bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does outsourcing enable the survival of good care homes? A longitudinal analysis of all care homes in England, 2011–2023
Authors: Bach-Mortensen Anders Malthe , Goodair Benjamin , Degli Esposti Michelle
Published: August 2024

Background

It is unclear whether outsourcing has enabled the growth and survival of the best care homes, as intended. We aimed to test whether ownership (for-profit, public and third sector (non-profit)) influences determinants of closure among all care homes in England, 2011–2023.

Methods

We created a dataset of all care homes from 2011 to 2023 (29 548 care homes and 8346 closures) and Care Quality Commission inspections from 2014 to 2023 (n=65 726). Using logistic regression, we investigated determinants of care home closures including care home characteristics (eg, number of beds), service registrations (eg, dementia and nursing), quality (inspection ratings) and area deprivation. We then tested for interaction effects; specifically exploring (1) whether the determinants of closure vary by ownership and (2) whether quality differences between active and closed for-profit and third sector/public homes vary by area deprivation.

Results

The prevalence of for-profit care homes increased from 2011 to 2023. Ownership was a key determinant of care home closure; public and third sector care homes were almost twice as likely to close than for-profit providers (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.44 to 2.24, p<0.001 and OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.37 to 1.76, p<0.001, respectively). Although care quality was also a significant determinant of closure, this association varied by care home ownership. For example, public and third sector homes rated ‘good’ were 7.6 percentage points (p<0.001) and 5.9 percentage points (p<0.001) more likely to close than for-profit homes with the same rating. Lastly, the quality of for-profit homes is heavily influenced by area deprivation, and the best active homes in deprived areas are operated by public and third sector providers.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that outsourcing of care services has not promoted the survival of the best care homes and may have adverse effects on the equity and accessibility of care. This calls for a reassessment of current policies to ensure that vulnerable populations have continued access to adequate quality of care.
Prevalence of steatotic liver disease, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis among community-dwelling overweight and obese individuals in the USA
Authors: Yang Alexander H , Tincopa Monica A , Tavaglione Federica , Ajmera Veeral H , Richards Lisa M , Amangurbanova Maral , Butcher Christian , Hernandez Christie , Madamba Egbert , Singh Seema , Bettencourt Ricki , Schnabl Bernd , Sirlin Claude B , Loomba Rohit
Published: August 2024

Background

There are limited prospective data among overweight and obese individuals on the prevalence of advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis using advanced MRI-based methods in the USA. The aim of this study was to fill that gap in knowledge by prospectively determining the MRI-based prevalence of steatotic liver disease (SLD) and its subcategories, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis among overweight and obese individuals residing in the USA.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of prospectively enrolled overweight or obese adults aged 40–75 years from primary care and community-based settings in Southern California. Participants were classified as having SLD if MRI proton density fat fraction ≥5%, and subclassified as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) consistently with the new nomenclature guidance per AASLD–EASL–ALEH. Advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis were defined as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) ≥3.63 kPa and MRE ≥4.67 kPa, respectively.

Results

The cohort included 539 participants with mean (±SD) age of 51.5 (±13.1) years and body mass index of 32.6 (±6.2) kg/m2, respectively. The prevalence of SLD, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis was 75%, 10.8% and 4.5%, respectively. The prevalence of MASLD, MetALD and ALD was 67.3%, 4.8% and 2.6%, respectively. There was no difference in prevalence of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis among subcategories.

Conclusions

Using advanced MRI methods among community-dwelling overweight and obese adults, the prevalence of cirrhosis was 4.5%. Most common SLD subcategory was MASLD with 67% of individuals, whereas MetALD and ALD were less common. Systematic screening for advanced fibrosis among overweight/obese adults may be considered.
Sexually transmitted infections among at-risk women in Ecuador: implications for global prevalence and testing practices for STIs detected only at the anorectum in female sex workers
Authors: Llangarí-Arizo Luz Marina , Broad Claire Elizabeth , Zhou Liqing , Martin Mateo Miguel , Moreno Cristina Izquierdo , Moreno Cevallos Marcelo , Cooper Philip J , Romero-Sandoval Natalia , Sadiq Syed Tariq
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Anorectal sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such asChlamydia trachomatis(CT) andNeisseria gonorrhoeae(NG), present treatment challenges, potentially increase antibiotic resistance selection and if undetected may facilitate onward transmission. However, there are limited global prevalence data for anorectal STIs. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and risk factors of non-viral genital and extragenital STIs in female sex workers (FSW) and female non-sex workers (NSW) in Ecuador.

Methods

250 adult street and brothel FSWs and 250 NSWs, recruited from settlements in north-west Ecuador provided oropharyngeal and vulvo-vaginal swabs (VVS) as well as socio-demographic data. FSWs also provided anorectal swabs. PCR was used to detect CT, NG,Mycoplasma genitalium(MG) from all swabs and additionallyTrichomonas vaginalis(TV) from VVS. Risk factors were analysed using logistic regression.

Results

Prevalence of FSW vaginal, anorectal and oropharyngeal infection was 32.0% (95% CI 26.5% to 38.0%), 19.7% (95% CI 15.1% to 25.2%) and 3.2% (95% CI 1.6% to 6.2%), respectively, with most vaginal infections being TV (23.4%; 95% CI 18.5% to 29.2%). Overall FSW STI prevalence, at any anatomical site was 39.7% (95% CI 33.8% to 46.1%), with 12.1% (95% CI 8.5% to 16.9%) of infections detected only at the anorectum. Of all the CT and/or NG infections, 64.4% (95% CI 50.4% to 78.4%) were detected only at the anorectum. STI prevalence in NSWs in the vagina and oropharynx were 5.6% (95% CI 3.4% to 9.2%) and 0.8% (95% CI 0.2% to 2.9%), respectively, with most vaginal infections being MG (3.2%; 95% CI 1.6% to 6.2%). In multivariable analysis, risk factors among brothel-based FSWs for having an anorectal STI were vaginal CT, NG or MG (p<0.001), vaginal TV (p=0.029) and being ‘in a relationship’ (p=0.038).

Conclusions

High prevalence of CT and NG detected only at the anorectum in these FSWs indicate the possibility of missing significant infections if providing only genital testing and calls for greater research into the potential impact on global STI estimates if extragenital infections among at-risk women are not identified.
Analyzing user ideologies and shared news during the 2019 argentinian elections
Authors: del Pozo Sofía M. , Pinto Sebastián , Serafino Matteo , Garcia Lucio , Makse Hernán A. , Balenzuela Pablo
Published: August 2024

The extensive data generated on social media platforms allow us to gain insights over trending topics and public opinions. Additionally, it offers a window into user behavior, including their content engagement and news sharing habits. In this study, we analyze the relationship between users’ political ideologies and the news they share during Argentina’s 2019 election period. Our findings reveal that users predominantly share news that aligns with their political beliefs, despite accessing media outlets with diverse political leanings. Moreover, we observe a consistent pattern of users sharing articles related to topics biased to their preferred candidates, highlighting a deeper level of political alignment in online discussions. We believe that this systematic analysis framework can be applied to similar scenarios in different countries, especially those marked by significant political polarization, akin to Argentina.
Unconditional Volatility Framework: Theoretical and Empirical Insights
Authors: Rey Sebastián A.
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a study of volatility using the non-arbitrage valuation of equities as its foundation. The main objectives are (i) to develop a theory of volatility consistent with an asset pricing model, (ii) to theoretically explain the fundamental origins of volatility and (iii) to assess whether certain a-priori characteristics of volatility, predicted by the theory, are empirically observed. By integrating equity premium and volatility models, the framework provides an alternative approach to understand the relationship between risk and returns. It establishes a causal connection between business risk and equity price movements, offering an economic rationale for the existence of volatility. The framework’s predictive ability regarding volatility asymmetry and the low-volatility phenomena enhances an understanding in these areas. This research contributes to the literature on non-arbitrage valuation of equities, as well as to the literature on volatility asymmetry and the low-volatility phenomena. The theoretical justification for volatility’s existence challenges the foundations of behavioral finance, which often emphasizes the difficulty of explaining equity price fluctuations solely through rational arguments.
Bounding the communication complexity of fault-tolerant common coin tossing
Authors: Geffner Ivan , Halpern Joseph Y.
Published: August 2024

Protocols for tossing a common coin play a key role in the vast majority of implementations of consensus. Even though the common coins in the literature are usually
fair
(they have an equal chance of landing heads or tails), we focus on the problem of implementing a
biased
common coin such that the probability of landing heads is

\(p \in [0,1]\)

. Even though biased common coins can be implemented using fair common coins, we show that this can require significant inter-party communication. In fact, we show that there is no bound on the number of messages needed to generate a common coin of bias
p
in a way that tolerates even one malicious agent, even if we restrict
p
to an arbitrary infinite subset of

\([0,1]\)

(e.g.,

\(\lbrace 1/2^n : n \in \lbrace 0,1,2,\ldots \rbrace \rbrace\)

) and assume that the system is synchronous. By way of contrast, if we do not require the protocol to tolerate a faulty agent, we can do this. Thus, the cause of the message complexity is the requirement of fault tolerance.
Examining Factors Influencing Technology Integration in Indian Classrooms: A Teachers’ Perspective
Authors: Naik Tarini , Shankaranarayanan Meena Elapulli , Swaminathan Manohar , Bali Kalika , Jain Mohit
Published: August 2024

India is actively transitioning towards a ‘digital-first’ economy, bolstering digital public infrastructure in sectors like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. Likewise, the Government of India is striving to revamp the education system, emphasizing technology integration to harness the demographic dividend. Understanding the impact of this technological shift at the grassroots level, especially from teachers’ perspectives, is paramount. This study delves into the factors influencing Indian teachers’ adoption of technology in education and their perceptions of its incorporation. Through a mixed-method approach involving a survey with 1,355 respondents and 20 semi-structured interviews, we uncover how education policies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social media converge, placing teachers at the forefront of technology integration in education.
Blind 3D Video Stabilization with Spatio-Temporally Varying Motion Blur
Authors: Li Hengwei , Wang Wei , Wang Xiao , Yuan Xin , Xu Xin
Published: August 2024

Video stabilization is a challenging task that attempts to compensate for the overall frame shake during video acquisition. Existing three-dimensional video stabilization methods aim at modeling camera perspective projection through either data-driven training or explicit motion estimation. However, the above methods are difficult to effectively solve the issue of shaky videos with abrupt object movements, resulting in local motion blur in the direction of the movement. This phenomenon is prevalent in real-world scenarios featuring foreground blind motion scenes. Unfortunately, directly combining stabilization and deblurring methods poses challenges when dealing with this situation. In the video, the intensity of motion blur undergoes continuous changes, and the direct combination method inadequately utilizes spatiotemporal information, providing insufficient clues for cross-frame compensation. To alleviate this problem, the Cross-frame-temporal Module framework is proposed to address blind motion blur induced by various conditions, which utilizes cross-frame temporal features to estimate depth maps and camera motion. In this framework, a
Blur Transform Network (BTNet)
is designed to adapt to spatially varying motion blur, which transforms local regions according to the impact of blur intensities to adapt to the effects of non-uniform motion blur; furthermore, our
Temporal-Aware Network (TANet)
further suppresses motion blur by leveraging cross-frame temporal features. In addition, the limited availability of pair-training video data containing motion blur limits the application of this approach in practice. The Cross-frame-temporal Module framework adopts an un-pretrained in-test training strategy. Extensive experimental results have demonstrated that our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
SPArch: A Hardware-oriented Sketch-based Architecture for High-speed Network Flow Measurements
Authors: Sateesan Arish , Vliegen Jo , Scherrer Simon , Hsiao Hsu-Chun , Perrig Adrian , Mentens Nele
Published: August 2024

Network flow measurement is an integral part of modern high-speed applications for network security and data-stream processing. However, processing at line rate while maintaining the required data structure within the on-chip memory of the hardware platform is a challenging task for measurement algorithms, especially when accuracy is of primary importance, such as in network security applications. Most of the existing measurement algorithms are no exception to such issues when deployed in high-speed networking environments and are also not tailored for efficient hardware implementation. Sketch-based measurement algorithms minimize the memory requirement and are suitable for high-speed networks but possess a low memory-accuracy trade-off and lack the versatility of individual flow mapping. To address these challenges, we present a hardware-friendly data structure named Sketch-based Pseudo-associative array Architecture (SPArch). SPArch is highly accurate and extremely memory-efficient, making it suitable for network flow measurement and security applications. The parallelism in SPArch ensures minimal and constant memory access cycles. Unlike other sketch architectures, SPArch provides the functionality of individual flow mapping similar to associative arrays, and the optimized version of SPArch allows the organization of counters in multiple buckets based on the flow sizes. An in-depth analysis of SPArch is carried out in this article and implemented SPArch on the Alveo data center accelerator card, demonstrating its suitability for high-speed networks.
Threshold Changes in Winter Temperature and Precipitation Drive Threshold Responses Across Nine Global Climate Zones and Associated Biomes
Authors: Contosta Alexandra R. , Arndt Kyle A. , Baulch Helen M. , Casson Nora J. , Harpold Adrian , Morelli Toni Lyn , Sirén Alexej P.K. , Templer Pamela H.
Published: August 2024

Globally, winter temperatures are rising, and snowpack is shrinking or disappearing entirely. Despite previous research and published literature reviews, it remains unknown whether biomes across the globe will cross important thresholds in winter temperature and precipitation that will lead to significant ecological changes. Here, we combine the widely used Köppen–Geiger climate classification system with worst-case-scenario projected changes in global monthly temperature and precipitation to illustrate how multiple climatic zones across Earth may experience shifting winter conditions by the end of this century. We then examine how these shifts may affect ecosystems within corresponding biomes. Our analysis demonstrates potential widespread losses of extreme cold (<−20°C) in Arctic, boreal, and cool temperate regions. We also show the possible disappearance of freezing temperatures (<0°C) and large decreases in snowfall in warm temperate and dryland areas. We identify important and potentially irreversible ecological changes associated with crossing these winter climate thresholds.
Investigating the Effect of Electrode Compositions on Dry-made NMC811 Positive Electrodes
Authors: Uzun Kubra , Alolaywi Haidar , Thapa Santosh , Frieberg Bradley , Wang Ming , Huang Xiaosong , Cheng Yang-Tse
Published: August 2024

Dry electrode manufacturing processes are appealing as they can potentially mitigate the economic and environmental consequences of traditional slurry techniques. Understanding the interactions among active material (AM), conductive agent, and binder in dry-made electrodes is crucial for achieving the desired electrode performance and durability. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the effects of the different electrode formulations by altering the ratio of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder and carbon black (CB) for LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) electrodes made using a dry coating process. Specifically, we examined four distinct electrode formulations: 96:3:1, 96:2:2, 90:7.5:2.5, and 90:5:5 (AM: PVDF: CB), equivalent to PVDF/CB mass ratios of 1:1 and 3:1. We found that a high PVDF content at PVDF/CB ratio of 3:1 provides high mechanical strength. However, the electrode ionic conductivity decreases due to the insulating aggregates of PVDF. The PVDF/CB ratio of 1:1 approaches the optimum ratio for balanced electronic and ionic conductivities and electrode mechanical strength, hence leading to enhanced electrochemical performance. For electrodes with the PVDF/CB ratio of 1:1, we observed surprisingly that electrode with higher AM content (e.g., 96%) showed a comparable C-rate and full-cell cycling performance to that with lower AM content (90%).
Self-Discharge and Calendar Aging Behavior of Li-Ion and Na-Ion Cells
Authors: Streck Luiza , Roth Thomas , Bosch Hannah , Kirst Cedric , Rehm Mathias , Keil Peter , Jossen Andreas
Published: August 2024

The calendar aging and self-discharge behavior of Na-Ion cells containing a layered oxide NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3 (NFM) cathode were investigated and compared to two Li-Ion cell chemistries, G/LiFePO4 (LFP) and SiG/LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811). The self-discharge measurements were performed via voltage hold experiments at different states of charge (10%, 40%, 50%, 70%, 90%, and 100%) and temperatures (25 °C, 40 °C and 55 °C). A high-precision coulometry analysis was conducted to investigate the coulombic efficiency (CE), differential voltage analysis (DVA), and end-point slippage. The results show that the Na-Ion cells present a similar self-discharge behavior to the NMC811 Li-Ion cells. In addition, via CE and end-point slippage analysis, strong reversible reactions were observed for the Na-Ion cells. Despite the poor CE values, the cells presented a low capacity loss. Post-mortem analysis showed sodium plating on the edges of all the SOCs investigated. The LFP results presented mainly calendar losses from lithium inventory loss with almost no cathode-related degradation. At high SOCs, both transition metal cathodes, NMC811 Li-Ion and NFM Na-Ion, exhibited more cathode-related processes dominating the self-discharge current and presumably improving the capacity retention due to electrolyte oxidation. Finally, the Na-Ion cells showed anode overhang equalization effects like Li-Ion cells.
Coupled Electrochemical-Thermal Runaway Model of Lithium-Ion Cells Operating Under High Ambient Temperatures
Authors: Chakraborty Debashish , Gupta Raghvendra , Gupta Amit
Published: August 2024

The risk of thermal runaway (TR) in high energy density Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which may initiate at around 90 °C, is a critical safety concern, particularly in regions where summer temperatures can reach nearly 50 °C. While multiple exothermic reactions that cause TR and modeled using Arrhenius equations lead to good predictions in controlled oven tests, their use in practical applications is questionable as these do not consider internal electrochemical processes that cause temperature rise and trigger exothermic reactions. Further, limited literature focuses on coupling electrochemical thermal models with exothermic reactions. This study demonstrates a method to couple the electrochemical and thermal runaway models for a commercial cylindrical Lithium-ion cell. The proposed model averages pseudo-2D electrochemical heat and couples it to a two-dimensional, axisymmetric heat transfer model of 18650-type Lithium-ion cell. The jellyroll structure is approximated as a homogeneous and anisotropic domain for electrochemical and exothermic heating. Simulations are performed through several, uninterrupted charge-discharge cycles at different ambient temperatures and C-rates. We show that while cycling rate is critical in instigating and accelerating TR, parameters like ambient temperature, particle radii and initial electrolyte concentration also play a role in determining the core temperature and its rate of growth in the cell.
Vitamin D Levels and Depressive Symptoms during Pregnancy: A Prospective Pregnancy Cohort Study
Authors: Seppälä Vilja , Tuovinen Soile , Lahti-Pulkkinen Marius , Girchenko Polina , Andersson Sture , Räikkönen Katri , Heinonen Kati
Published: August 2024

Objective. Depressive symptoms during pregnancy increase the risk for adverse outcomes in women and children. Lower vitamin D levels are suggested to be associated with higher depressive symptoms in nonpregnant populations. We studied if the level of or change in serum of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was associated with the levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Methods. The participants of this prospective longitudinal study came from the Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (PREDO) study. The analytic sample comprised 307 women (mean age = 32.5 (range 20.3–44.3)) who reported depressive symptoms concurrently with serum 25(OH)D measurements at a median of 13.0, 19.3, and 27.0 gestational weeks. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Linear and mixed‐model regression analyses were used to study the associations. Results. The 25(OH)D levels were not associated with depressive symptoms cross‐sectionally (p values > 0.58) or across the three assessment points during pregnancy (B = −0.05; 95% CI, −0.12, 0.01; and p = 0.12). Yet, a higher increase in 25(OH)D during pregnancy was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (B = −1.41; 95% CI, −2.75, −0.07; and p = 0.04) but not after adjusting for covariates (p = 0.08). Conclusions. The 25(OH)D levels and depressive symptoms were not associated among pregnant women throughout the pregnancy. However, there is a need for randomized controlled trials to fully exclude the possibility of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of depression during pregnancy.
Tumor-Secreted Extracellular Vesicles Counteract Therapy Response by Triggering Inflammatory Mesenchymal Stem Cell Development
Authors: Massaro Crescenzo , Sensoy Hilal N. , Mulders Manon , De Schrijver Celine , Gómez-Martín Cristina , Simon Nieto Juan , Lagerweij Tonny , Atmopawiro Alisha , Pérez-Boza Jennifer , Bebelman Maarten , Bosch Leontien , Foderaro Simone , Neves Ferreira Mafalda , van Eijndhoven Monique A.J. , van Weering Jan R.T. , Dell’Aversana Carmela , Altucci Lucia , Savci-Heijink Cemile Dilara , van de Donk Niels W.C.J. , Giorgio Cristina , Brandolini Laura , Allegretti Marcello , Pegtel Dirk Michiel , Baglio Serena Rubina
Published: August 2024

Purpose:

Therapy resistance is a major clinical hurdle in bone cancer treatment and seems to be largely driven by poorly understood microenvironmental factors. Recent evidence suggests a critical role for a unique subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells with inflammatory features (iMSC), though their origin and function remained unexplored. We demonstrate that cancer-secreted extracellular vesicles (EV) trigger the development of iMSCs, which hinder therapy response in vivo, and set out to identify strategies to counteract their function.

Experimental Design:

The role of iMSCs in therapy resistance was evaluated in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model of osteosarcoma. EV-induced alterations of the MSC transcriptome were analyzed and compared with single-cell RNA sequencing data of biopsies from patients with osteosarcoma and multiple myeloma. Functional assays identified EV components driving iMSC development. We assessed the efficacy of clinical drugs in blocking iMSC-induced resistance in vivo.

Results:

We found that iMSCs are induced by interaction with cancer EVs and completely abrogate the antimetastatic effect of TGFβ signaling inhibition. Importantly, EV-induced iMSCs faithfully recapitulate the inflammatory single-cell RNA signature of stromal cells enriched in biopsies from patients with multiple myeloma and osteosarcoma. Mechanistically, cancer EVs act through two distinct mechanisms. EV-associated TGFβ induces IL6 production, whereas the EV-RNA cargo enhances TLR3-mediated chemokine production. We reveal that simultaneous blockade of downstream EV-activated pathways with ladarixin and tocilizumab disrupts metastasis formation and overcomes iMSC-induced resistance.

Conclusions:

Our observations establish iMSCs as major contributors to drug resistance, reveal EVs as triggers of iMSC development, and highlight a promising combination strategy to improve therapy response in patients with bone cancer.
Figure S1 from Estrogen Receptor Blockade Potentiates Immunotherapy for Liver Metastases by Altering the Liver Immunosuppressive Microenvironment
Authors: Benslimane Yasmine , Amalfi Kevin , Lapin Sara , Perrino Stephanie , Brodt Pnina
Published: August 2024

NK cells cytotoxicity is not significantly different between estrogen-depleted and estrogen-competent mice. NK cells were sorted based on CD3 (PE) and NK1.1 (APC), and MC-38 were pre-incubated with the Incucyte Cytotox Green Dye (Excitation Max 491 nm, Emission Max 509 nm). The NK cells and MC-38 cells were co-cultured at a ratio of 5:1 for up to 30h. Shown in the figure is quantification of dead (green) MC-38 cells normalized to time 0h (n=3).
Table S2 from The Tumor Microbiome as a Predictor of Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Dravillas Caroline E. , Coleman Samuel S. , Hoyd Rebecca , Caryotakis Griffin , Denko Louis , Chan Carlos H.F. , Churchman Michelle L. , Denko Nicholas , Dodd Rebecca D. , Eljilany Islam , Hardikar Sheetal , Husain Marium , Ikeguchi Alexandra P. , Jin Ning , Ma Qin , McCarter Martin D. , Osman Afaf E.G. , Robinson Lary A. , Singer Eric A. , Tinoco Gabriel , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Zakharia Yousef , Spakowicz Daniel , Tarhini Ahmad A. , Tan Aik Choon
Published: August 2024

Modeling results for gene expression differences between responders and non-responders
Figure 6 from The Tumor Microbiome as a Predictor of Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Dravillas Caroline E. , Coleman Samuel S. , Hoyd Rebecca , Caryotakis Griffin , Denko Louis , Chan Carlos H.F. , Churchman Michelle L. , Denko Nicholas , Dodd Rebecca D. , Eljilany Islam , Hardikar Sheetal , Husain Marium , Ikeguchi Alexandra P. , Jin Ning , Ma Qin , McCarter Martin D. , Osman Afaf E.G. , Robinson Lary A. , Singer Eric A. , Tinoco Gabriel , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Zakharia Yousef , Spakowicz Daniel , Tarhini Ahmad A. , Tan Aik Choon
Published: August 2024

Prediction of random forest model combining microbe abundance and gene signatures. Balanced accuracies achieved by the microbe abundance, gene expression, and combined models for each of the three datasets.
Figure 4 from The Tumor Microbiome as a Predictor of Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Dravillas Caroline E. , Coleman Samuel S. , Hoyd Rebecca , Caryotakis Griffin , Denko Louis , Chan Carlos H.F. , Churchman Michelle L. , Denko Nicholas , Dodd Rebecca D. , Eljilany Islam , Hardikar Sheetal , Husain Marium , Ikeguchi Alexandra P. , Jin Ning , Ma Qin , McCarter Martin D. , Osman Afaf E.G. , Robinson Lary A. , Singer Eric A. , Tinoco Gabriel , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Zakharia Yousef , Spakowicz Daniel , Tarhini Ahmad A. , Tan Aik Choon
Published: August 2024

Association of microbes and gene signatures. Effect size plot showing the top nine most significantly enriched species. Spearman correlation coefficients between the significantly enriched species, the most significantly correlated signatures, and other gene sets shown in a heatmap.
Inferring Characteristics of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Patients with HNSCC from Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Peripheral Blood
Authors: Cao Yingying , Chang Tiangen , Schischlik Fiorella , Wang Kun , Sinha Sanju , Hannenhalli Sridhar , Jiang Peng , Ruppin Eytan
Published: August 2024

In this study, we explore the possibility of inferring characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment from the blood. Specifically, we investigate two datasets of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with matched single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and tumor tissues. Our analysis shows that the immune cell fractions and gene expression profiles of various immune cells within the tumor microenvironment can be inferred from the matched PBMC scRNA-seq data. We find that the established exhausted T-cell signature can be predicted from the blood and serve as a valuable prognostic blood biomarker of immunotherapy response. Additionally, our study reveals that the inferred ratio between tumor memory B- and regulatory T-cell fractions is predictive of immunotherapy response and is superior to the well-established cytolytic and exhausted T-cell signatures. These results highlight the promising potential of PBMC scRNA-seq in cancer immunotherapy and warrant, and will hopefully facilitate, further investigations on a larger scale. The code for predicting tumor immune microenvironment from PBMC scRNA-seq, TIMEP, is provided, offering other researchers the opportunity to investigate its prospective applications in various other indications.

Significance:

Our work offers a new and promising paradigm in liquid biopsies to unlock the power of blood single-cell transcriptomics in cancer immunotherapy.
Assessment of Quality of Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials of Moxibustion for Chronic Diseases Using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Moxibustion Statements
Authors: Chen Jianrong , Deng Guihua , Liu Huilin , Xue Qiuyun , Cai Yaojun , Wang Jiao , Xu Sheng , Zhou Xu , Wang Jiancheng
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Moxibustion is clinically used for treating various chronic diseases; however, the reporting quality of current published RCTs of moxibustion is unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the reporting quality of RCTs focusing on moxibustion as a treatment for chronic diseases. Methods: Seven databases were searched to identify relevant RCTs. Criteria for evaluating the reporting quality of standard RCT elements and moxibustion intervention-related information were developed based on the CONSORT statement and its STRICTOM extension, respectively. Multivariate regression models were used to investigate factors impacting reporting quality. Results: A total of 310 RCTs were included, with 41 (7.6%) published in English journals and 269 (92.4%) in Chinese journals. The median CONSORT and STRICTOM scores of these RCTs, with a maximum score of 100, were 41.2 and 62.9, respectively. RCTs with a later publication year and protocol registration or ethical approval exhibited significantly higher CONSORT and STRICTOM scores. Higher CONSORT scores were also significantly associated with English language publication, funding support, and inclusion of a safety evaluation, while higher STRICTOM scores were additionally associated with an active control design. Conclusion: The reporting quality of RCTs focusing on moxibustion treatment for chronic diseases is subpar, with gradual but limited improvement over the last 25 years. To enhance the reporting quality of moxibustion RCTs, researchers should develop a comprehensive study protocol and standardize result reporting based on CONSORT and STRICTOM statements. Registration platforms, ethical approval organizations, funders, and journals can also contribute to this improvement by bolstering structured information reporting in the review process.
Acupuncture for Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Arthralgia in Breast Cancer: An Umbrella Review
Authors: Zhang Yixuan , Han Lin , Yang Rui , Zhang Chunchang , Duan Sasa , Li Pan , Hou Jie
Published: August 2024

Background: Acupuncture therapy shows promise in managing aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) among breast cancer patients. An umbrella review synthesizes findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) to assess its effectiveness. Summary: This umbrella review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in treating AIA among breast cancer patients by analyzing existing evidence from SRs/MAs. Key Messages: Six SRs/MAs were analyzed, revealing shortcomings in reporting quality, methodological quality, and evidence quality assessment. Comprehensive searches across eight electronic databases were conducted. PRISMA, AMSTAR 2, and GRADE were utilized to assess reporting, methodological quality, and evidence quality, respectively. Despite methodological shortcomings, a recent meta-subgroup analysis suggests the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for AIA patients, recommending a 10-session treatment course. Conclusion: Acupuncture is identified as a secure and effective remedy for AIA sufferers, yet further high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence base and endorse acupuncture as a viable treatment option.
Transurethral Inlay Vaginal Graft Urethroplasty for Female Urethral Stricture
Authors: Allen Naomi Constantia , Nababan Parsaoran , Ramadhan Raden Dadan Mochamad , Yance Fedry
Published: August 2024

Introduction. Female urethral stricture is rare. Treatment option includes urethroplasty with various techniques, but no single approach has been demonstrated to be the best. One major issue has been the risk of post operative incontinence.Case. We present our experience of the management of female urethral stricture with transurethral inlay vaginal graft urethroplasty. A 51 year old female patient presented with urinary retention and foley insertion failed. Urethroscopy showed panstricture of the urethra and transurethral inlay urethroplasty was performed using vaginal graft. The patient showed improvement of the symptoms postoperatively.Conclusion. Transurethral inlay urethroplasty is a feasible option for the management of female urethral stricture to reduce the risk of post op incontinence because it doesn’t require high urethral mobilization.
Relationship Between Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Budaya Taufiq Nur , Rizal Ardian , Wibowo Hafizh Ananda , Dhani Fauzan Kurniawan
Published: August 2024

Introduction. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a medical condition where there is an excessive growth of smooth muscle and epithelial cells in the prostate gland. BPH is typically seen in older men and is non-cancerous. It is estimated that around 50% of men aged 60 or above worldwide are affected by BPH. Some research has looked into the factors that may increase the risk of BPH, and one theory suggests a possible connection between metabolic syndrome and the development of BPH. This study aims to investigate the potential relationship between metabolic syndrome and the development of BPH.Methods. This study is an analytical observational research conducted at Saiful Anwar Hospital in Malang from 2015 to 2020, employing a case-control research design. The data used for this study are secondary data extracted from medical records. The data analysis involved the application of both Chi-Square and Logistic Regression methods.Results. The study gathered data from 90 patients, and the analysis revealed that the highest number of BPH patients fell into the category of those with hypertension, totaling 34 individuals (75.56%). Among the factors considered, including fasting blood glucose, body mass index, and metabolic syndrome, the chi-square test indicated that body mass index and blood pressure were significantly associated with BPH, both yielding p-values of 0.046; OR (95%Cl) = 2.473 (1.006 – 6.075). Furthermore, in the logistic regression test, it was determined that fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and body mass index categories had a significant impact on BPH.Conclusions. This research illustrates that there is an association between type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity with the occurrence of BPH. However, there is no statistically significant relationship between the components of metabolic syndrome and the occurrence of BPH.
The Prevalence and Characteristic of Urinary Stone Disease in General Hospital of The Peripheral Area
Authors: Latuconsina Yayan , Lantemona Richard A , Mappiwali Asrul , Pariputra Yutha
Published: August 2024

Introduction. Urinary stone disease (USD) refers to the formation of urinary calculi in the urinary system. The prevalence rates for urinary stones from 1% to 13% in different regions across the globe. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of USD patients who seek treatment at Tobelo Regional Hospital for the period of 2019-2023.Methods. A descriptive retrospective study based on medical records for the period of 2019-2023 conducted at Tobelo Regional General Hospital. The research subjects were all patients diagnosed with USD and had complete medical records.Results. A total of 320 individuals were studied. The prevalence rate of USD in our study population was commonly higher in men (56%) and in the age group of 40–59 years old (53%). Mostly found in private-employee groups (54%). Most were located in the kidney (83%). Stone diameter with a size > 1 cm was found in 103 cases (32%), and 33 of them were > 2 cm in size.Conclusions. USD cases are dominated by men rather than women, occurring mostly in the 40-59 years of age. Nephrolithiasis is the most common type of USD found in this study. Hospital facility improvements and high quality medical professionals may help the USD screening process to meet a prompt treatment.
Role of Antibodies and Their Specificities in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Deroissart Justine , Binder Christoph J. , Porsch Florentina
Published: August 2024

Atherosclerosis is a lipid-driven chronic inflammatory disease that is modulated by innate and adaptive immunity including humoral immunity. Importantly, antibody alterations achieved by genetic means or active and passive immunization strategies in preclinical studies can improve or aggravate atherosclerosis. Additionally, a wide range of epidemiological data demonstrate not only an association between the total levels of different antibody isotypes but also levels of antibodies targeting specific antigens with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Here, we discuss the potential role of atherogenic dyslipidemia on the antibody repertoire and review potential antibody-mediated effector mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis development highlighting the major atherosclerosis-associated antigens that trigger antibody responses.
Abstract 2752: Prevention of Stroke by Antihypertensive Drugs: An Updated Network Meta-analysis
Authors: Elliott William J , Meyer Peter M
Published: August 2024

Lowering blood pressure with drug therapy prevents stroke, but whether a specific type of antihypertensive drug is better for this purpose than others has remained controversial. Traditional meta-analyses that include the most recent clinical trial data have shown significantly better stroke prevention with an initial calcium channel blocker (CCB), compared to an initial diuretic/beta-blocker, which in turn is significantly better than an initial angiotensin converting-enzyme (ACE-) inhibitor. Although these meta-analyses show no significant inhomogeneity for stroke, we performed a network meta-analysis (which accounts for both direct and indirect comparisons in clinical trials;

Stat Med

.,
2002
;
21
:
2313

) to compare the relative potency of five classes of initial antihypertensive drugs with placebo. In 64 clinical trials involving 309,657 subjects, initial drug therapy (and the number of patients with new strokes/number of subjects at risk) included: Placebo: 3061 of 67,410 (4.54%); ACE-inhibitor: 1800 of 43,908 (4.10%); angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB): 817 of 17,124 (4.77%); Beta-blocker: 1916 of 55,810 (3.43%); CCB: 2220 of 74,286 (3.00%); and Diuretic: 1543 of 51,119 (3.02%). Using Placebo as the standard of comparison (39 arms), the incoherence was very small (ω= 0.000009047), and the odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and P-values were: Unlike the previous meta-analyses, but similar to the network meta-analysis (

JAMA

,
2003
;

:
2534
–44

) that included data from only 42 trials and 192,478 patients, these results suggest that all antihypertensive drugs significantly prevented stroke in clinical trials, and that an initial calcium antagonist is only slightly (and not significantly) better than an initial diuretic.
Abstract 3144: Imaging Myocardial Heterogeneity Using Propagation of Pulsive Vibration for Patients with Old Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Kanai Hiroshi , Watanabe Sachiko , Saijo Yoshifumi , Tanaka Motonao
Published: August 2024

Background:
It is well known that the diseased area due to old myocardial infarction (OMI) becomes fibrous. This study shows that a novel method noninvasively visualizes myocardial heterogeneity for patients with OMI.

Method:
By a sparse sector scan, the myocardial minute motions were measured simultaneously at about 1,000 points in the heart wall at a high frame rate (> 400 Hz). We have found that a pulsive vibration is excited by aortic-valve closure (

Ultrasound Med Biol

2001
;
27
:
481

). The consecutive spatial distributions of the vibrations clearly reveal that the vibration propagates from the root of the aortic valve to the apex along the heart wall (

IEEE Trans UFFC

2005
;
51
:
1931

). Since its propagation time along the heart wall and the duration period are only several milliseconds and its amplitude is about 100 μm, this phenomenon cannot be measured by conventional equipments. In this study, the method was applied to 7 healthy subjects and 5 patients with OMI, and the spatial distribution of the
propagation speed
of the vibration is also visualized.

In Vivo

Experiments:
For all healthy subjects, the propagation of the pulsive vibration was clearly visible both in longitudinal-axis and apical views. Even for the healthy subjects, there is spatial difference in the propagation speed; 4.3 ± 0.5 m/s for the high echo area and 2.9 ± 0.4 m/s for the low echo area, for 60 Hz component in the septum. For all patients with OMI, in the normal region the vibration propagated, but it did not propagate in the diseased area as shown in the consecutive figures at every 4 ms.

Conclusions:
These preliminary results indicate that the method has a potential for noninvasively revealing myocardial
heterogeneity
.
Genome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study Reveals Druggable Genes for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
Authors: Yang Xin-Zhuang , Huang Mei-Ying , Han Fei , Ni Jun , Zhou Li-Xin , Yao Ming , Zhang Ding-Ding , Zhu Yi-Cheng
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a group of neurological disorders that affect the small blood vessels within the brain, for which no effective treatments are currently available. We conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to identify candidate therapeutic genes for CSVD.

METHODS:

We retrieved genome-wide association study data from 6 recently conducted, extensive investigations focusing on CSVD magnetic resonance imaging markers and performed a 2-sample MR analysis to assess the potential causal effects of gene expression and protein level within druggable genes on CSVD in blood and brain tissues. Colocalization analyses and repeat studies were undertaken to verify the relationship. Additionally, mediation analysis was conducted to explore the potential mechanisms involving druggable genes and known risk factors for CSVD. Finally, phenome-wide MR analyses were applied to evaluate the potential adverse effects related to the identified druggable genes for CSVD treatment.

RESULTS:

Overall, 5 druggable genes consistently showed associations with CSVD in MR analyses across both the discovery and validation cohorts. Notably, the
ALDH2
and
KLHL24
genes were identified as associated with CSVD in both blood and brain tissues, whereas the genes
ADRB1
,
BTN3A2
, and
EFEMP1
were exclusively detected in brain tissue. Moreover, mediation analysis elucidated the proportion of the total effects mediated by CSVD risk factors through candidate druggable genes, which ranged from 5.5% to 18.5%, and offered potential explanations for the observed results. A comprehensive phenome-wide MR analysis further emphasized both the therapeutic benefits and potential side effects of targeting these candidate druggable genes.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study provides genetic evidence supporting the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting druggable genes for treating CSVD, which will be useful for prioritizing CSVD drug development.