bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using SUpported Motivational InTerviewing (SUMIT) to increase physical activity for people with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot, feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bell Emily Catherine , O'Halloran Paul , Wallis Jason A , Crossley Kay M , Gibbs Alison J , Lee Annemarie , Jennings Sophie , Barton Christian J 
Published: November 2023

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using SUpported Motivational InTerviewing (SUMIT) to increase physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).DesignRandomised controlled trial.SettingWe recruited people who had completed Good Life with osteoArthritis Denmark (GLA:D) from private, public and community settings in Victoria, Australia.InterventionsParticipants were randomised to receive SUMIT or usual care. SUMIT comprised five motivational interviewing sessions targeting physical activity over 10 weeks, and access to a multimedia web-based platform.ParticipantsThirty-two participants were recruited (17 SUMIT, 15 control) including 22 females (69%).Outcome measuresFeasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, adherence to motivational interviewing, ActivPAL wear and drop-out rate. Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated for daily steps, stepping time, time with cadence >100 steps per minute, time in bouts >1 min; 6 min walk distance, Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales (pain, symptoms, function, sport and recreation, and quality of life (QoL)), Euroqual, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, 30 s chair stand test and walking speed during 40 m walk test.ResultsAll feasibility criteria were achieved, with 32/63 eligible participants recruited over seven months; with all participants adhering to all motivational interviewing calls and achieving sufficient ActivPAL wear time, and only two drop-outs (6%).12/15 outcome measures showed at least a small effect (ES>0.2) favouring the SUMIT group, including daily time with cadence >100 steps per minute (ES=0.43). Two outcomes, walking speed (ES= 0.97) and KOOS QoL (ES=0.81), showed a large effect (ES>0.8).ConclusionSUMIT is feasible in people with knee osteoarthritis. Potential benefits included more time spent walking at moderate intensity, faster walking speeds and better QoL.Trial registration numberACTRN12621000267853.
Synergistic effect of Tai Chi and transcranial direct current stimulation on memory function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a 2×2 factorial randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wu Mengyuan , Liu Hong , Huang Jia , Liu Weilin , Liu Zhizhen , Xu Ying 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionInterventions at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage prevent or delay the progression of cognitive decline. In recent years, several studies have shown that physical exercise combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effectively delays the disease and promotes cognitive recovery in patients with MCI. This study aims to determine whether Tai Chi (TC) combined with tDCS can significantly improve memory in patients with MCI compared with TC or tDCS alone.Methods and analysisThis clinical trial will use a 2×2 factorial design, enrolling 128 community-dwelling MCI patients, randomly categorised into four groups: TC, tDCS, TC combined with tDCS and the health education group. Outcome measures will include the Chinese Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. All assessments will be conducted at baseline and 3 months after the intervention. All analyses will use intention-to-treat or per-protocol methods.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2022KY-002–01). The results of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and at scientific conferences.Trial registration numberChiCTR2200059316.
Are pharmacists on the front lines of the opioid epidemic? A cross-sectional study of the practices and competencies of community and hospital pharmacists in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Mubarak Naeem , Zahid Taheer , Rana Fatima Rahman , Ijaz Umm-E-Barirah , Shabbir Afshan , Manzoor Mahrukh , Khan Nahan , Arif Minahil , Naeem Muhammad Mehroz , Kanwal Sabba , Saif-ur-Rehman Nasira , Zin Che Suraya , Mahmood Khalid , Asgher Javaid , Elnaem Mohamed Hassan 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionCountries are grappling with a rapidly worsening upsurge in the opioid-related overdose deaths, misuse and abuse. There is a dearth of data in Pakistan regarding the practices and competencies of pharmacists in handling opioid-related issues.Study designA cross-sectional study, conducted across Punjab, Pakistan.MethodThe study deployed a validated survey to evaluate the competencies and practices of the community and hospital pharmacists.Results504 community pharmacists and 279 hospital pharmacists participated in the survey with an overall response rate of 85.5%. Almost half of the respondents ‘never’ or ‘sometimes’ made clinical notes in a journal or dispensing software to monitor ongoing opioid use. Generally, pharmacists were reluctant to collaborate with physicians or notify police regarding the abuse/misuse of opioids. Hospital pharmacists achieved significantly higher mean competency scores than chain and independent community pharmacists (p<0.05). In competency evaluation, three priority areas emerged that require additional training, that is, ‘opioid overdose management’, ‘opioid use monitoring’ and ‘therapeutic uses of opioids’.ConclusionBoth community and hospital pharmacists hold significant positions and potential to contribute meaningfully to the mitigation of harms and risks associated with opioids. Nevertheless, this study underscores notable deficiencies in the competence of pharmacists, whether in hospital or community settings in Punjab, concerning various aspects related to the dispensing and utilisation of opioids. It also highlights the pressing need for the development of strategies aimed at improving several practice areas including the documentation, the quality of patient counselling, the effectiveness of reporting mechanisms for opioid abuse and the stringent enforcement of regulatory policies to curtail opioid misuse. Thus, to mitigate the opioid epidemic in Pakistan, it is imperative to institute opioid stewardship initiatives aimed at rectifying the competency and procedural deficiencies within the pharmacist workforce.
Beta-blockers reduce severe exacerbation in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with atrial fibrillation: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Lin Shan-Ju , Liao Xin-Min , Chen Nai-Yu , Chang Yu-Ching , Cheng Ching-Lan 
Published: November 2023

Background and objectiveBeta-blockers (BBs) decrease mortality and acute exacerbation (AE) rates in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease; however, information on their effects in patients with COPD and atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. We aimed to assess the AE risk in patients with different severities of COPD and AF receiving BBs compared with that in patients receiving calcium channel blockers (CCBs).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 2009 to 2018. Outcomes included AE-related emergency room visits and hospitalisation. HRs and 95% CIs were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. COPD severity was classified as mild or severe based on exacerbation history. Sensitivity analyses included treatment and subgroup analyses, and competing risk adjustment.ResultsAfter propensity score matching, 4486 pairs of BB and CCB users from 13 462 eligible patients were included. The exacerbation risk for BB users was lower (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.89) than that of CCB users. After stratification, BB benefits persisted in the mild COPD group (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.85), unlike the severe COPD group (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.20). The results of the subgroup analysis showed consistent protective effects even in patients without heart failure or myocardial infarction (adjusted HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.94).ConclusionWe found that BB use in patients with mild COPD and AF was associated with a lower exacerbation risk than CCB use, and that close monitoring of BB use in patients with severe COPD and AF is warranted.
Medical student attitudes to patient involvement in healthcare decision-making and research
Authors: O'Neill Jennifer , Docherty Stewart Bronwyn , Ng Anna , Roy Yamini , Yousif Liena , McIntyre Kirsty R 
Published: November 2023

ObjectivePatient involvement is used to describe the inclusion of patients as active participants in healthcare decision-making and research. This study aimed to investigate incoming year 1 medical (MBChB) students’ attitudes and opinions regarding patient involvement in this context.MethodsWe established a staff–student partnership to formulate the design of an online research survey, which included Likert scale questions and three short vignette scenarios designed to probe student attitudes towards patient involvement linked to existing legal precedent. Incoming year 1 medical students (n=333) were invited to participate in the survey before formal teaching commenced.ResultsSurvey data (49 participants) indicate that students were broadly familiar with, and supportive of, patient involvement in medical treatment. There was least support for patient involvement in conducting (23.9%), contributing to (37.0%) or communicating research (32.6%), whereas there was unanimous support for patients choosing treatment from a selection of options (100%).ConclusionIncoming members of the medical profession demonstrate awareness of the need to actively involve patients in healthcare decision-making but are unfamiliar with the utility and value of such involvement in research. Further empirical studies are required to examine attitudes to patient involvement in healthcare.
The hidden sector variations in the $$\mathcal{N}=1$$ supersymmetric three-family Pati–Salam models from intersecting D6-branes
Authors: Mansha Adeel , Li Tianjun , Wu Lina 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIt is well-known that three-family supersymmetric Pati–Salam models from intersecting D6-branes, where either one or both of the $$\textrm{U}(2)$$

U
(
2
)

gauge factors are replaced by a $$\textrm{USp}(2)$$

USp
(
2
)

group, are quite scarce. In order to construct all such kind of models with generic additional gauge symmetries, we fix the observable sectors and study all the possible hidden sectors. Thus, we are able to completely determine all types of such kind of the inequivalent models on a $$\mathbb {T}^6/(\mathbb {Z}_2\times \mathbb {Z}_2)$$

T
6

/

(

Z
2

×

Z
2

)

orientifold from IIA string theory. We find the gauge coupling relations to be highly sensitive to the variations in the hidden sector. One of the models exhibits the gauge coupling unification for a particular solution at the string scale. In addition, we perform scan on the hidden sector variations for the models presented in arXiv:2112.09632, whose gauge coupling relations are still preserved. Thus, we fix the gap in the previous study and complete the model building for all the inequivalent models.
Purely virtual extension of quantum field theory for gauge invariant fields: quantum gravity
Authors: Anselmi Damiano 
Published: November 2023

AbstractQuantum gravity is extended to include purely virtual “cloud sectors”, which allow us to define a complete set of point-dependent observables, including a gauge invariant metric and gauge invariant matter fields, and calculate their off-shell correlation functions perturbatively. The ordinary on-shell correlation functions and the S matrix elements are unaffected. Each extra sector is made of a cloud field, its anticommuting partner, a “cloud-fixing” function and a cloud Faddeev-Popov determinant. The additional fields are purely virtual, to ensure that no ghosts propagate. The extension is unitary. In particular, the off-shell, diagrammatic version of the optical theorem holds. The one-loop two-point functions of dressed scalars, vectors and gravitons are calculated. Their absorptive parts are positive, cloud independent and gauge independent, while they are unphysical if non purely virtual clouds are used. We illustrate the differences between our approach to the problem of finding a complete set of observables in quantum gravity and other approaches available in the literature.
Comparing Chatbots Trained in Different Languages
Authors: Chayka Antony , Sukhov Andrei 
Published: November 2023

The
Communications
website, https://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

twitter

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM
https://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm
Antony Chayka and Andrei Sukhov examine how training chatbots in English or Russian affects their responses.
Assessment of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic People In Vivo: Measurements Suitable for Biomarker and Mendelian Randomization Studies
Authors: Garg Parveen K. , Bhatia Harpreet S. , Allen Tara S. , Grainger Tabitha , Pouncey Anna L. , Dichek David , Virmani Renu , Golledge Jonathan , Allison Matthew A. , Powell Janet T. 
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND:
One strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease is the early detection and treatment of atherosclerosis. This has led to significant interest in studies of subclinical atherosclerosis, using different phenotypes, not all of which are accurate reflections of the presence of asymptomatic atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of part 2 of this series is to provide a review of the existing literature on purported measures of subclinical disease and recommendations concerning which tests may be appropriate in the prevention of incident cardiovascular disease.

METHODS:
We conducted a critical review of measurements used to infer the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in the major conduit arteries and focused on the predictive value of these tests for future cardiovascular events, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors, in asymptomatic people. The emphasis was on studies with >10 000 person-years of follow-up, with meta-analysis of results reporting adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs. The arterial territories were limited to carotid, coronary, aorta, and lower limb arteries.

RESULTS:
In the carotid arteries, the presence of plaque (8 studies) was independently associated with future stroke (pooled HR, 1.89 [1.04–3.44]) and cardiac events (7 studies), with a pooled HR, 1.77 (1.19–2.62). Increased coronary artery calcium (5 studies) was associated with the risk of coronary heart disease events, pooled HR, 1.54 (1.07–2.07) and increasing severity of calcification (by Agaston score) was associated with escalation of risk (13 studies). An ankle/brachial index (ABI) of <0.9, the pooled HR for cardiovascular death from 7 studies was 2.01 (1.43–2.81). There were insufficient studies of either, thoracic or aortic calcium, aortic diameter, or femoral plaque to synthesize the data based on consistent reporting of these measures.

CONCLUSIONS:
The presence of carotid plaque, coronary artery calcium, or abnormal ankle pressures seems to be a valid indicator of the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis and may be considered for use in biomarker, Mendelian randomization and similar studies.
Prevalence of Pericardial Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Patients After Cardiac Surgery: Clinical and Histological Correlations
Authors: Pavon Anna Giulia , Martinez Fernandez Ruben , Arangalage Dimitri , Bergamaschi Luca , Maurizi Niccolò , Colombier Sebastien , Rotman Samuel , Nowacka Anna , Bouchardy Judith , Schwitter Juerg , Kirsch Matthias , Monney Pierre , Rutz Tobias 
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND:
Pericardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is usually associated with active pericarditis, but it is not infrequently found in patients after cardiac surgery even a long time after the intervention. The clinical relevance of this finding and its histological correlates are unknown. We sought to determine the prevalence of chronic pericardial LGE in patients after cardiac surgery.

METHODS:
All consecutive patients with previous cardiac surgery, who were referred to cardiovascular magnetic resonance between January 2017 and December 2021 were enrolled in the study. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance examination protocol was adapted to clinical indication but always included standard LGE acquisitions. Two independent observers blinded to clinical data assessed the presence of pericardial enhancement on LGE sequences. Fifteen patients underwent cardiac reintervention and pericardial biopsies were obtained. The primary study end point was to assess the prevalence of pericardial enhancement after cardiac surgery and identify possible determinants. The secondary end point was to correlate pericardial enhancement with clinical symptoms and histopathology.

RESULTS:

Two hundred four patients were included in the study. The median time between surgery and cardiovascular magnetic resonance was 160 months (35–226 months). Pericardial LGE was observed in 90 patients (44%). All patients were asymptomatic, and no specific treatment for pericarditis was started. All patients remained asymptomatic at a 1-year clinical follow-up. Pericardial LGE was significantly correlated with the number of previous surgeries (
P
=0.03). Pericardial fibrosis was detected in all 15 pericardial biopsy specimens; pericardial LGE was present in 7 patients (47%) who underwent biopsy. Histological signs of low-grade inflammation were detected in 6 patients (40%) with severe, circumferential pericardial LGE but in no patient without pericardial enhancement.

CONCLUSIONS:
Pericardial LGE is a frequent finding even several years after cardiac surgery. Its histological correlate is a chronic subclinical post–pericardiotomy inflammation.
Introduction: How Mental Health Matters
Authors: Becker Anne E. , Raviola Giuseppe , Kleinman Arthur 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The underpinnings of today's mental health crisis include both social structural inequities and neurobiological vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded and escalated a long-standing problem, rendering the mental health crisis and its dangerous consequences visible and exigent. We now possess a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the broken mental health care system and its serious inadequacies, as well as its potential for effective caregiving. The professional forms of knowledge and practice are paralleled by an even more substantial system of care involving families, networks, communities, and, of course, those living with mental health conditions themselves. Even when delivered by community care workers, psychotherapy can be as effective as somatic treatments for some mental health conditions. Harm reduction and other public health approaches offer means of preventing or mitigating the disastrous human toll of the substance use disorder epidemic. Social technology offers new opportunities for enhancing mental health and well-being. With these informal systems alongside standardized health care systems, the future could realize a mental health care system with much greater potential to avert the worst harms and offer effective care to many more.
Exploring the Language and Literacy Challenges of Entry-Level Education Students and Experienced Teachers at a South African University: A Stance-Taking Analysis
Authors: Strauss Stuart Garfield 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The huge number of learners dropping out of the formal schooling system has a significant impact on the ever-increasing unemployment rate in South Africa, which can be perceived as a major reason for numerous parents and caregivers living in dire poverty. Learners from socio-economically deprived areas rarely have access to educational resources and literacy materials and neither do most of them attend schools that do. This post-apartheid South African reality has given rise to an education system which is marred by inequality, exposing the masses of learners from rural areas, townships and other under-resourced locations to difficult and complex challenges at institutions of learning. One such challenge, as emphasised by scholars like Howie (2017) and Spaull (2013), relates to learners’ poor performance in literacy-related tasks, especially when participating in continental and international evaluation programmes. Within the context of these literacy challenges, this study explored the literacy and language practices of students, lecturers and other role-players at a higher education institute in the Western Cape, particularly to establish how these role-players negotiate the challenges relating to their educational interactions. In order to contribute to the study of literacy and language practices at this selected higher education institution, this study deemed it necessary to not only focus on students who are currently studying, but to also include teachers who completed their teacher training four decades ago at the same institution. In this way, the article provides insight into past and present role-players’ engagement with literacy and language as learners, students, teachers and lecturers at the educational institutions they attended. Using a qualitative approach to data collection, the study involved conducting focus groups and semi-structured interviews to gather data relating to participants’ schooling histories, their challenges with language and literacy, and their perception of their educational futures. The data emanating from these methodological approaches are analysed and interpreted, followed by a presentation of the findings with suggestions for future research.
Climate, Environment and Migration: Experiences of Migrants in South Africa
Authors: Jilesen Robin , Wegerif Marc 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This article examines the impacts of climate- and environment-related adversity on migration from other sub-Saharan African countries to the prominent migration destination of South Africa. It describes factors and processes influencing migration decisions and identifies migration policy implications. Information was gathered through in-depth qualitative research conducted with 20 migrants now residing in South Africa’s Gauteng province, as well as interviews with key informants with expertise on migration and climate change and a review of existing literature.
The principal finding is that although climatic and environmental stresses are not the primary drivers of migration, they play important direct and indirect contributing roles, often intersecting with economic, political, social and demographic drivers. Whether people respond to adverse conditions by migrating depends on the obstacles and facilitating factors, personal and household characteristics, and expectations of the destination. National and international migration policies need to more comprehensively address these increasingly important determinants of migration.