bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying the RE-AIM implementation framework to evaluate fall prevention interventions in community dwelling adults with cognitive impairment: a review and secondary analysis
Authors: Racey M. , Markle-Reid M. , Fitzpatrick-Lewis D. , Ali M. U. , Gagné H. , Hunter S. , Ploeg J. , Sztramko R. , Harrison L. , Lewis R. , Jovkovic M. , Sherifali D.
Published: July 2021

Background

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a risk factor for falls due to environmental or living settings, balance, gait and vision impairments, as well as medications. While previous systematic reviews have focused on the effectiveness of fall prevention programs in adults with cognitive impairment, very limited information is available on their implementation. This review examines what aspects of fall prevention interventions for community-dwelling adults with CI have been reported using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to support successful implementation.

Methods

We examined the included studies from our systematic review, which searched 7 databases for primary and secondary fall prevention interventions involving community-dwelling adults ≥50 years with mild to moderate CI. Reviewers screened citations and extracted data for study characteristics and the 5 dimensions (62 criteria) of the RE-AIM framework.

Results

Twelve randomized or clinical controlled trials (RCTs/CCTs) consisting of 8 exercise interventions, 3 multifactorial interventions, and 1 medication treatment were included in the review. Only 4 of 62 criteria were reported by all 12 included studies and 29 criteria were not reported by any of the studies. Five of the included studies reported on 20 or more of the 62 possible RE-AIM criteria and 3 of these studies self-identified as “feasibility” studies. While Reach was the best-reported construct by the included studies, followed by Effectiveness and Implementation, the criteria within the Adoption and Maintenance constructs were rarely mentioned by these studies. In general, there was also wide variation in how each of the criteria were reported on by study authors.

Conclusion

Based on the reporting of RE-AIM components in this review, we are unable to make connections to successful intervention components and thus practice-based recommendations for fall prevention in those with CI. The lack of detail regarding implementation approaches greatly limits the interpretation and comparisons across studies to fully inform future research efforts.
Factors associated with suicidal ideation in drug addicts based on the theory of planned behavior
Authors: Khani Jeihooni Ali , Amirkhani Mehdi , Rakhshani Tayebeh , Hasirini Pooyan Afzali , Jormand Hanieh
Published: July 2021

Background

Several studies have attempted to understand the link among drug addicts and suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with suicidal ideation in drug addicts based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 2160 of drug addicts in private and public clinics for quitting addiction through methadone treatment in Shiraz city, Fars province, Iran from October 2018 to June 2019. Data gathering tools were a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and a questionnaire based on constructs of TPB. Data were analysed by SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and frequency) and statistical tests (independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression). The significance level was considered 0.05.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 39.24 ± 11.92; 80.28% of them had a history of quit and 43.19% of them had a history of arrest and imprisonment. According to the results, 19.63% of the participants had suicidal ideation and 10.97% had a history of suicide attempt during their lifetime. The constructs of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intent predicted suicidal ideation in the subjects. Intent and perceived behavioral control constructs were the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation, respectively. In general, the studied variables predicted 54.8% of suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

The structures of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and intent predicted suicidal ideation in the drug addicts, so the theory of planned behavior will be a good framework for educational interventions to reduce suicide in them.
Exposure-lag-response associations between weather conditions and ankylosing spondylitis: a time series study
Authors: Xin Ling , Liu Jian , Zhu Yongjian , Fang Yanyan
Published: July 2021

Background

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have reported that their pain becomes worse when the local weather changes. However, there is limited evidence verifying the short-term associations between meteorological factors and outpatient visits for patients with AS. Therefore, this study evaluates this possible association.

Methods

Meteorological data and data on daily AS outpatient visits to a general hospital in Hefei, China, from 2014 to 2019 were collected and analysed. Distributed lag nonlinear models and Poisson regression models were employed to determine the association between weather conditions and outpatient visits; the results were also stratified by gender and age.

Results

High relative humidity is significantly associated with all patient visits in lag 1 (RR = 1.113, 95% CI 1.021 to 1.213) and lag 7 days (RR = 1.115, 95% CI 1.014 to 1.227). A low relative risk to the nadir is observed in lag 4 days (RR = 0.920, 95% CI 0.862 to 0.983). Male and young patients (< 65 years) are more vulnerable to damp weather, and elderly people (≥ 65 years) are significantly affected by high temperatures in lag 7 days (RR = 3.004, 95% CI 1.201 to 7.510).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest a potential relationship between exposure to weather conditions and increased risk of AS outpatient visits. These results can aid hospitals in preparing for and managing hospital visits by AS patients when the local weather conditions change.
Municipal police support for harm reduction services in officer-led referrals of people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico
Authors: Baker Pieter , Arredondo Jaime , Borquez Annick , Clairgue Erika , Mittal Maria L. , Morales Mario , Rocha-Jimenez Teresita , Garfein Richard , Oren Eyal , Pitpitan Eileen , Strathdee Steffanie A. , Beletsky Leo , Cepeda Javier A.
Published: July 2021

Background

Police constitute a structural determinant of health and HIV risk of people who inject drugs (PWID), and negative encounters with law enforcement present significant barriers to PWID access to harm reduction services. Conversely, police may facilitate access via officer-led referrals, potentiating prevention of HIV, overdose, and drug-related harms. We aimed to identify police characteristics associated with support for officer-led referrals to addiction treatment services and syringe service programs (SSP). We hypothesized that officers who believe harm reduction services are contradictory to policing priorities in terms of safety and crime reduction will be less likely to support police referrals.

Methods

Between January and June 2018, police officers (n = 305) in Tijuana, Mexico, completed self-administered surveys about referrals to harm reduction services during the 24-month follow-up visit as part of the SHIELD police training and longitudinal cohort study. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and model policing characteristics and attitudes related to officers’ support for including addiction treatment and SSP in referrals.

Results

Respondents were primarily male (89%), patrol officers (86%) with a median age of 38 years (IQR 33–43). Overall, 89% endorsed referral to addiction services, whereas 53% endorsed SSP as acceptable targets of referrals. Officers endorsing addiction services were less likely to be assigned to high drug use districts (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.50, 95% CI 0.24, 1.08) and more likely to agree that methadone programs reduce crime (APR = 4.66, 95% CI 2.05, 9.18) than officers who did not support addiction services. Officers endorsing SSPs were younger (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.96 95% CI 0.93, 0.98), less likely to be assigned to high drug use districts (APR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.29, 0.87), more likely to believe that methadone programs reduce crime (APR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.30, 4.55), and less likely to believe that SSPs increase risk of needlestick injury for police (APR = 0.44, 0.27, 0.71).

Conclusions

Beliefs related to the occupational impact of harm reduction services in terms of officer safety and crime reduction are associated with support for referral to related harm reduction services. Efforts to deflect PWID from carceral systems toward harm reduction by frontline police should include measures to improve officer knowledge and attitudes about harm reduction services as they relate to occupational safety and law enforcement priorities.

Trial Registration: NCT02444403.
The safety of surgical technique for ileostomy and colostomy in preventing parastomal hernias: an in vitro experimental simulation study
Authors: Ambe Peter C.
Published: July 2021

Background

Parastomal hernia (PH) is a common long-term complication in persons with an ostomy. Although the cause of PH may be multifactorial, the surgical technique employed for the creation of a stoma may be a risk factor for the development of PH. The traditional technique of cruciate fascia incision may predispose to increased pressure zones at the ostomy exit site, thereby increasing the risk of PH. A circular excision of the abdominal fascia at the ostomy exit site enables a uniform pressure distribution, thereby reducing the risk of PH. This hypothesis was tested in this in vitro experimental simulation study.

Methods

The effect of the surgical technique for ostomy creation on the risk of PH development was investigated in this in vitro experimental simulation study. The pressure development at the stoma site was compared for the traditional cruciate incision vs. circular fascia excision.

Results

The pressure at the ostomy site was about four-times higher in the tradition cruciate incision technique compared to the circular excision technique. This finding was independent of unilateral (e.g. peritoneal) pressure application.

Conclusion

The main finding from this study suggests that the traditional cruciate incision of the abdominal fascia for the creation of an intestinal ostomy predisposes to increased pressures at the ostomy site, thus increasing the risk of PH. This effect is not seen in the experimental setting following a circular excision of the fascia. Thus, this surgical aspect may be adopted as a possible means of reducing the risk of parastomal hernia in patients undergoing ostomy surgery.
Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial to improve the quality of life of housewives with musculoskeletal disorders: a health promotion intervention based on a participatory ergonomic approach—the Housewives Ergonomic Intervention (HEI) trial
Authors: Norouzi Samaneh , Tavafian Sedigheh Sadat , Cousins Rosanna , Mokarami Hamidreza
Published: July 2021

Background

A variety of household chores expose women to a variety of biomechanical and psychosocial risk factors. A result of this is many housewives with musculoskeletal disorders. Given the interactive effects of these risk factors, it is necessary to consider multiple strategies to mitigate their effects. Accordingly, the present study will investigate the impact of a health promotion training program based on a participatory ergonomic approach towards a reduction in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and an improvement in the quality of life of housewives.

Methods

Iranian housewives aged 20–65 years currently attending a specialist health clinic due to a painful musculoskeletal complaint will be invited to join the study. Recruitment will continue until a sample of 160 women provides informed consent to participate. The study will be conducted using a mixed-methods protocol in two phases. In the first phase, psychosocial and biomechanical risk factors will be identified using a qualitative approach. In the next phase, the results from the qualitative approach will be used to develop a conceptual framework based on health promotion theories and an intervention program based on a participatory ergonomic approach designed. Participants will be randomly allocated into one of four groups: (1) biomechanical intervention group, (2) psychosocial intervention group, (3) multidisciplinary intervention group (both biomechanical and psychosocial intervention), and (4) a control group. Data will be collected using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Work Ability Score (WAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the 36-item Short-Form health survey (SF-36) at baseline in 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments. The impact of the three interventions on musculoskeletal disorders, work ability, stress, and quality of life will then be evaluated.

Discussion

The study will provide a practical approach to reducing stress, reducing musculoskeletal disorders, enhancing the ability to work, and improving the quality of life of women with musculoskeletal disorders associated with housework. If the designed interventions in the present study are effective, they will have the great practical potential for generalization to all housewives.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govIRCT20200602047640N. Registered on 07 September 2020 with the IRCTID.
A case series of post COVID-19 mucormycosis—a neurological prospective
Authors: Roushdy Tamer , Hamid Eman
Published: July 2021

Background

Direct neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease whether peripheral or central are reported worldwide. Yet, along the 3rd wave of the pandemic especially in India, an associated angioinvasive opportunistic infection with mucormycosis in COVID-19 cases is emerging.

Case presentation

The current case series which represents 4 patients with mucormycosis post COVID-19 is one of a few if not the first case series that discusses post COVID-19 mucormycosis from a neurological prospective in a tertiary hospital in Egypt.

All cases but one presented with total ophthalmoplegia, and only one was diagnosed as a cavernous sinus thrombosis; meanwhile, orbital cellulitis and orbital apex syndrome were responsible of ophthalmoplegia in two cases.

Mortality reached 25%, and the case that died suffered cutaneous as well as rhino-cerebral type with a delayed presentation to hospital.

Conclusion

A rare but fatal fungal infection is ought to be nowadays kept in mind in COVID-19 active cases as well as in recovered COVID-19 patients, especially those who have comorbid medical conditions as uncontrolled diabetes and who were treated with large doses of corticosteroids.
The use and effects of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists by New South Wales cannabis treatment clients
Authors: Jackson Melissa A. , Brown Amanda L. , Johnston Jennifer , Clancy Richard , McGregor Iain , Bruno Raimondo , Lintzeris Nick , Montebello Mark , Luksza Jennifer , Bowman Jenny , Phung Nghi , Allsop Dave , Dunlop Adrian J.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Despite decreasing consumption by general populations, use of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) persists in some marginalised groups, including those who use other substances. This article explores SCRA consumption in an Australian cannabis treatment sample, comparing those who report ever using SCRAs with those who have never used SCRAs.

Methods

A questionnaire orally administered in person to a convenience sample of 154 cannabis treatment service clients from New South Wales, Australia (71% male, median age 35) collected information regarding cannabis and SCRA use including motivations, effects and health-related consequences of use, demographics, other substance use and overall health. Demographic profiles and between-group differences were explored. McNemar tests compared effects of SCRA and cannabis. Logistic regression analysis determined predictors of SCRA use.

Results

Half (53%) reported lifetime SCRA use; 20% reported previous-month use. The SCRA + cannabis group displayed greater polysubstance use and psychological distress. Reduced dependence on cannabis but higher levels of other substance use may predict SCRA use. Although curiosity motivated initial SCRA consumption, perceived psychoactive strength drove continued use. SCRAs appear to induce more negative side-effects than cannabis. Of the SCRA + cannabis group, 27% sought medical assistance for SCRA use. Most (90%) preferred cannabis to SCRAs, citing superior safety, effects and consistency of cannabis.

Conclusions

Among clients seeking treatment for cannabis use, SCRA use was relatively common, although not a preferred substance. Hazardous substance use and poor mental health characterised SCRA consumers, highlighting the need for continued monitoring by researchers and treatment providers of SCRA consumption in populations who use substances.
Performance analysis of SBAS ephemeris corrections and integrity algorithms in China region
Authors: Jin Biao , Chen Shanshan , Li Dongjun , Wang Yuechen , Takka Elhadi
Published: July 2021

Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBASs) improve the positioning accuracy and integrity by broadcasting to the civil aviation community the corrections and integrity parameters. A snapshot algorithm based on the minimum variance estimation is investigated in this study to calculate the satellite clock and orbit corrections. A chi-square test is performed on the remaining errors in the corrected ephemeris to guarantee the integrity. User Differential Range Error (UDRE) and scaling matrix contained in Message Type 28 are derived using the covariance information based on the assumption that one of the reference stations failed. A software package is developed and applied in the real data collected at 26 stations. International GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Service (IGS) precise clock and orbit products are taken as the references to assess the accuracy of corrections. For both Global Positioning System (GPS) and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), the range accuracy of 0.10 m can be achieved with the employment of the derived corrections. No obvious performance difference between GPS and BDS is found. UDREs for all visible satellites are generated with the maximum index of 12 and minimum index of 3. The geometric range differences calculated with IGS precise products and broadcast ephemeris are employed to assess the integrity of UDRE. It is found that the UDRE is able to bound the residuals with 99.9% confidence which meet the requirement of aviation users. With ionospheric delay corrected by Global Ionosphere Map (GIM), the positioning accuracy of 0.98 m with GPS corrections and 0.80 m with multi-constellation augmentation can be achieved which indicates a significant improvement of GPS standalone results.
Public fear of COVID-19 vaccines in Iraqi Kurdistan region: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tahir Arazoo Issa , Ramadhan Dilkhosh Shamal , Taha Ari Ahmed , Abdullah Rebar Yahya , Karim Saad Kazim , Ahmed Azad Karim , Ahmed Shalaw Faris
Published: July 2021

Background

Vaccines remain one of the most effective methods to control infectious diseases; however, COVID-19 vaccines are challenging and novel. Vaccine support is still substantial in general, although vaccination fear has increased dramatically in recent decades. This is the first study aimed to determine the fear of the COVID-19 vaccination and the role of factors and reasons associated with fear in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Results

A total of 1188 participants responded to the questionnaire about their fears of the COVID-19 vaccine. The majority of participants had a medium level of fear (56.7%). Fear was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with major demographic characteristics, social media use (51.8%), and losing family members, while other variables (previous seasonal influenza vaccine, previous infection, chronic medical diseases) show no relationship. Fear of side effects such as blood clotting was reported by the majority (45.03%) and indicated positive relation (p < 0.016). On the other hand, a high proportion, 39.9% and 34.01%, were afraid of AstraZeneca and Pfizer (p < 0.001), respectively; however, only about 4.63% had fear of Sinopharm.

Conclusions

The fear of COVID-19 vaccination was widespread in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. In this way, fear was related to significant variables. To reduce the fear of vaccines and increase public acceptance, authorities and the Ministry of Health should initiate a public awareness campaign. As a result, the public health crisis will significantly improve.
Additive value of magnetic resonance neurography in diagnosis of brachial plexopathy: a cross-section descriptive study
Authors: Mabrouk Sara Mohamed Mahmoud , Zaytoon Hossam Abd El Hafiz , Farid Ashraf Mohamed , Khadrah Rania Sobhy Abou
Published: July 2021

Background

Management of brachial plexopathy requires proper localization of the site and nature of nerve injury. Nerve conduction studies and electrophysiological studies (ED) are crucial when diagnosing brachial neuropathy but these do not determine the actual site of the lesion. Conventional MRI has been used to evaluate the brachial plexus. Still, it carried the disadvantage of the inability to provide multi-planar images that depict the entire length of the neural plexus .It might be difficult to differentiate the brachial plexus nerves from adjacent vascular structures. Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) is an innovative imaging technique for direct imaging of the spinal nerves. Our study aims to detect the additive role of MRN in the diagnosis of brachial plexopathy over ED. Forty cases of clinically suspected and proved by clinical examination and ED—traumatic (N = 30) and non-traumatic (N = 10)—were included in our study. We compared MRN finding with results of clinical examination and ED.

Results

MRN findings showed that the root was involved in 80% of cases, trunks in 70% of cases affecting the middle trunk in 40% of cases, the middle and posterior cord in 25%, lateral cord in 50%, and terminal branches on 10% of cases. Ten percent of cases were normal according to MRN, and 90% had abnormal findings in the form of preganglionic nerve root avulsion in 30% of cases, mild perineural edema surrounding C6/7 nerve roots in 20%, lower brachial trunk high signal in 10%, complicated with pseudo meningocele in 20%, and with increased shoulder muscle T2 signal intensity with muscle atrophy in 10%. There were minimal differences between clinical examination finding and MRN findings, with very good agreement between electromyography and nerve conduction (p value < 0.05, with sensitivity and specificity values of 94.44% and 100%, respectively).

Conclusion

MRN is important in differentiating different types of nerve injuries, nerve root avulsion, and nerve edema, playing an important role in differentiating the site of nerve injury, both preganglionic or postganglionic and planning for treatment of the cause of nerve injury, either medical or surgical.
Mental health emergencies and COVID-19: the impact of ‘lockdown’ in the East Midlands of the UK
Authors: Moore Harriet Elizabeth , Siriwardena Aloysius Niroshan , Gussy Mark , Tanser Frank , Hill Bartholomew , Spaight Robert
Published: July 2021

Background

The most immediate response of the research community to COVID-19 has been a focus on understanding the effects, treatment and prevention of infection. Of equal and ongoing importance is elucidating the impact of mitigation measures, such as lockdown, on the well-being of societies. Research about mental health and lockdown in the UK has predominately involved large surveys that are likely to encounter self-selection bias. Further, self-reporting does not constitute a clinical judgement.

Aims

To (a) compare the age, gender and ethnicity of patients experiencing mental health emergencies prior compared with during lockdown, (b) determine whether the nature of mental health emergencies has changed during compared with before lockdown, (c) explore the utility of emergency medical service data for identifying vulnerability to mental health emergencies in real time during a pandemic.

Method

A total of 32 401 clinical records of ambulance paramedics attending mental health emergencies in the East Midlands of the UK between 23 March and 31 July 2020 and the same period in 2019 were analysed using binary logistic regression.

Results

People of younger age, male gender and South Asian and Black ethnicity are particularly vulnerable to acute mental health conditions during lockdown. Patients with acute cases of anxiety have increased during lockdown whereas suicide and intentional drug overdose have decreased.

Conclusions

Self-reported data may underrepresent the true impact of lockdown on male mental health and ethnic minority groups. Emergency medical data can be used to identify vulnerable communities in the context of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the current pandemic, as well as under more ordinary circumstances.
“Jack In, Young Pioneer”: Frontier Politics, Ecological Entrapment, and the Architecture of Cyberspace
Authors: Boswell Suzanne F.
Published: July 2021

This essay uncovers the environmental and historical conditions that played a role in cyberspace’s popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Tracing both fictional and critical constructions of cyberspace in a roughly twenty-year period from the publication of William Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy (1984–1988) to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, this essay argues that cyberspace’s infinite, virtual territory provided a solution to the apparent ecological crisis of the 1980s: the fear that the United States was running out of physical room to expand due to overdevelopment. By discursively transforming the technology of cyberspace into an “electronic frontier,” technologists, lobbyists, and journalists turned cyberspace into a solution for the apparent American crisis of overdevelopment and resource loss. In a period when Americans felt detached from their own environment, cyberspace became a new frontier for exploration and a so-called American space to which the white user belonged as an indigenous inhabitant. Even Gibson’s critique of the sovereign cyberspace user in the Sprawl trilogy masks the violence of cybercolonialism by privileging the white American user. Sprawl portrays the impossibility of escaping overdevelopment through cyberspace, but it routes this impossibility through the specter of racial contamination by Caribbean hackers and Haitian gods. This racialized frontier imaginary shaped the form of internet technologies throughout the 1990s, influencing the modern user’s experience of the internet as a private space under their sovereign control. In turn, the individualism of the internet experience restricts our ability to create collective responses to the climate crisis, encouraging internet users to see themselves as disassociated from conditions of environmental and social catastrophe.
Geomemory and Genre Friction: Infrastructural Violence and Plantation Afterlives in Contemporary African American Novels
Authors: Evans Rebecca
Published: July 2021

This essay argues that contemporary African American novels turn to the gothic in order to dramatize the uncanny infrastructural and spatial afterlives of the plantation through a literary strategy it identifies as geomemory: a genre friction between mimetic and gothic modes in which postplantation spaces in the US South are imbued with temporal slippages such that past and present meet through the built environment. Tracing the plantation’s environmental and infrastructural presence in the Gulf Coast and throughout the US South, this essay argues that the plantation’s presence is fundamentally gothic. Geomemory, a trope evident across the emerging canon of contemporary African American fiction, allows writers to address the representational challenge of infrastructural and spatial violence via a defamiliarizing chronotope in which past, present, and future come into uneasy contact. Further, geomemory’s particular enmeshment with spatial design and infrastructure means that it moves from identifying the modern afterlife of the plantation to situating the present in the long context of plantation modernity.
Metal-free Covalent Triazine Framework Prepared from 2,4,6-Tricyano-1,3,5-triazine through Open-system and Liquid-phase Synthesis
Authors: Gohda Syun , Ono Hironobu , Yamada Yasuhiro
Published: July 2021

A metal-free covalent triazine framework (CTF) was synthesized from 2,4,6-tricyano-1,3,5-triazine (TCT) through open-system and liquid-phase synthesis using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as both a catalyst and a solvent (TCT-CTF). In conventional closed-system methods, metal ions used as catalysts remained even after purification, and large quantities could not be synthesized. The proposed method solved these problems and synthesized higher-quality TCT-CTF with a layered structure and a composition with a C/N ratio of 1, which is close to the ideal value.
Hydrogen-bonding-induced Layered Assembly of Cage Siloxanes Modified with Diisopropylsilanol Groups
Authors: Sato Naoto , Kuroda Yoshiyuki , Wada Hiroaki , Shimojima Atsushi , Kuroda Kazuyuki
Published: July 2021

Cage siloxanes modified with diisopropylsilanol groups were synthesized and crystallized into a layered structure containing 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene molecules in the interlayer voids, which indicates that the organic groups attached to the silanol groups have an important role in the assembling behavior of cage siloxanes.
Impact of Five-membered Heterocyclic Rings on Photophysical Properties Including Two-photon Absorption Character
Authors: Pham Thuy Thi Thu , Chitose Youhei , Tam Tran Thi Thanh , Tseng Wei-Lun , Lin Tzu-Chau , Abe Manabu
Published: July 2021

A series of dipolar-type terphenyl derivatives 1–3 featuring an electron donor (p-NMe2C6H4 group) and acceptor (p-NO2C6H4 group) unit was synthesized and their photophysical properties were investigated. By using aromatic heterocycles (thiophene, furan, pyrrole) as the π-linkers between the donor and acceptor units, significant effects on the bathochromic shift and enhancement of the two-photon absorption wavelength and the two-photon absorption cross-sections were observed, respectively.
A Bargaining-Based Model of Security Design
Authors: Tsur Matan
Published: July 2021

This paper studies how security design affects project outcomes. Consider a firm that raises capital for multiple projects by offering investors a share of the revenues. The revenue of each project is determined ex post through bargaining with a buyer of the output. Thus, the choice of security affects the feasible payoffs of the bargaining game. We characterize the securities that achieve the firm’s maximal equilibrium payoff in bilateral and multilateral negotiations. In a large class of securities, the optimal contract is remarkably simple. The firm finances each project separately with defaultable debt. Welfare and empirical implications are discussed. (JEL C78, D21, D86, G12, G32)
Policy Experimentation in Committees: A Case against Veto Rights under Redistributive Constraints
Authors: Anesi Vincent , Bowen T. Renee
Published: July 2021

We study optimal policy experimentation by a committee. We consider a dynamic bargaining game in which committee members choose either a risky reform or a safe alternative each period. When no redistribution is allowed, the unique equilibrium outcome is generically inefficient. When redistribution is allowed (even small amounts), there always exists an equilibrium that supports optimal experimentation for any voting rule without veto players. With veto players, however, optimal policy experimentation is possible only with a sufficient amount of redistribution. We conclude that veto rights are more of an obstacle to optimal policy experimentation than are the constraints on redistribution themselves. (JEL D72, C78, H23, D78, D71)
Realization of a two-circuit four-channel regulator to control the sterilization of canned food in the industrial autoclave
Authors: Nazoykin E. , Lavlinskiy V. , Mokrushin S. , Zabenkova N.
Published: July 2021

carried out with specified periodic actions, we can distinguish their multiplicity, diversity and originality. However, with regard to the sterilization processes in autoclaves, there is currently no high-quality control system for them, which still determines the relevance of this task. The article offers a selection of criteria that can be applied to the automatic control system, taking into account the specifics of the processes that occur during the sterilization of canned food using an autoclave. This article also discusses the structure of this process using the basics of the theory of automatic control. In addition, it provides a simulation of these processes. In contrast to the existing structures, the proposed automatic control structure is characterized by openness, which increases the design efficiency in the development of such control systems. The basis of this approach in the form of a two-circuit four-channel controller, allows you to improve existing and create new automatic control systems for sterilization plants.
To the Issue of Integrating the Project Activities of Russian Development Institutions into the Achievement of Russia's National Goals
Authors: Barinova Ekaterina
Published: July 2021

The article is devoted to the study of the question of compliance of the project activities of Russian development institutions with the achievement of Russia's National Goals. The study included the creation of a unified graphical model of strategic project management, the study of the project activities of the Russian Development Institute in terms of the project’s selection in relation to Russia's National Goals. Qualitative and relative methods for assessing the projects impact on the achievement of Russia's national goals are proposed.
Validación de la Escala Breve de Optimismo Interactivo-G en México antes del COVID-19
Authors: Garcia-Cadena Cirilo H. , Lara Pinales Oscar M. , Padilla Lopez Luis Alfredo , Martell Muñoz Juan , Hernandez Tirado Luis Angel , Alonso Morales Alina Deyanir , Lopez Huesca Hector
Published: July 2021

Los objetivos primarios del estudio fueron: 1) determinar la validez de constructo, convergente y discriminante de la Escala Breve de Optimismo Interactivo-G (EBOI-G), en participantes de seis estados de México y 2) calcular su consistencia interna. Participaron 3 289 mexicanos. Hubo 2 028 hombres y 1 243 mujeres. Su edad promedio = 30.43 años, DE = 10.52. Se usó análisis factorial confirmatorio y análisis de regresión múltiple. Se encuentran buenos indicadores promedio de bondad de ajuste (e. g., CFI = .99; RMSEA = .07.) Se evaluó la validez convergente, r (3 289) = .52 (p = < .01; d = mediano), con la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida. Se estimó la validez discriminante, r (3 289) con la Escala Breve de Disposición a la Ira = -.19 (p = < .01; d = casi pequeño). El alfa = .70 (3 289); p = < .01; el omega = .76. Se concluye que hay evidencia parcial nacional que apoya el uso de la EBOI-G en México.
The Price Effect of Stock Repurchases: Evidence from Dual Class Firms
Authors: Bargeron Leonce , Farrell Michael
Published: July 2021

We examine a sample of dual-class firms to isolate the magnitude and duration of the demand-driven price effect from stock repurchases. In this novel setting, the non-repurchased class serves as a near-perfect counterfactual to the repurchased class and controls for private information about firm value contained in the repurchases. The average repurchase in our sample, 0.30% of outstanding shares within a month, increases the stock price by 40 to 70 basis points relative to the non-repurchased class of stock. The effect dissipates completely over the subsequent month unless extended by continued repurchases. This small, short-lived price effect leaves little scope for CEOs to benefit from value-destroying repurchases motivated by self-interest.

This paper was accepted by Victoria Ivashina, finance.
Managing Uncertain Capacities for Network Revenue Optimization
Authors: Previgliano Fabricio , Vulcano Gustavo
Published: July 2021

Problem definition: We study the problem of managing uncertain capacities for revenue optimization over a network of resources. The uncertainty could be due to (i) the need to reallocate initial capacities among resources or (ii) the random availability of physical capacities by the time of service execution. Academic/practical relevance: The analyzed control policy is aligned with the current industry practice, with a virtual capacity and a bid price associated with each network resource. The seller collects revenues from an arriving stream of customers. Admitted requests that cannot be accommodated within the final, effective capacities incur a penalty cost. The objective is to maximize the total cumulative net revenue (sales revenue minus penalty cost). The problem arises in practice, for instance, when airlines are subject to last-minute change of aircrafts and in cargo revenue management where the capacity left by the passengers’ load is used for freight. Methodology: We present a stochastic dynamic programming formulation for this problem and propose a stochastic gradient algorithm to approximately solve it. All limit points of our algorithm are stationary points of the approximate expected net revenue function. Results: Through an exhaustive numerical study, we show that our controls are computed efficiently and deliver revenues that are almost consistently higher than the ones obtained from benchmarks based on the widely adopted deterministic linear programming model. Managerial implications: We obtain managerial insights about the impact of the timing of the capacity uncertainty clearance, the capacity heterogeneity, the network congestion, and the penalty for not being able to accommodate the previously accepted demand. Our approach tends to offer the best performance across different parameterizations of the problem.
Reconstructive spectrometer using a photonic crystal cavity
Authors: Sharma Naresh , Kumar Govind , Garg Vivek , Mote Rakesh G. , Gupta Shilpi
Published: July 2021

Optical spectrometers have propelled scientific and technological advancements in a wide range of fields. While sophisticated systems with excellent performance metrics are serving well in controlled laboratory environments, many applications require systems that are portable, economical, and robust to optical misalignment. Here, we propose and demonstrate a spectrometer that uses a planar one-dimensional photonic crystal cavity as a dispersive element and a reconstructive computational algorithm to extract spectral information from spatial patterns. The simple fabrication and planar architecture of the photonic crystal cavity render our spectrometry platform economical and robust to optical misalignment. The reconstructive algorithm allows miniaturization and portability. The intensity transmitted by the photonic crystal cavity has a wavelength-dependent spatial profile. We generate the spatial transmittance function of the system using finite-difference time-domain method and also estimate the dispersion relation. The transmittance function serves as a transfer function in our reconstructive algorithm. We show accurate estimation of various kinds of input spectra. We also show that the spectral resolution of the system depends on the cavity linewidth that can be improved by increasing the number of periodic layers in distributed Bragg mirrors. Finally, we experimentally estimate the center wavelength and linewidth of the spectrum of an unknown light emitting diode. The estimated values are in good agreement with the values measured using a commercial spectrometer.
High-quality frequency-modulated continuous-wave generation based on a semiconductor laser subject to cascade-modulated optical injection
Authors: Jin YanHong , Lin XiaoDong , Wu ZhengMao , Jiang ZaiFu , Yue DianZou , Yang WenYan , Fan Li , Xia GuangQiong
Published: July 2021

Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) can be acquired by using a distributed feedback semiconductor laser (DFB-SL) operating at period-one (P1) oscillation under an optical injection modulated by a Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM). In this work, through introducing another MZM to establish cascade-modulated optical injection, an improved photonic scheme for generating high-quality FMCW is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The experimental results indicate that, under appropriate injection parameters, the central frequency of the generated FMCW is widely tunable, and the bandwidth is larger than that obtained under a single MZM modulation. Further introducing optical feedback for suppressing the phase noise, the frequency comb contrast of the generated FMCW can be improved obviously.
IVEN: A quantitative tool to describe 3D cell position and neighbourhood reveals architectural changes in FGF4-treated preimplantation embryos
Authors: Forsyth Jessica E. , Al-Anbaki Ali H. , de la Fuente Roberto , Modare Nikkinder , Perez-Cortes Diego , Rivera Isabel , Seaton Kelly Rowena , Cotter Simon , Plusa Berenika
Published: July 2021

Architectural changes at the cellular and organism level are integral and necessary to successful development and growth. During mammalian preimplantation development, cells reduce in size and the architecture of the embryo changes significantly. Such changes must be coordinated correctly to ensure continued development of the embryo and, ultimately, a successful pregnancy. However, the nature of such transformations is poorly defined during mammalian preimplantation development. In order to quantitatively describe changes in cell environment and organism architecture, we designed Internal Versus External Neighbourhood (IVEN). IVEN is a user-interactive, open-source pipeline that classifies cells into different populations based on their position and quantifies the number of neighbours of every cell within a dataset in a 3D environment. Through IVEN-driven analyses, we show how transformations in cell environment, defined here as changes in cell neighbourhood, are related to changes in embryo geometry and major developmental events during preimplantation mammalian development. Moreover, we demonstrate that modulation of the FGF pathway alters spatial relations of inner cells and neighbourhood distributions, leading to overall changes in embryo architecture. In conjunction with IVEN-driven analyses, we uncover differences in the dynamic of cell size changes over the preimplantation period and determine that cells within the mammalian embryo initiate growth phase only at the time of implantation.
Urinary soluble (pro)renin receptor excretion is associated with urine pH in humans
Authors: Sasaki Nobukazu , Morimoto Satoshi , Suda Chikahito , Shimizu Satoru , Ichihara Atsuhiro
Published: July 2021

The (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] binds to renin and its precursor prorenin to activate the tissue renin-angiotensin system. It is cleaved to generate soluble (P)RR and M8–9, a residual hydrophobic truncated protein. The (pro)renin receptor also functions as an intracellular accessory protein of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase, which plays an essential role in controlling the intracellular vesicular acid environment. Thus, in the kidney, (P)RR may play a role in transporting H+ to urine in the collecting duct. Although blood soluble (P)RR has been recognized as a biomarker reflecting the status of the tissue renin-angiotensin system and/or tissue (P)RR, the significance of urinary soluble (P)RR excretion has not been determined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the characteristics of urinary soluble (P)RR excretion. Urinary soluble (P)RR excretion was measured, and its association with background factors was investigated in 441 patients. Relationships between changes in urine pH due to vitamin C treatment, which reduce urine pH, and urinary soluble (P)RR excretion were investigated in 10 healthy volunteers. Urinary soluble (P)RR excretion was 1.46 (0.44–2.92) ng/gCre. Urine pH showed a significantly positive association with urinary soluble (P)RR excretion, independent of other factors. Changes in urine pH and urinary soluble (P)RR excretion due to vitamin C treatment were significantly and positively correlated (ρ = 0.8182, p = 0.0038). These data showed an association between urinary soluble (P)RR excretion and urine pH in humans, suggesting that (P)RR in the kidney might play a role in urine pH regulation.
Validating the bifactor structure of the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire—A psychometric study
Authors: Kovács Lilla Nóra , Kocsel Natália , Galambos Attila , Magi Anna , Demetrovics Zsolt , Kökönyei Gyöngyi
Published: July 2021

The Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ) is a self-report measure that aims to capture rumination globally, unbiased by depressive symptoms. We explored its psychometric properties among university students (N = 1123), as the existing models about the factor structure of the RTSQ have been inconclusive. In a second study (N = 320) we tested its convergent validity compared to the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) and its construct validity compared to the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSDS). The results of Study 1 suggest that the factor structure of the RTSQ is best described with a 19-item bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM), where most of the variance is explained by the general factor. The model was found to be invariant across genders. The correlations in Study 2 demonstrated that the RTSQ is congruent with the RRS, and that rumination captured by the RTSQ is rather maladaptive, as it was more strongly associated with the brooding subscale of the RRS than with reflective pondering. Significant positive associations were found with depressive symptoms, reaffirming the validity of the RTSQ due to the well-known association between rumination and depressive symptoms. Our results support that RTSQ assesses rumination globally, and it is a valid measure of ruminative thinking style that is rather negatively valenced but does not solely focus on depressive mood and symptoms.
Inhibition of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats by new Pediococcus acidilactici strains, vitamin producers recovered from human gut microbiota
Authors: Mansour Nahla M. , Elkalla Wagiha S. , Ragab Yasser M. , Ramadan Mohamed A.
Published: July 2021

Our aim was to isolate, identify and characterize probiotic bacteria as vitamin producers in particular B2 and B9. 150 human fecal samples were collected and used for isolation of vitamin producers—probiotics. 49 isolates were chosen for screening their genome by PCR for the presence of riboflavin and folic acid genes. As a result, three isolates were selected and their production of the B2 and B9 were confirmed by HPLC. The three isolates were identified on species level by sequencing their 16S rRNA gene which showed 100% identical to strains of Pediococcus acidilactici. Thus, they were named as P. acidilactici WNYM01, P. acidilactici WNYM02, P. acidilactici WNYM03 and submitted to the Genbank database with accession numbers. They met the probiotic criteria by expressing 90–95% survival rate at pH (2.0–9.0) and bile salt up to 2% for 3 h in addition to their antimicrobial activity against gram positive and negative microorganisms. They also showed no hemolytic activity and common pattern for antibiotic susceptibility. Our three strains were tested individually or in mixture in vivo on rat colitis model compared to ulcerative group. The strains were administrated orally to rats in daily dose containing CFU 109 for 14 days then followed by induction of colitis using acetic acid then the oral administration was continued for more four days. The histology results, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress biomarkers showed the protective role of the strains compared to the ulcerative group. As a conclusion, we introduce novel three probiotic candidates for pharmaceutical preparations and health applications.