bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Motivational nondirective resonance breathing versus transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of fibromyalgia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Paccione Charles Ethan , Diep Lien My , Stubhaug Audun , Jacobsen Henrik Børsting 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundChronic widespread pain (CWP), including fibromyalgia (FM), affects one in every ten adults and is one of the leading causes of sick leave and emotional distress. Due to an unclear etiology and a complex pathophysiology, FM is a condition with few, if any, effective and safe treatments. However, current research within the field of vagal nerve innervation suggests psychophysiological and electrical means by which FM may be treated. This study will investigate the efficacy of two different noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation techniques for the treatment of FM.MethodsThe study will use a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled design to investigate the treatment efficacy of motivational nondirective resonance breathing (MNRB™) and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (Nemos® tVNS) on patients diagnosed with FM. Consenting FM patients (N = 112) who are referred to the Department of Pain Management and Research at Oslo University Hospital, in Oslo, Norway, will be randomized into one of four independent groups. Half of these participants (N = 56) will be randomized to either an experimental tVNS group or a sham tVNS group. The other half (N = 56) will be randomized to either an experimental MNRB group or a sham MNRB group. Both active and sham treatment interventions will be delivered twice per day at home, 15 min/morning and 15 min/evening, for a total duration of 2 weeks (14 days). Participants are invited to the clinic twice, once for pre- and once for post-intervention data collection. The primary outcome is changes in photoplethysmography-measured heart rate variability. Secondary outcomes include self-reported pain intensity on a numeric rating scale, changes in pain detection threshold, pain tolerance threshold, and pressure pain limit determined by computerized pressure cuff algometry, blood pressure, and health-related quality of life.DiscussionThe described randomized controlled trial aims to compare the efficacy of two vagal nerve innervation interventions, MNRB and tVNS, on heart rate variability and pain intensity in patients suffering from FM. This project tests a new and potentially effective means of treating a major public and global health concern where prevalence is high, disability is severe, and treatment options are limited.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT03180554. Registered on August 06, 2017.
Diversity of mitochondrial genes and predominance of Clade B in different head lice populations in the northwest of Iran
Authors: Ghavami Mohammad Bagher , Ghanbari Maryam , Panahi Sanaz , Taghiloo Behrooz 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, is the most important ectoparasite causing many health problems. Several linkages are presented for this parasite, each representing a particular geographical distribution, prevalence rate, vector competence, susceptibility to pediculicides, and infestation rate. Determining the genetic nature of these linkages is necessary to identify the population structure and also to develop and monitor control programmes against head lice. This study was designed to analyse cox1 and cytb genes and determine the mitochondrial clades in head lice populations in the northwest of Iran.

Methods
Adult head lice were collected from infested females of Ardabil, East and West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan Provinces from 2016 to 2018. Partial fragments of the mitochondrial genes cox1 and cytb were amplified by PCR and some of the amplicons were sequenced. All confirmed sequences were analysed, and the frequency of each mitochondrial clade was determined in the studied areas.

Results
A total of 6410 females were clinically examined, and 897 adult head lice were collected from 562 infested cases. Genomic DNA was extracted from 417 samples, and fragments of cox1 and cytb genes were amplified in 348 individuals. Analysis of the 116 sequences showed the 632-bp and 495-bp fragments for cox1 and cytb genes, respectively. The nucleotide and haplotype diversities of cytb and cox1 genes were 0.02261 and 0.589 and 0.01443 and 0.424, respectively. Sequence analysis indicated 6 haplotypes clustered in two clades, A and B. The relative prevalence of clade B was 73% for cytb and 82% for cox1 gene. Haplotypes of clade B were found in all the studied areas, while those of clade A were observed only in rural and suburban areas.

Conclusions
To our knowledge, this is the first study investigated deeply the field populations of Pediculus and documented two clades in the Middle East. The considerable prevalence of pediculosis in the studied areas requires authorities’ attention to establish effective control and preventive measures. Given the role of cytb in monitoring population groups, application of this marker is suggested for future epigenetic studies to evaluate the factors affecting the abundance of these clades.
Importation of cats and risk of parasite spread: a Caribbean perspective and case study from St Kitts
Authors: Ketzis Jennifer , Bork-Larsen Helle , Bustria Jernea , Conan Anne 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn more recent years, international travel with cats has increased. The distribution of cat parasites can change with this movement. Already, subtropical and tropical parasites have been reported by veterinarians in areas where they are not naturally present. Understanding the prevalence of tropical and subtropical parasites in Caribbean islands and the risk of importation to temperate areas could enable improved prevention recommendations and border control import requirements.MethodsWe present a study focused on cat owning students enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programme on St Kitts. Owners were interviewed about their cats and their use of parasiticides. Cats were examined forTrichuris felisandPlatynosomum fastosumusing sugar flotation,Lynxacarus radovskyiusing an adhesive tape test, andDirofilaria immitisusing commercial antigen and antibody tests.ResultsData on 115 cats owned by 87 DVM students were collected and 90 cats, all expected to travel to the USA, were examined. Most of the cats were adults and born in St Kitts. Prevalence was reported as 6.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2–15.1%) forT. felis, 16.2% (95% CI: 8.7–26.6%) forP. fastosumand 6.8% (95% CI: 2.5–14.3%) forL. radovskyi. AllD. immitistests were negative. DVM students reported a high level of deworming (83.3% of the cats), but the number of cats treated per recommendations were low (56.1% for endoparasites and 70.8% for ectoparasites). Also, there was a lack of clarity regarding the purpose of the treatments used and treatments did not appear to be targeted for the parasites present.ConclusionOur results indicate a low prevalence of the parasites of interest in the DVM student cat population compared to other prevalence studies from the Caribbean. However, a degree of non-compliance with parasiticide uses and the high number of cats traveling to the USA indicate a medium risk of importation of tropical and subtropical cat parasites to temperate areas. We recommend stronger health inspections and health screening requirements at the borders including the development of specific parasiticide protocols for cat importation.
Planning capacity for 5G and beyond wireless networks by discrete fireworks algorithm with ensemble of local search methods
Authors: Ali Hafiz Munsub , Liu Jiangchuan , Ejaz Waleed 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn densely populated urban centers, planning optimized capacity for the fifth-generation (5G) and beyond wireless networks is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a mathematical framework for the planning capacity of a 5G and beyond wireless networks. We considered a single-hop wireless network consists of base stations (BSs), relay stations (RSs), and user equipment (UEs). Wireless network planning (WNP) should decide the placement of BSs and RSs to the candidate sites and decide the possible connections among them and their further connections to UEs. The objective of the planning is to minimize the hardware and operational cost while planning capacity of a 5G and beyond wireless networks. The formulated WNP is an integer programming problem. Finding an optimal solution by using exhaustive search is not practical due to the demand for high computing resources. As a practical approach, a new population-based meta-heuristic algorithm is proposed to find a high-quality solution. The proposed discrete fireworks algorithm (DFWA) uses an ensemble of local search methods: insert, swap, and interchange. The performance of the proposed DFWA is compared against the low-complexity biogeography-based optimization (LC-BBO), the discrete artificial bee colony (DABC), and the genetic algorithm (GA). Simulation results and statistical tests demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can comparatively find good-quality solutions with moderate computing resources.
The impact of eHealth group interventions on the mental, behavioral, and physical health of adults: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Currie Cheryl L. , Larouche Richard , Voss M. Lauren , Higa Erin K. , Spiwak Rae , Scott David , Tallow Treena 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
COVID-19 has resulted in an increased demand for eHealth services globally. There is emerging evidence for the efficacy for group eHealth interventions that support population-based mental health and wellbeing, but a systematic review is lacking. The primary objective of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence for eHealth group counseling and coaching programs for adults. A second objective is to assess, within studies selected for our primary objective, the impact of programs that encourage PA on outcomes compared to those that do not.

Methods
Randomized controlled trials that assess the impact of eHealth group counseling or coaching programs on mental health, health behavior, or physical health activity among community-dwelling adults will be included. We will search the following electronic databases (from January 2005 onwards): MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINHAL, and the Central Register of Controlled Trials. The primary outcomes will be changes in mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life), behavioral health conditions (e.g., substance use, smoking, sexual behavior, eating behavior, medication adherence), and physical health conditions (e.g., coping with cancer, menopausal symptoms, arthritis pain). Secondary outcomes will be changes in physical activity. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. A narrative synthesis without meta-analysis will be conducted. The strength of the body of evidence will be assessed using GRADE. The risk of bias in individual studies will be appraised using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Potential sources of gender bias in included studies will be considered at all stages of the planned review.

Discussion
This review will contribute to the literature by providing evidence on the effectiveness of eHealth counseling and coaching programs delivered to adults in a group format.

Systematic review registration
The protocol has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42020187551).
Effect of exogenous salicylic acid or indole acetic acid on their endogenous levels, germination, and growth in maize
Authors: El-Mergawi Ragab A. , Abd El-Wahed Mohamed S. A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundExogenous hormone applications modify the plant growth and development by inducing changes in their endogenous contents. However, it is not clear whether the effects of exogenous hormones on growth are direct or related with changes induced in endogenous hormones. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to study the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) or indole acetic acid (IAA) on endogenous levels in soaked seeds, 5-day-old seedlings, and in vegetative growth of foliar-sprayed plants. The effects of different concentrations of two hormones on germination and growth of maize were also studied.ResultsThe effect of presoaking maize seeds in solutions of SA or IAA (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM) on their endogenous contents in soaked seeds or in 5-day-old seedlings. Soaked seeds absorbed more SA than IAA. In young seedlings, the majority of two hormones which absorbed during seed soaking remained in the residual seeds. Presoaking seeds in SA or IAA solutions suppressed the growth of 5-day-old seedlings. In the greenhouse experiment, endogenous SA and IAA increased after spraying two compounds at 0.25–2 mM, peaking 2 days after treatment then decreased on. However, plants treated with SA at 1 mM or 2 mM continued to pose higher levels of endogenous SA, 8 days later. At 20 days after treatments, all tested concentrations of two hormones significantly increased the fresh and dry weights of the whole plant. These inducing effects disappeared 40 days after spraying.ConclusionThe obtained results demonstrated the changes in endogenous SA and IAA in soaked seeds, seedling, and foliar-sprayed plants due to their exogenous application. However, concentrations of two hormones did not produce any permanent enhancement effects on germination and plant growth.
Repositioning the Alpha Cell in Postprandial Metabolism
Authors: El Kimberley , Capozzi Megan E , Campbell Jonathan E 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Glucose homeostasis is maintained in large part due to the actions of the pancreatic islet hormones insulin and glucagon, secreted from β- and α-cells, respectively. The historical narrative positions these hormones in opposition, with insulin primarily responsible for glucose-lowering and glucagon-driving elevations in glucose. Recent progress in this area has revealed a more complex relationship between insulin and glucagon, highlighted by data demonstrating that α-cell input is essential for β-cell function and glucose homeostasis. Moreover, the common perception that glucagon levels decrease following a nutrient challenge is largely shaped by the inhibitory effects of glucose administration alone on the α-cell. Largely overlooked is that a mixed nutrient challenge, which is more representative of typical human feeding, actually stimulates glucagon secretion. Thus, postprandial metabolism is associated with elevations, not decreases, in α-cell activity. This review discusses the recent advances in our understanding of how α-cells regulate metabolism, with a particular focus on the postprandial state. We highlight α- to β-cell communication, a term that describes how α-cell input into β-cells is a critical axis that regulates insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. Finally, we discuss the open questions that have the potential to advance this field and continue to evolve our understanding of the role that α-cells play in postprandial metabolism.
Update on the Health Effects of Bisphenol A: Overwhelming Evidence of Harm
Authors: vom Saal Frederick S , Vandenberg Laura N 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
In 1997, the first in vivo bisphenol A (BPA) study by endocrinologists reported that feeding BPA to pregnant mice induced adverse reproductive effects in male offspring at the low dose of 2 µg/kg/day. Since then, thousands of studies have reported adverse effects in animals administered low doses of BPA. Despite more than 100 epidemiological studies suggesting associations between BPA and disease/dysfunction also reported in animal studies, regulatory agencies continue to assert that BPA exposures are safe. To address this disagreement, the CLARITY-BPA study was designed to evaluate traditional endpoints of toxicity and modern hypothesis-driven, disease-relevant outcomes in the same set of animals. A wide range of adverse effects was reported in both the toxicity and the mechanistic endpoints at the lowest dose tested (2.5 µg/kg/day), leading independent experts to call for the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) to be dropped 20 000-fold from the current outdated LOAEL of 50 000 µg/kg/day. Despite criticism by members of the Endocrine Society that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s assumptions violate basic principles of endocrinology, the FDA rejected all low-dose data as not biologically plausible. Their decisions rely on 4 incorrect assumptions: dose responses must be monotonic, there exists a threshold below which there are no effects, both sexes must respond similarly, and only toxicological guideline studies are valid. This review details more than 20 years of BPA studies and addresses the divide that exists between regulatory approaches and endocrine science. Ultimately, CLARITY-BPA has shed light on why traditional methods of evaluating toxicity are insufficient to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Relationship of Hospital Star Ratings to Race, Education, and Community Income
Authors: Shi Bo , King Christopher J , Huang Sean Shenghsiu 
Published: September 2020

INTRODUCTIONThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes hospital quality ratings to provide more transparent and useable quality information to patients and stakeholders. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the geographic distribution of the hospitals with higher star ratings. In this paper, we focus on the associations between star ratings and community characteristics, including racial/ethnic mix, household income, educational attainment, and regional difference.METHODSA retrospective study and cross‐sectional logistic and multinomial logistic regression analyses.RESULTSAccording to the multivariate regression results, hospitals in areas with lower income, lower educational attainment, and higher minority population shares have lower quality ratings (lower income: odds ratio [OR] 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.91; lower education: OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51‐0.85; higher minority: OR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.40‐0.69). Compared with hospitals in the Midwest, hospitals in Northeast, South, and West regions have lower quality ratings (Northeast: OR 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25‐0.56; South: OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51‐0.91; West: OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.97).DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONOverall, our results show that hospitals with higher star ratings are less likely to be located in communities with higher minority populations, lower income, and lower levels of educational attainment. Findings contribute to the discussion of integrating social factors in hospital quality star rating calculation methodologies.
Children's dentistry in secondary care during COVID-19
Authors: Patel Kunal B , Fong Franchesca , Kaur Ravinder , Davies Janet , Whatling Rosemary 
Published: September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a unique set of challenges to assessing and treating paediatric dental patients in the secondary care setting. These children often present with high disease burdens and high levels of anxiety. In addition, they may have medical conditions which add to their treatment complexity. At the Royal London Dental Hospital, innovations have been put in place to improve the patient journey in a time where access to both out-patient and general anaesthetic services have been severely limited. Long term these innovations will help us to improve our service and facilitate communication with patients/carers, general dental and medical practitioners, safeguarding and specialist medical teams. It will create more flexible and creative work patterns for the dental team. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper illustrates the innovations that were introduced to overcome the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Urgent Dental Care as the New Normal
Authors: Truman Angharad , Forbes-Haley Claire , Bell Christopher , Jerreat Matthew 
Published: September 2020

Across healthcare systems stringent measures have been introduced to prevent the sustained transmission of COVID-19. With the ease of lockdown the provision of all routine, non-urgent dental care will continue to be affected in England for some time. The provision of urgent dental care (UDC) via a robust and safe service has been constructed across every NHS region. In the South West, phone triaging has been an integral part of UDC centres operating procedure. Phone triaging will be required for some time. This proforma will be a valuable resource, especially for primary care practices as they move to re-opening. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The clinical relevance is to share the effective use of a standardized telephone triage form supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement – South West (NHSE/I SW).
Hybrid force/position control for quasi continuum manipulators
Authors: Müller Daniel , Veil Carina , Sawodny Oliver 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
The inherent compliant and safe structure of fluid driven continuum manipulators makes them a promising solution for various tasks. Despite their cheap production costs these robots have yet not found their way into industrial applications. This is due to the lack of precise models as well as control strategies which are both open fields of research.
A basic industrial task is to control the force the manipulator exerts at its tool center point on a given object. In this work we present a hybrid force/position controller (HFPC) for the Bionic Soft Arm (BSA). It is assumed that contact is only established at the tool center point where the contact force can be measured. Further, we show how to extend the basic HFPC approach in order to overcome model inaccuracies. Experimental results are provided for the BSA where the HFPC is incorporated into an existing structure.
gammasyn – eine Toolbox zur robusten Polbereichsvorgabe mittels beschränkter Optimierung und Straffunktionen
Authors: Vogt Patrick , Lenz Eric , Konigorski Ulrich 
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung
Zum Entwurf robuster, strukturbeschränkter Ausgangsrückführungen existieren bereits einige frei verfügbare oder in weitverbreiteten Programmen enthaltene Werkzeuge, die vor allem auf dem

H

∞

{\mathcal{H}_{\infty }}

-Ansatz zum Entwurf von Regelungen basieren, jedoch ist die Anzahl frei verfügbarer Werkzeuge überschaubar und es existieren keine freien Werkzeuge zur Polbereichsvorgabe. Aus diesem Grund wird im vorliegenden Beitrag ein Werkzeug namens gammasyn vorgestellt, mit dem über einen Multimodellansatz strukturbeschränkte Ausgangsrückführungen robust mittels Polbereichsvorgabe entworfen werden können. Die Toolbox verwendet den in [9] vorgeschlagenen Straffunktionsansatz sowie beschränkte Optimierung und es werden einige Erweiterungen dieses Ansatzes sowie der Funktionsumfang der Toolbox beschrieben.
Synthesis, characterization and properties of phthalonitrile-etherified resole resin
Authors: Zhang Dayong , Liu Xiaohui , Bai Xuefeng , Zhang Yinyin , Wang Gang , Zhao Ying , Li Xin , Zhu Jinhua , Rong Liping , Mi Changhong 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
A new type of phthalonitrile-etherified resole resin (PNR) was synthesized from resole resin and 4-nitrophthalonitrile. The differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the curing temperature of PNR is lower than that of phthalonitrile resin. Excellent thermal stability and bonding properties were obtained after curing at 220°C. TGA showed that in air, the temperature of 5% weight loss (T
5%) of the cured PNR was 446°C, approximately 41°C higher than that of resole resin (RS), and the char yield at 800°C increased from 4% for RS to 33% for PNR. The shear strengths of PNR at room temperature and high temperature were increased by 8% and 133%, respectively, over those of RS, and after aging at 350°C for 2 h, these values were increased by 262% and 198%, respectively, over those of RS. Its excellent curing behavior, heat resistance and high bonding strength show that PNR can be used as a high temperature-resistant adhesive.