bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Literacy and eHealth: Challenges and Strategies
Authors: Hasannejadasl Hajar , Roumen Cheryl , Smit Yolba , Dekker Andre , Fijten Rianne
Published: October 2022

Given the impact of health literacy (HL) on patients' outcomes, limited health literacy is a major barrier to improve cancer care globally. HL refers to the degree in which an individual is able to acquire, process, and comprehend information in a way to be actively involved in their health decisions. Previous research found that almost half of the population in developed countries have difficulties in understanding health-related information. With the gradual shift toward the shared decision making process and digital transformation in oncology, the need for addressing low HL issues is crucial. Decision making in oncology is often accompanied by considerable consequences on patients' lives, which requires patients to understand complex information and be able to compare treatment methods by considering their own values. How health information is perceived by patients is influenced by various factors including patients' characteristics and the way information is presented to patients. Currently, identifying patients with low HL and simple data visualizations are the best practice to help patients and clinicians in dealing with limited health literacy. Furthermore, using eHealth, as well as involving HL mediators, supports patients to make sense of complex information.
Does an Intradermal Vaccination for Monkeypox Make Sense?
Authors: Mrsny Randall J.
Published: October 2022

Mankind has recently had to deal a series of virus-mediated pandemics, resulting in extensive morbidity and mortality rates that have severely strained healthcare systems. While dealing with viral infections as a healthcare concern is not new, our exceptionally mobile society has added to the critical challenge of limiting pathogen spread of a highly transmissible virus prior to the generation, testing, and distribution of safe and effective vaccines. The tremendous global effort put forth to address the recent pandemic induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection has highlighted many of the strengths and weaknesses of how vaccines are identified, tested, and used to provide protection. These uncertainties are exacerbated by the lack of clear and consistent messaging that can occur when the processes of research, development, and clinical testing that normally requires years of study and consideration are compressed into a few months. In this commentary, I will provide some background on the intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), and intradermal (ID) administration routes used for injectable vaccines and some information on potential immunological outcomes. With this background, I will address the recent FDA decision to allow an approved vaccine against monkeypox virus to be administered by ID, as well as its initial approval route via SC, injection as a dose-sparing strategy to maximize immunization numbers using current stockpiles.
In Vitro Permeation Studies on Carvedilol Containing Dissolving Microarray Patches Quantified Using a Rapid and Simple HPLC-UV Analytical Method
Authors: Anjani Qonita Kurnia , Sabri Akmal Hidayat Bin , McGuckin Mary B. , Li Huanhuan , Hamid Khuriah Abdul , Donnelly Ryan F.
Published: October 2022

Analytical method validation is a vital element of drug formulation and delivery studies. Here, high-performance liquid chromatography in conjunction with UV detection (HPLC-UV) has been used to produce a straightforward, quick, yet sensitive analytical approach to quantify carvedilol (CAR). A C18 column was used to isolate the analyte from the mixture by isocratic elution with a mobile phase comprising a mixture of 0.1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile in a ratio of 65:35 v/v at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min−1. Linearity was observed for CAR concentrations within the range of 1.5–50 μg mL−1 (R2 = 0.999) in phosphate buffer saline and within the range of 0.2–6.2 μg mL−1 (R2 = 0.9999) in methanol. The International Council on Harmonization (ICH) requirements were followed throughout the validation of the isocratic approach, rendering it specific, accurate, and precise. Moreover, robustness tests indicated that the method remained selective and specific despite small deliberate changes to environmental and operational factors. An efficient extraction procedure was also developed to extract and quantify CAR from excised neonatal porcine skin, resulting in recovery rates ranging from 95 to 97%. The methods reported here have been successfully utilised to evaluate CAR permeation, both transdermally and intradermally following application of a dissolving microarray patch (MAP) to excised neonatal porcine skin.

Graphical Abstract
Formal Methylene Insertion into the C–H Bond of α-Carbonyl Aldonitrones with Dimethylsulfoxonium Methylide
Authors: Sakurai Takanobu , Yano Tohru , Suga Takuya , Soeta Takahiro , Ukaji Yutaka
Published: October 2022

A methylene group was introduced into the C–H bond of α-carbonyl aldonitrones by reaction with dimethylsulfoxonium methylide, producing one-carbon homologated C-methyl ketonitrones. This formal methylene insertion was applied to one-pot synthesis of quaternary C3-methyl isoxazolidines via successive 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with alkenes bearing an electron withdrawing group.
Treating Waste with Waste: Facile Preparation of Elastic Thermoplastic Polyurethane Monolith for Efficient Oil/Water Separation
Authors: Wang Qidong , Yu Fangjun , Zhu Jiayi , Li Nan , Zhang Ye , Peng Xiangwen , Shang Jizhen , Li Shuai , Wang Hua , Uyama Hiroshi
Published: October 2022

An auspicious thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) monolith has been prepared by a facile and cost-effective method of thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). With superb porous structure, excellent hydrophobicity/oleophilicity, and superior elasticity, the obtained TPU monolith exhibits an outstanding adsorption capacity, high oil/water separation efficiency, and good recycling performance, achieving the goal of treating waste with waste.
Experimental evidence for the correlation between RNA structural fluctuations and the frequency of beneficial mutations
Authors: Maeda Yutaro , Mizuuchi Ryo , Shigenobu Shuji , Shibai Atsushi , Kotani Hazuki , Furusawa Chikara , Ichihashi Norikazu
Published: October 2022

RNA has been used as a model molecule to understand the adaptive evolution process owing to the simple relationship between the structure (i.e., phenotype) and sequence (i.e., genotype). RNA usually forms multiple substructures with similar thermodynamic stabilities, called structural fluctuations. Ancel and Fontana theoretically proposed that structural fluctuation is directly related to the ease of change in structures by mutations and thus works as a source of adaptive evolution; however, experimental verification is limited. Here, we analyzed 76 RNA genotypes that appeared in our previous in vitro evolution to examine whether 1) RNA fluctuation decreases as adaptive evolution proceeds and 2) RNAs that have larger fluctuations tend to have higher frequencies of beneficial mutations. We first computationally estimated the structural fluctuations of all RNAs and observed that they tended to decrease as their fitness increased. We next measured the frequency of beneficial mutations for 10 RNA genotypes and observed that the total number of beneficial mutations was correlated with the size of the structural fluctuations. These results consistently support the idea that the structural fluctuation of RNA, at least those evaluated in our study, works as a source of adaptive evolution.
The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale-the Thai Translation (ASEX-Thai): Reliability and validity in Thai patients with mental disorders
Authors: Charoenmakpol Natthaphon , Chiddaycha Mayteewat , Wainipitapong Sorawit
Published: October 2022

Background: Sexual dysfunction is common among patients with mental disorders but receives less clinical attention, especially in Thailand and other Asian countries. The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale-the Thai Translation (ASEX-Thai), a self-rated, brief, questionnaire is a potential tool for screening for sexual dysfunction in this population. Our study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of ASEX-Thai in Thai patients with mental disorders.

Methods: We enrolled 202 patients from an outpatient psychiatric department at a tertiary hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Demographic data, clinical data, and diagnosis of sexual dysfunction were assessed. ASEX-Thai was done, and we analyzed the test’s psychometric properties. 

Results: Most participants were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (48%). There was a positive correlation between the ASEX-Thai and sexual dysfunction diagnosis (r = 0.402, p < 0.001). The KMO coefficient was 0.77 and Barlett’s sphericity test was significant (χ 2 = 409.76, p<0.001). A score of ≥ 17 points of the ASEX-Thai was the most suitable for sexual dysfunction screening (sensitivity 77.23 %, and specificity 58.42 %). For reliability, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.831) showed good internal consistency.

Conclusions: The ASEX-Thai is a valid and reliable self-rated questionnaire for screening for sexual dysfunction among Thai patients with mental disorders. The test could help clinicians to evaluate this undetected condition and deliver proper interventions.
Assessing the impacts of conservation volunteering on participant wellbeing: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Nuuttila Hanna
Published: October 2022

Background: Volunteers and citizen scientists have become an essential element of most nature conservation and restoration activities due to lack of resources but also due to the wish to engage and interact with local communities where conservation activities take place. Environmental or conservation volunteering is also considered to be a key resource in achieving much needed, ambitious nature restoration programs. Practical conservation work and various forms of environmental enhancement along with recreational and therapeutic use of natural or green and blue spaces have been studied for some time. The value of volunteers and the work is widely acknowledged but few studies have been carried out on the impacts of participating on the volunteers themselves. Using this protocol, a study will be undertaken to assess how impacts of participation have been assessed and reported in the literature; what these reported impacts are; how these are related to reported barriers and motivations for volunteering and whether they are affected by the region or country of study.

Methods: This paper will identify studies that have described and assessed impacts of conservation and restoration volunteering on participants at an individual level, with a specific focus on physical, mental or societal wellbeing of individuals. Representative studies were sought from major search engines and relevant stakeholder publications, including both peer-reviewed and ‘grey literature’ in predominantly English language publications, published between 2000 and 2020. A priori inclusion criteria consisted of those publications and reports on studies with volunteer and community participants and which described impacts of, motivations for and barriers to participation. After a critical appraisal, a total of 105 articles were selected for further analysis to provide a narrative and mixed methods synthesis of the evidence base.
Reduction of chickens use to perform in vitro pre-screening of novel anticoccidials by miniaturisation and increased throughput of the current Eimeria tenella compound-screening model
Authors: Arias-Maroto Sara , Aguiar-Martins Kelsilandia , Regidor-Cerrillo Javier , Ortega-Mora Luis , Marugan-Hernandez Virginia
Published: October 2022

We have developed an in vitro model for the evaluation of potential anticoccidial properties of novel compounds aimed to control chicken coccidiosis, a costly disease for the poultry industry. This disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria (Apicomplexa), and it is mainly controlled by chemoprophylaxis with ionophores and chemical anticoccidials; however, there is an overall agreement about the limitation of these traditional drugs and the need to improve current methods of control. Anticoccidial activities of novel compounds is currently evaluated by expensive experiments that involve large numbers of chickens. The use of our in vitro model for the pre-screening of essential oils led to a reduction of 67% of the chickens used in the in vivo trials for validation. Eimeria parasites can only complete their life cycle in their animal host, therefore chickens are required for their propagation as they cannot be propagated in vitro. In this study, we describe how further optimisation of this in vitro model by miniaturisation can have an additional impact in reduction of the number of chickens used for the generation of parasite stocks for provision of the in vitro model. We have estimated that the use of one chicken could support the evaluation of 10 compounds with a 96-well plate format versus only two compounds with a 24-well plate format, which means an 80% reduction in chicken use. In this study we have proved that the miniaturisation into a 96-well plate format perfectly mimics the invasion and replication observed before in the 24-well plate format. In addition, the 96-well plate format has allowed the simultaneous pre-screening of higher numbers of anticoccidial drugs at different concentrations following streamlined protocols in a more cost-effective way, factors that are beneficial for a wider uptake of the model by other researchers investigating anticoccidial compounds.
Sustainability of the regional financial system: a case study of the Northwestern Federal District
Authors: Evgenievich Barykin Sergey , Aleksandrovich Mikheev Alexey , Grigorievna Kiseleva Elena , Evgenievich Putikhin Yuriy , De La Poza Plaza Elena , Sergeevna Alekseeva Natalia
Published: October 2022

Background: This article provides an assessment of the sustainability of Russian regions’ financial systems. The study is based on the methods of generalization and synthesis, correlation-regression analysis, and multivariate classification. Since the structure of the regional financial system is complex, several works are devoted to studying its sustainability issues. The relevance of the study topic is confirmed by the lack of a systematic approach to assessing the integral index of sustainability and the possibility of using various tools in determining the complex indicator.

Methods: This  methodology with application of mathematical statistics methods makes it possible to assess the financial system sustainability in four sectors, to include the leading indicators in the assessment, and to identify regions with extreme values of debt burden indicators. The method was tested for the regions of the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) for the period 2010 - 2019  to classify the regions according to three levels of debt sustainability. Data collection from the 1st January to 30th April 2022 included statistical data from government open internet sources, sectors studied relate to government, and municipal budgets in the NWFD. Authors analyzed regional debt sustainability indicators and identified themes in the field of sustainability studies for the NWFD.

Results: An increased level of financial system sustainability was observed among the  NWFD regions in the corporative and personal finance sectors, indicating a significant contribution of businesses and households to maintaining the balance and sustainability of the financial system in Russia as a whole. The results of the study also identified that the NWFD regions belong to three clusters: cluster 1 - high debt sustainability; cluster 2 - medium debt sustainability; and cluster 3 - low debt sustainability.

Conclusions: The study results allowed the identification of regions with a constantly high level of debt, financial, and corporative sustainability.
Higher amyloid correlates to greater loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kehrer-Dunlap Abigail , Bollinger Rebecca , Chen Szu-Wei , Keleman Audrey , Thompson Regina , Fagan Anne , Ances Beau , Stark Susan
Published: October 2022

Background: Little is known about psychosocial characteristics, including loneliness, anxiety, and depression, present in preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between these psychosocial characteristics and amyloid accumulation in cognitively normal older adults with and without preclinical AD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A global Clinical Dementia Rating ® Scale score of 0 was required for enrollment. Cortical amyloid burden was measured using [11C] Pittsburgh compound B or [18F]-Florbetapir PET tracers. Centiloids were used to synchronize measures. Demographic characteristics and measures of loneliness, anxiety, and depression were collected via self-report. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine relationships between amyloid and psychosocial characteristics. Results: The 108 participants had a mean age of 75.0 and an average amyloid burden of 22.2. Higher amyloid accumulation was significantly associated with greater loneliness. Conclusions: Additional research is needed with a larger, more diverse sample to examine these psychosocial characteristics in preclinical AD.
The genome sequence of the merveille du jour, Griposia aprilina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Boyes Douglas ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Lees David ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individualGriposia aprilina(the merveille du jour; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 720 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly (99.89%) is scaffolded into 32 chromosomal pseudomolecules with the W and Z sex chromosomes assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome was also assembled and is 15.4 kilobases in length.
Viable forecasting monthly weather data using time series methods
Authors: Vambol Sergij , Soomro Ramzan , Ghauri Saghir Pervaiz , Marri Azhar Ali , Dung Hoang Thi , Manzoor Nazish , Bano Shella , Shahid Sana , Asadullah  , Farooq Ahmed , Lutsenko Yurii
Published: October 2022

The main object of the research was to assess the forecast values of the weather parameters by using three-time series methods such as Decomposition of time series, Autoregressive (AR) model with seasonal dummies and Autoregressive moving average (ARMA) /Autoregressive Integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. A recent phenomenon in weather changing has disturbed the world in general and Pakistan in particular. In Pakistan due to climate change, flood and heat stroke have taken many lives. Stationarity was measured through the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test; results showed that some variables are I(0) and some are I(1). The reliability of the forecast results was examined through the goodness of fit test. For finding the best fit model, the performance measures of various models: Root Mean Squire Error, Mean Absolute Error and Mean Absolute Percentage Error were considered. The model in which the above statistics are the minimum was chosen as the appropriate model. After model analysis and validation, it was observed that AR-model with seasonal dummies was found to be the best fit model between the three models. Meanwhile, the forecasting for the period Jan.2018 to Dec.2018 was made based on the best fit model. Given the future forecasting results, the temperature will be normal at selected stations. The wind and rainfall will also be present. Overall, it was suggested that the obtained findings of meteorological stations' weather might be normal for the coming few months over there, and no chance of heatstroke and flood might be expected. Future studies must be carried out to provide the awareness to well-being regarding ecological hazardous to minimize their economic loss through mass media.
The needle percentage in the leafy shoot biomass of Scots pine in climate gradients of Eurasia
Authors: Usoltsev Vladimir , Zukow Walery , Tsepordey Ivan
Published: October 2022

The efficiency of using photosynthetically active radiation by trees largely depends on the architecture of the assimilation apparatus in their crown. It is known that an increase in the level of atmospheric pollution is accompanied, on the one hand, by an increase in the foliage density on the leafy shoot length, and on the other hand, by an increase in the transparency of the crown due to the expansion of the leafless inner part of the crown. On this basis, we assume that the foliage percentage of leafy shoots (PL) is a sensitive indicator of changes in growing conditions not only due to environmental pollution, but also in broader ecological aspects, in particular, in the geographical or climatic gradients of Eurasia. For this purpose, a database of empirical data has been formed in the amount of 558 model trees of Scots pine of natural and artificial origin from 6 regions of Northern Eurasia with a measured percentage of needle in the leafy shoot biomass. A regression model has been designed, in which the contributions of mensuration variables (tree age and stem diameter), climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) and the origin of stands (natural and artificial) to explain the variability of the desired PL indicator are 15, 53 and 30 %, respectively. It is concluded that with a decrease in annual precipitation from 600 to 300 mm, there is an increase in PL by 0.2..0.3% for every 10 mm of annual precipitation, both in natural stands and in plantations. When the January temperature decreases from 0°C to -20 °C, PL increases by 0.8...1.0% for each 1°C. Thus, the foliage percentage of leafy shoots of Scots pine is an indicator of changes in growing conditions in the climate gradients of Eurasia.
“OS DUPLOS” DE E. T. A. HOFFMANN: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE A FRAGMENTAÇÃO ROMÂNTICA
Authors: Guimaraes Ana Rosa Gonçalves De Paula
Published: October 2022

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776-1822) foi um escritor romântico e um dos maiores representantes da literatura fantástica. O presente artigo apresenta um panorama acerca do escritor e discorre sobre a fragmentação no Romantismo, a qual o sujeito, em busca da unidade perdida, depara-se com os seus vários “eus” e com as suas divisões: o seu ser consciente e o seu ser inconsciente. O duplo no Romantismo, com isso, pode ser caracterizado como o desejo de reencontro e redescobrimento de si mesmo. Para isso, foi feito uma leitura interpretativa do referido escritor em Los Dobles [Os Duplos], cujos personagens Deodatus e George, considerados como duplos homogêneos, ao fundirem-se, por meio de “não-ditos” do círculo familiar, necessitam da conquista da diferenciação e da construção de suas identidades.
A RECEPÇÃO DE E.T.A. HOFFMANN NA FRANÇA
Authors: Batalha Maria Cristina
Published: October 2022

A descoberta de E.T.A. Hoffmann provocou uma fermentação entre os franceses nos anos de 1828 até mais ou menos 1840. A partir das traduções francesas de contos do autor alemão um debate se desencadeia através da imprensa, despertando interesse pelo novo modelo literário, vulgarizando o termo "fantástico" e servindo de emulação para diversos autores. Seus contos trazem um fermento novo para o romantismo francês.  A difusão das obras traduzidas de Hoffmann ultrapassa os limites de um acontecimento literário para esboçar a trajetória de um mito construído por seus divulgadores e pelos artistas que nele vão buscar sua inspiração.
SANGUE E AREIA: UM DIÁLOGO POSSÍVEL ENTRE E.T.A. HOFFMANN E MANUEL TEIXEIRA-GOMES
Authors: Guerra Felipe Do Monte
Published: October 2022

Este artigo propõe uma análise comparativa entre os contos “Der Sandmann” (1816), do alemão Ernst Theodor Amadeus (E.T.A.) Hoffmann, e “Sede de sangue” (1909), do português Manuel Teixeira-Gomes. Embora tenham propostas narrativas e estilos diferentes, procura-se identificar um diálogo entre ambas as histórias, especialmente a forma como abordam a prática do voyeurismo.
OUVIR PARA CRER: DESLOCAMENTOS DE SENTIDOS NA APREENSÃO DO FANTÁSTICO EM “O ‘SANCTUS’”
Authors: Nestarez Oscar
Published: October 2022

RESUMO: O presente trabalho pretende analisar o deslocamento de sentidos corpóreos explorados por Hoffmann para a apreensão do fantástico. Partindo do pressuposto de que, na obra do autor alemão, prevalecem os temas do olhar conforme foi estabelecido por Todorov em seu estudo fundamental sobre literatura fantástica — o que corresponderia ao fantástico visionário proposto por Italo Calvino, ou à via regia de acesso à questão, conforme Oscar Cesarotto —, este artigo busca verificar o lugar ocupado pela audição, e consequentemente pela música, na confecção do fantástico hoffmanniano e na composição cênica de algumas histórias do autor . Para tal investigação, será realizada a análise do conto “O ‘Sanctus’”, publicado originalmente em 1817, à luz de estudos dos teóricos acima elencados, bem como de reflexões de Karin Volobuef, Fernando R. Moraes Barros e Maria Aparecida Barbosa. Conforme se pretenderá demonstrar, nesta narrativa, o confronto entre o “mundo que é exatamente o nosso” (conforme Todorov) e o inexplicável dá-se por meio da audição e, em menor medida, da expressão do canto lírico.
DR. MABUSE, O DOPPELTGÄNGER DO DR. ALBAN, DE „DER MAGNETISEUR“ (1814)
Authors: De Lellis Marco Antônio Barbosa
Published: October 2022

O presente artigo tem como propósito elaborar um breve paralelismo entre a obra literária de E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), „Der Magnetiseur – Eine Familienbegebenheit“ (“O magnetizador – Um incidente familiar”, 1814) e a cinematográfica do austríaco Friedrich (Fritz) Anton Christian Lang (1890-1976), „Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler“ (“Dr. Mabuse, o jogador”, 1922)[1], baseada na obra homônima de 1921 do escritor luxemburguês Norbert Jacques (1880-1954). Concomitantemente, relacionar com os conceitos jeanpaulianos Doppeltgänger e Doppelgänger e o Mesmerismus.[1] Ele ainda produz as seguintes sequências: „Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse“ (“O testamento do Dr. Mabuse”, 1933) e „Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse“ (“Os 1000 olhos do Dr. Mabuse”, 1960).
ANGELA (1951) COMO APROPRIAÇÃO ANTROPOFÁGICA DE HOFFMANN NO CINEMA BRASILEIRO
Authors: Costa Cynthia Beatrice
Published: October 2022

O filme brasileiro Angela (1951), produzido pela Companhia Cinematográfica Vera Cruz, é baseado no conto “Spielerglück” (1820), de E. T. A. Hoffmann. Contudo, ainda que recrie a personagem Angela e o melodrama central de sorte no jogo/azar no amor, o longa-metragem dirigido por Abílio Pereira de Almeida e Tom Payne promove significativas mudanças na narrativa ao transportá-la não apenas para outro meio (o cinema), como para o contexto brasileiro de meados do século XX, modificando, portanto, toda a ambientação geográfica e sócio-histórica. Inspirado pela sobreposição do bicentenário da morte de Hoffmann e do centenário da Semana de Arte Moderna brasileira, o presente artigo analisa o aspecto da brasilianização de uma obra do multiartista alemão no cinema brasileiro pelo viés da antropofagia, entendida como assimilação crítica do que vem de fora. Para tanto, apoia-se em reflexões sobre a apropriação antropofágica nas artes e em considerações teóricas dos estudos da adaptação.
Red legs: how to differentiate between cellulitis, venous eczema and lipodermatosclerosis
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: October 2022

Community nurses often encounter people with red legs. There are a number of reasons why an individual may develop red legs. The most common causes of red legs are cellulitis, venous eczema and lipodermatosclerosis. All have different causes and require different treatments. This article aims to enable readers to differentiate between these conditions which can appear similar, and to offer effective evidence-based care.
Leaving dos … and don'ts
Authors: Bissett Julie
Published: October 2022

In a volatile job market, it's important to avoid closing doors when another opens.
So, you want to be a dental writer?
Authors: Bissett Julie
Published: October 2022

Julie Bissett offers a guide to committing your passion to pen and paper.
Managing patient anxiety with sedation intervention
Authors: Shathur Vee
Published: October 2022

Dr Vee Shathur breaks down mechanisms to manage anxiety in the dental surgery and knowing when to intervene with sedation.
The rise in youth vaping and potential risks
Authors: Lloyd-Rees Kimberley
Published: October 2022

Kimberly Lloyd Rees discusses the rising figures of children vaping and the message to give to worried parents.
The “rewarding experience” of volunteering abroad
Authors: Greenley Mitch
Published: October 2022

Dental nurse Mitch Greenley talks about his trip to Uganda with dental charity, Dentaid.
Educating children
Authors: Farrin Cara
Published: October 2022

Cara Farrin discusses her passion for Dental Nursing and the importance of educating children in oral care.
Learned regularization for image reconstruction in sparse-view photoacoustic tomography
Authors: Wang Tong , He Menghui , Shen Kang , Liu Wen , Tian Chao
Published: October 2022

Constrained data acquisitions, such as sparse view measurements, are sometimes used in photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) to accelerate data acquisition. However, it is challenging to reconstruct high-quality images under such scenarios. Iterative image reconstruction with regularization is a typical choice to solve this problem but it suffers from image artifacts. In this paper, we present a learned regularization method to suppress image artifacts in model-based iterative reconstruction in sparse view PACT. A lightweight dual-path network is designed to learn regularization features from both the data and the image domains. The network is trained and tested on both simulation and in vivo datasets and compared with other methods such as Tikhonov regularization, total variation regularization, and a U-Net based post-processing approach. Results show that although the learned regularization network possesses a size of only 0.15% of a U-Net, it outperforms other methods and converges after as few as five iterations, which takes less than one-third of the time of conventional methods. Moreover, the proposed reconstruction method incorporates the physical model of photoacoustic imaging and explores structural information from training datasets. The integration of deep learning with a physical model can potentially achieve improved imaging performance in practice.
Mathematical insights into the original Retinex algorithm for image enhancement
Authors: Lecca Michela , Gianini Gabriele , Serapioni Raul Paolo
Published: October 2022

The Retinex theory, originally developed by Land and McCann as a computation model of the human color sensation, has become, with time, a pillar of digital image enhancement. In this area, the Retinex algorithm is widely used to improve the quality of any input image by increasing the visibility of its content and details, enhancing its colorfulness, and weakening, or even removing, some undesired effects of the illumination. The algorithm was originally described by its creators in terms of a sequence of image processing operations and was not fully formalized mathematically. Later, works focusing on aspects of the original formulation and adopting some of its principles tried to frame the algorithm within a mathematical formalism: this yielded every time a partial rendering of the model and resulted in several interesting model variants. The purpose of the present work is to fill a gap in the Retinex-related literature by providing a complete mathematical formalization of the original Retinex algorithm. The overarching goals of this work are to provide mathematical insights into the Retinex theory, promote awareness of the use of the model within image enhancement, and enable better appreciation of differences and similarities with later models based on Retinex principles. For this purpose, we compare our model with others proposed in the literature, paying particular attention to the work published in 2005 by Provenzi and others.
Taming femtosecond laser filamentation and supercontinuum generation in liquids using neural networks
Authors: Konstantakis Panagiotis , Dufour Paul E. , Manousidaki Maria , Koulouklidis Anastasios D. , Tzortzakis Stelios
Published: October 2022

We report the spectral shaping of supercontinuum generation in liquids by employing properly engineered Bessel beams coupled with artificial neural networks. We demonstrate that given a custom spectrum, neural networks are capable of outputting the experimental parameters needed to generate it experimentally.
Observation of two-wave mixing in a single-frequency fiber amplifier induced by frequency modulation
Authors: Hauge Jakob M. , Pedersen Jens E. , Bondu Magalie , Papior Sidsel R. , Lægsgaard Jesper
Published: October 2022

We report on the observation of unstable two-wave mixing in a Yb-doped optical fiber amplifier induced by frequency modulation of a single-frequency laser. What is believed to be a reflection of the main signal experiences a gain much higher than that provided by the optical pumping and potentially limits power scaling under frequency modulation. We propose an explanation for the effect based on the dynamic population and refractive index gratings formed by the interference between the main signal and its slightly frequency-detuned reflection.
Efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence organic light-emitting device based on an exciplex
Authors: Jiang Xinyan , Chen Huanghuang , Wu Zhifang , Jin Yu , Zhang Xining , Li Xiaoyan , Yang Huishan , Wu Zhijun
Published: October 2022

An exciplex with significant thermally activated delayed fluorescence properties was realized, comprising diphenyl-[3′-(1-phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)-biphenyl-4-yl]-amine as a donor and 2,4,6-tris[3-(diphenylphosphinyl)phenyl]-1,3,5-triazine as an acceptor. A very small energy difference between the singlet and triplet levels and a large rate constant of the reverse intersystem crossing were attained simultaneously, contributing to the efficient upconversion of triplet excitons from the triplet state to the singlet state and thermally activated delayed fluorescence emission. A high-efficiency organic light-emitting device based on the exciplex was fabricated, which exhibited a maximum current efficiency, power efficiency, external quantum efficiency, and exciton utilization efficiency of 23.1 cd/A, 24.2 lm/W, 7.32%, and 54%, respectively. The efficiency roll-off of the exciplex-based device was slight, as illustrated by a large critical current density of 34.1 mA/cm2. This efficiency roll-off was ascribed to triplet–triplet annihilation, as confirmed by the triplet–triplet annihilation model. We proved the high binding energy of the excitons and excellent charge confinement within the exciplex by performing transient electroluminescence measurements.
Simple measurement of a wedge angle based on subwavelength grating
Authors: Mao Yu-Zhen , Ho Chin-Ting , Liu Chun-Wei
Published: October 2022

In this study, a high-precision and low-cost instrument was developed for the measurement of the wedge angle of wedge plates. The module was designed using two prism-patterned subwavelength gratings, with the −1 order rays extracted using a semiconductor laser beam-splitting device. Subsequently, in reference to Snell’s Law and the diffractive characteristic, the wedge angles of wedge plates were tested and analyzed when the two points on the movable receiving screen were overlapped through adjustment of the distance. This result revealed that the proposed system achieved sub-second ultimate resolution for the wedge angles of the wedge plate under a 1-µm precision requirement for measuring instruments.
Two-stage matrix-assisted glare suppression at a large scale
Authors: Wu Daixuan , Luo Jiawei , Lu Zhibing , Liang Hanpeng , Shen Yuecheng , Li Zhaohui
Published: October 2022

Scattering-induced glares hinder the detection of weak objects in various scenarios. Recent advances in wavefront shaping show one can not only enhance intensities through constructive interference but also suppress glares within a targeted region via destructive interference. However, due to the lack of a physical model and mathematical guidance, existing approaches have generally adopted a feedback-based scheme, which requires time-consuming hardware iteration. Moreover, glare suppression with up to tens of speckles was demonstrated by controlling thousands of independent elements. Here, we reported the development of a method named two-stage matrix-assisted glare suppression (TAGS), which is capable of suppressing glares at a large scale without triggering time-consuming hardware iteration. By using the TAGS, we experimentally darkened an area containing 100 speckles by controlling only 100 independent elements, achieving an average intensity of only 0.11 of the original value. It is also noticeable that the TAGS is computationally efficient, which only takes 0.35 s to retrieve the matrix and 0.11 s to synthesize the wavefront. With the same number of independent controls, further demonstrations on suppressing larger scales up to 256 speckles were also reported. We envision that the superior performance of the TAGS at a large scale can be beneficial to a variety of demanding imaging tasks under a scattering environment.
Peripheral bone structure, geometry, and strength and muscle density as derived from peripheral quantitative computed tomography and mortality among rural south Indian older adults
Authors: Jammy Guru Rajesh , Boudreau Robert M. , Miljkovic Iva , Sharma Pawan Kumar , Reddy Sudhakar Pesara , Greenspan Susan L. , Newman Anne B. , Cauley Jane A.
Published: October 2022

Multiple studies have observed a relationship of bone mineral density (BMD) measured by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and mortality. However, areal BMD (aBMD) measured by DXA is an integrated measure of trabecular and cortical bone and does not measure the geometry of bone. Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT) provides greater insights on bone structure, geometry and strength. To examine whether higher bone phenotypes and muscle density as measured by pQCT are associated with a lower all-cause mortality, we studied 245 men and 254 women (all age >60) recruited in the Mobility and Independent Living among Elders Study in rural south India. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HR [95% Confidence Intervals]). After an average follow-up of 5.3 years, 73 men and 50 women died. Among men, trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) of radius (HR per SD increase in parameter = 0.59 [0.43, 0.81]) and tibia (0.60[0.45, 0.81]), cortical vBMD of radius (0.61, [0.47, 0.79]) and tibia (0.62, [0.49, 0.79]), cortical thickness of radius (0.55, [0.42, 0.7]) and tibia (0.60, [0.47, 0.77]), polar strength strain index (SSIp) of tibia (0.73 [0.54, 0.98]), endosteal circumference of radius (1.63, [1.25, 2.12]) and tibia (1.54, [1.19, 1.98]) were associated with all-cause mortality. Muscle density (0.67, [0.51, 0.87]) was associated with lower mortality in men. Among women cortical vBMD of radius (0.64, [0.47, 0.87]) and tibia (0.60 [0.45, 0.79]), cortical thickness of radius (0.54, [0.37, 0.79]) and tibia (0.43, [0.30, 0.61]), SSIp of radius (0.70 [0.48,1.01]) and tibia (0.58 [0.37, 0.90]) and endosteal circumference of radius (1.33 [0.97, 1.82]) and tibia (1.83, [1.37, 2.45]) were associated with all-cause mortality. Among men, gait speed mediated the association of muscle density and mortality but there was no mediation for any bone parameters. Conclusion: pQCT bone measures and muscle density were independently associated with mortality among rural south Indian elders.
How do i bite thee? let me count the ways: Exploring the implications of individual biting habits of Aedes aegypti for dengue transmission
Authors: Christofferson Rebecca C. , Wearing Helen J. , Turner Erik A. , Walsh Christine S. , Salje Henrik , Tran-Kiem Cécile , Cauchemez Simon
Published: October 2022

In models of mosquito–borne transmission, the mosquito biting rate is an influential parameter, and understanding the heterogeneity of the process of biting is important, as biting is usually assumed to be relatively homogeneous across individuals, with time–between–bites described by an exponentially distributed process. However, these assumptions have not been addressed through laboratory experimentation. We experimentally investigated the daily biting habits of Ae. aegypti at three temperatures (24°C, 28°C, and 32°C) and determined that there was individual heterogeneity in biting habits (number of bites, timing of bites, etc.). We further explored the consequences of biting heterogeneity using an individual–based model designed to examine whether a particular biting profile determines whether a mosquito is more or less likely to 1) become exposed given a single index case of dengue (DENV) and 2) transmit to a susceptible human individual. Our experimental results indicate that there is heterogeneity among individuals and among temperature treatments. We further show that this results in altered probabilities of transmission of DENV to and from individual mosquitoes based on biting profiles. While current model representation of biting may work under some conditions, it might not uniformly be the best fit for this process. Our data also confirm that biting is a non–monotonic process with temperatures around 28°C being optimum.
AT-hook DNA-binding motif-containing protein one knockdown downregulates EWS-FLI1 transcriptional activity in Ewing’s sarcoma cells
Authors: Kitagawa Takao , Kobayashi Daiki , Baron Byron , Okita Hajime , Miyamoto Tatsuo , Takai Rie , Paudel Durga , Ohta Tohru , Asaoka Yoichi , Tokunaga Masayuki , Nakagawa Koji , Furutani-Seiki Makoto , Araki Norie , Kuramitsu Yasuhiro , Kobayashi Masanobu
Published: October 2022

Ewing’s sarcoma is the second most common bone malignancy in children or young adults and is caused by an oncogenic transcription factor by a chromosomal translocation between the EWSR1 gene and the ETS transcription factor family. However, the transcriptional mechanism of EWS-ETS fusion proteins is still unclear. To identify the transcriptional complexes of EWS-ETS fusion transcription factors, we applied a proximal labeling system called BioID in Ewing’s sarcoma cells. We identified AHDC1 as a proximal protein of EWS-ETS fusion proteins. AHDC1 knockdown showed a reduced cell growth and transcriptional activity of EWS-FLI1. AHDC1 knockdown also reduced BRD4 and BRG1 protein levels, both known as interacting proteins of EWS-FLI1. Our results suggest that AHDC1 supports cell growth through EWS-FLI1.
Coordinated decision-making boosts altruistic motivation—But not trust
Authors: Chennells Matthew , Woźniak Mateusz , Butterfill Stephen , Michael John
Published: October 2022

In the current study, we separately tested whether coordinated decision-making increases altruism and whether it increases trust. To this end, we implemented a paradigm in which participants repeatedly perform a coordinated decision-making task either with the same partner on every trial, or with a different partner on each trial. When both players coordinate on the same option, both are rewarded. In Experiment 1 (N =52), participants were sometimes presented with tempting opportunities to defect. In Experiment 2 (N =97), participants sometimes had to decide whether or not to trust that their partners had resisted such tempting opportunities. The results show that repeatedly coordinating with the same partner increased participants’ resistance to temptation (Experiment 1) but did not increase trust (Experiment 2). These findings support the hypothesis that coordinating with a partner increases altruistic motivation towards that partner; they do not support the hypothesis that coordinating boosts trust.
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on missed medical appointment among adults with chronic disease conditions in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Ayele Tadesse Awoke , Alamneh Tesfa Sewunet , Shibru Habtewold , Sisay Malede Mequanent , Yilma Tesfahun Melese , Melak Melkitu Fentie , Bisetegn Telake Azale , Belachew Tariku , Haile Mahteme , Zeru Taye , Asres Mezgebu Selamsew , Shitu Kegnie
Published: October 2022

Background

COVID-19 had affected the health-care-seeking behavior of people with chronic medical conditions. The impact is even worse in resource-limited settings like Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the extent and correlates of missed appointments among adults with chronic disease conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective chart review and cross-sectional survey were conducted from December 2020 to February 2021. A total of 1833 patients with common chronic disease were included by using a stratified systematic random sampling technique. Web-based data collection was done using Kobo collect. The data were explored using descriptive statistical techniques, the rate of missed appointments s before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was determined. A negative binomial regression model was fitted to identify the factors of missed appointment. An incidence rate ratio with its 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value of the final model were reported.

Results

The rate of missed appointments was 12.5% (95% CI: 11.13%, 14.20%) before the pandemic, increased to 26.8% (95% CI: 24.73%, 28.82%) during the pandemic (p-value < 0.001). Fear of COVID-19 infection and lack of transport was the most common reasons for missing appointments. Older patients (Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (AIRR) = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.001; 1.015), having treatment follow up more than 5 years (AIRR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.103; 1.69), shorter frequency of follow-up (AIRR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.63; 2.49), covering expense out of pocket (AIRR = 2.26, 95%CI: 1.41; 2.95), having a sedentary lifestyle (AIRR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.12; 1.71), and history of missed appointments before COVID-19 pandemic (AIRR = 4.27, 95%CI: 3.35; 5.43) were positively associated with the incidence of missed appointments.

Conclusion

The rate of missed appointment increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older age, longer duration of follow up, more frequent follow-up, out-of-pocket expenditure for health service, history of poor follow-up, and sedentary lifestyle had positive relationship with missed appointments during the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to give special emphasis to individuals with these risk factors while designing and implementing policies and strategies for peoples with chronic diseases to ensure the continuity of care and to avoid the long-term impact on their health.