bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of 394 COVID-19 cases infected with Omicron variant in Shenzhen: impact of underlying diseases to patient’s symptoms
Authors: Zhang Peiyan , Cai Zhao , He Zhiguang , Chen Peifen , Wu Weibo , Lin Yuanlong , Feng Shiyan , Peng Ling , Li Jianming , Yuan Jing , Yang Liang , Wang Fuxiang , Liu Yingxia , Lu Hongzhou
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 is continuously posing pressure to the epidemic prevention and control in China. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 having stronger infectivity, immune escape ability, and capability causing repetitive infection spread to many countries and regions all over the world including South Africa, United States and United Kingdom etc., in a short time. The outbreaks of Omicron variant also occurred in China. The aim of this study is to understand the epidemiological characteristics of Omicron variant infection in Shenzhen and to provide scientific basis for effective disease control and prevention.

Methods

The clinical data of 394 imported COVID-19 cases infected with Omicron variant from 16 December 2021 to 24 March 2022 admitted to the Third People’s hospital of Shenzhen were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 of nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples was detected using 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection kit. Differences in Ct values of N gene were compared between mild group and moderate group. The specific IgG antibody was detected using 2019-nCoV IgG antibody detection kit. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software and graphpad prism.

Results

Patients were categorized into mild group and moderate group according to disease severity. The data on the general conditions, underlying diseases, COVID-19 vaccination and IgG antibody, viral load, laboratory examination results, and duration of hospitalization, etc., were compared among disease groups. Mild gorup had higher IgG level and shorter nucleic acid conversion time. Patients with underlying diseases have 4.6 times higher probability to progress to moderate infection.

Conclusion

In terms of epidemic prevention, immunization coverage should be strengthened in the population with underlying diseases. In medical institutions, more attention needs to be paid to such vulnerable population and prevent further deterioration of the disease.
Heritability of tomato rhizobacteria resistant to Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Yin Jiakang , Zhang Ziliang , Zhu Chengcheng , Wang Taotao , Wang Ruihong , Ruan Lifang
Published: December 2022

Background

Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) is a soilborne phytopathogen that causes bacterial wilt and substantial yield losses in many plants, such as tomatoes. A resistant tomato cultivar can recruit a beneficial microbiome from soil to resist Rs. However, whether this recruitment is inheritable from resistant parent to progeny has not been determined.

Results

In the present study, we investigated the rhizosphere microbiomes of tomatoes with clear kinship and different resistance against Rs. Resistant tomatoes grown with the additions of natural soil or its extract showed lower disease indexes than those grown in the sterile soil, demonstrating the importance of soil microbiome in resisting Rs. The results of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the resistant cultivars had more robust rhizosphere microbiomes than the susceptible ones. Besides, the resistant progeny HF12 resembled its resistant parent HG64 in the rhizosphere microbiome. The rhizosphere microbiome had functional consistency between HF12 and HG64 as revealed by metagenomics. Based on multi-omics analysis and experimental validation, two rhizobacteria (Sphingomonas sp. Cra20 and Pseudomonas putida KT2440) were enriched in HF12 and HG64 with the ability to offer susceptible tomatoes considerable protection against Rs. Multiple aspects were involved in the protection, including reducing the virulence-related genes of Rs and reshaping the transcriptomes of the susceptible tomatoes.

Conclusions

We found promising bacteria to suppress the tomato bacterial wilt in sustainable agriculture. And our research provides insights into the heritability of Rs-resistant tomato rhizobacteria, echoing the inheritance of tomato genetic material.
Sex differences in the sustained attention of elementary school children
Authors: Efrat Barel , Orna Tzischinsky
Published: December 2022

Background

The study investigates sex differences in sustained attention among children.

Methods

Forty-five children (23 girls) from Grades 2–5 (mean age of 7.47 ± 0.73 years) wore an actigraph for a continuous five to seven days including school and non-school days. Sustained attention using the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) was measured twice a day on two school days and on one non-school day.

Results

No sex differences were found for sleep patterns. However, sex differences in PVT performance were documented. While boys were faster (shorter reaction time) and showed fewer lapses than girls, they showed higher number of false starts than girls, on both weekdays and weekends.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that sex differences should been taken into account in studies investigating neurobehavioral functioning, particularly, sustained attention across various age groups.
The effect of shame on prosocial behavior tendency toward a stranger
Authors: Li Saiqi , Wang Liusheng
Published: December 2022

Background

This study aimed to examine the effect of different types of shame on prosocial behavior tendency to different help-seekers.

Methods

A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to a neutral mood condition, a public shame or a private shame condition.

Results

All participants rated their willingness to help a benefactor and a stranger in an everyday helping situation and a money-donating situation after emotion-induction. The study found a higher willingness of participants in the public shame group to help strangers than those in neutral mood and private shame groups.

Conclusion

These findings support a facilitation effect of public shame on prosocial behavior tendency toward strangers, indicating an effect of restoring motive of shame on social interaction. The results are further discussed in light of the functionalism of shame.
Purchase intention toward sustainable masks after COVID-19: the moderating role of health concern
Authors: Lee Sae Eun , Kim Seo Jeong , Oh Kyung Wha , Lee Kyu-Hye
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to investigate consumers’ intentions to purchase sustainable masks to reduce the environmental pollution caused by disposable masks in the context of COVID-19. A research model was derived based on the Value-Belief-Norm theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the moderating role of health concerns and environmental knowledge due to the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. Through a Korean online survey company, we collected data on sustainable masks from respondents aged from their 20 s to 50 s, living in the Korea, and a structural equation analysis was performed on the 337 valid samples. Environmental concerns and beliefs were found to have a positive impact on the purchase intention on sustainable masks. Although environmental knowledge played the role of a moderator, we found that the higher the health concern, the stronger the purchase intention. Based on these results, it is possible to derive a strategy to increase the purchase of sustainable masks and reduce the environmental pollution caused by disposable masks. A sales strategy should be implemented for groups with high health concern. In addition, since the subjective norm increases the purchase intention for sustainable masks, advertising that stimulates them will help reduce environmental pollution caused by disposal masks. In the future, it will be possible to help reduce environmental pollution not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also during other emerging pandemics.
Exploring personalized fashion design process using an emotional data visualization method
Authors: Ma Na , Kim Jieun , Lee Jee Hyun
Published: December 2022

In recent years, rapid economic growth and a rising personal income have increased the demand for personalized services. To address this demand, the fashion industry and academia are increasingly analyzing and developing methods to provide personalized fashion design products. This study investigated an emotional data and data visualization-based design method for personalized fashion products. By visualizing emotions and involving consumers, we generated experimental designs to encourage interpersonal and emotional communication. In addition, we proposed methods for visualizing 28 levels of emotion in design elements, as well as a generative design process based on emotional and personal text messages. In fashion products, we used color and print to match the emotion and intensity of the emotion. As a result, 40 design experiment participants rated personalized fashion design tools, outcomes, and purchase intention positively. The highest score was received by the average value for expression of personality (4.43), purchase intention (4.38), and preference and recommendation (4.42). Consequently, this study could be applied to the use of personal data in generative fashion design, as well as the systemization of the data-driven design method for personalized and participatory fashion design.
Environmental and occupational factors and higher risk of couple infertility: a systematic review study
Authors: Abdoli Sara , Masoumi Seyedeh Zahra , Kazemi Farideh
Published: December 2022

Background

Infertility is a global health problem that represents an increasing trend due to new lifestyles following technological advances since individuals are facing more risk factors than before. The present systematic review study aimed to investigate the impact of environmental and occupational factors on reproductive parameters and increased risk of couple infertility.

Main body

Scopus, PubMed, SID, and Web of Science databases were searched for the available observational (i.e., cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional) systematic review, meta-analysis, and clinical trial studies between 2007 and 2019. To this end, keywords such as ‘Environmental exposure’, ‘Occupational exposure’, ‘Environmental pollutants’, ‘Environmental pollution’, ‘Couple infertility’, ‘Sterility’, and ‘Sub-fertility’ were used. The retrieved investigations examined the impact of environmental and occupational risk factors on reproductive indices and increased infertility risk. Totally, 66 out of 9519 papers were evaluated after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The reported risk factors in the reviewed studies were heavy metals, cigarette smoking, and exposure to chemicals through consumer goods, urban life, and proximity to main roads. In addition, occupational factors included heavy physical activity, prolonged sitting, exposure to a hot environment, contact with formaldehyde, pesticides, insecticides, mechanical vibration, and contact with ionizing radiation, all of which affected the reproductive parameters. However, some researchers found no significant associations in this regard.

Short conclusion

In general, individuals with known impairments in reproductive parameters were more exposed to risk factors. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to determine the risk of infertility in the population.
Phase IIa Study of SurVaxM Plus Adjuvant Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma
Authors: Ahluwalia Manmeet S. , Reardon David A. , Abad Ajay P. , Curry William T. , Wong Eric T. , Figel Sheila A. , Mechtler Laszlo L. , Peereboom David M. , Hutson Alan D. , Withers Henry G. , Liu Song , Belal Ahmed N. , Qiu Jingxin , Mogensen Kathleen M. , Dharma Sanam S. , Dhawan Andrew , Birkemeier Meaghan T. , Casucci Danielle M. , Ciesielski Michael J. , Fenstermaker Robert A.
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE

Despite intensive treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy, and tumor-treating fields, mortality of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM) remains very high. SurVaxM is a peptide vaccine conjugate that has been shown to activate the immune system against its target molecule survivin, which is highly expressed by glioblastoma cells. We conducted a phase IIa, open-label, multicenter trial evaluating the safety, immunologic effects, and survival of patients with nGBM receiving SurVaxM plus adjuvant TMZ following surgery and chemoradiation (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02455557 ).

METHODS

Sixty-four patients with resected nGBM were enrolled including 38 men and 26 women, in the age range of 20-82 years. Following craniotomy and fractionated radiation therapy with concurrent TMZ, patients received four doses of SurVaxM (500 μg once every 2 weeks) in Montanide ISA-51 plus sargramostim (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor) subcutaneously. Patients subsequently received adjuvant TMZ and maintenance SurVaxM concurrently until progression. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were reported. Immunologic responses to SurVaxM were assessed.

RESULTS

SurVaxM plus TMZ was well tolerated with no serious adverse events attributable to SurVaxM. Of the 63 patients who were evaluable for outcome, 60 (95.2%) remained progression-free 6 months after diagnosis (prespecified primary end point). Median PFS was 11.4 months and median OS was 25.9 months measured from first dose of SurVaxM. SurVaxM produced survivin-specific CD8+ T cells and antibody/immunoglobulin G titers. Apparent clinical benefit of SurVaxM was observed in both methylated and unmethylated patients.

CONCLUSION

SurVaxM appeared to be safe and well tolerated. The combination represents a promising therapy for nGBM. For patients with nGBM treated in this manner, PFS may be an acceptable surrogate for OS. A large randomized clinical trial of SurVaxM for nGBM is in progress.
Henry Thoreau's Perpetual Grief and Unquenchable Life
Authors: Richardson Robert D.
Published: December 2022

This review essay offers an enthusiastically positive review of Branka Arsić's Bird Relics: Grief and Vitalism in Thoreau (2016). Arsić gives us a Thoreau who is a pondside Pythagoras, learned and disciplined, with roots deep in Greek and Ionian and Persian and Hindu thought. Her Thoreau is a prophet with a freshly thought-out message about how perpetual mourning drives the perpetual renewal of life, about the importance of disindividualizing, and about the persistence of life at its most basic and elemental level. Arsić shows how, once we learn to see and hear and walk and sit without filters, without metaphors, and without other preconceived containers for pure experience, we can come to see, with Thoreau, that at the most important level, there is no death.
The Effective Use of Laser Ablation to Treat Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in the Setting of Implanted Responsive Neurostimulation
Authors: Luu Cuong P. , Kotloski Robert J. , Lake Wendell Bradley
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND:

Up to 16% of patients with responsive neurostimulation (RNS) implants for bilateral temporal epilepsy are found to have seizures originating mainly from just 1 lobe.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the first use of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) in a patient with a bilateral RNS implant to ablate the predominant temporal lobe and help control seizures.

METHODS:

A 55-year-old woman treated for temporal lobe epilepsy with conflicting information regarding lateralization underwent RNS implantation. She was then discovered to have seizures with electrographic onset nearly all from the right amygdala and hippocampus. She was offered LITT to ablate the affected region in the right temporal lobe, followed by reimplantation of the RNS lead in the remnant of the right hippocampal tail.

RESULTS:

Despite the positioning of the RNS ferrule on the operative side and the depth electrode in the contralateral lobe, we observed no significant artifact and obtained stable LITT temperature mapping using magnetic resonance. Laser ablation and RNS device replacement proceeded without complications. The patient has remained seizure-free for 6 months since the ablation in the setting of weaning antiseizure medications and regaining ambulation.

CONCLUSION:

LITT ablation can safely and effectively be performed in a patient with a concurrent RNS implant. Maintenance of the RNS device after ablation allows for continual detection and management of seizures.
Residual and Recurrent Spinal Cord Cavernous Malformations: Outcomes and Techniques to Optimize Resection and a Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Srinivasan Visish M. , Karahalios Katherine , Shlobin Nathan A. , Koester Stefan W. , Nguyen Candice L. , Rumalla Kavelin , Rahmani Redi , Catapano Joshua S. , Labib Mohamed A. , Mitha Alim P. , Spetzler Robert F. , Lawton Michael T.
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND:

Intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations (SCCMs) account for only 5% of overall cavernous malformations (CMs). The occurrence of recurrent or residual SCCMs has not been well discussed, nor have the technical nuances of resection.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the characteristics of residual SCCMs and surgical outcomes and describe the techniques to avoid leaving lesion remnants during primary resection.

METHODS:

Demographic, radiologic, intraoperative findings and surgical outcomes data for a cohort of surgically managed intramedullary SCCMs were obtained from an institutional database and retrospectively analyzed. A systematic literature review was performed using PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS:

Of 146 SCCM resections identified, 17 were for residual lesions (12%). Patients with residuals included 13 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 43 years (range 16-70). All patients with residual SCCMs had symptomatic presentations: sensory deficits, paraparesis, spasticity, and pain. Residuals occurred between 3 and 264 months after initial resection. Approaches for 136 cases included posterior midline myelotomy (28.7%, n = 39), pial surface entry (37.5%, n = 51), dorsal root entry zone (27.9%, n = 38), and lateral entry (5.9%, n = 8). Follow-up outcomes were similar for patients with primary and residual lesions, with the majority having no change in modified Rankin Scale score (63% [59/93] vs 75% [9/12], respectively, P = .98).

CONCLUSION:

SCCMs may cause significant symptoms. During primary resection, care should be taken to avoid leaving residual lesion remnants, which can lead to future hemorrhagic events and neurological morbidity. However, satisfactory results are achievable even with secondary or tertiary resections.
Starożytne źródła patosu i jego współczesne reminiscencje w fenomenologii responsywnej Bernharda Waldenfelsa
Authors: Wolińska Anna , Krasińska Magdalena
Published: December 2022

Abstrakt

Analizy w zakresie starogreckich znaczeń słowa pathos skłaniają do postawienia tezy, że należy mówić o czterech głównych kontekstach, które ukształtowały rozumienie tej kategorii: o kontekście retorycznym, etycznym, tragicznym i emotywnym (passio). Chociaż wszystkie cztery wspomniane obszary pozostawały względem siebie stosunkowo niezależne, modyfikując sens pojęcia pathos w czasem bardzo odległych rejestrach czasowych, to można wskazać pewien wspólny rdzeń, determinujący charakter omawianej kategorii: mianowicie jej inherentną zakłóceniowość, kryzysogenność i afektywność. Pozostaje on w ścisłej relacji z odniesieniem patosu do doświadczeń bolesnych, nagłych, zadziwiających, a także – tak, jak w ślad za Grekami czyni to Waldenfels – do stanów pasywnych, z których podmiot, pod wpływem patycznego ugodzenia, wybudza się jako żywo reagujący, cielesny „respondent”.

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest prześledzenie owych starożytnych źródeł patosu i wskazanie ich współczesnych reminiscencji, rozbrzmiewających w Waldenfelsowskiej fenomenologii responsywnej. Struktura tekstu jest następująca: w pierwszej części przyglądamy się historycznym zastosowaniom pojęcia pathos (głównie w ramach tradycji greckiej); w części drugiej analizujemy patos pod kątem zdziwienia, uchodzącego według Platona i Arystotelesa za akt inicjujący myślenie filozoficzne; w części trzeciej, poświęconej fenomenologii Waldenfelsa, prezentujemy afektywny i cielesny wymiar doświadczenia patycznego, zradykalizowanego zarówno względem kartezjańskiego dualizmu, jak i Husserlowskiej teorii autoafekcji; w części czwartej powracamy do wyróżnionych wcześniej historycznych kontekstów patosu, aby pokazać, w jaki sposób Waldenfels na gruncie fenomenologii responsywnej aktualizuje je w ramach swojej polemiki z „klasycznymi” ujęciami doświadczenia i emocji.

Słowa kluczowe:

Patos, fenomenologia responsywna, Bernhard Waldenfels, retoryka, tragedia, etyka, afekt
Fenomenologia człowieczeństwa człowieka w ujęciu Jean-Yves Lacoste’a
Authors: Zgórecki Przemysław
Published: December 2022

Jean-Yves Lacoste jest mało znanym w Polsce współczesnym francuskim myślicielem. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia krótko jego naukową biografię i dorobek oraz prezentuje jego główny filozoficzny projekt fenomenologii człowieczeństwa człowieka (l’humanité de l’homme), którą on sam nazywa fenomenologią liturgii. W tekście przeanalizowane zostaną źródła myśli Lacoste’a. Artykuł podejmie kilka ważnych pytań, które wypływają z rozważań nad myślą Lacoste’a. Dlaczego zamiast stawiać pytanie o bycie, należy raczej zapytać o człowieka (questio de homine)? Dlaczego fenomenologia liturgii jest zarazem fenomenologią człowieczeństwa człowieka (l’humanité de l’homme)? Dlaczego leży ona w centrum dysputy o człowieku (disputatio de homine)? Jakie jest jej odniesienie do transcendentalnej analityki jestestwa zaproponowanej przez Heideggera? Wreszcie przeanalizowana zostanie krótko dyskusja, która narasta wokół Lacoste’a wraz ze wzrostem zainteresowania jego myślą.
Administrative Appeal Efforts in Indonesian Administrative Dispute Resolution After the Government Administration Law (Pre-Omnibus Law)
Authors: Sirojudin Muhammad Rizal
Published: December 2022

Administrative effort is an effort to resolve disputes in the Indonesian State Administrative Court. This administrative effort changed after the Omnibus Law was introduced. However, the Omnibus Law itself will be changed in the future because there is a demand for a constitutional court decision. Therefore, administrative efforts have the potential to change back to what it was before the Omnibus Law. This study aims to determine the competence of existing changes in administrative efforts. This research method is carried out using a normative approach that is based on browsing library materials or secondary data. The result to be achieved in this research is to give a prescription that Law Number 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration has its own procedural process, even though this Law is sectoral.
A Fenomenologia segundo a Filosofia de Martin Heidegger
Authors: Saadeh Manuela
Published: December 2022

Resumo Para Heidegger, é preciso desenvolver um conceito de fenomenologia a partir da questão do Ser para que se manifeste a estrutura articulada das questões fundamentais que constituem uma problemática. Toda investigação tem seu tema, desde o qual encontramos sua sistemática interna. O tema da fenomenologia heideggeriana é o sentido do Ser enquanto Ser e enquanto tempo, e a problemática são todas as questões que concernem ou não historicamente a este tema. A meta da investigação fenomenológica de Heidegger é, portanto, a de esclarecer tais problemas a partir do seu fundamento histórico, pois para o filósofo, somente desenvolvendo a aparelho conceitual a partir da sua fundamentação histórica, podemos trazer a questão do Ser propriamente à exposição. Entretanto, não se trata de fazer um apanhado ontológico-historiográfico (algo próprio à corrente moderna da filosofia), mas sim de pensar os motivos desde os quais o Ser foi implicitamente concebido não enquanto Ser, mas enquanto a “entidade do ente”, a presentidade constante (frente ao não constante), e isto em toda a História da Filosofia enquanto História da Metafísica.
Psicopatologia da liberdade e transtornos do poder-ser: sofrimento existencial e enfermidade mental na fenomenologia hermenêutica e na psiquiatria fenomenológica
Authors: Rodrigues Fernando
Published: December 2022

O presente artigo dedica-se à questão da condição de possibilidade do adoecimento psíquico e existencial. Para tanto, investiga-se a tese da vulnerabilidade antropológica e existencial do ser-humano, proposta por Fuchs (2018). Para o autor, é a própria conditio humana o que expõe o ser humano a formas peculiares de ameaça à saúde mental e existencial. Explicita-se a abertura de ser como cerne fenomenal da vulnerabilidade humana para o adoecimento psíquico e existencial. É na abertura de ser, compreendida como constituição profunda do modo de ser do ser humano, que jaz a vulnerabilidade existencial, condição de possibilidade da vulnerabilidade antropológica ao sofrimento psíquico e à enfermidade mental. Uma vez delimitada a origem existencial da vulnerabilidade típica do modo humano de ser, mostra-se que a condição de possibilidade da enfermidade mental e existencial é, em última instância, a própria liberdade para ser. Busca-se mostrar, com isso, o aspecto fenomenológico-hermenêutico (Heidegger) da psiquiatria fenomenológica da Escola de Heidelberg, aqui representada por Fuchs. A conclusão provisória é a de que a herança heideggeriana de Wolfgang Blankenburg impacta diretamente o pensamento de Fuchs. Um exercício de análise de caso, por meio do recurso ao filme Persona, de Ingmar Bergman, ilustra o sentido radical da vulnerabilidade existencial humana ao sofrimento psíquico e à enfermidade existencial.
Scoping the NHS patient safety problem: NHS England information
Authors: Tingle John
Published: December 2022

John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, provides an update on recent patient safety reports
Randomised controlled trial to assess and compare the performance and safety of two-piece ostomy appliances
Authors: Sagap Ismail , Loo Guo Hou , Azman Zairul Azman Mohd , Mazlan Luqman , Gan Seng Yeong , Eng Hooi Sian , Henry Fitjerald
Published: December 2022

Background:

Choice of ostomy appliances is based on multiple factors including economic considerations, individual patient requirements and lifestyle. A recently launched two-piece ostomy collection device with an extended tape border is expected to provide a long wear time and increase patients' sense of security.

Aims and methods:

A randomised controlled, non-blinded, cross-over study involving 38 patients (with colostomies and ileostomies) compared the test device to a similar device from the same manufacturer but without the tape border. The main objective was to assess wear time for non-inferiority as a measure of efficacy. Secondary efficacy assessment included peristomal skin condition using the DET (discolouration, erosion and tissue growth) score and patient acceptability, which was assessed through questionnaires using Likert-scale options. Safety was assessed according to the incidence and intensity of device-related adverse events, and the condition of the peristomal skin.

Results and conclusion:

Analysis of results in the per-protocol population showed an average wear time of 4.5 days for both devices and demonstrated non-inferiority. DET scores were similar in both groups, and both had low rates of device-related adverse events, all of which related to peristomal skin. Patients said the devices were user friendly. While the two devices are similar, some patients may find one with an adhesive tape more suited to their needs.
Frailty in older Turkish cancer patients undergoing post-surgical adjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Goktas Sonay , Akin Semiha , Kosucu Sibel Nargiz , Dogan Pinar
Published: December 2022

Background:

Understanding the frailty levels of older patients undergoing surgery and chemotherapy will contribute to timely and reliable care practices and improve care outcomes.

Aims:

To determine the frailty of cancer patients who received chemotherapy treatment after surgery.

Methods:

This descriptive study included 192 Turkish patients aged over 60 years who received chemotherapy after surgery for cancer. Data were collected using a patient survey and the Edmonton Frailty Scale.

Results:

The average age of the participants was 66.3±5.3 years. Around 40% (40.6%) of the sample were diagnosed with breast cancer. The Edmonton Frailty Scale score of the group was 6.6 (SD±3.7). A quarter of the sample (22.9%) were at risk of frailty. Frailty levels were higher in older individuals with gastrointestinal cancers and other cancer groups compared with patients with breast cancer (p<0.001); patients with additional chronic diseases other than cancer (p=0.004); and in those with a history of falling and hospitalisation in the past year (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

Older patients with gastrointestinal cancer, additional chronic disease and a history of falling and hospitalisation within the past year should be evaluated closely for frailty before and during chemotherapy. It is crucial to consider the patient's vulnerability when making care and treatment decisions for older patients with cancer. Understanding the frailty levels of older patients who undergo surgery and receive chemotherapy can help health professionals to decide on timely and reliable care practices and improve care outcomes.
PDSA Animal Wellbeing report on pet health and welfare
Authors: Oxley James A , Ashman Rebecca , James Lynne , Wensley Sean , Howard Steve , Malkani Rachel , Tipton Emma
Published: December 2022

The PDSA look at the findings of their latest animal wellbeing report, and discuss what its findings mean for pet health and welfare.
All-polyethylene tibia components have the same functional outcomes and survival, and are more cost-effective than metal-backed components in patients 70 years and older undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Jabbal Monu , Clement Nick , Walmsley Phil J.
Published: December 2022

Aims

The tibial component of total knee arthroplasty can either be an all-polyethylene (AP) implant or a metal-backed (MB) implant. This study aims to compare the five-year functional outcomes of AP tibial components to MB components in patients aged over 70 years. Secondary aims are to compare quality of life, implant survivorship, and cost-effectiveness.

Methods

A group of 130 patients who had received an AP tibial component were matched for demographic factors of age, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, sex, and preoperative Knee Society Score (KSS) to create a comparison group of 130 patients who received a MB tibial component. Functional outcome was assessed prospectively by KSS, quality of life by 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-12), and range of motion (ROM), and implant survivorships were compared. The SF six-dimension (6D) was used to calculate the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) for AP compared to MB tibial components using quality-adjusted life year methodology.

Results

The AP group had a mean KSS-Knee of 83.4 (standard deviation (SD) 19.2) and the MB group a mean of 84.9 (SD 18.2; p = 0.631), while mean KSS-Function was 75.4 (SD 15.3) and 73.2 (SD 16.2 p = 0.472), respectively. The mental (44.3 vs 45.1; p = 0.464) and physical (44.8 vs 44.9; p = 0.893) dimensions of the SF-12 and ROM (97.9° vs 99.7°; p = 0.444) were not different between the groups. Implant survivorship at five years were 99.2% and 97.7% (p = 0.321). The AP group had a greater SF-6D gain of 0.145 compared to the MB group, with an associated cost saving of £406, which resulted in a negative ICER of -£406/0.145 = -£2,800. Therefore, the AP tibial component was dominant, being a more effective and less expensive intervention.

Conclusion

There were no differences in functional outcomes or survivorship at five years between AP and MB tibial components in patients aged 70 years and older, however the AP component was shown to be more cost-effective. In the UK, only 1.4% of all total knee arthroplasties use an AP component; even a modest increase in usage nationally could lead to significant financial savings. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(12):969–976.
Seismic detection with distributed acoustic sensors using a convolutional neural network in the frequency wavenumber spectrum
Authors: Arioka Takahiro , Nakamura Kentaro
Published: December 2022

With the development of optical fiber distributed acoustic sensors (DAS), their application to seismic observation has become popular. We conducted DAS measurements from November 19 to December 2, 2019, using dark fiber of an ocean bottom cable seismic and tsunami observation system off the Sanriku coast in northeastern Japan and investigated seismic detection methods from the obtained strain rate data. We examined a new seismic detection method using a convolutional neural network, to the best of our knowledge, treating a frequency wavenumber spectrum of strain rate as an image. This method effectively captured a characteristic wave described as the T-phase in a sound fixing and ranging channel even with low signal-to-noise ratio data.
Handheld diffuse reflectance spectroscopy system for noninvasive quantification of neonatal bilirubin and hemoglobin concentrations: a pilot study
Authors: Cheng Nan-Yu , Tzeng Shih-Yu , Fang Ming-Chein , Kuo Chun-Yen , Lu Wen-Hsien , Yang Chin-Chieh , Tseng Sheng-Hao
Published: December 2022

The prevalence rate of neonatal jaundice can reach 80%, of which 5% may develop dangerous hemolytic jaundice. The blood test for obtaining bilirubin and hemoglobin concentration is the gold standard for diagnosing hemolytic jaundice; however, frequently drawing blood from jaundice neonates for the screening purpose is not practical. We have developed a handheld diffuse reflectance spectroscopy system to noninvasively determine the bilirubin and hemoglobin levels in neonates. Our study showed that the correlation coefficients were 0.95 and 0.80 for bilirubin and hemoglobin between the results from the blood tests and our handheld system, respectively. This handheld system could be an effective tool for screening hemolytic jaundice.
Three-dimensional image-guided topical photodynamic therapy system with light dosimetry dynamic planning and monitoring
Authors: Wang Xu , Jin Teng , Xiong Jiyuan , Zhao Huiting , Hu Xiaoming , Li Qin , Ren Jie , Zhao Yi
Published: December 2022

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown significant potential for skin disease treatment. As a key element, light is critical to influencing its treatment outcome, and light dosimetry is an issue of much concern for researchers. However, because of three-dimensional irregularity in shape and patient’s movement during the therapy, irradiance hardly keeps uniform on the lesion and flux measurement remains a challenge. In this work, we report the development of a three-dimensional image-guided PDT system, and the method of dynamic irradiance planning and flux monitoring for lesions in different poses. This system comprises a three-dimensional camera for monitoring patients’ movement during therapy, a computer for data analysis and processing, and a homemade LED array for forming uniform irradiance on lesions. Simulations on lesions of the face and arm show that the proposed system significantly increases effective therapy area, enhances irradiance uniformity, is able to visualize flux on the lesion, and reduces risks of burns during PDT. The developed PDT system is promising for optimizing procedures of PDT and providing better treatment outcomes by delivering controllable irradiance and flux on lesions even when a patient is moving.
Point-of-care real-time DNA detection device for SARS-CoV-2 from clinical samples
Authors: Presti Damián , Bergier Julián , Ripoll Lucas , Borio Cristina , Torchia Gustavo A. , Bilen Marcos
Published: December 2022

Since the global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, people’s health and the economic support of their countries have been seriously affected. It was necessary to develop a low-cost and faster diagnostic tool that allows the evaluation of symptomatic patients. Point-of-care testing and point-of-need testing systems have been recently developed to solve these drawbacks, providing accurate and rapid diagnostics at field level or at the site of outbreaks. In this work, a bio-photonic device has been developed for the diagnosis of COVID-19. The device is used with an isothermal system (Easy Loop Amplification based) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The performance of the device was evaluated in the detection of a SARS-CoV-2 RNA sample panel, showing an analytical sensitivity comparable to the reference method of quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction used commercially. In addition, the device was mainly built with simple and low-cost components; therefore, it is possible to obtain a high-efficiency and low-cost instrument. The device excites the sample to be analyzed with a semiconductor laser with a specific wavelength, thus triggering spontaneous emission of the fluorophore bound to the specific probe. The emitted fluorescence is suitably managed by using interferential filters. Under these conditions, a signal is registered and, depending on this level, defines the case as positive or negative. All the analysis is done autonomously inside the developed device through an integrated control system, and it is connected to a portable device to show the results wirelessly.
Detection and mapping of specular surfaces using multibounce LiDAR returns
Authors: Henley Connor , Somasundaram Siddharth , Hollmann Joseph , Raskar Ramesh
Published: December 2022

We propose methods that use specular, multibounce LiDAR returns to detect and map specular surfaces that might be invisible to conventional LiDAR systems that rely on direct, single-scatter returns. We derive expressions that relate the time- and angle-of-arrival of these multibounce returns to scattering points on the specular surface, and then use these expressions to formulate techniques for retrieving specular surface geometry when the scene is scanned by a single beam or illuminated with a multi-beam flash. We also consider the special case of transparent specular surfaces, for which surface reflections can be mixed together with light that scatters off of objects lying behind the surface.
Domain growth driven by a femtosecond laser in lithium niobate crystal
Authors: Wang Xiaoliang , Cao Qiang , Wang Ruonan , Cao Xiangdong , Liu Sheng
Published: December 2022

We experimentally demonstrate to drive domain growth in lithium niobate crystal by using a focused infrared femtosecond laser without relative displacement or any additional treatment. The physical process has four stages: modified domain generation; thermoelectric field formation; domain inversion; and domain growth. The length of domain growth depends on drive energy (pulse energy) and drive time (number of pulses), up to 155 µm. We use this approach to rapidly fabricate two-dimensional period-inverted domain structures and perform frequency-doubling conversion based on quasi-phase-matching. Laser-driven domain growth delivers an efficient manufacturing route for tailored functional materials.
Tensile strained direct bandgap GeSn microbridges enabled in GeSn-on-insulator substrates with residual tensile strain
Authors: Burt Daniel , Zhang Lin , Jung Yongduck , Joo Hyo-Jun , Kim Youngmin , Chen Melvina , Son Bongkwon , Fan Weijun , Ikonic Zoran , Tan Chuan Seng , Nam Donguk
Published: December 2022

Despite having achieved drastically improved lasing characteristics by harnessing tensile strain, the current methods of introducing a sizable tensile strain into GeSn lasers require complex fabrication processes, thus reducing the viability of the lasers for practical applications. The geometric strain amplification is a simple technique that can concentrate residual and small tensile strain into localized and large tensile strain. However, the technique is not suitable for GeSn due to the intrinsic compressive strain introduced during the conventional epitaxial growth. In this Letter, we demonstrate the geometrical strain amplification in GeSn by employing a tensile strained GeSn-on-insulator (GeSnOI) substrate. This work offers exciting opportunities in developing practical wavelength-tunable lasers for realizing fully integrated photonic circuits.
High-performance silicon carbide polarization beam splitting based on an asymmetric directional couplers for mode conversion
Authors: Shi Xiaodong , Lu Yaoqin , Ou Haiyan
Published: December 2022

Polarization manipulation and management are important for 4H-silicon carbide (SiC) integrated photonics, as 4H-SiC has material-based birefringent properties. In this Letter, we propose a low-birefringence polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on asymmetric directional coupler (ADC) mode converters with overall high performances. We numerically and experimentally demonstrate the ADC mode conversion based PBS on a 4H-SiC chip. The experimental results show that the device exhibits high transmittance of −0.6 dB and −1.3 dB for the transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) polarized light, respectively, and broad operational bandwidth over 130 nm. The polarization extinction ratio of >25 dB and >17 dB covering the whole C band for the TE and TM polarized light, respectively, and an ultra-large polarization extinction ratio of >32 dB for both polarizations at approximately 1560 nm are achieved.
Integrated neural dynamics of sensorimotor decisions and actions
Authors: Thura David , Cabana Jean-François , Feghaly Albert , Cisek Paul
Published: December 2022

Recent theoretical models suggest that deciding about actions and executing them are not implemented by completely distinct neural mechanisms but are instead two modes of an integrated dynamical system. Here, we investigate this proposal by examining how neural activity unfolds during a dynamic decision-making task within the high-dimensional space defined by the activity of cells in monkey dorsal premotor (PMd), primary motor (M1), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as well as the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus (GPe, GPi). Dimensionality reduction shows that the four strongest components of neural activity are functionally interpretable, reflecting a state transition between deliberation and commitment, the transformation of sensory evidence into a choice, and the baseline and slope of the rising urgency to decide. Analysis of the contribution of each population to these components shows meaningful differences between regions but no distinct clusters within each region, consistent with an integrated dynamical system. During deliberation, cortical activity unfolds on a two-dimensional “decision manifold” defined by sensory evidence and urgency and falls off this manifold at the moment of commitment into a choice-dependent trajectory leading to movement initiation. The structure of the manifold varies between regions: In PMd, it is curved; in M1, it is nearly perfectly flat; and in dlPFC, it is almost entirely confined to the sensory evidence dimension. In contrast, pallidal activity during deliberation is primarily defined by urgency. We suggest that these findings reveal the distinct functional contributions of different brain regions to an integrated dynamical system governing action selection and execution.
Using smartphone-GPS data to quantify human activity in green spaces
Authors: Filazzola Alessandro , Xie Garland , Barrett Kimberly , Dunn Andrea , Johnson Marc T. J. , MacIvor James Scott
Published: December 2022

Cities are growing in density and coverage globally, increasing the value of green spaces for human health and well-being. Understanding the interactions between people and green spaces is also critical for biological conservation and sustainable development. However, quantifying green space use is particularly challenging. We used an activity index of anonymized GPS data from smart devices provided by Mapbox (www.mapbox.com) to characterize human activity in green spaces in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The goals of our study were to describe i) a methodological example of how anonymized GPS data could be used for human-nature research and ii) associations between park features and human activity. We describe some of the challenges and solutions with using this activity index, especially in the context of green spaces and biodiversity monitoring. We found the activity index was strongly correlated with visitation records (i.e., park reservations) and that these data are useful to identify high or low-usage areas within green spaces. Parks with a more extensive trail network typically experienced higher visitation rates and a substantial proportion of activity remained on trails. We identified certain land covers that were more frequently associated with human presence, such as rock formations, and find a relationship between human activity and tree composition. Our study demonstrates that anonymized GPS data from smart devices are a powerful tool for spatially quantifying human activity in green spaces. These could help to minimize trade-offs in the management of green spaces for human use and biological conservation will continue to be a significant challenge over the coming decades because of accelerating urbanization coupled with population growth. Importantly, we include a series of recommendations when using activity indexes for managing green spaces that can assist with biomonitoring and supporting sustainable human use.
Temporal aspects of unrealistic optimism and robustness of this bias: A longitudinal study in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Izydorczak Kamil , Antoniuk Karolina , Kulesza Wojciech , Muniak Paweł , Dolinski Dariusz
Published: December 2022

Numerous studies on unrealistic optimism (UO) have shown that people claim they are less exposed to COVID-19 infection than others. Yet, it has not been assessed if this bias evolves; does it escalate or diminish when the information about the threat changes? The present paper fills this gap. For 12 months 120 participants estimated their own and their peers’ risk of COVID-19 infection. Results show that UO regarding COVID-19 infection is an enduring phenomenon–It was the dominant tendency throughout almost the entire study and was never substituted by Unrealistic Pessimism. While the presence of UO-bias was constant, its magnitude changed. We tested possible predictors of these changes: the daily new cases/deaths, the changes in governmental restrictions and the mobility of participants’ community. Out of these predictors, only changes in governmental restrictions proved to be significant- when the restrictions tightened, UO increased.