bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
before information literacy
Authors: Cline Nicholae , López-McKnight Jorge R.
Published: June 2024

“Information Literacy is empire,” so goes this piece that reflects on the past and present to consider a future of IL as a learning paradigm and pedagogical framework. In sketching out the temporo-spatial and socio-cultural dimensions and consequences of IL, we critically interrogate its normative and disciplinary aspects while positioning and examining it as a product and project of empire. Following from such a premise, we detour through an exploratory meandering of alternative lenses and paths for IL that engage with and support the information worlds and knowledge systems of marginalised communities that have been subjected to epistemological violence through various interlocking logics of dispossession, domination, commodification, and control. This piece, which is really an invitation that is also a story—a groove, moving off vibrations of theories and concepts from critical library and information studies, decolonial imaginaries, fugitivity, and abolitionist modalities gestures towards a decolonial and liberatory vision of IL that is plural, expansive, speculative, collective, improvisational, and oriented towards the liberation and freedom of all beings.
Chasing information literacy into the wild
Authors: Lloyd Annemaree
Published: June 2024

In the context of information literacy (IL) research, the Anthropocene age offers an opportunity for researchers  to explore to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complexity of  information literacy which result from rapid and complex social, political and economic change; to address the risk of societal  fragmentation which is created by misinformation/disinformation;  and to understand the risk to democratically encouraged information environments that will come with increasing incorporation of AI and opinion-driven social platforms into everyday life. For library practitioners who provide instruction or education, challenges exist in relation to scaffolding and encouraging sustainable, transferrable information and technological practices, not only in our own inward facing professional practice but in our outward facing practice with the myriad communities we support. Against this problematisation, this brief, but broad ranging paper aims to identify a range of questions for thinking about the practice of IL in the Anthropocenic age. No attempt is made to answer these questions, instead they act as an impetus for future researchers and practitioner researchers.
Navigating constant change
Authors: Multas Anna-Maija
Published: June 2024

The continuous change in our information environments poses critical challenges to enacting and promoting information literacies (ILs) in contemporary society. These changes are particularly challenging for those in vulnerable positions in society, such as children and young people. To fully grasp this complex issue, we need to deepen our understanding of ILs not just at a theoretical level, but also through empirical research. Drawing on the key findings of my doctoral dissertation on health-related ILs, I propose new perspectives to understand ILs through a sociocultural lens and advocate for more inclusive and sustainable approaches to studying ILs in a state of constant change.
A creative future for information and digital literacy
Authors: Grant Vicky
Published: June 2024

As we mark the 50th anniversary of information literacy it is timely to predict that the future of information (and digital) literacy will involve a creative turn. An epistemological movement towards cooperative inquiries, embracing learner creativity and the inclusion of previously hidden voices is emerging in response to calls to decolonise and liberate our libraries. Library creativity has gained traction through the library makerspace movement. Library makerspaces provide a physical location for co-creation, collaboration and active dialogue in a making environment. Positioning learners from marginalised groups as co-leaders and knowledge creators and attending to power and belonging is vital to the success of this movement.
Beginnings of information literacy in Latin America
Authors: Uribe-Tirado Alejandro , Machin-Mastromatteo Juan D.
Published: June 2024

This article is part of a study that synthesised the origin, evolution, current state, and future trends of information literacy (IL) in Latin America. For this special issue, the first part (the past) is presented as a recognition of the pioneers of this topic in the region; this will be followed up by a future article that will present IL’s current and future developments, following the same methodology and structure. This study employed a quantitative and qualitative review of documents published by Latin American authors to map out IL's development in the region, which was structured around four pivotal “moments” in the development of IL in Latin America: 1) beginnings (1997–2007), which is presented in this article, and marks the initial phase of IL's introduction and early development in Latin America, characterized by foundational texts and the organisation of critical events that set the stage for IL's growth in the region; and three other moments that will be presented in the future article: 2) advances–positioning (2008–2019) pre-pandemic, 3) main trends (2020–2023), and 4) some perspectives (2024–…). The beginnings presented in this article recognise the work of the librarians, professors, researchers and institutions that introduced IL in our region: without these foundations, it would not have been possible to reach the current developments (present) and the emerging perspectives (future).
Critical information literacy
Authors: Haigh Jess
Published: June 2024

This think piece examines the recent literature surrounding critical information literacy, the criticisms within this that the theory has not centered anti-racism within its scholarship, and the challenges toward its implementation. It concludes that more time and space should be given to IL practitioners to explore CIL, and how we should foreground Critical Race Theory and openly acknowledge white supremacy within our praxis.
Investigating information literacy
Authors: Walton Geoff
Published: June 2024

This short think-piece describes my journey of discovery through the information landscape (from 2004 to present) and the development of a theory of information discernment which unpacks one aspect of information literacy (IL)—that of the cognitive, metacognitive, affective and physiological states that shape how people make judgements about the information they encounter. Tracing my own path through developments in the field in recent decades sheds light both on wider changes and on shifts in my personal understanding of IL, from an initial perception of it as a relatively simple and obvious phenomenon to my current understanding of IL as something much more complex and contested.
Rethinking the teleological essence of information literacy
Authors: Šobota Dijana
Published: June 2024

This think-piece critically examines (critical) information literacy ((C)IL) and its teleological essence. Despite substantial scholarly inquiry and progress, IL remains invisible and undervalued beyond academia. IL silos and CIL’s embeddedness within critical pedagogy and its focus on epistemological issues hinder its theoretical development, reduce it to an academic abstraction and undermine its salience and emancipatory goals. A multidisciplinary/multidomain approach is needed, leveraging insights from critical (social) theories and engaging with the ontological, to facilitate a novel understanding of IL and transform it into real-life action literacy for positive social change. The paper concludes by interrogating assumptions about (C)IL’s benefits, highlighting potential inadvertent disempowering effects, and issues a call to consider it a dynamic concept that evolves by accounting for sociopolitical realities.
Information literacy after the AI revolution
Authors: Hirvonen Noora
Published: June 2024

This article asks what role does information literacy (IL) play in information environments where information tasks are increasingly being conducted in cooperation with, or delegated to, artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The article discusses recent AI developments and their potential consequences from the perspective of information practices, emphasising the ways increased autonomy and adaptiveness of information systems challenge human agency. The article concludes with a call for future research and action, highlighting the unique position of IL researchers and practitioners in shaping the future with AI.
LILAC 2024
Authors: Purcell Sarah , Mandall Thomas
Published: June 2024

LILAC 2024 was hosted at Leeds Beckett University in March 2024. This conference report explores the key themes of compassion and authenticity for ourselves and for our learners, and shares the positive and pragmatic approaches presented during the event. These themes were realised through a range of sessions on topics including: artificial intelligence and critical AI literacy; playfulness, creativity and visual approaches to induction; and inclusive design in our teaching and our libraries. The pragmatic and innovative examples shared at LILAC, within a spirit of compassion and inclusiveness, encourage us to recontextualise existing IL skills and literacies for our learners, which have never been more important.
Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol Dosing for Functional Constipation in Children
Authors: Kruger Howard Amy , Morgan Jill A
Published: June 2024

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the current use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in a pediatric gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The primary endpoint was to determine the current weight-based PEG dosing schedules used for home cleanouts and maintenance treatment for functional constipation. The secondary endpoint was to assess the dosing efficacy for home cleanouts. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of electronic medical records documenting new patient visits at our pediatric gastroenterology clinic between September 2017 and October 2018. Patients included in the study were 13 months to 18 years of age and prescribed PEG for an at-home cleanout and/or maintenance therapy for functional or slow transit constipation. Study participants given a clean-out regimen were divided into those who received treatment for less than 2 days or more. Cleanouts were considered successful if documented as such by the prescriber in the follow-up note or if there was documentation of clear flow. Results: Of the 201 new patients included, 112 (55.7%) received a recommendation for a home cleanout. Of these, 111 patients (99%) underwent PEG-based therapy with or without additional agents. The median weight-based PEG dose was 5.3 ± 2.4 and 4.6 ± 1.9 g/kg/day for 1- and 2-day cleanouts, respectively ( P = 0.124). Of the 38 patients with documented outcomes, 28 (73.7%) were successful. We observed no statistically significant differences in the number of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes based on PEG dosing ( P = 0.3) or cumulative dose exposures ( P = 0.388). Similarly, we observed no significant differences when comparing those on 1-day versus 2-or-more-day cleanouts, ( P = 0.17). The median weight-based maintenance PEG dose was 0.74 g/kg/day (interquartile range [IQR], 0.55, 0.96). Conclusions: While the PEG doses used by this clinic for 1-day bowel cleanouts align with the NASPGHAN best practices for colonoscopy report, patients who underwent a 2-day cleanout were provided more than double the weight-based doses. The doses were nearly 3-fold higher than the recommended doses for functional constipation home cleanouts. More information will be needed to determine if these higher doses for home cleanouts are needed for the successful management of patients with functional constipation.
Characterization of Interventions to Reduce the Frequency of Critical Medication Doses Missed or Delayed During Perioperative and Unit-to-unit Patient Transfers
Authors: Cole Evan , Duncan Rosemary , Grucz Traci , Watt Ian , Cardona Gonzalez Mariela , Sugrue David , McNew Sierra
Published: June 2024

When medication administration record (MAR) “hold” capability is enabled in the electronic health record (EHR) during patient transfers, medication doses appear as “held” rather than due. We sought to quantify the incidence of delayed and missed doses of critical medications during MAR hold periods and to implement and evaluate interdisciplinary efforts and technical interventions to reduce missed medication doses during these periods. A list of critical medications was identified. MAR data were collected in patients with at least 1 critical medication dose due during the MAR hold period. MAR times were used to determine if delayed doses or missed doses occurred. Our interventions included: (1) implementation of a patient list indicator to retrospectively identify recently “held” medication doses, and (2) a report for operating room pharmacists to prospectively identify upcoming doses and ensure they were administered on time. Pre- and post-intervention period data were compared using a chi-squared test. During the pre-intervention study period, there were 1044 instances of delayed or missed doses during MAR hold. Most MAR times evaluated were on MAR hold during perioperative patient transfers. Delayed, missed, and multiple missed doses were defined in accordance with internal medication administration policies. There was no significant difference in the incidence of delayed and missed doses (69% vs 66%, P = .31), however, there was a significant reduction in the number of critical medication doses missed multiple times (0.8% vs 6.7%, P < .001) and all missed doses (35% vs 42%, P = .05) between the pre- and post-intervention period. As demonstrated across in both the pre- and post-intervention period of our study, MAR hold is commonly associated with dose delays and missed doses, which has potential negative consequences on patient outcomes. Future considerations will include implementation of a best practice alert (BPA) that directs users to a MAR tab highlighting doses held during transfers.
Lifestyle factors, physical health, and life satisfaction under different changes in depressive symptoms among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal analysis
Authors: Peng Man-Man , Liang Zurong , Wang Pengfei
Published: June 2024

Background:

The study aims to investigate the long-term impact of lifestyle-related factors and physical health on life satisfaction and depressive symptoms among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

Methods:

Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the analytic sample of this study included 1,068 older adults who had participated in the surveys in both 2011 and 2018. Multivariate regression was employed to analyze both cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between lifestyle-related factors, physical health, and subjective well-being – specifically depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Additionally, the model tested how these factors correlate with life satisfaction across different groups of depressive symptom changes among older adults, categorized as not at risk of depression, intermittent depression, and chronic depression.

Results:

Multimorbidity was significantly related to baseline and follow-up depressive risk in older adults. Shorter sleep duration was associated with baseline depression risk. Current alcohol drinkers reported significantly more severe depressive symptoms than non-drinkers. At baseline, current smokers were more likely to have a lower degree of life satisfaction than nonsmokers. Among older adults with chronic depression at the 7-year follow-up, former smokers tended to have lower life satisfaction than nonsmokers.

Conclusions:

Our findings identified drinking alcohol and having a shorter sleep duration as modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors for late-life depression and smoking as a detrimental factor for life satisfaction in older Chinese adults. Multimorbidity was a significant predictor of more depressive symptoms. Our findings have implications for future psychosocial interventions that target the alleviation of depressive symptoms and the promotion of life satisfaction in older Chinese people based on their different long-term mental and physical health conditions.
Cross-Boundary Subsumption: Toward a Political Economy of Platform Labor
Authors: Qi Hao , Li Zhongjin
Published: June 2024

The existing body of research on the platform economy provides a variety of interpretations of platform labor. Nevertheless, current studies have either placed exchange rather than production at the core of their interpretations or overlooked the historical continuity of the type of labor to which platform labor belongs. Employing a historical-comparative approach, this article introduces the concept of “cross-boundary subsumption” to illuminate the characteristics of platform labor. Drawing insights from investigations and interviews conducted on ride-hailing platforms in China from 2018 to 2020, this article delves into how cross-boundary subsumption works in reality. The goal is to improve the understanding of platform labor and uncover the limits of the current models of the platform economy.
Social Determinants of Health and Psychological Capital Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Preston Angela J. , Rew Lynn , Spees Jason
Published: June 2024

Background:

Social determinants of health affect health behaviors and outcomes. Youth experiencing homelessness suffer significant deprivation of resources such as inadequate housing, reduced education, poor health care, and decreased economic stability. Inner resources, such as psychological capital, may also be related to health behaviors and health outcomes.

Objective:

In this study, we sought to describe and explore associations among selected determinants of health and self-reported scores on indicators of psychological capital among youth experiencing homelessness.

Methods:

This cross-sectional secondary analysis was conducted with a randomized subsample of 148 youth. We calculated chi-square frequencies to describe the data, classical item analyses to evaluate responses, and correlation tests to examine significance of associations.

Results:

Youth in this sample demonstrated that they possess inner resources associated with determinants of health. Education, health care, and social support were significantly associated with attributes of psychological capital (hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism). Sexual minority groups had high representation in this subsample (25.7%), indicating a need for more study and equitable services for this population.

Conclusion:

More research should be conducted to better understand the associations between determinants of health, psychological capital, and health behaviors among disadvantaged youth to advance health equity initiatives.
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Rural Kenya—2023: Vihiga II
Authors: Shishani Kawkab , Kaduka Lydia , Olale Joanna , Mbuka Schiller , Mutai Joseph , Ochieng Rodgers , Muniu Erastus , Sivarajan Froelicher Erika
Published: June 2024

Background:

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among adults in Vihiga County, Western Kenya.

Methods:

A cross-sectional population-based study was completed. Participants ( n = 575) were selected at the household level using a systematic random sample, and sociodemographic, anthropometrical, clinical, and biochemical data were collected.

Results:

The sample consisted of 71.8% women and 28.2% men. The prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) was 56.4%. A greater proportion of women (62.8%) had low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) compared with men (44.7%) (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; 95% CI, 1.59-5.64). High triglyceride levels were more prevalent in men (16.4%) compared with women (15.4%) (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19-0.71). Based on average waist to hip ratio, abdominal obesity was significantly higher in women (55.4%) compared with men (27.6%) (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.52-4.49). Low levels of physical inactivity were prevalent in women (36.3%) at significantly higher proportions compared with men (22.7%) (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.02-2.92). Women used tobacco at significantly lower proportions (0.5%) compared with men (27.2%) (OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00-0.06). A higher proportion of women (47.9%) rated their general health as poor compared with men (37.1%), a statistically significant difference (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.23-3.28).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, low physical activity, and tobacco use indicates the urgent need for comprehensive health promotion programs to improve public health in rural areas of Kenya.
Profiling of Graphophonological Semantic Flexibility in Typical Readers: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Varghese Sneha Mareen , Shanbal Jayashree C.
Published: June 2024

Background:

Graphophonological semantic flexibility (GSF) is a reading-specific cognitive flexibility that allows an individual to process a print’s phonological and semantic elements simultaneously. The study aimed to explore the developmental profile of GSF in typical readers.

Method:

Ninety typically developing children, ages 8 to 11 years, were recruited and divided into three age groups: 8, 9, and 10. They were given a web-based GSF task that required them to arrange 12-word cards in a 2 × 2 matrix according to their initial phoneme and meaning. Several GSF components were computed, such as sorting speed, accuracy, and index. Furthermore, word reading, non-word reading, and passage comprehension were used to assess their reading profile.

Results:

The Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed significant differences in sorting accuracy (H (2) = 32.67, p < .001), speed (H (2) = 20.25, p < .001), and index (H (2) = 26.97, p < .001) across all ages. According to Dunn’s post hoc analysis, accuracy improved across all age groups (p < .01) and in the index between 8 and 10 ( p < .001). The Mann–Whitney U test showed gender differences in sorting speed (U = 717, p = .03). Additionally, Spearman’s rank correlation showed a significant positive association between GSF and word reading ( r = 0.47, p < .001) and text comprehension ( r = 0.55, p < .001).

Conclusion:

The findings demonstrated that GSF components are developmental and do not significantly impact gender other than sorting speed. Furthermore, a relationship between GSF and word reading and passage comprehension emerged.
Some qualitative results in hyperbolic two-temperature generalized thermoelasticity
Authors: Prasad Rashmi , Kumar Roushan
Published: June 2024

This study aims to establish the convolutional-type variational and reciprocity theorems within the framework of the hyperbolic two-temperature generalized thermoelasticity theory for an isotropic thermoelastic material, with the help of alternate formulation of the mixed boundary initial value problem, in which initial conditions are combined with field equations (using the Laplace transform). The convolutional-type variational principle adapts readily to numerical solutions based on the Ritz method and is useful in the finite element method. The reciprocity theorem is helpful in the theoretical development of boundary and finite element methods. The current effort can be valuable for the problem of coupling effects of thermal and mechanical fields, especially in geophysics and mining.
Hemodynamic analysis of thoracic endovascular aortic repair with left subclavian artery reconstructed by chimney stent
Authors: Ding Yunpeng , Xu Chunbo , Yang Tiequan , Wang Shuyuan , Wang Di , Hu Songjie , Lang Dehai
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic consequences of thoracic endovascular aortic repair which reconstructed left subclavian artery by chimney stent (ch-TEVAR).

Methods

Two patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and left subclavian artery (LSA) reconstruction using chimney stents were selected. Preoperative and postoperative CTA images were collected to reconstruct hemodynamic models for comparing and analyzing blood pressure, blood flow velocity, and wall shear stress in the aortic arch and its major branches. Concurrently, morphological alterations and position of chimney stent were also assessed.

Results

After the reconstruction of LSA in ch-TEVAR, no endoleak was seen, but the stent in LSA was compressed. The blood flow velocity of the LSA increased and disordered, the pressure was reduced, and the WSS was increased. Even more, there were a large amount of turbulence found in the LSA of one case, and its LSA was blocked.

Conclusion

Chimney stent reduces the occurrence of endoleak due to its excellent deformation ability, but the compressed stent has a greater impact on the hemodynamics of LSA and eventually leads to LSA occlusion; in order to keep the LSA unobstructed, it is necessary to pay attention to the position of the chimney stent and keep it straight and do not fold or twist. Chimney stent has little influence on the aortic arch and the rest of the aortic arch branches.
Contentious vulnerability: The case of Rwandan genocide memorials
Authors: Britt Lucy
Published: June 2024

The memorials commemorating Rwanda’s 1994 genocide are rare in their use of human remains and depictions of violence. These memorials have been widely criticized by European and North American scholars, who focus on the danger of depicting bodily vulnerability, arguing that it supports the regime’s politics of exclusion. However, by conflating what is exclusionary about the framing of the aesthetic of bodily vulnerability at Rwandan memorials with the aesthetic itself, these critics write off vulnerability altogether, risking a colonialist stance that reduces the Rwandan context to the non-political by fitting its commemorative politics into a false dichotomy of emotion and reason. In conversation with theories of vulnerability and the human by Judith Butler and Achille Mbembe, I argue that the aesthetic of vulnerability, when framed in an inclusive and critical way, can provide hope by supplying a way to see others’ bodies as non-disposable and oppose debasing forms of power.
Branding public memory in the Walmart Museum
Authors: Hatfield Joe Edward
Published: June 2024

Across the globe, visitors tour corporate museums. Corporate museums commemorate the history of a private company, often using standard methods of artifact curation and display. On the surface, these institutions appear like any other place of public memory. However, I argue that corporate museums pose a challenge to scholars who have conceptualized public memory as a domain of activity closely associated with the democratic ideal of the public sphere. Rather than promoting civic engagement or critical dialogue, corporate museums reduce public memory into a set of aesthetic resources that may be commodified, privatized, and thus transformed to benefit a social and economic system suffused by neoliberal capitalist values. To make this case, I perform a close reading of the Walmart Museum, showing how the institution memorializes the company’s founder as a technique for reinforcing established brand messaging and installing emergent modes of consumer citizenship under the guise of heritage tourism.
Monuments and ‘nonuments’: A typology of the forgotten memoryscape
Authors: Benjamin Elizabeth
Published: June 2024

We live surrounded by sites of memory, and are broadly aware of their existence, sometimes their significance. But what often goes unremarked in the memoryscape – the spaces and places of memory that make up a geographic or abstract area – are the monuments, memorials and museums that are partial, missing or never existed. This article proposes a new type of monument – the ‘ nonument’ – as a site of both remembering and forgetting that is yet a key contributor to latent narratives of cultural, individual and collective memory. The article proposes five categories of nonument – the Rejected; the Removed; the Ruined; the Rebuilt; the Repurposed – and demonstrates these categories primarily through the development of the urban memoryscape of Paris since the French Revolution (1789), founding event of the French nation, and key contributor to ideas of a French collective and cultural memory.
Influence of the Menstrual Cycle and Training on the Performance of a Perturbed Single-Leg Squatting Task in Female Collegiate Athletes
Authors: Johnson Kristin A. , Shields Richard K.
Published: June 2024

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries often occur when an athlete experiences an unexpected disruption, or perturbation, during sports. ACL injury rates may also be influenced by the menstrual cycle.

Purpose:

To determine whether training adaptations to knee control and muscle activity during a perturbed single-leg squatting (SLS) task depend on menstrual cycle phase in female athletes.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 21 healthy female collegiate athletes (current or former [<3 years]) who competed in 9 different sports performed an SLS task in which they attempted to match their knee position (user signal) to a target signal. The protocol consisted of a 9-condition pretest, 5 sets of 3 training trials, and a 9-condition posttest. One perturbation was delivered in each condition by altering the resistance of the device. Sagittal knee control (absolute error between the target signal and user signal) was assessed using a potentiometer. Muscle activity during perturbed squat cycles was normalized to maximal activation and to corresponding muscle activity during unperturbed squat cycles (%unperturbed) within the same test condition. Athletes performed the protocol during a distinct menstrual cycle phase (early follicular [EF], late follicular [LF], midluteal [ML]). Two-way mixed analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle and training on knee control and muscle activity during task performance. Venous blood was collected for hormonal analysis, and a series of health questionnaires and anthropometric measures were also assessed to determine differences among the menstrual cycle groups.

Results:

After training, athletes demonstrated better knee control during the perturbed squat cycles (lower absolute error, P < .001) and greater soleus feedback responses to the perturbation (%unperturbed, P = .035). Better knee control was demonstrated in the ML phase versus the EF phase during unperturbed and perturbed squat cycles ( P < .039 for both). Quadriceps activation was greater in the ML phase compared with the EF and LF phases, both immediately before and after the perturbation ( P < .001 for all).

Conclusion:

Athletes learned to improve knee control during the perturbed performance regardless of menstrual cycle phase. The best knee control and greatest quadriceps activation during the perturbed squatting task was found in the ML phase.

Clinical Relevance:

These findings may correspond to a lower incidence of ACL injury in the luteal phase and alterations in exercise performance across the menstrual cycle.
The Buford Complex Redefined: A Pathologic Morphology in Sheep's Clothing
Authors: Scott Jasmine A. , Dwek Jerry R. , Cheng Karen Y. , Bryan Tracey P. , Edmonds Eric W.
Published: June 2024

Background:

Considered a normal anatomic variant, the Buford complex has not been studied in children.

Hypothesis:

A Buford complex is not a normal anatomic variant and would, therefore, be present at a lower rate than that seen in the adult population.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Measurements were recorded from magnetic resonance imaging performed over 13 years in children aged ≤11 years for various pathologies unrelated to glenohumeral instability. Interrater reliability was determined to identify Buford complexes, sublabral foramens and tears, and normal shoulders via 16 preadolescent and adolescent patients with confirmed arthroscopic correlation. The Buford complex and labral foramen rates were then compared with a published rate in adults using a binomial probability test.

Results:

A total of 122 children (62 girls; mean age, 6.4 years [age range, 2 months-10.9 years]) were evaluated. Interrater reliability was 0.846 (95% CI, 0.56-1) to identify anterosuperior labral variants. The expected sublabral foramen count was 23 children, but only 1 was identified ( P < .001). The expected Buford complex count was 8 children, but none could be identified ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

The absence of Buford complexes and the significant reduction in sublabral foramen abundance in younger children suggest that these anatomic variants are more likely to be developmental than congenital. The distinct possibility that these previously considered normal variants are truly pathologic findings cannot be ignored. Evidence of a Buford complex could potentially signify an underlying, long-term shoulder instability issue to the treating provider that warrants further investigation or management.
Outcomes After Single-Stage Anatomic Multiligament Knee Reconstruction With Early Range of Motion in Adolescents
Authors: Willimon S. Clifton , Kim Jason , Perkins Crystal A.
Published: June 2024

Background:

Multiligament knee injuries (MLKI), rare in adolescents, are challenging injuries that require complex surgical reconstruction. Historically, nonanatomic reconstructions have been associated with prolonged immobilization and failure to restore normal knee biomechanics, resulting in arthrofibrosis and high rates of graft failure.

Purpose:

To describe the clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for adolescent patients treated with single-stage anatomic multiligament knee reconstruction.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A single-center retrospective study was performed of patients ≤18 years old who underwent reconstruction of MLKIs by a single surgeon between 2014 and 2019 using a single-stage anatomic technique, with protected weightbearing and early range of motion. Complications were defined as infection, arthrofibrosis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolus, and secondary surgery. PROs, including the pediatric version of the International Knee Documentation Committee (Pedi-IKDC) and the Tegner activity score, were obtained at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively.

Results:

Included were 30 patients (21 male, 9 female; mean age, 15.4 years). The most common ligamentous reconstruction types were anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) + fibular collateral ligament (12 patients; 40%) and ACL + medial collateral ligament (9 patients; 30%). Three patients (10%) had secondary surgeries, including irrigation and debridement of a granuloma, a staged osteochondral allograft transplantation to a lateral femoral condyle impaction fracture, and repair of a medial meniscal tear and lateral femoral condyle fracture associated with new injuries 2 years after ACL + fibular collateral ligament reconstruction. Two patients (7%) developed arthrofibrosis and 1 patient (3%) developed DVT. PRO scores obtained at a mean of 37 months postoperatively included a mean Pedi-IKDC of 87 (range, 52-92) and a median highest Tegner score at any point postoperatively of 9 (range, 5-10). Of the patients who were athletes before their injury, 70% returned to the same or higher level of sport postoperatively.

Conclusion:

Reconstruction of MLKI in this series of adolescents with single-stage anatomic techniques and early range of motion resulted in low rates of secondary surgery, few complications, and good knee function as well as PRO scores at mean 3-year follow-up.
Therapeutic patterns and migraine disease burden in switchers of CGRP-targeted monoclonal antibodies – insights from the German NeuroTransData registry
Authors: Hong Ja Bin , Israel-Willner Heike , Peikert Andreas , Schanbacher Peter , Tozzi Viola , Köchling Monika , Reuter Uwe , Raffaelli Bianca ,   NTD Study Group
Published: June 2024

Background

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway have shown good efficacy in migraine prophylaxis. However, a subset of patients does not respond to the first mAb treatment and switches among the available mAbs. The goal of this study is to characterize the switching pattern of migraine patients treated with anti-CGRP(-receptor, -R) mAbs, and to describe the headache burden of those who did not switch, switched once, and switched twice.

Methods

This study used real world data from the NeuroTransData Cohort, a registry of migraine patients treated at outpatient neurology clinics across Germany. Patients who had received at least one anti-CGRP(-R) mAb were included. Headache diaries were collected at baseline and during treatment, along with quality of life measures every three months. Results were summarized for the subgroups of patients who did not switch and those with one and two switches.

Results

Of the 655 eligible patients, 479 did not switch, 135 switched once, 35 twice, and 6 three or more times. The ≥ 50% response rates for monthly migraine days were 64.7%, 50.7%, and 25.0% for the no switch, one switch, and two switches groups in their last treatment cycles, respectively. Quality of life measures improved for the no switch and one switch groups, but not for the two switches group.

Conclusion

Patients who switched among anti-CGRP(-R) mAbs during the course of their treatment still benefited overall but to a lesser extent than those who did not switch. Treatment response in patients who switched twice was markedly lower compared to the no switch and one switch subgroup.
Differentiation between descending thoracic aortic diseases using machine learning and plasma proteomic signatures
Authors: Momenzadeh Amanda , Kreimer Simion , Guo Dongchuan , Ayres Matthew , Berman Daniel , Chyu Kuang-Yuh , Shah Prediman K. , Milewicz Dianna , Azizzadeh Ali , Meyer Jesse G. , Parker Sarah
Published: June 2024

Background

Descending thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections can go undetected until severe and catastrophic, and few clinical indices exist to screen for aneurysms or predict risk of dissection.

Methods

This study generated a plasma proteomic dataset from 75 patients with descending type B dissection (Type B) and 62 patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA). Standard statistical approaches were compared to supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms to distinguish Type B from DTAA cases. Quantitatively similar proteins were clustered based on linkage distance from hierarchical clustering and ML models were trained with uncorrelated protein lists across various linkage distances with hyperparameter optimization using fivefold cross validation. Permutation importance (PI) was used for ranking the most important predictor proteins of ML classification between disease states and the proteins among the top 10 PI protein groups were submitted for pathway analysis.

Results

Of the 1,549 peptides and 198 proteins used in this study, no peptides and only one protein, hemopexin (HPX), were significantly different at an adjusted p < 0.01 between Type B and DTAA cases. The highest performing model on the training set (Support Vector Classifier) and its corresponding linkage distance (0.5) were used for evaluation of the test set, yielding a precision-recall area under the curve of 0.7 to classify between Type B from DTAA cases. The five proteins with the highest PI scores were immunoglobulin heavy variable 6–1 (IGHV6-1), lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), coagulation factor 12 (F12), HPX, and immunoglobulin heavy variable 4–4 (IGHV4-4). All proteins from the top 10 most important groups generated the following significantly enriched pathways in the plasma of Type B versus DTAA patients: complement activation, humoral immune response, and blood coagulation.

Conclusions

We conclude that ML may be useful in differentiating the plasma proteome of highly similar disease states that would otherwise not be distinguishable using statistics, and, in such cases, ML may enable prioritizing important proteins for model prediction.
Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles derived from human serum for the discovery of biomarkers in Avascular necrosis
Authors: Sung Soo-Eun , Lim Ju-Hyeon , Kang Kyung-Ku , Choi Joo-Hee , Lee Sijoon , Sung Minkyoung , Park Wook-Tae , Kim Young-In , Seo Min-Soo , Lee Gun Woo
Published: June 2024

Background

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a medical condition characterized by the destruction of bone tissue due to a diminished blood supply. When the rate of tissue destruction surpasses the rate of regeneration, effective treatment becomes challenging, leading to escalating pain, arthritis, and bone fragility as the disease advances. A timely diagnosis is imperative to prevent and initiate proactive treatment for osteonecrosis. We explored the potential of differentially expressed proteins in serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers for AVN of the femoral head in humans. We analyzed the genetic material contained in serum-derived exosomes from patients for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of avascular necrosis.

Methods

EVs were isolated from the serum of both patients with AVN and a control group of healthy individuals. Proteomic analyses were conducted to compare the expression patterns of these proteins by proteomic analysis using LC-MS/MS.

Results

Our results show that the levels of IGHV3-23, FN1, VWF, FGB, PRG4, FCGBP, and ZSWIM9 were upregulated in the EVs of patients with AVN compared with those of healthy controls. ELISA results showed that VWF and PRG4 were significantly upregulated in the patients with AVN.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that these EV proteins could serve as promising biomarkers for the early detection and diagnosis of AVN. Early diagnosis is paramount for effective treatment, and the identification of new osteonecrosis biomarkers is essential to facilitate swift diagnosis and proactive intervention. Our study provides novel insights into the identification of AVN-related biomarkers that can enhance clinical management and treatment outcomes.
75 years’ journey of malaria publications in English: what and where?
Authors: Deora Nimita , Kar Sonalika , Pande Veena , Sinha Abhinav
Published: June 2024

Malaria has inflicted serious morbidity and mortality across the globe. The major brunt of the disease has been on African, South-East Asian and South American countries. Proportionally, malaria has attracted global research priorities and this is evident from the number of publications related to malaria from across the globe, irrespective of its endemicity. However, formal and exhaustive analyses of these ‘malaria publications’ are rarely reported. The systematic review and secondary data analyses were done to retrieve information on what has been published on malaria, where is it published, and which countries are major contributors to malaria research.

The study presents malaria publications from 1945 to 2020 retrieved using three databases: Web of Science™, Embase® and Scopus®. Exported data were examined to determine the number of publications over time, their subject areas, contributions from various countries/organizations, and top publishing journals.

The total number of published records on malaria ranged from 90,282 to 112,698 (due to three different databases). Based on the number of publications, USA, UK, France, and India were identified as the top four countries. Malaria Journal, American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, and PLoS One were the most preferred journals, whereas the University of London (Institutions other than LSHTM), the National Institute of Health, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Oxford appeared to be the top contributing organization.

A disproportional contribution to malaria research was observed with non-malaria endemic countries making the largest contribution. Databases differed in their output format and needed standardization to make the outputs comparable across databases.
Development of 225Ac-doped biocompatible nanoparticles for targeted alpha therapy
Authors: Toro-González Miguel , Akingbesote Ngozi , Bible Amber , Pal Debjani , Sanders Brian , Ivanov Alexander S. , Jansone-Popova Santa , Popovs Ilja , Benny Paul , Perry Rachel , Davern Sandra
Published: June 2024

Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) relies on chemical affinity or active targeting using radioimmunoconjugates as strategies to deliver α-emitting radionuclides to cancerous tissue. These strategies can be affected by transmetalation of the parent radionuclide by competing ions in vivo and the bond-breaking recoil energy of decay daughters. The retention of α-emitting radionuclides and the dose delivered to cancer cells are influenced by these processes. Encapsulating α-emitting radionuclides within nanoparticles can help overcome many of these challenges. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles are a biodegradable and biocompatible delivery platform that has been used for drug delivery. In this study, PLGA nanoparticles are utilized for encapsulation and retention of actinium-225 ([225Ac]Ac3+). Encapsulation of [225Ac]Ac3+ within PLGA nanoparticles (Zave = 155.3 nm) was achieved by adapting a double-emulsion solvent evaporation method. The encapsulation efficiency was affected by both the solvent conditions and the chelation of [225Ac]Ac3+. Chelation of [225Ac]Ac3+ to a lipophilic 2,9-bis-lactam-1,10-phenanthroline ligand ([225Ac]AcBLPhen) significantly decreased its release (< 2%) and that of its decay daughters (< 50%) from PLGA nanoparticles. PLGA nanoparticles encapsulating [225Ac]AcBLPhen significantly increased the delivery of [225Ac]Ac3+ to murine (E0771) and human (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells with a concomitant increase in cell death over free [225Ac]Ac3+ in solution. These results demonstrate that PLGA nanoparticles have potential as radionuclide delivery platforms for TAT to advance precision radiotherapy for cancer. In addition, this technology offers an alternative use for ligands with poor aqueous solubility, low stability, or low affinity, allowing them to be repurposed for TAT by encapsulation within PLGA nanoparticles.

Graphical Abstract
Improving dermal fibroblast-to-epidermis communications and aging wound repair through extracellular vesicle-mediated delivery of Gstm2 mRNA
Authors: Wu Haiyan , Yao Zuochao , Li Hongkun , Zhang Laihai , Zhao Yuying , Li Yongwei , Wu Yating , Zhang Zhenchun , Xie Jiali , Ding Feixue , Zhu Hongming
Published: June 2024

Skin aging is characterized by the disruption of skin homeostasis and impaired skin injury repair. Treatment of aging skin has long been limited by the unclear intervention targets and delivery techniques. Engineering extracellular vesicles (EVs) as an upgraded version of natural EVs holds great potential in regenerative medicine. In this study, we found that the expression of the critical antioxidant and detoxification gene Gstm2 was significantly reduced in aging skin. Thus, we constructed the skin primary fibroblasts-derived EVs encapsulating Gstm2 mRNA (EVsGstm2), and found that EVsGstm2 could significantly improve skin homeostasis and accelerate wound healing in aged mice. Mechanistically, we found that EVsGstm2 alleviated oxidative stress damage of aging dermal fibroblasts by modulating mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and promoted dermal fibroblasts to regulate skin epidermal cell function by paracrine secretion of Nascent Polypeptide-Associated Complex Alpha subunit (NACA). Furthermore, we confirmed that NACA is a novel skin epidermal cell protective molecule that regulates skin epidermal cell turnover through the ROS-ERK-ETS-Cyclin D pathway. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of EVs-mediated delivery of Gstm2 for aged skin treatment and unveil novel roles of GSTM2 and NACA for improving aging skin.

Graphical Abstract