bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of work efficiency in factory workers: pre & post covid lockdown – a cross sectional study
Authors: Kotagi Prathamesh , Angolkar Mubashir , Koppad Rajashree
Published: May 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on economies worldwide has caused changes in work patterns, reduced productivity, and job losses, particularly affecting factory workers. Lockdown measures have also led to reduced physical activity levels, which is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate efficiency of factory workers pre and post lockdown periods. The findings will contribute to identifying evidence-based strategies to minimize the negative impact of lockdown measures on factory workers' productivity and health.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the work performance of employees in a medicine manufacturing unit. Data was collected from factory workers online and study period was January 2021 to April 2022. Survey includes close ended questions regarding work performance of employees before lockdown period (Before 20/03/2020) and performance after lockdown period (After August 2020). The sample size of 196 employees selected through simple random sampling. A questionnaire consisting of demographic factors, work details, and work performance was prepared using pretested standard tools, including the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6). The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test.

Results

The study found that prior to lockdown, 99% of employees consistently had higher performance, with 71.4% ranking in the top 10. However, after lockdown, the percentage of employees with high performance decreased to 91.8%, with only 63.3% ranking in the top 10. These differences were statistically significant, indicating a decrease in work efficiency of 8.1%. Before lockdown, employees worked longer hours, including on off days, while after lockdown, a small proportion missed work due to various reasons, resulting in better quality work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work efficiency of factory workers. The findings indicate a decrease in work efficiency after the lockdown, coupled with an increase in employee stress. This suggests that the pandemic has brought about unique challenges for factory workers that need to be addressed to maintain their well-being and productivity. This study emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive work environment that prioritizes the mental and physical health of employees, especially during times of crisis.
Application of role reversal and standardized patient simulation (SPS) in the training of new nurses
Authors: Liu Yingmin , Qie Dandan , Wang Mengmeng , Li Yuyuan , Guo Dongmei , Chen Ximin , Li Li , Yu Honglian , Wang Jingjing
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To explore the effect of role reversal and standardized patient simulation on the training of new nurses.

Method

This study was conducted in a territory hospital in China between August 2021 and August 2022. The selected staff were all newly recruited and trained nurses, with a total of 58 cases. This study is a randomised controlled trial. The selected nurses were randomly divided into two groups. One group of 29 nurses (the control group) received routine training and assessment; the other group (the experimental group) was given role reversal combined with a standardized vertebral patient training examination. The implementation effects of different training and assessment methods were compared and analysed.

Results

Before the training, the core competence scores of nurses in the two groups were lower, and there was no significant data difference (P > 0.05). After training, the core competence scores of nurses were improved, and the score of nurses in the experimental group was 165.49 ± 22.34. The difference was statistically significant when compared with the score of nurses in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that nurses in the experimental group had better abilities. At the same time, the satisfaction of the two groups of nurses with the training was 96.55% (experimental group) and 75.86% (control group), and the difference in data was significant (P < 0.05). The satisfaction of the experimental group of nurses was higher, and the training effect was better.

Conclusion

In the training of new nurses, the combined application of role interchange and standardized patient training and assessment methods has significant effects, which can improve the core competency of nurses and improve the training satisfaction of nurses, which is significant.
Diagnostic branched tree as an assessment and feedback tool in undergraduate pharmacology education
Authors: Tekeş Ender , Toraman Çetin
Published: May 2023

Background

Multiple-choice, true-false, completion, matching, oral presentation type questions have been used as an evaluation criterion in medical education for many years. Although not as old as other question types, performance evaluation and portfolio-like assessment types, can be called alternative evaluation, have been used for a considerable time. While summative assessment maintains its importance in medical education, the value of formative assessment is gradually increasing. In this research, the use of Diagnostic Branched Tree (DBT), which is used both as a diagnostic and feedback tool, in pharmacology education was examined.

Methods

The study was conducted on 165 students (112 DBT, 53 non-DBT) on the 3rd year of undergraduate medical education. 16 DBTs prepared by the researchers were used as data collection tool. Year 3 first committee was elected for implementation. DBTs were prepared according to the pharmacology learning objectives within the committee. Descriptive statistics, correlation and comparison analyzes were used in the analysis of the data.

Results

DBTs with the most wrong exits are DBTs entitled phase studies, metabolism, types of antagonism, dose-response relationship, affinity and intrinsic activity, G-protein coupled receptors, receptor types, penicillins and cephalosporins. When each question in the DBTs is examined separately, it is seen that most of the students could not answer the questions correctly regarding phase studies, drugs that cause cytochrome enzyme inhibition, elimination kinetics, chemical antagonism definition, gradual and quantal dose response curves, intrinsic activity and inverse agonist definitions, important characteristics of endogenous ligands, changes in the cell as a result of G-protein activation, ionotropic receptor examples, mechanism of action of beta-lactamase inhibitors, excretion mechanism of penicillins, differences of cephalosporins according to generations. As a result of the correlation analysis, the correlation value calculated between the DBT total score and the pharmacology total score in the committee exam. The comparisons showed that the average score of the pharmacology questions in the committee exam of the students who participated in the DBT activity was higher than the students who did not participate.

Conclusions

The study concluded that DBTs are a candidate for an effective diagnostic and feedback tool. Although this result was supported by research at different educational levels, support could not be shown in medical education due to the lack of DBT research in medical education. Future research on DBTs in medical education may strengthen or refute our research results. In our study, receiving feedback with DBT had a positive effect on the success of the pharmacology education.
Healthcare professionals discourses on men and masculinities in sexual healthcare: a focus group study
Authors: Persson Tommy , Löve Jesper , Tengelin Ellinor , Hensing Gunnel
Published: May 2023

Studies have reported that men’s uptake of sexual health services is low, that these services make them feel vulnerable, and that they experience sexual healthcare (SHC) as stressful, heteronormative, potentially sexualised and “tailored for women”. They also suggest that healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in SHC view masculinity as problematic, and situated in private relationships. This study aimed to explore how HCPs construct the gendered social location in SHC, specifically in terms of masculinity and a perception that masculinity is situated in relationships. Critical Discourse Analysis was used to analyse transcripts from seven focus group interviews with 35 HCPs working with men’s sexual health in Sweden. The study found that gendered social locations were discursively constructed in four ways: (I) by problematising and opposing masculinity in society; (II) through discursive strategies where a professional discourse on men and masculinity is lacking; (III) by constructing SHC as a feminine arena where masculinity is a visible norm violation; (IV) by constructing men as reluctant patients and formulating a mission to change masculinity. The discourses of HCPs constructed the gendered social location of masculinity in society as incompatible with SHC, and saw masculinity in SHC as a violation of feminine norms. Men seeking SHC were constructed as reluctant patients, and HCPs were seen as agents of change with a mission to transform masculinity. The discourses of HCPs risk othering men in SHC, which could prevent care on equal terms. A shared professional discourse on masculinity could create a common foundation for a more consistent, knowledge-based approach to masculinity and men’s sexual health in SHC.
Does information disclosure among public hospitals stimulate medical cost change efforts? A pilot study in Shanghai
Authors: Chen Ya-jing , Wang Rui-Xin , Tang Jin-yan , Ying Xiao-hua
Published: May 2023

Background

In 2013, the Shanghai Hospital Development Center issued a policy to advocate public hospitals to report their information about costs on diseases. The objective was to evaluate the impact of interhospital disclosure of costs on diseases on medical costs and compare costs per case following information disclosure between hospitals of different rankings.

Methods

The study uses the hospital-level performance report issued by Shanghai Hospital Development Center in the fourth quarter of 2013, which covers quarterly aggregated hospital-level discharge data from 14 tertiary public hospitals participating in thyroid malignant tumors and colorectal malignant tumors information disclosure from the first quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2020. An interrupted time series model with segmented regression analysis is employed to examine changes in quarterly trends with respect to costs per case and length of stay before and after information disclosure. We identified high- and low-cost hospitals by ranking them on a costs per case basis per disease group.

Results

This research identified significant differences in cost changes for thyroid malignant tumors and colorectal malignant tumors between hospitals after disclosing information. A hospital’s discharge costs per case for thyroid malignant tumors increased significantly among top-cost hospitals (1629.251 RMB, P = 0.019), while decreased for thyroid and colorectal malignant tumors among low-cost hospitals (-1504.189 RMB, P = 0.003; -6511.650 RMB, P = 0.024, respectively).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that information disclosure of costs on diseases results in changes in discharge costs per case. And low-cost hospitals continued to maintain their leading edge, whereas the high-cost hospitals changed their position in the industry by reducing discharge costs per case after information disclosure.
Avoiding future controversies in the Alzheimer’s disease space through understanding the aducanumab data and FDA review
Authors: Dickson Samuel P. , Hennessey Sean , Nicodemus Johnson Jessie , Knowlton Newman , Hendrix Suzanne B.
Published: May 2023

Key points of disagreement between the aducanumab FDA statistical review, which had primarily negative conclusions, and the clinical review, which had primarily positive conclusions, were investigated. Results from secondary endpoints in positive Study 302 were significant and these endpoints provided meaningful additional information. Findings indicate the statistical review of the aducanumab data was incorrect in a number of key areas. Greater placebo decline was not responsible for the significant results in Study 302. Correlations did exist between reduction in β-amyloid and clinical outcomes. Missing data and functional unblinding did not likely bias results. In contrast, the clinical review went too far in saying the negative results in Study 301 did not detract from the positive results in Study 302, as all clinical data should be considered in the evaluation, and the clinical review accepted the company’s explanation for divergence of the results between the studies although much of the divergence remained unexplained. Interestingly, both the statistical review and the clinical review considered the available efficacy evidence despite both studies being terminated early. Implications of these findings include that the divergence in results seen in the two phase 3 aducanumab studies can be expected in other studies with similar design and analysis. Therefore, further research is needed to determine if analysis methods other than MMRM and/or optimized outcomes will provide more consistent results across studies.
Surgical management of benign noninfected urachal cysts in adult patients: two case reports
Authors: Sghaier Asma , Lamloum Eya , Debaibi Mehdi , Sridi Azza , Chouchene Adnene
Published: May 2023

Background

Abnormalities of the urachus include the patent urachus, cysts, sinus, and fistula. Each of these entities represents a failure of complete obliteration of the urachus. Contrary to other urachus anomalies, urachal cysts are usually small and silent unless they are infected. The diagnosis is often made during childhood. A benign noninfected urachal cyst discovered in adulthood is a rare condition.

Case presentation

Herein we report two cases of benign noninfected urachal cysts in adults. The first case is a 26-year-old Tunisian white man who presented with complaints of clear fluid draining from the base of the umbilicus evolving for a week, with no other associated symptoms. The other case was 27-year-old Tunisian white woman who was referred to the surgery department with a history of intermittent draining of clear fluid from the umbilicus. The two cases had laparoscopic resection of urachus cysts.

Discussion

Laparoscopy represents a good alternative for the management of persistent or infected urachus, especially when this is suspected, despite a lack of radiological evidence. Laparoscopy in the management of urachal cysts is safe, effective, and offers good cosmesis, with all the advantages of a minimally invasive approach.

Conclusion

Managing persistent and symptomatic urachal anomalies requires a wide surgical excision. Such intervention is recommended to prevent symptom recurrence and complications, most notably malignant degeneration. A laparoscopic approach offers excellent outcomes, and is recommended to treat these abnormalities.
Effectiveness of worksite wellness programs based on physical activity to improve workers’ health and productivity: a systematic review
Authors: Marin-Farrona Maria , Wipfli Brad , Thosar Saurabh S. , Colino Enrique , Garcia-Unanue Jorge , Gallardo Leonor , Felipe Jose Luis , López-Fernández Jorge
Published: May 2023

Background

Although the scientific literature has previously described the impact of worksite programs based on physical activity (WPPAs) on employees’ productivity and health in different contexts, the effect of these programs has not been analyzed based on the characteristics or modalities of physical activity (PA) performed (e.g., aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility). In addition, studies on WPPAs usually report health and productivity outcomes separately, not integrated into a single study. Knowing the health and economic-related impacts of a WPPAs could provide useful information for stakeholders and policy development.

Objective

The purpose of this review was as follows: (1) to analyze the effect of different modalities of WPPAs on employees’ productivity and health and (2) to investigate the economic impact of WPPAs.

Methods

This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021230626) and complies with PRISMA guidelines. Only randomized controlled trials from 1997 to March 2021 were included. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full texts for study eligibility, extracted the data, and performed a quality assessment using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk-of-Bias Tool for randomized trials. Population, instruments, comparison, and outcome (PICO) elements were used to define eligibility criteria. Eight-hundred sixty relevant studies were found through electronic searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. Once the eligibility criteria were applied, a total of 16 papers were included.

Results

Workability was the productivity variable most positively impacted by WPPAs. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and musculoskeletal symptoms health variables improved in all the studies included. It was not possible to fully examine the effectiveness of each exercise modality because of the heterogeneity in methodology, duration, and working population. Finally, cost-effectiveness could not be analyzed because this information was not reported in most studies.

Conclusion

All types of WPPAs analyzed improved workers’ productivity and health. However, the heterogeneity of WPPAs does not allow to identify which modality is more effective.
What drives the dynamics of employment growth in firms? Evidence from East Africa
Authors: Atwine Blessing , Okumu Ibrahim Mike , Nnyanzi John Bosco
Published: May 2023

This study examines the firm level drivers of employment growth in East Africa in which they are categorized as firm specific, entrepreneur specific and business environment characteristics. Using a cross-sectional World Bank Enterprise survey dataset and pooled Ordinary Least Squares estimation (OLS), the results indicate that; (1) employment growth is significantly associated with firm specific characteristics (employment growth is positively related to firm size and innovation while it is negatively associated with the age of the firm), (2) a weak business environment characterized by electricity outages, informal payments and poor court system undermines the firm’s ability to contribute to employment growth while strong business environment such as access to finance is positively associated with employment growth (3) employment growth is also positively influenced by managerial experience. Policy recommendations are suggested.
Key to the conservation of calligraphy and painting relics in collection: proposing a lighting damage evaluation method
Authors: Wei Zhihui , Feng Zhichao , Tan Huijiao
Published: May 2023

As an important supporting material for calligraphy and painting relics in collections, the silk substrate is generally in acidification. And owing to an extremely high light response, it is very prone to different forms of lighting damage, including color and mechanical aspects. Considering that the Light Emitting Diode (LED) with flexible spectral compositions is widely used in the lighting environment of collections, the spectral responsivity of acidified silk substrates is the core issue concerning the long-term conservation of calligraphy and painting relics. In this study, based on the accelerated aging experiment of nine narrowband LEDs with different wavelengths (λ) in the visible range on silk samples with different acidification degrees (pH values), the infrared spectrum was measured non periodically. Processed with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the obtained ΔPC1 was used to evaluate the lighting damage of silk samples. Based on the damage change curve, its spectral responsivity function, that is, the mathematical relationship between lighting damage and λ and pH values, was further fitted. Combined with the previous research on the spectral responsivity of colorants, an evaluation method for lighting damage was proposed, which is the key to the conservation of calligraphy and painting relics.
Recent advancements of metalenses for functional imaging
Authors: Jeon Dongmin , Shin Kilsoo , Moon Seong-Won , Rho Junsuk
Published: May 2023

Metasurfaces can modulate light with periodically arranged subwavelength scatterers, and they can generate arbitrary wavefronts. Therefore, they can be used to realize various optical components. In particular, metasurfaces can be used to realize lenses, so-called metalenses. In the last decade, metalenses have been actively studied and developed. In this review, we firstly introduce the fundamental principles of metalenses in terms of materials, phase modulation method, and design method. Based on these principles, the functionalities and the applications can consequently be realized. Metalenses have a much larger number of degrees of freedom compared with that of existing refractive or diffractive lenses. Thus, they afford functionalities such as tunability, high numerical aperture, and aberration correction. Metalenses with these functionalities can be applied in various optical systems such as imaging systems and spectrometers. Finally, we discuss the future applications of metalenses.

Graphical Abstract
Total hip arthroplasty in patients with vertebral compression fracture is associated with poor clinical outcomes – retrospective analysis on 453 cases
Authors: Chen Chin‐Hsi , Okuzu Yaichiro , Goto Koji , Kuroda Yutaka , Kawai Toshiyuki , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increasingly performed in older adults, and the prevalence of vertebral compression fracture (VCF) increases with age. We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of THA in patients with VCF.

Methods

We reviewed the records of 453 patients who underwent THA at our institution between 2015 and 2021. We classified patients into those with and without VCF. VCF was identified using preoperative upright whole‐spine radiographs. Spinal parameters, preoperative and 1‐year postoperative clinical outcomes of the Harris hip score (HHS), Oxford hip score (OHS), and visual analog scale (VAS) for low back pain (LBP) were assessed. Furthermore, propensity score‐matched cohorts for age, sex, body mass index, and spinal parameters were created, and the clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results

Among the 453 patients, 51 (11.3%) with VCF and 402 without VCF were identified. Before matching, patients with VCF were older (p < 0.01), had sagittal spinal imbalance (p < 0.01), and had worse clinical outcomes pre‐ and postoperatively. After matching 47 patients in both groups, patients with VCF had worse HHS (p < 0.05), especially regarding support and distance walked, and worse VAS scores for LBP (p < 0.05) pre‐ and postoperatively. However, the improvements in scores were not significantly different between the groups.

Conclusions

HHS, especially regarding support and distance walked, and VAS scores for LBP were poorer in patients with VCF preoperatively and 1‐year postoperatively. Our findings suggest that hip surgeons should evaluate not only spinal alignment but also the presence of VCF before performing THA.

Level of evidence

Level III, Retrospective cohort study.
(Un)Sustainable transitions towards fast and ultra-fast fashion
Authors: Dzhengiz Tulin , Haukkala Teresa , Sahimaa Olli
Published: May 2023

Due to pressing sustainability challenges, the fashion industry is undergoing tremendous change. Surprisingly, even though the unique context of fashion presents an opportunity for scholars to explore the (un)sustainable transitions, this context has yet to receive the attention of transition scholars. Our article explores fashion transitions and develops a conceptual framework demonstrating this transition's multi-level and multi-dimensional interactions. We draw on three literature areas: multi-level perspective (MLP) of sustainable transitions, institutional logics and framing contests. We then introduce a conceptual framework and illustrative examples from the industry and demonstrate the tensions between positive and negative environmental and social
sustainability developments at the niche, regime and landscape levels. We show that while many positive developments can be seen in the regime players through the adoption of corporate sustainability initiatives, new business models and collaborations, more attention should also be given to some adverse developments. Overall, we contribute to the literature by exploring fashion transitions, an under-explored context, and by demonstrating the complexity of interactions due to the diffusion of heterogeneous institutional logics and framing contests between players.
3D bioprinting patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell models of Alzheimer’s disease using a smart bioink
Authors: Benwood Claire , Walters-Shumka Jonathan , Scheck Kali , Willerth Stephanie M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is becoming increasingly prevalent as our population ages. It is characterized by the buildup of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles containing hyperphosphorylated-tau. The current treatments for AD do not prevent the long-term progression of the disease and pre-clinical models often do not accurately represent its complexity. Bioprinting combines cells and biomaterials to create 3D structures that replicate the native tissue environment and can be used as a tool in disease modeling or drug screening.

Methods

This work differentiated both healthy and diseased patient–derived human induced pluripotent stems cells (hiPSCs) into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) that were bioprinted using the Aspect RX1 microfluidic printer into dome-shaped constructs. The combination of cells, bioink, and puromorphamine (puro)-releasing microspheres were used to mimic the in vivo environment and direct the differentiation of the NPCs into basal forebrain-resembling cholinergic neurons (BFCN). These tissue models were then characterized for cell viability, immunocytochemistry, and electrophysiology to evaluate their functionality and physiology for use as disease-specific neural models.

Results

Tissue models were successfully bioprinted and the cells were viable for analysis after 30- and 45-day cultures. The neuronal and cholinergic markers β-tubulin III (Tuj1), forkhead box G1 (FOXG1), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were identified as well as the AD markers amyloid beta and tau. Further, immature electrical activity was observed when the cells were excited with potassium chloride and acetylcholine.

Conclusions

This work shows the successful development of bioprinted tissue models incorporating patient derived hiPSCs. Such models can potentially be used as a tool to screen promising drug candidates for treating AD. Further, this model could be used to increase the understanding of AD progression. The use of patient derived cells also shows the potential of this model for use in personalized medicine applications.
Synthetic seeds for in vitro preservation of Asparagus officinalis L.
Authors: Sallam Amira Rashid , Hegazi Ghada Abd El-Moneim , Bekheet Shawky Abd El-Hameed
Published: May 2023

Background

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial vegetable of economic importance for its high nutritional and medicinal value. Male plants are more desirable because of their higher spear yield. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the gibberellin inhibitors; paclobutrazol (PBZ) and cycocel (CCC) for in vitro preservation by encapsulation of in vitro-derived shoot tips of the superior germplasm of the first generation of asparagus male hybrid; cultivar Mary Washington 500W.

Methods

An efficient technique for synthetic seeds production was achieved, consisting of 3% (w/v) Na-alginate dissolved in water, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, MS medium with the growth inhibitors; PBZ and CCC at different concentrations, and 0.1 M calcium chloride (CaCl2.2H2O). Synthetic seeds were stored at 4 ℃ and then cultured after different storage durations (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks) on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg l−1 kinetin, 0.2 mg l−1 naphthalene acetic acid and 0.5 mg l−1 gibberellic acid for shoot tip multiplication; then, recovered shoots were transferred to MS medium supplemented with 1 mg l−1 indole butyric acid and 0.5 mg l−1 PBZ for rooting.

Results

The beads containing 1 mg l−1 PBZ considered the optimum for producing complete well-developed plantlets of Asparagus officinalis from recovered shoot tips after 24 weeks of storage that successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse.

Conclusions

This protocol is efficient for in vitro preservation by encapsulation of shoot tips and regeneration of Asparagus officinalis F1 male hybrid (Mary Washington 500w), using anti-gibberellin plant growth regulators within the beads to prolong the duration of storage and provide a continuous supply of the plant.
Design, development, and evaluation of docetaxel-loaded niosomes for the treatment of breast cancer
Authors: Gaikwad Dipika S. , Chougale Rutuja D. , Patil Kiran S. , Disouza John I. , Hajare Ashok A.
Published: May 2023

Background

Docetaxel (DTX) has been used to treat numerous types of cancers. Poor solubility, lower bioavailability, and serious side effects limit its use in cancer treatment. The objective of the present research work was to develop DTX-loaded niosomes to overcome these issues and investigate the anticancer effect on breast cancer. Niosomes of DTX were prepared and evaluated to estimate particle size, surface potential, morphology by TEM, %EE, in vitro drug release, %hemolysis, in vitro cytotoxicity, and stability. The cytotoxicity effect of plain DTX and DTX-loaded niosomes was performed on MCF-7 cell lines.

Results

The mean particle size, zeta potential, and %EE of DTX-loaded niosomes were 244.9 nm, − 7.1 mV, and 97.43%, respectively. Besides, combining the DTX with polymers enhanced drug loading capacity. The TEM images confirmed spherical-shaped niosomes. The IR, DSC, and P-XRD studies indicate no chemical interaction between drug and excipients. The developed DTX niosomes showed a sustained release behavior and lower in vitro cytotoxicity when compared to plain DTX.

Conclusion

The current research work demonstrates the suitability of co-loading of DTX in niosomes as a promising approach to enhance the efficiency of DTX.

Graphical Abstract
Direct inversion for shale brittleness index using a delayed rejection adaptive Metropolis-Markov chain Monte Carlo method
Authors: Zuo Yinghao , Zong Zhaoyun , Li Kun , Sun Qianhao , Yang Yaming
Published: May 2023

The reservoir brittleness index can characterize the relative brittleness of shale oil and gas reservoirs, which provides guidance for hydraulic fracturing in the later stage of oil and gas exploration and development. It is a significant index to evaluate the sweet spot of oil and gas reservoirs. Most research on the brittleness index involves laboratory measurements and petrophysical quantitative analysis, but few studies directly predict the reservoir brittleness index from prestack seismic data. The Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) probabilistic algorithm incorporating the delayed rejection adaptive Metropolis (DRAM) strategy has been developed to invert the reservoir brittleness index directly. The different brittleness indexes are analyzed and compared by using the constructed rock-physics model of the shale gas exploration area to select the most sensitive one. Based on the chosen brittleness index, the approximate equation of the PP-wave reflection coefficient for the brittleness index is deduced, and the correctness and achievability of the modeling operator are indicated by theoretical analysis. To analyze the uncertainty of the brittleness index and enhance computational efficiency, an improved MCMC probabilistic inversion algorithm is introduced, which aims to optimize the sampling process of the general MCMC algorithm by delayed rejection and adaptive Metropolis strategies. Our study finds that the DRAM strategy improves the efficiency of the algorithm by nearly 30%. Synthetic examples and field seismic data verify the applicability and effectiveness of our inversion method.
The ‘lost generation’ in adult psychiatry: psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and sociodemographic characteristics of psychiatric patients with autism unrecognised in childhood
Authors: Nyrenius Johan , Eberhard Jonas , Ghaziuddin Mohammad , Gillberg Christopher , Billstedt Eva
Published: May 2023

Background

Patients with ‘underlying’ autism spectrum disorder (ASD) constitute a significant minority in adult out-patient psychiatry. Diagnoses of previously unrecognised ASD are increasing in adults. Characteristics of patients with autism within adult out-patient psychiatry have not been sufficiently explored, and there have not been any systematic comparisons of characteristics between patients with and those without autism within adult out-patient psychiatric populations.

Aims

To examine psychiatrically relevant characteristics in autistic adult psychiatric out-patients, and to compare the characteristics with non-autistic adult psychiatric out-patients.

Method

We assessed 90 patients who were referred to a Swedish psychiatric out-patient clinic and screened for ASD during 2019–2020. Sixty-three patients met the DSM-5 criteria for ASD or ‘subthreshold’ ASD. The 27 who did not meet the criteria for ASD were used as a comparison group. Assessments were made with structured and well-validated instruments, including parent ratings of developmental history.

Results

No differences were found between the groups regarding self-reported sociodemographic variables. The ASD group showed a higher number of co-occurring psychiatric disorders than the non-ASD group (t(88) = 5.17, 95% CI 1.29–2.91, d = 1.19). Functional level was lower in the ASD group (t(88) = −2.66, 95% CI −9.46 to −1.27, d = −0.73), and was predicted by the number of co-occurring psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions

The results underscore the need for thorough assessment of psychiatric disorders in autistic patients in adult psychiatric services. ASD should be considered as a possible ‘underlying’ condition in adult psychiatry, and there is no easy way of ruling out ASD in this population.
The impact of strict lockdowns on the mental health and well-being of people living in Australia during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Goh Anita M. Y. , Dang Christa , Wijesuriya Rushani , Lamb Karen E. , Panisset Maya G. , Gartoulla Pragya , Tan Esther , Batchelor Frances , Brijnath Bianca , Dow Briony
Published: May 2023

Background

There are limited longitudinal studies on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being, including the effects of imposed restrictions and lockdowns.

Aims

This study investigates how living in a pandemic, and related lockdowns and restrictions, affected the mental health of people living in Australia during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A total of 875 people living in Australia participated in a longitudinal survey from 27 May to 14 December 2020. This time period includes dates that span pre-, during and post-wave 2 lockdowns in Australia, with strict and sustained public health measures. Linear mixed models were fitted to investigate the effect of lockdown on depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Symptoms of depression and anxiety improved over time, during and after lockdowns. More adverse mental health symptoms were observed for people with a history of medical or mental health problems, caring responsibilities, more neurotic personality traits or less conscientiousness, and for people who were younger. People who reported being more conscientious reported better mental health.

Conclusions

Despite notoriously strict lockdowns, participants did not experience a deterioration of mental health over time. Results suggest a lack of significant adverse effects of lockdown restrictions on mental health and well-being. Findings highlight cohorts that could benefit from targeted mental health support and interventions, so that public policy can be better equipped to support them, particularly if future strict public health measures such as lockdowns are being considered or implemented for the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontitis: Bidirectional Association in Population-based 15-year Retrospective Cohorts
Authors: Chien Wu-Chien , Fu Earl , Chung Chi-Hsiang , Cheng Chia-Mao , Tu Hsiao-Pei , Lee Wei-Cheng , Chen Wei-Liang , Shih Kuang-Chung
Published: May 2023

Objective

A two-way relationship between periodontitis and diabetes has been proposed. However, bidirectional epidemiological observation is limited and inconsistent.

Objective

Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan (covering over 99% of the entire population), we aimed to estimate the development of diabetes in periodontitis patients or that of periodontitis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), respectively.

Methods

A total of 11 011 patients with severe periodontitis were recruited from 2000 to 2015. After matching by age, sex, and index date, 11 011 patients with mild periodontitis and 11 011 non-periodontitis controls were registered. Additionally, 157 798 patients with T2DM and 157 798 non-T2DM controls were enrolled, in whom the development of periodontitis was traced. Cox proportional hazards model was performed.

Results

Periodontitis patients tended to have a statistically high risk for T2DM. The adjusted hazard ratio was 1.94 (95% CI, 1.49-2.63, P < .01) and 1.72 (95% CI, 1.24-2.52, P < .01) for severe and mild periodontitis groups, respectively. The patients with severe periodontitis had a higher risk of having T2DM relative to those with mild periodontitis (1.17 [95% CI, 1.04-1.26, P < .001]). Conversely, the risk of periodontitis increased significantly in patients with T2DM (1.99 [95% CI, 1.42-2.48, P < .01]). However, high risk was observed for the outcome of severe periodontitis (2.08 [95% CI, 1.50-2.66, P < .001]), but not for mild periodontitis (0.97 [95% CI, 0.38-1.57, P = .462]).

Conclusion

We suggest that the bidirectional association is between T2DM and severe but not mild periodontitis.
Rorty, Science Studies, and the Politics of Post-Truth
Authors: Voparil Chris
Published: May 2023

In a symposium built around a critical reassessment by Nicholas Gaskill of Richard Rorty's pragmatism, this contribution examines the provocative question of whether Rorty's rhetoric hinders Rortian aims. When reconsidering him in company with “the philosophical wing of science studies” (Bruno Latour, Isabelle Stengers, and Donna Haraway), Gaskill finds that Rorty's persistent assumption of nature/culture and word/world dichotomies is politically dangerous and prevents his comprehending both distributed agency and the complexity of human entanglements with the nonhuman. Gaskill's Rorty lacks a sustained and coherent positive project, but a fuller picture, outlined in this article, reveals not only greater alignment of Rorty with science studies and agential realism but also key Rortian contributions to those fields that are particularly of moment in our “post-truth” condition.
Antirepresentationalism Before and After Rorty
Authors: Smith Barbara Herrnstein
Published: May 2023

Richard Rorty's rejection of prevailing interior-mirror understandings of the presumed relationship between “minds” and “nature,” along with his promotion of nonrepresentational accounts of knowledge, truth, and science, participates in a rich tradition of jointly pragmatist and constructivist views that spans the twentieth century. This contribution to the symposium “Whatever Happened to Richard Rorty?” considers Rorty's complex and ambivalent relation to that tradition, particularly to the work of his American pragmatist predecessors, William James and John Dewey, and to subsequent pragmatist-constructivist antirepresentationalism in contemporary science and technology studies (STS) and “4E” (embodied, embedded, extended, enactive) cognitive theory. A final section on Nicholas Gaskill's contribution to the symposium questions his sense of Rorty's rhetorical recklessness and suggests that his worries over relativism, in Rorty's texts and more generally, are misplaced.
Informações Editoriais 2021
Authors: Cadernos CGPC
Published: May 2023

Balanço Editorial 2021
Youth political participation and digital movement in Indonesia: the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi and #TolakOmnibusLaw
Authors: Wahyuningroem Sri Lestari , Sirait Rheinhard , Uljanatunnisa Uljanatunnisa , Heryadi Dudy
Published: May 2023

The younger generations have always been at the forefront of and contributed significantly to social movements that are critical of state policies or respond to socio-political situations. This is also what happened in large movements involving young people in Indonesia, conventionally in the form of demonstrations and digital movements. This study seeks to explore the relationship between youth political participation, digital media, and the development of youth political identity by analyzing young people’s engagement in some of the most significant political protests in Indonesia during the mass protests of #ReformasiDikorupsi, a movement opposing the amendments of several important bills, and #TolakOmnibusLaw, a movement opposing the establishment of a new single bill related to labor and investment, between 2019 and 2020. By analyzing quantitative data through data mining from Twitter from October 2019 to November 2020 with the social network analysis method, this study discusses online youth participation in social movements and the way they shape their political identity. Our research found that young people play an active and central role in building online and offline movements. In particular, the online movement contributes to the growth of the offline protest movement, and vice versa, because of concerns about the practice of illiberal democracy.
The impact of right bundle branch block and SIQIII-type patterns in determining risk levels in acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Hassine Majed , Kallala Mohamed Yassine , Jamel Ahmed , Bouanene Ines , Bouchahda Nidhal , Mahjoub Marouen , Memmi Kais , Ben Halima Najeh , Gamra Habib
Published: May 2023

Background: Electrocardiography (ECG) findings in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) are known to be related to various right ventricular (RV) alterations. These abnormalities are not included in risk stratification algorithms despite emerging evidence of their association with patient outcomes. We aimed to analyze the impact of right bundle branch block (RBBB) and/or SIQIII patterns as indicators for determining the level of risk in patients with PE.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study including all patients with confirmed acute PE hospitalized from January 2008 to December 2019 in two tertiary care cardiology departments. The first ECG taken at admission was selected and the analysis focused on the presence of a complete or an incomplete RBBB and SIQIII-type patterns.

Results: A total of 255 patients were divided into two groups: Group I (47.8%, n=122) included patients with PE without RBBB nor SIQIII patterns, and Group II (52.2%, n=133) included patients with RBBB and/or SIQIII patterns. Patients in group II presented significantly more frequently with acute right heart symptoms (45.1% vs. 18%, p<0.001) and cardiogenic shock at admission (31.6 vs. 4.1%, p<0.001). Echocardiographic parameters indicating right heart injury also occurred more significantly in group II patients (p<0.001). By univariate analysis, patients in group II were found to be significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (22.6 vs. 6.1%, p=0.002) and major cardiovascular events (MACEs) during hospitalization (43.3 vs. 13.7%, p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified five independent factors predictive of MACEs: SIQIII and/or RBBB, renal failure, positive troponin levels, RV dysfunction and right heart failure symptoms during initial presentation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified the inclusion in Group II and the presence of SIQIII pattern as predictors of overall mortality (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Our study suggests an important and independent prognostic value of RBBB and SIQIII patterns and their usefulness in determining the outcome of PE patients.
A comprehensive systematic scoping review for physiotherapy interventions for people living with long COVID
Authors: Kabir Md. Feroz , Nyein Yin Khin , Jeffree Mohammad Saffree , Ahmedy Fatimah , Zainudin Muhamad Faizal , Hossain K M Amran , Jahan Sharmila , Islam Md. Waliul , Hasnat Md. Abu Khayer , Abul Fazal Abdullah Ibn
Published: May 2023

Background: A diverse spectrum of long COVID symptoms (LCS) have the scope of physical rehabilitation. Due to limited resources, very little is known about the physiotherapy and rehabilitation interventions for LCS and their clinical application. This study aims to explore the role of physiotherapy and rehabilitation interventions in the management of musculoskeletal, neurological, cognitive, cardiorespiratory, mental health, and functional impairments of LCS.

Methods: The study was a systematic scoping review of the literature published between April 2020 and July 2022.

Results: 87 articles were extracted followed by a standard process of The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) extension for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The included studies had a 3223 LCS population. All types of primary and secondary articles were retrieved except for qualitative studies. The evidence was evaluated by an appraisal scoring tool followed by the guidelines of the “Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research ( EQUATOR) network”. The included papers had a mean appraisal score of 0.7807 on a 0 to 1 scale (SD 0.08), the minimum score was for study protocols (0.5870), and the maximum score was for Cohort studies (.8977). Sixty seven (67) evidence-based interventions were documented from 17 clinical categories. The most weighted interventions were treating underlying symptoms of long COVID (Adjusted score 1/1), management of fatigue (Adjusted score 0.963/1), aerobic exercise and balance training (Adjusted score 0.951/1), multidisciplinary rehabilitation (Adjusted score 0.926/1), and low resistance training and aerobic exercise (Adjusted score 0.889/1).

Conclusion: We recommend Long COVID rehabilitation in a multidisciplinary approach by treating the individual symptoms, especially fatigue. Physiotherapy interventions play a significant role as most of the recommended interventions were exercise, modalities, patient education, respiratory rehabilitation, and telerehabilitation

Scoping reviews do not require protocol registration from PROSPERO.