bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Pesticide Exposure with Cognitive Function in Farmers
Authors: Setyopranoto Ismail , Gofir Abdul , Rahardjo Laxmiprita Pusparani , Panggabean Andre Stefanus , Dwianingsih Ery Kus , Setyaningsih Indarwati , Setyaningrum Cempaka Thursina Srie , Sutarni Sri , Malueka Rusdy Ghazali
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Organophosphate and carbamate are two types of pesticides that can induce cholinesterase suppression in humans. These lead to poisoning symptoms including muscle paralysis and respiratory depression in acute settings. In chronic settings, the mechanism of organophosphate and carbamate poisoning is still openly discussed. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify any correlations between erythrocyte cholinesterase and type of pesticides with cognitive performance of the subjects. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two sampling periods (July 2017 and October 2018) in Ngablak Districts, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The study subjects were farmers with history of pesticide exposure. Cholinesterase levels (ChE) were analyzed from blood samples. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Stroop Test. Results: In total, 151 subjects aged between 23 and 91 years old were included. The long-term organophosphate exposure group had significantly lower MMSE scores compared with other types of pesticides, but not in carbamate (p = 0.017). After comparing “organophosphate only” and “carbamate only” groups, there were significant differences in MMSE scores (p = 0.018) but not in blood ChE levels (p = 0.286). Detailed assessment in MMSE domains showed significantly lower scores for orientation, attention, and registration domains (p < 0.05) in the organophosphate group. There were no significant associations between types of pesticides and blood ChE levels with the Stroop Test results (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Long-term organophosphate exposure could produce lower cognitive function and the insignificant association between blood ChE levels to MMSE could lead to non-cholinergic pathways as its underlying pathology.
Sensor-Based Assessment of Variability in Daily Physical Activity and Frailty
Authors: Pradeep Kumar Danya , Najafi Bijan , Laksari Kaveh , Toosizadeh Nima
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome associated with decline in physiological reserve. While several digital biomarkers of daily physical activity (DPA) have been used in frailty assessment, the association between DPA variability and frailty is still not clear. The goal of this study was to determine the association between frailty and DPA variability. Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted between September 2012 and November 2013. Older adults (≥65 years), without any severe mobility disorder, and the ability to walk 10 m (with or without an assistive device) were eligible for the study. DPA including sitting, standing, walking, lying, and postural transition were recorded for 48 h continuously. DPA variability was analyzed from two perspectives: (i) DPA duration variability in terms of coefficient of variation (CoV) of sitting, standing, walking, and lying down durations; and (ii) DPA performance variability in terms of CoV of sit-to-stand (SiSt) and stand-to-sit (StSi) durations and stride time (i.e., slope of power spectral density – PSD). Results: Data was analyzed from 126 participants (44 non-frail, 60 pre-frail, and 22 frail). For DPA duration variability, CoV of lying and walking duration was significantly larger among non-frail compared to pre-frail and frail groups (p < 0.03, d = 0.89 ± 0.40). For DPA performance variability, StSi CoV and PSD slope were significantly smaller for non-frail compared to pre-frail and frail groups (p < 0.05, d = 0.78 ± 0.19). Conclusion: Lower DPA duration variability in pre-frail and frail groups may be attributed to the set daily routines frail older adults tend to follow, compared to variable physical activity routines of non-frail older adults. Higher DPA performance variability in the frail group may be attributed to reduced physiological capabilities toward walking for longer durations and the reduced muscle strength in the lower extremities, leading to incosistency in performing postural transitions.
Connexin 40-Mediated Regulation of Systemic Circulation and Arterial Blood Pressure
Authors: Márquez Mónica , Muñoz Matías , Córdova Alexandra , Puebla Mariela , Figueroa Xavier F.
Published: June 2023

Vascular system is a complex network in which different cell types and vascular segments must work in concert to regulate blood flow distribution and arterial blood pressure. Although paracrine/autocrine signaling is involved in the regulation of vasomotor tone, direct intercellular communication via gap junctions plays a central role in the control and coordination of vascular function in the microvascular network. Gap junctions are made up by connexin (Cx) proteins, and among the four Cxs expressed in the cardiovascular system (Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45), Cx40 has emerged as a critical signaling pathway in the vessel wall. This Cx is predominantly found in the endothelium, but it is involved in the development of the cardiovascular system and in the coordination of endothelial and smooth muscle cell function along the length of the vessels. In addition, Cx40 participates in the control of vasomotor tone through the transmission of electrical signals from the endothelium to the underlying smooth muscle and in the regulation of arterial blood pressure by renin-angiotensin system in afferent arterioles. In this review, we discuss the participation of Cx40-formed channels in the development of cardiovascular system, control and coordination of vascular function, and regulation of arterial blood pressure.
Effects of Lenvatinib on Skeletal Muscle Volume and Cardiac Function in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Nagai Hidenari , Amanuma Makoto , Mukozu Takanori , Kobayashi Kojiro , Nagumo Hideki , Mohri Kunihide , Watanabe Go , Yoshimine Naoyuki , Ogino Yu , Daido Yasuko , Matsukiyo Yasushi , Matsui Teppei , Wakui Noritaka , Momiyama Koichi , Higai Koji , Matsuda Takahisa , Igarashi Yoshinori
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Previously, we reported that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sorafenib decreases serum levels of carnitine and reduces skeletal muscle volume. Moreover, others reported that TKIs might lead to cardiomyopathy or heart failure. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of lenvatinib (LEN) on skeletal muscle volume and cardiac function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This retrospective study included 58 adult Japanese patients with chronic liver diseases and HCC treated with LEN. Blood samples were collected before and after 4 weeks of treatment, and serum carnitine fraction and myostatin levels were measured. Before and after 4–6 weeks of treatment, the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was evaluated from computed tomography images and cardiac function was assessed by ultrasound cardiography. Results: After treatment, SMI, serum levels of total carnitine, and global longitudinal strain were significantly lower, but serum levels of myostatin were significantly higher. Left ventricular ejection fraction showed no significant change. Conclusion: In patients with HCC, LEN decreases serum levels of carnitine, skeletal muscle volume, and worsens cardiac function.
Acacetin Alleviates Cardiac Fibrosis via TGF-β1/Smad and AKT/mTOR Signal Pathways in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Li Zhi-yi , Lv Si , Qiao Jie , Wang Si-qi , Ji Fang , Li Dan , Yan Jie , Wei Yan , Wu Lin , Gao Changzhen , Li Miao-ling
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Attenuating cardiac fibroblasts activation contributes to reducing excessive extracellular matrix deposition and cardiac structural remodeling in hypertensive hearts. Acacetin plays a protective role in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and ischemia/reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the protective role of acacetin on hypertension-induced cardiac fibrosis. Methods: Echocardiography, histopathological methods, and Western blotting techniques were used to evaluate the anti-fibrosis effects in spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) which were daily intragastrically administrated with acacetin (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. Angiotensin II (Ang II) was used to induce cellular fibrosis in human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) in the absence and presence of acacetin treatment for 48 h. Results: Acacetin significantly alleviated hypertension-induced increase in left ventricular (LV) posterior wall thickness and LV mass index in SHR. The expressions of collagen-1, collagen-III, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were remarkedly decreased after treatment with acacetin (n = 6, p < 0.05). In cultured HCFs, acacetin significantly attenuated Ang II-induced migration and proliferation (n = 6, p < 0.05). Moreover, acacetin substantially inhibited Ang II-induced upregulation of collagen-1 and collagen-III (n = 6, p < 0.05) and downregulated the expression of alpha-SMA in HCFs. Additionally, acacetin decreased the expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad3/Smad3, and p-AKT and p-mTOR but increased the expression of Smad7 (n = 6, p < 0.05). Further studies found that acacetin inhibited TGF-β1 agonist SRI and AKT agonist SC79 caused fibrotic effect. Conclusion: Acacetin inhibits the hypertension-associated cardiac fibrotic processes through regulating TGF-β/Smad3, AKT/mTOR signal transduction pathways.
Further distribution records of Varadia ambolensis (Stylommatophora: Helicarionoidea) from the state of Goa
Authors: Nitin Sawant  , Rane Shubham , Naik Sagar , Vishwakarma Seema , Gawas Mayur
Published: June 2023

We herein provide new occurrence records for the recetnly described land snail species Varadia amboliensis from the state of Goa.
Association Between Ratio of White Blood Cells to Mean Platelet Volume and Coronary Artery Ectasia
Authors: Fu Fang fang , Chen Xin , Xing Luyu
Published: June 2023

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare vascular phenotype characterized by abnormal dilation of blood vessels and disruption of coronary artery blood flow, which may promote thrombosis and an inflammatory response. We performed a cross-sectional study to investigate the association of white blood cells to mean platelet volume ratio (WMR) with CAE. Consecutive eligible patients (n = 492) were divided into two groups: including 238 patients with CAE and 254 patients in the normal coronary artery (NCA) group. WMR, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were found to be significantly associated with CAE in both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. In multivariate analysis, the presence of WMR was associated with CAE (the odds ratios (OR) = 1.002, 95% CI: 1.001–1.003, P < .001). In the ROC analysis, the statistics (Z-values) of WMR vs SII and WMR vs NLR were 2.427 and 2.670 and were statistically significant ( P = .015 and P = .008), indicating that WMR was superior to SII and NLR in distinguishing WMR. The optimal cut-off value was calculated from the point of maximal sensitivity and specificity by using Youden’s index, which was determined to be 635.50. WMR has the potential to be a cost-effective tool to monitor CAE.
Factors Affecting the Surgical Outcome in Nasal Septal Perforation Repair
Authors: Joo Hye Ah , Jang Yong Ju
Published: June 2023

Objective:

Nasal septal perforation (NSP) repair is challenging surgery considered in patients with symptomatic NSP intractable to conservative treatments. This study aimed to assess the success rate and identify factors affecting the surgical outcome of NSP by analyzing consecutive series of NSP repairs by a single surgeon.

Methods:

We enrolled 84 patients diagnosed with NSP and who underwent surgical repair of NSP by a single surgeon (Y.J.J.) between November 2007 and July 2022. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed regarding variables involving preoperative symptoms, rhinologic history, etiology, surgical techniques, and the outcome of surgery. In addition, features of NSP were objectively evaluated using computed tomography scans.

Results:

The overall success rate of NSP repair was 64.3% (54 of 84). Nasal obstruction (79.8%), crusting (34.5%), and epistaxis (27.4%) were frequent preoperative symptoms. Iatrogenic injury from previous nasal surgery (70.2%) was the most common cause. The average size of NSP on preoperative CT was 9.53 ± 6.68 mm. Patients with incomplete NSP closure had significantly larger perforations (12.21 ± 7.92 mm) than those with successful closure (8.04 ± 5.41 mm) preoperatively ( P = .005). Patients with smoking history (OR = 2.971, 95% CI 1.170-7.548, P = .020) and NSP repair with combined rhinoplasty (OR = 3.811, 95% CI 1.401-10.370, P = .007) were more likely to experience incomplete closure. Patients whose perforations were reinforced with interposition graft were more likely to result in successful repair (OR = 6.752, 95% CI 2.496-18.262, P < .001). The bilaterality of mucosal flap coverage, surgical approach, types of mucosal flap and interposition graft, perforation shape, mucosal thickness around perforation, and distance from the nasal floor were not significantly related to the surgical outcome.

Conclusions:

Significant factors affecting the outcome of NSP repair were patient’s smoking status, combined rhinoplasty, application of interposition graft, and perforation size.
Distinct Lipid Phenotype of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) Isolated From Overweight/Obese Endometrial Cancer Patients as Assessed Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Yeu Tze Hua , Omar Intan Sofia , Sani S.F. Abdul , Pathmanathan Dharini , Goh Boon Tong , Ravindran Nithyialakshmi , Teo Ik Hui , Gunasagran Yogeeta , Mat Adenan Noor Azmi , Chung Ivy , Abd Jamil Amira Hajirah
Published: June 2023

Obesity is strongly linked with increased risk and poorer prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated fibroblasts that form a large component of the tumor microenvironment and undergo metabolic reprogramming to provide critical metabolites for tumor growth. However, it is still unknown how obesity, characterized by a surplus of free fatty acids drives the modifications of CAFs lipid metabolism which may provide the mechanistic link between obesity and EC progression. The present study aims to evaluate the utility of Raman spectroscopy, an emerging nondestructive analytical tool to detect signature changes in lipid metabolites of CAFs from EC patients with varying body mass index. We established primary cultures of fibroblasts from human EC tissues, and CAFs of overweight/obese and nonobese women using antibody-conjugated magnetic beads isolation. These homogeneous fibroblast cultures expressed fibroblast markers, including α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Analysis was made in the Raman spectra region best associated with cancer progression biochemical changes in lipids (600–1800 cm–1 and 2800–3200 cm–1). Direct band analysis and ratiometric analysis were conducted to extract information from the Raman spectrum. Present results demonstrated minor shifts in the CH2 symmetric stretch of lipids at 2879 cm–1 and CH3 asymmetric stretching from protein at 2932 cm–1 in the overweight/obese CAFS compared to nonobese CAFs, indicating increased lipid content and a higher degree of lipid saturation. Principal component analysis showed that CAFs from overweight/obese and nonobese EC patients can be clearly distinguished indicating the capability of Raman spectroscopy to detect changes in biochemical components. Our results suggest Raman spectroscopy supported by chemometric analysis is a reliable technique for characterizing metabolic changes in clinical samples, providing an insight into obesity-driven alteration in CAFs, a critical stromal component during EC tumorigenesis.
Evaluating E-leadership Self-efficacy Through Social Media Efficacy and Participation
Authors: Gupta Saurabh , Priyanka  , Kumar Sunil
Published: June 2023

Social media, unlike other resources, is nowadays an organizational resource. The reason can be attributed to its vast and extensive usage in sharing relevant information within a group and its influence on communication and organizational dynamics. The study investigates the role of individual social media self-efficacy (SMSE) and social media participation (SMP) on E-Leadership self-efficacy (ELSE). It further explores the mediating role of individual social media collective efficacy (SMCE) and SMP on SMSE and ELSE. Data for the study were collected from the employees of ITES firms in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Pune, India by the online survey method. A total of 478 respondents who were actively engaged in social media activities such as sending and sharing relevant information on different social media groups were included. Structural Equation Modelling followed by mediation analysis was conducted using AMOS 22 and Process Macro software, respectively, to analyse the structural and mediation relationship among the different constructs. The findings confirmed the positive influence of SMSE and participation on collective efficacy and e-leadership efficacy. The study extends the current literature and integrates social media self, collective efficacy, and participation to investigate ELSE in the perspective of IT organizations.
Immunohistochemical analyses of neural stem cell lineage markers in normal feline brains and glial tumors
Authors: Yoshida Kio , Chambers James K. , Nibe Kazumi , Kagawa Yumiko , Uchida Kazuyuki
Published: June 2023

Neural stem cell (NSC) lineage cells have not been fully identified in feline brains, and the NSC-like nature of feline glial tumors has not been determined. In this study, 6 normal cat brains (3 newborn and 3 older cats) and 13 feline glial tumors were analyzed using immunohistochemical NSC lineage markers. The feline glial tumors were subjected to immunohistochemical scoring followed by hierarchical cluster analysis. In newborn brains, glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP)/nestin/sex-determining region Y-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2)-immunopositive NSCs, SOX2-immunopositive intermediate progenitor cells, oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (OLIG2)/platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFR-α)-immunopositive oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), OLIG2/GFAP-immunopositive immature astrocytes, and neuronal nuclear (NeuN)/β-3 tubulin-immunopositive mature neuronal cells were observed. The apical membrane of NSCs was also immunopositive for Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1). In mature brains, the NSC lineage cells were similar to those of the newborn brains. A total of 13 glial tumors consisted of 2 oligodendrogliomas, 4 astrocytomas, 3 subependymomas, and 4 ependymomas. Astrocytomas, subependymomas, and ependymomas were immunopositive for GFAP, nestin, and SOX2. Subependymomas and ependymomas showed dot-like or apical membrane immunolabeling for NHERF1, respectively. Astrocytomas were immunopositive for OLIG2. Oligodendrogliomas and subependymomas were immunopositive for OLIG2 and PDGFR-α. Feline glial tumors also showed variable immunolabeling for β-3 tubulin, NeuN, and synaptophysin. Based on these results, feline astrocytomas, subependymomas, and ependymomas appear to have an NSC-like immunophenotype. In addition, astrocytomas, subependymomas, and ependymomas have the characteristics of glial, oligodendrocyte precursor, and ependymal cells, respectively. Feline oligodendrogliomas likely have an OPC-like immunophenotype. In addition, feline glial tumors may have multipotential stemness for differentiation into neuronal cells. These preliminary results should be validated by gene expression analyses in future studies with larger case numbers.
Periodic structure with electrostatic forces: Interactions beyond the nearest neighbor
Authors: Pathak Sudesh , Dangi Gagan , Farzbod Farhad
Published: June 2023

Periodic structures are a type of metamaterial in which the physical properties depend not only on the details of the unit cell but also on how unit cells are arranged and interact with each other. In conventional engineering structures, each unit cell interacts with adjacent cells. Methods developed for vibrational and wave propagation analysis in periodic engineering structures consider only nearest-neighbor interactions. The dispersion curves of such systems, in which only adjacent cells interact, have been extensively studied. Metamaterial properties depend on the interactions of a unit cell with other cells. Further interactions, and specifically, interactions beyond the closest neighbors, imply a more complex band structure and wave behavior. In this paper, an example class of such structures, in which electrostatic forces are the driving force, has been investigated. In this paper, properties affecting these periodic structures, such as elastic forces, have been investigated. An attractive property of such structures is that the band structures of such metamaterials can be tuned by changing electric voltages.
Effect of in-situ cooling during pressure and frictional deformation on mechanical and metallurgical properties of Ni-based functionally graded material developed by wire arc additive manufacturing
Authors: Singh Manish , Singh Ratnesh Kumar Raj , Gupta Dheeraj
Published: June 2023

In this article, Ni–Cr–Mo-based functionally graded material with a designed composition is successfully fabricated using the wire arc additive manufacturing process. The effect of the gradual variation of Ni, Cr and Mo concentration and the effect of high-temperature high-pressure deformation (HTHPD) in the different cooling environments on the morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties along the gradient direction of the manufactured functionally graded materials (FGMs) have been investigated. With increasing Cr and Mo content from the bottom to the top, the FGM exhibits a gradual increase in tensile strength and microhardness. The hardness varies from 114 to 230, 130 to 205 and 164 to 256 HV for as-deposited, HTHPD with air-cooled (HTHPD-A) and HTHPD with water-cooled (HTHPD-W) samples, respectively, from bottom to top. Similarly, the average tensile strength is achieved at 793, 715 and 875 MPa in as-deposited, HTHPD-A and HTHPD-W samples, respectively. The microstructural examination of fabricated samples shows the columnar grain produced in as-deposited samples, deformed during the HTHPD process and recrystallized grains with orientation along the deformation direction has been formed.
Participatory asset mapping and photovoice interviews to scope cultural and community resources to reduce alcohol harm in Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Dhital R , Yoeli H , Adhikari A , Luitel NP , Nadkarni A , van Teijlingen E , Sin J
Published: June 2023

Aims:

To scope the breadth of existing cultural and community assets and how alcohol drinkers and community health workers perceived them in relation to reducing alcohol-related harm.

Methods:

The study was conducted in Chitwan, south-central Nepal, which has considerable alcohol problems. Participatory asset mapping was conducted using field notes, photography, and through engaging with communities to explore how community assets affect alcohol consumption. Semi-structured photovoice interviews were conducted with harmful/hazardous drinkers (AUDIT score 8 to 19) and community health workers. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. During interviews, participants used their photographs to reflect on how community assets influenced alcohol use. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results:

We recruited 12 harmful/hazardous drinkers (3 females) and 6 health workers (2 females). The mean AUDIT score of the former was 12.17 (SD ±2.86). Thematic analysis of the photovoice interviews produced three themes: ‘influences and impact of families and communities’; ‘culture and spirituality’; and ‘nature and the environment’. The community mapping produced five assets that promoted alcohol consumption: (1) availability; (2) advertising; (3) negative attitudes towards users; (4) festivals/gatherings; and (5) illiteracy/poverty. Six assets that discouraged consumption were: (1) legislation restricting use; (2) community organisations; (3) cultural/spiritual sites; (4) healthcare facilities; (5) family and communities; and (6) women’s community groups. Those from certain ethnic groups consumed more alcohol, experienced more family discord, or felt stigmatised due to their drinking. Assets ‘festivals/gatherings’ and ‘negative attitudes toward users’ and the theme ‘family and communities’ concerned with relationships and community activities were perceived to both promote and reduce alcohol use.

Conclusions:

This study provides new insight into a variety of cultural and community assets that promote and reduce alcohol use. The study identifies new possibilities to build on visual participatory and arts-based methods that have potential to be effectively implemented at scale.
East vs West: Geopolitical Orientations and Language Practices of Residents of Central and Southern Ukraine
Authors: Palinska Olesya
Published: June 2023

The paper based on quantitative and qualitative analysis on data on language attitudes and geopolitical orientations obtained in Central and Southern Ukraine shows significant differences between two regions. The assessment of linguistic changes occurred after the collapse of the USSR in both regions is unequivocal: most participants in open interviews noted a positive trend for the Ukrainian language, including the expansion of functional spheres of its use (on television, in politics, in education) and its higher prestige in society. Post-Soviet changes toward the expansion of the use of the Ukrainian language were viewed positively even by predominantly Russian-speaking respondents, who opposed “Ukrainization” in other aspects. Based on the answers to the questions in the “Geopolitics” and “Identity” blocks of questionnaire, two types of respondents were identified using cluster analysis: (1) “pro-European” and (2) “pro-Russian.” The language preferences of respondents belonging to different clusters differed in the regions studied: while more Ukrainian speakers, both in the Center and in the South, mainly belonged to the first cluster, and more Russian speakers (to a somewhat lesser extent) to the second, speakers who used a mixed idiom known as Surzhik in the Center, were more “pro-Russian,” and in the South, more “pro-European” oriented. That can signal of differences in language attitudes and labeling regarding Surzhik in those regions of Ukraine.
Legal design for indigenous communities: A case within the carbon credit market
Authors: Nybo Erik Fontenele , de Gusmão Cunha Mariana Moreno , Roveda Jeronimo Pinotti
Published: June 2023

Traditional contract architectures and structures do not address indigenous communities’ needs and can hinder them from accessing justice. As indigenous communities have a growing stake in current business deals and structures, they have been misrepresented in negotiation and contracting processes. Access to justice does not only mean the right to file a lawsuit or go to court, but for a person to effectively understand and exercise their own rights. Therefore, traditional standard contracts are not proper business instruments to deal with the growing business opportunities presented to indigenous communities today. Those standards have historically been created to cover corporate needs, generally comprising a homogeneous group of people. Therefore, such contracting instruments keep such communities from accessing justice. This article explores the resources that legal design techniques present to create more accessible documents as a tool for social justice. By using a different and innovative contract architecture, design features, and user experience (UX) principles, documents may increase empathy for their users, diminish sales cycles, and avoid conflicts during negotiations. Legal design techniques applied to a carbon credit generation agreement during a negotiation between a Colombian company and a Brazilian indigenous community led to the closing of a fair deal, respecting the community's interests. This article explores the resources used in the contract and its results. The analysis also explores a prior attempt to use a standard document version, which created resistance from the community's leaders to negotiate the deal due to its structure and language. The language and structure used in the traditional contract model led to misinterpretation, mistrust, and communication problems between the parties, hindering them from closing a deal. Such a case demonstrates that legal design can benefit any group in which legalese can represent a barrier to the full understanding of a document. By using UX and design principles to better organize content and make it clearer to a document's user such resources help them fully exercise their rights. In addition, this case advocates for the use of legal design for documents that aim at other minority groups as their end users.
Relationships Between Audio and Movement Features, and Perceived Emotions in Musical Performance
Authors: Thompson Marc R. , Mendoza Juan Ignacio , Luck Geoff , Vuoskoski Jonna K.
Published: June 2023

A core aspect of musical performance is communicating emotional and expressive intentions to the audience. Recognition of the musician's intentions is constructed from a combination of visual and auditory performance cues, as well as compositional features. The current study attempted to quantify these contributions by measuring relationships between ratings of perceived emotion, and motion and auditory performance features. A pianist and violinist with advanced degrees in music performance individually performed four short western tonal pieces. The musicians were tasked with performing the pieces while invoking different expressive intentions: sad, happy, angry, and as a control, deadpan. To examine how different expressive intentions influenced performance behavior, the musicians’ body movements were tracked using optical motion capture and rendered into point-light animations. Participants rated perceived emotions (happiness, sadness, tenderness, anger) in audio-only, video-only, and audiovisual rating conditions. We first explored how compositional aspects of the music and performers’ expressive intentions contributed to ratings across the three viewing conditions. Through a series of analyses of variance, we found that participants successfully decoded the performers’ expressive intentions based on visual information alone and auditory information alone. In the rating conditions in which audio was present, compositional aspects had a stronger effect on participant ratings than performers’ expressive intentions. Next, we quantified relationships between the ratings and both motion and auditory performance features. Of the features investigated, musical mode had the greatest impact on ratings. Additionally, perceived emotion ratings were more consistent among responders in conditions with audio than without. These results suggest that, in music performance, auditory information is conceptualized by most responders in a similar way, while visual information might be open to a variety of interpretations.
Pursuing Venture Growth Through External Participation Among Entrepreneurs in the Philippines: Evidence from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
Authors: Rivera John Paolo R. , Gozun Brian C.
Published: June 2023

In pursuing entrepreneurial venture growth, domestic market expansion strategies such as product development, innovation, and diversification need to be reinforced by looking at international opportunities. We establish the power of external participation, composed of the foreign customer and export orientations, in driving entrepreneurial venture growth. By subjecting the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for the Philippines, for the years 2013, 2014, and 2015, to a linear generalised method of moments regression analysis, we found evidence that external participation is a significant in ensuing entrepreneurial venture growth. Our emergent empirical findings are as follows: entrepreneurial strategies on external participation are positively and highly statistically significant in positively making a difference on entrepreneurial venture growth; and export orientation can significantly drive entrepreneurial venture growth. Hence, we recommended policies and strategies that will capacitate Philippine enterprises to produce internationally oriented products and allow them to increase their external participation through enhanced access to global markets and value chains.
Paradoxical Effects of Depression on Psoriatic Arthritis Outcomes in a Combined Psoriasis-Psoriatic Arthritis Center
Authors: Haberman Rebecca H. , Um Seungha , Catron Sydney , Chen Alan , Lydon Eileen , Attur Malavikalakshmi , Neimann Andrea L. , Reddy Soumya , Troxel Andrea , Adhikari Samrachana , Scher Jose U.
Published: June 2023

Backgroud

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory arthritis that, when left untreated, can lead to erosions, deformities and decrease in quality of life. PsA is known to be associated with multiple comorbidities, including cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health syndromes, all of which can increase its overall morbidity and mortality.

Objective

To characterize a cohort of patients with PsA and understand the impact of depression on PsA outcome measures.

Methods

527 consecutive patients with PsA were enrolled in an observational, longitudinal registry that followed them prospectively at standard of care visits. Demographics, medical history, medication use, and clinical exam were all recorded.

Results

Depression was reported in 22.8% of the population, anxiety in 18%, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 4%. Depression was more common in female participants (P < .001). At baseline, individuals with PsA and concomitant depression had similar tender and swollen joint counts and RAPID3 compared to those without depression, and had lower body surface area affected by psoriasis (P = .04). At year one, all patients had improvement in clinical outcomes. However, patients with depression had a significantly higher tender joint count compared to those without depression (P = .001), despite similar swollen joint count and body surface area.

Conclusion

In patients with depression, there is a discrepancy between improvement in physician assessed measures and patient reported outcomes. These observations underscore the importance of addressing depression and psychological distress as part of PsA treatment outcomes and points towards the need to address residual pain through co-adjuvant approaches.
Advances in monolingual and crosslingual automatic disability annotation in Spanish
Authors: Goenaga Iakes , Andres Edgar , Gojenola Koldo , Atutxa Aitziber
Published: June 2023

Background

Unlike diseases, automatic recognition of disabilities has not received the same attention in the area of medical NLP. Progress in this direction is hampered by obstacles like the lack of annotated corpus. Neural architectures learn to translate sequences from spontaneous representations into their corresponding standard representations given a set of samples. The aim of this paper is to present the last advances in monolingual (Spanish) and crosslingual (from English to Spanish and vice versa) automatic disability annotation. The task consists of identifying disability mentions in medical texts written in Spanish within a collection of abstracts from journal papers related to the biomedical domain.

Results

In order to carry out the task, we have combined deep learning models that use different embedding granularities for sequence to sequence tagging with a simple acronym and abbreviation detection module to boost the coverage.

Conclusions

Our monolingual experiments demonstrate that a good combination of different word embedding representations provide better results than single representations, significantly outperforming the state of the art in disability annotation in Spanish. Additionally, we have experimented crosslingual transfer (zero-shot) for disability annotation between English and Spanish with interesting results that might help overcoming the data scarcity bottleneck, specially significant for the disabilities.
Calibrated meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy of mental health treatments in target populations: an application to paliperidone trials for treatment of schizophrenia
Authors: Hong Hwanhee , Liu Lu , Mojtabai Ramin , Stuart Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2023

Backgrounds

Meta-analyses can be a powerful tool but need to calibrate potential unrepresentativeness of the included trials to a target population. Estimating target population average treatment effects (TATE) in meta-analyses is important to understand how treatments perform in well-defined target populations. This study estimated TATE of paliperidone palmitate in patients with schizophrenia using meta-analysis with individual patient trial data and target population data.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis with data from four randomized clinical trials and target population data from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study. Efficacy was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Weights to equate the trial participants and target population were calculated by comparing baseline characteristics between the trials and CATIE. A calibrated weighted meta-analysis with random effects was performed to estimate the TATE of paliperidone compared to placebo.

Results

A total of 1,738 patients were included in the meta-analysis along with 1,458 patients in CATIE. After weighting, the covariate distributions of the trial participants and target population were similar. Compared to placebo, paliperidone palmitate was associated with a significant reduction of the PANSS total score under both unweighted (mean difference 9.07 [4.43, 13.71]) and calibrated weighted (mean difference 6.15 [2.22, 10.08]) meta-analysis.

Conclusions

The effect of paliperidone palmitate compared with placebo is slightly smaller in the target population than that estimated directly from the unweighted meta-analysis. Representativeness of samples of trials included in a meta-analysis to a target population should be assessed and incorporated properly to obtain the most reliable evidence of treatment effects in target populations.
Timing of endoscopy in patients with cirrhosis and acute variceal bleeding: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Peng Mengyuan , Bai Zhaohui , Zou Deli , Xu Shixue , Wang Chunmei , Başaranoğlu Metin , Philips Cyriac Abby , Guo Xiaozhong , Shao Xiaodong , Qi Xingshun
Published: June 2023

Background

The optimal timing of endoscopy in liver cirrhosis with acute variceal bleeding (AVB) remains controversial in current guidelines and studies.

Methods

Consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis and AVB were screened. The timing of endoscopy was calculated from the last presentation of AVB or the admission to endoscopy. Early endoscopy was defined as the interval < 12 h, < 24 h, or < 48 h. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. Five-day failure to control bleeding and in-hospital mortality were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 534 patients were included. When the timing of endoscopy was calculated from the last presentation of AVB, PSM analysis demonstrated that the rate of 5-day failure to control bleeding was significantly higher in early endoscopy group defined as < 48 h (9.7% versus 2.4%, P = 0.009), but not < 12 h (8.7% versus 6.5%, P = 1.000) or < 24 h (13.4% versus 6.2%, P = 0.091), and that the in-hospital mortality was not significantly different between early and delayed endoscopy groups (< 12 h: 6.5% versus 4.3%, P = 1.000; <24 h: 4.1% versus 3.1%, P = 1.000; <48 h: 3.0% versus 2.4%, P = 1.000). When the timing of endoscopy was calculated from the admission, PSM analyses did not demonstrate any significant difference in the rate of 5-day failure to control bleeding (< 12 h: 4.8% versus 12.7%, P = 0.205; <24 h: 5.2% versus 7.7%, P = 0.355; <48 h: 4.5% versus 6.0%, P = 0.501) or in-hospital mortality (< 12 h: 4.8% versus 4.8%, P = 1.000; <24 h: 3.9% versus 2.6%, P = 0.750; <48 h: 2.0% versus 2.5%, P = 1.000) between early and delayed endoscopy groups.

Conclusion

Our study could not support any significant association of timing of endoscopy with cirrhotic patients with AVB.
Expression profiles and functional prediction of histone acetyltransferases of the MYST family in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Liang Fan , Li Xiangke , Shen Xiaoman , Yang Runlei , Chen Chuan
Published: June 2023

Background

Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) of the MYST family are associated with a variety of human cancers. However, the relationship between MYST HATs and their clinical significance in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) has not yet been evaluated.

Methods

The bioinformatics method was used to investigate the expression patterns and prognostic value of MYST HATs. Western blot was used to detect the expression of MYST HATs in KIRC.

Results

The expression levels of MYST HATs except KAT8 (KAT5, KAT6A, KAT6B, and KAT7) were significantly reduced in KIRC tissues compared to normal renal tissues, and the western blot results of the KIRC samples also confirmed the result. Reduced expression levels of MYST HATs except KAT8 were significantly associated with high tumor grade and advanced TNM stage in KIRC, and showed a significant association with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with KIRC. We also found that the expression levels of MYST HATs were closely related to each other. Subsequently, gene set enrichment analysis showed that the function of KAT5 was different from that of KAT6A, KAT6B and KAT7. The expression levels of KAT6A, KAT6B and KAT7 had significant positive correlations with cancer immune infiltrates such as B cells, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that MYST HATs, except KAT8, play a beneficial role in KIRC.
SLC25A32 promotes malignant progression of glioblastoma by activating PI3K-AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Xue Zhiwei , Wang Jiwei , Wang Zide , Liu Junzhi , Zhao Jiangli , Liu Xuchen , Zhang Yan , Liu Guowei , Zhao Zhimin , Li Wenjie , Zhang Qing , Li Xingang , Huang Bin , Wang Xinyu
Published: June 2023

Background

Solute carrier family 25 member 32 (SLC25A32) is an important member of SLC25A family and plays a role in folate transport metabolism. However, the mechanism and function of SLC25A32 in the progression of human glioblastoma (GBM) remain unclear.

Methods

In this study, folate related gene analysis was performed to explore gene expression profiles in low-grade glioma (LGG) and GBM. Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to confirm the expression levels of SLC25A32 in GBM tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, and Edu assays were performed to assess the role of SLC25A32 on proliferation in GBM in vitro. A 3D sphere invasion assay and an ex vivo co-culture invasion model were performed to assess the effects of SLC25A32 on invasion in GBM.

Results

Elevated expression of SLC25A32 was observed in GBM, and high SLC25A32 expression was associated with a high glioma grade and poorer prognosis. Immunohistochemistry performed with anti-SLC25A32 on samples from an independent cohort of patients confirmed these results. Knockdown of SLC25A32 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells, but overexpression of SLC25A32 significantly promoted cell growth and invasion. These effects were mainly due to the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that SLC25A32 plays a significant role in promoting the malignant phenotype of GBM. Therefore, SLC25A32 can be used as an independent prognostic factor in patients with GBM, providing a new target for the comprehensive treatment of GBM.
Comparing myopic error in patients with basic and convergence insufficiency intermittent exotropia in China
Authors: Meng Qingyu , Wang Lejin , Zhao Mingwei , Wu Xi , Guo Lili
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To compare the degree of myopia between the dominant and non-dominant eyes in teenagers with intermittent exotropia (IXT) in China.

Methods

A total of 199 IXT patients with myopia were included in this retrospective study and were divided into two groups according to the difference between near and distance exodeviation: basic IXT and convergence insufficiency (CI) IXT. Refractive errors were analyzed by spherical equivalent (SE) values. Patients were further stratified into anisometropia group and non-anisometropia group based on binocular SE values difference greater than 1.0D or not.

Results

There were 127 patients in the CI IXT group, with a near deviation of 46.94 ± 20.53 prism diopters (PD) and a distance deviation of 28.36 ± 14.34 PD, and there were 72 (36.2%) patients in the basic IXT group, with a near deviation of 37.68 ± 22.21 PD and a distance deviation angle of 33.21 ± 23.96 PD. The near exodeviation was significantly larger in the CI group than in the basic IXT group(P < 0.001). In the CI IXT group, the mean SE was − 2.09 ± 1.45 diopters (D) in the dominant eye and − 2.53 ± 1.44D in the non-dominant eye, while in the basic IXT group, the mean SE was − 2.46 ± 1.56D in the dominant eye and − 2.89 ± 1.37D in the non-dominant eye. The anisometropia group included 43 patients, while non-anisometropia group included 156 patients. The near and distance exodeviation in the anisometropia group were 45.26 ± 24.41 PD and 33.53 ± 23.31 PD, respectively, and those in the non-anisometropia group were 43.42 ± 20.69 PD and 29.07 ± 16.84 PD, respectively. There were no significant differences in near and distance deviation (P = 0.78 and P = 0.73 respectively) between the two groups. The SE of the dominant eye was less myopic than of the non-dominant eyes in both the CI and anisometropia groups (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

Our study revealed that convergence insufficiency IXT is more common than the basic type in pediatric myopic population and is characterized by higher inter-eye differences of myopia. The dominant eye was found to be less myopic in IXT patients, particularly in those with convergence insufficiency and anisometropia.