bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Utility of Stepwise Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Analysis in Diagnosing and Managing Lung Infiltrates in Leukemia/Lymphoma Patients With Febrile Neutropenia
Authors: Thorat Jayashree , Bhat Surabhi , Sengar Manju , Baheti Akshay , Bothra Sweta , Bhaskar Maheema , Tandon Sandeep Prakashnarain , Biswas Sanjay K. , Salunke Gaurav V. , Karimundackal George , Tiwari Virendra Kumar , Pramesh C.S. , Sharma Neha , Kapu Venkatesh , Eipe Thomas , Bagal Bhausaheb Pandurang , Nayak Lingaraj , Bonda Avinash , Janu Amit , Shetty Alok , Jain Hasmukh
Published: February 2024

PURPOSE

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious complication in hematologic malignancies, and lung infiltrates (LIs) remain a significant concern. An accurate microbiological diagnosis is crucial but difficult to establish. To address this, we analyzed the utility of a standardized method for performing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) along with a two-step strategy for the analysis of BAL fluid.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center from November 2018 to June 2020. Patients age 15 years and older with confirmed leukemia or lymphomas undergoing chemotherapy, with presence of FN, and LIs observed on imaging were enrolled.

RESULTS

Among the 122 enrolled patients, successful BAL was performed in 83.6% of cases. The study used a two-step analysis of BAL fluid, resulting in a diagnostic yield of 74.5%. Furthermore, antimicrobial therapy was modified in 63.9% of patients on the basis of BAL reports, and this population demonstrated a higher response rate (63% v 45%; P = .063).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that a two-step BAL fluid analysis is safe and clinically beneficial to establish an accurate microbiological diagnosis. Given the crucial impact of diagnostic delays on mortality in hematologic malignancy patients with FN, early BAL studies should be performed to enable prompt and specific diagnosis, allowing for appropriate treatment modifications.
PIVOT-006: A phase 3, randomized study of cretostimogene grenadenorepvec versus observation for the treatment of intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR-NMIBC) following transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT).
Authors: Svatek Robert S. , Bivalacqua Trinity , Keegan Kirk A. , Daneshmand Siamak
Published: February 2024

TPS715

Background: Guidelines for Intermediate Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (IR-NMIBC) recommend adjuvant intravesical (IVE) therapy or surveillance. Despite this, 30–60% of patients still recur, and these Guideline recommendations are lacking level-1 evidence. Thus, there is a considerable gap in knowledge and an unmet medical need for improved therapies in the adjuvant setting. Cretostimogene Grenadenorepvec is an oncolytic adenovirus designed to preferentially replicate in and kill cancer cells. The vector is transcriptionally regulated by the E2F promoter that is up-regulated in retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway-defective tumor cells, common in most IR-NMIBC bladder tumors. Additionally, the virus is engineered to selectively express GM-CSF, in order to induce a robust systemic anti-tumor immune response. PIVOT-006 is an open-label, multi-center, randomized Phase 3 study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of intravesical Cretostimogene after TURBT versus TURBT alone. Methods: Eligibility criteria: age ≥18 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, histologically confirmed IR-NMIBC with absence of nodal or metastatic disease at screening. IR-NMIBC, as defined by American Urologic Association-Society of Urologic Oncology Guidelines on NMIBC, is either a Low Grade (LG) stage Ta tumor that recurs within 12 months of prior LG or High Grade (HG) bladder cancer, a solitary LGTa tumor >3cm in size, multifocal LGTa tumors, primary HGTa lesion < 3cm in size, or a LGT1 tumor. Participants will be stratified by receipt of perioperative chemotherapy and tumor grade. Pts (N~450) will be randomized 1:1 to receive intravesical Cretostimogene (Cohort 1) adjuvant to TURBT or TURBT alone (Cohort 2). Single dose perioperative intravesical chemotherapy at the time of TURBT is permitted. If intravesical NMIBC recurrence is noted in Cohort 2, participants will be eligible to receive intravesical Cretostimogene. In Cohort 1, intravesical Cretostimogene will be instilled in combination with n-dodecyl-B-D-maltoside (DDM, an inactive detergent) for 6 weekly doses during the induction phase, followed by 3 weekly maintenance cycles at months 3 and 6, and culminating in single intravesical doses at months 9 and 12. Primary disease assessments include serial cystoscopy, urine cytology, axial imaging, and centralized review of pathologic samples. The primary outcome measure is recurrence free survival. Secondary outcome measures include safety, tolerability, progression free survival, and time to next intervention. Exploratory outcome measures include patient-reported quality of life, biomarker analyses, coxsackie adenovirus receptor and E2F promoter expression, neutralizing antibodies, and markers of immunogenicity. Clinical trial information: Pending.
Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes Caused by DIHS Could Be Affected by the Reactivation of HHV-6
Authors: Makino Hideichi , Tohyama Mikiko , Kawamura Ryoichi , Takata Yasunori , Osawa Haruhiko , Onuma Hiroshi
Published: February 2024

Context

In the previous issue of this journal, we reported that the incidence of fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1D) due to the drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) in Japan is higher than that in the general population and is associated with HLAB62. On the other hand, the reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), which has been reported to be associated with DIHS, was observed at a higher frequency, but its association with the development of FT1D was unclear.

Objective

We aimed to clarify the relationship between the onset of FT1D and the reactivation of HHV-6.

Methods

We conducted a literature search for cases of DIHS-induced FT1D in addition to previously reported cases and investigated the changes in the HHV-6 antibody titer before and after the onset of FT1D.

Results

The HHV-6 antibody titer was increased just before or after the onset of FT1D in all 8 cases. In 1 case, HHV-6 DNA was also identified shortly before the onset of FT1D.

Conclusion

These results indicate for the first time that the reactivation of HHV-6 is associated with the onset of FT1D caused by DIHS.
A Retrospective Study on Weaning Glucocorticoids and Recovery of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis
Authors: Arshad Muhammad Fahad , Elder Charlotte , Newell-Price John , Ross Richard , Debono Miguel
Published: February 2024

Context

Glucocorticoids suppress the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in tertiary adrenal insufficiency (AI). When weaning patients off glucocorticoids there is no consensus on whether to maintain patients on prednisolone or convert to hydrocortisone.

Objective

To investigate HPA axis recovery in patients on long-term prednisolone and assess outcome after hydrocortisone conversion.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study at an outpatient endocrine steroid clinic. Patients were on long-term prednisolone and referred for HPA axis testing between 2015 and 2022. The main outcomes measured were (1) HPA axis recovery rate in patients on prednisolone demonstrated by a normal adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test (AST) and (2) HPA axis recovery rate subanalysis of dose-matched patients with confirmed tertiary AI on prednisolone or hydrocortisone were measured.

Results

In total, 206 patients on prednisolone were tested for tertiary AI. Of these, 176 remained on prednisolone while 30 were converted to hydrocortisone. The overall HPA axis recovery rate for patients on prednisolone after interval testing was 137/206 (66.5%). The HPA axis recovery rate in dose-matched prednisolone and hydrocortisone conversion groups was 7/10 (70%) and 2/13 (15%) (P = .008), respectively. There was no difference in mean (SD) age (67.1 [12.2] vs 63.4 [11.1] years; P = .464) and baseline cortisol (5.3 [4.2] vs 4.6 [3.1] µg/dL; P = .648) and median [interquartile, IQR] glucocorticoid duration (1213 [1114] vs 2316 [4808] days; P = .693) and baseline ACTH (20.5 [29.0] vs 16.3 [14.8] ng/L; P = .905) between dose-matched prednisolone and hydrocortisone groups. Follow-up duration in the prednisolone group was significantly lower (median [IQR] 348 [975] vs 667 [884] days; P = .012).

Conclusion

Patients with glucocorticoid-induced AI maintained on once-daily prednisolone can recover HPA axis function when weaning. There is no apparent advantage to recover HPA axis function in converting to multiple-dosing hydrocortisone.
Loss of Fshr Prevents Testicular Maturation in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Authors: Andersson Eva , Schulz Rüdiger W , Almeida Fernanda , Kleppe Lene , Skaftnesmo Kai Ove , Kjærner-Semb Erik , Crespo Diego , Fjelldal Per Gunnar , Hansen Tom Johnny , Norberg Birgitta , Edvardsen Rolf B , Wargelius Anna
Published: February 2024

Early puberty poses a significant challenge for male Atlantic salmon in aquaculture due to its negative impact on growth and welfare. The regulation of puberty in vertebrates involves 2 key reproductive hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and their gonadal receptors. In male mice lacking FSH receptor, testes size is reduced, but fertility is maintained, while medaka and zebrafish with a disrupted fshr gene exhibit near normal testis size and fertility. In these fishes both Fsh and Lh are present during puberty and Lh may rescue fertility, while in salmonid fish only Fsh is present in the circulation during puberty. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we produced crispants with a high prevalence of fshr mutations at the target site, which remained fertile, although more than half showed a testis development deviating from wild-type (wt) males. Crossing out these F0 crispants to each other produced a viable F1 generation showing frameshift (fshr−/−) or in-frame mutations (fshrif/if). Nearly all wt males matured while all fshr−/− males remained immature with small testes containing A spermatogonia as the furthest developed germ cell type and prepubertal plasma androgen levels. Also, the pituitary transcript levels of gnrhr2bba and lhb, but not for fshb, were reduced in the fshr−/− males compared with maturing males. More than half of the fshrif/if mutant males showed no or a delayed maturation. In conclusion, Atlantic salmon show the unique characteristic that loss of Fshr function alone results in male infertility, offering new opportunities to control precocious puberty or fertility in salmon.
Adrenal Abcg1 Controls Cholesterol Flux and Steroidogenesis
Authors: Liimatta Jani , Curschellas Evelyn , Altinkilic Emre Murat , Naamneh Elzenaty Rawda , Augsburger Philipp , du Toit Therina , Voegel Clarissa D , Breault David T , Flück Christa E , Pignatti Emanuele
Published: February 2024

Cholesterol is the precursor of all steroids, but how cholesterol flux is controlled in steroidogenic tissues is poorly understood. The cholesterol exporter ABCG1 is an essential component of the reverse cholesterol pathway and its global inactivation results in neutral lipid redistribution to tissue macrophages. The function of ABCG1 in steroidogenic tissues, however, has not been explored. To model this, we inactivated Abcg1 in the mouse adrenal cortex, which led to an adrenal-specific increase in transcripts involved in cholesterol uptake and de novo synthesis. Abcg1 inactivation did not affect adrenal cholesterol content, zonation, or serum lipid profile. Instead, we observed a moderate increase in corticosterone production that was not recapitulated by the inactivation of the functionally similar cholesterol exporter Abca1. Altogether, our data imply that Abcg1 controls cholesterol uptake and biosynthesis and regulates glucocorticoid production in the adrenal cortex, introducing the possibility that ABCG1 variants may account for physiological or subclinical variation in stress response.
Urinary Vitamin D Binding Protein: A Marker of Kidney Tubular Dysfunction in Patients at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Semnani-Azad Zhila , Wang Windy Z N , Cole David E C , Johnston Luke W , Wong Betty Y L , Fu Lei , Retnakaran Ravi , Harris Stewart B , Hanley Anthony J
Published: February 2024

Context

Recent studies have reported elevated urinary vitamin D binding protein (uVDBP) concentrations in patients with diabetic kidney disease, although the utility of uVDBP to predict deterioration of kidney function over time has not been examined.

Objective

Our objective was to assess the association of uVDBP with longitudinal changes in kidney function.

Methods

Adults at-risk for type 2 diabetes from the Prospective Metabolism and Islet Cell Evaluation (PROMISE) study had 3 assessments over 6 years (n = 727). Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were used as measures of kidney function. Measurements of uVDBP were performed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and normalized to urine creatinine (uVDBP:cr). Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) evaluated longitudinal associations of uVDBP and uVDBP:cr with measures of kidney function, adjusting for covariates.

Results

Renal uVDBP loss increased with ACR severity at baseline. Individuals with normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria had median log uVDBP:cr concentrations of 1.62 μg/mmol, 2.63 μg/mmol, and 2.48 μg/mmol, respectively, and ACR positively correlated with uVDBP concentrations (r = 0.37; P < .001). There was no significant association between uVDBP and eGFR at baseline. Adjusted longitudinal GEE models indicated that each SD increase both in baseline and longitudinal uVDBP:cr was significantly associated with higher ACR over 6 years (β = 30.67 and β = 32.91, respectively). Conversely, neither baseline nor longitudinal uVDBP:cr measures showed a significant association with changes in eGFR over time. These results suggest that loss of uVDBP:cr over time may be a useful marker for predicting renal tubular damage in individuals at risk for diabetes.
The Prosaics of Weak Grammar: Novel Theory at the Crossroads of Linguistic Transformation
Authors: Lee Sookyoung
Published: February 2024

Novelistic sentences dramatically simplified in structure and contracted in length throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. This article places these changes within the longer process of grammatical “weakening” (the loss of inflection for regular order). Building on the linguist Otto Jespersen's theorization of the relationship between grammar and social change, the article argues that the grammar of modern novels, irrespective of their representational content or individuating style, has a proleptic relation to the rise of mass society. The problems that Georg Lukács and Theodor Adorno would articulate in terms of reification and alienation are already enacted grammatically as words break down into their linguistic properties and increasingly derive their meaning through placement. The article focuses on three pivotal moments of this development: the “prosification,” or the virtual conflation of poetic and prosaic syntax, in the Romantic era; the conspicuous intensification of uninflected prose that is generally taken to be the stylistic innovation of the modernist era exemplified by Virginia Woolf; and the sedimentation of syntax into generic idioms in subsequent decades in such writers as Doris Lessing and Samuel Beckett. Novelistic grammar, precisely by prefiguring the social changes to come, models a rationality that constrains the possibilities of moving past those changes. By analyzing the contradictions constitutive of novelistic grammar, this article questions what is reinforced or foreclosed in the endless generativity of grammar.
Making Meaning Meaningful: Intertextuality and Identification in Never Let Me Go and Daniel Deronda
Authors: Hack Daniel
Published: February 2024

This article reconsiders the relationship between identificatory and mimetic reading practices—so often viewed as naive or mystified—and attention to intertextuality, which has so often been seen as contrasting with and discrediting such practices. Such a reconsideration, made timely by growing dissatisfaction with a post-providential, disenchanted view of the world as devoid of meaning, is invited by and in turn illuminates one of the most celebrated novels of the twenty-first century, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (2005). The narrator-protagonist of this novel, I argue, embodies a type that the most influential current of novel theory has made difficult to credit, perhaps even to recognize: the reverse quixote, a character who ostentatiously resists conflating literature and life or viewing the world and experience through the lens of literature—but who would benefit from doing so. Intertextual reading brings this reverse quixotism to light and reveals its dimensions, as the intertextual reader tracks the connections that the novel's anti-identificatory characters refuse to make and considers the motives for and costs of this refusal. The most significant intertext driving this shadow plot is George Eliot's Daniel Deronda (1876), itself a study of the meaning-making, life-shaping power of identificatory and mimetic reading, or what Eliot calls “the magic of quick comparison.”
Elevation of Depressed Skull Fracture in Neonates Using a Breast Pump and a Custom-Molded Flange
Authors: Martinez Emilie L. , Welscher Ashley , Shah Manish N. , Sandberg David I.
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:

“Ping-pong fractures” (PPF) can occur in neonates and result in cosmetic deformity and local mass effect. Standard treatment involves surgical elevation of the depressed bone when the indentation is considerable or cosmetically apparent. Surgical correction of PPF subjects patients to the risks of surgery and general anesthesia. This article and corresponding video demonstrate a novel means of correcting PPF at bedside without surgery or anesthesia. We used a hospital-grade breast pump connected to a custom-fabricated flange to successfully elevate PPF in two neonates.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

Two moderately preterm infants were noted at birth to have large parietal PPF. To avoid surgical intervention, elevation using a suction device was attempted. A hospital-grade breast pump was used to provide suction. A custom device was fabricated out of a breast pump flange and molded Coloplast Brava® protective seal rings. This device was carefully applied to the skull to exactly match the diameter of the PPF and contour of the bone. Brief (15-30 seconds) periods of suction were applied several times until the PPF was successfully elevated as documented on subsequent computed tomography scans. Both infants achieved excellent cosmetic results with no adverse effects over 24- and 9-month follow-ups, respectively.

DISCUSSION:

This technique eliminates the risks of open surgical correction and corrected the PPF without general anesthesia or adverse effects to the infant. While there may be limitations due to patient age and/or location of the PPF, the use of widely available and inexpensive custom-fitted materials with a hospital grade breast pump achieves maximal efficacy without requiring higher negative pressure suction application.

CONCLUSION:

Elevation of PPF can be safely achieved in some neonates using readily available equipment: a hospital-grade breast pump, flange, and moldable adherent material. This technique is reasonable to attempt in lieu of surgical elevation.
Protein complexes from mouse and chick brain that interact with phospho-KXGS motif tau/microtubule associated protein antibody
Authors: Davies D. S. , Arthur A. T. , Aitken H. L. , Crossett B. , Goldsbury C. S.
Published: February 2024

Mouse monoclonal 12E8 antibody, which recognises conserved serine phosphorylated KXGS motifs in the microtubule binding domains of tau/tau-like microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), shows elevated binding in brain during normal embryonic development (mammals and birds) and at the early stages of human Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It also labels ADF/cofilin-actin rods that form in neurites during exposure to stressors. We aimed to identify direct and indirect 12E8 binding proteins in postnatal mouse brain and embryonic chick brain by immunoprecipitation (IP), mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence. Tau and/or MAP2 were major direct 12E8-binding proteins detected in all IPs, and actin and/or tubulin were co-immunoprecipitated in most samples. Additional proteins were different in mouse versus chick brain IP. In mouse brain IPs, FSD1l and intermediate filament proteins – vimentin, α-internexin, neurofilament polypeptides – were prominent. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot using recombinant intermediate filament subunits, suggests an indirect interaction of these proteins with the 12E8 antibody. In chick brain IPs, subunits of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (EIF3) were found, but no direct interaction between 12E8 and recombinant Eif3e protein was detected. Fluorescence microscopy in primary cultured chick neurons showed evidence of co-localisation of Eif3e and tubulin labelling, consistent with previous data demonstrating cytoskeletal organisation of the translation apparatus. Neither total tau or MAP2 immunolabelling accumulated at ADF/cofilin-actin rods generated in primary cultured chick neurons, and we were unable to narrow down the major antigen recognised by 12E8 antibody on ADF/cofilin-actin rods.
How studies in developmental epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mesenchymal-epithelial transition inspired new research paradigms in biomedicine
Authors: Thiery Jean Paul , Sheng Guojun , Shu Xiaodong , Runyan Raymond
Published: February 2024

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mechanism, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), are evolutionarily conserved mechanisms initially identified in studies of early metazoan development. EMT may even have been established in choanoflagellates, the closest unicellular relative of Metazoa. These crucial morphological transitions operate during body plan formation and subsequently in organogenesis. These findings have prompted an increasing number of investigators in biomedicine to assess the importance of such mechanisms that drive epithelial cell plasticity in multiple diseases associated with congenital disabilities and fibrosis, and, most importantly, in the progression of carcinoma. EMT and MET also play crucial roles in regenerative medicine, notably by contributing epigenetic changes in somatic cells to initiate reprogramming into stem cells and their subsequent differentiation into distinct lineages.
Post-mortem virtual estimation of free abdominal blood volume
Authors: Αμπανόζη Γαρυφαλιά
Published: February 2024

Σκοπός: Ο σκοπός αυτής της αναδρομικής έρευνας ήταν να διερευνήσει την αξιοπιστία της εικονικής εκτίμησης ενδοκοιλιακού όγκου αίματος, χρησιμοποιώντας την τεχνική της τμηματοποίησης (segmentation) από δεδομένα μεταθανάτιας αξονικής τομογραφίας (postmortem computed tomography, PMCT). Υλικό και Μέθοδος: Είκοσι-ένα περιστατικά με ελεύθερο ενδοκοιλιακό αίμα διερευνήθηκαν με μεταθανάτια αξονική τομογραφία και νεκροτομή. Ο όγκος του αίματος εκτιμήθηκε χρησιμοποιώντας μη-αυτοματοποιημένη τεχνική τμηματοποίησης (segmentation, Amira, Visage Imaging, Germany) και τα αποτελέσματα συγκρίθηκαν με τα δεδομένα της νεκροτομής. Σε έξι από τα εικοσιένα περιστατικά είχε διενεργηθεί επιπλέον και μεταθανάτια αγγειογραφία με τη χρήση αξονικού τομογράφου (postmortem computed tomographic angiography, PMCTA). Αποτελέσματα: Ο εικονικά εκτιμηθείς όγκος αίματος δεν διαφέρει σημαντικά από τη μέτρηση κατά τη διάρκεια της νεκροτομής. Η επιπρόσθετη μεταθανάτια αγγειογραφία δεν επιδρά σημαντικά στα δεδομένα. Συμπέρασμα: Η εικονική εκτίμηση του όγκου ενδοκοιλιακού αίματος είναι μία αξιόπιστη τεχνική. Η εικονική εκτίμηση όγκου αίματος χρησιμεύει στην παροχή επιπρόσθετης πληροφορίας σε περιπτώσεις που δε διενεργείται νεκροτομή ή σε περιπτώσεις που διενεργείται μεταθανάτια αγγειογραφία.
Διερεύνηση των επιπέδων έκφρασης μορίων σχετιζόμενων με την εμφάνιση και αντιμετώπιση καρκίνου του μαστού με τριπλά αρνητικό φαινότυπο
Authors: Μπαλαλής Δημήτριος
Published: February 2024

ΣΚΟΠΟΣ: Η αγγειογένεση εμπλέκεται στην ανάπτυξη και στον πολλαπλασιασμό των καρκινικών κυττάρων. Στον καρκίνο του μαστού ελέγχεται από τον σηματοδοτικό άξονα του αγγειακού ενδοθηλιακού αυξητικού παράγοντα (VEGF). Επιπλέον ελέγχε¬ται από διάφορους προαγγειογενετικούς παράγοντες στους οποίους περιλαμβά¬νεται ο επιδερμικός αυξητικός παράγοντας συνδεδεμένος με ηπαρίνη (HB-EGF) και ο αυξητικός παράγοντας των αιμοπεταλίων – CC (PDGF-CC), καθώς επίσης και συνυποδοχείς όπως η νευροπιλίνη -1 (NRP-1) οι οποίοι εμπλέκο¬νται προγνωστικά και θεραπευτικά στους ασθενείς με καρκίνο μαστού. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης αποτελεί ο προσδιορισμός της έκφρασης των προαναφερθέντων αγγειογενετικών παραγόντων στη συστηματική κυκλοφορία γυναικών με πρωτοεμφανιζόμενο καρκίνο μαστού και η συσχέτιση τους με τον δείκτη μάζας σώματος (ΔΜΣ), το εμμηνορρυσιακό status, τους ιστολογικούς τύπους και τους μοριακούς υπότυπους του καρκίνου του μαστού. ΑΣΘΕΝΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ: Στη μελέτη συμπεριελήφθησαν 205 προεμμηνοπαυ-σιακές και μετεμμηνοπαυσιακές γυναίκες με πρώιμο καρκίνο του μαστού και 31 υγιείς μάρτυρες. Μετρήθηκαν τα επίπεδα έκφρασης στον ορό των αγγειογενετικών παραγόντων VEGF, HB-EGF, PDGF-CC και την NRP-1 και διερευνήθηκε η πιθανή συσχέτιση τους με κλινικές και ιστοπαθολογικές παραμέτρους. ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ: Τα επίπεδα του VEGF ήταν σημαντικά υψηλότερα στις ασθενείς με διηθητικό καρκίνωμα συγκριτικά με τις ασθενείς με in situ πορογενές καρκί-νωμα. Τα επίπεδα στον ορό του PDGF-CC ήταν σημαντικά υψηλότερα στις ασθενείς με τον μοριακό υπότυπο LumB (Her2-) συγκριτικά με τις ασθενείς με τριπλά αρνητικό καρκίνο του μαστού. Επιπλέον παρατηρήθηκε διαφορετική έκφραση στα επίπεδα των περισσότερων βιοδεικτών μεταξύ υπέρβαρων/παχύσαρκων και φυσιολογικoύ βάρους ασθενών ανάμεσα στους μοριακούς υπότυπους του καρκίνου του μαστού. Τα επίπεδα στον ορό του HB-EGF, όσο αφορά τον τριπλά αρνητικό καρκίνο του μαστού ήταν σημαντικά υψηλότερα στις υπέρβαρες/παχύσαρκες ασθενείς συγκριτικά με τις ασθενείς με φυσιολογικό βάρος σώματος. ΣΥΜΠΕΡΑΣΜΑ: Τα επίπεδα των αγγειογενετικών παραγόντων στον ορό σχετίζονται με τους μοριακούς υπότυπους του καρκίνου του μαστού. Επίσης μερικοί από αυτούς τους αγγειογενετικούς παράγοντες επηρεάζονται από τον ιστολογικό τύπο, τον ΔΜΣ και το εμμηνορρυσιακό status των ασθενών με καρκίνο του μαστού. Η παρούσα μελέτη προτείνει μια πιθανή αλληλεπίδραση της παχυσαρκίας και του HB-EGF στον καρκίνο του μαστού και ειδικότερα στον τριπλά αρνητικό μοριακό υπότυπο. Περαιτέρω μελέτες θα μπορούσαν να ενισχύσουν τα ευρήματα μας και να αναδείξουν τα μόρια αυτά ως προγνωστικούς βιοδείκτες στον καρκίνο του μαστού και ιδιαίτερα στον τριπλά αρνητικό καρκίνο του μαστού.
8.R.6. Hägg, Tomas (2004) Parthenope: selected studies in Ancient Greek fiction
Authors: Novikov Kadri
Published: February 2024

Hägg, Tomas (2004) Parthenope: selected studies in Ancient Greek fiction (1969-2004). Edited by Lars Boje Mortensen & Tormod Eide. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press. 493 p. ISBN 87-7289-907-7.
JAK ZASTĘPCA STAŁ SIĘ NASTĘPCĄ? – MICHAŁ CHMIELOWIEC I JEGO WSPÓŁPRACA Z „WIADOMOŚCIAMI”
Authors: Moczkodan Rafał
Published: February 2024

Artykuł omawia współpracę Michała Chmielowca z „Wiadomościami”. Współpracował on z londyńskim tygodnikiem w latach 1947–1974, publikując na jego łamach poezję, prozę poetycką, teksty prozatorskie, artykuły krytyczne i publicystyczne, a także tłumaczenia. Większa część tej współpracy mała charakter nieregularny. Wykazano, że dopiero w 1962 r. doszło do zacieśnienia współpracy. Chmielowiec przejął po Juliuszu Sakowskim redagowanie rubryki W oczach Zachodu, przyjmując pseudonim „Zastępca”, a później „Następca”. W 1968 r. w związku z chorobą Mieczysława Grydzewskiego wziął na siebie obowiązki redaktorskie, które wypełniał do swojej choroby w 1969 r. Od tego momentu publikował mniej własnych tekstów, jednak robił to do 1973 r. Ostatni tekst ukazał się pośmiertnie w 1974 r.
PUBLICYSTYKA TYMONA TERLECKIEGO I WIKTORA WEINTRAUBA NA ŁAMACH „WIADOMOŚCI” (1946–1949)
Authors: Trudzik Artur
Published: February 2024

W tekście omówiono współpracę Tymona Terleckiego i Wiktora Weintrauba z Mieczysławem Grydzewskim i redagowanymi przez niego „Wiadomościami”. Obaj zajmowali się krytyką literacką, a także teatralną (zwłaszcza Terlecki) i filmową (Weintraub). Dodatkowo w tygodniku publikowali eseje i szkice: Weintraub o Rosji, Sowietach i polityce, Terlecki o emigracji, jej zadaniach, kulturze.
IRENA HRADYSKA (CHMIELOWIEC) I „WIADOMOŚCI”
Authors: Pasterska Jolanta
Published: February 2024

Celem artykułu jest prezentacja działalności literackiej Ireny Hradyskiej (Chmielowiec) na łamach londyńskich „Wiadomości”. Omówiono tu biografię autorki Wywiezionej Rzeczypospolitej oraz wskazano główne tematy jej twórczości. Przedstawiono charakterystyczne cechy krótkich form prozy, wspomnień i felietonów.
„WIADOMOŚCI” LONDYŃSKIE O ANGIELSKICH POWIEŚCIACH JERZEGO PIETRKIEWICZA W LATACH 1953–1969
Authors: Cieplińska Katarzyna
Published: February 2024

Tematem artykułu jest prezentacja publikacji zamieszczanych na łamach „Wiadomości” londyńskich w latach 1953–1969, dotyczących angielskich powieści Jerzego Pietrkiewicza. W artykule omówiono recenzje i opinie cytowane przez „Wiadomości”, ilustrujące recepcję powieści Pietrkiewicza zarówno wśród krytyków brytyjskich, jak i w kręgach polskiej emigracji w Wielkiej Brytanii.
Encapsular la filosofía en la academia: relato de un ascenso social y una caída epistémica
Authors: García Rodríguez Marta
Published: February 2024

En las últimas décadas, la filosofía se ha entregado a la metafilosofía. Independientemente de la relevancia teórica que tiene el hecho de que la filosofía se convierta sí misma en su principal objeto de estudio, resulta de gran interés rastrear el contexto social en el que emerge esta tendencia: la academia. Con el objetivo de arrojar luz sobre las razones y las motivaciones de esta desviación, el presente artículo analiza los orígenes de la Filosofía como Facultad Mayor a través de la reforma de la universidad alemana llevada a cabo por Wilhelm von Humboldt. Atendiendo al análisis socio-histórico, se defiende que el cuestionamiento metafilosófico contemporáneo puede entenderse como una consecuencia endógena de la especialización del conocimiento y del desarrollo de la filosofía profesional.
Dignidad, desarrollo y capacidades: desafíos del cosmopolitismo de ayer y de hoy en la filosofía política de Martha C. Nussbaum
Authors: Panea Márquez José Manuel
Published: February 2024

El cosmopolitismo es uno de los elementos fundamentales de la concepción de la justicia defendida por M.C. Nussbaum. Esta sería una de las tesis esenciales del presente ensayo. El enfoque de las capacidades (EC) defendido por ella pretende ser una alternativa a las modernas teorías del contrato. Para Nussbaum, dignidad, capacidades humanas y recursos materiales son indesligables. Del mismo modo, la perspectiva cosmopolita es una exigencia inexcusable en su teoría de la justicia. En este artículo tratamos de rastrear los distintos ingredientes de esta, sus raíces en el cosmopolitismo estoico, y también su discusión con él para afrontar los desafíos que plantea la justicia global en el presente, con una perspectiva de futuro.
Aspectos de marketing que influyen en la motivación intrínseca y extrínseca para hacer apuestas online
Authors: Cristancho Triana Gerson Jaquin , Barón Barón Laura Valentina , Castro Daza, María Fernanda , Franco Parada Angie Valentina
Published: February 2024

Las plataformas de apuestas deportivas en línea incursionaron en el mercado colombiano a partir del año 2017, obteniendo una alta aceptación por quienes son seguidores de algún deporte en específico. Su introducción estuvo acompañada de una estrategia de comunicación amplia en diferentes medios de comunicación. Esta investigación busca determinar los aspectos que influyen en la motivación intrínseca y extrínseca para hacer apuestas en línea. Para esto, se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo y se aplicó un cuestionario a 419 hombres entre los 18 y 40 años que realizan de forma periódica apuestas deportivas online. A partir de un análisis por medio de ecuaciones estructurales, los resultados sugieren que las estrategias publicitarias, las acciones de la marca en la página web o app y los aspectos para tener en cuenta al apostar influyen en la motivación intrínseca; mientras que las estrategias publicitarias, las acciones de la marca en la página web o app influyen en la motivación extrínseca. Esta investigación contribuye al mayor conocimiento de este fenómeno en el contexto latinoamericano y promueve el desarrollo de investigaciones futuras.
You, me and us
Authors: Ellwood BEM Fiona
Published: February 2024

Fiona Ellwood discusses the current state of mental health and wellness in dentistry.
A sensitive subject
Authors: Alcraft Tom
Published: February 2024

Tom Alcraft discusses the relationship between toothbrushing and sensitivity.
Prioritizing Actions for Improving the Social Economic Wellbeing in Malaysia Based on Quality Function Deployment Methods
Authors:   Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia, Wong Pit Yin , Tan Owee Kowang ,   Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia, Goh Chin Fei ,   Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia, Ong Choon Hee ,   Azman International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia, Lim Kim Yew ,   Faculty of Business & Communications, Inti International University, Malaysia
Published: February 2024

The Malaysia economic had significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the poorest 40% of the population (B40). Numbers of improvement programs had been outlined by the Malaysia government to improve B40’s social economic wellbeing (SEW). The success of the SEW improvement program is rest on how the programs are prioritized based on SEW needs. Empirical review found that the concept of prioritization for SEW improvement remains ambiguous. There is lack of research on structured approach for the identification and prioritization of SEW improvement actions. Hence, based on the concept of Quality Function Deployment (QFD), this research explores how SEW improvements could be identified and prioritized via a new Social-economic wellbeing Actions Deployment (SEAD) framework. Based on SEAD framework, qualitative data was collected through Expert Opinion Assessment (EOA) and Focus Group discussion among 10 social economic experts. Feedback from the experts was analyzed by Kendall Rank analysis and Grounded Theory approach. Finding from this research reveals that besides government factors (i.e. Government policy and strategy for B40), the roles played by B40 individual (i.e. B40 individual adaptive, absorptive and transformation capability) and industry (i.e. Industry Policy and Program for B40) are also crucial for the improvement of SEW. This research delivers an important message for policy makers to place SEW improvement focus across all stakeholders within the SEW ecosystem, including B40 individual and industry. The research also extends the knowledge of SEW improvement framework by the introduction of SEAD framework as the structured approach for SEW identification and prioritization. Keywords: Social economic, Wellbeing, Prioritization, Quality function deployment.
Higher complication rates following primary total shoulder arthroplasty in patients presenting from areas of higher social deprivation
Authors: Mandalia Krishna P. , Brodeur Peter G. , Li Lambert T. , Ives Katharine , Cruz Jr. Aristides I. , Shah Sarav S.
Published: February 2024

Aims

The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of social deprivation on the rate of complications, readmissions, and revisions following primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), using the Social Deprivation Index (SDI). The SDI is a composite measurement, in percentages, of seven demographic characteristics: living in poverty, with < 12 years of education, single-parent households, living in rented or overcrowded housing, households without a car, and unemployed adults aged < 65 years.

Methods

Patients aged ≥ 40 years, who underwent primary TSA between 2011 and 2017, were identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 Clinical Modification and ICD-10 procedure codes for TSA in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Readmission, reoperation, and other complications were analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression controlling for SDI, age, ethnicity, insurance status, and Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Results

A total of 17,698 patients with a mean age of 69 years (SD 9.6), of whom 57.7% were female, underwent TSA during this time and 4,020 (22.7%) had at least one complication. A total of 8,113 patients (45.8%) had at least one comorbidity, and the median SDI in those who developed complications 12 months postoperatively was significantly greater than in those without a complication (33 vs 38; p < 0.001). Patients from areas with higher deprivation had increased one-, three-, and 12-month rates of readmission, dislocation, humeral fracture, urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, and wound complications, as well as a higher three-month rate of pulmonary embolism (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Beyond medical complications, we found that patients with increased social deprivation had higher rates of humeral fracture and dislocation following primary TSA. The large sample size of this study, and the outcomes that were measured, add to the literature greatly in comparison with other large database studies involving TSA. These findings allow orthopaedic surgeons practising in under-served or low-volume areas to identify patients who may be at greater risk of developing complications.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(2):174–181.
Prevalence of e.coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium Among Arizona Dairy Workers Using Post-Work Swabbing
Authors: Wagoner Rietta , Wagoner Rietta , Benally Kaitlyn A. , Cabrera Daniela , Lopez Gerardo , Lopez-Galvez Nicolas I. , Diaz Duarte , Benally Kaitlyn A. , Cabrera Daniela , Lopez Gerardo , Lopez-Galvez Nicolas I. , Diaz Duarte
Published: February 2024

Highlights

Microbial assessment of dairy workers in Arizona, U.S.

Provides demographic and working information of an underserved group.

Highlights the need for health and safety assessments and solutions in the dairy industry.

Abstract. The dairy industry in Arizona, like many other agricultural industries in the United States, is dependent on the labor that migrant farm workers provide. Infections caused by zoonotic pathogens are commonly underreported or misdiagnosed, and possibly more so in migratory workers that face cultural, structural, legal, financial, and geographic barriers to health services. The objectives of this project were to: assess the demographics of Arizona dairy workers, determine the exposure potential of Arizona dairy workers to zoonotic organisms, and inform best management practices. A questionnaire including demographics, work tasks, and household characteristics was administered. Swab samples were collected from the shoulders, knees, and foreheads of employees at two dairy operations at the end of the work shift. The swabs were cultured for E.coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Molecular DNA isolated from Salmonella and Cryptosporidium was quantified using droplet-digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR). Twenty dairy workers were recruited, and 60 samples were collected. The majority of workers were male, preferred to speak Spanish, and identified as Latino/Hispanic (68.8%, 93.8%, and 93.8%, respectively). E. coli O157:H7 was detected in 13% of cultured knee and forehead samples. Salmonella spp. gene copies were detected on 60.0% of samples collected from forehead skin samples; 40.0% of shoulder clothing samples; and 15% of knee clothing samples, as measured via ddPCR. The positive cultural and molecular samples indicate the need for improved post-workday sanitation practices at farms. This study provides surveillance of a largely invisible population, including insights that can be used to create site-specific health and safety protocols for the dairy industry, inform risk assessment models, and foster preventive practices in the dairy industry. Keywords: Agricultural workers, Dairy workers, ddPCR, Exposure, Microbial, Zoonotic
Safety Risk Assessment of an Autonomous Agricultural Machine
Authors: Aby Guy R. , Aby Guy R. , Issa Salah F. , Chowdhary Girish , Issa Salah F. , Chowdhary Girish
Published: February 2024

Highlights

The safety guidelines outlined in ISO 18497 are not sufficient to guarantee the safe operation of autonomous agricultural machines.

Since the risk assessment techniques specified in ISO 12100:2012 require historical failure data of the machine at hand, they cannot be used to effectively mitigate the risk associated with autonomous agricultural machines where such data are not readily available.

Analysis from the perspective of ergonomics can potentially increase the safety of autonomous agricultural machines.

Abstract. The goal of this study was to analyze the safety implications of an autonomous agricultural machine (TerraPreta) using the standards ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018) and ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012), as well as to investigate the ergonomics associated with the use of the autonomous agricultural machine. First, three engineers involved in the robot's manufacturing process were asked to evaluate the robot's functionalities compliance with the applicable safety standards and protective measures outlined in standard ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018). Second, while the robot was planting cover crop seeds, an attempt was made to identify and evaluate every risk connected to the robot using the risk assessment techniques outlined in ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012). (1) Half (50%) of the functionalities of the autonomous agricultural machine complied with the safety requirements and protective measures described within the standard ISO 18497 (ISO, 2018). (2) The heavy reliance on past incident data of the risk assessment procedure described within the standard ISO 12100:2012 (ISO, 2012) makes it ineffective for new and revolutionary technologies such as autonomous agricultural machines where such data are not available. (3) Lifting a bag to fill the robot hopper with seeds was found to be a moderately hazardous activity associated with human-robot interaction. Multiple tentative solutions were provided to avoid this moderately hazardous activity. Keywords: Autonomous agricultural machine, Ergonomics, Machine safety, NIOSH lifting equation, Risk assessment, Standards.
The Task of Envisioning Security for the Anthropocene
Authors: Morrissey John
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: Our Anthropocene age is defined by a wide array of anthropogenic pressures on planet Earth, which have produced multiple human and environmental insecurities. From climate change to population displacements, from ecosystem degradation to global pandemics, we are faced with unprecedented human and environmental emergencies. Safeguarding the future hinges on generating a wider understanding of 'security' that sees the need for holistic strategy, global solidarity and multilateral cooperation. We need a security imaginary transformed by critical and responsible thinking on economic production and planetary precarity, and we require such a vision to manifest in new governmentalities that set us on the right path towards a shared future. This paper reflects on the challenge of establishing holistic understandings of security which can be drawn upon more effectively to respond to the intersecting crises unfolding on the planet. In seeking to reframe global security strategy, the paper underscores an interlinked sense of human-environmental security which extends the UN's human security concept to address the overlapping precarities of our human and non-human worlds. It considers in particular the role of legal and regulatory mechanisms in curbing the ecological excesses of late modern capitalism; and in seeking to transcend narrow statist formulations of security, the paper illuminates our global interconnections, which require us to renew and support networks of international solidarity and multilateral cooperation.
Unsettling Human (In)Security: Challenging Neglect and Making the Unapparent Appear
Authors: Elliott Lorraine
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: The concept of human security, introduced to the global public policy lexicon in 1994, did two things. First, it challenged conventional and dominant state-centric approaches to security to rethink security in universal people-centred terms. Second, in its focus on human life and dignity, it called for a profound transition in security thinking to make all people everywhere matter. This article argues that the development of human security within the UN system has not sufficiently met these objectives. Through an analysis of three key human security sectors—food security, health security and disaster events—it reveals how conventional approaches to human security can be implicated in neglect, invisibility and marginalisation such that those already facing insecurity are made worse off still. A critical human security lens demonstrates that foregrounding recognition, solidarity and agency can help to expose invisibilities and encourage strategies to make people count.
The Climate Crisis, Climate Anxiety and Children's Rights: A Psychological Perspective on Human Health and Security
Authors: Cowley-Cunningham Michelle , Carey Alexis , Rogers Elaine
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: The climate crisis affects children's well-being and threatens future generations' enjoyment of the right to the highest standard of health and security. This paper discusses a submission by the PSI Special Interest Group in Human Rights and Psychology to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. As health profession stakeholders we highlight how environmental degradation and children's awareness of climate change present an important linkage to children's mental health. We provide a psychological health account of climate anxiety and its effects on children, and a psychological perspective on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding health and participation. We detail how interventions mindful of children's educational and participatory capacity offer the potential to moderate effects of climate anxiety. We discuss limitations of the term 'climate anxiety' for describing the experience of children from the Global South, preferring a narrative of physical and mental health parity.
The Missing Recognition: How Ireland and Switzerland Established Diplomatic Relations
Authors: Hirschi Jonas
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: Ireland carried out a clandestine diplomacy from 1917 onwards, pursuing international recognition, which made Switzerland, with its central location in Europe and later as the seat of the League of Nations, one of the main targets. But it was not until the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 that a de facto recognition by Switzerland followed, although the Swiss government never officially recognised Ireland. Until the establishment of diplomatic missions in 1939/40, diplomatic relations were handled by the Irish representation to the League of Nations and the Swiss consulate general in Dublin as quasi-diplomatic missions.