Nevin Manimala

West J Nurs Res. 2023 Jan 10:1939459221148825. doi: 10.1177/01939459221148825. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study characterizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health of nurses. Qualitative data (collected using semi-structured interviews) were integrated with quantitative data (collected concurrently using the SF-12 Health Survey). Nurses (N = 30) compared their health prior to and during the first pandemic wave (March-May 2020). Interviews were analyzed thematically; descriptive statistics and t-tests compared pre-pandemic to current SF-12 scores. Qualitative findings demonstrated an impact on nurses’ mental health expressed as isolation, loss, intense emotions, and feelings of being expendable. Impact on nurses’ physical health included exhaustion, personal protective equipment skin breakdown, limited breaks from work, and virus exposure. Quantitative results show nurses’ experienced declines in overall mental health (p < .001), and multiple physical health domains: role limitations due to physical problems (p < .0001), bodily pain (p < .0001), and general health (p < .0001). Promotion of nurses’ well-being and safety, as well as education in emergency preparedness, must be given precedence to protect nurses’ health.

PMID:36625341 | DOI:10.1177/01939459221148825

Hum Factors. 2023 Jan 10:187208221143855. doi: 10.1177/00187208221143855. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This paper proposes an objective method to measure and identify trust-change directions during takeover transitions (TTs) in conditionally automated vehicles (AVs).

BACKGROUND: Takeover requests (TORs) will be recurring events in conditionally automated driving that could undermine trust, and then lead to inappropriate reliance on conditionally AVs, such as misuse and disuse.

METHOD: 34 drivers engaged in the non-driving-related task were involved in a sequence of takeover events in a driving simulator. The relationships and effects between drivers’ physiological responses, takeover-related factors, and trust-change directions during TTs were explored by the combination of an unsupervised learning algorithm and statistical analyses. Furthermore, different typical machine learning methods were applied to establish recognition models of trust-change directions during TTs based on takeover-related factors and physiological parameters.

RESULT: Combining the change values in the subjective trust rating and monitoring behavior before and after takeover can reliably measure trust-change directions during TTs. The statistical analysis results showed that physiological parameters (i.e., skin conductance and heart rate) during TTs are negatively linked with the trust-change directions. And drivers were more likely to increase trust during TTs when they were in longer TOR lead time, with more takeover frequencies, and dealing with the stationary vehicle scenario. More importantly, the F1-score of the random forest (RF) model is nearly 77.3%.

CONCLUSION: The features investigated and the RF model developed can identify trust-change directions during TTs accurately.

APPLICATION: Those findings can provide additional support for developing trust monitoring systems to mitigate both drivers’ overtrust and undertrust in conditionally AVs.

PMID:36625335 | DOI:10.1177/00187208221143855

Anal Methods. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1039/d2ay01532c. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A low-cost new instrument to carry out automated colorimetric analysis has been developed. The device consists of a carousel sampler, built by a 3D-printer, and a Raspberry Pi4-controlled signal measurement module based on the RGBC (red, green, blue and clear) responses of a TCS34725 color light-to-digital converter with IR filter. The device has been tested with calibration standards of different food dyes (Tartrazine, Red Allure AC and Brilliant Blue FCF) and three food samples containing one of each food dye. The new device provides R² > 0.995 and a LOD of 1.1, 1.4 and 0.1 μmol L^-1 for each food dye, respectively. The results are statistically comparable to those obtained with a conventional benchtop spectrophotometer. The proposed device achieves a reduction in sample and waste volume and in analysis time, minimizes the use of energy, and allows in situ measurements, being an automated method it is safer for operators in comparison to the reference method, yielding similar analytical results and following the principles of green analytical chemistry.

PMID:36625306 | DOI:10.1039/d2ay01532c

Laryngoscope. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1002/lary.30559. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of age and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification on post operative outcomes as well as the changes in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database reporting of comorbidity index variables in patients with facial fractures.

METHODS: The NSQIP database was queried for facial fracture repair CPT codes between 2012 and 2019 and for modified Frailty Index (mFI) and modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (mCCI) variables between years 2006 and 2018. The predominant question analyzed two preoperative risk factors: patient and ASA classification. Chi-square analysis, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Spearman correlation, and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate age and ASA classification with wound dehiscence, superficial surgical site infection (SSSI), deep wound infection (DWI), readmission status, and return to the OR. The reporting of indices variables was evaluated with descriptive statistics.

CONCLUSION: In this large database with univariate analysis, patients with a higher ASA classification and older patients experience significantly increased risks of readmission, return to the OR, and longer hospital stays. On multivariate analyses, ASA classes II, III, and IV are independently associated with increased risk of readmission and return to the OR, while controlling for patient age. The reporting of all mFI and mCCI variables were consistent from 2006 to 2010, but after 2011, there has been inconsistent or absent reporting of variables, therefore, conclusions on the impact of comorbidities on facial fracture repair are unreliable.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 2023.

PMID:36625305 | DOI:10.1002/lary.30559

Pharm Stat. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1002/pst.2289. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Basket trials evaluate a single drug targeting a single genetic variant in multiple cancer cohorts. Empirical findings suggest that treatment efficacy across baskets may be heterogeneous. Most modern basket trial designs use Bayesian methods. These methods require the prior specification of at least one parameter that permits information sharing across baskets. In this study, we provide recommendations for selecting a prior for scale parameters for adaptive basket trials by using Bayesian hierarchical modeling. Heterogeneity among baskets attracts much attention in basket trial research, and substantial heterogeneity challenges the basic assumption of exchangeability of Bayesian hierarchical approach. Thus, we also allowed each stratum-specific parameter to be exchangeable or nonexchangeable with similar strata by using data observed in an interim analysis. Through a simulation study, we evaluated the overall performance of our design based on statistical power and type I error rates. Our research contributes to the understanding of the properties of Bayesian basket trial designs.

PMID:36625301 | DOI:10.1002/pst.2289

J Prim Care Community Health. 2023 Jan-Dec;14:21501319221147246. doi: 10.1177/21501319221147246.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Increases in fatal synthetic opioid overdoses over the past 8 years have left states scrambling for effective means to curtail these deaths. Many states have implemented policies and increased service capacity to address this rise. To better understand the effectiveness of policy level interventions we estimated the impact of the presence of naloxone access laws (NALs) on synthetic opioid fatalities at the state level.

METHODS: A multivariable longitudinal linear mixed model with a random intercept was used to determine the relationship between the presence of NALs and synthetic opioid overdose death rates, while controlling for, Good Samaritan laws, opioid prescription rate, and capacity for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), utilizing a quadratic time trajectory. Data for the study was collected from the National Vital Statistics System using multiple cause-of-death mortality files linked to drug overdose deaths.

RESULTS: The presence of an NAL had a significant (univariate P-value = .013; multivariable p-value = .010) negative relationship to fentanyl overdose death rates. Other significant controlling variables were quadratic time (univariate and multivariable P-value < .001), MOUD (univariate P-value < .001; multivariable P-value = .009), and Good Samaritan Law (univariate P-value = .033; multivariable P-value = .018).

CONCLUSION: Naloxone standing orders are strongly related to fatal synthetic opioid overdose reduction. The effect of NALs, MOUD treatment capacity, and Good Samaritan laws all significantly influenced the synthetic opioid overdose death rate. The use of naloxone should be a central part of any state strategy to reduce overdose death rate.

PMID:36625264 | DOI:10.1177/21501319221147246

Soft Matter. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1039/d2sm01307j. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Contaminants and other agents are often present at the interface between two fluids, giving rise to rheological properties such as surface shear and dilatational viscosities. The dynamics of viscous drops with interfacial viscosities has attracted greater interest in recent years, due to the influence of surface rheology on deformation and the surrounding flows. We investigate the effects of shear and dilatational viscosities on the electro-deformation of a viscous drop using the Taylor-Melcher leaky dielectric model. We use a large deformation analysis to derive an ordinary differential equation for the drop shape. Our model elucidates the contributions of each force to the overall deformation of the drop and reveals a rich range of dynamic behaviors that show the effects of surface viscosities and their dependence on rheological and electrical properties of the system. We also examine the physical mechanisms underlying the observed behaviors by analyzing the surface dilatation and surface deformation.

PMID:36625263 | DOI:10.1039/d2sm01307j

Vet Surg. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1111/vsu.13932. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To develop and describe a minimally invasive, ultrasound-guided, percutaneous technique for the desmotomy of equine palmar/plantar annular ligaments (PALs) using a transecting thread.

STUDY DESIGN: Ex vivo study.

SAMPLE POPULATION: Twenty-one normal equine distal limb specimens.

METHODS: Under ultrasonographic guidance, a surgical thread was percutaneously placed around the PAL through 2 skin punctures (proximal and distal) using a 18 gauge spinal needle in equine limbs (11 forelimbs, 10 hindlimbs) with normal PALs. The ligament was transected by a back-and-forth motion of the thread until the loop emerged from the proximal skin puncture site. Each specimen was dissected and assessed for completeness of transection and iatrogenic damage under direct visualization. Descriptive statistics were reported.

RESULTS: The PAL was completely transected in 17/21 limbs. The mean duration of the procedure was 16 minutes. Superficial needle puncture or subtle abrasion of the superficial digital flexor tendon was noticed in 4 limbs. No iatrogenic injury to other intrathecal structures was identified. After PAL division, the needle entry and exit points had a mean diameter of 1.2 and 1 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Desmotomy of normal PALs in equine limb specimens was performed effectively using the percutaneous thread-transecting technique with minimal iatrogenic damage to adjacent structures.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Information from this study will allow refinement of the technique for use in equine clinical cases either in standing or anesthetized horses.

PMID:36625237 | DOI:10.1111/vsu.13932

Biomark Med. 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.2217/bmm-2022-0462. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cannot currently be diagnosed by a blood test. One reason may be gender differences. Another may be the statistical methods used. The authors evaluate these possibilities. Objective: The authors applied serum lipidomics to find AD biomarkers in men and women. They hypothesized that AD biomarkers would differ between genders and that machine-learning algorithms would improve diagnostic performance. Methods: Serum lipids were analyzed by mass spectrometry for a training set of AD cases and controls and in a blinded test set. Statistical analyses considered gender differences. Results: Lipids best classifying AD subjects differed significantly between men and women. Robust statistical algorithms did not improve diagnostic performance. Conclusion: Poor performance of AD biomarkers appears to be due primarily to inherent variability in AD patients.

PMID:36625236 | DOI:10.2217/bmm-2022-0462

Integr Cancer Ther. 2023 Jan-Dec;22:15347354221147499. doi: 10.1177/15347354221147499.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: At present, simple reminiscence has been widely used in the field of neurocognitive disorders, life review/life review therapy has been widely used in the field of cancer, and both simple reminiscence and life review/life review therapy are suitable for psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, the efficacy of reminiscence in treating cancer-related symptom has not been fully assessed.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of reminiscence therapy (RT) on relieving cancer-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression in cancer survivals.

METHODS: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, Scopus, and Ovid databases were searched. To collect clinical randomized controlled trials (RCT) on RT and cancer-related studies published from the establishment of the database to October 05, 2021. Two researchers independently evaluated the articles that met the inclusion criteria, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 software.

RESULTS: A total of 20 RCTs published in 2010 to 2021 were included, with a total of 1853 cancer patients. Meta-analysis results showed that the anxiety scale (HADS-A and HAMA and SAS) and depression scale (HADS-D and HAMD and SDS) scores of the RT group were significantly lower than those of the control group (HADS-A: P = .0002; HAMA: P < .00001; SAS: P = .0010; HADS-D: P = .01; HAMD: P < .00001; SDS: P = .0001). Meta-analysis results showed that RT can improve overall quality of life of cancer patients of RT group to a certain extent hope (P < .00001). Meta-analysis results showed that the scores on the hope and dignity were significantly increased, and the difference were statistically significant (P < .001).

CONCLUSION: This review indicates that RT has significant efficacy on cancer-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression. RT for cancer survivals can effectively improve quality of life, self-hope, and self-esteem. The findings of this meta-analysis can provide direction for future symptom management research.

PMID:36625232 | DOI:10.1177/15347354221147499