COVID-19 and Tactical Urbanism

This work sought to reflect on urgent adjustments in public space in times of crisis from tactical urban interventions. For this, it elucidates protective measures related to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular under the aspects of urban mobility and civil engagement, using for this the case study of the implementation of temporary cycle lanes in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The methodology of this research was based on official publications made available electronically by the Municipality of Belo Horizonte and by the Company responsible for the transport and transit sector of Belo Horizonte (BHTRANS). In addition, this work was supported by publications available electronically from the Association of Urban Cyclists of Belo Horizonte (BH in Cycle) from 2012 to 2021. Based on the correlation between the material collected and the theoretical basis available on topics of interest to this research, the study aimed to discuss temporary and small-scale operations of the Tactical Urbanism type, implemented from the partnership between public authorities and civil society to ensure a safer urban mobility in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic during the year 2020 to date. The work highlights that the inclusion of Tactical Urbanism as a formal tool in urban planning can foster new local possibilities and immediate action strategies in the face of crises such as COVID-19, in addition to fostering citizen participation in decision-making processes about the city and its importance , guaranteeing basic rights such as moving safely.

Voicing their choices: Advance care planning with adolescents and young adults with cancer and other serious conditions

Objectives To determine whether engaging in advance care planning (ACP) using a formal tool, Voicing My CHOiCES (VMC), would alleviate adolescent and young adults (AYAs) anxiety surrounding ACP and increase social support and communication about end-of-life care preferences with family members and health care providers (HCPs). Methods A total of 149 AYAs aged 18–39 years receiving cancer-directed therapy or treatment for another chronic medical illness were enrolled at seven US sites. Baseline data included prior ACP communication with family members and HCPs and measures of generalized anxiety, ACP anxiety, and social support. Participants critically reviewed each page of VMC and then completed three pages of the document. ACP anxiety was measured again immediately after the completion of VMC pages. One month later, participants repeated anxiety and social support measures and were asked if they shared what they had completed in VMC with a family member or HCP. Results At baseline, 50.3% of participants reported that they previously had a conversation about EoL preferences with a family member; 19.5% with an HCP. One month later, 65.1% had subsequently shared what they wrote in VMC with a family member; 8.9% shared with an HCP. Most (88.6%) reported they would not have had this conversation if not participating in the study. No significant changes occurred in social support. There was an immediate drop in anxiety about EoL planning after reviewing VMC which persisted at 1 month. Generalized anxiety was also significantly lower 1 month after reviewing VMC. Significance of results Having a document specifically created for AYAs to guide ACP planning can decrease anxiety and increase communication with family members but not necessarily with HCPs. Future research should examine ways ACP can be introduced more consistently to this young population to allow their preferences for care to be heard, respected, and honored, particularly by their healthcare providers.

A multicriteria model for evaluation of Brazilian wineries from a tourism destination perspective

Purpose This paper aims to propose a multicriteria model for the evaluation of tourist service quality in Brazilian wineries from a tourism perspective. Design/methodology/approach The model is comprising two phases: structure of the problem and application of the method. First, the selection of wineries in a given region, the identification of decision-makers that will perform the evaluation according to a set of 19 criteria based on the Tourqual protocol and the construction of the evaluation matrix in the next phase. Then, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is applied and a rank of wineries is provided. Findings The model is applied to evaluate the seven most important wineries in South Brazil and the results provided by the AHP method, considering the categories of Tourqual protocol, are consistent with the opinion of specialists in wine tourism. Research limitations/implications The model needs to be applied to other case studies to evaluate the consistency of the results and their acceptability by the tourism sector. Practical implications The model has the potential to be applied as a formal tool for evaluation of wineries, support decision-making processes in different wine tourism management structures: private wine and tourism organizations; public managers of tourism activity and managers of governance structures. Originality/value This paper presents a novel AHP-based model for evaluation of service quality in the winery’s tourism domain, an empirical application of the model for evaluation of wineries in one of the most important regions that produce grapes and wine in South America.

Modding Europa Universalis IV: An informal gaming practice transposed into a formal learning setting

This article explores the use of modding as a formal tool for learning history. The article examines data from a formal analysis of Europa Universalis IV (EUIV), a survey of 331 EUIV forum participants and a case study of 18 university participants. Significant quantitative survey data indicated that 45% (149/331) of participants had modified EUIV, and of the 125 participants who responded with comments about modding, a significant number (86/125 responses or 68.8%) explained how they had learnt about history, geography or other subjects through the modding process. Closer analysis of survey and case study responses and mods reveals the variety of ways participants learnt and critiqued history through the modding process. The article discusses the data and the pedagogical affordance of modding in a few steps. First, the article briefly explores the evidence that indicates modding is popular within the EUIV gaming community. In this instance, it examines whether given the popularity of gaming practice, modding might also be seen as a new casual form of engagement with games. Second, the article reviews the modding process in EUIV and examines how both playing and creating mods may be beneficial for learning history. Modding is examined in terms of its pedagogical importance and the unique educational opportunities it may offer that are not otherwise accessible through other forms of game-based learning. Finally, the article explores how and what the case study participants learnt when they were tasked with creating and implementing playable mods to demonstrate their understanding of history. Overall, the article considers the growing importance of mods, how learners can create and represent history using mods and how mods can provide a platform for learners to develop their own critique and analysis of official history.

SARC-F test in Sarcopenia and Frailty: A Narrative Review

SARC-F is a commonly used screening tool for sarcopenia case finding due to its user-friendly and very practical application. It has been introduced to screen for sarcopenia with simple functional questions obviating the need for the measurement of muscle mass. A score equal to or greater than 4 has been reported as predictive of poor outcomes. Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome associated with well-known adverse consequences. The growing awareness of sarcopenia as a determinant of poor health in older people has underlined the importance of rapidly diagnosing sarcopenia, which will aid clinicians for implementing prevention and treatment strategies. It has been recommended formal tool for sarcopenia screening/case-finding. In this narrative review, we aimed to evaluate the use of SARC-F, its ability to screen and diagnose sarcopenia and its potential use in the fields other than sarcopenia, i.e. frailty. We conclude that SARC-F stands as one of the most useful and applied tool in studies focusing on screening and diagnosis of sarcopenia. In addition, it has a great potential to be used as a frailty screening tool.

Using a Collective Impact Framework to Implement Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Maternal and Child Health Outcomes

In 2016, the North Carolina Division of Public Health launched the Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health program to invest in evidence-based programs to address three aims: improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality, and improve health outcomes for children 0 to 5 years old. Five grantees representing 14 counties were awarded 2 years of funding to implement one evidence-based strategy per aim using a collective impact framework, the principles of implementation science, and a health equity approach. Local health departments served as the backbone organization and provided ongoing support to grantees and helped them form community action teams (CATs) comprising implementation team members, community experts, and relevant stakeholders who met regularly. Focus groups with each grantee’s CAT were held during 2017 and 2019 to explore how CATs used a collective impact framework to implement their chosen evidence-based strategies. Results show that grantees made the most progress engaging diverse sectors in implementing a common agenda, continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities. Overall, grantees struggled with a shared measurement system but found that a formal tool to assess equity helped use data to drive decision making and program adaptations. Grantees faced logistical challenges holding regular CAT meetings and sustaining community expert engagement. Overtime, CATs cultivated community partnerships and multicounty collaboratives viewed cross-county knowledge sharing as an asset. Future collective impact initiatives should allow grantees more time upfront to form their CAT to plan for sustained community engagement before implementing programs and to incorporate a tool to center equity in their work.

Assessment of pain in people living with dementia at the end of life: a systematic review

Background: People with dementia may not receive the same quality of palliative care as those with other life-limiting conditions, particularly at end of life (EoL). Aims: To understand the best way to examine pain in people with dementia. Methods: A systematic review of tools to assess pain in patients with dementia near the end of life; PubMed, Medline, Embase, EBSCO Host, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Psycinfo, PsycArticles and Scopus were searched. Findings: A total of 15 articles were identified, which were qualitatively synthesised. Conclusion: There are a range of pain assessment tools that are appropriate for use in people with dementia, but all 15 studies used a formal tool. A more robust approach is needed to improve the quality of research for measurement and management of pain in this population.

Renal Manifestations of Fabry Disease: A Narrative Review

Purpose of review: In this narrative review, we describe general aspects, histological alterations, treatment, and implications of Fabry disease (FD) nephropathy. This information should be used to guide physicians and patients in a shared decision-making process. Source of information: Original peer-reviewed articles, review articles, and opinion pieces were identified from PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Only sources in English were accessed. Methods: We performed a focused narrative review assessing the main aspects of FD nephropathy. The literature was critically analyzed from a theoretical and contextual perspective, and thematic analysis was performed. Key findings: FD nephropathy is related to the progressive accumulation of GL3, which occurs in all types of renal cells. It is more prominent in podocytes, which seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of this nephropathy. A precise detection of renal disorders is of fundamental importance because the specific treatment of FD is usually delayed, making reversibility unlikely and leading to a worse prognosis. Limitations: As no formal tool was applied to assess the quality of the included studies, selection bias may have occurred. Nonetheless, we have attempted to provide a comprehensive review on the topic using current studies from experts in FD and extensive review of the literature.

A Quantum Money Solution to the Blockchain Scalability Problem

We put forward the idea that classical blockchains and smart contracts are potentially useful primitives not only for classical cryptography, but for quantum cryptography as well. Abstractly, a smart contract is a functionality that allows parties to deposit funds, and release them upon fulfillment of algorithmically checkable conditions, and can thus be employed as a formal tool to enforce monetary incentives. In this work, we give the first example of the use of smart contracts in a quantum setting. We describe a simple hybrid classical-quantum payment system whose main ingredients are a classical blockchain capable of handling stateful smart contracts, and quantum lightning, a strengthening of public-key quantum money introduced by Zhandry [55]. Our hybrid payment system employs quantum states as banknotes and a classical blockchain to settle disputes and to keep track of the valid serial numbers. It has several desirable properties: it is decentralized, requiring no trust in any single entity; payments are as quick as quantum communication, regardless of the total number of users; when a quantum banknote is damaged or lost, the rightful owner can recover the lost value.

Selection of an Appropriate Pre-Injection Pattern in a Marine Diesel Engine Through a Multiple-Criteria Decision Making Approach

In the present work, a numerical model was developed to analyze a commercial diesel engine. The adequacy of this model was validated using experimental results. This model was employed to study several pre-injection strategies. Particularly, the pre-injection rate, duration and starting instant were analyzed in the ranges 5% to 25%, 1° to 5° and −22° to −18°, respectively. The effect on consumption and emissions of NOx, CO, and HC wereas evaluated. Since some of these configurations have opposite effects on consumption and/or emissions, it is necessary to develop a formal tool to characterize the most appropriate injection pattern. To this end, a multiple-criteria decision making approach was employed. It was found that the injection duration must remain as low as possible due to significant reductions in NOx. The most appropriate injection pattern resulted 1° pre-injection duration, 20% pre-injection rate, and −19° pre-injection starting instant. This configuration leads to increments of 6.7% in consumption, 3.47% in CO, and 3.83% in HC but reduces NOx by 34.67% in comparison with the case without pre-injection.