bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between insurance plan, prior authorization, and time to receipt of oral anticancer drugs.
Authors: Lichtenstein Morgan RL , Beauchemin Melissa Parsons , Raghunathan Rohit R. , Doshi Sahil D , Law Cynthia , Accordino Melissa Kate , Elkin Elena B. , Wright Jason Dennis , Hershman Dawn L.
Published: September 2021

6

Background: The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Food and Drug Administration approvals of oral anti-cancer drugs (OACDs). Most OACD prescriptions require coordination between payers and providers, which can delay drug receipt. In May 2021, two bills were introduced in the US House of Representatives (HR 3173 and HR 3258) to streamline the prior authorization (PA) process. In this study, we examined clinical and process-related factors associated with PA and time to drug receipt (TTR) for patients who received a new OACD prescription. Methods: We prospectively collected data on all new OACD prescriptions for adult oncology patients from 1/1/2018 to 12/31/2019. We collected patient demographic, medical, and insurance data, drug type (hormonal, chemotherapy, targeted), and specialty pharmacy interactions with payers and financial assistance groups, including PA information. TTR was defined as the number of days from OACD prescription to patient receipt of the drug. We used multivariable logistic regression to separately assess factors associated with TTR and factors associated with PA for patients who received a new OACD prescription. Results: The cohort for both models included 883 patients who were prescribed 1014 new OACDs. Of these prescriptions, 72.3% (N=733) required PA. The median age was 66 and 44% identified as White. The median TTR was 7 days (IQR 0 – 142; 25% ≥ 14 days; and 5% ≥ 30 days). In unadjusted analyses, PA was associated with insurance and drug type and delayed TTR was associated with PA and insurance type. In a multivariable analysis, patients with Medicaid insurance were more likely to require PA compared to patients with Medicare (OR 1.93 (1.14 – 3.32), p=0.03). In addition, patients prescribed targeted and hormone therapies were more likely to require PA than those prescribed oral chemotherapy (targeted: OR 3.33 [2.38 – 4.68], p<0.001; hormone: OR 4.26 [2.45 – 7.65], p<0.001). A separate multivariable analysis showed that PA is associated with delayed TTR (OR 1.62 [1.18 – 2.24], p=0.003) and that Medicaid is associated with a shorter TTR (OR 0.59 [0.37 – 0.94], p=0.03). Conclusions: The current process for obtaining OACDs is complex and multifaceted. Seventy two percent of delivered OACDs require PA, which is associated with delayed TTR. Earlier intervention and new health policies are needed to reduce time to OACD receipt. [Table: see text]
Breast cancer patients therapeutic adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: Knowledge level analytical study.
Authors: Soewoto Widyanti
Published: September 2021

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Background: Corona virus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a new challenge for Indonesia's cancer patient’s treatment. Patients face problems in undergoing therapy during the pandemic due to government lockdown regulations. Cancer patients, especially breast cancer, still do not understand how to deal with this problem. This study aims to determine COVID-19 knowledge’s effect on therapeutic adherence in breast cancer patients in Indonesia. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted from February to April 2021. This study involved breast cancer patients from various regions in Indonesia. The research instrument employed the UNS-CASKQ14 questionnaire (Universitas Sebelas Maret-Cancer Altitude Satisfaction Knowledge Questionnaire) to determine COVID-19 knowledge and therapeutic adherence levels in breast cancer patients. The data were then tested the Spearman Rho correlation utilizing SPSS 25. Results: There were 812 respondents in this study, with the most respondents in the age range of 50-59 years (31.8%). As many as 222 (27.3%) respondents had a low knowledge level about COVID-19, 511 (62.9%) respondents had a sufficient knowledge level, and 79 (9.8%) respondents had a good knowledge level. As many as 369 (45.4%) respondents had a low therapeutic adherence level, and 443 (54.6%) respondents had a good adherence level during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the Spearman Rho correlation test between COVID-19 knowledge and therapeutic adherence levels, the results obtained were p = 0.51 (p > 0.05), with the Spearman Rho coefficient value = 0.026. Conclusions: There was no significant effect between COVID-19 knowledge and therapeutic adherence levels in breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
Resolving transportation disparity in cancer care.
Authors: Marquez Rachel , Manning Matthew A. , Mohamed Mohamed K.
Published: September 2021

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Background: Improving healthcare value requires new models of care including higher utilization of outpatient services. A significant social determinant of health in this mode of care is transportation, and the most vulnerable segments of society are disproportionately affected. Transportation disparity is especially troubling in radiation oncology, due to the protracted daily treatment schedule. Disruptions in treatment adversely impact clinical outcomes and survivals. This study is a pilot trial of a novel virtual logistics hub, capable of managing rideshare, taxis, wheelchair accessible vehicles, vehicles with car seats for children and stretcher vehicles in radiation oncology to measure utilization, patient satisfaction and financial impact. Methods: Over 4 months, using predictive analytics, patients with transportation barriers in a community cancer center were enrolled in a rideshare program. Those who received rides for radiation treatment were included in this study. Each patient's personal historic no-show rate in the health system was recorded. The estimated cost per no-show for a radiation treatment was set at $250. The opportunity cost was calculated as the product of the no-show rate, the no-show cost per treatment and the number of treatments. In addition, the cost of the transportation was recorded and subtracted from the opportunity cost to calculate the return on investment ROI. Qualitative data were also collected through patient surveys after each ride. Results: 29 subjects were included in this IRB-approved pilot study for a total of 419 rides. The most common diagnoses were Breast (27.6%), Lung (17.2%) and Prostate (17.2%). Most patients were racial minorities (70.0%) and had non-metastatic disease (75.9%). The median number of radiation treatments was 10 (3-40). The historic average no-show rate was 7% (0%-36%). The average expected no show cost per patient was $219.14 ($0.00-$1,837.50). The opportunity cost representing the benefit to the health system was $6,355.00. Per patient, the average transportation cost was $325.81 ($13.26-$1,034.39). The total cost of rides was $11,864.77. The ROI was -$5,509.77. When asked 'How would you rate your transportation experience today?' 82% responded Above Average. To the question 'Would you have been able to attend your appointment today if this program did not exist?' 92% answered No. Conclusions: This study shows that the cost of rideshare transportation can partially offset the cost of no-shows. This suggests that a proactive virtual transportation hub can help address transportation barriers, drive patient satisfaction and reduce the waste of no-shows. Radiation therapy represents an ambulatory medicine crucible for patients with limited transportation and social support. Scaling up rideshare innovations from radiation oncology has the potential to drive broader ambulatory strategy.
Novel zebrafish polycystic kidney disease models reveal functions of the Hippo pathway in renal cystogenesis
Authors: Ren Zhiqin , Zhang Zhiwei , Liu Tzu-Ming , Ge Wei
Published: September 2021

The Hippo signaling pathway is a kinase cascade that plays an important role in organ size control. As the main effectors of the Hippo pathway, transcription coactivators Yap1/Wwtr1 are regulated by the upstream kinase Stk3. Recent studies in mammals have implicated the Hippo pathway in kidney development and kidney diseases. To further illustrate its roles in vertebrate kidney, we generated a series of zebrafish mutants targeting stk3, yap1 and wwtr1 genes. The stk3−/− mutant exhibited edema, formation of glomerular cysts and pronephric tubule dilation during the larval stage. Interestingly, disruption of wwtr1, but not yap1, significantly alleviated the renal phenotypes of the stk3−/− mutant, and overexpression of Wwtr1 with the CMV promoter also induced pronephric phenotypes, similar to those of the stk3−/− mutant, during larval stage. Notably, adult fish with Wwtr1 overexpression developed phenotypes similar to those of human polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Overall, our analyses revealed roles of Stk3 and Wwtr1 in renal cyst formation. Using a pharmacological approach, we further demonstrated that Stk3-deficient zebrafish could serve as a PKD model for drug development.
Tumor size-based validation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound liver imaging reporting and data system (CEUS LI-RADS) 2017 for hepatocellular carcinoma characterizing
Authors: Pan Jia-Min , Chen Wei , Zheng Yan-Ling , Cheng Mei-Qing , Zeng Dan , Huang Hui , Huang Yang , Xie Xiao-Yan , Lu Ming-De , Kuang Ming , Hu Hang-Tong , Chen Li-Da , Wang Wei
Published: September 2021

Objectives:

To validate the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) and its major features in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of different sizes in high-risk patients.

Methods:

Between January 2014 and December 2015, a total of 545 untreated liver nodules were included. These liver nodules were divided into two groups (<20 mm and ≥20 mm). Each nodule was classified based on CEUS LI-RADS. The diagnostic performance comparison was assessed by the chi-square test, with pathology results as the golden criterion.

Results:

The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of CEUS LR-5 criteria in <20 mm group vs ≥20 mm group in diagnosing HCC were 60.5% vs 59.8%, 55.6% vs 57.6%, 85.7% vs 88.6 and 95.2% vs 98.5%, respectively, without significant difference (all p > 0.05). The accuracy, sensitivity and PPV of LR5/M for malignancy in <20 mm group were lower than in ≥20 mm group, with values of 79.1% vs 95.0%, 84.2% vs 95.7 and 91.4% vs 99.2%, respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The CEUS LI-RADS has a comparable performance for diagnosing HCC between lesions ≥ 20 mm and <20 mm. For diagnosing malignancy including HCC, it has a higher efficacy for lesions ≥ 20 mm than <20 mm.

Advances in knowledge:

1.For diagnosing HCC, CEUS LI-RADS has comparable performances between lesions ≥ 20 mm and <20 mm.

2. For diagnosing malignancy including HCC, CEUS LI-RADS has a higher efficacy for lesions ≥ 20 mm than <20 mm.
Low-dose radiation therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia: a pilot study
Authors: Sharma Daya Nand , Guleria Randeep , Wig Naveet , Mohan Anant , Rath Goura , Subramani Vellaiyan , Bhatnagar Sushma , Mallick Supriya , Sharma Aman , Patil Pritee , Madan Karan , Soneja Manish , Thulkar Sanjay , Singh Angel , Singh Sheetal
Published: September 2021

Objectives:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as pandemic in March 2020. Currently there is no specific effective treatment for COVID-19. The major cause of death in COVID-19 is severe pneumonia leading to respiratory failure. Radiation in low doses (<100 cGy) has been known for its anti-inflammatory effect and therefore, low dose radiation therapy (LDRT) to lungs can potentially mitigate the severity of pneumonia and reduce mortality. We conducted a pilot trial to study the feasibility and clinical efficacy of LDRT to lungs in the management of patients with COVID-19.

Methods:

From June to Aug 2020, we enrolled 10 patients with COVID-19 having moderate to severe risk disease [National Early Warning Score (NEWS) of ≥5]. Patients were treated as per the standard COVID-19 management guidelines along with LDRT to both lungs with a dose of 70cGy in single fraction. Response assessment was done based on the clinical parameters using the NEWS.

Results:

All patients completed the prescribed treatment. Nine patients had complete clinical recovery mostly within a period ranging from 3 to 7 days. One patient, who was a known hypertensive, showed clinical deterioration and died 24 days after LDRT. No patients showed the signs of acute radiation toxicity.

Conclusion:

The results of our pilot study suggest that LDRT is feasible in COVID-19 patients having moderate to severe disease. Its clinical efficacy may be tested by conducting randomized controlled trials.

Advances in knowledge:

LDRT has shown promising results in COVID-19 pneumonia and should be researched further through randomized controlled trials.
Eye protection in interventional procedures
Authors: Schueler Beth A. , Fetterly Kenneth A
Published: September 2021

Data suggest that radiation-induced cataracts may form without a threshold and at low-radiation doses. Staff involved in interventional radiology and cardiology fluoroscopy-guided procedures have the potential to be exposed to radiation levels that may lead to eye lens injury and the occurrence of opacifications have been reported. Estimates of lens dose for various fluoroscopy procedures and predicted annual dosages have been provided in numerous publications. Available tools for eye lens radiation protection include accessory shields, drapes and glasses. While some tools are valuable, others provide limited protection to the eye. Reducing patient radiation dose will also reduce occupational exposure. Significant variability in reported dose measurements indicate dose levels are highly dependent on individual actions and exposure reduction is possible. Further follow-up studies of staff lens opacification are recommended along with eye lens dose measurements under current clinical practice conditions.
Radial variations in wood density, and their implications for above-ground biomass estimations, in a tropical high-andean forest
Authors: González-Melo Andrés
Published: September 2021

Wood density (WD) is a central trait to explain tree functioning, and is also an important predic­tor of tree above-ground biomass (AGB). Therefore, radial trends in WD (i.e., from pith to bark) may have important implications in understanding tree life-history variations, as well as in forest biomass and carbon estimations. The occurrence of these radial trends in WD is thought to vary among forests, particularly with canopy openness and stratification. Yet, most of the studies on this topic in tropical forests have been conducted on lowland closed-canopy forests, while very little is known about the prevalence and magnitude of these trends among trees from open-canopy forests, such as high-mountain forests. I examined radial gradients in WD and explored their implications for AGB estimations. Radial wood cores were taken with increment borers from 69 trees belonging to 18 species from a high-An­dean forest. Each wood core was cut every 1-cm, and WD was measured for every 1-cm segment. Errors in AGB estimations that resulted from not considering radial trends in WD were estimated for each tree and species. Eight out of eighteen species had significant radial trends in WD. Among these species, two species showed decreases of WD towards the bark, one species showed increments of WD from pith to bark, and five species showed U-shaped gradients (i.e., high WD near the pith and bark, and relatively low WD at inter­mediate diameters). The prevalence of U-shaped radial trends in WD may be related to the relatively open and less stratified canopy of the study forest. Not taking into account radial trends in WD led in general to under-estimations of AGB (averaging −7.66 % when using mean WD, and −5.56 % for outer WD) in most of the study species, suggesting that tropical high-Andean forests may possibly store more biomass carbon than has been previously estimated. These findings are important to expand our knowledge on wood allocation patterns during tree ontogeny, and also to improve the accuracy of biomass and carbon estimations in tropical high-Andean forests.
General public awareness, knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 infection and prevention: a cross-sectional study from Pakistan
Authors: Alam Beenish Fatima , Almojaibel Abdullah A. , Aziz Ansari Khalid , Haroon Mohammad , Noreen Sara , Tauqir Saman , Almas Khalid , Farooqi Faraz A. , Ali Saqib
Published: September 2021

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of the public in Pakistan (using social media) towards COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 1120 individuals nationwide. A self-developed, pre-tested questionnaire was used that comprised of sections covering demographic characteristics, medical history, hygiene awareness, COVID-19-related knowledge, and learning attitude. Descriptive statistics were used for frequencies, percentages, averages and standard deviations. Inferential statistics were done using the Student’s t-test and ANOVA.

Results: The average age of participants was 31 years (range 18-60 years). In total 56 individuals (5%) had completed primary or secondary school education; 448 (40%) were employed (working from home) and 60% were jobless due to the COVID-19 crisis. Almost all the study subjects (1030 (92%)) were washing their hands multiple times a day. A total of 83% had awareness regarding quarantine time, 82% used face masks whenever they left their homes, 98% were aware of the origin of the disease, and 70% had knowledge regarding the most common symptoms of COVID-19.

Conclusion: It can be concluded from the current study that female participants had higher level of education, and more awareness regarding the coronavirus. The majority of the participants followed proper hand washing regimes and washed their faces. Further knowledge and awareness should be promoted.
Case Report: An unusual case of small bowel volvulus associated with pneumatosis intestinalis
Authors: Zouaghi Alia , Hadded Dhafer , Meryam Mesbahi , Benzarti Yazid , Cherif Mona , Zaafouri Haithem , Ben Massoud Khalil , Chamekhi Chiraz , Ben Maamer Anis
Published: September 2021

Pneumatosis cystoid intestinalis is a rare disease reported in the literature affecting 0.03% of the population. It has a variety of causes and its manifestation may change widely. It usually presents as a marginal finding resulting from various gastrointestinal pathologies. In the acute complicated form of pneumatosis intestinalis, management is challenging for physicians and surgeons.

We present a case of a 60-year-old patient who was admitted to our surgical department with a symptomatology suggestive of small bowel occlusion. Computed tomography demonstrated ileal volvulus associated with parietal signs suffering and pneumoperitoneum. An emergent exploratory laparoscopy followed by conversion was performed demonstrating segmental ileal pneumatosis intestinalis secondary to a small bowel volvulus due to an inflammatory appendix wrapping around the distal ileum. Further, detorsion, retrograde draining, and appendectomy were performed because there were no signs of necrosis and the appendix was pathological. The postoperative course was uneventful.

This case is exceedingly rare in the literature, because it was featured by the ileal volvulus due to appendicitis.This case report emphasizes the importance of surgical procedures in the management of symptomatic pneumatosis intestinalis.
Encoding Retina Image to Words using Ensemble of Vision Transformers for Diabetic Retinopathy Grading
Authors: AlDahoul Nouar , Abdul Karim Hezerul , Joshua Toledo Tan Myles , Momo Mhd Adel , Ledesma Fermin Jamie
Published: September 2021

Diabetes is one of the top ten causes of death among adults worldwide. People with diabetes are prone to suffer from eye disease such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). DR damages the blood vessels in the retina and can result in vision loss. DR grading is an essential step to take to help in the early diagnosis and in the effective treatment thereof, and also to slow down its progression to vision impairment. Existing automatic solutions are mostly based on traditional image processing and machine learning techniques. Hence, there is a big gap when it comes to more generic detection and grading of DR. Various deep learning models such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been previously utilized for this purpose. To enhance DR grading, this paper proposes a novel solution based on an ensemble of state-of-the-art deep learning models called vision transformers. A challenging public DR dataset proposed in a 2015 Kaggle challenge was used for training and evaluation of the proposed method. This dataset includes highly imbalanced data with five levels of severity: No DR, Mild, Moderate, Severe, and Proliferative DR. The experiments conducted showed that the proposed solution outperforms existing methods in terms of precision (47%), recall (45%), F1 score (42%), and Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK) (60.2%). Finally, it was able to run with low inference time (1.12 seconds). For this reason, the proposed solution can help examiners grade DR more accurately than manual means.
Prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults: protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Doherty Ann , Moriarty Frank , Boland Fiona , Clyne Barbara , Fahey Tom , Kennelly Seán , Wallace Emma
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Internationally, health systems face the challenge of managing a growing ageing population living with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Potentially inappropriate prescribing is common among patients with polypharmacy, increasing the risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Several prescribing indicator sets exist to improve prescribing and reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing, but do not address prescribing cascades. Prescribing cascades occur when a medication is prescribed to treat an ADR to another prescribed medication, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and constitute an important area to consider when characterising problematic polypharmacy. This is a protocol for a systematic review examining prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults.

Methods: The review will be reported adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library will be conducted from inception to March 2021, using a predetermined strategy. Grey literature will be searched using Open Grey, MedNar, Dart Europe, and the Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) databases. No restrictions will be placed on language or publication year. Inclusion criteria are: population - community-dwelling adults (≥18 years); risk - prescription medication with the potential to cause side effects; outcomes - initiation of a new medicine to ‘treat’ or reduce the risk of experiencing an ADR. Prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case control and case series studies will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts; studies meeting inclusion criteria will undergo independent full-text screening by two reviewers.  A narrative synthesis will be conducted. Study quality will be independently assessed using the relevant Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist.

Discussion: This systematic review will identify examples of prescribing cascades for community-dwelling adults and contribute to developing an evidence base regarding such cascades.

Registration: PROSPERO [CRD42021243163, 31/03/2021].
The Nehari manifold for indefinite Kirchhoff problem with Caffarelli-Kohn-Nirenberg type critical growth
Authors: Costa David G. , Do Ó João Marcos , Mishra Pawan K.
Published: September 2021

In this paper we study the following class of nonlocal problem involving Caffarelli-Kohn-Nirenberg type critical growth $$ L(u)-\lambda h(x)|x|^{-2(1+a)}u=\mu f(x)|u|^{q-2}u+|x|^{-pb}|u|^{p-2}u\quad \text{in } \mathbb R^N, $$% where $h(x)\geq 0$, $f(x)$ is a continuous function which may change sign, $\lambda, \mu$ are positive real parameters and $1< q< 2< 4< p=2N/[N+2(b-a)-2]$, $0\leq a< b< a+1< N/2$, $N\geq 3$. Here $$ L(u)=-M\left(\int_{\mathbb R^N} |x|^{-2a}|\nabla u|^2dx\right)\mathrm {div} \big(|x|^{-2a}\nabla u\big) $$ and the function $M\colon \mathbb R^+_0\to\mathbb R^+_0$ is exactly the Kirchhoff model, given by $M(t)=\alpha+\beta t$, $\alpha, \beta> 0$. The above problem has a double lack of compactness, firstly because of the non-compactness of Caffarelli-Kohn-Nirenberg embedding and secondly due to the non-compactness of the inclusion map $$u\mapsto \int_{\mathbb R^N}h(x)|x|^{-2(a+1)}|u|^2dx,$$ as the domain of the problem in consideration is unbounded. Deriving these crucial compactness results combined with constrained minimization argument based on Nehari manifold technique, we prove the existence of at least two positive solutions for suitable choices of parameters $\lambda$ and $\mu$.
A singular perturbed problem with critical Sobolev exponent
Authors: Chen Mengyao , Li Qi
Published: September 2021

This paper deals with the following nonlinear elliptic problem \begin{equation}\label{eq0.1} -\varepsilon^2\Delta u+\omega V(x)u=u^{p}+u^{2^{*}-1},\quad u> 0\quad\text{in}\ \R^N, \end{equation} where $\omega\in\R^{+}$, $N\geq 3$, $p\in (1,2^{*}-1)$ with $2^{*}={2N}/({N-2})$, $\varepsilon> 0$ is a small parameter and $V(x)$ is a given function. Under suitable assumptions, we prove that problem (\ref{eq0.1}) has multi-peak solutions by the Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction method for sufficiently small $\varepsilon$, which concentrate at local minimum points of potential function $V(x)$. Moreover, we show the local uniqueness of positive multi-peak solutions by using the local Pohozaev identity.
Transversality conditions for the existence of solutions of first-order discontinuous functional differential equations
Authors: Pouso Rodrigo López , Albés Ignacio Márquez , Rodríguez-López Jorge
Published: September 2021

We are concerned with the existence of extremal solutions to a large class of first-order functional differential problems under weak regularity assumptions. Our technique involves multivalued analysis and the method of lower and upper solutions in order to obtain a new existence result to a scalar Cauchy problem. As a consequence of this result and a monotone iterative method for discontinuous operators, we derive our main existence result which is illustrated by several examples concerning well-known models: a generalized logistic equation or second-order problems in the presence of dry friction.
Anti-periodic problem for semilinear differential inclusions involving Hille-Yosida operators
Authors: Anh Nguyen Thi Van , Ke Tran Dinh , Lan Do
Published: September 2021

In this paper we are interested in the anti-periodic problem governed by a class of semilinear differential inclusions with linear parts generating integrated semigroups. By adopting the Lyapunov-Perron method and the fixed point argument for multivalued maps, we prove the existence of anti-periodic solutions. Furthermore, we study the long-time behavior of mild solutions in connection with anti-periodic solutions. Consequently, as the nonlinearity is of single-valued, we obtain the exponential stability of anti-periodic solutions. An application of theoretical results to a class of partial differential equations will be given.
The Interrelationships between Metacognition and Modeling Competency: The Moderating Role of the Academic Year
Authors: Hidayat Riyan , Zamri Sharifah Norul Akmar Syed , Zulnaidi Hutkemri , Abdullah Mohd Faizal Nizam Lee , Adnan Mazlini
Published: September 2021

Several concerted movements toward mathematical modeling have been seen in the last decade, reflecting the growing global relationship between the role of mathematics in the context of modern science, technology and real life. The literature has mainly covered the theoretical basis of research questions in mathematical modeling and the use of effective research methods in the studies. Driven by the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory and empirical evidence on metacognition and modeling competency, this research aimed at exploring the interrelationships between metacognition and mathematical modeling and academic year level as a moderator via the SEM approach. This study involved 538 students as participants. From this sample, 133 students (24.7%) were from the first academic year, 223 (41.4%) were from the second and 182 (33.8%) were from the third. A correlational research design was employed to answer the research question. Cluster random sampling was used to gather the sample. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized moderation employing IBM SPSS Amos version 18. Our findings confirmed the direct correlation between metacognition and mathematical modeling was statistically significant. Academic year level as a partial moderator significantly moderates the interrelationships between the metacognitive strategies and mathematical modeling competency. The effect of metacognition on mathematical modeling competency was more pronounced in the year two group compared to the year one and three groups.
The Effects of Online Learning on EFL Students’ Academic Achievement during Coronavirus Disease Pandemic
Authors: Hidalgo-Camacho Cynthia , Escudero Gloria Isabel , Villacís Wilma , Varela Karolin
Published: September 2021

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic changed education conditions worldwide forcing all the parties involved to adapt to a new system. This study aimed to collect information related to the effects of teaching English online on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ achievement. Data were collected from EFL teachers and students enrolled in three different Ecuadorian Universities (Technical University of Ambato, Higher Polytechnic School of Chimborazo, and University of Cuenca) from five different levels: A1, A2, B1, B1+, and B2. This preliminary paper reports the results of 480 students regarding four major sections: pedagogical practice and assessment, learning outcomes, affective factors and perceptions of students about the advantages and disadvantages of online learning during the pandemic COVID-19; considering the Hierarchy of online learning needs of Justin Shewell. An online survey questionnaire with 17 questions and a 5-point Likert scale was applied. The Cronbach's Alpha test presented 0.84 and 0.73 level of reliability. The Kolmogorov Smirnov’s statistic and, the Kendall's Tau_b tests, and the Levene's test for homogeneity of variances were performed with the SPSS statistical program. The results made evident that online learning affects academic achievement in EFL students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was confirmed after analyzing four main areas: pedagogical practices and assessment, learning outcomes, affective factors and students’ perceptions about the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The importance of online learning was highlighted since it has been understood as a tool to face the emergency produced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virtual Classroom Critical Thinking as an Alternative Teaching Model to Improve Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Pandemic Coronavirus Disease Era
Authors: Lestari Tri , Supardi Zainul Arifin Imam , Jatmiko Budi
Published: September 2021

Critical thinking skills are one of the thinking skills needed to live in the 21st century and the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. This study aims to develop a Virtual Classroom Critical Thinking (VC2T) Model, which is valid, practical, and effective to improve students' critical thinking skills. VC2T model has six steps: problem orientation, formulation, group discussion, analysis, result discussion, and reflection. This study is a Research & Development (R & D) involving 33 high school students in Surabaya, Indonesia. Before being tested, the VC2T Model was designed based on the theory of Plomp and Nieveen and then validated by 3 (three) experts in physics education. Data were analyzed using validity by experts, implementation of teaching with the VC2T Model, paired t-test, calculation of n-gain, effect size and percentage of student responses. The results showed that the VC2T Model is: (1) valid with an average validity score of 4.14 in the high validity category; (2) practical with an average score of implementations teaching of VC2T Model 4.26 in the outstanding category; and (3) effective as indicated by increasing of students' critical thinking skills scores which are statistically significant at alpha .05, the average n-gain is .38 in the medium category, the effect size of 6.93 is in a strong category and the average students' response is 87.59 % with outstanding category.
LARAMOTIONS: a conceptual study on laser networks for near-term
collision avoidance for space debris in the low Earth orbit
Authors: Scharring Stefan , Dreyer Heiko , Wagner Gerd , Kästel Jürgen , Wagner Paul , Schafer Ewan , Riede Wolfgang , Bamann Christoph , Hugentobler Urs , Lejba Pawel , Suchodolski Tomasz , Döberl Egon , Weinzinger Dietmar , Promper Wolfgang , Flohrer Tim , Setty Srinivas , Zayer Igor , Di Mira Andrea , Cordelli Emiliano
Published: September 2021

A conceptual study has been carried out on laser station networks to enhance Space Situational Awareness and contribute to collision avoidance in the low Earth orbit by high-precision laser tracking of debris objects and momentum transfer via photon pressure from ground-based high-power lasers. Depending on the network size, geographical distribution of stations, orbit parameters, and remaining time to conjunction, multipass irradiation enhances the efficiency of photon momentum coupling by 1–2 orders of magnitude and has the potential to eventually yield a promisingly significant reduction of the collision rate in low Earth orbit.
Linear multi-functional logic gate in a three-core photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Rodrigues J. P. T. , Martins F. L. B. , Júnior V. P. P. , Nascimento J. C.
Published: September 2021

The growth of transmission rates in optical fibers can increase the demand for devices that perform network node processing. Usually, such devices achieve complex optical signal processing through high non-linearity effects and optoelectronic devices. In this work, we present the numerical acquisition of a configurable multi-function logic gate in which the OR and AND gates can be enabled based on the logic values entered in a selector. Our device consists of a single piece of three-core PCF, with linear pulse propagation, and without the need for any other mechanisms. This result presents evidence that information processing within functional fibers is possible and might be achieved using only fiber design.
Accurate physics-based digital reproduction of effect coatings
Authors: Huraibat Khalil , Perales Esther , Kirchner Eric , Van der Lans Ivo , Ferrero Alejandro , Campos Joaquín
Published: September 2021

We built an improved 3D rendering framework to accurately visualize the complete appearance of effect coatings, including metallic effects, sparkle and iridescence. Spectral reflectance measurements and sparkle indexes from a commercially available multi-angle spectrophotometer (BYKmac-i) were used together with physics-based approaches, such as flake-based reflectance models, to implement efficiently the appearance reproduction from a small number of bidirectional measurement geometries. With this rendering framework, we rendered a series of effect coating samples on an iPad display, simulating how these samples would be viewed inside a Byko-spectra effect light booth. We validated the appearance fidelity through psychophysical methods. We asked observers to evaluate the most important visual attributes that directly affect the appearance of effect coatings, i.e., the color, the angular dependence of color (color flop) and the visual texture (sparkle and graininess). Observers were asked to directly compare the rendered samples with the real samples inside the Byko-spectra effect light booth. In this study, we first validated the accuracy of rendering the color flop of effect coatings by conducting two separate visual tests, using flat and curved samples respectively. The results show an improved accuracy when curved samples were used (acceptability of 93% vs 80%). Secondly, we validated the digital reproduction of both color and texture by using a set of 30 metallic samples, and by including texture in the rendering using a sparkle model. We optimized the model parameters based on sparkle measurement data from the BYK-mac I instrument and using a matrix-adjustment model for optimization. The results from the visual tests show that the visual acceptability of the rendering is high at 90%.
Thermal noise computation of arbitrary masses in optical interferometers from first principles
Authors: Dickmann Johannes
Published: September 2021

Thermal noise of optical components is one of the sensitivity limiting effects in gravitational wave detectors, laser stabilization cavities and many other experiments in basic research. However, current methods for the computation of thermal noise are limited for an application in either infinitely large or symmetrically illuminated masses. I present a general method of computing thermal noise of arbitrary finite-sized masses in optical interferometers. The presented approach generalizes state-of-the-art methods for an application in arbitrary shaped optical elements illuminated by arbitrary spatial light distributions. Furthermore, I show the application of the presented approach to compute thermal noise of maladjusted mirrors in Fabry-Perot interferometers. It is shown that the noise can be reduced by off-axis illumination in the case of thin mirrors.
Controlling the lasing modes in random lasers operating in the Anderson localization regime
Authors: Rashidi Mohammad , Li Ziyuan , Jagadish Chennupati , Mokkapati Sudha , Tan Hark Hoe
Published: September 2021

Random lasers, which rely on random scattering events unlike traditional Fabry-Pérot cavities, are much simpler and cost-effective to fabricate. However, because of the chaotic fluctuations and instability of the lasing modes, controlling the lasing properties is challenging. In this study, we use random InP nanowire (NW) arrays that operate in the Anderson localization regime with stable modes as the random lasers. We show that by changing the design parameters of the NW arrays, such as filling factor, dimensions of the NWs, degree of randomness, and the size of the array, the properties of the lasing modes including the number of modes, lasing wavelengths, and lasing threshold can be controlled.
Plasmonics and Hot Electrons: feature issue introduction
Authors: Babicheva Viktoriia , Sivan Yonatan , Chen Kuo-Ping , Evlyukhin Andrey
Published: September 2021

Light-matter interaction can be significantly enhanced in plasmonic nanoparticles and nanostructures, as the latter give rise to high-field localization and enhancement. This feature issue highlights six contributions on recent advances in plasmonics, hot-electron dynamics, quantum surface and tunneling effects, as well as their applications, with a focus on practical materials and nanostructures with enhanced hot-electron generation.
Performance study of a highly sensitive plasmonic sensor based on microstructure photonics using an outside detecting method
Authors: Sakib Nazmus , Hassan Walid , Rahman Thouhidur
Published: September 2021

In this article, we design a microstructure based photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with external sensing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. The performance of the design is numerically evaluated incorporating the finite element method (FEM) with Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) boundary condition of scattering case. Modal analysis is performed using finer mesh analysis. At the optimized thickness (40nm) of chemically stable gold (Au) layer, the ever been maximum reported wavelength sensitivity (WS) and standard amplitude sensitivity (AS) are to 75,000 nm/RIU with wavelength resolution (WR) 1.33×10−6 RIU and 480 per RIU correspondingly. With a large detection range of 1.33 to 1.41 RIU, the sensor also exposed high polynomial fit (R2=0.99) as well as a high figure of merit (FOM) of 300 per RIU. Since very much high sensitivity, high detecting range and FOM, lower the cost of fabrication, the proposed design can be a pleasant competitor in detection of the analyte refractive index (RI). At the last, we can say that the proposed sensor would become a great candidate to detect biological and biochemical samples with fast and smart responses.
Role of energy transfer in concentrated Dy3+-doped fibers
Authors: Jackson Stuart D. , Majewski Matthew R.
Published: September 2021

Using high power quasi-cw pulse pumping, we show that energy transfer upconversion (ETU) processes in highly doped Dy3+ double clad ZBLAN fibers creates a pathway for significant excitation loss that clamps the gain. For a 4 mol.% Dy3+-doped fiber, we establish that the pump absorption is non-saturable up to a maximum launched (peak) pump power of 100 W. We propose that this arises from a co-operative three-ion ETU process. Additionally, the high power pulsed pumping of Tm3+, Dy3+-co-doped fiber produces laser relaxation spikes that appear after the pump pulse, suggesting that ETU dominates all other process during pumping.
Biomarkers of dairy fat intake, incident cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: A cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis
Authors: Trieu Kathy , Bhat Saiuj , Dai Zhaoli , Leander Karin , Gigante Bruna , Qian Frank , Korat Andres V. Ardisson , Sun Qi , Pan Xiong-Fei , Laguzzi Federica , Cederholm Tommy , de Faire Ulf , Hellénius Mai-Lis , Wu Jason H. Y. , Risérus Ulf , Marklund Matti
Published: September 2021

Background

We aimed to investigate the association of serum pentadecanoic acid (15:0), a biomarker of dairy fat intake, with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in a Swedish cohort study. We also systematically reviewed studies of the association of dairy fat biomarkers (circulating or adipose tissue levels of 15:0, heptadecanoic acid [17:0], andtrans-palmitoleic acid [t16:1n-7]) with CVD outcomes or all-cause mortality.

Methods and findings

We measured 15:0 in serum cholesterol esters at baseline in 4,150 Swedish adults (51% female, median age 60.5 years). During a median follow-up of 16.6 years, 578 incident CVD events and 676 deaths were identified using Swedish registers. In multivariable-adjusted models, higher 15:0 was associated with lower incident CVD risk in a linear dose–response manner (hazard ratio 0.75 per interquintile range; 95% confidence interval 0.61, 0.93,P= 0.009) and nonlinearly with all-cause mortality (P for nonlinearity = 0.03), with a nadir of mortality risk around median 15:0. In meta-analyses including our Swedish cohort and 17 cohort, case–cohort, or nested case–control studies, higher 15:0 and 17:0 but nott16:1n-7 were inversely associated with total CVD, with the relative risk of highest versus lowest tertile being 0.88 (0.78, 0.99), 0.86 (0.79, 0.93), and 1.01 (0.91, 1.12), respectively. Dairy fat biomarkers were not associated with all-cause mortality in meta-analyses, although there were ≤3 studies for each biomarker. Study limitations include the inability of the biomarkers to distinguish different types of dairy foods and that most studies in the meta-analyses (including our novel cohort study) only assessed biomarkers at baseline, which may increase the risk of misclassification of exposure levels.

Conclusions

In a meta-analysis of 18 observational studies including our new cohort study, higher levels of 15:0 and 17:0 were associated with lower CVD risk. Our findings support the need for clinical and experimental studies to elucidate the causality of these relationships and relevant biological mechanisms.
Prevalence of corneal arcus and associated factors in a German population—Results from the Gutenberg Health Study
Authors: Wasielica-Poslednik Joanna , Hampel Ulrike , Ries Lisa , Faysal Ruah , Schulz Andreas , Prochaska Jürgen H. , Wild Philipp S. , Schmidtmann Irene , Münzel Thomas , Beutel Manfred E. , Lackner Karl J. , Pfeiffer Norbert , Schuster Alexander K.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

We aimed to determine the prevalence of corneal arcus and to identify associated factors in the general population of Germany.

Methods

The Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) is a population-based cohort study in Germany, which includes an ophthalmological assessment. Refraction, distance-corrected visual acuity, non-contact tonometry and anterior segment imaging were performed for the five-year follow-up examination. Anterior segment photographs were graded for the presence of corneal arcus. Prevalence estimates were computed, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to determine associated factors for corneal arcus including sex, age, spherical equivalent, central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), socio-economic status, smoking, BMI, systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure, HbA1c, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglyceride, and lipid modifying agents.

Results

A total of 9,850 right and 9,745 left eyes of 9,858 subjects (59.2±10.8 years), 49.0% females were included in this cross-sectional analysis. 21.1% of men (95%-CI: 20.0%– 22.3%) had a corneal arcus in at least one eye, and 16.9% (95%-CI: 15.9%– 18.0%) of women. In multivariable analyses, the presence of corneal arcus was associated with male gender (OR = 0.54 for female, p<0.0001), higher age (OR = 2.54 per decade, p<0.0001), smoking (OR = 1.59, p<0.0001), hyperopia (OR = 1.05 per diopter, p<0.0001), thinner cornea (OR = 0.994 per μm, p<0.0001), higher IOP (OR = 1.02, p = 0.039), higher HDL-C-level (OR = 2.13, p<0.0001), higher LDL-C-level (OR = 1.21, p<0.0001), and intake of lipid modifying agents (OR = 1.26, p = 0.0001). Arcus was not associated with socio-economic status, BMI, arterial blood pressure, and HbA1c.

Conclusions

Corneal arcus is a frequent alteration of the cornea in Germany and is associated with ocular parameters and systemic parameters of dyslipidemia.
Twenty years of gender equality research: A scoping review based on a new semantic indicator
Authors: Belingheri Paola , Chiarello Filippo , Fronzetti Colladon Andrea , Rovelli Paola
Published: September 2021

Gender equality is a major problem that places women at a disadvantage thereby stymieing economic growth and societal advancement. In the last two decades, extensive research has been conducted on gender related issues, studying both their antecedents and consequences. However, existing literature reviews fail to provide a comprehensive and clear picture of what has been studied so far, which could guide scholars in their future research. Our paper offers a scoping review of a large portion of the research that has been published over the last 22 years, on gender equality and related issues, with a specific focus on business and economics studies. Combining innovative methods drawn from both network analysis and text mining, we provide a synthesis of 15,465 scientific articles. We identify 27 main research topics, we measure their relevance from a semantic point of view and the relationships among them, highlighting the importance of each topic in the overall gender discourse. We find that prominent research topics mostly relate to women in the workforce–e.g., concerning compensation, role, education, decision-making and career progression. However, some of them are losing momentum, and some other research trends–for example related to female entrepreneurship, leadership and participation in the board of directors–are on the rise. Besides introducing a novel methodology to review broad literature streams, our paper offers a map of the main gender-research trends and presents the most popular and the emerging themes, as well as their intersections, outlining important avenues for future research.