scholarly journals Expert elicitation on the relative importance of possible SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and the effectiveness of mitigations

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e050869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra LJ Freeman ◽  
Simon Parker ◽  
Catherine Noakes ◽  
Shaun Fitzgerald ◽  
Alexandra Smyth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Expert Elicitation ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Transmission Parameters ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Transmission Pathways

ObjectivesTo help people make decisions about the most effective mitigation measures against SARS-CoV-2 transmission in different scenarios, the likelihoods of transmission by different routes need to be quantified to some degree (however uncertain). These likelihoods need to be communicated in an appropriate way to illustrate the relative importance of different routes in different scenarios, the likely effectiveness of different mitigation measures along those routes, and the level of uncertainty in those estimates. In this study, a pragmatic expert elicitation was undertaken to supply the underlying quantitative values to produce such a communication tool.ParticipantsTwenty-seven individual experts from five countries and many scientific disciplines provided estimates.Outcome measuresEstimates of transmission parameters, assessments of the quality of the evidence, references to relevant literature, rationales for their estimates and sources of uncertainty.Results and conclusionThe participants’ responses showed that there is still considerable disagreement among experts about the relative importance of different transmission pathways and the effectiveness of different mitigation measures due to a lack of empirical evidence. Despite these disagreements, when pooled, the majority views on each parameter formed an internally consistent set of estimates (for example, that transmission was more likely indoors than outdoors, and at closer range), which formed the basis of a visualisation to help individuals and organisations understand the factors that influence transmission and the potential benefits of different mitigation measures.

Economic returns of family planning and fertility decline in India, 1991–2061

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Srinivas Goli ◽  
K. S. James ◽  
Devender Singh ◽  
Venkatesh Srinivasan ◽  
Rakesh Mishra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Reproductive Health Care ◽  
The World ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Education And Employment ◽  
Global Evidence

Abstract Investment in family planning (FP) provides returns through a lifetime. Global evidence shows that FP is the second-best buy in terms of return on investment after liberalizing trade. In this study, we estimate the cumulative benefits of FP investments for India from 1991 to 2016 and project them up to 2061 with four scenarios of fertility levels. The findings suggest that India will have greater elasticity of FP investments to lifetime economic returns compared to the world average (cost–revenue ratio of 1:120). We have taken four scenarios for the goalpost, viz., 2.1, 1.8, 1.6, and 1.4. Although different scenarios of total fertility rate (TFR) levels at the goalpost (i.e., the year 2061) offer varied lifetime returns from FP, scenario TFR < 1.8 will be counterproductive and will reduce the potential benefits. With a comprehensive approach, if the country focuses more on improving the quality of FP services and on reducing the unmet need for FP to enhance reproductive health care and expand maximum opportunities for education and employment for both women and men, it can improve its potential to reap more benefits.

Yoga and Wellness—Key Insights from the Study on General Yoga Programme

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63
Author(s):  
Rabindra Acharya ◽  
Gopal P. Mahapatra ◽  
Kadamibini Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Facilitative Role ◽  
Quality Of Living ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Simplified Form

Human beings have always strived towards excellence and progress since time immemorial. Industrialisation, automation and technological disruptions have led to increased comfort and quality of living of human beings and enhanced output, productivity and efficiency. Consequently, of late, health and wellness are receiving increased attention globally. Stress and stress-related diseases and workplace-related ailments have significantly increased over the last few decades and gained attention from society and industrial organisations. In the recent past, in the coronavirus pandemic context, wellness has been focused upon in many countries, communities and organisations worldwide. Yoga has been part of the Indian ethos for centuries. In this article, the authors discuss the General Yoga Programme (GYP), its broad coverage, and the impact it has had on the participants in terms of their wellness. With the help of a survey of the participants and linking it to relevant literature and research in the field, the authors highlight how GYP is a useful tool for enhancing various wellness dimensions. They recommend that GYP in its simplified form can be extended to the workplace; and also, HR professionals can play a facilitative role in the process.

scholarly journals The Importance of Environmental Factors in the Planning of Container Terminals: The Case Study of the Port of Augusta

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2153
Author(s):  
Nadia Giuffrida ◽  
Maja Stojaković ◽  
Elen Twrdy ◽  
Matteo Ignaccolo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Clean Environment ◽  
Different Levels

Container terminals are the main hubs of the global supply chain but, conversely, they play an important role in energy consumption, environmental pollution and even climate change due to carbon emissions. Assessing the environmental impact of this type of port terminal and choosing appropriate mitigation measures is essential to pursue the goals related to a clean environment and ensuring a good quality of life of the inhabitants of port cities. In this paper the authors present a Terminal Decision Support Tool (TDST) for the development of a container terminal that considers both operation efficiency and environmental impacts. The TDST provides environmental impact mitigation measures based on different levels of evolution of the port’s container traffic. An application of the TDST is conducted on the Port of Augusta (Italy), a port that is planning infrastructural interventions in coming years in order to gain a new role as a reference point for container traffic in the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals A randomised controlled clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of bandaging compared to the JuxtaCures™ device in the management of people with venous ulceration: Feasibility study

2021 ◽  
pp. 026835552098822
Author(s):  
Philip Stather ◽  
Carroll Petty ◽  
Helen Langthorne ◽  
Emma Rayner ◽  
Jufen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Multicentre Trial ◽  
Compression Therapy ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Venous Ulceration ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Introduction The mainstay of treatment for venous ulceration remains compression therapy. Velcro Wrap devices are being increasingly used in these patients despite limited evidence. This feasibility study aimed to compare standard bandaging to the JuxtaCures™ Velcro wrap device. Methods A single centre, unblinded RCT compared participants with venous ulceration randomised to either the JuxtaCures™ device or short stretch bandaging. Participants were followed up for 26 weeks. Results 160 participants were screened with 40 randomised. 3 participants in bandaging and 1 in JuxtaCures™ didn’t complete the study. 60% in JuxtaCures™ healed v 55% in bandaging despite larger ulcers in the JuxtaCures™ arm (9.33 cm2 v 6.97 cm2). There was no significant difference in time to healing (12.17 v 13.64 weeks). JuxtaCures™ showed improved ulcer reduction for those that didn’t heal (14.91–5.00 cm2 v 14.20–8.62 cm2; P = 0.06). JuxtaCures™ had more consistent sub-bandage pressure dropping from 39–36 mmHg versus 41–25 mmHg in bandaging between application and removal (P < 0.001). Quality of life (EQ5D) was improved in JuxtaCures at 3 months (mean difference 0.14, p = 0.04), but not at 1 and 6 months, or in disease specific quality of life. Cost was lower in JuxtaCures™ £842.47 v £1064.68. Duration of appointment was significantly shorter in JuxtaCures™ (41 minutes v 53 minutes; P = 0.003). Conclusion This study has shown the feasibility and necessity of running a multicentre trial to evaluate the use of Velcro wrap devices for venous ulceration. It highlights the potential benefits of more consistent pressure, increased self-care, and potential with regards to ulcer healing, cost, nursing resource and quality of life.

A ‘Galilean’ science of language

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA BEHME
Keyword(s):  
Language Evolution ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Child Psychology ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Basic Understanding ◽  
Sixth Decade

The Science of Language, published in the sixth decade of Noam Chomsky's linguistic career, defends views that are visibly out of touch with recent research in formal linguistics, developmental child psychology, computational modeling of language acquisition, and language evolution. I argue that the poor quality of this volume is representative of the serious shortcomings of Chomsky's recent scholarship, especially of his criticism of and contribution to debates about language evolution. Chomsky creates the impression that he is quoting titbits of a massive body of scientific work he has conducted or is intimately familiar with. Yet his speculations reveal a lack of even basic understanding of biology, and an unwillingness to engage seriously with the relevant literature. At the same time, he ridicules the work of virtually all other theorists, without spelling out the views he disagrees with. A critical analysis of the ‘Galilean method’ demonstrates that Chomsky uses appeal to authority to insulate his own proposals against falsification by empirical counter-evidence. This form of discourse bears no serious relation to the way science proceeds.

scholarly journals Urea-Doped Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles as Sustainable Nitrogen Nanofertilizers for Viticulture: Implications on Yield and Quality of Pinot Gris Grapevines

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1026
Author(s):  
Federica Gaiotti ◽  
Marco Lucchetta ◽  
Giacomo Rodegher ◽  
Daniel Lorenzoni ◽  
Edoardo Longo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Phosphate ◽  
Nitrogen Source ◽  
Foliar Application ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Plant Nitrogen ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Berry Quality ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles

In recent years, the application of nanotechnology for the development of new “smart fertilizers” is regarded as one of the most promising solutions for boosting a more sustainable and modern grapevine cultivation. Despite showing interesting potential benefits over conventional fertilization practices, the use of nanofertilizers in viticulture is still underexplored. In this work, we investigated the effectiveness of non-toxic calcium phosphate nanoparticles (Ca3(PO4)2∙nH2O) doped with urea (U-ACP) as a nitrogen source for grapevine fertilization. Plant tests were performed for two years (2019–2020) on potted adult Pinot gris cv. vines grown under semi-controlled conditions. Four fertilization treatments were compared: N1: commercial granular fertilization (45 kg N ha−1); N2: U-ACP applied in fertigation (36 kg N ha−1); N3: foliar application of U-ACP (36 kg N ha−1); C: control, receiving no N fertilization. Plant nitrogen status (SPAD), yield parameters as well as those of berry quality were analyzed. Results here presented clearly show the capability of vine plants to recognize and use the nitrogen supplied with U-ACP nanoparticles either when applied foliarly or to the soil. Moreover, all of the quali–quantitative parameters measured in vine plants fed with nanoparticles were perfectly comparable to those of plants grown in conventional condition, despite the restrained dosage of nitrogen applied with the nanoparticles. Therefore, these results provide both clear evidence of the efficacy of U-ACP nanoparticles as a nitrogen source and the basis for the development of alternative nitrogen fertilization strategies, optimizing the dosage/benefit ratio and being particularly interesting in a context of a more sustainable and modern viticulture.

scholarly journals Performance of deep learning technology for evaluation of positioning quality in periapical radiography of the maxillary canine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuho Mori ◽  
Yoshiko Ariji ◽  
Motoki Fukuda ◽  
Tomoya Kitano ◽  
Takuma Funakoshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Classification Performance ◽  
Learning Systems ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
System 2 ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
System 1 ◽  
Periapical Radiography

Abstract Objectives The aim of the present study was to create and test an automatic system for assessing the technical quality of positioning in periapical radiography of the maxillary canines using deep learning classification and segmentation techniques. Methods We created and tested two deep learning systems using 500 periapical radiographs (250 each of good- and bad-quality images). We assigned 350, 70, and 80 images as the training, validation, and test datasets, respectively. The learning model of system 1 was created with only the classification process, whereas system 2 consisted of both the segmentation and classification models. In each model, 500 epochs of training were performed using AlexNet and U-net for classification and segmentation, respectively. The segmentation results were evaluated by the intersection over union method, with values of 0.6 or more considered as success. The classification results were compared between the two systems. Results The segmentation performance of system 2 was recall, precision, and F measure of 0.937, 0.961, and 0.949, respectively. System 2 showed better classification performance values than those obtained by system 1. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values differed significantly between system 1 (0.649) and system 2 (0.927). Conclusions The deep learning systems we created appeared to have potential benefits in evaluation of the technical positioning quality of periapical radiographs through the use of segmentation and classification functions.

scholarly journals Do patients value a hospital’s innovativeness reputation? A multi-method approach to assess the relative importance of innovativeness reputation in patients’ hospital choice

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Gurtner ◽  
Nadine Hietschold ◽  
María Vaquero Martín
Keyword(s):  
Value Added ◽  
Patient Choice ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Hospital Choice ◽  
Patient Decision ◽  
Technical Innovations ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
Method Approach

Innovations in health care are costly and risky, but they also provide the opportunity for hospitals to increase quality of care, to distinguish themselves from competitors and to attract patients. While numerous hospitals strive to increase their innovativeness by adopting a costly innovation leader strategy, the question of whether this actually influences the patient’s choice remains unanswered. To understand the role of innovativeness from the patient perspective, this study conceptualizes the construct of innovativeness reputation of hospitals and determines its relevance in patients’ hospital choice decisions. In the pretest, we identified six dimensions of innovativeness reputation such as progressive work procedures and value added services. We then used three different quantitative multi-criteria decision-making methods to evaluate the relative importance of innovativeness reputation in patient choice. We collected data from 355 former German patients who had undergone elective non-emergency surgery. Overall, innovativeness reputation accounts for 11.6%–16.8% of the patient decision. Innovativeness reputation has a moderate influence on hospital choice and should be taken into account by managers. Since technical innovations are costly, hospitals should use other means to enhance their innovative image. Strategies such as emphasizing value added services can enable hospitals to increase their innovativeness reputation efficiently.

МЕТОД ГЛУБОКОГО ОБУЧЕНИЯ С ПОДКРЕПЛЕНИЕМ ДЛЯ СИСТЕМ ИНТЕРНЕТА ВЕЩЕЙ НА БАЗЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ LORA С ОГРАНИЧЕННЫМИ РЕСУРСАМИ И ПОДДЕРЖКОЙ QoS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
 M.S. MUTHANNA ◽  
A.S. MUTHANNA ◽  
 A.S. BORODIN
Keyword(s):  
Data Transmission ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Code Rate ◽  
Frame Structure ◽  
Signal Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Spreading Factor ◽  
Transmission Parameters ◽  
Factor Code

Achieving high Quality of Service (QoS) remains a challenge for LoRa technology. However, high QoS can be achieved via optimizing the transmission policy parameters such as bandwidth and code rate. Existing approaches do not provide an opportunity to optimize the LoRa networks' data transmission parameters. The article proposes transmission policy enforcementfor QoS-aware LoRanetworks.The QoSparameter ranking is implemented for IoT nodes where priority and nonpriority information is identified by the new field of LoRa frame structure(QRank).The optimaltransmissionpolicyenforcement uses fast deep reinforcement learning that utilizes the environmental parameters including QRank, signal quality, and signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio. The transmission policy is optimized for spreading factor, code rate, bandwidth, and carrier frequency. Performance evaluation is implemented using an NS3.26 LoRaWAN module. The performance is examined for various metrics such as delay and throughput. Достижение высокого качества обслуживания (QoS) по-прежнему остается достаточно сложной задачей для технологии LoRa. В принципе высокий уровень QoS может быть достигнут за счет оптимизации параметров передачи, например, пропускной способности и скорости передачи информации в сети. Известные на сегодняшний день решения не дают возможности оптимизировать параметры передачи данных для сетей LoRa. В статье предложен эффективный метод передачи данных, обеспечивающий требования по QoS при использовании технологии LoRa. Ранжирование параметров QoS для узлов интернета вещей определяется новым полем структуры фрейма LoRa (QRank) для приоритетной и неприоритетной информации. Для обеспечения эффективной передачи применяется быстрое глубокое обучение с подкреплением, для которого используются как параметры качества обслуживания, так и отношение сигнал/шум. Метод передачи оптимизирован с учетом коэффициента распространения, скорости передачи данных, полосы пропускания и несущей частоты. Оценка производительности при применении предложенного метода проведена с использованием модуля LoRaWAN в пакете имитационного моделирования NS3.26. Производительность оценивается на основе параметров задержки и пропускной способности.

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