bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and knowledge of dental radiography amongst students of dentistry and related fields
Authors: Mahasneh Arwa M. , Al‐Mousa Dana S. , Khabour Omar F. , Al‐Sa’di Amani G. , Alakhras Maram 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and attitude towards quality control in dental radiography amongst students of dentistry, allied dental sciences and radiologic technology programmes.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was conducted using self‐administered questionnaire on a convenience sample of 580 students from three universities in Jordan. The questionnaire was divided into sections that include personal sociodemographic variables, knowledge about quality assurance in dental radiography and attitude towards quality assurance in dental radiography.ResultsA total of 286 students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 49.3%), of whom 70% were women. The respondents’ knowledge scores ranged from 12.2% (n = 35) to 35.2% (n = 100). The mean of the quality assurance knowledge scores for the whole study sample was 20.3% ± 14.5%, with no significant difference between men and women (p = .643). Allied dental sciences students showed significantly higher knowledge scores (25.0 ± 13.0) than dentistry (17.8 ± 14.40) or radiologic technology students (20.9 ± 14.8). The average attitude scores towards quality assurance in dental radiography were fairly good (69.5 ± 26.4) with no statistically significant differences by study programme.ConclusionKnowledge of students about quality assurance in the three programmes is inadequate. The participants' attitude towards quality assurance was fairly good. The study provides feedback to dental schools to improve their curriculum by including quality assurance into student clinical practices. Further studies are requested to investigate the reasons behind this low level of knowledge.
Optimal design of experiments to improve the characterisation of atrazine degradation pathways in soil
Authors: Chavez Rodriguez Luciana , González‐Nicolás Ana , Ingalls Brian , Streck Thilo , Nowak Wolfgang , Xiao Sinan , Pagel Holger 
Published: December 2021

AbstractContamination of soils with pesticides and their metabolites is a global environmental threat. Deciphering the complex process chains involved in pesticide degradation is a prerequisite for finding effective solution strategies. This study applies prospective optimal design (OD) of experiments to identify laboratory sampling strategies that allow model‐based discrimination of atrazine (AT) degradation pathways. We simulated virtual AT degradation experiments with a first‐order model that reflects a simple reaction chain of complete AT degradation. We added a set of Monod‐based model variants that consider more complex AT degradation pathways. Then, we applied an extended constraint‐based parameter search algorithm that produces Monte‐Carlo ensembles of realistic model outputs, in line with published experimental data. Differences between‐model ensembles were quantified with Bayesian model analysis using an energy distance metric. AT degradation pathways following first‐order reaction chains could be clearly distinguished from those predicted with Monod‐based models. As expected, including measurements of specific bacterial guilds improved model discrimination further. However, experimental designs considering measurements of AT metabolites were most informative, highlighting that environmental fate studies should prioritise measuring metabolites for elucidating active AT degradation pathways in soils. Our results suggest that applying model‐based prospective OD will maximise knowledge gains on soil systems from laboratory and field experiments.Highlights
Bayesian model analysis can help to distinguish the active degradation pathway of pesticides.
Information on degradation metabolites is crucial to understand pesticide fate.
Measurements of specific guilds improve the distinction of active pesticide pathways.
Prospective optimal design maximizes information gain in soil sciences.
Abnormal dynamic brain activity and functional connectivity of primary motor cortex in blepharospasm
Authors: Luo Yuhan , Guo Yaomin , Zhong Linchang , Liu Ying , Dang Chao , Wang Ying , Zeng Jinsheng , Zhang Weixi , Peng Kangqiang , Liu Gang 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackground and purposeAccumulating evidence indicates that dynamic amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations (dALFF) or dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) can provide complementary information, distinct from static amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations (sALFF) or static functional connectivity (sFC), in detecting brain functional abnormalities in brain diseases. We aimed to examine whether dALFF and dFC can offer valuable information for the detection of functional brain abnormalities in patients with blepharospasm.MethodsWe collected resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 46 patients each of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm (HFS), and healthy controls (HCs). We examined intergroup differences in sALFF and dALFF to investigate abnormal regional brain activity in patients with blepharospasm. Based on the dALFF results, we conducted seed‐based sFC and dFC analyses to identify static and dynamic connectivity changes in brain networks centered on areas showing abnormal temporal variability of local brain activity in patients with blepharospasm.ResultsCompared with HCs, patients with blepharospasm displayed different brain functional change patterns characterized by increased sALFF in the left primary motor cortex (PMC) but increased dALFF variance in the right PMC. However, differences were not found between patients with HFS and HCs. Additionally, patients with blepharospasm exhibited decreased dFC strength, but no change in sFC, between right PMC and ipsilateral cerebellum compared with HCs; these findings were replicated when patients with blepharospasm were compared to those with HFS.ConclusionsOur findings highlight that dALFF and dFC are complementary to sALFF and sFC and can provide valuable information for detecting brain functional abnormalities in blepharospasm. Blepharospasm may be a network disorder involving the cortico‐ponto‐cerebello‐thalamo‐cortical circuit.
Crayfish connections: Linking ecology and hydrogeology in Alabama’s Black Prairie using crayfish distribution patterns
Authors: Bearden Rebecca A. , Tompkins Emily M. , Weaver Christopher R. , Huryn Alexander D. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Floodplain ecosystems host diverse surface‐water habitats (e.g., lotic, lentic, ephemeral) and groundwater features that support high levels of species diversity. Our understanding of species–habitat relationships within these complex ecosystems, however, remains incomplete, potentially hindering conservation efforts. Understanding associations between burrowing crayfish and habitat features of floodplains is particularly valuable because crayfish, through burrowing, play an important role in establishing aquatic‐terrestrial connections which enhance local biodiversity. Species of crayfish that persist in floodplains must burrow deep enough to access shallow groundwater. Consequently, burrow presence may indicate a preference for specific surface and subsurface habitat characteristics. The primary goal of our study was to evaluate specific habitat attributes as predictors of burrowing crayfish presence/absence, and our secondary goal was to evaluate species‐specific habitat associations with respect to the same environmental variables.

We evaluated burrowing crayfish presence/absence and crayfish species composition with respect to groundwater depth, flood frequency (standing surface water), soil characteristics, and tree size in the Bogue Chitto Creek catchment, Dallas County, Alabama, U.S.A. Active burrows were expected at sites with access to water (a shallow water table) and at sites with environmental variables more conducive to burrow stability (fine‐grained soils and mature trees). Species composition was predicted to vary with groundwater depth and flood frequency.

Groundwater depth was the primary driver of burrowing crayfish presence/absence in our system; active burrows were more likely to be present in areas with relatively shallow groundwater depths. Within occupied sites, differences in crayfish species composition were significantly associated with the degree of flooding during the 1‐year study period.

Species associated with a high dependence on surface waters were collected alongside species dependent on burrowing to access groundwater, suggesting that the environmental features of floodplains satisfy a diverse set of requirements. In particular, sites offering a mosaic of accessible groundwater depths and floodplain pools may provide critical habitat for diverse assemblages of burrowing crayfish species.

Our study revealed a strong association between the presence/absence of active crayfish burrows and the depth to groundwater, a result that supports using burrowing crayfish as indicators of accessible groundwater. This will be increasingly important in the context of how climate change might influence water availability and local species diversity.
Remote sensing of cytotype and its consequences for canopy damage in quaking aspen
Authors: Blonder Benjamin , Brodrick Philip G. , Walton James A. , Chadwick Katherine Dana , Breckheimer Ian K. , Marchetti Suzanne , Ray Courtenay A. , Mock Karen E. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractMapping geographic mosaics of genetic variation and their consequences via genotype x environment interactions at large extents and high resolution has been limited by the scalability of DNA sequencing. Here, we address this challenge for cytotype (chromosome copy number) variation in quaking aspen, a drought‐impacted foundation tree species. We integrate airborne imaging spectroscopy data with ground‐based DNA sequencing data and canopy damage data in 391 km2 of southwestern Colorado. We show that (1) aspen cover and cytotype can be remotely sensed at 1 m spatial resolution, (2) the geographic mosaic of cytotypes is heterogeneous and interdigitated, (3) triploids have higher leaf nitrogen, canopy water content, and carbon isotope shifts (δ13C) than diploids, and (4) canopy damage varies among cytotypes and depends on interactions with topography, canopy height, and trait variables. Triploids are at higher risk in hotter and drier conditions.
The importance of establishing genetic phase in clinical medicine
Authors: Tait Brian D. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractHaplotyping or determination of genetic phase has always played a pivotal role in MHC (HLA studies) both in helping to understand inheritance patterns in diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) and in ensuring better matching in transplantation scenarios such as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), using donors genetically related to the patient. In recent years the need to establish genetic phase in a number of clinical scenarios has become apparent. These include:

Genetic phasing for hematopoietic stem cell transplants using unrelated donors, where the HLA haplotypes are not known but where haplotype‐matched recipients fare better clinically than allele matched, but haplotype mismatched patients.

The use of checkpoint inhibitors is one of the most innovative and exciting developments in cancer treatment in years. An example is the use of the monoclonal ipilimumab to block the CTLA‐4 receptor which is known to contain polymorphic sites. Until the phase of these polymorphisms is known it will not be possible to determine how effectively this monoclonal will perform in individual patients.

The role of miRNA single strand molecules and their effect on gene expression. Thousands of non‐coding genes have been identified and have been shown to be polymorphic, as have their target genes. Genetic phasing of polymorphism both in the miRNA source genes and their targets is clearly a fertile area of research

In areas such a drug metabolism where the polymorphic family of CYP genes is responsible for the metabolism of the majority of prescription drugs, determining phase of SNPs is critical to understanding drug metabolism and efficacy.

In multigenic disease studies combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in participating genes require accurate phasing in order to fully appreciate their role in the disease process. In addition, the level of expression of genes (point 3) is also important in understanding disease processes at the functional level.

This review outlines the techniques that are currently available for approximating phase and discusses the clinical relevance of establishing genetic phase in areas of clinical medicine outlined in points 1–3.
Metabolic manipulation of the tumour immune microenvironment
Authors: Wan Mengtian , Ding Yuzhu , Li Zheng , Wang Xu , Xu Min 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn the past few years, the evolution of immunotherapy has resulted in a shift in cancer treatment models. However, with immunosuppressive effects of the tumour microenvironment continues to limit advances in tumour immunotherapy. The tumour microenvironment induces metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, which results in competition for nutrients between tumour cells and host immunocytes. Metabolic and waste products originating in tumour cells can influence the activation and effector properties of immunocytes in numerous ways and ultimately promote the survival and propagation of tumour cells. In this paper, we discuss metabolic reprogramming in tumour cells and the influence of metabolite by‐products on the immune microenvironment, providing novel insights into tumour immunotherapy.
Amelanotic nodular appearance within superficial spreading melanoma
Authors: Tas Betul , Ozen Aynur , Caglar Aysel 
Published: December 2021

AbstractUsual clinical types of malignant melanoma (MM) are lentigo maligna, superficial spreading, nodular, and acral lentiginous MMs. Rarer variants of MM are amelanotic, neurotropic, desmoplastic, metastatic, invisible, pedunculatedmelanoma (PM), or nodal melanoma (NM), which constitute less than 5% of cases. Recognition and discrimination of these variants are important to avoid misdiagnosis of MM. We report a 42‐year‐old Caucasian woman presented with a superficial spreading malignant melanoma (SSM) with an amelanotic nodular center. The lesion simulated a NM or PM clinically, but its histopathology showed an SSM. This misleading appearance of SSM has not been reported previously.
Continuous positive airway pressure adherence in people with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Borriboon Chestharid , Chaiard Jindarat , Tachaudomdach Chiraporn , Turale Sue 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis cross‐sectional study aimed to identify whether five factors of the health belief model were related to continuous positive airway pressure adherence in Thai people with obstructive sleep apnoea.BackgroundObstructive sleep apnoea is a disorder impacting health, social wellbeing and the economy. Continuous positive airway pressure is a gold standard of treatment; however, poor adherence to treatment is an important issue that is related to a multiplicity of psychological and behavioural factors.MethodsThe Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross‐sectional studies was used to report the study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 94 patients newly diagnosed with sleep apnoea and using CPAP devices from a sleep clinic. Participants completed a demographic record, the Thai versions of the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire, the Perceived Barriers Questionnaire and the Self‐Efficacy Measure for Sleep Apnea. CPAP adherence was measured by using information downloaded from the smart card of the devices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.ResultsOnly 54.3% of participants adhered to CPAP treatment using standard protocols. Perceived seriousness of their condition was significantly associated with CPAP adherence, whereas perceived susceptibility, benefits, barriers and self‐efficacy were not.ConclusionsWe found a low rate of CPAP adherence among participants. The only factor related to CPAP adherence was perceived seriousness.Relevance for the clinical practiceWith a low rate of CPAP adherence, healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should encourage patients to use CPAP regularly by providing them with support and education regarding the severity of the disease if untreated and the benefits of CPAP treatment on the disease. Healthcare professionals should be aware of psychological factors impacting patients’ perception of sleep apnoea and CPAP treatment. Interventions dealing with these factors should be developed and implemented in practice.
Practitioner perspectives on best practice in non‐treatment factors that support the delivery of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depression
Authors: Mallon Sharon , Walker Kate , Bayley Zana , Griffiths Chris 
Published: December 2021

Accessible SummaryWhat is known about the subject?

The practices of mental health nurses in the administration of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments for depression in outpatient clinic are crucial for patient outcomes
To date, most research has focused directly on procedural aspects of treatment delivery with limited focus on the delivery of holistic care and treatment.
There is a lack of best practice guidance based on the experiences of those involved in clinical delivery to inform and improve rTMS practices

What this paper adds to existing knowledge?

This study provides unique insights into service and personalized non‐treatment factors associated with rTMS delivery that may reduce stress and improve the experiences of rTMS patients
It reviews and updates understanding of the factors that contribute to the delivery of effective rTMS.

What are the implications for practice?

The need to apply findings for the development of best practice guidance
Factors to improve practice include (a) rTMS machine demonstrations; (b) constructive, individualized, friendly, and therapeutic conversations; (c) a relaxing, comfortable, 'homely' physical environment; (d) long term supportive management; and (e) careful engagement of nursing and support staff.
Effects of dietary xylooligosaccharide prebiotic supplementation on growth, antioxidant and intestinal immune‐related genes expression in common carp Cyprinus carpio fed a high‐fat diet
Authors: Abasubong Kenneth Prudence , Li Xiang‐Fei , Adjoumani Jean‐Jacques Y. , Jiang Guang‐Zhen , Desouky Hesham E. , Liu Wen‐bin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of xylooligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on growth, intestinal enzyme, antioxidant and immune‐related genes in common carp Cyprinus carpio fed a high‐fat diet (HFD). One hundred and ninety two fish with an initial weight of 19.61 ± 0.96 g were allocated into 24 tanks (eight fish per tank in four replicate) and were fed the control diet, HFD, HFD with 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3% XOS supplementation. From the result, fish offered HFD with 1% XOS supplementation significantly obtained a higher body mass index and feed efficiency ratio, whereas condition factor was higher in fish fed HFD supplemented with 2% XOS but no difference was attributed to other supplemented group compared to control group. Also, fish fed HFD supplemented with 1%–2% XOS significantly improved protease, lipase, creatine kinase and sodium/potassium ATPase activities compared to other groups. Fish offered HFD were significantly lower in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), myeloperoxidase, acid phosphatase, lysozyme activities and immunoglobulin content, but the opposite result was found for aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase activities, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl and cortisol content as compared with the control. However, this effect was reversed with HFD supplemented with XOS. Also, interleukin 1β, interleukin 8, tumour necrosis factors, interferons, caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 in the intestine were all up‐regulated in the HFD group, while the reverse pattern was found in SOD, GPX, lysozyme‐C, complement 3 and mucin 5b (muc5b), than the control group. These effects were all enhanced by feeding the XOS diet, especially those fed 1%–3% supplementation. In conclusion, XOS inclusion can improve the growth, digestive enzymes, antioxidants and immune response of common carp fed HFD.
Spirited away: Race, slavery and childhood in early modern England
Authors: Chakravarty Urvashi 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis essay explores the insidious but persistent desire to affix whiteness to modes of bondage and to argue for an original ‘white slavery’ located in early modern forms of traffic, indenture and forced transport. This essay aims to recover the genealogy of this belief, beginning with one of its conceptual origins: the practice of ‘spiriting’ in the seventeenth century. Reading accounts of ‘spiriting’, I firstly trace the narrative genealogies of English bondage to argue that consent emerges as a racialised rubric. Secondly, I think in particular about the representation of (very different kinds of) spirits in contemporary literary and cultural texts, includingThe Tempest, to suggest that even as they engage and anticipate the practice of ‘spiriting’, they also strategically elide their own histories of the traffic and transport of non‐white bodies. As one early modern understanding of ‘spiriting’ specifically comes to associate the practice with the capture and bondage of children, the nexus of slavery, race and children emerges as particularly fraught. If ‘white slavery’ denotes the limit case for the legibility of slavery, the photographs of ‘white’ enslaved children later circulated by white abolitionists in the nineteenth century to invoke sympathy for their cause played on the fundamental irreconcilability of ‘whiteness’ and bondage even as they re‐asserted the imbrication of slavery and sanguinity. This study attends to the trajectory of discourses of slavery written on and in the body to explore the histories of both a contemporary and an insistently current investment in frameworks of ‘white slavery’, as it attempts to discover the early modern frameworks for the legibility of race and slavery as they were co‐articulated ‘before’ the supposed ‘emergence’ of either.
A distributed deep reinforcement learning–based integrated dynamic bus control system in a connected environment
Authors: Shi Haotian , Nie Qinghui , Fu Sicheng , Wang Xin , Zhou Yang , Ran Bin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe bus bunching problem caused by the uncertain interstation travel time and passenger demand rate is a critical issue that impairs transit efficiency. Most current bus control studies focus on single or combined strategies while ignoring the bus system's real‐time environmental information. This paper proposed a distributed deep reinforcement learning (DRL)‐based generic bus dynamic control method to solve the bus bunching problem by maintaining the schedule adherence, headway regularity, and achieving the consensus in the multiagent system. This study built a bus system that utilizes the bus historical and traffic information by incorporating these characteristics into the environment. After that, a distributed DRL‐based bus dynamic control strategy is developed based on the bus system, enabling each bus to adjust its motion by any generic method utilizing the weighted downstream buses' information. Regarding the training process, a distributed proximal policy optimization algorithm is adopted for improving the converging performance. Simulated experiments are conducted to verify the control performance, robustness, feasibility, resilience, and generalization capability, which shows that our strategy can significantly reduce the schedule and headway deviations, prevent the accumulation of deviation downstream, and avoid bus bunching.