bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract C109: Nanostring-based subtyping of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is strongly influenced by the stromal compartment
Authors: Topham James T. , Kalloger Steve E. , Karasinska Joanna M. , Chu Jenny E. , Ali Hassan , Gao Dongxia , Chow Christine , Metcalfe Andrew , Loree Jonathan M. , Schaeffer David F. , Renouf Daniel J.
Published: January 2024

The prognostic significance of basal-like and classical subtypes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is well-established, and ongoing clinical trials are poised to validate the predictive utility of such subtypes in guiding first-line treatment decision-making. While the Purity-independent (PurIST)-based subtyping strategy provides a method for PDAC subtype determination based on the Nanostring gene expression quantification platform, the utility of this platform has not been tested in a real-world patient setting. Here, we leverage a retrospective dataset of patients with resectable PDAC (n=299) that received Nanostring sequencing in combination with comprehensive clinical metadata curation and histopathological analysis. All sequencing analyses were performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor whole sections. The proportion of basal-like cases (15%) was comparable with other resectable PDAC cohorts, and patients with basal-like tumors showed reduced overall survival (p=3.9e-4). Histopathological quantification of epithelial, stromal and normal components in each sample revealed significantly (p=0.007) reduced classical gene expression in stroma-high samples. Out of 29 patients with repeat sampling from different FFPE blocks derived from the same tumor and surgery, 31% of tumors received discordant subtypes calls and increases in the amount of stroma sequenced between two samples from the same tumor was negatively correlated with expression of classical subtype genes (p=0.02). Taken together, these data demonstrate the presence of intra-tumoral subtype heterogeneity, highlight the quantity of stroma sequenced as a major contributing factor in PurIST-based subtype determination and generate insight into the reproducibility of this subtyping strategy in a real-world clinical setting.

Citation Format: James T. Topham, Steve E. Kalloger, Joanna M. Karasinska, Jenny E. Chu, Hassan Ali, Dongxia Gao, Christine Chow, Andrew Metcalfe, Jonathan M. Loree, David F. Schaeffer, Daniel J. Renouf. Nanostring-based subtyping of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is strongly influenced by the stromal compartment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C109.
Abstract C116: Oncogenic Kras signaling shapes the tumor microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Baliira Rachael , Opsahl Emily Lasse , Barravecchia Ivana , di Magliano Marina Pasca , Galban Stefanie
Published: January 2024

Despite advancements in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women worldwide, with an estimated 2.2 million deaths each year. At 85%, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is by far the most common subtype, comprising adenocarcinomas and lung squamous cell carcinoma. Mutations in Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) genes are common, with the worst overall survival in KRAS mutant adenocarcinoma patients. About 40% of lung tumors with KRAS mutations also harbor mutations in tumor protein p53 gene (TP53), a tumor suppressor gene. KrasG12C and KrasG12D are both prevalent mutations in lung cancer. Sotorasib, a KrasG12C inhibitor, was recently approved for treatment of NSCLC. However, only 37% of patients have an objective response to Sotorasib, with a median duration of just 11 months. The KrasG12D inhibitor MRTX1133 is entering clinical trials; elucidating the mechanism of action and potential resistance is imperative to design combination treatment approaches. While cell-intrinsic mechanisms of resistance in epithelial oncogenic KRASG12D (Kras*) are well studied, our group and others have shown that KRASG12D also extrinsically regulates the tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic cancer. Whether and how this oncogene regulates the TME of lung cancer is less understood. To study the crosstalk between epithelial lung cells expressing oncogenic KRAS and the surrounding TME, we have established a triple transgenic murine model of Kras*-driven NSCLC, wherein both lung epithelial-specific expression of Kras* and expression of mutant TP53R172H (Tp53*) can be controlled in an inducible and reversible manner. Our preliminary data show that expression of Kras* drives tumor growth, while Kras* depletion results in regression, even in the presence of Tp53*. Here we interrogate how Kras* modulates the TME in lung adenocarcinomas. Harnessing scRNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and multiple biochemical approaches, we will provide insight into changes in stromal and immune contexture upon Kras* depletion in mice.

Citation Format: Rachael Baliira, Emily Lasse Opsahl, Ivana Barravecchia, Marina Pasca di Magliano, Stefanie Galban. Oncogenic Kras signaling shapes the tumor microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C116.
Abstract IA16: Feeding the flames of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Muzumdar Mandar D.
Published: January 2024

Obesity is a metabolic state of energy excess and a risk factor for over a dozen cancer types, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Due to the rising worldwide prevalence of obesity, decoding the mechanisms by which obesity promotes tumor initiation and early progression is a societal imperative and could broadly impact human health. The pancreas plays a central role in response to feeding, secreting digestive enzymes (from exocrine cells) and hormones (from endocrine cells) to aid in the absorption and cellular uptake of essential nutrients and to regulate glucose homeostasis. Therefore, the pancreas is uniquely positioned to be the great integrator of how diet and obesity fuel disease, including cancer. Leveraging a combination of genetic models, diverse high fat diet panels, and timed-feeding paradigms in mice, we have demonstrated that the quantity, quality, and possibly even the kinetics of feeding prime the pancreas for cancer. We have further uncovered mechanisms by which feeding stress reprograms pancreatic endocrine-exocrine signaling and lipid metabolism to drive tumorigenesis. Targeting obesity-driven hormone dysregulation and altered cellular metabolism through precision pharmacologic or nutritional interventions may aid in extinguishing the development of pancreatic cancer and potentially other obesity-associated cancers.

Citation Format: Mandar D. Muzumdar. Feeding the flames of pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA16.
Abstract PR03: Addressing disparities in the Native American population in Oregon: The development of multi-disciplinary frameworks to study pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in Native American communities
Authors: Delaney Jared , McCarthy Grace , Shannon Jackie , Sears Rosalie , Sheppard Brett , Brody Jonathan , Kills First Claymore
Published: January 2024

In Oregon, the incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is 2-times higher among Native American (NA) communities compared to the rest of the population. At Oregon Health & Science University, we have formed a multi-disciplinary team that includes clinicians, translational scientists, and population scientists. Additionally, we have initiated a process of establishing a collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, one of Oregon’s largest Tribal community. By fostering the connections of NA healthcare providers within OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute and Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, and with the established Community Outreach, Research, and Engagement (CORE) team, we aim to build trust with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to accomplish shared goals. To date, our team has made multiple visits to foster this connection. Recently, we conducted one-on-one interviews with Warm Springs community members to better understand the communities’ barriers to health information and health care. These interviews help focus our strategies to directly address barriers community members identify as most important to them. Interviews (<30 minutes long) were conducted and recorded with CORE trained personal at the Warm Springs Health fair and are now being evaluated. As part of our protocol, community members were reimbursed for their time and information with a twenty-dollar gift card from a local coffee shop. In addition to this interview, community members identified using an easel board outside our cancer center’s health booth to provide the most effective learning styles to help shape our future efforts in education and awareness. The data that was collected is also aiding in the development of culturally appropriate approaches and programs that are guided and shaped by NA communities through co-adapting and implementing our proven, Research in Oregon Communities’ Review System (ROCRS) for Tribes to receive, review, and co-design incoming research requests. Future projects look to complement this work by bringing two research studies (e.g., a diabetes early detection program and a NA genetic registry) through a collaborative research review, to determine feasibility, acceptability, and adoption, within the Warm Springs community.

Citation Format: Jared Delaney, Grace McCarthy, Jackie Shannon, Rosalie Sears, Brett Sheppard, Jonathan Brody, Claymore Kills First. Addressing disparities in the Native American population in Oregon: The development of multi-disciplinary frameworks to study pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in Native American communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PR03.
SGLT2 inhibitors decrease overhydration and proteasuria in patients with chronic kidney disease: a longitudinal observational study
Authors: Schork Anja , Eberbach Marie-Luise , Bohnert Bernhard N. , Wörn Matthias , Heister David J. , Eisinger Felix , Vogel Elisabeth , Heyne Nils , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Artunc Ferruh
Published: January 2024

Introduction: SGLT2 inhibitors are used to reduce the risk of progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In patients with type 2 diabetes, they have been found to reduce extracellular volume. Given the high prevalence of extracellular volume expansion and overhydration in CKD, we investigated whether SGLT2 inhibitors might correct these disturbances in CKD patients.
Methods: CKD patients who started treatment with an SGLT2 inhibitor were investigated in this prospective observational study for 6 months. Body composition and fluid status were measured by bioimpedance spectroscopy. In addition, spot urine samples were analyzed for albuminuria, glucosuria and urinary aprotinin-sensitive serine protease activity.
Results: 42 patients (29 % with diabetic/hypertensive CKD, 31 % with IgA nephropathy; 88 % dapagliflozin 10 mg, 10 % dapagliflozin 5 mg, 2 % empagliflozin 20 mg; median eGFR 46 mL/min/1.73m² and albuminuria 1911 mg/g creatinine) participated in the study. Median glucosuria increased to 14 (10-19) g/g creatinine. At baseline, patients displayed overhydration (OH) with + 0.4 (-0.2 – 2.2) L/1.73m² which decreased by 0.5 (0.1 – 1.2) L/1.73m² after 6 months. Decrease of OH correlated with higher OH at BL, decrease of albuminuria, glucosuria and urinary aprotinin-sensitive protease activity. Adipose tissue mass was not significantly reduced after 6 months.
Conclusion: SGLT2 inhibitors reduce overhydration in patients with CKD, which is pronounced in the presence of high albuminuria, glucosuria and urinary aprotinin-sensitive protease activity.
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: A Study of 148 Patients
Authors: Marcoval Joaquim , Moreno-Vílchez Carlos , Torrecilla-Vall-Llosera Clara , Muntaner-Virgili Clara , Pérez Sidelnikova Diana , Sanjuán Xavier , Penín Rosa Maria
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is the most common sarcoma of the skin. Although distant metastases are infrequent, DFSP is highly aggressive locally with frequent local recurrences. It has been reported that the presence within the tumour of areas histopathologically mimicking fibrosarcoma may increase the risk of recurrence. Objective: The objective of this study was to review the clinical features of our patients with DFSP and the factors associated with recurrence of the tumour, focussing on the presence of fibrosarcomatous areas. Methods: Retrospective study of patients with DFSP diagnosed in 1990–2021 in a tertiary university hospital. The medical records were reviewed to obtain the following data: age, sex, tumour location, diameter, evolution time, presence of fibrosarcomatous areas, development of recurrence, and follow-up. Factors possibly associated with disease-free survival were analysed with Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox regression. Results: 148 patients (74 women/74 men, mean age 46.28 years, SD 14.431) were included in the study. Tumours involved the head and neck in 15 cases, thorax in 31, abdomen in 16, upper back in 43, lower back in 10, upper extremities in 10, and lower extremities in 23. Fibrosarcoma-like areas were observed in 16 tumours (10.81%). In 17 patients (11.49%), recurrences were observed (13 local recurrences, 3 lung metastasis, and 1 local recurrence with lung metastasis). Fibrosarcomatous DFSP recurred more frequently than classic DFSP (50% vs. 6.82%, respectively), and its disease-free survival was significantly lower (p < 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression, the presence of fibrosarcomatous areas was the only factor influencing disease-free survival. Conclusions: It is important to identify the fibrosarcomatous variant since it recurs more frequently and has lower recurrence-free survival. Distant metastases, mainly in the lung, are also more frequent in fibrosarcomatous DFSP.
“Retornar al origen: narrativas ancestrales sobre humanidad, tiempo y mundo”: contribuições para um ambiente científico e acadêmico pós-abissal na América do Sul
Authors: Huertas Bruna Muriel F. , Nascimento Fernando Oliveira
Published: January 2024

A obra “Retornar al Origen: Narrativas ancestrales sobre humanidade, tiempo y mundo” é fruto da parceria entre acadêmicos sul-americanos e “sábias” e “sábios” originários, como são denominadas as autoridades indígenas entrevistadas. Nela encontramos relatos sobre as origens e as trajetórias da humanidade a partir das cosmovisões de cada um dos diferentes grupos étnicos apresentados (os Kichwa, os Muina, os Aimara, os Nasa Yuwe e os Shuar) e também uma reflexão sobre o conselho de anciões do povo Mama Kogui. O livro aposta na tradição oral como fonte fidedigna de conhecimento, incorpora determinadas categorias ancestrais e revela a utilização de metodologias transgressoras. Indica, assim, que a aposta na copresença radical entre diferentes epistemologias e ontologias é um importante passo para a construção de um ambiente acadêmico intercultural e pós-abissal na América do Sul.
Yolanda Valentino: reiterating and criticizing Latina stereotypes through drag performance
Authors: Diaz Liz Veronica Vicencio
Published: January 2024

This article explores the drag performance of Yolanda Valentino, a Brazilian woman, who self-identifies herself as white before migration and as racialized post-migration. Yolanda also self-identifies as a drag queen, in Canada, and, more precisely, The Hot Room, a queer and queer-friendly bar and nightclub. I emphasize Yolanda’s drag performance as it points to the larger issues that Latinas, as women from Latin America who share racialized commonalities, may experience in the city. Moreover, my interest consists in highlighting Latina stereotypes, as they represent an element of interest for studies on Latin America. I focus on her show based on Latina stereotypes - like the idea of Latinas as women who are only good for domestic work -, to analyze how such stereotypes are taken up in the nightlife of multicultural Ottawa, even in contradictory ways. I claim that the policy of multiculturalism has helped perpetuate Latina stereotypes in Ottawa with implications for queer/non-queer Latinas. Moreover, I use Gloria Anzaldúa’s (2012) border theory to analyze Yolanda’s drag performance as a performance able to challenge specific dominant social norms related to gender, race, class, and sexuality, as well as capable of contesting specific policies like the policy of multiculturalism and Ottawa’s status quo.
Poéticas do Absurdo: características e manifestações na América Latina
Authors: Vitorino Lucas de Lima
Published: January 2024

Neste artigo, são examinadas as manifestações do Teatro do Absurdo na América Latina a partir das influências de autora/es seminais e da/os que se inspiraram pelas obras de Beckett, Ionesco e Genet para o desenvolvimento de sua própria linguagem teatral. São expostos os processos históricos que serviram como base para o surgimento dessa manifestação teatral. Exemplifica-se a reinvenção do absurdo na América Latina por meio de textos dramatúrgicos específicos, destacando a ênfase na violência como uma ferramenta crítica central. Abordam-se temas significativos para a região, como exílio, tortura e desesperança, que refletem desigualdades sociais e ações coercitivas do Estado. Além disso, explora-se a influência duradoura do Teatro do Absurdo, especialmente em dramaturgos contemporâneos no Brasil, e se analisa como essa convenção teatral pode ser adaptada e explorada em diversos contextos históricos e culturais, gerando novas estéticas e poéticas para o teatro contemporâneo.
Mujeres indígenas en México desafiando las fronteras interlegales en contextos de candados sociojurídicos
Authors: Urbieta Hernández Roque
Published: January 2024

El artículo estudia el espacio temporal que abarca los años de 1990 al 2000 sobre el silenciamiento de las mujeres indígenas durante el momento histórico de constituirse el Sistema Normativo Indígena en el Estado de Oaxaca (México). Desde una perspectiva de la historia política, se analizan entrevistas a feministas liberales y documentos jurídicos. El objetivo es explicar la aparición de fronteras interlegales en la experiencia del no reconocimiento de las mujeres indígenas como agentes de antagonismo para imaginar y construir la realidad en el momento de definir el Estado pluricultural neoliberal. A partir del enmudecimiento de las mujeres indígenas sobre el discurso de las leyes indígenas, se revela cómo se fueron construyendo autonomías condicionadas a través de candados sociojurídicos para la gestión y administración de dos regímenes de autoridad soberana. El texto concluye demostrando los desafíos de las mujeres indígenas en Oaxaca con relación a las fronteras interlegales dado el carácter tradicional de control y de condicionamiento de los nuevos paradigmas coloniales sustentados en la cultura de la autoridad del derecho sobre la autonomía del cuerpo territorial.
Aime-t-on encore les enfants ?
Authors: Sauret Marie-Jean
Published: January 2024

Le croisement du processus de subjectivation avec la logique ordonnant la forme contemporaine du lien social permet d’extraire les éléments requis par l’enfant pour se réaliser : s’émanciper de l’Autre parental pour que, comme sujet, il soit responsable de sa position et de ses actes, se dote d’une solution qui lui permette de se loger dans le lien social, mette sa vie en récit de façon congruente avec celui collectivement partagé.  D’où le repérage de ce qui y contrevient aujourd’hui : l’arasement de la singularité au profit de l’individualité formatée par les idéologies néolibérales et le discours capitaliste. L’enfant a à souffrir des caractéristiques du lien social contemporain et cette urgence anthropologique exige une réponse clinique et politique.
Considerações sobre a direção de tratamento na Clínica de Linguagem com crianças que não falam
Authors: Cerqueira Cláudia Hashimoto Figueiredo
Published: January 2024

Neste artigo, após apresentar uma reflexão crítica sobre os efeitos da terapia ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) - Análise Aplicada do Comportamento (verbal) no atendimento de uma criança com o diagnóstico de autismo, proponho indicar um outro entendimento de linguagem e, portanto, um outro modo de se posicionar diante da fala dessas crianças. Neste sentido, esse artigo tem como objetivo apresentar uma crítica, a partir da Clínica de Linguagem, solo teórico desse trabalho, a metodologia ABA, método amplamente difundido no tratamento dessas crianças.
Modelo e controle da dinâmica de um veículo e monitoramento da atitude e atuação
Authors: Dias Matheus José Oliveira dos Santos
Published: January 2024

Este trabalho inicia o texto com a apresentação do problema e o objetivo de propor um método de controle e monitoramento de veículos sobre trilhos com a finalidade de aperfeiçoar a segurança do vagão contra tombamentos. Tendo isso em mente, o veículo foi modelado usando princípios de mecânica de Newton-Euler e Lagrangeana, o modelo representa a dinâmica lateral do trem. De posse do modelo, os sistemas são estudados observando seu comportamento no domínio do tempo e da frequência, sendo possível identificar suas respectivas frequências naturais e modos de vibrar. Para resolver o problema de monitoramento, foi desenvolvido um aplicativo com o MIT App Inventor com a finalidade de usufruir do chip IMU presente em todos os smartphones modernos. O aplicativo consegue salvar a informação na memória do dispositivo e então exportar os sinais do giroscópio e do acelerômetro, com esses sinais é possível utilizar um filtro complementar para aferir o ângulo de rolagem com maior precisão. Portanto, com o modelo dinâmico e o monitoramento do veículo é proposto um sistema de controle LQR que utiliza dois atuadores eletromagnéticos agindo no vagão e no truque lateralmente com a finalidade de manter a rolagem do vagão controlada evitando tombamentos do trem. O sistema é então avaliado em situação de regime permanente durante uma curva e os resultados são discutidos.
Quantifying Induced Nystagmus Using a Smartphone Eye Tracking Application (EyePhone)
Authors: Bastani Pouya B. , Rieiro Hector , Badihian Shervin , Otero‐Millan Jorge , Farrell Nathan , Parker Max , Newman‐Toker David , Zhu Yuxin , Saber Tehrani Ali
Published: January 2024

Background

There are ≈5 million annual dizziness visits to US emergency departments, of which vestibular strokes account for over 250 000. The head impulse, nystagmus, and test of skew eye examination can accurately distinguish vestibular strokes from peripheral dizziness. However, the eye‐movement signs are subtle, and lack of familiarity and difficulty with recognition of abnormal eye movements are significant barriers to widespread emergency department use. To break this barrier, we sought to assess the accuracy of EyePhone, our smartphone eye‐tracking application, for quantifying nystagmus.

Methods and Results

We prospectively enrolled healthy volunteers and recorded the velocity of induced nystagmus using a smartphone eye‐tracking application (EyePhone) and then compared the results with video oculography (VOG). Following a calibration protocol, the participants viewed optokinetic stimuli with incremental velocities (2–12 degrees/s) in 4 directions. We extracted slow phase velocities from EyePhone data in each direction and compared them with the corresponding slow phase velocities obtained by the VOG. Furthermore, we calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for nystagmus detection by EyePhone. We enrolled 10 volunteers (90% men) with an average age of 30.2±6 years. EyePhone‐recorded slow phase velocities highly correlated with the VOG recordings (r=0.98 for horizontal and r=0.94 for vertical). The calibration significantly increased the slope of linear regression for horizontal and vertical slow phase velocities. Evaluating the EyePhone's performance using VOG data with a 2 degrees/s threshold showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 for horizontal and vertical nystagmus detection.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that EyePhone could accurately detect and quantify optokinetic nystagmus, similar to the VOG goggles.
A Physical Activity and Diet Just‐in‐Time Adaptive Intervention to Reduce Blood Pressure: The myBPmyLife Study Rationale and Design
Authors: Golbus Jessica R. , Jeganathan V. Swetha E. , Stevens Rachel , Ekechukwu Weena , Farhan Zahera , Contreras Rocio , Rao Nikhila , Trumpower Brad , Basu Tanima , Luff Evan , Skolarus Lesli E. , Newman Mark W. , Nallamothu Brahmajee K. , Dorsch Michael P.
Published: January 2024

Background

Smartphone applications and wearable devices are promising mobile health interventions for hypertension self‐management. However, most mobile health interventions fail to use contextual data, potentially diminishing their impact. The myBPmyLife Study is a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention designed to promote personalized self‐management for patients with hypertension.

Methods and Results

The study is a 6‐month prospective, randomized‐controlled, remotely administered trial. Participants were recruited from the University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan or the Hamilton Community Health Network, a federally qualified health center network in Flint, Michigan. Participants were randomized to a mobile application with a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention promoting physical activity and lower‐sodium food choices as well as weekly goal setting or usual care. The mobile study application encourages goal attainment through a central visualization displaying participants' progress toward their goals for physical activity and lower‐sodium food choices. Participants in both groups are followed for up for 6 months with a primary end point of change in systolic blood pressure. Exploratory analyses will examine the impact of notifications on step count and self‐reported lower‐sodium food choices. The study launched on December 9, 2021, with 484 participants enrolled as of March 31, 2023. Enrollment of participants was completed on July 3, 2023. After 6 months of follow‐up, it is expected that results will be available in the spring of 2024.

Conclusions

The myBPmyLife study is an innovative mobile health trial designed to evaluate the effects of a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention focused on improving physical activity and dietary sodium intake on blood pressure in diverse patients with hypertension.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT05154929.
User‐Centered Design to Develop Automated Short Message Service Messaging for Patient Support of Rheumatic Heart Disease Secondary Antibiotic Prophylaxis
Authors: Fall Ndate , Odong Francis , Thembo Jenipher , Pulle Jafesi , Hoekzema Jacob , Rwebembera Joselyn , de Loizaga Sarah , Nakagaayi Doreen , Minja Neema , Webel Allison , Watkins David , Beaton Andrea
Published: January 2024

Background

The Active Community Case Management Platform is a cloud‐based technology developed to facilitate rheumatic heart disease case management by health care providers. This study aimed to design and pilot an automated short message service (SMS) intervention to support secondary prophylaxis adherence.

Methods and Results

We developed a concise library of messages to support secondary antibiotic prophylaxis. The SMS intervention used TextIT, an interface that enables users to send out interactive SMS messages at scale. The message bank was piloted in a cohort of 50 patients with rheumatic heart disease randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received standard support (nurse‐led/Active Community Case Management Platform). Group 2 received standard support plus SMS intervention for 2 months in the Lira and Gulu districts of Northern Uganda. We collected qualitative data on participants' experiences and assessed treatment adherence. Using a sequential user‐centered process consisting of 4 phases (phases 1–4), we developed a message bank (n=43) deployed during our pilot study. There were no between‐group differences in treatment adherence or acceptance. Interviews of participants indicated that the intervention was viewed positively. A total of 75% of SMS recipients responded to the messages, and 25% called the study staff to acknowledge receipt of text messages.

Conclusions

This study has successfully developed a bank of SMS messages to support secondary antibiotic prophylaxis adherence. We have demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of SMS technology in rheumatic heart disease care management. Future work will include integrating automated SMS into the Active Community Case Management Platform and a larger study of integrated SMS to reduce health care worker burden for patient support and improve adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis.
Comparing Cognitive Tests and Smartphone‐Based Assessment in 2 US Community‐Based Cohorts
Authors: De Anda‐Duran Ileana , Sunderaraman Preeti , Searls Edward , Moukaled Shirine , Jin Xuanyi , Popp Zachary , Karjadi Cody , Hwang Phillip H. , Ding Huitong , Devine Sherral , Shih Ludy C. , Low Spencer , Lin Honghuang , Kolachalama Vijaya B. , Bazzano Lydia , Libon David J. , Au Rhoda
Published: January 2024

Background

Smartphone‐based cognitive assessments have emerged as promising tools, bridging gaps in accessibility and reducing bias in Alzheimer disease and related dementia research. However, their congruence with traditional neuropsychological tests and usefulness in diverse cohorts remain underexplored.

Methods and Results

A total of 406 FHS (Framingham Heart Study) and 59 BHS (Bogalusa Heart Study) participants with traditional neuropsychological tests and digital assessments using the Defense Automated Neurocognitive Assessment (DANA) smartphone protocol were included. Regression models investigated associations between DANA task digital measures and a neuropsychological global cognitive
Z
score (Global Cognitive Score [GCS]), and neuropsychological domain‐specific
Z
scores. FHS participants’ mean age was 57 (SD, 9.75) years, and 44% (179) were men. BHS participants' mean age was 49 (4.4) years, and 28% (16) were men. Participants in both cohorts with the lowest neuropsychological performance (lowest quartile, GCS1) demonstrated lower DANA digital scores. In the FHS, GCS1 participants had slower average response times and decreased cognitive efficiency scores in all DANA tasks (
P
<0.05). In BHS, participants in GCS1 had slower average response times and decreased cognitive efficiency scores for DANA Code Substitution and Go/No‐Go tasks, although this was not statistically significant. In both cohorts, GCS was significantly associated with DANA tasks, such that higher GCS correlated with faster average response times (
P
<0.05) and increased cognitive efficiency (all
P
<0.05) in the DANA Code Substitution task.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that smartphone‐based cognitive assessments exhibit concurrent validity with a composite measure of traditional neuropsychological tests. This supports the potential of using smartphone‐based assessments in cognitive screening across diverse populations and the scalability of digital assessments to community‐dwelling individuals.
The Party System in Ethiopia
Authors: Aytaged Nigussie Afesha
Published: January 2024

Political parties and their internal working policy and pattern of interactions have a profound impact on the operation of federations and the character of intergovernmental relations (IGR). By using the Ethiopian party system as a case study, this article aims to explore the impacts of party ideology, structure and style of functioning on the overall operation of a federation and the (de)institutionalisation of intergovernmental relations. It shows that the party structure, internal practices and ideological conviction of two parties—the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the Prosperity Party (PP)—have shaped and reshaped the functioning of the Ethiopian federation and the dynamics of vertical and horizontal relations. At the same time, constitutional and IGR principles have been sidelined. There is a need to entrench stable and formal IGR frameworks for negotiation, the exchange of information and co-operation between federal and sub-state institutions. Reducing excessive reliance on the party line is essential to optimise the regularity, continuity and effectiveness of the interactions.
Beyond the Battlefield: the Impact of United Nations and African-Led Peacekeeping on Enhancing Capabilities of African Armies
Authors: Tchie Andrew E. Yaw
Published: January 2024

The character of conflicts across Africa has evolved, necessitating the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UN pko), African-led Peace Support Operations (pso) and African states to adapt their approach to dealing with emerging insecurities. As a response, African states have deployed their armies to UN pko, African-led pso s and other peace operations to not only support these missions’ objectives and receive training for their forces but also to develop security and military capacities to deal with emerging and existing threats. Drawing on the cases of Chad and Ghana, the paper explores the formation of the respective armies, their influence on their political systems and how the respective armies have been influenced by their participation in peacekeeping operations. The analysis finds that despite being under-equipped and working in challenging environments. Both forces influence and shape the mission’s tempo and style of operations by adapting to regional challenges, which is a consequence of the historical and strategic style of the respective militaries but are also capitalised on by the UN pko and African-led pso. Finally, the paper finds that dissimilar environments where the armies are deployed contribute to shaping and supporting both armies’ evolution, increasing their overall agency and legitimacy in peacekeeping.
Special Issue on the Evolving Nature of African-Led Peace Support Operations and African Armies
Authors: Tchie Andrew E. Yaw , de Coning Cedric
Published: January 2024

This special issue delves into the evolving nature of African-led Peace Support Operations and their development over the last two decades. The authors explore how states have improved their security and military capabilities to face emerging and existing threats. The papers in this issue illustrate how African-led operations have progressed and how they have been designed to stabilise states, environments, and regions. These operations have been complemented by Regional Economic Communities/ Regional Mechanisms (recs/rms) and Ad-hoc Security Initiatives, which have all deployed intervention missions to tackle various challenges. The papers also note that the increasing presence of African troops in UN missions with stabilisation mandates has allowed the au, recs/rms, and state military to learn through training, national rules of engagement, and civil-military relations and to contribute diverse first-hand experience in African-led Peace Support Operations and UN peacekeeping efforts. Finally, the special issue explores whether some sub-Saharan African states have employed restructuring policies by deploying forces to African-led psos and UN peacekeeping operations and whether this strategy has impacted the effectiveness of their forces.
Review of the bicolora Fang and binghami Hampson species-groups of the genus Ovipennis Hampson with descriptions of five new species from Southwestern China and Indochina (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini)
Authors: HUANG SI-YAO , VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , ČERNÝ KAREL , LI ZHI-HONG , SALDAITIS AIDAS
Published: January 2024

The Ovipennis bicolora Fang, 1986 and Ovipennis binghami Hampson, 1903 species-groups are reviewed. The identities of the records of O. binghami reported outside of its type locality are clarified. Ovipennis bicolora is rediscovered with the male and female genitalia illustrated for the first time. The male and female genitalia of O. thomasi Černý, 2009 are illustrated for the first time and its specific status is confirmed. Five new species are described: O. hanae S.-Y. Huang, Volynkin & Černý, sp. n. (Southwestern China), O. regina Volynkin, Černý, S.-Y. Huang & Saldaitis, sp. n. (Northern Thailand and Southwestern China), O. takia Volynkin, S.-Y. Huang & Černý, sp. n. (Western and Central Thailand), O. kitchingi Volynkin, S.-Y. Huang & Černý, sp. n. (Northern Thailand), and O. sapa Volynkin, S.-Y. Huang, Černý & Saldaitis, sp. n. (Northern Vietnam). Adults and genitalia of the new species are illustrated and compared with its congeners.
Morphological phylogeny and revision of Sycophila and Ficomila (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) associated with Afrotropical fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus)
Authors: LOTFALIZADEH HOSSEIN , DELVARE GÉRARD , CRUAUD ASTRID , RASPLUS JEAN-YVES
Published: January 2024

Eurytomidae (Chalcidoidea) species associated with fig trees (Ficus) are still poorly documented. A phylogenetic analysis of 63 morphological characters was conducted to revise Afrotropical species of Sycophila Walker and Ficomila Bouček associated with fig trees. Based on our results, which also included Palaearctic species of Sycophila, three subgenera of Sycophila are proposed: Sycophila s. str., Tineomyza Rondani stat. rev. and a new subgenus, Ficorytoma subgen. n. Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus. Ficomila is maintained as a valid genus. Thirty-six species are also newly described by Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus, namely Ficomila artocarpoides sp. n., F. carolae sp. n., F. bouceki sp. n., F. comptoni sp. n., F. flava sp. n., F. gabonensis sp. n., F. gibba sp. n., F. guinensis sp. n., F. sinai sp. n., F. tanzanica sp. n., F. vannoorti sp. n., Sycophila (Tineomyza) beninensis sp. n., S. (T.) busseicola sp. n., S. (T.) glumosae sp. n., S. (T.) luteacola sp. n., S. (T.) maldesi sp. n., S. (T.) minuta sp. n., S. (T.) platygastra sp. n., S. (T.) risbeci sp. n., S. (T.) wiebesi sp. n., S. (T.) zebrogastra sp. n., S. (Ficorytoma) delvarei sp. n., S. (F.) persicae sp. n., S. (Sycophila) annae sp. n., S. (S.) bidentata sp. n., S. (S.) longiflagellata sp. n., S. (S.) chirindensis sp. n., S. (S.) ficophila sp. n., S. (S.) fusca sp. n., S. (S.) lasallei sp. n., S. (S.) macrospermae sp. n., S. (S.) meridionalis sp. n., S. (S.) nigra sp. n., S. (S.) nigriterga sp. n., S. (S.) suricola sp. n., S. (S.) zebra sp. n.. Seven described species of Sycophila are reclassified in the subgenus Tineomyza: Sycophila (Tineomyza) flaviclava Bouček, 1981; S. (T.) modesta Bouček, 1981; S. (T.) naso Bouček, 1981; S. (T.) punctum Bouček, 1981; S. (T.) ruandensis Risbec, 1957; S. (T.) sessilis Bouček, 1981 and S. (T.) setulosa Zerova, 2009. After this revision, Ficomila and Sycophila include 46 species associated with Afrotropical Ficus. Detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations as well as identification keys are provided for the subgenera, species-groups and species of Ficomila and Sycophila associated with Afrotropical fig trees; their host fig association and relative lack of host-specificity are also discussed.
Predictors of Length of Hospital Stay After Reduction of Internal Hernia in Patients With a History of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Authors: Sohail Amir H. , Hurwitz Joshua C. , Silverstein Jeffrey , Hakmi Hazim , Sajan Abin , Ye Ivan B. , Pacheco Tulio Brasileiro Silva , Zielinski Gregory R. , Gangwani Manesh Kumar , Petrone Patrizio , Levine Jun , Kella Venkata , Brathwaite Collin E. M. , Goparaju Anirudha
Published: January 2024

Background

Postoperative internal hernias after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) have an incidence of 2%-9% and are a surgical emergency. Evidence on factors associated with length of stay (LOS) after emergent internal hernia reduction in RYGB patients is limited.

Methods

This is a retrospective review of patients who underwent internal hernia reduction after RYGB at our tertiary care center over a 5 year period from 2015 to 2020. Demographics, comorbidities, and intra- and postoperative hospital course were collected. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were used to investigate factors associated with LOS.

Results

We identified 38 patients with internal hernia after RYGB. These patients with mean age 44.1 years were majority female (71.1%) and white race (60.5%). Of the 24 patients where the RYGB was done at our institution, the mean RYGB to IH interval was 43 months. Petersen’s defect (57.8%) followed by jejuno-jejunal mesenteric defect (31.6%) were the most common locations for IH. Both Petersen’s and jejuno-jejunal mesenteric hernias were found in 4 cases (10.5%). Revision of bypass and small bowel resection were required in 13.2% and 5.3% of cases, respectively. The median (interquartile range) length of stay (LOS) was 2 days. On the multivariate analysis, male sex ( P = .019), conversion to exploratory laparotomy ( P = .005), and resection of small bowel ( P < .001) were independent risk factors for increased LOS.

Conclusion

The most common location of IH after RYGB is Petersen’s defect, followed by jejuno-jejunal mesenteric defect. LOS was significantly associated with male sex, exploratory laparotomy, and resection of small bowel.
“Staying with the Trouble” in Ontopolitical Research on Drugs
Authors: Fraser Suzanne
Published: January 2024

Trouble seems to be characteristic of contemporary politics and life. From the environment to the pandemic, crises of political credibility around the world, conflict on social media and the drama of so-called “cancel culture”, avoiding or settling trouble seems more unimaginable than ever. Yet, as the theme of this conference makes clear, trouble is not always negative, especially when posed in verb form. To trouble preconceptions, orthodoxies or alienating norms can be productive, exciting and transformative. This is as much the case in research as in any other area of life. Troubling our founding assumptions, our research questions, our theories and methods is the way we move forward, even if it is not always easy or immediately rewarding. In this keynote presentation I will reflect on my own engagements with forms of scholarly trouble, drawing on the work of Donna Haraway in her book Staying with the trouble (2018) to identify key ways in which we as researchers may “embrace trouble” in useful and productive ways. Thinking through some central propositions articulated by Haraway in her engagement with other scholars, such as the importance of storytelling, the value of grieving, and the uses of response-ability, I will offer a range of examples drawn from my own work in critical drug studies and ontopolitical research to highlight the promises and pitfalls of trouble. In doing so, I aim to acknowledge the opportunities I have enjoyed over the years to be part of the innovative and courageous field of critical drug studies, of which the Contemporary Drug Problems conference is also an important part.
Making Single Mothers Matter: Reflections on the Vulnerability and Agency of Displaced Persons in Postwar Occupied Austria and Beyond
Authors: Lamp-Miechowiecki Franziska M.
Published: January 2024

This article explores the experiences of displaced women and their children in occupied postwar Austria by focusing both on the assistance provided to them by relief workers in displaced persons (DP) camps and on the displaced women's role as persons in charge of planning their own and their children's futures. In doing so, it sheds light on the care infrastructure for a particularly vulnerable group inside Austria's postwar refugee camps — single mothers and those children within their households — while also highlighting the agency of these women in navigating the migration process. The author of this paper argues that studying the situation of displaced single mothers enables us to understand displacement as a process that both fostered a dependence on institutional structures and at the same time created the imperative to develop specific strategies to negotiate one's chances of emigration, such as the use of social networks or the negotiation of citizenship. The main arguments of this paper are embedded in a close analysis of two DP camps in postwar Austria — Kapfenberg in Styria and Feffernitz in Carinthia. A combined examination of reports written by relief workers employed in these camps and two case studies of families that tried to emigrate and leave their camp lives behind allows the author to reflect on dimensions of vulnerability and agency — both of which were characteristic of the postwar experience of so many displaced people in Europe, especially those cast in maternal roles.
Power spectral density analysis to investigate morphology of Ni films
Authors: Bhatt Harsh , Negi Lavanya
Published: January 2024

Ni thin films grown by thermal evaporation and sputtering under different deposition conditions are characterised by structural and morphological properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. XRD results suggested the growth of polycrystalline face-centred cubic Ni phase for all the samples. Morphological characteristics of the films were compared by analysing AFM data for root mean square roughness, height–height correlation function and power spectral density (PSD) measurements. Applying fractal and k-correlation fitting models to the PSD data, different morphological parameters are quantified. The study suggested that Ni films grown at higher substrate temperature (∼150 °C) by thermal evaporation and at low Ar pressure (∼0.2 Pa) by sputtering techniques yielded films of small surface roughness with a Brownian fractal self-affine surface.
Microstructure and high-temperature oxidation behaviour of anti-oxidation coating on zirconium alloys: An overview
Authors: Chen Luyu , Fu Tao , Zhang Yingyi , Wang Hong , Li Shinan
Published: January 2024

Due to the rapid development of the nuclear industry, zirconium alloys have received more and more attention as accident-tolerant fuel for nuclear reactors. However, the oxidation rate of zirconium alloy fuel coating will increase rapidly in the high-temperature environment above 1000 °C, which leads to a catastrophic nuclear leakage event. The corrosion resistance of zirconium alloy can be significantly improved through the surface coating technology. In this work, the microstructure and phase composition evolutions of chromium coating, composite coating, multilayer coating and MAX phase coating before and after oxidation are introduced. In addition, the oxidation behaviour and failure mechanism of the surface coating of zirconium alloy were analysed and summarised. Finally, the main problems and challenges of coating on the zirconium alloy surface are summarised and prospected.