bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of robot-assisted gait training on quality of life and depression in neurological impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: den Brave Meike , Beaudart Charlotte , de Noordhout Benoit Maertens , Gillot Vincent , Kaux Jean-Francois
Published: January 2023

Objective

Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is often used as a rehabilitation tool for neurological impairments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of rehabilitation with robotic devices on quality of life and depression.

Data sources

Two electronic databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) were searched for studies from inception up to December 2022.

Review methods

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs were pooled separately for analyses, studying each one’s mental and physical health and depression. Random effect meta-analyses were run using standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 853 studies were identified from the literature search. 31 studies (17 RCTs and 14 non-RCTs) including 1151 subjects met the inclusion criteria. 31 studies were selected for the systematic review and 27 studies for the meta-analysis. The outcome measure of mental health significantly improved in favor of the RAGT group in RCTs and non-RCTs (adjusted Hedges’g 0.72, 95% CI: 0.34–1.10, adjusted Hedges g = 0.80, 95% CI 0.21-1.39, respectively). We observed a significant effect of RAGT on physical health in RCTs and non-RCTs (adjusted Hedges’g 0.58, 95% CI 0.28, 0.88, adjusted Hedges g = 0.73, 95% CI 0.12, 1.33). After realizing a sensitivity analysis in RCTs, a positive impact on depression is observed (Hedges’ g of −0.66, 95% CI −1.08 to −0.24).

Conclusion

This study suggests that RAGT could improve the quality of life of patients with neurological impairments. A positive impact on depression is also observed in the short term. Further studies are needed to differentiate grounded and overgrounded exoskeletons as well as RCT comparing overground exoskeletons with a control group.
Stability of Stated Preferences: Vaccine Priority Setting before and during the First COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Luyten Jeroen , Kessels Roselinde
Published: January 2023

Background

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are frequently used to study preferences and quantify tradeoffs in decision making. It is important to understand how stable their results are.

Objective

To investigate to what extent an extreme change in context, the COVID-19 pandemic, affected preferences for vaccine priority setting, as observed in an earlier DCE.

Methods

We replicated a DCE in which participants had to prioritize vaccination programs for public funding. The initial DCE was executed in Flanders (Belgium) right before the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (December 2019, N = 1,636). The replicated DCE was executed 6 months later when the population was in lockdown (April 2020, N = 1,127). A total of 612 respondents participated in both waves of the DCE. We used panel mixed logit models to quantify attribute and level importance and compared utility estimates for consistency.

Results

The number of vaccine-preventable deaths became less important during the pandemic than before, whereas the influential attributes, the vaccine’s contribution to disease eradication and certainty about vaccine effectiveness became even more important. Respondents attached equal importance to the number of patients with transient or permanent morbidity, to the disease’s economic impact as well as to its equity profile.

Conclusion

Different preferences for vaccine priority setting were observed during the first COVID-19 lockdown as compared with before, although these differences were, given the extreme nature of the changing circumstances, relatively small.

Highlights

We replicated a discrete choice experiment (DCE) about vaccine priority setting during the first COVID-19 lockdown and compared results with those from the original setting. The major attributes, contribution to disease eradication, and scientific certainty about vaccine effectiveness became even more important than they already were, whereas avoidable mortality became less important. Respondents attached equal importance to the number of patients with transient or permanent morbidity, to the disease’s economic impact as well as to its equity profile. An extreme change in directly related context to the choice assignment led to changes in stated preferences, although these changes were relatively small, given the extreme change in context. Priorities in the second DCE were even less aligned with cost-effectiveness analysis than those observed initially.
Re-imagining anti-racism as a core organisational value
Authors: Elias Amanuel , Ben Jehonathan , Hiruy Kiros
Published: January 2023

Racism and anti-racism have received widespread attention in academic debates and public discourse. Having universal features, racism manifests differently nationally and locally, and has been met with diverse anti-racism efforts. Despite historical achievements of struggles against racial oppression, racism endures, and continues to evolve and adapt, posing challenges to racial justice and equity. Parallel to this, anti-racism scholarship and action have evolved over the past decade, targeting an increasing number of arenas of everyday life. However, the place of anti-racism within organisations remains overwhelmingly peripheral and often tokenistic. This article draws attention to this and argues for re-imagining anti-racism as a core organisational value. We critically evaluate current anti-racism practices, and call for broader, holistic, committed and well-funded anti-racism approaches within organisations. We then argue why establishing anti-racism as a core organisational value may help in addressing systemic/structural racism.

JEL Classification:

J15, J71, M14, Z13
Emotionally Intelligent Street-Level Bureaucracies: Agenda Setting for Promoting Equity in Public Service Delivery
Authors: Levitats Zehavit
Published: January 2023

The goal of this conceptual study is to highlight the potential contribution of emotional intelligence as a tool in advancing the study of equity in public service delivery. By reviewing the literature on emotional intelligence in public administration and rationalizing its relationship with equity among street-level bureaucrats and bureaucracies, this article proposes a strategy to promote social equity in the provision of public service. The proposed strategy focuses on the role of EI-supportive organizational culture, and particularly human resource management practices, as a means to enhance bureaucrats’ emotionally intelligent behavior in their interactions with citizens-clients. Finally, the article proposes a theoretical and methodological agenda for future research in this important field of study.
Tip Plasty: A New Modified Vertical Dome Division. “How I Do It?”
Authors: Akl Elie , El Hajj Michel
Published: January 2023

This manuscript aimed to report a new vertical dome division technique for the correction of different common nasal tip deformities. This technique is a novel approach and was never reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge. The technique was performed using an open approach on 337 patients presenting with a combination of different nasal tip deformities: overprojected nasal tips, drooping tips, asymmetical tips and wide domal arches. The included patients were operated on between 2012 and 2018, with a follow-up period of at least 1 year. A detailed description of the surgical steps used is provided. Surgery outcomes were predominately positive, with unsatisfactory results obtained only in 11 of the 212 included patients (125 patients were excluded from the study due to inadequate or no follow-up). Satisfactory results and minor complications were detected following this procedure. In conclusion the presented technique is an easy and effective method for the narrowing, uprotation, and deprojection of nasal tips as well as the correction of tip asymmetries mainly in thick-skin patients, with a low complication rate.
Activated Differences: A Qualitative Study of How and When Differences Make a Difference on Diverse Teams
Authors: Ruge-Jones Luisa , Barley William C. , Wilson Sam R. , MacSwain Chandler , Johnson Lauren , Everett Jack , Poole Marshall Scott
Published: January 2023

Current studies of diversity in teams and organizations highlight the importance of examining activated, rather than just dormant, differences on a team. In this study, we contribute to organizational diversity theories by arguing that the activation of differences is a communicative process whereby how teams talk about their differences matters in how the activated differences affect team outcomes. Drawing on an in-depth qualitative study of real-life scientific teams, we examine the relationship between how team members activate and frame differences and how those communicative frames affect the team’s collective work. We find that how teams frame their differences affects the relationship between activated differences and team outcomes. We give practical and theoretical recommendations for the communicative management of differences on teams and in organizations.
Government Program Celebrates 25 Years of Commitment to Environmental Justice Movement
Authors: Beard Sharon , Freeman Kenda , Richards David , Lee Pearson Joy
Published: January 2023

For over 25 years, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP) has advanced principles of environmental justice by funding nonprofit organizations, or grantees, to deliver health, safety, and job training for individuals from disadvantaged communities. This article provides a brief background of the environmental justice movement and examines the efforts of grantees to demonstrate how the ECWTP model can serve as a pathway for advancing environmental justice in disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Experiences of Adolescent Daughters in Beginning to Live With Their Mothers’ Cancer: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Fujimoto Keiko , Kanda Kiyoko
Published: January 2023

This study reveals the experiences of adolescent daughters who are beginning to live with their mothers’ cancer diagnosis. Participants were 14 adolescent daughters who were either junior or senior high school students when their mothers were diagnosed with breast cancer. We analyzed semi-structured interviews using content analysis. Using interview data, four categories were created from 23 subcategories and 183 codes: (1) using trial and error to attempt to steady their minds against upset and anxiety; (2) minimizing the effect on their own school life and future; (3) moving forward with the help and support of those around them; and (4) advancing together with their family to protect and take care of their mother. As supporters, we must understand adolescent daughters’ experiences in living with their mothers’ cancer. Open communication with an important outside individual is essential in promoting adolescent daughters’ ability to obtain support and live with their mothers’ cancer.
Orthognathic Surgery in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Review of the Literature and Case Report
Authors: DeLeonibus Anthony , Bogart Joseph , Gharb Bahar Bassiri , Rampazzo Antonio
Published: January 2023

EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) is a heterogenous group of inheritable connective tissue disorders that commonly precludes patients from being elective surgical candidates. Patients with EDS are at a higher risk of increased bleeding, delayed wound healing, and temporomandibular joint pain refractory to treatment. Historically, patients with EDS and TMJ disorders are considered inappropriate surgical candidates due to a higher risk of delayed wound healing, increased risk for uncontrolled post-surgical bleeding, and unsubstantiated outcomes in regards to elective orthognathic surgery. A review of the literature demonstrates a paucity of data accounting the use of orthognathic surgery and maxillary-mandibular advancement in patients with EDS. The present study reports on the use of orthognathic double jaw surgery in a patient with a known diagnosis of hypermobile EDS, history of TMJ subluxation and pain. This case describes a 47-year-old woman with a history of hypermobile EDS who presented with Angle Class II malocclusion, Class II skeletal pattern, and clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane associated with pain at the bilateral TMJs. She underwent maxillary-mandibular advancement with counterclockwise rotation of the occlusal plane and genioplasty. The surgery was without complications, and at 22 months follow up, the patient healed uneventfully with improvement of pain and range of motion. This case report demonstrates that with diligent patient selection, orthognathic surgery in patients with EDS can be safe and effective and should not be an absolute contraindication.
Two Meanings of “Social Skills”: Proposing an Integrative Social Skills Framework
Authors: Heggestad Eric D. , Nicole Voss E. , Toth Allison A. , Ross Roxanne L. , Banks George C. , Canevello Amy
Published: January 2023

Business leaders and HR professionals have long recognized the importance of social skills for effective organizational functioning, particularly in roles requiring high levels of interpersonal interaction. Accordingly, organizational science scholars have produced a large amount of research that can be organized under the broad heading of social skills. Yet, three key issues in the literature are hampering progress: (1) the lack of a well-accepted articulation of the social skills phenomenon, what it is and what it is not; (2) conceptual redundancy and conflation among the set of social skills-related concepts (e.g., individual differences, skills, behavior, evaluations, etc.), and (3) full consideration of the importance of social behavior in understanding social skills. We propose solutions for understanding social skills that begin to resolve these issues and help strengthen future empirical research. Specifically, we present two distinct, but related, conceptualizations of social skills: social skills enactment and social skills reputation. We then offer a theoretically grounded perspective, the Social Skills Framework, which incorporates these conceptualizations of social skills, provides a structure into which existing social skills concepts can be integrated and evaluated for conceptual clarity, and centers social behavior. After describing the framework, we offer a research agenda that focuses on refining the framework and investigating key issues related to the two conceptualizations of social skills.
Rooted in Racism? Race, Partisanship, Status Threat, and Public Opinion Toward Statehood for Washington, D.C.
Authors: Nteta Tatishe M. , Rhodes Jesse H. , Wall Gregory , Dixon-Gordon Katherine L. , La Raja Raymond J. , Lickel Brian , Mah Andrea , MacWilliams Matthew , Markowitz Ezra M. , Reid Allecia , Theodoridis Alexander
Published: January 2023

In recent years, a number of prominent elected officials on both sides of the partisan divide have weighed in on the possibility of making Washington, D.C., the nation’s fifty-first state. While Democratic supporters of statehood for D.C. emphasize issues of equal representation, some Republican opponents have stressed the partisan and ideological consequences of D.C. statehood. Other Republican opponents, in justifying their position, have made the claim that Washington, D.C., lacks the necessary and sufficient characteristics associated with statehood, and these claims have been widely interpreted as implicitly racist appeals. In this paper, using three nationally representative surveys, we explore whether mass opinion on this issue is primarily shaped by partisanship, ideology, racial status threat, or racial prejudice. We find clear and consistent evidence that while partisan and ideological attachments, as well as perceptions of racial status threat, influence opinion on statehood for Washington, D.C., the strongest determinant of opposition to statehood are negative racial attitudes. We take these results as further evidence of the debate over D.C. statehood, like debates over public policies that are purported to benefit African Americans, is intimately intertwined with negative racial views expressed by the mass public.
Investigating the Effects of Indirect Coculture of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Migration of Breast Cancer Cells: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Brown Marie-Juliet , Morris Mhairi A , Akam Elizabeth C
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women globally, and mesenchymal stem cells have been widely implicated in tumour progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to identify and summarise existing literature on the effects of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on the migration of breast cancer cells (BCCs) in vitro, to determine the direction of this relationship according to existing research and to identify the directions for future research.

Methods:

A systematic literature search was conducting using a collection of databases, using the following search terms: in vitro AND mesenchymal stem cells AND breast cancer. Only studies that investigated the effects of human, unmodified MSCs on the migration of human, unmodified BCCs in vitro were included. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) were calculated to determine pooled effect sizes.

Results:

This meta-analysis demonstrates that hMSCs (different sources combined) increase the migration of both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines in vitro (SMD = 1.84, P = .03 and SMD = 2.69, P < .00001, respectively). Importantly, the individual effects of hMSCs from different sources were also analysed and demonstrated that MSCs derived from human adipose tissue increase BCC migration (SMD = 1.34, P = .0002) and those derived from umbilical cord increased both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 migration (SMD = 3.93, P < .00001 and SMD = 3.01, P < .00001, respectively).

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis investigating and summarising the effects of hMSCs from different sources on the migration of BCCs, in vitro.
The psychosocial adjustment of kidney recipients across donation contexts
Authors: Bourkas Sophia , Achille Marie
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate kidney recipients’ experiences within deceased and living donation contexts and, in the latter, by donor relationship type, to identify differences by context and mechanisms by which the relationship with the donor may impact recipients’ psychosocial well-being. Individual interviews were conducted with 12 participants and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three themes emerged: (a) salience of and sensitivity toward sacrifice and loss, (b) honoring the sacrifice by honoring the gift, and (c) relational imbalance mirroring perceived burden of donation. Findings were contextualized in relation to the transplantation literature, and their clinical implications discussed.
Aging differently: How socioemotional reactions to perceived remaining time in life influence older adults’ satisfaction in virtual communities
Authors: Zhou Junjie , Liao Ruochen , Kishore Rajiv
Published: January 2023

This study aims to understand how older adults’ socioemotional reactions to perceived remaining time in life influence their satisfaction from their knowledge contribution and seeking in virtual communities (VCs). Rooted in socioemotional selectivity theory, we choose a positive attitude toward aging and meaning in life to describe older adults’ reactions to aging, and test the proposed hypotheses based on 204 valid survey responses. Results confirm that while both knowledge contribution and knowledge-seeking activities promote older adults’ satisfaction, the impact of knowledge contribution is stronger on satisfaction. Furthermore, as hypothesized, the positive attitude toward aging amplifies the impact of knowledge-seeking while meaning in life weakens the impact of knowledge contribution on older adults’ satisfaction. This study contributes to the literature on how older adults derive satisfaction from their knowledge contribution and knowledge-seeking activities in VCs and offers insights into using VCs to build a digitally inclusive society.
Inclusive anisotropy and texture analyses of AZ91 Mg sheets subjected to various passes of elevated-temperature constrained groove pressing
Authors: Fereshteh-Saniee F , Ghorbanhosseini S , Sonboli A
Published: January 2023

Constrained groove pressing (CGP) is a kind of sheet severe plastic deformation method suitable for enhancing the strengths of light alloys for various applications such as aerospace and automotive industries. In this research, the annealed AZ91 Mg alloy sheets were subjected to three CGP cycles at 300°C. Subsequently, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and tensile tests for various directions were performed. Initially, there was a basal texture with a maximum intensity of 3.4 multiple random distribution and several β-Mg17Al12 particles as the second phase in the annealed sheet. As an important achievement of employing the CGP operation, the 1-passed sample represented a superior elongation of 35.7%, maximum yield strength of 141.0 MPa, and maximum ultimate tensile strength of 231.0 MPa in the rolling direction. These were mainly due to, the grain refinement, enhancing the fiber texture in the transverse direction, and controlling the basal texture. However, the experimental results revealed that the basal texture during the second and third passes of the operation could not be controlled. The main preferred orientation was changed from [Formula: see text] fiber for the annealed sheet to [Formula: see text] fiber for the CGPed sheets. It is also interesting to note that based on an anisotropy analysis, the 1-passed sample was the most isotropic worksheet, making this specimen a suitable blank for secondary metal forming processes, in comparison with the other CGPed samples. Fractography also indicated that the fracture mechanism varied among ductile, brittle, and mixed modes for workpieces subjected to different passes of the process.
Theorizing consumption and markets in the context of religion: A commentary section on Appau’s (2021) ‘divine economic system’
Authors: Jafari Aliakbar , Moufahim Mona , Rinallo Diego , Appau Samuelson
Published: January 2023

This commentary section presents a dialogical discussion on Appau’s (2021) ‘Toward a divine economic system’, an article in which he explores religious exchanges in the context of a Pentecostal Church in Ghana and proposes ‘the divine economy’ as an alternative economic system to interrogate and extend scholarship on the relationship between the market and religion. In a thought-provoking conversation, four commentators (including Appau) engage in a critical discussion aimed at generating new ideas on theorizing the complex relationship between the market, consumption, and religion.
A review of geographic information system (GIS) and techno economic (TE) software tools for renewable energy and methodology to develop a coupled GIS-TE software tool for marine renewable energy (MRE)
Authors: O’Connell Ross , Murphy Jimmy , Devoy McAuliffe Fiona , Dalton Gordon
Published: January 2023

Accurate and up-to-date Geographic Information System (GIS) and Techno Economic (TE) tools are pertinent to helping to develop the renewable energy sector. This paper reviews the state of the art in existing GIS and TE tools for renewable energy and proposes a methodology to develop a coupled GIS-TE software tool that is geared specifically to Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) applications and bespoke to Irish and Western UK waters. Methods for approaching GIS and TE analysis within existing tools for renewable energy are presented and compared. Many existing tools of this nature have some interesting functionalities, but most are unsuitable for MRE; are limited by a lack of information on both the technology and the site; and focus solely either on GIS or TE aspects of analysis. Additionally, almost all of those with a TE focus are not open access. The proposed tool aims to incorporate increased resolution and site relevance of resource data; the most up-to-date geospatial data for site selection; and will provide site specific TE indicators and recommendations for contemporary MRE devices. The result will be the development of an open-access GIS-TE software tool for MRE.
Denoising method of weak fault acoustic emission signal under strong background noise of engine based on autoencoder and wavelet packet decomposition
Authors: Liu Tong , Jin YuCheng , Wang Shuo , Zheng QinWen , Yang Guoan
Published: January 2023

The weak fault acoustic emission (AE) signals collected in the actual operating conditions of the engine are often submerged in the strong background noise. This paper proposes a denoising method of AE signals based on the combination of autoencoder and wavelet packet decomposition (AE-WPD) to address the above problem. Firstly, the wavelet packet is used to decompose engine background noise signals and noise-containing fault AE signals to enhance the local analysis capability of the autoencoder. Then, the dataset of each frequency band after decomposition is created. Among them, background noise signals are regarded as normal datasets. Noise-containing fault signals are treated as outlier datasets. The difference between each frequency band of background noise signals and noise-containing fault signals is analyzed. The autoencoder model is trained, validated and tested for effectiveness. In addition, a comparison is made with other commonly used denoising methods. Four types of evaluation indexes are introduced to quantitatively assess various methods. Finally, the real engine background noise signals with different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are added to the fault AE signals to verify the robustness of the proposed AE-WPD method. The experimental results show that the proposed AE-WPD method outperforms other denoising methods at different SNR. This lays the foundation for engine structural condition monitoring and subsequent fault identification and localization.
Cultivating responsible citizenship in a non-traditional degree program through a service-inclusive pedagogy
Authors: Fulton Kara A , Archibald Audon , Hudson Cassie , Rogers Jordan , Peecksen Scott , Heap Tania
Published: January 2023

A responsible citizen is someone who understands their role in the community and attempts to make a positive impact. Service-learning is one way to encourage responsible citizenship by asking students to engage with and reflect on their communities. This study explores student perceptions toward civic engagement in an undergraduate course focused on the multidisciplinary examination of social issues, with some sections incorporating service-learning pedagogy. Using a validated measure, changes among students were documented in six topic areas: civic action, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, political awareness, leadership skills, social justice attitudes, and diversity attitudes. Results were compared across sections with different service-learning requirements and delivery formats. Additionally, results were compared across students from diverse backgrounds, including age and race.
The Hindutva Brand of Populist Politics and the Women Question
Authors: Singh Palak , Parihar Gopal Krishan
Published: January 2023

This study maps the interactions of the Hindutva brand of political populism, which is in rise in India, with the feminist politics and concerns. To study this interaction, the article qualitatively studies the phenomenon of Hindutva-populism and feminist politics and uses the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Hindu-rightist political party, as the site to explore the gendered political culture and the complex relationship that populism and feminism share on the women question in their quest for political and social transformation in India. For this purpose, the article focuses on the broad themes, highlighting the differential visions of both projects, of: the lens through which the problems are diagnosed, the solutions proposed to these problems and the role of the related variables such as power, state and leadership, which puts them in a fundamental clash with each other.
Iliac Branch Devices in the Repair of Ruptured Aorto-iliac Aneurysms: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Karelis Angelos , Sonesson Björn , Gallitto Enrico , Tsilimparis Nikolaos , Forsell Claes , Leone Nicola , Silingardi Roberto , Mesnard Thomas , Sobocinski Jonathan , Isernia Giacomo , Resch Timothy , Gargiulo Mauro , Dias Nuno V.
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

To evaluate the outcomes of preserving the internal iliac artery (IIA) with iliac branched devices (IBDs) during acute endovascular repair of ruptured aortoiliac aneurysms.

Material and Methods:

This is a multicenter retrospective review of all consecutive patients undergoing acute endovascular repair of ruptured aortoiliac aneurysm with an IBD at 8 aortic centers between December 2012 and June 2020. A control group was used where the IIA was intentionally occluded from the same study period. The main outcome measures were 30-day mortality, major adverse events, technical success, and clinical success. Secondary outcomes were buttock claudication, primary patency, primary-assisted and secondary patency of the IBD, occurrence of endoleak types I/III, and reintervention. Values are presented as numbers and percentages or interquartile range in parenthesis.

Results:

Forty-eight patients were included in the study: 24 with IBD and 24 with IIA occlusion. There was no difference in demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and aneurysm extent. Twenty (83%) of them were hemodynamically stable during the procedure as opposed to 14 (58%, p=.23) with the IIA occlusion. Technical success was achieved in all cases with a procedure time of 180 (133–254) minutes, 45 (23–65) of which were from IBD. There were 2 (8%) deaths during the first 30 days and 2 (8%) major complications unrelated to the IBD, whereas in the IIA occlusion, the figures were 10 (42%) and 7 (29%), respectively. No patient in the IBD group developed buttock claudication compared to 8 (57%, p<.0001) in the IIA occlusion group; 1 (4%) patient developed bowel ischemia on both groups, with 1 in the IIA occlusion group needing resection. The median follow-up duration was 17 months (interquartile range 2–39) for the IBD group, with a primary patency of 60±14% at 3 years that went up to 92±8% with reinterventions (8 reinterventions in 6 patients). When the first 90 days were disregarded, there were no differences in survival between the groups.

Conclusion:

IBD is a valid alternative for maintaining the pelvic circulation for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair of ruptured aortoiliac aneurysms. The technical success and midterm outcomes are very satisfactory but require patient selection particularly regarding hemodynamic stability. The reintervention rate is considerable, mandating continuous follow-up.

Clinical Impact

This multicenter study demonstrates that ruptured aortoiliac aneurysms do not necessarily require mandatory occlusion of hypogastric arteries. Iliac branch devices are shown to be a valid alternative in highly selected cases, with good midterm results, even if reinterventions are required in a significant proportion of patients.
Common Sports Infectious Disease
Authors: Raji Yazdan , Knapik Derrick M. , Schroeder Allison N. , Voos James E.
Published: January 2023

There is growing concern about the impact of infectious diseases in athletes, especially as they relate to exposures in athletic training facilities. This article reviews common pathogens encountered in athletic training facilities, while offering an evidence-based overview of practical preventative measures that can be implemented to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases in close-contact sports such as American football and wrestling.
Is There Gender Disparity in Orthopedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity?
Authors: Ellsworth Bridget K. , Pascual-Leone Nicolas , Gross Preston W. , Barth Kathryn A. , Doyle Shevaun M.
Published: January 2023

Background: Compared with male senior authors, female senior authors publish less often in orthopedic journals than expected based on their population proportion. It is unknown whether this trend is also present among orthopedic trainees. Purpose: We sought to determine whether there is a gender discrepancy in the publication volume and authorship status among orthopedic residents. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate the research productivity of male and female orthopedic residents. The top 10 ranked US orthopedic surgery residencies by research output in 2021–2022 were obtained from Doximity. Residents’ names were recorded from each institution’s residency website. We classified each resident as male or female, searched on PubMed, and recorded the number of publications relevant to orthopedic surgery. Resident contribution to each publication was recorded as either a first/last author or a middle author. To assess contributions by postgraduate year, we compared male and female junior residents (PGY1-3) and senior residents (PGY4-5) using the number of total publications, middle author publications, first/last author publications, and the difference between the number of middle and first/last author publications. Results: Among the 335 male and 117 female residents included, male residents had more total publications than female residents. Among PGY4-5, male residents had more total publications and middle author publications. There was no difference in the number of first/last author publications between male and female PGY4-5 residents. Conclusions: Our cross-sectional analysis found that in the 2021–2022 academic year, male orthopedic surgery residents published more often than female residents, although among PGY4-5 residents, we found no gender differences in number of first/last author publications. The difference in total publications among PGY4-5 residents is likely due to differences in middle author publications. Future research should consider residents’ self-identified gender, including non-binary and gender-fluid identity.
Methodological Insights, Advantages and Innovations Manuscript Title: Lessons Learned in Conducting Qualitative Healthcare Research Interviews in Malawi: A Qualitative Evaluation
Authors: Suwedi-Kapesa Leticia Chimwemwe , Kinshella Mai-Lei Woo , Mitchell Hana , Vidler Marianne , Dube Queen , Goldfarb David M. , Kawaza Kondwani , Nyondo-Mipando Alinane Linda
Published: January 2023

With the growth of qualitative health research in low- and middle-income countries, local health professionals are increasingly involved in facilitating interviews with their fellow health workers. Understanding the methodological implications of such situations is required to ensure high-quality study findings and to build capacity and skills for interviewers with clinical backgrounds working with limited resources. This article reports a qualitative process evaluation of a study that assessed barriers and enablers of implementing bubble continuous positive airway pressure in Malawi. Findings were summarized through an iterative process of reflection on what worked, what did not work, areas for improvement, structural challenges, negotiating dual roles as nurses and researchers and the professional hierarchy within the health care system. Comprehensive practical training was critical to conducting qualitative research in a health setting. Interviewers were health workers themselves and required skills in reflexivity to effectively probe and navigate interviewing other health professionals, including senior staff. The main challenge in conducting interviews in a resource-limited healthcare setting was time constraints, which were compounded by staffing shortages. Lessons from this qualitative evaluation highlight the importance of training in reflexivity, engaging interviewers as collaborators and reserving adequate time to accommodate healthcare workers’ multiple roles and responsibilities.
New Marine Diterpenoid from the Okinawan Soft Coral, Lobophytum sp.
Authors: Sato Kosuke , Ishigami Shinnosuke , Koike Masaki , Takegahara Haruto , Yamamoto Ayumi , Kaneko Kensuke , Tani Kazuki , Ishii Takahiro , Kamada Takashi
Published: January 2023

A new lobane-type diterpenoid, loba-8,10,13(15)-triene-14,17,18-triol 17-acetate (1), and 5 known compounds, lobatriene (2), (17 R)-loba-8,10,13(15)-triene-17,18-diol (3), loba-8,10,13(15)-triene-14,17,18-triol 14,17-diacetate (4), loba-8,10,13(15)-triene-14,17,18-triol 14-acetate (5), and lobatrienetriol (6), were isolated from a population of Okinawan soft coral Lobophytum sp. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopy, including nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of these compounds were tested using human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells.
Achievement of adequate weight gain among infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition receiving treatment in therapeutic feeding centers of South Sudanese refugee camps in Ethiopia
Authors: Biratu Dagim , Zenu Sabit , Negera Ebissa , Alemu Soresa
Published: January 2023

Objectives:

This study aimed to assess achievement of adequate weight gain and identify its associated factors among infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition admitted in Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps in Gambella, Southwest Ethiopia.

Methods:

Records of 332 infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition were selected by systematic random sampling. Weight gain was calculated for all participants. Patients who achieved weight gain of >5 g/kg/day were regarded as achieving adequate weight gain. Sociodemographic characteristics, season of admission, patients’ anthropometry at admission, source of admission, clinical conditions at admission, types of medications used, length of stay at the centers, and the centers of the treatment were considered as covariates. The adjusted odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval were used to identify factors associated with adequate average weight gain in the multivariable logistic regression.

Results:

In total, 72% of the treated patients achieved adequate weight gain. Treatment at Tierkidi center Adjusted Odds Ratio = 5.9, 95% Confidence Interval: (2.0,16.9), treatment with amoxicillin–clavulanate Adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.1, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.7, 10.0), WFH z-score < −3 Adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.1, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.9, 9.0) and length of stay of ⩽7 days Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.5, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.4, 4.4) were significantly associated with achievement of adequate weight gain.

Conclusion:

Seven in ten of treated patients achieved adequate weight gain. However, significant proportion of patients still failed to achieve recommended weight gain in refugee camps. Anthropometric indices, type of antibiotics used for treatment, short length of stay, and the treatment center were associated with achievement of adequate weight gain. We recommend that the local antibiotic sensitivity pattern be studied in order to recommend an appropriate treatment regimen for infants and children. Children requiring longer duration have to be given due focus. Inter-center variations have to be narrowed by strengthening follow-up and supervisory supports.
A Case of Statin-Associated Autoimmune Myopathy: Management and Treatment
Authors: Malone Mercedes , Lahmar Abdelilah , Siddique Atif , Rozboril Michael , Kresak Jesse L.
Published: January 2023

Elevated lipid panels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Management of heart disease with lipid lowering agents play a vital role in medicine. Statins are one group of medications that are widely utilized in the medical field to decrease the risk of atherosclerotic disease. Statins work by inhibiting the hepatic enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). Although statins are one of the most effective drugs for secondary and primary prevention of heart disease, they are not without risks and side effects such as hepatotoxicity and myopathy. We present a case of a male patient who developed progressively worsening muscle weakness and elevated muscle enzyme markers upon initiation of a statin. His symptoms persisted despite a trial of an alternative statin and subsequent discontinuation of all statin medications. A multitude of possible etiologies were considered and ranged from infectious, autoimmune, cancerous, to congenital in nature. Environmental factors, such as exposure to medications or toxins, were also considered as one of the possible precipitating factors. The association between his statin consumption and muscle weakness were not easily apparent at first. He required further workup including physical examination, electromyography, panel of myositis antibodies, and muscle biopsy. After clinical suspicion and elevated antibodies to HMGCR beyond the normal limit, he was discovered to have statin-associated autoimmune myopathy. The patient improved with the treatment of immunosuppressive agent’s prednisone and methotrexate.
Mechanism of Action of Clove and Ginger Herbal Formulation-Mediated TiO2 Nanoparticles Against Lactobacillus Species: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Rieshy V.  , Chokkattu Jerry Joe , Rajeshkumar S.  , Neeharika S.
Published: January 2023

Introduction:

With its numerous practical applications, the usage of nanotechnology in the medical profession has been a godsend in our modern technological era. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a semiconducting metal oxide with superior inherent qualities which can be utilized in various applications across various fields. Taking into account all of the above information, the current study focused on the mechanism of action of TiO2 nanoparticles mediated by clove and ginger herbal formulations against Lactobacillus species.

Materials and Methods:

Extract of clove and ginger herbal formulation-mediated TiO2 nanoparticles was obtained with acetone in the ratio of 10:1, yielding 9 mg/mL. After overnight incubation and further serial dilutions, the solution was introduced into microplate wells with cultured Lactobacillus species for 4 hours. A 5% of test solution was added into Kimble tubes containing Muller-Hinton broth along with the plant extract, followed by recording of minimum inhibitory concentrations at certain time intervals. The number of samples used for each concentration was 4 using the convenience method. The grouping sample was 3, i.e. test group, antibiotic and positive control group. The results were statistically analysed following one-way analysis of variances using SPSS software version 22.

Result:

Optical density determines the degree of scattering of light that is produced by a bacterium within a culture plate. The more the bacteria, the more the light is scattered. The results ( P < .005) show that as the concentration increases, the value of optical density decreases which proves that there occurs a bactericidal process that results in the reduced bacterial count.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced with clove and ginger might be used as an antibacterial agent against Lactobacillus species.
Potential Failure of Vancomycin Dosing Using AUC/MIC in a Patient With Purulent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pericarditis
Authors: Perrine Jordan , Bennett Kiya , Siegrist Emily , Bradford Caitlyn , Schwier Nicholas C.
Published: January 2023

Objective: The objective of this case report is to describe utilization of area under the curve (AUC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) vancomycin dosing with variable MIC results in a patient with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) purulent pericarditis. Case: A 57-year-old Caucasian male presented with cardiac tamponade and pulmonary emboli. Echocardiogram showed moderate-large pericardial effusion with signs of early tamponade physiology. Pericardiocentesis removed serosanguinous, straw yellow fluid. Blood and pericardial cultures revealed MRSA. Patient was then initiated on vancomycin with an initial AUC of 415. MIC of repeat blood cultures were inconsistent. After 8 days of persistent bacteremia, patient was transitioned to daptomycin and ceftaroline with blood culture clearance within 48 hours. Discussion/Conclusion: Guidelines recommend AUC/MIC vancomycin dosing in patients with MRSA bacteremia. Literature regarding treatment of MRSA purulent pericarditis is limited to case reports. Evidence shows variation in MIC results dependent on analysis methods. Further studies on obtaining accurate MIC values and use of AUC/MIC dosing for MRSA purulent pericarditis are prudent to provide appropriate therapy in these patients as mortality is high.
Diagnostic accuracy of MRI-based PSA density for detection of prostate cancer among the Thai population
Authors: Aphinives Chalida , Nawapun Supajit , Tungnithiboon Chutima
Published: January 2023

Background

The PSAD calculating by the serum PSA level divided by prostate volume had more specificity and accuracy than the serum PSA level for detection of prostate cancer.

Methods

MRI examinations of 319 patients who had suspected prostate cancer between January 2014 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Prostate volumes were measured by MRI images and PSAD values were calculated. The accuracy and optimal cutoff points of MRI-based PSAD were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC curves). Correlations between the MRI-based PSAD and Gleason scores were also analyzed to predict prognosis of prostate cancer.

Results

Overall, of 154 patients were included in this study, 59 patients (38.31%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The optimal cutoff point of PSAD was 0.16 (81.40% sensitivity, 54.70% specificity, 52.70% PPV, 82.50% NPV), and the AUC was 0.680 (95% CI: 0.609–0.751). In subgroup analyses, the optimal cutoff point of PSAD in patients with serum PSA 4–10 ng/ml was 0.16 (61.10% sensitivity, 76.00% specificity) and for > 10 ng/ml was 0.30 (68.30% sensitivity, 64.30% specificity). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant correlation between PSAD and Gleason scores (p-value 0.014).

Conclusions

The optimal cutoff point of MRI-based PSAD was 0.16 which was relatively different from international consensus.