First Year Of Operation Research Articles

Anxiety/Depression Predominance in Liaison-Psychiatry Users of a South-East Mexico Tertiary Hospital.

Patients at tertiary hospitals may find themselves in need of mental health support due to the distress associated with the illness that may or not lead to a psychiatric condition. Here is an overview of the clinical cases treated by the liaison psychiatry service of a public tertiary hospital from Southeast Mexico during its first years of operation (2008–2018), with the purpose of gathering information about the status and needs of this population. A sample of 304 clinical records of patients treated for the first time by the psychiatry service was reviewed, and the distribution by demographic characteristics, diagnosis of mental illness and medical area of reference was analyzed. Anxiety and depression symptoms were the most frequent. Most patients were women, lived in Merida and returned after the first appointment. The neurology service referred most patients, yet most attended directly. General tertiary hospitals should prioritize integrating ad hoc mental and physical health care. Adult women with a profile of anxiety and/or depression would be the first target group. Some areas of opportunity for further research and improvement of mental health services are: preventive services for anxiety and depression, follow-up of patients, attention to relatives of patients at intensive care units, implementation of telehealth alternatives, training on mental health screening and inter- and intra-institutional collaboration.

Identifying the population of stable ν6 resonant asteroids using large data bases

ABSTRACT Large observational surveys, like those that will be conducted at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, are expected to discover up to one million new asteroids in the first year of operation. This will more than double the data base of known asteroids. New methods will be needed to handle the large influx of data. Here, we tested some of these new approaches by studying the population of asteroids on stable orbits inside the ν6 secular resonance. This resonance is one of the strongest mechanisms for destabilizing the orbits of main-belt bodies and producing Near-Earth Asteroids. Yet, stable orbital configurations where the asteroid pericenter is either aligned or anti-aligned with that of Saturn exist inside the resonance. The population of stable ν6 resonators is now the largest population of asteroids in stable orbits inside a secular resonance. Here, we obtained the largest sample of asteroids’ proper elements ever used. Clustering methods and the use of machine learning algorithms permitted the identification of the known asteroid families crossed by the ν6 resonance and of two entirely new groups: the Tiffanykapler and the 138605 QW177 families. The Tiffanykapler family is the first young asteroid family ever found in a linear secular resonance, with an age of 3.0 ± 1.2 My and an ejection velocity field parameter of $V_{\mathrm{ EJ}} = 15^{+6}_{-3}$ m s−1. We identify a population of high-eccentricity objects around the Tina family that may be the first example of an asteroid family ‘resonant halo’.

Hybrid wetland system for a pet-care center wastewater treatment

A hybrid wetland (HW) consisting of a free-water surface flow wetland (FWSW) followed by a horizontal subsurface flow wetland (HSSFW) was constructed for the final treatment of wastewater from a pet-care center. Typha domingensis was planted in both wetlands. During the first year of operation, wastewater was separated from solid pet waste (first period). Then, that solid waste and liquid wastewater were treated together, causing a significant increase in the concentration of the pollutants (N, P, and organic matter) in the effluent treated in the HW (second period). The objectives of this work were to evaluate the performance of the system and compare its efficiency between periods. The HW was efficient in both periods, except for nitrate removal. Total mean removals were: 66.9 and 82.8% for COD, 74.9 and 88.3% for BOD, 61.9 and 83.0% for ammonium, 67.7 and 83.8% for TKN, 5.65 and 20.37% for nitrate, and 56.9 and 62.1% for TP in the first and second period, respectively. In the second period, mean removal efficiency percentages increased and the contaminant concentrations in the outlet were not significantly different from those of the first period. In the second period, the highest pollutant removal occurred in the FWSW mainly for COD, BOD and TKN. TP and TKN concentrations in plant tissues of the inlet area of FWSW were significantly higher than those in plants from the HSSFW. The study showed that this HW is a low cost, efficient and sustainable solution for the pet-care center wastewater treatment.

Initiation of a discharge pharmacy within a busy urban emergency department: The first year.

Discharge prescriptions represent an important aspect of care for patients seen in the emergency department (ED) setting and are used by providers to continue therapy for acute illness once patients leave the ED or to prevent future exacerbations of chronic conditions. The success of an ED discharge and the medications prescribed rely on patient compliance. Compliance depends on patients' ability to obtain prescriptions, which can be hindered by limited access to pharmacies and cost. In order to address issues traditionally associated with medication noncompliance, a discharge pharmacy was implemented within a busy urban ED. The pharmacy began processing prescriptions on December 18, 2019, using a formulary aimed towards providing commonly prescribed and high-risk medications. The pharmacy accepts insurance plans in addition to utilizing 340B Drug Pricing Program pricing to offer affordable medications to patients. During the first year of operation 10,230 prescriptions were filled for 5,703 patients, representing 13% of all patients discharged during that time. Of the prescriptions filled, 35.4% were for products considered high-risk medications, including epinephrine auto-injectors, insulin, and antibiotics. Over 50% of these high-risk medications were provided to patients through reduced cash pricing. Pharmacist interventions were made on 4.3% of prescriptions to address incorrect dosing, avoid use of inappropriate antibiotics, and recommend alternative therapies. The implementation of a discharge pharmacy within the ED allowed over 5,700 patients to be discharged with medications and represents a potential solution to issues surrounding medication noncompliance. Similar initiatives have the opportunity to improve medication access for a larger ED population.

Simulation and economic evaluation of process alternatives for biogas production and purification from sugarcane vinasse

Vinasse, which is the main residue of ethanol production, is a promising alternative for the generation of biogas, due to its high generation rate and limited application. The objective of the present work is to simulate and economically compare alternative processes for the production and treatment of biogas from the anaerobic digestion of vinasse. Different water, H2S and CO2 removal technologies were evaluated: condensation, membrane separation, washing, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), adsorptions with silica gel, activated carbon and metallic oxides, absorptions with triethylene glycol (TEG), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid iron (III) (Fe/EDTA) and diethylamine (DEA). It was shown that an anaerobic lagoon is preferable over a set of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors due to the large processing scale, reducing the capital costs. Among the 12 evaluated routes, the best process alternative for biogas treatment was water removal through silica gel adsorption, followed by simultaneous H2S and CO2 absorption in a Fe/EDTA solution. In the best scenario, the entire biomethane production plant would require an investment of US$ 3.6 million, resulting in an annual net profit of US$ 1.99 million, with payback in the first year of operation.

Archives of the Dance (27), The Establishment of Beijing Dance School in the First-Hand Report of Soviet Specialist O. A. Il'ina: Introduction, Translation, Notes

The Beijing Dance School was founded in 1954 by China's Ministry of Culture to develop the dance arts through professional training in Chinese classical dance, the folk dances of the ethnic minorities and Han Chinese, and ballet and character dance. Ol'ga Aleksandrovna Il'ina's report, filed with the USSR Ministry of Culture, is the only known Soviet account, covering both the intense preparations for the school and the complexities of its first year of operation. Aspects of her report provide insights into 1) the Soviet model of dance propagation and the nuts and bolts of how it produced the ballet-inflected Chinese dance genres, 2) the convergence of the military dance performance system with the professionalization of civilian dance training, and 3) China's role in the dance history of the Cold War, specifically the tours of Moiseyev Dance Company and Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre. This article translates Il'ina's report and provides an introduction and notes.

Sustainable urban development observatory of Thessaloniki - lessons learnt from the first year of operation

Abstract Sustainable Urban Development Observatory of Thessaloniki (SUDOTh) started operating in the first semester of 2020 with the objective to promote territorial evidence in policy making in urban governance. SUDOTh was developed as part of the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy 2016-2023 of Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area to address the need to obtain, observe and monitor how complex urban functions interact, at a territorial level, with product development (or lagging) effects. In the first year of operation, the Observatory had to set, test and evaluate the system of indicators and indexes it uses. Initially the system was formed in 4 basic sections: 1. Territorial Development and Urban renewal, 2. Urban Mobility, 3. Environmental Conditions and 4. Social Conditions. An extra set of indicators for Urban Governance was also developed. The process of data collection, test and evaluation of indicators was eventually coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation influenced deeply several urban functions as well as the data collection methodology. The first results and conclusions from the first year of the operation of SUDOTh are presented and discussed further in this paper.

The EU to the rescEU? Assessing the geopolitics of the EU’s medical stockpile

This article uses a geopolitical lens to assess the EU’s response to COVID-19 by exploring the Commission’s creation of an emergency medical stockpile, dubbed rescEU. The article describes the creation, financing and distribution of this stockpile, which comes under the aegis of the Civil Protection Mechanism, in its first year of operation, 2020–1. What the analysis shows is how the creation and distribution of medical assistance was justified by the need to adapt to a changing international environment, one in which Russia and China contested the EU’s solidarity, both within the EU27 and towards its neighbours. The EU has committed to investing large sums to develop pandemic resilience via stockpiling. However, what remains to be seen is how far such a policy can strengthen solidarity and counteract anti-EU narratives in the global context of the increasing strategic competition facing the EU.

ВЦМК «Защита» ФГБУ «ГНЦ – Федеральный медицинский биофизический центр им. А.И.Бурназяна» ФМБА России: итоги работы в 2021 г. и задачи на 2022 г.

The need to protect the population of the territories and personnel of the facilities serviced by the Federal Medical and Biological Agency in emergency situations by medical treatment organizations and mobile medical formations sets them an important task — to provide timely emergency and urgent medical care to victims in an emergency in accordance with modern principles of medical evacuation routing. The aim of the study is to analyze and to evaluate the main results of the activities of the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita” as a part of Federal Medical and Biophysical Center named after A.I. Burnazyan of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of the Russian Federation, to develop proposals and to define objectives for further development and improvement of the system to organize medical care and medical evacuation in emergencies at facilities and territories served by FMBA of Russia. Materials and research methods. Materials: regulatory, legal and methodological documents governing the procedure for providing medical aid to the victims of emergencies; reports of the structural units of the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita”, including special exercises held in 2021; scientific papers on topical issues of medical support to the population in emergencies. Research methods: analytical, statistical, method of direct observation. Results of the study and their analysis. The results of the first year of operation of the the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita” as a part of Federal Medical and Biophysical Center named after A.I. Burnazyan of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of the Russian Federation in 2021are presented. The following results are considered and analyzed: special trainings of the Field Multidisciplinary Hospital and Consolidated medical detachment; work on medical support of mass events — “Tavrida” Forum of Young Culture and Arts Workers and “Silk Road” international rally. The work of the laboratory of scientific and methodical problems of medical support in emergency situations established in the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita” within the past year was characterized. Decrease of the Center of sanitary aviation and ambulance services abroad activities due to borders closing, caused by COVID-19 pandemic, is highlighted. The activities of the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita” in the field of civil defense in the interests of FMBA of Russia, are listed. The main tasks for the All-Russian Center for Disaster Medicine “Zaschita” for 2022 are formulated.

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Past, Present, and Future Precariousness

AbstractThis article considers the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in the UK–EU Withdrawal Agreement as a ‘flexible and imaginative’ response to the problems that Brexit has created for the island of Ireland. It looks at the purpose of the Protocol and its origins, noting the reasons why flexibility was required from both sides. It then considers the ways in which precariousness from its conception has been demonstrated in its first year of operation. This focuses upon four main areas: implementation, dynamic alignment, the democratic consent vote, and the UK–EU relationship. Its core argument is the ‘flexibility’ that the Protocol requires also means a certain degree of ambiguity. In the absence of a stable UK–EU relationship, this precariousness could exacerbate the difficulties of meeting the policy challenges that surround the Protocol for Northern Ireland, the UK, Ireland and the EU.

Frequency of Eye Diseases in Residents of Nursing Homes - 1-Year Results of a Novel Telemedicine Service in Switzerland.

For the elderly in nursery homes, a visit to the ophthalmologist is a burden, which might lead to undertreatment. We have recently started offering a novel ophthalmological service combining onsite examination and telemedical interpretation for patients with limited access to ophthalmological care. This study summarises the frequency of findings of treatable eye diseases after the first year of operation in participants who dropped out from regular ophthalmological control. Participants' clinical characteristics, frequency of service utilisation, and findings were extracted from the system and analysed. Of 1946 residents approached, 540 (27.7%; 1080 eyes) signed up for the service. A complete examination was possible in 412 persons (813 eyes) and partially possible in the remaining 128. The mean age of the examined participants mean age was 83.9 years (SD 9.7), and they were predominantly female (69.8%). The majority had a diagnosis of dementia (54.5%) and 20.2% had diabetes mellitus requiring treatment. The median care level (ranging from 0 - 12) was 7(interquartile range 6 - 9), corresponding to a care need of 121 - 140 min/d. The mean best-corrected decimal visual acuity was 0.55 (SD 0.24). For 164 eyes (15.2%), the current spectacle correction was insufficient. An untreated cataract was present in 145 eyes (13.4%), 89 eyes (8.2%) were receiving glaucoma treatment, and 7 eyes had a decompensated glaucoma. Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) appeared in 276 eyes (25.6%), 12 eyes (1.1%) had wet AMD, and 24 eyes (11.0%) among patients with diabetes showed signs of diabetic retinopathy. Other pathologies were uncommon. Residents of nursery homes, who are unable to attend regular ophthalmological control, show various treatable ophthalmological conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal pathologies. Screening with a novel telemedicine service allows for the identification of treatable conditions and careful planning and referral of patients to appropriate clinics having the necessary infrastructure for this particular population.

Spectral performance analysis of the Aeolus Fabry–Pérot and Fizeau interferometers during the first years of operation

Abstract. In August 2018, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the first Doppler wind lidar into space, which has since then been providing continuous profiles of the horizontal line-of-sight wind component at a global scale. Aeolus data have been successfully assimilated into several numerical weather prediction (NWP) models and demonstrated a positive impact on the quality of the weather forecasts. To provide valuable input data for NWP models, a detailed characterization of the Aeolus instrumental performance as well as the realization and minimization of systematic error sources is crucial. In this paper, Aeolus interferometer spectral drifts and their potential as systematic error sources for the aerosol and wind products are investigated by means of instrument spectral registration (ISR) measurements that are performed on a weekly basis. During these measurements, the laser frequency is scanned over a range of 11 GHz in steps of 25 MHz and thus spectrally resolves the transmission curves of the Fizeau interferometer and the Fabry–Pérot interferometers (FPIs) used in Aeolus. Mathematical model functions are derived to analyze the measured transmission curves by means of non-linear fit procedures. The obtained fit parameters are used to draw conclusions about the Aeolus instrumental alignment and potentially ongoing drifts. The introduced instrumental functions and analysis tools may also be applied for upcoming missions using similar spectrometers as for instance EarthCARE (ESA), which is based on the Aeolus FPI design.

Problems Continue in the Horticulture Sector: the Seasonal Workers Pilot Review 2019

In March 2019, the UK government launched a pilot scheme offering six-month visas to migrant workers in the horticulture sector. The first year of operation of this scheme has now been evaluated by the Home Office and the Department for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).1 It would have been easy to overlook the publication of this review, taking place as it did on 24 December 2021. However, it offers important insights into the problems experienced by workers in the sector and casts doubt on the wisdom of temporary visa schemes as a solution to labour shortages, given the additional vulnerabilities they create. This note offers a short history of seasonal agricultural work by way of background, before examining the Seasonal Workers Pilot (SWP) and the key findings of the government’s own evaluation. An early incarnation of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) was set up in 1945 to tackle post-war labour shortages.2 This encouraged young workers, often students, to spend short periods of time living on farms, picking fruit and vegetables during peak harvest times, which typically coincided with vacations. It was envisaged as a form of cultural exchange, with young people from the UK encouraged to spend time in other countries to assist with post-war reconstruction efforts.

Cosmic ray observations from Livingston Island

ORCA, from the Spanish name Observatorio de Rayos Cósmicos Antártico, is a cosmic ray detector devoted to the observation of secondary cosmic rays at Juan Carlos I Spanish Antarctic Base (62°39′46″S,60°23′20″W, 12 m above sea level). ORCA was installed at the beginning of January 2019 after performing a latitudinal survey from Vigo (Spain) to Livingston Island aboard the Sarmiento de Gamboa Research Vessel. ORCA was in commissioning phase from January 2019 to March 2020, being in normal operation mode from March 2020. A vertical cutoff rigidity of 2.37GV has been computed at ORCA location and during the first year of operation, i. e. from March 2020 to March 2021.ORCA consists of three detectors stacked in a shared structure that maintains the relative distances between the detectors. A muon telescope (ORCM), a neutron monitor without any shielding around (ORCB) and a 3NM64 neutron monitor (ORCA). This configuration allows the measurement of neutron count rates at two different energy thresholds, muon count rate and muon incident directions.Measurements recorded during the first year of operation and ORCA potential capabilities are shown in this work.

Implementation and Uptake of Rural Lung Cancer Screening.

Given the higher rates of tobacco use along with increased mortality specific to lung cancer in rural settings, low-dose CT (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening could be particularly beneficial to such populations. However, limited radiology facilities and increased geographical distance, combined with lower income and education along with reduced patient engagement, present heightened barriers to screening initiation and adherence. In collaboration with community leaders and stakeholders, we developed and implemented a community-based lung cancer screening program, including telephone-based navigation and tobacco cessation counseling support, serving 18 North Texas counties. Funding was available to support clinical services costs where needed. We collected data on LDCT referrals, orders, and completion. To raise awareness for lung cancer screening, we leveraged our established collaborative network of more than 700 community partners. In the first year of operation, 107 medical providers referred 570 patients for lung cancer screening, of whom 488 (86%) were eligible for LDCT. The most common reasons for ineligibility were age (43%) and insufficient tobacco history (20%). Of 381 ordered LDCTs, 334 (88%) were completed. Among screened patients, 61% were current smokers and 36% had insurance coverage for the procedure. The program cost per patient was $430. Implementation, uptake, and completion of LDCT-based lung cancer screening is feasible in rural settings. Community outreach, health promotion, and algorithm-based navigation may support such efforts. Given low lung cancer screening rates nationally and heightened lung cancer risk in rural populations, similar programs in other regions may be particularly impactful.

Architectural Planning Features of Class II Stations of the Ussuri Railway: Vladivostok and Khabarovsk

The subject of the study is the architectural and urban planning features of Class II stations on the section of the Trans–Siberian Railway - the Ussuriyskaya Railway (the historical name of the line), the most remote from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The article discusses the final stations of the route – Vladivostok and Khabarovsk during the years of construction and in the first years of operation (the time frame can be conditionally considered from 1891 – the laying of the road, until the early 1910s - the preparation of projects for the reconstruction and expansion of stations). The author pays special attention to the study of village layouts, the mutual location of the main objects – passenger buildings, squares, streets; the current state of railway development is analyzed. The paper presents the materials obtained during the field surveys and research studies of the author in 2021-2022. It is emphasized that railway stations and their simple, at first glance, architectural design are part of the grandiose ensemble of the Great Siberian Way, original monuments of the era, and as such are of considerable research interest. Architectural and town-planning features of the first railway stations of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk are analyzed for the first time. The necessity of further comprehensive study of the railway development of cities and towns in the south of the Far East, including for the development of measures for its preservation and popularization of industrial architectural heritage, was noted.

Biofouling of seawater reverse osmosis membranes caused by dispersal of planktonic particulate bacterial aggregates (protobiofilms) from rotary energy recovery devices

A seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant in the Arabian Gulf region showed serious membrane biofouling that appeared to be due to the presence of planktonic particulate bacterial aggregates that can be termed as “protobiofilms”, which possessed the same characteristics of surface-attached biofilms. This SWRO plant utilized dissolved air flotation and ultrafiltration for pretreatment, high permeable SWRO membranes for desalination and incorporated rotary energy recovery devices (RERD). During the first year of operation, a slow steady increase in TMP and channel ∆P was observed that appeared due to membrane biofouling from either colloidal small bacterial aggregates or individual bacterial cells. After the first year of operation, the TMP and channel ∆P increased at an accelerated rate that appeared due presence of planktonic particulate bacterial aggregates. An internal membrane hybridization (IMH) program was initiated after the second year of operation by replacing the two highly fouled high permeable membranes in the feed-end of the pressure vessel with new low permeable membranes to lower the flux and concentration polarization (CP) of the feed-end membranes and to lower the membrane fouling potential. Biofouling of these new low permeable membranes in the IMH program resulted in an immediate and an accelerated increase in both TMP and channel ∆P, which was attributed to the presence of significant concentration of planktonic particulate bacterial aggregates that appeared due to dispersal of a biofilm from the RERD. An important factor that contributed to the dispersal of bacterial aggregates into the RO feed water was the flow velocity through the RERD. Decreasing the flow velocity into and cleaning of the RERD resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of RERD biofilm dispersal and biofilm formation on the SWRO modules.

Performance of experimental bioretention cells during the first year of operation

Abstract Detailed data on the long-term performance of bioretention cells (BC) for stormwater management are sparse. This research aimed at setting up and testing an infrastructure that will provide the data on hydrologic and chemical performance of BC. Two identical experimental BC’s were built. The monitoring methodology monitoring was developed and tested during a first growing season with the first BC supplied with natural rainfall, while the second BC was used for ponding experiments. Key layer of the BCs, a biofilter, was composed of sand, compost and topsoil. Both BCs are equipped with sensors monitoring the components of water balance and the water potential of the biofilter. High levels of total suspended solids were detected in the outflow. The runoff coefficient for the entire period of the growing season was 0.72 in the first BC and 0.86 in the second BC, while the peak outflow reduction for individual rainfall episodes ranged between 75% to 95% for the first BC and 19% to 30% for the second BC. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the biofilter in the first BC decreased by two orders of magnitudes after the first year of operation. Retention curves of the biofilter changed due to material consolidation.

Euro-BioImaging – Interdisciplinary research infrastructure bringing together communities and imaging facilities to support excellent research

Euro-BioImaging – Interdisciplinary research infrastructure bringing together communities and imaging facilities to support excellent research

Financing Sustainability in the Arts Sector: The Case of the Art Bonus Public Crowdfunding Campaign in Italy

This paper addresses the conditions that can facilitate the long-term effectiveness of civic crowdfunding fundraising strategies. While previous studies have provided a broad picture of the possible conditions for fostering effective fundraising strategies, most have considered the implications of fundraising only for management or only for cultural policy, neglecting an integrated approach that contemplates the needs of both. Thus, this work integrates cultural management and cultural policy perspectives by discussing a specific exploratory case study: Art Bonus, a cultural patronage tax incentive strategy introduced by the Italian government in 2014, which also includes civic crowdfunding features. To the best of our knowledge, Art Bonus is the first national civic crowdfunding platform supported by a national government. As an innovative and unique platform, its analysis is particularly relevant. This work analyzes the system’s functioning and the results obtained in its first years of operation (2014–2016) by accessing the public database relating to the donations transited through the platform. While the initiative effectively channeled more fundraising resources into the cultural sector, the results also illustrate potential points for improving such a system.