bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GATA3 Expression in HPV-associated and HPV-independent Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Patterns of Expression and Prognostic Significance
Authors: Vaziri Fard Elmira , Zare Somaye Y. , Fadare Oluwole
Published: October 2023

Substantial diminution or loss of GATA3 expression is reportedly frequent in human papillomavirus–independent (HPVI), p53-mediated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Herein, we study GATA3 expression in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) and assess its clinicopathologic significance. Eighty-six cases of VSCC diagnosed at a single institution were immunohistochemically assessed for their expression of GATA3, as well as any possible relationships with patient outcomes and other clinicopathologic parameters. Given that GATA3 expression pattern in the normal vulvar epidermis is typically strong basal staining with a uniform upward extension until at least the mid epidermal layers, VSCCs were scored using a previously reported tripattern system: pattern 0 (>75% tumor staining), pattern 1 (25% to 75% staining), and pattern 2 (<25% staining). Severe loss of GATA3 expression (pattern 2) was present in both human papillomavirus–associated (HPVA) and HPVI VSCC but was significantly more common in HPVI cases (P<0.001). Among 52 HPVA VSCCs, 16 (30.7%), 15 (28.8%), and 21 (40.3%) cases showed patterns 0, 1, 2 staining whereas among 34 HPVI VSCCs, the respective frequencies were 1 (2.9%), 5 (14.7%), and 28 (82.3%). None of the 30 p53 abnormal VSCCs showed pattern 0 staining (0%). Five (16.6%) and 25 (83.3%) showed patterns 1 and 2 staining, respectively. On univariate analysis, the pattern 2 cohort showed a significantly worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) than the pattern 0 or 1 cohort (P=0.011 and 0.024, respectively), but this finding was not independent of stage on multivariate analysis (P=0.34; hazard ratio: 1.82; 95% CI: 0.55-6.06). Subgroup analysis of the p53 wild-type cases showed significantly worse OS for pattern 2 than the pattern 0 or 1 cohorts, independent of stage (P=0.04; hazard ratio: 6.5; 95% CI: 1.08-39.8). Subgroup analysis of p53 abnormal cases, however, showed no difference in OS and DFS among the 3-tiered GATA3 cohorts. In summary, loss of GATA3 may be seen in both HPVA and HPVI VSCCs but is significantly more common in HPVI SCCs. Loss or substantial diminution of GATA3 expression (pattern 2) is a negative prognostic factor in vulvar SCCs, but only in the p53 wild-type subset, where its negative prognostic significance appears to be independent of stage.
Long-term Outcomes of Robot-assisted versus Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer: A Nationwide Register-based Cohort Study
Authors: Cuk Pedja , Kaalby Lasse , Deding Ulrik , Al-Najami Issam , Ellebæk Mark Bremholm
Published: October 2023

Objective:

To determine long-term survival in patients undergoing robot-assisted (RAS) or laparoscopic surgery (LAS) for colon cancer.

Background:

The potential long-term benefits of RAS compared to LAS for colon cancer are not well examined. Using a register-based approach, we aimed to compare these two surgical platforms in an analysis of long-term outcomes, including recurrence-free survival and all-cause- and colon cancer-specific mortality.

Methods:

A nationwide register-based cohort study of patients with Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage I-III colon cancer undergoing planned RAS or LAS from 2010 through 2018. Patient demographic, clinical, and pathological data were retrieved from Danish national registers. Survival- and recurrence rates were estimated by Cox proportional hazard multivariate regression analysis adjusting for baseline covariates.

Results:

A total of 7,565 patients (LAS=6,905 (91%) and RAS=660 (9%)) were included in the complete case survival analysis. Patients undergoing LAS had a significantly increased risk of cancer recurrence (LAS=1,178 (17.1%), RAS=82 (12.4%), P=0.002) with a mean follow-up time of 4.93 years (standard deviation 2.47). The survival analysis of recurrence-free survival favored RAS (hazard ratioadjusted=0.80, 95% confidence interval [0.64-1.00], P=0.049). No associations between the two surgical platforms were evident regarding all-cause (hazard ratioadjusted=0.98, 95% confidence interval [0.82-1.17], P=0.783) or colon cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratioadjusted=0.89, 95% confidence interval [0.67-1.18], P=0.405).

Conclusion:

Adopting RAS for colon cancer was associated with improved recurrence free-survival. However, it did not cause a lower all-cause- or colon cancer-specific mortality.
Granular hydrogels improve myogenic invasion and repair after volumetric muscle loss
Authors: Tanner Gabrielle I. , Schiltz Leia , Figueiredo Marxa L. , Qazi Taimoor H.
Published: October 2023

Skeletal muscle injuries including volumetric muscle loss (VML) are marked by excessive scarring and functional disability that inherent regenerative mechanisms are unable to reverse. Despite high prevalence in civilian and military populations, there is currently no effective treatment for VML but bioengineering interventions such as biomaterials that fill the VML defect to support tissue growth and repair are a promising strategy. However, traditional biomaterials developed for this purpose are rigid, non-porous constructs that hinder cell infiltration. In the present study, we test the effects of granular hydrogels on muscle repair - hypothesizing that their inherent porosity will support the invasion of native myogenic cells and their flowability will permit conformable filling of the defect site, leading to effective muscle repair. We used photocurable hyaluronic acid crosslinked with matched muscle stiffness to prepare small or large particle fragments via extrusion fragmentation and facile size sorting. In assembled granular hydrogels, particle size and degree of packing significantly influenced pore features including porosity, pore size, and pore density, as well as rheological behavior including storage moduli and yield strain. We tested the ability of granular hydrogels to support early-stage (satellite cell invasion) and late-stage (myofiber invasion) muscle repair compared to bulk hydrogels in a VML injury model in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of 12-14 week old mice. Histological evaluation revealed granular hydrogels supported these regenerative processes while control bulk hydrogels restricted them to the gel-tissue interface in line with the absence of invading cells. Together, these results highlight the promising potential of injectable and porous granular hydrogels in supporting endogenous repair after severe muscle injury.
Behavioural determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly population: a cross-sectional analysis from Punjab
Authors: Kansra Pooja , Khadar Amiya Abdul
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Population ageing is a demographic transition and burdens every country’s health sector. A lack of social security combined with low government health-sector spending has made health-care utilisation difficult among elderly in many developing countries like India. This makes population ageing a global phenomenon for policymakers, researchers and stakeholders to discuss and debate in 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioural determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly population in Punjab.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines health-care utilisation among the elderly population in Punjab. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data in the state of Punjab, with a multi-stage stratified random sample of 385 respondents. Logit regression was used to analyse the association between several behavioural factors like age, gender, place of residence, source of livelihood, education and frequency of visits with health-care utilisation among elderly aged 60 and above.

Findings

This study revealed that gender, age, place of residence, source of livelihood, education and frequency of visits were significant determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly population.

Originality/value

This study directs the need to improve health-care utilisation in a country, reducing inequalities that exist among the elderly population with respect to socio-economic and demographic differences.
The effect of footbath applied to patients receiving hemodialysis treatment on comfort, fatigue, and dialysis symptoms: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Güler Sevil , Şahan Seda , Ülker Türkan , Sipahioğlu Murat Hayri
Published: October 2023

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of warm water footbaths on comfort, fatigue, and dialysis symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods

Data were collected from a total of 58 patients, 31 in the intervention group and 27 in the placebo group. The data in the study are collected using the intervention and control group informed volunteer Form, Patient Demonstration Form, foot Bath Application Monitoring Chart, fatigue VAS Scale Form, Dialysis Symptom Index, and Hemodialysis Comfort Scale (HCS).

Results

In the second follow‐up in the intervention group, HCS was determined to significantly increase all sub‐size and total score averages by the first trace (p < 0.05). VAS fatigue point averages were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the intervention group.

Conclusion

It was determined that the footbath applied to patients who received hemodialysis treatment increased comfort and reduced fatigue and dialysis symptoms.
Enhanced expression of parvalbumin and perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex after extended‐access cocaine self‐administration in rats
Authors: Wingert Jereme C. , Anguiano Jonathan N. , Ramos Jonathan D. , Blacktop Jordan M. , Gonzalez Angela E. , Churchill Lynn , Sorg Barbara A.
Published: October 2023

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) drives cocaine‐seeking behaviour in rodent models of cocaine use disorder. Parvalbumin (PV)‐containing GABAergic interneurons powerfully control the output of the mPFC, yet few studies have focused on how these neurons modulate cocaine‐seeking behaviour. Most PV neurons are surrounded by perineuronal nets (PNNs), which regulate the firing of PV neurons. We examined staining intensity and number of PV and PNNs after long‐access (6 h/day) cocaine self‐administration in rats followed by either 8–10 days extinction ± cue‐induced reinstatement or short‐term (1–2 days) or long‐term (30–31 days) abstinence ± cue‐induced reinstatement. The intensity of PNNs was increased in the prelimbic and infralimbic PFC after long‐term abstinence in the absence of cue reinstatement and after cue reinstatement following both daily extinction sessions and after a 30‐day abstinence period. PV intensity was increased after 30 days of abstinence in the prelimbic but not infralimbic PFC. Enzymatic removal of PNNs with chondroitinase ABC (ABC) in the prelimbic PFC did not prevent incubation of cue‐induced reinstatement but decreased cocaine‐seeking behaviour at both 2 and 31 days of abstinence, and this decrease at 31 days was accompanied by reduced c‐Fos levels in the prelimbic PFC. Increases in PNN intensity have generally been associated with the loss of plasticity, suggesting that the persistent and chronic nature of cocaine use disorder may in part be attributed to long‐lasting increases in PNN intensity that reduce the ability of stimuli to alter synaptic input to underlying PV neurons.
How customer mistreatment hinders employee sleep quality and next‐morning vigor: The effects of affective rumination and mindfulness
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zhou Zhiqing E. , Zhang Li , Liu Yanjun , Shi Yanwei
Published: October 2023

Customer mistreatment as a common workplace stressor in the service industry has detrimental effects on service employees. Drawing on cognitive theories of rumination, the current study examined the effect of daily customer mistreatment experience on employee recovery outcomes (sleep quality and next‐morning vigor) through affective rumination. Further, we investigated the moderating role of trait mindfulness on the relationship between customer mistreatment and employee affective rumination. With 390 matched time‐lagged daily observations collected from 107 fulltime in‐patient nurses across five working days, our multilevel analyses revealed that daily customer mistreatment experience at work was negatively related to employee sleep quality on the same night and vigor in the next morning via affective rumination and that employee's affective rumination at the end of work and sleep quality at night sequentially mediated the relationship between daily experience of customer mistreatment and morning vigor. Besides, trait mindfulness buffered the relationship between daily customer mistreatment and affective rumination. These findings shed light on the understanding of the mechanisms between customer mistreatment and employee recovery states and potentially malleable individual characteristics that might mitigate the negative effects of customer mistreatment.
Impact of community health workers on quality of life in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease: The SHIP‐HU study
Authors: Sisler India , McClish Donna K. , Villella Anthony , Valrie Cecelia , Smith Wally R.
Published: October 2023

Health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is often poor compared with other chronic medical conditions or measured as a multidomain disease‐specific construct. We previously reported outcomes in the Start Healing in Patients with Hydroxyurea (SHIP‐HU) randomized controlled trial in adolescents and adults with SCD at six clinical sites. Besides the primary outcomes, we also measured HRQoL as a secondary outcome. Patients in the intervention arm were each assigned community health workers (CHWs) who provided case management services. CHW services were independent of medical management, and medical managers were blinded to the study arm. Patients in the control arm received only standard of care. We hypothesized that having a CHW would improve HRQoL in patients enrolled in SHIP‐HU. We did not find significant differences between domains of HRQoL in the two study arms. Possible explanations include selection bias of enrolled versus unenrolled patients, selection bias of sites, medical providers and medical management, enforced blinding, and a lack of cooperation between medical managers and CHWs. The importance of CHWs and HRQoL is nonetheless recognized based on the literature. Future interventions on HRQoL in SCD should consider alternative study designs and multimodal interventions.
Oral and systemic health in Singapore: Revisiting the past to define the future
Authors: Nascimento Gustavo G. , Balan Preethi , Alves‐Costa Silas , Bitencourt Fernando Valentim , Kalhan Ashish C. , Leite Fabio R. M.
Published: October 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to identify studies exploring oral and systemic conditions using Singapore data.

Methods

Studies were searched using the databases PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, with no publication date or language restrictions. Studies analysing Singaporean data were included in this review.

Results

Six domains were identified: pregnancy and gingivitis; tooth eruption, dental caries and early‐life factors; Crohn's disease and oral microbiome; diabetes and periodontal diseases; number of teeth, chewing ability and cognitive status; and oral health and pneumonia. Using data from Singapore, oral‐systemic studies have prompted reflections on the aetiopathogenesis of oral disorders, such as common causes connecting oral and systemic chronic conditions. Moreover, it is speculated whether oral conditions could be used as a marker to predict future systemic diseases or whether early‐life factors could affect the development of oral and systemic immune responses.

Conclusions

While Singapore provides opportunities to explore challenges connected to healthy ageing, it also explores health development in many stages of life. Singapore has been prioritizing investigations on a healthier life, and new initiatives are paving the way for oral health research across the lifespan.
Does the age of compensation committee members matter for CEO compensation?
Authors: Li Yiwei , Clements Michael , Padgett Carol , Zhang Xiu‐Ye
Published: October 2023

Research Question/Issue

We examine the impact of the age of compensation committee (CC) members on CEO compensation. Sociological theory suggests that age is a significant demographic factor influencing behavior. We argue that monitoring intensity increases with age because older directors are more likely to commit to their fiduciary duties.

Research Findings/Insights

Using FTSE 350 firms for the period 2002 to 2017, we find that CC members' age is negatively associated with the level of CEO pay but positively associated with pay–performance sensitivity after controlling for risk aversion attitude, experience in board monitoring, knowledge of the firm, and other firm and CEO characteristics. The relationships remain robust to alternative measures for age and compensation, using two‐stage least squares and high‐dimensional fixed effects models. Consistent with the view that older individuals tend to hold higher ethical standards and concomitant closer monitoring, we find that age effects are sensitive to the influence of ethical factors and are strongest for those firms for which intense monitoring is most needed. This suggests that age operates via older directors carrying out their roles more assiduously. We further show that our findings are less likely to be driven by director reputational effects, and the relationship between CC member age and CEO compensation persists even when we control for multiple dimensions of culturally inherited attributes of the CC members.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Despite the large literature on the influence of demographic characteristics on corporate governance, this study is the first on the monitoring effect of CC members' age. It contributes to the literature on the influence of demographic characteristic. It also contributes to the literature on CEO compensation by identifying a demographic factor—age—as a determinant of CEO pay, after controlling for the economic and corporate governance variables of the firm.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This study highlights the role of demographic factors in explaining the monitoring of the CEO compensation contracting process and provides timely evidence on the recent regulatory changes.
Multi‐tissue transcriptome‐wide association study reveals susceptibility genes and drug targets for insulin resistance‐relevant phenotypes
Authors: Duan Yuan‐Yuan , Ke Xin , Wu Hao , Yao Shi , Shi Wei , Han Ji‐Zhou , Zhu Ren‐Jie , Wang Jia‐Hao , Jia Ying‐Ying , Yang Tie‐Lin , Li Meng , Guo Yan
Published: October 2023

Aim

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple susceptibility loci associated with insulin resistance (IR)‐relevant phenotypes. However, the genes responsible for these associations remain largely unknown. We aim to identify susceptibility genes for IR‐relevant phenotypes via a transcriptome‐wide association study.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a large‐scale multi‐tissue transcriptome‐wide association study for IR (Insulin Sensitivity Index, homeostasis model assessment‐IR, fasting insulin) and lipid‐relevant traits (high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol) using the largest GWAS summary statistics and precomputed gene expression weights of 49 human tissues. Conditional and joint analyses were implemented to identify significantly independent genes. Furthermore, we estimated the causal effects of independent genes by Mendelian randomization causal inference analysis.

Results

We identified 1190 susceptibility genes causally associated with IR‐relevant phenotypes, including 58 genes that were not implicated in the original GWAS. Among them, 11 genes were further supported in differential expression analyses or a gene knockout mice database, such as KRIT1 showed both significantly differential expression and IR‐related phenotypic effects in knockout mice. Meanwhile, seven proteins encoded by susceptibility genes were targeted by clinically approved drugs, and three of these genes (H6PD, CACNB2 and DRD2) have been served as drug targets for IR‐related diseases/traits. Moreover, drug repurposing analysis identified four compounds with profiles opposing the expression of genes associated with IR risk.

Conclusions

Our study provided new insights into IR aetiology and avenues for therapeutic development.
Math Men vs. “The Crazy Ones”
Authors: Deutsch Bob
Published: October 2023

With all due respect for numbers, let's not forget that there's also a place for spontaneity, intuition, and passion.

“Big data” versus the raw materials of life?
Silo‐Busting to Create Great Experiences for the Internet of Things
Authors: Desbarats Gus
Published: October 2023

IOT design requires an overall customer‐experience, service‐design approach that covers the end‐to‐end customer journey. That includes real‐time, coordinated design across the object, an app, a web account, and the touch‐points that help with set‐up.

Designing in the age of the Internet of Things is not another kind of design, but it certainly challenges some classic design roles and methods.
White matter changes in young and middle‐aged males with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Tract‐based spatial statistics analysis
Authors: Lan Xi , Zhu Xin‐Yi , Bai Wei‐Xian , Liu Hui‐Ping , Wang Hui , Dun Wang‐Huan , Guo Chen‐Guang , Zhang Ming , Niu Xuan
Published: October 2023

The supraspinal mechanism plays a key role in developing and maintaining chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). However, it is not clear how white matter changes in young and middle‐aged males with CP/CPPS. In this cross‐sectional study, 23 CP/CPPS patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Tract‐based spatial statistics was applied to investigate the differences in diffusion tensor imaging metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), radial diffusion (RD) and axial diffusion (AD), between CP/CPPS patients and HCs. The study also examined the association between white matter alterations and clinical variables in patients using correlation analysis. Compared with HCs, patients showed decreased FA, MD, RD and AD in the body and genu of the corpus callosum and right anterior corona radiata. In addition, they showed increased FA along with decreased MD, RD and AD in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC‐L), left external capsule and left cerebral peduncle. The FA of PLIC‐L was negatively correlated with disease duration (r = −.54, corrected p = .017), while MD and RD were positively correlated (r = .45, corrected p = .042; r = .57, corrected p = .017). These results suggest that CP/CPPS is associated with extensive changes in white matter tracts, which are involved in pain processing. In particular, the FA, MD and RD values in the PLIC‐L were correlated with the disease duration, indicating that the long‐term course of CP/CPPS may have effects on the white matter microstructure of the pain perception pathways.
The Decision to Repurchase Debt
Authors: Kruse Timothy , Nohel Tom , Todd Steven K.
Published: October 2023

The authors examined the market reaction to announcements of 208 corporate offers to repurchase outstanding debt during the period 1989–1996. In most tender offers, debtholders receive either a fixed price or a fixed spread over a benchmark Treasury security, or a range of prices based on a Dutch Auction. In most cases, management cites as its main motive the desire to reduce leverage and/or interest expense. But such tender offers are also often—in fact, in 70% of cases—accompanied by consent payments intended to induce bondholders to vote to remove covenant restrictions.

The authors found that tender offers are wealth‐increasing events, with positive average market reactions of almost 1.5%. But the means of funding has a major impact on the market reaction. Whereas tender offers financed with equity receive a neutral market response, those offers financed with the proceeds from asset sales are associated with equity announcement returns of 3.8%. What's more, shareholders respond positively to the removal of covenants, especially asset sale covenants, with abnormal returns averaging 11% in such cases.

Before their offers, companies that tender for their debt tend to have less cash and more long‐term debt than comparable companies, and to have lower operating returns and to trade at a discount to their peers. But after the tender offer, assets increase, operating returns improve, and the tendering firms trade at a premium.
Editorial Perspective: Misaligned incentives in mental health research – the case for Registered Reports
Authors: Baldwin Jessie R.
Published: October 2023

Current incentive structures reward mental health researchers for producing positive, novel, and clean results. This can promote questionable research practices which contribute to a distorted evidence base, in turn limiting progress in mental health research. Registered Reports (RRs) offer a solution to realign the incentives towards conducting high‐quality, rigorous, and accurate studies, by preventing publication and reporting biases. However, the uptake of RRs in mental health research has so far been limited. This editorial perspective highlights the advantages of RRs for mental health research, before discussing potential challenges and how they can be addressed. Greater uptake of RRs in mental health research could help to promote a fairer research culture, limit publication bias and questionable research practices, and ultimately, improve understanding of mental health.
Bidirectional sex‐change behavior and physiological aspects in the Gorgeous goby Lythrypnus pulchellus (Gobiidae)
Authors: Muñoz‐Arroyo Sayuri , Guerrero‐Tortolero Danitzia A. , Hernández‐Olalde Liliana , Balart Eduardo F.
Published: October 2023

The Gorgeous goby Lythrypnus pulchellus shows extreme sexual plasticity with the bidirectional sex‐change ability socially controlled in adults. Therefore, this study describes how the hierarchical status affects hormone synthesis through newborn hormone waste products in water and tests the influence of body size and social dominance establishment in sex reversal duration and direction. The associated changes in behavior and hormone levels are described under laboratory conditions in male–male and female–female pairs of similar and different body sizes, recording the changes until spawning. The status establishment occurred in a relatively shorter time period in male and female pairs of different sizes (1–3 days) compared to those of similar size (3–5 days), but the earlier one did not significantly affect the overall time of sex change (verified by pair spawning). The changes in gonads, hormones, and papilla occurred in sex‐changer individuals, but the first one was observed in behavior. Courtship started at 3–5 days in male pairs and from 2 h to 1 day in female pairs of both groups of different and similar sizes. Hormones did not gradually move in the new sexual phenotype direction during the sex‐change time course. Nonetheless, estradiol regulated sex change and 11‐ketotestosterone enabled bidirectional sex change and was modulated by agonistic interactions. Cortisol is associated with status and gonadal sex change. In general, similar mechanisms underlie sex change in both directions with a temporal change sequence in phases. These results shed new light on sex‐change mechanisms. Further studies should be performed to determine whether these localized changes exist in the steroid hormone synthesis along the brain–pituitary gonad axis during social and bidirectional sex changes in L. pulchellus.
Neural operator for structural simulation and bridge health monitoring
Authors: Kaewnuratchadasorn Chawit , Wang Jiaji , Kim Chul‐Woo
Published: October 2023

Infusing deep learning with structural engineering has received widespread attention for both forward problems (structural simulation) and inverse problems (structural health monitoring). Based on Fourier neural operator, this study proposes VINO (Vehicle–Bridge Interaction Neural Operator) to serve as a surrogate model of bridge structures. VINO learns mappings between structural response fields and damage fields. In this study, vehicle–bridge interaction (VBI)–finite element (FE) data set was established by running parametric FE simulations of the VBI system, considering a random distribution of the structural initial damage field. Subsequently, vehicle‐bridge interaction (VB)–experimental (EXP) dataset was produced by conducting an experimental study under four damage scenarios. After VINO was pretrained by VBI‐FE and fine‐tuned by VBI‐EXP from the bridge at the healthy state, the model achieved the following two improvements. First, forward VINO can predict structural responses from damage field inputs more accurately than the FE model. Second, inverse VINO can determine, localize, and quantify damages in all scenarios, validating the accuracy and efficiency of data‐driven approaches.
How To Address Strategic Insecurity In A Turbulent Age
Authors: Brzezinski Zbigniew
Published: October 2023

The ideal geopolitical response to the crisis of global power is a trilateral connection between the United States, China and Russia.
Serum C‐reactive protein is associated with earlier mortality across different interstitial lung diseases
Authors: Stock Carmel J. W. , Bray William G. , Kouranos Vasilis , Jacob Joseph , Kokosi Maria , George Peter M. , Chua Felix , Wells Athol U. , Sestini Piersante , Renzoni Elisabetta A.
Published: October 2023

Background and Objective

The acute‐phase protein C‐reactive protein (CRP) is known to be associated with poor outcomes in cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there is limited evidence of its prognostic implications in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). We therefore set out to test whether baseline serum CRP levels are associated with mortality in four different ILDs.

Methods

In this retrospective study, clinically measured CRP levels, as well as baseline demographics and lung function measures, were collected for ILD patients first presenting to the Royal Brompton Hospital between January 2010 and December 2019. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the relationship with 5‐year mortality.

Results

Patients included in the study were: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) n = 422, fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP) n = 233, rheumatoid arthritis associated ILD (RA‐ILD) n = 111 and Systemic Sclerosis associated ILD (SSc‐ILD) n = 86. Patients with a recent history of infection were excluded. Higher CRP levels were associated with shorter 5‐year survival in all four disease groups on both univariable analyses, and after adjusting for age, gender, smoking history, immunosuppressive therapy and baseline disease severity (IPF: HR (95% CI): 1.3 (1.1–1.5), p = 0.003, fHP: 1.5 (1.2–1.9), p = 0.001, RA‐ILD: 1.4 (1.1–1.84), p = 0.01 and SSc‐ILD: 2.7 (1.6–4.5), p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Higher CRP levels are independently associated with reduced 5‐year survival in IPF, fHP, RA‐ILD and SSc‐ILD.
Comparing transfusion practice at multiple hospitals using electronically collected and analysed data
Authors: D'Souza Ross , Dhesi Amanpreet Singh , Pendry Kate , Charlton Andrew , Staples Sophie , Watkins Nicholas A. , Murphy Michael F.
Published: October 2023

Background

Comparisons of transfusion practice between organisations are time‐consuming using manual methods for data collection. We performed a feasibility study to determine whether large‐scale transfusion data from three English hospitals could be combined to allow comparisons of transfusion practice.

Methods

Clinical, laboratory and transfusion data from patients discharged between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 were extracted from Patient Administration Systems (PAS), Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and electronic transfusion systems at three NHS hospitals, which are academic medical centres based in large cities outside London. A centralised database and business intelligence software were used to compare the data.

Results

The dataset contained 748 982 episodes of patient care with 91 410 blood components transfused. The study confirms the results of previous studies finding peaks in the ages of transfusion in the 0–4 years age range, in women of childbearing ages, and in males over 60 years. The number of components transfused per 1000 bed days was used as a standardised comparator. Red cell utilisation was 42.4, 40.4 and 49.5 units/1000 bed days and platelet utilisation 11.69, 7.76, and 11.66 units/1000 bed days. 60.5% (6848/11 310) of Group O D negative red cell units were transfused to non‐group O D negative recipients. An analysis of component usage highlighted variations in practice, for example platelet usage for cardiac surgery varied from 2.4% to 7.3% across the three hospitals.

Conclusion

This feasibility study demonstrates that large electronic datasets from hospitals can be combined to identify areas for targeted interventions to improve transfusion practice.
Determining Factors of the Quality of the Financial Reporting of the Banking Companies Listed in Brazil Bolsa Balcão – B3
Authors: Albuquerque Ventura Ana Flávia , Figueiredo Jéssica Cristina Martins , Ventura Júnior Raul , Teixeira Bruno de Medeiros , Macagnan Clea Beatriz
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to analyze the determinants of the quality of accounting information of banks listed on B3. We measured the quality of accounting information through a set of 12 indicators built in the study of Gabriel and Silveira (2011). Subsequently, we used an econometric panel data model for a sample of 20 banks between 2014 and 2017. The results show that the banks audited by the big four have an audit committee, a lower indebtedness, and a lower ROE, reflecting a better quality of accounting information. These findings contribute to Brazilian inspection and regulatory bodies regarding the practices that may qualify the accounting information disclosed by banks to their investors. It also includes Brazilian banks in the empirical studies on the quality of accounting information.
Empresas com transparência na divulgação dos relatórios contábeis apresentam melhores desempenhos, econômico-financeiro e de sustentabilidade?
Authors: Dos Santos Geovane Camilo , Reis Maria Aparecida Alves , Oliveira Elis Regina de , Ferreira Neto Brasilino José , Oliveira Elcio Dihl
Published: October 2023

Este artigo tem por objetivo comparar o desempenho econômico-financeiro e Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) das companhias premiadas pelo Troféu Transparência com o desempenho do grupo de controle. O objetivo específico é verificar se a associação entre as variáveis de desempenho econômico-financeiro e as variáveis ESG por grupo de empresas. A amostra foi composta por 19 empresas, sendo separadas em dois grupos: as premiadas com o Troféu Transparência e o grupo de controle, empresas com características similares, como setor e faturamento. Foi aplicado o teste de diferenças de média para duas amostras independentes (Mann-Whitney). Também foi realizada a correlação de Spearman para cada um dos grupos de estudos. Os resultados sugerem que as empresas premiadas com o Troféu Transparência, que primam pelos critérios de transparência e clareza das demonstrações financeiras, não se diferenciam significativamente em desempenho econômico-financeiro e desempenho ESG em relação ao grupo de controle. Este estudo contribui com a literatura ao evidenciar que as empresas premiadas com os atributos de maior transparência e qualidade das demonstrações contábeis, que são características relevantes para a tomada de decisão dos stakeholders, ainda não têm seu desempenho econômico-financeiro associado de forma significativa com suas outras práticas de Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC).
Relación rotación del auditor, calidad de auditoría y variables financieras en las empresas que cotizaron en la bolsa de valores de Colombia entre 2012 y 2019
Authors: Zamarra Londoño Julián Esteban , Gutiérrez Castañeda Belky Esperanza , Perez Noreña Daniela
Published: October 2023

Tanto a nivel local como internacional, las empresas, firmas de auditoría y los diferentes usuarios de la información financiera han tomado distintas posturas sobre la rotación de los auditores. Diversas publicaciones han identificado las ventajas que trae la rotación de los auditores como también las dificultades y esfuerzos que esto significa para las empresas cuando se efectúa el cambio bien sea del auditor o de la firma de auditoría. El enfoque de este estudio, que se da en el contexto colombiano, se centra en la figura del Revisor fiscal y es así como la investigación pretende identificar la relación entre la rotación de auditoría y la calidad de la auditoría de empresas que cotizan en la Bolsa de Valores de Colombia entre 2012 y 2019. Para esto se usó información financiera y no financiera, realizando un análisis con enfoque metodológico mixto por medio de los modelos estadísticos Logit y Probit, que arrojaron como resultado que la calidad de auditoría no está altamente relacionada con la rotación del auditor, sino que tiene una fuerte relación con el total de activos, el endeudamiento y el apalancamiento del cliente.
The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefighters
Authors: Roup Christina M. , Ferguson Sarah D. , Lander Devan
Published: October 2023

Relationships between extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds and speech-in-spatialized noise were examined in firefighters with a history of occupational noise and airborne toxin exposure. Speech recognition thresholds were measured for co-located and spatially separated (±90° azimuth) sentences in a competing signal using the Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentences test. EHF hearing was significantly correlated with the spatial advantage, indicating that firefighters with poorer EHF thresholds experienced less benefit from spatial separation. The correlation between EHF thresholds and spatial hearing remained significant after controlling for age. Deficits in EHF and spatial hearing suggest firefighters may experience compromised speech understanding in job-related complex acoustic environments.
New Stability Results for Multiserver-job Models via Product-form Saturated Systems
Authors: Grosof Isaac , Harchol-Balter Mor , Scheller-Wolf Alan
Published: October 2023

Multiserver-job (MSJ) models are increasingly common in today's datacenters. In these models, each job runs on multiple servers concurrently, for some duration. The most common service ordering for jobs is First-Come First-Served (FCFS). Unfortunately, MSJ FCFS models are hard to analyze, and even the stability region of MSJ FCFS models is not well understood.

Stability has only been analyzed in the case where all jobs have independent exponentially-distributed durations with the same mean (the "single duration" setting). This does not allow, however, for modeling the common situation where jobs with higher server need (number of servers required) also have higher expected duration. This paper provides the first analysis of stability for MSJ FCFS models in the two-class setting, where each class of jobs has its own server need and its own exponentially-distributed duration.

To analyze stability, we make use of the saturated system, whose throughput determines the stability region. While the saturated system has been useful in deriving stability regions in the past, it has never been applied in settings where jobs occupy multiple servers. By looking at the saturated system in a new light, we find that its solution has an attractive product form in the two-class setting, and a different product form in the single-duration setting, both novel results. Besides solving our problem, this product form may also serve as a gateway to analyzing other complex models.
Designing Traffic Monitoring Systems for Self-Driving Networks
Authors: Misa Chris
Published: October 2023

Traffic monitoring is a critical component of self-driving networks. In particular, any system that seeks to automatically manage a network's operation must first be equipped with insights about traffic currently flowing through the network. Typically, dedicated traffic monitoring systems deliver such insights in the form of traffic features to high-level human or automated decision makers. Inspired by the exciting capabilities of programmable dataplanes and the persistent challenges of network management, the research community has focused on improving the flexibility and efficiency of traffic monitoring systems for a variety of management tasks. However, a significant gap remains between the traffic monitoring requirements of practical, deployable self-driving networks and the capabilities of current state-of-the-art systems. This short paper provides a brief background of traffic monitoring systems, discusses how their claims and limitations relate to requirements of self-driving networks, and proposes several open challenges as exciting starting points for future research. Addressing these challenges requires large-scale efforts in traffic monitoring techniques and selfdriving network design, as well as enhanced dialog between researchers in both domains.
Engineering Autonomous Self-Driving Networks
Authors: Kiran Mariam
Published: October 2023

Networking infrastructure, e.g. wide area networks (WAN) connecting data centers worldwide, or wireless 5G and beyond, are all witnessing unprecedented traffic demand, due to massive data-explosion in software applications involving text, image and video transfers and demand for high quality connectivity. The infrastructure itself is often limited by budget; and providing optimum performance with limited resources such as high bandwidth or low latency for user quality experience, is a challenge. Continually upgrading to expensive high-end switches and optical fibers is not a long-term feasible solution.
A NetAI Manifesto (Part I): Less Explorimentation, More Science
Authors: Willinger Walter , Gupta Arpit , Jacobs Arthur S. , Beltiukov Roman , Ferreira Ronaldo A. , Granville Lisandro
Published: October 2023

The application of the latest techniques from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve and automate the decision-making required for solving realworld network security and performance problems (NetAI, for short) has generated great excitement among networking researchers. However, network operators have remained very reluctant when it comes to deploying NetAI-based solutions in their production networks, mainly because the black-box nature of the underlying learning models forces operators to blindly trust these models without having any understanding of how they work, why they work, or when they don't work (and why not). Paraphrasing [1], we argue that to overcome this roadblock and ensure its future success in practice, NetAI "has to get past its current stage of explorimentation, or the practice of poking around to see what happens, and has to start employing tools of the scientific method."
Table S4 from LncRNA AGPG Confers Endocrine Resistance in Breast Cancer by Promoting E2F1 Activity
Authors: Yu Shiyi , Wang Ying , Gong Xue , Fan Zhehao , Wang Zheng , Liang Zhengyan , Wu Rui , Cao Binjie , Wang Ning , Bi Caili , Lv Dan , Sun Haibo
Published: October 2023

Table S4
Table S2 from LncRNA AGPG Confers Endocrine Resistance in Breast Cancer by Promoting E2F1 Activity
Authors: Yu Shiyi , Wang Ying , Gong Xue , Fan Zhehao , Wang Zheng , Liang Zhengyan , Wu Rui , Cao Binjie , Wang Ning , Bi Caili , Lv Dan , Sun Haibo
Published: October 2023

Table S2
Data from Tipifarnib Potentiates the Antitumor Effects of PI3Kα Inhibition in PIK3CA- and HRAS-Dysregulated HNSCC via Convergent Inhibition of mTOR Activity
Authors: Smith Alison E. , Chan Stacia , Wang Zhiyong , McCloskey Asako , Reilly Quinn , Wang Jayden Z. , Patel Hetika Vora , Koshizuka Keiichi , Soifer Harris S. , Kessler Linda , Dayoub Ashley , Villaflor Victoria , Adkins Douglas R. , Bruce Justine Y. , Ho Alan L. , Perez Cesar A. , Hanna Glenn J. , Gascó Hernández Amaya , Saunders Andrew , Dale Stephen , Gutkind J. Silvio , Burrows Francis , Malik Shivani
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Outcomes for patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are poor, with median overall survival (OS) ranging from 6 to 18 months. For those who progress on standard-of-care (chemo)immunotherapy, treatment options are limited, necessitating the development of rational therapeutic strategies. Toward this end, we targeted the key HNSCC drivers PI3K–mTOR and HRAS via the combination of tipifarnib, a farnesyltransferase (FTase) inhibitor, and alpelisib, a PI3Kα inhibitor, in multiple molecularly defined subsets of HNSCC. Tipifarnib synergized with alpelisib at the level of mTOR in PI3Kα- or HRAS-dependent HNSCCs, leading to marked cytotoxicity in vitro and tumor regression in vivo. On the basis of these findings, the KURRENT-HN trial was launched to evaluate the effectiveness of this combination in PIK3CA-mutant/amplified and/or HRAS-overexpressing R/M HNSCC. Preliminary evidence supports the clinical activity of this molecular biomarker-driven combination therapy. Combined alpelisib and tipifarnib has potential to benefit >45% of patients with R/M HNSCC. By blocking feedback reactivation of mTORC1, tipifarnib may prevent adaptive resistance to additional targeted therapies, enhancing their clinical utility.
Significance:
The mechanistically designed, biomarker-matched strategy of combining alpelisib and tipifarnib is efficacious in PIK3CA- and HRAS-dysregulated head and neck squamous carcinoma and could improve outcomes for many patients with recurrent, metastatic disease.

See related commentary by Lee et al., p. 3162
Supplementary Figure S5 from Genome-Scale Methylation Analysis Identifies Immune Profiles and Age Acceleration Associations with Bladder Cancer Outcomes
Authors: Chen Ji-Qing , Salas Lucas A. , Wiencke John K. , Koestler Devin C. , Molinaro Annette M. , Andrew Angeline S. , Seigne John D. , Karagas Margaret R. , Kelsey Karl T. , Christensen Brock C.
Published: October 2023

Supplementary Figure S5: Kaplan-Meier analysis of 10-year overall survival based on the grouping results from both partDSA and SS-RPMM in all NMIBC patients [For Hannum age acceleration]
Supplementary Figure 1 from Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Colorectal Cancer Mortality Beginning One Year after a Negative Fecal Occult Blood Test, among Screen-Eligible 76- to 85-Year-Olds
Authors: Dalmat Ronit R. , Ziebell Rebecca A. , Kamineni Aruna , Phipps Amanda I. , Weiss Noel S. , Breslau Erica S. , Burnett-Hartman Andrea N. , Corley Douglas A. , Doria-Rose V. Paul , Green Beverly B. , Halm Ethan A. , Levin Theodore R. , Schottinger Joanne E. , Chubak Jessica
Published: October 2023

Figure S-1 illustrates selection of eligible study population from PRECISE cohort.