White Background Research Articles

Effects of surrounding and underlying shades on the color adjustment potential of a single-shade composite used in a thin layer.

This study aimed to evaluate the surrounding and underlying shades' effect on the color adjustment potential (CAP) of a single-shade composite used in a thin layer. Cylinder specimens (1.0 mm thick) were built with the Vittra APS Unique composite, surrounded (dual specimens) or not (simple specimens) by a control composite (shade A1, A2, or A3). Simple specimens were also built only with the control composites. Each specimen's color was measured against white and black backgrounds or the simple control specimens with a spectrophotometer (CIELAB system). The whiteness index for dentistry (WID) and translucency parameters (TP00) were calculated for simple specimens. Differences (ΔE00) in color between the simple/dual specimens and the controls were calculated. The CAP was calculated based on the ratios between data from simple and dual specimens. The Vittra APS Unique composite showed higher WID and TP00 values than the controls. The highest values of ΔE00 were observed among simple specimens. The color measurements of Vittra APS Unique (simple or dual) against the control specimens presented the lowest color differences. Only surrounding the single-shade composite with a shaded composite barely impacted the ΔE00. The highest CAP values were obtained using a shaded composite under simple or dual specimens. The CAP of Vittra APS Unique was strongly affected by the underlying shade, while surrounding this composite with a shaded one barely affected its color adjustment.

Feasibility and acceptability to use a smartphone-based manikin for daily longitudinal self-reporting of chronic pain.

As management of chronic pain continues to be suboptimal, there is a need for tools that support frequent, longitudinal pain self-reporting to improve our understanding of pain. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of daily pain self-reporting using a smartphone-based pain manikin. For this prospective feasibility study, we recruited adults with lived experience of painful musculoskeletal condition. They were asked to complete daily pain self-reports via an app for 30 days. We assessed feasibility by calculating pain report completion levels, and investigated differences in completion levels between subgroups. We assessed acceptability via an end-of-study questionnaire, which we analysed descriptively. Of the 104 participants, the majority were female (n = 87; 84%), aged 45-64 (n = 59; 57%), and of white ethnic background (n = 89; 86%). The mean completion levels was 21 (± 7.7) pain self-reports. People who were not working (odds ratio (OR) = 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52-2.23) were more likely, and people living in less deprived areas (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.97) and of non-white ethnicity (OR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.36-0.57) were less likely to complete pain self-reports than their employed, more deprived and white counterparts, respectively. Of the 96 participants completing the end-of-study questionnaire, almost all participants agreed that it was easy to complete a pain drawing (n = 89; 93%). It is feasible and acceptable to self-report pain using a smartphone-based manikin over a month. For its wider adoption for pain self-reporting, the feasibility and acceptability should be further explored among people with diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Evaluation of color and translucency of colored and pre-colored monolithic zirconia ceramics

Aim:The presentin vitrostudy evaluated the Color and Translucency of Colored and Pre-colored MonolithicZirconia ceramics. Materials and methods:Twenty disks of Monolithic Zirconia with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of1.5 mm were milled from White and Pre-colored Blanks. The disks milled from the White blanks were subjectedto immersion in Coloring liquid. The disks were divided into Group I Colored Zirconia and Group II Pre-coloredZirconia. Twenty Co-Cr disks of diameter of 10◦mm and thickness of 2.5◦mm with a superficial hollow spacer of8◦mm diameter and 0.1◦mm thickness were used in this study to serve as metallic substrates for the Zirconiadisks. Using a Color Spectrophotometer, Color coordinates were observed. Color difference (AE) was measuredover a white backdrop, metal substrate before, and metal substrate after cementation. The Translucency Parameter(TP) was measured over a white and black backdrop. Independent ‘t-test and Mann WhitneyUtest were used toanalyze the Color difference and Translucency Parameter data, respectively. Results:The Mean Color difference between Colored Zirconia and Pre-colored Zirconia against a white backdropand metal substrate before cementation was 12.32 and 10.37, respectively. The Mean Color difference betweenColored Zirconia and Pre-colored Zirconia against a white- backdrop and metal substrate after cementation was2.48 and 3.41, respectively. The mean color difference between Colored and Pre-colored Zirconia against metalsubstrate before and after cementation was 8.37 and 9.13, respectively. Pre-colored Zirconia showed a statisticallysignificantly higher color difference than Colored Zirconia (P◦<◦0.05). The mean Translucency parameter forColored Zirconia and Pre-colored Zirconia was 7.73 and 8.83, respectively. The mean Translucency parameterfor Colored Zirconia and Pre-colored Zirconia over metal substrate was 0.52 and 0.57, respectively. Conclusion:On comparison of Colored and Pre-colored Zirconia from a white background to the metal substratebefore and after cementation, the Colored Zirconia showed lower color difference than the Pre-colored Zirconia,which suggests that Colored Zirconia has better masking ability than Pre-colored Zirconia. However, comparingthese two materials for Translucency, the Pre-colored Zirconia material demonstrated higher translucency than theColored Zirconia material before and after cementation over the metal substrate.

신라 武官의 官服 구성 품목과 위신재

Silla military officials had an official uniform different from those of other groups and their own prestige goods. This study examines a meaning and use of geum(衿), hwa(花), and ryeong(鈴) along with the components of Silla’s military official uniform.
 Officials had equipment for self-defense and ceremonial weaponry to participate in a specific occasion. Their uniform was composed of chaek(幘, square-shaped headgear) tied with a gwan string, colored gwan(色冠), four colored ui (色衣) for each group, colored ui according to the tasks, po(袍, type of overcoat), go(袴, narrow-legged trousers), belt that differs from jobok(朝服) and official uniform, hwa(靴, footgear), hwadae(靴帶, shoes laces).
 Ryeong is a bell hanging from a packhorse. It was used to make a sound so that transported goods could pass quickly or to prevent the horses from leaving. Hwa is a flag with a leopard print or large tiger tail on the spear shaft and flagpole. It indicated the presence of an army unit and whether a specific military officer within the unit was present.
 Geum is a decoration attached to the military flag or doryeon, the hemline of military uniform top. The former has a half-moon design on a white background, and the title and name are written on it. In addition, the edge of the flag is decorated with geum color. As for the latter case, the background color and title are omitted and doryeon is represented by color. The color was functioned to verify military official's identity when he died. The guem attached to the doryeon is similar to the modern army badges and identification tags.

AI-VI DEFECT DETECTION

Real-time object detection and dimensioning are an important aspect from an industrial point of view. This study presents an augmented technique for detecting objects and computing their real-time measurements from a video device such as a webcam. We have suggested an object measurement technique in real-time using AI and ML. There are not many real-time object measurement models and this prototype can be used enormously further. This is an essential topic of computer vision problems. As stated, this project presents a technique for computing the measurements in real-time from images. To explain it’s working it basically uses a webcam and a white paper background to detect the object. After detecting the object, displays it dimensions in specified measuring units at real time. AI –VI (Artificial Intelligence and Visual Inspection) Defect Detection Solution is a system which will classify the springs automatically through artificial Intelligence, camera and motors. It will detect if there is any defect in the spring through webcam. If the defect is detected then it will segregate into Defected part otherwise it will consider it as good part.

An investigation on fatigue, fracture resistance, and color properties of aesthetic CAD/CAM monolithic ceramics

ObjectivesTo evaluate and compare fracture resistance, translucency, and color reproducibility, as well as the effect of aging on the fracture load and color stability of novel monolithic CAD/CAM ceramics.Materials and methodsOne hundred crowns of uniform thickness were milled from five ceramic blocks (n = 20): partially crystallized lithium disilicate (PLD) and fully crystallized lithium disilicate (FLD), lithium metasilicate (LMS), 4Y-TZP (SMZ), and 5Y-TZP (UMZ) monolithic zirconia. PLD crowns were glazed, LMS was fired, and FLD was polished. SMZ and UMZ crowns were sintered and polished. Crowns were adhesively cemented to epoxy dies. Half of the crowns (n = 10) were subjected to 1.200.000 load cycles with thermal cycling. Color space values L, a, b defined by the Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage (CIELAB) were measured before and after aging, and (∆E) was calculated. Both aged and non-aged specimens were loaded until fracture in a universal testing machine and the fracture load was recorded. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) fractographic analysis were carried out on fractured fragments of representative samples. For translucency and color reproducibility, 50 rectangular-shaped specimens were fabricated and processed as described previously. Color values were measured over black and white backgrounds, and the translucency parameter (TP) was computed. Using the shade verification mode, (∆E) to shade A3 was calculated. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA, and t-test.ResultsAging did not affect fracture resistance significantly (p > 0.05). The highest mean fracture load was obtained for the SMZ and UMZ. A significant color change was observed after aging in all groups. The highest TP was noted for FLD. SMZ and UMZ had the best shade match.ConclusionsZirconia showed higher fracture resistance and color stability than lithium silicate ceramics. Lithium silicate ceramics were more translucent. The experimental FLD demonstrated high translucency.Clinical relevanceTested ceramics showed sufficient stability to withstand masticatory forces. Characterization of final restorations might be mandatory for better color match.

Association between selected characteristics of the farmers and their newspaper reading behaviour

A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers as a mass media influence public by disseminating news on local, national and international events. Further, they play an important role in the fields of agricultural development by providing knowledge to the farmers about new techniques. In Gujarat, Sandesh is leading daily newspaper and it was found in 1923. It could also be effective media in changing perception, attitude and actions of people when they are literates. So, a study was conducted to know the reading behaviour of agro sandesh in daily newspaper by farmers. The study would also help to know whether the agriculture information is really reaching to its actual beneficiaries and up to what extent. Ex- post facto research design was used for this study. The study was conducted in three talukas of Banaskantha district and reveal that independent variables studied viz. occupation, annual income, extension participation, source of information and extension contact had positive and significant correlation, while education and social participation had positive and highly significant correlation with overall reading behaviour.

Taisho-Sanshoku koi have hardly faded skin and show attenuated melanophore sensitivity to adrenaline and melanin-concentrating hormone.

Koi carp, an ornamental fish derived from the common carp Cyprinus carpio (CC), is characterized by beautiful skin color patterns. However, the mechanism that gives rise to the characteristic vivid skin coloration of koi carp has not been clarified. The skin coloration of many teleosts changes in response to differences in the background color. This change in skin coloration is caused by diffusion or aggregation of pigment granules in chromatophores and is regulated mainly by sympathetic nerves and hormones. We hypothesized that there would be some abnormality in the mechanism of skin color regulation in koi carp, which impairs skin color fading in response to background color. We compared the function of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), noradrenaline, and adrenaline in CC and Taisho-Sanshoku (TS), a variety of tri-colored koi. In CC acclimated to a white background, the skin color became paler and pigment granules aggregated in melanophores in the scales compared to that in black-acclimated CC. There were no clear differences in skin color or pigment granule aggregation in white- or black-acclimated TS. The expression of mch1 mRNA in the brain was higher in the white-acclimated CC than that in the black-acclimated CC. However, the expression of mch1 mRNA in the brain in the TS did not change in response to the background color. Additionally, plasma MCH levels did not differ between white- and black-acclimated fish in either CC or TS. In vitro experiments showed that noradrenaline induced pigment aggregation in scale melanophores in both CC and TS, whereas adrenaline induced pigment aggregation in the CC but not in the TS. In vitro administration of MCH induced pigment granule aggregation in the CC but not in the TS. However, intraperitoneal injection of MCH resulted in pigment granule aggregation in both CC and TS. Collectively, these results suggest that the weak sensitivity of scale melanophores to MCH and adrenaline might be responsible for the lack of skin color change in response to background color in the TS.

A lekythos of the Beldam Painter in the collection of the National Museum of Transylvanian History

Among the numerous and varied Greek ceramic vessels in the heritage of the National Museum of Transylvanian History, there is an Attic lekythos with black figures, which arrived here when the Cluj museum took over the Numismatics and Antiquities Collection of the Transylvanian Museum. It is a large cylindrical lekythos with pattern decoration applied on a white background which, by all appearances, was produced in the workshop of the Athenian Beldam Painter. The workshop of the Beldam Painter was active in the second quarter of the 5th century BC and is considered the last group of quality black-figure vessels produced in Athens.

Toward Accessible Hearing Care: The Development of a Versatile Arabic Word-in-Noise Screening Tool: A Pilot Study

Speech-in-noise tests are used to assess the ability of the human auditory system to perceive speech in a noisy environment. Early diagnosis of hearing deficits helps health professionals to plan for the most appropriate management. However, hospitals and auditory clinics have a shortage of reliable Arabic versions of speech-in-noise tests. Additionally, access to specialized healthcare facilities is associated with socioeconomic status. Hence, individuals with compromised socioeconomic status do not have proper access to healthcare. Thus, In the current study, a mobile and cost-effective Arabic speech-in-noise test was developed and tested on 30 normal-hearing subjects, and their ability to perceive words-in-noise was evaluated. Moreover, a comparison between two different background noises was explored (multi-talker babble noise and white noise). The results revealed a significant difference in the thresholds between the two types of background noises. The percent-correct scores ranged from 100% to 54.17% for the white background noise and 91.57% to 50% for the multi-talker babble background noise. The proposed Arabic word-in-noise screening tool has the potential to be used effectively to screen for deteriorated speech perception abilities, particularly in low-resource settings.

Establishing Normative Values for Amplitude of Accommodation and Accommodative Facility among University Students in Malawi

Aim: The study aimed to examine the distribution of Accommodative Facility (AF) and Amplitude of Accommodation (AA) and compare the findings with established guidelines.
 Place and Duration of Study: Mzuzu University, Malawi. Between May and July 2022.
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among students at Mzuzu university in Malawi. We recruited 77 students using a stratified random sampling technique. The participants' age ranged from 16 to 35 years of age. We measured AA using the push-up method while AF was measured using +/- 1.50 Diopters (D) flippers. Both techniques utilized black reading material on white background held at 40 centimeters (cm). Next, we measured the accommodation facility by counting the number of Cycles per Minute (c/m). We utilized the Pearson correlation test and the One-way ANOVA where appropriate. The value of p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. 
 Results: The participants comprised 44 (57.1%) males and 33 (42.9%) females. Monocular AA was 10.04D (SD=2.71) and Binocular AA was 10.51 (3.641). The difference was statistically significant (p=0.04). While Monocular AF and Binocular AF were 9 c/m (SD= SD=1.84) and 8.96 (SD=1.539) respectively but the difference was non-significant (p=0.868). AF and AA were not significantly different between males and females. All the parameters decreased with age. The measured AA was significantly higher than using Hofstetter’s formula.
 Conclusion: The study provides a cut-off value for practitioners diagnosing Accommodation anomalies. However, indices in the study differ from the well-established guidelines hence practitioners should endeavor to perform the clinical assessment instead of relying on equations.

Effect of filters on the accommodation and colour discrimination

AbstractPurpose: To evaluate the effect of coloured filters on the accommodative response and colour discrimination in young subjects.Methods: Two long pass filters (LED light reduction and 511 nm filter), two selective absorption filters (ML41 and emerald filter), and no filter condition were evaluated. The photorefractor PowerRef3 (PlusOptix) was used to measure the objective refraction at 3 different distances (40, 100, and 400 cm). The measurement obtained at 400 cm was used as a reference to calculate the accommodative response. The fixation target consisted of five letter length words (size corresponding to 6/12 Snellen) that were presented in black font over white background. Words changed with a frequency of 2 Hz according to the rapid serial visual presentation paradigm. The Cambridge Colour Test (Metropsis) was used to measure the discrimination threshold in a 10‐vector ellipse at a 3 m viewing distance. The measurement was repeated twice, and it was performed monocularly. In total, 20 healthy volunteers with no accommodation problems or colour blindness were included.Results: On average, the accommodative response with no filter condition was larger compared to the measurements with filters for 40 and 100 cm. The differences were in all cases lower than 0.25D, and differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). For the colour discrimination thresholds, the ML41 and 511 filters showed statistically significant different values compared to the other two conditions for most of the vectors. The filter 511 had the highest impact on the colour vision, as the results resemble to a Tritan defect.Conclusions: The accommodative response in healthy young adults was not significantly different than the no filter condition. The colour discrimination thresholds with the filter ML41 and 511 were significantly different compared to the no filter condition.

Correlations between complex human phenotypes vary by genetic background, gender, and environment

We develop a closed-form Haseman-Elston estimator for genetic and environmental correlation coefficients between complex phenotypes, which we term HEc, that is as precise as GCTA yet ∼20× faster. We estimate genetic and environmental correlations between over 7,000 phenotype pairs in subgroups from the Trans-Omics in Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. We demonstrate substantial differences in both heritabilities and genetic correlations for multiple phenotypes and phenotype pairs between individuals of self-reported Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White backgrounds. We similarly observe differences in many of the genetic and environmental correlations between genders. To estimate the contribution of genetics to the observed phenotypic correlation, we introduce "fractional genetic correlation" as the fraction of phenotypic correlation explained by genetics. Finally, we quantify the enrichment of correlations between phenotypic domains, each of which is comprised of multiple phenotypes. Altogether, we demonstrate that the observed correlations between complex human phenotypes depend on the genetic background of the individuals, their gender, and their environment.

The Effects of Warm Colour on Memorization of Arabic Words

This study was conducted to examine whether warm colour had effects on memorization of Arabic words. Participants involved were 90 students from a private religious secondary school in Perak. They were each given a set of paper consisting of one Surah; with six words been highlighted with warm colour (red and yellow), cool colour (green and blue) or white colour background. The paper also contained the meaning of each word in Arabic, which were extracted from exegesis book Tafsir al-Jalalain. The participants were given fifteen minutes to memorize the list of words and their meaning in Arabic language. The percentage of words recalled correctly were the dependent variable. It was hypothesized that participants who received warm-coloured set could recall more Arabic words than participants who received either the cool-coloured set or the white set. A paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon test were conducted and the results indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference in percentage of words recalled based on paper set. Possible explanations were examined. Keywords: Warm Colour, Arabic Words, Colour, Memorization

Evaluation of Color Difference and Translucency of Modified PEEK Restorations Veneered with Different Veneering Materials Before and After Thermal Cycling

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different PEEK veneering materials, as well as thermocycling on the color difference (ΔE) and the translucency parameter (TP) of modified PEEK veneered restorations. Materials and Methods: Thirty-disc shaped specimens of veneered BioHPP (1.5 mm X 12 mm) were randomly divided into three groups (n=10) based on the type of the veneering material. Group (A): Discs veneered with CAD milled Lithium Disilicate, group (B): Discs veneered with pre-cured milled composite, and group (C): Discs veneered with conventional light cured composite. CIELab values were calculated for all specimens over white and black backgrounds using a laboratory spectrophotometer and then (ΔE) and (TP) were calculated. Specimens were subjected to thermal cycling, after which the same procedure for calculating (ΔE) and (TP) was repeated. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA showed that both the veneering material, and thermocycling had a statistically significant effect on mean ΔE, and on (TP) (P-value). Conclusions: All veneering techniques rendered an amount of color difference that was clinically unacceptable, as well as displaying much lower translucency levels than that of natural enamel and dentine

Evaluation of cell-free DNA approaches for multi-cancer early detection.

In the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (NCT02889978) substudy 1, we evaluate several approaches for a circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test by defining clinical limit of detection (LOD) based on circulating tumor allele fraction (cTAF), enabling performance comparisons. Among 10 machine-learning classifiers trained on the same samples and independently validated, when evaluated at 98% specificity, those using whole-genome (WG) methylation, single nucleotide variants with paired white blood cell background removal, and combined scores from classifiers evaluated in this study show the highest cancer signal detection sensitivities. Compared with clinical stage and tumor type, cTAF is a more significant predictor of classifier performance and may more closely reflect tumor biology. Clinical LODs mirror relative sensitivities for all approaches. The WG methylation feature best predicts cancer signal origin. WG methylation is the most promising technology for MCED and informs development of a targeted methylation MCED test.

A qualitative study exploring experiences of racism, inclusivity and diversity on career progression in pharmacy practice and education

Abstract Introduction Approximately 40% of pharmacists in Great Britain identify as part of minority ethnic group, however research has identified that these pharmacists are under-represented in senior management positions.1 Additionally, there is a well documented attainment differential in pharmacy education, suggesting disparity that extends beyond practice, to initial training and education.2 Further work is needed to explore career progression, racism, inclusivity, and diversity in pharmacy practice and education. Aim To explore experiences of racism, inclusivity, and diversity on career progression in pharmacy practice and education. Methods Six online focus groups lasting one hour were competed on Microsoft Teams with a convenience sample of 29 pharmacists, trainees and students recruited via email and social media. Automatic verbatim transcripts were quality checked then thematically analysed using NVivo Version 1.2 and a step-wise approach of familiarization, coding, and clustering to identify key themes that described participants’ experiences. Ethical approval was obtained by an institutional ethics committee. Results The main themes were Defining racism; Experiencing racism; Race talk; and Career progression. Participants defined racism as a combination of ignorance and malice, manifested in derogatory language, physical violence and judgement based on skin colour, accent, hair type, and clothing. Racism was experienced both overtly and subtly, by senior colleagues, contemporaries, patients, and staff members from other disciplines. Two white participants reported never experiencing racism. Engagement with race-related training or practice issues, such as addressing racist encounters with colleagues or patients, was limited by senior managers, who were perceived to prioritise economic interests (not losing customers) and protecting organisational branding. Talking about race (Race talk) was mostly reported as uncomfortable with managers from white backgrounds, as this led to misunderstanding and confusion, misrepresentation as “playing the race card” and minimisation. Equally, white participants reported feeling very uncomfortable and being afraid to talk about race. This meant challenging racist behaviours, attitudes or systems was difficult for all participants and had to pass a threshold to be ‘worth’ bringing up. This threshold was lower if racism was observed directed at somebody else, rather than at participants personally. Career progression was reported as limited due to racial biases by recruiting managers; with participants reporting “there is a certain point where pharmacists of colour can get to”. White participants reported no perceivable impact of their race on career progression. Discussion/Conclusion The aim of the study was to explore racism, inclusivity, and diversity on career progression in pharmacy practice and education. The results demonstrate racism in pharmacy practice and education which cuts across all levels of workforce education, training, and development, creating a perceived ceiling effect. A strength of the study is that participants were recruited from across social and ethnic groups in Great Britain. Although qualitative data are not generalisable, they may be transferable to other settings. Quantitative work is needed to assess the scale of these experiences across the profession.

The Effect of Background Color on Skin Color Variation of Juvenile Plectropomus leopardus.

Fish skin color is usually strongly affected by the background color of their environment. The study investigated the effects of five different background colors on the skin color of leopard coral groupers (Plectropomus leopardus). More than 450 juveniles were reared in Blue, Red, Black, White, and Transparent background tanks for 56 days. The paraffin section showed that the skin melanin zone of fish in the White group was smaller, whereas the Black and Red groups (especially Black) were nearly the largest. The apparent skin color of P. leopardus was red on the white background, which darkened in response to the other color backgrounds. The Black group revealed the blackest skin color, followed by the transparent group. Moreover, the White group had the highest L*, a*, and b* values. The melanin content and tyrosinase activity in the dorsal and ventral skin of the Black group were significantly higher than those in the other groups (p < 0.05), and the serum α-MSH level was higher in the Black group as well. The carotenoid and lutein contents showed completely different trends among the experimental groups, as carotenoid content was higher in the Red and White groups, while lutein content was higher in the Transparent group. The expression level of scarb1 was highest in the Blue and White groups, followed by the Transparent group, and lowest in the Black group (p < 0.05). The expression trend of scarb1 was similar to the skin color in different backgrounds, indicating that the background color regulated scarb1 expression level through visual center, then influenced the uptake and transport of carotenoids, then influenced the skin color formation of P. leopardus. Moreover, lighter colors inhibited the formation of melanocytes and had a significant effect on carotenoid and lutein contents. Pigment-related genes were involved in the regulation of fish skin color, and they were affected by background color in P. leopardus. These results indicate that a white background is more conducive to maintaining red skin color in juvenile P. leopardus.

Racial and Socioeconomic Differences in Heart Failure Hospitalizations and Telemedicine Follow-up During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Low rates of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations were observed during the 2020 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, posthospitalization follow-up transitioned to a predominantly telemedicine model. It is unknown whether the shift to telemedicine impacted disparities in posthospitalization follow-up or HF readmissions. The aim of this paper is to determine whether the shift to telemedicine impacted racial and ethnic as well as socioeconomic disparities in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) follow-up and HF readmissions. We additionally sought to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the severity of ADHF hospitalizations. This was a retrospective cohort study of HF admissions across 8 participating hospitals during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 15 to June 1, 2020), compared to the same time frame in 2019. Patients were stratified by race, ethnicity, and median neighborhood income. Hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, inpatient mortality, 7-day follow-up, and 30-day readmissions were assessed. From March 15, 2019, to June 1, 2020, there were 1162 hospitalizations for ADHF included in the study. There were significantly fewer admissions for ADHF in 2020, compared with 2019 (442 vs 720; P<.001). Patients in 2020 had higher rates of ICU admission, compared with 2019 (15.8% vs 11.1%; P=.02). This trend was seen across all subgroups and was significant for patients from the highest income quartile (17.89% vs 10.99%; P=.02). While there was a trend toward higher inpatient mortality in 2020 versus 2019 (4.3% vs 2.8%; P=.17), no difference was seen among different racial and socioeconomic groups. Telemedicine comprised 81.6% of 7-day follow-up in 2020, with improvement in 7-day follow-up rates (40.5% vs 29.6%; P<.001). Inequities in 7-day follow-up for patients from non-Hispanic Black racial backgrounds compared to those from non-Hispanic White backgrounds decreased during the pandemic. Additionally, those with telemedicine follow-up were less likely to be readmitted in 30 days when compared to no follow-up (13.8% vs 22.4%; P=.03). There were no major differences in HF ICU admissions or inpatient mortality for different racial and socioeconomic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities in 7-day follow-up were reduced with the advent of telemedicine and decreased 30-day readmission rates for those who had telemedicine follow-up.

The impact of context on pattern separation for objects among younger and older apolipoprotein ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers.

On continuous recognition tasks, changing the context objects are embedded in impairs memory. Older adults are worse on pattern separation tasks requiring identification of similar objects compared to younger adults. However, how contexts impact pattern separation in aging is unclear. The apolipoprotein (APOE) ϵ4 allele may exacerbate possible age-related changes due to early, elevated neuropathology. The goal of this study is to determine how context and APOE status affect pattern separation among younger and older adults. Older and younger ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers were given a continuous object recognition task. Participants indicated if objects on a Repeated White background, Repeated Scene, or a Novel Scene were old, similar, or new. The proportions of correct responses and the types of errors made were calculated. Novel scenes lowered recognition scores compared to all other contexts for everyone. Younger adults outperformed older adults on identifying similar objects. Older adults misidentified similar objects as old more than new, and the repeated scene exacerbated this error. APOE status interacted with scene and age such that in repeated scenes, younger carriers produced less false alarms, and this trend switched for older adults where carriers made more false alarms. Context impacted recognition memory in the same way for both age groups. Older adults underutilized details and over relied on holistic information during pattern separation compared to younger adults. The triple interaction in false alarms may indicate an even greater reliance on holistic information among older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.