Assessment of patient life engagement in schizophrenia using items from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

Background: Improved patient life engagement is a meaningful treatment goal in schizophrenia that cannot be satisfactorily measured using existing tools. This research aimed to determine whether certain items from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) can assess patient life engagement in schizophrenia.

Methods: Three approaches were used to identify PANSS items that reflect patient life engagement: (1) a panel discussion with expert psychiatrists (n = 4); (2) interviews with patients with schizophrenia (n = 20); and (3) a principal component analysis to explore clustering of items (n = 954 from three randomized controlled trials).

Additive Manufacturing of Head Surrogates for Evaluation of Protection in Sports.

Head impacts are a major concern in contact sports and sports with high-speed mobility due to the prevalence of head trauma events and their dire consequences. Surrogates of human heads are required in laboratory testing to safely explore the efficacy of impact-mitigating mechanisms. This work proposes using polymer additive manufacturing technologies to obtain a substitute for the human skull to be filled with a silicone-based brain surrogate.

Development of bone surrogates by material extrusion-based additive manufacturing to mimic flexural mechanical behaviour and fracture prediction via phase-field approach.

Background And Objective: The limited availability of human bone samples for investigation leads to the demand for alternatives. Bone surrogates are crucial in promoting research on the intricate mechanics of osseous tissue. However, solutions are restricted to commercial brands, which frequently fail to faithfully replicate the mechanical response of bone, or oversimplified customised simulants designed for a specific application.

Effects of Adjunctive Brexpiprazole on Individual Depressive Symptoms and Functioning in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Anxious Distress: Post Hoc Analysis of Three Placebo-Controlled Studies.

Purpose/background: Anxiety symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD) are frequent, and they decrease response to antidepressant treatment (ADT), and affect patient functioning. This post hoc analysis examined the efficacy of adjunctive brexpiprazole on individual depressive symptoms and functioning in patients with MDD with anxious distress.

Methods/procedures: Data were included from three 6-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with MDD and inadequate response to ADTs (ClinicalTrials.

Late-onset methylmalonic acidemia and homocysteinemia (cblC disease): systematic review.

Introduction: Combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria, cblC type is an inborn error of intracellular cobalamin metabolism and the most common one. The age of onset ranges from prenatal to adult. The disease is characterised by an elevation of methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine and a decreased production of methionine.

Clavipectoral Fascia Plane Block Combined With Superficial Cervical Plexus Block for the Removal of Osteosynthesis Material From Clavicle Fracture.

Clavipectoral fascial plane block combined with superficial cervical plexus block has been used as an anesthetic and analgesic technique in mid-clavicle fracture surgeries. The authors describe two cases in which patients underwent extraction of osteosynthesis material from the clavicle, using clavipectoral fascial plane block combined with superficial cervical plexus block as an anesthetic and analgesic technique in the postoperative period. The mentioned block presented itself as an easy-to-perform technique, apparently safe and effective, allowing to obtain satisfactory results.

Experimental and numerical analysis of the influence of intramedullary nail position on the cut-out phenomenon.

Background And Objective: Proximal femur fractures, colloquially known as hip fractures, are a common pathology with increasing incidence in the last years due to the enhanced ageing population. Regarding the extracapsular fracture, the treatment for this pathology consists of a fixation of the fragments using an osteosynthesis device, mainly the intramedullary nail. This repairing method implies several complications, which may include the failure of the fixation device, frequently occurring due to the "cut-out" mechanism.

Effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole on patient life engagement in major depressive disorder: Post hoc analysis of Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report data.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes can capture domains that are meaningful to patients, such as life engagement in major depressive disorder (MDD), which reflects life fulfillment, well-being, and participation in valued and meaningful activities. This analysis investigated the effects of brexpiprazole adjunct to antidepressant treatment (ADT) on patient life engagement over the short and long term, using the 10-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR) Life Engagement subscale.

Methods: Short-term data were pooled from three 6-week, randomized, double-blind studies of ADT + brexpiprazole 2-3 mg/day versus ADT + placebo in adult outpatients with MDD (DSM-IV-TR criteria) and inadequate response to ADTs.

Post-switch Effectiveness of Etanercept Biosimilar Versus Continued Etanercept in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Stable Disease: A Prospective Multinational Observational Study.

Introduction: To better inform clinicians about the use of etanercept biosimilar (SB4) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), COMPANION-B, a prospective real-world observational study, evaluated the effectiveness of the voluntary switch from originator (etanercept, ETN) to SB4 in patients with stable RA (low-disease activity/remission).

Methods: The study recruited adult patients (18 years or older) with RA (2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria) prescribed ETN as their first or second biologic for at least 6 months across 14 sites in Canada and five in Australia. Patients had stable disease (Disease Activity Score-28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR] less than 3.

Nutritional management and clinical outcome of critically ill patients with COVID-19: A retrospective study in a tertiary hospital.

Background & Aims: Severe COVID-19 infection is characterized by an inflammatory response and lung injury that can evolve into an acute respiratory distress syndrome that needs support treatment in intensive care unit. Nutritional treatment is an important component of the management of critically ill patients and should be started in the first 48 h of ICU admission to avoid malnutrition. This study describes the characteristics of the patients treated in a tertiary hospital in Madrid during the months of March-May 2020 (first wave), the medical nutrition treatment employed and its influence in the clinical outcome of these patients.

Machinability of INCONEL718 Alloy with a Porous Microstructure Produced by Laser Melting Powder Bed Fusion at Higher Energy Densities.

Products produced by additive manufacturing (AM) seek to exploit net shape manufacturing by eliminating or minimizing post-process stages such as machining. However, many applications which include turbo machinery components with tight dimensional tolerances and a smooth surface finish will require at least a light machine finishing stage. This paper investigates the machinability of the additively fabricated INCONEL718 (IN718) alloy produced by laser melting powder bed fusion (LM-PBF) with different levels of spherical porosity in the microstructure.

Dynamic Behavior of Aluminum Alloy Aw 5005 Undergoing Interfacial Friction and Specimen Configuration in Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar System at High Strain Rates and Temperatures.

In this paper, experimental and numerical results of an aluminum alloy's mechanical behavior are discussed. Over a wide range of strain rates (10 s ≤ έ ≤ 10 s) the influence of the loading impact, velocity and temperature on the dynamic response of the material was analyzed. The interface friction effect on the material's dynamic response is examined using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) in a high temperature experiment using finite element analysis (FEA).

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Thermo-Viscoplastic Behavior of NICRO 12.1 for Perforation Tests.

Dynamic impact tests using thin metal plates for ballistic characterization have received significant attention in recent years. The Johnson-Cook (J-C) model is extensively used in numerical modeling of impact and penetration in metals. The AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) 301 steel family presents good impact behavior, excellent formability, and high corrosion resistance.

Postmortem Analysis Using Different Sensors and Technologies on Aramid Composites Samples after Ballistic Impact.

This work focuses on the combination of two complementary non-destructive techniques to analyse the final deformation and internal damage induced in aramid composite plates subjected to ballistic impact. The first analysis device, a 3D scanner, allows digitalising the surface of the tested specimen. Comparing with the initial geometry, the permanent residual deformation (PBFD) can be obtained according to the impact characteristics.

The Symptoms Targeted for Monitoring in a Web-Based Tracking Tool by Caregivers of People With Dementia and Agitation: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In people with dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs), especially agitation, are associated with worse quality of life and caregiver burden. As NPSs may vary with illness severity, knowledge of how people with dementia and their caregivers describe and rate the importance of agitation symptoms can improve the understanding of the clinical meaningfulness of the manifestations of agitation. The internet provides new opportunities to better understand patient experiences, as patients and caregivers increasingly look to Web-based platforms as a means of managing symptoms.

Numerical modelling of hip fracture patterns in human femur.

Background And Objective: Hip fracture morphology is an important factor determining the ulterior surgical repair and treatment, because of the dependence of the treatment on fracture morphology. Although numerical modelling can be a valuable tool for fracture prediction, the simulation of femur fracture is not simple due to the complexity of bone architecture and the numerical techniques required for simulation of crack propagation. Numerical models assuming homogeneous fracture mechanical properties commonly fail in the prediction of fracture patterns.

Real-life assessment of aripiprazole monthly (Abilify Maintena) in schizophrenia: a Canadian naturalistic non-interventional prospective cohort study.

Background: With previously established efficacy of aripiprazole once-monthly injectable formulation (AOM) in pre-registration randomized controlled trials, the current study was designed to evaluate its effectiveness in patients treated for schizophrenia in regular clinical settings in Canada.

Methods: Following their clinicians' decision to prescribe AOM, 193 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, were recruited from 17 Canadian community or hospital-based settings. The primary outcome of global functioning was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) at 3-month intervals for 1 year.

Hybrid Composite-Metal Stack Drilling with Different Minimum Quantity Lubrication Levels.

Hybrid stack drilling is a very common operation used in the assembly of high-added-value components, which combines the use of composite materials and metallic alloys. This process entails the complexity of machining very dissimilar materials, simultaneously, on account of the interactions that are produced between them, during machining. This study analyzed the influence of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) on the performance of diamond-coated carbide tools when drilling Ti/carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP)/Ti stacks.

Experimental validation of finite elements model in hip fracture and its clinical applicability.

Unlabelled: Fracture of the proximal extremity of the femur is the subject of research interest. The complexity of the bone framework and the structural inefficiency associated with ageing leave many variables yet to be understood from an experimental perspective. However, there is no clearly defined structural and biomechanical research model for hip fracture.

Numerical Modelling of Femur Fracture and Experimental Validation Using Bone Simulant.

Bone fracture pattern prediction is still a challenge and an active field of research. The main goal of this article is to present a combined methodology (experimental and numerical) for femur fracture onset analysis. Experimental work includes the characterization of the mechanical properties and fracture testing on a bone simulant.

Aripiprazole Once-Monthly in the Treatment of Acute Psychotic Episodes in Schizophrenia: Post Hoc Analysis of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Marder Factor Scores.

Background: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics are treatment options for acute and long-term treatment of patients with schizophrenia. In a previously published 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of patients with schizophrenia experiencing an acute psychotic episode, aripiprazole once-monthly 400 mg (AOM 400) produced significantly greater improvement than placebo on the primary endpoint, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at week 10.

Methods: To examine the efficacy of AOM 400 across a broader representation of schizophrenia symptoms, including agitation, a post hoc analysis of this trial was carried out to assess the change in PANSS Marder factor domains (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, disorganized thought, uncontrolled hostility/excitement, and anxiety/depression) and the PANSS excited component (equivalent to Marder factor domain uncontrolled hostility/excitement plus the tension item) by comparing differences in change from baseline between AOM 400 and placebo using a mixed model for repeated measures.

Theoretical Estimation of Thermal Effects in Drilling of Woven Carbon Fiber Composite.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRPs) composites are extensively used in structural applications due to their attractive properties. Although the components are usually made near net shape, machining processes are needed to achieve dimensional tolerance and assembly requirements. Drilling is a common operation required for further mechanical joining of the components.

Experimental Analysis of the Influence of Drill Point Angle and Wear on the Drilling of Woven CFRPs.

This paper focuses on the effect of the drill geometry on the drilling of woven Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer composite (CFRPs). Although different geometrical effects can be considered in drilling CFRPs, the present work focuses on the influence of point angle and wear because they are the important factors influencing hole quality and machining forces. Surface quality was evaluated in terms of delamination and superficial defects.

Feasibility of a multiple-choice mini mental state examination for chronically critically ill patients.

Objectives: Following treatment in an ICU, up to 70% of chronically critically ill patients present neurocognitive impairment that can have negative effects on their quality of life, daily activities, and return to work. The Mini Mental State Examination is a simple, widely used tool for neurocognitive assessment. Although of interest when evaluating ICU patients, the current version is restricted to patients who are able to speak.