Paired Rank Research Articles

On finite d$d$‐maximal groups

AbstractLet be a positive integer. A finite group is called ‐maximal if it can be generated by precisely elements, whereas its proper subgroups have smaller generating sets. For , the ‐maximal groups have been classified up to isomorphism and only partial results have been proved for larger . In this work, we prove that a ‐maximal group is supersolvable and we give a characterisation of ‐maximality in terms of so‐called maximal ‐pairs. Moreover, we classify the maximal ‐pairs of small rank obtaining, as a consequence, the classification of the isomorphism classes of 3‐maximal finite groups.

A matched-pair case control study identifying hemodynamic predictors of cerebral aneurysm growth using computational fluid dynamics.

Introduction: Initiation and progression of cerebral aneurysms is known to be driven by complex interactions between biological and hemodynamic factors, but the hemodynamic mechanism which drives aneurysm growth is unclear. We employed robust modeling and computational methods, including temporal and spatial convergence studies, to study hemodynamic characteristics of cerebral aneurysms and identify differences in these characteristics between growing and stable aneurysms. Methods: Eleven pairs of growing and non-growing cerebral aneurysms, matched in both size and location, were modeled from MRA and CTA images, then simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Key hemodynamic characteristics, including wall shear stress (WSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and portion of the aneurysm under low shear, were evaluated. Statistical analysis was then performed using paired Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: The portion of the aneurysm dome under 70% of the parent artery mean wall shear stress was higher in growing aneurysms than in stable aneurysms and had the highest significance among the tested metrics (p = 0.08). Other metrics of area under low shear had similar levels of significance. Discussion: These results align with previously observed hemodynamic trends in cerebral aneurysms, indicating a promising direction for future study of low shear area and aneurysm growth. We also found that mesh resolution significantly affected simulated WSS in cerebral aneurysms. This establishes that robust computational modeling methods are necessary for high fidelity results. Together, this work demonstrates that complex hemodynamics are at play within cerebral aneurysms, and robust modeling and simulation methods are needed to further study this topic.

Оценка внутрирегиональных сдвигов предпринимательской активности в условиях пандемических и геополитических изменений 2020–2022 гг. (на материалах Кемеровской области – Кузбасса)

Entrepreneurial activity has a serious impact on the development of regions and municipalities, especially remote, peripheral ones. The most important aspect of the small and medium-sized enterprises’ activities study in the region is the analysis of differences between territories in the levels of entrepreneurial activity, as well as the assessment of relevant processes dynamics in various external conditions. The purpose of the study is to identify intraregional differences in the entrepreneurial activity of the region, to assess the nature and significance of their changes based on the materials of the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass in 2020–2022. The indicator of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises normalized per 10 thousand people was used, as well as descriptive statistics methods, paired samples t-test, pair and rank correlation coefficients. In 2020–2022, inter-municipal fluctuations in entrepreneurial activity practically did not depend on the population density or the spatial position of the municipality. The agglomeration factor did not contribute to a faster recovery of the medium-sized enterprises’ sector. It was revealed that remote peripheral areas are not outsiders in terms of entrepreneurial activity, which contradicts existing theoretical concepts. The minimum entrepreneurial activity is observed in small towns and rural areas adjacent to the cities of the Kuzbass agglomeration, which can be attributed to different possibilities of consumer demand migration, but requires further research.

Markers of oxidative stress during post-COVID-19 fatigue: a hypothesis-generating, exploratory pilot study on hospital employees.

Post-COVID-19 fatigue is common after recovery from COVID-19. Excess formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to oxidative stress-related mitochondrial dysfunction is referred to as a cause of these chronic fatigue-like symptoms. The present observational pilot study aimed to investigate a possible relationship between the course of ROS formation, subsequent oxidative stress, and post-COVID-19 fatigue. A total of 21 post-COVID-19 employees of the General Hospital Nuremberg suffering from fatigue-like symptoms were studied during their first consultation (T1: on average 3 months after recovery from COVID-19), which comprised an educational talk on post-COVID-19 symptomatology and individualized outpatient strategies to resume normal activity, and 8 weeks thereafter (T2). Fatigue severity was quantified using the Chalder Fatigue Scale together with a health survey (Patient Health Questionnaire) and self-report on wellbeing (12-Item Short-Form Health Survey). We measured whole blood superoxide anion () production rate (electron spin resonance, as a surrogate for ROS production) and oxidative stress-induced DNA strand breaks (single cell gel electrophoresis: "tail moment" in the "comet assay"). Data are presented as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range) depending on the data distribution. Differences between T1 and T2 were tested using a paired Wilcoxon rank sign or t-test. Fatigue intensity decreased from 24 ± 5 at T1 to 18 ± 8 at T2 (p < 0.05), which coincided with reduced formation (from 239 ± 55 to 195 ± 59 nmol/s; p < 0.05) and attenuated DNA damage [tail moment from 0.67 (0.36-1.28) to 0.32 (0.23-0.71); p = 0.05]. Our pilot study shows that post-COVID-19 fatigue coincides with (i) enhanced formation and oxidative stress, which are (ii) reduced with attenuation of fatigue symptoms.

MID-TERM OUTCOMES OF TROCHLEOPLASTY IN THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE TROCHLEAR DYSPLASIA

IntroductionTrochleoplasty is an effective surgical procedure for patients with severe trochlear dysplasia and recurrent patella instability. Previous work has suggested patients demonstrate early improvements in knee function and quality of life. However, concerns regarding longer term outcomes due to the development of stiffness and patellofemoral osteoarthritis remain a concern for these patients. Our aim was to assess mid-term patient-reported outcome and quality of life measures for trochleoplasty performed at a single centre for severe trochlear dysplasia.MethodsRetrospective review of 28 knees (23 patients) having undergone trochleoplasty for severe trochlear dysplasia were reviewed. Due to the non-parametric nature of the data, median and interquartile range (IQR) were determined for pre-operative and mid-term follow-up scores. Statistically significant differences between groups were assessed using paired Wilcoxon-signed rank test with statistical significance set at p&lt;0.05. Data were analysed using a statistical software package (IBM® SPSS® Statistics 26.0).ResultsMedian time from surgery to follow-up for all patients in the series was 5.3 years (IQR 3.9 – 7.0 years). Median pre-operative Kujala score improved from 57.0 (IQR 45 – 66) to 96.3 (IQR 83 -100). Median pre-operative IKDC score improved from 42.6 (IQR 35.9 – 51.3) to 92.6 (IQR 71.6 – 98.7). Median EQ-5D score also improved from 0.691 (IQR 0.414 – 0.727) to 1.000 (IQR 0.8178 – 1.000). Improvement in Kujala scores, IKDC scores and EQ-5D were all statistically significant with p&lt;0.001 in all domains.DiscussionOur data suggests patients experience significant improvements in knee function and quality of life following trochleoplasty surgery for severe dysplasia. We demonstrate an absolute improvement in scores at a mean of 5.3 years follow-up of 39.3 points for Kujala, 50 for IKDC and 0.309 for EQ-5D. Minimal clinically important differences (MCID) have been reported to be in the region of 10 for the Kujala score, 8.8–15.6 for IKDC and 0.085 for EQ-5D. Our data shows improvements which far exceed the published MCID, suggesting trochleoplasty confers a large treatment effect and patients benefiting from sustained improvements in knee function and overall quality of life at mid-term follow-up.ConclusionFollowing trochleoplasty for severe trochlear dysplasia, patient reported outcomes demonstrate continued improvements in knee function and quality of life at mid-term (5-year) follow-up. There is a large absolute treatment effect which likely impacts on both physical and psychological wellbeing for these patients. Continued surveillance of patient reported outcomes in this clinically complex cohort is indicated.

Impact of Neonatal Intervention on Left Ventricular Performance in Ebstein’s Anomaly and Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia

Severe neonatal Ebstein's anomaly (EA) and tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) are associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality. The authors recently demonstrated left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and dyssynchrony to be prevalent in affected newborns and to contribute to poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure, spontaneous or surgical ligation, or right ventricular exclusion (Starnes procedure) on LV performance in neonatal EA and TVD. Neonates with EA or TVD encountered from 2004 to 2018 at three institutions were identified. Pre-and postoperative LV function was assessed using two-dimensional, Doppler-derived deformation (six-segment vector velocity imaging) and two measures of mechanical dyssynchrony (the SD of time to peak and global dyssynchrony index), and values were compared using paired t test analysis or the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Before the intervention, LV function was impaired in the PDA (n=18) and Starnes (n=6) groups and was similar between groups. After PDA closure, LV performance did not change. After the Starnes procedure, however, LV function, including synchrony, improved significantly: fractional area change from 45±5% to 58±8% (P=.003), global circumferential strain from -18.2±5.0% to -32.5±5.5% (P=.01), cardiac index from 1.9±0.3 to 3.9±1.5L/min/m2 (P=.05), and circumferential strain dyssynchrony (dyssynchrony index from 0.19±0.09 to 0.04±0.02 [P=.009] and SD of time to peak from 59.8±18.5 to 29.9±8.2 [P=.02]). The Starnes procedure results in early improvements in LV dysfunction and dyssynchrony, not observed after PDA closure in neonatal severe EA and TVD, which may benefit critically unwell neonates.

Evaluation of a novel CBCT conversion method implemented in a treatment planning system

BackgroundTo evaluate a novel CBCT conversion algorithm for dose calculation implemented in a research version of a treatment planning system (TPS).MethodsThe algorithm was implemented in a research version of RayStation (v. 11B-DTK, RaySearch, Stockholm, Sweden). CBCTs acquired for each ten head and neck (HN), gynecology (GYN) and lung cancer (LNG) patients were collected and converted using the new algorithm (CBCTc). A bulk density overriding technique implemented in the same version of the TPS was used for comparison (CBCTb). A deformed CT (dCT) was created by using deformable image registration of the planning CT (pCT) to the CBCT to reduce anatomical changes. All treatment plans were recalculated on the pCT, dCT, CBCTc and the CBCTb. The resulting dose distributions were analyzed using the MICE toolkit (NONPIMedical AB Sweden, Umeå) with local gamma analysis, with 1% dose difference and 1 mm distance to agreement criteria. A Wilcoxon paired rank sum test was applied to test the differences in gamma pass rates (GPRs). A p value smaller than 0.05 considered statistically significant.ResultsThe GPRs for the CBCTb method were systematically lower compared to the CBCTc method. Using the 10% dose threshold and the dCT as reference the median GPRs were for the CBCTc method were 100% and 99.8% for the HN and GYN cases, respectively. Compared to that the GPRs of the CBCTb method were lower with values of 99.8% and 98.0%, for the HN and GYN cases, respectively. The GPRs of the LNG cases were 99.9% and 97.5% for the CBCTc and CBCTb method, respectively. These differences were statistically significant. The main differences between the dose calculated on the CBCTs and the pCTs were found in regions near air/tissue interfaces, which are also subject to anatomical variations.ConclusionThe dose distribution calculated using the new CBCTc method showed excellent agreement with the dose calculated using dCT and pCT and was superior to the CBCTb method. The main reasons for deviations of the calculated dose distribution were caused by anatomical variations between the pCT and the corrected CBCT.

Automated black-box boundary value detection

Software systems typically have an input domain that can be subdivided into sub-domains, each of which generates similar or related outputs. Testing it on the boundaries between these sub-domains is critical to ensure high-quality software. Therefore, boundary value analysis and testing have been a fundamental part of the software testing toolbox for a long time and are typically taught early to software engineering students. Despite its many argued benefits, boundary value analysis for a given software specification or application is typically described in abstract terms. This allows for variation in how testers apply it and in the benefits they see. Additionally, its adoption has been limited since it requires a specification or model to be analysed. We propose an automated black-box boundary value detection method to support software testers in performing systematic boundary value analysis. This dynamic method can be utilized even without a specification or model. The proposed method is based on a metric referred to as the program derivative, which quantifies the level of boundariness of test inputs. By combining this metric with search algorithms, we can identify and rank pairs of inputs as good boundary candidates, i.e., inputs that are in close proximity to each other but with outputs that are far apart. We have implemented the AutoBVA approach and evaluated it on a curated dataset of example programs. Furthermore, we have applied the approach broadly to a sample of 613 functions from the base library of the Julia programming language. The approach could identify boundary candidates that highlight diverse boundary behaviours in over 70% of investigated systems under test. The results demonstrate that even a simple variant of the program derivative, combined with broad sampling and search over the input space, can identify interesting boundary candidates for a significant portion of the functions under investigation. In conclusion, we also discuss the future extension of the approach to encompass more complex systems under test cases and datatypes.

A Novel Scouring Method to Monitor Nocturnal Mammals Using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles and Thermal Cameras—A Comparison to Line Transect Spotlight Counts

Wildlife abundance surveys are important tools for making decisions regarding nature conservation and management. Cryptic and nocturnal mammals can be difficult to monitor, and methods to obtain more accurate data on density and population trends of these species are needed. We propose a novel monitoring method using an aerial drone with a laser rangefinder and high zoom capabilities for thermal imagery. By manually operating the drone, the survey area can be initially scanned in a radius of several kilometers, and when a point of interest is observed, animals could be identified from up to one kilometer away by zooming in while the drone maintains an altitude of 120 m. With the laser rangefinder, a precise coordinate of the detected animal could be recorded instantly. Over ten surveys, the scouring drone method recorded significantly more hares than traditional transect spotlight count surveys, conducted by trained volunteers scanning the same farmland area within the same timeframe (p = 0.002, Wilcoxon paired rank test). The difference between the drone method and the transect spotlight method was hare density-dependent (R = 0.45, p = 0.19, Pearson’s product–moment correlation); the larger the density of hares, the larger the difference between the two methods to the benefit of the drone method. There was a linear relation between the records of deer by the drone and by spotlight (R = 0.69, p = 0.027), while no relation was found between the records of carnivores by drone and spotlight counts. This may be due to carnivores’ speed and vigilance or lack of data. Furthermore, the drone method could cover up to three times the area within the same timeframe as the transect spotlight counts.

Psychological evaluation of Asian female patients with rhinoplasty

Patients requiring plastic surgery exhibit more abnormal psychological trends (e.g., body dysmorphic disorder [BDD], depression, and anxiety) than those requiring other surgeries. However, there are only a few domestic studies on the psychological aspects of the population requiring plastic surgery. Therefore, we analyzed the psychological characteristics and psychological impact of rhinoplasty in female patients. In this study, patients were classified into 2 groups: 151 males and 60 females. The self-rating scale of body image (SSBI), self-rating anxiety scale, self-rating depression scale, and postoperative satisfaction questionnaire were used to examine the patients before and after surgery. The results were analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, paired rank sum test, and Pearson correlation analysis. The total prevalence of BDD in female patients who underwent rhinoplasty was 7.3%. The prevalence of anxiety disorders was 31.8% and that of depression was 45.0%. Female patients with BDD were more likely to exhibit depression (55.5%) and anxiety (36.4%). The SSBI score was related to marital status (p=0.001) and history of rhinoplasty (p=0.000). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between preoperative BDD score and postoperative satisfaction (r=-0.392, p=0.002) as well as between the previous history of rhinoplasty and postoperative satisfaction (r=-0.603, p=0.000). Pathological psychologies such as anxiety, depression, and BDD are common in patients scheduled to undergo rhinoplasty, and BDD is more likely to be associated with depression. Rhinoplasty has little psychological impact on patients, i.e., it neither causes improvement nor deterioration. Female patients who have undergone rhinoplasty should be considered to a have high risk of BDD. Although the outcomes of surgery are generally quite positive, patients diagnosed with BDD are more likely to be dissatisfied.

Reappearance of CXCR4 dim/CD5 bright Proliferative Fraction Associates with BTK Mutations and Anticipates Progression in Ibrutinib-Treated CLL

Reciprocal expression of CXCR4 and CD5 on the surface of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells can discriminate the proliferative fraction (CD5high/CXCR4dim, PF), recently egressed from the lymph node, from the resting fraction (CXCR4high/CD5dim, RF) of older, quiescent cells. BTK inhibitors affect the proliferative capacity of CLL cells and cause the redistribution from nodal compartments to the blood stream. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of long-term treatment of the BTK-inhibitor ibrutinib (IBR) on the PF/RF phenotype. Here, we monitored the PF dynamics in two cohorts of IBR-treated CLL cases with long-term follow-up, and correlated with the emergence of IBR resistance. Longitudinal analysis of the PF under IBR in 31 CLL cases, enrolled in the IOSI-EMA-001 with sequential blood samplings (156 samples, median 6 samples/case) showed a depletion of the PF over time, from 17.7% at pre-treatment to 4.75, 0.4, 1.5, 0.6, 1.5% at later timepoints (0.5, 6, 12, 18, 24 months; p &amp;lt; 0.001, U test), along with loss of proliferative potential by Ki67 expression. We then retrospectively analyzed the PF in 100 IBR-treated CLL cases from the real world, referred for routine immunophenotyping (296 samples, median 3 samples/case). Median PF of pre-IBR samples was 12.0% (range 0.7-50), with a significant drop to 2.7% within one year of treatment and to 1.0% in the second year (p&amp;lt;0.001, U test). 77 cases discontinued IBR due to: toxicity (n=13), progression (n=51), other/death (n=13). Mutations of BTK/ PLCG2 were detected in 30 cases, 28 of which discontinued IBR due to progression and 2 for other/death. To correlate reappearance of the PF with cause of discontinuation, we focused on 64 cases collected within 12 months before/after IBR discontinuation due to toxicity (n=10), progression (n=47) or other/death (n=7), and compared with 22 samples still on treatment for the next 12 months after testing (Panel A). ROC analysis of the PF suggested a criterion of PF&amp;gt;3% as the most discriminating to predict IBR discontinuation due to progression, with a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 71.1%. This cut-off could separate patients with a longer time-to-progression (median 56 vs. 45 months, p=0.031). 26/47 progressing cases bore BTK/ PLCG2 mutations, with a PF higher than wild-type cases discontinuing for toxicity (8.4% vs. 2.2%; p&amp;lt;0.001) or still on treatment (1.8%, p&amp;lt;0.001). Notably, the 21 BTK/ PLCG2- wild-type progressing cases also showed higher PF compared to cases discontinuing for toxicity (6.9% vs. 2.2%; p&amp;lt;0.001) or still on treatment (1.8%; p&amp;lt;0.001). Notably, PF levels showed no significant correlation with white blood cell counts. Sequential dosages of plasmatic B2M in progressing cases (n=5) revealed steady levels below the 3.5 ug/mL threshold, despite the PF increase (median PF 18%). Cell sorting of the PF/RF fractions from 10 cases showing PF reappearance after prolonged IBR treatment (median 50.7 months) revealed a mean of 1.7 BTK mutations per sample (27 total, range 1-4), a median VAF higher in the PF (23.0%, 0.3-92.3) on average 2.8 times larger than in the RF (5.2%, 0.1-84.8; p=0.003, paired rank test). A similar skewing was present for PLCG2 mutations (median PF VAF: 2.0%, 0.1-6.2; RF VAF: 1.35%, 0.4-2.8; p=0.014). Finally, mRNA-seq was performed in 20 cases, on matching PF/RF fractions both at pre-IBR and progression (9 cases with BTK mutations). Differential expression signature of pre-IBR PF vs. RF, concordant with published gene sets, drove co-clustering of post-IBR PF/RF with their respective counterparts, indicating that PF at progression functionally resembles its pre-treatment counterpart. A strong enrichment of multiple proliferation-related signatures, present in pre-treatment samples, was significantly up-regulated also at progression, independently from BTK mutations (Panel B). In summary, here we report that CLL progression under IBR associates with reappearance of the CD5bright/CXCR4dim PF which precedes clinical progression, increase of serum B2M and WBC counts. Transcriptomic/genetic profiling of the post-IBR PF suggests presence of clonal selection dynamics and active bypass signaling pathways, bona fide taking place within the lymph node microenvironment, including BTK/ PLCG2 mutations. Clinically, longitudinal monitoring of the CXCR4/CD5 fractions by flow cytometry may provide a simple tool helping to intercept CLL progression under IBR therapy.

Method assessment and observer variation in age estimation: A comparative analysis of the Suchey-Brooks and the İşcan methods on an archaeological medieval population

Age-at-death estimation methods have faced challenges in their applicability to past populations. This study aims to evaluate the assessment and observer variability of the Suchey-Brooks (SB) and İşcan methods within archaeological contexts. Our sample consisted of 400 individuals from the medieval cemetery of the Dunes Abbey in Koksijde, Belgium. The skeletal remains exhibited good preservation, especially for the İşcan methods, which showed higher sensitivity to preservation conditions.Intra- and inter-observer variation were investigated using Spearman correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon paired ranks test, and Cohen's kappa test. The Spearman coefficient revealed a strong positive correlation, with a moderate to almost excellent kappa coefficient for both intra- and inter-observer error. Overall, the SB method displayed better inter-observer agreement, while the İşcan method presented better intra-observer agreement. Applying these methods to younger individuals resulted in less variability. Certain descriptive phase categories, such as phase III for the SB method and phase 3 and 4 for the İşcan methods, seemed problematic.Only 188 sufficiently preserved individuals could be scored using both the SB and the İşcan methods. They were classified into age groups, and the methods assessment were evaluated using the same statistical approach. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated consistent age group attribution between the two methods (rho = 0.92), with a moderate to almost excellent agreement (k = 0.45; wk = 0.91). Overall, the two methods mainly differ by only one age group, except for older adults. The SB method tended to assign older age groups compared to İşcan's method, leading to effective overestimation.

A first intervention to support the mental health of transgender individuals in Eastern Europe

Abstract Background Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people in Romania experience high discrimination and related dysphoria, while gender-affirmation resources are scant. TGD Romanians report significant emotional distress and no access to competent mental health care. This pilot tested the feasibility, acceptability, and early efficacy of the first evidence-based mental health intervention implemented in Eastern Europe, using cognitive behavioral therapy within an identity-affirming framework. Methods Eligible TGD individuals (e.g., ≥ 18 years old, symptoms of past-90-day depression and/or anxiety) were recruited through community outreach. Participants completed a baseline (BL) assessment, were assigned to one of two trained psychologists, attended up to 16 1-hr virtual counseling sessions, and completed a 5-month follow-up assessment. Participants reported demographics, mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression), and identity-related psychosocial experiences (e.g., gender identity congruence). Analyses were conducted using paired sample t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests to compare pre-post intervention scores. Results Of 24 participants enrolled (40% transgender female, 43% transgender male, 17% non-binary; M age=25.1, SD = 6.53), 22 were retained at follow-up. Significant reductions occurred from BL to follow-up in depression, anxiety, and psychological distress (p &amp;lt; 0.001), alcohol-related problems, gender identify rumination and difficulties with emotion regulation (p = 0.05). Satisfaction with the intervention was high. There were no changes in suicidal ideation, assertiveness, transgender congruence, gender identity acceptance, and emotion regulation. Conclusions This first intervention to support TGD Romanian's mental health shows promise and can be further studied in a randomized controlled trial. Its implementation across similar high-stigma, low-resource countries can provide critical mental health support in settings lacking such resources.

Digital Full-Arch Implant-Supported Polymethyl Methacrylate Interim Prosthesis: A Practice-Based Cohort Study on Survival and Quality of Life.

To evaluate the clinical survival and impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of immediate loading of implant-supported full-arch CAD/CAM-milled PMMA interim restorations. This was a practice-based prospective cohort study performed in a Portuguese dental clinic. Eleven patients received a total of 17 CAD/CAM fully implant-supported, screw-retained, full-arch restorations with milled PMMA and were followed up for 1 year. The primary outcome was prosthesis survival, determined with a modification of the California Dental Association score and a Kaplan-Meier survival function analysis. The secondary outcome was the patient quality of life, as defined by application of the OHIP-14-PT questionnaire and standardized effect size variation between two visits. Significance was set at 5%. Survival probability at 12 months was 76%, complete fracture of the prosthesis occurred in 17.6% of the cases, and small fractures without lab involvement occurred in 5.9% of cases. There was a significant improvement in OHRQoL between visit 1 and visit 4. The mean difference and effect size for total OHIP-14-PT score were -32.91 ± 3.68 and 3.66 (95% CI -1.83 to -5.80) respectively (P < .001* Wilcoxon matched paired rank test). Fullarch implant-supported CAD/CAM-milled PMMA interim prosthesis seem to be a viable approach with good survival rate and great impact on patient OHRQoL.

Survivors Overcoming and Achieving Resiliency (SOAR): Mindful Eating Practice for Breast Cancer Survivors in a Virtual Teaching Kitchen.

The practice of mindful eating brings awareness to food choices, brings attention to the eating experience, and encourages selecting and preparing food that is both satisfying and nourishing. We examined mindful eating in breast cancer survivors following a 9-week, multidisciplinary virtual teaching kitchen intervention called Survivors Overcoming and Achieving Resiliency (SOAR). SOAR engaged participants through weekly cooking classes that also taught multiple domains of mindfulness. Participants (n = 102) were breast cancer survivors and completed the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) prior to and after completion of the intervention. Linear regression analyses examined relationships between the aspects of mindful eating and body mass index (BMI). Wilcoxon (paired) rank sum tests evaluated the significance of the change in the MEQ total sum and subscales scores. A total of 102 participants completed both the pre- and post-intervention surveys. The mean change between the pre- and post-SOAR MEQ summary scores was 0.12 (sd = 0.30; Wilcoxon p-value = 0.0003). All MEQ subscale scores significantly increased with the exception of the distraction subscale. The MEQ summary scores increased for participants across both BMI stratifications. The SOAR teaching kitchen represents one of the first interventions that is tailored for breast cancer survivors and combines behavioral strategies from mindful eating training to nutritional knowledge and culinary medicine pedagogy in a virtual teaching kitchen. Further research is needed to examine whether mindful eating practices among cancer survivors result in sustainable healthy eating behaviors and food choices consistent with the cancer risk reduction guidelines.

Evaluating the Use of SGRT and Abdominal Compression Device for Improved Patient Positioning in Liver Cancer Radiotherapy

To mitigate tumor displacement caused by respiratory movement and to enhance positioning accuracy in liver cancer patients during radiotherapy, abdominal compression fixation devices are commonly employed. However, the efficacy of using surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT) to further improve patient setup accuracy in combination with abdominal compression has not been fully established. Hence, we aimed to investigate this in our study. In this study, we analyzed data from 11 patients with liver cancer. The patients were positioned using isocentric skin markers and the abdominal compression fixture was placed on an accurate scale reading based on the records from CT simulation. A cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan was performed to assess setup errors. These setup errors represent data for the control group - Skin marker group. The patients were then adjusted to the correct treatment position based on CBCT correction and the SGRT system was activated for monitoring. Care was taken for the region of interest drawn to avoid the abdominal compression device for all patients. The reference surface used for monitoring was the captured VRT surface rather than DICOM. The six degrees of freedom values detected by the SGRT system were recorded, representing data for the test group - SGRT group. Both sets of data were analyzed using statistical software. The errors were presented as median (interquartile range) and the differences between the two groups were tested using paired Wilcoxon rank sum test, with P < 0.05 considered as significant. A total of 60 CBCT images were analyzed, the median values and interquartile ranges are presented in the Table. The results showed that the accuracy of the SGRT group in the x and y directions was significantly better than the skin marker group (P < 0.05). The median values for the x (transverse) direction were 0.25(0.09-0.43) cm and 0.09(0.05-0.19) cm for the skin marker and SGRT groups, respectively. The median values for the y (longitudinal) direction were 0.54 (0.29-0.79) cm and 0.14 (0.07-0.24) cm for the skin marker and SGRT groups, respectively. The results for the z (vertical) direction, Rz (rotation), Ry (roll) and Rx (pitch) rotation directions were also analyzed similarly. The findings of this study suggest that compared to skin markers, SGRT can improve the accuracy of patient positioning in liver cancer radiotherapy with abdominal compression, potentially reducing unnecessary radiation exposure from CBCT imaging due to inaccurate positioning. Further multicenter prospective clinical trials are required to confirm these results.

PATCH

Recent advancements in deep learning have shown that multimodal inference can be particularly useful in tasks like autonomous driving, human health, and production line monitoring. However, deploying state-of-the-art multimodal models in distributed IoT systems poses unique challenges since the sensor data from low-cost edge devices can get corrupted, lost, or delayed before reaching the cloud. These problems are magnified in the presence of asymmetric data generation rates from different sensor modalities, wireless network dynamics, or unpredictable sensor behavior, leading to either increased latency or degradation in inference accuracy, which could affect the normal operation of the system with severe consequences like human injury or car accident. In this paper, we propose PATCH, a framework of speculative inference to adapt to these complex scenarios. PATCH serves as a plug-in module in the existing multimodal models, and it enables speculative inference of these off-the-shelf deep learning models. PATCH consists of 1) a Masked-AutoEncoder-based cross-modality imputation module to impute missing data using partially-available sensor data, 2) a lightweight feature pair ranking module that effectively limits the searching space for the optimal imputation configuration with low computation overhead, and 3) a data alignment module that aligns multimodal heterogeneous data streams without using accurate timestamp or external synchronization mechanisms. We implement PATCH in nine popular multimodal models using five public datasets and one self-collected dataset. The experimental results show that PATCH achieves up to 13% mean accuracy improvement over the state-of-art method while only using 10% of training data and reducing the training overhead by 73% compared to the original cost of retraining the model.

Enhancing Customer Engagement on the Companies' Facebook Pages in the Fuel Retail Sector

Social networks change the way how companies conduct their marketing activities. Potential customers become part of companies' marketing activities instead of just being passive participants. The ability to actively involve customers thus becomes a critical factor in the success of marketing activities. The study aims to determine how the posts' different content on the companies' Facebook pages affects the engagement of the message recipients. A retrospective, longitudinal study approach was used. Five hundred fifty-three posts from the four Slovak largest fuel retail sellers' Facebook pages were analyzed. The results revealed the significant difference in the medians of the passive engagement (χ2 (3, N = 533) = 85.685, p-value = &lt; 0.0001) and active engagement (χ2 (3, N = 533) = 85.685, p-value = &lt; 0.0001) according to different content types. The paired rank differences suggest that while entertainment messages (EM) significantly encourage both types of engagement (passive and active), informational messages (IM) and social messages (SM) encourage mainly passive engagement. The study extends the research on active and passive customer engagement, and thus, it contributes directly to understanding engagement and customer experience with social media and expands the knowledge about the Facebook content strategy. Finally, it offers recommendations for future research in the examined area.

The Effect of Halo-Pelvic Traction on Bone Mineral Density of Vertebrae and Corresponding Risk Factors.

Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is associated with complications in implantation surgery for severe spinal deformity. In this quantitative study, we aimed to investigate the impact of halo-pelvic traction on vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) and identify the risk factors for a decrease in BMD. Patients who underwent halo-pelvic traction at our hospital between 2019 and 2022 were included in the study. Patients' data, including height, weight, and BMD pre- and post-traction, were collected and analyzed. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) was used to determine the BMD. The paired rank sum test was used to evaluate the changes in each measurement parameter. Linear regression was used to identify risk factors for a decrease in BMD. Fifteen patients were included in the study, nine women and six men, with an average age of 21.2 ± 7.3 years. Eleven patients had severe rigid scoliosis, while four had tuberculotic kyphosis. One expert measured the BMD values of 345 vertebrae using QCT. The average traction time was 143.3 ± 44.4 days. The average pre-traction BMD was 183.1 ± 73.8 mg/cm3 , and the average post-traction BMD was 140.5 ± 61.3 mg/cm3 (p < 0.01) Patients' height increased from an average of 151.3 ± 12.8 cm pre-traction to 165.5 ± 13.7 cm post-traction (p < 0.01), with traction length averaging 14.3 ± 6.2 cm (p < 0.01). The Cobb angle of the main curve declined from an average of 112.5° ± 24.4° pre-traction to 67.7° ± 19.8° post-traction (p < 0.01). Linear regression revealed a positive correlation between BMD loss and traction length and a negative correlation between BMD loss and correction rate. Halo-pelvic traction can lead to a decrease in the BMD of the spinal vertebrae, with traction length positively correlated with BMD loss and correction rate negatively correlated with BMD loss. To prevent osteoporosis, physicians should ensure a limited traction length while utilizing better management techniques.

The effect of restrictive fluid management on outcomes among geriatric hip fractures: a retrospective cohort study at five level I trauma centers.

Retrospective propensity-matched study. Five Level I trauma centers (January 1, 2018-December 12, 2018). Geriatric patients (65 years or older) with hip fractures were included in this study. Patients with multiple injuries, nonoperative management, and preoperative blood products were excluded. Patients were grouped by fluid volume (normal saline, lactated Ringer, dextrose, electrolytes, and medications) received preoperatively or ≤24 hours of arrival; patients with standard fluid management (SFM) received ≥150 mL and RFM <150 mL of fluids. The primary outcomes were length of stay (LOS), delayed ambulation (>2 days postoperatively), and mortality. Paired Student t-tests, Wilcoxon paired rank sum tests, and McNemar tests were used; an α value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There were 523 patients (40% RFM, 60% SFM); after matching, there were 95 patients per arm. The matched patients were well-balanced, including no difference in time from arrival to surgery. RFM and SFM patients received a median of 80 mL and 1250 mL of preoperative fluids, respectively (P < 0.001). Postoperative fluid volumes were 1550 versus 2000 mL, respectively, (P = 0.73), and LOSs were similar between the two groups (5 versus 5 days, P = 0.83). Mortality and complications, including acute kidney injuries, were similar. Delayed ambulation rates were similar overall. When stratified by preinjury ambulation status, SFM was associated with delayed ambulation for patients not walking independently before injury (P = 0.01), but RFM was not (P = 0.09). RFM seems to be safe in terms of laboratory results, complications, and disposition. SFM may lead to delayed ambulation for patients who are not walking independently before injury.