bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of quantitative methods and mathematical approaches for the modeling of cancer cell proliferation dynamics
Authors: Cotner Michael , Meng Sarah , Jost Tyler , Gardner Andrea , De Santiago Carolina , Brock Amy
Published: December 2022

Physiological processes rely on the control of cell proliferation, and the dysregulation of these processes underlies various pathological conditions, including cancer. Mathematical modeling can provide new insights into the complex regulation of cell proliferation dynamics. In this review, we first examine quantitative experimental approaches for measuring cell proliferation dynamics in vitro and compare the various types of data that can be obtained in these settings. We then explore the toolbox of common mathematical modeling frameworks that can describe cell behavior, dynamics, and interactions of proliferation. We discuss how these wet-laboratory studies may be integrated with different mathematical modeling approaches to aid the interpretation of the results and to enable the prediction of cell behaviors, specifically in the context of cancer.
Bayesian Adaptive Estimation with Theoretical Bound: An Exploration-Exploitation Approach
Authors: Li Mingyao , Zhu Juanping
Published: December 2022

This paper investigates the theoretical bound to reduce the parameter uncertainty in Bayesian adaptive estimation for psychometric functions and proposes an exploration-exploitation (E-E) approach to improve the computation efficiency for parameter estimations. When the experimental trial goes on, the uncertainty of the parameters decreases dramatically and the space between the maximal mutual information and the theoretical bound gets narrower, so the advantage of classical Bayesian adaptive estimation algorithm diminishes. This approach tries to trade off the exploration (parameter posterior uncertainty) and the exploitation (parameter mean estimation). The experimental results show that the proposed E-E approach estimates parameters for psychometric functions with same convergence and reduces the computation time by more than 34.27%, compared with the classical Bayesian adaptive estimation.
Assessment of Land Cover and Land Use Change Dynamics in Kibwezi Watershed, Kenya
Authors: Ruttoh Reuben C. , Obiero John P. O. , Omuto Christian T. , Tanui Lucas
Published: December 2022

Land use and land cover (LULC) parameters influence the hydrological and ecological processes taking place in a watershed. Understanding the changes in LULC is essential in the planning and development of management strategies for water resources. The purpose of the study was to detect changes in LULC in the Kibwezi watershed in Kenya, using geospatial approaches. Supervised and unsupervised classification techniques using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) were used to process Landsat imagery for 1999, 2009, and 2019 while ERDAS IMAGINE™ 14 and MS Excel software were used to derive change detection, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to delineate the watershed using an in-built watershed delineation tool. The watershed was classified into ten major LULC classes, namely cropland (rainfed), cropland (irrigated), cropland (perennial), crop and shrubs/trees, closed shrublands, open shrubland, shrub grasslands, wooded shrublands, riverine woodlands, and built-up land. The results showed that LULC under shrub grassland, urban areas, and crops and shrubs increased drastically by 552.5%, 366.2%, and 357.1% respectively between 1999 and 2019 with an annual increase of 35.55%, 35.38%, and 33.86% per annum. The area under open shrubland and closed shrubland declined by73.7%, and 30.4% annually. These LULC transformations pose a negative impact on the watershed resources. There is therefore a need for proper management of the watershed for sustainable socio-economic development of the Kibwezi area.
Cooperative Search Optimization of an Unknown Dynamic Target Based on the Modified TPM
Authors: Cheng Kaixin , Wu Di , Hu Tao , Wei Jinjin , Tian Zhifu
Published: December 2022

Aiming to address the problem of unknown dynamic target trajectory prediction and search path optimization in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm path planning, this paper proposes a target search algorithm based on a modified target probability map (TPM). First, using the TPM, the proposed algorithm generates a high-probability distribution region of a target with directionality to fit the target trajectory and realizes the trajectory prediction of an unknown dynamic target. Then, the distributed ant colony (ACO) algorithm and the artificial potential field (APF) algorithm are combined to generate and optimize the UAV swarm search result and return path with the goal of maximizing task execution efficiency. Finally, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used to analyze the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, and the results are evaluated from five aspects, including the number of targets captured. The simulation results show that under the condition of an unknown dynamic target trajectory, the average target captured rate and average unknown region search rate of the MTPM method were higher than that of the traditional TPM method, and the performance was improved by 14.6% and 10.7%, respectively.
Intelligent Management of Hydroponic Systems Based on IoT for Agrifood Processes
Authors: Hostalrich D. , Pelegri-Sebastia J. , Sogorb T. , Pellicer V.
Published: December 2022

There are a wide variety of new microprocessors that are easy to program and configure to perform complex tasks, and with the right features, sensors, and additional mechanisms, we can prepare them to monitor and take care of the crops with automated processes. Soil moisture, air temperature, humidity, CO2, and water level are some of the most basic parameters to monitor with sensors, but any type of sensor can be added if the signal is adapted so that the microprocessor can read it. The data read from the sensors allow us to control and automate processes using relays connected to a variety of external components like illumination, refrigeration, and irrigation systems. We present a solution to the environmental monitoring hydroponic system based on IoT. The developed device is a low powered, and the data obtained is transmitted via Zigbee to a central system where we can configure and control all the devices paired, so it is relatively easy to implement and escalate.
Low Back Pain, Disability, and Quality of Life One Year following Intradiscal Injection of Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate
Authors: Haines Colin M. , Bhatt Fenil R. , Orosz Lindsay D. , Yamout Tarek , Namian Samuel , Bharara Niteesh , Bucci Anthony , Schuler Thomas C. , Jazini Ehsan , Good Christopher R.
Published: December 2022

Introduction. Degenerative disc disease is a common cause of chronic low back pain. Surgical intervention is an invasive treatment associated with high costs. There is growing interest in regenerative medicine as a less invasive but direct disc treatment for chronic discogenic low back pain. Objective. To evaluate clinical improvement of primary discogenic low back pain with intradiscal injection of autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC). Study Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Single, multiphysician center. Patients. 32 adult patients undergoing intradiscal injection of autologous BMAC for the treatment of primary discogenic low back pain. Interventions. Intradiscal injection of autologous BMAC. Main Outcome Measures. Primary outcome measure is visual analog back pain scale (VAS back pain). Secondary outcome measures include ODI, VAS leg pain, and EQ-5D-5L scores. Outcomes were compared from baseline to 1 year. Results. Thirty-two patients (56.3% male) with a mean age of 45.9 years were enrolled, giving 92 treated levels. Mean VAS back and leg pain scores improved from 5.4 to 3.0 (

p
<
0.001

) and 2.8 to 1.3 (

p
=
0.005

), respectively. Mean ODI scores decreased from 33.5 to 21.1 (

p
<
0.001

), and EQ-5D-5L scores improved from 0.69 to 0.78 (

p
=
0.001

). Using established MCID values, 59.4% had clinically significant improvement in VAS back pain, 43.8% in VAS leg pain, and 56.3% in ODI scores. Conclusion. Intradiscal injection of autologous BMAC significantly improved low back pain, disability, and quality of life at one year. This study suggests that intradiscal BMAC has the potential to be an effective nonsurgical treatment for chronic discogenic low back pain.
Molecular Subtypes of Head and Neck Cancer in Patients of African Ancestry
Authors: Mezghani Nadia , Yao Alexandria , Vasilyeva Daria , Kaplan Nicole , Shackelford Austin , Yoon Angela , Phillipone Elizabeth , Dubey Sunil , Schwartz Gary K. , Taylor Alison M. , Momen-Heravi Fatemeh
Published: December 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to better understand the complex molecular biomarkers and signatures of head and neck cancer (HNC) among Black patients and identify possible molecular changes associated with HNC disparities.

Experimental Design:

Molecular subtypes and genomic changes in HNC samples from patients of African and European ancestry in The Cancer Genome Atlas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Broad Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and John Hopkins University were identified. Molecular features (genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic) associated with race and genomic alterations associated with clinical outcomes were determined. An independent cohort of HNC tumor specimens was used to validate the primary findings using IHC.

Results:

Black patients were found to have a younger age at diagnosis, more aggressive tumor types, higher rates of metastasis, and worse survival compared with White patients. Black patients had fewer human papillomavirus–positive tumor types and higher frequencies of laryngeal subtype tumors. Higher frequencies of TP53, MYO18B, KMT2D, and UNC13C mutations and a lower frequency of PIK3CA mutations were observed in Black patients. Tumors of Black patients showed significant enrichment of c-MYC and RET-tyrosine signaling and amplifications. A significant increase in tumor expression of c-MYC in Black patients was observed and was associated with poor survival outcomes in the independent cohort.

Conclusions:

Novel genomic modifications and molecular signatures may be related to environmental, social, and behavioral factors associated with racial disparities in HNC. Unique tumor mutations and biological pathways have potential clinical utility in providing more targeted and individualized screening, diagnostic, and treatment modalities to improve health outcomes.
Enhancing CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Through Memory-Enriched T Cells
Authors: El Marabti Ettaib , Abdel-Wahab Omar
Published: December 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells directed against CD19 have transformed the therapy of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL). A recent study reports promising activity and safety of CD19 CAR-T cells generated from naïve, stem, and central memory T cells in adults with R/R B-ALL.

See related article by Aldoss et al., p. 742
Endothelial VEGFR Coreceptors Neuropilin-1 and Neuropilin-2 Are Essential for Tumor Angiogenesis
Authors: Benwell Christopher J. , Johnson Robert T. , Taylor James A.G.E. , Price Christopher A. , Robinson Stephen D.
Published: December 2022

Neuropilin (NRP) expression is highly correlated with poor outcome in multiple cancer subtypes. As known coreceptors for VEGFRs, core drivers of angiogenesis, past investigations have alluded to their functional roles in facilitating tumorigenesis by promoting invasive vessel growth. Despite this, it remains unclear as to whether NRP1 and NRP2 act in a synergistic manner to enhance pathologic angiogenesis. Here we demonstrate, using NRP1ECKO, NRP2ECKO, and NRP1/NRP2ECKO mouse models, that maximum inhibition of primary tumor development and angiogenesis is achieved when both endothelial NRP1 and NRP2 are targeted simultaneously. Metastasis and secondary site angiogenesis were also significantly inhibited in NRP1/NRP2ECKO animals. Mechanistic studies revealed that codepleting NRP1 and NRP2 in mouse-microvascular endothelial cells stimulates rapid shuttling of VEGFR-2 to Rab7+ endosomes for proteosomal degradation. Our results highlight the importance of targeting both NRP1 and NRP2 to modulate tumor angiogenesis.

Significance:

The findings presented in this study demonstrate that tumor angiogenesis and growth can be arrested completely by cotargeting endothelial NRP1 and NRP2. We provide new insight into the mechanisms of action regulating NRP-dependent tumor angiogenesis and signpost a novel approach to halt tumor progression.
Automated invoice data extraction using image processing
Authors: Manjunath Akanksh Aparna , Nayak Manjunath Sudhakar , Nishith Santhanam , Pandit Satish Nitin , Sunkad Shreyas , Deenadhayalan Pratiba , Gangadhara Shobha
Published: December 2022

Manually processing invoices which are in the form of scanned photocopies is a time-consuming process. There is a need to automate the task of extraction of data from the invoices with a similar format. In this paper we investigate and analyse various techniques of image processing and text extraction to improve the results of the optical character recognition (OCR) engine, which is applied to extract the text from the invoice. This paper also proposes the design and implementation of a web enabled invoice processing system (IPS). The IPS consists of an annotation tool and an extraction tool. The annotation tool is used to mark the fields of interest in the invoice which are to be extracted. The extraction tool makes use of opensource computer vision library (OpenCV) algorithms to detect text. The proposed system was tested on more than 25 types of invoices with the average accuracy score lying between 85% and 95%. Finally, to provide ease of use, a web application is developed which also presents the results in a structured format. The entire system is designed so as to provide flexibility and automate the process of extracting details of interest from the invoices.
Classification of dances using AlexNet, ResNet18 and SqueezeNet1_0
Authors: Zakry Khalif Amir , Hipiny Irwandi , Ujir Hamimah
Published: December 2022

Dancing is an art form of creative expression that is based on movement. Dancing comprises varying styles, pacing and composition to convey an artist’s expression. Thus, the classification of any dance to a certain genre or type depends on how accurate or similar it is to what is generally understood to be the specific movements of that dance type. This presents a problem for new dancers to assess if the dance movements that they have just learned is accurate or not to what the original dance type is. This paper proposed that deep learning models can classify dance videos of amateur dancers according to the similar movements of actions of several dance classes. For this study, AlexNet, ResNet and SqueezeNet models was used to perform training on multiple frames of actions of several dance videos for label prediction and the classification accuracy of the models during each training epoch is compared. This study observed that the average classification accuracy of the deep learning models is 94.9669% and is comparable to other approaches used for dance classifications.
Hypertension prediction using machine learning algorithm among Indonesian adults
Authors: Kurniawan Rico , Utomo Budi , Siregar Kemal N. , Ramli Kalamullah , Besral Besral , Suhatril Ruddy J. , Pratiwi Okky Assetya
Published: December 2022

Early risk prediction and appropriate treatment are believed to be able to delay the occurrence of hypertension and attendant conditions. Many hypertension prediction models have been developed across the world, but they cannot be generalized directly to all populations, including for Indonesian population. This study aimed to develop and validate a hypertension risk-prediction model using machine learning (ML). The modifiable risk factors are used as the predictor, while the target variable on the algorithm is hypertension status. This study compared several machine-learning algorithms such as decision tree, random forest, gradient boosting, and logistic regression to develop a hypertension prediction model. Several parameters, including the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), classification accuracy (CA), F1 score, precision, and recall were used to evaluate the models. Most of the predictors used in this study were significantly correlated with hypertension. Logistic regression algorithm showed better parameter values, with AUC 0.829, CA 89.6%, recall 0.896, precision 0.878, and F1 score 0.877. ML offers the ability to develop a quick prediction model for hypertension screening using non-invasive factors. From this study, we estimate that 89.6% of people with elevated blood pressure obtained on home blood pressure measurement will show clinical hypertension.
Effect of word embedding vector dimensionality on sentiment analysis through short and long texts
Authors: Chiny Mohamed , Chihab Marouane , Lahcen Abdelkarim Ait , Bencharef Omar , Chihab Younes
Published: December 2022

Word embedding has become the most popular method of lexical description in a given context in the natural language processing domain, especially through the word to vector (Word2Vec) and global vectors (GloVe) implementations. Since GloVe is a pre-trained model that provides access to word mapping vectors on many dimensionalities, a large number of applications rely on its prowess, especially in the field of sentiment analysis. However, in the literature, we found that in many cases, GloVe is implemented with arbitrary dimensionalities (often 300d) regardless of the length of the text to be analyzed. In this work, we conducted a study that identifies the effect of the dimensionality of word embedding mapping vectors on short and long texts in a sentiment analysis context. The results suggest that as the dimensionality of the vectors increases, the performance metrics of the model also increase for long texts. In contrast, for short texts, we recorded a threshold at which dimensionality does not matter.
Iban plaited mat motif classification with adaptive smoothing
Authors: Joseph Silvia , Hipiny Irwandi , Ujir Hamimah
Published: December 2022

Decorative mats plaited by the Iban communities in Borneo contains motifs that reflect their traditional beliefs. Each motif has its own special meaning and taboos. A typical mat motif contains multiple smaller patterns that surround the main motif hence is likely to cause misclassification. We introduce a classification framework with adaptive sampling to remove smaller features whilst retaining larger (and discriminative) image structures. Canny filter and probabilistic hough transform are gradually applied to a clean greyscale image until a threshold value pertaining to the image’s structural information is reached. Morphological dilation is then applied to improve the appearance of the retained edges. The resulting image is described using binary robust invariant scalable keypoints (BRISK) features with random sample consensus (RANSAC). We reported the classification accuracy against six common image deformations at incremental degrees: scale+rotation, viewpoint, image blur, joint photographic experts group (JPEG) compression, scale and illumination. From our sensitivity analysis, we found the optimal threshold for adaptive smoothing to be 75.0%. The optimal scheme obtained 100.0% accuracy for JPEG compression, illumination, and viewpoint set. Using adaptive smoothing, we achieved an average increase in accuracy of 11.0% compared to the baseline.
BMSP-ML: big mart sales prediction using different machine learning techniques
Authors: Ali Rao Faizan , Muneer Amgad , Almaghthawi Ahmed , Alghamdi Amal , Fati Suliman Mohamed , Abdullah Ghaleb Ebrahim Abdulwasea
Published: December 2022

Variations in sales over time is the main issue faced by many retailers. To overcome this problem, we attempt to predict the sales by comparing the previous sales data of different stores. Firstly, the primary task is to recognize the pattern of the factors that help to predict sales. This study helps us understand the data and predict sales using many machines learning models. This process gets the data and beautifies the data by imputing the missing values and feature engineering. While solving this problem, predicting the monthly sales value is significant in the study. In addition, an essential element is to clear the missing data and perform proper feature engineering to better understand them before applying them. The experimental results show that the random forest predictor has outperformed ridge regression, linear regression, and decision tree models among the four machine learning techniques implemented in this study. The performance of the proposed models has been evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE).
Deep learning based object detection in nailfold capillary images
Authors: Venkatapathiah Suma Kuncha , Selvan Sethu Selvi , Nanda Pranav , Shetty Manisha , Swamy Vikas Mallikarjuna , Awasthi Kushagra
Published: December 2022

Microcirculation in a subject can be examined and pathological changes can be assessed by utilizing capillaroscopy, which is a very safe, convenient and non-invasive approach. Using a microscope, doctors view the capillaries by looking through nailfold epidermis. Nailfold anatomy is ideal to evaluate the microcirculation and detect various diseases caused by vascular damages. Rheumatologists evaluate systemic diseases which involve damage in vasculature, by analyzing the red blood cells within the capillaries. Sometimes, capillary morphology may be useful as an early indicator while, severity of damage in capillary architecture may indicate internal organ involvement. Thus, in a capillaroscopic assessment, the doctor examines modifications in morphological and functional aspects of capillaries. These comprise of capillary diameter, visibility, distribution, length, microhemorrhages, blood flow and density. In this paper, a novel object detection algorithm is proposed based on deep learning architectures for detecting and locating various capillary loops in the nailfold region. Various characteristic features are extracted from the capillaries through image processing algorithms and in turn an attempt is made to differentiate between images of diseased subjects and healthy controls.
Using skeleton model to recognize human gait gender
Authors: Alsaif Omar Ibrahim , Hasan Saba Qasim , Maray Abdulrafa Hussain
Published: December 2022

Biometrics became fairly important to help people identifications persons by their individualities or features. In this paper, gait recognition has been based on a skeleton model as an important indicator in prevalent activities. Using the reliable dataset for the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASIA) of silhouettes class C database. Each video has been discredited to 75 frames for each (20 persons (10 males and 10 females)) as (1.0), the result will be 1,500 frames. After Pre-processing the images, many features are extracted from human silhouette images. For gender classification, the human walking skeleton used in this study. The model proposed is based on morphological processes on the silhouette images. The common angle has been computed for the two legs. Later, principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce data using feature selection technology to get the most useful information in gait analysis. Applying two classifiers artificial neural network (ANN) and Gaussian Bayes to distinguish male or female for each classifier. The experimental results for the suggested method provided significant accomplishing about (95.5%), and accuracy of (75%). Gender classification using ANN is more efficient from the Gaussian Bayes technique by (20%), where ANN technique has given a superior performance in recognition.
Comparation between cicatrization in weaning, adult and old rats with provoked incisional hernia
Authors: Amaral Raphael Nogueira do , Neri Júnia Marielle Teixeira Rodrigues , Reis Hugo de Souza , Gonçalves Josiane Oliveira , Serafini Suellen , Tannuri Uenis , Tannuri Ana Cristina Aoun
Published: December 2022

Background: Incisional hernias occur with some frequency in adult population, however they are rare in children. It is hypothesized that the most efficient process of healing in pediatric population is the answer to this important difference in incidence. Therefore, certain elements of healing such as neovascularization, degree of inflammation, percentage of mature and immature collagen, proliferation of fibroblasts and expression of certain genes can explain why healing in children is more efficient when compared to the adult and elderly population. Materials and methods: Seventy-one rats of 3 different age groups (weaning, adult and old) underwent surgery in 3 different incisions (vertical, oblique and horizontal). In the procedure, skin and abdominal wall of the animal were sectioned and only skin was sutured, in order to mimic incisional hernia in the animals. After 4 weeks of surgery, the rats were sacrificed, their skin removed, and the extent of scar tissue formed in the muscle opening was measured. In addition, samples of scar tissue were collected and histological, immunohistochemical and molecular analyzes were performed. Results: Shorter length hernias were formed in weaning rats when compared to old ones in surgery with horizontal incision (p=0.03). There was greater proliferation of fibroblasts in rats of the younger age groups, regardless of the type of incision made. The Lox gene was more expressed in weaning-aged rats in vertical and oblique incision surgeries. Conclusions: The contraction of scar tissue formed in wounds appears to be more intense in horizontal cuts than vertical ones. The greater proliferation of fibroblasts in scar tissue of weaning rats may explain the better healing and lower incidence of hernias in pediatric population. The Lox gene seems to be more expressed in weaning groups and may also explain better healing in children, but more studies need to be done.
DBS treatment in an 18-year-old with refractory dystonia due to DYT1 mutation: a case report
Authors: Motta Camilla Caetano Alves da , Lopes Bruna Marques , Calvo Ana Flavia , Goto Katharina Leal , Aguiar Pedro Henrique Simm Pires de , Lara Junior Nilton Alves , Aguiar Paulo Henrique Pires de
Published: December 2022

Introduction: The term dystonia may be defined by abnormal involuntary movements or postures due to sustained or intermittent muscle contractions. One of the most common aetiologies of isolated dystonia is due to the mutation in DYT1 gene, resulting in a disorder of abnormal regulation of gene transcription and neuronal circuit development. Of all the patients with this mutation, about 30-40% will develop symptoms of the disease. Typically, the clinical manifestation of this type of dystonia will begin from the first to third decade of life, with generalized distribution, and involving more likely the lower limbs or, less frequently, the upper limbs and trunk. Objective: To present a case of an infrequent refractory dystonia due to DYT1 gene mutation in an 18-year-old male patient that was later treated with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Case report: Here we report about the case of a 18-year-old male patient affected by torsion dystonia of the neck and a segment of the upper limbs. He first exhibited symptoms when he was 15 years old and, since then, has had a series of complications, such as severe pain and recurrent pneumonia. Genetic analysis identified a DYT1 gene superexpression mutation. Previous therapies had included physiotherapy, botulinum toxin injections, drugs such as primidone and clonazepam, but all with little improvement. Due to the patient's severe torsion dystonia on his right side, it was decided to implant a DBS only in the left internal globus pallidus (GPi) posteromedial area, in a brain surgery with general anesthesia that took place in March 2018. After 10 months, the same procedure was made in the right GPi, at the subthalamic nucleus, aiming to treat his dystonic tremors located in the left part of the body. The electrodes inserted were Medtronic® 3389 and the generator was Activa RC rechargeable, with 0.5 mm spacing. The following programming was set: current of 3 mA, frequency of 130 Hz and pulse width of 90 μs. The battery of the electrode was inserted in the right side of the chest due to the patient's more severe torsion. The post-operative (PO) was successful, without any deficit, being discharged from the hospital at the PO day 4 in the first surgery and day 2 and in the second. After a 2-year follow-up period, the patient presents a normal life compared to the average of his age, without any of the symptoms or complications he had before. He regularly attends physiotherapy and fitness centres to maintain muscle training.
Epidemiology of skin cancer in a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil
Authors: Ramos João Victor Brincas , Nascimento Isabela do Prado , Vicentini Guilherme
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in Brazil and responsible for a significant portion of diagnosed malignant tumors. The study of the prevalence of the disease is crucial to a better understanding of its distribution and its impact on the population. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of skin cancer in a tertiary reference hospital for cancer treatment in southern Brazil. Methodology: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out from the analysis of the Hospital Cancer Registry of a reference center for cancer in southern Brazil. Qualitative variables were described by absolute and relative frequencies and compared using the Chi-Square test. Epidemiological variables were analysed from a time frame from 2010 to 2014 and the study of survival from a cut from 2005 to 2009. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the Long-Rank test. For all tests, a significance level of 5% was considered. Results: 2224 cases of skin cancer were diagnosed and treated between 2010 and 2014, being 1961 (88.2%) cases of non-melanoma cancer (NMC) and 263 (11.8%) of melanoma cancer (MC). Among men, the age group between 60 and 69 years had the highest proportion of the diagnosis (29.2%), while among women the most affected age group was above 75 years (38.9%). Males accounted for 51.3% of the cases of NMC, but 40.7% of the cases of MC (p < 0.01). The face was the affected site in 70.2% of the cases of NMC and 14.8% of the cases of MC (p < 0.001). Overall survival in the MC was 94.1% in the first year, 85.9% in the second and 71.2% in the fifth (p < 0.001); for NMC, these values were 95.6%, 89.4% and 77.8% respectively (p < 0.001). In the MC, survival among men dropped from 88.5% in the first year to 51.2% in the fifth year, while for women the reduction was from 95.7% to 83.4% (p ≤ 0.001). In the NMC, survival in males decreased from 96.1% to 76.0% from the first to the fifth year, and for women it decreased from 94.8% to 78.7% (p ≤ 0.664). Discussion and Conclusion: According to the prevalence of histological types already established, the proportion of NMC was higher than MC in the sample of this study. The predominant site of involvement of the NMC was the face, while the MC was more prevalent in other parts of the body. In addition, males were more frequent among cases of NMC, while females were more prevalent in MC. Furthermore, the present study showed a difference in survival between the sexes in the MC, which was lower among men, while in the NMC this difference was not significant.
Transformação leucêmica do microambiente das células-tronco hematopoiéticas
Authors: Guisande Maria Thereza Carvalho Rodriguez , Lima Lorrany Junia Lopes de , Costa Gabriel Santos , Sampaio Filho Jarbas Delmoutiez Ramalho , Lopes Matheus Rodrigues
Published: December 2022

O microambiente das células-tronco hematopoiéticas é responsável por coordenar diversos eventos envolvidos na produção de células sanguíneas. Essa renovação hematopoiética só é possível graças às interações e sinalizações bem ordenadas que mantém a harmonia do tecido. Nas leucemias ocorre ruptura nesses mecanismos de controle e ocorre processo de transformação leucêmica do microambiente, de forma a favorecer a manutenção neoplásica do tecido sanguíneo. O objetivo deste estudo foi expor o processo de transformação leucêmica do microambiente, no âmbito das modificações celulares e moleculares sofridas para sustentar o tumor. Trata-se de um artigo de revisão narrativa e as bases de dados Pubmed, Scielo, Cocrahne Library e MedLine foram consultadas em busca de publicações dos últimos anos sobre o tema. Os dados apresentados contribuem para o entendimento holístico acerca das leucemias. A transformação leucêmica, seja por mutações primárias nos componentes do microambiente ou pelo sequestro de suas funções normais pelas células iniciadoras de leucemia, é relevante para que ocorra a instalação, a progressão, a disseminação e a quimiorresistência tumoral. Por meio da atuação de vários componentes este microambiente sustenta as células-tronco leucêmicas e representa caminho promissor para o desenvolvimento de novas terapias antileucêmicas.
Pandemia do COVID-19: nível de estresse e qualidade de vida em casos contaminados e não contaminados
Authors: Vila Henrique Villa e , Crege Danilo Riberto Xavier de Oliveira
Published: December 2022

Introdução: A pandemia de coronavírus (COVID-19) impactou não apenas a saúde física, em decorrência da síndrome respiratória aguda grave causada pelo vírus, mas também impactou a saúde mental, as áreas econômica e a social. Além disso, o foco do cenário pandêmico foi a contingência do COVID-19, o que propiciou o aparecimento ou o agravamento de outras doenças. Dessa forma, os escopos originados da pandemia tornaram-se potenciais desencadeantes de quadros de estresse e de interferência na qualidade de vida da população. Proposição: avaliar o índice de estresse percebido e a qualidade de vida da população em dois grupos de pessoas: primeiro, as que tiveram diagnóstico confirmado de COVID-19 e, segundo indivíduos que não contraíram a doença. Materiais e Métodos: Participaram da pesquisa 66 indivíduos, entre 18 e 60 anos, sendo 33 de pessoas sem contaminação e 33 pessoas que tiveram diagnóstico confirmado. Os participantes responderam dois questionários: O questionário de estresse percebido (QEP), para avaliar o estresse e outro questionário para avaliação da qualidade de vida (SF-36). Resultados: A análise mostrou que o QEP dos indivíduos não contaminados foi menor (0,64 + 0,04); em comparação aos indivíduos que tiveram o resultado positivo para doença (0,73 + 0,02) (p = 0,0484), diferença estatisticamente significativa, o que mostra que os casos positivos têm percepção que estão mais estressados. Na análise do SF-36, apenas o domínio Capacidade Funcional apresentou diferença estatisticamente significativa, sendo que os voluntários que não tiveram a doença apresentaram um maior valor (93,3 + 2,0), que os contaminados (73,0 + 3,6) (p < 0,0001), o que sugere melhor qualidade de vida aos primeiros. Conclusão: O estudo apresenta resultados que indicam que a pandemia impactou negativamente a saúde da população, pois os participantes diagnosticados com COVID-19 tiveram maior estresse percebido e menor qualidade de vida, em comparação aos não contaminados.
Reliability of the ELUI Upper Extremity Functionality Test
Authors: Elui Valéria Meirelles Carril , Goia Daniela Nakandakari , Ricci Flávia Pessoni Faleiros Macêdo , Fonseca Marisa de Cássia Registro
Published: December 2022

Manual dexterity is a key skill for the performance of everyday activities. Measurements of muscle strength, range of motion, and sensitivity alone may not reflect the functional status in assessing physical and functional conditions. It is also important to use self-applied assessments and specific functional tests to assess overall performance and test aspects such as dexterity, coordination and grasp quality, but these may differ in terms of standardization and psychometric properties. From this need we have developed the Elui Upper Extremity Functionality Test, with the intent to provide a national measuring instrument of the upper extremity and reference to be used in clinical practice, but its psychometric properties have not been yet defined. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the interexaminer reliability and test retest of the Elui Upper Extremity Functionality Test. Methods: Healthy volunteers (50) of both genders, with an average age of 32.62 years and no impairment or symptoms in the upper limbs were submitted to the test by two examiners and after 30 days by one examiner. The application of this test requires simple materials present in our everyday life, divided into 10 sub-items: Simulated writing, Turning a Key, Grasping small objects, Simulated feeding, Pouring water, Opening containers, Cutting with a knife, Simulated dressing, Grasping large and light objects, and Grasping large and heavy objects. Each volunteer evaluated should perform each item test with both hands or with the dominant hand, depending on the sub-item analyzed, and if needed, they adapted the laterality. Results: A statistical analysis was carried out to compare the differences in time measurements of each sub-item of the test in seconds. The analysis of the inter-examiner reliability and test-retest used the Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) with a confidence interval of 95% and p < 0.05. The local Research Ethics Committee approved this study and all volunteers signed an informed consent form. With the exception of the Grasping small objects task, which had an unacceptable ICC (0.65), the results showed that all the other nine items had excellent inter-examiner reliability: between 0.95 and 0.99 and Cronbach’s alpha between 0.97 and 0.99. For the test-retest, the tasks with excellent reliability were Pouring water ICC 0.98 and simulated writing with ICC 0.91, good reliability for the tasks Grasping large and heavy objects ICC 0.85, Cutting with a knife ICC 0.85 and Simulated feeding ICC 0.80; acceptable reliability for the items Turning a key ICC 0.74 and Simulated dressing ICC 0.76; with Cronbach’s alpha of all tasks between 0.79 and 0.99. Conclusion: The Elui test showed excellent repeatability between examiners as well as with repeated measurements over time by the same examiner in most sub-items, being considered reliable for the studied sample using the third measurement.
Perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes em um ambulatório de toxina botulínica na cidade de Taubaté
Authors: Tuan Tássia Soldi , Nogueira Maria Angélica Ratier Jajah
Published: December 2022

Segundo a OMS reabilitação é “um conjunto de medidas que ajudam pessoas com deficiências ou prestes a adquirir deficiências a terem e manterem uma funcionalidade ideal na interação com seu ambiente”.
Percepção das mães de crianças com deficiências neurológicas frente a intervenção precoce interdisciplinar
Authors: Chiaparro Rayssa , Franco Renata Conter , Araújo Caroline , Matos Celso Vilella , Silva Elaine Cristina da
Published: December 2022

O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental para o melhor desenvolvimento de crianças durante o processo de aquisição cognitiva, motora e linguística.
Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Older Adult Population: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Damluji Abdulla A. , Forman Daniel E. , Wang Tracy Y. , Chikwe Joanna , Kunadian Vijay , Rich Michael W. , Young Bessie A. , Page Robert L. , DeVon Holli A. , Alexander Karen P. ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Disease in Older Populations Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology and Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; and Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health
Published: December 2022

Diagnostic and therapeutic advances during the past decades have substantially improved health outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndrome. Both age-related physiological changes and accumulated cardiovascular risk factors increase the susceptibility to acute coronary syndrome over a lifetime. Compared with younger patients, outcomes for acute coronary syndrome in the large and growing demographic of older adults are relatively worse. Increased atherosclerotic plaque burden and complexity of anatomic disease, compounded by age-related cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbid conditions, contribute to the worse prognosis observed in older individuals. Geriatric syndromes, including frailty, multimorbidity, impaired cognitive and physical function, polypharmacy, and other complexities of care, can undermine the therapeutic efficacy of guidelines-based treatments and the resiliency of older adults to survive and recover, as well. In this American Heart Association scientific statement, we (1) review age-related physiological changes that predispose to acute coronary syndrome and management complexity; (2) describe the influence of commonly encountered geriatric syndromes on cardiovascular disease outcomes; and (3) recommend age-appropriate and guideline-concordant revascularization and acute coronary syndrome management strategies, including transitions of care, the use of cardiac rehabilitation, palliative care services, and holistic approaches. The primacy of individualized risk assessment and patient-centered care decision-making is highlighted throughout.
Prediction of γ-ray shielding performance and study of Bi/PU coated fabric
Authors: Li Weibin , Chen Shuai , Peng Min , Zhou Xian , Zhao Xiaoming
Published: December 2022

The radiation shielding simulation model of coated fabric (flexible composite) was established for the first time by SuperMC nuclear simulation software to help solve the problems of small volume, complex structure, and difficult design of flexible shielding materials, and the γ-ray shielding performance was calculated. Bismuth/polyurethane coated fabric was prepared by a coating method, and its scanning electron microscope, γ-ray shielding performance and mechanical properties were tested. The results show that the simulation accuracy was improved due to the one-to-one correspondence between the structural parameters and performance parameters of the simulation model and the actual samples. The simulation value was in good agreement with the measured value. The shielding performance and mechanical properties of fabric composites were improved after coating. Increasing the content of bismuth and coating thickness can improve the shielding performance of the coated fabric. However, when the content of bismuth was too large, or the coating was too thick, the mechanical properties were relatively decreased. The deposition of ray energy in the material was analyzed by the visual analysis method, and the influence mechanism of process parameters on shielding performance was further revealed, which provided a new theoretical reference for the design of flexible shielding materials. A shielding material design and performance prediction method based on SuperMC is proposed, which can be used for personalized customization design and performance prediction and evaluation before use. It has practical guiding significance for producing and manufacturing flexible fabric shielding materials for protective clothing and equipment.
Teaching under opportunism: The predicament of academic tutors in China
Authors: Pan Dongdong , Zhou Yisu
Published: December 2022

Academic tutoring as a supplementary form of education has quickly spread across China. Tutoring has attracted young college-educated practitioners and has become a highly organized industry. The industry is fast-churning and opportunistic. This article examines the nature of tutors’ work using the qualitative data of 31 tutors and their managers in Beijing. Characteristics of tutoring are typical of precarious service labor with irregular work schedules, blurred work–life boundaries, and artificial emotional labor. However, we also found that tutors’ work was constrained by their invisible neighbor, schoolteachers, in a linked professional ecology. Tutors have limited jurisdiction over daily tasks and perform reactionary teaching based on school subjects. This lack of control has allowed the industry to rationalize their work, making tutors disposable. Our research offers new insights into the linked professions of tutors and schoolteachers. It enriches the concept of precarious and opportunistic labor practices from the sociology of professions perspective.
Pandemic Policing and Community Engagement: Preparedness, Legitimacy and Public Support During the COVID-19 Crisis in Nigeria
Authors: Aborisade Richard Abayomi , Adeleke Oladele Adelere
Published: December 2022

This study brings to the fore, insights into three key factors that had been widely noted to play significant roles in driving effective pandemic policing. These are the preparedness of the police as first responders to a public health crisis, the level of public trust in the police as a legitimate power holder, and community engagement as a tool to drive public support and participation in fighting COVID-19. Using the Nigeria police as a case study, with the damning reports of abuse of power and other misconduct, this study examined how the police responded to COVID-19 mandates and community participation. Interviews with 40 police officers who enforced the COVID-19 lockdown, 16 senior police officers, and 18 community leaders within Lagos and Ogun states were conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicated that community engagement was not effectively deployed by the Nigerian police in the course of pandemic policing. This was due to a lack of police preparedness, over-reliance on the use of force for public control, public distrust in the police, and a lack of prior practice of community engagement by the police. Public distrust in the police was found to be central to peoples’ disobedience to COVID-19 rules which worsened police-community relations, culminating in protests against the police and its formations. These findings have important policy and practical implications if police legitimacy and post-COVID police-community relations are to improve.
How We Do the Work Is the Work: Building an Intersectional Queer Praxis for Critical Feminist Scholarship
Authors: Mehrotra Gita R.
Published: December 2022

In this reflection (which is a revised version of a recent keynote address), I invite feminist social work scholars to consider what it might look like to build our scholarship through an intersectional queer praxis. I posit that as critical feminist scholars, it is important that we consider not only the topics we study but also how we do our work. Specifically, I propose an intersectional queer praxis that brings together key tenets of Slow scholarship with queer lived experiences and critical theoretical lens(es) that assert that queer is destabilizing of dominant ideologies and a challenge to normative ways of being. I discuss four interrelated dimensions of intersectional queer praxis that draw upon Slow scholarship and elements of queer life: (1) reimagining time; (2) centering relationships, community care, and collaboration; (3) embracing complexity and disrupting binaries; and (4) attention to embodiment and emotion. I argue that employing this kind of intersectional queer praxis challenges dominant approaches to academic knowledge production and carries with it new possibilities and creative imaginings for how we do our work. This talk is an invitation to think collectively, to reflect, and to raise questions for us as social work scholars as we continue to build a more robust practice of critical feminist scholarship.