bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Refugees in Greece: A New Challenge for Healthcare Service Provision, Public Health Programmes and Policymaking
Authors: Petelos Elena , Lingri Dimitra , Patestos Dimitris , Lionis Christos 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyone’s life globally, nevertheless, its impact on refugees and migrants has been particularly profound. This chapter analyses key parameters on the living and healthcare provision conditions for these groups, the obstacles to access and to service provision, and the institutional context in Greece – a country with a large number of refugees and one of the main ports of entry to Europe. The impact of COVID-19 is examined in relation to containment, care provision and preparedness measures, with special reference to the conditions in the refugee settlements and to capturing the measures implemented over the first two years of the pandemic. Comprehensive contextualisation is achieved by examining EU legislation and policies, the Greek care provision system and obstacles to its access; an overview of key characteristics for optimal care delivery is also provided. The existing body of evidence on health and hygiene is reviewed along with key regulatory and legislative aspects, to inform the current debate, research and policy. The role of health information, mediation, public health messaging and risk communication is also briefly examined, together with key considerations in terms of social cohesion and societal resilience. Brief recommendations in terms of health and social policy, with relevance to national and local authorities, and all relevant stakeholders, are made, aiming to reduce the harm, as well as collateral damage, and to inform future policies for public health programmes and care provision for these groups. Given the changing refugee landscape due to the current war in Ukraine, which has resulted in a new wave of displaced persons within the European area, particular attention is needed on the potential disparities that may be created amongst different refugee groups that ought to be protected to the same degree.
Greece’s Emigration During the Crisis Beyond the Brain Drain
Authors: Pratsinakis Manolis 
Published: October 2022

AbstractHow can we appraise and best describe the re-emergence of large-scale emigration from Greece in hindsight, more than ten years since the eruption of the Greek crisis? Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected in the context of the EUMIGRE project in the Netherlands and Greater London, this chapter provides an in-depth assessment of Greece’s emigration during the period of the country’s prolonged economic crisis from the perspective of the key actors, the migrants themselves. Focusing on their migration motivations, it explores how the crisis in Greece has altered everyday discourse on emigration and loosened up social constraints towards long distance mobility. It further highlights the significance of the freedom of movement within the EU in shaping the characteristics of the outflow and the experiences and aspirations of the migrants. Three different migrant profiles are singled out, the necessity driven migrants, the career-oriented migrants and the middling transnationals. Moving away from statist and economistic presentations of the phenomenon, the chapter aims to challenge several conventional assumptions underlying the way this outmigration is commonly presented in the Greek public discourse and critically assess the main labels used to describe it namely, brain drain, new migration and crisis-driven migration.
The relationship between executive functioning and addictive behavior: new insights from a longitudinal community study
Authors: Kräplin Anja , Joshanloo Mohsen , Wolff Max , Krönke Klaus-Martin , Goschke Thomas , Bühringer Gerhard , Smolka Michael N. 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Rationale
Although there is evidence that impaired executive functioning plays a role in addictive behavior, the longitudinal relationship between the two remains relatively unknown.

Objectives
In a prospective-longitudinal community study, we tested the hypothesis that lower executive functioning is associated with more addictive behavior at one point in time and over time.

Methods
Three hundred and thirty-eight individuals (19–27 years, 59% female) from a random community sample were recruited into three groups: addictive disorders related to substances (n = 100) or to behaviors (n = 118), or healthy controls (n = 120). At baseline, participants completed nine executive function tasks from which a latent variable of general executive functioning (GEF) was derived. Addictive behavior (i.e., quantity and frequency of use, and number of DSM-5 criteria met) were assessed using standardized clinical interviews at baseline and three annual follow-ups. The trajectories of addictive behaviors were examined using latent growth curve modeling.

Results
At baseline, we found weak to no evidence of an associations between GEF and addictive behavior. We found evidence for an association between a lower GEF at baseline and a higher increase in the quantity of use and a smaller decrease in frequency of use over time, but no evidence for an association with an increase in the number of DSM-5 criteria met.

Conclusions
Lower EFs appear to lead to a continuing loss of control over use, whereas addictive disorders may develop secondarily after a long period of risky use. Previous etiological models assuming lower EF as a direct vulnerability factor for addictive disorders need to be refined.
Determining Toxic Potencies of Water-Soluble Contaminants in Wastewater Influents and Effluent Using Gene Expression Profiling in C. elegans as a Bioanalytical Tool
Authors: Karengera Antoine , Verburg Ilse , Sterken Mark G. , Riksen Joost A. G. , Murk Albertinka J. , Dinkla Inez J. T. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractWith chemical analysis, it is impossible to qualify and quantify the toxic potency of especially hydrophilic bioactive contaminants. In this study, we applied the nematode C. elegans as a model organism for detecting the toxic potency of whole influent wastewater samples. Gene expression in the nematode was used as bioanalytical tool to reveal the presence, type and potency of molecular pathways induced by 24-h exposure to wastewater from a hospital (H), nursing home (N), community (C), and influent (I) and treated effluent (E) from a local wastewater treatment plant. Exposure to influent water significantly altered expression of 464 genes, while only two genes were differentially expressed in nematodes treated with effluent. This indicates a significant decrease in bioactive pollutant-load after wastewater treatment. Surface water receiving the effluent did not induce any genes in exposed nematodes. A subset of 209 genes was differentially expressed in all untreated wastewaters, including cytochromes P450 and C-type lectins related to the nematode’s xenobiotic metabolism and immune response, respectively. Different subsets of genes responded to particular waste streams making them candidates to fingerprint-specific wastewater sources. This study shows that gene expression profiling in C. elegans can be used for mechanism-based identification of hydrophilic bioactive compounds and fingerprinting of specific wastewaters. More comprehensive than with chemical analysis, it can demonstrate the effective overall removal of bioactive compounds through wastewater treatment. This bioanalytical tool can also be applied in the process of identification of the bioactive compounds via a process of toxicity identification evaluation.
Graphical abstract
Potential Breeding Strategies for Improving Salt Tolerance in Crop Plants
Authors: Afzal Muhammad , Hindawi Salah El Sayed , Alghamdi Salem Safer , Migdadi Hussein H. , Khan Muhammad Altaf , Hasnain Muhammad Usama , Arslan Muhammad , Habib ur Rahman Muhammad , Sohaib Muhammad 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSalinity is one of the significant abiotic stresses that negatively affect plant production processes, growth, and development, which ultimately reduce yield. Plants adapt specific mechanisms to withstand saline conditions and activate diverse salt tolerance genes to counter osmotic and oxidative stresses induced by salinity. Genetic development in salinity tolerance is quite complex, while advancement has made less progress than expectation over the past few decades. Generating an explosion of genetics- and genomics-related information and technology in recent decades pledge to deliver innovative and advanced resources for the potential production of tolerant genotypes. Despite considerable progress in defining the primary salinity tolerance mechanisms, main obstacles are yet to be solved in the translation and incorporation of the resulting molecular knowledge into the plant breeding activities. Diverse approaches are proposed to enhance plant breeding efficacy to increase plant productivity in saline environments. Understanding the genetics of salt tolerance is a difficult task because multiple genes and pathways are involved. Important advances in tools and methods for updating and manipulating plant genomics knowledge provide detailed insights and dissect the salinity tolerance mechanism accomplished by the breeding goals. Genome-wide analyses (GWA) identify SNP variations and functional effects that appear to be the way of the future for developing salinity-tolerant plants. Gene discovery to manipulate the molecular mechanisms which underlie the complex phenotype of salinity tolerance methods, identification of genes, QTL, association mapping, linkage, and functional genomics, such as transcript identifying and proteins related to salinity, is necessary. The present analysis also discussed some of the opportunities and challenges, focusing on molecular breeding strategies used in conjunction with other crop development approaches to growing elite salt-tolerant lines.
Ratings of perceived exertion from a submaximal 20-m shuttle run test predict peak oxygen uptake in children and the test feels better
Authors: Kasai Daiki , Tsiros Margarita D. , Eston Roger , Parfitt Gaynor 
Published: October 2022

AbstractPurposeTo determine the validity and test–retest reliability of using ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) elicited during a submaximal 20-m Shuttle Run Test (20mSRT) to predict VO2peakin children and investigate acute affective responses.MethodsTwenty-five children (14 boys; age, 12.8 ± 0.7 years; height, 162.0 ± 9.3 cm; mass, 49.9 ± 7.7 kg) completed four exercise tests (GXT, 2 submaximal 20mSRT, maximal 20mSRT). The Eston–Parfitt RPE scale was used, and affect was measured with the Feeling Scale. Submaximal 20mSRT were terminated upon participants reporting RPE7. The speed-RPE relationship from the submaximal 20mSRTs was extrapolated to RPE9 and 10 to predict peak speed and then used to estimate VO2peak.ResultsRepeated measures ANOVA to examine the validity of using submaximal RPE to predict VO2peakresulted in a Gender main effect (boys = 46.7 ± 5.1 mL kg−1 min−1; girls = 42.0 ± 5.1 mL kg−1 min−1) and Method main effect (p < 0.01). There were significant differences between measured and estimated VO2peakfrom the maximal 20mSRT, but not between measured and estimated VO2peakat RPE9 and RPE10. Intraclass correlation analysis revealed excellent reliability (~ 0.9) between the two submaximal 20mSRTs. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in end-test affect were reported between submaximal and maximal trials in girls, but not in boys, with girls feeling less negative at the end of the submaximal trials.ConclusionsThe results of this study provide evidence that RPE reported during a submaximal 20mSRT can be used to predict VO2peakaccurately and reliably. In this study, the submaximal 20mSRT ending at RPE7, provided better predictions of VO2peakwhile minimising aversive end-point affect, especially in girls.
Increased rate of respiratory symptoms in children with Down syndrome: a 2-year web-based parent-reported prospective study
Authors: Eijsvoogel Noortje B. , Verstegen Ruud H. J. , van Well Gijs Th. J. , van Hout Roeland W. N. M. , de Vries Esther 
Published: October 2022

AbstractTo compare the incidence of respiratory symptoms and short-term consequences between children with Down syndrome and children from the general population, we conducted a prospective parent-reported observational study. Children with Down syndrome (≤ 18 years) were included between March 2012 and June 2014. Caregivers received a baseline questionnaire with follow-up 1–2 years after inclusion. Caregivers received a weekly questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, fever, antibiotic prescriptions, doctor’s visits, and consequences for school and work attendance. Children with Down syndrome were compared to a cohort of the general population (“Kind en Ziek” study) with similar weekly questionnaires. A total of 9,011 childweeks were reported for 116 participants with Down syndrome (75% response rate). The frequency of respiratory symptoms was higher in children with Down syndrome than in children from the general population (30% vs 15.2%). In addition, symptoms subsided later (around 8 vs 5 years of age). The seasonal influence was limited, both in children with Down syndrome and children from the general population. Consequences of respiratory disease were significant in children with Down syndrome compared to children from the general population, with a higher rate of doctor’s visits (21.3% vs 11.8%), antibiotic prescriptions (47.8% vs 26.3%), and absenteeism from school (55.5% vs 25.4%) and work (parents, 9.4% vs 8.1%). Conclusion: Children with Down syndrome have a higher frequency of respiratory symptoms and symptoms last until a later age, confirming the impression of professionals and caregivers. Individualized treatment plans might prevent unfavorable consequences of chronic recurrent respiratory disease in children with Down syndrome.What is Known:• Children with Down syndrome have an altered immune system and are prone to a more severe course of respiratory tract infections.• The overall conception is that patients with Down syndrome suffer from respiratory tract infections more often.What is New:• Children with Down syndrome suffer from respiratory symptoms more frequently than children from the general population.• The respiratory symptoms in children with Down syndrome subside at a later age compared to children from the general population.
Large-scale pedigree analysis highlights rapidly mutating Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats for differentiating patrilineal relatives and predicting their degrees of consanguinity
Authors: Ralf Arwin , Montiel González Diego , Zandstra Dion , van Wersch Bram , Kousouri Nefeli , de Knijff Peter , Adnan Atif , Claerhout Sofie , Ghanbari Mohsen , Larmuseau Maarten H. D. , Kayser Manfred 
Published: October 2022

AbstractRapidly mutating Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (RM Y-STRs) were suggested for differentiating patrilineally related men as relevant in forensic genetics, anthropological genetics, and genetic genealogy. Empirical data are available for closely related males, while differentiation rates for more distant relatives are scarce. Available RM Y-STR mutation rate estimates are typically based on father–son pair data, while pedigree-based studies for efficient analysis requiring less samples are rare. Here, we present a large-scale pedigree analysis in 9379 pairs of men separated by 1–34 meioses on 30 Y-STRs with increased mutation rates including all known RM Y-STRs (RMplex). For comparison, part of the samples were genotyped at 25 standard Y-STRs mostly with moderate mutation rates (Yfiler Plus). For 43 of the 49 Y-STRs analyzed, pedigree-based mutation rates were similar to previous father–son based estimates, while for six markers significant differences were observed. Male relative differentiation rates from the 30 RMplex Y-STRs were 43%, 84%, 96%, 99%, and 100% for relatives separated by one, four, six, nine, and twelve meioses, respectively, which largely exceeded rates obtained by 25 standard Y-STRs. Machine learning based models for predicting the degree of patrilineal consanguinity yielded accurate and reasonably precise predictions when using RM Y-STRs. Fully matching haplotypes resulted in a 95% confidence interval of 1–6 meioses with RMplex compared to 1–25 with Yfiler Plus. Our comprehensive pedigree study demonstrates the value of RM Y-STRs for differentiating male relatives of various types, in many cases achieving individual identification, thereby overcoming the largest limitation of forensic Y-chromosome analysis.
An analytical method to design annular microfilaments with uniform temperature
Authors: Bíró Ferenc , Deák András , Bársony István , Samotev Nikolay , Dücső Csaba 
Published: October 2022

AbstractDue to their complex electro-thermal characteristics microhotplates used in environmental gas sensors require careful design to exhibit uniform temperature and low power dissipation during the expected long time operation. The layout design becomes more complex if the multiple operational parameters required by the battery operation and the driver and readout logic are considered. In this paper, we describe a simple analytical filament design procedure to determine the dimensions of the annular metal filament exhibiting uniform surface temperature without additional heat distribution layer. The presented method operates with the cumulative thermal losses towards the ambient and heat conduction via the membrane. Moreover, it handles the operation requirements like the targeted temperature in the atmospheric environment, supply voltage range, current density, filament layer thickness and its coverage ratio. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated by electrical and thermal characterisation of the manufactured devices having 150 µm diameter active area. The microheater achieves the targeted 500 °C operation temperature with 1.4–1.55 V supply. The temperature non-uniformity along the filament was measured by Spectral pyrometry and was found to decrease from ± 3.5% to ± 1% when the temperature was raised from 530 to 830 °C.
The effect of risk on trust attitude and trust behavior in interaction with information and decision automation
Authors: Hoesterey Steffen , Onnasch Linda 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSituational risk has been postulated to be one of the most important contextual factors affecting operator’s trust in automation. However, experimentally, it has received only little attention and was directly manipulated even less. To close this gap, this study used a virtual reality multi-task environment where the main task entailed making a diagnosis by assessing different parameters. Risk was manipulated via the altitude, the task was set in including the possibility of virtually falling in case of a mistake. Participants were aided either by information or decision automation. Results revealed that trust attitude toward the automation was not affected by risk. While trust attitude was initially lower for the decision automation, it was equally high in both groups at the end of the experiment after experiencing reliable support. Trust behavior was significantly higher and increased during the experiment for the decision automation supported group in the form of less automation verification behavior. However, this detrimental effect was distinctly attenuated under high risk. This implies that negative consequences of decision automation in the real world might have been overestimated by studies not incorporating risk.
A Note on Asymptotics Between Singular and Constrained Control Problems of One-Dimensional Diffusions
Authors: Saarinen Harto , Lempa Jukka 
Published: October 2022

AbstractWe study the asymptotic relations between certain singular and constrained control problems for one-dimensional diffusions with both discounted and ergodic objectives. In the constrained control problems the controlling is allowed only at independent Poisson arrival times. We show that when the underlying diffusion is recurrent, the solutions of the discounted problems converge in Abelian sense to those of their ergodic counterparts. Moreover, we show that the solutions of the constrained problems converge to those of their singular counterparts when the Poisson rate tends to infinity. We illustrate the results with drifted Brownian motion and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process.
What are clinically relevant performance metrics in robotic surgery? A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Younes Melissa M. , Larkins Kirsten , To Gloria , Burke Grace , Heriot Alexander , Warrier Satish , Mohan Helen 
Published: October 2022

AbstractA crucial element of any surgical training program is the ability to provide procedure-specific, objective, and reliable measures of performance. During robotic surgery, objective clinically relevant performance metrics (CRPMs) can provide tailored contextual feedback and correlate with clinical outcomes. This review aims to define CRPMs, assess their validity in robotic surgical training and compare CRPMs to existing measures of robotic performance. A systematic search of Medline and Embase databases was conducted in May 2022 following the PRISMA guidelines. The search terms included Clinically Relevant Performance Metrics (CRPMs) OR Clinically Relevant Outcome Measures (CROMs) AND robotic surgery. The study settings, speciality, operative context, study design, metric details, and validation status were extracted and analysed. The initial search yielded 116 citations, of which 6 were included. Citation searching identified 3 additional studies, resulting in 9 studies included in this review. Metrics were defined as CRPMs, CROMs, proficiency-based performance metrics and reference-procedure metrics which were developed using a modified Delphi methodology. All metrics underwent both contents and construct validation. Two studies found a strong correlation with GEARS but none correlated their metrics with patient outcome data. CRPMs are a validated and objective approach for assessing trainee proficiency. Evaluating CRPMs with other robotic-assessment tools will facilitate a multimodal metric evaluation approach to robotic surgery training. Further studies should assess the correlation with clinical outcomes. This review highlights there is significant scope for the development and validation of CRPMs to establish proficiency-based progression curricula that can be translated from a simulation setting into clinical practice.