bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative association of educational status and effect of patient counseling among cancer patients: A cross-sectional analysis in a tertiary care hospital in South India
Authors: Jyoti Kumar , Manjula Gudhoor , Ganachari Madiwalayya S
Published: February 2021

Context

Patient Counseling is desirable in chronic disease condition which is influenced by innumerable predictors. Educational status is one of the primary predictor which is usually ignored while considering the effect of patient counseling in cancer patients. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the measure of association between education level and patient counseling among cancer patients.

Design and method

In the cross-sectional analysis, 90 cancer patients in inpatient setting at Oncology department of tertiary care hospital in South India were examined for a 24-week period through pharmacist-patient interview. The data were recorded in well-customized and validated data collection form.

Statistical analysis used:

Bivariate analysis and linear regression analysis were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 16.0, USA to assess the empirical relationship between the two determinants: education level and patient counseling.

Results

The study participants were aged between 11 to 80 years with 7:11 male to female ratio. Among 90 interviewed patients, 83.3% were counseled. Linear regression analysis demonstrated significant association between education status and patient counseling (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The study findings suggest that poor education status can be a barrier to patient’s ability to seek and act on the counseling provided by the health care professionals. Thus, it recommends improvisation of counseling practice on patients from different educational divisions.
Adherence to thalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma: A cross-sectional study in a Brazilian metropolis
Authors: Silveira Lívia Pena , Pádua Cristiane A Menezes de , Drummond Paula Lana de Miranda , Malta Jéssica Soares , Santos Roberta M Marques dos , Costa Naiane Lima , Machado Taísa R Lopes , Hauck Lucas Motta , Reis Adriano Max Moreira
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has advanced with the introduction of immunomodulators (IMiDS). Thalidomide is the IMiD available in Brazil with free access to MM patients. Adherence to treatment with IMiDs is essential for a successful therapy. The study proposed to describe adherence to thalidomide treatment in patients diagnosed with MM in onco-hematological outpatient clinics.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study with patients over 18 years of age diagnosed with MM undergoing thalidomide treatment. Adherence was measured by the Proportion of Days Covered (PDC), which is an indirect method of measuring adherence that uses database-related medication dispensing information. Patients with PDC ≥90 were classified as adherent. The association between adherence and independent variables was assessed in univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression.

Results

A total of 65 patients with a median age of 62.6 years were identified. The median PDC was 93.7%. The frequency of adherence to thalidomide was 56.9%. Adherence to thalidomide showed a negative association with hospitalization in the last 12 months (OR = 0.202; 95% CI = 0.060–0.687) and with higher schooling (OR =0.161; 95% CI = 0.039–0.667) and a positive association with higher income (OR = 5.115; 95% CI = 1.363–19.190).

Conclusion

Most patients from onco-hematological outpatient clinics in a metropolitan region of southeastern Brazil showed high adherence to thalidomide, which was independently associated with higher income, hospitalization, and higher schooling. More studies are required to understand better the determinants of adherence to thalidomide in the country.
Is There an “Expert” Stranger Rapist?
Authors: Chopin Julien , Paquette Sarah , Beauregard Eric
Published: February 2021

The concept of expertise applied to the criminal context assumes that offenders are driven by the abilities to both maximize the payoffs and minimize the risks associated with the crime-commission. This study tested the articulation between these two types of decisions taken by stranger rapists to successfully commit their crime. Specifically, this study aims to identify whether offenders whose modus operandi is indicative of criminal expertise are more likely to use forensic awareness strategies. Multivariate analyses conducted on 1,551 cases showed that stranger rapists who adopted behaviors indicative of expertise were more likely to use forensic awareness strategies to decrease the risk of police detection. Mixed associations were found between the number of forensic awareness strategies and their nature (i.e., protecting identity vs. destroying evidence) and rapists’ expertise, thus leading to a four-type theoretical classification of expertise: novice, bold, opportunistic, and expert stranger rapists. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
On the Use of Balanced Item Parceling to Counter Acquiescence Bias in Structural Equation Models
Authors: Weijters Bert , Baumgartner Hans
Published: February 2021

We propose the use of balanced item parcels to account for method effects caused by acquiescent responding. The use of balanced parcels avoids the need to model method effects explicitly and results in a parsimonious specification of measurement and full structural equation models in the presence of unwanted method effects, particularly when a scale consists of a relatively large number of items. Balanced item parcels are sums or averages of individual items consisting of an equal number of regular and reversed items measuring the same construct. When regular and reversed items are combined into parcels, method effects cancel out (assuming that the method effects affecting the regular and reversed items in a parcel are equal in magnitude), and model fit and parameter estimates will no longer be negatively affected by acquiescent responding. We discuss why balanced item parceling works and when it is likely to prove beneficial, and we present a step-by-step procedure explaining how to use balanced item parceling in practice. We also report a brief hypothetical example to illustrate the proposed approach.
Ophthalmia neonatorum in a tertiary referral children’s hospital: A retrospective study
Authors: Gildea David , Goetz Reinold , Drew Richard , Chamney Sarah
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to examine the aetiology, investigation and management of ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) presenting to a tertiary referral children’s hospital over 5 years.

Methods:

The eye swab data of all neonates presenting to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street (Dublin, Ireland) between 1st January 2013 and 3rd September 2018 was analysed. The medical records of all patients with positive eye swab results were retrospectively reviewed.

Results:

A total of 157 neonates had positive eye swab results. 54 cases were identified as ON. Chlamydia trachomatis (20.4%) was the most common organism identified, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18.5%), Haemophilus influenzae (14.8%), Moraxella catarrhalis (7.4%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (5.6%), Escherischia coli (3.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1.9%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.9%). A bacterial culture swab was tested in all cases (100%), a C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae PCR swab in 70.4% and a viral PCR swab in 35.2%. On subanalysis of the cases that had C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae PCR testing, C. trachomatis was responsible for 28.9% of cases. 50% of cases were hospitalised, intravenous antibiotics were administered in 46.3% and macrolide therapy was prescribed in 38.9%.

Conclusions:

C. trachomatis was the most common cause of ON in this study and may be responsible for an even higher proportion of cases due to incomplete testing. In keeping with studies in different populations, S. aureus, H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae were also common. As a result, an improved management algorithm for cases of ON has been introduced in this centre.
Structural and vascular features in cavitary congenital optic disc anomaly associated with metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia
Authors: Fossataro Federica , D’Andrea Luca , Cennamo Gilda
Published: February 2021

Purpose:

To evaluate the radial peripapillary vascular plexus of a cavitary congenital optic disc anomaly in a young patient with recessive autosomal metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods:

Observational case report.

Results:

A 17-year-old man, with diagnosis of metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia was referred to Eye Clinic for fundus examination and multimodal imaging for retinal epithelium hypertrophy in the right eye. Clinical examination showed cup-shaped metaphyses, short stature, hyperthelorism, and telecanthus. An optic disc coloboma was detected in the right eye on fundus examination. Wide field en-face Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) showed a hyporeflective area corresponding to the right optic disc coloboma. At OCTA examination, the whole papillary region revealed a rarefaction of the vascular network, while the ganglion cell complex’s and retinal fiber layers’ parameters were normal in both eyes.

Conclusion:

The presence of coloboma disc congenital defect linked to embryological abnormalities during the development process could pave the way for a wider understanding of the pathogenesis of metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia by increasingly framing it as a systemic disease.
Minimal guidewire length for central venous catheterization of the right subclavian vein: A CT-based consecutive case series
Authors: Adrian Maria , Bengtsson Pär , Borgquist Ola , Bozovic Gracijela , Kander Thomas
Published: February 2021

Background:

Central venous catheter (CVC) misplacement occurs frequently after right subclavian vein catheterization. It can be avoided by using ultrasound to confirm correct guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava prior to CVC insertion. However, retraction of the guidewire during the CVC insertion may dislocate the guidewire tip from its desired and confirmed position, thereby resulting in CVC misplacement. The aim of this study was to determine the minimal guidewire length required to maintain correct guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava throughout an ultrasound-guided CVC placement in the right subclavian vein.

Methods:

One hundred adult patients with a computed tomography scan of the chest were included. By using multiplanar reconstructions from thin-sliced images, the distance from the most plausible distal puncture site of the right subclavian vein to the optimal guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava was measured (vessel length). In addition, measurements of equipment in common commercial over-the-wire percutaneous 15–16 cm CVC kits were performed. The 95th percentile of the vessel length was used to calculate the required minimal guidewire length for each CVC kit.

Results:

The 95th percentile of the vessel length was 153 mm. When compared to the calculated minimal guidewire length, the guidewires were up to 108 mm too short in eight of eleven CVC kits.

Conclusion:

After confirmation of a correct guidewire position, retraction of the guidewire tip above the junction of the brachiocephalic veins should be avoided prior to CVC insertion in order to preclude dislocation of the catheter tip towards the right internal jugular vein or the left subclavian vein. This study shows that many commercial over-the-wire percutaneous 15–16 cm CVC kits contain guidewires that are too short for right subclavian vein catheterization, i.e., guidewire retraction is needed prior to CVC insertion.
Skin perfusion pressure for predicting access-related hand ischemia following arteriovenous fistula surgery based on the brachial artery
Authors: Bae Miju , Chung Sung Woon , Lee Chung Won , Huh Up , Jin Moran , Jeon Chang Ho
Published: February 2021

Background:

Access-related hand ischemia (ARHI) is a major complication of arteriovenous fistula (AVF). This study aimed to assess the predictive efficacy of skin perfusion pressure (SPP) measurement for ARHI by examining the relationship between SPP and ARHI development and progression after AVF surgery.

Methods:

Twenty-five patients (16 men and 9 women) who underwent AVF surgery based on the brachial artery between January 2018 and December 2018 were included. The pre- and postoperative SPP values were measured on the day of surgery. ARHI occurrence and severity were measured within 3 days and at 6 months after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the prediction model of ARHI, and the cutoff points for the calculated coefficients were determined.

Results:

There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of immediate ARHI and the SPP gradient ( p = 0.024). An SPP gradient value >50 mmHg had sensitivity and specificity values of 53.85% and 91.67%, respectively, in predicting the occurrence of immediate ARHI. A postoperative SPP <48 mmHg was significantly correlated with the occurrence of 6-month ARHI ( p = 0.005), with sensitivity and specificity values of 71.43% and 83.33%, respectively.

Conclusion:

The SPP gradient and postoperative SPP values may be effective clinical predictors of ARHI occurring immediately and 6 months after surgery, respectively, with high specificity. These findings could allow clinicians to diagnose and begin early interventions to help prevent ischemic tissue damage in hemodialysis patients following AVF surgery.
Psychosocial interventions for adults with newly diagnosed chronic disease: A systematic review
Authors: Akyirem Samuel , Forbes Angus , Wad Julie Lindberg , Due-Christensen Mette
Published: February 2021

While the need for psychosocial interventions in the early formative period of chronic disease diagnosis is widely acknowledged, little is known about the currently available interventions and what they entail. This review sought to collate existing interventions to synthesize their active ingredients. A systematic search on five electronic databases yielded 2910 records, 12 of which were eligible for this review. Evidence synthesis revealed three broad categories of interventions which used at least two out of eight active techniques. Future studies should adhere to known frameworks for intervention development, and focus on developing core outcome measures to enhance evidence synthesis
Remembering rape: The temporal construction of sexual violence in autobiographical narratives from 1990s Finland
Authors: Frisk Matleena , Taavetti Riikka
Published: February 2021

This article examines how historical contexts affect the recollection of experiences of rape. We reanalyze sexual autobiographies that were gathered in Finland in 1992 in a sex research project called FINSEX. To illustrate how the time of the rape as well as the time it is recalled shape the possibilities of narrating a life story, we present a close reading of four autobiographies that we place in the context of the collection as a whole, and compare our analysis of the autobiographies to their interpretation in the FINSEX study. The narrative elements of the autobiographies reflect the violent experiences in complex and layered ways. For the authors of these autobiographies, temporal changes in cultural and social understandings of sexual violence enable the reinterpreting of life events and the naming of previously unnamed experiences.
Collective angst and group continuity as predictors of collective action for progressive city policies
Authors: Jaśkiewicz Michał , Besta Tomasz , Borchet Judyta
Published: February 2021

Paweł Adamowicz, the liberal mayor of Gdańsk, Poland, died on January 14, 2019, after being stabbed by a man who rushed onstage during a charity event. Four studies were carried out to analyze the predictors of willingness to engage in collective action in support of the progressive city policies he initiated. In Study 1 ( N = 214), collective angst was related to collective action intention. Identification with Gdańsk mediated this relation. In the next two studies, we tested the role of the perceived continuity of the in-group. The relationship between collective angst and willingness to support collective actions was mediated by perceived essentialist continuity of the group (Study 2, on snap election day, N = 121). Moreover, results confirmed that collective angst predicted strength of identification with Gdańsk. This identification was related to the perceived essentialist continuity of the group, which in turn was linked to willingness to engage in collective actions in support of progressive policies (Study 3, N = 98). In Study 4 ( N = 456), conducted within a few days before the presidential election in Poland, we replicated the model of mediation obtained in Study 3, and showed that contextualized collective angst also predicted collective action intentions.
Inhalation dose from exposure to radon, thoron and their progeny in indoors around a nuclear power generation facility in Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Kumar Pankaj , Agrawal Anshu , Sahoo B. K.
Published: February 2021

Radon, thoron and their progeny concentration have been measured in dwellings located within a 90 km2 area around a nuclear power plant using solid-state nuclear track detectors. Time-integrated measurements were carried out on a four-month cycle, making three measurements in each dwelling throughout the year. In total, 145 dwellings were selected for the study. The measured values of gas and their progeny concentrations were used to determine the equilibrium factor for radon and thoron indoors and annual inhalation dose. The average value of the equilibrium factor indoors was found to be 0.44 ± 0.23 for radon and 0.015 ± 0.010 for thoron. The annual inhalation dose for the public living around this plant was found to be 0.97 ± 0.55 mSv. Results were analysed for different seasons and different categories of dwellings for their construction type.
State of normality: Transnational migrants’ shifting views of state institutions and their obligations
Authors: Nowicka Magdalena
Published: February 2021

The power of nationalism is evident in how people perceive the world around them as ‘normal’. A national normality is constituted through education and media but also in everyday encounters with the state or state-regulated institutions in the fields of education, welfare provisions, medical care, finance and others. When people migrate between countries, their sense of ‘normality’ can become disturbed. Migration might impact how people think of their relationship to the state and its institutions. This article is based on analysis of 120 interviews with Polish migrants in the UK and Germany. It asks if migration creates a ‘post-national situation’ in which national categories are questioned and negotiated anew. The contexts of Poland, which is undergoing a return to conservative national identity, the UK and its struggle over Brexit, and Germany in its claim to European leadership, provide an instructive case for the discussion of intersections between nationalism and post-nationalism.
Regional lymph node metastases in cutaneous melanoma: a single-center analysis from southeast europe
Authors: Rajović Milica , Jaukovic Ljiljana , Kandolf Sekulovic Lidija , Radulovic Marija , Petrov Nenad , Mijuskovic Zeljko , Stepic Nenad , Nikolic Zivan
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is the standard of care for nodal staging in clinically node-negative melanoma patients. Our goal was to present 10-year results of sentinel lymph node biopsy at our institution and to evaluate the clinicopathologic factors as potential predictors of sentinel lymph node and non-sentinel lymph node metastatic involvement in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Methods:

We have analyzed clinicopathologic and lymphoscintigraphic characteristics in 420 patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy between 2010 and 2019. In addition, we have examined the results of group of patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy undergoing complete lymph node dissection.

Results:

The overall detection rate of sentinel lymph node biopsies was 97.1%, of which 18.8% was metastatic. Drainage to one regional basin was seen in 345 patients (83.1%) and to multiple drainage regions in 71 patients (17%). In-transit lymph nodes were detected in 20 patients. On univariate logistic regression analysis, male gender, primary tumor thickness with nodular histology, acral location, presence of ulceration, and the number of nodes harvested were significantly associated with sentinel lymph node biopsy status ( p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, the Breslow thickness was the only independent predictor of sentinel lymph node biopsy status. The metastases in non-sentinel lymph node found in 26 patients with positive sentinel lymph node (35.6%) correlated on univariate, as well as on multivariate logistic regression, with tumor subtype and number of sentinel lymph node harvested.

Conclusions:

In addition to the well-established primary tumor thickness as a predictor of sentinel lymph node biopsy positivity, we observed acral location and nodular melanoma subtype to significantly enhance the risk of metastases in sentinel lymph node(s). Primary tumor histology and number of nodes harvested were the only statistically significant variables predicting the non-sentinel lymph node status on multivariate analysis. Lymphoscintigraphy imaging characteristics were not significantly associated with sentinel lymph node status.
Snapchat lenses and body image concerns
Authors: Burnell Kaitlyn , Kurup Allycen R , Underwood Marion K
Published: February 2021

Snapchat allows users to apply lenses to photographic content, with these lenses often enhancing physical appearance. This may lead users to adopt unrealistic ideals of physical appearance. In a two-part study with college students, this investigation explored associations between general use of Snapchat lenses and body image concerns, and experimentally examined how taking selfies with Snapchat lenses influences appearance satisfaction. Taking more photos using Snapchat lenses, in general, was associated with greater body image concerns. However, there was little experimental evidence indicating that taking selfies with lenses influences state appearance satisfaction relative to an appearance-neutral control. There was no evidence of gender moderation. Notably, taking more selfies without lenses until reaching one satisfactory for posting on social media was associated with greater body image concerns.
Russia’s law ‘On news aggregators’: Control the news feed, control the news?
Authors: Wijermars Mariëlle
Published: February 2021

On 1 January 2017, a Russian federal law (№ 208-FZ) came into force that holds news aggregators liable for spreading fake news. Links to news items that originate from registered media outlets – a state-regulated category – are, however, exempt from liability. As a result, news aggregators, such as Yandex News, have revised their algorithms to avoid legal claims. This article argues that the law has created a mechanism of indirect media control enabling the Russian state to influence online news dissemination through existing media regulation structures. It conceptualises five ways in which this mechanism can affect media pluralism in Russia’s online news environment, given news aggregators’ function as algorithmic gatekeepers directing traffic to news websites. The article argues that the law ‘On news aggregators’ exemplifies the diversification of Russian regulation of online news from controlling content and targeting content producers towards governing the algorithmic infrastructures that shape news dissemination.
Exploring Mistakes and Failures in Social Marketing: The Inside Story
Authors: Cook Julie , Lynes Jennifer , Fries Sarah
Published: February 2021

Background:

Social marketing successes are relatively well-documented, but mistakes and failures in the field are not. When mistakes and failures are reported, they are usually on an ad hoc basis, as opposed to a systematic gathering of evidence. This paper is the second half of a two-part research study that aims to understand the perceptions of social marketing professionals with regard to mistakes and failures in the field.

Focus:

This article is related to research and evaluation of the social marketing field.

Research Question:

What are the perceptions of the social marketing community regarding mistakes and failures in the field?

Importance to the field:

A greater understanding of mistakes and failures in the social marketing field will assist practitioners to assess their own shortcomings, address causes of mistakes and failures, and improve program outcomes.

Method:

This research is qualitative and exploratory, with a constructivist, grounded theory methodology. Surveys were completed by 100 social marketing community members. Survey data was analyzed and coded using SPSS software and Microsoft Excel.

Results:

According to the analyzed survey data, the social marketing community believes that inadequate research, poor strategy development, and mismanagement of stakeholders are the most common mistakes made by social marketers. Further, weak evaluation and monitoring is considered to be the “least well-managed” program element. Poor strategy development, external influences, and poorly designed program and behavioral objectives are considered to be the primary reasons for social marketing program failure.

Recommendations for research or practice:

Future research may explore the extent to which external influences lead to social marketing program success or failure, particularly in comparison to mistakes made by social marketers. Additionally, practitioners should be aware of and develop strategies to mitigate common mistakes and failures in order to improve program outcomes.

Limitations:

The 100 social marketing professionals who responded to the survey are not representative of the global social marketing community. Further, responses were based on self-report rather than direct observation, which may make them more susceptible to bias.
A GM1 gangliosidosis mutant mouse model exhibits activated microglia and disturbed autophagy
Authors: Liu Sichi , Feng Yuyu , Huang Yonglan , Jiang Xiaoling , Tang Chengfang , Tang Fang , Zeng Chunhua , Liu Li
Published: February 2021

GM1 gangliosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of β-galactosidase due to mutations in the GLB1 gene. We established a C57BL/6 mouse model with Glb1G455R mutation using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. The β-galactosidase enzyme activity of Glb1G455R mice measured by fluorometric assay was negligible throughout the whole body. Mutant mice displayed no marked phenotype at eight weeks. After 16 weeks, GM1 ganglioside accumulation in the brain of mutant mice was observed by immunohistochemical staining. Meanwhile, a declining performance in behavioral tests was observed among mutant mice from 16 to 32 weeks. As the disease progressed, the neurological symptoms of mutant mice worsened, and they then succumbed to the disease by 47 weeks of age. We also observed microglia activation and proliferation in the cerebral cortex of mutant mice at 16 and 32 weeks. In these activated microglia, the level of autophagy regulator LC3 was up-regulated but the mRNA level of LC3 was normal. In conclusion, we developed a novel murine model that mimicked the chronic phenotype of human GM1. This Glb1G455R murine model is a practical in vivo model for studying the pathogenesis of GM1 gangliosidosis and exploring potential therapies.
Digital design model for weft-knitted seamless yoga pants based on skin deformation
Authors: Wang Weirong , Cong Honglian , Dong Zhijia , Gao Zhe
Published: February 2021

The study analyzed the skin deformation of women’s limbs under yoga, and established a digital design model of weft-knitted seamless yoga pants based on skin deformation. Five representative yoga moves were selected. Eight female participants were selected to perform a standard standing posture and yoga postures. Three-dimensional scanning technology was used to measure the participants’ lower limbs, and skin data on different parts of the lower limbs were analyzed. The prototype of seamless pant was partitioned based on the skin deformation data, and it was establish a partition design model of weft knitted seamless yoga pant. By creating an fabric structure library and classifying it according to the tensile properties of the fabric structure, establishing the correspondence between the model partition and the fabric structure classification, which realized the digital design of the seamless yoga pants structure. The research results can provide a basis for the structure and style design of yoga pants, and realize the rationality and efficiency of clothing design.
Toward parent-child smart clothing: Purchase intention and design elements
Authors: Wang Weizhen , Wang Siyi
Published: February 2021

Through the analysis of consumers’ attitude (ATT) and purchase intention (PI) toward parent-child smart clothing, this research reversely derives and extracts the design elements of this type of clothing. This research expands the category of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with clothing design attribute. Based on perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PE) and perceived performance risk (PR), functionality (FUN), aesthetic (AES) and compatibility (COM) of clothing are added to analyze the factors affecting consumers’ ATT and PI toward parent-child smart clothing. A total of 372 volunteers participated in the test, and the results show that COM has a significant positive influence on PU, PE and PR. PU and FUN have a positive influence on purchase ATT and PI. PE positively affects PU and positively affects purchase ATT. PE positively affects PU and positively affects purchase ATT.AES positively influences purchase ATT but has little impact on PI. PR negatively influences both purchase ATT and PI but have little impact on PI. This research confirms the significance of multi-dimensional features of smart parent-child clothing, extracts and preliminarily establishes the framework model of design evaluation elements. And the results are helpful to the product design and development of parent-child smart clothing in the future.
Application of human motion recognition technology in extreme learning machine
Authors: Miao Anzhu , Liu Feiping
Published: February 2021

Human motion recognition is a branch of computer vision research and is widely used in fields like interactive entertainment. Most research work focuses on human motion recognition methods based on traditional video streams. Traditional RGB video contains rich colors, edges, and other information, but due to complex background, variable illumination, occlusion, viewing angle changes, and other factors, the accuracy of motion recognition algorithms is not high. For the problems, this article puts forward human motion recognition based on extreme learning machine (ELM). ELM uses the randomly calculated implicit network layer parameters for network training, which greatly reduces the time spent on network training and reduces computational complexity. In this article, the interframe difference method is used to detect the motion region, and then, the HOG3D feature descriptor is used for feature extraction. Finally, ELM is used for classification and recognition. The results imply that the method proposed here has achieved good results in human motion recognition.
A qualitative evidence synthesis of users’ experience of mobile health applications in the self-management of type 2 diabetes
Authors: O’Neill Margaret , Houghton Catherine , Crilly Geraldine , Dowling Maura
Published: February 2021

Aim

The aim of this qualitative evidence synthesis was to identify and synthesise qualitative research relating to experiences of using mobile health (mHealth) applications to aid self-management of Type 2 Diabetes.

Methods

Using a systematic search strategy, 11 databases were searched (Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ProQuest A&1, ProQuest UK & Ireland, Mednar). “Best fit” framework synthesis was used guided by the Health Information Technology Acceptance Model (HITAM). Assessment of methodological limitations was conducted using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and confidence in the review findings were guided by GRADE-CERQual.

Results

Fourteen eligible studies were included in the synthesis (7 qualitative and 5 mixed methods). Key themes identified under the health, information and technology zones of the HITAM revealed the benefits of mHealth apps, barriers to their use, their perceived usefulness and ease of use.

Discussion

Most people used the apps for feedback on their self-management and found them helpful in their communication with health care providers. Some embraced the technology and found it easy to use while others found mHealth apps to be counterintuitive.
Spinal GABAergic neurons are under feed-forward inhibitory control driven by Aδ and C fibers in Gad2 td-Tomato mice
Authors: Liu Peng , Zhang Xiao , He Xiaolan , Jiang Zhenhua , Wang Qun , Lu Yan
Published: February 2021

Background

Spinal GABAergic neurons act as a critical modulator in sensory transmission like pain or itch. The monosynaptic or polysynaptic primary afferent inputs onto GABAergic neurons, along with other interneurons or projection neurons make up the direct and feed-forward inhibitory neural circuits. Previous research indicates that spinal GABAergic neurons mainly receive excitatory inputs from Aδ and C fibers. However, whether they are controlled by other inhibitory sending signals is not well understood.

Methods

We applied a transgenic mouse line in which neurons co-expressed the GABA-synthesizing enzyme Gad65 and the enhanced red fluorescence (td-Tomato) to characterize the features of morphology and electrophysiology of GABAergic neurons. Patch-clamp whole cell recordings were used to record the evoked postsynaptic potentials of fluorescent neurons in spinal slices in response to dorsal root stimulation.

Results

We demonstrated that GABAergic neurons not only received excitatory drive from peripheral Aβ, Aδ and C fibers, but also received inhibitory inputs driven by Aδ and C fibers. The evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (eIPSPs) mediated by C fibers were mainly Glycinergic (66.7%) as well as GABAergic mixed with Glycinergic (33.3%), whereas the inhibition mediated by Aδ fibers was predominately both GABA and Glycine-dominant (57.1%), and the rest of which was purely Glycine-dominant (42.9%).

Conclusion

These results indicated that spinal GABAergic inhibitory neurons are under feedforward inhibitory control driven by primary C and Aδ fibers, suggesting that this feed-forward inhibitory pathway may play an important role in balancing the excitability of GABAergic neurons in spinal dorsal horn.
Influence of emotional prosody, content, and repetition on memory recognition of speaker identity
Authors: Xu Hanjian , Armony Jorge L
Published: February 2021

Recognising individuals through their voice requires listeners to form an invariant representation of the speaker’s identity, immune to episodic changes that may occur between encounters. We conducted two experiments to investigate to what extent within-speaker stimulus variability influences different behavioural indices of implicit and explicit identity recognition memory, using short sentences with semantically neutral content. In Experiment 1, we assessed how speaker recognition was affected by changes in prosody (fearful to neutral, and vice versa in a between-group design) and speech content. Results revealed that, regardless of encoding prosody, changes in prosody, independent of content, or changes in content, when prosody was kept unchanged, led to a reduced accuracy in explicit voice recognition. In contrast, both groups exhibited the same pattern of response times (RTs) for correctly recognised speakers: faster responses to fearful than neutral stimuli, and a facilitating effect for same-content stimuli only for neutral sentences. In Experiment 2, we investigated whether an invariant representation of a speaker’s identity benefitted from exposure to different exemplars varying in emotional prosody (fearful and happy) and content ( Multi condition), compared to repeated presentations of a single sentence ( Uni condition). We found a significant repetition priming effect (i.e., reduced RTs over repetitions of the same voice identity) only for speakers in the Uni condition during encoding, but faster RTs when correctly recognising old speakers from the Multi, compared to the Uni, condition. Overall, our findings confirm that changes in emotional prosody and/or speech content can affect listeners’ implicit and explicit recognition of newly familiarised speakers.
Sensitivity to distributional properties of the orthography in the spelling of Italian children with dyslexia
Authors: Marinelli Chiara Valeria , Iaia Marika , Burani Cristina , Angelelli Paola
Published: February 2021

The study examines statistical learning in the spelling of Italian children with dyslexia and typically developing readers by studying their sensitivity to probabilistic cues in phoneme-grapheme mappings. In the first experiment children spelled to dictation regular words and words with unpredictable spelling that contained either a high- or a low-frequency (i.e., typical or atypical) sound-spelling mappings. Children with dyslexia were found to rely on probabilistic cues in writing stimuli with unpredictable spelling to a greater extent than typically developing children. The difficulties of children with dyslexia on words with unpredictable spelling were limited to those containing atypical mappings. In the second experiment children spelled new stimuli, that is, pseudowords, containing phonological segments with unpredictable mappings. The interaction between lexical knowledge and reliance on probabilistic cues was examined through a lexical priming paradigm in which pseudowords were primed by words containing related typical or atypical sound-to-spelling mappings. In spelling pseudowords, children with dyslexia showed sensitivity to probabilistic cues in the phoneme-to-grapheme mapping but lexical priming effects were also found, although to a smaller extent than in typically developing readers. The results suggest that children with dyslexia have a limited orthographic lexicon but are able to extract regularities from the orthographic system and rely on probabilistic cues in spelling words and pseudowords.
Medical therapies for postoperative Crohn’s disease
Authors: Shah Ravi S. , Click Benjamin H.
Published: February 2021

Postoperative recurrence of Crohn’s disease is common and requires a multidisciplinary approach between surgeons and gastroenterologists in the perioperative and postoperative period to improve outcomes in this patient population. Endoscopic recurrence precedes clinical and surgical recurrence and endoscopic monitoring is crucial to guide postoperative management. Risk stratification of patients is recommended to guide early prophylactic management, and follow-up endoscopic monitoring can guide intensification of therapy. This review summarizes evidence behind postoperative recurrence rates, disease monitoring techniques, nonbiologic and biologic therapies available to prevent and treat postoperative recurrence, risk factors associated with recurrence, and postoperative management strategies guided by endoscopic monitoring.
The progress and challenge of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in treating non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Qu Jingjing , Mei Quanhui , Liu Li , Cheng Tianli , Wang Peng , Chen Lijun , Zhou Jianying
Published: February 2021

The use of programmed cell-death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors is the standard therapy for the first-line or second-line treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In contrast to current traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 treatments can directly attenuate tumour-mediated exhaustion and effectively modulate the host anti-tumour immune response in vivo. In addition, compared with traditional therapy, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy can significantly prolong survival without obvious side effects in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Ideally, several biomarkers could be used to monitor the safety and effectiveness of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 treatments; however, the current lack of optimal prognostic markers remains a widespread limitation and challenge for further clinical applications, as does the possibility of immune-related adverse events and drug resistance. In this review, we aimed to summarise the latest progress in anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 treatment of advanced NSCLC, worldwide, including in China. An exploration of underlying biomarker identification and future challenges will be discussed in this article to facilitate translational studies in cancer immunotherapy.
Current and future treatment options for MET exon 14 skipping alterations in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Hong Lingzhi , Zhang Jianjun , Heymach John V. , Le Xiuning
Published: February 2021

It has been over three decades since the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) ligand and its receptor MET proto-oncogene (MET) pathway was established as promoting cancer growth and metastasis. MET exon 14 skipping ( METex14) alterations occur in 3–4% of all non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, typically in elderly patients (older than 70 years), and result in constitutive activation of the MET receptor by altering a region required for receptor degradation. Multi-kinase inhibitor of MET, such as crizotinib, and more recently selective MET inhibitors, such as capmatinib and tepotinib, have demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety in METex14 NSCLC patients in clinical trials. These results have led to the approval of MET inhibitors by regulatory agencies across the globe. The success also fueled the excitement of further development of therapeutic strategies to target METex14 in lung cancers. This article provides an overview of the clinical development program targeting METex14 in NSCLC, including small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitors and anti-MET antibodies. Furthermore, combination therapy immune checkpoint inhibitors or other targeted therapies are also under development in various patient populations, with acquired resistance immune or targeted therapy. Clinical trials in different development stages are ongoing and more drugs targeted to c-MET will be available for NSCLC patients with METex14 skipping mutations in the future.
Cardiovascular risk factors are negatively associated with rheumatoid arthritis disease outcomes
Authors: Cui Kangping , Movahedi Mohammad , Bombardier Claire , Kuriya Bindee
Published: February 2021

Aims:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the influence of CVD risk factors on RA outcomes is limited. We examined if CVD risk factors alone are associated with RA disease activity and disability.

Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of participants in the Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative, RA registry. Patients were categorized into mutually exclusive CVD categories: (1) No established CVD and no CVD risk factors; (2) CVD risk factors only including ⩾1 of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, or smoking; or (3) history of established CVD event. Multivariable regression analyses examined the effect of CVD status on Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28-ESR), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) scores at baseline.

Results:

Of 2033 patients, 50% had at least 1 CVD risk factor, even in the absence of established CVD. The presence of ⩾1 CVD risk factor was independently associated with higher CDAI [β coefficient 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29–2.90, p = 0.02], DAS28-ESR (β coefficient 0.20, 95% CI 0.06–0.34, p = 0.01) and HAQ-DI scores (β coefficient 0.15, 95% CI 0.08–0.22, p < 0.0001). The total number of CVD risk factors displayed a dose response, as >1 CVD risk factor was associated with higher disease activity and disability, compared with having one or no CVD risk factors.

Conclusion:

CVD risk factors alone, or in combination, are associated with higher disease activity and disability in RA. This emphasizes the importance of risk factor recognition and management, not only to prevent CVD, but also to improve potential RA outcomes.
Using Case-Based Reasoning in a Learning System: A Prototype of a Pedagogical Nurse Tool for Evidence-Based Diabetic Foot Ulcer Care
Authors: Bender Clara , Cichosz Simon Lebech , Malovini Alberto , Bellazzi Riccardo , Pape-Haugaard Louise , Hejlesen Ole
Published: February 2021

Background:

Currently, evidence-based learning systems to increase knowledge and evidence level of wound care are unavailable to wound care nurses in Denmark, which means that they need to learn about diabetic foot ulcers from experience and peer-to-peer training, or by asking experienced colleagues. Interactive evidence-based learning systems built on case-based reasoning (CBR) have the potential to increase wound care nurses’ diabetic foot ulcer knowledge and evidence levels.

Method:

A prototype of a CBR-interactive, evidence-based algorithm-operated learning system calculates a dissimilarity score (DS) that gives a quantitative measure of similarity between a new case and cases stored in a case base in relation to six variables: necrosis, wound size, granulation, fibrin, dry skin, and age. Based on the DS, cases are selected by matching the six variables with the best predictive power and by weighing the impact of each variable according to its contribution to the prediction. The cases are ranked, and the six cases with the lowest DS are visualized in the system.

Results:

Conventional education, that is, evidence-based learning material such as books and lectures, may be less motivating and pedagogical than peer-to-peer training, which is, however, often less evidence-based. The CBR interactive learning systems presented in this study may bridge the two approaches. Showing wound care nurses how individual variables affect outcomes may help them achieve greater insights into pathophysiological processes.

Conclusion:

A prototype of a CBR-interactive, evidence-based learning system that is centered on diabetic foot ulcers and related treatments bridges the gap between traditional evidence-based learning and more motivating and interactive learning approaches.