cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
SEQUENCE SLIDER: expanding polyalanine fragments for phasing with multiple side-chain hypotheses.
Creators: name: Borges, Rafael Junqueira
name: Meindl, Kathrin
name: Triviño, Josep
name: Sammito, Massimo
name: Medina, Ana
name: Millán, Claudia
name: Alcorlo, Martin
name: Hermoso, Juan A
name: Fontes, Marcos Roberto De Mattos
name: Usón, Isabel
Publisher: name: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Year: 2020
Subjects: Molecular replacement
Phasing
Arcimboldo
Phaser
Shelxe
Fragment-based Molecular Replacement
Sequence Slider
Side-chain Extension

description: Fragment-based molecular-replacement methods can solve a macromolecular structure quasi-ab initio. ARCIMBOLDO, using a common secondary-structure or tertiary-structure template or a library of folds, locates these with Phaser and reveals the rest of the structure by density modification and autotracing in SHELXE. The latter stage is challenging when dealing with diffraction data at lower resolution, low solvent content, high β-sheet composition or situations in which the initial fragments represent a low fraction of the total scattering or where their accuracy is low. SEQUENCE SLIDER aims to overcome these complications by extending the initial polyalanine fragment with side chains in a multisolution framework. Its use is illustrated on test cases and previously unknown structures. The selection and order of fragments to be extended follows the decrease in log-likelihood gain (LLG) calculated with Phaser upon the omission of each single fragment. When the starting substructure is derived from a remote homolog, sequence assignment to fragments is restricted by the original alignment. Otherwise, the secondary-structure prediction is matched to that found in fragments and traces. Sequence hypotheses are trialled in a brute-force approach through side-chain building and refinement. Scoring the refined models through their LLG in Phaser may allow discrimination of the correct sequence or filter the best partial structures for further density modification and autotracing. The default limits for the number of models to pursue are hardware dependent. In its most economic implementation, suitable for a single laptop, the main-chain trace is extended as polyserine rather than trialling models with different sequence assignments, which requires a grid or multicore machine. SEQUENCE SLIDER has been instrumental in solving two novel structures: that of MltC from 2.7 Å resolution data and that of a pneumococcal lipoprotein with 638 residues and 35% solvent content.
‘There’s a pandemic coming, get yourselves some tablets’: Lessons from the pandemic on a community of practice approach to learning technology diffusion
Creators: name: Bridge, Christopher
name: Loch, Birgit
name: Bell, Carolyn
name: Thompson, Belinda
name: Horey, Dell
name: Julien, Brianna
name: Agolli, Julia
Publisher: name: La Trobe
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 39
subject: Education
classificationCode: 3904
subject: Specialist studies in education
classificationCode: 3903
subject: Education systems
classificationCode: 46
subject: Information and computing sciences
classificationCode: 390303
subject: Higher education

description: Abstract: A well-planned program for disseminating good practice in teaching with tablet computers within a large science, health and engineering faculty of an Australian university fortuitously came to fruition just in time for the switch to emergency remote teaching triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. For teachers in disciplines which rely on symbolic representation systems and hand-sketched diagrams, the tablets proved indispensable in overcoming the challenges of teaching under pandemic conditions. Our dissemination strategy was based on an initial phase of voluntary adoption supported by a well-resourced, academic-led community of practice, alongside the establishment of a library of some 80 devices. Using analyses of loan records, a survey of tablet borrowers, and in-depth interviews, we investigate the diffusion pathways of the decision to adopt, as well as tablet teaching know-how. We draw the preliminary conclusion that our community of practice approach to dissemination has wider applicability beyond our pandemic experience.
Nitrogen-Rich Energetic Salts: Both Cations and Anions Contain Tetrazole Rings
Creators: name: Zhiming Du
name: Zhihua Zhao
name: Zhiyue Han
name: Yinghao Zhang
name: Chunlin He
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Chemistry
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: Cell Biology

description: Nitrogen-rich compounds are a kind of new type of energetic material and have good application prospects. They generally have high densities, high positive heats of formation, good thermal stability, and a series of excellent properties. Nitro-rich energetic salts in which cations and anions contain tetrazole rings possess more N-N and C-N bonds. These can help the salts achieve better performance. Their distinct advantages make them attractive for applications in gas generators and high-energy-density materials and as propellant additives.
Ultrastructure of the type material of Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre (Cymbellales, Bacillariophyta)
Creators: name: Weliton José Da Silva
name: Nogueira, Ina De Souza
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biochemistry

description: Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre were among the first species of Encyonema to be described, in 1830 and 1824, respectively. Until now, however, only light microscopic features (and SEM of non-type material for E. lacustre) of these species have been documented. Here, we provide ultrastructural (scanning electron micrograph) characterization of their type material. We find that the SEM , as well as LM, features of E. leibleiniiare indistinguishable from those of E. prostratum and E. paradoxum. Consequently, the results support the synonomization of the three taxa, with E. leibleinii having priority as the first name applied to this entity. Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre have similar ultrastructural characteristics, mainly concerning the internal stria structure, and the terminal and central raphe fissures. Based on this information and SEM characterizations in the literature, ultrastructural features of the genus Encyonema are discussed.
title: Assessing accuracy of automated cell counters for mammalian cell culture
Creators: name: KASTURI, MEGHANA
name: KORMOS, NICOLE
name: FARES, PERLA
name: HINOJOSA, ALEJANDRO
name: NOVAK, CAYMEN
Publisher: name: University of Michigan
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Cell counting
subject: automated cell counter
subject: Mechanical engineering
subject: FOS: Mechanical engineering
subject: Automotive engineering
subject: Materials Science and Engineering
subject: Engineering

description: Accurate quantification of cell populations is essential for a wide range of biological and clinical applications; however, the efficacy of cell counting technologies can differ substantially based on cellular morphology, cell concentration, cell counting technique (manual or automated), imaging technique and the algorithm used to quantify the cells. This investigation assesses the precision, consistency and accuracy of four automated cell counters in comparison to the conventional hemocytometer, focusing on two critical factors: morphology (rounded versus non-rounded cells) and cell size. The outcomes obtained from the four automated cell counters are evaluated based on the following parameters: Total cell count, Live cell count, dead cell count and cell viability across low, medium, and high cell concentrations. The discussion will address any significant differences among these devices that enhance the accuracy of cell counting across various morphologies. The outcomes emphasize the necessity of selecting suitable cell counting techniques that align with the specific attributes of the cell population, providing crucial insights for researchers and clinicians striving to enhance experimental reproducibility and maintain data integrity.
Additional file 1 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 1: List of consortium partners conducting the isPO project
Difference in Dummy Responses in Matched Side Impact Tests of Vehicles with and without Side Airbags
Creators: name: Viano, David C
name: Parenteau, Chantal S
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Engineering

description: Objective: IIHS high-hooded side impacts were analyzed for matched vehicle tests with and without side airbags. The comparison provides a measure of the effectiveness of side airbags in reducing biomechanical responses for near-side occupants struck by trucks, SUVs and vans at 50 km/h.Method: The IIHS Moving Deformable Barrier (MDB) uses a high-hooded barrier face. It weighs 1,500 kg and impacts the driver-side perpendicular to the vehicle at 50 km/h. SID-IIs dummies are placed in the driver and left 2nd row seats. They represent 5th female occupants.IIHS tests were reviewed for matches with one test with a side airbag and another without it in 2003–l2007 MY vehicles. Four side airbag systems were evaluated: 1) curtain and torso side airbags, 2) head and torso side airbag, 3) curtain side airbag and 4) torso side airbag.There were 24 matched IIHS vehicle tests: 13 with and without a curtain and torso side airbags, 4 with and without a head and torso side airbag, 5 with and without a side curtain airbag and 2 with and without a torso airbag. The head, chest and pelvis responses were compared for each match and the average difference was determined across all matches for a type of side airbag.Results: The average reduction in HIC was 68% ± 16% (p < 0.001) with curtain and torso side airbags compared to the HIC without side airbags. The average HIC was 296 with curtain and torso side airbags and was 1199 without them. The viscous response (VC) was reduced 54% ± 19% (p < 0.005) with curtain and torso side airbags. The combined acetabulum and ilium force (7% ± 15%) and pelvic acceleration (−2% ± 17%) were essentially similar in the matched tests.The head and torso side airbag reduced HIC by 42% ± 30% (p < 0.1) and VC by 32% ± 26% compared to vehicles without a side airbag. The average HIC was 397 with the side head and torso airbag compared to 729 without it. The curtain airbag and torso airbag only showed lower head responses but essentially no difference in the chest and pelvis responses.Conclusion: The curtain and torso side airbags effectively reduced biomechanical responses for the head and chest in 50 km/h side impacts with a high-hooded deformable barrier. The reductions in the IIHS tests are directionally the same as estimated fatality reductions in field crashes reported by NHTSA for side airbags.
Evidence Synthesis and Clinical Recommendations for Supporting School Students with Sensory Processing Challenges
Creators: name: Unwin, Katy
name: Wales, Kylie
name: Johnson, Tennille
name: Leonard, Carl
name: Dixon, Gaenor
name: English, Libby
name: Lane, Alison
Publisher: name: La Trobe
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 4201
subject: Allied health and rehabilitation science

description: Accepted for publication in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2024, Vol. 78(6)
ALEPH: a network-oriented approach for the generation of fragment-based libraries and for structure interpretation.
Creators: name: Medina, Ana
name: Triviño, Josep
name: Borges, Rafael J
name: Millán, Claudia
name: Usón, Isabel
name: Sammito, Massimo D
Publisher: name: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Folding
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: Characteristic Vector
subject: Aleph
subject: Fragment-based Libraries
subject: X-ray Phasing
subject: Fold Clustering

description: The analysis of large structural databases reveals general features and relationships among proteins, providing useful insight. A different approach is required to characterize ubiquitous secondary-structure elements, where flexibility is essential in order to capture small local differences. The ALEPH software is optimized for the analysis and the extraction of small protein folds by relying on their geometry rather than on their sequence. The annotation of the structural variability of a given fold provides valuable information for fragment-based molecular-replacement methods, in which testing alternative model hypotheses can succeed in solving difficult structures when no homology models are available or are successful. ARCIMBOLDO_BORGES combines the use of composite secondary-structure elements as a search model with density modification and tracing to reveal the rest of the structure when both steps are successful. This phasing method relies on general fold libraries describing variations around a given pattern of β-sheets and helices extracted using ALEPH. The program introduces characteristic vectors defined from the main-chain atoms as a way to describe the geometrical properties of the structure. ALEPH encodes structural properties in a graph network, the exploration of which allows secondary-structure annotation, decomposition of a structure into small compact folds, generation of libraries of models representing a variation of a given fold and finally superposition of these folds onto a target structure. These functions are available through a graphical interface designed to interactively show the results of structure manipulation, annotation, fold decomposition, clustering and library generation. ALEPH can produce pictures of the graphs, structures and folds for publication purposes.
Choosing the path of austerity: how parties and policy coalitions influence welfare state retrenchment in periods of fiscal consolidation
Creators: name: Armingeon, Klaus
name: Guthmann, Kai
name: Weisstanner, David
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 29999 Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: What are the conditions under which some austerity programmes rely on substantial cuts to social spending? More specifically, do the partisan complexion and the type of government condition the extent to which austerity policies imply welfare state retrenchment? This article demonstrates that large budget consolidations tend to be associated with welfare state retrenchment. The findings support a partisan and a politico-institutionalist argument: (i) in periods of fiscal consolidation, welfare state retrenchment tends to be more pronounced under left-wing governments; (ii) since welfare state retrenchment is electorally and politically risky, it also tends to be more pronounced when pursued by a broad pro-reform coalition government. Therefore, the article shows that during budget consolidations implemented by left-wing broad coalition governments, welfare state retrenchment is greatest. Using long-run multipliers from autoregressive distributed lag models on 17 OECD countries during the 1982–2009 period, substantial support is found for these expectations.
Choosing the path of austerity: how parties and policy coalitions influence welfare state retrenchment in periods of fiscal consolidation
Creators: name: Armingeon, Klaus
name: Guthmann, Kai
name: Weisstanner, David
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 29999 Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: What are the conditions under which some austerity programmes rely on substantial cuts to social spending? More specifically, do the partisan complexion and the type of government condition the extent to which austerity policies imply welfare state retrenchment? This article demonstrates that large budget consolidations tend to be associated with welfare state retrenchment. The findings support a partisan and a politico-institutionalist argument: (i) in periods of fiscal consolidation, welfare state retrenchment tends to be more pronounced under left-wing governments; (ii) since welfare state retrenchment is electorally and politically risky, it also tends to be more pronounced when pursued by a broad pro-reform coalition government. Therefore, the article shows that during budget consolidations implemented by left-wing broad coalition governments, welfare state retrenchment is greatest. Using long-run multipliers from autoregressive distributed lag models on 17 OECD countries during the 1982–2009 period, substantial support is found for these expectations.
Red is the new green: Dry wine-based miniemulsion as eco-friendly reaction medium for sustainable atom transfer radical polymerization
Creators: name: Flejszar, Monika
name: Chmielarz, Paweł
name: Oszajca, Marcin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022

description: The data includes raw analysis data: gel permeation chromatography (GPC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to determine monomer conversion and confirm the structure of the final products, and gravimetric analysis to determine monomer conversion.
Additional file 2 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 2: Coding system for the analyses of the focus group and telephone interview
Dimensionality, ideology and party positions towards European integration
Creators: name: Prosser, Christopher
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Plant Biology

description: The rise of political contestation over European integration has led many scholars to examine the role that broader ideological positions play in structuring party attitudes towards European integration. This article extends the existing approaches in two important ways. First, it shows that whether the dimensionality of politics is imagined in a one-dimensional ‘general left‒right’ form or a two-dimensional ‘economic left‒right/social liberal-conservative’ form leads to very different understandings of the way ideology has structured attitudes towards European integration, with the two-dimensional approach offering greater explanatory power. Second, existing approaches have modelled the influence of ideology on attitudes towards European integration as a static process. This article shows that the relationship between ideology and European integration has changed substantially over the history of European integration: divisions over social issues have replaced economic concerns as the main driver of party attitudes towards European integration.
Dimensionality, ideology and party positions towards European integration
Creators: name: Prosser, Christopher
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Plant Biology

description: The rise of political contestation over European integration has led many scholars to examine the role that broader ideological positions play in structuring party attitudes towards European integration. This article extends the existing approaches in two important ways. First, it shows that whether the dimensionality of politics is imagined in a one-dimensional ‘general left‒right’ form or a two-dimensional ‘economic left‒right/social liberal-conservative’ form leads to very different understandings of the way ideology has structured attitudes towards European integration, with the two-dimensional approach offering greater explanatory power. Second, existing approaches have modelled the influence of ideology on attitudes towards European integration as a static process. This article shows that the relationship between ideology and European integration has changed substantially over the history of European integration: divisions over social issues have replaced economic concerns as the main driver of party attitudes towards European integration.
Additional file 3 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 3: Aims of the development phase concerning each programme component and their actual achievements
Additional file 4 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 4: Descriptive statistics for each item of the basic training evaluation ‘introduction to isPO and care levels 0 and 1’
Ultrastructure of the type material of Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre (Cymbellales, Bacillariophyta)
Creators: name: Weliton José Da Silva
name: Nogueira, Ina De Souza
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biochemistry

description: Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre were among the first species of Encyonema to be described, in 1830 and 1824, respectively. Until now, however, only light microscopic features (and SEM of non-type material for E. lacustre) of these species have been documented. Here, we provide ultrastructural (scanning electron micrograph) characterization of their type material. We find that the SEM , as well as LM, features of E. leibleiniiare indistinguishable from those of E. prostratum and E. paradoxum. Consequently, the results support the synonomization of the three taxa, with E. leibleinii having priority as the first name applied to this entity. Encyonema leibleinii and E. lacustre have similar ultrastructural characteristics, mainly concerning the internal stria structure, and the terminal and central raphe fissures. Based on this information and SEM characterizations in the literature, ultrastructural features of the genus Encyonema are discussed.
Brazil Once Again Becomes the World’s Largest Beef Exporter
Creators: name: Zia, Mustafa
name: Hansen, James
name: Hjort, Kim
name: Valdes, Constanza
name: Zia, Mustafa
name: Hansen, James
name: Hjort, Kim
name: Valdes, Constanza
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Agricultural and Food Policy
subject: International Relations/Trade
subject: Livestock Production/Industries
subject: Brazil
subject: beef
subject: exports
subject: animal products

description: In 2018, Brazil was the world’s largest exporter of beef, providing close to 20 percent of total global beef exports, outpacing India, the second largest exporter, by 527,000 metric tons.
Additional file 6 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 6: Descriptive statistics for each item of the isPO onco-guide training evaluation
A method for evaluating aerosol leakage through the interface between protective suits and full-face respirators
Creators: name: Arnoldsson, Kristina
name: Signar Danielsson
name: Thunéll, Marianne
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences

description: Military personnel and first responders use a range of personal equipment including protective suits, gloves, boots, and respirators to prevent exposure of their skin and airways to hazardous chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear substances. Although each individual item of personal protective equipment is well tested against existing standards, it is also necessary to consider the performance of the interfaces between items in terms of prevention from exposure, and the protection system as a whole. This article presents an aerosol challenge method for assessing the performance of the interface between a respirator and the hood of a protective suit. The interface is formed between the sealing strip of the hood and the surface of the respirator's outer sealing area and is affected by how well the sealing strip can cover and adapt to the sealing area. The method evaluates the leakage of particles of different sizes into the hood via the interface by particle counting at sampling points around the respirator's perimeter. Three different respirators were tested together with a single hood having a tight-fitting seal. The method variation between measurements was low but increased appreciably when the protective ensemble was re-dressed between measurements. This demonstrates the difficulty of achieving a reliable and reproducible seal between respirator and hood under normal conditions. Different leakage patterns were observed for the three respirators and were linked to some specific design features, namely the respirator's sealing area at the chin and its width at cheek level. Induced leak experiments showed that to detect substantial particle leakage, channels at the hood-respirator interface must be quite large. The method outlined herein provides a straightforward way of evaluating hood-respirator interfaces and could be useful in the further development of personal protective equipment.
Additional file 5 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 5: Descriptive statistics for each item of the basic training evaluation ‘care levels 2 and 3’
Identification and Estimation of Causal Mechanisms in Clustered Encouragement Designs: Disentangling Bed Nets Using Bayesian Principal Stratification
Creators: name: Forastiere, Laura
name: Mealli, Fabrizia
name: VanderWeele, Tyler J.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Computational Biology

description: Exploration of causal mechanisms is often important for researchers and policymakers to understand how an intervention works and how it can be improved. This task can be crucial in clustered encouragement designs (CEDs). Encouragement design studies arise frequently when the treatment cannot be enforced because of ethical or practical constraints and an encouragement intervention (information campaigns, incentives, etc.) is conceived with the purpose of increasing the uptake of the treatment of interest. By design, encouragements always entail the complication of noncompliance. Encouragements can also give rise to a variety of mechanisms, particularly when encouragement is assigned at the cluster level. Social interactions among units within the same cluster can result in spillover effects. Disentangling the effect of encouragement through spillover effects from that through the enhancement of the treatment would give better insight into the intervention and it could be compelling for planning the scaling-up phase of the program. Building on previous works on CEDs and noncompliance, we use the principal stratification framework to define stratum-specific causal effects, that is, effects for specific latent subpopulations, defined by the joint potential compliance statuses under both encouragement conditions. We show how the latter stratum-specific causal effects are related to the decomposition commonly used in the literature and provide flexible homogeneity assumptions under which an extrapolation across principal strata allows one to disentangle the effects. Estimation of causal estimands can be performed with Bayesian inferential methods using hierarchical models to account for clustering. We illustrate the proposed methodology by analyzing a cluster randomized experiment implemented in Zambia and designed to evaluate the impact on malaria prevalence of an agricultural loan program intended to increase the bed net coverage. Farmer households assigned to the program could take advantage of a deferred payment and a discount in the purchase of new bed nets. Our analysis shows a lack of evidence of an effect of the offering of the program to a cluster of households through spillover effects, that is, through a greater bed net coverage in the neighborhood. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
A method for evaluating aerosol leakage through the interface between protective suits and full face respirators
Creators: name: Arnoldsson, Kristina
name: Signar Danielsson
name: Thunéll, Marianne
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biophysics

description: ABSTRACTMilitary personnel and first responders use a range of personal equipment including protective suits, gloves, boots and respirators to prevent exposure of their skin and airways to hazardous chemical, biological, radiological and/or nuclear substances. Although each individual item of personal protective equipment is well tested against existing standards, it is also necessary to consider the performance of the interfaces between items in terms of prevention from exposure, and the protection system as a whole. This paper presents an aerosol challenge method for assessing the performance of the interface between a respirator and the hood of a protective suit. The interface is formed between the sealing strip of the hood and the surface of the respirator's outer sealing area and is affected by how well the sealing strip can cover and adapt to the sealing area. The method evaluates the leakage of particles of different sizes into the hood via the interface by particle counting at sampling points around the respirator's perimeter. Three different respirators were tested together with a single hood having a tight-fitting seal. The method variation between measurements was low but increased appreciably when the protective ensemble was re-dressed between measurements. This demonstrates the difficulty of achieving a reliable and reproducible seal between respirator and hood under normal conditions. Different leakage patterns were observed for the three respirators and were linked to some specific design features, namely the respirator's sealing area at the chin and its width at cheek level. Induced leak experiments showed that to detect substantial particle leakage, channels at the hood-respirator interface must be quite large. The method outlined herein provides a straightforward way of evaluating hood-respirator interfaces and could be useful in the further development of personal protective equipment.
Additional file 7 of Conducting a prospective evaluation of the development of a complex psycho-oncological care programme (isPO) in Germany
Creators: name: Salm, Sandra
name: Cecon, Natalia
name: Jenniches, Imke
name: Pfaff, Holger
name: Scholten, Nadine
name: Dresen, Antje
name: Krieger, Theresia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Additional file 7: Descriptive statistics for each item of the CAPSYS2020 training evaluation
The association between betel quid use and oral potentially malignant and malignant disorders in Southeast Asian and Pacific regions: a systematic review and meta-analysis with GRADE evidence profile
Creators: name: Jasim, Aula
name: Li, Xia
name: Octavia, Alfini
name: Gunardi, Indrayadi
name: Crocombe, Leonard
name: Sari, Elizabeth
Publisher: name: La Trobe
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 32
subject: Biomedical and clinical sciences
classificationCode: 3202
subject: Clinical sciences
classificationCode: 42
subject: Health sciences
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Background: Betel quid (BQ) chewing is a prevalent habit in the Asian and Pacific regions. It is deeply intertwined within cultural customs, and has been reported to result in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and malignant disorders (MDs).Objective: We aim to present a summative and broad overview of the burden that BQ chewing has imposed on the residents of the Southeast Asian, Pacific, and Australasian regions, allowing us to quantify the level of impact it is currently causing on the risk of people developing oral cancer.Methods: This scoping review and meta-analysis screened databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar for publications that investigated the association between BQ and OPMDs and MDs. The search strategy involved MeSH headings relating to BQ, OPMDs, and MDs, and a search for results during the period between January 2010 and June 2023 within the set geographical boundaries of the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions. This systematic review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). R software was used to screen outliers. The included studies were further analysed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system.Results: Nine articles (n = 19,312 participants) presented odds ratio outcomes from 11 regionally different study groups. We indicated a strong correlation between BQ chewing and the increased risk of OMPDs and MDs. The risk was quantified through meta-analyses with an odds ratio (OR) of 8.18 (5.27–12.72) and an increased OR of 9.93 (7.36–13.39) when the outlier was removed. BQ chewing was further identified within various Australian communities and discovered to be produced locally in North Queensland. Discussion: A meta-analysis of two outcomes revealed substantial heterogeneity and minor evidence of publication bias, thus the association effect was included with and without these articles. The overall GRADE quality of evidence ranged from moderate to very high and highlighted five studies with a high level of imprecision. Conclusion: The lingering high prevalence of BQ in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions, as well as its rising acceptance among non-ethnic Australians, is alarming and requires prompt and rigorous intervention to prevent the risk of oral cancer.
Weighted Statistic in Detecting Faint and Sparse Alternatives for High-Dimensional Covariance Matrices
Creators: name: Yang, Qing
name: Guangming Pan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Biotechnology
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer

description: This article considers testing equality of two population covariance matrices when the data dimension p diverges with the sample size n (p/n → c > 0). We propose a weighted test statistic that is data-driven and powerful in both faint alternatives (many small disturbances) and sparse alternatives (several large disturbances). Its asymptotic null distribution is derived by large random matrix theory without assuming the existence of a limiting cumulative distribution function of the population covariance matrix. The simulation results confirm that our statistic is powerful against all alternatives, while other tests given in the literature fail in at least one situation. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Identification and Estimation of Causal Mechanisms in Clustered Encouragement Designs: Disentangling Bed Nets using Bayesian Principal Stratification
Creators: name: Mealli, Fabrizia
name: VanderWeele, Tyler J.
name: Forastiere, Laura
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Science Policy
subject: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Cell Biology

description: Exploration of causal mechanisms is often important for researchers and policymakers to understand how an intervention works and how it can be improved. This task can be crucial in clustered encouragement designs (CED). Encouragement design studies arise frequently when the treatment cannot be enforced because of ethical or practical constrains and an encouragement intervention (information campaigns, incentives, etc) is conceived with the purpose of increasing the uptake of the treatment of interest. By design, encouragements always entail the complication of non-compliance. Encouragements can also give rise to a variety of mechanisms, particularly when encouragement is assigned at cluster level. Social interactions among units within the same cluster can result in spillover effects. Disentangling the effect of encouragement through spillover effects from that through the enhancement of the treatment would give better insight into the intervention and it could be compelling for planning the scaling-up phase of the program. Building on previous works on CEDs and non-compliance, we use the principal stratification framework to define stratum-specific causal effects, that is, effects for specific latent subpopulations, defined by the joint potential compliance statuses under both encouragement conditions. We show how the latter stratum-specific causal effects are related to the decomposition commonly used in the literature and provide flexible homogeneity assumptions under which an extrapolation across principal strata allows one to disentangle the effects. Estimation of causal estimands can be performed with Bayesian inferential methods using hierarchical models to account for clustering. We illustrate the proposed methodology by analyzing a cluster randomized experiment implemented in Zambia and designed to evaluate the impact on malaria prevalence of an agricultural loan program intended to increase the bed net coverage. Farmer households assigned to the program could take advantage of a deferred payment and a discount in the purchase of new bed nets. Our analysis shows a lack of evidence of an effect of the offering of the program to a cluster of households through spillover effects, that is through a greater bed net coverage in the neighborhood.
Weighted Statistic in Detecting Faint and Sparse Alternatives for High-dimensional Covariance Matrices
Creators: name: Yang, Qing
name: Guangming Pan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Science Policy
subject: Cancer
subject: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology

description: This paper considers testing equality of two population covariance matrices when the data dimension p diverges with the sample size n (p/n → c > 0). We propose a weighted test statistic which is data-driven and powerful in both faint alternatives (many small disturbances) and sparse alternatives (several large disturbances). Its asymptotic null distribution is derived by large random matrix theory without assuming the existence of a limiting cumulative distribution function of the population covariance matrix. The simulation results confirm that our statistic is powerful against all alternatives, while other tests given in the literature fail in at least one situation.
Additional file 1 of Identification of unhealthy alcohol use by self-report and phosphatidylethanol (PEth) blood concentrations in an acute psychiatric department
Creators: name: Finanger, Trine
name: Vaaler, Arne Einar
name: Spigset, Olav
name: Aamo, Trond Oskar
name: Andreassen, Trine Naalsund
name: Gråwe, Rolf Wilhelm
name: Skråstad, Ragnhild Bergene
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Hematology

description: Additional file 1.
Investigating cultural conflicts in everyday self-care among Chinese first-time pregnant migrants in Australia
Creators: name: Zhi, Xiaojuan
name: McKenzie-McHarg, Kirsten
name: Mai, Jimmy
Publisher: name: La Trobe
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 4204
subject: Midwifery
classificationCode: 3215
subject: Reproductive medicine
classificationCode: 4205
subject: Nursing
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Abstract:- 
Background:Given the fast-growing migration and globalisation trends in the last decades, women increasingly experienced pregnancy as migrants and often faced complex and unique challenges related to both migration and pregnancy in a foreign land, affecting their psychological wellbeing during pregnancy. Cultural conflicts between pregnant migrants’ home and host cultures could play a critical role affecting their pregnancy experiences and psychological wellbeing. 
Aims: This study aimed to explore cultural conflicts that challenge Chinese first-time expectant mothers living in Australia regarding their pregnancy self-care and their psychological wellbeing. 
Method: A qualitative methodology was adopted utilising interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants were 18 Chinese-born first-time pregnant migrants in Australia. A semi-structured interview schedule focused on their pregnancy self-care and psychological wellbeing and any effects of Chinese-Western/Australian cultural conflicts. 
Findings: Two psychosocial approaches were identified to explain how all the participants were psychologically challenged by self-care cultural conflicts to some extent: 1) challenging decision-making processes about self-care cultural conflicts and 2) interpersonal tension if the decisions conflicted with someone's advice/beliefs/opinions. 
Conclusion: Emotional, cognitive, and social factors were relevant in shaping the participants’ engagement with and their experiences of various pregnancy self-care activities.
Additional file 2 of Identification of unhealthy alcohol use by self-report and phosphatidylethanol (PEth) blood concentrations in an acute psychiatric department
Creators: name: Finanger, Trine
name: Vaaler, Arne Einar
name: Spigset, Olav
name: Aamo, Trond Oskar
name: Andreassen, Trine Naalsund
name: Gråwe, Rolf Wilhelm
name: Skråstad, Ragnhild Bergene
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Hematology

description: Additional file 2: Supplementary Table 1. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) concentrations in μmol/L in the complete study population, and in women and men shown separately.
Detection of Infectious Disease Outbreaks From Laboratory Data With Reporting Delays
Creators: name: Noufaily, Angela
name: Farrington, Paddy
name: Garthwaite, Paul
name: Doyo Gragn Enki
name: Andrews, Nick
name: Charlett, Andre
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Science Policy
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Many statistical surveillance systems for the timely detection of outbreaks of infectious disease operate on laboratory data. Such data typically incur reporting delays between the time at which a specimen is collected for diagnostic purposes, and the time at which the results of the laboratory analysis become available. Statistical surveillance systems currently in use usually make some ad hoc adjustment for such delays, or use counts by time of report. We propose a new statistical approach that takes account of the delays explicitly, by monitoring the number of specimens identified in the current and past m time units, where m is a tuning parameter. Values expected in the absence of an outbreak are estimated from counts observed in recent years (typically 5 years). We study the method in the context of an outbreak detection system used in the United Kingdom and several other European countries. We propose a suitable test statistic for the null hypothesis that no outbreak is currently occurring. We derive its null variance, incorporating uncertainty about the estimated delay distribution. Simulations and applications to some test datasets suggest the method works well, and can improve performance over ad hoc methods in current use. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.