bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amoral Management as a Double-Edged Sword: How May it Shape Subordinate Work Performance?
Authors: Liu Yan , Huang Qian , Ren Lei
Published: June 2024

Amoral management is a leading style manifested as ethical silence towards subordinates within enterprises, yet research has paid scant attention to its influence on employees’ work performance. Based on the social information processing theory, this study explores the double-edged sword effect of amoral management on subordinate work performance in the context of an organizational pay for performance system. The examination of 330 sets of supervisor-subordinate matching data from a two-stage questionnaire shows that amid a high pay for performance system, amoral management promotes subordinate task performance through the mediator of mental preoccupation with work and that amoral management promotes subordinate unethical behavior through the mediator of self-interest cognition. This study thus rectifies the dearth of research on amoral management while furnishing valuable guidance for ethical practices within organizations.
Cross-device fault diagnosis of rolling bearings using domain generalization and dynamic model
Authors: Gong Fengjin , Ma Ping , Wang Nini , Zhang Hongli , Wang Cong , Li Xinkai
Published: June 2024

Over the past few years, intelligent fault diagnosis technology has been widely applied and has achieved good results. However, these methods cannot effectively diagnose faults across devices. Existing transfer learning methods such as domain generalization (DG) can solve this problem, but these methods rely on multiple source domains to train the network, which limits their practical application. In response to this issue, this study proposes a simulate data-driven method for cross-device fault diagnosis method and a DG network named Adversarial Domain-Invariant Feature Exploration (ADIFEX). This method only requires a set of actual data to perform cross-device fault diagnosis tasks that are not visible in the target domain. ADIFEX extracts features of different health states of bearings by learning domain invariant features from the simulation model data and actual data and generalizes them to invisible target domains. Experiments using multiple sets of data verify that the proposed method has better performance in cross-device fault diagnosis with unknown target domains than other methods.
Exploring Greater Flexibility for Chronic Toxicity Study Designs to Support Human Safety Assessment While Balancing 3Rs Considerations
Authors: Prior Helen , Baldrick Paul , Clarke David O. , Passini Elisa , Sewell Fiona , van Meer Peter
Published: June 2024

Chronic repeated-dose toxicity studies are required to support long-term dosing in late-stage clinical trials, providing data to adequately characterize adverse effects of potential concern for human safety. Different regulatory guidances for the design and duration of chronic toxicity studies are available, with flexibility in approaches often adopted for specific drug modalities. These guidances may provide opportunities to reduce time, cost, compound requirement and animal use within drug development programs if applied more broadly and considered outside their current scopes of use. This article summarizes presentations from a workshop at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Toxicology (ACT) in November 2022, discussing different approaches for chronic toxicity studies. A recent industry collaboration between the Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) and UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) illustrated current practices and the value of chronic toxicity studies for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and evaluated a weight of evidence (WOE) model where a 3-month study rather than a 6-month study might be adequate. Other topics included potential opportunities for single-species chronic toxicity studies for small molecules, peptides and oligonucleotides and whether a 6-month duration non-rodent study can be used more routinely than a 9-month study (similar to ICH S6(R1) for biological products). Also addressed were opportunities to optimize recovery animal use if warranted and whether restriction to one study only (if at all) can be applied more widely within and outside ICH S6(R1).
Push-out performance of stud/channel steel connectors in UHPC for new precast concrete beam-slab connections
Authors: Zhang Jianxin , Zhang Tingwei , Yuan Weitao
Published: June 2024

At present, the connection between the beams and slabs adopting composite layers is cast on-site, which is laborious and time-consuming. In this study, a new type of precast concrete (PC) beam and PC slab connection, which was connected by stud/channel steel connectors, was proposed to enhance the efficiency of prefabricated construction. Push-out tests were carried out on 5 PC beam-slab specimens connected with studs and 3 PC beam-slab specimens with channel steel connectors. The test variables were the connecting methods of beam-slab, the connector reinforcement ratio and the connecting width between two slabs. The failure process, load and slip of the beam-slab connection were recorded. Then, the slip behavior, shear capacity and shear stiffness of the PC beam-slab connection were analyzed. The results showed that the new type of PC beam-slab connection proposed in this study was an effective form for transferring force between the beam and slabs. Based on the push-out test results, the shear mechanism of connectors was analyzed and the calculation formulas for shear strength of stud/channel steel connectors were put forward. The calculated values obtained from the proposed formula demonstrated a strong correlation with the test results, providing an accurate measurement of shear strength of the new type of PC beam-slab connection. This study offers a reference for realizing the fast-full assembly construction of PC frame.
Time perception among people living with and without dementia: A scoping review
Authors: Gallant Natasha L , Russill Chelsea L , Taylor Natasha C , Nakonechny Sarah , Kohlert Amara , Ewing Kyley
Published: June 2024

Dementia often manifests with profound alterations in perception, but it is unclear if and to what extent time perception is altered among people living with dementia compared to those experiencing normal aging. Thus, this scoping review aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) What study designs, participants, time intervals, paradigms, tests, and scores have been employed and in which countries were these methods employed to study time perception in dementia? (2) In which ways do time perception differ across individuals living with and without dementia? (3) In which ways do time perception differ across individuals living with different types of dementia? After deduplication, title and abstract screening, and full-text review, a total of 12 studies were included in this scoping review. Findings generally indicated that people living with dementia perceive time differently than people living without dementia, and that some differences across dementia diagnoses may exist, but the body of literature on time perception in dementia was quite limited. Future research should focus on replicating findings while extending the research to look beyond the dementia versus non-dementia dichotomy as differences across dementia diagnoses may exist. Moreover, if people living with dementia (and, in particular, living with different dementia diagnoses) experience time differently from those experiencing normal aging, we need to begin to address these differences in dementia-friendly initiatives to improve well-being for this population.
Peer Engagement: On Reflecting Student Diversity in a Research Trial
Authors: Hoermann Serena , Renne John L. , Freeman Katherine , Merlin Louis A. , Dzhurova Albena , Lopez Paula
Published: June 2024

Diversifying racial and ethnic participation in clinical research contributes to the generalizability of findings. Yet minority populations remain underrepresented, presenting challenges for studies targeting diverse undergraduate student populations. The researchers of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) explored a recruitment methodology including peer engagement. This article reports on the methodology and outcomes of a peer-to-peer (“Student Ambassador”) recruitment strategy alongside other approaches (email, digital advertising). To understand (1) how peer engagement can diversify student recruitment efforts, the researchers examined descriptive statistics and responses from the baseline and follow-up surveys of the RCT. To understand (2) how Student Ambassadors experienced engagement, the researchers convened a focus group. While a causal relationship is not asserted, we found that study participation approximately represented the student population in terms of ethnic and racial background. Among recruitment approaches, some appeared better aligned with individual ethnic and racial groups. Nine percent of participants reported hearing about the study from peer-to-peer activities (Ambassador engagement, social media, or word-of-mouth), making such approaches a valuable reinforcement of other methods. The diverse team of Student Ambassadors reported job satisfaction, citing interactivity and relatability as success factors. We conclude that diversifying recruitment methods in alignment with target populations may enhance research results. In addition, peer-to-peer methods can expose underrepresented groups to the research process.
The effect of Transition to Adulthood Training Program for mothers of young adults with intellectual disability on family quality of life and perceived stress level: A pilot randomized controlled study
Authors: Savaş Eyşan Hanzade , AYDIN Ayfer , BERTAN İpek
Published: June 2024

Families cannot easily identify and cope with the changing health problems and needs of children transitioning into adulthood. This pilot randomized controlled study aims to improve the family's quality of life and reduce mothers' perceived stress levels by implementing an educational program (Transition to Adulthood Training Program - TATP). A total of 33 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities were randomly assigned to the groups. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Beach Center Family Quality of Life (BCFQOL), and Perceived Stress Scale. The intervention group showed a significant increase in the BCFQOL mean score rather than the control group (p<.001). There was a significant decrease in the perceived stress scores of the mothers in the intervention group after the TATP training sessions (p<0.05). The TATP intervention not only increased the quality of family life for these mothers but also led to a reduction in their perceived stress levels.
Sense of coherence and its components under COVID-19: relative associations with personality and psychosocial variables
Authors: Zukerman Gil , Antonovsky Avishai , Shapiro Ephraim , Korn Liat
Published: June 2024

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is conceptualized as promoting resistance to stress. The study aimed to assess the impact of the Big Five personality traits and Social Capital (SC) on SOC levels during COVID-19, comparing associations with the pre-pandemic period. Another aim was to explore how personality and SC relate differently to SOC domains: Comprehensibility, Manageability, and Meaningfulness, reflecting perceptions of order, resource adequacy, and life’s significance, respectively. SOC, Big Five personality traits, SC (using by the 13 items SOC scale, NEO-FFI and PSCS inventories, respectively) and demographic data were obtained from 2717 Israeli participants during the heights of the third COVID-19 wave (November 2020–March 2021). Strong relationships between SOC and personality traits have been found through regression analysis, but these associations differed between SOC domains. Big Five traits demonstrated comparable association with Comprehensibly and Manageability, but different from those with Meaningfulness, particularly in Neuroticism, Openness and Extraversion. Significant SC–SOC associations were observed, though weaker than those reported in the pre-pandemic period. Age and female sex were also associated with stronger SOC. Overall, effect sizes for SOC domains were medium to large for Big Five personality traits and small to medium for demographic variables. SC demonstrated a negligible effect size. Significant interactions of demographic, SC and personality traits were also observed. The study highlights SOC’s strong links with personality and demographics, but weaker ties with psychosocial factors. Variations across SOC domains may explain diverse crisis effects.
The Dynamic Model of Health Assets: a model development
Authors: Bodryzlova Yuliya , Moullec Gregory , Kelly Michael P.
Published: June 2024

Aim:

Epidemiological research on resistance and resilience can build on models of health developed in health promotion. Nevertheless, these models need to be adjusted to approaches currently employed in epidemiology; namely, included concepts should be easy to operationalize, and links between them should be simple enough to enable statistical modeling. In addition, these models should include both individual and environmental assets. The objective of this study is to consolidate the current knowledge on health assets, adjust them to epidemiological research needs, and propose a new model of health assets for epidemiological studies on health.

Design:

The conceptual paper was conducted according to the guidelines for the model development.

Methods:

The development of the new model was made from the perspective of salutogenesis – the branch of health promotion studying the origins of health. The analysis of literature on health promotion, public health, and positive psychology was conducted to find the links connecting individual and environmental assets.

Results:

The newly developed Dynamic Model of Health Assets circularly links individual characteristics, actions, environments, and support. Each preceding component of the model contributes to the following one; each component also independently contributes to resistance and resilience. The new model may guide large-scale epidemiological research on resistance and resilience. The model’s components are easy to operationalize; the model allows for constructing multilevel models and accounting for the dynamic nature of the relationships between components. It is also generic enough to be adjusted to studying contributors to resistance and resilience to different specific diseases.

Conclusion:

The new model can guide epidemiological studies on resistance and resilience.
Towards a framework for successful metaverse adoption in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: An exploratory study
Authors: Hasani Tahereh , Rezania Davar , Mohammadi Mohammad
Published: June 2024

The digital transformation of our physical lives, driven by cutting-edge technologies like AI, 5G, and Extended Reality, is rapidly unfolding through the metaverse. This study investigates the factors influencing the adoption intention of the metaverse and its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performance, employing the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. A cross-sectional analysis involving 173 owners/senior managers of SMEs in Canada was conducted to develop a conceptual model. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were employed to assess the questionnaire’s validity and reliability. Correlation, regression analysis, and Baron and Kenny’s method were used to evaluate relationships and mediation effects. The findings revealed seven significant factors influencing SMEs’ metaverse adoption intention. Notably, anxiety, security, and privacy did not impact adoption intention. Conversely, a positive correlation emerged between metaverse adoption intention and SME performance. The study demonstrated that metaverse adoption intention fully mediated the relationship between predictors and performance, with the indirect effect moderated by relationship qualities (RQs) like service experience and customer engagement. These insights provide decision-makers with valuable guidance for prioritizing essential factors crucial for successful metaverse technology implementation in SMEs.
Impact of the Newspaper in Education Program and Parental Mediation on Adolescents’ Social Participation: A Focus on the Mediated Effects of News Use Behavior and Self-Expression
Authors: Lee Janggeun , Lin Han , Kim Yonghwan , Kim Youngju
Published: June 2024

This study examines adolescents’ media use after receiving media education, specifically, media education received through Newspaper in Education (NIE) at school and parental mediation at home. The study verifies whether media education stimulates social participation by analyzing adolescents’ self-expression. Data collected through the Korea Press Foundation’s 2019 survey on media use among students aged 10 to 18 in Korea ( N = 1,905) were analyzed. Students who experienced NIE used various types of media to access news and consume news more sensibly. This type of news use influenced adolescents to become more active in self-expression and encouraged social participation. In addition, the relationship between parental mediation and social participation is sequentially mediated by adolescents’ sensible news use and self-expression.
Long-term Outcomes After Open Repair of Humeral Avulsion of the Glenohumeral Ligament
Authors: Dannaway Jasan , Raniga Sumit , Bokor Desmond
Published: June 2024

Background:

There is a lack of data regarding the long-term clinical outcomes of open repair of humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL).

Purpose:

To examine the long-term patient outcomes, prevalence of related shoulder lesions, and return to sports in patients who have had open HAGL repair.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Included were 47 patients who underwent open repair of an HAGL lesion between 1995 and 2013. Clinical results were assessed using the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI). Recurrence of instability, additional surgeries, confidence in the shoulder, level and type of sport before and after surgery, and return to sports were documented.

Results:

The mean follow-up duration was 105 months (range, 16-247 months). The mean postoperative WOSI score was 410. Postoperatively, 10 patients experienced a recurrence of instability. Subgroup analysis of patients who reported recurrence demonstrated significantly worse WOSI scores compared with patients who did not experience recurrence (730 [95% CI, 470-990] vs 320 [95% CI, 210-430], respectively; P = .007). Before surgery, 33 patients participated in competitive sports, compared with 22 patients after surgery. No postoperative neurologic or vascular complications were recorded. In 51% of patients, a labral tear was noted as a concomitant injury.

Conclusion:

Open repair of an HAGL lesion restored shoulder stability with good results. However, recurrence was significant (21%) with longer follow-up, and return to sports was affected. Associated lesions were prevalent.
Epilepsy and overgrowth–intellectual disability syndromes: a patient organization perspective on collaborating to accelerate pathways to treatment
Authors: Grens Kerry , Church Kit M. , Diehl Eric , Hunter Senyene E. , Tatton-Brown Katrina , Kiernan Jill , Delagrammatikas Christal G.
Published: June 2024

Overgrowth–intellectual disability (OGID) syndromes are a collection of rare genetic disorders with overlapping clinical profiles. In addition to the cardinal features of general overgrowth (height and/or head circumference at least two standard deviations above the mean) and some degree of intellectual disability, the OGID syndromes are often associated with neurological anomalies including seizures. In an effort to advance research in directions that will generate meaningful treatments for people with OGID syndromes, a new collaborative partnership called the Overgrowth Syndromes Alliance (OSA) formed in 2023. By taking a phenotype-first approach, OSA aims to unite research and patient communities traditionally siloed by genetic disorder. OSA has galvanized OGID patient organizations around shared interests and developed a research roadmap to identify and address our community’s greatest unmet needs. Here, we describe the literature regarding seizures among those with overgrowth syndromes and present the OSA Research Roadmap. This patient-driven guide outlines the milestones essential to reaching the outcome of effective treatments for OGID syndromes and offers resources for reaching those milestones.
Characterization and physicochemical properties of lignocellulosic fibers from Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis) Leaf Stalks
Authors: Sivanantham Gokulkumar , Sivaraj Vijaya Gurupranes , Murugan Aravindh , Selvaraj Sathish , Thangavelu Kannan , Mani Sasi Kumar , Marappan Sathiya Seelan , Elango Sunitha Sanjay Siva , Purushothaman Geetha Vishnu
Published: June 2024

Recent advancements in composites involve integrating natural fibers into polymer matrices as a reinforcement or filler. This approach offers several benefits, including eco-friendliness, abundant natural materials, exceptional strength, cost-effectiveness, and simple extraction methods. Substituting synthetic materials with natural ones has environmental advantages, as some synthetics release toxins at high temperatures. Natural materials reduce the risk of toxic emissions, fostering a safer environment. Thus, our research centers on experimentally characterizing Fishtail Palm Leaf Stalk Fiber (FPLSF) through methods like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), single fiber tensile test, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. These techniques unveil insights into composition, structure, thermal properties, strength, and morphology. Results highlight FPLSF’s attributes: 63.67% cellulose, 1473 kg/m³ density, 380.85 µm diameter, 31.37% crystallinity index, 249.23 MPa tensile strength, and 326°C thermal stability. In addition, the sound absorption properties such as sound absorption coefficient (SAC) and noise reduction coefficient (NRC) are found to be 0.34 and 0.39, respectively. FPLSF’s properties suggest its potential as an alternative reinforcement in composite manufacturing.
GATSol, an enhanced predictor of protein solubility through the synergy of 3D structure graph and large language modeling
Authors: Li Bin , Ming Dengming
Published: June 2024

Background

Protein solubility is a critically important physicochemical property closely related to protein expression. For example, it is one of the main factors to be considered in the design and production of antibody drugs and a prerequisite for realizing various protein functions. Although several solubility prediction models have emerged in recent years, many of these models are limited to capturing information embedded in one-dimensional amino acid sequences, resulting in unsatisfactory predictive performance.

Results

In this study, we introduce a novel Graph Attention network-based protein Solubility model, GATSol, which represents the 3D structure of proteins as a protein graph. In addition to the node features of amino acids extracted by the state-of-the-art protein large language model, GATSol utilizes amino acid distance maps generated using the latest AlphaFold technology. Rigorous testing on independent eSOL and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae test datasets has shown that GATSol outperforms most recently introduced models, especially with respect to the coefficient of determination R2, which reaches 0.517 and 0.424, respectively. It outperforms the current state-of-the-art GraphSol by 18.4% on the S. cerevisiae_test set.

Conclusions

GATSol captures 3D dimensional features of proteins by building protein graphs, which significantly improves the accuracy of protein solubility prediction. Recent advances in protein structure modeling allow our method to incorporate spatial structure features extracted from predicted structures into the model by relying only on the input of protein sequences, which simplifies the entire graph neural network prediction process, making it more user-friendly and efficient. As a result, GATSol may help prioritize highly soluble proteins, ultimately reducing the cost and effort of experimental work. The source code and data of the GATSol model are freely available at https://github.com/binbinbinv/GATSol.
Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics study of embryonic breast muscle of Jiaji ducks
Authors: Gu Lihong , Chen Jile , Hu Chengjun , Wang Dingfa , Huan Shuqian , Rong Guang , Lv Renlong , Xu Tieshan
Published: June 2024

Because number of matured muscle fibers in poultry does not increase after birth, the meat yield is mainly determined during embryogenesis. We previously indicated breast muscle grew rapidly from 18th day after hatching (E18) to E27, and almost stopped from E27 to E34 of Jiaji ducks, while the mechanism is unclear. This study utilized RNA-seq to explore the related genes of muscle development and their relationship with small molecule metabolites at E18, E27 and E34 of Jiaji ducks. Several thousand differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected among E18, E27 and E34. DEGs expression profiles included 8 trend maps, among which trend 1 was opposite to and trend 6 was consistent with breast muscle development trend of Jiaji ducks. Through joint analysis between trend 1 of DEGs and trend 1 of differential metabolites (DEMs), protein digestion and absorption pathway stood out. The decrease of COL8A2 gene expression will lead to the decrease of arginine content, which will inhibit the development of breast muscle in embryonic Jiaji duck. Similarly, joint analysis between trend 6 of DEGs and trend 6 of DEMs indicated the increase of GAMT gene expression will cause the increase of proline content, and then promote the development of breast muscle of Jiaji duck in embryonic period. These results will be helpful for further understanding the mechanism of muscle yields of Jiaji ducks.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections in children with lower respiratory infection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a large sample study in China from 2019 to 2022
Authors: Qiu Weiling , Ding Jiaying , Zhang Hongmei , Huang Shumin , Huang Zuowei , Lin Ming , Zhang Yuanyuan , Chen Zhimin
Published: June 2024

Background

Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to reduce the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have suppressed the spread of other respiratory viruses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological trends and clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection among inpatient children with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate the long-term effects of China’s NPIs against COVID-19 on the epidemiology of MP among inpatient children with LRTI.

Methods

Children hospitalised for LRTI at the Department of Pulmonology, The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between January 2019 and December 2022 were tested for common respiratory pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and other bacteria. Clinical data on age, sex, season of onset, disease spectrum, and combined infection in children with MP-induced LRTI in the past 4 years were collected and analysed.

Results

Overall, 15909 patients were enrolled, and MP-positive cases were 1971 (34.0%), 73 (2.4%), 176 (5.8%), and 952 (20.6%) in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, with a significant statistical difference in the MP-positive rate over the 4 years (p <0.001). The median age of these children was preschool age (3–6 years), except for 2022, when they were school age (7–12 years), with statistical differences. Comparing the positive rates of different age groups, the school-age children (7–12 years) had the highest positive rate, followed by the preschoolers (3–6 years) in each of the 4 years. Compared among different seasons, the positive rate of MP in children with LRTI was higher in summer and autumn, whereas in 2020, it was highest in spring. The monthly positive rate peaked in July 2019, remained low from 2020 to 2021, and rebounded until 2022. Regarding the disease spectrum, severe pneumonia accounted for the highest proportion (46.3%) pre-pandemic and lowest (0%) in 2020.

Conclusion

Trends in MP detection in children with LRTIs suggest a possible correlation between COVID-19 NPIs and significantly reduced detection rates. The positivity rate of MP gradually rose after 2 years. The epidemic season showed some differences, but school-age children were more susceptible to MP before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spontaneous development of myasthenia gravis and myositis following treatment with pembrolizumab: a case report
Authors: Kiaei Benjamin , Chaudhry Maaria , Banerjee Sumona , Brewer Jonathan , Chen Yongzhen , Khasiyev Farid , Guzman Miguel A. , Hayat Ghazala
Published: June 2024

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a relatively new advancement in the world of cancer therapy. As such, their adverse effects have yet to be fully understood, with only recent literature documenting autoimmune phenomena secondary to their utilization. Specific immune checkpoint inhibitors have recently been linked with the development of myasthenia gravis, which is classically known to manifest spontaneously in patients. Given the relative rarity of this presentation, the risk of misdiagnosis and subsequent mortality and morbidity is concerning.

Case presentation

We discuss the case of a 73-year-old male who presented with clinical symptoms of myasthenia gravis and myositis shortly after beginning treatment with Pembrolizumab. The diagnosis of myasthenia gravis was initially missed at an outside hospital, which delayed initiation of proper treatment.

Conclusion

While the incidence of “de-novo” diseases secondary to immune checkpoint inhibitors might be increasing, guidelines regarding best treatment options do not yet exist, leaving many providers at a loss when faced with making clinical decisions surrounding patients with De novo myasthenia gravis. Thus, our goal is to underscore the importance of early recognition of this disease, and emphasize the need for a standard of care as immune checkpoint inhibitors usage becomes more prevalent.
Patterns of oxytocin use for induction and augmentation of labour among healthcare providers in Nigeria
Authors: Ejekam Chioma S. , Okafor Ifeoma P. , Okunade Kehinde S. , Igbokwe Uchenna , Nwokike Jude
Published: June 2024

Background

The practice of intrapartum use of oxytocin for induction and augmentation of labour is increasing worldwide with documented wide variations in clinical use, especially dose administrations. There is also evidence of intrapartum use by unauthorized cadre of staff.

Aim

This study assessed the patterns – frequency of intrapartum use of oxytocin, the doses and routes of administration for induction and augmentation of labour, and identified the predictors of oxytocin use for induction and augmentation of labour by healthcare providers in Nigeria.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among healthcare providers – doctors, nurses/midwives and community health workers (CHWs) in public and private healthcare facilities across the country’s six geopolitical zones. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 6,299 eligible healthcare providers who use oxytocin for pregnant women during labour and delivery. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect relevant data and analysed using STATA 17 statistical software. Summary and inferential statistics were done and further analyses using multivariable regression models were performed to ascertain independent predictor variables of correct patterns of intrapartum oxytocin usage. The p-value was set at < 0.05.

Results

Of the 6299 respondents who participated in the study, 1179 (18.7%), 3362 (53.4%), and 1758 (27.9%) were doctors, nurses/midwives and CHWs, respectively. Among the respondents, 4200 (66.7%) use oxytocin for augmentation of labour while 3314 (52.6%) use it for induction of labour. Of the 1758 CHWs, 37.8% and 49% use oxytocin for induction and augmentation of labour, respectively. About 10% of the respondents who use oxytocin for the induction or augmentation of labour incorrectly use the intramuscular route of administration and about 8% incorrectly use intravenous push. Being a doctor, and a healthcare provider from government health facilities were independent positive predictors of the administration of correct dose oxytocin for induction and augmentation of labour. The CHWs were most likely to use the wrong route and dose administration of oxytocin for the induction and augmentation of labour.

Conclusion

Our study unveiled a concerning clinical practice of intrapartum oxytocin use by healthcare providers in Nigeria – prevalence of intrapartum use of oxytocin, inappropriate routes of administration for induction and augmentation of labour, varied and inappropriately high start dose of administration including unauthorized and high intrapartum use of oxytocin among CHWs.
Development and validation of a preoperative CT‑based radiomics nomogram to differentiate tuberculosis granulomas from lung adenocarcinomas: an external validation study
Authors: Yang Liping , Jiang Zhiyun , Tong Jinlong , Li Nan , Dong Qing , Wang Kezheng
Published: June 2024

Background

An accurate and non-invasive approach is urgently needed to distinguish tuberculosis granulomas from lung adenocarcinomas. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram based on contrast enhanced-compute tomography (CE-CT) to preoperatively differentiate tuberculosis granuloma from lung adenocarcinoma appearing as solitary pulmonary solid nodules (SPSN).

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 143 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (mean age: 62.4 ± 6.5 years; 54.5% female) and 137 patients with tuberculosis granulomas (mean age: 54.7 ± 8.2 years; 29.2% female) from two centers between March 2015 and June 2020. The training and internal validation cohorts included 161 and 69 patients (7:3 ratio) from center No.1, respectively. The external testing cohort included 50 patients from center No.2. Clinical factors and conventional radiological characteristics were analyzed to build independent predictors. Radiomics features were extracted from each CT-volume of interest (VOI). Feature selection was performed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, as well as the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. A clinical model was constructed with clinical factors and radiological findings. Individualized radiomics nomograms incorporating clinical data and radiomics signature were established to validate the clinical usefulness. The diagnostic performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

One clinical factor (CA125), one radiological characteristic (enhanced-CT value) and nine radiomics features were found to be independent predictors, which were used to establish the radiomics nomogram. The nomogram demonstrated better diagnostic efficacy than any single model, with respective AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.903, 0.857, 0.901, and 0.807 in the training cohort; 0.933, 0.884, 0.893, and 0.892 in the internal validation cohort; 0.914, 0.800, 0.937, and 0.735 in the external test cohort. The calibration curve showed a good agreement between prediction probability and actual clinical findings.

Conclusion

The nomogram incorporating clinical factors, radiological characteristics and radiomics signature provides additional value in distinguishing tuberculosis granuloma from lung adenocarcinoma in patients with a SPSN, potentially serving as a robust diagnostic strategy in clinical practice.
Accuracy, potential, and limitations of probabilistic record linkage in identifying deaths by gender identity and sexual orientation in the state of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: de Mattos Russo Rafael Ricardo , da Silva Kleison Pereira , de Souza Santos Helena Gonçalves , Depret Davi Gomes , Caravaca-Morera Jaime Alonso , Breda Karen Marie Lucas
Published: June 2024

Background

Globally, the counting of deaths based on gender identity and sexual orientation has been a challenge for health systems. In most cases, non-governmental organizations have dedicated themselves to this work. Despite these efforts in generating information, the scarcity of official data presents significant limitations in policy formulation and actions guided by population needs. Therefore, this manuscript aims to evaluate the accuracy, potential, and limits of probabilistic data relationships to yield information on deaths according to gender identity and sexual orientation in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Methods

This study evaluated the accuracy of the probabilistic record linkage to obtain information on deaths according to gender and sexual orientation. Data from two information systems were used from June 15, 2015 to December 31, 2020. We constructed nine probabilistic data relationship strategies and identified the performance and cutoff points of the best strategy.

Results

The best data blocking strategy was established through logical blocks with the first and last names, birthdate, and mother’s name in the pairing strategy. With a population base of 80,178 records, 1556 deaths were retrieved. With an area under the curve of 0.979, this strategy presented 93.26% accuracy, 98.46% sensitivity, and 90.04% specificity for the cutoff point ≥ 17.9 of the data relationship score. The adoption of the cutoff point optimized the manual review phase, identifying 2259 (90.04%) of the 2509 false pairs and identifying 1532 (98.46%) of the 1556 true pairs.

Conclusion

With the identification of possible strategies for determining probabilistic data relationships, the retrieval of information on mortality according to sexual and gender markers has become feasible. Based on information from the daily routine of health services, the formulation of public policies that consider the LGBTQ + population more closely reflects the reality experienced by these population groups.
2-year survival and cost analysis of occlusoproximal ART restorations using encapsulated glass ionomer cement in primary molars: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Garbim Jonathan Rafael , Saihara Cintia Saori , Olegário Isabel Cristina , Hesse Daniela , Araujo Mariana Pinheiro , Bonifácio Clarissa Calil , Braga Mariana Minatel , Raggio Daniela Prócida
Published: June 2024

Background

The survival of ART restorations can be influenced by the choice of the restorative material. The aim of this randomized non-inferiority controlled trial was to compare the 2-year survival rate and cost analysis of two encapsulated glass ionomer cements (GIC) as occlusoproximal restorative materials in primary molars.

Methods

Children from public schools in Tietê (Brazil), aged 4–8 years with occlusoproximal dentine carious lesions in primary molars were selected and randomly assigned to receive either Equia Forte (EF) or Riva Self Cure (RSC) as restorative materials. Treatment was carried out by two trained final-year dental students in schools following ART premises. Restorations were assessed by a trained and calibrated examiner after 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The primary outcome was restoration survival after 2 years, analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis (α = 5%). Professional and materials costs for each group were collected in Brazilian Reais (R$) and converted into US dollars (US$) and analyzed using Monte-Carlo simulation.

Results

A total of 152 children (76 per group) were included in the study, and 121 (79%) were evaluated after 2 years. The overall 2-year restoration survival rate was 39% (EF = 45%; RSC = 32%) with no difference between the groups. The baseline and 2-year total cost of restorations using RSC was lower when compared to EF (incremental cost: US$ 6.18).

Conclusion

After two years of follow-up, Riva Self Cure shows comparable restoration survival rates to Equia Forte, being more cost-effective in the Brazilian perspective.

Trial Registration

This randomized clinical trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.Gov - NCT02730000.
An innovative cell-based transplantation therapy for an immature permanent tooth in an adult: a case report
Authors: Liu Keyue , Li Wenxu , Yu Sijing , Li Guimin , Ye Ling , Gao Bo
Published: June 2024

Background

Immature teeth with necrotic pulps present multiple challenges to clinicians. In such cases, regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) may be a favorable strategy. Cells, biomaterial scaffolds, and signaling molecules are three key elements of REPs. Autologous human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) play an important role in pulp regeneration. In addition, autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) have recently been demonstrated as effective biomaterial scaffolds in regenerative dentistry, whereas the latest generation of APCs—concentrated growth factor (CGF), especially liquid phase CGF (LPCGF)—has rarely been reported in REPs.

Case presentation

A 31-year-old woman presented to our clinic with the chief complaint of occlusion discomfort in the left mandibular posterior region for the past 5 years. Tooth #35 showed no pulp vitality and had a periodontal lesion, and radiographic examination revealed that the tooth exhibited extensive periapical radiolucency with an immature apex and thin dentin walls. REP was implemented via transplantation of autologous hDPCs with the aid of LPCGF. The periodontal lesion was managed with simultaneous periodontal surgery. After the treatment, the tooth was free of any clinical symptoms and showed positive results in thermal and electric pulp tests at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. At 12-month follow-up, radiographic evidence and three-dimensional models, which were reconstructed using Mimics software based on cone-beam computed tomography, synergistically confirmed bone augmentation and continued root development, indicating complete disappearance of the periapical radiolucency, slight lengthening of the root, evident thickening of the canal walls, and closure of the apex.

Conclusion

hDPCs combined with LPCGF represents an innovative and effective strategy for cell-based regenerative endodontics.
Care for the cerebrovascular accident survivors: experiences of family caregivers
Authors: Atsu Fortune Selasi , Botha Nkosi Nkosi , Segbedzi Cynthia Esinam , Ogum Mary Aku , Apaak Daniel , Tsedze Ivy Selorm , Akoto Lucy Adjanor , Ansah Edward Wilson
Published: June 2024

Background

The role of family caregivers in the management of cerebrovascular accident survivors is invaluable. So far, there is a strong evidence affirming the effectiveness of family support for cerebrovascular accident survivors. Meanwhile, caring for cerebrovascular survivors can be labour and time intensive and pretty stressful for caregivers. The purpose of the study was to examine the lived experiences of family caregivers of cerebrovascular accident survivors in the Ho Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. This aims are to establish their caregivers’ knowledge, preparedness, and impact of caregiving on the caregiver, and coping strategies caregivers adopted.

Methods

Using a four-item (with 14 prompts) interview guide and descriptive phenomenological approach, we gathered and analysed data from 37 family caregivers in the Ho Municipality of Ghana.

Results

We found that caregivers had limited knowledge about cerebrovascular disease-risk factors and were ill-prepared for their caregiving roles. Additionally, we found limited knowledge about coping strategies among the caregivers. We further report that some caregivers lost close relationships, and their jobs because of the caregiving, they also used fasting and prayer as coping strategies.

Conclusions

Caregivers suffered broken relationship, loss their jobs and incomes due to their caregiving roles. Moreover, some engaged in fasting and prayers, and alcohol use to cope with the stress associated with caring for the cerebrovascular accident survivors. We discussed the potential implications of our findings on the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4. The aim of this goal is to reduce by 75% premature deaths due to cerebrovascular and other non-communicable diseases by 2030.
Simulation-based team training for healthcare professionals in pediatric departments: study protocol for a nonrandomized controlled trial
Authors: Schram A. , Bonne N. L. , Henriksen T. B. , Paltved C. , Hertel N. T. , Lindhard M. S.
Published: June 2024

Background

Healthcare systems worldwide face challenges related to patient safety, quality of care, and interprofessional collaboration. Simulation-based team training has emerged as a promising approach to address some of these challenges by providing healthcare professionals with a controlled and safe environment to enhance their teamwork and communication skills. The purpose of this study protocol is to describe an intervention using simulation-based team training in pediatric departments.

Methods

Using a parallel-group, non-randomized controlled trial design, a simulation-based team training intervention will be implemented across four pediatric departments in Denmark. Another four pediatric departments will serve as controls. The intervention implies that healthcare professionals engage in simulation-based team training at a higher quantity and frequency than they did previously. Development of the intervention occurred from April 2022 to April 2023. Implementation of the intervention occurs from April 2023 to April 2024. Evaluation of the intervention is planned from April 2024 to April 2025. All simulation activity both before and during the intervention will be registered, making it possible to compare outcomes across time periods (before versus after) and across groups (intervention versus control). To evaluate the effects of the intervention, we will conduct four analyses. Analysis 1 investigates if simulation-based team training is related to sick leave among healthcare professionals. Analysis 2 explores if the simulation intervention has an impact on patient safety culture. Analysis 3 examines if simulation-based team training is associated with the treatment of critically ill newborns. Finally, Analysis 4 conducts a cost-benefit analysis, highlighting the potential return on investment.

Discussion

The implemented simulation-based team training intervention can be defined as a complex intervention. Following the Medical Research Council framework and guidelines, the intervention in this project encompasses feasibility assessment, planning of intervention, implementation of intervention, and rigorous data analysis. Furthermore, the project emphasizes practical considerations such as stakeholder collaboration, facilitator training, and equipment management.

Trial registration

Registered as a clinical trial on clinicaltrials.gov, with the identifier NCT06064045.