bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análisis Comparativo: Adalimumab Y Acitretino En Pacientes Psoriásicos Tratados En El Hospital Pnp. Periodo 2016 – 2018
Authors:   , Mendoza Montoya Pierre Estherlin
Published: July 2023

INTRODUCCIÓN: La psoriasis es una patología de la piel. De curso crónico inflamatorio, multicausal, presenta lesiones eritemato descamativas que pueden causar descamación, o dolor. Actualmente existen diversos tratamientos siendo entre los más conocidos los fármacos biológicos y los retinoides. OBJETIVO: El presente estudio es realizado con el fin de comparar las diferencias en torno a la eficacia entre ambos fármacos, en pacientes psoriasicos tratados durante el periodo 2016 - 2018 en el Departamento de Dermatología del Hospital PNP. MATERIAL Y METODOS: investigación de tipo analítico, observacional, y de cohorte. Con una población de (N=92) y una muestra de 80 pacientes (n= 80) posterior a los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Para medir las variables del estudio se utilizó un instrumento de recolección de datos. RESULTADOS: En el producto obtenido se encontró una diferencia significativa a favor del fármaco Adalimumab frente al Acitretino en los siguientes puntos. Ya sea en la calidad de vida (31.8% vs 3.4%), mejoría de las lesiones (4.5% vs 1.7%), efectos adversos producidas (9.09% vs 12.06%) y en la adherencia al tratamiento en los 5 indicadores analizados. CONCLUSIONES: Se encontró que el fármaco Adalimumab presenta resultados similares al Acitretino. Siendo el primer grupo más óptimo en la mejoría de la calidad de vida, la mejoría de lesiones, efectos adversos y una mayor adherencia al tratamiento.
Presencia Del Gen De Fusión Bcr-Abl Y La Supervivencia Global De Pacientes Adultos Con Leucemia Linfoblástica Aguda Atendidos En El Servicio De Hematología Clínica Del Hospital Nacional Dos De Mayo Durante El Periodo 2013 - 2017
Authors:   , Montenegro Verástegui Carlos Eduardo
Published: July 2023

OBJETIVO: Determinar la asociación entre la presencia del Gen de Fusión BCR-ABL y la supervivencia global (SG) en pacientes adultos con leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) atendidos en el Servicio de Hematología Clínica del Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo (HNDM) durante el periodo 2013 – 2017. METODOLOGÍA: El presente trabajo es observacional de tipo analítico, de cohorte, longitudinal y retrospectivo. Se contó con una población de 46 pacientes adultos con LLA. Se buscó la asociación entre la presencia del gen de fusión BCR-ABL, los factores sociodemográficos (edad y género), recuento de leucocitos y tipo de LLA con la SG en 6, 12 y 24 meses. Los datos fueron obtenidos mediante el uso de la ficha de recolección de datos, y analizados mediante el programa SPSS 26, se obtuvo el Chi cuadrado y el riesgo relativo (RR), considerándose significativo un valor de p menor de 0,05 y 95% de intervalo de confianza (IC). Para el análisis de la SG se utilizó el método de Kaplan-Meier, la significancia se estableció mediante el test de Log-Rank. RESULTADOS: De los 46 pacientes evaluados encontramos la presencia del gen de fusión BCR-ABL en 20% de ellos, un 74% tienen menos de 50 años, además 52% pertenecen al género masculino, también encontramos que el 54% presentan un recuento leucocitario >10,000/mm3 , también se encontró que 93% son de tipo B. En cuanto al análisis bivariado se encontró la asociación entre la presencia del gen de fusión BCR-ABL y la SG a los 6 y 12 meses respectivamente (RR1 de 2,64 (IC95%: 2,08 – 4,75)), (RR2 de 1,76 (IC95%: 1,33 – 2,33)), por otro lado a los 24 meses no se encontró asociación entre ambas variables, con respecto al recuento de leucocitos sólo se encontró asociación con la SG a los 24 meses (RR3 de 9,52 (IC95%: 1,29 – 70,11)); con respecto a los factores sociodemográficos “edad y género” no se vi encontró asociación entre estos con la SG a los 6, 12 y 24 meses, igual resultado lo encontramos al analizar la variable Tipo de LLA frente a la SG a los 6, 12 y 24 meses. CONCLUSIONES: El gen de fusión BCR-ABL está asociado a la SG a los 6 y 12 meses, así como también el recuento de leucocitos al momento del diagnóstico con la SG a los 24 meses, en pacientes adultos con LLA atendidos en el Servicio de Hematología Clínica del HNDM durante el periodo 2013 – 2017.
Factores De Riesgo De Bronquiolitis En Lactantes Internados En El Hospital Hipolito Unanue El Periodo Enero-Diciembre 2017
Authors:   , Benancio Osorio Anyela Annie
Published: July 2023

Objetivo: Determinar los factores de riesgo de bronquiolitis en lactantes internados en el Hospital Hipólito Unanue el periodo enero-diciembre 2017. Material y Método: Se llevó a cabo un estudio de tipo analítico, observacional retrospectivo de Casos control ,longitudinal la cual estuvo constituida por 189 niños menores de dos años, siguiendo criterios de inclusión y exclusión donde se analizó una muestra de 63 casos y 126 controles , siguiendo la relación de 1:2 Resultados: El estudio de las variables analizadas como factor de riesgo fue : prematuridad (OR: 0.764; p: 0.254) sexo masculino (OR:1.431; p: 0.254), lactante menor (OR:0.932 ; p: 0.828), desnutrición (OR:0.033 ; p:0.00 ), hacinamiento (OR:1.778 ; p: 0.097),estación invierno (OR:0.641 ; p:0.289 ). Conclusión: ser lactante menor y la desnutrición son factores de riesgo de bronquiolitis en lactantes en lactantes internados en el Hospital Hipólito Unanue el periodo enero-diciembre 2017.
Eficacia en la ejecución de medidas de protección a las victimas de violencia familiar en comisarias distrito de San Martin de Porres 2019-2020
Authors:   , Ramirez Alvarez Walter Luis
Published: July 2023

En el Perú las mujeres son víctimas de violencia de género el cual se manifiesta de forma sistémica y de diferentes formas. Debido a este panorama, y con el único fin de proteger la integridad psicológica, física y sexual de las mujeres, nace la Ley N° 30364, que específicamente en el artículo 23 nos indica que la Policía Nacional del Perú es responsable de ejecutar las medidas de protección a favor de las mujeres víctimas de violencia. En este contexto el presente trabajo analiza la eficacia policial en la ejecución de las medidas de protección en mujeres violentadas en el Distrito de San Martín de Porres durante el 2019- 2020. La investigación es de naturaleza descriptiva, no correlacional, no transeccional y se efectuaron cuestionarios de encuesta a efectivos policiales a fin de conocer los niveles de eficacia de las medidas conforme a las leyes vigentes. Como resultado se aprecia una ineficacia en la aplicación, la implementación y el control de seguimiento sobre las medidas de protección de la mujer en comisarías del Distrito de San Martin de Porres
Trayectorias e itinerarios educativos y sostenibilidad rural: la influencia de la educación en las e
Authors: Pérez Moral Esteban , Langa Rosado Delia
Published: July 2023

Una aproximación inicial y exploratoria a partir de los datos socioeconómicos de los tres municipios a estudio y a los datos cuantitativos de Alcalá la Real dentro del un estudio sobre las influencias del IVR, itinerarios de educación y arraigo.
Treatment of Severe Dermatitis, Multiple Allergies, and Metabolic Wasting With Dupilumab
Authors: Koike Yuta , Takeichi Takuya , Ishii Norito , Waseda Tomoka , Murayama Naoya , Akiyama Masashi , Murota Hiroyuki
Published: July 2023

This case report describes a woman with severe dermatitis, multiple allergies, and metabolic wasting syndrome.
A Guided Wave Approach to Defect Detection in Switch Rail
Authors: Xu Xining , Su Chaoming , Yu Zujun , Shi Hongmei , Zhu Liqiang , Gao Wen
Published: July 2023

An approach to detect switch rail defect based on ultrasonic guided wave technology is studied. Eight typical cross‐sections are chosen from the switch rail, and each cross‐section's theoretical dispersion curves and wave structures are derived using the semianalytical finite‐element method. The dispersion curve of eight sections has 262 modes at 60 kHz. Based on k‐means clustering analysis algorithm, 25 kinds of classification results are obtained from 262 modes. According to the mean and variance of energy, an optimal set of modes with uniform amplitude over the entire section of the switch rail is selected. The optimal excitation point is determined based on the vibration energy. The defect echo signal is obtained by excitation of these guided wave modes. Field experiment results show that by comparing the sum of the differences between the collected and basic data and setting a certain threshold, the internal defect detection of the switch guide rail can be realized. The research results herein are valuable for analyzing the dispersion characteristics and realizing the nondestructive testing of the variable cross‐section waveguide.
2D Mathematical Model of Damping in Cellular Materials
Authors: Kovalev Alexander , Filippov Alexander E. , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: July 2023

Many biological materials may be considered as cellular materials, for example, soft tissues, but also bones, wood, or foam‐like medulla in a bird feather. The cells may be filled with a fluid or just with air, have different size, shape, and wall thickness. Less is known about how the mechanical and morphological parameters of the cellular materials influence their biologically relevant functions. A simple descriptive 2D numerical model of a cellular material based on Voronoi diagrams is presented here which aims prompt investigation how structural parameters influence its physical properties. The preliminary numerical simulations demonstrate that with an increasing wall thickness the energy dissipation increases and with an increasing cell density also an average stress increases. Other interesting results are that an increased dissipation constant of cellular material reduces the stress, and that in hierarchical foams the dissipation takes place mostly in the thick walls. The presented approach allows screening the influence of further material features and structural parameters, such as for example, different kinds of gradients or different properties of biological or biologically inspired cellular materials at different loading conditions. Direct comparison of different real biological structures could be also performed, especially when real experimental measurements are impossible.
Maternal occupational exposure to selected organic and chlorinated solvents and delivery of small‐for‐gestational age or preterm infants
Authors: Van Buren Kristen W. , Rocheleau Carissa M. , Chen I‐Chen , Desrosiers Tania A. , Sanderson Wayne T. , Politis Maria D. , Ailes Elizabeth C. ,   The National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: July 2023

Background

Potential reproductive effects of organic solvent exposure during pregnancy remain unclear. We investigated the association between maternal occupational exposure during pregnancy to six chlorinated solvents, three aromatic solvents, and Stoddard solvent, and delivery of preterm infants or those born small‐for‐gestational age (SGA).

Methods

In this case–control study of SGA and preterm birth (PTB) nested within the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) from 1997 to 2011, we analyzed data from 7504 singleton live births without major birth defects and their mothers. Self‐reported information on jobs held in the periconceptional period was assessed for solvent exposure. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the association between maternal occupational exposure (any, none) during early pregnancy to organic solvents and PTB and SGA. Linear regression was used to examine changes in mean birthweight potentially associated with maternal occupational solvent exposure.

Results

Maternal occupational exposure to any organic solvents overall was not associated with an increased odds of PTB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–1.33) or SGA (aOR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.65–1.34). Point estimates increased modestly for higher estimated exposure versus lower, but confidence intervals were wide and not statistically significant. Maternal exposure to solvents was not associated with a statistically significant change in term birthweight among infants.

Conclusions

Occupational exposure to organic solvents at the frequency and intensity levels found in a population‐based sample of pregnant workers was not associated with PTB or SGA; however, we cannot rule out any effects among pregnant workers with uncommonly high exposure to organic solvents.
Macrophage and monocyte subsets in response to ischemic stroke
Authors: Blank‐Stein Nelli , Mass Elvira
Published: July 2023

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality. Despite extensive efforts in stroke research, the only pharmacological treatment currently available is arterial recanalization, which has limited efficacy only in the acute phase of stroke. The neuroinflammatory response to stroke is believed to provide a wider time window than recanalization and has therefore been proposed as an attractive therapeutic target. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in the understanding of cellular and molecular responses of distinct macrophage populations following stroke, which may offer potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Specifically, we discuss the role of local responders in neuroinflammation, including the well‐studied microglia as well as the emerging players, border‐associated macrophages, and macrophages originating from the skull bone marrow. Additionally, we focus on the behavior of monocytes stemming from distant tissues such as the bone marrow and spleen. Finally, we highlight aging as a crucial factor modulating the immune response, which is often neglected in animal studies.
Short‐term exposure to ambient air pollution and COVID‐19 severity during SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta and Omicron waves: A multicenter study
Authors: Poniedziałek Barbara , Rzymski Piotr , Zarębska‐Michaluk Dorota , Rogalska Magdalena , Rorat Marta , Czupryna Piotr , Kozielewicz Dorota , Hawro Marcin , Kowalska Justyna , Jaroszewicz Jerzy , Sikorska Katarzyna , Flisiak Robert
Published: July 2023

Air pollution may affect the clinical course of respiratory diseases, including COVID‐19. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between exposure of adult patients to mean 24 h levels of particulate matter sized <10 μm (PM10) and <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) during a week before their hospitalization due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and symptomatology, hyperinflammation, coagulopathy, the clinical course of disease, and outcome. The analyses were conducted during two pandemic waves: (i) dominated by highly pathogenic Delta variant (n = 1440) and (ii) clinically less‐severe Omicron (n = 785), while the analyzed associations were adjusted for patient's age, BMI, gender, and comorbidities. The exposure to mean 24 h B(a)P exceeding the limits was associated with increased odds of fever and fatigue as early COVID‐19 symptoms, hyperinflammation due to serum C‐reactive protein >200 mg/L and interleukin‐6 >100 pg/mL, coagulopathy due to 
d‐dimer >2 mg/L and fatal outcome. Elevated PM10 and PM2.5 levels were associated with higher odds of respiratory symptoms, procalcitonin >0.25 ng/mL and interleukin >100 pg/mL, lower oxygen saturation, need for oxygen support, and death. The significant relationships between exposure to air pollutants and the course and outcomes of COVID‐19 were observed during both pandemic waves. Short‐term exposure to elevated PM and B(a)P levels can be associated with a worse clinical course of COVID‐19 in patients requiring hospitalization and, ultimately, contribute to the health burden caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of higher and lower clinical significance.
A general approximation to nested Bayes factors with informed priors
Authors: Bartoš František , Wagenmakers Eric‐Jan
Published: July 2023

A staple of Bayesian model comparison and hypothesis testing Bayes factors are often used to quantify the relative predictive performance of two rival hypotheses. The computation of Bayes factors can be challenging, however, and this has contributed to the popularity of convenient approximations such as the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Unfortunately, these approximations can fail in the case of informed prior distributions. Here, we address this problem by outlining an approximation to informed Bayes factors for a focal parameter . The approximation is computationally simple and requires only the maximum likelihood estimate and its standard error. The approximation uses an estimated likelihood of and assumes that the posterior distribution for is unaffected by the choice of prior distribution for the nuisance parameters. The resulting Bayes factor for the null hypothesis versus the alternative hypothesis is then easily obtained using the Savage–Dickey density ratio. Three real‐data examples highlight the speed and closeness of the approximation compared with bridge sampling and Laplace's method. The proposed approximation facilitates Bayesian reanalyses of standard frequentist results, encourages application of Bayesian tests with informed priors, and alleviates the computational challenges that often frustrate both Bayesian sensitivity analyses and Bayes factor design analyses. The approximation is shown to suffer under small sample sizes and when the posterior distribution of the focal parameter is substantially influenced by the prior distributions on the nuisance parameters. The proposed methodology may also be used to approximate the posterior distribution for under .
Genotypic analysis of a large cohort of patients with suspected atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Connaughton Dervla M. , Bhai Pratibha , Isenring Paul , Mahdi Mohammed , Sadikovic Bekim , Schenkel Laila C.
Published: July 2023

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal impairment. Complement and coagulation gene variants have been associated with aHUS susceptibility. We assessed the diagnostic yield of a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel in a large cohort of Canadian patients with suspected aHUS. Molecular testing was performed on peripheral blood DNA samples from 167 patients, collected between May 2019 and December 2021, using a clinically validated NGS pipeline. Coding exons with 20 base pairs of flanking intronic regions for 21 aHUS-associated or candidate genes were enriched using a custom hybridization protocol. All sequence and copy number variants were assessed and classified following American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. Molecular diagnostic results were reported for four variants in three individuals (1.8%). Twenty-seven variants of unknown significance were identified in 25 (15%) patients, and 34 unique variants in candidate genes were identified in 28 individuals. An illustrative patient case describing two genetic alterations in complement genes is presented, highlighting that variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance must be considered when interpreting genetic data in patients with complement-mediated disease, alongside the potential additive effects of genetic variants on aHUS pathophysiology. In this cohort of patients with suspected aHUS, using clinical pipelines for genetic testing and variant classification, pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants occurred in a very small percentage of patients. Our results highlight the ongoing challenges in variant classification following NGS panel testing in patients with suspected aHUS, alongside the need for clear testing guidance in the clinical setting.

Key messages

• Clinical molecular testing for disease associated genes in aHUS is challenging.

• Challenges include patient selection criteria, test validation, and interpretation.

• Most variants were of uncertain significance (31.7% of patients; VUS + candidates).

• Their clinical significance may be elucidated as more evidence becomes available. 

• Low molecular diagnostic rate (1.8%), perhaps due to strict classification criteria.

• Case study identified two likely pathogenic variants; one each in MCP/CD46 and CFI.
Development of an in chemico high-throughput screening method for the identification of skin sensitization potential
Authors: Ferreira Isabel , Brites Gonçalo , Silva Ana , Caramelo Francisco , Oliveiros Bárbara , Neves Bruno Miguel , Cruz Maria Teresa
Published: July 2023

It is well established that chemical-peptide conjugation represents the molecular initiating event (MIE) in skin sensitization. This MIE has been successfully exploited in the development of in chemico peptide reactivity assays, with the Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (DPRA) being validated as a screening tool for skin sensitization hazard as well as an OECD test guideline. This test relies on the use of a high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet detection method to quantify chemical-peptide conjugation through measurement of the depletion of two synthetic peptides containing lysine or cysteine residues, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. To improve assay throughput, sensitivity, and accuracy, we have developed a spectrophotometric assay for skin sensitization potential based on MIE measurement—the ProtReact assay. ProtReact is also a cheaper, faster, simpler, and more accessible alternative for the DPRA, giving comparable results. A set of 106 chemicals was tested with ProtReact and the peptide depletion values compared with those reported for the DPRA. The predictive capacity of both assays was evaluated with human reference data. ProtReact and DPRA assays show similar predictive capacities for hazard identification (75% and 74%, respectively), although ProtReact showed a higher specificity (86% versus 74%, respectively) and lower sensitivity (69% versus 73%). Overall, the results show that ProtReact assay described here represents an efficient, economic, and accurate assay for the prediction of skin sensitization potential of chemical haptens.
Thermal analysis of suspended single droplet evaporation measurements with a coupled lumped parameter model
Authors: Csemány Dávid
Published: July 2023

The measurement data of single droplet evaporation experiments are often biased due to the extra heat input through the fiber suspension and the presence of thermal radiation in hot environments. This encumbers model validation for heat and mass transfer simulations of liquid droplets. In this paper, a thermal analysis of this measurement layout is presented with a coupled lumped parameter model, considering heat conduction through the suspension. The model was validated by experimental data from the literature and good agreements were found. The thermal analysis focused on fiber material and geometry, and thermal radiation properties. Calculations were performed on a broad range of ambient conditions for liquids with different volatility characteristics. Temporal squared droplet diameter- and temperature-profiles, furthermore, droplet stationary evaporation rate were used to characterize vaporization phenomena. The thermal balance of the droplet is dominated by the convective heat rate from the environment in the early stage of evaporation. The effect of heat conduction through the fiber becomes important at the end of the droplet lifetime when the droplet size is decreased. Temperature sensor suspension may seriously bias droplet temperature due to the larger thermal conductivity compared to quartz fiber. Large droplets in high-temperature environments show significant sensitivity to thermal radiation properties, which should be considered in measurements and model validation.
An observational study on the interactions between storm tracks and sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere
Authors: Zhang Li , Ren Xuya , Wang Chuan-Yang , Gan Bolan , Wu Lixin , Cai Wenju
Published: July 2023

Using the lagged maximum covariance analysis (MCA), the present study investigates the interannual variability of the storm track in the Southern Hemisphere and the Antarctic sea ice throughout the year. The results show that the two are most tightly coupled in the austral cold seasons. Specifically, storm track anomalies in June and July are associated with a zonal dipole structure of the sea ice concentration (SIC) anomalies in the western Hemisphere, with centers in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas. The storm track can modulate the large-scale atmospheric circulations, which induces anomalous meridional heat transport, downward longwave radiation, and mechanical forcing to further influence the SIC anomalies. The resultant SIC anomalies can last for several months and have the potential to feed back to the storm track. According to the MCA, the influence of the SIC anomalies to the storm track is most evident in August. The SIC dipole along with the SIC anomalies in the Indian Ocean sector have large impact on the storm track activities downstream. The SIC anomalies alters the near-surface temperature gradient and subsequently atmospheric baroclinicity. Further energetic analysis suggests that the enhanced atmospheric baroclinicity facilitates the baroclinic energy conversion from mean available potential energy to eddy available potential energy, and then to eddy kinetic energy, strengthening the storm track activities over the midlatitude Indian Ocean.
Cryptic exon detection and transcriptomic changes revealed in single-nuclei RNA sequencing of C9ORF72 patients spanning the ALS-FTD spectrum
Authors: Gittings Lauren M. , Alsop Eric B. , Antone Jerry , Singer Mo , Whitsett Timothy G. , Sattler Rita , Van Keuren-Jensen Kendall
Published: July 2023

The C9ORF72-linked diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are characterized by the nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Recent studies have shown that the loss of TDP-43 function leads to the inclusion of cryptic exons (CE) in several RNA transcript targets of TDP-43. Here, we show for the first time the detection of CEs in a single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) dataset obtained from frontal and occipital cortices of C9ORF72 patients that phenotypically span the ALS-FTD disease spectrum. We assessed each cellular cluster for detection of recently described TDP-43-induced CEs. Transcripts containing CEs in the genes STMN2 and KALRN were detected in the frontal cortex of all C9ORF72 disease groups with the highest frequency in excitatory neurons in the C9ORF72-FTD group. Within the excitatory neurons, the cluster with the highest proportion of cells containing a CE had transcriptomic similarities to von Economo neurons, which are known to be vulnerable to TDP-43 pathology and selectively lost in C9ORF72-FTD. Differential gene expression and pathway analysis of CE-containing neurons revealed multiple dysregulated metabolic processes. Our findings reveal novel insights into the transcriptomic changes of neurons vulnerable to TDP-43 pathology.
Screening biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with PD-L1 overexpression
Authors: Zhu Xiaodan , Yu Bo , Shen Yanli , Zhao Yan , Fu Xiyujing , Zhu Yunji , Gu Guomin , Liu Chunling
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Immunotherapy plays an important role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); in particular, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy has good therapeutic effects in PD-L1-positive patients. This study aims to screen NSCLC patients with PD-L1-positive expression and select effective biomarkers for ICI immunotherapy.

Methods

Collected tumor samples from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and 117 patients with stage III–IV NSCLC were included in the study. All patients were on first- or second-line therapy and not on targeted therapy. Based on the molecular profiles and clinical features, we screened biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with PD-L1 overexpression.

Results

117 NSCLC patients receiving ICIs immunotherapy were enrolled. First, we found that immunotherapy was more effective in patients with positive PD-L1 expression. Second, we found that ROS1 gene mutations, KRAS gene mutations, tumor stage, and the endocrine system diseases history are independent prognostic factors for PD-L1 positive patients. Then we combined independent risk factors and constructed a new Nomogram to predict the therapeutic efficacy of ICIs immunotherapy in PD-L1 positive patients. The Nomogram integrates these factors into a prediction model, and the predicted C-statistic of 3 months, 6 months and 12 months are 0.85, 0.84 and 0.85, which represents the high predictive accuracy of the model.

Conclusions

We have established a model that can predict the efficacy of ICIs immunotherapy in PD-L1 positive patients. The model consists of ROS1 gene mutations, KRAS gene mutations, tumor staging, and endocrine system disease history, and has good predictive ability.
Learning class-agnostic masks with cross-task refinement for weakly supervised semantic segmentation
Authors: Xu Lian , Bennamoun Mohammed , Boussaid Farid , Ouyang Wanli , Xu Dan
Published: July 2023

Weakly supervised semantic segmentation (WSSS) commonly relies on Class Activation Mapping (CAM) to produce pseudo semantic labels using image-level annotations. However, because CAM maps often form sparse object regions with poor boundaries, they cannot provide sufficient segmentation supervision. Because off-the-shelf saliency maps can provide rich object boundaries that can be leveraged to improve semantic segmentation, we propose to jointly learn semantic segmentation and class-agnostic masks by using image-level annotations and off-the-shelf saliency maps as supervision. We also propose a cross-task label refinement mechanism, which takes advantage of the learned class-agnostic masks and semantic segmentation masks, to refine the pseudo labels and provide more accurate supervision to both tasks. Moreover, we introduce a new normalization method for CAM to generate more complete class-specific localization maps. The improved CAM maps complement our learned class-agnostic masks, leading to high-quality pseudo semantic segmentation labels. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, with state-of-the-art WSSS results established on PASCAL VOC 2012 and MS COCO.
Degramnet: effective audio analysis based on a fully learnable time–frequency representation
Authors: Foggia Pasquale , Greco Antonio , Roberto Antonio , Saggese Alessia , Vento Mario
Published: July 2023

Current state-of-the-art audio analysis algorithms based on deep learning rely on hand-crafted Spectrogram-like audio representations, that are more compact than descriptors obtained from the raw waveform; the latter are, in turn, far from achieving good generalization capabilities when few data are available for the training. However, Spectrogram-like representations have two main limitations: (1) The parameters of the filters are defined a priori, regardless of the specific audio analysis task; (2) such representations do not perform any denoising operation on the audio signal, neither in the time domain nor in the frequency domain. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new general-purpose convolutional architecture for audio analysis tasks that we call DEGramNet, which is trained with audio samples described with a novel, compact and learnable time–frequency representation that we call DEGram. The proposed representation is fully trainable: Indeed, it is able to learn the frequencies of interest for the specific audio analysis task; in addition, it performs denoising through a custom time–frequency attention module, which amplifies the frequency and time components in which the sound is actually located. It implies that the proposed representation can be easily adapted to the specific problem at hands, for instance giving more importance to the voice frequencies when the network needs to be used for speaker recognition. DEGramNet achieved state-of-the-art performance on the VGGSound dataset (for Sound Event Classification) and comparable accuracy with a complex and special-purpose approach based on network architecture search over the VoxCeleb dataset (for Speaker Identification). Moreover, we demonstrate that DEGram allows to achieve high accuracy with lightweight neural networks that can be used in real-time on embedded systems, making the solution suitable for Cognitive Robotics applications.
Acceleration of iterative refinement for singular value decomposition
Authors: Uchino Yuki , Terao Takeshi , Ozaki Katsuhisa
Published: July 2023

We propose fast numerical algorithms to improve the accuracy of singular vectors for a real matrix. Recently, Ogita and Aishima proposed an iterative refinement algorithm for singular value decomposition that is constructed with highly accurate matrix multiplications carried out six times per iteration. The algorithm runs for the problem that has no multiple and clustered singular values. In this study, we show that the same algorithm can be run with highly accurate matrix multiplications carried out five times. Also, we proposed four algorithms constructed with highly accurate matrix multiplications, two algorithms with the multiplications carried out four times, and the other two with the multiplications carried out five times. These algorithms adopt the idea of a mixed-precision iterative refinement method for linear systems. Numerical experiments demonstrate speed-up and quadratic convergence of the proposed algorithms. As a result, the fastest algorithm is 1.7 and 1.4 times faster than the Ogita-Aishima algorithm per iteration on a CPU and GPU, respectively.
Recognizing non-designers’ contribution in the process of designing information on visual management boards: a metaphorical approach
Authors: Söderlund Carina
Published: July 2023

This paper presents a sub-study on participatory design in visual management (VM), bracketed from a larger case study. In this case, VM refers to the recurrent meetings when managers and co-workers use dashboards (VM boards) to continuously organize work activities and performances and contribute to the ongoing development and improvements within the organization. The study focuses on when the managers and co-workers are participating in the process of designing and visualizing work-related information regarding workload for future VM boards. This paper emphasizes collaborative workshops and the creation of moodboards as participatory methods, and the application of theories of metaphorical thinking and conceptual and visual metaphors. The findings show that participants perceive the visual output they create metaphorically, in this case, the moodboards. Such visual outputs represent conceptual and visual metaphors that evoke the participants’ sharing of core concepts and an establishment of stories related to the information to be designed. In turn, the metaphors and the storytelling stress desires, visions, objectives, and themes, besides workplace atmospheres, norms, and values governing the workplace. This understanding translates to shared work experiences where conceptual and visual thinking impact how work teams develop work-related information on VM boards together.
Friends During Hard Times: Evidence from the Great Depression
Authors: Babina Tania , García Diego , Tate Geoffrey
Published: July 2023

Using a novel data set of over 3,500 public and private firms, we construct the network of executive and director connections prior to the 1929 financial market crash. We find that more connected firms have 17% higher 10-year survival rates. Consistent with a working capital channel, the results are strongest for small, private, cash-poor firms, and firms located in counties with high bank suspension rates. Moreover, connections to cash-rich firms that increase accounts receivable matter the most. Our results suggest that network connections can play a stabilizing role during a financial crisis by easing the flow of capital to constrained firms.
The synergetic effects of 4-nonylphenol and polyethylene microplastics in Cyprinus carpio juveniles using blood biomarkers
Authors: Ammar Esraa , Hamed Mohamed , Mohamed Mahmoud S. , Sayed Alaa El-Din H.
Published: July 2023

Microplastics are widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems along with other chemical pollutants. Therefore, it is vital to study the health-hazardous effects of MPs in combination with 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), which is a highly abundant industrial waste and a critical alkylphenol endocrine disruptor. We investigated the effects of the exposure to polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), 4-NP, and their combination on blood biomarkers in Cyprinus carpio juveniles. Four study groups were treated for 15 consecutive days: (1) control group, (2) 10 mg/L PE-MP group, (3) 10 mg/L PE-MPs + 200 µg/L 4-NP group, and (4) 200 µg/L 4-NP group, followed by 15 days of recovery. Biochemical analyses showed that creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, liver enzymes, total protein, and A/G ratios were significantly increased after exposure to PE-MPs, 4-NP, and the combination. Hematological parameters (RBC's, Hb, Ht, neutrophil percentage, and WBC's) were significantly decreased in the three exposure groups, whereas mean corpuscular volume and lymphocyte percentages were significantly increased. The 15-day recovery period improved most hematobiochemical parameters and PE-MP accumulation indices. Taken together, we demonstrated the hazardous effects of PE-MP and 4-NP combinations on C. carpio blood parameters and highlighted their potential risk to human health.
Treatment Time and Treatment Selection in Aphasia: A Preliminary Study Using Vignettes
Authors: Hinckley Jacqueline , Sanchez Leticia
Published: July 2023

Purpose:

Little is known about the factors that clinicians use when selecting treatments. The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore a possible factor, available treatment time, in the aphasia treatment selection process.

Method:

A case-based vignette survey was created using de-identified assessment data from the AphasiaBank database. Six vignettes varied by aphasia type and severity and were presented under two different treatment time alternatives: 7.5 or 60 hr. Respondents were asked to select the single treatment that they would “almost certainly use” under each treatment time scenario. Treatment options were obtained from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Practice Portal. Respondents also answered questions about their confidence level in administering the treatments and their primary reason for selecting a particular treatment for each case scenario.

Results:

A total of 26 practicing speech-language pathologists with at least 5 years of clinical experience with aphasia completed the survey. A majority of respondents (76%–84%) changed the treatment they would “almost certainly use” based on a change in treatment time availability. The most frequently given reason for the overall treatment selection was that the treatment was likely to produce a functional outcome. Neither the respondents' reported confidence levels nor their years of experience were related to treatment selection.

Conclusions:

This is one of the first studies to investigate how clinicians select aphasia treatment. Treatment time emerged as a consistent factor in selecting aphasia treatment in this preliminary study. Recommendations for next research steps are given. We suggest that aphasia treatment research be disseminated with clear information about required treatment time.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23646855
Evolutionary studies of the bHLH transcription factors belonging to MBW complex: their role in seed development
Authors: Zumajo-Cardona Cecilia , Gabrieli Flavio , Anire Jovannemar , Albertini Emidio , Ezquer Ignacio , Colombo Lucia
Published: July 2023

Background and aims

The MBW complex consist of proteins belonging to three major families (MYB, bHLH and WDR) involved in various processes throughout plant development: epidermal cell development, mucilage secretory cells and flavonoid biosynthesis. Recently, it has been reported that TT8, encoding a bHLH transcription factor, is involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in the seed coat and it also plays a role in bypassing the postzygotic barrier resulting from an unbalance in genetic loads of the parental lines. Here, we focus on the functional evolution, in seed development, of the bHLH proteins that are part of the MBW complex, complemented with a literature review.

Methods

Phylogenetic analyses performed across seed plants and expression analyses in the reproductive tissues of four selected angiosperms (Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica napus, Capsella rubella and Solanum lycopersicum) allow us to hypothesize on the evolution of its functions.

Key Results

TT8 expression in the innermost layer of the seed coat is conserved in the selected angiosperms. However, except for Arabidopsis, TT8 is also expressed in ovules, carpels and fruits. The homologues belonging to the sister clade of TT8, EGL3/GL3, involved in trichome development, are expressed in the outermost layer of the seed coat, suggesting potential roles in mucilage.

Conclusions

The ancestral function of these genes appears to be flavonoid biosynthesis, and the conservation of TT8 expression patterns in the innermost layer of the seed coat in angiosperms suggests that their function in postzygotic barriers might also be conserved. Moreover, the literature review and the results of the present study suggest a sophisticated association, linking the mechanisms of action of these genes to the cross-communication activity between the different tissues of the seed. Thus, it provides avenues to study the mechanisms of action of TT8 in the postzygotic triploid block, which is crucial because it impacts seed development in unbalanced crosses.
Subjective and Objective Taste Change After Cochlear Implantation Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kons Zachary A. , Lee Lawrance , Coelho Daniel H.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

There is a paucity of data reporting the rate of chorda tympani nerve injury during cochlear implantation (CI) surgery. To better provide clarity to patients and surgeons regarding the risk of taste change, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies examining taste change after CI.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were queried.

Methods

Databases were queried according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Search terms included “(chorda tympani OR gustatory OR taste OR chemosensory OR dysgeusia OR nervus intermedius) AND (cochlea OR cochlear implant OR cochlear implantation).” Prospective studies were included and further divided into “objective” and “subjective” assessments of taste dysfunction. A systematic review was performed for all studies. A random-effects model was used to compare studies with similar methods and patient demographics.

Results

The initial database query yielded 2,437 articles, which were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Nine appropriate studies were identified, including 442 total patients—254 with subjective assessment and 271 with objective assessment of gustation. Seventeen of 144 patients (11.8%) reported short-term taste change (incidence = 0.09 [0.02–0.16], 95% confidence interval with pooled data). Twenty-six of 265 patients (9.8%) reported long-term taste change (incidence = 0.07 [0.01–0.13]). Objective results were heterogenous and therefore not amenable to pooled meta-analysis.

Conclusions

Taste change from chorda tympani nerve injury is a likely underrecognized complication of CI and may be the most common adverse consequence of CI surgery. Surgeons should counsel prospective patients on this potential complication and that the risk of taste change may persist longer than the immediate postoperative period.
Effect of Laughter Yoga on Sleep and Quality of Life in Individuals With Fecal Ostomies
Authors: Harputlu Deniz , Öztürk Fatma Özlem , Aydın Durucan , Akyol Cihangir , Tezel Ayfer
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on the quality of life and sleep quality in individuals with fecal ostomies.

DESIGN:

This was randomized controlled trial.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING:

The sample comprised 55 individuals with an ostomy who received care at Ankara University's I˙bni Sina Hospital Stoma Therapy Unit in Ankara, Turkey. Data were collected over a 2-month period (January and February 2020).

METHODS:

Participants were allocated into an intervention group (n = 27) who received a yoga therapy intervention and a control group (n = 28) who received no intervention via simple randomization. Demographic and pertinent clinical variables were obtained during a baseline visit in both groups, along with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Stoma-Quality of Life (Stoma-QOL) instruments. The intervention group received laughter yoga weekly over a period of 8 weeks.

RESULTS:

Mean scores on the PSQI and the Stoma-QOL at baseline were compared. Participants in the intervention had a significant decline in mean PSQI scores (6.85 vs 5.48, P = .044) indicating improvement in sleep quality following the intervention. Analysis revealed no significant difference in mean Stoma-QOL scores (P = .077). Control group participants had no significant difference in either mean PSQI or Stoma-QOL scores following data collection at the end of 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS:

Laughter yoga had a positive effect on the sleep quality in individuals with fecal ostomies. Further research is recommended to evaluate the effect of the number of laughter yoga sessions on the sleep quality and quality of life in individuals with ostomies.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages Expand Chemoresistant, Ovarian Cancer Stem-Like Cells
Authors: Sharrow Allison C , Ho Madeline , Dua Aakriti , Buj Raquel , Blenman Kim R.M. , Orsulic Sandra , Buckanovich Ronald , Aird Katherine M , Wu Lily
Published: July 2023

The persistence of ovarian cancer stem-like cells (OvCSCs) after chemotherapy resistance has been implicated in relapse. However, the ability of these relatively quiescent cells to produce the robust tumor regrowth necessary for relapse remains an enigma. Since normal stem cells exist in a niche, and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the highest abundance immune cell within ovarian tumors, we hypothesized that TAMs may influence OvCSC proliferation. To test this, we optimized OvCSC enrichment by sphere culture and in vitro polarization of monocytes to a TAM-like M2 phenotype. Using cocultures that permitted the exchange of only soluble factors, we found that M2 macrophages increased the proliferation of sphere cells. Longer-term exposure (5-7 days) to soluble TAM factors led to retention of some stem cell features by OvCSCs but loss of others, suggesting that TAMs may support an intermediate stemness phenotype in OvCSCs. Although TAM coculture decreased the percentage of OvCSCs surviving chemotherapy, it increased the overall number. We therefore sought to determine the influence of this interaction on chemotherapy efficacy in vivo and found that inhibiting macrophages improved chemotherapy response. Comparing the gene expression changes in OvCSCs cocultured with TAMs to publicly available patient data identified 34 genes upregulated in OvCSCs by exposure to soluble TAM factors whose expression correlates with outcome. Overall, these data suggest that TAMs may influence OvCSC proliferation and impact therapeutic response.