bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biopsychosocial factors of depression among community-dwelling geriatric population with low perceived social support; a population-based study
Authors: Balqis-Ali Nur Zahirah , Ahmad Norliza , Minhat Halimatus Sakdiah , Fattah Azman Ahmad Zaid
Published: August 2024

Background

Although significant and disabling consequences are presented due to geriatric population-related depression, an insufficient comprehension of various biological, psychological, and social factors affecting this issue has been observed. Notably, these factors can contribute to geriatric population-related depression with low social support. This study aimed to identify factors associated with depression among the community-dwelling geriatric population with low social support in Malaysia.

Methods

This study used secondary data from a population-based health survey in Malaysia, namely the National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2018: Elderly Health. The analysis included 926 community-dwelling geriatric population aged 60 and above with low social support. The primary data collection was from August to October 2018, using face-to-face interviews. This paper reported the analysis of depression as the dependent variable, while various biological, psychological and social factors, guided by established biopsychosocial models, were the independent variables. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify the factors. Analysis was performed using the complex sampling module in the IBM SPSS version 29.

Results

The weighted prevalence of depression among the community-dwelling geriatric population aged 60 and above with low social support was 22.5% (95% CI: 17.3–28.7). This was significantly higher than depression among the general geriatric Malaysian population. The factors associated with depression were being single, as compared to those married (aOR 2.010, 95% CI: 1.063–3.803, p: 0.031), having dementia, as opposed to the absence of the disease (aOR 3.717, 95% CI: 1.544–8.888, p: 0.003), and having a visual disability, as compared to regular visions (aOR 3.462, 95% CI: 1.504–7.972, p: 0.004). The analysis also revealed that a one-unit increase in control in life and self-realisation scores were associated with a 32.6% (aOR: 0.674, 95% CI: 0.599–0.759, p < 0.001) and 24.7% (aOR: 0.753, 95% CI: 0.671–0.846, p < 0.001) decrease in the likelihood of developing depression, respectively.

Conclusion

This study suggested that conducting depression screenings for the geriatric population with low social support could potentially prevent or improve the management of depression. The outcome could be achieved by considering the identified risk factors while implementing social activities, which enhanced control and self-fulfilment.
Comparison of fixed braces and clear braces for malocclusion treatment
Authors: Liu Fan , Wang Yanhong , Luopei Danzeng , Qu Xiaofu , Liu Lin
Published: August 2024

Background

To study and compare the effects of clear aligners without brackets and traditional fixed aligners in orthodontic treatment.

Methods

The samples were collected from January 2022 to April 2023. The control group (n = 26) received orthodontic treatment using traditional fixed appliances. The research group (n = 20) received orthodontic treatment using the clear aligners without brackets. Compare the therapeutic effects and related evaluation indicators between two groups.

Results

The total effective ratio was compared between the 2 groups, and the study group was greater(P < 0.05). After treatment, the detected values of the periodontal condition indicators (plaque index, debris index, and gingival bleeding index), serum inflammatory factors (CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α) of the two groups, were less than before, also were all less than the control group. (P < 0.05). After therapy, in comparison of the control group, the value of mastication efficiency, comfort and psychological evaluation, sleep indicators and the points of the four dimensions of life quality in the study group was greater, and the detection results were obviously greater than before(P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In the orthodontic therapy of sufferers with malocclusion, compared with the traditional fixed appliance, the clear aligners without brackets can enhance the treatment effects, improve the periodontal condition and masticatory function, and reduce the inflammatory responses, so that patients can feel more comfortable, thereby improving their psychology, sleep and quality of life. In the future, with the continual advancement of technology and people’s pursuit of beauty, the application of clear aligners without brackets in orthodontic treatment will become more and more extensive. The continuous introduction of new materials and new technologies will further improve the effects and comfort of the clear aligners without brackets, reduce treatment time and discomfort, and also reduce patients’ resistance to aligners, bringing patients a better treatment experience.
In vitro-antibacterial properties of ten medicinal plants against common uropathogenic organisms and toxicity determination using brine shrimp lethality assay
Authors: Ilangage Jayananda Ilangage Maheshi Kavindya , Ilangakoon Ilangakoon Arachchige Chethana Seww , Fernando Kariyakarawanage Minoshi Kaushika , Dissanayake Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Manisha K , Rajapaksha Nimna Pinimali Deeyagaha , Walpola Lakmini Hasanthika , Hettiarachchi Dineshani
Published: August 2024

Background

In recent years, antibiotic resistance has emerged as a global health concern in bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs). Uropathogenic Escherichia coli is the most frequent organism responsible for both simple and complex UTIs. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are frequently associated with complicated UTIs. Sri Lanka has significant resources of medicinal plants used to cure UTIs in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine.

Methods

Agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods were used to determine the antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract of ten medicinal plants against P. aeruginosa ATCC27853, S.aureus ATCC25923, E.coli ATCC25922 and their UTI positive strains extracted from positive culture plates. As a preliminary toxicity assay, the Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA) was used to determine its cytotoxicity.

Results

The methanolic fruits extract of P. emblica demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against both E. coli ATCC25922 and E. coli UTI-positive strains. B. diffusa roots extract exhibited the highest activity against S. aureus ATCC25923, while T. chebula fruits extract showed the highest activity against the S. aureus UTI-positive strain. T. involucrata roots extract displayed the highest activity against P. aeruginosa ATCC27853, and Z. officinale rhizomes extract showed the highest activity against the P. aeruginosa UTI-positive strain. Moreover, the plant mixture showed the most substantial antibacterial effect against P. aeruginosa ATCC27853. However, the methanolic seed extract of C. melo did not exhibit any antimicrobial effects against the selected organisms. All plant material, including the plant mixture, showed cytotoxicity according to the BSLA.

Conclusion

All the methanolic extracts including P. emblica fruits, O. tenuiflorum whole plant, T. chebula fruits, Z. officinale rhizome, T. terrestris roots, T. involucrata roots, A. lanata whole plant. B. diffusa roots and A. falcatus roots showed antimicrobial effects against selected strains except C. melo seed extract. The results of the present study evidently supports the traditional and ayurvedic use of these plants for the treatment of UTIs. This paves the way for another praise for new plant-based therapeutic product development for the treatment of UTIs. However, further toxicity studies are needed for medicinal dose determination.
A structured biomimetic nanoparticle as inflammatory factor sponge and autophagy-regulatory agent against intervertebral disc degeneration and discogenic pain
Authors: Li Kanglu , Yang Wenbo , Chen Xuanzuo , Yu Yihan , Liu Yiran , Ni Feifei , Xiao Yan , Qing Xiangcheng , Liu Sheng , He YuXin , Wang Baichuan , Xu Li , Shao Zengwu , Zhao Lei , Peng Yizhong , Lin Hui
Published: August 2024

Lower back pain (LBP) is a common condition closely associated with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), causing a significant socioeconomic burden. Inflammatory activation in degenerated discs involves pro-inflammatory cytokines, dysregulated regulatory cytokines, and increased levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), leading to further intervertebral disc destruction and pain sensitization. Macrophage polarization is closely related to autophagy. Based on these pathological features, a structured biomimetic nanoparticle coated with TrkA-overexpressing macrophage membranes (TMNP@SR) with a rapamycin-loaded mesoporous silica core is developed. TMNP@SR acted like sponges to adsorbe inflammatory cytokines and NGF and delivers the autophagy regulator rapamycin (RAPA) into macrophages through homologous targeting effects of the outer engineered cell membrane. By regulating autophagy activation, TMNP@SR promoted the M1-to-M2 switch of macrophages to avoid continuous activation of inflammation within the degenerated disc, which prevented the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. In addition, TMNP@SR relieved mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, reduced calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) expression in the dorsal root ganglion, and downregulated GFAP and c-FOS signaling in the spinal cord in the rat IDD model. In summary, TMNP@SR spontaneously inhibits the aggravation of disc inflammation to alleviate disc degeneration and reduce the ingress of sensory nerves, presenting a promising treatment strategy for LBP induced by disc degeneration.

Graphical Abstract
The impact of fine motor activities like playing musical instruments on the thickness and strength of the flexor digitorum muscle
Authors: Ioannou Christos I. , Hodde-Chriske Franziska L. , Avraamides Marios N. , Altenmüller Eckart
Published: August 2024

Background

This study aimed to explore the impact of occupational activities involving extensive finger movement on the muscular characteristics of the forearms. In particular, the flexor digitorum (FD) muscular thickness and strength asymmetry between right and left hand were compared between musicians and non-musicians.

Methods

Ultrasonography was employed to measure the thickness of the FD in each hand, while a validated custom-made device was used to assess the strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum (ED). Initially, muscle differences were estimated by computing the asymmetry index between dominant and non-dominant hands. To assess potential occupational disparities, comparisons of the asymmetry index were conducted between 25 right-handed instrumental musicians and 25 right-handed non-musicians.

Results

Musicians exhibited lower asymmetry between dominant and non-dominant hands in both FD thickness and ED strength when compared to non-musicians. This effect was particularly pronounced in musicians playing instruments that extensively use the left-hand fingers (e.g., violinists).

Conclusions

Occupational activities, such as playing a musical instrument, can alter forearm muscle mass and strength distribution between dominant and non-dominant hands. This underscores the importance of considering occupational parameters in clinical or experimental interventions and musculoskeletal assessments.
Unveiling distinct kinematic profiles among total knee arthroplasty candidates through clustering technique
Authors: Abou-Abbas Lina , Hagemeister Nicola , Ouakrim Youssef , Cagnin Alix , Laundry Philippe , Richardson Glen , Dunbar Michael J. , Mezghani Neila
Published: August 2024

Background:

Characterizing the condition of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis is complex due to multiple associations between clinical, functional, and structural parameters. While significant variability exists within this population, especially in candidates for total knee arthroplasty, there is increasing interest in knee kinematics among orthopedic surgeons aiming for more personalized approaches to achieve better outcomes and satisfaction. The primary objective of this study was to identify distinct kinematic phenotypes in total knee arthroplasty candidates and to compare different methods for the identification of these phenotypes.

Methods:

Three-dimensional kinematic data obtained from a Knee Kinesiography exam during treadmill walking in the clinic were used. Various aspects of the clustering process were evaluated and compared to achieve optimal clustering, including data preparation, transformation, and representation methods.

Results:

A K-Means clustering algorithm, performed using Euclidean distance, combined with principal component analysis applied on data transformed by standardization, was the optimal approach. Two unique kinematic phenotypes were identified among 80 total knee arthroplasty candidates. The two distinct phenotypes divided patients who significantly differed both in terms of knee kinematic representation and clinical outcomes, including a notable variation in 63.3% of frontal plane features and 81.8% of transverse plane features across 77.33% of the gait cycle, as well as differences in the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, highlighting the impact of these kinematic variations on patient pain and function.

Conclusion:

Results from this study provide valuable insights for clinicians to develop personalized treatment approaches based on patients’ phenotype affiliation, ultimately helping to improve total knee arthroplasty outcomes.
Time to diagnosis for a rare disease: managing medical uncertainty. A qualitative study
Authors: Phillips Christine , Parkinson Anne , Namsrai Tergel , Chalmers Anita , Dews Carolyn , Gregory Dianne , Kelly Elaine , Lowe Christine , Desborough Jane
Published: August 2024

Background

People with a rare disease commonly experience long delays from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. Rare diseases are challenging to diagnose because they are clinically heterogeneous, and many present with non-specific symptoms common to many diseases. We aimed to explore the experiences of people with myositis, primary immunodeficiency (PID), and sarcoidosis from symptom onset to diagnosis to identify factors that might impact receipt of a timely diagnosis.

Methods

This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Our approach was informed by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). We applied the lens of uncertainty management theory to tease out how patients experience, assess, manage and cope with puzzling and complex health-related issues while seeking a diagnosis in the cases of rare diseases.

Results

We conducted interviews with 26 people with a rare disease. Ten participants had been diagnosed with a form of myositis, 8 with a primary immunodeficiency, and 8 with sarcoidosis. Time to diagnosis ranged from 6 months to 12 years (myositis), immediate to over 20 years (PID), and 6 months to 15 years (sarcoidosis). We identified four themes that described the experiences of participants with a rare disease as they sought a diagnosis for their condition: (1) normalising and/or misattributing symptoms; (2) particularising by clinicians; (3) asserting patients’ self-knowledge; and (4) working together through the diagnosable moment.

Conclusions

Managing medical uncertainty in the time before diagnosis of a rare disease can be complicated by patients discounting their own symptoms and/or clinicians discounting the scale and impact of those symptoms. Persistence on the part of both clinician and patient is necessary to reach a diagnosis of a rare disease. Strategies such as recognising pattern failure and accommodating self-labelling are key to diagnosis.
Identifying personalized barriers for hypertension self-management from TASKS framework
Authors: Yang Jiami , Zeng Yong , Yang Lin , Khan Nadia , Singh Shaminder , Walker Robin L. , Eastwood Rachel , Quan Hude
Published: August 2024

Objective

Effective management of hypertension requires not only medical intervention but also significant patient self-management. The challenge, however, lies in the diversity of patients' personal barriers to managing their condition. The objective of this research is to identify and categorize personalized barriers to hypertension self-management using the TASKS framework (Task, Affect, Skills, Knowledge, Stress). This study aims to enhance patient-centered strategies by aligning support with each patient's specific needs, recognizing the diversity in their unique circumstances, beliefs, emotional states, knowledge levels, and access to resources. This research is based on observations from a single study focused on eight patients, which may have been a part of a larger project.

Results

The analysis of transcripts from eight patients and the Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines revealed 69 personalized barriers. These barriers were distributed as follows: emotional barriers (49%), knowledge barriers (24%), logical barriers (17%), and resource barriers (10%). The findings highlight the significant impact of emotional and knowledge-related challenges on hypertension self-management, including difficulties in home blood pressure monitoring and the use of monitoring tools. This study emphasizes the need for tailored interventions to address these prevalent barriers and improve hypertension management outcomes.
Ultrasound elastography of back muscle biomechanical properties: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current methods
Authors: David Mercedes , Devantéry Karine , Nauche Bénédicte , Chagnon Miguel , Keezer Mark , Gaudreault Nathaly , Bureau Nathalie J. , Cloutier Guy
Published: August 2024

Objectives

To report the current elastography methods used to quantify back muscles’ biomechanical characteristics in patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSKd) and inform on their reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane library and grey literature were consulted. Predefined criteria allowed for study selection and data extraction. The quality of evidence was rated using the COSMIN tool. Data were meta-analyzed in terms of pooled intraclass correlation coefficient (pICC) for reliability and pooled standardized mean difference (pSMD) for validity and responsiveness. Heterogeneity was assessed.

Results

Seventy-nine studies were included in the meta-analysis (total number of participants N = 3178). Three elastography methods were identified: strain imaging (SI; number of cohorts M = 26), shear wave imaging (SWI; M = 50), and vibration sonoelastography (VSE; M = 3). Strain imaging and SWI studies reported good reliability measurement properties (pICC > 0.70) and a medium pSMD (0.58 for SI and 0.60 for SWI; p ≤ 0.020) in discriminating MSKd from controls’ condition (validity). Strain imaging studies reported a medium pSMD (0.64; p = 0.005) in detecting within-group changes over time, whereas SWI pSMD was very high (1.24; p = 0.005). Only SWI reported significant but small pSMD (0.30; p = 0.003) in detecting between-group changes over time. The small number of VSE studies could not be meta-analyzed. Heterogeneity was high (I-squared > 90%; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Elastography presents good reliability results and a medium pSMD in discriminating MSKd from control conditions. Responsiveness data suggest detectable changes within groups over time using SI and SWI, calling for long-term longitudinal studies. Assessing changes between groups over time using elastography still needs to be proven. Highly significant heterogeneity limits meta-analytic results.

Critical relevance statement

While still in its early-stage exploration phase, musculoskeletal ultrasound elastography may reliably quantify back muscles’ biomechanics in asymptomatic individuals, moderately discriminate back musculoskeletal disorders and detect biomechanical changes over time in these conditions, calling for long-term longitudinal studies.

Key Points

Ultrasound elastography is reviewed for back pain and related musculoskeletal disorder assessments.

Growing literature supports good reproducibility, some validity and responsiveness.

Back muscle elastography considers assumptions calling for standardized protocols.

Graphical Abstract
Clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a case of a patient with familial hereditary breast cancer: a case report
Authors: Liu Yuan , Mao Jinglin , Xiang Longquan , Zhang Xiangyu , Qu Zhen
Published: August 2024

Background

Breast cancer has emerged as the foremost cause of female mortality worldwide, with triple negative breast cancer accounting for approximately 10–15% of all breast cancer cases. The triple negative breast cancer family has obvious familial heritability, but no potential pathogenic variation was found in BRCA1/2.

Case presentation

The patient was a 56-year-old woman of Han ethnicity. The clinical characteristics of this patient with breast cancer were summarized, peripheral blood of one normal female and two patients with breast cancer in this family was collected, DNA was extracted, and the potential pathogenic variation was analyzed by whole exome sequencing. The normal female and two patients with breast cancer in this family shared a maternal grandmother. The proband’s right breast mass was punctured, and the biopsy showed invasive carcinoma of the right breast, grade II–III, with necrosis. No mutation was found in BRCA1/2 gene test; immunohistochemical of surgical specimens showed triple negative breast cancer. Three mutation types and 17 gene mutation sites were detected through bioinformatics prediction analysis on the basis of co-segregation of genotype and phenotype within the family and whole exome sequencing results. Combined with the Cancer Genome Atlas database comprehensive analysis, the MT1E c.G107A (p.C36Y) mutation may be a potential pathogenic site.

Conclusions

Through whole exome sequencing, we identified a total of 17 potential pathogenic mutation loci, none of which have been reported thus far. Therefore, our work expanded the gene mutation spectrum of familial hereditary triple negative breast cancer, which can provide more basis for family genetic counseling.
Experiences of intensive treatment for people with eating disorders: a systematic review and thematic synthesis
Authors: Webb Hannah , Griffiths Maria , Schmidt Ulrike
Published: August 2024

Background

Eating disorders are complex difficulties that impact the individual, their supporters and society. Increasing numbers are being admitted to intensive treatment settings (e.g., for inpatient treatment, day-patient treatment or acute medical treatment). The lived experience perspectives of what helps and hinders eating disorder recovery during intensive treatment is an emerging area of interest. This review aims to explore patients’ perspectives of what helps and hinders recovery in these contexts.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted to identify studies using qualitative methods to explore patients’ experiences of intensive treatment for an eating disorder. Article quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) checklist and thematic synthesis was used to analyse the primary research and develop overarching analytical themes.

Results

Thirty articles met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The methodological quality was mostly good. Thematic synthesis generated six main themes; collaborative care supports recovery; a safe and terrifying environment; negotiating identity; supporting mind and body; the need for specialist support; and the value of close others. The included articles focused predominantly on specialist inpatient care and were from eight different countries. One clear limitation was that ethnicity data were not reported in 22 out of the 30 studies. When ethnicity data were reported, participants predominantly identified as white.

Conclusions

This review identifies that a person-centred, biopsychosocial approach is necessary throughout all stages of eating disorder treatment, with support from a sufficiently resourced and adequately trained multidisciplinary team. Improving physical health remains fundamental to eating disorder recovery, though psychological support is also essential to understand what causes and maintains the eating disorder and to facilitate a shift away from an eating disorder dominated identity. Carers and peers who instil hope and offer empathy and validation are valuable additional sources of support. Future research should explore what works best for whom and why, evaluating patient and carer focused psychological interventions and dietetic support during intensive treatment. Future research should also explore the long-term effects of, at times, coercive and distressing treatment practices and determine how to mitigate against potential iatrogenic harm.
A game model based optimisation approach for generalised shared energy storage and integrated energy system trading
Authors: Tao Caixia , Duan Yunxin , Gao Fengyang , Zhang Jiangang
Published: August 2024

In the context of integrated energy systems, the synergy between generalised energy storage systems and integrated energy systems has significant benefits in dealing with multi-energy coupling and improving the flexibility of energy market transactions, and the characteristics of the multi-principal game in the integrated energy market are becoming more and more obvious, but it is difficult to improve the flexibility of the transactions between “source-load-storage” in a one-way master–slave game structure, and the problem of how to establish an optimisation strategy for the coordination of integrated energy systems and energy storage systems is an urgent issue. How to establish a coordinated optimisation strategy of integrated energy system and energy storage system is an urgent problem. Therefore, this paper proposes a generalised shared energy storage and integrated energy system transaction optimisation method based on a two-stage game model, which improves the flexibility of the system transaction by constructing a two-stage game energy transaction model in which the subject acts as a leader and a gamer. Compared with the current one-way game model that does not consider the game on the energy storage side, the coordinated optimisation method proposed in this paper enables the energy storage side to participate more actively in the scheduling, which improves its revenue by 20.6%, the revenue on the energy-using side by 6.3%, and the overall revenue of the system by 5.4%, and at the same time, the load demand response regulation effect is more obvious, so the energy scheduling strategy proposed in this paper is able to weigh the interests of each subject and increase the overall economic benefits of the system.
Nidificação de vespas sociais (Vespidae: Polistinae) em bananeira Musa sp. (Musaceae), no sul do estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil
Authors: Custódio Rogério Henrique , Crispim Fernando Gonçalves de Aguiar , Souza Marcos Magalhães de
Published: August 2024

As vespas sociais nidificam em diferentes substratos, mas há poucas informações sobre o uso de bananeiras, plantas de interesse comercial e utilizadas como quebra vento em outras culturas, portanto o objetivo aqui é acrescentar informações sobre a nidificação de vespas sociais em bananeira, Musa spp. (Musaceae) no sul de Minas Gerais. O trabalho foi realizado durante o período de 21 de outubro de 2023 a 28 de fevereiro de 2024, em sete dias de amostragem, com duas horas diárias de campo, em horários variados, o que totalizou 14 horas de trabalho de campo, na área da fazenda escola do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas campus Inconfidentes, município de Inconfidentes. Foram registradas 25 colônias de nove espécies nidificando na bananeira, portanto, essa planta é utilizada como substrato por diferentes espécies de vespídeos, e isso pode beneficiar essa cultura e outras associadas, como o cafeeiro, pois esses insetos sociais são predadores de diferentes pragas que afetam negativamente várias plantas de interesse agrícola.
The Value of Competitor Information: Evidence from a Field Experiment
Authors: Kim Hyunjin
Published: August 2024

To what extent do firms know available information on key competitor decisions, and how does competitor information change their own strategic choices? These questions are fundamental to understanding how firms compete and make strategic decisions, yet systematic evidence on them remains limited. I designed a field experiment across 3,218 differentiated firms in the personal care industry, where firms randomly assigned to treatment received easily accessible information on competitor prices. At baseline, nearly half of treatment firms appeared to lack knowledge of competitor prices. Once treatment firms received competitor information, they were more likely to change their own decisions, aligning them with competitors rather than differentiating. These changes were driven by firms that were more misaligned in their price and quality decisions, and appear to have been performance enhancing. If competitor information was both easily accessible and decision relevant, why did firms not use this information on their own? Results from a follow-up experiment suggest that this lack of knowledge may have been driven by managerial inattention. These findings highlight that limited information processing is a key problem for firms and a central issue in strategy, and raise the possibility that growing availability of competitor data may lead firms to align their decisions more with their competitors.

This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy.

Funding: H. Kim is grateful for the support of Harvard Business School, the Foundations of Human Behavior, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and Yelp.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.04062 .
The Deterrence Effects of Tax Whistleblower Laws: Evidence from New York’s False Claims Acts
Authors: Lee Yoojin , Ng Shaphan , Shevlin Terry , Venkat Aruhn
Published: August 2024

In this study, we provide evidence on the effects of state tax whistleblower laws. We exploit a novel 2010 amendment to New York’s False Claims Acts (FCA) that explicitly extended whistleblower incentives to corporate income tax whistleblowers. We identify treated firms (firms exposed to New York’s FCA) using establishment-level data and descriptive analyses. Using a sample of firms exposed to New York and neighboring states, we find evidence that New York’s FCA reduced state tax avoidance. In cross-sectional tests, we find that effects are increasing in firms that grant fewer employee stock options and industry regulation, consistent with deterrence increasing in employee and regulator monitoring. We also find evidence that New York’s FCA deterred federal tax avoidance, consistent with positive vertical tax externalities. Next, we focus on particular tax strategies and find evidence of a reduced probability of Double Irish tax structures, reduced relationships to tax planning banks, reduced use of special purpose vehicles, and reduced outbound tax-motivated income shifting. We also find evidence that firms with the lowest (highest) cost of relocation (1) reduced (did not change) establishment counts in New York but (2) did not change (reduced) state tax avoidance. Finally, we disentangle general ex ante deterrence from ex ante peer deterrence using hand-collected New York tax whistleblower press releases from the Attorney General. We find evidence of both types of deterrence. Overall, this study provides policy-relevant evidence on the deterrence effects of tax whistleblower laws.

This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Funding: Y. Lee acknowledges financial support from the College of Business at California State University, Long Beach. S. Ng acknowledges financial support from Singapore Management University. T. Shevlin acknowledges financial support from the University of California, Irvine [the Paul Merage Chair and the Merage School of Business]. A. Venkat acknowledges financial support from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.02999 .
A scoping review exploring people’s perceptions of healthcare uniforms
Authors: Cooper Mark , Kindness Karen , McCulloch Margot , McParland Chris
Published: August 2024

Background:

Healthcare staff uniforms are a subject of debate in the UK, and this is particularly true in the case of less understood roles such as advanced nurse practitioners. Aim: This review explores what is known about people’s perceptions of health professionals’ uniforms.

Method:

A mixed methods scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Five databases (CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycINFO, and EMBASE) and several search engines were searched. Eligible reports were peer-reviewed English-language studies using any methodology to explore people’s perceptions of different uniforms for health professionals.

Findings:

Forty-six studies (mainly from North America) were included, presenting a variety of perspectives on the uniforms worn by doctors, nurses and other health professionals.

Conclusion:

Culture and context likely influence how uniforms are understood. Practitioners should consider how this may affect communication with both patients and colleagues. What health professionals wear matters, particularly in relation to less well understood roles.
The effectiveness of punch grafts in promoting the healing of surgical injuries and hard-to-heal wounds
Authors: Gómez-Martín Eva María , Llamas-Molina José María , Ruiz-García Manuel Eduardo , Velasco-Amador Juan Pablo , Ruiz-Villaverde Ricardo
Published: August 2024

Punch grafting is a technique that can improve and accelerate the healing of hard-to-heal wounds and reduce the associated pain. It is a simple and inexpensive procedure that can be performed in the examination room. It is a technique that uses small split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) to promote the growth of epithelial tissue. It has been described as being used mainly to treat ulcers of venous, arterial, hypertensive and diabetic aetiology. Punch grafting has also been used successfully in postoperative dermatological surgical wounds. This article describes and details the performance of the punch-graft technique, with special emphasis on aftercare and the role of nurses in the procedure. A clinical case is presented of a patient who underwent surgery for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and whose primary closure was rejected. It was decided to place the STSGs obtained from the anterior aspect of the patient's thigh after preparation of the recipient area to ensure an optimal wound bed. The patient's pain subsided within a few days, and the wound healed within weeks with weekly dressing changes.
Use of a police station as a place of safety for a person in a mental health crisis
Authors: Griffith Richard
Published: August 2024

Richard Griffith, Senior Lecturer in Health Law at Swansea University, considers the dilemma faced by the police and health trusts where a hospital bed is not available for a person in a mental health crisis
Evaluation of post-surgical complications of hidradenitis suppurativa lesions explored with presurgical ultra-high frequency ultrasound mapping
Authors: Dini Valentina , Michelucci Alessandra , Granieri Giammarco , Zerbinati Nicola , Margiotta Flavia Manzo , Romanelli Marco
Published: August 2024

Objective:

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the hair follicle. Its treatment often requires a surgical approach. The aim of our study was to evaluate the occurrence of post-surgical complications following a new standard of surgical management. This included presurgical lesion mapping by ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) with a 70MHz probe. Postoperative management was based on the principles of HS-TIME (time, inflammation/infection, moisture, edges).

Method:

A single-centre, retrospective study was conducted by the Department of Dermatology of the University of Pisa. Patients with moderate and severe HS, refractory to previous medical and surgical therapies, were enrolled. All of the patients were treated with wide surgical excision of lesions, previously explored through a UHFUS evaluation with VEVO MD (Fujifilm VisualSonics, Inc., Canada) using a 48MHz and a 70MHz ultrasound probe. Following surgery, all patients were treated with secondary intention healing following the principles of HS-TIME. For each patient, we assessed the occurrence of post-surgical complications at follow-up visit six months after surgery. For each patient we assessed the occurrence of early post-surgical complications at every follow-up visit after surgery until complete wound healing. The occurrence of delayed complications was then assessed in all patients with an observation time after complete healing of >3 months (n=23).

Results:

A total of 26 patients were enrolled in the study. There were no reported cases of post-surgical bleeding or haematoma occurrence, while three (11.5%) patients developed minor surgical site infection. The average severity of pain decreased from a numerical rating scale of 5.3 immediately after surgery to 1.3 after four weeks. The average healing time was 33.3±16.8 days, and only five (19.2%) patients reported a complete wound healing time of >6 weeks. Focusing on delayed complications: 1/23 (4.3%) patient had hypertrophic scarring; 2/23 (8.7%) patients reported dysaesthesia; and 2/23 (8.7%) cases of clinical relapse were reported. No cases of limited mobility at the surgery site were registered.

Conclusion:

The findings of the study demonstrated the efficacy of a novel surgical protocol, including a preoperative ultrasound evaluation and appropriate postoperative wound management. Further prospective studies are needed to validate the observed results; however, we conclude that the low recurrence rates and post-surgical complications confirmed that our proposed protocol would represent an effective strategy for the management of patients with HS eligible for surgical therapy.
Risk factors associated with surgical site infection following orthopaedic surgery in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Van Der Merwe Zhavandre , Wilton Steve D , Sandy-Hodgetts Kylie
Published: August 2024

Objective:

The objective of the scoping review will be to understand and describe risk factors associated with surgical site infection (SSI) in an orthopaedic surgery population in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. This paper describes the protocol that will be used for the scoping review.

Method:

A comprehensive literature search will be conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase and Cochrane Libraries to identify articles meeting the inclusion criteria, including both published and grey literature, in order to provide a broad overview of the reported risk factors associated with patients who have undergone an orthopaedic surgery with an outcome of SSI within 90 days of a procedure. Additional studies will be sourced by exploring the reference list of included eligible studies. By using a combination of the Population, Exposure, Outcome framework, terms and synonyms related to each category, in different variations, along with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) in the search strategy, identified comprehensive and relevant literature for the scoping review.

Results:

It is anticipated the results will provide a baseline of risk factors that will inform the development of a risk assessment tool for clinical use.

Conclusion:

This protocol will inform the development of a scoping review to describe factors associated with SSIs following orthopaedic surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa.
A single-centre RetrospeCtive sTudy Investigating patient-reported outcomeS of extended dressing wear time for incisional healing following orthopaedic surgery: the ARCTIS study
Authors: Van Overschelde Philippe , Sinnaeve Farah , Lapierre Cynthia , Pauwels Andries , Alam Khurshid , Sandy-Hodgetts Kylie
Published: August 2024

Objective:

Orthopaedic surgery is an effective intervention for treating the symptoms of degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis (OA). Frequent wound dressing changes, unless clinically indicated, can disrupt the healing process and increase the occurrence of incision site contamination. Protection from contamination is critical for surgical incisions and, therefore, undisturbed wound healing (UWH) in surgical wound management is vital. This article describes a retrospective study reporting the clinical performance of a self-adherent, absorbent postoperative dressing, with a focus on dressing wear time.

Method:

A single-centre, retrospective electronic medical record review of a convenience sample of adult patients treated with a dressing (Mepilex Border Post Op; Mölnlycke, Sweden) following elective hip or knee replacement was undertaken. Data relating to dressing wear time, rationale for dressing changes and patient-reported outcomes were extracted from a mobile health application moveUP Therapy (moveUP NV, Belgium). Health-related quality of life assessment was conducted using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and orthopaedic-specific quality of life (QoL) indicator tools.

Results:

Of the 558 records reviewed, 151 respondents (27.1%) reported outcomes relating to dressing wear time and frequency of dressing change. The average wear time of the first dressing was 13.6 days (second dressing: 5.3 days). The proportion of patients who wore the first dressing for 1–7 days, 8–13 days and for ≥14 days was 17.2%, 13.2% and 69.5%, respectively. Data from the completed questionnaires revealed improvement in QoL over time.

Conclusion:

The results of this study are a good indicator of the suitability of the postoperative dressing for a 14-day wear time, in line with the principles of UWH.
Making Regional Anaesthesia Safe
Authors:   Department of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Hospital Valle de los Pedroches, Pozoblanco, Andalucia, Spain., Bartakk Ashish A.
Published: August 2024

The complexity of current practice in anaesthesiology and perioperative medicine has resulted in employing complex regional anaesthesia techniques to improve patient outcomes in terms of better postoperative pain control and thus facilitate early mobilization and recuperation of patients. However, ensuring patient safety while performing these complex procedures is of paramount importance and all efforts need to be undertaken to minimise the possibility of harm to the patient. Quality improvement and patient safety go hand in hand. Ensuring safe practices in regional anaesthesia is not just an individual task but a collective responsibility of the perioperative team. It thus involves both technical skills as well as non-technical skills and human factors. This article provides a brief discussion of the various measures involving technical and non-technical factors to improve patient safety in modern day regional anaesthesia practice. Keywords: Regional Anaesthesia, Patient safety, Non-technical skills, Human factors
Aberration compensation in Doppler holography of the human eye fundus by subaperture signal correlation
Authors: Bratasz Zofia , Martinache Olivier , Sverdlin Julia , Gatinel Damien , Atlan Michael
Published: August 2024

The process of obtaining images of capillary vessels in the human eye’s fundus using Doppler holography encounters difficulties due to ocular aberrations. To enhance the accuracy of these images, it is advantageous to apply an adaptive aberration correction technique. This study focuses on numerical Shack-Hartmann, which employs sub-pupil correlation as the wavefront sensing method. Application of this technique to Doppler holography encounters unique challenges due to the holographic detection properties. A detailed comparative analysis of the regularization technique against direct gradient integration in the estimation of aberrations is made. Two different reference images for the measurement of image shifts across subapertures are considered. The comparison reveals that direct gradient integration exhibits greater effectiveness in correcting asymmetrical aberrations.
Dynamical characteristics of tightly focused circularly polarized modulated autofocusing vortex beams and their optimized trapping performance for chiral nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang YiPing , Lv JiaXing , Wang Tao , Wu Hao
Published: August 2024

By combining the improved properties of the Bessel modulated autofocusing beam [Phys. Rev. A 104, 043524 (2021)PLRAAN1050-294710.1103/PhysRevA.104.043524] with the influence of the canonical optical vortex, we study the dynamical characteristics of tightly focused circularly polarized modulated autofocusing vortex beams (CPMAVBs) and their performance in trapping chiral nanoparticles. We find that the distributions of the beam’s intensity and dynamical characteristics depend on the value of the topological charge carried by the beam. Moreover, CPMAVBs exhibit higher peak intensity and superior dynamical characteristics compared to the circularly polarized circular Airy vortex beam (CPCAVB), despite the attenuation of the optimized modulation of the Bessel function due to the presence of vortex. Building on these excellent properties, CPMAVB demonstrates greater radial optical force (transverse trapping potential) and azimuthal optical force (orbital rotation frequency) for trapping chiral nanoparticles compared to CPCAVB. We also discuss the effects of input power and particle radius on the manipulation capabilities of CPMAVB and CPCAVB. Our results provide insights into the dynamical characteristics of the CPMAVB and may open new possibilities for the optical manipulation of chiral particles using this structured beam.
Inverse design of polarization-independent structural color based on a coding metasurface via a bidirectional artificial neural network
Authors: Zuo Yue , Ni Bo , Zhou Yiran , Guo Junhong , Ni Haibin , Zhou Xiaoyan , Haque Shahed Jahidul , Chang Jianhua
Published: August 2024

A polarization-independent structural color based on a coding metasurface is reverse designed via a bidirectional neural network. A forward prediction network from coding metasurface structures to colors is constructed by introducing a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) model. Based on this model, a bidirectional neural network training method is adopted to achieve reverse design from the target color to the optimal structure of the coding metasurface. The results show that the method can achieve 91% accuracy for forward prediction of color and 92% accuracy for inverse design of the structure. In addition, the coding metasurface structure has quadruple rotational symmetry, which realizes that the structural color is independent of the polarization of the incident light. This study provides a novel polarization-independent structural color design scheme, providing a new path for the application and development of structural colors.