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Background: Genetic panel tests require sufficient tissue samples, and therefore, cannot always be performed. Although collecting cytological specimens is easier than tissue collection, there are no validation studies on the diagnostic accuracy of lung cancer gene panel tests using cytology samples. Methods: Using an amplicon-based high-sensitivity next-generation sequencing panel test capable of measuring eight druggable genes, we prospectively enrolled consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic procedures. We evaluated the analysis accuracy rate, nucleic acid yield, and the quality of cytological specimens under brushing, needle aspiration, and pleural effusion. We then compared these specimens with collected tissue samples. Results: In 163 prospectively enrolled cases, nucleic acid extraction and analysis accuracy was 100% in cases diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. Gene mutations were found in 68.7% of cases with 99.5% (95% CI: 98.2–99.9) concordance to companion diagnostics. The median DNA/RNA yield and DNA/RNA integrity number were 475/321 ng and 7.9/5.7, respectively. The correlation coefficient of the gene allele ratio in 64 cases compared with tissue samples was 0.711. Conclusion: The success of gene analysis using cytological specimens was high, and the yield and quality of the extracted nucleic acid were sufficient for panel analysis. Moreover, the allele frequency of gene mutations in cytological specimens showed high correlations with tissue specimens.

A considerable proportion of childless women in their late thirties or early forties would still like to have children. The number of men and women whose fertility intentions are potentially influenced by the so-called biological clock for childbearing and who remain involuntarily childless is increasing. We analyze the short-term dynamics of fertility intentions and partner search among childless, non-partnered men and women aged 35-37. By comparing people in this age group to younger men and women, we investigate whether and how their awareness of the biological clock for childbearing affects their childbearing intentions. The data stems from the first two waves of the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) survey. We selected male and female respondents aged 25-27 (n = 1,073) and 35-37 (n = 369) in Wave 1. Our analyses reveal that fertility intentions are more polarized among men and women aged 35-37 than among their 25-27-year-old counterparts, and are more polarized among women than among men. Finding a partner is shown to positively affect fertility intentions. Our results suggest that people who intensity their fertility intentions are not necessarily successful in finding a partner, which can be seen as a major prerequisite for family formation.

In many countries, document and border procedures create trading barriers, thereby impairing economic growth. These can range from insufficient transshipment facilities to unsupportive institutional arrangements. To address this, countries have taken reforms to improve their procedures by introducing electronic documentation systems, strengthening border infrastructure, and enhancing customs procedures. However, the efficiency of the document and border procedures in each country remains unclear, as well as how new reforms can affect these. This study investigated the efficiency of document and border procedures in each country, defined as the trade volume and value per required cost, time, and documents in the trading procedures. The efficiencies were calculated through a data envelopment analysis with cross-sectional data from 2019 and a window analysis with panel data from 2014 to 2019. The study found a positive change in export procedure efficiency after all three types of reforms were instituted in a country, but a positive change in import efficiency only after the introduction of electronic documentation. All countries were classified according to their document and border procedure strengths and weaknesses.

Dementia has become a profound public health problem due to the number of patients increasing every year. Previous studies have reported that environmental factors, including greenness, may influence the development and progression of dementia. Studies have found that exposure to green space is associated with a lower incidence of dementia. However, many definitions of green space exist, and the effects of its use may differ with the type of green space. Therefore, two types of green space measures were considered in this study to assess the differences in their impact on the prevalence of dementia among females and males. This study used five years of data (2017–2021) from 235 districts in South Korea. The two green space measures used were open space density and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which were derived from satellite images. The analysis utilized a combination of traditional and spatial panel analyses to account for the spatial and temporal effects of independent variables on dementia prevalence. The spatial autocorrelation results revealed that both measures of greenness were spatially correlated with dementia prevalence. The spatial panel regression results revealed a significant positive association between NDVI and dementia prevalence, and open space had a negative association with dementia prevalence in both genders. The difference in the findings can serve as the basis for further research when choosing a greenspace measure, as it affects the analysis results, depending on the objective of the study. This study adds to the knowledge regarding improving dementia studies and the application of spatial panel analysis in epidemiological studies.

Being one of the earliest focuses of debates in human history, equality remains to be a significant determiner of student achievement, and we believe that it is important to understand why and how inequalities influence student achievement. In this study, we analyzed well-being indicators in the “How’s Life? Well-being” data set provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with a pooled effect model panel data analysis to comprehend the effect of well-being on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) maths skills of students. The dataset we worked on includes data from the years 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018, when PISA tests were carried out and we analyzed data from 37 OECD countries. We found that PISA math skills scores have a negative correlation with economic factors of household income, employment rate, and youth neither in employment, education, or training, and have a positive correlation with the gender wage gap, and deprivation of adequate health condition indicators. We suggest further analysis with the methods of discriminant and cluster analysis to comprehend common traits of countries that have high scores on the PISA tests.

The aim of this paper is to research, theoretically and empirically, the impact of institutional reforms on economic growth in transition countries (new European Union members) and Croatia, in the period from 1996 to 2012. In order to prove the hypothesis, we will use panel analysis of transition economies and Croatia, namely the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel analysis. The analysis includes two dependent variables (gross domestic product per capita [G.D.P./p.c.]and the share of export in G.D.P.) and five independent variables (total Heritage Index of Economic Freedom, Worldwide Governance Indicators (W.G.I.) government effectiveness indicator, W.G.I. rule of law indicator, corruption perception index and the index of institutional reforms in transition countries). The results show that there is a significant positive impact of institutional reforms on the economic growth of transition countries and Croatia, which creates preconditions that are essential for the future growth rate of the Croatian economy.

The problem of food insecurity is growing across the world, in particular in developing countries. Due to their economic structure, climate change represents one of the major threats for food security levels in African countries. The object of this work was to assess the impact of climate change on the level of food security in the North and East African countries, using a panel data analysis for the period 2000–2012. Average protein supply and average dietary energy supply adequacy were the two different indicators of food security we identified as most appropriate. Indeed, both indicators can provide information concerning the amount and the nutritional value of food supply. The determinants of food security are expressed as a function of rainfall, temperature, land area under cereal production, size of population and GDP. Findings showed that food security in the Northern and Eastern African countries is adversely affected by climate change. Policy makers need to promote those actions capable of mitigating global warming and reducing its economic impact.

Crude oil usage in (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) OECD countries has been significantly higher since the early 1970s and therefore, oil can be considered as one of the driving forces of the OECD economies. Moreover, oil prices have been frequently fluctuating over time, creating adverse economic and social impacts. The study examines the impact of oil price on the economic growth of 38 OECD countries over the period 2000–2020, through four channel variables such as real interest rate, exchange rate, government expenditure and investment. A dynamic panel data analysis based on Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) is employed to accomplish the objective of the study. The study confirms that there is a mixed impact of oil price on economic growth. More specifically, an increase in oil price positively affects economic growth only through interest rates while the oil price hike negatively affects economic growth through all other channel variables such as exchange rate, government expenditure and investment. Since the total negative effect of oil price on economic growth outnumbers the positive effect, the net impact of an oil price hike on economic growth is negative. Hence, the study strongly recommends applying appropriate polices to reduce oil price fluctuations while encouraging the use of country-specific renewable energy sources.

Liquid biopsy isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) allows the genomic analysis of CTCs, which is useful in the determination of personalized cancer therapy. In the present study, CTCs from patients with breast cancer were enriched and successfully analyzed using cancer gene panel analysis. Blood samples from 11 patients with breast cancer were collected and CTCs enriched for using size-based filtration. The enriched CTCs were analyzed using immunofluorescence staining with antibodies directed against epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and cluster of differentiation 45. The genomic DNA of CTCs was extracted, amplified and 50 genes screened for mutations using the Ion AmpliSeq™ Cancer Hotspot Panel v2. EpCAM staining detected CTCs in 10/11 patients and the average CTC count was 3.9 in 5 ml blood. The average purity of enriched CTCs was 14.2±29.4% and the average amount of amplified DNA was 28.6±11.9 µg. Catalogue Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer mutations were detected in the CTCs and included IDH2, TP53, NRAS, IDH1, PDGFRA, HRAS, STK11, EGFR, PTEN, MLH1, PIK3CA, CDKN2A, KIT and SMARCB1. In conclusion, a novel size-based filtration approach for the isolation of CTCs was evaluated and successfully applied for the genomic analysis of CTCs from patients with breast cancer.

Background/Objectives: Japan introduced a certification system for Advanced Practice Nursing Workforce (APNW) in 1996. The Japanese Nursing Association formally certified two types of the APNW: Certified Nurses (CNs) and Certified Nurse Specialists (CNSs). Little is known about the geographic distribution of CNs and CNSs. Methods: We conducted an ecological panel analysis using prefecture-level data from 1996 to 2022. To assess the degree of inequality of CN and CNS among prefectures, we calculated the Gini overall coefficients, as well as those by categories of CN and CNS, number of hospitals, number of hospital doctors, and hospital nurses. Using data available from 2000 to 2017, we examined factors associated with CN and CNS density through fixed-effects panel data analyses of log-transformed overall and category-specific densities. Results: During the study period, the number of CNs and CNSs consistently increased, and geographic disparities in their distribution decreased until around 2010. After 2010, however, geographic disparities in prefectures with persistently low CN and CNS densities persisted without significant change. For overall CN and CNS density, significant associations were observed with population aging, per capita income, hospital density, hospital doctor density, hospital nurse density, and study year, whereas hospital nurse wages showed a positive but not statistically significant association. When stratified by clinical category, the directions of associations for several regional factors varied; however, hospital nurse density and hospital nurse wages tended to be positively associated with CN and CNS density in most categories. Conclusions: This study highlighted the need for targeted strategies to increase CN and CNS numbers specifically in prefectures with persistently low densities, tailored to each clinical category.