bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The prognostic impact of B7-H3 and B7-H4 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Borgmann Mara , Oetting Agnes , Meyer Felix , Möckelmann Nikolaus , Droste Conrad , von Bargen Clara Marie , Möller-Koop Christina , Witt Melanie , Borgmann Kerstin , Rothkamm Kai , Betz Christian , Münscher Adrian , Clauditz Till Sebastian , Rieckmann Thorsten
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Immune checkpoint inhibition is a therapeutic option in many cancer entities. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) targeting of the PD-1/PD-L1 (B7-H1) axis is approved in recurrent/metastatic disease and is being explored in the curative setting. Here, we evaluated two related members of the B7 family, B7-H3 & B7-H4, for their prognostic impact under standard treatment.

Methods

A tissue microarray (TMA) of a single center HNSCC cohort was stained for B7-H3 and B7-H4. Staining intensity and the number of tumor cells stained were assessed, and the expression was scored according to an established algorithm. Staining scores were correlated with clinicopathological parameters and associated with patient survival. mRNA levels of both proteins were associated with patient outcome using the TCGA dataset.

Results

mRNA levels of B7-H3 and B7-H4 were not significantly associated with patient survival. TMA analysis revealed interpretable protein staining in 408 samples. Strong staining was the most frequent category for B7-H3 and no staining for B7-H4. In patients with p16-negative oropharyngeal SCC (OPSCC) and in a pooled cohort consisting of p16-negative OPSCC, laryngeal, hypopharyngeal and oral cavity SCC, strong B7-H3 expression was associated with better overall survival. For the latter cohort, this was in part due to reduced lymph node involvement. B7-H3 expression in p16-positive OPSCC and B7-H4 expression were not associated with outcome.

Conclusion

Despite a possible role in tumor immune escape, B7-H3 was associated with favorable prognosis in HPV-negative HNSCC in our cohort. The underlying mechanisms and a potential impact for B7-H3 targeting remain to be elucidated.
Combinatorics and Algorithms for Quasi-Chain Graphs
Authors: Alecu Bogdan , Atminas Aistis , Lozin Vadim , Malyshev Dmitriy
Published: August 2022

The class of quasi-chain graphs is an extension of the well-studied class of chain graphs. This latter class enjoys many nice and important properties, such as bounded clique-width, implicit representation, well-quasi-ordering by induced subgraphs, etc. The class of quasi-chain graphs is substantially more complex. In particular, this class is not well-quasi-ordered by induced subgraphs, and the clique-width is not bounded in it. In the present paper, we show that the universe of quasi-chain graphs is at least as complex as the universe of permutations by establishing a bijection between the class of all permutations and a subclass of quasi-chain graphs. This implies, in particular, that the induced subgraph isomorphism problem is NP-complete for quasi-chain graphs. On the other hand, we propose a decomposition theorem for quasi-chain graphs that implies an implicit representation for graphs in this class and efficient solutions for some algorithmic problems that are generally intractable.
Effectiveness of a novel traction device in endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal lesions
Authors: Liu Xiao , Yu Xinying , Wang Yanbin , Yu Jianfeng , Liu Xinjuan , Liu Zhen , Hao Jianyu
Published: August 2022

Background

Among all types of superficial gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms, colorectal lesions are recognized as one of the most difficult locations to operate, due to the limited operation space, physiological bends, poor visualization of the submucosal dissection plane sheltered by colorectal crinkle wall, and the thin intestinal mucosa layer which is easy to perforation. The purpose of this prospective study is to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a novel endoscopic traction technique in assisting the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedure in colorectal lesions.

Method

A total of 117 patients with colonic lesions who underwent endoscopic treatment were enrolled between August 2020 and January 2021 at the endoscopic center of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital of Capital Medical University. Based on whether traction device was used during the operation, 60 and 57 patients were assigned to the conventional ESD group and clips and rubber band triangle traction-assisted ESD group (CRT-ESD, in which three clips and a rubber band were used to form an elastic triangular traction device), respectively. The total procedure time (TPT), submucosal dissection time (SDT), submucosal dissection speed (SDS), and rate of adverse events of the two groups were analyzed.

Results

After excluding patients who did not undergo treatment (conventional ESD, 1; CRT-ESD, 4), 112 patients were included in the study (conventional ESD, 59; CRT-ESD, 53). The baseline characteristics of the patients were well balanced between the two groups. The TPT (58.71 ± 26.22 min vs 33.58 ± 9.88 min, p < 0.001) and SDT (49.24 ± 23.75 min vs 26.34 ± 8.75 min, p < 0.001) were significantly different between the conventional ESD group and CRT-ESD group. The CRT-ESD group had significantly higher SDS than that of the traditional ESD group (0.54 ± 0.42 cm2/min vs 0.89 ± 0.40 cm2/min, p < 0.001). There were 4 (6.8%) cases of perforation in the traditional ESD group, and no perforation occurred in traction-assisted ESD.

Conclusions

Compared with traditional ESD, CRT-ESD with clip and rubber band is both safer and more effective in the treatment of colorectal lesions.

Graphical abstract
Topical Collection: Advancements in hydrogeological knowledge of Haiti for recovery and development
Authors: Adamson James K. , Gutierrez Alexis , Perez-Monforte Sergio , Rodriquez-Vera María , LaVanchy G. Thomas , Jean-Baptiste Gerald , Emmanuel Evens , Moliere Emmanuel , Gelting Richard , Miner Wm. Javan , Dykstra Stuart
Published: August 2022

Haiti’s groundwater resources are poorly understood and scarcely researched, despite their importance as the principal source for water supply. The knowledge gap and its role of inhibiting informed relief, recovery and investments in development are described, along with an update on progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This essay leads a topical collection of seven articles that advance hydrogeological knowledge of Haiti. Additional data, research and monitoring are identified as urgently needed for the nation’s sustainable development.
Families of Polytopes with Rational Linear Precision in Higher Dimensions
Authors: Davies Isobel , Duarte Eliana , Portakal Irem , Sorea Miruna-Ştefana
Published: August 2022

In this article, we introduce a new family of lattice polytopes with rational linear precision. For this purpose, we define a new class of discrete statistical models that we call multinomial staged tree models. We prove that these models have rational maximum likelihood estimators (MLE) and give a criterion for these models to be log-linear. Our main result is then obtained by applying Garcia-Puente and Sottile’s theorem that establishes a correspondence between polytopes with rational linear precision and log-linear models with rational MLE. Throughout this article, we also study the interplay between the primitive collections of the normal fan of a polytope with rational linear precision and the shape of the Horn matrix of its corresponding statistical model. Finally, we investigate lattice polytopes arising from toric multinomial staged tree models, in terms of the combinatorics of their tree representations.
Ecology, genetics and distribution of Punctoribates zachvatkini, an oribatid mite so far overlooked in Germany
Authors: Escher Julian , Hohberg Karin , Decker Peter , Lehmitz Ricarda
Published: August 2022

Punctoribatesis one of few genera in Poronota (Acari: Oribatida) containing species with porose areas and species with saccules, the two types of the octotaxic system. These porose organs are the main difference between two morphologically similar species,P. punctumwith porose areas andP. zachvatkiniwith saccules. As the octotaxic system can vary within species, species separation solely based on this trait might be insufficient. To assess the species status ofP. zachvatkini, we investigated additional differences fromP. punctumby comparing habitat preferences of the two species regarding nature reserves and agricultural landscapes during a field study in the German Eifel region, and by examiningPunctoribatesmaterial from four large German natural history museums. We also performed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a genetic analysis using the D3 marker of the nuclear 28S rDNA gene. In the field study,P. zachvatkinihad higher densities in the nature reserves andP. punctumin the agricultural landscapes. Evaluation of the museum material revealedP. punctumoccurred more regularly in disturbed sites such as urban, agricultural and post-mining areas compared toP. zachvatkini. Pairwise distances of the 28S D3 genetic marker as well as an additional base pair inP. zachvatkinifurther support the separation of the two species, and SEM investigations revealed new details regarding the punctulation ofP. zachvatkini. The review of the museum material showed thatP. zachvatkinialready occurred in Germany in 1967 and has a wider distribution than previously known.
Outpatient Therapists’ Perspectives on Working With Persons Who Are Sexually Interested in Minors
Authors: Schmidt Alexander F. , Niehaus Susanna
Published: August 2022

Minor-attracted persons (MAPs; i.e., people who are sexually interested in children and adolescents below the age threshold of legal consent for sexual activity) exhibit high psychological distress but report difficulties finding therapeutic help and are reluctant to start treatment due to fears of therapist stigmatization. This research sought to elucidate the link between outpatient therapists’ stigmatizing attitudes toward non-offending versus offending MAPs and therapists’ willingness to treat MAPs as well as how stigmatization was related to treatment-relevant aspects such as perceived MAP treatment needs, treatment barriers, and specific MAP treatment skills. Results from a brief, anonymous online survey conducted among N = 427 Swiss outpatient therapists working in the primary healthcare system are reported. Although therapists were less stigmatizing than the general public, considerable individual differences in the stigmatization of non-offending MAPs emerged. Stigmatizing attitudes toward non-offending MAPs and a perceived lack of specific treatment competences were negatively related to therapists’ willingness to treat MAPs. A network analysis revealed direct links between subjectively perceived MAP treatment competence and treatment willingness and between treatment willingness and social distance attitudes. Other stigmatizing attitudes were only indirectly linked to treatment willingness through preferred social distance. It is a paradox that therapists believe that MAPs should greatly benefit from secondary prevention but many are unwilling to provide therapy (45% in case of non-offending MAPs vs. 63% in case of offending MAPs) or do not feel competent to provide MAPs with professional help (47% with and 88% of therapists without previous MAP treatment experience). Implications for increasing therapists’ treatment willingness are discussed.
Why Hungarians Have Sex: Development and Validation of a Brief 15-Item Instrument (YSEX?-15H)
Authors: Meskó Norbert , Zsidó András N. , Birkás Béla , Meston Cindy M. , Buss David M.
Published: August 2022

The present study developed a brief version of the Hungarian Why Sex? questionnaire (Meskó et al., 2022). The study was in part based on previously reported data obtained from several samples (N = 6193; 1976 men, 4217 women). Using Mokken Scaling Procedure, Item Response Model and redundancy analysis indicated that retaining three summary scales comprising five items each was the optimal solution for the brief version. The validity of the brief scale was tested with the Sexual System Functioning Scale (SSFS), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale–Short Form (ECR-S) and, the Hungarian version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ-H; n = 297, 127 men, 170 women). In addition, correlations between the long and brief versions of YSEX? with sociosexual orientation (SOI-R) and the five-factor personality construct (BFI-S) were compared (n = 1024, 578 women, 446 men). The results suggest that the three summary scales of the Hungarian 15-item Form of the Why Sex Questionnaire (YSEX?-15H) provide reliable and valid measures of the previously affirmed three broad sexual motives (Personal Goal Attainment, Relational Reasons, Sex as Coping). The Relational Reasons summary scale was associated with secure emotional and sexual attachment. The Personal Goal Attainment and Sex as Coping summary scales showed coherent patterns of associations with the emotional and sexual aspects of secondary attachment strategies (over- and under-functioning). The YSEX?-15H offers both researchers and practitioners a concise and useful instrument for the assessment of sexual motivation.
Tough Clinical Decisions: Experiences of Polish Physicians
Authors: Różyńska Joanna , Zawiła-Niedźwiecki Jakub , Maćkiewicz Bartosz , Czarkowski Marek
Published: August 2022

The paper reports results of the very first survey-based study on the prevalence, frequency and nature of ethical or other non-medical difficulties faced by Polish physicians in their everyday clinical practice. The study involved 521 physicians of various medical specialties, practicing mainly in inpatient healthcare. The study showed that the majority of Polish physicians encounter ethical and other non-medical difficulties in making clinical decisions. However, they confront such difficulties less frequently than their foreign peers. Moreover, Polish doctors indicate different circumstances as a source of the experienced problems. The difficulties most often reported relate to (i) patients (or their proxies) requests for medically non-indicated interventions; (ii) problems with communication with patients (or their proxies) due to the patients’ negative attitude, unwillingness to cooperate, or aggression; and (iii) various difficulties with obtaining informed consent. Polish physicians report difficulties associated with disagreements among care givers or scarcity of resources less frequently than doctors from other countries. The study’s findings provide support for the thesis that a significant portion of Polish physicians still follow a traditional, paternalistic, and hierarchical model of healthcare practice. Instead of promoting patient’s empowerment, engagement, and rights, they often consider these ideas as a threat to physicians’ professional authority and autonomy. The study leads to the conclusion that due to insufficient training in medical ethics, communication skills, and medical law, many Polish physicians lack the knowledge and competence necessary to adequately respond to challenges posed by modern healthcare practice.
Teaching design for additive manufacturing: efficacy of and engagement with lecture and laboratory approaches
Authors: Thomas-Seale L. E. J. , Kanagalingam Sanjeevan , Kirkman-Brown J. C. , Attallah M. M. , Espino D. M. , Shepherd D. E. T.
Published: August 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) is projected to require 60,000 jobs in the UK by 2025, but there are a series of barriers to the industrial application. One of the most problematic is non-comprehensive knowledge in design for AM (DfAM). This study aims to test the effect of two undergraduate DfAM teaching approaches. A visual and audial approach (design lecture) and a kinaesthetic, problem-based learning (PBL) approach (manufacturing laboratory) were compared against technical and participant perspective criteria to assess the learning, engagement, and self-efficacy of the students. The participants were set a DfAM challenge; to redesign a bracket. The technical merits of the designs were evaluated after teaching through a design lecture alone or after a design lecture and manufacturing-laboratory. The participant’s perspective was evaluated at the end of the study. The groups who undertook both the design lecture and manufacturing laboratory showed a mean technical mark of 100% for criteria (C) 13 (“Parts have been consolidated into one part”), 91.7% for C14 (“The bracket is hollowed where possible”) and 100% for C16 (“Manufacture was successful”). These technical marks demonstrate a statistically significant increase over those of the groups who undertook the design lecture alone. The participant evaluation reinforced this result; the manufacturing laboratory was chosen more frequently in answer to questions on applicability (Q13 = 83%), preparedness (Q15 = 83%), and gaining confidence in DfAM (Q31 = 74%). This study demonstrates the importance of PBL in DfAM, both to increase technical aptitude of the student (creativity and manufacturing) and their perspective on their own learning and self-efficacy.
Considerations regarding the accuracy of fractional numerical computations
Authors: Postavaru Octavian , Dragoi Flavius , Toma Antonela
Published: August 2022

For solving numerically fractional differential equations, we have to take into account a rising flow of works as (Dehestani et al. in Appl Math Comput 336:433–453, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2018.05.017, Rahimkhani et al. Appl Math Model 40:8087–8107, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2016.04.026) that show the advantage of using the transformation $$x \rightarrow x^\alpha $$

x
→

x
α

. In this paper, we aim to explain this transformation, and using the acquired knowledge, we are also discussing a method that is able to improve the accuracy of the numerical results for the delay fractional equations. We conclude the paper with two numerical examples to illustrate the analysis of this paper.
Impact of Tropical Cyclone Avoidance on Fishing Vessel Activity over Coastal China Based on Automatic Identification System Data during 2013–2018
Authors: Fang Weihua , Guo Cunmin , Han Yinan , Qing Rongfa
Published: August 2022

Tropical cyclones (TCs) may cause severe impacts on the activities of coastal fishing vessels. Due to the unavailability or unacceptability of detailed Automatic Identification System (AIS) data that are capable of differentiating fishing activity from navigation, as well as the lack of detailed models and observation data of TC winds, few studies have provided quantitative and reliable assessment of the impacts of TCs on fishing activities. In this study, we modeled snapshots for the TC winds of 52 TCs over the Northwest Pacific (NWP) basin from 2013 to 2018, as well as daily fishing hours and daily hours of presence (hereafter “vessel hours”) of fishing vessels. Based on these data, the spatiotemporal pattern of fishing vessel activity over offshore China was first analyzed and mapped. Then, a TC wind hazard index and absolute and relative impact indices were proposed to assess the impact of the 52 TCs on fishing and vessel hours. Their relationship was then fitted with the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the log-normal distribution. The results show that in the 2013−2018 period, the most active fishing areas were located in the South China Sea. In each instance, an increase was first observed in the initial several years; then a decrease followed in the yearly total fishing hours per vessel in the remaining years. The relative impact index was significantly correlated to the TC wind hazard index proposed in this study. Based on the quantitative relationship between the specified TC hazard index and the impact indices, it is possible to implement a pre-cyclone rapid loss assessment due to TC avoidance in the future.
Environmental risk assessment of industrial byproduct gypsum utilized for filling abandoned mines
Authors: Du XueHong , Li Xiangdong , Feng Qiyan , Meng Lei , Sun Yue
Published: August 2022

In response to the basic policy of green and low-carbon circular development to solve resource, environmental and ecological problems, gypsum is considered to be a filling material for mine backfilling. To explore the potential risks of gypsum to the groundwater environment due to the backfilling of abandoned mines, a sequential batch leaching experiment was carried out in this paper, which used three types of industrial waste gypsum, namely, phosphorus gypsum (PG), titanium gypsum (TG) and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG). COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 software was used to simulate and solve the migration process of the leached metal elements in the mine floor when these three gypsum types were used as filling materials to observe the concentration distributions and diffusion distances of the metal elements from these three gypsum types in the mine floor. The results show that (1) during repeated contact of the three types of industrial waste gypsum with the leaching medium, the pH levels changed, and the changes in pH affected the leaching patterns for the heavy metal elements in the gypsum. (2) Based on the concentrations of the metal elements that were leached from the three types of gypsum, it can be determined that these three types of gypsum are not classified as hazardous solid wastes, but they cannot be ruled out with regard to their risk to the groundwater environment when they are used as mine filling materials. (3) When the three types of gypsum are used as filling materials, the concentration distributions of the metal elements and their migration distances all exhibit significant changes over time. The concentration distributions, diffusion rates and migration distances of the metal elements from the different gypsum types are affected by their initial concentrations in the leachate. The maximum migration distances of Zn in the floor from the PG, FGDG and TG are 8.2, 8.1 and 7.5 m, respectively.
Angebote politischer Erwachsenenbildung vor und nach dem „Corona-Schock“
Authors: Scheidig Falk
Published: August 2022

Im Zusammenhang mit der Corona-Pandemie wird einerseits ein langfristiger Angebotsrückgang in der Erwachsenenbildung befürchtet, andererseits wird diskutiert, ob die als „Schock“ beschriebene Unterbrechung des Präsenzbetriebs mit einem Digitalisierungsschub einherging. Der Beitrag knüpft hieran an und fokussiert Verschiebungen im Verhältnis von Präsenz- und Online-Veranstaltungen im Bereich der politischen Erwachsenenbildung auf Basis einer Analyse der Programme von 30 Volkshochschulen. Verglichen werden der letzte Programmzeitraum vor der Pandemie und der Programmzeitraum ab Herbst 2021, in dem Präsenzveranstaltungen wieder weitgehend möglich waren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen Rückgang bei Präsenzveranstaltungen und eine deutliche Zunahme von Online-Veranstaltungen, darunter vor allem überregional angebotene Kurzzeitveranstaltungen auf Basis von Einrichtungskooperationen. Zwischen den 30 Volkshochschulen lassen sich jedoch große Unterschiede konstatieren. Die Ergebnisse, ihre Übertragbarkeit auf andere Anbieter und Inhaltsbereiche der Erwachsenenbildung sowie die methodischen Herausforderungen einer Programmanalyse im Horizont zunehmender Digitalisierung werden diskutiert.
Improvement the Hatchery Seed Production Strategy on Embryonic Development and Larval Growth Performance and Development stages of Green Tiger Prawn, Penaeus semisulcatus Using Environmental Aspects
Authors: Eissa El-Sayed Hemdan , Abd El-Hamed Nadia N. B. , Ahmed Norhan H. , Badran Mohamed F.
Published: August 2022

This investigation aimed to improve the hatchery seed production strategy in terms of chronologies of embryonic and larval development as well as hatching, growth and survival rates, and rearing water quality of green tiger prawn, Penaeus semisulcatus by the integration effects of different water temperatures (23 °C, 26 °C, 29 °C, 32 °C) and probiotic as water additives. The best and shortest chronologies of embryonic development stages were in favor of 32 °C with probiotic. The best hatching rate was in favor of 29 °C with probiotics. The fastest larval development and greatest larval growth as total length until PL1 stage was promoted by 32 °C with probiotic but the best survival rate was recorded at 26 °C with probiotic followed by 29 °C with probiotic treatment. During larval development, the lowest value of NH4–N was recorded under the effect of 26 °C and probiotic. Therefore, probiotics as water additives at 29 and 32 °C water temperatures have a beneficial impact on the hatchery seed production strategy and quality of P. semisulcatus. Our findings could apply to rearing larvae in shrimp hatchery to decrease the chronology of embryonic and larval development, while increase the hatching rate, growth performance, and survival rates as well as improving the water quality.
Using Dominated Solutions at Edges to the Diversity and the Uniformity of Non-dominated Solution Distributions in NSGA-II
Authors: Sato Yuji , Sato Mikiko
Published: August 2022

This paper proposes a method for improving the diversity of the Pareto front and the uniformity of non-dominated solution distributions in a fast elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), which is an evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm. Conventional NSGA-II has excellent convergence to the Pareto front, but it has been reported that for some test cases, it does not produce a more diverse solution distribution than the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm 2 (SPEA2). In addition, selection using the crowding distance may cause a bias in the selected solution distribution. To avoid this problem, we propose a method that archives dominated solutions that may be effective in improving diversity in the conventional search process when used for genetic operations, and mates these archived solutions with non-dominated solutions at the edge of rank 1 for each objective function. We experimentally compare this approach with the conventional method on the typical ZDT suite of multi-objective test problems and a two-objective constrained knapsack problem. By evaluating the performance based on Pareto front diagrams, the number of non-dominated solutions, the maximum spread and hypervolume values, we show that the proposed method is effective at improving the diversity at both ends of the Pareto optimal front and the solution distribution.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Effect of Covid-19 on households welfare in Afar Regional State, Ethiopia
Authors: Asfaw Dagmawe Menelek , Ali Abdurhman Kedir , Ali Mohammed Adem
Published: August 2022

The main objective of this study was to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on social welfare in the case of Afar regional, state, Ethiopia using panel data collected from a sample of 384 in Asyaita, Dubti Samara-Logia, and Awash town. Both descriptive statistics and econometric models were used to analyze the data. The descriptive analysis results revealed that the main source of income emanated from self-employment (81.67%), from the total households 70% of them were engaged in the service sector, due to COVID-19 the income trends of 81% of households decreased, increase expenditure on food & food items (13%) and service delivering (15%). After conducting necessary pre and post-estimation tests, the econometric model found that the three basic policy variables (number of COVID-19 victims, number of days with the COVID-19 disease and transportation ban) adversely affected the welfare of the society by lessening the income of households and growing their expenditures. Finally, considering regional experience, econometric and descriptive results, this study recommends that the government and the concerned policy maker should give more attention and subsidize the service sector, support those self-employee and daily laborers, make awareness to the society about COVID-19 epidemic, place an alternative mechanism to fill potential trade gaps.
Construction of aggregation paradoxes through load-sharing models
Authors: De Santis Emilio , Spizzichino Fabio
Published: August 2022

We show that load-sharing models (a very special class of multivariate probability models for nonnegative random variables) can be used to obtain basic results about a multivariate extension of stochastic precedence and related paradoxes. Such results can be applied in several different fields. In particular, applications of them can be developed in the context of paradoxes which arise in voting theory. Also, an application to the notion of probability signature may be of interest, in the field of systems reliability.
Dental high-speed handpiece and ultrasonic scaler aerosol generation levels and the effect of suction and air supply
Authors: Choi Joanne Jung Eun , Chen Jason , Choi Yunsun Jane , Moffat Susan M. , Duncan Warwick J. , Waddell J. Neil , Jermy Mark
Published: August 2022

Objective:

Exposure to aerosol spray generated by high-speed handpieces (HSHs) and ultrasonic scalers poses a significant health risk to oral health practitioners from airborne pathogens. Aerosol generation varies with different HSH designs, but to date, no study has measured this.

Materials and methods:

We measured and compared aerosol generation by (1) dental HSHs with 3 different coolant port designs and (2) ultrasonic scalers with no suction, low-volume evacuation (LVE) or high-volume evacuation (HVE). Measurements used a particle counter placed near the operator’s face in a single-chair, mechanically ventilated dental surgery. Volume concentrations of aerosol, totaled across a 0.3–25-µm size range, were compared for each test condition.

Results:

HSH drilling and scaling produced significantly high aerosol levels (P < .001) with total volume concentrations 4.73×108µm3/m3 and 4.18×107µm3/m3, respectively. For scaling, mean volume of aerosol was highest with no suction followed by LVE and HVE (P < .001). We detected a negative correlation with both LVE and HVE, indicating that scaling with suction improved operator safety. For drilling, simulated cavity preparation with a 1-port HSH generated the most aerosol (P < .01), followed by a 4-port HSH. Independent of the number of cooling ports, lack of suction caused higher aerosol volume (1.98×107 µm3/m3) whereas HVE significantly reduced volume to −4.47×105 µm3/m3.

Conclusions:

High concentrations of dental aerosol found during HSH cavity preparation or ultrasonic scaling present a risk of infection, confirming the advice to use respiratory PPE. HVE and LVE both effectively reduced aerosol generation during scaling, whereas the new aerosol-reducing ‘no air’ function was highly effective and can be recommended for HSH drilling.
Turbulent planar wakes of viscoelastic fluids analysed by direct numerical simulations
Authors: Guimarães Mateus C. , Pinho Fernando T. , da Silva Carlos B.
Published: August 2022

Direct numerical simulations employing the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic constitutive model closed with Peterlin's approximation (FENE-P) are used to investigate the far-field region of turbulent planar wakes of viscoelastic fluids and to develop the theory describing these flows. The theoretical results display excellent agreement with the simulations and provide new scaling laws for the evolution of the shear layer thickness

$\delta (x) \sim x^{1/2}$

, mean velocity deficit

${\rm \Delta} U(x) \sim x^{-1/2}$

and, for very high Deborah numbers, of the maximum polymer shear stresses

$\sigma ^{[p]}_c(x) \sim x^{-2}$

and averaged polymer chain extension

$\textrm {tr}(\bar {C}(x) - \boldsymbol{\mathsf{I}}) \sim x^{-2}$

, where

$x$

is the streamwise distance from the solid body generating the wake. The theory is able to show the existence of self-similarity for the profiles of mean velocity, mean polymer shear stress, averaged polymer chain extension and the conditions for similarity of the turbulent shear stress, and is very well supported by the numerical simulations. Similarly to the case of viscoelastic turbulent planar jets (Guimarães et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 899, 2020, p. A11), when the inlet Weissenberg and Deborah numbers are sufficiently large, turbulent viscoelastic wakes exhibit a considerable reduction of the spreading rate and of the normalised Reynolds stresses. However, for very large downstream locations the turbulent viscoelastic wake recovers the classical evolution laws observed for Newtonian turbulent planar wakes.
A unifying approach to non-minimal quasi-stationary distributions for one-dimensional diffusions
Authors: Yamato Kosuke
Published: August 2022

We study convergence to non-minimal quasi-stationary distributions for one-dimensional diffusions. We give a method for reducing the convergence to the tail behavior of the lifetime via a property we call the first hitting uniqueness. We apply the results to Kummer diffusions with negative drift and give a class of initial distributions converging to each non-minimal quasi-stationary distribution.
Government Preferences, Vote Choice and Strategic Voting in Canada
Authors: Rivard Alex B. , Lockhart Mackenzie
Published: August 2022

Do voters use information about and preferences over who will form government in their vote choices? Voters might have preferences over both which party wins the most seats and what type of government that party can form, which they can use to inform their vote choice. To answer this question, we examine the influence of preferences over government types and compare them to trends in party support in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Using rolling, daily cross-sectional survey evidence from the Canadian Election Study, we find that preferences over government type are strongly related to vote choice and that this relationship depends on the perceived viability of the preferred party. We also find that this relationship differs outside and within Quebec: outside Quebec, only the Liberal Party suffers among voters preferring minority governments, while within Quebec, the Liberal Party, New Democratic Party and Conservative Party all struggle to hold on to voters who prefer minority governments.
The Great Revenue Divergence
Authors: Lee Alexander , Paine Jack
Published: August 2022

This article describes and explains a previously overlooked empirical pattern in state revenue collection. As late as 1913, central governments in the West collected similar levels of per capita revenue as the rest of the world, despite ruling richer societies and experiencing a long history of fiscal innovation. Western revenue levels permanently diverged only in the following half-century. We identify the twentieth-century great revenue divergence by constructing a new panel data set of central government revenue with broad spatial and temporal coverage. To explain the pattern, we argue that sustainably high levels of revenue extraction require societal demand for an activist state, and a supply of effective bureaucratic institutions. Neither factor in isolation is sufficient. We formalize this insight in a game-theoretic model. The government can choose among low-effort, legibility-intensive, and crony-favoring strategies for raising revenues. Empirically, our theory accounts for low revenue intake in periods of low demand (the nineteenth-century West) or low bureaucratic capacity (twentieth-century former colonies), and for eventual revenue spikes in the West.
A well-known representation of monoids and its application to the function ‘vector reverse’
Authors: SWIERSTRA WOUTER
Published: August 2022

Vectors—or length-indexed lists—are classic example of a dependent type. Yet, most tutorials stay clear of any function on vectors whose definition requires non-trivial equalities between natural numbers to type check. This pearl shows how to write functions, such as vector reverse, that rely on monoidal equalities to be type correct without having to write any additional proofs. These techniques can be applied to many other functions over types indexed by a monoid, written using an accumulating parameter, and even be used to decide arbitrary equalities over monoids ‘for free.’
Ritualizing citizenship in fifteenth-century Barcelona
Authors: Obradors-Suazo Carolina
Published: August 2022

This article analyses the ritualistic aspects of medieval citizenship through the example of fifteenth-century Barcelona. The unique citizenship sources of Barcelona allow for a detailed study of the negotiations between urban dwellers and their institutions in the making of citizens. Accordingly, the article examines how the witnesses of citizenship candidates and municipal authorities framed these negotiations in terms of ritual by promoting a codified notion of belonging that helped them all navigate the ambiguities of status and identification.
Intranasal dexmedetomidine for transthoracic echocardiography in infants with shunt-dependent single ventricle heart disease
Authors: Ellepola Chalani D. , Handler Stephanie S. , Frommelt Michele , Saudek David E. , Scott John , Hoffman George , Frommelt Peter C.
Published: August 2022

Objectives:

We investigated the efficacy and complication profile of intranasal dexmedetomidine for transthoracic echocardiography sedation in patients with single ventricle physiology and shunt-dependent pulmonary blood flow during the high-risk interstage period.

Methods:

A single-centre, retrospective review identified interstage infants who received dexmedetomidine for echocardiography sedation. Baseline and procedural vitals were reported. Significant adverse events related to sedation were defined as an escalation in care or need for any additional/increased inotropic support to maintain pre-procedural haemodynamics. Minor adverse events were defined as changes from baseline haemodynamics that resolved without intervention. To assess whether sedation was adequate, echocardiogram reports were reviewed for completeness.

Results:

From September to December 2020, five interstage patients (age 29–69 days) were sedated with 3 mcg/kg intranasal dexmedetomidine. The median sedation onset time and duration time was 24 minutes (range 12–43 minutes) and 60 minutes (range 33–60 minutes), respectively. Sedation was deemed adequate in all patients as complete echocardiograms were accomplished without a rescue dose. When compared to baseline, three (60%) patients had a >10% reduction in heart rate, one (20%) patient had a >10% reduction in oxygen saturations, and one (20%) patient had a >30% decrease in blood pressure. Amongst all patients, no significant complications occurred and haemodynamic changes from baseline did not result in need for intervention or interruption of study.

Conclusions:

Intranasal dexmedetomidine may be a reasonable option for echocardiography sedation in infants with shunt-dependent single ventricle heart disease, and further investigation is warranted to ensure efficacy and safety in an outpatient setting.
Heart OBServation app: development of a decision support tool for parents of infants with severe cardiac disease
Authors: Hjorth-Johansen Elin , Børøsund Elin , Moen Anne , Harmens Anna , Martinsen Ingeborg , Wik Gunnar , Fredriksen Britt Elin , Eger Siw H.W. , Holmstrøm Henrik
Published: August 2022

Background and objectives:

Many parents of infants with CHD find it difficult to recognise symptoms of deterioration in their children. Therefore, a personalised decision support application for parents has been developed. This application aims to increase parents’ awareness of their infant’s normal condition, help them assess signs of deterioration, decide who and when to contact health services, and what to report. The aim of this paper is to describe the concept and report results from a usability study.

Methods:

An interprofessional group developed a mobile application called the Heart OBServation app in close collaboration with parents using an iterative process. We performed a usability study consisting of semi-structured interviews of 10 families at discharge and after one month and arranged two focus group interviews with nurses caring for these families. A thematic framework analysis of the interviews explored the usability of features in the application. Usability was assessed twice using the System Usability Scale, and a user log was registered throughout the study.

Results:

The overall system usability score, 82.3 after discharge and 81.7 after one month, indicates good system usability. The features of Heart OBServation were perceived as useful to provide tailored information, increase awareness of the child’s normal condition, and to guide parents in what to look for. To empower parents, an interactive discharge checklist was added.

Conclusions:

The Heart OBServation demonstrated good usability and was well received by parents and nurses. Feasibility and benefits of this application in clinical practice will be investigated in further studies
The impact of a community social marketing campaign on children’s meal orders and consumption: main outcomes from a group randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hennessy Erin , Shonkoff Eleanor , Harelick Linda , Bakun Peter , Chui Kenneth , Roberts Susan , Folta Sara , Goldberg Jeanne , Economos Christina D
Published: August 2022

Objective:

Restaurants may be important settings for interventions to reduce children’s energy intake. The objective of this study was to test the impact of a parent-focused social marketing campaign to promote healthy children’s meals on calories ordered and consumed by children at quick-service restaurants (QSR).

Design:

Using a repeated cross-sectional study design, two urban communities were randomised to intervention (IN) v. control (C) condition. A community-wide social marketing campaign was implemented in the IN community to empower Black and Latinx mothers who frequent QSR (priority population) to select healthier options for their child.

Setting:

Data were collected in 2016 at QSR located within the communities pre- and post-IN and analysed in 2017.

Participants:

Parents (n 1686; n 819 and n 867 for I and C conditions, respectively) were recruited after placing their QSR order; a survey, receipt and their child’s leftovers were collected.

Results:

Calories ordered did not differ significantly between the IN and C conditions (changeadj = –146·4 kJ (–35·0 kcal); 95 % CI –428·0 kJ (–102·3 kcal), 134·6 kJ (32·2 kcal)). In a sub-analysis of only the priority audience, children in the IN community ordered significantly fewer calories compared to C children in unadjusted models (changeunadj = –510·4 kJ (–122·0 kcal); 95 % CI –1013·4 kJ (–242·2 kcal), –7·5 kJ (–1·8 kcal)), but the trend did not persist after adjusting for covariates (changeadj = –437·2 kJ (–104·5 kcal); 95 % CI –925·5 kJ (–221·2 kcal), 50·6 kJ (12·1 kcal)). Calories consumed followed similar trends.

Conclusion:

The campaign did not significantly reduce children’s QSR calories ordered or consumed. However, a quantitatively important mean reduction in calories was suggested among the priority audience, indicating potential for community-wide promotion of healthful children’s meals.
Black Sociology in the Era of Black Lives Matter
Authors: Clair Matthew
Published: August 2022

In 1973, on the heels of the hard-fought gains of the Civil Rights Movement, sociologist and civil rights activist Joyce A. Ladner edited a collection titled The Death of White Sociology: Essays on Race and Culture. Bringing together an impressive set of Black writers and academics, the essays sought to make “an early statement on the development of Black sociology […and] to examine some of the historical forces which have acted upon Black sociologists, and to explicate some of the issues which are central to this new discipline” (Ladner [1973] 1998, p. xxvii). For Ladner, as she wrote in her introduction, Black sociology must be distinct from mainstream (White) sociology in its expressly normative commitment to using social science to “eliminat[e] racism and systematic class oppression from the society [and…to] promot[e] the interests of the Black masses” (Ladner [1973] 1998, p. xxvii). Whereas mainstream sociological theories had long been used to justify the subordination of Black people, Black sociology was an emergent discipline that sought Black liberation.
Broadband and compact folded substrate integrated waveguide phase shifter and its application to 180° directional coupler
Authors: Zhu Fang , Zhao Xin , Sheng Junhao , Luo Guo Qing
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a broadband, low insertion loss, and compact folded substrate integrated waveguide (FSIW) phase shifter is proposed for the first time. By loading the complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) on the middle metal layer of the FSIW, a closed-type slow-wave transmission line (TL) is obtained, which can provide a wideband phase shift (39%) compared with the equal-length fast-wave one. The enclosed structure of the CSRR-loaded FSIW prevents the CSRRs from radiation as suffered in the previous reported CSRR-loaded TLs, resulting in a low insertion loss. This feature greatly reduces the amplitude imbalance between the main line and the reference line of the phase shifter. In addition, no transition structure is required between the FSIWs with and without CSRRs for broadband impedance matching, which makes the phase shifter more compact and easier to integrate with other FSIW devices. To validate the performance of the proposed phase shifter and to illustrate its ease integration, a novel FSIW 180° directional coupler that consists of an FSIW 90° coupler and an FSIW 90° phase shifter is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results agree well with the simulated data.
The origins, causes and enduring significance of the Martens Clause: A view from Russia
Authors: Ivanenko Vitaliy
Published: August 2022

The Martens Clause owes its name to the diplomat and jurist Fyodor Fyodorovich Martens, a representative of the Russian Empire at the First Hague Conference in 1899. Drafted and proposed by Martens during the negotiations, yet as a spontaneous compromise, the Clause has been included in the preamble of the Hague Convention with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land and is still considered an important principle of international humanitarian law today. This article traces the biography and academic path of F. F. Martens and explores the enduring significance of the Martens Clause.
Electron Flux Variability and Ultra‐Low Frequency Wave Activity in the Outer Radiation Belt Under the Influence of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections and High‐Speed Solar Wind Streams: A Statistical Analysis From the Van Allen Probes Era
Authors: Marchezi J. P. , Dai L. , Alves L. R. , Da Silva L. A. , Sibeck D. G. , Lago A. Dal , Souza V. M. , Jauer P. R. , Veira L. E. A. , Cardoso F. R. , Deggeroni V. , Alves M. V. , Wang C. , Li H. , Liu Z.
Published: August 2022

The ultra‐low frequency (ULF) waves can stochastically accelerate radiation belt electrons. Radial diffusion is a well‐established mechanism that can enhance or reduce the electron population in combination with other processes. Using data from the Van Allen Probes, we investigated the response of the 2.10 MeV energy electrons and ULF waves to two types of solar wind structures interacting with Earth's magnetosphere, namely, interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and High‐Speed solar wind streams (HSS). We use measured electron differential flux and ULF waves in the Pc4–Pc5 frequency range from October 2012 to May 2019. We examine 155 events with changes in the outer radiation belt electron differential flux. Results considering all ICMEs and HSSs during the Van Allen Probes era show that for both solar wind structures, solar wind interplanetary magnetic field Bz, solar wind proton density, and speed are related to the outer radiation belt relativistic electrons' response. The persistent ULF power is present during enhancement cases, while for reduction, the ULF waves power is concentrated at the initial reduction on the outer radiation belt electron flux.