Significant Difference In Frequency Research Articles

Clinical and molecular predictors of very late recurrence in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients.

Risk of recurrence from primary ER+ breast cancer continues for at least 20 years. We aimed to identify clinical and molecular features associated with risk of recurrence after 10 years. ER+ breast cancers from patients with and without recurrence were analysed with the BC360 NanoString Panel and an 87 gene targeted-exome panel. Frequency of clinical, pathologic and molecular characteristics was compared between cases (recurred between 10 and 20 years) and controls (no recurrence by 20 years) in the Very Late Recurrence (VLR) cohort. Analogous data from METABRIC were examined to confirm or refute findings. VLR cases had larger tumours and higher node positivity. Both VLR and METABRIC cases had higher clinical treatment score at 5 years (CTS5). There was a trend for fewer GATA3 mutations in cases in both VLR and METABRIC but no statistically significant differences in mutation frequency. Cell cycle and proliferation genes were strongly expressed in VLR cases. Immune-related genes and cell cycle inhibitors were highly expressed in controls. Neither of these changes were significant after correction for multiple testing. Clinicopathologic features are prognostic beyond 10 years. Conversely, molecular features, such as copy number alterations, TP53 mutations and intrinsic subtype which have early prognostic significance, have little prognostic value after 10 years.

Unveiling inequities in representation: Racial disparities in supportive care breast cancer clinical trial enrollment.

1605 Background: Supportive care is an integral part of breast cancer survivorship care. However, not much is known if there is adequate representation of racial minorities in supportive care breast cancer (BC) clinical trials (CTs). Methods: We conducted a systematic review of supportive care CTs for patients with BC using Covidence. A search of clinicaltrials.gov identified 2695 CTs, of which 173 met inclusion criteria. The SEER database was used as a racial distribution data reference for patients with BC. One-sample proportion tests were performed to assess adequacy in racial representation among supportive care CTs and by intervention type. Results: Of 173 supportive care CTs, 133 (77%) trials reported race-specific data. Characteristics of supportive care CTs based on intervention type and race are shown (Table). Although no statistically significant differences in frequencies of Black participants in supportive BC CTs overall were observed compared to the US population (11% vs 12%, p= 0.40), they were underrepresented in symptom management CTs specifically (8% vs 12%, p= 0.004). When stratified based on diet/physical activity CTs, Black participants were overrepresented in the study population (18% vs 11%, p= <0.001). Asian participants were underrepresented in the overall study population compared to the US population (5% vs 7%, p= 0.01). However, within psycho-oncology CTs, there was an overrepresentation of Asian participants in the study population (21% vs 7%, p = <0.001). No significant differences in enrollment frequencies of Black and Asian participants were found in cognitive health, complementary and alternative medicine, education/communication, and sexual health interventional CTs. Conclusions: Our findings highlight inadequate representation of Asian participants in supportive care BC CTs and Black participants in symptom management CTs. This study is limited in that ethnicity was not included in this analysis. Strategies are needed to promote recruitment of diverse individuals in these settings so that we can more accurately generalize findings from supportive care BC CTs. [Table: see text]

Real-world data of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism in a tertiary-care hospital in India.

e23298 Background: Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with various malignancies. Anticoagulation is crucial for preventing and treating thrombosis associated with cancer. However, its use faces challenges due to increased risks of bleeding, recurrent thrombosis and complexities in dosing, particularly in patients with concurrent comorbidities. Prophylactic anticoagulation is under-utilized and the cost of low- molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and direct oral anticoagulants is a major barrier in developing countries. Methods: It was an ambispective observational study. All the cancer-associated thrombosis patients attending the thrombosis clinic at a tertiary-level referral hospital based in north India between 2018 and 2023 were analysed. Patient demographics, disease-related and treatment-related parameters were collected and analysed. The study was approved by the Institute Ethics Committee. Results: A total of 1312 patients attended the thrombosis clinic during study period, of which 139 (10.59%) cases were Cancer-associated VTE. The median age was 48 years and 61.2% were female. Most of VTE (54.6%) occurred within 6 months of cancer diagnosis and only 7% occurred after 3 years. Gynaecological malignancies (25.18%) and adenocarcinomas (21.58%) were the most common site and histological type of cancer respectively. Common risk factors observed for VTE development were: active cancer (80.3%), active chemotherapy (36.7%), cancer surgery (15.1%). Lower limb thrombosis was the most commonly seen type (46%), while abdominal and pulmonary thrombosis were seen in 17% and 7.9% respectively. Out of total patients, 124 (89.2%) patients received anticoagulation. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) was used as an initial anticoagulation in majority (52.41%) and direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs) was used as long term anticoagulation in 54% of patients. In 26 patients, anticoagulation was interrupted, the major reasons being bleeding and thrombocytopenia. There was no significant difference in frequency of bleeding with use of different anticoagulants (P = 0.48). Conclusions: Most cases of cancer associated VTE occur shortly after cancer diagnosis. Prophylactic anticoagulation is still underutilized in our patients with cancer. Early suspicion and prompt treatment can improve quality of life in such patients.

Predicting Legal Systems: An Artificial Neural Network Approach with Statistical Analysis for Comparative Study of Civil Law and Common Law Countries

Abstract This study compares countries with common law with countries with civil law systems and investigates the possibility of predicting legal systems using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The OLS model, ANOVA, ANN, and Tensor Flow are used in the research to analyze the data. The goal is to find out how board characteristics and country legislative frameworks affect how European corporations disclose their social performance. The performance of a hidden layer with five nodes is best, according to the ANN model. The model’s accuracy throughout testing and validation is 0.750. The confusion matrix shows that, of the four observations in the test set, three were correctly categorized as “Civil law” and one was incorrectly categorized as “Common law.” To evaluate the model’s efficacy, evaluation metrics are computed. The model’s accuracy is 0.750, which represents a prediction success rate of 75%. For the “Civil law” class, the recall (true positive rate) is 1.0, indicating that all “Civil law” cases are correctly identified. Metrics for the “Common law” class, however, are not available due to the scant amount of data that is available. The prevalence of countries with common law and civil law systems is compared in the ANOVA analysis. As shown by the computed F-value of 0.482, there is less variance inside each legal system than there is between the two. There is no statistically significant difference in frequency between the two legal systems, according to the p-value of 0.495. Overall, the research’s conclusions imply that social performance disclosure between countries with common law and civil law systems differs only slightly. The neural network model’s network weights provide insight into the importance of different features in prediction.

Comparative study of ambulatory versus inpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Thailand: Assessing effectiveness and safety with a propensity score matched analysis.

Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is increasingly recognized for its advantages over the inpatient approach, which advantages include cost-effectiveness and faster recovery. However, its acceptance is limited by patient concerns regarding safety, and the potential for postoperative complications. The study aims to compare the operative and postoperative outcomes of ambulatory LC versus inpatient LC, specifically addressing patient hesitations related to early discharge. In a retrospective analysis, patients who underwent LC were divided into ambulatory or inpatient groups based on American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, age, and the availability of postoperative care. Propensity score matching was utilized to ensure comparability between the groups. Data collection focused on demographic information, perioperative data, and postoperative follow-up results to identify the safety of both approaches. The study included a cohort of 220 patients undergoing LC, of which 48 in each group matched post-propensity score matching. The matched analysis indicated that ambulatory LC patients seem to experience shorter operative times and reduced blood loss, but these differences were not statistically significant (35 minutes vs. 46 minutes, p-value = 0.18; and 8.5 mL vs. 23 mL, p-value = 0.14, respectively). There were no significant differences in complication rates or readmission frequencies, compared to the inpatient cohort. Ambulatory LC does not compromise safety or efficacy, compared to traditional inpatient procedures. The findings suggest that ambulatory LC could be more widely adopted, with appropriate patient education and selection criteria, to alleviate concerns and increase patient acceptance.

HLA-DQB1 Allele Polymorphism Associated with Oral Submucous Fibrosis in Hunan, China.

44 OSF patients and 44 healthy volunteers were included in this study. To detect the expression frequency of HLA-DQB1 alleles in the two groups and analyze significant allelic subtypes and their relative risk, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequence-specific primers were used. Subsequently, based on the identification of differential genes, we compare the gene expression levels of OSF patients and healthy volunteers expressing differential genes by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression frequency of the HLA-DQB1 ∗05 : 02 allele in the OSF group (36.4%) was significantly higher than in the controls (13.6%), and exposure to the HLA-DQB1 ∗05 : 02 allele was strongly related to OSF (OR (95% CI) = 3.619 (1.257,10.421), Wald χ2 = 5.681, P=0.017). However, there were no significant differences in the allele expression frequencies of DQB1 ∗02 : 01, DQB1 ∗03 : 03, DQB1 ∗05 : 01, DQB1 ∗05 : 03, DQB1 ∗06 : 02, DQB1 ∗06 : 03, and DQB1 ∗06 : 04 in the OSF group compared with the controls (all P > 0.05). Furthermore, the relative expression level of the HLA-DQB1 ∗05 : 02 allele in the OSF group (3.98 ± 3.50) was significantly higher than in controls (0.70 ± 0.41). There are differences in the HLA-DQB1 allele polymorphisms between the healthy population and patients with oral submucosal fibrosis. Preliminarily, it is suggested that the HLA-DQB1 ∗05 : 02 allele, which has a strong correlation with OSF and great differential expression between patients with OSF and controls, might be a susceptibility gene for OSF in Hunan.

Electrophysiological impact of mental fatigue on brain activity during a bike task: A wavelet analysis approach

This study explored how mental fatigue affects brain activity during a low-intensity bike task utilising a continuous wavelet transformation in electroencephalography (EEG) analysis. The aim was to examine changes in brain activity potentially linked to central motor commands and to investigate their relationship with ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). In this study, sixteen participants (age: 21 ± 6 y, 7 females, 9 males) underwent one familiarization and two experimental trials in a randomised, blinded, cross-over study design. Participants executed a low-intensity bike task (9 min; 45 rpm; intensity (W): 10 % below aerobic threshold) after performing a mentally fatiguing (individualized 60-min Stroop task) or a control (documentary) task. Physiological (heart rate, EEG) and subjective measures (self-reported feeling of mental fatigue, RPE, cognitive load, motivation) were assessed prior, during and after the bike task. Post-Stroop, self-reported feeling of mental fatigue was higher in the intervention group (EXP) (74 ± 16) than in the control group (CON) (37 ± 17; p < 0.001). No significant differences in RPE during the bike task were observed between conditions. EEG analysis revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in beta frequency (13–30 Hz) during the bike task, with EXP exhibiting more desynchronization during the pedal push phase and synchronization during the pedal release phase. These results suggest that mental fatigue, confirmed by both subjective and neurophysiological markers, did not significantly impact RPE during the bike task, possibly due to the use of the CR100 scale or absence of a performance outcome. However, EEG data did reveal significant beta band alterations during the task, indicating increased neural effort under mental fatigue. These findings reveal, for the first time, how motor-related brain activity at the motor cortex is impacted during a low-intensity bike task when mentally fatigued.

Kinematics of Two Special Endurance Trials: A Methodological Contribution to 400-m Performance

This study aimed to determine changes in the kinematics of sprint steps based on progressive muscular fatigue during high-intensity 350-m and 500-m trials. Twelve elite healthy male 400-m sprinters with a minimum of six years of regular sprint training experience were recruited. They were divided into two groups for the experiment: a 350-m and a 500-m trial group. Time and kinematics of sprinting step motion for specific segments, i.e., starting to final stages of each trial, were obtained using the Opto Jump-Microgate optical measurement system. The starting phase of each sprint was defined as the section without muscular fatigue (noF), and the final phase was the sprint under muscular fatigue (onF). Each last 25 m of the 50-m evaluated section containing ten complete running steps was selected for detailed statistical analysis. Various patterns of temporal and spatial variables of sprinting efforts were observed between 350-m and 500-m trials. Each trial result was influenced by significant individual changes (p &lt; 0.05). All variables indicated that the two distances differed significantly in terms of running kinematics. This was confirmed by significant differences in the mean step frequency (p &lt; 0.001), which presented a difference of 11.75%, and the mean step speed (p &lt; 0.001). As a result of these changes, a hierarchical intermittent endurance training pattern was defined. The research concluded that special endurance (intermittent sprints) based on 350 m differed significantly in kinematics from sprints over 500 m. Therefore, it should be assumed that the distance of 350 m is more similar in its kinematics to the 400-m competition. This should encourage coaches and athletes to apply a 350-m distance in training developing special endurance, especially in the pre-competitive and competitive periods.

Critical linkages among floodplain hydrology, geomorphology and ecology along a lowland meandering river, Illinois, USA

AbstractThe ecology of forested floodplains is intricately linked to river hydrology through the frequency, magnitude, timing and duration of floodplain inundation. Spatial variability in inundation characteristics is influenced by the geomorphic template of a floodplain, both in terms of the topography of floodplain features and connectivity of these features to the main river channel. Spatial variability in inundation, in turn, has the potential to produce spatial variability in forest ecological characteristics. This study examines the influence of floodplain geomorphic features on spatial variability in inundation frequency as well as the relationship between these geomorphic features and the ecological characteristics of a floodplain forest. The frequencies of floods of different magnitudes are determined from flow‐duration analysis of over 100 years of discharge data for a lowland meandering river in Illinois, USA. Data on discharge, stage, and topography are then used to calibrate a two‐dimensional hydraulic model of flow across the floodplain at different levels of inundation. Integrating the frequency and inundation data yields mapping of average annual inundation frequency for different parts of the floodplain. Significant differences in inundation frequency correspond to three distinct floodplain geomorphic features: secondary channels (frequency = 12%), closed depressions (frequency = 4%) and the floodplain surface (frequency = 3%). Tree density is similar among the three types of geomorphic features, but tree species composition and canopy density differ significantly between secondary channels and the floodplain surface. The results provide insight into linkages among hydrology, geomorphology and tree characteristics of forested floodplains of lowland meandering rivers.

Low tube voltage and deep-learning reconstruction for reducing radiation and contrast medium doses in thin-slice abdominal CT: a prospective clinical trial.

To investigate the feasibility of low-radiation dose and low iodinated contrast medium (ICM) dose protocol combining low-tube voltage and deep-learning reconstruction (DLR) algorithm in thin-slice abdominal CT. This prospective study included 148 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal CT with either 120-kVp (600 mgL/kg, n = 74) or 80-kVp protocol (360 mgL/kg, n = 74). The 120-kVp images were reconstructed using hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) (120-kVp-HIR), while 80-kVp images were reconstructed using HIR (80-kVp-HIR) and DLR (80-kVp-DLR) with 0.5 mm thickness. Size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) and iodine dose were compared between protocols. Image noise, CT attenuation, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were quantified. Noise power spectrum (NPS) and edge rise slope (ERS) were used to evaluate noise texture and edge sharpness, respectively. The subjective image quality was rated on a 4-point scale. SSDE and iodine doses of 80-kVp were 40.4% (8.1 ± 0.9 vs. 13.6 ± 2.7 mGy) and 36.3% (21.2 ± 3.9 vs. 33.3 ± 4.3 gL) lower, respectively, than those of 120-kVp (both, p < 0.001). CT attenuation of vessels and solid organs was higher in 80-kVp than in 120-kVp images (all, p < 0.001). Image noise of 80-kVp-HIR and 80-kVp-DLR was higher and lower, respectively than that of 120-kVp-HIR (both p < 0.001). The highest CNR and subjective scores were attained in 80-kVp-DLR (all, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in average NPS frequency and ERS between 120-kVp-HIR and 80-kVp-DLR (p ≥ 0.38). Compared with the 120-kVp-HIR protocol, the combined use of 80-kVp and DLR techniques yielded superior subjective and objective image quality with reduced radiation and ICM doses at thin-section abdominal CT. Scanning at low-tube voltage (80-kVp) combined with the deep-learning reconstruction algorithm may enhance diagnostic efficiency and patient safety by improving image quality and reducing radiation and contrast doses of thin-slice abdominal CT. Reducing radiation and iodine doses is desirable; however, contrast and noise degradation can be detrimental. The 80-kVp scan with the deep-learning reconstruction technique provided better images with lower radiation and contrast doses. This technique may be efficient for improving diagnostic confidence and patient safety in thin-slice abdominal CT.

Osteopontin as a Biomarker in Interstitial Lung Diseases.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a glycoprotein involved in Th1 and Th17 differentiation, and inflammation and tissue remodeling. OPN is a biomarker of disease activity in patients with autoimmune inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of OPN in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Between May 2016 and October 2019, 344 patients with ILD were recruited at the Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla (Spain) and were prospectively followed-up. This study involved the determination of OPN serum levels by ELISA and OPN RNA expression quantified using qPCR. Six genetic polymorphisms in OPN (rs28357094, rs2853749, rs2853750, rs11728697, rs7695531, and rs1126616) were genotyped using TaqMan assays. OPN serum levels were also assessed in 140 healthy controls. OPN serum levels (median [interquartile range]) were significantly higher in ILD patients than in controls (1.05 [0.75-1.51] ng/mL versus 0.81 [0.65-0.98] ng/mL in healthy controls; p < 0.01). OPN serum levels were inversely correlated with the forced vital capacity. OPN serum levels were also higher in ILD patients who died or underwent lung transplantation when compared with the remaining ILD patients (1.15 [0.80-1.72] ng/mL versus 0.99 [0.66-1.32] ng/mL; p = 0.05). Survival worsened in ILD patients with OPN > 1.03 ng/mL at 1, 3, and 5 years. No statistically significant differences in the genetic frequencies of OPN polymorphisms or the RNA expression were found among the different ILD groups. Elevated levels of OPN in the serum may be a useful indicator in identifying patients with ILD who are more likely to experience poor outcomes.

Time-Dependent Bacterial Contamination of a Surgical Suction Tip.

Background: No in vitro surgical study has evaluated the time-dependent contamination of surgical suction tips compared with controls. Our purpose was to determine the difference in suction tip bacterial contamination rates between suction-positive and suction-negative tips. Materials and Methods: A matched-pair analysis of the contamination of surgical suction tips over a six-hour period was performed in two clean operating rooms. One suction tip was connected to standard wall suction (suction-positive group), with a matched control tip not connected to wall suction (suction-negative group). At time zero and then at hourly intervals for six hours, the distal 3 cm of suction tips were removed, placed in nutrient broth for 48 hours, then plate cultured. One hundred tips were collected for each time interval. Results: Eighty-two of 700 (11.7%) suction tips had bacterial contamination. Sixty-three (18.0%) of 350 suction-positive tips were contaminated, with 19 (5.4%) of the 350 suction-negative tips contaminated (χ2 = 26.7, p < 0.001). Suction tip contamination was time-dependent with the first significant difference between groups occurring after two hours of continuous suction (χ2 = 4.0, p = 0.04). Contamination rate in the suction-positive group increased significantly after one hour compared with time-zero controls (χ2 = 7.1, p = 0.008). There was no significant difference in frequency of positive cultures over time in the suction-negative group compared with time-zero controls. Conclusions: This is the first controlled laboratory study suggesting a time-dependent increase in positive suction tip cultures. From our data, operating room staff should have an awareness that suction tips represent a potential source of bacterial concentration. We recommend that when not in use, suction tip valves be closed if this feature is available, that hosing be manipulated to cease suction when not needed, that suckers be disconnected from tubing, or that suckers be exchanged at frequent intervals. Doing so may reduce bacterial contamination on the suction tip.

Changes in Fingertip Cold-Induced Vasodilatation (Hunting Reaction) on Acute Exposure to Altitude.

Fossati, Alexandre, and Aleid C. J. Ruijs. Changes in fingertip cold-induced vasodilatation (hunting reaction) on acute exposure to altitude. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 2024. Objective: Cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) of the extremities is an interesting part of human physiology. Although the physiology of the CIVD reaction remains unknown, there are indications that hypoxia influences our CIVD reaction. The objective of this study is to measure the influence of acute hypoxia on the CIVD reaction of the fingertips. Methods: The CIVD reaction was measured using immersion of one hand in a water bath of 0°C in 12 healthy volunteers at low (1,235 m) and high (3,800 m) altitude during 35 minutes. High altitude was reached by a 20-minute cable car ride. Testing was performed indoors (room temperature, 22-25°C) at both altitudes. Data analysis was performed measuring the parameters of the CIVD reaction. Differences were found using the paired Student's t-test. Results: There was no significant difference in baseline finger temperature, onset time, peak time, and frequency of the CIVD reaction. However, at high altitude, maximum temperature and amplitude were significantly higher, slope was steeper, and minimum temperature was lower. Conclusion: We did not find evidence for a diminished CIVD reaction at high altitude due to hypoxia.

Risk perception and use of personal care products by race and ethnicity among a diverse population.

Personal care products can contain phthalates, parabens and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. However, information on perception of risks from personal care product use and how use varies by race and ethnicity is limited. We evaluated differences in personal care product use and risk perception in a diverse sample of participants recruited from a US college campus and online. A self-administered questionnaire captured information on sociodemographic factors, personal care product use trends and perception of risk associated with them. Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine differences in personal care product use and risk perception by race and ethnicity. Ordered logistic regressions were performed to measure associations between personal care product use frequency across racial/ethnic categories. Participant (n = 770) mean age was 22.8 years [standard deviation ± 6.0]. Daily use of make-up (eye = 29.3%; other = 38.0%; all = 33.7%) and skincare products (55%) was most frequently reported among Middle Eastern and North African participants. Non-Hispanic Black participants reported the highest daily use of hairstyling products (52%) and lotion (78%). Daily make-up use was more frequently reported among females (41%) than males (24.6%). Levels of agreement were similar across racial and ethnic groups, that personal care product manufacturers should be required to list all ingredients (≥87%). There were significant associations between the frequency of use of some personal care products and racial/ethnic categories when the use frequencies of participants from other racial/ethnic categories were compared to the use frequency of non-Hispanic White participants. There were significant differences in daily use frequency, levels of trust, perception of safety and health risks associated with personal care products by race and ethnicity, underscoring that there may be different sources of exposure to chemicals in personal care products by race and ethnicity.

The role of rs2236242 at SERPINA12 gene and vaspin level on papillary thyroid carcinoma

Several studies showed that adipokines are associated with types of cancer which are documented to be effective in cancer biology. This study aimed to determine the relationship between vaspin rs2236242 polymorphism and the vaspin level with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and multinodular goiter (MNG). In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 170 candidates. Ninety patients with newly diagnosed (PTC 60 patients and MNG 30 patients), and 80 participants as a control group referred to Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were enrolled in the study. The vaspin hormone measurements were conducted utilizing the Elisa Kit. Using Tetra amplification resistant-mutation system polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR), the genotype of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2236242 was determined. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20. Our findings showed significant age and genotype frequency differences in three groups (p-value < 0.05). There was no significant difference in vaspin levels between PTC, and control groups. The level of vaspin in MNG compared to the control group had significantly different, but there were no differences after adjustment for age. Results showed the genotypes of vaspin rs2236242 polymorphism are not associated with the level of vaspin. The genotypes and allele frequencies of vaspin rs2236242 in the PTC and MNG groups were significant compared to the control group. We have found vaspin rs2236242 gene polymorphism as a potential marker of papillary thyroid cancer. The A allele of the vaspin SNP rs2236242 plays a protective role against PTC and MNG. SNP at rs2236242 was not significantly associated with vaspin levels.

Arabicization via Loan Translation: A Corpus-based Analysis of Neologisms Translated from English into Arabic in the Field of Information Technology

Abstract This study aims to use a corpus-based analysis to examine loan translation (LT) as an Arabicization technique in Written Standard Arabic (WSA) for information technology (IT) and investigate the factors impacting LT formation. Data were collected from four corpora: four Arabic online newspapers, the Microsoft Language Portal, two user manuals, and the Arabic Corpus of King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Four LT strategies were identified: morphosyntactic pattern alteration, literal translation, loan blending, and metaphorical extension. Literal translation occurred in three degrees: full LTs, partial LTs, and non-LTs, through calquing. Metaphors based on functional similarity played a crucial role in understanding and accepting IT terms in WSA. Paradigmatic variation prevailed in LTs, with synonymous variations more common than nonsynonymous ones, and no syntagmatic variation. The KACST analysis showed significant differences in occurrence frequency among LT variants. LT formation and variation were influenced by linguistic factors such as lexical need, semantic transparency, and lexical borrowing, as well as extralinguistic factors such as nationalism and lack of coordination among Arabic language academies. The study concludes with implications for addressing the absence of coordination between these academies and improving IT-related LT quality between English and WSA.

CT-Guided Core-Needle Biopsy of Pulmonary Lesions Associated With Cystic Airspaces: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Concern may exist that pulmonary lesions associated with cystic airspaces are at risk of increased biopsy complications or lower biopsy accuracy given challenges in targeting tissue abutting or intermingled with the cystic airspaces. Objective: To evaluate the safety and diagnostic performance of CT-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) of pulmonary lesions with cystic airspaces. Methods: This retrospective study included 90 patients (median age, 69.5 years; 28 female, 62 male) who underwent CT-guided CNB of pulmonary lesions associated with cystic airspaces (based on review of procedural images) from February 2010 to December 2022 and a matched control group (2:1 ratio) of 180 patients (median age, 68.0 years; 56 female, 124 male) who underwent CNB of noncystic noncavitary lesions during the same period. The groups were compared in terms of complications, nondiagnostic biopsies (i.e., nonspecific benignities, atypical cells, or insufficient specimens), and CNB diagnostic performance for detecting malignancy using as reference the final diagnosis from a joint review of all available records. For lesions associated with cystic airspaces that underwent surgical resection after CNB, histologic slides were re-reviewed to assess cystic airspace etiology. Results: The final diagnosis was malignant in 90% (81/90) of lesions associated with cystic airspaces and 92% (165/180) of noncystic noncavitary lesions. Patients with lesions associated with cystic airspaces and patients with noncystic noncavitary lesions showed no significant difference in frequencies of complication (all: 40% [36/90] vs 38% [68/180], p=.79; major: 4% [4/90] vs 6% [10/180], p=.78; minor: 36% [32/90] vs 32% [58/180], p=.59), frequency of nondiagnostic biopsies (12% [11/90] vs 9% [16/180], p=.40), or diagnostic performance (accuracy: 94.% [85/90] vs 97% [175/180], p=.50; sensitivity: 94% [76/81] vs 97% [160/165], p=.50; specificity: 100% [9/9] vs 100% [15/15]; p>.99), respectively. All false-negative results for malignancy in both groups occurred in patients with nondiagnostic CNB results. Among lesions associated with cystic airspaces that were resected after CNB (all malignant), the cystic airspaces most commonly represented tumor degeneration (22/31, 71%). Conclusion: CT-guided CNB is safe and accurate for assessing pulmonary lesions associated with cystic airspaces. Clinical Impact: CNB may help avoid a missed or delayed cancer diagnosis in pulmonary lesions with cystic airspaces.

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine in treating postcholecystectomy diarrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Postcholecystectomy diarrhea (PCD) is among the most distressing and well-known clinical complications of cholecystectomy. Despite various available treatment options, clinical outcomes are greatly limited by unclear pathophysiological mechanisms. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is widely used as a complementary and alternative therapy for the treatment of functional diarrhea. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM for the treatment of PCD. Electronic database searches were conducted using the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and the Chinese Scientific Journal Database. All RCTs on CHMs for managing patients with PCD were included. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. The present meta-analysis included 14 RCTs published between 2009 and 2021 in China. The primary findings indicated that CHM had a higher total efficacy and cure rate as a monotherapy for PCD (P < .00001). Two trials reported the scores of the main symptoms with statistically significant differences in stool nature (P < .00001), defecation frequency (P = .002), and abdominal pain and bloating (P < .00001). In addition, CHM reduced CD3+ and CD4+ levels more effectively in terms of T lymphocyte subset determination (P < .00001). The main symptoms of PCD in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are splenic deficiency and liver stagnation. All treatments were used to strengthen the spleen and (or) soothing the liver. CHM had a favorable effect on PCD. No adverse events were observed. Larger, high-quality RCTs are warranted to draw definitive conclusions and standardize treatment protocols.

The liminal (vowel) space of womanhood: Fundamental frequency, formants, and the intersex body in Brazil

Abstract Despite the significance of intersex constituencies for explaining the social nature of sex and gender, intersex linguistic and social practices remain a yet unexplored frontier within sociolinguistics. This article examines fundamental frequency (F0) and vowel formant (F1–F3) production by participants with Turner Syndrome (TS), one of the most common intersex chromosomal conditions, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This analysis demonstrates significant differences in fundamental frequency and F3 among different participant groups. I argue that height, growth hormone, and chromosomes are fundamental in constructing womanhood for TS women. Along with relevant ethnographic data, these results call for a re-examination of the body within linguistic and anthropological understandings of ‘womanhood’ and ‘femaleness’. This article highlights the ways these biological factors intersect with gendered perceptions of age and maturity, which can have real-world effects on linguistic practice and the social life of intersex individuals. (Brazilian Portuguese, fundamental frequency, gender, intersex, Turner Syndrome, vowel formants, critical intersex studies)*

An overview of autosomal STRs and identity SNPs in a Norwegian population using massively parallel sequencing

In recent years, probabilistic genotyping software has been adapted for the analysis of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) forensic data. Likelihood ratios (LR) are based on allele frequencies selected from populations of interest. This study provides an outline of sequence-based (SB) allele frequencies for autosomal short tandem repeats (aSTRs) and identity single nucleotide polymorphisms (iSNPs) in 371 individuals from Southern Norway. 27 aSTRs and 94 iSNPs were previously analysed with the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit (Verogen). The number of alleles with frequencies less than 0.05 for sequenced-based alleles was 4.6 times higher than for length-based alleles. Consistent with previous studies, it was observed that sequence-based data (both with and without flanks) exhibited higher allele diversity compared to length-based (LB) data; random match probabilities were lower for SB alleles confirming their advantage to discriminate between individuals. Two alleles in markers D22S1045 and Penta D were observed with SNPs in the 3´ flanking region, which have not been reported before. Also, a novel SNP with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of 0.001, was found in marker TH01. The impact of the sample size on minor allele frequency (MAF) values was studied in 88 iSNPs from Southern Norway (n = 371). The findings were then compared to a larger Norwegian population dataset (n = 15,769). The results showed that the smaller Southern Norway dataset provided similar results, and it was a representative sample. Population structure was analyzed for regions within Southern Norway; FST estimates for aSTR and iSNPs did not indicate any genetic structure. Finally, we investigated the genetic differences between Southern Norway and two other populations: Northern Norway and Denmark. Allele frequencies between these populations were compared, and we found no significant frequency differences (p-values > 0.0001). We also calculated the pairwise FST values per marker and comparisons between Southern and Northern Norway showed small differences. In contrast, the comparisons between Southern Norway and Denmark showed higher FST values for some markers, possibly driven by distinct alleles that were present in only one of the populations. In summary, we propose that allele frequencies from each population considered in this study could be used interchangeably to calculate genotype probabilities.