bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence of the Internal Structure and Measurement Invariance of the BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher Form
Authors: Eklund Katie , Kilgus Stephen P. , Willenbrink Jessica B. , Collins Bri’Anna , Gill Noah , Weist Madison M. , Porter Julia , Lewis Timothy J. , Mitchell Barbara , Wills Howard
Published: August 2022

The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher Form (BESS) is a universal screening measure designed to identify social, emotional, and behavioral risks in students. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to examine the extent to which the developer-proposed factor model fits the BASC-3 BESS data within an elementary K-5 sample of students ( N = 1472). Results suggested a higher-order factor structure, which was specified in accordance with developer recommendations, provided acceptable fit to the BASC-3 BESS data. Measurement invariance of the factor structure across student age levels was then examined via a series of multi-group CFA models. Introduction Multi-group CFA findings supported the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the factor structure across age levels. Practical implications for educators and school psychologists interested in universal screening and directions for future research are discussed.
Prevalence of QT-Prolonging Drug-Drug Interactions in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis
Authors: Ramasubbu Saravana Kumar , Mishra Archana , Mandal Soumitra
Published: August 2022

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are considered an emerging threat to the patients if undetected. DDIs can prolong QT interval, leading to fatal ventricular arrhythmia. Antipsychotics and antidepressants prescribed commonly to psychiatric patients have the propensity to prolong QT interval and can precipitate Torsades de pointes (TdP). This review aimed to summarize the prevalence of QT interval prolonging DDIs in psychiatric patients. Methods: This meta-analysis was carried out following the MOOSE (Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) statement. Databases like Pubmed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Research gate were scanned for English language papers. Indexed terms from Medical Subject (MeSH) and other search terms for “QT prolongation”, “Drug interactions”, and “Psychiatry” were used to identify the articles. All published articles available until the day of the collection were considered. Outcome measures were analyzed with meta package in R language. Results: A total of 5 studies were eligible for inclusion. From the included studies, QT-prolonging DDIs were found in 14806 patients out of 30122 patients. The prevalence of QT-prolonging DDIs in psychiatric patients was found to be 42% (95% confidence interval: 21%, 66%). The factors associated with potential drug-drug interactions were related to patient characteristics such as polypharmacy, age and comorbid disease. Conclusion: This review concluded that psychiatric patients were prescribed the drugs/drug combinations which can prolong QT interval and can cause adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Hence, it is important to implement precautionary safety interventions, be vigilant and prevent QT prolongation and adverse cardiac effects in clinical practice.
Determination of activation energy for carbon/epoxy prepregs containing carbon nanotubes by differential scanning calorimetry
Authors: Uz Yusuf Can , Tanoğlu Metin
Published: August 2022

The aim of the present study is the thermal characterization of laboratory-scale carbon fiber/epoxy-based prepregs by incorporating single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Investigation of the cure behavior of a prepreg system is crucial for the characterization and optimization of the fiber reinforced polymeric (FRP) composite. To affect dispersion characteristics, SWCNTs were functionalized by oxidizing their surface with carboxyl (-COOH) group using an acid treatment. The modified resin system contained 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 wt. % functionalized SWCNTs (F-SWCNTs). Carbon fiber (CF) reinforced prepregs containing various amount of F-SWCNTs were prepared using drum-type winding technique. FTIR was performed to identify new bonding groups formed after the functionalization of SWCNTs. Cure kinetics of prepregs prepared with/without F-SWCNTs were investigated using isoconversional methods.
Research on a coupler with arc surface contact and its effect on a train collision
Authors: Zhou Hechao , Wang Xupeng , Wang Yuwei , Zhan Jun , Zhang Jimin
Published: August 2022

Based on the multi-body dynamics a three-dimensional train collision model including a coupler-buffer substructure is established in this paper. During the train collision, the dynamic responses of coupler-buffer substructure are comprehensively analysed. Some key parameters, such as the coupler initial deflection angle, max-angle, friction force at the arc contact surface and buffer impedance force, are investigated and their effects on the train derailment are also evaluated. The simulation results indicate that during a train collision the longitudinal impact force is so large that the coupler-buffer device reveals a weak ability to anti-jackknifing. As a result, in some cases the coupler rotation angle is very large and equal to its designed max-angle. Under the effect of this large coupler rotation angle, the collided trains have a risk to derail. In order to improve the collided train’s safety against derailment, a high friction force at the coupler arc contact surface and a low coupler max-angle are suggested.
Research on the roll control of the flapless aircraft with circulation control
Authors: Li Ling-Xiao , Xu He-Yong , Wang Yu-Hang , Xu Yue
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this paper is to study the roll control of the flapless aircraft under low-speed and high-speed flight states and investigate the equivalent control effect (ECE) and the power consumption of the pneumatic control. First, the roll moment coefficient of the aircraft with different aileron deflection angles is calculated. Then the intensity of the jet is adjusted to match the roll moment coefficient, so that the deflection angle of the ailerons and the intensity of the jet corresponding to the same rolling moment are found. Based on the realization of the roll control, the aerodynamic efficiency of the flapless aircraft is evaluated by using the equivalent lift-to-drag ratio ( Ecc) considering power consumption. The ECE curves of the pneumatic roll control under low-speed and high-speed flight states are obtained. Under low-speed flight state, the increment of aerodynamic efficiency brought by the jet cannot make up for its power consumption. Under high-speed flight state, the aerodynamic efficiency increment brought by the pneumatic control can compensate its power consumption before Cl = 0.061.
Abnormal data cleaning of wind turbine power curve using Bayesian change point-quartile combined algorithm
Authors: Wang Zhiming , Liu Weimin , Wang Xuan
Published: August 2022

During the operation of wind turbines, there are a lot of abnormal data collected from wind power data, which cannot be used to truly evaluate the performance and operation state of wind turbines. According to the distribution characteristics of these abnormal data, an outlier delete method using Bayesian change point-quartile combined algorithm is proposed. Firstly, to identify and delete the abnormal data below wind power curve, based on the Bayesian theorem, change point position is identified. Finally, the quartile method is utilized to delete the upper sparse outliers. The proposed method is applied to 10-min field monitoring wind power data, root mean square error (RMSE), program running time and the rejection rate of field wind turbine data are used to measure model accuracy, the results show that compared with the least squares (LS) change point method, the method proposed in this paper is feasible and effective.
Potential value and mechanism of Rosa roxburghii tratt juice on pro-inflammatory responses in peripheral blood of patients with arsenic poisoning
Authors: Dong Ling , Xia Shiqing , Sun Baofei , Ma Lu , Chen Xiong , Wei Shaofeng , Zou Zhonglan , Zhang Aihua
Published: August 2022

Increasing evidence supports the role of arsenic in dysregulated immune and inflammation responses, while, safe and effective treatments have not been fully examined. Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT), a traditional Chinese edible fruit with potential immunoregulatory activities, was considered as a dietary supplement to explore its protective effects and possible mechanism in arsenic-induced dysregulated inflammation responses. We enrolled 209 arsenicosis patients and 41 controls to obtain baseline data, including the degree of arsenic poisoning prior to the RRT juice (RRTJ) intervention. Then, based on criteria of inclusion and exclusion and the principle of voluntary participation, 106 arsenicosis patients who volunteered to receive treatment were divided into RRTJ (n = 53) and placebo (n = 53) groups randomly. After three months follow-up, 89 subjects (46 and 43 of the RRTJ and placebo groups, respectively) completed the study and were examined for the effects and possible mechanisms of RRTJ on the Th17 cells-related pro-inflammatory responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The PBMCs had higher levels of Th17 and Th17-related inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-6, and RORγt. Furthermore, the gene expressions of STAT3 and SOCS3 in PBMCs increased and decreased, respectively. Conversely, RRTJ decreased the number of Th17 cells, secretion of IL-17, IL-6, RORγt, and relative mRNA levels of STAT3, and increased the transcript levels of SOCS3. This study provides limited evidence that possible immunomodulatory effects of RRTJ on the critical regulators, IL-6 and STAT3, of the Th17 cells in arsenicosis patients, which indicated that IL-6/STAT3 pathway might appear as a potential therapeutic target in arsenicosis.
Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in older adults with insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Kexin , Li Su , He Rendong , Zhong Tangsheng , Yang Haiqi , Chen Li , Gao Hui , Jia Yong
Published: August 2022

Objectives: The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in older adults. We searched six databases to identify articles published in English or Chinese until January 30th, 2022. Methods: The two authors of the review independently selected the studies, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted the data. Fourteen studies were included. Results: Based on the results from sleep logs, a significant pooled effect size was observed for sleep efficiency (SE%) (MD = 8.36; 95% CI, 5.96–10.76; I 2 = 77%; p < .00001), sleep onset latency (SOL) (MD = −9.29; 95% CI, −13.62 to −4.96; I 2 = 64%; p < 0.0001), wake after sleep onset (WASO) (MD = −23.44; 95% CI, −32.41 to −14.47; I 2 = 85%; p < .00001), and total sleep time (TST) (MD = −12.35; 95% CI, −21.27 to −3.42; I 2 = 63%; p = 0.007). Conclusions: Our study suggests that CBT-I may be a safe and effective approach for improving insomnia in older adults.
Product Interfaces for Older Adult Users With Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Chen Li-Hao , Huang Yung-Chuan , Zhao Ruo-Qiao
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the usability of multiple forms of television remote control interfaces for older adult users and users with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to clarify the operation performance requirements of these two user groups. The test interfaces were constructed through programming and were capable of recording participants’ task completion time, operation errors, and the locations of their taps. The results show that users with MCI could not perform their initial action quickly and accurately; buttons with larger sizes provided greater operation performance for older adult users and users with MCI.
Foreign Policy Preferences and Vote Choice Under Semi-Presidentialism
Authors: Jastramskis Mažvydas
Published: August 2022

Under semi-presidential regimes, directly elected presidents often play a central role in foreign policy, but their responsibility for the economy is limited. I propose an office-centred explanation of voter behaviour in semi-presidential elections based on the foreign policy preferences of the electorate. In order to explore the empirical applicability of this addition to the theory, I explore the Lithuanian case: a semi-presidential country where the president has substantial powers in foreign and defence policy and the presidents are usually non-partisan. I employ a dataset from the Lithuanian 2019 post-election survey that offers a battery of items measuring the positions of voters on foreign policy issues. When controlling for alternative explanations, I find that foreign policy preferences (measured as an index of voter attitudes towards Russia and defence) are a strong and stable determinant of vote choice, in both the first and second rounds of presidential elections.
A Multi-Group Study of Psychological Capital and Job Search Behaviours Among University Graduates With and Without Work Placement Learning Experience
Authors: Uwakwe Rowland Chukwuemeka , Okolie Ugochukwu Chinonso , Ehiobuche Christian , Ochinanwata Chinedu , Idike Ifeanyi Matthew
Published: August 2022

We build upon the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM) to test the effects of psychological capital constructs (hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience) on preparatory and active job search behaviours, mediated by job search goals in a multi-group study of university graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation and those who did not. Using a two-wave data from 473 university fresh graduates in the one-year national youth service corps ( N = 209 who undertook work placement learning before graduation) and ( N = 264 who did not undertake work placement learning) in Nigeria, we test an SCCT-CSM-driven model employing structural equation modelling for the multi-group study. The findings revealed positive effects of self-efficacy and optimism on the preparatory and active job search behaviours across both samples but higher effects in the graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation. Job search goals mediated the effects of self-efficacy and optimism on their preparatory and active job search behaviours in both samples. The serial mediation results show that self-efficacy and optimism indirectly affect the active job search behaviours via job search goals and preparatory job search behaviours. The implications of these results are discussed.
Structural Analysis of Social Behavior: Using Cluster Analysis to Examine Intrapsychic Personality Traits Associated With Depression in Women With Breast Cancer
Authors: Vespa Anna , Giulietti Maria Velia , Fabbietti Paolo , Di Rosa Mirko , Gattafoni Pisana , Sarzani Riccardo , Arnaldi Giorgio , Balercia Giancarlo , Berardi Rossana , Salvo Gianmaria , Attademo Luigi , Spatuzzi Roberta
Published: August 2022

Background

This study aimed to investigate personality traits associated with depression in breast cancer women (BCW).

Methods

Sample: 236 BCW recently diagnosed (early stages). Tests: SASB-Structural-Analysis of Social-Behavior; IPAT-CDQ-Depression . Statistical analysis: cluster K-Means analysis to explore SASB personality-traits considering the 8 SASB clusters (Cl); CDQ scores dichotomized by 50th percentile cutoff (high/low); Pearson’s chi square test to compare CDQ levels and SASB traits.

Results

Cluster analysis results supported two distinguishable SASB personality traits (for all SASB Cl-Scales P < .001) classified as “Love and Autonomy” (62.2%) and “Control and Hate” (37.8%). Patients with Love/Autonomy traits are spontaneous, accept their deepest feelings and desire to be close to other people (Cl1, Cl2, Cl3, Cl4). They show a medium value of self-control and a low tendency to self-abusive and self-critical behaviors (Cl5, Cl6). They pay attention to themselves and to their needs at emotional and physical levels also if may be occasionally engaged in self-destructive behaviors (Cl7, Cl8). Women with Control/Hate traits are not spontaneous and do not always express emotions (C1, Cl2, Cl3, Cl4) and flexibility in their relationship with others (Cl5, Cl6). In stressful situations, they may ignore the option of choices for self-growth and neglect their needs and those of others (Cl7, Cl8). BCWs with Control/Hate traits scored higher in depression ( P <.001) than those with the Love/Autonomy profile.

Conclusions

Healthcare professionals should be aware of these personality traits and their association with depression to identify the psychologically most vulnerable BCW and improve the care they provide them. The psychotherapeutic intervention should be planned to face on the personality problems.
A relaxed gradient based iterative algorithm of the generalized Sylvester-conjugate matrix equation over centro-symmetric and centro-Hermitian matrices
Authors: El-Shazly Naglaa M , Ramadan Mohamed A , El-Sharway Marwa H
Published: August 2022

The main purpose of this paper is to establish two relaxed gradient-based iterative (RGI) algorithms extending the Jacobi and Gauss–Seidel iterations for solving the generalized Sylvester-conjugate matrix equation [Formula: see text], over centro-symmetric, and centro-Hermitian matrices. It is shown that the iterative methods, respectively, converge to the centro-symmetric and centro-Hermitian solutions for any initial centro-symmetric and centro-Hermitian matrices. We report numerical tests to show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Readmission trends before and after a national reconfiguration of emergency departments in Denmark
Authors: Bogh Søren Bie , Fløjstrup Marianne , Möller Sören , Bech Mickael , Lassen Annmarie T , Brabrand Mikkel , Mogensen Christian B
Published: August 2022

Objective

In order to achieve better and more efficient emergency health care, the Danish public hospital system has been reconfigured, with hospital emergency care being centralised into extensive and specialised emergency departments. This article examines how this reconfiguration has affected patient readmission rates.

Methods

We included all unplanned hospital admissions (aged ≥18 years) at public, non-psychiatric hospitals in four geographical regions in Denmark between 1 January 2007 and 24 December 2017. Using an interrupted time-series design, we examined trend changes in the readmission rates. In addition to analysing the overall effect, analyses stratified according to admission time of day and weekdays/weekends were conducted. The analyses were adjusted for patient characteristics and other system changes.

Results

The seven-day readmission rate increased from 2.6% in 2007 to 3.8% in 2017, and the 30-day rate increased from 8.1% to 11.5%. However, the rates were less than what they would have been had the reconfiguration not been introduced. The reconfiguration reduced the seven-day readmission rate by 1.4% annually (hazard ratio [CI 95%] 0.986 [0.981–0.991]) and the 30-day rate by 1% annually (hazard ratio [CI 95%] 0.99 [0.987–0.993]).

Conclusions

Reconfiguration reduced the rate of increase in readmissions, but nevertheless readmissions still increased across the study period. It seems hospitals and policymakers will need to identify further ways to reduce patient loads.
Experimental investigation on flexural performance of splicing glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP)-Concrete-steel sandwich composite members
Authors: Gao Hai-yang , Wang Lian-guang , Chen Bai-ling , Li Xue
Published: August 2022

In practical engineering, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes have limited lengths due to fabrication and transportation constraints. It is needed to develop reliable splices for FRP-concrete composite member. This paper focuses on the flexural performance of splicing glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP)-concrete-steel sandwich composite members. Seven spliced sandwich composite specimens connected by steel bars and a continuous sandwich specimen were tested under three-point bending. The steel ratio of connecting rebar, steel tube diameter and GFRP tube thickness were all investigated. The results show that the GFRP tube has an apparent restraining effect on the concrete at around 55% of the ultimate load (Pu), and the spliced beams degrade at about 75% Pu. The splicing method based on connecting rebar satisfies the demand that the bearing capacity of a splicing member is greater than that of a continuous member, and the splicing specimens show sufficient ductile behavior with an average displacement ductility coefficient of 4.51. The connection steel ratio greatly affects the failure mode and the steel ratio 3.66% is suggested as the optimal value in the splicing joint of the sandwich composite members, for it ensures splicing strength and provides an ideal failure mode. The inner steel tube diameter affects the stress characteristic of section and improves bending stiffness, bearing capacity and ductility to a large extent.
Numerical study on impact resistance of rubberised concrete roadside barrier
Authors: Pan Lei , Hao Hong , Cui Jian , Pham Thong M
Published: August 2022

As an environmentally-friendly material, rubberised concrete has attracted a lot of attentions and researches in recent years. However, because of the addition of rubber crumbs, the strength and modulus of rubberised concrete are low as compared to normal concrete, which limit the wide applications of this material in construction of load-bearing structures. Considering the good deformation and impact resistance ability of rubberised concrete, many researchers have suggested that rubberised concrete material could be used to construct roadside barriers, but the research on rubberised concrete barrier subjected to vehicle collision is very limited. This paper studies the feasibility of application of this green material to make roadside barriers to resist vehicle impact. Numerical models of F-type barriers with A-grade and SS-grade made of rubberised concrete and normal concrete are established. The validities of the numerical models are verified by laboratory impact tests available in literature. The collision of the vehicle with the normal concrete barrier and the rubberised concrete barrier are simulated by the verified numerical models. The results show that the rubberised concrete barrier not only meets the safety requirements for roadside barriers, but also reduces the impact force acting on the vehicle and hence reduces the vehicle damage and risk of the drivers and passengers as compared with the normal concrete barrier. The results demonstrate the great application potentials of this green material for constructing roadside barriers and structures.
Change and Continuity in Citizens’ Evaluations of Supreme Court Nominees
Authors: Vining Richard L. , Bitecofer Rachel
Published: August 2022

In the 1980s and 1990s, supporters of Supreme Court nominees tended to characterize their views in non-ideological terms while opponents relied more on ideological justifications. Since then, the judicial appointment process has been increasingly entangled with partisan conflict. Given the heightened focus on nominees’ ideological preferences, we expect that citizens are now more likely to rely on political over apolitical justifications, even if they support the nominee. We use data from a telephone survey in 2017 after the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to test this proposition. We find that contemporary citizens rely more frequently on political justifications for their support of nominees than then they did in the Reagan-Bush era. Opponents remain more likely to invoke political orientations, but the disparity has declined. The findings reveal both change and continuity in citizens’ evaluations of Supreme Court nominees.
Learning Surgical Skills Through Video-Based Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Youssef Samy Cheikh , Aydin Abdullatif , Canning Alexander , Khan Nawal , Ahmed Kamran , Dasgupta Prokar
Published: August 2022

Background

Educational videos are a potent resource for the learning of surgical skills among different study cohorts. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of different educational video interventions and their features.

A systematic search of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (via OVID), Cochrane libraries and Clinicaltrials.gov was performed from inception to 28/02/21. Studies included were not limited by date of publication, studies aiming to assess the impact of video-based interventions in the direct acquisition of surgical skill were included. Eligible studies were analysed based on study type, type of video intervention, method of assessment and period of education. The educational impact of the studies was also assessed as per Messick’s framework for testing validity of evaluation methods and McGhagie’s model for analysing translational outcomes.

22 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion, of which 14/22 (63.6%) demonstrated a significant improvement in knowledge/skills following the video-based teaching interventions, 3/22 (13.6%) studies demonstrated an improvement in trainee satisfaction scores. A recurrent limitation of the included studies was the lack of validation of selected assessment methods. None of the included studies scored on all 5 parameters of validity as defined by Messicks validity framework. Furthermore, none of the included trials were conducted for long enough to indicate direct changes to patient outcomes resultant from educational methods.

Conclusion

Video-based surgical education is effective in learning surgical skills within different levels of surgical training; however, superior study quality and follow-up is required to determine which aspects of video-based interventions are most impactful.
Epigenetic age predictors in community-dwelling adults with high impact knee pain
Authors: Cruz-Almeida Yenisel , Johnson Alisa , Meng Lingsong , Sinha Puja , Rani Asha , Yoder Sean , Huo Zhiguang , Foster Thomas C. , Fillingim Roger B.
Published: August 2022

Gerontological research reveals considerable interindividual variability in aging phenotypes, and emerging evidence suggests that high impact chronic pain may be associated with various accelerated biological aging processes. In particular, epigenetic aging is a robust predictor of health-span and disability compared to chronological age alone. The current study aimed to determine whether several epigenetic aging biomarkers were associated with high impact chronic pain in middle to older age adults (44–78 years old). Participants ( n = 213) underwent a blood draw, demographic, psychosocial, pain and functional assessments. We estimated five epigenetic clocks and calculated the difference between epigenetic age and chronological age, which has been previously reported to predict overall mortality risk, as well as included additional derived variables of epigenetic age previously associated with pain. There were significant differences across Pain Impact groups in three out of the five epigenetic clocks examined (DNAmAge, DNAmPhenoAge and DNAmGrimAge), indicating that pain-related disability during the past 6 months was associated with markers of epigenetic aging. Only DNAmPhenoAge and DNAmGrimAge were associated with higher knee pain intensity during the past 48 h. Finally, pain catastrophizing, depressive symptomatology and more neuropathic pain symptoms were significantly associated with an older epigenome in only one of the five epigenetic clocks (i.e. DNAmGrimAge) after correcting for multiple comparisons (corrected p’s < 0.05). Given the scant literature in relation to epigenetic aging and the complex experience of pain, additional research is needed to understand whether epigenetic aging may help identify people with chronic pain at greater risk of functional decline and poorer health outcomes.
Brief psychological screening for trapeziectomy: Identifying patients at high risk of a poor functional outcome
Authors: Larson Debbie , Nunney Ian , Champion Rebecca , Edwards Claire , Chojnowski Adrian
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

This study investigates if the psychological subscale from the STarT Back Screening Tool (STarT Psych-sub) identifies patients at high risk of a poor functional outcome after a trapeziectomy based on modifiable psychological factors.

Methods:

A total of 83 patients completed the STarT Psych-sub, QuickDASH (Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM) and a numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) before trapeziectomy. QuickDASH, PEM and NPRS were completed at 6 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year after the trapeziectomy.

Results:

The STarT Psych-sub stratified 24 patients (29%) as ‘high-risk’ and 59 (71%) as ‘not high-risk’ of a poor outcome. The ‘high-risk’ group reported worse function and pain (QuickDASH = 72.7, PEM = 81.1, NPRS = 8.3) at baseline than the ‘not high-risk’ group (QuickDASH = 56.1, PEM = 66.4, NPRS = 7.2). This difference remained constant at all time points after the trapeziectomy with 1-year scores on the QuickDASH = 39.6; PEM = 47.1 and NPRS = 3.7 for the ‘high-risk’ group and QuickDASH = 24.3; PEM = 33.3 and NPRS = 1.9 for the ‘not high-risk’ group.

Conclusions:

Brief psychological screening shows that patients with psychological risk factors experience improved pain and function outcomes following trapeziectomy, however their outcomes are significantly worse than patients who do not have psychological risk factors.
A study on mechanical behavior of Kevlar fiber reinforced concrete under static and high-strain rate loading
Authors: Li Yeou-Fong , Huang Yan-Ru , Syu Jin-Yuan , Tsai Ying-Kuan , Huang Chih-Hong
Published: August 2022

Reinforced concrete structures sometimes are deteriorated and damaged by seismic and blast wave loadings, and the resistance of fiber-reinforced concrete was tested at a loading of high-strain rate. Therefore, concrete structures were needed to improve the dynamic load resistance and energy absorption capabilities. In infrastructures, fiber is incorporated into concrete and is used to strengthen structures to increase its durability and resistance to high-strain rate loadings. In this study, the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical behaviors of Kevlar fiber-reinforced concrete were studied by the compressive strength test and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar test, respectively. The 0.5% weight ratio Kevlar fiber content of KFRC specimens attained the highest strength in the quasi-static and dynamic test compared with benchmark and other 1.0%, 1.5% weight ratios. The KFRC specimens with the length of 12 mm and 24 mm exhibit similar effects in the quasi-static compressive strengths, but the KFRC specimens with the length of 24 mm fiber attained higher strain energies under dynamic loading.
Intolerance of uncertainty predicts altered threat expectancy ratings during reinstatement
Authors: Zuj Daniel V , Dymond Simon , Murray Stuart B , Thomas Shaima , Morriss Jayne
Published: August 2022

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychiatric disorders, and plays an important role in fear and threat learning under uncertainty. The ‘reinstatement of fear/threat’ is an understudied phenomenon thought to represent clinical symptom relapse. Reinstatement of conditioned responding can be captured in the laboratory by presenting unsignaled presentations of an aversive unconditional stimulus. The present study investigated IU as a predictor of reinstatement effects, such that individuals higher in IU, relative to lower IU, would show larger reinstatement. Sixty-two participants completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and provided threat expectancy ratings (i.e. certainty of receiving a shock) during a differential threat conditioning and extinction paradigm with reinstatement. Findings suggested a differential increase in threat expectancy ratings to both the threat and safety cue following reinstatement, although this effect was small and did not survive follow-up tests. Nevertheless, IU was a significant predictor of reinstatement to the threat cue but not the safety cue, although this effect was not in the expected direction. Specifically, higher IU was associated with reduced threat expectancy ratings post-reinstatement. These findings provide support for the limited literature demonstrating an important role for IU in reinstatement effects and should be investigated further.
Emergency department use by people with back pain: An investigation
Authors: Capsey Matt , Ryan Cormac , Mankelow Jagjit , Alexanders Jenny , Martin Denis
Published: August 2022

Background

Demand on emergency departments (EDs) is rising, at least in part due to patients with conditions suitable for management in primary care. Pain experienced in the back region is a common reason for patients to seek help and much of the established literature on back pain suggests serious pathologies are rare and the majority of patients can be safely treated in primary care. Emerging international data suggests that patients who present to ED complaining of back pain do not reflect those in primary care, with a higher rate of serious pathologies and non-spinal causes. This exploratory study seeks to quantify the prevalence of people attending ED with back pain, to describe their characteristics and the characteristics of their attendance.

Methods

This observational study is a retrospective analysis of patients attending EDs within an NHS Trust in the North East of England presenting with back pain from 1/10/2017 to 30/09/2018.

Results

Of 212,020 attendances, 3872 (2%) patients presented complaining of back pain on arrival. 36% of patients had no official diagnosis recorded, 5% were categorised as having a potentially serious spinal pathology, 22% had a non-spinal pathology diagnosis and 23% were categorised as simple backache. The majority (56%) had no recorded investigations, 19% received plain radiography, 5% received either CT/MRI, 18% had blood investigations and 17% had cardiac monitoring or electrocardiogram. Most individuals self-presented. NHS 111, primary care and community care referrals accounted for 24% of attendances.

Conclusion

Back pain was a relatively common ED attendance and represented a variety of conditions including non-spinal causes. This suggests that the population of patients with back pain attending ED are a different subgroup to those presenting to primary care. Care should be taken applying primary care guidance to this group and there may be a need for emergency care specific back pain guidelines.
Wheel Setting Error Modeling and Compensation for Arc Envelope Grinding of Large-Aperture Aspherical Optics
Authors: Li Changsheng , Sun Lin , Chen Zhaoxiang , Chen Jianfang , Lin Qijing , Ding Jianjun , Jiang Zhuangde
Published: August 2022

Precision grinding is a key process for realizing the use of large-aperture aspherical optical elements in laser nuclear fusion devices, large-aperture astronomical telescopes, and high-resolution space cameras. In this study, the arc envelope grinding process of large-aperture aspherical optics is investigated using a CM1500 precision grinding machine with a maximum machinable diameter of Φ1500 mm. The form error of the aspherical workpiece induced by wheel setting errors is analytically modeled for both parallel and cross grinding. Results show that the form error is more sensitive to the wheel setting error along the feed direction than that along the lateral direction. It is a bilinear function of the feed-direction wheel setting error and the distance to the optical axis. Based on the error function above, a method to determine the wheel setting error is proposed. Subsequently, grinding tests are performed with the wheels aligned accurately. Using a newly proposed partial error compensation method with an appropriate compensation factor, a form error of 3.4 μm peak-to-valley (PV) for a Φ400 mm elliptical K9 glass surface is achieved.
IMSE: interaction information attention and molecular structure based drug drug interaction extraction
Authors: Duan Biao , Peng Jing , Zhang Yi
Published: August 2022

Background

Extraction of drug drug interactions from biomedical literature and other textual data is an important component to monitor drug-safety and this has attracted attention of many researchers in healthcare. Existing works are more pivoted around relation extraction using bidirectional long short-term memory networks (BiLSTM) and BERT model which does not attain the best feature representations.

Results

Our proposed DDI (drug drug interaction) prediction model provides multiple advantages: (1) The newly proposed attention vector is added to better deal with the problem of overlapping relations, (2) The molecular structure information of drugs is integrated into the model to better express the functional group structure of drugs, (3) We also added text features that combined the T-distribution and chi-square distribution to make the model more focused on drug entities and (4) it achieves similar or better prediction performance (F-scores up to 85.16%) compared to state-of-the-art DDI models when tested on benchmark datasets.

Conclusions

Our model that leverages state of the art transformer architecture in conjunction with multiple features can bolster the performances of drug drug interation tasks in the biomedical domain. In particular, we believe our research would be helpful in identification of potential adverse drug reactions.
NLRP3 inflammasome up-regulates major histocompatibility complex class I expression and promotes inflammatory infiltration in polymyositis
Authors: Xia Ping , Shao Yu-Quan , Yu Cong-Cong , Xie Yu , Zhou Zhi-Jie
Published: August 2022

Objective

This study was designed to investigate the role of the nucleotide-binding-domain -and leucine-rich repeat -containing (NLR) family, pyrin-domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the pathogenesis of polymyositis (PM).

Methods

Immunochemistry was performed to analyze the NLRP3, caspase-1 and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expression in the muscle tissue of PM patients. Rat model of PM and C2C12 cell were used to investigate the potential role of NLRP3 inflammasome in PM.

Results

The percentage of CD 68+ macrophages, and the expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the muscle tissue were elevated in 27 PM patients. LPS/ATP treatment resulted in activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and secretion of IL-1β as well as interferons (IFNs) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the Raw 264.7 macrophages. Meanwhile, LPS/ATP challenged activation of NLRP3 inflammasome induced overexpression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), a key molecular of PM in the co-cultured C2C12 cells. The effect was decreased by treatment of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor MCC950 or siRNA of NLRP3 inflammasome. These findings suggested certain levels of IL-1β rather than IFNs up-regulated MHC-I expression in C2C12 cells. IL-1β blockade using neutralizing IL-1β monoclonal antibody or siRNA of IL-1β suppressed MHC-I overexpression. In vivo, NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition by MCC950 reduced the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β and MHC-I in the muscle tissue of PM modal rats. Also, it attenuated the intensity of muscle inflammation as well as the CRP, CK, and LDH levels in the serum.

Conclusion

NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β axis may play an important role in the development of PM. Inhibition of NLRP3 activation may hold promise in the treatment of PM.
Fully covered self-expandable metal stent for intraprocedural or late-diagnosed Type-II endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related perforations
Authors: Bozbiyik Osman , Cetin Bartu , Gumus Tufan , Tekin Fatih , Uguz Alper
Published: August 2022

Background

Perforations related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are rare but life-threatening complications. The treatment of Type-II-periampullary perforations that develop during endoscopic sphincterotomy remains a topic of discussion. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of fully covered self-expanding metal stenting (FCSEMS) for treating Type-II perforations.

Methods

The files of all patients who underwent the ERCP procedures between January 2015 and October 2021 were retrospectively reviewed; patients with Stapher Type-II perforation were included in the current study. Patients with FCSEMS were classified into two groups: those who underwent FCSEMS and those who were conventionally followed up. Moreover, patients with FCSEMS were classified into two subgroups: those who underwent simultaneous stenting and those who underwent late stenting. Mortality, surgical intervention, percutaneous drainage, length of hospital stay, and inflammatory markers were all compared between the groups.

Results

Of the 9253 patients undergoing ERCP during the study period, 28 patients (0.3%) were found to have Type-II perforation. The mean age of these patients was 67.7 ± 3.9 years, and 15 patients were female. FCSEMS was performed on 19 patients, whereas 9 patients were on conventional follow-up. None of the patients developed mortality. In the conventional follow-up group, one patient required percutaneous drainage and one required surgical intervention. In contrast, none of the patients in the FCSEMS group required additional intervention. At a statistically significant level, the length of hospital stay was found to be shorter in the FCSEMS group. There was no difference in inflammatory markers between the two groups. In nine patients, FCSEMS was performed simultaneously, whereas, in ten patients, FCSEMS was performed later because they required a second intervention. These two subgroups did not differ in terms of outcomes.

Conclusions

FCSEMS is a safe and effective treatment modality for patients with Type-II perforation. Moreover, it can be safely used in patients whose perforations are diagnosed during the ERCP procedure and in patients whose diagnoses are made after the procedure.
Reticulation pattern without honeycombing on high-resolution CT is associated with the risk of disease progression in interstitial lung diseases
Authors: Mononen Minna , Saari Eeva , Hasala Hannele , Kettunen Hannu-Pekka , Suoranta Sanna , Nurmi Hanna , Kärkkäinen Miia , Selander Tuomas , Randell Jukka , Laurikka Jari , Uibu Toomas , Koskela Heikki , Kaarteenaho Riitta , Purokivi Minna
Published: August 2022

Background

The disease course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is progressive and occasionally, other types of interstitial lung disease (ILD) may progress similarly to IPF. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors for disease progression within 24 months in patients with various ILDs.

Methods

This prospective study obtained 97 patients with a suspected ILD who underwent a transbronchial lung cryobiopsy. The extent of several high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) patterns was assessed. Due to the inclusion criteria the study population presented a low extent of honeycombing and definite usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on HRCT suggesting an early stage of ILD. Disease progression within 24 months despite treatment was defined as a relative decline of ≥ 10% in forced vital capacity (FVC), or a relative decline in FVC of ≥ 5% and one of the three additional criteria: (1) a decline in diffusion capacity to carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≥ 15%; (2) increased fibrosis on HRCT; (3) progressive symptoms, or progressive symptoms and increased fibrosis on HRCT. The same definition was utilized in patients with IPF and other ILDs. Risk factors for disease progression were evaluated in a multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

Disease progression was revealed in 52% of the patients with ILD, 51% of the patients with IPF, and 53% of the patients with other types of ILD. A high extent of reticulation on HRCT (Odds ratio [OR] 3.11, 95% Confidence interval [CI] 1.21–7.98, P = 0.019) and never smoking (OR 3.11, CI 1.12–8.63, P = 0.029) were associated with disease progression whereas platelet count (OR 2.06 per 100 units increase, CI 0.96–4.45, P = 0.065) did not quite reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

Higher extent of reticulation on HRCT and never smoking appeared to associate with the risk of disease progression within 24 months in ILD patients without honeycombing. Approximately half of the patients with ILD revealed disease progression, and similar proportions were observed in patients with IPF and in other types of ILD.
Effectiveness of Hemopatch® versus Surgicel® Original to control mild and moderate liver bleeding
Authors: Uranues Selman , Fingerhut Abraham , Levin Eve , Spazierer Daniel , Rahimi Nastaran , Baumgartner Bernhard
Published: August 2022

Background

Adjunct hemostats can be of use in certain surgical settings. We compared the effectiveness of two hemostats, Hemopatch® and Surgicel® Original in controlling bleeding from liver lesions in an experimental model.

Methods

Control of grades 1 (mild) and 2 (moderate) bleeding (according to the Validated Intraoperative Bleeding [VIBe] SCALE) was assessed for 10 min after Hemopatch® (n = 198) or Surgicel® Original (n = 199) application on 397 liver surface lesions. The primary endpoint was hemostatic success (reaching VIBe SCALE grade 0 at 10 min). The secondary endpoint was time to hemostasis (time to reach and maintain grade 0). A generalized linear mixed model and an accelerated failure time model were used to assess the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively.

Results

The overall hemostatic success rate of Hemopatch® was statistically significantly superior to that of Surgicel® Original (83.8% versus 73.4%; p = 0.0036; odds ratio [OR] 2.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–4.27) and time to hemostasis was reduced by 15.9% (p = 0.0032; 95% CI 0.749–0.944). Grade 2 bleeds treated with Hemopatch® had statistically significantly higher hemostatic success (71.7% versus 48.5%; p = 0.0007; OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.58–5.58) and shorter time to hemostasis (49.6% reduction, p = 3.6 × 10–8); differences for grade 1 bleeds (hemostatic success rate or time to hemostasis) were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Hemopatch® provided better control of VIBe SCALE bleeding compared to Surgicel® Original for Grade 2 bleeds in this porcine model, highlighting the importance of choosing a suitable hemostat to optimize control of bleeding during surgery.