bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Graduating dentists’ perceptions about their professional competence in Finland and Lithuania
Authors: Mustakallio Sakari , Näpänkangas Ritva , Narbutaite Julija , Virtanen Jorma I. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAimsEfforts to harmonise dental education in Europe have been put into action by the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE). The aim of the study was to explore graduating dentists’ perceptions about their professional readiness for clinical work in Finland and Lithuania.Materials and methodsThe survey targeted fifth‐year dental students at the University of Oulu and the University of Turku in Finland, and at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania (Lithuanian and international students) in 2016‐2017. The competences were evaluated in the questionnaire in 21 dental procedures based on ADEE competences by options: “I’d manage well,” “I’d need more training” or “It would not quite succeed.” The option “I’d manage well” was chosen in the analyses.ResultsStudents felt that they were most competent in producing and maintaining accurate patient records (91.9%), implementing sterilisation and hygiene in dental practice (91.3%) and working with other members of dental team and health profession (90.0%). The largest differences between Finnish and Lithuanian students were in designing and adjusting occlusal splints (87.0% vs. 14.3%) and in undertaking subgingival scaling (95.7% vs. 57.1%). The biggest differences between Lithuanian and international students were in identifying (and treating) abnormal and anxiety‐related patient (73.1% vs. 25.5%) and implementing tobacco cessation (65.3% vs. 31.9%).ConclusionsThe graduating dental students in Finland and Lithuania manage well in most of the clinical procedures based on the ADEE competences. The students were most confident when dealing with tasks that are common in dental practice.
Mesoscopic mechanisms in fatigue crack initiation in an aluminium alloy
Authors: Nijin I. S. , Banerjee Anuradha 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe mechanistic aspects of process of initiation of a mode‐I fatigue crack in an aluminium alloy (AA 2219‐T87) are studied in detail, both computationally as well as experimentally. Simulations are carried out under plane strain conditions with fatigue process zone modelled as stress‐state–dependent cohesive elements along the expected mode‐I failure path. An irreversible damage parameter that accounts for the progressive microstructural damage due to fatigue is employed to degrade cohesive properties. The simulations predict the location of initiation of the fatigue crack to be subsurface where the triaxiality and the opening tensile stresses are higher in comparison with that at the notch surface. Examination of the fracture surface profile of fracture test specimens near notch tip reveals a few types of regions and existence of a mesoscopic length scale that is the distance of the location of highest roughness from the notch root. A discussion is developed on the physical significance of the experimentally observed length scale.
Identification of differentially expressed genes by single‐cell transcriptional profiling of umbilical cord and synovial fluid mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Jia Zhaofeng , Wang Shijin , Liu Qisong 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to measure the heterogeneity in human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC‐MSCs) and human synovial fluid–derived mesenchymal stem cells (hSF‐MSCs) by single‐cell RNA‐sequencing (scRNA‐seq). Using Chromium™ technology, scRNA‐seq was performed on hUC‐MSCs and hSF‐MSCs from samples that passed our quality control checks. In order to identify subgroups and activated pathways, several bioinformatics tools were used to analyse the transcriptomic profiles, including clustering, principle components analysis (PCA), t‐Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t‐SNE), gene set enrichment analysis, as well as Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. scRNA‐seq was performed on the two sample sets. In total, there were 104 761 163 reads for the hUC‐MSCs and 6 577 715 for the hSF‐MSCs, with >60% mapping rate. Based on PCA and t‐SNE analyses, we identified 11 subsets within hUC‐MSCs and seven subsets within hSF‐MSCs. Gene set enrichment analysis determined that there were 533, 57, 32, 44, 10, 319, 731, 1037, 90, 25 and 230 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 11 subsets of hUC‐MSCs and 204, 577, 30, 577, 16, 57 and 35 DEGs in the seven subsets of hSF‐MSCs. scRNA‐seq was not only able to identify subpopulations of hUC‐MSCs and hSF‐MSCs within the sample sets, but also provided a digital transcript count of hUC‐MSCs and hSF‐MSCs within a single patient. scRNA‐seq analysis may elucidate some of the biological characteristics of MSCs and allow for a better understanding of the multi‐directional differentiation, immunomodulatory properties and tissue repair capabilities of MSCs.
Development of an Isavirus minigenome system to study the function of the pocket RNA‐binding domain of the viral nucleoprotein (NP) in salmon cells
Authors: Toro‐Ascuy Daniela , Santibañez Alvaro , Peña Victor , Beltran‐Pavez Carolina , Cottet Luis , Molina Cristian , Montoya Margarita , Sandoval Nicolas , Vásquez‐Martínez Yesseny , Mascayano Carolina , Cortez‐San Martín Marcelo 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe Isavirus is an orthomyxovirus with a genome composed of eight segments of negative single‐strand RNA (−ssRNA). It has been proposed that the eight genomic segments of the Isavirus are organized as a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex called a minigenome, which contains all the viral RNA segments, a viral heterotrimeric polymerase and multiple copies of the viral nucleoprotein (NP). Here, we develop an Isavirus minigenome system and show the importance of the formation of active RNPs and the role of viral NP R189, R194, R302 and K325 residues in the NP RNA‐binding domain in the context of RNPs. The results indicate it is possible to generate a minigenome in salmon cells, a composite ISAV RNPs with EGFP‐based chimeric vRNA with heterotrimeric polymerase (PB1, PB2, PA) and NP protein using CMV‐based auxiliary plasmids. It was also shown that NP R189, R194, R302 and K325 residues are important to generate viral mRNA from the constituted RNPs and a detectable reporter protein. This work is the first salmon cell‐based minigenome assay for the Isavirus, which was evaluated by a bioinformatic and functional study of the NP protein in viral RNPs, which showed that correct NP‐vRNA interaction is key to the functioning of RNPs.
Novel topical formulation applied to the nipple‐areola complex improves female orgasm
Authors: Krychman Michael , Goren Andy , Brandt Len , McCoy John 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe nipple‐areola complex (NAC) is an often overlooked but important erogenous zone in the female sexual response and sexual functional repertoire. Research suggests that nipple stimulation is significant to female sexual satisfaction in as many as 80% of women. Previously, we have reported that stimulation of the arrector pili muscle in the NAC increases nipple sensitivity and has a positive impact on female sexual function.AimsTo study the effect of RJ‐101 on female orgasm.MethodsA randomized double‐blinded placebo‐controlled study of RJ101, a novel topical formulation that stimulates the arrector pili muscle of the NAC, in 59 women. Each subject completed a survey composed of Likert scale questions in order to identify changes in orgasm after topical application of RJ101 or placebo.ResultsWe demonstrated a positive increase in the perceived intensity of orgasm and orgasmic satisfaction/pleasure in women using RJ101 vs those in the placebo group. After 4 weeks of treatment, 76% of the women in the RJ101 arm reported a positive improvement in satisfaction with orgasm versus 47% in the placebo cohort. The mean change in score for overall satisfaction with orgasm in the RJ101 group was statistically significant (P = .007) compared to placebo.ConclusionThe application of RJ101 to the NAC 30 minutes prior to sexual activity can improve orgasmic strength, pleasure, and satisfaction.
Nutritional requirements for reproduction and survival in the blowfly Lucilia sericata
Authors: Alqurashi S. , English S. , Wall R. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractInsects with access to finite energy resources must allocate these between maintenance and reproduction in a way that maximizes fitness. This will be influenced by a range of life‐history characteristics and the environment in which any particular insect species lives. In the present study, females of the blowfly Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were fed diets differing in protein and carbohydrate (sucrose) content and the allocation of lipid to reproduction was quantified using a spectrophotometric method of analysis. Immediately after adult emergence, total body lipid, scaled for differences in body size, showed an initial decline as it was utilized to meet the metabolic demands of cuticle deposition, muscle maturation and then flight. When flies were denied access to sucrose, stored lipid then continued to decrease until flies died, usually within 4 days of emergence. However, flies given access to sucrose were able to increase body lipid content, demonstrating that carbohydrate is essential for homeostasis and that it can be used to synthesize lipid. Nevertheless, female flies fed sucrose only were unable to synthesize egg yolk. Only flies provided with protein were able to mature eggs. However, the rate of egg maturation and number and size of eggs matured were greater for female flies given liver compared with flies provided with pure whey protein powder. The results demonstrate the importance of different dietary components for different elements of the life‐history of L. sericata, namely survival and reproduction.
Whistleblowing: A concept analysis
Authors: Gagnon Marilou , Perron Amélie 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe concept of whistleblowing, which began to emerge in the 1970s, has gained significant traction over time and across disciplines, including law, management, public administration, sociology, psychology, and health sciences. Interestingly, nurses and nursing students account for the majority of the participants in studies pertaining to whistleblowing. Nursing research conducted in the past two decades provide a good foundation on which to build a better understanding of the context in which whistleblowing takes place, the process of whistleblowing itself, and the repercussions experienced by whistleblowers, but major conceptual gaps remain. In fact, limited attention has been given to the conceptual underpinnings and the use of the concept of whistleblowing in nursing. The goal of the present conceptual analysis was to start addressing this gap and raise some critical questions about the future application of this concept in nursing, including potential opportunities and limitations. Our analysis allowed us to identify a number of antecedents, attributes, and consequences of whistleblowing in nursing. It also revealed three areas needing more attention: the concept itself, organizational culture, and research into the complexities of whistleblowing.
Randomized trial of mask or prongs for nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation in term infants with transient tachypnea of the newborn
Authors: Ilhan Ozkan , Bor Meltem 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare nasal masks (NM) with binasal prongs (NP) for applying nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (NIMV) by assessing the duration of respiratory distress, rate of intubation, and nasal trauma in term infants with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).MethodsInfants with a gestational age ≥37 weeks and birthweight ≥2,000 g who had NIMV administered for TTN were enrolled. We randomly allocated 80 neonates to the NM (n = 40) or NP (n = 40) group. Duration of respiratory distress was the primary outcome of this study.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between the groups for the duration of tachypnea and NIMV (P = 0.94 and P = 0.13, respectively). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of duration of oxygen supplementation and length of hospitalization (P = 0.72 and P = 0.70, respectively). The incidence of any grade of trauma and moderate trauma (grade II) was significantly higher in the NP group than in the NM group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.04, respectively). The rate of NIMV failure and other complications, including pneumothorax, pneumonia and feeding intolerance, was not significantly different in the groups.ConclusionsIn term infants with TTN, delivering NIMV using NP in comparison to using NM appears to be similar with regard to the duration of respiratory distress and preventing intubation. However, the use of NP involves a greater risk of trauma than that of NM.
Comparison of native and citrated whole blood samples for rapid thromboelastography in Beagles
Authors: Wang Hyebin , Nam Aryung , Song Kunho , Youn Hwa Young , Seo Kyoung Won 
Published: December 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the extent to which rapid thromboelastography (r‐TEG) could decrease the testing time in comparison with that required for kaolin‐activated thromboelastography (TEG), and to compare 2 types of blood samples (ie, native and citrated whole blood [WB]), for determining r‐TEG values in healthy dogs.DesignProspective observational study.SettingUniversity teaching hospital.AnimalsSixteen healthy Beagles.InterventionsKaolin‐activated TEG test using citrated WB samples and r‐TEG test using native and citrated WB samples were performed in 16 dogs. At 60 minutes after the initial blood sampling, further samples were collected from a subset of 6 dogs in the same manner to evaluate intraindividual repeatability of r‐TEG.Measurements and Main ResultsThe mean time to maximum amplitude (MA) for r‐TEG with native and citrated WB samples was recorded as 1313.9 ± 250.9 seconds and 1351.3 ± 264.6 seconds (mean ± SD), respectively, and 1779.9 ± 197.0 seconds for kaolin‐activated TEG. Coefficients of variation with native and citrated WB samples for r‐TEG values, TEG‐activated clotting time, clot formation time, α angle, and MA, were determined to be 13.4% versus 18.8%, 11.1% versus 16.6%, 4.2% versus 5.1%, and 10.0% versus 10.0%, respectively. Intraindividual variations were lower for native WB samples than for citrated WB samples.ConclusionsThe r‐TEG test significantly decreased the mean time to MA compared with the kaolin‐activated TEG test. In addition, native WB samples showed lower coefficients of variation and intraindividual variation than citrated WB samples in r‐TEG analysis; this suggests that native WB samples can provide more consistent results. Therefore, the r‐TEG method using native WB samples is recommended for assessment of dogs’ hemostatic status when an early diagnosis is required.
Evaluation of an automated point‐of‐care test system for measuring thrombin–antithrombin complex in dogs
Authors: Kato Daiki , Takahashi Masashi , Yonezawa Tomohiro , Ohmi Aki , Takeda Sawako , Nakagawa Taisuke , Hosoda Saburou , Kanemoto Hideyuki , Fukushima Kenjiro , Ohno Koichi , Matsuki Naoaki , Tsujimoto Hajime 
Published: December 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the utility of the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) method for point‐of‐care (POC) measurement of canine plasma thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT) concentration.Assessment and Main ResultsPlasma TAT concentration was measured in 54 healthy dogs and in 72 dogs with various diseases. A significant correlation was found between TAT concentration measured by CLEIA and that measured by an ELISA that was previously used in dogs. The upper limit of the reference value of TAT concentrations measured by CLEIA was determined to be 0.2 ng/mL based on the TAT concentration in 54 healthy dogs. TAT concentrations exceeded the reference interval in a portion of dogs when a hypercoagulable state may be present.ConclusionsCanine plasma TAT concentrations measured using CLEIA were correlated with that measured using ELISA. Hence, a POC testing instrument may be used for early detection of activation of thrombin generation in emergency and critical care settings.
Global prevalence of human pegivirus‐1 in healthy volunteer blood donors: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Na , Dai Run , Zhang Xiaojun 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackground and objectivesThe local prevalence of HPgV‐1 has been reported from different countries worldwide, but the global prevalence of HPgV‐1 remains unknown. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to gather data from the literature to estimate the prevalence of HPgV‐1 in healthy volunteer blood donors in the world.Materials and methodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Google Scholar databases for records up to January 2019 and included studies reporting HPgV‐1 virus prevalence amongst healthy volunteer blood donors based on the detection of HPgV‐1 RNA.ResultsIn all, we included 79 studies for the systematic review and 63 for the meta‐analysis. Based on the random effect meta‐analysis of 35 468 volunteer blood donors, we found the global prevalence of HPgV‐1 to be 3·1% (95% CI, 2·4–4·1). The pooled prevalences of HPgV‐1 were 1·7% (95% CI, 1·1–2·6) in North America, 9·1% (95% CI, 6·4–12·7) in South America, 2·3% (95% CI, 2%, 2·8) in Europe and 2·4% (95% CI, 1·4–4) in Asia. Subgroup analyses based on age, gender or risk factors were not possible.ConclusionApproximately 3 in 100 blood donations worldwide are positive for HPgV‐1 increasing the risk of infection from transfusion of their components to subsequent recipients. Further research on virus pathogenicity is required before recommending routine screening of HPgV‐1 for healthy volunteer blood donors.
Ablating the Rab‐GTPase activating protein TBC1D1 predisposes rats to high‐fat diet‐induced cardiomyopathy
Authors: Barbeau Pierre‐Andre , Houad Jacy M. , Huber Jason S. , Paglialunga Sabina , Snook Laelie A. , Herbst Eric A. F. , Dennis Kaitlyn M. J. H. , Simpson Jeremy A. , Holloway Graham P. 
Published: December 2019

Key points
Although the role of TBC1D1 within the heart remains unknown, expression of TBC1D1 increases in the left ventricle following an acute infarction, suggesting a biological importance within this tissue.
We investigated the mechanistic role of TBC1D1 within the heart, aiming to establish the consequences of attenuating TBC1D1 signalling in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy, as well as to determine potential sex differences.
TBC1D1 ablation increased plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein content and myocardial palmitate oxidation.
Following high‐fat feeding, TBC1D1 ablation dramatically increased fibrosis and induced end‐diastolic dysfunction in both male and female rats in the absence of changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics.
Altogether, independent of sex, ablating TBC1D1 predisposes the left ventricle to pathological remodelling following high‐fat feeding, and suggests TBC1D1 protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy.
AbstractTBC1D1, a Rab‐GTPase activating protein, is involved in the regulation of glucose handling and substrate metabolism within skeletal muscle, and is essential for maintaining pancreatic β‐cell mass and insulin secretion. However, the function of TBC1D1 within the heart is largely unknown. Therefore, we examined the role of TBC1D1 in the left ventricle and the functional consequence of ablating TBC1D1 on the susceptibility to high‐fat diet‐induced abnormalities. Since mutations within TBC1D1 (R125W) display stronger associations with clinical parameters in women, we further examined possible sex differences in the predisposition to diabetic cardiomyopathy. In control‐fed animals, TBC1D1 ablation did not alter insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake, or echocardiogram parameters, but increased accumulation of a plasma membrane fatty acid transporter and the capacity for palmitate oxidation. When challenged with an 8 week high‐fat diet, TBC1D1 knockout rats displayed a four‐fold increase in fibrosis compared to wild‐type animals, and this was associated with diastolic dysfunction, suggesting a predisposition to diet‐induced cardiomyopathy. Interestingly, high‐fat feeding only induced cardiac hypertrophy in male TBC1D1 knockout animals, implicating a possible sex difference. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity and substrate sensitivity to pyruvate and ADP were not altered by diet or TBC1D1 ablation, nor were markers of oxidative stress, or indices of overt heart failure. Altogether, independent of sex, ablation of TBC1D1 not only increased the susceptibility to high‐fat diet‐induced diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular fibrosis, independent of sex, but also predisposed male animals to the development of cardiac hypertrophy. These data suggest that TBC1D1 may exert cardioprotective effects in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
What’s the Deal with Graphene?
Authors: Siegel R.P. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
In spite of its wondrous laboratory-scale properties, engineers have been hesitant to incorporate graphene into their mission-critical designs. There is still a lot that is not known about this material, including, how much of an environmental and health risk will it pose. A number of products and prototypes have failed to meet expectations. Some manufacturers, however, are starting to produce graphene at scale and edging into limited uses for the material in applications as diverse as touch screens and auto parts. This study delves into the current status and future of graphene.
Parameter Estimation of Limited Failure Population Model With a Weibull Underlying Distribution
Authors: Koutsellis Themistoklis , Mourelatos Zissimos P. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
For many data-driven reliability problems, the population is not homogeneous; i.e., its statistics are not described by a unimodal distribution. Also, the interval of observation may not be long enough to capture the failure statistics. A limited failure population (LFP) consists of two subpopulations, a defective and a nondefective one, with well-separated modes of the two underlying distributions. In reliability and warranty forecasting applications, the estimation of the number of defective units and the estimation of the parameters of the underlying distribution are very important. Among various estimation methods, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach is the most widely used. Its likelihood function, however, is often incomplete, resulting in an erroneous statistical inference. In this paper, we estimate the parameters of a LFP analytically using a rational function fitting (RFF) method based on the Weibull probability plot (WPP) of observed data. We also introduce a censoring factor (CF) to assess how sufficient the number of collected data is for statistical inference. The proposed RFF method is compared with existing MLE approaches using simulated data and data related to automotive warranty forecasting.
An Improved Model of Estimation Global Solar Irradiation From in Situ Data: Case of Algerian Oranie’s Region
Authors: Naim Houcine , Fares Redouane , Bouadi Abed , Hassini Abdelatif , Noureddine Benabadji 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The total monthly average of daily radiation on a horizontal surface at the site of Oran (35.38 deg N, 0.37 deg W) is achieved by applying two models. We present a comparison between the first one which is a regression equation of the Angstrom type and the second model, developed by the present authors: Some modifications were recommended using relative humidity as the input meteorological parameter) and longitude, latitude, and altitude as the astronomical parameters. The process of examining similarities is made using root mean square error (RMSE), the mean bias error (MBE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). This comparison shows that the second model is closer to the experimental values of the Angstrom model.