bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of a shallow temperate lake ecosystem to major late-Holocene terrestrial vegetation shifts
Authors: Pleskot Krzysztof , Suchora Magdalena , Apolinarska Karina , Kołaczek Piotr
Published: April 2022

Major terrestrial vegetation shifts (MTVSs) resulting from either human activities or natural processes can exert substantial pressure on lakes mainly through impacts on catchment biogeochemical cycles and groundwater circulation. To better understand the links between terrestrial vegetation dynamics and lake ecosystem structure and functions over long temporal scales, in this study, we reconstructed the responses of shallow Lake Spore (N Poland) to major late-Holocene vegetation shifts. We combined newly acquired data from pollen and spores, Cladocera, TOC/N, δ13C, and δ15N analyses of bulk organic matter with the already published results from sediment dating and analyses of several biotic and geochemical proxies. Statistical analysis of the abundance data for all the major terrestrial pollen taxa and reconstruction of vegetation openness derived from the REVEALS model indicated five MTVSs, each followed by a change in the lake environment. Changes in Lake Spore trophic status at MTVS1 (~2.82 kyr BP) and MTVS2 (~2.17 kyr BP) were attributed to the reorganization of the catchment’s nutrient cycling associated with a decline (MTVS1) and subsequent regeneration (MTVS2) of deciduous tree stands in the area. A distinct drop in the CaCO3 content of the lake sediments that started at MTVS4 (~0.57 kyr BP) likely occurred due to the substantial depletion of the water calcium pool following an abrupt transition from a tree-dominated to an herb-dominated landscape. Our record also suggested slight lake acidification following a spread of Pinus sylvestris at MTVS1 (~2.82 kyr BP) and MTVS3 (~1.10 kyr BP) and a lake level rise concurrent with the sharp increase in landscape openness at MTVS4 (~0.57 kyr BP).
Aggravation of discoid lupus erythematosus in a patient with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis during treatment of secukinumab: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Hsieh Chang-Yu , Tsai Tsen-Fang
Published: April 2022

Background

The coexistence of psoriasis and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) is uncommon. Treatment for concomitant psoriasis and LE is challenging because some valid treatments for LE such as hydroxychloroquine and systemic corticosteroid are known to aggravate psoriasis. Th17 pathway is shared by these two disease entities. Thus, biologics targeting Th17 pathway, including ustekinumab and secukinumab, have been successfully used in the treatment of patients with concomitant psoriasis and LE.

Purpose

We report a patient with aggravation of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) after secukinumab treatment for psoriasis.

Reseach design

Case report.

Study sample

One patient was included in this case report.

Data collection and analysis

Clinical and pathological pictures were presented after informed consent.

Result

Symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis almost resolved after 150 mg secukinumab every four weeks for 2 years, but lesions of DLE enlarged and became generalized.

Conclusion

LE is a highly heterogeneous disease, and further studies are required to find the optimal treatment in patients suffering from both LE and psoriasis.
In their own time: Refugee healthcare professionals’ attempts at temporal re-appropriation
Authors: Mozetič Katarina
Published: April 2022

Scholarship on refugee labour market participation regularly alludes to the temporal dimension of the process, yet explicit engagement with it remains limited. I argue that researching the temporalities of refugee employment re-entry is valuable as it discerns the recursive interrelation between social structure and individual agency that advances or curbs the labour market trajectories of refugees. Namely, refugees’ perceptions of time inform their integration pathways. In this article, I interrogate how highly educated refugees perceive the temporalities imposed upon them by the integration framework, their efforts of temporal re-appropriation and the ways in which institutional factors inform these re-appropriation efforts and, thus, individuals’ sense of integration. To this end, I discuss and compare 11 refugee healthcare professionals’ perceptions of licensure procedures in Oslo and Malmö based on material from semi-structured interviews. The refugee professionals reported that the licensure appropriated their time through, for instance, prolonged suspension from work and abundance of pointless waiting time. Seeing time as a precious commodity, they deemed the imposed temporalities as problematic, employing different attempts of temporal agency to speed up the licensure process. When comparing the attempts of temporal re-appropriation between the licensure procedures in Oslo and Malmö, I find that the perceived clarity of the licensure requirements and process, accessibility of support structures and existence of tailored qualification programmes lend licensure a quality of institutional plasticity. This fosters individuals’ attempts to accelerate their licensure endeavours, thereby promoting their re-entry into the labour market. However, rather than disrupting the underlying power relations determining the relative value of foreign healthcare qualifications, temporal re-appropriation maintained the established institutional rationale.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells From a Hypoxic Culture Can Improve Rotator Cuff Tear Repair
Authors: Chen Hsin-Shui , Yau Yun-Chain , Ko Pin-Tsou , Yen Betty Lin-Ju , Ho Chun-Te , Hung Shih-Chieh
Published: April 2022

A rotator cuff tear is an age-related common cause of pain and disability. Studies including our previously published ones have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells cultured under hypoxic conditions [hypoxic multipotent stromal cells (MSCs)] facilitate the retention of transplanted cells and promote wound healing. However, there are very few, if any, reports targeting the punctured supraspinatus tendons to create more or equally serous wounds as age-related tears of rotator cuff. It remains to be determined whether transplantation of bone-marrow-derived hypoxic MSCs into the punctured supraspinatus tendon improves tendon repair and, when combined with ultrasound-guided delivery, could be used for future clinical applications. In this study, we used a total of 33 Sprague-Dawley rats in different groups for normal no-punched control, hypoxic MSC treatment, nontreated vehicle control, and MSC preparation, and then evaluated treatment outcomes by biomechanical testing and histological analysis. We found that the ultimate failure load of the hypoxic MSC-treated group was close to that of the normal tendon and significantly greater than that of the nontreated vehicle control group. In vivo tracking of cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles revealed an enhanced retention of transplanted cells at the tear site. Our study demonstrates that hypoxic MSCs improve rotator cuff tear repair in a rat model.
Cord Blood Natural Killer Cells Inhibit Sepsis Caused by Feces-Induced Acute Peritonitis via Increasing Endothelium Integrity
Authors: Lan Jing , Zhang Hong , Zhao Hui , Liu Linghong , Shi Qing , Li Dong , Ju Xiuli
Published: April 2022

Sepsis is associated with acute peritonitis, which can be induced by lipopolysaccharide exposure and feces. Generally, lipopolysaccharide induces mono-microbial peritonitis, whereas feces cause poly-microbial peritonitis; the latter is a more complicated and closer to the clinical diseases. Although several reports have discussed the mechanism of immune response in peritonitis-induced sepsis, however, the role of natural killer (NK) cells in sepsis, especially the relationship between NK cells and stabilization of the vascular endothelial barrier, is still unclear. Accordingly, in this study, we assessed the roles of NK cells in an acute sepsis model in mice. NK cells were injected via the tail vein into mice with acute sepsis, and nitric oxide (NO), anti-inflammatory cytokine, and angiogenic factors were tested to explore the effects of NK cells on sepsis. The survival rate of septic model mice infused with NK cells was significantly improved compared with the control group. Interestingly, the levels of NO, interleukin-10, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased in NK cells therapy group. After the injection of NK cells, CD31 positive endothelial cells significantly increased in the kidneys and liver, although the expression of VEGF, ANGPT-1, and ET-1 was downregulated. Consistent with our hypothesis, the transfusion of NK cells into mice with sepsis blocked inflammation and increased endothelium integrity. Overall, these findings suggest that NK cells may block sepsis by modulating the VEGF pathway.
Formal Innovations in Clinical Cognitive Science and Assessment
Authors: Neufeld Richard W. J. , Shanahan Matthew J.
Published: April 2022

Mathematical modeling is increasingly driving progress in clinical cognitive science and assessment. Mathematical modeling is essential for detecting certain effects of psychopathology through comprehensive understanding of telltale cognitive variables, such as workload capacity and efficiency in using capacity, as well as for quantitatively stipulating the subtle but important differences among these variables. The research paradigm guiding this formal clinical science is outlined. A distinctive cognitive abnormality in schizophrenia—taking longer to cognitively represent encountered stimulation—is used as a specific example to illustrate a general quantitative framework for studying intricate phenomena that impair mental health. Developments in mathematical modeling will also benefit symptom description and prediction; provide grounding in cognitive and statistical science for new methods of clinical assessment over time, both for individuals and for treatment regimens; and contribute to refining the cognitive-function side of clinical functional neurophysiology.
The Impact of Characteristics of the Board of Directors on the Timelines of Corporate Internet Reporting Index of Companies in Indonesia
Authors: Kiswanto  , Setiawan Doddy
Published: April 2022

The development of information technology supports companies in conveying information to all stakeholders in a timely way. This study examined corporate internet reporting that was influenced by the characteristics of the directors (Size, Indep, Aboard, Fboard, Tenur, Famboard, Gender and Founder) of Indonesian companies. Furthermore, this study used the ordinary least square analysis technique which presented five control variables: firm size, profitability, leverage, liquidity and firm age. The research sample is 513 companies of the 716 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The results show that board of directors’ size, independent board of directors, tenure, family relations and gender have a significant effect on timeliness of corporate internet reporting (TCIR), while age of president director, foreign director and founder do not have a significant effect. Therefore, firm size, profitability and liquidity are able to be control variables on the use of TCIR through the company’s web, while leverage and firm age are not able to do this. Therefore, it is advisable for companies in Indonesia to pay attention to the composition of the characteristics directors in order to improve the quality of company financial information via the internet. This needs to be done because it can give a positive signal to all stakeholders, which will ultimately increase stakeholder trust in the company.
Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions in Mozambique: Exploring the Rationales, Strategies and Challenges
Authors: Jaime Ndaipa Charnaldo , Edström Kristina , Geschwind Lars
Published: April 2022

Internationalisation is transforming higher education institutions worldwide. However, the understanding of internationalisation, the rationales presented, the strategies applied and the challenges encountered differ between contexts. One challenge, especially for universities in the Global South, is how to consider internationalisation with a decolonised approach. This study explores internationalisation in two major universities in Mozambique through documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with academics and managers. The study was guided by two questions: (1) How have Mozambican universities undertaken internationalisation in terms of understanding, rationales, strategies and challenges? (2) How are global ideas of internationalisation interpreted and translated into local practices? The results are interpreted with a theoretical lens combining neo-institutionalism and decolonisation theory, both providing arguments for translation and adaptation of ideas and practices to the local context. The findings suggest that the approaches to internationalisation emphasise the adoption of Western templates and values and can be more deliberately decolonised.
Why the Digitalization of International Education Matters
Authors: Chang Shanton , Gomes Catherine
Published: April 2022

The overwhelming importance of the digitalization of international education stems from the migration of student activities from the physical to the digital campus, which has been taking place over the past three decades. Many new and exciting learning opportunities have become possible for staff and students in higher education institutions. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, online delivery became the sole mode of education in many education institutions across the world. This has hastened the development of dynamic digital campuses and it is now very common to see digital experiences complementing face-to-face engagements between students, teachers, researchers and administrators. This special issue explores the impact of the emergence of digital campuses on international education and those seeking to harness relevant tools to improve the quality and impact of their work in this field. Contributing authors describe a range of ways in which international education is evolving and developing due to mass digitalization. This curated collection provides an overview of current practices driving the sector forward in the digital space and sets an agenda for future research in the digitalization of international education.
Pediatric Concurrent Hospice Care: Cost Implications of a Hybrid Payment Model
Authors: Cozad Melanie J. , Svynarenko Radion , Hinds Pamela S. , Mack Jennifer W. , Keim-Malpass Jessica , Lindley Lisa C.
Published: April 2022

Background: Implementation of concurrent hospice care led to a new hybrid payment model that combines hospice payments with payments for non-hospice medical care. Little is known about the cost implications of this new hybrid payment model. Objective: The purpose was to identify costs and compare concurrent care and standard hospice care costs by estimating the average incremental Medicaid cost of care over time. Methods: Using national Medicaid data of 18 147 hospice children and a multilevel generalized linear model, we calculated the incremental costs of receiving concurrent vs standard hospice care. We used the total cost of care over the last year of life. Increments for the analysis were hospice length of stay, stratified to 1 day, 2-14 days, and 15 + days. Results: Overall, compared to standard hospice care, enrollment in concurrent hospice care was significantly associated with an increase in outpatient care and prescription drug costs. For a stay of 1 day, concurrent hospice care decreased inpatient costs and increased costs of prescription drugs. For stays between 2 and 14 days, concurrent hospice decreased total costs and inpatient costs, but increased prescription drug costs. With a hospice stay of 15 + days, concurrent hospice had significantly higher costs across all measures, including total costs, inpatient costs, outpatient costs, and prescription drug costs. Conclusion: This study provides critical insight into incremental costs of receiving concurrent vs standard hospice care. More research is needed to understand how concurrent hospice lengthy hospice stays are associated with increases of costs.
Prenatal Consultation Outcomes for Infants With Cleft Lip With and Without Cleft Palate
Authors: Thompson Rachel L. , Thorson Heidi L. , Chinnadurai Sivakumar , Tibesar Robert J. , Roby Brianne B.
Published: April 2022

To assess the clinical impacts of prenatal consultation with a multidisciplinary cleft team on infants with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P).

Retrospective cases series.

Tertiary pediatric hospital.

Infants with CL ± P whose mothers received prenatal consultation with a pediatric otolaryngology team from June 2005 to December 2019 were identified. A random sample of infants with CL ± P without prenatal consultation from June 2005 to December 2019 was also identified.

The primary outcomes were the length of hospitalization during the first 12 weeks of life, timing of surgical repair, length of postsurgical hospitalization, and number of unplanned clinic visits and phone calls for feeding evaluation.

Time to cleft lip repair differed significantly between the 2 groups with repair performed at 13.4 (±0.9) weeks for the prenatal consultation group (n = 73) and 15.3 (±2.1) weeks for the control group (n = 80), ( P < .05). If hospitalization was required for feeding difficulties during the first 12 weeks of life, length of stay was 4.9 (± 1.7) days for infants with prenatal consultation and 11.5 (± 7.2) days for control infants ( P < .05). Unplanned clinic visits with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for feeding difficulties were needed for 2.7% of prenatal consultation infants and 11.3% of control infants ( P < .05).

Prenatal consultation regarding CL ± P resulted in infants with decreased duration of early hospitalizations, earlier cleft lip repair, and decreased engagement with the SLP feeding clinic for feeding difficulties when compared with infants without prenatal consultation.
Fatigue damage behaviors of pre-flawed granite containing hole and fissures exposed to variable-frequency multi-level constant amplitude (VFMLCA) cyclic loads
Authors: Wang Y , Han JQ , Song ZY , Zhu C
Published: April 2022

Rock mass is often encountered with complicated stress disturbance caused by human-induced engineering loads and the environmental loads. Cyclic or fatigue loading path with fixed loading frequency are widely performed. To date, however, damage and fracture evolution of the pre-flawed rock under variable-frequency multi-level constant amplitude (VFMLCA) cyclic loads was not well understood. In the present study, granite samples containing a circular hole and two fissures were prepared to conduct VFMLCA cyclic loading tests. The fatigue strength, deformation, energy conversion, damage propagation, and crack coalescence were comprehensively investigated. Testing results show that the fatigue strength increases with increasing fissure angle. Rock volumetric strain and the dissipated energy are the maximum for rock with a 50° fissure angle. The dissipated energy increases with decreasing of loading frequency and an exponential relation is revealed between them. In addition, a damage evolution model that can well describe the two-stage and three-stage damage evolution for each cyclic loading level and the entire loading process is proposed and proved. Moreover, three failure modes of single tensile coalescence, double tensile coalescence, and double shear coalescence were revealed from the reconstructed CT images. It is suggested that the double shear coalescence is prone to forming large crack network.
Selling them Short? Differences in News Coverage of Female and Male Candidate Qualifications
Authors: Bauer Nichole M. , Taylor Tatum
Published: April 2022

We draw on research from gender stereotypes and mass communication to develop and test an innovative theoretical framework of implicit and explicit gender framing. This framework delineates how and when coverage in newspapers will report on female candidates differently than male candidates. Implicit gender frames subtly draw on masculine stereotypes to reinforce patriarchal power structures through their coverage of political candidates. Explicit gender frames are the overtly sexist “hair, hemlines, and husband” coverage women receive more frequently relative to men. We argue that the print news media will be more likely to rely on implicit gender frames to elucidate differences between women and men running for political office. Using an exhaustive content analysis of Senate campaign news coverage, we find important differences in the coverage of women and men running against one another. We also find the use of explicit gender frames to be especially common in all-female races. These differences in coverage, especially in all-women contests, can perpetuate stereotypic beliefs that women lack the qualifications needed for political office among voters, and stymie women’s progress toward parity in representation.
Transit Stigma: Transit Administrators’ Views of the Role of Policy Elites in Perpetuating Stigma
Authors: Hazelton-Boyle Josephine K. , Wellman Gerard C.
Published: April 2022

Public transportation use is heavily stigmatized in the United States. As a result, those who depend on public transportation services for mobility are marginalized and subject to unjust social assumptions about their character, work ethic, and overall place in society. Prior research documents that public transit administrators are actively working to combat transit stigma in their service area; however, questions remain regarding how public transit administrators view the role of policy elites (elected or appointed political figures) in perpetuating transit stigma. Through a series of in-depth interviews with 20 transit administrators from across the United States, this research finds that policy elites maintain transit stigma through both formal and informal roles by devaluing the role of transit in society, focusing on short-term political goals, and restricting funding opportunities for public transportation agencies.
Higher femoral anteversion restoration accuracy after total hip arthroplasty with a proximally fixed anatomic stem than with a generic straight double-tapered stem
Authors: Sariali Elhadi , Pascal Moussellard Hugues
Published: April 2022

Background:

Femoral antetorsion in uncemented hip replacement hardly can be modified and the restoration of the anatomic anteversion might be difficult with standard stems. We compared femoral anteversion restoration of a generic straight stem with a proximally fixed anatomic stem that included a dual sagittal curvature and a proximal torsion. It was hypothesised that the restoration of the anteversion was more accurate with the anatomic stem.

Patients and methods:

In this comparative study data were collected prospectively of 80 consecutive patients with total hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis. In the first 40 patients (Group I) a cementless proximally fixed anatomic stem with 15° antetorsion of the shaft and a dual sagittal curvature was used. Its design was based on a database of 3D CT images of 600 hips. For comparison a cementless generic straight double-tapered stem was implanted in the next 40 patients (Group II). All operations were performed by one experienced surgeon. All patients had a preoperative 3D planning. A low-dose CT scan was performed at 3 months postoperatively to determine the postoperative stem anteversion.

Results:

The demographics were similar in both groups. In group I the mean postoperative femoral anteversion was similar to the preoperative one (22.1° ± 10.2° vs. 20.4° ± 9°; p = 0.2). In Group II, the mean postoperative femoral anteversion was lower (12.9° ± 10.8°, vs. 18.3° ± 12°; p = 0.02).

Conclusions:

Uncemented standard femoral stems tend to reduce femoral anteversion. The used anatomic stem restored femoral anteversion better. The clinical impact of this finding has to be proven.
Measurement of safe acetabular medial wall defect size in revision hip arthroplasty with a porous cup
Authors: Barbaric Starcevic Katarina , Bicanic Goran , Alar Zeljko , Sakoman Matija , Starcevic Damir , Delimar Domagoj
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

The majority of acetabular revisions can be performed with an uncemented, porous acetabular component with or without bone grafting. These are contained acetabular defects, with an intact acetabular rim (Paprosky type I and II). As defects of the medial wall of the acetabulum are a challenge situation revision surgery, we performed this biomechanical study on a pig pelvis model with contained acetabular defects to determine the size of medial wall defect at which the acetabular cup will have sufficient primary stability.

Materials and methods:

In 24 pig pelvis models, different diameter of medial wall defects were created, followed by acetabular component placement. The acetabulum externally loaded, and the force at a level in which the acetabular component remains stable for each diameter of defect, or at which point the acetabular cup moves into the pelvis for >2 mm.

Results:

In the models with acetabular medial wall defects of 10 and 20 mm, 2 mm acetabular displacement occurred under a force between 1000 and 1500 N. In those with a medial wall defect of 25 mm, the force that caused acetabular instability was between 700 and 1000 N. In the models with 30 mm of medial wall defect all acetabular components were unstable under a force of 700 N.

Conclusions:

According to our results, acetabular component should be stable if the defect of the medial wall of the acetabulum is less than 68% of the diameter of the acetabular component or if the uncovered surface area of the acetabular component is not greater than 27%, and the force <700 N. For a load of 1000 N, the medial wall defect should not exceed 45% of acetabular component diameter or 18% of uncovered acetabular component surface.
Accuracy of digital templating in uncemented primary total hip arthroplasty: which factors are associated with accuracy of preoperative planning?
Authors: Adamczyk Andrew , Laboudie Pierre , Nessek Hamid , Kim Paul R , Gofton Wade T , Feibel Robert , Grammatopoulos George
Published: April 2022

Background:

Preoperative planning is a fundamental step for successful total hip arthroplasty (THA). Studies have highlighted the accuracy of preoperative digital templating for estimating acetabular cup and stem size. Stem design such as single-wedge metadiaphyseal (Type 1 stem) versus mid-short stem (microplasty) and surgical approach (anterior, direct lateral or posterior) have not been well investigated as predictors of THA templating accuracy.

Methods:

204 patients (220 hips) who had undergone elective THA between November 2016 and December 2019 and presented a saved preoperative template were retrospectively reviewed. Templates from 5 different surgeons were involved in the analysis. 3 different approaches were used: direct lateral (DL), posterior (PA), direct anterior (DAA). 2 different stem designs were used: single-wedge metadiaphyseal and single-wedge mid-short (Biomet Taperloc Microplasty), while the acetabular component remained the same. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of accuracy.

Results:

Femoral component size templating accuracy was significantly improved when using the single-wedge mid-short stem (Taperloc Microplasty) design when performing bivariate analysis. Although accuracy of cup sizing was not affected by approach, precision was significantly better in the PA group ( p < 0.05). Accuracy of templating was found to be independent of BMI and gender but dependent on presence of calibration marker and stem design ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

When striving for improved templating accuracy, acetabular and femoral component accuracy were best achieved using a calibration marker and a metaphyseal short femoral stem design.
Early mobilisation after pain relief for conservative management for intertrochanteric fractures: a pandemic enforced innovation and its results
Authors: Prakash Laxmanan , Dhar Shabir A
Published: April 2022

Background:

The COVID pandemic challenged the orthopaedic mind on several fronts. 1 of them was in the management of intertrochanteric fractures. A subset of these patients refused surgical intervention during the pandemic for related reasons. Faced with the goal of early verticalisation, the senior author used pain relief as a method to facilitate early mobilisation in 23 patients with peritrochanteric fractures.

Methods:

23 patients with stable intertrochanteric fractures received a β 6 distal sodium channel block (DSCB) and were allowed to walk from day 1 without surgery, traction or spica. The goal was to prevent complications of recumbency in this subset of patients. The basic idea of immediate mobilisation from the time of fracture was based on Sarmiento’s sausage theory.

Results:

All the fractures united. There were no major complications. No shortening was seen in more than 50% cases and the shortening did not exceed 2 cm in any case. All patients were satisfied with the outcome and had good to excellent Harris Hip Scores.

Conclusions:

The block and walk method is a surprisingly satisfactory method of treatment for stable intertrochanteric fractures. It circumvents the risks of surgery whilst allowing immediate mobilisation preventing complications associated with the other modalities of fracture management.
A 25 Immune-Related Gene Pair Signature Predicts Overall Survival in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Chen Huaqiu , Xie Huanyu , Wang Pengyu , Yan Shanquan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Wang Guangming
Published: April 2022

Mounting evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer, with immune system dysfunction being closely related to malignant cancers. We aimed to screen immune-related genes (IRGs) to generate an IRG pair (IRGP)-based prognostic signature for cervical cancer (CC). Datasets were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases and used as training and validation cohorts, respectively. Using the ImmPort database, IRGs in control and CC samples were compared, and differentially expressed genes were identified to construct an IRGP prognostic signature. Based on this analysis, 25 IRGPs were identified as important factors for the prognosis of CC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses further showed that the IRGP signature was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival. In summary, we successfully constructed an IRGP prognostic signature of CC, providing insights into immunotherapy for CC.
RNA Editing–Associated Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ghanekar Yashoda , Sadasivam Subhashini
Published: April 2022

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterised by systemic inflammation of joints. The observed complexity of RA pathogenesis and studies that have been carried out so far indicate that RA pathogenesis is regulated at multiple levels. Given the role of RNA editing in autoimmune disease, we hypothesised that RNA editing could contribute to RA pathogenesis by regulating gene expression through post-transcriptional mechanisms.

Methods:

We identified RNA editing events in synovial tissues from early and established RA compared with normal subjects from an available transcriptome data set using REDItools. To investigate the potential effect of these RNA editing events on gene expression, we carried out an analysis of differential exon usage in the vicinity of the differentially edited sites using DEXSeq. We then used STRING to identify putative interactions between differentially edited genes identified from REDItools analysis. We also investigated the possible effects of these RNA editing events on miRNA-target mRNA interactions as predicted by miRanda.

Results:

Our analysis revealed that there is extensive RNA editing in RA, with 304 and 273 differentially edited events in early RA and established RA, respectively. Of these, 25 sites were within 11 genes in early RA, and 34 sites were within 7 genes in established RA. DEXSeq analysis revealed that RNA editing correlated with differential exon usage in 4 differentially edited genes that have previously also been associated with RA in some measure: ATM, ZEB1, ANXA4, and TIMP3. DEXSeq analysis also revealed enrichment of some non-functional isoforms of these genes, perhaps at the expense of their full-length counterparts. Network analysis using STRING showed that several edited genes were part of the p53 protein-protein interaction network. We also identified several putative miRNA binding sites in the differentially edited genes that were lost upon editing.

Conclusions:

Our results suggested that the expression of genes involved in DNA repair and cell cycle, including ATM and ZEB1 which are well-known functional regulators of the DNA damage response pathway, could be regulated by RNA editing in RA synovia. This may contribute to an impaired DNA damage response in synovial tissues.
Defining the Ideal Breast Reconstruction Procedure After Mastectomy From the Patient Perspective: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Petrou Ilias G , Thomet Céline , Jamei Omid , Modarressi Ali , Kalbermatten Daniel F , Pittet-Cuénod Brigitte
Published: April 2022

Background:

An increasing number of breast cancer patients undergo immediate or secondary breast reconstruction, but the ideal method in terms of patient satisfaction remains ambiguous. We compared the 3 most common breast reconstruction techniques to determine patient satisfaction and objective outcomes.

Methods:

Retrospective study of 184 patients with breast cancer who underwent a reconstructive procedure between 1993 and 2011 at our institution. Procedures evaluated were implant-based reconstruction (IBR) alone, latissimus dorsi (LD) flap reconstruction with/without implant, and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) free flap reconstruction. A retrospective patient satisfaction questionnaire was sent to all women. Twenty patients from each subgroup were matched to conduct a standardized objective assessment of the sensitivity of their reconstructed breast. A blinded photographic evaluation was also performed by 3 independent observers to assess the esthetic aspect and symmetry.

Results:

DIEP obtained significantly higher average scores regarding the esthetic outcome, immediate reconstruction impact, and overall score in the questionnaire evaluation. The IBR had the best results in the somatosensory evaluation, with DIEP scoring better than LD. DIEP received higher scores on average than LD for the criteria of size and symmetry in the esthetic evaluation. No statistically significant differences were observed between IBR and DIEP.

Conclusions:

Good results were reported overall for all breast reconstruction procedures, with more reserved scores for LD. The DIEP reconstruction appeared to be the most satisfactory and best experienced reconstruction method for patients, despite the complexity of the intervention. Clinicians should be encouraged to consider DIEP as the principal choice for breast reconstruction.
Sensitivity of Contrast-Enhanced Breast MRI vs X-ray Mammography Based on Cancer Histology, Tumor Grading, Receptor Status, and Molecular Subtype: A Supplemental Analysis of 2 Large Phase III Studies
Authors: Endrikat Jan , Schmidt Gilda , Haverstock Daniel , Weber Olaf , Trnkova Zuzana Jirakova , Barkhausen Jörg
Published: April 2022

Background:

The impact of certain tumor parameters on the sensitivity of imaging tools is unknown. The purpose was to study the impact of breast cancer histology, tumor grading, single receptor status, and molecular subtype on the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (CE-BMRI) vs X-ray mammography (XRM) to detect breast cancer.

Materials and Methods:

We ran a supplemental analysis of 2 global Phase III studies which recruited patients with histologically proven breast cancers. The sensitivity of CE-BMRI vs XRM to detect cancer lesions with different histologies, tumor grading, single receptor status, and molecular subtype was compared. Six blinded readers for each study evaluated the images. Results were summarized as the “Mean Reader.” For each reader, sensitivity was defined as the proportion of detected lesions vs the total number of lesions identified by the standard of reference. Two-sided 95% confidence intervals were calculated for within-group proportions, and for the difference between CE-BMRI and XRM, using a normal approximation to the binomial distribution.

Results:

In 778 patients, 1273 cancer lesions were detected. A total of 435 patients had 1 lesion, 254 had 2 lesions, and 77 had 3 or more lesions. The sensitivity of CE-BMRI was significantly higher compared with XRM irrespective of the histology. The largest difference was seen for invasive lobular carcinoma (22.3%) and ductal carcinoma in situ (19%). Across all 3 tumor grades, the sensitivity advantage of CE-BMRI over XRM ranged from 15.7% to 18.5%. Contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging showed higher sensitivity compared with XRM irrespective of single receptor expressions (15.3%-19.4%). The sensitivities for both imaging methods were numerically higher for the more aggressive ER– (estrogen receptor), PR– (progesterone receptor), and HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) tumors. Irrespective of molecular subtype, sensitivity of CE-BMRI was 14.8% to 18.9% higher compared with XRM.

Conclusions:

Contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging showed significantly higher sensitivity compared with XRM independent of tumor histology, tumor grading, single receptor status, and molecular subtype. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01067976 and NCT01104584.
Availability and Utilization of Postabortion Care Services in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea: A Secondary Analysis of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Needs Assessments (EmONC)
Authors: Compaore Rachidatou , Ouedraogo Adja Mariam , Baguiya Adama , Kpebo Denise Olga , Sidibe Sidikiba , Kouanda Seni
Published: April 2022

SYNOPSIS: Generally, there are disparities in the availability and utilization of postabortion care services within the different regions at the national level in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Guinea and between the 3 countries. Access to postabortion care at the primary level must be improved and the adoption of family planning when providing postabortion care.

Unsafe abortion remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in sub-Sahara Africa, with relatively poor access to quality postabortion care (PAC) services. This study evaluated the quantity and distribution as well as the utilization of PAC services in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Guinea. We conducted a secondary data analysis using the most recent EmONC surveys in the 3 countries between 2016 and 2017. We used PAC signal functions approach to assess facilities’ capacity to provide basic PAC at both primary and referral level of care and comprehensive PAC at the referral level. We illustrated population coverage of PAC services based on the WHO benchmark, and then assessed the utilization of PAC services. Basic PAC capacity at primary level was low (36.6%), ranging from 16.2% in Burkina Faso to 36% in Cote d’Ivoire. About 82.0% of hospitals could provide comprehensive PAC. There were disparities in the geographical distribution of PAC services at both national and subnational levels. Abortion complications represented 16.2% of all obstetric emergencies, and uptake of PAC modern contraceptive was low (37.1%) in all countries. There is a need to focus on access to PAC at the primary level of care in the 3 countries.
Choosing a qualitative comparative analysis solution in multi-method impact evaluation
Authors: Krupnik Seweryn , Koniewski Maciej
Published: April 2022

Qualitative comparative analysis is increasingly popular as a methodological option in the evaluator’s toolkit. However, evaluators who are willing to apply it face inconsistent suggestions regarding the choice of the ‘solution term’. These inconsistent suggestions reflect a current broad debate among proponents of two approaches to qualitative comparative analysis. The first approach focuses on substantial interpretability and the second on redundancy-free results. We offer three questions to guide the choice of a solution term in the context of impact multi-method evaluation research. They are related to the intended use of the findings, goals of the analysis and regularity theory of causality. Finally, we showcase guidelines through three potential applications of qualitative comparative analysis. The guiding questions would almost always lead to choosing the substantial interpretability approach. However, the redundancy-free approach should not be disregarded. Whatever the choice, researchers should be aware of the assumptions each approach is based on and the risks involved.
The Integrated Behavior Therapy for Children with Selective Mutism: Findings from an open pilot study in a naturalistic setting
Authors: Shorer Maayan , Ben-Haim Zivit , Klauzner Naama , Ben-Ami Noam , Fennig Sivana
Published: April 2022

To test the hypothesis that the Integrated Behavior Therapy for Children with Selective Mutism (IBTSM), administered in a naturalistic setting, is (a) a feasible and acceptable treatment, (b) effective in reducing children’s selective mutism (SM) and social anxiety (SA) symptoms, and (c) effective in reducing parents’ accommodation behaviors to their children’s anxiety. This was an open, uncontrolled trial with assessments at baseline, first session, and post-treatment. The study treated 30 children aged 4–13, using the IBTSM protocol. The diagnosis of SM was established by psychologists using a structured interview. The parents reported levels of SM, SA, and parental accommodation on questionnaires, and the level of children’s global functioning was rated by clinicians. Feasibility and acceptability of the IBTSM were assessed using dropout rates, protocol adherence, adverse events, and therapist’s acceptability ratings. The IBTSM had acceptable dropout rates, with no adverse events and high acceptability rates. Following IBTSM, children’s SM and SA levels, and parents’ accommodation, significantly decreased. 75% of children were rated by clinicians as treatment responders. IBTSM is a feasible, acceptable, and efficacious treatment for children with SM, utilized in clinical settings. The results of this open trial must be replicated in randomized controlled studies.
Two ways of spilling drink: The construction of offences as ‘accidental’ in police interviews with suspects
Authors: Ferraz de Almeida Fabio
Published: April 2022

This article explores the construction of offences as ‘accidental’ in police-suspect interactions. The data comprise audio-recorded investigative interviews, which were analysed using conversation analysis. In these interviews, suspects often do not explicitly state the nature of their defence when answering police officers’ questions; instead, suspects’ defensive practices or techniques are embedded in the narrative accounts they give of what happened, thus exhibiting rather claiming their ‘innocence’. My focus here is on a particular type of defence, namely, one in which suspects portray an event as having been ‘accidental’. I show that this defence of ‘accident’ is associated with several discourse features including: building a plausible and trivial context in which the untoward incident occurred, describing the untoward action or series of actions, using impersonal or agentless constructions, and representing the disproportionality between the putative victim’s reaction and the aggressor’s untoward conduct. The accountability of these descriptions, however, does not rely on one unique feature, but rather on suspects’ ability to combine these features in such a way that each establishes the grounds for others.
Resistance in public disputes: Third-turn blocking to suspend progressivity
Authors: Joyce Jack B
Published: April 2022

When people argue they routinely challenge the opinions, views, and attitudes of one another, they seek to cast the other as the aggressor or party at fault, and otherwise exert social control. This article illustrates how members work to hamper challenges, evade control or avoid being negatively characterized by systematically blocking access to a turn in the third position and stopping their opponent’s agenda. Examining 100 hours of public disputes (public transport, protestor interactions and radio call-ins) in varieties of English, I use membership categorization analysis and conversation analysis to unpack resistance as part of the structural organization of disputes. I identify two methods of resisting an agenda: (1) passively, whereby a responsive turn stalls the progressivity of the interaction, and (2) actively, whereby a responsive turn disaligns to outrightly suspend the progressivity of the interaction. I discuss how resistance sequentially unfolds across sequential positions, and as an interactional phenomenon which solves the trouble of a challenge. Overall, this article contributes to social interaction research on resistance, public disputes and how social order is constituted in and through talk-in-interaction.
When people do not want to talk anymore in online discussion boards: A corpus-based study of the multi-word expression bù shuō le ‘not talk anymore’ in Chinese
Authors: Hsu Chan-Chia
Published: April 2022

With Internet users constantly participating in online interactions, a wide range of novel usages have emerged, some of which involve multi-word expressions. The use of multi-word expressions in online discourses (e.g. their syntagmatic patterns and communicative functions) has not been fully explored. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate the Chinese word string bù shuō le ‘not talk anymore’, which occurs much more frequently in online discussion boards than in other written or spoken modes. In the corpus-based analysis, multiple contexts in which bù shuō le indicates a reluctance to further elaborate are identified. The most common context is that the writer recounts a face-threatening experience and uses bù shuō le to bring the post to the conclusion, express a casual attitude toward that experience, and exert a humorous effect. This study contributes additional evidence that demonstrates how multi-word expressions fulfill textual, expressive, and interpersonal functions in online discourses.
Mechanical behaviour of 3D monofilament knitted fabrics: Modeling, simulation and validation
Authors: Cherradi Youssef , Kebir Hocine , Boukhriss Aicha , Ennamiri Habiba , Benyoucef Mustafa
Published: April 2022

Three-dimensionally (3D) knitted technology textiles are expanding into industrial and technical applications of textile composites given their geometric, structural, and functional performance. However, there are many challenges in developing computational tools that allow for physics-based predictions while keeping the related computing cost low. The strong interactions between geometrical and physical elements permit determining the behavior of this type of engineering material. In the aim of understanding the specific mechanical behaviors of knitted textiles, a yarn-level simulation model framework was created to predict the nonlinear orthotropic mechanical behavior of monofilament jersey-knitted textiles. The relative contributions of many computational parameters on the global mechanical behavior of knitted fabrics are investigated, specifically, inter-yarn interactions and the boundary conditions effect. The models are saved in a format that can be read directly by Finite Element Analysis FEA software. Yarns are numerically discretized as nonlinear 3D beam components, while input parameters, such as mechanical characteristics of yarns and geometric dimensions of loops in fabrics are established experimentally. Good agreement was relieved by comparing experimental data to simulation results in a wale-wise direction tensile load.