bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Return to Sport and Work Following Distal Femoral Varus Osteotomy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Abdel Khalik Hassaan , Lameire Darius L. , Rubinger Luc , Ekhtiari Seper , Khanna Vickas , Ayeni Olufemi R.
Published: October 2021

Background: Distal femoral varus osteotomy (DFVO) is an effective surgical intervention for the management of symptomatic valgus malalignment of the knee. Because it preserves the native knee joint and its ligamentous stability, DFVO is preferred to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the young, active population. Purpose: We sought to assess return to work (RTW) and return to sport (RTS) rates following DFVO for valgus malalignment of the knee. Methods: For this systematic review, we searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science from inception through December 31, 2020. English language studies of all levels of evidence explicitly reporting on RTS and RTW rates following DFVO for valgus malalignment of the knee were eligible for inclusion. Results: Seven studies and 127 patients were included in our analysis. Mean age was 32.4 ± 8.8 years with men comprising 46.7% ± 22.3% of study populations. The mean RTS rate was 87.2% ± 10.7%, with a return to preoperative activity levels rate of 65.4% ± 26.8%. The mean RTW rate was 81.8% ± 23.3%, with a return to preoperative activity levels of 72.8% ± 18.1%. The mean reoperation rate was 35.6% ± 18.8% within a mean follow-up period of 5.5 ± 1.9 years. Conclusions: This systematic review of low-level studies found DFVO to be a safe and effective procedure for the management of genu valgum in young, active populations, with most patients returning to sport and/or work, although not all at their preoperative activity levels. A paucity of data surrounds RTS and RTW rates following DFVO. Future studies should explicitly report both return to activity rates and whether patients returned to their preoperative activity levels.
Retrograde Angiography to Detect Dropped Thrombus in Mechanical Thrombectomy
Authors: Aoki Kazuaki , Miura Yoichi , Toma Naoki , Suzuki Yume , Fujimoto Masashi , Shiba Masato , Yasuda Ryuta , Suzuki Hidenori
Published: October 2021

Objective

The risk of embolization to distal territory or to new territory in mechanical thrombectomy remains a major issue despite advancements in technological device. This condition can be caused by a large and firm dropped thrombus without passing through a guiding catheter during stent retriever or aspiration catheter withdrawal. This report introduced a novel technique referred to as retrograde angiography to detect dropped thrombus.

Methods

The retrograde angiography to detect dropped thrombus technique is a kind of retrograde angiography that consists of a contrast medium injection via a distal microcatheter and aspiration through an inflated balloon-guiding catheter. This method was used to detect dropped thrombus at the balloon-guiding catheter tip when back flow was blocked from the balloon-guiding catheter after stent retriever or aspiration catheter withdrawal. We retrospectively reviewed four consecutive patients who underwent the retrograde angiography to detect dropped thrombus technique during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation between January 2018 and January 2021.

Results

Three of four patients had dropped thrombus, which was diagnosed with the technique and retrieved completely with subsequent procedures while maintaining the balloon-guiding catheter inflated. None of the patients experienced embolization to distal territory/embolization to new territory, and a successful reperfusion was achieved in all four cases.

Conclusions

The retrograde angiography to detect dropped thrombus is a technique to detect a dropped thrombus at the balloon-guiding catheter tip and allows us to retrieve it with subsequent mechanical thrombectomy procedures while maintaining the balloon-guiding catheter inflated and it may be useful for reducing the risk of embolization to distal territory/embolization to new territory.
Risk assessment of collisions of an autonomous passenger ferry
Authors: Guo Chuanqi , Haugen Stein , Utne Ingrid B
Published: October 2021

Autonomous transportation is an increasingly popular concept and is gradually becoming a reality. This transformation also changes the way people travel. For example, the autonomous ferry is an emerging alternative for residents living in coastal areas. To evaluate the safety of an autonomous ferry, a thorough safety review is necessary. This paper makes an initial attempt by developing a model for performing a risk assessment of collisions between an autonomous ship with manned vessels and applying this to a specific ferry operating in a canal. The safety barriers to prevent a collision are identified, as well as the respective failure modes. A Bayesian belief network is employed to model the collision and to quantitively assess the collision risk of the autonomous ferry. Relevant data are collected to perform a quantitative risk analysis. By running the model, the likelihood of a collision is calculated. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify the most contributing causes.
Aircraft system-level diagnosis with emphasis on maintenance decisions
Authors: Skliros Christos , Ali Fakhre , King Steve , Jennions Ian
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a diagnostic technique that can predict component degradation for a number of complex systems. It improves and clarifies the capabilities of a previously proposed diagnostic approach, by identifying the degradation severity of the examined components, and uses a 3D Principal Component Analysis approach to provide an explanation for the observed diagnostic accuracy. The diagnostic results are then used, in a systematic way, to influence maintenance decisions. Having been developed for the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), the flexibility and power of the diagnostic methodology is shown by applying it to a completely new system, the Environmental Control System (ECS). A major conclusion of this work is that the proposed diagnostic approach is able to correctly predict the health state of two aircraft systems, and potentially many more, even in cases where different fault combinations result in similar fault patterns. Based on the engineering simulation approach verified here, a diagnostic methodology suitable from aircraft conception to retirement is proposed.
Is There an Ideological Asymmetry in the Incumbency Effect? Evidence From U.S. Congressional Elections
Authors: Morisi Davide , Jost John T. , Panagopoulos Costas , Valtonen Jussi
Published: October 2021

The electoral advantage that incumbent legislators enjoy over challengers in the U.S. Congress has been investigated extensively in political science. Very few studies, however, have considered the role of individual differences when it comes to incumbency preferences among voters. Based on theory and research in political psychology, we hypothesized that political conservatives would exhibit stronger preferences than liberals for incumbents over challengers from the same party. Extensive analyses based on more than 150,000 voters from seven election cycles in the United States from 2006 to 2018 support this hypothesis. A significant effect of conservatism on incumbency preferences was observed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and it was not attributable to Republican Party identification. This ideological asymmetry is consistent with system justification theory and prior research linking conservatism to risk aversion and status quo bias. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
The importance of physical activity in management of type 2 diabetes and COVID-19
Authors: Seidu Samuel , Khunti Kamlesh , Yates Tom , Almaqhawi Abdullah , Davies M.J. , Sargeant Jack
Published: October 2021

Over time, various guidelines have emphasised the importance of physical activity and exercise training in the management of type 2 diabetes, chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes and COVID-19. Most research to date indicates that people with type 2 diabetes who engage in both aerobic and resistance exercise see the greatest improvements in insulin sensitivity. Physical activity is now also known to be effective at reducing hospitalisation rates of respiratory viral diseases, such as COVID-19, due to the beneficial impacts of exercise on the immune system. Preliminary result indicates that home-based exercise may be an essential component in future physical activity recommendations given the current COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing. This home-based physical exercise can be easily regulated and monitored using step counters and activity trackers, enabling individuals to manage health issues that benefit from physical exercise.
Assessment of quality antenatal care-linked HIV counseling and testing as an intervention for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV at government health facilities in Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Leta Masresha , Adem Siraj , Daniel Biniyam
Published: October 2021

Objective:

To assess quality of antenatal care-linked to HIV counseling and testing as an intervention for prevention of mother-to-child transmission at government health facilities in Harar Town, Eastern Ethiopia, 2020.

Methods:

Institutional-based cross-sectional study was done from 1 February to 30 February 2020 by applying quantitative method conducting in government health facilities in Harar town, Eastern, Ethiopia. A total of 422 participants were recruited from four governmental hospitals in Harar Town. Simple random sampling method was used to select the participants. Data were collected by three nurses selected from prospected hospitals. The collected data were cleaned, checked for quality, coded, and analyzed using “Software package Social Science, version 20” computer program.

Result:

From a total of 422 participants, 348 (82.5%) were satisfied with the counseling room’s privacy, and having pre-test and post-test counseling by the same person provided comfort for 357 (98.9%) of clients. Three hundred eighty-nine (92.2%) felt comfortable with the counselors’ client handling/respect; 386 (91.5%) were satisfied with technical competence of the counselors. About a quarter (25.4%) of clients had no discussion of prevention of mother-to-child transmission at all, and the majority (68.2%) comprehended that HIV counseling and testing could benefit prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

Conclusion:

Exit interview revealed that the basic topics were covered in most of the pre- and/or post-test sessions, and the majority of those counseled comprehended the information; however, nearly a quarter of the clients did not understand why they were offered HIV counseling and testing particularly during their pregnancy time.
Data access and regime competition: A case study of car data sharing in China
Authors: Martens Bertin , Zhao Bo
Published: October 2021

We study the case of a Chinese industrial policy, implemented in Shanghai that makes it mandatory for car manufacturers to share electro-mechanical performance and real time navigation data from their entire fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles with local and central government authorities. This policy seeks to prevent fraud in state subsidies, reduce emissions, assess the performance of New Energy Vehicles and strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers of these vehicles. We argue that economies of scope in data aggregation may provide traditional market failure arguments in favor of government intervention and mandatory data pooling. Our paper illustrates how data access regimes could be used for economic competition. The EU and China pursue similar data sharing and pooling policy goals that hinge on economies of scope in data aggregation. However, they follow very different political processes to achieve these goals.
Transnational Mobility and Utilization of Health Services in Northern Thailand: Implications and Challenges for Border Public Health Facilities
Authors: Meemon Natthani , Paek Seung Chun , Pradubmook Sherer Penchan , Keetawattananon Wilasinee , Marohabutr Thammarat
Published: October 2021

Introduction/Objective:

Transnational populations from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are crossing borders regardless of whether their status is legal or undocumented, to receive health services in the border regions of Thailand. The implications and challenges of transnational mobility and the utilization of public health facilities in Thailand’s border regions are therefore investigated in this study.

Methods:

Four public health facilities were selected, located in 2 economically-active border areas in Northern Thailand: Mae Sai–Tachileik at the Thailand–Myanmar border and Chiang Saen–Ton Phueng at the Thailand–Lao PDR border. Qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with 8 medical and non-medical hospital staff responsible for implementing facility-level policies and providing health services for the transnational population.

Results:

Five themes were identified through analysis of the implications and challenges for transnational mobility and the utilization of public health facilities under study: contextual determinants of illness in specific border areas; uncompensated care as opposed to financial management in serving the transnational population; health service opportunities for the transnational population; cross-border collaboration on public health; and the remaining challenges of transnational mobility in border regions.

Conclusion:

Conventional content analysis with interpretative induction of in-depth interview data offers recommendations for improving the capacity of border health facilities to reduce the burden placed upon them to provide services to the transnational population.
Work Environment and Training Transfer Intentions: Does Organizational Justice Moderate Their Relationship?
Authors: Sarfraz Muhammad , Hussain Zahid , Syed Nausheen , Rehman Faiza , Rollah Bin Abdul Wahab Shah , Salihuddin Muhammad
Published: October 2021

The work environment plays a vital role in the transfer of the newly attained knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) at the workplace. In the past decades, a series of studies have investigated the direct relationship between the work environment and training transfer. Surprisingly, empirical findings noted the inconsistent relationship between the work environment and training transfer. Whereas, the moderating effect between these relationships has been less examined in the training transfer literature. Therefore, addressing this gap, the prospective study was designed to investigate the moderating role of organizational justice as a potential moderator between the relationships of work environment and training transfer in Pakistani large-scale textile organizations (LSTO). Survey data were collected from 336 front-line managers by employing a multi-stage sampling technique. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression technique were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that supervisor support, peer support, and opportunity to use learning (i.e., dimensions of work environment) correlate positively with training transfer. The findings also confirmed the moderating role of procedural justice and distributive justice (i.e., dimensions of organization justice) between the relationship of work environment and training transfer. These results underscore the critical role played by organizational justice to enhance the transfer of training at the workplace. This study shows, for the first time, that how organizational justice is an important mechanism to stimulate the work environment to training transfer.
No Difference in Clinical Effects When Comparing Alfredson Eccentric and Silbernagel Combined Concentric-Eccentric Loading in Achilles Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Habets Bas , van Cingel Robert E.H. , Backx Frank J.G. , van Elten Hilco J. , Zuithoff Peter , Huisstede Bionka M.A.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Alfredson isolated eccentric loading and Silbernagel concentric–eccentric loading have both shown beneficial effects on clinical symptoms in midportion Achilles tendinopathy (AT), but they have never been compared directly.

Purpose:

To test for differences in clinical effects at 1-year follow-up between Alfredson and Silbernagel loading in midportion AT.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A total of 40 recreational athletes were allocated to the Alfredson group (AG) or the Silbernagel group (SG). The primary outcome was the difference in the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles (VISA-A) at 1-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes were the visual analog scale for pain during activities of daily living (VAS-ADL) and sports activities (VAS–sports), the EuroQol 5 Dimensions instrument (EQ-5D), and global perceived effect score. Measurements were performed at baseline and 12-week, 26-week, and 1-year follow-up. Analysis was performed using a linear mixed-regression model with intervention (AG vs SG), time (12 weeks, 26 weeks, and 1 year postoperatively), and intervention-by-time interaction.

Results:

The VISA-A score improved for both AG and SG, from 60.7 ± 17.1 at baseline to 89.4 ± 13.0 at 1-year follow-up and from 59.8 ± 22.2 to 83.2 ± 22.4, respectively ( P < .001 for both). Because the interaction term did not significantly improve the model, we reported a treatment effect without interaction term, indicating a constant difference at each follow-up. The linear mixed model with correction for baseline VISA-A and confounders revealed a nonsignificant treatment effect (2.4 [95% CI, –8.5 to 13.3]; P = .656). In addition, after adjustment for the respective baseline values and confounders, nonsignificant treatment effects were found for the VAS-ADL (–2.0 [95% CI, –11.3 to 7.3]; P = .665) and VAS-sports (1.3 [95% CI, –12.8 to 15.3], P = .858). The EQ-5D subscales improved in both groups. After 1 year, significantly more SG participants considered themselves improved (77.3% [SG] vs 50.0% [AG]; P = .04).

Conclusion:

No differences in clinical effects were found between Alfredson and Silbernagel loading at up to 1-year follow-up. Both programs significantly improved clinical symptoms, and given their high adherence rates, offering either of them as a home-based program with limited supervision appears to be an effective treatment strategy for midportion AT.

Registration:

NTR5638 (Netherlands Trial Register number).
Patient Perceptions of Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedural Postponement at an Urban Center During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
Authors: Lacharite-Roberge Anne-Sophie , Haddad Abdullah , Khazan Benjamin , Noto Joseph , Tragesser Lauren E. , Garber Rebecca , Gangireddy Chethan , Cronin Edmond M. , Basil Anuj K. , Yesenosky George A. , Greenberg Richard M. , Vaidya Anjali , Brisco-Bacik Meredith A. , Cooper Joshua M. , Whitman Isaac R.
Published: October 2021

To curb transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and preserve hospital resources, elective procedures were postponed in the United States, affecting patients previously scheduled for electrophysiology (EP) procedures. We aimed to understand patients’ perceptions related to procedural postponements during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed a telephone survey between May 1-15 2020, of consecutive patients who experienced procedural postponement from March-April. Of 112 patients, 20% may have been lost to follow up and 12% lost interest in having their procedures done. The level of anxiety related to postponement was moderate to high in more than two thirds of patients.
The Learning Environment of Student Nurses During Clinical Placement: A Qualitative Case Study of a Student-Dense Ward
Authors: Bøe Siri Vestby , Debesay Jonas
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Ensuring the quality of clinical placements has long been a challenge in nursing education. This is partly due to a growing aging population requiring health services, and an increased need for nursing workforce. Both in Norway and internationally, there is a rise in the use of student-dense models, wherein several students are placed together on the same ward at the same time where the supervision of the students is the collective responsibility of the nurses.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore factors that promote or inhibit learning in a student-dense ward when used as a model for clinical placement in hospitals. We examined how clinical placement is experienced in a student-dense ward, as well as how learning is facilitated.

Methods

A qualitative case study design was used to capture the learning environment on the student-dense ward in a comprehensive way. We used focus group interviews, in-depth interviews, and observations with students and employees at a major hospital in Norway.

Results

Our findings showed that the orientation days and the teaching activities in student-dense wards, the feedback students receive, the clinical facilitator's role and the student community were factors that had particular importance for good learning environments in this placement model.

Conclusions

To ensure the quality of clinical placements, more attention should be paid to these factors in the planning, organization, and facilitation of new and existing student-dense wards. It is paramount to provide students with thorough written feedback and to secure the clinical facilitators with enough time to conduct student supervision when organizing clinical placement as student-dense wards.
Child Sexual Abuse—Challenging Conditions for Adult Oral Health: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Wolf E. , Månsson S. , Wallin L. , Priebe G.
Published: October 2021

The aim was to analyze perceptions of oral health in adults who have been exposed to child sexual abuse. Eleven participants (10 women), 19 to 56 y of age, who had experienced sexual abuse as children were purposively selected and interviewed in-depth. The participants were encouraged to describe how they perceived the effect of the sexual abuse on their oral health as adults. The interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. The collected material was analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. The theme “challenging conditions for maintaining oral health” was identified, comprising 2 categories: first, “the emotional significance,” with the subcategories 1) emotional barriers and 2) powerful relief, and second, “the obstacles to oral health,” with the subcategories 1) daily self-care with complications and 2) dental appointments with difficulties. The findings indicate that the experience of sexual abuse during childhood can have a negative impact on oral care in adulthood. The informants stated that oral health was of utmost importance but also associated with strong emotions. There were obstacles to maintenance of oral health that were difficult to surmount.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:The study provides access to the attitudes of survivors of child sexual abuse regarding oral health and the needs and obstacles that they experience. This is important knowledge for dental professionals to optimize dental care.
Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in females with Turner syndrome: a population-based study
Authors: Björlin Avdic Hanna , Butwicka Agnieszka , Nordenström Anna , Almqvist Catarina , Nordenskjöld Agneta , Engberg Hedvig , Frisén Louise
Published: October 2021

Background

Turner syndrome is the result of the partial or complete absence of an X chromosome in phenotypic girls. This can cause an array of medical and developmental difficulties. The intelligence quotient in females with Turner syndrome has previously been described as uneven, but considered within normal range. Although their social, intellectual, and psychiatric profile is described, it is unclear to what extent these females meet the clinical criteria for neurodevelopmental or psychiatric diagnoses. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in females with Turner syndrome.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed with a total of 1392 females with Turner syndrome identified through the Swedish National Patient Register and compared with 1:100 age- and sex-matched controls from the general population. The associations between Turner syndrome and diagnoses of neurodevelopmental and/or psychiatric disorders were calculated using conditional logistic regression and is presented as estimated risk (odds ratio, OR, 95% confidence interval, CI) in females with Turner syndrome compared with matched controls.

Results

Females with Turner syndrome had a higher risk of neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorder (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.20–1.57), an eightfold increased risk of intellectual disability (OR 8.59, 95% CI 6.58–11.20), and a fourfold increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (OR 4.26, 95% CI 2.94‑6.18) compared with the controls. In addition, females with Turner syndrome had twice the risk of a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.36–2.88), eating disorders (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.42–2.91), and behavioral and emotional disorders with onset in childhood (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.35–2.99).

Conclusions

Females with Turner syndrome have an increased risk of receiving a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorder. This warrants extensive assessment of intellectual and cognitive functions from early age, and increased psychiatric vigilance should be a part of lifelong healthcare for females with Turner syndrome.
A Graph Feature Auto-Encoder for the prediction of unobserved node features on biological networks
Authors: Hasibi Ramin , Michoel Tom
Published: October 2021

Background

Molecular interaction networks summarize complex biological processes as graphs, whose structure is informative of biological function at multiple scales. Simultaneously, omics technologies measure the variation or activity of genes, proteins, or metabolites across individuals or experimental conditions. Integrating the complementary viewpoints of biological networks and omics data is an important task in bioinformatics, but existing methods treat networks as discrete structures, which are intrinsically difficult to integrate with continuous node features or activity measures. Graph neural networks map graph nodes into a low-dimensional vector space representation, and can be trained to preserve both the local graph structure and the similarity between node features.

Results

We studied the representation of transcriptional, protein–protein and genetic interaction networks inE. coliand mouse using graph neural networks. We found that such representations explain a large proportion of variation in gene expression data, and that using gene expression data as node features improves the reconstruction of the graph from the embedding. We further proposed a new end-to-end Graph Feature Auto-Encoder framework for the prediction of node features utilizing the structure of the gene networks, which is trained on the feature prediction task, and showed that it performs better at predicting unobserved node features than regular MultiLayer Perceptrons. When applied to the problem of imputing missing data in single-cell RNAseq data, the Graph Feature Auto-Encoder utilizing our new graph convolution layer called FeatGraphConv outperformed a state-of-the-art imputation method that does not use protein interaction information, showing the benefit of integrating biological networks and omics data with our proposed approach.

Conclusion

Our proposed Graph Feature Auto-Encoder framework is a powerful approach for integrating and exploiting the close relation between molecular interaction networks and functional genomics data.
Methods to support evidence-informed decision-making in the midst of COVID-19: creation and evolution of a rapid review service from the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools
Authors: Neil-Sztramko Sarah E. , Belita Emily , Traynor Robyn L. , Clark Emily , Hagerman Leah , Dobbins Maureen
Published: October 2021

Background

The COVID-19 public health crisis has produced an immense and quickly evolving body of evidence. This research speed and volume, along with variability in quality, could overwhelm public health decision-makers striving to make timely decisions based on the best available evidence. In response to this challenge, the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools developed a Rapid Evidence Service, building on internationally accepted rapid review methodologies, to address priority COVID-19 public health questions.

Results

Each week, the Rapid Evidence Service team receives requests from public health decision-makers, prioritizes questions received, and frames the prioritized topics into searchable questions. We develop and conduct a comprehensive search strategy and critically appraise all relevant evidence using validated tools. We synthesize the findings into a final report that includes key messages, with a rating of the certainty of the evidence using GRADE, as well as an overview of evidence and remaining knowledge gaps. Rapid reviews are typically completed and disseminated within two weeks. From May 2020 to July 21, 2021, we have answered more than 31 distinct questions and completed 32 updates as new evidence emerged. Reviews receive an average of 213 downloads per week, with some reaching over 7700. To date reviews have been accessed and cited around the world, and a more fulsome evaluation of impact on decision-making is planned.

Conclusions

The development, evolution, and lessons learned from our process, presented here, provides a real-world example of how review-level evidence can be made available – rapidly and rigorously, and in response to decision-makers’ needs – during an unprecedented public health crisis.
Correlation between HDL2, HDL3 and serum ferritin levels with fatty liver and NAFLD activity score (NAS) in liver histology of organ donors
Authors: Nikeghbalian Saman , Rahimi Rasoul , Nikoupour Hamed , Soleimani Neda , Vakili Sina , Zal Fatemeh , Kaveh Baghbahadorani Fahimeh
Published: October 2021

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most important liver diseases. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) has anti-atherogenic properties and its reduction can be associated with fatty liver. Serum ferritin levels are usually elevated in patients with NAFLD. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between HDL subtypes and serum ferritin levels with evidence of NAFLD in liver histology of organ donors.

Methods

One hundred organ donor patients who were eligible for the study were included in the study and ferritin; HDL2 and HDL3 were measured in blood samples. Donated liver tissue biopsy specimens were evaluated for fatty liver and NAFLD activity score (NAS). In addition, AST and ALT were measured in recipients 24 h after transplant. All data abstracted and analyzed statistically.

Results

Serum HDL2 levels and HDL2/HDL3 ratio in patients with NAS > 1 were significantly lower (P < 0.05). Serum levels of HDL3 and ferritin were not significantly associated with NAS >1 (P > 0.05). In addition, serum ferritin > 1000 ng/ml in organ donors associated with increased AST and ALT levels 24 h after transplantation in the liver organ recipient.

Conclusions

Lower HDL2 values and HDL2/HDL3 ratio were associated with increased NAFLD activity score, but HDL3 and ferritin did not show such a relationship. In addition, higher levels of ferritin in organ donors may be associated with increased AST and ALT 24 h after liver transplantation in the organ recipient.
Implementation of an integrative movement program for residents with dementia in a VA nursing home
Authors: Akram Alirameen , Nicosia Francesca , Lee Jennifer , Lee Maria , Martin Lynn , Martinez Steven , Ordoñez Cherry , Woo Michele , Barnes Deborah E.
Published: October 2021

Background

Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) is an integrative group movement program developed for adults with mild-to-moderate dementia attending day programs. However, many older adults with dementia ultimately require assistance with their activities of daily living and become residents in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities with their complex comorbidities and unique needs. We conducted a post-implementation evaluation of PLIÉ at a San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing home to assess reach and effectiveness among residents, staff, and family members who participated in ≥ 1 PLIÉ class from 9/2018 to 6/2019.

Methods

Post-implementation number of classes offered and mean attendance; anonymous satisfaction surveys (5-point Likert scales); qualitative content analysis of open-ended survey responses and clinical progress notes.

Results

Forty-five PLIÉ classes were offered over 9 months. Residents attended an average of 13 ± 12 classes with an average class size of 14 residents, 4 staff members, and 2 family members. Most survey respondents rated the program overall as “very good” or “excellent” (100 % residents, n = 15; 87 % staff, n = 14; 100 % family members, n = 8). Respondents reported improvements in themselves and/or others in four domains: (1) physical, (2) psychological, (3) social, and (4) cognitive. Physical improvements among veterans included mobility, strength, and energy. Psychological improvements included feelings of happiness/well-being, enjoyment, and self-empowerment. Social improvements included connection, social skills, and social support. Cognitive improvements included engagement, communication ability, and focus/attention. Responses were similar among resident, staff, and family member surveys and clinical progress notes. Participants frequently reported improvements in multiple domains (e.g., “The veterans are more alert and engaged, many are smiling and laughing.”). Negative comments were primarily related to logistics, suggesting that the class occur more frequently.

Conclusions

PLIÉ was successfully implemented in a VA nursing home with high attendance and satisfaction among residents, staff, and family members. Participants reported clinically meaningful physical, psychological, social, and cognitive benefits. Other long-term care facilities could potentially benefit from implementing PLIÉ to increase quality of life in residents with dementia.
Effects of phantom exercises on pain, mobility, and quality of life among lower limb amputees; a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zaheer Anna , Malik Arshad Nawaz , Masood Tahir , Fatima Sahar
Published: October 2021

Background

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the effects of phantom exercises on phantom limb pain, mobility status, and quality of life in lower limb amputees treated with mirror therapy and routine physiotherapy.

Methods

It is a randomized controlled trial in which 24 unilateral lower limb amputees (above and below the knee) were randomly assigned to two equal groups i.e., control group (mirror therapy and conventional physical therapy) and experimental group in which, phantom exercises were given, additionally. Physical therapy included conventional therapeutic exercises while phantom exercises include imagining the movement of the phantom limb and attempting to execute these movements Data were collected at baseline, after 2 and 4 weeks of intervention using VAS (pain), AMP (mobility) and RAND SF-36 Version 1.0 (QOL) questionnaires. All statistical analyses were done with IBM SPSS 25.0 with 95% CI.

Results

Twenty-four amputees (17 males and 7 females) participated in this trial. The Mean age of the participants in experimental and control groups was 45.3 ± 11.1 years and 40.5 ± 12.5 years respectively. After the intervention, the pain (VAS score) was significantly lower in the experimental group (p = 0.003). Similarly, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly better score in the “bodily pain” domain of SF-36 (p = 0.012). Both groups significantly (p < 0.05) improved in other domains of SF-36 and ambulatory potential with no significant (p > 0.05) between-group differences.

Conclusions

The Addition of phantom exercises resulted in significantly better pain management in lower limb amputees treated with mirror therapy and routine physiotherapy.

Trial registration

This study is registered in the U.S National Library of Medicine. The clinical trials registration number for this study is NCT04285138 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier) (Date: 26/02/2020).
Do adolescents consider mind-body skills groups an acceptable treatment for depression: results from a pilot study
Authors: Cunningham Lindsey D. , Salgado Eduardo F. , Aalsma Matthew C. , Garabrant Jennifer M. , Staples Julie K. , Gordon James S. , Salyers Michelle P.
Published: October 2021

Background

Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) have shown promise in reducing adolescent depression symptoms; however, little is known about adolescents’ perspectives on this treatment. The objective of this study was to understand the acceptability of a new treatment for depressed adolescents in primary care settings.

Methods

Adolescents participating in a 10-week MBSG treatment were interviewed to understand their perspectives on the acceptability and effectiveness of the treatment. Interviews were collected at post-intervention and at a 3-month follow-up visit.

Results

A total of 39 adolescents completed both the post-intervention and 3-month follow-up interview. At post-intervention and follow-up, 84% of adolescents stated the MBSGs helped them. When asked how the MBSGs helped them, 3 areas were identified: learning new MBSG activities and skills, social connection with others within the group, and outcomes related to the group. Many adolescents reported no concerns with the MBSGs (49% at post- intervention; 62% at follow-up). Those with concerns identified certain activities as not being useful, wanting the group to be longer, and the time of group (after school) being inconvenient. Most adolescents reported that their life had changed because of the group (72% at post-intervention; 61% at follow-up), and when asked how, common responses included feeling less isolated and more hopeful.

Conclusions

Adolescents found the MBSGs to be helpful and acceptable as a treatment option for depression in primary care. Given the strong emphasis on treatment preference autonomy and the social activities within the group, MBSGs appear well-suited for this age group.

Trial registration

NCT03363750; December 6th, 2017.
Who’s more vulnerable? A generational investigation of COVID-19 perceptions’ effect on Organisational citizenship Behaviours in the MENA region: job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction as mediators
Authors: Mahmoud Ali B. , Hack-Polay Dieu , Reisel William D. , Fuxman Leonora , Grigoriou Nicholas , Mohr Iris , Aizouk Raneem
Published: October 2021

Background

This paper is an empirical investigation that examines a path model linking COVID-19 perceptions to organisational citizenship behaviour (OCBs) via three mediators: job insecurity, burnout, and job satisfaction. The research examines the path model invariance spanning Generations X, Y, and Z. Three countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were the focus of the study.

Methods

The data was collected from a sample of employees in service companies (n = 578). We used a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the data.

Results

Our findings reveal that COVID-19 perceptions positively predict job insecurity, which positively impacts burnout levels. Burnout negatively predicts job satisfaction. The findings established that job satisfaction positively predicts OCBs. The mediation analysis determined that job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction convey the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions onto OCBs. Finally, our hypothesised model is non-equivalent across Generations X, Y and Z. In that regard, our multi-group analysis revealed that the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs were only valid amongst younger generations, i.e., Generation Y and Generation Z. Specifically, younger generations are substantially more vulnerable to the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on their engagement in OCBs than Generation X whose job satisfaction blocks the effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs.

Conclusions

The present study extends our knowledge of workplace generational differences in responding to the perceptions of crises or pandemics. It offers evidence that suggests that burnout, job attitudes and organisational outcomes change differently across generations in pandemic times.
Clustering of asthma and related comorbidities and their association with maternal health during pregnancy: evidence from an Australian birth cohort
Authors: Ahmad Kabir , Kabir Enamul , Ormsby Gail M. , Khanam Rasheda
Published: October 2021

Background

The population-based classification of asthma severity is varied and needs further classification. This study identified clusters of asthma and related comorbidities of Australian children aged 12–13 years; determined health outcome differences among clusters; and investigated the associations between maternal asthma and other health conditions during pregnancy and the children’s clustered groups.

Methods

Participants were 1777 children in the birth cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) who participated in the Health CheckPoint survey and the LSAC 7th Wave. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify clusters of children afflicted with eight diseases, such as asthma (ever diagnosed or current), wheezing, eczema, sleep problem/snoring/breathing problem, general health status, having any health condition and food allergy. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate the association between maternal asthma or other health conditions and LCA clusters.

Results

The study identified four clusters: (i) had asthma – currently healthy (11.0%), (ii) never asthmatic & healthy (64.9%), (iii) early-onset asthmatic or allergic (10.7%), and (iv) asthmatic unhealthy (13.4%). The asthmatic unhealthy cluster was in poor health in terms of health-related quality of life, general wellbeing and lung functions compared to other clusters. Children whose mothers had asthma during pregnancy were 3.31 times (OR 3.31, 95% CI: 2.06–5.30) more likely to be in the asthmatic unhealthy cluster than children whose mothers were non-asthmatic during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Using LCA analysis, this study improved a classification strategy for children with asthma and related morbidities to identify the most vulnerable groups within a population-based sample.
Neonatal circumcision availability in the United States: a physician survey
Authors: Naha Ushasi , Arora Hans C. , Walton Ryan F. , Rosoklija Ilina , Skibley Lindsay M. , Johnson Emilie K.
Published: October 2021

Background

A significant proportion of boys present to surgical specialists later in infancy/early childhood for elective operative circumcision despite the higher procedural risks. This study aims to assess physician perspectives on access to neonatal circumcision across the United States and identify potential reasons contributing to disparities in access.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was electronically distributed to physician members of the Societies for Pediatric Urology and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Hospital Medicine. Hospital characteristics and circumcision practices were assessed. Associations between NC availability and institutional characteristics were evaluated using chi-squared testing and multivariable logistic regression. Qualitative analyses of free-text comments were performed.

Results

A total of 367 physicians responded (129 urologists [41%], 188 pediatric hospitalists [59%]). Neonatal circumcision was available at 86% of hospitals represented. On univariate and multivariate analysis, the 50 hospitals that did not offer neonatal circumcision were more likely to be located in the Western region (odds ratio [OR] = 8.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1–25 vs. Midwest) and in an urban area (OR = 4.2; 95% CI 1.6–10 vs. suburban/rural) compared with hospitals that offered neonatal circumcision. Most common reasons for lack of availability included not a birth hospital (N = 22, 47%), lack of insurance coverage (N = 8, 17%), and low insurance reimbursement (N = 7, 15%). Institutional, regional, or provider availability (68%), insurance/payment (12.4%), and ethics (12.4%) were common themes in the qualitative comments.

Conclusions

Overall availability of neonatal circumcision varied based on hospital characteristics, including geography. Information from this survey will inform development of interventions designed to offer neonatal circumcision equitably and comprehensively.
Comparison of the sex hormones’ serum level in women with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and healthy population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lavaee Fatemeh , Ranjbar Zahra , Jalalian Mina , Amiri Mohammad Amin
Published: October 2021

Background

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sex hormonal serum level in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and compare them with healthy participants.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was done on patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis who had referred to Shiraz Dental Faculty, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine Department during 2018–2019. The non -menopause women with recurrence of at least 3 lesions per year were enrolled in this study. The mean serum level of FSH, LH, PRL (prolactin), testosterone, DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), estradiol and progesterone of 30 participants in each group of case and control were measured and compared. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 18 and independent T-test, Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation coefficient test, Chi-square test and Fisher’s test.

Results

The mean serum level of DHEA-S in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) was significantly lower than the control group (pvalue = 0.02). In addition to DHEA-S, the mean serum level of testosterone was lower in the evaluation group although this difference was not significant (pvalue = 0.057). Considering the effect of age on the mean serum level of sex hormones, our results revealed that only DHEA-S mean serum level was decreased by increasing the age of participants in patients with RAS (pvalue = 0.018). The number of participants with abnormal range of testosterone (pvalue < 0.0001) and progesterone (pvalue = 0.037) serum level was significantly more in patients with RAS. The frequency of RAS in a year did not show a significant relationship with the serum level of the evaluated hormones.

Conclusion

The patients with RAS had a lower serum level of DHEA-S. The mean serum level of testosterone and progesterone was significantly abnormal in RAS patients.