bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The morphosyntax of imperative agreement in Amharic
Authors: Kramer Ruth
Published: May 2023

Discontinuous agreement has been the focus of considerable research, especially within the Afroasiatic language family. However, most previous work has focused on how discontinuous agreement is generated and has relied on data from verbs with relatively basic tense, aspect and mood. In this paper, I investigate a different kind of discontinuous agreement puzzle in an atypical kind of verb, namely, why and how the agreement prefix (but not the agreement suffix) is lacking from imperative verbs in Amharic. I argue that the agreement prefix undergoes morphological haplology because it repeats the second person features found in the imperative head. I then demonstrate how a haplology approach decides between two different analyses of discontinuous agreement: it furnishes evidence against a Linearization analysis (Harbour 2008a, 2016, this issue) and in favor of a Metathesis analysis (Hewett 2022, this issue). Overall, this paper develops a novel approach to imperative inflection, supports a Metathesis approach to discontinuous agreement, and advances our understanding of morphological haplology.
Discontinuous agreement
Authors: Harbour Daniel
Published: May 2023

Nine characteristics of discontinuous agreement are shown to flow from a syntax that deals in whole phi structures and a linearisation algorithm that renders these discontinuous when conditions converge. This approach is demonstrably superior to reliance solely on syntax, morphology, or the lexicon, outperforming these across a range morphological and syntactic data from Afroasiatic languages and those of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Critique and Catharsis: Jain-Vaiṣṇava Polemics in Early Modern Karnataka
Authors: Peterson Jonathan
Published: May 2023

The popularization of Madhva’s realist Vedānta was accompanied by forceful critiques of its alleged enemies. Although the movement’s challenges to other Vedāntas has been well studied, its sustained engagement with Jainism has not. The anti-Jain writings of Madhva’s followers offer an important but neglected perspective on the early history of Mādhva Vedānta and its rise to power. This article examines the anti-Jain polemics of an influential intellectual named Vādirāja Tīrtha (c. 1520–1600). By situating Vādirāja and his writings in the vibrant and volatile world of post-Vijayanagara coastal Karnataka, this paper treats the archive of anti-Jain polemics not as a record of timeless doctrinal disagreement, but as a repository of local struggles over patronage, livelihood, and influence. Reading interreligious disputes with an eye to local context allows me to make a larger point about polemics and community formation. Work on polemics has tended to focus on ideas of verbal warfare and destructive debate; this paper suggests, however, that acts of polemical othering in early modern South Asia were productive forms of boundary keeping and community formation. This paper argues that Vādirāja constructed and ridiculed the Jain other as a way to galvanize a coterie of beleaguered Brahmans in a moment of duress. Vādirāja’s anti-Jain writings, in other words, were condemnation as catharsis and community-building.
The European Court of Human Rights and its Search for Common Values
Authors: Lewis Carl Emilio
Published: May 2023

Values play a significant role in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (Court), and carry the potential to influence the Court’s interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention). This is particularly evident when the Court refers to common values whilst engaging in European consensus analysis. By exploring sociological approaches to the concept of values and Gilbert’s summative and plural subject accounts of shared values, this article argues that it is reasonable for the Court to search for common values amongst the member states of the Convention, in an effort to align its interpretation of Convention rights with such values. However, the article contends that when the Court ascribes normative authority to shared values identified purely through a comparative analysis of state practice, it is confounding the summative and plural subject accounts of common values in its reasoning, thus raising legitimacy concerns.
Analyzing How the Philippine Government Shapes Gender Norms through Migration: The Case of an Institutionalized Award System
Authors: Llige Aurora S.
Published: May 2023

This study analyzes how the Philippine government shapes gender norms through the awardees of an institutionalized award system called the “Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas” (PAFIOO). Publicly available biennial books of awardees that span 30 years (1991–2021) were obtained from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas archives, and the narrative data of the 342 awardees were thematically analyzed. This study argues that the state reinforces gender norms within migration and development through two identity frames bestowed on the winners of PAFIOO. First, the hero/heroine identity emphasizes the traditional views of gender roles, where women awardees, regardless of their civil status, are framed as sacrificing mother figures. Second, the commodity identity highlights men awardees and their masculine-related fields. Consequently, their contribution to development reflected this. Further, the PAFIOO selection is imbalanced, consistently awarding more men than women in the past three decades.
Understanding the Micro-Urban Commons as a Shared Public Interior Framework
Authors: Abudayyeh Rana
Published: May 2023

The micro-urban commons are understood as liminal spaces within the urban fabric. They are nominal yet integral to the city’s function and identity. Across their shared platforms, the micro-urban commons fundamentally possess the potential for hosting communal interactions and transactions within the built environment that seed nonconfrontational approaches to stereotypes and prejudices. Activated by employing urban interior approaches, this essay highlights the role such spaces play in nurturing empathetic exchanges, increasing an understanding of our differences and inherent similarities. Moreover, it calls for rethinking urban design legacies that have often neglected interstitial entities that interlace the social fabric and enable everyday encounters.
A study on the performance of distributed training of data-driven CFD simulations
Authors: Iserte Sergio , González-Barberá Alejandro , Barreda Paloma , Rojek Krzysztof
Published: May 2023

Data-driven methods for computer simulations are blooming in many scientific areas. The traditional approach to simulating physical behaviors relies on solving partial differential equations (PDEs). Since calculating these iterative equations is highly both computationally demanding and time-consuming, data-driven methods leverage artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to alleviate that workload. Data-driven methods have to be trained in advance to provide their subsequent fast predictions; however, the cost of the training stage is non-negligible. This article presents a predictive model for inferencing future states of a specific fluid simulation that serves as a use case for evaluating different training alternatives. Particularly, this study compares the performance of only CPU, multi-GPU, and distributed approaches for training a time series forecasting deep learning model. With some slight code adaptations, results show and compare, in different implementations, the benefits of distributed GPU-enabled training for predicting high-accuracy states in a fraction of the time needed by the computational fluid dynamics solver.
Anatomically Integrated In-Place Visualization of Patient Data for Cooperative Tasks with a Case Study on a Neurosurgical Ward
Authors: Presnov Dmitri , Kurz Julia , Willkomm Judith , Dillmann Johannes , Alt Daniel , Zilke Robert , Braun Veit , Schubert Cornelius , Kolb Andreas
Published: May 2023

The workflow in modern hospitals entails that the medical treatment of a patient is distributed between several physicians and nurses. This leads to intensive cooperation, which takes place under particular time pressure and requires efficient conveyance of relevant patient-related medical data to colleagues. This requirement is difficult to achieve with traditional data representation approaches. In this paper, we introduce a novel concept of anatomically integrated in-place visualization designed to engage with cooperative tasks on a neurosurgical ward by using a virtual patient’s body as spatial representation of visually encoded abstract medical data. Based on the findings of our field studies, we provide a set of formal requirements and procedures for this kind of visual encoding. Moreover, we implemented a prototype on a mobile device that supports the diagnosis of spinal disc herniation and has been evaluated by 10 neurosurgeons. The physicians have assessed the proposed concept as beneficial, especially emphasizing the advantages of the anatomical integration such as intuitiveness and a better data availability due to providing all information at a glance. Particularly, four of nine respondents have stressed solely benefits of the concept, other four have mentioned benefits with some limitations and only one person has seen no benefits.
The impacts of total body irradiation on umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Wang Hao , Berger Kristin N. , Miller Elizabeth L. , Fu Wei , Broglie Larisa , Goldman Frederick D. , Konig Heiko , Lim Su Jin , Berg Arthur S. , Talano Julie-An , Comito Melanie A. , Farag Sherif S. , Pu Jeffrey J.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells are commonly used for hematopoietic system reconstitution in recipients after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). However, the optimal conditioning regimen for UCBT remains a topic of debate. The exact impact of total body irradiation (TBI) as a part of conditioning regimens remains unknown.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of TBI on UCBT outcomes.

Design:

This was a multi-institution retrospective study.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the outcomes of 136 patients receiving UCBT. Sixty-nine patients received myeloablative conditioning (MAC), in which 33 underwent TBI and 36 did not, and 67 patients received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC), in which 43 underwent TBI and 24 did not. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare the outcomes and the post-transplant complications between patients who did and did not undergo TBI in the MAC subgroup and RIC subgroup, respectively.

Results:

In the RIC subgroup, patients who underwent TBI had superior overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09–0.66, p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (aHR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.10–0.66, p = 0.005). However, in the MAC subgroup, there were no statistically significant differences between those receiving and not receiving TBI.

Conclusion:

In the setting of RIC in UCBT, TBI utilization can improve overall survival and progression-free survival. However, TBI does not show superiority in the MAC setting.
Estimating the Cost of 3 Risk Prediction Strategies for Potential Use in the United Kingdom National Breast Screening Program
Authors: Wright Stuart J. , Eden Martin , Ruane Helen , Byers Helen , Evans D. Gareth , Harvie Michelle , Howell Sacha J. , Howell Anthony , French David , Payne Katherine
Published: May 2023

Background

Economic evaluations have suggested that risk-stratified breast cancer screening may be cost-effective but have used assumptions to estimate the cost of risk prediction. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the resource use and associated costs required to introduce a breast cancer risk-stratification approach into the English national breast screening program.

Methods

A micro-costing study, conducted alongside a cohort-based prospective trial (BC-PREDICT), identified the resource use and cost per individual (£; 2021 price year) of providing a risk-stratification strategy at a woman’s first mammography. Costs were calculated for 3 risk-stratification approaches: Tyrer-Cuzick survey, Tyrer-Cuzick with Volpara breast-density measurement, and Tyrer-Cuzick with Volpara breast-density measurement and testing for 142 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Costs were determined for the intervention as implemented in the trial and in the health service.

Results

The cost of providing the risk-stratification strategy was calculated to be £16.45 for the Tyrer-Cuzick survey approach, £21.82 for the Tyrer-Cuzick with Volpara breast-density measurement, and £102.22 for the Tyrer-Cuzick with Volpara breast-density measurement and SNP testing.

Limitations

This study did not use formal expert elicitation methods to synthesize estimates.

Conclusion

The costs of risk prediction using a survey and breast density measurement were low, but adding SNP testing substantially increases costs. Implementation issues present in the trial may also significantly increase the cost of risk prediction.

Implications

This is the first study to robustly estimate the cost of risk-stratification for breast cancer screening. The cost of risk prediction using questionnaires and automated breast density measurement was low, but full economic evaluations including accurate costs are required to provide evidence of the cost-effectiveness of risk-stratified breast cancer screening.

Highlights

Economic evaluations have suggested that risk-stratified breast cancer screening may be a cost-effective use of resources in the United Kingdom. Current estimates of the cost of risk stratification are based on pragmatic assumptions. This study provides estimates of the cost of risk stratification using 3 strategies and when these strategies are implemented perfectly and imperfectly in the health system. The cost of risk stratification is relatively low unless single nucleotide polymorphisms are included in the strategy.
Spatial justice as a prerequisite for a just transition in rural areas? The case study from the Irish peatlands
Authors: Banerjee Aparajita , Schuitema Geertje
Published: May 2023

Energy production from fossil fuels is gradually phased out as many countries aim to transition to a low-carbon society. As society and technology are intertwined, phasing out fossil fuels impacts people and communities. Especially those who heavily rely on the fossil fuel industry will be worse off. Therefore, calls are being made for ajust transitionthat ensures the rehabilitation of workers, regions, and communities negatively affected by fossil fuel industry closures. We argue that spatial justice can help inform just transition’s theoretical and practical aspects. Therefore, a spatial justice approach should be a prerequisite for a just transition. The concept of spatial justice is intertwined with the social justice principles of procedural, distributive, and restorative justice, which are central to the current conceptual understanding of just transition. We use the case of the closure of peat-based electricity production in rural Ireland to demonstrate how a spatial justice approach can underpin a just transition and how it can help with practicalities like identifying and addressing the issues and concerns in local communities. To ensure a just transition, a spatial justice approach is needed to identify and address the deeper problems affecting the resiliency of rural and mono-industrial regions dependent on fossil fuels.
AttSec: protein secondary structure prediction by capturing local patterns from attention map
Authors: Kim Youjin , Kwon Junseok
Published: May 2023

Background

Protein secondary structures that link simple 1D sequences to complex 3D structures can be used as good features for describing the local properties of protein, but also can serve as key features for predicting the complex 3D structures of protein. Thus, it is very important to accurately predict the secondary structure of the protein, which contains a local structural property assigned by the pattern of hydrogen bonds formed between amino acids. In this study, we accurately predict protein secondary structure by capturing the local patterns of protein. For this objective, we present a novel prediction model, AttSec, based on transformer architecture. In particular, AttSec extracts self-attention maps corresponding to pairwise features between amino acid embeddings and passes them through 2D convolution blocks to capture local patterns. In addition, instead of using additional evolutionary information, it uses protein embedding as an input, which is generated by a language model.

Results

For the ProteinNet DSSP8 dataset, our model showed 11.8% better performance on the entire evaluation datasets compared with other no-evolutionary-information-based models. For the NetSurfP-2.0 DSSP8 dataset, it showed 1.2% better performance on average. There was an average performance improvement of 9.0% for the ProteinNet DSSP3 dataset and an average of 0.7% for the NetSurfP-2.0 DSSP3 dataset.

Conclusion

We accurately predict protein secondary structure by capturing the local patterns of protein. For this objective, we present a novel prediction model, AttSec, based on transformer architecture. Although there was no dramatic accuracy improvement compared with other models, the improvement on DSSP8 was greater than that on DSSP3. This result implies that using our proposed pairwise feature could have a remarkable effect for several challenging tasks that require finely subdivided classification. Github package URL is https://github.com/youjin-DDAI/AttSec.
The prognostic study of mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia in coronary revascularization patients with depression/anxiety: rationale and design
Authors: Nan Nan , Feng Lei , Dong Wei , Gao Bingyu , Zuo Huijuan , Mi Hongzhi , Wang Gang , Song Xiantao , Zhang Hongjia
Published: May 2023

Background

Mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI) frequently occurs in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and is even more common in patients with co-occurring CAD and depression/anxiety. MSIMI appears to be a poor prognostic factor for CAD, but existing data on depression/anxiety patients are limited.

Methods

This cohort study will consecutively screen 2,647 CAD patients between 2023 and 2025. Included subjects will need to have received coronary revascularization and also have depression and/or anxiety at baseline. This study will enroll 360 subjects who meet the criteria. Two mental stress tests will be carried out in each patient at 1 month and 1 year timelines after coronary revascularization, using Stroop color word tests. MSIMI will be assessed by 99 m−Tc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging. The endothelial function will be assessed by EndoPAT. Furthermore, we will dynamically monitor patients’ health and mental conditions every 3 months. The mean follow-up time will be 1 year. The primary endpoint is the major adverse cardiac events, a composite of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned revascularization. Secondary endpoints will include overall health and mental conditions. The reproducibility of mental stress combined with myocardial perfusion for detecting MSIMI and comparisons between coronary stenosis and ischemic segments will also be included.

Conclusions

This cohort study will provide information on MSIMI outcomes in CAD patients who also have comorbid depression/anxiety after revascularization. In addition, understanding the long-term dynamics of MSIMI and the match between coronary stenosis and ischemia will provide insight into MSIMI mechanisms.

Trail Registration

ChiCTR2200055792, 2022.1.20, www.medresman.org.cn;
Handgrip strength is associated with risks of new-onset stroke and heart disease: results from 3 prospective cohorts
Authors: Li Guochen , Lu Yanqiang , Shao Liping , Wu Luying , Qiao Yanan , Ding Yi , Ke Chaofu
Published: May 2023

Background

Stroke and heart disease are two major contributors to the global disease burden. We aimed to evaluate and compare the roles of different handgrip strength (HGS) expressions in predicting stroke and heart disease in three nationally representative cohorts.

Methods

This longitudinal study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The Cox proportional hazard model was applied to analyze the relationship between HGS and stroke and heart disease, and Harrell’s C index was used to assess the predictive abilities of different HGS expressions.

Results

A total of 4,407 participants suffered from stroke and 9,509 from heart disease during follow-up. Compared with the highest quartile, participants in the lowest quartile of dominant HGS, absolute HGS and relative HGS possessed a significantly higher risk of new-onset stroke in Europe, America, and China (all P < 0.05). After adding HGS to office-based risk factors, there were minimal or no differences in the increases of Harrell’s C indexes among three HGS expressions. In contrast, the modest association between HGS and heart disease was only seen in SHARE and HRS, but not in CHARLS.

Conclusion

Our findings support that HGS can be used as an independent predictor of stroke in middle-aged and older European, American and Chinese populations, and the predictive ability of HGS may not depend on how it is expressed. The relationship between HGS and heart disease calls for further validation.
A case report of unilateral cerebral vasculitis in adults: keep in mind Lyme neuroborreliosis
Authors: Riescher Stanislas , Dos Santos Amélie , Lecomte Raphaël , Lenoble Cédric , Guillon Benoit
Published: May 2023

Background

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), due to infection of the nervous system by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, occurs in 15% of Lyme disease cases. However, neurovascular involvement is uncommon, especially recurrent stroke related to cerebral vasculitis in the absence of CSF pleocytosis.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 58-year-old man without any medical history who exhibited recurrent strokes in the same vascular territory (left internal carotid). Multiple biological screening, neuroimaging methods, and cardiovascular examinations failed to provide a diagnosis and treatment that could have prevented recurrences. Finally, B. burgdorferi sensu lato serology testing in blood and cerebrospinal fluid enabled diagnosis of LNB, in relation to a cerebral vasculitis. The patient experienced no further stroke after four weeks of doxycycline treatment.

Conclusion

B. burgdorferi central nervous system infection must be considered in case of unexplained recurrent and/or multiple strokes, especially if cerebral vasculitis is suspected or demonstrated on neuroimaging.
Incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injuries following breech compared to cephalic vaginal births
Authors: Leborne Perrine , de Tayrac Renaud , Zemmache Zakarya , Serrand Chris , Fabbro-Peray Pascale , Allegre Lucie , Vintejoux Emmanuelle
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIs) at the time of childbirth can lead to serious consequences including anal incontinence, dyspareunia, pain and rectovaginal fistula. These types of lesions and their incidence have been well studied after cephalic presentation deliveries, but no publications have specifically addressed this issue in the context of vaginal breech delivery. The goal of our study was to evaluate the incidence of OASIs following breech deliveries and compare it with cephalic presentation births.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study involving 670 women. Of these, 224 and 446 had a vaginal birth of a fetus in the breech (breech group) and cephalic (cephalic group) presentations respectively. Both groups were matched for birthweight (± 200 g), date of delivery (± 2 years) and vaginal parity. Main outcome of interest was to evaluate the incidence of OASIs following breech vaginal birth compared to cephalic vaginal births. Secondary endpoints were the incidence of intact perineum or first-degree tear, second-degree perineal tear and rates of episiotomies in each group.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in OASIs incidence between the breech and cephalic groups (0.9% vs. 1.1%; RR 0.802 (0.157; 4.101); p = 0.31). There were more episiotomies in the breech group (12.5% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.0012) and the rate of intact or first-degree perineum was similar in both groups (74.1% vs. 75.3%, p = 0.7291). A sub-analysis excluding patients with episiotomy and history of OASIs did not show any statistically significant difference either.

Conclusion

We did not demonstrate a significant difference in the incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injuries between women who had a breech vaginal birth compared to cephalic.
Functional role and epithelial to mesenchymal transition of the miR-590-3p/MDM2 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Youssef Alaa Ibrahem , Khaled Gehad Mahmoud , Amleh Asma
Published: May 2023

Background

There is considerable evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several key tumor-associated genes/pathways and may themselves have a dual regulatory function either as tumor suppressors or oncogenic miRNA, depending on the tumor type. MicroRNA-590-3p (miR-590-3p) is a small non-coding RNA involved in the initiation and progression of numerous tumors. However, its expression pattern and biological role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are controversial.

Results

In the current work, computational and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that HCC tissues and cell lines exhibited miR-590-3p downregulation. Forced expression of miR-590-3p attenuated HepG2 cells proliferation, migration, and repressed EMT-related gene expression. Bioinformatic, RT-qPCR, and luciferase assays revealed that MDM2 is a direct functional target of miR-590-3p. Moreover, the knockdown of MDM2 mimicked the inhibitory effect of miR-590-3p in HepG2 cells.

Conclusion

We have identified not only novel targets for miR-590-3p in HCC, but also novel target genes for miR590-3p/MDM2 pathway in HCC like SNAIL, SLUG, ZEB1, ZEB2, and N-cadherin. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate a crucial role for MDM2 in the regulatory mechanism of EMT in HCC.
Efficacy of aluminum chloride in severe regorafenib-associated hand-foot skin reactions: a single-arm trial
Authors: Nishizawa Aya , Shinozaki Eiji , Wakatsuki Takeru , Satoh Takahiro , Yamazaki Naoya , Oyamada Shunsuke , Ariyoshi Keisuke , Kihara Kota , Tsuboi Masahiro , Yamaguchi Kensei
Published: May 2023

Background

Regorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, causes a high frequency of hand-foot skin reactions (HFSRs). The present study evaluated the efficacy of topical aluminum chloride, a perspiration suppressant, in reducing the severity of hand-foot skin reactions (HFSRs) caused by regorafenib.

Methods

The present single-arm study included patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving regorafenib. Aluminum chloride ointment was applied topically one week prior to the start of regorafenib treatment, and the observation period was 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the incidence of regorafenib-related grade 3 HFSR. Secondary endpoints were the incidence of all grades of HFSR, time to any grade of HFSR, time to improvement from grade 2 or higher to grade 1 or lower, treatment discontinuation rate, treatment interruption rate or dosage reduction due to HFSR, and incidence of adverse effects of aluminum chloride.

Results

In total 28 patients were enrolled, and 27 patients were analyzed. The incidence of grade 3 HFSR was 7.4%, meeting the primary endpoint. The incidence of all grades of HFSR was 66.7%, and the median time to the occurrence of any grade of HFSR was 15 days. No patients discontinued or reduced the regorafenib dosage because of HFSR. The most common reason for the interruption of regorafenib therapy was liver dysfunction in nine patients (33%) and HFSR in three patients (11%). No serious adverse events related to aluminum chloride were observed.

Conclusions

Aluminum chloride ointment, a drug commonly used in routine practice to treat hyperhidrosis, is safe to use, has no serious side effects, and may be effective in reducing the occurrence of severe, regorafenib-related HFSR.

Trail registration

ClinicalTrials.gov. identifier: jRCTs031180096, Registered on 25/01/2019.
PTEN-negative endometrial cancer cells protect their genome through enhanced DDB2 expression associated with augmented nucleotide excision repair
Authors: Hameed J S Fathima , Devarajan Anjali , M S Devu Priya , Bhattacharyya Ahel , Shirude Mayur Balkrishna , Dutta Debasree , Karmakar Parimal , Mukherjee Ananda
Published: May 2023

Background

Endometrial cancer (EC) arises from uterine endometrium tissue and is the most prevalent cancer of the female reproductive tract in developed countries. It has been predicted that the global prevalence of EC will increase in part because of its positive association with economic growth and lifestyle. The majority of EC presented with endometrioid histology and mutations in the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, resulting in its loss of function. PTEN negatively regulates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis of cell proliferation and thus serves as a tumorigenesis gatekeeper. Through its chromatin functions, PTEN is also implicated in genome maintenance procedures. However, our comprehension of how DNA repair occurs in the absence of PTEN function in EC is inadequate.

Methods

We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis to establish a correlation between PTEN and DNA damage response genes in EC, followed by a series of cellular and biochemical assays to elucidate a molecular mechanism utilizing the AN3CA cell line model for EC.

Results

The TCGA analyses demonstrated an inverse correlation between the expression of the damage sensor protein of nucleotide excision repair (NER), DDB2, and PTEN in EC. The transcriptional activation of DDB2 is mediated by the recruitment of active RNA polymerase II to the DDB2 promoter in the PTEN-null EC cells, revealing a correlation between increased DDB2 expression and augmented NER activity in the absence of PTEN.

Conclusion

Our study indicated a causal relationship between NER and EC that may be exploited in disease management.
The sustained psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on hospital workers 2 years after the outbreak: a repeated cross-sectional study in Kobe
Authors: Fukushima Haruko , Imai Hissei , Miyakoshi Chisato , Naito Atsumi , Otani Kyohei , Matsuishi Kunitaka
Published: May 2023

Background

Healthcare workers who are exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 are psychologically distressed. This study aimed to evaluate the mental health outcomes of hospital workers 2 years after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 and to identify changes in the stress of hospital workers and predicted risk factors.

Methods

This survey was conducted 2 years after the initial evaluation performed under the first emergency declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic among hospital workers at the same hospital in an ordinance-designated city in Japan from June to July 2022. Sociodemographic data, 19 stress-related question responses, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Maslach burnout inventory-general survey were collected. Multiple regression models were used to identify factors associated with each of the mental health outcomes 2 years after the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.

Results

We received 719 valid responses. Between 2020 and 2022, hospital workers’ anxiety about infection decreased, whereas their exhaustion and workload increased. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 2 years after the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, nurses and young people were at a higher risk of experiencing stress and burnout due to emotional exhaustion, respectively.

Conclusions

This is the first study to examine the long-term stress of hospital workers measured in Japan. Exhaustion and workload were worsened 2 years into the pandemic. Therefore, health and medical institutions should continuously monitor the physical and psychological health of staff members.
To what extent is antenatal care in public health facilities associated with delivery in public health facilities? Findings from a cross-section of women who had facility deliveries in Nigeria
Authors: Ilesanmi Benjamin Bukky , Solanke Bola Lukman , Oni Tosin Olajide , Yinusa Rasheed Adebayo , Oluwatope Omolayo Bukola , Oyeleye Olaoye James
Published: May 2023

Background

Facility delivery remains an important public health issue in Nigeria. Studies have confirmed that antenatal care may improve the uptake of facility delivery. However, information is rarely available in Nigeria on the extent to which antenatal care in public health facilities is associated with delivery in public health facilities. The objective of the study was thus to examine the extent of the association between antenatal care in public health facilities and delivery in public health facilities in Nigeria. The study was guided by the Andersen behavioral model of health services use.

Methods

The cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were extracted from the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A sample of 9,015 women was analyzed. The outcome variable was the facility for delivery. The main explanatory variable was the antenatal care facility. The predisposing factors were maternal age, age at first birth, parity, exposure to mass media, and, religion. The enabling factors were household wealth, work status, partners’ education, women’s autonomy, health insurance, and, perception of distance to the health facility. The need factors were pregnancy wantedness, the number of antenatal care visits, and the timing of the first antenatal care. Statistical analyses were performed with the aid of Stata version 14. Two binary logistic regression models were fitted.

Results

Findings showed that 69.6% of the women received antenatal care in public health facilities, while 91.6% of them subsequently utilized public health facilities for deliveries. The significant predisposing factors were age at first birth, parity, maternal education, and religion, while household wealth, work status, women’s autonomy, and partners’ education were the significant enabling factors. The timing of the first antenatal contact, pregnancy wantedness, and the number of antenatal care visits were the important need factors.

Conclusion

To a significant extent, antenatal care in public health facilities is associated with deliveries in public health facilities in Nigeria. It is imperative for governments in the country to take more steps to ensure the expanded availability of public health facilities in all parts of the country since their use for antenatal care is well-associated with their use for delivery care.
Third-child fertility intention and its socioeconomic factors among women aged 20–34 years in China
Authors: Yang Hanmo , Han Runlin , Wang Zhenjie
Published: May 2023

Background

The low birth rates and rapid population aging has drawn considerable attention from scholars and policymakers in China and around the world. In 2021, China launched the policy and supportive measures that allow up to 3 children per couple. This study aims to explore the influencing factors of the third-child fertility intention among women aged 20–34 years in China.

Methods

We draw data from the National Fertility Survey conducted in 2017. The nationally representative survey adopts a stratified, 3-stage, and probabilities proportional to size sampling method. A total of 61,588 valid samples aged 20–34 years old were obtained. Fertility desire and behavior, childbearing and service use, and potential influencing factors of fertility intention such as the history of pregnancy were assessed.

Results

In general, 5.01% of Chinese women of prime childbearing age had fertility intention for a third child, and the proportion varies by region across mainland China. Individual characteristics such as being ethnic minorities, being rural residents, and having more siblings are significantly positively correlated with the third-child fertility intention, while the intention was significantly lower among women with a higher income or education level, migrant women, and those engaged in the non-agricultural labor force. Women who already had a son had lower fertility intention for a third child. Moreover, it was the perceived acceptable costs of childcare services rather than the actual costs that mattered more for the fertility intention.

Conclusions

Our study concludes a series of socioeconomic factors, and previous childbearing and childrearing experiences are crucial for women’s fertility intention for a third child. These findings highlight the importance of launching supportive measures in addition to the introduction of the 3-child policy in promoting a fertility-friendly society.
Sex-based differences and relationship with the restricted knee flexion angle due to aging: a comparative study
Authors: Ohko Hiroshi , Ota Susumu
Published: May 2023

Background

The relationship between inferior patellar mobility (IPM) and knee flexion angle has yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to develop quantitative IPM measurement methods and clarify the relationship between IPM and knee flexion angle in community-dwelling older females.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. Overall, 128 healthy older women (age 65–79 years) were recruited from the community to evaluate the relationship between IPM and knee flexion angle. This study was performed between May 2015 and December 2017. The reference value of and sex differences in IPM were evaluated in 205 healthy young adults aged between 19 and 21 years. IPM was compared between healthy older and young women and was objectively measured using our specially designed patellofemoral arthrometer (PFA). Patellar mobility was calculated by normalization to body height. IPM reliability was assessed before all measurements.

Results

Intraclass correlation coefficients for intratester and intertester reliabilities varied from 0.87 to 0.99. The normal range based on two standard deviations of inferior patellar displacement/body height was 5.9–13.5% (young men), 5.1–14.3% (young women), and 1.2–8.8% (older women). IPM was significantly lower in older than young women (P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.72 andP < 0.01) between IPM and knee flexion angle in healthy older women unable to flex the knee joint fully.

Conclusions

Our PFA has good intratester and intertester reliability. The results suggest that IPM decreases with aging in women. IPM and knee flexion angle are correlated among older women unable to flex the knee joint fully.

Clinical trial registration

Not applicable.
SIAP: an intelligent algorithm for multiple prescription pattern recognition based on weighted similarity distances
Authors: Wang Yifei , Xu Julia , Zhang Jie , Xu Hong , Sun Yuzhong , Miao Yuan , Wen Tiancai
Published: May 2023

Background

Clinical practices have demonstrated that disease treatment can be very complex. Patients with chronic diseases often suffer from more than one disease. Complex diseases are often treated with a variety of drugs, including both primary and auxiliary treatments. This complexity and multidimensionality increase the difficulty of extracting knowledge from clinical data.

Methods

In this study, we proposed a subgroup identification algorithm for complex prescriptions (SIAP). We applied the SIAP algorithm to identify the importance level of each drug in complex prescriptions. The algorithm quickly classified and determined valid prescription combinations for patients. The algorithm was validated through classification matching of classical prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine. We collected 376 formulas and their compositions from a formulary to construct a database of standard prescriptions. We also collected 1438 herbal prescriptions from clinical data for automated prescription identification. The prescriptions were divided into training and test sets. Finally, the parameters of the two sub-algorithms of SIAP and SIAP-All, as well as those of the combination algorithm SIAP + All, were optimized on the training set. A comparison analysis was performed against the baseline intersection set rate (ISR) algorithm. The algorithm for this study was implemented with Python 3.6.

Results

The SIAP-All and SIAP + All algorithms outperformed the benchmark ISR algorithm in terms of accuracy, recall, and F1 value. The F1 values were 0.7568 for SIAP-All and 0.7799 for SIAP + All, showing improvements of 8.73% and 11.04% over the existing ISR algorithm, respectively.

Conclusion

We developed an algorithm, SIAP, to automatically match sub-prescriptions of complex drugs with corresponding standard or classic prescriptions. The matching algorithm weights the drugs in the prescription according to their importance level. The results of this study can help to classify and analyse the drug compositions of complex prescriptions.
Launching continuous kangaroo mother care through participatory action research in Iran
Authors: Mohammadi Marzieh , Bergh Anne-Marie , Jahdi Niloufar Sattarzadeh , Valizadeh Leila , Hosseini Mohammadbagher , Hakimi Sevil
Published: May 2023

Background

This study describes the launching of a unit for continuous kangaroo mother care (KMC) in a teaching hospital (Taleghani) in Iran.

Methods

We used a participatory three-stage action research approach to establish a unit for continuous KMC: design (needs identification and planning for change); implementation (and reflection); and evaluation (and institutionalization). As part of the design and implementation stages, individual and focus group interviews were conducted with mothers, physicians, nurses, other healthcare personnel and policy makers. The evaluation was done by means of a standardized tool specifically developed for monitoring progress with the implementation of KMC.

Results

Four themes relating to potential barriers to implementation emerged from the analysis of the staff interviews, namely barriers associated with the mother, the father, the physician and the health system. Mothers’ experiences of barriers were grouped into five themes: personal discomfort, fear, healthcare provider attitudes and actions, infrastructure constraints and family matters. An implementation progress score of 27.05 out of 30 was achieved, indicating that the continuous KMC unit was on the path to institutionalization. Some of the gaps identified related to policies on resource allocation, the discharge and follow-up system, and the transportation of infants in the KMC position.

Conclusion

The study findings indicated that participatory action research is a suitable method for studying the establishment of a continuous KMC unit. When action research is practiced, there is a prospect of turning knowledge into action in the real world.
Microbial dysbiosis and the host airway epithelial response: insights into HIV-associated COPD using multi’omics profiling
Authors: Jude Marcia Smiti , Yang Chen Xi , Filho Fernando Studart Leitao , Hernandez Cordero Ana I. , Yang Julia , Shaipanich Tawimas , Li Xuan , Lin David , MacIsaac Julie , Kobor Michael S. , Sinha Sunita , Nislow Corey , Singh Amrit , Lam Wan , Lam Stephen , Guillemi Silvia , Harris Marianne , Montaner Julio , Ng Raymond T. , Carlsten Christopher , Paul Man S. F. , Sin Don D. , Leung Janice M.
Published: May 2023

Background

People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) independent of cigarette smoking. We hypothesized that dysbiosis in PLWH is associated with epigenetic and transcriptomic disruptions in the airway epithelium.

Methods

Airway epithelial brushings were collected from 18 COPD + HIV + , 16 COPD − HIV + , 22 COPD + HIV − and 20 COPD – HIV − subjects. The microbiome, methylome, and transcriptome were profiled using 16S sequencing, Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC chip, and RNA sequencing, respectively. Multi ‘omic integration was performed using Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker discovery using Latent cOmponents. A correlation > 0.7 was used to identify key interactions between the ’omes.

Results

The COPD + HIV −, COPD −HIV + , and COPD + HIV + groups had reduced Shannon Diversity (p = 0.004, p = 0.023, and p = 5.5e−06, respectively) compared to individuals with neither COPD nor HIV, with the COPD + HIV + group demonstrating the most reduced diversity. Microbial communities were significantly different between the four groups (p = 0.001). Multi ‘omic integration identified correlations between Bacteroidetes Prevotella, genes FUZ, FASTKD3, and ACVR1B, and epigenetic features CpG-FUZ and CpG-PHLDB3.

Conclusion

PLWH with COPD manifest decreased diversity and altered microbial communities in their airway epithelial microbiome. The reduction in Prevotella in this group was linked with epigenetic and transcriptomic disruptions in host genes including FUZ, FASTKD3, and ACVR1B.
Cooperative phototherapy based on bimodal imaging guidance for the treatment of uveal melanoma
Authors: Huang Tong , Xu Xinzhi , Cheng Chen , Wang Jianxin , Yang Liping
Published: May 2023

Background

Uveal melanoma (UM) is adults’ most common primary intraocular malignant tumor, prone to metastasis and high mortality. Eyeball enucleation commonly used in the clinic will lead to permanent blindness and mental disorders. Thus, new methods are urgently needed to diagnose and treat UM early to preserve patients’ vision.

Methods and results

Herein, multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by loading chlorin e6 (Ce6) in poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) NPs and wrapping FeIII-tannic acid (FeIII-TA) on the outside (FeIII-TA/PLGA/Ce6, designated as FTCPNPs). Then, the synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) antitumor effects of FTCPNPs excited by near-infrared (NIR) laser were evaluated. Moreover, we verified the mechanism of synergistic PTT/PDT leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and inducing tumor cell apoptosis. Additionally, FTCPNPs can be used as excellent magnetic resonance (MR)/photoacoustic (PA) imaging contrast agents, enabling imaging-guided cancer treatment. Finally, The NPs have good biological safety.

Conclusion

This noninvasive NIR light-triggered cooperative phototherapy can easily penetrate eye tissue and overcome the disadvantage of limited penetration of phototherapy. Therefore, cooperative phototherapy is expected to be used in fundus tumors. This treatment model is applied to UM for the first time, providing a promising strategy and new idea for integrating the diagnosis and treatment of UM.