bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges and opportunities in neonatal sepsis management: insights from a survey among clinicians in 25 Sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Rosa-Mangeret Flavia , Dupuis Marc , Dewez Juan Emmanuel , Muhe Lulu M , Wagner Noemie , Pfister Riccardo E
Published: June 2024

Background

Neonatal sepsis (NS) is a global health issue, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it accounts for a substantial portion of neonatal morbimortality. This multicountry survey aimed to elucidate current practices, challenges and case definitions in managing NS among clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

The survey targeted physicians and medical practitioners working in neonatal care who participated in a Self-Administered Web Questionnaire. The main objective was to understand NS and infection case definitions and management from the clinician’s point of view and to identify challenges and opportunities in sepsis management. Participants were queried on demographics, definitions and diagnostic criteria, treatment approaches, and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. A total of 136 participants from 86 healthcare structures responded, providing valuable insights into NS management practices.

Results

From May to July 2022 across 25 Sub-Saharan African countries, 136 neonatal clinicians with an average from 86 structures with on average 10-year experience took the survey. NS ranked highest among prevalent neonatal conditions. Diagnostic case definitions between sepsis and infection were attributed to clinical signs, anamnesis, C reactive protein, white blood cll count and blood cultures with no statistically significant differences. Early-onset sepsis was defined within 72 hours by 48%, while late-onset varied. Antibiotics were likely on admission (86.4%) and during the stay (82.2%). Treatment abandonment was reported unlikely. The preferred antibiotic regimen for early-onset sepsis was intravenous amoxicillin (or ampicillin), gentamycin and cefotaxime. Blood culture availability and IPC protocols were reported as limited, particularly concerning patient environment, pharmacy protocols and clean–dirty circuits.

Conclusions

This NS survey emphasises clinicians’ challenges due to limited access to diagnostic tools and raises concerns about antimicrobial overexposure. IPC also seem limited, according to participants. Addressing these challenges can enhance diagnostic practices, antibiotic stewardship and infection control in the region.
What did we learn about elite student-athlete mental health systems from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Simpson Kaitlin , Baker Graham , Cameron-Blake Emily , Palmer Debbie , Jarvie Grant , Kelly Paul
Published: June 2024

Elite student-athletes (SAs) in higher education (HE) have distinct mental health (MH) risks. The COVID-19 pandemic put pressure on systems and increased elite SA vulnerability to adverse MH outcomes.

The aim of this study was to explore the provision and management of MH in elite HE sports settings during the time of COVID-19 pandemic stress. The secondary aim was to identify lessons and opportunities to enhance future mental healthcare systems and services for elite SAs.

A qualitative study design was used to investigate the views of three groups (athletic directors, coaches and sport healthcare providers). Ten key leaders were purposively recruited from HE institutions in Canada, the USA and the United Kingdom. They represented various universities from the National College Athletic Association, U SPORTS Canada and British Universities and Colleges Sport. Semistructured interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.

Five key themes were identified: (1) The pandemic disruption had salient impacts on motivation and how elite SAs engaged with sport (2) when student sport systems are under pressure, support staff perceive a change in duties and experience their own MH challenges, (3) the pandemic increased awareness about MH care provision and exposed systemic challenges, (4) digital transformation in MH is complex and has additional challenges for SAs and (5) there were some positive outcomes of the pandemic, lessons learnt and a resulting motivation for systems change. Participants highlighted future opportunities for MH provision in elite university sport settings. Four recommendations were generated from the results.
Seeking abortion accompaniment: experiences and self-managed abortion preferences of hotline callers after abortion legalisation in Argentina
Authors: Keefe-Oates Brianna , Filippa Sofia , Janiak Elizabeth , Zurbriggen Ruth , Grosso Belén , Chen Jarvis T , Gerdts Caitlin , Gottlieb Barbara
Published: June 2024

Background

Until the legalisation of abortion in Argentina in 2021, the Socorristas en Red, a network of feminist collectives, provided support and information (‘accompaniment’) to people self-managing their abortion with medications. Following legalisation, the Socorristas continued accompanying people self-managing or accessing abortion through the healthcare system. We conducted a cross-sectional study to understand preferences, experiences and choices about abortion when contacting a Socorristas hotline after legalisation of abortion in Argentina.

Methods

We surveyed callers to the Socorristas’ hotline in Neuquén, Argentina about their demographics, pregnancy history, reasons for calling, and experiences seeking abortion through the hotline and the healthcare system. We assessed overall prevalence of these experiences, and analysed differences between people who contacted the health system before calling the hotline and those who first called the hotline for services.

Results

Of the 755 callers in the study, the majority (63.3%) contacted the Socorristas because they trusted them, and 21.7% called because they both trusted the Socorristas and did not want to go to the healthcare system. At the end of the call, most people (95.4%) chose to self-manage their abortion with accompaniment outside the healthcare system. People who called the healthcare system prior to contacting the hotline frequently reported being referred to the Socorristas, as well as challenges scheduling appointments.

Conclusions

After legalisation of abortion in Argentina there is continued demand for accompaniment. Globally, ensuring that accompaniment and self-management of abortion is legal and protected will provide individuals with the support and facilitated access to the abortion care they desire.
Mendelian randomisation analysis for intestinal disease: achievement and future
Authors: Ruan Xixian , Che Tianyi , Chen Xuejie , Sun Yuhao , Fu Tian , Yuan Shuai , Li Xue , Chen Jie , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: June 2024

Intestinal disease is a group of complex digestive system diseases imposing a significant burden globally. Identifying the risk factors and potential complications of intestinal disease is important for its prevention and treatment. However, traditional observational clinical studies are limited by confounding factors and reverse causation, making causal inference challenging. Mendelian randomisation (MR) method has been developed to effectively mitigate these constraints and assess the causal relationships. This review briefly introduces the MR method, summarises MR research on intestinal disease and delineates the prospective avenues for future research. Conventional risk factors, such as lifestyle behaviours (eg, physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption), nutrients (eg, selenium), obesity markers (eg, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio) and inflammatory biomarkers, have been validated in MR studies. Multiomics MR studies are becoming novel hotspots, which provide a theoretical foundation for the exploration of pathogenesis and the investigation of new drug targets. However, most of the recent studies are based on European individuals, and thus it is necessary to replicate the results in other ancestries. Moreover, triangulation integrating MR and other epidemiology methods is suggested as a validated paradigm for causal inference in future MR studies.
Single-cell sequencing unveils extensive intratumoral heterogeneity of cancer/testis antigen expression in melanoma and lung cancer
Authors: Traynor Sofie , Jakobsen Mie K , Green Tina M , Komic Hana , Palarasah Yaseelan , Pedersen Christina B , Ditzel Henrik J , Thoren Fredrik B , Guldberg Per , Gjerstorff Morten F
Published: June 2024

Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are widely expressed in melanoma and lung cancer, emerging as promising targets for vaccination strategies and T-cell-based therapies in these malignancies. Despite recognizing the essential impact of intratumoral heterogeneity on clinical responses to immunotherapy, our understanding of intratumoral heterogeneity in CTA expression has remained limited. We employed single-cell mRNA sequencing to delineate the CTA expression profiles of cancer cells in clinically derived melanoma and lung cancer samples. Our findings reveal a high degree of intratumoral transcriptional heterogeneity in CTA expression. In melanoma, every cell expressed at least one CTA. However, most individual CTAs, including the widely used therapeutic targets NY-ESO-1 and MAGE, were confined to subpopulations of cells and were uncoordinated in their expression, resulting in mosaics of cancer cells with diverse CTA profiles. Coordinated expression was observed, however, mainly among highly structurally and evolutionarily related CTA genes. Importantly, a minor subset of CTAs, including PRAME and several members of the GAGE and MAGE-A families, were homogenously expressed in melanomas, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets. Extensive heterogeneity in CTA expression was also observed in lung cancer. However, the frequency of CTA-positive cancer cells was notably lower and homogenously expressed CTAs were only identified in one of five tumors in this cancer type. Our findings underscore the need for careful CTA target selection in immunotherapy development and clinical testing and offer a rational framework for identifying the most promising candidates.
Exploring the predictive potential of programmed death ligand 1 expression in healthy organs and lymph nodes as measured by18F-BMS-986192 PET: pooled analysis of data from four solid tumor types
Authors: Miedema Iris H C , Pouw Johanna E. E. , Kwakman Anne , Zwezerijnen Gerben J C , Huisman Marc C , Timmer Florentine E F , van de Ven Rieneke , de Gruijl Tanja D , Hospers Geke A P , de Langen Adrianus J , Menke-van der Houven van Oordt C Willemien
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can elicit anticancer immune responses, but predictive biomarkers are needed. We measured programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in organs and lymph nodes using18F-BMS-986192 positron emission tomography (PET)-imaging and looked for correlations with response and immune-related adverse events.

Methods

Four18F-BMS-986192 PET studies in patients with melanoma, lung, pancreatic and oral cancer, receiving ICI treatment, were combined. Imaging data (organ standardized uptake value (SUV)mean, lymph node SUVmax) and clinical data (response to treatment and incidence of immune-related adverse events) were extracted.

Results

Baseline PD-L1 uptake in the spleen was on average higher in non-responding patients than in responders (spleen SUVmean16.1±4.4 vs 12.5±3.4, p=0.02). This effect was strongest in lung cancer, and not observed in oral cancer. In the oral cancer cohort, benign tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) had higher PD-L1 uptake (SUVmax3.3 IQR 2.5-3.9) compared with non-TDLNs (SUVmax1.8, IQR 1.4-2.8 p=0.04). Furthermore, in the same cohort non-responders showed an increase in PD-L1 uptake in benign TDLNs on-treatment with ICIs (+15%), while for responders the PD-L1 uptake decreased (−11%). PD-L1 uptake did not predict immune-related adverse events, though elevated thyroid uptake on-treatment correlated with pre-existing thyroid disease or toxicity.

Conclusion

PD-L1 PET uptake in the spleen is a potential negative predictor of response to ICIs. On-treatment with ICIs, PD-L1 uptake in benign TDLNs increases in non-responders, while it decreases in responders, potentially indicating a mechanism for resistance to ICIs in patients with oral cancer.
Predictive utility of ANCA positivity and antigen specificity in the assessment of kidney disease in paediatric-onset small vessel vasculitis
Authors: Mann Simranpreet K , Bone Jeffrey N , Bosman Else S , Cabral David A , Morishita Kimberly A , Brown Kelly L
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The objective of this study is to evaluate whether anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) seropositivity and antigen specificity at diagnosis have predictive utility in paediatric-onset small vessel vasculitis.

Methods

Children and adolescents with small vessel vasculitis (n=406) stratified according to the absence (n=41) or presence of ANCA for myeloperoxidase (MPO) (n=129) and proteinase-3 (PR3) (n=236) were compared for overall and kidney-specific disease activity at diagnosis and outcomes between 1 and 2 years using retrospective clinical data from the ARChiVe/Paediatric Vasculitis Initiative registry to fit generalised linear models.

Results

Overall disease activity at diagnosis was higher in PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA-seropositive individuals compared with ANCA-negative vasculitis. By 1 year, there were no significant differences, based on ANCA positivity or specificity, in the likelihood of achieving inactive disease (~68%), experiencing improvement (≥87%) or acquiring damage (~58%). Similarly, and in contrast to adult-onset ANCA-associated vasculitis, there were no significant differences in the likelihood of having a relapse (~11%) between 1 and 2 years after diagnosis. Relative to PR3-ANCA, MPO-ANCA seropositivity was associated with a higher likelihood of kidney involvement (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.7, p=0.008) and severe kidney dysfunction (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stages 4–5; OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.77 to 13.57, p<0.001) at onset. Nonetheless, MPO-ANCA seropositive individuals were more likely to demonstrate improvement in kidney function (improved KDIGO category) within 1 year of diagnosis than PR3-ANCA seropositive individuals with similarly severe kidney disease at onset (p<0.001).

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest important paediatric-specific differences in the predictive value of ANCA compared with adult patients that should be considered when making treatment decisions in this population.
Quantifying sustained health system benefits of primary care-based integrated disease management for COPD: a 6-year interrupted time series study
Authors: Licskai Christopher , Hussey Anna , Rowley Véronique , Ferrone Madonna , Lu Zihang , Zhang Kimball , Terebessy Emilie , Scarffe Andrew , Sibbald Shannon , Faulds Cathy , O'Callahan Tim , To Teresa
Published: June 2024

Background

Severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a trajectory-changing life event for patients and a major contributor to health system costs. This study evaluates the real-world impact of a primary care, integrated disease management (IDM) programme on acute health service utilisation (HSU) in the Canadian health system.

Methods

Interrupted time series analysis using retrospective health administrative data, comparing monthly HSU event rates 3 years prior to and 3 years following the implementation of COPD IDM. Primary outcomes were COPD-related hospitalisation and emergency department (ED) visits. Secondary outcomes included hospital bed days and all-cause HSU.

Results

There were 2451 participants. COPD-related and all-cause HSU rates increased in the 3 years prior to IDM implementation. With implementation, there was an immediate decrease (month 1) in COPD-related hospitalisation and ED visit rates of −4.6 (95% CI: −7.76 to –1.39) and −6.2 (95% CI: –11.88, –0.48) per 1000 participants per month, respectively, compared with the counterfactual control group. After 12 months, COPD-related hospitalisation rates decreased: −9.1 events per 1000 participants per month (95% CI: –12.72, –5.44) and ED visits −19.0 (95% CI: –25.50, –12.46). This difference nearly doubled by 36 months. All-cause HSU also demonstrated rate reductions at 12 months, hospitalisation was −10.2 events per 1000 participants per month (95% CI: –15.79, –4.44) and ED visits were −30.4 (95% CI: –41.95, –18.78).

Conclusions

Implementation of COPD IDM in a primary care setting was associated with a changed trajectory of COPD-related and all-cause HSU from an increasing year-on-year trend to sustained long-term reductions. This highlights a substantial real-world opportunity that may improve health system performance and patient outcomes.
Environmental, social, and economic challenges to forest-based micro-entrepreneurship: a comparative case study in Finland
Authors: Luhas Jukka , Mikkilä Mirja
Published: June 2024

Countries worldwide, especially Nordic countries, have proposed a forest-based bioeconomy to halt systemic risks, such as climate change, and to create socioeconomic welfare. Entrepreneurs operating in various business sectors and regions face several complex challenges in this regard. However, the challenges faced by forest-based micro-entrepreneurs have not been addressed across various regions using systems thinking. This comparative case study aimed to identify the environmental, social, and economic challenges faced by forest-based micro-entrepreneurs and the spatial features of these challenges—their scale, interactions, and prevalence—in two different regions in Finland: Lapland and South Karelia. These regions’ economies rely heavily on the recreational value of nature and on the large-scale pulp and paper industries, respectively. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with micro-entrepreneurs from various sectors, such as forestry, logging, tourism, and natural products. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The framework used enabled a deeper spatial understanding of the challenges experienced by forest-based micro-entrepreneurs. The micro-entrepreneurs in the two case regions had great similarities in terms of themes related to trust, workload, and labor shortage. This may hinder the implementation of new practices in regional forest-based bioeconomy development. Future quantitative studies could validate the identified challenges for further policy development.
A method for updating variable radius plot surveys
Authors: Frank Bryce , Mauro Francisco , Harrington Constance A. , Ford Kevin R.
Published: June 2024

Variable radius plot surveys can require updated estimates when the quality of previous estimates have declined over time. We developed a statistical estimator for this purpose that is the product of two estimators, one estimator is for the updated volume-to-basal-area ratio and the other estimator is for the updated basal area. Our estimator relies only on the surveyor identifying previously measured trees and does not require the identification of ingrowth, which simplifies its application. We also propose a variance estimator that relies on the bootstrap method. We investigate the point and variance estimators under repeated sampling of stem-mapped populations that include five measurements over a period of approximately 20 years. Based on 144 sampling scenarios, our estimator demonstrated relative biases ranging between −0.3% and 0.8%. The bootstrap variance estimator tended to be deflated, with relative absolute biases ranging between −8% and 4%. When revisiting one third of the initially installed plots, our estimator obtained relative root mean square errors within 1.6% of an independent resurvey effort that does not use the prior survey. This implies that our estimator can substantially reduce field work while producing surveys of approximately the same quality when updating prior surveys.
ACM International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management October 21--25, 2024 at Boise, Idaho (USA)
Authors: Tommasel Antonela , Serra Edoardo , Spezzano Francesca , Gullo Francesco
Published: June 2024

The ACM International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM) provides a unique venue where both industry and academia can share and discuss cutting-edge research in various fields such as artificial intelligence, search and discovery, data mining, and database systems, all within a single conference. CIKM stands out as an ideal event to showcase technologies and insights that contribute to the realization of the big data and artificial intelligence vision for the future. CIKM 2024 will be held in Boise, Idaho (USA) and will bring together the major international research groups working on information and knowledge management, along with many of the world's leading companies active in e-commerce and other adjacent domains. Proceedings will be published by ACM as part of the ACM Digital Library.
Beyond Collaborative Filtering: A Relook at Task Formulation in Recommender Systems
Authors: Sun Aixin
Published: June 2024

Recommender Systems (RecSys) have become indispensable in numerous applications, profoundly influencing our everyday experiences. Despite their practical significance, academic research in RecSys often abstracts the formulation of research tasks from real-world contexts, aiming for a clean problem formulation and more generalizable findings. However, it is observed that there is a lack of collective understanding in RecSys academic research. The root of this issue may lie in the simplification of research task definitions, and an overemphasis on modeling the decision outcomes rather than the decision-making process. That is, we often conceptualize RecSys as the task of predicting missing values in a
static
user-item interaction matrix, rather than predicting a user's decision on the next interaction within a
dynamic, changing
, and
application-specific
context. There exists a mismatch between the inputs accessible to a model and the information available to users during their decision-making process, yet the model is tasked to predict users' decisions. While collaborative filtering is effective in learning general preferences from historical records, it is crucial to also consider the dynamic contextual factors in practical settings. Defining research tasks based on application scenarios using domain-specific datasets may lead to more insightful findings. Accordingly, viable solutions and effective evaluations can emerge for different application scenarios.
Upcoming Sigweb Supported Conferences
Authors: Eidloth Lisa
Published: June 2024

The Special Interest Group on Hypertext and the Web, SIGWEB was created in 1989 to support the community participating in the annual ACM Hypertext Conference. In its fourth decade, SIGWEB continues its efforts to support a wide range of communities and eight annual conferences. SIGWEB supports several specialized conferences, short courses, and workshops of different sizes, as well as the annual Hypertext Conference. SIGWEB sponsored conferences focus on timely topics in applied and computational hypertext and Web disciplines and provide a place for members and the entire applied Hypermedia and Web community to exchange ideas and to meet with and expand their network of colleagues. In this article, we provide a brief overview of SIGWEB sponsored conferences, in addition to events that are in cooperation with SIGWEB.
The Social Cognition Ability Evaluation of LLMs: A Dynamic Gamified Assessment and Hierarchical Social Learning Measurement Approach
Authors: Ni Qin , Yu Yangze , Ma Yiming , Lin Xin , Deng Ciping , Wei Tingjiang , Xuan Mo
Published: June 2024

Large Language Model(LLM) has shown amazing abilities in reasoning tasks, theory of mind(ToM) has been tested in many studies as part of reasoning tasks, and social learning, which is closely related to theory of mind, are still lack of investigation. However, the test methods and materials make the test results unconvincing. We propose a dynamic gamified assessment(DGA) and hierarchical social learning measurement to test ToM and social learning capacities in LLMs. The test for ToM consists of five parts. First, we extract ToM tasks from ToM experiments and then design game rules to satisfy the ToM task requirement. After that, we design ToM questions to match the game’s rules and use these to generate test materials. Finally, we go through the above steps to test the model. To assess the social learning ability, we introduce a novel set of social rules (three in total). Experiment results demonstrate that, except GPT-4, LLMs performed poorly on the ToM test but showed a certain level of social learning ability in social learning measurement.
An Algorithm for Reversible Logic Circuit Synthesis Based on Tensor Decomposition
Authors: Lee Hochang , Jeong Kyung Chul , Han Daewan , Kim Panjin
Published: June 2024

An algorithm for reversible logic synthesis is proposed. The task is, for a given
n
-bit substitution map, to find a sequence of reversible logic gates that implements the map. The gate library adopted in this work consists of multiple-controlled Toffoli gates with
m
control bits, where

\(m \in \lbrace 0, \ldots , n-1\rbrace\)

. Controlled gates with large
m
(> 2) are then further decomposed into smaller gates (

\(m \le 2\)

). A primary goal in designing the algorithm is to reduce the number of Toffoli gates, which is known to be universal.

The main idea is to view an
n
-bit substitution map as a rank-2
n
tensor and to transform it such that the resulting map can be written as a tensor product of a rank-(2
n
-2) tensor and the 2× 2 identity matrix. It can then be seen that the transformed map acts nontrivially on
n
-1 bits only, meaning that the map to be synthesized becomes (
n
-1)-bit substitution. This size reduction process is iteratively applied until it reaches a tensor product of only 2× 2 matrices.

The time complexity of the algorithm is exponential in
n
, as most previously known heuristic algorithms for reversible logic synthesis are, but it terminates within reasonable time for not too large
n
, which may find practical uses. As stated earlier, our primary target is to reduce the number of Toffoli gates in the output circuit. Benchmark results show that the algorithm works well for hard benchmark functions, but it does not seem advantageous when the function is structured. As an application, the algorithm is applied to find reversible circuits for cryptographic substitution boxes, which are often required in quantum cryptanalysis.
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: June 2024

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
SIGACT News Complexity Theory Column 121
Authors: Lee Volk Ben
Published: June 2024

This month, Pranjal Dutta and Sumanta Ghosh contributed an in-depth survey on the Polynomial Identity Testing problem, and the efforts made towards obtaining deterministic algorithms for testing identities for various models of algebraic circuits. I wish to thank Pranjal and Sumanta for their thorough work. I hope you enjoy reading their article.

On the next issues of SIGACT News, you can expect columns by Dean Doron (probably on probably on binary codes and the GV bound, but stay tuned!), by Stacey Jeffrey (on Quantum Las Vegas Algorithms and Composition), by Igor Carboni Oliveira (on Complexity Theory in Bounded Arithmetic: Recent Results and Current Frontiers) and by Noam Mazor (topic TBA).
YAP, TAZ, and Hippo-Dysregulating Fusion Proteins in Cancer
Authors: Driskill Jordan H. , Dermawan Josephine K. , Antonescu Cristina R. , Pan Duojia
Published: June 2024

Gene fusions are well-known drivers of cancer and are potent targets for molecular therapy. An emerging spectrum of human tumors harbors recurrent and pathognomonic gene fusions that involve the transcriptional coactivator YAP1 (which encodes the protein YAP) or its paralog WWTR1 (which encodes the protein TAZ). YAP and TAZ are frequently activated in cancer and are the transcriptional effectors of the Hippo pathway, a highly conserved kinase cascade that regulates diverse functions such as organ size, development, and homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the tumors that have YAP, TAZ, or other Hippo-dysregulating fusion proteins; the mechanisms of these fusion proteins in driving their respective tumors; and the potential vulnerabilities of these chimeric oncoproteins across cancers of many origins. Furthermore, as new YAP1 and WWTR1 gene fusions are discovered, we provide a framework to predict whether the resulting protein product is likely to be oncogenic.
Histone H3 Variants in the Multiverse of Cancer
Authors: Simeonova Iva , Almouzni Geneviève
Published: June 2024

Our understanding of cancer genomes has allowed for the integration of molecular data into histopathological classifications for routine stratification of patients. In the last 10–15 years, thanks to this systematic implementation of large-scale sequencing, the identification of hotspot somatic mutations in histone genes came into the limelight, underscoring the concept of oncohistones. As drivers in pediatric brain tumors, and in several other types of cancers, oncohistones brought a “new dimension of Strange” into the cancer multiverse, to paraphrase Marvel. An integrative approach to cancer complexity as a multidimensional projection is urgently needed to consider all relevant etiological, developmental, and evolutionary components. Here, we discuss recent progress on histone variants and chaperones, their regulation and alterations in cancers, the available in vivo models, and current treatment strategies. More specifically, we adopt a view through the lens of tissue-specific differences and means for genome expression and integrity maintenance.
How Hyperpolarization and the Recovery of Excitability Affect Propagation through a Virtual Anode in the Heart
Authors: Charteris Nicholas P. , Roth Bradley J.
Published: June 2024

Researchers have suggested that the fate of a shock‐induced wave front at the
edge of a “virtual anode” (a region hyperpolarized by the shock) is a key factor determining success or failure during defibrillation of the heart. In this paper, we use a simple one‐dimensional computer model to examine propagation speed through a hyperpolarized region. Our goal is to test the hypothesis that rapid propagation through a virtual anode can cause failure of propagation at the edge of the virtual anode. The calculations support this hypothesis and suggest that the time constant of the sodium inactivation gate is an important parameter. These results may be significant in understanding the mechanism of the upper limit of vulnerability.
An International Scoping Review of Empirical Research in Relation to the Recruitment and Assessment of LGBTQ+ Communities in the Adoption Process
Authors: Kelsall-Knight Lucille , Bradbury-Jones Caroline
Published: June 2024

Objectives. The goal of this review is to identify the experiences of the adoption assessment process for LGBTQ + adoptive parents. The intention is to highlight the scope of current literature, identify any research gaps, and from these, make recommendations for policy, practice, and research. Design. A scoping review. Methods. Social Policy and Practice, Medline, PsychINFO, ASSIA, British Education Index, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Scopus, Social Services Abstracts, and Google Scholar databases were searched. Articles were screened at the title and abstract level and at full text by two reviewers. The PAGER framework for scoping reviews was utilised. Results. A total of 413 articles were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 74 were also assessed at full text for eligibility. The 16 studies identified for inclusion originated from 6 different countries, with the most prevalent being the United States (10). Conclusions. Adoption processes are heterocentric which creates difficulty for LGBTQ + people in navigating them effectively. Examples of inclusive practice are evident in the literature. Process change and inclusion need to occur at organizational and policy levels rather than being the sole responsibility of social care practitioners. Future research is needed with underrepresented groups within the LGBTQ + community.
Adults with Treacher Collins Syndrome Share Comparable 3D Upper Airway Dimensions with Nonsyndromic Individuals
Authors: dos Inocentes Renan Jhordan Mettelziefen , de Almeida Ribeiro Alexandre , Marzano-Rodrigues Maria Noel , Yatabe-Ioshida Marília Sayako , Trindade-Suedam Ivy Kiemle
Published: June 2024

Purpose. Sleep apnea symptoms, such as snoring and daytime somnolence, are commonly observed in individuals with Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) and may be related to airway obstruction due to micro‐ and retro‐gnathia. This study aims to three‐dimensionally evaluate the upper airway using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) exams of adolescents (TCS‐ADOL) and adults (TCS‐ADUL) with TCS compared to a nonsyndromic group (CON). Materials and Methods. Twenty‐six CBCT exams were divided into three groups: TCS‐ADOL (n = 7) (13.14 ± 1.67 years): CBCT exams of TCS adolescents; TCS‐ADUL (n = 10) (21.80 ± 4.39 years): CBCT exams of TCS adults; and CON (n = 9) (25.33 ± 8.57 years): CBCT exams of adult nonsyndromic individuals with Class II skeletal pattern. The variables analyzed were (1) total upper airway volume; (2) nasal cavity volume; (3) total pharyngeal volume; (4) nasopharyngeal volume; (5) oropharyngeal volume; (6) pharyngeal minimal cross‐sectional area; (7) pharyngeal length; and (8) pharyngeal depth. Scans were analyzed by two examiners, and intra‐ and inter‐rater agreement was calculated. A p‐value of ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results. Although not statistically significant, the TCS‐ADUL group showed decreased airway volume and minimal cross‐sectional areas compared to the CON group. There were also significant differences between TCS‐ADOL and TCS‐ADUL, with significantly lower airway volumes in the TCS‐ADOL group. Strong positive correlations were found between certain airway measurements in the TCS‐ADOL group, which were not observed in adults. Conclusions. The upper airways of adults with TCS are dimensionally similar to those of nonsyndromic individuals, despite absolute value reductions found in the syndromic group. The reduced airway in the adolescent population suggests significant potential for growth, mainly in pharyngeal dimensions.
Unveiling Treatment Response Predictors in Predominant Subtypes of Chronic Inducible Urticaria
Authors: Ornek Ozdemir Sinem , Can Pelin Kuteyla , Degirmentepe Ece Nur , Kızıltaç Kübra , Singer Ralfi , Kocatürk Emek
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) is a subtype of chronic urticaria (CU), which requires specific triggers to occur. Despite their common occurrence, treatment response rates and predictors of treatment responses are largely lacking in the literature. This study evaluates antihistamine (AH) and omalizumab response rates in the most common CIndU subtypes and examines whether certain features can predict treatment responses. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed CU patients with at least one CIndU subtype and performed comparisons between subgroups, in a total of 423 patients (70% CIndU, 30% chronic spontaneous urticaria [CSU] plus CIndU). Results: The treatment response rates in CIndU were 51.6%, 51.5%, and 86.5% with standard-dose second-generation H1-antihistamines (sgAHs), updosed/combined sgAH, and omalizumab, respectively. Overall AH response was higher in CIndU than CSU plus CIndU (78.3% vs. 62%, p = 0.002) and in symptomatic dermographism (SD) and cold urticaria (ColdU) than cholinergic urticaria (ChoU) (83.2% vs. 78.3 vs. 60.9%, p = 0.04). AH-refractory patients had a longer disease duration (45.2 ± 56.7 months vs. 37 ± 51.9 months, p = 0.04), more angioedema, accompanying CSU, mixed CIndU subtypes (37.5% vs. 21.1%, p = 0.003; 45.1% vs. 27.1%, p = 0.002; 8.8% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.014), and lower baseline urticaria control test scores (5.86 ± 3.3 vs. 8.6 ± 3.6, p < 0.001) than AH-responsive patients. Conclusion: CIndU exhibits a good response to both AHs and omalizumab. Notably, the response to AHs is more pronounced in SD and ColdU compared to ChoU. Disease duration, angioedema, accompanying CSU, mixed CIndU, and lower baseline UCT scores may be used to predict AH treatment outcome in CIndU.
Evaluation of the Impact of Night Shift Work on Disease Severity in Psoriatic Patients: A Case-Control Study with Clinical, Hormonal, and Immunological Evaluation
Authors: Caldarola Giacomo , De Luca Eleonora , Barini Angelina , Basile Umberto , Carnazzo Valeria , Chiricozzi Andrea , Tolusso Barbara , Gremese Elisa , Di Nardo Lucia , Peris Ketty , De Simone Clara
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Night shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and has been associated with immune system alterations and various health conditions. However, there is limited data regarding its impact on psoriasis. The aim of our study was to compare psoriasis severity and the hormonal and immunological profile in patients with a night shift work to those with a daytime occupation. Methods: In this case-control study, we enrolled psoriatic patients aged >18 years engaged in night shift work and a control group of psoriatic patients with a daytime occupation. A further categorization was performed by the duration of night shift work: < or ≥7 days a month and < or ≥8 years. Disease severity was evaluated by PASI, BSA, and DLQI, and blood samples were taken to measure various hormonal and immunological markers. Univariable and multivariable analysis were performed to assess differences between the two groups. Results: A total of 40 night shift workers were included, along with 36 patients in the control group. Patients who worked night shifts at least 7 days a month had significantly higher PASI scores (11.2 ± 6.6 vs. 8.5 ± 6.6; p = 0.04) and higher IL-8 serum (115.33 ± 463.65 pg/mL vs. 19.98 ± 29.78 pg/mL; p = 0.006) compared to patients who did not. Night shifts workers for at least 8 years had higher BMI (28.65 ± 4.56 vs. 25.32 ± 5.50, p = 0.010), and females had higher testosterone levels (0.46 ± 0.53 ng/mL vs. 0.23 ± 0.13 ng/mL; p = 0.055). Conclusion: Night shift might increase psoriasis severity and have an impact on chronic inflammation, obesity, and hormonal imbalances.
Association of Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Musculoskeletal Symptoms with Central Sensitization-Related Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Mibu Akira , Manfuku Masahiro , Nishigami Tomohiko , Yamashita Hirofumi , Imai Ryota , Kanamori Hiroe , Sumiyoshi Kazuhiro
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Aromatase inhibitor (AI)-induced musculoskeletal symptoms (AIMSS) can decrease health-related quality of life and lead to discontinuation of AI therapy for postmenopausal women with breast cancer (BC). Although central sensitization (CS) may contribute to AIMSS, the relevance of CS-related symptoms to AIMSS has not been fully clarified. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between AIMSS and CS-related symptoms in women with BC who received AI therapy. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited women who underwent BC surgery before at least 1 year and were taking AI for at least 6 months. Participants were assessed for joint pain and CS-related symptoms using the central sensitization inventory (CSI). The severity of CS-related symptoms was classified into three groups, and the prevalence of AIMSS was calculated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between AIMSS and factors of possible relevance to AIMSS, including CSI severity. Results: Of the 73 women who were included in this study, 31 (42.4%) were categorized into the AIMSS group and 42 (57.6%) into the non-AIMSS group. Participants with a history of chemotherapy and higher CSI score were significantly more likely to have AIMSS. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a history of chemotherapy (odds ratio = 4.21) and higher CSI severity (odds ratio = 13.43) had significantly associated with AIMSS. Conclusion: CS-related symptoms assessed using CSI may be strongly associated with AIMSS. Further longitudinal studies to investigate the causal relationship and effectiveness of CS-targeted interventions are needed to prevent and treat AIMSS effectively.
Preciado e a asfixia contrassexual do cis-tema.
Authors: Silva Abel Calisto Bendito da
Published: June 2024

El filósofo, profesor y escritor español Paul B. Preciado es una de las principales voces de la teoría y los estudios queer en la actualidad, con aportes en estudios sobre el cuerpo, el sexo/género, la sexualidad y la pornografía. Esta reseña se centra en el primer libro del filósofo, el Manifiesto Contrasexual, en el que lo autor desentraña y critica la historicidad y la temporalidad del cis-tema sexo/género, a partir de producciones posestructuralistas en filosofía, historia y psicoanálisis como las de Judith. Butler, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Michel Foucault y Donna Haraway. La noción de contrasexualidad se configura como un concepto que contrapone el cis-tema sexo/género de los cuerpos-hombres y los cuerpos-mujeres, que apunta más que a rupturas en el orden vigente, apunta a su fin asfixiado. Durante el texto me centraré principalmente en el concepto de contrasexualidad, la visión de Preciado sobre las prácticas sexuales subversivas como el BDSM y, por último: la noción de dildo en el pensamiento de Preciado y los aportes del dildo a la contrasexualidad.
Identifying People at High Risk for Severe Aortic Stenosis: Aortic Valve Calcium Versus Lipoprotein(a) and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
Authors: Marrero Natalie , Jha Kunal , Razavi Alexander C. , Boakye Ellen , Anchouche Khalil , Dzaye Omar , Budoff Matthew J. , Tsai Michael Y. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Rotter Jerome I. , Guo Xiuqing , Yao Jie , Blumenthal Roger S. , Thanassoulis George , Post Wendy S. , Blaha Michael J. , Whelton Seamus P.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Aortic valve calcification (AVC), Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)], and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with severe aortic stenosis (AS). We aimed to determine which of these risk factors were most strongly associated with the risk of incident severe AS.

METHODS:

A total of 6792 participants from the MESA study (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) had computed tomography-quantified AVC, Lp(a), and LDL-C values at MESA visit 1 (2000–2002). We calculated the absolute event rate of incident adjudicated severe AS per 1000 person-years and performed multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS:

The mean age was 62 years old, and 47% were women. Over a median 16.7-year follow-up, the rate of incident severe AS increased exponentially with higher AVC, regardless of Lp(a) or LDL-C values. Participants with AVC=0 had a very low rate of severe AS even with elevated Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL (<0.1/1000 person-years) or LDL-C ≥130 mg/dL (0.1/1000 person-years). AVC >0 was strongly associated with severe AS when Lp(a) <50 mg/dL hazard ratio (HR) of 33.8 (95% CI, 16.4–70.0) or ≥50 mg/dL HR of 61.5 (95% CI, 7.7–494.2) and when LDL-C <130 mg/dL HR of 31.1 (95% CI, 14.4–67.1) or ≥130 mg/dL HR of 50.2 (95% CI, 13.2–191.9).

CONCLUSIONS:

AVC better identifies people at high risk for severe AS compared with Lp(a) or LDL-C, and people with AVC=0 have a very low long-term rate of severe AS regardless of Lp(a) or LDL-C level. These results suggest AVC should be the preferred prognostic risk marker to identify patients at high risk for severe AS, which may help inform participant selection for future trials testing novel strategies to prevent severe AS.
Individualised prediction of longitudinal change in multimodal brain imaging
Authors: Gong Weikang , Beckmann Christian F. , Smith Stephen M.
Published: June 2024

It remains largely unknown whether individualised longitudinal changes of brain imaging features can be predicted based only on the baseline brain images. This would be of great value, for example, for longitudinal data imputation, longitudinal brain-behaviour associations, and early prediction of brain-related diseases. We explore this possibility using longitudinal data of multiple modalities from UK Biobank brain imaging, with around 3,500 subjects. As baseline and follow-up images are generally similar in the case of short follow-up time intervals (e.g., 2 years), a simple copy of the baseline image may have a very good prediction performance. Therefore, for the first time, we propose a new mathematical framework for guiding the longitudinal prediction of brain images, providing answers to fundamental questions: (1) what is a suitable definition of longitudinal change; (2) how to detect the existence of changes; (3) what is the “null” prediction performance; and (4) can we distinguish longitudinal change prediction from simple data denoising. Building on these, we designed a deep U-Net based model for predicting longitudinal changes in multimodal brain images. Our results show that the proposed model can predict to a modest degree individualised longitudinal changes in almost all modalities, and outperforms other potential models. Furthermore, compared with the true longitudinal changes computed from real data, the predicted longitudinal changes have a similar or even improved accuracy in predicting subjects’ non-imaging phenotypes, and have a high between-subject discriminability. Our study contributes a new theoretical framework for longitudinal brain imaging studies, and our results show the potential for longitudinal data imputation, along with highlighting several caveats when performing longitudinal data analysis.
Making Austria German Again
Authors: Grube Eric
Published: June 2024

Years before the Second World War, there emerged an Austrofascist Ständestaat [Corporatist State] to the south of Nazi Germany. This Ständestaat would be subsumed into Germany during the Anschluss of 1938. Subsumption of Austrofascism into Nazism has also occurred in understandings of fascism. This article centers two paramilitary organizations—an Austrian Nazi Legion based in Bavaria and the Austrian-based Heimwehren [Home Guards]—to argue that German-speaking fascists functioned via internecine violence over Austria’s sovereignty. Fighting between the Heimwehren and Austrian Nazi Legionaries based in Bavaria culminated in a quasi-war across the Austro-Bavarian border, studied here from 1933 to 1934. This article showcases how fascist obsessions with total control came with an uncontrollable need for conflict over this contested borderland space. This tension undermined their claims of supremacy yet undergirded their supporters to fight harder against, ironically, other German-speaking fascists. As such, division was critical to their very formation. By taking this granular perspective, we acquire a better understanding of the convoluted history prior to the notorious Anschluss.