bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of cognitive impairment and cognitive improvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus during a 6-month follow-up study
Authors: Koolvisoot Ajchara , Chumjang Sasamon
Published: August 2023

Objectives

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a simple and reliable screening tool for early detection for cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Most previous studies were cross-sectional with small samples. Research on long-term cognitive changes and reversibility is limited. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of cognitive impairment and changes in SLE patients after 6 months and the associated factors.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted in 200 patients with SLE between April 2021 and March 2022. Demographic data, disease activity, and medications were recorded. MoCA was administered at baseline and 6 months; for Thais, scores 17–24 indicate mild cognitive impairment, while ≤16 signifies severe impairment. Multivariate analysis identified factors associated with cognitive impairment and improvement.

Results

The patients’ median age was 44 years (range: 19–73), 96% were female, and 55% had < 12 years of education. The median disease duration was 11 years (range: 0–51.8), and 79% of patients had inactive disease. Cognitive impairment was found in 70% of patients (mild, 63%; severe, 7%). The most often affected domains were delayed recall (82%), abstraction (80.5%), language (76%) and visuospatial/executive function (70.5%), whereas orientation and naming were the least involved. Factors significantly associated with cognitive impairment were age > 40 years (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.72–8.00), formal education < 12 years (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.45–6.63), and prednisolone use (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.08–4.51). Sixty-six (38.2%) of 173 patients completing the 6-month re-evaluation exhibited cognitive changes (52 [30.1%] improved; 14 [8.1%] deteriorated). Except for delayed recall, all commonly affected domains showed significant improvement. Disease activity, prednisolone, antimalarials, or immunosuppressant use did not predict cognitive improvement.

Conclusions

Mild cognitive impairment is prevalent among patients with SLE. Due to the possibility of reversibility, early recognition and additional research to identify relevant factors are required.
Assessment of a Synergistic Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Stem Cell-Seeded Hydrogel for Healing of Rat Chronic Rotator Cuff Injuries
Authors: Oda Hiroki , Kaizawa Yukitoshi , Franklin Austin , Sanchez Rangel Uriel , Storaci Hunter , Min Jung Gi , Wang Zhen , Abrams Geoffrey D. , Chang James , Fox Paige M.
Published: August 2023

Outcomes after repair of chronic rotator cuff injuries remain suboptimal. Type-1 collagen-rich tendon hydrogel was previously reported to improve healing in a rat chronic rotator cuff injury model. Stem cell seeding of the tendon hydrogel improved bone quality in the same model. This study aimed to examine whether there was a synergistic and dose-dependent effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on tendon–bone interface healing by combining PRP with stem cell–seeded tendon hydrogel. Human cadaveric tendons were processed into a hydrogel. PRP was prepared at two different platelet concentrations: an initial concentration (initial PRP group) and a higher concentration (concentrated PRP group). Tendon hydrogel was mixed with adipose-derived stem cells and one of the platelet concentrations. Methylcellulose, as opposed to saline, was used as a negative control due to comparable viscosity. The supraspinatus tendon was detached bilaterally in 33 Sprague-Dawley rats (66 shoulders). Eight weeks later, each detached tendon was repaired, and a hydrogel mixture or control was injected at the repair site. Eight weeks after repair, shoulder samples were harvested and assigned for biomechanical testing (n = 42 shoulders) or a combination of bone morphological and histological assessment (n = 24 shoulders). Biomechanical testing showed significantly higher failure load and stiffness in the concentrated PRP group than in control. Yield load in the initial and concentrated PRP groups were significantly higher than that in the control. There were no statistically significant differences between the initial and concentrated PRP groups. The addition of the highly concentrated PRP to stem cells–seeded tendon hydrogel improved healing biomechanically after chronic rotator cuff injury in rats compared to control. However, synergistic and dose-dependent effects were not seen.
The Future Is Scary!: A Job Search Scenario Planning Exercise to Encourage Student Resilience Capacity and Reduce Stress
Authors: Dunn Alexandra M. , Fallah Samira
Published: August 2023

Searching for jobs is a stressful process for students. When faced with unknowns of the future, many students avoid proactively planning their job search. This article describes an exercise, rooted in scenario planning, which is a tool widely used during an organization’s strategy development process. To help students prepare for the job search process, we apply this tool to help with their current job searching. In a set of steps, students brainstorm forces affecting their job search process, develop a range of possible futures for these forces, and analyze the implications of each. This exercise helps students build resilience capacity by directing them to make sense of their future job search and reduce the uncertainty around it. Based on pretest-posttest data, students ( N = 71) report that the exercise significantly reduced stress about their own job searches and increased positive mood. Most students also agreed that scenario planning can help with understanding how to prepare and approach different job search situations and can be a useful tool for dealing with future unknowns. Exercise materials, detailed directions for implementation, and suggestions for debriefing are included in this article to allow instructors to implement the exercise in their own classes.
Culturally Intelligent Educational Leaders: Effectiveness of Preparation Programs in Developing Educational Leaders Cultural Intelligence
Authors: Khemakhem Aysha
Published: August 2023

The burgeoning cultural diversity in public schools calls for culturally competent educational leaders. Drawing on the theoretical framework of cultural intelligence (CQ), this quantitative, causal–comparative study examines the relationship between educational leadership preparation programs and participants’ cultural competence development. Data collected from 546 graduate students at 54 U.S. universities and analyzed using an independent samples t-test revealed no statistically significant difference between program starters’ and program completers’ aggregate CQ, cognitive CQ, and metacognitive CQ. Program completers had significantly lower levels of motivational CQ and behavioral CQ than program starters . Findings yield implications for educational leadership research and preparation programs.
An Evaluation of an Integrative Intervention for Work and Mental Health: The WIN Program
Authors: Blustein David L. , Allan Blake , Mazur Amy , Sharone Ofer , Autin Kelsey , Cinamon Rachel Gali , Ferreira Joaquim A. , Kozan Saliha , Smith Camille , Stevenson Brian , Thompson Mindi
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe the development of a new intervention for jobseekers and to assess its efficacy using a naturalistic, pre-post intervention design. In contrast to existing work-based interventions, the Work Intervention Network (WIN) intervention targets multiple intersecting domains through four modules and via six group sessions: deepening and sustaining relationships; fostering social awareness and reducing self-blame; building emotional resilience and self-care; and planning, exploring, and engaging in the job search. To evaluate the intervention, we first recruited a sample of 33 jobseekers to provide feedback on the program. Integrating their feedback into the design of the program, we then recruited a sample of 108 jobseekers who filled out surveys before and after the six-session intervention, which assessed work and mental health functioning across the four domains. Results revealed that participants were highly satisfied with the intervention and reported large increases in social support, belonging, psychological well-being, job search engagement, and work hope as well as decreases in isolation and self-blame. This study provides strong support for the WIN intervention and has implications for how to support jobseekers in an increasingly precarious labor environment.
Improved antioxidant properties of pork patties by replacing fat with resveratrol-loaded MP-CS complex stabilized pickering emulsion
Authors: Wang Mingru , Ma Lei , Xie Peng , Li Cuiping , Yang Xiaoxi , Lang Yumiao
Published: August 2023

The characterization and antioxidant ability of Res-loaded MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion, and its effects of fat reduction (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in meat patties on pH, color, texture, cooking yield and antioxidant activity were investigated. Fat substitute using emulsion had no significant effect on pH and cooking yield. The addition of emulsion increased L* value and reduced a* value. a* value of meat patties with resveratrol added were higher than those without resveratrol group. Hardness and chewiness of meat patties with 25% and 100% fat replacement was lower than 50% and 75% fat replacement. The addition of emulsion could improve the network structure of meat patties and enhance oxidative stability. Oxidative stability of meat patties was improved by Res-loaded MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion. The results showed that MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion had great potential to be used as fat substitute for developing low-fat meat products, and the addition of resveratrol can improve the antioxidant ability of substitute fat meat products.
Effect of gabapentin on ambulatory, direct, systemic arterial blood pressure in apparently healthy cats in the at-home and in-clinic environments
Authors: De Lombaert Mélissa CM , Lourenço Bianca N , Coleman Amanda E , Arne Allison M , Berghaus Roy D , Schmiedt Chad W
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Situational increases in blood pressure (BP) frequently confound the accurate diagnosis of pathological systemic hypertension in cats. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of gabapentin on direct, ambulatory systolic arterial BP (SBP) in cats in at-home and in-clinic environments.

Methods

Six adult purpose-bred cats with surgically implanted femoral artery telemetric BP-sensing catheters were administered 100 mg of gabapentin or a placebo orally in two randomized, masked, crossover study phases. In the first, direct BP was measured continuously in undisturbed cats for 24 h before (at-home baseline) and 4 h after administration of study drug. The mean SBP after administration of the drug was compared between treatments. In the second study period, cats were administered gabapentin or placebo 90 mins before transport to a clinic, where direct BP was measured continuously during a simulated veterinary visit that included an indirect BP measurement session. Changes in mean direct SBP relative to the 24-h at-home pre-treatment period were calculated for each of one waiting room and two examination-room periods, and compared between treatments. Concurrent in-clinic direct and indirect SBP measurements were compared within-cat. Data were compared using linear mixed models.

Results

Direct SBP data from one cat were excluded due to implant failure. There were no differences in at-home or in-clinic SBP between treatment groups, with large inter-individual variability. Cats in both treatment groups experienced in-clinic increases in direct SBP relative to at-home baseline (range 11–50 and 10–52 mmHg in placebo- and gabapentin-treated cats, respectively). Across all visits, direct SBP was 15.6 mmHg higher than indirect SBP ( P <0.001). No effects of treatment on difference between direct and indirect SBP were identified.

Conclusions and relevance

Significant effects of gabapentin on direct SBP were not identified, though a type II error is possible. Situational increases cannot be excluded in gabapentin-treated cats with high SBP.
What tourists seek in peer-to-peer tour experiences? A topic modeling approach of online reviews
Authors: Zhang Xiaonan , Pan Gaofeng , Meng Fang , Tang Jijun
Published: August 2023

This study aims to examine tourists’ experience evaluation on the fast-growing but understudied peer-to-peer (P2P) tour/activity experiences provided by sharing economy platforms and non-professional local guides. The P2P tours are unique in providing guests with a personalized and immersive experience of local culture, derived from the expertise and charm of the local hosts. A total of 211,610 online reviews were retrieved and analyzed using a topic modeling approach. Fourteen key topics were identified; tourists highlighted their personal feelings during interactions, sensory experience, and achievements derived from the customized experience in their storytelling approach of the reviews. Tourists highly valued hosts’ personality and expertise, as well as the learning experience and comfortability of the tours. However, reviews with lower ratings primarily emphasized the issue of group interaction. The findings advanced the literature of P2P tourist experience in the sharing economy and provided new insights into tourists’ pursuit for industry practitioners.
The use of discourse markers across pragmatic performance levels and task types
Authors: Youn Soo Jung
Published: August 2023

Discourse markers establish relationships between topics in discourse and serve a range of pragmatic functions, such as mitigating dispreferred actions and maintaining the continuity of spoken interaction. This study examines the use of diverse discourse markers (e.g. but, and, actually, you know, well, yeah, okay) in second language (L2) task-based pragmatic performance with the following research questions: What are distinct pragmatic functions of discourse markers in task-based pragmatic performance? How does the use of discourse markers differ at pragmatic performance levels and task types? The data came from 102 L2 English test-takers’ pragmatic performances on monologic and interactive role-play pragmatic assessment tasks, scored by trained raters using analytical rating criteria. Sequential mixed methods were employed to answer the research questions. First, the sequential positions and pragmatic functions of discourse markers in task-based performances were analysed using conversation analysis, which formed the basis of a coding scheme and coder training. Second, the coded data were analysed using the CLAN program for quantitative analyses to answer the second research question. The findings revealed that the frequencies and quantitative power of the discourse markers in predicting the pragmatic performance levels were distinct across the task types that differed in terms of pragmatic demands and interactivity. For example, the use of discourse markers which function as transitioners of actions and acknowledgement tokens was more distinguishable for more interactive tasks with less formal pragmatic functions. The findings confirm that the pattern of discourse markers was associated with the pragmatic functions and interactional demands required in the tasks. Implications of the findings in understanding the role of discourse markers in task-based pragmatic teaching and assessment are discussed.
The higher the news literacy, the wider the partisan gap on misinformation acceptance? The three-way interaction effects of news literacy, partisanship, and exposure to partisan YouTube channels on misinformation acceptance
Authors: Jang Kyungeun , Baek Young Min
Published: August 2023

Drawing on two competing hypotheses from the prevention and partisan gap frameworks, this study tests how news literacy, partisanship, and exposure to partisan YouTube channels interact to influence misinformation acceptance. Partisan YouTube channels in this study refer to a type of soft journalistic content with a partisan perspective. Panel survey data ( N = 808) collected during the 2020 South Korean General Election campaign were analyzed. Supporting the partisan gap hypothesis, the results show that when exposed to partisan YouTube channels, those with higher news literacy were more likely to process misinformation in a biased manner, such that party-congenial misinformation is more likely to be accepted, while party-uncongenial misinformation is more likely to be rejected with an increase in news literacy level. This indicates that the effects of news literacy on misinformation acceptance vary depending on political factors. Furthermore, in the context of politically biased media, the partisan gap widens among those with greater news literacy.
‘Domani a quest’ora potresti essere qui’: multimodal practices for representing temporality in destination advertising
Authors: Messner Monika
Published: August 2023

Materiality, mediality, locality and temporality are constitutive characteristics of texts. Various texts in mediatized everyday reality show temporal aspects that influence their perception and their functions in different ways. The present article considers diverse expressions of temporality in destination ads, a genre that is hitherto underexplored. A special focus is put on multimodal practices that express temporal aspects, for instance the timeline of pre-, on- and post-trip time, vacation time as desired time, the situationality of ads, etc. The author uses multimodal discourse analysis to examine the interplay of semiotic resources in destination ads and to describe their compositional, ideational and interactional metafunctions. The analysis shows that text–image relations are crucial for the depiction of temporality and time-boundedness, and also for the formation of a specific tourist gaze that is centred on the desire to fully enjoy vacation time.
An Insufficiently Substantiated Claim Based on a Confirmation Strategy: Comment on Bartels’ “Indoctrination in Introduction to Psychology”
Authors: Ermark Florian , Plessner Henning
Published: August 2023

In his target article on “Indoctrination in Introduction to Psychology,” Bartels proposes that in introductory textbooks of psychology studies and their results are systematically presented in such a way that they tend to correspond to left-liberal political positions and that the state of psychological knowledge is reflected in a correspondingly distorted way. In our commentary, we clarify that the evidence Bartels presents for this claim is insufficient. At first, he takes a purely hypothesis-confirming approach based on selective sampling. Second, he draws an invalid causal inference from a supposed liberal majority in the psychological community to their representation of psychological content in textbooks. And third, he assigns introductory textbooks a function that we believe they do not have. Nonetheless, we welcome the discussion of how best to teach critical reflective thinking in psychology courses.
The Context of Indoctrination in Introductory Psychology
Authors: Bernstein Douglas A.
Published: August 2023

This commentary describes a set of academic, social, and financial factors that provide a context for Jared Bartel's article in which he claims that students in introductory psychology in North America are being indoctrinated by instructors who present socio-politically biased coverage of controversial areas of psychological research.
Reacting to the ambidexterity mandate: How experienced tensions and cognitive dissonance influence innovative behaviors in a global organization
Authors: Rao Alaka , Mattarelli Elisa
Published: August 2023

In this study, we advance the literature on ambidexterity by investigating how employees interpret and react to a multinational organization’s overarching strategic mandate to become ambidextrous. Our grounded model, based on qualitative data collected from 78 employees and managers in a multinational corporation, reveals that individuals vary in their experience of the innovation–efficiency tension as either a dilemma marked by cognitive dissonance and charged with negative emotions or as a paradox lived as a stimulating challenge rife with positive emotions. Our findings further reveal a multiplicity of proactive responses, such as innovation via integration and segmentation, and conservative responses, including trivializing, rationalizing, and resisting innovation. We detail how this variation in experiences and responses is dependent on individuals’ understanding of the complexity of the global environment, and their relationships in the proximal context supportive of innovation. Our model extends our understanding of ambidexterity in multinational enterprises by bridging the macro–micro divide between the organizational strategic mandate and individuals’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses, consequently revealing how ambidexterity unfolds across levels in a global organization.
Effects of an 18-Week Integrated Yoga Program on Cardiac Autonomic Function in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Inbaraj Ganagarajan , Udupa Kaviraja , Raghavendra Rao Mohan , Ram Amritanshu , Patil Shekar , Rajeswaran Jamuna , Nandakumar Krishna K. , Belur Spoorthi , Arjun Krishnamurthy , Govindaraj Ramajayam , Bayari Sapna K. , Sathyaprabha Talakad N.
Published: August 2023

Background:

Cardiotoxicity is a commonly observed adverse effect seen in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing chemotherapy with attributes toward cardiac autonomic dysfunction (CAD). Yoga, a mind-body system of medicine that has been shown to improve cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in various health conditions, could be an effective adjuvant approach in addressing CAD.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the protective effects of Integrated Yoga Therapy (IYT) on ANS functioning, assessed using Heart rate variability (HRV) in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods:

A total of 68 (stage I-III) BC patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups: Treatment as Usual group (TAU) and TAU with Yoga Therapy group (TAUYT). All patients underwent anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy for a total of 6 cycles with 21 days/cycle. During chemotherapy, the TAUYT group received IYT 5 days a week for 18 weeks, compared with usual care alone in the TAU group. Resting heart rate (RHR) and HRV, measured in both the time and frequency domains, were used to assess the cardiac ANS function of each patient before and after 6 cycles of chemotherapy.

Results:

A total of 30 subjects in the TAU group and 29 subjects in the TAUYT group were included in the analysis. At baseline (before chemotherapy), there were no significant differences between the TAU and TAUYT groups in terms of RHR and HRV indices. However, after chemotherapy, patients in the TAU group had a significantly higher average RHR ( P < .02) and lower HRV indices with reduced parasympathetic indices: RMSSD ( P < .01), pNN50% ( P < .04), high-frequency power ( P < .001) and increased sympathetic indices: low-frequency power ( P < .001) with sympathovagal imbalance: LF/HF ( P < .001) compared with patients in the TAUYT group.

Conclusion:

The study showed the protective effects of yoga therapy on CAD in patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy for BC, proposing yoga as a potential adjuvant intervention in improving cardiac health and preventing cardiovascular-related morbidities.

Trial Registration:

This trial is registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) database (CTRI/2020/10/028446; October 16, 2020).
Does Bronchial Artery Hypertrophies After Descending Thoracic Aorta Stenting in Takayasu Arteritis? – A Clinical Dilemma
Authors: Nandi Debanjan , Kumar Sanjeev , Singh Resham
Published: August 2023

41-year-old lady, known case of Takayasu arteritis with pulmonary arterial involvement, presented with multiple episodes of haemoptysis (maximum 50 mL) in a week. She had undergone descending thoracic aorta angioplasty and stenting 3 years ago due to uncontrolled hypertension, left ventricular systolic dysfunction and approximately 70% stenosis of descending thoracic aorta. This lady was treated with embolization of hypertrophied bronchial artery as well as left internal mammary artery branch for management of haemoptysis. Embolization of hypertrophied bronchial artery in the setting of Takayasu arteritis with pulmonary arterial involvement presenting with haemoptysis is rare. Hypertrophied bronchial artery detected in post stenting computed tomography raises suspicion whether descending thoracic aorta stenting promotes the hypertrophy of bronchial artery. Literature of bronchial artery embolization in the setting of Takayasu with post DTA stenting is scarce.
Epidemiology of Hip Osteoarthritis: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project
Authors: Nelson Amanda
Published: August 2023

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is common but understudied compared with knee OA, and insights into the impact of this condition on the general population are needed. This review article summarizes findings from the 30-year, longitudinal, population-based Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project cohort to address the prevalence, incidence, and progression of hip OA and differences by sex and race; similarities and differences related to other joints; and impact on morbidity and mortality.
Acute ischemic stroke: The role of emergency carotid endarterectomy in isolated extracranial internal carotid artery occlusion
Authors: Acciarri Pierfilippo , Camagni Alice , Bressan Maddalena , Zenunaj Gladiol , Casetta Ilaria , Bernardoni Andrea , Gasbarro Vincenzo , Traina Luca
Published: August 2023

Objectives

The treatment of choice for acute and isolated extracranial internal carotid artery (eICA) occlusion remains, to date, controversial. Although intravenous thrombolysis is recommended, its effectiveness is generally low. This retrospective study aims to assess the clinical outcome and the role of CT perfusion in symptomatic patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for acute occlusion of the eICA.

Materials and methods

All the 21 patients presented with stroke-in-evolution, complete patency of intracranial circulation, no evidence of hemorrhagic transformation at CT and a minimum ASPECTS of 6. Clinical improvement was assessed by evaluating the variation of NIHSS and the mRS. We investigated the relationship between NIHSS and the timing of the surgery, the ASPECT score, and the volume of ischemic penumbra at CT perfusion.

Results

Median NIHSS on admission was 9 (range 1–24) and it decreased to 4 (range 0–35) 24 h after surgery, improving in 76.2% of patients. Patients with an ASPECTS of 6 (3 patients) showed an improvement of 66.7%, while it was of 81.8% in those starting with a score of 9 or 10 (11 patients). A mRS between 0 and 2 after 3 months was achieved in 12 out of 21 patients. The average time elapsing between surgery and symptom onset was 410 min (range 70–1070 min). Fourteen patients treated within 8 h from symptoms onset showed a clinical improvement of 85.7%, compared to a 57.1% for those which underwent later surgery. Four patients underwent thrombolytic therapy before CEA showing postoperative clinical improvement and no intracranial hemorrhage. Among the 14 patients who underwent CT perfusion, the median ischemic penumbra volume was 112 cc in those with clinical improvement (10 patients) and only 84 cc in those with worse clinical outcomes (4 patients).

Conclusions

Emergency CEA in isolated eICA occlusion has proved to be a safe and effective treatment option in selected patients. CT perfusion, imaging the ischemic penumbra and quantifying the tissue suitable for reperfusion, offers a valid support in the diagnostic-therapeutic workup. Indeed, we can infer that the area of the ischemic penumbra is directly proportional to the margin of clinical improvement after revascularization, supposing that the appropriate intervention timing is respect.
Self-perception of learning basic skills in the use of information and communications technology in university students with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Mampaso Desbrow Joanne , Vicario-Merino Ángel , Alonso Criado Margarita , Gómez de Quero Córdoba Marina
Published: August 2023

Educational transformation in the university environment requires updating the basic skills of all university students to the educational moment in which they find themselves. This study aimed to determine the basic skills in the use of information and communications technology that were identified as known, both conceptually and procedurally, in 15 university students with intellectual disabilities. To ascertain the importance of digital skills and information and communications technology tools, a descriptive, cross-sectional, pre-post study was conducted. Descriptive results and statistical analyses are presented with a t-test for independent samples for the variables with a normal distribution, assuming a hypothesis that the post values would be greater than those obtained pre. It was confirmed that there is an increase in the perceived procedural knowledge and skills in different digital tools based on participants’ self-perception (p < 0.0001).
Psychometric properties of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) in a sample of Brazilian youth and adult athletes
Authors: Roberto de Andrade do Nascimento Junior José , Morais Freire Gabriel Lucas , Ribeiro Contreira Andressa , Quinaud Ricardo T. , Jowett Sophia , Gonçalves Marina Pereira , Vicentini de Oliveira Daniel , Fiorese Lenamar
Published: August 2023

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) in a sample of 1344 Brazilian youth and adult athletes. Participants completed the CART-Q and the Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Scale (BNSSS). Data analysis was conducted through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, multigroup analysis, and Pearson's correlation ( p < .05). CFA confirmed a multidimensional structure containing the three dimensions of Closeness, Commitment, and Complementarity: χ² (37) = 264.10; χ²/df = 5.13; CFI = .96; TLI = .94; and RMSEA = .068. Internal consistency was satisfactory (>.70). SEM model showed an acceptable fit ( χ² (56) = 593.28; χ²/df = 2.71; CFI = .90; TLI = .90; RMSEA = .057), indicating that the three dimensions of the CART-Q predicted positively all basic needs satisfaction subscales (β range = .11 to .38). CART-Q was revealed to be invariant across gender, sport type, and age group. It was concluded that the CART-Q can satisfactorily be used in research studies involving Brazilian athletes regardless of their age group, gender, and sport.
“Variable Effects of Tourist Presence on the Activity Budget of Alouatta pigra”
Authors: Rodríguez-Peña Olga Nelly , Oropeza Sánchez Marco Tulio , González-Di Pierro Ana María
Published: August 2023

Background and Research

Wildlife tourism has been considered a useful tool for conservation in some contexts and found to cause diverse effects on biodiversity. We investigated the effect of the number of tourists on wild black howler monkeys’ ( Alouatta pigra) behavior at the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (MABR), in the Lacandona forest in Mexico.

Methods

We used 5-min focal animal sampling, during dry and rainy seasons. We recorded five common behaviors in three wild groups naturally exposed to different degrees of human disturbance (Station, River and Board) without tourists, 5 and 10 tourists.

Results

Five and 10 tourists increased locomoting and reduced socializing, however, differently affected activities’ allocation time in the monkeys’ groups: in Board, 10 tourists reduced monkeys feeding; ii) in River, 10 tourists reduced socializing; and iii) in Station, 5 tourists increased feeding and reduced socializing, and 10 tourists reduced socializing.

Conclusions

Watching tourism activities affect behavior differently in groups of Alouatta pigra in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in in the Mexican state of Chiapas, emphasizing the importance of regulating tourism programs for the conservation of endangered species.

Implications for Conservation

Although longer-term studies controlling for additional variables are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of tourism on wild howler populations, the results from this study remain valuable as a baseline for understanding such effects and for proposing initial strategies to reduce tourism-induced disturbance.
Change of rapid temporal recalibration magnitude for audiovisual asynchrony with modulation of temporal binding window width: A preliminary investigation
Authors: Takeshima Yasuhiro
Published: August 2023

The subjective synchrony perception for audiovisual stimuli is affected by previous temporal information. The point of subjective simultaneity is shifted toward the same asynchronous direction of audiovisual stimuli in a previous trial. This phenomenon is called “rapid temporal recalibration.” The factors that modulate the magnitude of rapid temporal recalibration have not been fully investigated. Previously, a positive correlation has been found between the magnitude of rapid temporal recalibration and the width of the temporal binding window (TBW). This preliminary study examined the causal relationship between TBW size and rapid recalibration magnitude using a single experimental group comparison design. In this experiment, the magnitude of rapid recalibration was compared before and after perceptual training, which narrowed the TBW width. The results indicated that the magnitude of rapid recalibration was reduced by perceptual training. Therefore, it was speculated that TBW size determined the magnitude of rapid recalibration. This causal relationship helps elucidate the mechanisms of the adaptation for temporal lags between visual and auditory sensations.
Conditional trust: Citizens’ council on data-driven media personalisation and public expectations of transparency and accountability
Authors: Wong Yen Nee , Jones Rhia , Das Ranjana , Jackson Philip
Published: August 2023

This article presents findings from a rigorous, three-wave series of qualitative research into public expectations of data-driven media technologies, conducted in England, United Kingdom. Through a range of carefully chosen scenarios and deliberations around the risks and benefits afforded by data-driven media personalisation technologies and algorithms, we paid close attention to citizens’ voices as our multidisciplinary team sought to engage the public on what ‘good’ might look like in the context of media personalisation. We paid particular attention to risks and opportunities, examining practical use-cases and scenarios, and our three-wave councils culminated in citizens producing recommendations for practice and policy. In this article, we focus particularly on citizens’ ethical assessment, critique and improvements proposed on media personalisation methods in relation to benefits, fairness, safety, transparency and accountability. Our findings demonstrate that public expectations and trust in data-driven technologies are, fundamentally, conditional, with significant emphasis placed on transparency, inclusiveness and accessibility. Our findings also point to the context dependency of public expectations, which appears more pertinent to citizens, in hard political as opposed to entertainment spaces. Our conclusions are significant for global data-driven media personalisation environments – in terms of embedding citizens’ focus on transparency and accountability, but equally, also, we argue that strengthening research methodology, innovatively and rigorously to build in citizen voices at the very inception and core of design – must become a priority in technology development.
Responsiveness of the Indonesian Versions of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport After Injury Score, the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form, and the Lysholm Score in Patients With ACL Injury
Authors: Deviandri Romy , der Veen Hugo C. van , Lubis Andri MT , Postma Maarten J. , van den Akker-Scheek Inge
Published: August 2023

Background:

The Indonesian versions of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI), International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form (IKDC), and the Lysholm scores are considered valid and reliable for Indonesian-speaking patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to determine the responsiveness of the ACL-RSI, IKDC, and Lysholm scores in an Indonesian-speaking population with ACL injury. It was hypothesized that they would have good responsiveness.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Between March 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022, patients with an ACL injury at a single hospital in Indonesia were asked to complete the ACL-RSI, IKDC, and Lysholm scores before either reconstruction surgery or nonoperative treatment. At 6 months after treatment, the patients completed all 3 scores a second time, plus a global rating of change question. The distribution-based and the anchor-based methods were used to study responsiveness. For each scale, the standardized response mean, minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and minimal detectable change (MDC; at the group [MDCgr] and individual [MDCind] levels) for each scale were determined.

Results:

Of 80 eligible patients, 75 (93.8%) completed the study. The standardized response means for the ACL-RSI, IKDC, and Lysholm scores were 1.59, 1.72, and 1.51, respectively, indicating good responsiveness. The MCIDs for the ACL-RSI, IKDC, and Lysholm scores were 6.8, 7.8, and 4.8, respectively; all MCIDs were larger than that of the MDCgr (1.1, 0.7, and 0.6, respectively). At the individual level, the MCID for the IKDC was larger than the MDCind (7.8 vs 5.8). However, the MCIDs for ACL-RSI and Lysholm scores were smaller than those of the MDCind (6.8 vs 10.9 and 4.8 vs 5.1, respectively).

Conclusion:

The Indonesian ACL-RSI, IKDC, and Lysholm scores indicated good responsiveness and can be used in the follow-up of patients after ACL injury, especially at the group level. In individual patients, IKDC was found to be more efficient than the ACL-RSI or Lysholm scores for detecting clinically important changes over time after ACL treatment.
The Patient-Centered Dental Home: A Framework for Quality Measurement, Improvement, and Integration
Authors: Herndon J.B. , Reynolds J.C. , Damiano P.C
Published: August 2023

Objective:

This study completed the development of a standardized patient-centered dental home (PCDH) framework to align and integrate with the patient-centered medical home. This study identified measure concepts and specific measures and standards to complete the 4-level measurement framework to implement and evaluate a PCDH. This study built on prior model development, which identified the PCDH definition and characteristics and the components nested within those characteristics.

Methods:

An environmental scan identified existing oral health care quality measure concepts, measures, and standards for rating by the project’s National Advisory Committee (NAC). A modified Delphi process, adapted from the RAND appropriateness method, was used to obtain structured feedback from the NAC. NAC members rated measure concepts on importance and, subsequently, specific measures and standards on feasibility, validity, and actionability using a 1 to 9 rating scale. Criteria for model inclusion were based on median ratings and rating dispersion. Open-ended comments were elicited to inform model inclusion as well as identify additional concepts.

Results:

We identified more than 500 existing oral health care measures and standards. A structured process was used to identify a subset that best aligned with a PCDH for rating by the NAC. Four Delphi rounds were completed, with 2 rounds to rate measure concepts and 2 rounds to rate measures and standards. NAC quantitative ratings and qualitative comments resulted in a total of 61 measure concepts and 47 measures and standards retained for inclusion in the framework.

Conclusions:

The NAC ratings of measure concepts, and specific measures and standards nested within those concepts, completed the 4-level PCDH measurement framework. The resulting framework allows for the development and implementation of core measure sets to identify and evaluate a PCDH, facilitating quality improvement and dental-medical integration.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

Clinicians, payers, health care systems, and policy makers can use the results of this study to guide and assess implementation of the various components of a patient-centered dental home and to support dental-medical integration.
Prevalence and risk factors of ischemic monocular vision loss and concurrent brain ischemia
Authors: Smith Cathy E , Kukolja Juraj
Published: August 2023

Introduction:

We performed a retrospective cohort study to identify predictors of concurrent asymptomatic brain ischemia in patients with ischemic monocular vision loss.

Patients and methods:

An inpatient database research of admissions to the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, Germany between 01/2016 and 12/2020 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were confirmed diagnosis of transient monocular vision loss (MVL), retinal artery occlusion (RAO), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain within 10 days of MVL. Silent brain ischemia (SBI) was defined as diffusion restrictions with corresponding reduced apparent diffusion coefficient in MRI and an absence of neurological deficits besides those complying with MVL in clinical examination. The prevalence and cardiovascular predictors of SBI were analyzed with logistic regression and an artificial neural network.

Results:

One hundred fourteen out of 475 patients treated with monocular vision loss were included in this study. The mean age was 67.7 ± 13.6 years. 48.2% were male and 47.4% had RAO. MRI scan of the brain was performed after 3.9 ± 2.3 days and detected SBI in 17%. Age ⩾67 years, cardiac etiology of MVL, and cerebral ischemia in medical history were revealed as predictors of SBI in MRI.

Conclusions:

Patients older than 66 years, with a suspected cardiac embolism as the cause of RAO and previous cerebral ischemia, are more likely to present SBI in cerebral MRI. Therefore, MR imaging, particularly in these patients, can be useful.
Retinal Detachment and Epiretinal Membrane Development in Fellow-Eye Laser Prophylaxis
Authors: Wingelaar Maxwell J. , Smith Bradley T.
Published: August 2023

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy of fellow-eye laser prophylaxis (FELP) in reducing the rate of retinal detachment (RD) in patients undergoing repair of a primary RD. Methods: Retrospective data were collected on the fellow eyes of consecutive patients undergoing primary RD repair. Patients lacking peripheral retinal pathology in the fellow eye or with less than 3 years of follow-up were excluded. Ninety-eight consecutive patients were identified who underwent FELP as compared with 28 who did not. No patient had symptoms in their fellow eye upon presentation. Rates of RD and epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation in the treatment group were compared with the control group. Results: Three of 98 (3.1%) patients developed RD despite having FELP compared with 5 of 28 (17.9%) in the control group ( P = .005). In the FELP group, 16 (16.3%) patients developed ERM vs 7 of 28 (25.0%) in the group that did not receive prophylactic laser ( P = .29). No patients in either the FELP or control group required surgery for ERM. Conclusions: Prophylactic laser to the fellow eye of patients undergoing primary RD repair reduced the risk of RD without significant risk of ERM formation.
Fracture toughness of hybrid natural fiber/nanoclay reinforced starch biocomposite material
Authors: Olusanya John Olumide , Mohan Turup Pandurangan , Kanny Krishnan
Published: August 2023

In this paper, fracture toughness of banana fiber reinforced thermoplastic starch (BF_TPS) material was studied. Fiber weight percent (30, 40, and 50 wt.%) to starch polymer was fabricated using hot press at a pressure of 5 MPa of 160°C for 30 min. Experimental result shows that 40 wt.% BF_TPS biocomposite gave optimum tensile strength. Furthermore, nanoclay with varying weight percentage (1–5 wt.%) of dry cornstarch (CS) powder was added to enhance the property of the optimum 40 wt.% BF_TPS biocomposite, hence, forming hybrid clay/BF_TPS biocomposite. Tensile, impact, and fracture mechanics (Mode I fracture test) through Single End Notched Bending (SENB) Test were studied concurrently. Thermal properties and degradations were equally studied through Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Results show that tensile strength and impact resistance increased to the maximum of 65% and 15.6%, respectively, at 3 wt.% clay addition. Critical stress intensity factor ( K IC) was approximately higher by 276% when compared to neat BF_TPS material. Strain energy release rates ( G IC) values were minimal. Delamination and catastrophic failures occurred with less fiber crack propagation along the crack initiation notches. In TGA, less weight reduction was observed at 3 wt.% clay/BF_TPS material, while a positive shift occurred in DMA tan delta (Tan δ) T g by 30°C. The micrography of the clay-enhanced biocomposites resulted in better bonding interaction between the polymer and fiber.
Midostaurin plus daunorubicin or idarubicin for young and older adults with FLT3-mutated AML: a phase 3b trial
Authors: Sierra Jorge , Montesinos Pau , Thomas Xavier , Griskevicius Laimonas , Cluzeau Thomas , Caillot Denis , Legrand Ollivier , Minotti Clara , Luppi Mario , Farkas Firas , Bengoudifa Bourras-Rezki , Gilotti Geralyn , Hodzic Sejla , Rambaldi Alessandro , Venditti Adriano
Published: August 2023

The pivotal RATIFY study demonstrated midostaurin (50 mg twice daily) with standard chemotherapy significantly reduced mortality in adult patients (<60 years) with newly diagnosed (ND) FLT3mut acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Considering that AML often present in older patients who show poor response to chemotherapy, this open-label, multicenter phase 3b trial was designed to further assess safety and efficacy of midostaurin plus chemotherapy in induction, consolidation, and maintenance monotherapy in young (≤60 years) and older (>60 years) patients with FLT3mut ND-AML. Compared with RATIFY, this study extended midostaurin treatment from 14 days to 21 days, substituted anthracyclines (idarubicin or daunorubicin), and introduced variation in standard combination chemotherapy dosing (“7+3” or “5+2” in more fragile patients). Total 301 patients (47.2% >60 years and 82.7% with FLT3-ITDmut) of median age 59 years entered induction phase. Overall, 295 patients (98.0%) had at least 1 adverse event (AE), including 254 patients (84.4%) with grade ≥3 AE. The grade ≥3 serious AEs occurred in 134 patients. No difference was seen in AE frequency between age groups, but grade ≥3AE frequency was higher in older patients. Overall, complete remission (CR) rate including incomplete hematologic recovery (CR + CRi) (80.7% [95% confidence interval, 75.74-84.98]) was comparable between age groups (≤60 years [83.5%]; >60 to ≤70 years [82.5%]; in patients >70 years [64.1%]) and the type of anthracycline used in induction. CR + CRi rate was lower in males (76.4%) than females (84.4%). Overall, the safety and efficacy of midostaurin remains consistent with previous findings, regardless of age, sex, or induction regimen. The trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03379727.