bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fish Consumption Advisory Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for the Protection of Human Health in Canada and the United States
Authors: King Rachael , Polidoro Beth , Watanabe Karen , Avery Trevor
Published: November 2021

Fish consumption advisories provide valuable information on the protection of human health from contaminated fish consumption, yet are rarely conducted comprehensively nor communicated widely. Environmental policies that fail to adequately develop and implement fish consumption advisory programs are largely to blame. This policy analysis delves into the strengths and weaknesses of current fish consumption advisory programs in the United States and Canada. To compare between these countries, fish consumption advisory programs were broadly described across all 50 US states and 13 Canadian provinces/territories. Two case studies were chosen to provide a more detailed look into the complexities of fish consumption advisory programs (Arizona and Nova Scotia). It is apparent from this research that fish consumption advisory programs and policies do not comprehensively address human health and environmental justice concerns in either country suggesting policy changes are necessary. Opportunities for and barriers to regulatory change in both countries were identified, and suggestions on sharing strong policies were provided. Finally, international frameworks aimed at improving fish consumption advisory programs were explored, mainly those used by the European Union. Environmental justice and human health concerns will only increase given changing environments and emerging toxicological issues; therefore, increased focus on fish consumption advisory programs is warranted. This focus should consider policy change in particular because it can codify human health and environmental justice protections upon which stronger fish consumption advisory programs can be built.
A New (Cold) Front in Polar Intelligence? Trends and Implications of Technology-Enabled Monitoring in the Arctic
Authors: Urban Kathryn
Published: November 2021

The Arctic has gained increasing attention from defense and intelligence policymakers concerned about great power conflict in the High North. United States-Russian competition in the region over polar shipping routes and natural resources seemingly contradicts institutional commitments to retain the Arctic as a “low tension zone.” Superpowers and their allies are receiving international condemnation for advancing kinetic military activity in the region while constituents and interest groups are instead advocating for diplomacy and cooperative restraint. As a result, Arctic nations are turning towards extensive reconnaissance and monitoring of the region to deter conflict. This study draws on strategy documents from each of the eight Arctic nations, scholarly research, and news coverage to assemble a picture of current efforts at technology-enabled monitoring. It also examines the potential of technologies such as long-range surveillance drones, satellites, and seabed monitors to facilitate near-constant reconnaissance by polar powers. The current deterrence mindset of Arctic security postures bears comparison with Cold War-era efforts to prevent outright conflict via monitoring and mitigation strategies. This study provides a historic account of Arctic intelligence in the 20th century and uses a comparative approach to assess what aspects of the contemporary situation are genuinely new and which may benefit from lessons of the Cold War. It concludes with policy recommendations for Arctic states to implement cohesive northern monitoring strategies into their intelligence organizations as well as long-term guidelines for new multilateral fora focused explicitly on Arctic security issues.
Critical Analysis of Tess Transit Photometric Data: Improved Physical Properties for Five Exoplanets
Authors: Saha Suman , Sengupta Sujan
Published: November 2021

We present improved physical parameters for four hot Jupiters: KELT-7 b, HAT-P-14 b, WASP-29 b, WASP-95 b, and a hot Neptune: WASP-156 b, by performing critical and rigorous analysis of the time-series observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Being a space-based telescope, the transit photometric data obtained by TESS are free from any noise component due to the interference of Earth’s atmosphere. In our analysis of the observed data, we have used critical noise reduction techniques, e.g., the wavelet denoising and Gaussian process regression, in order to effectively reduce the noise components that arise from other sources, such as various instrumental effects and the stellar activity and pulsations. The better quality of photometric data from TESS, combined with our state-of-the-art noise reduction and analysis technique, has resulted in more accurate and precise values of the physical properties for the target exoplanets than that reported in earlier works.
A Possible Link between Turbulence and Plasma Heating
Authors: Yordanova Emiliya , Vörös Zoltán , Sorriso-Valvo Luca , Dimmock Andrew P. , Kilpua Emilia
Published: November 2021

Numerical simulations and experimental results have shown that the formation of current sheets in space plasmas can be associated with enhanced vorticity. Also, in simulations the generation of such structures is associated with strong plasma heating. Here, we compare four-point measurements in the terrestrial magnetosheath turbulence from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission of the flow vorticity and the magnetic field curlometer versus their corresponding one-point proxies PVI(V) and PVI(B) based on the Partial Variance of Increments (PVI) method. We show that the one-point proxies are sufficiently precise in identifying not only the generic features of the current sheets and vortices statistically, but also their appearance in groups associated with plasma heating. The method has been further applied to the region of the turbulent sheath of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) observed at L1 by the WIND spacecraft. We observe current sheets and vorticity associated heating in larger groups (blobs), which so far have not been considered in the literature on turbulent data analysis. The blobs represent extended spatial regions of activity with enhanced regional correlations between the occurrence of conditioned currents and vorticity, which at the same time are also correlated with enhanced temperatures. This heating mechanism is substantially different from the plasma heating in the vicinity of the ICME shock, where plasma beta is strongly fluctuating and there is no vorticity. The proposed method describes a new pathway for linking the plasma heating and plasma turbulence, and it is relevant to in situ observations when only single spacecraft measurements are available.
Origin of the Weak Plasma Emission Line Detected by Voyager 1 in the Interstellar Medium: Evidence for Suprathermal Electrons
Authors: Gurnett D. A. , Kurth W. S. , Burlaga L. F. , Berdichevsky D. B. , Pogorelov N. V. , Pulupa M. , Bale S. D.
Published: November 2021

Recently, a very weak, nearly continuous plasma wave emission line has been discovered in the nearby interstellar medium at the electron plasma frequency. The new observations were made by the plasma wave instrument on the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which crossed into the interstellar medium in 2012 August. Several questions remained unanswered after the initial discovery. Why was the emission line not observed until several years after Voyager 1 entered the interstellar medium, what is the wavelength of the plasma oscillations responsible for the emission line, and what is the origin of the oscillations? Here, we provide answers to these questions. On the most important question, namely the origin of the oscillations, the evidence strongly suggest that the emission is driven by suprathermal electrons that excite plasma oscillations comparable to the quasi-thermal noise (QTN) that is commonly observed by space plasma wave instruments with long, thin electric dipole antennas. These results imply the existence of a relatively dense population of suprathermal electrons that could contribute significantly to the overall pressure in the interstellar medium. Although the similarities to the previous QTN observations are impressive, there is no certainty that the emissions are driven by thermal excitation, and other sources should be explored, such as the possibility that they are driven by pressure fluctuations associated with the short-wavelength cascade of interstellar turbulence.
Jules Verne's Formulation of the Fermi Question
Authors: Smith Graeme H.
Published: November 2021

Jules Verne's novel Around the Moon envisions the circumlunar flight of a crewed projectile around the lunar farside ending with a safe return to Earth. The novel is justifiably famous, partly because of certain parallels it contains to the U.S. Apollo program a century later. What is less appreciated is that the novel contains a rather direct statement of what would later become known as the Fermi Question or Fermi Paradox.
Thermophysical and Compositional Analyses of Dunes at Hargraves Crater, Mars
Authors: Emran A. , Marzen L. J. , King Jr. D. T. , Chevrier V. F.
Published: November 2021

We analyze thermal emission spectra using the 2001 Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System and the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer to characterize grain size and mineralogical composition of dunes at Hargraves crater, Mars. Thermal inertia and bulk composition of the dunes were compared to inferred provenances from the thermal infrared response of surface constituent materials. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique to estimate the bulk amount of mineralogy contributed by each inferred provenance to the dune field composition. An average thermal inertia value of 238 ± 17 Jm−2 K−1 s−0.5 was found for the dunes, corresponding to a surface composed of an average effective grain size of ∼391 ± 172 μm. This effective particle size suggests the presence of mostly medium sand-sized materials mixed with fine and coarse grain sands. The dunes are likely composed of a weakly indurated surface mixed with unconsolidated materials. Compositional analysis specifies that the dunes are composed of a mixture of feldspar, olivine, pyroxene, and relatively low bulk-silica content. Dune materials were likely derived from physical weathering, especially aeolian erosion, predominantly from the crater ejecta unit at the crater, mixed with a small amount from the crater floor and crater rim and wall lithologies—indicating that the dune materials were likely sourced locally.
On the Fate of Interstellar Objects Captured by Our Solar System
Authors: Napier Kevin J , Adams Fred C , Batygin Konstantin
Published: November 2021

With the recent discoveries of interstellar objects Oumuamua and Borisov traversing the solar system, understanding the dynamics of interstellar objects is more pressing than ever. These detections have highlighted the possibility that captured interstellar material could be trapped in our solar system. The first step in rigorously investigating this question is to calculate a capture cross section for interstellar objects as a function of hyperbolic excess velocity, which can be convolved with any velocity dispersion to compute a capture rate. Although the cross section provides the first step toward calculating the mass of alien rocks residing in our solar system, we also need to know the lifetime of the captured objects. We use an ensemble of N-body simulations to characterize a dynamical lifetime for captured interstellar objects and determine the fraction of surviving objects as a function of time (since capture). We also illuminate the primary effects driving their secular evolution. Finally, we use the resulting dynamical lifetime function to estimate the current inventory of captured interstellar material in the solar system. We find that capture from the field yields a steady-state mass of only ∼10−13
M
⊕, whereas the mass remaining from capture events in the birth cluster is roughly 10−9
M
⊕.
Functional Disability to Evaluate the Risk of Arthritis in First-degree Relatives of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Wiens Dana , Smolik Irene , Meng Xiaobo , Anaparti Vidyanand , El-Gabalawy Hani S. , O’Neil Liam J.
Published: November 2021

Objective

The events that occur prior to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continue to be delineated. We examined the relationship between self-reported joint symptoms, functional disability, and anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) status in a cohort of first-degree relatives (FDR) of patients with RA who are at risk of future disease development.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 279 FDR of First Nations (FN) patients with RA who are at increased risk for future RA development, and analyzed data collected at their enrollment study visit. In parallel, we analyzed data from 279 FN subjects with no family history of RA. A subset of FDR developed inflammatory arthritis and we analyzed longitudinal data in this group.

Results

The prevalence of joint symptoms and functional disability was higher in FDR compared to non-FDR (all P < 0.001). Difficulty walking (37.3% vs 18.0%) and modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) results were higher in ACPA-positive FDR compared to ACPA-negative FDR, and HAQ was independently associated with ACPA seropositivity (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.56–5.00). Longitudinally, in individuals who developed ACPA-positive RA, ACPA level and HAQ score were significantly associated (R = 0.45, P < 0.001) in the preclinical period.

Conclusion

Compared to population-based controls, FDR have a high burden of joint symptoms and functional disability. Functional disability was most closely associated with ACPA seropositivity in the FDR, suggesting a direct role for ACPA outside of the context of clinically detectable synovitis. HAQ appears to be particularly valuable in the assessment of individuals at risk for future RA development.
Representation of Skin of Color in Rheumatology Educational Resources
Authors: Bae Chay , Cheng Michael , Kraus Christina N. , Desai Sheetal
Published: November 2021

Objective

To investigate the availability of images representing Black, Indigenous, and people of color in rheumatology educational resources.

Methods

Color images were collected from 5 major educational resources and cataloged by the resources they came from, underlying rheumatic conditions, and skin type. Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) was used to categorize images into “light,” “dark,” or “indeterminate.” The images were initially scored by a fellow in the Division of Rheumatology and subsequently validated by a faculty member from the Department of Dermatology.

Results

Of the thousands of images reviewed, 1604 images met study criteria. FST validation from the Department of Dermatology resulted in the recoding of 111 images. The final scoring revealed 86% of the images to be light skin, 9% of images to be dark skin, and 5% of images to be indeterminate.

Conclusion

The paucity of dark skin images in rheumatology resources is incongruent with current diversity estimates in the US. Significant efforts should be made to incorporate images of Black, Indigenous, and people of color into educational resources.
Coaching on Resume Development and Interview Preparation for Nurses Desiring Career Progression
Authors: Worman Dawn
Published: November 2021

Professional development specialists can support career progression by coaching nurses on resume development and providing interview tips. Using the acronym PICC ME can provide practical strategies and enable nurses to prepare for interviews and be chosen among candidates for a desired role.

[
J Contin Educ Nurs
. 2021;52(11):502–504.]
Eternal solutions for a reaction-diffusion equation with weighted reaction
Authors: Iagar Razvan Gabriel , Sánchez Ariel
Published: November 2021

We prove existence and uniqueness of eternal solutions in self-similar form growing up in time with exponential rate for the weighted reaction-diffusion equation

   \begin{document}$ \partial_tu = \Delta u^m+|x|^{\sigma}u^p, $\end{document}

posed in \begin{document}$ \mathbb{R}^N $\end{document}, with \begin{document}$ m>1 $\end{document}, \begin{document}$ 0
 and the critical value for the weight

   \begin{document}$ \sigma = \frac{2(1-p)}{m-1}. $\end{document}

Existence and uniqueness of some specific solution holds true when \begin{document}$ m+p\geq2 $\end{document}. On the contrary, no eternal solution exists if \begin{document}$ m+p<2 $\end{document}. We also classify exponential self-similar solutions with a different interface behavior when \begin{document}$ m+p>2 $\end{document}. Some transformations to reaction-convection-diffusion equations and traveling wave solutions are also introduced.
Threshold of a stochastic SIQS epidemic model with isolation
Authors: Dieu Nguyen Thanh , Sam Vu Hai , Du Nguyen Huu
Published: November 2021

The aim of this paper is to give sufficient conditions, very close to the necessary one, to classify the stochastic permanence of SIQS epidemic model with isolation via a threshold value \begin{document}$ \widehat R $\end{document}. Precisely, we show that if \begin{document}$ \widehat R<1 $\end{document} then the stochastic SIQS system goes to the disease free case in sense the density of infected \begin{document}$ I_z(t) $\end{document} and quarantined \begin{document}$ Q_z(t) $\end{document} classes extincts to \begin{document}$ 0 $\end{document} at exponential rate and the density of susceptible class \begin{document}$ S_z(t) $\end{document} converges almost surely at exponential rate to the solution of boundary equation. In the case \begin{document}$ \widehat R>1 $\end{document}, the model is permanent. We show the existence of a unique invariant probability measure and prove the convergence in total variation norm of transition probability to this invariant measure. Some numerical examples are also provided to illustrate our findings.
The random convolution sampling stability in multiply generated shift invariant subspace of weighted mixed Lebesgue space
Authors: Wang Suping ,   School of Mathematics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we mainly investigate the random convolution sampling stability for signals in multiply generated shift invariant subspace of weighted mixed Lebesgue space. Under some restricted conditions for the generators and the convolution function, we conclude that the defined multiply generated shift invariant subspace could be approximated by a finite dimensional subspace. Furthermore, with overwhelming probability, the random convolution sampling stability holds for signals in some subset of the defined multiply generated shift invariant subspace when the sampling size is large enough.
The Effects of Real-Time Content Marketing on Consumer Emotions and Behaviors
Authors: Senturk Hayat Ayar , Cizer Ece Ozer , Sezer Tugce
Published: November 2021

This study, carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, aimed to provide suggestions for creating a successful real-time content marketing strategy. For this purpose, data were collected from 319 participants using the online questionnaire technique. Outcomes of the analysis indicate that while positive perception toward real-time content marketing campaigns can lead to positive emotions, negative perception toward real-time content marketing campaigns can lead to negative emotions. It was also found as an important result that both positive and negative emotions affect negative consumer behavior during the pandemic period. In addition, negative emotions as a mediator variable strengthen negative consumer behavior. As a result, it can be said that real content marketing campaigns also have negative consequences on consumer behavior during pandemics. Consequently, marketing authorities should continue their real-time content marketing activities with this result in mind.
Informal Communication in a Formal Context
Authors: Oliveira Nuno Ricardo , Almeida Ana Patricia
Published: November 2021

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in integrating mobile technologies into the formal system in the field of formal education and, in particular, higher education. Furthermore, due to the circumstances caused by the pandemic panorama that extended to most countries in the world in 2020, various sectors, in which education is included, were forced to reinvent and transform themselves in order to adapt to emergency remote education. What the authors propose with this chapter is to make an analysis of the state of the art on the theme of informal communication in the educational context, and particularly in higher education, with the use of the available technology, namely mobile media. Through a literature review already initiated in previous studies, it is intended to know the national and international panorama about the use of mobile applications in the context of higher education and in what way the devices traditionally conceived for informal communication are being used and adapted to a formal context.
It All Connects
Authors: Graff Carine , Chism Rebecca Lynn
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic forced society to reevaluate the role of technology in the blink of an eye, and virtual learning environments became a necessity rather than an option. Even those instructors who were accustomed to remote learning had to reevaluate its best practices. World language teachers especially were forced to consider how to best provide their students the opportunity to practice the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. With communication being the essence of foreign language instruction, it was of utmost consideration as to how it could transition effectively online. While there are many tools available for online teaching, not all of them are suitable for the world language class. Using connectivism as a framework, the authors propose that a single tool, Flipgrid, can be used to develop communicative proficiency and has the potential to enhance 21st century skills. This chapter will describe Flipgrid, its advantages and limitations, and offer three sample activities.
Integrating Concordance Tools Into L2 Vocabulary Instruction
Authors: Şimşek Erdi
Published: November 2021

Since its emergence, corpora have made investigating language possible in a precise and objective way. Language practitioners are now equipped with concordancing tools that can check millions of utterances in seconds. These tools have caused a revolution in processing and analyzing a language for different purposes. Teachers now can examine the information in a textbook by referring back to corpus tools, keep track of the target language use, and infer generalizations that are hardly provided by traditional language books. After presenting a theoretical and historical overview of corpora and concordancers, this chapter discusses the role of corpora and concordancing tools in English language teaching (ELT), specifically in vocabulary instruction, and presents four corpus-based activity ideas that the classroom practitioners can easily utilize in their classes.
Supporting Language Learning With OERs and Open-Authoring Tools
Authors: Scott Christine , Jaramillo Cherrez Nadia
Published: November 2021

Open educational resources (OERs) in language learning have recently captured the interests of language educators, curriculum developers, and researchers as these open-source materials serve as an alternative to traditional textbooks and costly web-based learning resources. OERs offer several benefits for language learners, including access to controlled language practice, self-study, engagement, and learning satisfaction. These resources can also promote innovative instructional practices that respond to constructivist and interactionist perspectives of second language acquisition. However, widespread use of open resources remains low among language teachers for several reasons, including a lack of awareness of how to develop and use them, overreliance on commercially produced textbooks, scarcity of resources, and guidelines for developing original open resources. In this chapter, the authors explore how to best approach the process of creating and using open resources in order to develop and promote OERs among language educators.
Lost in Translation
Authors: Kamperis Aya
Published: November 2021

The chapter examines the role of practice-related research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It will extend existing debates regarding the academic rigour of such methodologies as arts-based research and consider their impact on future research culture, using Zen arts as an example of a subject of study within such a methodological framing. It also discusses complimentary methods used by Zen arts researchers such as ethnography to examine why qualitative techniques are not only useful but imperative in the study of such fields. While practice is the key to Zen arts research, neither of the practice-related method types, practice-led or practice-based, currently defined describes how such practice or the writing function in PhD investigations, where together such components are the subject of investigation as well as the method of research and presentation. The chapter thus suggests an additional category of PRR, “practice-reflexive,” when describing such research whose focus is on the distinction of (or the lack thereof) the written exegesis and the notional artefact.
Government Challenges Over Global Electronic Commerce Using FinTech
Authors: Hwangbo Yeoul
Published: November 2021

The challenge over most countries has been legislating related acts and regulations on global electronic commerce taxation, but they have not implemented the consumption tax system for global electronic commerce so far. Consumer payment tax (CPT) is based on fintech and thereby proposed so that consumers can pay the consumption taxes to related taxation office of the countries in accordance with consumer country's jurisdiction principle, considering the CPT is assessed to satisfy most of the electronic commerce taxation criteria and has the potential to be applied to electronic commerce.
Exploratory Study of the Attitudinal Effects of Employee Shareholding in Morocco
Authors: Elouadi Sara , El Kerbani Meriem
Published: November 2021

The authors conducted an empirical study in the form of a questionnaire distributed to Moroccan employees. It was completed by 217 employees and relates to the year 2020. The data collected was analyzed by the method of structural equations. The authors continued the methodology of Anderson and Gerbing. The two authors proposed a two-step analysis method. This first involves performing a confirmatory analysis of the measurement model to improve its convergent validity and discriminant validity. The results of the questionnaire survey show that there is a positive and strong link between employee share ownership on the one hand and work motivation and organizational involvement on the other. Also, the tests carried out show that employee share ownership contributes significantly to reducing the departure intention.
Rethinking the “State Security-Human Security” Nexus in the Face of COVID-19
Authors: Duygulu Sirin
Published: November 2021

It is the argument of this chapter that the COVID-19 pandemic created a need to problematize how we understand security, especially the contrast between state security and human security. This chapter argues that the pandemic has illustrated the importance of human security as well as the need to understand it as a precondition for, and not as an alternative to, state and international security. However, the study does not argue that the increased importance of human security translates into the protection of all humans. The crude reality that security is always at someone's and something's expense sustains vulnerabilities within societies. The study acknowledges that the changes in the security implications (both material and perceived) do not necessarily or automatically translate to changes in policies. Institutional resistance to change and general political trends among other factors affect the extent to which policies will evolve in a direction that would better meet the security implications of the pandemic.
The Digitalization in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Gharbi Inès , Daoud Yomna , Kammoun Aïda
Published: November 2021

In December 2019, a new viral pneumonia called COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, China causing a health crisis that then turned into an economic and social crisis. Since then, entire sectors of the economy have been slowing down, forcing them to integrate innovative digital processes to mitigate the negative impact of this crisis. In this regard, the purpose of the chapter is to initiate a reflection on digitization processes based on a review of the literature to help explain the concept. This work allowed spotlighting the existing research on digitalization through practical case studies in business, education, and health systems, and how organizations perceive digitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors analyze how digital platforms can increase the survival rate of businesses in times of crisis and ensure the continuity of customers' access to the various goods and services. The purpose behind this is to serve as a basis for further empirical research for academics and improve the knowledge base by providing insight into the efforts of the sectors studied.
Delay Tolerant Network Protocols in a Railway Network
Authors: Tikhonov Eugene , Schneps-Schneppe Donat , Namiot Dmitry
Published: November 2021

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the effectiveness of the DTN (delay tolerant network) system in a communication network on a railway line. Trains act as moving objects that are sending and receiving messages to/from an external network. Trains may also transmit telemetry collected during movement. The article presents data on the effectiveness of the DTN network with various protocols in terms of reducing the delay in the message and telemetry delivery and in increasing the total number of delivered messages in the railway scenario. An analysis of railway lines with various loads and different coverage of mobile networks was made. These models are based on real railway maps and train schedules. The effectiveness of DTN during migration to networks of a higher data rate (5G) and networks with satellite connection of trains is discussed.
Privacy-Aware Contact Sharing for Groups in P2P Networks
Authors: Meskanen Tommi , Kuusijärvi Jarkko , Niemi Valtteri
Published: November 2021

The need for peer-to-peer (p2p) communications is obvious because current centralized solutions are capturing and storing too much information from individuals communicating with each other. HELIOS platform introduces a new social media platform that is not controlled by any central operator but brings the power of possession of the data back to the users. It does not have centralized servers that store and handle receiving/sending of the messages. Instead, HELIOS platform relies on the current open-source solutions available in the p2p communities to propagate the messages to the wanted recipients of the data and/or messages. The authors of this paper propose a set of protocols to help answer one specific problem related to p2p communication. Especially, this paper proposes how to privately share data (end-point address or other) of the user with such other users who have previously connected with the user securely, either offline or online.
Comparing the Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy with Ibuprofen in Improving Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome
Authors: Abbasi Farid , Moaddabi Ali , Beithardan Ghazal , Asnaashari Mohammad , Rezaei Seyede Fateme , Moaddabi Amirhossein
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS) can be a consequence of conditions such as temporomandibular disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of diode laser and ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation in patients with MPDS.

Methods and materials:

In this study, 40 patients with MPDS were randomly divided into two groups. One group received ibuprofen 500 mg two times a day for 3 weeks and had placebo laser sessions. The other group received active laser (diode 810 nm CW) as treatment factor and placebo drug. Pain intensity was measured by visual analog scale and maximum painless mouth opening was also measured as a functional index every session and in a 2-month follow-up. Data were collected and analyzed using independent t test and analysis of variance (α = 0.05). Results Low-level laser group showed a significant reduction in pain and a significant increase in mouth opening. In ibuprofen group, neither pain intensity nor maximum mouth opening had significant improvement. Conclusion Treatment with low-level laser improved mouth opening and pain intensity significantly in patients with MPDS. Therefore, low-level laser can be a good treatment modality for these patients.
Twenty-first Century Dental Practice and the Treatment of Nonmicrobial Genetic-based Dental Diseases
Authors: Rossomando Edward F.
Published: November 2021

After W.D. Miller proved a causal relationship between microbes and dental caries and periodontitis, the repair and replacement of damaged or lost teeth resulting from microbial activity dominated 20th century dental practice. In this study, I predict that in the 21st century dental practice will shift to the treatment of those dental diseases not caused by microbes. As dentists already treat some nonmicrobial diseases, I will focus on craniofacial malformations, the group of nonmicrobial diseases usually called birth defects. Some examples include dental dysplasias, cleft lip and palate, and malocclusion. In this study, I introduce the word “dysmorphogenesis” (to replace the term birth defect) as it more appropriately ascribes this subset of nonmicrobial diseases results to mistakes during the formation of craniofacial structures. As dysmorphogenic diseases occur during gestation, their diagnosis and especially their treatment require intervention during embryogenesis. Fortunately, decades of research have shown that mutations are involved in malformations during amelogenesis, palatogenesis, and odontogenesis. Knowledge of which genes are involved, together with recent breakthroughs in Crispr gene editing, make interventions during gestation possible. Those dentists performing gene editing procedures I have previously called Biodontists, because creating the Biodontics specialty will take time. The dental profession including dental educators, dental practitioners, and dental manufacturers should begin discussions now on how best to proceed.
Potential for Spatial Laminar Airflow to Prevent Interdental-Chair Contamination in Multichair Dental Operatories
Authors: Khursheed Dler Ali , Muhsin Bnar Mohammed , Rauf Aras Maruf
Published: November 2021

Introduction:

The dental clinic has for a long time been considered as a risky place for infection dissemination. Due to aerosol generating procedures, the risk of cross-transmission in dental clinics has recently risen. Open dental clinics should undergo present-time reassessment concerning infection control, in particular, to consider the implications of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic for today’s advanced technological and medical practices. It might be necessary to make urgent and appropriate modifications to the design of air circulation systems in the dental environment to prevent microbial transmission.

The Hypothesis:

In order to minimise cross-transmission in multi-chair dental operatories, we have designed two model ventilation systems with 12 and 36 air change/hour capacities and with laminar airflow direction. The conditioned air directly blows into the dental treatment units, especially into the aerosol generating area, where the contamination is more concentrated. We hypothesise that these new designs could serve to isolate dental treatment units to function separately like closed dental operatories while keeping them open to each other.

Evaluation of the Hypothesis:

Thorough physical and biological investigations will be required to determine how these designs can be applied effectively in terms of the required spatial separation of dental treatment units in the open multi-chair dental operatories.
Primary Cutaneous Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, an Uncommon Entity
Authors: Binesh Fariba , Ardakani Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh , Kamal Pegah , Pourhosseini Fatemah , Mirhosseini Sara , Shahcheraghi Seyed Hossein
Published: November 2021

Although secondary rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the skin is not uncommon, the primary type is rare. RMS arising on subcutaneous tissue in an adult is sorely uncommon. It usually affects the skin of the face. Among the four histologic subtypes, the alveolar variant is the least frequently presented variant. Here, the authors introduce a patient with primary cutaneous alveolar RMS of the scalp. The tumor manifested as an immense plaque-like lesion confined to the scalp. The diagnosis was made by histological and immunohistochemical features of the biopsied specimen. Immunohistochemistry stains revealed that the tumor cells were positive for Desmin and negative for HMB45 and CD34. Surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy seems to be the best treatment. If complete resection of the lesion is not possible, radiotherapy is recommended. This case demonstrates that primary cutaneous RMS should be considered in the assessment of peculiar malignant tumors of the skin, and proper ancillary studies will be helpful.
Primary Breast T-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Binesh Fariba , Yazdi Mohammad Forat , Kamal Pegah , Mirhosseini Sara , Shahcheraghi Seyed Hossein
Published: November 2021

Primary breast lymphoma is an uncommon neoplasm. The vast majority of breast lymphomas are B-cell type; only in a few cases, the tumor cells show a T-phenotype. Because the imaging findings are nonspecific, the diagnosis is made by histology. A 42-year-old woman presented with chief complaints of exertional dyspnea, dry cough, postnasal discharge, and right breast mass during the last month. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy, and a diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma was made. The patient received chemotherapy. After the end of chemotherapy, radiotherapy was done. Primary breast T-cell lymphoma presents as a nonspecific mass on mammography, and as a result, it can be confuse with breast carcinoma. Proper diagnosis and subsequent appropriate treatment lead to excellent prognosis. Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. Radical surgery should be avoided.
Etiology of Primary Amenorrhea
Authors: Mishra Rajesh Kumar , Kohli Uttara Aiyer , Seth Atul , Tripathy Sumeet Ranjan
Published: November 2021

Objectives:

The etiology of primary amenorrhea is varied and can involve different organ systems. Gonadal dysgenesis and Mullerian agenesis are two most common disorders contributing to it. However, there is no consensus about the prevalence of different etiologies among studies reported from different parts of the world. The present study was carried out to evaluate different etiological factors responsible for primary amenorrhea in Western India.

Materials and Methods:

This was a prospective observational study carried out at a tertiary care hospital in Maharashtra. Thirty cases of primary amenorrhea were evaluated over a period of 2 years and data were analyzed regarding etiology and various management options.

Results:

Fourteen out of 30 cases had Mullerian agenesis and gonadal dysgenesis was reported in five cases. No case of genital tuberculosis was reported in our study. Most cases of Mullerian agenesis were managed with vaginoplasty, whereas cases of gonadal dysgenesis were managed with cyclical hormonal therapy.

Conclusion:

Mullerian agenesis was the most common etiology of primary amenorrhea followed by gonadal dysgenesis in our study. Diagnosis of patients of amenorrhea should be meticulous and their management depends on the underlying etiology.
A construction of equivariant bundles on the space of symmetric forms
Authors: Boralevi Ada , Faenzi Daniele , Lella Paolo
Published: November 2021

We construct stable vector bundles on the space

\mathbb{P}(S^d \mathbb{C}^{n+1})

of symmetric forms of degree

d

in

n+1

variables which are equivariant for the action of

\text{SL}_{n+1}(\mathbb{C})

and admit an equivariant free resolution of length

2

. For

n=1

, we obtain new examples of stable vector bundles of rank

d-1

on

\mathbb{P}^d

, which are moreover equivariant for

\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbb{C})

. The presentation matrix of these bundles attains Westwick's upper bound for the dimension of vector spaces of matrices of constant rank and fixed size.
Linear Growth Faltering Is Associated with Subsequent Adverse Child Cognitive Developmental Outcomes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (REDUCE Program)
Authors: George Christine Marie , Perin Jamie , Kuhl Jennifer , Williams Camille , Coglianese Nicole , Thomas Elizabeth D. , Bauler Sarah , François Ruthly , Ng Angela , Kang Yunhee , Presence Amani Sanvura , Jean Claude Bisimwa Rusanga , Tofail Fahmida , Mirindi Patrick , Cirhuza Lucien Bisimwa
Published: November 2021

Globally, 140 million children under 5 years of age are estimated to be stunted. Previous studies have found an association between stunting and poor cognitive outcomes. However, there is limited evidence of this association in sub-Saharan African settings, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This prospective cohort study of 286 children under 5 years was conducted in rural DRC to investigate the association between diarrhea prevalence, child growth, and child cognitive developmental outcomes. Developmental outcomes were assessed by communication, fine motor, gross motor, personal social, problem-solving, and combined developmental scores measured by the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (EASQ) at a 6-month follow-up visit. Height and weight were measured at baseline and a 6-month follow-up. Diarrhea prevalence was assessed through surveillance visits. Diarrhea prevalence was not associated with follow-up combined EASQ Z-scores at the 6-month follow-up (coefficient: −0.06 [95% CI: −0.29, 0.17]). Each additional standard deviation (SD) increase in height-for-age Z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up increased combined EASQ Z-scores by 0.22 (95%: 0.14, −0.31) SDs. Each additional SD increase in weight-for-age Z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up increased combined EASQ Z-scores by 0.21 (95%: 0.10, −0.32) SDs. Linear growth faltering and reduced weight gain were associated with reduced cognitive developmental outcomes among children residing in rural DRC. Interventions are urgently needed for this susceptible pediatric population to improve child growth and cognitive developmental outcomes.
Clinical, Sociodemographic and Environmental Risk Factors for Acute Bacterial Diarrhea among Adults and Children over Five Years in Bangladesh
Authors: Nasrin Sabiha , Garbern Stephanie C. , Gainey Monique , Kanekar Samika , Monjory Mahmuda , Ahmed Dilruba , Qu Kexin , Chu Tzu-Chun , Schmid Christopher H. , Nelson Eric J. , Ahmed Tahmeed , Alam Nur H. , Levine Adam C.
Published: November 2021

In 2016, diarrheal disease was the eighth leading cause of mortality globally accounting for over 1.6 million deaths with the majority of deaths in adults and children over 5 years. This study aims to investigate the clinical, sociodemographic, and environmental risk factors associated with common bacterial acute diarrhea among adults and children over 5. Data were collected from March 2019 to March 2020 in patients over 5 years presenting with acute gastroenteritis at icddr,b. Stool samples were collected from each patient for culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Bivariate associations between independent variables and stool-testing indicating bacterial etiology were calculated. This analysis included 2,133 diarrheal patients of whom a bacterial enteropathogen was identified in 1,537 (72%). Detection of bacteria was associated with: younger age (OR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.88–0.96), lower mean arterial pressure (OR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.79–0.89), heart rate (OR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01–1.10), percentage dehydration (OR 1.33; 95% CI: 1.13–1.55), respiration rate (OR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04–1.46), lower mid-upper arm circumference (OR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94–0.99), confused/lethargic mental status (OR 1.85; 95% CI: 1.11–3.25), rice watery stool (OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.54–2.41), and vomiting more than three times in the past 24 hours (OR 1.30; 95% CI: 1.06–1.58). Higher monthly income (OR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.86–0.98), > 8 years of education (OR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63–1.00), and having more than five people living at home (OR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66–0.98) were associated with lower odds of bacterial diarrhea. These findings may help guide the development of predictive tools to aid in identifying patients with bacterial diarrhea for timely and appropriate use of antibiotics.
The Burden of Acute Febrile Illness Attributable to Dengue Virus Infection in Sri Lanka: A Single-Center 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study (2016–2019)
Authors: Tissera Hasitha , Samaraweera Preshila , de Boer Melanie , Gandhi Sanjay , Malvaux Ludovic , Mehta Shailesh , Palihawadana Paba , Vantomme Valerie , Paris Robert , Schmidt Alexander
Published: November 2021

We performed a 2-year prospective cohort study to determine the incidence of dengue in Angoda, Colombo district, Sri Lanka (NCT02570152). The primary objective was to determine the incidence of acute febrile illness (AFI) because of laboratory confirmed dengue (LCD). Secondary objectives were to determine AFI incidence because of non-LCD, describe AFI symptoms, and estimate AFI incidence because of LCD by dengue virus (DENV)-type and age group. Participants from households with at least one minor and one adult (≤50 years) were enrolled and followed with scheduled weekly visits and, in case of AFI, unscheduled visits. Blood was collected for DENV detection at AFI visits, and symptoms recorded during the 7-day period following AFI onset. A total of 2,004 participants were enrolled (971 children, and 1,033 adults). A total of 55 LCD episodes were detected (overall incidence of 14.2 per 1,000 person-years). Incidence was the highest among children < 5 years (21.3 per 1,000 person-years) and 5–11 years (22.7 per 1,000 person-years), compared with adults ≥ 18 years (9.2 per 1,000 person-years). LCD was mostly (83.6%) caused by DENV-2 (n = 46), followed by DENV-1 (n = 6) and DENV-3 (n = 3). Common symptoms of LCD were headache, fatigue, myalgia, loss of appetite, and arthralgia. Incidence of AFI because of non-LCD was 47.3 per 1,000 person-years. In conclusion, this study reports the LCD incidence for a DENV-2 dominated epidemic that is comparable to the incidence of suspected dengue reported passively for 2017, one of the worst outbreaks in recent history.
Rollover Testing Methods
Authors:   Impact and Rollover Test Procedures Standards Committee
Published: November 2021

The scope of this document is to provide an overview of the techniques found in the published literature for rollover testing and rollover crashworthiness evaluation at the vehicle and component levels. It is not a comprehensive literature review, but rather illustrates the techniques that are in use or have been used to evaluate rollover crashworthiness-related issues.