bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the impacts of a coffin-lying experience on life and death attitudes of medical and nursing students: preliminary findings
Authors: Chiou Ruei-Jen , Tsai Po-Fang , Han Der-Yan
Published: January 2023

Background

Physicians and nurses often exhibit strong negative emotional and behavioral reactions when patients they care for die, and death education helps them cope with these difficulties. When implementing death education, the literature shows that experiential activities are more effective than lecturing, and progressive exposure is the best way to reduce death anxieties. This study examined the effects of coffin-lying, an activity sometimes seen in Asian cultures, on life and death attitudes of medical and nursing students.

Methods

During a period from 2020 to 2021, 134 medical and nursing students from a medical university in northern Taiwan voluntarily participated in this study. Among them, 53 were in the experimental group, who participated in a coffin-lying activity for nearly 3 hours, and the other 81 were in the control group. All participants filled out questionnaires 1 week before the activity (T1), 1 week after the activity (T2), and 6 ~ 11 weeks after the activity (T3). Three waves of data were analyzed by a repeated-measure multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

Results

The effects of “love and care” and “feeling of existence” were only manifested at T2, however, the scores of “fear of death” and “death avoidance” between the experimental and control groups significantly differed at T2 and T3. In addition, there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups in “neutral acceptance”, “approach acceptance”, or “escape acceptance”.

Conclusions

The coffin-lying activity based on desensitization was effective in improving “fear of death” and “death avoidance”, and the effects were sustained to 6 ~ 11 weeks. Coffin-lying is not only a well-designed activity that quickly reduces negative tendencies toward death, but it is also worth adopting by medical and nursing schools to make death education more comprehensive.
The relationship between toxic leadership and organizational performance: the mediating effect of nurses’ silence
Authors: Farghaly Abdelaliem Sally Mohammed , Abou Zeid Mennat Allah G.
Published: January 2023

Aims

To assess toxic leadership and organizational performance among nurses of a University Hospital, and explore the mediating effect of nurses ‘silence.

Background

Toxic Leadership behaviours are hurtful to feelings, leading to emotive fatigue and nurses silence within the legislative framework. In fact, it is very harmful to all organizations. However, little emphasis has been paid to research on the mediating mechanism and border factors of their connection.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was applied. Data was collected from 750 nurses over the course of three months. The researchers employed structured equation modeling [SEM] to investigate the role of nurses’ silence in mediating the association between toxic leadership and organizational performance.

Results

The toxic leadership level and Organisational performance level were both high. In addition to, the nurses’ silence level was moderate. The SEM revealed that toxic Leadership accounted for the prediction of 65% of the variance of nurses’ silence and 87% of the variance of organizational performance. Also, nurses silence as a mediating factor accounted for 73% of the variance of organizational performance.

Conclusions

This study emphasized on the importance of creating a work environment that encourages and promotes open communication, as well as eliminating toxic leadership behaviours from the organizational culture among nurses as it effects on the organizational performance.
Telomere and mitochondria mediated the association between dietary inflammatory index and mild cognitive impairment: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Liu Qian , Li Zhenshu , Huang Ling , Zhou Dezheng , Fu Jingzhu , Duan Huilian , Wang Zehao , Yang Tong , Zhao Jing , Li Wen , Liu Huan , Ma Fei , Sun Changqing , Wang Guangshun , Du Yue , Zhang Meilin , Chen Yongjie , Huang Guowei
Published: January 2023

Background

Diet and chronic inflammation might play a major role in the pathogenesis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) might mediate the relationship between inflammation and MCI risk. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate whether inflammatory potential of diet assessed by dietary inflammatory index (DII), chronic inflammation, peripheral blood LTL, and mtDNAcn were associated with the risk of MCI.

Results

A population-based cohort study was conducted with a total of 2944 participants. During a median follow-up of 2 years, 438 (14.90%) individuals were new-onset MCI. After adjustment, a higher score of DII (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.056, 95% CI: 1.005, 1.109), a higher log systemic immune inflammation index (SII) (HR: 1.333, 95% CI: 1.089, 1.633) and log system inflammation response index (SIRI) (HR: 1.487, 95% CI: 1.024, 2.161) predicted elevated risk of MCI. An increased mtDNAcn (HR: 0.843, 95% CI: 0.712, 0.997), but not LTL, predicted a decreased risk of MCI. Negative associations of log SII with LTL (β:-0.359, 95% CI: -0.445, -0.273) and mtDNAcn (β:-0.048, 95% CI: -0.090, -0.006) were found. Additionally, negative associations of log SIRI with LTL (β: -0.035, 95% CI: -0.052, -0.017) and mtDNAcn (β:-0.136, 95% CI: -0.216, -0.056) were also found. Path analysis suggested that SIRI, LTL, and mtDNAcn, in series, have mediation roles in the association between DII score and MCI risk.

Conclusions

Higher DII, SII, and SIRI might predict a greater risk of MCI, while a longer LTL and an increased mtDNAcn were linked to a reduced risk of MCI among the older population. LTL and mtDNAcn could play mediation roles in the association between DII and MCI risk.
Putative adverse outcome pathways for silver nanoparticle toxicity on mammalian male reproductive system: a literature review
Authors: Kose Ozge , Mantecca Paride , Costa Anna , Carrière Marie
Published: January 2023

Background

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are conceptual frameworks that organize knowledge about biological interactions and toxicity mechanisms. They present a sequence of events commencing with initial interaction(s) of a stressor, which defines the perturbation in a biological system (molecular initiating event, MIE), and a dependent series of key events (KEs), ending with an adverse outcome (AO). AOPs have recently become the subject of intense studies in a view to better understand the mechanisms of nanomaterial (NM) toxicity. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are one of the most explored nanostructures and are extensively used in various application. This, in turn, has increased the potential for interactions of Ag NPs with environments, and toxicity to human health. The aim of this study was to construct a putative AOPs (pAOP) related to reproductive toxicity of Ag NPs, in order to lay the groundwork for a better comprehension of mechanisms affecting both undesired toxicity (against human cell) and expected toxicity (against microorganisms).

Methods

PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies examining reproductive toxicity potential of Ag NPs. The quality of selected studies was assessed through ToxRTool. Eventually, forty-eight studies published between 2005 and 2022 were selected to identify the mechanisms of Ag NPs impact on reproductive function in human male. The biological endpoints, measurements, and results were extracted from these studies. Where possible, endpoints were assigned to a potential KE and an AO using expert judgment. Then, KEs were classified at each major level of biological organization.

Results

We identified the impairment of intracellular SH-containing biomolecules, which are major cellular antioxidants, as a putative MIE, with subsequent KEs defined as ROS accumulation, mitochondrial damage, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation, apoptosis, reduced production of reproductive hormones and reduced quality of sperm. These successive KEs may result in impaired male fertility (AO).

Conclusion

This research recapitulates and schematically represents complex literature data gathered from different biological levels and propose a pAOP related to the reproductive toxicity induced by AgNPs. The development of AOPs specific to NMs should be encouraged in order to provide new insights to gain a better understanding of NP toxicity.
Spatial and Texture Analysis of Root System distribution with Earth mover’s Distance (STARSEED)
Authors: Peeples Joshua , Xu Weihuang , Gloaguen Romain , Rowland Diane , Zare Alina , Brym Zachary
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Root system architectures are complex and challenging to characterize effectively for agronomic and ecological discovery.

Methods

We propose a new method, Spatial and Texture Analysis of Root SystEm distribution with Earth mover’s Distance (STARSEED), for comparing root system distributions that incorporates spatial information through a novel application of the Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD).

Results

We illustrate that the approach captures the response of sesame root systems for different genotypes and soil moisture levels. STARSEED provides quantitative and visual insights into changes that occur in root architectures across experimental treatments.

Conclusion

STARSEED can be generalized to other plants and provides insight into root system architecture development and response to varying growth conditions not captured by existing root architecture metrics and models. The code and data for our experiments are publicly available:https://github.com/GatorSense/STARSEED.
Comparing external fixators and intramedullary nailing for treating open tibia fractures: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Liu Jun , Xie Lifeng , Liu Li , Gao Guicheng , Zhou Ping , Chu Dejun , Qiu Dewei , Tao Jun
Published: January 2023

Background

External fixators (EFs) and intramedullary nailing (IMN) are two effective methods for open tibial fractures. However, both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and the optimal surgical approach remains controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare EF with IMN to evaluate their efficacy and safety.

Methods

A systematic study of the literature was conducted in relevant studies published in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang and Weipu from database inception to April 2022. All eligible literature was critically appraised for methodological quality via the Cochrane's collaboration tool. The primary outcome measurements included postoperative superficial infection, postoperative deep infection, union time, delayed union, malunion, nonunion, and hardware failure.

Results

Nine RCTs involving 733 cases were included in the current meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that cases in the IMN group had a significantly lower postoperative superficial infection rate [risk ratio (RR) = 2.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.83 to 4.39; P < 0.00001)] and malunion rate (RR = 3.05; 95% CI = 2.06 to 4.52; P < 0.00001) versus EF, but IMN had a significantly higher hardware failure occurrence versus EF (RR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.83; P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in the postoperative deep infection rate, union time, delayed union rate or nonunion rate between the two groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Compared to EF, IMN had a significantly lower risk of postoperative superficial infection and malunion in patients with open tibial fractures. Meanwhile, IMN did not prolong the union time and increased the risk of the deep infection rate, delayed union rate and nonunion rate but had a higher hardware failure rate. The reanalysis of union time showed that it was significantly shorter in the IMN group than in the EF group after excluding the study with significant heterogeneity during sensitivity analysis. Therefore, IMN is recommended as a preferred method of fracture fixation for patients with open tibial fractures, but more attention should be given to the problem of hardware failure.
Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Luan Haopeng , Liu Kai , Peng Cong , Tian Qi , Song Xinghua
Published: January 2023

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in hemostasis in patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) by meta-analysis.

Methods

This study was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (ID: CRD42022354812). The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase were searched for randomized controlled trial (RCT) papers on the use of TXA in patients with PLIF from database establishment to August 2022. Two researchers screened the literature, extracted data, evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies, recorded the authors, sample size, type of study design, and TXA dose of each study, and extracted the intraoperative blood loss, number of blood transfusions, total blood loss, drainage volume, operation time, and incidence of deep venous thrombosis in each study. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software provided by Cochrane Library.

Results

A total of 14 RCTs with a total of 1681 patients were included in this study, including 836 patients in the TXA group and 845 patients in the control group. The intraoperative blood loss [mean difference (MD) = − 125.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) (− 138.56, − 113.37), P < 0.0001] and less total blood loss [MD = − 204.28, 95% CI (− 227.38, − 181.18), P < 0.00001] in TXA group were lower than the control group. Statistical significance was also observed in postoperative drainage volume [MD = − 115.03, 95% CI (− 123.89, − 106.17), P < 0.00001], operation time [MD = − 8.10, 95% CI (− 14.49, − 1.71), P = 0.01], and blood transfusion rate [odds ratio (OR) = 0.30, 95% CI (0.23, 0.39), P < 0.00001]. However, there was no statistical difference observed in the incidence of deep venous thrombosis [OR = 0.83, 95% CI (0.56, 1.21), P = 0.33].

Conclusion

The application of TXA in PLIF can reduce intraoperative blood loss, total blood loss, drainage volume, the incidence of transfusion events, and operation time without increasing the risk of deep venous thrombosis.
SIGIRR-caspase-8 signaling mediates endothelial apoptosis in Kawasaki disease
Authors: Wen Zhengwang , Xia Yuhan , Zhang Yingying , He Yuxi , Niu Chao , Wu Rongzhou , Zhang Chunxiang , Jia Chang , Rong Xing , Chu Maoping
Published: January 2023

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a kind of vasculitis with unidentified etiology. Given that the current diagnosis and therapeutic strategy of KD are mainly dependent on clinical experiences, further research to explore its pathological mechanisms is warranted.

Methods

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the serum levels of SIGIRR, TLR4 and caspase-8. Western blotting was applied to determine protein levels, and flow cytometry was utilized to analyze cell apoptosis. Hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and TUNEL staining were respectively used to observe coronary artery inflammation and DNA fragmentation.

Results

In this study, we found the level of SIGIRR was downregulated in KD serum and KD serum-treated endothelial cells. However, the level of caspase-8 was increased in serum from KD patients compared with healthy control (HC). Therefore, we hypothesized that SIGIRR-caspase-8 signaling may play an essential role in KD pathophysiology. In vitro experiments demonstrated that endothelial cell apoptosis in the setting of KD was associated with caspase-8 activation, and SIGIRR overexpression alleviated endothelial cell apoptosis via inhibiting caspase-8 activation. These findings were also recapitulated in the Candida albicans cell wall extracts (CAWS)-induced KD mouse model.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that endothelial cell apoptosis mediated by SIGIRR-caspase-8 signaling plays a crucial role in coronary endothelial damage, providing potential targets to treat KD.
Levels and correlates of risk factor control in diabetes mellitus –ELSA-Brasil
Authors: Chwal Bruna Cristine , dos Reis Rodrigo Citton Padilha , Schmidt Maria Inês , Duncan Bruce B. , Barreto Sandhi Maria , Griep Rosane Harter
Published: January 2023

Background

Control of glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking improves the prognosis of individuals with diabetes mellitus. Our objective was to assess the level of control of these risk factors in Brazilian adults with known diabetes and evaluate correlates of target achievement.

Methods

Cross-sectional sample of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health, composed of participants reporting a previous diagnosis of diabetes or the use oof antidiabetic medication. We measured glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and LDL-cholesterol at a central laboratory and blood pressure following standardized protocols. We defined HbA1c  < 7% as glucose control (target A); blood pressure  < 140/90 mmHg (or  < 130/80 mmHg in high cardiovascular risk) as blood pressure control (target B), and LDL-c  < 100 mg/dl (or  < 70 mg/dl in high risk) as lipid control (target C), according to the 2022 American Diabetes Association guidelines.

Results

Among 2062 individuals with diabetes, 1364 (66.1%) reached target A, 1596 (77.4%) target B, and 1086 (52.7%) target C; only 590 (28.6%) achieved all three targets. When also considering a non-smoking target, those achieving all targets dropped to 555 (26.9%). Women (PR = 1.13; 95%CI 1.07–1.20), those aged  ≥ 74 (PR = 1.20; 95%CI 1.08–1.34), and those with greater per capita income (e.g., greatest income PR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.10–1.45) were more likely to reach glucose control. Those black (PR = 0.91; 95%CI 0.83–1.00) or with a longer duration of diabetes (e.g., ≥ 10 years PR = 0.43; 95%CI 0.39–0.47) were less likely. Women (PR = 1.05; 95%CI 1.00–1.11) and those with private health insurance (PR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.07–1.23) were more likely to achieve two or more ABC targets; and those black (PR = 0.86; 95%CI 0.79–0.94) and with a longer duration of diabetes (e.g., > 10 years since diabetes diagnosis, PR = 0.68; 95%CI 0.63–0.73) less likely.

Conclusion

Control of ABC targets was poor, notably for LDL-c and especially when considering combined control. Indicators of a disadvantaged social situation were associated with less frequent control.
Quantitative versions of the two-dimensional Gaussian product inequalities
Authors: Hu Ze-Chun , Zhao Han , Zhou Qian-Qian
Published: January 2023

The Gaussian product-inequality (GPI) conjecture is one of the most famous inequalities associated with Gaussian distributions and has attracted much attention. In this note, we investigate the quantitative versions of the two-dimensional Gaussian product inequalities. For any centered, nondegenerate, and two-dimensional Gaussian random vector$(X_{1}, X_{2})$(X1,X2)with$E[X_{1}^{2}]=E[X_{2}^{2}]=1$E[X12]=E[X22]=1and the correlation coefficientρ, we prove that for any real numbers$\alpha _{1}, \alpha _{2}\in (-1,0)$α1,α2∈(−1,0)or$\alpha _{1}, \alpha _{2}\in (0,\infty )$α1,α2∈(0,∞), it holds that$$ {\mathbf{E}}\bigl[ \vert X_{1} \vert ^{\alpha _{1}} \vert X_{2} \vert ^{\alpha _{2}}\bigr]-{\mathbf{E}}\bigl[ \vert X_{1} \vert ^{ \alpha _{1}}\bigr]{\mathbf{E}}\bigl[ \vert X_{2} \vert ^{\alpha _{2}}\bigr]\ge f(\alpha _{1}, \alpha _{2}, \rho )\ge 0, $$E[|X1|α1|X2|α2]−E[|X1|α1]E[|X2|α2]≥f(α1,α2,ρ)≥0,where the function$f(\alpha _{1}, \alpha _{2}, \rho )$f(α1,α2,ρ)will be given explicitly by the Gamma function and is positive when$\rho \neq 0$ρ≠0. When$-1<\alpha _{1}<0$−1<α1<0and$\alpha _{2}>0$α2>0, Russell and Sun (Statist. Probab. Lett. 191:109656, 2022) proved the “opposite Gaussian product inequality”, of which we will also give a quantitative version. These quantitative inequalities are derived by employing the hypergeometric functions and the generalized hypergeometric functions.
Effect of regulatory cell death on the occurrence and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Xue Yuting , Jiang Xuejiao , Wang Junrong , Zong Yuxuan , Yuan Zhennan , Miao Susheng , Mao Xionghui
Published: January 2023

Head and neck cancer is a malignant tumour with a high mortality rate characterized by late diagnosis, high recurrence and metastasis rates, and poor prognosis. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancer. Various factors are involved in the occurrence and development of HNSCC, including external inflammatory stimuli and oncogenic viral infections. In recent years, studies on the regulation of cell death have provided new insights into the biology and therapeutic response of HNSCC, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and recently the newly discovered cuproptosis. We explored how various cell deaths act as a unique defence mechanism against cancer emergence and how they can be exploited to inhibit tumorigenesis and progression, thus introducing regulatory cell death (RCD) as a novel strategy for tumour therapy. In contrast to accidental cell death, RCD is controlled by specific signal transduction pathways, including TP53 signalling, KRAS signalling, NOTCH signalling, hypoxia signalling, and metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of nonapoptotic RCD and its relationship to HNSCC and discuss the crosstalk between relevant signalling pathways in HNSCC cells. We also highlight novel approaches to tumour elimination through RCD.
Brazilian Portuguese version and content validity of the Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH)
Authors: Castro Rayane Quintão , Barros Lívia Vilela , de Carvalho Pedro Henrique Berbert , Fonseca Diogo Simões , Miyamoto Samira Tatiyama , Coelho Cristina Martins , Machado Germano Luís Rocha , Forechi Ludimila
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) program is a personalized, progressive 12-week exercise program for people with hand problems due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients are provided with two guidance documents, the ‘Patient Exercise Booklet’ and the ‘Personal Exercise Guide’, to continue the exercises independently at home.

Objective

This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the SARAH protocol into Brazilian Portuguese and validate its content.

Methods

The guidance documents ‘Patient Exercise Booklet’ and ‘Personal Exercise Guide’ of the SARAH program were translated and culturally adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. The content validity was obtained by calculating the content validity index (CVI).

Results

The Brazilian version of the SARAH protocol reached semantic, idiomatic, conceptual, and cultural equivalences. The CVI was greater than 0.8, corresponding to a satisfactory index. The verbal comprehension was 4.9, showing good verbal comprehension of the target population.

Conclusion

The Brazilian Portuguese version of the SARAH protocol is available to Brazilian people with compromised hands due to RA with satisfactory content validity.
Optimum generation scheduling incorporating wind energy using HHO–IGWO algorithm
Authors: Dhawale Dinesh , Kamboj Vikram Kumar , Anand Priyanka
Published: January 2023

Recently, renewable energy participation is gaining importance in the existing power system. However, the large penetration of these renewable energy sources into the existing power system network may cause an imbalance in supply and demand response. Unit commitment is the decision-making process in which generating units are turned ON and OFF at the hourly interval as per the load demand under certain constraints to provide economic scheduling. Thus, an advanced intelligent approach is needed to cope with this combined unit commitment problem with a large penetration of intermittent sources. This paper offers the solution to optimal scheduling by implementing the hybrid Harris Hawks optimizer algorithm (HHO–IGWO). Standard IEEE systems with 10-, 19-, 20-, and 40 units are simulated. Further, to test the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, a comparative analysis for a 10-, 20-, and 40-unit system has also been performed with penetration. The comparative analysis reveals that proposed is more efficient in tackling unit commitment problem in the presence of wind as renewable energy source.
Enhancing image resolution of confocal fluorescence microscopy with deep learning
Authors: Huang Boyi , Li Jia , Yao Bowen , Yang Zhigang , Lam Edmund Y. , Zhang Jia , Yan Wei , Qu Junle
Published: January 2023

Super-resolution optical imaging is crucial to the study of cellular processes. Current super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is restricted by the need of special fluorophores or sophisticated optical systems, or long acquisition and computational times. In this work, we present a deep-learning-based super-resolution technique of confocal microscopy. We devise a two-channel attention network (TCAN), which takes advantage of both spatial representations and frequency contents to learn a more precise mapping from low-resolution images to high-resolution ones. This scheme is robust against changes in the pixel size and the imaging setup, enabling the optimal model to generalize to different fluorescence microscopy modalities unseen in the training set. Our algorithm is validated on diverse biological structures and dual-color confocal images of actin-microtubules, improving the resolution from ~ 230 nm to ~ 110 nm. Last but not least, we demonstrate live-cell super-resolution imaging by revealing the detailed structures and dynamic instability of microtubules.
Phase analysis of signals using frequency-dependent attenuation for measurements of seismic waves
Authors: Zeng Hu , Yeh Hen-Geul , Zou Guan-Gui , Gong Fei , Peng Su-Ping , She Jia-Sheng , Zhao Tai-Lang
Published: January 2023

Attenuation refers to any decrease in the power of a propagated signal through a medium. Attenuation measurement techniques include ultrasonic, resonance bar, and stress-strain methods. The stress-strain method measures elastic and viscoelastic properties in the seismic frequency range. The signals received via attenuation measurement systems using the stress-strain method can be considerably weak. Moreover, the noise in these signals causes errors when estimating the signal phase-angle difference between the sample signal and probe signal, thereby reducing system precision and measurement accuracy. Accurate measurements of such phase differences are essential to the measurement of attenuation. A seismic-wave attenuation with frequency-dependent measurement based on the stress-strain method and digital signal processing techniques has been performed. The system estimates the attenuation of a rock by measuring the phase shift in the stress-strain cycle. As a preprocessing method, the finite impulse response band-pass filters are designed to eliminate the influence of noise and direct current offset while ensuring that the phase difference of the measured signal remains unchanged. Three methods for phase difference estimation, i.e., crosscorrelation, fast Fourier transform (FFT), and Hilbert transform are compared, for different signal-to-noise ratios, sampling frequencies, data sample lengths, and true phase differences. The results find that the phase difference estimation based on FFT is the best among all three methods and can effectively improve the precision of the experimental results. Simulation and measurement results further indicate that the attenuation measurement system achieves stable and reliable attenuation measurements in the range of 3–2000 Hz.
Overall Survival With Daratumumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone in Previously Treated Multiple Myeloma (POLLUX): A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase III Trial
Authors: Dimopoulos Meletios A. , Oriol Albert , Nahi Hareth , San-Miguel Jesus , Bahlis Nizar J. , Usmani Saad Z. , Rabin Neil , Orlowski Robert Z. , Suzuki Kenshi , Plesner Torben , Yoon Sung-Soo , Ben Yehuda Dina , Richardson Paul G. , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Reece Donna , Ahmadi Tahamtan , Qin Xiang , Garvin Mayo Wendy , Gai Xue , Carey Jodi , Carson Robin , Moreau Philippe
Published: January 2023

PURPOSE

With the initial analysis of POLLUX at a median follow-up of 13.5 months, daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) significantly prolonged progression-free survival versus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We report updated efficacy and safety results at the time of final analysis for overall survival (OS).

METHODS

POLLUX was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III study during which eligible patients with ≥ 1 line of prior therapy were randomly assigned 1:1 to D-Rd or Rd until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After positive primary analysis and protocol amendment, patients receiving Rd were offered daratumumab monotherapy after disease progression.

RESULTS

Significant OS benefit was observed with D-Rd (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.91; P = .0044) at a median (range) follow-up of 79.7 months (0.0-86.5). The median OS was 67.6 months for D-Rd compared with 51.8 months for Rd. Prespecified analyses demonstrated an improved OS with D-Rd versus Rd in most subgroups, including patients age ≥ 65 years and patients with one, two, or three prior lines of therapy, International Staging System stage III disease, high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities, and refractoriness to their last prior line of therapy or a proteasome inhibitor. The most common (≥ 10%) grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events with D-Rd versus Rd were neutropenia (57.6% v 41.6%), anemia (19.8% v 22.4%), pneumonia (17.3% v 11.0%), thrombocytopenia (15.5% v 15.7%), and diarrhea (10.2% v 3.9%).

CONCLUSION

D-Rd significantly extended OS versus Rd alone in patients with RRMM. To our knowledge, for the first time, our findings, together with the OS benefit observed with daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone in the phase III CASTOR trial, demonstrate OS improvement with daratumumab-containing regimens in RRMM (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02076009 [POLLUX]).
Pulsatile Femoral Vein Doppler and Congestive Delirium, What Is the Relationship?: A Case Report
Authors: Hammoud Ali , Saade Elena , Jarry Stéphanie , Baelen Sophie , Couture Etienne J. , Beaubien-Souligny William , Denault André Y.
Published: January 2023

Delirium is common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and venous congestion has been reported as an important risk factor. We report a 69-year-old patient who developed postoperative delirium in the intensive care unit following aortic valve replacement surgery. The postoperative course was complicated by delirium for which echographic signs of venous congestion on the portal and the renal but also the femoral veins and their resolution correlated with the course of delirium. The use of common femoral vein Doppler as a simple bedside technique to predict and identify congestive delirium has not been reported before.
A Case Report of Hypotension and Methemoglobinemia Associated With Gunshot Residue Poisoning: Nitrite-Induced Methemoglobinemia
Authors: Pugh David B. , Saxena Aakash , Barta Lauren E. , Pinkerton Carolyn , Bajic Jurica , Boettcher Brent T. , Woehlck Harvey J.
Published: January 2023

A patient with gunshots within inches of the skin developed intraoperative vasodilatory hypotension and methemoglobinemia, both recognized consequences of nitrite poisoning. A 1- mg/kg dose of methylene blue transiently and partially reversed methemoglobinemia, but the color of the methylene blue faded rapidly, consistent with bleaching of methylene blue by nitrite in vivo. Methylene blue did not raise blood pressure, consistent with inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Because NO production from nitrite uses an NO synthase (NOS)-independent pathway, methylene blue is expected to have little effect on reversing hypotension from nitrite poisoning. Consider nitrite toxicity in gunshot patients with refractory vasodilatory hypotension and elevated methemoglobin.
General Anesthesia in a Patient With Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Kinoshita Michiko , Mutoh Sarara , Kasai Asuka , Kawanishi Ryosuke , Tanaka Katsuya
Published: January 2023

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with diverse clinical manifestations, including dementia and muscle weakness. We summarize anesthetic considerations in reporting general anesthesia for a 58-year-old man with bladder dysfunction and cerebellar ataxia who was diagnosed with NIID. The patient developed postinduction hypotension relevant to autonomic neuropathy. The potential risks, such as prolonged reaction to neuromuscular blocking agent, postoperative delirium, and worsening of NIID-related symptoms, were also considered. The responsiveness to anesthetics may vary widely from case t case. As the number of NIID cases increases, a better understanding of NIID is needed.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretion and tears in patients with COVID-19 in a tertiary care centre, South India. .
Authors: R. Nayak Rajesh , Bhat Sevitha , R Kamath Ajay , Chandak Anshul , Khare Kanishk
Published: January 2023

Aims and objectives: Purpose of this study is to detect the presence of SAR-CoV-2 viral RNA in conjunctival secretions of COVID-19 patients and to compare the RT-PCR positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swab.

Materials and method: Eighty hospitalised COVID-19 patients whose nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR were included in the study. Conjunctival swab was collected from eyes of these patients and sent for detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method.

Results: Among the eighty patients, 51 (63.7%) were males and 29 (36.3%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 55.93 ± 16.59. Six patients had ocular manifestations. Eleven (13.75%) patients tested positive on conjunctival swab for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and only one of them had ocular manifestations out of the eleven.

Conclusion: In our study the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions of COVID-19 patients was detected and this was not dependent on presence of ocular manifestations or duration of disease. Though the conjunctival positivity is lower compared to the nasopharyngeal swab sampling, ocular surface and secretions can be a potential route of viral transmission.
La sombra de una madrastra. Pobreza, maltrato y abandono en la familia (Barcelona, s. XVIII)
Authors: Fargas Peñarrocha Mariela
Published: January 2023

n Pese a tratarse de un personaje muy recurrido por parte de la literatura popular, sabemos muy poco acerca de las madrastras y sus experiencias familiares en un tiempo histórico, la Edad Moderna, en el que fueron muy recurrentes las segundas nupcias, especialmente masculinas. Este trabajo intenta empezar a llenar dicho hueco a partir del análisis de los expedientes de entrada de niñas y doncellas en la Casa de misericordia de Barcelona cuando en aquellos se mencionaban problemas de convivencia, aceptación o incluso malos tratos entre madrastras e hijastras.
Algorithm for Robotic Picking in Amazon Fulfillment Centers Enables Humans and Robots to Work Together Effectively
Authors: Allgor Russell , Cezik Tolga , Chen Daniel
Published: January 2023

This paper describes how Amazon redesigned the robotic picking algorithm used in Amazon Robotics (AR) fulfillment centers (FCs) to enable humans and robots to work together effectively. In AR FCs, robotic drives fetch storage pods filled with inventory for associates to pick. The picking algorithm needs to decide which specific units of inventory on which pods should be picked to fulfill customer order shipments. We want to do so in a way that is most efficient and distance traveled by drives per unit picked is the key performance metric. This new algorithm reduced the distance traveled by drives per unit picked by 62% without negative operational impact and has since been implemented in all AR FCs. This improvement reduced the number of drives required in AR FCs by 31%, which amounted to half a billion dollars in savings. The redesigned algorithm enabled seamless collaboration between associates and robots, and its effectiveness in scaling up convinced Amazon to make AR FCs the standard for new FCs, allowing Amazon to reduce the storage footprint by about 29% compared with non-AR FCs.

History: This paper was refereed.
Measuring the Factors Influencing Purchasing Decisions: Evidence From Cursor Tracking and Cognitive Modeling
Authors: Fisher Geoffrey
Published: January 2023

Whether to purchase a product is of fundamental importance to marketing, but purchasing behaviors vary widely across individuals and contexts. This paper proposes that a sizeable fraction of this variation is associated with differences in the time at which a product’s desirability and its price are processed and utilized by consumers. To test this hypothesis, participants purchased different products while their mouse cursor movements associated with purchasing an option were recorded across three laboratory studies. These natural cursor movements and estimates from a cognitive model identified the time at which product desirability and price each began to influence decisions. On average, we found that product desirability impacted the decision-making process significantly earlier than price. Moreover, the difference in the time at which product and price influenced choice explained a sizeable fraction of the variation in the option that was purchased. Additional analysis and studies revealed that the time at which an attribute begins to influence decisions can be altered by simple marketing actions, such as a product’s visual display and price discount framing, and that these actions have consequences for choice. Together, these results add to our understanding of how consumers make simple purchasing decisions.

This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing.

Funding: This work was supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4598 .
Extraintestinal Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI): A Recurrent Battle with Resilient Abdominal Wall Abscess
Authors: Chinnappan Justine , Murtaza Hussain Murtaza Hussain , Dominic Awuah Dominic Awuah , Ekwevugbe Ogbon Ekwevugbe Ogbon , Ghassan Bachuwa Ghassan Bachuwa , Philip McDonald Philip McDonald
Published: January 2023

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile infection is a common and costly healthcare-associated infection. Extraintestinal C. difficile infection is rarely encountered, especially in isolation. We present a unique case of abdominal wall abscess presenting six months following gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. The patient was managed with computed tomography (CT) guided drainage of the abscess, placement of a drainage catheter, and aggressive broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment for a prolonged duration over multiple admissions.
Hraseology of publicistic works of V. Yavorivsky
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Havaldzhy Lidia
Published: January 2023

The article analyzes the phrasemics of V. Yavorivskyi's journalistic works of the early and mature period of his work, reveals the peculiarities of the stylistic use of the phrasemicon in each of them. To realize this goal, the materials for the dictionary of phraseological units used in the works of V. Yavorivskyi, which includes more than 520 vocables (200 stable combinations of words were found in the works of the early period of creativity, 320 were taken from the works of the late period of creativity). However, the specificity of V. Yavorivskyi's journalism is revealed in the fact that a significant role in it is played by stable combinations of words built according to the word combination scheme, the core word of which is a noun, and the dependent word is an adjective, rarely two nouns. By analogy with these stable combinations of words, the author himself forms metaphorical phrases, the main function of which is not so much in nomination, but in expressive characteristics of some kind.
Job satisfaction among NHS and private orthotists: a cross-sectional comparative study
Authors: Prosser Katie , Achour Nebil
Published: January 2023

Background/Aims

The orthotic profession is facing a national staff shortage, which has been compounded by high attrition rates. Overall, 70% of NHS orthotic services in the UK are subcontracted out to private companies, but there has been little investigation of how this has affected job satisfaction and intention to remain in the profession among orthotists. This study evaluated and compared job satisfaction among orthotists employed by the NHS and private organisations.

Methods

A mixed-methods, cross-sectional comparative study was conducted. A total of 123 orthotists (36 employed by the NHS, 82 employed privately) completed an online questionnaire comprising 32 questions regarding their working conditions and job satisfaction, with a combination of free-text and 5-point Likert scale formats. Quantitative analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 24), with P≤0.05 indicating significance.

Results

Over a third (37.4%, n=46) of respondents indicated that they would leave the orthotic profession if they could. The strongest predicting variable for intent to leave was how well staff felt that they were treated by their employer. Respondents consistently reported that their working environments were poor, but this was worse for those who were privately employed. Overall job satisfaction was low in both groups.

Conclusions

The orthotic profession may be facing a staff retention crisis. Employers should focus on improving working environments and ensuring that staff feel appreciated. Further research is required to investigate the impact of these issues on patient care.
The growing risk of cyber attacks in the NHS
Authors: Penfold Julie
Published: January 2023

Julie Penfold describes the impact that cyber attacks can have on health and social care services, highlighting the need to continuously improve cyber security to keep up with increasingly sophisticated threats.
Iliopsoas tendonitis after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Hardwick-Morris Max , Twiggs Joshua , Miles Brad , Al-Dirini Rami M. A. , Taylor Mark , Balakumar Jitendra , Walter William L.
Published: January 2023

Aims

Iliopsoas impingement occurs in 4% to 30% of patients after undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Despite a relatively high incidence, there are few attempts at modelling impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular component, and no attempts at modelling this in a representative cohort of subjects. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel computational model for quantifying the impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular component and validate its utility in a case-controlled investigation.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent THA surgery that included 23 symptomatic patients diagnosed with iliopsoas tendonitis, and 23 patients not diagnosed with iliopsoas tendonitis. All patients received postoperative CT imaging, postoperative standing radiography, and had minimum six months’ follow-up. 3D models of each patient’s prosthetic and bony anatomy were generated, landmarked, and simulated in a novel iliopsoas impingement detection model in supine and standing pelvic positions. Logistic regression models were implemented to determine if the probability of pain could be significantly predicted. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to determine the model’s sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC).

Results

Highly significant differences between the symptomatic and asymptomatic cohorts were observed for iliopsoas impingement. Logistic regression models determined that the impingement values significantly predicted the probability of groin pain. The simulation had a sensitivity of 74%, specificity of 100%, and an AUC of 0.86.

Conclusion

We developed a computational model that can quantify iliopsoas impingement and verified its accuracy in a case-controlled investigation. This tool has the potential to be used preoperatively, to guide decisions about optimal cup placement, and postoperatively, to assist in the diagnosis of iliopsoas tendonitis. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(1):3–12.
On Controlling the Passband and Stopband of UWB Band-Pass Filter
Authors: Abouelnaga Tamer G. , Abdallah Esmat A.
Published: January 2023

In this article, the passband, and stopband of quarter wavelength stubs-based Band Pass Filter (BPF) are controlled by a straightforward and new method. This method depends on inserting an attenuation pole and tuning the passband by a Circular Slot Ring Resonator (CSRR) and rectangular slot beneath the BPF’s stubs. Hence, controlling the passband width without any further area usage is achieved. The stop-band rejection level and bandwidth are controlled by inserting Band Stop Filter (BSF) after the BPF such that the used rectangular slots beneath the stubs control the stop-band bandwidth. For verification, third-order Chebyshev BPF and Butterworth BSF filters are used. The proposed filter passband is chosen to cover the sub-6 GHz different 5G bands. The proposed BPF has an ultra-wide 3 dB passband of 2.97 GHz (2.35 GHz-5.32 GHz) and a 20 dB stopband of 4.59 GHz (6.18-10.77 GHz). The proposed BPF filter is fabricated, measured, and the results are in good agreement with their simulated counterparts.
Advocacy coalitions, power and policy change
Authors: Heinmiller B. Timothy
Published: January 2023

This article examines one of the causal concepts in the second advocacy coalition framework (ACF) policy change hypothesis: the notion that major policy change will not occur as long as the advocacy coalition that instated the policy status quo remains ‘in power’ in a jurisdiction. It examines the role of this causal concept in ACF theory. It then reviews existing scholarship on the causal concept, identifying relevant empirical evidence and critically examining how the concept has been operationalised. A standard operationalisation is proposed, defining status quo advocacy coalitions as ‘in power’ if they control a veto player in a jurisdiction’s policy process. Changes in Canadian firearms policy between 1976 and 2012 are used to illustrate the operationalisation and explore its potential.
Lost futures, doomed timelines and unwanted inheritances: how we are handling painful time in social work
Authors: Davies Stephanie
Published: January 2023

This article makes the submission that social work is stuck and needs now to find ways to endure its commitments to caring from inside the suspended time that is so characteristic of late capitalism and not from some imaginary place outside of it. When telling this time in the form of history, there is a tendency to want to pass over what is most difficult about it – the inescapable fact of having to live through it – just at the moment when this is the reality most in need of being carefully thought about. Remembering that in talking about social work, we are talking about a labour of care defined, in part, by a sensitive, practical engagement with time that is difficult to live, I look to recent feminist theoretical work on care that can help us to think about how we might handle being stuck in painful time.