bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occlusion on a Single Implant-Supported Crown: Any differences?
Authors: Al-Ani Ziad , Maghaireh Hassan
Published: June 2022

Dental implants react biomechanically to the occlusal forces placed on them, in a different fashion to teeth, which can make them prone to overloading. This can lead to a range of mechanical problems, including screw loosening, ceramic chipping, and fracture of components, but it can also be associated with biological complications such as later peri-implantitis.

Appropriate occlusal loading is essential to maintain long-term stability of implant-retained restorations. Clinicians must be aware that, to varying extents, complications do occur with single implant-retained crowns. Dental implants are not a panacea; it is unwise to describe implants as being either perfect or permanent because they are neither. Patients need to understand, well in advance of having implant-based treatment, that the placement of titanium in their jaw(s) will not stop their parafunctional habits, such as clenching or bruxism. Insertion of titanium screws of various types and roughness will certainly not alter their susceptibility to their own plaque-induced inflammatory periodontal disease which is often manifested as peri-mucositis, or later as peri-implantitis in susceptible patients.

Based on the available data, this paper provides recommendations to optimise clinical outcomes for single implant-supported crowns.

When designing implants, the focus should be on achieving axial forces during chewing. It is wise to minimise horizontal and non-axial loads to avoid potential damage to ceramic or other prosthetic components, and to minimise the risks of bone resorption occurring around the implants themselves at a later stage.

Occlusal relationships of implant-retained restorations should be carefully evaluated on a regular basis. Accurate occlusal records of the starting point are extremely helpful in assessing the ongoing status of any restorations.
A Large Lipoma of the Tongue: A case report
Authors: Shathur Adam , Rashid Arif , Patel Vishal , Ffolkes Lorrette , Jayaram Rahul
Published: June 2022

This report discusses a rare case of a 75-year-old male presenting with a large lipoma of the tongue. It examines the investigations carried out to aid in diagnosing the lesion and the management options. Since oral lipomas rarely cause symptoms, there tends to be a general delay in seeking treatment. This case report aims to help dental practitioners diagnose intra-oral soft tissue lesions and provide appropriate management for their patients.
Impacts of physician promotion on the online healthcare community: Using a difference-in-difference approach
Authors: Hsu Yuan-Teng , Chiu Ya-Ling , Wang Jying-Nan , Liu Hung-Chun
Published: June 2022

In this study, we use a difference-in-difference approach to explore how physician promotion, the advancement of a physician's offline reputation, affects patient behavior toward physicians in online healthcare communities; this allows us to explore how patients interpret the signals created by physician promotion. The study sample was collected from over 140,000 physician online profiles after 25 months of continuous observation, with 280 physicians who were promoted at month 13 as the treatment group and a control group obtained by propensity score matching. Our results show that a physician's promotion causes more patients to choose that physician, makes patients willing to give more psychological rewards, and makes them tend to give that physician a higher online rating. This implies that patient behavior is susceptible to the signal of physician promotion because the quality of the physician is unlikely to have changed significantly in the short term. These findings extend prior research on reputation in online communities and have crucial implications for theory and practice.
Investigating Export Determinants: A Time Series Evidence From Canada
Authors: Hassan Muhammad Shahid , Kausar Amna , Arshed Noman
Published: June 2022

Export is an important macroeconomic factor that can elevate a country’s output performance and raise employment opportunities, in any economy. Any country may expand the number of its allies through exports. Foundation trade theories, like absolute advantage and comparative advantage, suggest that a country should export the product with greater absolute or comparative advantage. This sheds light on allocating the optimal resources for producing low-price products and flouting the idea of specialization among the countries of the world. The present study explores the factors that may influence the export performance of a developed economy like Canada from 1979 to 2019. The study findings provide evidence of the absence of multicollinearity and that the data series for the selected functional form of the study is stationary at mixed order. The results of the ARDL bounds test confirm long-run cointegrating relations between exports and its determinants for Canada. The results further reveal that per capita energy consumption and government final consumption expenditures significantly elevate export performance in both the long and short run, while population size significantly elevates exports performance only in the long run in Canada. Moreover, the findings also expose that real effective exchange rate significantly reduces exports in both the long and short run in Canada: This means that by depreciating Canadian currency, Canadian exports will be boosted. The real interest rate reports a negative but insignificant impact on the Canadian export function in both the long and short run. Finally, the CUSUM and CUSUM Square graphs confirm the stability of the estimated coefficients for the Canadian export function for the selected sample of the study.
Exploring Science Teacher Questions’ Influence on the Students’ Talk Productivity: A Classroom Discourse Analysis Approach
Authors: Soysal Yilmaz , Soysal Somayyeh
Published: June 2022

It is still less known how teachers organize classroom dialog to foster intellectual contributions to classroom talks. The current study developed a coding scheme to clarify science teacher questions and identify how different questions affect students’ talk productivity. The participants were 28 fifth-grade students and a science teacher who conducted argument-based implementations. The verbatim transcriptions were analyzed through a systematic observation approach. The teacher elaborated on the students’ background reasoning in a metacognitive learning setting. In addition, the teacher assigned the students as co-evaluators of the credibility of the presented ideas. The teacher invited the students to re-consider their ideas’ explanatory power by displaying discrepant questions. Moreover, the students had to propose justified claims once they were requested to support their propositions with ample and proper data. The teacher used his questions to guide the students to handle basic process skills and make inferences regarding natural phenomena under consideration. The legitimating, discrepant, and justified talk questions fostered the students’ talk productivity than the eliciting, metatalk, process skills, and inference questions. Recommendations are offered around the teacher noticing term regarding the relationship between questions asked in science classrooms and students’ talk productivity.
How to Develop Diversity Management Competencies in the Private Sector in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alfalih Abdullah Abdulmohsen
Published: June 2022

This study identifies factors, which stimulate and develop diversity management competency within Saudi Arabia’s private sector. A quantitative exploratory approach is adopted here, in which 210 interviews were conducted with human resources management teams and employees in private Saudi enterprises across different sectors of activity: health, education, oil, and financial. The data collected was analyzed using AMOS 24. Based on the results, a research model was constructed in which three main determinants of diversity management competency were identified for the success of diversity management: leadership competencies (cognitive and communication); empowerment; and diversity training. The results show that there is complementarity between those factors, but that leadership diversity competencies are the most important, and especially the cognitive aspect. Added to this is diversity training, which affects diversity awareness and inclusiveness. It is concluded that factors related to the internal development of diversity management competency are cultivated and constructed. The research model can help managers in developing diversity management competencies to generate successful diversity management processes. Due to the limited literature on diversity management in general and for Saudi Arabia especially, this research enriches the existing literature. The model developed here can guide directors of multinationals based in Saudi Arabia and facilitate the implementation of diversity management for Saudi-owned companies who intend to adopt diversity management initiatives as a solution for development. This research is important for both theoretical and operational approaches, defining a critical aspect of diversity management through the definition and development of an interesting tool: diversity management competencies. The development of such competencies may be of benefit for organizations in more easily facing and managing diversity.
Perceived Overqualification and Job Crafting: The Mediating Role of Workplace Anxiety and Moderating Role of Reappraisal
Authors: Zhang Wei , Yan Zhaoyi , Wang Bin , Qu Yi , Qian Jing
Published: June 2022

Existing research has indicated the direct effect of perceived overqualification on job crafting, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms and processes through which this occurs. Drawing on motivation and capability-based approaches, we proposed and examined how employees’ perception of their overqualification would influence job crafting by increasing workplace anxiety. Furthermore, we employ emotion regulation literature to predict that reappraisal will mitigate the negative effects of workplace anxiety on job crafting. Using a sample of 1,112 workers from China, our findings showed that (1) perceived overqualification was positively associated with job crafting; (2) perceived overqualification was positively associated with workplace anxiety, which in turn reduced job crafting; and (3) reappraisal emotion regulation weakened the detrimental effect of workplace anxiety on job crafting. Based on these findings, we discussed theoretical and practical implications.
Selling vs. Supporting Motherhood: How Corporate Sponsors Frame the Parenting Experiences of Elite and Olympic Athletes
Authors: Scott Talston , Smith Sydney V. M. , Darroch Francine E. , Giles Audrey R.
Published: June 2022

Recently, motherhood and pregnancy in elite sport have received increased attention in sport media. Through a comprehensive news media search across Factiva as well as a gray literature search using Google search engine, we analyzed 115 articles using feminist framing analysis. We developed two primary frames: 1) empowerment versus exploitation, and 2) proactivity versus reactivity. Our results show that many pregnant and parenting athletes frame their respective sponsors as exploitative for recognizing and capitalizing upon their unique marketing value, while these same corporate sponsors frame themselves as industry leaders who empower pregnant and parenting athletes. These two frames show that pregnant/parenting elite athletes commonly face discriminatory policies and practices and that there is often a lack of congruence between marketing and actual corporate practices and policies. These findings arguably reflect larger societal issues related to gender equity and highlight the importance of action over rhetoric to ensure motherhood is supported—rather than marketed—for elite athletes.
Effect of increasing mineralization on pre-osteoblast response to native collagen fibril scaffolds for bone tissue repair and regeneration
Authors: Grue Brendan H , Veres Samuel P
Published: June 2022

With limited availability of auto- and allografts, there is increasing demand for alternative bone repair and regeneration materials. Inspired by a mimetic approach, the utility of producing engineered native protein scaffolds is being increasingly realized, demonstrating the need for continued research in this field. In previous work, we detailed a process for producing mineralized collagen scaffolds using tendon to create collagen templates of highly aligned, natively crosslinked collagen fibrils. The process produced mineral phase closely matching that of native bone, and integration of mineral with the collagen template was demonstrated to be easily controlled, allowing scaffolds to be mechanically tuned. In the current study, we have extended this work to investigate how variation in the mineralization level of these scaffolds affects the osteogenic response of pre-osteoblastic cells. Scaffolds were produced under three treatment groups, where collagen templates underwent 0, 5, or 20 mineralization cycles. Scaffolds in each treatment group were cultured with MC3T3-E1 cells for 1, 7, or 14 days. Morphologic assessment under SEM indicated decreased attachment to the mineralized scaffolds, supported by DNA results showing a significant drop between culture days 1 and 7 for mineralized scaffolds only. For adherent cells, increasing scaffold mineralization also delayed cell spreading. While mineralization presented a barrier to cell coverage of scaffolds, it increased osteogenic activity, with cells on the mineralized scaffolds showing significantly greater alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin production. Understanding how increasing collagen mineralization effects pre-osteoblast function may enable design of more advanced mineralized collagen scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration.
Adoption and Challenges Underlying OTT Platform in India during Pandemic: A Critical Study of Socio-Economic and Technological Issues
Authors: Patnaik Rabinarayan , Patra Soumendra Kumar , Mahapatra Durga Madhab , Baral Sukanta Kumar
Published: June 2022

The present era of rapid technological changes and the rising rate of internet penetration has created a stride for an individual’s entertainment preferences. The rise of Over-the-Top (OTT) media services has made strides by altering the media space during the pandemic caused by COVID. Smart phones and access to broad band made OTT acceptable by a large part of the population worldwide. The handheld device OTT is becoming the preferred mode of content consumption by the viewers in India as well. However, there are certain shortcomings of this emerging mode of media mostly in terms of socio-economic as well as technological issues. In addition to finding the growing demands of OTT, present study emphasized on the challenges posed for the adoption of this rapidly preferred media platform. On the analysis of the data collected from the respondents in the twin city of Odisha (Cuttack and Bhubaneswar), the findings revealed three prime factors such as ‘user behaviour’, ‘technological flexibility’ and ‘customer-centric content’ to be the significant influencers of OTT content. The insights of this study can help the regulatory authorities as well as OTT media players in promotion and strategy formulation.
Child Life Specialists Decrease Procedure Time, Improve Experience, and Reduce Fear in an Outpatient Blood Drawing Lab (CLS Decrease Procedure Time)
Authors: Getchell, Kirsten , McCowan, Kate , Whooley, Erin , Dumais, Christine , Rosenstock, Addie , Cole Alexandra , DeGrazia Michele
Published: June 2022

Children can experience extreme fear when undergoing medical procedures, including blood draws. A growing body of evidence points to the benefits of Child Life Specialists supporting children throughout medical procedures in various medical settings. This prospective cohort study aimed to describe the impact of Child Life Specialist facilitated play on children's fear and caregiver satisfaction in an outpatient blood drawing lab. A nonrandomized convenience sample of 150 children and their caregivers were enrolled. Seventy-five patients received the Child Life Specialist intervention during their blood draw, while the remaining 75 patients were enrolled as controls. Children and caregivers in the intervention group spent less time in the procedure room, with a median time of 3 min (interquartile range: 2-5) as compared to 5 min (interquartile range: 5-6; P < .001) for the control group. Caregivers in the intervention group reported the atmosphere ( P = .032) and experience ( P < .001) more positively, and children reported lower fear scores ( P = .007) as compared to the control group. The findings of this study suggest that Child Life Specialist interventions in pediatric outpatient blood drawing labs improve satisfaction and reduce fear.
Review of Current Morphometric Standards in Craniosynostosis
Authors: Kreinces Jason , DeSimone Joseph , Graifman Gillian , Zellner Elizabeth
Published: June 2022

Background/Purpose:

In craniosynostosis, diagnostic imaging is crucial for identifying skull abnormalities, planning for surgical correction, and post-operative and follow-up evaluations. However, classifying postoperative corrected skull morphology is a highly subjective task for all craniofacial surgeons. Initially, many surgeons utilized the Whittaker categorization test as the post-operative outcome measure, which is based on the subjective esthetic appearance as determined by the surgeon, patient, and patient’s family. While the advancement of 3D imaging and anthropometric measurements techniques has allowed various research groups to produce normative skull models to serve as treatment guides, it is still difficult to determine the objective morphological standard. The purpose of this study is to review the current standards for classifying normal skull morphology.

Methods:

This paper is a review of the current surgical standards of normal cranial morphology. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was performed; all published studies over a 40-year period from 1980 to 2020 were reviewed that assessed cranial morphology of healthy pediatric samples.

Results:

A review of the strategies utilized by some of the major medical device manufacturers in craniosynostosis correction surgery is presented. Many of these companies have progressed to using 3D normative skull construction and 3D surface analysis to measure cranial morphology. However, many variations remain among industry standards.

Conclusion:

Normative head shapes and cohort data matched to similar population groups have a crucial function in the diagnosis, pre-operative planning, and post-operative evaluations in craniofacial surgery. However, industry standards for “normal head shape” utilized in surgical analysis and planning remain diverse and can be somewhat opaque to the craniofacial community. Despite the advancement of 3D imaging techniques, most reported outcomes following craniofacial surgical interventions are still subjectively defined.
Prophylactic tranexamic acid in patients with hematologic malignancy: a placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Gernsheimer Terry B. , Brown Siobhan P. , Triulzi Darrell J. , Key Nigel S. , El Kassar Nahed , Herren Heather , Poston Jacqueline N. , Boyiadzis Michael , Reeves Brandi N. , Selukar Subodh , Pagano Monica B. , Emerson Scott , May Susanne
Published: June 2022

Evidence of the effectiveness of prophylactic use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in thrombocytopenia is lacking. To determine whether TXA safely reduces bleeding incidence in patients undergoing treatment for hematologic malignancies, a randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted from June 2016 through June 2020. Of 3120 screened adults, 356 patients were eligible and enrolled, and 337 patients (mean age, 53.9; 141 [41.8%] women), randomized to 1300 mg TXA orally or 1000 mg TXA through IV (n = 168) vs placebo (n = 169) thrice daily for maximum 30 days. Three hundred thirty patients were activated when their platelet counts fell below 30 000 per µL; 279 (83%) had complete outcome ascertainment. World Health Organization (WHO) grade ≥2 bleeding was observed in the 30 days following activation in 50.3% (73/145) and 54.2% (78/144) of patients in the TXA and placebo groups, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-1.34; P = .44). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of platelet transfusions (mean difference, 0.1; 95% CI, −1.9 to 2.0), mean days alive without grade ≥2 bleeding (mean difference, 0.8; 95% CI, −0.4 to 2.0), thrombotic events (6/163 [3.7%] TXA, 9/163 [5.5%] placebo), or deaths due to serious bleeding. Most common adverse events were: diarrhea (116/164 [70.7%] TXA and 114/163 [69.9%] placebo); febrile neutropenia (111/164 [67.7%] TXA, 105/163 [64.4%] placebo); fatigue (106/164 [64.6%] TXA, 109/163 [66.9%] placebo); and nausea (104/164 [63.4%] TXA, 97/163 [59.5%] placebo). Among patients with hematologic malignancy undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, prophylactic treatment with TXA compared with placebo did not significantly reduce the risk of WHO grade ≥2 bleeding.
Upregulated SPAG6 promotes acute myeloid leukemia progression through MYO1D that regulates the EGFR family expression
Authors: Mu Jiao , Yuan Peng , Luo Jie , Chen Yafan , Tian Yiyuan , Ding Li , Zhao Beibei , Wang Xiaocheng , Wang Bao , Liu Lin
Published: June 2022

Chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations have been considered to be the major reasons for high recurrence rates and poor survival among acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of AML gene mutation remains largely unclear. Here, we show that SPAG6 (sperm-associated antigen 6), one of the most markedly increased SPAG genes in AML, significantly contributed to the proliferation and migration of leukemic cells. SPAG6 was highly expressed in AML, and its upregulation was negatively correlated with the prognosis of the disease. In vitro, SPAG6 promoted the proliferation and migration of leukemia cells and promoted cell cycle progression from the G1 phase to the S phase. In vivo, low expression of SPAG6 reduced the proliferation and infiltration of leukemia cells and prolonged the survival of xenograft tumor mice. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis showed that SPAG6 interacts with MYO1D (myosin 1D). Specifically, overexpression of SPAG6 promoted the translocation of MYO1D into the cell membrane, thus upgrading the expression level of the EGFR family and thereby promoting the progression of AML. Overall, our study found that SPAG6 combined with MYO1D and translocated MYO1D from the cytosol to the cytomembrane, which induced the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/AKT (protein kinase B) signaling and ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) signaling pathway to regulate the growth and prognosis of AML. SPAG6 may become a new target gene for the treatment of AML.
Association between metabolic disorders and seminal plasma miRNA levels: a pilot study
Authors: Saget Sarah , Kappeler Laurent , Grandjean Valérie , Leneuve Patricia , Berthaut Isabelle , Faure Céline , Czernichow Sébastien , Racine Chrystèle , Lévy Rachel , Dupont Charlotte ,   Metasperme Collaboratif group, Sermondade Nathalie , Eustache Florence , Patrat Catherine , Benarroch Myriam , Cedrin Isabelle , de Larouzière Vanina , D’Argent Emmanuelle Mathieu , Sutton Angela , Guechot Jérôme
Published: June 2022

Background

Excess weight and metabolic disorders have a negative impact on male reproductive functions. The mechanisms involved are numerous and complex and epigenetic mechanisms may also be involved, notably through the small non-coding RNAs. Among them, microRNAs (miRNAs) are of particular interest. This preliminary study aimed to identify the miRNAs differentially enriched in seminal plasma related to metabolic disorders and if some are also associated with spermatic parameters alterations. One hundred and sixty men between 18 to 45 years, partners of infertile couple, were included in this cohort. The miRNAs associated with metabolism were selected from the literature and assayed by quantitative real-time PCR using TaqMan gene expression assays. A subset of those with an interesting profile in seminal plasma were secondarily tested in blood.

Results

Among the 11 selected miRNAs, seven were detected in seminal plasma (miR10b, miR19a, miR19b, miR34b, miR34c, miR133b, miRlet7c). A negative correlation was observed between seminal miR19a levels and metabolic syndrome, blood glucose and C-peptide. Seminal miR19b levels were also negatively correlated with metabolic syndrome. Seminal miR34c levels were negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Seminal miR133b levels were positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference and leptin levels. Interestingly, modifications of miRNAs in seminal plasma seem specific since highlighted above correlations were not retrieved in the blood plasma for the miR19a, 19b, 10b, 34c.

Conclusion

Few metabolic and anthropometric disorders are correlated with the level of specific miRNAs in seminal plasma. Further studies will be required to decipher if other small non-coding RNAs may also be correlated with metabolic and anthropometric disorders and to assess their potential implication in the alteration of reproductive functions in men with obesity or metabolic disorders.

Clinical study

Metabolic Syndrome and Male Infertility (Metasperme): Trial registration: NCT01974947. Registered 18 July 2013.
Stage-specific miRNAs regulate gene expression associated with growth, development and parasite-host interaction during the intra-mammalian migration of the zoonotic helminth parasite Fasciola hepatica
Authors: Ricafrente Alison , Cwiklinski Krystyna , Nguyen Hieu , Dalton John P. , Tran Nham , Donnelly Sheila
Published: June 2022

Background

MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in organisms ranging from viruses to mammals. There is great relevance in understanding how miRNAs regulate genes involved in the growth, development, and maturation of the many parasitic worms (helminths) that together afflict more than 2 billion people.

Results

Here, we describe the miRNAs expressed by each of the predominant intra-mammalian development stages of Fasciola hepatica, a foodborne flatworm that infects a wide range of mammals worldwide, most importantly humans and their livestock. A total of 124 miRNAs were profiled, 72 of which had been previously reported and three of which were conserved miRNA sequences described here for the first time. The remaining 49 miRNAs were novel sequences of which, 31 were conserved with F. gigantica and the remaining 18 were specific to F. hepatica. The newly excysted juveniles express 22 unique miRNAs while the immature liver and mature bile duct stages each express 16 unique miRNAs. We discovered several sequence variant miRNAs (IsomiRs) as well as miRNA clusters that exhibit strict temporal expression paralleling parasite development. Target analysis revealed the close association between miRNA expression and stage-specific changes in the transcriptome; for example, we identified specific miRNAs that target parasite proteases known to be essential for intestinal wall penetration (cathepsin L3). Moreover, we demonstrate that miRNAs fine-tune the expression of genes involved in the metabolic pathways that allow the parasites to move from an aerobic external environment to the anerobic environment of the host.

Conclusions

These results provide novel insight into the regulation of helminth parasite development and identifies new genes and miRNAs for therapeutic development to limit the virulence and pathogenesis caused by F. hepatica.
A comparison of survival models for prediction of eight-year revision risk following total knee and hip arthroplasty
Authors: Cuthbert Alana R. , Giles Lynne C. , Glonek Gary , Kalisch Ellett Lisa M. , Pratt Nicole L.
Published: June 2022

Background

There is increasing interest in the development and use of clinical prediction models, but a lack of evidence-supported guidance on the merits of different modelling approaches. This is especially true for time-to-event outcomes, where limited studies have compared the vast number of modelling approaches available. This study compares prediction accuracy and variable importance measures for four modelling approaches in prediction of time-to-revision surgery following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods

The study included 321,945 TKA and 151,113 THA procedures performed between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2017. Accuracy of the Cox model, Weibull parametric model, flexible parametric model, and random survival forest were compared, with patient age, sex, comorbidities, and prosthesis characteristics considered as predictors. Prediction accuracy was assessed using the Index of Prediction Accuracy (IPA), c-index, and smoothed calibration curves. Variable importance rankings from the Cox model and random survival forest were also compared.

Results

Overall, the Cox and flexible parametric survival models performed best for prediction of both TKA (integrated IPA 0.056 (95% CI [0.054, 0.057]) compared to 0.054 (95% CI [0.053, 0.056]) for the Weibull parametric model), and THA revision. (0.029 95% CI [0.027, 0.030] compared to 0.027 (95% CI [0.025, 0.028]) for the random survival forest). The c-index showed broadly similar discrimination between all modelling approaches. Models were generally well calibrated, but random survival forest underfitted the predicted risk of TKA revision compared to regression approaches. The most important predictors of revision were similar in the Cox model and random survival forest for TKA (age, opioid use, and patella resurfacing) and THA (femoral cement, depression, and opioid use).

Conclusion

The Cox and flexible parametric models had superior overall performance, although all approaches performed similarly. Notably, this study showed no benefit of a tuned random survival forest over regression models in this setting.
Utility of mean platelet volume in differentiating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Xin , Huang Wen-Juan , Zhang Meng-Lin , Wang Wen , Niu Ye , Wang Rui-tao , Liu Zeng-yao
Published: June 2022

Background

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most prevalent histologic types of primary liver cancer. HCC and ICC differ in treatment and prognosis, warranting an effective differential diagnosis between them. This study aimed to explore the clinical value of mean platelet volume (MPV) to discriminate between HCC and ICC.

Material/methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of ICC and HCC patients who were from the Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, China. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent factors for the differentiation of HCC and ICC. A receiver operating characteristic curve was built to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the potential model. An independent validation study was performed to validate the diagnostic ability.

Results

ICC patients were detected in 146 out of 348 patients in the primary cohort. MPV levels were decreased in ICC patients compared with those in HCC patients. Logistic regression analysis revealed that MPV was an independent factor in distinguishing HCC from ICC. A combination of sex, hepatitis B surface antigen, MPV, alpha-fetoprotein, and carbohydrate antigen 19–9 demonstrated a good capability to differentiate HCC from ICC. Similar results were achieved in the validation cohort.

Conclusions

MPV may be a new marker to help distinguish ICC from HCC. Further validation studies are required.
Real-world treatment sequencing and survival in previously treated advanced renal cell carcinoma patients receiving nivolumab monotherapy: a UK retrospective cohort study
Authors: Waddell T. , Fife K. , Griffiths R. , Sharma A. , Dhokia P. , Groves L. , Hurst M. , Tsang C. , Sugrue D. , McKenna S. , Houghton J. , Carroll R.
Published: June 2022

Background

The CheckMate 025 trial established nivolumab monotherapy as one of the standards of care in previously treated advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). However, supporting real-world data is lacking. This study investigated characteristics, treatment sequences and clinical outcomes of patients who received nivolumab monotherapy for previously treated aRCC in the UK.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of aRCC patients treated with nivolumab at second line or later (2L +) at 4 UK oncology centres. Eligible patients commenced nivolumab (index date) between 01 March 2016 and 30 June 2018 (index period). Study data were extracted from medical records using an electronic case report form. Data cut-off (end of follow-up) was 31 May 2019.

Results

In total, 151 patients were included with median follow-up of 15.2 months. Mean age was 66.9 years, male preponderance (72.2%), and mostly Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status grade 0–1 (71.5%). Amongst 112 patients with a known International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium score, distribution between favourable, intermediate, and poor risk categories was 20.5%, 53.6%, and 25.9% respectively.

The majority of patients (n = 109; 72.2%) received nivolumab at 2L, and these patients had a median overall survival (OS) of 23.0 months [95% confidence interval: 17.2, not reached]. All patients who received nivolumab at 2L had received TKIs at 1L. Amongst the 42 patients (27.8%) who received nivolumab in third line or later (3L +) the median OS was 12.4 months [95% CI: 8.8, 23.2]. The most common reasons for nivolumab discontinuation were disease progression (2L: 61.2%; 3L: 68.8%) and adverse events (2L: 34.7%; 3L: 28.1%).

Conclusion

This study provides real-world evidence on the characteristics, treatment sequences, and outcomes of aRCC patients who received 2L + nivolumab monotherapy in the UK. Nivolumab-specific survival outcomes were similar to those achieved in the CheckMate 025 trial.
A retrospective study of strabismus surgery in a tertiary eye hospital in the Chaoshan area in China from 2014 to 2020
Authors: Bi Yu , Yam Jason C. , Lin Shibin
Published: June 2022

Background

To investigate the distribution pattern of strabismus surgery at an eye center in southern China.

Methods

The data of all patients who underwent strabismus surgery at the Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University /Chinese University of Hong Kong from 2014 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The type of strabismus and its relationship with age and sex were analyzed, and the trend in the number of strabismus surgeries was observed.

Results

The data of 4640 patients included a total of 5,282 surgeries.

Exotropia surgery was the most common, accounting for 54.0% of all strabismus surgeries, which tended to increase over time, but not significantly (P = 0.109). Constant exotropia was the most common exotropia, but its proportion decreased year by year. The next most common was intermittent exotropia. The percentage of surgeries for intermittent exotropia increased from 2016 to 2020. Surgery for esotropia accounted for 22.1% of all strabismus surgeries and became significantly less common from 2016 to 2020 (P < 0.01). Among patients with intermittent or constant exotropia, the proportion of patients younger than 12 years who underwent surgical intervention increased yearly, while this proportion amoung patients older 12 years old with constant exotropia decreased yearly.

Conclusion

Among exotropia surgeries, surgery for constant exotropia was the most common but decreased in prevalence annually. Children under 12 years old were the most affected population.
Analysis of influence of physical health factors on subjective wellbeing of middle-aged and elderly women in China
Authors: Wang Dong , Gao Hongxia , Xu Xin , Han Dan , Yi Kuan , Hou Guilin
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Despite a maturing literature on the association between subjective wellbeing (SWB) and mental condition, little is known regarding the happiness–physical health relation in China, among middle-aged and elderly women (MAEW) in particular. This study aimed to understand the effect of physical health on the SWB of MAEW in China.

Methods

Data from the 2014 and 2018 China Family Panel Study were used to analyse the SWB of women over the age of 45 years. In addition, descriptive statistics was used to describe the population distribution and panel ordered logit regression for regression analysis.

Results

Majority of the respondents reported satisfactory SWB, and the proportion of the respondents who were very happy and happy was more than 68%. In terms of health factors, self-rated health, 2-week morbidity and BMI were significantly related to the SWB of MAEW (all P-values < 0.05). Physical exercise (P-value < 0.01) was positively associated with SWB, whereas smoking status and drinking status were not related to SWB. In addition, demographic indicators, such as registered residence (P-value < 0.01), income (P-value < 0.01) and social status (P-value < 0.01), significantly affected the SWB of MAEW.

Conclusion

This study showed that MAEW’s physical health could affect their SWB. Increased attention should be paid to the physical health of MAEW to improve their SWB. Policy mechanisms could be designed to motivate MAEW to take the initiative to engage in regular physical activity to improve their SWB. In addition, increased attention be paid to groups with low socioeconomic status and high stress, especially those who are employed, to improve residents’ happiness.
Quality inspection and result analysis of the spirometer calibration cylinder
Authors: Wu Zhongping , Peng Yongyi , Lin Kuiqing , Huang Ruibo , Zheng Jinping , Gao Yi
Published: June 2022

Background

To understand the accuracy of volume calibration syringes used in China and compare the difference between new and old volume calibration syringes, technical testing was performed on volume calibration syringes in clinical lung function instruments.

Materials and methods

A standard validator device (Model 1180, Hans Rudolph, USA) was used to perform leak testing and volume accuracy testing for calibration syringes. Sixteen volume calibration syringes from 8 brands (CareFusion in Germany, Vyaire in Germany, Yaeger in Germany, Vitalograph in the United Kingdom, MGC Diagnostics in the United States, U-Breath in Zhejiang, China, Wendi in Ningbo, Zhejiang, and Boya in Ningbo, China) were tested.

Results

A total of 75% (12/16) of the volume calibration syringes passed the pressure decay leak test, 69% (11/16) of the volume calibration syringes passed the volume accuracy and repeatability test, and 56% (9/16) passed both tests; there was no significant difference in the total passing of the new and old volume calibration syringe quality tests (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

A standard validator device should be used for both leakage tests and volume accuracy and repeatability tests to ensure the reliability of volume calibration syringes. It is suggested that the quality verification of volume calibration syringes should be regularly conducted to ensure the accuracy of the pulmonary function tests.
“So, you must understand that that group changed everything”: perspectives on a telehealth group intervention for individuals with chronic pain
Authors: Ernstzen Dawn , Keet Janet , Louw Kerry-Ann , Park-Ross Jocelyn , Pask Lorien , Reardon Cameron , Zway Maia , Parker Romy
Published: June 2022

Background

The Patient Education Empowerment Programme (PEEP) is an interdisciplinary group intervention for people living with chronic pain. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and restrictions on in-person group-based health care delivery in South Africa, PEEP was modified to a telehealth electronic format (ePEEP) and offered to patients on a waiting list at two interdisciplinary chronic pain clinics in Cape Town, South Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of ePEEP through the perspectives of individuals with chronic pain who participated in ePEEP. 

Methods

A qualitative, exploratory descriptive study was conducted. One month after completion of the 6-week ePEEP programme, individuals who participated, were recruited for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis followed an iterative process of inductive content analysis. 

Results

Six individuals, all women, consented and participated in the study. Three main themes emerged from the data. Theme one focussed on how ePEEP initiated a journey of personal development and discovery within the participants. In theme two, participants reflected on the importance and value of building peer and therapeutic relationships as part of ePEEP. In theme 3, participants shared that the online learning environment had features which influenced learning about pain in different ways.

Conclusion

ePEEP was found to be acceptable, feasible and valuable for the participants. ePEEP facilitated self-discovery, empowerment, relationship building and transformation in the participants, through experiential learning. Although barriers and facilitators to learning were present, both enhanced the learning experience. The positive reception of this telehealth initiative indicates potential for enhanced access to chronic pain management services in the South African setting.
Factors associated with sexual violence among waitresses working in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia: a mixed-method study
Authors: Worke Mulugeta Dile , Demelash Habtamu , Meseret Lealem , Bezie Minale , Abebe Fantu
Published: June 2022

Background

When a worker is abused, threatened, or assaulted while at work, it poses an explicit or implicit threat to his/her safety, well-being, or health. However, the magnitude and understanding of the problem and its associated factors have received little attention in low and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to ascertain the magnitude, perceptions, and associated factors of workplace sexual violence among waitresses in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Methods

Parallel sampling was used in a facility-based convergent mixed-methods study. A multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Four hundred six waitresses provided quantitative information. To collect data, a pretested structured interview administered questionnaire was used. Qualitative data from ten in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were also collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were cleaned before being entered into Epidata version 7 and exported to STATA version 15 for analysis. Using odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval and a P value of less than 0.05, binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors. Thematic analysis was performed using ATLAS ti version 8.4.25 after the recorded audios were transcribed.

Results

The overall prevalence of workplace sexual violence was 45.9% (95% CI 41, 50.8). Waitresses who had heard about sexual violence and workplace sexual violence, had witnessed family violence as a child, had a family who valued their honor over their children’s safety and health, and lacked employment opportunities were more likely to experience workplace sexual violence. Waitresses who worked in emotionally supportive work environments and were educated were less likely to experience workplace sexual violence.

Conclusions

Many of the waitresses in this study had experienced workplace sexual violence. Its awareness, witnessing family violence as a child, growing up in a family that prioritized their honor over their children’s safety and health, and lack of employment opportunities exacerbated it. In contrast, emotionally supportive work environments and education have protected them. This implies that organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, civic organizations, and other responsible bodies must pay attention to the identified factors. Additionally, Ethiopian hospitality workplaces should develop policies to protect women.
Influence of pretesting and a near peer sharing real life experiences on CPR training outcomes in first year medical students: a non-randomized quasi-experimental study
Authors: Souza Anne D , Punja Dhiren , Prabhath Sushma , Pandey Akhilesh Kumar
Published: June 2022

Background

Existing literature on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training focuses on the knowledge and skill components while the attitudinal component is rarely addressed. There is a need to explore how peer interaction, learning atmosphere, and communication influence learning effectiveness during CPR training. Therefore, this study’s objective was to evaluate how a senior student (near peer) sharing their real-life experience of performing CPR would influence medical students’ learning and readiness to perform CPR.

Methods

The present study involved 250 newly enrolled undergraduate medical students. The Solomon’s four-group study design was used to evaluate the influence of both pretesting and peer interaction. Students belonging to two groups initially completed a pre-training knowledge test (pretest) and a questionnaire on readiness to perform CPR. Students from all four groups then participated in instructor-led hands-on skills training, after which the two intervention groups interacted with their senior, who shared their life experiences of performing CPR. Finally, all four groups underwent skills evaluation, immediate and delayed post-tests, and completed a questionnaire to assess readiness to perform CPR. The students also provided their feedback on the experience of interacting with a peer during the training.

Results

Post-test scores were significantly higher than pretest scores (Kruskal–Wallis test, p < 0.05). Scores were significantly higher in pretested intervention groups than in the non-pretested non-intervention group (p < 0.05). Delayed post-test scores were slightly but not significantly lower than the immediate post-test scores with no significant difference observed in the scores among the groups. The pretested groups showed more readiness to perform CPR and the pretested intervention group were least concerned about acquiring infection during CPR. Students in all groups were confident of performing chest compressions correctly, and found it inspiring and motivating listening to and discussing real-life experiences with a near peer.

Conclusions

Hearing from peers about real-life CPR experience during CPR training sessions significantly impacted learning, enhanced student motivation to learn and may be an effective strategy to consider in routine CPR training. However, the positive effects of pretesting and peer interaction on knowledge were not sustained, highlighting a need for repeat training.