bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rating Opioid Use Disorder for Permanent Impairment
Authors: Talmage James B. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The duration of opioid therapy after surgery is the strongest known predictor of ultimate misuse, and researchers have reported that the number of days for which medication was prescribed and the total number of postoperative prescriptions each predicts long-term use. This article addresses the question of rating the impairment for an individual with no history of substance use disorder before a work injury, who is prescribed opioids for this injury, and who subsequently develops opioid use disorder (OUD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, should be used in conjunction with the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, (AMA Guides), Sixth Edition. A person who is prescribed opioids is not yet at maximum medical improvement (MMI) and cannot be rated. Referral for substantiation of the diagnosis and for initiation of treatment are necessary before OUD is confirmed and the patient is at MMI. The AMA Guides is based on impairments of activities of daily living (ADL), so a patient's MMI should result in a happy outcome and no impairment, although the burden of treatment compliance may be a relevant consideration. The article concludes with an extensive literature review, including abstracts of published articles regarding OUD in various settings.
Medical Aspects of Causation for COVID-19
Authors: Snyder Robert B. , Talmage James B. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The decision about whether a case of documented COVID-19 illness is accepted as occupationally acquired and thus work compensable is made by insurers, or if contested, by judges or administrative bureaus. Causation for COVID-19 may be difficult to show because of the lack of accurate information and difficulty in meeting some of the criteria established by Bradford Hill. Nevertheless, physicians will be asked for medical records and documentation of illness. This article provides preliminary guidance to assist physicians in responding to insurers or workers compensation agencies' requests for information on the medial aspects of COVID-19.
International Use of the AMA Guides® to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment
Authors: Ranavaya Mohammed I. , Brigham Christopher R. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Since its inception more than six decades ago, the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, (AMA Guides), has become internationally accepted as a global benchmark and is used in the United States, Canada, certain European countries, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and Southern Africa, as well as by the United Nations. When the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, adopted the terminology and conceptual framework of disablement developed by the World Health Organization, this paradigm shift let to an increase in the worldwide influence and use of the AMA Guides. In the United States, the AMA Guides is used primarily in state and federal workers’ compensation systems and sometimes in automobile casualty and personal injury arenas. Most workers’ compensation jurisdictions across Canada use the AMA Guides formally by statute or regulation, or they accept its use informally as a standard tool to rate impairment. In Australia, the AMA Guides is used in both federal and individual state or territory compensation schemes for personal injuries that arise from work, as well as motor vehicle accidents (a table presents uses of the AMA Guides in Australian jurisdictions). New Zealand uses the AMA Guides, Fourth Edition, and the ACC User Handbook to the AMA “Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment,” Fourth Edition. The AMA Guides is used in Hong Kong to evaluate all types of damages for personal injury claims and also is referenced in Southern Africa, Europe, and countries in the Middle East.
Performing Medical Evaluations for Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund in California
Authors: Feinberg Steven D. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Many states have benefit programs (e.g., special fund, second injury fund, subsequent injuries fund, special disabilities trust fund) for people with significant pre-existing impairment and/or disability who are injured. Each fund has different rules and regulations. Some of these funds provide benefits to the injured worker, while others reimburse eligible employers and insurers. Physicians need to understand the specific requirements of benefit programs in their states. Evaluating physicians who understand the uniqueness of these programs will be better able to provide valuable services. This article provides insights into one such program, the subsequent injuries benefits trust fund (SIBTF) in California. To be eligible for SIBTF benefits, the injured worker must meet an “overall threshold” and an “industrial threshold” of disability to qualify for benefits. If these thresholds are met, the injured worker may receive additional compensation based on pre-existing (labor-disabling) disability. The pre-existing disabilities can arise from any source, including congenital, developmental, or acquired disease, prior injury, war injury, non- industrial injuries, or prior industrial disabilities.
Prevalence of occupational exposure to needle-stick injury and associated factors among healthcare workers of developing countries: Systematic review
Authors: Mengistu Dechasa Adare , Tolera Sina Temesgen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Background
Healthcare workers are at high risk of infection from blood-borne pathogens, such as Hepatitis B and C Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency. Occupational exposure to needle-stick injuries (NSIs) continue to have a major health problem in the healthcare systems of developing countries. Thus, this review article aimed to provide the evidence on the prevalence of NSI and associated factors among healthcare workers of developing countries.

Methods
The studies published from 2012 to 2019 were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Med Nar, and Science Direct. The MeSH terms and/or keywords was used in conjunction with “AND” or “OR” (Boolean logic operators). All identified keywords and an index terms were checked across the included databases. Assessment and evaluation were taken to confirm the quality and relevance of the included articles, followed by extraction and analysis of data.

Result
Overall, 2021 articles were identified using specified search terms from the initial searches of the literature (2012-2019). A total of 13 articles met eligibility criteria were included in the review. Among 6513 participants, 1009 and 2201 participants involved to determine 1-year and throughout career prevalence, respectively. The prevalence of NSI ranged from 19.9% to 54.0% with an overall prevalence of 35.7% and 38.5 to 100% with an overall prevalence of 64.1% in the previous 1 year and throughout career, respectively. Sex, workload, needle recapping, overuse of injection, and practice of universal precautions, training, occupation, working experience, and personal protective equipment were among the factors associated with the prevalence of NSIs in developing countries.

Conclusion
The review indicated that NSIs have been identified as one of the most serious issues that affect the health and well-being of healthcare workers in the majority of healthcare systems of developing countries. There is a need to apply safety practices or other measures to reduce the risk of NSIs.
Portal dosimetry in radiotherapy repeatability evaluation
Authors: Ślosarek Krzysztof , Plaza Dominika , Nas Aleksandra , Reudelsdorf Marta , Wendykier Jacek , Bekman Barbara , Grządziel Aleksandra 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe accuracy of radiotherapy is the subject of continuous discussion, and dosimetry methods, particularly in dynamic techniques, are being developed. At the same time, many oncology centers develop quality procedures, including pretreatment and online dose verification and proper patient tracking methods. This work aims to present the possibility of using portal dosimetry in the assessment of radiotherapy repeatability. The analysis was conducted on 74 cases treated with dynamic techniques. Transit dosimetry was made for each collision‐free radiation beam. It allowed the comparison of summary fluence maps, obtained for fractions with the corresponding summary maps from all other treatment fractions. For evaluation of the compatibility in the fluence map pairs (6798), the gamma coefficient was calculated. The results were considered in four groups, depending on the used radiotherapy technique: stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy, breath‐hold, free‐breathing, and conventionally fractionated other cases. The chi2 or Fisher's exact test was made depending on the size of the analyzed set and also Mann–Whitney U‐test was used to compare treatment repeatability of different techniques. The aim was to test whether the null hypothesis of error‐free therapy was met. The patient is treated repeatedly if the P‐value in all the fluence maps sets is higher than the level of 0.01. The best compatibility between treatment fractions was obtained for the stereotactic technique. The technique with breath‐holding gave the lowest percentage of compliance of the analyzed fluence pairs. The results indicate that the repeatability of the treatment is associated with the radiotherapy technique. Treated volume location is also an essential factor found in the evaluation of treatment accuracy. The EPID device is a useful tool in assessing the repeatability of radiotherapy. The proposed method of fluence maps comparison also allows us to assess in which therapeutic session the patient was treated differently from the other fractions.
Prediction of maturity offset and age at peak height velocity in a longitudinal series of boys and girls
Authors: Malina Robert M. , Kozieł Sławomir M. , Králik Miroslav , Chrzanowska Maria , Suder Agnieszka 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundPredicted maturity offset, defined as time before peak height velocity (PHV) is increasingly used as an indicator of maturity status in studies of physical activity, fitness, and sport.ObjectiveTo validate maturity offset prediction equations in longitudinal samples of boys and girls.MethodsThe original and modified maturity offset prediction equations were applied to serial data for 266 boys (8‐17 years) and 147 girls (8‐16 years) from the Cracow Growth Study. Actual age at PHV for each youngster was estimated with the SITAR protocol. In addition to maturity offset, the difference between CA at prediction and maturity offset provided an estimate of predicted age at PHV.ResultsPredicted maturity offset and age at PHV increased, on average, with CA at prediction. Variation in predictions was reduced compared to that in observed ages at offset and at PHV, and was more apparent with the modified equations. Relatively few predicted ages at PHV approximated observed age at PHV in early and late maturing youth of both sexes; predictions were later than observed among the former, and earlier than observed among the latter.ConclusionPredicted maturity offset and ages at PHV with the original and modified equations increase with CA at prediction, have reduced variation, and have major limitations with early and late maturing boys and girls.
JAAM Nationwide Survey on the response to the first wave of COVID‐19 in Japan. Part I: How to set up a treatment system in each hospital
Authors: Oda Jun , Tanabe Seizan , Nishimura Tetsuro , Muguruma Takashi , Matsuyama Shigenari , Sugawara Yoko , Ogura Shinji 
Published: December 2020

AimTo clarify how the medical institutions overcame the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in Japan and to discuss its impact on the medical labor force.MethodsWe analyzed questionnaire data from the end of May 2020 from 180 hospitals (102,578 beds) certified by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine.ResultsAcute (emergency) medicine physicians treated severe COVID‐19 patients in more than half of hospitals. Emergency medical teams consisted of acute medicine physicians and other specialists. Frontline acute care physicians were concerned about their risk of infection in 80% of hospitals, and experienced stress due to a lack of personal protective equipment. Twenty‐six of the 143 hospitals that had a mental health check/consultation system in place indicated that there was a doctor who experienced mental health problems. Of the 37 hospitals without a system, only one hospital was aware of the presence of a doctor complaining of mental health problems.ConclusionAcute care physicians and physicians in other departments experienced high levels of stress as they fought to arrange COVID‐19 treatment teams and inpatient COVID‐19 wards for infected patients. Medical materials and equipment may be sufficient for a second or third wave; however, active support is needed for the physical and mental care of medical staff. Mental health problems may be missed in facilities without mental check and consultation system.
Preparation of activated porous glass adsorbent through thermochemical reforming of ampoules and eggshells for remediation of direct blue dye pollution
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Zada Amir , Hussain Khadim , Naz Muhammad Y. , AbdEl‐Salam Nasser M. , Ibrahim Khalid A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe recycling of chemical containing glass bottles is generally not recommended due to high health risk. In this study, used glass ampoules were devitrified into a porous material by coprocessing with eggshells, salt, and soda at different temperatures. In this thermochemical reaction, eggshells decomposed into calcium, porogenic gases, and char. The calcium worked as a flux in the reaction while char and gases promoted the porosity of the devitrified glass. The thermochemically processed glass was treated with deionized water to clear the water‐soluble fractions and to improve the surface porosity. The final product was characterized for its chemical composition, functional groups, surface morphology, and pore sizes. The porous product revealed the pore volume of .010 cc/g, surface area of 32.0399 m2/g and pore radius of 1.522 nm. The well‐known Freundlich and Longmuir models were used to investigate the adsorption of blue dye onto the prepared porous glass adsorbent. The adsorbed amount of dye was found influenced by the contact time, adsorbent dose, pH of solution, and dye concentration. The porous glass adsorbed about 2.788 mg/g of dye at pH 2, which decreased to 1.938 mg/g at pH 7. The dye adsorption data followed the best fit for Freundlich model as compared to the Longmuir model.
Morphology control and ionic crosslinking of pectin domains to enhance the toughness of solvent cast PVA/pectin blends
Authors: John Jacob , Deshpande Abhijit P. , Varughese Susy 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBlending water soluble synthetic polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), with natural polymers, such as pectin, has many advantages. However, due to the brittle nature of pectin, the mechanical properties become inferior in the blends. In this work, two strategies to enhance the toughness and tensile strength of solvent cast PVA/pectin blends are presented. This study shows that the tensile strength and toughness of PVA/pectin 80/20 blends can be enhanced by decreasing the solvent evaporation rate. The phase separation proceeds through 'nucleation and growth' and spinodal decomposition, respectively, at lower and higher rates of solvent evaporation. The equilibrium phase morphology has spherical domains of pectin dispersed in the PVA matrix. The size of the pectin domains and the separation between them are controlled by the solvent evaporation rate. At higher rates of solvent evaporation, pectin domains are larger and farther apart from each other and vice versa. Ionically crosslinking the pectin domains with calcium, further enhances the tensile strength and toughness of the blends compared to that of pure PVA. When the pectin domains are small, the failure happens at larger strains through 'cavitation' and 'shear yielding' and when pectin domains are large, the failure happens at smaller strains and the failure mechanism shifts to 'multiple crazing'.
Ionic liquid gated poly(triaryl amine) thin film field effect transistor
Authors: Rijos Luis M. , Figueroa Kelotchi S. , Porcu Angelo , Rivera Naomi M. , Meléndez Anamaris , Ramos Idalia , Pinto Nicholas J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA poly(triaryl amine) thin film field effect transistor was investigated in air with ionic liquid (IL) gating for the first time. The transistor retained a high‐on/off ratio of ~700 and mobility of ~10−2 cm2/V‐s. When compared to a transistor based on the conducting polymer polyaniline under similar operating conditions, it was found to exhibit superior performance. Significantly low‐operating voltages (±1 V) enhances the possibility of its use in organic electronics. The device was successfully tested for binary operation, and we demonstrate its suitability for use in low‐power consumption electronic circuits.
Thermo‐oxidative degradation during sintering of polyethylene particles
Authors: Salehi Amirmehdi , Pircheraghi Gholamreza 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPolymer sintering is not only a well‐established procedure for producing functional polymeric parts, but it is also the basis for the relatively new additive manufacturing technique, selective laser sintering. Although studying the impact of thermo‐oxidative degradation during sintering has significant practical importance, few studies have focused on this aspect of the sintering process. In the present work, we have investigated the active thermo‐oxidative degradation mechanisms during sintering of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) particles, the conditions that promote them, and their respective impact on the morphological evolution of the polyethylene particles. To perform a comprehensive study, we have complemented the rheological, thermal, chemical, and morphological analysis of the sintered HDPE particles with the study of their ensemble pore structure. We observed two distinct degradation regimes. At the beginning, the relatively low concentration of oxygen in the particles led to the dominance of branching and resulted in a pore structure evolution limited to surface relaxation. In the second regime and with the diffusion of more oxygen, chain scission became the dominant route. In this regime, the emergence of highly mobile short chains markedly accelerated the pore evolution.
Importance of Mullins effect in commercial silicone elastomer formulations for soft robotics
Authors: Krpovic Sara , Dam‐Johansen Kim , Skov Anne Ladegaard 
Published: December 2020

AbstractSilicone elastomers are used in a wide range of applications, including artificial muscles, biomedical devices, and soft robotics, for which chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability are important requirements that these elastomers must fulfill. However, to ensure that silicone elastomers' properties and performance remain constant under long‐term deployment, it is necessary to examine and account for the Mullins effect, which has the potential to significantly alter certain elastomer properties of interest. In this article, the mechanical properties of soft and hard commercial silicone elastomers and two blends of commercial silicone elastomers are investigated—specifically their softening behavior due to the Mullins effect. Ultimate stresses, ultimate strains, and Young's moduli are obtained from uniaxial tensile tests. Results show that the point of softening greatly depends on both the elastomer type and its strain history. Furthermore, a significant permanent set is observed in the softest commercial formulations.
Ontogenetic endocranial shape change in alligators and ostriches and implications for the development of the non‐avian dinosaur endocranium
Authors: Hu Krishna , King J. Logan , Romick Cheyenne A. , Dufeau David L. , Witmer Lawrence M. , Stubbs Thomas L. , Rayfield Emily J. , Benton Michael J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBirds and crocodiles show radically different patterns of brain development, and it is of interest to compare these to determine the pattern of brain growth expected in dinosaurs. Here we provide atlases of 3D brain (endocast) reconstructions for Alligator mississippiensis (alligator) and Struthio camelus (ostrich) through ontogeny, prepared as digital restorations from CT scans of stained head and dry skull specimens. Our morphometric analysis confirms that ostrich brains do not change significantly in shape during postnatal growth, whereas alligator brains unfold from a cramped bird‐like shape in the hatchling to an elongate, straight structure in the adult. We confirm that birds exhibit paedomorphic dinosaur endocranial traits such as retaining an enlarged and compact brain shape in the adult, whereas crocodiles show peramorphic traits where the brain elongates with growth as the skull elongates. These atlases of ontogenetic stages of modern bird and crocodilian endocrania provide a basis for comparison of non‐avian dinosaur endocasts and consideration of the divergence of the “avian” and “crocodilian” modes of brain development and heterochronic change on phylogenies.
Computational drug repurposing study of the RNA binding domain of SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleocapsid protein with antiviral agents
Authors: Tatar Gizem , Ozyurt Ezgi , Turhan Kemal 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in China caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has led to worldwide human infections and deaths. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of coronaviruses (CoVs) is a multifunctional RNA binding protein necessary for viral RNA replication and transcription. Therefore, it is a potential antiviral drug target, serving multiple critical functions during the viral life cycle. This study addresses the potential to repurpose antiviral compounds approved or in development for treating human CoV induced infections against SARS‐CoV‐2 N. For this purpose, we used the docking methodology to better understand the inhibitory mechanism of this protein with the existing 34 antiviral compounds. The results of this analysis indicate that rapamycin, saracatinib, camostat, trametinib, and nafamostat were the top hit compounds with binding energy (−11.87, −10.40, −9.85, −9.45, −9.35 kcal/mol, respectively). This analysis also showed that the most common residues that interact with the compounds are Phe66, Arg68, Gly69, Tyr123, Ile131, Trp132, Val133, and Ala134. Subsequently, protein‐ligand complex stability was examined with molecular dynamics simulations for these five compounds, which showed the best binding affinity. According to the results of this study, the interaction between these compounds and crucial residues of the target protein were maintained. These results suggest that these residues are potential drug targeting sites for the SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein. This study information will contribute to the development of novel compounds for further in vitro and in vivo studies of SARS‐CoV‐2, as well as possible new drug repurposing strategies to treat COVID‐19 disease.