bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Determinants of Turnover Intention among Bank Employees
Authors: Yeo Chiu Hoon , Ibrahim Hadziroh , Tang Swee Mei
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of turnover intention among bank employees in Kuala Lumpur. Specifically, the objective of this study is to assess the relationships between employee relations, working environment and conditions, compensation and benefit packages, career advancement opportunities and turnover intention. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed among bank employees in the Masjid Jamek area and the researchers successfully collected 120 questionnaires from the respective respondents. All the data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 23.0 version. Two types of data analysis were used — descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. Descriptive analysis was used to study the respondent demographic information such as age, gender, education level, length of services, and monthly income level. Meanwhile, the inferential analysis was used to examine the relationships between employee relations, working environment and conditions, compensation and benefit packages, career advancement opportunities and turnover intention. The results show that the relationship between turnover intention and employee relations is weak. However, working environment and conditions, compensation and benefit packages, and career advancement opportunities are moderately correlated to turnover intention among bank employees. Based on a multiple regression analysis, working environment and conditions, and compensation and benefit packages have negative and significant relationship with turnover intention.
Factors That Influence Mental Illness Among Students in Public Universities
Authors: Kandasamy Nathera , Kolandaisamy Indraah , Tukiman Nur Aisyah , Khalil Kusairi Fursan Wajdi Kusairi , Sjarif Sofea Iman Amir , Shahrul Nizar Mohammad Syaffi Syazani
Published: April 2022

This study is about the interrelations between three factors which are financial distress, health condition and social relation with mental illness among students in Universiti Utara Malaysia. Mental illness affects individuals feeling, mood as well as thinking processes. This condition eventually disturbs the ability and functions that relates towards others. People with same diagnosis face different experience. A mental illness is not based on one specific event, therefore may include a stressful job or home life, victim of a crime, entering the college life or workforce, marriage, children, divorce, job changes or a job loss. Statistical Package software for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25.0 was used to analyse the data. Results showed that financial distress, health condition and social relation have a positive relationship towards mental illness.
Logistics Management and Electronic Data Interchange Effects on Logistics Service Providers’ Competitive Advantage
Authors: Sumah Bangalie , Masudin Ilyas , Zulfikarijah Fien , Restuputri Dian Palupi
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of logistics management and electronic data interchange (EDI) in enhancing competitive advantage. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed to senior managers, middle-level managers and junior- level managers and 76 were filled and returned (76% response rate). The study adopted a quantitative method through simple and multiple linear regression analysis and qualitative descriptive method through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of this study found that logistics management dimensions such as transport management, physical distribution management, inventory management and warehousing management have a significant positive effect on competitive advantage. As for EDI, it is found that two out of the three dimensions such as better communication, and improved billing have a significant positive effect on competitive advantage. While quick access to information was found to have a significant negative effect on competitive advantage. The results further revealed that logistics management has a significant positive effect on competitive advantage.
Hopping conduction in FeSi II. deconvolution analyses of temperature-dependent conductivity and its reduced activation energy
Authors: Kajikawa Yasutomo
Published: April 2022

The deconvolution analysis of the temperature dependence of the reduced activation energy of the conductivity has been utilized for identifying the hopping conduction mechanism in FeSi samples. It is shown that the hopping conduction in the top impurity Hubbard band, i.e., so-called [Formula: see text] conduction, significantly contributes to the conductivity around 50 K. It is also shown that the increase in the effective concentration of the hopping carriers in the bottom Hubbard band causes a step-like increase of the variable range hopping conductivity with increasing temperature for the FeSi sample when the compensation ratio is less than 0.2.
Uniqueness of inverse source problems for general evolution equations
Authors: Kian Yavar , Liu Yikan , Yamamoto Masahiro
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we investigate inverse source problems for a wide range of PDEs of parabolic and hyperbolic types as well as time-fractional evolution equations by partial interior observation. Restricting the source terms to the form of separated variables, we establish uniqueness results for simultaneously determining both temporal and spatial components without non-vanishing assumptions at [Formula: see text], which seems novel to the best of our knowledge. Remarkably, mostly we allow a rather flexible choice of the observation time not necessarily starting from [Formula: see text], which fits into various situations in practice. Our main approach is based on the combination of the Titchmarsh convolution theorem with unique continuation properties and time-analyticity of the PDEs under consideration.
An Endogenous Growth Model with Quality Ladders and Consumers’ Heterogeneity
Authors: Marasco Antonio
Published: April 2022

This paper develops an endogenous growth model with quality ladders where consumers heterogeneity is assumed and is modelled through non homothetic preferences. We show that in such a model, unlike mainstream quality ladders models, the steady state equilibrium is characterized by a duopoly were the state of the art technology and the one immediately below it are both able to survive and thrive, under given conditions for the income distribution. In the words of Schumpeter, this model delivers only partial creative destruction. Furthermore, we show that under duopoly, an increase in the degree of income inequality raises the intensity of research activities and the growth rate of the economy.
Organizational Effectiveness: The role of Organizational Leadership and Knowledge Sharing
Authors: Islam Md. Zahidul , Said Thuraya Farhana , Sumardi Wardah Azimah
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model on organizational effectiveness in the public sector by investigating its relationship with two concepts 1) the importance of knowledge sharing for ensuring organizational effectiveness and 2) the role of organizational leadership in creating knowledge sharing environment to result in organizational effectiveness. Knowledge sharing has been proliferated as a key process to organizational performance improvement. Similar to its counterpart, the public sector is as serious about the effectiveness of their organizations, however not many public managers and employees are receptive to the idea of knowledge sharing and this could be due to their distinctive character of confidentiality. Here, it could be argued that leadership has implication for creating that climate as it has locomotion function (i.e., facilitation of motivation and activation of employees to fulfill the goals) or a cohesion function (i.e., enabling collaboration and interaction). The theoretical contribution is in terms of filling the gap of understanding public organizational effectiveness by integrating several concepts including leadership and knowledge sharing. While, the practical contribution is in terms of the conceptual model suggested in this study which is somewhat new in the Brunei public organizational environment and it can serve as a practical framework for the policy-makers and practitioners.
Empirical Investigation of Strategy Implementation in Non-government organizations
Authors: Haji Nor Amin Nurul Afiqah , Haji Said Thuraya Farhana , Islam Md Zahidul , Rahman Safayet
Published: April 2022

Strategy implementation is considered as an essential part of strategic planning because it translates the chosen strategy into organizational action. Considering its high failure rates, substantial attention should be given to strategy implementation, especially in non-government organizations, as most past studies have focused on issues prevailing in profit-making entities and the public sector. Thus, this becomes the aim of this paper to investigate factors influencing strategy implementation in non-government organizations in Brunei. In order to answer the research aim, a structured survey was conducted, and both descriptive inference statistical analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. The study concludes that organizational structure and leadership have a strong relation to the strategy implementation in non-government organizations; it has also been revealed that organizational culture and external factors do not influence strategy implementation. Not only that the results of the study can validate previous research studies, but also they can help managers and practitioners to understand how the four variables identified in the study can influence strategy implementation within their organization.
Enhanced Switching in an Argon Annealed RRAM by Ion Irradiation
Authors: Kaushik Shikha , Pandey Sujata , Singhal Rahul , Kumar Ranjit
Published: April 2022

The present study describes the impact of ion irradiation on the switching behaviour of zinc oxide formed on ITO substrates by RF sputtering. When annealed ZnO—ITO (Zinc Oxide—Indium Tin Oxide) structures are bombarded with Ag+8 with a fluence of 1012 ions cm−2, the resistance ratio was found to be the order 103 at 1 V. In pristine samples (annealed in argon) the resistance ratio was found to be 102 at 1 V. Variations in density defect generated by Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) irradiation gave birth to conducting filaments, which are the principal source of switching in ZnO, as opposed to changes in vacancies of oxygen at the interface.
Perspective—Demystifying the Power Withstanding Capabilities of CNT Bundle Interconnects
Authors: Robert Femi , Uma Sathyakam P.
Published: April 2022

This article discusses the power consumption trends of two geometries of CNT bundle interconnects for VLSI applications. The electrostatic and electro-thermal field simulations of square and triangular CNT bundle interconnects are done. Two factors viz. power dissipated and peak temperature are extracted and a new figure of merit called power temperature product (PTP) is defined. The PTP is calculated for interconnect lengths ranging from 500 μm to 2000μm. Results show that both triangular as well as square CNT bundles have high power withstanding capacity. Triangular CNT bundles have higher PTP when the associate phase changes are ignored.
Mechanisms and Performance Analysis of GaN-Based Micro-LED Grown on Pattern Sapphire Substrate by Laser Lift-Off Process
Authors: Tian Wenya , Wu Yongshuan , Wu Tianxiang , Dou Long , Cao Xuan , Li Junhui
Published: April 2022

The laser lift-off (LLO) process was employed to fabricate a monochromatic GaN-based green micro-light-emitting-diode (Micro-LED) 14 × 14 arrays grown on pattern sapphire substrate (PSS) in this research. A new experimental phenomenon and internal mechanism of some epitaxial residues on the top and sidewalls of PSS protrusion after laser stripping were deeply discussed. In addition, the reasons for the formation of micro lattice dislocation of epitaxial layer crystal caused by laser were also analyzed. The leakage current of the array devices after LLO was 200 times higher that before LLO under the same voltage, but the light output current efficiency was discovered to be 109.7% higher under the 500 cd m−2 brightness. The results indicate peak wavelength was blue shift 3 nm once the LLO process had been performed. Furthermore, the optical pattern from a “heart-shaped” distribution before LLO was changed into the maximum intensity directly above the array devices. The luminous angle was also reduced from ±75° to ±65°, which indicates that the collimation of the light after LLO process was increased. The results are high important for understanding the optical properties of Micro-LED array devices after LLO process.
The Association between Helicobacter pylori Seropositivity and Bone Mineral Density in Adults
Authors: Huang Jinke , Liu Zhihong , Ma Jinxin , Liu Jiali , Lv Mi , Wang Fengyun , Tang Xudong
Published: April 2022

Objectives. Current evidence on the associations between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and bone mineral density (BMD) is conflicting. Therefore, a nationally representative sample of adults was analyzed to investigate the associations of H. pylori seropositivity and BMD in this study. Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 2555 subjects aged 40-85 years in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2001. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the associations between H. pylori seropositivity and BMD. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age, race, and body mass index (BMI) were performed. Results. No association was found between H. pylori seropositivity and BMD (

β
=
0.006

, 95% CI: -0.003 to 0.015,

P
=
0.177

). In the subgroup analyses stratified by age, a positive association was observed between the H. pylori seropositivity and total BMD among subjects aged 40-55 years (

β
=
0.018

, 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.033,

P
=
0.012

); in the subgroup analyses stratified by sex, a positive association was observed between the H. pylori seropositive and total BMD in male (

β
=
0.019

, 95% CI: 0.007 to 0.032,

P
=
0.003

); in the subgroup analyses stratified by age and sex, the total BMD was higher in men aged 40-55 years with H. pylori seropositive than those with H. pylori seronegative (

β
=
0.034

, 95% CI: 0.013 to 0.056,

P
=
0.002

). Conclusions. In conclusion, no association between H. pylori seropositive and total BMD was demonstrated among most middle-aged and elderly adults. H. pylori infection may not be one key factor in the loss of BMD.
Hinokitiol Protects Cardiomyocyte from Oxidative Damage by Inhibiting GSK3β-Mediated Autophagy
Authors: Xiao Hongkai , Liang Siyu , Cai Qinhong , Liu Jinghu , Jin Liang , Yang Zhengfei , Chen Xiaochao
Published: April 2022

More and more attention has been paid to the use of traditional phytochemicals. Here, we first verified the therapeutic potential of a natural bioactive compound called Hinokitiol in myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. Hinokitiol exerts cardioprotective effect through inhibition of GSK-3β and subsequent elimination of excessive autophagy, tuning autophagic activity in moderate extent for remedial profit in acute myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. Overall, our study establishes Hinokitiol as a novel available interventional treatment for myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury.
[Retracted] Effect of FLOT2 Gene Expression on Invasion and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer and Its Molecular Mechanism under Nanotechnology and RNA Interference
Authors: Zhong Chonghan , Zheng Fangfang , Ye Shanping , Gao Gengmei , He Penghui , Liu Dongning
Published: April 2022

The study is aimed at investigating the effect of the FLOT2 gene on invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and the corresponding molecular mechanism by preparing polylysine‐silicon nanoparticles. Specifically, polylysine was used to modify the silica nanoparticles prepared by the emulsification method to obtain polylysine‐silicon nanoparticles. The characterization of polylysine‐silicon nanoparticles was completed by nanoparticle size analyzer, laser particle size potentiometer, and transmission microscope. The influence of polylysine‐silicon nanoparticles on the survival rate of CRC cell line HT‐29 was detected using the method of 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). The FLOT2‐siRNA expression vector was constructed and transfected with HT‐29. The HT‐29 transfected with empty plasmid was used as the negative control (NC). Western Blot (WB) and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) were used to detect expression levels of FLOT2 gene and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐ (EMT‐) related genes. Transwell invasion assay, Transwell migration assay, and CCK8 assay were used to detect the cell invasion, migration, and proliferation. The results showed that the average particle size of polylysine‐silicon nanoparticles was 30 nm, the potential was 19.65 mV, the particle size was 65.8 nm, and the dispersion coefficient was 0.103. At the same concentration, the toxicity of silicon nanoparticles to HT‐29 was significantly lower than that of liposome reagent, and the transfection efficiency was 60%, higher than that of liposome reagent (40%). The mRNA level and protein expression of the FLOT2 gene in the FLOT2‐siRNA group were significantly lower than those in the NC group (P < 0.01). The optical density (OD) value of the NC group and the blank control (CK) group were significantly higher than that of FLOT2‐siRNA cells (P < 0.01). The OD value of FLOT2‐siRNA cells was lower than that of NC cells at 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h (P < 0.01). The mRNA levels and protein expressions of MMP2 and vimentin in the FLOT2‐siRNA group were significantly lower than those in the NC group and CK group (P < 0.01). The mRNA level and protein expression of the E‐cadherin gene in the FLOT2‐siRNA group were significantly higher than those in the NC group and CK group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, an RNA interference plasmid with high transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity was established based on nanotechnology. siRNA‐mediated FLOT2 protein inhibits the invasion, migration, and proliferation of CRC cells by regulating the expression changes of EMT‐related genes, which provides a scientific basis for clinical treatment of CRC.
M-DA: A Multifeature Text Data-Augmentation Model for Improving Accuracy of Chinese Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Wang Liya , Xu Xinxin , Liu Changhui , Chen Zhe
Published: April 2022

A neural network based on a word or character embedding is a mainstream model framework in text sentiment analysis and has achieved good results. However, there is a lack of learning about POS-Tagging and Sequence-Tagging. In this research, we propose a multifeature text data-augmentation model (M-DA) with a multiple-input single-output network structure to overcome this problem of Chinese text sentiment analysis. First, this paper sequentially obtains various sequences of Chinese text, including word sequence, pos sequence, char sequence, char_pos sequence, and char_4tag sequence, we use char_pos and the char_4tag to construct a new sequence (4tag_pos) and then use 4tag_pos to mark the characters to obtain the reconstructed characters sequence (char_4tag_pos), so as to achieve the purpose of text enhancement. Then, the Word2Vec method is used to train the initial reconstruction of the character embedding. Finally, the BiLSTM network is used to capture the long-term dependence between the sequences, and the dropout technology and attention are used to improve the accuracy. In the course of the experiment, we also realized that it is better to use the original sequence and the sequence after text enhancement technology as the input of the BiLSTM network. Therefore, our proposed model also discusses the concatenate or dot method to fuse multiple sequences as the final embedding. Multigroup comparison experiments are conducted on the data set, and the results show that the proposed M-DA model is superior to the traditional deep learning technology in terms of accuracy, recall rate, f-measure, and accuracy, and the relative time cost is small.
Carbon Quantum Dots-Based Fluorescent Hydrogel Hybrid Platform for Sensitive Detection of Iron Ions
Authors: Wu Shunwei , Zhou Cuo , Ma Chunmei , Yin Yongzheng , Sun Chunyan
Published: April 2022

In this study, we prepared novel fluorescent carbon quantum dots/hydrogel nanocomposite material (CQDsHG) with good adsorption and stable fluorescence detection of Fe3+. The materials were subsequently characterized according to their morphological features, chemical composition, adsorption, and optical properties. The carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were prepared using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in no more than 15 min, and the as-prepared CQDs exhibited excellent water solubility, as well as emitted strong bright blue fluorescence with an ultrahigh quantum yield of 93.60%. The CQDs were then loaded into a hydrogel (HG) using the sol-gel method to obtain a functional CQDsHG. The CQDsHG exhibited high adsorption amounts (31.94 mg/g) and a good quenching response for Fe3+, thus, it could be used as a sensor to selectively detect Fe3+ in the linear range of 0–150 μM with a detection limit of 0.24 μM. We observed minimal difference in the fluorescence lifetimes between the CQDsHG with and without a quencher (Fe3+), with values of 5.816 ns and 5.824 ns, respectively, confirming that Fe3+ was statically quenched on CQDsHG. The results indicated that the innovative combination of CQDs and HG can improve the synergistic performance of each component for the adsorption and quantitative detection of heavy metal ions in the aqueous environment.
Establishment of Early Multi-Indicator Prediction Models of Moderately Severe Acute Pancreatitis and Severe Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: He Shan-Shan , Li Dan , He Qi-Yong , Chen Xiao-Ping , Lin Yong-Xu , Yu Yun-Wen , Chen Feng-Lin , Ding Jian
Published: April 2022

Background. It is critical to accurately identify patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and moderately SAP (MSAP) in a timely manner. The study was done to establish two early multi-indicator prediction models of MSAP and SAP. Methods. Clinical data of 469 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) between 2015 and 2020, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, and between 2012 and 2020, at the Affiliated Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, were retrospectively analyzed. The unweighted predictive score (unwScore) and weighted predictive score (wScore) for MSAP and SAP were derived using logistic regression analysis and were compared with four existing systems using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results. Seven prognostic indicators were selected for incorporation into models, including white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, triglyceride, D-dimer, serum potassium, and serum calcium. The cut-offs of the unwScore and wScore for predicting severity were set as 3 points and 0.513 points, respectively. The unwScore (

AUC
=
0.854

) and wScore (

AUC
=
0.837

) were superior to the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (

AUC
=
0.526

), the bedside index for severity in AP score (

AUC
=
0.766

), and the Ranson score (

AUC
=
0.693

) in predicting MSAP and SAP, which were equivalent to the modified computed tomography severity index score (

AUC
=
0.823

). Conclusions. The unwScore and wScore have good predictive value for MSAP and SAP, which could provide a valuable clinical reference for management and treatment.
Cryptotanshinone Protects against PCOS-Induced Damage of Ovarian Tissue via Regulating Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, Inflammation, and Apoptosis via Regulating Ferroptosis
Authors: Liu Honglin , Xie Jiani , Fan Limin , Xia Yue , Peng Xia , Zhou Jianhua , Ni Xiaorong
Published: April 2022

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age. Cryptotanshinone (CRY) has been shown to be effective in reversing reproductive disorders, but whether it can be used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome remains unclear. We aimed to explore whether the mechanism of cryptotanshinone (CRY) in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can be driven via regulating ferroptosis. A rat model of PCOS was established by daily injection of human chorionic gonadotropin and insulin for 22 days. An in vitro model of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) of granulosa cells was established. The in vitro and rat models of PCOS were subjected to different treatments including ferroptosis activators and inhibitors, CRY, and MAPK inhibitor. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring the activities of SOD, MDA, and GSH-PX. Total body weight and ovarian weight, as well as the levels of LH and the LH to FSH ratio, significantly increased in rats with PCOS, compared with controls. The expression of Bax was increased in PCOS tissues while PGC1α, NFR1, GPX4, catalase p-ERK, and Bcl-2 were all downregulated. Ferroptosis activator, erastin, had effects similar to those of PCOS while the contrary was found with CRY and ferroptosis inhibitor treatment groups. In vitro, CRY inhibited oxidative stress, MMP, and NF-κB and activated MAPK/ERK signaling by regulating ferroptosis. Overall, this study indicated that CRY protects against PCOS-induced damage of the ovarian tissue, via regulating oxidative stress, MMP, inflammation, and apoptosis via regulating ferroptosis.
Knowledge Graph-Based Enhanced Transformer for Metro Individual Travel Destination Prediction
Authors: Chi Hainan , Wang Boyue , Ge Qibin , Huo Guangyu
Published: April 2022

Accurate and timely destination prediction of subway passengers is of great significance in improving urban residents’ travel efficiency, alleviating urban traffic pressure, and recommending the proper location-based service. Although some individual travel destination prediction methods have been proposed, the prediction performance is poor due to the large difference in travel locations of different individuals, the difficulty of evaluating the individual travel intention, the sparsity of individual travel trajectory data, and other problems. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a knowledge graph-based enhanced Transformer method (KG-Trans) for the metro individual travel destination prediction task (MITD-Pre), which contains three main modules: (1) the knowledge graph (KG) module constructs a multilayer individual travel KG from top to bottom, which accurately describes the travel individuals and their travel intentions. By analyzing the association relationship between nodes in the KG, the relationship between travel individuals can be naturally established. The learned similar travel regularity can solve the problem of sparse travel trajectories of some individuals. (2) The enhanced Transformer module extracts the dynamic and hierarchical features from the long-term sequential travel trajectory data. (3) The classifier module introduces the cross-entropy loss to constrain the uniqueness of the predicted subway travel station. The experimental results show that the proposed method obtains a higher destination prediction accuracy than the previous individual travel destination prediction methods.
Benefits of an Intensive Individual CO-OP Intervention in a Group Setting for Children with DCD
Authors: Krajenbrink Hilde , Lust Jessica , van Heeswijk Jordi , Aarts Pauline , Steenbergen Bert
Published: April 2022

Purpose. The present study focused on the impact of an adapted Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) five-day intervention program for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Important adaptations were the new combination of individual CO-OP sessions and group activities, the short and intensive program that was followed by a training and coaching trajectory, and the use of video logs. Materials and Methods. Eighteen children with DCD (aged 8-16 years) participated in the five-day intervention during which they worked on three intervention goals. After the intervention, during an eight-week training and coaching trajectory for parents and children, children worked on a transfer goal. Assessment took place at four moments in time: two pretest measures, a posttest measure, and a 3-month follow-up measure. Primary outcome measures focused on changes in performance and satisfaction of self-chosen intervention and transfer goals. The secondary outcome measure explored changes in children’s attitude, motivation, and confidence in relation to motor skill activities, social skills, and level of participation. Results. Significant improvements were found with regard to the performance and satisfaction of intervention goals. For the transfer goal, only parents reported significant improvements. Finally, parents indicated potential improvements with regard to the attitude, motivation, and confidence of their children, but not for their social skills or level of participation. Conclusion. The findings are promising with regard to the efficacy of this adapted CO-OP intervention for improving intervention goals, but less effective for transfer of learned skills to other goals after the intervention. Future research should focus on how postintervention parental coaching can be improved in order to increase generalization and transfer.
Are TEMs Canceled? Questioning the Functional Relevance of Tie2-Expressing Macrophages
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Brekken Rolf A.
Published: April 2022

Inflammatory cells are a vital component of the tumor stroma and, of these, tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are the major cell type. TAMs are recruited early in tumorigenesis and generally promote metastasis, stimulate tumor angiogenesis, and drive immunosuppression. TAMs have been shown to express the endothelial cell markers that enable chemotaxis and proangiogenic capacity. In this issue of Cancer Research, Jakab and colleagues challenge the functional significance of Tie2-expressing monocytes/macrophages (TEM) in the context of tumor growth and progression. By employing myeloid-specific deletion of the angiopoietin receptor Tie2 and comprehensive analysis of myeloid cell single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, they provide compelling data that Tie2-positive macrophages do not contribute to tumor angiogenesis or relapse after chemotherapy, two major biologic processes previously attributed to tumor-associated TEMs. The study highlights that the concept of macrophage-expressed Tie2 as a therapeutic target or prognostic indicator needs reconsideration.

See related article by Jakab et al., p. 1353
Real and Illusory Precision Gains in Meta-Analysis to Speed Action on Carcinogens
Authors: Keil Alexander P.
Published: April 2022

One should avoid benzene exposure, all other things being equal. Risk assessment can help inform human health outcomes when all other things are not equal, as when competing legal or economic interests arise. In sparse literatures where exposures may be highly deleterious and yet understudied, there is a dire need for evidence synthesis, such as meta-analysis, to maximally inform risk assessment. Here, using the analysis and approach of Scholten and colleagues from the current issue as a touch point, I describe how meta-analysis could ideally meet this aim and how it often fails to do so. Some of the current literature on transportability of causal effects is illustrative, and I describe how some of the lessons from this literature could be applied within the innovative framework of Scholten and colleagues to leverage meta-analysis within the broader decision-making framework of risk-assessment.

See related article by Scholten et al., p. 751
Loss of Claudin-4 Reduces DNA Damage Repair and Increases Sensitivity to PARP Inhibitors
Authors: Yamamoto Tomomi M. , Webb Patricia G. , Davis Dana M. , Baumgartner Heidi K. , Woodruff Elizabeth R. , Guntupalli Saketh R. , Neville Margaret , Behbakht Kian , Bitler Benjamin G.
Published: April 2022

High-grade serous ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy due to progression to resistant disease. Claudin-4 is classically defined as a tight junction protein and is often associated with epithelial cancers. Claudin-4 is aberrantly expressed in nearly 70% of all ovarian cancer tumors and conveys a worse overall prognosis. Elevated claudin-4 expression correlates to increased DNA repair activity and resistance to DNA damaging agents. PARP inhibitors are emerging as an effective therapeutic option for patients with ovarian cancer and function by promoting DNA damage. The study examines the relationship between claudin-4 expression and the response to PARP inhibitors using both genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of claudin-4 in in vitro and ex vivo models of ovarian cancer to examine DNA repair markers and functional activity. Genetic inhibition of claudin-4 results in the downregulation of several DNA damage repair effectors, including 53BP1 and XRCC1. Claudin-4 knockdown did not change homology-directed repair but inhibited nonhomologous end-joining and reduced 53BP1 foci formation. In 15 primary ovarian cancer tumors, higher claudin-4 expression significantly correlated to a dampened PARP inhibitor-mediated antiproliferation response. Further, claudin-4 inhibition in high claudin-4 tumors sensitized tumor sections to PARP inhibition. These data highlight that claudin-4 expression in ovarian cancer tumors could serve as both a marker of PARP inhibitor response and a therapeutic target to improve PARP inhibitor response.
Patchwork Cancer Predisposition
Authors: Liggett L. Alexander , Sankaran Vijay G.
Published: April 2022

Inherited genetic variation is increasingly identified as an important predisposing factor to a variety of cancers. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Pareja and colleagues developed a method of reliably detecting mosaic cancer susceptibility mutations in patients who have been sequenced as part of the MSK-IMPACT tumor profiling platform. This led to the identification of a number of mosaic mutations in cancer susceptibility alleles that are generally found in the germline, suggesting that many predisposition variants may be missed through conventional testing.

See related article by Pareja et al., p. 949 (6).
Discrepancy in Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence: An Early Cognitive Marker of Dementia from the LASI-DAD Cohort
Authors: Bajpai Swati , Upadhayay Ashish Dutt , Banerjee Joyita , Chakrawarthy Avinash , Chatterjee Prashun , Lee Jinkook , Dey Aparajit Ballav
Published: April 2022

Background: Cognitive aging is a complex phenomenon, which comprises various cognitive skills, broadly categorized into fluid and crystallized intelligence. Crystallized intelligence (gc) tends to be maintained, as opposed to fluid intelligence (gf), which tends to decline rapidly with age. The association of the two with cognitive decline remains a matter of conjecture requiring further research. Aim: The aim of the study was to identify the variables of gc and gf from a population data of Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD) study and investigate its relationship with the onset of cognitive impairment using discrepancy analysis against neuropsychological tests. Methods: This analysis of data from LASI-DAD study was carried out on a sample of 3,223 participants. They were assessed on extensive thirteen cognitive tests and one subjective test of cognition. Standardized score was used for discrepancy analysis. Fluid ability minus crystallized ability was used to assess the cognitive impairment. Any statistical significance with the score difference >0.99 SD was defined as a presence of cognitive decline. Hindi Mental Status Examination (HMSE) and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) were used as gold standard. Results: With increased discrepancy score, each cognitive parameter score declined which was found to be statistically significant. In HMSE (Normal = 25.81 ± 3.39; Impaired = 23.17 ± 3.54; p = <0.001), there was a drop of 2 point scores in identifying cognitive impairment in the population sample as per the gold standard. A similar trend was evident in other neurocognitive domains as well. Conclusion: Crystallized-fluid intelligence discrepancy analysis has a strong potential in predicting the onset of cognitive decline ahead of time, facilitating early intervention.
Effect of Normalizing eGFR to Standard Body Surface Area on Rates of Obesity-Related Hyperfiltration among Diverse Female Adolescents
Authors: Bielopolski Dana , Bentur Ohad S. , Singh Neha , Vaughan Roger D. , Charytan David M. , Kost Rhonda G. , Tobin Jonathan N.
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Obesity is more prevalent among African American individuals, increasing the risk for cardiorenal morbidity. We explored interactions between race, BMI, and the risk of hyperfiltration associated with obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG). Methods: We created a cohort of female adolescents from electronic health records. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated in two ways: (A) using standard age recommended formulae and (B) absolute eGFR – adjusted to individual body surface area (BSA). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the contribution of risk factors for ORG-associated hyperfiltration defined as 135 mL/min/1.73 m2 or 135 mL/min, according to BMI group. Pearson’s coefficient was used to assess correlation with creatinine clearance (CrCl). Results: The final cohort included 7,315 African American and 15,102 non-African American adolescent females, with CrCl available for internal validation in 207 non-African American and 107 African American individuals. Compared with non-African American ethnicity, African American ethnicity was independently associated with a lower risk of hyperfiltration with standard eGFR calculations (odds ratio [OR] = 0.57, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 0.45–0.71), associations were enhanced for absolute eGFR (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.95). Absolute eGFR values agreed better with CrCl (r = 0.63), compared to standard indexed eGFR formulae. Proportions classified as hyperfiltration changed with standard versus absolute eGFR; they were similar across BMI groups with the first and reflected obesity with the later. Conclusion: Adjusting to individual BSA improves estimation of GFR and identification of obesity-related hyperfiltration. More accurate and earlier ascertainment of obesity-related hyperfiltration may have important consequences for preservation of kidney function.
Ocular Abnormalities in Patients with Vitiligo: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ma Sheng-Hsiang , Wu Po-Chien , Chang Jin-Yu , Chang Yun-Ting , Dai Ying-Xiu
Published: April 2022

Background: Vitiligo is a skin depigmentation disorder that results from the autoimmune destruction of cutaneous melanocytes. Several ocular abnormalities, including uveitis, dry eye, glaucoma, and retinal diseases, have been reported in patients with vitiligo. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of ocular abnormalities with vitiligo. Methods: This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021224167) and adhered to MOOSE checklist and PRISMA guidance for all processes. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies examining the association between ocular abnormalities and vitiligo from inception to December 10, 2020. Studies recruiting patients with Sjogren’s syndrome or Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome were excluded. The primary outcomes were the Schirmer test, tear film break-up time (TBUT), and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) of vitiligo patients compared to the controls. The risk of bias of the selected studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) of case-control studies. Results: This meta-analysis of 16 case-control studies showed that patients with vitiligo had significantly lower Schirmer test values (mean difference [MD], −1.65; 95% CI, −2.81 to −0.49), shorter TBUTs (MD, −4.66; 95% CI, −7.05 to −2.26), higher ocular surface disease indices (MD, 18.02; 95% CI, 5.7–30.35), and thinner subfoveal choroidal thicknesses (MD, −53.10; 95% CI, −69.84 to −36.36). No significant differences were found in the prevalence of glaucoma and the level of intraocular pressure. Conclusions: Our study supports an association between dry eye and thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness in patients with vitiligo. Dermatologists should be aware of these possible comorbidities and refer vitiligo patients with ocular symptoms to ophthalmologists for further management.
First Reported Case of Atypical Meningioma in an Individual with Down Syndrome
Authors: Vanderschelden Rachel , Golshani Kiarash , Evans Mark G.
Published: April 2022

Individuals with Down syndrome are at decreased risk of developing most types of solid tumors, including central nervous system malignancies. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how additional genetic material on chromosome 21 may confer this increased protection. Only two individuals with Down syndrome and meningioma have been described in the medical literature, whose tumors were both World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1. Here, we report the first individual with Down syndrome to our knowledge who developed an atypical meningioma, WHO grade 2. We also provide a hypothesis for how this tumor could have arisen in the setting of trisomy 21.
Laparoscopic Insertion of a Percutaneous Gastrostomy Prevented Malnutrition in a Patient with Previous Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Authors: Pintar Tadeja , Salobir Jure
Published: April 2022

Bariatric surgery is a highly effective treatment option for morbid obesity. Short- and long-term effects of bariatric surgery are not limited to weight loss but include resolution of type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, improvement of cardiovascular health, and overall mortality. The long life expectancy of patients undergoing bariatric procedures means many of these patients will succumb to other diseases. Altered GI anatomy after bariatric procedures could prove an obstacle in treatment. We present our management of one such occurrence. The patient, who had 5 years previously undergone a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, presented after a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage which resulted in spastic tetraplegia. He was unable to consume food and was at risk of malnutrition. A decision was made to laparoscopically create a percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) into the excluded stomach, allowing for the use of standard feeding formula and avoiding the need for parenteral nutrition and prolonged hospitalization due to metabolic complications. The growing number of patients following bariatric procedures directs the need for novelty treatment options suited to the altered anatomy and physiology of the patient post-bariatric surgery. Prompt evaluation of long-term complications after cardiovascular events in patients operated with bariatric surgical technics reduced nutritional complications, rated hospital stay, and improved quality of life. In those patients who, due to the localization of the brain defect, are expected to be unable to feed independently due to the consequences of the latter and have either long-term or lifelong feeding through feeding tubes, it is necessary to establish an enteral feeding pathway through which the patient can receive a standard nutritional formula. This prevents the patient from developing metabolic complications and related complications. At the same time, we enable inpatient accommodation without the risk of dietary complications associated with bariatric surgery.
Off-Label Use von Imiquimod zur Therapie der Lentigo maligna
Authors: Braun-Falco Markus
Published: April 2022

Lentigo maligna ist eine Variante eines Melanoma in situ, die vorrangig in lichtexponierten Arealen älterer Menschen auftritt. Therapeutischer Goldstandard ist die Exzision. Als Alternative wird die Lokaltherapie mittels Imiquimod seit längerem erprobt. Dazu führten Lallas und Kollegen eine retrospektive MulticenterStudie mit 149 Patient*innen durch. Imiquimod wurde dabei als 5%ige Creme 7-mal pro Woche über mindestens 6 Wochen angewendet. Verglichen wurden die Rezidivraten bei 3 verschiedene Anwendungsoptionen: 1) Imiquimod als adjuvante Nachbehandlung nach Exzision mit < 5 mm oder > 5 mm Sicherheitsabstand (SA) und histologisch tumorfreien Rändern, 2) Imiquimod als zusätzliche Nachbehandlung nach klinischer In-toto-, aber histologischer Nicht-in-toto-Exzision, 3) Imiquimod als Alternative zur Exzision. Das Durchschnittsalter der Patient*innen lag in den Gruppen 1, 2 und 3 bei 72,0; 67,0 bzw. 80,7 Jahren, der Durchmesser der Lentigo maligna bei 10,6; 10,8 bzw. 18,4 mm. In Gruppe 1 zeigte sich eine Rezidivrate von 5–6% (Nachbeobachtungszeit durchschnittlich 32 Monate). Eine Subtypenanalyse zwischen einem SA < 5 mm und > 5 mm ergab keinen Vorteil für die Untergruppe mit größeren SA. In Gruppe 2 zeigte sich bei einer Nachbeobachtungszeit von 34 Monaten eine Rezidivrate von 9%. In Gruppe 3 die Monotherapie zu einer Ansprechrate von etwa 71% bei einer Nachbeobachtungszeit von 34 Monaten.
Evaluating the Initiation of Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors within 2 Weeks of an Acute Hospital Admission: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nine Clinical Trials
Authors: Chieng Jenny Hui Ling , Sia Tze Kai , Teo Yao Hao , Wong Joseph Zi An , Ng Tricia Jing Ying , Teo Yao Neng , Syn Nicholas L.X. , Cherian Robin , Lim Yoke-Ching , Chai Ping , Lin Weiqin , Wong Raymond C.C. , Sia Ching-Hui
Published: April 2022

Objective: Recent studies have increasingly shown the benefits of using sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i). However, there are concerns regarding the initiation of SGLT2i during acute hospital admissions due to the potential increased risk of complications. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i initiation within 2 weeks of an acute hospital admission. Methods: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus) were searched for articles published from inception up to 27 March 2021 that evaluated the efficacy and/or safety of SGLT2i initiation within 2 weeks of an acute hospital admission. Random-effects pair-wise meta-analysis models were utilized to summarize the studies. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021245492). Results: Nine clinical trials were included with a combined cohort of 1,758 patients. Patients receiving SGLT2i had a mean increase in 24-h urine volume of +487.55 mL (95% CI 126.86–848.25; p = 0.008) compared to those not started on SGLT2i. Patients with heart failure treated with SGLT2i had a 27% relative risk reduction in rehospitalizations for heart failure, compared to controls (risk ratio 0.73; p = 0.005). There were no differences in other efficacy and safety outcomes examined. Conclusion: There was no increased harm with initiation of SGLT2i within 2 weeks of an acute hospital admission, and its use reduced the relative risk of rehospitalizations for heart failure in patients with heart failure. It was also associated with increased urine output. However, current evidence pool is limited, especially in specific population subtypes.