bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Receding-Horizon Control of Constrained Switched Systems with Neural Networks as Parametric Function Approximators
Authors: Markolf Lukas , Stursberg Olaf
Published: November 2022

This work studies receding-horizon control of discrete-time switched linear systems subject to polytopic constraints for the continuous states and inputs. The objective is to approximate the optimal receding-horizon control strategy for cases in which the online computation is intractable due to the necessity of solving mixed-integer quadratic programs in each discrete time instant. The proposed approach builds upon an approximated optimal finite-horizon control law in closed-loop form with guaranteed constraint satisfaction. The paper derives the properties of recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability for the proposed approach. A numerical example is provided for illustration and evaluation of the approach.
Processing Compound Verbs in Persian
Authors: Shabani-Jadidi Pouneh
Published: November 2022

Processing Compound Verbs in Persian is the first monograph investigating how Persian compound verbs are processed in the mental lexicon, through which it can be inferred how they are stored, organized, and accessed. The study examines Persian compound verbs in light of psycholinguistic theories on poly-morphemic word processing as well as linguistic theories of complex predicates.
“A Reason Not to Belong”: Political Decentralization, Intercommunal Relations, and Changing Identities in Northeastern Uganda
Authors: Meyerson Samuel
Published: November 2022

Abim district, located in Uganda’s Karamoja region, is one of the scores of new administrative units created under the country’s decentralization policy. The establishment of Abim district in 2006, following decades of conflict in northern Uganda, was accompanied by changes in ethnic identity within local communities of Ethur farmers. Based on oral history fieldwork in Abim, Meyerson documents these changes in sociopolitical identification among the Ethur. In doing so, he demonstrates how political decentralization has become a venue for the combination of international discourses of indigenous rights, national notions of ethnic citizenship, and grassroots histories of intercommunal relations.
Functional norms, condition numbers and numerical algorithms in algebraic geometry
Authors: Cucker Felipe , Ergür Alperen A. , Tonelli-Cueto Josué
Published: November 2022

In numerical linear algebra, a well-established practice is to choose a norm that exploits the structure of the problem at hand to optimise accuracy or computational complexity. In numerical polynomial algebra, a single norm (attributed to Weyl) dominates the literature. This article initiates the use of

$L_p$

norms for numerical algebraic geometry, with an emphasis on

$L_{\infty }$

. This classical idea yields strong improvements in the analysis of the number of steps performed by numerous iterative algorithms. In particular, we exhibit three algorithms where, despite the complexity of computing

$L_{\infty }$

-norm, the use of

$L_p$

-norms substantially reduces computational complexity: a subdivision-based algorithm in real algebraic geometry for computing the homology of semialgebraic sets, a well-known meshing algorithm in computational geometry and the computation of zeros of systems of complex quadratic polynomials (a particular case of Smale’s 17th problem).
Turbulent Prandtl number from isotropically forced turbulence
Authors: Käpylä Petri J. , Singh Nishant K.
Published: November 2022

Turbulent motions enhance the diffusion of large-scale flows and temperature gradients. Such diffusion is often parameterized by coefficients of turbulent viscosity (

$\nu _{t}$

) and turbulent thermal diffusivity (

$\chi _{t}$

) that are analogous to their microscopic counterparts. We compute the turbulent diffusion coefficients by imposing sinusoidal large-scale velocity and temperature gradients on a turbulent flow and measuring the response of the system. We also confirm our results using experiments where the imposed gradients are allowed to decay. To achieve this, we use weakly compressible three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of isotropically forced homogeneous turbulence. We find that the turbulent viscosity and thermal diffusion, as well as their ratio the turbulent Prandtl number,

$\textit {Pr}_{t} = \nu _{t}/\chi _{t}$

, approach asymptotic values at sufficiently high Reynolds and Péclet numbers. We also do not find a significant dependence of

$\textit {Pr}_{t}$

on the microscopic Prandtl number

$\textit {Pr} = \nu /\chi$

. These findings are in stark contrast to results from the

$k{-}\epsilon$

model, which suggests that

$\textit {Pr}_{t}$

increases monotonically with decreasing

$\textit {Pr}$

. The current results are relevant for the ongoing debate on, for example, the nature of the turbulent flows in the very-low-

$\textit {Pr}$

regimes of stellar convection zones.
“It Is Here We Are Loved”: Rural Place Attachment in Active Judging and Access to Justice
Authors: Statz Michele
Published: November 2022

In the United States, rural economic marginalization and corresponding gaps in employment, affordable housing, health care, nutrition, and education put individuals at high risk for legal need. Yet many rural regions are “legal deserts” with few, if any, attorneys, and prevailing access-to-justice initiatives tend to neglect the unique challenges posed by rurality. The efforts of rural tribal and state court judges, though often overlooked in scholarship and policy, offer a compelling response to this inequitable access-to-justice context. Building on emergent work on “active judging,” or when judges step away from a traditional passive role to assist unrepresented parties, this manuscript explores how rural place and place attachments shape diverse judges’ interactions with litigants. It draws on mixed-methodological research across seven tribal and state courts in the upper Midwest to shed light on rural judges’ efforts, how these efforts are regarded by unrepresented parties, and to what extent a shared experience of rurality provides a meaningful form of “access.” In so doing, it offers a novel spatial intervention in scholarship on access to justice and active judging and contributes to more rurally relevant justice practices.
AN OBSERVATION ON THE DIRICHLET PROBLEM AT INFINITY IN RIEMANNIAN CONES
Authors: CORTISSOZ JEAN C.
Published: November 2022

In this short paper, we show a sufficient condition for the solvability of the Dirichlet problem at infinity in Riemannian cones (as defined below). This condition is related to a celebrated result of Milnor that classifies parabolic surfaces. When applied to smooth Riemannian manifolds with a special type of metrics, which generalize the class of metrics with rotational symmetry, we obtain generalizations of classical criteria for the solvability of the Dirichlet problem at infinity. Our proof is short and elementary: it uses separation of variables and comparison arguments for ODEs.
Re-examining globalization and the history of science: Ottoman and Middle Eastern experiences
Authors: Murphy Jane H. , Bazzaz Sahar
Published: November 2022

For several decades historians of science have interrogated the relationship between empire and science, largely focusing on European imperial powers. At the same time, scholars have sought alternatives to an early diffusionist model of the spread of modern science, seeking to capture the multi-directional and dialogic development of science and its institutions in most parts of the globe. The papers in this special issue illuminate these questions with added attention to particular claims about the exceptionalism – or not – of Islamic societies’ approach to science, modernity and politics. Each contribution centres individuals and groups who engaged with science theoretically or practically, taking seriously their analytical categories and how they understood and grappled with the social, economic and intellectual transformations happening around them. Collectively, these studies make the case for Middle Eastern and Ottoman history as useful sites for furthering our field's understanding of processes of the globalization of science and how authority, politics and science have been and continue to be interconnected.
Medicine and Arabic literary production in the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century
Authors: Khayat Nicole , Kozma Liat
Published: November 2022

The selection of nineteenth-century Arabic texts on medical education, medicine and health demonstrates the significant link between the revival of the Arabic language and literary culture of the nineteenth century, known as thenahda, and the introduction of medical education to the Ottoman Empire. These include doctor Ibrahim al-Najjar's autobiographical account of his studies in Cairo (1855), an article by doctor Amin Abi Khatir advising on the health and care of infants (1877), questions and answers in the major popular Arabic journalsal-Hilalandal-Muqtataf(1877–1901) and an article about a new tuberculosis treatment by doctor Anisa Sayba‘a (1903). Taken together they contribute to our understanding of the bottom-up production, reproduction and reception of global scientific knowledge, as well as to a social and intellectual history of science. We argue that the engagement with science during thenahdawas a multi-vocal and dialogical process, in which doctors and patients, journal editors and their readers, negotiated the implications of scientific knowledge for their own lives and their own society. The texts of the original documents and their translations can be found in the supplementary material tab athttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087422000413.
The Sarajevo Tobacco Factory Strike of 1906: Empire and the Nature of Late Habsburg Rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Trode Rachel
Published: November 2022

In May 1906, the Habsburg protectorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced an unprecedented level of labor unrest. The discussions between civil servants and workers that arose from these events, in particular those that occurred during the strike at the government-owned Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, provide a key point of departure from which to explore the character of Habsburg rule in Bosnia. This article examines how late Habsburg imperial rule functioned in Bosnia by analyzing moments of apparent bureaucratic irregularity in order to suggest a different interpretation of Habsburg administrative practice. It argues that in the case of the Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, the relationship between subjects of the Habsburg empire and its administrators was characterized by processes of debate and discussion that were in many ways grounded in concerns about fairness. This observation opens up new questions about the broader relationship between the Austro-Hungarian administration and the people it governed.
EMT2-ITA Regione Piemonte Greening Initiatives for Building Climate Resilient Field Hospital
Authors: Raviolo Mario , Ferrero Luisa , Dadone Flavio , Tommasoni Nicola , Goldschmidt Nicole Sabrina
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared climate change a defining issue in the 21st century with more intense heatwaves, higher risks of flooding and damaging storms, and a changing pattern of emerging infectious diseases. In this scenario, the response of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) to disasters represents a fundamental resource.

Objectives:

To expand EMT2-ITA-Regione Piemonte operational independence and to minimize its environmental footprint.

Method/Description:

A multiphasic and prospective project is planned in order to:

(1) Reduce water consumption: use of a sterilizer designed with a set of high-efficiency heat exchangers enabling a substantial saving in water consumption by the vacuum pump and a significant reduction of total water usage through a recirculation system.

(2) Reduce demand for diesel: photovoltaic (PV) system to integrate the current energy production system based on diesel generators.

(3) Reduce paper consumption: use of sterilization management and traceability system and computerized medical record in order to be paperless.

(4) Improve staff awareness and education on greening practices: educational program for the staff focused on waste segregation/management and energy and water saving both in the hospital and in the Base of Operation (BoO).

Results/Outcomes:

EMT2-ITA-Regione Piemonte aims to reduce energy and water consumption by 30% and to become paperless.

Conclusion:

Advances in greening initiatives offer to EMT2-ITA-Regione Piemonte the potential to improve its disaster medical response capabilities and to reduce its ecological footprint.
Building COVID-19 Capacity with a Simple Tool – “POP-O-MOP” in the Pacific
Authors: Robinson Antony , Bleakley Erica
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple requests for EMT assistance in the Pacific Region. AUSMAT responded in six countries, sometimes simultaneously. The needs of the pandemic and the pressures on available resources to respond required development of innovative methods. One example is the “POP-O-MOP” tool.

Objectives:

Describe the evolution and utility of “POP-O-MOP” tool in building local capacity in Pacific health care systems facing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Method/Description:

The initial aim of the tool was to assist in maximizing the response by providing a concise, one-page teaching tool to assist in training of local nursing staff. As the tool evolved over successive COVID-19 deployments in the Pacific Region, the scope grew to include medical and allied health staff, and the content was refined.

While the “POP-O-MOP” mnemonic provides an aide-memoir for steps of COVID-19 care at the bedside; it also provided a structure for facilitating training and interdisciplinary discussion amongst clinicians.

Results/Outcomes:

By utilizing this structured training face-to-face, video, and online formats, the number of staff able to treat COVID-19 patients was increased, drawing on novices and staff from non-critical care backgrounds.

Of significance, it was observed that while the technical skills included improved health response, the confidence gained by local staff in the brief training increased their desire to contribute to the COVID-19 response by overcoming stigma, fear, and the sense of futility.

Conclusion:

The POP-O-MOP tool proved to be an effective tool to leverage in-country resources by providing effective just-in-time training for local health care workers.
Establishing a New National and International Benchmark – A Unique Application of the ACHS EQuIP Quality Improvement Framework to Australia’s National and International Deployable Health Emergency Capability
Authors: McDermott Kath M. , Stephens Dianne , Read David J. , O’Connor Linda , Sekulich Hollie , Notaras Len
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The NCCTRC is the custodian of the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) capability. AUSMAT achieved World Health Organization (WHO) verification as a Type 2 Emergency Medical Team (EMT) in 2016.

The NCCTRC explored a quality framework to support quality improvement beyond WHO minimum standards. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) accreditation standards were applied to a unique field capability setting.

Objectives:

Establish a quality improvement framework for AUSMAT deployable capability to ensure delivery of the highest standard of care to populations affected by disasters and health emergencies.

Method/Description:

ACHS surveyors conducted a scoping assessment in 2017. The ACHS EQuIP Framework provided flexibility to accommodate the complexity of a deployable health facility, the fixed and virtual workforce, and the application of disaster response/humanitarian principles.

Self-assessment identified gaps, which were remedied by the development of multiple tools, and an on-going program of improvement in formal documentation of process.

Results/Outcomes:

NCCTRC achieved ACHS EQuIP accreditation in June 2019. NCCTRC was awarded the ACHS Global Quality Improvement Award in November 2019. Survey in May 2021 demonstrated continued achievement.

Conclusion:

The application of a national accreditation framework to an EMT is unique. The NCCTRC applied a quality improvement framework to provide a standard of care that meets national health facility accreditation criteria, setting a new standard of clinical quality in the field.
Rapid Response Mobile Laboratories (RRML): Standardization as a Tool to Maximize Interoperability
Authors: Baumann Jan , Ronsin Kristina , Storozhenko Oleg
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Rapid Response Mobile Laboratories (RRML) are a crucial component of preparedness and response to health emergencies, both as a stand-alone asset and in conjunction with other rapid response capacities. The development of an RRML classification system in 20191 both defines laboratory structure and provides a foundation for the development of RRML minimum standards under the umbrella of the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).

Objectives:

These minimum standards define the requirements for RRMLs/GOARN in the field and facilitate their interoperability with other important operational assets of WHO, including Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), contributing to the overall response and to enhanced collaboration among national and international health partners.

Method/Description:

The development of minimum standards brought together over 30 technical experts in various disciplines from European GOARN partner institutions to conduct a systematic applied literature review and consolidate field experiences and lessons learned from infectious disease outbreaks globally, as well as addressing the complete RRML deployment life cycle2 and for each RRML type.

The RRML minimum standards focus on four workstreams: Operational Support & Logistics; Laboratory Information Management System; Biosafety & Biosecurity; and Quality Management Systems.

Results/Outcomes:

This standardization will ensure predictable response in the field and is the first step in strengthening RRML interoperability with other capacities and members of the global health emergency workforce, such as EMTs and Rapid Response Teams, as well as national-level counterparts.

Conclusion:

The standards contribute to strengthening of National Laboratory capacities, provide the basis for a forthcoming monitoring and evaluation Framework, and WHO RRML recognition process.
A T2 Translational Science Modified Delphi Study: Spinal Motion Restriction in a Resource-Scarce Environment
Authors: Weinstein Eric S. , Cuthbertson Joseph L.
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Emerging evidence is guiding changes in prehospital management of potential spinal injuries. The majority of settings related to current recommendations are in resource-rich environments. Whereas there is a lack of guidance on the provision of spinal motion restriction (SMR) in resource-scarce environments (RSE).

Objectives:

What is appropriate SMR in RSE?

Method/Description:

The first round of this Modified Delphi (mD) study was a structured focus group. The result of the focus group discussion of open-ended questions produced ten statements that were added to ten statements derived from Fischer (2018) to create the 20 mD statements presented to the experts.

Experts rated their agreement with each statement on a scale from one to seven. Consensus amongst experts was defined as SD≤1.0. Statements that were in agreement reaching consensus were included in the final report. Those not reaching consensus advanced to the next mD round.

For these subsequent rounds, experts were shown the mean response and their own response for each of the remaining statements and asked to reconsider their rating. As above, those that did not reach consensus advanced to the next round until consensus was reached for each statement.

Results/Outcomes:

Twenty-two experts completed the first mD round, 19 completed the second mD round, and 16 completed the third mD round. Eleven statements reached consensus (Table 1). Nine statements did not reach consensus (Table 2).

Conclusion:

Experts reached consensus offering 11 statements to be incorporated into the creation of SMR clinical guidelines in RSE.

Tables and Figures (optional)

Table 1.

Table 2.
Steps in the Development of a Reliable and Valid National Emergency Unit Readiness Assessment Tool for COVID-19 Outbreak in Iran
Authors: Golshani Keihan , Kheyrati Leila
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Evaluation of the Emergency Unit resilience during COVID-19 outbreak is important. In this study, we discuss steps to develop a valid and reliable national Iranian toolkit to assess the EU resilience.

Objectives:

To develop a toolkit to evaluate the EU resilience during COVID-19 pandemic.

Method/Description:

Comprehensive literature reviews, experts panel discussion, focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, and two-round Delphi surveys were used to develop a questionnaire. Then the items reviewed for their readability, feasibility, clarity of wording, layout, and style. A web-based form was designed to evaluate their face and content validity by a separate panel of experts. The final draft was tested on 30 voluntary EU managers two times (14 days apart). The gathered data were analyzed by SPSS software.

Results/Outcomes:

Descriptive statistics used to examine the floor and ceiling effects. The short answer comments were analyzed using meaning condensation developed by Svend Brinkmann & Steinar Kvale. Spearman correlation coefficients was used to examine test-retest reliability for agreement with the level of significance set at P<.05.

Cronbach alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency reliability and Cohen’s kappa scores was used to measure reliability.

Finally, a 47-item questionnaire was developed and sent to the MOH to be used for evaluating EUs resilience.

Conclusion:

A valid and reliable national toolkit is essential to evaluate EU resilience to deliver a high-quality emergency care and all the emergency managers should be familiar with the process of developing a valid and reliable toolkit.
What Happens After They All Go? Addressing the Gap between Field Hospital Departure and Restoration of Local Health Facilities Following Sudden-Onset Disasters
Authors: Wilson Matthew JB
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Field hospitals present an attractive solution for Emergency Medical Teams due to their portability and ease of assembly, yet are generally designed to be temporary, often leading to a gap until permanent facilities are restored after a sudden-onset disaster.

Objectives:

The objective of this paper is to understand the duration of field hospitals deployed to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, identify the time taken to re-open permanent facilities, and propose approaches to better address this gap.

Method/Description:

Following a review of field hospital typologies and standards, a comparative study was conducted of five key field hospitals deployed to Haiti. Quantitative data from in-house reports, limited available studies, and mapping exercises were complemented with qualitative findings through interviews with key personnel. Additional data were collected for another 21 field hospitals, confirming the rough duration of 26 of the total 44 field hospitals deployed for Haiti. This was compared against information available on the re-opening of major permanent health care facilities.

Results/Outcomes:

The results indicated most field hospitals were decommissioned after two-to-six months. Some semi-permanent facilities opened in their wake, but not until 18-24 months. Permanent facilities started re-opening after approximately four years, however the main 500 bed hospital did not fully re-open until almost 10 years after the disaster.

Conclusion:

Provision of more durable, semi-permanent structures during early relief stages could better capture the initial funding impulse as well as reduce the gap of bed numbers as field hospitals reach the limit of their viable lifespan, lasting until more permanent facilities are re-opened often many years later.

Tables and Figures (optional)
Rehabilitation in EMTs: AUSMAT COVID-19 Deployments
Authors: Bleakley Erica
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The WHO has recommended the inclusion of rehabilitation capabilities in EMTs responding to disasters and health emergencies since 2013. Likewise, the importance of rehabilitation input across the continuum of care for patients experiencing COVID-19 illness has been highlighted since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite recognition of the role and value of rehabilitation, both in EMTs and the management of COVID-19, evidence that EMTs activated in response to COVID-19 have deployed rehabilitation professionals remains limited.

Objectives:

This paper will describe the experiences of the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) in deploying rehabilitation professionals as an integrated capability of multi-disciplinary EMTs responding to COVID-19 health emergencies.

Method/Description:

In response to COVID-19 emergencies in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands, AUSMAT deployed rehabilitation professionals alongside multi-disciplinary EMTs on four occasions in 2021-2022. The rehabilitation professionals engaged in direct clinical care and capacity-building activities.

Results/Outcomes:

The work of the deployed AUSMAT rehabilitation professionals facilitated important capacity building and support for local rehabilitation staff and services, enhanced the time critical multi-disciplinary training of local nursing and medical staff, and improved the quality of clinical care of COVID-19 patients.

Conclusion:

AUSMAT’s experience has demonstrated that the deployment of rehabilitation professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team adds significant value to the work of EMTs responding to COVID-19 health emergencies. Nursing and medical staff cannot readily replicate the knowledge, skills, and perspectives of rehabilitation professionals. Appropriately skilled rehabilitation professionals should be deployed to support national rehabilitation staff when EMTs respond to health emergencies.
Adapting In-Person National Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Introductory Training to a Virtual, Storytelling (Talanoa) Format for Pacific Island Countries and Areas (PICs)
Authors: Cook Anthony T. , Devanath Durgavasini , Noste Erin E. , Beauchemin Pierre-Yves , Chandler Drew R. , Casey Sean T.
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Many Pacific governments have committed to establishing deployable, self-sufficient national EMTs following recent tropical cyclones, measles outbreaks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for much of the COVD-19 pandemic, PICs have closed international borders limiting in-person team member training.

Objectives:

To develop a remote, interactive EMT training series to engage current and prospective EMT team members in the PICs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method/Description:

From July through September 2021, WHO hosted a weekly webinar series to introduce the concepts of the EMT Initiative to current and prospective EMT team members in the PICs. The sessions utilized Pacific deployment experience using faculty from EMTs in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Results/Outcomes:

Attendees from over 23 countries from across the Pacific and other areas of the world participated in the 11 sessions, with a total of over 300 individual participants. The average number of participants per sessions was 85. Feedback was sought after every session. The most significant adaptation of the sessions from the feedback was incorporating the Pacific tradition of talanoa, or storytelling, into the sessions.

Conclusion:

Adapting the session plans to incorporate the talanoa style of communication in the Pacific created an environment of learning from colleagues throughout the Pacific and increased participant engagement in the virtual setting. The webinar series provided knowledge of EMT basics and increased engagement and excitement in the establishment and continued growth of EMTs in the Pacific.
Cultural Awareness in Emergency Response Teams: Assessment of Cultural Competencies Knowledge and Training
Authors: Issa Fadi S. , Voskanyan Amalia , Hart Alexander , Woodward Christina , Ciottone Robert , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

WHO EMTs play an important role in providing assistance and health care services to countries hit by an emergency or a natural disaster. Therefore, EMTs are subjected to vastly different cultures from various countries, meaning they require training to cultural awareness, an understanding and acceptance of the languages, beliefs, cultures, and morals of those receiving care. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published minimum standards for Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), which briefly mention that the senior EMT team member must have some knowledge of cultural awareness. However, there is no requirement for cultural awareness training for EMTs prior to responding to disasters.

Objectives:

The goal of this study is to determine the presence of cultural awareness training, and if present, what are the competencies covered by the training for the WHO EMTs.

Method/Description:

A survey will be distributed to Accredited WHO EMTs to capture the presence for cultural awareness training and the core competencies of the existing training.

Results/Outcomes:

Data expected to be collected and analyzed by October 1, 2022.

Conclusion:

Cultural awareness training is a crucial and beneficial skill for EMTs while deploying internationally. For WHO EMTs, it is essential to respond internationally in an accepted and ethical manner; cultural awareness training should be a requirement for all teams deploying to a foreign country. A cultural awareness curriculum will create more efficient EMTs that provide effective aid to countries in need.
The Taal Volcano Eruption and Landfall of Super Typhoon Odette: A Dilogy of Disasters in the Philippines, An Abstract on the Response Strategies of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium-Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (DJNRMHS PEMAT) for the TAAL and DINAGAT Missions in the Years 2020 and 2021
Authors: Cabrera Gian Carla D. , Gamboa Alma P. , Capito Eric John D. , Famaran Alfonso Victorino H.
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The country’s location makes it vulnerable to natural disasters, hence, the PEMAT’s potential was tested during local disaster response for Taal Volcano Eruption in Batangas last January 2020 and during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Odette in Dinagat Islands last December 2021, amidst COVID-19 surge.

Objectives:

The primary objective of the deployment was to augment the DOH in the provision of safe, effective, and efficient quality health care services appropriate to the victims’ needs, timely, and coordinated mobilization of DJNRMHS PEMAT, and to evaluate the knowledge and skills acquired in the EMT Basic induction course in disaster response.

Method/Description:

As per WHO standards, disaster responses conducted by the DJNRMHS PEMAT followed three important phases: pre-mobilization, mobilization, and post-mobilization. The methods used during these phases in Taal and Dinagat missions were the simulation of drills and application of didactics learnt from the EMT Basic Induction Course for Disaster Response conducted by the DOH in collaboration with WHO in 2019.

Results/Outcomes:

The essential services rendered by DJNRMHS PEMAT, ensuring patient and responder safety despite being at the height of COVID-19 surge, were out-patient, acute emergency, trauma and basic obstetric care, basic laboratory, social welfare, public health, and pharmaceutical to 1,124 victims in the Taal Eruption and 1,089 victims of Typhoon Odette.

Conclusion:

Safe and effective delivery of quality health care services by PEMAT, a team equipped with knowledge and skills acquired through mentorship, can be achieved with thorough planning, setting of mission objectives, and most importantly, having full support from the management and all stakeholders.
Resiliency of a US Pacific Island Territory with a Type 1 EMT
Authors: Muna Esther L. , Villagomez Warren F. , Casey Sean T.
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 Pacific islands with a population of around 50,000 and a United States territory, experienced two major typhoons exceeding 150 mph/240 kmph in three years. The resiliency of the people of the CNMI is evident, and has been supplemented through support from international Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). As a US territory, support is available from the United States federal government and international partners, but an island territory far from the US mainland, the CNMI requires strong local emergency response capacity.

Objectives:

To describe:

How the CNMI health system conducted an environmental scan to identify and address gaps in out-patient support in disasters;

How the health system improved and expanded its capacity to respond to emergencies with a significant impact on the community’s health; and

How leveraging the integration of clinical and public health capacities contributed to the development of a multidisciplinary local Type 1 EMT in the CNMI.

Method/Description:

The CNMI brought together key local agencies involved in emergency response. Because of multiple recent disaster response efforts, agencies had deep knowledge and experience, and gaps were easily identified.

Results/Outcomes:

The territory’s experience with international EMTs guided the creation of a local EMT in the CNMI, engaging local agencies, physicians, nurses, and public health and preparedness staff from the territory’s health system to establish an EMT for local and potentially for regional response.

Conclusion:

Building local capacity using multi-sectoral agencies and multi-disciplinary individuals improves health system resiliency in health emergency response.
What Helped Support Nurses in the ED at CWM during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Fiji in 2021?
Authors: Douglas Bronte , Sosefo Mamatuki , Keshni Singh , Brown Di , Robinson Antony
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

Following a quarantine breach in April 2021, Fiji went from no cases of COVID-19 to having the highest number per capita in the world. Fiji was relatively well-prepared to respond to COVID-19 as it has strong emergency management response systems. Nevertheless, due to the rapid increase, the public health system was quickly overwhelmed. The problem was particularly acute at the main tertiary hospital in Suva.

Objectives:

To describe the effects of an overwhelming COVID-19 outbreak on nurses working in the Emergency Department of Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Fiji, in 2021.

To describe the lessons learned and recommendations for the future.

Method/Description:

Focus Group Discussion with two groups of nurses: (1) ED nurse and (2) nurses seconded to provide a surge workforce in the most acute phase.

Results/Outcomes:

Preliminary findings show that nurses were lacking in confidence and frightened about the growing epidemic. Resources, material and human, were initially in short supply. The agency of the nurses as result of their post-graduate study and due to the collegial environment in ED resulted in increased supplies of PPE and changes to nursing practice (eg, web-based handover). Final results pending.

Conclusion:

The preliminary findings of this research illustrate that even in low-resource settings, with the right support and effective nursing leadership, nurses can provide safe and effective care to patients. The research illustrates the benefits of sound, relevant education, the crucial importance of teamwork, the importance of networks, the important benefits of early deployment of the MET, and the need for effective nursing leadership.
Establishing a National Emergency Medical Team (EMT) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
Authors: Casey Sean T. , Pretrick Moses E. , Johnson Eliaser , Sarofalpiy Joanes , Fredrick Mayson , Takeuchi Momoe
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a Pacific Island nation of just over 100,000 people, with 607 islands spread over an ocean territory of over 2.5 million square kilometers. The nation is regularly struck by disasters and outbreaks - most recently Typhoons Wutip and Maysak, which affected populations on hundreds of islands. To strengthen rapid response to future emergencies, the FSM Government, with support from WHO, Japan, and USAID, is now developing a national Emergency Medical Team.1

Objectives:

To describe the development of FSM’s national EMT.

Method/Description:

FSM’s EMT development began with a workshop facilitated by WHO in November 2019, with participants from the National Department of Health & Social Affairs (DHSA) and representatives from all four of FSM’s State Health Departments. A national EMT focal point was jointly hired by WHO and FSM’s DHSA, a Technical Working Group was established, and SOPs developed. WHO initiated procurement of a tailored Pacific EMT cache for FSM’s EMT, along with other Pacific EMTs. FSM’s EMT development has been slowed by COVID-19, but there are plans to train team members from the country’s four States to be ready for self-sufficient national deployments by early 2023.

Results/Outcomes:

With support from partners, FSM is developing a self-sufficient national EMT capable of rapid response across hundreds of islands spread over a vast ocean territory.

Conclusion:

FSM is strengthening readiness for future emergencies by developing a national EMT capable of rapid response to the most remote and austere post-disaster conditions, including throughout its remote outer islands.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Small Nomadic Medical Assistance Team to Support Remote Indigenous Communities in Canada during COVID-19 Outbreaks
Authors: Mazurik Laurie , Farrell Terri
Published: November 2022

Background/Introduction:

In Canada, access to health care is considered a universal right, however, many Indigenous communities exist in austere settings and the major health care provided is through a nursing station. As a result, they are vulnerable to developing acute staff shortages during COVID-19 outbreaks.

Objectives:

Trial the effectiveness of a Nomadic Medical Assistance Team (NoMAT) to mitigate sudden staff shortages caused by a COVID-19 outbreak in a remote Indigenous community served only by a nursing station.

Method/Description:

Indigenous Services Canada funded a pilot and NoMAT was deployed from March 13 through April 2, 2022 to a small Indigenous community in remote Northern Ontario, Canada.

The team consisted of up to seven personnel: MD, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Paramedic, Data Support, and Logistics. Individuals served from one-to-two weeks of a three-week deployment. If there was a shortage, the MD could be virtual. Local health resources were used and the team resided at the local school.

Results/Outcomes:

The NoMAT rapidly: (1) worked with the local team to co-develop outbreak management; (2) identified high-risk patients for treatment; (3) supported non-COVID-19 patient care; and (4) reduced a backlog of care.

Conclusion:

The NoMAT strategy is highly effective and efficient in mitigating the impact of both COVID-19 surges and reducing backlogs of care. The next step is developing a proposal for full-time teams.
Teaching family law in neoliberal times
Authors: Mant Jessica
Published: November 2022

Across scholarship and legal practice, family law is widely recognised as a subject that is inextricable from the social and cultural forces that shape our understanding of how families work and how they are positioned within society. This paper argues that it is now time to build upon this by integrating an explicit awareness of political context into how we teach family law. This is because teachers of family law are now faced with an urgent challenge: the encroachment of neoliberal governance into all corners of family justice. Neoliberal ideas are far from new, but they are increasingly shaping dominant ideas about what family law is for, who should be entitled to use it and, even in some circumstances, questioning the very legitimacy of family law or legal processes as means for supporting families experiencing breakdown. In response to this challenge, this paper advocates the importance of guiding students to look beyond family law doctrine in order to consider how political initiatives, trends and debates have the power to shape the procedures and processes through which family disputes are resolved. It will argue that drawing this contextual awareness into family law studies is crucially important to ensure that the future development of family law as both a scholarly discipline and an area of practice is centred on the needs and lived experiences of families who need it.
Does Time Spent Online Affect Future Psychopathology in Adolescents?
Authors: Lindenberg Katajun , Wartberg Lutz
Published: November 2022

Abstract. Theoretical background: In cross-sectional studies, high levels of online time proved to be empirically related to a higher risk of online behavioral addictions, which in turn are cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with psychopathology. First results indicated that online behavioral addictions could predict a higher psychopathological burden. Objective: We empirically examined whether online time is also a predictor of future psychopathology in youth. Methods: In a longitudinal study, we explored whether 249 adolescents (55.0 % girls, aged 15.31 years, SD = 1.78) were at increased risk for problematic Internet use at baseline (t1) and 12-month later (t2) using standardized questionnaires regarding psychopathology (SDQ), online behavioral addictions (CIUS), and time spent online. Results: In linear regression analyses, online time was not a statistically significant predictor of any psychopathological burden 12 months later (at t2), after controlling for gender, age, online behavioral addictions, and respective symptoms of psychopathology (all at t1). Discussion and conclusion: Time spent online does not seem to predict future psychopathological strain during adolescence.
Stratigraphic and Spatial Extent of HALIP Magmatism in Central Spitsbergen
Authors: Senger Kim , Galland Olivier
Published: November 2022

Rapid extensive magmatism may have a profound effect on global climate by liberating and releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere through contact metamorphism of lithologically heterogeneous host rocks and degassing of magma and associated lava flows. The high Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard offers accessible, superbly exposed outcrops revealing Early Cretaceous magmatism associated with the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP). In this contribution, we investigate the onshore‐offshore intrusive complex of central Spitsbergen formed due to HALIP activity, that is, the Diabasodden Suite. This is the most “data‐rich” part of Svalbard due to past petroleum exploration and research drilling. In this area, the predominantly dolerite intrusions are emplaced in a range of host rocks ranging from Permian carbonate‐dominated successions to organic‐rich shale‐dominated successions of Middle Triassic and Late Jurassic‐Early Cretaceous age. Two hundred sixty five individual igneous intrusions, covering 72 km2, are exposed onshore in the study area. This equates to approximately 0.14–2.5 km3 of emplaced magma. In addition, subsurface characterization using borehole, seismic and magnetic data indicates that an area of additional ca. 3,000 km2 is affected by magmatism (magma volume 3.2–195.2 km3). Wireline logs in boreholes characterize both intrusions and associated aureoles. Aureoles with very low resistivity indicate occurrence of organic‐rich shales suggesting past fluid circulation and de‐gassing. This study forms the foundation for quantifying HALIP‐related magmatism in the data‐poorer parts of Svalbard, and other circum‐Arctic basins.
Arctic Sea Ice Thickness Estimation From Passive Microwave Satellite Observations Between 1.4 and 36 GHz
Authors: Soriot Clément , Prigent Catherine , Jimenez Carlos , Frappart Frédéric
Published: November 2022

Arctic sea ice thickness (SIT) has been mostly retrieved from lidar and radar altimeters since the 2000s. However, the repeatability of altimeters and their spatial coverage limit SIT estimates spatially and temporally. On the other hand, the passive microwave (PMW) radiometers have daily basin‐scale coverage of the Arctic. In this study, we propose a SIT retrieval from PMW observations, derived from a statistical inversion technique. It is based on the evidence of high correlations between PMW observations and existing altimetric satellite‐derived SIT, especially at 36 GHz. Lidar ICESat‐2 SIT products are used to train a neural network with multiple combinations of brightness temperatures between 1.4 and 36 GHz as inputs over the 2018–2019 time period. The PMW retrieved SIT can mimic the lidar SIT product over the full winter over the Arctic, with a correlation of 0.85, and a root mean square difference (RMSD) of 0.54 cm. Results are also compared with the SIT product CS2SMOS (CryoSat‐2 and Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity merged product), with SIT from a coupled ice/ocean reanalysis model and with the Operation IceBridge QuickLook airborne SIT measurements. The PMW SIT retrieval with all frequencies from 1.4 to 36 GHz shows a correlation of 0.72 and a RMSD of 57 cm when compared to OIB‐QL measurements, for large SIT (mostly above 3 m), under multi‐year ice environments. The PMW SIT retrieval using only 18 and 36 GHz has similar performances and could allow the calculation of long time series, these microwave frequencies being available from satellites since the 1980s.
Alumni Push Universities Forward on Climate
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: November 2022

A tale of three institutions: How grassroots alumni organizations are encouraging climate action, with mixed results.
On the Model of Equatorial Magnetic‐Archimedes‐Coriolis Waves Propagating at Earth's Core Surface and the Potential Implications
Authors: Duan Pengshuo , Huang Chengli , Xu Cancan
Published: November 2022

The purposes of this work are (a) clarifying the specific latitude range in which the currently physical model of the equatorial trapped Magnetic‐Archimedes‐Coriolis (namely eMAC) waves propagating atop the Earth's core can own the enough accuracy to describe the hydromagnetic waves; (b) presenting the systematically analytical expressions to represent the physical properties (e.g., the equatorial confinement and latitudinal distribution, damping rate , eigen‐period T) of the eMAC waves. Here, the new results indicate that: (a) the eMAC wave model can own the high accuracy (i.e., the relative errors are less than 5%) to describe the core waves in the regions with latitude below 25°; (b) the equatorial confinement and latitudinal distribution law is essentially governed by a specific solution form with the typical Hermite polynomial term of degree ; (c) the damping rate can be estimated by (μ being the vacuum permeability, being the core electrical conductivity, H being the stratified layer thickness of the core), showing that the magnetic diffusivity () can cause the ohmic dissipation of the waves; besides, the H value is predicted to be larger than 20 km, when matches the observed 8.5 years period. This work also presents the analytical models for the perturbated magnetic fields due to the eMAC waves, presenting that the azimuthal perturbed magnetic field (with degree n = 1) is mainly confined to the equatorial regions with latitude below ∼15°, the profile of which coincides with the azimuthal core surface flows inferred from the geomagnetic observations.