bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between regular GP contact, diabetes monitoring and glucose control: an observational study using general practice data
Authors: Youens David , Robinson Suzanne , Doust Jenny , Harris Mark N , Moorin Rachael
Published: November 2021

Objective

Continuity and regularity of general practitioner (GP) contacts are associated with reduced hospitalisation in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We assessed associations of these GP contact patterns with intermediate outcomes reflecting patient monitoring and health.

Design

Observational longitudinal cohort study using general practice data 2011–2017.

Setting

193 Australian general practices in Western Australia and New South Wales participating in the MedicineInsight programme run by NPS MedicineWise.

Participants

22 791 patients aged 18 and above with T2DM.

Interventions

Regularity was assessed based on variation in the number of days between GP visits, with more regular contacts assumed to indicate planned, proactive care. Informational continuity (claims for care planning incentives) and relational continuity (usual provider of care index) were assessed separately.

Outcome measures

Process of care indicators were glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test underuse (8 months without test), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) underuse (14 months) and HbA1c overuse (two tests within 80 days). The clinical indicator was T2DM control (HbA1c 6.5% (47.5 mmol/mol)–7.5% (58.5 mmol/mol)).

Results

The quintile with most regular contact had reduced odds of HbA1c and eGFR underuse (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.81 and OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.86, respectively), but increased odds of HbA1c overuse (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.38). Informational continuity was associated with reduced odds of HbA1c underuse (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.56), reduced eGFR underuse (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.67) and higher odds of HbA1c overuse (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.64). Neither had significant associations with HbA1c level. Results for relational continuity differed.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that regularity and continuity influence processes of care in the management of patients with diabetes, though this did not result in the recording of HbA1c within target range. Research should capture these intermediate outcomes to better understand how GP contact patterns may influence health rather than solely assessing associations with hospitalisation outcomes.
Potential impact of a novel pathway for suspected myocardial infarction utilising a new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay
Authors: Meek Rob , Cullen Louise , Lu Zhong Xian , Nasis Arthur , Kuhn Lisa , Sorace Laurence
Published: November 2021

Background

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assays promise high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial infarction (MI). In an ED where conventional cTnI was in use, we evaluated an assessment pathway using the new Access hsTnI assay.

Methods

This retrospective analysis recruited ED patients with suspected MI between June and September 2019. All patients received routine care with a conventional cTnI assay (AccuTnI +3: limit of detection (LoD) 10 ng/L, 99th centile upper reference limit (URL) 40 ng/L, abnormal elevation cut-point 80 ng/L). Arrival, then 90-minute or 360-minute cTnI levels for low and non-low risk patients, respectively (ED Assessment of Chest pain score) guided diagnosis and disposition which was at treating physician discretion. The same patients had arrival and 90-minute or 180-minute samples drawn for hs-cTnI levels (Access hsTnI: LoD 2 ng/L, 99th centile URL 10 ng/L (females) and 20 ng/L (males); abnormal elevation above the URL and delta >30%). Treating physicians were blinded to the hs-cTnI results. Using the hs-cTnI values, investigators retrospectively assigned likely diagnosis, disposition and likelihood of a 30-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE). Admission was recommended for significantly rising hs-cTnI elevations. The primary objective was to demonstrate an acceptable unexpected 30-day post-discharge MACE rate of <1%. cTnI elevation rates, diagnostic outcomes and ED disposition were also compared between pathways.

Results

For the 935 patients, unexpected 30-day post-discharge MACE rates were 0/935 (0%, 95% CI 0% to 0.4%) with the conventional or novel pathway. For the high-sensitivity and conventional assays, respectively, abnormal elevation rates were 29% (95% CI 26% to 32%) and 19% (95% CI 17% to 22%), for MI were 9% (95% CI 8% to 11%) and 8% (95% CI 6% to 10%), and for hospital admission were 42% (95% CI 39% to 45%) and 43% (95% CI 40% to 47%).

Conclusion

The novel pathway using the Access hsTnI assay has an acceptably low 30-day MACE rate.
Beyond Rings: Gathering in 1-Interval Connected Graphs
Authors: Michail Othon , Spirakis Paul G. , Theofilatos Michail
Published: November 2021

We examine the problem of gathering [Formula: see text] agents (or multi-agent rendezvous) in dynamic graphs which may change in every round. We consider a variant of the [Formula: see text]-interval connectivity model [9] in which all instances (snapshots) are always connected spanning subgraphs of an underlying graph, not necessarily a clique. The agents are identical and not equipped with explicit communication capabilities, and are initially arbitrarily positioned on the graph. The problem is for the agents to gather at the same node, not fixed in advance. We first show that the problem becomes impossible to solve if the underlying graph has a cycle. In light of this, we study a relaxed version of this problem, called weak gathering, where the agents are allowed to gather either at the same node, or at two adjacent nodes. Our goal is to characterize the class of 1-interval connected graphs and initial configurations in which the problem is solvable, both with and without homebases. On the negative side we show that when the underlying graph contains a spanning bicyclic subgraph and satisfies an additional connectivity property, weak gathering is unsolvable, thus we concentrate mainly on unicyclic graphs. As we show, in most instances of initial agent configurations, the agents must meet on the cycle. This adds an additional difficulty to the problem, as they need to explore the graph and recognize the nodes that form the cycle. We provide a deterministic algorithm for the solvable cases of this problem that runs in [Formula: see text] number of rounds.
Non-random behavior in sums of modular symbols
Authors: Cowan Alex
Published: November 2021

We give explicit expressions for the Fourier coefficients of Eisenstein series twisted by Dirichlet characters and modular symbols on [Formula: see text] in the case where N is prime and equal to the conductor of the Dirichlet character. We obtain these expressions by computing the spectral decomposition of automorphic functions closely related to these Eisenstein series. As an application, we then evaluate certain sums of modular symbols in a way which parallels past work of Goldfeld, O’Sullivan, Petridis, and Risager. In one case we find less cancelation in this sum than would be predicted by the common phenomenon of “square root cancelation”, while in another case we find more cancelation.
Recent Developments in Polarizable Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Electrolyte Solutions
Authors: Szabadi András , Schröder Christian
Published: November 2021

Polarizable molecular dynamics simulations are a fast progressing field in the scientific research of ionic liquids. The fundamentals of polarizable simulations, as well as their application to ionic liquids, were summarized in a review [Bedrov, D.; Piquemal, J.-P.; Borodin, O.; MacKerell, Jr., A. D.; Roux, B.; Schröder, C. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Ionic Liquids and Electrolytes Using Polarizable Force Fields. Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 7940–7995] in 2019. Since then, new methods to treat intermolecular interaction of induced dipoles in these highly charged systems were developed. This concerns the damping of these interactions and additional charge transfer as well as the prediction of ionic materials with ultrahigh refractive indices. In addition to the progress of the polarizable force fields, also thermostats and barostats for polarizable simulations evolved recently.
TaDA Live: Compositional Reasoning for Termination of Fine-grained Concurrent Programs
Authors: D’Osualdo Emanuele , Sutherland Julian , Farzan Azadeh , Gardner Philippa
Published: November 2021

We present TaDA Live, a concurrent separation logic for reasoning compositionally about the termination of blocking fine-grained concurrent programs. The crucial challenge is how to deal with
abstract atomic blocking
: that is, abstract atomic operations that have blocking behaviour arising from busy-waiting patterns as found in, for example, fine-grained spin locks. Our fundamental innovation is with the design of abstract specifications that capture this blocking behaviour as liveness assumptions on the environment. We design a logic that can reason about the termination of clients that use such operations without breaking their abstraction boundaries, and the correctness of the implementations of the operations with respect to their abstract specifications. We introduce a novel semantic model using layered subjective obligations to express liveness invariants and a proof system that is sound with respect to the model. The subtlety of our specifications and reasoning is illustrated using several case studies.
Conjugated Microporous Polycarbazole-Sulfur Cathode Used in a Lithium-Sulfur Battery
Authors: Ramezanitaghartapeh Mohammad , Musameh Mustafa , Hollenkamp Anthony F. , Mahon Peter J.
Published: November 2021

The electropolymerization of Conjugated Microporous Poly-1,3,5-tris (N-carbazolyl) benzene (CMPTCBz) was investigated using a range of techniques. After the potential window was optimized for the electropolymerization process, a fixed potential was found to generate a CMPTCBz with minimal overoxidation and a high BET surface area. The CMPTCBz was mixed with sulfur and used in the optimized preparation of CMPTCBz-S cathodes. Coin cells were assembled with lithium metal used as the anode and electrochemically evaluated. Results showed that the CMPTCBz-S cathodes with different sulfur loadings have excellent charge/discharge cycling performance with initial discharge capacities ranging from 800 to 1400 mAh·g−1S and a capacity retention greater than 80% after 100 cycles. This is due to both the enhanced electrical conductivity of the cathode and physical confinement of the generated lithium-polysulfides inside the pores of the CMPTCBz. In a further experiment, a high sulfur loaded CMPTCBz-S cathode produced an initial discharge capacity of 548 mAh·g−1S and a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles using an organic electrolyte. Analysis using XPS showed that the sulfur to polysulfide conversion coupled with the dual functionality of the CMPTCBz in retaining the generated polysulfide are the key parameters for this superior performance.
Indole-3-propionic acid, a tryptophan-derived bacterial metabolite, increases blood pressure via cardiac and vascular mechanisms in rats
Authors: Konopelski Piotr , Chabowski Dawid , Aleksandrowicz Marta , Kozniewska Ewa , Podsadni Piotr , Szczepanska Agnieszka , Ufnal Marcin
Published: November 2021

Recent evidence suggests that gut bacteria-derived metabolites interact with the cardiovascular system and alter blood pressure (BP) in mammals. Here, we evaluated the effect of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a gut bacteria-derived metabolite of tryptophan, on the circulatory system. Arterial BP, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic (ECHO) parameters were recorded in male, anesthetized, 12-wk-old Wistar-Kyoto rats at baseline and after intravenous administration of either IPA or vehicle. In additional experiments, rats were pretreated with prazosin or pentolinium to evaluate the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in cardiovascular responses to IPA. IPA’s concentrations were measured using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The reactivity of endothelium-intact and -denuded mesenteric resistance arteries was tested. Cells’ viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assays were performed on cultured cardiomyocytes. IPA increased BP with a concomitant bradycardic response but no significant change in QTc interval. The pretreatment with prazosin and pentolinium reduced the hypertensive response. ECHO showed increased contractility of the heart after the administration of IPA. Ex vivo, IPA constricted predilated and endothelium-denuded mesenteric resistance arteries and increased metabolic activity of cardiomyocytes. IPA increases BP via cardiac and vascular mechanisms in rats. Furthermore, IPA increases cardiac contractility and metabolic activity of cardiomyocytes. Our study suggests that IPA may act as a mediator between gut microbiota and the circulatory system.
RNO3 QTL regulates vascular structure and arterial stiffness in the spontaneously hypertensive rat
Authors: Morgan Eric E. , Morran Michael P. , Horen Nicholas G. , Weaver David A. , Nestor-Kalinoski Andrea L.
Published: November 2021

Increased arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular morbidity. Thus, understanding the factors contributing to vascular stiffness is of critical importance. Here, we used a rat model containing a known quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 3 (RNO3) for vasoreactivity to assess potential genetic elements contributing to blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and their downstream effects on cardiac structure and function. Although no differences were found in blood pressure at any time point between parental spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and congenic SHR.BN3 rats, the SHRs showed a significant increase in arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity. The degree of arterial stiffness increased with age in the SHRs and was associated with compensatory cardiac changes at 16 wk of age, and decompensatory changes at 32 wk, with no change in cardiac structure or function in the SHR.BN3 hearts at these time points. To evaluate the arterial wall structure, we used multiphoton microscopy to quantify cells and collagen content within the adventitia and media of SHR and SHR.BN3 arteries. No difference in cell numbers or proliferation rates was found, although phenotypic diversity was characterized in vascular smooth muscle cells. Herein, significant anatomical and physiological differences related to arterial structure and cardiovascular tone including collagen, pulse wave velocity (PWV), left ventricular (LV) geometry and function, and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contractile apparatus proteins were associated with the RNO3 QTL, thus providing a novel platform for studying arterial stiffness. Future studies delimiting the RNO3 QTL could aid in identifying genetic elements responsible for arterial structure and function.
The Integrative Analysis of Thrombospondin Family Genes in Pan-Cancer Reveals that THBS2 Facilitates Gastrointestinal Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Zhang Chunfeng , Hu Chenyu , Su Kunqi , Wang Kun , Du Xiaojuan , Xing Baocai , Liu Xiaofeng
Published: November 2021

Recent cancer studies have found that the thrombospondin (THBS) family, including THBS1, THBS2, THBS3, THBS4, and THBS5, play vital roles in the development and progression of human cancers. However, their relationships with tumor stage, prognosis, and tumor immunity in pan-cancer have not been systematically reported. In the present study, we employed versatile public databases to assess the expression and mutations of different THBSs in pan-cancer and performed functional experiments to analyze the roles of THBS2 in gastrointestinal cancer metastasis. Our findings indicate that THBS genes are frequently mutated in various cancers and the dysregulation of THBS family members is associated with the progression of some cancers such as gastric cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. Further analyses indicate that THBS genes are associated with cancer hallmarks such as cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, thrombospondins, especially THBS1 and THBS2, are correlated with the immune cell infiltration level in gastrointestinal cancers. Our experiments further verified that THBS2 participates in tumor metastasis by enhancing EMT. Therefore, the overall analyses reveal that THBSs might offer us potential chances for tumor diagnosis and therapy.
Finite-Horizon H-Infinity Control for Time-Varying State-Saturated Systems under Stochastic Communication Protocol
Authors: Huang Kewang , Pan Feng
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the H∞ control problem is investigated for a class of time-varying state-saturated systems with both stochastic parameters and nonlinearities under the stochastic communication protocol (SCP). The sensor-to-controller network is considered where only one sensor can obtain access to the communication network at each transmission instant. The SCP is adopted to mitigate the undesirable data collision phenomenon. The model transformation technique is employed to simplify the addressed problem, and then, the completing squares method is carried out to obtain a sufficient condition for the existence of the finite-horizon H∞ controller. The controller parameters are characterized by solving two coupled backward recursive Riccati-like difference equations. A simulation example is finally utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller design scheme.
ECG Signal Detection and Classification of Heart Rhythm Diseases Based on ResNet and LSTM
Authors: Xie Qiyang , Wang Xingrui , Sun Hongyu , Zhang Yongtao , Lu Xiang
Published: November 2021

Arrhythmia is one of the most threatening diseases in all kinds of cardiovascular diseases. It is important to achieve efficient and accurate automatic detection of arrhythmias for clinical diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Based on previous research on electrocardiogram (ECG) automatic detection and classification algorithm, this paper uses the ResNet34 network to learn the morphological characteristics of ECG signals and get the significant information of signals, then passes into a three-layer stacked long-term and short-term memory network to get the context dependency of the features. Finally, four classification tasks are implemented on the PhysioNet Challenge 2017 test dataset by using the softmax function. The activation function is changed from the ReLu function to the mish function in this model. Negative information of ECG signals is considered in the training process, which makes the model have more stable and accurate classification ability. In addition, this paper calculates and compares the average information entropy of correctly classified samples and incorrectly classified samples in the test set. Moreover, it eliminates the impact of obvious signal abnormalities (redundancy or loss) on the model classification results, to more comprehensively and accurately explain the classification effect and performance of the model. After eliminating the possibility of abnormal signal, the ResNet34-LSTM3 model obtained an average

F
1

score of 0.861 and an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of 0.972 on the test dataset, which indicates that the model can effectively extract the characteristics of ECG signals and diagnose arrhythmia diseases. Comparing the results of the ResNet34 model and ResNet-18 model on the same test dataset, we can see that the improved model in this paper has a better classification and recognition effect on ECG signals as a whole, which can identify atrial fibrillation diseases more effectively.
A Class of Inexact Secant Algorithms with Line Search Filter Method for Nonlinear Programming
Authors: Wang Zhujun , Cai Li
Published: November 2021

We propose a class of inexact secant methods in association with the line search filter technique for solving nonlinear equality constrained optimization. Compared with other filter methods that combine the line search method applied in most large-scale optimization problems, the inexact line search filter algorithm is more flexible and realizable. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of the local superlinear convergence rate of the algorithms, while their global convergence properties can be obtained by making an analogy with our previous work. These methods have been implemented in a Matlab code, and detailed numerical results indicate that the proposed algorithms are efficient for 43 problems from the CUTEr test set.
Environmental Health Risk Evaluation Model for Coastal Chemical Industry
Authors: Zhao Chen , Zhang Yongsheng , Niu Tong , Ayana Melkamu Teshome
Published: November 2021

There are numerous uncertainties associated with environmental health risk assessment (EHRA), and it is unavoidable to apply the best models and information available to save human lives. The EHRA is a method for determining the type and likelihood of adverse health effects on people who are exposed to chemicals in the workplace. To address the environmental health problems caused by harmful gas leakage and water pollution generated by the coastal regional chemical industry, a novel EHRA model for the coastal chemical industry has been developed. The premise of the Gauss plume diffusion model is used to define the model’s parameters and the evaluation criterion for harmful gas concentration health risk. The EHRA model is evaluated against the leakage of harmful gases and consists of three steps. The first step is to identify the threat posed by the chemical industry in the coastal region; the second step is to quantify the risk; the third step is to develop a model for assessing water-related environmental health risk. The water-related environmental health assessor analyzes the pollutant variables and parameters of the assessment model to estimate the health risk caused by dangerous compounds in the water, using the assessment model of chemical carcinogen health risk and noncarcinogen health risk Type B. The experiments’ findings suggest that the model can effectively assess the dangers to human health from hazardous gases and heavy metals in the water bodies of chemical factories in coastal communities.
Dynamic Mechanical Response and Dissipated Energy Analysis of Sandstone under Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Authors: Man Ke , Liu Zongxu , Song Zhifei , Liu Xiaoli
Published: November 2021

Based on the sandstone from the slope of Baorixile open-pit mining area in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia, the dynamic uniaxial compression test of sandstone with different freeze-thaw cycles has been carried out by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar test (SHPB). The test results show that the crushing degree of sandstone becomes serious with the freeze-thaw cycle times and strain rate increases. The dynamic compressive strength increases with the raise of strain rate under the same freeze-thaw cycles, while it reduces with the increases of freeze-thaw cycles at the same strain rate. It is found that the 10 freeze-thaw cycles are an obvious inflection point. When it is less than 10 cycles, the dynamic compressive strength of sandstone specimens decreases rapidly, it is more than 10 cycles, and the strength decreases gradually. This is due to that the evolution progress of pores in sandstone is more uniform after a certain number of freeze-thaw cycles. Meantime, the effect of freezing and thawing is mostly restrained by the pore evolution. On the other hand, the dissipated energy required for sandstone failure grows up with the increase of the number of freeze-thaw cycles. It shows that more energy is needed for the engender of pores and fractures in sandstone caused by freeze-thaw cycle. This led to the deterioration of sandstone structural stability and the decrease of dynamic mechanical properties.
Shortest Path Selection Algorithm for Cold Chain Logistics Transportation Based on Improved Artificial Bee Colony
Authors: Liu Zhihuan
Published: November 2021

Aiming at the problems of low shortest path selection accuracy, longer response time, and poor selection effect in current cold chain logistics transportation methods, a cold chain logistics transportation shortest path selection algorithm based on improved artificial bee colony is proposed. The improved algorithm is used to initialize the food source, reevaluate the fitness value of the food source, generate a new food source, optimize the objective function and food source evaluation strategy, and get an improved artificial bee colony algorithm. Based on the improved artificial bee colony algorithm, the group adaptive mechanism of particle swarm algorithm is introduced to initialize the position and velocity of each particle randomly. Dynamic detection factor and octree algorithm are adopted to dynamically update the path of modeling environment information. According to the information sharing mechanism between individual particles, the group adaptive behavior control is performed. After the maximum number of cycles, the path planning is completed, the shortest path is output, and the shortest path selection of cold chain logistics transportation is realized. The experimental results show that the shortest path selection effect of the cold chain logistics transportation of the proposed algorithm is better, which can effectively improve the shortest path selection accuracy and reduce the shortest path selection time.
LINC00665 Targets miR-214-3p/MAPK1 Axis to Accelerate Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth and Warburg Effect
Authors: Wan Hongyu , Tian Yi , Zhao Juan , Su Xiao
Published: November 2021

Inhibition of aerobic glycolysis is a hopeful method for cancer treatment. In this study, we aimed to explore LINC00665/miR-214-3p/MAPK1 role in regulating cell viability and aerobic glycolysis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expressions of LINC00665 in 50 paired HCC tissues and normal tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. Pearson analysis was applied to evaluate the association between the expression levels of miR-214-3p, LINC00665, and MAPK1 in HCC tissues. The interactions between miR-214-3p and LINC00665 or MAPK1 were determined by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used for cell viability evaluation. Lactate production, glucose consumption, and ATP levels were measured to assess Warburg effect. The results showed that LINC00665 was overexpressed in HCC, which positively associated with MAPK1 level and negatively associated with miR-214-3p level in HCC tissues. Overexpression of LINC00665 led to significant enhancements in cell viability and colony formation, whereas this effect was weakened when miR-214-3p was overexpressed or MAPK1 was downregulated. In addition, deletion of LINC00665 expression repressed tumor formation in vivo. Mechanically, LINC00665 increased MAPK1 expression through binding to miR-214-3p. Collectively, this study revealed that LINC00665 accelerated cell growth and Warburg effect through sponging miR-214-3p to increase MAPK1 expression in HCC.
Risk Factors for Drug Resistance in Epileptic Children with Age of Onset above Five Years: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Mangunatmadja Irawan , Indra Raden Muhammad , Widodo Dwi Putro , Rafli Achmad
Published: November 2021

Background. Children with epilepsy with onset above five years encompass distinct epidemiological and clinical characteristics that may have specific risk factors for resistance to antiseizure medications (ASMs). Studies on this age group are limited. Purpose. To identify risk factors for drug resistance in children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years. Methods. A case-control study was conducted on children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years visiting the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of Cipto Mangunkusumo and Mohammad Hoesin Hospital between September 2015 and August 2016. Cases consisted of drug-resistant children while control consisted of drug-responsive children according to 2010 ILAE classification. Risk factors studied include onset, number of seizures, illness duration before treatment, cause, seizure type, status epilepticus, initial and evolution of EEG, brain imaging, and initial treatment response. Results. Thirty-two pairs of children were included in the study. After logistic regression analysis, symptomatic etiology and failure to achieve early response to treatment were found to be associated with drug resistance with adjusted OR of 84.71 (95% CI: 5.18-1359.15) and 72.55 (95% CI: 7.08-743.85), respectively. Conclusion. Poor initial response to ASM and symptomatic etiology are independent risk factors for drug resistance in children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years.
Antimicrobial Properties of Silver Nitrate Nanoparticle and Its Application in Endodontics and Dentistry: A Review of Literature
Authors: Thangavelu Lakshmi , Adil Abdul Habeeb , Arshad Sohaib , Devaraj Ezhilarasan , Mallineni Sreekanth Kumar , Sajja Rishitha , Chakradhar Anil , Karobari Mohmed Isaqali
Published: November 2021

Background. The silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are the most acceptable and excellent nanotechnology-based product among all metallic nanoparticles (noble metals). They are novel in terms of good conductivity, catalytic, chemical stability, and most significant anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. Aim. This review is aimed at understanding the synthesis, mechanism, and applications of Ag NPs in dentistry and their qualities to aid clinicians and researchers. Materials and Methods. A electronic search for literature was performed on the Google Scholar, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for related articles using multiple keywords. The keywords used were antimicrobial properties, mechanism of action, and current uses of Ag NPs in dentistry. The search was limited to articles published in the English language; no deadline was set for publications. Results. About 185 articles were considered relevant to the reported research out of 6420 electronic search results. Only the publications that were required were received after all abstracts were assessed for relevance. After a final electronic and manual search, roughly 47 research publications were found to be helpful in this study. Conclusion. The Ag NPs, unlike other biomaterials used in dentistry, have unique biological features and could be used in endodontics, restorative dentistry, periodontology, prosthetic dentistry, implantology, and oral malignancies, because of their antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral effects.
Atrial High‐Rate Episode Duration Thresholds and Thromboembolic Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Sagris Dimitrios , Georgiopoulos Georgios , Pateras Konstantinos , Perlepe Kalliopi , Korompoki Eleni , Milionis Haralampos , Tsiachris Dimitrios , Chan Cheuk , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Ntaios George
Published: November 2021

Background

Available evidence supports an association between atrial high‐rate episode (AHRE) burden and thromboembolic risk, but the necessary extent and duration of AHREs to increase the thromboembolic risk remain to be defined. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to identify the thromboembolic risk associated with various AHRE thresholds.

Methods and Results

We searched PubMed and Scopus until January 9, 2020, for literature reporting AHRE duration and thromboembolic risk in patients with implantable electronic devices. The outcome assessed was stroke or systemic embolism. Risk estimates were reported as hazard ratio (HR) or relative risk alongside 95% CIs. We used the Paule‐Mandel estimator, and heterogeneity was calculated with I
2
index. Among 27 studies including 61 919 patients, 23 studies reported rates according to the duration of the longest AHRE and 4 studies reported rates according to the cumulative day‐level AHRE duration. In patients with cardiac implantable devices, AHREs lasting ≥30 seconds significantly increased the risk of stroke or systemic embolism (HR, 4.41; 95% CI, 2.32–8.39; I
2
, 5.5%), which remained consistent for the thresholds of 5 minutes and 6 and 24 hours. Patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack and AHREs lasting ≥2 minutes had a marginally increased risk of recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack. The risk of stroke or systemic embolism was higher in patients with cumulative AHRE ≥24 hours compared with those of shorter duration or no AHRE (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04–1.52; I
2
, 0%).

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta‐analysis suggests that single AHRE episodes ≥30 seconds and cumulative AHRE duration ≥24 hours are associated with increased risk of stroke or systemic embolism.
Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metric and Its Change With Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Lulin , Song Lulu , Li Dankang , Zhou Ziyi , Chen Shuohua , Yang Yingping , Hu Yonghua , Wang Youjie , Wu Shouling , Tian Yaohua
Published: November 2021

Background

Cardiovascular health (CVH) status is associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, evidence for association of CVH change with risk of CVD is scarce.

Methods and Results

Seven metrics (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose) were used to evaluate the CVH status. Having 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 to 7 ideal cardiovascular metrics were categorized as low, moderate, and high CVH status, respectively. Change in CVH status was assessed from 2006/2007 to 2010/2011. We calculated lifetime risk of CVD using a modified Kaplan–Meier method, and life expectancy was evaluated via the multistate lifetable method. There were 82 349 participants included in our analysis. At 35 years index age, the age‐adjusted incident rate and lifetime risk of CVD were increased with decreasing number of ideal CVH metrics. The direction of change in status of CVH was consistently associated with age‐adjusted incident rate and lifetime risk of CVD. At 35 years index age, improvement from low to moderate (37.6% [95% CI, 32.8%–42.4%]) or to high status (24.4% [95% CI, 12.7%–36.0%]) had lower lifetime risk of CVD compared with consistently low status (44.6% [95% CI, 40.8%–48.5%]). The improvement in CVH could prolong the years of life free from CVD. The pattern of incident rate and lifetime risk across change in CVH status was similar at 45 and 55 years index age.

Conclusions

Higher number of CVH metrics was associated with lower lifetime risk of CVD. The improvement of CVH status could reduce the lifetime risk of CVD and prolonged the year of life free from CVD.
Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Adult Patients With Repaired Aortic Coarctation
Authors: Meijs Timion A. , Minderhoud Savine C. S. , Muller Steven A. , de Winter Robbert J. , Mulder Barbara J. M. , van Melle Joost P. , Hoendermis Elke S. , van Dijk Arie P. J. , Zuithoff Nicolaas P. A. , Krings Gregor J. , Doevendans Pieter A. , Witsenburg Maarten , Roos‐Hesselink Jolien W. , van den Bosch Annemien E. , Bouma Berto J. , Voskuil Michiel
Published: November 2021

Background

The long‐term burden of cardiovascular disease after repair of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) has not been elucidated. We aimed to determine the incidence of and risk factors for cardiovascular events in adult patients with repaired CoA. Additionally, mortality rates were compared between adults with repaired CoA and the general population.

Methods and Results

Using the Dutch Congenital Corvitia (CONCOR) registry, patients aged ≥16 years with previous surgical or transcatheter CoA repair from 5 tertiary referral centers were included. Cardiovascular events were recorded, comprising coronary artery disease, stroke/transient ischemic attack, aortic complications, arrhythmias, heart failure hospitalizations, endocarditis, and cardiovascular death. In total, 920 patients (median age, 24 years [range 16–74 years]) were included. After a mean follow‐up of 9.3±5.1 years, 191 patients (21%) experienced at least 1 cardiovascular event. A total of 270 cardiovascular events occurred, of which aortic complications and arrhythmias were most frequent. Older age at initial CoA repair (hazard ratio [HR], 1.017; 95% CI, 1.000–1.033 [
P
=0.048]) and elevated left ventricular mass index (HR, 1.009; 95% CI, 1.005–1.013 [
P
<0.001]) were independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The mortality rate was 3.3 times higher than expected based on an age‐ and sex‐matched cohort from the Dutch general population (standardized mortality ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.3–4.4 [
P
<0.001]).

Conclusions

This large, prospective cohort of adults with repaired CoA showed a high burden of cardiovascular events, particularly aortic complications and arrhythmias, during long‐term follow‐up. Older age at initial CoA repair and elevated left ventricular mass index were independent risk factors for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Mortality was 3.3‐fold higher compared with the general population. These results advocate stringent follow‐up after CoA repair and emphasize the need for improved preventive strategies.
Estimating the Risk of Extreme Wind Gusts in Tropical Cyclones Using Idealized Large-Eddy Simulations and a Statistical–Dynamical Model
Authors: Stern Daniel P. , Bryan George H. , Lee Chia-Ying , Doyle James D.
Published: November 2021

Recent studies have shown that extreme wind gusts are ubiquitous within the eyewall of intense tropical cyclones (TCs). These gusts pose a substantial hazard to human life and property, but both the short-term (i.e., during the passage of a single TC) and long-term (over many years) risk of encountering such a gust at a given location is poorly understood. Here, simulated tower data from large-eddy simulations of idealized TCs in a quiescent (i.e., no mean flow or vertical wind shear) environment are used to estimate these risks for the offshore region of the United States. For both a category 5 TC and a category 3 TC, there is a radial region where nearly all simulated towers experience near-surface (the lowest 200 m) 3-s gusts exceeding 70 m s−1 within a 10-min period; on average, these towers respectively sample peak 3-s gusts of 110 and 80 m s−1. Analysis of an observational dropsonde database supports the idealized simulations, and indicates that offshore structures (such as wind turbines) in the eyewall of a major hurricane are likely to encounter damaging wind speeds. This result is then incorporated into an estimate of the long-term risk, using analyses of the return period for major hurricanes from both a best-track database and a statistical–dynamical model forced by reanalysis. For much of the nearshore region of the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. coasts, this analysis yields an estimate of a 30%–60% probability of any given point experiencing at least one 70 m s−1 gust within a 30-yr period.
Congenital Incomplete Rotation of the Colon With Adhesive Obstruction in an Adult
Authors: Doll Alissa , Grimm Leander
Published: November 2021

Intestinal obstruction is an entity commonly encountered by general and colorectal surgeons. Anatomic abnormalities account for only a small fraction of cases of complete or partial obstruction. This case report focuses on a 51-year-old female presenting with acute on chronic large bowel obstruction. Workup revealed an exceedingly rare anatomic abnormality: a medialized descending colon, traveling adjacent to the abdominal aorta, with a transition point and dense bands just distal to the splenic flexure. She underwent exploratory laparotomy with division of the constrictive bands and subsequently experienced near-complete resolution of her chronic obstructive symptoms.
School Leaders’ Use of Social-Emotional Learning to Disrupt Whiteness
Authors: Forman Stephanie R. , Foster James Lamar , Rigby Jessica G.
Published: November 2021

Purpose: This article examines how school leaders connect Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) with anti-racist practices. Current literature has yet to explain how leaders support race conscious approaches to SEL that promote marginalized students’ well-being, particularly with White teachers who often resist learning about race and Whiteness. Research Approach: We conducted a qualitative study of three leaders in one district in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. The first data collection and analysis phase drew from interviews, observations, and artifacts from a larger study to identify anti-racist SEL intersections and the leaders associated with these intersections. In the second phase, we conducted additional interviews with three leaders and performed a critical frame analysis to characterize the frames used by leaders to shape what SEL means and who it serves. Findings: We describe three anti-racist SEL intersections in which leaders made explicit connections between SEL and broader anti-racist goals within their work with White teachers. We found that leaders framed SEL strategically to address White teachers’ emotions, and as tools teachers might use to understand and address students’ racialized classroom experiences Implications: Findings provide illustrative examples of leadership that connects anti-racist practice with SEL and explore how leaders’ novel understanding of SEL and anti-racism undergirds this leadership approach.
Attitudes Toward the Past, Present, and Future: Associations With Self-Reported Academic Outcomes in Academically Talented Adolescents
Authors: Andretta James R. , Worrell Frank C.
Published: November 2021

The Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory–Time Attitude Scales (AATI-TA) were used to examine the association between time attitudes and self-reported academic and social–emotional outcomes in 967 academically talented adolescents ( M age = 14.27, SD = 1.42) attending a summer educational program. The AATI-TA consists of six subscales assessing positive and negative attitudes toward the past, present, and future. Bivariate associations between AATI-TA subscales scores and outcomes were small. Cluster analyses of AATI-TA scores yielded several profiles, labeled Pessimists, Negatives, Ambivalents, and Positives. Students with Positive and Ambivalent profiles reported greater course enjoyment, higher perceived academic rank, and higher expected summer GPA than their peers with the Negative profile, even though the groups did not differ on how challenging they perceived the courses to be, time spent on homework, and studying. In keeping with previous research using the AATI-TA, Positives reported the most favorable outcomes, Negatives the least, and Ambivalent and Pessimistic adolescents fell between these two groups. Future research on time attitudes should include measures of actual academic performance.
Local Exhaust Ventilation to Control Dental Aerosols and Droplets
Authors: Allison J.R. , Dowson C. , Pickering K. , Červinskytė G. , Durham J. , Jakubovics N.S. , Holliday R.
Published: November 2021

Dental procedures produce aerosols that may remain suspended and travel significant distances from the source. Dental aerosols and droplets contain oral microbes, and there is potential for infectious disease transmission and major disruption to dental services during infectious disease outbreaks. One method to control hazardous aerosols often used in industry is local exhaust ventilation (LEV). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of LEV on aerosols and droplets produced during dental procedures. Experiments were conducted on dental mannequins in an 825.4-m3 open-plan clinic and a 49.3-m3 single surgery. Ten-minute crown preparations were performed with an air-turbine handpiece in the open-plan clinic and 10-min full-mouth ultrasonic scaling in the single surgery. Fluorescein was added to instrument irrigation reservoirs as a tracer. In both settings, optical particle counters (OPCs) were used to measure aerosol particles between 0.3 and 10.0 µm, and liquid cyclone air samplers were used to capture aerosolized fluorescein tracer. In addition, in the open-plan setting, fluorescein tracer was captured by passive settling onto filter papers in the environment. Tracer was quantified fluorometrically. An LEV device with high-efficiency particulate air filtration and a flow rate of 5,000 L/min was used. LEV reduced aerosol production from the air-turbine handpiece by 90% within 0.5 m, and this was 99% for the ultrasonic scaler. OPC particle counts were substantially reduced for both procedures and air-turbine settled droplet detection reduced by 95% within 0.5 m. The effect of LEV was substantially greater than suction alone for the air-turbine and was similar to the effect of suction for the ultrasonic scaler. LEV reduces aerosol and droplet contamination from dental procedures by at least 90% in the breathing zone of the operator, and it is therefore a valuable tool to reduce the dispersion of dental aerosols.
A novel multi-objective optimization algorithm for Pareto design of a fuzzy full state feedback linearization controller applied on a ball and wheel system
Authors: Abedzadeh Maafi Rahmat , Etemadi Haghighi Shahram , Mahmoodabadi Mohammad Javad
Published: November 2021

The control and stabilization of a ball and wheel system around the equilibrium point are challenging tasks because it is an underactuated, nonlinear, and open-loop unstable plant. In this paper, Pareto design of a Fuzzy Full State Feedback Linearization Controller (FFSFLC) for the ball and wheel system based upon a novel multi-objective optimization algorithm is introduced. To this end, at first, a full state feedback linearization approach is employed to stabilize the dynamics of the system. Next, appropriate fuzzy systems are determined to tune the control gains. Then, a new multi-objective optimization algorithm is utilized to promote the proposed control scheme. This optimization algorithm is a combination of Simulated Annealing (SA) and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) approaches benefiting advantages of the non-dominated Pareto solutions. To evaluate the capabilities of the suggested algorithm, its optimal solutions of several standard test functions are compared with those of five renowned multi-objective optimization algorithms. The results confirm that the proposed hybrid algorithm yields closer non-dominated Pareto solutions to the true optimal Pareto front with shorter runtimes than other algorithms. After selecting proper objective functions, multi-objective optimization of FFSFLC for the ball and wheel system is performed, and the results are compared with previous works. Simulations illustrate that the proposed strategies can accurately converge the system states to the desired conditions and yield superior robustness against disturbance signals in comparison with former studies.
Herbert Marcuse Today: On Ecological Destruction, Neofascism, White Supremacy, Hate Speech, Racist Police Killings, and the Radical Goals of Socialism
Authors: Reitz Charles
Published: November 2021

Herbert Marcuse’s political-philosophical vision, cultural critique, and social activism continue to offer an intelligent strategic perspective on current concerns – especially issues of ecological destruction, neofascist white supremacy, hate speech, hate crimes, and racist police violence. These can be countered through a recognition of the intersectionality of radical needs of diverse constituencies and radical collaboration, giving rise to system negation as a new general interest, and an ecosocialist strategy of revolutionary activism within a global alliance of transformational forces.
Renewing Relationships? Solitudes, Decolonisation, and Feminist International Policy
Authors: Midzain-Gobin Liam , Dunton Caroline
Published: November 2021

In this article we seek to understand how gendered coloniality is re-affirmed and reproduced. It does so by analysing the inter-national relationships formalised through two recent policy initiatives by the Government of Canada: its Feminist International Assistance Policy and ongoing bilateral mechanisms with Indigenous peoples organisations. Using feminist discourse analysis, we argue that the logics underpinning these initiatives are treated as mutually exclusive, with the result being solitudes across policy areas – Indigenous reconciliation and feminist governance – that should instead overlap. Our analysis suggests that in addition to failing to address systemic marginalisation, establishing exclusive domains of feminist and reconciliation policy reproduces gendered coloniality through the building of inter-national relationships. Ultimately, this results in a failure of both policy initiatives.