bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poly(L-co-D,L lactic acid-co-Trimethylene Carbonate) 3D printed scaffold cultivated with mesenchymal stem cells directed to bone reconstruction: In vitro and in vivo studies
Authors: Asami Jessica , Hausen Moema A. , Komatsu Daniel , Ferreira Lucas M. , Silva Guilherme B. G. , da Silva Lucas C. S. C. , Baldo Denicezar A. , Oliveira Junior José M. , Motta Adriana C. , Duek Eliana A. R.
Published: February 2022

A recent and quite promising technique for bone tissue engineering is the 3D printing, peculiarly regarding the production of high-quality scaffolds. The 3D printed scaffold strictly provides suitable characteristics for living cells, in order to induce treatment, reconstruction and substitution of injured tissue. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the behavior of the 3D scaffold based on Poly(L-co-D,L lactic acid-co-Trimethylene Carbonate) (PLDLA-TMC), which was designed in Solidworks™ software, projected in 3D Slicer™, 3D printed in filament extrusion, cultured with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and tested in vitro and in vivo models. For in vitro study, the MSCs were seeded in a PLDLA-TMC 3D scaffold with 600 μm pore size and submitted to proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The in vivo assays implanted the PLDLA-TMC scaffolds with or without MSCs in the calvaria of Wistar rats submitted to 8 mm cranial bone defect, in periods of 8–12 weeks. The results showed that PLDLA-TMC 3D scaffolds favored adherence and cell growth, and suggests an osteoinductive activity, which means that the material itself augmented cellular differentiation. The implanted PLDLA-TMC containing MSCs, showed better results after 12 weeks prior grafting, due the absence of inflammatory processes, enlarged regeneration of bone tissue and facilitated angiogenesis. Notwithstanding, the 3D PLDLA-TMC itself implanted enriched tissue repair; the addition of cells known to upregulate tissue healing reinforce the perspectives for the PLDLA-TMC applications in the field of bone tissue engineering in clinical trials.
Comparison between the ‘pull technique’ and open surgery for peritoneal catheter removal in Chinese patients on peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Dai Yunxin , Guo Hancheng , Li Tingmin , Yao Chunmeng , Xie Zugang , Wang Fuzhen , Yao Cuiwei , Guan Tianjun
Published: February 2022

Background:

The removal techniques for peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters are open surgical dissection (OD) and the ‘pull technique’ (PT). The latter is limitedly used because of uncertainty about its feasibility and safety. This study aimed to compare the outcomes and complications between the two techniques.

Methods:

This retrospective study included patients who underwent PD catheter removal from January 2015 to January 2021 in four PD centres in China. The patients were grouped according to the different removal techniques and were followed up to observe the potential complications.

Results:

The demographic characteristics of patients in the PT ( n = 68) and OD ( n = 44) groups showed no significant difference. The indications for PD catheter removal were similar between the two groups, except for a higher frequency of peritonitis in the OD group ( p = 0.010). In the PT group, the main complications were broken catheter (7.4%), superficial cuff infection (4.8%) and subcutaneous bleeding (4.8%). In the OD group, the main complications were death (9.1%) and subcutaneous bleeding (4.6%).

Conclusion:

PT might be a safe and reliable technique for PD catheter removal compared to OD. Considering its simple and non-invasive nature, PT should be recommended as the alternative to OD in suitable PD patients.
Effect of circumferential non-uniform tip clearance on the dynamic stall process of a single-stage axial compressor with total pressure distortion
Authors: Xu Haoyang , Hu Jun
Published: February 2022

In this paper, the single-stage compressor with circumferential non-uniform tip clearance is experimentally investigated under 180° total pressure distortion for the compressor characteristics and the dynamic stall process. In the special structure of the circumferential non-uniform tip clearance, different circumferential distortion areas are adopted to actively induce the stall. The maximum or minimum flow coefficient near the stall point occurs when the location where the rotor departs the distortion area is at the average tip clearance rather than the maximum or minimum tip clearance. Based on the time-frequency analysis regarding the dynamic stall process at different correspondences between the inlet distortion and the tip clearance, it is found that the rotating frequency of the stall cell that is independent of the location of the distortion area is slightly less than 50% rotor rotating frequency and the large-scale stall inception whose frequency is 4–8 times the rotor rotating frequency occurs. Besides the circumferential phase difference from 90° to 180° between the location where the disturbance occurs and the location where the rotor departs, the distortion area exists. According to the dynamic stall process, the stall interpretation model of circumferential total pressure distortion under the circumferential non-uniform tip clearance is established.
Towards catheter steering using magnetic tractor beam coupling
Authors: Limpabandhu Chayabhan , Hu Yihua , Ren Hongliang , Song Wenzhan , Tse Zion
Published: February 2022

Catheters are used in various clinical applications, and the ability to direct the catheter to the desired location is critical for clinical outcomes. Steerable catheters assist clinicians to access targeted areas, notably the vascular bundles and major vessels, while causing no damage to the surrounding tissue. A novel catheter actuation technology for catheter steering is presented in this study. The technique is simple and relies on three magnetic couples interacting with one another to generate steering motions. A proof-of-concept catheter prototype demonstrated the capacity to remotely steer a catheter over 100 mm of distance and ±45° of angular positioning, showing the potential manoeuvrability for clinical applications. It is feasible to steer a catheter using this three-magnet pair approach with the great potential to be used for catheterisation procedures. The presented mechanism’s kinematics and a near-form solution for catheter steering regardless of design factors will be studied in the future.
Effect of inflow conditions on transonic turbine airfoil limit loading
Authors: Owen Spencer , Taremi Farzad , Uddin Mesbah
Published: February 2022

To better understand airfoil limit loading and the effect inflow conditions have on local efficiency, a computational fluid dynamic investigation was performed for four different transonic turbine airfoils under sub-critical, critical, and supercritical conditions. A computational baseline was established using data previously collected at the Pratt and Whitney Canada High-Speed Wind Tunnel at Carleton University near design conditions using the Reynolds-Averaged Naiver-Stokes shear stress transport k − ω turbulence model with γ transition. The effects of inflow conditions on aerodynamic performance were examined by varying incidence by ± 20°, mainstream turbulence intensity from 5 to 20% and mainstream turbulent length scale from 1 to 100% of the airfoil pitch. Quantitative data of mass-flow averaged Mach numbers, mass-flow averaged flow angles, surface isentropic Mach number distributions and mass-flow averaged total pressure loss coefficients were collected and are presented alongside flow visualizations of numerical Schlieren images to allow for a detailed description of the entire flow domain. Similar to previous experimental work the limit loading pressure ratio and the mass-flow averaged outlet flow angle were strongly correlated with the airfoil outlet metal angle. The influence of inflow conditions was minimal on the exit flow profile with the exception of the mass-flow averaged total pressure loss coefficients. Results show incidence variation to change the total pressure loss coefficient depending on the airfoil, whereas, turbulence intensity and turbulent length scale predicted a drastic increase in loss with increased turbulence level for all airfoils considered.
Effects of butein on human osteosarcoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy through oxidative stress
Authors: Zhang Pei , Zhang Jiale , Quan Huahong , Chen Pengtao , Wang Jingcheng , Liang Yuan
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor, and the cure rate has stagnated in the past three decades. Butein, a plant polyphenol extracted from many herbs, has been proved to possess anti-tumor activity. However, the effect of butein on human OS and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.

Materials and Methods

The OS cell line 143B was used. The effects of butein were evaluated through the cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry, florescence and transmission electron microscopy, and western blotting. All statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism 7.0.

Results

Butein was found to inhibit cell proliferation by causing G2/ M phase arrest in the 143B cells. In addition, butein suppressed the invasion of 143B cells upon IL‐6 treatment. Additionally, we found that butein inhibited the invasion of 143B cells stimulated with IL-6 via the p-STAT3-MMP9 signaling pathway. Remarkably, butein triggered extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis and autophagy of 143B cells. The process of autophagy may have tumor-supporting effects. Furthermore, butein induced oxidative stress as evidenced by ROS generation, increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and decrease in GSH/GSSH ratio and GPX4 expression. N-acetylcysteine can reverse the change of ROS. Further experiments indicated apoptosis and autophagy could be attenuated by the N-acetyl-L-cysteine and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125. Additionally, butein inhibited the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and suppressed the Akt kinase activity increased apoptosis and autophagy.

Conclusion

Our results revealed butein induced apoptosis and autophagy by regulating oxidative stress, activating the JNK signaling pathway and blocking the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in OS cells. Additionally, butein inhibited the invasion of 143B cells stimulated with IL-6 through the pSTAT3- MMP9 signaling pathway. In view of these results, butein may be a potential anti-tumor drug targeting osteosarcoma.
Structuring and Operating Patent Intermediary as Platform Ecosystem: Case Studies of Patent Operation Platforms (POPs) in China
Authors: Liang Kaitong , Ma Lei , Liu Zheng , Li Tao
Published: February 2022

Alongside Patent Super Aggregators represented by Intellectual Ventures in the United States, there is a trend to construct patent intermediary in the context of platform ecosystem. Accordingly, patent operation platforms (POPs) have emerged recently in China, yet few studies focus on uncovering their structures and operating mechanisms. This article aims to explore them based on two in-depth case studies with the application of a four-dimensional service innovation framework. Findings pinpoint that POP consists of ‘Patent Plus’ database, patent service platform and two-sided patent platform, as a closed loop. In this structure, ICT plays a prominent role, connected with new service concepts, service delivery system and client interface, to operate the platform. Our article also shows implications to POP related theory and practice.
Mechanisms of absolute pitch: II. Pitch shift and perfect touch
Authors: Thurlow Alan , Baggaley Jon
Published: February 2022

The previous article in this series reviewed the historical and modern academic literature concerning the distinctive characteristics of individual musical notes and keys. It stressed Bachem’s definition of tone chroma (TC) as the quality that allows notes/keys to be identified instantly and accurately by musicians possessing the type of absolute pitch (AP) that Bachem described as genuine. TC qualities were shown to vary in the same systematic manner as the second-order acoustical beats predicted to accumulate during the tuning of instruments to equal temperament. This article offers further evidence for the connection between TC and acoustical sensitivity, as indicated by an examination of paracusis musicalis (PM), the shifting of the pitch sense with age to a level sharper or flatter than its original level. It is also noted that AP judgments have been shown to be based on kinaesthetic and tactile sensations, which perform the same cueing functions as auditory TC, and that types of AP judgment may, therefore, exist not typically identified as absolute: for example, an absolute or perfect touch capacity observed in keyboard players. Evidence of this capacity supports the theory of instrument-specific AP.
Static and vibration response analysis of sigmoid function-based functionally graded piezoelectric non-uniform porous plate
Authors: Kumar Pawan , Harsha Suraj P
Published: February 2022

This paper has done static and vibration response analysis of the sigmoid functionally graded piezoelectric (S-FGP) tapered plate under thermo-electric load with different even/uneven type porosity. The governing equations of plate motion are derived using first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) based displacement fields with Hamilton’s principle, and material property distribution is considered as per sigmoid law in the thickness direction of the FGP plate. The obtained governing equations are solved using the higher-order finite element method (FEM) with nine noded interpolation functions with 63 degrees of freedom (DOFs) per element. Convergence and the comparison study have been performed to exhibit the efficacy of the present study. It is observed that parameters like the non-dimensional center deflection, non-dimensional stress, and non-dimensional frequency are decreased as the material gradient index increases. The positive and negative types of electric loading have considerable effects on the pre/post type buckling configuration of the porous S-FGP tapered plate under thermal effect. The present analysis results can be used in the various smart structure application made of porous FGP materials.
Steady-state forced vibrations of magneto-electro-elastic Timoshenko nanobeams
Authors: Wang Yi-En , Li Xiang-Yu , Wu Tai-Hong , Liu Qing-Song
Published: February 2022

This paper aims to investigate forced vibrations of Timoshenko nanobeam, which is under axially loaded. The material is assumed to be magneto-electro-elastic coupling and surface effect is considered. The governing equations and the corresponding boundary conditions are derived, with the Hamilton principle. For steady-state forced vibrations, the variable separation and the Laplace transform methods are employed to obtain the Green’s function, for three typical kinds of beams, namely Hinged-Hinged, Clamped-Clamped, and Clamped-Free. Numerical examples are performed to check the validity of the present solutions and to evaluate the influence of magneto-electric coupling and surface effect on the forced vibration of the beams.
Research on time-delay-dependent H∞/H2 optimal control of magnetorheological semi-active suspension with response delay
Authors: Ding Renkai , Wang Ruochen , Meng Xiangpeng , Chen Long
Published: February 2022

Considering the influence of the magnetorheological damper response time delay on the low-frequency vibration (body vibration) and multi-objective control requirements of the semi-active suspension system, a novel H∞/ H2 controller (time-delay-dependent H∞/ H2 optimal controller) is proposed in this paper. Based on the Lyapunov–Krasovskii function and robust control theory, a time-delay-dependent H∞/ H2 controller in consideration of the MR damper response time delay is designed to reduce and remove the effects of time delay on the semi-active suspension system. To obtain better suspension control performances, the optimal selection strategy of anti-interference coefficients in the time-delay-dependent H∞/ H2 controller is proposed. Then, the time-delay-dependent H∞/ H2 optimal controller is structured built on the optimal selection strategy. With the application of matrix properties and the cone-compensation linearization algorithm, the nonlinear matrix inequality for controller design is linearized, and the feedback gain matrix of the controller is solved iteratively. Finally, comparative simulation and experimental research are conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the designed optimal controller.
Becoming Posthumous
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: February 2022

In this micro-memoir, I show how I adopted, like John Keats, a “posthumous existence.” I draw a parallel between his terminal tuberculosis and my own diagnosis of End-Stage Renal Failure though not between his brilliant talent as a poet and my own humble skills as an academic developer and writer. I also express my support for the idea of playing dead as a writer as suggested by the Nobel prizewinner Nadine Gordimer.
Resident Empowerment and Support for Gaming Tourism: Comparisons of Resident Attitudes Pre- and Amid-Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Li Xiangping , Boley B. Bynum , Yang Fiona X.
Published: February 2022

Grounded in Weber’s theory of formal and substantive rationality, this study aims to examine the influences of economic and noneconomic factors, namely resident empowerment and trust, on resident support for gaming tourism, a controversial type of tourism development. In particular, with data collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study also examines how resident perceptions of economic and noneconomic benefits of tourism have changed as a result of the pandemic. Findings show that perceived economic benefits and trust in government were significant determinants before and during the pandemic; however, the effects of empowerment seem to be mixed, depending on how controversial gaming tourism was at the time of data collection. Results suggest gaming tourism is viewed more critically during periods of high volume and that when gaming tourism dries up, residents start to become more supportive and to see the economic and noneconomic benefits in a different light.
Intravitreal Injections during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Northern Italy: An Innovative Approach for a High Quality and Safe Treatment
Authors: Scarpa Giuseppe , Urban Francesca , Scarpa Margherita , Formentini Stefano , Beccastrini Andrea
Published: February 2022

Background

Intravitreal injection (IVI) is a standard procedure performed in ophthalmology to treat several conditions, and is performed in different settings across countries. The Italian guidelines recommend this intervention is performed in an operating room to minimize the risk of infections, while in other countries, including Canada, USA and the UK, IVIs are performed in the ophthalmologist's office. The 2020 COVID-19 outbreak caused a dramatic modification in outpatient care. Consequently, non-urgent surgical activities, like IVIs, were subjected to a drastic reduction.

Methods

We conducted observational study which investigated the outcomes of IVIs performed in an ophthalmologist's office using a mobile laminar flow unit, the Operio mobile (Toul Meditech, Operio®) versus an operating room setting.

Results

Use of the Operio mobile allowed the safety performance of 3838 IVIs during COVID-19 and significantly reduced the waiting time of the first visit. This results in a faster intervention without affecting the technical IVI procedure that remained unchanged comparing the two settings. Specifically, we observed a 26% reduction in operation costs for each IVI performed in the office, which can be translated to a higher impact when considering the total number of IVIs performed over one year.

Conclusion

The use of the Operio mobile in an ophthalmologist's office provides flexibility to perform IVIs, assuring patient safety, reducing healthcare personnel employment times, and the waiting lists for the patients, increasing the number of surgeries and improving the cost-effectiveness of the procedure.
Intestinal Dysbiosis, the Tryptophan Pathway and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Chen Jiezhong , Vitetta Luis , Henson Jeremy D , Hall Sean
Published: February 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progresses from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH), which may then progress to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. NASH is characterized by both steatosis and inflammation. Control of inflammation in NASH is a key step for the prevention of disease progression to severe sequalae. Intestinal dysbiosis has been recognized to be an important causal factor in the pathogenesis of NASH, involving both the accumulation of lipids and aggravation of inflammation. The effects of gut dysbiosis are mediated by adverse shifts of various intestinal commensal bacterial genera and their associated metabolites such as butyrate, tryptophan, and bile acids. In this review, we focus on the roles of tryptophan and its metabolites in NASH in association with intestinal dysbiosis and discuss possible therapeutic implications.
Hyperthyroidism and Liver Dysfunction: A Review of a Common Comorbidity
Authors: Yorke Ernest
Published: February 2022

Deranged liver enzymes due to hyperthyroidism rather than intrinsic liver pathology are not uncommon. The reported prevalence of liver biochemical abnormalities in patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis varies widely ranging from 15% to 76%. The suggested causes of liver dysfunction include direct hepatocyte injury, co-morbid heart failure, associated autoimmune conditions (especially in the setting of Graves’ Disease), preexisting liver disease and drugs including antithyroid medications. Although, some patients may have a pattern of mild liver injury, about 1% to 2% can have fulminant hepatitis. Liver enzymes can return to normalcy in as many as 77% to 83% of patients once the initiations of thionamides are started in a timely fashion, which can help forestall complications and prevent or minimize multi-organ dysfunction. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for underlying hyperthyroidism in patients presenting with unexplained liver dysfunction or unexplained jaundice.
Investigating longitudinal and bidirectional relationships between parental factors and time spent on social media during early adolescence
Authors: Fardouly Jasmine , Magson Natasha R , Rapee Ronald M , Oar Ella L , Johnco Carly J , Richardson Cele , Freeman Justin
Published: February 2022

This three-wave panel study examined the prospective and bidirectional relationships between parental control of social media use, and parents’ and adolescents’ perceived time spent on social media over a 2-year period. Adolescents (52% males, T1: Mage = 12.19, SD = 0.52) and one of their parents (96% mothers, T1: Mage = 45.26, SD = 4.28) completed annual surveys (T1: N = 498, T2: N = 477 and T3: N = 440). Data were analysed using cross-lagged panel models. More adolescent time spent on social media predicted small decreases in parental control 1 year later, but parental control did not predict adolescent time on social media. More parental time spent on social media predicted small increases in adolescent time spent on social media 1 year later, but adolescent use did not predict parent use. Examining factors related to parental use, rather than restriction, may be more effective to reduce adolescents’ social media use.
Concrete sectarianism: Revisiting the Lebanese civil war through Beirut’s built environment
Authors: Tamimova May
Published: February 2022

During the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), Beirut’s built environment was taken over by militias and used for sniping and launching military offensives. These operations took place across demarcation lines that cut through mixed neighbourhoods, eventually dividing the city into an ideologically Christian East and Muslim West. Due to Beirut’s excessive urbanization, navigating the built environment during the war became a necessity of survival. However, on a more imperceptible level, the years of repetitive navigation between, under, and around Beirut’s buildings contributed to learning scripts of othering, where sectarian ‘others’ were assigned to concrete structures that represented danger and foreignness. This article explores Lebanon’s sectarian war by analyzing how survivors interacted with Beirut's built environment. Using the ethnographic approach of considering built matter, alongside humans, as co-constitutive of social phenomena, the article shows how matter can shed light on the emergence of sectarian thinking and behavior.
SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Neuropathogenesis, Deterioration of Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Dementia
Authors: Radhakrishnan Risna K. , Kandasamy Mahesh
Published: February 2022

A significant portion of COVID-19 patients and survivors display marked clinical signs of neurocognitive impairments. SARS-CoV-2-mediated peripheral cytokine storm and its neurotropism appear to elicit the activation of glial cells in the brain proceeding to neuroinflammation. While adult neurogenesis has been identified as a key cellular basis of cognitive functions, neuroinflammation-induced aberrant neuroregenerative plasticity in the hippocampus has been implicated in progressive memory loss in ageing and brain disorders. Notably, recent histological studies of post-mortem human and experimental animal brains indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs neurogenic process in the hippocampus of the brain due to neuroinflammation. Considering the facts, this article describes the prominent neuropathogenic characteristics and neurocognitive impairments in COVID-19 and emphasizes a viewpoint that neuroinflammation-mediated deterioration of hippocampal neurogenesis could contribute to the onset and progression of dementia in COVID-19. Thus, it necessitates the unmet need for regenerative medicine for the effective management of neurocognitive deficits in COVID-19.
Artificial intelligence for wargaming and modeling
Authors: Davis Paul K , Bracken Paul
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) could be used in political-military modeling, simulation, and wargaming of conflicts with nations having weapons of mass destruction and other high-end capabilities involving space, cyberspace, and long-range precision weapons. AI should help participants in wargames, and agents in simulations, to understand possible perspectives, perceptions, and calculations of adversaries who are operating with uncertainties and misimpressions. The content of AI should recognize the risks of escalation leading to catastrophe with no winner but also the possibility of outcomes with meaningful winners and losers. We discuss implications for the design and development of families of models, simulations, and wargames using several types of AI functionality. We also discuss decision aids for wargaming, with and without AI, informed by theory and exploratory work using simulation, history, and earlier wargaming.
Does Proximal Hamate Graft for Proximal Scaphoid Reconstruction Restore Native Wrist Kinematics?
Authors: Burnier Marion , Gil Joseph A. , Hooke Alexander , Elhassan Bassem , Kakar Sanjeev
Published: February 2022

Background:

The objective of this study was to determine whether reconstruction of the proximal pole of the scaphoid with a proximal hamate graft restores native carpal kinematics.

Methods:

A cadaveric study was designed assessing wrist kinematic after proximal hamate graft for proximal pole of the scaphoid nonunion. Wireless sensors were mounted to the carpus using a custom pin and suture anchor system to 8 cadavers. A wrist simulator was used to move the wrist through a cyclical motion about the flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation axes. Each specimen was tested under a series of 3 conditions: (1) a native state, “Intact”; (2) fractured scaphoid proximal pole, “Fracture”; and (3) post-reconstruction of the proximal pole of the scaphoid using a proximal hamate graft, “Graft.”

Results:

The fracture condition resulted in a statistically significant change in scapholunate kinematics across the entire arc of motion relative to the intact condition. Reconstruction with proximal hamate grafts restored scapholunate kinematics close to the intact state in both flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation axes. The lunocapitate flexion during wrist flexion was significantly different after the hamate graft reconstruction.

Conclusions:

Proximal hamate to scaphoid transfer resulted in restoration of near normal carpal kinematics to the intact state.
Serum Inflammatory Markers and Amputations in Hand Osteomyelitis: A Retrospective Review of 146 Cases
Authors: Wyman Matthew , Dargan Dallan , Kazzazi Diana , Caddick Jennifer , Giblin Victoria
Published: February 2022

Background:

The diagnosis of hand osteomyelitis requires correlation of clinical, radiological, and microbiological findings. The role of serum inflammatory markers in diagnosing and prognosticating hand osteomyelitis remains uncertain. We sought to determine the utility of inflammatory markers in the diagnosis and follow-up of hand osteomyelitis, and their ability to predict outcomes, particularly amputation.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed 146 patients diagnosed with hand osteomyelitis and with serum inflammatory marker levels measured after the onset of symptoms and within 14 days either side of diagnosis. Blood results at first presentation including white cell count (WCC), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were reviewed, and associations with amputations assessed. Follow-up markers taken at 15 to 60 days from diagnosis were analyzed where available.

Results:

Mean WCC and CRP at diagnosis were 9.2 (SD: 4.6) and 30.2 (SD: 42.4) respectively, compared with 8.2 (SD: 3.9) and 30.2 (SD: 42.4) at follow-up. At diagnosis, sensitivity of CRP was 74%, and WCC was 31%. Each marker had a low positive predictive value for amputation at diagnosis (<29%). A rise in CRP between diagnosis and follow-up was associated with an increased risk of amputation compared with a fall in CRP. The finding that WCC and CRP were both normal at diagnosis had a high negative predictive value against amputation (96%).

Conclusion:

C-reactive protein has a higher sensitivity than WCC, NLR, and PLR when used as a diagnostic adjunct in hand osteomyelitis. White cell count and CRP both within reference ranges at diagnosis was highly negatively predictive against amputation.
Primary Resection of the Ulnar Slip of Flexor Digitorum Superficialis in the Persistently Triggering Patient After A1 Pulley Release
Authors: Polatsch Daniel B. , Rabinovich Remy V. , Casden Michael A. , Beldner Steven , Rahman Omar F.
Published: February 2022

Background:

The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of patients undergoing primary trigger finger release (TFR) that underwent ulnar superficialis slip resection (USSR) for decompression and to determine which digit was most commonly affected.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted of all cases of open TFR performed by a single surgeon. The following data were obtained: age, sex, laterality, affected digit, and consideration for USSR. All patients failed nonoperative treatment of at least 1 steroid injection. The occurrence of patients who underwent TFR and USSR and which digit(s) most commonly underwent USSR were determined. The average patient age that underwent USSR, frequency by sex, and relative occurrence of USSR in each digit were computed. Statistical calculations were conducted using χ2 analysis ( P < .05).

Results:

A total of 911 primary open TFRs were performed in 631 patients over a 16-year period. A total of 20 TFRs in 20 patients underwent USSR (2.2%). The long finger was the most commonly affected digit (40%) that required simple decompression. Within all USSR cases, the long finger was the most commonly affected digit. The index finger was the second most affected (30%), and there were no cases in the small finger.

Conclusions:

This study determined the occurrence of primary TFR cases that underwent USSR, with the long finger being the most commonly affected digit. Surgeons may consider this additional procedure to perform a larger decompression than simple A1 pulley release alone.
Evaluation of moisture diffusion characteristics and the effect of moisture treatment on flexural properties of expanded perlite-based building material
Authors: Arifuzzaman Md , Kim Ho Sung
Published: February 2022

The expanded perlite-based building material for drywall application consisting of sodium silicate solution as a binder was manufactured by varying the degree of compaction and sodium silicate content to investigate moisture diffusion behavior and the effect of moisture treatment on flexural properties of the composites. Moisture treatment was conducted on specimens in a climatic chamber at a temperature of 37°C and a relative humidity of 90% until saturation. Results show that moisture absorption decreased with increasing compaction ratio for a constant sodium silicate content in binder and increased with increasing sodium silicate content in binder for a constant compaction ratio. A range of volume fractions of solid sodium silicate in the foam is identified, in which the fully Fickian diffusion gradually transformed to non-Fickian diffusion as sodium silicate content in foam increased. The concentration-dependent diffusion method was found to be suitable to explain this behavior. The moisture diffusion below this transition range showed an entirely Fickian diffusion and changed to concentration-dependent diffusion above the range. As a result of moisture treatment, the flexural strength of medium density foams was decreased but the lowest- and highest-density foams were not affected while the flexural modulus was increased only for the highest density foam and no significant effects were seen in other cases. The bending failure mechanism of the composite was not affected by the moisture treatment.
Significance-Quest Theory
Authors: Kruglanski Arie W. , Molinario Erica , Jasko Katarzyna , Webber David , Leander N. Pontus , Pierro Antonio
Published: February 2022

Even though the motivation to feel worthy, to be respected, and to matter to others has been identified for centuries by scholars, the antecedents, consequences, and conditions of its activation have not been systematically analyzed or integrated. The purpose of this article is to offer such an integration. We feature a motivational construct, the quest for significance, defined as the need to have social worth. This need is typically fulfilled by a sense of measuring up to the values one shares with significant others. Our significance-quest theory (SQT) assumes that the need for significance is universal, whereas the means of satisfying it depend on the sociocultural context in which one’s values are embedded. Those means are identified in a narrative supported and validated by one’s network, or reference group. The quest for significance is activated by significance loss and/or the opportunity for significance gain. It motivates behavior that aims to affirm, realize, and/or show commitment to an important value. The SQT is consistent with large bodies of prior research and supported by novel studies in multiple laboratory and field settings. It transcends prior understandings and offers guidance for further study of this essential human motivation.
Differences in the teaching of civic, social and political education: An analysis of the impact of school gender
Authors: O’Brien Gearóid
Published: February 2022

This study examines differences based on school gender in the teaching of Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE), a mandatory subject in the Irish post-primary curriculum. These differences are considered in relation to Westheimer and Kahne’s three types of citizens – personally responsible, participatory and justice-oriented. The article presents the findings of a survey conducted with 223 CSPE teachers in single-sex female, single-sex male and co-educational schools. The data were analysed using statistical and thematic analysis. The findings suggest that CSPE teachers in single-sex female schools place greater value on the subject and are more likely to promote social responsibility and student voice, suggesting a greater emphasis on participatory and justice-oriented citizenship. Teachers in single-sex male schools are more likely to focus on politics and action aligning with participatory citizenship. In co-educational schools, teachers seemed to focus on personally responsible and participatory citizenship.
Collaborative data-driven reliability analysis of multi-state fault trees
Authors: Niloofar Parisa , Lazarova-Molnar Sanja
Published: February 2022

Fault tree modeling and failure analysis of systems that are equipped with sensors and meters are becoming more automated and less human-dependent. For a single system to benefit from its own collected data, it will need to wait for a long time to collect sufficient data to build representative models to increase its reliability. Therefore, if multiple systems with similar functionalities cooperate, the resolution of the collected data will increase. This leads to extracting fault trees with higher accuracy in failure detection and prediction. In this paper, we present an extended approach for collaborative Data-Driven Fault Tree Analysis (DDFTA) of a system which extracts repairable fault trees from time series data streaming from multiple systems/machines sharing similar functionalities. Results are analyzed to estimate the system’s reliability measures and investigate the effect of number of machines cooperating in data collection. Our method is not limited to binary (two states) components, nor to exponential distributions. Results show that applying collaborative data analytics significantly increases the accuracy of data-driven fault tree analysis, specifically for systems following nonexponential distributions.
Cued recall: Using photo-elicitation to examine the distributed processes of remembering with photographs
Authors: Fawns Tim
Published: February 2022

In studies of cued recall, responses to photographic stimuli have often been examined in isolation of related photography practices (e.g. taking, organising, or sharing images), and without considering how photographs are used. In contrast, photo-elicitation methods position photographs not simply as cues, but as meaningful artefacts around which accounts of the past are constructed. Drawing on photo-elicitation interviews, I examine cued recall from a distributed cognition perspective, proposing that it consists of varying combinations of several, potentially-distributed processes. First, looking at photographs can catalyse remembering by surfacing relevant ideas, followed by: stimulation (of feelings and emotions), simulation and narrative production, association, inference, and meaning-making. Using examples from my interviews, I consider how each process is socially and materially configured. I then discuss the role of diverse photographic practices in the convergence of these processes, and the implications for conceptions of cueing, recall, and autobiographical memory.
Filmic memory texts: Seeing America’s archeological turn from salvage to conservation in Spadework for History
Authors: Buchanan Sarah A
Published: February 2022

Over two decades in mid-century America, the professional approach to sites endangered by post-war construction and development projects was to excavate and “save the data” from certain loss. Archeologists led such salvage efforts from 1945 to 1970, first meeting the increased demand for their labor and skills. Then, in seeing the permanence of destruction, they shifted by extending their concept of safe preservation into the future: an early conservationist archeology. One broad impact of the River Basin Surveys was in memorializing tribal histories and relationships to the land environment by the recovery of large swaths of biological, ecological, palynological, and geological data from excavations coordinated from branch offices in Nebraska, Oregon, California, Washington, D.C., and Texas. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Texas professor E. Mott Davis created a meticulous record of such archeological practices through a film series which captures that shift from the perspective of one of its practitioners. Spadework for History (1964), subtitled “Salvaging American History,” seeks to document the country’s anthropological archeology through a pioneering academic collaboration between film and archeology. Weighing scholarship on the production of archives—including an awakening to power in their production of history—this article considers the power of film in creating a memory text. In retelling Davis’s contribution, evidence from the films’ reception and memory studies perspectives together expand the temporal framework available to support further audiovisual collection-based analyses of professional work.
Assessment of patients with problems associated with substance misuse
Authors: Morgan Welch Rhian
Published: February 2022

GPs have a role in providing a comprehensive assessment of patients engaging in all forms of substance misuse behaviour (recreational, problematic or dependent use). This includes offering support, in particular for aspects of physical and mental health screening and harm reduction. Patients may not always actively seek support to reduce or abstain from substance misuse and thus, GPs need to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of drug use, identify red flags for safeguarding issues, take opportunities to offer screening for associated illnesses, co-morbidities and signpost for local harm reduction services.
Food poisoning
Authors: Tan Sandra Ming Pow
Published: February 2022

Food poisoning is an illness caused by ingestion of contaminated food or drink. Contamination can be caused by bacteria or viruses, and less often by parasites or chemicals. According to a report released by the Food Standards Agency, the estimated number of food-borne disease-related cases that occurred in 2018 was 2 400 000, costing the economy an estimate of £9.1 billion. Of these cases, more than 200 000 visited their general practitioner, with around 15 000 ending up in hospital. This article gives an overview of the clinical manifestation, aetiology and management of this very common condition.
An intermittent outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia contaminating hematopoietic stem cells resulting in infusate-related blood stream infections
Authors: Raddaoui Anis , Ben Tanfous Farah , Chebbi Yosra , Mabrouk Aymen , Achour Wafa
Published: February 2022

Microbial contamination of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), used for autologous and allogenic transplantations, is rare but could cause serious blood stream infection in transplanted patients. These infections occur immediately, or later following the formation of biofilm on the catheter lumen. The present study describes an intermittent B. cepacia HSC contamination associated with nosocomial bacteremia: from October 2011 to April 2015, 17  B. cepacia strains were isolated in HSC bags ( n = 14) and blood cultures ( n = 3) in patients hospitalized in the National Bone Marrow Transplant Center. Two epidemiologic investigations in the National Blood Transfusion Center, allowing the isolation of three strains in hygiene samples, and four interventions in this institution were done. To identify the source of this contamination, a molecular investigation was done on 23  B. cepacia strains isolated in our center from 2007 to 2015. PFGE analysis revealed five clusters. The major cluster included 18 strains isolated from HSC bags ( n = 14), blood culture ( n = 1), and water cans and bath ( n = 3). The second cluster (B) including only two and the remaining clusters (C, D, and E) contained single strains isolated before the epidemic period. These findings confirmed that the origin of the outbreak was the contaminated water used in the water bath during the thawing step of HSC bags. Based on this result, new sterile water was used for every defrosting, but HSC bags contamination persisted. In May 2015, the water bath was replaced with a dry bath and no B. cepacia strain was isolated from that date to April 2020.
Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Clinical Outcomes for Patients With ACL Reconstruction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Colapietro Mark , Portnoff Brandon , Miller Sayers John , Sebastianelli Wayne , Vairo Giampietro L.
Published: February 2022

Context:

Knee muscle atrophy and weakness are common impairments after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training represents a new approach to treat such impairments. However, limited evidence currently exists to support this intervention in related patients.

Objective:

To appraise literature comparing the effects of BFR training with conventional therapy on knee muscle morphological and strength properties in ACL-reconstructed patients.

Data Sources:

PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register databases were searched for relevant articles from January 1991 through April 2021.

Study Selection:

Articles were minimum Level 3 evidence focusing on knee muscle morphologic as well as extensor and flexor strength outcomes in ACL-reconstructed patients of all graft types.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 2.

Data Extraction:

Critical appraisal instruments (Downs and Black checklist, Cochrane Collaboration tool, ROBINS-1 tool) were used to evaluate study quality. We independently calculated effect sizes (ESs) (Cohen d) between groups in each study. The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy grading scale was used for clinical recommendations.

Results:

Six articles (4 randomized control studies, 1 nonrandomized study, and 1 case-control study) met inclusion criteria. Exercises paired with BFR training included open kinetic chain, closed kinetic chain, and passive applications. Diverse assessments and time of intervention were observed across studies. ESs ranged from trivial to large in favor of BFR training for muscle morphological ( d = 0.06 to 0.81) and strength assessments ( d = −0.12 to 1.24) with CIs spanning zero.

Conclusion:

At this time, grade B or inconsistent and limited-quality patient-oriented evidence exists to support using BFR training to improve or maintain thigh muscle size as well as knee extensor and flexor strength in ACL-reconstructed patients. ESs indicated no consistent clinically meaningful differences when compared with conventional therapy. Subsequent analyses should be repeated as new evidence emerges to update practice guidelines.
Threat Rejection Fuels Political Dehumanization
Authors: Kubin Emily , Kachanoff Frank J. , Gray Kurt
Published: February 2022

Americans disagree about many things, including what threats are most pressing. We suggest people morally condemn and dehumanize opponents when they are perceived as rejecting the existence or severity of important perceived threats. We explore perceived “threat rejection” across five studies ( N = 2,404) both in the real-world COVID-19 pandemic and in novel contexts. Americans morally condemned and dehumanized policy opponents when they seemed to reject realistic group threats (e.g., threat to the physical health or resources of the group). Believing opponents rejected symbolic group threats (e.g., to collective identity) was not reliably linked to condemnation and dehumanization. Importantly, the political dehumanization caused by perceived threat rejection can be soothed with a “threat acknowledgement” intervention.