bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patient-Reported Outcomes and Provocative Testing in Peripheral Nerve Injury and Recovery
Authors: John Albin , Rossettie Stephen , Rafael John , Cox Cameron T. , Ducic Ivica , Mackay Brendan J. 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Peripheral nerve function is often difficult to assess given the highly variable presentation and subjective patient experience of nerve injury. If nerve assessment is incomplete or inaccurate, inappropriate diagnosis and subsequent treatment may result in permanent dysfunction.
Objective As our understanding of nerve repair and generation evolves, so have tools for evaluating peripheral nerve function, recovery, and nerve-related impact on the quality of life. Provocative testing is often used in the clinic to identify peripheral nerve dysfunction. Patient-reported outcome forms provide insights regarding the effect of nerve dysfunction on daily activities and quality of life.
Methods We performed a review of the literature using a comprehensive combination of keywords and search algorithms to determine the clinical utility of different provocative tests and patient-reported outcomes measures in a variety of contexts, both pre- and postoperatively.
Results This review may serve as a valuable resource for surgeons determining the appropriate provocative testing tools and patient-reported outcomes forms to monitor nerve function both pre- and postoperatively.
Conclusion As treatments for peripheral nerve injury and dysfunction continue to improve, identifying the most appropriate measures of success may ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.
Blepharospasm Patients after Botulinum Toxin – Sleep Approach
Authors: Lestingi Silvia , Kim Lenise , Gonçalves Bruno da Silva Brandão , Silva Sonia Maria Azevedo , Ferraz Henrique , Coelho Fernando Morgadinho , Borges Vanderci 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia that affects the orbicularis oculi muscles. The interest in nonmotor symptoms is due to their impact on quality of life.
Objective We evaluated the frequency of sleep disorders and circadian rhythm in a sample of Brazilian blepharospasm patients.
Methods A total of 51 patients, who met the clinical criteria for blepharospasm, evaluated by 2 specialists in movement disorders, were recruited from the outpatient clinic for movement disorders of two reference centers in the city of São Paulo: Universidade Federal de São Paulo and Hospital do Servidor Público do Estado de São Paulo. The selected 13 patients were evaluated from 13 days before to 13 days after using botulinum toxin. They were interviewed, underwent physical examination and actigraphy, and completed sleep diaries.
Results After using botulinum toxin, the group that reported sleep improvement exhibited a 50% decrease in sleep latency. There was no change in restless leg syndrome or circadian rhythm. Patients who reported no sleep improvement after using botulinum toxin presented poorer synchronization of the light-dark cycle.
Conclusion Blepharospasm patients have poor sleep quality. About 50% of the patients had sleep improvement after using botulinum toxin. The synchronization of the light-dark cycle should be influenced by this finding.
Multimorbidity and Sleep Patterns among Adults in a Peruvian Semi-Urban Area
Authors: Méndez-Flores Jhonatan J. , Marroquín-Cosar Ruth E. , Bernabé-Ortiz Antonio 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objective To assess if the duration and quality of sleep vary due to the presence of multimorbidity.
Materials and Methods We performed a secondary analysis using data from a population-based study involving adult subjects aged between 30 and 69 years residing in a semi-urban area of Tumbes, Peru. The duration (normal, short or prolonged) and quality (good or poor) of sleep were our outcome variables, whereas the exposure was multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions). Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models were built to assess the association of interest, and prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were reported.
Results We analyzed data from 1,607 subjects with a mean age of 48.2 (standard deviation [SD]: ± 10.6) years, 809 (50.3%) of whom were women. Multimorbidity was present in 634 (39.5%; 95%CI: 37.1–41.9%) subjects, and 193 (12.1%; 95%CI: 10.5–13.7%) were short sleepers, 131 (8.2%; 95%CI: 6.9–9.6%) were long sleepers, and 312 (19.5%; 95%CI: 17.5–21.5%) had poor sleep quality. In the multivariable model, multimorbidity was associated with prolonged sleep duration (PR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.03–2.04) and poor sleep quality (PR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.65–2.52).
Conclusions Multimorbidity was associated with prolonged, but not short, sleep duration, as well as with poor sleep quality. Our results suggest the need of assessing sleep patterns among adults with multimorbidity.
Sleep Quality, Insomnia, and Perceived Stress among Colombian Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Waich Alan , Barahona-Correa Julián Esteban , Figueredo Maria del Carmen , Rondón-Sepúlveda Martín Alonso , Ruiz Alvaro J. , Castellanos Julio Cesar , Hidalgo-Martínez Patricia 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a great burden on healthcare workers worldwide. The aim of the present study was to assess sleep quality, insomnia, and perceived stress in healthcare workers of a high complexity hospital located in Bogota, Colombia.
Methods Cross-sectional study in which 1,155 healthcare workers at the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá, Colombia were included, between September and October 2020. Using an online-based survey, self-reported variables were assessed including demographics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and 10 item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Associations between these variables were evaluated.
Results Fifty percent of the respondents were between 31 and 45 years old, and 76 percent were women. Most of the surveyed were the nursing staff. Poor sleep quality, insomnia, and high perceived stress was found in 74.9, 12.4, and 13.2%, respectively. Poor sleep quality was predominantly found in females, in the 31 to 45 years old group and in married personnel. Also, poor sleep quality was found in relation to a moderate to high perceived risk of COVID-19 infection by the family of the workers surveyed.
Discussion Poor sleep quality, moderate rates of insomnia, and perceived stress were found among healthcare workers committed to COVID-19 infected patients in Colombia. The identification of workers at greater risk and the implementation of targeted interventions are called upon as the results.
Association of Sleep Duration and Use of Sleeping Medication with Multimorbidity in Adults: Results from the PAMPA (Brazil) Cohort Study
Authors: Delpino Felipe Mendes , Caputo Eduardo L. , Arcêncio Ricardo Alexandre , Cassuriaga Júlia , Huckembeck Caroline Malue , Nunes Bruno Pereira , Rombaldi Airton José , Reichert Felipe Fossati , da Silva Marcelo Cozzensa , Feter Natan 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objective To analyze the association of sleep duration and use of sleeping medication with multimorbidity.
Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Prospective Study about Mental and Physical Health (PAMPA) cohort. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more conditions from a list of twelve health problems. Descriptive analyses were performed considering proportion and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI). We performed logistic regression (to obtain odds ratios, ORs) to estimate the associations, including models adjusted for confounding factors.
Results In total, 2,936 participants were included, 79,1% of them women, 54.2% aged between 18 and 39 years, and 88.9% with white skin color. Compared with regular sleep (seven to eight hours a day), five hours or less of sleep increased the odds of multimorbidity by 145% (95%CI: 1.90–3.14), and 9 hours or more of sleep increased the odds by 49% (95%CI: 1.14–1.95) for the crude model; the results remained significant even in the adjusted models.
Discussion Consumption of sleeping medication was associated with multimorbidity. Short and prolonged sleep duration increased the odds of multimorbidity, regardless of the sociodemographic and behavior characteristics. The regular use of sleeping medication was also associated with multimorbidity. The results of the present study are important but require caution due to reverse causality, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the findings.
The Role of Stress in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis
Authors: Nurdiana Nurdiana , Ritonga Putri Welda Utami , Wulandari Pitu 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to determine the role of stress in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Stress was examined with the Perceived Stress Scale and cortisol levels; meanwhile, recurrent aphthous stomatitis was assessed with the duration of the lesion.
Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Oral Medicine Installation, Universitas Sumatera Utara Dental Hospital, and Prodia Laboratory, Medan. The subjects were 50 patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, without systemic disease, who did not take systemic drugs or use orthodontic appliances. The diagnosis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis was established with anamnesis and clinical examination. Stress was examined by filling out the Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire and blood tests for serum cortisol levels.
Statistical analysis The data were analyzed using the Fisher test and Mann–Whitney U test.
Results This study showed no significant relationship between the Perceived Stress Scale category and recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with a p-value of 0.392. This study also showed no significant relationship between blood cortisol level and recurrent aphthous stomatitis with a p-value of 1.000.
Conclusion Stress may play an important role in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. However, this study did not show any difference in stress examined through the Perceived Stress Scale and cortisol levels based on the duration of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Digital health, cardiometabolic disease and ethnicity: an analysis of United Kingdom government policies from 2010 to 2022
Authors: Thorlu-Bangura Zareen , Poole Lydia , Sood Harpreet , Khan Nushrat , Stevenson Fiona , Khunti Kamlesh , Gill Paramjit , Sajid Madiha , Hanif Wasim , Bhala Neeraj , Modha Shivali , Patel Kiran , Blandford Ann , Banerjee Amitava , Ramasawmy Mel 
Published: April 2023

AbstractRecent health policies in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally have focussed on digitisation of healthcare. We examined UK policies for evidence of government action addressing health inequalities and digital health, using cardiometabolic disease as an exemplar. Using a systematic search methodology, we identified 87 relevant policy documents published between 2010 and 2022. We found increasing emphasis on digital health, including for prevention, diagnosis and management of cardiometabolic disease. Several policies also focused on tackling health inequalities and improving digital access. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified inequalities. No policies addressed ethnic inequalities in digital health for cardiometabolic disease, despite high prevalence in minority ethnic communities. Our findings suggest that creating opportunities for digital inclusion and reduce longer-term health inequalities, will require future policies to focus on: the heterogeneity of ethnic groups; cross-sectoral disadvantages which contribute to disease burden and digital accessibility; and disease-specific interventions which lend themselves to culturally tailored solutions.
Towards socially-competent and culturally-adaptive artificial agents
Authors: Bassetti Chiara , Blanzieri Enrico , Borgo Stefano , Marangon Sofia 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe development of artificial agents for social interaction pushes to enrich robots with social skills and knowledge about (local) social norms. One possibility is to distinguish the expressive and the functional orders during a human-robot interaction. The overarching aim of this work is to set a framework to make the artificial agent socially-competent beyond dyadic interaction – interaction in varying multi-party social situations – and beyond individual-based user personalization, thereby enlarging the current conception of “culturally-adaptive”. The core idea is to provide the artificial agent with the capability to handle different kinds of interactional disruptions, and associated recovery strategies, in microsociology. The result is obtained by classifying functional and social disruptions, and by investigating the requirements a robot’s architecture should satisfy to exploit such knowledge. The paper also highlights how this level of competence is achieved by focusing on just three dimensions: (i) social capability, (ii) relational role, and (iii) proximity, leaving aside the further complexity of full-fledged human-human interactions. Without going into technical aspects, End-to-end Data-driven Architectures and Modular Architectures are discussed to evaluate the degree to which they can exploit this new set of social and cultural knowledge. Finally, a list of general requirements for such agents is proposed.
A new sampling indicator function for stable imaging of periodic scattering media
Authors: Nguyen Dinh-Liem , Stahl Kale , Truong Trung 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
This paper is concerned with the inverse problem of determining the shape of penetrable periodic scatterers from scattered field data. We propose a sampling method with a novel indicator function for solving this inverse problem. This indicator function is very simple to implement and robust against noise in the data. The resolution and stability analysis of the indicator function is analyzed. Our numerical study shows that the proposed sampling method is more stable than the factorization method and more efficient than the direct or orthogonality sampling method in reconstructing periodic scatterers.
Simulation study of the collective excitations in liquid sodium under high pressure
Authors: Wax Jean-François , Mocchetti Eva 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The dynamic structure of liquid sodium is investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulations over a wide range of densities (from 739 to 4177 kg m−3). The interactions are described using screened pseudopotential formalism with Fiolhais model of electron-ion interaction. The effective pair potentials obtained are validated by comparing the predicted static structure, coordination number, self-diffusion coefficients and spectral density of the velocity autocorrelation function with results from ab initio simulations at the same state points. Both longitudinal and transverse collective excitations are computed from the corresponding structure functions and their evolution with density is investigated. The frequency of the longitudinal excitations increases with density, as well as the sound speed, which is extracted from their dispersion curves. The frequency of the transverse excitations also increases with density, but they cannot propagate over macroscopic distances and the propagation gap clearly appears. The values of the viscosity, which are extracted from these transverse functions are in good agreement with available results computed from stress autocorrelation functions.
Current crowding in graphene–silicon schottky diodes
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Abid , Ali Munir , Bodepudi Srikrishna Chanakya , Malik Muhammad , Pu Dong , Zhu Xinyu , Pan Xin , Shehzad Khurram , Imran Ali , Zhao Yuda , Dong Shurong , Hu Huan , Yu Bin , Xu Yang 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The performance of the Graphene/Si (Gr/Si) Schottky interface and its potential in future electronics strongly rely on the quality of interconnecting contacts with external circuitry. In this work, we investigate the dominating and limiting factors of Gr/Si interfaces designed for high light absorption, paying particular attention to the nature of the contact failure under high electrostatic discharge (ESD) conditions. Our findings indicate that severe current crowding at contact edges of the graphene is the dominating factor for the device breakdown. Material degradation and electrical breakdown are systematically analyzed by atomic force, Raman, scanning electron, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopies. This work enlists the robustness and limitations of Gr/Si junction in photodiode architecture under high ESD conditions that can be used as general guidelines for 2D–3D electronic and optoelectronic devices.
The physics of outdoor air conditioning and evaporative cooling
Authors: Hughes Stephen , Schouten Peter 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
In outdoor air conditioning (AC) systems, a fine spray of water mist is used to evaporate water and extract heat from the air. Misting systems use high pressure nozzles to produce water drops 5 μm in diameter. This dramatically increases the surface area of the water–air interface for a given volume of water facilitating heat transfer from air to water. Small drops stay suspended in the air for a sufficient amount of time to allow complete evaporation. An example of a misting system in operation at a Café in Montville, Queensland, Australia is discussed. As well as being cheaper to run, misting systems are less harmful to the environment since they reduce the dependence on indoor AC. This is an important topic to discuss with students in relation to climate change. A classroom experiment suitable for senior secondary and first-year university students is described in which a fan is used to blow air across a shallow container of water placed on an electronic balance. The experiment was performed throughout the day and night during periods of low and high humidity. Data collected from this experiment indicated that evaporation was much higher during the day than at night. In view of climate change and global warming, heat, energy and evaporation are important subjects to teach students, especially considering that these students will soon be adults making important decisions around sustainability and environmental protection in their day-to-day lives, and develope future policies to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Validation of non-equilibrium kinetics in CO2–N2plasmas
Authors: Fromentin C , Silva T , Dias T C , Baratte E , Guaitella O , Guerra V 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThis work explores the effect of N2addition on CO2dissociation and on the vibrational kinetics of CO2and CO under various non-equilibrium plasma conditions. A self-consistent kinetic model, previously validated for pure CO2and CO2–O2discharges, is further extended by adding the kinetics of N2. The vibrational kinetics considered include levels up tov= 10 for CO,v= 59 for N2and up tov1= 2 andv2=v3= 5, respectively for the symmetric stretch, bending and asymmetric stretch modes of CO2, and account for electron-impact excitation and de-excitation (e–V), vibration-to-translation (V–T) and vibration-to-vibration energy exchange (V–V) processes. The kinetic scheme is validated by comparing the model predictions with recent experimental data measured in a DC glow discharge operating in pure CO2and in CO2–N2mixtures, at pressures in the range 0.6–4 Torr (80.00–533.33 Pa) and a current of 50 mA. The experimental results show a higher vibrational temperature of the different modes of CO2and CO and an increased dissociation fraction of CO2, that can reach values as high as 70%, when N2is added to the plasma. On the one hand, the simulations suggest that the former effect is the result of the CO2–N2and CO–N2V–V transfers and the reduction of quenching due to the decrease of atomic oxygen concentration; on the other hand, the dilution of CO2and dissociation products, CO and O2, reduces the importance of back reactions and contributes to the higher CO2dissociation fraction with increased N2content in the mixture, while the N2(B3Πg) electronically excited state further enhances the CO2dissociation.
Characterization of a superconducting microstrip single-photon detector shunted with an external resistor
Authors: Wang Yu-Ze , Zhang Wei-Jun , Xu Guang-Zhao , Xiong Jia-Min , Fan Dong-Hui , Chen Zhi-Gang , Zhang Xing-Yu , Wang Zhen , You Li-Xing 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
A superconducting microstrip single-photon detector (SMSPD) generally requires a shunt resistor to avoid latching, caused by its high current-carrying capacity and low kinetic inductance. Here, the effect of the shunt resistor on the behaviors of microbridge SMSPDs was investigated. We analyzed the change in equivalent switching current at different shunt resistances in two ways and determined the operating current range using intrinsic dark count rate (iDCR) curves. We observed that the reduction in shunt resistance can increase the operating current range, which helps to improve the internal detection efficiency (IDE) and reduce the iDCR. However, the reduction in the shunt resistance can reduce the pulse amplitude and increase the pulse decay time, which can degrade the timing jitter and count rate performance of the SMSPD. The trends of the experimental results can be qualitatively reproduced using a circuit model for an SMSPD with a shunt resistor, which provides useful information for the selection of shunt resistors. Furthermore, we report the improved detection performance of a helium-ion-irradiated SMSPD shunted with a small resistance of 5.2 Ω. We observed a weak IDE saturation with a bias current at a wavelength up to 2000 nm and a nonlinear relation between detection current and photon energy.
Global dynamics and Impact of Gaussian noise intensity on the stochastic epidemic model with local fractional derivative
Authors: Khan Najeeb Alam , Razzaq Oyoon Abdul , Bajwa Areeba Azam , Ayaz Muhammad 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Society must understand, model, and forecast infectious disease transmission patterns in order to prevent pandemics. Mathematical models and computer technology may help us better understand the pandemic and create more systematic and effective infection management strategies. This study offers a novel perspective through a compartmental model that incorporates fractional calculus. The first scenario is based on proportional fractional definitions, considering compartmental individuals of susceptible, moving susceptible, exposed, infected, hospitalized, and recovered. Through an extension of this derivative, they decimated the model to integer order. We extended the deterministic model to a stochastic extension to capture the uncertainty or variance in disease transmission. It can develop an appropriate Lyapunov function to detect the presence and uniqueness of positive global solutions. Next, we discuss how the epidemic model might have become extinct. In our theoretical study, we demonstrated that a sufficiently outrageous amount of noise can cause a disease to become extinct. A modest level of noise, on the other hand, promotes the persistence of diseases and their stationary distribution. The Khasminskii method was used to determine the stationary distribution and ergodicity of the model.