bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study on anomaly detection of unmanned marine systems using machine learning
Authors: Jeong Sang-Ki , Ji Dae-Hyeong , Oh Myounghak , Park Haeyong , Baeg Saehun , Lee Jihyoeng
Published: October 2022

To operate unmanned systems in the ocean, many elements are required. They could be factors related to the equipment performance or operating methods. However, the aforementioned factors are suitable for situations not assuming unexpected events; in the actual ocean, unmanned equipment has the potential to experience problems in operation due to several factors such as environmental or external forces. Having problems in the propulsion system of unmanned marine equipment in unexpected situations affects the execution of duty of the unmanned equipment and connotes the risk of equipment damage and loss. Also, a lot of data generated in the real world is distributed disproportionately for each class, which means that the data of the minor class consists of significantly less data than the data of the majority class, and the normal data, in contrast, anomaly data is a very small amount of data, and there is very little data for learning. Therefore, in this study, anomaly detection based on unsupervised learning was conducted about these problems. In this study, we evaluated anomaly detection based on unsupervised learning to resolve these problems. Based on the results, the state of unmanned systems being operated in the ocean are identified and the anomaly state is examined. In this study, the auto-encoder (AE) method that learns the features of the normal area of the judgment data, that is, a part of machine learning, and the LSTM method for predicting time series states are utilized. This machine learning technology uses time-series learning data on the state of the unmanned system, creates standards to determine normal and anomaly states, and in turn, learns the normal state and determines the anomaly state. Furthermore, the simulation of the proposed method was carried out to verify the algorithm used in this study, and its validity was verified by comparing its data with the measured data. By applying the deduced anomaly detection information to the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) simulator, a fault tolerance control system was designed to enable the execution of duty even in the situation of an anomaly propeller of the USV, and the effectiveness of this study was verified.
Relationships Between Power, Communication About Work and Sex, and Emotion Expression: A Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Analysis
Authors: Livingston Tyler N. , Vik Tennley A. , Singer Jonathan
Published: October 2022

Few experiences direct affect, behavior, and cognition as thoroughly as feelings of power and powerlessness. The present study examined 403 participants’ narrated experiences feeling powerful ( n = 196) or powerless ( n = 207) using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) analysis to identify social contexts that might explain the effects of power on emotion expression. Powerful narratives contained more frequent communication about work, whereas powerless narratives contained more frequent communication about sex. Moreover, powerless narratives conveyed greater negative emotionality. A parallel mediation analysis revealed that communication about work and sex helped to explain the association between self-reported feelings of power and expressions of negative emotionality. When participants felt powerful and communicated about work, they expressed lower negative emotionality; when participants felt powerless and communicated about sex, they expressed higher negative emotionality. Modest differences in emotional expression between women and men indicated that power research should report analyses including gender as a control variable. Findings provide direction to the next wave of power research, which should examine organizations and intimate relationships as contexts in which power dynamics are salient.
Evaluation of Slope Stability within the Influence of Mining Based on Combined Weighting and Finite Cloud Model
Authors: Chen Hongkai , Guo Qingbiao , Wang Liang , Meng Xiangrui
Published: October 2022

Coal mining under slopes often leads to slope instability, resulting in substantial economic losses and human casualties. Therefore, constructing a scientific and practical slope stability evaluation model for slope disaster prevention and control is of great significance. In this study, seven evaluation indexes were selected, and their influence mechanisms were analyzed to establish a system of evaluation indexes for the stability of mining slopes in Xing County, Shanxi Province, China. A new evaluation model for the stability of mining slopes was established based on the interval analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) to determine the subjective weights of the indexes and the improved CRITIC method to determine the objective weights of the indexes, which circumvented the limitations of subjective or objective weights by combining the minimum discriminating information. The model was applied to the mining slopes in Xing County, Shanxi Province, and the results showed that slopes A, C, D and E were in an unstable state, slope B was in an understable state after mining. Finally, the accuracy of the evaluation results was verified through field surveys. The model has engineering application value in predicting the stability of mining slopes and can provide theoretical suggestions for later slope management to ensure the safe production of coal mines.
A protocol for removing environmental barriers to independent living (REBIL): An adapted evidence-based occupational therapy intervention to increase community participation for individuals aging with long-term physical disabilities
Authors: Chen Szu-Wei , Somerville Emily , Devine Megen , Stark Susan
Published: October 2022

Background:

People aging with long-term physical disabilities are living longer and experiencing the challenges of aging, including the onset of secondary and age-related health conditions. People aging with long-term physical disabilities are at high risk of falls, fall injuries, diminished functional abilities, and compromised participation. However, no available programs support people aging with long-term physical disabilities to participate safely at home and in the community. The proposed study is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of an adapted intervention: removing environmental barriers to independent living.

Method/Design:

A single-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Participants who are 45–65 years old; self-report difficulty with ⩾2 daily activities; have had a physical disability for ⩾5 years; and live within 60 mi of the research lab are eligible. All participants will receive an initial in-home evaluation before randomization. The treatment group will receive removing environmental barriers to independent living (total five visits) intervention, which is tailored. The waitlist control group will be offered the same intervention after 6-month follow-up. Expected outcomes are high acceptability, fidelity, and adherence; low safety risk; improved community participation and daily activities performance; and fewer environmental barriers and fall hazards.

Discussion:

Findings will serve as preliminary evidence for occupational therapy community practice. Outcomes will also inform future large, pragmatic trials. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04589988
Automated Vehicle to Vehicle Conflict Analysis at Signalized Intersections by Camera and LiDAR Sensor Fusion
Authors: Anisha Alabi Mehzabin , Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Abdelraouf Amr , Islam Zubayer , Zheng Ou
Published: October 2022

This research presents a robust approach for automated safety diagnosis using sensor fusion techniques. This work fuses the outputs of a roadside low-resolution camera and a solid-state LiDAR. For vehicle classification and detection in videos, the YOLO-v5 object detection model was utilized. The raw 3D point clouds generated by the LiDAR are processed by two manual steps—ground plane transformation and background segmentation, and two real-time steps—foreground clustering and bounding box fitting. Taking the generated 2D bounding boxes of both camera and LiDAR, we associate the common bounding box pairs by thresholding on the Euclidean distance threshold of 6 ft between the centroid pairs. We perform weighted measurement updates based on the root mean square error of each of the sensor’s detection compared with manually labeled ground truths. The fused measurements are tracked by using linear constant velocity Kalman filter. With the generated trajectories, we compute post encroachment time at pixel-level conflicts based on the generated vehicle trajectories. We have proposed a complete bipartite graph-matching strategy of vehicle parts along with the conflict angle to obtain conflict types—rear-end, sideswipe, head-on, and angle conflict. A case study on a signalized intersection is presented. The output of the proposed framework performs with 97.384% precision and 95.316% recall. It is better than both single-sensor-based systems in relation to detection count and localization. It is expected that the proposed method can be employed to diagnose road safety problems and inform the required countermeasures.
Mental Health Care With Refugee Families: A Transnational Collectivist Approach
Authors: Magan Ifrah Mahamud , Benson Odessa Gonzalez , Banya Moiyattu
Published: October 2022

With more than 25 million refugees around the globe and forced displacement an intractable issue, how can social workers provide mental health services that account for refugee families’ complex displacement narratives and needs? In this article, we argue for a global perspective on mental health, seeking to go beyond the immediate, local context which is too often bounded by the nation-state, and for going beyond the individual level to consider family, community, and culture as sources of strength and connections. Specifically, this article introduces a transnational collectivist approach (TCA) to mental health service delivery with refugee families. This approach acknowledges that even after resettlement in the United States, refugees continue to engage with and support members of their immediate and/or extended family in their country of origin and in other host countries, including those in refugee campus. Furthermore, this approach also builds on the insight that family, extended family members, and cultural communities may have shared experiences of both trauma and healing. Our article defines a TCA framework and concludes with practical elements and recommendations for mental health practitioners and clinicians to consider when working with refugee families.
Team Members Show Decreased Inter-brain Coupling When Resolving Uncertainty
Authors: Stevens Ronald , Galloway Trysha
Published: October 2022

Team members regulate their activities and move together at the collective level of behavior while coordinating their actions toward shared goals. In parallel with team processes, team members need to resolve uncertainties arising from their changing task work and a shifting environment. We explored the neurodynamic tension between resolving individual uncertainty and participating in collaborative processes during high fidelity team training.

Electroencephalography (EEG) was collected from five two-person medical flight teams and following pre-processing to remove non-brain signals, the inter-brain coherence ( IBC) were estimated by wavelet coherence and compared with the neurodynamic information ( NI) of each individual, a measure that maps closely with human uncertainty.

Analysis of the second-by-second IBC and NI showed that the expressions of NI and IBC were not simultaneous and may be mutually exclusive, suggesting that the factors elevating and resolving NI levels are single person processes and that it may be difficult for team members to maintain IBC while reducing their uncertainties. Although preliminary, these studies provide a first step towards neurodynamically quantifying and modifying teamwork and task work processes.
Augmented reality (AR) posture training for manual material handling: iterative design, evaluation, and recommendation for AR interface
Authors: Chen Ken , Perera Gimantha , Fang Emily , Chen Fitts Karen B.
Published: October 2022

Manual material handling (MMH) tasks can pose risks of musculoskeletal disorders for workers, which makes posture training programs essential. The ultimate goal of this research was to design and evaluate an augmented reality (AR) based training platform, namely the virtual instructor application (VIA). Specifically, the usability problems revealed from the preliminary version (VIA-1) were addressed and enhanced features were implemented in the current version (VIA-2). The usability of VIA-2 was assessed by ten individuals with experience of MMH. Participants explored VIA-2 while performing a series of predefined tasks. A usability questionnaire was administered, and a brief interview was conducted. Results showed that VIA-2 had increased usability compared to VIA-1. While some visual content display issues occurred, a future minor refurnish can address these problems. Finally, the iterative design and evaluation scheme can be applied to the future design of AR-based training programs and evaluation protocols.
Self-Repairing and/or Buoyant Trust in Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Dorton Stephen L. , Harper Samantha B.
Published: October 2022

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often viewed as the means by which the intelligence community will cope with the increasing amount of information available to them. Trust is a complex, dynamic phenomenon, which drives adoption (or disuse) of technology. We conducted a naturalistic study with intelligence professionals (planners, collectors, analysts, etc.) to understand trust dynamics with AI systems. We found that on a long-enough time scale, trust in AI self-repaired after incidents where trust was lost, usually based merely on the assumption that AI had improved since participants last interacted with it. Similarly, we found that trust in AI increased over time after incidents where trust was gained in the AI. We termed this general trend “buoyant trust in AI,” where trust in AI tends to increase over time, regardless of previous interactions with the system. Key findings are discussed, along with possible directions for future research.
Learn, Experience, Reflect Framework for Training Design
Authors: Militello Laura , Sushereba Christen , Fernandez Rosemarie , Wolf Steve , Winner Jennifer
Published: October 2022

The Learn, Experience, Reflect framework for training design provides a structure for communication and collaboration among researchers, trainers, training designers, and technology developers. The framework was articulated in the context of efforts to develop effective recognition skills training for combat medics using augmented reality technology. The Learn component presents didactic information to extend and refine learners’ existing mental models. The Experience component leverages augmented reality to provide opportunities to practice applying learned concepts in context. The Reflect component is designed to help learners reflect on their own knowledge to highlight and address knowledge gaps.
Predicting Standing Reach Postures using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Reed Matthew P. , Ebert Sheila M. , D’Souza Clive , Jones Monica L.H.
Published: October 2022

Proactive ergonomic analysis of occupational tasks using digital human figure models requires accurate prediction of worker postures. A wide range of methods have been proposed and used, including posture libraries, statistical methods including regression, and optimization approaches that incorporate hypothesized criteria such as strength maximization. A common challenge in the implementation of any method is ensuring that the resulting postures are consistent with the kinematic linkage of the figure model, the boundary constraints are satisfied, including those relevant to the task, and that the figure remains in balance after taking into account external forces. Neural network methods have been applied to human posture prediction for more than 25 years, but successful implementation for human posture prediction requires careful consideration of the relevant constraints. This paper describes the implementation of DNN methods within the Human Motion Simulation Framework, which provides a hierarchical structure for posture and motion prediction applicable to any human figure model.
Design guidelines for hurricane risk forecast to non-expert users
Authors: Ma Qian , Millet Barbara
Published: October 2022

Hurricane forecast graphics, such as the cone of uncertainty and the hurricane threat impacts graphics, are provided to assist the general public in assessing their risk and in making protective action decisions for an approaching storm. Many researchers have demonstrated that hurricane forecast graphics are often misinterpreted by the general public. Few studies, however, have investigated the impact of design elements of these graphics on interpretations of hurricane risk communication for non-expert users. This study provides design guidelines for improving hurricane risks forecast products based on a literature review.
At the Intersection of Safety and Job Performance: A Practitioner’s Case Report on a Mobile Medic Seat Design for Ground Vehicles
Authors: Patterson Rebecca , Godzinski Cole , Hallett Kim
Published: October 2022

Complex user needs are often found at the intersection of safety and job performance. This is particularly so for combat medics who need to remain safe while providing en route casualty care in a ground vehicle during mission operations. The following practitioner’s case report describes how subject matter expert interviews, hierarchical task analyses, and a simulated workspace observation were used to uncover unique requirements to inform a design concept for new medic seating. The solution allows medics to perform life-saving interventions while harnessed in an energy attenuating system. Conclusions highlight on-going challenges designing systems to satisfy conflicting requirements.
A Simple Tool to Evaluate Color for Legibility and Distinguishability when Designing Digital Displays
Authors: Kovesdi Casey R.
Published: October 2022

Color is important in helping users effectively process information like text and symbols when performing tasks on digital displays. Interface designers in safety- and mission-critical industries often utilize human factors design guidelines and standards to make important design decisions like the use of color for legibility and distinguishability. However, such guidance sometimes requires additional interpretation and calculation to readily apply to the design question at hand. This work describes a simple tool that can be used to evaluate the adequacy of color choices from a palette for being legible or distinguishable. The tool eliminates having to manually convert colors to a readable format while providing a specific set of colors that are acceptable from select human factors standards. This paper provides an exemplary case study applied to a digital modification at a nuclear power plant to highlight how the tool may be used in safety-and mission-critical industries.
Evaluation of the content quality of YouTube videos as a source of information on Omicron Symptoms and Prevention
Authors: Sawant Sahil , Joshi Pratyusha , Chavan Durwa , Sawant Sarvesh
Published: October 2022

The study aimed to assess the comprehensiveness and content quality of the YouTube videos providing information on the symptoms and preventive measures for Omicron. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted on YouTube, resulting in a total of 120 videos being selected for the study based on view count and relevance. The videos were evaluated for their content quality by assessing their adherence with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approved guidelines. The scores indicate that only 23.3% of videos included all 5 symptoms and 3.1% of videos included all the 6 preventive measures recommended by WHO and CDC. News channels gave out information that was not approved by government healthcare organizations. Individual content creators adhered to the information approved by the certified organizations with 34% of their videos containing information on all the 5 symptoms and 6 prevention guidelines approved by WHO and CDC.
What Does an Emerging Intelligence Augmentation Economy Mean for HF/E? Can Learning Engineering Help?
Authors: Goodell Jim , Craig Scotty D.
Published: October 2022

The emergence of an intelligence augmentation economy will fundamentally change the nature of work and what people need to learn and do to be its contributors and beneficiaries. This paper explores what this means for the science and practice of human factors/ergonomics design and engineering as well as how we teach it. We summarize the augmented economy and HFES relevant examples of learning within it. We them point out some of the challenges to HFES within this setting. Finally, we propose the learning engineering process as one model that might help advance the field respond to the intelligence augmentation economy.
Exploring Augmented Reality Triage Tools to Support Mass Casualty Incidents
Authors: Rae Nelson Cassidy , Conwell Joseph , Lally Samuel , Cohn Madelyn , Tanous Kyle , Moats Jason , Gabbard Joseph L.
Published: October 2022

ARTTS is a head-worn Augmented Reality (AR) Triage Tool Suite containing an initial sorting tool, virtual assessment tool, and virtual triage tag to assist first responders in mass casualty incidents. The initial sorting tool prompts stunned responders through first-wave tasks to aid recalibration from shock to triage. The virtual assessment tool provides novice responders, potentially confused by the chaos, with a walkthrough of the SALT triage flowchart. Finally, current emergency medical triage processes leverage static paper tags susceptible to loss or illegible damage. ARTTS’ virtual triage tags are dynamic, can be updated automatically with vital sensors or manually through responder interaction, and employ user interface emergent features based on individual patient conditions. This paper describes the UX process used to develop ARTTS.
The Impact of Natural Visual Interruptions and Cueing on Detecting Changes in Dynamic Scenes
Authors: Perry Kimberly , Pacailler Matthew , Scerbo Mark W.
Published: October 2022

The goal of the present study was to examine how naturalistic interruptions (head turns) and cueing affect change detection within dynamic scenes. Based on the memory for goals (Altmann & Trafton, 2002) and visual memory theories (Hollingsworth & Henderson, 2001), participants monitoring videos were expected to detect fewer target changes when interrupted than without interruptions. Additionally, reliable cues that provided information about the target were expected to improve target detection compared to neutral cues (Logan, 1996; Posner, Snyder, & Davidson, 1980). Undergraduate students were assigned to one of two cueing conditions (reliable or neutral) and watched twenty videos. Ten of the videos were interrupted by having participants turn their heads to attend to a secondary display while an object changed in the video on the primary monitor. Eight videos (half with and without interruptions) had a single object that underwent a perceptual feature change in color, brightness, appearance, or disappearance. Overall, participants were very poor at detecting target changes. However, participants detected more object changes during uninterrupted versus interrupted trials. Providing a cue related to the object change did not improve detection performance. Overall, these results support other dynamic change detection findings that show the difficulty of detecting targets within dynamic environments even when provided reliable information.
Modeling the Impacts of Positive Interaction Frequency on Subjective Trust in an Autonomous Agent: A Linear Mixed Model Approach
Authors: Jackson Kenneth M. , Sharp William H. , Shaw Tyler H.
Published: October 2022

With the advancement of technology, automation has rapidly embedded itself in many parts of daily function. As a result, it is imperative to understand the processes in which individuals use and develop trust with automation. Specifically, how this relationship is formed and how it evolves over time. Previous research has theorized that the frequency and the positivity of interaction with automated systems is a prominent influencer in the creation of trust. In the present study, we examined subjective trust ratings when participants performed a pattern recognition task with an autonomous agent which varied in positivity and number of interactions. Results showed that positivity amongst other parameters were significant predictors of subjective trust when analyzed using linear mixed models.
Impact of Monitoring Requests on Trust, Acceptance, Blame, and Praise of Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Kettle Liam , Lee Yi-Ching
Published: October 2022

Vehicles with autonomous features are more prevalent in today’s society, though as the level of autonomation increases, so does the vehicle system’s control of the vehicle. As the driving control shifts

from human to the vehicle system, concerns arise regarding the attribution of responsibility and blame following critical events (e.g., collisions or near-misses). In this work-in-progress study, we aim to understand how the public attributes blame and praise to both humans and autonomous vehicles (AVs) following critical events. In addition, we examine how an AI driving assistant that administers Monitoring Requests influences blame and praise attributions. Furthermore, we examine differences in acceptance, trust, and perceived anthropomorphism between an AV with and without an AI driving assistant. Preliminary results are provided followed by a discussion of the expected results and potential impact for research and legal issues.
The Impact of False Alarms on Mental Workload, Stress and Performance: Implications for Medical Settings
Authors: Nagrecha Shivani , Baldwin Carryl L.
Published: October 2022

The excessive number of auditory and false alarms (FAs) in medical settings (e.g. ICUs) negatively impact alarm response and performance on ongoing tasks. We examined the impact of two FA rates (low-40% and high-80% in a counterbalanced order repeated measures design) on 36 participants’ alarm responses with a concurrent working-memory (N-back) task. Participants made significantly more responses to FAs in the high FA condition relative to the low FA condition. An FA rate and order interaction revealed that participants who started in the low FA condition responded to fewer FAs in both the high and low FA conditions. Participants who started in the high FA condition responded to more than twice the number of FAs in the high FA condition compared to the low FA condition. Similarly, response time to correct detections (Hits) in the alarm and N-back tasks also revealed interaction effects between order and FA conditions. Participants who received the low FA condition first responded faster to true alarms in the high FA condition compared to those who received the high FA condition first. No significant main effects or interactions were observed for the number of Hits on the alarm task, response times to FAs in either task, nor for subjective ratings of mental workload or stress. Significant main and interaction effects observed on the N-back task were likely attributable to practice effects. These results underscore the need to reduce the number of FAs in medical settings and have implications for designing training paradigms to improve provider performance.
Ventilation Efficiency According to Tilt Angle to Reduce the Transmission of Infectious Disease in Classroom
Authors: Chung Ji Hong , Kim Sunuk , Sohn Dong Kee , Ko Han Seo
Published: October 2022

Understanding of the droplet transmission of respiratory diseases is necessary to control the outbreak of COVID-19. HVAC systems considering droplet transmission are commonly used to prevent numerous respiratory diseases by reducing indoor virus concentrations. The transmission of the virus was directly related to indoor flow patterns generated by HVAC systems. Thus, a study on operating conditions such as direction or the tilt angle was required. In this study, the effective ventilation rate and probability of droplet transmission according to the tilt angle of supply air and the number of people were studied. A CO2 tracer gas method was used to validate the results of simulations. The breathing plane and personal respiratory zone were introduced for the probability of droplet transmission. The result showed that ventilation performance showed 17% of the maximum difference among tilt angles. Various turbulent kinetic energies were obtained according to the seated positions, resulting in non-uniform CO2 concentration. Numerous conditions were examined with locational analysis of individuals. As a result, the flow rates for ventilation were recommended to be higher than 250 m3/h and 350 m3/h with a tilt angle of 60° for an occupancy of 8 and 16 people, respectively.
Giant cell vasculitis post-COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and COVID-19 asymptomatic infection: Correspondence
Authors: Sookaromdee Pathum , Wiwanitkit Viroj
Published: October 2022

The possible adverse effect of COVID-19 vaccine is interesting. This correspondence discussed on the case of Giant cell vasculitis post-COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The possible effect of the COVID-19 asymptomatic infection is highlighted.
“Disincarcerating incarcerated emotions”: The influence of emotional dynamics behind and beyond bars on desistance from crime
Authors: Stoll Aurélie
Published: October 2022

This article is based on 50 interviews and six written testimonies of 24 individuals convicted, incarcerated, and then released from penitentiaries in Switzerland. Focusing on emotional mechanisms inside and outside prison in a longitudinal perspective, this study explores their influence on desistance pathways. The incarceration experience shapes affective mechanisms, which are identified as delimited, dissimulated, and discredited. Upon release, it turns out that shifting from dynamics of emotional closure to dynamics of emotional (re)opening is critical in light of structural, relational, and emotional barriers to change.
Meeting report: 34th international conference on antiviral research
Authors: Brancale Andrea , Carter Kara , Delang Leen , Deval Jerome , Durantel David , Gentry Brian G , Jordan Robert , Julander Justin G. , Lo Michael K. , Pérez-Pérez Maria-Jesús , Schang Luis M. , Seley-Radtke Katherine L. , Shi Pei-Yong , Vasudevan Subhash G. , Whitley Richard J. , Spengler Jessica R.
Published: October 2022

As a result of the multiple gathering and travels restrictions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the annual meeting of the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR), the International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR), could not be held in person in 2021. Nonetheless, ISAR successfully organized a remote conference, retaining the most critical aspects of all ICARs, a collegiate gathering of researchers in academia, industry, government and non-governmental institutions working to develop, identify, and evaluate effective antiviral therapy for the benefit of all human beings. This article highlights the 2021 remote meeting, which presented the advances and objectives of antiviral and vaccine discovery, research, and development. The meeting resulted in a dynamic and effective exchange of ideas and information, positively impacting the prompt progress towards new and effective prophylaxis and therapeutics.
Menopause, androgens, and cardiovascular ageing: a narrative review
Authors: Armeni Eleni , Lambrinoudaki Irene
Published: October 2022

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide; however, women tend to be less affected than men during their reproductive years. The female cardiovascular risk increases significantly around the time of the menopausal transition. The loss of the protective action of ovarian oestrogens and the circulating androgens has been implicated in possibly inducing subclinical and overt changes in the cardiovascular system after the menopausal transition. In vitro studies performed in human or animal cell lines demonstrate an adverse effect of testosterone on endothelial cell function and nitric oxide bioavailability. Cohort studies evaluating associations between testosterone and/or dehydroepiandrosterone and subclinical vascular disease and clinical cardiovascular events show an increased risk for women with more pronounced androgenicity. However, a mediating effect of insulin resistance is possible. Data on cardiovascular implications following low-dose testosterone treatment in middle-aged women or high-dose testosterone supplementation for gender affirmatory purposes remain primarily inconsistent. It is prudent to consider the possible adverse association between testosterone and endothelial function during the decision-making process of the most appropriate treatment for a postmenopausal woman.
Development and Validation of a Mandarin Chinese Adaptation of AzBio Sentence Test (CMnBio)
Authors: Xi Xin , Wang Ye , Shi Ya , Gao Rui , Li Siqi , Qiu Xinyue , Wang Qian , Xu Li
Published: October 2022

A new sentence recognition test in Mandarin Chinese was developed and validated following the principles and procedures of development of the English AzBio sentence materials. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, 1,020 sentences spoken by 4 talkers (2 males and 2 females) were processed through a 5-channel noise vocoder and presented to 17 normal-hearing Mandarin-speaking adults for recognition. A total of 600 sentences (150 from each talker) in the range of approximately 62 to 92% correct (mean = 78.0% correct) were subsequently selected to compile 30, 20-sentence lists. In the second stage, 30 adult CI users were recruited to verify the list equivalency. A repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey's test revealed that 26 of the 30 lists were equivalent. Finally, a binomial distribution model was adopted to account for the inherent variability in the lists. It was found that the inter-list variability could be best accounted for with a 65-item binomial distribution model. The lower and upper limits of the 95% critical differences for one- and two-list recognition scores were then generated to provide guidance for detection of a significant difference in recognition scores in clinical settings. The final set of 26 equivalent lists contains sentence materials more difficult than those found in other speech audiometry materials in Mandarin Chinese. This test should help minimize the ceiling effects when testing sentence recognition in Mandarin-speaking CI users.
Patient-Reported Monochorionic-Diamniotic Twin Pregnancy Management and Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Fischbein Rebecca , Welsh Hannah , Ernst-Milner Stephanie , Nicholas Lauren
Published: October 2022

Monochorionic-diamniotic (MCDA) pregnancies are high-risk necessitating ongoing screening for serious complications and quick decision-making. COVID-19 pandemic protocols introduced unique challenges to pregnancy management and patient experience. In late 2021, an online, mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey recruited 561 participants who experienced an MCDA pregnancy within five years. Analyses included descriptive and bivariate statistics and thematic analysis. Findings suggest the pandemic did not negatively affect screening/diagnosis for these participants. Care consistent with guidelines was received by most, with care slightly better during the pandemic. Almost 80% (79.0%) received an MCDA diagnosis by gestational week 14 before the pandemic, 87.8% during. Most received biweekly ultrasounds, 88.0% prior to the pandemic, 88.9% during. Experiences were affected in other ways for almost 44% of participants pregnant during COVID-19; in ways likely shared by other high-risk pregnancies. Thematic analysis revealed management during COVID-19 impacted self-advocacy and emotions (eg, alienation, anxiety), made care seem impersonal, and resulted in delayed or canceled appointments. Policies should be considered, so future healthcare disruptions do not impact patients and preserve in-person health care with access to a support person.
Models of care for improving health-related quality of life, mental health, or mortality in persons with multimorbidity: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Eriksen Christian U , Kamstrup–Larsen Nina , Birke Hanne , Helding Sofie A L , Ghith Nermin , Andersen John S , Frølich Anne
Published: October 2022

Objectives

To categorize and examine the effectiveness regarding health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mental health, and mortality of care models for persons with multimorbidity in primary care, community care, and hospitals through a systematic review.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to May 2020. One author screened titles and abstracts, and to validate, a second author screened 5% of the studies. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the tool by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care group. Study inclusion criteria were (1) participants aged ≥ 18 years with multimorbidity; (2) referred to multimorbidity or two or more specific chronic conditions in the title or abstract; (3) randomized controlled design; and (4) HRQoL, mental health, or mortality as primary outcome measures. We used the Foundation Framework to categorize the models and the PRISMA-guideline for reporting.

Results

In this study, the first to report effectiveness of care models in patients with multimorbidity in hospital settings, we included 30 studies and 9,777 participants with multimorbidity. 12 studies were located in primary care, 9 in community care, and 9 in hospitals. HRQoL was reported as the primary outcome in 12 studies, mental health in 17 studies, and mortality in three studies—with significant improvements in 5, 14, and 2, respectively. The studies are presented according to settings.

Conclusions

Although 20 of the care models reported positive effects, the variations in populations, settings, model elements, and outcome measures made it difficult to conclude on which models and model elements were effective.
Pressure pain threshold and somatosensory abnormalities in different ages and functional conditions of post-stroke elderly
Authors: Zhang Yong-Hui , Xu Hao-Ran , Wang Yu-Chen , Hu Gong-Wei , Ding Xiao-Qin , Shen Xiao-Hua , Yang Hui , Rong Ji-Feng , Wang Xue-Qiang
Published: October 2022

Background

Somatosensory deficits and abnormal pain sensitivity are highly prevalent among stroke survivors, which negatively impacts their quality of life and recovery process. However, the factors for pressure pain threshold (PPT) and somatosensory abnormalities in post-stroke elderly remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of age, side and other functional conditions, such as spasticity and motor functions, on PPT and sensory abnormalities among elderly after stroke.

Methods

The cross-sectional study finally included 43 post-stroke elderly aged over 60 and assessed the PPT of 14 bilateral muscles widely located in the whole body by using a digital force gage. Meanwhile, spasticity, motor function, joint pain and activity of daily living (ADL) were evaluated by the Modified Ashworth scale, Fugl-Meyer, and Barthel Index, respectively. All participants were divided into higher-aged and lower-aged groups based on the median age of all of them.

Results

Higher age tended to be associated with higher sensitivity but not significant except for one upper limb muscle, and the affected side showed significantly higher PPTs than the unaffected side in three out of seven muscles (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the somatosensory abnormalities in the affected side, particularly hypoalgesia, were more frequent in higher-aged than lower-aged patients in most assessed muscles. Meanwhile, patients with spasticity showed more increment of PPTs in affected muscles around the knee joint than patients without spasticity (p < 0.05). Patients with better motor functions, less joint pain and higher ADL performed less bilateral differences of PPTs than other patients in some muscles (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The age and side differences of mechanical pain sensitivity were found among post-stroke elderly. Older patients show higher sensitivity in both sides compared with the younger ones, and the affected side of the elder shows more somatosensory abnormalities, particularly hypoalgesia, than that of the younger ones. Post-stroke elderly in good functional conditions, such as normal muscle tone, better physical function and daily activities, and less joint pain, seems to have more equal pain sensitivity between both sides than those in poor conditions.
A novel stemness-hypoxia-related signature for prognostic stratification and immunotherapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Genhao , Zhang Kai , Zhao Yanteng , Yang Qiankun , Lv Xianping
Published: October 2022

Background

The specific differentiation potential, unlimited proliferation, and self-renewal capacity of cancer stem cells (CSCs) are closely related to the occurrence, recurrence, and drug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as hypoxia. Therefore, an in-depth analysis of the relationship between HCC stemness, oxygenation status, and the effectiveness of immunotherapy is necessary to improve the poor prognosis of HCC patients.

Methods

The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was utilized to find hypoxia-related genes, and the stemness index (mRNAsi) was evaluated using the one-class logistic regression (OCLR) technique. Based on stemness-hypoxia-related genes (SHRGs), population subgroup categorization using NMF cluster analysis was carried out. The relationship between SHRGs and survival outcomes was determined using univariate Cox regression. The LASSO-Cox regression strategy was performed to investigate the quality and establish the classifier associated with prognosis. The main effect of risk scores on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its response to immune checkpoint drugs was also examined. Finally, qRT-PCR was performed to explore the expression and prognostic value of the signature in clinical samples.

Results

After identifying tumor stemness- and hypoxia-related genes through a series of bioinformatics analyses, we constructed a prognostic stratification model based on these SHRGs, which can be effectively applied to the prognostic classification of HCC patients and the prediction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy. Independent validation of the model in the ICGC cohort yielded good results. In addition, we also constructed hypoxic cell models in Herp3B and Huh7 cells to verify the expression of genes in the prognostic model and found that C7, CLEC1B, and CXCL6 were not only related to the tumor stemness but also related to hypoxia. Finally, we found that the constructed signature had a good prognostic value in the clinical sample.

Conclusions

We constructed and validated a stemness-hypoxia-related prognostic signature that can be used to predict the efficacy of ICIs therapy. We also verified that C7, CLEC1B, and CXCL6 are indeed associated with stemness and hypoxia through a hypoxic cell model, which may provide new ideas for individualized immunotherapy.
High prevalence of chronic malnutrition in indigenous children under 5 years of age in Chimborazo-Ecuador: multicausal analysis of its determinants
Authors: Rivadeneira María F. , Moncayo Ana L. , Cóndor José D. , Tello Betzabé , Buitrón Janett , Astudillo Fabricio , Caicedo-Gallardo José D. , Estrella-Proaño Andrea , Naranjo-Estrella Alfredo , Torres Ana L.
Published: October 2022

Background

Despite the multiple initiatives implemented to reduce stunting in Ecuador, it continues to be a public health problem with a significant prevalence. One of the most affected groups is the rural indigenous population. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of chronic malnutrition in indigenous children under 5 years of age and its association with health determinants, focusing on one of the territories with the highest prevalence of stunting.

Methods

A cross-sectional study in 1,204 Kichwa indigenous children under the age of five, residing in rural areas of the counties with the highest presence of indigenous in the province of Chimborazo-Ecuador. A questionnaire on health determinants was applied and anthropometric measurements were taken on the child and the mother. Stunting was determined by the height-for-age z-score of less than 2 standard deviations, according to the World Health Organization´s parameters. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression.

Results

51.6% (n = 646) of the children are stunted. Height-for-age z-scores were significantly better for girls, children under 12 months, families without overcrowding, and families with higher family income. The variables that were significantly and independently associated with stunting were: overcrowding (PR 1.20, 95% CI 1–1.44), the mother required that the father give her money to buy medicine (PR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04–1.71), the father did not give her money to support herself in the last 12 months (1.58, 95% CI 1.15–2.17), mother’s height less than 150 cm (PR 1.42, 95% CI 1.19–1.69) and the child was very small at birth (PR 1.75, 95% CI 1.22–2.5).

Conclusion

One out of every two rural indigenous children included in this study is stunted. The high prevalence of stunting in the indigenous and rural population is multicausal, and requires an intersectoral and multidisciplinary approach. This study identified three fundamental elements on which public policy could focus: (a) reduce overcrowding conditions, improving economic income in the rural sector (for example, through the strengthening of agriculture), (b) provide prenatal care and comprehensive postnatal care, and (c) promote strategies aimed at strengthening the empowerment of women.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may play an etiological role in atrophic glossitis and its grading: A clinical case-control study
Authors: Chen Guan-Ying , Tang Zhi-Qun , Bao Zhe-Xuan
Published: October 2022

Background

Existing studies have reported the significant association between atrophic glossitis (AG) and hematinic deficiencies, including iron, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. However, these findings were inconsistent. AG can be graded as partial or complete atrophy. It is still unclear whether hematinic deficiencies are associated with the grading of AG.

Methods

236 AG patients and 208 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Hematological tests including complete blood count, and serum levels of folate, ferritin and vitamin B12 were performed. The AG group was divided into those with partial AG and those with complete AG according to the extent of papillary atrophy. Statistical analysis was performed to assess whether hematinic deficiencies are risk factors for AG and its grading.

Results

Compared with the healthy controls, AG patients had significantly higher frequencies of vitamin B12 deficiency (68.22%), ferritin deficiency (13.98%) and anemia (21.61%). The differences in hematinic deficiencies and anemia between AG patients and healthy controls changed according to gender and age. The frequencies of serum vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia in the complete AG subgroup were significantly higher than those in the partial AG subgroup. Logistic regression analysis revealed that vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia were significantly correlated with AG and its grading. The AG patients with vitamin B12 deficiency responded well to supplement therapy.

Conclusion

AG could be an important clinical indicator for potential vitamin B12 deficiency, especially when the degree of tongue atrophy more than 50% and complete atrophy. Vitamin B12 deficiency might play an etiological role in the development of AG.