bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hospice Fraud: Predicting Ability and Intent
Authors: Waters Laura M. , Wright Patricia Moyle
Published: February 2024

Hospice fraud is a growing concern around the world. Yet, little attention has been given to the study of hospice fraud in the extant literature. Existing literature highlights fraud exposure related to hospice payment structures, the factors that contribute to fraud, and the innate personality traits of fraudsters. Typically, however, the traits of fraudsters do not align with the public image of hospice professionals. This misalignment suggests the need for valid and reliable instruments designed to measure fraud ability and intent. In this article, the psychometric properties of two valid and reliable tools are examined, one designed to measure fraud rationalization, and the other was designed to measure fraud intent. Both tools are psychometrically sound, but further investigation into the phenomenon of hospice fraud using these tools is warranted as they are newly developed. Investigation into the use of the tools in practice settings is also an avenue for further inquiry.
Elastic moduli prediction of a short fiber composite with interface debonding at fiber ends
Authors: Huang Hong-Bo , Huang Zheng-Ming , Wan Yong-Ping
Published: February 2024

This work deals with the fiber ends debonding-induced elastic moduli degradation of a short fiber reinforced composite (SFRC). The strain fields of the matrix in a representative volume element (RVE) of the SFRC are determined from an imaginary fiber technique. By using the debonding boundary conditions, the debonded modulus of the composite is derived, which is affected by not only the far-field but also the transient solutions for the longitudinal strain of the matrix. Particularly, the imaginary fiber technique provides unbounded solution for a moderately large fiber aspect ratio. This is resolved by separating the RVE along the fiber direction into two domains. Combining the longitudinal strains in both domains, the longitudinal modulus is determined, and the longitudinal bridging tensor element in the micromechanics Bridging Model is amended. Five elastic moduli of an SFRC after the fiber end debonding are obtained on the amended Bridging Model. The effects of the fiber volume fraction, fiber aspect ratio, and fiber-to-matrix modulus ratio on the end-debonded longitudinal modulus, transverse modulus, and longitudinal Poisson’s ratio are investigated.
An Automated Online Measure for Misophonia: The Sussex Misophonia Scale for Adults
Authors: Simner Julia , Rinaldi Louisa J. , Ward Jamie
Published: February 2024

Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by a strong aversion to specific sounds (e.g., chewing). Here we present the Sussex Misophonia Scale for Adults ( SMS-Adult), within an online open-access portal, with automated scoring and results that can be shared ethically with users and professionals. Receiver operator characteristics show our questionnaire to be “excellent” and “good-to-excellent” at classifying misophonia, both when dividing our n = 501 adult participants by recruitment stream (self-declared misophonics vs. general population), and again when dividing them with by a prior measure of misophonia (as misophonics vs. non-misophonics). Factor analyses identified a five-factor structure in our 39 Likert-type items, and these were Feelings/Isolation, Life consequences, Intersocial reactivity, Avoidance/Repulsion, and Pain. Our measure also elicits misophonia triggers, each rated for their commonness in misophonia. We offer our open-access online tool for wider use ( www.misophonia-hub.org ), embedded within a well-stocked library of resources for misophonics, researchers, and clinicians.
Identifying the target population and preventive strategies to combat feline obesity
Authors: Godfrey Hannah , Morrow Shawna , Abood Sarah K , Verbrugghe Adronie
Published: February 2024

Feline obesity continues to be a priority health and welfare issue. Most research surrounding obesity currently focuses on obesity treatment. However, treatment for feline obesity is slow, often unsuccessful and not without consequences. Identifying high-risk populations for obesity onset is crucial for developing and implementing preventive strategies. This review identifies post-gonadectomy kittens aged 5–12 months as the primary target population for obesity prevention in domestic cats and highlights dietary and feeding management strategies to be implemented for obesity prevention.
The accuracy and diagnostic value of gram staining joint aspirates in suspected joint infections
Authors: Zhang James , Stevenson Anna , Zhou Andrew Kailin , Khan Faris , Geetala Rahul , Krkovic Matija
Published: February 2024

Background:

Septic arthritis is a debilitating condition with prolonged treatment and adverse outcomes. A gram stain is often performed from the joint aspirate sample, followed by a definitive culture. In our study, we assessed the accuracy of gram staining for suspected septic arthritis and explored factors associated with positive culture growth and false negatives in the gram stain.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed joint aspirates performed from 2015-2021 at a major trauma centre. Aspirates not cultured for septic arthritis were excluded. Data collected included aspirate site, gram stain and culture result delay, patient demographics, orthopaedic/rheumatological history, and comorbidities. Outcomes measured were gram stain sensitivity and specificity. Factors influencing positive cultures and false negative gram stain results were analysed using logistic regression.

Results:

Of 408 joint aspirates meeting the criteria, 37 did not undergo initial gram staining. Gram stain sensitivity was 30.4%, specificity was 97.6%. The delay from aspirate to definitive gram stain and culture results was 1.1 and 5.4 days, respectively Logistic regression identified that prosthetic joint( p = 0.007), past joint infections( p = 0.006), arthritis( p < 0.001), hypertension( p = 0.007), diabetes( p = 0.019) were positively associated with positive cultures. Past joint infections( p = 0.004) were positively associated with false negative gram stain results. Patients on antibiotics during the aspirate had a higher risk of false negative gram stain results (OR = 5.538, 95%CI, 2.802–10.948; p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

In conclusion, the initial gram stain has limited sensitivity and caution should be exercised when interpreting negative results. Vigilance is crucial when the highlighted comorbidities or antibiotic use are present, to assess patients with potential joint infections.
BCG vaccination and multiple sclerosis risk: A Norwegian cohort study
Authors: Nakken Ola , Aarseth Jan Harald , Wergeland Stig , Stigum Hein , Meyer Haakon E , Holmøy Trygve
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination induces long-lasting effects on the adaptive and innate immune systems and prevents development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and possibly also inflammatory disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

The objective is to examine if BCG given in early adulthood decreases MS risk.

Methods:

From 791,369 (52% females) Norwegians participating in a national tuberculosis screening program from 1963 to 1975, we collected information on BCG vaccination and tuberculosis disease status. Later, MS disease was ascertained through both the Norwegian MS Registry and Biobank and the Norwegian Death Registry. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between BCG vaccination and MS risk.

Results:

In those BCG vaccinated, mean age at vaccination was 15.6 (standard deviation (SD) = 5.5) years. A total of 2862 (65% females) MS cases were retrieved. Overall, we found no association between MS risk and BCG vaccination. Compared to non-BCG-vaccinated individuals with no signs of tuberculosis infection, odds ratio (OR) for MS was 1.00 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.80–1.25) in the BCG-vaccinated group. In those not BCG vaccinated because of latent tuberculosis infection, the corresponding OR was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.66–1.13).

Conclusion:

We found no evidence of BCG vaccination or latent tuberculosis infection in young adulthood being linked to MS risk.
Gradient-based domain-augmented meta-learning single-domain generalization for fault diagnosis under variable operating conditions
Authors: Jian Chuanxia , Chen Heen , Zhong Chaobin , Ao Yinhui , Mo Guopeng
Published: February 2024

Equipment operating conditions, referred to as domains, can induce domain drift in monitoring data, affecting data-driven fault diagnosis. Researchers have explored multi-domain generalization methods to tackle this issue. However, in actual industrial scenarios, the availability of fault data may be limited to a specific condition due to the cost or feasibility constraints associated with collecting extensive monitoring data. This limitation hampers the generalization ability of these methods, posing a major challenge for robust fault diagnosis under variable operating conditions. To address this challenge, we proposed a gradient-based domain-augmented meta-learning (GDM) single-domain generalization method. We analyze the restrictions of generating fake domains and construct a domain-augmented loss by evaluating diagnostic tasks minimization, semantic consistency, and distribution diversity for fake samples. Using a gradient-based technique, fake domains are generated iteratively, providing diverse fault knowledge for improved generalization. Instead of using time-consuming ensemble methods, we develop a novel meta-learning method to train a highly efficient and generalizable model, relaxing the requirement for auxiliary datasets in existing meta-learning methods. Two case studies consistently demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed GDM method. Our findings suggest that this study offers a promising and competitive solution for single-domain generalization in fault diagnosis within real industrial scenarios.
Prognostic Significance of NLR, LMR, PLR, and CRP-Albumin Ratio in Lower Extremity Cellulitis: A Hospitalization and Recurrence Analysis
Authors: Yürük Atasoy Pınar , Gürbüz Esra , Alkan Sevil
Published: February 2024

Cellulitis, an inflammatory disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by bacterial agents, frequently causes lower-extremity wounds. Many new biomarkers have been introduced to aid the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the risk of recurrence of lower-extremity cellulitis wounds and the factors determining the need for hospitalization. Demographic characteristics and underlying diseases of the patients, white blood cell count, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, lymphocyte and monocyte counts at admission, white blood cell count at admission, platelet count, total protein, albumin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin level, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and CRP/albumin ratio were evaluated. Of the 132 patients with lower extremity cellulitis wounds, the median age was 56 years (range, 20-96 years), and 88 (66.7%) were male. Diabetes mellitus was the most commonly associated systemic disease. The most common symptom (97%) was a rash. Of the patients, 80 (60.6%) were hospitalized and 52 (39.4%) were treated as outpatients. Seventeen (12.9%) patients had recurrent cellulitis. While comorbidities and increased lesion size increased the risk in patients with recurrent cellulitis, median platelet count ( P = .010), D-dimer level ( P = .036), and CRP-Alb ratio ( P = .019) were higher. Particularly increased lesion size, platelet count, total protein, and CRP levels should be a warning to clinicians in terms of the need for hospitalization and the risk of recurrence in patients with cellulite. In our study, PLR and CRP/albumin ratios were found to be high in these patient groups, and determining the usefulness of new biomarkers through new studies will give us a new perspective in clinical practice.
Global, regional, and national temporal trends of diet-related ischemic stroke mortality and disability from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Ge Rongguang , You Shoujiang , Zheng Danni , Zhang Zengli , Cao Yongjun , Chang Jie
Published: February 2024

Background:

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability in the general population worldwide. However, the changing trend of ischemic stroke burden attributable to various dietary risk factors has not been fully revealed and may contribute to a better understanding of stroke epidemiology.

Aims:

Our article aimed to evaluate the temporal trend of diet-related ischemic stroke burden to inform future research and policy-making.

Methods:

This analysis was based on the data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 (spanning years 1990 to 2019), and we used the joinpoint regression to model temporal trends in diet-related ischemic stroke burden across countries and regions of the world during the study period. Six specific dietary factors known to influence stroke risk, including sodium, red meat, fiber, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits, were evaluated in the GBD study to determine their individual and joint impact on ischemic stroke. The changing trend was primarily measured by the average annual percent change (AAPC). Age-standardized rates (ASRs) of mortality and years lived with disability (YLD) per 100,000 population were used to evaluate disease burden. Finally, the socioeconomic background, which was quantified as sociodemographic index (SDI), and its association with diet-related ischemic stroke burden were also explored with the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results:

During the study period, the ischemic stroke ASR of mortality attributable to overall dietary risk decreased by an average of 1.6% per year, while the ASR of YLD decreased by an average of 0.2% per year. High sodium diet was still a key driver of diet-related ischemic stroke, accounting for 8.4% and 11.0% of deaths and disabilities, respectively, in 2019. In addition, we found a negative association between temporal evolution of stroke burden and socioeconomic background ( r = −0.6603 for mortality and r = −0.4224 for disability, P < 0.001), which suggested that the developing countries with weak social and economic foundation faced greater challenges from the ongoing burden of diet-related strokes compared with developed countries.

Conclusions:

Our study found declining trends and revealed the current status of diet-related ischemic stroke mortality and disability. Interdisciplinary countermeasures involving the development of effective food policies, evidence-based guidelines, and public education are needed in the future to combat this global epidemic.

Data access statement:

The data used for analysis were open-access and can be obtained from https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/ .
Don’t Be Too Good at Reading Other People's Minds
Authors: Zunshine Lisa
Published: February 2024

Attribution of mental states is fundamental to our engagement with fiction. Crucially, its social content depends on mental states recursively “embedded” within each other; for instance, when a person doesn’t want other people to know about her intentions. Given that some characters seem to be consistently capable of embedding mental states on a higher level than others, this essay reviews factors that may influence authors’ constructions of such mindreading hierarchies as well as their reversals. The argument focuses on the reversal scenes in films Goodbye Lenin, The Lives of Others, and Never Look Away, and on prosocial emotions evoked by their depiction of a more equitable distribution of a presumably valuable and scarce resource, that is, access to other people's minds.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors versus chemotherapy as second-line therapy for advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and economic evaluation
Authors: Liu Shixian , Dou Lei , Li Shunping
Published: February 2024

Background:

Recently, several novel programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have been approved for second-line treating advanced or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), including camrelizumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, sintilimab and tislelizumab. However, the optimal treatment regimen remained ambiguous.

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy, safety and economy of available PD-1 inhibitors to determine the optimal treatment from the Chinese healthcare system perspective.

Design:

A systematic review and economic evaluation.

Data sources and methods:

A systematic review was undertaken utilizing PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase and Scopus databases to identify eligible studies until 31 August 2023. Primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs). We also developed a partitioned survival model at 3-week intervals based on five clinical trials to predict long-term costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for various treatment options. Direct medical costs and utility values were obtained from public drug bidding databases, clinical trials or published literature. The parameter uncertainties within the model were determined via one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Results:

Five randomized controlled trials involving 2837 patients were included in the analysis. Compared with other treatments examined, camrelizumab provided the best PFS benefits [hazard ratio (HR): 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56–0.86], and pembrolizumab provided the best OS benefits (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37–0.82). Nivolumab caused a relatively lower incidence of treatment-related AEs (HR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05–0.20) and grade 3–5 AEs (HR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08–0.21) than other immunotherapy regimens. In the economic evaluation, average 10-year costs ranged from $5,433.86 (chemotherapy) to $50,617.95 (nivolumab) and mean QALYs ranged from 0.55 (chemotherapy) to 0.82 (camrelizumab). Pembrolizumab was eliminated because of dominance. Of the remaining strategies, when the willingness-to-pay thresholds were 1, 2 and 3 times GDP per capita in 2022, sintilimab, tislelizumab and camrelizumab were the most cost-effective treatment options, respectively.

Conclusion:

Sintilimab might be the optimal treatment alternative for second-line therapy of advanced OSCC in China, followed by tislelizumab and camrelizumab.

Trial registration:

This study has been registered on the PROSPERO database with the registration number CRD42023495204.
Efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Jiayan , Lu Wanjun , Chen Mo , Cai Zijing , Zhan Ping , Liu Xin , Zhu Suhua , Ye Mingxiang , Lv Tangfeng , Lv Jiawen , Song Yong , Wang Dong
Published: February 2024

Background:

Immunotherapy is an emerging antitumor therapy that can improve the survival of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only about 20% of NSCLC patients can benefit from this treatment. At present, whether patients with driving gene-positive NSCLC can benefit from immunotherapy is one of the hot issues. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC and concluded the efficacy of altered subtypes.

Methods:

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The primary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and median overall survival (mOS) in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC.

Results:

In all, 86 studies involving 4524 patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled ORRs in clinical trials treated with monoimmunotherapy of EGFR, ALK, and KRAS alteration were 6%, 0%, and 23%, respectively. In retrospective studies, the pooled ORRs of EGFR, ALK, KRAS, BRAF, MET, HER2, RET, and ROS1 alteration were 8%, 3%, 28%, 24%, 23%, 14%, 7%, and 8%, respectively. Among them, the pooled ORRs of KRAS non-G12C mutation, KRAS G12C mutation, BRAF V600E mutation, BRAF non-V600E mutation, MET-exon 14 skipping, and MET-amplification were 33% 40%, 20%, 34%, 17%, and 60%, respectively. In addition, the pooled mPFS rates of EGFR, KRAS, MET, HER2, and RET alteration were 2.77, 3.24, 2.48, 2.31, and 2.68 months, while the pooled mOS rates of EGFR and KRAS alteration were 9.98 and 12.29 months, respectively. In prospective data concerning EGFR mutation, the pooled ORR and mPFS treated with chemo-immunotherapy (IC) reached 38% and 6.20 months, while 58% and 8.48 months with chemo-immunotherapy plus anti-angiogenesis therapy (ICA). Moreover, the pooled mPFS and mOS of monoimmunotherapy was 2.33 months and 12.43 months.

Conclusions:

EGFR-, ALK-, HER2-, RET-, and ROS1-altered NSCLC patients have poor reactivity to monoimmunotherapy but the efficacy of immune-based combined therapy is significantly improved. KRAS G12C mutation, BRAF non-V600E mutation, and MET amplification have better responses to immunotherapy, and more prospective studies are needed for further research.
A prospective phase II single-arm study and predictive factor analysis of irinotecan as third-line treatment in patients with metastatic gastric cancer
Authors: Yu Nuoya , Huang Sha , Zhang Zhe , Huang Mingzhu , Wang Yusheng , Zhang Wen , Zhang Xiaowei , Zhu Xiaodong , Sheng Xuedan , Yu Kaiyue , Chen Zhiyu , Guo Weijian
Published: February 2024

Background:

Currently, there is no recommended standard third-line chemotherapy for metastatic gastric cancer.

Objectives:

In this study, we aimed to evaluate irinotecan’s efficacy and safety in treating metastatic gastric cancer after the failure of first- and second-line chemotherapy.

Design:

Prospective single-arm, two-center, phase II trial.

Methods:

Patients were aged 18–70 years, with histologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1, progressed during or within 3 months following the last administration of second-line chemotherapy and had no other severe hematologic, cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, or renal functional abnormalities or immunodeficiency diseases. Eligible patients received 28-day cycles of irinotecan (180 mg/m2 intravenously, days 1 and 15) and were assessed according to the RECIST 1.1 criteria every two cycles. Patients who discontinued treatment for any reason were followed up every 2 months until death. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity.

Results:

A total of 98 eligible patients were enrolled in this study. In the intention-to-treat population, the median OS was 7.17 months, the median PFS was 3.47 months, and the ORR and DCR were 4.08% and 47.96%, respectively. In the per-protocol population, the median OS was 7.77 months, the median PFS was 3.47 months, and the ORR and DCR were 4.82% and 50.60%, respectively. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 hematological and non-hematological toxicities was 19.4%, and none of the patients died owing to adverse events. Cox regression analysis revealed neutropenia and baseline thrombocyte levels were independently correlated with PFS and OS.

Conclusion:

Irinotecan monotherapy is an efficient, well-tolerated, and economical third-line treatment for patients with metastatic gastric cancer as a third-line treatment.

Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02662959.
List Length, List Content, and Gratitude List Intervention Outcomes
Authors: Purol Mariah F. , Chopik William J.
Published: February 2024

Gratitude lists, well-being interventions in which participants list things that they are grateful for, have recently grown in popularity. However, being tasked with generating longer gratitude lists might backfire and be associated with less felt gratitude. Furthermore, the content of these gratitude lists is rarely examined. In three studies of 3,936 participants, people assigned to shorter length conditions (three items) were relatively comparable in gratitude and life satisfaction to those assigned to longer list conditions (six and 12 items), although an exploratory analysis revealed that failure to list enough gratitude items for a given condition was associated with lower well-being. These results provided evidence that ease-of-retrieval effects may not play a strong role in the efficacy of gratitude lists. Those who listed particular content items (e.g., close relationships and health) were higher in post-intervention gratitude and well-being than those who did not.
Participation in an indigenous Amazonian-led ayahuasca retreat associated with increases in nature relatedness – a pilot study
Authors: Ruffell Simon GD , Gandy Sam , Tsang WaiFung , Lopez Rono , O’Rourke Nathan , Akhtar Arsalan , Netzband Nige , Hollingdale Jack , Perkins Daniel , Sarris Jerome
Published: February 2024

Indigenous Amazonian shamanic ayahuasca practice is embedded in a nature-based context and is employed as an ecological mediating agent and in collective environmental decision-making processes by some of the groups that use it. Phenomenologically, the ayahuasca experience is often rich in nature-based themes and content, and its usage has been associated with eliciting shifts in perspectives and attitudes towards nature. In this proof-of-concept study, participation in an ayahuasca retreat in a traditional Indigenous Amazonian context (with a mean of 6.31 ceremonies attended) was associated with significant increases in nature relatedness directly following ayahuasca retreats as assessed via the Short form Nature Relatedness Scale (NR-6) and The Extended Inclusion of Nature in Self scale (EINS), and improvements in depression and stress as assessed via the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were also found, but not on the anxiety subscale. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation with moderate effect size was found between changes in nature-relatedness and stress, suggesting that an increase in nature relatedness is associated with decreased stress levels after attending Amazonian ayahuasca retreats in our sample. It is currently unclear if the changes seen were due to consumption of the ayahuasca brew, participation in ceremony, or the retreat setting itself. Although this pilot study suggests a potential therapeutic role for Amazonian ayahuasca retreats as a multidimensional intervention, further work is required to assess the role of possible mediators underlying such shifts, while evaluating to what extent these are sustained for long term.
Large language models as a substitute for human experts in annotating political text
Authors: Heseltine Michael , Clemm von Hohenberg Bernhard
Published: February 2024

Large-scale text analysis has grown rapidly as a method in political science and beyond. To date, text-as-data methods rely on large volumes of human-annotated training examples, which place a premium on researcher resources. However, advances in large language models (LLMs) may make automated annotation increasingly viable. This paper tests the performance of GPT-4 across a range of scenarios relevant for analysis of political text. We compare GPT-4 coding with human expert coding of tweets and news articles across four variables (whether text is political, its negativity, its sentiment, and its ideology) and across four countries (the United States, Chile, Germany, and Italy). GPT-4 coding is highly accurate, especially for shorter texts such as tweets, correctly classifying texts up to 95% of the time. Performance drops for longer news articles, and very slightly for non-English text. We introduce a ‘hybrid’ coding approach, in which disagreements of multiple GPT-4 runs are adjudicated by a human expert, which boosts accuracy. Finally, we explore downstream effects, finding that transformer models trained on hand-coded or GPT-4-coded data yield almost identical outcomes. Our results suggest that LLM-assisted coding is a viable and cost-efficient approach, although consideration should be given to task complexity.
Worker’s Compensation Injury and Illness Care: A Global Round Table
Authors: Begasse de Dhaem Olivia , Foster-Chang Sally , Chandrashekar Bhargav , Chigirinsky Gleb , D’souza Terrance , Helmy Nehal Mohammed , Priolcar Xivananda , Salgado Fabricio , Talmaci Pavel , Thurlow Julie , Yanase Yumiko , Serra Steven
Published: February 2024

Background:

Work-related injuries and diseases have a significant impact on workers and their families, society, and the economy. There is a gap in the literature regarding the structures, content, quality, and outcomes of international occupational health systems serving injured and ill workers. This global round table was an attempt to elucidate, evaluate, and identify areas needing improvement.

Methods:

International occupational health professionals were identified via chain/snowball sampling and asked to answer five questions designed to evaluate the structures, processes, and outcomes of the workers’ compensation systems in each country.

Findings:

Areas for improvement identified during this round table included timely access, reducing the impact of liability and eligibility determinations on access to medical care, equitable access to care, and the accuracy of reporting. Canada had successfully utilized a virtual approach to care for the geographically remote worker.

Conclusions:

International workers’ compensation structures are designed to ensure timely access to quality care and services. Financial incentives optimize the safety of the working environment. There remain areas for improvement. Resources are limited, especially within the public health systems, which may delay care and affect quality. Informal and remote workers often do not have the same access to care. Occupational Health Services (OHS) and national reporting databases exist throughout the world but may not accurately capture data on informal, self-employed, small business, migrant, and remote workers.
Knee Flexion Angle of Fixation During Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction or Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Lateral Extra-articular Reinforcement Techniques Performed in Conjunction With ACL Reconstruction
Authors: Kolin David A. , Apostolakos John , Fabricant Peter D. , Jivanelli Bridget ,   SATURN Study Group, Yen Yi-Meng , Kramer Dennis E. , Kocher Mininder S. , Pennock Andrew Tennant , Nepple Jeffrey J. , Willimon Samuel Clifton , Perkins Crystal Ann , Ellis Henry Bone , Wilson Philip L. , McClincy Michael , Everett Voos James , Spence David D. , Heyworth Benton E.
Published: February 2024

Background:

Anterolateral ligament reconstruction (ALLR) or lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) is being used more frequently in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). However, the knee flexion angle at which fixation of ALLR or LET is performed during the procedure is quite variable based on existing technique descriptions.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to identify whether flexion angle at the time of ALLR/LET fixation affected postoperative outcomes in a clinical population. It was hypothesized that ALLR/LET fixation at low versus high flexion angles would lead to no statistically significant differences in patient-reported outcome measures and graft failure rates.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to identify published clinical studies of ACLR with ALLR/LET in which the knee flexion angle at the time of ALLR/LET was reported. A priori, low flexion was defined as 0° to 30°, and high flexion was defined as 60° to 90°. Studies were excluded if the flexion angle was between 31° and 59° because these angles constituted neither low nor high flexion angles and including them in an analysis of high versus low flexion angle at fixation would have biased the study results toward the null. The overall risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The pooled results of the studies were analyzed using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Tegner scores, along with reported graft failure rates.

Results:

A total of 32 clinical studies (5230 patients) met inclusion criteria: 22 studies (1999 patients) in the low-flexion group and 10 studies (3231 patients) in the high-flexion group. The median Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score was 6. Comparisons of patients with a low flexion angle versus a high flexion angle demonstrated no differences in the IKDC ( P = .84), Lysholm ( P = .67), or Tegner ( P = .44) scores or in graft failure (3.4% vs 4.1%, respectively; P = .69).

Conclusion:

The results of this review indicated that ACLR performed in conjunction with ALLR/LET provides good to excellent patient-reported outcomes and low graft failure rates when ALLR/LET fixation is performed in either low or high knee flexion.
Patients with Bilateral ACL Reconstruction (ACLR) have 3x the Rate of Posterior Tibial Slope Greater than 12-Degrees Compared to Unilateral ACLR: MRI and Radiographic Evaluation
Authors: Li Zachary , Triana Jairo , Rao Naina , Alaia Michael , Gonzalez-Lomas Guillem , Strauss Eric , Jazrawi Laith , Garra Sharif
Published: February 2024

Objectives:

Increased posterior tibial slope (PTS) is a risk factor for primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and graft failure, but PTS has not been well-defined in those who have experienced bilateral ACL injuries. We aimed to compare PTS angles, as well as the rate of elevated PTS (>12° on lateral radiograph; >7° on MRI), between patients who underwent bilateral ACL reconstruction (ACLR) vs unilateral ACLR. A secondary purpose was to examine whether these associations remained consistent on both plain radiographs and MRIs.

Methods:

We retrospectively identified patients who underwent primary ACLR at our institution from the years 2012 to 2020. Patients with non-simultaneous bilateral ACLR (n=53) were propensity matched to those with unilateral ACLR (n=53) by age, sex, and BMI. Exclusion criteria were: rotated lateral radiographs, inadequate quality MRI, concomitant ligament injury or fracture. Unilateral ACLRs with less than 5-year follow-up were further excluded. Three blinded readers measured PTS on lateral radiographs, while medial (MPTS) and lateral PTS (LPTS) were measured on MRI. Bivariate regression was performed to determine correlation between radiograph and MRI measurements.

Results:

A final cohort of 106 patients was analyzed (mean age: 27.4 ± 10.5 years, 49.1% male, BMI: 25.5 ± 4.3). PTS in the bilateral ACLR cohort was significantly greater than the unilateral ACLR cohort on radiographs (11.26° vs 10.13°, p=0.044) and LPTS (7.32° vs 6.08°, p=0.012), but not MPTS (4.55° vs 4.17°, p=0.467). The percentage of bilateral patients with radiograph PTS >12° was 41.0%, compared to 13.2% in unilateral cohort (p=0.012). The bilateral cohort had a significantly greater rate of LPTS >7° compared to unilateral patients (53.8% vs 32.1%, p=0.016), but not MPTS (p=0.467). On MRI, LPTS (5.93° ± 3.20°) was significantly greater than MPTS (5.12° ± 2.78°, p<0.001). There was weak correlation between MPTS-radiograph ( R=0.24, p=0.02) and LPTS-radiograph was not significantly correlated ( R=0.03, p=0.810).

Conclusions:

Patients who underwent bilateral ACLR had significantly greater PTS on radiographs and LPTS on MRI compared to those with unilateral ACLR. The rate of PTS >12° was 3.1x greater among bilateral ACLR compared to unilateral ACLR. PTS measurements on radiographs demonstrated weak-to-negligible correlation with MRI measurements, suggesting future normative PTS values should be reported specific to the imaging modality.
Spotlight on a Thought Leader - How to Become an Effective Communicator: Schulz von Thun’s Contribution to Business Communication
Authors: Bünzli Fabienne , Eppler Martin J.
Published: February 2024

This article explores the ingredients of effective business communication, presenting the extensive work of German psychologist and communication expert Friedemann Schulz von Thun. Over the course of his 50-year career, Schulz von Thun has developed numerous frameworks and tools that enhance our understanding of how to talk to one another to settle disagreements, promote strong relationships and foster individual as well as organizational success. We offer a concise synthesis of his most influential concepts (i.e., the square of communication, the inner team, and the value square) and illustrate their application in communication research and practice.
Cultures of Inequality: Labor, Social Finance, and the Swinging Pendulum of Trust in Capitalism
Authors: Magnani Elisabetta
Published: February 2024

Social finance, an arena of international finance comprising social banking, impact investing, and microfinance, offers a powerful conceptual lens through which to interrogate the interface of finance and labor in financial capitalism. This article investigates social finance’s development at the crossroad of two processes. Social finance emerged in the context of a process of laboring finance, an often-coercive inclusion of workers and households into financial circuits of accumulation and expansion made possible by labor market changes that began in the 1970s. The global financial crisis occasioned the growth of social finance, which, by means of financing labor, placed the reproductive needs of labor—the needs of society’s most disadvantaged agents, the poor, the homeless, the marginal, and unemployed workers—at the center of financial accumulation. By informing an oscillatory movement between laboring finance and financing labor, and, affectively, between trust and distrust, social finance primes and cultivates financial market participants’ belief in purported solutions to the social problems financial capitalism has contributed to create. As a critical investigation of the complex interface between finance and labor that animates social finance’s operations, this article aims to provide conceptual resources that can contribute to releasing labor’s social cooperation from finance’s hegemony.
Supporting Muslim Families of Young Children With Extensive Support Needs: Recommendations for Practitioners
Authors: Bhana Lopez Naima , Bagawan Atikah
Published: February 2024

Culturally sensitive practices when working with young children with disabilities and their families are key to producing socially valid goals. In this article, we provide teachers with guidelines on how to best support Muslim families who have children with extensive support needs. Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, yet many non-Muslims might not be familiar with the religious practices of Muslim families. Thus, we provide an overview of the five pillars of Islam and suggest adaptations that may be required. Practitioners are encouraged to use the “LAFF don’t CRY” active listening strategy when working with families from diverse backgrounds. Additional resources to foster religious diversity are presented.
A comparison of ground motions predicted through one-dimensional site response analyses and three-dimensional wave propagation simulations at regional scales
Authors: Zhang Wenyang , Dong Yufeng , Crempien Jorge GF , Arduino Pedro , Kurtulus Asli , Taciroglu Ertugrul
Published: February 2024

One-dimensional (1D) site response analysis (SRA), which considers vertically propagating seismic waves from the bedrock to the surface, has been a common technique among geotechnical engineers to examine site-specific ground shaking. However, observations from past earthquakes and analytical studies indicate that idealizations ingrained in 1D SRA may be too severe to capture the ground truth, such as the omissions of spatial variability of soil properties, surface topography, and basin and directivity effects. Physics-based three-dimensional ground motion simulations (GMSs) can incorporate these factors and yield more reliable predictions. In this study, we utilize ground motions from 57 physics-based broadband (from 0 to 8–12 Hz) GMS for a region of Istanbul. A total of 2912 sites with experimentally measured soil profiles that are distributed over the 30 km-by-12.5 km area are also modeled as soil columns and analyzed through 1D SRA. The ground responses from 1D SRA and three-dimensional (3D) GMS are then compared for all 57 earthquake scenarios. These systematic comparisons are then used for examining model features that are correlated with variations in the ratios of various ground motion intensity measures (IMs) and for developing regression-based formulas that can be used for determining simple factors for the considered region to correctly scale (up or down) the site-specific ground motion intensities obtained from 1D SRA, including peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), and spectral acceleration ( Sa) values.
The activation impact of lactobacillus-derived extracellular vesicles on lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial cell
Authors: Yang Yanfang , Li Na , Gao Yubo , Xu Fanning , Chen Hui , Zhang Chun , Ni Xinli
Published: February 2024

Perioperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND) emerges as a common postoperative complication among elderly patients. Currently, the mechanism of PND remains unclear, but there exists a tendency to believe that inflammation plays a significant role in PND. Alterations in the abundance of intestinal microbiota can increase the permeability of the intestinal mucosal barrier and incite extraintestinal inflammatory responses. Metabolites from these microbiota can be absorbed by the intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream, exerting influence upon the central nervous system (CNS). Lactobacillus (Lac), serving as an intestinal probiotic bacterium, possesses the capacity to modulate emotional behavior and cognitive functions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized as novel therapeutic carriers for targeted delivery to regulate physiology and pathogenesis. While the mechanism governing the primary function of Lac-EVs in the CNS remains uncertain. Therefore, we established an in vitro neuroinflammation model to induce PND and then treated the mice with Lac-EVs to observe the effect of these EVs on neuroinflammation, particularly on microglial (MG) polarization. Our research unveils that Lac-EVs reduced inflammation induced by LPS in microglia and the activation of related proteins, including the mRNA expression of M1 labeled protein (iNOS). Moreover, the mRNA expression of M2-labeled protein (Arg1) increased. In addition, flow cytometry revealed that the ratio of M1/M2 microglia also changed significantly. Therefore, Lac-EVs promoted the differentiation of M2 microglia by inducing the preferential expression of specific markers related to M2 macrophages and inflammation. In terms of inflammatory cytokine expression, Lac-EVs decreased the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6) and increased IL-10 production after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Therefore, Lac-EVs induce the activation of M2 microglial cells without inducing cellular harm in vitro, and they demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation. This finding suggested that it is an effective anti-inflammatory strategy for alleviating inflammation-driven PNDs.
Development of preoperative and postoperative models to predict recurrence in postoperative glioma patients: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Qiao Wanyu , Wang Yi , Luo Chen , Wu Jinsong , Qin Guoyou , Zhang Jie , Yao Ye
Published: February 2024

Background

Glioma recurrence, subsequent to maximal safe resection, remains a pivotal challenge. This study aimed to identify key clinical predictors influencing recurrence and develop predictive models to enhance neurological diagnostics and therapeutic strategies.

Methods

This longitudinal cohort study with a substantial sample size (n = 2825) included patients with non-recurrent glioma who were pathologically diagnosed and had undergone initial surgical resection between 2010 and 2018. Logistic regression models and stratified Cox proportional hazards models were established with the top 15 clinical variables significantly influencing outcomes screened by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. Preoperative and postoperative models predicting short-term (within 6 months) postoperative recurrence in glioma patients were developed to explore the risk factors associated with short- and long-term recurrence in glioma patients.

Results

Preoperative and postoperative logistic models predicting short-term recurrence had accuracies of 0.78 and 0.87, respectively. A range of biological and early symptomatic characteristics linked to short- and long-term recurrence have been pinpointed. Age, headache, muscle weakness, tumor location and Karnofsky score represented significant odd ratios (t > 2.65, p < 0.01) in the preoperative model, while age, WHO grade 4 and chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments (t > 4.12, p < 0.0001) were most significant in the postoperative period. Postoperative predictive models specifically targeting the glioblastoma and IDH wildtype subgroups were also performed, with an AUC of 0.76 and 0.80, respectively. The 50 combinations of distinct risk factors accommodate diverse recurrence risks among glioma patients, and the nomograms visualizes the results for clinical practice. A stratified Cox model identified many prognostic factors for long-term recurrence, thereby facilitating the enhanced formulation of perioperative care plans for patients, and glioblastoma patients displayed a median progression-free survival (PFS) of only 11 months.

Conclusion

The constructed preoperative and postoperative models reliably predicted short-term postoperative glioma recurrence in a substantial patient cohort. The combinations risk factors and nomograms enhance the operability of personalized therapeutic strategies and care regimens. Particular emphasis should be placed on patients with recurrence within six months post-surgery, and the corresponding treatment strategies require comprehensive clinical investigation.