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Background: There is increasing evidence that periodontitis may affect male sexual health (MSH) (erectile function, production of sex hormones, and semen quality). However, a limited number of clinical studies demonstrate the association between MSH and periodontitis., Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between periodontitis and MSF., Materials and Methods: A comprehensive systematic review of the published literature in MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from the earliest available online indexing year until October 2020 was performed, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Keywords related to periodontitis were combined with words describing MSH., Result: A total of 19 studies were included and discussed in the systematic review. The number of study participants ranged from 53 to 197,136 individuals, aged between 18 and 95 years (mean age, 41.2 years). Six studies did not report the age of the participants. Out of nine studies, eight found a significant association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and periodontitis. Only three studies evaluated the association between sex hormone levels and periodontitis, and two of these studies showed that patients with periodontitis are expected to exhibit higher levels of testosterone. Finally, out of five studies, two demonstrated a significant association between semen quality and periodontitis., Discussion: The findings in this review were limited by the quality and the few available studies. Results from the observational studies might have been affected by recall bias and confounded by cofactors., Conclusion: The results of this systematic review revealed a significant association between periodontitis and ED, although the responsible mechanisms remain unclear. The potential associations between sex hormone levels, semen quality, and periodontitis are yet to be demonstrated. In order to improve patient management, dentists and physicians need to be aware of the association between male sexual health problems and periodontitis., (© 2020 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Objective: There is a lack of evidence on the usage of the quality assessment tool-the Risk Of Bias In Nonrandomized Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I). This article aimed to measure the reliability, criterion validity, and feasibility of the ROBINS-I and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS)., Methods: A sample of systematic reviews or meta-analyses of observational studies were selected from Medline (2013-2017) and assessed by two reviewers using ROBINS-I and the NOS. We reported on reliability in terms of the first-order agreement coefficient (AC1) statistic. Correlation coefficient statistic was used to explore the criterion validity of the ROBINS-I. We compared the feasibility of the ROBINS-I and NOS by recording the time to complete an assessment and the instances where assessing was difficult., Results: Five systematic reviews containing 41 cohort studies were finally included. Interobserver agreement on the individual domain of the ROBINS-I as well as the NOS was substantial with a mean AC1 statistic of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.50-0.83) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.65-0.81), respectively. The criterion validity of the ROBNS-I was moderate (K = 0.52) against NOS. The time in assessing a single study by ROBINS-I varied from 7 hours initially to 3 hours compared with 30 minutes for the NOS. Both reviewers rated "bias due to departure from the intended interventions" the most time-consuming domain in the ROBINS-I, items in the NOS were equal., Conclusions: The ROBINS-I and the NOS seem to provide the same reliability but vary in applicability. The over-complicated feature of ROBINS-I may limit its usage and a simplified version is needed., (© 2021 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: Reports of violence in health care are continuously increasing. Globally there are attempts to manage this phenomenon. However, while risk factors have been identified, there is a tendency to over accentuate the extent of their contribution. Alcohol and drug misuse, for example, are frequently reported, with limited consideration of the ED environment. By far the biggest cause of violence appears to be the presentation of conditions related to or accompanied by mental illness and the impact of queuing and crowded departments on patients and their families. This study aims to examine the extent to which ED waiting times, design and queuing are linked to ED violence., Methods: An integrative literature review was performed using CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE databases. 110 papers were initially selected, and the final analysis included 25 papers., Results: The literature revealed three emerging themes: the nature of emergency department violence, environmental contributory factors and its management and control., Conclusion: The findings of this review reveal several causes of violence. Surprisingly most approaches take a victim blaming approach aimed at identifying potential perpetrators rather than taking a holistic approach to prevention that would also address environmental and societal issues. More is needed in terms of implementation of more far-reaching, practical, and effective management solutions to promote health care workers' safety and adequately support vulnerable patients., (© 2021 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Humans spend the vast majority of their time indoors where complex interactions occur among indoor anthropogenic chemicals, indoor microbiomes and human occupants. This paper summarizes previous work addressing interactions between anthropogenic chemicals associated with indoor household products and building materials, and microorganisms found within the built environment. Water availability seems to determine the extent to which microbes are impacted by anthropogenic chemicals, since desiccation remains one of the primary stressors regulating microbial viability indoors. Several lines of evidence suggest that both fungi and bacteria are capable of transforming biodegradable ingredients originating from various products used indoors when water is present. Previous research also establishes positive and significant correlations between anthropogenic chemicals that are antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance gene abundance. As researchers move towards understanding complex indoor environments as well as the role of anthropogenic chemicals in shaping microbiomes, in situ activities associated with the viable indoor microbial population merit more attention., (© 2020 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Radionuclides (RNs) generated by nuclear and civil industries are released in natural ecosystems and may have a hazardous impact on human health and the environment. RN-polluted environments harbour different microbial species that become highly tolerant of these elements through mechanisms including biosorption, biotransformation, biomineralization and intracellular accumulation. Such microbial-RN interaction processes hold biotechnological potential for the design of bioremediation strategies to deal with several contamination problems. This paper, with its multidisciplinary approach, provides a state-of-the-art review of most research endeavours aimed to elucidate how microbes deal with radionuclides and how they tolerate ionizing radiations. In addition, the most recent findings related to new biotechnological applications of microbes in the bioremediation of radionuclides and in the long-term disposal of nuclear wastes are described and discussed., (© 2020 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Infants' avoidance of drop-offs has been described as an affordance learning that is not transferable between different locomotor postures. In addition, there is evidence that infants perceive and act similarly around real and water cliffs. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of specific locomotor experiences on infants' avoidance behaviour using the Real Cliff/Water Cliff paradigm. The experiments included 102 infants, 58 crawling, but pre-walking, infants (M age  = 11.57 months, SD = 1.65) with crawling experience ranging between 0.03 and 7.4 months (M = 2.16, SD = 1.71) and 44 walking infants (M age  = 14.82 months, SD = 1.99), with walking experience ranging between 0.13 and 5.2 months (M = 1.86, SD = 1.28). The association between crawling experience and crawlers' avoidance of the real and water cliffs was confirmed. Importantly, crawling and total self-produced locomotor experience, and not walking experience, were associated with walkers' avoidance behaviour on both cliffs. These results suggest that some degree of perceptual learning acquired through crawling experience was developmentally transferred to the walking posture. A longer duration of crawling experience facilitates a more rapid recalibration to the new walking capability. In addition, there was no difference in infants' avoidance of falling on the real and the water cliff. However, infants explored the water cliff more than the real cliff, revealing more enticement to examine bodies of water than for drop-offs. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/23LXIGiLhHI., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the adult brain, biases in the allocation of spatial attention can be measured using a line bisection task and are directly relatable to neural attention signals in the fronto-parietal attention network. Behavioral studies on the development of spatial biases have yielded a host of inconsistent results, likely due to variance in sample size, definition of experimental groups, and motor confounds introduced by using a paper-and-pencil version of a line bisection task. Here, we used a perceptual, computerized version of this task and examined the development of spatial biases in 459 children from grades 1-8 and 61 college freshmen. We found that children in early elementary grades exerted a significant leftward bias that gradually diminished with advancing grade level. We further show that among children in early elementary school grades, the degree of leftward spatial bias predicted better performance on a rapid automatized naming test, a predictor of reading ability. Significant leftward biases in early elementary school grades may be due to reading experience, thereby reflecting an interaction of the attention network with the evolving reading network., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A key question in developmental research concerns how children learn associations between words and meanings in their early language development. Given a vast array of possible referents, how does the child know what a word refers to? We contend that onomatopoeia (e.g. knock, meow), where a word's sound evokes the sound properties associated with its meaning, are particularly useful in children's early vocabulary development, offering a link between word and sensory experience not present in arbitrary forms. We suggest that, because onomatopoeia evoke imagery of the referent, children can draw from sensory experience to easily link onomatopoeic words to meaning, both when the referent is present as well as when it is absent. We use two sources of data: naturalistic observations of English-speaking caregiver-child interactions from 14 up to 54 months, to establish whether these words are present early in caregivers' speech to children, and experimental data to test whether English-speaking children can learn from onomatopoeia when it is present. Our results demonstrate that onomatopoeia: (a) are most prevalent in early child-directed language and in children's early productions, (b) are learnt more easily by children compared with non-iconic forms and (c) are used by caregivers in contexts where they can support communication and facilitate word learning., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A form-preparation task in the language production field was adopted to examine output phonological representations in Chinese dyslexia and their susceptibility to training. Forty-one Chinese children with dyslexia (7-11 years old) and 36 chronological age controls completed this task. The controls demonstrated a marginally significant syllable facilitation effect (d = -0.13), indicating their use of syllable-sized phonological representations during speech production, while the group with dyslexia showed a significantly different pattern (d = 0.04), opposite to the direction of a facilitation effect. The children with dyslexia were then randomly assigned to either metalinguistic training (N = 22) or working memory training (N = 19). Only the metalinguistic training subgroup demonstrated a significant syllable facilitation effect afterward (metalinguistic: d = -0.13; working memory: d = -0.01). The results suggest the presence of a phonological representation deficit at the syllable level in Chinese dyslexia and its possible remediation by metalinguistic training. Such a phonological deficit in readers of a logographic script strongly supports the impaired phonological representation view of developmental dyslexia. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/zT2Be0xMkh0., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To summarise the lessons learned from implementing a dental undergraduate research programme over the past eleven years and identify key elements to guarantee the success of dental undergraduate research in the future., Material and Methods: An overview of 80 research projects from 2007 to 2017 was provided, consisting of 239 participating undergraduates and 47 faculty advisors. Students' academic performance was compared between participating and non-participating undergraduates. An anonymous questionnaire was designed and distributed to participants, with VAS satisfaction assessment, Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Questions focused on overall satisfaction, motivation, benefits to student career development and essential elements for the dental undergraduate research programme in the future., Results: The undergraduate participants had significantly better scores of GPAs (3.41 vs 3.21; P < 0.0001), obtained more awards on the honour rolls (0.53 vs 0.30; P = 0.0171) and published more peer-reviewed articles (1.62 vs 1.31; P = 0.0253) than non-participants. Seventy-two undergraduates (75.79%) and thirty-eight advisors (80.85%) responded to the questionnaire. The overall satisfaction was scored as 78.18/100 and 72.36/100 amongst advisors and students, respectively. Interest was considered the best motivation for participation by students (3.81/5.00) and advisors (4.00/5.00). The research programme was beneficial to students' overall career development. Essential roles played by the dental school, faculty and undergraduates were suggested to improve the research environment., Conclusion: The dental undergraduate research programme has positive effects on students' academic performance. The support of the dental school, the engagement of qualified faculty, the interest and autonomy of students and camaraderie amongst these three key elements are essential for the research programme in the future., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Dental educators play crucial roles in dental education and in the functioning of dental schools. Whilst it is recognised that dental educators need more than relevant disciplinary expertise and that scholarly development of dental educators is important, there is a lack of knowledge about ways research can be used to promote professional development. This article aims to showcase a research methodology for professional inquiry that is widely used in teacher education to promote the view that dental education is a professional practice., Approach: Self-study methodology was employed by four dental educators to illuminate their theory-informed practice. We chose to frame the inquiry around technology and accumulated three forms of data: individual journaling, video-call discussions and Padlet/bricolage. Analysis of this data focused on how the learning was co-constructed by the group., Findings and Discussion: Five key elements of our self-study were constructed into narratives: understanding technology as a dental educator, being a learner and embodied scholarship, the (expanded) roles of a teacher in a technological environment, advancing our own professional identity as an educator, and possibilities and limits for self-study in the dental education context., Conclusion: Professionalisation of dental educators is critical to sustainable dental education. By educators researching their own practice, research approaches such as self-study can perform a dual role of facilitating scholarly development and contributing to the generation of new knowledge about becoming and being a dental educator., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has forced profound change on all aspects of society, with significant impact on dental education. Dental students like all other dental clinical personnel are considered to be at the highest risk amongst healthcare workers due to the nature of treatment, namely, working in the oral cavity (known reservoir for the virus) and the routine use of aerosol-generating procedures. The nature of this pandemic has created several challenges to dental clinical education. The aim of this paper is to discuss these challenges and how educators have sought to overcome them., Materials and Methods: This paper reviews the evidence base around bio-aerosol and infection control measures specifically in the context of dental education., Results: Using current knowledge of bio-aerosol and increasing understanding of the virus, dental educators can implement evidence-based measures to ensure safe teaching within both simulation and clinical environments., Discussion: This paper contextualises the current pandemic in a dental education setting by providing a critical appraisal of the challenges posed by SARS-CoV-2 and how these challenges may be managed., Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created unique challenges for dental schools worldwide. Dental educators have sought to identify these challenges and find solutions appropriate to the stage of the pandemic specific to their geographical location., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: To assess in each European country the correlation between the number of Network of Erasmus-Based European Orthodontic Postgraduate Programmes (NEBEOP) members and orthodontic research activity. Secondary objectives were to describe and quantify Europe's orthodontic research., Materials and Methods: Articles published between 2014 and 2018 in 4 major orthodontic journals (American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, European Journal of Orthodontics, The Angle Orthodontist, Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research) and oral presentation abstracts of five European Orthodontic Society (EOS) congresses were analysed. For each European country, the total number of orthodontic programmes and NEBEOP memberships were collected. Descriptive statistics were performed, and Spearman correlation coefficients and risk ratios were calculated., Results: 2039 articles and 261 oral presentation abstracts were included. Correlation coefficients between national number of publications, oral presentations, sum of these, all adjusted for population, and number of NEBEOP members in each country were 0.64, 0.65 and 0.62, respectively. Risk ratios were all above 1 and statistically significant for number of NEBEOP memberships per country, indicating positive associations with national orthodontic research productivity. Europe accounted for 30.5% of publications and 68.6% of oral presentations at EOS congresses during this period. European orthodontic research was not evenly distributed, since 9 countries were responsible for around 80% of the output., Conclusions: A positive association was found between number of NEBEOP programmes and national research activity. These results could be an additional argument to support similar pan-European initiatives and guidelines for postgraduate education, not only in orthodontics but in all other dental specialties., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Daybook is an enquiry-based teaching and learning approach that blends various adult learning theories. It is designed to equip and prepare a new graduate to do a designated job in the workplace. It supports the safe beginner to undertake high-level thinking that permits adaptation to unfamiliar challenges of the job, as well as use of continuous learning strategies to do the job better. Its aim is to support four main pedagogic pillars of learning: preparing for practice, educating for employability, enhancing capability over competence and lifelong learning., Methods: A study using three successive student cohorts evaluated the perceived sustained impact of Daybook on learners' clinical practice following graduation and entry into the workplace. Using a questionnaire with open-ended, opinion and closed questions, descriptive quantitative analysis was used on numerical data, and qualitative data underwent a deductive thematic analysis., Results: Quantitative and qualitative results supported one another to identify that the four pedagogic pillars of learning were all impacted positively by use of Daybook. Enhancing capability was the most influenced area. Each of the four areas, although discrete academic entities, demonstrated overlap and commonality., Conclusions: Although an academic exercise, Daybook is perceived to support users' undergraduate learning across the four domains of educating for employability, preparing for practice, enhancing capability and lifelong learning, and this impact sustains through the transition from student to independent practitioner when they qualify., (© 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Dental Education published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate dentists', dental hygienists' and dental assistants' competence in mentoring students and to identify distinct mentor profiles., Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using the Mentors' Competence Instrument (MCI), which includes 45 items structured under seven mentoring competence sub-dimensions. The data were collected during autumn 2017 from dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants working in the Finnish primary healthcare (n = 1097) using a paper survey, whilst dentists (n = 26) who have completed mentoring education in one university completed an electronic questionnaire. Cases with more than 5% missing data (n = 164) were listwise deleted, whilst the remaining data (n = 933) underwent analysis. K-mean clustering was used to identify significantly different mentor profiles, whilst comparisons of mentoring competence between the identified profiles were performed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests., Results: Three distinct mentor profiles (A, B and C) that differed in the level of mentoring competence were identified. The participants in profile A encompassed mostly dental assistants, profile B included mostly dental assistants and dentists, and profile C mainly comprised dentists and dental assistants. Profiles A, B and C differed significantly in terms of education, job title, role of mentor and participation in mentoring education. The largest difference in competence was observed between participants of profiles A and C. Each profile differed significantly from the other two across all seven competence areas. Most of the participants had not previously received any mentoring education., Conclusion: There is room for improvement in the competence of dentistry student mentors, especially regarding knowledge of effective mentoring practices, goal-oriented mentoring, mentor characteristics and motivation for mentoring. Every mentor that works with oral healthcare students should receive mentoring training., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper reports on the recent activity of the pan-European consensus of the ADEE Special Interest Group for Pre-Clinical Operative Skills. Following the previous recommendations from the group, and in order to support teachers and to harmonise the delivery of skills training across Europe, a more formal curriculum relating to pre-clinical operative skills needs to be created. This paper reports European consensus surrounding the categorisation (level of importance, and difficulty) of basic operative dental clinical skills within the undergraduate curriculum and provides recommendations relating to session structure and timing of curricular elements for basic operative dental clinical skills teaching., (© 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Dental Education published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptors (CELSRs) are involved in the progression of various types of cancer. CELSR3, a crucial signalling molecule in the WNT/PCP pathway, is believed to be associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In this paper, we analysed the expression of CELSR family members using the Oncomine, GEPIA and UALCAN databases. We used a Kaplan-Meier plotter to assess the effect of CELSRs on tumour prognosis. Next, gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway, miRNA target, kinase target and transcription factor-target enrichment were analysed by GSEA. Simultaneously, we conducted functional assays including cell viability, colony formation and transwell assays, to determine the oncogenic role of CELSR3 in LUAD. Finally, we used the TIMER and TISIDB databases to analyse the correlation between CELSR3 and immune infiltration and the potential chemokine receptor axis causing immune cell expression. High expression of CELSR3 is in LUAD predicts poor prognosis and early progression of the tumour. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis revealed the functional relationship between CELSR3 and cell adhesion, the cell cycle, and DNA replication. Down-regulation of CELSR3 suppressed cell proliferation to a significant extent, in addition to inhibiting invasion and migration in LUAD cells. Finally, CELSR3 expression was significantly correlated with the infiltration level of CD8+T cells through the CCL17/CCR4 axis in LUAD. These results indicate that CELSR3 can serve as a prognostic biomarker for determining prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: This study explores the lived experiences of carers of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), specifically in relation to their quality of life (QoL), through the use of images and narratives, with the aim of gaining a nuanced insight into the complex nature of QoL in the MS caregiving context., Design: Real-time qualitative design using the photovoice method., Methods: Twelve MS carers (aged 30-73 years) took photographs of objects/places/events that represented enhancement or compromise to their QoL and composed written narratives for each photograph based on their experiences of caregiving. In total, 126 photographs and their corresponding narratives were analysed using content analysis., Results: Seven inter-related themes were identified. MS caregiving-related challenges, sense of loss (e.g., loss of activities), emotional impact (e.g., feeling lonely), urge to escape, and sense of anxiety over the unpredictability of MS carer role were discussed in relation to the negative experiences that compromised their QoL. The themes precious moments (e.g., time spent with loved ones or hobbies) and helpful support (e.g., family and pets) encompassed participants' positive experiences that enhanced their QoL., Conclusions: Findings demonstrated the multi-faceted and complex nature of MS caregiver's QoL and highlighted that although the experiences of MS carers were mostly negative, there were also some positive aspects to caregiving, that helped enhance carers' QoL by ameliorating these negative experiences. These findings can be used to inform support programmes and enhance service provision for MS carers., (© 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Objectives: Screening can detect cancer earlier. Uptake of breast, cervical, and bowel cancer screening in England is below 75%. This study identifies the barriers and facilitators underpinning HCP screening behaviours which can support screening uptake, and reviews the design of real-world interventions targeting these, assessing for congruence between the two. The aim was to provide recommendations to improve the design of interventions., Design and Methods: Barriers/facilitators were identified by a literature review and qualitatively coded using the theoretical domains framework (TDF). Interventions were identified by stakeholders and coded using the behaviour change wheel and the taxonomy of behaviour change techniques. Congruence was assessed through comparing the intervention designs with behavioural science experts' recommendations which link the TDF domains to intervention design. Recommendations targeted missed opportunities., Results: Barriers/facilitators were extracted from 60 papers and most frequently coded to the TDF domains: environmental context and resources, knowledge and beliefs about consequences. Thirty-one interventions were identified, most frequently education, training or enablement functions, delivered via communication/marketing or service provision, and using BCTs designed to shape knowledge or highlight the consequences of or antecedents to screening. Intervention design was largely congruent with recommendations. However, there was less use of persuasion and modelling intervention functions and a reliance on BCTs such as providing instruction when other BCTs could be considered., Conclusions: Recommendations include to consider a broader range of intervention functions and BCTs, particularly for training interventions which should make use of recommended BCTs such as 'graded tasks'., (© 2020 British Psychological Society.)

Primary Objective: This paper reports on the personal experiences of loneliness for individuals living with brain injury., Research Design: This is a qualitative research design, employing semi-structured interviews and subsequent contextualist thematic analysis., Methods and Procedures: Eleven clients (two female and nine male, aged between 27 and 63 years) with brain injury participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was employed in the interpretation of the data., Main Outcomes and Results: The interview data and subsequent analysis depicted three overarching themes in a healing process - 'Internal Loneliness', 'Healing the Cracks', and 'Visible with Cracks'. Participants described five factors which contribute to their feeling of loneliness: trauma, social isolation, concealment, rejection of part of self, and invisibility of their disability. The participants' accounts also detailed the necessity of a therapeutic intervention and relationship to deal with and address some of these issues., Conclusions: This study highlights that processing the trauma, developing dialectical thinking, self-compassion, and a degree of self-acceptance assist in the movement of participants towards allowing themselves to be 'Visible with Cracks'. This allowance of self to be fully seen appears to serve an important function for reconnection with self and others. These results may help to inform brain injury rehabilitative care, through developing their understanding of the internal loneliness factors that may be influencing an individual's social isolation or social withdrawal., (© 2020 The British Psychological Society.)

Objectives: Consistent with behaviour observed in prior crises, individuals are stockpiling supplies during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The goal of this study was to describe stockpiling behaviour in response to COVID-19 and investigate individual predictors of stockpiling., Methods: Workers (N = 363, 54.72% male, 44.65% female, 0.63% other; M age  = 38.41, SD = 12.48, range = 18-78) were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed a survey about their stockpiling of 13 items, as well as behaviours and opinions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and their political affiliation., Results: Participants stockpiled, on average, approximately 6 items, and toilet paper was the item most commonly procured. Approximately 25% of the sample acquired a gun or other weapon in response to the pandemic and approximately 20% of participants stockpiled gold or other precious metals. Stockpiling was more commonly observed among individuals who were more conservative, worried more about the pandemic, and social distanced less., Conclusions: Individual, societal, and ideological implications are discussed., (© 2020 The British Psychological Society.)

Speech rhythm is considered one of the first windows into the native language, and the taxonomy of rhythm classes is commonly used to explain early language discrimination. Relying on formal rhythm classification is problematic for two reasons. First, it is not known to which extent infants' sensitivity to language variation is attributable to rhythm alone, and second, it is not known how infants discriminate languages not classified in any of the putative rhythm classes. Employing a central-fixation preference paradigm with natural stimuli, this study tested whether infants differentially attend to native versus nonnative varieties that differ only in temporal rhythm cues, and both of which are rhythmically unclassified. An analysis of total looking time did not detect any rhythm preferences at any age. First-look duration, arguably more closely reflecting infants' underlying perceptual sensitivities, indicated age-specific preferences for native versus non-native rhythm: 4-month-olds seemed to prefer the native-, and 6-month-olds the non-native language-variety. These findings suggest that infants indeed acquire native rhythm cues rather early, by the 4th month, supporting the theory that rhythm can bootstrap further language development. Our data on infants' processing of rhythmically unclassified languages suggest that formal rhythm classification does not determine infants' ability to discriminate language varieties., (© 2021 International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS).)

Naturally occurring high levels of caregiver touch promote offspring development in many animal species. Yet, caregiver touch remains a relatively understudied topic in human development, possibly due to challenges of measuring this means of interaction. While parental reports (e.g., questionnaires, diaries) are easy to collect, they may be subject to biases and memory limitations. In contrast, observing touch in a short session of parent-child interaction in the lab may not be representative of touch interaction in daily life. In the present study, we compared parent reports (one-off questionnaires and diary) and observation-based methods in a sample of German 6- to 13-month-olds and their primary caregivers (n = 71). In an attempt to characterize touching behaviors across a broad range of contexts, we measured touch both during play and while the parent was engaged in another activity. We found that context affected both the quantity and types of touch used in interaction. Parent-reported touch was moderately associated with touch observed in parent-child interactions and more strongly with touch used during play. We conclude that brief one-off questionnaires are a good indicator of touch in parent-child interaction, yet they may be biased toward representing particular daily activities and particular types of touch., (© 2021 The Authors. Infancy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Congress of Infant Studies.)

The use of computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing in the fabrication of complete removable dentures has demonstrated that the prostheses produced are superior in many ways to removable dentures produced using analog techniques. A variety of clinical workflows that take advantage of digital technology have been shown to shorten the number of appointments required to produce high quality prostheses. This paper presents an overview of additive manufacturing in contemporary removable complete denture workflows and describes effective three appointment clinical techniques using additive manufacturing to produce a clinical trial denture and definitive prosthesis., (© 2021 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

The development and expanded use of digital dentures has led to their use in the immediate loading of complete arch implant prostheses. This paper reviews the prosthetic complications that can occur with immediately loaded conversion prostheses along with the advantages afforded by digital dentures in minimizing or eliminating these complications. The process of using digital dentures in the fabrication of conversion dentures for immediate loading of complete arch implant prostheses is presented as well as the use of digital dentures for definitive prostheses. The described procedures include methods of obtaining clinical records, the fabrication of conversion dentures, the immediate loading procedure using a conversion prosthesis, and use of a conversion denture in the fabrication of a definitive prosthesis., (© 2021 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

Objectives: Birth season has been inconsistently associated with anthropometrics, bone fractures, and malocclusion. Our aim was to assess the association between birth season and anthropometrics (height, weight, birth weight), bone fractures and dental malocclusion in the United States., Methods: US surveys conducted between 1963-1973 assessed 16 152 6-to-21-year-old participants. Prevalence ratios and mean differences were estimated using linear models using fall as reference., Results: Participants born in spring, when compared to fall, were of similar height (mean difference (MD) in height-adjusted Z score 0.03, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -0.01 to 0.08; P-value = .17), weight (MD for weight-adjusted Z-score 0.00, 95% CI: -0.05 to 0.04; P-value =0.83), had similar rates of bone fractures (Prevalence Rate [PR] 1.07; 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.22; P-value = .28) and similar rates of dental malocclusion (MD of malocclusion index HLD -0.16; 95% confidence interval - 0.39 to 0.07; P = .18)., Conclusion: We did not find an impact of birth season on anthropometrics, bone fractures, and dental malocclusions., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: It is important to clarify the association of lean and fat mass between children and adolescents considering the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in this age group. The aim of this study was to verify the association between the body adiposity index (BAI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) methods for analyzing body composition, as well as analyzing the validity of BAI to verify the percentage of fat in children and adolescents., Methods: The sample was composed of 106 children and adolescents, 44 females (age: 11.5 ± 1.8 years) and 62 evils (13.6 ± 2.6 years). The body fat (%F) was measured using DXA and the doubly indirect BAI body fat estimation technique., Results: The BAI and DXA estimates of %F were strongly correlated (boys: r = .71, P < .0001; girls: r = .72, P < .0001). The linear regression analyses showed that BAI is significant to estimate the %F in total sample (P < .0001). For boys, the %F analyzes performed by BAI and DXA did not show any differences when compared (P = .2). In addition, BAI pointed out a significant proportion bias for both sexes (P < .0001), which suggests its inefficiency in the analysis of %F., Conclusions: BAI and DXA correlate; however, there is low reliability and a high proportion bias for the analysis of %F by BAI., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: Multiple regression approaches for estimating body mass by somatometry typically use stature and biiliocristal breadth. However, these measures were obtained largely from Europeans, Africans, and Indo-Mediterraneans, whereas mid-latitude Asians were not broadly reflected. Thus, new estimation formulas for circum-Pacific Asians were devised, and the accuracy was evaluated using raw individual data., Materials and Methods: Targeting Asians in the traditional society or before the 1960s and performing multiple regression analysis (MRA) with body weight as the objective variable, and stature, body breadth, and product of head length/breadth (HLBpr) as explanatory variables. The target population was divided into four climate groups, and the formulas were prepared for each sex or the combined-sexes., Results: The MRA by stature and body breadth indicated significant multiple correlation coefficients (R) in many formulas. R was higher in the combined-sexes. Among the four climate groups, the temperate group showed the highest R. In the East/Southeast Asians, R exceeded 0.8 in the MRA by stature and HLBpr. Substituting the raw data of 19th-century Japanese males, the temperate group formulas presented the least error, and the error in all the formulas using body breadth was <2 kg., Conclusions: As body mass index varies significantly depending on some climatic factors, estimation formulas mixed with various climate groups are not desirable because of the large errors. For the mid-latitude Asians, the temperate group formulas are expected to have a smaller error; however, in the group where the proportion of underweight individuals was originally high, any formula tends to be overestimated., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The African black soap is popular for its cleansing and medicinal properties particularly amongst those of African descent. The "traditional" African black soap" refers to soaps made from the ash-derived alkali from agricultural waste and oil extracted from vegetable matter without the addition of cosmetic enhancing products. Production of black soap has been traced to west Africa especially Nigeria and Ghana. The raw materials are readily available in the region making the soap available and affordable for most in sub-Saharan Africa. It has been described as gentle, super fatted and hypoallergenic. It is advertised as antimicrobial, anti-acne, exfoliating, skin toning, scar fading, and having medicinal properties. It is popular for its management of skin diseases, although some of the claims remain anecdotal. Generations of Africans abroad continue to use modified versions of the soap and claim they are satisfied with the results obtained. However, in the management of patients with skin disorders, especially eczema, in sub-Saharan Africa, prescribing an ideal skin cleanser can be challenging as many cannot afford the imported nonsoap cleansers with skin friendly pH. Studies have shown that the traditional black soap does have antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcal and some Streptococcal organisms, which are commonly seen in the tropical climate. The recent ban of some antiseptics in popular antibacterial soaps in this environment, emphasizes the need for production of safer antimicrobials. The antimicrobial, physiochemical, and phytochemical properties of the African black soap suggest it may have beneficial effects on the overall skin health., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatologic disorders affects people of all races and ethnicities and has many adverse effects on the quality of life. The increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics has reduced the effectiveness of treatment with these agents. There is an increasing focus on the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of acne. This study investigates the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an antioxidant in the treatment of acne vulgaris. This systematic review was conducted through a search in databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo, and Medline using keywords including acne vulgaris, anti and NAC, and all the keywords associated with each of the subtitles. The factors affecting the occurrence and expansion of acne include increased sebum synthesis, hyperkeratinization of pilosebaceous units, colonization with Propionibacterium acnes, and increased release of inflammatory mediators and ROS. Studies have shown that glutathione stimulation following the administration of NAC increases glutathione levels for the detoxification of oxygen-free radicals. Moreover, NAC prevents the synthesis and release of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, MP9, and IL-1β and has shown antibacterial activities against important bacteria including E. coli, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella. This medication has anti-proliferative effects and is also used for excoriation and PCOD. The results of the present study showed the beneficial effects of using NAC in patients with acne vulgaris in terms of the disease complications and comorbidities. Given its diverse functional mechanisms, this medication can be used to treat acne and its consequences., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Antibiotics, particularly clindamycin and erythromycin, are used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. However, emerging antibiotic-resistant strains have been an important problem. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety of a novel water-soluble herbal acne patch (WHAP) compared with the hydrocolloid acne patch (HAP) in mild to moderate inflammatory acne patients. The randomized, assessor-blind controlled, intra-individual split-face study was performed on 49 acne patients. The clinical outcomes were evaluated on day 2, 4, 7, 9, and 11 of treatment. It was shown that the median time to resolution of the inflammatory acne treated with WHAP was shorter than HAP with a statistically significant difference (WHAP was 4 days, whereas HAP was 6 days) (P value <.001). Moreover, WHAP had a more significant decrease in the rate of inflammatory diameter, erythema scores (by clinical and colorimetry), and a more increase in the rate of lightness scores (by colorimetry) than HAP (P value <.05). No adverse effects were reported in both groups. It is safe to use WHAP as an alternative treatment for inflammatory acne., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Technology presents a means of improving health outcomes for vast numbers of individuals. It has historically been deployed to streamline healthcare delivery and reach those who would previously have faced obstacles to accessing services. It has also enabled improved health education and management. Telemedicine can be employed in everything from primary care consultations to the monitoring of chronic diseases. Despite recommendation by the World Health Organization, countries have been slow to embrace such technology in the health sector. Nonetheless, it is expected to become more prevalent with increased digitization. Further, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rush to implement forms of telemedicine where possible to prevent patients breaking social distancing rules. In this paper, I present and defend what I term the 'telemedical imperative'. The telemedical imperative represents a duty for healthcare systems to implement remote access to services where possible, thereby furthering the mission of equity in access to healthcare. It is intended as an addition to in-person services rather than a replacement. After highlighting the benefits of telemedicine, I provide four criteria that must be met for the telemedical imperative to arise. The first three-safety, effectiveness, and acceptability-are consistent and essential. The fourth adapts to the service in question and requires that there be no other obstacles specific to that service that cannot reasonably be overcome. Finally, I address several potential objections to the telemedical imperative based on more general concerns around the implementation of telemedicine., (© 2021 The Authors. Bioethics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Many studies, across various disciplines, have confirmed that artistic and cultural programs can significantly improve the experience of persons with dementia. While drawing on this data, this paper takes a different angle. It asks what lessons art practiced in the context of dementia care can teach us, as thinkers, carers, policymakers, friends, and all those with the interests of people with dementia at heart. It then argues that these lessons are threefold: firstly, they teach a strikingly actual lesson on the contemporary theories of rationality; secondly, and most importantly, they are a valuable lesson about what we owe each other, about the meaning of solidarity, citizenship, and the fundamental features of a decent society, and thirdly, they give an unusual insight into the theory of art and its meaning in the constitution of solidarity. All of these arguments amount to the conclusion that social practices of solidarity can be salutary both to persons with dementia, and also to the paradoxes of contemporary healthcare and some of the maladies of today's society. Fulfilment of the duties of solidarity (for example, by introducing participatory art programs in dementia care settings) does not require major financial expense. It does, however, require a lot of moral imagination, for which this paper advocates., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Most ethics guidelines for distributing scarce medical resources during the coronavirus pandemic seek to save the most lives and the most life-years. A patient's prognosis is determined using a SOFA or MSOFA score to measure likelihood of survival to discharge, as well as a consideration of relevant comorbidities and their effects on likelihood of survival up to one or five years. Although some guidelines use age as a tiebreaker when two patients' prognoses are identical, others refuse to consider age for fear of discriminating against the elderly. In this paper, I argue that age is directly relevant for maximizing health benefits, so current ethics guidelines are wrongly excluding or deemphasizing life-stage in their triage algorithms. Research on COVID-19 has shown that age is a risk factor in adverse outcomes, independent of comorbidities. And limiting a consideration of life-years to only one or five years past discharge does not maximize health benefits. Therefore, based on their own stated values, triage algorithms for coronavirus patients ought to include life-stage as a primary consideration, along with the SOFA score and comorbidities, rather than excluding it or using it merely as a tiebreaker. This is not discriminatory because patients ought to have equal opportunity to experience life-stages. The equitable enforcement of that right justifies unequal treatment based on age in cases when there is a scarcity of life-saving resources. A consideration of life-stage would thus allow healthcare workers to responsibly steward public resources in order to maximize lives and life-years saved., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Iran is one of the earliest countries involved with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the present short report, we have presented our experiences as a cardiovascular tertiary center during the COVID-19 outbreak. At the beginning, we have pursued our activities in four field of administrative, preventative, therapeutic, and research. Then by gaining new experiences, we have tailored our strategies. Finally, we have described our challenges and future strategies on returning to normal activities., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in December 2019, presumed from the city of Wuhan, Hubei province in China, and the subsequent declaration of the disease as a pandemic by the World Health Organization as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in March 2020, had a significant impact on health care systems globally. Each country responded to this disease in different ways, however this was done broadly by fortifying and prioritizing health care provision as well as introducing social lockdown aiming to contain the infection and minimizing the risk of transmission. In the United Kingdom, a lockdown was introduced by the government on March 23, 2020 and all health care services were focussed to challenge the impact of COVID-19. To do so, the United Kingdom National Health Service had to undergo widespread service reconfigurations and the so-called "Nightingale Hospitals" were created de novo to bolster bed provision, and industries were asked to direct efforts to the production of ventilators. A government-led public health campaign was publicized under the slogan of: "Stay home, Protect the NHS (National Health Service), Save lives." The approach had a significant impact on the delivery of all surgical services but particularly cardiac surgery with its inherent critical care bed capacity. This paper describes the impact on provision for elective and emergency cardiac surgery in the United Kingdom, with a focus on aortovascular disease. We describe our aortovascular activity and outcomes during the period of UK lockdown and present a patient survey of attitudes to aortic surgery during COVID-19 pandemic., (The Authors. Journal of Cardiac Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) captured worldwide attention as the virus spread from initial detection as a pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, China in December 2019 to the declaration of a pandemic by the WHO only 3 months later. This paper describes the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac surgery services in the greater Los Angeles area. Discussion includes public health response to the pandemic, how local hospitals reacted to the expected surge in patients with COVID, the establishment of telemedicine services, and the projected future impact on California healthcare as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAD) during pregnancy is a life-threatening event for both the mother and the unborn baby. Pregnancy has been recognized as an independent risk factor for TAAD, postulated to be due to physiological changes that cause hyperdynamic circulation. This review seeks to outline the current controversies around this unique group., Methods: A comprehensive literature search was carried out across large databases to assimilate relevant papers regarding acute aortic dissection in pregnant women., Results: The presentation can be atypical in many cases and further concern from clinicians of fetal radiation exposure can result in missed or delayed diagnoses. Investigation via the quickest form of imaging, whether computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or transesophageal echocardiography, should be carried out promptly due to the high risk of mortality. Surgical management of TAAD in pregnancy revolves primarily around the decision to deliver the fetus concomitantly or to perform the aortic repair with the fetus in utero., Conclusions: Management of this group includes rapid and dynamic assessment without delay. From conception to postpartum, there are multiple stages in which to manage these women. Challenges in carrying out management in the form of operative techniques and cardiopulmonary bypass place the fetus at risk and must be approached with caution, particularly as there is little evidence-base for many of these decisions. Further research into reducing maternal and fetal mortality is necessary., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Non-A non-B aortic dissections are an infrequent occurrence and represent a small proportion of aortic dissections. Treating this life-threatening medical emergency often requires surgeons to undertake some one of the most challenging surgical or endovascular cases in medicine. This literature review aims to define and classify non-A non-B dissections, describe their epidemiology as well as their pathology. This review also aims to discuss the range of surgical techniques employed in their treatment and management and to investigate the patient outcomes associated with each technique., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Cardiac Surgery Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cell cultures are indispensable for both basic and applied research. Advancements in cell culture and analysis increase their utility for basic research and translational applications. A marked development in this direction is advent of three-dimensional (3D) cultures. The extent of advancement in 3D cell culture methods over the past decade has warranted referring to a single cell type being cultured as an aggregate or spheroid using simple scaffolds as "traditional." In recent years, the development of "next-generation" devices has enabled cultured cells to mimic their natural environments much better than the traditional 3D culture systems. Automated platforms like chip-based devices, magnetic- and acoustics-based assembly devices, di-electrophoresis (DEP), micro pocket cultures (MPoC), and 3D bio-printing provide a dynamic environment compared to the rather static conditions of the traditional simple scaffold-based 3D cultures. Chip-based technologies, which are centered on principles of microfluidics, are revolutionizing the ways in which cell culture and analysis can be compacted into table-top instruments. A parallel evolution in analytical devices enabled efficient assessment of various complex physiological and pathological endpoints. This is augmented by concurrent development of software enabling rapid large-scale automated data acquisition and analysis like image cytometry, elastography, optical coherence tomography, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and biosensors. The techniques and devices utilized for the purpose of 3D cell culture and subsequent analysis depend primarily on the requirement of the study. We present here an in-depth account of the devices for obtaining and analyzing 3D cell cultures., (© 2021 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.)

Cell culture media used in CHO-based biologic processes are typically sterile filtered to prevent microbial contamination prior to inoculation. In this study, the impact of common sterile filter throughput on a different, commercially available cell culture media was evaluated from the intermediate-adsorption fouling model of the filtration model. The key particle size range for optimum filter performance was discussed and identified by measuring the submicron order particle size distribution. It may be possible to predict the performance of filter capacity with size-exclusive separation by understanding the media particle counts and size distribution., (© 2021 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.)

Introduction and Aims: Following several deaths due to drug overdoses at music festivals in Australia, pill testing (or drug checking) has been proposed as a means of reducing the risk to young people. However, pill testing is a politically controversial policy in Australia. This paper examines the political dimension to the debate, its relationship with other social issues and how it divides party supporters., Design and Methods: The data come from the 2019 Australian Election Study survey-a large (n = 2179), nationally weighted representative probability survey conducted immediately after the federal election. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to identify the social groups, attitudes and vote preferences most associated with public views about pill testing., Results: Almost two-thirds of the public support pill testing at music festivals. The young and those who do not attend church are most likely to express support. Supporters of other liberal social opinions, such as the legalisation of marijuana, are also strongly supportive of pill testing. Those who vote for one of the two main conservative parties are less likely to support pill testing., Discussion and Conclusions: While a majority of the public support pill testing, beyond the Australian Capital Territory this has not translated into policy in other jurisdictions. The results show that there is a high level of political polarisation surrounding opinions among both voters and political elites. This issue must be addressed if the policy is to be advanced as part of an overall harm reduction approach to drug use., (© 2020 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Introduction and Aims: The collection of routine outcome measurement (ROM) data provides an opportunity for service providers to conduct benchmarking to inform quality assurance practices. To conduct comparative benchmarking, it is important that services have access to comparative data. This paper aims to establish effectiveness indicators for ROM data collected within the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector., Design and Methods: ROM data were collected by specialist non-government AOD treatment services within the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies online database (i.e. NADAbase). All participants were attending treatment within New South Wales, Australia (N = 21 572). Effectiveness indicators were calculated by using effect sizes, standard error of measurement, and rates of reliable and clinically significant change. The study focused on quality of life (EUROHIS Quality of Life Scale), psychological distress (Kessler-10) and substance dependence (Substance Dependence Scale)., Results: Since 2010, 21 572 unique people have completed at least one NADAbase Client Outcome Measure. Amphetamines (36%) and alcohol (32%) were the most commonly reported primary substances of concern. Effectiveness indicators were established for the total sample, as well as for people attending residential rehabilitation (n = 8161) and community-based (n = 10 306) treatment services. Standard error of measurement was the least stringent effectiveness indicator (i.e. a higher proportion of people demonstrated improvement), while the clinically significant change was the most stringent approach., Discussion and Conclusions: The study demonstrated the utility of the NADAbase to establish effectiveness indicators for benchmarking purposes. Recommendations are provided for the use of benchmarking to inform quality assurance activities in the sector., (© 2020 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Introduction and Aims: Youth substance use is declining in many high-income countries. As adolescent substance use becomes less common, it may concentrate in higher-risk groups. This paper aims to examine how the psychosocial characteristics of young substance users in England have changed over time., Design and Methods: Annual cross-sectional data from the 2001-2014 Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England survey are analysed (n = 112 792, age: 11-15). Logistic and Poisson regression analyses are used to test whether the sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and prevalence of truancy and exclusion from school of those who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, take cannabis, take other drugs and engage in poly-substance use changed across the study period., Results: Use of all substances decreased and there were shifts in the psychosocial characteristics of young smokers, illicit drug users and poly-substance users. The proportion of current smokers and ever-users of cannabis of low SES and who had been excluded increased significantly between 2001/2003-2014. The proportion of last month drug users who had been excluded from school also increased significantly and there were increases in the proportion of polysubstance-users who had truanted and been excluded. The proportion of low SES alcohol users who had been excluded also increased significantly, but this change was very small. There was no evidence of substance use becoming more or less concentrated in one gender., Discussion and Conclusions: There is some evidence that smoking, illicit drug use and poly-substance use are becoming more concentrated in potentially at risk populations. There is limited evidence of concentration amongst young drinkers., (© 2020 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Introduction: This paper compares consequences of cannabis use initiated after high school with those of cannabis initiation in adolescence, with estimates of the proportion of adverse consequences accounted for by adult-onset and adolescent-onset cannabis users., Methods: A state-representative sample in Victoria, Australia (n = 1792) participated in a 10-wave longitudinal study and was followed from age 15 to 35 years. Exposure variable: Patterns of cannabis use across 20 years. Outcomes at age 35: Alcohol use, smoking, illicit drug use, relationship status, financial hardship, depression, anxiety and employment status., Results: Substantially more participants (13.6%) initiated regular use after high school (young-adult onset) than in adolescence (7.7%, adolescent onset). By the mid-30s, both young-adult and adolescent-onset regular users were more likely than minimal/non-users (63.5%) to have used other illicit drugs (odds ratio [OR] > 20.4), be a high-risk alcohol drinker (OR > 3.7), smoked daily (OR > 7.2) and less likely to be in relationships (OR < 0.4). As the prevalence of the young-adult-onset group was nearly double of the adolescent-onset group, it accounted for a higher proportion of adverse consequences than the adolescent-onset group., Discussion and Conclusions: Cannabis users who began regular use in their teens had poorer later life outcomes than non-using peers. The larger group who began regular cannabis use after leaving high school accounted for most cannabis-related harms in adulthood. Given the legalisation of cannabis use in an increasing number of jurisdictions, we should increasingly expect harms from cannabis use to lie in those commencing use in young adulthood., (© 2021 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Semantic composition in language must be closely related to semantic composition in thought. But the way the two processes are explained differs considerably. Focusing primarily on propositional content, language theorists generally take semantic composition to be a truth-conditional process. Focusing more on extensional content, cognitive theorists take it to be a form of concept combination. But though deep, this disconnect is not irreconcilable. Both areas of theory assume that extensional (i.e., denotational) meanings must play a role. As this article demonstrates, they also have the potential to fulfill a mediative function. What is shown is that extensional meanings are themselves inherently compositional. On this basis, it becomes possible to model semantic composition without assuming the existence of any specifically linguistic/conceptual apparatus. Examples are presented to demonstrate this direct style of modeling. Abstract connections between composition in thought and language can then be made, raising the prospect of a more unified, theoretical account of semantic composition., (© 2021 The Authors. Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Cognitive Science Society (CSS).)

A prominent hypothesis holds that by speaking to infants in infant-directed speech (IDS) as opposed to adult-directed speech (ADS), parents help them learn phonetic categories. Specifically, two characteristics of IDS have been claimed to facilitate learning: hyperarticulation, which makes the categories more separable, and variability, which makes the generalization more robust. Here, we test the separability and robustness of vowel category learning on acoustic representations of speech uttered by Japanese adults in ADS, IDS (addressed to 18- to 24-month olds), or read speech (RS). Separability is determined by means of a distance measure computed between the five short vowel categories of Japanese, while robustness is assessed by testing the ability of six different machine learning algorithms trained to classify vowels to generalize on stimuli spoken by a novel speaker in ADS. Using two different speech representations, we find that hyperarticulated speech, in the case of RS, can yield better separability, and that increased between-speaker variability in ADS can yield, for some algorithms, more robust categories. However, these conclusions do not apply to IDS, which turned out to yield neither more separable nor more robust categories compared to ADS inputs. We discuss the usefulness of machine learning algorithms run on real data to test hypotheses about the functional role of IDS., (© 2021 The Authors. Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Cognitive Science Society (CSS).)