bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contextual factors and mechanisms that influence sustainability: a realist evaluation of two scaled, multi-component interventions
Authors: Flynn Rachel , Mrklas Kelly , Campbell Alyson , Wasylak Tracy , Scott Shannon D.
Published: November 2021

Background

In 2012, Alberta Health Services created Strategic Clinical NetworksTM (SCNs) to develop and implement evidence-informed, clinician-led and team-delivered health system improvement in Alberta, Canada. SCNs have had several provincial successes in improving health outcomes. Little research has been done on the sustainability of these evidence-based implementation efforts.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative realist evaluation using a case study approach to identify and explain the contextual factors and mechanisms perceived to influence the sustainability of two provincial SCN evidence-based interventions, a delirium intervention for Critical Care and an Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) intervention for Senior’s Health. The context (C) + mechanism (M) = outcome (O) configurations (CMOcs) heuristic guided our research.

Results

We conducted thirty realist interviews in two cases and found four important strategies that facilitated sustainability: Learning collaboratives, audit & feedback, the informal leadership role, and patient stories. These strategies triggered certain mechanisms such as sense-making, understanding value and impact of the intervention, empowerment, and motivation that increased the likelihood of sustainability. For example, informal leaders were often hands-on and influential to front-line staff. Learning collaboratives broke down professional and organizational silos and encouraged collective sharing and learning, motivating participants to continue with the intervention. Continual audit-feedback interventions motivated participants to want to perform and improve on a long-term basis, increasing the likelihood of sustainability of the two multi-component interventions. Patient stories demonstrated the interventions’ impact on patient outcomes, motivating staff to want to continue doing the intervention, and increasing the likelihood of its sustainability.

Conclusions

This research contributes to the field of implementation science, providing evidence on key strategies for sustainability and the underlying causal mechanisms of these strategies that increases the likelihood of sustainability. Identifying causal mechanisms provides evidence on the processes by which implementation strategies operate and lead to sustainability. Future work is needed to evaluate the impact of informal leadership, learning collaboratives, audit-feedback, and patient stories as strategies for sustainability, to generate better guidance on planning sustainable improvements with long term impact.
Rifaximin-mediated gut microbiota regulation modulates the function of microglia and protects against CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in adolescent rat
Authors: Li Haonan , Xiang Yujiao , Zhu Zemeng , Wang Wei , Jiang Zhijun , Zhao Mingyue , Cheng Shuyue , Pan Fang , Liu Dexiang , Ho Roger C. M. , Ho Cyrus S. H.
Published: November 2021

Background

Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) can not only lead to depression-like behavior but also change the composition of the gut microbiome. Regulating the gut microbiome can have an antidepressant effect, but the mechanism by which it improves depressive symptoms is not clear. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are small molecular compounds produced by the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates. SFCAs are ubiquitous in intestinal endocrine and immune cells, making them important mediators of gut microbiome-regulated body functions. The balance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory microglia plays an important role in the occurrence and treatment of depression caused by chronic stress. Non-absorbable antibiotic rifaximin can regulate the structure of the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that rifaximin protects against stress-induced inflammation and depression-like behaviors by regulating the abundance of fecal microbial metabolites and the microglial functions.

Methods

We administered 150 mg/kg rifaximin intragastrically to rats exposed to CUMS for 4 weeks and investigated the composition of the fecal microbiome, the content of short-chain fatty acids in the serum and brain, the functional profiles of microglia and hippocampal neurogenesis.

Results

Our results show that rifaximin ameliorated depressive-like behavior induced by CUMS, as reflected by sucrose preference, the open field test and the Morris water maze. Rifaximin increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, which were significantly positively correlated with the high level of butyrate in the brain. Rifaximin increased the content of anti-inflammatory factors released by microglia, and prevented the neurogenic abnormalities caused by CUMS.

Conclusions

These results suggest that rifaximin can regulate the inflammatory function of microglia and play a protective role in pubertal neurodevelopment during CUMS by regulating the gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acids.
Using individual networks to identify treatment targets for eating disorder treatment: a proof-of-concept study and initial data
Authors: Levinson Cheri A. , Hunt Rowan A. , Keshishian Ani C. , Brown Mackenzie L. , Vanzhula Irina , Christian Caroline , Brosof Leigh C. , Williams Brenna M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Eating disorders (EDs) are severe mental illnesses, with high morbidity, mortality, and societal burden. EDs are extremely heterogenous, and only 50% of patients currently respond to first-line treatments. Personalized and effective treatments for EDs are drastically needed.

Methods

The current study (N = 34 participants with an ED diagnosis collected throughout the United States) aimed to investigate best methods informing how to select personalized treatment targets utilizing idiographic network analysis, which could then be used for evidence based personalized treatment development. We present initial data collected via experience sampling (i.e., ecological momentary assessment) over the course of 15 days, 5 times a day (75 total measurement points) that were used to select treatment targets for a personalized treatment for EDs.

Results

Overall, we found that treatment targets were highly variable, with less than 50% of individuals endorsing central symptoms related to weight and shape, consistent with current treatment response rates for treatments designed to target those symptoms. We also found that different aspects of selection methods (e.g., number of items, type of centrality measure) impacted treatment target selection.

Conclusions

We discuss implications of these data, how to use idiographic network analysis to personalize treatment, and identify areas that need future research.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04183894. Registered 3 December 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04183894. NCT04183894 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
COVID-19’s impact on neglected pharmaceutical staff: wake-up call for needed research
Authors: Powell Richard Antony , Lakhani Shivali , Alter Marsha , Guan Steven , Jesuthasan Jehanita , Nicholls Dasha
Published: November 2021

Discussion of the necessity of the compulsory vaccination of UK patient-facing care workers as an employment conditionality has deflected from the initial and ongoing impact of Coronavirus disease on relatively neglected occupational groups themselves, including community pharmacists. This commentary highlights the relative lack of research investigating the mental health and wellbeing impact of the pandemic on this occupational group in England and urges further study of their needs and experiences to inform evidence-based supportive psychological interventions.
Movers and stayers in STEM enrollment in Italy: who performs better?
Authors: D’Agostino Antonella , Ghellini Giulio , Lombardi Gabriele
Published: November 2021

Recently, the mobility behavior of Italian university students has garnered increasing interest from both social scientists and politicians. The very particular geographical characteristics of the country, together with the recognized persistence of a significant economic gap between the southern and northern regions, drive a large number of students to move from the first macro-region to the latter. As this phenomenon has several economic and social implications for policy-makers—at both central and local levels—it has led to various theories and prejudices. The present article will study the differences between the performance of STEM students who have decided to move from the south to the north and those who have decided to stay close to their hometowns. We devised multilevel modelling techniques to analyze this issue using administrative microdata from the Italian Ministry for Universities and Research (MUR), including eight cohorts of students from AY 2008–2009 to AY 2015–16, who enrolled in STEM fields after earning their high school diploma. One of the main findings is that individuals who moved from the south show lower levels of performance than their stayer counterparts who are enrolled in northern or central universities.
Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup study: residents of Sulaymaniyah city in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region may be genetically closer to European lineage
Authors: Fadhl Han Nihad Mohammed , Mohammed Shad Arif , Abdulkarim Farhad M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Being the native inhabitants of the Neolithic Fertile Crescent, Kurds were included in several maternal lineage studies concerning the Eurasian population. However, no study was performed on the Kurdish population of Sulaymaniyah city (latitude 33.314690 and longitude 44.376759). This study was carried out on a sample of Sorani Kurds living in Sulaymaniyah for the identification of population-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and modes of maternal lineage.

Results

In this study, 36 randomly selected healthy unrelated Kurdish subjects were enrolled. Whole mitochondrial DNA sequencing was performed. HaploGrep 2.0 and neutrality test (Tajima’s D) were employed for haplogroup identification and historical demography determination. When the outcomes were compared with previous studies in Kurds and the neighbouring nations, the identified haplogroups in the sample of study were members of the Western Eurasian haplogroups with a predominance of haplogroup H.

Conclusions

The whole mitochondrial DNA sequence is superior to the traditional analysis of the non-coding (control) region. Our study indicates a stronger relation of the studied group to the European lineage than to their neighbouring nations.
Neonatal adjustments in respiratory and pulse rates in tropical breeds of buck-kids and doelings
Authors: Habibu Buhari , Kawu Mohammed Umaru , Aluwong Tagang , Makun Hussaina Joan
Published: November 2021

Background

The transition to pulmonary respiration and the termination of foetal cardiovascular shunts is expected to commence immediately after birth. Subsequently, alveolar ventilation and tissue perfusion must be established, despite the challenge of extra-uterine environmental conditions, which could be quite demanding, even to the adult animals. The current study evaluated neonatal adjustment and diurnally induced changes in respiratory and pulse rates in kids of Red Sokoto, Sahel and West African Dwarf (WAD) goats in a tropical climate.

Results

Morning and afternoon respiratory rates started decreasing (P < 0.05) in the second week of birth. The pulse rate in the morning hours rose (P < 0.05) on Day 1 with no significant fluctuation subsequently, while the pattern in the afternoon hours showed a progressive decrease (P < 0.05) after birth. Apart from the day of birth, respiratory rate on other days increased significantly from morning to afternoon hours. The afternoon pulse rate was higher (P < 0.05) on the day of birth, but lower (P < 0.05) on Day 2 as compared to the morning values; and no diurnal difference was observed in subsequent days. The WAD goats had significantly higher respiratory and pulse rates than Red Sokoto and Sahel kids, especially in the afternoon hours. Similarly, the values were higher (P < 0.05) in doelings than buck-kids during the morning hours. The correlation between respiratory and pulse rates was positive (P < 0.05) and the strength of the association increased with age.

Conclusion

It was concluded that the afternoon rise in ambient temperature induced the establishment of a clear diurnal variation in respiratory rate 24 h postnatal, while the diurnal variation in pulse rate was weak and irregular. The tropical climate may be quite challenging to the attainment of physiological stability in respiratory and cardiovascular functions of neonatal goat kids, especially during the hot season.
New stability indicating RP-HPLC-PDA method for determination of mifepristone in bulk and tablet formulation
Authors: Khan Mohammad Mojeeb Gulzar , Deshmukh Mohammad Faizan Saadique , Firke Sandip Dinkar , Wahab Abdul Talib Abdul , Kalaskar Mohan Ganpatrao , Shirkhedkar Atul Arun
Published: November 2021

Background

Mifepristone is progestational and glucocorticoid hormone antagonist. The objective of this study is to develop simple and economical stability indicating RP-HPLC method for the determination of mifepristone in bulk and tablet formulation.

Result

The chromatographic separation was achieved on Qualisil BDS C8 column with mobile phase containing of mixture of Buffer (Potassium dihydrogen ortho phosphate, pH to 3.0 with ortho phosphoric acid) and Organic Solvent (Acetonitrile) 60:40 v/v pumped at flow rate 0.6 mL min−1. The detection of elute was performed using PDA detector at 305 nm. Mifepristone was eluted at 8.67 min. According to international conference on harmonization Q2(R1) guideline, method was validated and shows satisfactory results for accuracy, precision, linearity, ruggedness, robustness, detection limit, quantitation limit. The method indicated to be linear in the series of concentration 3–18 µg mL−1, and correlation coefficient was 0.9997. In acidic, basic, oxidative, thermal, photolytic forced degradation conditions, the peak of degradation product was clearly and well separated from drug peak without any interference in quantitative analysis. This represents stability indicating nature of established method.

Conclusion

The established RP-HPLC method is simple, accurate, specific, precise, robust, rugged, sensitive, and economical in nature which can be utilized for routine analysis of mifepristone in bulk and pharmaceutical formulation.
Feasibility of computerised positive mental imagery training as a treatment adjunct in in-patient mental health settings: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Westermann Katharina , Woud Marcella L. , Cwik Jan C. , Graz Christian , Nyhuis Peter W. , Margraf Jürgen , Blackwell Simon E.
Published: November 2021

Background

Positive affect and anhedonia are important but challenging targets for mental health treatments. Previous research indicates the potential of a computerised cognitive training paradigm involving generation of positive mental imagery, termed positive mental imagery training (PMIT), to increase positive affect and reduce anhedonia.

Aims

Our main aim was to investigate the feasibility of PMIT as a positive affect-focused, transdiagnostic adjunct to treatment as usual for patients in in-patient mental health settings.

Method

We ran an open feasibility, randomised controlled trial with three parallel arms: treatment as usual; treatment as usual plus PMIT; and treatment as usual plus an active comparator, cognitive control training. Fifty-seven patients from two different in-patient mental health treatment clinics in Germany were randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio. PMIT and cognitive control training comprised an introductory session followed by eight 15-min training sessions over 2 weeks. Clinical outcomes such as positive affect (primary outcome measure) and anhedonia were assessed at pre- and post-training, and at a further 2-week follow-up.

Results

Adherence was good and attrition was low. The patterns of results for the outcome data were not consistent with a specific effect of PMIT on positive affect, but were more consistent with a specific effect on anhedonia.

Conclusions

The results indicate feasibility and potential promise of a larger efficacy trial investigating PMIT as a treatment adjunct in in-patient mental health settings. Limitations include lack of researcher blinding, small sample size and lack of pre-specified feasibility outcomes. Anhedonia may be a more suitable primary outcome for a future larger trial.
“Police Brutality Exposed”
Authors: Pihos Peter C.
Published: November 2021

This article explores the conditions for changing news media coverage of police brutality, focusing on the Chicago Tribune. Police have historically dominated news about policing, resulting in very limited coverage of wrongdoing. Following the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark by Chicago Police officers, a racially and politically heterogenous coalition exposed the connection between police brutality and knowledge production. Activists developed a radical critique of police brutality’s role in sustaining an unequal social order and opened new possibilities for political solidarity. When longtime Chicago machine alderman Ralph Metcalfe challenged Mayor Richard J. Daley on the issue, “regular” Black Democrats came to join liberals and radicals in demanding change. The conflict generated by Metcalfe’s revolt provided both a justification and a set of questions for the Tribune’s investigative task force to engage. In a pathbreaking series of investigative reports on police brutality in 1973, the task force convincingly demonstrated the existence of widespread police brutality but also tamed its political significance with bureaucratic reform. The dilemmas of coalition politics that shaped this investigative reporting and the response to it continue to structure the choices faced by political movements seeking meaningful transformation today.
“Aboveground, Underground, and Locked Down”
Authors: Quinn Adam
Published: November 2021

Incarcerated people in Washington have published a variety of periodicals, ranging from general prison news to radical newspapers that debated ideologies like communism, anarchism, and Black nationalism. This article examines radical periodicals published in and concerning prisons to better understand struggles over the prisoners’ press in Washington. First, it contextualizes this history with a discussion of militant prisoner support movements in the 1970s. These movements included the Sunfighter, an underground newspaper; and the George Jackson Brigade, a guerrilla group, whose members were involved with both the Sunfighter and subsequent prison newspapers. This article then analyzes the politics, inside-outside relationships, and censorship of two radical prisoner quarterlies: the Marxist-Leninist Red Dragon and the Anarchist Black Dragon. Influenced by their prison environment, these newspapers provided space for networks and writings that sought to address interconnected problems such as mass incarceration, sexual violence, and racism. Ultimately, these newspapers demonstrate how prisoners’ politics are worthy of closer consideration by historians, as their ideas and actions shaped news, public discourse, and movements on both sides of the prison walls.
Imaging features of atypical adrenocortical adenomas: a radiological-pathological correlation
Authors: Gargan Mary Louise , Lee Eimear , O'Sullivan Maeve , Egan Marie , Gibney James , Crowther Stephen , Conlon Kevin , Feeney John
Published: November 2021

Objective:

Adrenal adenomas are frequently picked up incidentally on cross-sectional imaging and are known to have a classic imaging appearance on CT and MRI. However, not all adrenal adenomas have this typical radiologic appearance. Our aim is to present the radiological features of atypical adrenocortical adenomas with pathological correlation.

Methods:

All the imaging from the pathologically proven adrenal adenoma cases in our hospital (Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland) database (from 2004 to 2019) was reviewed. 8 out of 48 cases (16%) had an atypical radiological appearance and were selected for presentation.

Results:

Eight cases demonstrated atypical radiological features including heterogeneous density, incomplete washout on post-contrast imaging, the presence of macroscopic fat and calcification. Lipomatous metaplasia was present in two of the cases pathologically.

Conclusion:

Adrenocortical adenomas are the most common adrenal mass encountered on CT, however, may not always have classic imaging features. Radiologists should be familiar with both the typical and atypical imaging manifestations of these benign adrenal lesions.

Advances in knowledge:

This paper comprehensively describes the atypical features of adrenocortical adenomas with case examples and radiologic–pathologic correlation. Guidelines and an approach to the work-up of adrenal lesions with atypical appearances are also provided.
Variations in breast cancer detection rates during mammogram-reading sessions: does experience have an impact?
Authors: Alshabibi Abdulaziz S , Suleiman Moayyad E , Albeshan Salman M , Heard Robert , Brennan Patrick C
Published: November 2021

Objectives:

To examine whether radiologists’ performances are consistent throughout a reading session and whether any changes in performance over the reading task differ depending on experience of the reader.

Methods:

The performance of ten radiologists reading a test set of 60 mammographic cases without breaks was assessed using an ANOVA, 2 × 3 factorial design. Participants were categorized as more (≥2,000 mammogram readings per year) or less (<2,000 readings per year) experienced. Three series of 20 cases were chosen to ensure comparable difficulty and presented in the same sequence to all readers. It usually takes around 30 min for a radiologist to complete each of the 20-case series, resulting in a total of 90 min for the 60 mammographic cases. The sensitivity, specificity, lesion sensitivity, and area under the ROC curve were calculated for each series. We hypothesized that the order in which a series was read (i.e. fixed-series sequence) would have a significant main effect on the participants’ performance. We also determined if significant interactions exist between the fixed-series sequence and radiologist experience.

Results:

Significant linear interactions were found between experience and the fixed sequence of the series for sensitivity (F[1] =5.762, p = .04, partial η  2 = .41) and lesion sensitivity. (F[1] =6.993, p = .03, partial η  2 = .46). The two groups’ mean scores were similar for the first series but progressively diverged. By the end of the third series, significant differences in sensitivity and lesion sensitivity were evident, with the more experienced individuals demonstrating improving and the less experienced declining performance. Neither experience nor series sequence significantly affected the specificity or the area under the ROC curve.

Conclusions:

Radiologists’ performance may change considerably during a reading session, apparently as a function of experience, with less experienced radiologists declining in sensitivity and lesion sensitivity while more experienced radiologists actually improve. With the increasing demands on radiologists to undertake high-volume reporting, we suggest that junior radiologists be made aware of possible sensitivity and lesion sensitivity deterioration over time so they can schedule breaks during continuous reading sessions that are appropriate to them, rather than try to emulate their more experienced colleagues.

Advances in knowledge:

Less-experienced radiologists demonstrated a reduction in mammographic diagnostic accuracy in later stages of the reporting sessions. This may suggest that extending the duration of reporting sessions to compensate for increasing workloads may not represent the optimal solution for less-experienced radiologists.
Análisis DAFO del grado contable en México. propuestas para un plan de estudios de la Universidad de Guadalajara
Authors: Fernández-Polvillo Carmen , Michel Vázquez Gracia Patricia
Published: November 2021

La evolución de las demandas profesionales y la falta de éxito de las innovaciones introducidas en las universidades y los programas de contabilidad han dado lugar la percepción de la existencia de un desajuste (expectation performance gap y/o skills expectation gap) entre el nivel de competencias (conocimientos, habilidades, valores) que los empleadores requieren y el nivel realmente percibido en los recién graduados en contabilidad. Esto supone reflexionar sobre la necesidad de promover un cambio en la estructura y organización de la enseñanza universitaria, redefinir sus planes de estudio para satisfacer estas demandas, fortaleciendo las competencias de los graduados para que su desempeño profesional se eficiente y reduciendo desajuste entre lo que las Universidades ofrecen y lo que necesita el mercado laboral. El objetivo principal de este trabajo consiste en definir las características de un Plan de Estudios ideal para la carrera de Contaduría en México, realizando para ello (1) el análisis del perfil del profesional contable requerido actualmente, y (2) el estudio de las expectativas y/o necesidades detectadas por egresados ya integrados en el mercado laboral. Los resultados obtenidos, usando un análisis DAFO, indican que un el plan de estudios ideal sería aquel en el que además de considerar conocimientos de ámbito contable a nivel experto, permita adquirir conocimientos en el marco del derecho empresarial, la economía, las finanzas, las TIC. y fomente la adquisición de habilidades asociadas al procesamiento y análisis de la información.
Polarization-independent differential interference contrast and off-axis holography combined module
Authors: Dudaie Matan , Shinar Shira , Shaked Natan T.
Published: November 2021

We present an external portable module for transforming bright-field microscopy to differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy and digital holographic microscopy together. The module is composed of simple optical elements, positioned between the microscope output plane and the digital camera plane; thus, it can be integrated externally with existing microscopes. The proposed module enables polarization DIC imaging, without special polarization elements, under either white-light or coherent illumination, providing label-free imaging of biological samples, as recorded directly by the digital camera. In addition, by rotating one element inside the module, an off-axis hologram is created on the camera under coherent illumination, thus providing the possibility for reconstruction of the quantitative phase profile of the same sample. The method is demonstrated for imaging silica microspheres and biological cells.
Actively Q-switched and mode-locked all-fiber lasers with an α-BaTeMo2O9-based acousto-optical modulator
Authors: Xu Qing , Liu Fuan , Gao Zeliang , Zhang Baitao , Tao Xutang , He Jingliang
Published: November 2021

In this work, a novel, to the best of our knowledge,

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crystal-based acousto-optical modulator is designed and successfully applied in actively

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-switched and mode-locked Er-doped fiber lasers (EDFLs) and Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs) operating at 1.5 and 1.0 µm. The shortest pulse width of 429 ns and 1.37 µs are obtained in actively

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-switched EDFLs and YDFLs, respectively. For actively mode-locked operation, a pulse width of 11.32 ns at a modulation frequency of 3.19 MHz is obtained in EDFLs, while it is 29.9 ns at 1.036 MHz in YDFLs. The results indicate that the

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crystal is a promising candidate for all-fiber active modulators.
Birefringent properties of the cornea measured by a Mueller type polarimeter in healthy adults and children
Authors: Sobczak Marcelina , Asejczyk Magdalena
Published: November 2021

Mueller type polarimeter was used for in vivo measurements of the anisotropic parameters (retardation and azimuth angle) of corneas. To determine birefringence, corneal thickness was measured with a Scheimpflug camera (Corvist ST). The retardation distributions in the nasal-temporal cross-section in both children (N=7) and adults (N=38) groups occurred asymmetrical. The asymmetry in birefringence distributions was observed only in adults group. The geometrical analysis of the first order isochromes in both age groups showed the asymmetry of its shapes. The changes of symmetry in birefringent properties with age may have potential relationship with changing corneal biometry.
Single-pixel imaging using physics enhanced deep learning
Authors: Wang Fei , Wang Chenglong , Deng Chenjin , Han Shensheng , Situ Guohai
Published: November 2021

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) is a typical computational imaging modality that allows two- and three-dimensional image reconstruction from a one-dimensional bucket signal acquired under structured illumination. It is in particular of interest for imaging under low light conditions and in spectral regions where good cameras are unavailable. However, the resolution of the reconstructed image in SPI is strongly dependent on the number of measurements in the temporal domain. Data-driven deep learning has been proposed for high-quality image reconstruction from a undersampled bucket signal. But the generalization issue prohibits its practical application. Here we propose a physics-enhanced deep learning approach for SPI. By blending a physics-informed layer and a model-driven fine-tuning process, we show that the proposed approach is generalizable for image reconstruction. We implement the proposed method in an in-house SPI system and an outdoor single-pixel LiDAR system, and demonstrate that it outperforms some other widespread SPI algorithms in terms of both robustness and fidelity. The proposed method establishes a bridge between data-driven and model-driven algorithms, allowing one to impose both data and physics priors for inverse problem solvers in computational imaging, ranging from remote sensing to microscopy.
Single-particle trapping and dynamic manipulation with holographic optical surface-wave tweezers
Authors: Xie Xi , Wang Xianyou , Min Changjun , Ma Haixiang , Yuan Yunqi , Zhou Zhangyu , Zhang Yuquan , Bu Jing , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: November 2021

Optical surface waves have widely been used in optical tweezers systems for trapping particles sized from the nano- to microscale, with specific importance and needs in applications of super-resolved detection and imaging if a single particle can be trapped and manipulated accurately. However, it is difficult to achieve such trapping with high precision in conventional optical surface-wave tweezers. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new method to accurately trap and dynamically manipulate a single particle or a desired number of particles in holographic optical surface-wave tweezers. By tailoring the optical potential wells formed by surface waves, we achieved trapping of the targeted single particle while pushing away all surrounding particles and further dynamically controlling the particle by a holographic tweezers beam. We also prove that different particle samples, including gold particles and biological cells, can be applied in our system. This method can be used for different-type optical surface-wave tweezers, with significant potential applications in single-particle spectroscopy, particle sorting, nano-assembly, and others.
Linking mountaintop removal mining to water quality for imperiled species using satellite data
Authors: Evans Michael J. , Kay Kathryn , Proctor Chelsea , Thomas Christian J. , Malcom Jacob W.
Published: November 2021

Environmental laws need sound data to protect species and ecosystems. In 1996, a proliferation of mountaintop removal coal mines in a region home to over 50 federally protected species was approved under the Endangered Species Act. Although this type of mining can degrade terrestrial and aquatic habitats, the available data and tools limited the ability to analyze spatially extensive, aggregate effects of such a program. We used two large, public datasets to quantify the relationship between mountaintop removal coal mining and water quality measures important to the survival of imperiled species at a landscape scale across Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We combined an annual map of the extent of surface mines in this region from 1985 to 2015 generated from Landsat satellite imagery with public water quality data collected over the same time period from 4,260 monitoring stations within the same area. The water quality data show that chronic and acute thresholds for levels of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, conductivity, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, pH, selenium, and zinc safe for aquatic life were exceeded thousands of times between 1985 and 2015 in streams that are important to the survival and recovery of species on the Endangered Species List. Linear mixed models showed that levels of manganese, sulfate, sulfur, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and zinc increased by 6.73E+01 to 6.87E+05 μg/L and conductivity by 3.30E+06 μS /cm for one percent increase in the mined proportion of the area draining into a monitoring station. The proportion of a drainage area that was mined also increased the likelihood that chronic thresholds for copper, lead, and zinc required to sustain aquatic life were exceeded. Finally, the proportion of a watershed that was mined was positively related to the likelihood that a waterway would be designated as impaired under the Clean Water Act. Together these results demonstrate that the extent of mountaintop removal mining, which can be derived from public satellite data, is predictive of water quality measures important to imperiled species—effects that must be considered under environmental law. These findings and the public data used in our analyses are pertinent to ongoing re-evaluations of the effects of current mine permitting regulations to the recovery and survival of federally protected species.
Investigating differential effects of socio-emotional and mindfulness-based online interventions on mental health, resilience and social capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic: The study protocol
Authors: Godara Malvika , Silveira Sarita , Matthäus Hannah , Heim Christine , Voelkle Manuel , Hecht Martin , Binder Elisabeth B. , Singer Tania
Published: November 2021

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to a mental health crisis on a global scale. Epidemiological studies have reported a drastic increase in mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, increased loneliness and feelings of disconnectedness from others, while resilience levels have been negatively affected, indicating an urgent need for intervention. The current study is embedded within the larger CovSocial project which sought to evaluate longitudinal changes in vulnerability, resilience and social cohesion during the pandemic. The current second phase will investigate the efficacy of brief online mental training interventions in reducing mental health problems, and enhancing psychological resilience and social capacities. It further provides a unique opportunity for the prediction of intervention effects by individual biopsychosocial characteristics and preceding longitudinal change patterns during the pandemic in 2020/21.

Methods

We will examine the differential effects of a socio-emotional (including ‘Affect Dyad’) and a mindfulness-based (including ‘Breathing Meditation’) intervention, delivered through a web- and cellphone application. Participants will undergo 10 weeks of intervention, and will be compared to a retest control group. The effectiveness of the interventions will be evaluated in a community sample (N= 300), which is recruited from the original longitudinal CovSocial sample. The pre- to post-intervention changes, potential underlying mechanisms, and prediction thereof, will be assessed on a wide range of outcomes: levels of stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety, resilience, prosocial behavior, empathy, compassion, and the impact on neuroendocrine, immunological and epigenetic markers. The multi-method nature of the study will incorporate self-report questionnaires, behavioral tasks, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approaches, and biological, hormonal and epigenetic markers assessed in saliva.

Discussion

Results will reveal the differential effectiveness of two brief online interventions in improving mental health outcomes, as well as enhancing social capacities and resilience. The present study will serve as a first step for future application of scalable, low-cost interventions at a broader level to reduce stress and loneliness, improve mental health and build resilience and social capacities in the face of global stressors.

Trial registration

This trial has been registered on May 17, 2020 with the ClinicalTrials.govNCT04889508registration number (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04889508).
New insight on some selected nanoparticles as an effective adsorbent toward diminishing the health risk of deltamethrin contaminated water
Authors: Ibrahium Samar M. , Farghali Ahmed A. , Mahmoud Rehab , Wahba Ahmed A. , El-Ashram Saeed , Mahran Hesham A. , Aboelhadid Shawky M.
Published: November 2021

Deltamethrin is a widely used insecticide that kills a wide variety of insects and ticks. Deltamethrin resistance develops as a result of intensive, repeated use, as well as increased environmental contamination and a negative impact on public health. Its negative impact on aquatic ecology and human health necessitated the development of a new technique for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment, such as the use of nanotechnology. The co-precipitation method was used to create Zn-Fe/LDH, Zn-AL-GA/LDH, and Fe-oxide nanoparticles (NPs), which were then characterized using XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM. The kinetic study of adsorption test revealed that these NPs were effective at removing deltamethrin from wastewater. The larval packet test, which involved applying freshly adsorbed deltamethrin nanocomposites (48 hours after adsorption), and the comet assay test were used to confirm that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal efficacy. The kinetics of the deltamethrin adsorption process was investigated using several kinetic models at pH 7, initial concentration of deltamethrin 40 ppm and temperature 25°C. Within the first 60 min, the results indicated efficient adsorption performance in deltamethrin removal, the maximum adsorption capacity was 27.56 mg/L, 17.60 mg/L, and 3.06 mg/L with the Zn-Al LDH/GA, Zn-Fe LDH, and Fe Oxide, respectively. On tick larvae, the results of the freshly adsorbed DNC bioassay revealed larval mortality. This suggests that deltamethrin’s acaricidal activity is still active. However, applying DNCs to tick larvae 48 hours after adsorption had no lethal effect, indicating that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal activity. The latter result corroborated the results of the adsorption test’s kinetic study. Furthermore, the comet assay revealed that commercial deltamethrin caused 28.51% DNA damage in tick cells, which was significantly higher than any DNC. In conclusion, the NPs used play an important role in deltamethrin decontamination in water, resulting in reduced public health risk. As a result, these NPs could be used as a method of environmental remediation.
Measuring the readiness to screen and manage intimate partner violence: Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the PREMIS tool for perinatal care providers
Authors: Guiguet-Auclair Candy , Debost-Legrand Anne , Lémery Didier , Barasinski Chloé , Mulin Blandine , Vendittelli Françoise
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Pregnancy and perinatal periods are significant risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV), a major public health problem that could begin or intensify during these periods. Perinatal care providers have a major role in the identification and the management of IPV. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt into French the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) tool, a reliable instrument to assess the knowledge, attitudes and preparedness to address IPV, and to evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods

The PREMIS was cross-culturally adapted by conducting forward and backward translations, following international guidelines. An online cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the PREMIS-French in perinatal care providers: data completeness, factor analysis, score distribution, floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, item-total correlations, inter-subscale correlations and test-retest reliability.

Results

The PREMIS was successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted to the context of metropolitan France. The results obtained from 360 perinatal care providers showed good acceptability. Exploratory factor analysis of the “Opinions” items resulted in a six-factor solution with six of the eight subscales of the original structure identified. Good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.54 to 0.97) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.46 to 0.92) for the “Background” and “Opinions” subscales were found.

Discussion

This study provides evidence of the good psychometric properties of the PREMIS-French. This valid instrument will help to understand perinatal care providers’ barriers to IPV screening and management and will help to focus on specific lacks of knowledge for developing IPV education programs.
Sample size requirements for genetic studies on yellowfin tuna
Authors: Foster Scott D. , Feutry Pierre , Grewe Peter , Davies Campbell
Published: November 2021

In population genetics, the amount of information for an analytical task is governed by the number of individuals sampled and the amount of genetic information measured on each of those individuals. In this work, we assessed the numbers of individual yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and genetic markers required for ocean-basin scale inferences. We assessed this for three distinct data analysis tasks that are often employed: testing for differences between genetic profiles; stock delineation, and; assignment of individuals to stocks. For all analytical tasks, we used real (not simulated) data from four sampling locations that span the tropical Pacific Ocean. Whilst spatially separated, the genetic differences between the sampling sites were not substantial, a maximum of approximately Fst = 0.02, which is quite typical of large pelagic fish. We repeatedly sub-sampled the data, mimicking a new survey, and performed the analyses. False positive rates were also assessed by re-sampling and randomly assigning fish to groups. Varying the sample sizes indicated that some analytical tasks, namely profile testing, required relatively few individuals per sampling location (n ≳ 10) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, m ≳ 256). Stock delineation required more individuals per sampling location (n ≳ 25). Assignment of fish to sampling locations required substantially more individuals, more in fact than we had available (n > 50), although this sample size could be reduced to n ≳ 30 when individual fish were assumed to belong to one of the groups sampled. With these results, designers of molecular ecological surveys for yellowfin tuna, and users of information from them, can assess whether the information content is adequate for the required inferential task.
Transition prediction in the Ising-model
Authors: Füllsack Manfred , Reisinger Daniel
Published: November 2021

Dynamical systems can be subject to critical transitions where a system’s state abruptly shifts from one stable equilibrium to another. To a certain extent such transitions can be predicted with a set of methods known as early warning signals. These methods are often developed and tested on systems simulated with equation-based approaches that focus on the aggregate dynamics of a system. Many ecological phenomena however seem to necessitate the consideration of a system’s micro-level interactions since only there the actual reasons for sudden state transitions become apparent. Agent-based approaches that simulate systems from the bottom up by explicitly focusing on these micro-level interactions have only rarely been used in such investigations. This study compares the performance of a bifurcation estimation method for predicting state transitions when applied to data from an equation-based and an agent-based version of the Ising-model. The results show that the method can be applied to agent-based models and, despite its greater stochasticity, can provide useful predictions about state changes in complex systems.
Fertility intentions and child health in India: Women’s use of health services, breastfeeding, and official birth documentation following an unwanted birth
Authors: Chatterjee Esha , Sennott Christie
Published: November 2021

This study examines the relationship between women’s prospective fertility intentions and child health, measured via access to healthcare facilities for children and postpartum maternal behaviors that are indicative of future child health. We analyze two waves of nationally representative data (2005 and 2012) from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS). The analytic sample includes 3,442 non-pregnant, currently married women aged 18–40 in 2005 who participated in both rounds of the IHDS, and had at least one birth between 2005 and 2012. We investigate the influence of women’s prospective fertility intentions on access to benefits from the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), indicators of breastfeeding as recommended by the World Health Organization, and official documentation of births via birth certificates or registration. We find that 58 percent of births among women in the sample were labeled as unwanted. We use an adaptation of propensity score matching—the inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) estimator—and show that, after accounting for maternal and household characteristics that are known to be associated with maternal and child health, children who resulted from unwanted births were less likely to obtain any benefits or immunizations from the ICDS, to be breastfed within one hour of birth, and to have an official birth certificate. Results from this study have direct policy significance given the evidence that women’s fertility intentions can have negative implications for child health and wellbeing in the short and longer term.