bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healthcare Technology Management: Electronic Health Records and Informatics
Authors: Sachdeva Dr. Lalit , Rai Nitin Ranjan
Published: September 2024

The application of health informatics enables the creation of customised health interventions based on each person's requirements, preferences, and risk factors. Public health organisations can identify people who are at high risk for specific illnesses and provide tailored interventions to reduce risk factors and enhance outcomes by using data analytics and predictive modelling. Furthermore, via the use of social media platforms, digital health technologies, and personalised health interventions, health informatics enables public health organisations to interact with communities, encourage healthy lifestyles, and address health inequities. The importance of promoting teamwork, standardising data exchange procedures, and investing in workforce development is emphasised in this work. Public health management can meet these obstacles and fully utilise the advantages of health informatics to enhance population health outcomes.
Innovations in Public Health Services: Leveraging Data Science for Kidney Health Assessment
Authors: Soy Aakansha , Balkrishna Sutar Manisha
Published: September 2024

Improvements in Public Health Services use advanced analytical methods to address kidney-related illnesses early through extensive data research and to enhance public health outcomes. The difficulty would be an extreme dependence on data, which could distort physical condition assessment by ignore kidney patient aspect like existence and socioeconomic conditions. To overcome this problem, use the machine learning (ML) approach in the proposed method. Differential Evolution optimization with Upgraded logistic regression (DEO-ULR) utilizedfor the kidney health evaluation. A diagnosis of CKD has comprehensive health information dataset available in open source Kaggle website. The gathered data is preprocessed using Min-Max normalization and employed feature selectedutilizing Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE). The suggested method is also compared the other traditional algorithms, and this study is experiment with in the Python platform. The findings show the suggested technique achieve enhanced performance in accuracy, precision, F1-Score and recall. The study demonstrates the probable of data science in improvingpublic health for kidney health assessment through advanced analytics, resulting in more precise diagnoses, efficient treatment strategies, and earlier detection for patients.
Large-Scale Genomics Applications in Public Health and Precision Medicine Using Big Data and Predictive Analytics
Authors: Biswas Debarghya , Tiwari Ankita
Published: September 2024

After gaining experience from large population sequencing projects, there is a significant gap between the promise of genomics in Precision Medicine (PM) and the existing state of affairs. To fully exploit this potential, Public Healthcare (PH) must adopt procedures, regulations, and technology that are unfamiliar to them. The development needs to be improved by several historical procedures and regulatory hurdles. In the future, PM will include making genetic big data easily accessible at the point of treatment and implementing tools to govern its use effectively. Significant modifications need to be made in billing, payment, and monitoring to accomplish this goal. New systemic and technological structures must also be developed inside the healthcare sector.  The responsibilities of clinical geneticists will expand to include overseeing PM systems. Genetic counselors will guide and assist PM by establishing and upholding PM structures. The trajectory of the research is now hindered by several impediments, resulting in avoidable fatalities. Revamping medical facilities to accommodate genomics has the potential to influence the treatment of patients significantly and enable the achievement of long-awaited advancements in PM.
Natural Language Processing Framework for Lowering the Incidence of Public Health Disorders
Authors: Nandy Manish , Dubey Ahilya
Published: September 2024

Using Digital Technology (DT), which includes collecting, analyzing, and using data from different digital devices, can lower the number of diseases people get and improve their mental health. Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) can help with certain conditions quickly and successfully in a way that is both cost-effective and based on science. Natural Language Processing (NLP) gives ways to analyze writing, better understand interventions' effects, and make therapy decisions. This study aimed to develop a way to use technology to make it easier to automatically analyze both types of written data that are common in DHIs. This method creates textual traits and allows statistical models to predict goal factors like user involvement, condition change, and treatment outcomes. The study supports locating together outcome-optimizing teams that use data from various sources. The research uses complex data analysis and new methods to develop techniques and approaches that make prevention and therapy measures more widely available, accepted, used, and effective.
Pharmacy-Based Public Health Initiatives
Authors: Nanda Naimish , Sinha Rashmi
Published: September 2024

Both the general population's and pharmacists' behavior will need to change in order for pharmacists to become more involved in public health. Numerous studies have demonstrated the significance of attitudes and beliefs as drivers of behavior. In order to determine the most effective ways to support and enhance this service, this review attempts to investigate the attitudes and beliefs that consumers and pharmacists have toward pharmaceutical public health. A major element of many public health programs (PHPs) is the use of medications. The ability of medicines to cure and prevent illness is not the sole reason they are significant. The public's trust in the availability of safe and effective medications as well as the policies assuring their responsible use is inextricably related to their faith in the healthcare system. Nonetheless, the majority of public health initiatives in underdeveloped nations pay little to no attention to the pharmacy services component. The last fifteen years have seen a transformation in pharmacy practice that has increased public health access. A variety of public health services are increasingly offered by community pharmacists, showing potential gains in health outcomes and access. The observed changes in practice draw our attention to systemic problems that still require our collective attention. In order to maximize the impact on public health from this system shift, we must prioritize the pharmacy-public health collaboration and develop cooperative policy and research agendas as we fortify our intersectoral public health system.
Public Health Care Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions for Cyber-Attacks on Critical Health Infrastructure
Authors: Nandy Manish , Dubey Ahilya
Published: September 2024

The opportunities for public health care and safety are especially high, and the healthcare industry is particularly susceptible to cybersecurity threats. Cybercriminals find healthcare facilities appealing due to their size, reliance on technology, handling of sensitive data, and susceptibility to certain disruptions. The Internet of Things, or IoT, has gained a lot of traction in recent years due to its many benefits, which include reduced costs, time savings, enhanced user comfort, and effective use of electricity. The most crucial component of the cyber-physical system is the low-capacity sensor node. These components are diverse in nature and can function as hosts or clients on the internet by connecting via a wireless network. The well-known security features found in desktop computers are inoperable on these systems because of resource constraints such low processor power, low storage capacity, and low energy backup. The suggested study uses SNMP in conjunction with an ANN classifier and secure data transmission to detect cybersecurity attacks on healthcare data and medical devices. The vulnerabilities in the security of IoT-centric systems give rise to privacy concerns that impact the use of smart environment applications.
Public Health Initiatives of Wearable Sensors for Health Monitoring and Early Heart Disease Detection
Authors: Kumar Dr. Sanjay , Sharma Priti
Published: September 2024

The science of preserving and enhancing individual and community health is known as public health. In order to accomplish this task, healthy lifestyle promotion, disease and injury prevention research, and the detection, prevention, and management of infectious diseases are used. Early detection and treatment of health disease can improve the prognosis for the condition worldwide. However, the massive volume of data needed poses a problem to the current automatic algorithms for diagnosing health illness. This study presents a medical gadget that uses the Internet of Things to gather cardiac data from individuals both before and after of heart illness. Technology is developing at a quick pace, leading to the establishment of many methodologies and ongoing research into solutions for problems that arise in a variety of industries. Preprocessing techniques are employed to effectively classify collected health data because the human body generates enormous amounts of data all the time. Furthermore, the most important phase is accurately classifying health data, which is necessary for diagnosis. The Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) is among the greatest and most efficient methods for categorising medical data. The results of the simulation in experimental research demonstrate that following this advise improves classification accuracy.
Public Health Policy and Advocacy: A Management Perspective
Authors: Roy Dr.Jainish , Shandilya Ranjit
Published: September 2024

The division of authority and accountability between the federal government and the states is one of the public health governance system's most significant advantages and concurrent problems. The policy management suggests that the best course of action is to develop institutional frameworks for consultative decision-making, allocate resources in an equitable manner, and implement policies in a coordinated manner. The proposed methods include improved fiduciary risk management, capacity building, technical support for state-specific strategic plans, active local self-government engagement, and community-based health output monitoring. The idea put forth in this paper is that HR rules, which are centred around the requirement that individuals with a background in public health management hold high positions in the field, should be tightened.
Public Health Security Systems Empowered by Artificial Intelligence for Early Monitoring and Prevention of Epidemics
Authors: Sawlani Chandni , Sharma Pooja
Published: September 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been extensively used for detecting and predicting Infectious Disease (ID) outbreaks as time series and modeling and evaluating Public Health responses. The significant tasks of PH monitoring and intervention present distinct technical difficulties, including limited data availability, absence of sufficient positive training examples, challenges in establishing benchmarks, measuring the effectiveness of management policies, complex relationships between spatial and time series elements, and more detailed risk assessments involving interaction and social networks. Conventional PH monitoring mainly depends on statistical methods. In recent years, there has been a significant expansion of approaches that AI enables. This research presents an AI method called Early Monitoring and Prevention of Epidemics (AI-EMPE) for enhancing PH security systems. The suggested approach converts a substantial amount of collected PH security incidents into separate incident characteristics and utilizes a Deep Learning (DL)--based detection technique to enhance EMPE. AI-EMPE incorporates sophisticated AI methods, including integrated Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Backpropagation Neural Networks (BP-NN). These findings indicate that the integrated method is the most efficient in improving PH security systems.
The Intersection of Public Health and Human Rights Law in India
Authors: Agrawal Surbhi , Tandon Anuradha
Published: September 2024

A primary fundamental right guaranteed by the Indian constitution is health. Not every member of a community, including different groups (such as ecologists, health administrators, social scientists, and biological experts), maintains their health in the same way. In today's dynamic society, novel ideas emerge from fresh ways of thinking. Over an extended duration, health has evolved from an individual's concern to a global social objective that encompasses all aspects of life quality. The right to health has evolved from legislation as a source of law to a widely acknowledged human right. The ultimate goal is to establish a thorough legal foundation for the right to health. However, India lacks particular legislation pertaining to the right to health, in contrast to international and national provisions. This paper provides a brief discussion of how human rights law and public health overlap in India.
Using a Convolutional Neural Network for Early Infectious Disease Detection During Public Health Emergencies
Authors: Haval Dr. Abhijeet Madhukar , Ikhar Sharyu Bhushan
Published: September 2024

Proactively detecting infectious illnesses aids in delivering superior therapy and improves preventing and managing such diseases. This work proposed a Convolutional Neural Network for early Infectious Disease Detection during Public Health Emergencies (CNN-IDD-PHE). The objective is to mitigate the significant damages that Public Health Emergencies (PHE) inflicted on individuals' well-being, everyday routines, and the whole national economy. Statistics on Tuberculosis (TB) cases in a city were gathered from July 2020 to 2022. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) is designed to ascertain the correlation between latent and observed variables by identifying the appropriate indicators and estimating the parameters. A prediction model using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has been developed. The strategy's efficacy is validated by assessing the loss value and accuracy of the detection model during both the training and testing phases. Hence, using CNN in Deep Learning (DL) for early warning systems performs better in predicting and alerting Public Health (PH) situations. This advancement is of great importance in enhancing the capabilities of early warning systems.
PUFA stabilizes a conductive state of the selectivity filter in IKs channels
Authors: Golluscio Alessia , Eldstrom Jodene , Jowais Jessica J , Perez-Rodriguez Marta E , Cunningham Kevin P , de la Cruz Alicia , Wu Xiaoan , Corradi Valentina , Tieleman D Peter , Fedida David , Larsson H Peter
Published: September 2024

In cardiomyocytes, the KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel complex mediates the slow delayed-rectifier current (IKs), pivotal during the repolarization phase of the ventricular action potential. Mutations in IKs cause Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), a syndrome with a prolonged QT interval on the ECG, which increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. One potential therapeutical intervention for LQTS is based on targeting IKs channels to restore channel function and/or the physiological QT interval. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are potent activators of KCNQ1 channels and activate IKs channels by binding to two different sites, one in the voltage sensor domain (VSD) – which shifts the voltage dependence to more negative voltages– and the other in the pore domain (PD) – which increases the maximal conductance of the channels (Gmax). However, the mechanism by which PUFAs increase the Gmax of the IKs channels is still poorly understood. In addition, it is unclear why IKs channels have a very small single channel conductance and a low open probability or whether PUFAs affect any of these properties of IKs channels. Our results suggest that the selectivity filter in KCNQ1 is normally unstable, contributing to the low open probability, and that the PUFA-induced increase in Gmax is caused by a stabilization of the selectivity filter in an open-conductive state.
OsNF-YB7 inactivates OsGLK1 to inhibit chlorophyll biosynthesis in rice embryo
Authors: Yang Zongju , Bai Tianqi , E Zhiguo , Niu Baixiao , Chen Chen
Published: September 2024

As a master regulator of seed development, Leafy Cotyledon 1 (LEC1) promotes chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, but the mechanism underlying this remains poorly understood. Here, we found that loss of function of OsNF-YB7, a LEC1 homolog of rice, leads to chlorophyllous embryo, indicating that OsNF-YB7 plays an opposite role in Chl biosynthesis in rice compared with that in Arabidopsis. OsNF-YB7 regulates the expression of a group of genes responsible for Chl biosynthesis and photosynthesis by directly binding to their promoters. In addition, OsNF-YB7 interacts with Golden 2-Like 1 (OsGLK1) to inhibit the transactivation activity of OsGLK1, a key regulator of Chl biosynthesis. Moreover, OsNF-YB7 can directly repress OsGLK1 expression by recognizing its promoter in vivo, indicating the involvement of OsNF-YB7 in multiple regulatory layers of Chl biosynthesis in rice embryo. We propose that OsNF-YB7 functions as a transcriptional repressor to regulate Chl biosynthesis in rice embryo.
Footprints of past earthquakes revealed in the afterslip of the 2010 Mw 7.8 Mentawai tsunami earthquake
Authors: Feng Lujia , Barbot Sylvain , Hill Emma M. , Hermawan Iwan , Banerjee Paramesh , Natawidjaja Danny H.
Published: September 2016

The 2010 Mw 7.8 Mentawai tsunami earthquake marks one of the first tsunami earthquakes to have postseismic deformation observed by geodetic instruments. The Sumatran GPS Array has recorded the postseismic deformation following this event continuously for >5 years. The spatiotemporal evolution of the postseismic deformation is well explained by velocity‐strengthening frictional sliding on the Sunda megathrust. Our results show that the 2010 afterslip progressed downdip relative to the 2010 coseismic rupture. The southeastern portion of the afterslip region overlaps the area that slipped during the main shock and afterslip of the 2007 Mw 8.4 Bengkulu earthquake, while the northwestern portion slipped an area without recent large earthquakes. By incorporating pre‐earthquake stress conditions into quasi‐dynamic models, we demonstrate that the preceding cumulative slip from the 2007 sequence might have caused a ∼0.1 MPa difference in pre‐earthquake Coulomb stress between the southeastern and northwestern portions of the afterslip region.
Radar imaging of intense nonlinear Ekman divergence
Authors: Liu Guoqiang , Perrie William , Kudryavtsev Vladimir , He Yijun , Shen Hui , Zhang Biao , Hu Haibo
Published: September 2016

In general, given an oceanic thermal front, there is a strong positive correlation between sea surface temperature (SST) gradients and surface winds, and the marine atmospheric boundary layer is unstable over the warm side of the oceanic thermal front. The Gulf Stream is a notable example of an oceanic thermal front, and its warm side is often detected as enhanced backscatter in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. However, in some “anomalous” SAR images, low backscatter is sometimes observed on the warm side of the front, which seems inconsistent. Therefore, we propose a mechanism to interpret the generation of the low backscatter, based on interactions between ocean surface wind waves and intense nonlinear Ekman divergence. This mechanism is verified by showing that patterns in an observed anomalous SAR image are in good agreement with those in the simulated radar signature. In addition, this methodology and analysis demonstrate that SAR is potentially important for detecting and diagnosing small scale air‐sea interactions and upper ocean dynamics with strong vertical transports induced by submesoscale processes.
Ionospheric loss from Mars as predicted by hybrid particle simulations
Authors: Brecht Stephen H. , Ledvina Stephen A. , Bougher Stephen W.
Published: September 2016

This paper reports the results of hybrid simulations of the Mars‐solar wind interaction. The focus is on the loss rates of O+ and O2+ from the Martian ionosphere while examining the importance of including 3‐D dimensional neutral atmospheres with their associated neutral winds. The simulation loss rates are found to be in excellent agreement with loss rates reported by Lundin et al. (2013). Further, the results follow the functional form of the loss rates versus solar EUV as determined by Lundin et al. (2013). This paper will discuss numerical issues as well as the implementation of 3‐D neutral atmospheres, including neutral winds and corotation flows.
Disaster loss and social media: Can online information increase flood resilience?
Authors: Allaire Maura C.
Published: September 2016

When confronted with natural disasters, individuals around the world increasingly use online resources to become informed of forecasted conditions and advisable actions. This study tests the effectiveness of online information and social media in enabling households to reduce disaster losses. The 2011 Bangkok flood is utilized as a case study since it was one of the first major disasters to affect a substantial population connected to social media. The role of online information is investigated with a mixed methods approach. Both quantitative (propensity score matching) and qualitative (in‐depth interviews) techniques are employed. The study relies on two data sources—survey responses from 469 Bangkok households and in‐depth interviews with internet users who were a subset of the survey participants. Propensity score matching indicates that social media enabled households to reduce flood losses by an average of 37% (USD 3708 per household), using a nearest neighbor estimator. This reduction is substantial when considering that household flood losses for the matched sample averaged USD 8278. Social media offered information not available from other sources, such as localized and nearly real‐time updates of flood location and depth. With this knowledge, households could move belongings to higher ground before floodwaters arrived. These findings suggest that utilizing social media users as sensors could better inform populations during disasters. Overall, the study reveals that online information can enable effective disaster preparedness and reduce losses.
Assessment of sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with anorexia nervosa
Authors: Nagata Jason M. , Golden Neville H. , Peebles Rebecka , Long Jin , Leonard Mary B. , Chang Audrey O. , Carlson Jennifer L.
Published: September 2016

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and to identify other correlates of bone health.

Method

Electronic medical records of all patients 9–20 years of age with a DSM‐5 diagnosis of AN who were evaluated by the eating disorders program at Stanford with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) between March 1997 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Whole body bone mineral content Z‐scores and bone mineral density (BMD) Z‐scores at multiple sites were recorded using the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study (BMDCS) reference data.

Results

A total of 25 males and 253 females with AN were included, with median age 15 years (interquartile range [IQR] 14–17) and median duration of illness 9 months (IQR 5–13). Using linear regression analyses, no significant sex differences in bone deficits were found at the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, or whole body when controlling for age, %mBMI, and duration of illness. Lower %mBMI was significantly associated with bone deficits at all sites in adjusted models.

Discussion

This is the first study to evaluate sex differences in bone health among adolescents with AN, using novel DSM‐5 criteria for AN and robust BMDCS reference data. We find no significant sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with AN except for a higher proportion of females with femoral neck BMD Z‐scores <‐1. Degree of malnutrition was correlated with bone deficits at all sites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:352–358)
Planar‐Chiral Secondary Ferrocenylphosphanes
Authors: Pandey Souvik , Sárosi Menyhárt B. , Lönnecke Peter , Hey‐Hawkins Evamarie
Published: September 2016

An efficient way to obtain pure diastereomeric mixtures of C‐chiral, P‐chiral, planar‐chiral ferrocenylphosphanes is demonstrated by ortho‐lithiation of enantiomerically pure (SC)‐N,N‐dimethyl‐1‐ferrocenylethylamine (Ugi's amine) and reaction with RPX2 [X = Cl, Br; R = tBu, 2,4,6‐Me3C6H2 (Mes)]. Four secondary ferrocenylphosphanes [Fe(C5H5)(1‐PHR‐2‐CHR′NMe2‐C5H3)] [R′ = H, R = tBu (1); R′ = H, R = Mes (2); R′ = CH3, R = tBu (3); R′ = CH3, R = Mes (4)] were synthesised and characterised. Pure diastereomeric mixtures of 1 and 2, a mixture of the pure major diastereomers of 4, as well as diastereomerically pure 3 were obtained by column chromatography under a nitrogen atmosphere. The formation of amine–borane or phosphane–borane adducts was studied by 11B and 31P NMR spectroscopy. A theoretical study was performed to understand the tendency of 1–4 toward borane adduct formation.
Postpolymerization modification of a hydroxy monolith precursor. Part II. Epoxy biphenyl modified poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐pentaerythritol triacrylate) monolithic capillary columns for reversed‐phase capillary electrochromatography based on π–π and hydrophobic interactions
Authors: Khadka Shantipriya , El Rassi Ziad
Published: September 2016

In this second part of the series of investigations involving the postpolymerization modification of a hydroxy monolith (OHM) capillary column, the surface hydroxyl groups were reacted with epoxy biphenyl thus yielding the so‐called Biphenyl OHM capillary column. The modification involved the epoxy ring opening of the 2‐biphenylyl glycidyl ether catalyzed by BF3 and its subsequent reaction with the hydroxyl groups on the OHM precursor surface. The Biphenyl OHM capillary column thus obtained exhibited the typical reversed phase behavior by primarily hydrophobic interactions vis‐à‐vis the homologous series of alkyl benzenes and in addition by π–π interactions toward nitroalkane homologous series via their π‐electron rich nitro groups. This dual retention mechanism was very distinctly observed with a set of PAH solutes in the sense that the k values of the PAH solutes were comparable to those obtained on a more non polar stationary phase, namely the Epoxy OHM C‐16 reported in the preceding article. Other aromatic solutes showed the dual retention mechanism on the Biphenyl OHM capillary including phenols, anilines derivatives, and phenoxy acid herbicides. The Biphenyl OHM capillary exhibited good reproducibility from run‐to‐run, day‐to‐day, and column‐to‐column.
Reactive extraction of L‐valine with di(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate acid
Authors: Bai Huihua , Guo Kaixuan , Chen Xue , Chang Zhixian , Li Deliang
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Reactive extraction is a promising technique for the recovery of amino acids from aqueous solutions. The reactive extraction of L‐valine with di(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate acid (D2EHPA) has been studied in this work. An expression for the equilibrium distribution ratio (D) was proposed to describe the experimental data.

RESULTS

The diluents, equilibrium pH value (pHeq), the concentration of L‐valine and D2EHPA were found to be the key factors that affected D. The highest D was observed at pHeq around 2.6 with 1‐octanol as diluent. D value increased with increase of the concentration of D2EHPA. In contrast, with increase of the concentration of L‐valine, D value decreased. The extraction mechanism was analyzed using Fourier infrared spectra. The reactive extraction mechanism of L‐valine with D2EHPA was mainly via proton‐transfer and ion‐exchange process. By fitting the experimental data, (1:1) complex of L‐valine with D2EHPA was deduced. The comparison of theoretical D values with the experimental data verified the reliability of the proposed mechanism equations.

CONCLUSIONS

L‐valine was efficiently extracted from aqueous solutions using D2EHPA in 1‐octanol, which provides preliminary practical information and theoretical basis for the separation of L‐valine, as well as its purification and recovery. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluating the potential of thermal read‐out techniques combined with molecularly imprinted polymers for the sensing of low‐weight organic molecules
Authors: van Grinsven B. , Betlem K. , Cleij T.J. , Banks C.E. , Peeters M.
Published: September 2016

In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the papers published on synthetic recognition elements. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), also referred to as “man‐made mimics” of antibodies, are able to rebind their template molecules with high affinity. Advantages compared with those of natural receptors include their excellent thermal and chemical stability, low cost, and ease of the production process. However, their use in commercial biosensors is limited owing to the difficulty to incorporate MIPs into suitable sensing platforms and traditional detection techniques, such as chromatography, that require bulky and sophisticated equipment. In this review, we evaluate the potential to use MIPs combined with thermal read‐out for the detection of low‐weight organic molecules. We discuss thermal methods to study MIP‐template complexation and to determine neurotransmitters concentrations. In particular, we highlight the heat‐transfer method, a recent technique that is straightforward and low cost and requires minimal instrumentation. Until now, sample preparation involves a 2‐step process, making it time‐consuming, and measuring biological samples is difficult owing to the noise in the signal. Different sample preparation methods are discussed, and it will be demonstrated how this affects the thermal response. An outlook is given in novel methods that can simplify and speed up sample preparation. Finally, we show a novel thermal technique, which is based on the analysis of transport of thermal waves rather than evaluating the fixed heat‐transfer resistance. Through applying the concept of thermal waves, signal‐noise ratio is significantly increased, which results in lower detection limits and has potential for the study of biological samples.
Asymmetric Polymer Particles with Anisotropic Curvatures by Annealing Polystyrene Microspheres on Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films
Authors: Tseng Hsiao‐Fan , Cheng Ming‐Hsiang , Jeng Kai‐Sheng , Li Jia‐Wei , Chen Jiun‐Tai
Published: September 2016

Anisotropic polymer particles such as Janus particles have attracted significant attention in recent years because of their unique properties and unusual self‐assembly behavior. Most anisotropic polymer particles synthesized so far, however, only have different chemical regions compartmentalized on the particles. It remains a great challenge to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles with different shapes within a single particle. A novel approach is developed to prepare anisotropic polymer particles that contain two hemispheres with different curvatures by annealing polystyrene microspheres on poly(vinyl alcohol) films. During the annealing process, the polymer microspheres gradually sink into the polymer films and transform to asymmetric polymer particles, driven by the surface and interfacial tensions of the polymers. Selective removal techniques are also used to confirm the morphologies of the asymmetric particles.

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Mobile app for treatment of stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Asklund Ina , Nyström Emma , Sjöström Malin , Umefjord Göran , Stenlund Hans , Samuelsson Eva
Published: September 2016

Aims

To evaluate the effect of a mobile app treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women.

Methods

Randomized controlled trial, conducted 2013‐2014 in Sweden. Community‐dwelling adult women with ≥1 SUI episode/week recruited through our website and randomized to app treatment (n = 62) or control group (postponed treatment, n = 61). One participant from each group was lost to follow‐up. Intervention was the mobile app Tät® with a treatment program focused on pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), and information about SUI and lifestyle factors. Primary outcomes, 3 months after randomization: symptom severity (International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form [ICIQ‐UI SF]); and condition‐specific quality of life (ICIQ Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life [ICIQ‐LUTSqol]).

Results

One hundred and twenty‐three women were included (mean age 44.7), with moderate/severe SUI (97.5%, 120/123), mean ICIQ‐UI SF score 11.1 (SD 2.8) and mean ICIQ‐LUTSqol score 34.4 (SD 6.1) at baseline. At follow‐up, the app group reported improvements in symptom severity (mean ICIQ‐UI SF score reduction: 3.9, 95% confidence interval 3.0‐4.7) and condition‐specific quality of life (mean ICIQ‐LUTSqol score reduction: 4.8, 3.4‐6.2) and the groups were significantly different (mean ICIQ‐UI SF score difference: −3.2, −4.3to −2.1; mean ICIQ‐LUTSqol score difference: −4.6, −7.8 to −1.4). In the app group, 98.4% (60/61) performed PFMT at follow‐up, and 41.0% (25/61) performed it daily.

Conclusions

The mobile app treatment was effective for women with SUI and yielded clinically relevant improvements. This app may increase access to first‐line treatment and adherence to PFMT.
The impact of high vertical resolution in the Met Office Unified Model
Authors: Cullen M. J. P.
Published: September 2016

Recent numerical model results suggest that the −5/3 energy spectrum on wavelengths less than about 500 km in the free atmosphere reflects motions where the rotational and divergent kinetic energies are comparable. This can be reproduced by models with sufficient horizontal resolution. This article examines the sensitivity to vertical resolution. If the small‐scale regime is dominated by stratified turbulence with a large Froude number, the appropriate vertical resolution is set by U/N, where U is a horizontal velocity scale and N the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, and thus only depends on the degree of stratification. This is estimated to imply a vertical grid length of no more than a few hundred metres. In this article, we use additional diagnostics of the vertical structure to show that the Froude number increases as the vertical resolution is increased. This is consistent with theories of stratified turbulence based on shear instability, while it is not consistent with the idea of layered two‐dimensional turbulence. We also show that the treatment of gravity wave breaking is improved by the use of higher vertical resolution. However, the overall character of the model horizontal and vertical spectra does not change much when the vertical grid length is reduced from 720 to 180 m in the upper troposphere, with proportional reductions elsewhere. While the model simulates regions where a breakdown to turbulence would be expected, it does not have sufficient resolution to produce explicit turbulence and the horizontal resolution is not sufficient to show a −5/3 spectrum.
Sex and Intimacy after Stroke
Authors: Kautz Donald D. , Van Horn Elizabeth R.
Published: September 2016

Problem:

The sequelae of a stroke can negatively affect sex and intimacy for survivors and their partners.

Purpose:

This clinical article offers practical evidence-based recommendations for nurses to use in advising couples who may be experiencing sexual problems due to decreased desire, erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, paraparesis, pain, spasticity, fatigue, aphasia, concrete thinking, emotional lability, shame, embarrassment, fear, depression, or neurogenic bladder.

Key Findings and Clinical Relevance:

Recent research and clinical articles show that intimacy and sexual concerns are often ignored by the rehabilitation team, yet research shows that couples want information to assist them to maintain their sexual relationships. Using the PLISSIT model to address sexual concerns, nurses can facilitate discussions to aid couples toward improved sexual function and quality of life.
Graphitic Carbon Nitride Materials: Sensing, Imaging and Therapy
Authors: Dong Yongqiang , Wang Qian , Wu Haishan , Chen Yingmei , Lu Chun‐Hua , Chi Yuwu , Yang Huang‐Hao
Published: September 2016

Graphitic carbon nitrides (g‐C3N4) are a class of 2D polymeric materials mainly composed of carbon and nitrogen atoms. g‐C3N4 are attracting dramatically increasing interest in the areas of sensing, imaging, and therapy, due to their unique optical and electronic properties. Here, the luminescent properties (mainly includes photoluminescence and electrochemiluminescence), and catalytic and photoelectronic properties related to sensing and therapy applications of g‐C3N4 materials are reviewed. Furthermore, the fabrication and advantages of sensing, imaging and therapy systems based on g‐C3N4 materials are summarized. Finally, the future perspectives for developing the sensing, imaging and therapy applications of the g‐C3N4 materials are discussed.
Fe Oxides on Ag Surfaces: Structure and Reactivity
Authors: Shipilin M. , Lundgren E. , Gustafson J. , Zhang C. , Bertram F. , Nicklin C. , Heard C. J. , Grönbeck H. , Zhang F. , Choi J. , Mehar V. , Weaver J. F. , Merte L. R.
Published: September 2016

One layer thick iron oxide films are attractive from both applied and fundamental science perspectives. The structural and chemical properties of these systems can be tuned by changing the substrate, making them promising materials for heterogeneous catalysis. In the present work, we investigate the structure of FeO(111) monolayer films grown on Ag(100) and Ag(111) substrates by means of microscopy and diffraction techniques and compare it with the structure of FeO(111) grown on other substrates reported in literature. We also study the NO adsorption properties of FeO(111)/Ag(100) and FeO(111)/Ag(111) systems utilizing different spectroscopic techniques. We discuss similarities and differences in the data obtained from adsorption experiments and compare it with previous results for FeO(111)/Pt(111).
Utility of Diffusion-Weighted MRI to Detect Changes in Liver Diffusion in Benign and Malignant Distal Bile Duct Obstruction: The Influence of Choice of b-Values
Authors: Karan Belgin , Erbay Gurcan , Koc Zafer , Pourbagher Aysin , Yildirim Sedat , Agildere Ahmet Muhtesem
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The study sought to evaluate the potential of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to detect changes in liver diffusion in benign and malignant distal bile duct obstruction and to investigate the effect of the choice of b-values on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC).

Methods

Diffusion-weighted imaging was acquired with b-values of 200, 600, 800, and 1000 s/mm2. ADC values were obtained in 4 segments of the liver. The mean ADC values of 16 patients with malignant distal bile duct obstruction, 14 patients with benign distal bile duct obstruction, and a control group of 16 healthy patients were compared.

Results

Mean ADC values for 4 liver segments were lower in the malignant obstruction group than in the benign obstruction and control groups using b = 200 s/mm2 ( P < .05). Mean ADC values of the left lobe medial and lateral segments were lower in the malignant obstruction group than in the benign obstructive and control groups using b = 600 s/mm2 ( P < .05). Mean ADC values of the right lobe posterior segment were lower in the malignant and benign obstruction groups than in the control group using b = 1000 s/mm2 ( P < .05). Using b = 800 s/mm2, ADC values of all 4 liver segments in each group were not significantly different ( P > .05). There were no correlations between the ADC values of liver segments and liver function tests.

Conclusion

Measurement of ADC shows good potential for detecting changes in liver diffusion in patients with distal bile duct obstruction. Calculated ADC values were affected by the choice of b-values.
Early life diet containing prebiotics and bioactive whey protein fractions increased dendritic spine density of rat hippocampal neurons
Authors: Waworuntu Rosaline V. , Hanania Taleen , Boikess Steven R. , Rex Christopher S. , Berg Brian M.
Published: September 2016

Early life nutrition plays an important role in brain development. Emerging research in rodents, piglets and humans suggest that prebiotics, milk fat globule membrane and lactoferrin may each play unique roles in brain development and cognitive functions. However, knowledge of their combined impact is lacking. We show here that providing weanling rats with a diet containing milk fat globule membrane, lactoferrin and a polydextrose/galactooligosaccharide prebiotic blend led to a significant increase in total dendritic spine density in hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons. Region‐specific alterations in dendritic spine density and morphology could provide a mechanistic basis underlying broader cognitive benefits, but further research is required to demonstrate functional consequences of these observations.
Teaching with the C3 Framework: Surveying Teachers' Beliefs and Practices
Authors: Thacker Emma S. , Lee John K. , Friedman Adam M.
Published: September 2016

The C3 Framework encourages ambitious inquiry-based social studies teaching. While inquiry is regularly recommended as a preferred pedagogy, research has shown that social studies teachers rarely engage students in inquiry. This exploratory study surveyed social studies teachers in one school district in a southeastern state to update our understanding of teachers’ instructional beliefs and practices related to inquiry and the C3 Framework. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and open coding. Findings indicate that the majority of teachers use instructional practices that may be supportive of the C3 Framework and that the ideas within the C3 Framework resonate with most respondents. At the same time, teachers reported challenges with some key concepts within the Framework, such as taking informed action in the classroom and using questions to initiate an inquiry. While the idea of inquiry as espoused by the C3 Framework resonated with teachers, the extent to which they both believe in and practice inquiry methods is unclear and necessitates further study. This study is an initial step to inform future research and efforts to implement the C3 Framework in K-12 social studies classrooms.
A New Baby in the Bedroom: Frequency and Severity of Postpartum Sexual Concerns and Their Associations with Relationship Satisfaction in New Parent Couples
Authors: Schlagintweit Hera E. , Bailey Kristen , Rosen Natalie O.
Published: September 2016

Introduction

New parents are faced with many novel stressors, including possible changes to their sexual relationships. Although postpartum sexual concerns appear to be pervasive in new parents, little is known about the severity of these concerns or how they relate to new mothers' and fathers' relationship satisfaction.

Aim

To describe the frequency and severity of postpartum sexual concerns and examine associations between frequency and severity of postpartum sexual concerns and relationship satisfaction in new-parent couples.

Methods

Participants were 239 new-parent couples of a healthy infant 3 to 12 months old. Both members of the parenting couple completed an online survey within 1 month of each other.

Main Outcome Measures

Frequency and severity of postpartum sexual concerns were assessed using a 20-item Likert-type questionnaire adapted from a previously validated measurement. Relationship satisfaction was assessed with the Couples Satisfaction Index.

Results

A wide range of postpartum sexuality concerns was highly prevalent and moderately distressing in new mothers and fathers alike. New fathers' greater severity of postpartum sexual concerns was associated with their own and new mothers' decreased relationship satisfaction, whereas new mothers' greater severity of postpartum sexual concerns was associated only with lower relationship satisfaction in new fathers. In addition, new mothers' greater frequency of postpartum sexual concerns was associated with their own and new fathers' lower relationship satisfaction, whereas new fathers' frequency of postpartum sexual concerns was unrelated to the couples' relationship satisfaction.

Conclusion

Postpartum sexual concerns are pervasive and moderately distressing in new parents. The increased frequency and severity of these concerns were associated with decreased relationship well-being in both members of the couple. New mothers might need more assistance adjusting to the number of sexual concerns that they are experiencing, whereas new fathers might need more help adjusting to distress related to sexual issues.
Posibles cambios de perspectiva en los estudios sobre remesas y espacios domésticos: el caso de los mayas yucatecos
Authors: Vidussi Carla
Published: September 2016

Este artículo analiza la migración desde la perspectiva local sobre el espacio y la manera como se percibe y experimenta. A través de una reflexión sobre estudios en torno a las remesas, se abordará el tema de lacasa habitación como uno de los principales destinos del dinero que los emigrantes envían a sus comunidades. Analizando los conceptos de casa, propiedad y espacio doméstico entre los mayas yucatecos de laépoca colonial y contemporáneos —sin pretender sugerir la existencia de una unidad étnica a nivel diacrónico y regional— se evidenciará la importancia de la perspectiva local para entender las razones que llevana los emigrantes de Yucatán a invertir su dinero en la construcción de nuevos espacios domésticos en sus comunidades de origen.
El estudio del Islam en América Latina: trabajos académicos (1980-2010)
Authors: Rosemberg Fuentes Velvet
Published: September 2016

En las dos últimas décadas han proliferado las investigaciones sobre el islam en América Latina, aunque de una manera todavía muy general. Las publicaciones aún son dispersas, toda vez que la gran mayoría son escritos cortos que se han presentado en distintos foros de corte académico sin amplia difusión; algunos más son artículos integrados a libros con temas muy generales, lo que ha dificultado su localización. Sinembargo, muchos de ellos han podido recuperarse a través de una búsqueda exhaustiva y puntual, cuyos resultados referiré de manera sistematizada en este espacio. La lectura y análisis de los materiales recopilados me ha permitido detectar y esbozar algunas líneas de investigación en las que clasificaré las distintas obras.
Insufficient evidence for vitamin E in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hermann Dirk M.
Published: September 2016

Vitamin E has recently been suggested to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Current evidence is based on three studies in patients with Alzheimer's disease and one study in patients with mild cognitive impairment which all together included only 1756 patients. Importantly, two of these studies were negative, and the two other studies had severe methodological weaknesses that preclude more definite interpretation. Based on the notion from patients suffering from cerebrovascular diseases that vitamin E may induce serious side effects (i.e., hemorhagic stroke), vitamin E cannot be recommended for use in Alzheimer's patients.