Extent Of Benefits Research Articles

Rural Road Infrastructure and Women’s Empowerment in India

Abstract The paper examines the impact of a rural road construction program in India on a range of outcomes that capture women’s empowerment comprehensively. While spatial integration can ease mobility constraints and provide women with increased education and employment opportunities, the extent of benefits might be limited by underlying gender norms. The paper identifies the impact of the policy by exploiting the program rule that assigned roads based on the village population in a two-way fixed effect framework. The results suggest that the policy reduces mobility restrictions faced by women and improves norms around domestic violence and intra-household agency. It also finds a positive impact of the policy on female education; however, there is limited impact on female employment. Additionally, the study documents gendered impact of the policy—men benefit more in terms of employment than women. The paper offers important policy prescription on how investment in rural roads can affect women’s lives.

Demystifying operator 4.0 through an integrative framework

PurposeDespite increased interest in the Operator 4.0 concept, there has been scarce attention on practice-oriented frameworks that can assist firms in reaping the potential benefits of technologies within the I4.0 framework. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative framework on how to engage Operator 4.0 effectively.Design/methodology/approachFollowing meta-synthesis logic and integrative conceptual analysis, this study synthesizes and integrates experimental case studies on Operator 4.0 solutions. The analysis is conducted on 24 cases retrieved from peer-reviewed articles.FindingsThe analysis revealed several factors that determine the type and extent of benefits that can be realized within a human-cyber-physical system. However, enhancing these capabilities is not straightforward, as several factors can inhibit the realization of these capabilities. Firstly, the benefits vary depending on the type of Operator 4.0. Secondly, the interoperability of the introduced I4.0 solution with the existing systems is crucial. Thirdly, the adaptability of the solution to serve multiple purposes is crucial, as it tends to increase technology acceptance.Research limitations/implicationsThe studies reviewed in this research were based on experimental cases, with limited implementation of the solutions they proposed. As such, their implications when implemented on a larger scale are tentative.Originality/valueThe present study has synthesized existing experimental cases and developed an integrative framework to guide the implementation of Operator 4.0. By gathering primary insights from these experiments, we have clarified when and how Operator 4.0 and the required interactions can lead to successful implementation.

THE ROLE OF ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING AND TARGET COST IN ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN SUDANESE INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES

The purpose of the article is to identify the role of trends in cost systems such as activity-based costing systems) ABC (and target cost (TC) to improve competitive advantage for the Sudanese industrial sector. This can help accountants in accuracy when measuring and calculating production and goods. Also, they assist companies in determining the price considering the allowable costs.The practical value of this scientific research lies in three folds. First, the findings will contribute to shedding light on the experience of using some modern cost systems in Giad industrial group companies - in Sudan. Second, they inform officials about the evaluation of these systems and the extent of benefits from them in improving the competitive advantage. Third, the study fills in the gap lack of studies that deal with this topic in the Sudanese setting.The study’s findings indicate the existence of a role for ABC in overhead cost allocation, more accurate product cost, and cost control improvement. This leads to improving advantage competitive in Sudanese industrial companies. Also, it was discovered that the existence of a role for target cost in designing the required product characteristics, and selling price is an essential guide to cost management. This leads to improving advantage competitive in Sudanese industrial companies. The study recommends a need to increase the awareness of managers of different departments of the importance of the information provided by modern cost systems. Also, attention to applying a total quality cost system for continuous improvement and reducing total cost is needed in companies.

Biomarkers for Immunotherapy in Driver-Gene-Negative Advanced NSCLC.

Outcome improvement in patients with driver-gene-negative advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been significantly enhanced through targeting the immune system, specifically the PD-L1/PD-1 axis. Nevertheless, only a subset of patients with advanced NSCLC may derive benefits from immuno-monotherapy or immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Hence, in order to identify patients who will gain the maximum advantage from immunotherapy, it is crucial to investigate predictive biomarkers. This review provides a summary of the currently identified biomarkers associated with the extent of benefit from immuno-monotherapy or immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. These biomarkers can be categorized into three groups: tumor-related, tumor-microenvironment-related, and host-factor-related.Tumor-related factors include PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden and specific genetic mutations, while tumor-microenvironment-related factors include extracellular vesicles and T-cell receptors, and host-related factors include systemic inflammation, circulating fatty acid profile, and the microbiome.

Early Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces Severity but Does Not Eliminate Neurodevelopmental Compromise in Children With HIV.

Early antiretroviral therapy (ART) during infancy reduces cognitive impairment due to HIV, but the extent of benefit is unclear. Children were recruited from hospital and health centers providing HIV care and treatment in Nairobi, Kenya. Cognitive, behavioral, and motor outcomes were assessed in children with HIV and early ART (<1 year), children with HIV and late ART (1.5-6 years), and children HIV-unexposed uninfected (CHUU). Domain z scores and odds neurobehavioral impairment (≤15th percentile in CHUU) were compared in adjusted analyses. Children with HIV initiated ART at median ages 0.4 (early ART) and 3.5 years (late ART). Children were assessed at median ages 6.9 (CHUU, N = 61), 6.9 (early ART, N = 54), and 13.5 (late ART; N = 27) years. Children with late ART vs. children with early ART had significantly lower z scores in 7 domains, specifically global cognition, short-term memory, visuospatial processing, learning, nonverbal test performance, executive function, and motor skills (adjusted mean differences, -0.42 to -0.62, P values ≤ 0.05), and had higher odds impairment in 7 domains (adjusted odds ratios [aORs], 2.87 to 16.22, P values ≤ 0.05). Children with early ART vs. CHUU had lower z scores in 5 domains (global cognition, short-term memory, delayed memory, processing speed, and behavioral regulation [adjusted mean differences, -0.32 to -0.88, P values < 0.05]) and higher impairment for 2 domains (short-term memory [aOR, 3.88] and behavioral regulation [aOR 3.46], P values < 0.05). Children with late ART vs. CHUU had lower z scores in 8 domains (adjusted mean differences, -0.57 to -1.05, P values ≤ 0.05), and higher impairment in 7 domains (aORs 1.98 to 2.32, P values ≤ 0.05). Early ART in the first year of life attenuates but does not eliminate the neurodevelopmental compromise of HIV.

Exploring the Benefits of Cross-Modal Coding

Multi-modal services, typically integrating such signals as audio, video, and haptic, will become an inevitable application trend of the 5G and beyond. However, due to the essential differences among the haptic and audio/video signals, the existing coding schemes usually fail to satisfy the critical requirements in terms of the rate distortion performance. Inspired by the phenomenon that hearing, sight and touch are highly correlated, we provide an affirmative answer by proposing the framework of cross-modal coding, which compresses multi-modal signals aided by their semantic correlation. In particular, the highlights of this work lie in addressing three fundamental technical problems: i) how to exploit the semantic correlation among different modalities, ii) to what extent of benefit we can get from cross-modal coding, and iii) how to design a general cross-modal codec. On the theoretical end, we determine the minimum number of bits required to compress haptic signals under the rate conditions of video streams through investigating their semantic correlation. On the technical end, we design a general cross-modal codec to approach the optimal compression limit by using the AI-enabled cross-modal prediction and channel coding. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed cross-modal coding can achieve significant benefits relative to the existing schemes, especially when multi-modal signals have strong semantic correlation.

Endophytic bacteria performs better than endophytic fungi in improving plant growth under drought stress: A meta-comparison spanning 12 years (2010-2021).

Drought stress is a serious issue that affects agricultural productivity all around the world. Several researchers have reported using plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria to enhance the drought resistance of crops. However, how endophytic bacteria and endophytic fungi are effectively stimulating plant growth under drought stress is still largely unknown. In this paper, a global meta-analysis was undertaken to compare the plant growth-promoting effects of bacterial and fungal endophytes and to identify the processes by which both types of endophytes stimulate plant growth under drought stress. Moreover, this meta-analysis enlightens how plant growth promotion varies across crop types (C3 vs. C4 and monocot vs. dicot), experiment types (in vitro vs. pots vs. field), and the inoculation methods (seed vs. seedling). Specifically, this research included 75 peer-reviewed publications, 170 experiments, 20 distinct bacterial genera, and eight fungal classes. On average, both endophytic bacterial and fungal inoculation increased plant dry and fresh biomass under drought stress. The effect of endophytic bacterial inoculation on plant dry biomass, shoot dry biomass, root length, photosynthetic rate, leaf area, and gibberellins productions were at least two times greater than that of fungal inoculation. In addition, under drought stress, bacterial inoculation increased the proline content of C4 plants. Overall, the findings of this meta-analysis indicate that both endophytic bacterial and fungal inoculation of plants is beneficial under drought conditions, but the extent of benefit is higher with endophytic bacteria inoculation but it varies across crop type, experiment type, and inoculation method. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Utilization of serial tendering to reduce the value project

Abstract Serial tendering is better than other types of tendering when it comes to cost reduction, where civil infrastructure projects need a significant increase in the amount of tough planning, financial expenditures, engineering work, and resources of a different character than other types of construction projects. The effects of a lack of funding cause decrease in the completion speed of the project on time. The need to reduce the cost of bidding on recurrent civil infrastructure projects is critical. To achieve the desired goals of this research, this article will provide an overview of the type of bids used in the construction of schools implemented in the current financial perspective in Iraq, the extent of benefit, and the amount of possible reduction if continuous and serial tendering are used.

The transformation of integrated electricity and heat systems—Assessing mid-term policies using a model comparison approach

The development of European power markets is highly influenced by integrated electricity and heat systems. Therefore, decarbonization policies for the electricity and heat sectors, as well as numerical models that are used to guide such policies, should consider cross-sectoral interdependencies and need evaluation. Many model-based policy assessments evaluate potential benefits of combined heat and power. However, the extent of benefits, such as emissions reductions, found in existing studies is subject to considerable variations. While scenarios and model inputs may partly explain such variations, differences in results may also be related to the model formulation itself. Against this background, this study is the first to compare electricity market models in the context of potential benefits of integrated electricity and heat systems in decarbonization. Five large-scale market models covering electricity and heat supply were utilized to study the interactions between a rather simple coal replacement scenario and a more ambitious policy that supports decarbonization through power-to-heat. With a focus on flexibility provision, emissions reduction, and economic efficiency, although the models agree on the qualitative effects, there are considerable quantitative differences. For example, the estimated reductions in overall CO2 emissions range between 0.2 and 9.0 MtCO2/a for a coal replacement scenario and between 0.2 and 25.0 MtCO2/a for a power-to-heat scenario. Model differences can be attributed mainly to the level of detail of combined heat and power modeling and the endogeneity of generation investments. Based on a detailed comparison of the modeling results, implications for modeling choices and political decisions are discussed.

Coordinated Implementation of Climate-Smart Practices in Coffee Farming Increases Benefits at Farm, Landscape and Global Scale

Coffee is a major commodity crop that shapes large shares of tropical landscapes. However, the sustainability of these landscapes is threatened by climate change. Whilst adopting climate-smart (CS) practices clearly offers direct benefits to local farmers, their greater benefits at landscape and global scales has not been studied for specific commodity crops so far. Our research uniquely outlines how local adoption of CS-practices in coffee-farming systems provides local, landscape and global benefits. We review literature on CS agriculture, CS landscapes, and coffee farming to firstly identify the different CS-practices applicable to coffee farming systems, and then group these into functional groups that represent the main functional trait targeted by different practices within coffee-farming systems. This allows identifying benefits provided at local, landscape and global scales. The seven functional groups identified are: soil characteristics; water management; crop and genetic diversity; climate buffer and adjustment; crop nutrient management; structural elements and natural habitats; and system functioning. Benefits offered at landscape and global scales (non-exhaustively) include improved water quality, biodiversity conservation and habitat connectivity, as well as stabilized regional climate patterns. Our review shows that regulating services are especially pronounced, although the extent of benefits provided depend on landscape coordination. We discuss considerations for managing possible conflicts, coordinating actions, financing and accommodating lead time. Local farmers, policy-makers and global donors must unite to improve uptake of CS coffee-production practices in a coordinated way, to thereby augment and safeguard coffee-farming's socio-ecological system along with associated local, landscape and global benefits.

Music therapy and Sanfilippo syndrome: an analysis of psychological and physiological variables of three case studies

IntroductionMucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III) or Sanfilippo syndrome is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the accumulation of mucopolysaccharides in the body. As the symptoms are wide ranging, it is a challenge to provide a diagnosis and psychological treatment for affected children.MethodThe main objective of this study was to describe a form of music therapy treatment applied to three children diagnosed with MPS III. The psychological variables were evaluated by an ad hoc observation recording template, and the physiological variables were measured with a digital meter before and after each session. The perception of the parents was also considered through a semi-structured interview.ResultsAn improvement in the psychological variables was shown in all cases. Changes in the physiological variables were also noted, although they varied according to each child. The parents report some benefit of music therapy and they share difficulty in assessing the extent of benefits of the music therapy.DiscussionFindings indicate that music therapy can be a useful form of treatment with multiple benefits for children with conditions such as MPS III or similar conditions. However, further research is needed in this area and in the development of specific ways of evaluating music therapy.

Meta-analysis of clinical outcomes of PCSK9 modulators in patients with established ASCVD.

The advent of monoclonal antibodies targeting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) ushered in a new era of dyslipidemia pharmacotherapy. The first two antibodies targeting PCSK9 (evolocumab, alirocumab) approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided significant and sustained reductions in atherogenic lipids and a reduced risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. More recently, phase 3 trials of inclisiran-a small interfering RNA-based agent targeting PCSK9-reported similar lipid-lowering effects and preliminary evidence of ASCVD risk reduction, although significant questions remain regarding the extent of benefits across cardiovascular outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (random-effects model) of the available data on lipid lowering, incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, and safety of pharmacologic agents targeting PCSK9. A significant and consistent reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was observed across all agents (-51% [95% confidence interval {CI}: -61%, -41%]). Despite the impressive reduction in LDL-C, the individual effects on mortality, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke remained nonsignificant. However, a consistent reduction was observed in the composite outcomes of MI, stroke, and cardiovascular death [relative risk {RR} (95% CI): 0.80 (0.73-0.87)] and MI, stroke, unstable angina (requiring revascularization), and cardiovascular death [RR (95% CI): 0.85 (0.74-0.97)]. In terms of safety outcomes, there was no significant difference in severe adverse events, new onset diabetes, neurocognitive disorders, or myalgia. Meanwhile, injection site reaction was more frequent in patients receiving these agents compared to placebo [RR 2.11 (95% CI): 1.26-3.54]. These findings suggest a class effect for favorable lipid changes and a low risk of serious adverse events among pharmacologic agents targeting PCSK9. Although there is compelling evidence that PCSK9-targeting agents reduce the risk of some cardiovascular outcomes, adequately powered studies with longer follow-up may be needed to fully characterize the magnitude of benefits across the cardiovascular spectrum.

MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Preclinical Animal Models of Bone Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are a promising treatment for bone injuries, although studies remain preclinical. A systematic review and meta-analysis can assess the efficacy of MSC-EVs and identify treatment aspects associated with enhanced bone repair. English language, preclinical, controlled, in vivo studies identified in our systematic search (up to May 8, 2020) examining the use of MSC-EVs in bone healing were included. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. Aggregate Data Meta-Analysis was performed to determine the effect of MSC-EVs on Bone Volume/Total Volume (BV/TV) and New Bone Formation (NBF). Thirteen studies were included. Twelve reported either BV/TV or NBF and were included in meta-analysis. ROB was unclear in all studies. Overall, MSC-EVs displayed benefit in terms of bone healing for both BV/TV (22.2% mean difference (MD); 95% CI: 15.8-28.5%, p < 0.001) and NBF (26.1% MD; 10.3-41.8%, p = 0.001) versus controls. Substantial heterogeneity, however, was observed between studies. MSC-EVs were reported to activate multiple signaling pathways including mTOR/AKT, AMPK and BMP2. Subgroup analysis indicated no significant difference in the improvement of BV/TV when using modified EVs isolated after gene transfection, preconditioning (p = 0.61), or using EVs in combination with a tissue scaffold and/or hydrogel versus other delivery methods (p = 0.20). Use of MSC-EVs to promote healing of bone injury appears promising, however, heterogeneity between studies and the potential for reporting bias limits confidence in the extent of benefit. Reducing bias between studies and addressing aspects of potential reporting bias should augment confidence in future meta-analyses and propel the field towards clinical studies. Forest Plot analysis assessing the percentage change in bone volume (BV) / total volume (TV) in the presence (experimental) or absence (control) of MSC-EVs.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO (ARMM) PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FOR MORO NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (MNLF) COMMUNITY IN MAGUINDANAO PROVINCE

This study aims to determine the ARMM programs and projects implementation to MNLF identified communities in the province of Maguindanao during the year periods of 2013 to 2017. Specifically, this study attempts to determine the programs and projects of ARMM to MNLF identified communities; how the implementing offices and agencies of ARMM implement these programs and projects to the MNLF-respondents; the extent of benefits do MNLF respondents have obtained from these programs and projects in terms of: (a) Livelihood (b) Health and (c) education; the problems encountered by the MNLF-respondents during the implementation of these programs and projects; and the prepared alternatives/solutions to these problems. This study further used the combination of “Quantitative and Qualitative” analysis of data. The respondents were the MNLF-Field Commanders and identified MNLF community leaders in Maguindanao Province. The Purposive Sampling was used because only One Hundred Fifty-Six (156) MNLF Commanders and Leaders under Prof. Nur Misuari were used as sample respondents. The findings show that there are serious problems that need to be addressed by the national government on the implementation of the MOU signed by the OIC-GPh-MNLF tripartite process structure to monitor the implementation of the 1996 Peace Agreement and the security, governance, economic activities, including the delivery of social services in the conflict-affected areas. Thus, the government specially, ARMM is tasked to formulate and oversee programs and projects implementation in the cities, provinces and municipalities to improve the lives of the Moros and MNLF combatants regardless of race, tribes and group or faction organization affiliation. Hence as concluded further, various socio-economic activities of the ARMM government found out failed or maybe failed again.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Implementation, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Programs and Projects, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Maguindanao Province

It’s not ‘just a tube of blood’: principles of protocol development, sample collection, staffing and budget considerations for blood-based biomarkers in immunotherapy studies

Immunotherapy for cancer is now a standard pillar in the armamentarium of treatments for many cancers. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, in particular, have resulted in significant therapeutic benefit and prolongation of...

Challenges of Distance Learning in Language Classes: Based on the Experience of Distance Teaching of Arabic to Non-native Speakers in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic

This study aims to investigate the challenges that learners and teachers of a language face during distance learning classes, especially learners and teachers of the Arabic language as a second language, based on the results of a distance learning experiment on non-native speakers of the Arabic language at the University of Jordan during the second term of 2019-2020. The study seeks to introduce the proper solutions that may mitigate these challenges to achieve the educational goals through distance learning while teaching the Arabic language as a second language. This study used the applied descriptive approach in identifying these challenges. It concluded that these challenges significantly impact the language learning process, including mastering it, the extent of benefit, and the influence on students' linguistic progress. This study recommends that these challenges are considered when adopting distance learning as a language education method at teaching language classes as a second one. These challenges need to be considered when planning for direct and indirect lessons in Arabic language educational classes, primarily via the Internet.

Does the extent of collaterals influence the severity of the myocardial injury as assessed by elevation in biomarkers?

Introduction: Quantitative analysis of cardiac biomarkers, troponin I and CPK-MB, estimates the extent of myocardial injury while extent of benefit from coronary collateral circulation (CCC) to protect myocardium during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) needs validation. We analysed if the extent of collaterals had impact on baseline biomarkers at the time of coronary angiogram. Methods: We analysed 3616 consecutive patients who presented with AMI and underwent invasive coronary angiography (CAG) with intent to revascularisation with biomarkers assessment at the time of CAG. CCC to Infarct related artery (IRA) were graded as per Rentrop grading viz. poorly-developed CCC (Grade 0/1 as Group A) and well-developed CCC (Grade 2/3 as Group B). Results: Both groups (A and B) were matched for demographics, traditional risk factors, SYNTAX 1 Score, time to CAG from onset of angina and eGFR. 36.59% of patients had Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) as compared to 63.41% ST -segment elevation infarction (STEMI). Overall Troponin I (P =0.01, P =0.01) and CPK MB (P =0.00, P =0.002) values were lower in group B in both NSTEMI and STEMI groups respectively. Troponin I and CPK-MB were significantly lower in group B [with NSTEMI for SVD (Single vessel disease) (P =0.05) and DVD (Double vessel disease) (P =0.04),but not for TVD (Triple vessel disease) and with STEMI in SVD (P =0.01), DVD (P =0.01) and TVD (P =0.001)]. Conclusion: Patients with well-developed coronary collaterals had a lower rise in biomarkers in AMI as compared to those with poor collaterals amongst both NSTEMI and STEMI groups.

Mapping development and welfare schemes with SDGs in a village in India, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad-500059, India, Pp.24.

The paper examined the various development and social welfare schemes implemented in a village in India and mapping them to the Sustanable Development Goals (SDGs) to see whether these schemes are helping in achieve the SDG goals. This paper examines the actual benefits accrued to the households in a village and how they have utilized the schemes. The paper assessed share of households benefited and the extent of benefit from each scheme and also at the aggregate level. The research is conducted in Emped village of Telangana state of India by collecting information from all 287 households to get a holistic picture in year 2017. Although more than 50 schemes were implemented in the village, about 29 were active. The study examines 29 schemes from which, at least one household got benefited. The average aggregate benefit from all government schemes is about Rupees 58,095 per household. Some schemes benefit large farmers and pro-rich, while others were pro-poor. Majority of the households benefited from schemes like the Public Distribution System (PDS), direct benefit transfer based on agricultural land, MGNREGA, loan waiver, seed and fertilizer subsidy, mid-day-meal scheme but only a modest amount. But very few are benefited from the double-bed room housing scheme, the Chief Minister Relief Fund in huge sums. Schemes addressed to women like the KCR Kits (assistance to pregnant women) and Shadi Mubarak(marriage assistance) were effective. Overall, these schemes help to achieve different targets of the SDGs but need more focus on identification of target beneficiary, reduction of leakages and inordinate delays in implementation. Overall, there is inverted U shape relationship exists between household income and total benefits received, while a positive relationship exists between landholding and benefits from the government schemes. Most of the assistance recived from agricultural development schemes are spent on intended purpose, whereas welfare schemes were spent on consumption purpose.

Regenerative Surgical Therapy of Peri-implantitis: An Umbrella Review of Answered/Unanswered Questions and Future Perspectives

Purpose: To systemically summarize current knowledge about regeneration of peri-implant defects based on available systematic reviews.Materials and Methods: A systematic search for review articles published between 2010 and 2020 in four databases was conducted. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included. Based on the available literature, five questions of clinical importance on indication for regenerative approaches, surgical technique, methods of decontamination, outcome of therapy and adjunctive use of biological factors were formulated and answered.Results: The electronic search resulted in 312 studies, from which 264 studies were published between 2010 and 2020. Finally, 18 systematic reviews and one consensus report were chosen. Data of the included studies were based on 58 to 840 implants. Data on over 4.904 implants were assessed. From the 19 studies that were included, 15 assessed the outcome of regenerative therapy; three, the surgical protocol of regenerative therapy; two, the use of laser in regenerative therapy; and one, the additional use of growth factors in regenerative peri-implant therapy. Three studies assessed more than one topic.Conclusions: In general, a partial bone fill can be expected in 85% of regenerative procedures. Regeneration leads to a mean of 57% of greater bone fill, compared to open flap surgery only. Defect configuration plays a crucial role in the outcome, whereas the role and extent of benefit of different surgical protocols are still not clear.

What Prioritizing Worse-Off Minority Groups for COVID-19 Vaccines Means Quantitatively: Practical, Legal and Ethical Implications

To help mitigate structural disadvantage, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) framework for equitably allocating COVID-19 vaccines proposed increasing allocations to worse-off minorities through the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). However, the extent of benefit is unknown. Moreover, since SVI includes a race variable and could face legal challenges, it is desirable to quantify using an alternative such as the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) that does not include race and can offer more targeted prioritization as it is centered on the block-group, not census-tract level. We therefore sought to determine what shares of minorities would be offered vaccines under the NASEM’s allocation framework comparing: 1) no disadvantage index, to 2) SVI to 3) ADI.