bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between oral health knowledge, perceived oral health related quality of life, perceived oral health status and emergency department and/or urgent care visit: Results from the multi‐site oral health literacy study
Authors: Adunola Folasayo , Macek Mark D. , Atchison Kathryn , Akinkugbe Aderonke
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To assess the link between oral health knowledge (OHK), self‐perceived oral health, and emergency room (ER)/urgent care utilization for a dental problem.

Methods

Data were analyzed from a convenience sample of 790 adult participants who presented to two US dental schools and completed an interviewer‐administered survey. Key independent variables were OHK assessed with the Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) instrument, self‐perceived oral health status and quality of life determined using the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) scores. The dependent variable was ER and/or urgent care utilization for a dental problem. Select sociodemographic variables such as age and gender were adjusted for in logistic regression models using SAS.

Results

15.7% of the participants had ever visited an ER and/or urgent care for a dental problem. CMOHK scores were not significantly associated with visits to the ER and/or urgent care. In adjusted analysis, participants with unfavorable GOHAI scores were about three times as likely to have had an ER and/or urgent care visit (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.66–4.09). Similarly, participants who were unsatisfied with their oral health were about twice as likely to have had an ER and/or urgent care visit (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.21–3.00) as compared to those satisfied with their oral health status.

Conclusion

Individuals unsatisfied with their oral health and those with unfavorable perceived oral health related quality of life could benefit from a greater awareness of dental service availability and extended hours including weekend hours at public dental clinics.
Aerial survey perspectives on humpback whale resiliency in Maui Nui, Hawaiʻi, in the face of an unprecedented North Pacific marine warming event
Authors: Mobley Joseph R. , Deakos Mark H. , Pack Adam A. , Bortolotto Guilherme A.
Published: March 2023

After decades of population growth, the central stock of the North Pacific population of humpback whales, known as the Hawaiʻi Distinct Population Segment (HDPS), was delisted from its endangered status in 2016. At that time, however, an unprecedented heating event, the Pacific Marine Heatwave (PMH) was already underway. The PMH coincided with reports of major declines of sightings of humpback whales, including calves of the year, on both the Hawaiian wintering grounds and the feeding grounds of Southeast Alaska. To examine the resiliency of the HDPS, we conducted aerial surveys of the high‐density Maui Nui region immediately following the PMH event in 2019 and 2020, using distance sampling methods identical to those used in an earlier series (1993–2003). Results showed whale densities at or above those seen earlier, with mean density for 2020 highest overall. Crude birth rates (percent groups containing a calf) were similarly comparable to those recorded in the earlier series, with an increase from 2019 to 2020. Overall, results suggest the central North Pacific humpback whale population stock to be resilient in the face of this major climatic event.
What is rational belief?
Authors: Dutant Julien , Littlejohn Clayton
Published: March 2023

A theory of rational belief should get the cases right. It should also reach its verdicts using the right theoretical assumptions. Leading theories seem to predict the wrong things. With only one exception, they don't accommodate principles that we should use to explain these verdicts. We offer a theory of rational belief that combines an attractive picture of epistemic desirability with plausible principles connecting desirability to rationality.
Influence of dental status on outcome after lung transplantation
Authors: Vorstandlechner Maximilian , Obermeier Katharina T. , Schneider Christian P. , Fertmann Jan M. , Smolka Wenko , Michel Sebastian , Veit Tobias , Irlbeck Michael , Tomasi Roland , Hatz Rudolf A. , Kauke Teresa
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Poor oral hygiene can cause infections and inflammatory diseases. Data on its impact on outcome after lung transplantation (LuTX) is scarce. Most transplant centers have individual standards regarding dental care as there is no clinical guideline. This study's objective was to assess LuTX‐listed patient's dental status and determine its effect on postoperative outcome.

Methods

Two hundred patients having undergone LuTX from 2014 to 2019 were selected. Collected data comprised LuTX‐indication, periodontal status, and number of carious teeth/fillings. A preoperative panoramic dental X‐ray and a dentist's consultative clarification were mandatory.

Results

63.5% had carious dental status, differing significantly regarding TX‐indication (p < 0.001; ILD: 41.7% vs. CF: 3.1% of all patients with carious teeth). Mean age at the time of LuTX differed significantly within these groups. Neither preoperative carious dental status nor periodontitis or bone loss deteriorated post‐LuTX survival significantly. No evidence was found that either resulted in a greater number of deaths related to an infectious etiology.

Conclusion

This study shows that carious dental status, periodontitis, and bone loss do not affect post‐TX survival. However, literature indicates that they can cause systemic/pulmonary infections that deteriorate post‐LuTX survival. Regarding the absence of standardized guidelines regarding dental care and LuTX, we strongly recommend emphasizing research in this field.
Effects of a ‘social activity program that encourages interaction’ on rural older people's psychosocial health: Mixed‐methods research
Authors: Kikuchi Mami , Onishi Ryuta , Takashima Risa , Saeki Kazuko , Hirano Michiyo
Published: March 2023

Background

We developed a program that encourages interaction among older people living at home by combining face‐to‐face and online activities and examined its effects on older adults' psychosocial health.

Methods

In this mixed‐methods study, we recruited 11 women and 6 men (Mage = 79.5 ± 6.4 years), who lived in a rural community and participated in a senior citizen club. The intervention was conducted for 13 months, comprising monthly face‐to‐face group and social media activities. For the program process evaluation, we collected focus‐group interview data on participants' perceptions of their personal lives, club membership, and community post‐intervention. For the outcome evaluation, we collected six outcome measures pre‐ and post‐intervention: loneliness, subjective health, subjective well‐being, self‐esteem, social support and social activity satisfaction. Finally, through the integration of the process‐outcome evaluation, we inferred what effects the program had on participants' psychosocial health.

Results

In the process evaluation, we identified four themes: ‘Stimulation brought about by relationships with peers,’ ‘Realization as to where they feel they belong,’ ‘Rethinking of oneself in the community,’ and ‘Awareness of attachment to and coexistence with the community.’ In the outcome evaluation, the outcome measures were maintained without significant decline post‐intervention.

Conclusion

Through the integration of the process‐outcome evaluation, we deduced three effects of the program on psychosocial health: (1) fulfilment of subjective health, (2) maintenance and assurance of moderate distance connectedness and (3) orientation toward aging in place.

Implications for practice

This study offers a promising opportunity for further development and research into community‐based preventive nursing care intervention strategies to maintain the psychosocial health of homebound older people in communities with social activity groups.
Did the Late Ordovician mass extinction event trigger the earliest evolution of ‘strophodontoid’ brachiopods?
Authors: Huang Bing , Chen Di , Harper David A.T. , Rong Jiayu
Published: March 2023

‘Strophodontoid’ brachiopods represented the majority of strophomenide brachiopods in the Silurian and Devonian periods. They are characterized by denticles developed along the hinge line. The evolution of denticles correlated with the disappearance of dental plates and teeth and were already present when the clade originated in the Late Ordovician. Specimens ofEostropheodonta parvicostellatafrom the Kuanyinchiao Bed (early–middle Hirnantian, uppermost Ordovician) in the Hetaoba Section, Meitan, Guizhou Province, South China, display clear fossil population variation, during a process of loss of dental plates and the development of denticles. Three phenotypes ofE. parvicostellataare recognized in a single fossil bed, likely heralding a speciation process. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on five key characters of genera of the Family Leptostrophiidae shows a much wider morphospace for Silurian genera than for those in the Devonian. Phylogenetic analysis of the Family Leptostrophiidae supports the NMDS analysis and mostly tracks their geological history. The fossil population differentiation inE. parvicostellatadiscovered between the two phases of the Late Ordovician mass extinction event (LOME) linked to a major glaciation, suggests a Hirnantian origination of the ‘strophodontoid’ morphology, and links microevolutionary change to a macroevolutionary event.
The effect of geological biases on our perception of early land plant radiation
Authors: Capel Eliott , Monnet Claude , Cleal Christopher J. , Xue Jinzhuang , Servais Thomas , Cascales‐Miñana Borja
Published: March 2023

The Silurian–Devonian plant radiation was a critical development in the evolution of early terrestrial ecosystems. Characterizing the diversity dynamics of this radiation has been a focus of numerous studies. However, little is known about the impact of geological bias on our perception of this biodiversification. Here, we use a new, comprehensive compilation of plant occurrences from North America, together with a Macrostrat lithological dataset, to elucidate the relationships between the palaeobotanical and geological records of early land plants. Results show that observed raw diversity patterns at both species and genus rank are significantly correlated with fluctuations of sedimentary rock volume, especially of non‐marine fossiliferous deposits. The lack of terrestrial sedimentary deposits before the Emsian (Early Devonian) makes it difficult to obtain an accurate depiction of the pre‐Emsian plant diversification in North America. However, complementary analyses reveal that sampling‐standardized diversity patterns partially correct the raw trajectories, especially at the genus‐level if enough preserved non‐marine sediments are available for sampling. Our findings highlight that geological incompleteness remains a fundamental bias for describing early plant diversification. This indicates that, even when sampling is extensive, observed diversity patterns potentially reflect the heterogeneity of the rock record, which blurs our understanding of the early history of land vegetation.
An uncommon cause of swimmer's rash: Allergic contact dermatitis to persulfates in pools
Authors: Gui Michael , Johansen Maija , Reeder Margo
Published: March 2023

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an important diagnosis to consider in patients with dermatitis following specific exposures. Classically, ACD from persulfates is associated with hair‐bleaching products and spa water/swimming pool exposure and is most commonly reported in adult men. We report a case of ACD to potassium peroxymonopersulfate (PPMS), a common pool “shocking” chemical, in a 7‐year‐old boy presenting with recurrent and diffuse dermatitis triggered by swimming pool exposure.
Did you get the joke? Physiological, subjective and behavioral responses to mirth
Authors: Ruiz‐Padial Elisabeth , Moreno‐Padilla María , Reyes del Paso Gustavo A.
Published: March 2023

Mirth is elicited by the perception of humor, which requires the resolution of an incongruity in an unexpected and playful manner. Previous psychophysiological research using affective pictures is scarce, and did not elucidate the cognitive and affective components of the humor process. In this study, the passive viewing paradigm is applied to mirthful, incongruent, neutral and erotic pictures to characterize the emotional response of mirth. Physiological (zygomaticus major [ZM] activity, skin conductance response [SCR] and heart rate [HR]), behavioral (free viewing time) and subjective responses (mirthful ratings) were recorded from 63 participants. The presence of an inflection change in the ZM response and mirthfulness ratings were used as markers of humor comprehension. Participants showed the greatest ZM and HR in response to mirthful compared to incongruent, erotic and neutral pictures, as well as a stronger SCR response to mirthful compared to incongruent and neutral pictures. The overall results shed light on the temporal course of the humor process, suggesting that humor comprehension (cognitive component) occurred around 1000–1500 ms after picture onset, according to the ZM and SCR responses; and the humor appreciation stage (emotional component) occurred at around 3500 ms after stimulus onset, according to the HR and SCR changes. Moreover, marked interindividual variability was observed in the number of smiles, and in the pictures that provoked them. This points to the complexity of the humor process, and suggests the need to develop methods to elicit mirth and elucidate the factors potentially underlying individual differences in humor.
Extraction is not a metaphor: Decolonial and Black Geographies against the gendered and embodied violence of extractive logics
Authors: Murrey Amber , Mollett Sharlene
Published: March 2023

We are witnessing a proliferation of new critical scholarship on the manifold forms of extractivism. Yet, there are risks associated with extraction being rendered a broad metaphor for innumerable forms of removal and value‐making through exploitation and misappropriation. Theorising within decolonial Black feminisms, we respond to the metaphorization of extraction by (re)asserting the need for persistent analysis on the material and embodied effects and consequences of extractivisms. That is, the specific processes, logics, ideologies, and relations of extractivism recast lands, labours, ecosystems, and bodies, and particularly the bodies of women of colour. This helps to ensure the concept does not become figuratively empty and abstracted in politically and analytically debilitating ways. Drawing on more than a decade of research with three communities entangled within and targeted through extractivism along the Chad–Cameroon Oil Pipeline and the extractive‐tourist coastline of Panama, we mobilise a conception of 'extractive logics' to refer to the unnamed, unquestioned, often contradictory, foundational epistemic frameworks that permit the seemingly‐permanent structures and relations of removal, destruction, and dehumanization. We analyse documents from the Chad–Cameroon oil consortium, which projected and then calculated the economic ‘costs’ of the pipeline's triggering of an increase in rates of HIV/AIDS in adjacent towns and cities, alongside the entanglement of capitalist extraction with the medical neglect of Black labourers in Panama. Doing so demystefies the ways that racial and gendered violence are sanctioned (and even premeditated) within extractive logics. We hope that this work challenges some of the methodological nationalism so common within extractive scholarship, and brings extractive processes across disparate South–South and black geographies into conversation, activating a cross‐fertilisation of research across otherwise distinct geographies and geographical refrains. We reflect on the imperatives for and (im)possibilities of decolonial research against extractivism.
Using wearable technology to prevent pressure injuries: An integrative review
Authors: Crotty Alainna , Killian Jacqueline M. , Miller Alexander , Chilson Sarah , Wright Rebecca
Published: March 2023

Background

Hospital‐acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a significant problem for hospitals worldwide, negatively affecting patients and organizations by decreasing quality of life and increasing organizational cost of care and workload. A common pressure injury prevention intervention is frequent turning, though compliance can be low. As a newer technology, wearable sensors have emerged as an intervention to increase turn compliance.

Aims

The aim of this integrative review was to determine the clinical outcomes of using wearable sensors as a HAPI prevention intervention.

Methods

This integrative review was appraised by two independent reviewers using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence‐Based Practice Research Appraisal Tool.

Results

Eleven articles were included. The use of wearable sensors increases compliance with frequent turn protocols while decreasing HAPIs and reducing organizational costs. Despite this, the use of such technology was not found to increase the quality of turns. Although staff who used this technology reported positive feedback, technological training is needed to ensure proper use of the sensors.

Linking Action to Practice

This innovation has the potential to transform how nursing staff prevent pressure injuries, but more research is needed to definitively state whether wearable sensors will be efficacious as a pressure injury prevention intervention.
Evaluation of Commercial RO Membrane for BaCl2 Separation
Authors: Huliienko S. V. , Yasenchuk V. V.
Published: March 2023

The conventional methods of the BaCl2 solution separation are characterized by high energy consumption, reagent requirement, and other technological limitations. The pressure-driven membrane process can be an alternative, but the number of published investigations in this field is limited. The study of the effectivity of the BaCl2 diluted solution separation using the commercially available reverse osmosis membrane was carried out. It was defined that the spiral wound membrane module HID TFC 1812-75 GPD (nominal permeate flux is 281 l/d) has acceptable characteristics of productivity and selectivity. In particular, the permeate flux through these membranes for the BaCl2 solutions does not differ from the fluxes for other salt solutions in the considered range of the applied pressures (0.2-0.6 MPa). The rejection coefficient values were in the range of 0.9-0.95 and slightly varied with applied pressure. Therefore, such membranes are suitable for wastewater purification from the remains of BaCl2. At the same time, the concentration ratio does not exceed 1.5-2, consequently, the application of such membranes on the concentration stage requires deeper justification based on the economical parameters. The significant influence of the concentration polarization on the separation effectivity was not detected up to applied pressures 0.5 MPa.
Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance during Wastewater Treatment by Membrane Technologies
Authors: Mardalisa Mardalisa , Wang Rongxuan , Honda Ryo , Chiemchaisri Wilai , Chiemchaisri Chart
Published: March 2023

The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to human health is predicted to become a significant infectious disease. Domestic sewage and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are critical hotspots for controlling the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. A wastewater treatment system is not necessarily designed to mitigate AMR problems in wastewater. Furthermore, the presence of ARB and ARGs for a long time in WWTPs is reported as a reservoir of intracellular and extracellular ARG through horizontal gene transfer. Based on the studies, the additional membrane filtration with either microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF) can reduce ARB and ARGs effectively through the separation mechanism. However, there are still inconclusive results when comparing ARG removal efficiencies between MBR and conventional processes. Further studies are required to clarify the effect of water qualities and membrane fouling conditions on ARG removal.
Experiences Between Nature Conservation and Archaeology in the Old Water System of Southern Hesse (Hesse, Germany)
Authors: Becker Thomas
Published: March 2023

The landscape of southern Hesse is characterised by many old watercourses. These are areas worthy of protection for both nature conservation and monument protection. On the one hand, they provide special conditions for flora and fauna related to water bodies; on the other hand, from an archaeological point of view, the old watercourses are traffic routes, habitats, sacrificial sites and archives for the history of the landscape. The protection requirements of both interests leads to synergies, but also to disagreements and problems in dealing with the protected areas. Experiences resulting from cooperation are discussed in this article, as well as approaches to solutions for improving joint action.
The Mazarrón II Wreck (Murcia, Spain). Management of human and natural threats
Authors:   Archaeology Area, Ministry of Culture and Sport, Spain, Villa Ángel
Published: March 2023

The two Phoenician shipwrecks, Mazarrón I and Mazarrón II, discovered in 1988 and 1994 respectively, are highly significant remains of underwater archaeology. While Mazarrón I has been lifted and transferred to the ARQUA Museum in Cartagena, Mazarrón II has remained in situ, protected by a metal structure and meshes placed on the sediments. However, monitoring has shown that the structures are probably deteriorating as a result of human action. A project is planned to safely extract the wreck in order to display it in the ARQUA Museum in the future.
Sweden's First Restoration of an Ancient Monument - the burial ground Hemlanden on Birka
Authors:   National Heritage Board, Sweden, Schönbeck Mattias
Published: March 2023

In Sweden, there is a centuries-old tradition of making visible and providing data about a selection of the country's ancient remains through land management and information at these sites. This work has been carried out in different ways, but the purpose has always been to protect, make visible and to inform the public about our cultural heritage. Today this is routine, but at the beginning of the 20th century there were major tensions regarding how cultural heritage should be cared for.
Archaeology and the Natural Environment in the Czech Republic. Recognition, documentation and protection in a time of climate change
Authors:   National Heritage Institute, Czech Republic, Tomášek Martin , Mařík Jan ,   Institute of Archaeology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Published: March 2023

A considerable part of the Czech Republic has been forested with spruce monocultures, which are nowadays at risk of disastrous bark beetle infestation and consequently the destruction of forest stands. Such a development forces us to seek common grounds for landscape conservation and more consistent communication in setting forest management rules. Nevertheless, the trend of rapid deforestation implies a considerable threat to the hitherto unknown but also known archaeological heritage fund. Joint advocacy of the values associated with archaeological sites incorporated within the processes of landscape change assessment constitutes a distinct task aimed at ensuring that such an essential part of the landscape's memory becomes a publicly accepted value.
Faunal Remains from Archaeological Sites Document Human Impact on the Terrestrial and Aquatic Environment: examples from the last thousand years in Belgium
Authors:   Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, De Cupere Bea , Van Neer Wim ,   Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Published: March 2023

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how animal remains from archaeological sites can contribute to a better understanding of human impact on the terrestrial and aquatic environment over time. A number of case studies, mainly from Belgium, illustrate the possible effects of deforestation, overhunting, overfishing and water pollution on wildlife. Species extinctions and introductions from the last millennium are also discussed. It is shown how relevant these results are and how they can be communicated to the general public, the wider scientific community and stakeholders.
What's Down the Hole? Archaeobotanical evidence on plant subsistence and vegetation during the Hellenistic period at an archaeological site near Voditza village, north-eastern Bulgaria
Authors:   National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hristova Hanna , Petkova Kalina
Published: March 2023

The archaeological site 5012-West in the territory of the village of Voditza, Targovishte Region, north-eastern Bulgaria, is interesting because of its features and wide chronological range. From an area of 7000m², a total of 116 structures from various chronological periods have been excavated. However, pits from the Hellenistic Period (late 3rd to early 1st century BC) are most numerous and provide invaluable archaeobotanical evidence on plant subsistence and local vegetation. The archaeobotanical remains have been recovered from flotation samples, collected from pitfills. The archaeobotanical assemblage comprises carbonised remains from several annual cereal crops – hulled and free-threshing wheats, naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum L.), millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and chaff. The weedy flora is represented by annual ruderal and synanthrophic species such as goosefoot (Chenopodium album L.), bedstraw (Galium aparine L.), knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare L.), and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.). Based on the discovered plant remains, we can only propose a partial reconstruction of the agricultural practices and local vegetation cover. However, the collection of samples from specific contexts – storage facilities and pits, provided an opportunity to observe the 'secondary environment' of the utilised plant resources and to identify possible depositional processes. Thus, taphonomic and contextual analyses gave us important insights into the behavioural factors that affected the composition of the archaeobotanical assemblage.
Development of an Endotracheal Tube Cap for Oxygen Delivery During Intubation
Authors: Hart Keir , Salvino Chris , Pashak Todd , Veatch Brad
Published: March 2023

Endotracheal (ET) Intubation is a medical procedure whereupon a physician or trained personnel inserts a breathing tube into a patient's mouth, through their vocal cords, and into their trachea. Intubation can be lifesaving when a patient cannot breathe on their own. Intubations are performed routinely, with approximately 15 × 106 performed annually just in the operating room (OR) with an additional 650,000 intubations in the wider hospital environment. Intubation is a complex, dynamic, and at times difficult procedure with major consequences if delayed and/or if the procedure fails. Complications for intubations outside of the operating room are reported as high as 27%, with the most common being hypoxia, or low oxygen levels. We have developed a simple, sterile attachment that directs oxygen down endotracheal tubes during intubation. Benchtop studies have demonstrated acceptable pressures well below those leading to barotrauma. In animal studies, the device has been shown to significantly reduce hypoxia; thereby increasing the time a medical provider has to safely perform the procedure. While further development is warranted, as well as additional testing both in vitro and in vivo, the cap assembly appears to provide a viable solution to a persistent and dangerous problem in medicine.
Research on Mechanism of Dynamic Evolution Vibration Characteristics of Horizontal 90 Deg Elbow Flow Pattern
Authors: Liang Ze-jun , Guo Chun-yu , Yang Chun
Published: March 2023

Pipeline vibration induced by fluid flow can cause pipeline fatigue damage, which seriously endangers the safety of the operation. This paper aims to clarify the dynamic variation law of pipeline vibration induced by gas–liquid two-phase flow in the elbow and the influence of different gas–liquid ratios on the dynamic evolution of two-phase flow patterns. The volume of fluid (VOF) method is used to capture the flow pattern characteristics to explore the complex information of dynamic flow pattern evolution. The vibration characteristic mechanism corresponding to the evolution of the flow pattern is explored based on the time and frequency domain, and the origin of the exciting force of the elbow is explored according to the momentum balance equation. The simulation results show that the VOF method can well capture the characteristics of slug flow developed by the interphase instability mechanism. After phase space reconstruction, the dynamic evolution mechanism of the flow pattern is complex and the chaotic characteristics of slug flow are strong. The evolution of the flow pattern is related to the increase in wave height. The superficial velocity of the liquid phase is more sensitive to the flow pattern's formation mechanism than the gas phases. The amplitude of the wave strongly depends on the Vsg and Vsl. There is a strong correlation between the main exciting force pulsation and momentum flux pulsation.
Sulfur Transformation and Metals Recovery During Co-Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste and Gypsum
Authors: Mavukwana Athi-enkosi , Burra Kiran R. G. , Sempuga Celestin , Castaldi Marco , Gupta Ashwani K.
Published: March 2023

The fate of sulfur and conversion of metals during the co-gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW) and gypsum is examined here using aspen plus combined with Thermo-Calc for the process model development. The effect of air ratio, temperature, and MSW-to-gypsum feed mass ratio on the syngas evolution, sulfur transformation, and mineral speciation behavior is investigated. The results showed prevention of gypsum sulfur transformation to sulfur dioxide at temperatures below 1050 °C, air ratio < 0.4, and MSW-to-CaSO4 feed mass ratio < 33 wt%. Approximately 90 wt% of feed was transformed into gas products comprising 22% CO and 19% H2. At approximately 900 °C, major minerals formed were CaS (alabandite), melilite, anorthite, rankinite, nepheline, and wollastonite. Melilite, a calcium silicate of aluminum and magnesium, dominated over all other silicates. At temperatures >1000 °C, these minerals transformed into a more stable calcium orthosilicate (CaSiO4) and molten oxysulfide. At temperatures higher than 1200 °C, all metals in MSW were transformed into molten oxides. The results show that syngas and minerals can be recovered during the co-gasification of MSW and gypsum to directly reveal the synergetic benefits of co-processing MSW and gypsum low-value waste materials.
Ion velocity distribution functions across a plasma meniscus
Authors: Caron D. , John R. , Scime E. E. , Steinberger T. E.
Published: March 2023

Here, we present laser-induced fluorescence measurements of an ion beam extraction angle and speed through a plasma-vacuum boundary as a function of plasma source parameters and bias potential applied to a wafer simulacrum outside the plasma. Ion temperature, velocity, and relative density are calculated from the measured ion velocity distribution function and are compared to a particle-in-cell model of the system. The measurements demonstrate that beam steering is feasible by varying plasma source density and extraction bias voltage. The focal point of the extracted beam, resulting from the plasma meniscus at the plasma-vacuum interface, depends on source density and extraction bias in a manner consistent with computational predictions.
Protein Expression Profiles in Exosomes of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell Line MAC-T Infected with Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zhu Xiao-Yan , Wang Meng-Ling , Cai Meng , Nan Xue-Mei , Zhao Yi-Guang , Xiong Ben-Hai , Yang Liang
Published: March 2023

Mastitis is a widespread infectious disease in dairy farms, resulting in reduced milk production and quality.
Staphylococcus aureus
is one of the main pathogenic bacteria causing subclinical mastitis. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which are involved in many physiological and pathological functions.
Recombinant Fusion Protein Vaccine Containing Clostridioides difficile FliC and FliD Protects Mice against C. difficile Infection
Authors: Wang Shaohui , Ju Xianghong , Heuler Joshua , Zhang Keshan , Duan Zhibian , Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Hiran Malinda Lamabadu , Zhao Song , Sun Xingmin
Published: March 2023

Bacterial flagella are involved in infection through their roles in host cell adhesion, cell invasion, auto-agglutination, colonization, the formation of biofilms, and the regulation and secretion of nonflagellar bacterial proteins that are involved in the virulence process. In this study, we constructed a fusion protein vaccine (FliCD) containing the
Clostridioides difficile
flagellar proteins FliC and FliD.
SarS Is a Repressor of Staphylococcus aureus Bicomponent Pore-Forming Leukocidins
Authors: Anderson Exene E. , Dyzenhaus Sophie , Ilmain Juliana K. , Sullivan Mitchell J. , van Bakel Harm , Torres Victor J.
Published: March 2023

Staphylococcus aureus
is a successful pathogen that produces a wide range of virulence factors that it uses to subvert and suppress the immune system. These include the bicomponent pore-forming leukocidins.
Advances and Breakthroughs in IRES-Directed Translation and Replication of Picornaviruses
Authors: Abdullah Sahibzada Waheed , Wu Jin’en , Wang Xuefei , Guo Huichen , Sun Shiqi
Published: March 2023

The family
Picornaviridae
is divided into 68 genera and 158 species. The viruses belonging to this family range from public health importance, such as poliovirus, enterovirus A71, and hepatitis A virus, to animal viruses of great economic importance, such as foot-and-mouth disease virus.
Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus epidermidis CCSM0287, Isolated from Healthy Facial Skin
Authors: Ma Laiji , Yang Suzhen , Jiang Hong , Yuan Chunying , Chen Huidan , Li Yan , Shao Li
Published: March 2023

Staphylococcus epidermidis
strain CCSM0287 was isolated from healthy facial skin. The complete genome of CCSM0287 was sequenced using a combination of Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) RS II single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing. The assembled 2.5-Mbp genome consisted of one chromosome and three plasmids.
Characterisation of ectasia after penetrating keratoplasty in keratoconus eyes using anterior segment optical coherence tomography
Authors: Weller Julia M , Hübner Lisa , Kruse Friedrich E , Tourtas Theofilos
Published: March 2023

Background/aims

Ectasia of the cornea can occur decades after penetrating keratoplasty (PK), especially in keratoconus eyes. The purpose of this study was to characterise ectasia after PK by morphological findings in anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

Methods

In this retrospective, single-centre case series, 50 eyes of 32 patients with a history of PK at an average of 25±10 years earlier were included. The eyes were classified either as ectatic (n=35) or as non-ectatic (n=15). The main parameters included central corneal thickness (CCT), lowest corneal thickness at the interface (LCTI), anterior chamber depth, graft–host interface angle at the thinnest point and host cornea–iris angle. Furthermore, steep and flat keratometry readings obtained by AS-OCT (CASIA-2, Tomey) and Scheimpflug tomography (Pentacam, Oculus) were assessed. OCT findings were correlated with clinical grading of ectasia.

Results

There was a highly significant difference in LCTI, graft–host interface angle and anterior chamber depth (in pseudophakic eyes) between the groups. The ratio calculated by the quotient of LCTI divided by CCT was significantly lower in ectatic than non-ectatic eyes (p<0.001). In eyes with an LCTI/CCT ratio of ≤0.7, the OR for the occurrence of a clinical detectable ectasia was 2.4 (CI 1.5 to 3.7). Steep keratometry values were significantly higher in ectatic eyes.

Conclusion

AS-OCT is a helpful tool to recognise and quantify ectasia in post-PK eyes objectively.
How do current tobacco warnings compare to the WHO FCTC guidelines: a content analysis of combustible tobacco warnings worldwide
Authors: Ranney Leah M , Clark Sonia A , Jarman Kristen L , Lazard Allison J , Kowitt Sarah D , Cornacchione Ross Jennifer , Baler Guido , Thrasher James F , Goldstein Adam O
Published: March 2023

Objective

Many countries have adopted warning labels for combustible tobacco products, yet little research exists describing tobacco warning characteristics globally and to what extent they meet the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Guidelines. This study evaluates characteristics of combustible tobacco warnings.

Design

We conducted a content analysis to describe the overall landscape of warnings using descriptive statistics and compared to the WHO FCTC Guidelines.

Setting

We searched existing warning databases for combustible tobacco warnings from English-speaking countries. We compiled warnings meeting inclusion criteria and coded for message and image characteristics using a pre-defined codebook.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures

Characteristics of combustible tobacco warning text statements and warning images were the primary study outcomes. There were no secondary study outcomes.

Results

We identified a total of 316 warnings from 26 countries or jurisdictions worldwide. Of these warnings, 94% included warning text and an image. Warning text statements most often described health effects to the respiratory (26%), circulatory (19%) and reproductive systems (19%). Cancer was the most frequently mentioned health topic (28%). Fewer than half of warnings included a Quitline resource (41%). Few warnings included messages about secondhand smoke (11%), addiction (6%) or cost (1%). Of warnings with images, most were in colour and showed people (88%), mostly adults (40%). More than 1 in 5 warnings with images included a smoking cue (ie, cigarette).

Conclusions

While most tobacco warnings followed WHO FCTC guidance on effective tobacco warnings, such as communicating health risks and inclusion of images, many did not include local Quitline or cessation resources. A sizeable minority include smoking cues that could inhibit effectiveness. Full alignment with WHO FCTC guidelines will improve warnings and better achieve the WHO FCTC objectives.
A Systematic review protocol on workplace equality and inclusion practices in the healthcare sector
Authors: Ni Luasa Siobhan , Ryan Nuala , Lynch Raymond
Published: March 2023

Introduction

While equality and inclusion practices in healthcare have been advanced from a service user perspective, little is known about the application of workplace equality and inclusion practices in healthcare on upper-middle-income and high-income countries. In the developed world, the composition of the healthcare workforce is changing, with nationals and non-nationals working ‘side-by-side’ suggesting that healthcare organisations must have robust and meaningful workplace equality and inclusion practices. Healthcare organisations who welcome and value all their employees are more creative and productive, which can lead to better quality of care. Additionally, staff retention is maximised, and workforce integration will succeed. In view of this, this study aims to identify and synthesise current best evidence relating to workplace equality and inclusion practices in the healthcare sector in middle-income and high-income economies.

Methods and analysis

Using the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome (PICO) framework, a search of the following databases will be made—MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, Business Source Complete and Google Scholar—using Boolean terms to identify peer-reviewed literatures concerning workplace equality and inclusion in healthcare from January 2010 to 2022. A thematic approach will be employed to appraise and analyse the extracted data with the view to assessing what is workplace equality and inclusion; why it is important to promote workplace equality and inclusion in healthcare; how can workplace equality and inclusion practices be measured in healthcare; and how can workplace equality and inclusion be advanced in health systems.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required. Both a protocol and a systematic review paper are to be published concerning workplace equality and inclusion practices in the healthcare sector.
Factors associated with undertriage and overtriage in telephone triage in Danish out-of-hours primary care: a natural quasi-experimental cross-sectional study of randomly selected and high-risk calls
Authors: Graversen Dennis Schou , Pedersen Anette Fischer , Christensen Morten Bondo , Folke Fredrik , Huibers L
Published: March 2023

Objectives

We aim to explore undertriage and overtriage in a high-risk patient population and explore patient characteristics and call characteristics associated with undertriage and overtriage in both randomly selected and in high-risk telephone calls to out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC).

Design

Natural quasi-experimental cross-sectional study.

Setting

Two Danish OOH-PC services using different telephone triage models: a general practitioner cooperative with GP-led triage and the medical helpline 1813 with computerised decision support system-guided nurse-led triage.

Participants

We included audio-recorded telephone triage calls from 2016: 806 random calls and 405 high-risk calls (defined as patients ≥30 years calling with abdominal pain).

Main outcome measures

Twenty-four experienced physicians used a validated assessment tool to assess the accuracy of triage. We calculated the relative risk (RR) forclinically relevantundertriage and overtriage for a range of patient characteristics and call characteristics.

Results

We included 806 randomly selected calls (44clinically relevantundertriaged and 54clinically relevantovertriaged) and 405 high-risk calls (32 undertriaged and 24 overtriaged). In high-risk calls, nurse-led triage was associated with significantly less undertriage (RR: 0.47, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.97) and more overtriage (RR: 3.93, 95% CI 1.50 to 10.33) compared with GP-led triage. In high-risk calls, the risk of undertriage was significantly higher for calls during nighttime (RR: 2.1, 95% CI 1.05 to 4.07). Undertriage tended to be more likely for calls concerning patients ≥60 years compared with 30–59 years (11.3% vs 6.3%) in high-risk calls. However, this result was not significant.

Conclusion

Nurse-led triage was associated with less undertriage and more overtriage compared with GP-led triage in high-risk calls. This study may suggest that to minimise undertriage, the triage professionals should pay extra attention when a call occurs during nighttime or concerns elderly. However, this needs confirmation in future studies.
Social ecological factors and medication treatment for opioid use disorder among justice-involved rural and urban persons: theGeographic variation inAddictionTreatmentExperiences (GATE) longitudinal cohort study protocol
Authors: Oser Carrie B , Batty Evan , Booty Marisa , Eddens Kate , Knudsen Hannah K , Perry Brea , Rockett Maria , Staton Michele
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Three medications are Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD); however, these medications are underused within prisons, which elevates the risk of relapse and overdose when persons with opioid use disorder (POUD) are released. Research is scant regarding the multilevel factors associated with POUDs’ willingness to initiate medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) while in prison and their continued engagement in treatment after release. Furthermore, rural and urban populations have not been compared. TheGeographic variation inAddictionTreatmentExperiences (GATE) study seeks to identify multilevel factors (ie, individual, personal network, and structural factors) influencing prison-based extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX) and buprenorphine initiation and will examine predictors of postrelease MOUD use and adverse outcomes (ie, relapse, overdose, recidivism) among both rural and urban POUDs.

Methods and analysis

This mixed methods study employs a social ecological framework. A prospective observational longitudinal cohort study is being conducted with 450 POUDs using survey and social network data collected in prison, immediately postrelease, 6 months postrelease and 12 months postrelease to identify multilevel rural-urban variation in key outcomes. In-depth qualitative interviews are being conducted with POUDs, prison-based treatment staff and social service clinicians. To maximise rigour and reproducibility, we employ a concurrent triangulation strategy, whereby qualitative and quantitative data contribute equally to the analysis and are used for cross-validation when examining scientific aims.

Ethics and dissemination

The GATE study was reviewed and approved by the University of Kentucky’s Institutional Review Board prior to implementation. Findings will be disseminated through presentations at scientific and professional association conferences, peer-reviewed journal publications and a summary aggregate report submitted to the Kentucky Department of Corrections.
Thirty-year follow-up of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD): the challenges and triumphs of conducting in-person research at a distance
Authors: Bleil Maria E , Roisman Glenn I , Gregorich Steven E , Appelhans Bradley M , Hiatt Robert A , Pianta Robert C , Marsland Anna L , Slavich George M , Thomas Alexis S , Yeung Winnie S , Booth-LaForce Cathryn
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the current study, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Health in Early and Adult Life (SHINE), was to build on the landmark Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), a longitudinal birth cohort initiated in 1991, by conducting a health-focused follow-up of the now adult participants. This effort has produced an invaluable resource for the pursuit of life course research examining links between early life risk and resilience factors and adulthood health and disease risk.

Participants

Of the 927 NICHD SECCYD participants available for recruitment in the current study, 705 (76.1%) participated in the study. Participants were between 26 and 31 years and living in diverse geographic locations throughout the USA.

Findings to date

In descriptive analyses, the sample exhibited risk on health status indicators, especially related to obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Of particular concern, the prevalence of hypertension (29.4%) and diabetes (25.8%) exceeded national estimates in similar-age individuals. Health behaviour indicators generally tracked with the parameters of poor health status, showing a pattern of poor diet, low activity and disrupted sleep. The juxtaposition of the sample’s relatively young age (mean=28.6 years) and high educational status (55.6% college educated or greater) with its poor health status is noteworthy, suggesting a dissociation between health and factors that are typically health protective. This is consistent with observed population health trends, which show a worsening of cardiometabolic health status in younger generations of Americans.

Future plans

The current study, SHINE, lays the groundwork for future analyses in which the uniquely robust measures collected as a part of the original NICHD SECCYD will be leveraged to pinpoint specific early life risk and resilience factors as well as the correlates and potential mechanisms accounting for variability in health and disease risk indicators in young adulthood.