bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recognition of Nucleophosmin Mutant Gene Expression of Leukemia Cells Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Li Mingxin , Wu Yihui , Chi Mingbo , Wang Yimeng , Zhu Mingyao , Gao Sujun
Published: June 2023

As a label-free, nondestructive, and in situ detection method, Raman spectroscopy analysis of single cells has potential application value in biomedical fields such as cancer diagnosis. In this study, the Raman spectral characteristics of nucleophosmin (NPM1)-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and nonmutated AML cells were investigated, and the reasons for the differences in spectral peaks were explained in combination with transcriptomic analysis. Raman spectra of two AML cell lines without NPM1 mutation (THP-1 and HL-60) and the OCI-AML3 cell line carrying the NPM1 mutant gene were cultured and collected experimentally. It was found that the average Raman spectra of NPM1 mutant and nonmutated cells had intensity differences in multiple peaks corresponding to chondroitin sulfate (CS), nucleic acid, protein, and other molecules. The differentially expressed genes were identified by quantitative analysis of the gene expression matrix of the two types of cells, and their roles in the regulation of CS proteoglycan and protein synthesis were analyzed. The results showed that the differences between the two types of cells expressed by the single-cell Raman spectral information were consistent with the differences in transcriptional profiles. This research could advance the application of Raman spectroscopy in cancer cell typing.
Cardiopulmonary Phenotypes and Protein Signatures in Children With Down Syndrome
Authors: DeBoer Emily M. , Wolter-Warmerdam Kristine , Deterding Robin R. , Marmolejo Juana , Blumenthal Tom , Espinosa Joaquin M. , Hickey Francis , Wagner Brandie D.
Published: June 2023

Pulmonary disease, lower respiratory tract infection, and pneumonia are the largest causes of morbidity and mortality in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), but whether pulmonary diagnoses in children with DS are common and occur independently of cardiac disease and pulmonary hypertension (PH) is unknown. Cardiopulmonary phenotypes were examined in a cohort of 1248 children with DS. Aptamer-based proteomic analysis of blood was performed in a subset (n = 120) of these children. By the age of 10 years, half of the patients in this cohort (n = 634, 50.8%) had co-occurring pulmonary diagnoses. That proteins and related pathways were distinct between children with pulmonary diagnoses and those with cardiac disease and/or PH may indicate that pulmonary diagnoses appear to occur independently of cardiac disease and PH. Heparin sulfate-glycosaminoglycandegradation, nicotinate metabolism, and elastic fiber formation were ranked highest in the group with pulmonary diagnoses.
Sliding-mode-based chaos suppression of coronary artery systems
Authors: Ding Hui , Qian Dianwei , Lee SukGyu , Zhu Linlin
Published: June 2023

Since coronary artery disease is the leading global cause of mortality and morbidity, this paper investigates the chaos suppression of coronary artery systems. The motivation of the paper is to discuss and analyze coronary artery disease in the field of dynamics. Firstly, the mathematic model of coronary artery systems is formulated and the properties of this model are illustrated by bifurcation diagram, information entropy analysis, phase plane trajectory, and Poincaré section. With regard to the uncertainties of coronary artery systems, the disturbance observer technique is adopted. Meanwhile, the smooth second-order sliding mode controller is designed to suppress the chaos phenomenon. In light of the combination of the controller and observer, the stability of such a closed-loop system is proven in the sense of Lyapunov. Finally, some numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility and validity of such design.
Dental Anomalies and Genetic Polymorphisms as Predictors of Maxillofacial Growth in Individuals Born with Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Lacerda R.H.W. , Vieira A.R.
Published: June 2023

Cleft lip and palate have a complex inheritance, and 90% of its variation in the population is due to genetic contributors. The impact of surgical procedures on maxillofacial growth is well known, but the interference of intrinsic factors in these growth outcomes is not elucidated. The present study aimed to analyze genetic polymorphisms and frequency of dental anomalies as predictors of maxillofacial growth in patients born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate. From a cohort of 537 individuals, operated on by the same surgeon, 121 were analyzed 2 times, to define changes in maxillary growth prognosis by occlusal scores in a minimum 4-y follow-up. In a second step, a subset of 360 individuals had maxillofacial growth outcomes evaluated using Wits, nasion perpendicular to point A, and occlusal scores. The markers MMP2 rs9923304, GLI2 rs3738880 and rs2279741, TGFA rs2166975, and FGFR2 rs11200014 and rs10736303 were genotyped, and frequency of dental anomalies and cleft severity were determined to define evidence of overrepresentation of alleles associated with maxillofacial growth outcomes. Age and age at primary surgical treatment, sex, and cleft laterality were variables adjusted in the analysis. We found an association between the frequency of dental anomalies and the maxillofacial growth in unilateral ( P = 0.001) and bilateral ( P = 0.03) individuals with clefts. MMP2 rs9923304 and maxillofacial growth were associated ( P < 0.0001). There was also an association between GLI2 rs3738880 and TGFA rs2166975 and maxillary outcomes in individuals born with unilateral cleft lip and palate ( P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively), as well as between FGFR2 rs11200014 and maxillary outcomes regardless of cleft type ( P = 0.005). Statistical evidence of an interaction between MMP2 rs9923304 and GLI2 rs3738880 was observed ( P < 0.0001). Presence of dental anomalies and genetic variation in MMP2, GLI2, TGFA, and FGFR2 were associated with worse maxillofacial growth outcomes in individuals born with clefts.
Between traffic and walking discourse: Pedestrians in the traffic machine, hints from the Estonian case
Authors: Tuvikene Tauri
Published: June 2023

Walking has attracted increasing interest in the social sciences and humanities. Yet only rarely have studies in those disciplines considered the subject of traffic, leaving governing and regulations to traffic specialists and engineers. Primarily using conceptual reflections but intersecting these with an analysis of historical traffic regulations in Estonia as they are related to contemporary framings, this article introduces the pedestrian as an element of a traffic system who is governed to control her body in legally prescribed ways. Directing attention also to language, as the vignette from Estonia shows the existence of a particular word “liikleja” for the ways in which pedestrians are seen as being subject to the traffic system as disciplined elements of the traffic machine. The article describes such perspective as “traffic discourse” which is contrasted with the more holistic view of pedestrians present in walking studies (“walking discourse”).
Incompatible sovereigns: Populism, democracy and the two peoples
Authors: Fiorespino Leonardo
Published: June 2023

The article aims to investigate the problematic relationship between populism and democracy by comparing the conceptions of ‘the people’ and popular sovereignty which they presuppose. In the first two sections, the populist and the democratic ‘peoples’ are reconstructed, and the unbridgeable gap dividing them is highlighted. The discussion of the democratic people requires a concise analysis of the main contemporary democratic frameworks, including deliberative democracy, ‘neo-Roman’ republicanism, agonistic democracy. The article works out the implications of the incompatibility between the two ‘sovereign peoples’ identified, and concludes that such an incompatibility undercuts the kinship of populism and democracy. While populism is often said to intertwine with democracy in some way, the article argues that it significantly departs from democratic theory and practice, and belongs to a distinct conceptual space. It cannot be made to overlap with ‘illiberal democracy’, a ‘democratic myth’, a crude electoral majoritarianism, nor does it amount to hiding undemocratic policies into properly democratic justifications. The boundary dividing populism and democracy, therefore, starts unfolding at the level of the conception of the people. While democratic theory invariably assumes a people intended as simultaneously heterogeneous and united, populism conceives of the people as a moral whole, internally undifferentiated, whose homogeneity and intrinsic righteousness preclude the task of specifying what popular sovereignty ultimately means. Such specification, on the other hand, is inescapable for any democrat assuming the people as a composite unity. The last section addresses four possible objections to the argument, variously formulated by Ernesto Laclau and by scholars approaching populism from a post-Laclauian or discursive-performative perspective.
Using Ecometric Data to Explore Sources of Cross-Site Impact Variance in Multi-Site Trials
Authors: Judkins David R. , Durham Gabriel
Published: June 2023

In 2003, Bloom, Hill, and Riccio (BHR) published an influential paper introducing novel methods for explaining the variation in local impacts observed in multi-site randomized control trials of socio-economic interventions in terms of site-level mediators. This paper seeks to improve upon this previous work by using student-level data to measure site-level mediators and confounders. Development of asymptotic behavior backed up with simulations and an empirical example. Students and training providers. Two simulations and an empirical application to data from an evaluation of the Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. This empirical analysis involved roughly 6600 participants across 37 local sites. We examine bias and mean square error of estimates of mediation coefficients as well as the true coverage of nominal 95-percent confidence intervals on the mediation coefficients. Simulations suggest that the new methods generally improve the quality of inferences even when there is no confounding. Applying this methodology to the HPOG study shows that program-average FTE months of study by month six was a significant mediator of both career progress and long-term degree/credential receipt. Evaluators can robustify their BHR-style analyses by the use of the methods proposed here.
Key Articles and Guidelines in the Management of Pericardial Syndromes
Authors: Schwier Nicholas C. , Cornelio Cyrille K. , Greenlee Katie , Smith Andrew J. , Wohlford George F.
Published: June 2023

Over the past two decades, emerging literature has shaped the management of pericardial syndromes and has evolved abundantly towards the creation of European guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. However, since the publication of the European guidelines in 2015, more data surrounding the management of pericardial syndromes have been published. Comprehensive reference materials with the most updated literature are warranted and can be pivotal in helping pharmacists make evidence-based and clinical decisions for patients diagnosed with pericardial syndromes. This compilation of key articles and guidelines will serve as a resource for pharmacists who are responsible for the care of patients with pericardial syndromes.
Pressure sensor fault-tolerant control for the filling phase of wet clutches
Authors: Mo Jinchao , Qin Datong , Liu Yonggang
Published: June 2023

The filling pressure control is one of the key technologies of wet clutches. Pressure sensor is a key component to realize the closed-loop control of the filling pressure. However, with the working hours increasing, the pressure sensor is prone to be faulty. To ensure the filling performance of wet clutches, this article investigates a pressure sensor fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control strategy for the filling phase of wet clutches. First, the dynamic model of a hydraulic clutch control system is established where the clutch pressure sensor fault is considered. Second, the optimal filling pressure reference trajectory is constructed by Pontryagin’s minimum principle. In the fault-free case, a feedback controller is designed to track the desire pressure trajectory with an observer estimating the unmeasurable state of the system. Third, an adaptive observer is constructed to estimate the pressure sensor fault. Based on the estimated sensor fault information, a pressure sensor fault-tolerant control strategy is proposed for the filling phase of wet clutches. Simulation results show that the proposed fault-tolerant controller can realize smooth and precise clutch-filling control with pressure sensor fault.
The epidemiology of acute methamphetamine toxicity presenting to emergency departments in Hong Kong
Authors: Lam Rex Pui Kin , Chan Chi Keung , Tse Man Li , Lau Eric Ho Yin , Tsui Matthew Sik Hon , Rainer Timothy Hudson
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

Recreational use of methamphetamine is increasing worldwide, but epidemiology studies from Asia are lacking. We aimed to characterise the trends, drug use pattern, clinical presentations and health services utilisation of acute methamphetamine toxicity presenting to emergency departments and the current practice of emergency department psychosocial interventions in Hong Kong.

Methods:

This was a secondary analysis of a retrospective study on emergency department patients reported to the Hong Kong Poison Information Centre between 2010 and 2019 for acute toxicity related to recreational methamphetamine use. We studied the trend using a negative binominal regression model.

Results:

During the study period, 1225 episodes (involved 979 patients; 68.9% men; with a median age of 33.0 years) were reported. Acute methamphetamine toxicity did not increase significantly (odds ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 0.86–1.40, p = 0.46). Polysubstance abuse predominated. Many patients developed hypokalaemia (24.0%), rhabdomyolysis (17.2%), acute kidney injury (9.4%) and myocardial injury (4.7%); psychotic symptoms including auditory hallucination (23.8%) and paranoid delusion (21.1%); various acute behavioural disturbances and injuries. Overall, 66 patients required intensive care and 14 patients died. Only a minority of the patients were referred to social workers and voluntary drug treatment and rehabilitation services.

Conclusion:

Methamphetamine has a significant impact on physical and mental health in Hong Kong. Our findings highlight the need for screening for hypokalaemia, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, myocardial injury and psychosis in methamphetamine users and support policies that address polysubstance abuse, prevent drug use through continued public education and strengthen the referral system by integrating substance abuse services at the emergency department.
Movements’ Dynamics and Government Responsiveness to Violence Against Women: A Study Set Against Political and Social Change in Spain and Italy
Authors: Corradi Consuelo , Donato Stellamarina
Published: June 2023

Actions to counter violence against women are a fully fledged policy field with significant differences across countries. Through a comparative analysis of Spain and Italy, this article maps the interplay between women's movements and national governments in launching violence against women (VAW) policies. In Spain, policy formation was the outcome of dual feminist–socialist activism, leading to dialogue between movements and the government. In Italy, movements opposed the government from the outside. In both countries, the critical factor inciting responsiveness on VAW was not one single variable but a combination of political opportunity, movement identity, dedicated women's policy agencies, and the soft power of international institutions.
Between Voices and Silence: Indigenous Women and Sexual Offenses by Men Among the Arhuaco People
Authors: Medina Edwin Rubio , Quintana Luisa Castaneda
Published: June 2023

The field of legal anthropology has widely debated Indigenous Peoples’ justice practices. However, Indigenous Peoples’ legal perspective on sexual offenses remains understudied. In this respect, this article approaches the spiritual and political dimensions of the Arhuaco People's justice system to examine its procedures and sanctions. We want to understand how the Arhuaco People administer justice in cases where male community members are allegedly responsible for committing sexual crimes against women. During fieldwork in the Arhuaco territory, the authors employ methodologies drawn from the procedural paradigm-legal conscience studies as an interpretive framework to understand how Arhuaco women conceive legal phenomena.
Leaving No One Behind: Prospects for User-Owned Urban Water Utilities in Kenya
Authors: Koros Japheth Kibet , Juuti Petri , Juuti Rikka , Hukka Jarmo , Asokan Shilpa Muliyil
Published: June 2023

Achieving universal access to basic services and safe and affordable water and sanitation to all by 2030, as targeted in Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 6, is of utmost importance in improving people’s well-being. In Kenya, this means fulfilling a significant water services gap. This study analyzed the viability of user-owned urban water utilities there from managers’ perspectives. It found that the high performance of the few licensed private utilities, high ownership and control, small size, robust public participation, and regulatory policies favor their performance. Yet, the costliness of water services production limits their viability in the most sidelined low-income areas. The article recommends (i) diversifying service production models, (ii) establishing a revolving fund to finance major capital investments, (iii) making full cost recovery a key policy objective, (iv) mobilizing financing from local users, including low-income earners, and (v) setting pricing structures that imply cross-subsidizing between the rich and poor.
Aquatic Dual-Task Training and Its Relation to Motor Functions, Activities of Daily Living, and Quality of Life of Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: da Silva Adriano Zanardi , Iucksch Dielise Debona , Israel Vera Lúcia
Published: June 2023

Objectives:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that impacts the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms, as well as changes in activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL). Aquatic physical exercises and dual-task physical exercises have been used to manage PD symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a dual-task aquatic exercise program on the ADL, motor symptoms, and QoL of individuals with PD.

Methods:

A randomized controlled trial with a parallel group design was employed, and participants were randomized into 2 groups: a control group and an experimental group. The intervention was a 10-week program consisting of twice-weekly 40-minute aquatic dual-task exercises. Pre-intervention evaluations of ADL, motor function, and QoL were conducted at baseline (AS1), immediately after the intervention (AS2), and 3 months post-intervention (follow-up—AS3). The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) II and III sections and the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39) were utilized for outcome measures.

Results:

A total of 25 individuals completed the study. The experimental group showed significant improvements in both the UPDRS II (ADL) and III (motor function) sections ( P’s < .05), but there was no significant difference in PDQ-39 scores. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the experimental group between the AS2 and AS3 time periods ( P < .05) for both UPDRS II and III scores ( P < .05).

Conclusions:

Aquatic dual-task training may be effective in improving both ADL and motor functions in individuals with PD. Furthermore, the combination of aquatic environment and dual-task exercises may represent a promising approach to maintaining and improving the functionality of individuals with PD.
Offender Management: Reducing hazards and building resilience
Authors: Tehrani Noreen
Published: June 2023

This article examines the psychological impact of working in a multi-agency team managing registered sexual and violent offenders. A review of the nature of the role and data collected from psychological surveillance identifies personal and work-related hazard and resilience factors. The study found that much of the variance in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and secondary trauma could be predicted by the psychological surveillance survey's resilience and hazard measures; each mental health condition had a different set of predictors with some common features. The findings are a first step towards increasing the resilience of multi-agency offender management teams with suggestions for reducing hazards and improving individual and team resilience. These findings can help reduce the mental health problems experienced by offender managers working with registered sexual and violent offenders in prisons, probation and policing.
Storying ableism: proposing a feminist intersectional approach to linking theory and digital activism
Authors: More Rahel
Published: June 2023

By addressing ableism through social media and other digital outlets, feminist disability activists share stories on what it means to be human from an intersectional perspective, and their storying is a way of understanding and theorising the world. However, the possibilities of digital disability activism to story ableism within broader feminist debates are underexplored. Storying as an anti-hegemonic approach to theorising ableism further from an intersectional perspective, implemented through an activist-academic working alliance, contributes to speaking otherwise about disability and draws attention to disability perspectives in feminist theory. In this article, I propose a feminist intersectional approach to storying ableism that exposes manifestations of ableism in its intersections with classism, racism and sexism at structural, identity and representational levels. I then argue for digital disability activism as a means of storying ableism, provide examples of such storying and describe the potentials and principles of digital activist storying. While the creation of further theory is central to the proposed approach, the connection of intersectionality theory with ableism and feminist disability theory serves as its foundation. I discuss how linking ableism with intersectionality strengthens the uncovering of ableism at different levels, why studies of ableism should be extended to fields beyond Disability Studies but remain closely connected to disability activism and how feminist disability theory has thus far shaped debates on the dis/ability binary in relation to the gendered body.
A HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of Nadolol in rat plasma: Development, validation, and application to pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Kanjarla Narasimha , Pasupuleti Bhuvanachandra , Boggula Narender , Kusuma Praveen K , Kothapally Daniel , Gone Vamshikrishna , Kiran Gangarapu
Published: June 2023

A sensitive validated method has been developed for the quantification of Nadolol in rat plasma by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) using deuterated Nadolol (Nadolol D9) as internal standard (IS). The liquid–liquid extraction method using ethyl acetate was employed for the sample pretreatment. The separation was achieved on the Agilent Zorbax XDB C18 column (150  mm  ×  4.6  mm ID., 3.5  μm). The column temperature was controlled at 30°C. The components were eluted by using mobile phase A (10  mM ammonium formate) and mobile phase B (acetonitrile) in the ratio of 20:80  v/v with a flow rate of 0.5  mL/min. And 15  μL aliquot was injected in an isocratic elution mode with a total run time of 2.5  min. The multiple reactions monitoring transitions, m/z 310.20/254.10 for Nadolol and IS 319.20/255.00 were selected to achieve high selective analysis. The method exhibited great selectivity and linearity over the concentration range of 6 to 3000  ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification was found to be 6  ng/mL. The developed method proved acceptable results on selectivity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and stability studies as per Food and Drug Administration guidelines. This HPLC-MS/MS assay was successfully applied to get the pharmacokinetics parameters in rat plasma.
Use of Adolescent “Community Researchers” to Address Obesity Among Mexican Immigrant Families
Authors: D’Alonzo Karen T. , Jimenez Manuel E. , Ahmed Salik , Vivar Maria , Vivar Itamary , Vivar Lawrence
Published: June 2023

Background: Mexican–American immigrants have a disparate prevalence of overweight/obesity, and obesogenic illness. One approach is to train immigrant adolescents as “community researchers.” Aims: (1) Design a program to train community researchers to address obesity among Mexican immigrant families and (2) identify the key components of a successful program. Methods: The content included an overview of community research/citizen science; obesity and food insecurity; study design and data collection and analysis for nutrition and physical activity. The students concluded by analyzing the results of group concept mapping (GCM) activities. Results: Post-session class discussions reflected an increased understanding of weekly topics. Analysis of GCM data suggests that members of the Mexican immigrant community may use emotional eating as a way to manage structural stigma, eventually leading to truncal obesity, T2DM and increased cardiovascular risk. Conclusions: Adolescents of Mexican heritage can have a major impact in promoting healthy lifestyles in their communities.
A combined immune prognostic index in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy
Authors: Ji Shoujian , Zhao Chuanhua , Liu Rongrui , Wang Yan , Yang Qing , Yang Hua , Xu Jianming
Published: June 2023

Background:

Only a fraction of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) show tumor responses to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy. The predictive value of single biomarkers for prognosis is limited, and a more comprehensive approach that incorporates multiple factors may improve the prognostic prediction. Here, we conducted a retrospective study to develop a combined immune prognostic index (CIPI) for predicting clinical outcomes of ESCC patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy.

Design and methods:

We performed a pooled analysis of two multicenter clinical trials comparing immunotherapy versus chemotherapy as second-line treatment in ESCC patients. The discovery cohort comprised patients who received anti-PD-1 inhibitors ( N = 322) and the control cohort comprised patients who received chemotherapy ( N = 307). The validation cohort included patients with pan-cancers treated with PD-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 inhibitors, except for ESCC ( N = 110). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the prediction value of variables on survival.

Results:

In the discovery cohort, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, serum albumin, and liver metastasis were independently associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). We integrated the three variables into CIPI and found that CIPI could categorize patients into four subgroups (CIPI 0 to CIPI 3) with distinct OS, PFS, and tumor responses. The CIPI was also predictive of clinical outcomes in the validation cohort, but not in the control cohort. Furthermore, patients with CIPI 0, CIPI 1, and CIPI 2 were more likely to benefit from anti-PD-1 monotherapy than chemotherapy, while patients with CIPI 3 did not benefit from anti-PD-1 monotherapy over chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

The CIPI score was a robust biomarker for prognostic prediction in ESCC patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy and was immunotherapy specific. The CIPI score may also be applicable for prognostic prediction in pan-cancers.
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging discerns glioblastoma immune microenvironmental heterogeneity
Authors: Kersch Cymon N , Muldoon Leslie L , Claunch Cheryl J , Fu Rongwei , Schwartz Daniel , Cha Soonmee , Starkey Jay , Neuwelt Edward A , Barajas Ramon F
Published: June 2023

Rationale and objective

Poor clinical outcomes for patients with glioblastoma are in part due to dysfunction of the tumor-immune microenvironment. An imaging approach able to characterize immune microenvironmental signatures could provide a framework for biologically based patient stratification and response assessment. We hypothesized spatially distinct gene expression networks can be distinguished by multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) phenotypes.

Materials and methods

Patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma underwent image-guided tissue sampling allowing for co-registration of MRI metrics with gene expression profiles. MRI phenotypes based on gadolinium contrast enhancing lesion (CEL) and non-enhancing lesion (NCEL) regions were subdivided based on imaging parameters (relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)). Gene set enrichment analysis and immune cell type abundance was estimated using CIBERSORT methodology. Significance thresholds were set at a p-value cutoff 0.005 and an FDR q-value cutoff of 0.1.

Results

Thirteen patients (eight men, five women, mean age 58 ± 11 years) provided 30 tissue samples (16 CEL and 14 NCEL). Six non-neoplastic gliosis samples differentiated astrocyte repair from tumor associated gene expression. MRI phenotypes displayed extensive transcriptional variance reflecting biological networks, including multiple immune pathways. CEL regions demonstrated higher immunologic signature expression than NCEL, while NCEL regions demonstrated stronger immune signature expression levels than gliotic non-tumor brain. Incorporation of rCBV and ADC metrics identified sample clusters with differing immune microenvironmental signatures.

Conclusion

Taken together, our study demonstrates that MRI phenotypes provide an approach for non-invasively characterizing tumoral and immune microenvironmental glioblastoma gene expression networks.
Efficient biobased oligomeric plasticizers from the renewable biomonomers, glycerol and adipic acid
Authors: Howell Bob A
Published: June 2023

With the recognition that traditional phthalate plasticizers readily migrate from a polymer matrix into which they have been incorporated, have become widespread environmental pollutants and pose risks to human health, the development of new, effective, nontoxic, nonmigrating plasticizers has gained urgency. A focus has been the generation of plasticizers from renewable, inexpensive, nontoxic biobased precursors. Many small molecule plasticizers have been prepared from readily-available bioprecursors. However, the most promising are branched oligomeric materials. Fully compatible oligomeric plasticizers do not migrate from a polymer matrix. Highly branched materials are effective in increasing free volume and display good plasticizing impact. Using new technology that permits the generation of hyperbranched poly(ester) without gelation and with control of molecular weight and endgroup identity, oligomeric materials have been prepared from the nontoxic biomonomers, glycerol and adipic acid. The monomers are readily available at modest cost. The oligomers may be obtained in a simple one-step process and function as very effective plasticizers for polymeric materials.
Prevalence and Predictors of Excessive Polypharmacy in Geriatric Inpatients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia
Authors: Faisal Shah , Zairina Elida , Nathishuwan Surakit , Khotib Junaidi , Kristina Susi Ari , Nugraheni Gesnita
Published: June 2023

Objectives:

To investigate the prevalence and predictors of excessive polypharmacy in geriatric inpatients in Indonesia.

Methods:

This retrospective cross-sectional study included 1533 inpatients over the age of 60 years at Universitas Airlangga Hospital, Indonesia. Effects of a patient’s baseline characteristics on excessive polypharmacy were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results:

Excessive polypharmacy was observed in 133 (8.67%) patients. Ulcer (OR 8.151,95% CI 2.234-29.747, P = .001), cancer (OR 5.551, 95% CI 1.602-19.237, P = .007), and renal diseases (OR 3.710, 95% CI 1.965-7.006, P < .001) were the 3 strongest predictors of excessive polypharmacy. An association between hospital stay of more than 3 days and excessive polypharmacy was identified (OR 2.382, 95% CI 1.109-5.115, P = .026).

Discussion:

One in 12 elderly Indonesians was found to practice excessive polypharmacy. Several chronic conditions and increased length of hospital stay were the factors associated with excessive polypharmacy.
Illness Perception, Self-Efficacy, and Medication Adherence in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: A Path Analysis of Conceptual Model
Authors: Mobini Soheil , Allahbakhshian Atefeh , Shabanloei Reza , Sarbakhsh Parvin
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Illness perception and self-efficacy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) may affect medication adherence, which is one of the most important challenges in disease management in this group of patients.

Objective

The present study aimed to investigate the factors influencing medication adherence in CAD patients, especially the effect of illness perception and self-efficacy.

Methods

This study was cross-sectional and conducted from April to September 2021. A total of 259 patients with confirmed CAD were selected by convenience sampling method based on inclusion criteria. Illness perception, self-efficacy, and medication adherence were investigated using Brief IPQ, SCSES, and MARS_10 questionnaires, respectively. The data were analyzed using the STATA software (version 14) and the regression path analysis method.

Results

Patients had moderate illness perception and high self-efficacy, and 61.8 of them adhered to their medication regimen. Greater illness perception, better self-efficacy, and higher education had a positive effect on medication adherence, and increasing age had a negative effect on it. The final path model shows a good fit of the data in the model (χ2: 0.37, df: 274, χ2/df: 0.36, CFI: 1, IFI: 0.95, TLI: 1.07, and RMSEA: 0.00).

Conclusion

The results of the present study suggest that patients’ illness perception can play an important role in predicting self-efficacy in disease management and the level of medication adherence in patients with CAD. To improve self-efficacy and medication adherence, future intervention studies should focus on the patient's illness perceptions and their improvement.
Risk Factors for the Progression of Varus Ankle Osteoarthritis
Authors: Kurokawa Hiroaki , Taniguchi Akira , Ueno Yuki , Miyamoto Takuma , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: June 2023

Background:

With the increase in life expectancy, the prevalence of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is also expected to increase in the future. Functional disability and diminished quality of life associated with end-stage ankle OA are comparable to those associated with end-stage hip or knee OA. However, there are few reports on the natural history and progression of patients with ankle OA. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for progression in patients with varus ankle OA.

Methods:

We evaluated 68 ankles from 58 patients diagnosed with varus ankle OA using radiography performed at intervals over at least 60 months. The mean follow-up period was 99 ± 40 months. Narrowing of the joint space and increasing osteophyte formation were defined as ankle OA progression. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression to predict the odds of progression; the model included 2 clinical variables and 7 radiographic variables.

Results:

Of the 68 ankles, 39 (57%) progressed. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, patient’s age (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-0.99, P < .03), and the talar tilt (TT; OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.39-3.42, P = .001) were found to be independent factors for progression. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for TT was 0.844, and the cutoff value was 2.0 degrees.

Conclusion:

TT was found to be a primary factor associated with varus ankle OA progression. The risk appeared higher in patients with a TT more than 2.0 degrees.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective case control study.
The penguins that wouldn’t explode: Accidental rewilding, militarized landscapes, and post-conflict islands
Authors: Chen Yi-Chia , Land Isaac
Published: June 2023

“Rewilding” is an increasingly influential concept, though the widespread, if unplanned, rewilding that takes place in “no man’s land” or demilitarized zones has received limited attention from environmental historians, and none at all from historians of islands. When former military bases or conflict areas are opened up to development and tourism, the continued presence of the new non-human residents poses both opportunities and challenges. This article will consider two late twentieth-century examples, Quemoy and the Falklands, where the classic traits of insularity—the natural limit of resources and the geographical separation from the mainland—were compounded by the presence of minefields and stringent military control, permitting the emergence of an insular military ecology. The later discovery of the “rewilded” areas by journalists, nature writers, and companies promoting tourism invited reflection on the ability of nature to regenerate and on the larger meanings of post-conflict landscapes. Islands figure here, once again, as sites of the production of knowledge and as opportunities for experimentation, yet in ways which differ from the examples considered by earlier historians of islands.
Decolonizing ocean spaces: Saltwater co-belonging and responsibilities
Authors: Lobo Michele , Parsons Meg
Published: June 2023

Oceans in the colonial Anthropocene are haunted by the brutal racial logics of slavery, indenture, plunder, violence, death, and multispecies extinction. This brutality manifested through uneven burdens of climate extremes, global warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, pollution, and threats from offshore energy extraction, chokes the “life force” of oceans that sustain planetary belongings and futures. Global agreements on climate change, biodiversity conventions, sustainable goals, and laws of the sea increasingly attempt to transform dystopic planetary futures through openness to Indigenous and local knowledges. But these overlooked Indigenous, Black, Brown, and southern intellectual traditions of belonging and responsibility in settler colonial, postcolonial, and post-apartheid societies have always existed alongside white, western Euro-American ontologies of the ocean. As subaltern southern and Indigenous scholars, our privileging of ontologies of the ocean amid the racial, colonial, and capitalist logics that continues to suffocate people and the planet, seeks to do more than enrich white, western, English-speaking Euro-American institutions. We, therefore, face ethical dilemmas as we assemble and prioritize strands of literature in our decolonial, polyphonic place-based ocean storytelling that seeks to advance new directions in Environmental Geography.
Extensive genetic admixture between Tai-Kadai-speaking people and their neighbours in the northeastern region of the Yungui Plateau inferred from genome-wide variations
Authors: Wang Jiawen , Wu Jun , Sun Qiuxia , Wu Qian , Li Youjing , Duan Shuhan , Yang Lin , Wu Wenxin , Wang Zheng , Liu Yan , Tang Renkuan , Yang Junbao , Wang Chuanchao , Liu Chao , Xu Jianwei , Wang Mengge , He Guanglin
Published: June 2023

Background

Yungui Plateau in Southwest China is characterized by multi-language and multi-ethnic communities and is one of the regions with the wealthiest ethnolinguistic, cultural and genetic diversity in East Asia. There are numerous Tai-Kadai (TK)-speaking populations, but their detailed evolutionary history and biological adaptations are still unclear.

Results

Here, we genotyped genome-wide SNP data of 77 unrelated TK-speaking Zhuang and Dong individuals from the Yungui Plateau and explored their detailed admixture history and adaptive features using clustering patterns, allele frequency differentiation and sharing haplotype patterns. TK-speaking Zhuang and Dong people in Guizhou are closely related to geographically close TK and Hmong-Mien (HM)-speaking populations. Besides, we identified that Guizhou TK-speaking people have a close genetic relationship with Austronesian (AN)-speaking Atayal and Paiwan people, which is supported by the common origin of the ancient Baiyue tribe. We additionally found subtle genetic differences among the newly studied TK people and previously reported Dais via the fine-scale genetic substructure analysis based on the shared haplotype chunks. Finally, we identified specific selection candidate signatures associated with several essential human immune systems and neurological disorders, which could provide evolutionary evidence for the allele frequency distribution pattern of genetic risk loci.

Conclusions

Our comprehensive genetic characterization of TK people suggested the strong genetic affinity within TK groups and extensive gene flow with geographically close HM and Han people. We also provided genetic evidence that supported the common origin hypothesis of TK and AN people. The best-fitted admixture models further suggested that ancestral sources from northern millet farmers and southern inland and coastal people contributed to the formation of the gene pool of the Zhuang and Dong people.
Similarity and diversity of genetic architecture for complex traits between East Asian and European populations
Authors: Zhang Jinhui , Zhang Shuo , Qiao Jiahao , Wang Ting , Zeng Ping
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background

Genome-wide association studies have detected a large number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with complex traits in diverse ancestral groups. However, the trans-ethnic similarity and diversity of genetic architecture is not well understood currently.

Results

By leveraging summary statistics of 37 traits from East Asian (Nmax=254,373) or European (Nmax=693,529) populations, we first evaluated the trans-ethnic genetic correlation (ρg) and found substantial evidence of shared genetic overlap underlying these traits between the two populations, with $${\widehat{\rho }}_{g}$$ ranging from 0.53 (se = 0.11) for adult-onset asthma to 0.98 (se = 0.17) for hemoglobin A1c. However, 88.9% of the genetic correlation estimates were significantly less than one, indicating potential heterogeneity in genetic effect across populations. We next identified common associated SNPs using the conjunction conditional false discovery rate method and observed 21.7% of trait-associated SNPs can be identified simultaneously in both populations. Among these shared associated SNPs, 20.8% showed heterogeneous influence on traits between the two ancestral populations. Moreover, we demonstrated that population-common associated SNPs often exhibited more consistent linkage disequilibrium and allele frequency pattern across ancestral groups compared to population-specific or null ones. We also revealed population-specific associated SNPs were much likely to undergo natural selection compared to population-common associated SNPs.

Conclusions

Our study provides an in-depth understanding of similarity and diversity regarding genetic architecture for complex traits across diverse populations, and can assist in trans-ethnic association analysis, genetic risk prediction, and causal variant fine mapping.
Intra-prostatic gold fiducial marker insertion for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT): five-year experience on 795 patients
Authors: Mahdavi Ali , Mofid Bahram , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farzad
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in males. The use of intra-prostatic fiducial markers (FM) for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) has become widespread due to their accuracy, relatively safe use, low cost, and reproducibility. FM provides a tool to monitor prostate position and volume changes. Many studies reported low to moderate rates of complications following FM implantation. In the current study, we present our five years’ experience regarding the insertion technique, technical success, and rates of complication and migration of intraprostatic insertion of FM gold marker.

Methods

From January 2018 to January 2023, 795 patients with prostate cancer candidate for IGRT (with or without a history of radical prostatectomy) enrolled in this study. We used three fiducial markers (3*0.6 mm) inserted through an 18-gauge Chiba needle under transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) guidance. The patients were observed for complications up to seven days after the procedure. Besides, the rate of marker migration was recorded.

Results

All procedures were completed successfully, and all patients tolerated the procedure well with minimal discomfort. The rate of sepsis after the procedure was 1%, and transient urinary obstruction was 1.6%. Only two patients experienced marker migration shortly after insertion, and no fiducial migration was reported throughout radiotherapy. No other major complication was recorded.

Discussion

TRUS-guided intraprostatic FM implantation is technically feasible, safe, and well-tolerated in most patients. The FM migration can seldom occur, with negligible effects. This study can provide convincing evidence that TRUS-guided intra-prostatic FM insertion is an appropriate choice for IGRT.
The impact of a vegetarian diet on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression – a systematic review
Authors: Świątek Łukasz , Jeske Jan , Miedziaszczyk Miłosz , Idasiak-Piechocka Ilona
Published: June 2023

Background

A vegetarian diet is a popular alternative to the casual diet - it is considered healthy, and was proven to positively affect cardiovascular health. The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) progression is a major issue in the healthcare system, and constitutes a leading cause of death for 1.5% of the global population. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the potential impact of a vegetarian diet on kidney function in CKD patients.

Method

Our systematic review focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared the effects of a vegetarian diet (experimental) and a standard omnivore diet (comparator) in terms of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in CKD patients. Inclusion criteria were based on PICO elements, with two researchers involved in browsing the Cochrane and Pubmed search engines. The investigation was performed using the PRISMA 2020 Checklist and PRISMA 2020 flow diagram. The search terms included: ‘vegetarian diet’ AND ‘nephropathy’, ‘eGFR’, ‘albuminuria’, ‘chronic kidney disease’. Bias assessment was performed using RoB 2 tool to determine the validity of the data collected from studies.

Results

Four RCTs with a total of 346 participants were included in the presented systematic review. Two largest RCTs reported an increase in eGFR following a change to a vegetarian diet (p = 0.01 and p = 0.001). Another two found no significant differences between the experimental and control groups, also these trials were associated with a high risk of bias in terms of missing data outcome and the randomization process.

Conclusions

The findings collected in this systematic review suggest that a vegetarian diet improves renal filtration function in CKD patients. Therefore, it seems essential to conduct further research involving the impact of the diet on the progression of CKD.