Assessment Period Research Articles

Hispanic Cancer Survivors Exposed to Multiple Natural Disasters: Pre-Post-Disaster Changes in Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Perceived Stress, and Physical Symptom Burden.

Studies evaluating the effects of natural disasters on cancer outcomes are scarce, especially among USA ethnic minority groups, and none have focused on the effects of concurrent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this secondary data analysis is to explore the impact of concurrent exposure to COVID-19 and earthquakes on psychological distress and symptom burden among Puerto Rican cancer survivors. This secondary data analysis (n = 101) was part of a longitudinal case-control cohort study (n = 402) aimed at describing unmet psychological needs among Puerto Rican cancer patients and non-cancer subjects previously exposed to Hurricane María in 2017. The research team pooled data from participants (cancer survivors and non-cancer group) from their baseline assessments and from follow-up assessments conducted during January-July 2020 (earthquake and the lockdown period). A descriptive, paired t-test, non-parametric mean rank test, and two-sided Pearson correlation analyses were performed. Psychological distress and cancer symptom burden diminished over time. Resilience was significantly correlated with all the psychological and symptom burden variables during both pre- and post-earthquake and COVID-19 assessment periods. The results support the role of resilience, social support, and post-traumatic growth as potential protective factors preventing psychological distress and diminishing cancer symptom burden among cancer survivors exposed to natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

A within-person test of the metacognitive model: Daily dynamics between metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive strategies, and negative affect

The metacognitive model of psychological disorders highlights that emotional distress is maintained by metacognitive strategies, which are related to underlying metacognitive beliefs. Considerable empirical evidence has supported the role of metacognitions in psychopathology, but few studies have examined the suggested links between metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive strategies, and symptoms within individuals. Within-person effects provide better empirical tests of theory-based hypotheses derived from clinical models as they relate to change at the individual level. Thus, the current study sought to test central predictions from the metacognitive model at the within-person level using Dynamic Structural Equation Modelling (DSEM). A sample of 222 participants gathered at convenience participated in a 26-day long assessment period where they reported daily measures of metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive strategies, and negative affect. Temporal precedence and bidirectional relations between the variables, and the possible day-to-day and within days mediation role of metacognitive strategies between metacognitive beliefs and negative affect, were tested. When controlling for previous days effects, metacognitions and negative affect (but not metacognitive strategies) predicted each other the next day, showing a reciprocal relationship. However, metacognitive strategies were significant mediators between metacognitions and negative affect within days and day-to-day. Implications and future directions based on these findings are discussed.

Impact of age at ivacaftor initiation on pulmonary outcomes among people with cystic fibrosis

BackgroundIvacaftor (IVA) improves lung function and other extrapulmonary outcomes in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the effect of initiating IVA at earlier versus later ages has not been studied.MethodsWe...

Transcranial Corticospinal Motor-Evoked Potentials in Cases of Ventral and Ventrolateral Intradural Extramedullary Cervical Spinal Cord Tumors.

Background and Objectives: We studied the clinical significance of an amplitude decrement and disappearance alarm criteria in transcranial motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring during surgeries on extramedullary tumors at the cervical spine with reference to postoperative morbidity. Material and Methods: We diagnosed and surgically treated fourteen patients with intradural extramedullary ventral or ventrolateral lesions to the cervical spinal cord in the Clinic of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital St Ivan Rilski from January 2018 to July 2022. Eight cases were diagnosed with schwannoma, and the remaining six had meningiomas. The follow-up period for neurological assessment was six months. Results: A decrease in the intraoperative transcranial MEPs of 50% or more compared to baseline in two cases (14.3%) resulted in an immediate postoperative motor deficit. One patient demonstrated full neurological recovery within six months, while the other exhibited only partial improvement. In six cases (42.9%) with preoperative motor deficits, tumor resection and decompression of the cervical spinal cord led directly to an increment of the transcranial MEPs by more than 20%. Postoperatively and at the 6-month follow-up, these patients showed recovery from the preoperative deficits. In the remaining cases, MEPs were stable during surgery with no clinical deterioration of the motor function. Conclusions: The decremented MEP criteria corresponded to postoperative motor deficit, whereas the improvement of the same parameters after decompression implied future recovery of preoperative motor deficits. The combination of different MEP criteria is likely to be helpful when tailored to a specific case of ventral or ventrolateral extramedullary lesions in the cervical spine.

Affect and disordered eating behaviours in women's daily lives: The comparative explanatory roles of distinct momentary emotion dysregulation dimensions.

The present study aimed to examine: (a) whether distinct momentary emotion dysregulation dimensions differentially mediated momentary associations between affect and disordered eating behaviours (DEBs) in the natural environment; (b) whether these associations differed based on affect, emotion dysregulation, and DEB type. 150 women with eating disorder pathology (Mage=20.95, SD=4.14) completed 4 surveys targeting affect, emotion dysregulation, and DEBs each day for a 10-day ecological momentary assessment period. Multilevel structural equation models examined whether four momentary emotion dysregulation dimensions (difficulties with emotional and behavioural modulation, lack of emotional acceptance, awareness, and clarity) mediated momentary associations between negative and positive affect (PA), and loss of control eating, overeating, and dietary restriction. Momentary difficulties with emotional and behavioural modulation mediated momentary associations between negative affect (NA) and women's loss of control eating and overeating. These findings did not extend to PA, the other emotion dysregulation dimensions, or dietary restriction. Collectively, these results support emotional and behavioural modulation deficits in the natural environment as potential transdiagnostic maintenance mechanisms of overeating and loss of control eating. These findings also support the potential benefits of targeting NA and this type of emotion dysregulation in existing and novel real-time eating disorders interventions.

Aerobic exercise elevates perceived appetite but does not modify energy intake over a 3-day postexercise period: A pilot study.

While a low degree of energy compensation is typically reported over the 24 h following a session of exercise, the prolonged impact of a bout of exercise on energy intake remains unclear. To overcome the challenge associated with accurately measuring energy intake in a free-living environment, this study employed the use of a meal replacement beverage to assess the 3 day impact of an exercise session on energy intake. In a randomized, crossover study, 14 participants (8 male, 6 female) completed two trials: (1) EX: 75 min exercise on a motorized treadmill (75% VO2peak); and (2) SED: 75 min sedentary control session. Each condition was followed by 3 days of exclusive adlibitum consumption of a meal replacement beverage. Appetite-regulating hormones, subjective appetite, energy intake, and energy expenditure were assessed. Exercise transiently suppressed the orexigenic hormone acyl-ghrelin (p < 0.05) and elevated the appetite-supressing hepatokine GDF-15 (p < 0.05). Despite these acute changes, overall perceived appetite was elevated over the 3 day assessment period with exercise (p < 0.05). No increase in energy intake or change in postexercise physical activity patterns were observed. One acute session of moderate to vigorous exercise is unlikely to affect short-term, three-day energy balance in healthy individuals.

A phase 2 open-label study of cemiplimab in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (EMPOWER-CSCC-1): Final long-term analysis of groups 1, 2, and 3, and primary analysis of fixed-dose treatment group 6

BackgroundIn the phase 2 EMPOWER-CSCC-1 study (NCT02760498), cemiplimab demonstrated antitumor activity against metastatic (mCSCC) and locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (laCSCC). ObjectivesTo report final analysis of weight-based cemiplimab in mCSCC and laCSCC (Groups 1 and 2), fixed-dose cemiplimab in mCSCC (Group 3), and primary analysis of fixed-dose cemiplimab in mCSCC/laCSCC (Group 6). MethodsPatients received cemiplimab (3 mg/kg intravenously [IV] every 2 weeks [Groups 1 and 2]) or cemiplimab (350 mg IV [Groups 3 and 6]) every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS) are presented per protocol, according to post-hoc sensitivity analyses that only include the period of protocol-mandated imaging assessments. ResultsAt 42.5 months, ORR for Groups 1–3 (n=193) was 47.2%, estimated 12-month DOR was 88.3%, and median PFS was 26.0 months. At 8.7 months, ORR for Group 6 (n=165 patients) was 44.8%; median DOR and median PFS were not reached. Serious treatment-emergent adverse event rates (grade ≥3) were Groups 1–3: 31.1% and Group 6: 34.5%. LimitationsNon-randomized study, non-survival primary endpoint. ConclusionEMPOWER-CSCC-1 provides the largest prospective data on long-term efficacy and safety for anti-programmed cell death-1 therapy in advanced CSCC.

From leaching data to release estimates: Screening and scenario assessments of electric arc furnace (EAF) slag under unencapsulated use

Electric arc furnace (EAF) slag is the non-metallic byproduct of the primary U.S. steelmaking process. Much of the slag is marked for secondary uses as aggregates. EAF slags used as construction fill or residential groundcover are directly exposed to the environment, raising concerns of potential leaching impacts. Leaching data of EAF slags as function of eluate pH (Method 1313) and liquid-to-solid ratio (Method 1314) were used to refine an initial list of constituents of potential concern to those with potential to leach at concentrations greater than project thresholds, and to estimate release from EAF slags when used as unencapsulated groundcover. Screening assessment identified 11 of over 20 constituents requiring further assessment. Scenario-based assessments results showed that constituents with high available content and low leaching concentrations (Al, Cr, Co, Mn, Se) are persistent in contacting water over the assessment period while those with limited available content (As, Ba, Mo, V) were depleted. Aging decreased the release of Se while increasing Tl release, likely through a combination of hydration, carbonation, and cracking processes. Increasing fill depth and infiltration rates did not alter leaching concentrations; however, liquid-solid ratio for each assessment interval changed thereby impacting cumulative release.

The Immediate Effects of a Standardized Kettlebell Swing Protocol on Lumbar Paraspinal Muscle Function: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hanney, WJ, Perez, A, Collado, G, Palmer, AC, Wilson, AT, Richardson, RM, and Kolber, MJ. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Kettlebell swings (KBSs) are commonly used to target the lumbar erector spinae and lower body musculature. This exercise exhibits distinct loading properties that requires cyclical contraction of the trunk extensors and posterior chain, potentially explaining its novel influence on muscle contractility. Tensiomyography (TMG) is a reliable, noninvasive, passive technique that may be used to examine muscular fatigue produced by exercises such as KBSs. The purpose of this randomized control trial was to determine the extent of muscle fatigue in the lumbar erector spinae musculature following the performance of a previously published high-intensity interval KBS protocol. Forty-one adults between the ages of 18 and 45 years were recruited. Inclusion criteria included subjects with no recent history of low back pain and clearance by the physical activity readiness questionnaire. Subjects were randomly allocated to either a KBS group (n = 21) or a control group (CON; n = 20) who only performed the unloaded warm-up. Subjects were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 24-hours postintervention for bilateral erector spinae fatigue, measured by 5 TMG parameters (Dm, Tc, Tr, Td, and Ts). The results were evaluated through a 2 × 3 (group × time) repeated-measures analysis of variance. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. There was no significant difference in lumbar erector spinae fatigue, measured by the 5 TMG parameters (p ≥ 0.079), following the interval KBS protocol in comparison with the CON group at 3 assessment periods. A high-intensity interval KBS protocol failed to produce significant differences in erector spinae fatigue compared with the control group that did not perform a KBS. These findings warrant further investigation into muscle fatigue produced with higher intensity protocols and possibly suggest, depending on the programming goals, the need for an alternate KBS training parameters.

An investigator-initiated trial to evaluate safety and tolerability of YSCH-01 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

TPS33 Background: Glioblastoma (GBM), accounting for 55% of primary malignant brain tumors, is characterized by its highly aggressive nature, poor prognosis, and high recurrence rate. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, yet recurrence is common, and survival rates remain dismal. Recurrent GBM lacks established interventions and standardized therapies. YSCH-01 is an oncolytic adenovirus, developed based on cancer-targeting gene-viro-therapy strategy (1), that has been incorporated with an interferon-like immune anticancer gene (L-IFN). Our preclinical studies have demonstrated significant tumor inhibition by YSCH-01 in both cell-line derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models (2). This investigator-initiated trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of YSCH-01 in subjects with recurrent GBM. Methods: Six subjects with recurrent GBM are planned to be enrolled, receiving intracranial injections of YSCH-01 via Ommaya reservoir at a dosage of 5.0×1010 VP, once every 3 weeks for a total of 5 administrations, with a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) assessment period of 3 weeks. Ommaya reservoir implantation will precede drug administration by one day. Inclusion criteria specify pathology-confirmed recurrent GBM, age 18-75 years, expected survival ≥ 12 weeks, and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score ≥ 50 points, with at least one enhanced lesion of ≥ 1 cm diameter. Safety will be evaluated based on DLT and adverse events (AEs) assessed using CTCAE 5.0. Efficacy will be assessed every 5 weeks using Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria, with overall survival follow-up at 12 weeks for two years. Two of the planned six cases have been enrolled, completing the DLT period without DLTs. The trial is registered with Clinical Trial Registry under NCT05914935. Clinical trial information: NCT05914935 .

Long-Term Protective Immunity against Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infection Induced by a Genetically Modified Live Vaccine.

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis, an emerging tick-borne disease, is caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Infections with the pathogen are also common in the canine host. Our previous studies demonstrated that functional disruption within the E. chaffeensis phage head-to-tail connector protein gene results in bacterial attenuation, creating a modified live attenuated vaccine (MLAV). The MLAV confers protective immunity against intravenous and tick transmission challenges one month following vaccination. In this study, we evaluated the duration of MLAV protection. Dogs vaccinated with the MLAV were challenged with wild-type E. chaffeensis via intravenous infection at 4-, 8-, and 12-months post-vaccination. Immunized dogs rapidly cleared the wild-type pathogen infection and tested positive for bacteremia less frequently than unvaccinated controls. While immune responses varied among dogs, vaccinees consistently mounted IgG and CD4+ T-cell responses specific to E. chaffeensis throughout the assessment period. Our findings demonstrate that MLAV-mediated immune protection persists for at least one year against wild-type bacterial infection, marking a major advancement in combating this serious tick-borne disease. The data presented here serve as the foundation for further studies, elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence and vaccine development and aiding in preventing the diseases caused by E. chaffeensis and other tick-borne rickettsial pathogens.

Battery Lifetime Prediction and Degradation Analysis with Machine Learning Method

Due to environmental pollution and climate crisis caused by fossil fuels, eco-friendly alternative energy sources are gaining attention. Particularly, electric vehicles (EVs) are being recognized as the next-generation means of transportation. The most crucial technologies in electric vehicles are lithium-ion batteries and Battery Management Systems (BMS). However, the extended lifespan of lithium-ion batteries leads to prolonged assessment periods, making it challenging to measure and improve performance over time. Additionally, the operation of batteries under various conditions makes it difficult to measure state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) in real-time, introducing many variables. With recent advancements in predictive technology through machine learning, accurate predictions can be made without complex physical knowledge, leveraging high-quality data.In this study, machine learning techniques were applied using charge/discharge data from lithium-ion LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (NMC532)/graphite pouch cell batteries. The values measured during the initial charge/discharge cycles were converted into variables that could assess battery degradation modes. Machine learning algorithms were then applied, followed by model tuning to reduce overfitting and enhance accuracy. This research contributes to real-time battery management system data using machine learning technology to predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of lithium-ion batteries with high accuracy, using only initial cycles. This approach enhances the efficiency of BMS data in real-world scenarios and contributes to the overall time efficiency of battery research. Acknowledgement This research was supported by National R&D Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by Ministry of Science and ICT(NRF-2021K1A4A8A01079455).

Assessing the Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria Determination Process in Korea: Insights from 10-Year Noncompleted Donation Data.

This study aimed to analyze the current status of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) determination in Korea over a decade, identifying key areas for improvement in the process. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Korea Organ Donation Agency spanning 2011 to 2021, focusing on donors whose donations were not completed. The study reviewed demographics, medical settings, diagnoses, and outcomes, with particular emphasis on cases classified as nonbrain death and those resulting in death by cardiac arrest during the BD/DNC assessment. Of the 5047 patients evaluated for potential brain death from 2011 to 2021, 361 were identified as noncompleted donors. The primary reasons for noncompletion included nonbrain death (n = 68, 18.8%), cardiac arrests during the BD/DNC assessment process (n = 80, 22.2%), organ ineligibility (n = 151, 41.8%), and logistical and legal challenges (n = 62, 17.2%). Notably, 25 (36.8%) of them failed to meet the minimum clinical criteria, and 7 of them were potential cases of disagreement between the two clinical examinations. Additionally, most cardiac arrests (n = 44, 55.0%) occurred between the first and second examinations, indicating management challenges in critically ill patients during the assessment period. Our study highlights significant challenges in the BD/DNC determination process, including the need for improved consistency in neurologic examinations and the management of critically ill patients. The study underscores the importance of refining protocols and training to enhance the accuracy and reliability of brain death assessments, while also ensuring streamlined and effective organ donation practices.

Spatio-temporal analysis of riverbank changes using remote sensing and geographic information system

Fluvial hazards cause severe damage to human lives and properties. The increased intrusion of anthropogenic activities into natural hydrological cycles has increased hazard severity and confounded river channel dynamics. The present article studies the epochal channel erosion, accretion, and unaltered sites along the 42 km stretch between the Polavaram project and Dowleshwaram Barrage on the Godavari River. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques were used to identify changes in river morphology. A total of five decades of Landsat images were analyzed, classifying the land use with a supervised learning Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm and an ISO cluster unsupervised algorithm to delineate the rivers and study the influence of land use land cover change (LULCC) on river morphology. Accretion and erosion channel changes during the assessment period were measured at all reaches, and the possible driving mechanisms of morphological alterations were studied.The results indicate the susceptibility of human dwellings and agricultural lands to floods due to the shifting of the highly vibrant river shoreline. The study provides the most recent information on Godavari River dynamics. These aspects of the river's evolution will aid in planning and management in the lower portions, which have not been well understood. River channel alterations can be quantitatively and economically analyzed using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) data.

The relationship between momentary experiential avoidance and anxiety symptoms

ABSTRACT Background Experiential avoidance (EA) may serve as a risk factor for a wide range of anxiety-related psychopathology. Anxiety is thought to trigger the use of EA, while also serving as a consequence of EA efforts. Previous ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies found that EA was associated with greater anxiety in nonclinical undergraduates and patients with social anxiety disorder. Methods The present study examined the in-the-moment, bidirectional relationship between EA, perceived stress, and two facets of anxiety (autonomic arousal and worry/misery) in a sample of treatment-seeking patients broadly diagnosed with an anxiety-related disorder (N = 46). Participants completed a baseline assessment followed by an EMA assessment period (assessments three times daily for seven days). We hypothesized that there would be a bidirectional relationship between EA and anxiety/stress. Results Results largely supported a unidirectional relationship such that greater EA at one time point predicted higher stress at a later time point controlling for previous stress levels and linear time. Trend-level associations between EA and anxiety symptoms are discussed. Conclusions The current study provides important insight into the relationship between EA and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of participants with anxiety-related disorders.

Olanzapine as Antiemetic Prophylaxis in Moderately Emetogenic Chemotherapy

The role of olanzapine has not been adequately evaluated in moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) regimens with or without neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists. To evaluate whether addition of olanzapine to an MEC regimen reduces nausea, vomiting, and use of nausea rescue medications among patients with solid malignant tumors. This multicenter, open-label phase 3 randomized clinical trial included patients aged 18 years or older with solid malignant tumors who were receiving oxaliplatin-, carboplatin-, or irinotecan-based chemotherapy. The trial was conducted at 3 institutes in India from March 26, 2019, to August 26, 2023; the final cutoff date for analysis was September 10, 2023. Patients were randomized 1:1 to dexamethasone, aprepitant, and palonosetron with olanzapine (experimental group) or without olanzapine (observation group). The experimental group received 10 mg of olanzapine orally once at night on days 1 through 3 of the chemotherapy regimen. The primary end point was complete response (CR), defined as the proportion of patients with no vomiting, no significant nausea (scored as <5 on a visual analog scale of 1 to 100), and no use of rescue medications for nausea. Secondary end points included the proportion of patients experiencing nausea and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), receiving rescue medications, and experiencing adverse events. A total of 560 patients (259 [64%] male; median age, 51 years [range, 19-80 years]) were randomized. The analysis included 544 patients with evaluable data (274 assigned to olanzapine and 270 to observation). Baseline characteristics were evenly matched between the 2 groups. The proportion of patients with CR was significantly greater in the group with (248 [91%]) than without (222 [82%]) olanzapine in the overall 120-hour treatment period (P = .005). Likewise, there were significant differences between the olanzapine and observation groups for nausea control (264 [96%] vs 234 [87%]; P < .001) and CINV (262 [96%] vs 245 [91%]; P = .02) during the overall assessment period, and the proportion of patients receiving rescue medications significantly increased in the observation group (30 [11%]) compared with the olanzapine group (11 [4%]) (P = .001). Grade 1 somnolence was reported by 27 patients (10%) following administration of chemotherapy and olanzapine and by no patients in the observation group. In this randomized clinical trial, the addition of olanzapine significantly improved CR rates as well as nausea and vomiting prevention rates in chemotherapy-naive patients who were receiving MEC regimens containing oxaliplatin, carboplatin, or irinotecan. These findings suggest that use of olanzapine should be considered as one of the standards of care in these chemotherapy regimens. Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) Identifier: CTRI/2018/12/016643.

Trajectories of negative affect prior to and following disordered eating behaviors among women with eating disorder pathology: An examination of the role of state-interoception

ObjectiveAffect regulation theories of eating disorders (ED) posit that negative affect increases in the hours before and decreases following disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in daily life, yet findings from studies assessing affective changes post-DEBs are mixed. This inconsistency may be due to the previously unassessed role of other transdiagnostic processes in these associations, such as interoception (the ability to sense and integrate information from bodily sensations). To address this research gap, the present study examined whether different interoception dimensions moderated negative affect trajectories surrounding DEBs in the natural environment. Method150 women with ED pathology (Mage = 21.0, SD = 4.1) completed 4 surveys targeting affect and DEBs each day for a 10-day ecological momentary assessment period. Polynomial multilevel models examined negative affect trajectories pre- and post-DEBs (dietary restriction, overeating, loss of control eating), and whether these trajectories varied based on daily interoception dimensions (not distracting, self-regulation, body listening and trust). ResultsNegative affect increased prior to loss of control eating—but not dietary restriction or overeating—and decreased following all DEBs. Further, the magnitude of the decrease in negative affect that emerged post-dietary restriction decreased in strength as daily “not distracting” interoception increased. The other interoception dimensions did not moderate negative affect trajectories surrounding DEBs. ConclusionsAllowing oneself to experience (vs. distract from) uncomfortable bodily sensations may weaken affect dysregulation processes that follow dietary restriction in daily life and are theorized to maintain DEBs. These results provide insight that may strengthen EDs theories, research, and inform interoception-focused interventions.

Complex Emotion Dynamics Contribute to the Prediction of Depression: A Machine Learning and Time Series Feature Extraction Approach.

Emotion dynamics have demonstrated mixed ability to predict depressive symptoms and outperform traditional metrics like the mean and standard deviation of emotion reports. Here, we expand the types of emotion dynamic features used in prior work and apply a machine learning algorithm to predict depression symptoms. We obtained seven ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies from previous work on depression and emotion dynamics (N = 890). These studies measured self-reported sadness, positive affect, and negative affect 5 to 10 times per day for 7 to 21days (schedule varied across studies). These data were fed through a feature extraction routine to generate hundreds of emotion dynamic features. A gradient boosting machine (GBM) using all available emotion dynamics features was the best of all models assessed. This model's out-of-sample prediction (R 2 pred) for depression severity ranged from .20 to .44 depending on EMA interpolation method and samples included in the analysis. It also explained significantly more variance than a benchmark model of individuals' mean emotion ratings over the assessment period, R 2 pred = .089. Comprehensive feature mining of emotion dynamics obtained during EMA may be necessary to identify processes that predict depression symptoms beyond mean emotion ratings.

Endoscopic Posterior Approach for Cervical Myelopathy and Radiculopathy Using Tubular Retractor: Our Experience, Surgical Technique, and Literature Review

BackgroundEndoscopic posterior approach can effectively decompress cervical root and cord secondary to posterior compression. This publications is aimed to present our experience in 229 patients using tubular retractor and the relevant literature is reviewed. MethodsRetrospective analysis of multilevel myelopathy and or radiculopathy was performed. Indications for posterior approach was primary posterior compressions at cord and or root. Combined compression from posterior side and mild to moderate anterior pressure with acceptable lordosis were also decompressed. Bilateral cord decompression and foraminotomy for radiculopathy was performed using tubular retractor. ResultThere were myelopathy and radiculopathy in 220 and 9 patients respectively. A total of 53 foraminotomy procedures were performed in 36 patients. All patients showed improvement, with the mean preoperative Nurick grade decreasing from 2.72 ± 0.799 to 0.78 ± 0.911 after surgery. There was significant improvement in postoperative Nurick grades compared to preoperative grades (Z-value =13.306, P less than 0.0001). Operative results were better in patients with good preoperative Nurick grades (grades 1 and 2) compared to those with poorer grades (grades 3 and 4). Minor bleeding, small dural tear, and root injury was observed in 42, 4 and 8 patients respectively. ConclusionEndoscopic approach was effective and safe for root and cord decompression. This study was limited by its single-center, retrospective design, exclusion of some eligible patients, a short postoperative Nurick grade assessment period of six months, and absence of a comprehensive long-term postoperative biomechanical assessment. To validate these results, a prospective multicenter study addressing these limitations is needed.

Effect of Ozone on Enterobacteriaceae Counts in Wheat Grain, Alfalfa, Radish, Broccoli Seeds and Sprouts

Abstract The sprouts of various seeds have garnered considerable regard amid consumers due to its verdure, crispiness, and germination potential, offering a cost-effective and straightforward process. The moist and warm conditions are very conducive to germination, fostering the growth of microorganisms and thereby raising food safety concerns. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of ozone on Enterobacteriaceae counts by subjecting wheat (Triticum aestivum) grains, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea) seeds to ozone gas treatment. Additionally, the grain and seeds were rinsed with ozonated water during germination. Three different treatment methods were employed for seeds and grains. In the first method, samples were exposed to ozone gas at 20 ppm for 10 minutes, with subsequent rinsing every 12 hours during germination until the rinse water appeared visually clean, at a concentration of 2.0 mg L−1 of ozone. The second method involved rinsing with ozonated water at a concentration of 2.0 mg L−1 for durations of 20, 40, and 60 minutes. The third method - treated with ozone gas at 50 ppm and the exposure time of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 h. Untreated samples were used as controls. Evaluation of the samples revealed that Enterobacteriaceae was virtually undetectable in dry seeds. However, after 72 hours of germination in both the control and ozone-treated sprouts and following 7 days of storage at 4±2 °C, Enterobacteriaceae were found at an average of 7 to 8.1 log CFU g−1 in all samples, irrespective of the treatment method. Additionally, mould was observed only in wheat and radish sprouts during the assessment period. The study showed that there was no significant reduction in the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms, moulds and Enterobacteriaceae then treated with ozone gas.