bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polyamidoamine dendrimer-mediated hydrogel for solubility enhancement and anti-cancer drug delivery
Authors: Bi Xiangdong , Watts Darra B , Dorman Ian , Kirk Casianna M , Thomas Marisa , Singleton Isaiah , Malcom Colleen , Barnes Taylor , Carter Colby , Liang Aiye 
Published: November 2023

The application of hydrogels for anti-cancer drug delivery has garnered considerable interest in the medical field. Current cancer treatment approaches, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, often induce severe side effects, causing significant distress and substantial health complications to patients. Hydrogels present an appealing solution as they can be precisely injected into specific sites within the body, facilitating the sustainable release of encapsulated drugs. This localized treatment approach holds great potential for reducing toxicity levels and improving drug delivery efficacy. In this study we developed a hydrogel delivery system containing polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for solubility enhancement and sustained delivery of hydrophobic anti-cancer drugs. The three selected model drugs, e.g. silibinin, camptothecin, and methotrexate, possess limited aqueous solubility and thus face restricted application. In the presence of vinyl sulfone functionalized PAMAM dendrimer at 45 mg/mL concentration, drug solubility is increased by 37-fold, 4-fold, and 10-fold for silibinin, camptothecin, and methotrexate, respectively. By further crosslinking of the functionalized PAMAM dendrimer and thiolated PEG, we successfully developed a fast-crosslinking hydrogel capable of encapsulating a significant payload of solubilized cancer drugs for sustained release. In water, the drug encapsulated hydrogels release 30%–80% of their loads in 1–4 days. MTT assays of J82 and MCF7 cells with various doses of drug encapsulated hydrogels reveal that cytotoxicity is observed for all three drugs on both J82 and MCF7 cell lines after 48 h. Notably, camptothecin exhibits higher cytotoxicity to both cell lines than silibinin and methotrexate, achieving up to 95% cell death at experimental conditions, despite its lower solubility. Our experiments provide evidence that the PAMAM dendrimer-mediated hydrogel system significantly improves the solubility of hydrophobic drugs and facilitates their sustained release. These findings position the system as a promising platform for controlled delivery of hydrophobic drugs for intratumoral cancer treatment.
Engagement with Preventive Health Behaviors and Safe Firearm Storage Practices Using the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Authors: Asa Nicole , Buchbinder Stephanie A. , Bonnell Tyler , Mills Brianna , Littman Alyson 
Published: November 2023

Purpose “Behavioral bundling” is a theory that explains how some health behaviors reinforce one another. This study aims to investigate the relationship between preventive health behaviors (PHBs) and safe firearm storage. Design This study used a cross-sectional design using 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data. Setting Survey participants resided in California, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. Subjects There were 12,817 people living in households with a firearm included in this study. Measures We classified individuals’ engagement in 5 PHBs: cholesterol screening, influenza immunization, physical activity, primary care, and seatbelt use. We defined safe firearm storage as storing a firearm unloaded, or loaded but locked. Analysis Using Poisson regression models, we calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) to estimate the association between engagement in the five PHBs with safe firearm storage. Results Most firearm owners reported safe firearm storage (80.3%). The prevalence of safe firearm storage was 3% higher for each additional PHB engaged in (aPR = 1.03 [1.01, 1.05]). There was a higher prevalence of safe firearm storage among those who always wore a seatbelt while driving or riding in a car compared to those who did not (aPR = 1.12 [1.05, 1.18]). Conclusion This study found preliminary evidence to suggest that engagement in seatbelt usage may be bundled with safe firearm storage, though we are not able to determine causality.
Psychological Capital and Work Engagement: Moderating Role of Social Relationships
Authors: Biswal Kalyani , Srivastava Kailash B. L. , Alli Sayed Firoj 
Published: November 2023

BackgroundEmployees are the real capital of any organisation, and to keep the employees productive and functional, employers need to focus on the psychological capital and social relationship of the employees to keep them engaged in their work. This study examined the emerging field of constructs of psychological and social capital to examine Indian employee’s behaviour.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine a comprehensive model of the relationship between employees’ psychological capital and work engagement. Furthermore, it examines the moderating effect of social relationships between them.MethodsThis is a primary survey conducted mainly on the manufacturing industry. A sample of 375 mid- and senior-level executives of different age groups was considered in the study from India’s public and private manufacturing sectors administering a questionnaire survey. A random sampling technique was used for data collection. This study applied SPSS and Amos software to validate the measurement model.ResultsThe results indicate a significant correlation among PsyCap, work engagement, and social relationships. PsyCap and social relationships are positively connected to work engagement. Thus, these results provide preliminary support for our hypotheses. The finding suggests that psychological capital and social relationships positively influence work engagement, and social relationships moderate the association between positive psychological capital and work engagement. It helps employees get better engaged at work.ConclusionOrganisations must develop psychological capital to provide resources to employees and share a supportive relationship. Developing and maintaining a supportive relationship for employees and employers is important. In the future, both qualitative research methods and longitudinal data from other sectors can be used to understand the interplay between social and psychological capital for enhancing work engagement. Developing and cultivating positive social relations can help employees utilise their psychological strength to better engage in work.
Pseudorelatives, relatives, and L1 attrition: Resilience and vulnerability in parser biases
Authors: Cairncross Alex , Vogelzang Margreet , Tsimpli Ianthi 
Published: November 2023

Aims: While research on syntactic L1 attrition has largely focused on interface phenomena (e.g., overt pronouns in null-subject languages), attrition has also been reported to affect syntactic parsing. This paper extends previous work by looking at the attrition of (pseudo)relative clause parser biases in L1-Italian L2-English speakers. This was done to investigate whether previous findings of attrition in the interpretation of ambiguous relative clauses can be accounted for by changes to the parsing of pseudorelatives. Method: To tap parser biases, we conducted a sentence interpretation task in Italian with ambiguous items. Within these items, pseudorelative availability was manipulated. Participants consisted of two groups of adult native Italian speakers: one living in Italy and one living in an English-speaking country. Data analysis: Responses from the sentence interpretation task were subjected to a mixed-effects logistic regression. Findings: Results indicated a global effect of attrition resulting in more low attachment interpretations. This did not interact with pseudorelative availability. Originality: We take this to be a novel contribution to the literature for two reasons. First, our results extend previous results from Spanish–English bilinguals to a new language pair. Second, we believe that this is the first study to investigate attrition of relative clause attachment biases in light of Grillo and Costa’s, Pseudorelative-First Hypothesis. Once this is taken into consideration, we argue that attrition of parser biases is not due to a loss of a global high attachment bias under pressure from the L2, but a strengthening of a low attachment bias already present in the L1. Implications: Results suggest that future work on attrition should look beyond conflicts in parser biases between a bilingual’s languages and raise the possibility that attrition affects attachment biases in other contexts.
Social work at the end of life: Humanization of the process
Authors: Prieto-Lobato Juan Mª , De la Rosa-Gimeno Pablo , Rodríguez-Sumaza Carmen , Marquina-Márquez Alfonso , Lucas-García Jezabel A 
Published: November 2023

This article examines the role of social workers involved in a pilot home care project undertaken to attend to the social needs of people at the end of their lives and their carers. Mixed methods approach and evidence-based, constructivist, and comprehensive evaluation were chosen to achieve this aim. Analyses are based on 235 responses from a survey addressed to professionals working in the project, 22 in-depth interviews with a selected group of these professionals, and 114 semi-structured interviews with the sick people and their caregivers. The analysis of the data has considered the theoretical development and professional experience systematized in the Spanish and international literature on social work in end-of-life care. The results highlight the relevance that professionals, patients, and carers attribute to social care at the end of life and to the role, skills, and qualities of social workers. Their contribution has been valued in terms of the management of services and supports (speed, availability, kindness, sensitivity), the establishment of teamwork (coordination, facilitation), and the recognition of the basic principles of the care process (individualization, respect for privacy, confidentiality). Findings demonstrate that social work is a profession well placed to help in the recognition of people's dignity at the end of life, in the exercise of their self-determination, and in the humanization of the care process. Some challenges facing consolidation of this professional practice are also indicated within a framework constrained by a predominantly biomedical culture.
Optimizing statin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Exploring dose, class, and intensity
Authors: Yu Jung-Min , Chen Wan-Ming , Shia Ben-Chang , Wu Szu-Yuan 
Published: November 2023

Purpose To investigate the impact of statin use on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a dose-, class-, and use intensity-dependent manner. Methods We used an inverse probability treatment-weighted Cox hazards model, with statin use status as a time-dependent variable. Results Our results showed that statin use was associated with a significant reduction in CVD risk with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.39. Pitavastatin was found to have the lowest CVD risk among the different classes of statins, followed by rosuvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin. Our analysis also revealed that a higher cumulative defined daily dose per year of statin was associated with a lower CVD risk. Additionally, a higher intensity of daily statin dose was associated with a lower CVD risk in patients with T2DM. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of statin use in reducing the risk of CVD in patients with T2DM, and the significance of dose, class, and intensity of statin use, in particular, pitavastatin class of statins was found to be the most effective in primary prevention of CVD in T2DM.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale
Authors: Karloh Manuela , Gavenda Simone G , Araújo Juliana , Alexandre Hellen F , Silva Isabela JCS , Gulart Aline A , Munari Anelise B , Vlachopoulos Symeon P , Matias Thiago S , Mayer Anamaria F 
Published: November 2023

This study aims to translate, culturally adapt, and test the reliability and construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES) for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Pulmonary function, dyspnea, quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms, and functional status were assessed, and two raters independently applied the BPNES. BPNES scores were compared between raters' applications to assess reliability, internal consistency, and agreement. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the BPNES model. Results 59 patients were included (61% with COPD and 39% with ILD). BPNES factor scores were not significantly different between raters’ assessments ( p > 0.05). The internal consistency was 0.70 for autonomy, 0.76 for competence, and 0.80 for relatedness. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were good to very good for autonomy (ICC = 0.78, 95%CI 0.62–0.87; ICC = 0.75, 95%CI 0.57–0.86, respectively), competence (ICC = 0.81, 95%CI 0.68–0.89; ICC = 0.65, 95%CI 0.43–0.80, respectively), and relatedness (ICC = 0.79, 95%CI 0.65–0.88; ICC = 0.70, 95%CI 0.50–0.83, respectively). Significant correlations were observed between BPNES factors and quality of life, anxiety, depression, and functional status. In conclusion, this study confirmed the reliability and construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the BPNES in patients with COPD and ILD.
Centers for medicare & medicaid services designate the first ten pharmaceuticals for negotiation under the medicare drug price negotiation program
Authors: Pejic P. Branko 
Published: November 2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has made the initial designation of 10 pharmaceuticals for negotiation under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, and the Industry has fired the first salvo of legal challenges to the constitutionality of the Program. This article provides an initial high level review of the Program and Industry challenges, which are not expected to be resolved until the cases work their way before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Conocimientos sobre COVID-19 en población general adulta tras dos años de pandemia
Authors: Ceñera Fernández Jennifer , González Esteban Laura , Moure García Camino , Cernuda Martínez José Antonio 
Published: November 2023

Objetivo: identificar el nivel de conocimientos sobre la COVID-19 que tiene la población adulta residente en Gijón (España) después de dos años de pandemia. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal entre marzo del 2021 y marzo del 2022. Los datos se obtuvieron mediante un cuestionario telefónico sobre una muestra estratificada de tres zonas básicas de salud de Gijón, España (Calzada, Zarracina y Parque-Somió). El tamaño muestral se compuso de 305 personas. Se empleó el análisis ji-cuadrado para estudiar la relación entre variables categóricas y ANOVA para comparar las medias de la puntuación total por zona básica. Se realizaron regresiones logísticas para calcular las odds ratio entre la variable dependiente (poseer conocimientos avanzados) y las independientes (variables sociodemográficas). Se construyó un modelo predictivo entre la existencia o no de conocimiento avanzado y las variables independientes mediante regresión logística. Resultados: se encontraron diferencias en la puntuación media del nivel de conocimientos entre Parque-Somió y Calzada ( p = 0.000) y Parque-Somió y Zarracina ( p = 0.045), obteniendo mayor puntuación media la de Parque-Somió. Se observó una asociación entre el nivel de conocimientos y las variables medio de información utilizado ( p = 0.018), edad ( p = 0.036), zona básica de salud ( p = 0.000), nivel educativo ( p = 0.000) e historia previa de contacto estrecho ( p = 0.004). Conclusiones: el nivel de conocimientos avanzado se presenta sobre todo en las zonas básicas de salud con mayor nivel socioeconómico, población con nivel educativo alto, de 25 a 45 años, que se ha informado por su entorno y con historia previa de seguimiento por ser contacto estrecho.
Wearable in-ear pulse oximetry validly measures oxygen saturation between 70% and 100%: A prospective agreement study
Authors: Bubb Catherina AB , Weber Michael , Kretsch Nadine , Heim Ralph , Zellhuber Incinur , Schmid Sebastian , Kagerbauer Simone M , Kreuzer Johannes , Schaller Stefan J , Blobner Manfred , Jungwirth Bettina 
Published: November 2023

Objectives Postoperative monitoring outside intensive and post-anaesthesia care units is seldom, partly due to lack of suitable and approved systems. We therefore aim to validate the oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate measurement of the in-ear sensor c-med° alpha with a reference pulse oximeter. Methods This prospective agreement study was conducted in 12 healthy (ASA 1) adult (18–50 years) volunteers according to the EN ISO 80601-2-61. The sitting volunteers were equipped with the finger pulse oximeter Rad-5 and two c-med° alpha sensors in each ear. The inspiratory oxygen content was reduced via a tight-fitting breathing mask to achieve five defined plateaus with stable SpO2 between 99% and 70%. The deviation of the SpO2 and pulse rate measurements of the c-med° alpha from those of the Rad-5 was calculated using the mean square error (Arms). Bias and limits of agreement between both devices were calculated using the Bland-Altman technique. The precision was compared based on the repeatability coefficients. Results The c-med° alpha measured SpO2 had an Arms = 1.9% relative to the Rad-5, a non-significant bias (−0.1% (-0.2% to 0.0%)), levels of agreement from −4.0% to 3.8%, and the same repeatability coefficient (0.8% vs. 0.8%). The c-med° alpha measured pulse rate did not deviate from the one measured with the certified finger pulse oximeter (bias: 0.1 min−1 (0 to 0.1 min−1), level of agreement: −3.6 to 3.7 min−1, Arms: 1.8 min−1). Conclusions The c-med° alpha fulfils the EN ISO 80601-2-61 standard and is sufficiently accurate for measuring SpO2 and pulse rate in healthy adults at rest. Trial registration EUDAMED No. CIV-21-03-036033
China's Policy Actions to Lead Teacher Development With Evaluation Reform
Authors: Li (李廷洲) Tingzhou , Zhang (张罗) Luo 
Published: November 2023

Purpose This study introduces a policy with great strategic significance and far-reaching impact by analyzing the background, measures, and future development trends of teacher evaluation reform in China. Design/Approach/Methods This study primarily conducts a policy text analysis of the section on teacher evaluation of the Overall Plan for Deepening the Reform of Educational Evaluation in the New Era. Findings The Overall Plan for Deepening the Reform of Educational Evaluation in the New Era was drafted to enhance the quality of Chinese teachers and address many problems in teacher evaluation. It comprised four sections: teachers’ professional ethics, teaching effectiveness, evaluation models and methods, and honorary titles. The policy has distinctive features such as the high status and authority of the issuing body, a holistic and systematic nature, and an orientation toward practical issues. This article proposes three major policy foresights: promoting implementation through the force of political trends, giving schools autonomy in teacher evaluations, and implementing progressive reforms. Originality/Value This study conducted a specialist analysis of the policy in combination with the real scenario and institutional environment of Chinese teacher evaluation, which could encourage international peers to better understand Chinese teacher evaluation policies and promote policy learning and dissemination internationally.
Heart rate turbulence in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Stengl Helena , Ganeshan Ramanan , von Rennenberg Regina , Hellwig Simon , Herm Juliane , Krause Thomas , Bauer Axel , Endres Matthias , Georg Haeusler Karl , Scheitz Jan F , Nolte Christian H 
Published: November 2023

Background: Heart rate turbulence (HRT), an ECG-based marker of autonomic cardiac regulation, has shown high prognostic value in patients with established cardiovascular diseases, while data in patients with acute ischemic stroke are scarce. Patients and methods: The HRT parameters turbulence onset and turbulence slope were analyzed using Holter-ECG recordings from patients with acute ischemic stroke, consecutively enrolled in the prospective observational HEBRAS study. HRT was categorized as normal (category 0; both parameters normal), abnormal (category 1; one parameter abnormal), or severely abnormal (category 2; both parameters abnormal). Outcomes of interest were functional outcome according to modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months, mortality at 1 year, newly detected atrial fibrillation (AF), and evidence of focal myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular MRI. Results: HRT was assessed in 335 patients in sinus rhythm (median age 69 years, 37% female, median NIHSS score 2 on admission), including 262 (78%) with normal HRT, 47 (14%) with abnormal and 26 (8%) with severely abnormal HRT. Compared with normal HRT, severely abnormal HRT was associated with increased disability [higher mRS] at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–6.6), new AF (aOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.1–10.6), MRI-detected myocardial fibrosis (aOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 1.3–25.9), but not with mortality at 1 year after stroke (aOR: 3.0, 95% CI: 0.7–13.9). Abnormal HRT was not associated with the analyzed outcomes. Conclusions: Severely abnormal HRT was associated with increased disability and previously unknown cardiac comorbidities. The potential role of HRT in selecting patients for extended AF monitoring and cardiac imaging should be further investigated.
Our Experience with rTMS in a Stroke
Authors: Ojha Pawan T. , Gaikwad Abhijit , Kharat Sumit , Ojha Nishu , Nagendra Shashank , Yadav Jayendra , Maniyar Aamna 
Published: November 2023

Background Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (r-TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method, appears promising in augmenting post-stroke recovery and requires further evaluation. Aims and Objective To study the effect of r-TMS treatment on motor function in patients with strokes of different duration and types. Methods A prospective, single center study was conducted to study the effect of bilateral motor cortex rTMS treatment in 100 consecutive patients with either ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke of any duration. Measured outcomes were changes in NIHSS, MRC grading for motor power, MAS (modified Ashworth scale) for spasticity and mRS (modified Rankin Score) from baseline to follow-up visit at 90 days. Paired T test was used for comparing the outcomes. Results 77% subjects were males, 82% had ischemic stroke, median age was 58.5 years, and median NIHSS score was 11. We observed favorable changes in outcome measures after treatment. mRS < = 2 at 90 days was observed in 85.71% of patients with acute stroke, 64.51% of subacute and 55.88% of chronic strokes (p value < 0.002). Acute stroke had higher rates of limb power improvement (94.28%) than subacute (70.96%) or chronic strokes (41.17%) (p value = < 0.01). Post-stroke spasticity reduction was also observed after rTMS. Patients with infarcts or hemorrhages had no significant differences. No significant adverse events were seen. Conclusion rTMS appears to be safe in our study population and could be effectively delivered at different time points to augment post-stroke motor recovery.