Alliance Program Research Articles

Evaluation of a multicomponent positive psychology program to prevent gaming disorder and enhance mental wellness in primary pupils: A randomized controlled trial.

Gaming disorder (GD) is a prevalent and complex issue that has recently been recognized as a condition that impairs mental health, underscoring the urgent need for early prevention measures. This evaluation study examined the effectiveness of the Digital Netizen Alliance (D.N.A.) program, a new multicomponent positive psychology program for preventing GD and bolstering mental wellness among Chinese children. Drawing on gamification and positive psychology principles, the program builds four key positive skills collectively referred to as the P-A-G-E framework: psychological resilience, active coping, growth mindset, and emotion regulation. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 264 primary school pupils attending fourth, fifth, or sixth grade in Hong Kong (63% female; mean age = 10.83, SD = 1.18). The findings revealed that participation in the program effectively promoted active coping, a growth mindset, and emotion regulation. Moreover, program participation alleviated GD symptoms and reduced negative affect. These desirable changes were fullyexplained by the P-A-G-E framework. The new D.N.A. program, which cultivates the positive psychology skills specified in the P-A-G-E framework, facilitates favorable psychological changes among children. These results emphasize the importance of using multicomponent frameworks for interventions targeting GD prevention.

Design Guidelines for Enterprise Software Training in Higher Education Based on Technology-Mediated Learning

There is an increasing demand for a qualified future workforce in the enterprise software (ES) domain, for which students should be prepared. However, due to the complexity of ES, many lecturers lack the skills to practically integrate ES into their teaching activities. ES training must be investigated holistically to address this issue, integrating the perspectives of the involved actors. Therefore, the research field of technology-mediated learning (TML) offers valuable concepts. In this paper, we first identify and present five main concepts of TML performance based on related literature. Second, we present findings from a single-case study conducted within the global academic alliance program of the ES company SAP. The program’s objective is to demonstrate the practical application of ES to students through lecturers. Unlike previous research, we consider the students’ perspective and incorporate the viewpoints of lecturers and subject matter experts (SMEs) who train the lecturers to create a comprehensive overview. Based on the insights from TML literature and the case study, we present design guidelines for ES training that take into account TML concepts, actors’ perspectives, and training aspects. Our findings highlight the universal applicability of TML in the practical context of designing ES training in higher education.

Invasive pneumococcal disease surveillance in Canada, 2021-2022.

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD, Streptococcus pneumoniae) has been a nationally notifiable disease in Canada since 2000. The use of conjugate vaccines has caused a shift in the distribution of serotypes over time. This report is a summary of the demographics, serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of IPD isolates collected in Canada in 2021 and 2022. The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) of the Public Health Agency of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba collaborates with provincial and territorial public health laboratories to conduct national surveillance of IPD. There were 1,999 isolates reported in 2021 and 3,775 isolates in 2022. Serotype was determined by the Quellung reaction or whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by WGS methods, broth microdilution, or data shared by collaborators in the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance program at the University of Manitoba. Population-based IPD incidence rates were obtained through the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. The incidence of IPD in Canada was 5.62 cases per 100,000 population in 2021, decreasing from the peak of 10.86 cases per 100,000 population in 2018. Serotypes with increasing trends (p<0.05) between 2018 and 2022 included: 4 (6.1%-12.4%), 9V (1.0%-5.1%) and 12F (4.8%-5.4%). The overall prevalence of PCV13 serotypes increased over the same period (31.2%-41.5%, p<0.05) while the prevalence of non-vaccine types decreased significantly (27.3%-21.5%, p<0.0001). The highest rates of antimicrobial resistance in 2021 and 2022 were seen with clarithromycin (21%, 2021; 24%, 2022) and erythromycin (22%, 2021; 24%, 2022). Multidrug-resistant IPD continued to increase from 2018 to 2022 (6.7%-12.6%, p<0.05). The number of cases of IPD continued to decrease in 2021 in comparison to previous years, however, 2022 saw a return to pre-COVID-19 levels. Disease due to PCV13 serotypes 3, 4, 9V and 19F, as well as non-PCV13 serotypes 12F and 20, is increasing in prevalence. Surveillance of IPD to monitor changing serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance is essential.

Evaluation of a Multisectoral Health Security Alliance Program Through Perceptions of Member States: African Partnership Outbreak Response Alliance (APORA).

U.S. DoD global health engagements offer opportunities for strategic engagement and building capability in collaboration with foreign military and civilian counterparts. Global health engagement activities can take the form of health security alliances and allow the USA and its allies and partners to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to emerging biothreats and other harmful health events that may negatively impact national security. One such example is the African Partnership Outbreak Response Alliance (APORA), which was designed to expand African Partner Nation militaries' infectious disease outbreak response capabilities. This publication evaluates the development, implementation, and outcomes of APORA to better understand the program's effectiveness in developing Partner Nation medical capabilities and the efficacy of health security alliances more broadly. Key informant interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires were used to collect responses from a sample of participants who attended an in-person APORA event in May 2022. The research team conducted thematic analysis of all responses to identify common themes and sub-themes in participants' perspectives and to elucidate findings and recommendations for future endeavors. The analysis determined that participants attended the APORA event primarily to disseminate and apply knowledge, skills, and abilities gained at the event to their own health system structures. Overall, participants indicated that APORA contributed to their countries' military medical and civilian cooperation, as well as their countries' military medical capabilities. Longer-term partners (i.e., 4+ years of APORA membership) agreed more strongly with these sentiments; newer partners (i.e., 1-3 years of APORA membership) were more likely to be neutral or agree to some extent. Participants also valued the opportunity to solidify global, regional, local, and peer partnerships and considered the ability to create partnerships of great importance to their countries' national health security. Language barriers were often listed as a hindrance to event participation and the overall integration of a regional health system response. Participants also cited resource scarcity, network erosion (particularly because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic), and a lack of disseminating and communicating value-add in how APORA could/is providing to their member countries' health systems as key barriers. As a whole, these findings support APORA's objectives to develop and leverage partnerships to support medical capacity building, promote collaboration between military and civilian sectors, and increase access to opportunities and financial resources. Further evaluation is required to capture additional civilian perspectives while continuing to expand upon military perspectives in order to produce more generalizable findings. That said, this study enables key stakeholders to understand how to strengthen and expand future alliances to improve both health and security outcomes.

Sustainability Planning for a Community Network to Increase Participation in Evidence-Based Lifestyle Change Programs: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Community-based chronic disease prevention programs can have long-term, broad public health benefits. Yet, only 40 to 60% of evidence-based health programs are sustained. Using established frameworks and evidence-based tools to characterize sustainability allows programs to develop structures and processes to leverage resources effectively to sustain effective program activities and systems. This study used a mixed-methods, partner-engaged approach to identify barriers and facilitators to sustaining a community network (the Alliance program) aimed to increase participation in evidence-based lifestyle change programs delivered in the community. Surveys and qualitative interviews were conducted with the Alliance partners based on the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Overall, partners felt Alliance had a high capacity for sustainability. Strategic planning, communication, and partnerships were areas partners prioritized to improve the potential for sustaining the program. Results informed the co-development of a sustainability action plan. This paper furthers our understanding of factors critical for the sustainability of community-based programs for chronic disease prevention and health equity and presents a process for developing action plans to build sustainability capacity.

Visualizing climate targets: mapping the 93 funded E.U. Erasmus+ projects versus SDGs and horizon missions targets

ABSTRACT This study investigates the 93 awarded projects from the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances (KA) program between 2014 and 2018 from the perspective of their contribution to the climate-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG13: Climate Action and the climate-related European Commission’s Horizon Missions (HMs) – HM2: Climate-neutral and Smart Cities and HM5: Climate Change Adaptation and Societal Transformation. It aims to investigate if the KA projects have advanced the progress toward achieving climate targets. KA projects address sustainability transitions in Europe. After indexing the projects, a three-step system for analysis was adopted. First, a content analysis of the description written about each project in the advertised booklet. Then, via human screening, the projects were identifed in relation to the UN SDGs and HMS and then identified the projects that have climate-related targets. Afterward, these findings were visualized to associate the SDGs and HMs with the geographic location of the projects. This study contributes to the understanding of the KA-awarded projects in relation to the climate-related targets. The studu shows that the majority of KA projects do not have climate-related targets although they claim to foster transformative learning in sustainability education practices. This demonstration may help evaluate the efficacy of EU programs and funding lines at large, despite the EU's climate neutrality policies. It also raises questions about the effectiveness and on-ground fund allocation concerning the climate crisis.

Abstract B041: Modeling the malignant transformation of fallopian tube epithelium driven by extracellular vesicles cargos in an organ-on-chip microphysiological system

Abstract Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancy and the fifth leading cause of all cancer-related deaths among American women. The most common and lethal subtype, high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) tends to originate from the fallopian tube. Precursor lesions of HGSOC such as secretory cell expansion (SCE), the loss of PAX2, PTEN, p53 mutation and serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) are often found at the fallopian tube epithelium (FTE). However, the mechanism of how neoplastic lesions disseminate in FTE and eventually colonize the ovary is unclear. We are interested in understanding if ovarian cancer initiation in the FTE is mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nanosized biovesicles secreted by all living cells. EVs serve as vehicles for nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Cancer cells commonly secrete more EVs than healthy cells and shift their EV cargos to promote tumorigenesis. The alteration of molecular content of tumor-derived EV can potentially indicate disease states and serve as a new class of cancer biomarkers. Hence, our hypothesis is that EV cargos secreted by tumor cells contain factors promoting preneoplastic lesions in the FTE. Our goal is to interrogate the role of EVs in the initiation of ovarian cancer in the FTE at the early stage, for which there is no adequate in vitro model. We created a microfluidic model using a 3D dynamic culture system termed PREDICT-MOS to enable the direct interaction of hFTE with EVs and the long-term culture of the fallopian tube explant. We are interested to 1) test the role of EVs to drive preneoplastic transformation of hFTE progenitor cells and 2) to test whether tumor derived-EVs shift EV proteins cargos secreted by hFTE. The hFTE cultured on PREDICT-MOS is directly exposed to OVCAR3-derived EVs and embedded for transcriptomic profiling utilizing GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler to identify differentially expressed genes in both ciliated and secretory cells within the epithelium. In parallel, we are characterizing the hFTE EV protein content with or without OVCAR3 EV treatment to detect the alteration in hFTE cargos using mass spectrometry proteomics. Our preliminary transcriptomic data from 8 patient fallopian tube samples demonstrates the deregulation of pathways associated with inflammation (TNF and NF-kappa B signaling), immune suppression (PD-1 checkpoint signaling) and epithelium morphogenesis. In addition, we have identified 295 proteins as the results of the first proteomic characterization of hFTE-derived EV proteins, which can serve as a “baseline” to evaluate whether the fallopian tube shifts its sEV cargo during ovarian cancer carcinogenesis. Further validation of transcriptomic findings on translational level using immunohistochemistry and identification of OVCAR3 EV protein cargos that induce the transcriptomic changes are needed to establish the role of EVs in the initiation of HGSOC in the fallopian tube. This project is supported by the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance Program Grant. Citation Format: Didi Zha, Jared Sipes, Sagar Rayamajhi, Leonidas E. Bantis, Angela Russo, Harsh Pathak, Andrew K. Godwin, Joanna E. Burdette. Modeling the malignant transformation of fallopian tube epithelium driven by extracellular vesicles cargos in an organ-on-chip microphysiological system [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer; 2023 Oct 5-7; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B041.

A New Attempt at Social Innovation Curriculum : The Design and Operation of ‘Urban Innovation Project (Capstone Design)’ by a PrivatePublic-Academic Partnership

The purpose of this study is to examine the design and operation of the private-public-academic partnership Social Innovation Liberal Arts Curriculum. This initiative involves collaboration between universities, local governments, companies, and NGOs local governments, companies, NGOs, and universities to address community problems and create positive change. The ‘Urban Innovation Project (Capstone Design)’ class was developed to operate the Urban Innovation School, which is a collaborative urban regeneration project involving Seoul Women's University, Habitat for Korea, and POSCO E&amp;C (formerly known as POSCO Engineering &amp; Construction). The project, initiated in 2020, aims to foster private-public-academic partnership and resident participation. While maintaining the purpose and benefits of the current university alliance program, the course was developed as a three-credit liberal arts curriculum. It utilized the inter-university credit exchange method to offer a structured curriculum on a semester-by-semester basis. The aim was to enhance students' engagement in the project, elevate their performance, and acknowledge their participation efforts by granting credits. The main content is based on the implementation of the project by a team organized by topic. It consists of online lectures, on-site activities for 3 days and 2 nights, expert advice, resident participation activities, and a final output presentation. In the 2023 academic year, a total of 49 students from 8 universities participated in the first semester of the program. In order to enhance the educational and social impact of the program, it is necessary to expand the number of universities that offer and operate classes in the future. Additionally, the project topics should be expanded from solely focusing on urban regeneration to encompassing urban issues as a whole. The ‘Urban Innovation Project (Capstone Design)’ class, which is based on private-public-academic partnership and credit exchange between universities, will be able to propose useful and meaningful implications for the social innovation curriculum. This curriculum aims to solve problems and create a positive impact through the connection and collaboration of various actors and sectors.

The Acoustics Knowledge Alliance project: the most recent addition to the Acoustic Courseware online educational platform

The explanation of principles in acoustics can benefit from the use of easily accessible materials enhanced with interactive content and capable of providing feedback from the users. This idea led to the development of the Acoustics Courseware (ACOUCOU) platform, an online open-access interactive platform that contains educational materials on acoustics. At this time, it consists of three different courseware: a multibook Acoustics in Architecture, the Acoustic Course for Engineers (ACE) with the focus on machinery, automotive and rail industry, and the Acoustic Course for Industry (ACI) focused on environmental and industrial noise, its impact on human health and the ways it can be managed. The latest addition will be the courseware developed in the frame of the Acoustic Knowledge Alliance project (ASKnow), which is now in its final stages of implementation. The courseware cover five fields: acoustic fundamentals, psychoacoustics, acoustic simulation and auralization, electroacoustics, and room and building acoustics. Each field is covered with thirty lessons and two practical cases. The aim of this paper is to present the current content available on the ACOUCOU platform, but also the implementation and the most recent results of the ASKnow project. ASKnow is funded by the Knowledge Alliance program of the EU.

Australian general practitioners’ perspectives on integrating specialist diabetes care with primary care: qualitative study

BackgroundImproving the coordination and integration of health services is recognised nationally and internationally as a key strategy for improving the quality of diabetes care. The Australian Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) is an integrated care model implemented in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), New South Wales (NSW), in which endocrinologists and diabetes educators collaborate with primary care teams via case-conferencing, practice performance review, and education sessions. The objective of this study was to report on general practitioners’ (GPs) perspectives on DAP and whether the program impacts on their skills, knowledge, and approach in delivering care to adult patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsFour primary care practices with high rates of monitoring haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (> 90% of patients annually) and five practices with low rates of monitoring HbA1c levels (< 80% of patients annually) from HNELHD, NSW provided the sampling frame. A total of nine GPs were interviewed. The transcripts from the interviews were reviewed and analysed to identify emergent patterns and themes.ResultsOverall, GPs were supportive of DAP. They considered that DAP resulted in significant changes in their knowledge, skills, and approach and improved the quality of diabetes care. Taking a more holistic approach to care, including assessing patients with diabetes for co-morbidities and risk factors that may impact on their future health was also noted. DAP was noted to increase the confidence levels of GPs, which enabled active involvement in the provision of diabetes care rather than referring patients for tertiary specialist care. However, some indicated the program could be time consuming and greater flexibility was needed.ConclusionsGPs reported DAP to benefit their knowledge, skills and approach for managing diabetes. Future research will need to investigate how to improve the intensity and flexibility of the program based on the workload of GPs to ensure long-term acceptability of the program.

Comparison between healthcare quality in primary stroke centers and comprehensive stroke centers for acute stroke patients: evidence from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance

To improve stroke care quality, the guidelines for stroke center construction in China recommended establishing primary stroke centers (PSCs) and comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs). We aimed to compare stroke care quality between the two types of centers. Data were collected from acute stroke patients admitted to PSCs or CSCs in the China Stroke Center Alliance program. Twenty-one individual guideline-recommended performance measures and two summary measures were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between stroke center status (CSC vs. PSC) and healthcare quality. Data from 750,594 stroke patients from 1474 stroke centers (252 CSCs and 1222PSCs) were analyzed. For many components of healthcare performance in stroke patients, comparable levels of performance were observed between CSCs and PCSs. Nonetheless, CSCs outperformed PSCs in the areas of administering intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within 4.5h (aOR=1.31 [95% CI: 1.07-1.60]), rehabilitation for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) (aOR=1.19 [95% CI: 1.01-1.40]), and the provision of hypoglycemic medication and statin therapy upon discharge for AIS (aOR=1.26 [95% CI: 1.00-1.59] and aOR=1.28 [95% CI: 1.04-1.59], respectively). More patients with intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage received neurosurgery in CSCs (14.4% vs. 10.6% and 51.0% vs. 33.9%, respectively). Additionally, CSCs had higher in-hospital mortality than PSCs (aOR=1.33 [95% CI: 1.01-1.73]). Overall PSCs provided equivalent care for many quality measures to CSCs in China with the exception of thrombolysis, rehabilitation access, and medication at discharge for AIS, whereby improvements should be directed. Nevertheless, PSCs have demonstrated lower risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates. The National Key Research and Development Projects of China.

COMMUNITY-BASED RAPID BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT: A PRELIMINARY STUDY IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL NATURAL RESOURCES IN KOTA AGUNG UTARA SOCIAL FORESTRY, TANGGAMUS

Community-based rapid biodiversity assessment has been done initially with Gapoktanhut Lestari Sejahtera, a group of coffee farmers practises social forestry in protected forest, Sedayu, Semaka, Tanggamus, under supervision of KPH Kotaagung Utara, Tanggamus. Its aim is to identify potential natural resources in Kotaagung Utara protected forest, Tanggamus, under Kaidenren Nature Conservation Fund, in collaboration with University of Lampung and Rainforest Alliance program. Direct survey and observation were done, kobotoolbox was applied to collect the biodiversity information, the direct and indirect data of plants, animals as well as landscapes. Of 480 data input has been done by transect line from November, 2021 to February, 2022 covering 15 observed areas. The data consists of direct and indirect data of plants, animals as well as landscapes. The finding done is by local names included plants (n=78) mostly understory plant species, orchids, and ferns, small animals (n=40) include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and arthropods, indirect signs (n=11) of food remains, footprints, voices, scraps, wallowing ponds, scratches, nests, insects body remains, eggs and animals’ trail, some fungi, and landscapes. The findings shows that local community is potential citizen research resources, supporting social forestry practice and the initial building of Kota Agung Utara Forest Management Unit database

Challenges in conserving forest ecosystems through coffee certification: a case study from southwestern Ethiopia

Certification schemes, aimed at simultaneously promoting ecologically sustainable agriculture and improving livelihood, are being utilized at a global scale. Among such certification schemes, the Rainforest Alliance is known as one of the most widely used environmental certification programs throughout the world. Previous studies have compared the ecological impacts of certified and non-certified farmlands, or evaluated the economic outcomes of certification. However, few studies have assessed the long-term impacts of the certification scheme. This paper attempts to analyze the long-term outcomes of the Rainforest Alliance certification program through a case study of coffee farming practices in southwestern Ethiopia. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants who were deeply involved in the certification program, together with field observations and secondary data collection. The results of the assessment indicated that some areas of the certified coffee forests have been deforested or ecologically degraded and that the Rainforest Alliance program requirements were not uniformly applied. The possible causes include rapid population increase, government policies promoting intensive coffee production, presence of members who did not participate in the certification program, a lack of conservation incentives, and loopholes in the auditing process. To determine the overall success of the Rainforest Alliance certification program would require: monitoring of population growth rates and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, promoting collaboration between environmental and agricultural government authorities, conducting a more stringent on-site inspection, and to provide direct incentives for environmental conservation to all farmers living in or near the certified areas.

Effect of prior anticoagulation therapy on stroke severity and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation

BackgroundWe aimed to assess the prevalence of prior anticoagulation therapy (warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants [NOACs]) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in China and investigate the associations between prior anticoagulation therapy and initial stroke severity and in-hospital outcomes. MethodsWe included consecutive patients with AIS and known history of AF admitted to hospitals in the China Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) program from January 2019 to July 2019. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between prior anticoagulation therapy and initial stroke severity and in-hospital outcomes. ResultsOf 7181 patients (median [IQR] age, 75.0 [68.0–81.0] years; 48.7% men), 700 (9.7%), 129 (1.8%), and 255 (3.6%) patients received prior subtherapeutic warfarin (international normalized ratio [INR] <2.0), therapeutic warfarin (INR ≥2.0), and NOACs therapy, respectively. A total of 6499 patients had a preadmission CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2, among whom 94.6% were not adequately anticoagulated. Compared with no prior anticoagulation therapy, prior NOACs therapy was associated with reduced risk of moderate or severe stroke at admission (odds ratio [95% CI], 0.64 [0.43–0.94], P = 0.023) and in-hospital mortality or discharge against medical advice (DAMA) (0.46 [0.24–0.86], P = 0.015). However, no significant association was observed between prior therapeutic warfarin therapy and stroke severity or in-hospital mortality or DAMA. ConclusionsAmong patients with AIS and AF in China, the proportion of patients with inadequate anticoagulation prior to stroke remained substantially high. Prior NOACs therapy was associated with reduced stroke severity and less in-hospital mortality or DAMA.

The case of the Brazilian Alliance Program: a voluntary energy efficiency agreement based on industrial process analysis

The case of the Brazilian Alliance Program: a voluntary energy efficiency agreement based on industrial process analysis

Combined Association of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Systolic Blood Pressure to the Outcome of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Data from the China Stroke Center Alliance.

Limited data were available about the combined impact of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels on intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) prognosis. The objective of this study is to explore whether the relationship between LDL-C and ICH outcomes was modified by SBP levels in a Chinese population. From August 1, 2015, to July 31, 2019, 75,443 ICH patients enrolled from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance program were included in our study. Patients were divided into LDL-C levels of <70 mg/dL, 70-100 mg/dL, and ≥100 mmol/L. SBP was stratified as <140 mmHg, 140-180 mmHg, and ≥180 mmHg. The primary outcome was the occurrence of hematoma expansion (HE), and the second outcome was in-hospital mortality. Correlation between LDL-C levels and SBP on ICH outcomes were assessed by logistic regression. 6,116 (8.1%) and 1,576 (2.1%) patients suffered HE and in-hospital mortality. Compared with the ≥100 mg/dL group, patients with LDL-C concentrations under 70 mg/dL had a 19% and 24% increase in the relative risk of HE (crude OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.28) and in-hospital mortality (crude OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.08-1.42). When SBP was added as a stratification variable, the above-mentioned association was attenuated in patients under a threshold SBP of 140 mmHg (P > 0.05). However, no statistical interaction was detected between SBP and LDL-C levels. Lower LDL-C levels (<70 mg/dL) are related to a higher risk of HE and in-hospital mortality confined to ICH patients with elevated SBP (≥140 mmHg).

Editorial: Special Issue on Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (RCTA) Program

The growing technology investment in driverless cars, warehouse automation, human-service robots, and artificial intelligence applications in our daily lives is inspiring. However, the majority of this effort assumes a structured environment, which leaves significant, unsolved problems for autonomous robots operating in unstructured environments. Beginning in 2010, the U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory (ARL), funded a 10-year research program, the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (RCTA), which brought together scientists and engineers from government, academia, and industry to develop autonomous mobile robot technologies focused on solving the unique research challenges of operating in unstructured environments. While the underlying motivation came from helping soldiers operating in Army-relevant environments, the benefits extend to scenarios ranging from disasters, to planetary exploration, to reducing reliance on extensive prior knowledge in structured environments. Initially, the program focused around four key robotics technology areas: perception, intelligence, human-robot interaction, and dexterous manipulation and unique mobility (DMUM). In the program’s last several years, focus shifted to integrated capabilities, built upon the pillars of success already achieved. This revised, system-oriented approach laid the foundation for many experiments in laboratory, simulation, and field environments. The program concluded with a capstone demonstration that showcased advanced robotic capabilities for the stakeholders. This special issue highlights robotics technology developed during the RCTA program, progress of which was evaluated and documented through research articles, field experiments, and hardware/software system descriptions. The program produced hundreds of published papers describing innovations in multiple, autonomy-related research areas throughout the program. The papers selected for this special issue describe more recent work, and range from individual research advances to lessons learned from conducting system-level field experiments.

Association of ambient PM1 with hospital admission and recurrence of stroke in China

BackgroundParticulate matter (PM) pollution is a well-known risk factor of stroke. However, little is known about the association between PM1 (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1.0 μm) and stroke. We estimated the associations of short-term exposure to PM1 with hospital admission and recurrence of stoke in China. MethodsStroke data were derived from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CASA) program conducted in 1458 hospitals in 292 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2019. Daily air pollution and meteorological data were collected in the cities where studied hospitals were located. Daily PM1 concentration was estimated by a generalized additive model (GAM) using PM2.5 and meteorological variables. A time-stratified case-crossover design was applied to estimate the associations of short-term exposure to PM1 with hospital admission of stroke. A GAM model was used to estimate the association between average PM1 exposure during hospitalization and the recurrence of stroke. ResultsA total of 989,591 stroke cases were included in the study. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1 (lag06-day) was associated with a 0.53% (95%CI, 0.39%, 0.67%) increment in hospital admission for stroke. The adverse effects of PM1 on ischemic stroke was stronger than on intracerebral hemorrhage. We found the associations were significant in Northeast (0.94%, 95%CI, 0.51%, 1.38%), North (0.47%, 95%CI, 0.20%, 0.75%), Central (0.57%, 95%CI, 0.30%, 0.85%), and East China (0.63%, 95%CI, 0.27%, 0.99%). Of all stroke cases, 62,988 (6.4%) had recurrent stoke attack during their hospitalization. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1 was associated with a 1.64% (95%CI, 1.28%, 2.01%) increment in recurrence of stroke during hospitalization. ConclusionsShort-term exposure to PM1 may increase the risk of incidence and recurrence of stroke in China, and the effects varied across different types of stroke and regions. Geographically targeted strategies and measures are needed to control air pollution for reducing the burden of stroke from PM1.

Research? Why? For Whom? Inviting University Alumni to Help Bridge the Gap between Research and Practice

Studies indicate that mental health research publications areinfrequently read by counseling practitioners because mostbelieve that published research is not relevant to practice.Though they perceive a need for research studies, practitionersrarely undertake their own studies. The purpose of thisarticle is to help close the gap between the university researchcommunity and practitioners by proposing the development ofa faculty/alumni research alliance program based on invitationaltheory.

THE ROLE OF “SOFT SKILLS” IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES FORMATION OF FUTURE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS

The article deals with the analysis of an optimization possibility of a professional training process of future computer technology specialists by means of the addition of the elements of “soft skills” to an appropriate structure of professional competencies. In particular, the contents of scientific works on the mentioned problems, carried out by foreign and Ukrainian scientists, have been analyzed by the authors.The parameters of creativity, cooperation, critical thinking and communication skills, necessary for the professions of the future, have been analyzed on the basis of materials of the Educational Alliance Program “Partnership for Learning in the XXI Century”.The information represented in analyzed researchers allowed us to transform the mentioned qualities into a professional training context of Bachelors of Computer Technologies as competitive specialists. A detailed characteristic is proposed for each of these qualities.Based on the researches, a transformation algorithm of soft skills to a professional training context of Bachelors of Computer Technologies as competitive specialists is represented. According to the experience of implementation of an educational and professional training program of computer technology specialists, a list of methods and tools for resolving the issue is proposed.It is determined that at a higher education institution, “soft skills” should be formed by means of coaching, training, special educational courses; self-education; voluntary work for gaining professional experience; by the method of reporting or a presentation work; interactive teaching methods (dispute, discussion; “associative bush”, “decision tree”, “brainstorming”, “semantic map”; teamwork to create software products; case method; modelling (the application of traditional computer technologies knowledge in new conditions); business, role play at classes; work in groups, etc.).Besides, it is proposed to organize the process of soft skills formation of future Bachelors of Computer Technologies with the help of student group work. The contents of the study group activities presuppose a combination of competencies, determined by an educational program‚ and competencies, related to the issues of qualification under analysis.&#x0D; Keywords: professional training of specialists in computer technologies; “soft skills”; hard skills of a specialist; professional competencies of future specialists; creativity; critical thinking; communicativeness; cooperation.