Regular Part Research Articles

Empowering childhood cancer survivors through integrated, individualized health insurance education

: Financial toxicity is a well-documented side effect of cancer treatment, and can be a lifelong burden for childhood cancer survivors (CCS). CCS have difficulty maintaining adequate health insurance and this results in decreased healthcare visits, reduced survivor-focused healthcare, and missed outpatient clinic appointments. For CCS transitioning into adult care, understanding health insurance—how to get it, keep it, and use it—is a key aspect of combatting financial toxicity and of maintaining ongoing survivorship care. Thus, there is a clear role for longitudinal education on health insurance for CCS. In the Childhood Cancer Survivor Program at the University of Minnesota, health insurance education and counseling delivered by social workers has been incorporated as a regular part of routine survivorship care visits. In this commentary we provide a rationale for why health insurance education is crucial for CCS, describe our existing program for delivering this education, and make recommendations for future programs and directions in the current healthcare landscape. We believe our experience incorporating insurance education into clinical care is unique, and in sharing it, we hope to raise awareness of the need for health insurance education as part of cancer survivorship care and also to springboard future research and collaborative efforts in this realm.

Nutritional consulting in regular veterinary practices in Belgium and the Netherlands.

BackgroundIncreased interest in nutrition by dog and cat owners stresses the importance of providing tailored nutritional guidance for each patient by veterinarians. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has provided guidelines to help veterinarians implement this in every‐day patient care, by screening patients for the presence of nutritional risk factors, establishing tailored nutritional plans and providing adequate patient follow‐up tools.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the use of nutritional assessments in companion animal practices, and to investigate differences between Dutch and Belgian veterinarians.MethodsA survey was conducted among Dutch and Belgian veterinarians. Of the 423 respondents, 53% were from Belgium, and 47% were from the Netherlands.ResultsOnly 21% had prior knowledge of the WSAVA nutritional assessment guidelines. General trends in the usage of nutritional assessments were similar in the examined countries. Aside from weighing, diet evaluation by collecting dietary information and body condition or muscle condition scoring were used infrequently, mostly due to insufficient knowledge of the methods. Nutritional recommendations were often made as part of a treatment plan, and were mostly made by veterinarians, but in Dutch practices also by veterinary nurses.ConclusionDespite the fact that nutritional recommendations are a regular part of treatment plans, nutritional risk factors may be missed due to a lack of completely performed nutritional assessments. It remains important to promote the benefits of regular nutritional assessments to veterinarians, which will improve patients’ health.

Simulation of the Charge Carriers Distribution in the Active Region of the P-I-N-Diodes by the Perturbation Theory Methods

A mathematical model of the electron-hole plasma stationary distribution in the active region (i-region) of p-i-n-diodes in the dif-fusion-drift approximation is proposed. The model is represented in the form of a nonlinear singularly perturbed boundary value prob-lem for the system of equations of the electron-hole currents conti-nuity, the Poisson equation and the corresponding boundary condi-tions. The decomposition of the nonlinear boundary value problem of modeling the stationary distribution of charge carriers in the plasma of p-i-n-diodes is carried out on the basis of the solutions asymptotic representation. The model problem is reduced to a se-quence of the linear boundary value problems with a characteristic separation of the main (regular) components of the asymptotics and a boundary corrections. It was found that the formulation of the problem for finding the zero term of the asymptotics regular part coincides with the classical formulation of the p-i-n-diodes charac-teristics modeling problem, which is carried out in the approxima-tion of the ambipolar diffusion (approximation of a self-consistent electrostatic field).The proposed mathematical model and the method of its linearization make it possible to determing the main components in the diffusion-drift process and to study their role. For example, it becomes possible to study (including by analytical methods) the behavior of plasma in the p-i-, n-i-contacts zones. The results of the study are aimed at developing methods for de-signing p-i-n-diode structures, used, in particular, as active ele-ments of the signals switches of a microwave data transmission systems and the corresponding protective devices.

The Technopolitics of Mapping Dar es Salaam: An examination of the technological and political motivations of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Mapping has long formed a key part of development work, from recording household surveys, participatory mapping exercises, and PRA projects. Now though the sector is full of new actors- mapping and tech companies as well as NGOs- monitoring through drones and satellite images, alongside employing more traditional methods. Many of these new players were born from NGOs and companies who started as ‘crisis mappers. Short-term ‘crisis mapping’ projects have become a regular part of humanitarian response following a disaster. The short-term nature of such actions, and the need for stable employment/profits, has led to an increasing trend for the same organizations and companies to either remain on the ground producing maps or to move into new areas as part of a pre-emptive mapping practice, inserting themselves into the wider international development ecosystem. This research, centered on Tanzania, examines how HOTOSM has attempted to pivot towards working as a development organization that creates maps for prevention of crisis, but also wider socio-economic outputs. The research used interviews to explore the interplay between technology and micro/macro politics around the mapping of Dar es Salaam. Examining how HOTOSM its role, and how they position their map-making within the context of Dar es Salaam. Findings suggest that HOTOSM is still underdeveloped as an organization and lacks the maturity to create true participatory models of working.

Faculty and Librarian Perceptions of Librarians as Researchers: Results from Semi-Structured Interviews

Following on the results of an earlier survey, this study explores the perceptions of librarians as researchers according to academic librarians and faculty using semi-structured interviews. Conducting research is a regular part of the academic librarian role, but one that often faces challenges to its undertaking, and one that is not always recognized. Exploring perceptions of librarian research helps to understand the current state of librarian research, the barriers faced by librarian researchers, and the value of librarian research. Fifteen librarians and seven faculty members were interviewed from eight Canadian universities. The interviews were coded and analysed to identify major themes. Librarian research was found to be sometimes unsupported and therefore difficult to conduct, but valuable to librarians and the discipline of librarianship. Additionally, librarian research was found to improve relations between librarians and faculty, and more broadly, was found to create a more collegial academic climate.

What Is the Optimal Strength Training Load to Improve Swimming Performance? A Randomized Trial of Male Competitive Swimmers.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of high, moderate, and low resistance training volume-load of maximum strength training on muscle strength and swimming performance in competitive swimmers. Thirty-three male swimmers were randomly allocated to high (age = 16.5 ± 0.30 years), moderate (age = 16.1 ± 0.32 years) and a low resistance training volume-load group (age = 15.9 ± 0.31). This study was carried out in mid-season (January to March). Pre and post strength (e.g., repetition maximum [1RM] leg extension and bench press tests), swimming (25, 50 m front-crawl), start (speed, time, distance) and turn (time of turn) performance tests were conducted. Our findings revealed a large main effect of time for 1RM bench press: d = 1.38; 1RM leg extension: d = 1.55, and for 25 (d = 1.12), and 50 m (d = 1.97) front-crawl, similarly for start and turn performance (d = 1.28–1.46). However, no significant Group × Time interactions were shown in all strength swimming performances, start and turn tests (p > 0.05). In conclusion, low training loads have been shown to elicit the same results as moderate, and high training loads protocol. Therefore, this study shows evidence that the addition of low training volume-loads as a regular part of a maximal strength training regime will elicit improvements in strength and swimming performance.

Supervisory controller synthesis and implementation for safety PLCs

The development of supervisory controllers for cyber-physical systems is a laborious and error-prone process. Supervisor synthesis enables control designers to automatically synthesize a correct-by-construction supervisor from a model of the plant combined with a model of the control requirements. From the supervisor model, controller code can be generated which is suitable for the implementation on a programmable logic controller (PLC). Supervisors for industrial systems that operate in close proximity to humans have to adhere to strict safety standards. To achieve these standards, safety PLCs (SPLCs) are used. For SPLC implementation, the supervisor has to be split into a regular part and a safety part. In previous work, a method is proposed to automatically split a supervisor model for this purpose. The method assumes that the provided plant model is a collection of finite automata. In this paper, the extension to extended finite automata is described. Additionally, guidelines are provided for modeling the plant and the requirements to achieve a favorable splitting. A case study on a rotating bridge is elaborated which has been used to validate the method. The case study spans all development steps, including the implementation of the resulting supervisor to control the real bridge.

A 3D approach to model the taper of irregular tree stems: making plots biomass estimates comparable in tropical forests.

In tropical forests, the high proportion of trees showing irregularities at the stem base complicates forest monitoring. For example, in the presence of buttresses, the height of the point of measurement (HPOM ) of the stem diameter (DPOM ) is raised from 1.3 m, the standard breast height, up to a regular part of the stem. While DPOM is the most important predictor for tree aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates, the lack of harmonized HPOM for irregular trees in forest inventory increases the uncertainty in plot-level AGB stock and stock change estimates. In this study, we gathered an original non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) data set collected with terrestrial laser scanning and close range terrestrial photogrammetry tools in three sites in central Africa. For the 228 irregularly shaped stems sampled, we developed a set of taper models to harmonize HPOM by predicting the equivalent diameter at breast height (DBH') from a DPOM measured at any height. We analyzed the effect of using DBH' on tree-level and plot-level AGB estimates. To do so, we used destructive AGB data for 140 trees and forest inventory data from eight 1-ha plots in the Republic of Congo. Our results showed that our best simple taper model predicts DBH' with a relative mean absolute error of 3.7% (R2 = 0.98) over a wide DPOM range of 17-249 cm. Based on destructive AGB data, we found that the AGB allometric model calibrated with harmonized HPOM data was more accurate than the conventional local and pantropical models. At the plot level, the comparison of AGB stock estimates with and without HPOM harmonization showed an increasing divergence with the increasing share of irregular stems (up to -15%). The harmonization procedure developed in this study could be implemented as a standard practice for AGB monitoring in tropical forests as no additional forest inventory measurements is required. This would probably lead to important revisions of the AGB stock estimates in regions having a large number of irregular tree stems and increase their carbon sink estimates. The growing use of three-dimensional (3D) data offers new opportunities to extend our approach and further develop general taper models in other tropical regions.

Hybrid method for two parameter singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problems

In this article, a hybrid scheme for a two-parameter elliptic problem with regular exponential and boundary layers on Shishkin mesh is analyzed. The hybrid scheme comprises the central difference method in the layer region and the upwind method in the regular part. The use of the central difference in layer region results in a more accurate resolution of layers. The method is shown to have first-order parameter uniform convergence. The numerical results corroborate the error estimates presented here.

How to perform an epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation: A contemporary and practical approach

Catheter ablation is increasingly used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. In the 1990s, in order to treat ventricular arrhythmias resulting from chagasic cardiomyopathy, Sosa et al1 developed a technique to enter the pericardium percutaneously in the absence of a pericardial effusion. Since then, “dry” epicardial access has become a regular part of complex catheter ablation. In this review, we concentrate on the technical aspects of performing epicardial ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT), including the management of potential complications.

Smartphone Handwritten Circuits Solver Using Augmented Reality and Capsule Deep Networks for Engineering Education

Resolving circuit diagrams is a regular part of learning for school and university students from engineering backgrounds. Simulating circuits is usually done manually by creating circuit diagrams on circuit tools, which is a time-consuming and tedious process. We propose an innovative method of simulating circuits from hand-drawn diagrams using smartphones through an image recognition system. This method allows students to use their smartphones to capture images instead of creating circuit diagrams before simulation. Our contribution lies in building a circuit recognition system using a deep learning capsule networks algorithm. The developed system receives an image captured by a smartphone that undergoes preprocessing, region proposal, classification, and node detection to get a Netlist and exports it to a circuit simulator program for simulation. We aim to improve engineering education using smartphones by (1) achieving higher accuracy using less training data with capsule networks and (2) developing a comprehensive system that captures hand-drawn circuit diagrams and produces circuit simulation results. We use 400 samples per class and report an accuracy of 96% for stratified 5-fold cross-validation. Through testing, we identify the optimum distance for taking circuit images to be 10 to 20 cm. Our proposed model can identify components of different scales and rotations.

Sidon on the breadth of the wild sea: Movement and diet on the Mediterranean coast in the Middle Bronze Age.

ObjectivesExcavations at Sidon (Lebanon) have revealed dual identities during the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000–1600 BCE): a maritime port and center for local distribution, as well as a settlement with a heavy subsistence dependence on the extensive inland hinterlands. We aim to investigate residential mobility at Sidon using isotopic analyses of 112 individuals from 83 burials (20 females, 26 males, and 37 subadults). Veneration and remembrance of the dead is evident from funerary offerings in and near the tombs. With marine fish a major component in funerary offerings, we predict major marine reliance in this coastal population.Materials and methodsNew isotopic evidence of paleomobility (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O) and diet (δ13Ccarbonate) is the focus of this research. Previous bulk bone collagen δ13C and δ15N analysis is strengthened by further sampling, along with δ34S where collagen yield was sufficient.ResultsThe five non‐locals identified (8.9% of the 56 analyzed) come from constructed tombs with high‐status grave goods except for one, which was heavily disturbed in antiquity. Dietary investigation of the population confirms reliance on terrestrial resources with no significant marine input. No significant differences in diet between the sexes or burial types are present.ConclusionsAlthough Sidon was part of a growing Mediterranean network evidenced through artefactual finds, relatively low immigration is evident. While religious feasts venerating the dead may have involved significant piscine components, no appreciable marine input in diet is observed. Fish may have been reserved for the deceased or only consumed on feast days alongside the dead rather than a regular part of the Bronze Age menu.

Radiographer Perspectives on current occurrence and management of claustrophobia in MRI

IntroductionMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is well known to be a source of anxiety for patients, commonly appearing as claustrophobia. One of the main reasons for this is due to the physical nature of the scanner itself. Despite technological improvements, there is lacking evidence on whether these improvements have resulted in a reduction in claustrophobia and anxiety in the clinical setting. Background anxiety associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic may also have shown an increase in prevalence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to survey MRI radiographers on their perspectives on the occurrence and management of claustrophobia in modern day clinical practice. MethodsFollowing ethical approval, an online survey was used to gather the opinions of MRI radiographers. This used closed ranking questions as well as open responses to gain insight into how this issue may be presenting in practice, preferences in management, and barriers to providing support. ResultsResponses provide an up-to-date view on how radiographers perceive both displays of anxiety and associated impacts on patient outcome, the considered sources of anxiety, the use and effectiveness of support strategies, barriers to providing this support, and views on how COVID-19 has impacted on practice. ConclusionThe study provides a current view from radiographers on their experience of claustrophobia in practice. It shows that this remains a regular part of practice within the modality. Therefore, for MRI radiographers managing this is an essential component of their role. Communication and interaction with the patient are recognised as important, although time is a barrier to always being able to provide patient centred care. Implications for practiceOngoing support is needed for both patients and radiographers to improve experience within MRI.

Regularity of shape optimizers for some spectral fractional problems

This paper is dedicated to the spectral optimization problemmin{λ1s(Ω)+⋯+λms(Ω)+ΛLn(Ω):Ω⊂D s-quasi-open} where Λ>0,D⊂Rn is a bounded open set and λis(Ω) is the i-th eigenvalue of the fractional Laplacian on Ω with Dirichlet boundary condition on Rn∖Ω.We first prove that the first m eigenfunctions on an optimal set are locally Hölder continuous in the class C0,s and, as a consequence, that the optimal sets are open sets. Then, via a blow-up analysis based on a Weiss type monotonicity formula, we prove that the topological boundary in D of a minimizer Ω is composed of a relatively open regular part and a closed singular part of Hausdorff dimension at most n−n⁎, for some n⁎≥3. Finally we use a viscosity approach to prove C1,α-regularity of the regular part of the boundary.

Edible Insects Used as Food by Tangsa and Wancho Tribes of Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh

In India, entomophagy practices are common among the people who consume insects as ethnic food. In Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, the consumption of insects as food is a common practice, with insects consumed as additional food source. The present study revealed that eleven insect species belonging to six orders are accepted as food by the two tribes (Tangsa and Wancho) of the Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh. Apis indica, Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera) and Macrotermes sp. (Isoptera) are the three common edible insects. From the nutritional point of view, these edible insects are rich in protein content. Such insects form a regular part of the diet, whenever available. But the people of the district are not much familiar with their nutrition and market value. This study analyses these so as to inform them, the consumers, about their sustainable use as food and their nutritional importance.

Coexistence of diffusive and ballistic transport in integrable quantum lattice models

We investigate the high-temperature dynamical conductivity $\sigma(\omega)$ in two one-dimensional integrable quantum lattice models: the anisotropic XXZ spin chain and the Hubbard chain. The emphasis is on the metallic regime of both models, where besides the ballistic component, the regular part of conductivity might reveal a diffusive-like transport. To resolve the low-frequency dynamics, we upgrade the microcanonical Lanczos method enabling studies of finite-size systems with up to $L\leq 32$ sites for XXZ spin model with the frequency resolution $\delta \omega \sim 10^{-3} J$. Results for the XXZ chain reveal a fine structure of $\sigma(\omega)$ spectra, which originates from the discontinuous variation of the stiffness, previously found at commensurate values of the anisotropy parameter $\Delta$. Still, we do not find a clear evidence for a diffusive component, at least not for commensurate values of $\Delta$, particularly for $\Delta =0.5$, as well as for $\Delta \to 0$. Similar is the conclusion for the Hubbard model away from half-filling, where the spectra reveal more universal behavior.

West Indian Manatees Use Partial Migration to Expand Their Geographic Range Into the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Partial migration provides a mechanism for species to shift their geographic ranges into new, environmentally favorable regions but has been poorly studied as a means to alleviate effects of climate change. Populations at the edge of their geographic range are ideal to investigate how migratory behaviors may enable range expansion as adjacent areas become more climatically favorable. We determined the contribution of partial migration to the range expansion of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) using GPS data from tagged individuals that migrated between the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) and primary habitat in peninsular Florida. Most of these manatees migrated to the nGoM annually and exhibited high site fidelity among years. Many individuals spent cumulatively more time in the nGoM than in peninsular Florida, indicating the nGoM is a regular part of their geographic range, and they returned to peninsular Florida to meet temperature-related physiological needs for survival. Autumn migrations most frequently terminated at Crystal River, Florida, and manatees that commenced migration late in the season stopped less frequently and had more directed movements. Spring migrations most frequently terminated at Mobile Bay, Alabama, and several manatees quickly and directly migrated from Florida to nGoM stopover sites. Migrations ranged from 10 to 133 days in length, and variation in duration was primarily driven by use of stopover sites and directedness of travel. These data confirm partial migration as an important component of manatee migratory behavior that has already enabled range shifts for manatees on the U.S.A. Gulf of Mexico coast and has potential to facilitate future responses to climate change. As the most common type of migration across the animal kingdom, partial migration may provide a global mechanism for a diverse variety of species to resist the range limiting effects of climate change.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Impact of digital game-based learning on the social competence and behavior of preschoolers

Digital gaming has become a regular part of life for today’s pre-schoolers. Hence, there is a need to look at the integration of digital technology into the preschool education. The present study aims to examine the effect digital games have on children’s behaviour and their social competence if played to reach an educational purpose (supervised play) and for fun (without educational aim). The study population consists of 54 pre-schoolers (26 girls and 28 boys), aged 4 to 6, who were recruited in Moscow, Russia. All children were divided in two groups: children playing digital games with peers (n = 28) and children playing digital games at home (n = 28). The pre-schoolers’ social competence and behaviour were assessed before and after the experiment using the Social Competence and Behavior Identification (SCBE-30) questionnaire. Findings revealed a higher level of social competence in the experimental group (+11.71, p < 0.05) as compared to children playing without being told what they were expected to achieve. The experimental group also scored lower on Anxiety-Withdrawal (−7.94, p < 0.05). A higher Anxiety-Withdrawal score normally means that a child experiences some degree of depression or anxiety, and exhibits overly dependent behaviour. At the same time, a higher Social Competence score suggests that a child is more joyful, tolerant, socially integrated, calm, and willing to collaborate with peers and that he or she exhibits a prosocial behaviour. The results of this study may help parents and teachers to use digital learning tools, in particular video games, effectively when working with young children.

Investigating the impact of technostress on productivity and overall life satisfaction of managers working at a South African ferrochrome smelting company

Orientation: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advances such as computers, tablets, and cell phones allow for information flow like never before, both in terms of speed and volume. But, unfortunately, this has resulted in technostress. Research purpose: To investigate the impact of technostress on the productivity and the overall life satisfaction of managers working in ferrochrome smelters. Motivation for the study: Limited research has been conducted on technostress in a South African context. Most of the researches on technostress were conducted amongst computer professionals and Information Technology (IT) consultants and they did not focus on non-ICT specialists such as managers who are exposed to ICT as a regular part of their workday. Research approach/design and method: This study was conducted within a quantitative paradigm using a correlational design. Main findings: The managers experience low levels of technostress, high levels of IT-enabled productivity, and above-average life satisfaction. No practically significant differences exist for any of the research factors between males and females, whilst techno-complexity and techno-uncertainty increase with age. Technostress does not affect productivity, but a negative relationship exists between technostress and life satisfaction. Practical/managerial implications: Techno-uncertainty and techno-complexity are present amongst older managerial employees. Techno-complexity decreases the self-reported levels of productivity. Strategies such as training and assistance to reduce the techno-complexity for older managerial employees should be considered. Contribution/value-add: This study creates an awareness of the potential negative impact of ICT on productivity and life satisfaction. It contributes to the body of knowledge by quantifying the impact of the managers’ perceived technostress on productivity and life satisfaction.

Fiber in the ICU: Should it Be a Regular Part of Feeding?

To highlight the controversy of fiber use in the current critical care nutrition guidelines; review the effect of fiber on the gut microbiota in the critically ill; and examine the data on fiber and outcomes in the intensive care setting. Fiber is increasingly recognized as a necessary component of colonic health and nutrition support. In critical illness there is a shift toward gut dysbiosis and immune dysregulation. Through fermentation and the generation of short-chain fatty acids, fiber has a role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, immune function, and supporting commensal bacteria. In contrast to fermentable fiber, recent animal models suggest that non-fermentable fiber can also favorably alter intestinal homeostasis in a mechanism distinct from short chain fatty acids. In the critically ill, RCTs and meta-analyses suggest that soluble and mixed fiber supplemented enteral nutrition can reduce diarrhea and is well tolerated. Based on limited data, there may be benefits in reducing length of hospital stay, certain infections, and glucose metabolism. Nonetheless, the role of fiber enriched nutrition in critically ill patients is controversial as evident in the conflicting guidelines. Despite shortcomings in the literature, soluble and mixed fiber supplemented enteral nutrition is safe and beneficial in most hemodynamically stable intensive care patients. More research is necessary to determine optimal fiber composition.