Harnessing the potential of women entrepreneurs in the Asia-Pacific [Aprovechando el potencial de las mujeres emprendedoras en Asia y el Pacífico]
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mexico Y La Cuenca Del Pacifico Vol. 11, no. 31 (2022), p. 9-23
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mexico Y La Cuenca Del Pacifico Vol. 11, no. 31 (2022), p. 9-23
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Impact of smoking status and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on pulmonary complications post lung cancer surgery
- Jeganathan, Vishnu, Knight, Simon, Bricknell, Matthew, Ridgers, Anna, Wong, Raymond, Brazzale, Danny, Ruehland, Warren, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz, Leong, Tracy, McDonald, Christine
- Authors: Jeganathan, Vishnu , Knight, Simon , Bricknell, Matthew , Ridgers, Anna , Wong, Raymond , Brazzale, Danny , Ruehland, Warren , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Leong, Tracy , McDonald, Christine
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 3 March (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction Smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with an increased risk of post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) following lung cancer resection. It remains unclear whether smoking cessation reduces this risk. Methods Retrospective review of a large, prospectively collected database of over 1000 consecutive resections for lung cancer in a quaternary lung cancer centre over a 23-year period. Results One thousand and thirteen patients underwent curative-intent lobectomy or pneumonectomy between 1995 and 2018. Three hundred and sixty-two patients (36%) were ex-smokers, 314 (31%) were current smokers and 111 (11%) were never smokers. A pre-operative diagnosis of COPD was present in 57% of current smokers, 57% of ex-smokers and 20% of never smokers. Just over 25% of patients experienced a PPC. PPCs were more frequent in current smokers compared to never smokers (27% vs 17%, p = 0.036), however, no difference was seen between current and ex-smokers (p = 0.412) or between never and ex-smokers (p = 0.113). Those with a diagnosis of COPD, independent of smoking status, had a higher frequency of both PPCs (65% vs 35%, p<0.01) and overall complications (60% vs 40%, p<0.01) as well as a longer length of hospital stay (10 vs 9 days, p<0.01). Conclusion Smoking and COPD are both associated with a higher rate of PPCs post lung cancer resection. COPD, independent of smoking status, is also associated with an increased overall post-operative complication rate and length of hospital stay. An emphasis on COPD treatment optimisation, rather than smoking cessation in isolation, may help improve postoperative outcomes. © 2022 Jeganathan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: Jeganathan, Vishnu , Knight, Simon , Bricknell, Matthew , Ridgers, Anna , Wong, Raymond , Brazzale, Danny , Ruehland, Warren , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Leong, Tracy , McDonald, Christine
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 3 March (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction Smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with an increased risk of post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) following lung cancer resection. It remains unclear whether smoking cessation reduces this risk. Methods Retrospective review of a large, prospectively collected database of over 1000 consecutive resections for lung cancer in a quaternary lung cancer centre over a 23-year period. Results One thousand and thirteen patients underwent curative-intent lobectomy or pneumonectomy between 1995 and 2018. Three hundred and sixty-two patients (36%) were ex-smokers, 314 (31%) were current smokers and 111 (11%) were never smokers. A pre-operative diagnosis of COPD was present in 57% of current smokers, 57% of ex-smokers and 20% of never smokers. Just over 25% of patients experienced a PPC. PPCs were more frequent in current smokers compared to never smokers (27% vs 17%, p = 0.036), however, no difference was seen between current and ex-smokers (p = 0.412) or between never and ex-smokers (p = 0.113). Those with a diagnosis of COPD, independent of smoking status, had a higher frequency of both PPCs (65% vs 35%, p<0.01) and overall complications (60% vs 40%, p<0.01) as well as a longer length of hospital stay (10 vs 9 days, p<0.01). Conclusion Smoking and COPD are both associated with a higher rate of PPCs post lung cancer resection. COPD, independent of smoking status, is also associated with an increased overall post-operative complication rate and length of hospital stay. An emphasis on COPD treatment optimisation, rather than smoking cessation in isolation, may help improve postoperative outcomes. © 2022 Jeganathan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Incidence, mortality, and factors associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage following in-hospital births in northwest Ethiopia
- Tiruneh, Bewket, Fooladi, Ensieh, McLelland, Gayle, Plummer, Virginia
- Authors: Tiruneh, Bewket , Fooladi, Ensieh , McLelland, Gayle , Plummer, Virginia
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background Of the 1010 reported maternal deaths in 2018, just over 65% occurred in hospitals in Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of standardised data about the contributing factors. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, mortality, and factors associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage following in-hospital births in northwest Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective cohort design was used; an audit of 1060 maternity care logbooks of adult women post-partum at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital and University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The data were abstracted between December 2018 and May 2019 using a systematic random sampling technique. We used the Facility Based Maternal Death Abstraction Form containing sociodemographic characteristics, women’s medical history, and partographs. Primary postpartum haemorrhage was defined as the estimated blood loss recorded by the staff greater or equal to 500 ml for vaginal births and 1000 ml for caesarean section births, or the medical doctor diagnosis and recording of the woman as having primary postpartum haemorrhage. The data analysis was undertaken using Stata version 15. Variables with P 0.10 for significance were selected to run multivariable logistic analyses. Variables that had associations with primary postpartum haemorrhage were identified based on the odds ratio, with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P-value less than 0.05. Results The incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage in the hospitals was 8.8% (95% CI: 7.2, 10.6). Of these, there were 7.4% (95% CI: 2.1, 13.3) maternal deaths. Eight predictor variables were found to be independently associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage, including age 35 years (AOR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.08, 4.46; P = 0.03), longer than 24 hours duration of labour (AOR: 7.18; 95% CI: 2.73, 18.90; P = 0.01), vaginal or cervical lacerations (AOR: 4.95; 95% CI: 2.49, 9.86; P = 0.01), instrumental (forceps or vacuum)-assisted birth (AOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.81; P = 0.01), retained placenta (AOR: 21.83; 95% CI: 6.33, 75.20; P = 0.01), antepartum haemorrhage in recent pregnancy (AOR: 6.90; 95% CI: 3.43, 13. 84; p = 0.01), women in labour referred from primary health centres (AOR: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.39, 4.42; P = 0.02), and births managed by medical interns (AOR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.37; P = 0.01). Conclusion We found that while the incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage appeared to be lower than in other studies in Africa the associated maternal mortality was higher. Although most factors associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage were consistent with those identified in the literature, two additional specific factors, were found to be prevalent among women in Ethiopia; the factors were referred women in labour from primary health facilities and births managed by medical interns. Maternal healthcare providers in these hospitals require training on the management of a birthing emergency. © 2022 Tiruneh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: Tiruneh, Bewket , Fooladi, Ensieh , McLelland, Gayle , Plummer, Virginia
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background Of the 1010 reported maternal deaths in 2018, just over 65% occurred in hospitals in Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of standardised data about the contributing factors. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, mortality, and factors associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage following in-hospital births in northwest Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective cohort design was used; an audit of 1060 maternity care logbooks of adult women post-partum at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital and University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The data were abstracted between December 2018 and May 2019 using a systematic random sampling technique. We used the Facility Based Maternal Death Abstraction Form containing sociodemographic characteristics, women’s medical history, and partographs. Primary postpartum haemorrhage was defined as the estimated blood loss recorded by the staff greater or equal to 500 ml for vaginal births and 1000 ml for caesarean section births, or the medical doctor diagnosis and recording of the woman as having primary postpartum haemorrhage. The data analysis was undertaken using Stata version 15. Variables with P 0.10 for significance were selected to run multivariable logistic analyses. Variables that had associations with primary postpartum haemorrhage were identified based on the odds ratio, with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P-value less than 0.05. Results The incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage in the hospitals was 8.8% (95% CI: 7.2, 10.6). Of these, there were 7.4% (95% CI: 2.1, 13.3) maternal deaths. Eight predictor variables were found to be independently associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage, including age 35 years (AOR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.08, 4.46; P = 0.03), longer than 24 hours duration of labour (AOR: 7.18; 95% CI: 2.73, 18.90; P = 0.01), vaginal or cervical lacerations (AOR: 4.95; 95% CI: 2.49, 9.86; P = 0.01), instrumental (forceps or vacuum)-assisted birth (AOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.81; P = 0.01), retained placenta (AOR: 21.83; 95% CI: 6.33, 75.20; P = 0.01), antepartum haemorrhage in recent pregnancy (AOR: 6.90; 95% CI: 3.43, 13. 84; p = 0.01), women in labour referred from primary health centres (AOR: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.39, 4.42; P = 0.02), and births managed by medical interns (AOR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.37; P = 0.01). Conclusion We found that while the incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage appeared to be lower than in other studies in Africa the associated maternal mortality was higher. Although most factors associated with primary postpartum haemorrhage were consistent with those identified in the literature, two additional specific factors, were found to be prevalent among women in Ethiopia; the factors were referred women in labour from primary health facilities and births managed by medical interns. Maternal healthcare providers in these hospitals require training on the management of a birthing emergency. © 2022 Tiruneh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Inter-relationships between ADHD, ODD and impulsivity dimensions in emerging adults revealed by network analysis: extending the ‘trait impulsivity hypothesis’
- Gomez, Rapson, Stavropoulos, Vasileios, Watson, Shaun, Brown, Taylor, Chen, Wai
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun , Brown, Taylor , Chen, Wai
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Heliyon Vol. 8, no. 10 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The trait-impulsivity hypothesis posits impulsivity as the underlying substrate of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom expressions. The current study applied network analysis to evaluate the inter-relationships of dimensions within ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and ODD (anger/irritable, vindictiveness, and argumentative/defiant behavior) with components of impulsivity as captured by the UPPS-P model (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, and positive urgency). Method: A total of 324 emerging adults (women = 246) from the general community completed questionnaires covering these dimensions. Results: Our findings showed that the ADHD and ODD dimensions were associated differentially with different types of impulsivity, in their unique patterns of network connectivities, a possibility that has had little attention in the trait-impulsivity hypothesis literature. Conclusions: This study is the first to tease out the unique associations of the ADHD and ODD dimensions with different types of impulsivity, and in that way provide new contributions to our understanding of the existing trait impulsivity theory. Our findings would be especially relevant to those interested in understanding how different dimensions of trait impulsivity underly the ADHD and ODD dimensions. © 2022 The Authors
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun , Brown, Taylor , Chen, Wai
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Heliyon Vol. 8, no. 10 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The trait-impulsivity hypothesis posits impulsivity as the underlying substrate of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom expressions. The current study applied network analysis to evaluate the inter-relationships of dimensions within ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and ODD (anger/irritable, vindictiveness, and argumentative/defiant behavior) with components of impulsivity as captured by the UPPS-P model (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, and positive urgency). Method: A total of 324 emerging adults (women = 246) from the general community completed questionnaires covering these dimensions. Results: Our findings showed that the ADHD and ODD dimensions were associated differentially with different types of impulsivity, in their unique patterns of network connectivities, a possibility that has had little attention in the trait-impulsivity hypothesis literature. Conclusions: This study is the first to tease out the unique associations of the ADHD and ODD dimensions with different types of impulsivity, and in that way provide new contributions to our understanding of the existing trait impulsivity theory. Our findings would be especially relevant to those interested in understanding how different dimensions of trait impulsivity underly the ADHD and ODD dimensions. © 2022 The Authors
Intermittency of rock fractured surfaces : a power law
- Aligholi, Saeed, Khandelwal, Manoj
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 22 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Roughness of rock fractured surfaces is one of the most important factors controlling fluid flow in rock masses. Roughness quantification is of prime importance for modelling the flow of ground waters as well as reservoir fluid mechanics. In this study, with the aid of high-resolution 3D X-ray CT scanning and image processing techniques, the roughness of four different rock types is reconstructed with a resolution of 16.5 microns. Moreover, the correlation and structure functions are used to analyse height fluctuations as well as statistical intermittency of the studied rock fractured surfaces. It is observed that at length scales smaller than a critical length scale, fractures surfaces are correlated and show multifractality. Monofractals are neither intermittent nor correlated; hence, a meaningful link between statistical intermittency and the correlation function of multifractals is expected. However, a model that considers this relationship and predicts multifractal spectra of disordered systems is still missing. A simple power law that can exactly forecast the multiscaling spectrum of rock fracture process zone is being introduced. It is explained how the exponent of this power function
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 22 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Roughness of rock fractured surfaces is one of the most important factors controlling fluid flow in rock masses. Roughness quantification is of prime importance for modelling the flow of ground waters as well as reservoir fluid mechanics. In this study, with the aid of high-resolution 3D X-ray CT scanning and image processing techniques, the roughness of four different rock types is reconstructed with a resolution of 16.5 microns. Moreover, the correlation and structure functions are used to analyse height fluctuations as well as statistical intermittency of the studied rock fractured surfaces. It is observed that at length scales smaller than a critical length scale, fractures surfaces are correlated and show multifractality. Monofractals are neither intermittent nor correlated; hence, a meaningful link between statistical intermittency and the correlation function of multifractals is expected. However, a model that considers this relationship and predicts multifractal spectra of disordered systems is still missing. A simple power law that can exactly forecast the multiscaling spectrum of rock fracture process zone is being introduced. It is explained how the exponent of this power function
Investigating the relationship between human activity and the urban heat island effect in Melbourne and four other international cities impacted by COVID-19
- Wai, Cheuk, Muttil, Nitin, Tariq, Muhammad, Paresi, Prudvireddy, Nnachi, R, Ng, A. W. M.
- Authors: Wai, Cheuk , Muttil, Nitin , Tariq, Muhammad , Paresi, Prudvireddy , Nnachi, R , Ng, A. W. M.
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our times, even before the onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the main contributors to climate change is greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are mostly caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. As the lockdown due to the pandemic has minimised human activity in major cities, GHG emissions have been reduced. This, in turn, is expected to lead to a reduction in the urban heat island (UHI) effect in the cities. The aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between human activity and the UHI intensity and to provide recommendations towards developing a sustainable approach to minimise the UHI effect and improve urban resilience. In this study, historical records of the monthly mean of daily maximum surface air temperatures collected from official weather stations in Melbourne, New York City, Tokyo, Dublin, and Oslo were used to estimate the UHI intensity in these cities. The results showed that factors such as global climate and geographic features could dominate the overall temperature. However, a direct relationship between COVID-19 lockdown timelines and the UHI intensity was observed, which suggests that a reduction in human activity can diminish the UHI intensity. As lockdowns due to COVID-19 are only temporary events, this study also provides recommendations to urban planners towards long-term measures to mitigate the UHI effect, which can be implemented when human activity returns to normal. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Wai, Cheuk , Muttil, Nitin , Tariq, Muhammad , Paresi, Prudvireddy , Nnachi, R , Ng, A. W. M.
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our times, even before the onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the main contributors to climate change is greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are mostly caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. As the lockdown due to the pandemic has minimised human activity in major cities, GHG emissions have been reduced. This, in turn, is expected to lead to a reduction in the urban heat island (UHI) effect in the cities. The aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between human activity and the UHI intensity and to provide recommendations towards developing a sustainable approach to minimise the UHI effect and improve urban resilience. In this study, historical records of the monthly mean of daily maximum surface air temperatures collected from official weather stations in Melbourne, New York City, Tokyo, Dublin, and Oslo were used to estimate the UHI intensity in these cities. The results showed that factors such as global climate and geographic features could dominate the overall temperature. However, a direct relationship between COVID-19 lockdown timelines and the UHI intensity was observed, which suggests that a reduction in human activity can diminish the UHI intensity. As lockdowns due to COVID-19 are only temporary events, this study also provides recommendations to urban planners towards long-term measures to mitigate the UHI effect, which can be implemented when human activity returns to normal. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Late non-fasting plasma glucose predicts cardiovascular mortality independent of hemoglobin A1c
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Fang, Yan
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 12, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: It is unknown whether non-fasting plasma glucose (PG) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. This study aimed to investigate this association in US adults. This study included adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 2014. Mortality outcomes were ascertained by linkage to the National Death Index records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PG for CVD mortality. Among 34,907 participants, 1956, 5564, and 27,387 had PG from participants in early non-fasting, late non-fasting, and fasting states, respectively (defined as a period since last calorie intake of 0–2.9, 3.0–7.9, or
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Fang, Yan
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 12, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: It is unknown whether non-fasting plasma glucose (PG) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. This study aimed to investigate this association in US adults. This study included adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 2014. Mortality outcomes were ascertained by linkage to the National Death Index records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PG for CVD mortality. Among 34,907 participants, 1956, 5564, and 27,387 had PG from participants in early non-fasting, late non-fasting, and fasting states, respectively (defined as a period since last calorie intake of 0–2.9, 3.0–7.9, or
Mineral texture identification using local binary patterns equipped with a Classification and Recognition Updating System (CARUS)
- Aligholi, Saeed, Khajavi, Reza, Khandelwal, Manoj, Armaghani, Danial
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khajavi, Reza , Khandelwal, Manoj , Armaghani, Danial
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, a rotation-invariant local binary pattern operator equipped with a local contrast measure (riLBPc) is employed to characterize the type of mineral twinning by inspecting the texture properties of crystals. The proposed method uses photomicrographs of minerals and produces LBP histograms, which might be compared with those included in a predefined database using the Kullback–Leibler divergence-based metric. The paper proposes a new LBP-based scheme for concurrent classification and recognition tasks, followed by a novel online updating routine to enhance the locally developed mineral LBP database. The discriminatory power of the proposed Classification and Recognition Updating System (CARUS) for texture identification scheme is verified for plagioclase, orthoclase, microcline, and quartz minerals with sensitivity (TPR) near 99.9%, 87%, 99.9%, and 96%, and accuracy (ACC) equal to about 99%, 97%, 99%, and 99%, respectively. According to the results, the introduced CARUS system is a promising approach that can be applied in a variety of different fields dealing with classification and feature recognition tasks. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khajavi, Reza , Khandelwal, Manoj , Armaghani, Danial
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, a rotation-invariant local binary pattern operator equipped with a local contrast measure (riLBPc) is employed to characterize the type of mineral twinning by inspecting the texture properties of crystals. The proposed method uses photomicrographs of minerals and produces LBP histograms, which might be compared with those included in a predefined database using the Kullback–Leibler divergence-based metric. The paper proposes a new LBP-based scheme for concurrent classification and recognition tasks, followed by a novel online updating routine to enhance the locally developed mineral LBP database. The discriminatory power of the proposed Classification and Recognition Updating System (CARUS) for texture identification scheme is verified for plagioclase, orthoclase, microcline, and quartz minerals with sensitivity (TPR) near 99.9%, 87%, 99.9%, and 96%, and accuracy (ACC) equal to about 99%, 97%, 99%, and 99%, respectively. According to the results, the introduced CARUS system is a promising approach that can be applied in a variety of different fields dealing with classification and feature recognition tasks. © 2022 by the authors.
Morally excused but socially excluded : denying agency through the defense of mental impairment
- De Vel-Palumbo, Melissa, Ferguson, Rose, Schein, Chelsea, Chang, Melissa, Bastian, Brock
- Authors: De Vel-Palumbo, Melissa , Ferguson, Rose , Schein, Chelsea , Chang, Melissa , Bastian, Brock
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 7 July (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Defendants can deny they have agency, and thus responsibility, for a crime by using a defense of mental impairment. We argue that although this strategy may help defendants evade blame, it may carry longer-term social costs, as lay people's perceptions of a person's agency might determine some of the moral rights they grant them. Three randomized between-group experiments (N = 1601) used online vignettes to examine lay perceptions of a hypothetical defendant using a defense of mental impairment (versus a guilty plea). We find that using a defense of mental impairment significantly reduces responsibility, blame, and punitiveness relative to a guilty plea, and these judgments are mediated by perceptions of reduced moral agency. However, after serving their respective sentences, those using the defense are sometimes conferred fewer rights, as reduced agency corresponds to an increase in perceived dangerousness. Our findings were found to be robust across different types of mental impairment, offences/sentences, and using both manipulated and measured agency. The findings have implications for defendants claiming reduced agency through legal defenses, as well as for the broader study of moral rights and mind perception. © 2022 de Vel-Palumbo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: De Vel-Palumbo, Melissa , Ferguson, Rose , Schein, Chelsea , Chang, Melissa , Bastian, Brock
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 7 July (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Defendants can deny they have agency, and thus responsibility, for a crime by using a defense of mental impairment. We argue that although this strategy may help defendants evade blame, it may carry longer-term social costs, as lay people's perceptions of a person's agency might determine some of the moral rights they grant them. Three randomized between-group experiments (N = 1601) used online vignettes to examine lay perceptions of a hypothetical defendant using a defense of mental impairment (versus a guilty plea). We find that using a defense of mental impairment significantly reduces responsibility, blame, and punitiveness relative to a guilty plea, and these judgments are mediated by perceptions of reduced moral agency. However, after serving their respective sentences, those using the defense are sometimes conferred fewer rights, as reduced agency corresponds to an increase in perceived dangerousness. Our findings were found to be robust across different types of mental impairment, offences/sentences, and using both manipulated and measured agency. The findings have implications for defendants claiming reduced agency through legal defenses, as well as for the broader study of moral rights and mind perception. © 2022 de Vel-Palumbo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Multiproxy approach to track changes in the ecological condition of wetlands in the Gunbower Forest, a Ramsar site
- Mall, Neeraj, Gell, Peter, Kattel, Giri, Gadd, Patricia, Zawadzki, Atun
- Authors: Mall, Neeraj , Gell, Peter , Kattel, Giri , Gadd, Patricia , Zawadzki, Atun
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Marine and Freshwater Research Vol. 73, no. 10 (2022), p. 1196-1211
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Gunbower Forest is bordered by the Murray River and Gunbower Creek and hosts several floodplain wetlands listed under the Ramsar Convention. Sediment cores were retrieved from three wetlands to trace changes to their ecological state over time. The basal sediments of the wetlands date back to the beginning of river regulation in the 1930s, suggesting that only after then were they inundated sufficiently often to allow for net sediment accumulation. The diatoms preserved in the lower levels of all cores suggest clear, freshwater conditions prevailed during that period. Increased sediment and nutrient loads are inferred by increased epiphytic forms and nutrient indicators. Over recent decades the wetlands have transitioned to plankton dominance, reflecting greater connectivity to the river and distributary, and a reduced light environment. This pattern resembles to that recorded both upstream and downstream, suggesting a regional-scale change in the wetlands of the southern Murray-Darling Basin. © CSIRO 2022.
- Authors: Mall, Neeraj , Gell, Peter , Kattel, Giri , Gadd, Patricia , Zawadzki, Atun
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Marine and Freshwater Research Vol. 73, no. 10 (2022), p. 1196-1211
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Gunbower Forest is bordered by the Murray River and Gunbower Creek and hosts several floodplain wetlands listed under the Ramsar Convention. Sediment cores were retrieved from three wetlands to trace changes to their ecological state over time. The basal sediments of the wetlands date back to the beginning of river regulation in the 1930s, suggesting that only after then were they inundated sufficiently often to allow for net sediment accumulation. The diatoms preserved in the lower levels of all cores suggest clear, freshwater conditions prevailed during that period. Increased sediment and nutrient loads are inferred by increased epiphytic forms and nutrient indicators. Over recent decades the wetlands have transitioned to plankton dominance, reflecting greater connectivity to the river and distributary, and a reduced light environment. This pattern resembles to that recorded both upstream and downstream, suggesting a regional-scale change in the wetlands of the southern Murray-Darling Basin. © CSIRO 2022.
Phylodynamic signatures in the emergence of community-associated MRSA
- Steinig, Eike, Aglua, Izzard, Duchene, Sebastian, Meehan, Michael, Yoannes, Mition, Firth, Cadhla, Jaworski, Jan, Drekore, Jimmy, Urakoko, Bohu, Poka, Harry, Wurr, Clive, Ebos, Eri, Nangen, David, Müller, Elke, Mulvey, Peter, Jackson, Charlene, Blomfeldt, Anita, Aamot, Hege, Laman, Moses, Manning, Laurens, Earls, Megan, Coleman, David, Greenhill, Andrew, Ford, Rebecca, Stegger, Marc, Syed, Muhammad, Jamil, Bushra, Monecke, Stefan, Ehricht, Ralf, Smith, Simon, Pomat, William, Horwood, Paul, Tong, Steven, McBryde, Emma
- Authors: Steinig, Eike , Aglua, Izzard , Duchene, Sebastian , Meehan, Michael , Yoannes, Mition , Firth, Cadhla , Jaworski, Jan , Drekore, Jimmy , Urakoko, Bohu , Poka, Harry , Wurr, Clive , Ebos, Eri , Nangen, David , Müller, Elke , Mulvey, Peter , Jackson, Charlene , Blomfeldt, Anita , Aamot, Hege , Laman, Moses , Manning, Laurens , Earls, Megan , Coleman, David , Greenhill, Andrew , Ford, Rebecca , Stegger, Marc , Syed, Muhammad , Jamil, Bushra , Monecke, Stefan , Ehricht, Ralf , Smith, Simon , Pomat, William , Horwood, Paul , Tong, Steven , McBryde, Emma
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol. 119, no. 45 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Community-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lineages have emerged in many geographically distinct regions around the world during the past 30 y. Here, we apply consistent phylodynamic methods across multiple community-associated MRSA lineages to describe and contrast their patterns of emergence and dissemination. We generated whole-genome sequencing data for the Australian sequence type (ST) ST93-MRSA-IV from remote communities in Far North Queensland and Papua New Guinea, and the Bengal Bay ST772-MRSA-V clone from metropolitan communities in Pakistan. Increases in the effective reproduction number (Re) and sustained transmission (Re > 1) coincided with spread of progenitor methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) in remote northern Australian populations, dissemination of the ST93-MRSA-IV genotype into population centers on the Australian East Coast, and subsequent importation into the highlands of Papua New Guinea and Far North Queensland. Applying the same phylodynamic methods to existing lineage datasets, we identified common signatures of epidemic growth in the emergence and epidemiological trajectory of community-associated S. aureus lineages from America, Asia, Australasia, and Europe. Surges in Re were observed at the divergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, coinciding with their establishment in regional population centers. Epidemic growth was also observed among drug-resistant MSSA clades in Africa and northern Australia. Our data suggest that the emergence of community-associated MRSA in the late 20th century was driven by a combination of antibiotic-resistant genotypes and host epidemiology, leading to abrupt changes in lineage-wide transmission dynamics and sustained transmission in regional population centers. Copyright © 2022 the Author(s).
- Authors: Steinig, Eike , Aglua, Izzard , Duchene, Sebastian , Meehan, Michael , Yoannes, Mition , Firth, Cadhla , Jaworski, Jan , Drekore, Jimmy , Urakoko, Bohu , Poka, Harry , Wurr, Clive , Ebos, Eri , Nangen, David , Müller, Elke , Mulvey, Peter , Jackson, Charlene , Blomfeldt, Anita , Aamot, Hege , Laman, Moses , Manning, Laurens , Earls, Megan , Coleman, David , Greenhill, Andrew , Ford, Rebecca , Stegger, Marc , Syed, Muhammad , Jamil, Bushra , Monecke, Stefan , Ehricht, Ralf , Smith, Simon , Pomat, William , Horwood, Paul , Tong, Steven , McBryde, Emma
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol. 119, no. 45 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Community-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lineages have emerged in many geographically distinct regions around the world during the past 30 y. Here, we apply consistent phylodynamic methods across multiple community-associated MRSA lineages to describe and contrast their patterns of emergence and dissemination. We generated whole-genome sequencing data for the Australian sequence type (ST) ST93-MRSA-IV from remote communities in Far North Queensland and Papua New Guinea, and the Bengal Bay ST772-MRSA-V clone from metropolitan communities in Pakistan. Increases in the effective reproduction number (Re) and sustained transmission (Re > 1) coincided with spread of progenitor methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) in remote northern Australian populations, dissemination of the ST93-MRSA-IV genotype into population centers on the Australian East Coast, and subsequent importation into the highlands of Papua New Guinea and Far North Queensland. Applying the same phylodynamic methods to existing lineage datasets, we identified common signatures of epidemic growth in the emergence and epidemiological trajectory of community-associated S. aureus lineages from America, Asia, Australasia, and Europe. Surges in Re were observed at the divergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, coinciding with their establishment in regional population centers. Epidemic growth was also observed among drug-resistant MSSA clades in Africa and northern Australia. Our data suggest that the emergence of community-associated MRSA in the late 20th century was driven by a combination of antibiotic-resistant genotypes and host epidemiology, leading to abrupt changes in lineage-wide transmission dynamics and sustained transmission in regional population centers. Copyright © 2022 the Author(s).
Prediction of blast-induced ground vibration at a limestone quarry : an artificial intelligence approach
- Arthur, Clement, Bhatawdekar, Ramesh, Mohamad, Edy, Sabri, Mohanad, Bohra, Manish, Khandelwal, Manoj, Kwon, Sangki
- Authors: Arthur, Clement , Bhatawdekar, Ramesh , Mohamad, Edy , Sabri, Mohanad , Bohra, Manish , Khandelwal, Manoj , Kwon, Sangki
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ground vibration is one of the most unfavourable environmental effects of blasting activities, which can cause serious damage to neighboring homes and structures. As a result, effective forecasting of their severity is critical to controlling and reducing their recurrence. There are several conventional vibration predictor equations available proposed by different researchers but most of them are based on only two parameters, i.e., explosive charge used per delay and distance between blast face to the monitoring point. It is a well-known fact that blasting results are influenced by a number of blast design parameters, such as burden, spacing, powder factor, etc. but these are not being considered in any of the available conventional predictors and due to that they show a high error in predicting blast vibrations. Nowadays, artificial intelligence has been widely used in blast engineering. Thus, three artificial intelligence approaches, namely Gaussian process regression (GPR), extreme learning machine (ELM) and backpropagation neural network (BPNN) were used in this study to estimate ground vibration caused by blasting in Shree Cement Ras Limestone Mine in India. To achieve that aim, 101 blasting datasets with powder factor, average depth, distance, spacing, burden, charge weight, and stemming length as input parameters were collected from the mine site. For comparison purposes, a simple multivariate regression analysis (MVRA) model as well as, a nonparametric regression-based technique known as multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) was also constructed using the same datasets. This study serves as a foundational study for the comparison of GPR, BPNN, ELM, MARS and MVRA to ascertain their respective predictive performances. Eighty-one (81) datasets representing 80% of the total blasting datasets were used to construct and train the various predictive models while 20 data samples (20%) were utilized for evaluating the predictive capabilities of the developed predictive models. Using the testing datasets, major indicators of performance, namely mean squared error (MSE), variance accounted for (VAF), correlation coefficient (R) and coefficient of determination (R2) were compared as statistical evaluators of model performance. This study revealed that the GPR model exhibited superior predictive capability in comparison to the MARS, BPNN, ELM and MVRA. The GPR model showed the highest VAF, R and R2 values of 99.1728%, 0.9985 and 0.9971 respectively and the lowest MSE of 0.0903. As a result, the blast engineer can employ GPR as an effective and appropriate method for forecasting blast-induced ground vibration. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Arthur, Clement , Bhatawdekar, Ramesh , Mohamad, Edy , Sabri, Mohanad , Bohra, Manish , Khandelwal, Manoj , Kwon, Sangki
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ground vibration is one of the most unfavourable environmental effects of blasting activities, which can cause serious damage to neighboring homes and structures. As a result, effective forecasting of their severity is critical to controlling and reducing their recurrence. There are several conventional vibration predictor equations available proposed by different researchers but most of them are based on only two parameters, i.e., explosive charge used per delay and distance between blast face to the monitoring point. It is a well-known fact that blasting results are influenced by a number of blast design parameters, such as burden, spacing, powder factor, etc. but these are not being considered in any of the available conventional predictors and due to that they show a high error in predicting blast vibrations. Nowadays, artificial intelligence has been widely used in blast engineering. Thus, three artificial intelligence approaches, namely Gaussian process regression (GPR), extreme learning machine (ELM) and backpropagation neural network (BPNN) were used in this study to estimate ground vibration caused by blasting in Shree Cement Ras Limestone Mine in India. To achieve that aim, 101 blasting datasets with powder factor, average depth, distance, spacing, burden, charge weight, and stemming length as input parameters were collected from the mine site. For comparison purposes, a simple multivariate regression analysis (MVRA) model as well as, a nonparametric regression-based technique known as multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) was also constructed using the same datasets. This study serves as a foundational study for the comparison of GPR, BPNN, ELM, MARS and MVRA to ascertain their respective predictive performances. Eighty-one (81) datasets representing 80% of the total blasting datasets were used to construct and train the various predictive models while 20 data samples (20%) were utilized for evaluating the predictive capabilities of the developed predictive models. Using the testing datasets, major indicators of performance, namely mean squared error (MSE), variance accounted for (VAF), correlation coefficient (R) and coefficient of determination (R2) were compared as statistical evaluators of model performance. This study revealed that the GPR model exhibited superior predictive capability in comparison to the MARS, BPNN, ELM and MVRA. The GPR model showed the highest VAF, R and R2 values of 99.1728%, 0.9985 and 0.9971 respectively and the lowest MSE of 0.0903. As a result, the blast engineer can employ GPR as an effective and appropriate method for forecasting blast-induced ground vibration. © 2022 by the authors.
Psychological distress among bangladeshi dental students during the covid-19 pandemic
- Sabrina, Farah, Chowdhury, Mohammad, Nath, Sujan, Imon, Ashik, Abdul Quader, S., Jahan, Md Shahed, Noor, Ashek, Podder, Clopa, Gainju, Unisha, Niroula, Rina, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Sabrina, Farah , Chowdhury, Mohammad , Nath, Sujan , Imon, Ashik , Abdul Quader, S. , Jahan, Md Shahed , Noor, Ashek , Podder, Clopa , Gainju, Unisha , Niroula, Rina , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Psychological sufferings are observed among dental students during their academic years, which had been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study assessed the levels and identified factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping experienced by dental undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross sectional online survey was conducted during October-November, 2021. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) were used in order to assess psychological distress, fear and coping strategies, respectively. Results: A total of 327 students participated; the majority (72%) were 19–23 years old and females (75%). One in five participants were infected with COVID-19 and 15% reported contact with COVID-19 cases. Negative financial impact (AOR 3.72, 95% CIs 1.28–10.8), recent or past COVID-19 infection, and contact with COVID-19 cases were associated with higher levels of psychological distress; but being a third year student (0.14, 0.04–0.55) and being satisfied about current social life (0.11, 0.03–0.33) were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Being a third year (0.17, 0.08–0.39) and a fourth year student (0.29, 0.12–0.71) were associated with lower levels of fear. Health care service use and feeling positive about life were associated with medium to high resilience coping. Conclusions: This study identified dental students in Bangladesh who were at higher risk of psychological distress, fear and coping during the ongoing pandemic. Development of a mental health support system within dental institutions should be considered in addition to the academic and clinical teaching. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Sabrina, Farah , Chowdhury, Mohammad , Nath, Sujan , Imon, Ashik , Abdul Quader, S. , Jahan, Md Shahed , Noor, Ashek , Podder, Clopa , Gainju, Unisha , Niroula, Rina , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Psychological sufferings are observed among dental students during their academic years, which had been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study assessed the levels and identified factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping experienced by dental undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross sectional online survey was conducted during October-November, 2021. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) were used in order to assess psychological distress, fear and coping strategies, respectively. Results: A total of 327 students participated; the majority (72%) were 19–23 years old and females (75%). One in five participants were infected with COVID-19 and 15% reported contact with COVID-19 cases. Negative financial impact (AOR 3.72, 95% CIs 1.28–10.8), recent or past COVID-19 infection, and contact with COVID-19 cases were associated with higher levels of psychological distress; but being a third year student (0.14, 0.04–0.55) and being satisfied about current social life (0.11, 0.03–0.33) were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Being a third year (0.17, 0.08–0.39) and a fourth year student (0.29, 0.12–0.71) were associated with lower levels of fear. Health care service use and feeling positive about life were associated with medium to high resilience coping. Conclusions: This study identified dental students in Bangladesh who were at higher risk of psychological distress, fear and coping during the ongoing pandemic. Development of a mental health support system within dental institutions should be considered in addition to the academic and clinical teaching. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Roles of selective agriculture practices in sustainable agricultural performance : a systematic review
- Ali, Basharat, Dahlhaus, Peter
- Authors: Ali, Basharat , Dahlhaus, Peter
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 6 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Feeding the growing global population while improving the Earth’s economic, environmental, and social values is a challenge recognised in both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Sustaining global agricultural performance requires regular revision of current farming models, attitudes, and practices. In systematically reviewing the international literature through the lens of the sustainability framework, this paper specifically identifies precision conservation agriculture (PCA), digital agriculture (DA), and resilient agriculture (RA) practices as being of value in meeting future challenges. Each of these adaptations carries significantly positive relationships with sustaining agricultural performance, as well as positively mediating and/or moderating each other. While it is clear from the literature that adopting PCA, DA, and RA would substantially improve the sustainability of agricultural performance, the uptake of these adaptations generally lags. More in-depth social science research is required to understand the value propositions that would encourage uptake of these adaptations and the barriers that prevent them. Recommendations are made to explore the specific knowledge gap that needs to be understood to motivate agriculture practitioners to adopt these changes in practice. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Ali, Basharat , Dahlhaus, Peter
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 6 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Feeding the growing global population while improving the Earth’s economic, environmental, and social values is a challenge recognised in both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Sustaining global agricultural performance requires regular revision of current farming models, attitudes, and practices. In systematically reviewing the international literature through the lens of the sustainability framework, this paper specifically identifies precision conservation agriculture (PCA), digital agriculture (DA), and resilient agriculture (RA) practices as being of value in meeting future challenges. Each of these adaptations carries significantly positive relationships with sustaining agricultural performance, as well as positively mediating and/or moderating each other. While it is clear from the literature that adopting PCA, DA, and RA would substantially improve the sustainability of agricultural performance, the uptake of these adaptations generally lags. More in-depth social science research is required to understand the value propositions that would encourage uptake of these adaptations and the barriers that prevent them. Recommendations are made to explore the specific knowledge gap that needs to be understood to motivate agriculture practitioners to adopt these changes in practice. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Severe tropical cyclones over southwest Pacific Islands : economic impacts and implications for disaster risk management
- Deo, Anil, Chand, Savin, McIntosh, R. Duncan, Prakash, Bipen, Holbrook, Neil, Magee, Andrew, Haruhiru, Alick, Malsale, Philip
- Authors: Deo, Anil , Chand, Savin , McIntosh, R. Duncan , Prakash, Bipen , Holbrook, Neil , Magee, Andrew , Haruhiru, Alick , Malsale, Philip
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Climatic Change Vol. 172, no. 3-4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Tropical cyclones (TCs) are amongst the costliest natural hazards for southwest Pacific (SWP) Island nations. Extreme winds coupled with heavy rainfall and related coastal hazards, such as large waves and high seas, can have devastating consequences for life and property. Effects of anthropogenic climate change are likely to make TCs even more destructive in the SWP (as that observed particularly over Fiji) and elsewhere around the globe, yet TCs may occur less often. However, the underpinning science of quantifying future TC projections amid multiple uncertainties can be complex. The challenge for scientists is how to turn such technical knowledge framed around uncertainties into tangible products to inform decision-making in the disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) sector. Drawing on experiences from past TC events as analogies to what may happen in a warming climate can be useful. The role of science-based climate services tailored to the needs of the DRM and DRR sector is critical in this context. In the first part of this paper, we examine cases of historically severe TCs in the SWP and quantify their socio-economic impacts. The second part of this paper discusses a decision-support framework developed in collaboration with a number of agencies in the SWP, featuring science-based climate services that inform different stages of planning in national-level risk management strategies. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Deo, Anil , Chand, Savin , McIntosh, R. Duncan , Prakash, Bipen , Holbrook, Neil , Magee, Andrew , Haruhiru, Alick , Malsale, Philip
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Climatic Change Vol. 172, no. 3-4 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Tropical cyclones (TCs) are amongst the costliest natural hazards for southwest Pacific (SWP) Island nations. Extreme winds coupled with heavy rainfall and related coastal hazards, such as large waves and high seas, can have devastating consequences for life and property. Effects of anthropogenic climate change are likely to make TCs even more destructive in the SWP (as that observed particularly over Fiji) and elsewhere around the globe, yet TCs may occur less often. However, the underpinning science of quantifying future TC projections amid multiple uncertainties can be complex. The challenge for scientists is how to turn such technical knowledge framed around uncertainties into tangible products to inform decision-making in the disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) sector. Drawing on experiences from past TC events as analogies to what may happen in a warming climate can be useful. The role of science-based climate services tailored to the needs of the DRM and DRR sector is critical in this context. In the first part of this paper, we examine cases of historically severe TCs in the SWP and quantify their socio-economic impacts. The second part of this paper discusses a decision-support framework developed in collaboration with a number of agencies in the SWP, featuring science-based climate services that inform different stages of planning in national-level risk management strategies. © 2022, The Author(s).
Something went missing : cessation of traditional owner land management and rapid mammalian population collapses in the semi-arid region of the murray‒darling basin, southeastern Australia
- Mansergh, Ian, Cheal, David, Burch, John, Allen, Harry
- Authors: Mansergh, Ian , Cheal, David , Burch, John , Allen, Harry
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria Vol. 134, no. 1 (2022), p. 45-84
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The nineteenth century mass mammal extinctions in the semi-arid zone of the Murray‒Darling basin, southeastern Australia, are examined in the context of prior traditional land management. A model of grassland dynamics reveals a multi-trophic level productive pulse one to five years post-fire, followed by senescence and increasing flammability. Traditional Owner patch burning of grassland optimized human and mammalian food (including tubers, seeds and fungi) and decreased fire risk. Over at least 40 000 years, the persistence and abundance of fauna responded to this energetically closed self-reinforcing management. In 1830, depopulation (disease, massacres and displacement) effectively ended traditional management, an ecologically traumatic event that extinguished these productivity pulses. Associated mammal populations of c. 20 species collapsed, and all eco-engineering and mycophagous species, such as bilbies, bettongs and bandicoots, rapidly disappeared. Traditional land management increased productivity, habitat heterogeneity and reduced wildfire risk, underpinning mammal abundance. This has remained unrecognized by most mammalogists and land managers. Blaming extinctions predominantly on the additions by Europeans (introduction of ungulates, feral grazers and predators etc.), disastrous as they were, fails to acknowledge the initial cause of rarity, i.e. loss of productivity, habitat and niches when traditional management was subtracted from country. As ecosystems continue to degrade, understanding the primary cause is fundamental to improved management. Although too late for extinct species, respect for, and inclusion of, traditional land management knowledge provides a direction for future land management. © 2022 Royal Society of Victoria. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Mansergh, Ian , Cheal, David , Burch, John , Allen, Harry
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria Vol. 134, no. 1 (2022), p. 45-84
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The nineteenth century mass mammal extinctions in the semi-arid zone of the Murray‒Darling basin, southeastern Australia, are examined in the context of prior traditional land management. A model of grassland dynamics reveals a multi-trophic level productive pulse one to five years post-fire, followed by senescence and increasing flammability. Traditional Owner patch burning of grassland optimized human and mammalian food (including tubers, seeds and fungi) and decreased fire risk. Over at least 40 000 years, the persistence and abundance of fauna responded to this energetically closed self-reinforcing management. In 1830, depopulation (disease, massacres and displacement) effectively ended traditional management, an ecologically traumatic event that extinguished these productivity pulses. Associated mammal populations of c. 20 species collapsed, and all eco-engineering and mycophagous species, such as bilbies, bettongs and bandicoots, rapidly disappeared. Traditional land management increased productivity, habitat heterogeneity and reduced wildfire risk, underpinning mammal abundance. This has remained unrecognized by most mammalogists and land managers. Blaming extinctions predominantly on the additions by Europeans (introduction of ungulates, feral grazers and predators etc.), disastrous as they were, fails to acknowledge the initial cause of rarity, i.e. loss of productivity, habitat and niches when traditional management was subtracted from country. As ecosystems continue to degrade, understanding the primary cause is fundamental to improved management. Although too late for extinct species, respect for, and inclusion of, traditional land management knowledge provides a direction for future land management. © 2022 Royal Society of Victoria. All rights reserved.
Source text pre-editing versus target text post-editing in using Google Translate to provide health services to culturally and linguistically diverse clients
- Liang, Yingping, Han, Weifeng
- Authors: Liang, Yingping , Han, Weifeng
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science, Engineering and Health Studies Vol. 16, no. (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The study reports early-stage research on the efficacy of using the source text pre-editing (STPE) method to improve translation accuracy and cost-efficiency in conjunction with Google Translate as compared to the traditional target text post-editing (TTPE) method. Based on fluency, accuracy, cultural appropriateness and error severity, preliminary results show that STPE significantly increased the meaning adequacy and accuracy in translation as compared to TTPE. STPE also saved significant time, and, therefore, was more cost-efficient, as compared to TTPE. The results suggested a fundamentally new and more efficient method to the better employment of machine translation that differed from existing approaches. Governments and health providers may use the STPE plus Google Translate method more widely to reduce translation inaccuracy as well as to increase cost-efficiency, and provide more accessible information to culturally and linguistically diverse clients. © 2022 Silpakorn University. All Rights Reserved.
- Authors: Liang, Yingping , Han, Weifeng
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science, Engineering and Health Studies Vol. 16, no. (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The study reports early-stage research on the efficacy of using the source text pre-editing (STPE) method to improve translation accuracy and cost-efficiency in conjunction with Google Translate as compared to the traditional target text post-editing (TTPE) method. Based on fluency, accuracy, cultural appropriateness and error severity, preliminary results show that STPE significantly increased the meaning adequacy and accuracy in translation as compared to TTPE. STPE also saved significant time, and, therefore, was more cost-efficient, as compared to TTPE. The results suggested a fundamentally new and more efficient method to the better employment of machine translation that differed from existing approaches. Governments and health providers may use the STPE plus Google Translate method more widely to reduce translation inaccuracy as well as to increase cost-efficiency, and provide more accessible information to culturally and linguistically diverse clients. © 2022 Silpakorn University. All Rights Reserved.
The effect of the petrography, mineralogy, and physical properties of limestone on Mode I fracture toughness under dry and saturated conditions
- Safari Farrokhad, Sajad, Lashkaripour, Gholam, Hafezi Moghaddas, Nasser, Aligholi, Saeed, Sabri, Mohanad
- Authors: Safari Farrokhad, Sajad , Lashkaripour, Gholam , Hafezi Moghaddas, Nasser , Aligholi, Saeed , Sabri, Mohanad
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Determining the fracture toughness of rock materials is a challenging, costly, and time-consuming task, as fabricating a sharp crack in rock specimens will lead to failure of the specimen, and preparing specimens for determining the rock fracture toughness requires special equipment. In this paper, the relationship between mode I fracture toughness (KIC) with the rock index properties, mineralogy, and petrography of limestone is investigated using simple nonlinear and simple/multiple linear regression analyses to provide alternative methods for estimating the fracture toughness of limestones. The cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) method was applied to 30 limestones with different petrographic and mineralogical characteristics under both dry and saturated conditions. Moreover, the index properties of the same rocks, including the density, porosity, electrical resistivity, P and S wave velocities, Schmidt rebound hardness, and point load index, were determined. According to the statistical analyses, a classification based on the petrography of the studied rocks was required for predicting the fracture toughness from index properties. By classifying the limestones based on petrography, reliable relationships with high correlations can be introduced for estimating the fracture toughness of different limestones using simple tests. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Safari Farrokhad, Sajad , Lashkaripour, Gholam , Hafezi Moghaddas, Nasser , Aligholi, Saeed , Sabri, Mohanad
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 18 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Determining the fracture toughness of rock materials is a challenging, costly, and time-consuming task, as fabricating a sharp crack in rock specimens will lead to failure of the specimen, and preparing specimens for determining the rock fracture toughness requires special equipment. In this paper, the relationship between mode I fracture toughness (KIC) with the rock index properties, mineralogy, and petrography of limestone is investigated using simple nonlinear and simple/multiple linear regression analyses to provide alternative methods for estimating the fracture toughness of limestones. The cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) method was applied to 30 limestones with different petrographic and mineralogical characteristics under both dry and saturated conditions. Moreover, the index properties of the same rocks, including the density, porosity, electrical resistivity, P and S wave velocities, Schmidt rebound hardness, and point load index, were determined. According to the statistical analyses, a classification based on the petrography of the studied rocks was required for predicting the fracture toughness from index properties. By classifying the limestones based on petrography, reliable relationships with high correlations can be introduced for estimating the fracture toughness of different limestones using simple tests. © 2022 by the authors.
The experiences of people with diabetes during covid-19 pandemic lockdown
- Al-Moteri, Modi, Plummer, Virginia, Youssef, Hanan, Yaseen, Ruba, Al Malki, Mohammed, Elryah, Ahmed, Al Karani, Ahmed
- Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Plummer, Virginia , Youssef, Hanan , Yaseen, Ruba , Al Malki, Mohammed , Elryah, Ahmed , Al Karani, Ahmed
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Little is known about the theoretical foundation underling the response of people with diabetes managing their everyday routines during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Aim: To explore the experience of people with diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in light of the risk perception, response and behavioral change theories. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was employed, and Braun and Clark’s six step analysis were used for thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online using Zoom Videos Communication. Result: Five themes were defined as follows: (1) perceived the threat and faced their fears, (2) appraised the damage, (3) identified the challenges, (4) modified their routine, and (5) identified the strengths that facilitate the efficacy of their response. There were eight sub-themes within the themes. Conclusion: The results of this study may provide an opportunity for nurses to reflect on issues highlighted by the patients regarding more effective communication, knowledge and skill development for people to support self-care during national emergencies. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Plummer, Virginia , Youssef, Hanan , Yaseen, Ruba , Al Malki, Mohammed , Elryah, Ahmed , Al Karani, Ahmed
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Little is known about the theoretical foundation underling the response of people with diabetes managing their everyday routines during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Aim: To explore the experience of people with diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in light of the risk perception, response and behavioral change theories. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was employed, and Braun and Clark’s six step analysis were used for thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online using Zoom Videos Communication. Result: Five themes were defined as follows: (1) perceived the threat and faced their fears, (2) appraised the damage, (3) identified the challenges, (4) modified their routine, and (5) identified the strengths that facilitate the efficacy of their response. There were eight sub-themes within the themes. Conclusion: The results of this study may provide an opportunity for nurses to reflect on issues highlighted by the patients regarding more effective communication, knowledge and skill development for people to support self-care during national emergencies. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Cahir, David (Fred), Schlagloth, Rolf, Clark, Ian
- Authors: Cahir, David (Fred) , Schlagloth, Rolf , Clark, Ian
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Anthrozoos Vol. 35, no. 1 (2022), p. 75-89
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The principal purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the utilitarian and symbolic significance of koalas for Aboriginal communities in Queensland, Australia as recorded by colonists during the early period of colonization and the early twentieth century. It does this primarily through a close examination of the nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century archival records and contemporary publications that relate to Queensland Aboriginal peoples’ associations with koalas. This paper is the third in a series investigating the historic and cultural importance of the koala according to the location in Australia. It likewise employs the historical method approach, which relies on identifying historical sources, evaluating their relative authority, and combining their testimony appropriately in order to construct an accurate and reliable picture of past events and environments. Through a critique of the published historical sources, the distribution of and the etymology of “koala” are briefly discussed before an examination is made of the animal’s spiritual importance, associated cultural traditions, and simultaneous utilitarian role. Mirroring previous studies published by the authors on Victoria and New South Wales, we confirm that the predominately non-Aboriginal historical records reveal that koalas were hunted for food and their skin in some Queensland regions. It shall be seen that the ethno-historical records are inconclusive about the koala’s distribution in Queensland, whether they were hunted across all of the state at the point of colonization and whether they were considered an integral food source in some regions. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the extent to which they were used varied across regions and between language groups and was subject to certain rules, and that their spiritual significance can be traced directly to epic creation stories. The implications of this paper are consistent with the earlier New South Wales and Victorian studies: regional variations exist in Queensland in relation to the (pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial) historic relationship between Aboriginal communities and koalas and that close consultation with Aboriginal communities needs to be taken into consideration when planning conservation measures relating to koalas. © 2021 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ).