bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Source-configured symmetry-broken hyperbolic polaritons
Authors: Hu Caixing , Sun Tian , Zeng Ying , Ma Weiliang , Dai Zhigao , Yang Xiaosheng , Zhang Xinliang , Li Peining
Published: June 2023

Polaritons are quasi-particles that combine light with matter, enabling precise control of light at deep subwavelength scales. The excitation and propagation of polaritons are closely linked to the structural symmetries of the host materials, resulting in symmetrical polariton propagation in high-symmetry materials. However, in low-symmetry crystals, symmetry-broken polaritons exist, exhibiting enhanced directionality of polariton propagation for nanoscale light manipulation and steering. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate the existence of symmetry-broken polaritons, with hyperbolic dispersion, in a high-symmetry crystal. We show that an optical disk-antenna positioned on the crystal surface can act as an in-plane polarized excitation source, enabling dynamic tailoring of the asymmetry of hyperbolic polariton propagation in the high-symmetry crystal over a broad frequency range. Additionally, we provide an intuitive analysis model that predicts the condition under which the asymmetric polaritonic behavior is maximized, which is corroborated by our simulations and experiments. Our results demonstrate that the directionality of polariton propagation can be conveniently configured, independent of the structure symmetry of crystals, providing a tuning knob for the polaritonic response and in-plane anisotropy in nanophotonic applications.
A phase II trial of nivolumab for patients with platinum-refractory recurrent or metastatic salivary gland cancer.
Authors: Nagatani Yoshiaki , Kiyota Naomi , Yamazaki Tomoko , Asada Yukinori , Higashino Masaaki , Goto Masahiro , Satake Hironaga , Ota Ichiro , Uemura Hirokazu , Yane Katsunari , Tanaka Kaoru , Onoe Takuma , Iwae Shigemichi , Hirano Shigeru , Imamura Yoshinori , Kimbara Shiro , Nose Taku , Koyama Taiji , Funakoshi Yohei , Minami Hironobu
Published: June 2023

6092

Background: Salivary gland cancer is rare and has various pathological subtypes. With this rarity and heterogeneity, the therapeutic contribution of chemotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, for recurrent or metastatic salivary gland cancer (RM-SGC) has not been elucidated. The purpose of this trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of nivolumab for patients with platinum-refractory RM-SGC. Methods: This open-label, single-arm, multicenter phase II trial was conducted at 9 centers in Japan. Eligible patients had platinum-refractory recurrent or metastatic salivary gland cancer with measurable lesions by RECIST v1.1 and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 0, 1, or 2. Nivolumab 240 mg/body was administered intravenously every 2 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). We set the null hypothesis at 3% and the expected at 15% with a one-sided alfa of 0.1 and power of 80%. Secondary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: Twenty-four patients (16 males; median age, 65.5 years [range, 34-78 years]) were enrolled between March 2018 and January 2022. Pathological types were salivary duct carcinoma (n = 10), adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 6), adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (n = 5), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 2), and acinic cell carcinoma (n = 1). In the majority of cases the primary site was a major salivary gland (n = 21), namely the parotid gland in 16 patients and submandibular gland in 5. The primary endpoint of ORR was 8.3% (2/24, 80% CI, 2.2-20.6%), with 2 partial responses (PR) in patients with salivary duct carcinoma (2/10, ORR: 20.0%). DCR was 29.2% (7/24, 2 in PR and 5 in stable disease), and all of the other 17 patients（70.8%）showed progressive disease (PD) on first disease evaluation at 12 weeks. With a median follow up for survivors of 32.0 months, median PFS and OS were 3.0 months (95% CI, 2.8-3.2 months) and 25.0 months (95% CI, 10.9-39.1 months), respectively. There was no new safety concern with nivolumab monotherapy. Conclusions: This phase II trial of nivolumab monotherapy for patients with platinum-refractory RM-SGC did not meet its primary endpoint of ORR. Although nivolumab monotherapy may be worth further development in salivary duct carcinoma, these results may raise concerns over nivolumab monotherapy for RM-SGC. Translational research to elucidate the immune microenvironment of each pathological type is under investigation. Clinical trial information: UMIN000029636 .
Comparison of real-world mortality data among patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) treated in the community oncology setting.
Authors: Cosgrove David , Aguilar Kathleen , Wang Yunfei , Sykes Charles , Reinwald Sarah , Kubisiak Emily , Su Zhaohui , Chandrasekaran Vasu , Stees Larisa , Iyer Rupa , Robert Nicholas J.
Published: June 2023

e18805

Background: Evaluation of endpoints in oncology research requires accurate assessment of patients’ vital status. For real-world investigations of cancer populations, comprehensive capture of patients’ death dates may require several data sources. The intent of this evaluation was to assess capture of documented death dates across multiple datasets in the US community oncology setting. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients with GBM or mPC who initiated treatment between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019 within The US Oncology Network. Patient demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics were sourced from an electronic health record (EHR) database, iKnowMed (iKM). Patients were followed until January 2023 with death dates captured from the iKM EHR (structured and unstructured fields), the iKM claims database, the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File, as well as a commercially available mortality dataset from Datavant comprised of obituary, claims and government records. Chart review was used to confirm if patients were alive on 15 January 2023. The overall capture rate of death information from each source was evaluated descriptively. Agreement was assessed using two approaches: 1) as death dates that were an exact match between sources and 2) as death dates that occurred within 30 days of each other and/or within the same month. Results: A total of 173 patients with GBM (median age 65 years, median follow-up time 12.0 months) and 990 patients with mPC (median age 68 years, median follow-up time 7.1 months) were included. Across all sources, 91.1% of the pooled population had at least one documented death date or were confirmed to be alive (85.5% and 92.1% of patients with GBM and mPC, respectively). Among patients with full day-month-year death dates from at least 2 sources (n = 835), 95.4% of death records were matched on the exact death dates. Among patients with any death record from at least 2 sources (n = 852), 99.3% of death records were matched within 30 days of each other or within the same month. Conclusions: The findings of this study describe the capture rate of mortality and vitality status in the US community oncology setting. Future analyses are planned to augment these assessments of concordance, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value across the sources with comparison to death dates captured by the National Death Index. These insights are important for development of composite mortality databases, comprised of death information from multiple sources using appropriate tokenization and overlap methodologies.
Efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus cabozantinib vs cabozantinib alone after progression with prior immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Primary PFS analysis from the phase 3, randomized, open-label CONTACT-03 study.
Authors: Choueiri Toni K. , Albiges Laurence , Tomczak Piotr , Suárez Cristina , Voss Martin H. , de Velasco Guillermo , Chahoud Jad , Procopio Giuseppe , Mahammedi Hakim , Zengerling Friedemann , Kim Chan , Gupta Suyasha , Bergthold Guillaume , Liu Bo , Kalaitzidou Melania , Huseni Mahrukh A. , Scheffold Christian , Powles Thomas , Pal Sumanta Kumar
Published: June 2023

LBA4500

Background: ICI-based regimens are the standard of care for first-line (1L) treatment of metastatic clear cell (cc) RCC. Treatment options following disease progression during or after ICI therapy are limited but can include single-agent TKIs, such as cabozantinib (cabo). CONTACT-03 evaluated anti–PD-L1 atezolizumab (atezo) + cabo vs cabo alone in patients (pts) with metastatic RCC that progressed during or after prior ICI treatment and is the first phase 3 randomized trial to test the benefit of ICI rechallenge by direct addition to a control arm. Methods: CONTACT-03 enrolled pts with histologically confirmed, inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic cc or non-cc RCC, regardless of PD-L1 status, that progressed on or after ICI treatment. Randomization was 1:1 to atezo (1200 mg IV q3w) plus cabo (60 mg oral qd) or cabo alone. Stratification factors were IMDC risk factors (0 vs 1-2 vs ≥3); most recent line of prior ICI therapy (adjuvant vs 1L vs 2L); and histology (dominant cc without sarcomatoid vs dominant non-cc [papillary or unclassified] without sarcomatoid vs cc or non-cc with any sarcomatoid component). The multiple primary efficacy endpoints were centrally reviewed RECIST 1.1 PFS and OS. Key secondary endpoints were investigator (INV)-assessed PFS, centrally reviewed RECIST 1.1 ORR and DOR and safety. Results: Of 522 pts randomized to atezo + cabo (n=263) or cabo (n=259), 55% and 51% had most recent ICI in the 1L setting and 10% and 11% had sarcomatoid RCC, respectively. At the data cutoff (Jan 3, 2023), median follow-up was 15.2 mo. No PFS or OS benefit was observed with atezo + cabo vs cabo. ORR was 41% in both arms; DOR was 12.7 (95% CI: 10.5, 17.4) mo with atezo + cabo and 14.8 (95% CI: 11.3, 20.0) mo with cabo. All-cause Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 68% (177/262) and 62% (158/256) of safety-evaluable pts receiving atezo + cabo or cabo, respectively; all-cause Grade 5 AEs occurred in 6% and 4%. AEs leading to treatment withdrawal occurred in 16% of pts on atezo + cabo and 4% on cabo. Conclusions: The addition of atezo to cabo did not improve clinical outcomes and led to increased toxicity in patients with RCC that progressed on or after prior ICI treatment. CONTACT-03 is the first randomized, phase III oncology trial to test the benefit of PD-(L)1 inhibitor continuation by direct addition to a standard control arm; the results prompt caution with this approach in other cancers. Clinical trial information: NCT04338269 . [Table: see text]
Intracranial efficacy of sotorasib versus docetaxel in pretreated KRAS G12C-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Practice-informing data from a global, phase 3, randomized, controlled trial (RCT).
Authors: Dingemans Anne-Marie C. , Syrigos Konstantinos , Livi Lorenzo , Paulus Astrid , Kim Sang-We , Chen Yuanbin , Felip Enriqueta , Griesinger Frank , Ohashi Kadoaki , Zalcman Gerard , Hughes Brett Gordon Maxwell , Sorensen Jens Benn , Blais Normand , Ferreira Carlos G. M. , Lindsay Colin R , Dziadziuszko Rafal , Ward Patrick J. , Obiozor Cynthia Chinedu , Wang Yang , Peters Solange
Published: June 2023

LBA9016

Background: Brain metastases are common (~30%) in patients (pts) with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC and have a negative impact on survival and quality of life (QOL). In the CodeBreaK 200 global, phase 3 RCT, sotorasib was the first oral KRASG12C inhibitor to show improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR), with a better toxicity profile and QOL, compared with intravenous docetaxel in pretreated KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC. Here we describe the first RCT data evaluating the intracranial (IC) efficacy of sotorasib versus docetaxel from the CodeBreaK 200 study. Methods: Pts with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC who progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor were randomized 1:1 to sotorasib (960 mg daily; n=171) or docetaxel (75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks; n=174). Patients with treated, stable (non-progressing) brain metastases were eligible for study. Baseline brain imaging, by contrast enhanced MRI, was performed for all pts at screening. For pts with history of or brain metastasis at baseline, the brain MRI was repeated at every subsequent imaging assessment (every 6 weeks). A post-hoc analysis on IC efficacy (CNS PFS and time to CNS recurrence) was assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) per modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases (mRANO-BM). Systemic response was also assessed by RECIST 1.1. Results: CNS metastases by imaging at baseline were present in 40 pts (23%) in the sotorasib arm and 29 pts (17%) in the docetaxel arm (full analysis set, FAS). With a median follow-up of 20.0 months, the median systemic PFS by RECIST 1.1 in the FAS was 6.1 months versus 4.5 months (HR 0.57 [95% CI: 0.30, 1.07], P=0.045) for sotorasib versus docetaxel, respectively. Time to CNS recurrence in the FAS was 9.6 months with sotorasib versus 5.4 months with docetaxel (HR 0.84 [95% CI: 0.32, 2.19], P=0.37). Treatment-related adverse events of any grade occurred in 77.5% of pts treated with sotorasib versus 89.7% of pts treated with docetaxel. Conclusions: In the first randomized evaluation of IC activity of any KRASG12C inhibitor, sotorasib demonstrated a reduced risk of progression and trend towards delayed time to CNS recurrence versus docetaxel in patients with pretreated KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC who had treated, stable brain metastases. These results suggest IC activity with sotorasib to complement the overall PFS benefit observed with sotorasib versus docetaxel. Clinical trial information: NCT04303780 .
First-line (1L) nivolumab (N) + ipilimumab (I) + chemotherapy (C) vs C alone in patients (pts) with metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC) from CheckMate 9LA: 4-y clinical update and outcomes by tumor histologic subtype (THS).
Authors: Carbone David Paul , Ciuleanu Tudor-Eliade , Schenker Michael , Cobo-Dols Manuel , Bordenave Stephanie , Juan-Vidal Oscar , Janoski De Menezes Juliana , Reinmuth Niels , Richardet Eduardo , Cheng Ying , Mizutani Hideaki , Paz-Ares Luis G. , Lu Shun , John Tom , Zhang Xiaoqing , Hu Nan , Balli David , Baxi Vipul , Neely Jaclyn , Reck Martin
Published: June 2023

LBA9023

Background: In CheckMate 9LA (NCT03215706), 1L N + I + C demonstrated durable survival benefit in pts with mNSCLC vs C alone. Here, we report updated efficacy and safety with a 4-y minimum (min) follow-up (f/u) as well as exploratory analyses of efficacy by THS, a known prognostic indicator for NSCLC. Methods: Adults with stage IV/recurrent NSCLC (no known sensitizing EGFR/ALK alterations) and ECOG PS ≤ 1 were randomized 1:1 to N 360 mg Q3W + I 1 mg/kg Q6W + 2 cycles of C (n = 361) or 4 cycles of C alone (n = 358). Pts were stratified by sex, PD-L1 (< 1% vs ≥ 1%), and histology (squamous [SQ] vs non-squamous [NSQ]). Maintenance pemetrexed was allowed in the C arm (NSQ NSCLC). Assessments included OS, PFS, ORR, safety, treatment (tx)-free interval (TFI; time from last study dose to start of first subsequent systemic tx or death), and efficacy by THS (solid, acinar, or other, per modified WHO classification). Results: At a min f/u of 47.9 mo (database lock, Feb 2023; median f/u, 54.5 mo), N + I + C continued to provide long-term, durable OS benefit vs C in all randomized pts (HR, 0.74 [95% CI 0.63–0.87]; 4-y OS rates, 21% vs 16%, respectively). Similar clinical benefit was seen for N + I + C vs C across tumor PD-L1 or histology subgroups (table). In all pts treated with N + I + C (n = 358), median TFI was 2.2 mo, with 11% remaining tx-free and alive at 4y. In pts who discontinued all components of N + I + C due to tx-related adverse events (n = 61), 4-y OS rate was 41%; median TFI was 10.6 mo, with a 4-y TFI rate of 27%. In an exploratory analysis in pts with evaluable NSQ NSCLC tissue (n = 310; min f/u 36.1 mo), median OS was longer with N + I + C vs C in both solid (16.6 vs 9.3 mo) and acinar (18.7 vs 12.9 mo) THS. Updated efficacy by THS will be presented. No new safety signals were identified with longer f/u. Conclusions: With a 4-y min f/u, pts treated with N + I + C continued to derive long-term, durable efficacy benefit vs C regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression or histology, with greater magnitude of benefit in pts with tumor PD-L1 < 1% or SQ histology. Exploratory analyses suggested OS benefit with N + I + C vs C in both solid and acinar subtypes. Together, these data further reinforce the use of N + I + C as an efficacious 1L tx option for pts with mNSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT03215706 . [Table: see text]
Pregnancy-associated Steroid Effects on Insulin Sensitivity, Adipogenesis, and Lipogenesis: Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Alex Neethu Sara , Khan Habibur Rahaman , Ramachandra Subbaraya Gudde , Medhamurthy Rudraiah
Published: June 2023

Context

The shift in maternal energy metabolism characteristic of pregnancy is thought to be driven by various hormonal changes, especially of ovarian and placental steroids. Imbalances in circulating estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels during this period are often associated with metabolic disturbances leading to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Since abnormalities in the Wnt pathway effector transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) are commonly associated with the occurrence of GDM, we hypothesized that the canonical or β-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling pathway mediates the metabolic actions of E2 and P4.

Objective

Our study was aimed at elucidating the metabolic function of the steroids E2 and P4, and examining the role of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in mediating the actions of these steroids.

Methods

The ovariectomized (OVX) rat was used as a model system to study the effect of known concentrations of exogenously administered E2 and P4. Niclosamide (Nic) was administered to block Wnt signaling. 3T3-L1 cells were used to analyze changes in differentiation in the presence of the steroids or niclosamide.

Results

In the present study, we observed that E2 enhanced insulin sensitivity and inhibited lipogenesis while P4 increased lipogenic gene expression—in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of OVX rats when the dosage of E2 and P4 mimicked that of pregnancy. Both E2 and P4 were also found to upregulate Wnt signaling. Nic nhibited the steroid-mediated increase in Wnt signaling in adipocytes and OVX rats. The insulin-sensitizing and antilipogenic actions of E2 were found to be mediated by the canonical Wnt pathway, but the effects of P4 on lipogenesis appeared to be independent of it. Additionally, it was observed that inhibition of Wnt signaling by Nic hastened adipogenic differentiation, and the inhibitory effect of E2 on differentiation was prevented by Nic.

Conclusion

The findings presented in this study highlight the role of steroids and Wnt pathway in glucose and lipid metabolism and are relevant to understanding the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders arising from hormonal disturbances.
Age at Menarche, age at Natural Menopause, and Risk of Lung and Colorectal Cancers: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Denos Marion , Sun Yi-Qian , Jiang Lin , Brumpton Ben Michael , Mai Xiao-Mei
Published: June 2023

Background

The roles of age at menarche and age at menopause in the etiology of lung and colorectal cancers are unclear.

Objective

We aimed to investigate potential causal associations between age at menarche, age at natural menopause, and risk of lung and colorectal cancers using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

Methods

From the Trøndelag Health Study in Norway, we defined two cohorts of 35 477 and 17 118 women to study the effects of age at menarche and age at natural menopause, respectively. We ran univariable MR to evaluate the potential causal associations. We performed multivariable MR adjusting for genetic variants of adult body mass index (BMI) to estimate the direct effect of age at menarche.

Results

Genetically predicted 1-year increase in age at menarche was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer overall (hazard ratio [HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48-0.86), lung adenocarcinoma (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.38-0.99), and lung non-adenocarcinoma (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.95). After adjusting for adult BMI using a multivariable MR model, the direct effect estimates reduced to HR 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54-0.95) for lung cancer overall, HR 0.67 (95% CI, 0.43-1.03) for lung adenocarcinoma, and HR 0.77 (95% CI, 0.54-1.09) for lung non-adenocarcinoma. Age at menarche was not associated with colorectal cancer. Moreover, genetically predicted age at natural menopause was not associated with lung and colorectal cancers.

Conclusion

Our MR study suggested that later age at menarche was causally associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer overall and its subtypes, and adult BMI might be a mediator.
Gender-Based Disparities in Academic Productivity Arise During Neurosurgery Residency: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ong Vera , Harary Maya , Mozaffari Khashayar , Mekonnen Mahlet , Hwang Leslie , Patel Shravan , Mahgerefteh Natalie , Nayeri Diba , Chandla Anubhav , Duong Courtney , Yang Isaac , Aghi Manish K.
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND:

Although female neurosurgery residents are increasing, women remain underrepresented in academic leadership.

OBJECTIVES:

To assess academic productivity differences between male and female neurosurgery residents.

METHODS:

We used the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education records to obtain 2021–2022 recognized neurosurgery residency programs. Gender was dichotomized into male/female by male-presenting/female-presenting status. Extracted variables included degrees/fellowships from institutional websites, number of preresidency and total publications from PubMed, and h-indices from Scopus. Extraction occurred from March to July 2022. Residency publication number and h-indices were normalized by postgraduate year. Linear regression analyses were conducted to assess factors associated with numbers of in-residency publications. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS:

Of 117 accredited programs, 99 had extractable data. Information from 1406 residents (21.6% female) was successfully collected. 19 687 and 3261 publications were evaluated for male residents and female residents, respectively. Male and female residents' median preresidency publication numbers did not significantly differ (M:3.00 [IQR 1.00-8.50] vs F:3.00 [IQR 1.00-7.00], P = .09), nor did their h-indices. However, male residents had significantly higher median residency publications than female residents (M:1.40 [IQR 0.57-3.00] vs F:1.00 [IQR 0.50-2.00], P < .001). On multivariable linear regression, male residents (odds ratio [OR] 2.05, 95% CI 1.68-2.50, P < .001) and residents with more preresidency publications (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.16-1.18, P < .001) had higher likelihood of publishing more during residency, controlling for other covariates.

CONCLUSION:

Without publicly available, self-identified gender designation for each resident, we were limited to review/designate gender based on male-presenting/female-presenting status from gender conventions of names/appearance. Although not an ideal measurement, this helped show that during neurosurgical residency, male residents publish significantly more than female counterparts. Given similar preresidency h-indices and publication records, this is unlikely explained by differences in academic aptitude. In-residency gender barriers to academic productivity must be acknowledged and addressed to improve female representation within academic neurosurgery.
Η εξέλιξη της ενδοεπιχειρησιακής κατάρτισης στην Ελλάδα
Authors: Αγαγιώτου Σμαρώ
Published: June 2023

Η παρούσα έρευνα πραγματεύεται τη μελέτη των σχέσεων μεταξύ των δράσεων κατάρτισης, των εκροών ΔΑΠ και των επιδόσεων των εργαζομένων, σε συνδυασμό με τη μελέτη των επαρκειών τους, όπως διαμορφώνονται στο πλαίσιο λειτουργίας αλυσίδας καταστημάτων καφέ στον κλάδο της εστίασης. Για τις ανάγκες της έρευνας επιλέχθηκε η μέθοδος της τριγωνοποίησης, με τη διεξαγωγή ποσοτικής και ποιοτικής έρευνας. Το δείγμα της ποσοτικής έρευνας ήταν 402 εργαζόμενοι στην υπό μελέτη εταιρεία. Τα ψυχομετρικά εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ήταν το “The Great Eight Competencies” του Bartram (2005) για την αξιολόγηση των επαρκειών, το Ερωτηματολόγιο για την Εργασιακή Κατάρτιση και την Εργασιακή Ικανοποίηση (Schmidt, 2004a), το Ερωτηματολόγιο Εργασιακής Δέσμευσης των Schaufeli και συν. (2002), το Ερωτηματολόγιο Οργανωσιακής Αφοσίωσης των Porter, Steers και Mowday (1974), το Ερωτηματολόγιο για το Ομαδικό Εργασιακό Κλίμα των Anderson και West (1996) και η Κλίμακα για την Παραγωγικότητα στην Εργασία των Williams και Anderson (1991). Η ποιοτική έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε με δείγμα 18 άτομα, τα οποία συμμετείχαν και στην ποσοτική έρευνα. Ως εργαλείο συλλογής δεδομένων χρησιμοποιήθηκε ημιδομημένη συνέντευξη που δημιουργήθηκε με βάση τους σκοπούς της έρευνας. Τα αποτελέσματα της ποσοτικής και της ποιοτικής έρευνας έδειξαν πως εντοπίζονται σημαντικές σχέσεις ανάμεσα στην κατάρτιση και τις επιμέρους διαστάσεις της, στις εκροές ΔΑΠ και την παραγωγικότητα των εργαζομένων στην υπό μελέτη αλυσίδα καταστημάτων καφέ. Παράλληλα, οι δεξιότητες και ικανότητες των εργαζομένων σχετίζονται με την παραγωγικότητά τους. Σημαντικό εύρημα αποτελεί η αρνητική σχέση του εκπαιδευτικού επιπέδου με τις εκροές ΔΑΠ και την παραγωγικότητα των εργαζομένων, επισημαίνοντας το μείζον ζήτημα της αναντιστοιχίας σπουδών και εργασίας. Τα αποτελέσματα αναδεικνύουν τη σημασία της κατάρτισης των εργαζομένων για την απόκτηση επαρκειών, την ανάπτυξη της εργασιακής τους ευημερίας και την ενίσχυση της παραγωγικότητάς τους, με αποτέλεσμα την αναβάθμιση του ανθρώπινου κεφαλαίου και την ανάπτυξη ανταγωνιστικού πλεονεκτήματος της χώρας στις σύγχρονες συνθήκες που προστάζει η οικονομική ανισορροπία στο σύγχρονο επιχειρηματικό περιβάλλον.
The feasibility of establishing parent support groups for children with congenital Zika syndrome and their families: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Smythe Tracey , Reichenberger Veronika , Pinzón Elisa María , Hurtado Isabel Cristina , Rubiano Luisa , Kuper Hannah
Published: June 2023

Background: The 2015 – 2016 Zika epidemic highlighted gaps in health and social care services for parents of children with developmental disabilities. In response, we developed the ‘Juntos’ intervention, a 10 week community-based early intervention support group for parents of children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). The intervention's components include participatory learning sessions, practical skill acquisition, peer support, and psychological support, aiming to improve caregiver’s knowledge and confidence in caring for their children. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing ‘Juntos’ in Colombia.

Methods: Two facilitators delivered ‘Juntos’ to four groups of 8-10 caregivers between 2017 and 2018. One researcher observed each group. Data were collected from: observation notes from 40 sessions, focus group discussions held after each session, pre- post intervention questionnaires with 34 caregivers, and semi-structured interviews conducted with four facilitators, 12 caregivers and three stakeholders. We used the Bowen framework in data analysis.

Results: The feasibility evaluation revealed that 'Juntos' was highly acceptable and in demand among the target population. The intervention was predominantly delivered with fidelity. Practicality was facilitated by providing transport costs and selecting convenient locations. Additional organisational and social media support was required for successful implementation. Community health worker training may support integration and the established groups could facilitate programme expansion. However, participants perceived lack of prioritisation as a limitation within existing health systems. Participants’ knowledge and confidence to care for their child improved after programme enrolment.

Conclusion: The 'Juntos' intervention demonstrated high acceptability, demand, and practicality in supporting parents of children with CZS in Colombia. However, its implementation faces challenges due to existing gaps in health system support for children with CZS.
Foregrounding the voice of the infant: New child pledge published by Scottish Government
Authors: McFadyen Anne
Published: June 2023

New guidelines for how to take account of infants' views and rights in all encounters they may have with professionals have been published by the Scottish Government. Dr Anne McFadyen, co-chair of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Advisory Group for the Scottish Government, outlines the context and aims of the pledge.
Why the need for high quality CPD for the early years sector has never been so great
Authors: Lawrence Steph
Published: June 2023

Steph Lawrence, senior education adviser for the Early Years Professional Development Programme delivered by the Education Development Trust (EDT), shares her thoughts on the importance of prioritising CPD for early years staff at a time when the impact of the pandemic is being seen on child development.
Nurturing number sense in early years: The key to maths skills for life
Authors: McKinney Breda
Published: June 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced proposals for all pupils to study maths until age 18. Specialist teacher and SEND advisor, Breda McKinney outlines the importance of high-quality maths teaching in early years instead, to enable children to sucessfully develop strong maths skills for life.
To aspirate or not to aspirate…… that is the question
Authors: Recchia Melanie
Published: June 2023

Registered nurse Melanie Recchia reflects on discussions surrounding pre-dermal filler injection aspirations back in April's BACN spring symposium
Logical Foundations for Reasoning in Cyber - Physical Systems
Authors: Gopal T V
Published: June 2023

This paper aims at building the causal relations and event structures13 to study the complex and evolving cyber – physical systems with illustrations of the reasoning based on Robotics24 and Policy Analysis25 for Communication Systems. An empirical analysis points to the realism that network security is also a geometric theory with safety and authentication tending to geometric formulae that make the larger structures. Security is very much a matter of perception too. The proposed approach also factors the perceptual aspects of the human mind. This paper includes several interesting possibilities for using linear algebra, discrete mathematics, analysis, and topology in the domains such as economics, game theory, robotics and biology to mention a few.
A Reinforcement Learning Paradigm for Cybersecurity Education and Training
Authors: Kabanda Professor Gabriel , Chipfumbu Colletor Tendeukai , Chingoriwo Tinashe
Published: June 2023

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a type of ML, which involves learning from interactions with the environment to accomplish certain long-term objectives connected to the environmental condition. RL takes place when action sequences, observations, and rewards are used as inputs, and is hypothesis-based and goal-oriented. The key asynchronous RL algorithms are Asynchronous one-step Q learning, Asynchronous one-step SARSA, Asynchronous n-step Q-learning and Asynchronous Advantage Actor-Critic (A3C). The paper ascertains the Reinforcement Learning (RL) paradigm for cybersecurity education and training. The research was conducted using a largely positivism research philosophy, which focuses on quantitative approaches of determining the RL paradigm for cybersecurity education and training. The research design was an experiment that focused on implementing the RL Q-Learning and A3C algorithms using Python. The Asynchronous Advantage Actor-Critic (A3C) Algorithm is much faster, simpler, and scores higher on Deep Reinforcement Learning task. The research was descriptive, exploratory and explanatory in nature. A survey was conducted on the cybersecurity education and training as exemplified by Zimbabwean commercial banks. The study population encompassed employees and customers from five commercial banks in Zimbabwe, where the sample size was 370. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has been used to address a variety of issues in the Internet of Things. DRL heavily utilizes A3C algorithm with some Q-Learning, and this can be used to fight against intrusions into host computers or networks and fake data in IoT devices.
A study on the skin improvement effect of Castanea crenata Inner Shell distilled herbal medicine
Authors: Koo Jin Suk
Published: June 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to find out the efficacy of Castanea crenata Inner Shell (CCIS) distilled herbal medicine on the skin by comparing the difference effect between only simple distilled water and the CCIS distilled herbal medicine application after MTS (microneedle therapy system) treatment.Methods: The present author performed once a week and total 4 times of MTS treatment. The treatment time took about 5~10 minutes and the depth of the needle was adjusted according to the participant's skin condition. In the control group, simple distilled water was applied after MTS and in the experimental group, CCIS distilled herbal medicine was applied. One week after each treatment, the change of skin condition was measured. Two weeks after the end of the clinical trial, the skin condition was checked again.Results: In the case of the test group, there was a significant decrease in pore size and there was a significant increase in U-zone oil, skin tone and elasticity. The test group using distilled herbal medicine showed a significant effect on facial skin compared to the control group using only simple distilled water.Conclusion: Distilled herbal medicine showed an effective action on facial skin. In the case of CCIS distilled herbal medicine, it was found to have a significant effect on U-zone oil content, skin tone, pores, and skin elasticity.
The Role and Policy of Korean Medicine Doctor for the Prevention and Management of Infectious Diseases: A Mixed-Methods Approach
Authors: Kim Juchul , Chun Heasun , Lee HeeJung , Leem Jungtae
Published: June 2023

Objectives: This study investigated the role of Korean medicine doctors in the national quarantine system and the status of their duties through questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with Korean medicine staff who participated in COVID-19 work.Methods: We developed a questionnaire survey to investigate the status and perception of Korean medicine doctors’ participation in responding to infectious diseases, and the results were derived by conducting frequency analysis and T-test using SPSS program. The measurement variables of this study were the status of COVID-19 related work participation and perception of Korean medicine doctors’ role in infectious diseases, and the maximum significance level was 0.05.Results: There were 300 respondents to the survey, and as for the COVID-19 related work, Korean medicine treatment for COVID-19 patients accounted for the most(52.7%), and various preventive and treatment tasks such as epidemiological investigations and specimen collection were conducted.Conclusion: According to this study, it was confirmed that there are sufficient legal and administrative grounds for Korean medicine doctors to perform specimen collection and epidemiological investigations. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a policy framework to solidify the status of Korean medicine doctors in national infectious diseases in the future.
A Survey on Public Health Doctor of Korean Medicine Participating in School Doctor of Korean Medicine Program
Authors: Shim Soo Bo , Lee Hyun Hee , Lee Seung Hwan , Hwang Man-Ki , Park Jeong-Su , Park Seong Joo , Lim Seok Hyeon , Chang Seok Joo , Lee Hye Lim
Published: June 2023

Objectives: This study provides basic data for activating the school doctor of Korean medicine (SDKM) program by conducting a questionnaire survey for public health doctor of Korean medicine (PHDKM)Methods: The survey questionnaire was produced by referring to the previous satisfaction survey studies for the Doctor of Korean medicine applying for the SDKM program (SDKMP). The survey questionnaire was composed of 10 questions regarding the satisfaction level, difficulties in progress, and suggestions for activation. The survey was conducted online for a total of 35 PHDKM applying for SDKMP, and 32 responses were collected.Results: Of the 32 subjects, 9 (28.1%) conducted the SDKMP. The total satisfaction level of the SDKMP was 3.69 ± 1.12 points. The lack of a standardized manual and information system was the most difficult in the program’s progress (43.8%), followed by the bad cooperation of the public health centers (40.6%), and the lack of personal circumstances (40.6%). The establishment of a system to enlist cooperation with related institutions was suggested the most as a question for activating the SDKMP (71.9%), followed by the expansion of the SDKMP manual and guidance system (53.1%), and the expansion of publicity about SDKMP (37.5%).Conclusions: To activate the SDKMP in a public health environment, it is necessary to improve the system to enlist cooperation with related institutions. Also, the need to expand the standardized manual, the guidance system, and the education to PHDKM about SDKMP.
Network pharmacology-based prediction of efficacy and mechanism of Chongmyunggongjin-dan acting on Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kweon Bitna , Ryu Sumin , Kim Dong-Uk , Oh Jin-Young , Jang Mi-Kyung , Park Sung-Joo , Bae Gi-Sang
Published: June 2023

Objectives: Network pharmacology is a method of constructing and analyzing a drug-compound-target network to predict potential efficacy and mechanisms related to drug targets. In that large-scale analysis can be performed in a short time, it is considered a suitable tool to explore the function and role of herbal medicine. Thus, we investigated the potential functions and pathways of Chongmyunggongjin-dan (CMGJD) on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) via network pharmacology analysis.Methods: Using public databases and PubChem database, compounds of CMGJD and their target genes were collected. The putative target genes of CMGJD and known target genes of AD were compared and found the correlation. Then, the network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1. and functional enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Gene Ontology (GO) Biological process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathways to predict the mechanisms.Results: The result showed that total 104 compounds and 1157 related genes were gathered from CMGJD. The network consisted of 1157nodes and 10034 edges. 859 genes were interacted with AD gene set, suggesting that the effects of CMGJD are closely related to AD. Target genes of CMGJD are considerably associated with various pathways including ‘Positive regulation of chemokine production’, ‘Cellular response to toxic substance’, ‘Arachidonic acid metabolic process’, ‘PI3K-Akt signaling pathway’, ‘Metabolic pathways’, ‘IL-17 signaling pathway’ and ‘Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction’.Conclusion: Through a network pharmacological method, CMGJD was predicted to have high relevance with AD by regulating inflammation. This study could be used as a basis for effects of CMGJD on AD.
Protective Effect of Betula Platyphylla on Ultraviolet B-irradiated HaCaT Keratinocytes
Authors: Choi Hag Soon , Kim Hyun Joo , Lee Hark Song , Paik Seung Won , Kim Ji Eun , Song Yung Sun
Published: June 2023

Objectives: Betula Platyphylla(BP) has been used as a analgesic, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant drug in Eastern Asia. However, it is still unknown whether BP ethanol extract could exhibit the inhibitory activities against ultraviolet B(UVB)-induced skin injury on human keratinocytes, HaCaT cells. This study was aimed to investigate the protective activity of BP ethanol extract on UVB-irradiated skin injury in HaCaT cells.Methods: The skin injury model of HaCaT cells was established under UVB stimulation. HaCaT keratinocyte cells were pre-treated with BP ethanol extract for 1 h, and then stimulated with UVB. Then, the cells were harvested to measure the cell viability, production of reactive oxygen species(ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin(IL) 1-beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, hyaluronidase, type 1 collagen, matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)s. In addition, we examined the mitogen activated protein kinases(MAPKs) and inhibitory kappa B alpha(Iκ-Bα) as inhibitory mechanisms of BP ethanol extract.Results: The treatment of BP ethanol extract inhibited the UVBinduced cell death and ROS production in HaCaT cells. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the UVB-induced increase of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-α. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the increase of hyaluronidase, MMP and decrease of collagen. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the activation of MAPKs and the degradation of Iκ-Bα.Conclusions: Our result suggest that treatment of BP ethanol extract could inhibit the UVB-induced skin injury via deactivation of MAPKs and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) in HaCaT cells. This study could suggest that BP ethanol extract could be a beneficial agent to prevent skin damage or inflammation.
Statistical Analysis on Hospitalized Patients with Thoracolumbar Compression Fracture at Single Korean Medicine Hospital: Retrospective Review
Authors: Jang Hyun jin , Kim So jeong , Kim Min Ju , Choi Hyeon Kyu , Park Pil Je , soo Kang Yeon , Jeong Jeong Kyo , Jeon Ju Hyun , Kim Young Il
Published: June 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to statistically analyze patients hospitalized for thoracolumbar compression fractures at Daejeon University Daejeon Korean Medicine Hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021.Methods: A total of 62 patients were analyzed through electronic medical records in this study. The extracted data was analyzed using IBM SPSS ver.27.0.Results: 1. Traffic accident patients were more likely to reduce pain by more than half compared to falls and other patients. Patients without spinal disease were more likely to reduce pain by more than half compared to those without. The shorter the absolute bed rest and the longer the hospital stay, the higher the probability of pain reduction by more than half. 2. The duration of pain half-reduction was longer in patients with diabetes than in patients without diabetes. 3. The longer the hospitalization period and the shorter the absolute bed rest period, the less pain was reported upon discharge. Males complained of less pain at discharge than females, and patients without spinal disease complained less than those without. Patients who did not receive absolute bed rest complained of less pain upon discharge than those who did not.Conclusions: This study included patients hospitalized for thoracolumbar compression fractures and showed that etiology, absolute bed rest period, hospitalization period, gender, spinal disease, diabetes statistically affected the degree of pain reduction.
Southern Record of the Xenobiotic Ant Formicoxenus quebecensis from Eastern Wisconsin
Authors: Doering Grant Navid , Prebus Matthew
Published: June 2023

The ant genus Formicoxenus is notable for the fact that all its species are xenobiotic and live inside or in close association with the nests of other ant species. Here, we report the occurrence of a colony of Formicoxenus quebecensis and its host, Myrmica alaskensis from the eastern side of the Door peninsula in Wisconsin. Both species are new records for the state, and F. quebecensis was previously known only from boreal habitats much farther north in Canada. We also provide some observations on this colony’s nest demography, morphology, and feeding behavior and discuss the ant community of this biogeographically interesting location.
The racialisation of sexism: how race frames shape anti-street harassment policies in Britain and France
Authors: Calderaro Charlène
Published: June 2023

Femonationalism, that is, the use of women’s rights rhetorics to further racial stigmatisation and promote nationalism, has been of growing interest to social scientists on European contexts. While previous studies have provided insights on the racialisation of sexism in gender equality policymaking, there is still a limited understanding of how policy frames in particular national contexts can either exacerbate or mitigate femonationalism in the making of anti-gender-based violence policy. In particular, how do frames on race and racism impact the framing of anti-street harassment policies and, by extension, the ability to prevent femonationalism?

The article explores this issue by comparing the cases of France and Britain through empirical data with policymakers and activists intervening in policymaking against street harassment in France and Britain. Findings suggest that, even though French state actors claim their colour-blindness allows them to avoid a racist framing of the problem, it actually enables it. This in turn favours a racialised framing of street harassment and leads to an inability to address the potential risk of racial targeting in the criminalisation of street harassment. Conversely, the acknowledgment of racism in Britain favours an intersectional framing of street harassment and leads to greater consideration of the risk of racial targeting. By analysing how race repertoires unfold in policy pre-adoption phases, the article therefore suggests that nationally embedded assumptions about race have a significant impact on the framing of anti-gender-based violence policy and, in turn, on femonationalism.
Leon Trotsky and the political conundrum of international relations
Authors: Saccarelli Emanuele , Varadarajan Latha
Published: June 2023

In this article we identify the ways in which Leon Trotsky’s ideas constitute a powerful resource to understand the contemporary crisis of international relations and its historical roots in the 20th century. Trotsky’s concept of uneven and combined development has already been highlighted as a signal contribution by an established scholarship in and around the discipline of International Relations. While this is a welcome development, we contend that it has come at a significant cost, detaching Trotsky’s theoretical insights from his revolutionary politics. We employ a different mode of engagement with Trotsky’s ideas, focusing on the theory of Permanent Revolution as an expression of an original analysis of the dialectic between the national and the international. Far from being a theoretically detachable and politically erroneous appendage to the more fundamental and applicable concept of uneven and combined development, we argue that Permanent Revolution constitutes its necessary culmination, as well as Trotsky’s most significant contribution to classical Marxism. We then elucidate how, writing in the first half of the 20th century and applying his theory of Permanent Revolution, Trotsky was able to diagnose certain essential lines of political development – the rise and ongoing breakdown of American hegemony, the political degeneration and collapse of the Soviet Union, and the emergence and failure of the postcolonial independent nation states – tracing the long and crisis-ridden trajectory of international relations from the second half of the 20th century down to today.