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Abstract Background Many hospitalised patients require rehabilitation during recovery from acute illness. We use routine data from Electronic Health Records (EHR) to report the quantity and intensity of rehabilitation required to achieve hospital discharge, comparing patients with and without COVID-19. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive adults in whom COVID-19 testing was undertaken between March 2020 and August 2021 across three acute hospitals in Scotland. We defined rehabilitation contacts (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics and speech and language therapy) from timestamped EHR data and determined contact time from a linked workforce planning dataset. Our aim was to clarify rehabilitation required to achieve hospital discharge and so we excluded patients who died during their admission, and those who did not require rehabilitation (fewer than two specialist contacts). The primary outcome was total rehabilitation time. Secondary outcomes included the number of contacts, admission to first contact, and rehabilitation minutes per day. A multivariate regression analysis for identifying patient characteristics associated with rehabilitation time included age, sex, comorbidities, and socioeconomic status. Results We included 11,591 consecutive unique patient admissions (76 [63,85] years old, 56% female), of which 651 (6%) were with COVID-19, and 10,940 (94%) were admissions with negative testing. There were 128,646 rehabilitation contacts. Patients with COVID-19 received more than double the rehabilitation time compared to those without (365 [165, 772] vs 170 [95, 350] mins, p

This study aimed to determine the effects of low-temperature plasma jet produced in gas helium (LTP-helium) on cariogenic biofilms composedby Streptococcusmutans, Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii, and also by the combination of Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus and S. mutans. Biofilms were treated for 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes. A 0.12% chlorhexidine solution was used as the positive control and sterile physiologic solution was the negative control. Biofilm viability was analyzed by viable cell recovery, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. All assays were performed intriplicate in three independent experiments. Multispecies biofilms exposed to LTP-helium had a significant reduction in viability when compared to the negative control (p < 0.0001). For biofilm formedby S. mutans, S. sanguinis, and S. gordonii, LTP treatments for 5 and 7 minutes caused similar reduction of morethan 2 log10. Also, a significant reduction in the viability of biofilms formedby C. albicans, L. acidophilus, and S. mutans was detected (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, LTP-helium reduced theviability of cariogenic biofilms with different microbial compositions, which indicates that LTP-helium is a potential tool for developing new protocols for dental caries prevention and treatment.

Walking is a sustainable, safe, and active mode of transportation. The benefits that the elderly in particular gain from outdoor walking are manifold, be it free and independent access to stores and services of all kinds or the opportunity to socialize, enjoy parks, et cetera. This article depicts one particular factor that affects outdoor walkability, namely the gradient of walking paths. Steep slopes can be a serious obstacle to walkability, primarily for older people. The evaluation of available geospatial data sources formed the basis for a geospatial analysis of walkability in the larger city of Kaiserslautern, located in southwest Germany. The concept of Walk Score was used to quantify the results obtained. The results demonstrate that the Walk Score can be refined to better address the mobility needs of older adults. The methodology was implemented for the German city of Kaiserslautern by integrating volunteered geographic information with high-quality official datasets.

Introduction: The main goal of orthodontic retention is to keep the teeth in their corrected positions. Fixed or removable retainers are the most common types of retainers used during the retention phase. For the maxilla, various types of retainers have been described, including the vacuum-formed retainers and Hawley retainers. Fixed retainers are used for the lower jaw. Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the retention characteristics of Hawley retainers, vacuum-formed retainers, and fixed retainers in preserving dental arch dimensions and tooth alignment. Materials and methods: Seventy subjects were examined and distributed into two retention groups. One of the groups received maxillary Hawley retainers and bonded retainers in the mandible. The other group received maxillary vacuum-formed retainers and bonded retainers in the mandible. The mean retention period was two years. Maxillary and mandibular casts were analyzed at pretreatment, debonding, and two years in retention. The assessed measurements were the arch length, intercanine width, interpremolar width, intermolar width and Little’s irregularity index. Results: Vacuum-formed retainers maintained maxillary anterior teeth alignment more effectively than Hawley retainers did. No differences in transversal dimensions were found between the two retention protocols. Hawley retainers showed superior retention characteristics in maxillary arch length preservation compared to vacuum-formed retainers. Even with bonded retainers, relapse could still happen. All measured variables showed a tendency to relapse to the pretreatment values in the two groups. Conclusions: Vacuum-formed retainer maintained maxillary incisor position more effectively than Hawley retainers did. No differences were observed in the transversal dimensions between the two groups. A greater decrease in the mandibular intermolar width was measured between T1 and T2 in both groups where bonded retainers were used.

This study proposes an affordable plasma device that utilizes a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge geometry with a metallic mesh electrode, featuring a straightforward 3D-printed design. Powered by a high-voltage supply adapted from a cosmetic plasma device, it operates on atmospheric air, eliminating the need for gas flux. Surface modification of polyethylene treated with this device was characterized and showed that the elemental composition after 15 min of plasma treatment decreased the amount of C to ~80 at% due to the insertion of O (~15 at%). Tested against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, the device achieved a reduction of over 99% in microbial load with exposure times ranging from 1 to 10 min. Simultaneously, the Vero cell viability remained consistently high, namely between 91% and 96% across exposure times. These results highlight this device’s potential for the surface modification of materials and various infection-related applications, boasting affordability and facilitating effective antimicrobial interventions.

Purpose: To assess the degree of bone destruction for teeth in anterior crossbite by means of 3D cone beam computed tomography and lateral cephalometry. Material/methods: 20 patients with anterior crossbite underwent 3D cone beam computed tomography and lateral cephalometry of the anterior segments of the maxilla and mandible. The destruction of the bone in the anterior segments of the maxilla and mandible was measured (vestibularly and lingually)– the distance from the cemento-enamel junction to the top of the alveolar bone. The parameters of bone resorption for teeth 21 and 31 on cephalogramsand 3D computed tomography images were compared. For both incisors, the mean value registered by means of cephalometry was slightly higher than that registered with 3D. Results: The total mean value of bone destruction for anterior teeth was significantly higher vestibularly compared to lingually, both for the maxilla (p = 0.030) and mandible (p = 0.030). Significantly higher mean values ​​of bone destruction were found in the mandible compared to the maxilla. For both incisors (21 and 31), the mean value of resorption recorded by cephalometry was slightly higher than that recorded by 3D cone beam computed tomography, but without statistical significance. Conclusion: We found significantly higher values ​​of vestibular bone destruction compared to lingual bone destruction. Bone destruction in the mandible reached a significantly higher level than that in the maxilla. No statistically significant difference was found between the mean values ​​of bone destruction measured by means of cephalometry and 3D cone beam computed tomography.

Despite the excellent properties of silicone endotracheal prostheses, their main limitation is the formation of a polymicrobial biofilm on their surfaces. It can cause local inflammation, interfering with the local healing process and leading to further complications in the clinical scenario. The present study evaluated the inhibitory effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on multispecies biofilms grown on the silicone protheses’ surfaces. In addition to silicone characterization before and after CAP exposure, CAP cytotoxicity on immortalized human bronchial epithelium cell line (BEAS-2B) was evaluated. The aging time test reported that CAP could temporarily change the silicone surface wetting characteristics from hydrophilic (80.5°) to highly hydrophilic (C. albicans, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa (0.636, 0.738, and 1.445, respectively) was detected after CAP exposure. Multispecies biofilms exposed to CAP showed significant viability reduction for C. albicans and S. aureus (1.385 and 0.831, respectively). The protocol was not cytotoxic to BEAS-2B. CAP can be a simple and effective method to delay multispecies biofilm formation inside the endotracheal prosthesis.

The current orbital geometries of exoplanet systems offer a fossilized record of the systems’ dynamical histories. A particularly rich set of dynamical mechanisms is available to exoplanets residing in multistar systems, which may have their evolution shaped by the gravitational influence of bound stellar companions. In this work, we examine the joint distribution of stellar obliquities and orbital orientations for transiting exoplanets residing within astrometrically resolved binary and triple-star systems. We leverage existing constraints on stellar obliquities in exoplanet systems, together with astrometric measurements from Gaia DR3, to uncover a set of fully aligned, “orderly” exoplanet systems that exhibit evidence of both spin–orbit and orbit–orbit alignment. We also find evidence that the observed distribution of orbit–orbit orientations in our sample is more strongly peaked toward alignment than an isotropic distribution. Our results may be indicative of efficient viscous dissipation by nodally recessing protoplanetary disks, demonstrating a regime in which stellar companions produce and maintain order in planetary systems, rather than enhancing misalignments.

Recent observations have demonstrated that some subsets of even moderately wide-separation planet-hosting binaries are preferentially configured such that planetary and binary orbits appear to lie within the same plane. In this work, we explore dissipation during the protoplanetary disk phase, induced by disk warping as the system is forced into nodal recession by an inclined binary companion as a possible avenue of achieving orbit–orbit alignment. We analytically model the coupled evolution of the disk angular momentum vector and stellar spin vector under the influence of a distant binary companion. We find that a population of systems with random initial orientations can appear detectably more aligned after undergoing dissipative precession, and that this process can simultaneously produce an obliquity distribution that is consistent with observations. While dissipative precession proceeds efficiently in close binaries, favorable system properties (e.g., r _out ≳ 100 au, α ≳ 0.05, and/or M _b / M _* ≳ 1) are required to reproduce observed alignment trends at wider binary separations a _b ≳ 450 au. Our framework further predicts that circum-primary planets in systems with high stellar mass ratios should be preferentially less aligned than planets in equal mass stellar binary systems. We discover tentative evidence for this trend in Gaia DR3 and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite data. Our findings suggest that dissipative precession may play a significant role in sculpting orbital configurations in a subset of moderately wide planet-hosting binaries, but is likely not solely responsible for their observed population-level alignment.

We report the finding of a new, local diffusion instability in a protoplanetary disk which can operate in a dust fluid, subject to mass diffusion, shear viscosity, and dust–gas drag, provided the diffusivity, viscosity, or both, decrease sufficiently rapidly with increasing dust surface mass density. We devise a vertically averaged, axisymmetric hydrodynamic model to describe a dense, midplane dust layer in a protoplanetary disk. The gas is modeled as a passive component, imposing an effective, diffusion-dependent pressure, mass diffusivity, and viscosity onto the otherwise collisionless dust fluid, via turbulence excited by the gas alone, or dust and gas in combination. In particular, we argue that such conditions are met when the dust–gas mixture generates small-scale turbulence through the streaming instability, as supported by recent measurements of dust mass diffusion slopes in simulations. We hypothesize that the newly discovered instability may be the origin of filamentary features, almost ubiquitously found in simulations of the streaming instability. In addition, our model allows for growing oscillatory modes, which operate in a similar fashion as the axisymmetric viscous overstability in dense planetary rings. However, it remains speculative if the required conditions for such modes can be met in protoplanetary disks.

(1) Background: Previous studies reported the promising inhibitory effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on Candida albicans. However, the exact mechanisms of CAP’s action on the fungal cell are still poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the CAP effect on C. albicans cell wall, by evaluating the alterations on its structure and biochemical composition; (2) Methods: C. albicans cells treated with Helium-CAP were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to detect morphological, topographic and biochemical changes in the fungal cell wall. Cells treated with caspofungin were also analyzed for comparative purposes; (3) Results: Expressive morphological and topographic changes, such as increased roughness and shape modification, were observed in the cells after CAP exposure. The alterations detected were similar to those observed after the treatment with caspofungin. The main biochemical changes occurred in polysaccharides content, and an overall decrease in glucans and an increase in chitin synthesis were detected; (4) Conclusions: Helium-CAP caused morphological and topographic alterations in C. albicans cells and affected the cell wall polysaccharide content.

Abstract Background Viewing the existing literature, one can find several documents about dislocation of the peroneal tendons. Clinical findings, diagnostics, and therapy are well described. Instead, the list of documents describing dislocations of the posterior tibial tendon is short. We found no case in which a dislocation of both long peroneal tendon and posterior tibial tendon is described. Case presentation We present a case of a 29-year-old male patient who sustained an ankle injury after a fall at a boulder gym. He admitted himself with severe pain, tenderness, and swelling of his left ankle. Dislocation of the posterior tibial tendon and simultaneous dislocation of the long peroneal tendon was diagnosed using x-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Transosseous suture repair with periosteal augmentation of the flexor retinaculum was performed at the medial malleolus. At the lateral malleolus, transosseous suture was used to repair the superior retinaculum. The ankle was immobilized following surgery. The patient underwent physical therapy afterwards. The treatment resulted in good recovery, and the patient returned to the same level of performance at rock climbing. Conclusion Our novel finding is that simultaneously sustained dislocations of the posterior tibial tendon and the long peroneal tendon may occur and can be successfully treated as if each injury is treated individually. Level of evidence Level V, case report.

Purpose: To explain the clinical findings of patients with profound unilateral deafness who have recovered the hearing function after a combined treatment of hyperbaric oxygenation and dehydrant therapy. Material and method: 11 patients with profound sudden unilateral hearing loss above 90 dB SPL, intolerance to sounds similar to recruitment, at levels 10-20 dB above the hearing threshold (105-120 dB SPL), positive glycerol test and unexpected good recovery of hearing within 1-2 months are described. Results: All patients have perfect outcome results without the use of glucocorticoids. Conclusions: Based on articles about experiments with genetically modified animals and acquired deafness, we propose a possible mechanism of damage explaining the clinical findings and the favorable outcome of the disease – a disconnection between the tectorial membrane and stereocilia. Thus mechano-electrical transducer (MET) of hair cells cannot be activated. The combined use of hyperbaric oxygenation and dehydrant medications can lead to recovery of the hearing function.

The failure of endodontic treatment is frequently associated with the presence of remaining microorganisms, mainly due to the difficulty of eliminating the biofilm and the limitation of conventional irrigation solutions. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTPP) has been suggested for many applications in the medical field and can be applied directly to biological surfaces or indirectly through activated liquids. This literature review aims to evaluate the potential of NTPP application in Endodontics. A search in the databases Lilacs, Pubmed, and Ebsco was performed. Seventeen manuscripts published between 2007 and 2022 that followed our established inclusion criteria were found. The selected manuscripts evaluated the use of NTPP regarding its antimicrobial activity, in the direct exposure and indirect method, i.e., plasma-activated liquid. Of these, 15 used direct exposure. Different parameters, such as working gas and distance from the apparatus to the substrate, were evaluated in vitro and ex vivo. NTPP showed a disinfection property against important endodontic microorganisms, mainly Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial potential was dependent on plasma exposure time, with the highest antimicrobial effects over eight minutes of exposure. Interestingly, the association of NTPP and conventional antimicrobial solutions, in general, was shown to be more effective than both treatments separately. This association showed antimicrobial results with a short plasma exposure time, what could be interesting in clinical practice. However, considering the lack of standardization of the direct exposure parameters and few studies about plasma-activated liquids, more studies in the area for endodontic purposes are still required.

In this article, we describe the design of a method for measuring walkability and its application in two medium-sized cities in Germany. The method modifies the established Walk Score with regard to the needs of older people. While the original Walk Score takes a 2D approach by calculating the reachability of service facilities on a flat road network, we include 3D information by taking into account slopes and stairs. We also pay attention to the longer walking times of the elderly and adjust the selection and weighting of supply facilities according to their relevance for elderly people. The implementation results in a concentric walkability pattern, with a high Walk Score in the inner-city area that is decreasing towards the periphery, but with many anomalies resulting from local inhomogeneity in population and facility distribution and topography. The study shows that it is possible to refine the Walk Score to meet the needs of older people, as well as to implement the methodology in Germany using a combination of voluntary geographic information and high-quality official datasets. We see our research as a step forward on the way to more realistic walkability metrics for senior-sensitive urban planning.

The evolutionary history of an extrasolar system is, in part, fossilized through its planets’ orbital orientations relative to the host star’s spin axis. However, spin–orbit constraints for warm Jupiters—particularly in binary star systems, which are amenable to a wide range of dynamical processes—are relatively scarce. We report a measurement of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, observed with the Keck/HIRES spectrograph, across the transit of Qatar-6 A b—a warm Jupiter orbiting one star within a binary system. From this measurement, we obtain a sky-projected spin–orbit angle λ = 0.°1 ± 2.°6. Combining this new constraint with the stellar rotational velocity of Qatar-6 A that we measure from TESS photometry, we derive a true obliquity $\psi ={21.82}_{-18.36}^{+8.86\circ} $ —consistent with near-exact alignment. We also leverage astrometric data from Gaia DR3 to show that the Qatar-6 binary star system is edge-on ( ${i}_{B}={90.17}_{-1.06}^{+1.07\circ} $ ), such that the stellar binary and the transiting exoplanet orbit exhibit line-of-sight orbit–orbit alignment. Ultimately, we demonstrate that all current constraints for the three-body Qatar-6 system are consistent with both spin–orbit and orbit–orbit alignment. High-precision measurements of the projected stellar spin rate of the host star and the sky-plane geometry of the transit relative to the binary plane are required to conclusively verify the full 3D configuration of the system.

The initial mass function (IMF) of planetesimals is of key importance for understanding the initial stages of planet formation, yet theoretical predictions so far have been insufficient in explaining the variety of IMFs found in simulations. Here, we connect diffusion-tidal-shear limited planetesimal formation within the framework of a Toomre-like instability in the particle midplane of a protoplanetary disk to an analytic prediction for the planetesimal IMF. The shape of the IMF is set by the stability parameter Q _p , which in turn depends on the particle Stokes number, the Toomre Q value of the gas, the local dust concentration, and the local diffusivity. We compare our prediction to high-resolution numerical simulations of the streaming instability and planetesimal formation via gravitational collapse. We find that our IMF prediction agrees with numerical results and is consistent with both the paradigm that planetesimals are born big and the power-law description commonly found in simulations.

Acquiring, storing, processing and analyzing of experimental and simulated data are an integral part of high-energy physics experiments. Data Acquisition system (DAQ) is responsible for solving these problems in modern experiments. The review is devoted to the study of the general functioning systems for data collecting and processing, information systems and databases, which are used in high-energy physics experiments, their classification, and the possibility and necessity of creating similar systems or individual components in experiments of the NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) megaproject both on a fixed target and in the collider part. Such systems being used to support for data processing and analysis, as well as other types of experiment activities, significantly contribute to solving the problem of automating the collection, storage, processing and analysis of experimental data and information on the experiment, and they are also an essential element for the successful operation of modern high-energy physics experiments.Particular attention in the analysis of the solutions is given to physics experiments on particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) as successful modern projects that are constantly upgraded due to changes in the functioning of the systems (for example, increasing beam energy and luminosity) and improving the information systems taking into account the latest technologies in this area. As a result of the study, systems and components are chosen, whose implementation or adaptation is most appropriate to the experiments of the NICA complex.

Various publications claim that medical AI systems perform as well, or better, than clinical experts. However, there have been very few controlled trials and the quality of existing studies has been called into question. There is growing concern that existing studies overestimate the clinical benefits of AI systems. This has led to calls for more, and higher-quality, randomized controlled trials of medical AI systems. While this a welcome development, AI RCTs raise novel methodological challenges that have seen little discussion. We discuss some of the challenges arising in the context of AI RCTs and make some suggestions for how to meet them.

The effects of helium cold atmospheric pressure plasma (He-CAPP) jet on Porphyromonas gingivalis (HW24D-1) biofilm, on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and human gingival keratinocytes (OBA-9) were assessed. Standardized suspension of P. gingivalis was obtained, and biofilms were grown anaerobically for 48 h. After exposition to He-CAPP, the biofilm viability was evaluated by XTT assay. HGF were grown at 37 °C, in an CO2 chamber in DMEM, while OBA-9 cells were cultured in keratinocyte serum-free medium. After 24 h, plates were exposed to He-CAPP for 1 to 7 min. Plasma was generated using a commercial AC power supply with amplitude modulated signal (voltage amplitude of 20 kVp-p, frequency of 31.0 kHz and duty cycle of 22%). The corresponding discharge power was 0.6W at He flow rate of 1 L/min. DNA damage was accessed by static cytometry. Data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism (p < 0.05). Significant reductions in P. gingivalis viability in relation to non-treated groups were detected (p < 0.0001), directly proportional to exposure time. Treated groups were slightly aneuploid after 5- and 7-min treatment in HGF, and for 3 min in OBA-9 cells, with 1.2 DNA index mean. Helium cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet showed inhibitory effect on P. gingivalis mature biofilm and was not genotoxic for epithelial gingival cells and human oral fibroblasts.

We propose a new possible earthquake precursor, a coastal water jet originating from shallow water gas seeps and colored by sediments, lifted from increased gas seeps emissions, preceding some earthquakes with offshore epicenters along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and M ≥ 3. The new possible earthquake precursor is site specific and may be observed in shallow coastal water regions where active faults are accompanied by hydrocarbon gas seeps. We point out to a region where it can be easily detected by direct observation and satellite remote sensing, Zelenka methane seeps (ZMS), near the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The ZMS activation is related to the tectonic stress and fracturing preceding and accompanying the earthquakes in the Shabla-Kaliakra-Balchik region along the northern part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. We also propose an earthquake forecasting experiment, based on the following four hypotheses: 1) The change of the methane emission of shallow horizons is related to crustal strain changes preceding earthquakes in the region; 2) extreme change of the activity of underwater methane seepages appears immediately before nearby earthquakes; 3) shallow water methane seepages activity can be monitored by remote sensing; 4) satellites can register effects from an extreme increase in their emissions. The proposed earthquake forecasting experiment is based on the monitoring of methane seepages activity in the ZMS area by direct observation and remote sensing which may provide indication for preparatory earthquake activity preceding offshore earthquakes in the region.

Popper argued that a statistical falsification required a prior methodological decision to regard sufficiently improbable events as ruled out. That suggestion has generated a number of fruitful approaches, but also a number of apparent paradoxes and ultimately, no clear consensus. It is still commonly claimed that, since random samples are logically consistent with all the statistical hypotheses on the table, falsification simply does not apply in realistic statistical settings. We claim that the situation is considerably improved if we ask a conceptually prior question: when should a statistical hypothesis be regarded as falsifiable. To that end we propose several different notions of statistical falsifiability and prove that, whichever definition we prefer, the same hypotheses turn out to be falsifiable. That shows that statistical falsifiability enjoys a kind of conceptual robustness. These notions of statistical falsifiability are arrived at by proposing statistical analogues to intuitive properties enjoyed by exemplary falsifiable hypotheses familiar from classical philosophy of science. That demonstrates that, to a large extent, this philosophical tradition was on the right conceptual track. Finally, we demonstrate that, under weak assumptions, the statistically falsifiable hypotheses correspond precisely to the closed sets in a standard topology on probability measures. That means that standard techniques from statistics and measure theory can be used to determine exactly which hypotheses are statistically falsifiable. In other words: the proposed notion of statistical falsifiability both answers to our conceptual demands and submits to standard mathematical techniques.

The main objective of this paper is to identify the multilevel perspective of hu-man rights protection for children in armed conflicts. For that, the pro persona or pro homine principle may be applied. It consists of an interpretative instru-ment provided by art. 29 of the American Convention of Human Rights and by art. 41 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The present analysis tackles distinct levels of protection, both at an international level and at the national level in Colombia and uses the pro homine principle to resolve eventual conflicts between the International Human Rights Law and domestic law.

We study spectral properties of a cascaded multiresonator microwave quantum memory integrated into a waveguide-resonator system. On the basis of experimental data, we reconstruct the internal parameters of the circuit under study, give estimates of quantum efficiency, and show the possibility of achieving optimal conditions for its realization.

Comprehensive measurements are needed in older populations to detect physical changes, initiate prompt interventions, and prevent functional decline. While established instruments such as the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and 5 Times Chair Rise Test (5CRT) require trained clinicians to assess corresponding functional parameters, the unsupervised screening system (USS), developed in a two-stage participatory design process, has since been introduced to community-dwelling older adults. In a previous article, we investigated the USS’s measurement of the TUG and 5CRT in comparison to conventional stop-watch methods and found a high sensitivity with significant correlations and coefficients ranging from 0.73 to 0.89. This article reports insights into the design process and evaluates the usability of the USS interface. Our analysis showed high acceptance with qualitative and quantitative methods. From participant discussions, suggestions for improvement and functions for further development could be derived and discussed. The evaluated prototype offers a high potential for early detection of functional limitations in elderly people and should be tested with other target groups in other locations.

Topological models of empirical and formal inquiry are increasingly prevalent. They have emerged in such diverse fields as domain theory [1, 16], formal learning theory [18], epistemology and philosophy of science [10, 15, 8, 9, 2], statistics [6, 7] and modal logic [17, 4]. In those applications, open sets are typically interpreted as hypotheses deductively verifiable by true propositional information that rules out relevant possibilities. However, in statistical data analysis, one routinely receives random samples logically compatible with every statistical hypothesis. We bridge the gap between propositional and statistical data by solving for the unique topology on probability measures in which the open sets are exactly the statistically verifiable hypotheses. Furthermore, we extend that result to a topological characterization of learnability in the limit from statistical data.

Due to the limitations of traditional periodontal therapies, and reported cold atmospheric plasma anti-inflammatory/antimicrobial activities, plasma could be an adjuvant therapy to periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis was grown in blood agar. Standardized suspensions were plated on blood agar and plasma-treated for planktonic growth. For biofilm, dual-species Streptococcus gordonii + P. gingivalis biofilm grew for 48 h and then was plasma-treated. XTT assay and CFU counting were performed. Cytotoxicity was accessed immediately or after 24 h. Plasma was applied for 1, 3, 5 or 7 min. In vivo: Thirty C57BI/6 mice were subject to experimental periodontitis for 11 days. Immediately after ligature removal, animals were plasma-treated for 5 min once—Group P1 (n = 10); twice (Day 11 and 13)—Group P2 (n = 10); or not treated—Group S (n = 10). Mice were euthanized on day 15. Histological and microtomography analyses were performed. Significance level was 5%. Halo diameter increased proportionally to time of exposure contrary to CFU/mL counting. Mean/SD of fibroblasts viability did not vary among the groups. Plasma was able to inhibit P. gingivalis in planktonic culture and biofilm in a cell-safe manner. Moreover, plasma treatment in vivo, for 5 min, tends to improve periodontal tissue recovery, proportionally to the number of plasma applications.

The increasing incidence of antifungal resistance represents a great challenge in the medical area and, for this reason, new therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of fungal infections are urgently required. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been proposed as a promising alternative technique for the treatment of superficial candidiasis, with inhibitory effect both in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known on the association of CAP with conventional antifungals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the association between CAP and conventional polyene antifungals on Candida albicans biofilms. C. albicans SC 5314 and a clinical isolate were used to grow 24 or 48 h biofilms, under standardized conditions. After that, the biofilms were exposed to nystatin, amphotericin B and CAP, separately or in combination. Different concentrations of the antifungals and sequences of treatment were evaluated to establish the most effective protocol. Biofilms viability after the treatments was compared to negative control. Data were compared by One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey (5%). The results demonstrate that 5 min exposure to CAP showed more effective antifungal effect on biofilms when compared to nystatin and amphotericin B. Additionally, it was detected that CAP showed similar (but smaller in magnitude) effects when applied in association with nystatin and amphotericin B at 40 µg/mL and 60 µg/mL. Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of CAP alone was more effective against C. albicans biofilms than in combination with conventional polyene antifungal agents.

The presence of microbial biofilms in the wounds affects negatively the healing process and can contribute to therapeutic failures. This study aimed to establish the effective parameters of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) against wound-related multispecies and monospecies biofilms, and to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the protocol. Monospecies and multispecies biofilms were formed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. The monospecies biofilms were grown in 96 wells plates and multispecies biofilm were formed on collagen membranes. The biofilms were exposed to helium CAP for 1, 3, 5 and 7 min. In monospecies biofilms, the inhibitory effect was detected after 1 min of exposure for E. faecalis and after 3 min for MRSA. A reduction in P. aeruginosa biofilm’s viability was detected after 7 min of exposure. For the multispecies biofilms, the reduction in the overall viability was detected after 5 min of exposure to CAP. Additionally, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were evaluated by MTT assay and static cytometry, respectively. CAP showed low cytotoxicity and no genotoxicity to mouse fibroblastic cell line (3T3). It could be concluded that He-CAP showed inhibitory effect on wound-related multispecies biofilms, with low cytotoxicity and genotoxicity to mammalian cells. These findings point out the potential application of CAP in wound care.

In article features of forming and implementation of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in the Middle East (Iraq, the Syria-Lebanese-Palestinian zone, Egypt, Gulf States and Yemen) in the conditions of transformation of forms and methods of implementation of Washington’s strategy of “system containment” of the IRI are analyzed. Special attention is paid to identification of potential of IRI as one of leaders of the Middle East region. The main stages, the directions and implementation methods of strategy of “system containment” of the IRI as triangle complex of political, economic and military measures, performed by the USA and their allies for rendering multilateral pressure upon Tehran in order to change its foreign policy and the State power in the country, are shown. Change of a foreign policy line and approaches of Tehran to the solution of regional problems is considered in the context of escalation of pressure upon Iran from the USA and the states of the West. It is analyzed what forms and methods of the foreign policy and foreign economic activity implementation were used by Iran in the situation of increased political and economic risks, connected with toughening of the international and unilateral sanctions. In the conclusion, efficiency evaluations of Middle Eastern dimension of the Iranian foreign policy during the considered period are given and the tendencies of development of the situation around the IRI, that allow us to make the forecast for the medium term, are allocated.

Carbon fibers (CFs) have been widely applied in the manufacture of polymeric composites. The mechanical properties of these composites depend on the adhesion in the matrix/CF interface. Since the CFs have poor adhesion properties, a surface treatment of the CFs becomes necessary. The plasma process used in this work was the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The DBD treatment of twill weave carbon fi bers (2×2) was performed during 2.0; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0 minutes. CF/polypropylene (PP) composites were produced by hot pressing method. The surface morphology, structure and mechanical properties of CFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, interlaminar shear test (ILSS) and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. SEM images show great changes on the CF surface after the treatment, AFM results show that the fi ber treated for 2.0 min exhibited the highest roughness and Raman spectra revealed that the carbon fi ber crystalline structure did not change after the treatment. The ILSS and DMA results show an increase of the mechanical strength and no major change in the glass temperature of the composites after the DBD treatment, respectively. Some results were compared to those obtained in our previous study, in which the plain weave fiber (1×1) was evaluated.

The aim of this study was to establish an effective and safe protocol for in vivo oral candidiasis treatment with atmospheric plasma jets. A novel amplitude-modulated cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (AM-CAPPJ) device, operating with Helium, was tested. In vitro assays with Candida albicans biofilms and Vero cells were performed in order to determine the effective parameters with low cytotoxicity. After the determination of such parameters, the protocol was evaluated in experimentally induced oral candidiasis in mice. AM-CAPPJ could significantly reduce the viability of C. albicans biofilms after 5 minutes of plasma exposure when compared to the non-exposed group (p = 0.0033). After this period of exposure, high viability of Vero cells was maintained (86.33 ± 10.45%). Also, no late effects on these cells were observed after 24 and 48 hours (83.24±15.23% and 88.96±18.65%, respectively). Histological analyses revealed significantly lower occurrence of inflammatory alterations in the AM-CAPPJ group when compared to non-treated and nystatin-treated groups (p < 0.0001). Although no significant differences among the values of CFU/tongue were observed among the non-treated group and the groups treated with AM-CAPPJ or nystatin (p = 0.3201), histological analyses revealed marked reduction in candidal tissue invasion. In conclusion, these results point out to a clinical applicability of this protocol, due to the simultaneous anti-inflammatory and inhibitory effects of AM-CAPPJ with low cytotoxicity.

O objetivo deste estudo consiste em apontar o conflito de direitos fundamentais e sua violação, em matéria de álcool e droga, com interpretação sistemática da Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988.

Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent that induces peripheral neuropathy in 30% of patients. Peripheral neuropathy is the dose limiting side effect, which has no preventative therapy. We have previously shown that cisplatin induces apoptosis in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons by covalently binding to nuclear DNA (nDNA), resulting in DNA damage, subsequent p53 activation and Bax-mediated apoptosis via the mitochondria. We now demonstrate that cisplatin also directly binds to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) with the same binding affinity as nDNA. Cisplatin binds 1 platinum molecule per 2166 mtDNA base pairs and 1 platinum molecule per 3800 nDNA base pairs. Furthermore, cisplatin treatment inhibits mtDNA replication as detected by 5-bromo-2′-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) incorporation and inhibits transcription of mitochondrial genes. The relative reduction in mtDNA transcription is directly related to the distance the gene is located from the transcription initiation point, which implies that randomly formed platinum adducts block transcription. Cisplatin treated DRG neurons exhibit mitochondrial vacuolization and degradation in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, this data suggests that direct mtDNA damage may provide a novel, distinct mechanism for cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity separate from the established nDNA damage pathway.

Airborne in situ and remote sensing measurements of methane were performed over the marine seeps in the Santa Barbara Channel close to the Coal Oil Point in California on two days in June and August 2014 with the aim to re-assess their methane emissions. During this period, methane column averaged dry air mole fractions derived from airborne remote sensing measurements in the short-wave infrared and airborne in situ measurements of methane indicate that emissions are 2–6 kt CH 4 y − 1 , significantly lower than expected from previous publications. This is also confirmed by the on ground in situ measurement time series recorded at the onshore West Campus Monitoring Station in Santa Barbara. Using a time series of methane data, a decline in methane concentrations between 2008 and 2015 of more than a factor of two was derived for air masses originating from the seep field direction.

Intermodal containers transportation management has always been a serious issue among logistics worldwide companies where the application of secure mobile information technologies (e.g. radio frequency identification systems (RFID) and sensor networks) could significantly improve the current situation by sending managers all the needed transportation conditions information. In this paper, we have focused on improving managerial decision making method by introducing the expert system evaluation functionality in a common software solution CTRMS for additional ICT risks evaluation. The basic risks involved in transportation and the appropriate measures are introduced as well. The pre-defined RFID sensor network was used to develop an optimal tag authentication and routing algorithm where tags and reader authentication protocols were defined and based upon the highest security assurance and the reader to tag response time criterias. A Nearest Neighbor (NN) heuristic approach and a Priority setting method were used to address the problem of routing within the RFID sensor network between tags with the objective function of minimizing the data transfer time between tags with the highest priority values. Computational results also indicate that when the tags have the same level of confidence in the system, they can exchange information without any additional verification, so making the authentication protocol less time consuming and therefore more effective against other proposed protocols.

Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses conclude that similar social cognitive impairments are found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD). While methodological issues have been mentioned as a limitation, no study has yet explored the magnitude of methodological heterogeneity across these studies and its potential impact for their conclusion. The purpose of this study was to systematically review studies comparing social cognitive impairments in ASD and SSD with a focus on methodology. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched all publications on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase. Of the 765 studies identified in our data base searches, 21 cross-sectional studies were included in the review. We found significant methodological heterogeneity across the studies. In the 21 studies, a total of 37 different measures of social cognition were used, 25 of which were only used in 1 study. Across studies, the same measure was often said to be assessing different constructs of social cognition - a confusion that seems to reflect the ambiguous definitions of what these measures test in the studies that introduced them. Moreover, inadequate differential diagnostic assessment of ASD samples was found in 81% of the studies, and sample characteristics were markedly varied. The ASD and SSD groups were also often unmatched in terms of medication usage and substance use disorder history. Future studies must address these methodological issues before a definite conclusion can be drawn about the potential similarity of social cognitive impairments in ASD and SSD.

The Schizophrenia Exome Meta-Analysis (SCHEMA) consortium identified 10 genes in which loss-of-function (LoF) variants are highly associated with schizophrenia (SZ). In a well-characterized sample of 988 patients with psychotic disorders, we investigated whether patients bearing a SCHEMA variant presented with unusual or unique signs, symptoms, or course of illness. We identified 5 patients who carried a LoF variant in a SCHEMA gene, each in a different gene. None of the patients with a SCHEMA variant had unique symptoms. However, compared to the average of patients in the sample, all of the patients with a SCHEMA variant had earlier onset of any mental illness and more hospitalizations. Also, among SCHEMA carriers, 80 % were treated with clozapine, 60 % with ECT, all with either clozapine or ECT and 40 % with both clozapine and ECT, compared to only 2 % treated with clozapine and 18 % treated with ECT in the comparison group of patients without SCHEMA variants. All 5 patients with a SCHEMA variant had polysubstance abuse, and all had attempted suicide. Fewer than half had such presentations in the group without SCHEMA variants. In this small sample, SCHEMA variants appear to be associated with earlier onset, less favorable response to standard first-line treatments, and more severe illness, but not unique presentations of illness., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this direct replication of Mueller and Oppenheimer's (2014) Study 1, participants watched a lecture while taking notes with a laptop ( n = 74) or longhand ( n = 68). After a brief distraction and without the opportunity to study, they took a quiz. As in the original study, laptop participants took notes containing more words spoken verbatim by the lecturer and more words overall than did longhand participants. However, laptop participants did not perform better than longhand participants on the quiz. Exploratory meta-analyses of eight similar studies echoed this pattern. In addition, in both the original study and our replication, higher word count was associated with better quiz performance, and higher verbatim overlap was associated with worse quiz performance, but the latter finding was not robust in our replication. Overall, results do not support the idea that longhand note taking improves immediate learning via better encoding of information.