bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conscientious objection In The Profession Of Pharmacist. A Survey of Pharmacists' Opinions On The Conscience Clause In Poland
Authors: Czekajewska Justyna , Langer Dominik , Baum Ewa
Published: April 2021

Background Pursuant to the Resolution of the Council of Europe No. 1763 of October 7, 2010, physicians, nurses and midwives may resign from performing medical activities for ethical reasons. In Poland, these provisions do not apply to pharmacists, therefore it is considered granting pharmacists the right to refuse dispensing a drug on the basis of conscientious objection.Objective The authors of the study decided to present the opinion of pharmacists (from the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland) on the conscience clause.Method The research was carried out on the basis of a self-developed questionnaire. The survey questionnaire was addressed to 105 pharmacists. The participants were asked 29 questions, 21 related to pharmacists' opinions on the conscience clause, and the remaining 8 related to demographic data.Results Responses were received from 100 pharmacists (74 women and 26 men, mean age 34 years). Most - 82 participants (82%) answered that they had never provided a service that was against their conscience. Nevertheless, 18 respondents (18%) expressed a different opinion.Conclusion Most pharmacists are against the conscience clause. Nevertheless, about one-fifth of the respondents were in the situation of providing the service against their own ethical reservations, therefore this topic cannot be ignored.
Investigation of the Relationship Between Occupational Stress and Temporomandibular Joint Disorders by Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Immunoglobulin a Levels in Students of Qom Dental School
Authors: Barakian Yasamin , Hajisadeghi Samira , Keykha Elham , Mohammadbeigi Abolfazl , Karimi Alireza
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Occupational stress is defined as a lack of coordination between job requirements and individual abilities. This stress relates to several salivary biomarkers. Stress plays an important role in creating temporomandibular disorder (TMD). In this study we aimed to investigate the relationship between stress and TMD by examining the occupational stress using dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire and measuring the stress markers in saliva including cortisol and immunoglobulin A in fourth to sixth year students of Qom Dental School.
Methods

In present study, 60 students participated. At first, a clinical examination was performed based on the RDC/TMD method to determine the temporomandibular joint status, then a DES questionnaire was completed to determine the occupational stress level and finally a sample of saliva was taken from the students and the amounts of salivary cortisol and IgA were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results

The mean cortisol and IgA levels were 4.74 ± 2.80 ng/ml and 220.26 ± 121.22 µg/ml, respectively and the mean score of the DES questionnaire was 2.48 ± 0.58. In this study, 24 patients (40%) suffered from TMD. There was no correlation between cortisol and IgA levels with the DES score (p value > 0.05). There was no significant relationship between TMD and three variables of cortisol, IgA and DES scores (p value > 0.05).
Conclusion

Stress is one of the most important causes of TMD. Salivary biomarkers can be useful markers for determining stress in people with TMD but this issue was not confirmed in our study.
Clinical relevance:

In this study, no relationship was observed between TMD and occupational stress.
Return to play in long-standing adductor-related groin pain: a Delphi study among experts looking for criteria.
Authors: Vergani Luca , Cuniberti Marco , Zanovello Massimo , Maffei Daniele , Farooq Abdulaziz , Eirale Cristiano
Published: April 2021

Background: Groin pain is a high incidence and prevalence injury in multidirectional field sports such as soccer, ice hockey, rugby and Australian football codes. Long-standing adductor-related groin pain is a persistent clinical condition and a frequent complaint in athletes involved in sports that require multiplanar movement patterns (change of direction, high-speed sprinting and kicking). To date, the lack of rehabilitation guidelines and return-to-play criteria makes this clinical entity difficult to manage. The aim of the present Delphi was to define, based on expert opinion and practical experience, the criteria used in clinical practice to establish a safe return-to-play in multidirectional sports in athletes suffering from long-standing adductor-related groin pain. Methods: 40 experts were invited to fill a 3-Round Delphi questionnaire. In round 1, open-ended and closed questions about 9 different sections (palpation, flexibility, strength, patient-reported outcome measures, imaging, intersegmental control, performance tests, sport-specific skills, training load) were proposed to investigate return to play evaluation criteria used by each expert. Responses were analysed and coded to produce round 2 questionnaire that investigated only the sections and the items that reached the cut-off value (≥70%). Round 3 questionnaire was based on sections and items that reached cut-off value in previous rounds and experts rated their agreement for return to play criteria with a 5-point Likert Scale. Descriptive statistics enabled interpretation of consensus.Results: High participation rate (80%) and response rate across the 3 rounds (100%) were recorded. 6 sections reached positive consensus in round 1, 1 section reached negative consensus. In round 2 positive consensus was confirmed only for 3 sections and negative consensus for 1 section. In round 3, positive agreement was established for strength (3 items), performance tests (3 items) and sport-specific skills (2 items) sections. Negative consensus was confirmed for imaging section.Conclusion: Despite most of items did not reach cut-off values, a solid positive consensus between experts was reached for strength, performance tests and sport-specific skills sections and a solid negative consensus was obtained for imaging section. These findings could be a useful practical tool for clinicians in the return-to-play continuum.
Anti-Obesity Effect of Galacto-Oligosaccharides in Obese Rats
Authors: Kong Shang , Huang Xingjun , Cao Hua , Bai Yan , Che Qishi , Nie Hong , Su Zhengquan
Published: April 2021

Background: Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) is a commonly used as a prebiotic with a variety of metabolic benefits. Whether GOS plays a protective role in obesity is still unknown. Here we demonstrated that GOS possesses an anti-obesity activity by promoting adipose tissue browning and thermogenesis. Results: Our results showed that GOS effectively slow weight gain of diet-induced obese (DIO) rats without affecting energy intake. GOS significantly suppressed the hypertrophy and hyperplasia of white adipose tissue (WAT), as well as markedly lessened the ratio of fat pad to fat body. Consistently, GOS significantly improved serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, which indicated an appropriate weight loss activity of GOS. Interestingly, GOS also significantly increased the expression levels of browning proteins (UCP1, PPARγ, PGC1α and PRMD16) both in the WAT and brown adipose tissue (BAT). We further found that GOS markedly increased the expression levels of LXRα, PPARα, LDLR and CYP7A1 proteins in the liver of obese rats. Conclusions: Taken together, we concluded that GOS inhibits obesity by accelerating the browning of white fat cells and the thermogenesis of brown fat cells, moreover GOS improves host lipid homeostasis by promoting cholesterol catabolism.
Strong metal–support interaction of Ru on TiO2 derived from the co-reduction mechanism of RuxTi1−xO2 interphase
Authors: Zhang Yaru , Qi Haifeng , Su Xiong , Su Yang , Liu Xiao Yan , Li Lin , Yang Xiaofeng , Huang Yanqiang , Zhang Tao
Published: April 2021

Strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) plays a crucial role in determining the catalytic performances of supported metal catalysts, in which the subsequent migration of supports over the pre-existing metal nanoparticles is generally considered during the pretreatment condition. Herein, a distinct mechanism of SMSI generation by the co-reduction of oxide interphase is addressed over the Ru/TiO2 catalysts. Our results demonstrate that the formation of RuxTi1−xO2 oxide interphase can be facilely augmented by increasing the calcination temperature over Ru/TiO2 catalysts, while a growing encapsulation of TiOx overlayer on metallic Ru nanoparticles can be acquired in the following reduction of this oxide interphase. In contrast, the SMSI generation by the conventional mechanism is highly suppressed over the RuO2/TiO2 phase calcined at a low temperature. Thanks to this improved SMSI on Ru/TiO2 catalyst, it thus possesses an excellent performance in CO2 methanation, with a promoted CO2 conversion activity. Our findings suggest a different mechanism for the SMSI generation through the oxide interphase formation, and it also offers an alternative pathway to tune catalytic properties of supported metal catalysts.
Guided Meditation For Vision Acuity Training On Adolescent Myopia: Study Protocol For A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Li Yibo , Zhu Lili , Wang Raoying , Jiang Xinqi , Lu Tao
Published: April 2021

Background: Currently, the population with myopia climbs steadily, and developing toward younger age, posing a great concern to the health of adolescents. Myopia in severe cases can cause irreversible consequences such as glaucoma, blindness and other complications. At present, the solutions for myopia are glasses, medication and surgery. This study aims to investigate the role of a physiotherapy category based on guided meditation for vision acuity training on adolescent myopia. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial. 1140 primary and secondary school students aged 8-18 years old from 27 schools will be recruited and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group at a ratio of 2:1 in two phases, with a training period of 30 days in each phase and a follow-up period of 3 months. No interventions will be conducted during the follow-up period, nor will other interventions employed. Inclusion criteria will meet the diagnostic criteria for simple myopia and -6.00D ≤ spherical lenses ≤ -0.50D, cylindrical lenses ≤ 1.50D. The primary observation index will be to compare the statistical differences in distant visual acuity between the two groups; the secondary observation indexes will be ocular symptoms (mainly including eye fatigue, dryness, pain, double vision, neck pain, thought disorders, and lags in response), diopter and astigmatism. Discussion: The purpose of this two-phase trial is to compare the clinical effectiveness of focused vision-guided meditation with Chinese eye exercises that are also non-pharmacological, non-invasive interventions for myopia, and to maximize the benefit to the subjects. The results will indicate whether the training based on focused vision-guided meditation has the ability to improve distant visual acuity, relieve ocular symptoms and ameliorate diopter. In addition, this trial will provide clinical efficacy of the training, which is expected to provide meaningful data for vision rehabilitation. At the same time, the vision acuity training method, which is permeated with the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rehabilitation and health maintenance, will be applied to achieve the goal of preventing or alleviating myopic development and reducing myopia rate. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR2000038642; Registered 26 September 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=61729).
Modeling Incidence Rate by Region: Analysis of Asthma and Other Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases
Authors: Wesonga Ronald , Abdelbasit Khidir
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to examine regional differences for asthma and other chronic obstructive lung diseases. The study was based on data collected from annual reports produced by the Ministry of Health over a ten-year period beginning from 2010 to 2019. Incidence rates for eleven regions in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed using statistical tools including; analysis of variance and binary logistic regression model to determine the effect of region on asthma and other chronic obstructive lung diseases. The incident rates were found to be significantly different by region (F-value = 27.07, p = 0.00). There was no significant variation by year (F-value = 1.05, p > 0.407). Overall over the ten-year period the incidence rates stagnated between 250 and 300 per 10000 of the population, but showed a reducing trend between 2016 and 2019. The logistic regression model shows that compared to the Muscat region, all the other regions had significant increased odd ratios. There is a significant evidence of regional variation in the incidence of asthma and other chronic obstructive lung diseases. This implies probable characteristics in geographical regions that are associated with asthma and other chronic obstructive lung diseases’ exacerbation. Five asthma-region classifications were identified from our analysis. Findings of this study may be used to guide decision making towards the management and control of asthma and chronic obstructive lung diseases.
Nurse-led Self-management Support After Organ Transplantation – Protocol of a Multicentre, Stepped-wedge Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zanten Regina van , Dijk Monique van , Rosmalen Joost van , Beck Denise , Zietse Robert , Hecke Ann Van , Staa AnneLoes van , Massey Emma K.
Published: April 2021

Background: Recipients of an organ transplantation face a number of challenges and often need to change their health behaviour. Good self-management skills are essential for optimal clinical outcomes. However, few interventions are available to support post-transplant self-management. To fill this gap, we developed a self-management support intervention offered by nurse practitioners. The primary aim of the study is to implement and test the effectiveness of the ZENN-intervention in promoting self-management skills among heart, liver, lung and kidney transplant recipients in comparison to standard care. The secondary aim is to assess the self-management support skills of nurse practitioners who will deliver the intervention. Methods: This multi-centre stepped wedge randomized controlled trial will take place from September 2020 until November 2022. All departments will commence with inclusion of patients in the control period. Each department will be randomly assigned to a start date (step in the wedge) to commence the experimental period. Patients in the control period will receive standard care and will be asked to complete questionnaires at baseline (T0), six months (T1) and 12 months (T2), to assess self-management, self-regulation, quality of life and adherence. During the experimental period, patients will receive standard care plus the ZENN-intervention and receive the same set of questionnaires as participants in the control period. Nurse practitioners will complete a baseline and follow-up questionnaire to assess differences in self-management support skills. Video recordings of outpatient clinic consultations during the control and experimental periods will determine the differences in nurses’ needs-thwarting and needs supporting skills between control- and experimental period. Discussion: The ZENN-intervention could be a useful approach to support patients’ self-management skills after organ transplantation and thus promote clinical outcomes as well as avoid adverse events.Trial Registration: Dutch Trial Register, Registration number NL8469, March 19th, 2020, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8469
Levothyroxine Treatment for Congenital Hypothyroidism Based on Thyroid Function: A 10-Year Clinical Cohort Retrospective Study
Authors: He Shan , Ma Xiaolin , Yang Jinghui , Li Li
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveTo explore the appropriate dosage of levothyroxine treatment for congenital hypothyroidism patients based on thyroid function.Methods116 patients who were regularly followed up in our endocrine clinic during January 2010 to December 2020 were allocated in 4 groups in terms of their thyroid function (group A: TSH ≥ 100mIU/L, group B: 20mIU/L ≤ TSH<100mIU/L, group C: 4.6mIU/L<TSH<20mIU/L while free thyroxine (FT4)<6.6pmol/L, group D: 4.6<TSH<20mIU/ while FT4>6.6pmol/L). The initial dosage of levothyroxine was individualized given to each patient based upon their TSH level and adjusted according to their thyroid function at every follow-up time point. The levothyroxine dosage at each time point of groups was compared, the thyroid function after treatment, physical and neurological development of different groups were also assessed.ResultsExcept for the first month after initial levothyroxine treatment, there was a statistical difference in thyroid function between groups (p < 0.05), and some patients hadn’t reached the normal level, in the following time points, after individualized dosage adjustment, all patients achieved the normal thyroid function, moreover, the difference of levothyroxine dosage was significant between four groups (p < 0.05) and positively correlated with the severity of disease. Although there were statistical differences in neurological development between groups (p < 0.05), they were all within the normal range.ConclusionCompared to recommend dosage, individualized Levothyroxine dosage could also obtain the same therapeutic effect while may reduce the risk of drug overdose.
Variability and Changes to the Mean Meridional Circulation in Isentropic Coordinates
Authors: Lucas Chris , Rudeva Irina , Nguyen Hanh , Boschat Ghyslaine , Hope Pandora
Published: April 2021

We examine the climatology, variability and change in the global mean meridional circulation (MMC) as measured in a dry isentropic coordinate system from 1979–2017 using the ERA-Interim reanalysis. The methodology presents a zonal-mean view of the MMC as a single thermally direct circulation cell in each hemisphere. The circulation is decomposed into 'steady' and 'transient' components which allows us to identify and quantify several MMC features, including the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the descending branches of the Hadley circulation and a 'transient updraft' associated with the extratropical storm track. Large changes were identified in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) in both the Hadley Cell and the extratropical storm track in the late-1990s. These changes intertwine with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation that changed from a warm to a cold phase around 2000. Less significant changes were observed in the Northern Hemisphere, although high rates of tropical expansion during boreal summer may have been exacerbated by volcanic eruptions in the 1980s and 1990s. Further to those changes, tropical expansion was observed in autumn, with little change in the extratropical storm track. While potential inhomogeneities in the reanalysis limit the certainty about the magnitude of the identified changes, multiple non-reanalysis-based datasets suggest that large changes did occur in the 1990s in the SH, supporting the presented analysis.
Numerical Optimization and Map Construction of a Quadrupole Electromagnetic Actuated System
Authors: Huan Zhijie , Ma Weicheng , Liao Quanchang , Peng Zhenbo , Wang Jiamin , Zhang Zhemin
Published: April 2021

Electromagnetic actuation is a new technique for non-invasive manipulation, which provides wireless and controllable power source for magnetic micro/nano particles. This technique shows great potential in the field of precise mechanics, environment protection and biomedical engineering. In this paper, a new quadrupole electromagnetic actuated system is constructed, this system is composed of four electromagnetic coils, each of the coil is actuated by an independent DC power supplier. The magnetic field distribution in the workspace is obtained through finite element modeling and numerical simulation via COMSOL, as well as the effect of the current flow through the coil in the field distribution. Moreover, parameters of the electromagnetic system are optimized through parametric modeling analysis. A magnetic field map is constructed for rapidly solving the desired driving current from the required magnetic flux density. The proposed work provides theoretical references and numerical fundamental for the control of magnetic particle in future.
The lungs were on fire: a pilot study of 18F-FDG PET/CT in idiopathic-inflammatory-myopathy-related interstitial lung disease
Authors: Liang Junyu , Cao Heng , Liu Yinuo , Ye Bingjue , Sun Yiduo , Ke Yini , He Ye , Xu Bei , Lin Jin
Published: April 2021

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and its rapid progression (RP) were main contributors to unfavorable outcome of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients. This study aimed at identifying the clinical value of PET/CT scan in IIM-ILD patients as well as constructing a predicting model for RP-ILD.Methods: Adult IIM-ILD patients who were hospitalized at four divisions of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZJU) from Jannuary 1st 2017 to December 31st 2020 were reviewed. PET/CT scan as well as other factors of patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were collected and analyzed.Results: A total of 61 IIM-ILD patients were finally enrolled into this study. Twenty-one patients (34.4%) developed RP-ILD and 24 patients (39.3%) died in follow-up. After false discovery rate (FDR) correction, percent-predicted diﬀusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO%, P=0.014), bilateral lung mean standard uptake value (SUVmean, P=0.014) and abnormal mediastinal lymph node (P=0.045) were significantly different in comparison between RP-ILD and non-RP-ILD groups. A “DLM” model was hereby established by including the above three values to predict RP-ILD with a cutoff value of ≥2 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.905. Higher bilateral lung SUVmean (P=0.019) and spleen SUVmean (P=0.011) were observed in IIM-ILD patients who died within three months, and a moderate correlation was recognized between the two values. Conclusions: Elevated bilateral lung SUVmean and abnormal mediastinal lymph node were associated with RP-ILD in IIM-ILD patients. The “DLM” model was valuable in predicting RP-ILD and demanded further evaluation.
Oral Health Assessment in A Sample of Displaced People as A Result of The War on Syria In Damascus City: Results of Non-Profit Initiative
Authors: Kazwini Rudwan , Kasem Tarek , Alhuda Noor Ewaz Ali , Albarshah Marwah , Alhaffar MHD Bahaa Aldin , Subeh Dania
Published: April 2021

Background: War on Syria extended for a long time and which resulted in significant impacts on various aspects, one of these aspects was displaced people crisis, and thus its impact on complete neglecting of oral health despite of its importance and impacts on the general health. This study aims to assess the oral health of the displaced as a result of the war on Syria. Materials and Methods: the sample included 118 patients of displaced families from different regions and cities to shelters in Damascus city and Damascus suburbs, and the study sample included 118 control samples whose data were collected from the Faculty of Dentistry - Damascus University. The working team included 20 dentists of all dental specialties. Oral health was assessed using DMFT index. Results: the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the DMFT index value between children and adults, where the value of DMFT was (0-11) with a mean value (2.4), as the total value of DMFT between the two age groups was greater in adults' group than the children group. The total DMFT value for adults was (2.77), while for children (2.12). Statistical difference was noticed only in the numbers of missing teeth between the two age groups (P = 0.000), and there was no statistical difference between males and females in term of the DMFT value (P = 0.688). Conclusion: This study concluded that the DMFT value is high among the displaced people as a result of the war on Syria.
Performance and Usefulness of a Novel Automated Immunoassay HISCL SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Assay Kit for the Diagnosis of COVID-19
Authors: Saito Kaori , Ai Tomohiko , Kawai Akinori , Matsui Jun , Fukushima Yoshiyuki , Kikukawa Norihiro , Kyoutou Takuya , Chonan Masayoshi , Kawakami Takeaki , Hosaka Yoshie , Misawa Shigeki , Takagi Haruhi , Matsushita Yasushi , Hiki Makoto , Okuzawa Atsushi , Hori Satoshi , Naito Toshio , Miida Takashi , Takahashi Kazuhisa , Tabe Yoko
Published: April 2021

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a newly developed automated immunoassay HISCL SARS-CoV-2 Antigen assay kit designed to detect the nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: The HISCL SARS-CoV-2 Antigen assay kit is composed of automated chemiluminescence detection systems. Western blot analysis confirmed that anti-SARS-CoV antibodies detected SARS-CoV-2 N proteins. The best cut-off index (COI) was determined using human serum samples obtained from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients and patients without COVID-19. To test the clinical performance, 115 samples obtained from 46 patients with COVID-19 and 69 individuals who tested negative for COD-19 using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used. Results: The HISCL antigen assay kit showed a sensitivity of 95.4 % in the samples with copy numbers of >100, and a sensitivity of 16.6 % in the samples with copy numbers of <99. The kit did not cross-react with other human corona viruses causing seasonal common cold (HCoV 229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1) and influenza (H1N1, H3N2, and B), and none of the 69 individuals with negative RT-qPCR results were diagnosed as positive. Importantly, 81.8 % of the samples with low virus load (<50 copy numbers) were diagnosed as negative. Thus, use of the HISCL antigen assay kit may reduce overdiagnosis compared with RT-qPCR tests. Conclusion: The rapid and high-throughput HISCL SARS-CoV-2 Antigen assay kit developed in this study can be used as a suitable screening test for infectious COVID-19, and may play a role in controlling the pandemic.
Brain Activity and Upper Limb Movement Analysis in Individuals With Down Syndrome Undergoing Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Virtual Reality Training: Study Protocol for a Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial.
Authors: LOPES JAMILE , Miziara Isabela Marques , Kahani Danial , Parreira Rodolfo Borges , Lazzari Roberta Delasta , Santos Lucas Villalta , Monteiro Carlos Bandeira de Mello , Cardoso Deborah Carvalho da Silva , Mendes Juliana de Oliveira Hassel , Alves Vera Lucia dos Santos , Silva Iransé Oliveira , Oliveira Luis Vicente , Conway Bernard Arthur , Galli Manuela , Cimolin Veronica , Oliveira Claudia Santos
Published: April 2021

Background: Children with Down Syndrome have poorer functional and sensory skills compared to children with typical development. Virtual reality training could help improve these skills. Moreover, transcranial direct current stimulation has achieved promising results in terms of enhancing the effects of physical and sensory therapy by modulating cortical excitability. Methods/design The sample will be defined after conducting a pilot study with the same methodology as that to be used in the main study. The study will involve individuals with Down Syndrome with a cognitive age of six to 12 years according to the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale. Will be randomly allocated into two groups: Group 1 AtDCS combined with a virtual reality game and a manual motor task. Group 2 sham AtDCS with a virtual reality game and a manual motor task. The training protocol will involve 10 sessions of AtDCS during memory and motor task games. Three 20-minute sessions will be held per week for a total of 10 sessions. Evaluations will be performed on three different occasions: pre-intervention, post-intervention (after session 10) and follow-up (one month after the proposed training). The evaluations will consist of an analysis of electroencephalographic signals, electromyographic signals of the biceps and triceps brachii and the three-dimensional reconstruction of the reaching movement. The results will be analyzed statistically, with the significance level set at 5% (p ≤ 0.05). Discussion: The optimization of the results obtained is believed to be related to interactive training with a wide range of activities and scenarios involving multiple sensory channels and the creation of exercises, the intensity of which can be adjusted to the needs of individuals. Therefore, the proposed study aims to complement the literature with further information and different variables to provide the scientific community with clinical data on this combination of interventions. Trial Registration: REBEC protocol number RBR-43pk59 registered on 2019/03/27 and Human Ethics Committee number 3.608.521 approved on 2019/09/30.
Does the Osseodensification Technique Allow for the use of a Healing Chamber with Primary Stability in Low-Density Bone? An in Vivo Study
Authors: Mello-Machado Rafael Coutinho , Sartoretto Suelen Cristina , Granjeiro Jose Mauro , Calasans-Maia José Albuquerque , Uzeda Marcelo Jose Guedes Pinheiro , Mourão Carlos Fernando Almeida Barros , Ghiraldini Bruna , Bezerra Fabio Jose Barbosa , Senna Plinio Mendes , Calasans-Maia Mônica Diuana
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to investigate in vivo the hypothesis that the osseodensification technique, through a wider osteotomy, produce healing chambers at the implant-bone interface with no impact on primary stability osseointegration in low-density bone. Twenty implants (3.5 x 10 mm) presenting nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) surface were inserted in the ilium of ten sheep, after preparation of a 2.7-mm wide implant bed with conventional subtractive drilling (SCD) or a 3.8-mm wide implant bed with an osseodensification bur system (OBS) (n = 5/group/period). The final insertion torque (IT) and implant stability quotient (ISQ) evaluated the primary implant stability. After 14 and 28 days, the bone samples containing the implants were processed for histological and histomorphometric evaluation of bone implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO). No significant differences occurred between the implant bed preparations regarding IT and ISQ (P > 0.05). Histological analysis showed bone remodeling, and bone growth in all samples with no inflammatory infiltrate. BIC values were higher for SCD after 14 and 28 days (p < 0.05), however BAFO values were similar on both groups (p > 0.05). It was possible to conclude that the osseodensification technique allowed a wider implant bed preparation with no prejudice on primary stability and bone remodeling.
Mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase mediated necroptosis aggravates periodontitis progression
Authors: Yang Yanan , Wang Lingxia , Zhang Haibing , Luo Lijun
Published: April 2021

Necroptosis is a form of cell death that is reportedly involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. However, the role of Mlkl-involved necroptosis remains unclear. Herein, we aim to explore the role of MLKL-mediated necroptosis in periodontitis in vitro and in vivo. Expression of RIPK3, MLKL, and phosphorylated MLKL is observed in gingival tissues obtained from healthy subjects or patients with periodontitis. Viability of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS-Pg)-treated cells was detected. In wild type or Mlkl deficiency mice with ligature-induced periodontitis, alveolar bone loss and osteoclast activation were assessed. mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in bone marrow-derived macrophages were tested by qRT-PCR. Increased expression of RIPK3, MLKL, and phosphorylated MLKL is observed in gingival tissues obtained from patients with periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS-Pg)-treated cells developed necroptosis after caspase inhibition and negatively regulated the NF-κB signaling pathway. In mice with ligature-induced periodontitis, Mlkl deficiency reduced alveolar bone loss and weakened osteoclast activation. Furthermore, genetic ablation of Mlkl in LPS-Pg-treated bone marrow-derived macrophages increased the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (Il)-1β, Il-6, cyclooxygenase 2, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand. Our data indicated that MLKL-mediated necroptosis aggravates the development of periodontitis in a Mlkl-deficient mouse. And this will provide a new sight for the understanding of etiology and therapies of periodontitis.
Photon Conversion and Interaction on Chip
Authors: chen jiayang , Li Zhan , Ma Zhaohui , Tang Chao , Fan Heng , Sua Yong Meng , Huang Yu-Ping
Published: April 2021

The conversion and interaction between quantum signals at a single-photon level are essential for scalable quantum photonic information technology. Using a fully-optimized, periodically-poled lithium niobate microring, we demonstrate ultra-efficient sum-frequency generation on chip. The external quantum efficiency reaches (65±3)% with only (104±4) uW pump power, improving the state-of-the-art by over one order of magnitude. At the peak conversion, 3×10-5 noise photon is created during the cavity lifetime, which meets the requirement of quantum applications using single-photon pulses. Using pump and signal in single-photon coherent states, we directly measure the conversion probability produced by a single pump photon to be 10-5---breaking the record by 100 times---and the photon-photon coupling strength to be 9.1 MHz. Our results mark a new milestone toward quantum nonlinear optics at the ultimate single photon limit, creating new background in highly integrated photonics and quantum optical computing.
Framework to select the top ML classifier for robust seizure detection and prediction: A comparison-based study using multiple preictal time and feature sets
Authors: Borthakur Rajlakshmi , Kumar Amit , Jena Upendra Kumar , Borthakur Dibya Jyoti
Published: April 2021

We present a machine learning framework aimed at increasing performance seizure detection systems. Despite the diversity of ML-based available, the methodology to select an optimal classifier or ensemble model for seizure research is not commonly known. Our study is aimed at bridging this gap by showing use of a statistically guided machine learning framework that has delivered reliable on-field performance.
We empirically examined performances of 11 different classification algorithms, with additional 13 variants, executing 300 machine learning models against 6 fixed preictal windows (ranging from 5 minutes to 60 minutes) and 3 different sets of features as part of our study. Using a base of 55 subjects, of which we used 43 subjects to train and validate multiple ensemble models and classifiers, we achieved upto 98.3% F1 score, with 94.8% chance level performance on our data, and a False Positive Rate (FPR) of 0.0156/hr. We applied the top ensembles and classifier variants on 12 completely new subjects, unseen by the models to test their on-field efficacy. One of our models detected all 12 seizures on the unseen data and predicted 11 of them before electrographic onset. Average prediction time of models across all subjects was 31.56 minutes. At an individual level the earliest prediction was recorded at 176 minutes, which is the highest known seizure prediction time recorded in literature. Our analysis showed that a 30 minute window could be the most ideal preictal window for training seizure models.
The significance of our work is that we are reporting the highest F1 score of 98.3% on seizure data so far recorded with sample size of higher than 10. We are able to show high performance of seizure models using wearables data, detecting seizures at par with neurologist verified EEG onset time, and predicting seizures up to 176 minutes before onset, which is significantly higher than previously reported scores. Our work lays important foundations for using wearables for actual monitoring of PWEs in out-of-hospital settings, which might be an important step in ensuring their safety and quality of life.
Was the Great Irish Famine a Colonial Famine?
Authors: Gray Peter
Published: April 2021

This article reviews the historical debate on the colonial causation and dimensions of the Great Irish Famine of 1845-50. It does so by briefly reviewing the evolution of the colonial relationship between Great Britain and Ireland before focusing on a number of specific fields of debate relating to the coloniality of the Irish famine. These include the economic structures and dynamics developing over the century before 1845 and the vulnerability of Irish society, the vector of the potato blight and its impact on food availability, and, most extensively, the motivations for and characteristics of British state response to the catastrophe. The variant interpretations of these factors in the nationalist, revisionist, post-revisionist, and post-colonial historiography are reviewed. The author concludes by drawing on his own primary research to suggest that, while shaped by colonial stereotypes and a preoccupation with social engineering, the British state and public response to the Irish crisis was varied and not intentionally genocidal, although ultimately subordinating humanitarianism to perceived British national interest. Critical British contemporaries drew negative parallels between the neglect of Ireland and the prioritization of imperial expansion overseas, while Irish nationalists concluded that the mortality of the famine demonstrated the bankruptcy of the British-Irish Union of 1800.
Raphaël Lemkin, Genocide, Colonialism, Famine, and Ukraine
Authors: Irvin-Erickson Douglas
Published: April 2021

Many words have been used to name and describe the Great Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33, including “famine” and “catastrophe,” “the Holodomor,” and now “genocide.” Was the famine genocide? Was the famine part of a genocide? Is the word genocide an exaggeration? Is naming the famine a genocide part of an attempt to dramatize events for political purposes today? Is the refusal to call the famine a genocide an act of genocide denial? This article argues that, though more than seven decades have passed and the Soviet Union has come and gone, questions about genocide in Ukraine remain intertwined in the discourses and narratives surrounding conflicts over Ukraine’s economic, political, social, and cultural position between the European Union and the Russian Federation. Given the implications of this word—“genocide”—within the context of current conflicts over Ukrainian history and identity and even sovereignty, it is important to reflect on how this concept has been used and applied. This paper analyzes conflict in Ukraine in the 1930s using Raphaël Lemkin's definition of genocide, as opposed to the legal definition established by the UN Genocide Convention, and discusses the conceptual strengths of Lemkin's definition of genocide in terms of understanding a wide-spectrum of oppressive, repressive, and violent processes of empire-building and colonization that occurred in Ukraine, and which culminated in the Holodomor.
Mykhailo Zubryts'kyi: “The Nestor of the Ukrainian Village”
Authors: Kaltenbrunner Matthias
Published: April 2021

Review Essay:

Of Frank E. Sysyn, editor-in-chief. Naukovi pratsi [Scholarly Works]. 2013. Mykhailo Zubryts'kyi: Zibrani tvory i materialy u tr'okh tomakh [Mykhailo Zubryts'kyi: Collected Works and Materials in Three Volumes], edited by Frank E. Sysyn et al., vol. 1, Vydavnytstvo “Litopys,” 2013-19. 3 vols. 610 pp. Illustrations. Tables. Map. Indexes. ₴ 290,00, cloth.
Review of Aya Fujiwara. Ethnic Elites and Canadian Identity: Japanese, Ukrainians, and Scots, 1919-1971.
Authors: Bellezza Simone Attilio
Published: April 2021

Book review of Aya Fujiwara. Ethnic Elites and Canadian Identity: Japanese, Ukrainians, and Scots, 1919-1971. U of Manitoba P, 2012. Studies in Immigration and Culture 7, edited by Royden Loewen. xii, 260 pp. Tables. Notes. Selected Bibliography. Index. $27.95, paper.
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT MAKING IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE
Authors: Tkachova T.
Published: April 2021

Radical changes in the domestic economy, structural changes associated with the development of market relations, have contributed to the introduction of information technology, which has significantly changed the conditions of enterprises in various industries. This poses new challenges for companies - to seek effective development strategies aimed not only at implementing social functions, but also to find effective mechanisms for management decisions. Regarding the theoretical and methodological principles and areas of management R. Fatkhudtinov proposed an alternative classification of approaches [289]: complex, integration, marketing, functional, dynamic, reproducible, normative. But their separate practical use is impractical. It is necessary to integrate them into established approaches to enterprise management and management decisions. F. Taylor is considered to be the founder of the concept of scientific management [274]. He was the first to conclude that management work is a specialty and that an organization will benefit if each group of employees does the job it can best do. At the same time, the world of industrial production became an arena of rapid change. These and other factors have led management representatives to become more aware of the existence of external factors in relation to the organization. For this purpose, new approaches to the study of management science and practice were developed: system, process, resource, situational approach, and the result of scientific research of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of management theory and practice was the emergence of synergetic and reflective approach. At the heart of the systems (cybernetic) approach, there is an assumption that any system (object) is a set of interconnected elements that has an input, output, communication with the external environment and feedback. The development of a systems approach, which gives the specialist new opportunities for the study of management, today is a synergetic approach. The given analytical review of the basic approaches to management and acceptance of administrative decisions in economic systems has shown, that there is no uniform generally accepted theory of management. Moreover, there is an increasing differentiation of research on management problems. At the same time, the tendency of mutual integration of different schools and directions on the basis of separate common concepts is clearly manifested.
Analysis of microbiology online teaching in quarantine conditions
Authors: Fedorchenko V.I. , Polanska V.P. , Zachepylo S.V. , Bobrova N.O. , Loban G.A.
Published: April 2021

Teaching microbiology, virology, and immunology subject in a medical school has traditionally been conducted without the use of online technologies. Consequently, the changes in the way stakeholders interact need to be analyzed. The purpose of the article is an analysis of the experience that was performed on how the course of microbiology, virology, and immunology was taught online in coronavirus quarantine conditions of 2020.
Authors have determined the main problems in achieving by higher education seekers the proper level of theoretical knowledge, some of the practical skills and abilities that have arisen because of the change in the form of practical classes and lectures. The positive aspects of this unpredictable experiment were noted in the way of teaching the discipline. This subject involves higher education seekers gaining a significant amount of sensory and motor skills. Moreover, the subject has a large fragment of theoretical knowledge, which consists of empirical data of the infectious diseases pathogens properties, methods of their study for microbiological diagnosis; the structure of pathogens, which is necessary for understanding the directions of etiotropic therapy of infectious diseases; biological and antigenic properties to assess the possibilities of specific prevention and treatment of diseases; the resistance of pathogens to external factors in order to understand the peculiarities of the epidemiology of each disease and the possibilities of its specific prevention. Higher education seekers must also learn the structure of the human immune system, to study the mechanisms of its functioning. Finally, a complex of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and abilities should be built. These achievements were analyzed in this article to assess the prospects for modernization of the educational process in the subject.
The situation was problematic with the teaching of this subject online in quarantine. But the benefits are that it was at the same time a discovery in the use of new digital technologies accumulated by civilization in the educational process in such traditionally classical areas of education as teaching microbiology, virology, and immunology course in medical higher educational institutions.
The present conception of neonatal microbiome formation
Authors: Popov S.V. , Smiian O.I. , Profatylo A.O.
Published: April 2021

The neonatal period is critical in the development of the microbiome and the gastrointestinal tract. That is, the microbiome regulates not only the processes that are associated with the basic functions of the gastrointestinal tract, but is associated with the content of vitamins and micronutrients, affects the development of the nervous and endocrine systems of newborns. Fortunately, microbiome and immunity of pregnant get ready the infant for his inevitable complications. Although preterm birth has been connected with bacterial colonization of the amniotic cavity for many years, the dogma of a sterile intrauterine environment during a normal pregnancy has appeared only recently. Numerous placental microbiome and the occurrence of microorganisms in the amniotic cavity in normal pregnancy was demonstrated by metagenomic sequencing. The occurrence of microorganisms in intestine got from the operating room during resection of intestinal abnormalities immediately after birth and before feeding was also found in neonates born by caesarean section. In this literature review, we explore the update understanding of microbial colonization of the intestine and foundation of function of the gastrointestinal tract. We discuss how mother’s genital and extragenital pathologies, her diet, lifestyle, taking drugs during pregnancy form the microbiome of the fetus and its further development in the neonatal period. Also, equally important for the establishment of the neonatal microbiome are gestational age, mode of delivery, type of feeding and medication, including antibiotics. Therefore, in our opinion, the comparison of microbiota of a full-term newborn in vaginal birth and an infant born prematurely or by cesarean section is clinically significant for physicians in various fields. The study of changes in the microbial composition of the intestine is an important step in the diagnosis of pathological conditions in this period.