bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An international collaborative approach to learning histology using a virtual microscope
Authors: Then Sue‐Mian , Kokolski Marie , Mbaki Yvonne , Merrick Deborah , Anderson Susan
Published: November 2022

Histology is often taught in higher education settings using online virtual microscopes (VM). This study aimed to develop and evaluate the use of VM in teaching on a BSc degree at the University of Nottingham by surveying students and staff. A key development was the use of an e‐workbook so that students were actively engaged in creating their own bespoke revision material. Subsequently, this approach was used in a second study evaluating the use of VM in teaching the histology and pathology of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract via group work with students from two BSc courses at the University of Nottingham; one based at Derby (RDHC) and the other in Malaysia (UNMC). Students worked together in groups to complete an e‐workbook, develop a presentation, and decide how to collaborate and communicate. An evaluation of these activities revealed advantages in developing transferrable skills, and good engagement with both the histology topic and group work. Analysis of assessment of the module at UNMC showed that student performance improved in the histology‐based module after the intervention (p < 0.01) and that this improvement was not evident in other modules taken by the cohort. Furthermore, when interrogating the questions from the examination paper that asked students to identify features from histological images, fewer questions were seen as ‘difficult’ (p < 0.001) and more were seen as ‘average’ (p < 0.01). This study demonstrates that the use of VM in histology combined with active learning in creating a revision resource enhances engagement and depth of learning. When further combined with collaborative active group work, students developed a range of histology knowledge and transferrable skills, with notable improvement in examination performance relative to other contemporaneous modules.
Investigations on the light and scanning electron microscopic structure of the lingual papillae in the angora goat (Capra hircus): II. Mechanical papillae
Authors: Toprak Burhan
Published: November 2022

This study was conducted to examine the light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) structures of mechanical papillae on the tongue in the Angora goat (Capra hircus). As study materials, the tongues of four adult female Angora goats were used. The samples were collected from the dorsal surfaces of the apex, body, root and torus of the tongue and the ventral surfaces of the lingual apex for light and scanning electron microscopic examinations. Three types of mechanical papillae were seen in Angora goat tongue: papilla filiformes, papilla lentiformes and papilla conicae.The filiform papillae were detected in the dorsal surface of the tongue from lingual apex to lingual torus, and in the ventro‐lateral of the lingual apex and on both sides of the lingual torus. The morphological differences were observed in filiform papillae according to their location in the tongue. The lenticular papillae settled on the centre of the lingual torus. Two types of these papillae, irregular‐round and pyramid‐shaped were identified. The conical papillae were scattered all over the lingual torus, except for the central part and were also seen on the root of the tongue. In the light microscopic examination, it was found that mechanical papillae had a stratified squamous epithelium and a varying degree of keratin layer on epithelial surfaces. In this study, by examining the light and scanning electron microscopic structure of the mechanical papillae in the Angora goat tongue, their similarities and differences with other domestic and wild ruminant species were determined.
Understanding the planning and preparation for diabetes self‐management of grey nomads when travelling in rural and remote Australia: An exploratory survey
Authors: De Bellis Anita , McCloud Christine , Abigail Wendy , Hill Pauline , Giles Jane , Apolloni Marc , Gregoric Carolyn
Published: November 2022

Objective

Many older Australians with chronic health conditions, including diabetes, are taking to the road in a recreational vehicle following retirement and are colloquially known as grey nomads. This exploratory online survey aimed to ascertain the issues on the road for grey nomads with diabetes and their experiences of self‐management of their diabetes whilst in rural and remote regions of Australia.

Methods

Following ethical approval and piloting, an online survey was distributed through social media sites used by grey nomads and those with diabetes. From the closed and open‐ended responses from travelers with diabetes in rural and remote areas, the demographics of this cohort were explored, as well as their self‐management of diabetes.

Results

A total of 103 grey nomads with diabetes responded and 81 completed all survey questions. There was wide variation in the respondents' answers in regard to their self‐management including their preparation for travel; their knowledge of diabetes and accessing health‐care services; their management of illness; and their experiences whilst travelling including the effects of COVID‐19. It was identified that there was a need for an increase in preparation prior to travel, and several important checks were identified for this planning specific to rural and remote areas of Australia, including the expectations of health services in these regions.

Conclusions

A pretravel checklist for travellers with diabetes is recommended to contribute to better self‐management of grey nomads with diabetes on the road in order to alleviate the issues identified.
Results of micrometallographic analysis of metalworking tools in graves of metallurgists in Moravia/Czech Republic
Authors: Peška Jaroslav , Štelcl Jindřich
Published: November 2022

The number of finds relating to metalworking, without evidence of mining and processing facilities, is very limited. In Final Eneolith graves of specialized metallurgists that have occurred, they contain a metal‐founding or metalsmithing toolkit, whose origins were from eastern Europe (the Maykop, Yamnaya Culture). Such metallurgical tools may have reached central Europe as part of the so‐called Yamnaya Package before the onset of the Bee Beaker Culture (BBC); and unlike the Pontic region, these two types of metallurgy separated here. There are found an accumulation of metallurgists' graves in Moravia, where the complete metalworking toolkit is deposited in a predefined place in richly furnished male graves with a distinctive funerary architecture that exhibit a clear relationship to the grave goods.

EDX‐analysis detected a high content of metals (Cu, Ag, Au, Au–Ag alloy) on all working surfaces of stone tools, grinders, and boar tusks used for the final treatment of their metal products. This makes us believe that the used artefacts were laid as symbolical objects in the graves of these craftsmen who perfectly knew these advanced technologies. Due to their knowledge, their social significance gradually rose and finally reached the level of social elites, who were usually buried in a spectacular manner, including the quantity of grave goods (Überausstattung) and the pars pro toto deposition in one part of the finds.
Role of calcium dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease and its therapeutic implications
Authors: Joshi Maithili , Joshi Siddhi , Khambete Mihir , Degani Mariam
Published: November 2022

The increasing incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) coupled with the lack of therapeutics to address the underlying pathology of the disease has necessitated the need for exploring newer targets. Calcium dysregulation represents a relatively newer target associated with AD. Ca+2 serves as an important cellular messenger in neurons. The concentration of the Ca+2 ion needs to be regulated at optimal concentrations intracellularly for normal functioning of the neurons. This is achieved with the help of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and neuronal plasma membrane channel proteins. Disruption in normal calcium homeostasis can induce formation of amyloid beta plaques, accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, and dysfunction of synaptic plasticity, which in turn can affect calcium homeostasis further, thus forming a vicious cycle. Hence, understanding calcium dysregulation can prove to be a key to develop newer therapeutics. This review provides detailed account of physiology of calcium homeostasis and its dysregulation associated with AD. Further, with an understanding of various receptors and organelles involved in these pathways, the review also discusses various calcium channel blockers explored in AD hand in hand with some multitarget molecules addressing calcium as one of the targets.
Serum GDF9 and BMP15 as potential markers of ovarian function in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Riepsamen Angelique H. , Donoghoe Mark W. , Indran Inthrani R. , Hechtman Leah , Robertson David M. , Gilchrist Robert B. , Ledger William L. , Yong Eu‐Leong
Published: November 2022

Objective

Growth differentiation factor‐9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein‐15 (BMP15) are critical paracrine regulators of female fertility and are predominantly expressed by oocytes. However, it is unknown if serum concentrations reflect changes in ovarian function and/or reproductive endocrine disorders. This study aimed to determine if serum GDF9/BMP15 are associated with ovarian, pituitary, oestrogenic, androgenic and metabolic characteristics and the ovarian pathologies, polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Design

Women aged 21−45 years (n = 381) were included from a cross‐sectional study at the National University Hospital, Singapore. Patients: Participants were volunteers and patients with possible PCOS. Measurements: Anthropometric measurements, transvaginal ultrasound scans and serum sampling were performed and a questionnairecompleted. Serum GDF9 and BMP15 concentrations were matched with menstrual cycle length, ovarian protein and steroid hormone production, pituitary hormone production and metabolic assessments in women with PCOM or PCOS and those with neither (control).

Results

Serum GDF9 and BMP15 were detectable in 40% and 41% of women, respectively and were positively correlated with each other (r = 0.08, p = 0.003). GDF9, but not BMP15, was positively correlated with ovarian volume (p = 0.02) and antral follicle count (AFC) (p = 0.004), but not with anti‐Müllerian hormone (p = 0.05). However, serum GDF9 and BMP15 concentrations were not significantly different between control, PCOM and PCOS women, nor associated with androgenic or metabolic PCOS features. However, the relationship between GDF9 and AFC differed between control, PCOM and PCOS women (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Serum GDF9 and BMP15 concentrations somewhat reflect ovarian but not androgenic or metabolic characteristics of PCOS, with increased GDF9 reflecting high AFC as seen in PCOM/PCOS.
A configurational perspective of boards' attention structures
Authors: Schiehll Eduardo , Lewellyn Krista , Yan Wenxi
Published: November 2022

Research Question/Issue

What combinations of board attributes and contextual factors explain boards' selective distribution of attention between their dual role of resource provisioning and monitoring? At the board level, we consider board structure and breadth of knowledge, while the context in which boards operate is captured by the degree of external scrutiny, operational complexity, performance, and ownership structure.

Research Findings/Insights

Our study demonstrates that there are multiple ways board attributes bundle and combine with important elements of the context to promote similar board attention structures. Our findings provide evidence of the causal complexity underlying this phenomenon and corroborate the notions of equifinality and asymmetric causality among board‐, firm‐, and institution‐level conditions conducive to boards allocating more attention to either their resource provisioning or monitoring roles.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Our findings support the attention‐based view (ABV), suggesting that boards' selective distribution of attention is regulated by the combination of skills and knowledge directors bring to the firm and the stimuli provided by contextual factors. In doing so, we underscore the need for an extended theory on board effectiveness, as resource dependence‐ and agency‐based prescriptions about boards' behavior may be incomplete, since there is limited consideration by these theories of the bounded rationality of directors and the complex relationships between the factors that can frame boards' selective distribution of attention.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Our study informs efforts to disentangle the conditions under which different attributes combine and regulate boards' distribution of attention, which has implications for nomination committees and powerful actors who have influence on board appointments. Because our results reveal several causal paths that can promote similar board attention structures, decision makers may wish to recruit directors with specific attributes that will be the best fit for the firm's contextual conditions.
Prime editing in chicken fibroblasts and primordial germ cells
Authors: Atsuta Yuji , Suzuki Katsuya , Iikawa Hiroko , Yaguchi Haruna , Saito Daisuke
Published: November 2022

CRISPR/Cas9‐based genome editing technologies are revolutionizing developmental biology. One of the advanced CRISPR‐based techniques is prime editing (PE), which enables precise gene modification in multiple model organisms. However, there has been no report of taking advantage of the PE system for gene editing in primordial germ cells (PGCs) thus far. In the current study, we describe a method to apply PE to the genome of chicken fibroblasts and PGCs. By combining PE with a transposon‐mediated genomic integration, drug selection, and the single‐cell culture method, we successfully generated prime‐edited chicken fibroblasts and PGCs. The chicken PGC is widely used as an experimental model to study germ cell formation and as a vector for gene transfer to produce transgenic chickens. Such experimental models are useful in the developmental biology field and as potential bioreactors to produce pharmaceutical and nutritious proteins. Thus, the method presented here will provide not only a powerful tool to investigate gene function in germ cell development but also a basis for generating prime‐edited transgenic birds.
Aid for Trade is more effective when the trading environment is more predictable
Authors: Gnangnon Sèna Kimm
Published: November 2022

Aid for Trade (AfT) has been provided as part of the official development aid package to help developing countries better integrate into the global trading system. This article investigates whether AfT flows promote investment‐oriented remittances (IOR) inflows in a more predictable domestic trading environment. AfT interventions drive IOR inflows in countries that implement trade measures of good quality (i.e. those which lower both trade costs and trade costs volatility). These findings underline the role of AfT flows in promoting the development of the private sector in developing countries where the trading environment can be made increasingly predictable.
Habitat associations of riverine fishes among rocky shoals
Authors: Baynes Anna Y. , Freeman Mary C. , McKay Steven Kyle , Wenger Seth J.
Published: November 2022

Understanding species' associations with physical habitat conditions is a fundamental goal of ecology. For organisms that occupy lotic ecosystems, relationships to streamflow are of particular importance, but these associations are unstudied for most species. We tested the predictability of fish–microhabitat relationships in river shoals (shallow, rocky areas with relatively swift water flow) using a large data set from the Conasauga River in Georgia, USA. Our objective was to assess the consistency of species‐specific relationships with flow‐dependent variables (depth, velocity, Reynolds number and Froude number) while accounting for other microhabitat variables (e.g. vegetation). We used data from 8285 seine‐sets collected during late summer or autumn at 26 sites over 12 years to relate occurrence and counts of 22 fish species to habitat variables using generalised linear multiple regression models. Results showed that microhabitat models explained a substantial amount of the variation in counts for some species, although other species were poorly predicted. We classified 16 species as velocity specialists and nine species as depth specialists, with six species specialised for depth and velocity and three species classified as depth and velocity generalists. The variability in habitat associations that we observed suggests that species will be unevenly affected by anthropogenic activities that alter flows.
Bilingualism can cause enhanced monitoring and occasional delayed responses in a flanker task
Authors: Markiewicz Roksana , Mazaheri Ali , Krott Andrea
Published: November 2022

Complex cognitive tasks require different stages of processing (i.e. conflict monitoring, attentional resource allocation and stimulus categorisation). Performance differences between bilinguals and monolinguals on conflict tasks can be affected by the balance of these sub‐processes. The current study investigated the effect of bilingualism on these sub‐processes during a conflict task with medium monitoring demand. Behavioural responses and evoked potentials from bilinguals and monolinguals were examined during a flanker task with 25% incongruent trials. Behavioural differences were analysed by means of averaged response times and exponentially modified Gaussian analyses of response time distributions. For evoked potentials, the study focussed on N2 (reflecting conflict monitoring) and P3 responses (reflecting allocation of attentional resources for cognitive control). Bilinguals had significantly longer response distribution tails compared to monolinguals. Bilinguals were shown to have a more pronounced N2 and smaller P3 compared to monolinguals, independent of condition, suggesting a different balance of sub‐processes for the two groups. This suggests that bilinguals were engaged more strongly in monitoring processes, leading to the allocation of fewer attentional resources during stimulus categorisation. Additionally, the P3 amplitudes were negatively related with the length of response distribution tails for bilinguals. These results are consistent with enhanced conflict monitoring in bilinguals that led to reduced engagement of attentional resources for stimulus categorisation. This enhanced conflict monitoring could lead to occasional extremely slow responses. Thus, the bilingual experience appears to impact the balance of cognitive control processes during conflict tasks, which might only be reflected in a minority of responses.
Cohesion and conflict for mothers during the pandemic: Results of the Portuguese version of the COVID‐19 Household Environment Scale
Authors: Arsénio Joana , Fonseca Gabriela , Portugal Alda , Crespo Carla
Published: November 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is a worldwide event that has caused significant changes in the daily lives of individuals and families. The combined effect of the pandemic and the stress associated with major life cycle changes, such as the transition to parenthood, is yet to be understood. The aim of the current study was to validate the Portuguese version of the recently developed COVID‐19 Household Environment Scale (CHES) and examine its psychometric properties in a sample of mothers who had given birth during the pandemic. The CHES is a self‐report measure assessing the consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic in household cohesion and conflict and includes two sections. Section 1 contains 25 descriptive items pertaining to sociodemographic and household characteristics and COVID‐19 stressors. Section 2 encompasses household cohesion and conflict, assessing any change in household experiences and activities following the onset of social distancing. The participants consisted of 342 mothers, aged between 19 and 50 years (M = 31.43; SD = 4.38). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the original CHES bifactor structure of household cohesion and conflict, which obtained an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.065). Correlations between household cohesion and conflict and family cohesion and dyadic coping contributed to developing the construct validity of this scale. Furthermore, both CHES subscales demonstrated very good internal consistency. Further research is warranted to assess the CHES in other cultural contexts. This is a useful tool to assess change in family households due to the unprecedented adverse pandemic experience.
The effect of investor service costs on mutual fund performance
Authors: Jiang George J. , Yao Tong , Zaynutdinova Gulnara R.
Published: November 2022

We examine the effect of investor service costs on mutual fund performance. Benchmarking passive funds against ETFs managed by the same fund company with the same investment objectives, we show that passive funds on average underperform ETFs by 42 bps in annualized net returns, of which about 90% can be attributed to investor service costs. Further benchmarking active funds against passive funds, we show that active funds on average outperform passive funds by 31 bps in annualized gross returns. However, the higher expense ratios charged by active funds lead to about 28 bps of underperformance in annualized net fund returns.
Black German Poetic Ecologies: Joy and Diasporic Homecoming in Megaloh's “Oyoyo” and Leila Akinyi's “Oyoyo // Nyumbani”
Authors: Merritt Adrienne
Published: November 2022

This article focuses on the connection between ecology and poetics as seen in two tracks by Black German hip hop artists—‐Megaloh's “Oyoyo” (2016) and Leila Akinyi's “Oyoyo // Nyumbani” (2016). I discuss how cultural production opens possibilities to construct poetic and sonic environments that attend toAlltagsrassismusand negative stereotypes while also establishing new possibilities for joy and homecoming in diaspora. Derived from the Greek “oikos” meaning “house, dwelling place, habitation,” ecology points to the embodiment of lived experience and knowledge‐making in the “Oyoyo” tracks. Drawing on Audre Lorde's “Poetry is not a luxury” and the concept of Black joy, I demonstrate how these tracks promote varying understandings of diasporic homecoming and construct sonic ecologies in which Megaloh's and Akinyi's Germanness and Blackness are rendered compatible.
Black Elegy on Stage: Mourning Ancestors in Olumide Popoola's Also by Mail (2013) and Jackie Sibblies Drury's We Are Proud to Present (2014)
Authors: Watkins Jamele
Published: November 2022

The stage has become a site of mourning within Black diasporic theater. Olumide Popoola's Also by Mail (2013) and Jackie Sibblies Drury's We Are Proud to Present (2014) are two plays that stage mourning to remember ancestors who have transitioned. Popoola's play centers on one family and a father who has passed away, while Drury's play focuses on the collective genocide of the Herero in the German colony Southwest Africa. Popoola and Drury use theater to grieve and imagine alternatives and liberation. For Popoola, liberation materializes from ancestral spirits and citation practices. Drury's liberation emerges from questioning archival sources and methods. Through mourning, the playwrights imagine alternatives and undo harm. These deaths are a tragedy but the plays are not tragic. Through the lens of Black elegy, the plays offer radical remembering; they offer alternatives to traditional narratives and radical openness toward celebration of Black life.
Bismuth, esomeprazole, metronidazole and amoxicillin or tetracycline as a first‐line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tian Xue‐li , Suo Bao‐jun , Zhang Hua , Lu Hao‐ping , Li Cai‐ling , Zhang Yu‐xin , Ren Xin‐lu , Yao Xing‐yu , Zhou Li‐ya , Song Zhi‐qiang
Published: November 2022

Background

Due to general unavailability and common side effects of tetracycline, the clinical application of bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether amoxicillin can replace tetracycline in BQT remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety and compliance between amoxicillin‐containing and tetracycline‐containing BQT as a first‐line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Methods

This randomized trial was conducted on 404 naïve patients for H. pylori eradication. The participants were randomly assigned to 14‐day amoxicillin‐containing (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg four times/day, esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily, metronidazole 400 mg four times/day and amoxicillin 500 mg four times/day) and tetracycline‐containing (tetracycline 500 mg four times/day and the other three drugs used as above) BQT. Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed 4–8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome.

Results

As for the eradication rates of amoxicillin‐containing and tetracycline‐containing BQT, the results of both intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses showed that the difference rate of the lower limit of 95% confidence interval was above −10.0% (intention‐to‐treat analysis: 81.7% vs. 83.2%, with a rate difference of −1.5% [−6.3% to 9.3%]; per‐protocol analysis: 89.0% vs. 91.6%, −2.6% [−4.1% to 9.3%]). The incidence of adverse events in amoxicillin‐containing BQT was significantly lower than tetracycline‐containing BQT (29.5% vs. 39.7%). Both groups achieved relatively good compliance (92.0% vs. 89.9%).

Conclusion

The eradication efficacy of amoxicillin‐containing BQT was non‐inferior to tetracycline‐containing BQT as a first‐line regimen for H. pylori eradication with better safety and similar compliance.
Characterising patients and clinician experiences in comprehensive conservative care for kidney failure in Northern Queensland
Authors: Al Maraee Gheed , Vangaveti Venkat , Mallett Andrew
Published: November 2022

Background

Comprehensive conservative care (CCC) is an emerging treatment option in kidney failure (KF), but its implementation has been restricted by a limited understanding of KF populations, outcomes and clinician experiences.

Aims

This pilot study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients who are opting for (CCC) in North Queensland, Australia. It also aimed to highlight clinician factors impacting treatment discussions.

Methods

It was an observational study facilitated through an online cross‐sectional survey to nephrologists, nephrology advanced trainees and nurse practitioners working across North Queensland.

Results

Study participants disagreed with the statement that patients commencing dialysis are more likely to have cardiac co‐morbidities (46.7%), diabetes (40.0%), stroke (60.0%), liver disease (60.0%), chronic lung disease (53.3%), cognitive impairment (60.0%) and use of mobility aids (80.0%) than those commencing CCC. Conversely, they agreed that patients commencing dialysis are more likely to be independent (66.7%) and living in their private residence (40.0%). The median frailty score in patients choosing dialysis was 3.0 (interquartile range (IQR) 2.8–3.3), while that of patients selecting CCC was 4.5 (IQR 3.8–7.0). Our participants were aware of at least one clinical prognostication tool, and the one most frequently used was the ‘Surprise Question’ (46.2%, n = 6). Overall, our participants demonstrated low confidence (median 8.0%, IQR 6.0–8.0%) in facilitating CCC discussions.

Conclusion

Patients who are highly co‐morbid and frail and have functional impairment are suitable candidates for CCC. More focus needs to be placed on objective prognostication of patients and the upskilling of clinicians to advocate for, and deliver, CCC.
Institutional investors' corporate site visits and corporate investment efficiency
Authors: Xiao He
Published: November 2022

This study examines the association between institutional investors' corporate site visits (CSVs) and the visited firms' investment efficiency. Using unique CSVs' data from China, this study provides empirical evidence that institutional investors' CSVs lessen the visited firms' corporate investment inefficiency, including both over‐ and underinvestment. The negative relationship between CSVs and investment inefficiency is less pronounced for firms with higher quality financial reporting and better corporate governance. In addition, CSVs show a decrease in corporate overinvestment by monitoring the risk‐taking activities of younger CEOs and expansionary firms, and supervising the use of excess free cash flows. Meanwhile, CSVs could mitigate underinvestment by reducing managerial shirking from entrenched CEOs, such as dual or longer‐tenured CEOs. The possible economic mechanism behind this association is that CSVs increase institutional shareholding percentages. All the main findings are robust to a battery of endogeneity and robustness tests.
Pressureless sintering of LRH nanoplates on amorphous alumina for near‐infrared GAP:Mn4+ transparent ceramic film
Authors: Yao Jing , Chen Lu , Zhu Qi , Li Ji‐Guang
Published: November 2022

Transparent ceramics have become a research hotspot in the preparation of fluorescent materials in recent years, because of their excellent physical and chemical properties and high transparency. Gadolinium aluminate, as a stable matrix material, is often doped with various active ions to obtain luminescence with different colors. However, it is very difficult to fabricate gadolinium aluminate transparent ceramics by a traditional method, although they are the charming solid lighting materials. Here, we developed a pressureless sintering method to prepare GdAlO3:Mn (GAP:Mn) transparent ceramic films, which were prepared by spin coating layered rare‐earth hydroxide (LRH) on amorphous alumina substrate and sintering at 1550°C for 2 h. Through the interface reaction, the Al2O3 reacted with Gd2O3 to form mesophase Gd4Al2O9 below 1550°C. However, the final products are GdAlO3 at 1550°C. The GAP:Mn4+ film exhibits a high transmittance of about 90%. Under UV excitation at 310 nm, the ceramic film outputs deep red and NIR emissions, which are both arising from the 2Eg–4A2g transition of Mn4+. Due to the electron traps arising from unequal valence substitution, the ceramic film exhibits a negative thermal quenching phenomenon. The ceramic film has a good luminescence thermal stability, because its emission intensity at 150°C maintains over 72% that at room temperature. This work may pave a new way to fabricate transparent ceramics using LRHs.
Mapping uncertainty in precision medicine: A systematic scoping review
Authors: Lohse Simon
Published: November 2022

Rationale

Although precision medicine is seen by many as one of the most promising advances in the field of medicine, it has also raised critical questions at various levels. Many of these concerns revolve around an observation described by Kimmelman and Tannock as the ‘paradox of precision medicine’: somewhat surprisingly, uncertainty seems to be a key characteristic of precision medicine in practice.

Aims and Objective

To better understand this concept and the underlying issues, a scoping review was undertaken to search for factors stated in the literature as contributing to or being aspects of uncertainty in precision medicine.

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was conducted in three databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, and Jstor) and complemented with a systematic hand‐search. The initial search provided 1.252 items of which 51 articles for selected as eligible for further analysis. These articles were coded with MAXQDA and categorized into four main themes (a–d) of uncertainty. The main results were summarized and discussed with a view to the interrelations between different aspects and implications for precision medicine in practice.

Results

The mapping of different aspects and sources of uncertainty leads to the key result that ‘uncertainty’ should be understood as a cluster concept. Uncertainties are identified in many different respects and situated at different levels: Most complexity‐related issues (theme a) can best be understood as ontological (‘world‐sided’) aspects of the uncertainty paradox. Conceptual (theme b) and evidence‐related uncertainties (theme c) are situated on an epistemological or methodological level, addressing foundational and normative challenges related to knowledge production in precision medicine. Finally, theme (d) targets issues on the level of material precision medicine practices. These levels are helpful to understand the different dimensions of the uncertainty paradox.

Conclusions

Uncertainty may not merely be a transient effect of the novelty of the precision medicine paradigm. Rather, it should be seen as a consequence of the ontological, epistemological and practical complexity of precision medicine, implying that uncertainty will not necessarily be reduced by more research. This finding encourages further investigations to better understand the interactions among various factors and aspects of uncertainty in precision medicine and the resulting implications for research and medical practice.
Fractional carbon dioxide laser versus combined fractional CO2 laser and platelet rich plasma in treatment of facial wrinkles: A comparative split face study
Authors: Seoudy Wael M. , El Messallamy Haitham S. , Youssef Sahar S. , Zaki Marwa S. E.
Published: November 2022

Background

Wrinkles are the most visible sign in skin aging and for which many people seek different aesthetic procedures. Treatment options varies from invasive to non‐invasive procedures. Combining platelet rich plasma and fractional carbon dioxide laser (CO2) has been used frequently for showing promising results in treating photoaged skin generally and wrinkles specifically since the microscopic thermal zones created by the fractional laser facilitates the delivery of the plasma into the dermis which aids the process of collagen induction and skin rejuvenation.

Aim of the work

To compare and assess the clinical efficacy of fractional CO2 laser alone versus combined fractional CO2 laser and platelet rich plasma in treatment of facial rhytides (in terms of size, depth, and overall appearance).

Subjects and Methods

Twenty‐six female patients were selected and each face was split into 2 halves a control side (Laser + saline) and an experimental side (Laser + platelet rich plasma). Treatment plan was 1 laser session per month for a total of 4 sessions. Clinical objective evaluation was done by the Antera camera in addition to assessment by two blinded dermatologists.

Results

The combined treatment was as effective in improving wrinkles as fractional CO2 laser alone. Antera camera scores showed statistical significance in overall wrinkles measurements on each side equally.

Conclusion

Both treatment modalities gave optimum cosmetic results with no significant difference noticed when compared with each other, although overall satisfaction with wrinkles and skin were statistically greater than the initial satisfaction scores.
The effect of combined hyaluronic acid filler injection and radiofrequency treatment: A clinic histological analysis
Authors: Jurairattanaporn Natthachat , Amornpetkul Watinee , Rutnin Suthinee , Vachiramon Vasanop
Published: November 2022

Background

Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injections have increased in popularity. They are usually performed in combination with other treatment modalities, including lasers and energy‐based devices, to enhance cosmetic results. Theoretically, HA and other filler injections should be performed after laser‐ or energy‐based device treatments. In some instances, however, practitioners are asked to administer laser‐ or energy‐based device treatment after HA dermal filler injection. There is a concerning possibility of HA filler degradation as a result of bulk heating generated by lasers or energy‐based devices, especially radiofrequency (RF).

Aim

To evaluate the effect of RF treatment at different time points on HA degradation in vivo, using clinicohistological analysis.

Patients/methods

Fourteen volunteers were recruited and received intradermal HA filler injections in four sites on the abdomen. One site served as the control, and the other three sites were treated with monopolar RF on the same day after injection, at 14 and 28 days post‐injection. Skin biopsies were performed at baseline and 56 days after HA injection. Histopathological sections were reviewed for residual filler in the tissue.

Results

The results showed that HA grading scores decreased in five (35.71%), one (7.14%), and one (7.14%) participants when RF was performed immediately, 14 and 28 days after injection, respectively.

Conclusion

In conclusion, RF treatment after HA filler injection may affect the integrity of the HA filler in the tissue, especially if RF treatment was performed on the same day after HA injection.
Fingerprinting and Biopolitical Police Surveillance in Turkey
Authors: Özşeker Erhan , Mercan Boran Ali
Published: November 2022

This paper problematises the 2007 amendments to Article 5 of the Police Powers and Duties Law (PPDL) in Turkey that categorises all citizens as ‘potential suspects’ through fingerprinting technology. The amended article requires everyone to submit fingerprint samples when applying for certain official documents such as driver's licences, passports, and ID cards. Consequently, the result has been dramatic: the police have so far proactively recorded more than 60 million people's fingerprints in the process of issuing these documents. Yet, there has been no research into this phenomenon. This paper suggests that this sort of biometric police surveillance is not a recent development, rather part of a long tradition within policing ‘Turkish’ national interests. Following Foucault's genealogical methodology, the paper argues that the governability of a large heterogeneous population across a vast territory has always demanded biometric policing technologies, addressing biopolitical proximity between the capacity building of modern security apparatus and identifying the unknown masses. Studying the historical data comparatively reveals that fingerprinting first started with recording exceptional groups such as criminals and convicts in Europe, while from the late Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey, large sections of the population have always persistently been targeted by police regulations.
Post‐COVID‐19 condition in the German working population: A cross‐sectional study of 200,000 registered stem cell donors
Authors: Bernas Stefanie N. , Baldauf Henning , Real Ruben , Sauter Jürgen , Markert Jan , Trost Sarah , Tausche Kristin , Behrends Uta , Schmidt Alexander H. , Schetelig Johannes
Published: November 2022

Background

The SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic has strained health systems worldwide, and infection numbers continue to rise. While previous data have already shown that many patients suffer from symptoms for months after an acute infection, data on risk factors and long‐term outcomes are incomplete, particularly for the working population.

Objectives

We aimed to provide information on the prevalence of post‐COVID‐19 conditions in a subset of the German working‐age population (18–61 years old) and to analyze risk factors.

Methods

We conducted an online survey with a health questionnaire among registered potential stem cell donors with or without a self‐reported history of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Logistic regression models were used to examine the risks of severity of acute infection, sex, age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, and arterial hypertension medication on post‐COVID‐19 symptoms.

Results

A total of 199,377 donors reported evaluable survey questionnaires—12,609 cases had a history of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and 186,768 controls had none. Overall, cases reported physical, cognitive, and psychological complaints more frequently compared to controls. Increased rates of complaints persisted throughout 15 months postinfection, for example, 28.4%/19.3% of cases/controls reported fatigue (p <0.0001) and 9.5%/3.6% of cases/controls reported loss of concentration (p <0.0001). No significant differences were observed in the frequency of reported symptoms between 3 and 15 months postinfection. Multivariate analysis revealed a strong influence of the severity of the acute SARS‐CoV‐2 infection episode and age on the risk for post‐COVID‐19 conditions.

Conclusion

We report the prevalence of post‐COVID‐19 conditions in mainly unvaccinated individuals with SARS‐CoV‐2 infections between February 2020 and August 2021. The severity of the acute course and age were major risk factors. Vaccinations may reduce the risk of post‐COVID‐19 conditions by reducing the risk of severe infections.
Full arch immediate occlusal loading using site specific implants: A clinical series of 10 patients (13 arches)
Authors: Morris Gary A. , Steinberg Mark J. , Drago Carl
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Osseointegration of dental endosseous implants has proven to be effective, predictable, and clinically successful. Unloaded healing protocols were originally used in treating edentulous patients. Full arch immediate occlusal loading protocols have been shown to be as effective as unloaded healing protocols. This paper reports on the results, benefits, and limitations of one specific immediate loading protocol using site specific implants for fresh extraction and healed extraction sites.

Materials and methods

Ten consecutive patients [{13 arches} (age range: 64‐81 years; average: 70.1) (4 males/6 females) were treated by the first 2 authors in private practice settings. Hopeless teeth were scheduled for extraction with immediate implant placement and immediate loading with insertion of full arch, screw‐retained, acrylic resin interim prostheses within 24 hours. Implants were also placed into healed edentulous ridges. Insertion torque values for each implant were recorded. Interim prostheses were removed after at least 3 months of healing. Implants were reverse torque tested (35 Ncm) and evaluated for macroscopic mobility. Definitive full arch prostheses were made. Patients were followed for 21 to 48 months postimplant surgery. Panoramic radiographs were taken immediately postimplant placement and 1 year postoperative.

Results

Thirteen arches were treated; 11 ultrawide diameter implants were placed into molar sockets, 26 inverted body‐shift implants were placed into anterior sockets; 25 standard diameter, tapered implants were placed into edentulous sites; 2 zygomatic implants were placed in one patient. The total number of implants placed was 64 (4 preexisting implants were also used and not included in this study). The minimum implant insertion torque value was 20 Ncm. After 12 to 18 months of function (average 14 months), the implant and prosthetic survival rates were 100%. Eight patients were restored with definitive zirconia or acrylic resin hybrid fixed prostheses. Two patients were restored with bar titanium frameworks and removable overdenture prostheses. No prosthetic complications were reported for the definitive prostheses.

Conclusions

The results of this clinical series with site specific implants and immediate full arch occlusal loading in treating edentulous patients resulted in 100% clinical implant and prosthetic survival rates. According to this study, this protocol can be used with high levels of anticipated success.
Does Electing Women Reduce Corruption? A Regression Discontinuity Approach
Authors: Pereira Miguel M. , Fernandez‐Vazquez Pablo
Published: November 2022

Previous studies uncovered a negative relationship between the proportion of women in public office and corruption. These findings have inspired anti‐corruption programs around the world. It remains unclear, however, whether there is a causal link between the share of women in office and malfeasance. For instance, gender differences in political experience or access to corruption networks might explain this relationship. We leverage the gradual implementation of gender quotas in Spain to isolate the effects of female descriptive representation on public misconduct and adjudicate between alternative explanations. The analyses suggest a causal link between gender and malfeasance in office: the reform generated an exogenous increase in the share of women elected, which led to a decrease in corruption that was sustained over time. This finding enhances our understanding of the effect of public officials' characteristics on policy outcomes, and of the role of parity laws in promoting political change.
Implementing a Care Pathway for small and nutritionally at‐risk infants under six months of age: A multi‐country stakeholder consultation
Authors: van Immerzeel Tabitha D. , Diagne Maty , Deme/Ly Indou , Murungi Amanda E. , Diouf Saliou , Kerac Marko , Grijalva‐Eternod Carlos S. , Day Louise T.
Published: November 2022

Nutritional vulnerability under the age of 6 months is prevalent in low‐ and middle‐income countries with 20.1% infants underweight, 21.3% wasted and 17.6% stunted in a recent review. A novel Care Pathway for improved management of small and nutritionally at‐risk infants under 6 months and their mothers (MAMI) has recently been developed to provide outpatient care at large coverage. We aimed to investigate stakeholders’ views on the feasibility of its implementation and to identify barriers and enablers. This was an early stage formative mixed‐methods study: an online survey plus in‐depth interviews with country‐level stakeholders in nutrition and child health from different geographical regions and stakeholder groups. 189 stakeholders from 42 countries responded to the online survey and 14 remote interviews were conducted. Participants expressed an urgent need for improved detection and care for small and nutritionally at‐risk infants under 6 months. Whilst they considered the MAMI Care Pathway feasible and relevant, they noted it was largely unknown in their country. The most mentioned implementation barriers were: community‐specific needs and health care seeking barriers, health workers’ lack of competence in breastfeeding counselling and the absence of a validated anthropometric screening method. Possible enablers for its implementation were: patients’ preference for outpatient care, integrating the MAMI care pathway into existing maternal and child health programmes and the possibility of a local pilot project. Adaptation to the local context was considered crucial in further scale‐up.
Foliar water uptake enables embolism removal in excised twigs of Avicennia marina
Authors: Fuenzalida Tomás I. , Blacker Matthew J. , Turner Michael , Sheppard Adrian , Ball Marilyn C.
Published: November 2022

Embolism refilling is thought to require relaxation of xylem tension, and it is unclear whether and how tall trees or plants growing in arid or saline soils recover from embolism. We tested whether foliar water uptake could enable embolism refilling in dehydrated twigs of the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina).

Four dehydrated twigs were imaged by laboratory‐based micro‐computed tomography before and after wetting leaves.

Emboli were observed in dehydrated stems and leaves. Embolism decreased with increasing distance from the cut end of stems, suggesting that stem emboli were caused by cutting. A significant (P = 0.026) c. 80% reduction in the embolised area was observed in leaves between the start and the end of the experiment (29 ± 10 h after wetting). Embolus diameter was unaffected by wetting.

Embolism refilling occurred slowly, in stems embolised by cutting and leaves embolised by cutting and/or dehydration. The lack of response of embolus diameter to wetting suggests that capillarity was not the main mechanism for refilling. Results show that excised twigs of A. marina are able to recover from embolism by absorption of atmospheric water and call for studies under natural conditions.