bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Too Reluctant to Reach Out: Receiving Social Support Is More Positive Than Expressers Expect
Authors: Dungan James A. , Munguia Gomez David M. , Epley Nicholas
Published: July 2022

Receiving social support is critical for well-being, but concerns about a recipient’s reaction could make people reluctant to express such support. Our studies indicate that people’s expectations about how their support will be received predict their likelihood of expressing it (Study 1, N = 100 online adults), but these expectations are systematically miscalibrated. Participants who sent messages of support to others they knew (Study 2, N = 120 students) or who expressed support to a new acquaintance in person (Study 3, N = 50 adult pairs) consistently underestimated how positively their recipients would respond. A systematic perspective gap between expressers and recipients may explain miscalibrated expectations: Expressers may focus on how competent their support seems, whereas recipients may focus on the warmth it conveys (Study 4, N = 300 adults). Miscalibrated concerns about how to express support most competently may make people overly reluctant to reach out to someone in need.
Written and computer simulation on the moral sensitivity of nurses
Authors: Parchami Faezeh , Jackson Alun C , Sharifi Farshad , Parsapoor Alireza , Bahramnezad Fatemeh
Published: July 2022

Background: Moral sensitivity is the first step towards ethical decision-making. This sensitivity should form a basic attitude in healthcare team members, particularly nurses, toward providing effective and ethical care. This is highlighted in intensive care units (ICUs) where close attention should be paid to patient rights and moral or ethical decision-making.

Objective: The present study aimed at determining and comparing the effect of written simulation and computer simulation of a virtual patient on the development of moral sensitivity of ICU nurses.

Research design: Randomized controlled trial with one control arm and two experimental arms.

Participants and content: This study involved 204 ICU nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from 2019 to 2021 using a random allocation method. The participants were allocated to three groups comprising virtual patient computer simulation, written simulation, and the no simulation control group. After training based on a Patient Rights Charter, five scenarios, with themes reflecting the clauses of the Patient’s Rights Charter, were written as a computer program and text for the computer simulation and written simulation groups, respectively. Finally, nurses' moral sensitivity was assessed using the Lützén moral sensitivity questionnaire as pre- and post-tests (immediately and 2 months after the intervention).

Ethical considerations: Ethical permission was obtained for the study. All the participants signed the informed consent before the study onset.

Results: The study results showed a significant difference in moral sensitivity among the three groups before the intervention ( p = 0.003). Immediately after the intervention compared to pre-intervention, the three groups showed no significant differences in this regard ( p = 0.056), however a significant difference among the three groups was found 2 months post-intervention ( p < 0.001).
Coronavirus (COVID-19): ARIMA-based Time-series Analysis to Forecast near Future and the Effect of School Reopening in India
Authors: Tandon Hiteshi , Ranjan Prabhat , Chakraborty Tanmoy , Suhag Vandana
Published: July 2022

COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, is currently a major worldwide threat. It has infected more than a million people globally leading to hundred-thousands of deaths. In such grave circumstances, it is very important to predict future scenario to support prevention and recurrence of the disease, aid in healthcare service preparation and help in decision making process. Following that notion, a model has been developed for forecasting future COVID-19 cases in India. The time series analysis indicates that the cases will keep on increasing in India in the coming month as the peak has not been attained until now. A statistical analysis based on the effect of reopening of schools has also been performed. It is revealed that there will be a minor increase in the active cases when pre-/primary schools are opened. The present prediction models will assist the government and medical personnel in gaining insight and planning for forthcoming conditions.
Nonverbal Synchrony: An Indicator of Clinical Communication Quality in Racially-Concordant and Racially-Discordant Oncology Interactions
Authors: Hamel Lauren M. , Moulder Robert , Ramseyer Fabian T. , Penner Louis A. , Albrecht Terrance L. , Boker Steven , Eggly Susan
Published: July 2022

Objectives

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to apply a novel software to measure and compare levels of nonverbal synchrony, as a potential indicator of communication quality, in video recordings of racially-concordant and racially-discordant oncology interactions. Predictions include that the levels of nonverbal synchrony will be greater during racially-concordant interactions than racially-discordant interactions, and that levels of nonverbal synchrony will be associated with traditional measures of communication quality in both racially-concordant and racially-discordant interactions.

Design

This is a secondary observational analysis of video-recorded oncology treatment discussions collected from 2 previous studies.

Setting

Two National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and another large urban cancer center.

Participants

Participants from Study 1 include 161 White patients with cancer and 11 White medical oncologists. Participants from Study 2 include 66 Black/African-American patients with cancer and 17 non-Black medical oncologists. In both studies inclusion criteria for patients was a recent cancer diagnosis; in Study 2 inclusion criteria was identifying as Black/African American.

Main outcome measures

Nonverbal synchrony and communication quality.

Results

Greater levels of nonverbal synchrony were observed in racially-discordant interactions than in racially-concordant interactions. Levels of nonverbal synchrony were associated with indicators of communication quality, and these associations were more consistently found in racially-discordant interactions.

Conclusion

This study advances clinical communication and disparities research by successfully applying a novel approach capturing the unconscious nature of communication, and revealing differences in communication in racially-discordant and racially-concordant oncology interactions. This study highlights the need for further exploration of nonverbal aspects relevant to patient-physician interactions.
The Stressful Personality: A Meta-Analytical Review of the Relation Between Personality and Stress
Authors: Luo Jing , Zhang Bo , Cao Mengyang , Roberts Brent W.
Published: July 2022

The current study presented the first meta-analytic review on the associations between the Big Five personality traits and stress measured under different conceptualizations (stressor exposure, psychological and physiological stress responses) using a total of 1,575 effect sizes drawn from 298 samples. Overall, neuroticism was found to be positively related to stress, whereas extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness were negatively linked to stress. When stress assessed under different conceptualizations was tested, only neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were related to stressor exposure. All of the Big Five personality traits were significantly associated with psychological stress perception, whereas the five personality traits showed weak to null associations with physiological stress response. Further moderation analyses suggested that the associations between personality traits and stress under different conceptualizations were also contingent upon different characteristics of stress, sample, study design, and measures. The results supported the important role of personality traits in individual differences in stress.
Creating an (ethical) epistemic space for the normalization of clinical and “real food” oral immunotherapy for food allergy
Authors: Nairn Stephanie A
Published: July 2022

Researchers and sociologists have argued the consequences of standardization vis-à-vis clinical practice guidelines are diverse and argue they should be explored empirically. Sociologists have also argued that “best evidence” for the development of clinical practice guidelines is not restricted to randomized controlled trials and that other forms of knowledge should be embedded in and inform CPGs. There is little research concerning how other types of knowledge are mobilized and taken up in CPGs. This article presents the results of an ethnographic investigation in Canada between 2015 and 2020 of the development of a clinical practice guideline for immunotherapy for food allergy. My research shows that immunotherapy has become the source of controversy regarding whether immunotherapy should be offered in the clinic or remain experimental and whether it should be offered using food or commercial products. I argue that the clinical practice guideline for oral immunotherapy reaffirms what has been previously noted by sociologists; guidelines can serve normative purposes and are not merely technical documents. This case study is unique as it demonstrates how guidelines can serve as “community-making devices” to consolidate “epistemic communities” through the explicit and formal mobilization of ethical principles alongside other forms of “traditional” evidence. The mobilization of a multi-criteria approach that included ethical principles was mobilized in part to counter the de-legitimization and peripheralization of clinical and real food oral immunotherapy.
Psychometric properties of a short self-report measure of rule-breaking behaviour among adolescents: findings from the Ungdata survey
Authors: Heradstveit Ove , Nilsen Sondre Aasen , Breivik Kyrre , Bakken Anders , Haug Thomas , Stormark Kjell Morten
Published: July 2022

Background:

The aim of the present study was to examine the factor structure and reliability of a six-item scale of rule-breaking behaviour, and to test for measurement invariance across gender, age, survey year and geographical location.

Methods:

Data were from three yearly cross-sectional and population-based collections of the Ungdata surveys (2017 to 2019) including a total of 297,102 Norwegian adolescents aged approximately 13 to 19 years. Measurements included respondent’s rule-breaking behaviour, time, gender, age and geographical location.

Results:

Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that a one-factor solution of the rule-breaking behaviour scale had good fit to data (comparative fit index 0.98; Tucker–Lewis index 0.96; root mean square error of approximation 0.049 (95% confidence interval 0.048, 0.050)), with factor loadings ranging from 0.60 to 0.81 for all items (mean factor loading 0.72). Similar results were found across survey years for both genders. Several multiple group confirmatory factor analyses showed indications of measurement invariance for the scale across gender, age groups, geographical locations and survey years. The ordinal alpha and omega coefficients for internal consistency of the scale were both 0.86.

Conclusions:

The six-item scale for self-reported rule-breaking behaviour demonstrated good psychometric properties and appears to constitute a reliable measure of adolescent rule-breaking behaviour for use in population-based surveys in a Norwegian setting.
Towards Tobacco-Free Generation: implementation of preventive tobacco policies in the Nordic countries
Authors: Linnansaari Anu , Ollila Hanna , Pisinger Charlotta , Scheffels Janne , Kinnunen Jaana M. , Rimpelä Arja
Published: July 2022

Aims:

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan set a goal of creating a Tobacco-Free Generation in Europe by 2040. Prevention is important for achieving this goal. We compare the Nordic countries’ preventive tobacco policies, discuss the possible determinants for similarities and differences in policy implementation, and provide strategies for strengthening tobacco prevention.

Methods:

We used the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to identify the key policies for this narrative review. We focused on Articles 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 16 of the WHO FCTC, and assessed the status of the required (core) and recommended (advanced) policies and their application to novel tobacco and nicotine products. Information on the implementation of strategies, acts and regulations were searched from global and national tobacco control databases, websites and scientific articles via PubMed and MEDLINE.

Results:

The WHO FCTC and European regulations have ensured that the core policies are mostly in place, but also contributed to the shared deficiencies that are seen especially in the regulations on smokeless tobacco and novel products. Strong national tobacco control actors have facilitated countries to implement some advanced policies – even as the first countries in the world: point-of-sale display bans (Iceland), outdoor smoking bans (Sweden), flavour bans on electronic cigarettes (Finland), plain packaging (Norway), and plain packaging on electronic cigarettes (Denmark).

Conclusions:

Collaboration and participation in reinforcing the European regulations, resources for national networking between tobacco control actors, and national regulations to provide protection from the tobacco industry’s interference are needed to strengthen comprehensive implementation of tobacco policies in the Nordic countries.
‘I (don’t) want X/Y’: Formulating ‘wants’ in Chinese Mediation Resources
Authors: Ke Xianbing
Published: July 2022

The recurrent court-related mediation discourse studies have focused on mediation participants’ willingness. Drawing on a corpus of five situated recorded court-related civil mediation data in China, this article takes one of the frequently-used mediation resources ‘ I don’t want X/Y’ (here X, Y stands for a certain mediation willingness/intention) as a case study of formulating mediation ‘wants’. It is intended to explore mediation participants’ exploitation of the court-related mediation resources to express their mediation willingness/ intentions: how the mediator manipulates either side of the participants’ mediation discursive concepts; how the mediator shift the trajectory of narrating the participants’ mediation dispute-facts to judging on the dispute-facts; and how the mediator deviates himself from the third-party neutral mediators’ mediating role. The value of analyzing this formulation ‘ I don’t want X/Y’ is to reveal the fact that such mediation practices in their recurrent environments might go against the court-related mediation principles such as being self-willingness, neutrality and uprightness. This article contributes to formulate mediation ‘wants’ strategically and promote the court-related mediation practices in the service of sequentially unfolding mediation interaction effectively.
‘You’re in a new game and you don’t know the rules: Preparing carers to care’
Authors: Atkinson Teresa , Bray Jennifer , Williamson Tracey
Published: July 2022

Aim

Being an informal carer for a person living with dementia can be a demanding role which can have detrimental effects on personal well-being and affect a person’s ability to provide care for their loved one. This evaluation of support courses, offered by a leading UK charity dedicated to dementia family carers, highlights the impact of training to support the caring role.

Setting

Participants completed booklets at the training venue and subsequently online or by post. Interviews with participants took place by telephone. Participants: 84 participants completed booklets containing measures which generated quantitative data whilst 19 family carers participated in qualitative telephone interviews.

Design

A mixed methods approach was taken using booklets of validated measures to capture quantitative data, including capture of demographic information, together with semi-structured interviews conducted by telephone which were recorded, transcribed and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Overall, both the quantitative and qualitative analysis demonstrate that attending the carers support courses had a positive impact on carers with improvements being maintained over time. Outcomes indicated that carers generally remained in a better physical, mental and emotional situation than that experienced before the course.

Conclusion

Being prepared for the trajectory of the caring role when providing care for a person living with dementia can help informal carers to be better prepared, better supported and better informed. Evidence gained from this evaluation demonstrates the impact of the courses and adds to the current weak evidence base relating to dementia courses aimed at preparing carers to care.
Volunteers’ experiences building relationships with long-term care residents who have advanced dementia
Authors: Pereira Rebeca F , Myge Ivy , Hunter Paulette V , Kaasalainen Sharon
Published: July 2022

Healthcare volunteers make important contributions within healthcare settings, including long-term care. Although some studies conducted in long-term care have shown that volunteers contribute positively to the lives of people living with advanced dementia, others have raised questions about the potential for increasing volunteers’ involvement. The purpose of this study is to understand volunteers’ perspectives on their work and relationships with long-term care residents with advanced dementia. A total of 16 volunteers participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. Interview data were analyzed using an inductive approach to thematic analysis. In this analysis, a central concept, relationships in dementia care volunteering, enveloped four related themes: mutuality and empathy as the foundation for dementia care relationships with residents, family as the focus of volunteer relationships, relationships shaped by grief, and staff support for volunteer relationships. We conclude that in long-term care settings, volunteer roles and relationship networks are more robust than they are often imagined to be. We recommend that long-term care providers looking to engage volunteers consider training and supporting volunteers to cultivate relationships with residents, family, and staff; navigate experiences of loss; and be considered as members of dementia care teams.
Multi-Bolt looseness detection using a new acoustic emission strategy
Authors: Wang Furui
Published: July 2022

In mechanical and aerospace engineering, different components are usually integrated together via bolted connections. Compared to the rivet joint and welding joint, the bolted connection is preferred in some cases due to its easy-to-operation and low-cost. However, the bolt self-loosening caused by vibration or other issues (e.g., improper installation and chemical corrosion) may induce severe accidents. Therefore, in this paper, the author proposes a new strategy based on the acoustic emission (AE) technique to detect bolt looseness. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this research is the first attempt to identify multi-bolt looseness via the AE-based method. Particularly, the main contribution is that the author proposes a new shapelet-enhanced AE method that employs a newly developed dual-shapelet networks classifier to discriminate AE waves. The dual-shapelet networks classifier consists of sample-specific shapelets, which is sensitive to the difference among various categories, and category-specific shapelets derived from auxiliary binary classifiers. The objective of category-specific shapelets is to address the imbalanced classification task, that is, discriminating minority categories. Then, the sample-specific shapelets and category-specific shapelets are combined to extract features from AE signals under different multi-bolt looseness cases, and the final classification is achieved by feeding the extracted features into a softmax layer. Finally, the author conducts an experiment to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Moreover, by comparing the proposed method’s performance with two baselines, the advantages of the shapelet-enhanced AE method can be demonstrated. Overall, this research demonstrates that the AE technique is valid to characterize friction and collision between asperities on the bolted interface, thus providing a new direction for multi-bolt looseness detection, and the proposed shapelet-enhanced AE method has substantial potential in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM).
Out-of-State Contributions Provide Non-Incumbent House Candidates with a Competitive Edge
Authors: Baker Anne E.
Published: July 2022

Out-of-state donors’ contributions represent a growing share of fundraising receipts for House candidates. This raises the question of whether out-of-state contributions simply represent more money flowing to the campaigns’ coffers or whether these monies could be worth more than their outright cash value. Using campaign finance data from the U.S. Federal Election Commission 2010-2018, I examine both the fundraising and electoral impacts of non-incumbent House candidates’ receipt of these funds using structural equation modeling, a matching analysis, and a regression analysis. I uncover evidence that out-of-state contributions are an indication of the candidate’s integration into the extended party network (EPN) finding they are closely tied to interest group support. Out-of-state contributions are also found to have a positive impact on non-incumbent House candidates’ competitiveness, which likely stems from the broader support of the EPN.
Research Collectives With, For, and By Undocumented Scholars: Creating Counterspaces for Revelation, Validation, Resistance, Empowerment, and Liberation in Higher Education
Authors: Salazar Cinthya , Barahona Cindy , Romero Viruel Andrea , Velasco Zuñiga Juan David , Palma Bertha , Meza Karen Janeth , Moreno Reneé
Published: July 2022

We use a testimonio methodology to examine how engaging in a research collective designed with and for, and comprised by current and former undocumented scholars promoted our development, persistence, and professional preparedness. We argue that research collectives initiated through participatory action research serve as counterspaces for revelation, validation, resistance, empowerment, and liberation for undocumented students. We conclude with recommendations on how faculty can become empowerment agents and create these critical spaces in higher education.
Analysis of electrical and comfort properties of conductive knitted fabrics based on blending ratio of silver-coated yarns for smart clothing
Authors: Lee Suhyun
Published: July 2022

In this study, the relationship between the functionality and comfort of conductive fabrics for smart clothing is investigated by examining changes in the mechanical, electrical, and comfort properties of knitted fabrics based on the blending ratio of conductive yarns. Hence, flat knitted fabrics of the same structure are manufactured using polyester and silver-coated polyamide yarns. Subsequently, their weight, thickness, tensile strength, tensile strain, bending rigidity, breathability, surface properties are measured, and their cool touch feeling, surface resistance, and electrical heating performance are evaluated. Because the strength and specific gravity of a silver-coated conductive yarn are high, with an increase in its blending ratio, its weight, tensile strength, and bending rigidity increase, whereas its strain decreases. In terms of the comfort properties, the air permeability increases as the blending ratio of the conductive yarn increases, because the pores on the surface of the knitted fabric are increased structurally owing to the conductive yarns. However, the water vapor transmission rate remains unchanged. Meanwhile, the surface roughness does not change significantly in the wale direction; however, it increases in the course direction as the blending ratio of the conductive yarn increases. The recoverability from compression decreases, and the work of compression increases as the blending ratio of the conductive yarn increases. This implies that the conductive fabric can be compressed easily but is less likely to recover from compression. Changes in the surface roughness and compression property show that the hand value of the knitted fabric is altered by the insertion of the conductive yarn. The electrical properties improved by increasing the blending ratio of the conductive yarns. In particular, even with only 33% insertion of conductive yarns, extremely good electrical properties are obtained, that is, low resistance, sensitive resistance change due to stretching, and heating of 48°C. Therefore, blending conventional and conductive yarns instead of using only conductive yarns improve comfort and wearability when applying conductive knitted fabrics to smart clothing.
Nurses’ intention to stay in the work environment in acute healthcare: a systematic review
Authors: Al Yahyaei Asma , Hewison Alistair , Efstathiou Nikolaos , Carrick-Sen Debbie
Published: July 2022

Background

With staffing shortages affecting increasing numbers of health services globally, and predictions that shortages will worsen in the future, there is broad consensus that leaders at all levels must do more to support and develop current employees. However, the wide range of attributes of a healthy work environment identified in the literature and the financial implications of creating healthy work environments make it challenging to determine which elements of the nursing work environment are the most important in terms of workforce sustainability. This is a significant gap in our knowledge, and there is no consensus in the literature regarding definition and explanation of work environment factors in a way that facilitates prioritisation.

Objectives

The aim of this review was to synthesise and evaluate the evidence of the factors which may have an effect on intention to stay and role of the work environment in enhancing nurses’ intention to stay in the work environment in acute healthcare.

Design and methods

This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed for relevant articles published between 1990 and December 2017 using the following electronic databases: Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, ProQuest theses and dissertations, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus, MEDLINE (Ovid) and PsycINFO. The reviewers independently screened the abstracts and full texts, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included papers using appropriate tools.

Results

A total of 4968 studies were screened by title, abstract, and full-text review, and 29 studies were included in this review. The identified determinants of nurses’ intention to stay were grouped into four main categories: individual indicators (personal and professional), organisation/profile, work environment, and patient-related. Several working environment variables identified in this review were significantly associated with the nurses’ intention to stay.

Conclusion

Despite the limitations of this review, the evidence indicates that attention to meso-level variables such as organisational characteristics and work environment is vital if the working environment is to improve and nurses’ intention to stay is to increase. The multifaceted nature of the concept of intention to stay makes it difficult to present definitive conclusions based on the findings of this review. However, the identified theoretical models were instrumental in differentiating intention to stay from other concepts such as intention to leave, turnover and retention, theoretically, and operationally.
What are the benefits and challenges of mentoring in midwifery? An integrative review
Authors: Wissemann Krystyl , Bloxsome Dianne , De Leo Annemarie , Bayes Sara
Published: July 2022

Aim:

The aim of this review was to synthesize best available evidence on mentoring programmes for midwives who have worked within the clinical setting for more than 1 year.

Background:

Lack of job satisfaction, stress, burnout and limited managerial support contributes to midwifery workforce attrition and the ongoing global shortage of midwives. Mentoring may be one way to improve staff retention, leading to positive clinical and organizational outcomes.

Design:

A five-step integrative review approach, based on a series of articles published by the Joanna Briggs Institute for conducting systematic reviews, was used to develop a search strategy, selection criteria, method for quality appraisal and the extraction and synthesis of data.

Methods:

Relevant articles were sought from the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, PubMed, MIDIRS and Scopus. The search and screening process was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis 2009 checklist. Narrative analysis was used to develop four main categories derived from the results from the included studies.

Results:

Eight studies were included in this review from which four themes were developed that are relevant to mentoring in midwifery; the impact on midwives’ direct environment, their immediate relationships with peers and management, and the overarching influence of the organization directly impact the accessibility and support midwives receive in mentoring programmes.

Conclusion:

To enhance staff retention in the workforce, midwives require support from the wider organization in which they work.

Relevance to clinical practice:

Understanding midwives’ perspectives of mentoring programmes will directly influence the development of midwifery-specific mentoring programmes, which may lead to improved staff retention in the midwifery workforce.
ROC measures of memory accessibility
Authors: Dubé Chad
Published: July 2022

Laming has recently proposed a way to measure the accessibility (as opposed to availability) of memories via recognition testing. His measure “Accessibility” is calculated by subtracting the hit rate and false alarm rate that fall at the point where the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve’s derivative is 1. I prove that, if one works within the framework of Unequal-Variance Signal Detection Theory (UVSDT), as Laming does, the measure “Accessibility” depends on the location of the response criterion (though always with a neutral likelihood ratio). Furthermore, I prove that the measure varies with the underlying variances of UVSDT regardless of which definition of bias (criterion or likelihood ratio) is used and, crucially, this holds even when the accuracy of discrimination performance or “sensitivity” [Formula: see text] in UVSDT is constant. As such, from the standpoint of (at least) UVSDT, it is questionable whether or to what extent the new measure of “Accessibility” actually measures the accessibility of any memory.
Public discourse on refugees in social media: ‘Refugees Welcome in Lithuania’
Authors: Sutkutė Rūta
Published: July 2022

Social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are starting to become places where people present and evaluate various events in the world such as terrorist attacks in London, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels in 2017. Moreover, these websites influence value perception of their users and readers. These new technologies allow people to exchange views at the very moment of the event and time zone and location users of the platforms do not have a significant role in this exchange process. However, this capability of these new technologies can have a negative impact on some social groups. The aim of this article is to provide an analysis of the discourse in social media on refugees’ integration in their respective host societies by analysing the content in Lithuanian language Facebook pages ‘Priimsiu pabėgėlį’ (eng. ‘Refugees Welcome’) and ‘Visuomeninis komitetas prieš priverstinę imigraciją’ (eng. ‘Public Committee against Forced Immigration’).
Thumb fingertip injuries reconstruction using a dorsoulnar flap of the thumb combined with relay V–Y flaps for donor site repair
Authors: Wang Jin , Zhou Xiao , Qiang Li , Xue Mingyu
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

To assess the clinical value and feasibility of the dorsoulnar flap of the thumb combined with relay V–Y flaps for reconstruction of the thumb fingertip injuries.

Methods:

In this retrospective study, we retrospectively reviewed 20 patients (13 men, 7 women; June 2014–June 2016) with thumb fingertip defects who underwent reconstructive procedures with transfer of the dorsoulnar flap of the thumb. The average size of the defects ranged from 1.8 cm × 2.0 cm to 2.0 cm × 3.0 cm, whereas the reconstructed dorsoulnar flap of the thumb ranged in size from 2.0 cm × 2.2 cm to 2.2 cm × 3.0 cm. A V-Y flap was used to repair the donor site at the same time. Sensation within the reconstructed thumb, the aesthetic appearance of both the donor and recipient sites, functional recovery, and return-to-work (RTW) time were measured.

Results:

All 40 flaps survived without necrosis. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 24 months. There were no complications reported. The mean static two-point discrimination values at the reconstructed thumb fingertip and donor site were 8.5 mm (range 8–10 mm) and 12.5 mm (range 12–14 mm), respectively. The average visual analog scores for the aesthetic appearance of the recipient and donor sites were 8.4 (range 8–9.5) and 9.6 (range 9–10), respectively. The average Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire score for the reconstructed hand was 9.4 (range 6–16). The average RTW time was 9.8 weeks (range 6–13 weeks). All patients were satisfied with the aesthetic outcome.

Conclusion:

The dorsoulnar flap of the thumb is an ideal alternative for reconstruction of the thumb fingertip injuries, and a V-Y flap was suitable for repairing the donor site with a reduced incidence of complications.
English Language Usage and Academic Achievement Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Alqahtani Naji
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Nursing students who speak English as a second language (ESL) face academic challenges such as academic and clinical underperformance and slower course progression. English language usage and its effect on Saudi undergraduate nursing students’ academic achievement is limited in the literature.

Objectives

To identify the level of and the effect of English language usage on academic achievement among Saudi undergraduate nursing students.

Methods

A cross-sectional, correlational descriptive design was employed. Data were collected from a convenience sample of nursing students (N = 90) attending a public nursing program in Saudi Arabia using English Language Usage Scale (ELUS-11). Data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics.

Results

Saudi nursing students’ academic achievement was high. However, their English language usage was low. Yet, the student’s highest average score was related to listening, followed by reading, general, writing, and speaking. The general linear model revealed that English language usage influenced academic achievement (B = .026, p <.001) after controlling the sample gender and academic level.

Conclusions

The findings showed English language usage was associated with academic achievement. Saudi nursing students were willing to succeed in their studies despite their low levels of English skills. Providing English resources such as courses through extracurricular activities and workshops for the students might enhance their use of English, which might improve their academic achievement.
Real-world study of children and young adults with myeloproliferative neoplasms: identifying risks and unmet needs
Authors: Sobas Marta , Kiladjian Jean-Jacques , Beauverd Yan , Curto-Garcia Natalia , Sadjadian Parvis , Shih Lee Yung , Devos Timothy , Krochmalczyk Dorota , Galli Serena , Bieniaszewska Maria , Seferynska Ilona , McMullin Mary Frances , Armatys Anna , Spalek Adrianna , Waclaw Joanna , Zdrenghea Mihnea , Legros Laurence , Girodon François , Lewandowski Krzysztof , Angona Figueras Anna , Samuelsson Jan , Abuin Blanco Aitor , Cony-Makhoul Pascale , Collins Angela , James Chloé , Kusec Rajko , Lauermannova Marie , Noya Maria Sol , Skowronek Malgorzata , Szukalski Lukasz , Szmigielska-Kaplon Anna , Wondergem Marielle , Dudchenko Iryna , Gora Tybor Joanna , Laribi Kamel , Kulikowska de Nalecz Anna , Demory Jean-Loup , Le Du Katell , Zweegman Sonja , Besses Raebel Carlos , Skoda Radek , Giraudier Stéphane , Griesshammer Martin , Harrison Claire N. , Ianotto Jean-Christophe
Published: July 2022

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are uncommon in children/young adults. Here, we present data on unselected patients diagnosed before 25 years of age included from 38 centers in 15 countries. Sequential patients were included. We identified 444 patients, with median follow-up 9.7 years (0-47.8). Forty-nine (11.1%) had a history of thrombosis at diagnosis, 49 new thrombotic events were recorded (1.16% patient per year [pt/y]), perihepatic vein thromboses were most frequent (47.6% venous events), and logistic regression identified JAK2V617F mutation (P = .016) and hyperviscosity symptoms (visual disturbances, dizziness, vertigo, headache) as risk factors (P = .040). New hemorrhagic events occurred in 44 patients (9.9%, 1.04% pt/y). Disease transformation occurred in 48 patients (10.9%, 1.13% pt/y), usually to myelofibrosis (7.5%) with splenomegaly as a novel risk factor for transformation in essential thrombocythemia (ET) (P= .000) in logistical regression. Eight deaths (1.8%) were recorded, 3 after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Concerning conventional risk scores: International Prognostic Score for Essential Thrombocythemia-Thrombosis and new International Prognostic Score for Essential Thrombocythemia-Thrombosis differentiated ET patients in terms of thrombotic risk. Both scores identified high-risk patients with the same median thrombosis-free survival of 28.5 years. No contemporary scores were able to predict survival for young ET or polycythemia vera patients. Our data represents the largest real-world study of MPN patients age < 25 years at diagnosis. Rates of thrombotic events and transformation were higher than expected compared with the previous literature. Our study provides new and reliable information as a basis for prospective studies, trials, and development of harmonized international guidelines for the specific management of young patients with MPN.
Linkage mapping combined with GWAS revealed the genetic structural relationship and candidate genes of maize flowering time-related traits
Authors: Shi Jian , Wang Yunhe , Wang Chuanhong , Wang Lei , Zeng Wei , Han Guomin , Qiu Chunhong , Wang Tengyue , Tao Zhen , Wang Kaiji , Huang Shijie , Yu Shuaishuai , Wang Wanyi , Chen Hongyi , Chen Chen , He Chen , Wang Hui , Zhu Peiling , Hu Yuanyuan , Zhang Xin , Xie Chuanxiao , Lu Xiaoduo , Li Peijin
Published: July 2022

Background

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of crops and significantly affects plant adaptation and seed production. Flowering time varies greatly among maize (Zea mays) inbred lines, but the genetic basis of this variation is not well understood. Here, we report the comprehensive genetic architecture of six flowering time-related traits using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population obtained from a cross between two maize genotypes, B73 and Abe2, and combined with genome-wide association studies to identify candidate genes that affect flowering time.

Results

Our results indicate that these six traits showed extensive phenotypic variation and high heritability in the RIL population. The flowering time of this RIL population showed little correlation with the leaf number under different environmental conditions. A genetic linkage map was constructed by 10,114 polymorphic markers covering the whole maize genome, which was applied to QTL mapping for these traits, and identified a total of 82 QTLs that contain 13 flowering genes. Furthermore, a combined genome-wide association study and linkage mapping analysis revealed 17 new candidate genes associated with flowering time.

Conclusions

In the present study, by using genetic mapping and GWAS approaches with the RIL population, we revealed a list of genomic regions and candidate genes that were significantly associated with flowering time. This work provides an important resource for the breeding of flowering time traits in maize.
The association between Roussouly sagittal alignment type and risk for adjacent segment degeneration following short-segment lumbar interbody fusion: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Qu Zhe , Deng Bin , Gao Xiao , Pan Bin , Sun Wei , Feng Hu
Published: July 2022

Background

To date, the influence of Roussouly type on development of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after lumber fusion is still not fully explored, and the current study is aimed to evaluate the effect of Roussouly type on development of radiological ASD after single-level lumber fusion, and to compare the Roussouly types and spinopelvic parameters among those with different degenerative patterns of ASDs on sagittal plane.

Methods

A retrospective review of 288 patients underwent L4/5 or L5/S1 single-level posterior interbody fusions between January 2016 and December 2018 with a minimum 2-year follow up was performed. Radiological ASDs were identified and divided into 3 groups according to different degenerative patterns of the cephalad adjacent level on sagittal plane, including the types of retrolisthesis (Group A), anterolisthesis (Group B), and axial disc space narrowing (Group C). Roussouly types and radiological measurements were compared among three groups and potential risk factors for ASD were evaluated.

Results

Radiological ASD was found in 59 (20.5%) cases, in which patients with Roussouly type-2 was the most common. While, on subgroup analysis among three ASD groups, Roussouly type-1 occupied the highest proportion in Group A, differ in Group B and Group C, both with Type-2 as the most common. Moreover, Group A had significantly lower pelvic tilt (PT), larger sacral slope (SS), and larger segmental angle (SA) than Group B and Group C, which showed a more anteverted pelvic in Group A. Multivariate regression analysis noted Roussouly type, preoperative PT, and ∆PI-LL as the independent risk factors for radiological ASD.

Conclusion

Roussouly type was significantly associated with the development of radiological ASD; however, the Roussouly types and spinal pelvic parameters were varied among different sagittal degenerative patterns of ASD, which was important in restoring optimal lumbar sagittal alignments in initial surgery.
Prevalence and factors associated with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA): a cross-sectional study
Authors: Manisha Anselmo M. , Shangali Aminiel R. , Mfinanga Sayoki G. , Mbugi Erasto V.
Published: July 2022

Background

The Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is a slowly progressive Type 1 diabetes subgroup with onset during middle age. Studies report that about 10% of adults initially diagnosed with clinical Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have LADA. Inappropriate diagnosis and mismanagement of the LADA can increase the risk of diabetic complications, which affect the quality of life and is the cause of increased mortality. In low-income countries setting, data regarding the magnitude of LADA is limited. We carried out this study to estimate the burden of misdiagnosed LADA among T2D patients in selected health facilities in Dar es Salaam and to bring awareness to the use of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) autoantibody in screening for LADA.

Methodology

We enrolled 186 phenotypically T2D patients in this cross-sectional study, through a standardized data collection tool we obtained participants’ demographic and clinical information. For testing GAD levels, we used a double-antibody Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The Fisher’s Exact and student t-tests were used to test the significance of the statistical associations of the glycaemic control and diabetes complications between T2D and LADA.

Results

Out of 186 patients, 156 gave conclusive GAD Ab ELISA reading with LADA accounting for 5.1% (95% CI: 2.5 - 10.0). The mean age of subjects was 54.3 years (Range: 33-85 years). The parameters such as mean age, family history of diabetes mellitus status, Fasting Blood Glucose, clinical characteristics, and complications did not show significant statistical differences between patients with LADA and Type 2 diabetes. However, all LADA- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) comorbid patients had retinopathy, which was statistically insignificant in 20 (87%) T2D-HIV comorbid patients (p = 0.669). Neither neuropathy, nephropathy, nor Diabetic Mellitus (D.M.) foot syndrome was observed among LADA-HIV comorbid patients. Nevertheless, 22 (95.7%), 3 (13%), and 2 (8.7%) of T2D-HIV comorbidity had neuropathy, nephropathy, or D.M. foot syndrome, respectively.

Conclusions

The study established a LADA prevalence of 5.1% among T2D patients and has shown the role of GAD autoantibody in the screening for LADA. The study calls for a well- designed larger longitudinal study to generate strong evidence on the association of risk factors and complications associated with the LADA. This will develop robust evidence on the association of risk factors and complications associated with the LADA and T2D.
Teaching and learning lifestyle medicine during COVID-19: how has living during a pandemic influenced students’ understanding and attitudes to self-care and population health? A qualitative analysis
Authors: Harvey Christopher-James , Maile Edward J. , Baptista Ana , Pinder Richard J.
Published: July 2022

Background

In 2019 a new Lifestyle Medicine (LM) module was introduced to the undergraduate medical curriculum at Imperial College London. Lifestyle Medicine is an emergent discipline which aims to tackle the increasing burden of non-communicable disease. Previous work has suggested that students value clinical teaching over traditional Public Health topics. Taking a constructivist view of learning, this paper assesses changes in medical students’ attitudes towards Public Health and LM in response to living through a pandemic. We then make suggestions as to how this lived experience might be useful in teaching LM, and discuss the interaction between teaching, behaviour, and experience with consideration of self-determination theories in learning.

Methods

First-year medical students were surveyed at the end of their first year of teaching and asked if living during the COVID-19 pandemic had changed the value they place on LM and if so, how. Thematic analysis was conducted on responses representing 71% (n = 216) of the year group.

Results

Four themes were defined in the data: acknowledging importance; impact on behaviour; health inequalities and the wider determinants; and promoting Public Health and prevention. These themes highlight the distinct levels through which the pandemic has had an impact: from personal behaviour to population health.

Conclusions

This is the first study to look at the impact of living through a pandemic on attitudes to LM. Our results suggest that the pandemic has led to increased reflection on health behaviours. The lived-experience of COVID-19 may facilitate a better understanding of health inequalities and their impact, alongside the opportunities presented by effective LM interventions.