bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinematic Gait Adjustments to Virtual Environments on Different Surface Conditions: Do Treadmill and Over-Ground Walking Exhibit Different Adaptations to Passive Virtual Immersion?
Authors: Varas-Diaz Gonzalo , Paralkar Shivani , Wang Shuaijie , Bhatt Tanvi
Published: December 2020

Background. The aim of this study was to examine the kinematic gait adjustments performed in response to passive and photorealistic virtual reality environment (VRE) demands during over-ground and treadmill walking conditions and determine whether the surface presentation order affects the gait adjustments in response to different VREs. Methods. Twenty young participants divided into two groups performed two virtual reality (VR) walking protocols which included two different VREs (snowy and crowded conditions). Group A performed the VR over-ground protocol (four natural walking (NW), seven VR snowy, and seven VR crowded trials) followed by the VR treadmill protocol (four NW, one VR snowy, and one VR crowded trials); Group B performed the VR treadmill protocol (four NW, seven VR snowy, and seven VR crowded trials) followed by the VR over-ground protocol (four NW, one VR snowy, and one VR crowded trials). Center of mass (COM) excursion angles and mediolateral (ML) COM excursions were analyzed and used as outcome measures. Results. Group A showed higher COM excursion angles and ML-COM excursion on over-ground VR trials compared to NW trials (

p
<
0.05

), while Group B only showed kinematic changes for the crowded VRE compared to NW trials during the treadmill walking protocol (

p
<
0.05

). Post over-ground exposure, Group A showed greater COM excursion angle and ML-COM excursions on VR trials compared to NW trials during the treadmill walking protocol (

p
<
0.05

). Post treadmill exposure, Group B only showed higher COM excursion angles for the snowy VRE compared to NW trials during the over-ground walking protocol (

p
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Results showed that higher kinematic gait adjustments in response to VRE demands were observed during over-ground walking. Additionally, higher sensorimotor responses to VRE demands were observed when the VR protocol was first performed on the over-ground surface and followed by the treadmill walking condition (Group A) compared to the opposite (Group B).
Aaron Douglas and Aspects of Negro Life
Authors: Dickerman Leah
Published: December 2020

In 1934, Aaron Douglas created an epic four-panel mural series, Aspects of Negro Life (1934), for the branch library on 135th Street in Manhattan, now the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The panels answered a call, issued by the first major program for federal support of the arts in the United States, to represent “an American scene.” In them, Douglas traced the trajectory of African American history in four stages and across two mass migrations: from Africa into enslavement in America; through Emancipation and Reconstruction; into the modern Jim Crow South; and then northward with the Great Migration to Harlem itself. The narrative Douglas constructed was remarkable in both its historical sweep and as a story of America seen through Black eyes. This essay explores how Douglas's approach to the trenchant and understudied Aspects of Negro Life panels was shaped by rich conversations across a decade-about what it meant to be Black in America, how the “African” in “African-American” was to be understood, and what a distinctly African-American modernism might be-with an interdisciplinary nexus of thinkers, activists, and artists that included W. E. B. Du Bois; a co-founder of the NAACP and co-editor of the Crisis, sociologist Charles S. Johnson; poet-activist James Weldon Johnson; bibliophile Arturo Schomburg; and philosopher-critic Alain Locke. Looking at Douglas's visual narrative in this context offers insight into how parallel practices of archive-building, art making, history writing, and criticism came together not only to shape a vision of America but also to champion a model of Black modernism framed through diaspora.
Positron Emission Tomography Combined With Computed Tomography vs. No Positron Emission Tomography Combined With Computed Tomography for the Management of Patients With Resectable Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases and Synchronous Extrahepatic Disease
Authors: Serrano Pablo E. , Gu Chu-Shu , Moulton Carol-Anne , Gallinger Steven
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Selected patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) and synchronous extrahepatic disease (EHD) are considered for surgery.

Objectives

To evaluate the change in surgical management and long-term survival (disease-free survival [DFS] and overall survival [OS]) for patients with CRLM and EHD who undergo positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET-CT) vs no PET-CT.

Methods

Patients with CRLM were enrolled in a trial evaluating the effect of PET-CT (vs no PET-CT) on surgical management, DFS, and OS. This is a sub-study of the trial, including only patients with synchronous EHD. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate risks for recurrence and death. Survival were described by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with log-rank test.

Results

Of 25 patients with EHD (PET-CT arm: 14/270 (5%) and no PET-CT arm: 11/134 (8%)), PET-CT changed surgical management in 14%, all of which avoided liver resection due to more extensive disease. Complete metastasectomy was achieved in 36% (5/14) and 72% (8/11), respectively. Respectively, PET-CT vs no PET-CT had statistically similar median DFS, 5.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.6-18) vs 7.6 months (95% CI 2.9-15) and median OS, 42 months (95% CI 25-48) vs 29 months (95% CI 17-41). EHD was associated with worse DFS (hazard ratio HR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.41-2.52) and OS (HR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.6-3.83).

Conclusions

Preoperative PET-CT for the management of resectable CRLM did not improve long-term outcomes among patients who had synchronous EHD; however, it changed surgical management in a relatively significant proportion of patients.
Too Stressed to Help? The Effects of Stress on Noticing Partner Needs and Enacting Support
Authors: Neff Lisa A. , Nguyen Thao T. T. , Williamson Hannah C.
Published: December 2020

Although couples’ support exchanges are especially important during times of stress, coping with stress often taxes individuals’ energy and resources and may render it more difficult for partners to provide support to one another. In a daily diary study of 121 married couples, we examined whether spouses’ chronic and daily non-marital stressors were associated with their capacity to accurately perceive their partner’s support needs and to provide support when needed. Consistent with the notion that stress may be linked to reduced perspective-taking, husbands experiencing greater chronic stress were less accurate in their assessments of their partner’s support needs across the diary days. Moreover, even when husbands did notice that their partner desired support, they were less likely to provide support if they were coping with their own stress that day. Thus, the findings highlight the multiple pathways through which stress can undermine support provision within relationships.
Developing a Penal Abolitionist Application to Drug Treatment Drawing from Insider Perspectives and Lived Experiences
Authors: Woodall Denise , Boeri Miriam
Published: December 2020

As evidence of a failing war on drugs mounts and a deadly opioid crisis continues, U.S. drug policy is slowly changing to less punitive responses to drug use. Collaborations between treatment programs and law enforcement gained praise from politicians, but concerns regarding the impact of increased surveillance and the rising culture of control call for greater focus on these governing relationships. Framed within an abolitionist perspective, and incorporating insights from successful models of decriminalization in Portugal and deinstitutionalization in Italy, our analysis of in-depth interviews with 117 people who are actively using opioids seeks to understand their perspectives on treatment drawing on lived experiences. Findings reveal a need for a paradigm shift in drug policy as well as treatment practices and increased access to targeted social resources in the community. An application of penal abolition policy requires decriminalizing (or legalizing) drug use and creating commissions composed of community members, peers, and professionals disconnected from the criminal justice system.
Investigation of myocardial protection during pediatric CPB: Practical experience in 100 Chinese hospitals
Authors: Zhang Peiyao , Liu Jinping , Tong Yuanyuan , Guo Shengwen , Bai Liting , Jin Yu , Feng Zhengyi , Zhao Ju , Li Yixuan
Published: December 2020

Many measures have been proposed for myocardial protection in pediatric congenital heart surgeries, but little data is available for China. This study investigates myocardial protection strategies in pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) throughout China. Online questionnaires were delivered to 100 hospitals in 27 provinces. The number of yearly on-pump pediatric cardiovascular surgeries in these hospitals varied greatly. About 91.0% of respondents believe that each surgery should have at least two perfusionists, while only 64.0% of hospitals actually met this requirement. For pediatric patients, crystalloid cardioplegia was more prevalent than blood-based cardioplegia. Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution and St. Thomas crystalloid solution were dominant among crystalloid cardioplegia. Del Nido cardioplegia and St. Thomas blood-based cardioplegia ranked the top two in the popularity of blood-based cardioplegia. Dosages varied among different kinds of cardioplegia. In the choice of different cardioplegia, perfusionists mainly focused on myocardial protective effect and cost. Hypothermia of cardioplegia solution was maintained by ice buckets in 3/4 of the hospitals in this survey. In conclusion, the essence of myocardial protection management during pediatric CPB was cardiac arrest induced by cardioplegia under systemic hypothermia. However, there is no uniform standard for the type of cardioplegia, or dosages. Therefore, well-designed multicenter randomized controlled trials are warranted to provide tangible evidence for myocardial protection of cardioplegia in pediatric CPB.
Evaluation of Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing for thalassemia diagnosis
Authors: Chen Peisong , Yu Xuegao , Huang Hao , Zeng Wentao , He Xiaohong , Liu Min , Huang Bin
Published: December 2020

Introduction

To evaluate a next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflow in the screening and diagnosis of thalassemia.

Methods

In this prospective study, blood samples were obtained from people undergoing genetic screening for thalassemia at our centre in Guangzhou, China. Genomic DNA was polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and sequenced using the Ion Torrent system and results compared with traditional genetic analyses.

Results

Of the 359 subjects, 148 (41%) were confirmed to have thalassemia. Variant detection identified 35 different types including the most common. Identification of the mutational sites by NGS were consistent with those identified by Sanger sequencing and Gap-PCR. The sensitivity and specificities of the Ion Torrent NGS were 100%. In a separate test of 16 samples, results were consistent when repeated ten times.

Conclusion

Our NGS workflow based on the Ion Torrent sequencer was successful in the detection of large deletions and non-deletional defects in thalassemia with high accuracy and repeatability.
Qubbet el-Hawa, 2019
Authors: Bommas Martin , Khalifa Eman
Published: December 2020

This field report covers the work of the Egypt Exploration Society and Macquarie University Joint Mission during the period of 2018 and 2019 at Qubbet el-Hawa (third to fifth field seasons). Excavations focused on the infrastructure of the Lower Necropolis (Sites B and C) and the discovery of the causeway of Tomb QH90 (Site E). A detailed analysis of the pottery found and archaeometrical results complement the report.
Multiscale and Multivariate Transportation System Visualization for Shopping District Traffic and Regional Traffic
Authors: Berres Anne S , LaClair Tim J , Wang Chieh (Ross) , Xu Haowen , Ravulaparthy Srinath , Todd Austin , Tennille Sarah A , Sanyal Jibonananda
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we present a suite of visualization techniques for sensor-based transportation system data at different scales to facilitate the exploration of interconnected traffic dynamics at intersections and highways. These techniques are designed for analyzing multivariate traffic data from radar-based highway sensors and camera-based intersection sensors recording turn movements and vehicle speed, in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Area, with the capability of (a) revealing multiscale mobility patterns using different levels of data aggregation (e.g., individual sensor for microscale, multiple sensors along a corridor for mesoscale, and a larger number of sensors across the region for macroscale visualization) at different intervals (e.g., 5-min intervals, time of day, full day, and day-of-the-week), and (b) exploring the spatial variation of multiple traffic-related variables (e.g., volumes, speeds, turn movements, and traffic light colors) provided by the sensors. We close with a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of our multiscale and multivariate visualization techniques. At microscale, we focused on intersection data from a shopping district around Shallowford Road in East Chattanooga. For mesoscale visualization, we studied the Shallowford Road corridor and an adjacent stretch of I-75. At macroscale, we included highway data from the Chattanooga Metropolitan Area. All visualizations were integrated into a web-based situational awareness tool to promote user access and interaction. At a minimum, each visualization provides the option for selecting dates for real-time (depending on sensor availability) and historical data, and additional information on hovering, though most provide more detailed information, including different views of the selected data, or interactive highlights.
The HIV prevalence in older men who have sex with men in Western & Central Europe and North America—a meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Bozhi , Yu Minghua , Chen Jinglong , Li Wei
Published: December 2020

The age of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing and the greatest proportion of aged HIV patients occurred in Western and Central Europe and North America (WCENA). In aged HIV patients in WCENA, older MSM is the main population. The aim of our study was to evaluate the HIV prevalence in older MSM in WCENA. A meta-analysis was conducted. We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Ageline databases, and government websites. Studies that estimated HIV prevalence in older MSM in WCENA were selected. The pooled HIV prevalence and odds ratio (OR) of the risk of living with HIV in older MSM were calculated. In total of 23000 records were initially records were identified and 12 records were included. The total sample size of older MSM was 6118. The pooled HIV prevalence in older MSM in WCENA was 26% (95% CI 18%–33%), which was much higher than that in younger MSM (18%, 95% CI 14%–21%). Notably, the HIV prevalence in older MSM has been continuously increasing in the past two decades in WCENA, raising from 16% to 33%. The pooled OR for older MSM to be living with HIV was 1.68 compared to younger MSM. The HIV prevalence in older MSM in WCENA is disproportionately high, with a continuously increasing trend in the past two decades. Older MSM also carry significantly higher risk of living with HIV than younger MSM.
Recent movements in theoretical psychology in Japan
Authors: Kono Tetsuya
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this article is to report on the status quo in Japanese theoretical psychology and introduce some of the recent theoretical debates relating to psychology and related fields in Japan. Theoretical psychology has not been very active in Japanese psychology so far. However, despite that, very important studies on theoretical issues in psychology have been conducted in the last 20 years, such as theoretical debate concerning “new forms of psychology”; methodological arguments about qualitative approaches, narrative psychology, and clinical psychology; detailed studies on the history of Japanese modern psychology; and the creation of new interdisciplinary fields of research. At present, Japanese psychology seems to be a collection of small diverse paradigms. I conclude that more theoretical and philosophical arguments are needed in order to avoid narrowing psychologists’ view on humanity and to pursue the true and comprehensive understanding of the object.
PIDNN control for Vernier-gimballing magnetically suspended flywheel under nonlinear change of stiffness and disturbance
Authors: Tang Jiqiang , Ning Mengyue , Cui Xu , Wei Tongkun , Zhao Xiaofeng
Published: December 2020

Vernier-gimballing magnetically suspended flywheel is often used for attitude control and interference suppression of spacecrafts. Due to the special structure of the conical magnetic bearing, the radial component generated by the axial magnetic force and the change of the magnetic air gap will cause the nonlinearity of stiffness and disturbance. That will lead to not only poor stability of the suspension control system but also unsatisfactory tracking accuracy of the rotor position. To solve the nonlinear problem of the system, this article proposes a proportional–integral–derivative neural network control scheme. First, the rotor model considering the nonlinear variation of disturbance and stiffness parameters is established. Then, the weight of neural network is adjusted by the gradient descent method online to ensure the accurate output of magnetic force. Finally, the convergence analysis is carried out based on the Lyapunov stability theory. Compared with the general proportional–integral–derivative control and the radial basis function neural network control, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method has the highest tracking accuracy and excellent performance in improving stability. The experimental results prove the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the validity of the proposed method.
Where is the chest tube? Ectopic chest tube
Authors: Mohamed Saleem Syed Abdul Kader , Mohd Saiboon Ismail , Amir Muhammad’ Abid
Published: December 2020

Tension pneumothorax is one of the commonest life‐threatening condition seen in multiple injury or polytrauma trauma victims. Chest tube insertion has been the mainstay treatment for tension pneumothorax since early 1970s until today. Despite being a common procedure performed by an emergency resident, the incidence of complications related to the procedure remains significantly high. Iatrogenic complications are particularly more common in patients that are critically ill, obese or with a flail chest. This report will be discussing on an ectopic chest tube insertion during management of a case of traumatic tension pneumothorax in an obese patient with flail chest. Further discussions are on various recent updates on chest tube insertion procedures in an emergency setting. It is vital to understand that prior to chest tube insertion, it is important to acknowledge a possibility of complicated procedure by stratifying the risk of individual patients. Hence, this may reduce the risk of iatrogenic complications.
Evaluation in the Australian Public Service: Formerly practised – Not yet embedded
Authors: Graves Peter
Published: December 2020

This article examines what impeded programme evaluation from being embedded in the Australian Public Service (APS), being relevant to the Australian Government’s current priority of embedding evaluation in the APS. It draws on a case study of evaluation as the major element of the 1980s APS ‘Managing for Results’ (MfR) reform and the reasons for evaluation’s later demise. During MfR, evaluation was intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of APS programmes. Although evaluation was incorporated into APS practice by 1992, after 1997, evaluation was no longer required. Currently, agencies must demonstrate their annual non-financial performance over 4 years under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, with evaluation being recommended to support this requirement. It is pertinent to current Government consideration of a National Indigenous Evaluation Strategy, which supports the creation of an independent Evaluator-General to embed APS evaluation practice.
The Complexity of Generational Status and Ethnic Identity of Japanese Americans
Authors: Saito Lorine Erika
Published: December 2020

Japanese Americans comprise multiple generations, with a first wave of immigrants entering the United States in the 1800s. The current generation of Japanese American descendants today includes over five generations. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ethnic identity of fourth- and fifth-generation Japanese American adults. Forty participants were interviewed as part of a larger study and deemed exempt by institutional review board. Results indicate that ethnic identity for multigenerational Japanese American adults is complex, with factors that include the impact of historical and intergenerational ties to World War II, continuance of family and cultural traditions, and identity as American but perceived as “forever foreigner.” Family counselor recommendations include considering historical background of Asian American and minority groups, rethinking educational curriculum through transformative social and emotional learning.
Pathogenesis, Evaluation, and Management of Osteolysis Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Authors: Mehta Nabil , Serino Joseph , Hur Edward S. , Smith Shelby , Hamid Kamran S. , Lee Simon , Bohl Daniel D.
Published: December 2020

Periprosthetic osteolysis is a common occurrence after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and poses many challenges for the foot and ankle surgeon. Osteolysis may be asymptomatic and remain benign, or it may lead to component instability and require revision or arthrodesis. In this article, we present a current and comprehensive review of osteolysis in TAA with illustrative cases. We examine the basic science principles behind the etiology of osteolysis, discuss the workup of a patient with suspected osteolysis, and present a review of the evidence of various management strategies, including grafting of cysts, revision TAA, and arthrodesis.

Level of Evidence: Level V, expert opinion.
The gender wage gap in the public and private sectors: The Spanish experience
Authors: Moreno-Mencía Patricia , Fernández-Sainz Ana , Rodríguez-Poo Juan M.
Published: December 2020

Using microdata from the Wage Structure Survey, we analyse the gender wage gap in the private and public sectors, considering the whole wage distribution. The main contribution is to assume that the decision to work in a sector is a prior process determined endogenously in the model. Thus, the usual Ordinary Least Square estimation is inconsistent, and it is necessary to use alternative techniques. We use quantile regression techniques to calculate how much of the gap is due to differences in returns between men and women and sectors, taking into account the sample selection bias. We find that the size of the gap attributed to different returns varies substantially across the wage distribution. Public sector employees are paid higher wages, on average, than their counterparts in the private sector, and the gap is wider for women. Moreover, the proportion of the gender wage gap explained (by different characteristics) tends to be greater for workers who are at the bottom of the wage distribution in both sectors. A look at the whole wage distribution reveals that discrimination in the gender wage gap is typically higher at its top than at its bottom, suggesting that glass ceilings are more prevalent than sticky floors for both men and women.
Formulation of bio-lubricant based on modified rice bran oil with stearic acid as an anti-wear additive
Authors: Sneha Edla , Akhil RB , Krishna Abhijith , Rani S , Kumar S Anoop
Published: December 2020

Bio-lubricants are commonly manufactured from vegetable oils. Rice bran oil is found to be an ideal choice as a base stock for industrial lubricants, among many other vegetable oils, based on its fatty acid composition capable of yielding favourable tribological properties. To improve the chemical properties of rice bran oil, chemical modification through transesterification is attempted. Even though transesterified rice bran oil exhibits better chemical properties, the tribological and rheological properties are found to be compromised. The addition of bio-additive stearic acid is found to substantially improve the wear properties of transesterified rice bran oil. A novel bio-lubricant for medium-temperature applications is thus formulated based on rice bran oil.
The Face in Visual Representations of Children
Authors: Spencer Dale
Published: December 2020

In this article, I take on the problem of the face in images and visual research on children. This is a problem that is engendered through the visual representations of children and the act of deploying the visualizing techniques associated with visual methods (pictures, video, etc.). It nevertheless is a problem, I argue, that has been couched singularly within a question of ethics in child studies, criminology, and sociology, among other disciplines. Here, I utilize the work of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari to challenge the unquestioned ethical commitment to the pixilation of children’s faces in publications. To trouble and reconceptualize the problem of visual representations of children, I assert that this problem is intimately connected to the cultural politics of childhood. For illustrative purposes, I analyze how children are represented in Today’s Child advertisements and Roman Vishniac’s Children of a Vanished World. This article concludes with a broader discussion of the (child’s) face, digital images, and (micro)politics.
Mixing Methods and Sciences: A Longitudinal Cross-Disciplinary Mixed Methods Study on Technology to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness in Later Life
Authors: Barbosa Neves Barbara , Baecker Ron
Published: December 2020

Despite a growing interest in longitudinal mixed methods research, the literature offers few examples of complex designs. To evaluate a communication-based technology to address social isolation and loneliness in later life, we conducted two long-term studies in aged-care homes. We used a longitudinal convergent mixed methods design and a cross-disciplinary approach that employed techniques from social and computer sciences to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. While cross-disciplinary mixed methods research is also growing, a discussion of its methodological practices, challenges, and strategies is still scarce. This article contributes to mixed methods research by providing lessons learned on how cross-disciplinary mixed studies can be designed and integrated from collection to interpretation, particularly when combining convergent and longitudinal approaches. We also show the value of “design-in-action”—that is, the refinement and adjustment of techniques throughout research, as methods “talk to each other.”
Investigation of mechanical properties of electrospun poly (vinyl chloride) polymer nanoengineered composite
Authors: Tarus Bethwel K. , Fadel Nermin , Al-Oufy Affaf , El-Messiry Magdi
Published: December 2020

Nanofiber membranes are extensively used in ultra- and micro-filtration purposes due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. However, nanofiber membranes do not have adequate strength to withstand forces acting on the filter surface, especially when using very low porosity membranes. In this study, PVC nanofiber mats and nanofiber composite membranes were fabricated through electrospinning and solvent casting technology. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry, and tensile strength tests. Analysis indicated that electrospun mats contain varying pore sizes (nano to micro) whose frequencies within the mat vary with fiber diameter. It was also established that mats fabricated from low solution concentration contain the largest percentage of pores. The mats’ tensile strength varied with fiber packing density, fiber assembly, and the density of fiber-to-fiber contact points. The tensile properties of the nanofiber composite membranes were found to be between those of the constituents and changed with change in the nanofiber layer thickness. The fabricated nanofiber composite membranes are intended for use in applications such as air ultra-filtration, acoustic filtration etc. The high porosity and small mesh pore size of electrospun nanofiber mats allow for removal of ultra-fine particles or microbes from contaminated air, water or other media.
Anti-Inflammatory and Gastroprotective Effects of Escin
Authors: Yang Yunqi , Wang Linlin , Yuan Man , Yu Qi , Fu Fenghua
Published: December 2020

Escin is a triterpenoid saponin extracted from the fruit of Aesculus wilsonii Rehd. and Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae). Clinically, it is widely used in the treatment of edema induced by either trauma or surgery, as well as treating chronic venous insufficiency. The anti-inflammatory and antiedema effects of escin have been extensively investigated. This article systematically reviews the effects of escin on inflammation and gastrointestinal diseases, including its role in inflammation, as an antioxidant, and in inhibiting gastric acid secretion and promoting gastrointestinal movement, especially, the molecular mechanism. The advantages and potential uses of escin have also been discussed.
Comparison of Autogenous Block Bone Graft and Screw Tent-Pole Techniques for Vertical Bone Augmentation in the Posterior Mandible: A Split-Mouth Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Işık Gözde , Günbay Tayfun , Uyanıkgil Yig˘it , Kısaog˘lu Hüseyin , Yüce Meltem Özden
Published: December 2020

Aim:

To evaluate the effect on vertical bone augmentation of the screw tent-pole technique using particulate allograft in combination with injectable platelet-rich fibrin, and to compare this with autogenous block bone graft.

Materials and Methods:

This split-mouth randomized controlled study involved patients with bilateral partial edentulism and vertical bone loss in the posterior mandible. In each patient, the control side was treated with autogenous block bone graft harvested from the mandibular ramus and, on the test side, the screw tent-pole technique was employed, using particulate allograft in combination with injectable platelet-rich fibrin. All augmented sites were covered by leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin membrane. The primary outcome variable of this study was the radiographic changes to bone height 6 months after augmentation. The secondary outcome variables were the percentage of newly formed bone and the implant survival rate. The data were analyzed with a significance level of α = 0.05.

Results:

Of the 13 patients included, a total of 11 patients (7 females, 4 males; mean age 50.92) completed the study. The mean values of vertical bone gain were 1.72 ± 0.78 mm for the test group and 2.83 ± 0.89 mm for the control group, which constitutes a significant difference ( P = .008). The percentage of newly formed bone was 18.08% ± 2.17% for the test group and 14.26% ± 1.76% for the control group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant ( P < .001). The implant survival rates were 100% for both study groups.

Conclusions:

Based on the study results, screw tent-pole can be considered a feasible technique for bone augmentation. Further randomized studies will be necessary to fully evaluate vertical bone augmentation using the screw tent-pole technique, with different graft materials and with larger samples.
Remineralization Potential and Shear Bond Strength of Surface Treated Hypomineralized Enamel in Bonding of Orthodontic Brackets: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Enan EnasTawfik , Tawfik Marwa Ali , Mehesen Rabab , Basha Sakeenabi
Published: December 2020

Aim:

To investigate the effect of different conditioning methods on remineralization potential of hypomineralized enamel and its shear bond strength (SBS) to orthodontic brackets.

Materials and Methods:

An in vitro study was conducted at Mansoura University, Egypt. Eighty premolars were collected and randomly classified into four groups ( n = 20 each) as follows: Group 1. Control (sound teeth), Group 2. Demineralized, Group 3. Demineralized and treated with nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) varnish, Group 4. Demineralized and treated with casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP–ACP) paste. To detect the rate of remineralization on the surface of treated specimens, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was used in conjunction with the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SBS was measured with a universal testing machine. One-way ANOVA test was carried out to analyze differences between the tested groups.

Result:

SE micrographs of Group 3 and Group 4 specimens showed smoother and less porous enamel surface than that of the Group 2 specimens. EDX analysis showed highest calcium (Ca) (25.47%) and phosphorous (P) (12.76%) values for Group 4 while Group 2 showed the lowest Ca and P values (16.96%) and (10.20%), respectively ( P < .001). Demineralized enamel showed lowest (3.70 MPa) SBS mean value compared to sound (10.69 MPa) and remineralized enamel (Group 3—9.90 MPa, Group 4—10.32 MPa) ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

Nano-HA and CPP–ACP have equal remineralizing effect on hypomineralized enamel lesions and positive influence on SBS.
Perinatal Asphyxia Among Neonates Admitted Jimma Medical Center, Jimma, Ethiopia
Authors: Kebede Ebissa Bayana , Akuma Adugna Olani , Tarfa Yonas Biratu
Published: December 2020

Background:

Perinatal asphyxia is a severe problem which causes serious problem in neonates in developing countries. This study is aimed to determine magnitude of perinatal asphyxia and its associated factors.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study design was conducted among neonates admitted over a period of 4 years on 740 samples. Systematic sampling method was employed to get required samples from log book. Epi-data 3.1 is used for data entry and the entered data was exported to SPSS Version 23 for analysis. Bivariable and multiple variable logistic regressions analysis were applied to see the association between dependent and independent variables. Finally, P-value <.05 at 95% CI was declared statistically significant.

Results:

The main significant factor associated to perinatal asphyxia were prolonged labor ( P = .04, AOR = 1.68 95%CI: [1.00, 2.80]), being primipara ( P = .003, AOR = 2.06, 95%CI: [1.28, 3.30]), Small for Gestational Age (SGA) ( P = .001, AOR = 4.35, 95%CI: [1.85, 10.19]), Large for Gestational Age ( P = .001, AOR = 16.75, 95%CI: [3.82, 73.33]) and mode of delivery.

Conclusion:

The magnitude of perinatal asphyxia was 18%. Prolonged labor, parity, birth size, mode of delivery, and APGAR score at 1st minute were significantly associated with perinatal asphyxia. So, Nurses, Midwives, Medical Doctors, and health extension workers have to engage and contribute to on how to decrease the magnitude of perinatal asphyxia.
Executives’ Decision Processes at the Front End of Major Projects: The Role of Context and Experience in Value Creation
Authors: Chenger Denise , Woiceshyn Jaana
Published: December 2020

The front end of projects is strategically important; yet, how project concepts are identified, evaluated, and selected at the pre-project stage is poorly understood. This article reports on an inductive multiple-case study of how executives made such decisions in major upstream oil and gas projects. The findings show that in such a high-risk context, often an experienced executive makes these decisions alone and he creates value by facilitating growth. We identified three value-creating decision processes that varied by the executives’ risk approach and decision context. These processes depart from the formal project management prescriptions and the strategic decision-making literature.
Predicting substitutions to modulate disorder and stability in coiled-coils
Authors: Karami Yasaman , Saighi Paul , Vanderhaegen Rémy , Gerlier Denis , Longhi Sonia , Laine Elodie , Carbone Alessandra
Published: December 2020

Background

Coiled-coils are described as stable structural motifs, where two or more helices wind around each other. However, coiled-coils are associated with local mobility and intrinsic disorder. Intrinsically disordered regions in proteins are characterized by lack of stable secondary and tertiary structure under physiological conditions in vitro. They are increasingly recognized as important for protein function. However, characterizing their behaviour in solution and determining precisely the extent of disorder of a protein region remains challenging, both experimentally and computationally.

Results

In this work, we propose a computational framework to quantify the extent of disorder within a coiled-coil in solution and to help design substitutions modulating such disorder. Our method relies on the analysis of conformational ensembles generated by relatively short all-atom Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. We apply it to the phosphoprotein multimerisation domains (PMD) of Measles virus (MeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), both forming tetrameric left-handed coiled-coils. We show that our method can help quantify the extent of disorder of the C-terminus region of MeV and NiV PMDs from MD simulations of a few tens of nanoseconds, and without requiring an extensive exploration of the conformational space. Moreover, this study provided a conceptual framework for the rational design of substitutions aimed at modulating the stability of the coiled-coils. By assessing the impact of four substitutions known to destabilize coiled-coils, we derive a set of rules to control MeV PMD structural stability and cohesiveness. We therefore design two contrasting substitutions, one increasing the stability of the tetramer and the other increasing its flexibility.

Conclusions

Our method can be considered as a platform to reason about how to design substitutions aimed at regulating flexibility and stability.
A2A: a platform for research in biomedical literature search
Authors: Rybinski Maciej , Karimi Sarvnaz , Nguyen Vincent , Paris Cecile
Published: December 2020

Background

Finding relevant literature is crucial for many biomedical research activities and in the practice of evidence-based medicine. Search engines such as PubMed provide a means to search and retrieve published literature, given a query. However, they are limited in how users can control the processing of queries and articles—or as we call themdocuments—by the search engine. To give this control to both biomedical researchers and computer scientists working in biomedical information retrieval, we introduce a public online tool for searching over biomedical literature. Our setup is guided by the NIST setup of the relevant TREC evaluation tasks in genomics, clinical decision support, and precision medicine.

Results

To provide benchmark results for some of the most common biomedical information retrieval strategies, such as querying MeSH subject headings with a specific weight or querying over the title of the articles only, we present our evaluations on public datasets. Our experiments report well-known information retrieval metrics such as precision at a cutoff of ranked documents.

Conclusions

We introduce the search andbenchmarkingtool which is publicly available for the researchers who want to explore different search strategies over published biomedical literature. We outline several query formulation strategies and present their evaluations with known human judgements for a large pool of topics, from genomics to precision medicine.
Analysis of heterogeneous genomic samples using image normalization and machine learning
Authors: Basodi Sunitha , Baykal Pelin Icer , Zelikovsky Alex , Skums Pavel , Pan Yi
Published: December 2020

Background

Analysis of heterogeneous populations such as viral quasispecies is one of the most challenging bioinformatics problems. Although machine learning models are becoming to be widely employed for analysis of sequence data from such populations, their straightforward application is impeded by multiple challenges associated with technological limitations and biases, difficulty of selection of relevant features and need to compare genomic datasets of different sizes and structures.

Results

We propose a novel preprocessing approach to transform irregular genomic data into normalized image data. Such representation allows to restate the problems of classification and comparison of heterogeneous populations as image classification problems which can be solved using variety of available machine learning tools. We then apply the proposed approach to two important problems in molecular epidemiology: inference of viral infection stage and detection of viral transmission clusters using next-generation sequencing data. The infection staging method has been applied to HCV HVR1 samples collected from 108 recently and 257 chronically infected individuals. The SVM-based image classification approach achieved more than 95% accuracy for both recently and chronically HCV-infected individuals. Clustering has been performed on the data collected from 33 epidemiologically curated outbreaks, yielding more than 97% accuracy.

Conclusions

Sequence image normalization method allows for a robust conversion of genomic data into numerical data and overcomes several issues associated with employing machine learning methods to viral populations. Image data also help in the visualization of genomic data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can be successfully applied to different problems in molecular epidemiology and surveillance of viral diseases. Simple binary classifiers and clustering techniques applied to the image data are equally or more accurate than other models.
Correction to: Using a hepatitis B surveillance system evaluation in Fujian, Hainan, and Gansu provinces to improve data quality and assess program effectiveness, China, 2015
Authors: Zheng Hui , Millman Alexander J. , Rainey Jeanette J. , Wang Fuzhen , Zhang Rui , Chen Hong , Yin Zundong , Wang Huaqing , Zhang Guomin
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Correction to: The impact of hypertension on chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease is greater in men than women: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Weldegiorgis Misghina , Woodward Mark
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Livestock trade and devolution in the Somali-Kenya transboundary corridor
Authors: Ng’asike Philemon Ong’ao , Stepputat Finn , Njoka Jesse Theuri
Published: December 2020

After the collapse of the central Somali state in 1991, Somali livestock trade has increasingly been re-oriented towards terminal markets in central and coastal Kenya, helped by the more recent trade liberalization in Kenya. The predominantly informal cross-border trade (ICBT) has nurtured local livelihoods and government revenues in Kenya, where informal transactions and formal regulation overlap in the Somali-fed livestock supply chains. This article analyses the practices and dynamics that characterize Somali-Kenyan cross-border livestock trade, and proceeds to point out important policy issues that have emerged after the devolution of key state functions and regulation to county governments. The article finally highlights areas of collaboration between the national and county governments that are necessary to achieve a credible supply of meat in Kenyan and international markets. By doing so, it explores the linkage between changes in the political economy of cross-border livestock trade, and the unintended impact of decentralization on the governance of livestock supply chains.
The shift to 6G communications: vision and requirements
Authors: Akhtar Muhammad Waseem , Hassan Syed Ali , Ghaffar Rizwan , Jung Haejoon , Garg Sahil , Hossain M. Shamim
Published: December 2020

The sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication network is expected to integrate the terrestrial, aerial, and maritime communications into a robust network which would be more reliable, fast, and can support a massive number of devices with ultra-low latency requirements. The researchers around the globe are proposing cutting edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), quantum communication/quantum machine learning (QML), blockchain, tera-Hertz and millimeter waves communication, tactile Internet, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), small cells communication, fog/edge computing, etc., as the key technologies in the realization of beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G communications. In this article, we provide a detailed overview of the 6G network dimensions with air interface and associated potential technologies. More specifically, we highlight the use cases and applications of the proposed 6G networks in various dimensions. Furthermore, we also discuss the key performance indicators (KPI) for the B5G/6G network, challenges, and future research opportunities in this domain.
Temporal and spatial availability of cereal straw in Germany—Case study: Biomethane for the transport sector
Authors: Brosowski André , Bill Ralf , Thrän Daniela
Published: December 2020

Background

By 2030, the German transport sector needs to achieve additional greenhouse gas savings of 67 million tonnes CO2-eq. and further progress requires swiftly implementable solutions. The fermentation of cereal straw is a promising option. Returning the digestate to the farmland can close agricultural cycles while simultaneously producing biomethane. The world's first large-scale, mono-digestion plant for straw is operational since 2014. The temporal and spatial biomass availability is a key issue when replicating this concept. No detailed calculations on this subject are available, and the strategic relevance of biomethane from straw in the transport sector cannot be sufficiently evaluated.

Methods

To assess the balance of straw supply and use, a total of 30 data sets are combined, taking into account the cultivation of the five most important cereal types and the straw required for ten animal species, two special crops and 12 industrial uses. The data are managed at district level and presented for the years 2010 to 2018. In combination with high-resolution geodata, the results are linked to actual arable fields, and the availability of straw throughout the country is evaluated using a GIS.

Results

During the analysis period and based on the assumption that in case of fermentation up to 70% of the straw can be utilised, the mobilisable technical biomass potential for future biomethane production is between 13.9–21.5 Tg fm a−1. The annual potential fluctuates considerably due to weather anomalies. The all-time maximum in 2014 and the minimum for the last 26 years in 2018 are separated by just 4 years and a difference of 7.6 Tg fm. However, large parts of the potential are concentrated only in a few regions and biomethane from straw could provide 57–145 PJ of a low-emission fuel, saving 3–12 Tg CO2-eq. in case of full exploitation.

Conclusion

Despite the strong fluctuations and high uncertainties, the potential is sufficient to supply numerous plants and to produce relevant quantities of biomethane even in weak years. To unlock the potential, the outcomes should be evaluated and discussed further with stakeholders in the identified priority regions.