Oclacitinib 10 years later: lessons learned and directions for the future

Oclacitinib was approved in the United States 10 years ago for the management of atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic skin disease in dogs. Many studies and case reports have been published in the past 10 years on the efficacy and safety of this medication, both at labeled doses to treat allergic dogs and off label to treat other diseases and given to other species. Concerns and confusion have occurred for both clinicians and owners regarding the long-term safety of this drug. The purpose of this review is to present the current knowledge on the efficacy, speed of action, effects on the immune system, and clinical safety of oclacitinib, based on evidence and published literature. We also aim to summarize the lessons learned in the past 10 years and to propose directions for the future.

[Prediction of internal fixation failure of femoral trochanteric fracture by external wall morphology]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between the shape of the lateral wall and the early failure of internal fixation in the fracture of the femoral trochanteric region(FFT).

METHODS

Total 295 patients with femoral trochanteric fracture underwent internal fixation from January 2015 to January 2020 were selected. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether there was early internal fixation failure after surgery, 19 patients in the failure group and 276 patients in the normal group. Gender, affected side, age, AO classification, body mass index(BMI), preoperative hemoglobin, X-ray measurement of lower lateral wall thickness, preoperative internal diseases, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative tip apex distance(TAD), postoperative neck shaft angle, operation time and other data were compared between two groups. The shape of the lateral wall was compared between two groups, and the correlation between the shape of the lateral wall and the early internal fixation failure of femoral trochanteric fracture was analyzed.

RESULTS

All patients were followed up for more than 1 year. There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative TAD, and postoperative neck shaft angle(P>0.05). At the latest follow-up, the visual anaglue scale (VAS) of the failure group was higher than that of the normal group(P<0.01), and the Harris score of the failure group was lower than that of normal group(P<0.05). The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve between shape of lateral wall and failure of early internal fixation of femoral trochanteric fracture was drawn. The critical value of the midpoint lateral wall thickness was 16.5 mm, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.845;The critical value of average sidewall thickness was 16.5 mm, and the area under ROC curve was 0.838;The critical value of the axial area of the sidewall was 7.5 mm, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.826.

CONCLUSION

The shape of the lateral femoral wall measured by CT could be used as a predictive factor for the early failure of internal fixation of femoral trochanteric fractures. For patients at risk, more reasonable surgical plans and postoperative preventive measures should be developed.

[Clinical study on core decompression in treating osteonecrosis of the femoral head of the necrotic bone-in different site]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical effect of decompression and bone grafting on osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH) at different sites of necrotic lesions.

METHODS

A total of 105 patients with ARCOⅡstage ONFH admitted from January 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 71 males and 34 females, with an average age of (55.20±10.98) years old. The mean course of all patients was(15.91±9.85) months. According to Japanese Inveatigation Committee (JIC) classification, all patients were divided into 4 types:17 cases of type A, 26 cases of type B, 33 cases of type C1 and 29 cases of type C2. All four groups were treated with decompression of the pulp core and bone grafting. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and Harris hip joint score were used before and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the operation, and the collapse of the femoral head was observed by X-ray examination within 2 years.

RESULTS

All 105 patients were successful on operation without complications, and the mean follow-up duration was (24.45±2.75) months. Harris score showed that there was no statistical difference among four groups before surgery and 3, 6 months after surgery (P>0.05);at 12 and 24 months after surgery, there were significant differences among all groups (P<0.01). There were significant differences in intragroup Harris scores at preoperative and postoperative time points among four groups (P<0.01). VAS showed that there was no statistical difference among four groups before and 3, 6 months after surgery (P>0.05);at 12 and 24 months after surgery, there were significant differences among all groups (P<0.01). There were significant differences in VAS at preoperative and postoperative time points among four groups (P<0.01). None of the patients in four groups had femoral head collapse before and 3, 6 months after surgery. At 12 months after operation, there were 3 cases of femoral head collapse in group C and 4 cases in group C2(P>0.05);At 24 months after operation, 1 case of femoral head collapse occurred in group B, 6 cases in group C1 and 8 cases in group C2(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Core decompression and bone grafting can improve the effect of ONFH and hip preservation. The effect of hip preservation for ONFH is closely related to the location of the osteonecrosis lesion, so the influence of the location of lesion on the effect of hip preservation should be considered in clinical treatment, so as to make better preoperative hip preservation plan.

Significance of Dynamic Changes of VCA-IgA Levels in Pre- and Post-treatment Plasma of Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Development of a Clinically-Oriented Model

INTRODUCTION

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) responds well to radiotherapy but recurrence and metastasis are common. Currently, there is no widely used biomarker for accurately predicting the recurrence and metastasis of NPC. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic ability of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen (VCA-IgA) kinetics by assessing the dynamic changes of VCA-IgA levels in the pre- and post-treatment plasma of patients with NPC and have proposed a prognostic model for clinical use.

METHODS

The clinical records of patients with NPC diagnosed at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were retrieved and classified into a respondent (n = 83) or non-respondent (n = 25) cohort based on their response to antitumor therapy. Factors associated with the outcomes of the patients were assessed and incorporated in a nomogram. For internal validation, bootstrapping with 1000 resamples was used. The prediction accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were investigated by calibration and concordance index (C-index) and plotted decision curves to assess the benefits of nomogram-assisted decisions in a clinical context.

RESULTS

Plasma VCA-IgA level of the non-respondent cohort at the 6th month after treatment was found significantly higher than the respondent cohort. Post-treatment VCA-IgA level, smoking, and distant metastases were identified as independent risk factors for disease-free survival (DFS), and were used to stratify patients with NPC into three risk groups. The median DFS of the low-, middle- and high-risk groups were 48.5, 35.0, and 15.5 months, respectively. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.848 (95% CI 0.769-0.926), demonstrating good clinical accuracy for predicting the DFS of patients with NPC. The decision curve showed that the nomogram in predicting DFS was better than VCA-IgA level, smoking, and distant metastases.

CONCLUSION

The proposed VCA-IgA-based nomogram demonstrated a promising ability to predict the DFS of patients with NPC after antitumor therapy. It could be used as a clinical guidance to improve the therapeutic/surveillance strategies of these patients.

An eco-friendly and sensitive deep eutectic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction procedure for extraction preconcentration of Pb (II) ions

In recent years, interest in green solvents, which are environmentally friendly, easy to prepare and biodegradable, and in their applications in chemistry has considerably increased. In the current study, a new and easy deep eutectic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction method compatible with green chemistry principles was developed for preconcentration of Pb (II) ions. The amount of Pb (II) ions was determined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Various analytical parameters such as deep eutectic solvent (DES) ratio and amount, ligand amount, pH, sample volume were optimized and the effects of potential matrix ions on the method were investigated. The preconcentration factor of the method was found to be 160, while the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 0.071 µg L^-1 and 0.236 µg L^-1, respectively. The developed procedure was performed to determine Pb (II) ions in lake and river waters, and the accuracy of the procedure was determined with certified reference wastewater (SPS-WW1) analysis.

A study on the impact of road traffic noise exposure on work efficiency of housewives

Housewives are individuals who take on the caregiving role in the family in virtually every society and while discharging their duties experience serious psychological difficulties due to external environmental pollutants like air, noise, etc., which influences their efficiency of performing household activities. This study hypothesizes a causal association between perception of traffic noise and the reduction in performance of housewives in their daily household activities. A simple mediation model was utilized for the study with traffic noise perception as the exposure variable. The sensitivity to traffic noise, annoyance caused due to traffic noise, and the effect of traffic noise on housewives were evaluated using questionnaire survey. Of the respondents, 57.33% reported high level of traffic noise perception, while 65.81% reported high annoyance due to traffic noise perception. Of the respondents, 88.69% reported higher levels of agreement with regard to negative effect of traffic noise on their household activities. The results supported the hypothesis with respondents belonging to high and moderate noise perception groups reporting a higher reduction in performance as compared to those belonging to the low noise perception group at higher values of sensitivity. There was no significant direct effect among those who perceived traffic noise as high and moderate. However, the indirect path revealed that there was a significantly higher reduction in performance among those belonging to the high and moderate noise perception group as compared to those belonging to the low noise perception group while those who perceived traffic noise as high and moderate did not differ significantly only at higher levels of sensitivity. Using OGRS computational tool, a sensitivity value of 5.586 was identified as the Johnson-Neyman boundary of significance for the direct effect. The results from the study highlight the need for including environmental noise related regulations with regard to residential structures by the concerned authorities and also the need for undertaking more rigorous studies by health authorities and organizations so that the effects are minimized if not eliminated completely.

Advances in biological and targeted therapies for systemic sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe, and often life-threatening, autoimmune disease which causes inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. There are currently limited effective therapeutic options for patients with SSc. There are recently completed and ongoing phase 2 and 3 studies looking at biologic therapies for SSc that target underlying pathogenesis of the disease.

AREAS COVERED

The purpose of this review is to describe completed and ongoing trials of different biologic therapies for the treatment of SSc. This review discusses biologic therapy directed at multiple pathways that are believed to contribute to inflammation and fibrosis in SSc including T cell, B cell, direct cytokines, and JAK signaling. Data presented is based on authors' expertise of completed and ongoing trials.

EXPERT OPINION

Tocilizumab and rituximab have supporting data to advocate for use in early SSc. Data from tocilizumab showed preservation of forced vital capacity (FVC) and beneficial effects on global composite measure. Recent data from different trials with rituximab in SSc (with and without interstitial lung disease) show beneficial effects on skin and FVC with good tolerability. We highlight the molecular heterogeneity in early SSc phenotype and the need to account for this in future trials.

The work of Donald Ewen Cameron: from psychic driving to MK Ultra

Donald Ewen Cameron is known as the Canadian psychiatrist behind the Montreal Experiments, a series of brainwashing experiments. As part of a larger Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) project known as MK Ultra, the CIA regarded these experiments as a potential military weapon during the Cold War. However, a closer look into Cameron's research and project MK Ultra shows that these experiments began long before Cameron was contacted by the CIA. Additionally, Cameron received funding for his experiments indirectly, so he was probably never aware the money was from the CIA. In this paper, I analyse the published work of Dr Cameron from the beginning of his career to his role in MK Ultra, and evaluate his own possible reasoning behind these experiments.

Application of Instrumental Variable Analysis in Pediatric End-of-Life Research: A Case Study

Instrumental variable analysis (IVA) has been widely used in many fields, including health care, to determine the comparative effectiveness of a treatment, intervention, or policy. However, its application in pediatric end-of-life care research has been limited. This article provides a brief overview of IVA and its assumptions. It illustrates the use of IVA by investigating the comparative effectiveness of concurrent versus standard hospice care for reducing 1-day hospice enrollments. Concurrent hospice care is a relatively recent type of care enabled by the Affordable Care Act in 2010 for children enrolled in the Medicaid program and allows for receiving life-prolonging medical treatment concurrently with hospice care. The IVA was conducted using observational data from 18,152 pediatric patients enrolled in hospice between 2011 and 2013. The results indicated that enrollment in concurrent hospice care reduced 1-day enrollment by 19.3%.

Unmixing Biological Fluorescence Image Data with Sparse and Low-Rank Poisson Regression

MOTIVATION

Multispectral biological fluorescence microscopy has enabled the identification of multiple targets in complex samples. The accuracy in the unmixing result degrades (1) as the number of fluorophores used in any experiment increases and (2) as the signal-to-noise ratio in the recorded images decreases. Further, the availability of prior knowledge regarding the expected spatial distributions of fluorophores in images of labeled cells provides an opportunity to improve the accuracy of fluorophore identification and abundance.

RESULTS

We propose a regularized sparse and low-rank Poisson unmixing approach (SL-PRU) to deconvolve spectral images labeled with highly overlapping fluorophores which are recorded in low signal-to-noise regimes. Firstly, SL-PRU implements multi-penalty terms when pursuing sparseness and spatial correlation of the resulting abundances in small neighborhoods simultaneously. Secondly, SL-PRU makes use of Poisson regression for unmixing instead of least squares regression to better estimate photon abundance. Thirdly, we propose a method to tune the SL-PRU parameters involved in the unmixing procedure in the absence of knowledge of the ground truth abundance information in a recorded image. By validating on simulated and real-world images, we show that our proposed method leads to improved accuracy in unmixing fluorophores with highly overlapping spectra.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The source code used for this paper was written in MATLAB and is available with the test data at https://github.com/WANGRUOGU/SL-PRU.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Royal Netherlands Marechaussee Personnel's Self-Perceived Occupational Demand Profiles: A Latent Profile Analysis Shows the "Good" Versus the "Bad"

INTRODUCTION

Research has linked high occupational demands to multiple adverse health outcomes, both physical and mental. As far as we know, researchers have not identified the profile characteristics of military police personnel based on occupational demands. The current study aims to identify profiles based on self-perceived occupational demands and work-related factors. This study is a starting point for characterizing performance and health in a military police population.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study in which we gathered survey data from 1,135 Royal Netherlands Marechaussee members. We used Latent Profile Analysis to identify profiles based on nine indicators of workload and work characteristics selected via focus groups and interviews with Royal Netherlands Marechaussee personnel. We determined if the profiles differed significantly across all indicators with an analysis of variance. Then, we used binominal logistic regression to determine the odds ratio (OR) for the indicators on profile membership.

RESULTS

We discovered two profiles that were distinct across all indicators. Experience (OR = 1.02, 95% CI [1.00-1.04]), autonomy (OR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.06-1.31]), task clarity (OR = 1.49, [1.32-1.69]), and work support (OR = 2.63, 95% CI [2.26-3.09]) were all predictors for a low perceived occupational demand profile. In contrast, mental (OR = 0.18, 95% CI [0.13-0.25]) and physical (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.32-0.54]) fatigue, and boredom (OR = 0.14, 95% CI [0.10-0.20]) were predictors for high perceived occupational demand profiles.

CONCLUSION

We established two distinct profiles that describe the characteristics reported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee personnel based on workload and work characteristics. High scores on autonomy, work support, and task clarity predict favorable perceived occupational demands, whereas fatigue and boredom predict unfavorable occupational demands. Remarkably, the physical workload did not predict high perceived occupational demands.

Fully automated magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics analysis for differentiating pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

To develop and validate an automated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based model to preoperatively differentiate pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma (PASC) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with surgically resected, histopathologically confirmed PASC or PDAC who underwent MRI between January 2011 and December 2020. According to time of treatment, they were divided into training and validation sets. Automated deep-learning-based artificial intelligence was used for pancreatic tumor segmentation. Linear discriminant analysis was performed with conventional MRI and radiomic features to develop clinical, radiomics, and mixed models in the training set. The models' performances were determined from their discrimination and clinical utility. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used for survival analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, 389 and 123 patients with PDAC (age, 61.37 ± 9.47 years; 251 men) and PASC (age, 61.99 ± 9.82 years; 78 men) were included, respectively; they were split into the training (n = 358) and validation (n = 154) sets. The mixed model showed good performance in the training and validation sets (area under the curve: 0.94 and 0.96, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 76.74%, 93.38%, and 89.39% for the training set, respectively, and 67.57%, 97.44%, and 90.26% for the validation set, respectively. The mixed model outperformed the clinical (p = 0.001) and radiomics (p = 0.04) models in the validation set. Log-rank test revealed significantly longer survival in the predicted PDAC group than in the predicted PASC group (p = 0.003), according to the mixed model.

CONCLUSION

Our mixed model, which combined MRI and radiomic features, can be used to differentiate PASC from PDAC.

Going green: how do green supply chain management and green training influence firm performance? Evidence from a developing country

Using the natural resource-based view theory, we investigated the relationship between green supply chain management, green training, green organizational culture, and firm performance. Using a survey questionnaire, we obtained data from 650 respondents from the Chinese manufacturing sector. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses in this research. The study's findings indicate that green supply chain management positively influences firm performance. The findings also showed that green training mediates the relationship between green supply chain management and firm performance. Our study's results generally support all direct and indirect impact hypotheses and have several theoretical and practical consequences. Moreover, the findings showed that green organizational culture positively moderates the relationship between green training and firm performance. Furthermore, this study gives vital information to managers and legislators of the manufacturing sector while assessing firm performance. It may assist the senior management in strengthening their internal strategy to optimize their influence on environmental sustainability.

Nogo-A Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress During Myocardial Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury in Diabetic Rats

Among the three isoforms encoded by neurite outgrowth inhibitor proteins has been intensely investigated as a central nervous system inhibitor. Although neurite outgrowth inhibitor protein-A (Nogo-A) expression is increased in plasma of patients who have experienced a coronary heart disease, its role in heart disease is not well elucidated. In this study, we discovered a significant increase in Nogo-A expression in diabetic myocardial ischemia reperfusion (MI/R) injury conditions. Accelerated Nogo-A and MI/R injury in diabetic rats was attenuated by tauroursodeoxycholic acid treatment and knockdown of Nogo-A per se is sufficient to decrease endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as well as prevents cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We hypothesized that decreased Nogo-A levels might reducing diabetic MI/R injury. Nogo-A interacted with C/EBP homologous protein, suggesting a role for Nogo-A in ER stress during diabetic MI/R. In conclusion, Nogo-A mediated ER stress plays a major role in diabetic MI/R injury, and pathologically altered Nogo-A expression mediates diabetic MI/R injury, suggesting Nogo-A as a novel target for the treatment of diabetic MI/R injury in clinical settings.

Revisiting a Telencephalic Extent of the Ascending Reticular Activating System

Is the cerebrum involved in its own activation to states of attention or arousal? "Telencephalon" is a term borrowed from embryology to identify not only the cerebral hemispheres of the forebrain, but also the basal forebrain. We review a generally undercited literature that describes nucleus basalis of Meynert, located within the substantia innominata of the ventrobasal forebrain, as a telencephalic extension of the ascending reticular activating formation. Although that formation's precise anatomical definition and localization have proven elusive over more than 70 years, a careful reading of sources reveals that there are histological features common to certain brainstem neurons and those of the nucleus basalis, and that a largely common dendritic architecture may be a morphological aspect that helps to define non-telencephalic structures of the ascending reticular activating formation (e.g., in brainstem) as well as those parts of the formation that are telencephalic and themselves responsible for cortical activation. We draw attention to a pattern of dendritic arborization described as "isodendritic," a uniform (isos-) branching in which distal dendrite branches are significantly longer than proximal ones. Isodendritic neurons also differ from other morphological types based on their heterogeneous, rather than specific afferentation. References reviewed here are consistent in their descriptions of histology, particularly in studies of locales rich in cholinergic neurons. We discuss the therapeutic implications of a basal forebrain site that may activate cortex. Interventions that specifically target nucleus basalis and, especially, the survival of its constituent neurons may benefit afflictions in which higher cortical function is compromised due to disturbed arousal or attentiveness, including not only coma and related syndromes, but also conditions colloquially described as states of cognitive "fog" or of "long-haul" mental compromise.

Explosive dispersal of granular media

Explosive dispersal of granular media widely occurs in nature across various length scales, also enabling engineering applications ranging from commercial or military explosive systems to the loss prevention industry. However, the complex particle–flow coupling makes the explosive dispersal behaviour of particles difficult to control or even characterize. Here, we study the central explosion-driven dispersal of dense particle layers using the coarse-grained computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method and present a comprehensive investigation of both macroscale dispersal behaviours and particle-scale pattern formation. Employing three independent dimensionless parameters that characterize the efficiency, homogeneity and completeness of explosive dispersal, we categorize the dispersal behaviours into ideal, partial, retarded and failed modes, and propose the corresponding thresholds. As the mass ratio of granular materials to central pressurized gases (M/C) spans four orders of magnitude, the dispersal mode transitions from ideal to partial, then to retarded and finally to failed mode. The transitions of dispersal modes correspond to the particle–flow coupling regime crossovers, which change from decoupling to weak, medium and finally to strong coupling as the dispersal mode undergoes corresponding transitions. We proceed to develop continuum models accounting for the shock compaction and the ensuing pulsation of the particle ring that are capable of identifying the ideal dispersal mode from various dispersal systems. We also provide insights into the origins of diverse particle-scale patterns that are strongly correlated with macroscale dispersal modes and critical for the accurate prediction of dispersal modes.

Two-way coupled long-wave isentropic ocean-atmosphere dynamics

The events following the 15 January 2022 explosions of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano highlighted the need for a better understanding of ocean-atmosphere interactions when large amounts of energy are locally injected into one (or both). Starting from the compressible Euler equations, a two-way coupled (TWC) system is derived governing the long-wave behaviour of the ocean and atmosphere under isentropic constraint. Bathymetry and topography are accounted for along with three-dimensional atmospheric non-uniformities through their depth average over a spherical shell. A linear analysis, yielding two pairs of gravito-acoustic waves, offers explanations for phenomena observed during the Tonga event. A continuous transcritical regime (in terms of water depth) is identified as the source of large wave generation in deep water bodies, removing the singularity-driven Proudman-type resonance observed in one-way coupled models. The refractive properties, governing the interaction of the atmospheric wave with step changes in water depth, are derived to comment on mode-to-mode energy transfer. Two-dimensional global simulations modelling the propagation of the atmospheric wave (under realistic conditions on the day) and its worldwide effect on oceans are presented. Local maxima of water-height disturbance in the farfield from the volcano, linked to the atmospheric wave deformation (in agreement with observations), are identified, emphasising the importance of the TWC model for any daylong predictions. The proposed framework can be extended to include additional layers and physics, e.g. ocean and atmosphere stratification. With the aim of contributing to warning system improvement, the code necessary to simulate the event with the proposed model is made available.

Ảnh hưởng của quản trị công ty đến quản trị lợi nhuận của các công ty niêm yết Việt Nam

Tóm tắt: Nghiên cứu này, nhằm kiểm tra mối quan hệ giữa quản trị công ty (QTCT) và hành vi quản trị lợi nhuận (QTLN). Tác giả sử dụng chỉ số tổng hợp Gov-Score được phát triển bởi Brown and Caylor (2006), để đo lường chất lượng QTCT thay thế cho việc sử dụng các yếu tố riêng lẻ như đa số các nghiên cứu trước đây. Dữ liệu được thu thập từ báo cáo tài chính (BCTC), báo cáo thường niên và báo cáo QTCT của 449 công ty phi tài chính niêm yết trên thị trường chứng khoán Việt Nam năm 2020. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, các công ty có chất lượng QTCT cao hơn sẽ góp phần hạn chế QTLN, thông qua lựa chọn chính sách kế toán. Từ khóa: quản trị công ty, quản trị lợi nhuận, Gov-Score. Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between corporate governance and earnings management. The author used the Gov-Score index developed by Brown and Caylor (2006) to measure the quality of corporate governance. The data is collected from the financial statements, annual reports and corporate governance reports of 449 non-financial companies listed on the stock market of Vietnam in 2020. Research results show that these companies having a higher quality of corporate governance will contribute to limiting earnings management. Keywords: corporate governance, earnings management, Gov–Score. JEL Classification: M10, M00, M19.

Nghiên cứu tác động của sự tham gia dự toán ngân sách đến kết quả công việc tại các doanh nghiệp trên địa bàn tỉnh Bình Định Research impact of participative budgeting on job performance in BinhDinh enterprises

Tóm tắt: Trong nền kinh tế hội nhập như hiện nay, tăng cường kết quả công việc trong doanh nghiệp (DN) là vấn đề cấp thiết với điều kiện kinh doanh ngày càng khốc liệt. Tuy nhiên, kết quả công việc của các nhà quản trị vẫn còn tương đối thấp. Do đó, làm sao để nâng cao kết quả công việc của nhà quản trị là một nhu cầu thiết yếu tại các DN Bình Định. Dưới góc nhìn của kế toán quản trị (KTQT), việc vận dụng các công cụ KTQT hiện đại nói chung và lập dự toán ngân sách (DTNS) nói riêng đem lại nhiều hiệu quả thiết thực. Bài viết nhằm tổng quan các nghiên cứu trong và ngoài nước về tác động của DTNS đến kết quả công việc của các nhà quản trị. Từ đó, đề xuất mô hình nghiên cứu tác động của sự tham gia DTNS đến kết quả công việc thông qua hai biến trong gian là sự hài lòng trong công việc và cam kết tổ chức. Từ khóa: dự toán ngân sách, kết quả công việc, sự hài lòng, cam kết tổ chức. Abstract: In today's integrated economy, improving work efficiency in enterprises is an urgent issue for increasingly fierce business conditions. However, the performance of managers is still relatively low. Therefore, how to improve the work efficiency of managers is an essential need in Binh Dinh enterprises. From the perspective of management accounting, transportation work is brought about by modern management accounting tools in general and budgeting in particular. The article aims to review domestic and foreign studies on the impact of participative budgeting on the job performance of managers. From there, the authors propose a model to study the impact of participative budgeting on job performance through two intermediate variables, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Keywords: participative budgeting, job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment. JEL Classification: M00, M10, M20.

Các nhân tố ảnh hưởng đến vận dụng kế toán quản trị chi phí tại các công ty xây lắp trên địa bàn Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Factors affecting the implementation of cost accounting in construction companies in Ho Chi Minh city

Tóm tắt: Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là xác định mức độ ảnh hưởng của các nhân tố đến việc vận dụng kế toán quản trị (KTQT) kế toán quản trị chi phí (KTQTCP) tại các công ty xây lắp trên địa bàn TP.HCM. Từ đó, đề xuất những hàm ý quản trị, giúp các công ty có thể vận dụng hiệu quả công cụ KTQTCP, góp phần nâng cao hiệu quả quản trị chi phí của đơn vị. Phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính kết hợp với phương pháp nghiên cứu định lượng và mô hình nhân tố khám phá (EFA) được tác giả sử dụng để thực hiện đề tài này. Kết quả nghiên cứu đã xác định, có 5 nhân tố đều tác động cùng chiều đến vấn đề nghiên cứu, đó là: Trình độ nhân viên kế toán; Đặc điểm tổ chức sản xuất của công ty; Phương pháp, kỹ thuật thực hiện; Nhu cầu thông tin của nhà quản lý công ty và Nhân tố mức độ ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin. Từ khóa: kế toán quản trị chi phí; công ty xây lắp; Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Abstract: The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of several factors on the implementation of cost accounting in construction companies in Ho Chi Minh city, from which recommendations can be made to help companies effectively implement cost accounting to improve the efficiency of cost management in organizations. For this research, the author utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods combined with exploratory factor analysis. Results suggested that there were 5 factors affecting the research subject, including the Skill level of accountants, Characteristics of production systems, Techniques and methodologies, Managers’ demand for information, and Application of Information systems. Keywords: cost accounting, construction company, Ho Chi Minh City. JEL Classification: M40, M48, M49.

Intra-Host Mutation Rate of Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection During the Initial Pandemic Wave.. [DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.24.534062] [Cited by in Crossref: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] Background: Our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and mutation rate is limited. The rate of SARS-CoV-2 evolution is minimized through a proofreading function encoded by NSP-14 and may be affected by patient comorbidity. Current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 mutational rate is through population based analysis while intra-host mutation rate remains poorly studied. Methods: Viral genome analysis was performed between paired samples and mutations quantified at allele frequencies (AF) ≥0.25, ≥0.5 and ≥0.75. Mutation rate was determined employing F81 and JC69 evolution models and compared between isolates with (ΔNSP-14) and without (wtNSP-14) non-synonymous mutations in NSP-14 and by patient comorbidity. Results: Forty paired samples with median interval of 13 days [IQR 8.5-20] were analyzed. The estimated mutation rate by F81 modeling was 93.6 (95%CI:90.8-96.4], 40.7 (95%CI:38.9-42.6) and 34.7 (95%CI:33.0-36.4) substitutions/genome/year at AF ≥0.25, ≥0.5, ≥0.75 respectively. Mutation rate in ΔNSP-14 were significantly elevated at AF>0.25 vs wtNSP-14. Patients with immune comorbidities had higher mutation rate at all allele frequencies. Discussion: Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 mutation rates are substantially higher than those reported through population analysis. Virus strains with altered NSP-14 have accelerated mutation rate at low AF. Immunosuppressed patients have elevated mutation rate at all AF. Understanding intra-host virus evolution will aid in current and future pandemic modeling

Background: Our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and mutation rate is limited. The rate of SARS-CoV-2 evolution is minimized through a proofreading function encoded by NSP-14 and may be affected by patient comorbidity. Current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 mutational rate is through population based analysis while intra-host mutation rate remains poorly studied. Methods: Viral genome analysis was performed between paired samples and mutations quantified at allele frequencies (AF) ≥0.25, ≥0.5 and ≥0.75. Mutation rate was determined employing F81 and JC69 evolution models and compared between isolates with (ΔNSP-14) and without (wtNSP-14) non-synonymous mutations in NSP-14 and by patient comorbidity. Results: Forty paired samples with median interval of 13 days [IQR 8.5-20] were analyzed. The estimated mutation rate by F81 modeling was 93.6 (95%CI:90.8-96.4], 40.7 (95%CI:38.9-42.6) and 34.7 (95%CI:33.0-36.4) substitutions/genome/year at AF ≥0.25, ≥0.5, ≥0.75 respectively. Mutation rate in ΔNSP-14 were significantly elevated at AF>0.25 vs wtNSP-14. Patients with immune comorbidities had higher mutation rate at all allele frequencies. Discussion: Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 mutation rates are substantially higher than those reported through population analysis. Virus strains with altered NSP-14 have accelerated mutation rate at low AF. Immunosuppressed patients have elevated mutation rate at all AF. Understanding intra-host virus evolution will aid in current and future pandemic modeling.

Religious Metaphor and Ways of its Verbalization in English-Language Theological Texts

The focus of this article is religious metaphor and linguistic ways of its realization in the space of theological discourse, broadly understood as a discourse about religion, represented by theological, journalistic and scientific texts. The English-language theological texts published in the theological journals “The American Journal of Biblical Theology” and “The Bible Magazine” have served as the research material. The starting methodological premise of the research is the idea that in the structure of metaphor there is a metaphorical core with main and metaphorical periphery additional metaphorical load. Based on the results of a practical analysis of factual material, the authors emphasize the weight of metaphor in these texts and highlight metaphorical models built on the principle of X is Y, i.e. based on the likening of two phenomena due to the predication of phenomenon X properties of phenomenon Y. The article presents a comparative analysis of two studies of religious metaphor carried out by the authors in 2015 and 2022, and also contains quantitative data representing the frequency of models of religious metaphor in the selection of texts and their partial verbalizers, acting as its core and periphery. The authors come to the conclusion that metaphor in religious discourse acts as an effective means of influencing the addressee, is characterized by dynamism and is conditioned by different extralinguistic factors. The dominance of the religious metaphor of positive evaluation in comparison with the negatively marked metaphor is proved, while the key part-of-speech verbalizers of both types of metaphors are, in the first case, nouns, verbs that make up the metaphorical core, and adjectives that represent the metaphorical periphery. In the second case, the metaphorical core is formed by nouns and adjectives, the metaphorical periphery is represented by verbs.

Formação de professores: Estado do conhecimento das produções acadêmicas do PPGE - UFT (2014-2021)

A presente investigação visa a apresentar o estado do conhecimento sobre a formação docente nas produções acadêmicas do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação (PPGE), stricto sensu, da Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT), entre os anos de 2014 e 2021. A metodologia utilizada foi do tipo estado do conhecimento com caráter bibliográfico. A base de dados utilizada para a execução do mapeamento foi o Repositório Institucional da UFT (RIUFT), tendo como corpus da investigação 56 resumos, com apenas seis trabalhos que abordam diretamente a temática estudada. Têm-se como objetivos: compreender as temáticas estudadas; identificar metodologias aplicadas; conhecer o público-alvo das investigações e descrever os resultados encontrados nas pesquisas. Os resultados demonstram que não há um consenso entre os pesquisadores sobre o formato dos resumos depositados no RIUFT e que não há um interesse consolidado, por parte dos pesquisadores, acerca da formação de professores, visto um inexpressivo número de trabalhos encontrados. A pesquisa constata, também, que, no âmbito do PPGE, não há trabalhos com enfoques inovadores relacionados à temática: “formação de professores”, assim como a necessidade de incluir no RIUFT as produções acadêmicas oriundas do PPPGE da UFT.

Assessment of possible cable car accidents by employee competencies using neural networks

Rope transport has received quite a lot of development in the field of passenger and cargo transportation. In some cases (for example, in ski resorts), it is indispensable. To prevent emergency situations, a sufficiently large number of standards and rules for safe operation and maintenance have been developed. However, emergencies do occur. One of the reasons is the insufficient professional training of rope transport workers, who must know and possess the skills to apply the provisions of regulatory documentation, as well as properly perform their professional duties. This article is devoted to the scientific problem of probabilistic assessment of the possibility of various emergency situations on cable transport, depending on the level of mastery of professional competencies and their constituent knowledge, skills and abilities. To solve this problem, a technology based on neural network training has been applied. As an example, specialists in the professional standard «Specialist in the organization of safe operation of passenger cable cars and funiculars» are considered.

Predators regulate the taxonomic structure of mixed Mytilus edulis L. and M.trossulus Gould settlements in the shallow waters of the White Sea

Cryptic mussel species Mytilus edulis (Me) and M.trossulus (Mt) form mixed settlements in shallow waters of the White Sea. The proportion of Mt and Me in local settlements varies in broad limits but the factors regulating taxonomic composition of mixed populations are poorly understood. Present study focuses on the assessment of the sea star (Asterias rubens) predation influence on the Mt-Me ratio in natural habitats. For this purpose, we’ve conducted a series of field experiments. For mussels placed on experimental units (ceramic plates submerged in starfish-infested habitats), we’ve estimated a probability of being eaten by starfish. We’ve constructed a linear model that includes several predictors which may influence the probability of being eaten (starfish biomass, mussel size, mussel species, prey abundance, Mt-Me ratio on experimental units and abundance of conspecifics). The analysis has revealed that the probability of being eaten expectedly increases with sea stars’ biomass increasing, but it is higher for Mt in comparison with Me. This indicates Mt as a preferable prey. Negative correlations between the probability of being eaten and shell size, number of conspecifics and mussel abundance were also revealed. No significant dependence on Mt-Me ratio was found. Additionally, we’ve taken field samples which revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of Mt in mussel patches after a massive starfish attack. This indicates that starfish ate out Mt as its preferable prey. These results show that predators can contribute to the regulation of taxonomic composition of mixed Mt-Me settlements in the White Sea.

Cognitive Modeling of Information Support for Game-Based Automated Learning

Purpose of research. The main goal of this work is to increase the efficiency of automated game learning based on cognitive modeling. Based on the methodology of system analysis and cognitive modeling of weakly structured situations, the structure of a gaming automated training complex is proposed, which can be used in training personnel in various subject areas. In our case, staff training was simulated in stereotypical and non-stereotypical situations.

Methods. This work is based on the general provisions of systems theory and system analysis, mathematical graph theory (which is based on cognitive modeling). The main tool of cognitive modeling was the construction of fuzzy cognitive maps of Silov. A modification of the algorithm for calculating the main system indicators of a fuzzy cognitive map was proposed. Game modeling, based on business games, was used for automated learning. The concept of an operational game was introduced, then modeling of the development of some unfavorable situation was carried out using fuzzy cognitive maps..

Results. he main result of this work is the method of cognitive modeling of information support for game-based automated learning. Based on the developed methodology, a game simulation simulation of the operational game "House Fire" was carried out, which was based on the construction of a fuzzy cognitive map, for which the main quantitative system indicators of mutual influence, consonance and dissonance were calculated.

Conclusion: the developed methodology allows for game modeling of unfavorable (including emergency) situations, which in the future will ensure adequate behavior of students in real situations.

The Importance of the Authentic Virtuous Employee in the Search for Meaningfulness in Work

The article focuses on the ‘meaningfulness in work’ concept and addresses three theoretical gaps by investigating ‘meaningfulness in work’ from the perspective of Heidegger’s ‘authenticity’ and ‘Dasein’ constructs as well as virtue ethics. First, it adapts Heideggerian phenomenology and argues that meaningfulness in work may be revealed to an ‘authentic’ employee, while they performs everyday activities by ‘existing’ in their world and discovers their Dasein. Second, it emphasizes the normative, as opposed to instrumental implications of meaningfulness and invokes virtue ethics towards this end. Third, it integrates the Heideggerian approach with virtue ethics to describe how an ‘authentic’ and ‘virtuous’ employee may achieve meaningfulness in work (conceptualized as ‘eudaimonia’). An ‘authentic virtuous employee’ ‘exists in their world’ and discovers what is truly meaningful in work to them. They also displays temperance and courage in terms of closing the gaps between current and desired levels of meaningfulness in work, and continually contemplates it. We describe a ‘professional’ as an example of an ‘authentic virtuous employee’.

Kidney allograft interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) due to specific causes:

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Clinical phenotypes and prognostic factors in persons with hip osteoarthritis undergoing total hip arthroplasty: protocol for a longitudinal prospective cohort study (HIPPROCLIPS)

BACKGROUND

Large heterogeneity exists in the clinical manifestation of hip osteoarthritis (OA). It is therefore not surprising that pain and disability in individuals with hip OA and after total hip arthroplasty (THA) cannot be explained by biomedical variables alone. Indeed, also maladaptive pain-related cognitions and emotions can contribute to pain and disability, and can lead to poor treatment outcomes. Traumatic experiences, mental disorders, self-efficacy and social support can influence stress appraisal and strategies to cope with pain, but their influence on pain and disability has not yet been established in individuals with hip OA undergoing THA. This study aims (1) to determine the influence of traumatic experiences and mental disorders on pain processing before and shortly after THA (2) to identify preoperative clinical phenotypes in individuals with hip OA eligible for THA, (3) to identify pre- and early postoperative prognostic factors for outcomes in pain and disability after THA, and (4) to identify postoperative clinical phenotypes in individuals after THA.

METHODS

This prospective longitudinal cohort study will investigate 200 individuals undergoing THA for hip OA. Phenotyping variables and candidate prognostic factors include pain-related fear-avoidance behaviour, perceived injustice, mental disorders, traumatic experiences, self-efficacy, and social support. Peripheral and central pain mechanisms will be assessed with thermal quantitative sensory testing. The primary outcome measure is the hip disability and osteoarthritis outcome score. Other outcome measures include performance-based measures, hip muscle strength, the patient-specific functional scale, pain intensity, global perceived effect, and outcome satisfaction. All these measurements will be performed before surgery, as well as 6 weeks, 3 months, and 12 months after surgery. Pain-related cognitions and emotions will additionally be assessed in the early postoperative phase, on the first, third, fifth, and seventh day after THA. Main statistical methods that will be used to answer the respective research questions include: LASSO regression, decision tree learning, gradient boosting algorithms, and recurrent neural networks.

DISCUSSION

The identification of clinical phenotypes and prognostic factors for outcomes in pain and disability will be a first step towards pre- and postoperative precision medicine for individuals with hip OA undergoing THA.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05265858. Registered on 04/03/2022.

Fatostatin induces ferroptosis through inhibition of the AKT/mTORC1/GPX4 signaling pathway in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and fatal primary malignant central nervous system tumor in adults. Although there are multiple treatments, the median survival of GBM patients is unsatisfactory, which has prompted us to continuously investigate new therapeutic strategies, including new drugs and drug delivery approaches. Ferroptosis, a kind of regulated cell death (RCD), has been shown to be dysregulated in various tumors, including GBM. Fatostatin, a specific inhibitor of sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), is involved in lipid and cholesterol synthesis and has antitumor effects in a variety of tumors. However, the effect of fatostatin has not been explored in the field of ferroptosis or GBM. In our study, through transcriptome sequencing, in vivo experiments, and in vitro experiments, we found that fatostatin induces ferroptosis by inhibiting the AKT/mTORC1/GPX4 signaling pathway in glioblastoma. In addition, fatostatin inhibits cell proliferation and the EMT process through the AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway. We also designed a p28-functionalized PLGA nanoparticle loaded with fatostatin, which could better cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and be targeted to GBM. Our research identified the unprecedented effects of fatostatin in GBM and presented a novel drug-targeted delivery vehicle capable of penetrating the BBB in GBM.

IKKα promotes lung adenocarcinoma growth through ERK signaling activation via DARPP-32-mediated inhibition of PP1 activity

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80-85% cases of lung cancer cases. Diagnosis at advanced stages is common, after which therapy-refractory disease progression frequently occurs. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control NSCLC progression is necessary to develop new therapies. Overexpression of IκB kinase α (IKKα) in NSCLC correlates with poor patient survival. IKKα is an NF-κB-activating kinase that is important in cell survival and differentiation, but its regulation of oncogenic signaling is not well understood. We recently demonstrated that IKKα promotes NSCLC cell migration by physically interacting with dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32000 (DARPP-32), and its truncated splice variant, t-DARPP. Here, we show that IKKα phosphorylates DARPP-32 at threonine 34, resulting in DARPP-32-mediated inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), subsequent inhibition of PP1-mediated dephosphorylation of ERK, and activation of ERK signaling to promote lung oncogenesis. Correspondingly, IKKα ablation in human lung adenocarcinoma cells reduced their anchorage-independent growth in soft agar. Mice challenged with IKKα-ablated HCC827 cells exhibited less lung tumor growth than mice orthotopically administered control HCC827 cells. Our findings suggest that IKKα drives NSCLC growth through the activation of ERK signaling via DARPP-32-mediated inhibition of PP1 activity.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing versus traditional laboratory methods for the diagnosis of central nervous system opportunistic infections in HIV-infected Chinese adults

To evaluate clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who had CNS disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 48 PLWHA presenting with CNS disorders were sequenced using mNGS and compared with clinical conventional diagnostic methods. In total, 36/48 ss(75%) patients were diagnosed with pathogen(s) infection by mNGS, and the positive detection proportion by mNGS was higher than that by clinical conventional diagnostic methods (75% vs 52.1%, X² = 5.441, P = 0.020). Thirteen out of 48 patients (27.1%) were detected with 3-7 pathogens by mNGS. Moreover, 77 pathogen strains were detected, of which 94.8% (73/77) by mNGS and 37.0% (30/77) by clinical conventional methods (X² = 54.206, P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of pathogens detection by mNGS were 63.9% (23/36) and 66.7% (8/12), respectively, which were superior to that by clinical conventional methods (23/36 vs 9/25, X² = 4.601, P = 0.032; 8/12 vs 5/23, X² = 5.029, P = 0.009). The application of mNGS was superior for its ability to detect a variety of unknown pathogens and multiple pathogens infection, and relatively higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of CNS disorders in PLWHA.

Exploring differences in symptomatic adverse events assessment between nurses and physicians in the clinical trial setting

A cross-sectional study was performed at Hebei Medical University Fourth Affiliated Hospital from April to July 2020 to explore the difference and consistency between nurses and physicians in terms of symptomatic adverse event (AE) assessment. The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) was utilized by nurses and physicians to assess patients' symptomatic AEs. Patients self-reported their AEs utilizing the Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). Four nurses and three physicians were enrolled to assess patients' symptomatic AEs. Given the same AEs, nurses tended to detect more AEs than physicians, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The toxicity grade reported by nurses and physicians showed no difference for all AEs, except for fatigue (χ² = 5.083, P = 0.024). The agreement between nurses and patients was highest compared to the agreement between nurses versus physicians and physicians versus patients. The differences in symptomatic AE assessment can lead to different symptom management. Thus, it is important to establish a collaborative approach between nurses and physicians to ensure continuity in care delivery.

Different molecular pathways are disrupted in Pyoderma gangrenosum patients and are associated with the severity of the disease

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare inflammatory skin disease classified within the spectrum of neutrophilic dermatoses. The pathophysiology of PG is yet incompletely understood but a prominent role of genetics facilitating immune dysregulation has been proposed. This study investigated the potential contribution of disrupted molecular pathways in determining the susceptibility and clinical severity of PG. Variant Enrichment Analysis, a bioinformatic pipeline applicable for Whole Exome Sequencing data was performed in unrelated PG patients. Eleven patients were enrolled, including 5 with unilesional and 6 with multilesional PG. Fourteen pathways were exclusively enriched in the "multilesional" group, mainly related to immune system (i.e., type I interferon signaling pathway), cell metabolism and structural functions. In the "unilesional" group, nine pathways were found to be exclusively enriched, mostly related to cell signaling and cell metabolism. Genetically altered pathways involved in immune system biology and wound repair appear to be nodal pathogenic drivers in PG pathogenesis.

Variability of fluorescence intensity distribution measured by flow cytometry is influenced by cell size and cell cycle progression

The distribution of fluorescence signals measured with flow cytometry can be influenced by several factors, including qualitative and quantitative properties of the used fluorochromes, optical properties of the detection system, as well as the variability within the analyzed cell population itself. Most of the single cell samples prepared from in vitrocultures or clinical specimens contain a variable cell cycle component. Cell cycle, together with changes in the cell size, are two of the factors that alter the functional properties of analyzed cells and thus affect the interpretation of obtained results. Here, we describe the association between cell cycle status and cell size, and the variability in the distribution of fluorescence intensity as determined with flow cytometry, at population scale. We show that variability in the distribution of background and specific fluorescence signals is related to the cell cycle state of the selected population, with the 10% low fluorescence signal fraction enriched mainly in cells in their G0/G1 cell cycle phase, and the 10% high fraction containing cells mostly in the G2/M phase. Therefore we advise using caution and additional experimental validation when comparing populations defined by fractions at both ends of fluorescence signal distribution to avoid biases caused by the effect of cell cycle and cell size.