Assessment of the Speed Management Impact on Road Traffic Safety on the Sections of Motorways and Expressways Using Simulation Methods.

Methods used to evaluate the impact of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) services on road safety are usually based on expert assessments or statistical studies. However, commonly used methods are challenging to apply in the planning process of ITS services. This paper presents the methodology of research using surrogate safety measures calculated and calibrated with the use of simulation techniques and a driving simulator.

Preventing child mental health problems through parenting interventions in Southeastern Europe (RISE): Protocol for a multi-country cluster randomized factorial study.

Background: Child mental health problems continue to be a major global concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Parenting interventions have been shown to be effective for reducing child behavior problems in high-income countries, with emerging evidence supporting similar effects in LMICs. However, there remain substantial barriers to scaling up evidence-based interventions due to limited human and financial resources in such countries.

A Novel Recurrent Neural Network-Based Ultra-Fast, Robust, and Scalable Solver for Inverting a "Time-Varying Matrix".

The concept presented in this paper is based on previous dynamical methods to realize a time-varying matrix inversion. It is essentially a set of coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs) which does indeed constitute a recurrent neural network (RNN) model. The coupled ODEs constitute a universal modeling framework for realizing a matrix inversion provided the matrix is invertible.

Effects of intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia on mobility and perceived health in geriatric patients performing a multimodal training intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Additional benefits of passive exposures to intermittent hypoxia and hyperoxia on cognitive performance and functional exercise capacity have been demonstrated in geriatric patients who performed a multimodal training program. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate effects of adding intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic training (IHHT) to a multimodal training intervention (MTI) on mobility and perceived health in old individuals at a Geriatric Day Hospital.

Methods: Thirty-four patients between 64 and 92 years participated in the double blind, randomized and controlled clinical trial.

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: Background regarding a recent debate between Cuijpers et al. (2019a, b) and the authors (Munder et al. 2019) about the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression is given.

Evaluating Health Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Mobility.

There is growing recognition that implementation of low-carbon policies in urban passenger transport has near-term health co-benefits through increased physical activity and improved air quality. Nevertheless, co-benefits and related cost reductions are often not taken into account in decision processes, likely because they are not easy to capture. In an interdisciplinary multi-model approach we address this gap, investigating the co-benefits resulting from increased physical activity and improved air quality due to climate mitigation policies for three urban areas.

What the patient wants: Addressing patients' treatment targets in an integrative group psychotherapy programme.

Objectives: Limited empirical attention has been devoted to individualized treatment objectives in intensive group therapy for personality dysfunction. This study investigated patients' ratings of distress associated with individual therapy goals - referred to as target object severity - in an intensive Evening Treatment Programme for patients with personality dysfunction.

Design: Change in target objective severity was examined in a sample of 81 patients who completed treatment in an intensive, integrative group therapy programme.

Understanding the role of conceptual frameworks: Reading the ecosystem service cascade.

The aim of this paper is to identify the role of conceptual frameworks in operationalising and mainstreaming the idea of ecosystem services. It builds on some initial discussions from IPBES, which suggested that conceptual frameworks could be used to: 'simplify thinking', 'structure work', 'clarify issues', and 'provide a common reference point'. The analysis uses the cascade model as a focus and looks at the way it has been used in recent published material and across a set of case studies from the EU-funded OpenNESS Project as a device for conceptual framing.

Study approach and field work procedures of the MentDis_ICF65+ project on the prevalence of mental disorders in the older adult European population.

Background: This study describes the study approach and field procedures of the MentDis_ICF65+ study, which aims to assess the prevalence of mental disorders in older adults.

Methods: An age-appropriate version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI65+) was developed and tested with regard to its feasibility and psychometric properties in a pre-test and pilot phase. In the cross-sectional survey an age-stratified, random sample of older adults (65-84 years) living in selected catchment areas of five European countries and Israel was recruited.

Strategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture.

Organic agriculture is proposed as a promising approach to achieving sustainable food systems, but its feasibility is also contested. We use a food systems model that addresses agronomic characteristics of organic agriculture to analyze the role that organic agriculture could play in sustainable food systems. Here we show that a 100% conversion to organic agriculture needs more land than conventional agriculture but reduces N-surplus and pesticide use.

The role of meaning in life in community-dwelling older adults with depression and relationship to other risk factors.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the association of Meaning in Life (MiL) with sociodemographic and physical factors, and its association with depression in older people.

Method: A cross-sectional survey with a sample of N = 2104 older adults from communities of four European countries was conducted, using an age-appropriate interview for the diagnosis of depression and the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMiLE) questionnaire to assess MiL.

Results: Overall, MiL was particularly low in old male participants, in older people from Ferrara (Italy), those with a lower religious affiliation, fewer social contacts, and poorer physical health.

Adsorption-desorption and hysteresis phenomenon of tebuconazole in Colombian agricultural soils: Experimental assays and mathematical approaches.

The adsorption-desorption, hysteresis phenomenon, and leachability of tebuconazole were studied for Inceptisol and Histosol soils at the surface (0-10 cm) and in the subsurface (40-50 cm) of an agricultural region from Colombia by the batch-equilibrium method and mathematical approaches. The experimental K and K (L kg) values (7.9-289.

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software.

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research.

[Adaptation to intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia improves cognitive performance and exercise tolerance in elderly].

For improvements in exercise tolerance and cognitive function in geriatric patients Multimodal training programs (MTP) are used as combination of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and cardiovascular training. Intermittent Hypoxic-Hyperoxic Training (IHHT), a modified type of intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) is proposed to be included in MTP to elicit more pronounced beneficial effects in exercise tolerance and cognitive functions of geriatric patients likely by an additional pathway than a single MTP. Thirty four patients of the Geriatric Day Clinic aged between 64 and 92 years participated in the placebo controlled clinical trial.

Successful emotion regulation is predicted by amygdala activity and aspects of personality: A latent variable approach.

The experience of emotions and their cognitive control are based upon neural responses in prefrontal and subcortical regions and could be affected by personality and temperamental traits. Previous studies established an association between activity in reappraisal-related brain regions (e.g.

A qualitative investigation of barriers and facilitators of rehabilitation success from the psychosomatic inpatients' perspective.

Objective: Psychosomatic inpatient rehabilitation aims at promoting functioning in patients with mental disorders. Although generally effective, some patients do not benefit from this rehabilitation and suffer from symptoms as well as functional impairment. This study aimed to identify patient-reported factors influencing activity and participation outcomes.

A European multicenter study on systematic ethics work in nursing homes.

Background: There are many existing ethical challenges in nursing homes. Although different methods and approaches to discussing the ethical challenges have been established, systematic ethics work is not yet a standard in all nursing homes. The aim of the present study was to explore ethical challenges and approaches to implementing systematic ethics work in nursing homes.

The importance of statistical modelling in clinical research : Comparing multidimensional Rasch-, structural equation and linear regression models for analyzing the depression of relatives of psychiatric patients.

Background: Various studies have shown that caregiving relatives of schizophrenic patients are at risk of suffering from depression. These studies differ with respect to the applied statistical methods, which could influence the findings. Therefore, the present study analyzes to which extent different methods may cause differing results.

Red meat, diseases, and healthy alternatives: A critical review.

Meat is an important food for human nutrition, by especially providing high-quality protein and also some essential micronutrients, in front iron, zinc, and vitamin B. However, a high intake of red and processed meat is associated with an increased risk for diseases, especially type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, as several epidemiological studies and meta-analyses have shown. This review summarizes meta-analyses of publications studying the association between red and processed meat intake and type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, colorectal and other cancers, and all-cause mortality.

Simulating Human and Environmental Exposure from Hand-Held Knapsack Pesticide Application: Be-WetSpa-Pest, an Integrative, Spatially Explicit Modeling Approach.

This paper presents an integrative and spatially explicit modeling approach for analyzing human and environmental exposure from pesticide application of smallholders in the potato-producing Andean region in Colombia. The modeling approach fulfills the following criteria: (i) it includes environmental and human compartments; (ii) it contains a behavioral decision-making model for estimating the effect of policies on pesticide flows to humans and the environment; (iii) it is spatially explicit; and (iv) it is modular and easily expandable to include additional modules, crops, or technologies. The model was calibrated and validated for the Vereda La Hoya and was used to explore the effect of different policy measures in the region.

Impacts of feeding less food-competing feedstuffs to livestock on global food system sustainability.

Increasing efficiency in livestock production and reducing the share of animal products in human consumption are two strategies to curb the adverse environmental impacts of the livestock sector. Here, we explore the room for sustainable livestock production by modelling the impacts and constraints of a third strategy in which livestock feed components that compete with direct human food crop production are reduced. Thus, in the outmost scenario, animals are fed only from grassland and by-products from food production.

Transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: change in reflective function.

Borderline personality disorder is associated with deficits in personality functioning and mentalisation. In a randomised controlled trial 104 people with borderline personality disorder received either transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) or treatment by experienced community therapists. Among other outcome variables, mentalisation was assessed by means of the Reflective Functioning Scale (RF Scale).