bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facing the Unknown Unknowns of Data Analysis
Authors: Wagenmakers Eric-Jan , Sarafoglou Alexandra , Aczel Balazs
Published: April 2023

Empirical claims are inevitably associated with uncertainty, and a major goal of data analysis is therefore to quantify that uncertainty. Recent work has revealed that most uncertainty may lie not in what is usually reported (e.g., p value, confidence interval, or Bayes factor) but in what is left unreported (e.g., how the experiment was designed, whether the conclusion is robust under plausible alternative analysis protocols, and how credible the authors believe their hypothesis to be). This suggests that the rigorous evaluation of an empirical claim involves an assessment of the entire empirical cycle and that scientific progress benefits from radical transparency in planning, data management, inference, and reporting. We summarize recent methodological developments in this area and conclude that the focus on a single statistical analysis is myopic. Sound statistical analysis is important, but social scientists may gain more insight by taking a broad view on uncertainty and by working to reduce the “unknown unknowns” that still plague reporting practice.
Subaltern housing policies: Accommodating migrant workers in wealthy Geneva
Authors: Felder Maxime , Pattaroni Luca
Published: April 2023

In the wealthy and orderly city of Geneva, Switzerland, accommodation centres built in haste between the 1950s and the 1980s to house seasonal guestworkers from southern Europe are still standing and still inhabited. Today’s residents are precarious workers, undocumented or with temporary permits as well as asylum seekers. While the seasonal status disappeared in the early 2000s, the demand for low-skilled, flexible labour did not. Analysing the historical trajectories of specific buildings helps us to answer the question of who replaced the seasonal workers, not only in the labour and the housing markets, but also in the symbolic spectrum of legitimacy. This article introduces the notion of ‘Subaltern Housing Policies’ to account for the public action that leads to the production and subsequent use of forms of housing characterised by standards of comfort and security far below those of the rental and social housing stock, but considered ‘good enough’ for their occupants. We argue that ‘subaltern’ relates not only to housing conditions, but also to the policies themselves, and last but not least to the people who are subjected to them. This notion allows us to trace a link between the production of substandard forms of housing and the production of categories of people who are kept on the margins of full citizenship.
Urban entrepreneurialism 3.0 and the export of urban expertise: The case of South Korea’s international information and telecommunication technology program
Authors: Miao Julie T , Phelps Nicholas A , Kim Hyungmin
Published: April 2023

Several modes of urban entrepreneurialism, variously composed of central-local, state-market, state-civil society, and domestic-international relations, have been apparent since the 1970s. Drawing inspiration from East Asian developmental states, we argue that it is under the most recent mode of urban entrepreneurialism 3.0 that the urban sources of exports and national economic development have been most fully mobilised by states. We illustrate this export of urban expertise with the case of South Korea’s International Information and Telecommunication Technology Program (ITTP), offered by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which trains future ICT and city leaders from developing countries. We trace the history and effects of the ITTP through original empirical research involving interviews and a survey of graduates from the program. The ITTP is revealing of state intrapreneurialism in the export of sector-specific urban expertise with effects on national brands, new markets and the formation of new institutions. The case of the ITTP is one among a variety of means by which East Asian states in particular have projected urban expertise internationally. It also points to these states’ struggle to coordinate institutions involved in, and generate consensus around, national models of urban expertise to be exported.
Jaw Surgery Workshop: Patient Preparation for Orthognathic Surgery
Authors: Kurnik Nicole , Preston Kathryn , Tolson Hannah , Takeuchi Laura , Garrison Carolynne , Beals P , Beals Stephen P. , Singh Davinder J. , Sitzman Thomas J.
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery may have limited information surrounding surgery. This leads to less satisfaction with surgical outcomes, anxiety surrounding surgery and difficulty following perioperative instructions.

Solution

Providing a multi-disciplinary pre-operative educational experience for patients and caregivers improves surgical readiness and satisfaction.

What is new

Our team provides a “Jaw Surgery Workshop” which includes lectures from providers, previous patients, cookbooks and supplies. This allows for improved confidence and expectations surrounding jaw surgery.
Collaborative Reflection-on-Action as a Catalyst for Change in Middle-Level General Music
Authors: Cronenberg Stephanie , Tang Anqi
Published: April 2023

Lack of relevancy, administrative support, collegial support, and time are just a few of the many barriers that prevent practicing music teachers from accessing relevant professional development (PD) and taking steps to improve their practice. Quality music education PD should help teachers transform practice to improve student learning. Some characteristics of impactful PD include long-term engagement, teacher-to-teacher collaboration, and context-specific classroom implementation and documentation. In this intrinsic case study, we examined the role of a collaborative PD group designed to guide music teachers in using the reflection-on-action cycle to make improvements in their middle-level general music practice. Results from this project suggest that the reflection-on-action cycle is useful for PD projects that focus on improving classroom practice and empowering teachers with autonomy and choice. Teacher-to-teacher collaboration may also support teacher resilience during project difficulties.
A Systematic Approach to Understanding Acid-Base Disorders in the Critically Ill
Authors: Barletta Jeffrey F. , Muir Justin , Brown Judah , Dzierba Amy
Published: April 2023

Objective:

The objective of this review is to discuss acid-base physiology, describe the essential steps for interpreting an arterial blood gas and relevant laboratory tests, and review the 4 distinct types of acid-base disorders.

Data Sources:

A comprehensive literature search and resultant bibliography review of PubMed from inception through March 7, 2023.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Relevant English-language articles were extracted and evaluated.

Data Synthesis:

Critically ill patients are prone to significant acid-base disorders that can adversely affect clinical outcomes. Assessing these acid-base abnormalities can be complex because of dynamic aberrations in plasma proteins, electrolytes, extracellular volume, concomitant therapies, and use of mechanical ventilation. This article provides a systematic approach to acid-base abnormalities which is necessary to facilitate prompt identification of acid-base disturbances and prevent untoward morbidity and mortality.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:

Many acid-base disorders result from medication therapy or are treated with medications. Pharmacists are uniquely poised as the medication experts on the multidisciplinary team to assist with acid-base assessments in the context of pharmacotherapy.

Conclusion:

The use of a systematic approach to address acid-base disorders can be performed by all pharmacists to improve pharmacotherapy and optimize patient outcomes.
Comparison of Doxycycline or Minocycline to Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim for Treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Pneumonia
Authors: Alhayani Taha , Philpott Carolyn D. , Liao Siyun , Gentene Anthony J. , Mueller Eric W.
Published: April 2023

Background:

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant organism with limited antibiotic treatment options. Minocycline and doxycycline may be appropriate, but clinical data are limited.

Objective:

To compare tetracyclines (minocycline and doxycycline [TCN]) with standard of care, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (TMP-SMZ), in S. maltophilia pneumonia treatment.

Methods:

This retrospective, 2-center study evaluated patients treated for S. maltophilia pneumonia with TCN or TMP-SMZ for clinical success, defined as resolution of leukocytosis, fever, and tachypnea. Patients were classified as treatment with TCN or TMP-SMZ based on definitive agent used for ≥50% of the treatment course and ≥4 days. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, S. maltophilia confirmed on respiratory culture from January 2013 to November 2020, and appropriate definitive antibiotic dosing. Pregnancy, incarceration, S. maltophilia–resistant or intermediate to definitive therapy, and combination therapy for treatment of S. maltophilia pneumonia were exclusion criteria. Secondary outcomes were microbiologic success and recurrence or reinfection within 30 days requiring treatment.

Results:

A total of 80 patients were included (21 TCN [15 minocycline, 6 doxycycline], 59 TMP-SMZ). There was no difference in clinical success (28.6% vs 25.4%; P = 0.994), microbiologic success (n = 28, 55.6% vs 66.4%; P = 0.677), or recurrence or reinfection (n = 24, 66.7% vs 26.7%; P = 0.092) between TCN and TMP-SMZ, respectively.

Conclusion and Relevance:

Clinical and microbiologic success rates were similar in patients treated with TCN compared with TMP-SMZ for S. maltophilia pneumonia. These data suggest minocycline and doxycycline may be options to treat S. maltophilia pneumonia, but conclusive clinical data continue to be lacking.
Capturing the Haipai Spirit: Garden Villa Interiors and the Preservation of Prada Rong Zhai
Authors: Liu Chunyao , Cunningham Erin
Published: April 2023

In 2017, Italian fashion house Prada unveiled to the public its preservation of a century-old mansion in Shanghai, named Rong Zhai.1 In the media, this historic preservation project was widely hailed as a success for its extraordinary craftsmanship and beautifully restored interior elements, displaying a combination of Western cultural influences alongside traditional Chinese architectural details. Rong Zhai is categorized as a Garden Villa, a special type of detached residential architecture that emerged during Shanghai’s “semi-colonial” past.2 Also emerging in the same period is the concept of Haipai, a term that represents both Shanghai’s unique architectural style and the regional culture that embraces multi-culturalism and cosmopolitanism. The following analysis highlights the connection between the Garden Villa and Haipai, arguing that Rong Zhai is a representation of Haipai, particularly evident in the inclusion of interior design elements from both European and Chinese architectural traditions. This connection provides an essential context to understanding the restoration and reuse of Prada Rong Zhai, its popularity, and limitations. Finally, through an investigation of Rong Zhai, we highlight the contributions of Haipai to our understanding of Chinese historic interiors.
An efficient underwater absorber using pentamode metamaterials for broadband frequency
Authors: Jia Xinyu , Jin Guoyong , Ye Tiangui , Ma Xianglong
Published: April 2023

To further design and develop broadband and efficient underwater sound absorption structure, we propose a hybrid acoustic structure composed of a rubber matrix layer, cylindrical cavity, pentamode metamaterial (PM) layer, impedance matching layer, and steel backing plate. Thanks to the special properties of the PMs, the hybrid acoustic structure obtains excellent broadband sound absorption performance (SAP) in the frequency range of 500–10000 Hz than that of the traditional cavity acoustic structure. To this end, we study the design principle of PM structure and its metal–water characteristics and analyze the sound absorption mechanism at the working frequency. In addition, the research shows that the material and geometric parameters of the structure have a significant impact on the SAP. By the optimization of structural material parameters, the average absorption coefficient at 500–10000 Hz can further increase to above 0.781. Finally, we also demonstrate that the structure still has good SAP under a wide range of oblique incidence angles. The research in this paper opens up bright perspectives for the design of underwater anechoic coatings for multifunctional applications.
“My Family Was Also Happy”: Couples’ Qualitative Reports of a Combined Behavioral Economics and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Hartmann Miriam , Appaiah Prarthana , Datta Saugato , Browne Erica N. , Banay Rachel F. , Caetano Vivien , Spring Hannah , Sreevasthsa Anuradha , Thomas Susan , Srinivasan Krishnamachari
Published: April 2023

Improving intimate partner violence interventions requires understanding pathways to change among couples participating in these interventions. This article presents qualitative data from 18 males and 16 females who participated in a combined behavioral economics (contingency management) and cognitive behavioral therapy alcohol and violence reduction intervention trial in Bengaluru, India. Results confirmed several theorized pathways of change, as well as identified further mechanisms through which the intervention supported the change. These included the emotional impacts of incentives, perceived and actual accountability via breathalyzers and family involvement, and enhanced support gained through counseling skills. Findings reveal critical insights into intervention design for future implementation.
Longitudinal Associations Between COVID-19 Stress and the Mental Health of Children With ADHD
Authors: Summerton Ainsley , Bellows Susannah T. , Westrupp Elizabeth M. , Stokes Mark A. , Coghill David , Bellgrove Mark A. , Hutchinson Delyse , Becker Stephen P. , Melvin Glenn , Quach Jon , Efron Daryl , Stringaris Argyris , Middeldorp Christel M. , Banaschewski Tobias , Sciberras Emma
Published: April 2023

Objective:

To investigate the longitudinal associations between COVID-19 induced stress (related to COVID-19 restrictions/changes), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, oppositional symptoms, and mental health outcomes (negative affect, anxiety, depression, and irritability) in children with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method:

Parents of 140 Australian children with ADHD (aged 5–17 years) completed an online survey in May 2020 during stay-at-home restrictions and 12-months later.

Results:

Baseline COVID-19 stress was associated with increased total ADHD symptom severity (β = .21, p = .007) and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (β = .23, p = .002) at 12-months, after accounting for covariates (i.e., child age, gender, ADHD medication, socio-economic status, and baseline symptoms). Despite some indication of associations between baseline COVID-19 stress and 12-month oppositional symptoms and negative affect, these were attenuated when adjusting for baseline symptoms.

Conclusions:

The study provides initial evidence of the medium-term impacts of pandemic-related stress for children with ADHD.
School-Based Neurofeedback Training for Sustained Attention
Authors: Krell Jason , Dolecki Patrick K. , Todd Anderson
Published: April 2023

Objective:

To determine whether in situ neurofeedback training can be used as a tool to build sustained attention in the general student population and whether gains in attention translate to more effective work habits and learning skills.

Method:

Students participated in attention training game-based neurofeedback in situ for a period of 35 sessions of 25 min each. The study was built as a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design.

Results:

This study supports that classroom-based neurofeedback may be an effective tool to build sustained attention and translate these gains into observable work habits and learning behaviors including planning and organization.

Conclusion:

Neurofeedback has shown specificity in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Published research has not, however, focused on its efficacy in developing attentional capacities in the general population. The promising results of this exploratory investigation warrant further applied research.
Foveal microvascular features following inverted flap technique for closure of large macular holes
Authors: Lamas-Francis David , Rodríguez-Fernández Carmen Antía , Bande Manuel , Blanco-Teijeiro María José
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To describe the anatomical and functional outcomes following use of the inverted flap technique (IFT) to close idiopathic macular holes (MH) of diameter greater than 400 μm. To compare the changes in the macular microvascularization following surgery in operated and healthy fellow eyes.

Methods

Retrospective study of 24 patients who underwent vitrectomy and IFT for large MH closure. The main variables were closure pattern, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and recovery of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ). Foveal avascular zones (FAZ) and vessel and perfusion densities, obtained by OCT angiography scans, were compared with those in healthy fellow eyes.

Results

Complete MH closure was achieved in 95.8% (23/24) of patients 6 months after surgery. There was a significant improvement in postoperative BCVA, from 1.0 to 0.4 logMAR (p < 0.001). The most frequent closure pattern was 1a (62.5%, 15/24), followed by 2c (12.5%, 3/24). The closure pattern was not correlated with height, minimum or maximum diameters or macular hole index (MHI) (p > 0.05). ELM and EZ recovery occurred in 87.5% and 83.3% of cases, respectively. FAZ were smaller in operated eyes than in the fellow eyes (p = 0.012). There were no differences in the vessel or perfusion densities between the operated and fellow eyes (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Use of the inverted flap technique for large MH closure provides a high rate of functional and anatomical recovery. We observed a reduction in the FAZ following surgery, with no differences in the macular microvascularization parameters, suggesting that the technique is safe.
Global hemodialysis vascular access care: Three decades of evolution
Authors: Hassanein Mohamed , Radhakrishnan Yeshwanter , Hernandez Garcilazo Nora , Khor Si Yuan , Norouzi Sayna , Anvari Evamaria , Shingarev Roman , Vachharajani Tushar J
Published: April 2023

The development of vascular access for hemodialysis has come a long way since 1943 when the first hemodialysis treatment was performed in humans by connecting an artery and vein using an external glass canula. Since then, vascular access care has evolved robustly through contributions from numerous countries and professional nephrology societies, worldwide. To understand the global distribution and contribution of different specialties to medical literature on dialysis vascular access care, we performed a literature search from 1991 to 2021 and identified 2768 articles from 74 countries. The majority of publications originated from the United States (41.5%), followed by China (5.1%) and the United Kingdom (4.6%). Our search results comprise of observational studies (43%), case reports/series (27%), review articles (16.5%) and clinical trials (12%). A large proportion of articles were published in Nephrology journals (49%), followed by General Medicine (14%), Surgery (10%), Vascular Medicine (8%), and Interventional Radiology journals (4%). With the introduction of interventional nephrology, nephrologists will be able to assume the majority of the responsibility for dialysis vascular access care and above all maintain a close interdisciplinary collaboration with other specialties to provide optimum patient care. In this review article, we discuss the history, evolving knowledge, challenges, educational opportunities, and future directions of dialysis vascular access care, worldwide.
Understanding camp dogs: the relationship between Aboriginal culture and western welfare
Authors: Bennett Bindi , Archer-Lean Clare
Published: April 2023

This article examines how rising concern for animal welfare in Australia is manifested in increased media coverage of these topics, including growing coverage of animal sentience, rights, and welfare. In Australia, canine existence is often determined by their positioning within cultural frames. Dogs have been integral to Aboriginal social, family, and environmental relationships for generations; however, colonisation brought fundamental changes to these established relationships, with ramifications that have prompted welfare concerns about camp dog populations. The goal of this article is to review existing research discourses and epistemological positioning of the supposed camp dog problem. We are not assessing individual programmes or reporting on fieldwork conducted with communities. Instead, this initial paper reviews some of the current literature to identify ways forward in facilitating Aboriginal self-determining of camp dog interactions in communities.
Indigenous refusals in educational leadership practices in Canadian universities
Authors: Brunette-Debassige (Mushkego-ininew Cree) Candace
Published: April 2023

Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released 94 calls to action in 2015, Canadian universities have responded in numerous ways. A particularly significant response has been the creation of Indigenous Initiatives Offices and the appointment of senior leaders to help lead transformative institutional change efforts. Many of these new administrative appointments report directly to presidents and provosts, and have been taken up by Indigenous women. In this article, I present five key findings from research that explored the experiences of 12 Indigenous women administrators working in Canadian universities. The study highlighted how these Indigenous women enact Indigenous refusals as part of a transformative decolonial leadership praxis in universities.
Teleconsulting: A Practical Account of Pitfalls, Problems and Promise. Experience from the TEAM Project Group
Authors: Freeman K , Wynn-Jones J , Groves-Phillips S , Lewis L
Published: April 2023

In Wales the Tele Education and Medicine (TEAM) project has given clinicians, in both the primary- and secondary-care sectors, practical experience in teleconsulting. From this project we have been able to identify the potential pitfalls and problems in developing and using this new technology. These problems include: using teleconsulting simply because it is fashionable; the failure to base it on the needs of the patients and the primary-care physicians; the failure to validate accuracy, acceptability and cost; the failure to adapt to new technical improvements; and the failure to scale up from a pilot project to a wider teleconsulting service. In our experience technical support is essential and is best facilitated by multisite cooperation, rather than small free-standing projects.
A Communication System Supporting Simultaneous Planning and Execution in Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery
Authors: Pokrandt Peter , Bohner Petra , Knolle Jens Peter , Haßfeld Stefan , Raczkowsky Jörg
Published: April 2023

This paper describes the development of a system for simultaneous planning and execution of surgical operations in the cranio-maxillo-facial area. Simultaneous planning and execution is the process of taking an implicit task description, planning a sequence of explicit execution commands (e.g. for robots) and monitoring their execution. As the execution planning process is run completely on-line, during the execution of the assembly task, the planning process is highly reactive, based on sensor information about the robot's present environment. In order to meet the problem that medical data are usually complex and need time-consuming preprocessing, an appropriate architecture for evaluating sensor data has been developed. In this paper, a detailed presentation of the phases of execution planning and sensor data evaluation is given. As an example, the execution of a LeFort I osteotomy is presented.
Teledermatology in the Highlands of Scotland
Authors: Jones D H , Crichton C , Macdonald A , Sime S Potts; D , Toms J , McKinlay J
Published: April 2023

A pilot study of telemedicine consultations of 51 dermatology patients showed that the technology worked well, with the diagnosis being able to be made in most patients and over half of the patients being able to be dealt with through this medium only. It could therefore have a valuable screening role. However, many of the patients, in spite of the obvious advantage of an immediate consultant opinion, felt it would be more appropriately used as a review technique.
Integrated Telematic Support for Paediatrics: A Practical Model
Authors: Cunningham Tony , Bartlett Kim
Published: April 2023

This paper describes the benefits gained and the organizational and practical considerations involved in establishing a relatively low-cost telematic support network for paediatric care and research. It is based on a case study in north-east England, where such a system has been implemented, supporting multimedia conferencing and reference facilities, postgraduate education and management information. The role of this type of service in regional health-care provision is discussed, for paediatrics and other disciplines.
Teleradiology or Teleconsultation for Emergency Nurse Practitioners?
Authors: Tachakra S , Freij R , Mullett S , Sivakumar A
Published: April 2023

Twenty radiographs showing subtle orthopaedic findings were transmitted to three emergency physicians. Fifty-seven of the 60 attempted diagnoses were correct. We found the primary radiographic film had to be well centred, exposed, true and penetrated for successful transmission. There is a considerable element of familiarization with the technology. The software should permit simultaneous annotation from the two sites and additional cameras are necessary to enable emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs) to show the injured part. The 20 radiographs took 120 min to interpret with teleradiology rather than 10 min of viewing conventional films. The extra time for teleradiology is due to readers asking for multiple areas of the radiographic image to be enlarged before making a decision. We feel that ENPs should not engage in teleradiology but rather telemedical consultation.
Remote Trauma Management – Setting up a System
Authors: Tachakra S , Sivakumar A , Everard R , Mullett S , Freij R
Published: April 2023

A telemedicine link to enable nurse practitioners at a remote minor injuries unit to obtain advice from an emergency physician at a main accident and emergency department is feasible and worthwhile. However, it is fraught with difficulties. These include technical difficulties, training problems, familiarization with the technology and provision of enough emergency physician time for the much longer duration of a full consultation. When choosing the equipment, attention has to be paid to the cameras, lighting, echo cancellation, layout of rooms, privacy and ambience. It is useful to obtain the system from suppliers who know what they are doing and have adequate backup of appropriate technical expertise, because each installation is different and difficult. Our experience suggests that anyone wishing to use similar technology should be prepared to be doggedly determined to learn the system, iron out kinks and motivate all concerned. The project will need to be driven. The technology is still at a stage where frustration and delay are significant. However, it is rewarding and very useful if the staff overcome its shortcomings and in due course all are pleased that they participated.
Confidentiality and ethics in telemedicine
Authors: Tachakra S , Mullett S T H , Freij R , Sivakumar A
Published: April 2023

This paper reviews the results of a survey of 200 members of the public. The topics examined were ethical issues and patient confidentiality related to the use of telemedicine between an accident and emergency department and emergency nurse practitioners providing a minor accident treatment service (MATS) based in community hospitals. A discussion group of eight respondents was established and a resume of their views is included.
ECG Handling on a Telemedicine Platform
Authors: Economakos G , Koulouris A , Thanos A , Papakonstantinou G , Tsanakas P
Published: April 2023

In this paper we present the principles of a new platform developed for handling ECG signals in a telemedicine setting. We focus on three basic services: an ECG file management system (acquisition, storage, transmission); ECG-oriented teleconferencing; and realtime transmission of ECGs over the telephone network. This work has been carried out in the context of national and EU-sponsored projects. Its main purpose was to help patients from remote or isolated areas, like small islands, with insufficient health-care services, to get appropriate and experienced medical care directly from large central hospitals. We present the design and the basic operations of the ECG handling system.
Point-to-Point Telemedicine using the ISDN
Authors: Darkins A , Fisk N , Garner P , Wootton R
Published: April 2023

Two pilot telemedicine trials were established, one using basic-rate ISDN (minor injuries service) and one using primary-rate ISDN (remote fetal scanning). Preliminary results were most encouraging. In the first 10 months of operation, 49 patients with minor injuries were managed successfully using telemedicine. Preliminary calculations suggest that the use of a low-cost telemedicine link was extremely cost-effective in comparison with the cost of providing conventional medical cover. In the first six months of operation the fetal scanning link was used for 39 consultations in 29 patients. In 25 cases (86%) a definitive diagnosis was made using the telemedicine link and physical referral was avoided. However, the current cost of the required hardware (approximately £35,000 per end) is likely to militate against the widespread introduction of the technique, especially since the principal savings are intangible from the perspective of any hospital considering purchase. From the point of view of its use as an information transport system for telemedicine, the ISDN proved reliable (only one failure to establish a connection on demand). Picture quality was acceptable in most cases.
Home Health Visits using a Cable Television Network: User Satisfaction
Authors: Allen A , Roman L , Cox R , Cardwell B
Published: April 2023

There are about 1.5 million home patients who receive home health care (nurses visiting patients in their homes) in the US each year. In a significant proportion of these visits, hands-on care is not needed. Rather, the nurse needs to verify compliance with medication regimes, assess mental or emotional status, or check blood sugar levels, blood pressure and the like. Many of these activities might be handled by a nursing visit using interactive video to the patient's home, saving the nurse's time wasted in driving, finding parking, etc. A system for delivering home health care using interactive video has been piloted in the State of Kansas. Using the local cable television infrastructure for audio and video transmission, this system permits a nurse to see patients in their homes for a fraction of the cost of an on-site visit. This new method of delivering home health care is being evaluated with an ongoing study of utilization and user satisfaction. We conducted a prospective survey administered to home health nurses ( n=2) and homebound patients ( n=3) using a cable-TV-mediated interactive video system, to assess utilization and user satisfaction with televideo-mediated home health care visits. One hundred and eighty-one patient questionnaires and 193 nurse questionnaires were completed. The average length of a visit was 15 minutes (range 1–91). All mean scores tabulated for the questions indicated strong nurse and patient satisfaction with the system. Participating nurses and clients were satisfied with the televideo encounters. The mean score for all questions was better than neutral. Recognizing that this was a pilot study, hampered by small numbers and subject to the inherent biases of a single-institution study, the results support further investigation and implementation of this modality for home health care.
Rural Health and IT&T in Australia – the Results of Qualitative and Quantitative Surveys of the Needs, Perceptions and Expectations of Rural and Remote Health Professionals
Authors: Togno J M , Lundin R , Buckley P , Hovel J
Published: April 2023

This paper reports an initial overview of the findings of qualitative and quantitative surveys of rural and remote health professionals in Australia to determine their present use of information technology and telecommunications (IT&T), barriers to the use of IT&T, and expected future uses. The survey research commissioned for this project supports the degree of importance rural and remote health professionals attach to the introduction and use of IT&T to reduce their sense of professional isolation and to support their service provision.
Comparing different L3s and factors that affect motivation to learn LOTEs
Authors: Lai Hsuan-Yau (Tony)
Published: April 2023

In the field of L2 (second language) learning motivation, most studies have focused on English since it is one of the most important international languages in the world, while few have explored students’ motivation to learn languages other than English (LOTEs) or an L3. The literature on L2 motivation raises the issue of the need to compare the similarities and differences between learning a second language (L2) and a second foreign languages (or L3). English departments at Taiwanese universities require students to begin studying an L3 in their second or third years of study. However, the motivations for these students to learn L3s remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap in the literature. A standardized questionnaire was completed by 150 students in technological universities in Taiwan. The findings reveal five new factors that motivate students to learn L3s: self-accomplishment and expanding horizons, visions of being fluent in the L3, career orientation, interpersonal and social influences, and personal development, which are different from our perceived concept of traditional L2 motivation theories. Besides factors that might also apply to L2 learners’ motivation, the study also highlights issues of insufficient course sessions and unsystematic curriculum mapping as having negative effects on their motivation. The findings can be used as a reference to improve curricula.
Mass incarceration in times of economic growth and inclusion? Three steps to understand contemporary imprisonment in Brazil
Authors: Dal Santo Luiz
Published: April 2023

Mass incarceration is a phenomenon that emerged in the USA in the 1970s. Since then, this pattern of imprisonment has taken shape in all other continents. Nowadays, many ‘core countries’ have been able to neutralize it and, in some cases, even reverse it. This, however, is not the case in Latin America. In this region, the increase of imprisonment rates has remained intense even in times of economic growth, in contrast to the main theories on punishment developed in the Global North. Drawing on primary and secondary data, I analyse the Brazilian case and indicate three necessary steps to understand contemporary imprisonment in the country. This article is structured in three main sections. I argue first that Brazilian criminologists have asked the wrong question: rather than asking why we have high imprisonment rates now, we should first understand why we had imprisonment rates comparable to Nordic countries up to the 1980s. I then argue we should stop uncritically reproducing northern theories and understand the local conditions of possibility for mass incarceration in times of social inclusion. I finally claim we should change the focus on the players: rather than pointing out to the Executive and Legislative dimensions, we ought to better understand internal struggles in the criminal justice system, considering in particular the pivotal role of judges in the Brazilian mass incarceration.
Barriers and facilitative factors in the provision of first-responder services to persons bereaved following a drug-related death: A qualitative study
Authors: Løseth Hilde-Margit , Selseng Lillian Bruland , Dyregrov Kari
Published: April 2023

Aim: To broaden our knowledge from the perspective of municipality first-responder services of what prevents and what facilitates the provision of professional assistance to the bereaved after a drug-related death during the acute phase. Method: A reflexive thematic analysis was applied in six focus group interviews with 27 first-responder personnel in Norway. Results: The acute phase presented a challenging and complex support situation. We identified two main barriers: failure to initiate services and difficulties meeting with bereaved persons who use drugs. Facilitative factors were associated with competence and proactive cooperation. We discuss the findings in light of associated stigma, disenfranchised grief and an ecological approach to public services. Conclusion: First-responder professionals must understand drug-related death as a potentially traumatising event and initiate the procedures set out in the national guidelines. To achieve this, first-responder health and welfare services must become more knowledgeable about drug-related loss and bereavement, acute grief reactions and the need for psychosocial follow-up.
Additive-Mixing Fuel Injection (AMFI): A device for robust control and improved performance of high-efficiency LTGC engines
Authors: Dec John E , Lopez Pintor Dario , Gentz Gerald
Published: April 2023

Low-temperature gasoline combustion (LTGC) engines can provide high efficiencies with very low NOx and particulate emissions. Despite these major advantages, methods for controlling LTGC combustion timing, achieving robust autoignition, and good low-load performance have challenged the development of practical LTGC engines. A key reason is that the ideal reactivity of the fuel varies with operating conditions, with low-reactivity fuels working well at high loads and higher-reactivity fuels working better at low loads. This article introduces a new technique called Additive Mixing Fuel Injection (AMFI) that adjusts the reactivity of the gasoline to obtain good performance over the operating map. Moreover, AMFI can provide robust combustion-timing control because it precisely meters very small amounts (0.01–0.6 mm3) of an ignition-enhancing additive into the fuel each engine cycle. The additive used was 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (EHN), a common, inexpensive diesel-fuel ignition improver, but other additives could be used. Because additive amounts are so small, a 2-gal reservoir would be sufficient for medium-duty applications with refilling only at service intervals of about 8000 mi. The AMFI system has been installed on a single-cylinder LTGC research engine and demonstrated to provide robust combustion-timing control over wide ranges of combustion phasing, fueling rate, intake boost, engine speed, and intake temperature. AMFI also increases the fuel’s reactivity sufficiently to greatly reduce or eliminate the need for charge heating, simplifying engine design and significantly increasing thermal efficiency and the maximum load at low-boost conditions. The nitrogen in the EHN produced a modest increase in NOx, but it was mitigated by lower intake temperatures, and NOx emissions remained very low. Finally, the additive increases the sensitivity of autoignition reactions to variations in the local fuel/air mixture within the charge. This allows the use of controlled fuel stratification for improved LTGC-engine performance, and its potential to improve low-load operation was demonstrated.
Outcomes of Secondary Endovascular Aortic Repair After Frozen Elephant Trunk
Authors: Hostalrich Aurélien , Porterie Jean , Boisroux Thibaut , Marcheix Bertrand , Ricco Jean Baptiste , Chaufour Xavier
Published: April 2023

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the midterm outcomes of secondary extension of frozen elephant trunk (FET) by means of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods:

This single-center prospective study was conducted in a tertiary aortic center on consecutive patients having undergone TEVAR with an endograft covering most of the 10 cm FET module with 2 to 4 mm oversizing. All patients were monitored by computerized tomography angiography (CTA) at sixth month and yearly thereafter.

Results:

From January 2015 to July 2022, among 159 patients who received FET, 30 patients (18.8%) underwent a TEVAR procedure (13 for a thoracoabdominal aneurysm, 11 for a chronic aortic dissection and 6 for an emergency procedure). All connections were successfully achieved with 2 postoperative deaths (6.6%) and 1 paraplegia (3.3%). At a median follow-up of 21 months (interquartile range [IQR], 4.2–34.7), 5 patients (25%) required a fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (F-BEVAR) extension followed by 4 patients with 5 reinterventions, 3 for a Type 3 endoleak due to disconnection between FET and TEVAR endograft, and 2 unrelated to the FET for a secondary Type 1C endoleak. All reinterventions were successful, without mortality or morbidity.

Conclusions:

In this series, FET connection with a TEVAR endograft was effective with low postoperative morbidity but with a risk of aortic reintervention related to disconnection between the FET and TEVAR endograft. These results suggest the need for annual CTA monitoring with no time limit in patients following connection of the FET with a TEVAR endograft.

Clinical Impact

In this series of 30 patients, midterm outcomes of secondary extension of frozen elephant trunk (FET) by thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) showed 3 disconnections (10%) with a Type 3 endoleak between FET and TEVAR. These findings suggest the need for annual CTA monitoring with no time limit. But so far, only a few studies provide some information after one year while the risk of disconnection increases over time and becomes a concern after 3 years. This is the new message brought by our study.
The Diagnosis Significance of Serum Cysteine Protease Inhibitors (CST4) in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Huang Meiyuan , Yang Zhenyu , Ren Jianqiang , Wang Taoli , Chen Dongliang , Zhan Yanqiong , Le Wenxing , Deng Shuang
Published: April 2023

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of human serum cysteine protease inhibitors (cystatin 4 [CST4]) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods

A total of 291 patients who were admitted to Zhuzhou Central Hospital for colonoscopy from January 2020 to December 2021 and met the inclusion criteria were selected. Serum samples of the patients were collected, and CST4 was detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Simultaneously, CEA and CA19-9 were detected, and the patients were divided into the CRC group, benign lesion group, and healthy control group. An attempt was made to construct a CRC prediction model including CST4 and draw a subject working characteristic curve as a diagnostic threshold for CRC prediction, and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the above indicators. At the same time, the expression analysis of CST4, CEA, and CA19-9 was verified by combining the data of CRC in the Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Results

In this study, the levels of serum CST4, CEA, and CA19-9 in the CRC group were higher than those in the colorectal benign lesion group and healthy control group, with statistical significance ( P < .001). The analysis results of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of CST4 was 0.7739, which was obviously larger than the AUC of CA19-9 and CEA. CRC data from the TCGA expression database showed that CST4 expression and CEA expression were higher in CRC patients than in normal samples. The combined model based on CST4 was successfully constructed, and the AUC for predicting the occurrence of CRC was 0.7851.

Conclusion

CST4 is a novel and improved diagnostic marker for CRC. The combined model based on CST4 has a certain potential value in terms of predicting the occurrence of intestinal cancer.
Tracing 2D Growth of Pancreatic Tumoroids Using the Combination of Image Processing Techniques and Mini-Opto Tomography Imaging System
Authors: Akbaba Cihat Ediz , Polat Adem , Göktürk Dilek
Published: April 2023

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to trace the 2D growth development of tumoroids produced with MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells at different time points. Methods: We cultured 3 different tumoroids with 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.5% agarose concentrations and calculated the growth rate of the tumoroids with their images acquired at 9 imaging time points by mini-Opto tomography imaging system applying image processing techniques. We used the metrics contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and mean squared error (MSE) to analyze the distinguishability of the tumoroid structure from its surroundings, quantitatively. Additionally, we calculated the increase of the radius, the perimeter, and the area of 3 tumoroids over a time period. Results: In the quantitative assessment, the bilateral and Gaussian filters gave the highest CNR values (ie, Gaussian filter: at each of 9 imaging time points in range of 1.715 to 15.142 for image set-1). The median filter gave the highest values in PSNR in the range of 43.108 to 47.904 for image set-2 and gave the lowest values in MSE in the range of 0.604 to 2.599 for image set-3. The areas of tumoroids with 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.5% agarose concentrations were 1.014 mm2, 1.047 mm2, and 0.530 mm2 in the imaging time point-1 and 33.535 mm2, 4.538 mm2, and 2.017 mm2 in the imaging time point-9. The tumoroids with 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.5% agarose concentrations grew up to times of 33.07, 4.33, and 3.80 in area size over this period, respectively. Conclusions: The growth rate and the widest borders of the different tumoroids in a time interval could be detected automatically and successfully. This study that combines the image processing techniques with mini-Opto tomography imaging system ensured significant results in observing the tumoroid's growth rate and enlarging border over time, which is very critical to provide an emerging methodology in vitro cancer studies.