bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The applications of cryoneurolysis for acute and chronic pain management
Authors: Biel Emily , Aroke Edwin N. , Maye John , Zhang Sarah Jingying
Published: November 2022

Background

Cryoneurolysis is a term used to describe the application of extreme cold to targeted nerve tissue. The primary goal of the application of a thermal neurolytic technique is to disrupt the conduction of pain signals from the periphery to the central nervous system and eliminate or diminish the experience of pain. Recent advancements in ultrasound technology coupled with the development and approval of handheld devices specifically designed to deliver cryoneurolysis has expanded the use of this modality in the perioperative setting.

Application

Surgical procedures including total knee arthroplasties, shoulder arthroplasties, thoracotomies, and mastectomies have all demonstrated long‐term pain relief benefits when cryoneurolysis has been administered days to weeks prior to the planned procedure. In addition, the newly designed handheld device allows for office‐based clinical use and has been utilized for various chronic pain conditions including neuropathic and phantom limb pain.

Conclusion

The evidence clearly demonstrates that cryoneurolysis has a low risk profile and when administered appropriately, provides prolonged analgesia without promoting motor blockade. This narrative review article describes the unique mechanism of action of cryoneurolysis for prolonged pain relief and provides emerging evidence to support its applications in both acute and chronic pain management.
Infantile Sweet syndrome following MMRV vaccine
Authors: Itzhaki Gabay Sapir , Samueli Benzion , Test Gidon , Valdman‐Grinshpoun Yuliya , Horev Amir
Published: November 2022

Sweet syndrome (SS), also called acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is rare in the pediatric population, especially in infants and neonates. We present a case of infantile SS that developed 1 day after the MMRV vaccine; we suggest a possible causal relationship between the MMRV vaccine and SS.
Delayed graft function in pediatric living donor kidney transplantation
Authors: Hwang Christine S. , Kadakia Yash , Sanchez‐Vivaldi Jorge A. , Patel Madhukar S. , Shah Jigesh A. , DeGregorio Lucia , Desai Dev M. , Vagefi Parsia A. , MacConmara Malcolm
Published: November 2022

Background

Pediatric recipients of living donor kidneys have a low rate of delayed graft function (DGF). We examined the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of DGF in pediatric patients who received a living donor allograft.

Methods

The STARfile was queried to examine all pediatric patients transplanted with a living donor kidney between 2000 and 2020. Donor and recipient demographic data were examined, as were survival and outcomes. Recipients were stratified into DGF and no DGF groups. DGF was defined as the need for dialysis within the first week after transplant.

Results

6480 pediatric patients received a living donor (LD) kidney transplant during the study period. 269 (4.2%) developed DGF post‐transplant. Donors were similar in age, creatinine, and cold ischemia time. Recipients of kidneys with DGF were similar in age, sensitization status and HLA mismatch. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was the most common diagnosis in recipients with DGF, and allograft thrombosis was the most common cause of graft loss in this group. Small recipients (weight < 15 kg) were found to have a significantly higher rate of DGF. Length of stay doubled in recipients with DGF, and rejection rates were higher post‐transplant. Recipients of LD kidneys who developed DGF had significantly worse 1 year allograft survival (67% vs. 98%, p < .0001).

Conclusions

Pediatric living donor kidney transplant recipients who experience DGF have significantly poorer allograft survival. Optimizing the donor and recipient matching to avoid compounding risks may allow for better outcomes.
Perceptions of mobile and acute healthcare services among people experiencing homelessness
Authors: Paradis‐Gagné Etienne , Kaszap Myriam , Ben Ahmed Houssem Eddine , Pariseau‐Legault Pierre , Jacques Marie‐Claude , Potcoava Stephanie
Published: November 2022

Objectives

This paper presents findings from our collaborative research on the perceptions and preferences of people experiencing homelessness regarding outreach nursing services.

Method

We conducted qualitative research using a critical ethnography approach.

Sample

A total of 15 participants were interviewed individually (n = 12 people experiencing homelessness) and in focus groups (n = 3 care providers). We also conducted direct observation.

Results

This paper focuses on one of the core categories that emerged from the data analysis “Perception of Health Care.” This category emerged from the following three subcategories, which we will present in this paper: (1) Conflicting Relationships with Institutional Health Services; (2) Perception of Outreach Services; (3) Recommendations from Mobile Clinic Users.

Conclusion

There are a range of perceptions of health services among people experiencing homelessness. Some are satisfied with the care received in the public health system, while many have experienced dehumanizing practices. Overall, outreach services are a promising strategy to reach people who are not served by the traditional modes of care delivery. Based on our findings, we suggest several key practices to personalize and adapt healthcare services and foster inclusive environments to better serve people experiencing homelessness.
Penicillin and amikacin mixture has bactericidal activity equivalent to gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin and spectinomycin mixture in equine frozen semen
Authors: Brito Leonardo F. C. , Loomis Paul R. , Klohonatz Kristin M. , Althouse Gary C.
Published: November 2022

Neat stallion semen can contain a variety of microorganisms, some of which may impair sperm quality and/or cause infection of the mares' reproductive tract. For this reason, antibiotics are commonly added to semen extenders. A combination of gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin and spectinomycin (GTLS) has been recommended for use, but there are no reports on the use of this mixture in equine semen extender. Penicillin and amikacin (PA) are safe for preserving sperm quality while effectively controlling bacterial growth in equine cooled stored semen, but data on frozen semen are scarce. Therefore, a bioequivalence study was performed to assess the bactericidal activity of GTLS and PA in equine frozen semen. Nine mature, healthy stallions were used in the study. Split ejaculates were processed using media without antibiotics (Control) or with different antibiotics. For the GTLS group, centrifugation medium and freezing extender were prepared with gentamicin 250 μg/ml, tylosin 50 μg/ml, lincomycin 150 μg/ml and spectinomycin 300 μg/ml. For the PA group, the centrifugation medium was prepared with potassium penicillin G (PPG) 1200 units/ml and the freezing extender was prepared with PPG 1200 units/ml and amikacin 500 μg/ml. Semen processed in extenders without antibiotics had higher (p < .005) bacterial loads throughout all cryopreservation processing steps than semen samples processed using antibiotics. There were no differences in semen bacterial load after centrifugation, 15 and 30 min after final extension, and after thawing between GTLS and PA groups, but PA had faster (p < .05) kill‐time kinetics than GTLS. Only minor differences in sperm kinetic parameters were observed among groups. In conclusion, this study demonstrated bioequivalence between GTLS and PA in mitigating end‐point bacterial loads. Prudent concentrations of the antibiotic mixtures evaluated in this study can be considered both effective and sperm‐safe for equine frozen semen.
Casting the net wider? The transformative potential of integrating human rights into the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
Authors: Switzer Stephanie , Morgera Elisa , Webster Elaine
Published: November 2022

The removal of harmful fisheries subsidies is essential to reverse unsustainable fisheries globally. This goal has now, in part, been met following the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in June 2022, which adopted an Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. There is a vast literature on the trade law issues associated with fisheries subsidies, and much has been written on their detrimental environmental impacts. In this article, we take a different approach. We contextualize the elimination of harmful fisheries subsidies as part of the transformative change needed to reverse biodiversity loss, with the integration of human rights an essential precondition to such transformational processes. We develop a mutually supportive interpretation of international environmental law, international trade law and international human rights law, drawing on insights from regime interaction scholarship, to argue for reliance on human rights in the implementation of the historic agreement on the elimination of certain forms of harmful fisheries subsidies.
Explaining the rise of populism in European democracies 1980–2018: The role of labor market institutions and inequality
Authors: Bergh Andreas , Kärnä Anders
Published: November 2022

Objectives

This article aims to find country‐level factors that explain the rise of populist parties in European democracies. While populism is often connected to inequality, we not that right‐wing populist parties tend to thrive on fear, including fear of job loss. If flexible labor markets mean that unemployment is dedramatized because finding a new job is easier, labor market flexibility could dampen populism and inequality may be less important.

Methods

We run country‐level fixed effects regressions on populist party vote shares in 26 European countries from 1980 to 2018. We use two different classifications of right‐wing and left‐wing populist parties and control for employment protection strictness as measured by OECD, Gini coefficients of disposable income, and a large set of control variables.

Results

Unemployment is positively associated with left‐wing populism. Strict employment protection is positively associated with right‐wing populism. Gini inequality of income is unrelated to (both types of) populism.

Conclusion

Strong employment protection and low‐income inequality may not be the most efficient way to combat right‐wing populism. A strategy that promotes flexible labor markets, and job upgrading may be an alternative. More research on the link between labor market institutions and (in particular, right‐wing) populism is needed.
On Galen Strawson's central approach to the self
Authors: Hamdo Manhal
Published: November 2022

The crux of this paper is to provide a concentrated critical evaluation of Galen Strawson's innovative approach to the self. To that end, I will first attempt to concisely introduce his general thesis, which seems appropriate to be broken up into two major pieces: the phenomenology (experience) of the self, what the self would have to be; and the metaphysics of the self (i.e., a query refers to its metaphysics [its existence and nature]: whether there is any). Explaining and discussing Strawson's twofold account of the self is my first target in this paper. And it is with these two parts that I take issues. Accordingly, I shall determinedly try to develop a counterargument according to which Strawson's establishment of his entire enterprise of the self is based merely on unjustified intuitive generalisation. Next, I will put more effort into making some more argumentative points, mainly to show how his metaphysics does not give much thought to some vital matters of the self in comparison with the systems of metaphysics of his forebears of Western philosophers. What all this means is that Strawsonian metaphysical analysis of the self so conceived and so described appears philosophically to drive itself to justly be placed in an ahistorical context.
Premenstrual disorders including premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Authors: Goswami Nidhi , Upadhyay Kalpana , Briggs Paula , Osborn Elizabeth , Panay Nick
Published: November 2022

Key content

The spectrum of premenstrual disorders is related to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle and are experienced by nearly 40% of women.

Approximately 3–8% of women are affected by severe premenstrual syndrome, including premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD); a chronic, debilitating disorder with severe emotional and physical symptoms and functional impairment.

PMDD significantly affects women's quality of life; recent evidence suggests that 86% of patients have considered suicide, with 30% having attempted suicide at least once.

In 2019, PMDD was added to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, (ICD–11), which validates PMDD as a legitimate diagnosis and acknowledges growing scientific and medical understanding of this previously under recognised condition.

Symptom relief can often be achieved through medical management, therefore it is important to increase awareness among healthcare professionals at all levels.

Learning objectives

To understand the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment options for premenstrual disorders, including PMDD.

To know the different classifications of premenstrual disorders, including DSM‐5 and World Health Organization (WHO) ICD‐11 classifications of PMDD.

To understand the potential benefits associated with multidisciplinary care for women with premenstrual disorders like PMDD.

Ethical issues

Should women with severe premenstrual syndrome be classified under mental health disorders in the ICD classification?
Evaluation of mega‐voltage CT images for completed radiotherapy treatments for dogs and cats reveals uncommon but potentially consequential dose deviation in thoracic and abdominal tumors
Authors: Van Asselt N , Randhawa K , Kvasnica K , Ferris W , Christensen N
Published: November 2022

As advanced delivery techniques such as intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) become conventional in veterinary radiotherapy, highly modulated radiation delivery helps to decrease dose to normal tissues. However, IMRT is only effective if patient setup and anatomy are accurately replicated for each treatment. Numerous techniques have been implemented to decrease patient setup error, however tumor shrinkage, variations in the patient's contour and weight loss continue to be hard to control and can result in clinically relevant dose deviation in radiotherapy plans. Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) is often the most effective means to account for gradual changes such as tumor shrinkage and weight loss, however it is often unclear when adaption is necessary. The goal of this retrospective, observational study was to review dose delivery in dogs and cats who received helical radiotherapy at University of Wisconsin, using detector dose data (D2%, D50%, D98%) and daily megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) images, and to determine whether ART should be considered more frequently than it currently is. A total of 52 treatment plans were evaluated and included cancers of the head and neck, thorax, and abdomen. After evaluation, 6% of the radiotherapy plan delivered had clinically relevant dose deviations in dose delivery. Dose deviations were more common in thoracic and abdominal targets. While adaptation may have been considered in these cases, the decision to adapt can be complex and all factors, such as treatment delay, cost, and imaging modality, must be considered when adaptation is to be pursued.
Computed tomographic evaluation of the distal limb in the standing sedated horse: Technique, imaging diagnoses, feasibility, and artifacts
Authors: Mathee Nicoli , Robert Mickaël , Higgerty Sheelagh Margaret , Fosgate Geoffrey T. , Rogers Angela L , d'Ablon Xavier , Carstens Ann
Published: November 2022

In several veterinary institutions, adjustments of CT machines have been made that allow for imaging of the standing horse. The risk of general anesthesia is eliminated and the shorter scan completion time reduces cost to clients. The objective of this retrospective, analytical study was to evaluate the technique, imaging diagnoses, feasibility, and image artifacts of multi‐slice helical CT of horses’ distal limbs acquired under standing sedation. The CT images of 250 horses of various breeds, aged 3–23 years, that underwent standing distal limb CT were evaluated. Three observers assessed the CT images for artifacts and inter‐observer agreement was calculated. Eighty‐six percent (95% confidence interval (CI), 81–90) of the scans were carried out on the forelimbs, while 14% (95% CI, 10–19) were of the hindlimbs. A total of 65% (95% CI, 59–71) of horses that underwent standing sedated CT had single imaging diagnoses. Seventy‐one percent (95% CI, 65–77) of the cases had unilateral lesions, 27% (95% CI, 22–33) had bilateral lesions and 2% (95% CI, 1–4) had no diagnosed lesions. The average CT acquisition time was 17.5 minutes (range = 15–20). The average number of acquisitions per horse was 1.7 (median = 1; range = 1–4). There was good to excellent agreement between all three observers for the presence of motion artifact in the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joints, identification of marked beam hardening artifact, mild solar/ skin dirt, and photon starvation artifact (kappa 0.61‐0.80). No complications were encountered. Standing examination of the distal limb achieved diagnostic image quality that was obtained with minimal acquisition attempts and in a timely manner.
Introducing Passive Nuclear Safety in Water-Cooled Reactors: Numerical Simulation and Validation of Natural Convection Heat Transfer and Transport in Packed Beds of Heated Microspheres
Authors: Noah Olugbenga O. , Slabber Johan F. , Meyer Josua P.
Published: November 2022

The development of an accident tolerant nuclear fuel for water-cooled reactors would redefined the status of these reactors from traditional active safety to passive safety systems. As a possible solution toward enhancing the safety of light-water reactors (LWRs), loose-coated particles of enriched uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel with the ability to retain gaseous and metallic fission products in the case of a loss of cooling event can be introduced inside Silicon-Carbide cladding tubes of the fuel assembly (see Figs. 1(a) and 1(b)). These coated particles are treated as a bed from where heat is transferred to the cladding tube and the helium gas movement is due to natural convection. A slender geometrical model with tube-to-particle diameter ratio N = 2.503 and porosity ε = 0.546 mimicking the proposed nuclear fuel in the cladding was numerically simulated. This study is to investigate the heat transfer characteristics and flow distribution under buoyancy driven force expected in the cladding tube of the proposed nuclear fuel using a commercial code. Random packing of the particles is achieved by discrete element method (DEM) simulation with the aid of starccm+. The temperature contour and velocity vector plots obtained can be said to be good illustration of anticipated heat transfer and transport phenomenon to occur in the proposed fuel design. Simulated results for particle-to-fluid heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, and Rayleigh number which are of prime importance when analyzing natural convection heat transfer performance in fixed bed reactors were validated. Results from this work show close agreement with results obtained in established numerical and experimental works.
Natural Convection and Radiative Heat Transfer From Constant Surface Area Vertical Helical Coils: Effect of Pitch and Height
Authors: Biswal Gloria , Rath Subhasisa , Dash Sukanta Kumar
Published: November 2022

In this work, numerical simulations are carried out to delineate the natural convection and surface radiation heat transfer characteristics of vertically oriented isothermal helical coils having a constant surface area. Numerical computations using the finite-volume method are carried out in the laminar regime for the following non-dimensional parameter ranges: Rayleigh number (104 ≤ Ra ≤ 108), surface emissivity of the coil (0 ≤ ɛ ≤ 1), pitch to the rod-diameter of the coil (3 ≤ p/d ≤ 7.5), and coil-height to the rod-diameter (40 ≤ H/d ≤ 60). Temperature-dependent fluid properties have been implemented to obtain accurate results. The impact of Ra and ɛ on both convective and radiative heat losses is discussed in detail. At a high Ra of 108, when H/d varies from 40 to 60, the mass flowrate inducted through the coil reduces from 40.6% at p/d = 3 to 11.4% at p/d = 7.5. As a result, the relative strength of convection heat loss declines with a rise in H/d. For a higher emissivity of the coil surface of 0.9 and a lower Ra of 104, heat transfer by convection contributes only 12.66% of the total heat transfer. In contrast, the contribution of radiative heat transfer is only 7.46% for a lower emissivity of the coil surface of 0.1 and a higher Ra of 108.
Investigation Into Etching Effects on the Interface Strength Between Nickel Titanium and Bismuth Tin for the Creation of Metal Matrix Self Healing Composites
Authors: Haider Muhammad Istiaque , Church Benjamin , Rohatgi Pradeep , Salowitz Nathan
Published: November 2022

This paper presents recent research into the effects of etching treatments on the interface strength between nickel titanium (NiTi) fibers and a bismuth tin (BiSn) matrix composing a self-healing metal-metal composite.

Self-healing metallic composites have the potential to create a paradigm shift in the design of engineered structures by changing what is considered a “failure,” resulting in lighter weight and safer structures with reduced maintenance requirements.

Some of the most advanced self-healing metal-metal composites are composed of NiTi shape memory alloy fibers reinforcing an off-eutectic metal matrix. When activated these materials can recover from macroscopic deformations and matrix fracture, returning to their original geometry and then soldering cracks closed. This process restores nearly 100% of original strength without using any consumable adhesives. As a result, this healing process has the potential to be repeated indefinitely.

The strength of the interface between the fibers and matrix is critical to creating high-quality composites because it governs the ability to transfer loads between the matrix and fibers, through the structure. Unfortunately, NiTi forms an inert native titanium oxide (TiO2) surface layer when exposed to air that is notoriously hard to bond to. To overcome this weak bonding most initial work in self-healing using NiTi fibers employed structural anchors within specimens for the NiTi to react against. This approach was functional for demonstrating basic components of self-healing abilities but negated distributed load transfer between the fibers and matrix of the composite structure, creating concentrated load-paths and resulting in a poor composite structure. Chemical etching in an inert environment has been performed to remove the inert TiO2 surface layer from NiTi, but the resulting interface strength has not previously been quantified.

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the strength of the interface between NiTi and BiSn with both the native oxide layer present (control) and after undergoing a chemical etching process in an inert environment to remove the TiO2 layer and coating the NiTi while in the inert environment to prevent re-formation of the TiO2 layer.

Testing was performed using single fibers of NiTi cast into and extending out of a BiSn block. The fiber/wire was mechanically pulled out of the BiSn block while measuring the force applied and recording video of the process.

The experimental evaluation of these interface strengths in this research will enable the efficient design of composite materials to ensure proper load transfer between composite fibers and matrix to maximize strength and support self-healing capabilities.
Digital Information Storage Mechanical Metamaterials
Authors: Zhang Qianyun , Barri Kaveh , Wang Zhong Lin , Alavi Amir H.
Published: November 2022

Information storage is an important functionality to produce a sense-decide-respond loop in active mechanical metamaterial systems. Here, we propose a new class of mechanical metamaterials with self-powered digital information storage capability. In the so-called mechanically-responsive data storage metamaterials, data is incorporated into a set of self-recovering unit cells that form the material lattice. As the metamaterial structure is loaded, the cells in each layer generate electrical signals that are coded as binary bits to represent the stored data. We show how the proposed designs can serve as sequential access memory data storage devices, where the stored data can be accessed in a deformation sequential order under mechanical stimulations. The stiffness of the metamaterial structure can be rationally designed to create either a flexible/soft or hard data storage system. We further discuss the potential of the proposed technology to create low-cost, non-volatile, and long-term storage solutions for data storage applications.
Modified Triply Periodic Actuator Topologies
Authors: Sparenberg Marc , Melcher Jörg
Published: November 2022

The concept of a new piezoelectric actuator design is the focus of an ongoing smart structures research at DLR. It envisages actuator geometries, that have their template in nature and are aimed at optimally transfering their mechanical power to the structure in which they are integrated. The second aspect can only be achieved in case of an impedance matching. We found out, that these very specific designs have highly interesting differential geometry descriptions and that these geometries can be realized in a congenial combined manufacturing procedure: we start with 3D-printed filigree lightweight structures and continue with self-organizing processes. The results are simply, doubly and triply periodic piezoelectric membranes, grids and truss elements. One of their essential properties is their almost perfect stress distribution under mechanical loads. Any notch stresses are prevented. In this paper the first example is the modified catenoid piezoactuator. We continue with a doubly periodic honeycomb structure and finish with triply periodic modified gyroid and diamond-like actuators.
Association of Muscle Strength With Muscle Thickness and Motor Unit Firing Pattern of Vastus Lateralis Muscle in Youth Athletes
Authors: Yoshimura Akane , Kunugi Shun , Hirono Tetsuya , Nojima Hiroya , Ueda Saeko , Holobar Aleš , Mita Yukiko , Watanabe Kohei
Published: November 2022

Purpose: Contributions of neural and muscular factors to muscle strength change with growth, but such changes remain unclear in young populations. This study aimed to clarify the association between muscle strength and neural and muscular factors in youth athletes. Methods: Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) during isometric knee extension, the motor unit firing rate (MUFR), and muscle thickness (MT) of the vastus lateralis were measured in 70 youth male soccer players (mean [SD]; chronological age = 16.3 [0.6] y, peak height velocity age = 13.1 [1.0] y). MUFR and MT were measured with high-density surface electromyography and ultrasonography, respectively. Results: For MUFR and MT, correlations with MVC were calculated and the values of different MVC groups were compared. A significant correlation between MVC and MT (r = .49, P < .01) was noted, but not MUFR (r = .03, P > .05). There was also no significant correlation between MT and MUFR (r = −.33, P > .05). In addition, comparison among groups (higher-/middle-/lower-strength groups) revealed that MT in the lower-strength group was significantly lower than in middle-and higher-strength groups (P < .01). Conclusion: In youth athletes, muscle strength is associated with muscular factors, rather than neural factors, and muscular and neural factors may independently contribute to muscle strength.
The Physical Qualities of Elite Australian Pace Bowlers: Typical Characteristics and Longitudinal Changes in Men and Women
Authors: Letter Ryan T. , Dwyer Dan B. , Drinkwater Eric J. , Feros Simon A.
Published: November 2022

Purpose: To determine whether the most important physical qualities in elite Australian male and female cricket pace bowlers change with age and phase of the cricket season. Methods: An existing longitudinal database (7 cricket seasons) of selected and routinely collected physical testing data from 103 male and 58 female elite Australian pace bowlers age 18–30 years was retrospectively analyzed. Male and female physical testing data from the isometric midthigh pull, 1-repetition-maximum bench pull, run-of-3, and countermovement jump (male only) were analyzed separately by performing linear mixed models on each of the physical qualities. Type III analysis-of-variance tests were conducted to determine if a significant effect existed within the fixed effects of age, season phase, and the age × season phase interaction. Appropriate pairwise comparisons were conducted. Results: Absolute and relative measures of force in the isometric midthigh pull and strength in the 1-repetition-maximum bench pull tests were significantly greater in older male and female pace bowlers. Older male pace bowlers demonstrated significantly faster absolute and relative best run-of-3 times. Conclusions: Most physical qualities across both male and female pace bowlers demonstrated an improvement with age. This is likely due to a training effect and would be anticipated to lead to a gradual enhancement of ball release speed, in accordance with previous research. Future research should look to investigate the relationship between the development of physical qualities and ball release speed among elite male and female pace bowlers.
Relationship Between Shoulder Pain and Joint Reaction Forces and Muscle Moments During 2 Speeds of Wheelchair Propulsion
Authors: Chang Li-Shan , Ke Xiong-Wen , Limroongreungrat Weerawat , Wang Yong Tai
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine shoulder joint reaction forces and muscle moments during 2 speeds (1.3 and 2.2 m/s) of wheelchair propulsion and to investigate the relationship between joints reaction forces, muscle moments, and shoulder pain. The measurements were obtained from 20 manual wheelchair users. A JR3 6-channel load sensor (±1% error) and a Qualisys system were used to record 3-dimensional pushrim kinetics and kinematics. A 3-dimensional inverse dynamic model was generated to compute joint kinetics. The results demonstrated significant differences in shoulder joint forces and moments (P < .01) between the 2 speeds of wheelchair propulsion. The greatest peak shoulder joint forces during the drive phase were anterior directed (Fy, 184.69 N), and the greatest joint moment was the shoulder flexion direction (flexion moment, 35.79 N·m) at 2.2 m/s. All the shoulder joint reaction forces and flexion moment were significantly (P < .05) related to shoulder pain index. The forces combined in superior and anterior direction found at the shoulder joint may contribute to the compression of subacromial structure and predispose manual wheelchair users to potential rotator cuff impingement syndrome.
Racialized Women in Sport in Canada: A Scoping Review
Authors: Joseph Janelle , Tajrobehkar Bahar , Estrada Gabriela , Hamdonah Zeana
Published: November 2022

Background: This scoping literature review examines: What literature exists about the sport and physical activity experiences of racialized cis and trans women, adolescents, and girls in Canada? Methods: English language peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and gray literature published January 1, 2000, up to May 31, 2020, were examined. The databases used were SPORTDiscus via EBSCO, Sociological Abstracts, Sport Medicine and Education Index, and Google Scholar. The 42 studies and 15 gray literatures found included 1430 participants explicitly specified as racialized women/girl participants. Results: There was a paucity of literature on the topic overall with none (n = 0) focused on experiences of racialized trans women. The limited research notes some successful programs that address racialized women’s needs. However, the research also shows widespread experiences of discrimination against women based on racial group and language and limited access to culturally relevant or welcoming sporting opportunities, such as women-only programs and spaces. Conclusions: Much more research should be done to disaggregate “immigrants” into specific racial and ethnic groups, attend to intersectional identities and barriers, understand a wide range of involvement (eg, including coaching, high performance sport, recreation, exercise, university sport, mentorship programs), document racism and White privilege, and describe the joys of participation in sport for racialized women.
Targeting Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria by Repurposing the Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Drug Alisporivir
Authors: Chaurasiya Ayushi , Kumari Geeta , Garg Swati , Shoaib Rumaisha , Anam Zille , Joshi Nishant , Kumari Jyoti , Singhal Jhalak , Singh Niharika , Kaushik Shikha , Kahlon Amandeep Kaur , Dubey Neha , Maurya Mukesh Kumar , Srivastava Pallavi , Marothia Manisha , Joshi Prerna , Gupta Kanika , Saini Savita , Das Gobardhan , Bhattacharjee Souvik , Singh Shailja , Ranganathan Anand
Published: November 2022

The emergence of
Plasmodium falciparum
resistance raises an urgent need to find new antimalarial drugs. Here, we report the rational repurposing of the anti-hepatitis C virus drug, alisporivir, a nonimmunosuppressive analog of cyclosporin A, against artemisinin-resistant strains of
P. falciparum
.
In silico
docking studies and molecular dynamic simulation predicted strong interaction of alisporivir with
Pf
Cyclophilin 19B, confirmed through biophysical assays with a

K
d

value of 354.3 nM.
Optical Tracking of Surfactant-Tuned Bacterial Adhesion: a Single-Cell Imaging Study
Authors: Lv Zhen-Ting , Qian Chen , Liu Yi-Nan , Lv Yun-Hui , Liu Xian-Wei
Published: November 2022

Studying the interfacial dynamic of single bacteria in complex environments is crucial for understanding the microbial biofilm formation process and developing antifouling materials. However, quantifying the interactions between microorganisms and surfaces in the presence of pollution at the single-cell level remains a great challenge.
IFNγ and Antibody Synergize To Enhance Protective Immunity against Chlamydia Dissemination and Female Reproductive Tract Reinfections
Authors: Gann Jessica I. , Malaviarachchi Priyangi A. , Du Wuying , Mercado Miguel A. B. , Li Lin-Xi
Published: November 2022

CD4 T cell-dependent IFNγ production and antibody are the two best known effectors for protective immunity againstChlamydiafemale reproductive tract (FRT) infection. Nevertheless, mice lacking either IFNγ or B cells can clear the vast majority ofChlamydiafrom the FRT, while suffering from varying degrees of disseminated infection.
Genome-Wide Transposon Mutagenesis Screens Identify Group A Streptococcus Genes Affecting Susceptibility to β-Lactam Antibiotics
Authors: Zhu Luchang , Eraso Jesus M. , Mangham Regan E. , Ojeda Saavedra Matthew , Olsen Randall J. , Beres Stephen B. , Musser James M.
Published: November 2022

Beta-lactam antibiotics are the primary drugs prescribed to treat infections caused by group A
streptococcus
(GAS), an important human pathogen. However, the molecular mechanisms of GAS interactions with beta-lactam antibiotics are not fully understood.
Molecular Determinants of Human Rhinovirus Infection, Assembly, and Conformational Stability at Capsid Protein Interfaces
Authors: Valiente Luis , López-Argüello Silvia , Rodríguez-Huete Alicia , Valbuena Alejandro , Mateu Mauricio G.
Published: November 2022

The rising concern about the serious medical and socioeconomic consequences of respiratory infections by HRV has elicited a renewed interest in the development of anti-HRV drugs. The conversion into effective drugs of compounds identified via screening, as well as antiviral drug design, rely on the acquisition of fundamental knowledge about the targeted viral elements and their roles during specific steps of the infectious cycle.
A Persistent Tuberculosis Outbreak in the UK Is Characterized by Hydrophobic
fadB4
-Deficient
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
That Replicates Rapidly in Macrophages
Authors: Farzand Robeena , Haigh Richard D. , Monk Philip , Haldar Pranabashis , Patel Hemu , Pareek Manish , Verma Raman , Barer Michael R. , Woltmann Gerrit , Ahyow Lauren , Jagatia Heena , Decker Jonathan , Mukamolova Galina V. , Cooper Andrea M. , Garton Natalie J. , O’Hare Helen M.
Published: November 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) killed 1.5 million people in 2020 and affects every country. The extent to which the natural genetic diversity of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
influences disease manifestation at both the individual and epidemiological levels remains poorly understood.
Quantitative Analysis of the Trade-Offs of Colony Formation for
Trichodesmium
Authors: Agarwal Vitul , Inomura Keisuke , Mouw Colleen B.
Published: November 2022

Trichodesmium
is a marine filamentous cyanobacterium that fixes nitrogen and is an important contributor to the global nitrogen cycle. In the natural environment,
Trichodesmium
can exist as individual cells (trichomes) or as colonies (puffs and tufts).
Termination of the Paleo-Asian Ocean in the Beishan orogen, NW China: Constraints from detrital zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotope analysis of turbidites
Authors: Guo Qian-Qian , Chung Sun-Lin , Lee Hao-Yang , Xiao Wen-Jiao , Hou Quan-Lin
Published: November 2022

The termination of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, including duration and architecture, is controversial and has led to different reconstructions of the Central Asian orogenic belt. Deep-marine turbidites are of great significance in constraining the evolution of the oceanic basin. The youngest marine turbidites in the Beishan orogen in the central part of the southern Central Asian orogenic belt are separated by the Liuyuan mélange into two sections, the South turbidites and North turbidites. Detrital zircon grains from South turbidites yielded a maximum depositional age of 255 Ma. Those from North turbidites yielded a maximum depositional age of 254 Ma. Most of the Precambrian zircons of South turbidites have concentrated εHf(t) values (−6 to −2.6), whereas those of North turbidites range from −12.6 to +10.4, indicating different provenances. The North turbidites also have more positive whole-rock εNd(t) values (−0.5 to +1.1) than the South turbidites (−4.2 to −2.4), suggesting more juvenile or less evolved crustal components in the source. Detailed comparison of the detrital zircon ages and Hf-Nd isotopic characteristics with igneous and metamorphic rocks in the south Beishan area distinguishes two sources. These findings constrain the Liuyuan suture as the latest suture in the Beishan region, occurring no earlier than 254 Ma. The youngest peak age of detrital zircons of the youngest marine sedimentary rocks in the southern Central Asian orogenic belt becomes younger eastward from 288 Ma to 247 Ma, characterizing the closure duration of the Paleo-Asian Ocean from west to east in ∼40 m.y. This study finds that the youngest turbidites in the Beishan orogen not only record sedimentary processes in response to the final episode of orogenic evolution in the southern Central Asian orogenic belt, but they also constrain how and when an archipelago-type accretionary orogen terminated.
Does an integrated school eye health delivery model perform better than a vertical model in a real-world setting? A non-randomised interventional comparative implementation study in Zanzibar
Authors: Chan Ving Fai , Yard Elodie , Mashayo Eden , Mulewa Damaris , Drake Lesley , Price-Sanchez Carlos , Omar Fatma
Published: November 2022

Background

Few studies on school eye health programmes have shown they were cost-effective. We compared the performance (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM)) between an integrated model (IM) and a vertical model (VM) of school eye health delivery in Zanzibar.

Methods

The set of RE-AIM performance indicators of the IM (n=9) and VM (n=10) cohorts was compared. The VM implemented only the eye health interventions, while the IM had the eye health interventions conducted within the school feeding programme. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 36 stakeholders to understand the challenges and outcomes experienced when implementing both models.

Results

The IM achieved higher screening coverage, voluntary follow-up rate, screening validity and spectacle compliance than VM. This was due to effective coordination between implementers, motivated teachers to prevent vision problems and related negative impacts in children, and activities implemented timeously post-training. Both models recorded low wearing compliance. All schools in the IM cohort completed screening activities, but two schools in the VM cohort did not. Both models ceased activities after the funding stopped. Local stakeholders emphasised that evidence from this study can be used to advocate for more resources for children’s eye health.

Conclusions

The IM cohort achieved better reach, effectiveness, adoption rate and implementation performance than the VM cohort. The poor maintenance performance indicators in both arms postfunding call for improvement to the implementation strategy to ensure the sustainability of school eye health. In the optics of scaling up, an integrated approach is recommended.
Detection of diabetic neovascularisation using single-capture 65°-widefield optical coherence tomography angiography
Authors: Stino Heiko , Niederleithner Michael , Iby Johannes , Sedova Aleksandra , Schlegl Thomas , Steiner Irene , Sacu Stefan , Drexler Wolfgang , Schmoll Tilman , Leitgeb Rainer , Schmidt-Erfurth Ursula Margarethe , Pollreisz Andreas
Published: November 2022

Aim

To assess the detection rate of retinal neovascularisation (NV) in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) using widefield optical coherence tomography angiography (WF-OCTA) in comparison to ultrawidefield fluorescein angiography (UWF-FA).

Methods

Single-capture 65°-WF-OCTA-imaging was performed in patients with NV at the disc or elsewhere (NVE) detected on UWF-FA using a modified PlexElite system and B-scans were examined for blood flow signals breaching the internal limiting membrane. Sensitivity of WF-OCTA and UWF colour fundus (UWF-CF) photography for correct diagnosis of PDR was determined and interdevice agreement (Fleiss’ κ) between WF-OCTA and UWF-FA for detection of NV in the total gradable area and each retinal quadrant was evaluated.

Results

Fifty-nine eyes of 41 patients with PDR detected on UWF-FA were included. Sensitivity of detecting PDR on WF-OCTA scans was 0.95 in contrast to 0.78 on UWF-CF images. Agreement in detecting NVE between WF-OCTA and UWF-FA was high in the superotemporal (κ=0.98) and inferotemporal (κ=0.94) and weak in the superonasal (κ=0.24) and inferonasal quadrants (κ=0.42). On UWF-FA, 63% of NVEs (n=153) were located in the temporal quadrants with 93% (n=142) of them being detected on WF-OCTA scans.

Conclusion

The high reliability of non-invasive WF-OCTA imaging in detecting PDR can improve clinical examination with the potential to replace FA as a single diagnostic tool.
Association between gestational diabetes and 6-year incident diabetes: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Authors: Casagrande Sarah S , Avilés-Santa M Larissa , Sotres-Alvarez Daniela , Gallo Linda , Simon Melissa , Kominiarek Michelle , Talavera Gregory , Stuebe Alison M , Potter JoNell , Perera Marisa Judith , Isasi Carmen , Gonzalez Jeffrey S , Rust Keith , Cowie Catherine
Published: November 2022

Objective

Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (GDM) disproportionately affect those of Hispanic/Latino heritage. This study examined the association between GDM and prevalent and incident diabetes in a community-based study of Hispanic/Latina women living in the USA.

Methods

Participants were women aged 18–74 years in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos who had at least one pregnancy and had information on self-reported history of GDM at baseline (n=6389). Logistic regression was used to determine the association between GDM and prevalent (2008–2011) and incident (2014–2017) diabetes and interactions between GDM and risk factors for incident diabetes.

Results

At baseline, 8.7% of participants reported a history of GDM and 18.6% had prevalent diabetes. Women with Mexican heritage had the highest prevalence of GDM history (11.3%) vs women of Cuban (5.0%), Central American (4.9%), and South American (3.8%) heritage (p<0.001 for each comparison to Mexican heritage). Women with self-reported GDM were four times more likely to have prevalent diabetes compared with women without GDM, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and cardiometabolic risk factors (adjusted OR (aOR)=3.94, 95% CI 2.75 to 5.64). Overall incidence of diabetes was 14.3/100 women. Women with GDM at baseline increased their odds of incident diabetes by threefold compared with women without GDM (aOR=3.25, 95% CI 2.09 to 5.05). Women with Cuban or Puerto Rican heritage and GDM had significantly higher odds of incident diabetes compared with women with Mexican heritage (aOR=2.15, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.95; aOR=1.95, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.55, respectively).

Conclusion

Self-reported GDM was significantly associated with a threefold higher risk of incident diabetes among Hispanic/Latino women in the USA even after adjusting for several significant predictors of diabetes.
Qualitative exploration of patient and healthcare professional perspectives on barriers and facilitators to foot self-care behaviors in diabetes
Authors: Hill Andrew , Ellis Mairghread , Gillison Fiona
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Diabetic foot ulcers contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes, but are preventable with good foot self-care. This study sought to explore the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) on barriers and/or facilitators to foot self-care behaviors in diabetes and areas of consensus and/or tension between patient and HCP perspectives.

Research design and methods

This was a sequential, qualitative study that used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Phase I involved nine in-depth, semi-structured patient interviews. Phase II involved seven in-depth semi-structured interviews with HCPs (podiatrists, diabetes nurses, foot health practitioners (FHPs) and general practitioners (GPs)). In phase III, findings from phases I and II were brought back to two patient interview groups (five patients in total) to try and identify any areas of consensus and tension between HCP and patient perspectives.

Results

Patient and HCP perspectives had several areas of alignment: concerns over consequences of diabetes complications; the importance of patient education and frustrations around aspects of health service delivery. There were also some notable tensions identified: mixed messaging from HCPs around whose responsibility patient foot health is; and who patients should initially consult following the development of a foot problem. Overall, patients expressed that motivation to undertake good foot self-care behaviors was generated from their lived experiences, and was enhanced when this aligned with the information they received from HCPs. HCPs appeared to attribute lack of patient motivation to lack of knowledge, which was not raised by patients.

Conclusions

This study has identified points of misalignment between the views of patients and practitioners that may help to explain why adherence to foot self-care among patients with diabetes is low. Our results suggest that better outcomes may stem from HCPs focusing on supporting autonomous motivation for self-care and enhancing the rationale through referencing patients’ own experience rather than focussing on increasing patient knowledge. Renewed focus on consistency of messaging by HCPs around the roles and responsibilities relating to foot health in diabetes, and the benefit of foot-specific training being provided to non-foot specialist HCPs may also help to improve uptake and adherence to foot self-care behaviors in diabetes.