bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optical encryption using phase modulation generated by thermal lens effect
Authors: Jaramillo-Osorio John Alexis , Velez-Zea Alejandro , Cabrera Humberto , Niemela Joseph , Barrera-Ramírez John Fredy , Torroba Roberto 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
We present the implementation of an experimental optical encryption configuration in the Fresnel domain using the thermal lens (TL) effect to modulate the phase of the illumination beam. We corroborate the basic performance of our cryptosystem by performing the encryption-decryption procedure of a single object. Then, we test the tolerance of the proposed scheme to decryption with keys registered for different modulations of the illumination beam induced by the phase generated due to TL effect. These different phase modulations are obtained by introducing axial displacements of a sample, where the TL effect is induced by an excitation beam (EB). Considering the phase modulation changes in the illumination due to sample displacements, we propose an undercover procedure to further protect the target information using decoy data. The key associated with the target information is obtained when the probe beam (PB) and EB are focused on the same point of the sample, while the decoy object key is registered when the beams are not focused on the same region of the sample. Finally, we analyzed the resistance of the undercover ciphertext to some of the attacks reported in the literature. All experimental results presented in this work demonstrate the basic capabilities, viability, and versatility of our proposals.
The effect of chemical treatment on the adhesion strength and structural integrity of the epoxy coatings
Authors: Farooq A , Hannan A , Ahmad R , Deen K M 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
This research aims to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the integrity of the epoxy coating applied on mild steel substrates. Grit blasted steel samples were chemically treated in 10 vol.% NaOCl solution, 10 vol.% CrCl3 and 30 vol.% H3PO4–5 vol.% HNO3 solutions prior to coating application. Post-cleaning surface morphology and chemical composition revealed the formation of oxidation products on steel surface. Under optimized conditions, a dry film thickness of 135 ± 3 μm of epoxy coating was achieved. The CT2 sample (pre-treated with CrCl3) presented higher coating adhesion strength (∼4.12 MPa) and the lowest rust area of ∼0.03% compared to other chemically treated samples during 720 h of immersion in 5 wt.% NaCl solution. The coating degradation mechanism was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after 24, 48, 72 and 120 h of immersion in 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. EIS analysis of the coated samples pretreated with NaOCl and CrCl3 solutions exhibited low water uptake and limited corrosion due to hindrance in the diffusion of ionic species through the coating. However, coated steel samples pretreated in acidic solutions displayed appreciable corrosion damage as confirmed from salt spray and immersion tests. For instance, the delamination of the CT3 and CT4 (acid pre-treated) coatings was confirmed from the EIS analysis., which represented the formation of a double layer and occurrence of faradaic (corrosion) reactions as the coating-substrate interface, resulting in ∼15%–30% delamination in 120 h of exposure.
Recent progress on the poly(arylene ether)s-based electrospun nanofibers for high-performance applications
Authors: Wang Pan , Liu Xidi , Wang Dengyu , Wang Mengxue , Zhang Dawei , Chen Jiaqi , Li Kui , Li Ying , Jia Kun , Wang Zicheng , Feng Wei , Liu Qi , Courtois Jérémie , Yang Xulin 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Poly(arylene ether)s (PAEs) engineering plastics are a type of high-performance material which are excellent in thermal resistance, mechanical properties, and have low dielectric constant and anti-corrosion. Over recent decades, PAEs further combined with electrospinning technology to fabricate as large surface-to-volume ratio and porosity membrane materials for high-performance applications. In this review, progresses of PAEs-based electrospun nanofibers and fiber reinforced composites including separate membranes, proton exchange membranes, oil-water separation filters, bio-scaffolds and humidity sensors, etc. are presented together with their corresponding high-performance applications in the fields of battery, wastewater treatment, bioengineering and sensor. Finally, current challenges and future development directions of PAEs-based electrospun nanofibers are discussed.
Multiplicative effect modelling: the general case
Authors: Yin J , Markes S , Richardson T S , Wang L 
Published: December 2021

Summary
Generalized linear models, such as logistic regression, are widely used to model the association between a treatment and a binary outcome as a function of baseline covariates. However, the coefficients of a logistic regression model correspond to log odds ratios, while subject-matter scientists are often interested in relative risks. Although odds ratios are sometimes used to approximate relative risks, this approximation is appropriate only when the outcome of interest is rare for all levels of the covariates. Poisson regressions do measure multiplicative treatment effects including relative risks, but with a binary outcome not all combinations of parameters lead to fitted means that are between zero and one. Enforcing this constraint makes the parameters variation dependent, which is undesirable for modelling, estimation and computation. Focusing on the special case where the treatment is also binary, Richardson et al. (2017) proposed a novel binomial regression model that allows direct modelling of the relative risk. The model uses a log odds product nuisance model leading to variation-independent parameter spaces. Building on this we present general approaches to modelling the multiplicative effect of a continuous or categorical treatment on a binary outcome. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the desirable performance of our proposed methods. An analysis of the relationship between passenger class and survival for passengers on the Titanic further exemplifies our methods.
The Pension Crisis and the ‘Demographic Time Bomb’: Perceptions and Misperceptions in Great Britain and Germany at the Turn of the Millennium
Authors: Torp Cornelius 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
At the turn of the millennium, Germany and the United Kingdom experienced the most severe crises of their pension systems since the Second World War. In both cases, politicians reacted with extensive reforms. The political debates in each country revolved around the notion that demographic ageing was at the root of the crises. Hence, the call for greater intergenerational equity became the key justification of fundamental pension-system reform. But a comparative historical analysis reveals that it is a vast oversimplification to blame the pension crises entirely on demographic ageing. In fact, a combination of other factors—which varied widely between the UK and Germany—far overshadowed the ‘demographic time-bomb’ as the driving force behind the crises. A prime factor in the UK was the declining value of the Basic State Pension and the growing importance of means-tested benefits, along with the decline of company pension schemes. By contrast, the problems facing the pension system in Germany primarily arose from rising unemployment, the systematic early retirement of millions of eastern Germans and the high costs of German unity, which were largely borne by the social-security system. Furthermore, in the debate on Germany’s ability to remain a thriving centre for business and industry, rising pension contributions were widely held responsible for declining competitiveness. In both countries, politicians seized upon the explanatory model of demographic ageing because it made sweeping reforms of the pension system appear the consequence of a quasi-natural process, and created a welcome opportunity to divert attention from socio-political blunders.
Longitudinal Effects of Cultural and Psychosocial Factors on Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Risk in Caregivers
Authors: Caballero Samara Barrera , Vara-García Rosa Romero Moreno Carlos , Chaparro María del Sequeros Pedroso , Olazarán Javier , Mausbach Brent , von Känel Roland , Losada-Baltar Andrés 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving (DTAC) and familism (i.e. familistic obligation) were associated with worse caregiver emotional and cardiovascular health in cross-sectional studies. The aim of this study was to longitudinally examine the effects of familism and DTAC on cardiovascular health, considering caregiver kinship adjusting for well-established predictors of cardiovascular health. Study participants were 80 family dementia caregivers. Individual interviews and collection of blood samples were conducted in three yearly assessments. Linear mixed (random effects) regression analysis was performed to examine longitudinal associations of familism, DTAC, and circulating levels of cytokine interleukin (IL)-6, a cytokine and biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk (CVD). Caregiver age, gender, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), hours caring, frequency and reaction of behavioral problems and caregivers’ transitions were used as covariates. Results showed that increases in DTAC, in familism and higher caregiver age were independently and significantly associated with higher levels of IL-6 over time in the group of spousal caregivers. No significant effects were found for any of the other covariates in spousal caregivers. In contrast, increases in BMI and in frequency of behavioral problems were significantly associated with increases in IL-6 over time in adult child caregivers. No significant effects were found for any of the rest of predictors in adult child caregivers. Findings suggest that high level of obligation familism and DTAC may a profile of increased vulnerability for CVD in spousal caregivers. In contrast, problem behaviors of the care recipient may characterize adult child caregivers in terms of an increased CVD risk.
A Dyadic Technology-Based Intervention for Informal Caregivers and Patients With Dementia
Authors: Czaja Sara , Loewenstein David , Weingast Sarah 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Most intervention programs in the dementia domain have exclusively focused on the caregiver (CG) or the patient (CR), despite evidence of a reciprocal interaction between the dyad. This presentation will describe a randomized controlled trial that is evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of an innovative dyadic intervention (DT) that is delivered through an interactive technology that includes an evidenced-based CG component, an evidenced-based cognitive training component for the CR and a dyadic component. The program is designed to: be synergistic and emphasize issues important to CGs in the earlier stages of caregiving. The sample involves 200 informal CGs and CRs with early-stage dementia. Data will be presented regarding factors influencing the feasibility of implementing a dyadic intervention such as recruitment challenges (e.g., mutual consent and eligibility), and mutual engagement of both the CG and CR. Strategies implemented to maintain the trial during the COVID-19 pandemic will also be discussed.
Aging Biomarkers for Clinical Trials and Drug Discovery
Authors: Meer Margarita , Sehgal Raghav , Levine Morgan 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Developing targeted therapies first requires a working definition of the condition of interest. Unfortunately for aging, this very initial step poses a challenge since chronological age is often not indicative of biological age nor modifiable. This symposium will demonstrate the enormous progress being made towards developing more reliable and valid measures for quantifying biological aging. First, Dr. Albert T. Higgins Chen will show how inaccuracy caused by noise at individual CpG sites can lead to high technical variability in the most widely applied biomarkers of aging—epigenetic clocks. He will further discuss how this can be overcome through novel statistical techniques. Second, Dr. Benoit Lehallier, will discuss plasma proteomic clocks and share insights into their potential roles in Alzheimer's disease and utilization in clinical trials. Third, quantifying the multifactorial aging process can be facilitated by projects incorporating multimodal biomarker data. Pei-Lun Kuo from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging will present an analysis of longitudinal trajectories of more than 30 phenotypes, which when combined into a single summarized score yield important insights. Fourth, our ability to uncover aging mechanisms and perform drug screens, requires valid and reliable measures that can be applied in vitro. Christopher Minteer who developed in cellulo epigenetic markers will demonstarte how epigenetic aging changes that can be induced in culture shed light on aging in vivo. Finally, a summarizing discussion will be held by Dr. Morgan Levine, an expert in the field.
A Computational Solution to Bolster Epigenetic Clock Reliability for Clinical Trials and Longitudinal Tracking
Authors: Higgins-Chen Albert , Thrush Kyra , Hu-Seliger Tina , Wang Yunzhang , Hagg Sara , Levine Morgan 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Epigenetic clocks are widely used aging biomarkers, but they are calculated from methylation data for individual CpGs that can be surprisingly unreliable. We report that technical noise causes six major epigenetic clocks to deviate by 3 to 9 years between replicates. We present a novel computational solution: we perform principal component analysis followed by biological age prediction using principal components, extracting shared age-related changes across CpGs while ignoring noise from individual CpGs. Our novel principal-component versions of six clocks show agreement between most technical replicates within 1 year, and increased stability in short- and long-term longitudinal studies. This requires only one additional step compared to traditional clocks, does not require prior knowledge of CpG reliabilities, and can improve the reliability of any existing or future epigenetic biomarker. The extremely high reliability of principal component epigenetic clocks makes them particularly useful for personalized medicine and clinical trials evaluating novel aging interventions.
The Significance of Trust in Washington State's Aging Network COVID Response
Authors: Berridge Clara , Johnson Ian , Freitag Callie , Parsey Carolyn , Ramirez Maggie 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
In late summer of 2020, we interviewed 45 senior leaders of social services and health care organizations serving older adults throughout Washington State about service demand, new challenges, and organizational adaptations. These organizations work with people made particularly vulnerable in the pandemic. A significant share reported that half or more of their clients live at or below the poverty line (54%), are people of color (29%), or have limited English language proficiency (20%). The state’s aging network leveraged strong partnerships, expertise, and community knowledge to provide trusted essential services to older Washingtonians and their caregivers. The role of trust as an enabler of emergency response and connection in the context of gentrification, the digital divide, employment loss, and language service gaps will be discussed, as will lack of trust as a barrier to service access, particularly for Latinx immigrant and migrant older adults.
Types of Assistances of Evidence-Based Dementia Caregiving Programs: Data Results and Future Directions
Authors: Ciancibello Alyssa , Bass David , Schaffer Rachel , Powers Sara 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
A key feature displayed in Best Practice Caregiving are the types of assistances. Data on 54 areas of care were collected for all 44 programs. These were analyzed through factor analysis and grouped into 19 types of assistance. Types were analyzed by the number of assistances provided, delivery method, and recipient of assistance. On average, programs delivered 11.8 types of assistances, with the most common types being Supporting CG/Individual-with-Dementia (IWD) Communication, Encouraging Positive CG-IWD Activities, and Assisting with Coping (93.2%), with the least common being Getting a Dementia Diagnosis (29.5%) and Monitoring Benefits of Services (20.5%). Assistance was delivered most often through information/referral delivery (M=11.07, SD=5.41) than direct (M=3.77, SD=4.54) or skills training (M= 7.50, SD=4.54). Results of the data show the breadth and characteristics of assistances programs provide to support caregivers of persons with dementia, along with gaps in types of assistances and future directions for programs.
Resilience Among Dementia Family Caregivers in a Changing Social World
Authors: McCann Brandy , Roberto Karen , Savla Tina , Blieszner Rosemary , Hoyt Emily 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Dementia caregivers must manage the social worlds of their loved ones as well as their own. In a mixed methods study, we interviewed 50 family caregivers prior to the pandemic, twice during early phases of the pandemic, and again during the vaccine roll-out phase. Findings revealed how implementation of stay-at-home orders altered reliance on informal support as well as social ties and interactions. Using content analysis, we identified three ways in which caregivers’ managed changes in their social world: rethinking family visits (fewer people, higher quality); reinventing public spaces (church services, exercise venues); and reconsidering self-care (setting boundaries, solace in nature). Caregivers showed varying degrees of resilience in the ways they managed adverse social situations and cared for themselves. Findings reinforce the need for inclusive programs and services to help caregivers learn to maintain supportive social connections that reinforce their care decisions and routines, particularly during times of duress.
Using Ecological and Twitter-Based Assessments to Examine Impacts in Temporal and Community Context
Authors: Bouklas Isabella , Ferguson Giselle , Pasquini Giancarlo , Vu Huy , Zamani Mohammadzaman , Zhaoyang Ruixue , Scott Stacey , Schwartz H Andrew 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
In March 2020, Bronx County (NY) saw one of the first U.S. COVID-19 outbreaks. This outbreak coincided with the ongoing Einstein Aging Study (EAS), which involved older adults living in Bronx County completing annual two-week intensive data collection “bursts.” Thus, it serves as a natural experiment to study pre-COVID to early pandemic-related changes in the daily well-being of participants who were at risk both due to their age and their location. We examined within-person change in self-reported negative thoughts, affect, stress, and loneliness from a subsample of 78 EAS participants. Participants’ data from a two-week “burst” of momentary surveys during 2019 were compared with their data from the corresponding timeframe during the early COVID-19 period (February-June 2020). Personality and mild cognitive impairment were examined as predictors of change. Average momentary loneliness significantly increased from 2019 to 2020. Participants with greater neuroticism increased more in thought unpleasantness and depressed feelings. To understand the community context, community distress markers were analyzed using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based assessments of public Twitter posts from Bronx County during the same periods. These Twitter posts also showed a surge of COVID-related topics at the onset of the Bronx outbreak. Language analysis showed a 2019-2020 increase in Bronx community markers of anxiety, depressivity, and negatively-valenced affect extracted from Twitter. We observed 2019-2020 change in both individuals’ well-being (via intensive reports) and in their communities (via Twitter). Contextualizing these with the increased COVID-19 discussion online suggests that these may reflect common pandemic effects.
Beyond Chronological Age: Frailty and Multimorbidity Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Zucchelli Alberto , Marengoni Alessandra , Vetrano Davide , Ferrucci Luigi , Fratiglioni Laura , Bernabei Roberto , Onder Graziano , Romanelli Giuseppe 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background: We evaluated whether frailty and multimorbidity predict in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 beyond chronological age. Methods: 165 patients admitted from March 8th to April 17th, 2020, with COVID-19 in an acute geriatric ward in Italy were included. Pre-disease frailty was assessed with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Multimorbidity was defined as the co-occurrence of ≥2 of these in the same patient. The hazard (HR) of in-hospital mortality as a function of CFS score and number of chronic diseases in the whole population and in those aged 70+ years were calculated. Results Among the 165 patients, 112 were discharged, 11 were transferred to intensive care units and 42 died. Patients who died were older (81.0 vs. 65.2 years, p&lt;0.001), more frequently multimorbid (97.6 vs. 52.8%; p&lt;0.001) and more likely frail (37.5 vs. 4.1%; p&lt;0.001). Less than 2.0% of patients without multimorbidity and frailty, 28% of those with multimorbidity only and 75% of those with both multimorbidity and frailty died. Each unitary increment in the CFS was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death in the whole sample (HR=1.3; 95%CI=1.05-1.62) and in patients aged 70+ years (HR=1.29;95%CI=1.04-1.62), whereas the number of chronic diseases was not significantly associated with higher risk of death. The CFS addition to age and sex increased mortality prediction by 9.4% in those aged 70+ years. Conclusions Frailty identifies patients with COVID-19 at risk of in-hospital death independently of age. Multimorbidity contributes to prognosis because of the very low probability of death in its absence.
Building a Model of Advocacy: Improving the Dementia Capability of Managed Care Health Plans in California
Authors: Hollister Brooke , Yeh Jarmin , Ross Leslie , Schlesinger Jennifer , Cherry Debra 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Given the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, and the intensity of this population’s care needs, it is imperative that health plans (HPs) increase their dementia-capability. The Dementia Cal MediConnect (Dementia CMC) project proposes an innovative model of health care advocacy that can create dementia-capable systems change. The Dementia CMC project was a partnership (2013 – 2018) between local Alzheimer’s organizations and ten managed care HPs in California. It used the following model of health care advocacy: 1) Identify dementia-capable best practices to set as systems change indicators; 2) Identify and leverage public policies in support of systems change indicators; 3) Identify and engage champions; 4) Develop and advocate for a value and business case to improve dementia care; 5) Identify gaps in dementia-capable practices; 6) Provide technical assistance, tools, and staff training to address the gaps in dementia-capable practices; and 7) Track systems change. Systems change data was collected through participant observation with HPs and interviews with key informants. HPs reported making systems changes toward more dementia-capable practices such as: better pathways for identification and diagnosis; better identification, assessment, support, and engagement of caregivers; and improved systems of referral to Alzheimer’s organizations. Some indicators of systems change were inconclusive as a result of variability in HP practices and the lack of common record systems between HPs and providers. The application of this advocacy model has led to systems changes that can be replicated to improve care for people living with dementia and their caregivers.