bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Policy and Payment Decisions on Peritoneal Dialysis in the United States: A Review
Authors: Lokhande Anagha , Painter David F. , Vogt Braden , Shah Ankur
Published: February 2024

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) accounts for a sizable proportion of Medicare spending. Peritoneal dialysis remains an underutilized treatment modality for ESKD despite its quality of life and cost-saving benefits. Medicare policy on reimbursements and patient eligibility for dialysis coverage has been amended numerous times since its inception in 1972. Over the last two decades, Medicare policy on ESKD reimbursements has evolved from a primarily fee-for-service model to a prospective payment system, and within the past few years, it has begun including more experimental payment structures. While prior work has explored the evolution of Medicare’s ESKD policy as a whole, we specifically outline the impact of Medicare policy changes on peritoneal dialysis reimbursement rates, uptake by physicians and dialysis facilities, and accessibility to patients. This narrative review offers historical insights, an overview of modern ESKD policy, actionable strategies, and policy opportunities to increase the accessibility of this treatment modality.
Study to evaluate awareness about medication errors and impact of an educational intervention among healthcare personnel in a cancer hospital
Authors: Kunwor Puskar , Basyal Bijaya , Pathak Nabin , Vaidya Pankaj , Shrestha Sudip
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Medication errors (MEs) are preventable incidents that can result in harm to patients. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare professionals (HCPs) to be well-informed about MEs. This study aims to assess the awareness levels of HCPs and the impact of educational intervention on their understanding of MEs.

Methods

Responses to a 17-question structured, self-administered questionnaire assessing the awareness of HCPs regarding fundamental aspects of MEs, ME reporting systems, and their ability to make recommendations for improving the system for handling the MEs were collected both before and after two weeks of educational intervention administration.

Results

Of a total of 114 HCPs who initially participated in the study, six dropped following the intervention. The awareness regarding the Class A questionnaire was good in most physicians (60%), nurses (60%), and pharmacists (57%) before the intervention, which improved postintervention, with physicians (80%), nurses (32%), and pharmacists (78%) demonstrating excellent awareness. The awareness level in the Class B questionnaire was also improved to excellent in most physicians (70%), pharmacists (85%), and nurses (85%) following the intervention, while it was excellent only in 50%, 35%, and 1% of physicians, pharmacists, and nurses, respectively, preintervention. In the Class C questionnaire, most physicians (40%) and nurses (60%) had good awareness, while pharmacists (35%) demonstrated excellent awareness preintervention. Postintervention, most physicians (70%), nurses (77%), and pharmacists (64%) exhibited excellent awareness.

Conclusion

Most oncology practice HCPs demonstrate a good to average level of awareness regarding MEs. Clinical pharmacists’ educational interventions can significantly enhance awareness among HCPs concerning MEs.
Large deformation of soft dielectric cylindrical tubes under external radial electric field
Authors: Liguori Pietro , Gei Massimiliano
Published: February 2024

We study the nonlinear deformation of a soft dielectric tube subjected to an external electric field induced by two outer fixed electrodes. The tube follows an electro-elastic, ideal dielectric, neo-Hookean free energy and is longitudinally either constrained or free; in general, it deforms by shrinking and finding an equilibrium configuration closer to the inner electrode. The non-homogeneous system of governing equations is solved numerically with details given for each type of boundary conditions. The notion of contraction limit is introduced and emergence of electromechanical instability for both problems is noted with the relevant modes studied at some relevant points of the stretch–voltage actuation curve.
A Randomized, Phase 3, Double-Blind, Crossover Comparison of Multilayer, Extended-Release Methylphenidate (PRC-063), and Lisdexamfetamine in the Driving Performance of Young Adults With ADHD
Authors: Madaan Vishal , Bhaskar Sailaja , Donnelly Graeme A. E. , Cox Daniel J.
Published: February 2024

Objective:

To compare PRC-063 (multilayer-release methylphenidate) and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on the driving performance of young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study.

Method:

Following up to 21 days of each treatment in each treatment course (PRC-063/LDX or LDX/PRC-063), subjects completed a 15-hour driving simulator laboratory assessment. The primary outcome measure was the Tactical Driving Quotient (TDQ) and the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) scale was a secondary outcome measure.

Results:

Forty-four subjects completed the study. PRC-063 and LDX had equivalent effects on driving performance through a 15-hour time period (least square mean difference −0.3 [standard error 1.08], 95% confidence interval [−2.4, 1.8], p = .793). Consistent improvement in CGI-I was observed. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar for each treatment sequence.

Conclusions:

PRC-063 and LDX had comparable effects on driving performance, from 1 through 15 hours, the last time point measured.
A Social-Ecological Model Exploring Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Screening Practices Among Antenatal Health Care Providers
Authors: Ruby Emma , McDonald Sarah D. , Berger Howard , Melamed Nir , Li Jenifer , Darling Elizabeth K. , Geary Michael , Barrett Jon , Murray-Davis Beth
Published: February 2024

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse health outcomes for the pregnant individual and their baby. Screening approaches for GDM have undergone several iterations, introducing variability in practice among healthcare providers. As such, our study aimed to explore the views of antenatal providers regarding their practices of, and counseling experiences on the topic of, GDM screening in Ontario. We conducted a qualitative, grounded theory study. The study population included antenatal providers (midwives, family physicians, and obstetricians) practicing in Hamilton, Ottawa, or Sudbury, Ontario. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive coding upon which codes, categories, and themes were developed to generate a theory grounded in the data. Twenty-two participants were interviewed. Using the social-ecological theory, we created a model outlining four contextual levels that shaped the experiences of GDM counseling and screening: Intrapersonal factors included beliefs, knowledge, and skills; interpersonal factors characterized the patient-provider interactions; organizational strengths and challenges shaped collaboration and health services infrastructure; and finally, guidelines and policies were identified as systemic barriers to health care access and delivery. A focus on patient-centered care was a guiding principle for all care providers and permeated all four levels of the model. Patient-centered care and close attention to barriers and facilitators across intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and policy domains can minimize the impact of variations in GDM screening guidelines. Among care providers, there is a desire for additional skill development related to GDM counseling, and for national consensus on optimal screening guidelines.
Performance of explicit and IMEX MRI multirate methods on complex reactive flow problems within modern parallel adaptive structured grid frameworks
Authors: Loffeld John J. , Nonaka Andy , Reynolds Daniel R. , Gardner David J. , Woodward Carol S.
Published: February 2024

Large-scale multiphysics simulations are computationally challenging due to the coupling of multiple processes with widely disparate time scales. The advent of exascale computing systems exacerbates these challenges since these systems enable ever-increasing size and complexity. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in developing multirate methods as a means to handle the large range of time scales, as these methods may afford greater accuracy and efficiency than more traditional approaches of using implicit-explicit (IMEX) and low-order operator splitting schemes. However, to date there have been few performance studies that compare different classes of multirate integrators on complex application problems. In this work, we study the performance of several newly developed multirate infinitesimal (MRI) methods, implemented in the SUNDIALS solver package, on two reacting flow model problems built on structured mesh frameworks. The first model revisits prior work on a compressible reacting flow problem with complex chemistry that is implemented using BoxLib but where we now include comparisons between a new explicit MRI scheme with the multirate spectral deferred correction (SDC) methods in the original paper. The second problem uses the same complex chemistry as the first problem, combined with a simplified flow model, but runs at a large spatial scale where explicit methods become infeasible due to stability constraints. Two recently developed IMEX MRI multirate methods are tested. These methods rely on advanced features of the AMReX framework on which the model is built, such as multilevel grids and multilevel preconditioners. The results from these two problems show that MRI multirate methods can offer significant performance benefits on complex multiphysics application problems and that these methods may be combined with advanced spatial discretization to compound the advantages of both.
Opportunity or burden? Shifting femininities and women’s experiences in a pre-professional business leadership setting
Authors: Lommel Lillan
Published: February 2024

In this exploratory study, I analyse women’s experiences in a pre-professional business leadership setting. I adopt a perspective of structural contraints and conceptually draw on the construction of the ‘ideal’ female subject in late modernity and ‘new’ femininities. I argue that, although they are shifting, femininities persist to be a structurally rooted burden for assuming leadership roles for the women in this study. I develop my argument based on four interviews with women from an entrepreneurship programme in the United Kingdom. These women experience a double-bind in being a woman and being a leader and, importantly, anticipate further experience of such double-bind in the future. This creates a tension between their constructions of self, in which the women draw on ‘post-feminist’ discourses, and their experiences of inequalities. This research, hence, improves our understanding of women’s experiences in busines leadership settings by looking at the early-career stage, a perspective which is currently underdeveloped in the literature. This research also links women’s experiences in business leadership settings to the construction of the ‘ideal’ female subject and ‘new’ femininities by drawing on empirical data. The essay builds a starting point for further research by providing initial insights into these topics.
High temperature tribological response of Fe-2Cu-0.8C-CaF2 self-lubricating composites at high speeds
Authors: Mohan Sanjay , Anand Ankush , Raina Ankush , Kumar Parshant , Ul Haq Mir Irfan , Graf Marcel , Jayalakshmi Subramanian , Arvind Singh Ramachandra
Published: February 2024

In this work, Fe-2Cu-0.8C-CaF2 self-lubricating composites with calcium fluoride solid lubricant (3 □ 12 wt.%) were examined for their friction and wear at 5 and 10 m/s, at 500 °C. Addition of CaF2 decreased density and hardness of composites. During sliding, materials gained weight due to oxidation. Compared to the base matrix (Fe-2Cu-0.8C), composites showed lower weight gain and lower coefficient of friction. Increase in porosity with CaF2 content increased oxidation resulting in higher weight gain and increased friction due to wear debris abrasion. Increase in speed reduced weight gain due to higher material loss. Adhesion was the dominant wear mechanism in base matrix; delamination and wear debris abrasion in composites. Temperature rise at sliding surfaces was theoretically estimated. Increase in speed increased temperature, which reduced friction due to softening and shearing of solid lubricant. Composite with 3 wt.% CaF2 showed least surface damage and 6 wt.% showed lowest coefficient of friction, i.e., lower by 16% and 10% at 5, 10 m/s than base matrix. Tribological response of the composites to a broad range of applied parameters, viz. speed, load and temperature taken from earlier works and present work is briefly summarized. The study suggests the dominant role of CaF2 content and the wear debris in altering the tribological response. Further, the stability of the developed composites at high temperature and high load conditions was also established. The study suggests that the developed composites could serve high-load and high-temperature applications for heavy machinery such as bearings, shafts and gears.
Rethinking the logic of early diagnosis in cancer
Authors: Damhus Christina Sadolin , Risør Mette Bech , Brodersen John Brandt , Jønsson Alexandra Brandt Ryborg
Published: February 2024

To reduce morbidity and mortality of cancer, more countries have implemented strategies to detect cancer, based on the logic of ‘the sooner the better’. Time is thereby an essential component in how cancer research, policies, and prevention are practiced today. Where the logic of early diagnosis benefits some, the logic also produces harms. In this article, we use a cross-disciplinary case-study design to discuss how different notions of time and linearity are essential in today’s research ontology of cancer, describe the individual and societal consequences of such ontology, and invite a rethinking of time in cancer. Drawing on theoretical concepts of time together with cancer epidemiological, historical and ethnographical data, we analyse how the logic of early diagnosis has been established as a stable concept. Although evidence supporting the logic points in different directions, the message ‘the sooner the better’ is currently not being challenged by research, policy or society. This at least partly, can be explained by a linear perception of time and societal traces of neoliberalism and acceleration in our society together with cancer still being a somewhat enigmatic disease that requires acute action. To support a sustainable healthcare sector, we argue there is a need to nuance the logic of early diagnosis. Continuing the linear perception of symptoms and cancer, risks doing more harm than good by making more people patients unnecessarily and by spending health resources on those with the least need.
Analysis of vibration reduction performance of vibration isolation system based on particle damping
Authors: Song Chunsheng , Han Yurun , Jia Bo , Xiong Xuechun , Jiang Youliang , Wang Peng , Liang Yaru , Fang Haining
Published: February 2024

Taking ship vibration isolation systems as the research subject, the particle damper was applied to ship vibration isolation systems to study its vibration reduction performance. The energy dissipation mechanism of particle dampers is analyzed, and an energy dissipation calculation model is derived. The combined method of simulation and experimentation is employed to study the influence of parameters such as particle material, filling rate, particle diameter, and collision coefficient of restitution on the vibration reduction performance of particle dampers. The impact laws of these parameters are summarized, demonstrating that particle dampers can produce excellent vibration reduction performance when applied in ship vibration isolation systems, and reasonable parameter recommendations are provided. Response surface method (RSM) is used to fit an accurate energy dissipation prediction model and calculate the optimal performance parameters. This paper serves as a valuable reference for the parameter design, optimization, and practical engineering applications of particle dampers.
Questioning the link between organizational justice and external procedural justice in police–citizen interactions
Authors: Borchardt David J , Hecht Steven A , Telesco Grace A , Castro Marcelo
Published: February 2024

External procedural justice in police–citizen interactions has been found to have a relationship with cooperation, compliance, and police legitimacy. The individual dimensions of organizational justice comprised of distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice, have been less frequently examined. Organizational justice has been found to be associated with many desirable outcomes both within policing and in other professions. This study utilized a convenience sample ( n = 106) of police officers from five school district police departments in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. The study combined two sections of two existing instruments for the purpose of examining the extent to which officer perceptions of the four dimensions of organizational justice contribute to officer perceptions of external procedural justice in police–citizen interactions. Results indicated officers rated themselves very highly on the levels of external procedural justice they demonstrated with the public. Officers rated their supervisors highest in the interpersonal justice dimension of organizational justice. Surprisingly, no significant associations emerged between any of the four dimensions of organizational justice and external procedural justice. The findings of this study were inconsistent with the majority of extant research which found that organizational justice correlates with and predicts external procedural justice. This study indicated that officers may overestimate their own utilization of external procedural justice. In addition, it suggests the four dimensions of organizational justice may not predict external procedural justice and raises questions regarding the relationship between these two variables.
Automated responses to the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic: An overview
Authors: Andrejevic Mark , O’Neill Chris
Published: February 2024

The pandemic response was a thoroughly mediated phenomenon – one that paired digital information technologies with automated logistical systems to address inter-related crises of circulation. In the logistical sphere, automated media were used to manage flows of people, commodities and even (in the case of ‘smart’ ventilation systems) air itself. In the media realm, automated systems played a role in circulating timely notifications and alerts and in detecting and responding to false information. This theme issue brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers focused on the analysis of automated control and response systems, including the networked devices and infrastructures that supported them, and the digital forms of data collection and processing they enabled. This introductory essay focuses on some organizing themes that emerge from the theme issue contributions, including the relationship between automation and the temporality of viral contagion, logics of pre-emptive intervention and forms of atmospheric and environmental control.
Mechanical characterization of jute/carbon hybrid epoxy composites
Authors: Queiroz Henrique , Pastor Vitor , Neto Jorge , Cavalcanti Daniel , Banea Mariana D
Published: February 2024

In recent years, the use of hybrid composites consisting of natural and synthetic fibers has gained increasing attention due to their potential for improved mechanical performance and sustainability. The primary aim of this study was to explore the impact of integrating jute and carbon fiber components into hybrid composites on the enhancement of the materials’ mechanical properties. Jute and carbon bidirectional fabrics were used with a bi-component epoxy matrix in order to fabricate the hybrid composite materials. The carbon bidirectional fabrics were placed on the outer layers, while the jute fabrics were used as the core of the hybrid composites. The core fibers were controlled by the number of layers (5), while the synthetic outer layers were varied (1 and 2, symmetrically and asymmetrically). The composite materials were characterized mechanically via tensile, flexural and impact tests. The results show that both the hybridization technique and the reinforcement symmetry significantly affect the general mechanical properties. In the analysis of tensile properties, a consistent monotonic increase in enhancement tendencies was observed with an increasing fraction of carbon fibers. Conversely, under flexion, a plateau was evident with regard to the hybridization architectural variations, although this behavior was not observed for the flexural modulus, which exhibited a continuous monotonic enhancement relative to the fraction of carbon fibers. Finally, under impact conditions, it was found that symmetry of the synthetic envelope is highly advantageous.
‘Holding on’ in a crisis: theorising campus sexual violence activism within precarious labour relations
Authors: Phipps Alison
Published: February 2024

A ‘rape crisis’ has been identified in universities in the Anglophone North, and responses usually take the form of institutional discipline and governance despite well-established assessments of the failings of both carceral and procedural approaches. In these responses, institutional reputation and risk management overdetermines, elevates and captures particular types of white feminist activism. This article theorises these dynamics, using precarity as a lens on the relations within which campus sexual violence is addressed. I trace the material connections between sexual violence and precarious labour, and the intersecting narratives of crisis focused on both issues in contemporary higher education, which reflect ‘genres of crisis’ in the wider politico-cultural sphere. In this context, persistent attachments to discipline and governance within the campus sexual violence movement can be theorised at least partly as a political flight from vulnerability, a ‘holding on’ to whatever one can find, that is ripe for exploitation by liability-focused institutional agendas. Such procedural enactments of security are possible because bureaucracy is the institutional ‘water in which we swim’, which creates a strong impetus to reduce politics to paperwork relations. This is especially manifest in risk-averse and compliance-driven ‘safeguarding’ modalities, securitarian regimes that serve mainly to interpellate the dangerous Other and safeguard the institution. I argue for the cultivation of more susceptible relations which are difficult to achieve within disembodied bureaucratic codes and which require a retreat from both narratives of crisis and procedural attempts at calm.
Enfranchising all subjected: A reconstruction and problematization
Authors: Goodin Robert E. , Arrhenius Gustaf
Published: February 2024

There are two classic principles for deciding who should have a right to vote on the laws, the All Affected Principle and the All Subjected Principle. This article is devoted, firstly, to providing a sympathetic reconstruction of the All Subjected Principle, identifying the most credible account of what it is to be subject to the law. Secondly, it shows that that best account still suffers some serious difficulties, which might best be resolved by treating the All Subjected Principle as a subset of the All Affected Principle with which the All Subjected Principle must in any case be supplemented.
Towards an invisible marginalisation of disadvantaged adult learners? Analysing the resource mobilisation strategies of the EU member states for achieving the European Education Area, 2025
Authors: Singh Shalini
Published: February 2024

The EU policies about what to achieve and how to achieve through the education and training of adults have developed like norms for the EU member states which they find difficult to flout. With the declaration to achieve the European Education Area (EEA) by 2025 and its targets by 2025 and 2030, the EU has laid down a framework for developing the future education systems in the member states. The paper argues that in its present form, the unintended consequences of the EU EEA policy are not only enhancing the Matthew Effect but will also make the disadvantaged learners invisible in the long run. Therefore, by encouraging the member states to adopt a narrow approach of target achievement irrespective of the needs of the marginalised adult learners, and not including the concerns of these adult learners in its own policy, the EU appears to do the opposite of what it claims to promote through the EEA.
Empirical Political Theory: A Template for a Research Design and a Qualified Defense
Authors: Perez Nahshon
Published: February 2024

Developments in contemporary analytic political theory have called for political theory to situate itself near political science, to pay attention to political institutions, to follow the research output of the social sciences, and to present sensitivity to method. This empirical and methodological turn has brought about a debate regarding the form and desirability of such empirically grounded political theory. We aim, first, to clarify what the empirical turn in political theory implies for research in political theory. We shall situate such empirically grounded political theory in contemporary analytic political theory, in contemporary analytic political theory’s descriptive and prescriptive steps, and also examine how this turn complements contemporary analytic political theory’s evaluative step. Second, to suggest a defense of this empirical development, as if properly understood, it would assist empirically grounded contemporary analytic political theory to achieve its own stated goals. Third, to provide a template for a research design in empirical contemporary analytic political theory.
The Value of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography-Based Radiomics in the Evaluation of Interstitial Fibers of Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma
Authors: Bing Xue , Wang Ning , Li Yuhan , Sun Haitao , Yao Jian , Li Ruobing , Li Zhongyuan , Ouyang Aimei
Published: February 2024

Objective

We investigated the potential of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) radiomics in assessing cancer-associated fibroblasts in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 132 patients with ccRCC. The arterial and venous phase iodine-based material decomposition images (IMDIs), virtual non-contrast images, 70 keV, 100 keV, and 150 keV virtual monoenergetic images, and mixed energy images (MEIs) were obtained from the DECT datasets. On the Radcloud platform, radiomics feature extraction, feature selection, and model establishment were performed. Seven radiomics models were established using the support vector machine. The predictive performance was evaluated by utilizing receiver operating characteristic and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Nomograms were constructed.

Results

The combined model demonstrated high efficiency in evaluating pseudocapsule thickness with AUC, specificity, and sensitivity of 0.833, 0.870, and 0.750, respectively in the validation set, surpassing those of other models. The precision, F1-score, and Youden index were also higher for the combined model. For evaluating the number of collagen fibers, the combined model exhibited the highest AUC (0.741) among all models, with a specificity of 0.830 and a sensitivity of 0.330. The AUC in the 150 kv model and IMDI model were slightly lower than those in the combined model (0.728 and 0.710, respectively), with corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 0.560/0.780 and 0.670/0.830. The nomogram exhibited that Rad-score had good prediction efficiency.

Conclusion

DECT radiomics features have significant value in evaluating the interstitial fibers of ccRCC. The combined model of IMDI + MEI exhibits superior performance in assessing the thickness of the pseudocapsule, while the combined, 150 keV, and IMDI models demonstrate higher efficacy in evaluating collagen fiber number. Radiomics, combined with imaging features and clinical features, has excellent predictive performance. These findings offer crucial support for the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of ccRCC and provide valuable insights into the application of DECT.
The Role of Nursing in Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
Authors: Hayman Laura L.
Published: February 2024

Lifestyle medicine is a critically important part of optimizing holistic health across the life course of individuals. For children and adolescents, lifestyle medicine with the focus on developing healthy lifestyle behaviors, is initiated early in life and emphasizes multidisciplinary, multisectoral efforts. Central to these efforts is primordial prevention, with an emphasis on developing and maintaining healthy patterns of lifestyle behaviors. Viewed within a socio-ecological model of health and behavior, contexts including families, schools, and communities interact to influence and impact the health of children and adolescents. Nurses and nursing organizations and societies promote pediatric lifestyle medicine with the aim of promoting optimal health and development for all children.
Comparing the Influences of Spouses or Partners With Other Family Members in the Ability of Young Asian Americans to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Authors: Kwon Soyoung , Ali Shahmir H. , DiClemente Ralph J.
Published: February 2024

The relationship between family dynamics and health has been extensively studied, but the specific pathways involved are not yet fully understood. The role of intimate partner relationships in promoting and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors remains understudied, particularly in minority populations. This study addressed this gap by examining how frequent spousal and familial interactions affect healthy lifestyle behaviors in young Asian Americans. Survey data from Asian American adults aged 18 to 35, collected in March 2021, is used to compare two groups: one interacting most with an intimate partner and the other interacting most with other non-intimate family members. The results showed that young Asian Americans interact most with their spouses/partners and mothers. Participants who interacted most frequently with their spouses/partners reported a greater influence in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, particularly in the domains of exercise and sleep. Moreover, those who interacted more with their spouses/partners exhibited a greater sense of connectedness, which impacted spousal and personal influence on healthy lifestyle behaviors. The findings suggest that promoting interaction and fostering stronger spousal/partner relationships can positively influence the healthy lifestyle behaviors of young Asian Americans.
Premature Closure of Analysis in Qualitative Research: Identifying Features and Mitigation Strategies
Authors: Inayat Shahzad , Younas Ahtisham , Fàbregues Sergi , Ali Parveen
Published: February 2024

Premature closure of analysis refers to finishing data analysis too early, leading to underdeveloped qualitative findings. It is a critical issue in qualitative research affecting the rigor and trustworthiness of qualitative findings. While much has been written about how to conduct rigorous data analysis across a range of qualitative approaches, there has been no discussion of the features of premature closure of analysis and strategies for addressing it. The purpose of this paper is to outline how to spot premature closure of analysis and to describe strategies to mitigate this issue. Three identifying features of premature analysis are: providing thin descriptions with loaded participant quotes, presenting conventional concepts as themes, and using topic summaries as themes. Using a First Approach to qualitative analysis, working in segments to generate a wholistic thematic output, and critical reflection and examination before finalizing the thematic output can be useful strategies to mitigate premature closure of analysis. Themes and patterns that are too vague and meaningless to provide a comprehensive account of the studied phenomenon are a threat to the validity of the study and a waste of researchers’ effort and time. Premature closure of analysis is one of the most common problems affecting the quality of thematic outputs in quality studies. Therefore, researchers should be mindful and critical in their analytical decision-making to prevent this problem.
A single center study of the efficacy and safety of Pro-Glide used for closure in thoracic endovascular aortic repair in patients with previous groin intervention
Authors: Gulmez Recep , Altunova Mehmet , Sahin Ahmet Anil , Celik Omer
Published: February 2024

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Pro-Glide, a suture-mediated vascular closure device, regarding technical success and complications in patients who had undergone aortic intervention and had previous groin intervention (PGI).

Methods

One hundred and thirty-five patients who underwent percutaneous thoracic endovascular aortic repair via the femoral artery and were closed with the Pro-Glide device were analyzed retrospectively. PGI was defined as a history of open surgical access to the femoral artery or wide sheath (>18 F) placement due to endovascular or valvular intervention. The patients were divided into two groups 38 cases with PGI and 97 cases without PGI.

Results

The overall success rate of closure of the femoral artery with Pro-Glide was not statistically significant between the two groups (93.8% vs 92.1%, p = .711). Sheath sizes were compared between the groups and PGI (+) group had significantly higher sheath sizes compared to PGI (−) group (24.3 ± 1.1 F vs 23.8 ± 1.0 F, p = .011). Three patients in the PGI (+) group and six patients in the PGI (−) group experienced technical failure of the percutaneous femoral approach. Femoral complications were seen after the procedures in four patients in the PGI (+) group and four in the PGI (−) group. The PGI (+) group had a higher complication rate when compared to the PGI (−) group; however, this was not statistically significant ( p = .181).

Conclusion

The present study was conducted on a significantly larger sample compared to previous studies and the findings suggest that the Pro-Glide vascular closure device is a safe option for patients with a history of PGI and may not be considered as a contraindication.
Classification of anatomic patterns of peripheral artery disease with automated machine learning (AutoML)
Authors: Rusinovich Yury , Rusinovich Volha , Buhayenka Aliaksei , Liashko Vitalii , Sabanov Arsen , Holstein David J.F. , Aldmour Samer , Doss Markus , Branzan Daniela
Published: February 2024

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of novel automated machine learning (AutoML) in vascular medicine by developing a discriminative artificial intelligence (AI) model for the classification of anatomical patterns of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Material and methods

Random open-source angiograms of lower limbs were collected using a web-indexed search. An experienced researcher in vascular medicine labelled the angiograms according to the most applicable grade of femoropopliteal disease in the Global Limb Anatomic Staging System (GLASS). An AutoML model was trained using the Vertex AI (Google Cloud) platform to classify the angiograms according to the GLASS grade with a multi-label algorithm. Following deployment, we conducted a test using 25 random angiograms (five from each GLASS grade). Model tuning through incremental training by introducing new angiograms was executed to the limit of the allocated quota following the initial evaluation to determine its effect on the software’s performance.

Results

We collected 323 angiograms to create the AutoML model. Among these, 80 angiograms were labelled as grade 0 of femoropopliteal disease in GLASS, 114 as grade 1, 34 as grade 2, 25 as grade 3 and 70 as grade 4. After 4.5 h of training, the AI model was deployed. The AI self-assessed average precision was 0.77 (0 is minimal and 1 is maximal). During the testing phase, the AI model successfully determined the GLASS grade in 100% of the cases. The agreement with the researcher was almost perfect with the number of observed agreements being 22 (88%), Kappa = 0.85 (95% CI 0.69–1.0). The best results were achieved in predicting GLASS grade 0 and grade 4 (initial precision: 0.76 and 0.84). However, the AI model exhibited poorer results in classifying GLASS grade 3 (initial precision: 0.2) compared to other grades. Disagreements between the AI and the researcher were associated with the low resolution of the test images. Incremental training expanded the initial dataset by 23% to a total of 417 images, which improved the model’s average precision by 11% to 0.86.

Conclusion

After a brief training period with a limited dataset, AutoML has demonstrated its potential in identifying and classifying the anatomical patterns of PAD, operating unhindered by the factors that can affect human analysts, such as fatigue or lack of experience. This technology bears the potential to revolutionize outcome prediction and standardize evidence-based revascularization strategies for patients with PAD, leveraging its adaptability and ability to continuously improve with additional data. The pursuit of further research in AutoML within the field of vascular medicine is both promising and warranted. However, it necessitates additional financial support to realize its full potential.
Minimizing torque requirements in robotic manipulation through elastic elements optimization in a physics engine
Authors: Marchal Maxime , Marzougui Dries , Furnémont Raphaël , Verstraten Tom , wyffels Francis
Published: February 2024

The increasing number of robots and the rising cost of electricity have spurred research into energy-reducing concepts in robotics. One such concept, elastic actuation, introduces compliant elements such as springs into the robot structure. This article presents a comparative analysis between two types of elastic actuation, namely, monoarticular parallel elastic actuation and biarticular parallel elastic actuation, and demonstrates an end-to-end pipeline for their optimization. Starting from the real-world system identification of an RRR robotic arm, we calibrate a simulation model in a general-purpose physics engine and employ in silico evolutionary optimization to co-optimize spring configurations and trajectories for a pick-and-place task. Finally, we successfully transfer the in silico optimized elastic elements and trajectory to the real-world prototype. Our results substantiate the ability of elastic actuation to reduce the actuators’ torque requirements heavily. In contrast to previous work, we highlight the superior performance of the biarticular variant over the monoarticular configuration. Furthermore, we show that a combination of both proves most effective. This work provides valuable insights into the torque-reducing use of elastic actuation and demonstrates an actuator-invariant in silico optimization methodology capable of bridging the sim2real gap.
Postoperative Length of Stay in Patients With Stress Hyperglycemia Compared to Patients With Diabetic Hyperglycemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Shiffermiller Jason , Anderson Matthew , Thompson Rachel
Published: February 2024

Background:

Postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS) is longer in patients with diabetes than in patients without diabetes. Stress hyperglycemia (SH) in patients without a history of diabetes has been associated with adverse postoperative outcomes. The effect of SH on postoperative LOS is uncertain. The aim of this study is to compare postoperative LOS in patients with SH to patients with diabetic hyperglycemia (DH) following noncardiac surgery.

Methods:

We carried out a retrospective cohort study of inpatients with at least two glucose measurements ≥180 mg/dL. Two groups were compared. Patients with SH had no preoperative history of diabetes. Patients were considered to have DH if they had an established preoperative diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or a preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5%. The primary outcome measure was hospital LOS.

Results:

We included 270 patients with postoperative hyperglycemia—82 in the SH group and 188 in the DH group. In a linear regression analysis, hospital LOS was longer in the SH group than in the DH group (10.4 vs 7.3 days; P = .03). Within the SH group, we found no association between LOS and prompt treatment of hyperglycemia within 12 hours ( P = .43), insulin dose per day ( P = .89), or overall mean glucose ( P = .13).

Conclusions:

Postoperative LOS was even longer in patients with SH than in patients with DH, representing a potential target for quality improvement efforts. We did not, however, find evidence that improved treatment of SH was associated with reduction in LOS.
Patients Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in a Deep Learning-Assisted Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Event: A Real-World Assessment
Authors: Malerbi Fernando Korn , Mezzomo Ventura Beatriz , Fischer Mariana , Penha Fernando Marcondes
Published: February 2024

During an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diabetic retinopathy screening event, we performed a survey on patients´ perceptions on AI. Respondents were individuals with diabetes, mostly followed in primary healthcare with a low education level. While 49.6% of participants said they knew what AI was, only 14% reported good or expert knowledge of AI. The vast majority reported positive feelings towards AI in healthcare. We highlight the importance of understanding patients´ views regarding AI in health in a real-life situation and emphasize the importance of digital education.
Harvesting value: Corporate strategies of data assetization in agriculture and their socio-ecological implications
Authors: Hackfort Sarah , Marquis Sarah , Bronson Kelly
Published: February 2024

The global food system is characterized by market concentration and oligopoly. In our article, we focus on the most powerful input supply and machinery companies and analyze how these firms create value, both economic and otherwise, from big data. In digital capitalism, data is valorized across sectors; personal data is aggregated into large-scale datasets, a practice that feeds economic concentration and monopolization. Big data also has become central to the business model for agricultural companies; it is a claim made by the companies themselves. Yet, little is known about their specific strategies to do so. We aim to fill this gap, asking how is agricultural data transformed into value by the most powerful agribusinesses and ag-tech firms?

Through the lens of assetization, we examine corporate strategies for transforming agricultural data into value. We draw on literature from food studies, specifically political economic analyses of the historical practices of agricultural corporations, as well as literature from critical data studies that investigates data as an asset. For our analysis, we rely on a variety of gray literature and public-facing documents: financial documents, sustainability and shareholder reports, terms of use, license agreements, and news articles. Our results contribute to the critical data studies literature on agricultural big data by identifying three main strategies of assetization: securing relationships and dependence, price-setting and data sharing, and product development and targeted marketing.

The strategies have socio-ecological implications; our results indicate the reproduction of asymmetrical power relations in the agri-food system favoring corporations and the continuation of long-standing dynamics of inequalities.
Stabilizing translucencies: Governing AI transparency by standardization
Authors: Högberg Charlotte
Published: February 2024

Standards are put forward as important means to turn the ideals of ethical and responsible artificial intelligence into practice. One principle targeted for standardization is transparency. This article attends to the tension between standardization and transparency, by combining a theoretical exploration of these concepts with an empirical analysis of standardizations of artificial intelligence transparency. Conceptually, standards are underpinned by goals of stability and solidification, while transparency is considered a flexible see-through quality. In addition, artificial intelligence-technologies are depicted as ‘black boxed’, complex and in flux. Transparency as a solution for ethical artificial intelligence has, however, been problematized. In the empirical sample of standardizations, transparency is largely presented as a static, measurable, and straightforward information transfer, or as a window to artificial intelligence use. The standards are furthermore described as pioneering and able to shape technological futures, while their similarities suggest that artificial intelligence translucencies are already stabilizing into similar arrangements. To rely heavily upon standardization to govern artificial intelligence transparency still risks allocating rule-making to non-democratic processes, and while intended to bring clarity, the standardizations could also create new distributions of uncertainty and accountability. This article stresses the complexity of governing sociotechnical artificial intelligence principles by standardization. Overall, there is a risk that the governance of artificial intelligence is let to be too shaped by technological solutionism, allowing the standardization of social values (or even human rights) to be carried out in the same manner as that of any other technical product or procedure.
Feasibility of a mobile health app-based self-management program for Chinese patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: A randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Shi Nuo , Ching Wong Arkers Kwan , Yuet Wong Frances Kam , Zhang Nan , Zhu Weiyi , Shen Kunwei , Lai Xiaobin , Jin Yufei , Gu Chengjia , Nie Lijing , Dong Xiaojing
Published: February 2024

Objective

There are currently an increasing number of mobile health (mHealth) programs offered to patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, but their rate of adherence to app usage has remained low. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of an mHealth app-based program such as the adherence rate of app usage and determine the preliminary effects on self-efficacy, quality of life, symptom burden and healthcare utilization in these patients.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial. Ninety-six participants were randomly allocated into either an intervention group or a control group (routine care plus a placebo app). The intervention group engaged in a 6-week self-regulation activity and received nurse-led social support via the app. The intention-to-treat principle was adopted. The generalized estimating equation was utilized to analyze the between-group, within-group and interaction effectiveness of this program.

Results

Totally 96 participants were enrolled from 16 May to 23 August 2022. The average rate of adherence to app usage increased from 4.8% at week 3 to 51.2% at week 6. There was a statistically significant reduction in the physiological efficacy scores of the intervention (p < .001) and control groups (p < .001) at week 6, compared with the baseline. At week 6, the intervention group reported a significantly lower symptom burden (p = .042) and significantly better physical well-being than the control group (p = .024).

Conclusions

It is feasible to perform an mHealth app-based self-management program for patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. Nurses can utilize this program to facilitate patient self-management of symptoms during chemotherapy.

Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, (NCT05192525).