bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
517 Understanding Distinctions in the Implementation of Learning Health System (LHS)
Authors: Easterling Doug , Perry Anna , Gesell Sabina
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The LHS concept has been promoted as a means for health systems to improve quality, safety, efficiency and equity. NAMs definition has been widely adopted, but is broad and has led to variation in how LHS is operationalized. Drawing on a taxonomy developed through a review of literature, we developed a tool that shows how LHSs are implemented in practice. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The LHS Implementation Assessment Tool (LHS-IAT) will indicate which forms of work are being carried out by a health system that purports to operate a LHS. LHS-IAT is based on the LHS Consolidated Framework (LHS-CF); which was developed through a qualitative analysis of LHS literature. LHS-CF contains 38 primary elements’ and 56 secondary elements’ that have been associated with the LHS construct. These elements are organized into 5 bodies of work• (e.g.; translating evidence into practice) and 4 enabling conditions• (e.g.; supportive culture). LHS-IAT assesses whether a health system operating as an LHS is implementing each of the key elements in LHS-CF. The usefulness of LHS-IAT will be demonstrated by applying the tool to 5 LHSs that have been described in the literature. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: LHS-IAT produces a quantitative profile for any given health system operating as a LHS; each LHS element is assessed as either emphasized; otherwise present; or absent. With this information, we create profiles for each implementation of LHS, using spider graphs. Systems that emphasize different elements will have different shapes for their spider graphs. Based on our initial coding of publications, we expect at least 4 distinct profiles within our sample, reflecting differences in emphasis on factors such as: continuous improvement practices, adoption of internally and externally tested interventions, research conducted to address patient care issues prioritized by institutional leaders, investigator-initiated research, clinician-engaged research, and engagement of patients and families. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The LHS-IAT will show differences in how health systems are translating the LHS concept into practice. This will allow for a shared language for those studying and/or implementing LHS. With the ability to map out an approach, health system leaders will have a tool to clarify intent and gain consensus as to which LHS model they want to implement and invest in.
112 Genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 for New Mexico and the Mountain West
Authors: Domman Daryl , Morley Valerie , Schwalm Kurt , Young Jesse , Griego Anastacia , Siebert Margaret , Edwards Michael , Goldberg Emma , Dinwiddie Darrell
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 is evolving as well as spreading within and between communities is vital for the design of rational, evidence-based control measures. Continuous genomic surveillance is imperative to identify and track variants and can be paired with clinical data, to identify associations with severity or vaccine breakthroughs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In June of 2021, we established UNM as a CDC-funded hub for genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for New Mexico and 3 other Rocky Mountain region states (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana). Through our Rocky Mountain COVID Consortium (RMCC), we have sequenced over 6,000 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 from RMCC partners. For New Mexico we integrate county and zip code data to provide more granular insights into how SARS-CoV-2, and particular variants, are transmitting within the state. We also pair this data with vaccine breakthrough cases identified by the NMDOH, as well as with clinical outcome data. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We sequenced over 6,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from New Mexico (n=3091), Idaho (n=1538), Arkansas (n=1101), Wyoming (n=251), and Montana (n=33). We used this data to infer the transmission dynamics, identify variants, and map the spread of the virus. We identified a novel local variant that spread across New Mexico in early 2021, but was quickly replaced by the Alpha variant. In all RMCC states, the Delta variant overtook Alpha and has become nearly the only variant currently circulating in these states. We identified sequenced isolates from vaccine breakthrough cases in NM and demonstrate their role in onward transmission. We can identify shifts at a county or zip-code level in circulating lineages which may correspond to clinical outcomes or fluctuating case counts. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This integrated genomic data can be used by policy and decision makers within the New Mexico Department of Health and our RMCC partners to guide their public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
126 How Weight Stigma Affects Weight-Related Health in Adolescents and Young Adults: Public Health Research with Implications for Translation into Clinical Practice
Authors: Hooper Laura , Puhl Rebecca , Eisenberg Marla E. , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Weight stigma, or discrimination and devaluation of people due to high body weight, is associated with higher prevalence of concerning health consequences (e.g., depressive symptoms, body dissatisfaction). This public health research investigated how experiencing weight stigma affects weight-related health outcomes in a cohort of young people. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: 1,534 Project EAT 2010-2018 participants were surveyed as adolescents (mean age=14.4 years) and eight years later as young adults (mean age=22.2 years). Participants were asked how often they were teased about their weight. Outcomes included body mass index (BMI), nutrition habits (intake of breakfast, fruit, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast-food), sedentary/activity behaviors (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, screen time, sleep duration), and disordered eating behaviors (unhealthy weight control behaviors, extreme weight control behaviors, dieting, chronic dieting, overeating, binge eating). Regression models were adjusted for BMI, sociodemographic characteristics, and, in longitudinal models, the outcome assessed at baseline. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Experiencing weight stigma was cross-sectionally significantly associated with higher BMI, shorter sleep duration, and higher prevalence of all six disordered eating behaviors during both adolescence and young adulthood. It was also significantly associated with longer screen time in adolescence, and with lower breakfast frequency, higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and higher intake of fast-food during young adulthood. Weight stigma in adolescence significantly predicted higher BMI and higher prevalence of overeating and dieting in young adulthood. For example, adolescents who were teased about their weight had a higher mean BMI (28.2 kg/m2 [95% confidence interval: 27.8-28.7]) in young adulthood compared to those who had not been teased (26.4 kg/m2 [95% confidence interval: 26.1-26.8]). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Findings add to the growing body of evidence that weight stigma may pose a threat to weight-related health. Because many clinicians are unaware of this evidence and healthcare settings are common sources of weight stigma, next steps include writing a research proposal that aims to decrease weight stigma conveyed to patients in clinical practice.
133 Investigating the Utilization Rate of Fertility Preservation Services Amongst Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients
Authors: DSouza Karen , Soo Lee Yeon , Vasilev Dzhuliyan J. , Allyse Megan , Ainsworth Alessandra , Davidge-Pitts Caroline J. , Enders Felicity , Khan Zaraq
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Fertility preservation (FP) allows transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients undergoing gender-affirming therapy to pursue genetic parenthood. Barriers to care exist leading to its underutilization; while these barriers to care have been investigated, the true utilization rates of FP services by TGD patients are unknown. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study includes a retrospective chart review of adult and pediatric patients from Mayo Clinics Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic who have provided research authorization. We will assess if FP was discussed and review if the patients proceeded to make appointments with either the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility or the Department of Urology. FP terms include semen cryopreservation, sperm extraction, sperm aspiration, testicular tissue cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation, embryo cryopreservation, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Patient demographic data will be collected to determine associations between utilization rate and age, sex recorded at birth, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and variables related to socioeconomic determinants of health. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hypothesize that the rate of FP utilization will be higher for patients who begin to affirm their gender at the age of 25 or older, and for those seeking feminization treatment in comparison to pre-pubescent adolescents, young adults, and transgender men. Of FP options, semen cryopreservation will be most utilized, followed by oocyte cryopreservation; both will be more utilized than embryo cryopreservation, sperm extraction, sperm aspiration, testicular tissue cryopreservation, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Employment, and insurance status and coverage, will play a role in FP service utilization after initial consult. This study was approved by Mayo Clinics Institutional Review Board. Data on N=611 patients is expected to be abstracted and analyzed prior to Translation 2022. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study will be one of the first to examine the rate of FP utilization by TGD patients with respect to the age and timing of gender-affirming therapy initiation. Understanding the rate of utilization of FP services will allow for the creation of age-appropriate education materials for TGD patients pursuing gender affirmation and FP at Mayo Clinic.
135 Characterizing Autism Stigma in the Latinx Community: Impacts and Implications
Authors: Abdul-Chani Monica , O’Kelley Sarah , Zuckerman Katharine
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Stigma may be a barrier to care for Latinx children with autism, given lasting effects on individuals and families in other disorders. No study has explored autism stigma and its effect in this group. We explore the Latinx community’s beliefs and stigmatizing attitudes towards and the effect of stigma on Latinx individuals with autism and their family. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Approximately 30 Latinx parents of typically-developing children recruited from Portland, Oregon and Birmingham, Alabama will complete a 60-90 minute interview and demographics questionnaire in Spanish. Participants will receive $50 for completion of the study. Using a phenomenological approach, a coding framework will be developed for the qualitative interview data. Structural coding will establish a set of predetermined codes that characterize the data generally. An emergent coding approach will be used to create new codes exploring each predetermined global characterization more precisely. Interviews and coding will cease when thematic saturation is achieved. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Research exploring perspectives of parents of children with autism has suggested that autism stigma is high in the Latinx population and results in social isolation. However, results regarding developmental disability stigma in the general Latinx population have shown low rates of reported stigma. This suggests: 1.) stigma is not as high as reported by parents of children with autism, 2.) those perpetuating stigma are not reporting it explicitly on quantitative measures, and/or 3.) those perpetuating stigma are not aware that these attitudes are stigmatizing. A qualitative approach allows for a better characterization of this understudied phenomenon and explores the disconnect between the stigmatized and the stigmatizing. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By answering: “How do Latinx community members view autism?” and “How does stigma affect social support?” we open avenues for research, including: utilizing collectivistic culture in linguistically- and culturally-sensitive ways to spread knowledge of autism, provide social support for families, and increase inclusivity.
163 Private or Public Health Insurance and Infant Outcomes in the United States
Authors: Johnson Desalyn Louise , Carlo Waldemar , Rahman Fazlur AKM , Tindal Rachel , Travers Colm
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Health insurance status is associated with differences in access to healthcare and health outcomes. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that among infants born in the United States, maternal private insurance compared with public Medicaid insurance would be associated with a lower infant mortality rate (IMR). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This ecological study used data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER expanded linked birth and infant death records database 2017-2018. We included hospital-born infants from 20 to 42 weeks of gestational age (wga) if the mother had either private or Medicaid insurance. We excluded infants with congenital anomalies and infants who died due to congenital anomalies. We used negative-binomial regression adjusted for race, sex, multiple birth, and any maternal pregnancy risk factors (as defined by the CDC) to determine the difference in IMR between private and Medicaid insurance. Chi-square or Fishers exact test was used to compare differences in categorical variables between groups. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We included 6,901,328 infants; 53.6% had private insurance and 46.4% were insured by Medicaid. Privately insured infants had a lower IMR compared with Medicaid insured infants (2.84/1000 vs. 5.32/1000; adjusted relative risk (aRR) 0.71; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.62 to 0.81; p<.0001). The privately insured had higher rates of 1st trimester prenatal care compared to those with Medicaid (85.6% vs. 66.6%; p<.00001). Rates of infant morbidity and maternal morbidity (per CDC definitions) were lower among the privately insured compared to those with Medicaid (both p<.00001). The privately insured had lower rates of preterm (9.1% vs. 11.0%), extremely preterm (0.5% vs. 0.7%), low birth weight (7.1% vs. 9.6%), and extremely low birth weight (0.5% vs. 0.7%) births compared to those with Medicaid (all p<0.001). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Private insurance is associated with a lower IMR compared to Medicaid insurance. Privately insured pregnancies also have higher rates of early prenatal care, less morbidity, and less preterm and low birth weight births. There may be opportunities to improve access to care and pregnancy outcomes among Medicaid insured pregnancies in the United States.
165 Rates of SGLT2 Inhibitor Use in Patients With Diabetes and Heart Failure in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Gangavelli Apoorva , Liu Zihao , Wang Jeffrey , Okoh Alexis , Patel Shivani , Morris Alanna A.
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Clinical trials of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure (HF) have confirmed a reduction in hospitalization and death. Adoption of novel therapeutics has been slower in Black and female patients. We investigated utilization of SGLT2 inhibitor in patients with HF and type 2 diabetes and if there were utilization differences by race or gender. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We created a retrospective cohort of outpatients with HF at Emory Healthcare from 2015 to 2020. Additional inclusion criteria included presence of heart failure and a diagnosis of T2D. SGLT2 inhibitor use was identified by a presence of SGLT2 inhibitor prescription at the time of the clinic visit. We estimated differences in prescription of SGLT2 inhibitors by race and gender using Chi-square analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The cohort included 5829 patients, age 69.47 years Â± 13.44, 47.67 % female, 54.62% Black. Overall prescription of SGLT2 inhibitors was low but increased over time (1.4% in 2015 to 5.6% in 2020; p<0.0001). On average, SGLT2 inhibitor use increased annually by 44.77%. From 2015 to 2020, fewer female than male patients were on an SGLT2 inhibitor (1.94% vs. 2.73%, p=0.0033). A similar percentage of Black and non-Black patients were on an SGLT2 inhibitor (2.13% vs. 2.64%, p=0.0591). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Prescription rates of SGLT2 inhibitors remain low in patients with T2D and HF, especially for female patients, despite evidence of their benefit on hospitalizations and mortality. Implementing use of SGLT2 inhibitors in this population represent an opportunity to improve cardiovascular outcomes.
171 Factors affecting rural residents intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: McCormick Jennifer B , Hopkins Margaret , Lehman Erik B , Green Michael J , Hausman Bernice L
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Vaccination for COVID-19 is a primary public health strategy to control the pandemic. In this study, we examined how various sociodemographic variables influence rural residents intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We also examined the role of distrust in healthcare organizations in these intentions. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: sing the electronic medical records of an academic healthcare institution in central Pennsylvania, we obtained names and addresses of patients who had been an inpatient or outpatient within the prior three years, were 18 years or older, and who resided in a community defined as rural by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The survey included three statements about the intent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, an open-ended question about concerns regarding the vaccine, and validated scales for general trust and for distrust in healthcare organizations. All study variables were summarized to determine their distributions, and then bivariate binomial logistic regression analyses were conducted. Responses to the open-ended question were coded and used as variables in the bivariate analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Respondents reporting conservative political views were more likely (compared to those liberal political views) to never want to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Those who expressed distrust in healthcare organizations were less likely to want to be vaccinated soon. Conversely those who were more trusting said they were more likely to want to be vaccinated soon. Respondents dominant concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine were that it was new and that the process for its development was rushed. Respondents who believed that COVID-19 was a hoax were unlikely to ever want to be vaccinated, while those who distrusted the process in some way (new vaccine or rushed vaccine) were more likely to want to wait to be vaccinated. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings confirm the impact of political orientation on COVID-19 vaccination intention and suggest that distrust in healthcare organizations may prevent people from being vaccinated. These data provide evidence that people delaying vaccination hold different beliefs than those who will never vaccinate.
188 Meeting the Needs of Transgender People through Community Engagement
Authors: Millay Tamara A. , Cottler Linda B.
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Alachua TranQuility was formed in early 2016 to address needs of transgender people in Alachua County, Florida and surrounding areas. Increasing awareness of gender identity issues created a growing population in need of additional health and social services to counter the negative health outcomes traditionally experienced by transgender people. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The group met monthly at UF HealthStreet, a CTSA community engagement program, where social and medical referrals and opportunities to participate in research were made available to attendees. Those attending included transgender and gender non-conforming individuals as well as family, friends and other allies. Outreach was conducted through social media, physical fliers, and tabling at community events. TranQuility partnered with local LGBTQ organizations to promote activities. Leadership was provided by a steering committee that changed over time, with feedback from attendees guiding planning. Simultaneous to TranQuilitys founding, a Youth Gender Clinic was established at UF Health, clearly demonstrating the need for services aimed at the transgender population. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Between February 2016 and September 2019, attendance at meetings was logged per HealthStreet protocols. Age of attendees ranged from 10 to 75, and most were non-Hispanic whites. More than 300 individuals attended meetings across time, and many attended multiple meetings, with greater than 15% having attended five or more meetings. Attendance averaged around 30+ each month, with a high of 76. Educational programming was offered, such as information on hormone therapy and name/gender marker change, and a parent support group was formed to meet concurrently with the main group. Social opportunities were very popular, as a safe place for people to present as their authentic selves. The coronavirus pandemic curtailed in-person meetings at HealthStreet in 2020, but the group plans to return to this format in 2022. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: TranQuility has become an established organization to which other groups provide referrals. Qualitatively it is clear that many people have been positively impacted. An ongoing discussion for the group, however, has been to improve outreach to transgender people of color, who typically suffer from the most discrimination and anti-trans violence.
191 Ethical Considerations of Decentralized Clinical Trials
Authors: Pascalev Assya
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Our goal is three-fold: (1) to enhance protections for research participants in decentralized clinical trials (DCT) by (2) identifying the ethical and regulatory challenges posed by DCT and (3) considering possible solutions to the ethical and regulatory challenges of DCT. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A literature review was conducted to identify the ethical and regulatory challenges of DCT. The review showed that, with few exceptions, the publications on DCT have been written by IT experts, researchers or representatives of the pharma industry. There are hardly any independent or multidisciplinary analyses of DCT, e.g., by ethicists, medical sociologists or patients. This suggests that, currently, the potential advantages of digitized clinical research are still to be tested empirically and confirmed independently. Ethical analyses of DCT are particularly scant, which points to a gap in the current understanding of the ethical and regulatory implications of DCT and the issues they raise. Our research used the method of ethical analysis to examine the ethical challenges and to consider possible solutions. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We identify the following ethical challenges of DCT: (1) challenges related to modifications of research protocols to allow for decentralized activities; (2) lack of expertise for ethical review and approval of digital tools; (3) different regulatory standards of privacy for clinical trials and for commercial digital tools, (4) risks to participants privacy and confidentiality involving both data and physical privacy; (5) the impact of the digital divide on DCT, (6) technology-related subject selection bias and marginalization of vulnerable groups, (7) imposing new burdens on research subjects and caregivers due to technology needs and smaller research teams, (8) restricted access to the study team, and (9) impact of digital technology on informed consent and participant understanding. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: DCT became the primary form of clinical research during the COVID-19 pandemic. DCT rely on a wide range of internet-based tools for recruitment, informed consent, data collection, health monitoring, and communication with participants. The tools pose ethical and regulatory challenges, which should be addressed to ensure participant well-being.
From breakup to coiling and buckling regimes in buoyant viscoplastic injections
Authors: Akbari S. , Taghavi S.M.
Published: April 2022

We study the injection flow of a heavy viscoplastic fluid into a light Newtonian fluid, via modelling and experiments. The injection is carried out downward, via an eccentric inner pipe inside a vertical closed-end outer pipe. This configuration results in a core viscoplastic fluid surrounded by an annular Newtonian fluid. The flow is structured and mixing is negligible. As the injection rate increases in a typical experiment, we observe three distinct flow regimes, associated with the core fluid behaviour, namely the breakup, coiling and buckling (bulging) regimes. In the breakup regime, the core fluid is yielded due to the extension caused by buoyancy, while in the buckling regime the yielding occurs due to the compression promoted by the pressure and the interfacial shear stress applied by the upward flow of the annular fluid. For the coiling regime, the core fluid remains largely unyielded until it exhibits a coiling behaviour. We develop a lubrication approximation model, using the Herschel–Bulkley constitutive equation, with dimensionless flow parameters including the Bingham number, the power-law index, the buoyancy number, the viscosity ratio, the diameter ratio, the eccentricity and the aspect ratio. Based on a reasonable prediction to the yielding onset, the model allows us to classify the flow regimes versus an elegant combination of the dimensionless numbers.
Surface thermodynamics and wetting condition in the multiphase lattice Boltzmann model with self-tuning equation of state
Authors: Huang Rongzong , Li Qing , Adams Nikolaus A.
Published: April 2022

The surface thermodynamics and wetting condition are investigated for the recent multiphase lattice Boltzmann model with a self-tuning equation of state (EOS), where the multiphase EOS is specified in advance and the reduced temperature is set to a relatively low value. The surface thermodynamics is first explored starting from the free-energy functional of a multiphase system and a theoretical expression for the contact angle is derived for the general multiphase EOS. The conventional free-energy density for the solid surface, which is in linear form, is analysed, and it is found that the fluid density on the solid surface significantly deviates from that in the bulk phase when the reduced temperature is relatively low. A new free-energy density for the solid surface, which is in hyperbolic tangent form, is then proposed. Two independent parameters are introduced, which can dramatically reduce the density deviation and effectively adjust the contact angle, respectively. Meanwhile, the contact angle, surface tension and interface thickness can be independently adjusted in the present theoretical framework. Based on the analysed surface thermodynamics, a thermodynamically consistent treatment for the wetting condition is proposed for both straight and curved walls. Numerical tests of droplets on straight and curved walls validate the theoretical analysis of the surface thermodynamics and the present wetting condition treatment. As further applications, a moving droplet on an inclined wall, which is vertically and sinusoidally oscillated, and the evaporation of a droplet on an adiabatic substrate are simulated, and satisfying results consistent with previous studies are obtained.
The Volchia Griva mineral oasis as unique locus for research of the mammoth fauna and the late Pleistocene environment in Northern Eurasia
Authors: Leshchinskiy Sergey V. , Burkanova Elena M.
Published: April 2022

This paper describes the results of research at Volchia Griva, the largest site in Asia containing mammoth fauna in situ. It is situated in the south of the West Siberian Plain in the Baraba forest-steppe zone, and occupies an area of several hectares. Analysis of sediments and taphonomy of the site allows us to suggest that thousands of megafaunal remains were buried here in mud pits and erosional depressions. The favorable geochemical landscape of Volchia Griva attracted animals during periods of mineral starvation. This is reflected in the high mortality in two intervals, ca. 20–18 14C ka BP and ca. 17–11 14C ka BP. The results of palynological analysis of samples from the upper part of the Volchia Griva section made it possible to reconstruct the history of landscape changes of the Baraba Lowland during the MIS 2. Forb-mesophytic meadows were common at the beginning of this period, with taiga type forests. At ca. 20 14C ka BP, an abrupt and significant aridization of the climate occurred, which led to the degradation of forests. The mammoth steppe was widely developed, dominated by forb-grass association and with areas of alkali meadows and soils. Such conditions existed probably until the mid-Holocene.
14C AND OTHER RADIONUCLIDES IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BORDER REGION OF LITHUANIA BEFORE THE START OF THE BELARUSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT OPERATION
Authors: Mažeika Jonas , Jefanova Olga , Petrošius Rimantas , Lujanienė Galina , Skuratovič Žana
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we analyze the background activity of anthropogenic radionuclides (14C, 3H, 137Cs, and 239,240Pu), emphasizing 14C content, in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Lithuanian border region before the commissioning of a new nuclear power plant in Belarus (BelNPP). In terrestrial samples, the 14C concentration varied insignificantly—from 98.6 ± 0.7 to 102.2 ± 0.8 pMC, which is close to the 14C level in atmospheric CO2. In aquatic samples, the 14C concentration varied within wide limits from 76.9 ± 0.7 to 99.6 ± 0.6 pMC, depending on the ecological group of macrophytes. Various ecological groups of macrophytes have experienced the influence of a freshwater reservoir effect. This lowest 14C content in submerged macrophyte species, within the limits of uncertainty, was very close to the specific activity of 14C in DIC (78.6 ± 0.6 pMC) in the water of the Neris River. The background 14C values, together with the data on 3H, 137Cs and 239,240Pu obtained in this study, can be used in the future to assess the contribution of the BelNPP conventional radioactive effluents to the levels of 14C and other radionuclides in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the transboundary region of Belarus and Lithuania.
NEW AMS CHRONOLOGY FOR THE EARLY BRONZE III/IV TRANSITION AT KHIRBAT ISKANDAR, JORDAN
Authors: Fall Patricia L , Richard Suzanne , Pilaar Birch Suzanne E , Ridder Elizabeth , D’Andrea Marta , Long Jesse C , Hedges-Knyrim Geoffrey , Porson Steven , Metzger Mary , Falconer Steven E
Published: April 2022

We present the first Bayesian 14C modeling based on AMS ages from stratified sediments representing continuous occupation across the Early Bronze III/IV interface in the Southern Levant. This new high-precision modeling incorporates 12 calibrated AMS ages from Khirbat Iskandar Area C using OxCal 4.4.4 and the IntCal 20 calibration curve to specify the EB III/IV transition at or slightly before 2500 cal BCE. Our results contribute to the continuing emergence of a high chronology for the Levantine Early Bronze Age, which shifts the end of EB III 200–300 years earlier than the traditional time frame and increases the length of EB IV to about 500 years. Data from Khirbat Iskandar also help direct greater attention to the importance of sedentary communities through EB IV, in contrast to the traditional emphasis on non-sedentary pastoral encampments and cemeteries. Modeling of AMS data from Khirbat Iskandar bolsters the ongoing revision of Early Bronze Age Levantine chronology and its growing interpretive independence from Egyptian history and contributes particularly to re-examination of the EB III/IV nexus in the Southern Levant.
The Simple Bare Necessities: Scales and Paradoxes of Thrift on a London Public Housing Estate
Authors: Alexander Catherine
Published: April 2022

This article tracks how a trope of middle-class household thrift, grounded on the autarchic Aristotelianoikos, has long fueled derogatory discourses in Britain aimed at low-income urban residents who practice quite different forms of thrift. Since the 1970s this trope has migrated across scales, proving a potent metaphor for national economic policy and planetary care alike, and morally and economically justifying both neoliberal welfare retraction compounded by austerity policies and national responses to excessive resource extraction and waste production. Both austerity and formal recycling schemes shift responsibility onto consumer citizens, regardless of capacity. Further, this model of thrift eclipses the thriftiness of low-income urban households, which emerges at the nexus of kin and waged labor, sharing, welfare, debt, conserving material resources through remaking and repair and, crucially, the fundamental need for decency expressed through kin care. Through a historicized ethnography of a London social housing estate and its residents, this paper excavates what happens as these different forms and scales of household thrift coexist, change over time, and clash. Ultimately, neoliberal policy centered on an inimical idiom of thrift delegitimizes and disentitles low-income urban households and undermines their ability to enact livelihood practices of sustainability and projects of dignity across generations.
The local cyclicity problem: Melnikov method using Lyapunov constants
Authors: Gouveia Luiz F. S. , Torregrosa Joan
Published: April 2022

In 1991, Chicone and Jacobs showed the equivalence between the computation of the first-order Taylor developments of the Lyapunov constants and the developments of the first Melnikov function near a non-degenerate monodromic equilibrium point, in the study of limit cycles of small-amplitude bifurcating from a quadratic centre. We show that their proof is also valid for polynomial vector fields of any degree. This equivalence is used to provide a new lower bound for the local cyclicity of degree six polynomial vector fields, so $\mathcal {M}(6) \geq 44$. Moreover, we extend this equivalence to the piecewise polynomial class. Finally, we prove that $\mathcal {M}^{c}_{p}(4) \geq 43$ and $\mathcal {M}^{c}_{p}(5) \geq 65.$
On the algebraicity about the Hodge numbers of the Hilbert schemes of algebraic surfaces
Authors: Jin Seokho , Jo Sihun
Published: April 2022

Hilbert schemes are an object arising from geometry and are closely related to physics and modular forms. Recently, there have been investigations from number theorists about the Betti numbers and Hodge numbers of the Hilbert schemes of points of an algebraic surface. In this paper, we prove that Göttsche's generating function of the Hodge numbers of Hilbert schemes of $n$ points of an algebraic surface is algebraic at a CM point $\tau$ and rational numbers $z_1$ and $z_2$. Our result gives a refinement of the algebraicity on Betti numbers.
Determination of the effects of different tillage methods and irrigation levels on soybean yield and yield components
Authors: Gonen E. , Kara O.
Published: April 2022

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different irrigation levels and different tillage and sowing methods on the amount of irrigation water, evapotranspiration, water productivity (WP) and yield in the second crop soybean in Çukurova Region, Turkey. Three irrigation levels were applied (I100: completion to the field capacity of the available water of 60 cm soil depth weekly. I70: 70% of the water applied to I100, I50: 50% of the water applied to I100), five tillage and sowing methods were used (T1: traditional soil tillage, T2: reduced soil tillage, T3: reduced soil tillage, T4: ridge tillage, T5: no-tillage). The research was carried out in a randomized block split-plot design with three replications. The result of, the highest yield was obtained in I100xT1with 4990 kg/ha, while the lowest yield was obtained in I50xT3with 3150 kg/ha in irrigationxtillage interactions. When the water consumption values of plants were analysed, the highest was obtained with 632 mm I100and the lowest with 399 mm I50. When WP values were analysed, the highest was obtained with 8.7 in I50and the lowest in 6.6 and I100. As a result, full irrigation and direct sowing methods (I100T1) are recommended in soybean cultivation considering the highest water-yield relationship in the Mediterranean Region.
Effect of replacing soybean meal by a blend of ground corn and urea-ammonium sulphate on milk production and composition, digestibility and N balance of dairy Murrah buffaloes
Authors: Melo Tobias Tobit , Bezerra Leilson , Santos Viviany , Ferreira Marcelo , Junior Valdi Lima , Silva Luana Andressa , Menezes Migson , Filho Francisco Silva , Oliveira Ronaldo
Published: April 2022

This study evaluated the effect of replacing soybean meal by a blend of ground corn and urea-ammonium sulphate (GCU-S) in the diet of lactating buffaloes on milk production and composition, digestibility, N balance and blood metabolites. Twelve multiparous dairy Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), at 100 ± 4 d in milk and yielding 10 ± 2.5 kg/d, were randomly distributed in a triple 4 × 4 Latin square, with four different inclusions of GCU-S at U-S levels: 0 (control), 8.0, 16.4 and 24.1 g/kg dry matter (DM) total. Replacing soybean meal with GC-US had a significant depressing effect on absolute DM intake, which was still numerically evident but no longer significant when expressed on a body weight-related basis. Intakes of crude protein (CP) and N as well as N-urinary excretion were also significantly depressed. Digestibility of dry matter was improved and, as a proportion of DMI, intake of total digestible nutrients increased significantly. Perhaps as a result, feed efficiency (kg DMI required per kg 6% fat-corrected milk) was significantly improved. Efficiency of protein use for milk production was significantly improved, but not when expressed as milk protein output. N transfer into milk, as a proportion of total N intake, also increased significantly. However, GC-US inclusion had no significant effect on milk production or milk composition, nor did it affect serum metabolites, digestibilities (apart from dry matter) or N measures of balance apart from those mentioned above. Inclusion of this blend of ground corn with urea and ammonium suplate can be recommended for dairy buffalo because, although it decreases DMI and N-excretion, it improves DM digestibility and feeding efficiency whilst maintaining milk production and composition.
Postlaunch evidence generation practices among health technology assessment bodies in Europe
Authors: Puñal-Riobóo Janet , Varela-Lema Leonor , Guilhaume Chantal , Galbraith Margaret , Bélorgey Chantal , Faraldo Maria José , Meillassoux Amélie
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The term Postlaunch Evidence Generation (PLEG) refers to evidence generated after the launch or licensing of a health technology. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the implementation of these practices in the European Union in order to explore cross-border cooperation opportunities.

Methods

In December 2019, a survey composed of nine closed-ended questions with multiple choice answers about the PLEG practices in each country was sent to all twenty-five dedicated work package (WP5B) partners of the European Network of Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) Joint Action 3. In addition to the survey, the national practices were discussed during a face-to-face meeting with WP5B partners.

Results

Twelve Health TechnologyAssessment (HTA) bodies completed the survey. Of these, eleven reported procedures in place for official requests for PLEGs in their remit. In the large majority of cases, the requests are made at the time of the assessment/appraisal. Several agencies participate in the definition of the scope of the PLEG or review of its protocol. Data collection and analysis mainly lie with companies for pharmaceuticals, whereas it is more the responsibility of the HTA bodies for medical devices. Only one agency owns the data and is able to exchange them without asking permission.

Conclusions

Most agencies recommend European collaboration on PLEG commence once the evidence gaps have been defined or during the production of the HTA report in the case of European joint assessment.
A mixed single- and dual-frequency quad-constellation GNSS precise point positioning approach on Xiaomi Mi8 smartphones
Authors: Li Yanjie , Cai Changsheng
Published: April 2022

The high-precision global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning technique on smartphones has been attracting increasing interest in recent years. However, the low-cost GNSS chip and linearly polarised antenna embedded inside smartphones result in data lack and quality degradation, which hinders the high-precision GNSS positioning on smartphones. In this study, a mixed single- and dual-frequency quad-constellation precise point positioning (MSDQ-PPP) model is proposed to improve the positioning performance on smartphones by taking advantage of all available GNSS observations. Static and kinematic tests were made using a Xiaomi Mi8 smartphone to fully assess the MSDQ-PPP performance with comparisons to single-frequency PPP (SF-PPP) and dual-frequency PPP (DF-PPP) models. The static test results show that the MSDQ-PPP can reach an accuracy level of 0⋅39 m and 0⋅50 m in the horizontal and vertical directions with a convergence time of less than 10 min in most sessions. The MSDQ-PPP improves the positioning accuracy by 53% and 31% over the DF-PPP in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. In contrast to the SF-PPP, the positioning accuracy and convergence time improvement can reach 62% and 90% in the horizontal direction, respectively. In the kinematic test, the MSDQ-PPP achieves an accuracy of 0⋅7 m and 1⋅5 m in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. The accuracy improvement rates reach 78% and 76% over the DF-PPP, and 13% and 38% over the SF-PPP, respectively. Both static and kinematic MSDQ-PPP tests indicate significantly enhanced positioning performance.
Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets: a scoping review of neurological and inflammatory outcomes in human studies and their relevance to chronic pain
Authors: Field Rowena , Field Tara , Pourkazemi Fereshteh , Rooney Kieron
Published: April 2022

Dietary restriction of carbohydrate has been demonstrated to be beneficial for nervous system dysfunction in animal models and may be beneficial for human chronic pain. The purpose of this review is to assess the impact of a low-carbohydrate/ketogenic diet on the adult nervous system function and inflammatory biomarkers to inform nutritional research for chronic pain. An electronic database search was carried out in May 2021. Publications were screened for prospective research with dietary carbohydrate intake <130 g per day and duration of ≥2 weeks. Studies were categorised into those reporting adult neurological outcomes to be extracted for analysis and those reporting other adult research outcomes. Both groups were screened again for reported inflammatory biomarkers. From 1548 studies, there were 847 studies included. Sixty-four reported neurological outcomes with 83% showing improvement. Five hundred and twenty-three studies had a different research focus (metabolic n = 394, sport/performance n = 51, cancer n = 33, general n = 30, neurological with non-neuro outcomes n = 12, or gastrointestinal n = 4). The second screen identified sixty-three studies reporting on inflammatory biomarkers, with 71% reporting a reduction in inflammation. The overall results suggest a favourable outcome on the nervous system and inflammatory biomarkers from a reduction in dietary carbohydrates. Both nervous system sensitisation and inflammation occur in chronic pain, and the results from this review indicate it may be improved by low-carbohydrate nutritional therapy. More clinical trials within this population are required to build on the few human trials that have been done.
Congenital biventricular cardiac diverticula as a part of class III Cantrell’s syndrome: case report
Authors: Bako Derya , Epçaçan Serdar , Giray Dilek , Karakuş Epçaçan Zerrin
Published: April 2022

Congenital cardiac ventricular diverticulum is an extremely rare condition that usually occurs as a part of Pentalogy of Cantrell and frequently associated with sternal, pericardial, diaphragmatic, and thoracoabdominal wall defects. The prognosis of the patient depends on the complexity of abnormalities. Herein, we report biventricular diverticula as a part of incomplete Cantrell’s syndrome in a 1-day-old newborn.
The Landscape of Hate – Olga Tokarczuk in Populist Discourse in Poland
Authors: Kołodziejczyk Dorota
Published: April 2022

This article discusses how Olga Tokarczuk, the Polish writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018, has become a target of right-wing populist discourse, locating her at the centre of the landscape of hate. The features of the affective landscape of hate are discussed from the phenomenological and constructivist perspective. The author argues that the landscape of hate constitutes an important part of right-wing populism based on the narrative of national emergency and the language of war and exclusion (othering).
Why White Americans More Frequently Fail to View the Police Critically
Authors: Drakulich Kevin , Rodriguez-Whitney Eric , Robles Jesenia
Published: April 2022

It matters how people view the police—and that there is a substantial racial gap in these views. Research has primarily focused on police experiences to explain generally less-positive views among Black Americans. We recommend a subtle but vital shift in focus, seeking instead to explain the remarkably more favorable average views about the police among White Americans. Utilizing comparable data from two 2016 American National Election Studies surveys, we explore the role of contact with the police, politics, and three different dimensions of racial attitudes and views, finding views about the police among White Americans to be shaped in primary ways by concerns about Black Americans. These factors, and racial resentment in particular, explain a significant portion of the average difference in views of the police between Black and White Americans. We discuss the implications of this subtle shift in focus, particularly for work which sets positive views about the police as the goal.
Volcanic landscape controls on pre-rift to syn-rift volcano sedimentary systems: the Prestfjall Formation eruptive hiatus, Faroe Islands Basalt Group, northeast Atlantic
Authors: JOLLEY David W. , PASSEY Simon R. , VOSGERAU Henrik , SØRENSEN Erik V.
Published: April 2022

The Paleogene lava flows of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group are divided into three relatively thick formations. The oldest, the Beinisvørð Formation is separated from the second lava flow succession, the Malinstindur Formation, by two formations composed primarily of volcaniclastic rocks. The oldest of these, the Prestfjall Formation has been interpreted as a period of eruptive quiescence and linked to changes in mantle melting. It is characterised in the south by the occurrence of coals, while the overlying Hvannhagi Formation is a sequence of primary and remobilised volcaniclastic strata. Field, laboratory, palynology, and photogrammetry studies have been used to investigate variations in facies and architecture within these volcaniclastic formations. The data reveal significantly different depositional systems in the Prestfjall and Hvannhagi formations over the ~40 km from the island of Vágar in the north to the island of Suðuroy in the south. Facies distribution in both the Prestfjall and Hvannhagi formations was found to have been controlled by a complex interaction of regional paleoslope, pre-existing topography, the eruption and local collapse of low-angle shield volcanoes, and minor brittle deformation. Lithological data and photogrammetry have enabled the identification of a > 180 m thick succession of volcaniclastic conglomerates deposited by lahars reworking a low-angle shield sector collapse. Co-occurrence of facies characteristic of the Prestfjall, Hvannhagi and Malinstindur formations indicate that volcanic eruption continued at a lower tempo throughout the Prestfjall Formation interval. Identification of a Beinisvørð Formation low-angle volcano shield northwest of the Faroe Islands alters the previous eruption model for this extensive lava field.