bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Costal Chondrocyte–Derived Pellet-Type Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Versus Microfracture for the Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects: A 5-Year Follow-up of a Prospective Randomized Trial
Authors: Yoon Kyoung-Ho , Lee Jungsun , Park Jae-Young
Published: January 2024

Background:

Costal chondrocyte–derived pellet-type autologous chondrocyte implantation (CCP-ACI) has been introduced as a new therapeutic option for the treatment of articular cartilage defects. We had previously conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing CCP-ACI versus microfracture at 1 year postoperatively.

Purpose:

To compare the efficacy and safety of CCP-ACI versus microfracture for the treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee at 5 years postoperatively.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

This study describes the mean 5-year follow-up of a previously published prospective clinical trial. The previous prospective trial compared the results of CCP-ACI versus microfracture until 1 year of follow-up. Of the 30 patients who were included in the previous study, 25 were followed up for 5 years. Patients were evaluated based on clinical outcome scores (Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], and visual analog scale for pain), magnetic resonance imaging findings, and rates of treatment failure at last follow-up.

Results:

The MOCART (Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue) score in the CCP-ACI group was significantly higher than that in the microfracture group at 5 years (62.3 vs 26.7, respectively; P < .0001). The Lysholm score and KOOS score in the CCP-ACI group were significantly higher than those in the microfracture group at 5 years (84.5 vs 64.9, respectively, and 390.9 vs 303.0, respectively; P = .023 and P = .017, respectively). There was 1 case of treatment failure that occurred in the microfracture group.

Conclusion:

The present randomized controlled trial indicated that the results of both procedures clinically and statistically significantly improved at 1 and 5 years’ follow-up in treating cartilage defects, but the results of CCP-ACI were superior to those of microfracture. Magnetic resonance imaging conducted at 1 year and 5 years after CCP-ACI revealed statistically significant superior structural integration with native cartilage tissue compared with microfracture.

Registration:

NCT03545269 (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Validating the Social-Emotional Assessment Measure (36–66 Months) for Use Among Chinese Preschoolers
Authors: Zhu Jingjing , Weng Wanjuan , Bian Xiaoyan , Yang Tingting , Mule’ Taylor Nicole , Hsueh Yeh , Li Yan
Published: January 2024

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Social-Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM) (33–66 months), which is designed to assess social-emotional difficulties and behavior disorders in young children. In this case, the SEAM was translated and back-translated. The sample included 2477 preschoolers (1256 boys; M age = 57.57 months, SD = 10.93) residing in Shanghai, China. In summary, the results presented a 10-factor model that showed a good fit for the SEAM (33–66 months). Ultimately, the analyses demonstrated adequate internal consistency, reliability, and convergent validity. These findings indicate that the SEAM (33–36 months) is appropriate for use in Chinese preschool populations.
A comparative analysis between backpropagation and general regression neural networks to predict the tensile properties of fused filament fabricated parts
Authors: Cerda-Avila Steffany N , Medellin-Castillo Hugo I , Cuevas-Tello Juan C
Published: January 2024

The Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process comprises a large number of process parameters that affect the resultant mechanical properties of the parts, generating uncertainties during the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) practice. Several studies have used Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) based on classification machine learning techniques such as Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN), to evaluate the dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, compressive, flexural and tensile strength of FFF parts. As an alternative, in this paper a new General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) approach, based on a regression machine learning technique, is proposed to estimate the tensile structural properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-FFF parts using variable process parameters. The performance of the new proposed GRNN is compared with the performance of a BPNN. The comparison and evaluation are based on their capability to accurately predict the experimental Ultimate Tensile Stress (UTS) and the Elastic Modulus ( E) of FFF parts. The outcomes of this evaluation have shown that although the GRNN and the BPNN are able to estimate with high accuracy the structural behaviour of FFF parts, the performance of the proposed GRNN is superior (0.001 Mean Square Error, MSE) than the BPNN (0.0031 MSE). Moreover, the new proposed GRNN fits the experimental test values with a minimal average error of 0.62%. Thus, the proposed GRNN can be used during the design of components intended to be manufacture by FFF.
Incorporating patient-specific hip orientation from weightbearing computed tomography affects discrete element analysis-computed regional joint contact mechanics in individuals treated with periacetabular osteotomy for hip dysplasia
Authors: Rivas Dominic JL , Aitken Holly D , Dibbern Kevin N , Willey Michael C , Westermann Robert W , Goetz Jessica E
Published: January 2024

Computational models of the hip often omit patient-specific functional orientation when placing imaging-derived bony geometry into anatomic landmark-based coordinate systems for application of joint loading schemes. The purpose of this study was to determine if this omission meaningfully alters computed contact mechanics. Discrete element analysis models were created from non-weightbearing (NWB) clinical CT scans of 10 hip dysplasia patients (11 hips) and oriented in the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB) coordinate system (NWB-ISB). Three additional models were generated for each hip by adding patient-specific stance information obtained via weightbearing CT (WBCT) to each ISB-oriented model: (1) patient-specific sagittal tilt added (WBCT-sagittal), (2) coronal and axial rotation from optical motion capture added to (1; WBCT-combo), and (3) WBCT-derived axial, sagittal, and coronal rotation added to (1; WBCT-original). Identical gait cycle loading was applied to all models for a given hip, and computed contact stress and contact area were compared between model initialization techniques. Addition of sagittal tilt did not significantly change whole-joint peak ( p = 0.922) or mean ( p = 0.871) contact stress or contact area ( p = 0.638). Inclusion of motion-captured coronal and axial rotation (WBCT-combo) decreased peak contact stress ( p = 0.014) and slightly increased average contact area ( p = 0.071) from WBCT-sagittal models. Including all WBCT-derived rotations (WBCT-original) further reduced computed peak contact stress ( p = 0.001) and significantly increased contact area ( p = 0.001). Variably significant differences ( p = 0.001–1.0) in patient-specific acetabular subregion mechanics indicate the importance of functional orientation incorporation for modeling applications in which local contact mechanics are of interest.
Mindful-Gratitude Practice Reduces Prejudice at High Levels of Collective Narcissism
Authors: Golec de Zavala Agnieszka , Keenan Oliver , Ziegler Matthias , Mazurkiewicz Magdalena , Nalberczak-Skóra Maria , Ciesielski Pawel , Wahl Julia E. , Sedikides Constantine
Published: January 2024

This research tested the hypothesis that mindful-gratitude practice attenuates the robust association between collective narcissism and prejudice. In Study 1 (a between-subjects study using a nationally representative sample of 569 Polish adults; 313 female), 10 min of mindful-gratitude practice—compared to mindful-attention practice and control—did not decrease prejudice (anti-Semitism), but weakened the positive link between collective narcissism and prejudice. In Study 2 (a preregistered, randomized, controlled-trial study using a convenience sample of 219 Polish adults; 168 female), a 6-week mobile app supported training in daily mindful-gratitude practice decreased prejudice (anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment) and its link with collective narcissism compared to a wait-list control. The hypothesis-consistent results emphasize the social relevance of mindful-gratitude practice, a time- and cost-effective intervention.
A Comparison Between GalT−/−;hCD39;hCD55 and GalT−/−;hCD39;hCD46;hCD55;TBM Pig Kidneys Transplanted in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Suh Han Na , Lee Ju Young , Kang Hee Jung , Park Eun Mi , Yun Ik Jin , Kim Wan Seop , Choi Kimyung , Hwang Jeong Ho
Published: January 2024

Because there is a shortage of donor kidneys, researchers are exploring the possibility of using genetically modified pig kidneys for transplantation. Approaches involving knockout of carbohydrate genes or knockin of protective proteins have been attempted to determine the best gene modifications. In this study, we utilized GalT−/−; hCD39;hCD55 and GalT−/−; hCD39;hCD46;hCD55;thrombomodulin (TBM) pigs for transplantation in nonhuman primates (NHPs). The NHPs survived for 4 weeks after kidney transplantation (4 WAT) from the GalT−/−; hCD39;hCD55 pig and for 6 WAT from the GalT−/−; hCD39;hCD46;hCD55;TBM pig. However, messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that the 6 WAT kidney exhibited more severe apoptosis, inflammation, loss of renal function, and renal fibrosis than the 4 WAT kidney. These results indicate that additional knockin of complement regulator ( hCD46) and coagulation regulator ( TBM) is not enough to prevent renal damage, suggesting that improved immune suppression is needed for more prolonged survival.
A hybrid self-centering seismic damper: Finite element modeling and parametric analysis
Authors: Cao Sasa , Shi Fei , Cao Liang , Ricles James , Ozbulut Osman E
Published: January 2024

This study presents a finite element model for a hybrid self-centering damper considering the rate and temperature effects and explores the effects of different design parameters on the damper response. The damper, called as superelastic friction damper (SFD), consists of superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) cables and a frictional energy dissipation mechanism. The experimental response of the SMA cables, frictional unit and overall damper at different loading frequencies and temperature are used to develop numerical model of the damper. Once a validated numerical model is obtained, parametric studies are carried out to evaluate force-displacement response of the damper when the design parameters are altered. The effects of damper design parameters on the equivalent stiffness, dissipated energy, equivalent viscous damping and self-centering capabilities of the damper are analyzed. Based on the findings, the recommendations for the design of the damper are presented.
A Qualitative Study on Psychosocial Challenges of Patients With Cancer in Ethiopia Using the Social-Ecological Model
Authors: Wondimagegnehu Abigiya , Assefa Mathewos , Teferra Solomon , Kantelhardt Eva J. , Zebrack Bradley , Addissie Adamu
Published: January 2024

Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be physically arduous, disrupting patients’ social and work lives. Understanding the extent of these problems is key to addressing patients’ needs, but specific psychosocial challenges have not yet been well studied in resource-limited settings. A qualitative study was conducted in the capital and two regions of Ethiopia with the aim of exploring psychosocial challenges among cancer patients. A total of 14 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and 16 focus group discussions (FGDs) were done with cancer patients, health professionals, community representatives, and religious leaders. Four separate interview guides were used to facilitate the interviews and discussions. All transcribed documents, field notes, and reflexive memos were entered into NVivo 12 software, and deductive thematic analysis using the social-ecological model was applied to summarize the main findings. At an individual level, emotional distress, suicidal risk, denial, and refusal of treatment were identified immediately after diagnosis while hopelessness, feeling depressed, and fear of death were commonly reported psychosocial challenges during the course of treatment. Involvement of family members in major treatment decisions was recognized at an interpersonal level. Our result also revealed that cancer patients had strong social support from family members and close friends. In the community, traditional medicine and religious rituals were considered an alternative treatment for cancer. The findings indicate that counselling and psychoeducation are crucial for cancer patients, family members, and close friends. Awareness creation programmes should be delivered through collaboration with religious leaders and traditional healers.
Cultural Pathways to a Respectable Manhood Masculinity for Visibly Physically Disabled Xhosa Men
Authors: Sipungu Thoko
Published: January 2024

This article explores how upon self-defining their manhood identities as unimpacted by their impairments, the participants, traditionally initiated Xhosa men with visible physical impairments, instead identified their social status as impacted. The study reports data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 Xhosa men, onegroup interview, and one cultural expert interview. The data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). This article identifies Xhosa traditional initiation as a grantor of equality; thus, the participant’s identities remained unimpacted, contrary to existing research about the co-existence of disability and masculinity. However, the lack of the impairment’s diminishing impact on their manhood identities notwithstanding, the participants identified both the impact of impairments on their status, and cultural pathways through which they seek to maintain a respectable social status as men in the communities. This article, therefore, explores these cultural pathways and how the participants negotiate the demands of able-bodied masculinity that often accompany their performance.
Self-tuning PID feedback control method for magnetic suspension active vibration isolation system with parameters uncertainty
Authors: Wu Qianqian , Liu Zhihui , An Fengyan , Liu Bilong
Published: January 2024

A self-tuning PID (Proportion-Integral-Derivative) control method based on the adaptive mechanism was proposed for the magnetic suspension active vibration isolation system with the characteristics of nonlinear, time-varying, and model parameter uncertainty. The controller identified the controlled object parameters online and solved the controller parameters in real time. To test the effectiveness of the proposed method, a six degree-of-freedom (DOF) magnetic suspension active vibration isolation system was designed and built. The six DOF dynamic model of the vibration isolation system with uncertain model parameters was derived for control. Experiments were carried out and compared with the control effects of the tradition PID control and cascade PID control algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed self-tuning PID controller has more outstanding practicality and effectiveness in solving the model parameter uncertainty problem compared with the existing studies at home and abroad, and it also proves that the control method has a good isolation effect on the wide band disturbances.
Associations Between Gut Microbial Features and Sickness Symptoms in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Sung Choa , Park Chang Gi , Maienschein-Cline Mark , Chlipala George , Green Stefan , Doorenbos Ardith , Fink Anne , Bronas Ulf , Lockwood Mark
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The study investigated the relationship of gut microbiome features and sickness symptoms in kidney transplant recipients.

Methods

Employing a prospective, longitudinal design, we collected data from 19 participants who had undergone living-donor kidney transplant at three timepoints (pre-transplant and 1 week and 3 months post-transplant). Sickness symptom data and fecal specimens were collected at each timepoint. Participants were grouped either as high or low sickness symptom severity at baseline. Shotgun metagenomics sequencing characterized gut microbial structure and functional gene content. Fecal microbial features, including alpha (evenness and richness within samples) and beta (dissimilarities between samples) diversity and relative abundances, were analyzed using R statistical packages. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses examined relationships between gut microbial features and sickness symptoms.

Results

Although our exploratory findings revealed no significant differences in alpha and beta diversity between groups, the high-severity group showed lower microbial richness and evenness than the low-severity group. The high-severity group had enriched relative abundance of bacteria from the genera Citrobacter and Enterobacter and reduced relative abundance of bacteria from the genus Akkermansia across timepoints. No functional genes differed significantly between groups or timepoints.

Conclusions

Kidney transplant recipients with high symptom burden displayed increased putative proinflammatory bacteria and decreased beneficial bacteria. This study provides an effect size that future large cohort studies can employ to confirm associations between gut microbial features and sickness symptom experiences in the kidney transplant population. The study findings also have implications for future interventional studies aiming to alleviate the sickness symptom burden in this population.
Exploring the relationship between sleep and aggression in adolescents: A cross sectional study using the UK Millennium cohort study
Authors: McCaffrey Caoimhe , McClure John , Singh Sukhmeet , Melville Craig A
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to establish if a significant relationship exists between sleep and aggression in a large representative adolescent cohort and explores the impact of potential confounders. This cross-sectional secondary data analysis included 10,866 males and females aged 13–15 years, from the UK-based 2015 Millenium Cohort Study (sixth sweep). Independent variables included self-report measures of sleep duration and quality. The parent reported ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’ conduct score measured aggression. Binary logistic regression examined independent associations between each sleep variable and aggression. Multiple regression models then adjusted for potential confounders: age, sex, socioeconomic status, arousal, and affect. Under 8 hours of sleep on average was significantly associated with aggression when age, sex and income were controlled ( p = .008). This became insignificant following adjustment for both affect and arousal. Sleep quality remained significantly associated with aggression when all confounders were controlled: ‘sleep onset latency >30 minutes’ and ‘wakening at least a good bit of the time’ increased the odds of aggression by around 27.9% ( p < .001) and 43.5% respectively ( p < .001). A significant association exists between poor subjective sleep quality and heightened aggression in this cohort, when all our confounders are controlled, identifying sleep quality as a potential target in treating adolescent aggression.
Misbehaviour on Retreat: Rule-Breaking and the Labours of the Self
Authors: Hodgson James
Published: January 2024

Current scholarship tends to frame retreat-going, and the practices carried out therein, as emblematic of late-modern forms of self-work, understanding retreats as part of broader personal life projects of self-mastery and self-knowledge. For this article, I draw on empirical data to suggest that, although work on the self is typically the central concern for retreat-goers, they also question or outright reject the discipline of the retreat space by breaking its ‘rules’. Borrowing insights developed in the context of organisation studies, I describe two kinds of such ‘misbehaviour’ on retreat. First, I explore how retreat-goers misbehave in regards to the rules around intimacy, since sexual and erotic desire is usually discouraged but nonetheless features in retreat-goers’ experiences. Then, I explore examples of collective misbehaviour and suggest that retreat-goers often work together to ensure the retreat’s success by collaboratively breaking the rules through practices like gossip. This article contributes an understanding of how wellbeing practices might be usefully made sense of as social accomplishments, situated within the greater swathe of everyday life. But I also map out one way in which the concept of ‘misbehaviour’ might be applied to activities outside of the workplace.
Mixed language in flux? The various impacts of multilingual contact on Lánnang-uè’s wh-question system
Authors: Gonzales Wilkinson Daniel Wong
Published: January 2024

Aims and objectives:

What exactly happens to a mixed language’s system in a multilingual contact setting? This study aims to investigate the interactions between speakers’ exposure to, frequency of, and proficiency in four languages (English, Tagalog, Hokkien, and Mandarin) and their influences on the why-fronting only wh-question system of Lánnang-uè, a mixed language used by the metropolitan Manila Lannangs. It also aims to test the validity of the assertion that symbiotic mixed languages are more likely to be in flux.

Methodology:

The Lánnang-uè speakers participated in production and acceptability experiments.

Data analysis:

Likelihood to front (production) and responses to a 7-point Likert-type scale (acceptability) were the dependent variables for several Bayesian linear mixed-effects models with age, frequency of language use, and language proficiency as primary fixed effects, sociolinguistic factors (e.g., attitudes, identity) as covariates, and participant (and when appropriate, item) as a random effect.

Findings:

Both production and acceptability results showed that the effects of contact are numerous and far from homogeneous. They vary depending on the source language, wh-phrase type, and degree of consciousness. They corroborate the widely held belief that mixed languages are less stable in symbiotic contexts. However, this paper goes an extra step to show that this “instability” or variability is not always a consequence of contact-induced transfer. It demonstrates that when the source languages influence the stability or development of the mixed language, the effects can be diverse, encompassing aspects such as identity processes, language attitudes, structural transfer, and/or other sociolinguistic innovations.

Originality:

This article is one of the first studies to examine the effects of contact between multiple languages on a mixed language variable using both production and acceptability experimental data in a five-language context. It is one of the very few variationist works in the Philippines that considers the effects of multilingualism on variation and change.
Local party members’ views are associated, but not completely congruent, with local constituency opinion
Authors: Hanretty Chris , Bale Tim , Poletti Monica , Webb Paul
Published: January 2024

Do local political party members reflect the views of voters in their constituencies? Since candidate selection by local party members is the most common form of candidate selection in the United Kingdom, it is important to understand local party members’ views, and how those views relate to views in the local area. We investigate the degree to which individual members’ views match local opinion by combining the results of a large-scale survey of party members in the United Kingdom with estimates of local opinion created using multilevel regression and post-stratification. We find that individual party members’ views are moderately to strongly associated with local opinion on both left-right and liberty-authority dimensions. Even so, party members are not entirely congruent with opinion in the local area, having opinions which are either to the left or right of voters in their local area, and which are uniformly more liberal than party supporters.
Discourse, digitisation and women’s rights groups in Nigeria and Ghana: Online campaigns for political inclusion and against violence on women and girls
Authors: Chiluwa Innocent
Published: January 2024

This study examines aspects of online activism by women’s rights groups in Nigeria and Ghana, especially by exploring their online campaign approaches. Applying the new social movement theories and methods in linguistic pragmatics and discourse analysis, the study examines and analyses how gender issues such as political participation and violence against women and girls are mediated discursively. The study further assesses the roles of social media in the campaign programmes of the women’s rights groups. Two groups each from Nigeria and Ghana are selected for the study. These are among the most active ones in the two countries with an efficient online presence. Findings show that the women movements adopt discourse-pragmatic acting strategies such as reporting, directing, demanding and identifying with women’s rights to seek redress to perceived gender injustice.
Examining academic freedom within WB and UNESCO discourses on higher education: A Foucauldian discourse analysis
Authors: Esmat Israa Medhat
Published: January 2024

Academic freedom constitutes an integral part of traditional university values that ensure the proper functioning of universities in pursuing truth and inculcating civic values. In a globalized world where Higher Education (HE) policy is the result of the interaction of local, national, and international levels, the positions of international organizations on questions of academic freedoms deem significant. Within global discourses on HE, literature contrasts the World Bank’s human capitalist to UNESCO’s humanistic approach. Through Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of both organizations’ documents, the paper presented a genealogical analysis of academic freedom that challenged the existence of static, opposite, and binary positions. Transformations, ruptures, juxtapositions as well as gaps, limits, and exclusions were detected within and across International Organizations’ discourses. Juxtaposition of economic and humanistic rationales as well as academic freedom protection and neoliberal policy interventions have muted discursive conflicts and inherent contradictions. The failure of UNESCO to address contemporary threats to academic freedom emerged from the appearance of neoliberal transnational governmentality as an inevitable social regularity that delimits what can be said and cannot be said about academic freedom. Through coercive funding schemes and technologies of differentiation, surveillance, and monitoring, the WB created the space for such transnational governmentality, and placed faculty members under its gaze resulting in undermining academic freedoms and de-professionalization of academics.
Time for slow care: Bringing slow pedagogy into conversation with ethics of care in the infant/toddler classroom
Authors: Sorrells Cassie , Madrid Akpovo Samara
Published: January 2024

This research presents the findings of an 8-month ethnographic case study of one infant/toddler classroom in the southeastern United States. Participants included the classroom’s two (white, female) teachers and a racially diverse group of 12 children between one to 2 years of age. Grounded within an ethics of care theoretical framework, this research was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are teachers’ lived experiences of care in this early childhood classroom community? and (2) How do those teachers understand their lived experiences of care? During data revisiting with teachers (Tobin and Hsueh, 2014), the concept of time—and particularly, slowness—emerged as a central connecting theme. The emergence of this central theme led to an overarching theoretically guided analysis of the data, implementing a feminist interpretation of Clark’s (2022) articulation of Slow Pedagogy in ECE to understand how slowness—a feminized quality antithetical to the furious pace of neoliberal education—is central to care in this context. In addition, a thematic analysis (Saldaña, 2021) of ethnographic data, including field notes, video, and photos gathered during participant observations, and four semi-structured teacher interviews, produced two foundational themes in teachers’ understandings and practices of care: Care as Emotional Presence, and Care as Acknowledgment. Findings introduce the concept of Slow Care, a noveltheorizing of care practices that emphasizes the importance of slow, relationally-guided temporalities, serving to contest and counter the growing neoliberal pressures of efficiency and productivity in early childhood policy and practice.
Effects of co-supplementation of chromium and magnesium on metabolic profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress in impaired glucose tolerance
Authors: Zhao Yang , Zhou Mengmeng , Shang Yongfang , Dou Mei , Gao Shan , Yang Hai , Zhang Fanghua
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of chromium (Cr) and magnesium (Mg) ions on metabolic profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance (IR).

Methods

120 individuals with IGT and IR were randomly divided into four groups treated with (1) chromium, (2) magnesium, (3) chromium and magnesium or (4) placebo. Metabolic and inflammatory indicators were measured at baseline and after 3 months intervention.

Results

Comparison among groups showed that fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 h post glucose (2hPPG), fasting insulin (FINS) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in Cr + Mg group were significantly decreased compared with the other three groups ( p < .05), and high density lipoprotein (HDL-c) levels were higher. 8-iso prostaglandin F2 alpha (8-iso-PGF2a) decreased in Cr, Mg, and Cr + Mg groups compared with placebo ( p < .05), and 8-iso-PGF2a decreased in Cr + Mg groups compared with Cr group and Mg groups ( p > .05). Intra-group comparison showed that the levels of FPG, 2hPPG and FINS in Cr + Mg group were significantly decreased after intervention ( p < .05), and FINS in Mg group was significantly decreased ( p < .01). The levels of HDL-c and triacylglycerol (TG) in Cr + Mg group were significantly improved ( p < .05). The level of HDL-c in Mg group was significantly improved compared with baseline ( p < .05). Compared with baseline, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in Cr + Mg group and Mg group were significantly decreased ( p < .05).

Conclusions

The co-supplementation of Cr and Mg improves glycemic and lipid levels and reduces the inflammatory response and oxidative stress profiles of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance.
Vulnerabilities, care, and exposure to illness risks among people with intellectual disabilities in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021)
Authors: Silva Diego Ferreira Lima , Pereira Éverton Luís
Published: January 2024

People with intellectual disabilities, especially those who require care, are among the most affected by severe forms of COVID-19 and COVID-19- related deaths. In this study we investigated how care needs and other vulnerabilities influence the possibility COVID-19 infection among people with intellectual disabilities in Brazil. Method: Descriptive quantitative study using an online questionnaire answered by 2,800 respondents with intellectual disabilities over the age of sixteen. Results: Individuals with a greater need for care had higher frequencies of positive COVID-19 diagnoses (6.5%-8%) and were approximately six times more likely to be infected by family members than those who did not have COVID-19 in the family. Conclusions: There is a need for specific government measures to protect people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, because those with greater care needs are the most exposed to risks of contagion and sickness and have potential vectors of infection among family members and caregivers.
Neuro-Psychomotor intervention in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: An exploratory study by using parent-report tools
Authors: Tagliabue Luca , Cerroni Francesco , Salatiello Raffaella , Ricci Chiara , Zanchi Stefania , Monaco Elide , Nacinovich Renata , Carotenuto Marco , Purpura Giulia
Published: January 2024

Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of complex conditions with onset in the developmental period, that produce impairments of global functioning. For these features, the rehabilitative approaches should be flexible, tailored to the individual characteristics of each patient, and characterized by a standardized multidimensional view, for taking into consideration all the several areas of neurodevelopment. This single-arm clinical trial aims to investigate the features, feasibility, and limitations of Neuro-Psychomotor (NPM) intervention, an Italian naturalistic model for children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 30 children (16 with Mixed Specific Developmental Disorder vs 14 with Intellectual Disability) were recruited and their parents filled out two validated tools questionnaires (Developmental Profile-3 and Sensory Processing Measure), before and after 6 months of NPM intervention. Although with some limitations, findings showed that NPM intervention is reliable, flexible, and helpful for children with different neurodevelopmental disorders. Further studies are necessary to investigate its efficacy on a larger sample.
Bearing remaining useful life prediction with an improved CNN-LSTM network using an artificial gorilla troop optimization algorithm
Authors: Li Yonghua , Chen Zhe , Hu Chaoqun , Zhao Xing
Published: January 2024

To address the problem of reliance on a priori knowledge and difficult hyperparameter selection in feature fusion. The effect of different convolutional kernel sizes and filters on feature fusion is investigated firstly, based on which an artificial Gorilla Troops Optimizer (GTO) enhanced Convolutional Long-Short Term Memory Neural Network (CNN-LSTM) method for bearing lifetime prediction is suggested. The GTO algorithm was used to optimize hyperparameters such as the convolutional kernel size of CNN-LSTM, filters and pooling layer size, batch size, number of hidden layer neurons, and rate of learning with the goal of minimizing the mean squared error of the remaining useful life (RUL) prediction. From the optimized CNN-LSTM network analyze the monitored performance degradation data, construct health indicators (HI) reflecting bearing degradation, and build the remaining bearing life prediction model. Typical life cycle data has been used for the validation of the proposed method. The results indicate that the health indicators have better trending and robustness, and leading to smaller errors in life prediction outcomes.
Short Report: Clinical Features and Epilepsy Monitoring in an Adult With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Mike W. , Bustros Stephanie T. , Gaston Tyler E. , Descartes Maria , Agnihotri Shruti P.
Published: January 2024

Background

22q11.2 microdeletion is the most common microdeletion syndrome in humans with a prevalence of 13 per 100 000 live births, and it is a multisystem condition with variable phenotypic presentations.

Methods

We present a case of an adult patient with Dandy-Walker syndrome who presented to our epilepsy clinic with 2 years of new-onset seizures and cognitive decline and 1 year of psychotic symptoms.

Results

Patient had a non-revealing autoimmune and malignancy work-up. Continuous scalp vEEG study showed bursts of 1-2 Hz generalized fronto-centrally predominant spike or polyspike and slow wave discharges. Several myoclonic jerks were time-locked with the generalized discharges indicative of cortical myoclonus. MRI brain revealed periventricular nodular heterotopia in addition to findings suggestive of Dandy-Walker syndrome. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated a 22q11.2 microdeletion seen in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Conclusion

Our case illustrates the challenges of diagnosing genetic disorders in adults especially when the initial diagnosis is dependent on a number of factors, including the patient’s age, the severity of the phenotypic features, and the awareness of the physician.
A corpus-based bibliometric study of highly cited papers in sport sciences
Authors: Sheng Yan , Huiting Zhang , Qiang Zhang , Chenhui Li
Published: January 2024

Highly cited papers showcase high-quality research and encompass significant themes in the field. This study examined a total of 435 highly cited papers based on Essential Citation Indicators in the Web of Science (WoS) category of sport sciences with a bibliometric method. In particular, the bibliometric indicators of the highly cited papers including publication venues, authors, countries, institutions, and the top cited publications were presented and analyzed in detail. An Abstract corpus was constructed to help identify the most frequently explored topics. VOSviewer was employed to visualize the co-occurrence networks of keywords. The study revealed the trending information of important contributors at the levels of journals, authors, countries, and institutes. The top cited publications can be grouped into three categories: guidelines, recommendations based on systematic reviews, and evaluations. The most frequently explored topics based on the Abstract corpus and the most frequently used keywords from VOSviewer mapping overlap to a great extent. Specifically, topics such as meta-analysis, systematic review, sport-related concussion, sedentary behavior, football, rehabilitation, and osteoarthritis are among the most frequently mentioned. The results provide the most updated publication characteristics and hot topics of highly cited papers in sport sciences and offer insights for academic researchers in future research.
Mechanisms of Emotional Experiences of Online Spectators of E-Sports Events From the Perspective of Interactive Ritual Chain
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Danning , Dai Guangquan
Published: January 2024

E-sports events play a crucial role as significant entertainment activities and platforms for emotional interaction among the public. This study seeks to delve into the processes underlying the emotional experiences of online spectators during interactive rituals within e-sports events. It employs the core concept of emotional energy within interaction ritual chains as framework for analysis. To accomplish this, we conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 20 online spectators actively engaged in the League of Legends professional league. These interviews specifically targeted their emotions, feelings, evaluations, behaviors, and other relevant experiences both preceding, during, and subsequent to spectating. Our analysis revealed four distinct stages within the emotional energy change process: emotional arousal, immersion, climax, and continuity. These stages collectively culminate in the formulation of a dynamic, continuous, and cyclical emotional energy model. Notably, spectators adeptly employ various emotional regulation strategies to mitigate the impact of disruptive factors. The integration of ritual symbols, coupled with the positive feedback loop of emotional energy, serves to connect the five identified stages and establish a cohesive cyclic upward mechanism. These findings not only offer unique insights into the micro-level emotional experiences of online spectators but also hold practical implications for the effective management of e-sports events.
Accuracy of the Cage Placement in Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion and its Effects on the Radiological Outcome in Lumbar Degenerative Disease
Authors: Chen Longwei , Han Zhiyuan , Wei Jianwei , Sun Yunlong , Liu Lantao , Liu Haifei , Wang Dechun
Published: January 2024

Study Design

A retrospective study.

Objectives

This study aimed to check how accurately cages were inserted and how they affected the radiological results in oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) at L2-L5.

Methods

A total of 137 patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disease, 184 intervertebral discs were included. We used a new cage deviation classification system on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine cage insertion accuracy. Cage deviation angles (CDA) were classified into four groups based on the angle formed by the long axis of the cage and the horizontal axis of the vertebral body. Other radiological parameters on plain radiographs and MRI were compared based on this classification.

Results

Among 183 cages, 19 were in zone Ⅰ-Ⅱ (10.32%), 163 were in zone II-III (88.59%), and two were in zone III-IV (1.09%). The median cage deviation was 4.97°. No significant differences (H = 2.479, P = .290 > .05) of CDA were found among different segments. Posterior cage deviation accounted 94.57%. The minimal, mild, moderate, and severe cage deviation was 89 (48.4%), 51 (27.7%), 30 (16.3%), and 14 (7.6%) respectively. No differences in radiological parameter changes were noted among different cage obliquity categories.

Conclusions

Approximately 98.91% of cages were placed in zones I-II and II-III. Most cages deviated posteriorly with CDA ranging minimal to moderate. Minimal to moderate cage deviation did not impact radiological outcomes significantly in OLIF at L2-L5. However, avoiding severe cage deviation is crucial to prevent contralateral traversing nerve root injuries.
Small Intestine Gastrointestinal Clear Cell Sarcoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Njima Manel , Lahbacha Bahaeddine , Ben Jabra Sadok , Moussa Amani , Bellalah Ahlem , Ben Abdeljelil Nouha , Ben Hammouda Seifeddine , Njim Leila , Hadhri Rim , Zakhama Abdelfattah
Published: January 2024

Gastrointestinal clear cell sarcoma (GICCS)/malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor (GNET) is an extremely rare form of cancer with aggressive clinical behavior. It has distinct pathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular features. Herein, we present the case of a 20-year-old woman with no notable medical history who presented to the outpatient department with complaints of abdominal pain and vomiting. Symptoms had been evolving for 3 months. The physical examination revealed slight abdominal tenderness and melena. Biological investigations revealed iron-deficiency anemia. The upper and lower endoscopies showed no abnormalities. Magnetic resonance enterography revealed small bowel wall thickening of 15 mm × 2 mm. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an ileal mass with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. A wide resection of the mass was then performed. The final pathological report confirmed the diagnosis of small bowel GICCS/GNET. After 11 months of follow-up, the patient presented with mesenteric lymph node metastases.
Does Spinal Surgery in Elderly Patients (Over 80 Years-Old) Lead to More Early Post-Operative Complications Than Lower Limb Prosthetic Surgery?
Authors: Marie-Hardy Laura , Khalifé Marc , Pietton Raphaël , Rollet Marie-Eva , Boissière L. , Cohen-Bittan J. , Pascal-Moussellard H.
Published: January 2024

Purpose: Patients and surgeons may be reluctant on spinal surgery over 80 years old, fearing medical complications despite the possible improvement on quality of life. However, fewer reservations for lower limb prosthetic surgery (LLPS) seem to be arisen in this population. Is spinal surgery after 80 years-old responsible of more complications than lower limb surgery? Methods: The consecutive files of 164 patients over 80 years that had spinal surgery or LLPS were analyzed. The data collected pre-operatively were demographic, clinical and post-operatively the number and types of medical complications and length of stay. Results: The mean number of medical complications was 1.11 ± 0.6 [0–6] for spinal surgery and 1.09 ± 1.0 [0–3] for LLPS, ( p = 0,87). The length of stay in orthopedic unit was comparable between the two groups: 10.7 ± 4.9 days [2–36] for SS and 10.7 ± 3.0 days [5–11] for LLPS ( p = 0,96). Conclusion: The global rate of peri-operative complications and the length of hospital stay were similar between spinal surgery and lower limb prosthetic surgery. These results may be explained by the rising cooperation between geriatric specialist and surgeons and the development of mini-invasive surgical technics, diminishing the early post-operative complication rates.
Evaluation of a Guided Nature and Forest Therapy Walk for Internal Medical Residents – A Brief Report
Authors: Morrison Katherine T. , Jensen Kristin M. , Keniston Angela , McBeth Lauren , Vermeesch Amber L. , O’Connor Kerry “Nellie”
Published: January 2024

Background

Medical residents commonly face compassion fatigue, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Studies of nature-based interventions show improved mental and physical health; few focus on healthcare providers.

Objective

To explore potential benefits of forest bathing for medical residents’ wellbeing.

Methods

Using the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy’s framework, we piloted a forest bathing intervention among medical residents with pre/post-participation surveys assessing perceptions of mindfulness and psychological wellbeing. Responses were analyzed using a Fisher’s exact test and Student’s t-test for independent samples.

Results

Fourteen of fifteen participants completed both surveys. We observed significantly improved mindfulness scores and expressions of feeling calm, vital, or creative, as well as a decreased sense of anxiety and depression. Nonsignificant trends towards decreased burnout and irritability were seen.

Conclusion

This quality improvement pilot demonstrates trends that forest bathing can improve medical residents’ psychological wellbeing and mindfulness. Further exploration of this intervention for healthcare providers is warranted.
A Quantum Oscillator Model of Stock Markets
Authors: Orrell David
Published: January 2024

Classical oscillators have long been used to model financial time series, but suffer from the drawback that the underlying system does not behave like a mechanical spring: there are no regular oscillations, and price is not a well-defined mechanical quantity but always has a degree of uncertainty. In recent years a number of authors have attempted to address these problems by basing their models on quantum harmonic oscillators, which always have a non-zero volatility, however the role of other features that are characteristic of quantum systems, such as discrete energy levels, has not been clear. This paper develops a quantum model in which the energy level corresponds to an integer number of transactions. The model is derived by quantizing entropic forces which represent the intentions of buyers and sellers to transact as a function of price. It is shown that the model captures the non-Gaussian nature of financial statistics, and correctly predicts empirical phenomena including the square-root law of price impact, along with its associated variance.
Novel rapid discharge sintering technique for damage-free diamond metal matrix composites
Authors: Breen Aidan , Byrne Greg , Twomey Barry , Dowling Denis
Published: January 2024

The performance of diamond/nickel metal matrix composites (MMCs) produced using a novel microwave plasma technique, rapid discharge sintering (RDS), and conventional tube furnace sintering in argon is compared. The MMCs were sintered at temperatures between 850 and 1050°C in both cases. The RDS treatments were carried out at 20 mbar in plasmas containing hydrogen or hydrogen–nitrogen gases. The addition of nitrogen gas to the hydrogen plasma facilitated a substantial increase in composite firing temperatures. A significant reduction in sintering times, to 10 min from several hours, was achieved using the RDS technique. A further advantage of the RDS treatments was the absence of any diamond graphitisation (as detected by X-ray diffraction), which was reflected in higher sintered densities and flexural strength for RDS than for furnace sintering.