Limited Cooperation Research Articles

Effects of Different Application Times of Silver Diamine Fluoride on Mineral Precipitation in Demineralized Dentin.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a cost-effective method for arresting active dental caries. However, the limited cooperation of patients may lead to an SDF application time that is shorter than the recommended 1–3 min for carious lesions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of different application times of SDF on the degree of mineral precipitation in demineralized dentin. Demineralized dentin specimens from permanent maxillary molars were treated by applying 38% SDF for 30, 60, or 180 s. Water was applied in the control group. The specimens were immersed in simulated body fluid for 2 weeks, and the mineral precipitation in demineralized dentin was then analyzed using FTIR-ATR, SEM-EDX, and synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM). The FTIR-ATR results showed a significant increase in mineral precipitation in the 180 s group after 1 week. However, after 2 weeks, the SRXTM images indicated comparable mineral density between the 30, 60, and 180 s groups. The precipitation of silver chloride and calcium phosphate crystals that occluded dentinal tubules was similar in all experimental groups. In conclusion, an application time of either 30, 60, or 180 s promoted a comparable degree of mineral precipitation in demineralized dentin.

Beyond Blame: What Investigations of Intelligence Failures Can Learn from Aviation Safety

Investigations into intelligence failures are frequently conducted by multiple parties in parallel, and in several important cases, their conclusions have been controversial. In addition, investigations into minor incidents, such as mishandling of sensitive information or equipment, tradecraft errors, or similar events where no major consequences have been detected, tend to be handled internally by the concerned agency, or through limited interagency cooperation. This can lead to missed opportunities to prevent them from developing into major failures. These issues are compared to the investigative procedures employed in the aviation safety sector, where an independent body is responsible for investigating both major failures and minor incidents, with a view specifically to develop proactive measures to prevent repetition. The conclusion presented is that the Intelligence Community could benefit from studying how aviation safety investigations are handled, in order to be more effective in addressing minor incidents at an early stage, and to avoid controversies in investigations of major events.

Organisational and Professional Integration Between Specialist and Primary Healthcare Services: A Municipal Perspective.

Introduction:Care transitions between specialist and primary healthcare services for people with concurrent substance abuse and mental health problems are characterised by vulnerability and arbitrariness.Objectives:By studying factors that influence integration in a Norwegian context, this study aims to investigate, from a municipal perspective, why care transitions are still tricky after the introduction of the key Coordination Reform.Methods:This study has an explorative approach based on interviews with managers and front-line professionals in primary care. We applied the conceptual framework of functional and normative integration of the Rainbow Model.Results:The municipal actors emphasise that integration is hampered by limited cooperation with general practitioners in referrals to hospital, challenges of communication and loss of meeting points. They experienced close cooperation with sociomedical polyclinics for substance abuse, while challenges in cooperation with district psychiatric centres indicated an interdependence of functional and normative integration. Questioning hospital discharge of patients to primary care was a recurring theme for the municipal actors. Thus, the governing framework of the Coordination Reform has coexisted with fragmentation in organisational structures and divided professional cultures.Conclusions:The coexistence of the new and the old regimes seems to hamper functional and normative integration in care transitions.

Critical Review of Special Needs Education Provision in Malaysia: Discussing Significant Issues and Challenges Faced

ABSTRACT This article provides a critical review and analysis of literature on the development of Malaysians’ special needs education provision (SNEP) for adults and young children with disabilities (AYCWD). Specifically, it highlights the emergence and development of special education practices and services as well as the providers of these programs within the context of Malaysia. The significant issues relevant to education services, vocational training and employment, early identification and intervention programs, preparations of special education teachers, early intervention, inclusive education practices, training of teachers and challenges faced by AYCWD were also discussed. The findings show that there are many challenges, including infrastructural obstacles and inadequate learning resources, shortage of relevant training, limited cooperation, limited funding, and shortage of comprehensive and standardised data on all aspects of SNEP in Malaysia. The implications of these challenges and suggestions for improvement of the current SNEP were also outlined in this review.

Linking microeconomic characteristics, entrepreneurship and community prosperity/poverty of South African towns

ABSTRACT Four different South African groups are principally involved with research about entrepreneurship, namely groups focused on: (i) entrepreneurship, (ii) small towns, (iii) local economic development, and (iv) microeconomics of towns. There is limited cooperation between these groups, which if overcome could contribute to the reduction of community poverty in towns. Two hypotheses are examined to sketch the importance of quantified entrepreneurial knowledge: 1. New entrepreneurship, i.e. the ability to successfully start businesses of types not yet present, is linked with entrepreneurial strength in the tradable sectors of towns. 2 Entrepreneurial strength in the tradable sector reduces poverty in towns. A range of power law (log–log) relationships reflect the entrepreneurial complexity of towns and enables tests of the hypotheses. The first is rejected and the second accepted. Strength in the tradable sector of towns reduces community poverty. Greater research cooperation should be sought.

A Better Choice for Primary Anterior Tooth Restoration Between Strip Crowns and Zirconia Crowns: A Narrative Review

Pediatric dentists very commonly encounter patients with carious primary maxillary anterior teethdemanding esthetic treatment. Meeting this need of the patient and their parents is the greatest challengeto the clinician, considering the tender age of the patient and limited cooperation available during thetreatment. Strip crowns were popularly used conventional esthetic restorative option to treat such teethwith a good degree of acceptance from patients and their parents. However, they are technique sensitiveand have other disadvantages. The process of overcoming these drawbacks introduced zirconia crowns tothe primary anterior esthetic armamentarium. This review discusses the comparison between strip crownsand zirconia crowns for primary anterior tooth restoration. The PubMed database was accessed to search forrelevant articles using key terms: (primary anterior teeth) AND (strip crown) and (primary anterior teeth)AND (zirconia crowns).

First-episode psychosis in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population.

Few if any methodologically robust studies of first-episode psychosis have been carried out in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population. The opening of an inpatient psychiatry department within an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Israel offered the unique opportunity to study the specifics of first -episode psychosis in this subpopulation. Medical records of 60 ultra-Orthodox male Jewish patients with first-episode psychosis were examined over the first 18 months of the new department's operation. Data regarding the patients' demographical status, anamnestic information, clinical presentation, and psychiatric care were analyzed. Participants were 18-30 years old; 15 (25%) were already engaged or married. Most patients (37, 61.7%) had not been employed in any formal activity prior to their hospitalization, with 21 patients (35%) studying in a Talmudical school. Religion-related delusions were noted in 20 patients (33.3%), and community/rabbi-related delusions in 18 patients (30%). Only three patients (5%) reported suicidal attempts. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) ranged between 1-48 months (mean 10.4, SD 9.5). In contrast to other first-episode psychosis studies, this study highlights specific features of first-episode psychosis in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population, which is characterized by a high marriage rate, short DUP, low rates of substance use and suicidal attempts, expression of religious- and community-related themes in delusion content, and limited cooperation with health care providers. A better understanding of the cultural specifics of first-episode psychosis in this subpopulation may enable earlier treatment, improve prognosis, and facilitate compliance with medications and rehabilitation programs.

Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review

BackgroundLow/middle-income countries (LMICs) face triple burden of malnutrition associated with infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. This review aims to synthesise the available data on the delivery, coverage, and effectiveness of...

Sectoral Integration in Watershed Management in Indonesia : Challenges and Recomendation

The integration of watershed management in Indonesia is still far from what was expected. Sectoral integration is influenced by several factors such as communication, coordination, cooperation, policies and regulations. The lack of communication, the limited coordination and cooperation between sectors is a limitation in realizing integration between sectors. Policies reinforced by regional autonomy legislation hamper sectoral integration of watershed management. This article will explain why inter-sectors have not been successfully integrated in watershed management. The sector concept will clarify this situation. Sectoral integration in watershed management in Indonesia is a challenge for the government in this case the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of State-owned enterprises. The existence of an institution that manages a Watershed will avoid overlapping programs so that it will greatly save the budget and improve the performance of the watershed.

Analysis of land data acquisition and management and their challenges in Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the current land data acquisition system, data sharing mechanism and major challenges in Ethiopia. A total of 26 institutions working mainly on land data collection, management, dissemination, and use were purposively selected. Data were collected from these institutions using face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions and observations. Besides, international standards were reviewed. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative techniques. The results showed that all the surveyed institutions have some land data produced by themselves or other institutions. However, the data is not in compliance with any of the geospatial data standards. Moreover, some institutions do not have clear information about the source and accuracy of their data holding. Data storage systems, e.g., data warehouses and server were practiced by some institutions. Data duplication, lack of data sharing protocol and limited cooperation between institutions are the major challenges of land data management in Ethiopia.

A Payoff of Cooperation and Non-cooperation: An Analysis of Pak-Afghan Relations during Cold War

Pak-Afghan relations are consisting of non-cooperation and mistrust, which are narrating the Game Theory. Just after the inception of Pakistan, it was the instinct desire to have cordial relations with Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the misapprehension of Afghanistan created the vacuum of non-cooperation between the two neighboring countries. Afghanistan policy of defection over Durand Line, Pakhtunistan and support for the militants in FATA and Baluchistan and resultantly Pakistan’s support for Mujahedeen and Taliban, further aggravated the situation. Though limited cooperation was seen during Daud era, Taliban regime and in the War against Terrorism but it could not let cooperation to get roots. This paper employs the approach of Game Theory to analyses the payoff of cooperation and noncooperation in the light of Pak-Afghan relations during Cold War. Furthermore, it investigates that how much the policy of cooperation and give-and-take will bring payoff for both of the two

Remote social work during a pandemic. The example of Poland

Employees of social work centres and nursing homes have to deal with the consequences of the ever-increasing coronavirus pandemic. The problems faced by social workers during the pandemic became the subject of this study. The research aim was to identify the difficulties faced by social workers in their professional work during the coronavirus pandemic which began on 20 March 2020 in Poland. The method of the study was a computer-assisted survey and the tool applied was the electronic questionnaire as well asindividual in-depth interviews . The study concerned three areas: diagnosis of difficulties occurring in the professional work of employees in the area of work organisation; diagnosis of difficulties occurring in the area of work with the client or environment; collecting opinions on possible remote work carried out by social workers in the future. The survey was conducted in late August and early September 2020 and covered 432 respondents. The data gathering was based on purposive sample where the adopted criterion was employment in a social work centre or a specialist institution connected to social work. The most important problems indicated by the respondents were: lack of appropriate tools, place, as well as procedures and instructions for remote work, lack of support of superiors, increase in the scope of administrative and office duties, and strongly limited cooperation with other services and institutions. We also formulated a set of recommendations in the following areas: equipment, work organisation, support in the area of relations with the client, coordination of social services and institutions.

Probing E. coli SSB protein-DNA topology by reversing DNA backbone polarity

Escherichia coli single-strand (ss) DNA binding protein (SSB) is an essential protein that binds ssDNA intermediates formed during genome maintenance. SSB homotetramers bind ssDNA in two major modes, differing in occluded site size and cooperativity. The (SSB)35 mode in which ssDNA wraps, on average, around two subunits is favored at low [NaCl] and high SSB/DNA ratios and displays high unlimited, nearest-neighbor cooperativity forming long protein clusters. The (SSB)65 mode, in which ssDNA wraps completely around four subunits of the tetramer, is favored at higher [NaCl] (>200 mM) and displays limited low cooperativity. Crystal structures of E. coli SSB and Plasmodium falciparum SSB show ssDNA bound to the SSB subunits (OB folds) with opposite polarities of the sugar phosphate backbones. To investigate whether SSB subunits show a polarity preference for binding ssDNA, we examined EcSSB and PfSSB binding to a series of (dT)70 constructs in which the backbone polarity was switched in the middle of the DNA by incorporating a reverse-polarity (RP) phosphodiester linkage, either 3′-3′ or 5′-5′. We find only minor effects on the DNA binding properties for these RP constructs, although (dT)70 with a 3′-3′ polarity switch shows decreased affinity for EcSSB in the (SSB)65 mode and lower cooperativity in the (SSB)35 mode. However, (dT)70 in which every phosphodiester linkage is reversed does not form a completely wrapped (SSB)65 mode but, rather, binds EcSSB in the (SSB)35 mode with little cooperativity. In contrast, PfSSB, which binds ssDNA only in an (SSB)65 mode and with opposite backbone polarity and different topology, shows little effect of backbone polarity on its DNA binding properties. We present structural models suggesting that strict backbone polarity can be maintained for ssDNA binding to the individual OB folds if there is a change in ssDNA wrapping topology of the RP ssDNA.

Social media-based disaster research: Development, trends, and obstacles

Social media, as a new data source, is a promising field in disaster research. Despite doubts about its validity, a growing number of research institutes and commercial companies are exploring the potential of social media in disaster risk management. To understand the development and trends in this domain, a bibliometric analysis was performed using 1573 related published articles in Web of Science between 1991 and 2019. We found that (1) the number of annual publications and new research institutes in this field grew rapidly but seems to have become saturated in recent years. (2) The main research force is independent universities with limited cooperation, and a knowledge network has not yet been formed in this arena. (3) Research hotspots evolve in the path of “conceptualization - refinement - application”. Due to the three features of social media data, namely, timeliness, subjectivity, and disequilibrium, obstacles still exist in applicable disaster types and population representativeness. We anticipate new scientific advances emerging to overcome some technical difficulties. Knowledge sharing, advanced computer science, and multiorganizational cooperation will benefit this arena. These findings indicate potential directions for the development of and innovation in social media-based disaster research.

Keeping Your Enemies Close? The Variety of Social Movements’ Reactions to International Organizations’ Opening Up

Abstract Starting in the 1990s, international organizations (IOs) have created various opportunities of access for civil society to voice criticism. While international relations (IR) scholarship has increasingly addressed the resulting interaction between IOs and civil society with a focus on NGOs, we know little about the particular reactions to IOs’ opening up by social movements. This paper analyzes reactions to opening up by a transnational social movement centrally addressing IOs: the Global Justice Movement (GJM). Examining reactions by different groups of the GJM in Europe and Southeast Asia to IOs’ opening up, we demonstrate that reactions differ considerably depending on activists’ assessments of the nature of opening up. In particular, we identify four pathways of reactions on a continuum from (1) strong cooperation with IOs as a reaction to opening up, (2) temporally limited cooperation with different IOs, (3) a hybrid reaction that combines cooperation with specific IOs with a strong opposition to other IOs in reaction to their opening up, to (4) a continuous rejection of all cooperation with IOs. We show how these different reactions are shaped by activists’ perceptions of the quality of the international opening up in conjunction with national and local context factors. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that such perceptions can significantly change over time depending on experiences of interactions. Reactions to opening up are therefore not predictable on the basis of a movement's shape and resources only, but rather depend on a variety of factors such as the movement's perception of the IO's sincerity in a strategic and consequential interaction, as well as the movement's ideological framework and its history of interaction with institutions at other levels, especially in the domestic realm.

Household Water Stress, Adaptation and Resilience in Some Selected Peri-urban and Rural Communities of Oyo State, Nigeria

The condition of water infrastructure in selected village communities along peri-urban and rural corridors of Oyo State can be said to be in a state of colossal infrastructural waste and communal neglect. Using a mixed approach, the study examines household water stress and adaptation. Evidence shows that peri-urban villages and rural areas in Oyo State buy water and that water facility maintenance is limited by the high cost of repairs and limited inter-community cooperation. It was also revealed that many households are vulnerable to water-borne diseases owing to a lack of a potable water source. It was revealed 50.4% of the households travel less than 30m to fetch potable water, 17.1% travel between 31 to 60m, while the remaining 32.5% travel over 100m to fetch water. The study suggests that the strategic location of the capital city and LGAs’ headquarters must be considered as this often influences water infrastructure access and availability. The strategic location of infrastructure is considered relevant in the transformation of the selected communities towards sustainability environment and improved liveability.

The challenges of containing SARS-CoV-2 via test-trace-and-isolate

Without a cure, vaccine, or proven long-term immunity against SARS-CoV-2, test-trace-and-isolate (TTI) strategies present a promising tool to contain its spread. For any TTI strategy, however, mitigation is challenged by pre- and asymptomatic transmission, TTI-avoiders, and undetected spreaders, which strongly contribute to ”hidden" infection chains. Here, we study a semi-analytical model and identify two tipping points between controlled and uncontrolled spread: (1) the behavior-driven reproduction number {R}_{t}^{H} of the hidden chains becomes too large to be compensated by the TTI capabilities, and (2) the number of new infections exceeds the tracing capacity. Both trigger a self-accelerating spread. We investigate how these tipping points depend on challenges like limited cooperation, missing contacts, and imperfect isolation. Our results suggest that TTI alone is insufficient to contain an otherwise unhindered spread of SARS-CoV-2, implying that complementary measures like social distancing and improved hygiene remain necessary.

Federated Learning Empowered End-Edge-Cloud Cooperation for 5G HetNet Security

The distributed and heterogeneous framework in the 5G heterogeneous network (Het-Net) makes it vulnerable to attacks of different kinds. Nodes for improving the network security are therefore important to eliminate such critical threats. Without cooperation or with limited cooperation, these nodes are substantially restricted in their protecting capacity due to specific characteristics such as heterogeneity, hierarchy, and wide range in the 5G HetNet. In this article, we propose a federated learning empowered end-edge-cloud cooperation-based framework for enhancing 5G HetNet security. In this framework, nodes equipped with attack detection mechanisms are distributed in the end, edge, and cloud of the 5G HetNet. We then design cooperative training schemes to realize the full potential of these nodes in detecting attacks. Illustrative results demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed scheme compared to three different benchmark schemes.

The emergence of Urban Community Resilience Initiatives During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Exploratory Study

All over the world, urban communities take initiative in order to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study conducts a literature review and an international exploratory study in order to identify pathways within which Community Resilience Initiatives (CRIs) emerge within different governance contexts. The CRIs target vulnerable communities, which are hard to reach. Our study results identify four pathways: (1) informal bottom-up community initiatives; (2) formal community initiatives emerging out of existing community-based initiatives; (3) initiatives of external actors, often NGOs, universities or governments and (4) networks of organisations whom together initiate action in response to COVID-19. The pathways lead to different types, scales and complexities of the initiatives. However, all face similar barriers related to funding, weak networks and limited cooperation. CRIs often perceive the government agencies to be unreliable and unsupportive which in turn also hampers CRI’s emergence.

Urban e-Grocery Distribution Design in Pamplona (Spain) Applying an Agent-Based Simulation Model with Horizontal Cooperation Scenarios

E-commerce has boosted in the last decades because of the achievements of the information and telecommunications technology along with the changes in the society life-style. More recently, the groceries online purchase (or e-grocery), has also prevailed as a way of making the weekly shopping, particularly, the one including fresh vegetables and fruit. Furthermore, this type of virtual shopping in supermarkets is gaining importance as the most efficient delivery system in cost and time. Thus, we have evaluated in this study the influence of the cooperation-based policies on costs and service quality among different supermarkets in Pamplona, Spain. Concerning methodology, first of all, we carried out a survey in Pamplona having the purpose of modelling the demand patterns about e-grocery. Second, we have developed an agent-based simulation model for generating scenarios in non-cooperative, limited cooperation, and full cooperation settings, considering the real data obtained from the survey analysis. At this manner, Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP) and Multi Depot VRPs (MDVRP) are dynamically generated and solved within the simulation framework using a biased-randomization algorithm. Finally, the results show significant reductions in distance driven and lead times when employing horizontal cooperation in e-grocery distribution.