bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clues of incomplete reversal of heparin in cardiac surgery
Authors: Tiquet Bérénice , Pihan Franck , Thomasset Philippe , Denizou Michel , Tifrea Marius , Tifrea Andreaa , Orsel Isabelle , Marsaud Jean Philippe , Jouan Jérome , Vandroux David
Published: February 2023

Objectives

In our center, an unusual rate of patients had abnormalities of hemostasis in immediate postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Our objectives were to identify the cause of these sudden hemostasis abnormalities and to evaluate the performances of point of care coagulation testing.

Methods

In this prospective and descriptive study, we included 33 consecutive patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery for 1 month. Heparin-induced anticoagulation and calculation of the protamine dose were tested by the Hemostasis Management System Plus device (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Fifteen minutes after the end of the protamine infusion, activated clotting time (ACT), activated partial thromboplastin time and anti Xa activity were measured. In case of unusual clinical bleeding, a Quantra analysis (Stago, HemoSonics LLC, Charlottesville, VA) was added.

Results

Residual antiXa activity >0.2 IU/mL after neutralization was present in 44% of patients. Our investigation concluded incomplete heparin reversal. There was no association between cellular reinfusate and the presence of heparin. The unusual rate of hemostasis abnormalities was explained by a less efficient protamine reversal of heparin. ACT and Clot Time Ratio (CTR, Quantra system) correlated with AntiXa with Spearman's coefficients of 0.85 ( p < .0001) and 0.95 ( p = .0012), respectively. About ACT, a threshold of 150 seconds had a sensitivity of 85% [58–97] and a specificity of 85% [58–97%] for detection of AntiXa>0.2. For CTR, a threshold of 1.4 had a sensitivity of 67% [30–94] and a specificity of 100% [18–100].

Conclusion

The use of point of care coagulation testing is effective in detecting incomplete reversal of heparin.
Mobile researchers, immobile data: Managing data (producers)
Authors: Reichmann Stefan
Published: February 2023

Scientific institutions have increasingly embraced formalized research data management strategies, which involve complex social practices of codifying the tacit dimensions of data practices. Several guidelines to facilitate these practices have been introduced in recent years, for example, the FAIR guiding principles. The aim of these practices is to foster transparency and reproducibility through ‘data sharing,’ the public release of data for unbounded reuse. However, a closer look suggests that many scientists’ practices of data release might be better described as what I call data handovers. These practices are not rooted in the lofty ideals of good scientific practice and global data reuse but in the more mundane necessities of research continuity, which have become more urgent in light of increasing academic mobility. The Austrian scientists interviewed for this study reinterpreted defining features of research data management – such as ensuring findability – as techniques for managing the effects of researcher mobility. This suggests that the adoption of Open Science practices might be dissociated from its stated epistemic goals, and explains why many Open Science initiatives at present are administratively strong but normatively weak.
Evaluation of Methods for Left-Turn Gap Analysis Using High-Resolution Signal Data
Authors: Bassett David , Burbidge Shaunna K. , Azra Nuzhat , Lunt Camille
Published: February 2023

This project evaluates the most underutilized but potentially the most useful automated traffic signal performance measure (ATSPM) tool in decision-making for left-turn phasing at signalized intersections. Lack of data quality control or quality checks and a difficulty in using the currently presented measure on the website have been identified as shortcomings of the “left-turn gap analysis” measure. The purpose of this project is to develop an automated method of flagging intersection approaches in need of left-turn phasing changes based on availability of gaps in opposing through traffic. Through comparison with manually collected data, high-resolution data from selected approaches were validated. The validated sample data were then used to develop a gap analysis tool which, in conjunction with identified automated measures, can identify and flag left-turn locations requiring phasing changes (adjusting between permissive-only, protected-permissive, and protected-only). The tool is currently being migrated to the Utah Department of Transportation ATSPM website to be made available to engineers and consultants in the form of a password-protected online measure.
The Minimal Clinically Important Difference Changes Greatly Based on the Different Calculation Methods
Authors: Franceschini Marco , Boffa Angelo , Pignotti Elettra , Andriolo Luca , Zaffagnini Stefano , Filardo Giuseppe
Published: February 2023

Background:

The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) expresses both the extent of the improvement and the value that patients place on it. MCID use is becoming increasingly widespread to understand the clinical efficacy of a given treatment, define guidelines for clinical practice, and properly interpret trial results. However, there is still large heterogeneity in the different calculation methods.

Purpose:

To calculate and compare the MCID threshold values of a PROM by applying various methods and analyzing their effect on the study results interpretation.

Study Design:

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

The data set used to investigate the different MCID calculation approaches was based on a database of 312 patients affected by knee osteoarthritis and treated with intra-articular platelet-rich plasma. MCID values were calculated on the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score at 6 months using 2 approaches: 9 methodologies referred to an anchor-based approach and 8 methodologies to a distribution-based approach. The obtained threshold values were applied to the same series of patients to understand the effect of using different MCID methods in evaluating patient response to treatment.

Results:

The different methods employed led to MCID values ranging from 1.8 to 25.9 points. The anchor-based methods ranged from 6.3 to 25.9, while the distribution-based ones were from 1.8 to 13.8 points, showing a 4.1× variation of the MCID values within the anchor-based methods and a 7.6× variation within the distribution-based methods. The percentage of patients who reached the MCID for the IKDC subjective score changed based on the specific calculation method used. Among the anchor-based methods, this value varied from 24.0% to 66.0%, while among the distribution-based methods, the percentage of patients reaching the MCID varied from 44.6% to 75.9%.

Conclusion:

This study proved that different MCID calculation methods lead to highly heterogeneous values, which significantly affect the percentage of patients achieving the MCID in a given population. The wide-ranging thresholds obtained with the different methodologies make it difficult to evaluate the real effectiveness of a given treatment questioning the usefulness of MCID, as currently available, in the clinical research.
Prospective Randomized Trial of Biologic Augmentation With Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Cole Brian J. , Kaiser Joshua T. , Wagner Kyle R. , Sivasundaram Lakshmanan , Otte R. Stephen , Tauro Tracy M. , White Gregory M. , Ralls Michael L. , Yanke Adam B. , Forsythe Brian , Romeo Anthony A. , Verma Nikhil N.
Published: February 2023

Background:

Although initial studies have demonstrated that concentrated bone marrow aspirate (cBMA) injections promote rotator cuff repair (RCR) healing, there are no randomized prospective studies investigating clinical efficacy.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

To compare outcomes after arthroscopic RCR (aRCR) with and without cBMA augmentation. It was hypothesized that cBMA augmentation would result in statistically significant improvements in clinical outcomes and rotator cuff structural integrity.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

Patients indicated for aRCR of isolated 1- to 3-cm supraspinatus tendon tears were randomized to receive adjunctive cBMA injection or sham incision. Bone marrow was aspirated from the iliac crest, concentrated using a commercially available system, and injected at the aRCR site after repair. Patients were assessed preoperatively and serially until 2 years postoperatively via the following functional indices: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), Simple Shoulder Test, 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 1 year to assess rotator cuff structural integrity according to Sugaya classification. Treatment failure was defined as decreased 1- or 2-year ASES or SANE scores as compared with preoperative baseline, the need for revision RCR, or conversion to total shoulder arthroplasty.

Results:

An overall 91 patients were enrolled (control, n = 45; cBMA, n = 46): 82 (90%) completed 2-year clinical follow-up and 75 (82%) completed 1-year MRI. Functional indices significantly improved in both groups by 6 months and were sustained at 1 and 2 years (all P < .05). The control group showed significantly greater evidence of rotator cuff retear according to Sugaya classification on 1-year MRI (57% vs 18%; P < .001). Treatment failed for 7 patients in each group (control, 16%; cBMA, 15%).

Conclusion:

cBMA-augmented aRCR of isolated supraspinatus tendon tears may result in a structurally superior repair but largely fails to significantly improve treatment failure rates and patient-reported clinical outcomes when compared with aRCR alone. Additional study is warranted to investigate the long-term benefits of improved repair quality on clinical outcomes and repair failure rates.

Registration:

NCT02484950 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
Short- and Medium-Term Effects of Ageism on Loneliness Experienced During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Shiovitz-Ezra Sharon , Erlich Bracha , Ayalon Liat
Published: February 2023

Loneliness, common in old age, may be partially attributed to ageism. The present study explored the short- and medium-term effect of ageism on loneliness experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic using prospective data derived from the Israeli sample of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) ( N = 553). Ageism was measured before the COVID-19 outbreak and loneliness in the summer of 2020 and 2021 using a direct single question. We also tested for age differences in this association. In both the 2020 and 2021 models, ageism was related to increased loneliness. This association remained significant after adjusting for a host of demographic, health, and social variables. In the 2020 model, we also found that the positive association between ageism and loneliness was significant only in people aged 70+. We discussed the results with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, which drew attention to two global social phenomena: loneliness and ageism.
Fabrication and characterization of apigenin-loaded chitosan/gelatin membranes for bone tissue engineering applications
Authors: Bozorgi Azam , Khazaei Mozafar , Bozorgi Maryam , Jamalpoor Zahra
Published: February 2023

Fabricating degradable polymer-based membranes has attracted much attention for guided bone regeneration. Chitosan/gelatin (Cs/Gel) composites are among the most known scaffolds with structural similarity to bone matrix and a high potential to support cell attachment and proliferation. Recently, plant-derived phenolic compound apigenin has been identified to direct the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and retain osteoblast metabolic functions. We incorporated apigenin into Cs/Gel membranes to improve apigenin bioavailability and get proper concentrations for efficient biological activities. Apigenin-loaded Cs/Gel membranes were prepared using a solution casting method with various apigenin contents (0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 µM). Chemical composition, morphological characteristics, swelling behavior, degradation rate, and apigenin release from membranes were evaluated. Saos-2 osteoblasts were cultured on membranes to investigate cell-membrane interaction, proliferation, viability, and mineralization under the osteogenic culture condition. The results showed that membranes had homogeneous and moderate rough surfaces, facilitating osteoblast attachment and expansion. Swelling ratios exceeded 200%, reaching a stable rate in 24 h. Apigenin-loaded membranes degraded slower in vitro. Membranes containing lower apigenin concentrations exhibited a higher cargo release profile over 21 days. Apigenin improved osteoblast proliferation and viability, but the mineralization depended on apigenin dose, with optimized values at low concentrations. These data suggested that Cs/Gel membranes loaded with low apigenin contents improved osteoblast survival, proliferation, and mineralization.
Model and nonlinear dynamic characteristics analysis of screw-nut joint considering coupling effect of wear and vibration
Authors: Gu Jianguo , Yang Junyan , Shi Xiaolin , Zhang Shengdong , You Shihui , Wang Lei
Published: February 2023

Wear of rolling elements can produce a huge impact on the mechanical properties of screw-nut joint, and is one of primary causes resulting in the accuracy degradation or even failure of kinematic pairs. Many mechanical models have been constructed to investigate the vibration performance of rolling elements. But the wear influence is considered scarcely because of the complicacy of loading status and wear process. In this study, a novel wear prediction model can be proposed for screw-nut joint to overcome the above difficulty. An ultimate stiffness model can be constructed on basis of the wear model. The influences of running distance, external forces, preload, and structural parameters on wear performance are researched. A dynamic model of screw-nut joint with varying stiffness is constructed to carry out a detailed study on its vibration performance, particularly taking into account the coupling effect between wear and vibration. The influences of wear on the axial stiffness and vibration characteristics are studied based on the proposed model. Moreover, the change rules of axial stiffness and dynamic response under variable preloads are researched. The results indicate that the choice of parameters can produce an appreciable impact on the wear rate. The wear can result in the losses of stiffness and critical displacement of screw-nut joint. Although increasing the preload can improve the stiffness and the critical displacement, it also aggravates the wear degree. When the relative displacement between nut and screw is greater than the critical displacement, the balls with preload and axial force in opposite directions will be out of action, and the monotonic property of stiffness will also change. Due to the monotonicity of stiffness is not consistent before and after the critical displacement point, the amplitude-frequency curve presents a jumping phenomenon.
Semantic Prosody: How Neutral Words With Collocational Positivity/Negativity Color Evaluative Judgments
Authors: Hauser David J. , Schwarz Norbert
Published: February 2023

We like people and objects more when they are described in positive than in negative terms. But even seemingly neutral words can elicit positive or negative responses. This is the case for words that predominantly occur alongside positive (or negative) words in natural language. Despite lacking positivity/negativity when evaluated in isolation, such semantically prosodic words activate the evaluative associations of their usual company, which can color judgment in unrelated domains. For example, people are more likely to infer that “endocrination” (a fictional medical outcome) is negative when it is “caused” (a word with negative semantic prosody) rather than “produced” (a synonymous word without semantic prosody). We review what is known about the influence of semantically prosodic words and highlight their importance for judgment and decision making.
The PATHS to Purpose: A New Framework Toward Understanding Purpose Development
Authors: Hill Patrick L. , Pfund Gabrielle N. , Allemand Mathias
Published: February 2023

Academic and lay interest has accrued over recent years with respect to how people develop a purpose in life. However, few theoretical models exist for understanding this developmental process as well as how to connect one’s overarching purpose in life to their daily feelings of purposefulness. The current article presents the PATHS (Purpose As Trait, Habit, and State) model, borrowing from clinical and personality development literatures. This framework allows researchers to consider purpose as a more enduring life direction (trait level), as an automatized routine acting in accordance with one’s goals (habit level), and as a more momentary reflection or feeling that one is engaged in purposeful pursuits (state level). Using this framework provides researchers with a valuable tool toward explaining how people progress toward purpose, via natural development or intervention, as well as the potential influences in this process.
Working Through the Politics of Indigeneity: Decolonising Psychology by Way of a Dialectical Approach
Authors: Bharte Umesh L. , Mishra Arvind Kumar
Published: February 2023

Our particular concern here is with how decolonising psychology is interpreted (or misinterpreted) as well as its implications for making our discipline a truly liberating enterprise. We make three related arguments here: first, colonialism was a joint project between the colonisers and the colonised instead of being a one-way imposition of the worldviews of just the colonisers. Second, the constellation of the values of the colonised societies (before their colonisation) that facilitated the fruition of colonialism continues to be a part of the culture of these societies even after their freedom from colonial rule. Third, a version of indigenous psychology that is based on simplistic binaries such as Indigenous vs Western, Local vs Global, or Self vs Other is bound to fail in achieving the goal of substantive decolonisation. Moreover, there is a politics of indigeneity too as Edward Said in his classic Orientalism (1978) has argued that the concept of the orient itself was a construction of the West for an ideological purpose. Therefore, it is ultimately argued that the project of true or substantive decolonisation can be accomplished only by attaining a proper understanding of self and culture and this goal can be achieved by collaborating with others. Further, the culture of a society may be viewed as a set of disparate, often contradictory values which help to keep a check on the excesses of certain cultural tendencies by offering an internal critique of it. This way of looking at culture calls for viewing it as a dynamic process and necessitates a dialectical approach to examine the nature of the relationship between contradictory values of a culture. In this effort, the methodology of critical cultural psychoanalysis helps us to recognise the dialectical relation between the conscious and the unconscious/repressed aspect of the culture of the societies of the coloniser and the colonised and work through them to expand their consciousness by recovering/owning the repressed/disavowed aspect of their self. Finally, it is argued that like colonisation, substantive decolonisation will also involve a collaborative process between the colonisers and the colonised whereby they can recognise and own their selves in entirety.
A Deep Insight into the Correlation Between Gut Dysbiosis and Alzheimer’s Amyloidopathy
Authors: Kondaveeti Sreenivasulu Naidu , Thekkekkara Dithu , T Lakshmi Narayanan , Manjula S. N. , Tausif Y Mohammed , Babu Amrita , Meheronnisha SK
Published: February 2023

Recent research has shown a strong correlation between gut dysbiosis and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between gut dysbiosis, immune system activation, and the onset of AD and to examine current breakthroughs in microbiota-targeted AD therapeutics. A review of scientific literature was conducted to assess the correlation between gut dysbiosis and AD and the various factors associated. Gut dysbiosis produces an increase in harmful substances, such as bacterial amyloids, which makes the gut barrier and blood-brain barrier more permeable. This leads to the stimulation of immunological responses and an increase in cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β). As a result, gut dysbiosis accelerates the progression of AD.

The review highlights the connection between gut dysbiosis and AD and the potential for microbiota-targeted therapies in AD treatment.

Pictorial Abstract
Rituximab, a Safer Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comparison of the Reported Adverse Events of Approved Monoclonal Antibodies
Authors: Sharma Sweety , Basu Somnath , Goyal Ramesh K. , Sahoo Parbhat K. , Mathur Rajani
Published: February 2023

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have been linked to a variety of adverse events (AEs). The objective of the study was to compare the safety profiles of six FDA approved mAbs (sarilumab, tocilizumab, adalimumab, golimumab, infliximab, and rituximab) marketed for the treatment of RA. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct. The manuscript comprised a total of 23 clinical studies. The percentage of patients who had AEs was calculated and presented using box-whisker and forest plots. Infections and infestations were found to be the most common AEs in RA patients treated with mAbs. Raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and nasopharyngitis were frequently reported. The most common AEs were reported with adalimumab. The highest percentage of patients reporting AEs was associated with golimumab (52%), while rituximab had the fewest AEs (4.9%). In conclusion, rituximab appears to be a safer treatment option for RA as it is found to be associated with a lower risk of AEs, particularly respiratory infections.
Domestic violence as terrorism: Can control orders succeed where DV orders have failed?
Authors: Walker-Munro Brendan , Walker-Munro Catherine
Published: February 2023

Scholars have recently begun to explore the similarities between domestic violence and domestic terrorism. Both forms of offending rely on the use and threat of violence in conjunction with controlling behaviours to instil fear in their victims, and both forms of offending are predominantly committed by men. Yet despite these similarities, terrorism offences are treated as grave offences against the security of the nation-State, whilst domestic violence is not. The purpose of this paper therefore is to examine whether an amended control order framework – appropriately adapted to the unique criminological roots of domestic violence – might be a better mechanism for controlling these insidious crimes.
Benefits and Harms of Continuous Intravenous Inotropic Support as Palliative Therapy: A Single-Institution, Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Rao Anirudh , Maini Mansi , Anderson Kelley M , Crowell Nancy A , Gholami Sherry S , Foley LGSW Carroll , Violanti Diana , Singh Manavotam , Sheikh Farooq H , Najjar Samer S , Groninger Hunter
Published: February 2023

Use of continuous intravenous inotropic support (CIIS) strictly as palliative therapy for patients with ACC/AHA Stage D (end-stage) Heart Failure (HF) has increased significantly. The harms of CIIS therapy may detract from its benefits. To describe benefits (improvement in NYHA functional class) and harms (infection, hospitalization, days-spent-in-hospital) of CIIS as palliative therapy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with end-stage HF initiated on CIIS as palliative therapy at an urban, academic center in the United States between 2014-2016. Clinical outcomes were extracted, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Seventy-five patients, 72% male, 69% African American/Black, with a mean age 64.5 years ( SD = 14.5) met study criteria. Mean duration of CIIS was 6.5 months ( SD = 7.7). Most patients (69.3%) experienced improvement in NYHA functional class from class IV to class III. Sixty-seven patients (89.3%) were hospitalized during their time on CIIS, with a mean of 2.7 hospitalizations per patient ( SD = 3.3). One-third of patients (n = 25) required at least one intensive care unit (ICU) admission while on CIIS therapy. Eleven patients (14.7%) experienced catheter-related blood stream infection. Patients spent an average of 20.6% ( SD = 22.8), approximately 40 days, of their time on CIIS admitted to the study institution. Patients on CIIS as palliative therapy report improvement in functional class, survive 6.5 months following initiation, but spend a significant number of days in the hospital. Prospective studies quantifying the symptomatic benefit and the direct and indirect harms of CIIS as palliative therapy are warranted.
Family Social Capital and Life Satisfaction Among Working Women: Mediating Role of Work–Life Balance and Psychological Stress
Authors: Khurshid Shabana , Shahzadi Snober , Rashid Irfana , Amin Faseeh , Khan Mohammad Furqan
Published: February 2023

A few studies have examined the factors that contribute to women's life satisfaction in the workplace. Some researchers have taken a gendered approach to this problem, arguing that stress and work–life balance has an effect on women's life satisfaction. This paper makes an important effort to investigate the link between family social capital (FSC) and life satisfaction among working women through the mediating influences of stress and work–life balance. Non-probability sampling was used to contact working women in the Northern Indian Region. The regression analysis showed that all the research hypotheses are supported. This work has made significant implications for scholars and practitioners. Unlike previous studies, this work has measured FSC as a multi-dimensional construct (family support, family interactions, family cohesion, and lack of family conflict). The results obtained are reliable and valid. This work can help academicians and practitioners to get a unique insight into the domain of FSC and life satisfaction.
Being Resolute in Being a Voluntarily Childless Woman Living in Ireland: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study
Authors: O’Keeffe Deirdre , Glover Rita
Published: February 2023

Almost one-fifth of women living in Ireland remain childless. While this trend reflects changing views towards mothering and womanhood, inquiry to date has predominantly concerned itself with the “why” of choosing to be childless, leading to a dearth of research on the lived experience of this phenomenon. The aim of this research study was to address this imbalance and to explore the lived experience of women living in Ireland who choose to be childless. To do this, a hermeneutic phenomenological research approach was taken. The evocative lived experiences of 15 voluntarily childless women living in Ireland were borrowed. Data analysis identified the common yet divergent human experiences of being fearful, being decisive, being judged, and being free. The original findings of this study consider fear as a positive factor in influencing the decision-making process around procreation for the participants of this study. While voluntarily childless women are often portrayed as wishing to avoid responsibility, the participants in this study experienced a sense of moral responsibility as well as freedom and self-expansion in choosing to forego motherhood. Consideration is also given to how best to respond psychotherapeutically to women who choose to be childless.
Sleep Quality and Associated Factors Among Adult Cancer Patients on Treatments at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Oncology Unit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Abebe Eshetu , Giru Berhanu Wordofa , Boka Abdissa
Published: February 2023

Background

Patients with cancer frequently reported sleep problems during their treatments which can affect their sleep quality have an impact on patients’ quality of life (QOL).

Objective

to assess the prevalence of sleep quality and associated factors in adult cancer patients on treatment in the Oncology unit of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021

Methods

institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used and data was collected by using face-to-face structured interview questionnaires from March 1 to April 1, 2021. Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) consisted of 19 items, the social support scale (OSS-3) consisted of 3 items, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) consisted of 14 items were applied. Logistic regression including bivariate and multivariate analysis was done to examine the association between dependent and independent variables, and P< 0.05 was considered the level of significance for associations.

Results

A total of 264 sampled adult cancer patients on treatments were included in this study, with a response rate of 93.61%. About 26.5% of the participants’ age distribution was between 40 to 49 years, and 68.6% were female. 59.8% of the study participants were married. Concerning education, about 48.9% of participants attended primary and secondary school and 45% of participants were unemployed. Overall, 53.79% of individuals had poor sleep quality. Low income ((AOR=5.36 CI 95% (2.23, 12.90), fatigue (AOR=2.89 CI 95(1.32, 6.33), pain (AOR 3.82 C I95 % (1.84, 7.93), poor of social support (AOR =3.20 CI 95% (1.43, 6.74), anxiety (AOR=3.48 CI 95% (1.44, 8.38) and depression (AOR 2.87 CI 95 % (1.05-7.391) were all associated with poor sleep quality.

Conclusion

This study revealed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality, which was significantly associated with factors like low income, fatigue, pain, poor social support, anxiety, and depression among cancer patients on treatments.
Introduction to Sharon Dunwoody Memorial Issue
Authors: Priest Susanna , Kahlor Lee Ann , Griffin Robert J.
Published: February 2023

This introduction to our February 2023 issue is intended to provide context for the issue content, which presents multiple examples of the ongoing influence of the work of the late Sharon Dunwoody. Contemporary research articles, commentary pieces, and the introduction itself reflect Sharon’s deep influence on science communication and science communication researchers and their work.
Design and efficiency evaluation of a new wearable device for multi-degree suppression of hand pathological tremor
Authors: Yousef Mo’ath , Hafizh Muhammad , Sassi Sadok , Muthalif Asan G.A
Published: February 2023

Sufferers of onset upper limb tremors find difficulty performing daily tasks due to rapid involuntary movements. Traditional treatments being offered help alleviate symptoms but are costly and can be invasive. Wearable technology advancements have introduced the applications of tremor suppression devices. A low-cost wearable bracelet was developed for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremors to target rest and active tremors. Real-life measured tremor spectrums were used as input signals to design a dynamic vibration absorber. An innovative multiple-slot design allowed for multiple frequency suppression in the range of 3–8 Hz. A finite element analysis simulated the response of the upper limb with and without the bracelet. The results showed an overall suppression decreased tremors by up to 68% and targeted suppression decreased tremors by up to 98.2%.
Sleep Structure in Untreated Adults With ADHD: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Kato Takao , Ozone Motohiro , Kotorii Nozomu , Ohshima Hayato , Hyoudou Yuki , Mori Hiroyuki , Wasano Kenjirou , Hiejima Hiroshi , Habukawa Mitunari , Uchimura Naohisa
Published: February 2023

Objective:

Polysomnographic findings in neurodevelopmental disorders have been reported, but previous studies have had several limitations. The purpose of this study was to characterize sleep structure in untreated adults diagnosed with ADHD, excluding ADHD-related sleep disorders as determined by polysomnography and multiple sleep latency testing.

Methods:

This study included 55 patients aged 18 years or older who visited the Kurume University Hospital Sleep Clinic between April 2015 and March 2020. The diagnosis of ADHD was determined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (ADHD group, n = 28; non-ADHD, n = 27).

Results:

The ADHD group had significantly longer slow wave sleep (SWS) duration than the non-ADHD group (ADHD: 68.3 ± 31.0 minutes vs. non-ADHD: 43.4 ± 36.6 minutes; p = .0127).

Conclusions:

The increased SWS volume observed in drug-naïve adult patients with ADHD may be related to the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Appendix in Children and Adolescents: A Clinicopathologic Study
Authors: Simon Caroline T. , Ehrlich Peter , Hryhorczuk Anastasia , Rabah Raja , Sedig Laura , Stoll Tammy , Heider Amer
Published: February 2023

Background and Aims:

Pediatric neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the GI tract are rare and appendiceal NET are typically incidental. Few studies have been done in the pediatric population and practice guidelines are mainly based on adult data. There are currently no diagnostic studies specific for NET. Our study aimed to identify clinical, radiological, and pathological findings in pediatric appendiceal NET, test criteria for follow up surgical treatment, review potential prognostic pathological findings, and possible pre-operative diagnostic radiological studies.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective data search was conducted for well-differentiated NET of the appendix in patients ≤21 years between 1/1/2003 and 7/1/2022. Available clinical, radiologic, pathological, and follow-up information was recorded.

Results:

Thirty-seven patients with appendiceal NET were identified. No masses were reported in the patients who underwent presurgical imaging. Appendectomy samples showed NET (0.2–>4 cm), most located in the tip. Most cases were WHO G1 (34/37), with negative margins (n = 25). Sixteen cases extended to the subserosa/mesoappendix (pT3). Lymphovascular (6), perineural (2), and both lymphovascular and perineural invasion were also noted (2). The specified tumor stages were pT1 (10/37), pT3 (16/37), and pT4 (4/37). Patients who underwent laboratory testing for chromogranin A (20) and urine 5HIAA (11) had normal limits. Subsequent surgical resection was recommended in 13 cases and performed in 11. To date, all patients have no recurrent or additional metastatic disease.

Conclusions:

Our study showed that all pediatric well-differentiated appendiceal NET were incidentally found as part of acute appendicitis management. Most NET were localized with low-grade histology. Our small cohort support the previously suggested management guidelines with follow up resection in certain cases. Our radiologic review didn’t identify a best modality for NET. Comparing cases with and without metastatic disease, no tumors under 1 cm had metastasis, but serosal and perineural invasion along with G2 status were associated with metastasis in our limited study.
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty graft detachments in superior versus temporal approach
Authors: Coco Giulia , Romano Davide , Borgia Alfredo , Kaye Stephen B , Romano Vito
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the difference in Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) graft detachment rate comparing superior versus temporal main incision approach.

Methods

Retrospective comparative study on patients who underwent DMEK surgery for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy or bullous keratopathy with main wound incision performed at either 90° in the superior approach, or at 180°/0° in the temporal approach. All main incisions were secured with a single 10–0 nylon suture at the end of surgery. Data collected were donor age and gender, endothelial cell counts, graft diameter, recipient age and gender, indication for transplant, surgeon grade, re-bubbling rate, air fill in the anterior chamber (AC) at day one and intra- and early postoperative complications.

Results

187 eyes were included in the study. 99 eyes had DMEK surgery with superior approach, while 88 eyes had temporal approach. The two groups had no differences in donor age and sex, endothelial cell counts, graft diameter, recipient age and sex, indication for transplant, surgeon grade, and air fill in the anterior chamber at day one. Re-bubbling rate was 38.4% for surgeries performed with superior access and 29.5% for those with temporal access(p = 0.186). After exclusion of patients with intraoperative and/or postoperative complication, the difference in re-bubbling rate was higher, although non-significant (37.5% and 25% for superior and temporal approach respectively, p = 0.098).

Conclusion

The temporal approach in DMEK showed a trend towards a clinically significant lower rate of post-operative re-bubbling compared to the superior approach, however, no statistically significant difference was noted comparing the two approaches, which both remain feasible options in DMEK surgery.
Grammatical gender agreement in production: The case of heritage Russian
Authors: Vorobyeva Tamara , Bel Aurora , Voeikova Maria
Published: February 2023

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the knowledge of Russian gender in young heritage speakers through different agreement constructions.

Design/methodology/approach:

Participants were 30 Russian–Spanish–Catalan multilinguals from Spain aged 7–11 years, divided into two proficiency groups, and a baseline group of 24 age-matched Russian monolinguals residing in Russia. All participants completed four experiments using an oral elicited production task addressing different linguistic conditions.

Data and analysis:

The accuracy scores were compared between the two proficiency groups and between the heritage and monolingual speakers to document any changes as a function of the type of agreement construction, gender value, noun form transparency, and crosslinguistic congruency.

Findings/conclusions:

The results demonstrated a hierarchy of gender values; masculine being the easiest gender value, neuter the most difficult, and feminine in between the two. The crosslinguistic influence was yelled under vulnerable conditions: when (1) the proficiency in heritage language is low, (2) in opaque and (or) incongruent nouns, and (3) in agreement construction which is absent in Spanish and Catalan. The results also suggest that the heritage language from the high-proficiency group can attain monolingual-like gender agreement knowledge.

Originality:

We documented gender agreement production in trilingual speakers, which is an under-explored topic. The study employs a new method of analysing gender in several constructions, including adjectival and verbal agreement at Noun Phrase and sentence levels.

Significance/implications:

The study provides insights into heritage language development during the early years of exposure to the two majority languages. The results may offer a greater understanding of the characteristics of heritage language/L2 development in trilingual children.
Bilingual lips: Motor activation for second language word processing
Authors: Barragan Beatriz , Alvarado Elizabeth , Cordon Sandy , Samols Jacqueline , Zandona Michael
Published: February 2023

Aims and objectives:

Current research suggests that motor articulatory representations are relevant for optimal speech processing under difficult circumstances. The challenging situation of a second language (L2) listener mimics this sub-optimal condition; therefore, activation of motor brain regions to support L2 processing is expected. This study aimed to investigate if the motor system associated with speech articulators exerts an influence on processing bilingual acoustic inputs.

Methodology:

Thirty proficient bilinguals performed twice on a word-to-picture matching task: (1) while producing constant contraction of the orbicularis oris (OO) muscle interfering with the articulator’s movement and (2) while producing constant contraction of the first dorsal interosseus (index finger) muscle.

Data and analysis:

Accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were collected from the bilingual task during the experimental and control conditions. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to assess if constant contraction of articulators yielded a significant effect on word recognition in L1 and L2.

Findings:

Word recognition was significantly slower in L2 compared with the native language (L1) during articulator contraction. Task accuracy in L1 was marginally better during the finger muscle contraction compared with OO muscle contraction, and no difference in accuracy was found in L2. An interesting distinct speed-accuracy trade-off strategy for L1 and L2 was observed. The findings support the hypothesis of a motor system facilitatory effect on processing acoustic inputs in bilinguals.

Originality:

The role of motor components in language processing has been studied in challenging linguistic environments, but little has been done to identify its role in L2 processing. This study used an innovative behavioral strategy to interfere with articulatory muscles during word recognition.

Significance:

Our results provide evidence of motor system processing support to L2 word recognition. In addition, a bilingual tendency to sacrifice speed for accuracy in L2 compared with L1 is suggested.
Situated drinking: The association between eating and alcohol consumption in Great Britain
Authors: Warde Alan , Sasso Alessandro , Holmes John , Hernández Alava Monica , Stevely Abigail K. , Meier Petra S.
Published: February 2023

Aims: This paper examines the co-occurrence of drinking alcohol and eating in Great Britain. Applying a practice-theoretical framework, it attends primarily to the nature and characteristics of events – to social situations. It asks whether drinking events involving food are significantly different from those without, whether differences are the same at home as on commercial public premises, and whether differences are the same for men and women. The focus is especially on episodes of drinking with meals at home, an infrequently explored context for a substantial proportion of contemporary alcohol consumption. Data: Employing a secondary analysis of commercial data about the British population in 2016, we examine reports of 47,645 drinking events, on commercial premises and at other locations, to explore how eating food and consumption of alcoholic beverages affect one another. Three types of event are compared – drinking with meals, with snacks, and without any food. Variables describing situations include group size and composition, temporal and spatial parameters, beverages, purposes, and simultaneous activities. Basic sociodemographic characteristics of respondents are also examined, with a special focus on the effects of gender. Results: Behaviours differ between settings. The presence of food at a drinking episode is associated with different patterns of participation, orientations, and quantities and types of beverage consumed. Gender, age, and class differences are apparent. Conclusions: Patterns of alcohol consumption are significantly affected by the accompaniment of food. This is a much-neglected topic that would benefit from further comparative and time series studies to determine the consequences for behaviour and intervention.
Wound pH and Surface Temperature as a Predictive Biomarker of Healing in Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Authors: Prasad Mahindrakar Bhavani , Goswami Aakansha Giri , Huda Farhanul , Naithani Manisha , Basu Somprakas
Published: February 2023

Aim

To monitor wound pH and surface temperature as predictors of wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU).

Methods

Prospective, observational, time-bound study of 18 months, enrolling patients aged 18 to 60 years with uninfected DFU. The wound was assessed at baseline and after that, every week for 4 weeks according to the leg ulcer measurement tool (LUMT). Concurrently, wound surface pH and temperature were measured. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and a P-value < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Fifty-four patients with DFU were included in the study with a mean age of 55 years and a male to female ratio of 1.57. The wound showed progressive improvement, a maximum mean LUMT score of 48.89 (± 2.81) at the initial evaluation and decreased progressively to the mean of 19.80 at week 4 (± 3.43), both of which were statistically significant ( P-value < .001). Similarly, the median wound pH progressively reduced from 7.7 at baseline to 7.20 in the fourth week, and median wound temperature decreased from 90°F (32.22 °C) at baseline to 85°F (29.44 °C) in the fourth week, both of which were statistically significant ( P-value < .001).

Conclusion

Progressive and significant change in wound pH to acidic and drop in wound surface temperature, both corresponding to improvement in the status of DFU, maximum at 4 weeks, make them valuable predictors of wound healing. However, further, more extensive studies are required to establish a concrete relationship.
Effects of inter-yarn friction on responses of woven fabrics with different weaves to a low-velocity impact
Authors: Huang Canyi , Cui Lina , Qiu Yiping , Zhang Chuyang
Published: February 2023

Many researchers have reported that inter-yarn friction has an important effect on the response of the plain-weave fabric to an impact. However, the effects of inter-yarn friction on impact responses of woven fabrics with other weaves have not been studied in detail. In the present work, numerical analysis was utilized to study the effects of inter-yarn friction on responses of woven fabrics with different weaves (the plain weave, 2/2 twill, 2/2 basket, and 3/1 twill) to a low-velocity impact. Both inter-yarn friction and the weaves of the woven fabrics greatly influenced the responses of the fabrics to a low-velocity impact. The higher the inter-yarn friction, the higher the levels of the tensile stresses concentrated near the centers of impact of the woven fabrics, and the earlier the failures of the fabrics. In addition, the greater the inter-yarn friction, the higher the velocities of the transverse stress waves in the woven fabrics, and the more effective the distributions of impact energy from the primary yarns of the fabrics to the secondary yarns of the fabrics. Although it had the lowest velocity of the transverse stress wave, due to its firmly interlaced yarns, the plain-weave fabric had the highest total energy absorption capacity among the woven fabrics with the different weaves. On the other hand, due to its loosely interlaced yarns, the 3/1 twill fabric had the lowest total energy absorption capacity among the woven fabrics.