bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Experiences and Support Needs of Close Relatives in Psychiatric Euthanasia Trajectories: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: Helinck Sara , Verhofstadt Monica , Chambaere Kenneth , Pardon Koen
Published: August 2024

In Belgium, adults with psychiatric disorders can opt for euthanasia under strict conditions. The impact of these euthanasia trajectories on close relatives remains insufficiently studied. This research is the first in Belgium to explore the concrete experiences and support needs of relatives involved in psychiatric-based euthanasia trajectories by means of an in-depth interview study. The interviews with 18 relatives were conducted from March to May 2023 and analyzed using inductive thematic coding. The results reveal the complex and ambivalent emotional and cognitive experiences among relatives. Experiences with euthanasia trajectories varied from positive to negative, marked by shared feelings of surrealism and unreality. This included the farewell process that relatives go through, regardless of whether euthanasia was carried out. While the desired level of involvement varied, everyone sought some degree of recognition and understanding for their complex position during the euthanasia procedure, aiding in a better comprehension and contextualization of the request. The level of actual involvement and support depended on the stage of the euthanasia request, their social network, and the reasons behind the request. There was a demand for transparent communication, more emotional and practical support, and assistance in coping with the emotionally charged process. Specific attention is needed for the emotional and cognitive rollercoaster, even if euthanasia is not ultimately pursued. Future research should employ a longitudinal design to gain deeper insights into relatives’ fluctuating experiences and support needs throughout euthanasia trajectories. Seeking greater context diversity and combining perspectives in cluster research can improve understanding of interconnected needs.
The Emotional Aftermath of Surviving an Attempted Intimate Partner Homicide
Authors: Avieli Hila
Published: August 2024

While the issue of intimate partner homicide (IPH) has gained increasing focus, research that pinpoints the experiences of women who survived an attempted IPH is limited. Specifically, studies that aim to understand the aftermath of surviving such incidents are scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the emotional experience of IPH survivors following the attack. An interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the narratives of 11 women who had survived an attempted homicide by their partner. Four major themes emerged: Living between dichotomies: A fragmented identity; Embodied fear: A fear that will not go away; The loss of future: A life divided; and The loneliness of surviving the “unsurvivable.” Utilizing the ambiguous loss theory to examine the emotional ramifications of IPH indicates that survivors navigate persistent confusion and struggle to comprehend the loss. This involves challenges in moving forward and achieving resolution, conflicting emotions related to the loss, minimal recognition of the grief, and limited support from the social environment.
Roles of Chaplains and Clergy in Spiritual Care for African Americans in Hospice: A Pilot Study
Authors: Quigley Denise D. , McCleskey Sara G. , Lesandrini Jason , McNeal Natalie , Qureshi Nabeel
Published: August 2024

Context

Spiritual care is recognition of patient and caregiver spiritual/religious needs and attention to those needs. Caregivers of African American hospice patients are more likely to report worse emotional/religious support. Yet, spiritual care delivery and roles of community clergy and chaplains for African American hospice patients are not well understood.

Objectives

Examine who provides spiritual care to African American hospice patients and caregivers.

Methods

Partnering with large, urban/suburban community hospice, we interviewed caregivers of deceased African American hospice patients (n = 12), their clergy (n = 3) and chaplains (n = 5). Using a phenomenological qualitative study design, we coded transcripts and deceased patient chart data and conducted thematic analysis to identify themes.

Results

Community clergy and chaplains tend to not interact and provide different aspects of emotional, religious and spiritual support to hospice patients and families. Clergy and chaplains agreed that rapport and openness of the patient were main factors in meeting spiritual care needs. Clergy provided interaction with a trusted person and connection to church, congregational support, religious beliefs/theology, and practices. Chaplains focused on present needs and issues of death and dying.

Conclusion

Clergy and chaplains have distinct, complementary roles in providing spiritual care to African American hospice patients and families. Both are needed to provide desired spiritual care for African American hospice patients and their caregivers. Robust spiritual care programs need to ensure chaplains have sufficient time to spend with patients and families and incorporate collaboration, handoffs and integrated processes for clergy and chaplains. Research is needed on effectively including clergy in hospice spiritual care delivery.
Cross-Cultural Validity of the Grief Impairment Scale (GIS): Evidence From Four Latin American Countries
Authors: Caycho-Rodríguez Tomás , Lee Sherman A. , Yupanqui-Lorenzo Daniel E. , Ventura-León José , Vilca Lindsey W. , Baños-Chaparro Jonatan , Valencia Pablo D. , Carbajal-León Carlos , Travezaño-Cabrera Aaron , Torales Julio , Barrios Iván , Lobos-Rivera Marlon Elías , Reyes-Bossio Mario , Sánchez-Villena Andy Rick , Oré-Kovacs Nicole , Moreta-Herrera Rodrigo , Puerta-Cortés Diana Ximena
Published: August 2024

The Grief Impairment Scale (GIS) is used to measure functional impairment due to grief following the death of a loved one. However, there is no information on its cross-cultural utility. Thus, this study assessed the measurement invariance of the GIS using a large sample of bereaved adults ( N = 2060) from Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Colombia. Specifically, we employed two measurement invariance techniques: multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) and the alignment optimization method. The results indicated that the GIS demonstrated configural and metric invariance, but not scalar invariance through MG-CFA. The alignment optimization method indicated the presence of an approximate invariance. Therefore, the results suggest that the GIS measures grief-related impairment similarly across the four Latin American countries. Among the countries examined, Peru reported the highest average score on the GIS and had the highest percentage of cases at risk for clinically relevant functional impairment due to grief (6.2%). These findings support the cross-cultural validity of the GIS and lay the foundation for future comparisons.
Social Support Somewhat Mitigates Grieving Problems of Recent Suicide Loss Survivors
Authors: Feigelman William , Cerel Julie , Gutin Nina , McIntosh John L. , Gorman Bernard S. , Bottomley Jamison S. , Edwards Alice
Published: August 2024

Although past research shows social support mitigating grieving difficulties among longer-term suicide bereaved, it remains unproven whether this is true among newly bereaved suicide loss survivors. We investigated this question in an online survey of 1,132 recently bereaved adults reporting on their grief difficulties, PTSD symptoms, and depression. Results suggested social support slightly mitigated grief difficulties and PTSD. For people with high depression symptoms, social support showed a strong negative association for both first-degree relatives and all bereaved others. This evidence suggests that newly bereaved loss survivors are likely to temporarily isolate themselves from social relations after a loss, partly to protect themselves from stigmatization and also to establish new social footholds seeking meaning and promoting their own self-care. More research needs to focus on the transitions suicide loss survivors make from greater to lesser self-imposed isolation as they move from early grief into later stage adaptations.
AI-based Cleft Lip and Palate Surgical Information is Preferred by Both Plastic Surgeons and Patients in a Blind Comparison
Authors: Fazilat Alexander Z. , Berry Charlotte E. , Churukian Andrew , Lavin Christopher , Kameni Lionel , Brenac Camille , Podda Silvio , Bruckman Karl , Lorenz Hermann P. , Khosla Rohit K. , Wan Derrick C.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has expanded in recent years, and these tools such as ChatGPT to generate patient-facing information have garnered particular interest. Online cleft lip and palate (CL/P) surgical information supplied by academic/professional (A/P) sources was therefore evaluated against ChatGPT regarding accuracy, comprehensiveness, and clarity.

Methods

11 plastic and reconstructive surgeons and 29 non-medical individuals blindly compared responses written by ChatGPT or A/P sources to 30 frequently asked CL/P surgery questions. Surgeons indicated preference, determined accuracy, and scored comprehensiveness and clarity. Non-medical individuals indicated preference. Calculations of readability scores were determined using seven readability formulas. Statistical analysis of CL/P surgical online information was performed using paired t-tests.

Results

Surgeons, 60.88% of the time, blindly preferred material generated by ChatGPT over A/P sources. Additionally, surgeons consistently indicated that ChatGPT-generated material was more comprehensive and had greater clarity. No significant difference was found between ChatGPT and resources provided by professional organizations in terms of accuracy. Among individuals with no medical background, ChatGPT-generated materials were preferred 60.46% of the time. For materials from both ChatGPT and A/P sources, readability scores surpassed advised levels for patient proficiency across seven readability formulas.

Conclusion

As the prominence of ChatGPT-based language tools rises in the healthcare space, potential applications of the tools should be assessed by experts against existing high-quality sources. Our results indicate that ChatGPT is capable of producing high-quality material in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness, and clarity preferred by both plastic surgeons and individuals with no medical background.
Dynamic and Flexible Capacity Management for Flight Compartments and Beyond
Authors: Feng Zhichao , Li Ang , Walczak Darius , Çakanyıldırım Metin
Published: August 2024

It is a common practice that business and economy compartments share the seating capacity of a short or medium-haul European flight, with the middle seats in the business compartment kept vacant to enhance comfort and privacy for business passengers. The two compartments are separated by a movable curtain whose position determines the capacity allocated to each compartment. By postponing the decision on curtain position until departure, airlines gain extra flexibility in their capacity allocation. We formulate an airline’s problem of dynamically determining the curtain position and the subset of fare products to offer in each compartment to maximize the combined revenue from business and economy passengers. We show that the airline should offer a business (resp., economy) fare product if and only if its fare exceeds a business (resp., economy) threshold or bid price. We then establish monotonicity properties which are useful in expediting the computation of the optimal policy. An extended model where the airline has the option to offer a free upgrade (from economy to business class) to a new arriving economy passenger is presented, and a necessary condition on when to offer upgrades is provided. Using a large-scale and real-life case study based on a proprietary dataset, we demonstrate significant revenue improvements from postponing the decision on curtain position, compared to the current practice of fixing it at the beginning of the booking horizon. Furthermore, we provide guidance for the implementation of our policy, taking into account passengers’ seat selection and substitution towards lower fare classes. We also discuss the implications of our work in practice.
Remanufacturing and e-Waste Management: An Environmental Perspective
Authors: Wang Lan , Rajapakshe Tharanga , Vakharia Asoo J.
Published: August 2024

Two empirical observations motivate the focus of this article. First, stemming from the increased demand for electronics, there is a significant change in the number of substitute product offerings. For example, within a product category, Eaton and Dell both offer remanufactured/refurbished products and new products to consumers. Second, to better manage expenses for e-waste, social planners levy fees on producers or consumers of electronic products. Integrating these two aspects, the key issue addressed is whether the social planner should levy a fee on the producer or consumer and whether such a fee should target one or both products. Through a rigorous analysis of the social planner’s fee decision, insights into differences between alternative policy choices are discussed. As expected, if the producer or consumer fee is levied on the same set of products, there are no differences in the impact on all stakeholders. Thus, the social planner would be indifferent in choosing whether to levy a fee on the producer or the consumer. On the other hand, analyzing current policies (e.g., Connecticut collects e-waste management fees from producers based on new product sales while California collects the fees from consumers purchasing new and refurbished/remanufactured products), we find significant differences for all stakeholders. Analytically, we show that pass-through fee effects of each policy are different. Through extensive numerical experiments, we find that the policy of a consumer fee on purchases of both products offers a greater chance of alignment between social planner and producer objectives; there are regions defined by parameters associated with remanufacturing activities where there exists a trade-off between the benefits to producers versus those for consumers; and there exist regions where the optimum policy for the social planner is aligned with the original equipment manufacturer’s preferred policy choice.
Centralization or Decentralization? The Effect of Cost Learning on Procurement Strategy
Authors: Hong Xianpei , Zhou Meiling , He Zhixuan , Zhou Pin , Chen Ying-Ju
Published: August 2024

This paper investigates the effect of cost learning on the manufacturer's procurement strategy in the presence of multiple local divisions and market competition, and the strategy preferences of stakeholders, such as the supplier. Firms are often confronted with a critical procurement decision: centralization versus decentralization. For this paper, we incorporate the learning effect into this crucial strategy and demonstrate its ubiquity and significant practical implications in today's technological environment. We develop a two-period model with an upstream supplier and a downstream manufacturer with multiple divisions and examine the equilibrium outcomes under the two procurement methods. The results show that, due to the cost learning effect, the manufacturer might switch his choice from centralized procurement to decentralized one; and the manufacturer may switch back to centralized one when the rate of product substitution is small. However, the preferences of the supplier, channel, and consumers may shift from decentralized procurement to a centralized one. When the product homogenization between local divisions becomes large enough and as the learning rate increases, the manufacturer shifts its optimal procurement strategy from centralization to decentralization. However, the supplier, channel, and consumers are always better off under decentralized procurement. When the learning rate is large, the preferences of the supplier and the manufacturer achieve consistency and a win-win relationship benefiting the channel and consumers. This paper is the first to take the upstream learning effect into account in the firms’ optimal purchasing strategy and advise managers of group corporations consisting of multiple local sales divisions with business expansion needs. Our findings suggest that the effect of cost learning has a critical impact on firms’ purchasing preferences, the profitability of both parties, and consumer surplus.
Biomanufacturing Harvest Optimization With Small Data
Authors: Wang Bo , Xie Wei , Martagan Tugce , Akcay Alp , Ravenstein Bram van
Published: August 2024

In biopharmaceutical manufacturing, fermentation processes play a critical role in productivity and profit. A fermentation process uses living cells with complex biological mechanisms, leading to high variability in the process outputs, namely, the protein and impurity levels. By building on the biological mechanisms of protein and impurity growth, we introduce a stochastic model to characterize the accumulation of the protein and impurity levels in the fermentation process. However, a common challenge in the industry is the availability of only a very limited amount of data, especially in the development and early stages of production. This adds an additional layer of uncertainty, referred to as model risk, due to the difficulty of estimating the model parameters with limited data. In this article, we study the harvesting decision for a fermentation process (i.e., when to stop the fermentation and collect the production reward) under model risk. We adopt a Bayesian approach to update the unknown parameters of the growth-rate distributions, and use the resulting posterior distributions to characterize the impact of model risk on fermentation output variability. The harvesting problem is formulated as a Markov decision process model with knowledge states that summarize the posterior distributions and hence incorporate the model risk in decision-making. Our case studies at MSD Animal Health demonstrate that the proposed model and solution approach improve the harvesting decisions in real life by achieving substantially higher average output from a fermentation batch along with lower batch-to-batch variability.
Remote Learning and Educational Inequality
Authors: Zheng Zhanzhi , Jiang Shenyang , Cui Ruomeng
Published: August 2024

Educational equity serves as a cornerstone for a fair and flourishing society. However, existing research consistently highlights the presence of educational disparities between developed and developing regions. Remote learning, a transformative educational approach altering knowledge dissemination and access, takes center stage. Our study delves into the potential of remote learning to bridge this educational divide. Analyzing students’ performance in China’s National College Entrance Examination from 2018 to 2020, we exploit the pandemic-induced shift to remote learning as an external catalyst. Employing a difference-in-differences methodology, we gage remote learning’s impact on performance gaps across regions. Our findings illuminate a marked enhancement in learning outcomes for students in developing regions, surpassing their counterparts in developed ones. Furthermore, we unearth that the digital divide in access to technological resources constrains remote learning’s efficacy in reducing educational disparities. Our study underscores remote learning’s implications and underscores the pivotal role of digital technology capabilities.
Fair Incentives for Repeated Engagement
Authors: Freund Daniel , Hssaine Chamsi
Published: August 2024

We study a decision-maker’s problem of finding optimal monetary incentive schemes for retention when faced with agents whose participation decisions (stochastically) depend on the incentive they receive. Our focus is on policies constrained to fulfill two fairness properties that preclude outcomes wherein different groups of agents experience different treatment on average. We formulate the problem as a high-dimensional stochastic optimization problem and study it through the use of a closely related deterministic variant. We show that the optimal static solution to this deterministic variant is asymptotically optimal for the dynamic problem under fairness constraints. Though solving for the optimal static solution gives rise to a nonconvex optimization problem, we uncover a structural property that allows us to design a tractable, fast-converging heuristic policy. Traditional schemes for retention ignore fairness constraints; indeed, the goal in these is to use differentiation to incentivize repeated engagement with the system. Our work (i) shows that even in the absence of explicit discrimination, dynamic policies may unintentionally discriminate between agents of different types by varying the type composition of the system, and (ii) presents an asymptotically optimal policy to avoid such discriminatory outcomes.
When do bosses stop caring about organizational justice? Managerial power and male versus female managers’ appraisals of workplace gender inequality
Authors: Miron Anca M. , Branscombe Nyla R. , Malcore Madison , Losser Michael Tylor , Kulibert Danica , Groves Christopher L.
Published: August 2024

When do male and female managers stop caring about workplace gender inequality and, instead, engage in actions that maintain the status quo? We examined the differences in male and female managers’ appraisals of workplace inequality and the role of power in their efforts to enact organizational justice. Specifically, we tested whether managers’ injustice standards are a function of their managerial power and gender and whether these standards mediate the effect of managerial power on managers’ organizational injustice appraisals and attitudes. An injustice standard is the amount of evidence needed to conclude that workplace gender wage inequality is unfair to female employees. Power was operationalized as economic advantage (i.e., having a higher salary than the salary of female workers; Studies 1 and 2) and as organizational charge (i.e., having managerial responsibilities; Study 2). Managers reported either their ingroup standards (evidentiary injustice thresholds they as members of their gender group set; Ingroup Focus condition) or outgroup standards (injustice thresholds they estimate members of the other gender group set, Study 1; or injustice thresholds they estimated disadvantaged women in the workplace set, Study 2; Outgroup Focus condition). In Study 1 ( N = 268) and Study 2 ( N = 389), injustice standards increase as a function of power for both male and female managers. Injustice standards mediated the effects of power on managers’ resistance to efforts to reduce workplace inequality, legitimizations of inequality, and attitudes toward workplace diversity policies. Different strategies for reducing workplace injustice are discussed.
Building Trust in Teams: Engaging Less Conscientious Team Members through Team Workload-Sharing
Authors: Pradhan Shah Priti , Jones Stephen L. , Park Jin
Published: August 2024

Members of teams act as trustors, judging the trustworthiness of their teammates who are the trustees or targets of trust. Trustees who are less conscientious may be viewed as less trustworthy. But, we identify a team-based solution to engage less-conscientious teammates, which removes the adverse influence of low conscientiousness on perceived trustworthiness. Study 1 finds that team members have, on average, higher perceptions of their teammates’ trustworthiness when workload in the team is equitably shared and not imbalanced. Furthermore, it suggests that team workload sharing provides a way to ameliorate a lack of trust in low conscientious teammates. That is, team workload sharing moderates the link between trustee conscientiousness and perceived trustworthiness: in teams with high levels of workload sharing, less conscientious trustees are judged to be as trustworthy as their more conscientious peers. Study 2 replicates these findings and, unlike Study 1, it provides a clear main effect of trustee conscientiousness on perceived trustworthiness, and it reveals differences in the magnitude of the hypothesized effects at different periods of a team’s existence and for different dimensions of perceived trustworthiness. We conclude by suggesting strategies that can increase perceptions of trustworthiness within firms by using team processes that promote trustworthy behaviors.
Mall Cop or Robocop? The Political Determinants of Police Militarization in Brazil
Authors: Albarracín Juan , Tiscornia Lucía
Published: August 2024

Police militarization is prevalent worldwide. Despite growing interest in the consequences of militarization, few studies focus on its causes. Through the case of Brazilian municipal police forces, we explore the connection between partisan ideology and police militarization. Some research shows that leftist administrations in democracies are more likely to emphasize human rights and less likely to militarize the police. However, leftist administrations might militarize police forces more than centrist and right-wing parties to compensate for perceptions of lower competence to deal with security issues, especially when they face high levels of violent crime. Using inverse probability of treatment weights, we show an association between leftist mayors and higher militarization of municipal police forces. Furthermore, in contexts of high homicide rates, mayors of Brazil’s leading leftist party, the Workers' Party, tend to militarize local police more than others.
Tumour Budding Is a Useful Predictor to Identify High-Risk Stage II Colon Cancer Patients After Curative Surgery
Authors: Zengin Mehmet , Işıkçı Özlem Tanas
Published: August 2024

Aim. Although it is now accepted in the literature that tumour budding (TB) is a useful survival indicator in colon cancer (CC), there are still uncertainties about daily use. Here we methodologically examined the role of TB on survival in CC. Methods. In our study, we examined colon cancer patients who had surgery up to 15 years before presentation. TB was calculated separately using different comprehensive methodological methods. Results. We first investigated an optimal evaluation method. Relationship with prognostic factors was better (Venous invasion [p = .001], advanced pT [p = .003], perineural invasion [p = .040], MSS [p = .016], advanced size [p = .001], tumour obstruction [p = .005], margin involvement [p = .043], and nodal involvement [p = .028]) in Method-1. Similarly, with the same method, the success of the cut-off value, the correlation of TB data (r = .724), and the repeatability of the method (Κappa = .53–.75) were quite good (ROC = .816 [.707–.925]). Then, survival analysis was performed using the best three methods, including this method. In univariate analysis using Method-1, survival analyses were worse in high TB patients (RFS: 81%, p < .001; OS: 84%, p < .001). Multivariate analyses using the same method confirmed that high TB for RFS and OS was an independent poor prognostic parameter for survival (p = .002, Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.42 [1.13–1.80]) and OS (p = .014, HR: 1.38 [1.07–1.79]). Conclusions. With our study, we showed that tumour budding calculated by the standard method is a very valuable prognostic parameter in stage II CC and can contribute to the detection of patients with poor prognosis in stage II CC.
Endometrial Clear Cell Carcinoma with Non-Gestational Uterine Choriocarcinoma Differentiation
Authors: Kara Sahra Sultan , Keles Esra , Yeni Erdem Begum , Api Murat
Published: August 2024

Choriocarcinoma is a rare and highly malignant tumor that primarily occurs in women of reproductive age. Choriocarcinoma can be classified as gestational or nongestational, based on its pathogenetic origin. Although primary nongestational choriocarcinoma has been described in the ovaries, it is very rare in the uterus, especially in postmenopausal women. It is crucial to differentiate between gestational and non-gestational choriocarcinoma, as it affects the choice of treatment and prognosis. Endometrial clear cell carcinoma is an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer, accounting for less than 10% of all uterine carcinomas. Trophoblastic differentiation in uterine cancer is unusual and very rare, with only three examples of the subtype of clear cell endometrial cancer with gestational choriocarcinoma reported in the literature, including only one with nongestational choriocarcinoma. Here, we present an example of clear cell carcinoma with nongestational uterine choriocarcinoma differentiation in a postmenopausal woman.
Interactions Between Oral Microbiota and Cancers in the Aging Community: A Narrative Review
Authors: Aghili Sara , Rahimi Hussein , Hakim Lotfollah Kamali , Karami Shahryar , Soufdoost Reza Sayyad , Oskouei Asal Bagherzadeh , Alam Mostafa , Badkoobeh Ashkan , Golkar Mohsen , Abbasi Kamyar , Heboyan Artak , Hosseini Zahra Sadat
Published: August 2024

The oral microbiome potentially wields significant influence in the development of cancer. Within the human oral cavity, an impressive diversity of more than 700 bacterial species resides, making it the second most varied microbiome in the body. This finely balanced oral microbiome ecosystem is vital for sustaining oral health. However, disruptions in this equilibrium, often brought about by dietary habits and inadequate oral hygiene, can result in various oral ailments like periodontitis, cavities, gingivitis, and even oral cancer. There is compelling evidence that the oral microbiome is linked to several types of cancer, including oral, pancreatic, colorectal, lung, gastric, and head and neck cancers. This review discussed the critical connections between cancer and members of the human oral microbiota. Extensive searches were conducted across the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases to provide an up-to-date overview of our understanding of the oral microbiota’s role in various human cancers. By understanding the possible microbial origins of carcinogenesis, healthcare professionals can diagnose neoplastic diseases earlier and design treatments accordingly.
Investigation of Polymorphisms in Global Genome Repair Genes in Patients With Ovarian Cancer in the Turkish Population
Authors: Barham Sara Yaser , Omotade Dorcas , Yılmaz Seda , Akdeniz Fatma Tuba , Goralı Betül Çapar , Attar Rukset , İsbir Turgay
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Ovarian cancer (OC) poses significant challenges due to its high mortality rate, particularly in advanced stages where symptoms may not be evident. DNA repair mechanisms, including nucleotide excision repair (NER), are crucial in maintaining genomic stability and preventing cancer. This study focuses on exploring the role of two NER-related genes, Xeroderma Pigmentosum Complementation Group C (XPC) and DNA Damage Binding Protein 2 (DDB2), in OC susceptibility.

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the association between variations in two NER-related genes, XPC rs2228001 and DDB2 rs830083, among a cohort of Turkish individuals with OC and control subjects.

Methods

Genotyping of XPC rs2228001 and DDB2 rs830083 was performed on 103 OC patients and 104 control subjects from the Turkish population using the Fast Real-Time 7500 PCR platform from Applied Biosystems.

Results

Individuals with the homozygous AA genotype of XPC rs2228001 exhibited a reduced likelihood of developing OC (OR 0.511; 95% CI 0.261 - 1.003; P-value 0.049), whereas those with the CC variant faced an elevated risk (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.75-3.08; P-value 0.035). The presence of the A allele was associated with decreased OC occurrence ( P-value = 0.035). Similarly, for DDB2 rs830083, individuals with the homozygous CG genotype had a diminished risk of OC ( P-value 0.036), compared to those with the GG polymorphism (OR 1.895; 95% CI 1.033 - 3.476; P-value 0.038). Furthermore, the presence of the C allele was associated with a 1.89-fold decrease in the likelihood of OC.

Conclusion

These findings shed light on the genetic factors influencing OC susceptibility, emphasizing the importance of DNA repair systems in disease. Further research in larger and more diverse populations is warranted to validate these findings, facilitating precise risk assessment, and potentially guiding tailored treatment strategies for OC patients.
Classification-based estimation of commutation instants for sensor fault-tolerant control in switched systems
Authors: Yahia Salwa , Bedoui Saida , Abderrahim Kamel
Published: August 2024

This paper introduces a new method for detecting switching instants and designing data-driven FTC for stochastic switched systems susceptible to sensor faults. The approach uses clustering algorithms and classification techniques to establish sub-models based on input-output databases. A data-driven approach is used to estimate the sensor fault, and controllers are generated for each mode to counteract the effects of the fault and minimise noise. The controller gains are determined using a novel LMIs derived from the general Lyapunov function. This approach’s effectiveness is proven through numerical analysis, which features two simulation examples of stochastic switched systems. The first example demonstrates a faulty stochastic switched system with two modes, while the second example depicts a practical application of vehicle rollover prevention systems.
Reinforcing Influence of Ideology on News Selection and Societal Perceptions: The COVID Pandemic in Sweden
Authors: Andersson Dennis
Published: August 2024

This study tests the Reinforcing Spirals Model (RSM) using a Swedish three-wave panel study ( N = 1,376) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It contributes to the literature by studying whether ideological news use affects citizens’ perceptions about how Sweden managed the pandemic. The results exhibit how perceptions are dependent on ideological predisposition, which is mediated by news use, and how right-wing ideology initiates a reinforcing spiral between selective news use and perceptions. Ideological as well as news use asymmetries are displayed here: Alternative news reinforces negative perceptions, whereas traditional news has no effect. The findings are discussed in light of the RSM.
Validation of Scales for Researching Stakeholders’ Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence in China
Authors: Wretman Christopher J. , Rizo Cynthia Fraga , Zhao Ruohui , Zhang Hongwei , Radtke Spenser R. , Kim Jeongsuk , Gwaltney Angela , Macy Rebecca J.
Published: August 2024

Domestic violence (DV) is a significant concern within China. Currently, there are few standardized measurement tools to gauge Chinese stakeholders’ perceptions and beliefs concerning DV. This research sought to validate tools to be used with such stakeholders. Factor analyses were utilized on cross-sectional, survey data from a purposive sample of 683 Chinese DV professionals working in four institutions in Guangdong. Analyses developed three scales for measuring DV Definitions, DV Attitudes, and DV Policing. The development of these scales is beneficial to advance the already growing research related to DV in China in ways that are relevant to the Chinese context.
Cisplatin-induced bone marrow failure in an adult patient with Fanconi anemia
Authors: Surmeli Zeki Gokhan , Ibrahim Rehab Helmy Mohamed , Alkhalfan Nawaf , Mahmood Zeyad
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disorder characterized by bone marrow failure typically developing in the first decade of life, congenital abnormalities, and an increased predisposition to malignancy. However, patients with FA can remain undiagnosed until adulthood and present with solid organ malignancies. Due to impaired DNA repair mechanisms, patients with FA are highly susceptible to severe bone marrow toxicity when treated with cisplatin.

Case Report

A 38-year-old woman, diagnosed with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix, underwent treatment with weekly cisplatin concurrent with radiotherapy. After the second week of cisplatin treatment, she presented with severe pancytopenia. The prolonged and severe pancytopenia following cisplatin and radiation, along with cervical SCC in the absence of risk factors and the presence of parental consanguinity, raised the possibility of FA as the underlying cause. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous FANCI c.668A > C (p.Lys223Thr) missense variant confirming the diagnosis of FA.

Management and Outcome

The pancytopenia exhibited a protracted course, necessitating admission and supportive treatment with antibiotics, red blood cell and platelet transfusions, as well as filgrastim and eltrombopag. Eventually, the pancytopenia improved after approximately 40 days of hospitalization.

Discussion

SCC of the head and neck or gynecologic organs in a young adult without known risk factors should prompt consideration of FA. Cisplatin should be avoided in patients with FA.
Does Being Over 60 Years Old at Index Offense Impact Sexual Recidivism Risk? A Large-Scale Comparison of Men Released Over the Age of 60
Authors: Sandler Jeffrey C. , Freeman Naomi J.
Published: August 2024

Research has consistently found risk for sexual recidivism drops as men convicted of a sexual offense age. One question that remains, however, is whether this age-related reduction in risk applies to men who commit their sexual offenses at an older age. The current study examined this question in a sample of 939 men who were screened for civil management and released to the community (mean follow-up = 6.33 years, SD = 3.98 years), by comparing the sexual recidivism rates of (a) 238 men convicted of sexual offenses committed over the age of 60 (Over-60 Index group), and (b) 701 men who committed sexual offenses under the age of 60 but who were released to the community over the age of 60 (Under-60 Index group). Even though the Under-60 Index group was significantly higher risk at release, the Over-60 Index group sexually recidivated at a significantly higher rate, a difference largely driven by the small group of men who had committed sexual offenses both under and over the age of 60. The Static-99R was a strong predictor of sexual recidivism regardless of age at sexual offending (i.e., just under 60, just over 60, or both under and over 60). The 2021 Routine Samples norms significantly overpredicted sexual recidivism for the Under-60 Index group and significantly underpredicted sexual recidivism for the Over-60 Index group, indicating that the use of the 2016 High Risk/High Needs norms could be more appropriate for the Over-60 Index group, particularly those men who sexually offended under the age of 60 before sexually offending over the age of 60.
A Season at the Himalayan Rescue Association Aid Post in Manang
Authors: Timilsina Shashank , Hillwood Geoffrey E. , Thwaites Guy E. , Thwaites C. Louise , Bhandari Thaneshwar
Published: August 2024

The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) has operated high altitude clinics in Nepal for 50 years, with rising visitor numbers, especially from India, China, and Nepal. New roads have eased access and increased the speed of ascent in some areas. Our aim was to provide a description of the activities, clinical problems, and lecture attendees of the HRA aid post in Manang over one season. We also highlight the evolving challenges of providing healthcare and education in the high Himalayan region. We describe the clinical and educational activities of the HRA aid post in Manang from September 24 to December 1, 2023. Prospective clinical data collection included anonymized patient demographics and diagnoses. Lecture data were taken from the attendee register and by daily manual counts of lecture attendees. We saw 376 patients, 62% of whom were Nepalis. Infectious diseases (42%) and altitude illness (16%) were the most common problems. A total of 846 people from 47 countries attended the daily altitude lectures. Only 5% of attendees were Nepali. Electrical supply interruptions and limitations in medical evacuation options were among the challenges of providing care at a high altitude clinic and preventing altitude illness using educational lectures. Altitude illness remains a common and potentially life-threatening problem, with risks increased by rapid ascent enabled by new road access and by ignorance of risks of altitude among travelers, especially Nepalis. Language barriers in educational outreach call for novel approaches and interventions that will ensure the effectiveness of altitude education.
Exploring the association of ADAM17 expression with survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Ozgun Ozge , Ozturk Seda Duman , Vural Cigdem , Kefeli Aysegul Ucuncu , Balci Sibel , Cabuk Devrim , Uygun Kazim , Kefeli Umut
Published: August 2024

The A disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) family is involved in many vital cellular events, from proliferation to migration, and accumulated evidence suggests its increased expression in malignant tumors. In this study, we investigated ADAM17 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship with clinicopathological factors and survival. Immunohistochemical staining of ADAM expression was performed in 108 patients with NSCLC and in 54 control cases with no known malignant diagnosis. Association between ADAM17 expression, clinicopathological factors, and survival were analyzed. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analysis. ADAM17 was lowly expressed in 89 (82.4%) and highly expressed in 19 (17.6%) of the patients with NSCLC. In univariate analysis, high ADAM17 expression, lymphovascular invasion, stage, and treatment response significantly affected progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis also showed that high ADAM17 expression, lymphovascular invasion, stage, and treatment response were important prognostic factors for PFS and OS (p < 0.05). Our study revealed that high ADAM17 expression significantly associated with OS and PFS in patients with NSCLC. ADAM17 may potentially be the area of a new targeted treatment strategy in NSCLC. Thus, routine evaluation of ADAM17 expression in patients with NSCLC may be a future consideration.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome: A review of ARDS across the life course
Authors: Cave Caleb , Samano Dannielle , Sharma Abhineet M. , Dickinson John , Salomon Jeffrey , Mahapatra Sidharth
Published: August 2024

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a multifactorial, inflammatory lung disease with significant morbidity and mortality that predominantly requires supportive care in its management. Although initially described in adult patients, the diagnostic definitions for ARDS have evolved over time to accurately describe this disease process in pediatric and, more recently, neonatal patients. The management of ARDS in each age demographic has converged in the application of lung-protective ventilatory strategies to mitigate the primary disease process and prevent its exacerbation by limiting ventilator-induced lung injury. However, differences arise in the preferred ventilatory strategies or adjunctive pulmonary therapies used to mitigate each type of ARDS. In this review, we compare and contrast the epidemiology, common etiologies, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, and outcomes of ARDS across the lifespan. Additionally, we discuss in detail the different management strategies used for each subtype of ARDS and spotlight how these strategies were applied to mitigate poor outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review is geared toward both clinicians and clinician-scientists as it not only summarizes the latest information on disease pathogenesis and patient management in ARDS across the lifespan but also highlights knowledge gaps for further investigative efforts. We conclude by projecting how future studies can fill these gaps in research and what improvements may be envisioned in the management of NARDS and PARDS based on the current breadth of literature on adult ARDS treatment strategies.
Dual vs triple antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Sainbayar Enkhtsogt , Pham Hoang Nhat , Olson April , Ibrahim Ramzi , Grewal Harneet , Salih Mohammed , Mamas Mamas A , Lee Kwan
Published: August 2024

Antithrombotic treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) poses a dilemma. We compared outcomes of dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) (direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)/warfarin + antiplatelets) vs triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) (DOACs/warfarin, aspirin, and P2Y12 inhibitor) in this population. Multiple databases were searched from inception to December 17, 2023 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing DAT vs TAT in patients with AF and ACS. Outcomes included major adverse cardiac events (MACE), bleeding events, stroke, stent thrombosis, and myocardial infarction (MI). Relative risk and 95% confidence intervals were estimated with a random-effects model using the inverse-variance technique. We assigned I2 > 50% as an indicator of statistical heterogeneity. p-Value <0.05 was considered significant. Ten RCTs comprising 6186 patients on TAT (female 26%, mean age 71 ± 9 years) and 6800 patients on DAT (female 27%, mean age 71 ± 9 years) were included. Patients receiving DAT experienced lower rates of bleeding events compared to those receiving TAT, with relative risks of 0.69 [0.55–0.87] ( p < 0.001), 0.65 [0.40–1.06] ( p = 0.09), and 0.62 [0.46–0.84] ( p < 0.001) for TAT durations of 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. No difference was seen in the occurrence of MACE, MI, stroke, or stent thrombosis between DAT and TAT across all three durations of TAT. This is the largest pooled analysis comparing TAT to DAT stratified by the duration of antithrombotic therapy. Our results revealed that DAT was associated with reduced bleeding risk despite no difference in other outcomes.
The Comparison of Psychological Factors and Executive Functions of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome to ADHD and ADHD Comorbid with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Authors: Inci Izmir Sevim Berrin , Aktan Zekeriya Deniz , Ercan Eyüp Sabri
Published: August 2024

Objective:

The study aims to examine family functionality, emotion regulation difficulties, preference for loneliness, social exclusion, internalizing and externalizing disorders, and executive functions in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) and compare with ADHD, and ADHD+ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

Method:

This study included 842 children aged 8–12 years. The subjects were categorized according to DSM-V as ADHD ( n = 246), ADHD + ODD ( n = 212), ADHD + CDS ( n = 176), and Control group ( n = 207). The solitude and social exclusion, difficulties in emotion dysregulation and Barkley SCT scales, Child Behavior Checklist, family assessment device, and Central Vital Signs (CNSVS) test were used.

Results:

According to the study, children with ADHD + CDS had higher rates of internalizing disorders. They also preferred being alone and experienced more difficulty communicating with their parents and solving problems within the family. Additionally, these children had difficulty recognizing and understanding the emotional reactions of others. The ADHD + ODD group presented a poorer performance on CNSVS domain tests except for the psychomotor speed test than other groups. Also, ADHD + CDS children had the lowest psychomotor speed scores and lower scores on reaction time and cognitive flexibility than pure ADHD children.

Conclusion:

This study will contribute to the etiology, treatment, and clinical discrimination of ADHD + CDS.