bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feedback assessment from the audience as part of health literacy training for health professionals: a case from Fukushima after the nuclear accident
Authors: Goto A. , Yumiya Y. , Ueda K.
Published: July 2021

Following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011, a series of health literacy training workshops for local health workers was developed and implemented. This study aimed to analyse who among the intended audience gained the greatest benefit from the training. Nine health workers attended a workshop consisting of classroom training and a follow-up feedback assessment of materials they created in the workshop. The materials were assessed by a total of 131 intended readers. Using Sakai’s tool, those items asking readers to rate the accessibility of written information were used to compare the materials before and after revision. The total score for Sakai’s measure showed a significant improvement, and the elderly and those without regular doctor visits were more likely to notice improvements after revision. Such health literacy training could serve as a model programme to prevent inequity in access to health information in the face of a regional health crisis.
Talking AI into Being: The Narratives and Imaginaries of National AI Strategies and Their Performative Politics
Authors: Bareis Jascha , Katzenbach Christian
Published: July 2021

How to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the functioning and structures of our society has become a concern of contemporary politics and public debates. In this paper, we investigate national AI strategies as a peculiar form of co-shaping this development, a hybrid of policy and discourse that offers imaginaries, allocates resources, and sets rules. Conceptually, the paper is informed by sociotechnical imaginaries, the sociology of expectations, myths, and the sublime. Empirically we analyze AI policy documents of four key players in the field, namely China, the United States, France, and Germany. The results show that the narrative construction of AI strategies is strikingly similar: they all establish AI as an inevitable and massively disrupting technological development by building on rhetorical devices such as a grand legacy and international competition. Having established this inevitable, yet uncertain, AI future, national leaders proclaim leadership intervention and articulate opportunities and distinct national pathways. While this narrative construction is quite uniform, the respective AI imaginaries are remarkably different, reflecting the vast cultural, political, and economic differences of the countries under study. As governments endow these imaginary pathways with massive resources and investments, they contribute to coproducing the installment of these futures and, thus, yield a performative lock-in function.
Proceedings of the 2020 Classic Examples in Toxicologic Pathology XXVII
Authors: Nolte Thomas , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Colbatzky Florian , Knippel Anja , Marxfeld Heike , Nehrbass Dirk , Odin Marielle , Popp Andreas , Treumann Silke , Yen Hsi-Yu , Zellmer Johannes , Deschl Ulrich
Published: July 2021

The histopathology slide seminar “Classic Examples in Toxicologic Pathology XXVII” was held on February 21 and 22, 2020, at the Department of Pathology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany, with joint organization by the European Society of Toxicologic Pathology. The goal of this annual seminar is to present and discuss classical and actual cases of toxicologic pathology. This article summarizes the presentations given during the seminar, including images of representative lesions. Ten actual and classical cases of toxicologic pathology, mostly induced by a test article, were presented. These included small intestine pathology and transcriptomics induced by a γ-secretase modulator, liver findings in nonhuman primates induced by gene therapy, drug-induced neutropenia in dogs, device-induced growth plate lesions, polycystic lesions in CAR/PXR double knockout mice, inner ear lesions in transgenic mice, findings in Beagle dogs induced by an inhibitor of the myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein MCL1, findings induced by a monovalent fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 antagonist, kidney lesions induced by a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor in combination therapy, and findings in mutation-specific drugs.
Incorporating the Expanded Core Curriculum into science
Authors: Chiu Ying-Ting , Wild Tiffany
Published: July 2021

The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a set of concepts and skills that are taught to students with visual impairments to support their learning that often occurs incidentally with vision. Students with visual impairments must learn both the ECC and content from the general education curriculum, including science. Thus, it is crucial to incorporate these two sets of curricula so that students with visual impairments can learn both sets of curricula more efficiently. This article presents an analysis of science curricula and lesson plans that support the Next Generation Science Standards while promoting teaching skills to students with visual impairments in the ECC. The results show that the ECC can be incorporated into science easily which will allow the ECC and science to be taught in one lesson.
Putting trust into antitrust? Competition policy and data-driven platforms
Authors: Larsson Stefan
Published: July 2021

Anti-competitive notions, it seems, are increasingly informing the critical debate on a data-driven economy organised into scalable digital platforms. Issues of market definitions, how to value personal data on multisided platforms, and how to detect and regulate misuses of dominant positions have become key nomenclature on the battlefield of addressing fairness in our contemporary digital societies. This article looks at the central themes for this special issue on governing trust in European platform societies through the lens of contemporary developments in the field of competition law. Three main questions are addressed: (1) To what extent are the platforms’ own abilities to govern their infrastructures, that is, to be de facto regulators over both human behaviour and market circumstances, a challenge for contemporary competition regulation? (2) In what way is the collection, aggregation, or handling of consumers’ data of relevance for competition? (3) How can the particular European challenges of governing US-based digital platforms more broadly be understood in terms of the relationship between transparency and public trust? Of particular relevance – and challenge – here are the platforms’ abilities to govern their infrastructures, albeit through automated moderation, pricing or scalable data handling. It is argued that this aspect of coded, and possibly autonomously adapting, intra-platform governance, poses significant anti-competitive challenges for supervisory authorities, with possible negative implications for consumer autonomy and wellbeing as well as platform-dependent other companies.
Spoken word recognition in a second language: The importance of phonetic details
Authors: Desmeules-Trudel Félix , Zamuner Tania S.
Published: July 2021

Spoken word recognition depends on variations in fine-grained phonetics as listeners decode speech. However, many models of second language (L2) speech perception focus on units such as isolated syllables, and not on words. In two eye-tracking experiments, we investigated how fine-grained phonetic details (i.e. duration of nasalization on contrastive and coarticulatory nasalized vowels in Canadian French) influenced spoken word recognition in an L2, as compared to a group of native (L1) listeners. Results from L2 listeners (English-native speakers) indicated that fine-grained phonetics impacted the recognition of words, i.e. they were able to use nasalization duration variability in a way similar to L1-French listeners, providing evidence that lexical representations can be highly specified in an L2. Specifically, L2 listeners were able to distinguish minimal word pairs (differentiated by the presence of phonological vowel nasalization in French) and were able to use variability in a way approximating L1-French listeners. Furthermore, the robustness of the French “nasal vowel” category in L2 listeners depended on age of exposure. Early bilinguals displayed greater sensitivity to some ambiguity in the stimuli than late bilinguals, suggesting that early bilinguals had greater sensitivity to small variations in the signal and thus better knowledge of the phonetic cue associated with phonological vowel nasalization in French, similarly to L1 listeners.
A solution for global hygienic challenges regarding the application of heater-cooler systems in cardiac surgery
Authors: Foltan Maik , Nikisch André , Dembianny Jan , Miano Anna-Lena , Heinze Johannes , Klar Dennis , Göbölös Laszlo , Lehle Karla , Schmid Christof
Published: July 2021

71.759 surgical procedures were performed in 2019 with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass in Germany. To adjust the patient’s body temperature on extracorporeal circulation, the application of a heater-cooler unit (HCU) is mandatory. However, in case of insufficient sanitisation of HCU, life-threatening infections can be transmitted by the device to the patients, including Legionella bacteria, Mycobacterium chimaera, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To avoid disease transmission, as a requirement for safe medical practice established by regulatory authorities, HCUs must be regularly disinfected by hazardous chemicals posing a danger for both handling humans and the environment. Therefore, to comply with regulations, HCU manufacturers have introduced both timely and financially extensive sanitisation procedures. Our paper describes a novel, effective and easy to handle disinfection method for the above problematics without utilising hazardous chemicals. The method’s technical principle is electrolysis, resulting in drinking water quality regarding the analysed germs in the worldwide most commonly utilised heater-cooler device. The main aim of the study was to prove the efficacy and reliability of the device cleansing process. Furthermore, the economic impact of the novel method was evaluated. Therefore, we have undertaken 60 microbiological sampling series between December 2019 and November 2020 from a conventional HCU (3T LivaNova, Germany). During the total investigational period, no contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Legionellae could have been demonstrated in the HCU. The extreme slow-growing nontuberculous M. chimaera was detected only in one sample obtained from diamond electrode cleansed HCU water, and source of contamination was promptly eliminated by a simple technical modification of the device test-site. Additionally, the diamond electrode application is beneficial for eliminating potentially hazardous cleansing material from the process, which may affect otherwise both patients operated on cardiopulmonary bypass and the perfusionists.
Violent victimisation in Lagos metropolis: An empirical investigation of community and personal predictors
Authors: Adisa Waziri B , Alabi Tunde A , Ayodele Johnson , Attoh Franca , Adejoh Samuel O
Published: July 2021

Violence or its threats have been a part of many African cities since the end of the Cold War, when many African countries transited from military to civilian rule. While the incidence of organised crime and violent victimisation of innocent citizens is not new to many West African cities, the emergence of terrorist organisations, armed bandits, kidnappers and armed gangs in a city like Lagos has created new security challenges. The challenges include the inability of government to cope with the rising number of young people in organised cult clashes and the threats to peace and stability in Lagos metropolis. This study is designed to investigate the influence of socio-demographic (senatorial district, gender, age, ethnic group, marital status, education, employment, duration of residency and type of apartment) and community factors (presence of nightclubs/hotels, use of private security and frequency of police patrol) on residents’ experience of crime victimisation, robbery and organised crime. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and a quantitative method of data collection. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 300 respondents across three senatorial districts of Lagos State. The study found that factors such as location, type of apartment, nightclubbing, duration of residence, employment status and use of private security predicted at least one of the three dependent variables. The implications of the findings are discussed.
High dose antipsychotic polypharmacy and dopamine partial agonists - time to rethink guidelines?
Authors: Reynolds Gavin P
Published: July 2021

Guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia limit the use of antipsychotic agents to clinically-established maximum doses. This acknowledges both the absence of additional efficacy of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists above a receptor occupancy threshold, and the increases in side effects that can occur at higher doses. These limits restrict the dosing of combinations of antipsychotics as they do single agents; drugs sharing the major antipsychotic mechanism of D2 receptor antagonism will act additively in blocking these receptors.

Several newer antipsychotic drugs, including aripiprazole and cariprazine, act as partial agonists at the D2 receptor site and avoid action at several other receptors, effects at which are responsible for some non-dopaminergic adverse effects. This pharmacology imparts different characteristics to the drugs resulting often in a more favourable side effect profile. Their partial agonism, along with high affinities for the D2 receptor, also means that these drugs given adjunctively may in part replace, rather than enhance, the D2 antagonism of other antipsychotic agents. This can result in an improvement in certain side effects without loss of antipsychotic efficacy.

This article makes the case for distinguishing the D2 partial agonists from antagonists in defining maximum doses of combined treatments, which would increase the options available to the prescriber, emphasising that pharmacological mechanisms need to be understood in identifying optimal treatments for psychotic illness.
Intranasal delivery of interleukin-4 attenuates chronic cognitive deficits via beneficial microglial responses in experimental traumatic brain injury
Authors: Pu Hongjian , Ma Cheng , Zhao Yongfang , Wang Yangfan , Zhang Wenting , Miao Wanying , Yu Fang , Hu Xiaoming , Shi Yejie , Leak Rehana K , Hitchens T Kevin , Dixon C Edward , Bennett Michael VL , Chen Jun
Published: July 2021

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is commonly followed by long-term cognitive deficits that severely impact the quality of life in survivors. Recent studies suggest that microglial/macrophage (Mi/MΦ) polarization could have multidimensional impacts on post-TBI neurological outcomes. Here, we report that repetitive intranasal delivery of interleukin-4 (IL-4) nanoparticles for 4 weeks after controlled cortical impact improved hippocampus-dependent spatial and non-spatial cognitive functions in adult C57BL6 mice, as assessed by a battery of neurobehavioral tests for up to 5 weeks after TBI. IL-4-elicited enhancement of cognitive functions was associated with improvements in the integrity of the hippocampus at the functional ( e.g., long-term potentiation) and structural levels (CA3 neuronal loss, diffusion tensor imaging of white matter tracts, etc.). Mechanistically, IL-4 increased the expression of PPARγ and arginase-1 within Mi/MΦ, thereby driving microglia toward a global inflammation-resolving phenotype. Notably, IL-4 failed to shift microglial phenotype after TBI in Mi/MΦ-specific PPARγ knockout (mKO) mice, indicating an obligatory role for PPARγ in IL-4-induced Mi/MΦ polarization. Accordingly, post-TBI treatment with IL-4 failed to improve hippocampal integrity or cognitive functions in PPARγ mKO mice. These results demonstrate that administration of exogenous IL-4 nanoparticles stimulates PPARγ-dependent beneficial Mi/MΦ responses, and improves hippocampal function after TBI.
Evaluation of [18F]-JNJ-64326067-AAA tau PET tracer in humans
Authors: Baker Suzanne L , Provost Karine , Thomas Wesley , Whitman AJ , Janabi Mustafa , Schmidt Mark E , Timmers Maarten , Kolb Hartmuth C , Rabinovici Gil D , Jagust William J
Published: July 2021

The [18F]-JNJ-64326067-AAA ([18F]-JNJ-067) tau tracer was evaluated in healthy older controls (HCs), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) participants. Seventeen subjects (4 HCs, 5 MCIs, 5 ADs, and 3 PSPs) received a [11C]-PIB amyloid PET scan, and a tau [18F]-JNJ-067 PET scan 0-90 minutes post-injection. Only MCIs and ADs were amyloid positive. The simplified reference tissue model, Logan graphical analysis distribution volume ratio, and SUVR were evaluated for quantification. The [18F]-JNJ-067 tau signal relative to the reference region continued to increase to 90 min, indicating the tracer had not reached steady state. There was no significant difference in any bilateral ROIs for MCIs or PSPs relative to HCs; AD participants showed elevated tracer relative to controls in most cortical ROIs (P < 0.05). Only AD participants showed elevated retention in the entorhinal cortex. There was off-target signal in the putamen, pallidum, thalamus, midbrain, superior cerebellar gray, and white matter. [18F]-JNJ-067 significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with Mini-Mental State Exam in entorhinal cortex and temporal meta regions. There is clear binding of [18F]-JNJ-067 in AD participants. Lack of binding in HCs, MCIs and PSPs suggests [18F]-JNJ-067 may not bind to low levels of AD-related tau or 4 R tau.
Integrative cerebral blood flow regulation in ischemic stroke
Authors: Fan Jui-Lin , Brassard Patrice , Rickards Caroline A , Nogueira Ricardo C , Nasr Nathalie , McBryde Fiona D , Fisher James P , Tzeng Yu-Chieh
Published: July 2021

Optimizing cerebral perfusion is key to rescuing salvageable ischemic brain tissue. Despite being an important determinant of cerebral perfusion, there are no effective guidelines for blood pressure (BP) management in acute stroke. The control of cerebral blood flow (CBF) involves a myriad of complex pathways which are largely unaccounted for in stroke management. Due to its unique anatomy and physiology, the cerebrovascular circulation is often treated as a stand-alone system rather than an integral component of the cardiovascular system. In order to optimize the strategies for BP management in acute ischemic stroke, a critical reappraisal of the mechanisms involved in CBF control is needed. In this review, we highlight the important role of collateral circulation and re-examine the pathophysiology of CBF control, namely the determinants of cerebral perfusion pressure gradient and resistance, in the context of stroke. Finally, we summarize the state of our knowledge regarding cardiovascular and cerebrovascular interaction and explore some potential avenues for future research in ischemic stroke.
Electronic Hand Hygiene Quality and Duration Monitoring in Pre-School Children: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Mohd Rani Mohd Dzulkhairi , Mohamed Nurul Azmawati , Jamaluddin Tengku Zetty Maztura Tengku , Ismail Zarini , Ramli Shalinawati , Faroque Habibah , Samad Farishah Nur Abd , Ariffien Abdul Rasyid , Farid Aisyah Ar Redha Che Amir , Isahak Ilina
Published: July 2021

Background

Hand hygiene is regarded as the most important measure to prevent spread of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a prototype application in an electronic device in educating, stimulating and monitoring hand hygiene quality in young children.

Method

A pre-school was provided with an interactive hand hygiene application for two months. The device features an online administrator dashboard for data collection and for monitoring the children’s hand washing steps and duration. A good hand washing is defined as hand washing which comprise all of the steps outlined in the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Results

The prototype managed to capture 6882 hand wash performed with an average of 20.85 seconds per hand wash. Washing hands palm to palm was the most frequent (79.9%) step performed, whereas scrubbing fingernails and wrists were the least (56%) steps performed.

Conclusions

The device is a good prototype to educate, stimulate and monitor good hand hygiene practices. However, other measures should be undertaken to ensure sustainability of the practices.
Women’s Participation in Self-Care and the Importance of Paying Attention to Cultural Capital: A Cross-Sectional Study among Women in Yazd (Iran)
Authors: Shiri Mohammadabad Hamideh , Afshani Seyed Alireza
Published: July 2021

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between women's cultural capital and self-care. A survey was employed with a sample size of 737 women living in the marginal, middle, and upper areas of Yazd in terms of socioeconomic characteristics. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling by SPSS and Amos version 24. The results revealed that the effect of cultural capital on self-care was positive and significant (β = 0.46, p < 0.001). The effectiveness rates of cultural capital on women's self-care in the marginal, middle, and upper areas were 0.44, 0.32 and 0.45, respectively (p < 0.001). Besides, there was no significant difference between the intensity of the relationship between cultural capital and self-care in the three areas (CR < 1.96). The fit indices also indicated that the model had a good fit (CMIN/DF = 2.560, NFI = 0.916, RMSEA = 0.033, CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.922, GFI = 0.963, IFI = 0.947).
Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous antegrade approach for ureteral stent placement in children: a single-center experience
Authors: Herdem Nevzat , Kahriman Guven , Dogan Aytac , Hosgecin Cenk , Turan Cuneyt , Oz Gergin Ozlem
Published: July 2021

Background

Although there are many studies on percutaneous nephrostomy in urinary obstruction management in pediatric patients, there is a limited number of studies on percutaneous antegrade ureteral stenting (PAUS) on this issue.

Purpose

To evaluate the results of fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous antegrade approach for ureteral stent placement through the nephrostomy route in children.

Material and Methods

Between October 2005 and June 2019, the medical records of children who underwent PAUS through the nephrostomy route were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic data of the patients, technical and clinical success rates, technical details, and complications of the procedure were recorded. Patients were divided and evaluated into groups according to etiology. Categorical data were analyzed by using the Pearson chi-square test.

Results

In total, 31 patients (19 boys, 12 girls; age range = 2 months–18 years; mean age = 7.4 ± 6.01 years) and 42 procedures were included in the study. The most common underlying diseases were ureteropelvic junction obstruction (16 stents, 38.1%) and vesicoureteral reflux (13 stents, 31%). The technical and clinical success rates were 97.6% and 90%, respectively. Clinical failure (10%) was not related to gender, underlying diseases, and stent size ( P > 0.05). Mean stent dwelling time was 96.43 ± 58.1 days. Complications were urinary tract infection (two procedures), stent migration (two procedures), early occlusion (one procedure), and contrast material leak after balloon dilation (one procedure). The complication rate was 14.6%. No procedure-related death was observed.

Conclusion

PAUS through the nephrostomy route in children is an effective and reliable method when surgical treatment is not feasible.
Esophagomediastinal fistula due to secondary esophageal tuberculosis: report of two cases
Authors: Nie Dan , Li Jielin , Liu Weihua , Wu Yongdong , Ji Ming , Wang Yongjun , Li Peng , Zhang Shutian
Published: July 2021

Esophageal tuberculosis is rare among digestive system diseases. We herein present two cases of esophageal tuberculosis. One patient presented with a choking sensation and pain in the chest, and the other presented with loss of appetite and emaciation. Both patients had an esophagomediastinal fistula, underwent endoscopic ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration, were clinically diagnosed with esophageal tuberculosis, received antituberculosis treatment, and exhibited clinical improvement. These two rare cases suggest that the possibility of esophageal tuberculosis should be considered in patients with an esophagomediastinal fistula. Endoscopic ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration can be performed to assist the diagnosis. Good clinical results can often be achieved with timely antituberculosis treatment.
Neuroanatomical changes seen in MRI in patients with cerebral metastasized breast cancer after radiotherapy
Authors: Reibelt Antonia , Mayinger Michael , Borm Kai J. , Combs Stephanie E. , Duma Marciana N.
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

To quantify neuroanatomical changes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with cerebral metastasized breast cancer after brain radiotherapy (RT).

Methods:

Fifteen patients with breast cancer with brain metastases who underwent whole brain RT (WBR), radiosurgery (RS), and/or hypofractionated stereotactic treatment (STX) were examined at four time points (TPs). A total of 48 MRIs were available: prior to RT (TP1), 5–8 months after RT (TP2), 9–11 months after RT (TP3), and >20 months after RT (TP4). Using automatic segmentation, 25 subcortical structures were analyzed. Patients were split into three groups: STX (receiving STX and RS), RS (receiving RS only), and WBR (receiving WBR at least once). After testing for a normal distribution for all values using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, a two-sided paired t test was used to analyze volumetric changes. For those values that were not normally distributed, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was employed.

Results:

The left cerebellum white matter ( p = 0.028), the right pallidum ( p = 0.038), and the left thalamus ( p = 0.039) significantly increased at TP2 compared to TP1. The third ventricle increased at all TPs ( p = 0.034–0.046). The left choroid plexus increased at TP3 ( p = 0.037) compared to TP1. The left lateral ventricle increased at TP3 ( p = 0.012) and TP4 ( p = 0.027). Total gray matter showed a trend of volume decline in STX and WBR groups.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that alterations in the volume of subcortical structures may act as a sensitive parameter when evaluating neuroanatomical changes and brain atrophy due to radiotherapy. Differences observed for patients who received STX and WBR, but not those treated with RS, need to be validated further.
Pharyngeal Airway Space Dimensions and Hyoid Bone Position in Various Craniofacial Morphologies
Authors: Acharya Asal , Mishra Praveen , Shrestha Rabindra Man
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To assess the relationship of pharyngeal airway dimensions and the position of the hyoid bone in several craniofacial morphologies among Nepali adults. To assess the relationship between dimensions of the pharyngeal airway and position of the hyoid bone and compare gender dimorphism.

Materials and Methods:

The cross-sectional observational research comprised lateral cephalograms of 150 subjects aged 16 to 30 years. Samples were separated into three sagittal craniofacial morphological groups based on the ANB (A point, nasion, B point) angle and into gender groups. Different parameters (linear and angular) for measuring dimensions of the pharyngeal airway and position of the hyoid bone were assessed. An ANOVA test and a Pearson correlation test were performed.

Results:

Dimensions of the pharyngeal airway were largest in skeletal Class III when compared to skeletal Class I and Class II subjects, with a lower pharyngeal airway space and the length of the nasal fossa being significantly larger. The hyoid bone was anteriorly and inferiorly placed in Class III skeletal subjects. Males had greater pharyngeal airway dimensions and a hyoid bone positioned more inferiorly and anteriorly. The nasal fossa length had a strong positive correlation with the hyoid bone position vertically.

Conclusion:

There were differences in the dimensions of the pharyngeal airway and position of the hyoid bone in various craniofacial morphologies among Nepali adults. Gender dimorphism was observed in both dimensions of the pharyngeal airway and the position of the hyoid bone.
Influence of Social Media on the Indian Population’s Perception of Orthodontic-Related Posts: A Mixed Method Analysis
Authors: Shyagali Tarulatha R , Rathore Ayesha , Gupta Abhishek , Tiwari Anil , Kapoor Shanya , Goyal Payal
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

In little more than a decade, social media has gone from being an entertainment source to a fully integrated part of nearly every aspect of daily life. This study aimed to provide an insight into how orthodontics-related social media posts are looked upon by the Indian population.

Material and Methods:

Orthodontics-related social media posts were analyzed for the number of likes, shares, and comments. Comments were also scrutinized for determining whether they were appreciation comments or enquiries related to orthodontic treatment and procedure. Posts were collected from 3 platforms: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. A mixed-methods approach was applied. First, all posts were structured according to a quantitative content analysis. Subsequently, qualitative analysis was performed to detect potential differences between the quality of response to posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Using one-way ANOVA test, differences in the data were tabulated. A Chi- Square test was used to analyze the qualitative differences in the comments, which were scrutinized to check if they were appreciation comments or enquiries/doubts related to the posts.

Results:

There was a significant difference between the numbers of likes, shares, and comments. Appreciation comments were more in number than enquiries. Instagram had the maximum number of likes, followed by Facebook and Twitter ( P < .00001). Facebook had more shares in comparison to Twitter. Upon an analysis done on the number of comments, Facebook was found to have the highest number of comments, followed by Instagram and Twitter. All the results were significant, with P < .00001.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that social media awareness related to orthodontics posts among Indians is gaining pace, and a lot can be achieved using these social media platforms to spread awareness related to orthodontic treatment.
The emotion trajectory of self-selected jazz music with lyrics: A psychophysiological perspective
Authors: Warmbrodt Ashley , Timmers Renee , Kirk Rory
Published: July 2021

This study explored how lyrics, participant-selected music, and emotion trajectory impact self-reported emotional (happiness, sadness, arousal, and valence) and physiological (heart, respiration, and skin conductance rates) responses. Participants were matched (based on sex, age, musicianship, and lyric preference) and assigned to a lyric or instrumental group. Each participant experienced one emotion trajectory (happy-sad or sad-happy), with alternating self- and experimenter-selected jazz music. Emotion trajectory had a significant effect on self-reports, where participants in the sad-happy trajectory reported significantly more sadness overall compared to participants in the happy-sad trajectory. There were also several interaction effects between the independent variables, which indicate the relevance of order as well as differences in processing musical emotions depending on whether music is instrumental or contains lyrics.
The molecular clock gene cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) and its role in cluster headache
Authors: Fourier Carmen , Ran Caroline , Sjöstrand Christina , Waldenlind Elisabet , Steinberg Anna , Belin Andrea Carmine
Published: July 2021

Background

Cluster headache is a severe primary headache disorder commonly featuring a strikingly distinct circadian attack pattern. Therefore, the circadian system has been suggested to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cluster headache. Cryptochromes are key components of the molecular clock generating circadian rhythms and have previously been shown to be associated with several psychiatric disorders, including seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Methods

In this case-control study, we investigated the role of cryptochrome ( CRY) genes in cluster headache by screening 628 cluster headache patients and 681 controls from Sweden for four known genetic variants in the CRY1 (rs2287161 and rs8192440) and CRY2 (rs10838524 and rs1554338) genes. In addition, we analyzed CRY1 gene expression in primary fibroblast cell lines from eleven patients and ten controls.

Results

The exonic CRY1 variant rs8192440 was associated with cluster headache on allelic level ( p=0.02) and this association was even more pronounced in a subgroup of patients with reported diurnal rhythmicity of attacks ( p=0.002). We found a small significant difference in CRY1 gene expression between cluster headache patients and control individuals ( p=0.04), but we could not identify an effect of the associated variant rs8192440 on CRY1 expression.

Conclusions

We discovered a disease-associated variant in the CRY1 gene and slightly increased CRY1 gene expression in tissue from cluster headache patients, strengthening the hypothesis of circadian dysregulation in cluster headache. How this gene variant may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease remains subject to further studies.
High perceived isolation and reduced social support affect headache impact levels in migraine after the Covid-19 outbreak: A cross sectional survey on chronic and episodic patients
Authors: Cerami Chiara , Crespi Chiara , Bottiroli Sara , Santi Gaia Chiara , Sances Grazia , Allena Marta , Vecchi Tomaso , Tassorelli Cristina
Published: July 2021

Background

Psychosocial variables are key factors influencing psycho-physical equilibrium in migraine patients. Social isolation and vulnerability to stressors may prevent efficient psychological adjustment negatively affecting adaptation to life changes, as that imposed during Covid-19 lockdown. Here, we explored psychosocial dimensions and changes in clinical condition during Covid-19 lockdown in migraine patients, with regard to migraine type and headache impact.

Methods

Sixty-four migraine patients (32 episodic and 32 chronic) and 64 healthy control subjects were included in a case-control cross-sectional study. A two-step clustering procedure split patients into two clusters, based on the Headache Impact Test. Perceived global distress, loneliness, empathy, and coping levels were compared in groups, as well as changes in clinical condition.

Results

Migraine patients reported higher general loneliness and lower social support compared to healthy control subjects. Emotional loneliness was more marked in patients with higher headache impact. This subgroup of patients more frequently reported changes in the therapeutic and care paths as the perceived cause of the occurrence of motor or extra-motor symptomatology.

Conclusions

Migraine patients, especially those more severely affected, proved more vulnerable than healthy control subjects to Covid-19 lockdown. Long-lasting interruption of social interactions may be detrimental in fragile patients that are in need of structured support interventions to maintain psycho-physical wellbeing.
Performance of Two Thin Epoxy Overlays on New Concrete under Laboratory and Outdoor Exposure Conditions
Authors: Mazumder Abul Fazal , Attanayake Upul , Berke Neal S.
Published: July 2021

Thin epoxy overlays are used for improving the condition and extending the service life of bridge decks. The tensile bond pull-off strength, evaluated as per ASTM C1583, is used as the performance indicator. A failure in the substrate with a tensile strength of 250 pounds per square inch (psi) or greater is considered acceptable. However, the performance of in-service bridge decks when evaluated shows inconsistent results. Such studies failed to record and correlate the parameters that influence overlay performance during testing to clarify the observed variations. Laboratory studies by several researchers have documented a distinct performance difference when the overlays are exposed to room temperatures in comparison with elevated temperatures. However, the most influential parameters, such as the variation of substrate moisture against temperature and epoxy softening under elevated temperatures, were not measured and correlated to the observed performance. This study was initiated to provide clarification of the observed performance differences by evaluating the impact of concrete age at the time of epoxy application, concrete mix ingredients, exposure conditions, concrete microstructure development, and substrate moisture and temperature on the performance of two epoxy overlays. Experimental results confirm that (i) the performance of epoxy overlays improves when the concrete mix contains slag and (ii) substrate moisture vapor pressure and epoxy softening under elevated temperature negatively affect the overlay performance.
Different Safety Awareness and Route Choice between Frequent and Infrequent Bicyclists: Findings from Revealed Preference Study Using Bikeshare Data
Authors: Shah Nitesh R. , Cherry Christopher R.
Published: July 2021

Understanding the factors influencing bicycling is important to improve educational and built-environment investments to increase bicycling rates. Although factors such as the physical environment, sociodemographics, and psychology influence bicycling, safety is also one of the primary reasons people avoid bicycling. Interventions based on objective safety can reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities, but people might still feel uncomfortable bicycling owing to subjective safety (perceived safety or avoidance of risk). Several studies have examined the subjective safety of bicyclists based on stated-preference surveys, but these studies have limitations, including response bias. A revealed preference method was implemented by combining 9,101 bicycling trips of Grid Bike Share in Arizona with transportation network and crash data. A segmented path size correction logit model identified that regular bicyclists took a 1.6-times longer detour to avoid historic crash locations than casual bicyclists. These two groups also exhibited different choices related to the built environment and navigation. The significance of different types of bicyclists avoiding historic crash locations or risky infrastructure is that this indicates that crash datasets coupled with route data could be used as one of several indicators of perceived safety. Recommendations to increase perceived safety and reduce the crash risk of occasional bicyclists include expanding bicycle-specific infrastructure, constructing contraflow bicycle lanes in a one-way street, separating high volume lanes with a bike lane, and improving the education of road users.
Ruggedness Evaluation and Precision Estimates for Newly Developed Test Methods for Asphalt-Treated Cold Recycled Pavements
Authors: Hand Adam J. T. , Boz Ilker , Piratheepan Murugaiyah , Hierholzer Forrest , Diefenderfer Brian K. , Jones David , Habbouche Jhony , Louw Stefan
Published: July 2021

Asphalt-treated cold recycled pavements, including cold in place recycling, full depth reclamation, and cold central plant recycling, are becoming popular rehabilitation options because they are economical, sustainable, and provide good performance. Because asphalt-treated cold recycled pavements use foamed or emulsified binder, they require a curing period post-construction before being opened to traffic or surfaced. Uniform guidelines on when an asphalt-treated cold recycled roadway can be opened to traffic or surfaced are not widely established, many are based on time or moisture content, and extreme ranges exist among agency specifications. Mixture designs also vary widely among agencies with regard to active filler use and asphalt recycling agents, further complicating the determination of necessary curing time. NCHRP Project 09-62 investigated a variety of test methods for determining when a recycled roadway could be opened to traffic or surfaced. This included extensive laboratory and field evaluations. New shear strength and raveling test methods were developed. For each test method a ruggedness study and inter-laboratory study were performed. The ruggedness study revealed critical test fixture and operation parameters. Six asphalt-treated cold recycled pavement process/material combinations were tested by three entities to develop precision estimates and statements (i.e., repeatability and reproducibility) for the new test methods. Tools and information from this study provide a rational basis for establishing specifications, which will help reduce pavement damage from early traffic and minimize roadway closures and delays.
Application of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems in Police Vehicles
Authors: Nasr Vanessa , Wozniak David , Shahini Farzaneh , Zahabi Maryam
Published: July 2021

Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths for police officers. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are driving control systems that have been found to improve civilian drivers’ safety; however, the impact of ADAS on police officers’ driving safety has yet to be investigated thoroughly. Disparities between driver states and tasks performed while driving between police and civilian drivers necessitate this distinction. This study identified the types of ADAS used in police vehicles, their impact on officers’ safety, and proposed potential future ADAS features to be implemented in police vehicles. A systematic literature review was conducted using Google Scholar, Compendex, Web of Science, Transport Research International Documentation (TRID), and Google Patents databases to identify the most prevalent police vehicles used in the U.S., available ADAS features in those vehicles, and the impact of ADAS on officers’ safety. A list of recommended ADAS features was developed based on the review of literature, authors’ knowledge and experience in the field, and the findings of an online survey with 73 police officers. Results indicated the addition of multiple ADAS features including the front vehicle detection system, intersection collision avoidance, evasive steering systems, left turn assist, traffic sign detection system, traffic jam assist, two lane and lane-ending detection, wrong-way alert, and autonomous highway driving features have the potential to improve officer safety and performance while driving. However, there was a void of studies focused on ADAS effects on police driving safety which needs to be addressed in future investigations.
Automatic Rail Surface Defects Inspection Based on Mask R-CNN
Authors: Guo Feng , Qian Yu , Rizos Dimitris , Suo Zhi , Chen Xiaobin
Published: July 2021

Rail surface defects have negative impacts on riding comfort and track safety, and could even lead to accidents. Based on the safety database (2020) of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), rail surface defects have been among the main factors causing derailments. During the past decades, there have been many efforts to detect such rail surface defects. However, the applications of earlier methods are limited by the high requirements of specialized equipment and personnel training. To date, rail surface defect inspection is still a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process, which hardly satisfies the field maintenance expectations. Therefore, a cost-effective and user-friendly automatic system that can inspect the rail surface defects with high accuracy is urgently needed. To address this issue, this study proposes a computer vision-based instance segmentation framework for rail surface defect inspection. A rail surface database including 1,040 images (260 source images and 780 augmented images) has been built. The classic instance segmentation model, Mask R-CNN, has been re-trained and fine-tuned for inspecting rail surface defects with the customized dataset. The influences of different backbones and learning rates are investigated and discussed. Experimental results indicate the ResNet101 backbone reaches better inspection capability. With a learning rate of 0.005, the re-trained Mask R-CNN model can achieve the best performance on the bounding box and mask predictions. Sixteen images are used to test the inspection performance of the fine-tuned model. The results are promising and indicate potential field applications in the future.
Multicity Investigation of the Effect of Holidays on Bikeshare System Ridership
Authors: Palaio Lori , Vo Tung , Maness Michael , Bertini Robert L. , Menon Nikhil
Published: July 2021

Bikeshare provides important first mile–last mile, commuting, circulation, and sightseeing options in many cities. Bikeshare can also be healthy and convenient for users. Throughout the year, holidays occur that change typical bikeshare activity patterns. Existing literature shows mixed results relating to the ridership impacts of holidays: some research shows that these days may result in higher ridership, whereas others show no effect. Because of variations in system locations and modeling methods, it is difficult to determine the reasons for these mixed results. To control for these aspects, this project consisted of a multicity study of the effect of holidays on system-level ridership using a loglinear regression model with robust standard errors. The results showed the impacts of holidays on bikeshare system ridership for different user types among systems in the Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis metro areas. Several hypotheses were developed and tested to examine the effects of holidays on bikeshare usage. A major finding from this study was that federal holidays negatively affected member ridership and positively affected nonmember ridership. It was also found that different federal holidays had dissimilar effects on total ridership. These findings could be useful for bikeshare agencies to plan, reposition fleet, and improve system operation.