bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety of esthetic procedures in rheumatic patients: single-center survey of patients
Authors: Felis-Giemza Anna , Matusiewicz Agata , Wajda Anna , Olesińska Marzena
Published: October 2023

The popularity of esthetic medicine is growing every year, also among patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of esthetic medicine (AM) procedures in patients with AIRD. A semi-structured, anonymous questionnaire regarding rheumatic and concomitant diseases and AM procedures was distributed among adult patients hospitalized in the rheumatology department or attending outpatient clinic in the National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation, Warsaw. The main outcome was the occurrence of an adverse event. A number of 512 patients took part in the survey and 15 were excluded (AM procedure preceded the diagnosis of AIRD). The study group consisted of 497 patients, of whom 47 had undergone AM procedures. The procedures performed included: tattooing (22 patients), piercing (16 patients), hyaluronic acid (7 patients), botulinum toxin (5 patients) injections, laser procedures (6 patients), plastic surgery (4 patients), mesotherapy (3 patients) and others. The vast majority of patients had these performed during remission or low disease activity. 70.2% of patients received treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) during the AM procedure, with TNF-alfa inhibitors being the most common (63.6%). Adverse events occurred in 15% of patients. All were mild and transient site reactions. Most patients would like to repeat the AM procedure in the future. The use of esthetic medicine procedures in patients with AIRD, including those treated with biologic DMARDs, was associated with a risk of mild site reactions. Most of the patients expressed satisfaction with the results of the AM procedure.
Survey on the working, training, and research conditions of resident physicians in internistic and rheumatological continuing education—BEWUSST
Authors: Proft Fabian , Vossen Diana , Baraliakos Xenofon , Berliner Michael N. , Fleck Martin , Keyßer Gernot , Krause Andreas , Lorenz Hanns-Martin , Manger Bernhard , Schuch Florian , Specker Christof , Wollenhaupt Jürgen , Voormann Anna , Raspe Matthias , Krusche Martin , Pfeil Alexander ,   Kommission Fort- und Weiterbildung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie
Published: October 2023

Background

Data on the training and continuing education situation of residents in the field of internal medicine and rheumatology are not available for Germany. For this reason, the Commission for Education and Training of the German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh) initiated the BEWUSST survey on the working, training and research conditions of residents in rheumatology.

Methods

A total of 102 questions on the topics of working conditions in everyday professional life, continuing medical education and training, compatibility of career and family, compatibility of work and research, perspectives as a rheumatologist and practical activities were included in an online questionnaire.

Results

A total of 102 participants took part in the survey. Of the respondents 48.1% were satisfied with their professional situation, 40.2% of the participants were supervised by a specialist mentor and 54.9% were working as scientists during their work as a physician. A compatibility of family and career was possible for 34.7%. After completion of the residency 52.9% of the respondents aspired to a combined clinical and outpatient activity.

Conclusion

Half of the trainee rheumatologists are satisfied with their professional activities, although mentoring of the assistants in training should be further improved. With respect to the desired combined clinical and outpatient activity, the existing options should be expanded or new professional fields of activity should be established, so that the specialty remains attractive for the upcoming generations.
Möglichkeiten des Aortenklappenersatzes beim jungen Erwachsenen: dezellularisierte menschliche Spenderklappen
Authors: Sarikouch Samir , Ruhparwar Arjang , Horke Alexander
Published: October 2023

Hintergrund

Die Wahl des Aortenklappenersatzverfahrens beim jungen erwachsenen Patienten hat viele verschiedene Aspekte zu berücksichtigen.

Fragestellung

Vergleich der Ergebnisse der Ross-Operation, des mechanischen und biologischen Klappenersatzes sowie konventioneller und dezellularisierter Homografts beim Aortenklappenersatz bei jungen Erwachsenen.

Ergebnisse

Für die Ross-Operation werden Freiheiten von Reoperation an Autograft und pulmonalem Homograft von 92,0 resp. 97,2 % nach 15 Jahren berichtet. Dennoch wurden in 2021 nur bei 1,9 % aller chirurgischen Aortenklappenimplantationen eine Ross-Operation durchgeführt, was die Übertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse auf den individuellen Patienten limitiert. Biologische, xenogene Aortenklappen stellen aufgrund rascher Degeneration für sehr junge Patienten keine Option dar. Der mechanische Aortenklappenersatz ist das Standardverfahren beim jungen Erwachsenen, das Risiko für schwere Komplikationen wie bedrohliche Blutungen oder Thromboembolien, bedingt durch die notwendige Antikoagulation, wird auf ca. 2 % pro Patientenjahr geschätzt. Das Langzeitüberleben zeigte sich gegenüber der Normalbevölkerung nach Implantation einer mechanischen Herzklappe in großen Metaanalysen reduziert.

Dezellularisierte menschliche Spenderklappen stellen eine neue Option für den Aortenklappenersatz bei jungen Erwachsenen dar. In einer prospektiven Studie waren die 5‑Jahres-Ergebnisse vergleichbar mit denen prominenter Ross-Kohorten trotz doppelt so vieler kardialer Voroperationen. Die Freiheiten von Tod, Reoperation, Endokarditis, Blutungen und Thromboembolien betrugen 97,8 %, 93,5 %, 96,4 %, 99,2 % resp. 99,3 %. Hauptzielgruppe sind junge Patienten mit Indikation zum Wurzelersatz, bei denen eine Antikoagulation vermieden werden soll und eine Ross-Operation nicht möglich/erwünscht ist.
Coherent lamellar intergrowth in alkali feldspar
Authors: Petrishcheva E. , Heuser D. , Abart R.
Published: October 2023

A thermodynamic analysis of coherent lamellar intergrowth resulting from the exsolution of initially homogeneous alkali feldspar is presented. In contrast to earlier treatments, where the simplifying assumption of zero strain in the lamellar interfaces was used, our treatment is more general. The elastic stresses and strains associated with coherent lamellar intergrowth of Na-rich and K-rich alkali feldspar are calculated by minimising the overall elastic energy of the lamellar microstructure. At given pressure and temperature, the elastic energy depends on the volume proportions of the two lamellar types, and thus on the composition of the homogeneous precursor feldspar. As a consequence, there is no single coherent solvus for alkali feldspar, but coherent solvi are different for different compositions of the homogeneous precursor phase. Experimentally observed lamellar orientations agree with those predicted by minimising the strain energy on a set of all possible lamellar orientations.
Superior outcomes of total hip arthroplasty without prior lumbar arthrodesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Giai Via Riccardo , Migliorini Filippo , Bosco Francesco , Onorato Francesco , Secco Davide Carlo , Giustra Fortunato , Lavia Alessandro Dario , Giachino Matteo , Massè Alessandro
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The number of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery after previous lumbar arthrodesis (LA) is rising. Literature suggests that LA may significantly impact pelvic biomechanics and potentially compromise the success of prosthetic hip replacement. This study aims to evaluate complication rates, dislocation rates, and revision rates in patients with prior LA undergoing THA surgery compared to those undergoing THA surgery without prior LA.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A PICOS template was developed to ensure a structured approach. The search for relevant studies was performed across five databases, including Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane. The selected articles were evaluated based on the Levels of Evidence (LoE) criteria. The Coleman Methodology Score (mCMS) was employed to analyze the retrospective studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). For the outcomes that allowed for a meta-analysis performed using R software, a p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The final analysis included seventeen studies comprising a total of 3,139,164 cases of THA. Among these cases, 3,081,137 underwent THA surgery alone, while 58,027 patients underwent THA with a previous LA. The study investigated various factors, including dislocation rates, revision rates, and complication, as well as the surgical approach and type of implant used, for both the THA-only group and the group of patients who underwent THA with prior LA. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) for all variables studied, favoring the group of patients who underwent THA alone without prior LA.

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant superiority in all analyzed outcomes for patients who underwent THA-only without prior LA. Specifically, patients with isolated THA implants experienced significantly lower incidences of THA dislocation, wound complications, periprosthetic joint infection, revision, and mechanical complications.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Family structures and parents’ occupational models: its impact on children’s diabetes
Authors: Schlarb Pauline , Büttner Janina M. , Tittel Sascha R. , Mönkemöller Kirsten , Müller-Godeffroy Esther , Boettcher Claudia , Galler Angela , Berger Gabriele , Brosig Burkhard , Holl Reinhard W.
Published: October 2023

Aims

This study examines how family-related factors influence the management of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). We investigate the relationship between family patterns, parental work schedules and metabolic control.

Materials and methods

We analysed data from a nationwide diabetes survey (DPV) focusing on HbA1c, severe hypoglycaemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, hospital admissions and inpatient treatment duration. We used linear regression and negative binomial regression models. Our study includes 15,340 children under the age of 18 with data on family structure and parental division of labour.

Results

Children from two-parent households have better HbA1c outcomes than children from single-parent, blended or no-parent households (p < .0001). Higher HbA1C levels are associated with children living with an unemployed father, as opposed to those with full-time working parents or with a full-time working father and a part-time working mother (p < .001).

Conclusions

These findings emphasise the importance of carefully considering family structure and working time models in the management of paediatric T1DM. Our results highlight risk factors within the family environment and emphasise the need for family-focused counselling of high-risk patients or severe cases in clinical practice.
Pervasive versus situational childhood ADHD: latent classes and their clinical characteristics, based on parent and teacher ratings in a large longitudinal population sample
Authors: Frick Matilda A. , Hesser Hugo , Sonuga-Barke Edmund
Published: October 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses require symptoms to be present in two settings. Low levels of concordance between symptoms rated at home and school raise questions regarding this approach. The aim was to examine whether there are sub-groups with context-specific expressions of ADHD symptoms (i.e., at home or school only) with clinically significant problems sufficient to support a new diagnostic formulation. We applied latent class transition analysis to parent and teacher data (N = 10,476) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), collected at ages 8, 10, and 20 years. We examined the short-term stability of emergent classes and their childhood and adult-associated risk profiles. In addition to an Unaffected class (~ 45%), there was a Pervasive Combined class with elevated inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms at both home and school (~ 11%) and three classes with situational expressions; School Combined (~ 9%), Home Combined (~ 18%), and School Inattentive (~ 16%). Stability ranged from 0.27 to 0.78. The Pervasive Combined class was most symptomatic and impaired. School inattentive also displayed clinical symptom levels, whereas the School and Home Combined classes displayed subclinical levels. Different profiles regarding sex, cognition, conduct problems, and substance use emerged for the three situational classes. Distinct groupings of pervasive and situational ADHD expressions are identifiable in the general population. The isolation of a stable and burdensome Pervasive Combined class lends support to the current diagnostic approach. However, there are indications of situational expressions of ADHD with clinical symptom levels and associated difficulties.
German, Austrian, and Swiss guidelines for systemic treatment of gastric cancer
Authors: Lordick Florian , Al-Batran Salah-Eddin , Arnold Dirk , Borner Markus , Bruns Christiane J. , Eisterer Wolfgang , Faber Gerhard , Gockel Ines , Köberle Dieter , Lorenzen Sylvie , Möhler Markus , Pritzkuleit Ron , Stahl Michael , Thuss-Patience Peter , Wöll Ewald , Zander Thomas , Maschmeyer Georg ,   For the Germany Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO, Austrian Society of Hematology and Oncology (OeGHO), Swiss Society of Hematology (SSH), Swiss Society of Medical Oncology (SGMO); in collaboration with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie (AIO) of the German Cancer Society
Published: October 2023

The updated edition of the German, Austrian and Swiss Guidelines for Systemic Treatment of Gastric Cancer was completed in August 2023, incorporating new evidence that emerged after publication of the previous edition. It consists of a text-based “Diagnosis” part and a “Therapy” part including recommendations and treatment algorithms. The treatment part includes a comprehensive description regarding perioperative and palliative systemic therapy for gastric cancer and summarizes recommended standard of care for surgery and endoscopic resection. The guidelines are based on a literature search and evaluation by a multidisciplinary panel of experts nominated by the hematology and oncology scientific societies of the three involved countries.
Discourses on landscape governance and transfrontier conservation areas: converging, diverging and evolving discourses with geographic contextual nuances
Authors: Mpofu Ephraim , Radinger-Peer Verena , Musakwa Walter , Penker Marianne , Gugerell Katharina
Published: October 2023

Transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) are regarded as crucial instruments for biodiversity conservation as they connect landscapes across country borders. The TFCA framework is built on multi-actor, multi-sector and multi-level negotiations, a concept that incorporates principles of landscape governance (LG). This article is driven by our interest in the governance of transfrontier landscapes such as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The study aims to explore the narratives of two academic discourses of TFCA and LG. The study uses a bibliometric analysis and systematic review based on PRISMA to determine (i) to which degree the two discourses share commonalities in their narratives and take each other into account (ii) how the discourses have developed between 1998 and 2022 (iii) the geographical distribution of publications on the two discourses. Our results identified six clusters which include: African Wildlife Conservation, Governance for Biodiversity Conservation, TFCA Wildlife Connectivity, Policies and Strategies, Political Ecology, and Management of Protected Areas. The discourses depict commonalities attributed to conservation, power and actor roles. However, LG is more governance-oriented while TFCA is more skewed towards wildlife management. The TFCA discourse is a more Southern African-centred debate whilst the LG debate is more rooted in the global North resulting from unique challenges, priorities, and approaches to landscape management. Moreover, a shift from a conservation-centred approach to a more holistic social-ecological system approach is evident. By leveraging on LG and TFCA strengths, cross-fertilization can foster meaningful cross-collaborations in managing different landscapes through dialogue, knowledge sharing, and identifying common goals, challenges and opportunities.
Urban metabolism and dynamic modeling: pioneering approaches for resilient planning in the Greater Cairo Region
Authors: Younan Mina N. , El-Kholei Ahmed O. , Yassein Ghada A.
Published: October 2023

In Egypt, planning practice is physical and rooted in design principles, resulting in plans that seldom consider the impact of land use and land cover changes on the environment. Most used planning models are static. The paper offers urban metabolism and dynamic modeling as an alternative mode for decision making. It models population growth and expanded economic activities that characterize rapid urbanization and induce changes in land use affecting various urban economic sectors using the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) as a case study. Urban transportation contributes to climate change. The authors used secondary data and satellite images to detect land use and cover changes since 2005. After building a stock-flow diagram to describe the system’s structure, they used dynamic modeling and GIS to assess the impact of transportation on air quality. Results indicate that the population of GCR will range from 33.348 to 40.334 million in 2050. The emissions from transportation will be around 52,521.2 Gg, which is beyond the ability of the region’s ecosystems to store carbon. These findings shed doubt about the ability of GCR to reach carbon neutrality and, therefore, call for strict measures to control emitting GHGs and change in planning practices and education.

Graphical abstract
Waste catalyst potential for co-pyrolysis of biomass and single-use plastics: model-free isoconversional kinetics and thermodynamics
Authors: Mariyam Sabah , McKay Gordon , Al-Ansari Tareq
Published: October 2023

The study aims to investigate the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of single and binary pyrolysis of biomass (date pits: DP) and single-use-plastics (polypropylene: PP, and polystyrene: PS), and the effect of adding natural catalysts—seashell (SS) and cuttlebone (CB) for ternary co-pyrolysis of the feeds. The activation energy (Ea) was calculated using different model-free kinetic methods, including Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Ozawa–Flynn–Wall (FWO), and Starink, utilizing information from the degradation at three heating rates from room temperature to 1173 K. The results showed that all three methods produced relatively similar Ea values with a high coefficient of correlation (R2), indicating a good fit for the data. The Ea values for single feeds of DP, PP, and PS using the FWO method were found to be in the range of 196–223 kJ/mol, while for binary feeds—DPPP and DPPPS—the values were found to be lower than for the individual plastics. The high Ea values of the binary plastic mixture are also reduced by ~ 40 kJ/mol in the ternary mixture due to biomass co-pyrolysis. Additionally, the study revealed that the addition of SS and CB catalysts positively affected the ternary co-pyrolysis by reducing activation energy by 28.5 and 5.8%, respectively, due to the catalytic activity of 20 wt% of CaCO3 decomposition from the seashell and cuttlebone added in situ to the feeds. The research contribution of this study lies in its comprehensive investigation of the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of biomass and plastic pyrolysis, including single and binary systems, as well as the introduction of natural catalysts for ternary co-pyrolysis. The findings highlight the effectiveness of the studied catalysts in reducing activation energy and provide valuable insights for the development of efficient biomass and plastic waste conversion processes.
Schrödinger’s Fetus and Relational Ontology: Reconciling Three Contradictory Intuitions in Abortion Debates
Authors: Milford Stephen R. , Shaw David
Published: October 2023

Pro-life and pro-choice advocates battle for rational dominance in abortion debates. Yet, public polling (and general legal opinion) demonstrates the public’s preference for the middle ground: that abortions are acceptable in certain circumstances and during early pregnancy. Implicit in this, are two contradictory intuitions: (1) that we were all early fetuses, and (2) abortion kills no one. To hold these positions together, Harman and Räsänen have argued for the Actual Future Principle (AFP) which distinguishes between fetuses that will develop into persons and those that will never develop into persons. However intellectually ingenious their solutions are, they fail to account for a third intuition: that the death of a wanted fetus – e.g. through termination or miscarriage – is of moral significance. Not only is this practically important, but it is also supported by public opinion. The authors of this paper argue that relational ontology can modify the AFP to better account for all three intuitions. Furthermore, it further emphasizes the pivotal role of the pregnant person who relates to their own fetus in either personal or impersonal ways. Addressing the fundamental challenges of relational ontology, the authors defend the position that human personal identity is ultimately relational.
Convergent Evolution of Prehistoric Technologies: the Entropy and Diversity of Limited Solutions
Authors: Diachenko Aleksandr , Rivers Ray John , Sobkowiak-Tabaka Iwona
Published: October 2023

Linking the likelihood of convergent evolution to the technologies’ complexity, this paper identifies the scales of technological diffusion and convergence, i.e., the evolving of structures that are similar, but not related to a common “ancestor.” Our study provides quantitative measures for understanding complexity and connectivity in technologies. The utility of our approach is exemplified through the case study of Cucuteni-Tripolye pottery kilns in Chalcolithic Southeastern Europe. The analysis shows that technological evolution has to be scaled to the “technologically important” (in quantitative terms) component parts, whose introduction shapes a ground for extinction and self-evolvement caused by the cascade effects along technological design structure. Similar technological solutions to the technological design structure engender the spread of similar devices in various locations. Surprisingly, such a broad distribution may be the result of relatively low internal diversity, rather than arising from higher efficiency. This gives some reasons for the underestimation of convergence as a mechanism for evolution of technology in current prehistoric archaeology.
Ordering discontinuous $$\varvec{\varphi }$$-feature agree: verbal -s in North Eastern English
Authors: Fritzsche Rosa
Published: October 2023

North Eastern English differs from Standard English with respect to agreement: According to theNorthern Subject Rule,3sgagreement marking (verbal -s) occurs on verbs in clauses with non-3sgsubjects provided that they are not personal pronouns adjacent to the verb. However, data from theDiachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside Englishshows that verbal-salso does not occur with non-adjacent personal pronouns subjects in contemporary North Eastern English. I argue that verbal-swith non-pronominal non-3sgsubjects follows from two conceptual assumptions: firstly, the requirement to order feature-driven elementary operations and secondly, splitting up$$\upvarphi $$φ-Agree into two separate operations (i.e., person and number Agree). The difference in agreement between North Eastern English and Standard English stems from the different ordering of features on T. In Standard English, person and number probes are ordered before the structure building feature, which triggers movement. In the North Eastern English order, however, the structure-building feature intervenes between the two probe features. The full DP/pronoun split is explained by different kinds of movement: In the case of a full DP, subject movement to Spec/TP bleeds number agreement and verbal-semerges, while pronominal subjects remain in the c-command domain of T because they head-move to T.
Predictive modeling of roughness change in multistep machining
Authors: Teimouri Reza , Skoczypiec Sebastian
Published: October 2023

Following sustainability in manufacturing, the machining chain can be optimized by either reducing the time and energy consumption of each operation or eliminating the unnecessary operations subjected to keeping the quality of the final product as consistent. However, the roadblock in designing an optimum machining chain is lack of prediction tool to interact between the included operations. In this paper, an integrated algorithm is developed to simulate the surface roughness generation and following modification caused by milling and burnishing, respectively. Predict the surface roughness generation by milling process and its alternation after burnishing. The algorithm works on the basis of clouds of points which were generated in the engagement region of tool and workpiece and their transformation from tool to workpiece coordinate systems. Moreover, some mechanical attributes of the process regarding effect of surface work hardening and elastic rebound were added to the algorithm to enhance the accuracy of simulation. To verify the results, a series of burnishing experiments with multi-roller rotary tool have been carried out on the surface of the finish-milled samples and the surface roughness change was taken into investigation. The obtained results showed that by applying the work hardening and springback effect to predictive algorithm the prediction accuracy of roughness at submicron level enhances up to 50%. It was also found that the most influential parameters influencing the surface roughness after milling-burnishing sequence are milled surface roughness, burnishing force and pass number. In addition, results showed that applying burnishing after rough machining consumes lots of energy to achieve nanoscale surface finish. Accordingly, the sequence of rough-milling, finish-milling and burnishing results in achieving sound surface finish within significantly shorter period of time and applied force.
Solidarity Among Strangers During Natural Disasters: How Economic Insights May Improve Our Understanding of Virtues
Authors: Reese Alexander , Pies Ingo
Published: October 2023

The renaissance of Aristotelian virtue ethics has produced an extensive philosophical literature that criticizes markets for a lack of virtues. Drawing on Michael Sandel’s virtue-ethical critique of price gouging during natural disasters, we (1) identify and clarify serious misunderstandings in recurring price-gouging debates between virtue-ethical critics and economists. Subsequently, (2) we respond to Sandel’s call for interdisciplinary dialogue. However, instead of solely calling on economics to embrace insights from virtue ethics, we prefer a two-sided version of interdisciplinary dialogue and argue that virtue ethics should embrace economic insights. In particular, we argue that if virtue ethics is to preserve its social relevance under modern conditions, it should re-conceptualize its notion of virtue and re-evaluate the self-interested but effective—and in this sense solidary—help among strangers via markets as virtuous rather than devaluate it as greed, that is, as vicious price gouging.
Oral Health Status, Behaviours and Oral Healthcare Utilization among Indian Migrants Compared to the Host Population in the Netherlands: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Pabbla Amandeep , Agyemang Charles , van der Heijden Geert , Duijster Denise
Published: October 2023

The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status, oral health behaviours and oral healthcare utilization among Indian migrants living in the Netherlands and how they compare with the host population. Based on a random sample from Dutch municipalities, cross-sectional data were obtained for the Indian migrants living in the Netherlands (n = 148) and the host population (n = 244). A questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic, self-reported oral health status, oral health behaviours and oral healthcare utilization. The distribution of self-reported oral health variables for both groups were tabulated and compared using logistic, ordinal and multinomial regression analysis. When adjusted for covariates such as age, gender, marital status, education, income, occupation and dental insurance, regression analysis for oral health status showed that the odds of reporting oral impact on daily performances (OIDP) was 5.87 times higher for Indians compared to the host population (95%CI:3.45;9.65). In contrast, the odds of Indians reporting bleeding gums [OR = 0.44 (95%CI:0.27;0.73)] and diagnosed with gum diseases [OR = 0.23(95%CI:0.13;0.39)] were lower than the host population. Also, the odds of consuming alcohol and cakes or chocolates was significantly lower among Indian migrants compared to the host population [(OR = 0.15(95%CI:0.09;0.25)] and [OR = 0.33(95%CI:0.21;0.52)], respectively. But the odds of consuming sugar in hot beverages were significantly higher among Indians [OR = 10.44(95%CI:5.99;18.19)]. The odds of Indians visiting a dental professional were 9.22 times (95%CI:4.62;18.40) lower compared to the host population. We found that oral health status and behaviours among Indian migrants were different in certain aspects compared to the host population. However, their oral healthcare utilization remained overall lower. The underlying determinants for such observations merit further research. Migrant friendly approach from both the dental professionals and policy makers can encourage dental visits and improve the utilization patterns among Indians migrants in the future.
The Study of RFID Technology and Laser Telemetry to Locate Products in Space
Authors: Shull Curtis , Marecki Krystian , Huk Katarzyna , Wolski Robert
Published: October 2023

The idea of Industry 4.0 is a stage of revolution in terms of new solutions and advanced technology, as well as artificial intelligence. Micro and macroeconomic factors generate the need to modify logistics and production processes in enterprises. One of the changes is the organization of warehouse management. The aim of the article is to indicate the possibility of using RFID technology in conjunction with Laser Telemetry in the location of objects in space along with the visualization of this location. In addition, the study aims to merge passive RFID technology with laser scanning to produce a system that can identify and locate objects in a virtual Computer-Aided Design (CAD)—based 3Dimensional (3D) environment. The described case study is the result of research conducted as part of the implementation project. This paper describes the steps to be taken and the creation of a system that will use RFID technology and that will enable the identification of objects in the space of computer systems. For this purpose, it was possible to create a system that will identify objects using RFID and Laser Telemetry in 3D space.
THz dual-core liquid photonic crystal fiber with high negative dispersion
Authors: Alrayk Yassmin K. A. , Younis B. M. , El-Deeb Walid S. , Hameed Mohamed Farhat O. , Obayya S. S. A.
Published: October 2023

A novel photonic crystal fiber (PCF) design is proposed and analyzed with highly negative dispersion for THz applications. The reported PCF has TOPAS background material due to its low material loss in THz regime. Further, dual porous cores are constructed and selectively infiltrated with liquid crystal (LC) material to control the dispersion characteristics of the reported PCF. The basic operation of the suggested dual core LCPCF (DC-LCPCF) depends on the optical coupling between the supported modes of the two porous core regions in the THz regime to achieve high negative dispersion for the two fundamental polarizations: transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM). The coupling can be switched between the TE and TM modes by applying an external electric field on the LC material via two metallic electrodes. The full vectorial finite element method (FVFEM) is utilized to study the dispersion characteristics of the DC-LCPCF structure. The obtained results reveal that the TE and TM modes have large negative chromatic dispersions of − 44.57 ps/THz/cm and − 30.59 ps/THz/cm at frequencies of 0.386 THz and 0.4027 THz, respectively. So, it will be a solution for further innovation of fiber devices in the THz regime.
MPMCT gate decomposition method reducing T-depth quickly in proportion to the number of work qubits
Authors: Lee Jongheon , Kang Yousung , Lee You-Seok , Chung Boheung , Choi Dooho
Published: October 2023

We propose a method for efficient mixed polarity multiple controlled Toffoli (MPMCT) gate decomposition from the perspective of a cost metric related to Toffoli gates, namely Toffoli-depth. When using the technique presented in a previous study, there is a range in which Toffoli-depth (consequently T-depth) of the implemented circuit increases proportionally as the number of provided (clean) work qubits increases. In other words, using the previous technique may result in more inefficient MPMCT gates even though the number of helpful work qubits has increased. In this work, a technique is devised to provide sufficient help from clean work qubits at the central part of the implemented circuit as many as possible, thereby addressing the issues with the previous technique. Meanwhile, one of the representative algorithms that use MPMCT gates is Grover’s algorithm. We show the implementation results for MPMCT gates according to the number of work qubits, using Grover’s algorithm as an example. It is experimentally demonstrated that T-depth decreases much more quickly when using our method than the previous method.
Key language, cognitive and higher-order skills for L2 reading comprehension of expository texts in English as foreign language students: a systematic review
Authors: Vettori G. , Casado Ledesma L. , Tesone S. , Tarchi C.
Published: October 2023

This systematic review addressed the following question: Which are the relations between L1 and/or L2 foundational and upper-level language skills, cognitive skills, high-order cognitive and self-regulation factors and L2-English reading comprehension skills in 11-to-19 year EFL secondary school students with different L1 language profiles? Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, twenty-seven studies were included for a systematic synthesis of results in the light of the different grades of “family language distance” between L1 and L2-English (i.e., “close related” vs. “partially related” vs. “not related”). We found that several L1 and L2 language skills (e.g., vocabulary, morphological awareness), cognitive skills (e.g., working memory) and high-order factors as metacognitive knowledge were positively associated with L2-English reading comprehension, regardless of different language groups. Conversely, we found that several well-known predictors of text comprehension are neglected in the scientific literature on reading in L2. We discuss practical implications and key recommendations to support school and future research.
Realism about tense and atemporality
Authors: Eker Bahadir
Published: October 2023

Realists about tense, or A-theorists of time, believe that some of the facts that fundamentally constitute reality are tensed, and most of them seem to think that those tensed facts are to be understood as fixing the way things are, absolutely speaking, or simpliciter. But there is a simple yet powerful argument, the argument from atemporality, to the effect that realists should reject the absolutist conception of reality’s constitution by facts because, despite appearances to the contrary, that conception is in fact inconsistent with realism about tense. After presenting the argument, I investigate why the relevant inconsistency has not been recognised so far and point to one possible explanation.
Altruists will be Altruists, but What About Individualists? The Role of Future Time Perspective and Social Value Orientation in Volunteers’ Declarations to Continue Engagement in Three Time Horizons
Authors: Nowakowska Iwona
Published: October 2023

Volunteering involves caring for the outcomes of others and typically long-term orientation so that one can achieve goals that are not always clearly visible in the short term. As with any activity, volunteering attracts people of different social value orientations—some rather individualistic, some rather altruistic. The aim of the study was to find out whether the future time perspective, which promotes thinking about future goals and planning, is linked to volunteers' declarations of the probability of them continuing volunteering in a month, year, and three years and whether this link is moderated by social value orientation. An online questionnaire-based study was performed on a sample of 245 volunteers. The results indicated that the higher the social value orientation, the greater the predicted probability of continuing volunteering. Future time perspective was related to the predicted probability of continuing volunteering in all investigated time horizons only when volunteers had a more individualistic than altruistic social value orientation. Younger age and longer experience with volunteering were also linked to the predicted probability of continuing volunteering in a year and three years (but not in one month). The results show the importance of social value orientation and future time perspective for more individualistic volunteers in their willingness to volunteer further. The study has practical implications for organizations' management, who should consider developing cooperation skills in their volunteers. For competitive volunteers, they may also highlight how challenges could make an impact in the future so that they intend to remain active.
Assessment of Brain Tumour Perfusion Using Early-Phase 18F-FET PET: Comparison with Perfusion-Weighted MRI
Authors: Filss Christian P. , Cramer Julian , Löher Saskia , Lohmann Philipp , Stoffels Gabriele , Stegmayr Carina , Kocher Martin , Heinzel Alexander , Galldiks Norbert , Wittsack Hans J. , Sabel Michael , Neumaier Bernd , Scheins Jürgen , Shah N. Jon , Meyer Philipp T. , Mottaghy Felix M. , Langen Karl-Josef
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Morphological imaging using MRI is essential for brain tumour diagnostics. Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI), as well as amino acid PET, may provide additional information in ambiguous cases. Since PWI is often unavailable in patients referred for amino acid PET, we explored whether maps of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in brain tumours can be extracted from the early phase of PET using O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET).

Procedure

Using a hybrid brain PET/MRI scanner, PWI and dynamic 18F-FET PET were performed in 33 patients with cerebral glioma and four patients with highly vascularized meningioma. The time interval from 0 to 2 min p.i. was selected to best reflect the blood pool phase in 18F-FET PET. For each patient, maps of MR-rCBV, early 18F-FET PET (0–2 min p.i.) and late 18F-FET PET (20–40 min p.i.) were generated and coregistered. Volumes of interest were placed on the tumour (VOI-TU) and normal-appearing brain (VOI-REF). The correlation between tumour-to-brain ratios (TBR) of the different parameters was analysed. In addition, three independent observers evaluated MR-rCBV and early 18F-FET maps (18F-FET-rCBV) for concordance in signal intensity, tumour extent and intratumoural distribution.

Results

TBRs calculated from MR-rCBV and 18F-FET-rCBV showed a significant correlation (r = 0.89, p < 0.001), while there was no correlation between late 18F-FET PET and MR-rCBV (r = 0.24, p = 0.16) and 18F-FET-rCBV (r = 0.27, p = 0.11). Visual rating yielded widely agreeing findings or only minor differences between MR-rCBV maps and 18F-FET-rCBV maps in 93 % of the tumours (range of three independent raters 91–94%, kappa among raters 0.78–1.0).

Conclusion

Early 18F-FET maps (0–2 min p.i.) in gliomas provide similar information to MR-rCBV maps and may be helpful when PWI is not possible or available. Further studies in gliomas are needed to evaluate whether 18F-FET-rCBV provides the same clinical information as MR-rCBV.
Clinical and neuroimaging review of monogenic cerebral small vessel disease from the prenatal to adolescent developmental stage
Authors: Enokizono Mikako , Kurokawa Ryo , Yagishita Akira , Nakata Yasuhiro , Koyasu Sho , Nihira Hiroshi , Kuwashima Shigeko , Aida Noriko , Kono Tatsuo , Mori Harushi
Published: October 2023

Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) refers to a group of pathological processes with various etiologies affecting the small vessels of the brain. Most cases are sporadic, with age-related and hypertension-related sSVD and cerebral amyloid angiopathy being the most prevalent forms. Monogenic cSVD accounts for up to 5% of causes of stroke. Several causative genes have been identified. Sporadic cSVD has been widely studied whereas monogenic cSVD is still poorly characterized and understood. The majority of cases of both the sporadic and monogenic types, including cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), typically have their onset in adulthood. Types of cSVD with infantile and childhood onset are rare, and their diagnosis is often challenging. The present review discusses the clinical and neuroimaging findings of monogenic cSVD from the prenatal to adolescent period of development. Early diagnosis is crucial to enabling timely interventions and family counseling.
Die Habilitation in der Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft
Authors: Frey Felix , Kohler Sarah , Nitschke Paula , Stehle Helena
Published: October 2023

Der Beitrag untersucht inhaltsanalytisch 63 Habilitationsordnungen aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz aus den Fachgebieten Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaft. Erhoben wurden u. a. die Zulassungsvoraussetzungen sowie die zu erbringenden Leistungen (schriftlich, mündlich, pädagogische Eignung). Die Inhaltsanalyse zeigt, dass in Deutschland die Habilitation im Bundesland Bayern durch ein Fachmentorat begleitet wird, wohingegen an den anderen Standorten in den DACH-Ländern (abgesehen von wenigen Mischformen) ein abschließendes Verfahren zum Tragen kommt. Neben Hinweisen zur formalen Ausgestaltung der Verfahren stehen insbesondere die Leistungen, die im Habilitationsverfahren zu erbringen sind, im Mittelpunkt der Regelungen. Dabei bieten die Ordnungen in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß Orientierung in der Frage, was genau für eine Habilitation erwartet wird. Nach einer Deskription der Ergebnisse erörtert der Beitrag die Habilitation als Qualifizierungs- und Prüfverfahren. Er will dabei auch Impulse für eine weiterführende Diskussion in der Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft zu den Fragen geben, welche Leistungen im Rahmen der Habilitation erbracht werden sollen und welchen Stellenwert die Habilitation künftig einnehmen soll, insbesondere in Anbetracht der Pluralisierung der Qualifizierungswege.
Patient-physician agreement on function and pain is associated with long-term outcomes in sarcoma: findings from a longitudinal study
Authors: Košir Urška , van de Wal Deborah , Husson Olga , Zablith Nadine , Turcotte Robert E.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

We aimed to describe the level of agreement between patients and physicians on the ratings of daily functioning and pain in a cohort of sarcoma patients and assess how (dis)agreement and its change over time predicted patient-reported outcomes in survivorship.

Method

We performed secondary analysis of longitudinal data from a sarcoma-specialty clinic in Montreal, Canada. Demographics, clinical characteristics and patient-physician agreement were summarized descriptively. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effects of time, baseline agreement, change in agreement over time, interaction of time and change in agreement and 12-month daily functioning, quality of life, and fatigue.

Results

Data were available for 806 patients (57.7% male, x̄ = 53.3 years) who completed at least one questionnaire. Patient-physician disagreement was common on the level of function (43.4%) and pain (45.7%). Baseline physician-patient agreement was associated with better 12-month outcomes. Improvement in agreement on function over time was significantly associated with daily functioning (F(2, 212) = 3.18, p = 0.043) and quality of life (F(2, 212) = 3.17, p < 0.044). The pattern was similar though less pronounced for the agreement on pain.

Conclusions

Our study offers novel insights into the importance of patient-physician agreement and communication’s role in long-term patient-reported outcomes in sarcoma.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The results emphasize the importance of mutual understanding of symptoms and patients’ needs and suggest that further consultation in cases of discordance of ratings and opinions might be beneficial for optimal survivorship.
Neural Networks for Constitutive Modeling: From Universal Function Approximators to Advanced Models and the Integration of Physics
Authors: Dornheim Johannes , Morand Lukas , Nallani Hemanth Janarthanam , Helm Dirk
Published: October 2023

Analyzing and modeling the constitutive behavior of materials is a core area in materials sciences and a prerequisite for conducting numerical simulations in which the material behavior plays a central role. Constitutive models have been developed since the beginning of the 19th century and are still under constant development. Besides physics-motivated and phenomenological models, during the last decades, the field of constitutive modeling was enriched by the development of machine learning-based constitutive models, especially by using neural networks. The latter is the focus of the present review paper, which aims to give an overview of neural networks-based constitutive models from a methodical perspective. The review summarizes and compares numerous conceptually different neural networks-based approaches for constitutive modeling including neural networks used as universal function approximators, advanced neural network models and neural network approaches with integrated physical knowledge. The upcoming of these methods is in-turn closely related to advances in the area of computer sciences, what further adds a chronological aspect to this review. We conclude the review paper with important challenges in the field of learning constitutive relations that need to be tackled in the near future.
Refining the freeloading and no purchase behavior in pay as you wish pricing
Authors: Wagner Udo , Akbari Karl
Published: October 2023

Pay as you wish (PAYW) pricing offers a radical shift from posted pricing schemes. Modeling consumer behavior under PAYW pricing promises insights into conditions under which PAYW is profitable. Firstly, this paper extends an established model that builds on inequity-averse consumers and models their behavior in PAYW as well as the seller’s profits. The paper uses a comprehensive approach to describe consumers with low fairness concerns and points to a new segment of consumers who were not considered in previous PAYW models. They are characterized by a decision not to buy a good under a PAYW pricing policy, even if they can get it for free, and are not strongly averse to advantageous inequity. Secondly, the paper discusses the profitability of PAYW with a suggested price when the seller’s ability to suggest high prices is limited. Thirdly, the paper incorporates the effect of disadvantageous inequity aversion on PAYW with a minimum price. Finally, the paper offers guidelines on how a seller should choose the optimal pricing policy.