bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Appendiceal Obliterans Fibrosis: A Five-Year Case Series Report in a Community Hospital
Authors: Uddin Tanjil , Aktar Mohammad , Islam Rayan , Quazi Nadim , Wilson Abralena
Published: November 2024

Acute appendicitis is the most common appendiceal disease, however, there are some chronic inflammatory disease pathologies such as appendiceal obliterans (AO) that mimic acute appendicitis. We present a five-year retrospective case series analysis in a community hospital for patients who underwent appendectomy. Fibrous obliteration of the appendix occurs when there is a replacement of the mucosa and submucosa with fibrotic tissues. In a small community hospital, there were 195 patients that underwent appendectomy within a five-year period, in which 6.66% of patients' final pathology confirmed AO. There are some similar clinical symptoms and computed tomography (CT) findings of AO that can mimic acute appendicitis, but there is no consensus for any criteria to definitively diagnose this condition radiologically. The current method to determine the etiology of this appendiceal condition is through appendectomy followed by histological evaluation by a pathologist. We aim to analyze prior patients and their risk factors to find an alternative diagnostic method. We explore several factors including age, to determine if there can be any basis to creating a diagnostic criterion for this condition. The mean age within our case series was 58 years old. While fibrous obliteration of the appendix is a chronic inflammatory process, patients may present with acute abdominal pain, making the diagnosis difficult. Therefore, clinicians should make AO a part of their differential diagnosis which may require surgical intervention.
Explainable Deep Learning Approaches for Risk Screening of Periodontitis
Authors: Suh B. , Yu H. , Cha J.-K. , Choi J. , Kim J.-W.
Published: November 2024

Several pieces of evidence have been reported regarding the association between periodontitis and systemic diseases. Despite the emphasized significance of prevention and early diagnosis of periodontitis, there is still a lack of a clinical tool for early screening of this condition. Therefore, this study aims to use explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technology to facilitate early screening of periodontitis. This is achieved by analyzing various clinical features and providing individualized risk assessment using XAI. We used 1,012 variables for a total of 30,465 participants data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). After preprocessing, 9,632 and 5,601 participants were left for all age groups and the over 50 y age group, respectively. They were used to train deep learning and machine learning models optimized for opportunistic screening and diagnosis analysis of periodontitis based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ American Academy of Pediatrics case definition. Local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) were applied to evaluate potential associated factors, including demographic, lifestyle, medical, and biochemical factors. The deep learning models showed area under the curve values of 0.858 ± 0.011 for the opportunistic screening and 0.865 ± 0.008 for the diagnostic dataset, outperforming baselines. By using LIME, we elicited important features and assessed the combined impact and interpretation of each feature on individual risk. Associated factors such as age, sex, diabetes status, tissue transglutaminase, and smoking status have emerged as crucial features that are about twice as important than other features, while arthritis, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overweight have also been identified as contributing factors to periodontitis. The feature contribution rankings generated with XAI offered insights that align well with clinically recognized associated factors for periodontitis. These results highlight the utility of XAI in deep learning–based associated factor analysis for detecting clinically associated factors and the assistance of XAI in developing early detection and prevention strategies for periodontitis in medical checkups.
Affordable Housing and Urban Politics in Spain, 1924-1937: Málaga’s “Garden City,” from Dictatorship to Republic
Authors: Richards Michael
Published: November 2024

This article explores working-class housing schemes and urban planning to gain a new angle for viewing successive national political crises in Spain in the 1920s and 1930s. It focuses on the southern city of Málaga through a micro-study of the Ciudad Jardín development begun during the military dictatorship of the 1920s. Using a range of archival and newspaper sources, the article demonstrates how political struggle over affordable housing had become central to emerging modern public opinion, moving center-stage at a municipal level, just as the democratic Second Republic arrived in 1931. The basis of this contest was laid during the preceding oligarchic monarchy, an era marked by economic fragility, mass inward migration, and lack of urban planning. The model of the transnational Garden City movement subsequently served two competing political discourses about economic progress, hygiene, and social utility in Málaga: one “top-down” and for profit, the other based on social utility. Their lack of success had much to do with power and how it was publicly contested within state-municipal relations. This struggle was among the broader roots of the Republic’s descent into civil war.
The dialectic link between trust and privacy: Black and Latinx Women’s perspectives on digital sharing practices in romantic relationships
Authors: Ramirez Fanny , Bolaños-Carpio Alexa
Published: November 2024

Based on open-ended survey data of 400 women who self-identify as either Black or Latinx, this study examines women’s digital media sharing practices in romantic relationships amid a growing trend towards the personalization of digital technologies. Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory as well as scholarship on privacy and trust in romantic relationships frame our work. Approximately 56% of participants said romantic partners should not have access to each other’s social media accounts, 24% said they should, and 20%, said that access needed to be negotiated based on situational and personal factors (e.g., seriousness of the relationship, special circumstances). Justifications for sharing included having nothing to hide, trust, and a desire for open communication in the relationship. Explanatory themes for keeping social media and smartphone access private focused on trust, privacy, risk of conflict, and the need to respect a person’s individuality and personal boundaries. Interestingly, trust was a major motivator for both granting and denying access. We make sense of this duality of trust through the introduction of a trust/privacy dialectic relationship that extends current scholarship on CPM in romantic relationships.
Investigation on the control of rare earth content and surface quality of ingot during electroslag remelting process
Authors: Hou Dong , Yang Zhicheng , Fan Lei , He Jianxiong , Wang Deyong , Li Bobo , Tian Jun , Liu Tao
Published: November 2024

Rare earth element played an important role in the carbide and solidification structure of high carbon steel. Reasonable control of rare earth content in electroslag remelting (ESR) of special steel can obviously improve the quality of steel. This paper focused on the thermodynamics between rare earth slag and steel to improve the homogeneous distribution control of rare earth element along the height of ESR ingot. The melting temperature, viscous characteristics of CaF2-CaO-Al2O3-Ce2O3-based slags were measured. The results showed that the CaO played an important role in activity coefficients of SiO2, Al2O3, Ce2O3. The content of Ce in ESR ingot increased with the increase of CaO content in slags, but the excessive CaO deteriorated the physical properties of the slag and the surface quality of electroslag ingots. When the slag compositions met the condition of CaF2: CaO: Al2O3: Ce2O3 = 50: 10: 20: 20, it not only had the low melting temperature and appropriate viscous characteristics but also could control the rare earth content in steel to a greater extent. Finally, ESR ingots with good surface and homogeneous distribution of Ce along the height of ingot were obtained.
Excavation path planning method for excavator based on fillability
Authors: Wang Ziwei , Liu Guangjun
Published: November 2024

An excavation path planning method for excavator based on fillability is proposed. Key excavation points are calculated based on fillability, bucket parameters, and soil parameters. In the path planning of the bucket end, the arc is used to fit the transition of the path, which can reduce the vibration impact caused by sudden changes in the direction of motion. According to the excavation rules, a bucket attitude angle planning rules are developed. To maintain consistency between the attitude angle and path changes in time sequence, the bucket attitude angle is interpolated equiangular based on the bucket end path interpolation. The Hitachi Construction Machinery ZAXIS200 hydraulic excavator is automation transformed to build an excavation automation experimental platform, and several excavation experiments are conducted on flat ground with hard soil, flat ground with soft soil, and sloping mound of soil respectively. The experiments show that the excavation path planned under the method proposed in this paper can ensure a high fillability, which exceeds 130% in three environments, and the method has a small amount of computation and can be adapted to a variety of soil environments.
A hybrid approach: Box–Behnken design and COPRAS on the investigation of biocompatible polylactic acid via material extrusion
Authors: Nirmal Kumar K , Raj Mohan R , Hareharen K , Dinesh Babu P , Venkatraman R
Published: November 2024

This study investigates the performance of biocompatible polylactic acid (PLA) processed through material extrusion/fused filament fabrication (FFF). In this study, the significant FFF input parameters, such as layer deposition, infill angle (degree), and infill percentage (%), were designated to process the PLA based on the screening design experiments. Following Box–Behnken design (BBD), the different input conditions were analyzed to evaluate the performance by assessing the characteristics such as ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and relative density (RD). Printing speed (30 mm/s), nozzle temperature (200°C), and bed temperature (70°C) are considered as fixed input parameters. The novel combination of BBD approach with the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) technique was employed to obtain the appropriate input conditions. It was beneficial to attain the individual parameter's contribution to the PLA characteristics through analysis of variance and best alternative condition through degree of utility. The combined approach was validated with a composite desirability index “D.” Finally, the hybrid approach yielded better results, such as a maximum ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 37.43 MPa, relative density (RD) 99.12%, and microhardness 52 HRB under the layer deposition: 0.12 mm, infill angle: 0°, and infill percentage: 100% in the printed biocompatible PLA.
Dignity of women with systemic lupus erythematosus: A qualitative study
Authors: Mohebbi Zinat , Bagherian Samaneh , Eckert Marion , Tehranineshat Banafsheh
Published: November 2024

Background: The nature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the far-reaching unpleasant consequences of this disease and the treatments can put the dignity of the women with the disease at risk. Yet, the dignity of this population of patients has not been the subject of much research.

Objective: The present study aims to define and describe the concept of dignity of women with SLE.

Research design: This is a qualitative descriptive study in which data were collected via individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using methods of content analysis in MAXQDA 2010.

Participants and research context: In total, 29 individuals (14 patients, 8 family caregivers, and 7 nurses) were selected by purposeful sampling from the internal wards of a teaching hospital located in the south of Iran. The study was conducted between June 2023 and February 2024. Sampling continued until the data were saturated.

Ethical considerations: The Institutional Review Board of the university has verified that the study complies with research ethics.

Findings: Analysis of the data extracted from the interviews resulted in three themes: respect for identity, compassion in care and treatment, and fulfillment of support needs.

Conclusions: The women with SLE who were surveyed in the present study needed to have their feminine identity and social identity respected and be comprehensively supported by their treatment team and family caregivers. In such a context, care characterized by compassion and empathy and treatment teams’ respectful and professional interactions with the patients contribute to maintaining the patients’ dignity. Nursing managers and staff can use the findings of the present study to create a supportive clinical environment in order to better maintain the dignity of women with SLE.
Facing Illness Together: Understanding the Role of the Couple in Palliative Care
Authors: Chammas Danielle , Fishel Anne , Cramer Margaret , Brenner Keri O. , Rosenberg Leah B.
Published: November 2024

Serious illness is rarely experienced by patients in isolation.  Many patients present to palliative care (PC) accompanied by their intimate partner. The intimate partnership is a critical axis around which many patients' experiences of serious illness revolve. However, there is a lack of literature and training on how PC clinicians can effectively support couples as a unit. Many existing PC communication strategies can be expanded to the dyadic unit, offering more holistic support for patients, partners, and the entity of their relationship. This paper integrates concepts from couples therapy, psychology, and PC communication to provide insights into the emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and practical challenges couples face during serious illness, as well as opportunities for growth and resilience. Key strategies for PC clinicians include helping couples navigate shifts in relational identity, share the “emotional housework,” and transform conflict into connection. Concrete techniques are illustrated throughout this manuscript, employing clinical micro-vignettes to demonstrate their practical application in PC practice. Recognizing the couple as a unified entity empowers clinicians to foster open communication, helping couples maintain connection and evolve intimacy throughout the illness journey. By applying relational concepts and acknowledging the couple’s shared experience, PC clinicians can enhance the quality of life for both patients and their partners. Conceptualizing the couple as a distinct entity within PC practice can deepen clinician-patient communication and improve therapeutic effectiveness.
Hyperscanning speaks to the need to revise our understanding of the mind‒brain relation
Authors: Muñoz José M.
Published: November 2024

Several research labs around the world have been developing and applying hyperscanning, an innovative methodology that allows to observe what happens in the brains of two or more people when they interact in different social/interpersonal settings. Hyperscanning findings seem to point to the fact that synchronized interbrain activity may be caused by cooperative social interaction, showing that traditionally dominant perspectives about the mind‒brain relation (in particular, supervenience and internalism regarding mental contents) should be revised or replaced by others that adequately integrate the influence of human interactions on the neurobiological underpinnings of cognition (e.g., contextual emergence, externalism regarding mental contents, 4E cognition). This shift would undeniably also have important implications in the fields of mental health (e.g., opening avenues for the design of diagnoses and treatments for social skill conditions) and the social sciences (regarding aspects such as sociocultural interplay, collective decision-making and public participation, social conflict and polarization, interpersonal curiosity, and autonomy).
Identification of Distinct Visual Scan Paths for Pathologists in Rare-Element Search Tasks
Authors: Lopes Alana , Rasmussen Sean , Au Ryan , Chakravarthy Vignesh , Chinnery Tricia , Christie Jaryd , Djordjevic Bojana , Gomez Jose A. , Grindrod Natalie , Policelli Robert , Sharma Anurag , Tran Christopher , Walsh Joanna C. , Wehrli Bret , Ward Aaron D. , Cecchini Matthew J.
Published: November 2024

Background

The search for rare elements, like mitotic figures, is crucial in pathology. Combining digital pathology with eye-tracking technology allows for the detailed study of how pathologists complete these important tasks.

Objectives

To determine if pathologists have distinct search characteristics in domain- and nondomain-specific tasks.

Design

Six pathologists and six graduate students were recruited as observers. Each observer was given five digital “Where's Waldo?” puzzles and asked to search for the Waldo character as a nondomain-specific task. Each pathologist was then given five images of a breast digital pathology slide to search for a single mitotic figure as a domain-specific task. The observers’ eye gaze data were collected.

Results

Pathologists’ median fixation duration was 244 ms, compared to 300 ms for nonpathologists searching for Waldo ( P < .001), and compared to 233 ms for pathologists searching for mitotic figures ( P = .003). Pathologists’ median fixation and saccade rates were 3.17/second and 2.77/second, respectively, compared to 2.61/second and 2.47/second for nonpathologists searching for Waldo ( P < .001), and compared to 3.34/second and 3.09/second for pathologists searching for mitotic figures ( P = .222 and P = .187, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two cohorts in their accuracy in identifying the target of their search.

Conclusions

When searching for rare elements during a nondomain-specific search task, pathologists’ search characteristics were fundamentally different compared to nonpathologists, indicating pathologists can rapidly classify the objects of their fixations without compromising accuracy. Further, pathologists’ search characteristics were fundamentally different between a domain-specific and nondomain-specific rare-element search task.
Individual Characteristics and Operator Dependence Behaviors in Human-Automation Interaction: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Hidalgo Drew , Schuler Patrik T. , Yang X. Jessie
Published: November 2024

Understanding the impact of operator characteristics on human-automation interaction (HAI) is crucial as automation becomes pervasive. Despite extensive HAI research, the association between operator characteristics and their dependence on automation has not been thoroughly examined. This study, therefore, examines how individual characteristics affect operator dependence behaviors when interacting with automation. Through a controlled experiment involving 52 participants in a dual-task scenario, we find that operators’ decision-making style, risk propensity, and agreeableness are associated with their dependence behaviors when using automation. This research illuminates the role of personal characteristics in HAI, facilitating personalized team interactions, trust building, and enhanced performance in automated settings.
Graded metastructure design for linearly auxetic deformation under tension: From 2D honeycombs to 3D truncated cones
Authors: Zhuang Shengyi , Xiang Wenchao , Xu Junbo , Yang Chao
Published: November 2024

Mechanical metamaterials exhibit special properties that cannot be realized in traditional materials. To enable a metamaterial with a sequential Poisson’s ratio and controllable expansion, a 2D-graded hybrid re-entrant honeycomb is designed in this work by coupling graded re-entrant unit cells with negative and positive Poisson’s ratios. The correlation between Poisson’s ratio and structural location under tension is studied by finite element analysis and experiments. The influence of microstructural parameters, including base angle, height ratio, and internal angle, on the relationship between the Poisson’s ratio and structural location is systematically analyzed. The theoretical analysis shows that the 2D-graded hybrid metastructures exhibit auxetic behavior with a linearly declined Poisson’s ratio along the tensile direction due to the introduction of a height ratio, resulting in gradual expansion and elongation. Furthermore, adjusting the variation of internal angles at a small height ratio can enhance the negative Poisson’s ratio of the 2D-graded hybrid re-entrant honeycomb. Finally, a 3D-graded conical metastructure exhibiting linear auxeticity is constructed based on the 2D-graded lattice. Considering their designed linearity of deformation under tension, the 2D- and 3D-graded metastructures can facilitate the design of conical profiles for an extendable rocket nozzle and other deployable devices.
The TWW Growth Model and Its Application in the Analysis of Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Tabatabai M , Wilus D , Singh KP , Wallace TL
Published: November 2024

It is necessary to accurately capture the growth trajectory of fluorescence where the best fit, precision, and relative efficiency are essential. Having this in mind, a new family of growth functions called TWW (Tabatabai, Wilus, Wallace) was introduced. This model is capable of accurately analyzing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). This new family provides a reproducible quantitation of gene copies and is less labor-intensive than current quantitative methods. A new cycle threshold based on TWW that does not need the assumption of equal reaction efficiency was introduced. The performance of TWW was compared with 3 classical models (Gompertz, logistic, and Richard) using qPCR data. TWW models the relationship between the cycle number and fluorescence intensity, outperforming some state-of-the-art models in performance measures. The 3-parameter TWW model had the best model fit in 68.57% of all cases, followed by the Richard model (28.57%) and the logistic (2.86%). Gompertz had the worst fit in 88.57% of all cases. It had the best precision in 85.71% of all cases followed by Richard (14.29%). For all cases, Gompertz had the worst precision. TWW had the best relative efficiency in 54.29% of all cases, while the logistic model was best in 17.14% of all cases. Richard and Gompertz tied for the best relative efficiency in 14.29% of all cases. The results indicate that TWW is a good competitor when considering model fit, precision, and efficiency. The 3-parameter TWW model has fewer parameters when compared to the Richard model in analyzing qPCR data, which makes it less challenging to reach convergence.
Retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the medical labour markets of the Nordic countries: a scoping review
Authors: Dræbel Tania Aase , Larsen Kristian , Petterson Eik Buhl , Sørensen Jane Brandt , Konradsen Flemming
Published: November 2024

Aims:

In Nordic countries, the influx of immigrant doctors and nurses has been increasing since 2005, however retention remains a challenge. The aims of this scoping review were to examine the facilitators and barriers to the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries in order to inform future studies and interventions.

Method:

A scoping review of peer-reviewed studies focusing on the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries was conducted using the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. In total, 37 studies were included. The analysis entailed both a numerical analysis to provide a descriptive view of frequencies and a thematic analysis utilising Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, habitus and doxa.

Results:

Facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors and nurses encompassed a sense of belonging, support from management and peers, collegiality, acknowledgement of diverse cultural competencies and the establishment of relevant professional networks. Barriers included unfamiliarity with local healthcare systems, discrimination, inadequate support in entry-level positions, poor psychosocial work environments, and limited professional networks. Few studies focused on the facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors or nurses, few examined the social and economic costs of immigration, and hardly any addressed the processes related to licencing, authorisation and accreditation.

Conclusions:

The majority of the included studies framed immigrant doctors and nurses as challenges to management or the medical labour market. The findings indicated a need for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to health workforce management across the Nordic countries to accommodate the increasingly diverse workforce in terms of international migratory backgrounds.
Big data Barbie: Barbie discourse on Facebook and Instagram
Authors: Phillips Justin Bonest , Scarf Damian
Published: November 2024

How was Barbie discussed on social media after the film's release in July 2023? While a great deal of media and academic commentary offers presumptive answers, to our knowledge no study has sought to address such a question empirically. We examine all posts on Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms that mentioned Barbie during the month of the movie's premiere. Using soft clustering of large language model embeddings, we offer an informed answer to that question. Barbie was discussed in an impressively wide variety of contexts: from co-opting Barbie as a means of boosting sales or one's online following; to celebratory expressions of gratitude and excitement; gendered frames of the movie as feminine success; thoughtful discussions of gender, motherhood and broader questions about who has ‘Kenergy’ and what constitutes being ‘Kenough’. Importantly, these discourses cast doubt on the assumption that criticisms of the movie commanded the public's primary attention online.
Early outcomes of radical surgery in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with and without COVID-19 history: a multi-center real-world study
Authors: Pan Hanbo , Chen Hang , Li Wanyu , Tian Yu , Ge Zhen , Kong Weicheng , Gu Zenan , Zou Ningyuan , Zhu Hongda , Zhang Jiaqi , Tao Yixing , Ning Junwei , Huang Jia , Yin Hui , Zhang Ming , Zhou Chengwei , Wang Hui , Xu Guodong , Luo Qingquan
Published: November 2024

Background:

Coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 can lead to chronic lung damage and respiratory issues, potentially increasing surgical difficulty and risk for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the impacts of a COVID-19 history on early outcomes in NSCLC patients remain controversial.

Objectives:

To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 history on early outcomes in NSCLC patients and identify high-risk groups undergoing radical resection based on the largest Chinese multi-center real-world data to date.

Design:

Multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

NSCLC patients with (POCVD group) or without (NCVD group) a history of COVID-19 who underwent radical surgery at six institutions from January 2022 to January 2024 were retrospectively reviewed from a prospectively maintained database. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was utilized to minimize patient selection bias.

Results:

Out of 7932 cases included, PSM resulted in 3021 cases per group. The two groups were comparable regarding the proportion of male patients (52.0% vs 51.6%) and those aged ⩾70 years (13.3% vs 13.8%). Although the two groups had comparable incidences of complications with Clavien-Dindo grades ⩾II (13.0% vs 14.4%, p = 0.117), the POCVD group had longer surgical durations (120.87 ± 40.23 min vs 110.74 ± 38.76 min, mean difference (95% confidence interval (CI) = 10.13 (8.138–12.122)) and higher rates of respiratory complications than the NCVD group. Subgroup logistic regression analysis indicated that patients aged ⩾70 years (odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) = 1.322 (1.022–1.876)) and those with a smoking history (OR (95% CI) = 1.235 (1.008–1.543)) had an increased risk of developing complications with Clavien-Dindo grades ⩾II. Further analysis confirmed that these high-risk patients experienced extended surgical durations, longer chest tube drainage, and prolonged postoperative hospital stay, along with increased postoperative respiratory complications following COVID-19.

Conclusion:

Generally, radical resection is safe for NSCLC patients with a COVID-19 history. However, these patients experienced prolonged surgical durations and a higher incidence of postoperative respiratory complications compared to those without a COVID-19 history. In addition, individuals aged ⩾70 years or with a smoking history faced elevated surgical risks following COVID-19.
Inflammatory bowel disease: a narrative review of disease evolution in South Asia and India over the last decade
Authors: Shankar Sahana , Majumder Snehali , Mukherjee Suparna , Bhaduri Anirban , Kasturi Rangarajan , Ghosh Subrata , Iacucci Marietta , Shivaji Uday N.
Published: November 2024

The rapid emergence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Asia in the last two decades is anticipated to pose significant challenges to the healthcare systems of developing countries including India. Several epidemiological factors in the Asia Pacific region have been explored as risk factors for the development of IBD. In this narrative review, we discuss the evolution of adult-onset and paediatric IBD in South Asia and India, in relation to the current global epidemiology, over the last decade. The focus lies on the changing epidemiological landscape of IBD in Asia which signals a paradigm shift in the disease trajectory of a chronic, relapsing, complex disease. We enumerate the disease burden of IBD in India and Asia, analyse the risk factors for its recent rise in incidence and briefly discuss the unique entity of very early-onset IBD. We also list the locoregional challenges in diagnosis and management along with suggestions to overcome them. We highlight the lacunae in data which warrants further research. The anticipated infrastructural challenges and disease evolution are likely to be similar in most newly industrialized countries across South Asia. A combined effort led by IBD experts in the region to understand the true disease burden is important. A strong collaborative network on research and formulation of preventive strategies relevant to the region will help reduce the burden in the future.
The efficacy and safety of a simple 14-day vonoprazan-minocycline dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a retrospective pilot study
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Teng Guigen , Dong Xinhong , Dai Yun , Wang Weihong
Published: November 2024

Background:

Current eradication regimens are not ideal for Helicobacter pylori infected patients who have difficulty choosing antibiotics due to penicillin allergy or antibiotic resistance.

Objective:

To explore the efficacy and safety of a simple vonoprazan-minocycline dual therapy (VM dual therapy) in H. pylori eradication.

Design:

Clinical data of patients who were prescribed 14-day VM dual therapy were retrospectively collected. The included patients were 18–70 years old and positive for 13C urea breath test (13C-UBT). They were allergic to penicillin or had a history of repeated antibiotic exposure or had failed eradication with multiple regimens containing amoxicillin. VM dual therapy consists of vonoprazan 20 mg twice daily and minocycline 100 mg twice daily. 13C-UBT was repeated 4–6 weeks after treatment to evaluate the therapeutic outcome.

Results:

Of the 88 enrolled patients, 54 were treatment naïve, 13 had one prior eradication failure, and 21 had multiple eradication failures. The overall intention to treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) eradication rates were 90.9% (95% CI: 82.4–95.7) and 95.2% (95% CI: 87.6–98.5). The ITT eradication rates were 90.7% (95% CI: 78.9–96.5) in treatment-naïve patients, 84.6% (95% CI: 53.7–97.3) in patients with one prior treatment failure, and 95.2% (95% CI: 74.1–99.8) in patients with multiple failures. The PP eradication rates were 94.2% (95% CI: 83.1–98.5), 91.7% (95% CI: 59.8–99.6), and 100%, respectively. The overall incidence of adverse events was 23.0%. The common adverse reactions were nausea and mild dizziness, which could be resolved without intervention.

Conclusion:

Simple VM dual therapy exhibited a good eradication rate, low incidence of adverse effects, and good adherence. It is a potential new regimen for both first-line and rescue therapy.
Liveborn children with trisomy 18: A scoping review
Authors: Schlosser Mary-Pat , MacPherson Melissa J , Castro-Codesal Maria , Mack Cheryl , Sue-Milne Kyle , Wren Tara , Shapka Larissa , Kung Janice Y , van Manen Michael
Published: November 2024

Background

There have been an increasing number of publications related to trisomy 18 associated with a shift in the philosophy of care. The objective of this review is to understand the scope of contemporary literature informing the care of children born alive with trisomy 18.

Methods

Included was peer-reviewed, primary literature in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from 2012 to 2023 reporting outcomes of children born alive with trisomy 18. Data extraction involved descriptive statistics of the types of studies, and an inductive thematic analysis of the questions addressed by the studies.

Results

Of 4628 records identified, 229 met inclusion criteria. Key themes were organized around the domains: What is trisomy 18? What are the chances of survival with trisomy 18? What can be done to improve the chances of survival with trisomy 18? How do children with trisomy 18 die? Do surgical interventions provide a benefit? Are there non-surgical options? What knowledge is informing medical management? How is life described for children with trisomy 18? What are children with trisomy 18 like as babies and as they get older? What is life like for families caring for children with trisomy 18?

Conclusions

A sizeable number of publications grouped trisomy 18 with other syndromes. Relatively few showed the longitudinal evolution of medical issues associated with trisomy 18, nor did they unfold the clinical heterogeneity of this population. This review shows the limited knowledge base guiding decision-making and care for children born alive with trisomy 18.
Reinventing Selves: An Emerging Career Transition Model for Military Personnel
Authors: Roumell Elizabeth A. , El Ahmadie Sami , Anderson Jason , Ingram Aaron
Published: November 2024

This practitioner-oriented piece explores concepts related to how active military personnel might begin to prepare for their impending career transition to mitigate some of the anticipated difficulties. To this end, the findings generated from a previous qualitative study and an emerging career transition model are connected to identified autonomy-supportive learning strategies that can be leveraged to assist US military personnel in navigating the major life and career change. The emerging framework is unique as it incorporates the experiences of military personnel in preparation for transition, in contrast to the many post-hoc, post-transition studies. This practice-focused article presents the identified concepts that support an emerging career transition model and autonomy-supportive learning strategies that may help pre-veterans better prepare for career transition. Some of the identified key concepts include: liminality, normalization, self-determination (autonomy, competency, relatedness), social capital, self-assessment, professional authoring, enactive mastery experiences, social brokerage, and comparing norms between systems. The connections made between research and practice may help military personnel, professional coaches, educators, and researchers better understand the experience of living “betwixt and between” which can inform the further development of pre-transition programming. Continued research is necessary to examine how various programs and initiatives can actively support veterans in “reinventing” their career paths.
A direct aspiration first-pass technique (ADAPT) for acute ischemic stroke thrombectomy: Indications, technique, and emerging devices
Authors: Frauenfelder Giulia , Diana Francesco , Saponiero Renato , Romano Daniele Giuseppe
Published: November 2024

To date, the use of the most suitable first-pass technique for Mechanical Thrombectomy is still debated. In last years, several observational studies have suggested noninferiority or superiority of A Direct Aspiration first-Pass Technique (ADAPT) technique to achieve better reperfusion in comparison to stent retriever. While ASA/AHA 2018 guidelines recommend that patients with AIS should receive Mechanical Thrombectomy with a stent retriever, last European Stroke Organization guidelines report no evidence that stent retriever compared with contact aspiration could improve reperfusion rate. ADAPT is based on aspiration alone as the primary mechanism of thrombectomy and, if initially unsuccessful, then incorporating adjunctive alternatives. ADAPT improvement is also related to last generation of aspiration catheters. The purpose of this review is to report ADAPT principles, technique, efficacy, and safety as first-line treatment for acute ischemic stroke with the latest generation of reperfusion devices.
Community opioid dispensing after rib fracture injuries: CODI study
Authors: Williamson Frances , Proper Melanie , Shibl Rania , Cramb Susanna , McCreanor Victoria , Warren Jacelle , Cameron Cate
Published: November 2024

Background

Pain from rib fractures often requires inpatient management with opioid medication. The need for ongoing opioid prescriptions following hospital discharge is poorly understood. Harms associated with long-term opioid use are generally accepted. However, a deeper understanding of current prescribing patterns in this population at-risk is required.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of adult patients hospitalised in Queensland, Australia between 2014 and 2015 with rib fractures (ICD-10-AM: S22.3, S22.4, S22.5), was obtained from the Community Opioid Dispensing after Injury (CODI) study, which includes person-linked hospitalisation, mortality and community opioid dispensing data. Data were extracted 90-days prior to the index-hospitalisation and 720-days after discharge. Factors associated with long-duration (>90 days cumulatively) and increased end-dose were examined using multivariable logistic regressions, odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

In total, 4306 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 58.8% had opioids dispensed in the community within 30 days of hospital discharge. 23.6% had long-duration dispensing and 13.7% increased opioid end-doses. Pre-injury opioid use was most associated with long-duration (OR = 12.00, 95% CI 8.99–16.01) and increased end-dose (OR = 9.00, 95% CI 6.75–12.00). Females and older persons had higher odds of long-duration dispensing (Females OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.38–2.22; Age 65+ OR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.32–2.61). Injury severity and presence of concurrent injuries were not statistically significantly associated with duration or dose ( p > .05). Subsequent hospitalisations and death during the follow-up period had statistically significant associations with long-duration and increased end-dose ( p < .001).

Conclusion

Opiate prescribing following rib fractures is prolonged in older, and female patients, beyond the traditionally reported recovery time frames requiring analgesia. Previous opioid use (without dependence) is associated with long-duration opioid use and increased end-dose in rib fracture patients. These results support the need for a collaborative health system approach and individualised strategies for high-risk patients with rib fractures to reduce long-term opiate use.

Level of Evidence

Level III, Prognostic/Epidemiological.
Endovascular therapy via a femoro–femoral crossover bypass graft for chronic total occlusion of the superficial femoral artery: Two case reports
Authors: Tsuchida Yasuyuki , Hayakawa Naoki , Miwa Hiromi , Ichihara Shinya , Maruta Shunsuke , Kushida Shunichi
Published: November 2024

In patients with a femoropopliteal chronic total occlusion (CTO) after femoro–femoral (FF) bypass surgery, it is often difficult to perform endovascular therapy because of access site problems. We have treated two patients with CTO of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) using an FF crossover bypass graft. The two cases were a man with intermittent claudication and acute limb ischemia, respectively. Enhanced computed tomography showed occlusion of the left SFA and the FF bypass previously performed was patent in both cases. We punctured the right common femoral artery and a guiding sheath was inserted to the left common femoral artery. A guidewire successfully passed through the intraplaque lesion by intravascular ultrasound-guided wiring in both cases. Revascularization was successfully achieved using drug-coated balloons and using drug-eluting stents, respectively. An FF crossover bypass graft may be a good access route for complex femoropopliteal cases, such as CTO lesions.
PAHFKB: A knowledge base to support personalized exercise prescription recommendations in prevention and intervention of heart failure
Authors: Zhang Ke , Ren Shumin , Bao Ting , Wu Rongrong , Wu Erman , Liu Xingyun , Zhan Chaoying , Wei Jinhong , Shen Li , Li Danting , Shen Bairong
Published: November 2024

Background and Aims

Guidelines for exercise recommendations are typically designed for the population as a whole and do not account for individual differences, making it challenging to provide personalized exercise training for individuals with complex conditions. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop PAHFKB (Physical Activity-Heart Failure Knowledge Base), a knowledge-based system for personalized exercise prescription (EP) for heart failure (HF), by mining, analyzing, and organizing existing literature and data on the relationship between physical activity (PA) and HF.

Methods

Firstly, 3186 citations on PAHF were gathered from PubMed. Then, the data standards for personalized PAHF were defined with the entity-relationship model. Following data collection in accordance with these standards, PAHFKB was developed using MySQL and ASP.NET, integrating elaborate and diverse PAHF evidence, knowledge-based EP and visualization tools.

Results

PAHFKB (pahfkb.sysbio.org.cn) incorporated 357 studies published between 1989 and 2021, involving over 900,000 subjects from 43 countries. And 1010 PAHF items were extracted, encompassing 357 exercise training protocols, 333 outcomes, and 42 risk factors for HF prevention and intervention. Among all protocols, the most frequently employed regimen consisted of three 60-minute sessions of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training on a weekly basis.

Conclusion

PAHFKB is an online system designed to support personalized EP in HF management. It incorporates diverse tools and visualization and will promote personalized decision support, establish data standards, and advance interpretable artificial intelligence in digital health. Ultimately, it will enhance clinical practice and digital therapy in the prevention and intervention of HF.
Navigating the Digital Landscape: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Technology-Organization-Environment Factors and Digital Transformation Adoption in SMEs
Authors: Hoang Ha
Published: November 2024

The aim of this research is to examine the factors that affect the digital transformation (DT) adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Danang, Vietnam, using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and PLS-SEM approach. Notwithstanding the growing attention towards the adoption of DT, there is a dearth of comprehensive research that examines the combined impact of environmental, organizational, and technological factors on DT adoption within SMEs. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by building upon the existing literature to provide quantitative evidence on the adoption of DT in SMEs. The findings of our study indicate that implementing DT in SMEs is impacted by a confluence of factors, including environmental, organizational, and technological considerations. Specifically, technological factors such as cybersecurity and IT integration capabilities, environmental factors such as clients and partnerships, and organizational capabilities such as top management support and governance, have a significant positive impact on DT adoption. The study also uncovers that technological factors play a mediating role in the relationship between organizational and environmental factors in the adoption of DT by SMEs. The present study enhances the existing knowledge on the adoption of DT in SMEs by conducting a thorough examination of the factors that affect DT adoption. The study underscores the significance of considering both technical and organizational factors while executing DT initiatives and identifies potential areas for further investigation.
Unrealistic Optimism in the Eye of the Storm: Positive Bias Towards the Consequences of COVID-19 During the Second and Third Waves of the Pandemic
Authors: Maksim Ada , Śpiewak Sławomir , Lipp Natalia , Dużmańska-Misiarczyk Natalia , Gustaw Grzegorz , Rębilas Krzysztof , Strojny Paweł
Published: November 2024

Research conducted at the outset of the pandemic shows that people are vulnerable to unrealistic optimism (UO). However, the Weinstein model suggests that this tendency may not persist as the pandemic progresses. Our research aimed at verifying whether UO persists during the second (Study 1) and the third wave (Study 2) of the pandemic in Poland, whether it concerns the assessment of the chances of COVID-19 infection (Study 1 and Study 2), the chances of severe course of the disease and adverse vaccine reactions (Study 2). We show that UO toward contracting COVID-19 persists throughout the pandemic. However, in situations where people have little influence on the occurrence of the event (chances of severe course of the disease and adverse vaccine reactions), the participants do not show UO. The exceptions are those who have personally known someone who has died from a coronavirus infection. These results are discussed in terms of self-esteem protection and the psychological threat reduction mechanism.
English-Spanish Cognates in the Paivio, Yuille, and Madigan Imagery Norms Rated for Orthographic Transparency
Authors: White Bryan L. , Hout Michael C. , Montelongo José , Hernández Anita , Serrano-Wall Francisco
Published: November 2024

Cognates are orthographically, semantically, and syntactically identical (or similar) words in two languages. The English and Spanish languages share more than 20,000 cognates, and many are essential academic vocabulary. Research has shown that cognates facilitate vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension for language learners (when compared to non-cognate words). In Experiment 1, orthographic transparency ratings for 440 English-Spanish cognate nouns drawn from the Paivio et al. imagery norms were collected from 41 college students. Our participants were presented with lists of English-Spanish cognate word pairs presented side-by-side and were asked to rate the orthographic similarity of the pairs on a Likert scale of 1 to 7. The analysis of the ratings suggests that the earlier an English word deviates from its Spanish equivalent (its “point of differentiation”), the lower the cognate transparency rating it is assigned (extending the generalizability of the “initial letter effect” previously reported). In Experiment 2, we validated these ratings by having 43 new participants quickly judge whether English-Spanish word pairs were or were not cognates. We found that reaction times were strongly correlated with transparency ratings and the points of differentiation, supporting the usefulness of the transparency ratings obtained in Experiment 1. A limitation of Experiment 1 was that the cognate pairs varied only by page number, and the individual cognate pairs were not ordered differently. Additionally, we recommend a larger participant sample to include persons other than college students.