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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has dramatically advanced non-invasive human brain mapping and decoding. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) non-invasively measure blood oxygen fluctuations related to brain activity, like fMRI, at the brain surface, using more-lightweight equipment that circumvents ergonomic and logistical limitations of fMRI. HD-DOT grids have smaller inter-optode spacing (~ 13 mm) than sparse fNIRS (~ 30 mm) and therefore provide higher image quality, with spatial resolution ~ 1/2 that of fMRI, when using the several source-detector distances (13–40 mm) afforded by the HD-DOT grid. Herein, simulations indicated reducing inter-optode spacing to 6.5 mm, creating a higher-density grid with more source-detector distances, would further improve image quality and noise-resolution tradeoff, with diminishing returns below 6.5 mm. We then constructed an ultra-high-density DOT system (6.5-mm spacing) with 140 dB dynamic range that imaged stimulus-evoked activations with 30–50% higher spatial resolution and repeatable multi-focal activity with excellent agreement with participant-matched fMRI. Further, this system decoded visual stimulus position with 19–35% lower error than previous HD-DOT, throughout occipital cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) involves the administration of medication and in-person monitoring by a healthcare team alongside the patient to improve adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Implementing DOT requires healthcare professionals, transportation, time dedication, and presence at the patient's residence. Meeting all these conditions is not always possible to address the high demand of TB patients who would benefit from this supervision. Video Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) is a telecare platform created to remotely oversee the treatment of TB patients, allowing them to daily record medication intake, as prescribed, using their cell phones, clarify doubts, and facilitate communication with the healthcare team providing support. The medication intake data is recorded and accessible to healthcare professionals who monitor adherence remotely. The investigation reported in this work was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, from May 5, 2020, to May 4, 2023, across five healthcare units. During the study period, 26,253 medication intake videos were collected and sent from 259 patients. Regarding the outcome reported by supervisors, only 9.7% of patients had their VDOT follow-up terminated due to abandonment, while the Cure/Treatment completion rate was 57.5%. Regarding adherence to the established treatment period for TB and for each patient in their specific situation, 67% of patients completed more than 66% of the treatment. The data suggested good acceptance of the system by both patients and healthcare professionals. VDOT may be a promising tool that complements TB DOT, extending its reach to improve adherence and reduce abandonment rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban growth patterns occur in various ways with tangible practical consequences. A key dilemma with regard to development and transportation revolves around whether the former follows the latter or vice versa. This study assessed this nexus with transit-oriented development (TOD) and development-oriented development (DOT) cases by using the land use/land cover (LU/LC) classification technique in a developing country example of a city in Turkey. Spatial data included high-resolution Sentinel 2A, Rapid Eye, and two SPOT satellite images and CORONA air photos acquired in 2021, 2013, 2000, 1989, and 1979, respectively, within three buffer zones (500, 750, and 1000 m) for both development forms. While the study acknowledges unorthodox TOD selection criteria and generalizability concerns, the results demonstrate that the TOD drastically reduced green areas (as opposed to ideal TOD requirements), while the DOT excessively grew commercial land uses and street networks. Both developments commonly impaired agricultural, vacant, and water land use. Such transformations direct local governments, transit agencies, and city planners to resolve ideal sustainable urban growth patterns by using remote sensing data and quantitative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlined is a proposal designed to culminate in the foundry fabrication of arrays of singly addressable quantum dot sources deterministically emitting single pairs of energy-time entangled photons at C-band wavelengths, each pair having negligible spin-orbit fine structure splitting, each pair being channeled into single mode pig-tail optical fibers. Entangled photons carry quantum state information among distributed quantum servers via I/O ports having two functions: the unconditionally secure distribution of decryption keys to decrypt publicly distributed, encrypted classical bit streams as input to generate corresponding qubit excitations and to convert a stream of quantum nondemolition measurements of qubit states into a classical bit stream. Outlined are key steps necessary to fabricate arrays of on-demand quantum dot sources of entangled photon pairs; the principles are (1) foundry fabrication of arrays of isolated quantum dots, (2) generation of localized sub-surface shear strain in a semiconductor stack, (3) a cryogenic anvil cell, (4) channeling entangled photons into single-mode optical fibers, (5) unconditionally secure decryption key distribution over the fiber network, (6) resonant excitation of a Josephson tunnel junction qubits from classical bits, and (7) conversion of quantum nondemolition measurements of qubit states into a classical bit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Telecommunications Science is the property of Beijing Xintong Media Co., Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Video-enabled directly observed therapy (video-DOT) has been proposed as an additional option for treatment provision besides in-person DOT for patients with drug-resistant TB (DRTB) disease. However, evidence and implementation experience mainly originate from well-resourced contexts. This study describes the operationalization of video-DOT in a low-resourced setting in Eswatini facing a high burden of HIV and TB amid the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This is a retrospectively established cohort of patients receiving DRTB treatment during the implementation of video-DOT in Shiselweni from May 2020 to March 2022. We described intervention uptake (vs. in-person DOT) and assessed unfavorable DRTB treatment outcome (death, loss to care) using Kaplan-Meier statistics and multivariable Cox-regression models. Video-related statistics were described with frequencies and medians. We calculated the fraction of expected doses observed (FEDO) under video-DOT and assessed associations with missed video uploads using multivariable Poisson regression analysis. Results Of 71 DRTB patients eligible for video-DOT, the median age was 39 (IQR 30–54) years, 31.0% (n = 22) were women, 67.1% (n = 47/70) were HIV-positive, and 42.3% (n = 30) were already receiving DRTB treatment when video-DOT became available. About half of the patients (n = 37; 52.1%) chose video-DOT, mostly during the time when COVID-19 appeared in Eswatini. Video-DOT initiations were lower in new DRTB patients (aHR 0.24, 95% CI 0.12–0.48) and those aged ≥ 60 years (aHR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08–0.89). Overall, 20,634 videos were uploaded with a median number of 553 (IQR 309–748) videos per patient and a median FEDO of 92% (IQR 84–97%). Patients aged ≥ 60 years were less likely to miss video uploads (aIRR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01–0.51). The cumulative Kaplan-Meier estimate of an unfavorable treatment outcome among all patients was 0.08 (95% CI 0.03–0.19), with no differences detected by DOT approach and other baseline factors in multivariable analysis. Conclusions Implementing video-DOT for monitoring of DRTB care provision amid the intersection of the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics seemed feasible. Digital health technologies provide additional options for patients to choose their preferred way to support treatment taking, thus possibly increasing patient-centered health care while sustaining favorable treatment outcomes.

Asiya Jabeen,1 Doerte Luensmann,1 Jill Woods,1 Jennifer S Hill,2 Lyndon Jones1 1Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada; 2SightGlass Vision, Inc, Palo Alto, CA, USACorrespondence: Asiya Jabeen, Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, Tel +1 519-888-5467, Ext. 36210, Fax +1 519-888-4303, Email ajabeen@uwaterloo.caPurpose: To evaluate the impact on the lag of accommodation (LOA) in emmetropic children after short-term wear of full-field Diffusion Optics TechnologyTM (DOT) spectacle lenses, designed to modulate retinal contrast to control myopia progression.Patients and Methods: This was a single-visit, prospective, randomized, subject-masked study of emmetropes (ametropes ± 1.00D or less in each meridian) with no history of myopia control treatment. Unaided logMAR visual acuity was measured, and ocular dominance was determined using the sighting method. In a randomized order, participants wore plano full-field contrast management (DOT) spectacles (no clear central aperture) or control spectacles (standard single vision spectacle lenses). Each participant was given 5 minutes for adaptation to the respective lenses before open field autorefraction measurements were taken at 6 meters and 40 cm. Ten measurements were taken for each eye. Data were evaluated from the right eye and the dominant eye separately.Results: A total of 30 participants (20 females and 10 males) with a mean age of 10.4 ± 2.8 (7 to 17) years completed the study. There was no significant difference in right eye mean LOA with contrast management spectacles 0.57 ± 0.39D versus control spectacles 0.62 ± 0.34D; Wilcoxon test, p = 0.37. For dominant eyes, LOA values were 0.60 ± 0.40D and 0.68 ± 0.33D with contrast management spectacles and control spectacles, respectively (p = 0.14). Additionally, no significant difference was observed in mean LOA between males and females or between age groups (7– 11 years vs 12– 17 years) for either right or dominant eyes with contrast management or control spectacles (all p > 0.05).Conclusion: Full-field contrast management spectacle lenses had no significant effect on LOA compared to standard single vision spectacle lenses, indicating no differential impact on accommodative response over the short period of lens wear tested.Keywords: myopia, children, accommodation, contrast, spectacles, Diffusion Optics Technology, DOT, contrast management optics

BACKGROUND: The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) conducted a two-year process of literature review, writing, discussion, and debate within a panel of four subject matter experts in design, administration, and interpretation of Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE). This process resulted in a Best Practice Guidelines document which was then adopted by the APTA. OBJECTIVE: This article provides additional clarification regarding best practices and standard methodology for functional capacity evaluations including standard terminology for use by physical therapists and vocational rehabilitation professionals in determining the types of work a patient has the capacity of performing. METHODS: The clarification of the role of the FCE, who is qualified to conduct an FCE, complexities such as 'good effort' and pain in the evaluation process, clarification of terms from different government agencies, and the implications for disability determination are discussed. RESULTS: Specific guidelines for best practice with FCE are suggested and demonstrated through case studies. CONCLUSION: The best practice guidelines are detailed here to set forth qualification standards for FCE examiners and to promote clinical excellence, accountability, and consistency in the design, administration, and interpretation of FCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate sensor placement is vital for non-invasive brain imaging, particularly for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and diffuse optical tomography (DOT), which lack standardized layouts such as those in electroencephalography (EEG). Custom, manually prepared probe layouts on textile caps are often imprecise and labor intensive. We introduce a method for creating personalized, 3D-printed headgear, enabling the accurate translation of 3D brain coordinates to 2D printable panels for custom fNIRS and EEG sensor layouts while reducing costs and manual labor. Our approach uses atlas-based or subject-specific head models and a springrelaxation algorithm for flattening 3D coordinates onto 2D panels, using 10-5 EEG coordinates for reference. This process ensures geometrical fidelity, crucial for accurate probe placement. Probe geometries and holder types are customizable and printed directly on the cap, making the approach agnostic to instrument manufacturers and probe types. Our ninjaCap method offers 2.7 x 1.8 mm probe placement accuracy. Over the last five years, we have developed and validated this approach with over 50 cap models and 500 participants. A cloud-based ninjaCap generation pipeline along with detailed instructions is now available at openfnirs.org. The ninjaCap marks a significant advancement in creating individualized neuroimaging caps, reducing costs and labor while improving probe placement accuracy, thereby reducing variability in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Video-enabled directly observed therapy (video-DOT) has been proposed as an additional option for treatment provision besides in-person DOT for patients with drug-resistant TB (DRTB) disease. However, evidence and implementation experience mainly originate from well-resourced contexts. This study describes the operationalization of video-DOT in a low-resourced setting in Eswatini facing a high burden of HIV and TB amid the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a retrospectively established cohort of patients receiving DRTB treatment during the implementation of video-DOT in Shiselweni from May 2020 to March 2022. We described intervention uptake (vs. in-person DOT) and assessed unfavorable DRTB treatment outcome (death, loss to care) using Kaplan-Meier statistics and multivariable Cox-regression models. Video-related statistics were described with frequencies and medians. We calculated the fraction of expected doses observed (FEDO) under video-DOT and assessed associations with missed video uploads using multivariable Poisson regression analysis. Results: Of 71 DRTB patients eligible for video-DOT, the median age was 39 (IQR 30–54) years, 31.0% (n = 22) were women, 67.1% (n = 47/70) were HIV-positive, and 42.3% (n = 30) were already receiving DRTB treatment when video-DOT became available. About half of the patients (n = 37; 52.1%) chose video-DOT, mostly during the time when COVID-19 appeared in Eswatini. Video-DOT initiations were lower in new DRTB patients (aHR 0.24, 95% CI 0.12–0.48) and those aged ≥ 60 years (aHR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08–0.89). Overall, 20,634 videos were uploaded with a median number of 553 (IQR 309–748) videos per patient and a median FEDO of 92% (IQR 84–97%). Patients aged ≥ 60 years were less likely to miss video uploads (aIRR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01–0.51). The cumulative Kaplan-Meier estimate of an unfavorable treatment outcome among all patients was 0.08 (95% CI 0.03–0.19), with no differences detected by DOT approach and other baseline factors in multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Implementing video-DOT for monitoring of DRTB care provision amid the intersection of the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics seemed feasible. Digital health technologies provide additional options for patients to choose their preferred way to support treatment taking, thus possibly increasing patient-centered health care while sustaining favorable treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Après un examen attentif des codes des personnes et de la famille de certains pays africains, il en ressort que les législateurs de ces Etats adoptent, pour contrer sa dénaturation, deux positions opposées. De ces positions, l’une prône la suppression pure et simple de la dot de leurs codes des personnes et de la famille. Il s’agit notamment, des législateurs du Gabonais, de la Côte d’Ivoirien et du Burkinabè. Toutefois, en dépit de toutes les justifications qui ont mené jusqu’à la suppression de celle-ci, mais, que constatons-nous sinon que cet effort, n’a pas atteint le but qu’il visait, à savoir, enrayer autant que cela le permet, cette pratique anachronique.

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

En aquest article documentem les principals expressions jurídiques de dret matrimonial que apareixen al llarg de la història expressades en el document principal anomenat ketubah (escrit) que el marit lliura a l’esposa per comprar-la en matrimoni. Les documentem en la seva llengua original, arameu i hebreu, n’aportem una traducció a la llengua catalana i descrivim la seva posició dins la ketubah i el seu significat. Per això farem prèviament un breu recorregut per les pàgines del Primer Testament. Assenyalarem especialment els primers segles després de Crist, perquè és quan el rabinisme fixa amb detall les qüestions jurídiques més definitives que serviran fins a l’edat mitjana i encara als nostres dies, almenys en el judaisme ortodox. Volem mostrar l’evolució que els diversos elements jurídics han tingut al llarg dels temps. No tindrem en compte els elements jurídics que en l’antigor han usat i usen tant els caraïtes (s. VIII-XX) com els sabateus (s. XVII-XIX) i les diverses formes de judaisme modern, com ara el reformat, el conservador o el reconstruccionista, cosa que no impedirà que aquí i allí hi puguem fer alguna referència. Ens hem servit sobretot de l’obra cabdal en aquesta matèria, The Jewish Marriage Contract. A Study in the Status of Woman in Jewish Law (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1927), de Louis M. Epstein, tenint en compte, és clar, el que posteriorment s’ha escrit sobre el tema, degut a les troballes a Naḥal Ḥeber i a Qumran, juntament amb els estudis, sobretot, de Menahem Elon, Shmuel Safrai i la mateixa Encyclopaedia Judaica (Skolnik i Berenbaum, 2007).

Abstract Background In 2017, the WHO recommended the use of digital technologies, such as medication monitors and video observed treatment (VOT), for directly observed treatment (DOT) of drug-susceptible TB. The WHO’s 2020 guidelines extended these recommendations to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), based on low evidence. The impact of COVID on health systems and patients underscored the need to use digital technologies in the management of MDR-TB. Methods A decision-tree model was developed to explore the costs of several potential DOT alternatives: VOT, 99DOTS (Directly-observed Treatment, Short-course) and family-observed DOT. Assuming a 9-month, all-oral regimen (as evaluated within the STREAM trial), we constructed base-case cost models for the standard-of-care DOTs in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda, as well as for the three alternative DOT approaches. The models were populated with STREAM Stage 2 clinical trial outcome and cost data, supplemented with market prices data for the digital DOT strategies. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on key parameters. Results Modelling suggested that the standard-of-care DOT approach is the most expensive DOT strategy from a societal perspective in all three countries evaluated (Ethiopia, India, Uganda), with considerable direct- and indirect-costs incurred by patients. The second most expensive DOT approach is VOT, with high health-system costs, largely caused by up-front technology expenditure. Each of VOT, 99DOTS and family-observed DOT would reduce by more than 90% patients’ direct and indirect costs compared to standard of care DOT. Results were robust to the sensitivity analyses. Conclusions While data on the costs and efficacy of alternative DOT approaches in the context of shorter MDR-TB treatment is limited, our modelling suggests alternative DOT approaches can significantly reduce patient costs in all three countries. Health system costs are higher for VOT and lower for 99DOTS and family-observed therapy when compared to standard of care DOT, as low smartphone penetration and internet availability requires the VOT health system to fund the cost of making them available to patients.

Background/Purpose: Precise detection of respiratory pathogens by molecular method potentially may shorten the time to diagnose and reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. Methods: Medical records of hospitalized children from January 2020 to June 2021 with acute respiratory illness who received a FilmArray RP for respiratory pathogens were reviewed and compared with data from diagnosis-matched patients without receiving the test. Results: In total, 283 patients and 150 diagnosis-matched controls were included. Single pathogen was detected in 84.3% (193/229) of the patients. The most common pathogen was human rhinovirus/enterovirus (31.6%, 84/266), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (18.8%, 50/266) and adenovirus (15%, 40/266). Although antimicrobial days of therapy (DOT) was significantly longer in FilmArray group than the control [7.1 ± 4.9 days vs 5.7 ± 2.7 days, P = 0.002], the former showed a higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (3.9% vs 0%; P = 0.010). All ICU admissions were in FilmArray RP-positive group. There was no difference in antimicrobial DOT between FilmArray RP-positive and the negative groups, in all admissions, even after excluding ICU admissions. Antimicrobial DOT was shorter in the positive than negative group in patients with lower respiratory tract infections without admission to ICU [median (IQR): 6 (4–9) days vs 9 (4–12) days, P = 0.047]. Conclusions: Shorter antimicrobial DOTs were identified in children with lower respiratory tract infection admitted to general pediatric ward and with an identifiable respiratory pathogen, indicating a role of the multiplex PCR in reducing antimicrobial use for children with respiratory tract infection.

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) both measure the hemodynamic response, and so both imaging modalities are expected to have a strong correspondence in regions of cortex adjacent to the scalp. To assess whether fNIRS can be used clinically in a manner similar to fMRI, 22 healthy adult participants underwent same-day fMRI and whole-head fNIRS testing while they performed separate motor (finger tapping) and visual (flashing checkerboard) tasks. Analyses were conducted within and across subjects for each imaging approach, and regions of significant task-related activity were compared on the cortical surface. The spatial correspondence between fNIRS and fMRI detection of task-related activity was good in terms of true positive rate, with fNIRS overlap of up to 68 % of the fMRI for analyses across subjects (group analysis) and an average overlap of up to 47.25 % for individual analyses within subject. At the group level, the positive predictive value of fNIRS was 51 % relative to fMRI. The positive predictive value for within subject analyses was lower (41.5 %), reflecting the presence of significant fNIRS activity in regions without significant fMRI activity. This could reflect task-correlated sources of physiologic noise and/or differences in the sensitivity of fNIRS and fMRI measures to changes in separate (vs. combined) measures of oxy and de-oxyhemoglobin. The results suggest whole-head fNIRS as a noninvasive imaging modality with promising clinical utility for the functional assessment of brain activity in superficial regions of cortex physically adjacent to the skull.

Copyright of Journal of Language & Law / Revista de Llengua i Dret is the property of Revista de Llengua i Dret and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of the impregnation of Pinus sp. veneers with different concentrations of boron compounds on the plywood bond quality, resistance against drywood termites (Cryptotermes brevis) and mold (Penicillium sp.). The panels were produced with veneers (≈ 10% moisture content) impregnated by dipping in the boron compound solutions, for 15 min and bonded with urea–formaldehyde (UF) adhesive. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design, in a 3 × 3 + 1 factorial scheme, with three compounds (boric acid, borax, and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate—DOT (1.0 boric acid + 1.54 borax ≈ to Polybor or Timbor) and three concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) plus the control. The pressure (980 kPa), temperature (140 °C), and curing time (10 min) adopted were adequate to obtain good bond quality on the veneers. The biological resistance against drywood termites and mold was assessed according to a non-choice feeding test and fungal colony growth on the surface of the panels, respectively. Despite the low retention of boron compounds, caused by the low moisture content of the veneers submitted to the dipping (≈ 10%), all tested compounds were effective against the attack of both drywood termites and mold. The boron compounds did not influence the termites' mortality, but this was evident as the increased solution concentrations. Boric acid at 3% was the most suitable treatment, as it gave the plywood the greatest resistance against the attack of drywood termites and mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Signos is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: In 2017, the WHO recommended the use of digital technologies, such as medication monitors and video observed treatment (VOT), for directly observed treatment (DOT) of drug-susceptible TB. The WHO's 2020 guidelines extended these recommendations to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), based on low evidence. The impact of COVID on health systems and patients underscored the need to use digital technologies in the management of MDR-TB. Methods: A decision-tree model was developed to explore the costs of several potential DOT alternatives: VOT, 99DOTS (Directly-observed Treatment, Short-course) and family-observed DOT. Assuming a 9-month, all-oral regimen (as evaluated within the STREAM trial), we constructed base-case cost models for the standard-of-care DOTs in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda, as well as for the three alternative DOT approaches. The models were populated with STREAM Stage 2 clinical trial outcome and cost data, supplemented with market prices data for the digital DOT strategies. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on key parameters. Results: Modelling suggested that the standard-of-care DOT approach is the most expensive DOT strategy from a societal perspective in all three countries evaluated (Ethiopia, India, Uganda), with considerable direct- and indirect-costs incurred by patients. The second most expensive DOT approach is VOT, with high health-system costs, largely caused by up-front technology expenditure. Each of VOT, 99DOTS and family-observed DOT would reduce by more than 90% patients' direct and indirect costs compared to standard of care DOT. Results were robust to the sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: While data on the costs and efficacy of alternative DOT approaches in the context of shorter MDR-TB treatment is limited, our modelling suggests alternative DOT approaches can significantly reduce patient costs in all three countries. Health system costs are higher for VOT and lower for 99DOTS and family-observed therapy when compared to standard of care DOT, as low smartphone penetration and internet availability requires the VOT health system to fund the cost of making them available to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domain name system (DNS) that maps alphabetic names to numeric Internet Protocol (IP) addresses plays a foundational role in Internet communications. By default, DNS queries and responses are exchanged in unencrypted plaintext, and hence, can be read and/or hijacked by third parties. To protect user privacy, the networking community has proposed standard encryption technologies such as DNS over TLS (DoT), DNS over HTTPS (DoH), and DNS over QUIC (DoQ) for DNS communications, enabling clients to perform secure and private domain name lookups. We survey the DNS encryption literature published from 2016 to 2021, focusing on its current landscape and how it is misused by malware, and highlighting the existing techniques developed to make inferences from encrypted DNS traffic. First, we provide an overviewof various standards developed in the space of DNS encryption and their adoption status, performance, benefits, and security issues. Second, we highlight ways that various malware families can exploit DNS encryption to their advantage for botnet communications and/or data exfiltration. Third, we discuss existing inference methods for profiling normal patterns and/or detecting malicious encrypted DNS traffic. Several directions are presented to motivate future research in enhancing the performance and security of DNS encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to improve health through patient education and provider engagement while increasing efficiency and lowering costs. This raises the question of whether disparities in access to mobile technology could accentuate disparities in mHealth mediated care. This study addresses whether programs planning to implement mHealth interventions risk creating or perpetuating health disparities based on inequalities in smartphone ownership.MethodsVideo Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) is an mHealth intervention for monitoring tuberculosis (TB) treatment adherence through videos sent by patients to their healthcare provider using smartphones. We conducted secondary analyses of data from a single-arm trial of VDOT for TB treatment monitoring by San Diego, San Francisco, and New York City health departments. Baseline and follow-up treatment interviews were used to assess participant smartphone ownership, sociodemographics and TB treatment perceptions. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify correlates of smartphone ownership.ResultsOf the 151 participants enrolled, mean age was 41 years (range: 18-87 years) and 41.1% were female. Participants mostly identified as Asian (45.0%) or Hispanic/Latino (29.8%); 57.8% had at most a high school education. At baseline, 30.4% did not own a smartphone, which was similar across sites. Older participants (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.09 per year, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.12), males (AOR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.04-7.86), participants having at most a high school education (AOR = 4.48, 95% CI: 1.57-12.80), and those with an annual income below $10,000 (AOR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.19, 7.89) had higher odds of not owning a smartphone.ConclusionsApproximately one-third of TB patients in three large United States of America (USA) cities lacked smartphones prior to the study. Patients who were older, male, less educated, or had lower annual income were less likely to own smartphones and could be denied access to mHealth interventions if personal smartphone ownership is required.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a fundamental component of the internet, responsible for resolving domain names into IP addresses. DNS servers are typically categorized into four types: recursive resolvers, root name servers, Top-Level Domain (TLD) name servers, and authoritative name servers. The latter three types of servers store actual records, while recursive resolvers do not store any real data and are only responsible for querying the other three types of servers and responding to clients. Recursive resolvers typically maintain a caching system to speed up response times, but these caching systems have the drawbacks of a low real-time performance, a poor accuracy, and many security and privacy issues. In this paper, we propose a caching system based on a consortium blockchain, namely DNS-BC, which uses the synchronization mechanism of the consortium blockchain to achieve a high real-time performance, uses the immutable mechanism of the consortium blockchain and our designed credibility management system to achieve up to a 100% accuracy, and has been combined with encrypted transmission protocols to solve common security and privacy issues. At the same time, this caching system can greatly reduce the traffic that name servers need to handle, thereby protecting them from Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. To further accelerate the data transmission speed, we have designed a new encrypted DNS protocol called DNS over KCP (DoK). The DoK protocol is based on the KCP protocol, which is a fast and reliable transmission protocol, and its latency can reach one-third of that of TCP when the network environment deteriorates. In our experiments, the transmission time of this protocol is about a quarter of that of the widely used encrypted protocols DNS over TLS (DoT) and DNS over HTTPS (DoH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Days of therapy (DOT) currently serve as the standard antimicrobial utilization metric. However, by assigning the same weight to each agent rather than accounting for differences in spectrum of activity, DOT ignore key differences between agents that are fundamental to infectious diseases and critical to antimicrobial stewardship. Spectrum scoring assigns numeric values to individual antibiotic agents to quantify their spectrum of activity, allowing for the normalization of antibiotic utilization data. When used in conjunction with traditional metrics, spectrum scores may offer further clarity to antibiotic utilization; however, issues related to development, application, and standardization of spectrum scores remain. Despite these challenges, the potential applications of spectrum scores are vast. Here, we summarize existing data and explore the future of spectrum scoring, including application to both data analysis and routine patient care, use in inpatient and outpatient settings, integration within the electronic medical record, and opportunities for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective coloration is observed in numerous extant cockroach species and is prevalent among insects. Such coloration can signal nonprofitability of prey (aposematic) or serve as a camouflage (disruptive). An apparent aposematic isolated macula is identified here among the cockroach Facioblatta perfidia gen. et sp. n. (Liberiblattinidae) from Northern Myanmar amber. In total, 9 and 10 general coloration patterns related to spot-like patterns among extant and fossil species, respectively, are identified. Potential cockroach predators targeted with these patterns varied from dragonflies, small Jurassic pterosaurs and lizards, to Cretaceous and modern frogs, birds and insectivores. Patterns asynchronously appeared throughout the taxonomic spectrum suggesting that the elimination from predators combined with environmental factors influenced the spread of protective coloration among cockroaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundWHO recommended multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) should be treated mainly under ambulatory model, but outcome of ambulatory treatment of MDR-TB in China was little known.MethodsThe clinical data of 261 MDR-TB patients treated as outpatients in Shenzhen, China during 2010–2015 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.ResultsOf 261 MDR-TB patients receiving ambulatory treatment, 71.1% (186/261) achieved treatment success (cured or completed treatment), 0.4% (1/261) died during treatment, 11.5% (30/261) had treatment failure or relapse, 8.0% (21/261) were lost to follow-up, and 8.8% (23/261) were transferred out. The culture conversion rate at 6 months was 85.0%. Although 91.6% (239/261) of patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE), only 2% of AEs caused permanent discontinuation of one or more drugs. Multivariate analysis showed that previous TB treatment, regimens containing capreomycin and resistance to FQs were associated with poor outcomes, while experiencing three or more AEs was associated with good outcomes.ConclusionGood treatment success rates and early culture conversions were achieved with entirely ambulatory treatment of MDR-TB patients in Shenzhen, supporting WHO recommendations. Advantageous aspects of the local TB control program, including accessible and affordable second-line drugs, patient support, active monitoring and proper management of AEs and well-implemented DOT likely contributed to treatment success rates.

Background Successful tuberculosis (TB) treatment is necessary for disease control. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a target TB treatment success rate of ≥90%. We assessed whether the different types of unfavorable TB treatment outcome had different predictors. Methods Using data from Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis-Brazil, we evaluated biological and behavioral factors associated with each component of unsuccessful TB outcomes, recently updated by WHO (death, loss to follow-up [LTFU], and treatment failure). We included culture-confirmed, drug-susceptible, pulmonary TB participants receiving standard treatment in 2015–2019. Multinomial logistic regression models with inverse probability weighting were used to evaluate the distinct determinants of each unsuccessful outcome. Results Of 915 participants included, 727 (79%) were successfully treated, 118 (13%) were LTFU, 44 (5%) had treatment failure, and 26 (3%) died. LTFU was associated with current drug-use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0–9.4), current tobacco use (aOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7–4.9), and being a person with HIV (PWH) (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.5). Treatment failure was associated with PWH (aOR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2–6.2) and having diabetes (aOR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1–4.4). Death was associated with anemia (aOR = 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4–19.7), diabetes (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.4–6.7), and PWH (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI, 1.3–11.4). Direct observed therapy was protective for treatment failure (aOR = 0.5; 95% CI,.3–.9) and death (aOR = 0.5; 95% CI,.2–1.0). Conclusions The treatment success rate was below the WHO target. Behavioral factors were most associated with LTFU, whereas clinical comorbidities were correlated with treatment failure and death. Because determinants of unsuccessful outcomes are distinct, different intervention strategies may be needed to improve TB outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we analyze the existing ontology visualization tools and conclude that there is no tool that represents the semantics of logical operations in ontologies, like Ch. S. Pierce's existential graphs does for first order logic. Previously we developed Logic Graphs -- the semantic-oriented visual language for ontologies, complete with respect to OWL DL. The goal of this research is to develop a tool for generating ontology visualizations in Logic Graphs. This tool parses an ontology to extract classes and their properties, converts ontology classes to their descriptions in dot format, and builds graphical representations of ontology classes from dot descriptions. Ontology visualization in Logic Graphs facilitates the perception of ontologies by users, and provides the possibility of diagrammatic reasoning.

Building telescope enclosures is vital for setting up any optical observatory. An enclosure was constructed in remote hilly terrain to provide shelter to India’s largest 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT). Primarily, the enclosure was built to protect the telescope from tough weather conditions and provide optimum space for performing various telescope related operational and maintenance activities. Other elements that were considered in the building enclosure were low thermal mass, sustainability, seismic and acoustic considerations. A steel building designed with mostly bolted connections, suitably selected materials, and mechanical systems for facilitating construction activities on site has been built for the telescope at the Devasthal site of ARIES. The enclosure construction was quite a challenging task with various project complexities. Multidisciplinary works of civil, mechanical and electrical systems in enclosure required efforts on various fronts in parallel to achieve the targets. Limitations of resources, manpower, and site conditions were managed to keep flexibility and economics in construction. Numerous challenges faced during the making of enclosures have been discussed in the paper. Insights into the construction of enclosures will provide a basic framework and learning opportunities for managing such typical construction projects in adverse weather conditions at mountainous sites. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-02-05 Full Text: PDF

Copyright of Indonesian Journal of Human Nutrition is the property of Brawijaya University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: A high level of community awareness and positive perception towards tuberculosis and its management is crucial for the successful outcome of any control measure. In India the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) plays a key role in providing awareness and counselling on healthcare issues and management, particularly in remote areas. The tribal population is vulnerable to such infectious diseases due to resource limitations and remote locations. We assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding directly observed therapy (DOT) among ASHA workers in the tribal belt of the Sirohi district of Rajasthan state. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among ASHA workers of Sirohi district from January 2021 to June 2021. A predesigned and structured questionnaire was used to gather information on knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding the management of tuberculosis and DOT. Results: A total of 95 ASHAs participated in the study with a mean age of 35.82 years. Good knowledge (Mean score = 6.2947 ± 1.08052) was observed regarding tuberculosis and DOT. 81% (n = 74) have good knowledge regarding DOT whereas most have a poor attitude and only 47% have adequate practice. A 55% of ASHAs did not adhere even a single TB patient in the last three years. Conclusion: In our study, knowledge gaps were identified which may result in substandard patient care. The structured refresher training towards DOT and also training to work in tribal areas will further improve the KAP of ASHAs. It might be needed to provide a module or curriculum regarding awareness among ASHAs for strengthening follow-up system for tuberculosis patients among the tribal population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured organic templates originating from self-assembled block copolymers (BCPs) can be converted into inorganic nanostructures by sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS). This capability is particularly relevant within the framework of advanced lithographic applications because of the exploitation of the BCP-based nanostructures as hard masks. In this work, Al2O3 dot and antidot arrays were synthesized by sequential infiltration of trimethylaluminum and water precursors into perpendicularly oriented cylinder-forming poly-(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) BCP thin films. The mechanism governing the effective incorporation of Al2O3 into the PMMA component of the BCP thin films was investigated evaluating the evolution of the lateral and vertical dimensions of Al2O3 dot and antidot arrays as a function of the SIS cycle number. The not-reactive PS component and the PS/PMMA interface in self-assembled PS-b-PMMA thin films result in additional paths for diffusion and supplementary surfaces for sorption of precursor molecules, respectively. Thus, the mass uptake of Al2O3 into the PMMA block of self-assembled PS-b-PMMA thin films is higher than that in pure PMMA thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of German International Journal of Modern Science / Deutsche Internationale Zeitschrift für Zeitgenössische Wissenschaft is the property of Artmedia24 and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: To understand patients' perceptions and experiences of directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis treatment in the UK. Method: Patients receiving DOT as part of their TB treatment participated in semi-structured and audio-recorded interviews. Data were analysed using a framework approach. Results: Non-adherence was driven by socio-cultural, mental health, employment and discrimination factors. Patients valued DOT for its support and social connection but those in employment feared it could lead to disclosure and social discredit. Conclusion: TB patients experience social isolation and fear discrimination. DOT offers a degree of social connection and support for marginalised patients but fails to tackle fundamental barriers to adherence such as mental health issues, addictions, housing and discrimination. Practice implications: Flexible patient-centred methods of DOT should be offered throughout patients' treatment. Research into multi-agency responsibility for promoting adherence needs to be commissioned, implemented and evaluated. Telemedicine and nurse-led clinics may improve access to care and improve patient experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artificial intelligence (AI) community has recently made tremendous progress in developing self-supervised learning (SSL) algorithms that can learn high-quality data representations from massive amounts of unlabeled data. These methods brought great results even to the fields outside of AI. Due to the joint efforts of researchers in various areas, new SSL methods come out daily. However, such a sheer number of publications make it difficult for beginners to see clearly how the subject progresses. This survey bridges this gap by carefully selecting a small portion of papers that we believe are milestones or essential work. We see these researches as the "dots" of SSL and connect them through how they evolve. Hopefully, by viewing the connections of these dots, readers will have a high-level picture of the development of SSL across multiple disciplines including natural language processing, computer vision, graph learning, audio processing, and protein learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent innovation to help patients adhere to daily tuberculosis (TB) treatment over many months is video (or virtually) observed therapy (VOT). VOT is becoming increasingly feasible as mobile telephone applications and tablet computers become more widely available. Studies of the effectiveness of VOT in improving TB patient outcomes are being conducted.

A recent innovation to help patients adhere to daily tuberculosis (TB) treatment over many months is video (or virtually) observed therapy (VOT). VOT is becoming increasingly feasible as mobile telephone applications and tablet computers become more widely available. Studies of the effectiveness of VOT in improving TB patient outcomes are being conducted.

Introduction: Updated international guidelines recommend the use of a two-step algorithm (glutamate dehydrogenase [GDH] or nucleic-acid amplification test [NAAT] plus toxin) rather than NAAT alone for the diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) infections. The goal of our project was to evaluate the impact of a new bundle on the rate of hospital-acquired C. difficile infections (CDIs), hospital-acquired CDI standardized infection ratio (SIR), antibiotic days of therapy (DOT), and financial cost. Materials and Methods: The new bundle was implemented in April 2018. This bundle was implemented across five hospitals in Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) Texas Division. The bundle included a switch from NAAT to a two-step process (GDH and toxin). We placed the new test in an order panel which included enteric isolation and required indications for C. difficile testing. We used quarterly data pre- and post-intervention to calculate SIR and DOT. Results: In the pre-intervention period, 15.5% of the total 3513 C. difficile NAAT was positive. In the post-intervention period, 5.7% of a total of 2845 GDH and toxin assays was positive for both GDH and toxin (P < 0.0001). SIR, which adjusts for denominator and change in testing methodology, also dropped from 1.02 to 0.43. The estimated cost associated with positive C. difficile cases dropped from 1,932,150 USD to 1,113,800 USD with an estimated yearly cost saving of 794,150 USD. Compliance with enteric isolation improved from 73.1% to 92.5% (P = 0.008). Conclusion: The new testing bundle led to a marked reduction in hospital-acquired CDI and unnecessary treatment, reduction in C. difficile testing, an increase in compliance with enteric isolation, and significant cost savings.