bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lighting fires: On creating large group dialogue in organizations and society [CLGD]
Authors: von Sommaruga Howard Teresa
Published: January 2024

This paper describes the process of designing, setting up and conducting a pioneering series of workshops to introduce Patrick de Maré’s thinking and practice, often referred to as the ‘Large Group Course’. Although described in this way, the pattern of lectures, seminars and supervision alongside either therapy or experiential groups, in discrete sessions, usually associated with group analytic training is not followed. Instead, the workshops are conducted entirely as a Median Group in various forms including a seminar, two group consultations and several experiential sessions with the addition of two sessions of social dreaming each weekend. As the learning is intended to be experiential, apart from an extensive reading list, the curriculum is not specified in advance and there is a very limited didactic component.

The ‘course’ was designed with the ‘Matching Principle’ in mind: an approach I encountered and worked with on the MA in Therapeutic Child Care at the University of Reading, (Ward, 1998:77). Elements of practice are imported by participants, to reduce the usual gap between training and practice so that the role of the unconscious is more directly brought to light. As the intention is to encourage ‘outsight’ into the socio-cultural forces that have invisibly shaped us, as opposed to insight (de Maré, 2012: 129), participants are given the opportunity to embody connections between their personal experience and the socio-political context as a step towards visualizing and working experientially with the social processes they encounter every day: the ‘Larger Group in the mind’.

Always implicit in the work of the Larger Group is learning to notice and reveal hidden discourses, the voices of those with usually excluded histories: ‘subalterns’ or the indigenous and dispossessed in society, particularly people from or in colonized societies, who are excluded through hegemonic structures (Spivak, 1988). This is a key element of the work that needs to be experienced to be understood. As people join from across the world from many backgrounds and cultures, the inevitability of being faced with completely different perspectives and world views challenge those of us from the western world to question our privilege and thinking.
An investigation on the toughening behavior and morphology of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polybutylene terephthalate blends reinforced by carbon nanotubes
Authors: Aghalari Milad , Heidari Farshad , Shelesh-Nezhad Karim , Chakherlou Tajbakhsh N.
Published: January 2024

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polymers are widely exploited polymers in the plastics industry. In this research, PBT polymer is added into ABS polymer as a second phase due to its good fluidity and some superior mechanical characteristics. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are added as a reinforcement into the ABS/PBT polymer blend (80/20). Standard samples of mechanical tests including tensile, flexural, and impact were made by injection molding and standard samples of fracture tests were made by hot press method. The essential work of fracture (EWF) method was used to check fracture toughness. The presence of PBT into ABS improved its tensile and flexural strength while it diminished the impact strength and fracture toughness of ABS. The addition of carbon nanotubes into ABS/PBT blends increased its tensile and flexural strength, impact resistance as well as fracture toughness. The results of microscopic tests demonstrate a relatively uniform distribution of carbon nanotubes in the polymer blend. In addition, the morphological observations illustrate a rather proper adhesion between carbon nanotubes and the polymeric matrix. As importantly, investigations on the fractured sections of fracture specimens revealed that the nanocomposites containing CNTs have a tendency toward a ductile failure in comparison with ABS/PBT polymer blend.
An Overlooked Phenomenon? Reflecting on Elite Housing Informality and its Potential Sustainability Implications
Authors: Azunre Gideon Abagna
Published: January 2024

Urban informality is one of the most hotly debated concepts in the fields of geography and urban studies. However, one narrative that has assumed hegemony and dominated conventional scholarship is the view that it is peculiar to the urban poor or subaltern group. In this paper, I contend that little to no empirical attention has been paid to an essential piece of the conceptual mosaic of informality. I reflect on housing informality by elites or upper-income urbanites and highlight its associated Janus-faced governance approach. I argue that the deliberate disregard and legitimization of elite informal developments pose crucial sustainability implications.
Platform Organizations and Fields: Exploring the Influence of Field Conditions on Platformization Processes
Authors: Seibt David
Published: January 2024

This article contributes to the debate on the platformization of society by presenting a theoretical framework that describes the influence of strategic action fields (SAFs) on the emergence of platform architectures. It shifts the focus from already successful platforms to contested processes of platformization, understood as the gradual reorganization of fields around the architectures of digital platforms. To assess the influence of fields on platformization processes, the article combines the architectural view of platforms and the theory of SAFs. The resulting framework emphasizes that platform organizations may occupy powerful positions in fields, but they also depend on the contributions of users and complementors to establish these positions in the first place. Therefore, the forms and outcomes of platformization are influenced by the conditions in SAFs, particularly the stage in the field’s temporal trajectory and the field position of platform organizations. By re-examining a growing body of empirical research, the article distinguishes platformization processes in emerging, stable, and transforming fields, and presents scenarios for each case. By theorizing a wide range of platformization processes and outcomes beyond disruption, the article offers a nuanced understanding of the proliferation of digital platforms and the influence of platform organizations in contemporary societies.
Evaluating Risk Factors for Developing Hypoglycemia During Treatment of Hyperkalemia With Intravenous Regular Insulin
Authors: Beard Meghan M. , McKenzie Jeffrey J. , Potter Terry G. , Varney Gill Kimberly
Published: January 2024

Background: The conventional dose of 10 units of intravenous (IV) regular insulin to treat hyperkalemia has been associated with hypoglycemia. There have been retrospective studies evaluating weight-based dose vs conventional dose of IV regular insulin but the comparative efficacy and safety is not well established. Objective: Evaluate the difference in weight-based dosing of IV regular insulin between patients who experienced hypoglycemia vs. patients who did not experience hypoglycemia after the administration of IV regular insulin. Methods: This was a retrospective, electronic chart review at a single academic medical center which included patients ≥18 years of age with an emergency department or inpatient encounter who were administered IV regular insulin within 6 hours of a pre-treatment potassium of ≥5 mmol/L. Results: There was no significant difference in the weight-based insulin dose between patients who experienced a hypoglycemic event and patients who did not experience a hypoglycemic event (.14 vs .22 units/kg; P = .44). The potassium-lowering effect was similar between the two groups (1.02 vs .96 mmol/L; P = .56). A regression analysis revealed that female sex, low baseline blood glucose (glucose <140 mg/dL), and those who received a repeat dose of IV regular insulin were independent risk factors for development of hypoglycemia. Conclusion: This study found no difference in hypoglycemic events and potassium lowering based on IV weight-based regular insulin dosing, however other risk factors may predict hypoglycemia.
Thermal error compensation for a fluid-cooling ball-screw feed system
Authors: Li Yan , Fan Jiabo , Zheng Yuan , Gao Feng , Li Wenqiang , Hei Chenfei
Published: January 2024

Thermal deformation resulted from the heat generated by the motor and the frictional behavior between the moving pairs significantly reduces the positioning accuracy of feed systems and thus influences the machining quality of parts. The internal cooling ball screw takes advantage of the cooling liquid to strengthen the convection heat transfer actively and suppress the temperature rise. Owing to the intermittent starting and stopping operation modes of the cooling machine, the heat flux arising from various heat sources cannot be completely removed by the coolant; consequently, thermal errors still exist. In this study, K-means++ clustering and correlation analyses were used to select thermal key points. A difference equation model of the thermal error was established to describe the transient change relationship between the temperatures of the thermal key points and the ball-screw shaft elongation, which was separated from the thermal characteristic experimental data according to the linear superposition principle of geometric and thermal errors to constitute the positioning error. The model parameters were identified using the least-squares method, and a thermal error compensation strategy based on the origin offset method was implemented. Experiments comparing the thermal error compensation of the three models under different working conditions were conducted to confirm that the thermal error difference equation model can be applied to reduce the thermal error of the feed system effectively and maintain excellent robustness.
Dynamic instability of an eccentrically rotating ring-shaped structure
Authors: Wei Zhenhang , Wang Shiyu , Wang Yifan
Published: January 2024

Ring-shaped structures are widely used in engineering. However, their rotation axes are typically not coincident with the geometric axes, thus resulting in a rotational centrifugal force and significant vibration. This study focuses on the dynamic instability caused by constant and time-varying eccentricities. An analytical model is established using Hamilton’s principle and the Galerkin method, in which the rotational centrifugal forces resulting from constant and time-varying eccentricities are incorporated. Based on this model, the effects of rotation, revolution, eccentricity ratio, and damping on instability behaviors are examined. The instabilities caused by constant eccentricity are predicted using eigensolutions, whereas those caused by time-varying eccentricity with single- and multifrequency components are estimated by applying the Floquét theory. The results show that the instability domains from the multifrequency eccentricity are not a simple superposition of those from the single-frequency eccentricity but contain more instability domains originating from their combinations. The instability suppressions imposed by damping and gyroscopic effects are compared. Finally, the instability domains from constant and time-varying eccentricities are verified via numerical calculations.
Optimization of fused deposition modeling parameters to fabricate morphogenesis light weight structure with high tensile and compression strength
Authors: Baskar R , Muthukumaran V , Nandhakumar S , Arivazhagan S
Published: January 2024

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a contemporary approach that can produce simple and complex physical models, prototype tools, and functional components. However, the challenge is choosing the right parameters, which are essential to printing a high-quality Additive Manufactured (AM) structure with acceptable mechanical attributes, like mechanical strength. In the additive manufacturing technique, fabricating a lightweight structure without compromising the weight and shape is very difficult because the significant parameter is infill density (D) %, which is directly proportional to the strength and inversely proportional to the weight. In this research based on morphogenesis, the infill density is varied at different locations wherever it is needed to print a lightweight, high-strength structure. Parameters Layer Thickness (LT), Shell Thickness (ST), and D were chosen, and experiments were conducted as per Central Composite Design (CCD). Tensile Strength (TS) and Compression Strength (CS) samples were printed with PLA and tested. The results were used to develop a multi-objective function. To predict maximum TS and CS without compromising the weight, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) techniques were used to solve the multi-objective function. PSO predicts that the optimum printing parameter values for achieving a lightweight, high-strength structure are LT of 0.17 mm, ST of 0.91 mm, and D of 11.3%. These predicted results were confirmed through experiments.
Charles Lloyd Tuckey: medical hypnotist and ‘amiable necromancer’
Authors: Bates Gordon
Published: January 2024

Charles Lloyd Tuckey (1854–1925) was one of the leaders of the British ‘New Hypnotism’ movement of the late nineteenth century. This neglected figure is important because of his contributions to the early psychotherapies in Britain, ushering in the concept of suggestion to British medicine from Europe. Through his networks and clubs, Tuckey demonstrates the bewildering range of institutions that shaped and spread the novel theory of suggestion and the nascent talking therapies at this time. His affiliations to psychic investigation and ceremonial magic societies demonstrate his intellectual curiosity rather than backwards primitivism. Tuckey played an important role in establishing the term ‘psychotherapeutics’ and legitimising medical hypnotism, a precursor of the psychological therapies of the early twentieth century.
Incidence and Predictors of Preterm Mortality in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Solbana Lencho Kajela , Etana Diriba , Nazi Desalegn , Regea Firaol , Berhanu Solomon
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Preterm birth complication is the first leading cause of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. In this study, the pooled prevalence and predictors of preterm mortality in Ethiopia were assessed.

Methods

The research protocol was registered to PROSPERO under the CRD42023415334 registration number. PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Hinari databases were searched for studies up to April 10, 2023. Cohort studies on the incidence of preterm mortality and its predictors in Ethiopia were included in this review. This review was reported using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses checklist. We extracted data from the selected papers and exported to R 4.2.3 and STATA version 15.0 for estimating pooled incidence proportion, density rate, and adjusted hazard ratio (AHR). By looking at the funnel plot and using Egger’s test, the publication bias was assessed. This study didn’t receive funds from any organization.

Results

From 152 identified studies, 16 studies were selected for final analysis. The pooled incidence proportion and incidence density of preterm mortality were 30% (95% CI: 27%–32%) and 40 (95% CI: 30–40) per 1,000-person days, respectively. Being a male (AHR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.78), gestational age (0.83, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.87), born before 32 weeks (AHR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.84), antepartum hemorrhage (AHR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.84), the fifth minute Apgar rating less than seven (AHR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.43, 2.25), birth asphyxia (AHR = 1.87, 95% CI; 1.59, 2.14), birth weight 1,000–1,499 g (AHR = 3.63, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.57), respiratory distress syndrome (AHR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.59, 2.02), jaundice (AHR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.16, 3.61), neonatal sepsis (AHR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.83), and not using kangaroo mother care (AHR =1.92, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.72) were predictors of time to death of preterm.

Conclusions

Almost one third of preterm neonates treated at different health facilities in Ethiopia failed to survive to the first four weeks of life. Because every study that was included was an institution-based cohort study, the results may not generalized to preterm newborns who were not hospitalized at medical facilities.
Assessing the effectiveness of gabapentin in paclitaxel-induced arthralgia, myalgia, and neuropathic pain: An observational, cohort study
Authors: Patel Prashantkumar , Rajput Hemraj Singh , Chavda Khushboo , Mistry Smit , Bhagat Sandesh , Hadia Rajesh , Saiyed Moinuddin , Khadela Avinash
Published: January 2024

Background and objectives

Arthralgia, myalgia, and neuropathic pain are the most common side effects observed due to paclitaxel chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the prophylactic role, maintenance, remission, and re-occurrence of arthralgia, myalgia, and neuropathic pain post-gabapentin therapy.

Methodology

This study was conducted in the Department of Oncology, Dhiraj Hospital, Vadodara with a sample of 51 patients. Newly detected cancer patients who observed arthralgia, myalgia, and neuropathic pain due to paclitaxel were taken and a baseline pain assessment was done using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) and painDETECT questionnaire. Gabapentin was given in the first cycle after symptoms appeared and prophylactic treatment was given in the subsequent three cycles and evaluation of pain was done post-gabapentin therapy to assess the symptomatic as well as prophylactic effect.

Results

At baseline, neuropathic pain score was 22.7 ± 3.6 which reduced to 0.01 ± 0.14 on subsequent follow-ups. Grade 2 arthralgia, myalgia, and neuropathic pain were more observed at baseline which reduces to Grade 0 in the third cycle. The difference in baseline and post-gabapentin therapy was statistically analyzed by conducting t-test which showed p-value <0.00001 and t-value was less than −2 which indicated a statistically significant result.

Conclusion

This study shows that gabapentin reduces neuropathic pain. Prophylactic usage of gabapentin was highly effective at bringing about quick pain relief when compared to symptomatic treatment. In further follow-ups, it was noted that gabapentin maintained the impact throughout the cycles.
Treating Executive Function in Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Interventions
Authors: Wilens Timothy E. , Stone Mira , Lanni Sylvia , Berger Amy , Wilson Ronan L. H. , Lydston Melis , Surman Craig B.
Published: January 2024

Introduction:

Executive function (EF) deficits are common in youth with ADHD and pose significant functional impairments. The extent and effect of interventions addressing EF in youth with ADHD remain unclear.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Included studies were randomized controlled trials of interventions to treat EF in youth with ADHD.

Results:

Our search returned 136 studies representing 11,443 study participants. We identified six intervention categories: nonstimulant pharmacological ( N = 3,576 participants), neurological ( N = 1,935), psychological ( N = 2,387), digital ( N = 2,416), physiological ( N = 680), and combination ( N = 366). The bulk of the evidence supported pharmacological interventions as most effective in mitigating EF, followed by psychological and digital interventions.

Conclusion:

A breadth of treatments exists for EF in youth with ADHD. Pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and digital interventions had the most favorable, replicable outcomes. A lack of outcome standardization across studies limited treatment comparison. More data on the persistence of intervention effects are necessary.
Governing Bodies Through Water: Turning Boys Into Men and Reducing Bodies to Biology
Authors: Domingues Amanda
Published: January 2024

Drownproofing, a swimming technique focused on the prevention of drowning, became popular in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. Although women performed better in drownproofing, they still had to conform to masculine standards, methods, and expectations. In this article, I explain why drownproofing instructors used masculine standards to teach a technique in which women performed better. I argue that the reason for that had less to do with drowning and more with the need to protect students’ masculinity and to turn them into “real” men. Men not only tolerated the harsh swimming drills, but they also learned, through science, that inequalities among bodies are natural, biological, innate, and, therefore, inescapable. Relying on archival materials and interviews with former students of drownproofing, this article shows how masculine values are sought after and used as norms even when women’s characteristics would be more advantageous. This research advances conversations about masculinity, sport, and national identity.
Sex hormone therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Shayestehfar Monir , Salari Mehri , Karimi Shahedeh , Vosough Massoud , Memari Amirhossein , Nabavi Seyed Massood
Published: January 2024

Background

In spite of the observed immunomodulatory properties of different sex hormones on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in different investigations, to date, there has been no study to systematically review the documents to add more powerful data to the field.

Objectives

Therefore, in this paper we aim to systematically review clinical and randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the effect of sex hormone therapies on individuals with MS.

Design

A comprehensive search of electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus was conducted. Clinical trials and RCTs that assessed the impact of sex hormones on individuals with MS were selected and included in the systematic review.

Data sources and methods

In the final phase of the search strategy, 9 papers reached the criteria for entering in the systematic review. Two independent reviewers extracted the relevant data from each article according to the standardized data extraction form. Two reviewers also assessed the quality of each study independently using PEDro scale.

Results

We categorized three different classifications of outcomes including clinical, MRI, and immune system findings and put each measured outcome in the category which matched best.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the existed investigations on the effect of sex hormones on inflammatory and neurodegenerative components of MS are promising particularly in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
Structural change and the governance of Indigenous schooling in Australia: What’s the problem represented to be?
Authors: Zhang Liwen
Published: January 2024

The Australian National Indigenous Reform Agreement (Closing the Gap) aims to address inequalities in various aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives. Scholars have repeatedly critiqued its failure to tackle structural inequalities. The agreement was revised in 2020. The current study adopts Carol Bacchi’s ‘What’s the Problem Represented to be?’ approach to critically analyse the recently revised National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This study shows that the main problematisation still concerns the unequal life outcomes between First Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians, but the major difference from the previous agreement is that such problematisation recognises the strong influence of structural inequalities. Findings indicate that Indigenous schooling is governed by the Agreement through discourses of structural change and the inherent comparative framework. This can condition the restructured relationship between First Peoples and the settler state, which makes it difficult to move beyond a comparative framework and a reductive understanding of self-determination. This study argues that the reconstructed relationships open opportunities to challenge settler colonialism in schooling and education policies. However, they should not be utilised to displace sovereignties and genuine self-determination.
Implementation of a Booster Sexual Health Education Curriculum for Older Adolescents in Rural Communities
Authors: Berglas Nancy F. , Harrison Salish , Romero Julio , Borgen Natasha , Decker Martha J.
Published: January 2024

Ongoing education on sexual health and other health promotion topics is critical as young people transition into adulthood. A “booster” round of education may be an effective strategy to reinforce information previously taught and expand to additional topics relevant later in adolescence. In partnership with a Youth Advisory Council, we co-designed READY, Set, Go!, a booster curriculum for older adolescents with modules covering adult preparation skills, sexual identity, relationships, reproductive health, and mental health. From November 2021 to January 2023, we provided the curriculum to 21 cohorts of 12th grade students ( N = 433) in rural communities of Fresno County, CA, and conducted an implementation evaluation to assess its feasibility in school settings, acceptability by participants, and changes in short-term outcomes. Health educators completed implementation logs to track program adaptations. Youth completed pretest/posttest surveys to assess changes in outcomes and participant satisfaction. We used descriptive statistics to examine program adaptations and satisfaction. We used multivariable regression models to examine changes in outcomes, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. Health educators completed most activities as planned, with adaptations occurring in response to youth needs and scheduling limitations. Sexual health knowledge, confidence in adult preparation skills, awareness of local sexual and mental health services, and willingness to seek health services all increased significantly from pretest to posttest. Youth feedback was strongly positive. We conclude that booster sexual health education is a promising strategy to address critical knowledge gaps and support health promotion, especially in rural and other under-resourced communities.
Updating Beliefs Based on Observed Performance: Evidence From NFL Head Coaches
Authors: Roach Michael A. , Owens Mark F.
Published: January 2024

We utilize play-by-play data from the National Football League to examine coaching decisions on fourth down and how sensitive they are to information on situational success and their competitive environment. Prior fourth down successes and failures within a game influence coaches in a way consistent with the notion that recent information is more salient to these coaches when making decisions and a belief in in-game momentum. Coaches are more sensitive to fourth down failures than successes, and our findings suggest this sensitivity to prior failures leads to suboptimal fourth down decisions later in the game. This finding is generally driven by the behavior of coaches with a background in coaching offense, suggesting the availability heuristic is particularly potent for managers who are more involved and, perhaps, more accountable for the details of fourth down plays. We suspect these patterns are prevalent in a wide range of managerial contexts.
Attention Connect Network for Liver Tumor Segmentation from CT and MRI Images
Authors: Shao Jiakang , Luan Shunyao , Ding Yi , Xue Xudong , Zhu Benpeng , Wei Wei
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Currently, the incidence of liver cancer is on the rise annually. Precise identification of liver tumors is crucial for clinicians to strategize the treatment and combat liver cancer. Thus far, liver tumor contours have been derived through labor-intensive and subjective manual labeling. Computers have gained widespread application in the realm of liver tumor segmentation. Nonetheless, liver tumor segmentation remains a formidable challenge owing to the diverse range of volumes, shapes, and image intensities encountered. Methods: In this article, we introduce an innovative solution called the attention connect network (AC-Net) designed for automated liver tumor segmentation. Building upon the U-shaped network architecture, our approach incorporates 2 critical attention modules: the axial attention module (AAM) and the vision transformer module (VTM), which replace conventional skip-connections to seamlessly integrate spatial features. The AAM facilitates feature fusion by computing axial attention across feature maps, while the VTM operates on the lowest resolution feature maps, employing multihead self-attention, and reshaping the output into a feature map for subsequent concatenation. Furthermore, we employ a specialized loss function tailored to our approach. Our methodology begins with pretraining AC-Net using the LiTS2017 dataset and subsequently fine-tunes it using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sourced from Hubei Cancer Hospital. Results: The performance metrics for AC-Net on CT data are as follows: dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.90, Jaccard coefficient (JC) of 0.82, recall of 0.92, average symmetric surface distance (ASSD) of 4.59, Hausdorff distance (HD) of 11.96, and precision of 0.89. For AC-Net on MRI data, the metrics are DSC of 0.80, JC of 0.70, recall of 0.82, ASSD of 7.58, HD of 30.26, and precision of 0.84. Conclusion: The comparative experiments highlight that AC-Net exhibits exceptional tumor recognition accuracy when tested on the Hubei Cancer Hospital dataset, demonstrating highly competitive performance for practical clinical applications. Furthermore, the ablation experiments provide conclusive evidence of the efficacy of each module proposed in this article. For those interested, the code for this research article can be accessed at the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/killian-zero/py_tumor-segmentation.git .
A Prospective Multi-Centered Registry-Based Observational Study for Patients With Cancer: Design and Rationale for Korean Medicine Cancer Registry (KMCARE)
Authors: Lee Jee Young , Jin Hayun , Park Su Bin , Kim Eun Hye , Yoon Jee-Hyun , Yoon Seong Woo
Published: January 2024

Background:

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in most countries with an expected increased burden on healthcare systems. Since integrative medical treatments are not collected within the scope of existing cancer registries, the establishment of the Korean Medicine Cancer Registry (KMCARE), gathering integrative therapies, including conservative care and Korean medicine, is warranted.

Methods:

A prospective observational study based on the registry will be conducted in 5 Korean medical hospitals. A total of 650 eligible participants undergoing Korean medicine treatments within 1 month of a diagnosis of lung, colorectal, stomach, or breast cancer are anticipated to be enrolled in the registry. Data collected in the KMCARE can be classified into patient information, received treatments, and outcomes. The primary outcome is the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Questionnaire score at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Core and the Body Constitution Questionnaire at 3 and 6 months. After 6 months of follow-up periods, survival surveillance will be continued for additional 18 months. Descriptive and statistical analysis of primary and secondary outcomes, baseline data, safety, survival, and prognostic factors will be performed.

Discussion:

This is the first prospective, multi-centered, registry-based observational study of cancer patients in Korean medicine hospitals, which could reveal the current status of cancer patients receiving integrative cancer therapies, and provide better insight into the role of Korean medicine in palliative care for patients with cancer.

Trial registration:

Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), KCT0007447.
Outcomes and Complications of Intramedullary Metacarpal Fixation
Authors: Hoelscher Victoria S. , Milhoan Madison , Quiring Mark , Fix Kassidy , Dalton Stewart , Pientka William F.
Published: January 2024

Background:

Metacarpal fractures are common orthopedic injuries with potentially debilitating outcomes. Ideal surgical treatment remains a topic of debate, with intramedullary fixation becoming popular as a technique to allow for earlier mobilization with few reported complications. The aim of this study was to report observed outcomes and complications of intramedullary metacarpal fixation using the ExsoMed INnate metacarpal nail.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of 37 patients with 44 metacarpals treated with the ExsoMed INnate between July 2020 and December 2021 by a single fellowship-trained hand surgeon at a single level 1 trauma center was performed. Variables recorded included both patient and injury demographics, surgical complications, and postoperative outcomes. We also measured metacarpal isthmus diameter of the second to fifth metacarpals on all patients to determine the intramedullary canal diameter to assist in implant size selection.

Results:

Average follow-up was 5.84 weeks with average time to radiographic healing of 5.5 weeks, and time to full activity 6.32 weeks. The mean postsurgical active total arc of motion was 250°, while passive total arc of motion was 259.74°. A total of 10 complications (22%) were identified, including 4 bent screws which occurred as a result of a punching event postoperatively.

Conclusions:

Intramedullary fixation of metacarpal fractures using the ExsoMed INnate metacarpal nail has shown to preserve range of motion and quick return to full activity, with a low rate of major complications. Our study highlights the potential major complication of the bent intramedullary screw and its association with an initial punching mechanism.
Applying the Visual-Verbal Video Analysis Framework to Understand How Mental Illness is Represented in the TV Show Euphoria
Authors: Ben-David Shelly , Campos Melissa , Nahal Pavanpreet , Kuber Sonali , Jordan Gerald , DeLuca Joseph
Published: January 2024

Mental illness in media can shape viewer’s beliefs about mental health, help-seeking, and empathic behaviors. The current study sought to investigate how mental health and substance use is depicted in popular media targeted for youth. The visual-verbal video analysis (VVVA) framework was applied to the HBO American drama television series Euphoria to understand how mental illness, substance use, and mental health service use is portrayed, and how characters respond to mental health scenes. Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they navigate adolescence, mental illness and substance use. The VVVA provides a framework for social science and medical researchers to qualitatively analyze multimodal information (e.g., text, cinematography, music and sounds, body language and facial expressions) of visual content. This commentary will briefly describe the VVVA framework, provide an overview of how the framework was applied and adapted to analyze a scene in the television series Euphoria, note similarities and differences to the original VVVA framework, and benefits and drawbacks. The VVVA framework was flexible and effective in coding various elements (e.g., body language, camera angles) in a scene in Euphoria.
Referral rates and barriers to lung transplantation based on pulmonary function criteria in interstitial lung diseases: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Deri Ofir , Ovadia David , Huszti Ella , Peled Michael , Saute Milton , Hod Tammy , Onn Amir , Seluk Lior , Furie Nadav , Shafran Inbal , Mass Ronen , Chatterji Sumit , Levy Liran
Published: January 2024

Background:

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) unresponsive to medical therapy often require lung transplantation (LTx), which prolongs quality of life and survival. Ideal timing for referral for LTx remains challenging, with late referral associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Among other criteria, patients with ILD should be considered for LTx if forced vital capacity (FVC) is less than 80% or diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is less than 40%. However, data on referral rates are lacking.

Objectives:

To evaluate referral rates for LTx based on pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and identify barriers associated with non-referral.

Design:

A single-center retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

The study consisted of ILD patients who performed PFT between 2014 and 2020. Patients with FVC < 80% or a DLCO < 40% were included in the study. Patients with absolute contraindications to LTx were excluded. Referral rates were computed, and a comparison was made between referred and non-referred subjects.

Results:

Out of 114 ILD patients meeting criteria for referral to LTx, 35 were referred (30.7%), and 7 proceeded to undergo LTx. Median time from PFT to referral for assessment was 255 days [interquartile range (IQR) 35–1077]. Median time from referral to LTx was 89 days (IQR 59–143). Referred patients were younger ( p = 0.003), had lower FVC ( p < 0.001), DLCO ( p < 0.001), and a higher rate of pulmonary hypertension ( p = 0.04). Relatively better PFT, and older age, were significantly associated with non-referral of patients.

Conclusion:

There is under-referral of ILD patients who are eligible for LTx, which is associated with severe disease and missed opportunities for LTx. Further research is required to validate these findings.
Potential Beneficial Effects of Salvianic Acid A and Salvianolic Acid B in Skin Whitening
Authors: Sun Haifeng , Shen Ying , Zhang Ying , Zhou Lei
Published: January 2024

Objective

Natural product-derived biomaterials are highly desired as possible ingredients in cosmetics, as they are often safe and effective. Salvianic acid A (SAA) and salvianolic acid B (SAB) are the primary water-soluble ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge ( Lamiaceae). These compounds have extensive applications as both effective and biocompatible bioactive agents for the treatment of various diseases including cardiovascular disorders, liver ailments, and neuroprotection. This study aimed to evaluate the skin-whitening effects of SAA and SAB on co-cultured human melanoma A375 cells and human keratinocytes HaCaT cells, with the intention of investigating their potential as cosmetic ingredients.

Methods

First, we assessed the SAA and SAB's efficacy on cells proliferation using MTT assay, as well as their inhibition on intracellular tyrosinase (TYR) activity. Next, we evaluated their effects on the mRNA expression levels of TYR and its related proteins. Furthermore, the whitening efficacy of SAA and SAB was assessed by observing the decrease in melanin content in treated human amalignant melanoma A375 and human keratinocyte HaCaT cells.

Results

Both SAA and SAB inhibited the activity of TYR and decreased the mRNA expression of TYR-related proteins, thereby inhibiting melanin synthesis.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that both SAA and SAB can be applied as natural and novel cosmetics materials having a whitening function, which could be beneficial in the cosmeceutical industry.
Predicting delirium and the effects of medications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using machine learning: A retrospective study within the Korean Multidisciplinary Cohort for Delirium Prevention (KoMCoDe)
Authors: Lee So Hee , Hur Hyun Jung , Kim Sung Nyun , Ahn Jang Ho , Ro Du Hyun , Hong Arum , Park Hye Yoon , Choe Pyoeng Gyun , Kim Back , Park Hye Youn
Published: January 2024

Objective

Delirium is commonly reported from the inpatients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. As delirium is closely associated with adverse clinical outcomes, prediction and prevention of delirium is critical. We developed a machine learning (ML) model to predict delirium in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and to identify modifiable factors to prevent delirium.

Methods

The data set (n = 878) from four medical centers was constructed. Total of 78 predictors were included such as demographic characteristics, vital signs, laboratory results and medication, and the primary outcome was delirium occurrence during hospitalization. For analysis, the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was applied, and the most influential factors were selected by recursive feature elimination. Among the indicators of performance for ML model, the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was selected as the evaluation metric.

Results

Regarding the performance of developed delirium prediction model, the accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and the AUROC were calculated (0.944, 0.581, 0.421, 0.485, 0.873, respectively). The influential factors of delirium in this model included were mechanical ventilation, medication (antipsychotics, sedatives, ambroxol, piperacillin/tazobactam, acetaminophen, ceftriaxone, and propacetamol), and sodium ion concentration (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

We developed and internally validated an ML model to predict delirium in COVID-19 inpatients. The model identified modifiable factors associated with the development of delirium and could be clinically useful for the prediction and prevention of delirium in COVID-19 inpatients.
Mel2Word: A Text-Based Melody Representation for Symbolic Music Analysis
Authors: Park Saebyul , Choi Eunjin , Kim Jeounghoon , Nam Juhan
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this research is to present a natural language processing-based approach to symbolic music analysis. We propose Mel2Word, a text-based representation including pitch and rhythm information, and a new natural language processing-based melody segmentation algorithm. We first show how to create a melody dictionary using Byte Pair Encoding (BPE), which finds and merges the most frequent pairs that appear in a collection of melodies in a data-driven manner. The dictionary is then used to tokenize or segment a given melody. Utilizing various symbolic melody datasets, we conduct an exploratory analysis and evaluate the classification performance of melody representation models on the MTC-ANN dataset. A comparison with existing segmentation algorithms is also carried out. The result shows that the proposed model significantly improves classification performance in comparison to various melodic features and several existing segmentation algorithms.
Predicting Transdiagnostic Symptom Change Across Diverse Demographic Groups in Single-Session Interventions for Adolescent Depression
Authors: McDanal Riley , Shen Jenny , Fox Kathryn R. , Eaton Nicholas R. , Schleider Jessica L.
Published: January 2024

Youths with marginalized identities experience minority stress, a construct linked to more severe transdiagnostic psychopathology. Financial, geographical, and temporal barriers limit access to psychological care for these individuals. Single-session interventions (SSIs), which mitigate many such barriers, are likely more accessible than traditional therapies. However, accessibility does not guarantee effectiveness across identity groups. In a preregistered study ( N = 2,452), we assessed whether demographic identities moderated the relationship between SSI condition and transdiagnostic internalizing (emotional distress) change from before SSI to after SSI in a national U.S. sample of adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms. SSI-driven internalizing-symptom reductions were equivalent between youths with myriad marginalized identities (e.g., Black, asexual, gender minority) and their counterparts (e.g., non-Hispanic White, heterosexual, cisgender) and across age and subjective school social status. We discuss implications of the results for SSI dissemination.
Midterm Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Revision Lateral Meniscal Allograft Transplantation
Authors: Choe Jung-Su , Bin Seong-Il , Kim Jong-Min , Lee Bum-Sik , Song Ju-Ho , Cho Hyung-Kwon , Kee Tae-Hong
Published: January 2024

Background:

It is unknown whether the outcomes achieved in the early period after revision lateral meniscal allograft transplantation (RLMAT) are maintained through the midterm period.

Purpose:

To evaluate the midterm clinical and radiological results of patients who underwent RLMAT.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

We reviewed the outcomes of 19 RLMATs in 18 patients with at least 5 years of follow-up data. The mean follow-up period was 6 ± 1.1 years (range, 5-8.5 years). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the modified Lysholm score, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score, and the Tegner activity level. Radiographic progression of arthritis was measured by the absolute and relative joint space widths on 45° of knee flexion posteroanterior radiographs preoperatively, 1 year postoperatively, and at the latest follow-up.Failure was defined as meniscocapsular separation, removal, or tear of more than half of the meniscal allograft on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or conversion to total knee arthroplasty. Of the 18 patients, 3 underwent ≥2 RLMATs. The survival rate was evaluated according to the number of revision surgeries.

Results:

For knees with an intact meniscus transplant at the final follow-up, the modified Lysholm and IKDC scores were significantly improved compared with preoperatively, but the Tegner activity level was unchanged. No significant differences were found in the absolute and relative joint space widths postoperatively. There were 6 failures within 3 years after RLMAT; the overall 5-year survival rate was 68.4% (13/19 knees). All failed knees showed bucket-handle tear patterns on MRI due to meniscocapsular healing failure. The survival rate decreased as the number of RLMATs increased—73.3% for a first RLMAT (n = 15 knees), 66.7% for a second RLMAT (n = 3 knees), and 0% for a third RLMAT (n = 1 knee). Midterm MRIs of 8 well-healed RLMATs showed evidence of meniscal degeneration; nonetheless, this did not affect clinical outcomes.

Conclusion:

The midterm results of RLMATs demonstrated a 5-year survival rate of 68.4% and positive clinical and radiological outcomes for failed MATs despite unimproved activity levels. Inadequate meniscocapsular healing was the leading cause of failure, and it needs to be carefully considered when performing RLMATs.
Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of the Use of Chemotherapy Alone
Authors: Kabahweza Hellen Mugarra , Spencer Angela
Published: January 2024

Introduction. Childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is often curable, but in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), access to standard treatments like combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy is limited. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of using chemotherapy alone for children with HL in SSA. Methods. We searched Medline, Embase, Cinahl Plus and Cochrane Central databases for records of studies that evaluated childhood HL survival outcomes from January 2000 to December 2022. Results. Six observational studies were identified for inclusion, and 3 were included in the meta-analysis. Most HL cases included in the analysis presented with lymphadenopathy and the nodular sclerosing subtype, with a high percentage (80%) in advanced stages. The GRADE certainty of the evidence for the assessed outcomes was rated as very low. Overall survival with chemotherapy was 67.8% (95% CI: 42.1%-88.8%). Conclusion. Chemotherapy is a potential treatment choice for childhood HL in SSA. However, it is crucial to approach this option cautiously due to the limited certainty of the supporting evidence. To improve outcomes for affected children in SSA, more robust studies are needed, along with a focus on early detection and supportive care.