Academic publishing is at a critical juncture. The challenges faced by the academics are mired in controversy. Among theseare three hotly debated concerns. First is the issue of whether technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI)improves research efficiency or if its use sacrifices research integrity.Another is the controversy between paywall publishingand open access. Lastly, adapting an appropriate business model for sustainability is a contentious issue and the choice betweena commercial or a university-based publishing platform is a difficult one.

Traditional models of scientific investigation relied on tedious intellectual calisthenics in all aspects of research —identifying research gaps, reviewing of published literature, devising valid methodology, collecting data, analysing results, and,finally, drawing conclusions. With the advent of powerful tools employing artificial intelligence, these heavy tasks are efficientlycarried out. The dilemma lies in determining which parts of the work can be attributed to the authors and which are ascribedto the output of large language models (LLMs) and other automated assistance employed.Despite requiring adequate vettingby experts of these AI-aided output, many in the scientific community still question these methods. Can research employingAI be considered honest work? Will full disclosure answer doubts as to the integrity of the scientific work?

Indeed, LLMs just gather information that is already out there, albeit more efficiently. After all, science progresses bystanding on the shoulder of giants. AI makes such work comprehensive and efficient. Standing on those proverbial shoulders,however, require access to prior work, hence our next challenge in academic publishing--open access versus paid access.Paywalls limit the benefits of valuable research to institutions and universities with the capacity to pay. Excluded from these arethose from low resourced countries, with nations from the global south being affected disproportionately. Additionally, whilenumerous authors appreciate the features of open access as it improves their impact and visibility, many feel unduly burdenedsince the cost of publishing in this format is passed on to them.

This brings us to our third issue: who bears the cost of academic publishing? Indeed, it is a lucrative industry, generatingan annual revenue of US$19 billion and an estimated 40 percent profit margin. Many, however, find fault in this businessmodel as concerns about the profit motives of the commercial publishers far overshadow their sustainability goals.

How do we navigate this landscape of controversies? We, at the ACTA, as part of the community of scholars, would needto clarify our mission. Our goals for this publication should be consistent with our values. These values, such as scientific rigor,integrity, and accountability, should be reflected in our policies. We should be cognizant of the role we play in national scientificdiscourse while we endeavor to make an impact in the global scene. We are accountable to our stakeholders — nurturingearly career scholars, supplying evidence to health policymakers, and being accountable to those who provide resources tosustain us. This stewardship is essential so that ACTA will stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants on which science buildsupon to benefit future generations.

Artificial Intelligence ; Commerce ; Costs And Cost Analysis ; Disclosure ; Drawing ; Efficiency ; Family Characteristics ; Forecasting ; Goals ; Gymnastics ; Health ; Health Resources ; Industry ; Intelligence ; Inventions ; Language ; Literature ; Methods ; Play And Playthings ; Policy ; Publications ; Publishing ; Research ; Residence Characteristics ; Role ; Science ; Shoulder ; Social Responsibility ; Universities ; Ursidae ; Volition ; Work ; World Health Organization

Objective: One key factor found to be related to creativity is creative self-efficacy. Creative self efficacy (CSE) refers to one’s own conviction in their own ability to produce creative work effectively. The study aims to explore on the predictive values of time management and reading habit on CSE, as well as on the significant difference between gender and CSE. Method: This study (n = 313) is a cross-sectional survey design. The inclusion criteria for the participants are full-time university students studying in Malaysia and aged between 18-25 years old. Data collected was analysed by linear regression, multiple linear regression and independent sample t-Test. Results: Reading habit is a significant positive predictor of CSE. Both daily planning and confidence in long-range planning in time management are significant positive predictors of CSE. However, there is no significant difference between gender in terms of male and female and CSE. Conclusion This study provided evidence on the role of reading habits and time management on creative self-efficacy amongst undergraduate student in Malaysia.
Gender Identity ; Time Management

BACKGROUND

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a vital role in addressing community healthcare needs, yet little is known about their psychosocial status and job satisfaction. This study aimed to describe the psychosocial status and job satisfaction of CHWs, and examine the factors associated with their job satisfaction.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 CHWs aged 25-60 years working in urban and rural areas of Batangas, Philippines. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between psychosocial factors and job satisfaction. Other factors associated with job satisfaction were also examined.

RESULTS

Despite 90.0% of CHWs reporting high perceived stress and 52.1% experiencing high depressive symptoms, they demonstrated relatively high job satisfaction (mean [standard deviation]= 80.05 [17.56]; range= 0-100) and high perceived social support (mean [standard deviation]= 25.09 [2.93]; range= 10-30). Among psychosocial factors, only perceived social support was associated with job satisfaction (unstandardized beta [B] 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44, 1.41). Other factors associated with job satisfaction include fixed working hours (B 4.71; 95% CI 0.49, 8.94), work amenities (B 7.37; 95% Cl 0.03, 14.72), ≥21 years of work experience (B 5.64; 95% CI 0.35, 10.93), and working in rural areas (B 5.88; 95% CI 2.77, 8.99).

CONCLUSION

Psychological factors such as perceived stress and depressive symptoms were not found to be associated with job satisfaction among CHWs. However, factors such as greater perceived social support, fixed working hours, work amenities, longer work experience, and working in rural areas were identified as contributors to higher levels of job satisfaction among CHWs.

Human ; Community Health Workers ; Job Satisfaction ; Philippines ; Psychological Factors ; Psychology ; Working Conditions

INTRODUCTION: Medical errors commonly occur in medical imaging departments. These errors are frequently influenced by patient safety culture. This study aimed to develop a suitable patient safety culture assessment tool for medical imaging departments. METHODS: Staff members of a teaching hospital medical imaging department were invited to complete the generic short version of the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ). Internal consistency and reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine model fit. A cut-off of 60% was used to define the percentage positive responses (PPR). PPR values were compared between occupational groups. RESULTS: A total of 300 complete responses were received and the response rate was 75.4%. In reliability analysis, the Cronbach's α for the original 32-item SAQ was 0.941. Six subscales did not demonstrate good fit with CFA. A modified five-subscale, 22-item model (SAQ-MI) showed better fit (goodness-to-fit index ≥0.9, comparative fit index ≥ 0.9, Tucker-Lewis index ≥0.9 and root mean square error of approximation ≤0.08). The Cronbach's α for the 22 items was 0.921. The final five subscales were safety and teamwork climate, job satisfaction, stress recognition, perception of management and working condition, with PPR of 62%, 68%, 57%, 61% and 60%, respectively. Statistically significant differences in PPR were observed between radiographers, doctors and others occupational groups. CONCLUSION The modified five-factor, 22-item SAQ-MI is a suitable tool for the evaluation of patient safety culture in a medical imaging department. Differences in patient safety culture exist between occupation groups, which will inform future intervention studies.
Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Patient Safety ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Reproducibility of Results ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Job Satisfaction ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Middle Aged ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Safety Management ; Organizational Culture ; Medical Errors/prevention & control*

INTRODUCTION: Despite efforts to improve junior doctors' working conditions, burnout, distress and disillusionment persist, with implications for patient outcomes. This qualitative study analysed factors shaping the lived experiences of junior doctors in Singapore and their changes over time, thereby seeking to inform improvements to working conditions. METHOD: Thirty purposively sampled respondents who were junior doctors in Singapore between 1975 and 2022 were interviewed. Respondents were grouped into 3 cohorts: (1) junior, (2) middle and (3) senior. Employing the framework method of qualitative analysis, open coding was performed with reference to the individual, interpersonal, institutional, community and policy levels of the socioecological model (SEM). Four themes emerged: (1) inherent challenges of junior doctorship, (2) exacerbating factors, (3) alleviating factors and (4) responses of junior doctors to their experiences. Codes were reconstructed into a modified SEM, demonstrating trickle-down effects of interpersonal or structural forces on the individual doctor and pertinent factors evolving with time. RESULTS: Across cohorts, respondents echoed mental and physical challenges. While senior cohort doctors recounted higher patient-to-doctor ratios and longer working hours, junior cohort doctors cited new difficulties. These include a hostile medicolegal landscape, patients' increasingly complex needs and expectations, and higher administrative loads. Amid these difficulties, alleviating factors included good workplace relationships alongside institutional interventions. Doctors responded differently to their challenges. Some externalised difficulties through expression and advocacy; others internalised them, whether into fulfilment or distress. CONCLUSION While some facets of junior doctorship have improved with time, new challenges that warrant consideration are emerging. Junior doctors should be centred, listened to and empowered in shaping improvements to working conditions.
Singapore ; Humans ; Qualitative Research ; Medical Staff, Hospital/psychology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Burnout, Professional/psychology* ; Workload/psychology* ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Interviews as Topic ; Job Satisfaction

In recent years, it has become a new direction in the field of neuroscience to explore the mode characteristics, functional significance and interaction mechanism of resting spontaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and task-evoked EEG. This paper introduced the basic characteristics of spontaneous EEG and task-evoked EEG, and summarized the core role of spontaneous EEG in shaping the adaptability of the nervous system. It focused on how the spontaneous EEG interacted with the task-evoked EEG in the process of task processing, and emphasized that the spontaneous EEG could significantly affect the performance of tasks such as perception, cognition and movement by regulating neural activities and predicting external stimuli. These studies provide an important theoretical basis for in-depth understanding of the principle and mechanism of brain information processing in resting and task states, and point out the direction for further exploring the complex relationship between them in the future.
Humans ; Electroencephalography/methods* ; Brain/physiology* ; Rest/physiology* ; Cognition/physiology* ; Evoked Potentials/physiology* ; Task Performance and Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early effectiveness of navigation-free robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to traditional TKA in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities. METHODS: The clinical data of 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities who met the selection criteria between June 2019 and January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifteen patients underwent CORI navigation-free robot-assisted TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (robot group) and 15 patients underwent traditional TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (traditional group). There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, affected knee side, extra-articular deformity angle, deformity position, deformity type, and preoperative knee range of motion, American Knee Society (KSS) knee score and KSS function score, and lower limb alignment deviation between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications of the two groups were recorded and compared. The knee range of motion and lower limb alignment deviation were recorded before operation and at 6 months after operation, and the knee joint function was evaluated by KSS knee score and function score. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time between the two groups ( P>0.05); the intraoperative blood loss in the robot group was significantly less than that in the traditional group ( P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 6-12 months, with an average of 8.7 months. The incisions of all patients healed well, and there was no postoperative complication such as thrombosis or infection. At 6 months after operation, X-ray examination showed that the position of the prosthesis was good in both groups, and there was no loosening or dislocation of the prosthesis. The knee joint range of motion, the lower limb alignment deviation, and the KSS knee score and KSS function score significantly improved in both groups ( P<0.05) compared to preoperative ones. The changes of lower limb alignment deviation and KSS function score between pre- and post-operation in the robot group were significantly better than those in the traditional group ( P<0.05), while the changes of other indicators between pre- and post-operation in the two groups were not significant ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to traditional TKA, navigation-free robot-assisted TKA for knee osteoarthritis with extra-articular deformities results in less intraoperative blood loss, more precise reconstruction of lower limb alignment, and better early effectiveness. However, long-term effectiveness require further investigation.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteotomy/methods* ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Operative Time

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of digital three-dimensional (3D) printing osteotomy guide plate assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients with femoral internal implants. METHODS: The clinical data of 55 KOA patients who met the selection criteria between July 2021 and October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 26 cases combined with femoral implants were treated with digital 3D printing osteotomy guide plate assisted TKA (guide plate group), and 29 cases were treated with conventional TKA (control group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, body mass index, side, Kellgren-Lawrence classification, preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, knee range of motion, and other baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, postoperative first ambulation time, surgical complications; VAS score, knee HSS score, knee range of motion before operation, at 1 week and 3 months after operation, and at last follow-up; distal femoral lateral angle, proximal tibial medial angle, hip-knee-ankle angle and other imaging indicators at last follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative first ambulation time in the guide plate group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). In the control group, there were 1 case of incision rupture and bleeding and 1 case of lower limb intermuscular venous thrombosis, which was cured after symptomatic treatment. There was no complication such as neurovascular injury, incision infection, or knee prosthesis loosening in both groups. Patients in both groups were followed up 12-26 months, with an average of 16.25 months. The VAS score, HSS score, and knee range of motion improved at each time point after operation in both groups, and further improved with time after operation, the differences were significant ( P<0.05). The above indicators in the guide plate group were significantly better than those in the control group at 1 week and 3 months after operation ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups at last follow-up ( P>0.05). At last follow-up, the distal femoral lateral angle, the proximal tibial medial angle, and the hip-knee-ankle angle in the guide plate group were significantly better than those in the control group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The application of digital 3D printing osteotomy guide plate assisted TKA in the treatment of KOA patients with femoral implants can simplify the surgical procedures, overcome limitations of conventional osteotomy guides, reduce surgical trauma, achieve individualized and precise osteotomy, and effectively restore lower limb alignment and knee joint function.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/instrumentation* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Osteotomy/instrumentation* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Femur/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Bone Plates ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Knee Prosthesis ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Operative Time

OBJECTIVE: To explore effectiveness of intermediate screw assisted reduction and fixation technique in the treatment of Schatzker type Ⅴ and Ⅵ tibial plateau fractures. METHODS: A clinical data of 22 patients with Schatzker type Ⅴ and Ⅵ tibial plateau fractures, who were admitted between June 2022 and December 2023 and met the selection criteria, was retrospectively analyzed. During operation, the intermediate screw assisted reduction and fixation technique was used. There were 14 males and 8 females with an average age of 46.3 years (range, 17-65 years). The fractures were caused by traffic accident in 13 cases, by falls in 5 cases, and by falling from height in 4 cases. According to Schatzker classification criteria, 9 cases were type Ⅴ and 13 cases were type Ⅵ. The interval between injury and operation was 5-12 days (mean, 7.9 days). The operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, and length of hospital stay were recorded. The range of motion of knee joint and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score were recorded at last follow-up. X-ray films were taken to review the fracture healing. Rasmussen score, tibial plateau varus angle (TPVA), and posterior tibial slope (PTS) were estimated before operation, at immediate after operation, and at last follow-up in order to evaluate the fracture reduction effect and postoperative outcome. RESULTS: The operation time was 85-140 minutes (mean, 103.9 minutes). Intraoperative fluoroscopy was performed 7-15 times (mean, 10.1 times). All incisions healed by first intention after operation, and no complication such as nerve or blood vessel injury occurred. The length of hospital stay ranged from 8 to 17 days (mean, 12.4 days). All patients were followed up 10-22 months (mean, 14.8 months). At last follow-up, the range of motion of knee joint was 110°-140° (mean, 125°). HSS score was rated as excellent in 16 cases, good in 5 cases, and fair in 1 case, with an excellent and good rate of 95.5%. X-ray films reexamination showed that all fractures healed with the healing time of 12-17 weeks (mean, 14.8 weeks). No internal fixation failure occurred. Rasmussen score, TPVA, and PTS at immediate after operation and at last follow-up were significantly superior to those before operation ( P<0.05). And there was no significant difference between immediately after operation and last follow-up ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION The treatment of Schatzker type Ⅴ and Ⅵ tibial plateau fractures with intermediate screw assisted reduction and fixation technique is reliable, which can reduce the difficulty of reduction and fixation, improve the efficiency of reduction and fixation, reduce the operation time, achieve satisfactory reduction and fixation effect and postoperative prognosis, and achieve good recovery of knee joint function.
Humans ; Tibial Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Bone Screws ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Operative Time ; Length of Stay ; Tibial Plateau Fractures

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of posterior axillary edge approach and arthroscopic assisted reduction in the treatment of Ideberg type Ⅰ and Ⅱ glenoid fracture of the scapula. METHODS: The clinical data of 26 patients with fresh Ideberg type Ⅰ and Ⅱ scapular fractures admitted between June 2021 and September 2024 who met the selection criteria were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to different treatment methods. Ten cases in the posterior axillary edge group were fixed by open reduction plate through the posterior axillary edge approach, and 16 cases in the arthroscopy group were treated with suture anchor fixation under arthroscopy. There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05), such as gender, age, surgical side, Ideberg type, cause of injury, time from injury to operation, rotator cuff injury, and superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) injury, etc. The operation time and fracture healing time were recorded and compared between the two groups, and the shoulder pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after operation. At 3 and 6 months after operation, the range of motion of shoulder joint in anteflexion, abduction, external rotation, internal rotation, and backward extension was evaluated, the upper limb dysfunction was evaluated by the Disability Assessment Scale of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and the shoulder joint function was evaluated by the Constant-Murley score. The differences between 6 months and 3 months after operation (changes) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Patients in both groups were followed up 11-13 months, with an average of 12.5 months. The operation time and fracture healing time in the posterior axillary edge group were significantly shorter than those in the arthroscopy group ( P<0.05). There was no complication such as wound infection, vascular and nerve injury, loss of reduction, bone nonunion, or glenohumeral instability in both groups. At 1 week after operation, the VAS score in the posterior axillary edge group was significantly higher than that in the arthroscopy group ( P<0.05); there was no significant difference in the VAS score between the two groups at 1 and 3 months after operation ( P>0.05). At 6 months after operation, the changes of shoulder joint in anteflexion, internal rotation range of motion and DASH scores in the posterior axillary edge group were significantly lower than those in the arthroscopy group ( P<0.05), while the changes of abduction, external rotation, backward extension range of motion and Constant-Murley scores were not significantly different between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION For Ideberg type Ⅰ and Ⅱ glenoid fracture of the scapula, the posterior axillary edge approach for internal fixation has a short operation time, fast fracture healing, and is beneficial for early functional recovery; arthroscopic assisted reduction has minimal trauma and can handle joint injuries simultaneously. Both surgical procedures are safe and effective, and individualized selection should be made based on soft tissue conditions and combined injuries.
Humans ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Scapula/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Bone Plates ; Suture Anchors ; Fracture Healing ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Young Adult ; Shoulder Joint/surgery* ; Operative Time