bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived outcomes of periacetabular osteotomy
Authors: Bialaszewski Ryan , Gaddis John , Laboret Bretton , Bergman Elizabeth , Mulligan Edward P. , LaCross Jenny , Stewart Adina , Wells Joel
Published: January 2024

Aims

Social media is a popular resource for patients seeking medical information and sharing experiences. periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is the gold-standard treatment for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia with good long-term outcomes. However, little is known regarding the perceived outcomes of PAO on social media. The aims of this study were to describe the perceived outcomes following PAO using three social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Methods

Facebook, Instagram, and X posts were retrospectively collected from 1 February 2023. Facebook posts were collected from the two most populated interest groups: “periacetabular osteotomy” and “PAO Australia.” Instagram and X posts were queried using the most popular hashtags: #PAOwarrior, #periacetabularosteotomy, #periacetabularosteotomyrecovery, #PAOsurgery, and #PAOrecovery. Posts were assessed for demographic data (sex, race, location), perspective (patient, physician, professional organization, industry), timing (preoperative vs postoperative), and perceived outcome (positive, negative, neutral).

Results

A total of 1,054 Facebook posts, 1,003 Instagram posts, and 502 X posts were consecutively assessed from 887 unique authors. The majority (63.3%) of these posts were from patients in the postoperative period, with a median of 84 days postoperatively (interquartile range 20 to 275). The longest follow-up timeframe postoperatively was 20 years. Regarding perceived outcomes, 52.8% expressed satisfaction, 39.7% held neutral opinions, and 7.5% were dissatisfied. Most dissatisfied patients (50.9%) reported pain (chronic or uncontrolled acute) as an attributing factor.

Conclusion

Most PAO-perceived surgical outcomes on social media had a positive tone. Findings also indicate that a small percentage of patients reported negative perceived outcomes. However, dissatisfaction with PAO primarily stemmed from postoperative pain. Social media posts from other sources (physicians, hospitals, professional organizations, etc.) trend towards neutrality. Healthcare providers must consider the social media narratives of patients following PAO, as they may reveal additional outcome expectations and help improve patient-centred care, create informed decision-making, and optimize treatment outcomes.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(1):53–59.
Echoes of Exile
Authors: Gheytasi Sajjad
Published: January 2024

This article delves into the intricacies of memory, resistance, and identity within the context of Palestinian experiences, as portrayed in Hala Alyan’s novel, Salt Houses. This study examines the profound impact of rememory on the collective consciousness of a Palestinian family haunted by forced expulsions, upheavals, and the enduring cycle of occupation and forced migrations. The essay underscores that residual elements of past are not a passive recollection but active agents that shape the present and future. It highlights how traumatic pasts, passed down through generations, become an enduring legacy, connecting history with contemporary realities. Drawing on the characters’ experiences, it showcases how the struggle for identity and resistance against displacement is interwoven with the memory of ancestral trauma. Furthermore, the research explores the role of elder Palestinians, especially grandmothers, in preserving cultural heritage and transmitting stories that bridge generations. These narratives serve not only to understand history but also as a means of challenging occupation and advocating for the right of return. The article investigates the dissonance between imagined homelands and present-day realities, shedding light on the challenges faced by subsequent generations attempting to reclaim their heritage.
Herzl’s Zionism and Settler Colonialism in Palestine
Authors: Abed-Rabbo Samir
Published: January 2024

This article examines Zionist claims to colonize Palestine and the role of Great Britain and prominent European Zionist Jews in the effort to establish Israel. Theodore Herzl, his lieutenants, and supporters personify Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the banality of evil” while acting and appearing as respectable statesmen, scientists, journalists, and businesspeople who advocated for freedom, liberation, and combating antisemitism. They deliberately collaborated with known antisemites and worked to dismantle ancient Jewish communities, relentlessly removing Jews out of their countries of origin, colonizing Palestine for the creation of a Jewish state, ethnically cleansing the indigenous people of Palestine, fabricating history, erasing Palestine and its long history, demeaning and oppressing the Palestinian people, and suppressing and appropriating Palestinian culture.
Islam, Christianity, and the Development of Machine Capitalism: The Weber Hypothesis Revisited
Authors: Gould Mark
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Max Weber characterized the values constituted in ascetic Protestantism that resulted in an inner-worldly asceticism. Karl Marx elucidated the first stage of manufacture, a form of capitalism characterized by precapitalist production processes. When these values interpenetrated an economy at the first stage of manufacture, they generated the spirit of capitalism, which resulted in systematic and sustained capital accumulation. My reconceptualization of Protestant religious commitments clarifies how they led to the rationalization of the first stage of manufacture and thus resulted in systematic capital accumulation leading to machine capitalism. My characterization of religious commitment in (Sunni) Islam shows that while the economic preconditions for the development of machine capitalism, the first stage of manufacture, were sometimes present in Islamicate lands, Islamic religious commitments neither rationalized economic production nor created a tendency toward capital accumulation. In consequence, they did not result in machine capitalism.
The Ghosts of Max Weber in the Economic History of Preindustrial Europe
Authors: Trivellato Francesca
Published: January 2024

Abstract: During the past fifty years, economic historians trained in economics have turned Max Weber into a champion of the cultural foundations of economic growth that he was not. The article examines the reasons and consequences of this misappropriation. It begins by highlighting Weber’s aversion to monocausal explanations and identifies two lines of argument in his voluminous writings on the historical development of Western capitalism: one stressing religious values and one focusing on political and legal institutions. While Weber never fully reconciled these two lines of argument, he considered them complementary rather than mutually exclusive. The article continues by tracing the engagement (or lack thereof) with Weber in the work of Douglass C. North and in a recent flurry of papers on the “economics of religion” that ostensibly tests the empirical validity of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905). It then discusses the return of interest in the coevolution of cultural and institutional processes of change among some economists and political scientists. Throughout, the article signals how this reception history went hand in hand with a decline in exchanges between economists and scholars in other disciplines. Ultimately, it argues for the importance of incorporating the history of disciplines in our disciplinary practices. More specifically, it stresses the continued relevance of Weber’s research agenda for the comparative and historical study of capitalisms (in the plural), in spite of the fact that many of his conclusions appear now outdated.
Christian Perspectives of Lingayatism: The Trajectory of Lingayat Identity and Literatures in Colonial Karnataka
Authors: Boratti Vijayakumar M.
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Recent postcolonial scholarship gives an impression that Western Christianity was an overarching religion, which reinforced Orientalism and self-imposed the task of civilizing/modernizing the local literatures and traditions. In this article, I enter into these debates, tracing a trajectory not only of Christianity in the colonial period but also local traditions and literatures. In this connection, I focus on the Lingayat literatures of south India, which are understood to be exclusively the product of colonial modernity and Western Christianity. It stands on the premises that knowledge production in colonial India evolved through the intermediary relations and participation of both local scholars and Western orientalists. I argue that these relations were neither integrated nor harmonious. Rather I highlight the collaborative, competitive, resistant and appropriative energies of local vernacular voices in defining and representing their literatures and traditions vis-à-vis Christianity.
The Pilgrim’s Quest: On Solidarity and Justice in the Work of Eugenio María de Hostos
Authors: Abraham Daniela B.
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Eugenio María de Hostos, arguably the main founding father of Puerto Rican nationalism, recreates Puerto Rican national identity through the sacred symbol of the pilgrim. This article connects Hostos’ first work, a novel titled La peregrinación de Bayoán (1863), to his science of morals, Moral Social , written twenty-five years later. The novel’s main protagonist, a Taíno-pilgrim, is a liminal archetype who embodies an ethics of solidarity from below rooted in Christianity. Hostos’ work provides an alternative view of the human experience from the periphery that can contribute to contemporary literature on service leadership, global awareness, and citizenship education.
Liberation Theology in Exile: Marxism and Christianity in Lucia Engombe’s Child No. 95
Authors: Noah Temitope Abisoye
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This article turns to Lucia Engombe’s memoir, Child No. 95: My German-African Odyssey , to unearth how Engombe wrestles with Marxism and Christianity to produce a type of liberation theology that substantiates some of Gustavo Gutiérrez’s key positions on such themes, which have been contested by critics since the publication of his A Theology of Liberation in 1971. Rich in Christian theological and biblical motifs, Engombe’s narrative can be viewed as a Christian coming-of-age story.
“Racial Greatness” Reconsidered: Race Theory, Masking, and Pragmatism in Sutton Griggs’s Imperium in Imperio
Authors: Hooper M. Clay
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This essay situates Sutton Griggs’s Imperium in Imperio (1899) as a pragmatic intervention in Jim Crow-era discourses around Black Nationalism. Highlighting Griggs’s instrumentalist relationship to race theory in both Imperium and Guide to Racial Greatness (1923), this essay argues that his works are fertile sites for examining a distinctly African American tradition of philosophical pragmatism that sought to conceptualize racial solidarity in nonessentialist ways. It further suggests that Griggs’s pragmatism, responding to the unique pressures of the Jim Crow period, emphasized the need for emancipatory efforts to be masked and embedded within the very structures they sought to dismantle.
The Otherness of Communication: Systems Theory and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go
Authors: Sugiyama Kazutaka
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This essay investigates the radical reconceptualization of communication demonstrated in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005). In the novel, Ishiguro depicts communication not as a means to establish mutual understanding, but as an autonomous phenomenon independent from the participants, which I call dislocated communication. I articulate this notion of communication following from Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory. In deploying this framework, I argue that Ishiguro positions dislocated communication as the reality of communication, in turn obliging readers to experience the otherness of clones as epistemologically inaccessible since the readers, too, participate in communication with the novel’s protagonist narrator, Kathy H.
Imperialism, Revisionism, Counter-hegemony, and the Greek 1940s as Event
Authors: Mylonas Yiannis
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This study focuses on contemporary cultural projects dealing with the Greek revolutionary event of the 1940s. Empirically, the study examines a growing corpus of different cultural practices dealing with aspects of the Greek 1940s. These cultural practices are viewed as counter-archives and conceptualized using the notion of the proletarian public sphere associated with counter-hegemonic legacies, discourses, narratives, and practices situated in today's Greek political antagonisms. The past is understood to haunt the present in instances when the constitutive violence of hegemonic discourses and institutions unfolds. The projects studied create public presences of subjects and circumstances repressed by the official Greek public sphere. This signifies a production of knowledge from below, beyond what official knowledge regimes foreground and exclude. The projects unfold utopian margins, pointing towards the existence of a living social memory of emancipatory and revolutionary struggles that remain incomplete.
Dynamically tunable multifunctional terahertz absorber based on hybrid vanadium dioxide and graphene metamaterials
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wang Jiejun , Yuan Libo , Liu Houquan
Published: January 2024

In this work, in pursuit of a multifunctional device with a simple structure, high absorption rate, and excellent bandwidth, a tunable broadband terahertz (THz) absorber based on vanadium dioxide (VO2) and graphene is proposed. Due to the phase transition of VO2 and the electrically tunable properties of graphene, the structure realizes single broadband and dual-band absorption characteristics. When graphene is in the insulating state (E
f
=0eV) and VO2 is in the metallic state, the developed system has more than 90% absorption and a wide absorption band from 1.36 to 5.48 THz. By adjusting the VO2 conductivity, the bandwidth absorption can be dynamically varied from 23% to more than 90%, which makes it a perfect broadband absorber. When graphene is in the metallic state (E
f
=1eV), VO2 is in the insulating state, and the designed device behaves as a tunable and perfect dual-band absorber, where the absorptivity of the dual-band spectrum can be continuously adjusted by varying the Fermi energy level of graphene. In addition, both the broad absorption spectrum and the dual-band absorption spectrum maintain strong polarization-independent properties and operate well over a wide incidence angle, and the designed system may provide new avenues for the development of terahertz and other frequency-domain tunable devices.
Sub-50 fs temporal resolution in an FEL-optical laser pump-probe experiment at FLASH2
Authors: Atia-tul-noor  , Kumar Sonu , Schirmel Nora , Erk Benjamin , Manschwetus Bastian , Alisaukas Skirmantas , Braune Markus , Cirmi Giovanni , Czwalinna Marie Kristin , Frühling Ulrike , Grosse-Wortmann Uwe , Kschuev Nick , Kuschewski Frederik , Lang Tino , Lindenblatt Hannes , Litvinyuk Igor , Meister Severin , Moshammer Robert , Papadopoulou Christina C. , Passow Christopher , Roensch-Schulenburg Juliane , Trost Florian , Hartl Ingmar , Düsterer Stefan , Schulz Sebastian
Published: January 2024

High temporal resolution is essential for ultra-fast pump-probe experiments. Arrival time jitter and drift measurements, as well as their control, become critical especially when combining XUV or X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) with optical lasers due to the large scale of such facilities and their distinct pulse generation processes. This paper presents the application of a laser pulse arrival time monitor that actively corrects the arrival time of an optical laser relative to the FEL’s main optical clock. Combined with post-analysis single pulse jitter correction this new approach improves the temporal resolution for pump-probe experiments significantly. Benchmark measurements on photo-ionization of xenon atoms performed at FLASH beamline FL26, demonstrate a sub-50 fs FWHM overall temporal resolution.
Optical parameter extraction for metamaterials via robust effective and equivalent medium models
Authors: Ozaktas Ekin Gunes , Chintapalli Sreyas , Thon Susanna M.
Published: January 2024

Metamaterials are complex structured mixed-material systems with tailored physical properties that have found applications in a variety of optical and electronic technologies. New methods for homogenizing the optical properties of metamaterials are of increasing importance, both to study their exotic properties and because the simulation of these complex structures is computationally expensive. We propose a method to extract a homogeneous refractive index and wave impedance for inhomogeneous materials. We examine effective medium models, where inhomogeneities are subwavelength, and equivalent models where features are larger. Homogenization is only physically justified in the former; however, it is still useful in the latter if only the reflection, transmission, and absorption are of interest. We introduce a resolution of the branching problem in the Nicolson-Ross-Weir method that involves starting from the branch of the complex logarithm beginning with the minimum absolute mean derivative and then enforcing continuity, and also determine an effective thickness. We demonstrate the proposed method on patterned PbS colloidal quantum dot films in the form of disks and birefringent gratings. We conclude that effective models are Kramers-Kronig compliant, whereas equivalent models may not be. This work illuminates the difference between the two types of models, allowing for better analysis and interpretation of the optical properties of complex metamaterials.
Prevalence of drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a Nepalese tertiary care hospital
Authors: Bhandari Anita , Khatiwada Saroj , Sharma Aashish , Aryal Subhas Chandra , Shrestha Raju , Bimali Nabin Kishor , Lekhak Binod , Pant Narayan Dutt
Published: January 2024

Antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae is an emerging global public health problem. Numerous studies have reported community-acquired AmpC beta-lactamase and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae in Nepal. However, there are limited data on community-acquired Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae. A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using 294 Enterobacteriaceae isolates from a total of 2,345 different clinical specimens collected from patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Bacteria were isolated using standard microbiological growth media and identified using biochemical tests. For antimicrobial susceptibility testing, Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique was used. AmpC, ESBL, and MBL productions were detected by using combined disc method. AmpC, ESBL, and MBL productions were detected in 19.4%, 29.6%, and 8.5% of total Enterobacteriaceae isolates respectively. Higher rates of beta-lactamases production were seen among the isolates from in-patients in comparison with those from out-patients. However, 11.6%, 25%, and 3.7% of the total isolates from out-patients were AmpC, ESBL, and MBL producers respectively. The co-production of the beta-lactamases was also detected, with two Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing all three beta-lactamases. One MBL producing Proteus vulgaris isolate that was pan-resistant with no remaining treatment options was also isolated. Prevalence of drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae in our study was very high. Detection of AmpC, ESBL, and MBL positive isolates from out-patients, who did not have recent history of hospital visit, indicated the community dissemination of the drug resistant bacteria. This is a matter of great concern and an immediate attention to formulate strategies to prevent further development and spread of antibiotic resistance is required.
Individual characteristics associated with road traffic collisions and healthcare seeking in low- and middle-income countries and territories
Authors: Ghalichi Leila , Goodman-Palmer Dina , Whitaker John , Abio Anne , Wilson Michael Lowery , Wallis Lee , Norov Bolormaa , Aryal Krishna Kumar , Malta Deborah Carvalho , Bärnighausen Till , Geldsetzer Pascal , Flood David , Vollmer Sebastian , Theilmann Michaela , Davies Justine
Published: January 2024

Incidence of road traffic collisions (RTCs), types of users involved, and healthcare requirement afterwards are essential information for efficient policy making. We analysed individual-level data from nationally representative surveys conducted in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) between 2008–2019. We describe the weighted incidence of non-fatal RTC in the past 12 months, type of road user involved, and incidence of traffic injuries requiring medical attention. Multivariable logistic regressions were done to evaluate associated sociodemographic and economic characteristics, and alcohol use. Data were included from 90,790 individuals from 15 countries or territories. The non-fatal RTC incidence in participants aged 24–65 years was 5.2% (95% CI: 4.6–5.9), with significant differences dependent on country income status. Drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists composed 37.2%, 40.3%, 11.3% and 11.2% of RTCs, respectively. The distribution of road user type varied with country income status, with divers increasing and cyclists decreasing with increasing country income status. Type of road users involved in RTCs also varied by the age and sex of the person involved, with a greater proportion of males than females involved as drivers, and a reverse pattern for pedestrians. In multivariable analysis, RTC incidence was associated with younger age, male sex, being single, and having achieved higher levels of education; there was no association with alcohol use. In a sensitivity analysis including respondents aged 18–64 years, results were similar, however, there was an association of RTC incidence with alcohol use. The incidence of injuries requiring medical attention was 1.8% (1.6–2.1). In multivariable analyses, requiring medical attention was associated with younger age, male sex, and higher wealth quintile. We found remarkable heterogeneity in RTC incidence, the type of road users involved, and the requirement for medical attention after injuries depending on country income status and socio-demographic characteristics. Targeted data-informed approaches are needed to prevent and manage RTCs.
Supporting adult unpaid carers via an online dancing intervention: A feasibility/acceptability study
Authors: Horne Joanna , Donald Louisa , Gracia Rosaria , Kentzer Nichola , Pappas Yannis , Trott Mike , Vseteckova Jitka
Published: January 2024

Unpaid carers often experience poor mental and physical health linked to their caring role. Engagement in physical activity has been shown to alleviate these negative health outcomes, but it is harder for carers to find the time, energy and space to exercise. This qualitative study, based in the UK, explored the feasibility of an online, dance-based physical activity intervention with six female unpaid carers. Five themes resulted from the thematic analysis of the pre- and post-intervention interviews: Perceived physical health benefits of the intervention; Perceived mental health benefits of the intervention; Satisfactoriness of the dance classes; Impact of caring responsibilities on participation; and Suggestions for future classes. Further research is required to measure the effectiveness of the dance intervention in improving mental and physical wellbeing with larger samples including a wider mix of carers in terms of gender, age and health conditions of the care recipients, as well as international samples. Future research should also consider the barriers that some carers may face when accessing an online intervention, and alternative forms of exercise that may appeal to other groups of carers (e.g., male carers, older adult carers).
Magnitude and trends in cervical cancer at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in South Western Uganda: Retrospective analysis of data from 2017–2022
Authors: Kajabwangu Rogers , Bajunirwe Francis , Izudi Jonathan , Bazira Joel , Farjardo Yarine , Ssedyabane Frank , Lugobe Henry Mark , Muhumuza Joy , Kayondo Musa , Turanzomwe Stuart , Randall Thomas C. , Ngonzi Joseph
Published: January 2024

High-income countries have documented a significant decline in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer over the past decade but such data from low and middle-income countries such as Uganda is limited to ascertain trends. There is also paucity of data on the burden of cervical cancer in comparison to other gynaecologic malignancies and there is a likelihood that the incidence might be on the rise. To describe the current trends and magnitude of cervical cancer in comparison to other gynaecological malignancies histological types, we conducted a retrospective records review of charts of patients admitted with gynaecological malignancies on the gynaecological ward of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) between January 2017 and December 2022. Of 875 patients with gynaecological malignancies admitted to the MRRH in the 6-year review period, 721 (82.4%) had cervical cancer. Patients with cervical cancer were significantly older than those with other gynaecological malignancies: (50.2±11.5 versus 43.8± 15.0 respectively, p<0.001). Between 2017 and 2022, cervical cancer rates increased by 17% annually compared to other gynaecological cancers (OR:1.17; 95% CI 1.06–1.28, p = 0.0046), with the majority of patients of cervical cancer patients (92.7%, n = 668) having squamous cell carcinoma. Most patients (87.9%, n = 634) had late-stage disease (stage 2 and above) and were referred to the Uganda Cancer Institute for chemoradiation. These results imply that there is a need to scale up screening services and other preventive measures such as vaccination against human papilloma virus.
Chagas cardiomyopathy in Boston, Massachusetts: Identifying disease and improving management after community and hospital-based screening
Authors: Reifler Katherine A. , Wheelock Alyse , Hall Samantha M. , Salazar Alejandra , Hassan Shahzad , Bostrom John A. , Barnett Elizabeth D. , Carrion Malwina , Hochberg Natasha S. , Hamer Davidson H. , Gopal Deepa M. , Bourque Daniel
Published: January 2024

Background

Limited data exist regarding cardiac manifestations of Chagas disease in migrants living in non-endemic regions.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis of 109 patients with Chagas disease seen at Boston Medical Center (BMC) between January 2016 and January 2023 was performed. Patients were identified by screening and testing migrants from endemic regions at a community health center and BMC. Demographic, laboratory, and cardiac evaluation data were collected.

Results

Mean age of the 109 patients was 43 years (range 19–76); 61% were female. 79% (86/109) were diagnosed with Chagas disease via screening and 21% (23/109) were tested given symptoms or electrocardiogram abnormalities. Common symptoms included palpitations (25%, 27/109) and chest pain (17%, 18/109); 52% (57/109) were asymptomatic. Right bundle branch block (19%, 19/102), T-wave changes (18%, 18/102), and left anterior fascicular block (11%, 11/102) were the most common electrocardiogram abnormalities; 51% (52/102) had normal electrocardiograms. Cardiomyopathy stage was ascertained in 94 of 109 patients: 51% (48/94) were indeterminate stage A and 49% (46/94) had cardiac structural disease (stages B1-D). Clinical findings that required clinical intervention or change in management were found in 23% (25/109), and included cardiomyopathy, apical hypokinesis/aneurysm, stroke, atrial or ventricular arrhythmias, and apical thrombus.

Conclusions

These data show high rates of cardiac complications in a cohort of migrants living with Chagas disease in a non-endemic setting. We demonstrate that Chagas disease diagnosis prompts cardiac evaluation which often identifies actionable cardiac disease and provides opportunities for prevention and treatment.
Association between arterial stiffness and Loa loa microfilaremia in a rural area of the Republic of Congo: A population-based cross-sectional study (the MorLo project)
Authors: Campillo Jérémy T. , Dupasquier Valentin , Lebredonchel Elodie , Rancé Ludovic G. , Hemilembolo Marlhand C. , Pion Sébastien D. S. , Boussinesq Michel , Missamou François , Perez Martin Antonia , Chesnais Cédric B.
Published: January 2024

Background

Loa loa filariasis (loiasis) is still considered a relatively benign disease. However, recent epidemiologic data suggest increased mortality and morbidity in L. loa infected individuals. We aimed to examine whether the density of L. loa microfilariae (mfs) in the blood is associated with cardiovascular disease.

Methodology

Using a point-of-care device (pOpmètre), we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess arterial stiffness and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in 991 individuals living in a loiasis-endemic rural area in the Republic of the Congo. Microfilaremic individuals were matched for age, sex and village of residence with 2 amicrofilaremic subjects.

We analyzed markers of arterial stiffness (Pulse-Wave Velocity, PWV), PAD (Ankle-Brachial Index, ABI) and cardiovascular health (Pulse Pressure, PP). The analysis considered parasitological results (L. loa microfilarial density [MFD], soil-transmitted helminths infection, asymptomatic malaria and onchocerciasis), sociodemographic characteristics and known cardiovascular risk factors (body mass index, smoking status, creatininemia, blood pressure).

Principal findings

Among the individuals included in the analysis, 192/982 (19.5%) and 137/976 (14.0%) had a PWV or an ABI considered out of range, respectively. Out of range PWV was associated with younger age, high mean arterial pressure and high L. loa MFD. Compared to amicrofilaremic subjects, those with more than 10,000 mfs/mL were 2.17 times more likely to have an out of range PWV (p = 0.00). Factors significantly associated with PAD were older age, low pulse rate, low body mass index, smoking, and L. loa microfilaremia. Factors significantly associated with an elevation of PP were older age, female sex, high average blood pressure, low pulse rate and L. loa microfilaremia.

Conclusion

A potential link between high L. loa microfilaremia and cardiovascular health deterioration is suggested. Further studies are required to confirm and explore this association.
Can a specific biobehavioral-based therapeutic education program lead to changes in pain perception and brain plasticity biomarkers in chronic pain patients? A study protocol for a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Di Bonaventura Silvia , Fernández Carnero Josué , Ferrer-Peña Raúl
Published: January 2024

Background

Chronic pain conditions are complex multifactorial disorders with physical, psychological, and environmental factors contributing to their onset and persistence. Among these conditions, the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the impact of a specific therapeutic education (TE) on pain management have emerged as important areas of research.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the effects of a specific type of therapeutic education on pain levels and BDNF concentrations.

Methods

In this single-blind, randomized clinical trial, patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one will receive exercise with TE and the other without TE. Assessments will be made at baseline, mid-treatment, post-intervention, and at one and eight months.

Outcomes

This study will shed light on the effectiveness of a therapeutic education (TE) program in pain management. Additionally, it will provide information on its effects on BDNF levels, a biomarker of brain plasticity, as well as on various psychosocial variables that can influence pain experience.

Conclusion

By comprehensively addressing the need to quantify brain changes more precisely in individuals with chronic pain during interventions like TE and recognizing the importance of establishing a more structured and comprehensive protocol, this study lays a solid and replicable foundation for future evidence-based treatment developments.
Enhancing Minds in Motion® as a virtual program delivery model for people living with dementia and their care partners
Authors: Neudorf Bobby , Dinh Christopher , Barnes Vanessa , Stergiou-Dayment Christina , Middleton Laura
Published: January 2024

The Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Minds in Motion (MiM) program improves physical function and well-being of people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners (CP) (Regan et al., 2019). With the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to transition to a virtual MiM that was similarly safe and effective. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to describe the standardized, virtual MiM and evaluate its acceptability, and impact on quality of life, and physical and cognitive activity of participants. Survey of ad hoc virtual MiM practices and a literature review informed the design of the standardized MiM program: 8 weeks of weekly 90-minute sessions that included 45-minutes of physical activity and 45-minutes of cognitive stimulation in each session. Participants completed a standardized, virtual MiM at one of 6 participating Alzheimer Societies in Ontario, as well as assessments of quality of life, physical and cognitive activity, and program satisfaction pre- and post-program. In all, 111 PLWD and 90 CP participated in the evaluation (average age of 74.6±9.4 years, 61.2% had a college/university degree or greater, 80.6% were married, 48.6% of PLWD and 75.6% of CP were women). No adverse events occurred. MiM participants rated the program highly (average score of 4.5/5). PLWD reported improved quality of life post-MiM (p = <0.01). Altogether, participants reported increased physical activity levels (p = <0.01) and cognitive activity levels (p = <0.01). The virtual MiM program is acceptable, safe, and effective at improving quality of life, cognitive and physical activity levels for PLWD, and cognitive and physical activity levels among CP.
Feasibility demonstration of a device for vitreous liquid biopsy incidental to intravitreal injection
Authors: Tumlinson Alexandre R. , Calara Jennifer M. , Azar Dimitri T. , Adamis Anthony P. , Vavvas Demetrios G. , Stewart Jay M.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

VitreoDx is an experimental device enabling push-button collection of a neat vitreous liquid biopsy incidental to an intravitreal injection. We explored the ability of the device to collect a sample usable for proteomic biomarker discovery and testing.

Design

Pilot study using ex vivo human eyes.

Methods

Non-vitrectomized, human eyes from nine donors 75–91 years of age were refrigerated in BSS and used within 5 days of death. Four VitreoDx devices fitted with 25G needles, and four staked needle insulin syringes with 30G needles, were inserted at equal intervals through the pars plana of each eye and held in place by a fixture. The sampling mode of each VitreoDx device was triggered to attempt to acquire a liquid biopsy up to 70 μL. The plunger of each insulin syringe was retracted to attempt to obtain a liquid biopsy with a maximum volume of 50 μL. Samples acquired with the VitreoDx were extracted to polypropylene cryovials, refrigerated to -80 ºC, and sent for offsite proteomic analysis by proximity extension assay with a focus on panels containing approved and pipelined drug targets for neovascular disease and inflammatory factors.

Results

Of the attempted liquid biopsies with the novel 25G VitreoDx, 92% (66 of 72) resulted in successful acquisition (>25 μL) while 89% (64 of 72) attempted by a traditional 30G needle resulted in a successful acquisition. Sample volume sufficient for proteomics array analysis was acquired by the VitreoDx for every eye. Detectable protein was found for 151 of 166 unique proteins assayed in at least 25% of eyes sampled by VitreoDx.

Conclusions

The high acquisition rate achieved by the prototype was similar to that achieved in previous clinical studies where a standard syringe was used with a 25G needle to biopsy vitreous fluid directly prior to standard intravitreal injection. Successful aspiration rates were likewise high for 30G needles. Together, these suggest that it is possible to routinely acquire liquid vitreous biopsies from patients who typically receive intravitreal injections with an injection device using a standard size needle without a vitreous cutter. Protein analysis shows that proteins of interest survive the sampling mechanism and may have potential to direct care in the future.
The influence of prior use of inhaled corticosteroids on COVID-19 outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Chao-Hsien , Wang Cheng-Yi , Chen Ching-Yi , Wang Ya-Hui , Chen Kuang-Hung , Lai Chih-Cheng , Wei Yu-Feng , Fu Pin-Kuei
Published: January 2024

The influence of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on COVID-19 outcomes remains uncertain. To address this, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, analyzing 30 studies, to investigate the impact of ICS on patients with COVID-19. Our study focused on various outcomes, including mortality risk, hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation (MV) utilization, and length of hospital stay. Additionally, we conducted a subgroup analysis to assess the effect of ICS on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Our findings suggest that the prior use of ICS did not lead to significant differences in mortality risk, ICU admission, hospitalization, or MV utilization between individuals who had used ICS previously and those who had not. However, in the subgroup analysis of patients with COPD, prior ICS use was associated with a lower risk of mortality compared to non-users (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90–1.00). Overall, while the use of ICS did not significantly affect COVID-19 outcomes in general, it may have beneficial effects specifically for patients with COPD. Nevertheless, more research is needed to establish a definitive conclusion on the role of ICS in COVID-19 treatment.

PROSPERO registration number:CRD42021279429.
Does amiodarone impact on apixaban levels? The effect of amiodarone on apixaban level among Thai patients with non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Limcharoen Sutee , Limprasert Sarawuth , Boonmuang Pornwalai , Pongchaidecha Manat , Suphanklang Juthathip , Saelim Weerayuth , Santimaleeworagun Wichai , Pimsi Piyarat
Published: January 2024

Background

Apixaban and amiodarone are drugs used for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in routine practice. The evidence about apixaban plasma levels in patients who receive apixaban with amiodarone, including bleeding outcomes, has been limited. This study aimed to compare the apixaban plasma levels and bleeding outcomes between apixaban monotherapy and apixaban with amiodarone groups.

Methods

This study was a prospective, observational, and single-center research which was conducted from January 2021 to January 2022 in NVAF patients who received apixaban at a tertiary care hospital located in the center of Bangkok, Thailand.

Results

Thirty-three patients were measured for their median (5th–95th percentile) apixaban plasma levels. The trough of apixaban plasma level (Ctrough) were 108.49 [78.10–171.52] and 162.05 [87.94–292.88] μg/L in the apixaban monotherapy and apixaban with amiodarone groups, respectively (p = 0.028). Additionally, the peaks of apixaban plasma level (Cpeak) were 175.36 [122.94–332.34] and 191 [116.88–488.21] μg/L in the apixaban monotherapy and apixaban with amiodarone groups, respectively (p = 0.375). There was bleeding that occurred in 7 patients (21.21%); 5 patients in the apixaban monotherapy group and 2 patients in the apixaban with amiodarone group, respectively.

Conclusions

Amiodarone may increase the peaks and troughs of apixaban plasma levels. The co-administration of apixaban with amiodarone is generally well tolerated. However, the careful observation of bleeding symptoms in individual cases is necessary to ensure safety.
Prevalence of sickle cell trait and needs assessment for uptake of sickle cell screening among secondary school students in Kampala City, Uganda
Authors: Namukasa Shamim , Maina Rose , Nakaziba Sarah , Among Grace , Asasira Lydia , Mayambala Posiano , Atukwatse Joseph , Namuguzi Mary , Sarki Ahmed M.
Published: January 2024

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most frequent and traumatizing genetic disease in Uganda, with the prevalence of the sickle cell trait (SCT) estimated at 13.3% leading to serious psycho-social and economic impact on the patients and their families.

Aim

This study aimed to determine the burden of SCT and factors influencing the uptake of screening services among secondary school students in Uganda.

Methods

We used an analytical cross-sectional design with a multi-stage sampling approach. A total of 399 students from four secondary schools in Kampala City were enrolled in this study. Data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires and blood screening. We used the sickling test to determine the presence of sickle cell alleles among the participants and hemoglobin electrophoresis as a confirmatory test. Data gathered using the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

In total, 5.8% of participants who were tested during this study had SCT. Most (80.2%) participants were not in an intimate relationship at the time of data collection. The majority (60.4%) had moderate knowledge about SCT screening and obtained information about screening from the school. Only 29 (7.3%) participants knew of a family member with sickle cell. Overall, participants had a negative attitude toward SCT screening (67%), although 41.6% believed that most people who were sickle cell carriers did not live long and were often sick. Statistically significant associations were found between testing for SCT and knowing a partner’s sickle cell status (odds ratio [OR] 2.112, p = 0.043) and Anglican religion (OR 2.075, p = 0.047).

Conclusion

Despite the moderate level of knowledge and negative attitudes, a relatively large number of participants had SCT. This highlights the need for a comprehensive health education package targeting adolescents to promote SCD/SCT screening.
Development of novel optical character recognition system to reduce recording time for vital signs and prescriptions: A simulation-based study
Authors: Soeno Shoko , Liu Keibun , Watanabe Shiruku , Sonoo Tomohiro , Goto Tadahiro
Published: January 2024

Digital advancements can reduce the burden of recording clinical information. This intra-subject experimental study compared the time and error rates for recording vital signs and prescriptions between an optical character reader (OCR) and manual typing. This study was conducted at three community hospitals and two fire departments in Japan. Thirty-eight volunteers (15 paramedics, 10 nurses, and 13 physicians) participated in the study. We prepared six sample pictures: three ambulance monitors for vital signs (normal, abnormal, and shock) and three pharmacy notebooks that provided prescriptions (two, four, or six medications). The participants recorded the data for each picture using an OCR or by manually typing on a smartphone. The outcomes were recording time and error rate defined as the number of characters with omissions or misrecognitions/misspellings of the total number of characters. Data were analyzed using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank sum and McNemar’s tests. The recording times for vital signs were similar between groups (normal state, 21 s [interquartile range (IQR), 17–26 s] for OCR vs. 23 s [IQR, 18–31 s] for manual typing). In contrast, prescription recording was faster with the OCR (e.g., six-medication list, 18 s [IQR, 14–21 s] for OCR vs. 144 s [IQR, 112–187 s] for manual typing). The OCR had fewer errors than manual typing for both vital signs and prescriptions (0/1056 [0%] vs. 14/1056 [1.32%]; p<0.001 and 30/4814 [0.62%] vs. 53/4814 [1.10%], respectively). In conclusion, the developed OCR reduced the recording time for prescriptions but not vital signs. The OCR showed lower error rates than manual typing for both vital signs and prescription data.
Effect of intracutaneous pyonex therapy on postoperative pain management following perianal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xu Ning , Jiang Kailian , Liu Lulu , Yang Xiao
Published: January 2024

Intracutaneous pyonex therapy (IPT), a novel acupuncture technique also known as intradermal thumbtack needle embedding therapy, has been reported to optimize postoperative pain management following perianal surgery. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze the efficacy of IPT for postoperative pain management following perianal surgery. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, and VIP databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on IPT as a treatment for postoperative pain management following perianal surgery from inception until June 15, 2022. The analyzed outcomes from the eleven RCTs included in this meta-analysis were as follows: postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS), analgesic duration, ineffective cases following treatment, and adverse events. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to different time points. Risk-of-bias assessment, publication bias analysis, sensitivity analysis, and trial sequential analysis were performed. Of the 895 patients, 450 and 445 were included in the IPT and control groups, respectively. The IPT group showed a better analgesic effect[standard mean difference (SMD) = –0.77, 95% CI: –1.00 to –0.53, P < 0.00001; P for heterogeneity = 0.009, I2 = 59%] and longer analgesic duration [SMD = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.82, P < 0.0001; P for heterogeneity = 0.6, I2 = 0%], fewer ineffective cases following treatment [risk ratio(RR) = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.39, P < 0.00001; P for heterogeneity = 0.76, I2 = 0%], and lower overall occurrence of postoperative complications [RR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.70; P = 0.003; P for heterogeneity = 0.85, I2 = 0%] than the control group. Thus, our findings indicated that IPT can provide better pain management following perianal surgery compared to controls. This novel approach complements a reasonable modality for postoperative multimodal analgesia and is worth promoting.
A study on the tourism efficiency of tourism destination based on DEA model: A case of ten cities in Shaanxi province
Authors: Guo Yajun , Cao Zhuo
Published: January 2024

Exploring the of regional tourism efficiency is of great significance in promoting high-quality development of regional tourism. However, there are not many studies that measure the quality development of tourism destinations from the perspective of inputs and output. Based on this, the data envelopment analysis model is used to measure the overall technical efficiency (TECRS), pure technical efficiency (TEVRS), and scale efficiency (SE) with the help of DEA-SOLVER software, taking the ten prefecture-level cities in Shaanxi Province as examples, to further analyze and evaluate the spatial differences of different tourism destinations and the reasons for the differences. The results of the study found that: the efficiency indicators explain the differences in the development quality of tourism destinations from different sides; the development quality of tourism destinations in Shaanxi as a whole is low, with excessive inputs and insufficient outputs; and the tourism destinations with relatively high development quality are distributed in the Guanzhong. On this basis, corresponding countermeasure suggestions are put forward to promote the improvement of governance efficiency of tourism destinations in Shaanxi Province, and then optimize the quality of development.