Value Of Test Research Articles

Hydrogel dressings on neurotrophic keratitis in an experimental animal model

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of hydrogel dressings on neurotrophic keratitis in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats, aged 42–56d, were randomly divided into control, experimental, and treatment groups, each consisting of five rats. The experimental and treatment groups underwent neurotrophic keratitis modeling in both eyes. After successful modeling, biomedical hydrogels formed with polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone were used in treatment group for 7d. Ocular irritation response and keratitis index scores, Schirmer’s test, tear film break-up time (BUT), sodium fluorescein staining, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. RESULTS: The neurotrophic keratitis model was successfully established in rats with severe ophthalmic nerve injury, characterized by keratitis, ocular irritation, reduced tear secretion measured by decreased BUT and Schirmer test values, corneal epithelial loss, and disorganized collagen fibers in the stromal layer. Following treatment with hydrogel dressings, significant improvements were observed in keratitis scores and ocular irritation symptoms in model eyes. Although the recovery of tear secretion, as measured by the Schirmer’s test, did not show statistical differences, BUT was significantly prolonged. Fluorescein staining confirmed a reduction in the extent of corneal epithelial loss after treatment. HE staining revealed the restoration of the structural disorder in both the epithelial and stromal layers to a certain extent. CONCLUSION: Hydrogel dressing reduces ocular surface irritation, improves tear film stability, and promotes the repair and restoration of damaged epithelial cells by maintaining a moist and clean environment on the ocular surface in the rat model.

Relationship of dietary nutrients with early childhood caries and caries activity among children aged 3–5 years—a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is a challenge for pediatric dentists all over the world, and dietary factor is an important factor affecting the occurrence of ECC. Currently, there is limited research on the impact of dietary nutrient intake from Chinese diets on ECC. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation of dietary nutrients intake with ECC and caries activity (CA) among children aged 3–5 years, and to provide dietary guidance to slow down the occurrence and development of ECC.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. A total of 155 children were divided into three groups: caries-free group, ECC group and Severe early childhood caries (SECC) group according to the caries statues. And according to the caries activity test (CAT) value, they were also divided into three group: low CA group (L-CA), middle CA group (M-CA) and high CA group (H-CA). The 24-hour dietary intake information was collected by mobile phone application (APP). The intake of children’s daily dietary nutrients were calculated referring to “China Food Composition Tables”.ResultsIn this study, 17, 39,and 99 children were diagnosed with caries-free, ECC, and SECC. There were 33, 36, and 86 children diagnosed with L-CA, M-CA, and H-CA. The risk of ECC was increased with the intake of cholesterol(OR = 1.005) and magnesium (OR = 1.026) and decreased with the intake of iron (OR = 0.770). The risk of SECC was increased with the intake of cholesterol (OR = 1.003). The risk of high CA was increased with the intake of cholesterol (OR = 1.002). The combined application of dietary total calories, carbohydrate, cholesterol, sodium, magnesium and selenium in the diagnosis of ECC had an area under ROC curve of 0.741.ConclusionsThe increased dietary cholesterol intake may be a common risk factor for ECC and high CA in children aged 3–5. The combined application of dietary intake of total calories, carbohydrate, cholesterol, sodium, magnesium and selenium has a higher predictive value for the occurrence of ECC.

Numerical Calculation and Application for Crushing Rate and Fracture Conductivity of Combined Proppants

Proppant is one of the key materials for hydraulic fracturing. For special situations, such as middle-deep reservoirs and closure pressures ranging from 40 MPa to 60 MPa, using a single proppant cannot solve the contradiction between performance, which means crushing rate and fracture conductivity, and cost. However, using combined proppants is an economically effective method for hydraulic fracturing of such special reservoirs. Firstly, for different types, particle sizes, and proportions of combined proppants, various contact relationships between proppant particles are considered. The random phenomenon of proppant particle arrangement is described using the Monte Carlo method, and the deterministic phenomenon of proppant particles is processed using an optimization model, achieving computer simulation of the microscopic arrangement of proppant particles. Secondly, a mathematical model for the force analysis of combined proppant particles is established, and an improved singular value decomposition method is used for numerical solution. A computational model for the crushing rate and fracture conductivity of combined proppants is proposed. Thirdly, the numerical calculation results are compared and discussed with the test values, verifying the accuracy of the computational model. Finally, the application of combined proppants is discussed, and a model for optimizing the proportion of combined proppants is proposed. The onsite construction technology is introduced, and the cost and economic benefits of combined proppants are compared with those of all ceramic particles and excessive all-quartz sand. It is proved that combined proppants can balance performance and price, and are an economically effective method for hydraulic fracturing of special reservoirs. The research results can select the optimal proppant material and optimize the combination of different proppant types, which can help achieve cost reduction and efficiency increase in oil and gas development.

Investigation of the phytochemical profiling and antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and MDA-MB-231 cell line antiproliferative potentials of extracts from Ephedra alata Decne

Ephedra is one of the many medicinal herbs that have been used as folk/traditional medicine in Jordan and other countries to cure various illnesses. Plants of this genus are well known for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. In this study, three different solvents were used to obtain Ephedra extracts. When evaluated, the Ephedra alata Decne ethanolic extract reportedly had the greatest levels of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoid compounds (TFC). The aqueous extracts displayed the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH and ABTS assays, demonstrating their considerable capacity to neutralize free radicals. However, when evaluated using the FRAP method, the acetone extracts showed the strongest antioxidant activity, indicating their high reducing power. LC–MS/MS, a potent method of analysis that combines the liquid chromatographic separation properties with mass spectrometry detection and identification capabilities, was used in this study to detect and measure phytochemical content of a total of 24 phenolic compounds and 16 terpene compounds present in the extracts of Ephedra alata Decne. Various concentrations of these chemicals were found in these extracts. The extracts’ inhibitory effects on albumin denaturation and alpha-amylase activity were also assessed; the findings demonstrated the potentials of these extracts as anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic medicines, with the acetone extract having the lowest IC50 values in the concomitant tests (306.45 µg/ml and 851.23 µg/ml, respectively). Furthermore, the lowest IC50 value (of 364.59 ± 0.45 µg/ml) for the 80% ethanol extract demonstrated that it has the strongest antiproliferative impact regarding the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. This finding indicates that this particular extract can be potentially used to treat cancer.

Study on extrahepatic manifestations in patients with hepatitis A in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Hepatitis A is a common self-limiting infection of the liver. In recent times, there is a change in the pattern of hepatitis A infection producing extrahepatic manifestations. Aims and Objective: Our aim of the study is to find the profile of extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis A. The secondary objective is to find a correlation of liver function test values with extrahepatic manifestations. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over 3 years. 169 seropositive school-going cases were presented with signs and symptoms of hepatitis A and were clinically assessed. Results: Among 169 immunoglobulin M (+)ve hepatitis A, 36% of patients (61 cases) presented with extrahepatic features. Among the 61 patients, 41 patients presented with aspartate transaminase (AST):alanine transaminase (ALT) >2:1 and 20 patients presented with AST:ALT <2:1. Conclusion: In recent times, there has been a changing pattern in the presentation of hepatitis A producing extrahepatic manifestations in the pediatric age group.

Evaluating Students' Performance in Consonant Phoneme Identification within Word Structures

The prime objectives of this article are to evaluate the bachelor level first year major English students’ performance in consonant sound identification within word structures, and examine the effectiveness of an intuitive-imitative approach in teaching consonant phonemes of the spellings. To attain these objectives, the researchers employed the one-group pretest posttest research design in which 200 phoneme recognition test items as data collection tools regarding the consonant sounds of English were administered to 30 students at Makawanpur Multiple Campus, Hetauda, Nepal in 2023 before and after teaching them the sounds through the intuitive-imitative approach for 30 teaching periods. Population being low, this study involved the census for collecting data. After observing their performance in consonant phoneme identification, it was found that their performance was bad at identifying the phonemes of the spelling's “g” in “Genre”, “c” in “Cello”, “th” in “Thailand”, etc. Their performance was not so good at identifying the phonemes of the spellings “j” in “Join”, “y” in “Yak”, etc. Their performance was satisfactory in identifying the phonemes of the spelling's “g” in “Gene”, “g” in “Gem”, “n” in “Donkey”, etc. Similarly, they were good at identifying the phonemes of spelling “p” in “Punch”, “b” in “Boat’, “k’ in “Book”, etc. A related samples Wilcoxon signed rank test value (p  .05) implies that there was a significant difference in the median scores of the posttest scores and the pretest scores of the students. It suggests that the intuitive-imitative approach was an effective method of teaching sounds. This article is significant in a phonological process and pronunciation, resulting in phonemic awareness.

Glaucoma Home Self-Testing Using VR Visual Fields and Rebound Tonometry Versus In-Clinic Perimetry and Goldmann Applanation Tonometry: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility, accuracy, and repeatability of unsupervised, at-home, multi-day glaucoma testing using the Olleyes VisuALL Virtual Reality Platform (VRP) and the iCare HOME handheld self-tonometer. Participants were trained to use two U.S. Food and Drug Administration-registered or approved devices before conducting self-tests at home over 3 consecutive days. The iCare HOME intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were collected four times daily per eye, and VRP visual field tests were performed once daily. The results were compared with one in-clinic Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) visual field test performed on the day of device training, iCare HOME measurements by the trainer, and the last five Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) results. Of 15 enrolled participants, nine of them (60%) completed the study. The six excluded participants could not self-measure using iCare HOME. There was significant correlation between the average mean deviation (MD) values of the at-home VRP tests and in-clinic HFA test (r2 = 0.8793, P < 0.001). Additionally, the average of the sensitivities in five of six Garway-Heath sectors were significantly correlated. VRP test duration was also shorter than in-clinic HFA testing (P < 0.001). Finally, at-home tonometry yielded statistically similar values compared to trainer-obtained iCare HOME values. The mean and range of at-home tonometry were also statistically similar to those for in-clinic GAT, but at-home tonometry demonstrated higher maximum IOP values (P = 0.0429). Unsupervised, at-home, multi-day glaucoma testing using two devices resulted in the capture of higher maximum IOPs than in the clinic and good MD correlation of VRP with HFA. However, 40% of participants could not self-measure IOP using iCare HOME. The study findings suggest that at-home remote glaucoma monitoring correlates with in-office testing and could provide additional information for glaucoma management, although patients had more difficulty with the iCare HOME than the VRP.

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching on Knowledge and Pre-procedure Anxiety Level of Patients Undergoing Upper GI Endoscopy

An endoscopy is a procedure in which doctor uses specialized instruments to view and operate on the internal organs and vessels.People often found anxious towards hospital environment itself. There no intervention was provided to re-leave from anxiety among the patients. So the researchers aimed to assess the effectiveness of video assisted teaching regarding upper GI endoscopy to improve knowledge and thereby reduce the anxiety among the patients in Government General Hospital, Puducherry.The present study was adopted quantitative quasi experimental research design. The 50 samples were selected by purposive sampling technique with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pre test data was collected by using self-administered structures questionariesand video assisted teaching programme regarding endoscopy to the samples. The video contains introduction, functions, procedure and visualization of the endoscopy.The researchers accompany each sample during the endoscopy. Post test data was collected after endoscopy with the same questionnaire.The results revealed that, pre and post test mean score of knowledge was 5.26±2.562 and 11.12±0.480. The calculated paired ‘t’ value is 16.421 which was statistically significant at the p level 0.000. The pre and post test mean score of anxiety was 39.64±9.021 and 68.14±3.995. The calculated paired ‘t’ test value was 18.475 which was statically significant at the p level 0.000. The test results infer that, the video assisted programme was effective in improving knowledge and relive in pre procedure anxiety among the clients undergoing endoscopy.The chi-square value reveals that the level of knowledge was significant to gender and educational status at the p level 0.005 respectively and the level of anxiety was significant to educational status at the p level 0.005. The researchers recommended all the therapeutic and diagnostic procedures must be educated among the patients will help to gain complete success.

Impact of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag on Calcium Leaching of Low-Heat Portland Cement Paste

Low-heat Portland cement and ground granulated blast furnace slag are widely used for the preparation of hydraulic concrete. Nevertheless, the effect and mechanism of corrosion on low-heat Portland cement paste mixed with ground granulated blast furnace slag need to be further explored. This paper investigated the impact of ground granulated blast furnace slag on the calcium leaching of low-heat Portland cement paste by evaluating its mass loss, porosity, leaching depth, compressive strength, and Vickers hardness, and comparing it with the leaching performance of ordinary Portland cement paste. Furthermore, the phase composition and morphology of low-heat Portland cement paste containing ground granulated blast furnace slag were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that, after 180 days of soaking in ammonium chloride solution, the mass loss rate, growth rate of porosity, leaching depth, and compressive strength loss rate of low-heat Portland cement paste were 8.0%, 43.6%, 9.1 mm, and 27.7%, respectively, while those of ordinary Portland cement paste were 7.4%, 37.8%, 8.4 mm, and 30.1%, indicating that low-heat Portland cement paste is slightly more damaging than ordinary Portland cement. The addition of ground granulated blast furnace slag could significantly improve the leaching resistance of low-heat Portland cement. For instance, after adding 20% ground granulated blast furnace slag, the above test values were 2.4%, 28.5%, 5.6 mm, and 20.8%, respectively. The reason for this is that ground granulated blast furnace slag has the potential to reduce the porosity of low-heat Portland cement paste, and it can also undergo the secondary hydration reaction with its hydration product Ca(OH)2 to enhance the paste structure. Considering the cost performance, the suitable dosage of low-heat Portland cement paste for satisfactory leaching resistance is about 20%.

The Diagnostic Yield of Laboratory Tests in Chronic Constipation in Adults.

Chronic constipation is a common gastrointestinal complaint characterized by infrequent or difficult bowel movements, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Laboratory markers offer potential diagnostic value in identifying physiological changes associated with chronic constipation, yet their effectiveness remains underexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of various laboratory tests in identifying the underlying causes of chronic constipation among adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Kurdistan Private Hospital and Jeen Clinics in Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq, from December 2022 to May 2024. A total of 132 patients meeting the Rome IV criteria for chronic constipation were included. Data collection involved demographic information, lifestyle factors, and laboratory tests, including complete blood count (CBC), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), serum calcium, serum potassium, serum glucose, serum creatinine, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin D levels. The study population consisted of 56 males (42.4%) and 76 females (57.6%) with a mean age of 46.5 years (SD=17 years) and a range of 18-81 years. Regular exercise was performed by only 56 (42.4%) patients, 85 (64.4%) patients were drinking less than 2 liters of water per day, and 108 (81.8%) were overweight or obese. Of the study population, hypothyroidism was detected in 27 (20.4%), hyperparathyroidism in 27 (20.4%), anemia in 58 (44%), leukocytosis in 24 (18.2%), renal impairment in 48 (36.4%), hypokalemia in four (3%), hyperkalemia in 12 (9.1%), hypocalcemia in 10 (7.6%), hypercalcemia in 12 (9.1%), impaired fasting glucose in 46 (34.8%), hyperglycemia in 21 (15.9%), and vitamin D deficiency in 80 (60.6%). Of the study population, 40 (30%) patients had normal laboratory investigations panel. In chronic constipation, laboratory tests have high diagnostic yield in adults and are essential for ruling out secondary causes of chronic constipation. Unhealthy lifestyles are prevalent in patients with chronic constipation.

Pelatihan Pembuatan Beton bagi Siswa SMK N 3 Semarang

&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Concrete is a solid mixture that hardens, consisting of components such as cement, sand, gravel, and water that are mixed. Civil engineering construction is related to concrete, including the construction of roads, buildings, dams, houses, and irrigation channels. Considering the importance of knowledge related to concrete, students of SMK N 3 Semarang who are majoring in construction engineering and housing need to be well informed. Many vocational high school students are still unaware of the proper process of making concrete that meets the desired quality standards. Students of SMKN 3 Semarang, who are expected to be able to work immediately after completing their studies, need to be equipped with knowledge about the concrete-making process. The purpose of this activity is to improve the knowledge of SMKN 3 Semarang students regarding the quality of concrete materials, the making of K-225 quality concrete, and the value of the concrete slump test. The PkM team from Universitas Semarang conducted training on making concrete for SMK N 3 Semarang students using discussion methods and laboratory practice. As a result of this training, the majority of students understand the process of making concrete in terms of material quality, K-225 concrete mix design, and slump test testing.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Modeling of the cascading impacts of drought and forest fire based on a Bayesian network

The cascading impact of disastrous events has become an important focus of disaster research. In recent years, forest fires have occurred frequently in China, causing huge economic losses. Studying the cascading impacts of drought and forest fire is of great significance for reducing disaster risks. Taking Yunnan Province of China as an example, meteorological data and forest fire point data from 2005 to 2018 were collected and statistically analyzed. A Bayesian network model of the cascading impacts of drought and forest fire was established, enabling the prior probability and conditional probability of nodes to be determined. Based on this information, a probability prediction was established using causal reasoning. Finally, in the case test, the Brier score was used to test the accuracy of the model. The Brier test value was 0.305, which was less than the qualified threshold of 0.6. The results indicated that the Bayesian network model established in this study had a good prediction performance, which was basically consistent with the facts. The results provide an insight into the mechanism by which drought induced forest fires occur and will be of use in forest fire prevention work.

Impact of Classical Music Listening on Cognitive and Functional Performances in Middle-Aged Women

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of listening to classical music on functional (upper and lower body strength, functional mobility and aerobic endurance) and cognitive (attentional capacities and working memory (WM)) performances in women aged between 50 and 60 years old. A total of 24 middle-aged women were enrolled to participate in this study. Their functional and cognitive performances were assessed under two-auditory conditions (no-music vs. with music conditions) using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test for functional mobility, the Arm Curl test and 30 s Chair Stand Tests for the upper and lower body strength, respectively, and the 2 min Step test for aerobic endurance. To assess the attentional capacities and the WM, a simple reaction time (SRT) test and Corsi Block-Tapping Task were used, respectively. As a result, we found that listening to music significantly decreased the scores of the TUG test (p &lt; 0.001) and capacities (p &lt; 0.05), and increased the 2 min Step test values (p &lt; 0.001) compared to the no-music condition. However, no significant changes were found for the upper and lower body strength and WM. We conclude that listening to classical music, i.e., Mozart’s Symphony, is effective in improving functional mobility, aerobic endurance and attentional capacities in middle-aged women. However, these gains were absent for muscle strength and WM, suggesting that the positive effects of music on functional and cognitive performances were dependent on a specific task.

Study on flexural and self-repairing properties of shape memory alloy concrete beams

The generation and expansion of cracks in concrete materials have always been a problem that needs to be solved, and an increasing number of scholars are beginning to hope that structures will have bionic functions of self-diagnosis and self-repairing of damage. In this study, shape memory alloy (SMA) concrete beams are prepared. The flexural and self-repairing properties of SMA concrete beams were investigated by a four-point bending test. The effects of various factors on the bearing capacity, ductility, and crack width before and after repair were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the increase of SMA fiber content and the complexity of the SMA bar end shape can significantly enhance the flexural bearing capacity and repair performance of the beam. The increase in the bond length of SMA bars can enhance the bending resistance of the beam, but it will reduce its self-repairing performance. The repair rate of SMA on concrete cracks is 45.7 %-76.5 %, and the load recovery rate is between 49.4 % and 80.6 %. The flexural load capacity calculation formula is proposed, and the calculation results closely match the test values, providing a reference for the application of SMA.

Associated bacterial and fungal infections in burn wounds: Common factors, distribution in etiology, age groups, bacterial and fungal strands – Evaluation of a single burn center experience of 20 years

IntroductionBurn intensive care unit (BICU) patients suffer from reduced immunological competence. Often bacterial and fungal infections occur as single or associated infection of the burn site. However, common factors in associated infections are discussed controversially. In this study we evaluated factors common in associated occurrence of bacterial and fungal infection in the burn population. Patients and methodsIn total 213 patients, admitted to the ICU of Cologne Merheim Clinical Center between 1988 and 2011, with associated infections were included in this study. Exclusion criteria were no bacterial, or no fungal infection, or incomplete data. Data evaluated were sex, age, type of burn injury, total body surface area (TBSA), abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) score, 3rd degree burn, inhalation injury, length of BICU stay, antibiotic therapy, bacterial strand, fungal strand, incidence of bacteria and fungus infection, single or associated occurrence and bacteria species associated with fungus species. Statistical analysis comprised of univariate, Chi-square and Fischer Exact test, multivariate analysis, positive and negative predictive value, logistic regression analysis with the Nagelkerke, Cox/ Snell R-square. Results196 patients were included into the study, 147 male and 49 female. Total mean age was 47 years, in the fire burn group 47 years, in scalding 53 years, in electrical burn 29 years and in chemical burn 62 years. 123 male and 45 female were combusted, 15 male and 3 female scalded, 9 male had an electrical burn and 1 female a chemical burn. The mean TBSA in fire burns was 41 %, in scalding 42 %, in electrical burns 46 %, and in chemical burn 16 %. The mean ABSI in fire burn and scalding was 9, in electrical burn 8 and in chemical burn 7. The 3rd degree burns were 16 % in fire burn and 13 % in scalding and electrical burn and 0 % in chemical burn. The length of BICU stay was 49 days for fire burn, 47 days for scalding, 58 days in electrical burn and 21 days in chemical burn patients.The gram-positive bacterial strands most often found were Staphylococcus strands, gram negative Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter strands. Candida albicans was the most often present fungal strand. There was no difference in incidence between gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. In patients suffering from fire burns the most common bacteria were Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, in scalding Acinetobacter, and in chemical burns Staphylococcus. In electrical burns no predominant bacterial strand was found. The associated occurrence of Staphylococcus and Candida albicans and Pseudomonas and Candida albicans was predominant. In patients with fire burn, 48% showed an associated infection, in scalding 21%, in electrical burn 33% and in chemical burn 100%.Combusted patients had the highest incidence of associated infection in age group 80–89 years, in scalding 40–49, 50–59 and 70–79 years, in electrical burn 20–29 years and in chemical burn 60–69 years. Most common factors of associated infections were higher age, high TBSA with 3rd degree burns and bacterial infections. Interestingly inhalation injury was highly inversely correlated to associated infection. ConclusionThe associated occurrence of bacterial and fungal wound infection is highest in burn patients with infections with Staphylococcus or Pseudomonas, the incidence is mainly found in fire burn and electrical burns. The use of oxygen in inhalation injury might prevent associated bacterial and fungal infections.

Stellar Spin-down in Post-mass-transfer Binary Systems

Motivated by measurements of the rotation speed of accretor stars in post-mass-transfer (post-MT) systems, we investigate how magnetic braking affects the spin-down of individual stars during binary evolution with the MESAbinary module. Unlike the conventional assumption of tidal synchronization coupled with magnetic braking in binaries, we first calculate whether tides are strong enough to synchronize the orbit. Subsequently, this influences the spin-down of stars and the orbital separation. In this study, we apply four magnetic braking prescriptions to reduce the spin angular momentum of the two stars throughout the entire binary evolution simulation. Our findings reveal that despite magnetic braking causing continuous spin-down of the accretor, when the donor begins to transfer material onto the accretor, the accretor can rapidly spin up to its critical rotation rate. After MT, magnetic braking becomes more important in affecting the angular momentum evolution of the stars. Post-MT accretor stars thus serve as a valuable test bed for observing how the magnetic braking prescriptions operate in spinning down stars from their critical rotation, including the saturation regimes of the magnetic braking. The rotation rate of the accretor star, combined with its mass, could provide age information since the cessation of MT. By comparing the models against observations, the magnetic braking prescription by Garraffo et al. is found to better align with the rotation data of post-MT accretors.

Longitudinal invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 among patients receiving pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder: A secondary analysis of clinical trial data.

Comparing self-reported symptom scores across time requires longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI), a psychometric property that means the measure is functioning identically across all time points. Despite its prominence as a measure of depression symptom severity in both research and health care, LMI has yet to be firmly established for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression module (PHQ-9), particularly over the course of antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to assess for LMI of the PHQ-9 during pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder. This was a secondary analysis of data collected during a randomized controlled trial. A total of 1,944 veterans began antidepressant monotherapy and completed the PHQ-9 six times over 24 weeks of treatment. LMI was assessed using a series of four confirmatory factor analysis models that included all six time points, with estimated parameters increasingly constrained across models to test for different aspects of invariance. Root-mean-square error of approximation of the chi-square difference test values below 0.06 indicated the presence of LMI. Exploratory LMI analyses were also performed for separate sex, age, and race subgroups. Root-mean-square error of approximation of the chi-square difference test showed minimal change in model fits during invariance testing (≤ 0.06 for all steps), supporting full LMI for the PHQ-9. LMI was also supported for all tested veteran subgroups. As such, PHQ-9 sum scores can be compared across extended pharmacotherapy treatment durations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Gastrogastric Intussusception 10 Years After Laparoscopic Gastric Greater Curvature Plication: a Case Report.

The use of a nonadjustable silicone band around the gastric pouch of Rouxen-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) to reduce the recurrence of obesity is still being debated in the literature. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate banded and non-banded RYGB regarding % total weight loss (%TWL) and complications up to 10years postoperatively and regarding the removal rate of the silicone band. A retrospective study of the medical records of all patients submitted to banded and non-banded RYGB between 2000 and 2020 was conducted. Clinical data (age, gender, weight, body mass index-BMI, comorbidities, %TWL, and the prevalence of vomiting) and laboratory data (hemoglobin, serum iron, albumin, and vitamin B12) were obtained preoperatively and at six months, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10years for both groups and at 12, 15, and 20years after banded RYGB. In total, 858 patients underwent RYGB: 409 underwent banded RYGB and 449 underwent non-banded RYGB. In the preoperative period, banded RYGB patients were heavier and had higher rates of hypertension and dyslipidemia. The %TWL was higher in the banded RYGB group up to 7years. The prevalence of vomiting is much higher in this group, which also had lower laboratory test values. Of the banded RYGB patients, 9.53% had to have the silicone ring removed after presenting complications. Banded RYGB promotes significantly higher rates of TWL at the expense of a higher frequency of vomiting.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Gratitude at Work Scale in Employed Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The Gratitude at Work Scale, originally developed by American scholars, has been widely administered to mental health professionals and human service workers to explore gratitude in the workplace. No Chinese-language instrument is currently available for assessing workplace gratitude. The aims of this study were to (a) translate the original English version of the Gratitude at Work Scale into a traditional Chinese version (TC-GAWS), confirm its factor structure, and analyze its psychometric properties among newly employed nurses and (b) develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the TC-GAWS short form. A psychometric study using a cross-sectional web-based design was conducted in Taiwan. Three hundred twenty-two employed nurses completed a battery of self-administered online questionnaires that included a demographic datasheet, the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, and the Thoughts of Quitting Scale. IBM SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 28.0 were used for data analysis, and Cronbach's alpha and Pearson's correlation were used to assess reliability and concurrent validity. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The internal consistency and stability of the TC-GAWS total scale were .88 and .91, respectively. The exploratory factor analysis showed a satisfactory Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of .88 and a Bartlett's test value of 654.01 ( p < .001), suggesting that 64.55% of the total variance was explained by the two-factor TC-GAWS. After item reduction, the CFA of the six remaining items of the TC-GAWS short form revealed adequate fit statistics for a two-factor structure and a second-order factor. Strong correlations were found between the 10-item and six-item TC-GAWS ( r > .94) in the two samples, suggesting good concurrent validity. The overall scores for the 10-item and six-item TC-GAWS had similar convergent validity, with moderate-to-strong correlations for the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form ( r = .45 and .540), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 ( r = .49 and .51), and Thoughts of Quitting Scale ( r = -.57 and -.53). The CFA yielded a two-factor, six-item model that exhibited good fit with the latent constructs of χ 2 / df = 11.06/8 = 1.38, p = .198, comparative fit index = .996, goodness-of-fit index = .979, root mean square error of approximation = .045, root mean square residual = .030, and standardized root mean squared residual = .023. Both the 10- and six-item TC-GAWS instruments demonstrated good reliability and validity in nurse participants. The TC-GAWS may be used to measure gratitude in nurses in the workplace. This instrument has the potential to facilitate a better understanding of gratitude in nurses, which may be applied to the improvement of nursing management, research, and education.

Cut-off points to classify numeric values of quality of life into normal, mild, moderate, and severe categories: an update for EORTC-QLQ-H&N35

BackgroundQuality of life (QoL) is an important determinant of physical and mental health. QoL in head and neck cancer tends to deteriorate due to changes in the physical, functional, psychological aspects. EORTC-QLQ-H&N35 is an instrument that measure the QoL specifically in head and neck cancer patients. EORTC-QLQ-H&N35 give a numeric value to QoL of patients with high value correspond to better QoL.ObjectiveThe aim of present study was to find out the cut-off points of numeric values of EORTC-QLQ-H&N35 to categorize QoL impairment into different categories (normal, mild, moderate, and severe). Present study also aims analyze the QoL among head and neck cancer patients under these new categories.MethodologyTotal 205 patients of head and neck cancer visiting to the outpatient unit were enrolled in this study. Hindi version of EORTC-QLQ-H&N35 was used to evaluate the QoL. Total 9 classification schemes were created with different cut-off points to classify the global QoL score into normal, mild, moderate and severe categories. QoL data was then analyze using the scheme having highest F value in ANOVA test.ResultsClassification scheme having cut-off values 76–100 for normal QoL, 51–75 for mild QoL impairment, 26–50 for moderate and 0–25 for severe QoL impairment found to have highest F value (729.915) in ANOVA test. The mean QoL score among total 205 patients were 60.08 ± 19.06. Based on the new classification scheme, QoL was normal in 46 (22.4%) patients whereas QoL was impaired to mild level in 76 (37.1%) patients, to moderate level in 76 (37.1%) and to severe level in 7 (3.4%) patients. Role functioning, emotional functioning and social functioning was impaired to severe level in 4 (2.0%), 13 (6.3%) and 3 (1.5%) patients respectively.ConclusionEORTC-QLQ-H&N35 offer a comprehensive review of QoL in head and neck cancer patients. By designating the QoL score into different categories, it will become easier for clinician to have a better idea of QoL of head and neck cancer patients.