG) (≥1.7mmol/L) (HR = 1.78, 95%CI:1.23-2.56) showed significant risk for RCC. Multivariate analysis showed that compared to those who did not meet MetS diagnostic criteria (number of abnormal MetS components<3), HR of RCC risk for participants with MetS was 1.95 (95% CI 1.35-2.83). The number of abnormal MetS components was linearly associated with an increased risk of RCC (P trend<0.001), and the HRs of RCC risk for males with 1, 2 and ≥3 MetS components were 1.27 (0.56-2.90), 2.42 (1.12-5.20) and 3.32 (1.56-7.07), respectively, compared with subjects without MetS components.

Conclusions

MetS was inversely associated with of RCC risk in males.

Key messages

MetS might be one of the scientific and important predictors of RCC. Controlling metabolic syndrome may potentially have key scientific and clinical significance for RCC prevention.
Depression and self-harm from adolescence to young adulthood in sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals in the UK: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Irish M , Solmi F , Mars B , King M , Lewis G , Pearson R M , Pitman A , Rowe S , Srinivasan R , Lewis G
Published: November 2019

Background

There are few population-based cohort studies of the emergence, development, and persistence of mental health problems in sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals. We compared trajectories of depressive symptoms in sexual-minority adolescents and heterosexual adolescents from when they were aged 10 to 21 years, and examined self-harm at ages 16 and 21 years.

Methods

The study included 4828 adolescents born between April 1, 1991, and Dec 31, 1992, from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort (Bristol, UK) who reported their sexual orientation when aged 16 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire at seven timepoints between ages 10 and 21 years. A self-harm questionnaire was completed at ages 16 and 21 years. Analyses were linear multilevel models with growth curves (depressive symptoms), logistic multilevel models (self-harm in the previous year at ages 16 and 21 years), and multinomial regression (lifetime self-harm with and without suicidal intent at age 21 years).

Findings

At age 10, depressive symptoms were higher in sexual minorities than in heterosexuals and increased with age to a larger extent. Depressive symptoms increased at each timepoint by 0·31 points in hetereosexuals, and by 0·49 points in sexual minorities. Sexual-minority adolescents were more likely than heterosexual adolescents to report self-harm in the previous year at ages 16 and 21 years, with no evidence that this estimate decreased with age. At aged 21, sexual minorities were more likely to report lifetime self-harm (ie, on at least one previous occasion) with suicidal intent than heterosexuals.

Interpretation

Mental health disparities between heterosexuals and sexual minorities are present early in adolescence and increase throughout the school years, persisting to young adulthood. Prevention of these mental health problems and early intervention must be a priority.
The role of youth in the climate change debate
Authors: Van Den Hazel P
Published: November 2019

The impacts of climate change are not distributed equally. Some people will experience natural disasters first hand, some will be affected more gradually over time, and some will experience only indirect impacts. There are data from the United nations that show the interest of youth on climate change. Close to half a million youth around the world have taken action on climate change through SGP [small grants programmes] projects in their homes, schools and communities. (UNDP, 2015). 84% of the surveyed young people agree that they need more information to prevent climate change. (UNEP, 2011). Furthermore, about 73% of surveyed youth say they currently feel the effects climate change. (UNEP, GlobeScan Survey, 2008). Some 89% of youth respondents say young people can make a difference on climate change. [UNEP, 2008]. But only 9% of youth are very confident the world will act quickly enough to address climate change. [UNEP, 2008]. Young people are key actors in raising awareness, running educational programmes, promoting sustainable lifestyles, conserving nature, supporting renewable energy, adopting environmentally-friendly practices and implementing adaptation and mitigation projects[UNFCCC]. Action by youth, as protest school strikes or speeches to the UN by Greta Thunberg, urge immediate action from governments, business leaders and school leaders. There are different reasons for this action by youth. The psycho-social impacts of a changing climate are generally under lighted in these reasons. Are the responses by society enough to minimize suffering and promote resilience of youth in the face of the challenging impacts of climate change? Or do governments and businesses enough while they increasingly seem to be moving toward action on climate change, as they proclaim to cut their own emissions or be active in their energy transition? It is not clear whether those actions are enough to satisfy the next generation of customers, employees and decision makers.
Disease burden in the Nordic region. Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017)
Authors: Knudsen A ,   GBD 2017 Nordic Collaborators
Published: November 2019

Background

The Nordic countries - Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark - combine liberal and open-market economies with public welfare and universal health services. As separate countries with differences in culture and lifestyle, important health differences may exist between them. The aim of this study was to compare life expectancy and disease burden by causes and risk factors in the Nordic countries, including Greenland as constituent country under Denmark.

Methods

Age-standardised overall, cause-, and risk factor-specific estimates of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), along with life expectancy, were analysed in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017). Sex and country specific estimates were compared with Nordic regional estimates.

Results

Males and females in Denmark (males: 78.8 years, 95% uncertainty interval 78.1-79.5; females: 82.7 years, 81.9-83.4), and males in Finland (78.6 years, 77.8-79.2) had lower life expectancy than the other countries. The lowest life expectancy and highest DALY rates were found among males and females in Greenland. Variation in DALY rates between the countries was primarily due to differences in mortality-related causes, including ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, alcohol use disorder, and self-harm. These causes dominated male DALYs. There was little country-wise variation in DALYs due to non-fatal diseases, which were dominant causes among females. Smoking and metabolic risk factors were important risk factors across countries, but contributed most to DALYs among males and females in Denmark, and males in Finland (alcohol use only).

Conclusions

The GBD framework facilitates within-region comparisons for benchmarking exercises and can guide policy development. The comparison of disease burden in the Nordic countries illustrates how differences in risk factors may drive life expectancy and disease burden differences in high-income settings.

Key messages

Diseases and injuries associated with mortality are important causes of disease burden among males, while non-fatal diseases dominates disease burden among females in the Nordic region. Risk factors differences may drive disease burden differences between the Nordic countries.