How the coronavirus pandemic affected the lives of people with ALS and their spouses in the UK from spouses’ perspectives: A qualitative study

Objective:This study set out to investigate using qualitative methodology the experiences of spouses of people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) during the coronavirus pandemic, with particular focus on spouse distress and cognitive and behavioural change in people with ALS (pwALS). Methods:Qualitative semi-structured interviews of nine spouses of pwALS living in England were conducted between 11/09/2020 and 20/04/2021, focusing on spouses’ perspectives of how their lives and the lives of pwALS were affected by the pandemic and related lockdowns. Interviews were subject to thematic analysis.Results: Four superordinate themes were identified from the spouses’ interviews: i) pandemic behaviours, which encompassed accounts of cautious behaviour, relaxation of cautious behaviour, and other people’s attitudes to shielding the person with ALS; ii) changes to daily life caused by the pandemic and progression of ALS; iii) distress in spouses, which included anxiety, depression, and burden; and iv) ALS-related behavioural impairment. Spouses also provided mixed accounts of telehealth care, pointing out its convenience but some felt that face-to-face appointments were preferable.Conclusions:While many reactions to the pandemic reported by spouses of pwALS may have been similar to those of the general population or other vulnerable groups, interviews indicated the potential for the pandemic to have made more apparent certain aspects of behavioural change in pwALS with which carers may require support. Clinicians need to acknowledge spouses’ concerns about the potential limitations of remote clinical consultations, enquire about cognitive and behavioural change, and consider how input should be best provided in such limiting circumstances. <br/

Consensus-based recommendations on priority activities to address acute kidney injury in children: A modified Delphi consensus statement

Importance: Increasing evidence indicates that acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently in children and young adults and is associated with poor short-term and long-term outcomes. Guidance is required to focus efforts related to expansion of pediatric AKI knowledge. Objective: To develop expert-driven pediatric specific recommendations on needed AKI research, education, practice, and advocacy. Evidence Review: At the 26th Acute Disease Quality Initiative meeting conducted in November 2021 by 47 multiprofessional international experts in general pediatrics, nephrology, and critical care, the panel focused on 6 areas: (1) epidemiology; (2) diagnostics; (3) fluid overload; (4) kidney support therapies; (5) biology, pharmacology, and nutrition; and (6) education and advocacy. An objective scientific review and distillation of literature through September 2021 was performed of (1) epidemiology, (2) risk assessment and diagnosis, (3) fluid assessment, (4) kidney support and extracorporeal therapies, (5) pathobiology, nutrition, and pharmacology, and (6) education and advocacy. Using an established modified Delphi process based on existing data, workgroups derived consensus statements with recommendations. Findings: The meeting developed 12 consensus statements and 29 research recommendations. Principal suggestions were to address gaps of knowledge by including data from varying socioeconomic groups, broadening definition of AKI phenotypes, adjudicating fluid balance by disease severity, integrating biopathology of child growth and development, and partnering with families and communities in AKI advocacy. Conclusions and Relevance: Existing evidence across observational study supports further efforts to increase knowledge related to AKI in childhood. Significant gaps of knowledge may be addressed by focused efforts

Self-Tuning Multimodal Piezoelectric Shunt Damping

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Piezoelectric shunt damping is a well known structural vibration control technique that consists in connecting an electrical circuit to a piezoelectric transducer attached to the structure. In the case of a resonant shunt, the network consisting of an inductor-resistor network when combined with the capacitive nature of the piezoelectric transducer impedance can be designed to act as a tuned vibration absorber. This paper discusses a method for the design and online adaptation of multimodal piezoelectric resonant shunts. The method presented in this work is different from previously multi-modal shunting methods ("current blocking" and "current flowing") and implements the shunting network with a reduced number of discrete electrical components besides allowing for online tuning of the shunting parameters. The mathematical model of a structure with bonded piezoelectric transducers connected to a general electrical network is reviewed and the coupled equations of motion of a simply supported beam with piezoelectric elements and passive shunt networks are derived. The design of the multimodal shunt network is presented based on passive filter synthesis methods. The multimodal self tuning piezoelectric damper is demonstrated experimentally as a two-mode system applied to add damping to a cantilevered beam.334428436Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [2009/10715-1

Transforming tradition: performances of Jingju ('Beijing Opera') in the UK

Jingju (‘Beijing opera’) is China's most iconic traditional theatre, marketed as a global signifier of Chinese theatre and national identity. Although troupes from mainland China regularly tour Europe, audiences in the UK have also had access to Jingju via two indigenous organizations: the UK Beijing Opera Society (now defunct) and the London Jing Kun Opera Association (now in its ninth year). These organizations consist of Chinese, overseas Chinese and Western performers performing both Jingju and Kunju (‘Kun opera’). Where there is a mix of ethnicity, can ‘traditional Chinese theatre’ still be conceived of as ‘traditional’? How is Jingju mapped onto non-Chinese bodies? Can Jingju performances by ethnically white performers reflect diasporic identities? Drawing on the theories of Judith Butler and Homi Bhabha, this article argues that by highlighting the performativity of identity, the performance of Jingju by non-Chinese performers challenges the notion of Jingju as a global signifier of ‘authentic traditional Chinese theatre’

What is the extent of reliability and validity evidence for screening tools for cognitive and behavioural change in people with ALS? A systematic review

Objective: This systematic review provides an updated summary of the existing literature on the validity of screening tools for cognitive and behavioural impairment in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (pwALS), and also focuses on their reliability. Method: The following cognitive and behavioural screening tools were assessed in this review: the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS); the ALS Cognitive Behavioural Screen (ALS-CBS), the Mini Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (Mini-ACE), the Beaumont Behavioural Interview (BBI); the MND Behaviour Scale (MiND-B); and the ALS-FTD Questionnaire (ALS-FTD-Q). A search, using Medline, PsychINFO and Embase (21/09/2023), generated 37 results after exclusion criteria were applied. Evidence of internal consistency, item-total correlations, inter-rater reliability, clinical validity, convergent validity, and structural validity were extracted and assessed and risk of bias was evaluated. Results: The cognitive component of the ECAS was the tool with most evidence of reliability and validity for the assessment of cognitive impairment in ALS. It is well-suited to accommodate physical symptoms of ALS. For behavioural assessment, the BBI or ALS-FTD-Q had the most evidence of reliability and validity. The BBI is more thorough, but the ALS-FTD-Q is briefer. Conclusions: There is good but limited evidence for the reliability and validity of cognitive and behavioural screens. Further evidence of clinical and convergent validity would increase confidence in their clinical and research use. <br/

Transverse Spin Structure of the Nucleon through Target Single Spin Asymmetry in Semi-Inclusive Deep-Inelastic (e,e′π±)(e,e^\prime \pi^\pm) Reaction at Jefferson Lab

Jefferson Lab (JLab) 12 GeV energy upgrade provides a golden opportunity to perform precision studies of the transverse spin and transverse-momentum-dependent structure in the valence quark region for both the proton and the neutron. In this paper, we focus our discussion on a recently approved experiment on the neutron as an example of the precision studies planned at JLab. The new experiment will perform precision measurements of target Single Spin Asymmetries (SSA) from semi-inclusive electro-production of charged pions from a 40-cm long transversely polarized $^3$He target in Deep-Inelastic-Scattering kinematics using 11 and 8.8 GeV electron beams. This new coincidence experiment in Hall A will employ a newly proposed solenoid spectrometer (SoLID). The large acceptance spectrometer and the high polarized luminosity will provide precise 4-D ($x$, $z$, $P_T$ and $Q^2$) data on the Collins, Sivers, and pretzelocity asymmetries for the neutron through the azimuthal angular dependence. The full 2$\pi$ azimuthal angular coverage in the lab is essential in controlling the systematic uncertainties. The results from this experiment, when combined with the proton Collins asymmetry measurement and the Collins fragmentation function determined from the e$^+$e$^-$ collision data, will allow for a quark flavor separation in order to achieve a determination of the tensor charge of the d quark to a 10% accuracy. The extracted Sivers and pretzelocity asymmetries will provide important information to understand the correlations between the quark orbital angular momentum and the nucleon spin and between the quark spin and nucleon spin.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, minor corrections, matches published versio

Association of clinical factors and recent anticancer therapy with COVID-19 severity among patients with cancer: A report from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer may be at high risk of adverse outcomes from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We analyzed a cohort of patients with cancer and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) reported to the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) to identify prognostic clinical factors, including laboratory measurements and anticancer therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with active or historical cancer and a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis recorded between 17 March and 18 November 2020 were included. The primary outcome was COVID-19 severity measured on an ordinal scale (uncomplicated, hospitalized, admitted to intensive care unit, mechanically ventilated, died within 30 days). Multivariable regression models included demographics, cancer status, anticancer therapy and timing, COVID-19-directed therapies, and laboratory measurements (among hospitalized patients). RESULTS: A total of 4966 patients were included (median age 66 years, 51% female, 50% non-Hispanic white); 2872 (58%) were hospitalized and 695 (14%) died; 61% had cancer that was present, diagnosed, or treated within the year prior to COVID-19 diagnosis. Older age, male sex, obesity, cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities, renal disease, diabetes mellitus, non-Hispanic black race, Hispanic ethnicity, worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, recent cytotoxic chemotherapy, and hematologic malignancy were associated with higher COVID-19 severity. Among hospitalized patients, low or high absolute lymphocyte count; high absolute neutrophil count; low platelet count; abnormal creatinine; troponin; lactate dehydrogenase; and C-reactive protein were associated with higher COVID-19 severity. Patients diagnosed early in the COVID-19 pandemic (January-April 2020) had worse outcomes than those diagnosed later. Specific anticancer therapies (e.g. R-CHOP, platinum combined with etoposide, and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors) were associated with high 30-day all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical factors (e.g. older age, hematological malignancy, recent chemotherapy) and laboratory measurements were associated with poor outcomes among patients with cancer and COVID-19. Although further studies are needed, caution may be required in utilizing particular anticancer therapies. CLINICAL TRIAL IDENTIFIER: NCT04354701