bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pembrolizumab versus placebo as adjuvant therapy in stage IIB or IIC melanoma: Final analysis of distant metastasis-free survival in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 study.
Authors: Luke Jason J. , Ascierto Paolo Antonio , Khattak Muhammad Adnan , de la Cruz Merino Luis , Del Vecchio Michele , Rutkowski Piotr , Spagnolo Francesco , Mackiewicz Jacek , Chiarion-Sileni Vanna , Kirkwood John M. M. , Robert Caroline , Grob Jean-Jacques , de Galitiis Federica , Schadendorf Dirk , Carlino Matteo S. , Wu Larry , Fukunaga-Kalabis Mizuho , Krepler Clemens , Eggermont Alexander M. , Long Georgina V.
Published: June 2023

LBA9505

Background: Adjuvant pembrolizumab significantly improved distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma versus placebo. We present the protocol-specified final DMFS analysis from KEYNOTE-716 (NCT03553836). Methods: Eligible patients were ≥12 years old with resected stage IIB or IIC cutaneous melanoma per American Joint Committee on Cancer, 8th edition, guidelines and a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy. In part 1 of the study, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to pembrolizumab 200 mg (2 mg/kg up to 200 mg for pediatric patients) or placebo every 3 weeks for up to 17 cycles (~1 year) or until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Randomization was stratified by T category for adults (T3b vs T4a vs T4b), with a separate stratum for pediatric patients. The primary end point was RFS per investigator review. DMFS per investigator review was a secondary end point. The protocol-specified final DMFS analysis was based on a target of 195 DMFS events. No formal hypothesis testing was performed because DMFS and RFS end points were met at previous interim analyses. The data cutoff date for this analysis was January 4, 2023. Results: Overall, 976 patients were randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab (n = 487) or placebo (n = 489). Median duration of follow-up (time from randomization to the data cutoff date) was 39.4 months (range, 26.0-51.4). Compared with placebo, adjuvant pembrolizumab improved DMFS (medians: not reached; hazard ratio [HR], 0.59 [95% CI, 0.44-0.79]) and RFS (medians: not reached; HR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.49-0.79]). The 36-month DMFS rate was 84.4% with adjuvant pembrolizumab versus 74.7% with placebo; the 36-month RFS rate was 76.2% with adjuvant pembrolizumab versus 63.4% with placebo. DMFS benefit with adjuvant pembrolizumab over placebo was observed regardless of cancer stage at baseline (stage IIB HR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.42-0.92]; stage IIC HR, 0.57 [0.36-0.88]). Similar results were observed with RFS (stage IIB HR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.43-0.79]; stage IIC HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.45-0.94]). No new safety signals were observed. Conclusions: With a median follow-up of 39.4 months, adjuvant pembrolizumab for resected stage IIB and IIC melanoma continued to show DMFS and RFS benefit over placebo, with no new safety signals. Clinical trial information: NCT03553836 .
Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Testing in Breast Cancer: ASCO–College of American Pathologists Guideline Update
Authors: Wolff Antonio C. , Somerfield Mark R. , Dowsett Mitchell , Hammond M. Elizabeth H. , Hayes Daniel F. , McShane Lisa M. , Saphner Thomas J. , Spears Patricia A. , Allison Kimberly H.
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

To update ASCO–College of American Pathologists (CAP) recommendations for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) testing in breast cancer. The Panel is aware that a new generation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting the HER2 protein is active against breast cancers that lack protein overexpression or gene amplification.

METHODS

An Update Panel conducted a systematic literature review to identify signals for updating recommendations.

RESULTS

The search identified 173 abstracts. Of five potential publications reviewed, none constituted a signal for revising existing recommendations.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The 2018 ASCO-CAP recommendations for HER2 testing are affirmed.

DISCUSSION

HER2 testing guidelines have focused on identifying HER2 protein overexpression or gene amplification in breast cancer to identify patients for therapies that disrupt HER2 signaling. This update acknowledges a new indication for trastuzumab deruxtecan when HER2 is not overexpressed or amplified but is immunohistochemistry (IHC) 1+ or 2+ without amplification by in situ hybridization. Clinical trial data on tumors that tested IHC 0 are limited (excluded from DESTINY-Breast04), and evidence is lacking that these cancers behave differently or do not respond similarly to newer HER2 ADCs. Although current data do not support a new IHC 0 versus 1+ prognostic or predictive threshold for response to trastuzumab deruxtecan, this threshold is now relevant because of the trial entry criteria that supported its new regulatory approval. Therefore, while it is premature to create new result categories of HER2 expression (eg, HER2-Low, HER2-Ultra-Low), best practices to distinguish IHC 0 from 1+ are now clinically relevant. This Update affirms prior HER2 reporting recommendations and offers a new HER2 testing reporting comment to highlight the current relevance of IHC 0 versus 1+ results and best practice recommendations to distinguish these often subtle differences. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/breast-cancer-guidelines .
Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy for Endocrine-Pretreated or Hormone Receptor–Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Testing in Breast Cancer: ASCO Guideline Rapid Recommendation Update Q and A
Authors: Moy Beverly , Wolff Antonio C. , Rumble R. Bryan , Allison Kimberly H. , Carey Lisa A.
Published: June 2023

5 med onc and path leaders help clinicians with HER2-low ADC decisions re patients, sequence, and AE
Crisis of the Clinical Trials Staff Attrition After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sun Grace , Dizon Don S. , Szczepanek Connie M. , Petrylak Daniel P. , Sparks Dana B. , Tangen Catherine , Lara Primo “Lucky” N. , Thompson Ian M. , Blanke Charles David
Published: June 2023

A survey of clinical research professionals @SWOG indicate that 80% of clinical trial offices are understaffed. Addressing this is critical so progress for people with cancer continues. Read more about lessons learned in the #COVID19 pandemic and how it informs a path forward.
Comprehensive Review on the Clinical Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing Tests for the Management of Advanced Cancer
Authors: Gibbs Sarah N. , Peneva Desi , Cuyun Carter Gebra , Palomares Melanie R. , Thakkar Snehal , Hall David W. , Dalglish Hannah , Campos Cynthia , Yermilov Irina
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

This review summarizes the published evidence on the clinical impact of using next-generation sequencing (NGS) tests to guide management of patients with cancer in the United States.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive literature review to identify recent English language publications that presented progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced cancer receiving NGS testing.

RESULTS

Among 6,475 publications identified, 31 evaluated PFS and OS among subgroups of patients who received NGS-informed cancer management. PFS and OS were significantly longer among patients who were matched to targeted treatment in 11 and 16 publications across tumor types, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our review indicates that NGS-informed treatment can have an impact on survival across tumor types.
DeXtrusion: automatic recognition of epithelial cell extrusion through machine learning in vivo
Authors: Villars Alexis , Letort Gaëlle , Valon Léo , Levayer Romain
Published: June 2023

Accurately counting and localising cellular events from movies is an important bottleneck of high-content tissue/embryo live imaging. Here, we propose a new methodology based on deep learning that allows automatic detection of cellular events and their precise xyt localisation on live fluorescent imaging movies without segmentation. We focused on the detection of cell extrusion, the expulsion of dying cells from the epithelial layer, and devised DeXtrusion: a pipeline based on recurrent neural networks for automatic detection of cell extrusion/cell death events in large movies of epithelia marked with cell contour. The pipeline, initially trained on movies of the Drosophila pupal notum marked with fluorescent E-cadherin, is easily trainable, provides fast and accurate extrusion predictions in a large range of imaging conditions, and can also detect other cellular events, such as cell division or cell differentiation. It also performs well on other epithelial tissues with reasonable re-training. Our methodology could easily be applied for other cellular events detected by live fluorescent microscopy and could help to democratise the use of deep learning for automatic event detections in developing tissues.
Analysis of the function of ADAM17 in iRhom2 curly-bare and tylosis with esophageal cancer mutant mice
Authors: Rabinowitsch Ariana I. , Maretzky Thorsten , Weskamp Gisela , Haxaire Coline , Tueshaus Johanna , Lichtenthaler Stefan F. , Monette Sébastien , Blobel Carl P.
Published: June 2023

Tylosis with oesophageal cancer (TOC) is a rare familial disorder caused by cytoplasmic mutations in inactive rhomboid 2 (iRhom2 or iR2, encoded by Rhbdf2). iR2 and the related iRhom1 (or iR1, encoded by Rhbdf1) are key regulators of the membrane-anchored metalloprotease ADAM17, which is required for activating EGFR ligands and for releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα (or TNF). A cytoplasmic deletion in iR2, including the TOC site, leads to curly coat or bare skin (cub) in mice, whereas a knock-in TOC mutation (toc) causes less severe alopecia and wavy fur. The abnormal skin and hair phenotypes of iR2cub/cub and iR2toc/toc mice depend on amphiregulin (Areg) and Adam17, as loss of one allele of either gene rescues the fur phenotypes. Remarkably, we found that iR1−/− iR2cub/cub mice survived, despite a lack of mature ADAM17, whereas iR2cub/cub Adam17−/− mice died perinatally, suggesting that the iR2cub gain-of-function mutation requires the presence of ADAM17, but not its catalytic activity. The iR2toc mutation did not substantially reduce the levels of mature ADAM17, but instead affected its function in a substrate-selective manner. Our findings provide new insights into the role of the cytoplasmic domain of iR2 in vivo, with implications for the treatment of TOC patients.
RESILIÊNCIA CLIMÁTICA EM PORTOS: O CASO DO PORTO DO AÇU
Authors: Cruz Henriques da Silva Luiz Gustavo , Castro Carneiro Juliane , Hinke Dobrochinski João Paulo , Gobbo Sossai Fernanda Gabriela , Kataoka Ishikawa Alexander , Bohrer Brentano Tomaz
Published: June 2023

Os efeitos das mudanças climáticas constituem-se em um dos maiores desafios da atualidade. Em função da sua localização, os portos encontram-se no rol dos ativos de infraestrutura mais suscetíveis aos efeitos adversos de tais mudanças. Nesse contexto, é fundamental que a Administração Portuária compreenda as vulnerabilidades e riscos aos quais estão expostos a infraestrutura e operações críticas do porto. O trabalho descreve a abordagem adotada pelo Porto do Açu, complexo porto-indústria privado localizado no estado do Rio de Janeiro. O trabalho foi estruturado em três etapas: 1) identificação dos regimes meteoceanográficos médio e extremos atualmente presentes no porto; 2) projeção de cenários futuros em decorrência das mudanças climáticas e por fim, 3) avaliação dos potenciais riscos e impactos de tais mudanças na infraestrutura e operações consideradas críticas do porto que, como desdobramento, poderia demandar a elaboração de planos de adaptação para aspectos identificados como vulneráveis. Como resultados, pode-se verificar que o Porto do Açu se encontra em uma área favorável com relação aos efeitos de mudanças climáticas, não sendo identificadas vulnerabilidades no curto prazo. Porém, é de grande importância que a Administração Portuária incorpore à sua gestão o exercício de discutir os tipos de vulnerabilidades e riscos aos quais o empreendimento está suscetível. Estas práticas incluem o desenvolvimento e manutenção de um sistema de monitoramento meteoceanográfico capaz de dar suporte às atividades diárias operacionais, e de estudos estratégicos como modelagens hidrossedimentológicos para canais de navegação.
INFRAESTRUTURA DE TRANSPORTE, DESENVOLVIMENTO SOCIOECONÔMICO E MEIO AMBIENTE
Authors: Rocha Fernando , Caixeta Filho José Vicente
Published: June 2023

Os investimentos em infraestruturas de transporte são frequentemente associados  ao desenvolvimento socioeconômicos dos países. A relação existente entre o desenvolvimento econômico a partir da presença das infraestruturas de transporte, bem como os impactos ambientais a elas associadas, são temáticas de interesse da literatura acadêmica. Esse é o objeto de análise desse artigo, que, a partir do uso de técnicas bibliométricas, discorre sobre como a literatura acadêmica tem abordado essas questões. Em suma, diversos são os trabalhos fazem análises das infraestruturas de transporte sob um conjunto de variáveis ambientais, econômicas e sociais. Dentre as temáticas emergentes, a que trata das relações entre infraestrutura de transporte e a elaboração de políticas públicas baseadas em aspectos mais abrangentes de análise é objeto de pesquisa relevante.
Επιδημιολογική μελέτη του συνδρόμου αναπνευστικής δυσχέρειας στα πρόωρα και τελειόμηνα νεογνά στον κυπριακό πληθυσμό
Authors: Στυλιανού-Ρήγα Παρασκευή
Published: June 2023

Το Σύνδρομο Αναπνευστικής Δυσχέρειας Νεογνών (ΣΑΔ) είναι συχνότερα συσχετιζόμενο με τον πρόωρο τοκετό (≤37 εβδομάδες), αλλά μπορεί επίσης να επηρεάσει και τελειόμηνα νεογνά (≥37 εβδομάδων). Σε αντίθεση με τα πρόωρα νεογνά, οι παράγοντες κινδύνου που σχετίζονται με ΣΑΔ στα τελειόμηνα νεογνά δεν έχουν μελετηθεί ενδελεχώς. Ο κύριος σκοπός της έρευνας αυτής είναι να μελετήσει τη συσχέτιση των μητρικών και νεογνικών κλινικών παραμέτρων με τη σοβαρότητα του ΣΑΔ στα τελειόμηνα νεογνά και πρόωρα νεογνά τα οποία εισάγονται στη Μονάδα Εντατικής Νοσηλείας Νεογνών (ΜΕΝΝ) στο Μακάρειο Νοσοκομείο, το μοναδικό κέντρο το οποίο νοσηλεύει σοβαρά και επιπλεγμένα περιστατικά πρόωρων και τελειόμηνων νεογνών στην Κύπρο. Στην Κύπρο η συχνότητα του ΣΑΔ στα τελειόμηνα νεογνά ήταν 8,1% το 2017 και 8,8% το 2018. Μέσα από τη μελέτη διαφάνηκε ότι ήταν συχνότερο στα άρρενα τελειόμηνα νεογνά σε σχέση με τα θήλεα τελειόμηνα νεογνά. Επίσης, ήταν στατιστικά σημαντικά συχνότερο το ΣΑΔ στα τελειόμηνα νεογνά που γεννήθηκαν με εκλεκτική καισαρική τομή. Όσον αφορά τα 350 πρόωρα που συμμετείχαν στην ερευνητική αυτή εργασία η συχνότητα του ΣΑΔ ήταν μεγαλύτερη στα πρόωρα νεογνά μικρότερα των 32 εβδομάδων ηλικίας κύησης, στα πρόωρα από πολύδυμες κυήσεις και σε πρόωρα νεογνά από μητέρες με αυξημένο Δείκτη Μάζας Σώματος. Επίσης, ο επιφανειοδραστικός παράγοντας χορηγήθηκε συχνότερα σε πρόωρα νεογνά που χρειάστηκαν ανάνηψη στην αίθουσα τοκετού και σε πρόωρα μικρότερα των 32 εβδομάδων ηλικίας κύησης.
Current state of knowledge on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in various medical conditions
Authors: Lubczyńska Zuzanna , Przeradzki Jakub , Borycka Aleksandra , Kotulska Maria , Lichman Martyna , Jędrzejewska Barbara , Laskus Paulina , Potocka Zofia , Siekierko Nikola , Żołnierek Maja
Published: June 2023

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSECannabis sativa contains hundreds of compounds, referred to as cannabinoids. Two most prevalent are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is non-psychoactive substance that has recently gained attention in lay press and in medical research. Aim of this study is to review evidence-based data on safety, effectiveness and applicability of CBD in various medical conditions in order to provide healthcare professionals with information that may be useful in their practice.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn April 2023, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies that included phrases “CBD” or “cannabidiol”, and related phrases. In the review, only studies that used well-established research methods were included.RESULTSCBD is an effective novel treatment option in Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex and Dravet syndrome. Data supporting CBD’s applicability in anxiety, Parkinson’s Disease, schizophrenia, insomnia, pain, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis and as an anti-aging agent is promising, but more research on bigger groups of patients is needed to establish its role in modern medicine.CONCLUSIONSThe use of CBD is associated with risks of variable dosage, contamination and adulteration. At present, there is a need of more research to establish effective and safe doses of CBD. Clinicians need to monitor new data from ongoing CBD trials, but at present there is no hard evidence supporting effectiveness of CBD in various medical conditions, apart from epilepsy.
Stateful Posted Pricing with Vanishing Regret via Dynamic Deterministic Markov Decision Processes
Authors: Emek Yuval , Lavi Ron , Niazadeh Rad , Shi Yangguang
Published: June 2023

An online problem called dynamic resource allocation with capacity constraints (DRACC) is introduced and studied in the realm of posted price mechanisms. This problem subsumes several applications of stateful pricing, including but not limited to posted prices for online job scheduling and matching over a dynamic bipartite graph. Because existing online learning techniques do not yield vanishing regret for this problem, we develop a novel online learning framework over deterministic Markov decision processes with dynamic state transition and reward functions. Following that, we prove, based on a reduction to the well-studied problem of online learning with switching costs, that if the Markov decision process admits a chasing oracle (i.e., an oracle that simulates any given policy from any initial state with bounded loss), then the online learning problem can be solved with vanishing regret. Our results for the DRACC problem and its applications are then obtained by devising (randomized and deterministic) chasing oracles that exploit the particular structure of these problems.

Funding: The work of Y. Emek was supported in part by the Israel Science Foundation [Grant 1016/17]. The work of R. Lavi was partially supported by the Israel Science Foundation [Grant 2560/17] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 2560/17]. The work of R. Niazadeh was supported by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The work of Y. Shi was partially supported at the Technion by the Council for Higher Education [fellowship], and at Shandong University by the Science Fund Program of Shandong Province for Distinguished Oversea Young Scholars [Grant 2023HWYQ-006].
Assortment Optimization Under the Multi-Purchase Multinomial Logit Choice Model
Authors: Bai Yicheng , Feldman Jacob , Segev Danny , Topaloglu Huseyin , Wagner Laura
Published: June 2023

Updating a Classic: Assortment Optimization under the Multi-Purchase MNL Model

In the paper “Updating a Classic: Assortment Optimization under the Multi-Purchase MNL Model,” our primary contribution resides in proposing the first multi-purchase choice model that can be fully operationalized. Our main algorithmic results consist of two distinct polynomial time approximation schemes (PTAS); the first, and simpler of the two, caters to a setting where each customer may buy only a constant number of products, whereas the second, more nuanced algorithm applies to our multi-purchase model in its general form. Additionally, we study the revenue potential of making assortment decisions that account for multi-purchase behavior in comparison with those that overlook this phenomenon. In particular, we relate both the structure and revenue performance of the optimal assortment under a traditional single-purchase model to that of the optimal assortment in the multi-purchase setting.
Using technology to enhance provision in EYFS and meet the required areas of learning
Authors: Lings Tim
Published: June 2023

Technology may have been mostly removed from statutory expectations for early years but it can still enhance provision, with great positive potential to allow children to engage with every required area of learning. In the first article of this series, Tim Lings, director of Digital Learning at Heronsgate Primary School, shares his tips on using technology in early years.
The marvellous Maslow
Authors: Boddey James
Published: June 2023

James Boddey, director of Busy Bodies Childcare Centre, discusses Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid, and how to reflect on your setting to help support children to reach self-actualisation and achieve their full potential.
Oracy, the pandemic and educational theory
Authors: Willis Richard
Published: June 2023

A team of academics at Sussex University campaigns for far better oracy in schools. Covid-19 has strengthened the need for action even more. Educational theory offers some help and guidance here to early years practitioners, as Richard Willis, visiting professor at the University of South Wales and visiting research professor at Sussex University, explains.
Book Reviews
Authors: Barclay Meg
Published: June 2023

Elly Roberts, editor of Early Years Educator, reviews a book which looks at how early years professionals can incorporate creative activities into their practice to support the wellbeing of their children. The picture books help develop empathy among children and introduce them to festivals in other parts of the world.
The introduction of polynucleotides
Authors: Mills Alexandra
Published: June 2023

With polynucleotides being brought to the forefront in the aesthetics sector, editorial board member Alexandra Mills talks about their mechanisms, impact and versatility
Assisting your staff with managing rising costs
Authors: Bernstein Adam
Published: June 2023

UK society is facing a cost-of-living crisis and employees may demand more pay. Adam Bernstein provides insights into the problems employees may be facing and discusses some strategies to adopt in your practice
The effectiveness and safety of cupping therapy for stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Kim Mikyung , Han Chang-ho
Published: June 2023

Objectives: ncluding stroke. The aim of this study was to systematically review the clinical evidence of CT for stroke.Methods: To identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the effectiveness and/or safety of CT, seven databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published from January 2000 to February 2021 without language restrictions. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software and the results were presented as mean difference (MD) or standard mean difference (SMD) for continuous variables and odds ratio (OR) for diverse variables with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Assessment of the methodological quality of the eligible trials was conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for risk of bias in RCTs.Results: Twenty-two RCTs with 1653 participants were included in the final analysis. CT provided additional benefit in improving upper limb motor function (Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper limb motor function, MD 6.91, 95% CI 4.64 to 1.67, P<0.00001) and spasticity (response rate, OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.31 to 8.22, P=0.08) in stroke survivors receiving conventional medical treatment. These findings were supported with a moderate level of evidence. CT did not significantly increase the occurrence of adverse events.Conclusions: This study demonstrated the potential of CT to be beneficial in managing a variety of complications in stroke survivors. However, to compensate for the shortcomings of the existing evidence, rigorously designed large-scale RCTs are warranted in the future.
Hard-sell and Soft-sell Advertising Appeals with a 'Polysemic' Difference: A Purposeful Advertising Polysemy Perspective
Authors: Arora Anshu , Brown Ulysses J.
Published: June 2023

In our study, the primary research goal is to compare and contrast the effectiveness of three advertising appeals and strategies (hard-sell, soft-sell, and polysemy) and the roles played by these different appeals in our global society. The research explores the concept of polysemy and the generation of idiosyncratic meanings along with hard-sell and soft-sell advertising appeals. It also investigates the impact of these appeals on the African-American target population. The research proposes and measures the 'Advertising Polysemy and Hard-Soft Sell' conceptual framework supported by classical conditioning theory, the dual mediation hypothesis framework, and the presence of primary affective reactions, leading to stronger ad-evoked feelings, ad and brand cognitions, ad and brand attitudes, and purchase intentions. The research presents marketing and societal implications of using advertising appeals and strategies with a special focus on African-American society.
Moving Beyond Vodka, Vacations, and Viaticals: How The Advocate's 1992 Redesign Contributed to the Solidification of a New LGBTQ Market Segment
Authors: Phillips Laurie
Published: June 2023

In 1992, the editorial staff of the gay newsmagazine, The Advocate , decided to banish the most profitable advertising—sexually explicit ads—from the magazine altogether in an attempt to secure ad dollars from national corporations. The banishment had been tried nearly 20 years earlier and failed. Through a historical textual analysis of magazine advertisements and media coverage of the event, this study explains why the timing of the second redesign made it successful. Guided by sociologist Gaye Tuchman's expansion of the concept of symbolic annihilation, this study argues that The Advocate's redesign, which was prompted by competition from new market entrants, had far-reaching implications for the overall gay market, helping solidify that market segment.
Optical characterisation of holographic diffusers and Bangerter foils for treatment of amblyopia
Authors: Hellis Matthew , Martin Suzanne , Sheehan Matthew , Murphy Kevin
Published: June 2023

Amblyopia is a significant issue for children worldwide, and current treatment methods have drawbacks that can hinder treatment effectiveness and/or patient experience. This study proposes a new treatment method using holographic diffusers while also comparing their optical characteristics to a current treatment method (Bangerter foils). Holographic diffusers were developed by optically patterning thin polymer layers on a micron scale. Two compositions of photopolymer (acrylamide and diacetone acrylamide based) are analysed herein. Characterisation shows that holographic diffusers of either composition can achieve a wide range of on-axis intensity reductions, allowing for precise and customisable treatment levels by altering recording exposure time in a low-cost and durable manner.
Design of a 3-bit encoded THz ultra-wideband vortex beam generator based on a metasurface
Authors: Song Chengtian , Deng Mengqian , Wang Xiaowen , Jiao Yonghui , Liu Bohu
Published: June 2023

With the rapid development of high-speed THz communications, there has been a growing interest in exploring the potential of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of electromagnetic waves. In this study, we propose a cross-polarized reflective broadband metasurface operating in the THz band to harness the benefits of OAM in the optical field. We quantitatively analyze the reflection amplitude and phase characteristics of the metasurface elements, which supports the design of a reflective broadband element surface array with an ordered arrangement of 3-bit elements. By combining the 3-bit metasurface elements in an array, linearly polarized waves can effectively be converted into vortex beams in the operating frequency range of 0.6THz-1.3THz. The simulation results demonstrate that the designed metasurface element structure can achieve not only efficient cross-polarization reflection amplitude but also effective phase control by adjusting the size parameters. Our proposed metasurface is able to convert linearly polarized waves into vortex beams with an efficiency exceeding 85% and can achieve high-purity OAM beam acquisition. Furthermore, the metasurface structure is simple to implement and can be easily integrated with photoelectric circuits, making it ideal for use in ultrahigh-speed THz communications.
Extreme Ultraviolet Broadband Imaging Spectrometer Using Dispersion-matched Zone Plates
Authors: Mostafa Yahia , Bouza Zoi , Byers James , BABENKO IEVGENIIA , Ubachs Wim , Versolato Oscar , BAYRAKTAR MUHARREM
Published: June 2023

We present simultaneous 1D imaging and broadband spectroscopy of a laser-produced plasma source of extreme ultraviolet light, using a tapered zone plate that is matched to the dispersion of a transmission grating. We describe the design and fabrication of the zone plates in the 5-80 nm wavelength regime with designed spatial resolution of ~10 μm and spectral resolution of ~0.8 nm.
Subsequently, we benchmark the imaging spectrometer with a solid tin target laser-produced plasma.
Plane wave propagation simulations qualitatively match the experimental results and confirm the device performance.
Prediction of Laser Cladding Layer Cross-Sectional Morphology - Based on SSA-BP Neural Network
Authors: Cui Lujun , liu yaxuan , Guo Shirui , Chen Yongqian , cui yinghao , Li Xiaolei , Zheng Bo , Liu Songyang
Published: June 2023

In the face of challenges such as difficulties in controlling the morphology of laser cladding layers and high costs in laser cladding technology, this paper utilizes the Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) to optimize the error Back Propagation (BP) neural network. The SSA-BP network is applied to predict laser cladding cross-sectional morphology. A comparison is made between the predicted and the experimental values, using R2, RMSE, and MAPE as evaluation metrics for the model. The results indicate that the predicted heights of the cladding layers are 0.972, 0.076, and 3.948%, respectively, while the predicted widths are 0.862, 0.099, and 2.004%, respectively. Furthermore, experiments beyond the input range of process parameters are conducted to validate the universality of the model. The results demonstrate that the predicted heights of the cladding layers are 0.952, 0.118, and 4.771%, respectively, and the predicted widths are 0.813, 0.209, and 3.688%, respectively. Moreover, we also compared the predictions from models of SSA-BP, MPA-BP, SOA-BP, and PSO-BP. In conclusion, this paper's model exhibits excellent predictive capabilities and good universality, providing reference for the prediction and control of cross-sectional morphology in laser cladding technology.
Does Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer establish a significant relationship with the multiple genes related to gastric carcinogenesis?
Authors: Seo Ji Won , Park Ki Bum , Chin Hyung Min , Jun Kyong Hwa
Published: June 2023

Gastric cancer has been categorized into molecular subtypes including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive tumors, which provide clinicopathological and prognostic information. In this study, we investigated the EBV infection status of patients with gastric cancer and its correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics and multiple genes related to gastric carcinogenesis. The data of 460 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection between January 2017 and February 2022 were analyzed. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients with EBV-positive gastric cancers were compared with those of EBV-negative gastric cancers. Immunohistochemistry for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), C-erb B2, Ki-67, and p53 was performed. Additionally, in situ hybridization was conducted to detect EBV, and microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis was used to assess the deficiency in mismatch repair (MMR) genes. EBV-positivity and MSI were identified in 10.4% and 37.3% of gastric cancer patients, respectively. EBV positivity was associated with male gender (P = 0.001), proximal location (P = 0.004), poorly differentiated histological type (P = 0.048), moderate to severe lymphoid stroma (P = 0.006), high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.02), and a shorter resection margin. EGFR was more often expressed in EBV-negative gastric cancers (P < 0.001). MSI tumors were associated with older age (P = 0.01), the presence of lymphatic invasion (P = 0.02), less perineural invasion (P = 0.05), and the presence of H. pylori infection (P = 0.05). EBV positive gastric cancer is associated with increased Ki-67 and decreased EGFR expression and a shorter resection margin due to the prominent lymphoid stroma. However, MMR deficiency is not associated with EBV status even though MSI gastric cancer is related to H. pylori status.
Early Islamic glass (7th– 10th centuries AD) in Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar: A microcosm of a globalised industry in the early ‘Abbasid period
Authors: Siu Ieong , Cui Jianfeng , Henderson Julian , Crowther Alison , Boivin Nicole , Fergadiotou Elisavet , Blair Andrew , Ali Abdallah K. , Chenery Simon
Published: June 2023

Eighty-two glass vessels, recovered from the excavations at the ancient Swahili settlement and port of Unguja Ukuu in Zanzibar, Eastern Africa, were analysed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The results show that all of the glass samples are soda-lime-silica glass. Fifteen glass vessels belong to the natron glass type and are characterised by low MgO and K2O (<1.50%), suggesting they were made from natron, a mineral flux that was widely used during the Roman period and Late Antiquity. Sixty-seven glass vessels belong to the plant ash glass type, characterised by high magnesia and potash levels (>1.50%), suggesting plant ash was the main alkali flux. Based on the major, minor and trace elements, three different compositional groups were identified for the natron glass and three were identified for the plant ash glass: (1) UU Natron Type 1, (2) UU Natron Type 2, (3) UU Natron Type 3, (4) UU Plant ash Type 1, (5) UU Plant ash Type 2 and (6) UU Plan ash Type 3. Comparison with contemporary Middle Eastern glass groups shows that UU Natron Types 1, 2 and 3 correspond to Egypt II high Na2O, Levantine I and Levantine II respectively, while UU Plant ash Type 1 matches closely with Samarra Group 2. UU Plant ash Types 2 and 3 have unique chemical fingerprints that do not match any of the contemporary plant ash glass groups, but their chemical compositions show some affinity with the old Sassanian plant ash glass, suggesting a possible Mesopotamian provenance. Combined with existing research on early Islamic glass, the authors reveal a complex trading network in the globalisation of Islamic glass, particularly involving glass corresponding to modern Iraq and Syria, in the 7th– 9th centuries AD.
Modulation of the E-cadherin in human cells infected in vitro with Coxiella burnetii
Authors: Omar Osman Ikram , Mezouar Soraya , Brahim-Belhaouari Djamal , Mege Jean-Louis , Devaux Christian Albert
Published: June 2023

High concentration of soluble E-cadherin (E-cad) was previously found in sera from Q fever patients. Here, BeWo cells which express a high concentration of E-cad were used as an in vitro model to investigate the expression and function of E-cad in response to infection by Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever. Infection of BeWo cells with C. burnetii leads to a decrease in the number of BeWo cells expressing E-cad at their membrane. A shedding of soluble E-cad was associated with the post-infection decrease of membrane-bound E-cad. The modulation of E-cad expression requires bacterial viability and was not found with heat-inactivated C. burnetii. Moreover, the intracytoplasmic cell concentration of β-catenin (β-cat), a ligand of E-cad, was reduced after bacterial infection, suggesting that the bacterium induces modulation of the E-cad/β-cat signaling pathway and CDH1 and CTNNB1 genes transcription. Finally, several genes operating the canonical Wnt-Frizzled/β-cat pathway were overexpressed in cells infected with C. burnetii. This was particularly evident with the highly virulent strain of C. burnetii, Guiana. Our data demonstrate that infection of BeWo cells by live C. burnetii modulates the E-cad/β-cat signaling pathway.
“We really are seeing racism in the hospitals”: Racial identity, racism, and doula care for diverse populations in Georgia
Authors: Sayyad Ayeesha , Lindsey Alyssa , Narasimhan Subasri , Turner Daria , Shah Priya , Lindberg Ky , Mosley Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Poor birth outcomes are more prevalent for Black communities, but strong evidence shows that doula care can improve those outcomes. More evidence is needed to understand racial differences, discrimination, and equity in doula care.

Methods

The current study’s objective was to describe the experiences of Black doulas as well as the challenges and facilitators of providing doula care to communities of color in Georgia. From Fall 2020-Fall 2021, 20 surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with doulas as part of a community-based participatory study co-led by Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia and academic researchers.

Results

Doula participants were diverse in age (5% under 25, 40% 25–35, 35% 36–45, and 20% 46+) and race/ethnicity (45% white, 50% Black, 5% Latinx). Most (70%) Black doulas reported that more than 75% of their clientele is Black, while most (78%) white doulas reported that less than 25% of their clientele is Black. Doulas noted the alarming Black maternal mortality rate and how mistreatment causes Black clients to lose trust in medical staff, leaving them in need of advocates. Black doulas were passionate about serving and advocating with Black clients. Participants also described how language and cultural barriers, particularly for Asian and Latinx people, reduce clients’ ability to self-advocate, increasing the need for doulas. Doulas also discussed the ways that race influences their connections with clients and their dissatisfaction with the lack of cultural humility or sensitivity training in standard doula training.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that Black doulas provide essential and supportive services to Black birthing people, and those services are more urgently needed than ever following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Doula training must be improved to address the cultural needs of diverse clients. Increasing access to doula care for Asian and Latinx communities could also address language and cultural barriers that can negatively impact their maternal and child health outcomes.
Physiological mechanisms of muscle strength and power are dependent on the years post obtaining peak height velocity in elite juniors rowers: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Almeida-Neto Paulo Francisco de , de Morais Ferreira Ayrton Bruno , Baxter-Jones Adam , de Medeiros Jason Azevedo , Felipe da Silva Luiz , Silva Dantas Paulo Moreira , Cabral Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco
Published: June 2023

Background

It is not yet known whether the years after peak height velocity (PHV) are associated with the physiological mechanisms of muscle strength and power in Juniors rowers.

Objective

To identify the association between years post PHV (YPPHV) with muscle power and strength in Juniors rowers.

Methods

We tested 235 Brazilian rowing athletes (male: 171, female: 64, Juniors category). We measured: power (indoor rowing over 100-m, 500-m, 2,000-m and 6,000-m) and muscle strength (one repetition maximum (1RM) test in squat, deadlift, bench press and bent row on the bench). Biological maturation was index by age of PHV. The sample was divided into groups considering YPPHV recent (2.5 to 3.9), median (2.51 to 4.9) and veteran (>4.9). We use a Baysian approach to data handling.

Results

When compared to their peers in the recent and median post PHV groups, the male veteran group were superior in muscle power (Absolute: 100-m (BF10: 2893.85), 500-m (BF10: 553.77) and 6,000-m (BF10: 22.31). Relative: (100-m (BF10: 49.9)) and strength (BF10≥10.0 in squat, bench press and deadlift), and in the female the veteran group were superior in test time (500-m, BF10: 88.4).

Conclusion

In elite Juniors rowers the increasing YPPHV are associated with muscle power performance in both sexes and muscle strength performance in males.
gUMI-BEAR, a modular, unsupervised population barcoding method to track variants and evolution at high resolution
Authors: Rezenman Shahar , Knafo Maor , Tsigalnitski Ivgeni , Barad Shiri , Jona Ghil , Levi Dikla , Dym Orly , Reich Ziv , Kapon Ruti
Published: June 2023

Cellular lineage tracking provides a means to observe population makeup at the clonal level, allowing exploration of heterogeneity, evolutionary and developmental processes and individual clones’ relative fitness. It has thus contributed significantly to understanding microbial evolution, organ differentiation and cancer heterogeneity, among others. Its use, however, is limited because existing methods are highly specific, expensive, labour-intensive, and, critically, do not allow the repetition of experiments. To address these issues, we developed gUMI-BEAR (genomic Unique Molecular Identifier Barcoded Enriched Associated Regions), a modular, cost-effective method for tracking populations at high resolution. We first demonstrate the system’s application and resolution by applying it to track tens of thousands of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lineages growing together under varying environmental conditions applied across multiple generations, revealing fitness differences and lineage-specific adaptations. Then, we demonstrate how gUMI-BEAR can be used to perform parallel screening of a huge number of randomly generated variants of the Hsp82 gene. We further show how our method allows isolation of variants, even if their frequency in the population is low, thus enabling unsupervised identification of modifications that lead to a behaviour of interest.
Quality of life and mental health of adolescents: Relationships with social media addiction, Fear of Missing out, and stress associated with neglect and negative reactions by online peers
Authors: Dam Vu Anh Trong , Dao Nam Gia , Nguyen Duy Cao , Vu Thuc Minh Thi , Boyer Laurent , Auquier Pascal , Fond Guillaume , Ho Roger C. M. , Ho Cyrus S. H. , Zhang Melvyn W. B.
Published: June 2023

Social networking is proliferating globally and in Vietnam, but this led to several negative aspects of adolescents’ health, including physical activity, sleep quality, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to identify the relationship between social media usage and examine risk factors (Fear of Missing out and Risk of Neglect) on social media usage, and the overall quality of life and mental health among individuals actively using social media networks. An online cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities in Vietnam (Hanoi, Tuyen Quang, and Can Tho) from September through to October 2021. A structured questionnaire assessed for characteristics of social media use and other associated factors. 1891 participants were recruited, with 98.4% having access to social media. s. Factors like “PHQ-9 score”, “Problematic Internet use”, and “Time average used social media per day”, were negatively associated with the EQ5D5L Index. By contrast, “Gender”, and “Using smartphone” were positive factors of the EQ5D5L Index. “FOMO score” and “self-harm and suicide” were positive factors of the PHQ-9 score while “Using smartphone” was negative. In terms of self-harm and suicide, “FOMO score” and “Problematic Internet use” were positive factors, by contrast, “Using smartphone” was a negative factor. This is the first study to examine social media addiction among Vietnamese adolescents, its relationship with FOMO score, stresses associated with rejection and neglect, and the overall quality of life. Our results highlighted there is a relationship between FOMO score and impaired overall quality of life, increased depressive symptoms, and an association between stresses relating to negative rejection and FOMO score.
Less is more: Efficient behavioral context recognition using Dissimilarity-Based Query Strategy
Authors: Akram Atia , Farhan Asma Ahmad , Basharat Amna
Published: June 2023

With the advancement of ubiquitous computing, smartphone sensors are generating a vast amount of unlabeled data streams ubiquitously. This sensor data can potentially help to recognize various behavioral contexts in the natural environment. Accurate behavioral context recognition has a wide variety of applications in many domains like disease prevention and independent living. However, despite the availability of enormous amounts of sensor data, label acquisition, due to its dependence on users, is still a challenging task. In this work, we propose a novel context recognition approach i.e., Dissimilarity-Based Query Strategy (DBQS). Our approach DBQS leverages Active Learning based selective sampling to find the informative and diverse samples in the sensor data to train the model. Our approach overcomes the stagnation problem by considering only new and distinct samples from the pool that were not previously explored. Further, our model exploits temporal information in the data in order to further maintain diversity in the dataset. The key intuition behind the proposed approach is that the variations during the learning phase will train the model in diverse settings and it will outperform when assigned a context recognition task in the natural setting. Experimentation on a publicly available natural environment dataset demonstrates that our proposed approach improved overall average Balanced Accuracy(BA) by 6% with an overall 13% less training data requirement.
Novel viruses of the family Partitiviridae discovered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Taggart Nathan T. , Crabtree Angela M. , Creagh Jack W. , Bizarria Rodolfo , Li Shunji , de la Higuera Ignacio , Barnes Jonathan E. , Shipley Mason A. , Boyer Josephine M. , Stedman Kenneth M. , Ytreberg F. Marty , Rowley Paul A.
Published: June 2023

It has been 49 years since the last discovery of a new virus family in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A large-scale screen to determine the diversity of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses in S. cerevisiae has identified multiple novel viruses from the family Partitiviridae that have been previously shown to infect plants, fungi, protozoans, and insects. Most S. cerevisiae partitiviruses (ScPVs) are associated with strains of yeasts isolated from coffee and cacao beans. The presence of partitiviruses was confirmed by sequencing the viral dsRNAs and purifying and visualizing isometric, non-enveloped viral particles. ScPVs have a typical bipartite genome encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) and a coat protein (CP). Phylogenetic analysis of ScPVs identified three species of ScPV, which are most closely related to viruses of the genus Cryspovirus from the mammalian pathogenic protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum. Molecular modeling of the ScPV RdRP revealed a conserved tertiary structure and catalytic site organization when compared to the RdRPs of the Picornaviridae. The ScPV CP is the smallest so far identified in the Partitiviridae and has structural homology with the CP of other partitiviruses but likely lacks a protrusion domain that is a conspicuous feature of other partitivirus particles. ScPVs were stably maintained during laboratory growth and were successfully transferred to haploid progeny after sporulation, which provides future opportunities to study partitivirus-host interactions using the powerful genetic tools available for the model organism S. cerevisiae.
Recurrence of Brunner Gland Adenocarcinoma After Duodenectomy and Gastrojejunostomy
Authors: Hong Paul , Ghanim Marcel , Haseeb Abdul , Ding Xianzhong , Abegunde Ayokunle T.
Published: June 2023

Malignant neoplasms arising from the Brunner gland are exceedingly rare. A 62-year-old man with a history of surgical resection of Brunner gland adenocarcinoma presented with upper extremity cellulitis. Hospital course was complicated by atrial fibrillation and hematochezia. Bidirectional endoscopy was negative; however, small bowel enteroscopy revealed recurrence of Brunner gland adenocarcinoma 6 years after surgical resection. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of recurrent Brunner gland adenocarcinoma after curative resection.