Research Commission Research Articles

War and Peace on the Rio Grande Frontier, 1830–1880

Miguel Ángel González-Quiroga's War and Peace on the Rio Grande Frontier, 1830–1880 is an important work of synthesis and original research concerning Anglo-American, European immigrant, and Mexican relationships on the US-Mexico borderlands. African Americans and Native Americans are also included in the study; however, the former receives limited attention and the latter are depicted as villains in the way of economic progress.González-Quiroga inserts his work within the historiographical debate over whether the Anglo-American and Mexican relationship was mainly one of conflict or cooperation. David Montejano's Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, 1836–1986 (1987) is the standard for grappling with this question. Montejano used an economic paradigm to understand shifting race relations over time and geography. Ranching economies led to more harmonious relationships and farming led to harsher ones. Eventually, a merchant and consumer economy helped end Juan Crow segregation. For González-Quiroga, binational trade and unity in subduing Native Americans through “cooperative violence” led to pragmatic relations that were ruptured at times by Anglo-American racist violence against Mexicans. Cooperative violence also occurred during rebellions and foreign invasions. Eventually, by 1880, both nation-states gained further control over the border regions, which allowed for binational economic integration and led to greater harmony between both groups.Gonzáles-Quiroga untangles the socioeconomic, political, and racial history of the borderlands through nine chapters using both a chronological and thematic approach. He follows a standard Texas history chronology, following the Texas Secession Movement, the Republic of Texas Era and War of North American Aggression of 1846–48, 1850s statehood, the US Civil War and French Intervention, and the defeat of Native Americans by 1880.Chapters 1 and 2 examine the tumultuous period of 1830–48, with the related conflicts of the Texas rebellion and the United States invasion of Mexico. Through diligent investigation, Gonzáles-Quiroga finds many examples of political and economic cooperation between Anglos and Mexicans that contrast with studies that solely focus on conflict. Chapters 2 and 3 examine strengthening ties between both groups during the 1850s, and chapters 4 and 5 look at how both the Civil War and the French Intervention led to cooperative violence in both conflicts as well as the cross-border economic opportunities that arose from the conflicts.The last three thematic chapters focus on the period of 1868–80. In “A Most Violent Decade,” González-Quiroga examines both state-sanctioned and extralegal violence to describe the period of the 1870s. He centers his description as an economic competition for land and cattle between Anglos, Mexicans, and Native Americans. He rightly notes labeling Mexicans as cattle thieves was a trope to justify violence and theft against them as noted by the Comisión Pesquisidora. González-Quiroga's use of the commission's research and findings is an important corrective to the historiographical distortion of the Cattle War / Skinning War trope that discursively hides the state-sanctioned violence against Mexicans in the Nueces Strip. As Armando Alonzo's Tejano Legacy (1998) has shown, statistical data concerning Mexican economic dominance bears out that most of the wealth in the late nineteenth century was held by Mexicans. Despite the violence, migration to the border region increased as González-Quiroga describes in “Between Hate and Harmony,” with population growth of US citizens in Mexico and Mexicans nationals in Texas. The final chapter, “Pacification and Economic Integration,” describes Porfirio Díaz's recognition of the United States after the Revolution of Tuxtepec (1876), a military defeat of Native Americans that led to the development of a transnational railroad network connecting both nations’ expanding economies.As noted in the introduction, the main weakness of González-Quiroga's work is his depiction of Native Americans as obstacles to economic progress because they are never afforded the same complex analysis given to Anglo-Americans, European immigrants, and Mexicans. Nonetheless, this book provides a nuanced examination of conflict and cooperation between Anglo-Americans and Mexicans that is often missing in other works.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Socio Environment and Socio Education

Purpose: The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report will be launched as the world approaches the half-way point of the 2030 Agenda and struggles to rebuild in the aftermath (or in the midst) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compare the document counts for up to 15 sources, year 2020 until 2021, there are increase of documents based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Socio Education documents published in SCOPUS.COM. Subject area dominant is Social Sciences, followed by Environmental Science, Medicine.
 Design/methodology/approach: Source Documents dominant is International Journal Of Emerging Technologies In Learning, followed by Sustainability Switzerland, E3s Web Of Conferences, and Lancet. There are no Indonesia journal. By country or territory, Nigeria, United Kingdom, and India dominant in the World. In Malaysia, very strong, followed by Viet Nam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, and Thailand. By funding sponsor, dominant Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, followed by Covenant University, Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery, European Commission, and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. There are no Indonesia funding sponsor. By affiliations, dominant James Cook University, followed by Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, Lunds Universitet, and University of Cape Coast Ghana. There are no Indonesia affiliations. Compare the document counts for up to 15 sources, year 2020 until 2021, there are increase of documents based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Socio Environment documents published in SCOPUS.COM.
 Findings: Subject area dominant is Social Sciences, followed by Environmental Science, Energy. Source Documents dominant is Energy Reports journal, followed by Sustainability Science journal, International Organisations Research Journa, Smart Innovation Systems And Technologies journal, and Sustainability Switzerland journal. There are no Indonesia journal. By country or territory, United Kingdom dominant, followed by South Africa and Nigeria. In ASEAN dominant Indonesia and Malaysia. By funding sponsor, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation dominant, followed by Bundesministerium für Bildung undForschung, Centre for International Forestry Research, European Commission, and European Social Fund. None from Indonesia. By affiliations, University of KwaZulu-Natal dominant, followed by Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, South African Water Research Commission, University of Venda, and Russian Presidential Academy of National, from Indonesia there is Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Indonesia, 29,793 documents, whole institution, 28,845 documents, affiliation only, 17,394 Authors, Document count (high-low), Medicine 7,069 docs, Engineering 5,685 docs, and Physics and Astronomy 5,145 docs. Universitas Indonesia research publication connected with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Socio Environment.
 Paper type: Research paper

A framework for implementing Patient and Public Involvement in mental health research: The PATHWAY research programme benchmarked against NIHR standards.

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research has become a key component recommended by research commissioners, grant award bodies and specified in government policies. Despite the increased call for PPI,few studies have demonstrated how to implement PPI within large-scale research studies. The aim of the current study was to provide a case example of the implementation of a patient advisory group in a large-scale mental health research programme (PATHWAY) and to benchmark this against UK standards. A PPI group was incorporated throughout the PATHWAY research programme, from grant development to dissemination. The group attended regular meetings and supported participant recruitment, evaluated patient-facing documents, supported the piloting of the research interventionand co-developed the dissemination and impact strategy. The implementation of PPI throughout the project was benchmarked against the UK standards for PPI. The inclusion of PPI in the PATHWAY project provided tangible changes to the research project (i.e., improving study documents, co-developing dissemination materials) but also proved to be a beneficial experience to PPI members through the development of new skills and the opportunity to provide a patient voice in research. We show how PPI was involved across seven study phases and provide examples of implementation of the six UK standards. The study did not include PPI in data analysis but met all the UK standards for PPI. Challenges regarding practical components (i.e., meeting frequency, language use), increasing diversityand PPI members' knowledge of research were highlighted as areas for further improvement. We provide a case example of how PPI can be implemented throughout a research lifecycle and we note the barriers faced and make suggestions for PPI in future implementation and research. PPI members were involved throughout the lifecycle of the research programme. The PPI lead was a co-author on the manuscript and contributed to report writing.

Materials study to implement a 3D printer system to repair road pavement potholes

InfraRob is a research project funded by the European Commission's research programme Horizon 2020 that aims to maintain integrity, performance, and safety of the road infrastructure through autonomous robotized solutions and modularization. A specific task of the project is focused on the development of a system 3D printer able to extrude a specific mixture for filling in small cracks and potholes, to be integrated with an existing small autonomous carrier. The first step of the research deals with the definition of the optimal parameters of the system 3D printer/mixture, by studying in parallel the material design and the printer design. This paper presents the study performed on a mixture chosen among those commonly used for road potholes repair. The mixture is studied to achieve and balance the different conflicting performances: consistence, flowability homogeneity, and internal structure. In addition to the basic components, the use of special additives has also been explored to improve the plasticity and adhesivity of the mixture. The first phase of tests is conducted to define the main printing controls: i) Extrudability control: materials for 3D printing need to have an acceptable degree of extrudability, which is related to the capacity of a material to pass continuously through the printing head; ii) Flowability control, to ensure the mixture can be easy-pumpable in the delivery system and easy-usable on the crack or the pothole to be filed-in; iii) Setting time control: printing material requires a certain setting time to maintain a consistent flow rate for good extrudability, thus appropriate additives are needed to control the setting time. The second phase includes in situ tests to verify the compaction of the mixture under the traffic loads. The paper presents the results of the lab and in situ tests, and the features of the chosen mix, suitable to be managed by the 3D printer

Comparison between two methods of the immediate post-placental insertion of copper intrauterine device in vaginal birth—a protocol for a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundEnsuring effective and long-term contraception in the immediate postpartum period is an effective strategy for reducing unplanned pregnancies. In the meantime, the intrauterine device (IUD) is an excellent option. The aim of our study was to evaluate the best way to insert post-placental IUDs in the immediate postpartum period. Discomfort during insertion, expulsion rate, uterine perforation rate, and proper positioning 40–60 days postpartum will be analyzed.MethodsRandomized, controlled, open clinical trial. The study group will be composed of women between 18 and 43 years old who are admitted for vaginal birth at the Women’s Hospital of the State University of Campinas and who wish to use the IUD as a contraceptive method. The sample will be randomized into two insertion groups: manual and forceps. To calculate the sample size, the method of comparing the proportion between 2 groups was used, setting the level of significance alpha at 5% (alpha=0.05) and the power of the sample at 80% (beta=0.20). Based on the results, it was estimated that a sample of n=186 women (n=93 with manual insertion and n=93 with forceps) would be representative for comparison of expulsion between the 2 groups. All participants will undergo a postpartum consultation 40–60 days after birth with transvaginal ultrasound to assess the proper placement of the IUD.DiscussionInsertion of an IUD in the immediate postpartum period has been considered a good option to increase coverage and access to contraception, and its benefit outweighs the inconvenience of a higher expulsion rate.Trial registrationThis study was approved by the Ethics and Research Commission of UNICAMP (CAAE: 50497321.4.0000.5404) and the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBEC) (number RBR-4j62jv6). This is the first version of the study protocol approved on 11/12/2021 prior to the start of participant recruitment.

CFD Analysis of Mixing Process of Detergents in Rotational and Displacement Vessels

As part of the European Commission research project DIY4U focused on the development of machinery to be installed in supermarket allowing customers to define their customized detergent according to their needs. These machines will mix the detergent components (surfactant, fatty acid, water, perfume, etc.) already in the detergent canister as sold to consumers. To avoid long waiting times for customers, and to obtain a product with good quality and consistency, mixing must be very efficient. A mixing process with rotation and displacement by means of rotating the canister around an axis below the canister bottom has been checked by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools after validation of one case with lab results. This is a new approach for liquid detergents, as commonly is a powder detergent production process. The mixing process has been simulated for 39 different combinations of components mass fraction percentages and the mixing quality observed during the mixing period. A response surface obtained from these simulations has been developed to be included in a Digital Twin, this being a task within this DIY4U project. The results show that this system is very efficient, taking a few seconds to develop a complete mixing. Also, the mixing time differences are quite small, requiring all customers to wait just few seconds independently of their detergent formulation.

Global estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2020: a baseline analysis of the WHO Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative

Tracking progress and providing timely evidence is a fundamental step forward for countries to remain aligned with the targets set by WHO to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem (ie, to reduce the incidence of the disease below a threshold of 4 cases per 100 000 women-years). We aimed to assess the extent of global inequalities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality, based on The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2020 estimates, including geographical and socioeconomic development, and temporal aspects. For this analysis, we used the GLOBOCAN 2020 database to estimate the age-specific and age-standardised incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer per 100 000 women-years for 185 countries or territories aggregated across the 20 UN-defined world regions, and by four-tier levels of the Human Development Index (HDI). Time trends (1988-2017) in incidence were extracted from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) plus database. Mortality estimates were obtained using the most recent national vital registration data from WHO. Globally in 2020, there were an estimated 604 127 cervical cancer cases and 341 831 deaths, with a corresponding age-standardised incidence of 13·3 cases per 100 000 women-years (95% CI 13·3-13·3) and mortality rate of 7·2 deaths per 100 000 women-years (95% CI 7·2-7·3). Cervical cancer incidence ranged from 2·2 (1·9-2·4) in Iraq to 84·6 (74·8-94·3) in Eswatini. Mortality rates ranged from 1·0 (0·8-1·2) in Switzerland to 55·7 (47·7-63·7) in Eswatini. Age-standardised incidence was highest in Malawi (67·9 [95% CI 65·7 -70·1]) and Zambia (65·5 [63·0-67·9]) in Africa, Bolivia (36·6 [35·0-38·2]) and Paraguay (34·1 [32·1-36·1]) in Latin America, Maldives (24·5 [17·0-32·0]) and Indonesia (24·4 [24·2-24·7]) in Asia, and Fiji (29·8 [24·7-35·0]) and Papua New Guinea (29·2 [27·3-31·0]) in Melanesia. A clear socioeconomic gradient exists in cervical cancer, with decreasing rates as HDI increased. Incidence was three times higher in countries with low HDI than countries with very high HDI, whereas mortality rates were six times higher in low HDI countries versus very high HDI countries. In 2020 estimates, a general decline in incidence was observed in most countries of the world with representative trend data, with incidence becoming stable at relatively low levels around 2005 in several high-income countries. By contrast, in the same period incidence increased in some countries in eastern Africa and eastern Europe. We observed different patterns of age-specific incidence between countries with well developed population-based screening and treatment services (eg, Sweden, Australia, and the UK) and countries with insufficient and opportunistic services (eg, Colombia, India, and Uganda). The burden of cervical cancer remains high in many parts of the world, and in most countries, the incidence and mortality of the disease remain much higher than the threshold set by the WHO initiative on cervical cancer elimination. We identified substantial geographical and socioeconomic inequalities in cervical cancer globally, with a clear gradient of increasing rates for countries with lower levels of human development. Our study provides timely evidence and impetus for future strategies that prioritise and accelerate progress towards the WHO elimination targets and, in so doing, address the marked variations in the global cervical cancer landscape today. French Institut National du Cancer, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Commission; and EU4Health Programme.

Water security in rural Eastern Cape, SA: Interrogating the impacts of politics and climate change

Achieving water security remains one of the central challenges to many developing countries today. According to the South African Water Research Commission, the availability of safe and affordable water is crucial in ensuring a healthy and productive life for all. Despite the national standards set to measure the quality of water in South Africa, the sources and ‘quality standards’ of water in rural Eastern Cape remain a major concern. Based on empirical research with 140 respondents and interactions; this paper highlights that most rural residents in the Eastern Cape still access water from dams, rivers and streams for domestic and agricultural purposes. Again, the availability of water throughout the year is not guaranteed due to changing global climatic conditions with both humans and livestock accessing water from same sources. The paper concludes that climate change and politico-administrative ‘negligence’ compound water insecurity in most of South Africa's rural communities.

Assessing provider quality

Care sector expert Andrew Rome sets out the implications for commissioners of research on standards in children's homes

The Field-Building and Grantee Experimentation Role of Foundations in Impact Investing as Illustrated by a Gender-Lens Investing Case Example

This article argues for foundations to play two critical roles in the impact investing ecosystem: to commission and/or support research that helps build more equitable and socially just impact investing and to fund grantee-specific experimentation in areas of impact investing and social enterprise that are nascent or developing.

Sustainable agricultural online course development framework for community-based transformative learning

This paper examines the change drivers and challenges involved in the transitioning of the Water Research Commission’s Amanzi for Food training of agricultural educators and farmers’ face-to-face co-engaged course to an online course aligned with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (www.amanziforfood.co.za). The study drew on system thinking to analyse components within the course development activity system. Insights from stakeholder engagement and expansive learning processes fed into key emergent themes which informed the e-learning processes. The research highlights how the development and implementation of a sustainable training programme using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools bring together learning processes occurring within different interconnected dimensions and in complex and unpredictable ways. It became clear that to utilise e-learning as a mediating artifact capable of facilitating social transformation towards suitability expansively, certain conditions needed to be in place. The drivers that impacted the development of e-learning as a mediating tool included the need to find an alternative learning platform for broader dissemination of Rain Water Harvesting & Conservation (RWH&C) knowledge and alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study concludes that this transition requires specific tools, adequate time, an understanding of e-learning pedagogical processes and learning platform functionalities (requiring upskilling of the digital literacy of the development team and other actors), and workable data-efficient or data-free, smartphone-friendly training and communication platforms.

Estereotipos negativos asociados a la vejez en los estudiantes de Enfermería chilenos y mexicanos. Efecto de la asignatura «Enfermería Geronto-Geriátrica»

IntroductionThe various problems presented by older people with vulnerability factors can be solved from a preventive approach through education that highlights the positive aspects of aging, which are often minimized due to stereotypes and prejudices associated with age present in society. and that influence the perception of old age and the elderly by professionals and future professionals who care for the elderly. MethodologyDescriptive within-subject study of repeated measures (before and after) to evaluate the impact of the Geriatric Nursing course on undergraduate Nursing students in 2019. The census-type sample was carried out based on the total number of students who were studying the subject, 52 sixth-semester students in Mexico and 68 seventh-semester students in Chile. Data collection was carried out in both countries at the beginning and end of the subject, through an instrument with sociodemographic questions and the CENVE Questionnaire to measure the level of stereotypes associated with old age presented by students.Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, the reliability test of the instrument was also carried out by means of Cronbach's Alpha. To carry out this research, the approval of the Ethics and Research Commissions of the selected educational institutions in both countries was obtained. ResultsWhen comparing the results between Chile and Mexico, a descriptive difference was observed between Mexico (x=40.76) and Chile (x=34.62) in the evaluation at the beginning of the subject and in the post-intervention measurement, in Mexican students (x =41.04, SD=5.90) and Chileans (x=30.09; SD=7.05), the Mexican students presented “high negative stereotypes” and the Chilean students “low stereotypes” according to the cut-off points of the instrument.The two-way ANOVA test showed a statistically significant interaction between Nation/Time (F=6.439, p=.012), showing that Chile has greater positive effects in its course to reduce negative stereotypes in nursing students than Mexico. ConclusionsThe positive effect of teaching the subject of Geriatric nursing in the training of future nursing professionals was empirically verified, being an effective intervention to reduce negative stereotypes about aging, old age, and the elderly.

SINGLE CANDIDATES AGAINST THE EMPTY BOX; ON REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS 2020 IN INDONESIA

Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) on 2020 have a positive effect on the implementation of a constitution and at least democracy for measuring political participation, the elections that were held after reform started from a Regional Head who was elected by the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), then elected directly by the community (one man one vote). The direct election then became a simultaneous election in all parts of Indonesia. Until the latest development, namely the presence of a single candidate. The Single Candidate then implies the Empty Box as a companion because there are no candidates or no eligible candidates. This consequence must be accepted due to the Direct-Simultaneous Election system with the threshold record regulations as full of regional head nominations. This gave birth to various interests of political elites and party elites playing in it so that party elites inevitably intervened to whom the letter of recommendation would be given, or consolidation at the elite political level had agreed on a political dowry which then gave birth to a single candidate. This research uses qualitative methods with comprehensive analysis through data collected from the General Election Commission (KPU) and previous research. This paper examines the main factors that gave birth to a single candidate and the political elite’s role in compiling the party’s recommendation letter. The hypothesis that can be seen from the phenomenon of fighting empty boxes is the political dowry factor and the party cadre system’s ineffectiveness in producing leader candidates.

An overview of Personalized Medicine landscape and policies in the European Union.

The spread of Personalized Medicine (PM) over the last decade defined a revolution in healthcare systems. PM is among the priorities of the European Commission's research agenda, which funded the IC2PerMed international project aiming to integrate China into the International Consortium of PM (ICPerMed). In the context of this project, we mapped the existing policies related to PM in the European Union (EU) and at the EU Member States (EU-MS) level. PubMed, Google Scholar, Google, Microsoft and national and international institutions' official repositories were searched in order to identify documents on PM-related policies, programmes and action plans at the EU and EU-MS level, published up to December 2020. We identified 28 policies in the EU aimed at improving public health promoting and fostering PM implementation, through some actions including the standardization of good medical practice, use of big data and digital innovation, data sharing and cross-border interoperability, healthcare sustainability, disease prevention and patients'/citizens' engagement. We identified 23 policies at EU-MS level which, notwithstanding national differences, have a common focus, such as patient-tailored treatment and targeted prevention, education of healthcare workers, research and innovation, big data harmonization and healthcare system sustainability. The definition of an integrated regulatory framework is essential to turn PM into an opportunity for citizens and patients with the involvement of all the stakeholders. This work can provide a valuable tool for decision-makers to define common approaches, priorities for research, development and increase international collaboration, which could overcome the fragmented European scenario and align the future direction on PM.

The path to gender equality in R&I

There is a well documented gender gap in science and technology and, despite advancements, women remain underrepresented, particularly in fields such as engineering, mathematics, computing and physics. This is worsened still by the presence of skills shortages in these fields and UNESCO recommends efforts to attract and retain women to these fields. The European Commission (EC)’s European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda intends to ‘promote gender equality and foster inclusiveness’. ‘She Figures’ is a study that began in 2003 and collects data and statistics on the status of gender equality in European research and innovation (R&I). It is updated every three years, allowing progress with the evolving situation to be closely monitored. In the 2021 edition of ‘She Figures’ it is highlighted that while numbers of female students at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels are steadily rising, women are distinctly underrepresented in R&I careers. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “We still need to do more to promote gender equality, in particular to inspire girls for a career in STEM.” The report highlighted disparities among different fields of study with, for example, only 21 per cent of female ICT graduates and 27 per cent of female engineering graduates, while in health and welfare, the figures rise to 60 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. This suggests remaining outdated misconceptions in terms of traditionally male-dominated and female-dominated areas and the need for change.

Inspiring the next generation of GIM researchers

Patient-centred clinical research in general internal medicine (GIM) makes an ­important contribution to better medical care for patients in Switzerland. This ­requires talented and motivated young researchers. At the 6th Spring Congress of the Swiss Society of General Internal Medicine (SGAIM/SSMIG) in Lausanne from 1–3 June 2022, the Research Commission of SGAIM is organising a specific training with networking opportunities for young researchers in order to attract them to an academic career and provide them with targeted support.

The Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the General Population of Oman: A National Community-based Study

Introduction: Despite evidence that that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in general poses unprecedented risks, it is unclear to what extent these consequences have affected the mental health of the general population. This study aims to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population in Oman and to associate the physical health status and psychological impact. Methods: A cross-sectional online anonymous survey in which 831 adults from Oman’s general population were randomly sampled as per the inclusion criteria. The medical research and ethics commission approved the project. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent from the study participants. The criteria of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was used to measure the psychological impact. Results: Among 831 respondents in this study, only 4.2 % and 14.9 % of total participants reported depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. There is a statistically significant difference in psychological scores between males and females at the p < .05 level: F (1, 829) = 16.03, p < .001. As a result of this discovery, it appears that women are mentally affected by the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 epidemic has had a severe impact on the general population’s psychological health in Oman. This survey found that the global health crisis has a psychological impact on most of the adult population, regardless of their age. As a result, early detection, urgent medical intervention, and counseling are required.

La investigación en los servicios públicos de salud y su reconocimiento en las carreras profesionales de las comunidades autónomas en España

ObjectiveHealth research is an accessory activity for most health professionals in the national health service of Spain. One way to recognize your worth is through professional careers. The objective of this paper has been to compare how research activity is valued in the professional careers of the health services of the different regions of Spain. DesignReview of agreements, resolutions and decrees that define the professional careers of each community collected from the corporate websites of health services and health ministries. SiteHealth Research and Innovation Commission of the Extremadura Health Service. ParticipantsMembers of said commission. MethodsThe following was considered for comparison: if the research activity is valued in isolation from other concepts, if it is considered to advance in different levels, if it is a requirement for any of them, and the percentage of score assigned to the block to which it belongs. ResultsAlmost all the regions consider research as merit at all career levels. The score of the research block is between 4 and 50% of overall. They are only considered independently, of others activities, in the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-León, Cataluña, Madrid and Murcia. They are required to climb a certain level in the Canary Islands and Castilla-León. ConclusionsThere is a high variability in the recognition of research activity between regions. The careers that best value research would be those of the Canary Islands and Castilla-León, which consider it an independent activity and it becomes a requirement. The regions that have a more negative approach are those that can be promoted to the highest level, without making any contribution to research.

Myelin repair is fostered by the corticosteroid medrysone specifically acting on astroglial subpopulations.

SummaryBackgroundMultiple sclerosis is characterised by inflammation, oligodendrocyte loss and axonal demyelination and shows an additional impact on astrocytes, and their polarization. Although a certain degree of spontaneous myelin repair can be observed, disease progression, and aging impair regeneration efforts highlighting the need to better understand glial cell dynamics to establish specific regenerative treatments.MethodsApplying a chronic demyelination model, we here analysed demyelination and remyelination related effects on astrocytes and stem cell niches and studied the consequences of medrysone application on myelin repair, and astrocyte polarization.FindingsMedrysone induced recovery of mature oligodendrocytes, myelin expression and node formation. In addition, C3d/S100a10 co-expression in astrocytes was enhanced. Moreover, Timp1 expression in C3d positive astrocytes revealed another astrocytic phenotype with a myelination promoting character.InterpretationBased on these findings, specific astrocyte subpopulations are suggested to act in a myelin regenerative way and manner the regulation of which can be positively modulated by this corticosteroid.FundingThis work was supported by the Jürgen Manchot Stiftung, the Research Commission of the medical faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, the Christiane and Claudia Hempel Foundation for clinical stem cell research and the James and Elisabeth Cloppenburg, Peek and Cloppenburg Düsseldorf Stiftung.

Evolving requirements for materials modelling software and underlying method developments: an inventory and future outlook.

This European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC) study provides an outline of the survey intent and ambitions, followed by an analysis of the results and a follow up discussion, focused on the future perspectives of the EMMC. The survey covers materials modelling and characterisation communities in both academia and industry. It provides a profile of the surveyed players in these communities and a scaled measure on their usage of computational methodologies. The survey outcomes include: (i) summary views of the recent as well as perceived future trends of materials modelling and its associated fields, with respect to two focus areas surveyed, Model Development and Software, (ii) the main adoption factors and associated bottlenecks for computational methods and software, (iii) the most targeted materials properties and digital twins approaches, and (iv) the wider communities expectations of how EMMC can help facilitate, fulfil and drive further the European Materials Modelling Roadmap to the benefit of the European Commission's (ECs') research and innovation.