bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers and facilitators to maternal death surveillance and response at a busy urban National Referral Hospital in Uganda
Authors: Namagembe Imelda , Beyeza-Kashesya Jolly , Rujumba Joseph , K.Kaye Dan , Mukuru Moses , Kiwanuka Noah , Moffett Ashley , Nakimuli Annettee , Byamugisha Josaphat
Published: September 2022

Background: Preventable maternal and newborn deaths remain a global concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Timely maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR) is a recommended strategy to account for such deaths through identifying contextual factors that contributed to the deaths to inform recommendations to implement in order to reduce future deaths.

With the leadership of WHO and UNFPA, there is momentum to roll out MDSR, however, the barriers and enablers for implementation have received limited attention. These have important implications for successful implementation. The aim of this study was: To assess barriers and facilitators to implementation of MDSR at a busy urban National Referral Hospital as perceived by health workers, administrators, and other partners in Reproductive Health.

Methods: Qualitative study using in-depth interviews (24), 4 focus-group discussions with health workers, 15 key-informant interviews with health sector managers and implementing partners in Reproductive-Health. We conducted thematic analysis drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).  

Results: The major barriers to implementation of MDSR were: inadequate knowledge and skills; fear of blame and litigation; failure to implement recommendations; burn out because of workload at the National Referral Hospital and inadequate leadership- to support health workers. Major facilitators were involving all health workers in the MDSR process, eliminate blame, strengthen leadership, implement recommendations from MDSR and functionalize lower health facilities (especially Health Centre -IVs).

Conclusions: The barriers of MDSR include knowledge and skills gaps, fear of blame and litigation, and other health system factors such as erratic emergency supplies, and leadership/governance challenges. Efforts to strengthen MDSR for impact should use health system responsiveness approach to address the barriers identified, constructive participation of health workers to harness the facilitators and addressing the required legal framework.
A new insight into diagnosis and management of hen egg allergy
Authors: Gromek Weronika , Śliwa Rafał , Choina Magdalena , Pukaliak Roman , Markut-Miotła Ewa
Published: September 2022

Introduction: A chicken egg is a popular dietary component all over the world. An allergy to this nourishment is more often related to egg white than to yolk, and its first symptoms often appear even before the first year of life. Aim of the study: The aim of the study is to present the benefits of molecular diagnostics of allergy in chicken egg allergy.Description of the state of knowledge: To diagnose an allergy to egg proteins, skin prick tests or the determination of antigen-specific immunoglobulins E are used. However, the most verifying test of a reaction to food is a double-blind challenge.The most allergenic proteins in a chicken egg are ovomucoid (Gal d 1), ovalbumin (Gal d 2), ovotransferrin (Gal d 3), A-livetin (Gal d 5) and lysozyme (Gal d 4). Among the aforementioned proteins, ovomucoid and ovalbumin are the main allergens and the most common causes of egg allergy. It is worth noting that thermal treatment reduces the allergenic potential of ovalbumin, as opposed to ovomucoid. This means that in patients allergic to ovalbumin, a raw egg may cause an allergic reaction, while an egg, e.g. baked egg, should not cause symptoms of hypersensitivity.Summary:​​ Based on molecular diagnostics, it is possible to identify allergenic molecules of a chicken egg, such as ovomucoid, ovalbumin or ovotransferrin. This allows for better control of symptoms of hypersensitivity in patients with egg allergy. Egg yolk is a good source of amino acids and fats. Therefore, thanks to molecular diagnostics of allergy, it is possible to verify the validity of an elimination diet or to create a diet based on heat-treated eggs.
Whoever tramples the breadcrumbs will go blind: Cultural norms regarding feeding children and eating in Bulgarian society. A conversation between Petya Bankova and Vihra Baeva
Authors: Bankova Petya , Baeva Vihra
Published: September 2022

Petya Bankova is Associated Professor in the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Sofia, Bulgaria). Her scientific interests concern in the field of anthropology of childhood, children plays, and the everyday life culture during the communist period in Bulgaria. She is the author of three monographs: Images and Meetings in the Tradition, They Recognized him by his Name: Ethno-confessional Aspects of the Given Name in Bulgaria, and The Magic of the Given Name, as well as co-author of Almanac. Traditions and Holidays of the Bulgarians. She has co-edited several volumes, the last of which is Sociocultural Dimensions of Childhood (Sofia 2020).
Dorobek naukowy Milana Leščáka pozostawiony w spadku folklorystom i kulturoznawcom
Authors: Hajduk-Nijakowska Janina
Published: September 2022

MILAN LEŠČÁK (1940–2022) – wybitny słowacki etnolog i folklorysta, wykładowca na Uniwersytecie Komeńskiego w Bratysławie, założyciel Katedry Folklorystyki i Regionalistyki na Uniwersytecie Konstantyna Filozofa w Nitrze. W latach 1963-1998 pracował w Instytucie Etnologii i Społecznej Antropologii Słowackiej Akademii Nauk, a w latach 1998-2006 był kierownikiem Katedry Etnologii na Wydziale Sztuk Pięknych Uniwersytetu Komeńskiego w Bratysławie. Redaktor naczelnym czasopisma naukowego „Slovenský národopis” oraz współzałożyciel festiwalu filmowego „Ethnofilm Czadca”.
O folklorze dziecięcym
Authors: Marcol Katarzyna
Published: September 2022

Recenzja publikacji: Barbara Żebrowska-Mazur, Słowny ludowy folklor dziecięcy. Część 1: Istota folkloru dziecięcego, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2020.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PROPERTY PREDICTION OF COMPOSITE ENERGETIC MATERIALS
Authors: SCHMETS A. J. M. , KOENE L.
Published: September 2022

In the field of energetic materials, the mixing or blending of various material components into a composite material with certain desired properties is common practice. The compound properties are often not verified experimentally and one has to rely on composite properties derived from so-called property mixing rules. In this study we evaluate these composite properties in relation to details of the pure components. A brief overview of mixing rules, as proposed by Dobratz, Bruggeman, and Poon and Shin, is given. These commonly used mixing rules are applied on different propellant simulants, tetryl and TNT in order to predict the relative permittivity (or dielectric constant). These predictions are discussed and, subsequently, compared to experimental observations.
ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION PROCESS OF TYPICAL SINGLE-COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE
Authors: HAO YU , CHEN HONG , HE YONG , PAN XU-CHAO , ZHOU YU , SHEN JIE
Published: September 2022

Explosion will generate electromagnetic radiation, the time domain waveform and spectrum generated from different types of explosives are different. For researching the characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation in process of explosion, the electromagnetic radiation signals and the images of the explosion process of typical single-compound explosives TNT and RDX are measured by wide band electromagnetic radiation signal measuring devices and high-speed photography. The experimental results show that the peak time of electromagnetic signals of TNT and RDX are significantly delayed compared with the initiation time of the detonation. The delay time of the peak signal of TNT explosion electromagnetic radiation is 55.07μs, and the delay time of RDX is 68.40μs. At 5m from the detonation center, the peak signal electric field strength of TNT and RDX explosion electromagnetic radiation is 1.92V/m. After the initial discharge interference signals have been removed, the electromagnetic pulse signals are analyzed by Fast Fourier Transform, it is shown that during explosion, the frequency of electromagnetic radiation is within 100MHz, and the frequency spectrums of electromagnetic radiation signals of different explosives are different.
WAVE FRONT CAPTURING USING DETONATION SHOCK DYNAMICS
Authors: BARVE SUKRATU , SHARMA RAJNEESH , BHOYAR AMOLKUMAR , VERMA P. N. , DHOTE K. D.
Published: September 2022

High fidelity fluid dynamics based combustion models for reactive media can be implemented by way of simulations but require significantly large CPU effort. The Detonation Shock Dynamics (DSD) models offer a simpler alternative. The challenge presented while implementing DSD equations is mostly computational. Accuracy, simulation time and spatial resolution considerations turn out to counteract each other and a tradeoff is necessitated. We present simulation results obtained for a single detonation point using the level set method for DSD and describe an example of such a trade-off. We demonstrate that curvature dependence and independence of detonation velocity affects this trade-off. We then address the hydro-code results using a test case with five detonation points. The times of arrival of the detonation front at certain locations (gauge points) are taken to represent the shape of the detonation front. Times of arrival obtained using hydro-code are compared with those obtained by the level set method which has been optimized for the three considerations above. The shape of the front gets similarly reproduced in both cases, but the level set method over predicts the time of arrival up to 10 percent. We conclude that more efficient computing hardware needs to employed for DSD simulations and the level set method would serve as a quicker means for preliminary checks of detonation point arrangements. We also suggest a method for accommodating time delays at detonation points. The initial scalar field is assumed to be a combination of Gaussian functions centered at the detonation points. This is taken to represent the detonation at certain lead time which is accommodated for in the algorithm. This lead time is reduced if any delay is to be accommodated. The above method for accommodating time delay has a limitation. The initial radius cannot be made smaller that the radius set by the standard decay constant of the initial Gaussian profiles of the scalar field. The accommodated delay cannot be longer than this radius divided by detonation speed to be employed. We offer a work-around involving a construction of suitably located secondary detonation points.
INFLUENCE OF RELATIONS DEFINING PROPELLANT GASES—BARREL HEAT TRANSFER ON CRITICAL BURST LENGTH OF 35 MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT CANNON
Authors: FIKUS BARTOSZ , SURMA ZBIGNIEW , LECIEJEWSKI ZBIGNIEW , TRĘBIŃSKI RADOSLAW
Published: September 2022

The paper presents a review of propellant gases – barrel heat transfer relations and their influence on results of interior ballistics simulations for an artillery system. During simulations the lumped-parameters model of interior ballistics was applied. The thermal processes were calculated using the distributed-parameters model and resulted in barrel temperature changes estimation. Taking into account the high fire rate of investigated system – i.e. anti-aircraft cannon – the influence of applied heat transfer definition on critical burst length was estimated. Various considered formulae provided wide interval of obtained critical burst length for investigated system.
DESIGN, SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENT OF PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR ANTI-HIGH OVERLOAD FUZE
Authors: MENGMENG HAN , NENG WANG , DONGJIE LI
Published: September 2022

The fuze withstands high overload in the electromagnetic launch. The design of an antielectromagnetic launch overload structure draws much attention in the field of the fuze. In this paper, anti-high overload structure of the fuze is designed by analyzing the environmental factors in the electromagnetic launch. Then mechanics analysis and calculation are investigated. Nextly, the finite element simulation model is established. Based on this model, the stresses and deformations of the fuze in different protective conditions are analyzed during a high overload environment. The best protective scheme is selected. The theoretical calculation and simulation analysis results show that the max stress of the structure is less than the tensile strength of the material and the deformation is very small. Finally, the experiment of the electromagnetic launch is executed, and verification of the fuze is ultimately performed. In conclusion, the designed structure of the fuze can meet the anti-high overload requirement.
Detección de necesidades de capacitación en Mipymes de ropa regional estilizada de Tuxtepec (Oaxaca, México)
Authors: Valdivia Cobos Adriana , González Montor Alejandra Isabel
Published: September 2022

La capacitación se ha convertido en una exigencia para las Mipymes de la industria textil regional, ya que requieren actualizaciones de herramientas teóricas y prácticas para su mejora continua. Este proceso inicia con la detección de necesidades de capacitación (dnc), que es primordial porque proporciona la información precisa para cubrir la brecha entre lo que requiere el puesto y el perfil del trabajador. El objetivo de la investigación es detectar las necesidades de capacitación de las Mipymes dedicadas al diseño, confección y comercialización de ropa regional estilizada de Tuxtepec (Oaxaca, México). Para lograrlo se hizo un diagnóstico a siete microempresarias mediante un cuestionario de dnc, el cual se distribuyó en conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes, siendo los dos primeros apartados divididos a su vez en gestión de diseño, corte y confección, y administración. En este sentido, las Mipymes presentan necesidades importantes como: realizar alianzas con otras empresas, tendencias de moda, investigación y diseño de colecciones, planes de marketing, teoría del color, elaborar prendas de acuerdo al mercado y a las tendencias de moda. Resalta que las necesidades se encuentran principalmente en el área de gestión de diseño. Los resultados proporcionan información importante para desarrollar un plan de capacitación puntual para estas Mipymes.
On Fault-Tolerant Low-Diameter Clusters in Graphs
Authors: Lu Yajun , Salemi Hosseinali , Balasundaram Balabhaskar , Buchanan Austin
Published: September 2022

Cliques and their generalizations are frequently used to model “tightly knit” clusters in graphs and identifying such clusters is a popular technique used in graph-based data mining. One such model is the s-club, which is a vertex subset that induces a subgraph of diameter at most s. This model has found use in a variety of fields because low-diameter clusters have practical significance in many applications. As this property is not hereditary on vertex-induced subgraphs, the diameter of a subgraph could increase upon the removal of some vertices and the subgraph could even become disconnected. For example, star graphs have diameter two but can be disconnected by removing the central vertex. The pursuit of a fault-tolerant extension of the s-club model has spawned two variants that we study in this article: robust s-clubs and hereditary s-clubs. We analyze the complexity of the verification and optimization problems associated with these variants. Then, we propose cut-like integer programming formulations for both variants whenever possible and investigate the separation complexity of the cut-like constraints. We demonstrate through our extensive computational experiments that the algorithmic ideas we introduce enable us to solve the problems to optimality on benchmark instances with several thousand vertices. This work lays the foundations for effective mathematical programming approaches for finding fault-tolerant s-clubs in large-scale networks.

History: Accepted by David Alderson, Area Editor for Network Optimization: Algorithms & Applications.

Funding: The computing for this project was performed at the High Performance Computing Center at Oklahoma State University supported in part through the National Science Foundation [Grant OAC-1531128]. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under [Grants 1662757 and 1942065].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2022.1231 .
Positive Demand Spillover of Popular App Adoption: Implications for Platform Owners’ Management of Complements
Authors: Lee Mi Hyun , Han Sang Pil , Park Sungho , Oh Wonseok
Published: September 2022

As platform owners interact with end users and complementors, their demand-side characteristics and performance affect the overall value creation of ecosystems. This research investigated how the emergence of popular complements on a mobile communication platform impacts the usage of other complements by the platform’s end users and how platform owners can benefit from such demand spillovers. Using individual user-level app usage data, we empirically demonstrated how the presence of a popular app alters the demand structure of a platform through changes in the usage of other apps operating within it. The findings reveal that popular app adoption by users increases the app usage, excluding the usage of popular apps, only within the platform offering a popular app, supporting the existence of positive spillovers from popular complement adoption on a platform. Such positive within-platform spillovers occur through the increased usage of both existing and new apps, with stronger positive spillovers for new apps. These findings imply that platform owners can reap benefits by coordinating the launch of new complements and the promotion of less-known counterparts to end users with the emergence of a popular app. All these results shed light on how platform owners can manage their complements and create value from popular complements.
Land Use/Cover Mapping and Change Detection Using Remote Sensing Techniques: A Case of Upper Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh.
Authors: Negi Vivek , Irfan Mohammad
Published: September 2022

The land use/cover change has remained an important indicator in explaining the regional and global environmental issues and their determinants. The present study is an attempt to analyze the land use/cover change as a way of measuring visual impressions of landscape transformation in the Upper Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh. In the recent decades, the area has experienced considerable land use/cover changes due to urbanization, commercial agriculture and tourism activities. These developmental activities have hugely impacted the natural resources, bio-capacity and land availability of the area. The land use/cover has been analyzed with the help of LANDSAT imageries from 1991 to 2020. Supervised classification has been done on selected images by using maximum likelihood classifier (MLC). The study has been done on eight LULC classes namely, agricultural/horticultural land, built-up land, forest cover, pasture/open land, barren land, snow cover, river/water-bodies and sandy surface. The result shows decrease in snow cover and forest cover and increase in barren land, agricultural/horticultural land and built-up area during 1991-2020. The limited land resources and growing urbanisation are making these changes more complex. Therefore, continuous monitoring of these processes and subsequent changes are necessary for future planning and resource management.
A Review on Plastic Pollution and Biodegradation of Polyethylene: Indian Region
Authors: Sutkar Pankaj R. , Pore Smita M. , Dhulap Vinayak P.
Published: September 2022

Plastic is a broad category of organic polymers with a high molecular weight derived from a variety of hydrocarbons and petroleum derivatives. Plastic utilization has accelerated with the global population as a result of technological advancements; plastics and their types have shown a wide range of applications in every aspect of human life, most notably in packaging, transportation, and storage of industrial and agricultural products, raising the serious issue of plastic waste pollution and disposal. Plants, animals, and humans have all been harmed by the ever-increasing proportion of plastics in the environment. Among all plastic types, Polyethylene is the most common type of plastic that is used, therefore it needs to study overall pollution caused by polyethylene plastic type. So, our objective is toprovide a brief review of plastic pollution with preference to polyethylene plastictype , its increasing concentration, and degradation mechanisms. This review focuses on plastic classification, with a focus on plastic biodegradation, specifically polyethylene, and the methodologies and microorganisms utilized for polyethylene biodegradation, with a greater emphasis on India. It will help to understand the status of polyethylene degradation and add preventive measures for its increasing quantity.
Sistem Penanaman Virtual Sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Daya Tarik Eduwisata, Desa Oro-oro Ombo, Kota Batu
Authors: Idajati Hertiari , Prasetyo Didit , Desmawati Iska , Saptarini Dian , Rahman Ridho , Santoso Bagus Jati , Nurliyana Fatmala Ulfa
Published: September 2022

Amke berada di Desa Oro-oro Ombo merupakan salah satu kawasan tersertifikasi pertanian organik di Kota Batu. Jenis komoditi perkebunan yang cukup potensial dan merupakan tanaman unggulan di antara lain produksi Jahe dan sereh. Dengan demikian, dapat dikatakan bahwa Desa Oro-oro Ombo khusunya Amke memiliki potensi untuk dikembangkan sebagai wisata edukasi dengan tema tanaman herbal. Pada dalam mengembangkan wisata edukasi tersebut perlu adanya kajian lebih lanjut terkait bagaimana konsep yang akan diterapkan dalam pengemasan daya tarik wisata herbal Eduwisata Amke. Tujuan pengabdian masyarakat ini adalah memberikan alternatif daya tarik wisata di Amke sebagai objek eduwisata, Desa Oro-oro Ombo khususnya pada masa pandemi ini yang membutuhkan sebuah daya tarik wisata secara virtual. Salah satu konsep yang dapat diusung dalam pengembangan suatu objek wisata adalah melalui pembuatan sistem penanaman tumbuhan herbal sereh yang divisualkan dalam bentuk video animasi dan kemudian dipublikasi dalam media sosial sehingga dapat diakses dimana saja oleh pengguna smartphone.
Memperkuat Peranan BUMDes untuk Mewujudkan Desa Mandiri Melalui Penggunaan Teknologi APOCI (Automatic Pond Circulation) Budidaya Udang Vannamei
Authors: Nurif Muhammad , Rahmawati Deti , Fahmi Muhammad Arfan , Muhibbin Zainul , Rahadiantino Lienggar
Published: September 2022

Luasnya lahan sawah dan tambak di desa siderejo belum mampu memberikan dampak kesejahteraan pangan bagi masyarakat. Desa ini memiliki banyak tanah sawah tambak yang dimanfaatkan oleh penduduk desa untuk melakukan tambak udang, jenis udang yang ditambak adalah udang Vannemei. Namun tingkat produktivitasnya masih tergolong rendah, mengingat luas lahan sawah tambak di Desa Siderejo cukup luas. Program pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk memberdayakan masyarakat dengan mengembangkan  teknologi budidaya udang Vannamei melalui peran BUMDes. Hasil dan luaran kegiatan setelah dilaksanakan sosialisasi dan pelatihan adalah masyarakat sasaran mengalami peningkatan pemahaman dan penggunaan teknologi budidaya udang Vannamei. masyarakat ini maka terjadi peningkatan dan perbaikan kemampuan dan keterampilan penggunaan teknologi APOCI (Automatic Pond Circulation) budidaya udang Vannamei yang dapat mendukung terjadinya peningkatan kegiatan ekonomis dan nilai tambah masyarakat.
Peningkatan Kemampuan Pengolahan Data Penelitian Bagi Dosen-Dosen di Kabupaten Sumenep
Authors: Suharsono Agus , Mashuri Muhammad , Khusna Hidayatul , Wibawati Wibawati , Ahsan Muhammad
Published: September 2022

Penelitian merupakan salah satu bagian dari Tridharma Perguruna Tinggi, yang wajib dilaksanakan oleh dosen. Dalam bidang penelitian, statistika mempunyai peranan yang sangat penting, yaitu sebagai alat pengolahan dan analisis sehingga hasil penelitian dapat dipertanggung jawabkan secara ilmiah karena telah melalui serangkaian pengujian secara statistika. Dalam rangka peningkatan sumber daya manusia, Universitas Wiraraja, Kabupaten Sumenep Madura Jawa Timur berusaha semaksimal mungkin untuk memperbaiki kualitas keilmuannya dari dosen dengan cara memberikan bimbingan dan pendampingan lewat pelatihan-pelatihan statistika. Dalam hal ini, Tim ITS melalui Pengabdian Masyarakat yang merupakan salah satu kegiatan Tri Dharma Peguruan Tinggi, turut serta dalam peningkatan kualitas para dosen di Kabupaten Sumenep Madura Jawa Timur. Materi pelatihan yang merupakan penunjang kegiatan Tri Dharma Peguruan Tinggi diantaranya statistika deskriptif, pengujian hipotesis, regresi serta analisis jalur. Pelatihan ini ditindaklanjuti melalui kegiatan pendampingan. Setelah iu, peserta mengaplikasikan materi yang telah didapat dan peserta diberi kesempatan berdiskusi sehingga dapat menghasilkan proposal-proposal penelitian yang berkualitas.
Peningkatan Kemampuan dan Skill Mahasiswa Tingkat Akhir FEB IIB Darmajaya dalam Penulisan Karya Ilmiah
Authors: Saputra Muhammad
Published: September 2022

Tenaga pendidik (dosen) memiliki peranan penting dalam membekali mahasiswanya dengan pemahaman tentang penulisan kaidah-kaidah baku yang harus dipatuhi dalam penulisan ilmiah tugas akhir atau skripsi. Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis (FEB)  merupakan fakultas yang ada di IIB Darmajaya yang memiliki jumlah mahaiswa terbanyak di IIB Darmajaya. penyusunan tugas akhir atau skripsi Fakultas ekonomi dan Bisnis (FEB) dilakukan dengan mengajukan proposal ke program studi yang selanjutnya akan dilakukan pengecekan oleh Koordinator Bidang Keilmuan (KBK) konsentrasi program studi. Berdasarkan hasil pengecekan, ditemukan kasus yang ditemukan pada karya ilmiah tugas akhir atau skripsi yang disusun oleh mahasiswa ialah ketidaksesuaian antara tulisan yang dihasilkan dengan tuntunan penyusunan karya ilmiah yang tepat. Selain itu penyusunan karya ilmiah yang dilakukan mahasiswa cenderung mengabaikan kutipan referensi yang digunakan. diperlukan sebuah pelatihan guna meningkatkan pemahaman mengenai penulisan tugas akhir atau skripsi bagi mahasiswa tingkat akhir sehingga menghasilkan hasil riset yang baik dan bermanfaat bagi bidang keilmuan. Kegiatan pengabdian ini dilakukan dengan memberikan mengenai kaidah penulisan tugas akhir atau skripsi. Praktik dalam pencarian dan pemilihan jurnal atau referensi yang relevan dengan topik penelitian serta pelatihan berupa praktik dalam penggunaan tools atau software (Publish or Perish dan Mendeley) guna mendukung penulisan tugas akhir atau skripsi. Kegiatan pengabdian yang dilakukan berjalan dengan lancar dan berdampak positif dalam pengembangan karya tulis ilmiah bagi mahasiswa IIB Darmajaya
Manipulating electromagnetic waves in a cavity-waveguide system with nontrivial and trivial modes
Authors: Xu Jiong , Zang Xiaofei , Zhan Xudong , Liu Kun , Zhu Yiming
Published: September 2022

The coupled cavity-waveguide approach provides a flexible platform to design integrated photonic devices that are widely applied in optical communications and information processing. Topological photonic crystals that can excite the nontrivial edge state (ES) and corner state (CS) have an unprecedented capability to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) waves, leading to a variety of unusual functionalities that are impossible to achieve with conventional cavity-waveguide systems. In this Letter, two-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of an ES waveguide, a CS cavity, and a trivial cavity are proposed as a means to robustly control the transmission characteristics of electromagnetic waves. As a proof-of-principle example, the analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) that is tolerated in disorders due to the robustness of the CS is numerically demonstrated. In addition, the analog of multi-EIT is also verified by introducing a trivial cavity with two degenerate orthogonal modes. This unique approach for robustly manipulating EM waves may open an avenue to the design of high-performance filters, modulators, and on-chip processors.
Resistance strategy to ageism-based frailty in Italian older women in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Matteucci Ivana , Porrovecchio Alessandro
Published: September 2022

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between resistance to ageism-based frailty (A-BF) and physical activity (PA) and sport in a cohort of women, aged 65 and older, living in Central Italy. The study was conducted in the spring of 2021 when rigorous COVID-19 containment measures were in force across Italy. A quanti-qualitative investigation was carried out in the cohort. A questionnaire to evaluate older women’s engagement in (PA) and sport was administered and subsequently semi-structured phone interviews with those subjects who were found to be physically active were conducted to evaluate their forms of resistance to the crisis. A total number of 88 subjects responded and participated in the survey. Two tools were used to determine the study outcomes in the quantitative investigation. An altered version of Godin and Shephard’s Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) was used to evaluate the engagement of women in PA and sport. Moreover, subjects’ motivation to exercise was evaluated when they completed the survey using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2), a tool that assesses exercise regulation according to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework. The active women resulting from the quantitative investigation were then interviewed in the qualitative investigation, using an interview grid. In the quantitative investigation it was found that PA is correlated with autonomy. Identified and intrinsic regulations prevail in women who are engaged in medium or high PA, vice-versa external regulation, introjected regulation and amotivation prevail in women who are engaged in insufficient PA or who are sedentary. In the qualitative investigation it was found that the participants experienced ambivalence, conflicts and crises at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal and institutional), generating contrasting feelings, which they faced by developing an active, peaceful and silent form of resistance by caring for their bodies and minds engaging in PA and sport.
Reactive silver inks for antiviral, repellent medical textiles with ultrasonic bleach washing durability compared to silver nanoparticles
Authors: Galante Anthony J. , Pilsbury Brady C. , Yates Kathleen A. , LeMieux Melbs , Bain Daniel J. , Shanks Robert M. Q. , Romanowski Eric G. , Leu Paul W.
Published: September 2022

Medical textiles are subject to particularly harsh disinfection procedures in healthcare settings where exposure risks are high. This work demonstrates a fabric treatment consisting of a reactive silver ink and low surface energy PDMS polymer that provides for superhydrophobicity and antiviral properties against enveloped herpes simplex virus stocks even after extended ultrasonic bleach washing. The antiviral properties of reactive silver ink has not been previously reported or compared with silver nanoparticles. The fabric treatment exhibits high static contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis with water, even after 300 minutes of ultrasonic bleach washing. Similarly, after this bleach washing treatment, the fabric treatment shows reductions of infectious virus quantities by about 2 logs compared to controls for enveloped viruses. The use of silver ink provides for better antiviral efficacy and durability compared to silver nanoparticles due to the use of reactive ionic silver, which demonstrates more conformal coverage of fabric microfibers and better adhesion. This study provides insights for improving the wash durability of antiviral silver fabric treatments and demonstrates a bleach wash durable, repellent antiviral treatment for reusable, functional personal protective equipment applications.
The Screening Visual Complaints questionnaire (SVCq) in people with Parkinson’s disease—Confirmatory factor analysis and advice for its use in clinical practice
Authors: van der Lijn Iris , de Haan Gera A. , van der Feen Fleur E. , Huizinga Famke , Fuermaier Anselm B. M. , van Laar Teus , Heutink Joost
Published: September 2022

Background

The Screening Visual Complaints questionnaire (SVCq) is a short questionnaire to screen for visual complaints in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Objective

The current study aims to investigate the factor structure of the SVCq to increase the usability of this measure in clinical practice and facilitate the interpretation of visual complaints in people with PD.

Methods

We performed a confirmatory factor analysis using the 19 items of the SVCq of 581 people with PD, investigating the fit of three models previously found in a community sample: a one-factor model including all items, and models where items are distributed across either three or five factors. The clinical value of derived subscales was explored by comparing scores with age-matched controls (N = 583), and by investigating relationships to demographic and disease related characteristics.

Results

All three models showed a good fit in people with PD, with the five-factor model outperforming the three-factor and one-factor model. Five factors were distinguished: ‘Diminished visual perception–Function related’ (5 items), ‘Diminished visual perception–Luminance related’ (3 items), ‘Diminished visual perception–Task related’ (3 items), ‘Altered visual perception’ (6 items), and ‘Ocular discomfort’ (2 items). On each subscale, people with PD reported more complaints than controls, even when there was no ophthalmological condition present. Furthermore, subscales were sensitive to relevant clinical characteristics, like age, disease duration, severity, and medication use.

Conclusions

The five-factor model showed a good fit in people with PD and has clinical relevance. Each subscale provides a solid basis for individualized visual care.
Research on the evolution of spatial network structure of tourism eco-efficiency and its influencing factors in China’s provinces based on carbon emission accounting
Authors: Wang Chao , Xu Lele , Huang Menglan , Su Xiaofeng , Lai Riwen , Xu Anxin
Published: September 2022

In the context of global warming, although the coordinated development of tourism has led to regional economic growth, the high energy consumption-driven effects of such development have also led to environmental degradation. This research combines the undesired output of the Super-SBM model and social network analysis methods to determine the eco-efficiency of provincial tourism in China from 2010–2019 and analyzes its spatial correlation characteristics as well as its influencing factors. The aim of the project is to improve China’s regional tourism eco-efficiency and promote cross-regional tourism correlation. The results show that (1) the mean value of provincial tourism eco-efficiency in China is maintained at 0.405~0.612, with an overall fluctuating upward trend. The tourism eco-efficiency of eastern China is higher than that of central, western and northeastern China, but the latter three regions have not formed a stable spatial distribution pattern. (2) The spatial network of provincial tourism eco-efficiency in China is multithreaded, dense and diversified. Throughout the network, affiliations are becoming closer, and network structure robustness is gradually improving, although the “hierarchical” spatial network structure remains. In individual networks, Jiangsu, Guangdong and Shandong provinces in eastern China have higher centrality degrees, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality than other provinces, which means they are dominant in the network. Hainan Province, also located in eastern China, has not yet built a "bridge" for tourism factor circulation. In the core-periphery model, the core-periphery areas of China’s provincial tourism eco-efficiency are distributed in clusters, and the number of "core members" has increased. (3) The economic development level, information technology development level, and tourism technology level collectively drive the development and evolution of China’s provincial tourism eco-efficiency spatial network.
Functional disability among older adults in India; a gender perspective
Authors: Malik Manzoor Ahmad
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Older adults are always at a greater risk of physical and functional health challenges. These complications result into morbidity, disability and death making them more vulnerable at later ages. Therefore, this paper will examine the functional health status among older adults and its gender perspective, along with associated risk factors.

Materials and methods

Using the first round of Longitudinal ageing survey of India (2017–18). Functional disability was computed based on general and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL and IADL) (n = 20910). Functional disability was coined with individual having at least one of the limitations of these activities. Applying bivariate and multivariate analysis the present paper studied the association, gender perspective and risk factors of functional disability among older adults aged 50 and above in India.

Results

Our results clearly showed the gender bias in functional disability, with greater proportion of women (52%) at risk for functional disability then men (35%). Factors like multimorbidity, depression and life satisfaction are key risk factors identified by this study that increase the likelihood of disability.

Conclusion

Functional disability is key to healthy ageing and needs immediate attention given its greater concentration among the elderly, particularly women. The results reflect the substantial burden of functional disability than self-care among older adults in India and therefore indicates some significant policy interventions to reduce the likely impact of functional disability.
Use of explicit priming to phenotype absolute pitch ability
Authors: Bairnsfather Jane E. , Osborne Margaret S. , Martin Catherine , Mosing Miriam A. , Wilson Sarah J.
Published: September 2022

Musicians with absolute pitch (AP) can name the pitch of a musical note in isolation. Expression of this unusual ability is thought to be influenced by heritability, early music training and current practice. However, our understanding of factors shaping its expression is hampered by testing and scoring methods that treat AP as dichotomous. These fail to capture the observed variability in pitch-naming accuracy among reported AP possessors. The aim of this study was to trial a novel explicit priming paradigm to explore phenotypic variability of AP. Thirty-five musically experienced individuals (Mage = 29 years, range 18–68; 14 males) with varying AP ability completed a standard AP task and the explicit priming AP task. Results showed: 1) phenotypic variability of AP ability, including high-accuracy AP, heterogeneous intermediate performers, and chance-level performers; 2) intermediate performance profiles that were either reliant on or independent of relative pitch strategies, as identified by the priming task; and 3) the emergence of a bimodal distribution of AP performance when adopting scoring criteria that assign credit to semitone errors. These findings show the importance of methods in studying behavioural traits, and are a key step towards identifying AP phenotypes. Replication of our results in larger samples will further establish the usefulness of this priming paradigm in AP research.
An examination of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in older adults in Ireland: Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)
Authors: McCarthy Kevin , Laird Eamon , O’Halloran Aisling M. , Fallon Padraic , O’Connor Deirdre , Ortuño Román Romero , Kenny Rose Anne
Published: September 2022

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of the cluster of central obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and atherogenic dyslipidaemia. It is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality. The prevalence of MetS has not been described in older adults from a population-representative sample in a European country before. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS in older adults in Ireland and examine the association between MetS and socio-demographic, health, and lifestyle factors. This study used data from a population aged ≥50 years from waves 1 and 3 of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. The prevalence of MetS using the National Cholesterol Education Program Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATPIII) and the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) criteria were determined. Weighted logistic regression examined the association between MetS and age, sex, education, and physical activity. MetS status was determined at both waves with transitions examined. 5340 participants had complete data for MetS criteria at wave 1. 33% had MetS according to the ATPIII criteria (32.5%; 95% CI: 31.1, 34.0), with 39% according to the IDF criteria (39.3%; 95% CI: 37.8, 40.8). MetS was more prevalent with advancing age, among males, those with lower educational attainment and lower physical activity. 3609 participants had complete data for both waves– 25% of those with MetS at wave 1 did not have MetS at wave 3 but the overall number of participants with MetS increased by 19.8% (ATPIII) and 14.7% (IDF). MetS is highly prevalent in older adults in Ireland. 40% of the 1.2 million population aged ≥50 years in Ireland meet either the ATPIII or IDF criteria. Increasing age, male sex, lower educational attainment, and lower physical activity were all associated with an increased likelihood of MetS.
Strengthening of enterococcal biofilms by Esp
Authors: Spiegelman Lindsey , Bahn-Suh Adrian , Montaño Elizabeth T. , Zhang Ling , Hura Greg L. , Patras Kathryn A. , Kumar Amit , Tezcan F. Akif , Nizet Victor , Tsutakawa Susan E. , Ghosh Partho
Published: September 2022

Multidrug-resistant (MDR)Enterococcus faecalisare major causes of hospital-acquired infections. Numerous clinical strains ofE.faecalisharbor a large pathogenicity island that encodes enterococcal surface protein (Esp), which is suggested to promote biofilm production and virulence, but this remains controversial. To resolve this issue, we characterized the Esp N-terminal region, the portion implicated in biofilm production. Small angle X-ray scattering indicated that the N-terminal region had a globular head, which consisted of two DEv-Ig domains as visualized by X-ray crystallography, followed by an extended tail. The N-terminal region was not required for biofilm production but instead significantly strengthened biofilms against mechanical or degradative disruption, greatly increasing retention ofEnterococcuswithin biofilms. Biofilm strengthening required low pH, which resulted in Esp unfolding, aggregating, and forming amyloid-like structures. The pH threshold for biofilm strengthening depended on protein stability. A truncated fragment of the first DEv-Ig domain, plausibly generated by a host protease, was the least stable and sufficient to strengthen biofilms at pH ≤ 5.0, while the entire N-terminal region and intact Esp on the enterococcal surface was more stable and required a pH ≤ 4.3. These results suggested a virulence role of Esp in strengthening enterococcal biofilms in acidic abiotic or host environments.
Effects of recreation of subcultures on social media on the subculture, inter-subculture community and intra-subculture community individuals
Authors: Bhoj Rasika , Thapa Riya , Chowdhury Aritrika Roy
Published: September 2022

In order to create their social identity, humans have a tendency to express their feelings and self in the form of views and opinions that they expect from their immediate society. In today’s tech-savvy world, social media has become the most important platform for expressing one’s feelings, experiences and creating self-identity. Subcultures based on these online identities have a direct or indirect effect on fashion, subculture, intercommunity (individuals within the subculture community) and intracommunity (individuals outside the subculture community) individuals. The rise in popularity of social media platforms has led to the recreation of such subculture communities as an online trend. The current article talks about the relation between fashion, social media and these online identities. Multiple identities that are shaped and expressed through fashion and style are created and enacted through social media. Multiple case studies were analysed for qualitative secondary research to understand the effects of recreation of multiple online subcultures, which was filtered down to the Cottagecore, E-girls and Dark Academia subcultures while keeping in mind the relevance on social media and availability of resources. These were taken as interviews from articles and blogs as secondary research pertaining to each subculture. The objective of the article is to understand the effects of recreation of online subcultures on the particular subcultures, its intercommunity, intracommunity individuals, as well as the fashion industry. Mixing and recreation of subcultures create different styles and aesthetics; thus, fashion keeps changing according to that, and trends keep coming up in the fashion industry.
Decolonial expressions in non-theatrical films of 1970s East Los Angeles
Authors: Turcios Michael Anthony
Published: September 2022

This article argues that non-theatrical films made about East Los Angeles contain decolonial elements, even though the films were produced under various contexts to educate general audiences. It draws on archival material to examine films and English-language press articles and communiqués to chart a history of how Chicanas/os resisted against police brutality while engaging in anti-colonial and decolonial critiques.

This article was recipient of the 2021 Society for Cinema and Media Studies Latino Caucus Graduate Student Writing Award.
Gothic horror and dictatorship in Latin American film: The detention centre as a haunted house in Crónica de una fuga/Chronicle of an Escape (Caetano 2006)
Authors: Colaneri Laura
Published: September 2022

This article examines how Crónica de una fuga/Chronicle of an Escape () uses Gothic horror conventions, particularly the haunted house, to represent the experiences of political prisoners at a clandestine detention centre under the last Argentine dictatorship (1976–83). Though understudied until recently, the Gothic and the haunted house in Latin America have a long cultural history in which their transnational meanings have been adopted, adapted and expanded to suit local contexts, thus evoking both buried pasts and traumatic origins, such as the legacies of colonialism or dictatorial violence, as well as contemporary crises. This article demonstrates how Crónica de una fuga utilizes a Gothic aesthetic to reflect political terror’s effect on space and time, representing the clandestine detention centre as haunted house in order to make legible the oft-suppressed experience of state-sponsored political terror under the Argentine dictatorship. Moreover, the film reveals the Gothic nature of the military government’s strategies to instil fear in the populace. By aiding us to understand the political terror of the past, Crónica’s haunted house also helps its viewers contend with and memorialize its ongoing legacies.
Imagining the Mulatta: Blackness in U.S. and Brazilian Media, Jasmine Mitchell (2020)
Authors: Innes Kellie
Published: September 2022

Review of: Imagining the Mulatta: Blackness in U.S. and Brazilian Media, Jasmine Mitchell (2020)

Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 288 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-25208-520-8, p/bk, $26.00, e-Book, $19.95
Peruvian Cinema of the Twenty-First Century: Dynamic and Unstable Grounds, Cynthia Vich and Sarah Barrow (eds) (2021)
Authors: Cuya Gavilano Lorena
Published: September 2022

Review of: Peruvian Cinema of the Twenty-First Century: Dynamic and Unstable Grounds, Cynthia Vich and Sarah Barrow (eds) (2021)

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 356 pp.,

ISBN 978-3-03052-511-8, h/bk,

ISBN 978-3-03052-512-5, e-book, $50.00