bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The potential impact of emerging technologies on democratic representation: Evidence from a field experiment
Authors: Kreps Sarah , Kriner Douglas L.
Published: March 2023

Advances in machine learning have led to the creation natural language models that can mimic human writing style and substance. Here we investigate the challenge that machine-generated content, such as that produced by the model GPT-3, presents to democratic representation by assessing the extent to which machine-generated content can pass as constituent sentiment. We conduct a field experiment in which we send both handwritten and machine-generated letters (a total of 32,398 emails) to 7132 state legislators. We compare legislative response rates for the human versus machine-generated constituency letters to gauge whether language models can approximate inauthentic constituency voices at scale. Legislators were only slightly less likely to respond to artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content than to human-written emails; the 2% difference in response rate was statistically significant but substantively small. Qualitative evidence sheds light on the potential perils that this technology presents for democratic representation, but also suggests potential techniques that legislators might employ to guard against misuses of language models.
The trade-off between admitting and paying: Experimental evidence on attitudes towards asylum responsibility-sharing
Authors: Cappelen Cornelius Wright , Sicakkan Hakan G. , Van Wolleghem Pierre Georges
Published: March 2023

The concentration of the world's refugees in developing countries calls for international collaboration on the matter. In the face of concerns voiced not only amongst politicians but also the public, we investigate how people trade-off the two most prominent responsibility-sharing mechanism. We conduct a survey experiment in 26 countries asking whether people would rather: (a) admit more asylum seekers and (b) provide financial assistance to the host countries. We find that most respondents prefer admitting asylum seekers over paying. We also establish significant individual-level heterogeneity that sheds new light on people's attitudes towards asylum seekers. Importantly, we report on the effect of welfare chauvinism and nativism on the willingness to admit rather than to pay.
Orienting social work to incorporate place-based principles: A practical guide to the use of place in social work practice
Authors: Ratliff G. Allen , Graaf Genevieve , Choy-Brown Mimi
Published: March 2023

Social work has long history with practice in diverse places. Indigenous social work traditions have long been grounded in place and land. There has been little attention to the role of place in Western and Northern social work practices. Place-based theories attend to the fundamental role of place in social work practice and provide principles that social workers can use to recognize place in their practice. There has been little practical guidance on how social workers can apply these principles to identify and modify place-based levers for improving practice and outcomes within Western contexts. To address these gaps and advance the use of place in practice, principles of place-based power dynamics are described here in relation to the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of the key areas of social work practice: assessment, intervention, and evaluation.

Place-based principles of form, function, location, time, threshold, and relations, provide a framework that social workers can incorporate into social work practices at all levels and throughout social work practice phases.

Social workers can use these principles to examine how social work practice can better assess, intervene, and evaluate the role of place in the social environment and in the daily lives of the participants and populations they serve. Incorporating place-based principles can illuminate malleable place-based levers to fit the needs of service users. Attending to place in social work practice can also heighten practitioners’ awareness of power and decision-making to identify and intervene at the root causes of social problems.
Exploratory data fusion of untargeted multimodal LC-HRMS with annotation by LCMS-TOF-ion mobility: White wine case study
Authors: Mafata Mpho , Stander Maria , Masike Keabetswe , Buica Astrid
Published: March 2023

Applied sciences have increased focus on omics studies which merge data science with analytical tools. These studies often result in large amounts of data produced and the objective is to generate meaningful interpretations from them. This can sometimes mean combining and integrating different datasets through data fusion techniques. The most strategic course of action when dealing with products of unknown profile is to use exploratory approaches. For omics, this means using untargeted analytical methods and exploratory data analysis techniques. The current study aimed to perform data fusion on untargeted multimodal (negative and positive mode) liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry data using multiple factor analysis. The data fusion results were interpreted using agglomerative hierarchical clustering on biplot projections. The study reduced the thousands of spectral signals processed to less than a hundred features (a primary parameter combination of retention time and mass-to-charge ratios, RT_m/z). The correlations between cluster members (samples and features from) were calculated and the top 10% highly correlated features were identified for each cluster. These features were then tentatively identified using secondary parameters (drift time, ion mobility constant and collision cross-section values) from the ion mobility spectra. These ion mobility (secondary) parameters can be used for future studies in wine chemical analysis and added to the growing list of annotated chemical signals in applied sciences.
Quantitation of small molecules from liquid chromatography—mass spectrometric accurate mass datasets using CycloBranch
Authors: Novák Jiří , Schug Kevin A , Havlíček Vladimír
Published: March 2023

Gaussian and exponentially modified Gaussian functions were incorporated into integrating algorithms used by an open-source, cross-platform tool called CycloBranch. The quantitation is demonstrated on bacterial pyoverdines separated by fine isotope features. Using our algorithm, we can separate the m/z values 694.25802 and 694.26731 (a 0.009 Da difference), where the former belongs to the most intense peak of pyoverdine D (PvdD), and the latter to the second most intense peak of pyoverdine E (PvdE) in the respective isotopic clusters of [M + Fe-H]2+ ions. The areas under chromatographic curves of standards were analyzed for the limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), and regression coefficient calculations. The quantitative module returned a LOD and LOQ of 1.4 and 4.3 ng/mL, respectively, for both PvdD and PvdE in human urine. If present and detected in mass spectra, the intensities of user-defined [M + H]+, [M + Na]+, [M + K]+, [M + Fe-H]2+, or other ion types, can be accumulated and used for quantitation. The quantitation result is returned by CycloBranch in seconds or minutes, contrary to an hours-long manual approach, prone to user-born errors originating from necessary copying among various software environments. Native Bruker, Waters, Thermo, txt, mgf, mzML, and mzXML data formats are supported in CycloBranch, which is freely available at https://ms.biomed.cas.cz/cyclobranch .
Multi-representation symbolic convolutional neural network: a novel multisource cross-domain fault diagnosis method for rotating system
Authors: Jia Sixiang , Li Yongbo , Mao Gang , Noman Khandaker
Published: March 2023

Multisource domain adaptation (MDA) methods have been preliminarily applied in cross-domain fault diagnosis of rotating system due to its correlation ability between different but related fields. However, it still remains challenging to learn domain-invariant representations under multisource scenarios. This article proposes a multi-representation symbolic convolutional neural network (MR-SCNN) for multisource cross-domain fault diagnosis of rotating system. The novelty of our work lies in three aspects. First, the proposed method combines symbolic dynamics with CNN to obtain a coarse-grained description of vibration signals, which could eliminate the negative transfer caused by subtle changes in dynamic characteristics among different source domains. Second, considering that most MDA methods ignore the significant limitations brought by statistical properties of the specific working condition, a multi-representation Softmax (MR-Softmax) is developed to learn domain-invariant discriminative representations by allowing the diversity of the predictions of samples with the same label. In addition, an undifferentiated adversarial training strategies is proposed to narrow the domain discrepancies and reasonably assess the residual negative transfer risk of different source domains. Based on the assessment, confidence coeffients are defined and embedded into MR-Softmax to extract and utilize the useful diagnostic knowledge on each source domain. Compared with several state-of-the-art diagnostic models, the experimental results confirm the validation of the proposed MR-SCNN method.
Review on recent advances in structural health monitoring paradigm for looseness detection in bolted assemblies
Authors: Chelimilla Nikesh , Chinthapenta Viswanath , Kali Naresh , Korla Srikanth
Published: March 2023

The integrity of bolted joints is still a challenging problem owing to the gross or localized slip at the interfacial surfaces of the joints when subjected to external disturbances such as vibrations. This slip escalates the interfacial movement and, thus, leads to a decrease in preload levels, that is, looseness of the bolted assemblies. In the last decade, modal analysis, wave propagation, and percussion methods were traditionally used to detect looseness in bolted connections. With an increase in computational power, machine learning algorithms such as neural networks, random forests, decision trees, and support vector machines complemented the traditional methods in accurate looseness estimation. Subsequently, this integration paved the path for real-time health monitoring of bolted joints. This paper summarizes recent investigations on looseness detection in bolted assemblies based on traditional methods and machine learning algorithms. The working principle, advantages, challenges, and applications of the aforementioned methods are also detailed in this paper. Apart from these investigations, the latest studies on the Internet of Things-based health monitoring of structures are also reviewed to explore their adaptability in remote monitoring of bolted connections for damage detection in the future.
Efficacy and Safety of Percutaneous Access Via Large-Bore Sheaths (22-26F Diameter) in Endovascular Therapy
Authors: Rylski Bartosz , Berkarda Zeynep , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Kondov Stoyan , Czerny Martin , Majcherek Jarosław , Protasiewicz Marcin , Milnerowicz Artur
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

To evaluate the closure success rate’s outcomes with suture-mediated vascular closure device Perclose ProGlide in patients undergoing aortic or iliac artery endovascular repair using large delivery systems (>21F).

Materials and Methods:

We screened all the patient records in aortic databases at 2 centers who had undergone vascular interventions via ProGlide for percutaneous femoral access >21F between 2016 and 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the delivery system size: large (L) (22F–23F) and extra-large (XL) (24F–26F). Demographics, anatomical details, and outcome of percutaneous access were evaluated.

Results:

Included were 239 patients: 121 in the L group and 118 the XL group. Intraprocedural conversion to open surgery because of bleeding was necessary in 2% L and 6% XL patients (p=0.253). Severe femoral artery calcification was the sole risk factor for converting to open surgery (odds ratio=23.44, 95% confidence interval=1.49–368.17, p=0.025). In all, 2% of L and 3% of XL (p=0.631) did require late percutaneous intervention due to stenosis (all treated with balloon angioplasty). Overall, 3% developed pseudoaneurysm treated conservatively in all except one patient requiring surgical repair. Hematoma and groin infection were observed in 9% and 1%, respectively; none required surgical therapy.

Conclusion:

A femoral arterial defect after accessing the artery via a large bore sheath (22F–26F) can be closed successfully with ProGlide in more than 90% of patients. Severe femoral artery calcification is a risk factor for conversion to open surgery caused by bleeding.

Clinical Impact

This study adds evidence on efficacy of accessing the artery via a large bore sheath (22-26F) secured by ProGlide. In more than 200 patients conversion to open surgery was necessary in only 4%. Severe femoral artery calcification was the sole risk factor for converting to open surgery. Our findings encourage physicians to choose the percutaneous access even in patients requiring the use of large bore sheath.
Branched Endovascular Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm Repair Under Electromagnetic Guidance in an in Vitro Model
Authors: Oliny Alexandre , Goel Vikash R. , Rebet Aya , van Hengstum Steven , Magistrelli Flavio , Grandt Axel , Snyder Sonya K. , Fabre Dominique , Haulon Stéphan
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

We report a new approach to perform endovascular treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms under electromagnetic navigation guidance using a modified system (IOPS; Centerline Biomedical, Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA) and a modified branched endograft (E-nside TAAA Multibranch Stent Graft System; Artivion Inc., Kennesaw, GA, USA).

Case Report:

We performed this case in an aortic in vitro model made from transparent polyurethane in our research hybrid room (Discovery IGS 730; GE HealthCare, Chicago, IL, USA). While the implantation of this device typically involves several challenging steps, including precise endograft implantation, snaring of preloaded guide wires, and cannulation of target visceral arteries, all were successfully performed using electromagnetic navigation guidance.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary experience suggests that endograft implantation under electromagnetic navigation guidance in an integrated hybrid operating room is an innovative option to address technical challenges and reduce patient and operator radiation exposure associated with complex endovascular surgery.

Clinical Impact

Most steps of a branched endografting procedure can be performed without X-Ray exposure when using electromagnetic navigation guidance and a modified branched endograft.
Testing the Differential Access Hypothesis That Black Kidney Transplant Candidates Perceive Social Network Access to Fewer Potential Living Donors Than White Candidates
Authors: Daw Jonathan , Roberts Mary , Gillespie Avrum , Verdery Ashton M. , Purnell Tanjala S.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Many studies of Black–White disparities in living donor kidney transplantation hypothesize that they were partially due to Black–White differences in candidate social network access to healthy, willing donors. This differential access hypothesis has not been tested using directly measured social network data.

Research Questions

Do black kidney transplant candidates have perceived lower social network access to health and/or willing living donors than white candidates?

Design

A cross-sectional survey that measured the social network members was collected in 2015. Black–White differences in patient counts of perceived healthy and/or willing potential donors in social networks, and individual network members’ probability of being perceived healthy and/or willing, were compared using logistic and negative binomial regression models.

Results

The survey included 66 kidney transplant candidates reporting on 1474 social network members at a large Southeastern US transplant center in 2015. Black and White patients had similar access to perceived healthy, likely potential donors (86% vs 87% had 1 or more, P = .92; 5.91 vs 4.13 mean counts, P = .20) and perceived healthy, agreed potential donors (56% vs 48%, P = .54; 1.77 vs 1.74, P = .97). Black patients’ network members were individually more likely to be perceived healthy and likely potential donors (26% vs 21%, P = .04), and White patients’ network members were more likely to have agreed (13% vs 9%, P = .03), but these differences were statistically insignificant in demographically adjusted models.

Conclusion

Black and White transplant candidates perceived access to similar numbers of potential donors in their social networks. This result does not support the differential access hypothesis.
Image-Guided Percutaneous and Transarterial Therapies for Primary and Metastatic Lung Cancer
Authors: Mansur Arian , Garg Tushar , Camacho Juan C. , Habibollahi Peiman , Edward Boas F. , Khorshidi Fereshteh , Buethe Ji , Nezami Nariman
Published: March 2023

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. A significant proportion of patients with lung cancer are not candidates for surgery and must resort to other treatment alternatives. Rapid technological advancements in fields like interventional radiology have paved the way for valid treatment modalities like image-guided percutaneous and transarterial therapies for treatment of both primary and metastatic lung cancer. The rationale of ablative therapies relies on the fact that focused delivery of energy induces tumor destruction and pathological necrosis. Image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation therapies are established techniques in the local treatment of hepatic, renal, bone, thyroid, or uterine lesions. In the lung, the 3 main indications for lung ablation include local curative intent, a strategy to achieve a chemoholiday in oligometastatic disease, and recently, oligoprogressive disease. Transarterial therapies include a set of catheter-based treatments that involve delivering embolic and/or chemotherapeutic agents directed into the target tumor via the supplying arteries. This article provides a comprehensive review of the various techniques available and discusses their applications and associated complications in primary and metastatic lung cancer.
Islands in a ‘State of Emergency’. Ionian Neutrality and Martial Law During the Greek Revolution
Authors: Zarokostas Aggelis
Published: March 2023

The British Protectorate of the Ionian Islands, and particularly Corfu, was a nodal point in maritime communications. Since its very creation under the Treaty of Paris (November 1815), it gave the British a significant advantage in terms of information gathering. When a general uprising broke out in the Greek mainland, the British authorities put the islands in a state of emergency. Strict Ionian neutrality was declared and harsh measures were justified, which aimed to maintain ‘public tranquility’ and to secure the islanders from any revolutionary ideas coming from the mainland. The implications of this neutrality are little studied, perhaps because of the perceived peripheral role of the Ionian Islands in the Greek struggle. Yet, as this paper shows, the islands were deeply affected by developments taking place in the mainland, such as the rebellion of Ali Pasha of Ioannina between 1819 and 1822, when the British increased military presence in the region. Instead of discouraging the ties between the islanders and the Greek Revolution as intended, British reactions produced the opposite result. They further alienated the Anglo-Ionian state from the Ionian society. The present article analyses how British officials utilized disproportionate fears over the spread of revolutionary ideas in the islands, as well as military escalation in the region, to impose harsh measures on the islands and to ‘normalize’ emergency strategies. It builds upon relevant literature not only on the movement of information in the Mediterranean, but also on British policy over the so-called ‘Greek Question’.
An integrated intuitionistic dense fuzzy Entropy-COPRAS-WASPAS approach for manufacturing robot selection
Authors: Sampathkumar Swethaa , Augustin Felix , Kaabar Mohammed KA , Yue Xiao-Guang
Published: March 2023

Manufacturing robots are used for industrial purposes. Robots used for manufacturing purpose have the power to create products from raw materials and are capable of operating endlessly even in lights-out situations for continuous production. Manufacturing robots can be used in applications like arc welding, spot welding, materials handling, machine tending, painting, machine cutting and so on. Selecting a robot for a given application is complex. However, robot selection is used in selecting a suitable robot for the preferred output with specific application ability. In recent years, many authors used multi-criteria decision-making methods to select a robot that meets the need. This study presents a hybrid model by integrating complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) with the weighted aggregates sum product assessment (WASPAS) methods in intuitionistic dense fuzzy set to select a manufacturing robot for a particular application. Intuitionistic dense fuzzy entropy is used in calculating the weights for the criteria and intuitionistic dense fuzzy COPRAS and WASPAS are used in ranking the best alternatives where in the optimum types of robots are obtained. Here, intuitionistic dense fuzzy sets are used as it is capable of dealing with the intangible factors while selecting a robot. On the basis of the manufacturing robot selection, two comparisons are given. First, the results are compared with various [Formula: see text] values between 0 and 1 and second the results are compared with the fuzzy set, intuitionistic fuzzy set and the dense fuzzy set to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology with the intuitionistic dense fuzzy set.
Punishment and personality: Low agreeableness and low conscientiousness as mediators of the inconsistent/angry parenting–delinquency relationships
Authors: Walters Glenn D
Published: March 2023

This study’s purpose was to determine whether the personality trait dimensions of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness mediate the relationship between mid-adolescent inconsistent/angry parenting and late adolescent delinquency. A sample of 3701 youth from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children served as participants in this study. A path analysis with two independent variables (inconsistent parenting, angry parenting) and five mediators (Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness) revealed that, consistent with predictions, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were the only two personality dimensions to mediate the angry parenting–later delinquency relationship. These results suggest that personality dimensions known to correlate with offending behavior (i.e. low Agreeableness and low Conscientiousness) may be among the mechanisms responsible for linking social conditions like parenting punishment styles marked by angry parenting to youth behaviors like delinquency.
Trends of therapy in the treatment of asthma
Authors: Lv Xiaodi , Gao Zhen , Tang Weifeng , Qin Jingjing , Wang Wenqian , Liu Jiaqi , Li Mihui , Teng Fangzhou , Yi La , Dong Jingcheng , Wei Ying
Published: March 2023

Background:

To better understand the development of therapy for asthma, grasp the core paradigm associated with the transformation of cognition of asthma treatment and asthma, explore potential and effective therapies for asthma, discover new biomarkers and mechanisms related to asthma treatment, find novel targets for anti-asthma drugs, and predict the future trends of asthma therapy, we used a bibliometric analysis to research articles related to the therapies for asthma published from 1983 to 2022.

Methods:

A comprehensive search was conducted to analyze the articles associated with therapy for asthma with the help of the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from January 1, 1983 to August 14, 2022. The CiteSpace 6.1.R2 software and VOS viewer 6.1.8 software were utilized to analyze the overall structure of the network, network clusters, links between clusters, key nodes, and pathways.

Results:

A total of 3902 publications related to therapies on asthma were published in 3211 academic journals by a total of 14,655 authors in 3476 organizations from 87 countries or regions from 1983 to 2022. The United States published the most articles ( n = 1143), followed by England ( n = 574) and China ( n = 405). However, the centrality of China was 0.4, higher than the United States (centrality = 0.16) and Singapore (centrality = 0.11). Akdis Cezmi published the most papers. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published the most studies on therapies for asthma. Asthma was the most frequent keyword ( n = 594). The betweenness centrality value of keywords that were greater than 0.1 included airway inflammation (centrality = 0.22), double blind (centrality = 0.18), asthma (centrality = 0.17), inflammation (centrality = 0.12), and inhaled corticosteroid (centrality = 0.11).

Conclusions:

The results from this biometric review provide insight into the development of therapy for asthma, the paradigm of recognition of this field, the approach of discovering new targets, exploration and combination of new mechanisms, and the frontier trend of this field in future.
Tebentafusp: a first-in-class treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma
Authors: Howlett Sarah , Carter Thomas J. , Shaw Heather M. , Nathan Paul D.
Published: March 2023

Tebentafusp is a first-in-class immunotherapy agent that comprises an engineered T-cell receptor targeting a gp100 epitope presented by human leukocyte antigen-A*02:01 cells, fused to an anti-CD3 single-chain variable fragment. Tebentafusp is both the first bispecific T-cell engager to show efficacy in the treatment of advanced solid cancer and the first anti-cancer treatment to demonstrate an overall survival benefit in patients with uveal melanoma (UM). This review article will focus on the clinical development of tebentafusp, the mechanism of action and resultant evolution of the management of advanced UM.
Cross-temporal meta-analyses of changes in the locus of control among Chinese college students: No changes were also a trend
Authors: Wang Xiangkun , Xin Ziqiang
Published: March 2023

Previous research has shown that the locus of control among college students in the United States has become increasingly external. However, people's locus of control may not have the same change pattern in different cultural contexts. In this study, we investigated the changes of locus of control of Chinese college students by conducting two cross-temporal meta-analyses. Study 1 was based on Rotter's locus of control scale showing that the level of external control (vs. internal control) displayed by Chinese college students underwent no significant changes between 2001 and 2019. Based on the Levenson's multidimensional locus of control scale, Study 2 found that, from 1997 to 2018, there were also no significant changes in the levels of internality, powerful others, and chance factors for Chinese college students. To the best of our knowledge, the present research is the first to demonstrate that both internal and external controls tended to be stable in the last two decades among Chinese college students. This study expands our understanding that the trend of psychological change may be self-sustaining.
Grief in School-Aged Youth
Authors: Edwards Jennifer , Stone Misty , Bartlett Hallie , Wallace Monique , Ventura April
Published: March 2023

Grief is an expected response to an internalized sense of loss, regardless of age. This response occurs after experiencing the death of a loved one or a drastic life change that creates a sense of loss. Children and adolescents move through the grief process according to their age and stage of development. Proper support is essential to promote healthy coping and acceptance in youth experiencing grief. The interprofessional school team can support students experiencing grief to enhance student learning outcomes and overall health and well-being.
Brain metastases with unusual MRI features in an infant with relapsed clear cell sarcoma of the kidney: A case report
Authors: Oztunali Cigdem , Toret Ersin , Ozdemir Zeynep Canan
Published: March 2023

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare primary renal tumor in children. It is known for its propensity to metastasize to bones and lungs at initial diagnosis. Distant metastatic relapses occur in about 15–16% of the patients, with the brain being the most frequent site of relapse. Imaging features of brain metastases from CCSK have only been reported in a few cases and most reports lack a detailed description of the imaging findings. We present brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in an infant with relapsed CCSK who developed multiple parenchymal metastases with concentric signal alterations and no tumor-associated edema.
Acceptability of a new 4-in-1 Abacavir/Lamivudine/Lopinavir/Ritonavir paediatric fixed-dose combination: the caregiver–child dyads’ perspective
Authors: Rotsaert Anke , Ogara Collin , Mwanga-Amumpaire Juliet , Kekitiinwa Adeodata R. , Musiime Victor , Najjingo Elizabeth , Kisitu Grace P. , Nazzinda Rashidah , Nambi Esther , Lee Janice , Diallo Mariama , Kyomuhendo Flavia , Waweru Moses , Andrieux-Meyer Isabelle , Nöstlinger Christiana
Published: March 2023

Background:

Worldwide, 1.7 million children younger than 15 years were living with HIV in 2021. Only 52% of them had access to antiretrovirals (ARVs). Lack of age-appropriate ARV formulations (i.e. easy to swallow for young infants, acceptable taste) remains the main obstacle to the access to ARVs. Therefore, a strawberry-flavoured Abacavir/Lamivudine/Lopinavir/Ritonavir (30/15/40/10 mg) fixed-dose combination of granules in a capsule (4-in-1) for children living with HIV weighing 3–25 kg was developed.

Objective:

We assessed caregivers’ perceived acceptability of the 4-in-1 compared with previous paediatric ARV formulations and factors influencing acceptability.

Methods:

This exploratory qualitative case study embedded in a phase I/II, open-label, randomized cross-over pharmacokinetic, safety and acceptability study (LOLIPOP) was conducted in three sites in Uganda (May 2019–October 2020). Thirty-six children weighing between 3 and 19.9 kg participated in the main study. We purposively sampled caregiver–child dyads according to weight bands, and conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with caregivers and 5 with healthcare providers. We triangulated these results with a quantitative acceptability questionnaire. We analysed interviews inductively using NVivo12 adopting a thematic analysis approach and acceptability questionnaires descriptively to assess concordance between them.

Results:

All caregivers found the 4-in-1 formulation highly acceptable and easier to use than previous formulations (i.e. pellets/tables/syrup). Appealing taste, ease of administration, easy storage and children’s acceptance contributed to acceptability despite structural challenges of food shortage and HIV stigma. Visible improvements in children’s health and comprehensive and tailored healthcare provider support to overcome initial difficulties such as vomiting increased caregivers’ acceptance. Concordant results from questionnaire- and interview-data confirmed high acceptability.

Conclusion:

Caregivers of children in all weight bands in this sample found the 4-in-1 granules highly acceptable compared with the pellets/tablets combination. Healthcare providers’ support to caregivers allowed for individual tailoring of drug administration despite challenges such as food shortage. This enabled short-term adherence. These findings informed further practical recommendations.

Registration:

Clinical trial number: NCT03836833
Preliminary findings from project Twenty21 Australia: An observational study of patients prescribed medicinal Cannabis for chronic pain, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis
Authors: O’Brien Kylie , Beilby Justin , Frans Michelle , Lynskey Michael , Barnes Michael , Jayasuriya Mihindu , Athanasiou-Fragkouli Alkyoni , Blair Philip , Nutt David
Published: March 2023

Background

Since medical access to medicinal cannabis (MC) was legalised in Australia in 2016, numbers of people prescribed MC have increased exponentially. There is a need for safety and effectiveness data on the longer-term use of MC in real-world settings. This paper describes the methodology of Project Twenty21 Australia, an observational study that commenced early in 2022 and its preliminary findings.

Method

This study tests whether medicinal cannabis is effective in four primary conditions: chronic pain, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants are prescribed MC from within a Project Formulary, completing questionnaires at baseline then 3 monthly for up to 12 months.

Results

Between the start of the study in February and 30 August 2022, 278 participants had been recruited into the study: 50.7% female, 48.2% male and 1.1% non-binary with average age 39.2 years (18–77). Patients reported a low quality of life and high levels of co-morbidity. Three-month data, available for 71 participants, indicate that MC was associated with substantial improvements in self-reported quality of life, general health, mood/depression and sleep with standardised effect size estimates ranging from 0.57 to 0.93. Three adverse reactions were reported.

Conclusions

This paper describes the protocol used for an observational study conducted in Australia assessing the effectiveness of MC in four main conditions. We have established the feasibility of collecting real-world data on symptoms and quality of life in people receiving treatment with MC. Preliminary evidence suggests that MC may be effective in improving quality of life, general health, mood and sleep.
AI enhanced collaborative human-machine interactions for home-based telerehabilitation
Authors: Le Hoang H , Loomes Martin J , Loureiro Rui CV
Published: March 2023

The use of robots in a telerehabilitation paradigm could facilitate the delivery of rehabilitation on demand while reducing transportation time and cost. As a result, it helps to motivate patients to exercise frequently in a more comfortable home environment. However, for such a paradigm to work, it is essential that the robustness of the system is not compromised due to network latency, jitter, and delay of the internet. This paper proposes a solution to data loss compensation to maintain the quality of the interaction between the user and the system. Data collected from a well-defined collaborative task using a virtual reality (VR) environment was used to train a robotic system to adapt to the users’ behaviour. The proposed approach uses nonlinear autoregressive models with exogenous input (NARX) and long-short term memory (LSTM) neural networks to smooth out the interaction between the user and the predicted movements generated from the system. LSTM neural networks are shown to learn to act like an actual human. The results from this paper have shown that, with an appropriate training method, the artificial predictor can perform very well by allowing the predictor to complete the task within 25 s versus 23 s when executed by the human.
Characterization of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Essential Workforce Members of a Large Safety Net Urban Medical Center
Authors: Kupferwasser Deborah , Flores Evelyn A. , Merino Prudencio , Phan Tran Donna , Bolaris Michael , Gonzales Mildred , Nguyen Megan H. , Balo Arlene , Abueg Angel , Da Silva Wellington , Astorga-Cook Leslie , Liu Honghu , Mason Holli , Freund Deborah , Nightingale Judi , Orr Jay , Xie Bin , Miller Loren G.
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

Vaccine hesitancy among essential workers remains a significant public health challenge. We examined psychological constructs of perceived susceptibility, threat, and self-efficacy and their associations with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among a racially and ethnically diverse essential workforce population.

Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional survey of essential workers from September-December 2020 at a large Los Angeles safety-net medical center as part of a program offering free COVID-19 serology testing. Program participants completed a standardized survey at the time of phlebotomy. Hierarchical logistic regression was utilized to determine factors independently associated with vaccine hesitancy.

Results:

Among 1327 persons who had serology testing, 1235 (93%) completed the survey. Of these, 958 (78%) were healthcare workers. Based on expressed intent, 22% were vaccine-hesitant 78% were vaccine acceptors. In our multivariate model, vaccine hesitancy was associated with female gender [aOR = 2.09; 95% CI (1.44-3.05)], African American race [aOR = 4.32; (2.16-8.62)], LatinX ethnicity [aOR = 2.47; 95% CI (1.51-4.05)] and history of not/sometimes receiving influenza vaccination [aOR = 4.39; 95% CI (2.98-6.48)]. Compared to nurses, vaccine hesitancy was lower among physicians [aOR = 0.09; 95% CI (0.04-0.23)], non-nursing/non-physician healthcare workers [aOR = 0.55; 95% CI (0.33-0.92)], and non-healthcare care workers [aOR = 0.53; 95% CI (0.36-0.78)].

Conclusions:

Among a racially/ethnically diverse group of safety net medical center essential workers, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was associated with racial/ethnic minority groups, employment type, and prior influenza vaccination hesitancy. Interestingly, we found no association with the Health Belief Model construct measures of perceived susceptibility, threat, and self-efficacy. Psychological constructs not assessed may be drivers of vaccine hesitancy in our population.
Race-Based Rejection Sensitivity and the Integrated Motivational Volitional Model of Suicide in a Sample of Black Women
Authors: Clement Déjà N. , Awad Shadin A. , Oliphant Vanessa N. , Wingate LaRicka R.
Published: March 2023

Black women’s rates of suicide ideation have risen steadily, and this increase may be due to socioecological factors such as race-related stress. Experiences of race-related stress may be associated with feelings of defeat and entrapment, significant predictors of suicide ideation, as studies have identified that race-based rejection may be humiliating and cause feelings of defeat. Black women may experience race-based rejection sensitivity (RRS) because of historical inequities and discrimination. The current study examined relationships among defeat, entrapment, RRS, and suicide ideation in Black women. Mediation analysis indicated direct associations between defeat and suicide ideation and indirect associations by way of entrapment in Black women. Results indicated that RRS did not significantly moderate the relationship between defeat and entrapment, defeat and suicide ideation, or entrapment and suicide ideation. The current study advances research on mental health equity and suicide by adding to the scant work conducted on risk factors for suicide in Black women.
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Double Banana Cages: Clinical Evaluations and Finite Element Model Analysis
Authors: Fushimi Kazunari , Miyagawa Takaki , Iwai Chizuo , Nozawa Satoshi , Iinuma Nobuki , Tanaka Ryo , Shirai Goshi , Tanahashi Hiroyuki , Yokoi Tatsuo , Akiyama Haruhiko
Published: March 2023

Study Design

Clinical and basic study.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate whether transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) using 2 banana-shaped cages leads to good clinical outcomes.

Methods

First, we conducted a clinical study to compare outcomes among patients who underwent TLIF using different types or numbers of cages. Propensity matched patients in each group were reviewed. Thirty-four patients who underwent surgery with 2 bullet-shaped cages (group A), 34 with a banana-shaped cage (group B), and 34 with 2 banana-shaped cages (group C) were compared. Twelve months after the surgery, bony fusion and cage subsidence were evaluated.

Results

The mean amount of cage subsidence was 14.9% in group A, 19.9% in group B, and 11.8% in group C. Subsidence in group B was significantly greater than that in group C ( P < .01). Radiological bony fusion was not achieved in 2 cases in group B. Second, we performed a finite element model (FEM) analysis to determine the biomechanical stress of the vertebral endplate by comparing the single-banana cage construct with a double banana-shaped cage construct. FEM analysis showed that the maximum stress of the endplate in the single-cage model was 1.72-times greater than the maximum stress in the double-cage model. Furthermore, the maximal stress in the single-cage model was significantly higher than in the double-cage model during lumbar extension and side bending.

Conclusion

This study showed that TLIF with double banana-shaped cages led to good clinical outcomes with less cage subsidence, probably because of decreased mechanical stress on the vertebral endplate.
In-house R&D, Importing Technology and R&D Tax Credit on the Productivity of Manufacturing Industry: Evidence from India
Authors: Pallayil Baiju , Ambrammal Sunil Kumar , Ramachandran Renjith
Published: March 2023

In-house R&D, importing technology and R&D tax credit play different roles in different economies. The role even may change among firms of various technological intensities. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of in-house R&D, importing technology and R&D tax credits on India’s manufacturing firms’ productivity according to their technological intensity. Our results show that R&D and technology imports have a significant and positive impact on productivity in all technologically intense industries. We have further estimated a substitute relationship between R&D and Importing Technology in high-tech, medium–high-tech and medium–low-tech industries. However, the complementarity relationship between R&D and importing technology appears more pronounced in low-tech industries. Further, the R&D tax credit policy positively impacts firm productivity in medium–high-tech, medium–low-tech and low-tech industries. In order to boost productivity, there need to be policies that support R&D, including R&D tax incentives for companies in all technologically intensive industries.

JEL Classifications: C23, D24, O31, 032
Charting Trends in Medicare Reimbursement for Lower Extremity Imaging
Authors: LeBaron Zachary G. , Richman Evan H. , Brown Parker J. , Minzer Ian D. , Brinkman Joseph C. , Hinckley Nathaniel , Fox Michael G. , Patel Karan
Published: March 2023

Background:

Medicare reimbursement is rapidly declining in many specialties. An in-depth analysis of Medicare reimbursement for routinely performed diagnostic imaging procedures in the United States is warranted.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Medicare reimbursement trends for the 20 most common lower extremity imaging procedures performed between 2005 and 2020, including radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We hypothesized that Medicare reimbursement for imaging procedures would decline substantially over the studied period.

Study Design:

Cohort study.

Methods:

The Physician Fee Schedule Look-up Tool from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was analyzed for reimbursement rates and relative value units associated with the top 20 most utilized Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes in lower extremity imaging from 2005 to 2020. Reimbursement rates were adjusted for inflation and listed in 2020 US dollars using the US Consumer Price Index. To compare year-to-year changes, the percentage change per year and compound annual growth rate were calculated. A 2-tailed t test was used to compare the unadjusted and adjusted percentage change over the 15-year period.

Results:

After adjusting for inflation, mean reimbursement for all procedures decreased by 32.41% ( P = .013). The mean adjusted percentage change per year was –2.82%, and the mean compound annual growth rate was –1.03%. Compensation for the professional and technical components for all CPT codes decreased by 33.02% and 85.78%, respectively. Mean compensation for the professional component decreased by 36.46% for radiography, 37.02% for CT, and 24.73% for MRI. Mean compensation for the technical component decreased by 7.76% for radiography, 127.66% for CT, and 207.88% for MRI. Mean total relative value units decreased by 38.7%. The commonly billed imaging procedure CPT 73720 (MRI lower extremity, other than joint, with and without contrast) had the greatest adjusted decrease of 69.89%.

Conclusion:

Medicare reimbursement for the most billed lower extremity imaging studies decreased by 32.41% between 2005 and 2020. The greatest decreases were noted in the technical component. Of the modalities, MRI had the largest decrease, followed by CT and then radiography.
Test-Retest Reliability of a Passive Joint Position Sense Test After ACL Reconstruction: Influence of Direction, Target Angle, Limb, and Outcome Measures
Authors: Jebreen Mustafa , Sole Gisela , Arumugam Ashokan
Published: March 2023

Background:

The joint position sense (JPS) is an element of proprioception and defined as an individual’s ability to recognize joint position in space. The JPS is assessed by measuring the acuity of reproducing a predetermined target angle. The quality of psychometric properties of knee JPS tests after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is uncertain.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of a passive knee JPS test in patients who underwent ACLR. We hypothesized that the passive JPS test would produce reliable absolute error, constant error, and variable error estimates after ACLR.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Nineteen male participants (mean age, 26.3 ± 4.4 years) who had undergone unilateral ACLR within the previous 12 months completed 2 sessions of bilateral passive knee JPS evaluation. JPS testing was conducted in both the flexion (starting angle, 0°) and the extension (starting angle, 90°) directions in the sitting position. The absolute error, constant error, and variable error of the JPS test in both directions were calculated at 2 target angles (30° and 60° of flexion) by using the angle reproduction method for the ipsilateral knee. The standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest real difference (SRD), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% Cis were calculated.

Results:

ICCs were higher for the JPS constant error (operated and nonoperated knee, 0.43-0.86 and 0.32-0.91, respectively) compared with the absolute error (0.18-0.59 and 0.09-0.86, respectively) and the variable error (0.07-0.63 and 0.09-0.73, respectively). The constant error of the 90°-60° extension test showed moderate to excellent reliability for the operated knee (ICC, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.64-0.94]; SEM, 1.63°; SRD, 4.53°), and good to excellent reliability for the nonoperated knee (ICC, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.76-0.96]; SEM, 1.53°; SRD, 4.24°).

Conclusion:

The test-retest reliability of the passive knee JPS tests after ACLR varied depending on the test angle, direction, and outcome measure (absolute error, constant error, or variable error). The constant error appeared to be a more reliable outcome measure than the absolute error and the variable error, mainly during the 90°-60° extension test.

Clinical Relevance:

As constant errors have been found reliable during the 90°-60° extension test, investigating these errors—in addition to absolute and variable errors—to reflect bias in passive JPS scores after ACLR is warranted.