cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
The COVID-19 pandemic and the right to health of people who use drugs
Creators: name: Eick, Donata
name: Aubert, Océane
name: Dempsey, Kendra
name: Ozawa, Momone
name: Van Eerd, Eveline
name: Neicun, Jessica
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Context: According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) people who inject drugs (PWID) make up a significant part of the population that needs to be looked after to eliminate infectious diseases such as those caused by HIV and HCV. This situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 rapidly spread across the globe, governments implemented various prevention measures which not only caused an increase in problem drug use (PDU) because of their negative impact on mental health and socioeconomic conditions but also prompted a decrease in drug services provided. Therefore, new challenges appeared, such as increased demand for drugs and diversification of clients, and new needs. Nevertheless, in clear contradiction to what was needed, the EMCDDA’s initial reports suggested that there was a decline in European drug services both in providing treatment and harm reduction interventions. COVID-19 increased the need to access drug services, healthcare, and support services creating an increased demand for opioid substitution therapy and other medication. Thus, comprehensive, and sustainable policies are needed to combat the public health threats associated with these challenges and to ensure the continuity of care. Policy Options: The challenging circumstances brought by the COVID-19 pandemic require policymakers need to take action to build capacity and resiliency for those facing drug-related health and social problems. These should include the adoption of integrated strategies that combine drug consumption rooms, substance-specific therapies, provision of free needles and naloxone, primary healthcare, and social support. Recommendations: The creation of an integrated drug policy framework addressed to European Union member states is necessary to create robust drug services capable of surviving a crisis. This is guided by a relevant policy design and implementation framework, alongside tangible action principles in line with low-threshold service provision. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to sincerely thank J. Neicun and K. Czabanowska for their support in preparing, editing, and revising the policy brief. Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work. Conflicts of Interest: None declared Funding: None declared
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Matrix regularizing effects of Gaussian perturbations
Creators: name: Aizenman, Michael
name: Peled, Ron
name: Schenker, Jeffrey
name: Shamis, Mira
name: Sodin, Sasha
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Probability (math.PR)
subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The addition of noise has a regularizing effect on Hermitian matrices. This effect is studied here for $H=A+V$, where $A$ is the base matrix and $V$ is sampled from the GOE or the GUE random matrix ensembles. We bound the mean number of eigenvalues of $H$ in an interval, and present tail bounds for the distribution of the Frobenius and operator norms of $H^{-1}$ and for the distribution of the norm of $H^{-1}$ applied to a fixed vector. The bounds are uniform in $A$ and exceed the actual suprema by no more than multiplicative constants. The probability of multiple eigenvalues in an interval is also estimated.
description: 21 pp; minor revision; added references
The effect of multiple anesthesia exposures on white matter microstructure in the rhesus macaque during the early postnatal phase
Creators: name: Young, Jeffrey
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: Brain maturation is a complex process driven by myelination, growth of neurons, and the development of their connections during the first years of life. The increase in brain connections is followed by a process of dendritic pruning and loss of synaptic contacts, presumably shaping and sculpting a more efficient network of connections that are continuously remodeled throughout life (Engert & Bonhoeffer, 1999; Lebel, Walker, Leemans, Phillips, & Beaulieu, 2008; Stepanyants, Hof, & Chklovskii, 2002). Although brain maturation has been studied extensively, both at a functional level (behavior) and at a structural and mediating level (cellular physiology), information at the level of neuroanatomical structure and connectivity during the early childhood to pubertal years is not as comprehensive. However, this information is of special interest because it provides insight into a different perspective of the anatomical substrates and captures major changes in brain development. Furthermore, understanding developmental brain changes will ultimately help us to better diagnose neurodevelopmental conditions that first present clearly in adolescence, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and schizophrenia, and devise targeted therapies for these brain disorders.
What Economic Factors Drive Connectedness in CDO's?
Creators: name: Castro, Andrew
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: In this paper, we examine the economic factors that drive interdependence between credit
default swaps at a company level. First, we present estimates of network connectedness
(interdependence) between the credit default swaps for a sample of firms, including directional
connectedness and overall connectedness. After analyzing the unconditional network
characteristics, we then include additional covariates and examine changes in the network
structure. Although an insurmountable number of events drive investors asset choices, we
focus on firm-, industry-, and macroeconomic- level events. We find that no single factor
explains connectedness in each sector. Additionally, the given factors, although they explain
sudden, volatile changes in net connectedness for sector returns and price volatility, do not
explain the general changes to net connectedness over time.
2D Rough Fault Simulations of Induced Earthquakes
Creators: name: Maurer, Jeremy
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
subject: Earth Sciences
subject: Dynamic rupture simulations
subject: FDMAP
subject: Induced Seismicity
subject: Maximum magnitude

description: This project holds simulation results for the paper "Role of fluid injection on earthquake size in dynamic rupture simulations on rough faults."
Bound states in the continuum in open acoustic resonators
Creators: name: Lyapina, A. A.
name: Maksimov, D. N.
name: Pilipchuk, A. S.
name: Sadreev, A. F.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Classical Physics (physics.class-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We consider bound states in the continuum (BSC) or embedded trapped modes in two- and three-dimensional acoustic axisymmetric duct-cavity structures. We demonstrate numerically that under variation of the length of the cavity multiple BSCs occur due to the Friedrich-Wintgen two-mode full destructive interference mechanism. The BSCs are detected by tracing the resonant widths to the points of the collapse of Fano resonances where one of the two resonant modes acquires infinite life-time. It is shown that the approach of the acoustic coupled mode theory cast in the truncated form of a two-mode approximation allows us to analytically predict the BSC frequencies and shape functions to a good accuracy in both two and three dimensions.
Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in Ireland
Creators: name: Tamminen, Alisa C. M.
name: Duport, Gaetan
name: Atienza Serrano, Rocío
name: Babich, Suzanne M.
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Context: Following recommended dietary guidelines, Ireland has since 2010 implemented a 0% Value Added Tax (VAT) on fruits and vegetables to increase consumption. Eleven years after policy implementation, the Irish still do not meet recommended intake for fruit and vegetable consumption, consuming 3.9 portions a day compared to 7 daily portions recommended. Policy Options: Four alternatives for improvement were assessed and compared: 1) retain the status quo of reduced VAT for healthy foods, 2) VAT only for locally produced fruits and vegetables, 3) increased VAT for salty and sweet foods with a subsidy for fruits and vegetables, and 4) an education-based policy. Four evaluation criteria were applied for the comparison: economic feasibility, effectiveness, political feasibility, and equity. Recommendations: The status quo remains the best option for Ireland. However, further assessment of this 0% VAT policy on fruits and vegetables is warranted, pending the availability of additional data to enable an in-depth understanding of policy implementation.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) as a Means of Assessing Solar Wind Time Series
Creators: name: Samara, Evangelia
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: Over the last decades, international attempts have been made to develop realistic space weather prediction tools aiming to forecast the conditions on the Sun and in the interplanetary environment. These efforts have led to the development of appropriate metrics to assess the performance of those tools. Metrics are necessary to validate models, compare different models, and monitor the improvements of a certain model over time. In this work, we present the dynamic time warping (DTW) technique as an alternative way of evaluating solar wind predictions in the heliosphere. Even though this technique was introduced many decades ago and has been used extensively in other scientific fields, we show, for the first time, how it can be applied to the evaluation of solar wind time series, for the better understanding of modelled solar wind profiles and their comparisons with measurements. DTW can warp sequences in time, aiming to align them with the minimum cost by using dynamic programming. It is a powerful tool that combines the qualities of both point-by-point and time window metrics for a more complete assessment of the relation between predictions and observations. Besides its clear benefits, we also discuss its restrictions and show applications between solar wind observations and predictions made by the EUHFORIA model. We eventually conclude that DTW overcomes problems that other famous metrics do not and show that it can be used as a more objective quantification measure for model evaluation.
Antibody Response to the Influenza Virus Over Time as it Relates to Varying Metabolic States
Creators: name: Rezk, Omar
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: In previous studies, the antibody response to the trivalent influenza vaccine at 30 days
and 12 months post vaccination was analyzed. Subjects were vaccinated between Sept-
Oct, and as the peak of the flu season is usually somewhere between December and
March10, a mid-point between 30 days and one year post vaccination would be important
to test. It is also important to consider the metabolic profiles of the subjects and whether
metformin use can influence the antibody response. Therefore, we initiated an experiment
into the investigation of the effect of time and metabolic state (diabetic or non-diabetic)
on the humoral and cell mediated immune responses to the A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)
pdm09-like virus. We hypothesized that treatment of metformin may normalize the
metabolism of the immune cells, therefore their antibody responses may be higher
compared with obese people not treated with metformin.
Spin polarization studies in half-metallic Co2TiX (X = Ge and Sn) Heusler alloys
Creators: name: Bainsla, Lakhan
name: Suresh, K. G.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this paper, we investigated the Co2TiX (X = Ge, Sn) Heusler alloys by structural, magnetic and spin polarization measurements to probe the half-metallic nature. Alloys are synthesized using the arc melting technique, and found to exist in L21 crystal structure with Fm-3m space group. Curie temperature (TC) is found to be 384 and 371 K for Co2TiGe and Co2TiSn respectively. The saturation magnetization (MS) value of 1.8 and 2.0 Bohr magneton/f.u. are obtained at 5 K for for Co2TiGe and Co2TiSn respectively, compared to 2.0 Bohr magneton/f.u. calculated by Slater-Pauling rule. To obtain the spin polarization value, differential conductance curves are recorded at the ferromagnetic/superconducting point contact at 4.2 K. The current spin polarization (P) value of 0.63 and 0.64 are deduced for Co2TiGe and Co2TiSn respectively. Considering the high current spin polarization and TC, these materials appear to be promising for spintronic devices.
description: 10 pages, 5 figures, regular article
IMPACT: Ideal Measures for Participation and Awareness of Climate Change: Stronger Together Citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion
Creators: name: Alsamara, Issam Moussa
name: Beinert, Stefanie Felicitas
name: De Jong, Jeanne Catelijne
name: Klappe, Maaike Jeannette Barbara
name: Marewski, Viktoria Sirkku
name: Orhan, Rana
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Context: The European Green Deal is a tool to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To reach this goal, action is needed on all organizational levels. At the same time, temperatures keep rising, and the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR) suffered from heavy floods in the summer of 2021and extreme weather events are expected to increase. This is an example of a cross-border issue and therefore shows the need for cross-border climate action. The EMR could be a showcase for climate action and collaboration for other border regions across Europe and worldwide. Policy Options: Citizens often do not feel responsible for taking climate action; however, everyone should contribute to achieving the biggest results in tackling climate change. Therefore, three policy options are presented to increase citizen participation in climate action: local climate measurements, sustainable food consumption, less food waste, and sustainable cities through urban gardening. These policy areas deserve more attention and have room for improvement. Recommendations: • Encourage the implementation of citizen science projects in the EMR. • Gather insights on the region's greenhouse gas emissions. • Provide more sustainable food in institutional canteens and reduce food waste. • Use social media as a tool to provide information about sustainable food. • Use urban areas for urban gardening projects. • Create community sustainability challenges. Keywords:; European Green Deal; Meuse-Rhine Euroregion
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Using Autoplot Java Codes to Support Analysis in Python
Creators: name: Faden, Jeremy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Autoplot JPype Python Plotting Parsing Data

description: The Python module "jpype" allows Java code to be called from Python, allowing the large Autoplot
 code base to be useful in this environment. Autoplot has been used in Python for years now, using
 the same interface which adapts IDL and Matlab. However, with Python's popularity it's become
 clear that a more specialized and customized interface would be useful. A Python library wraps the
 jpype calls and provides a cleaner and more familiar experience for Python developers. Useful
 components are demonstrated, like URI_templates handling where a filename template like
 data_$Y$m$d.cdf is used to load long time series of data, along with using Autoplot to interactively
 plot data from Python.
Does Leptin Signaling in T Cells Enhance Hyperglycemia in Diet-Induced Obese Mice?
Creators: name: Meyers, Matthew H.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: Obesity is a serious public health threat, claiming millions of lives each year worldwide.
It is thought that many of the complications associated with obesity are the result of adipose
inflammation that has a spillover effect leading to a systemic state of low-grade, chronic
inflammation in the body. While scientists debate the exact causal mechanism of adipose
inflammation, researchers agree that many players are likely, including adipocytes, macrophages,
and other immune cells. More specifically, recent research has indicated that T cells play an
active role in the progression of adipose inflammation. Based on a recent study, Deng et al.
suggests that increased leptin levels as a result of excess adiposity cause the activation and
proliferation of Th1 inflammatory T cells, thus contributing to the obesity inflammatory cascade.
Because insulin resistance and the resultant hyperglycemia are thought to be a result of adipose
inflammation, we hypothesized that leptin signaling to T cells enhances hyperglycemia during
obesity. To test this hypothesis, we utilized a conditional knockout diet-induced obese mouse
model where leptin receptor had been truncated only in T cells, thus preventing leptin from
signaling to T cells. Male mice were fed a chow or high fat diet for 12-16 weeks, after which
fasting blood glucose levels were taken after a 14-hour fast. As expected, lean mice exhibited
significantly lower levels of hyperglycemia compare to obese groups. In comparing the control
obese group to the knockout obese group, the control obese mice had slightly higher levels of
hyperglycemia compared to the knockout obese mice. However, these results were not
significant. Although no significant results were found, this study should be repeated with a
larger sample size to further understand whether leptin signaling to T cells in obese mice could
lead to hyperglycemia.
Autism and Inclusive Education: Recommendations for improvement during and after COVID-19
Creators: name: Reijnders, Anne Petronella Maria
name: Van Den Eijnde, Sanne Quérine
name: Martin Janssen, Ruben Renerus
name: Van Kessel, Robin
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Context: COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the autism community yet also provided an opportunity to improve education delivery. There are several policies to ensure education for autistic children, but there are still gaps that need to be filled. Policy Options: This policy brief analyses several interventions designed to create a more inclusive education environment for autistic children. The four policy options described and analyzed are: Teacher assistants focussing on children with special education needs, Peer Mentoring Interventions (PMI), Digitalization of Education, and Gamification. Recommendations: The analysis concludes that PMI and Gamification would be the most feasible to implement. PMI can improve the dynamic between autistic children and their neurotypical peers. Gamification enables personalization to educational needs and fluid transition to at-home education. Subsequently, the European Union already invests in gamification, making the step smaller to invest in gamification for inclusive education. Acknowledgments: We thank Prof Dr Katarzyna Czabanowska for the opportunity to explore this topic as part of the Leadership track in the Master Governance and Leadership in European Public Health. Authors' contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work. Conflict of interest: None declared Source of funding: None declared
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Continuance Intention to Use Blended Education for Production Design Major Undergraduates at Public University in Chengdu of China
Creators: name: Liwa Ma
Publisher: name: DR.KEN Institute of Academic Development and Promotion.
Year: 2023
Subjects: Blended Education
Production Design
Satisfaction
Continuance Intention

description: International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews, 3, 2, 105-120
Non-Gaussianity of the topological charge distribution in $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ Yang-Mills theory
Creators: name: Cè, Marco
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Lattice (hep-lat)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In Yang-Mills theory, the cumulants of the naïve lattice discretization of the topological charge evolved with the Yang-Mills gradient flow coincide, in the continuum limit, with those of the universal definition. We sketch in these proceedings the main points of the proof. By implementing the gradient-flow definition in numerical simulations, we report the results of a precise computation of the second and the fourth cumulant of the $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ Yang-Mills theory topological charge distribution, in order to measure the deviation from Gaussianity. A range of high-statistics Monte Carlo simulations with different lattice volumes and spacings is used to extrapolate the results to the continuum limit with confidence by keeping finite-volume effects negligible with respect to the statistical errors. Our best result for the topological susceptibility is $t_0^2χ=6.67(7)\times 10^{-4}$, while for the ratio between the fourth and the second cumulant we obtain $R=0.233(45)$.
description: 7 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at the 33rd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - Lattice 2015, July 14-18, 2015, Kobe International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan
How Do Ecological Consumption, Perceived Value, and Satisfaction Affect Destination Loyalty? - A Description After the COVID-19 Pandemic of Thai Tourists in a National Park in Lampang, Thailand
Creators: name: Pongsiri Kamkankaew
Publisher: name: DR.KEN Institute of Academic Development and Promotion.
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Ecological Consumption
subject: , Perceived Value
subject: Satisfaction
subject: Destination Loyalty
subject: Tourism
subject: FOS: Economics and business
subject: National Park

description: International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews, 3, 2, 121-138
Conductivity Corrections for Topological Insulators with Spin-Orbit Impurities: A New Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka Formula
Creators: name: Adroguer, P.
name: Liu, Weizhe E.
name: Culcer, D.
name: Hankiewicz, E. M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) formula [Prog. Theor. Phys. 63, 707 (1980)] describes the quantum corrections to the magnetoconductivity of a quasi-2D electron gas (quasi-2DEG) with parabolic dispersion. It predicts a crossover from weak localization to antilocalization as a function of the strength of scattering off spin-orbit impurities. Here, we derive the conductivity correction for massless Dirac fermions in 3D topological insulators (TIs) in the presence of spin-orbit impurities. We show that this correction is always positive and therefore we predict weak antilocalization for every value of the spin-orbit disorder. Furthermore, the correction to the diffusion constant is surprisingly linear in the strength of the impurity spin-orbit. Our results call for a reinterpretation of experimental fits for the magnetoconductivity of 3D TIs which have so far used the standard HLN formula.
Professionalize European Public Health Workforce: The need for a Minimum Dataset and Skills Passport
Creators: name: Kurtz, Benedikt
name: Hennenberg, Deirdre Norris
name: Supke, Lea
name: Nguyen, Thi Yen Chi
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Advancing the diversity and inclusion agenda in healthcare organizations: The case of German university hospitals
Creators: name: Gobianidze, Mariam
name: Hammond, Jordan
name: Jürgens, Kira
name: Reisser, Katharina
name: Kalaitzi, Valia
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Introduction: Diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenges in the hospital workforce continue to pose threats to an inclusive work environment. Acknowledging the benefits of a diverse and inclusive healthcare workforce, the Association of German University Hospitals signed the German Diversity Charter to encourage its member hospitals to apply policies to cultivate such a workplace. This policy brief explores the implementation of D&I policies aligned with the Charter in six university hospitals in Germany, aiming to identify the policy gaps and provide recommendations for improvement. Policy Options: The Charter´s commitments include a shared organizational vision of D&I as a source of great potential and the significant support of the senior management. It also includes D&I in employment processes, open communication about policies, and active employee engagement. Overall, a comprehensive D&I strategy has been shown to be vital for sustainable change. However, not all the hospitals have signed it, nor do all fully adhere to its policies. Therefore, recommendations are provided for the Association to support their constituents in working toward comprehensive D&I policies. Recommendations: Most importantly, the Association should further promote D&I awareness, enhance the support to the hospitals to improve D&I activities, and lead and monitor the implementation and outcomes of the adopted D&I strategies and policies. The comprehensive approach includes transparency; measurement and evaluation to assess the successes and failures of the strategies; the commitment by senior management to D&I efforts; and bottom-up involvement for employees to share their concerns and get involved. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank our senior advisor, Valia Kalaitzi, PhD, for the considerate feedback and heart-warming support. Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Funding: None declared.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Centralized vaccine procurement in the post-COVID-19 European Union
Creators: name: Jagusiewicz, Agata
name: Uteh, Cyril Onwuelazu
name: Götz, Jan-Philipp
name: Robertz, Jule
name: Zijlman, Minke Anna
name: Siepmann, Ines
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted healthcare systems worldwide with societal, psychological, and economic burdens. The widespread use of the developed COVID-19 vaccines has been generally pursued to stop the spread, decrease mortality rates, and lift the economic burden of healthcare systems. However, it became apparent that the demand for vaccines outnumbers the supply provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers. This policy brief explores the use of centralized procurement globally to formulate recommendations on how the European Union (EU) and its member states can benefit from such an approach. Policy Options: Globally, different models with varying levels of collaboration on procurement are implemented. The collaboration can be limited to information sharing or extend towards centralized procurement of medical goods. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, countries collaborated at an unprecedented scale, pooling together resources and expertise to ensure access to scarce vaccine supplies. The resulting centralized approach witnessed in the United States (US), EU, African Union (AU), or through COVAX highlighted the benefits of centralized procurement in the state of crisis. Recommendations: • An independent institution for pandemic preparedness and response: • focuses on transparent and timely access to vaccines • supports strengthening of national capacities and healthcare systems through periodic monitoring and evaluation. • A centralized procurement system for all EU member states under the independent institution. • The development of comprehensive and efficient emergency preparedness plans. Acknowledgments: We thank Ines Siepmann, our senior advisor, and Kasia Czabanowska for the opportunity to explore this topic as part of the Leadership track in the Master Governance and Leadership in European Public Health. Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work. Conflict of interest: None declared Source of funding: None declared
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2022: Leading Policy Change in Public Health
Respiratory symptoms among urban traffic policemen in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study
Creators: name: Ahmed, Parvez
name: Eaty, Mahim
name: Alam, Nazmul
name: Anthony, Leela
name: Yasmin, Nawzia
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Aim: There is accumulating evidence that roadside pollution is detrimental to health. This study aims to compare the risk of adverse respiratory symptoms in different categories of traffic police including traffic constables, sergeants, and inspectors working in the polluted environment. Methods: The study population consisted of 369 randomly selected traffic police personnel from the city of Chittagong in Bangladesh. Information on their occupation and respiratory health symptoms were collected. The health outcomes were coughing, coughing sputum, coughing up blood, shortness of breathing, wheezing, and chest pain with deep breathing. Results: The risk of coughing [adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.469, 95% CI=1.265-15.793], coughing sputum [AOR= 3.687, 95% CI= 1.004 -13.540], coughing up blood [AOR=1.040, 95% CI=0.227-6.162], shortness of breathing [AOR=3.937, 95% CI=1.069-14.500], wheezing [AOR= 2.464, 95% CI= 0.613-9.906] and chest pain with deep breathing [AOR=2.163,95% CI= 0.560-8.349] was higher in traffic constables on comparison to inspectors. In sergeants odds increased for coughing up blood [AOR=1.102, 95% CI= 0.283-4.286] and wheezing [AOR=1.260, 95% CI= 0.304-5.229]. Conclusion: There was a substantial difference in the risk of studied respiratory symptoms between different categories of traffic police jobs. Conflicts of interest: None declared.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Volume XVIII, 2022
Do Open Source Software Developers Listen to Their Users?
Creators: name: Raza, Arif
name: Capretz, Luiz Fernando
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Software Engineering (cs.SE)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: In application software, the satisfaction of target users makes the software more acceptable. Open Source Software (OSS) systems have neither the physical nor the commercial boundaries of proprietary software, thus users from all over the world can interact with them. This free access is advantageous, as increasing numbers of users are able to access OSS; there are more chances of improvement. This study examines the way users feedback is handled by OSS developers. In our survey, we have also inquired whether OSS developers consult professional usability experts to improve their projects. According to the results, majority of OSS developers neither consider usability as their top priority nor do they consult usability experts.
Helionauts: A Cross-Organization Heliophysics Forum
Creators: name: Attie, Raphael
name: Kirk, Michael
name: Bard, Christopher
name: Thompson, Barbara
name: da Silva, Daniel
name: Narock, Ayris
name: Mason, Emily
name: Pesnell, Dean
name: Zarro, Dominic
name: Addison, Kevin
name: Thomas, Brian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: communication
open-source
community

description: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a lasting community-wide discussion platform in the field of Heliophysics, supplementing in-person interactions at conferences and within local departments. To address this, instant messaging apps like Slack and Teams were hastily adopted, but their constant online presence requirements posed problems: overlapping content and information sprawl across various chat workspaces, confusion about where discussions should take place. To provide a more coherent landscape for written communication, NASA is backing Helionauts.org, a permanent platform for heliophysicists. It features topic-based and searchable discussions, smart notifications for asynchronous conversations, and supports technical conversations with Markdowns, LaTeX, and code syntax highlighting. The platform fosters inclusivity, connecting experts, postdocs, and students to promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration in our heliophysics community.
Health behavior, stress and obesity among working age women in Myanmar
Creators: name: Htut, Win Mya Mya
name: Sornlom, Kittipong
name: Loahasiriwong, Wongsa
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to investigate the association between socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, health literacy, knowledge, attitude, physical and mental health status, and overweight and obesity among working age women in Myanmar. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,094 women aged 18 to 59 years old who were recruited by using multistage random sampling from 12 townships out of 6 districts among three states/regions. A structured questionnaire was developed and applied to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) was performed to determine the association between dependent and independent variables after controlling the effects of covariates presenting adjusted OR and 95% confidence interval. Results: More than half of the respondents were with overweight and obesity (51.28%; 95%CI: 48.31-54.23). The multivariable analysis indicated that factors significantly associated with overweight and obesity included; aged 31-59 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.72, 95%CI:1.22-2.40), living without family (AOR= 2.07, 95%CI:1.20-3.57), average monthly income ≥200,000MMK (AOR= 1.38, 95%CI:1.05-1.82), parity≥1 (AOR= 1.61, 95%CI: 1.17- 2.23), high fat & protein consumption ≥5-days per week (AOR= 2.90, 95%CI:1.91-4.39), alcohol consumption (AOR= 2.53, 95%CI:1.91-3.36) and moderate-severe stress (AOR= 1.47, 95%CI:1.11-1.94). Conclusion: More than half of working age women were with overweight and obesity. Socioeconomic status, health behavior and stress are the factors behind over nutrition. The findings provide relevant evidence to develop the appropriate policies and public health interventions in order to minimize the burden of overweight and obesity. Likewise, it is anticipated that this outcome would support the prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Ethical Consideration: Ethical Consideration was taken from Khon Kaen University Ethics Committee in Human Research (the approval number, HE632117) and Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar (Approval number Ethics/DMR/2020/109). A coding scheme was used and every document was destroyed on completion of research. Written consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation. Acknowledgement: The authors would like to express our sincere appreciation to all working age women in study areas for the data collection. Special thanks to the Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Thailand for the financial and technical support.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Volume XVIII, 2022
Reproductive health of medical students: exploring knowledge, experiences, and behaviors
Creators: name: Djuric, Petar
name: Stevanovic, Aleksandar
name: Rajovic, Nina
name: Todorovic, Jovana
name: Laaser, Ulrich
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) along with unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence, and gender inequality represent a serious risk to reproductive health in adolescent age. Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) plays a central role among public health interventions designed to prepare young people for these challenges. The aim of our research was to examine knowledge, experience, and behaviors regarding reproductive and sexual health among the population of medical students, as well as the possible connection between reproductive health, information, and study success. Material and methods: A total of 186 second-year and 214 fifth-year medical students were included in the study as a convenient sample taken by random selection. We used a questionnaire of the World Health Organization designed for adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Data were analyzed with the IMB SPSS 25 software. Results: For the second-year students, primary source of information about sex are conversations with their family and friends (37.6%), while for the fifth-year students it is the faculty curriculum (34.7%). Students with personal experience of STIs showed higher average level of knowledge about STIs and reproductive health (p=0.011). Significant positive correlation between the average grade and the level of knowledge about reproductive health was found (r=0.150; p=0.03). Conclusion: This study has shown the diverse sexual life of young medical students in Serbia, combined with risky habits and attitudes, also similarly represented in the world. Further research is needed in order to formulate public health policies adjusted to the needs of the Serbian youth.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 1, 2022: The Population's Health: Could South Eastern Europe Do Better?
An Analysis of the Effect of Law Clerk Gender on Supreme Court Decision Making
Creators: name: Sullivan, Connor
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2019

description: This thesis examines the relationship between the gender of Supreme Court law clerks and the ideological vote direction of their justices for case issues of civil rights and discrimination. It does so by relying on the theoretical  justification of principal-agent theory, a novel account of female law clerk influence, and critical mass theory, building on existing law clerk literature to analyze the association between the number of female law clerks and justice decision making.
Market and welfare valuation of the economic burden of diseases attributable to air pollution exposure in the Western Balkans
Creators: name: Panteli, Maria
name: Delipalla, Sofia
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Aim: The population in the Western Balkans is exposed to high air pollution concentrations, among the highest in Europe, causing death and disability. Research, however, on the resulting economic cost in the region is still limited. We estimate the economic cost of the adverse health effects from air pollution exposure, including fine particulate matter (ambient and household) and ambient ozone air pollution in the region. Methods: We employ both market and welfare-oriented methods. According to the Cost-of-Illness (COI) approach, we estimate both the direct (healthcare expenditure) and indirect cost (mortality and morbidity cost). Against the shortcomings of a market-based valuation, the Willingness to Pay (WTP) approach is also used. The most recent data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 are used. Results: Under the COI approach, total economic cost is estimated at PPP$ 6.3 billion. Equivalently, it ranges from 0.8% of GDP in Croatia to 2.39% of GDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The WTP methodology yields a significantly higher estimate, equal to PPP$ 76.7 billion. The monetary amount associated with the disease burden of air pollution is significant. Conclusion: Public health policies should include monitoring of the adverse health effects of air pollution. Abatement policies should aim at reducing ambient air pollution as well as the dependence on polluting household energy usage. The reduced economic cost can be accompanied by benefits associated with climate change mitigation and an overall improvement in population’s health status, an important aspect given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Authors’ contribution: Maria Panteli: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Methodology; Software; Writing - original draft; Writing - review and editing. Sofia Delipalla: Conceptualization; Methodology; Supervision; Writing - review and editing. Source of funding: No funds, grants or financial support were received for conducting this study. Conflicts of interest: None declared.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Volume XVIII, 2022
Learning needs assessment among professional workers in community mental health centres in Slovenia: Study protocol
Creators: name: Kragelj, Anja
name: Pahor, Majda
name: Zaletel-Kragelj, Lijana
name: Makivic, Irena
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Aim: This article aims to present a study protocol that represents a tool developed for a learning needs assessment. With a pilot study, based on the presented concept of a model study, we will be able to assess what mental health learning content is not yet part of formal higher education for professionals working in community mental health centres, but has been identified as necessary for inclusion. The presented tool is transferable with appropriate modifications. The goal is to conduct multiple research with the same basic tool at all levels of the educational system and in continuing professional education for all professionals who work with people. Methods: The learning needs assessment study protocol presented uses both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. It is expected that the research will be conducted in several interrelated phases that holistically cover the needs assessment process. Results: The pilot study will provide insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the prepared learning needs assessment tool. Through the research study, the learning needs of professionals working in community mental health centres, will be identified. Conclusion: Professional mental health care workers must be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to perform their work with quality. By implementing appropriate mental health learning content in educational processes from pre-school education to higher education and further to continuing professional education, we can impact the mental health of the entire population. Since this can lead to acquiring the competencies necessary to care of one’s own mental health and that of others, it can be considered an important public health intervention. Source of funding None declared Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge Maja Dizdarevic, Vera Grebenc, Kaja Krajc, Vesna Svab, Matej Vinko and Nika Vuksa Jurejevcic for their invaluable contribution when creating the methodological document. Conflict of interest None declared.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 1, 2022: The Population's Health: Could South Eastern Europe Do Better?
Overview of the main incremental health care reforms introduced between 2014 and 2020 in Romania
Creators: name: Gabriela Scintee, Silvia
name: Vladescu, Cristian
Publisher: name: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH)
Year: 2022

description: Aim: On 2014 the Government of Romania has committed to improving health and health system through the implementation of the 2014–2020 National Health Strategy: Health for Prosperity. An official evaluation of the strategy implementation is not publicly available yet. This paper aims to provide an overview of the main incremental reforms taken during this period in Romania and to analyse the results from the perspective of the main Strategy goals. Methods: Information was collected from legislative documents, statistical and scientific publications. The main implemented or initiated incremental reforms, during the assessed period, were assigned to five main clusters: ”governance”, “resources for health”, “coverage and access”, “organization of health care”, “quality of care” and were analysed in accordance with the aim, the type, the implementation stage and the corresponding objectives of the Strategy. Results: The 2014–2020 National Health Strategy has definitely not reached all its objectives, but one sign of prosperity, is that based on 2019 per capita income (of $12,630) World Bank classified Romania, for the first time, as a high-income country. The health status of the population has increased in many aspects, yet Romanians’ health has still remained among the poorest in the European Union (EU). Conclusion: Incremental reforms might be successful, but the small steps should be taken in a holistic approach, and should be tailored to specific needs. Previous strengthening health systems resilience and plans for overcoming possible risks and obstacles might ensure successful implementation. Assessments of the reforms might draw lessons that help policymakers in shaping further health policies and designing of next strategies. Conflict of interest: None declared.
description: South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 1, 2022: The Population's Health: Could South Eastern Europe Do Better?
Static spectropolarimeter concept adapted to space conditions and wide spectrum constraints
Creators: name: Pertenais, Martin
name: Neiner, Coralie
name: Bernardi, Pernelle
name: Reess, Jean-Michel
name: Petit, Pascal
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: Space Physics (physics.space-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The issues related to moving elements in space and instruments working in broader wavelength ranges lead to a need for robust polarimeters, efficient on a wide spectral domain, and adapted to space conditions. As part of the UVMag consortium, created to develop spectropolarimetric UV facilities in space, such as the Arago mission project, we present an innovative concept of static spectropolarimetry. We studied a static and polychromatic method for spectropolarimetry, applicable to stellar physics. Instead of modulating the polarization information temporally, as usually done in spectropolarimeters, the modulation is performed in a spatial direction, orthogonal to the spectral one. Thanks to the proportionality between phase retardance imposed by a birefringent material and its thickness, birefringent wedges can be used to create this spatial modulation. The light is then spectrally cross-dispersed, and a full-Stokes determination of the polarization over the whole spectrum can be obtained with a single-shot measurement. The use of Magnesium Fluoride wedges, for example, could lead to a compact, static polarimeter working at wavelengths from 0.115 mm up to 7 mm. We present the theory and simulations of this concept, as well as laboratory validation and a practical application to Arago.
description: Article accepted for publication in Applied Optics on 20 July 2015