Numerous models, frameworks, and theories exist for specific aspects of implementation research, including for determinants, strategies, and outcomes. However, implementation research projects often ...fail to provide a coherent rationale or justification for how these aspects are selected and tested in relation to one another. Despite this need to better specify the conceptual linkages between the core elements involved in projects, few tools or methods have been developed to aid in this task. The Implementation Research Logic Model (IRLM) was created for this purpose and to enhance the rigor and transparency of describing the often-complex processes of improving the adoption of evidence-based interventions in healthcare delivery systems.
The IRLM structure and guiding principles were developed through a series of preliminary activities with multiple investigators representing diverse implementation research projects in terms of contexts, research designs, and implementation strategies being evaluated. The utility of the IRLM was evaluated in the course of a 2-day training to over 130 implementation researchers and healthcare delivery system partners.
Preliminary work with the IRLM produced a core structure and multiple variations for common implementation research designs and situations, as well as guiding principles and suggestions for use. Results of the survey indicated a high utility of the IRLM for multiple purposes, such as improving rigor and reproducibility of projects; serving as a "roadmap" for how the project is to be carried out; clearly reporting and specifying how the project is to be conducted; and understanding the connections between determinants, strategies, mechanisms, and outcomes for their project.
The IRLM is a semi-structured, principle-guided tool designed to improve the specification, rigor, reproducibility, and testable causal pathways involved in implementation research projects. The IRLM can also aid implementation researchers and implementation partners in the planning and execution of practice change initiatives. Adaptation and refinement of the IRLM are ongoing, as is the development of resources for use and applications to diverse projects, to address the challenges of this complex scientific field.
Super‐hydrophobic surfaces, with a water contact angle (CA) greater than 150°, have attracted much interest for both fundamental research and practical applications. Recent studies on lotus and rice ...leaves reveal that a super‐hydrophobic surface with both a large CA and small sliding angle (α) needs the cooperation of micro‐ and nanostructures, and the arrangement of the microstructures on this surface can influence the way a water droplet tends to move. These results from the natural world provide a guide for constructing artificial super‐hydrophobic surfaces and designing surfaces with controllable wettability. Accordingly, super‐hydrophobic surfaces of polymer nanofibers and differently patterned aligned carbon nanotube (ACNT) films have been fabricated.
The study of natural lotus leaves reveals that to obtain a super‐hydrophobic surface with both a large contact angle (CA) and small sliding angle (α), cooperation of micro‐ and nanostructures is required. Accordingly, lotus‐like aligned carbon nanotube (ACNT) films with a CA of ∼166° (see Figure) and α of ∼3° have been fabricated. Other super‐hydrophobic surfaces of polymer nanofibers and different patterned ACNT films are also highlighted.
Context. Solar active region (AR) 12673 in 2017 September produced the two largest flares in Solar Cycle 24: the X9.3 flare on September 6 and the X8.2 flare on September 10. Aims. We attempt to ...investigate the evolutions of the two large flares and their associated complex magnetic system in detail. Methods. Combining observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and results of nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) modeling, we identify various magnetic structures in the AR core region and examine the evolution of these structures during the flares. Results. Aided by the NLFFF modeling, we identify a double-decker flux rope configuration above the polarity inversion line (PIL) in the AR core region. The north ends of these two flux ropes were rooted in a negative- polarity magnetic patch, which began to move along the PIL and rotate anticlockwise before the X9.3 flare on September 6. The strong shearing motion and rotation contributed to the destabilization of the two magnetic flux ropes, of which the upper one subsequently erupted upward due to the kink-instability. Then another two sets of twisted loop bundles beside these ropes were disturbed and successively erupted within five minutes like a chain reaction. Similarly, multiple ejecta components were detected as consecutively erupting during the X8.2 flare occurring in the same AR on September 10. We examine the evolution of the AR magnetic fields from September 3 to 6 and find that five dipoles emerged successively at the east of the main sunspot. The interactions between these dipoles took place continuously, accompanied by magnetic flux cancellations and strong shearing motions. Conclusions. In AR 12673, significant flux emergence and successive interactions between the different emerging dipoles resulted in a complex magnetic system, accompanied by the formations of multiple flux ropes and twisted loop bundles. We propose that the eruptions of a multi-flux-rope system resulted in the two largest flares in Solar Cycle 24.
Mortality rates of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) continue to rise across the world. Information regarding the predictors of mortality in patients with COVID‐19 remains scarce. Herein, we ...performed a systematic review of published articles, from 1 January to 24 April 2020, to evaluate the risk factors associated with mortality in COVID‐19. Two investigators independently searched the articles and collected the data, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We looked for associations between mortality and patient characteristics, comorbidities, and laboratory abnormalities. A total of 14 studies documenting the outcomes of 4659 patients were included. The presence of comorbidities such as hypertension (odds ratio OR, 2.5; 95% confidence interval CI, 2.1‐3.1; P < .00001), coronary heart disease (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.1‐6.9; P < .00001), and diabetes (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.7‐2.3; P < .00001) were associated with significantly higher risk of death amongst patients with COVID‐19. Those who died, compared with those who survived, differed on multiple biomarkers on admission including elevated levels of cardiac troponin (+44.2 ng/L, 95% CI, 19.0‐69.4; P = .0006); C‐reactive protein (+66.3 µg/mL, 95% CI, 46.7‐85.9; P < .00001); interleukin‐6 (+4.6 ng/mL, 95% CI, 3.6‐5.6; P < .00001); D‐dimer (+4.6 µg/mL, 95% CI, 2.8‐6.4; P < .00001); creatinine (+15.3 µmol/L, 95% CI, 6.2‐24.3; P = .001); and alanine transaminase (+5.7 U/L, 95% CI, 2.6‐8.8; P = .0003); as well as decreased levels of albumin (−3.7 g/L, 95% CI, −5.3 to −2.1; P < .00001). Individuals with underlying cardiometabolic disease and that present with evidence for acute inflammation and end‐organ damage are at higher risk of mortality due to COVID‐19 infection and should be managed with greater intensity.
Highlights
This systematic review and meta‐analysis of 14 studies including a total of 4659 patients comprehensively identifies the risk factors associated with mortality in COVID‐19 included clinical comorbidities such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, as well as laboratory abnormalities including elevated levels of cardiac troponin, interleukin‐6, C‐reactive protein, D‐dimer and markers of liver and renal function.
A Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN) containing 43 monitoring sites was established in China to measure gaseous NH3, NO2, and HNO3 and particulate NH4+ and NO3− in air and/or ...precipitation from 2010 to 2014. Wet/bulk deposition fluxes of Nr species were collected by precipitation gauge method and measured by continuous-flow analyzer; dry deposition fluxes were estimated using airborne concentration measurements and inferential models. Our observations reveal large spatial variations of atmospheric Nr concentrations and dry and wet/bulk Nr deposition. On a national basis, the annual average concentrations (1.3–47.0 μg N m−3) and dry plus wet/bulk deposition fluxes (2.9–83.3 kg N ha−1 yr−1) of inorganic Nr species are ranked by land use as urban > rural > background sites and by regions as north China > southeast China > southwest China > northeast China > northwest China > Tibetan Plateau, reflecting the impact of anthropogenic Nr emission. Average dry and wet/bulk N deposition fluxes were 20.6 ± 11.2 (mean ± standard deviation) and 19.3 ± 9.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 across China, with reduced N deposition dominating both dry and wet/bulk deposition. Our results suggest atmospheric dry N deposition is equally important to wet/bulk N deposition at the national scale. Therefore, both deposition forms should be included when considering the impacts of N deposition on environment and ecosystem health.
Global Patterns of Groundwater Table Depth Fan, Y.; Li, H.; Miguez-Macho, G.
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
02/2013, Letnik:
339, Številka:
6122
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Shallow groundwater affects terrestrial ecosystems by sustaining river base-flow and root-zone soil water in the absence of rain, but little is known about the global patterns of water table depth ...and where it provides vital support for land ecosystems. We present global observations of water table depth compiled from government archives and literature, and fill in data gaps and infer patterns and processes using a groundwater model forced by modern climate, terrain, and sea level. Patterns in water table depth explain patterns in wetlands at the global scale and vegetation gradients at regional and local scales. Overall, shallow groundwater influences 22 to 32% of global land area, including ∼15% as groundwater-fed surface water features and 7 to 17% with the water table or its capillary fringe within plant rooting depths.
Video anomaly detection under weak labels is formulated as a typical multiple-instance learning problem in previous works. In this paper, we provide a new perspective, i.e., a supervised learning ...task under noisy labels. In such a viewpoint, as long as cleaning away label noise, we can directly apply fully supervised action classifiers to weakly supervised anomaly detection, and take maximum advantage of these well-developed classifiers. For this purpose, we devise a graph convolutional network to correct noisy labels. Based upon feature similarity and temporal consistency, our network propagates supervisory signals from high-confidence snippets to low-confidence ones. In this manner, the network is capable of providing cleaned supervision for action classifiers. During the test phase, we only need to obtain snippet-wise predictions from the action classifier without any extra post-processing. Extensive experiments on 3 datasets at different scales with 2 types of action classifiers demonstrate the efficacy of our method. Remarkably, we obtain the frame-level AUC score of 82.12% on UCF-Crime.
Avermectins are major antiparasitic agents used commercially in animal health, agriculture and human infections. To improve the fermentation efficiency of avermectins, for the first time a plasma jet ...generated by a novel atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) was employed to generate mutations in Streptomyces avermitilis. The APGD plasma jet, driven by a radio frequency (RF) power supply with water-cooled and bare-metallic electrodes, was used as a new mutation method to treat the spores of S. avermitilis. The plasma jet yielded high total (over 30%) and positive (about 21%) mutation rates on S. avermitilis, and a mutated strain, designated as G1-1 with high productivity of avermectin B1a and genetic stability, was obtained. Because of the low jet temperature, the high concentrations of the chemically reactive species and the flexibility of its operation, the RF APGD plasma jet has a strong mutagenic effect on S. avermitilis. This is a proof-of-concept study for the use of an RF APGD plasma jet for inducing mutations in microbes. We have shown that the RF APGD plasma jet could be developed as a promising and convenient mutation tool for the fermentation industry and for use in biotechnology research.
Osteoporosis is a complex multifactorial disease that can lead to an increased risk of fracture. However, selective and effective osteoporosis drugs are still lacking. We showed that Asperosaponin VI ...(AVI) has the implications to be further developed as an alternative supplement for the prevention and treatment of bone loss. AVI has been found to have beneficial effects on metabolic diseases such as bone loss, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Our study was designed to determine the effect and mechanism of action of AVI against bone loss through regulating microbial dysbiosis. A hindlimb unloading mouse model was established to determine the effect of AVI on bone microarchitecture, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites. Eighteen female C57BL/6 J mice were divided into three groups: control, hindlimb unloading with vehicle (HLU), and hindlimb unloading treated with AVI (HLU-AVI, 200 mg/kg/day). AVI was administrated orally for 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that AVI improved the bone microstructure by reversing the decrease in bone volume fraction and trabecular number, and the increase in trabecular separation and structure model index of cancellous bone in hindlimb suspension mice. The results of 16sRNA gene sequencing suggested that the therapeutic effect of AVI on bone loss may be achieved through it regulating the gut microbiota, especially certain specific microorganisms. Combined with the analysis of ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and serum metabolome results, it could be speculated that AVI played an important role in adjusting the balance of bone metabolism by influencing specific flora such as
Clostridium
and its metabolites to regulate the 5-hydroxytryptophan pathway. The study explored the novel mechanism of AVI against osteoporosis, and has implications for the further development of AVI as an alternative supplement for the prevention and treatment of bone loss.
Graphical Abstract
Ultraviolet laser radiation has been adopted in a wide range of applications as diverse as water purification, flexible displays, data storage, sterilization, diagnosis and bioagent detection. ...Success in developing semiconductor-based, compact ultraviolet laser sources, however, has been extremely limited. Here, we report that defect-free disordered AlGaN core-shell nanowire arrays, formed directly on a Si substrate, can be used to achieve highly stable, electrically pumped lasers across the entire ultraviolet AII (UV-AII) band (∼320-340 nm) at low temperatures. The laser threshold is in the range of tens of amps per centimetre squared, which is nearly three orders of magnitude lower than those of previously reported quantum-well lasers. This work also reports the first demonstration of electrically injected AlGaN-based ultraviolet lasers monolithically grown on a Si substrate, and offers a new avenue for achieving semiconductor lasers in the ultraviolet B (UV-B) (280-320 nm) and ultraviolet C (UV-C) (<280 nm) bands.
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