Local Survey Research Articles

Assessment of the visual impact of offshore wind farms

The decarbonization of energy power generation is the main ambition globally. In this new era, the development of offshore wind farms (OWFs) will play a vital role. So, the social acceptability of the deployment of offshore wind farms has to be investigated in detail.The principal goal of this study is to test existing tools for the assessment of the visual impact due to an OWF. Improvements were also suggested, when it was found that the factors did not correspond to reality.The adopted methodology compared the results from the original Spanish method, Spanish method II, Greek legislation, local people surveys, and innovative combinations of scenarios to minimize the visual impact. The software tools AutoCAD, ArcGIS, and Google Earth were also employed.The study area is Kissamos, Western Crete. The results showed that the original Spanish method had a deviation of 88.0% from the public opinion and, hence, the method requires improvements according to today's data. On the contrary, one of the new suggested scenarios was verified to be more concise and accurate, reaching a deviation of 19.7%.

Representation and Aggression in Digital Racial Conflict: Analyzing Public Comments during Live-Streamed News of Racial Justice Protests

How do local citizens publicly converse online about the protests that follow when police kill Black residents? And do participants reflect local publics? Here we examine racial justice protests in Baton Rouge after police killed Alton Sterling in 2016. Local news streamed the protests on Facebook Live. In comments appearing below the video, locals supported and attacked each other in real-time while watching protests unfold. We assess a representative sample of these comments. First, we find surprising demographic and political representativeness in comments compared to census data and a local survey. We also document extensive hostile rhetoric corresponding with commenter traits and expressed views. Finally, we find more “likes” for comments by women, college-educated people, and locals. Violent and racially derogatory comments by Blacks received fewer likes, but similar comments by whites went unpenalized. The results illuminate social media functions in local politics, racial disparities in contentious digital dialogues, and political communication’s dual roles in strengthening and undermining multiracial democracy.

Travelers' Tales: Their Values and Virtues

Travelers' Tales: Their Values and Virtues

Past dynamics of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in Montr\xe9al, Canada: a mathematical modeling study

BackgroundGay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) experience disproportionate risks of HIV acquisition and transmission. In 2017, Montréal became the first Canadian Fast-Track City, setting the 2030 goal of zero new HIV infections. To inform local elimination efforts, we estimate the evolving role of prevention and sexual behaviours on HIV transmission dynamics among gbMSM in Montréal between 1975 and 2019.MethodsData from local bio-behavioural surveys were analyzed to develop, parameterize, and calibrate an agent-based model of sexual HIV transmission. Partnership dynamics, HIV’s natural history, and treatment and prevention strategies were considered. The model simulations were analyzed to estimate the fraction of HIV acquisitions and transmissions attributable to specific groups, with a focus on age, sexual partnering level, and gaps in the HIV care-continuum.ResultsThe model-estimated HIV incidence peaked in 1985 (2.3 per 100 person years (PY); 90% CrI: 1.4–2.9 per 100 PY) and decreased to 0.1 per 100 PY (90% CrI: 0.04–0.3 per 100 PY) in 2019. Between 2000–2017, the majority of HIV acquisitions and transmissions occurred among men aged 25–44 years, and men aged 35–44 thereafter. The unmet prevention needs of men with > 10 annual anal sex partners contributed 90–93% of transmissions and 67–73% of acquisitions annually. The primary stage of HIV played an increasing role over time, contributing to 11–22% of annual transmissions over 2000–2019. In 2019, approximately 70% of transmission events occurred from men who had discontinued, or never initiated antiretroviral therapy.ConclusionsThe evolving HIV landscape has contributed to the declining HIV incidence among gbMSM in Montréal. The shifting dynamics identified in this study highlight the need for continued population-level surveillance to identify gaps in the HIV care continuum and core groups on which to prioritize elimination efforts.

Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in slaughter pigs and carcasses in Irish abattoirs and their antimicrobial resistance

BackgroundSalmonella is an important zoonotic pathogen and is one of the main causes of foodborne outbreaks and infections in the European Union. Pigs are a significant reservoir and are frequently subclinical carriers of this organism. Salmonella can be shed in the faeces allowing infection to spread to other pigs, the environment, transport vehicles, lairages and other areas. Inadvertent spillage of gut contents during the slaughter process also leads to contamination. A pig Salmonella control programme has operated in Ireland since 2002 but many local surveys and an EUMS baseline survey in 2008 continued to indicate high levels of the organism in the pig sector. The objectives of this study were to generate updated information on the prevalence of Salmonella spp, in slaughter pigs and carcasses in Irish abattoirs. Five pigs from each of 164 herds were randomly sampled over a 14-week period during 2016. One sample from each of the five pigs of; caecal content, ileo-caecal lymph nodes and carcass swabs (pre-chill) were collected. The five caeca and lymph node samples from each herd were processed as one pool of caecal samples and one pool of lymph node samples, respectively, while the five carcass swabs were tested as individual samples. All isolates were characterised by serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility.ResultsIn total, 235 Salmonella spp. were isolated from 820 individual carcass swabs, 164 pooled lymph nodes and 164 caecal contents. Salmonella spp. were isolated from 54.3% of the caecal contents and from 31.7% of the ileo-caecal lymph node sample pools. A total of 11.5% of carcass-swab samples yielded Salmonella spp. S. Typhimurium 4,[5],12:i:1,2 or its monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i:-: predominated among isolates from all positive samples; accounting for 73% of lymph nodes, 68% of caecal contents and 56% of carcass swab isolates. S. London and S. Derby were the next most common isolated serotypes.ConclusionsThese results confirm continuing high levels of Salmonella in fattening pigs in Ireland although reductions in carcass contamination compared to previous surveys were noted. A high prevalence of Salmonella in lymph nodes suggests that it remains a significant problem pre slaughter and a challenge to abattoirs in adhering to process hygiene requirements. The high prevalence of monophasic S. Typhimurim 4,[5],12:i:-: is of serious concern.Therefore, it is important to identify contributing factors in the dissemination of this pathogen in the pork industry in order to minimise the risk of human salmonellosis cases.

Reconstructing cropland change since 1650 AD in Shaanxi province, central China

Regional reconstructions of historical cropland change are essential to improve the accuracy of global datasets. In Shaanxi province, central China, frequently affected by rebellions and natural disasters over the past 300 years, the cropland area fluctuated. In this study, based on local gazetteers, statistics, and survey data, systematic steps are followed to reconstruct the cropland area change since 1650 in Shaanxi province. The result shows four stages of changes in the total cropland area: steady increase during 1650–1830 stimulated by policies and population growth, decrease during 1830–1937 affected by wars and natural disasters, rapid growth during 1937–the 1980s, and rapid decrease after the 1980s influenced by urbanization and the agricultural planting structure adjustment. The total cropland area increased from 2.2 × 104 km2 in 1650 to 3.99 × 104 km2 in 2016. The majority of the cropland concentrated on the Guanzhong region from 1650 to 2016. The cropland expanded from the center to the surroundings in the Guanzhong region, from northeastern to southwestern in northern Shaanxi, and from western to eastern in southern Shaanxi before the 1980s. Cropland area declined in all three regions after the 1980s. The comparisons show most cropland area data in the Qing dynasty from the existing regional studies are still highly dependent on the registered tax-paying cropland area. Without considering agricultural history, changes in the SAGE cropland in Shaanxi province over the past 300 years are irrational. Spatially, HYDE 3.2 dataset cannot show the “real” spatial distribution of the cropland before 1930, because too much cropland is allocated to northern and southern Shaanxi.

ELVES II: Globular Clusters and Nuclear Star Clusters of Dwarf Galaxies: the Importance of Environment

Abstract We present the properties of the globular clusters (GCs) and nuclear star clusters (NSCs) of low-mass (105.5 < M ⋆ < 108.5 M ⊙) early-type satellites of Milky Way–like and small group hosts in the Local Volume (LV) using deep, ground-based data from the ongoing Exploration of Local VolumE Satellites Survey. This sample of 177 dwarfs significantly increases the statistics for studying the star clusters of dwarfs in low-density environments, offering an important comparison to samples from nearby galaxy clusters. The LV dwarfs exhibit significantly lower nucleation fractions at fixed galaxy mass than dwarfs in nearby clusters. The masses of NSCs of LV dwarfs show a similar scaling of M ⋆ , NSC ∝ M ⋆ , gal 0.4 as that found in clusters but offset to lower NSC masses. To deal with foreground/background contamination in the GC analysis, we employ both a statistical subtraction and Bayesian approach to infer the average GC system properties from all dwarfs simultaneously. We find that the GC occupation fraction and average abundance are both increasing functions of galaxy stellar mass, and the LV dwarfs show significantly lower average GC abundance at fixed galaxy mass than a comparable sample of Virgo dwarfs analyzed in the same way, demonstrating that GC prevalence also shows an important secondary dependence on the dwarf’s environment. This result strengthens the connection between GCs and NSCs in low-mass galaxies. We discuss these observations in the context of modern theories of GC and NSC formation, finding that the environmental dependencies can be well explained by these models.

J-PLUS: Stellar parameters, C, N, Mg, Ca, and [α/Fe] abundances for two million stars from DR1

Context. The Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) has obtained precise photometry in 12 specially designed filters for large numbers of Galactic stars. Deriving their precise stellar atmospheric parameters and individual elemental abundances is crucial for studies of Galactic structure and the assembly history and chemical evolution of our Galaxy. Aims. Our goal is to estimate not only stellar parameters (effective temperature, Teff, surface gravity, log g, and metallicity, [Fe/H]), but also [α/Fe] and four elemental abundances ([C/Fe], [N/Fe], [Mg/Fe], and [Ca/Fe]) using data from the first data release (DR1) of J-PLUS. Methods. By combining recalibrated photometric data from J-PLUS DR1, Gaia DR2, and spectroscopic labels from the Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, we designed and trained a set of cost-sensitive neural networks, the CSNet, to learn the nonlinear mapping from stellar colours to their labels. Special attention was paid to the poorly populated regions of the label space by giving different weights according to their density distribution. Results. We achieved precisions of δ Teff ∼ 55 K, δlog g ∼ 0.15 dex, and δ [Fe/H] ∼ 0.07 dex, respectively, over a wide range of temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities. The uncertainties of the abundance estimates for [α/Fe] and the four individual elements are in the 0.04–0.08 dex range. We compare our parameter and abundance estimates with those from other spectroscopic catalogs such as the Apache Point Observatory for Galactic Evolution Experiment and the Galactic Archaeology with High Efficiency and Resolution Multi-Element Spectrograph and find an overall good agreement. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the potential of well-designed, high-quality photometric data for determinations of stellar parameters as well as individual elemental abundances. Applying the method to J-PLUS DR1, we obtained the aforementioned parameters for about two million stars, providing an outstanding dataset for chemo-dynamic analyses of the Milky Way. The catalog of the estimated parameters is publicly accessible.

J-PLUS: Support vector machine applied to STAR-GALAXY-QSO classification

Context.In modern astronomy, machine learning has proved to be efficient and effective in mining big data from the newest telescopes.Aims.In this study, we construct a supervised machine-learning algorithm to classify the objects in the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey first data release (J-PLUS DR1).Methods.The sample set is featured with 12-waveband photometry and labeled with spectrum-based catalogs, including Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic data, the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, and VERONCAT – the Veron Catalog of Quasars & AGN. The performance of the classifier is presented with the applications of blind test validations based on RAdial Velocity Extension, theKeplerInput Catalog, the Two Micron All Sky Survey Redshift Survey, and the UV-bright Quasar Survey. A new algorithm was applied to constrain the potential extrapolation that could decrease the performance of the machine-learning classifier.Results.The accuracies of the classifier are 96.5% in the blind test and 97.0% in training cross-validation. TheF1-scores for each class are presented to show the balance between the precision and the recall of the classifier. We also discuss different methods to constrain the potential extrapolation.

남녀노인의 행복감에 영향을 미치는 요인

The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting the happiness of the elderly in Busan based on the 2019 local community health survey. It was attempted to be used as basic data in preparing various strategies to improve the happiness of the elderly in Busan, who have entered a super-aged society in the future. There were statistically significant differences in the happiness according to demographic characteristics in both male and female elderly in spouse, education level, religion, household income, welfare recipients, and unmet medical care. Factors affecting happiness in both male and female elderly were spouse, education level, religion, household income, welfare recipients, annual unmet medical care, subjective stress, subjective oral health level, and experience of depression. Subjective stress was the most influential variable on the happiness of the elderly. Subjective stress was the most influential variable on the happiness of the elderly. Therefore, in order to increase the happiness of the elderly, it will be necessary to develop and provide a systematic and efficient program that reduces stress according to the characteristics of the elderly.

Counter-stereotypical female role models and women’s occupational choices

This paper examines the relation between counter-stereotypical female role models and women’s labor supply and occupational choices. Using hand-collected data from Gallup surveys that cover more than 50 years, we create a direct measure of counter-stereotypical female role models based on the fraction of local survey respondents who state that they admire famous women in business, politics, or science. We show that admiring counter-stereotypical female role models is associated with more women participating in the labor market, working in male-dominated and STEM industries, and taking managerial positions, which eventually alleviates the gender pay gap.

Dust Extinction Law in Nearby Star-resolved Galaxies. I. M31 Traced by Supergiants

Abstract The dust extinction laws and dust properties in M31 are explored with a sample of reddened O-type and B-type supergiants obtained from the Local Group Galaxies Survey (LGGS). The observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for each tracer are constructed with multiband photometry from the LGGS, PS1 Survey, UKIRT, PHAT Survey, Swift/UVOT, and XMM-SUSS. We model the SED for each tracer in combination with the intrinsic spectrum obtained from the stellar model atmosphere extinguished by the model extinction curves. Instead of mathematically parameterizing the extinction functions, the model extinction curves in this work are directly derived from the silicate–graphite dust model with a dust size distribution of dn / da ∼ a − α exp ( − a / 0.25 ) , 0.005 < a < 5 μ m . The extinction tracers are distributed along the arms in M31, with the derived Milky Way (MW)–type extinction curves covering a wide range of R V (≈ 2–6), indicating the complexity of the interstellar environment and the inhomogeneous distribution of interstellar dust in M31. The average extinction curve with R V ≈ 3.51 and dust size distribution dn / da ∼ a − 3.35 exp ( − a / 0.25 ) is similar to that of the MW but rises slightly less steeply in the far-UV bands, implying that the overall interstellar environment in M31 resembles the diffuse region in the MW. The extinction in the V band of M31 is up to 3 mag, with a median value of A V ≈ 1 mag. The multiband extinction values from the UV to IR bands are also predicted for M31, which will provide a general extinction correction for future works.

One Day in Denmark: Nationwide point-prevalence survey of human bacterial isolates and comparison of classical and whole-genome sequence-based species identification methods.

ObjectivesImplementing whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technologies in clinical microbiology laboratories can increase the amount and quality of information available for healthcare practitioners. In this study, we analysed the applicability of this method and determined the distribution of bacterial species processed in clinical settings in Denmark.MethodsWe performed a point-prevalence study of all bacterial isolates (n = 2,009) processed and reported in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratories in Denmark in one day in January 2018. We compared species identification as performed by classical methods (MALDI-TOF) and by bioinformatics analysis (KmerFinder and rMLST) of WGS (Illumina NextSeq) data. We compared the national point-prevalence of bacterial isolates observed in clinical settings with the research attention given to those same genera in scientific literature.ResultsThe most prevalent bacterium was Escherichia coli isolated from urine (n = 646), followed by Staphylococcus spp. from skin or soft tissues (n = 197). The distribution of bacterial species throughout the country was not homogeneous. We observed concordance of species identification for all methods in 95.7% (n = 1,919) of isolates, furthermore obtaining concordance for 99.7% (n = 1,999) at genus level. The number of scientific publications in the country did not correlate with the number of bacterial isolates of each genera analysed in this study.ConclusionsWGS technologies have the potential to be applied in clinical settings for routine diagnostics purposes. This study also showed that bioinformatics databases should be continuously improved and results from local point-prevalence surveys should not be applied at national levels without previously determining possible regional variations.

Data Release 2 of S-PLUS: Accurate template-fitting based photometry covering ∼1000 deg2 in 12 optical filters

ABSTRACT The Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) is an ongoing survey of ∼9300 deg2 in the southern sky in a 12-band photometric system. This paper presents the second data release (DR2) of S-PLUS, consisting of 514 tiles covering an area of 950 deg2. The data has been fully calibrated using a new photometric calibration technique suitable for the new generation of wide-field multifilter surveys. This technique consists of a χ2 minimization to fit synthetic stellar templates to already calibrated data from other surveys, eliminating the need for standard stars and reducing the survey duration by ∼15 per cent. We compare the template-predicted and S-PLUS instrumental magnitudes to derive the photometric zero-points (ZPs). We show that these ZPs can be further refined by fitting the stellar templates to the 12 S-PLUS magnitudes, which better constrain the models by adding the narrow-band information. We use the STRIPE82 region to estimate ZP errors, which are ≲ 10 mmags for filters J0410, J0430, g, J0515, r, J0660, i, J0861 and z; ≲ 15 mmags for filter J0378; and ≲ 25 mmags for filters u and J0395. We describe the complete data flow of the S-PLUS/DR2 from observations to the final catalogues and present a brief characterization of the data. We show that, for a minimum signal-to-noise threshold of 5, the photometric depths of the DR2 range from 19.1 to 20.5 mag (measured in Petrosian apertures), depending on the filter. The S-PLUS DR2 can be accessed from the website: https://splus.cloud.

Star-formation quenching of cluster galaxies as traced by metallicity and presence of active galactic nuclei, and galactic conformity

Aims. We strive to explore the differences in the properties and quenching processes of satellite galaxies in a sample of massive clusters with passive and star-forming (SF) brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). One aim is to investigate galactic conformity effects, manifested in a correlation between the fraction of satellite galaxies that halted star formation and the state of star formation in the central galaxy. Methods. We explored 18 clusters from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey at 0.15 < z < 0.26, using spectra from the Arizona Cluster Redshift Survey Hectospec survey of about 1800 cluster members at R < R200 in a mass-complete sample. Nine clusters have a SF BCG and nine have a passive BCG, which enable the exploration of galactic conformity effects. We measured the fluxes of emission lines of cluster members, allowing us to derive O/H gas metallicities and to identify active galactic nuclei (AGN). We compared our cluster galaxy sample with a control field sample of about 1300 galaxies with similar masses and at similar redshifts observed with Hectospec as part of the same survey. We used the location of SF galaxies, recently quenched galaxies (RQGs) and AGN in the projected velocity versus the position phase-space (phase-space diagram) to identify objects in the inner regions of the clusters and to compare their fractions in clusters with SF and passive BCGs. Results. The metallicities of log(M/M⊙)≥10 SF cluster galaxies with R < R200 were found to be enhanced with respect to the mass-metallicity relation obtained for our sample of coeval field SF galaxies. This metallicity enhancement among SF cluster galaxies is limited to lower-mass satellites (10 < log(M/M⊙) < 10.7) of the nine clusters with a passive BCG, with no metallicity enhancement seen for SF galaxies in clusters with active BCGs. Many of the SF galaxies with enhanced metallicities are found in the core regions of the phase-space diagram expected for virialized populations. We find a higher fraction of log(M/M⊙)≥10.7 SF galaxies at R < R500 in clusters with active BCGs as compared to clusters with passive BCGs, which stands as a signal of galactic conformity. In contrast, much higher fractions at R < R500 of AGN and, particularly of RQGs, are found in clusters with passive BCGs in comparison to clusters with active BCGs. Conclusions. We deduce that strangulation is initiated in clusters with passive BCGs when SF satellite galaxies pass R200, by stopping the pristine gas inflow that would otherwise dilute the interstellar medium and would keep their metallicities at the level of values similar to those of field galaxies at similar redshifts. These satellite galaxies continue to form stars by consuming the available gas in the disk. For galaxies with massses above log(M/M⊙)∼10.7 that manage to survive and remain SF when traveling to R < R500 of clusters with passive BCGs, we assume that they suffer a rapid quenching of star formation, likely due to AGN triggered by the increasing ram pressure stripping toward the cluster center, which can compress the gas and fuel AGN. These AGN can rapidly quench and maintain quenched satellite galaxies. On the other hand, we found that surviving SF massive satellite galaxies around active BCGs are less affected by environment when they enter R < R500, since we observe R < R500 SF galaxies with masses up to M ∼ 1011 M⊙ and with metallicities typical of coeval field galaxies. This observed galactic conformity implies that active BCGs must maintain their activity over timescales of at least ∼1 Gyr.

J-PLUS: Spectral evolution of white dwarfs by PDF analysis

Aims. We estimated the spectral evolution of white dwarfs with effective temperature using the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) second data release (DR2), which provides 12 photometric optical passbands over 2176 deg2. Methods. We analyzed 5926 white dwarfs with r ≤ 19.5 mag in common between a white dwarf catalog defined from Gaia EDR3 and J-PLUS DR2. We performed a Bayesian analysis by comparing the observed J-PLUS photometry with theoretical models of hydrogen- and helium-dominated atmospheres. We estimated the probability distribution functions for effective temperature (Teff), surface gravity, parallax, and composition; and the probability of having a H-dominated atmosphere (pH) for each source. We applied a prior in parallax, using Gaia EDR3 measurements as a reference, and derived a self-consistent prior for the atmospheric composition as a function of Teff. Results. We described the fraction of white dwarfs with a He-dominated atmosphere (fHe) with a linear function of the effective temperature at 5000 < Teff < 30 000 K. We find fHe = 0.24 ± 0.01 at Teff = 10 000 K, a change rate along the cooling sequence of 0.14 ± 0.02 per 10 kK, and a minimum He-dominated fraction of 0.08 ± 0.02 at the high-temperature end. We tested the obtained pH by comparison with spectroscopic classifications, finding that it is reliable. We estimated the mass distribution for the 351 sources with distance d < 100 pc, mass M > 0.45 M⊙, and Teff > 6000 K. The result for H-dominated white dwarfs agrees with previous studies, with a dominant M = 0.59 M⊙ peak and the presence of an excess at M ∼ 0.8 M⊙. This high-mass excess is absent in the He-dominated distribution, which presents a single peak. Conclusions. The J-PLUS optical data provide a reliable statistical classification of white dwarfs into H- and He-dominated atmospheres. We find a 21 ± 3% increase in the fraction of He-dominated white dwarfs from Teff = 20 000 K to Teff = 5000 K.

Ecosystem services through the lens of indigenous people in the highlands of Cordillera Region, Northern Philippines

Understanding the perception, use, and prioritization of ecosystem services (ES) is important for shaping local environmental policies. This study assessed for the Cordillera Region, Philippines, Indigenous peoples (IPs) perception on the significance of ES for their well-being, influence of socio-economic factors attributing to these perceptions, and ranked the most valued ES. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaires with 922 households in 48 villages of the Region. We found that most frequently identified and valued ES are provisioning (food, income, and medicinal resources) followed by cultural and regulating ES. The study showed signficant influence (p-value 0.001) of ethnicity, occupation, gender, and age to affect local perceptions of ES provided by the landscapes. A remarkable differences appeared in prioritizing ES, e.g. younger local respondents value ES more than older ones; women have appreciated most ES; and ethnic groupings tend to have a different value of ES that are significantly connected with the landscape characteristics. Traditional rice farming systems was ranked as source providing the most valued ES followed by conventional farming systems and off-farming activities like collection of non-timber forest products. Furthermore, IPs involvement to local surveys are useful in ecosystem conservation strategies because the way society modifies an ecosystem is a function associated to perceptions, interest, and values. A relevant information to decision-makers that must be integrated into local development planning to maintain the flow of ES that support the livelihood in a community.

Dysphagia in Intensive Care Evaluation (DICE): An International Cross-Sectional Survey.

Dysphagia occurs commonly in the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite the clinical relevance, there is little worldwide research on prevention, assessment, evaluation, and/or treatment of dysphagia for ICU patients. We aimed to gain insight into this international knowledge gap. We conducted a multi-center, international online cross-sectional survey of adult ICUs. Local survey distribution champions were recruited through professional and personal networks. The survey was administered from November 2017 to June 2019 with three emails and a final telephone reminder. Responses were received from 746 ICUs (26 countries). In patients intubated > 48h, 17% expected a > 50% chance that dysphagia would develop. This proportion increased to 43% in patients intubated > 7days, and to 52% in tracheotomized patients. Speech-language pathologist (SLP) consultation was available in 66% of ICUs, only 4% reported a dedicated SLP. Although 66% considered a routine post-extubation dysphagia protocol important, most (67%) did not have a protocol. Few ICUs routinely assessed for dysphagia after 48h of intubation (30%) or tracheostomy (41%). A large proportion (46%) used water swallow screening tests to determine aspiration, few (8%) used instrumental assessments (i.e., flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing). Swallowing exercises were used for dysphagia management by 30% of ICUs. There seems to be limited awareness among ICU practitioners that patients are at risk of dysphagia, particularly as ventilation persists, protocols, routine assessment, and instrumental assessments are generally not used. We recommend the development of a research agenda to increase the quality of evidence and ameliorate the implementation of evidence-based dysphagia protocols by dedicated SLPs.

Forecasting Provincial Government Expenditures in Indonesia using Artificial Neural Network

The purpose of this research is to analyze using artificial neural network techniques in predicting the realization of provincial government spending in Indonesia according to the type of expenditure with Back-Propagation. This research needs to be done because it can be seen from the side of realization of provincial government spending in Indonesia that there can be a surplus and a deficit. Therefore, it is necessary to make predictions as an effort to address this. The data comes from the publication by the Central Statistical Agency of the provincial government of financial statistics (BPS). Financial provincial government data was collected through local government financial surveys from provincial government agencies in Indonesia. The analysis process uses the help of Rapidminer software and is validated with K-Fold values from 2 to 10. The data is divided into training data and testing data. Training data is data from 2016-2018 and testing data is data from 2017-2019. Several architectural models were tested namely '3-2-1; 3-5-1; 3-10-1; 3-5-10-1 'to obtain an accurate prediction by considering the value of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The results of the back-propagation analysis state that the 3-5-1 model is the best model with an RMSE value of 0.027 at k-fold = 9 for training data and an RMSE value of 0.035 for testing data. These results confirm that the back-propagation algorithm can be implemented in this case.

Investigating the Baryon Cycle in Interacting Dwarfs with the Very Large Array and Pan-STARRS

Abstract We present resolved H i synthesis maps from the Very Large Array of three interacting dwarf systems: the NGC 3664 dwarf pair, the NGC 3264 dwarf pair, and the UGC 4638 dwarf triplet. All three dwarf systems are captured at various stages of interaction and span a range of environments. We detect clear hallmarks of tidal interactions through the presence of H i bridges and diffuse H i extensions that surround the dwarfs. We overlay the H i data on Pan-STARRS r-band images and find further evidence of tidal interactions through coincident distorted H i and tidal stellar features in NGC 3264 and UGC 4638, and an unwound spiral arm pointing toward its smaller companion in NGC 3264. In UGC 4638, both the gas and diffuse stars are extended to similar radii east of the primary, which could indicate that the smaller dwarf in the system has already completed one pass through the primary. We additionally find that our three systems, and those from the Local Volume TiNy Titans survey, are not H i deficient and thus the interaction has not resulted in a loss of gas from the systems. A comparison with noninteracting dwarf galaxies shows that the interactions have a significant impact on the kinematics of the systems. Our new resolved H i kinematics, combined with detailed stellar and H i morphologies, provide crucial constraints for future dynamical modeling of hierarchical mergers and the baryon cycle at the low-mass scale.