bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Instructional educational games in pharmacy experiential education: a quasi-experimental assessment of learning outcomes, students’ engagement and motivation
Authors: Dabbous Mariam , Sakr Fouad , Safwan Jihan , Akel Marwan , Malaeb Diana , Rahal Mohamad , Kawtharani Anwar
Published: October 2023

Background

This study aimed to determine the impact of implementing instructional educational games on attaining the intended learning outcomes mapped with the competencies of a pharmacy practice experience course, and to assess students’ attitudes towards motivation and engagement in this active learning activity.

Methods

This was a quasi-experimental study that utilized a pretest-posttest for the research groups. Students were divided into teams and challenged to answer different questions related to the case scenarios. Different gaming platforms as Gamilab, Wisc-Online, and Quizizz were accordingly used to create different questions that help students memorize medications’ brand names, and acquire the advanced community knowledge and skills. The attainment of the intended learning outcomes was assessed and compared between the experimental and control groups through the course total average of grades, and the subsequent averages of domains relating to the course competencies. Attitudes towards motivation and engagement in educational games activities were also assessed among the experimental group.

Results

A total of 233 students were enrolled in the study. The experimental group had significantly higher total posttest average compared to the control group (Beta = 7.695, 95% CI = 4.964–10.425, P < 0.001). The experimental group had also significantly higher averages of competency domains related to foundational knowledge (Beta = 1.471, 95% CI = 0.723–2.219, P < 0.001), pharmaceutical care (Beta = 1.650, 95% CI = 0.673–2.627, P < 0.001), essentials to practice and care (Beta = 1.838, 95% CI = 0.626–3.050, P < 0.003), and approach to practice and care (Beta = 2.736, 95% CI = 1.384–4.088, P < 0.001) averages. The experimental group reflected positive attitudes toward gamification engagement and motivation, with greater than 60% of the students recommend engage educational games to be part of the course.

Conclusion

Incorporation of educational games into pharmacy practice experiences resulted in better learning outcomes. This kind of active learning appears to be acceptable and motivational for students, and is recommended for further research in didactic courses in the pharmacy curriculum.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite-instability-high (MSI-H) advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer from the perspective of the Chinese health-care system
Authors: Zhu Chen , Han Gang , Wu Bin
Published: October 2023

Background

Pembrolizumab is superior to chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite-instability-high (MSI-H) advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), with a significant long-term survival benefit according to the KEYNOTE-177 trial. The current study aimed to determine whether pembrolizumab is a cost-effective treatment for patients with dMMR/MSI-H advanced or metastatic CRC in China.

Methods

A partitioned survival model (PSM) was developed to simulate patients with dMMR/MSI-H advanced or metastatic CRC based on progression-free survival (PFS), progressive disease (PD) and death. The model was designed using a lifetime horizon, a 6-week cycle, and a 5% discount rate. The patients in the model had metastatic dMMR/MSI-H CRC and had not previously received treatment; these characteristics were similar to those of patients in KEYNOTE-177, a phase 3, open-label randomized clinical trial. The health outcomes and utilities were based on the KEYNOTE-177 trial and published data, respectively. Costs were calculated based on local charges (2022) and published literature. A treatment was deemed cost-effective in China if the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) value was less than U.S.$38,142.56 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The robustness of the results was assessed via one-way deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Results

Baseline analysis revealed that pembrolizumab provided an additional 2.58 QALYs (3.00 life-year) at an incremental cost of U.S.$78,286.04, resulting in an ICER of U.S.$30,330.15 per QALY, which was below the willingness-to-pay threshold of U.S.$38,142.56 per QALY. When the patient assistance program (PAP) was considered, the ICER became U.S.$1,730.67 per QALY, manifesting absolute cost-effectiveness. The results of sensitivity analyses demonstrated that pembrolizumab was cost-effective in most cases.

Conclusions

Pembrolizumab is a cost-effective first-line treatment for dMMR/MSI-H advanced or metastatic CRC patients in China, especially considering the PAP.
Whole exome sequencing identifies novel variants of PIK3CA and validation of hotspot mutation by droplet digital PCR in breast cancer among Indian population
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Kumar Rakesh , Goel Harsh , Kumar Sonu , Ningombam Somorjit Singh , Haider Imran , Agrawal Usha , Deo Svs , Gogia Ajay , Batra Atul , Sharma Ashok , Mathur Sandeep , Ranjan Amar , Chopra Anita , Hussain Showket , Tanwar Pranay
Published: October 2023

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy with very high incidence and relatively high mortality in women. The PIK3CA gene plays a pivotal role in the pathogenicity of breast cancer. Despite this, the mutational status of all exons except exons 9 and 20 still remains unknown.

Methods

This study uses the whole exome sequencing (WES) based approach to identify somatic PIK3CA mutations in Indian BC cohorts. The resultant hotspot mutations were validated by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was applied to elucidate the conformational and functional effects of hotspot position on PIK3CA protein.

Results

In our cohort, PIK3CA showed a 44.4% somatic mutation rate and was among the top mutated genes. The mutations of PIK3CA were confined in Exons 5, 9, 11, 18, and 20, whereas the maximum number of mutations lies within exons 9 and 20. A total of 9 variants were found in our study, of which 2 were novel mutations observed on exons 9 (p.H554L) and 11 (p.S629P). However, H1047R was the hotspot mutation at exon 20 (20%). In tumor tissues, there was a considerable difference between copy number of wild-type and H1047R mutant was detected by ddPCR. Significant structural and conformational changes were observed during MD simulation, induced due to point mutation at H1047R/L position.

Conclusions

The current study provides a comprehensive view of novel as well as reported single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in PIK3CA gene associated with Indian breast cancer cases. The mutation status of H1047R/L could serve as a prognostic value in terms of selecting targeted therapy in BC.
A novel STAT3/ NFκB p50 axis regulates stromal-KDM2A to promote M2 macrophage-mediated chemoresistance in breast cancer
Authors: Chen Jia-Shing , Teng Yu-Ning , Chen Cheng-Yi , Chen Jing-Yi
Published: October 2023

Background

Lysine Demethylase 2A (KDM2A) plays a crucial role in cancer cell growth, differentiation, metastasis, and the maintenance of cancer stemness. Our previous study found that cancer-secreted IL-6 can upregulate the expression of KDM2A to promote further the transition of cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). However, the molecular mechanism by which breast cancer-secreted IL-6 regulates the expression of KDM2A remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism of IL-6 in regulating KDM2A expression in CAFs and KDM2A-mediated paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer.

Methods

The ectopic vector expression and biochemical inhibitor were used to analyze the KDM2A expression regulated by HS-578 T conditioned medium or IL-6 in mammary fibroblasts. Immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to examine the interaction between STAT3 and NFκB p50. M2 macrophage polarization was assessed by analyzing M2 macrophage-specific markers using flow cytometry and RT-PCR. ESTIMATE algorithm was used to analyze the tumor microenvironment-dominant breast cancer samples from the TCGA database. The correlation between stromal KDM2A and CD163 + M2 macrophages was analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Cell viability was determined using trypan blue exclusion assay.

Results

IL-6 regulates gene expression via activation and dimerization of STAT3 or collaboration of STAT3 and NFκB. However, STAT3, a downstream transcription factor of the IL-6 signaling pathway, was directly complexed with NFκB p50, not NFκB p65, to upregulate the expression of KDM2A in CAFs. Enrichment analysis of immune cells/stromal cells using TCGA-breast cancer RNA-seq data unveiled a positive correlation between stromal KDM2A and the abundance of M2 macrophages. CXCR2-associated chemokines secreted by KDM2A-expressing CAFs stimulated M2 macrophage polarization, which in turn secreted CCL2 to increase paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer cells by activating CCR2 signaling.

Conclusion

This study revealed the non-canonical molecular mechanism of IL-6 secreted by breast cancer upregulated KDM2A expression in CAFs via a novel STAT3/NFκB p50 axis, which STAT3 complexed with NFκB p50 in NFκB p50 binding motif of KDM2A promoter. KDM2A-expressing CAFs dominantly secreted the CXCR2-associated chemokines to promote M2 macrophage polarization and enhance paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting the CXCR2 or CCR2 pathway as a novel strategy for paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer.
Advancing sustainable agriculture: a critical review of smart and eco-friendly nanomaterial applications
Authors: Balusamy Sri Renukadevi , Joshi Abhayraj S. , Perumalsamy Haribalan , Mijakovic Ivan , Singh Priyanka
Published: October 2023

Undoubtedly, nanoparticles are one of the ideal choices for achieving challenges related to bio sensing, drug delivery, and biotechnological tools. After gaining success in biomedical research, scientists are exploring various types of nanoparticles for achieving sustainable agriculture. The active nanoparticles can be used as a direct source of micronutrients or as a delivery platform for delivering the bioactive agrochemicals to improve crop growth, crop yield, and crop quality. Till date, several reports have been published showing applications of nanotechnology in agriculture. For instance, several methods have been employed for application of nanoparticles; especially metal nanoparticles to improve agriculture. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles such as core metal used to synthesize the nanoparticles, their size, shape, surface chemistry, and surface coatings affect crops, soil health, and crop-associated ecosystem. Therefore, selecting nanoparticles with appropriate physicochemical properties and applying them to agriculture via suitable method stands as smart option to achieve sustainable agriculture and improved plant performance. In presented review, we have compared various methods of nanoparticle application in plants and critically interpreted the significant differences to find out relatively safe and specific method for sustainable agricultural practice. Further, we have critically analyzed and discussed the different physicochemical properties of nanoparticles that have direct influence on plants in terms of nano safety and nanotoxicity. From literature review, we would like to point out that the implementation of smaller sized metal nanoparticles in low concentration via seed priming and foliar spray methods could be safer method for minimizing nanotoxicity, and for exhibiting better plant performance during stress and non-stressed conditions. Moreover, using nanomaterials for delivery of bioactive agrochemicals could pose as a smart alternative for conventional chemical fertilizers for achieving the safer and cleaner technology in sustainable agriculture. While reviewing all the available literature, we came across some serious drawbacks such as the lack of proper regulatory bodies to control the usage of nanomaterials and poor knowledge of the long-term impact on the ecosystem which need to be addressed in near future for comprehensive knowledge of applicability of green nanotechnology in agriculture.
Prognostic significance of blood-based PD-L1 analysis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cui Qian , Li Wentao , Wang Dong , Wang Shuangcui , Yu Jianchun
Published: October 2023

Background

The main types of PD-L1 in the blood include soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1), exosomal PD-L1 (exoPD-L1), and PD-L1 in circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the predictive and prognostic values of these three indicators in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy are unclear, warranting a systematic meta-analysis.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) values were extracted from the included studies to investigate the correlation between the three PD-L1 indicators and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to examine the quality of the included studies. Subgroup analyses were employed to investigate the heterogeneity. The publication bias of the included studies was assessed using Begg's and Egger's tests. P < 0.05 was regarded as significantly different.

Results

The pooled results revealed that high pre-treatment sPD-L1 levels were significantly associated with inferior OS (HR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.68–3.18, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.72–3.68, P < 0.001). However, dynamic changes in sPD-L1 after immunotherapy were not statistically significant for OS (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.65–3.26, P > 0.05) or PFS (HR = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.92–2.86, P > 0.05). Meanwhile, the upregulated pre-treatment exoPD-L1 levels were significantly associated with poor PFS (HR = 4.44, 95% CI = 2.87–6.89, P < 0.001), whereas the post-treatment dynamic upregulation of exoPD-L1 was significantly correlated with superior PFS (HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.24–0.54, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.07–0.53, P < 0.001). For PD-L1 in CTCs, the pooled results indicated that PD-L1 expression in CTCs was not significantly correlated with OS (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.49–1.13, P = 0.170) and PFS (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.59–1.06, P = 0.12).

Conclusions

Blood-based PD-L1 analysis is a potential strategy for predicting treatment efficacy and prognosis in patients with cancer.
Metabolomic analysis for asymptomatic hyperuricemia and gout based on a combination of dried blood spot sampling and mass spectrometry technology
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Liu Yongting , Wu Xue , Liu Zhengqi
Published: October 2023

Background

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis and closely related to metabolic syndrome, leading to excruciating pain and the decline in quality of patients’ life. However, the pathogenesis of gout is still unclear, and novel biomarkers are demanded for the early prediction and diagnosis of gout.

Objective

This study aimed at profiling the dysregulated metabolic pathways in asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AHU) and gout and elucidating the associations between AHU, gout and metabolomics, which may aid in performing gout screening.

Methods

A total of 300 participants, including 114 healthy controls, 92 patients with AHU, and 94 patients with gout, were analyzed by using a combination of dried blood spot (DBS) sampling and mass spectrometry (MS) technology. Multiple algorithms were applied to characterize altered metabolic profiles in AHU and gout. The mainly altered metabolites were identified by random forest analysis.

Results

There were significant differences in AHU and gout compared with control group. The altered metabolites were involved in oxidation of fatty acids, carnitine synthesis, urea cycle, and amino acid metabolism in AHU and gout. Random forest classification of 16 metabolites yielded 3 important features to distinguish gout from AHU.

Conclusions

Distinct metabolomic signatures were observed in AHU and gout. The selected metabolites may have the potential to improve the early detection of gout.
Acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccination and parents’ willingness to vaccinate their adolescents in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Derbie Awoke , Mekonnen Daniel , Misgan Eyaya , Maier Melanie , Woldeamanuel Yimtubezinash , Abebe Tamrat
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Despite the global vaccination campaign to prevent HPV-related morbidity, HPV vaccination uptake remains unacceptably low in the developing world, like Ethiopia. For strong interventional measures, compiled data in the field is required which is otherwise missed in the Ethiopian context. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide an estimate of the HPV vaccination uptake, mothers‘ willingness to vaccinate their adolescent girls, and associated factors in Ethiopia.

Methods

Articles were systematically searched using comprehensive search strings from PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and grey literature from Google Scholar. Two reviewers assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias independently. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA v 14 to pool the vaccination uptake and mothers‘ willingness toward HPV vaccination in Ethiopia.

Results

We included 10 articles published between 2019 and 2022 covering reports of 3,388 adolescent girls and 2,741 parents. All the included articles had good methodological quality. The pooled estimate of the proportion of good knowledge about HPV vaccination and the agreement of girls to get the vaccine was 60% (95%CI: 59–62) and 65% (95%CI: 64–67), respectively. The pooled estimate of vaccination uptake of at least one dose of HPV vaccine among girls was 55% (95%CI: 53–57). Positive attitudes to the vaccine, higher maternal education, and having knowledge about HPV and its vaccine were reported as statistically significant predictors. On the contrary, not having adequate information about the vaccine and concerns about possible side effects were reported as reasons to reject the vaccine. Likewise, the pooled estimate of mothers who were knowledgeable about HPV vaccination, who had a positive attitude, and willing to vaccinate their children were 38% (95%CI: 36–40) 58% (95%CI: 56–60), and 74% (95%CI: 72–75), respectively.

Conclusions

Knowledge about the HPV vaccine among girls and their vaccination uptake is suboptimal that falls short of the 2030 WHO targets. Therefore, stakeholders need major efforts in rolling out vaccination programs and monitoring their uptake. Social mobilization towards primary prevention of HPV infection should focus on adolescents. The existing strategies need to address the predictors of uptake by educating girls and parents.
Value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT radiomics combined with clinical variables in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign vertebral compression fractures
Authors: Wang Xun , Zhou Dandan , Kong Yu , Cheng Nan , Gao Ming , Zhang Guqing , Ma Junli , Chen Yueqin , Ge Shuang
Published: October 2023

Background

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are common clinical problems that arise from various reasons. The differential diagnosis of benign and malignant VCFs is challenging. This study was designed to develop and validate a radiomics model to predict benign and malignant VCFs with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT).

Results

Twenty-six features (9 PET features and 17 CT features) and eight clinical variables (age, SUVmax, SUVpeak, SULmax, SULpeak, osteolytic destruction, fracture line, and appendices/posterior vertebrae involvement) were ultimately selected. The area under the curve (AUCs) of the radiomics and clinical–radiomics models were significantly different from that of the clinical model in both the training group (0.986, 0.987 vs. 0.884, p < 0.05) and test group (0.962, 0.948 vs. 0.858, p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the radiomics model and clinical–radiomics model (p > 0.05). The accuracies of the radiomics and clinical–radiomics models were 94.0% and 95.0% in the training group and 93.2% and 93.2% in the test group, respectively. The three models all showed good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test, p > 0.05). According to the decision curve analysis (DCA), the radiomics model and clinical–radiomics model exhibited higher overall net benefit than the clinical model.

Conclusions

The PET/CT-based radiomics and clinical–radiomics models showed good performance in distinguishing between malignant and benign VCFs. The radiomics method may be valuable for treatment decision-making.
Physical layer security analysis of IRS-based downlink and uplink NOMA networks
Authors: Le Si-Phu , Nguyen Hong-Nhu , Nguyen Nhat-Tien , Van Cuu Ho , Le Anh-Tu , Voznak Miroslav
Published: October 2023

In recent years, the development of intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) in wireless communications has enabled control of radio waves to reduce the detrimental impacts of natural wireless propagation. These can achieve significant spectrum and energy efficiency in wireless networks. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technology, on the other hand, is predicted to improve the spectrum efficiency of fifth-generation and later wireless networks. Motivated by this reality, we consider the IRS-based NOMA network in the downlink and uplink scenario with a pernicious eavesdropper. Moreover, we investigated the physical layer security (PLS) of the proposed system by invoking the connection outage probability (COP), secrecy outage probability (SOP), and average secrecy rate (ASR) with analytical derivations. The simulation results reveal that (i) it is carried out to validate the analytical formulas, (ii) the number of meta-surfaces in IRS, transmit power at the base station, and power allocation parameters all play an essential role in improving the system performance, and (iii) it demonstrates the superiority of NOMA to the traditional orthogonal multiple access (OMA).
FANCD2 as a novel prognostic biomarker correlated with immune and drug therapy in Hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tang Xiaowei , Luo Bei , Huang Shu , Jiang Jiao , Chen Yuan , Ren Wensen , Shi Xiaomin , Zhang Wei , Shi Lei , Zhong Xiaolin , Lü Muhan
Published: October 2023

Background

Ferroptosis is related to the immunosuppression of tumors and plays a critical role in cancer progression. Fanconi anemia complementation group D2 (FANCD2) is a vital gene that regulates ferroptosis. However, the mechanism of action of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the prognostic significance and mechanism of action of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related HCC.

Methods

The expression of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related HCC was explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validated using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to analyze the relationship between FANCD2 expression and the overall survival of patients with Hepatitis B-related HCC. Protein–protein interaction networks for FANCD2 were built using the STRING website. In addition, correlations between FANCD2 expression and the dryness index, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability (MSI), immune pathways, genes involved in iron metabolism, and sorafenib chemotherapeutic response were analyzed.

Results

Our results indicated that FANCD2 was significantly overexpressed in Hepatitis B-related HCC and demonstrated a strong predictive ability for diagnosis (Area Under Curve, 0.903) and prognosis of the disease. High FANCD2 expression was associated with poor prognosis, high-grade tumors, high expression of PDL-1, high MSI scores, and low sorafenib IC50 in Hepatitis B-related HCC. BRCA1, BRCA2, FAN1, and FANCC were vital proteins interacting with FANCD2. The expression level of FANCD2 significantly correlated with the infiltration levels of Treg cells, B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, myeloid dendritic cells, and NK cells in Hepatitis B-related HCC. FANCD2 was positively correlated with the tumor proliferation signature pathway, DNA repair, and cellular response to hypoxia.

Conclusion

Our study indicated that FANCD2 was a potential novel biomarker and immunotherapeutic target against Hepatitis B-related HCC, which might be related to the chemotherapeutic response to sorafenib.
Gregory P. Thomas and Helen J. Boon: Challenges in science education: global perspectives for the future
Authors: Gusti Utari Akhir , Komariah Mia
Published: October 2023

Science education is one of the most important materials that students learn in their lives. Through this subject, they will learn about the phenomena that might be happening on the earth. A book by Gregory P. Thomas and Helen J. Boon with the title Challenges in Science Education: Global Perspectives for The Future delivered everything about how teachers could teach science to students in this century. This book will give the readers knowledge about how science can be taught in many ways and for different purposes. Besides that, this book also gives some ideas about the challenges that might teachers face during the learning process.
Effect of daily stressors and collective efficacy on post-traumatic stress symptoms among internally displaced persons in post-war northern Sri Lanka
Authors: Somasundaram Daya , Jayasuriya Rohan , Perera Ruwanthi , Thamotharampillai Umaharan , Wickremasinghe Rajitha , Tay Alvin Kuowei
Published: October 2023

Background

Daily stressors have been shown to mediate the relationship of war trauma and trauma-related distress among refugees and internally displaced persons exposed to war and conflict.

Aims

To examine the extent to which the relationship between war-related trauma and mental distress was mediated by daily stressors and collective efficacy among internally displaced communities a decade after exposure to war.

Method

In a cross-sectional study, we recruited a random sample of residents in villages severely affected by conflict in five districts in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Measures of war trauma, daily stressors, collective efficacy and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were examined. Statistical analyses of the mediating and moderating effects of daily stressors were conducted using regression based methods.

Results

Daily stressors mediated the association of war trauma and PTSS, as both paths of the indirect effect, war trauma to daily stressors and daily stressors to PTSS, were significant. The predictive effect of war trauma on PTSS was positive and significant at moderate and high levels of daily stressors but not at low levels. Higher levels of neighbourhood informal social control, a component of collective efficacy, function as a protective factor to reduce effects of war trauma and daily stressors on mental distress in this population.

Conclusions

Daily stressors are an important mediator in the well-established relationship between war exposure and traumatic stress among internally displaced persons, even a decade after the conflict. Mental health and psychosocial support programmes that aim to address mental distress among war-affected communities could reduce daily stressors and enhance collective efficacy in this context.
Circulating Tumor DNA in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis: Analysis of Patients Receiving Liver Resection and Transplant
Authors: Wehrle Chase J. , Raj Roma , Aykun Nihal , Orabi Danny , Stackhouse Kathryn , Chang Jenny , Estfan Bassam , Kamath Suneel , Krishnamurthi Smitha , Walsh R. Matthew , Kwon David Choon Hyuck , Aucejo Federico
Published: October 2023

PURPOSE

Liver metastases occur in about 50% of colorectal cancer cases and drive patient outcomes. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is emerging as a diagnostic, surveillance, and tumor mutational information tool.

METHODS

Patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CCLM) seen in a multidisciplinary liver tumor clinic from January to August 2022 received ctDNA testing on each visit. ctDNA was obtained using the Guardant360 platform. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is defined as the number of identified mutations per megabase of genome analyzed.

RESULTS

Fifty-two patients had available ctDNA, with 34 (65%) tested preoperatively and 18 (35%) postoperatively; nine patients had sequential pre- and postoperative testing. The median time to test result was 12 days (IQR, 10-13.5). There were a greater number of somatic mutations identified preoperatively (n = 29 v n = 11) and a greater genomic heterogeneity ( P = .0069). The mean TMB score was 12.77 in those without pathologic response to cytotoxic therapy and 6.0 in those with pathologic response ( P = .10). All nine patients with sequential testing were positive preoperatively, compared with just three (33.3%) postoperatively ( P = .0090). Positive postoperative ctDNA was associated with the increased likelihood of disease recurrence after resection (57%) versus negative ctDNA (0%, P = .0419).

CONCLUSION

Routine ctDNA screening in patients with CCLM is logistically feasible. Liver resection and/or transplant may be associated with clearance of detectable ctDNA and a reduction in TMB or genomic heterogeneity. Persistence of ctDNA alterations postresection appears predictive of disease recurrence. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings, and longitudinal ctDNA testing is needed to monitor changing tumor biology.
Donde Todo es Diferente
Authors: Bustillo Dan
Published: October 2023

Queer Latinx bars and clubs provide community sanctuaries that operate in proximity to and distance from white gay male bars in culturally specific ways. This chapter focuses on individual sites across Los Angeles that have served diverse clienteles amidst different contexts: Circus Disco as a corrective to early gay club discrimination, Club Tempo as a refuge in an era of anti-immigrant politics, Chico as a millennial venue for new urban Latino masculinities, and the New Jalisco Bar during cycles of downtown gentrification. Latinx venues often share common elements, such as Spanish-language music, performances, go-go boys, and dancing. Yet they also demonstrate a diversity of queer Latinx sensibilities and scenes that refuse a reductive or homogenized identity. First-person accounts of bar visits speak to present conditions. The subsequent interlude focuses on queer venues as vibrant and essential sanctuaries during the Trump era.
Architecture of Migration
Authors: Siddiqi Anooradha Iyer
Published: October 2023

Environments associated with migration are often seen as provisional, lacking both history and architecture. As Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi demonstrates in Architecture of Migration, a refugee camp's aesthetic and material landscapes—even if born out of emergency—reveal histories, futures, politics, and rhetorics. She identifies forces of colonial and humanitarian settlement, tracing spatial and racial politics in the Dadaab refugee camps established in 1991 on the Kenya-Somalia border—at once a dense setting that manifests decades of architectural, planning, and design initiatives and a much older constructed environment that reflects its own ways of knowing. She moves beyond ahistorical representations of camps and their inhabitants by constructing a material and visual archive of Dadaab, finding long migratory traditions in the architecture, spatial practices, landscapes, and iconography of refugees and humanitarians. Countering conceptualizations of refugee camps as sites of border transgression, criminality, and placelessness, Siddiqi instead theorizes them as complex settlements, ecologies, and material archives created through histories of partition, sedentarization, domesticity, and migration.
Continuous Intrathecal Medication Delivery With the IRRAflow Catheter: Pearls and Early Experience
Authors: Garavaglia Jeffrey , Hardigan Trevor , Turner Ryan , Monachello Gracie , Khan Muhammad Babar , Hodge Johnie O. , Brandmeir Nicholas J.
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Intrathecal (IT) medications are routinely introduced through catheterization of the intraventricular space or subarachnoid space. There has been sporadic use of IT medications delivered directly to the ventricle either by intermittent injection through an external ventricular drain (EVD) or by an Ommaya reservoir with a ventricular catheter. IT medication delivery through EVD has many drawbacks, including the necessary opening of a sterile system, delivery of medication in a bolus form, and requirements to clamp the EVD after medication delivery. Despite these setbacks, IT medications delivered through EVD have been used across a wide range of applications, including antibiotic delivery treatment of vasospasm with nicardipine and delivery of tissue plasminogen activator.

METHODS:

We used a newly developed active fluid exchange device to treat various severe conditions involved in the cerebral ventricles. Here, we present our treatment protocols and advice on the techniques related to successful active fluid exchange therapy.

RESULTS:

Seventy patients have been treated with our system with various conditions, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, ventriculitis, and cerebral abscess. Total complication rate was 14% with only 1 catheter occlusion and low rates of hemorrhage, infection, and spinal fluid leak.

CONCLUSION:

Current continuous IT medication dosages and protocols are based on reports and consensus statements evaluating intermittent instillation of medication boluses. The pharmacokinetics of continuous dosing and the therapeutic and safety profiles of the medications need to be studied in a prospective manner to evaluate the true optimal dosing standards. Furthermore, the ability to deliver continuous, sterile medications directly through an IT route will open new avenues of pharmacotherapy that were previously closed. This report serves as a basic guide for the safe and effective use of the IRRAflow active fluid exchange catheter to deliver IT medications.
Netrin 1 directs vascular patterning and maturity in the developing kidney
Authors: Honeycutt Samuel E. , N'Guetta Pierre-Emmanuel Y. , Hardesty Deanna M. , Xiong Yubin , Cooper Shamus L. , Stevenson Matthew J. , O'Brien Lori L.
Published: October 2023

The intricate vascular system of the kidneys supports body fluid and organ homeostasis. However, little is known about how vascular architecture is established during kidney development. More specifically, how signals from the kidney influence vessel maturity and patterning remains poorly understood. Netrin 1 (Ntn1) is a secreted ligand that is crucial for vessel and neuronal guidance. Here, we demonstrate that Ntn1 is expressed by Foxd1+ stromal progenitors in the developing mouse kidney and conditional deletion (Foxd1GC/+;Ntn1fl/fl) results in hypoplastic kidneys with extended nephrogenesis. Wholemount 3D analyses additionally revealed the loss of a predictable vascular pattern in Foxd1GC/+;Ntn1fl/fl kidneys. As vascular patterning has been linked to vessel maturity, we investigated arterialization. Quantification of the CD31+ endothelium at E15.5 revealed no differences in metrics such as the number of branches or branch points, whereas the arterial vascular smooth muscle metrics were significantly reduced at both E15.5 and P0. In support of our observed phenotypes, whole kidney RNA-seq revealed disruptions to genes and programs associated with stromal cells, vasculature and differentiating nephrons. Together, our findings highlight the significance of Ntn1 to proper vascularization and kidney development.
Total cholesterol effect after consumption of tomato juice alone and in combination with extra virgin olive oil. A nine-day pilot study in hypercholesterolemic patients
Authors: Del Castillo Vidal Giuliana , Lozada-Urbano Michelle , Miranda Doris , Rivera-Lozada Oriana , Mejia Christian , Yáñez Jaime
Published: October 2023

The objective was to determine the effect of lycopene on the total cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia at a hospital in Lima in 2018. The type of study was quantitative, and the design was analytical, longitudinal and prospective. The sample consisted of patients with hypercholesterolemia treated at the department of Nutrition of Sanidad de la Policia Nacional del Perú. Tomato juice containing lycopene was administered through a preparation based on tomato juice with olive oil, which was macerated for an average of 8 hours before being consumed. A total of 70 subjects were recruited; however, a total of 50 patients finished the study protocol. 21 received tomato juice with olive oil (TOO), 14 patients only received tomato juice (TJ), and 15 only had nutritional counseling regarding the low-calorie diet (LCD). According to this study, the tomato juice and olive oil preparation, as well as the diet, were related to differences on cholesterol measurement. These recommendations can help to lower cholesterol in patients.
Migrant entrepreneurship in Europe: a systematic literature review
Authors: Polychronopoulos Dimitris , Nguyen-Duc Anh
Published: October 2023

Background: This systematic literature review (SLR) analyzes migrant entrepreneurship in Europe through three research questions (RQs) to understand 1) migrant entrepreneur characteristics in the European context, 2) challenges encountered by migrant entrepreneurs in European host countries, and 3) policies supporting migrant entrepreneurship in Europe. This review addresses gaps in current knowledge in academia as well as issues that policymakers and practitioners face when addressing migrant entrepreneurship support. Methods: This SLR employed a search protocol to retrieve published sources from 1970 to 2021, via Scopus (27 March 2022) and Web of Science (7 April 2022). Inclusion criteria targeted migrant entrepreneurship support studies while exclusion criteria eliminated domestic migration and non-European contexts. The authors worked iteratively, aligning the data with the RQs to reduce bias, and adapted Bourdieu's forms of capital to create an analytical framework for the sources included in the SLR, with a table for each RQ to synthesize relevant data for analysis. Results: The review examined 91 peer-reviewed papers, with a focus on migrant entrepreneurship in Europe, covering characteristics, challenges, and support policies. It classified migrant entrepreneur challenges and characteristics into financial, human, and social capital, as well as external factors. Common challenges include the local culture and language, network, funding, and adapting to local business practices. Migrant entrepreneurs' stability relates to time in the host country and local language proficiency and reflects past entrepreneurial experience and education. Supportive mechanisms involve local networks, financing, and mentoring. Conclusions: The SLR's limitations encompass possible oversight of pertinent studies, along with potential bias in data extraction, analysis, and subjectivity due to thematic analysis. Nonetheless, the findings suggest the following research agenda for migrant entrepreneurship support: evaluating and enhancing human and social capital, sharing information, designing support programs, addressing in-group/out-group bias in support programs, and exploring bottom-up migrant entrepreneurship support approaches.
A study to assess the efficacy of print and digital health communication media tools (HCMT) in rural and urban communities.
Authors: Kanchan Sushim , Gaidhane Abhay
Published: October 2023

Background: Existing studies have described the potential of either digital or print media for health information in one discipline. Both media are excellent tools for disseminating information, promoting social awareness, and offering in-depth healthcare information thereby being considered as leading health communication media tools. Hence, this study aims to assess and compare the effectiveness of print and digital media in various aspects of health communication in rural and urban populations.

Methodology: A cross-sectional population survey will be conducted in rural and urban areas, using a semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire, which includes socio-demographic variables, media usage patterns, perception, and health behavior change from health information via both media. The study population size will include 342 individuals in the age group of 21 to 60 with minimum qualification of matriculation.

Study implications: Our research will help to understand which media are more effective at reaching different populations and can help choose appropriate communication channels for health promotion efforts, develop more effective interventions, and identify potential disparities in access to health information and resources.
Operationalizing competency-based assessment: Contextualizing for cultural and gender divides
Authors: Ahmed Samar , Shersad Fouzia , Ziganshina Arina , Shadan Mariam , Elmardi Abdelmoneim , El Tayeb Yousif
Published: October 2023

Following current trends, educational institutions often decide to use a competency framework as an overarching structure in their assessment system. Despite the presence of a common understanding of how different examinations can contribute to the decision on attaining a particular competency, a detailed mapping of the data points appears to be a challenging area that remains to be explored. Faced with the newly emerged task of introducing the assessment of the attainment of UAE medical students against the EmiratesMEDs competency framework, Dubai Medical College for Girls (DMCG) attempted to operationalise the designed concept in the assessment system considering the cultural and gender divide. We believe that health professionals who attempt to implement contextualized competency-based assessment could benefit from being acquainted with our experience.  

The article offers a step-by-step guide on contextualized competency assessment operationalization, describing building the team, working with consultants and faculty development, estimating institutional assessment capacity, mapping and operationalizing the maps by using both human recourses and the software. We also offer the readers the list of enabling factors and introduce the scope of limitations in the process of developing the competency-based assessment system. 

We believe that following the present guide can allow educators to operationalize competency-based assessment in any context with respect to local culture and traditions.
The Impacts of Internet Monitoring on Employees’ Cyberloafing and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Longitudinal Field Quasi-Experiment
Authors: Jiang Hemin , Siponen Mikko , Jiang Zhenhui (Jack) , Tsohou Aggeliki
Published: October 2023

Many organizations have implemented internet monitoring to curb employees’ non-work-related internet activities during work hours, commonly referred to as “cyberloafing.” For managers, two primary considerations emerge: (1) the actual effectiveness of internet monitoring in diminishing cyberloafing and (2) any unintended side effects this monitoring might have on overall employee behavior. From a longitudinal field quasi experiment, we observed that although internet monitoring notably reduced cyberloafing because of amplified employee concerns about potential sanctions and privacy breaches, it unintentionally suppressed their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Moreover, a follow-up observation four months after introducing internet monitoring revealed that its capability to mitigate cyberloafing had weakened, yet the dampening effect on OCB continued. We conclude this paper by underlining the value of using internet monitoring as a feedback mechanism on employees’ online behavior, rather than solely as a deterrence measure.
Friend or Foe? Teaming Between Artificial Intelligence and Workers with Variation in Experience
Authors: Wang Weiguang , Gao Guodong (Gordon) , Agarwal Ritu
Published: October 2023

As artificial intelligence (AI) applications become more pervasive, it is critical to understand how knowledge workers with different levels and types of experience can team with AI for productivity gains. We focus on the influence of two major types of human work experience (narrow experience based on the specific task volume and broad experience based on seniority) on the human-AI team dynamics. We developed an AI solution for medical chart coding in a publicly traded company and conducted a field study among the knowledge workers. Based on a detailed analysis performed at the medical chart level, we find evidence that AI benefits workers with greater task-based experience, but senior workers gain less from AI than their junior colleagues. Further investigation reveals that the relatively lower productivity lift from AI is not a result of seniority per se but lower trust in AI, likely triggered by the senior workers’ broader job responsibilities. This study provides new empirical insights into the differential roles of worker experience in the collaborative dynamics between AI and knowledge workers, which have important societal and business implications.

This paper was accepted by Kartik Hosanagar, information systems.

Funding: This work was supported by Inovalon [Sponsor of the Health Insights AI Laboratory].

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.00588 .
Super-resolution lensless imaging system based on a fast anti-diffraction algorithm
Authors: Xiong Zhencong , He Wenjun , Wang Wenbo , Fu Yuegang
Published: October 2023

Conventional lens imaging systems modulate incident rays with a set of lenses and focus these rays on their imaging planes. A lensless imaging system uses a single mask instead of lenses to project incident rays onto the imaging plane. These rays pass through or are blocked off according to the binary mask pattern. These systems are thin, lightweight, and inexpensive. However, they do not converge the rays, causing the local images corresponding to individual light transmission units to heavily overlap in a global scene, requiring a specific algorithm for decoding. Additionally, diffraction is unavoidable when the holes on the mask are extremely small, which can degrade the imaging quality. To address these difficulties, we propose a decoding algorithm called Fourier-ADMM algorithm to unwrap the overlapped images rapidly. In addition to providing high decoding speed, the proposed technique can suppress the diffraction from the tiny holes, owing to its conjugated structure. Based on this novel decoding algorithm, a lensless imaging system is proposed, which can handle overlapped and diffracted images with a single random mask. The camera can work beyond the theoretical diffraction limit and tremendously enhance the resolution. In summary, the super-resolution lensless camera provides users with additional options to suit different situations. It can facilitate robust, high-resolution, fast decoding without sophisticated calibration.