bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge About Food Insecurity Among Dental Practitioners: Preliminary Findings From the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network
Authors: Mungia Rahma , Testa Alexander , Hernandez Daphne C. , Cunha-Cruz Joana , Garcia Kayla M. , Gilbert Gregg H. ,   National Dental PBRN Collaborative Group
Published: October 2024

Food insecurity is a household-level economic and social condition characterized by limited access to nutritious food. This study explored dental practitioners’ views on food insecurity screening and its impact on oral health. A five-question survey (“Quick Poll”) was conducted through the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) in the United States. A total of 332 dental practitioners responded. Preferences for food insecurity screening in dental practice settings showed substantial variability: 30% in favor, 39% neutral, and 29% against. When identifying the primary oral health issue influenced by food insecurity, 68% pinpointed dental caries. Over half (53%) expressed comfort in directing patients experiencing food insecurity to relevant resources. Notably, 61% of respondents expressed interest in being involved in future food insecurity clinical studies. This preliminary study underscores the relevance of food insecurity in the professional dental setting and suggests that the clinical setting may be well suited for educational programs designed to improve the oral health of patients experiencing food insecurity. Future research may achieve this goal, including a PBRN clinical study of interventions to improve oral health among patients experiencing food insecurity.
Temperature Distribution on Classical Two Needles IRE Setup Versus a Single Needle Prototype
Authors: Jouni Ali , Baragona Marco , Pedersoli Federico , Ritter Andreas
Published: October 2024

Objectives

Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal minimally invasive cancer therapy used in the treatment of liver tumors. However, the therapy entails an electrical current flux which can be high enough to cause a noticeable temperature increase. Therefore, the analysis of the heat distribution is important: during any IRE treatment, the target area is intended to be treated with non-thermal effects, where existing thermal effects should not damage nearby sensitive structures. This article aims to compare the established two parallel needles electrode setup, used by FDA-approved electroporation delivering devices, to a single needle, multiple electrode prototype design.

Methods

Levels and distributions of the temperature at different distances from the applicators during an IRE liver treatment were investigated. The prototype results were collated with already published in-vivo data. All electrode configurations were analyzed numerically in COMSOL Multiphysics for different pulse protocols.

Results

The extension of coagulation necrosis predicted by the model matched available in-vivo data. While the maximum average temperature during pulsation was higher for the prototype (74 °C) than for the two-needle IRE setup (57 °C), the thickness of the coagulation necrosis around the conductive electrodes was in the same range for both configurations. However, the location differed completely: the necrosis engendered by the prototype was located inside the tumor, while the two-needle IRE setup created necrosis outside the tumor, potentially closer to sensitive structures.

Conclusion

The results highlighted the importance of heat distribution analysis for the design of new IRE needles as well as for IRE treatment planning. Proper analysis ensures that the non-thermal effects are maximized while minimizing any potential thermal damage to surrounding sensitive structures.
The Efficacy of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Lihong , Hao Shujie , Tu Dongying , Gu Xiaolian , Chai Chunyan , Ding Huan , Gu Bin , Yang Xuefang
Published: October 2024

Objective:

To systematically review and analyze the effects of Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) on physical, psychological, and daily life outcomes in patients with breast cancer.

Methods:

Relevant studies were retrieved from Wanfang, CBM, CNKI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase and PubMed from inception to December 2023. Two independent authors conducted the literature search and data extraction. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the included studies for methodological quality, and the data analysis was performed using Stata (Version 15.0).

Results:

Among 700 records, 11 randomized controlled trials were identified in this study. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant effects of ICBT on depression (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.70 to −0.06, P = .019) and insomnia severity (SMD = −0.71, 95% CI: −1.24 to −0.19, P = .008). However, there were no statistically significant effects on anxiety, fatigue, sleep quality and quality of life.

Conclusions:

ICBT appears to be effective for improving depression and reducing insomnia severity in patients with breast cancer, but the effects on anxiety, fatigue, sleep quality and quality of life are non-significant. This low-cost treatment needs to be further investigated. More randomized controlled trials with a larger sample size, strict study design and multiple follow-ups are required to determine the effects of ICBT on patients with breast cancer.
Ruptured Complex Aortoiliac Aneurysm in an Elderly Patient With a Kidney Transplant Presenting With Sciatica
Authors: Kostiuk Valentyna , Rodriguez Paula Pinto , Aboian Edouard , Kuwayama David P. , Guzman Raul J. , Ochoa Chaar Cassius Iyad
Published: October 2024

Background: Common iliac artery aneurysms are uncommon, with an estimated incidence of less than 0.01% in adults and accounting for only 1% of all intra-abdominal aneurysms. While the risk of rupture is approximately 5%, it increases significantly to 29% once the aneurysm reaches 4 cm. Similarly to abdominal aortic aneurysms, common iliac artery aneurysms often develop silently, remaining asymptomatic in about 70% of cases. This report describes the treatment of a patient with a kidney transplant who underwent endovascular repair of a ruptured left common iliac artery aneurysm with a concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm and a focal aneurysm of the right renal artery origin. Case Description: A 78-year-old male patient with a kidney transplant presented with left sciatica symptoms and was found to have a contained rupture of a 10 x 7 cm left common iliac artery aneurysm with a concomitant 8 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm and a focal 1.8 cm aneurysm of the right renal artery origin. He underwent an endovascular aneurysm repair with an Aorto-Uni-iliac stent graft and a concomitant right-to-left femoral-femoral bypass using 8 mm ringed PTFE graft and ligation of left external iliac artery to prevent retrograde flow into the left common iliac artery aneurysm. At 3-year follow-up, patient remains stable with a functioning kidney transplant and excluded aneurysms with no evidence of endoleak. Conclusion: This report describes the endovascular repair of a ruptured left common iliac artery aneurysm conducted under local anesthesia in a patient with a renal transplant and complex aneurysm anatomy. The calcification pattern observed on a non-contrast CT scan was effectively used for surgical planning, leading to a successful aneurysm repair while preserving kidney transplant function.
Congress Review: Hazardous Heritage: Working With and Around Dangerous Materials in Cultural Heritage, 23 to 24.10.2023, Antwerp, Belgium
Authors: Ruuska-Jauhijärvi Katariina , Vihakara Marleena , Blancquaert Doris
Published: October 2024

This conference review offers an overview of the two-day event titled “Hazardous Heritage: Working With and Around Dangerous Materials in Cultural Heritage,” which took place in Antwerp in October 2023. The report outlines the format and objectives of the conference, providing insight into the various sessions, presentations, and discussions that occurred. It highlights the keynote speeches delivered by experts in the field and covers the two field trips that took place.
Exploitation of long-range acoustic dependence for early change detection in dynamic machine running status
Authors: Liang Hanyou , Li Ke , Geng Jiayuan , Lu Guoliang
Published: October 2024

This paper suggests that the long-range dependence (LRD) in acoustic signal is an important indicator of dynamic behavior in data. Considering this information, a novel framework based on LRD in acoustic is proposed for detecting change-points in machine running status. Initially, the LRD phenomenon in acoustic is demonstrated. Subsequently, a change-point detection framework is developed, leveraging LRD to monitor machine running states. The framework includes two phases: (1) characteristic data prediction: the LRD value is predicted by the fractional autoregressive integrated moving average (FARIMA) model, which is applied to reflect changes in machine operation states. (2) date change detection: based on residual analysis, a null hypothesis testing based automatic analysis method for acoustic signals during machine successive operations is used to make decision. Experiments in real-world applications demonstrated the good potential of the proposed framework in practical engineering scenarios.
When is a causal illusion an illusion? Separating discriminability and bias in human contingency judgements
Authors: Gomes-Ng Stephanie , Cowie Sarah , Elliffe Douglas
Published: October 2024

Humans often behave as if unrelated events are causally related. As the name suggests, such causal illusions imply failures to detect the absence of a causal relation. Taking a signal detection approach, we asked whether causal illusions indeed reflect failures of discriminability, or whether they reflect a general bias to behave as if events are causally related. Participants responded in a discrete trial procedure in which point gains, point losses, or no change in points occurred dependently on or independently of responding. Participants reported whether each event was response-dependent or response-independent by choosing between two stimuli, one corresponding to reporting “I did it” and the other to “I didn’t do it.” Overall, participants responded accurately in about 80% of trials and were biased to report that events depended on responding. This bias was strongest after point gains and for higher-performing participants. Such differences in event-specific biases were not related to response rates; instead, they appear to reflect more fundamental differences in the effects of appetitive and aversive events. These findings demonstrate that people can judge causality relatively well, but are biased to attribute events to their own behaviour, particularly when those events are desirable. This highlights discriminability and bias as separable aspects of causal learning, and suggests that some causal illusions may not really be “illusions” at all—they may simply reflect a bias to report causal relations.
Cross-linguistic effects of the speech-to-song illusion in speakers of Bangla and English
Authors: Akter Rakhi , MacIntyre Alexis Deighton
Published: October 2024

The speech-to-song illusion is a phenomenon in which the continuous repetition of a spoken utterance induces the listeners to perceive it as more song-like. Thus far, this perceptual transformation has been observed in mostly European languages, such as English; however, it is unclear whether the illusion is experienced by speakers of Bangla (Bengali), an Indo-Aryan language. The current study, therefore, investigates the illusion in 28 Bangla and 31 English-speaking participants. The experiment consisted of a listening task in which participants were asked to rate their perception of repeating short speech stimuli on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 =  sounds like speech and 5 =  sounds like song. The stimuli were composed of English and Bangla utterances produced by two bilingual speakers. To account for possible group differences in music engagement, participants self-reported musical experience and also performed a rhythm discrimination task as an objective measure of non-verbal auditory sequence processing. Stimulus ratings were analysed with cumulative link mixed modelling. Overall, English- and Bangla-speaking participants rated the stimuli similarly and, in both groups, better performance in the rhythm discrimination task significantly predicted more song-like ratings beyond self-reported musical experience. English speakers rated Bangla stimuli as significantly more song-like than English stimuli. Bangla speakers did not distinguish between English and Bangla stimuli—possibly reflecting their enhanced understanding of English, in comparison to the English participants’ comprehension of Bangla. An exploratory acoustic analysis revealed the role of harmonic ratio in the illusion for both language groups. These results demonstrate that the speech-to-song-illusion occurs for Bangla speakers to a similar extent as English speakers and that, across both groups, sensitivity to non-verbal auditory structure is positively correlated with susceptibility to this perceptual transformation.
Same same but different: The graded influence of vowel quality and prosodic prominence on letter detection
Authors: Hasenäcker Jana , Domahs Frank
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the impact of phonetic realisation and prosodic prominence on visual letter identification, focusing on the letter  in German bisyllabic words. Building upon previous research, a computerised letter search task was conducted with 78 skilled adult readers. Words featuring different phonetic realisations of  (/eː, ɛ, e, l̩, n̩, ɐ/) in stressed and unstressed first and second syllables were systematically included. Analyses of error rates and response times revealed a graded pattern in the detection of , with the closed long (/eː/) and closed short (/e/) realisations being easiest to detect, open (/ɛ/) and near-open central (/ɐ/) vowels becoming incrementally harder, and silent vowels in syllabic consonants (/n̩/) being the most challenging. Results divided by position and stress of the syllable containing the target letter further indicated influences of prosodic prominence. The findings contribute to understanding the intricate interplay of grapheme–phoneme correspondences and prosodic structure in skilled readers’ visual letter recognition.
Is the precedence of social re-orienting only inherent to the initiators?
Authors: Tian Yanying , Hai Min , Wang Yongchun , Yan Minmin , Zhang Tingkang , Zhao Jingjing , Wang Yonghui
Published: October 2024

Previous researches have revealed that initiators preferentially re-orient their attention towards responders with whom they have established joint attention (JA). However, it remains unclear whether this precedence of social re-orienting is inherent to initiators or applies equally to responders, and whether this social re-orienting is modulated by the social contexts in which JA is achieved. To address these issues, the present study adopted a modified virtual-reality paradigm to manipulate social roles (initiator vs. responder), social behaviours (JA vs. Non-JA), and social contexts (intentional vs. incidental). Results indicated that people, whether as initiators or responders, exhibited a similar prioritisation pattern of social re-orienting, and this was independent of the social contexts in which JA was achieved, revealing that the prioritisation of social re-orienting is an inherent social attentional mechanism in humans. It should be noted, however, that the distinct social cognitive systems engaged when individuals switched roles between initiator and responder were only driven during intentional (Experiment 1) rather than incidental (Experiment 2) JA. These findings provide potential insights for understanding the shared attention system and the integrated framework of attentional and mentalising processes.
Reasoning in social versus non-social domains and its relation to autistic traits
Authors: Bastan Elif , McGuinness Roberta , Beck Sarah R , Surtees Andrew DR
Published: October 2024

Enhanced rationality has been linked to higher levels of autistic traits, characterised by increased deliberation and decreased intuition, alongside reduced susceptibility to common reasoning biases. However, it is unclear whether this is domain-specific or domain-general. We aimed to explore whether reasoning tendencies differ across social and non-social domains in relation to autistic traits. We conducted two experiments ( N1 = 72, N2 = 217) using a reasoning task with social and non-social scenario comparisons to evaluate the specific information participants used when making judgments about children, in the social domain, and objects, in the non-social domain. We consistently found a greater reliance on behaviour-based information in the non-social domain, compared to the social domain, indicating a more deliberative approach. In Experiment 1, we found a correlation between autistic traits and the proportion of behaviour-based information, suggesting a more deliberative approach, when making judgments about children, and not about objects. In Experiment 2, with a larger sample, shortened version of the reasoning task, and requests for written justification, we did not identify a significant correlation between these variables. With this study, we introduce a novel scenario-based reasoning task that systematically compares the social and non-social domains. Our findings highlight the complex nature of the relationship between reasoning style and autistic traits.
The commendable antisemite? Vienna’s mnemonic struggle with Karl Lueger
Authors: Tschiggerl Martin
Published: October 2024

For more than 10 years, a mnemonic conflict has raged in the Austrian capital of Vienna over a monument of the former mayor Karl Lueger. While activists demand the removal of the monument and the renaming of the square, the city of Vienna and numerous public intellectuals as well as renowned historians insist on a pure “contextualization” of the monument: It should remain standing, but also address Lueger’s antisemitism. The specific conflict can be understood as an example of an international debate on how to deal with problematic monuments and how institutions and state actors react to progressive grassroots movements. Especially the controversial slogan of “cancel culture” is repeatedly used within the debate as a reason not to remove the monument, as this would “erase” history. This article presents an analysis of this controversy and attempts to provide answers as to how the field of memory studies can position itself within it.
Fluctuations in Prejudice Do Not Track Fluctuations in Ordinary Contact in Three 5-Wave “Shortitudinal” Studies Examining Daily, Weekly, or Monthly Intervals
Authors: Shulman Deborah , Meleady Rose , Hodson Gordon , Crisp Richard J.
Published: October 2024

Intergroup contact is regarded as one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice. However, recent longitudinal studies using contemporary statistical techniques (e.g., random intercept cross-lagged panel models [RI-CLPMs]) have failed to find evidence of within-person changes in prejudice following contact fluctuations. We propose that past time-lags may have been too long to capture change and conducted three studies with shorter time-lags of single days, weeks, or months. We also considered effects of positive versus negative contact frequency. We consistently found that people who are less prejudiced have more contact (i.e., between-person effects); however, fluctuations in naturally occurring contact were not followed by corresponding within-person changes in prejudice, suggesting shorter-term contact fluctuations are detached from prejudice. With abundant support for contact in the field, we argue that prejudice may be impacted by major contact events, or through gradually acquired cumulative experiences, but effects are not apparent when examining “thin-slices” of time.
‘What would they think of us?’ The impact of the China threat narrative in Australian media on PRC migrants and social cohesion
Authors: Sun Wanning
Published: October 2024

This paper engages closely with the perspectives of a particular cohort of Chinese-Australians: first-generation Mandarin-speaking migrants in Australia from the PRC. It aims to examine their responses and reactions to mainstream English-language news stories about their community and about the PRC. Drawing on data from a large quantitative survey, 20 in-depth interviews, and three group discussions, the paper explores three dimensions: how members of this cohort see themselves portrayed in the media; how they see the PRC being portrayed in the media; and what impact they believe such portrayals have on the Australian general public. The discussion aims to update the prevailing analytical framework of hostile media perception, as well as to shed light on the challenges facing the social cohesion agenda in multicultural societies that are a consequence of rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics.
Exploring Facilitators and Barriers to STD/STI/HIV Self-Testing Among College Students in the United States: A Scoping Review
Authors: Reeves Jaquetta M. , Zigah Edem Yaw , Shamrock Osman W. , Khan Dhanyal , Batten Janene , Abu-Ba’are Gamji Rabiu , Nelson LaRon E. , Djiadeu Pascal
Published: October 2024

Background:

HIV affects 1.2 million Americans, with 20% of new diagnoses being 13 to 24-year-olds. Young adult college students are more likely than the general population of 18 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. to engage in sexual practices that increase their risk of STIs.

Objectives:

This scoping review explores factors that promote or hinder STD/STI/HIV self-testing among U.S. college students.

Search Methods:

A scoping review of original, experimental (randomized or nonrandomized), observational (longitudinal and cross-sectional), and qualitative or mixed-methods U.S. research was conducted using OVID Medline, OVID Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane CENTRAL. English-language studies measured STD/STI/HIV self-test kits and college student testing.

Selection Criteria:

Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to narrow down articles that addressed barriers and facilitators to STD/STI/HIV testing, and self-testing among college students in the U.S.

Results:

Database searches yielded 8,373 articles. After removing duplicates, 6173 items remained. After independent dual-title/abstract screening, 100 papers were full-text reviewed. Seven retrieved articles were unavailable, and 93 were selected for full-text screening. After reviewing the whole text, 89 papers did not fulfill the inclusion requirements and were deleted, leaving 4 articles in the final analysis.

Conclusion:

Additional research on self-testing among college students in the U.S. is urgently required. The results should guide university health policies on the need to cater to the unique requirements of college students by increasing the availability of healthcare and embracing STD/STI/HIV self-testing. This can enhance testing rates, diminish stigmas, and ultimately contribute to wider endeavors to reduce the transmission of infections in the U.S.
Dependent Adult Abuse Trends in Iowa, 1984 to 2023
Authors: Daly Jeanette M. , Ely John W. , Jogerst Gerald J.
Published: October 2024

Introduction:

Little is known about trends in the incidence of dependent adult abuse (DAA).

Objectives:

To determine the annual incidence of DAA in Iowa from 1984 to 2023. Trends in abuse rates were evaluated for their associations with calendar year, number of caseworkers and abuse laws, political party, and unemployment.

Methods:

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services DAA reports, investigations, and substantiations were analyzed. Report data were available for 10 years. Investigation and substantiation data were available for 40 years. Long-term trends over time were described and associations between abuse rates and number of caseworkers and abuse laws, political party, and unemployment were explored.

Results:

Both investigations and substantiations increased from 50 to 182 per 100 000 adults and 17 to 38 per 100 000 adults between 1984 and 2023, respectively. Increasing calendar year and Democratic party majority in the Iowa legislature were positively and independently associated with investigated and substantiated abuse rates. An inverse correlation between the proportion of reports that were investigated and the proportion of investigations that were substantiated (Spearman’s rho = −.81; P < .01) was found.

Conclusions:

During the 40-year study period, investigated and substantiated cases of DAA in Iowa have been steadily increasing.
Unsupervised Clustering of Adult Spinal Deformity Patterns Predicts Surgical and Patient-Reported Outcomes
Authors: Lafage Renaud , Song Junho , Elysee Jonathan , Fourman Mitchell S. , Smith Justin S. , Ames Christopher , Bess Shay , Daniels Alan H. , Gupta Munish , Hostin Richard , Kim Han Jo , Klineberg Eric , Mundis Gregory , Diebo Bassel G. , Shaffrey Christopher , Schwab Frank , Lafage Virginie , Burton Douglas ,   on behalf of International Spine Study Group
Published: October 2024

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives

To evaluate whether different radiographic clusters of adult spinal deformity identified using artificial intelligence-based clustering are associated with distinct surgical outcomes.

Methods

Patients were classified based on the results of a previously conducted analysis that examined clusters of deformity, including Moderate Sagittal (Mod Sag), Severe Sagittal (Sev Sag), Coronal, and Hyper-Thoracic Kyphosis (Hyper-TK). The surgical data, HRQOL, and complication outcomes of these clusters were then compared.

Results

The final analysis included 1062 patients. Similar to published results on a different patient sample, Mod Sag and Sev Sag patients were older, more likely to have a history of previous spine surgery, and more disabled. By 2-year, all clusters improved in HRQOL and reached a similar rate of minimal clinically important difference (MCID). The Sev Sag cluster had the highest rate major complications (53% vs 34-40%), and complications leading to reoperation (29% vs 17-23%), implant failures (20% vs 8-11%), and operative complications (27% vs 10-17%). Coronal patients had the highest rate of pulmonary complications (9% vs 3-6%) but the lowest rate of X-ray imbalance (10% vs 19-21%). No significant differences were found in neurological complications, infection rate, gastrointestinal, or cardiac events (all P > .1). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated a lower time to first complications for the Sev Sag cluster.

Conclusions

All clusters of adult spinal deformity benefit similarly from surgery as they all achieved similar rates of MCID. Although the rates of complications varied among the clusters, the types of complications were not significantly different.
‘They don’t even teach you how to make money!’ What insights can marginalised young people provide into developing inclusive education policy?
Authors: Barker Rhiannon , Bonell Chris , Melendez-Torres GJ
Published: October 2024

Using data from a qualitative study exploring the intersections of school exclusion, mental health, and involvement in criminal behaviour, we explore young people’s experience of schools to inform consideration of how schools might be modified to help improve mental health and engagement, and take a more proactive role in safeguarding young people from contextual risks. We draw on sociological theories considering how inequity and disadvantage may be reproduced. Poor experiences of school create disengagement, perpetuate deep structural inequalities, and can act as a motivating force to gain status and money through the illicit economy. Broadening the focus in schools, away from the narrow pursuit of academia, to include more group-based and project-based learning; placing greater priority on life skills and vocational training; and focussing more on developing a sense of belonging through sports and arts may benefit all students, particularly those most at risk of exclusion. If the education system is to build stronger engagement with the most marginalised students, it must actively support them to achieve their priority to find (legitimate) means of earning money.
Impact of molecular architecture and draw ratio on enhancement of targeted mechanical properties of machine direction oriented polyethylene films produced after blown film extrusion
Authors: Guleria Dixit , Edeleva Mariya , Vervoort Sylvie , Ge Shouren , den Doelder Jaap , Cardon Ludwig
Published: October 2024

Conventional multi-material multi-layer flexible packaging offers excellent properties. However, it has recycling challenges, necessitating a shift to mono-material multi-layer flexible packaging for example all-polyethylene (PE) packaging which can be tailored through various synthesis and processing methods for different layers. In this work, we study how the key molecular properties (number-average molecular weight ( Mn), weight-average molecular weight ( M w), molecular weight distribution (MWD), comonomer content (short chain branching)) and machine direction orientation (MDO) process draw ratio (MDX) influence the final morphology and mechanical properties of MDO-PE films which are intended as the outer layer of mono-material all-polyethylene multi-layer flexible packaging. Five PE grades and various blends were extruded and blown into films. Selected blown films were machine direction oriented to obtain the final MDO-PE films. Furthermore, one selected PE blown film was processed at different MDO process draw ratios while keeping other process parameters constant. From the molecular properties point of view, the higher molecular weight fractions provide a higher possibility for uniform stretching whereas lower molecular weight fractions provide a higher natural draw ratio and therefore higher modulus and stiffness enhancement. Further, the results show that increasing MDO process draw ratio leads to more fibrillation and increased crystallinity. Consequently, the tensile modulus and stiffness at the higher draw ratios increase as well and are comparable to conventionally used polymers in outer layers of multilayer flexible packaging. Thus, this work demonstrates that MDO-PE films with enhanced modulus can provide sufficient stiffness for the design of outer layer of mono-material multi-layer all-PE packaging which presents higher potential for mechanical recyclability.
Changes in the prevalence of intellectual disability among 10-year-old children in Sweden during 2011 through 2021: a total population study
Authors: Morinaga Maki , Ahlqvist Viktor H. , Lundberg Michael , Hollander Anna-Clara , Rai Dheeraj , Magnusson Cecilia
Published: October 2024

Background

Recent studies have suggested an increasing prevalence of intellectual disability diagnoses in some countries. Our aim was to describe the trend in the prevalence of intellectual disability diagnoses in Sweden and explore whether associated sociodemographic and perinatal factors can explain changes in the prevalence.

Methods

We used a register-based nationwide cohort of residents in Sweden born between 2001 and 2011. We calculated the prevalence of intellectual disability diagnoses by age 10 for each birth cohort and the prevalence ratios in relation to the baseline year 2011, overall and by severity of intellectual disability, and comorbidity of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The prevalence ratios were stratified and adjusted for associated sociodemographic and perinatal factors.

Results

Among 1,096,800 individuals, 8,577 were diagnosed with intellectual disability by age 10. Among these, 3,949 (46%) and 2,768 (32%) were also diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, respectively, and 4% were diagnosed with profound, 8% severe, 20% moderate, 52% mild, and 16% other/unspecific intellectual disability. The recorded age-10 prevalence of intellectual disability diagnoses increased from 0.64% (95% confidence interval 0.59–0.69%) in 2011 to 1.00% (0.94–1.06%) in 2021, corresponding to an annual prevalence ratio of 1.04 (1.04–1.05). The increase was, however, restricted to mild, moderate, and other/unspecific intellectual disability diagnoses, while the trends for profound and severe intellectual disability diagnoses were stable. The increasing trend was perhaps less pronounced among females and children with diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but independent of the co-occurrence of autism. The prevalence ratios did not change with stratification or adjustment for other associated demographic and perinatal factors.

Conclusion

The recorded prevalence of diagnosed mild and moderate intellectual disability among 10-year-olds in Sweden has increased over the recent decade. This increase could not be explained by changes in associated sociodemographic or perinatal factors, including birth weight, gestational age, and parental age, migration status, and education at the child’s birth. The increase instead may be due to changes in diagnostic practices in Sweden over time.
Psychosocial work environment in Swedish primary healthcare: a cross-sectional survey of physicians’ job satisfaction, turnover intention, social support, leadership climate and change fatigue
Authors: Fernemark Hanna , Karlsson Nadine , Skagerström Janna , Seing Ida , Karlsson Elin , Brulin Emma , Nilsen Per
Published: October 2024

Background

Primary healthcare, the first line of care in many countries, treats patients with diverse health problems. High workload, time pressure, poor job control and negative interpersonal experiences with supervisors have been documented in primary healthcare. The work environment in primary healthcare is also affected by several types of changes.

Aim

We aimed to explore the levels of job satisfaction, turnover intention, social support, leadership climate and change fatigue according to physicians in Swedish primary healthcare. We also aimed to identify and characterize physicians exhibiting both high turnover intention and low job satisfaction, i.e., “discontent with current job”.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey based on a random sample of physicians working in Swedish primary healthcare.

Results

Approximately one-quarter of the respondents were discontented with their current job. Discontent was negatively associated with poor general health and change fatigue among the respondents; social support from colleagues and a favorable leadership climate showed positive associations in terms of reducing the levels of discontent with current job.

Conclusions

The findings of this study highlight the association between low levels of job satisfaction and high levels of turnover intention (i.e., discontent with current job) among physicians in primary healthcare. Moreover, these variables exhibited a strong association with physicians’ general health; poor health significantly increased the likelihood of discontent with current job. Our findings also show that experiencing change fatigue is associated with discontent with current job among physicians in primary healthcare. This knowledge can help identify and improve shortcomings within the psychosocial work environment in Swedish primary healthcare.
Controlled human exposures: a review and comparison of the health effects of diesel exhaust and wood smoke
Authors: Long Erin , Rider Christopher F. , Carlsten Christopher
Published: October 2024

One of the most pressing issues in global health is air pollution. Emissions from traffic-related air pollution and biomass burning are two of the most common sources of air pollution. Diesel exhaust (DE) and wood smoke (WS) have been used as models of these pollutant sources in controlled human exposure (CHE) experiments. The aim of this review was to compare the health effects of DE and WS using results obtained from CHE studies. A total of 119 CHE-DE publications and 25 CHE-WS publications were identified for review. CHE studies of DE generally involved shorter exposure durations and lower particulate matter concentrations, and demonstrated more potent dysfunctional outcomes than CHE studies of WS. In the airways, DE induces neutrophilic inflammation and increases airway hyperresponsiveness, but the effects of WS are unclear. There is strong evidence that DE provokes systemic oxidative stress and inflammation, but less evidence exists for WS. Exposure to DE was more prothrombotic than WS. DE generally increased cardiovascular dysfunction, but limited evidence is available for WS. Substantial heterogeneity in experimental methodology limited the comparison between studies. In many areas, outcomes of WS exposures tended to trend in similar directions to those of DE, suggesting that the effects of DE exposure may be useful for inferring possible responses to WS. However, several gaps in the literature were identified, predominantly pertaining to elucidating the effects of WS exposure. Future studies should strongly consider performing head-to-head comparisons between DE and WS using a CHE design to determine the differential effects of these exposures.
Review of clinical trials and guidelines for children and youth with mucopolysaccharidosis: outcome selection and measurement
Authors: Howie Alison H. , Tingley Kylie , Inbar-Feigenberg Michal , Mitchell John J. , Angel Kim , Gentle Jenifer , Smith Maureen , Offringa Martin , Butcher Nancy J. , Campeau Philippe M. , Chakraborty Pranesh , Chan Alicia , Fergusson Dean , Mamak Eva , McClelland Peyton , Mercimek-Andrews Saadet , Mhanni Aizeddin , Moazin Zeinab , Rockman-Greenberg Cheryl , Rupar C. Anthony , Skidmore Becky , Stockler Sylvia , Thavorn Kednapa , Wyatt Alexandra , Potter Beth K. ,   INFORM RARE Network
Published: October 2024

Background

To inform the development of a core outcome set (COS) for children and youth with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), we aimed to identify all outcomes and associated outcome measurement instruments that are reported in recent clinical trials and recommended as measurements in clinical management guidelines.

Methods

To identify English-language clinical trials and guidelines pertaining to MPS published between 2011 and mid-2021, we applied a comprehensive peer-reviewed search strategy to relevant databases and registers on May 16, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened retrieved citations and then full-text articles to determine eligibility for inclusion. From articles meeting inclusion criteria, we extracted details of the study design, population, intervention, and comparator, along with verbatim outcomes and associated outcome measurement instruments. Outcomes were organized into domains within five a priori core areas: life impact, pathophysiological manifestations, growth and development, resource use, and death. We conducted descriptive analyses at the study level, grouping articles arising from the same study.

Results

From 2593 unique citations, 73 articles from 61 unique studies were included in the review, pertaining to all MPS subtypes except for exceptionally rare subtypes. Eighty-four unique outcomes were reported across the studies, 33 (39%) of which were reported by three or fewer studies. Most outcomes (55; 65%) were in the pathophysiological manifestations core area, followed by life impact (17; 20%) and growth and development (10; 12%); one outcome each pertained to resource use and death. The most frequently reported outcomes were general adverse events (45; 74%), immune-related adverse events (39; 64%), and urinary glycosaminoglycans (38; 62%). Substantial variability existed in the reporting of outcome measurement instruments. Some differences in outcome reporting were observed by MPS subtype and publication year.

Discussion

Outcomes reported in clinical trials and guidelines for MPS in children and youth vary considerably and largely focus on pathophysiological manifestations. A COS is needed to standardize the selection and measurement of meaningful outcomes across future studies. We will present the outcomes identified in this review to knowledge users as part of a consensus process to select the most critical outcomes for inclusion in the COS.

Trial Registration The protocol for this study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021267531) and in the COMET Database.
G4 & the balanced metric family – a novel approach to solving binary classification problems in medical device validation & verification studies
Authors: Marra Andrew
Published: October 2024

Background

In medical device validation and verification studies, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) is often used as a primary endpoint despite multiple reports showing its limitations. Hence, researchers are encouraged to consider alternative metrics as primary endpoints. A new metric called G4 is presented, which is the geometric mean of sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, and the negative predictive value. G4 is part of a balanced metric family which includes the Unified Performance Measure (also known as P4) and the Matthews’ Correlation Coefficient (MCC). The purpose of this manuscript is to unveil the benefits of using G4 together with the balanced metric family when analyzing the overall performance of binary classifiers.

Results

Simulated datasets encompassing different prevalence rates of the minority class were analyzed under a multi-reader-multi-case study design. In addition, data from an independently published study that tested the performance of a unique ultrasound artificial intelligence algorithm in the context of breast cancer detection was also considered. Within each dataset, AUROC was reported alongside the balanced metric family for comparison. When the dataset prevalence and bias of the minority class approached 50%, all three balanced metrics provided equivalent interpretations of an AI’s performance. As the prevalence rate increased / decreased and the data became more imbalanced, AUROC tended to overvalue / undervalue the true classifier performance, while the balanced metric family was resistant to such imbalance. Under certain circumstances where data imbalance was strong (minority-class prevalence < 10%), MCC was preferred for standalone assessments while P4 provided a stronger effect size when evaluating between-groups analyses. G4 acted as a middle ground for maximizing both standalone assessments and between-groups analyses.

Conclusions

Use of AUROC as the primary endpoint in binary classification problems provides misleading results as the dataset becomes more imbalanced. This is explicitly noticed when incorporating AUROC in medical device validation and verification studies. G4, P4, and MCC do not share this limitation and paint a more complete picture of a medical device’s performance in a clinical setting. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to explore the balanced metric family when evaluating binary classification problems.
Using data fusion with multiple imputation to correct for misclassification in self-reported exposure: a case-control study of cannabis use and homicide victimization
Authors: Lee Seonghun , Li Guohua , Chihuri Stanford , Yu Yuanzhi , Chen Qixuan
Published: October 2024

Background

Cannabis use has been causally linked to violent behaviors in experimental and case studies, but its association with homicide victimization has not been rigorously assessed through epidemiologic research.

Methods

We performed a case-control analysis using two national data systems. Cases were homicide victims from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), and controls were participants from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). While the NVDRS contained toxicological testing data on cannabis use, the NSDUH only collected self-reported data, and thus the potential misclassification in the self-reported data needed to be corrected. We took a data fusion approach by concatenating the NSDUH with a third data system, the National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers (NRS), which collected toxicological testing and self-reported data on cannabis use for drivers. The data fusion approach provided multiple imputations (MIs) of toxicological testing results on cannabis use for the participants in the NSDUH, which were then used in the case-control analysis. Bootstrap was used to obtain valid statistical inference.

Results

The analyses revealed that cannabis use was associated with 3.55-fold (95% CI: 2.75–4.35) increased odds of homicide victimization. Alcohol use, being Black, male, aged 21–34 years, and having less than a high school education were also significantly associated with increased odds of homicide victimization.

Conclusions

Cannabis use is a major risk factor for homicide victimization. The data fusion with MI method is useful in integrative data analysis for harmonizing measures between different data sources.
Current trends in the characterization and monitoring of vascular response to cancer therapy
Authors: Shrestha Binita , Stern Noah B , Zhou Annie , Dunn Andrew , Porter Tyrone
Published: October 2024

Tumor vascular physiology is an important determinant of disease progression as well as the therapeutic outcome of cancer treatment. Angiogenesis or the lack of it provides crucial information about the tumor’s blood supply and therefore can be used as an index for cancer growth and progression. While standalone anti-angiogenic therapy demonstrated limited therapeutic benefits, its combination with chemotherapeutic agents improved the overall survival of cancer patients. This could be attributed to the effect of vascular normalization, a dynamic process that temporarily reverts abnormal vasculature to the normal phenotype maximizing the delivery and intratumor distribution of chemotherapeutic agents. Longitudinal monitoring of vascular changes following antiangiogenic therapy can indicate an optimal window for drug administration and estimate the potential outcome of treatment. This review primarily focuses on the status of various imaging modalities used for the longitudinal characterization of vascular changes before and after anti-angiogenic therapies and their clinical prospects.
Migration agencies’ visual performance within the Border spectacle. The case of EU and Canadian institutions
Authors: Massari Alice
Published: October 2024

As images of international mobility circulate quickly and widely through digital and social media, they form a fundamental part of the discursive formations around border policies and material migration practices. Through a multi-modal visual analysis of the Twitter images accompanying the post of the four major migration institutions in the EU and Canada, this article explores in a comparative perspective how their visual narratives interact with the broader migration narrative across the two contexts. The study findings show that EUAA, FRONTEX, CBSA, and IRCC participate in the border spectacle as leading actors, and their visual communication while allows them to reinforce some of their respective migration governance key messages and display their multiple organizational identities at the same time enables the concealment of some of the critical themes of the EU and Canada migration governance.