bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CAR-T cell-derived exosomes: a new perspective for cancer therapy
Authors: Sani Farnaz , Shojaei Shabnam , Tabatabaei Seyed Amirhossein , Khorraminejad-Shirazi Mohammadhossein , Latifi Mona , Sani Mahsa , Azarpira Negar
Published: June 2024

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell adoptive immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment that uses genetically engineered T cells to attack tumors. However, this therapy can have some adverse effects. CAR-T cell-derived exosomes are a potential alternative to CAR-T cells that may overcome some limitations. Exosomes are small vesicles released by cells and can carry a variety of molecules, including proteins, RNA, and DNA. They play an important role in intercellular communication and can be used to deliver therapeutic agents to cancer cells. The application of CAR-T cell-derived exosomes could make CAR-T cell therapy more clinically controllable and effective. Exosomes are cell-free, which means that they are less likely to cause adverse reactions than CAR-T cells. The combination of CAR-T cells and exosomes may be a more effective way to treat cancer than either therapy alone. Exosomes can deliver therapeutic agents to cancer cells where CAR-T cells cannot reach. The appropriate application of both cellular and exosomal platforms could make CAR-T cell therapy a more practicable treatment for cancer. This combination therapy could offer a safe and effective way to treat a variety of cancers.
Sex and gender differences in adverse events following influenza and COVID-19 vaccination
Authors: Yin Anna , Wang Nadia , Shea Patrick J. , Rosser Erica N. , Kuo Helen , Shapiro Janna R. , Fenstermacher Katherine Z.J. , Pekosz Andrew , Rothman Richard E. , Klein Sabra L. , Morgan Rosemary
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Active and passive surveillance studies have found that a greater proportion of females report adverse events (AE) following receipt of either the COVID-19 or seasonal influenza vaccine compared to males. In a predominately young adult female population of healthcare workers, we sought to determine the intersection of biological sex and sociocultural gender differences in prospective active reporting of vaccine outcomes, which remains poorly characterized.

Methods

This cohort study enrolled Johns Hopkins Health System healthcare workers (HCWs) who were recruited from the mandatory annual fall 2019–2022 influenza vaccine and the fall 2022 COVID-19 bivalent vaccine campaigns. Vaccine recipients were enrolled the day of vaccination and AE surveys were administered two days post-vaccination for bivalent COVID-19 and influenza vaccine recipients. Data were collected regarding the presence of a series of solicited local and systemic AEs. Open-ended answers about participants’ experiences with AEs also were collected for the COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

Results

Females were more likely to report local AEs after either influenza (OR = 2.28, p = 0.001) or COVID-19 (OR = 2.57, p = 0.008) vaccination compared to males, regardless of age or race. Males and females had comparable probabilities of reporting systemic AEs after either influenza (OR = 1.18, p = 0.552) or COVID-19 (OR = 0.96, p = 0.907) vaccination. Hormonal birth control use did not impact the rates of reported AEs following influenza vaccination among reproductive-aged female HCWs. Women reported more interruptions in their daily routine following COVID-19 vaccination than men and were more likely to seek out self-treatment. More women than men scheduled their COVID-19 vaccination before their days off in anticipation of AEs.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the need for sex- and gender-inclusive policies to inform more effective mandatory occupational health vaccination strategies. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential disruption of AEs on occupational responsibilities following mandated vaccination for healthcare workers, a predominately female population, and to more fully characterize the post-vaccination behavioral differences between men and women.
Estimating the first and second derivatives of discrete audio data
Authors: Lewandowski Marcin
Published: June 2024

A new method for estimating the first and second derivatives of discrete audio signals intended to achieve higher computational precision in analyzing the performance and characteristics of digital audio systems is presented. The method could find numerous applications in modeling nonlinear audio circuit systems, e.g., for audio synthesis and creating audio effects, music recognition and classification, time-frequency analysis based on nonstationary audio signal decomposition, audio steganalysis and digital audio authentication or audio feature extraction methods. The proposed algorithm employs the ordinary 7 point-stencil central-difference formulas with improvements that minimize the round-off and truncation errors. This is achieved by treating the step size of numerical differentiation as a regularization parameter, which acts as a decision threshold in all calculations. This approach requires shifting discrete audio data by fractions of the initial sample rate, which was obtained by fractional delay FIR filters designed with modified 11-term cosine-sum windows for interpolation and shifting of audio signals. The maximum relative error in estimating first and second derivatives of discrete audio signals are respectively in order of$$10^{-13}$$10-13and$$10^{-10}$$10-10over the entire audio band, which is close to double-precision floating-point accuracy for the first and better than single-precision floating-point accuracy for the second derivative estimation. Numerical testing showed that this performance of the proposed method is not influenced by the type of signal being differentiated (either stationary or nonstationary), and provides better results than other known differentiation methods, in the audio band up to 21 kHz.
Changes in nail position and antirotation blade angles on the risk of femoral head varus in PFNA fixed patients: a clinical review and comprehensive biomechanical research
Authors: Huang Chenyi , Xu Wenqiang , Ye Xiong , Hong Wanying , Xu Yue , Liu Zongchao , Li Jingchi
Published: June 2024

Background

Femoral head varus triggers poor clinical prognosis in intertrochanteric fracture patients with proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) fixation. Studies present that changes in nail position and screw insertion angles will affect fixation stability, but the biomechanical significance of these factors on the risk of femoral head varus has yet to be identified in PFNA fixed patients.

Methods

Clinical data in PFNA fixed intertrochanteric fracture patients have been reviewed, the relative position of intermedullary nail has been judged in the instant postoperative lateral radiography. Regression analyses have been performed to identify the effect of this factor on femoral head varus. Corresponding biomechanical mechanism has been identified by numerical mechanical simulations.

Results

A clinical review revealed that ventral side nail insertion can trigger higher risk of femoral head varus, corresponding numerical mechanical simulations also recorded poor fixation stability in models with ventral side nail insertion, and changes in the trajectory of anti-rotation blade will not obviously affect this tendency.

Conclusions

Ventral side insertion of intramedullary nail can trigger higher risk of femoral head varus in PFNA fixed patients by deteriorating the instant postoperative biomechanical environment, and changes in blade trajectory cannot change this tendency biomechanically. Therefore, this nail position should be adjusted to optimize patients’ prognosis.
Strong evidence supports the use of estradiol therapy for the treatment of vaginal inflammation: a two-way Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Xu Xiaosheng , Liu Yan , Feng Weiwei , Shen Jian
Published: June 2024

Objective

Nowadays, there has been limited Mendelian randomization (MR) research focusing on the causal relationship between estradiol and vaginitis. Therefore, this study conducted a two-way MR study to clarify the causal effect and related influencing factors between them.

Methods

All genetic datasets were obtained using publicly available summary statistics based on individuals of European ancestry from the IEU GWAS database. MR analysis was performed using MR-Egger, weighted median (WM) and inverse variance weighted (IVW) methods to assess the causal relationship between exposure and outcome and to validate the findings by comprehensively evaluating the effects of pleiotropic effects and outliers.

Results

MR analysis revealed no significant causal relationship between estradiol and vaginitis risk. There was a negative correlation between estradiol and age at menarche (IVW, OR: 0.9996, 95% CI: 0.9992–1.0000,P = 0.0295; WM, OR: 0.9995, 95% CI: 0.9993–0.9998,P = 0.0003), and there was a positive correlation between age at menarche and vaginitis (IVW, OR: 1.5108, 95% CI: 1.1474–2.0930,P = 0.0043; MR-Egger, OR: 2.5575, 95% CI: 1.7664–9.6580,P = 0.0013). Estradiol was negatively correlated with age at menopause (IVW, OR: 0.9872, 95% CI: 0.9786–0.9959,P = 0.0041). However, there was no causal relationship between age at menopause and vaginitis (P > 0.05). In addition, HPV E7 Type 16, HPV E7 Type 18, andLactobacillushad no direct causal effects on estradiol and vaginitis (P > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses revealed no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy.

Conclusion

When estrogen levels drop, it will lead to a later age of menarche, and a later age of menarche may increase the risk of vaginitis, highlighting that the longer the female reproductive tract receives estrogen stimulation, the stronger the defense ability is formed, and the prevalence of vaginitis is reduced. In conclusion, this study indirectly supports an association between reduced level of estrogen or short time of estrogen stimulation and increased risk of vaginitis.
Repetition suppression between monetary loss and social pain
Authors: Zhang Yue , Tan Huixin , Luo Siyang
Published: June 2024

The relationship between monetary loss and pain has been a recent research focus. Prior studies found similarities in the network representation patterns of monetary loss and pain, particularly social pain. However, the neural level evidence was lacking. To address this, we conducted an ERP experiment to investigate whether there is a repetitive suppression effect of monetary loss on the neural activity of social pain, aiming to understand if they engage overlapping neuronal populations. The results revealed that FRN amplitudes showed repetitive suppression effects of monetary loss on the neural activity of social pain. Our study suggests that monetary loss and social pain share common neural bases, indicating that they might involve shared neural modules related to cognitive conflict and affective appraisal.
The impact of virtual reality on practical skills for students in science and engineering education: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Chuanwen , Zhang Jinying , Hu Yongbin , Yang Xianmin , Chen Meitan , Shan Mengyue , Li Li
Published: June 2024

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing practical skills of students in science and engineering education. However, the effectiveness of VR in this context remains unclear due to inconsistent findings across studies. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the existing literature and investigate the overall impact of VR on practical skills among science and engineering students. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, yielding 37 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2022 that met the inclusion criteria. The analysis included 72 effect sizes, and the random-effects model was employed to account for heterogeneity among studies. The results revealed a significant moderate positive effect of VR on practical skills (g = 0.477). Moderator analyses indicated that the disciplinary category significantly influenced the effect size, with medical students demonstrating the largest improvement in practical skills. Additionally, using the practice approach combining with traditional methods yielded the highest effect size among the instructional approaches. The study also considered potential reasons behind the observed results and acknowledged certain constraints. Additionally, it proposed avenues for further inquiry to advance the understanding of the subject matter.
Loss of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor delta PTPRD increases the number of cortical neurons, impairs synaptic function and induces autistic-like behaviors in adult mice
Authors: Cortés Bastián I. , Meza Rodrigo C. , Ancatén-González Carlos , Ardiles Nicolás M. , Aránguiz María-Ignacia , Tomita Hideaki , Kaplan David R. , Cornejo Francisca , Nunez-Parra Alexia , Moya Pablo R. , Chávez Andrés E. , Cancino Gonzalo I.
Published: June 2024

Background

The brain cortex is responsible for many higher-level cognitive functions. Disruptions during cortical development have long-lasting consequences on brain function and are associated with the etiology of brain disorders. We previously found that the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor delta Ptprd, which is genetically associated with several human neurodevelopmental disorders, is essential to cortical brain development. Loss of Ptprd expression induced an aberrant increase of excitatory neurons in embryonic and neonatal mice by hyper-activating the pro-neurogenic receptors TrkB and PDGFRβ in neural precursor cells. However, whether these alterations have long-lasting consequences in adulthood remains unknown.

Results

Here, we found that in Ptprd+/- or Ptprd-/- mice, the developmental increase of excitatory neurons persists through adulthood, affecting excitatory synaptic function in the medial prefrontal cortex. Likewise, heterozygosity or homozygosity for Ptprd also induced an increase of inhibitory cortical GABAergic neurons and impaired inhibitory synaptic transmission. Lastly, Ptprd+/- or Ptprd-/- mice displayed autistic-like behaviors and no learning and memory impairments or anxiety.

Conclusions

These results indicate that loss of Ptprd has long-lasting effects on cortical neuron number and synaptic function that may aberrantly impact ASD-like behaviors.
Clinical complete response after trastuzumab deruxtecan 6th-line treatment for postoperative gastric cancer recurrence: a case report
Authors: Yamada Erika , Iwasaki Kenichi , Barroga Edward , Sakurai Toru , Enomoto Masaya , Shimoda Yota , Mazaki Junichi , Kuwabara Hiroshi , Hoshino Akihiro , Hayashi Yutaka , Ishizaki Tetsuo , Nagakawa Yuichi
Published: June 2024

Background

Despite the recent developments in the treatment of advanced or recurrent gastric cancer, the median survival time remains shorter than 15 months. Herein, we report a case of postoperative gastric cancer recurrence in which a complete clinical response was achieved with trastuzumab deruxtecan as 6th-line treatment.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old man underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) during follow-up after rectal cancer surgery. The CT revealed an enlarged perigastric lymph node. After further examination, the patient’s condition was diagnosed as gastric cancer cT2N1H0P0M0 cStage IIA. The patient underwent distal gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection. The resulting pathological diagnosis was pT1bN3aH0P0 pStageIIB, HER2 score 3+. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT 19 months postoperatively revealed para-aortic lymph node recurrence, thus systemic chemotherapy courses were planned. The primary treatment was a combination of S-1, cisplatin, and trastuzumab administered in 11 courses. However, there was an enlargement of the para-aortic lymph node which was evaluated as progressive disease. Systematic chemotherapy with various regimens was continued until the 5th-line treatment. However, therapeutic benefits were not achieved and lung metastasis was observed. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (TDXD) was initiated as 6th-line treatment. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT at 4 months after the start of treatment showed marked shrinkage of the enlarged para-aortic lymph node and disappearance of the lung metastasis in the right upper lung lobe, which was evaluated as partial response (PR). The para-aortic lymph node metastasis was evaluated as PR with only a slight accumulation of SUV-Max 2.66 with a shrinking trend by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) performed after 1 year. Tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 also improved significantly. PET-CT after 1 year and 4 months showed no lymph node enlargement or accumulation, indicating a complete response (CR). All tumor markers also normalized. The patient has maintained clinical CR without additional treatment to date.

Conclusions

We report the apparent first case of postoperative gastric cancer recurrence successfully treated with TDXD, achieving clinical CR with TDXD as a 6th-line treatment.
Nintedanib combined with immunosuppressive agents improves forced vital capacity in connective tissue disease-associated PF-ILD: a single-center study
Authors: Ushio Yusuke , Wakiya Risa , Kameda Tomohiro , Nakashima Shusaku , Shimada Hiromi , Miyagi Taichi , Sugihara Koichi , Mino Rina , Mizusaki Mao , Chujo Kanako , Kagawa Ryoko , Yamaguchi Hayamasa , Kadowaki Norimitsu , Dobashi Hiroaki
Published: June 2024

Background

In 2020, Nintedanib (NTB), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was the first drug approved worldwide for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of NTB in Japanese patients with CTD-associated PF-ILD in a real-world setting, as there are few reports on this topic. We also evaluated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with NTB and immunosuppressive agents (IS).

Methods

CTD-associated PF-ILD patients receiving NTB at our institution were included in this retrospective study. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of NTB, we investigated changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) (%), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (%), monthly change in FVC (%/month), serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels (U/mL) before and after NTB treatment, and adverse events (AEs) during NTB treatment. Moreover, to evaluate the efficacy of the NTB + IS combination therapy, we divided the patients into two groups: one received only NTB (NTB group), and the other received both NTB and IS (NTB + IS group) following the diagnosis of CTD-associated PF-ILD. We analyzed the differences in the changes of these variables between the two groups.

Results

Twenty-six patients with CTD-associated PF-ILD were included. After NTB treatment, there were no significant deteriorations in FVC (%) and DLCO (%), while the monthly change in FVC (%/month) significantly increased (p < 0.001). The changes in FVC (%) and the monthly change in FVC (%/month) were significantly greater in the NTB + IS group than in the NTB group. Following NTB treatment, the mean serum KL-6 levels significantly decreased (p < 0.001). AEs associated with NTB in this study were similar to those in previous clinical trials, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of AEs between the two groups.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that NTB is an effective medication for slowing the progression of CTD-associated PF-ILD in real-world settings. NTB + IS combination therapy for CTD-associated PF-ILD may be more effective than NTB alone in slowing the progression of CTD-associated PF-ILD.
Challenges associated with managing treatment complications in an older patient with cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: An Soo Yeon , Yang Yujin
Published: June 2024

Background

Amyloidosis, particularly wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt), is an increasingly recognized cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the aging population. The complexity of managing ATTRwt in older patients underscores the necessity for individualized treatment approaches, yet clinical guidelines are lacking. This case report contributes to the understanding of ATTRwt management in the elderly, emphasizing the intricacies of medication tolerance and therapeutic decision-making.

Case presentation

An 83-year-old Korean man with a history of hypertension presented with dyspnea and peripheral edema. Investigations including electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and Technetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy led to a diagnosis of ATTRwt cardiac amyloidosis. Initial management with heart failure medications, including an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, diuretic, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, was modified due to evolving clinical presentations, such as hypotension and onset of atrial fibrillation. Challenges included intolerance to beta-blockers and bleeding complications from direct oral anticoagulant therapy. The patient’s treatment journey highlighted the need for personalized management strategies in older ATTRwt patients.

Conclusions

This case illustrates the challenges in diagnosing and managing ATTRwt amyloidosis in the elderly, particularly the complexities in medication management due to the patient’s age, comorbid conditions, and side effects. It underscores the importance of a tailored approach in managing ATTRwt in older populations and highlights the need for ongoing research and development of treatment strategies tailored to this demographic.
Subspace projection attention network: Deep weak signal recovery from complicated downhole distributed acoustic sensing data
Authors: Li Yue , Zhang Zhiwen , Tian Yanan , Wu Ning
Published: June 2024

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new, rapidly developing acquisition technology. It has many advantages, such as full well coverage, high sampling density, and strong tolerance compared with conventional geophones in harsh environments. However, DAS data contain various new types of noise with different characteristics, which brings great difficulties to weak signal recovery. It is also not conducive to subsequent inversion, imaging, and interpretation. Several traditional methods and their developments can only remove particular types of DAS noise with serious energy loss. At the same time, the denoising performance is strongly dependent on the threshold function or manual setting parameters. In recent years, deep learning has attracted much attention in DAS data processing. However, convolutional neural networks can only capture local information. The commonly used channel attention assigns weights to each channel to reflect the importance and neglects the features within the channels. The popular self-attention mechanism (SAM) can efficiently obtain the dependencies between different locations or different patches that are a long distance from the input. Thus, a novel subspace projection attention network (SPANet) is designed from a new projection perspective. In the novel network, some feature basis vectors are generated to guide the decoupled projection of the noise components from the signal components. Low-level surface features are projected under the guidance of high-level abstract features through SAM before feature fusion. The projection operation helps to find the optimal subspace that preserves the fine structure of the input as much as possible, better capturing the potential relevance in DAS data. Finally, experimental results of synthetic and field data illustrate that SPANet recovers the effective reflection signals well, whether in a shallow layer with strong noise or a deep layer with weak energy. Its superior performance compared with some traditional and network methods is fully verified and analyzed.
Comparative Phenotyping of Mice Reveals Canonical and Noncanonical Physiological Functions of TRα and TRβ
Authors: Hönes Georg Sebastian , Geist Daniela , Wenzek Christina , Pfluger Paul Thomas , Müller Timo Dirk , Aguilar-Pimentel Juan Antonio , Amarie Oana Veronica , Becker Lore , Dragano Natalia , Garrett Lillian , Hölter Sabine Maria , Rathkolb Birgit , Rozman Jan , Spielmann Nadine , Treise Irina , Wolf Eckhard , Wurst Wolfgang , Fuchs Helmut , Gailus-Durner Valerie , Hrabe de Angelis Martin , Führer Dagmar , Moeller Lars Christian
Published: June 2024

Thyroid hormone (TH) effects are mediated through TH receptors (TRs), TRα1, TRβ1, and TRβ2. The TRs bind to the DNA and regulate expression of TH target genes (canonical signaling). In addition, they mediate activation of signaling pathways (noncanonical signaling). Whether noncanonical TR action contributes to the spectrum of TH effects is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to attribute physiological effects to the TR isoforms and their canonical and noncanonical signaling. We conducted multiparameter phenotyping in male and female TR knockout mice (TRαKO, TRβKO), mice with disrupted canonical signaling due to mutations in the TR DNA binding domain (TRαGS, TRβGS), and their wild-type littermates. Perturbations in senses, especially hearing (mainly TRβ with a lesser impact of TRα), visual acuity, retinal thickness (TRα and TRβ), and in muscle metabolism (TRα) highlighted the role of canonical TR action. Strikingly, selective abrogation of canonical TR action often had little phenotypic consequence, suggesting that noncanonical TR action sufficed to maintain the wild-type phenotype for specific effects. For instance, macrocytic anemia, reduced retinal vascularization, or increased anxiety-related behavior were only observed in TRαKO but not TRαGS mice. Noncanonical TRα action improved energy utilization and prevented hyperphagia observed in female TRαKO mice. In summary, by examining the phenotypes of TRα and TRβ knockout models alongside their DNA binding–deficient mutants and wild-type counterparts, we could establish that the noncanonical actions of TRα and TRβ play a crucial role in modulating sensory, behavioral, and metabolic functions and, thus, contribute to the spectrum of physiological TH effects.
Entering the Seemingly Unattainable Citadel of Laṅkā
Authors: Shen Hsueh-Man
Published: June 2024

Among extant sites of stone sutras in China, Mount Gang stands out because of the visuality it creates and the experience it affords. This paper explores how the carving and subsequent placement of an interpolated prologue of the Laṅkāvatāra Sutra across many rocks on the mountain conduce to a multi-sensorial, immersive experience for visitors to contemplate the sutra doctrine of Consciousness Only. It shows that tactics applied to the stone inscriptions induce an onward and upward journey over Mount Gang. Moreover, they conjure Laṅkā while simultaneously negating its existence, as the inscriptions and their environment remind visitors of Rāvaṇa's dreamlike experience of Laṅkā. This mental-physical experience afforded by the created environment makes visitors realize that all phenomena are but mental projections, which is the key doctrinal message of the sutra. Once they realize this, they hold the key to the seemingly unattainable Citadel of Laṅkā.
Optimal Timing of Cranioplasty After Decompressive Craniectomy: Timing or Collapse Ratio
Authors: Huo Hongyue , Lu Yizhou , Lu Jun , Wang Xiaolin , Wang Zheng , Jiang Jianxin , Lou Gaojie
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Although cranioplasty (CP) is a relatively straightforward surgical procedure, it is associated with a high complication rate. The optimal timing for this surgery remains undetermined. This study aimed to identify the most suitable timing for CP to minimize postoperative complications.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of all CP cases performed in our department from August 2015 to March 2022. Data were gathered through case statistics and categorized based on the occurrence of complications. The collapse ratio was determined using 3-dimensional Slicer software.

RESULTS:

In our retrospective study of 266 patients, 51 experienced postoperative complications, including hydrocephalus, epidural effusion, subdural hematoma, epilepsy, and subcutaneous infection. Logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of postcranioplasty complications, and a nomogram was developed. The predictive value of the logistic regression model, collapse ratio, and decompression craniotomy-CP operation interval for post–skull repair complications was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. No significant differences were observed in postoperative complications and decompression craniotomy-CP intervals between the groups (P = .07, P > .05). However, significant differences were noted in postoperative collapse ratios and CP complications between the groups (P = .023, P < .05). Logistic regression revealed that the collapse ratio (odds ratio = 1.486; 95% CI: 1.001-2.008; P = .01) and CP operation time (odds ratio = 1.017; 95% CI: 1.008-1.025, P < .001) were independent risk factors for postoperative complications. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the collapse ratio could predict CP postoperative complications, with a cutoff value of 0.274, an area under the curve of 0.621, a sensitivity of 62.75%, and a specificity of 63.26%.

CONCLUSION:

The post–skull repair collapse ratio is a significant predictor of postoperative complications. It is advisable to base the timing of surgery on the extent of brain tissue collapse, rather than solely on the duration between cranial decompression and CP.
Targeting Patient-Derived Orthotopic Gastric Cancers with a Fluorescent Humanized Anti-CEA Antibody
Authors: Cox Kristin E. , Turner Michael A. , Lwin Thinzar M. , Amirfakhri Siamak , Kelly Kaitlyn J. , Hosseini Mojgan , Ghosh Pradipta , Obonyo Marygorret , Hoffman Robert M. , Yazaki Paul J. , Bouvet Michael
Published: June 2024

Background

Gastric cancer poses a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge as surgical resection provides the only opportunity for a cure. Specific labeling of gastric cancer could distinguish resectable and nonresectable disease and facilitate an R0 resection, which could improve survival.

Methods

Two patient-derived gastric cancer lines, KG8 and KG10, were established from surgical specimens of two patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. Harvested tumor fragments were implanted into the greater curvature of the stomach to establish patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models. M5A (humanized anti-CEA antibody) or IgG control antibodies were conjugated with the near-infrared dye IRDye800CW. Mice received 50 µg of M5A-IR800 or 50 µg of IgG-IR800 intravenously and were imaged after 72 hr. Fluorescence imaging was performed by using the LI-COR Pearl Imaging System. A tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) was calculated by dividing the mean fluorescence intensity of the tumor versus adjacent stomach tissue.

Results

M5A-IR800 administration resulted in bright labeling of both KG8 and K10 tumors. In the KG8 PDOX models, the TBR for M5A-IR800 was 5.85 (SE ± 1.64) compared with IgG-IR800 at 0.70 (SE ± 0.17). The K10 PDOX models had a TBR of 3.71 (SE ± 0.73) for M5A-IR800 compared with 0.66 (SE ± 0.12) for IgG-IR800.

Conclusions

Humanized anti-CEA (M5A) antibodies conjugated to fluorescent dyes provide bright and specific labeling of gastric cancer PDOX models. This tumor-specific fluorescent antibody is a promising potential clinical tool to detect the extent of disease for the determination of resectability as well as to visualize tumor margins during gastric cancer resection.
Aquatic High-Intensity Interval Deep Water Running Influence on Cardiometabolic Health and Cognitive Psychological Responses in Women
Authors: KWOK MANNY M. Y. , NG SHAMAY S. M. , MYERS JONATHAN , SO BILLY C. L.
Published: June 2024

Aquatic high-intensity interval training deep water running (AHIIT-DWR) has the potential to improve cardiometabolic health and cognitive psychological responses, offering a reduced risk of injuries and greater affordability for inactive elderly women.

Purpose

To investigate the effects of an 8-wk AHIIT-DWR intervention compared with land-based HIT training (LHIIT) on cardiometabolic health, cognitive, and psychological outcomes in inactive elderly women.

Methods

Seventy inactive elderly women aged 60 yr or above were randomly assigned into two groups: AHIIT-DWR and LHIIT. The AHIIT-DWR group engaged in DWR sessions comprising 30 min of interval training, consisting of ten 2-min exercise bouts at 80%–90% of their maximal heart rate (HRmax), with 1-min active recovery at 70% HRmax between bouts, for two sessions per week, for 8 wk. The LHIIT group performed treadmill running at the same intensity.

Results

Both groups showed similar cardiovascular fitness, maximal aerobic capacity (V̇O2max), HRmax, and RER improvement (P > 0.05), whereas AHIIT-DWR showed a significant improvement in aerobic capacity minute ventilation (V̇E), metabolic equivalents (METs), and O2 pulse (P < 0.05) over the 8-wk intervention. Both AHIIT-DWR and LHIIT significantly decreased triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL postintervention (P < 0.05). No significant group differences were observed for cognitive function assessed by MMSE and MOCA (P > 0.05). Both groups showed similar enjoyment levels, self-efficacy scores, and high adherence rates (>90%).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that AHIIT-DWR can elicit a similar improvement in cardiorespiratory health, metabolic blood markers, cognitive function assessed by MMSE and MOCA, and psychological responses as LHIIT in inactive elderly women.
Αγορά ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας και οικονομική ανάπτυξη
Authors: Ευαγγελίδης Γεώργιος
Published: June 2024

Στόχος της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής (ΔΔ) είναι η διερεύνηση της χρήσης των Ανανεώσιμων Πηγών Ενέργειας (ΑΠΕ) στην παραγωγή Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας και της αλληλεπίδρασής τους με την οικονομική πολιτική στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση (ΕΕ). Η ανάλυση εστιάζεται στον ενεργειακό τομέα. Στα πλαίσια της ΔΔ γίνεται εκτενής βιβλιογραφική ανάλυση για τη λειτουργία των αγορών Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας, και των Κανονισμών της ΕΕ που αποτελούν επίσημα κείμενα, για τη λειτουργία και εγκατάσταση ΑΠΕ. Αναλυτικότερα, αξιοποιώντας την Ανάλυση αιτιότητας Granger, διερευνάται η επίδραση της παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας από ΑΠΕ μέσω του διασυνοριακού εμπορίου στις τιμές χονδρικής της Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας. Επίσης, προτείνεται μια κατάλληλα προσαρμοσμένη μεθοδολογική προσέγγιση, για τη διερεύνηση της εγκατάστασης νέων ΑΠΕ με στόχο την οικονομική ανάπτυξη, εξετάζοντας την αιτιώδη σχέση μεταξύ τους. Ως βασικά εργαλεία χρησιμοποιούνται η αιτιότητα Granger και οι συναρτήσεις μοναδιαίας απόκρισης. Η μέθοδος αυτή εφαρμόζεται για την Ελλάδα αλλά και για μεγάλο μέρος των Ευρωπαϊκών χωρών, χρησιμοποιώντας διαστρωματικά δεδομένα.
Essays on fiscal policy
Authors: Χρυσανθακόπουλος Χρήστος
Published: June 2024

Ο τίτλος της διδακτορικής μου διατριβής είναι «Μελέτες πάνω στη Δημοσιονομική Πολιτική». Η διατριβή αποτελείται από τρία κεφάλαια που εξετάζουν τις τρέχουσες πολιτικές εξελίξεις στον τομέα της δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής. Εξετάζει τις μεσοπρόθεσμες επιπτώσεις των κανόνων δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής στα δημοσιονομικά αποτελέσματα, και τις επιπτώσεις των δημοσιονομικών θεσμών στη δημοσιονομική προσαρμογή. Επιπλέον, εξετάζει την κυκλικότητα της δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής και τον ρόλο που διαδραματίζουν διάφοροι μακροοικονομικοί, θεσμικοί και πολιτικοί καθοριστικοί παράγοντες στη συμπεριφορά της. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, το κεφάλαιο 1 (Οι μεσοπρόθεσμες επιπτώσεις των κανόνων δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής) βασίζεται στην ιδέα ότι στο παρελθόν, οι δημοσιονομικοί κανόνες απέτυχαν στον σκοπό τους. Για το σκοπό αυτό, εξετάζονται οι μεσοπρόθεσμες επιπτώσεις τους, καταλήγοντας στο συμπέρασμα ότι, αν και οι δημοσιονομικοί κανόνες οδηγούν σε δημοσιονομική χαλάρωση μεσοπρόθεσμα, οδηγούν σε μια πιο συνετή στάση δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής όταν οι χώρες αντιμετωπίζουν δημοσιονομικά προβλήματα. Το κεφάλαιο 2 (Οι επιπτώσεις των δημοσιονομικών θεσμών στη δημοσιονομική προσαρμογή) στοχεύει στην ανάλυση διαφόρων ειδικών χαρακτηριστικών των δημοσιονομικών κανόνων και των δημοσιονομικών συμβουλίων, στην αξιολόγηση της επίδρασής τους στην πιθανότητα δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής και στη συνέχεια στη μέτρηση της επιτυχίας μιας τέτοιας προσαρμογής. Το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο (Κυκλικότητα της δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής) εξετάζει το ρόλο των δημοσιονομικών κανόνων και των δημοσιονομικών συμβουλίων στην άσκηση της δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής. Επιπλέον, για πρώτη φορά, διερευνήθηκε η κυκλικότητα της φορολογικής πολιτικής και η ευαισθησία της σε διάφορους παράγοντες, όπως δημοσιονομικοί κανόνες και δημοσιονομικά συμβούλια και άλλους μακροοικονομικούς και πολιτικούς παράγοντες.
To study the utility of COX-2 as immunohistochemical prognostic marker in comparison to various histopathological parameters and TNM staging in breast carcinoma: an observational, cross-sectional study protocol
Authors: Bhawani Jayashree , Shukla Samarth , Acharya Sourya , Vagha Sunita , Jagtap Miheer
Published: June 2024

Background Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide and is a well-known cause for cancer mortality in females. COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) plays a vital role in development of some human cancers such as lung, colon and breast. It is a potent enzyme that is important for the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. These prostaglandins mediate cellular proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis which contributes to carcinogenesis. Overexpression of COX-2 has been detected in several malignancies including breast cancer. COX-2 overexpression is regarded as a poor prognostic marker of breast cancer. The present study will aim to study the immunohistochemical expression of COX-2 in breast cancer and compare it with known histopathological parameters thus assessing its prognostic value. Methods This will be an observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology, JNMC, Wardha (Sawangi). Radical mastectomy specimens will be studied for COX-2 expression by immunohistochemistry in patients diagnosed with breast carcinoma. COX-2 expression will be quantified as immunohistochemical score and results will be correlated with various histopathological parameters. Results The expected result of our study will suggest an association of COX-2 expression to the factors associated with poor prognosis in breast carcinoma. A positive correlation is expected between larger tumor size, positive lymph node status, higher T stage and N stage and lymphovascular invasion. Conclusions Conclusions will be drawn from the obtained results of the immunohistochemical study by using COX-2- for detection of overexpression of COX-2 when evaluated with TNM staging, histological grading and molecular types of breast cancer.
Epidemiological profiles and outcomes of healthcare workers hospitalized for COVID-19 in five Sub-Saharan African countries: a cohort study
Authors: Millimouno Tamba Mina , Grovogui Fassou Mathias , Kourouma Karifa , Hassan Shermarke , Kaba Ibrahima , Kamara Ibrahim Franklyn , Mbasha Jerry-Jonas , Collins Timire , Merson Laura , Delamou Alexandre
Published: June 2024

Background The COVID-19 pandemic placed immense strain on global health systems and healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological profiles and outcomes of HCWs hospitalized for COVID-19 across five sub-Saharan African countries. Methods This was a cohort study using secondary data collected between January 30, 2020, and December 31, 2022, as part of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium study. The study population consisted of HCWs who were hospitalized due to clinically suspected or laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Demographic and clinical characteristics and case management were summarized using proportions or medians and interquartile ranges. Factors associated with risk of mortality among HCWs were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for age and sex. Results Findings showed that South Africa recorded a lower percentage (2.4%) of patients who were HCWs compared to Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, and Malawi. Overall, many HCWs were aged ≥50 years and the majority were females (66.8%). In three of the five countries, however, the majority of the HCWs were <39 years old and were males. Antibiotics were the most commonly used medical treatments across three countries (Ghana, 67.8%; Guinea, 97.3%; Malawi, 80%), while antimalarials were commonly used in Guinea (87.8%) and Ghana (30.4%). Guinea and South Africa reported deaths with case-fatality rates varying from 22% in March 2020 to 1.4% in February 2022. Risk factors for mortality included age over 50 years, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. Conclusions Our study underscores the critical need for continuous protection and enhanced readiness for HCWs, particularly during epidemics and pandemics. Strengthening infection prevention and control measures and focusing on vulnerable groups such as older and female HCWs are essential for mitigating the impact of future health crises. Further research is required to fully comprehend the implications of these findings.
Factors Affecting on Environmental Strategy in SMEs manufacturing Firms of a developing country: Mediating role of Green Employee Behavior
Authors: Junejo Ikramuddin , Saraih Ummi Naiemah , Perez Jorge Alberto Esponda , Ejaz Sarmad , Ejaz Faisal , Hossain Md Billal
Published: June 2024

Background Sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which engage heavily in manufacturing provides them with an essential platform for implementing environmental strategy, which is aimed at reducing environmental damage and promoting environmental protection. This study aims to examine the impact of the reduction in resource use, the greening of processes and products on environmental strategy and the mediating role of green employee behaviour. Methods Primary data gathered with the help of questionnaires from employees of SMEs manufacturing in developing countries, Pakistan. The research gathered data from 211 participants by applying a pre-tested instrumental questionnaire and structural equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis. Results The results confirmed all direct effects, including a reduction in resource use, the greening of processes and products and green employee behaviour of environmental strategies in small and medium manufacturing firms. Also, confirmed partial mediation effect of green employee behavior between greening of processes and products and environmental strategy. Conclusion The current study clearly showed the need for programs and infrastructures that support resource reduction and greening businesses in SMEs. Companies’ implementation of green processes and technologies allows SMEs to take an environmentally responsible stand and become part of the movement toward sustainability. The research stresses the importance of green employee conduct as a mediator, the central point being the individual employee being engaged and aware of the subject and willing to participate in environmentally friendly practices. Therefore, small and medium enterprises should enlighten their staff to practice green behaviour, give them what they need and empower them to be change drivers that will trigger sustainability throughout the organisations.
Shielding factors for a fission-powered mars exploration rover
Authors: Bendoyro Alexander C. , Thomas L. Dale , Cassibry Jason , Emrich William
Published: June 2024

Background With the advances in compact fission power systems and Stirling converters, the efficiency and portability of electrical energy production systems has increased substantially thanks to NASA’s Kilopower project. These 1-10 kWe-class reactors are compact enough to be transportable by pressurized rovers, allowing an extended human reach across the surface of Mars to produce scientific data at a rate that greatly surpasses the rate of robotic rover data collection. If rovers were to harness fission power while mobile, it is possible for near-limitless range. This capability could allow one crew on Mars for under a “Conjunction” class mission as outlined in NASA’s Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 to visit many geological sites of interest instead of requiring additional landings to explore distant features of the Martian surface. This study explored the parameters that affected the mass of the shielding required to protect the crew against a fission reactor embedded in the chassis of a pressurized rover. Methods An analytical approach was devised to estimate the required mass of a hypothetical solid tungsten shield under various conditions. Results Power levels below 3.4 kWe were found to be impractical for rover applications. Between 3.4 kWe and 10 kWe would be able to recharge the rover without returning to base camp. The increase in shielding mass from a 3.4 kWe reactor and a 10 kWe reactor was 6%. The reduction between a 10 kWe reactor at 3 m and 6 m was 7%. Varying the shield thickness in accordance with astronaut activities resulted in a 19% reduction. Powering the reactor off before exiting the vehicle resulted in an additional 65% reduction. Conclusions Knowledge of the crew activities and locations had the greatest impact on the required shielding mass and the mission activities should be well-understood and taken into account for shield design.
On first and second-order perturbed differential inclusions governed by maximal monotone operators
Authors: Benguessoum Messaouda , Azzam-Laouir Dalila
Published: June 2024

In this paper we establish, in a separable Hilbert space, a result
asserting the existence of absolutely continuous solutions for a
system made up of a first-order differential inclusion governed by
time and state-dependent maximal monotone operators; and an ordinary
differential equation. From this result, we derive existence of
absolutely continuous solutions to a second-order differential
inclusion governed by time and state-dependent maximal monotone
operators.
Gromov-Hausdorff stability for semilinear systems with large diffusion
Authors: Lee Jihoon , Nguyen Ngocthach , Pires Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This paper deals with the Gromov-Hausdorff stability for systems generated
of reaction-diffusion equations whose diffusion coefficients are simultaneously large
in a bounded smooth domains. The appropriated framework is presented
to establish the conjugation between the attractors by means o
f $\varepsilon$-isometries.
El departamento del Huila y los nuevos conflictos agrarios
Authors: Ramírez Jiménez Erika Andrea , Gómez Alarcón Tania Helena
Published: June 2024

Este capítulo tiene como objetivo dar cuenta de las diversas tensiones que se han presentado en el departamento y las nuevas conflictividades agrarias que emergen en el marco de los cambios económicos y las nuevas regulaciones ambientales. En la primera parte hablaremos del marco teórico de nuestra investigación, en el que describiremos cómo entendemos el concepto de territorio. En la segunda parte daremos cuenta de los corredores del conflicto que existen en el departamento y la importancia que han tenido en el marco del conflicto armado reciente. En la tercera parte analizaremos las distintas territorialidades y conflictos sociales generados por la adjudicación de proyectos minero-energéticos y la constitución de áreas protegidas. En la cuarta parte daremos cuenta de la permanencia de la producción campesina en el departamento y la historia de la adjudicación de baldíos. Por último, presentamos unas conclusiones sobre los cambios que se han dado en la conflictividad territorial en el departamento, y el aporte de las movilizaciones sociales a la construcción de paz y la ampliación de la democracia.
Café, conflicto y posconflicto: la disputa por las retaguardias en el sur del Tolima
Authors: Uribe Sarmiento John Jairo , Barros Navarro Nohora Isabel , Salamanca Santos María del Pilar
Published: June 2024

El presente texto analizará el papel que jugó el cultivo y comercialización del café en el desarrollo del conflicto del sur del Tolima1, así como en el actual proceso de construcción de paz en dicha región.