by Ana Cruz del Álamo  , María Isabel Pariente  , Alejandra Sánchez-Bayo  , Daniel Puyol  , Rosalía Rodríguez  , Victoria Morales  , Luis Fernando Bautista  , Gemma Vicente  , Juan Antonio Melero  , Raúl Molina  and Fernando Martínez

Received: 31 July 2021;  Published: 28 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104027

Hospitals are one of the key contributors of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern to the sewer systems. Hospitals wastewaters contain concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds between 3 and 150, which are higher than urban wastewater streams. However, dedicated treatments of the hospital effluents before discharge to the sewer system are not compulsory. Besides, conventional wastewater treatment plants have not been designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds effectively, and consequently, these micropo [...]

by Brandis M. Ansley  and Meagan A. Wander

Received: 07 July 2021;  Published: 28 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104039

Self-Care Options for Resilient Educators (SCORE) is an 8-week, asynchronous virtual training program that teaches stress management skills relevant to educators’ job-related responsibilities and interpersonal interactions. From January-April 2020, 27 pre-service teachers participated in a quasi-experimental study of SCORE’s feasibility and preliminary efficacy. Volunteers chose to either complete SCORE concurrent with their teaching internship or to complete the same assessments for comparison purposes. Recruitmen [...]

by Alla V. Balueva  , Ilia N. Dashevskiy  and Patricia Todebush

Received: 12 May 2021;  Published: 27 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104043

One of the ways to improve the fusion of an implant with bone tissue is through the use of biocompatible coatings, in particular, hydroxyapatite (HAp). It is important to assess the strength of the HAp adhesion to the implant. The measure of the strength of the bond of the coating with the substrate is the energy of this bond. Using density functional theory and molecular dynamics, the reaction path, reaction products, oscillation frequency, activation energy and bond energy between different combinations of compon [...]

by Giorgos Mountrakis  and Sheng Yang

Received: 24 March 2021;  Published: 26 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104026

While numerous studies have considered forest loss factors at local scales, there is a gap of comparative quantitative regional modeling at the U.S. national level. Here, we investigated statistical relationships between gross forest cover loss (GFCL) and numerous socioeconomic, biophysical and ownership variables between two decades, the 1990s and the 2000s. A spatial error model was employed to compensate for spatial autocorrelation effects. Models from the 2000s had stronger explanatory power than the 1990s mode [...]

by Sue Anne Fuller  and Peta Stapleton

Received: 17 June 2021;  Published: 26 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104038

A 37-year-old female with a history of complex trauma, anxiety and depression was treated with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) supplemented with guided imagery within the first 24 hours of having a stroke that affected the right side. CT scans indicated a haemorrhage and brain clot. Surgery was delayed as another seizure was expected. Interventions occurred during COVID-19 restrictions. The patient then engaged in 90 minutes of EFT every day over the course of a week while in hospital. After seven days she was d [...]

by Carsten Croonenbroeck  and David Hennecke

Received: 20 July 2021;  Published: 25 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2104044

In this study, we address the wind farm layout optimization (WFLO) problem and tackle the issue of optimal turbine placement by incorporating additional aspects of an economically driven target function. Firstly, we have analyzed the effect of wind direction on a given turbine arrangement. Based on the direction-dependent wake pattern, practitioners sometimes shut down certain turbines on their farms. Our method computes which turbines should be shut down in which wake situation. On this basis, we have developed a [...]

by Timothy Rossow  , Elysa J Marco  , Molly Gerdes  and Teresa Tavassoli

Received: 28 July 2021;  Published: 25 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2104110

Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC) often have sensory reactivity differences, such as being overwhelmed by sounds, which can elicit distress in their everyday life. Furthermore, children with an NDC often present with a greater frequency of mental health symptoms compared to their typically developing peers. However little research has examined the relationship of these sensory reactivity differences on broader mental health. This study set out to explore the relationship between sensory reactivity a [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 18 October 2021;  Published: 22 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104037

In the recent past, laser therapy has made immense progress as it is known to change microcirculation, modulate vegetative parameters, and stimulate mitochondrial activity in the human body. This editorial briefly describes a new laser watch prototype (generation 2021), which can be used to perform continuous and simultaneous blood irradiation at the radial and/or ulnar artery of the wrist with different wavelengths of laser light. In a preliminary measurement, the increase in regional oxygen saturation at the croo [...]

by Ivan V. Maksimovich

Received: 24 July 2021;  Published: 21 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104036

The present research is dedicated to the application of intracerebral laser PBMT for the treatment of the consequences of ischemic stroke. The effectiveness of intracerebral laser PBMT is compared to that of the conservative therapy methods. Recent studies have demonstrated a high potential of laser technology PBMT in the treatment of various ischemic lesions of the brain. A total of 836 patients who had experienced ischemic strokes of different degrees of severity in the period ranging from 6 months to 6 years pri [...]

by Nathan S. Jiang  , Byron Newton  and Xuezhi Jiang

Received: 28 June 2021;  Published: 19 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104181

Osteoporosis is one of the most common disorders around the world. Osteoporotic fracture especially hip fracture are associated with an increased mortality rate in elders. However, elders with osteoporosis or at high risk of fractures remain largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. The screening, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis must be improved to maintain pace with its fast-growing prevalence. This review will cover risk factors of osteoporosis, screening and diagnosis tools, newfound advancements, curren [...]

by Aniruddha Bhattacharyya  , Lee R. Friedman  , Beje S. Thomas  and Coleman I. Smith

Received: 29 August 2021;  Published: 18 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2104154

End Stage Renal Disease is becoming more prevalent in the United States of America, with demand for kidney transplant exceeding the available organ supply. A novel method to increase the donor pool has been to consider transplanting organs from deceased patients who have had Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections. Transplants with HCV infected kidneys are becoming more prevalent, due to increased organ supply due to increased mortality from injection opioid use. Similarly, deceased [...]

by Marianna Michałowska

Received: 11 June 2021;  Published: 18 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104025

Since 1907, when Bakelite was invented, there has been a dramatic rise in the daily usage of plastic-like materials. Today, its negative impacts are a part of scientific studies and public debates. Art and artists play a significant role in these discussions. They mediate between the specialist content and public awareness. This study is dedicated to the artworks of artists using plastic waste collected from the seashore. I organized their works into three lines, within which artists have different threads of plast [...]

by Aaron R. Dezube  , Ashley L. Deeb  and Michael T. Jaklitsch

Received: 25 June 2021;  Published: 15 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2104109

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by antibody mediated blockade of neuromuscular transmission. Up until the last decade, evidence suggesting benefit of thymectomy for myasthenia gravis has been based on non-randomized control studies. Our paper serves as an expert narrative review of new literature pertaining to surgical management of myasthenia gravis based on review of articles from PubMed and Cochrane database from date of inception through June 14, 2021. We used the MeSH search [...]

by Kamyar Afshar  , Michelle Bremer  , Bharath Ravichandran  , Ashley A. Feist  , Eugene Golts  , Elizabeth H. Schonhoft  and Gordon Yung

Received: 14 July 2021;  Published: 15 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2104153

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) accounts for approximately 5% of lung transplants (LTx) performed annually. No studies have addressed the potential benefit of ongoing alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (A1-PI) replacement to AATD patients post-LTx. Our primary objective was to assess potential benefits of continually administering A1-PI from pre- to post-transplantation for AATD LTx recipients. A retrospective case series was performed on AATD LTx recipients between 2002 and 2018. Data reviewed included date of A1- [...]

by Alex T. Von Schulze  , Marie van der Merwe  , Chad D. Touchberry  and Richard J. Bloomer

Received: 03 August 2021;  Published: 15 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2104001

Poor dietary habits can lead to obesity and insulin resistance—both of which can impair basal heat shock protein (HSP) expression and the HSP stress response in skeletal muscle. It remains unclear if impairments in HSP expression occur during the early stages of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction. We determined if basal HSP expression (HSP70, HSP60, HSP25) was impaired in sedentary or exercised rats following the onset of diet-induced obesity. Male Long-Evans rats (N=6-7/group) were assigned to a [...]

by Colin Armstrong

Received: 14 October 2021;  Published: 15 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104035

CorrectionCorrection: Armstrong C. Unity, Continuity, Structure, and Function. The Ongoing Search for a Deeper Understanding of the Many Roles Attributed to Fascia in the Living Human Body - An Osteopathic Perspective. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2021; 6: 16Colin Armstrong *Osteopathic Centre, 1732 Voie Aurelienne, 13450 Grans, France; E-Mail: arm.colin@gmail.com*Correspondence: Colin Armstrong; E-Mail: arm.colin@gmail.comAcademic Editor: Nancy Nies Byl Special Issue: The Importance of the Fascia for [...]

by Amber Bonnington  , Meisam Amani  and Hamid Ebrahimy

Received: 13 August 2021;  Published: 14 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104024

Since oil exploration began, oil spills have become a serious problem. When drilling for oil, there is always a risk of an oil spill. With the new development of technology over the years, oil spill detection has become much easier making the clean-up of a spill to happen much faster reducing the risk of a large spread. In this study, remote sensing techniques were used to detect the Deep-water Horizon oil spill through a change detection method. The change detection method allows the viewer to determine the differ [...]

by LUTVIJA Hrnjic  , Nina Fry  and Helané Wahbeh

Received: 16 April 2021;  Published: 14 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104034

The growing population of older adults with depression is a significant public health concern, and effective treatments are necessary. Mindfulness meditation intervention offers effective treatment for depression, but little research has been conducted on the older population. This study aimed to evaluate if the combination of the Internet Mindfulness Meditation Intervention (IMMI) plus iMINDr application improves well-being in older adults with depressive symptoms. Potential participants were recruited online. IMM [...]

by Trevor R Norman

Received: 07 February 2021;  Published: 14 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2104108

Depression in the elderly is a significant clinical problem which is likely to endure as an ongoing issue as the cohort of individuals aged over 65years continues to increase as a proportion of the total population. While there are a multiplicity of approaches to the treatment of depression, the mainstay for moderate to severe cases is pharmacotherapy. The majority of extant antidepressants have demonstrated efficacy, at least in short term (6-12weeks) clinical evaluations. There is demonstrable efficacy over and a [...]

by Omar Alelweet  and Sara Pavia

Received: 09 June 2021;  Published: 13 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104041

Alkali activated (AA) materials have been investigated for decades as an alternative to Portland cement (PC) products. Most consist of a silicate waste activated with alkalis, which leads to lower green-house gas emissions and a substantial drop in the use of unrenewable material resources. This paper studies the durability of AA materials made with a ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) from Dublin, activated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), both combined and separately, and cure [...]

by Jane Anastassopoulou  , Ioannis Mamarelis  and Theophile Theophanides

Received: 07 March 2021;  Published: 12 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104180

In the present study, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the formation and development of carotid artery atherosclerosis. The FTIR spectra showed that with the progression of atheromatic plaque formation, the collagen changed its native structure from ɑ-helix to random coil, amyloid, and cross-links. The infrared spectra and SEM analysis of carotid arteries showed that higher than 65% of the atheromatic plaque in patients with stenosis cons [...]

by Pal S. Mangat  , Shahriar Abubakri  , Konstantinos Grigoriadis  and Vincenzo Starinieri

Received: 24 June 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104040

Microwave curing of repair patches provides an energy efficient technique for rapid concrete repair. It has serious economic potential due to time and energy saving especially for repairs in cold weather which can cause work stoppages. However, the high temperatures resulting from the combination of microwave exposure and accelerated hydration of cementitious repair materials need to be investigated to prevent potential durability problems in concrete patch repairs. This paper investigates the time and magnitude of [...]

by Daniel Navon  and Gareth Thomas

Received: 15 July 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2104140

In this article, we discuss the radical uncertainties unleashed by expanded prenatal genetics. We show how we are now routinely screening fetuses in the absence of two essential sorts of information. At the population level, we do not have sound, unbiased data about the prevalence, penetrance, and clinical variability of most mutations. At the level of the proband, it is often too soon to discern relevant information about the fetus’ phenotype. First, we outline the longstanding ethical objections to newborn screen [...]

by Marcus A. Henning  , Xuan Joanna Feng  , Yan Chen  , Fiona Moir  , Christian U. Krägeloh  , Jennifer Hobson  and Craig S. Webster

Received: 17 May 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104033

This review examines the quality of the research exploring mindfulness within tai chi chuan and the way this integrative practice benefits health and learning for higher education students. A narrative review based on a systematic search was conducted. Ten English and three Chinese databases were utilised to appraise the relevant literature. The initial search identified 874 potentially appropriate English articles and 265 Chinese articles. A final review of 52 Chinese and 8 English articles was conducted. We used [...]

by Nasim Foroughi  , Brooke Donnelly  , Mark Williams  , Sloane Madden  , Michael Kohn  , Simon Clarke  , Perminder Sachdev  , Stephen Touyz  and Phillipa Hay

Received: 01 June 2021;  Published: 30 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2103107

To compare neural responses to high and low-energy food images in patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and an age-matched Healthy Control (HC) group. 25 adolescents with AN and 21 HCs completed a diagnostic interview, self-report questionnaires and fMRI, during which they viewed food images evoking responses of disgust, happiness, or fear. Following whole brain analyses, neural responses in six regions of interest were examined in a series of between-group contrasts, across the three emotive categories. Compared to [...]