Polish National Cittaslow Network: assessment of cities’ membership in the network

Motivation: The Polish National Cittaslow Network associates 31 members and is the second most biggest national network of slow cities in the world. The network is developing very dynamically. Therefore, it is important to observe this relatively new and not fully recognized process of implementing the slow city model in Polish cities, and to assess the effects of cities’ membership in this network. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of the membership of cities in the Polish National Cittaslow Network. The effects were assessed on the basis of a comparative analysis of the results of certification carried out before a city accessed the network with the results of recertification, carried out 5 years into its membership. A diagnostic survey method was also used in the study. Results: The research shows that already in the first five years of the membership in the network, the cities have undertaken many activities to enhance their appeal as a tourist destination, promote local products and protect the historic and cultural heritage. The cities have completed many revitalisation projects. New tourist trails, bicycle paths and recreational areas have been created. Undoubted, the membership in the Cittaslow network has generated many benefits to the cities. This is reflected by the higher degree of the fulfilment of the certification criteria by all cities. This is also confirmed by the results of a diagnostic survey conducted among the mayors of member cities.

NLM’s library network: A force for outreach

This chapter considers the transformation of U.S. National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) national network of libraries into an effective force for spreading awareness of NLM’s resources, services, and tools and increasing their use. Several examples of network programs and projects are recounted to illustrate the influence of NLM’s longest serving Director, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. on the development and evolution of NLM’s library network.

ReNPAD: a brazilian network for researchers in High Dilution

Some pertinent questions in the practice of science is to know what one is researching, with whom and where. These questions are even more crucial for those involved in High Dilution studies, an emergent and multidisciplinary scientific field, where concepts, methods and models are still to be validated. In this research field, such questions can be addressed through networks because communication between peers accelerates the process of conceiving and refining the concepts, methodologies and standards that give consistency to emergent knowledge. A thematic network can be effective in building an identity for the science of HDs and related community. This article introduces the project ReNPAD (National Network of Researchers in High Dilutions), a Brazilian initiative aiming to put together researchers involved in studies in HDs in order to stimulate interaction and give visibility to the theirs efforts.

ReNPAD: a brazilian network for researchers in High Dilution

Some pertinent questions in the practice of science is to know what one is researching, with whom and where. These questions are even more crucial for those involved in High Dilution studies, an emergent and multidisciplinary scientific field, where concepts, methods and models are still to be validated. In this research field, such questions can be addressed through networks because communication between peers accelerates the process of conceiving and refining the concepts, methodologies and standards that give consistency to emergent knowledge. A thematic network can be effective in building an identity for the science of HDs and related community. This article introduces the project ReNPAD (National Network of Researchers in High Dilutions), a Brazilian initiative aiming to put together researchers involved in studies in HDs in order to stimulate interaction and give visibility to the theirs efforts

Seismic activity on the territory of Slovakia in 2020

The National Network of Seismic Stations of Slovakia (NNSS) consists of eight short period and six broadband permanent seismic stations and a data centre located at the Earth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (ESI SAS). The NNSS recorded and detected 11229 seismic events from all epicentral distances in 2020. Totally 96 earthquakes originated in the territory of Slovakia in 2020. This paper provides basic information on the configuration of the NNSS, routine data processing, seismic activity on the territory of Slovakia in 2020 as well as macroseismic observations collected in 2020.

Functional Profile of Older Adults Hospitalized in Convalescence Units of the National Network of Integrated Continuous Care of Portugal: A Longitudinal Study

Aim: To evaluate the evolution of the functional profile of older adults admitted to a health unit in Portugal; to relate the functional profile of these individuals with age, sex, education level and emotional state; and to evaluate the probability of the degree of dependence as a function of age and sex. Methods: longitudinal, retrospective study with a sample of 59,013 older adults admitted to convalescence units of the National Network of Integrated Continuous Care of Portugal. Results: In the first 75 days of hospitalization, activities of daily living, mobility and cognitive state improved, but there was a decline after 75 days of hospitalization. The ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living improved in the first 15 days of hospitalization, stabilized until 45 days and then began to worsen. Women had a higher probability of having a severe/complete dependence three years earlier than men (88 years to 91 years). A higher education level and stable emotional state were protective factors against functional decline. Conclusions: The functional profile of older adults improved during the length of stay recommended for hospitalization in convalescence units (30 days). It is critical for health systems to adopt strategies to prevent declines in the emotional state of frail individuals.

Frontline Response to High Impact Domestic Violence in Portugal

There have been profound social transformations in Portugal in the last 50 years. Portugal currently adheres to the international and European agenda to prevent domestic violence. In the chapter the Portuguese legislation and the reporting figures regarding domestic violence, the role of the Law Enforcement Agencies, other first responder agencies, and pertinent stakeholders in responding to high impact domestic violence, as well as the National Network for the Support of Victims of Domestic Violence, are addressed. The authors also discuss good practices and significant challenges. Two of these are intertwined – none of them is quickly addressed, nor can they be addressed by themselves. One is developing a collective attitude that considers domestic violence as unacceptable behaviour, besides being punished by the criminal law. The other is directly posed to the law enforcement agencies and has to do with the increasing complexity of the operational procedures (derived from the new tools presented by the government recently). The problem of elites provoking social change on a superlative level is to forget that adopting new social models is not achieved by decree but through social influence processes, which takes time.

Establishing a Dementia-Inclusive Community: The Evaluation of Dementia Friends in Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Heights, in northeast Ohio, is currently working towards becoming a member of the Dementia Friendly America National Network. Utilizing the Dementia Friends curriculum to raise community members’ awareness of issues related to dementia is a key component of this initiative. Our initial efforts toward this goal targeted two sectors, namely community member and libraries. Participants completed on-line surveys at the beginning and end of each session. The surveys include the Brief Tool for Dementia-Friendly Education and Training Sessions developed by the Administration for Community Living. Of the 22 participants, nine had not previously attended a Dementia Friends session and completed both pre- and post-session surveys. Results indicated participants felt more confident interacting with people living with dementia at post-session compared to pre-session (t = -2.83, p=.022). Changes at the individual level may create more inclusive communities for people living with dementia and those who care for and about them.

Predictors of diagnostic transition from major depressive disorder to bipolar disorder: a retrospective observational network study

Many patients with bipolar disorder (BD) are initially misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and are treated with antidepressants, whose potential iatrogenic effects are widely discussed. It is unknown whether MDD is a comorbidity of BD or its earlier stage, and no consensus exists on individual conversion predictors, delaying BD’s timely recognition and treatment. We aimed to build a predictive model of MDD to BD conversion and to validate it across a multi-national network of patient databases using the standardization afforded by the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) common data model. Five “training” US databases were retrospectively analyzed: IBM MarketScan CCAE, MDCR, MDCD, Optum EHR, and Optum Claims. Cyclops regularized logistic regression models were developed on one-year MDD-BD conversion with all standard covariates from the HADES PatientLevelPrediction package. Time-to-conversion Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed up to a decade after MDD, stratified by model-estimated risk. External validation of the final prediction model was performed across 9 patient record databases within the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) network internationally. The model’s area under the curve (AUC) varied 0.633–0.745 (µ = 0.689) across the five US training databases. Nine variables predicted one-year MDD-BD transition. Factors that increased risk were: younger age, severe depression, psychosis, anxiety, substance misuse, self-harm thoughts/actions, and prior mental disorder. AUCs of the validation datasets ranged 0.570–0.785 (µ = 0.664). An assessment algorithm was built for MDD to BD conversion that allows distinguishing as much as 100-fold risk differences among patients and validates well across multiple international data sources.