bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in inpatient allied health service provision in Australian and New Zealand hospitals
Authors: Jepson Megan , Sarkies Mitchell , Haines Terry ,   Evidence Translation in Allied Health (EviTAH Group)
Published: August 2021

Objective

To describe the variability of allied health services on weekends, relative to weekdays, throughout Australian and New Zealand hospitals.

Methods

A prospective, cross‐sectional observational study embedded within a cluster randomised control trial. Allied health managers provided administrative data relating to allied health service events.

Results

In one month, there were a total of 243 549 allied health service events recorded from 91 sampled hospitals. The mean difference between weekday and weekend allied health service events (daily, per ward) for physiotherapy was 6.52 (95% CI 5.65 to 7.40), acute wards 12.03 (95% CI 10.25 to 13.82) and for metropolitan hospitals 14.47 (95% CI 12.22 to 16.73), revealing more allied health service events of longer duration on weekdays compared to weekends.

Conclusions

This research is the first of its kind to describe variation in allied health service provision and potential research to practice gaps across weekday and weekend days in various inpatient settings.
Introducing an orthopaedic trauma list to a regional hospital: Improved efficiencies and patient outcomes
Authors: Thompson Andrew L. , Seghol Haider , Davis Kimberley J. , Steele Mitchell
Published: August 2021

Problem

The lack of dedicated theatre time for orthopaedic surgeries at a small rural hospital meant that operations were regularly performed after hours as well as on weekends.

Design

Retrospective observational audit.

Setting

Data were collected for 317 patients admitted for trauma surgery between August 2019 and March 2020 at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, which has an orthopaedic service and acts as a referral hospital for a 4561‐km2 catchment on the South Coast of New South Wales.

Key measures for improvement

Decreased time to surgery, length of stay and proportion of after‐hours operating.

Strategies for change

To quantify patient outcomes demonstrating effectiveness of the trauma list in theatre operations at the hospital, providing evidence for adequate provision of care at the rural location

A reduction in out‐of‐hours operations results in a significant financial saving to the hospital, as well as increased safety to patients.

Effects of change

Significantly more operations were performed before 16:00 hours as well as on a weekday. Trauma list patients have a shorter length of stay (4.82 vs 7.8 days). Patients prior to the trauma list waited on average 89 hours for surgery, whereas patients on the trauma list waited only 43 hours.

Lessons Learnt

A dedicated, twice‐weekly orthopaedic trauma list is able to significantly reduce after hours and weekend surgeries. Patients placed on the trauma list had a significantly shorter length of stay and time to surgery. We therefore recommend the usage of dedicated trauma lists at small, regional sites not just to achieve cost savings but also to improve the patient journey and keep patients closer and returning to the home sooner.
Cohort study examining the relationship between remoteness and requirement for surgery to treat peripheral artery disease at a tertiary hospital in North Queensland
Authors: Golledge Jonathan , Drovandi Aaron , Velu Ramesh , Moxon Joseph
Published: August 2021

Objective

To assess whether outcomes of peripheral artery disease (PAD) were related to remoteness from the treating tertiary vascular centre.

Setting and Participants

Participants with a variety of types of occlusive and aneurysmal diseases were recruited from a tertiary hospital in North Queensland, Australia. Remoteness was assessed by residence outside Townsville and estimated distance to the vascular centre. Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to examine the association of remoteness with outcome.

Design

Cohort study.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was requirement for surgery to treat PAD. Secondary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all‐cause mortality.

Results

Of 2487 patients recruited, 1274 (51.2%) had at least one PAD surgery, 720 (29.0%) at least one MACE, and 909 (36.6%) died during a median of 4.2 (inter‐quartile range 1.3‐7.7) years. Compared to Townsville residents (n = 1287), those resident outside Townsville (n = 1200) had higher rates of PAD surgery (hazard ratio, HR 1.55, 95% confidence intervals, CI, 1.39, 1.73) but no increased risk of MACE (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.86, 1.16) or death (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.90, 1.17). This association was attenuated when adjusting for distance from the vascular centre (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.14, 1.51). Patients in the highest quartile of distance presented with lower ankle‐brachial pressure index, more severe carotid artery disease and larger aortic diameter.

Conclusions

People with PAD in North Queensland residing furthest from the tertiary hospital presented with more severe artery disease and had greater rates of PAD surgery.
High maternal blood lipid levels during early pregnancy are associated with increased risk of congenital heart disease in offspring
Authors: Cao Li , Du Yan , Zhang Mo , Wang Feng , Zhao Jian‐Yuan , Ren Yun‐Yun , Gui Yong‐Hao
Published: August 2021

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate whether maternal blood lipid levels during early pregnancy are associated with the occurrence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in their offspring.

Material and methods

In this single‐center case–control study, mothers of offspring with CHD (n = 230) and without CHD (n = 381) were included. Maternal lipid levels were determined on fasting blood samples taken in the first trimester. Relevant demographic and clinical data were extracted from the medical records. Maternal lipid profile was compared between the two groups, and regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between lipid profile and CHD risk in offspring.

Results

Compared with the control group, levels of triglyceride, apolipoprotein‐A1, and apolipoprotein‐B in early pregnancy were significantly higher in the CHD group. Multivariate analyses showed that triglyceride (odds ratio [OR] 2.46, 95% CI 1.62–3.73, p < 0.01), total/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.07–4.13, p = 0.03), and apolipoprotein‐A1 (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.16–6.40, p = 0.02) were positively associated with CHD risk in offspring.

Conclusions

Elevated maternal lipid profile was associated with increased risk of CHD in offspring.
Single versus repeated human trampling events: Responses of ground vegetation in suburban beech forests
Authors: Rusterholz Hans‐Peter , Weisskopf‐Kissling Marion , Baur Bruno
Published: August 2021

Aim

Forests provide important ecosystem services and are often the only natural areas that are freely accessible to the public for outdoor recreation. Large numbers of forest visitors can cause severe damage to forest ecosystems, which in turn can affect the ecosystem functioning. We aimed to assess whether experimental short‐term and long‐term trampling affect the ground vegetation in deciduous forests and its recovery to a different extent.

Location

Beech forests in northwestern Switzerland.

Methods

We used a standard experimental trampling procedure to simulate single and repeated human trampling events of different intensity. Experimental trampling of different intensity was conducted on a single day (single trampling) or on five days at intervals of four weeks (repeated trampling) in three suburban beech forests on different soil types. We recorded the cover, height, species density and species composition of the ground vegetation in the trampling lanes. We also assessed the recovery of the ground vegetation one and two years after trampling.

Results

Trampling intensity and the type of trampling (single vs repeated) affected the ground vegetation in the three forests. Vegetation cover, plant height and species density all decreased with increasing trampling intensity, but to a different extent in the three forests. Most vegetation characteristics were more severely affected by repeated trampling than single trampling of equal intensity. A longer trampling period strengthened the effects of trampling on ground vegetation, except in one forest. Two years after experimental trampling, most vegetation characteristics still differed from those of undisturbed ground vegetation.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that both trampling intensity and the temporal distribution of trampling influenced the ground vegetation in temperate forests. We provide evidence that the temporal distribution of human trampling events is an important factor, which has to be considered in management decisions for natural beech forests.
The effect of extended c, E and K matching in females under 45 years of age on the incidence of transfusion‐induced red blood cell alloimmunisation
Authors: Oud Josine A. , Evers Dorothea , de Haas Masja , de Vooght Karen M. K. , van de Kerkhof Daan , Som Nel , Péquériaux Nathalie C. V. , Hudig Francisca , Albersen Arjan , van der Bom Johanna G. , Zwaginga Jaap Jan
Published: August 2021

Maternal alloantibodies directed against fetal red blood cell (RBC) antigens may cause potentially life‐threatening haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Dutch transfusion guidelines therefore prescribe preventive cEK matching for all (pre‐)fertile females. To quantify the impact of cEK matching, we compared overall and antigen‐specific cumulative RBC alloimmunisation incidences in females and males aged <45 years. Among a multicentre cohort comprised of patients who received their first and subsequent RBC unit between 2005 and 2019, first‐formed RBC alloantibodies were detected in 47 of 2998 (1·6%) females and 49 of 2507 (2·0%) males. Comparing females and males, overall alloimmunisation incidences were comparable (3·1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2·1–4·4] versus 3·5% (95% CI 2·4–4·9, P = 0·853) after 10 units transfused). However, cEK alloimmunisation incidences were significantly lower among females (0·6% (95% CI 0·3–1.5) versus 2·2% (95% CI 1·5–3·4, P = 0·001) after 10 units transfused). Yet, despite cEK‐matching guidelines being in effect, 6·5%, 3·6% and 0·2% of all RBC units remained mismatched for c, E or K antigens respectively. Most of these mismatches were almost always due to emergency settings. Even though cEK alloimmunisation was not prevented completely, implementation of cEK matching resulted in an alloantigen‐exposure risk reduction of up to 98%.
Augmenting learning processes of absorptive capacity for innovation: Insights for effective leadership within global pharmaceutical companies
Authors: Rezaei Zadeh Mohammad , Hackney Ray , Zeng Jing
Published: August 2021

Absorptive capacity (AC), which comprises exploratory, transformative, and exploitative learning processes, enables organizations to exploit external knowledge for adopting innovation. Despite extensive research into AC, leadership styles have received little attention. This paper discusses the results of a study undertaken in three pharmaceutical organizations that augments AC theory relating to top‐ and middle‐level management behaviour. The findings suggest that the influence of transformational and transactional leadership styles varies between the AC learning processes within and across organizations. We also explored CEOs' knowledge, trust in middle management, and intention towards sharing knowledge, which facilitate the learning processes. The research has implications for the enhancement of opportunities to enable successful innovations based on the recognition of leadership styles and managers' roles. We report several novel contributions that are of value to academics and practitioners.
Asymmetry across international borders: Research, fishery and management trends and economic value of the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas)
Authors: Ramírez‐Valdez Arturo , Rowell Timothy J. , Dale Katherine E. , Craig Matthew T. , Allen Larry G. , Villaseñor‐Derbez Juan Carlos , Cisneros‐Montemayor Andrés M. , Hernández‐Velasco Arturo , Torre Jorge , Hofmeister Jennifer , Erisman Brad E.
Published: August 2021

Co‐operation in the management of shared fish stocks is often necessary to achieve sustainability and reduce uncertainty. The United States of America (USA) and Mexico share a number of fish stocks and marine ecosystems, while there is some binational co‐operation in scientific research, unilateral management decisions are generally the rule. We present a case study using the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas, Polyprionidae) to highlight how these management and research asymmetries can skew national perceptions of population status for a fully transboundary species. Scientific publications and annual funding related to giant sea bass are 7x and 25x higher in the USA, respectively, despite the fact that 73% of the species’ range occurs in Mexico. Conversely, annual fishery production and consumptive value of giant sea bass in Mexico are 19x and 3.5x higher than in the USA, respectively, while the non‐consumptive value related to dive ecotourism is 76x higher in the USA. These asymmetries have generated a distorted view of the population status of the giant sea bass across its entire range. This and other factors related to historical fishery dynamics and policy must be accounted for when assessing population status, and subsequent appropriate management responses, across geopolitical boundaries.
Interaction mechanism of endogenous PP2A inhibitor protein ENSA with PP2A
Authors: Thapa Chandan , Roivas Pekka , Haataja Tatu , Permi Perttu , Pentikäinen Ulla
Published: August 2021

The vast diversity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) holoenzyme composition ensures its multifaceted role in the regulation of cellular growth and signal transduction. In several pathological conditions, such as cancer, PP2A is inhibited by endogenous inhibitor proteins. Several PP2A inhibitor proteins have been identified, one of which is α‐endosulfine (ENSA). ENSA inhibits PP2A activity when it is phosphorylated at Ser67 by Greatwall (Gwl) kinase. The role of ENSA in PP2A inhibition is rather well characterized, but knowledge of the mechanism of inhibition is scarce. In this study, we have performed comprehensive structural characterization of ENSA, and its interaction with PP2A A‐ and various B56‐subunit isoforms by combining NMR spectroscopy, small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and interaction assays. The results clearly indicate that ENSA is an intrinsically disordered protein containing three transient α‐helical structures. ENSA was observed to interact PP2A mainly via A‐subunit, as the affinity with the A‐subunit is significantly stronger than with any of the B56 subunits. Based on our results, it seems that ENSA follows the dock‐and‐coalesce mechanism in associating with PP2A A‐subunit. Taken together, our results provide an essential structural and molecular framework to understanding molecular bases of ENSA‐mediated PP2A inhibition, which is crucial for the development of new therapies for diseases linked to PP2A inhibition.
Auricular pseudocysts: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Ballan Anthony , Zogheib Serge , Hanna Cyril , Daou Bechara , Nasr Marwan , Jabbour Samer
Published: August 2021

Background

Auricular pseudocysts are benign fluid accumulations of the ear of uncertain etiology. Little is known about the optimal modality to successfully treat these lesions. No systematic review addressing auricular pseudocysts have been published to date.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to summarize all the published data regarding diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of auricular pseudocysts.

Methods

On May 28, 2020, a systematic search of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted. All the studies describing treatment of auricular pseudocysts, procedure description, outcome, and follow‐up period were included in this review.

Results

After full‐text article review, 74 articles were included, representing a total of 1,011 lesions. The commonly used treatments for auricular pseudocysts were deroofing (493 lesions), aspiration (284 lesions), incision and drainage (171 lesions), intralesional steroids (53 lesions), and observation (10 lesions). The highest cure rate was found with the deroofing procedure (97.2%) followed by incision and drainage (95.9%). The mean follow‐up period was 6.7 months.

Conclusion

Surgical procedures (anterior deroofing or incision and drainage) showed the highest cure rates and should be considered as first‐line treatment for auricular pseudocysts. Future adequately designed randomized controlled trials are warranted to compare the efficacy of the techniques described.
E‐Health and remote management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: lessons from Denmark in a time of need
Authors: Ankersen Dorit V. , Noack Savannah , Munkholm Pia , Sparrow Miles P.
Published: August 2021

In Denmark, remote monitoring and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) started two decades ago with the web application Constant Care. The disease monitoring in Constant Care consists of simple disease activity questionnaires and home measurement of faecal calprotectin, a stool biomarker for inflammation. It has now been implemented in clinical practice at North Zealand University Hospital in Denmark. Digital health care solutions facilitate remote contact between patients and healthcare providers and have been shown to reduce time to remission, outpatient visits and hospital admissions, and increase adherence to medical therapy, quality of life and disease and treatment knowledge. In Australia, E‐Health is an area of increasing interest, particularly given the significant distances travelled by rural patients to access specialist care. There are several foreseeable benefits to incorporating E‐Health/remote monitoring into Australian IBD management, including reduced burdens of time and cost on rural patients, and more efficient management of well outpatients, thereby increasing clinic availability for acutely unwell patients. The significant portion of IBD patients managed in private practice in Australia, and the infrastructure within private practice that is well suited to implementation of E‐Health makes Australia a viable setting for an E‐Health IBD management model like Denmark's Constant Care model. One pilot study is currently underway investigating the feasibility of rapid and remote IBD monitoring and E‐Health in an Australian IBD population. The current COVID‐19 pandemic has further illustrated the importance of telehealth as a means of maintaining health services to patients in geographic, or social, isolation.
Parental opioid use disorder: Examining their children's experiences, needs, and road to resilience
Authors: Palumbo Ruthanne , Mechling Brandy M. , Ahern Nancy R.
Published: August 2021

Problem

Over 8 million children in the United States live with a parent with substance use disorder (SUD), inclusive of opioid use disorder (OUD). This is an adverse childhood experience (ACE), that often leads to poor outcomes such as developing SUD or mental illness. Interventions and research have focused more on the parent and not their children. Without emphasis on child's experiences, their needs, and building interventions toward developing resilience, the intergenerational cycle of SUD/OUD will persist.

Methods

Nine children (ages 12–17) in custody of Social Services, who experienced a parent with OUD, participated in this pilot study. The intervention was SAMHSA's Children's Program Kit: Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents. Thematic analysis of verbal responses/behaviors, observations, field notes, and any retained materials (i.e., handouts) was conducted over eight sessions.

Findings

Findings included three themes regarding participant's experiences: Meaning of a Parent; Others Involved; and Witnessing the Cycle. Two sub‐themes also emerged: Ways to Cope and Support from Various Sources.

Conclusions

Results support mental health nurses as forerunners in building, implementing, and evaluating child‐focused interventions for children of parents with OUD. Interventions should focus on the needs of the children and use a strength‐based approach to promote their resilience.
Geographic contact drives increased reproductive isolation in two cryptic Empidonax flycatchers
Authors: Bemmels Jordan B. , Bramwell Ashley C. , Anderson Sean A. S. , Luzuriaga‐Aveiga Vanessa E. , Mikkelsen Else K. , Weir Jason T.
Published: August 2021

Geographic contact between sister lineages often occurs near the final stages of speciation, but its role in speciation's completion remains debated. Reproductive isolation may be essentially complete prior to secondary contact. Alternatively, costly interactions between partially reproductively isolated species – such as maladaptive hybridization or competition for resources – may select for divergence, increasing reproductive isolation and driving speciation toward completion. Here, we use coalescent demographic modelling and whole‐genome data sets to show that a period of contact and elevated hybridization between sympatric eastern North American populations of two cryptic bird species preceded a major increase in reproductive isolation between these populations within the last 10,000 years. In contrast, substantial introgression continues to the present in a western contact zone where geographic overlap is much narrower and probably of more recent origin. In the sympatric eastern region where reproductive isolation has increased, it is not accompanied by character displacement in key morphometric traits, plumage coloration, or ecological traits. While the precise trait and underlying mechanism driving increased reproductive isolation remains unknown, we discuss several possibilities and outline avenues for future research. Overall, our results highlight how demographic models can reveal the geographic context in which reproductive isolation was completed, and demonstrate how contact can accelerate the final stages of speciation.
Body condition index in beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) carcasses derived from morphometric measurements
Authors: Larrat Sylvain , Lair Stéphane
Published: August 2021

Conservation efforts of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) of the St. Lawrence estuary include a mortality surveillance program which has the objective of documenting the causes of mortality. The evaluation of the animal's body condition is a key component in the diagnostic process. There is currently no consensual method to measure or calculate body condition indices in beluga whales. Morphological measurements recorded during necropsy were used to design a scaled mass body condition index that was compared to currently used visual evaluation, and to alternative morphological indices. Beluga whales were separated into two size‐based groups. The scaled mass index was well correlated with analog‐visual‐scale derived scores in beluga whale >290 cm, but not in animals <290 cm. Both methods showed almost perfect agreement regarding the categorization of carcasses belonging to the first quartiles. The alternative indices that were best correlated with the scaled mass index were those calculated using the sacral circumference and the ventral adipose thickness in animals <290 cm and the epaxial muscle mass and maximum circumference in beluga whales >290 cm. These scaled indices could provide objective tools to evaluate body condition of stranded beluga whales.
Performance of the RealStar®Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR kit for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia
Authors: Salsé Margot , Mercier Victor , Carles Marie‐José , Lechiche Catherine , Sasso Milène
Published: August 2021

Background

Pneumonia due to Pneumocystis jirovecii (PCP) is a frequent infection in HIV‐positive and also in immunocompromised HIV‐negative patients. PCR analysis of pulmonary samples has become an essential element in PCP laboratory diagnosis. Currently, many commercially PCR‐based tests are available for P jirovecii detection and need to be evaluated.

Objectives

We evaluated the performance of the RealStar® P jirovecii PCR kit for PCP diagnosis.

Methods

We performed the RealStar® P jirovecii PCR and an in‐house PCR in 219 pulmonary samples. We then assessed the performance of the RealStar® P jirovecii PCR kit by classifying patients in proven, probable, possible PCP or no final diagnosis, on the basis of the clinical and radiological signs and direct examination of bronchoalveolar lavage samples.

Results

The results showed excellent concordance (96.8%) with another in‐house PCR, previously used in the laboratory. The available clinical data allowed classifying 219 patients as having proven PCP (n = 6), probable PCP (n = 27), possible PCP (n = 29) and no final diagnosis of PCP (n = 157). The RealStar® P jirovecii PCR kit performed well with samples from patients with proven and probable PCP, as indicated by the detection of P jirovecii DNA in all these samples. The percentage of positive samples in the possible PCP category was 75.9%. In patients with no final diagnosis of PCP, P jirovecii DNA was detected in 13.4% of samples, indicating colonisation by this pathogen.

Conclusions

The RealStar® P jirovecii PCR kit shows excellent performance for PCP diagnosis.
A left ventricular assist device interfering with leadless pacemaker implantation
Authors: Smietana Jeffrey , Schell Andrea , Pothineni Naga Venkata K , Walsh Katie , Lin David
Published: August 2021

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) produce electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can have implications when patients require cardiac implantable electronic devices. Leadless pacemakers have been successfully implanted in patients with Heartmate 2 and Heartmate 3 LVADs without evidence of EMI or device‐to‐device interaction. Here we report a case of a Heartmate 3 LVAD and Micra VR transcatheter pacing system interaction requiring device repositioning.
Proteome‐wide identification of S‐sulphenylated cysteines in Brassica napus
Authors: Yu Liangqian , Iqbal Sidra , Zhang Yuting , Zhang Guofang , Ali Usman , Lu Shaoping , Yao Xuan , Guo Liang
Published: August 2021

Deregulation of reduction–oxidation (redox) metabolism under environmental stresses results in enhanced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which ultimately leads to post‐translational modifications (PTMs) of responsive proteins. Redox PTMs play an important role in regulation of protein function and cellular signalling. By means of large‐scale redox proteomics, we studied reversible cysteine modification during the response to short‐term salt stress in Brassica napus (B. napus). We applied an iodoacetyl tandem mass tags (iodoTMT)‐based proteomic approach to analyse the redox proteome of B. napus seedlings under control and salt‐stressed conditions. We identified 1,821 sulphenylated sites in 912 proteins from all samples. A great number of sulphenylated proteins were predicted to localize to chloroplasts and cytoplasm and GO enrichment analysis of differentially sulphenylated proteins revealed that metabolic processes such as photosynthesis and glycolysis are enriched and enzymes are overrepresented. Redox‐sensitive sites in two enzymes were validated in vitro on recombinant proteins and they might affect the enzyme activity. This targeted approach contributes to the identification of the sulphenylated sites and proteins in B. napus subjected to salt stress and our study will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the redox regulation in response to salt stress.
From Good “User” to Good Citizen? The Political Effects on Families of Education Policies in France
Authors: Barrault‐Stella Lorenzo , Douniès Thomas
Published: August 2021

This article analyzes the contribution of education policies to the shaping of citizenship in France. We connect two inquiries. The first, about Moral and Civic Teaching, is a case of policy intentionally devoted to convey civic norms. The second, about the ordinary government of parents, concerns diffuse civic socialization at school. We ask how, and to what extent, the political order of school—composed of policy programs and institutional routines—builds civic behaviors throughout an intertwinement between school‐related norms and citizenship standards. The analysis mainly relies on qualitative data—hundreds of interviews and ethnography—taking into account various contexts in France regarding the schools and the geographic situations. Education policies not only appear central in the definition of civic norms and the “good” ways of acting politically in France, but may also be critical in other democratic systems where school plays a comparable role in the socialization to and by the state.

Related Articles in this Special Issue

Barrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

Haapajärvi, Linda. 2021. “On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

Skowronska, Kaja. 2021. “The Recent Politicization of Immigration in Poland in Light of Preexisting State Practices: Continuity or Change in the Understanding of Citizenship and Nationhood?” Politics & Policy 49 (4).
Private Well Testing in Peri‐Urban African‐American Communities Lacking Access to Regulated Municipal Drinking Water: A Mental Models Approach to Risk Communication
Authors: MacDonald Gibson Jacqueline , III Frank Stillo , Wood Erica , Lockhart Sydney , Bruine de Bruin Wändi
Published: August 2021

Majority African‐American neighborhoods on the edges of North Carolina municipalities are less likely than white peri‐urban neighborhoods to be served by a community system regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These households rely on unregulated private wells, which are at much higher risk of contamination than neighboring community water supplies. Yet, risk awareness of consuming well water is low, and no prior research has tested risk communication interventions for these communities. We present a randomized‐controlled trial of an oversized postcard to promote water testing among this audience. The postcard design followed the mental models approach to risk communication. To our knowledge, this is the first U.S. randomized‐controlled trial of a mailed communication to promote water testing in any audience and one of few trials of the mental models approach. We evaluated the postcard's effects on self‐reported water testing with and without a free water test offer (vs. no‐intervention control) via a survey mailed one month after the interventions. The combined communication and free test doubled the odds of self‐reported water testing, compared to the control group (p = 0.046). It increased the odds of testing by 65%, compared to the free test alone. Recall of receiving a postcard about water testing increased the odds of self‐reported testing twelve‐fold (p < 0.001). Although these results suggest that targeted risk information delivered by mail can promote water testing when paired with a free test, the mechanism remains unclear. Additional research on beliefs influencing perceptions about well water may yield interventions that are even more effective.
A Computationally Efficient, High-Dimensional Multiple Changepoint Procedure with Application to Global Terrorism Incidence
Authors: Tickle S. O. , Eckley I. A. , Fearnhead P.
Published: August 2021

Detecting changepoints in data sets with many variates is a data science challenge of increasing importance. Motivated by the problem of detecting changes in the incidence of terrorism from a global terrorism database, we propose a novel approach to multiple changepoint detection in multivariate time series. Our method, which we call SUBSET, is a model-based approach which uses a penalised likelihood to detect changes for a wide class of parametric settings. We provide theory that guides the choice of penalties to use for SUBSET, and that shows it has high power to detect changes regardless of whether only a few variates or many variates change. Empirical results show that SUBSET out-performs many existing approaches for detecting changes in mean in Gaussian data; additionally, unlike these alternative methods, it can be easily extended to non-Gaussian settings such as are appropriate for modelling counts of terrorist events.
Microbial contribution to early marine cementation
Authors: Diaz Mara R. , Eberli Gregor P.
Published: August 2021

The origin of early marine cements is still being debated as either abiotic, triggered by evaporation and CO2 degassing, or microbially‐mediated. In particular, micritic envelopes and micritic meniscus cements have been proposed to be microbially‐mediated but the microbial community and the resulting organomineralization processes have rarely been documented. Herein, scanning electron microscopy and thin section analyses of samples from the Bahamas and Hamelin Pool, Australia, provide evidence that early cements in intergranular areas are the result of organomineralization processes driven by both active (microbial metabolism) and passive mechanisms influenced by mucilaginous extracellular polymeric substances and/or microbial cell walls acting as matrices for crystal nucleation and growth. Signatures of biogenicity are supported by the conspicuous presence of early micritic cements in association with dense filamentous fabrics and entombed microbial forms. Most importantly, the prolific colonization of metabolically active communities, many of which assist in carbonate precipitation, trapping, binding and encrustation of the grains, testifies to the contribution of microbes in early cementation processes. The extent and ubiquity of mucilaginous extracellular polymeric substances and its concomitant association with amorphous calcium carbonate nanograins indicates that passive organomineralization via an intermediary amorphous phase is the other leading process for the generation of micrite and fine mesh of aragonite needle‐like crystals. Furthermore, the conspicuous occurrence of microbially‐mediated micrite, meniscus and bridging cements, as well as microcrystalline Mg‐calcite cement in the marine phreatic realm challenges the widespread notion that these fabrics are indicative of marine vadose or quiet marine phreatic environments. All analyzed samples show a remarkable similarity in early cement fabrics and a consistent superposition of prismatic cements on the micrite meniscus and bridging cements. These microbially‐mediated micritic cements represent the first generation of marine cements upon which aragonite and high‐Mg calcite develop.
Geographical Network Analysis
Authors: Uitermark Justus , van Meeteren Michiel
Published: August 2021

As the volume of digital data is growing exponentially and computational methods are advancing rapidly, network analysis is an increasingly important analytical tool to understand social life. This paper revisits the rich history of network analysis in geography and uses insights from that history to review contemporary computational social science. Based on that analysis, we synthesize the distinctive qualities of what we term geographical network analysis. Geographical network analysis presumes that networks are situated, construed through meaning, and reflect power relations. Instead of pursuing parsimonious explanations or universal theories, geographical network analysis strives to understand how uneven networks develop across space and within place through a constant back and forth between abstraction and contextualization. Drawing on the articles in this special issue, this paper illustrates how geographical network analysis can be put to work.
Logical Grounding: The Case of “if‐then‐else”
Authors: Francez Nissim
Published: August 2021

The paper proposes grounding the ternary connective “if … then … else” (classically interpreted), thus far not considered in the logical grounding literature. In doing so, a new kind of plural grounding, called collective immediate grounding, is proposed as more adequate than the traditional complete immediate grounding in avoiding redundancy. The approach is proof‐theoretic.
The Motivation of Eighth Grade Students When They Learn the Parallelogram Subject in a Computerized Environment
Authors: Assadi Nabil , Ganem Sherif
Published: August 2021

The goal of the current study is to examine the impact of the computerized technological environment on the motivation of eighth graders while learning the subject of parallelogram, and whether there are differences in the level of motivation of students who studied parallelogram in a computerized environment and those who studied the same subject in a traditional school environment. The use of the semi-experimental descriptive analytical curriculum, which consisted of a sample of (30) eighth grade students who were selected in a deliberate manner was implemented. The main study tool is a set of pretests and posttests, along with a computerized intervention unit that is meant to enhance students’ motivation. The results of the study clearly indicate that the involvement of the computerized environment contributed to raising the students’ level of mastery of parallelogram as a subject in eighth graders by raising internal motivation. In light of the findings of the study, the researcher recommends adopting the results of the research, handling the computerized environment as an integral part of the educational system, and qualifying the teacher to be able to actively work within a computerized environment.
Foundational Leadership Theory: A New Ethical Approach to Reducing Knowledge-Hiding Practices Among Employees
Authors: Fuller LaJuan Perronoski
Published: August 2021

Knowledge hiding is a destructive behavior that degrades organizational success. Knowledge hiding is the intentional withholding of information from another employee. It has been reported that 76% of U.S. employees hide knowledge from each other. The displaced aggression theory suggests that employees are more likely to hide knowledge from others in the presence of mistreatment by a leader. Therefore, there was a need to investigate new ethical theories that have been shown to influence organizational commitment and potentially decrease knowledge-hiding practices among employees. This research used foundational leadership theory (FLT) developed by Fuller in 2021 to examine the overall influence on knowledge hiding. The sample consisted of 306 full-time employees across various industries throughout the United States. The results indicated that FLT had a significant negative relationship (-0.64); regression analysis indicated that, as FLT increased, knowledge hiding decreased by 0.57. Therefore, leadership training programs that teach ethical leaders based on integrity, assurance, and pragmatism will likely reduce knowledge hiding tactics among employees and create a strategic advantage among competitors.
Geografia da Abstenção Eleitoral em 1962 e 1974 no Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Sant'Anna Marina , Freire Lucy
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this paper is to identify correlates of and analyze variations in voter abstention rates in the State of Rio de Janeiro across elections held under two different political regimess the first, in 1962, took place during a period characterized by political institutions and practices which closely resembled those of politicai pluralism and the second, in 1974, under an authoritarian regime.
A Data-Driven Proactive Scheduling Approach for Hybrid Flow Shop Scheduling Problem
Authors: Han Dong , Li Wangming , Li Xinyu , Gao Liang , Li Yang
Published: August 2021

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a great challenge to manufacturing industry, especially for some traditional and unstable manufacturing systems. It reminds us that intelligent manufacturing certainly will play a key role in the future. Dynamic shop scheduling is also an inevitable hot topic in intelligent manufacturing. However, traditional dynamic scheduling is a kind of passive scheduling mode which takes measures to adjust disturbed scheduling processes after the occurrence of dynamic events. It is difficult to ensure the stability of production because of lack of proactivity. To overcome these shortcomings, manufacturing big data and data technologies as the core driving force of intelligent manufacturing will be used to guide production. Thus, a data-driven proactive scheduling approach is proposed to deal with the dynamic events, especially for machine breakdown. In this paper, the overall procedure of the proposed approach is introduced. More specifically, we first use collected manufacturing data to predict the occurrence of machine breakdowns and provide reliable input for dynamic scheduling. Then a proactive scheduling model is constructed for the hybrid flow shop problem, and an intelligent optimization algorithm is used to solve the problem to realize proactive scheduling. Finally, we design comparative experiments with two traditional rescheduling strategies to verify the effectiveness and stability of the proposed approach.
Optimal Sensor Deployment to Diagnose Large-Scale Manufacturing Systems Using a Convergence-Trajectory Controlled Ant Colony System Algorithm
Authors: Singhania Rajshekhar , Sawkar Chinmay , Tiwari Manoj K.
Published: August 2021

In this article, the problem of optimal sensor deployment in large-scale manufacturing systems for effective process monitoring is solved using a variant of the ant colony system (ACS) algorithm to obtain an optimal number of sensors, their types, and locations for monitoring various possible faults. For this purpose, first, we define the need for optimizing sensor deployment in large-scale manufacturing processes because of the increasing application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) as an architectural framework for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Then a multi-objective formulation of optimal sensor deployment in a Single Station Multi-Step Manufacturing Process concerning sensor costs, system reliability, and stability is briefly explained. As noted earlier by several authors, the sensor deployment problem is a set covering problem. It is known that metaheuristics like genetic algorithms, variants of ant colony algorithms, etc. are not efficient in finding a near-optimal solution in less computational budget to the large-scale set covering problems. For this purpose, a Convergence Trajectory Controlled ant colony system is developed and applied on a case study of an automated assembly robot. For an effective demonstration of the convergence power of the developed algorithm, we also apply our algorithm on some large-scale benchmark datasets of the set covering problem and compare the results obtained with the ant colony system algorithm. The results obtained show that the developed algorithm can give a near-optimal solution in less computational budget than the ACS algorithm.
Performance of Low-Cost 3D Printer in Medical Application
Authors: Sukindar Nor Aiman , Awang Dahan Azib Azhari , Syed Shaharuddin Sharifah Imihezri , Abd Halim Nor Farah Huda
Published: August 2021

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that produces a physical object directly from a CAD design using layer-by-layer deposition of the filament material that is extruded via a nozzle. In industry, FDM has become one of the most used AM processes for the production of low batch quantity and functional prototypes, due to its safety, efficiency, reliability, low cost, and ability to process manufacturing-grade engineering thermoplastic. Recently, the market is flooded with the availability of low-cost printers produced by numerous companies. This research aims to investigate the effect of different porosity levels on a scaffold structure produced using a low-cost 3D printer. Comparisons of these porous structures were made in terms of Von-Mises strain, total deformation, as well as compressive stress. Various porosity levels were created by varying printing parameters, including layer height, infill density, and shell thickness by slicing the initial solid CAD file using Repetier Host 3D printing software. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation was then performed on the created scaffold structures by using Ansys Workbench 19.2. The simulation result indicates that the greater porosity level will result in higher total deformation of the structure. Meanwhile, the compression test shows that the minimum strength value obtained was favourable at 22 MPa and had exceeded that of the trabecular femur (15 MPa). However, its porosity level (maximum at 52%) was still below that of the minimum threshold of porosity level of 70 percent. However, the printing parameters currently used can be adjusted in the future. Therefore, it was deduced that the low-cost 3D printer offers promising potential to fabricate different porosity structures with multiple outcomes.
Three-Dimensional Cell Culture With Alginate Hetero Gel Microspheres
Authors: Gong Youping , Qi Jinlai , Zhou Rougang , Chen Honghao , He Junling , Qiao Zizhou , Bi Zhikai , Chen Huipeng , Liu Haiqiang , Chen Guojin , Zhang Xiang , Shao Huifeng
Published: August 2021

In three-dimensional cell culture, key parameters such as cell concentration and material concentration may affect cell survival rate, proliferation and differentiation ability and other functional expression, which has very important practical significance, It has great research value in analytical chemistry, microarray, drug screening, tissue culture and so on. In this paper, the principle of active mixing is introduced for dynamic mixers. The moving parts are biocompatible mixers. Different components of alginate gel are mixed quickly in the mixing chamber, and finally the homogenized material is extruded through the replacement needle installed at the outlet of the mixing chamber. The feeding system is a push rod injection pump, and the linear motion of the injection pump is transformed into the liquid flow rate of the gel solution through a single chip microcomputer, and the flow feed is precisely controlled. In addition, by changing the flow rate ratio of the two components solution and the rapid mixing of the micro mixer, the real-time concentration change of the mixed material at the outlet can be realized, that is, gradient printing. In this paper, the printing method of gel microspheres is characterized by the distribution of the components in the Gel Microspheres according to any proportion, and because of the micro mixing process of micromixers, the demand for biological reagents and materials such as cells, proteins, cytokines and other materials is greatly reduced, which reduces the experimental cost and improves the feasibility of practical use.