bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between early-onset stroke and triglyceride-glucose index among young Chinese adults
Authors: Xu Wenqi , Zhao Haiyan , Han Xu , Liu Jianrong , Li Haixia , Sun Junyan , Xing Aijun , Chen Shuohua , Wu Shouling , Wu Yuntao
Published: January 2023

Background

The triglyceride–glucose index (TyG index), an alternative indicator of peripheral insulin resistance (IR), is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population. The aim of this research was to determine the correlation between early-onset stroke and the TyG index among young Chinese adults.

Methods

Participants (age ≤ 40 years) who attended their first physical examination in Kailuan General Hospital or its 11 subsidiary hospitals between 2006 and 2012 were enrolled. The subjects were divided into four equal points according to the quartile of the TyG index, with the lowest quartile (Q1) as the reference group. A Cox proportional hazard model was employed to assess the correlation between early-onset stroke incidence and the TyG index. Restricted cubic spline analysis was further conducted to examine nonlinear associations. The TyG index was calculated as Ln [Triglyceride (TG, mg/dL) × Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG, mg/dL)/2].

Results

Overall, 35,999 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Their mean age was 30.8 ±  5.7 years, and 77.1% of subjects were males. During a median observation period of 11 years, 281 stroke events occurred (62 hemorrhagic strokes and 219 ischemic strokes). Compared to the Q1 group (as the lowest group), subjects in groups Q2-Q4 had significantly higher risks of early-onset stroke (P < 0.05) after adjustment for relevant confounders in the Cox proportional hazards model. Similar results were consistent with ischemic stroke. However, no significant associations were observed between the risk of hemorrhage and the baseline TyG index. The restricted cubic splines revealed that the risk of stroke progressively increased with a high TyG index ≥ 8.41.

Conclusions

The TyG index may be a major risk factor for early-onset stroke among young Chinese adults. A TyG index ≥ 8.41 can be used as an indicator for screening high-risk stroke groups.
Long-term efficacy and safety of anticoagulant for cavernous transformation of the portal vein cirrhotic patient with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction
Authors: Zhou Yongjie , Zhuang Zhiquan , Yu Tianzhu , Zhang Wen , Ma Jingqin , Yu Jiaze , Yan Zhiping , Luo Jianjun
Published: January 2023

Background/aims

Cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) in cirrhotic patients with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO) was a relatively rare disease and had no consensus on the treatment. Our study aimed to explore the value of anticoagulation with warfarin treatment for CTPV cirrhotic patients with EHPVO.

Methods: From January 2015 to December 2019, the clinical characteristics of cirrhotic patients who were diagnosed as CTPV with EHPVO were retrospectively analyzed. Eligible patients were distributed into the anticoagulation group (n = 46) and control group (n = 38). The change of portal vein thrombosis, hepatic decompensation, survival and adverse events were evaluated between the two groups.

Results

The median follow-up of our patients was 51 months in the anticoagulation group and 44 months in the control group. The progress rate of the portal vein was higher in patients from the control groups (n = 12) than in patients from the anticoagulation group (n = 4, p = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the partial recanalization rate and stable rate between the two groups. Patients in anticoagulation group developed less hepatic decompensation than those in control group (13.0% vs 34.2%, p = 0.021). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients in the anticoagulation group had a better prognosis than patients in the control group (P < 0.022). There were no serious complications due to warfarin treatment.

Conclusion

For CTPV cirrhotic patients with EHPVO, anticoagulation with warfarin treatment was effective and safe. Anticoagulants could prevent portal vein thrombosis progression, hepatic decompensation and death. In addition, our results showed little benefit of anticoagulants on thrombosis recanalization.
AFAP1L1 promotes gastric cancer progression by interacting with VAV2 to facilitate CDC42-mediated activation of ITGA5 signaling pathway
Authors: Sun Bo , Ding Bai , Chen Yu , Peng Chuang , Chen Xu
Published: January 2023

Background

The actin filament-associated protein (AFAP) family genes include AFAP1/AFAP-110, AFAP1L1 and AFAP1L2/XB130. Increasing evidence indicates these three AFAP family members participate in tumor progression, but their clinical significance and molecular mechanisms in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear.

Methods

We first analyzed expression of AFAP family genes using public datasets and verified the results. The clinical significance of AFAP family genes in GC patients was also analyzed. In vitro and in vivo experiments were applied to explore the function of AFAP1L1. Enrichment analysis was used to explore potential molecular mechanisms. We then performed additional experiments, such as cell adhesion assay, co-immunoprecipitation and so on to confirm the downstream molecular mechanisms of AFAP1L1.

Results

Public data analyses and our verification both showed AFAP1L1 was the only AFAP family members that was significantly upregulated in GC compared with normal gastric tissues. Besides, only AFAP1L1 could predict poor prognosis and act as an independent risk factor for GC patients. In addition, AFAP1L1 promotes GC cells proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro and tumor growth, metastasis in vivo by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In terms of mechanism, AFAP1L1 interacts with VAV guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 (VAV2) to activate Rho family GTPases CDC42, which finally promotes expression of integrin subunit alpha 5 (ITGA5) and activation of integrin signaling pathway.

Conclusion

AFAP1L1 promotes GC progression by inducing EMT through VAV2-mediated activation of CDC42 and ITGA5 signaling pathway, indicating AFAP1L1 may be a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC patients.
The efficacy of intravenous iron for treatment of anemia before cardiac surgery: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis
Authors: Liu Hong-Mei , Tang Xi-sha , Yu Hong , Yu Hai
Published: January 2023

Background

Preoperative anemia is common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with various etiologies, among which iron deficiency is the leading cause. However, the benefit of intravenous (IV) iron for the treatment of anemia before cardiac surgery is uncertain. This updated meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of IV iron in adult cardiac surgery patients with preoperative anemia.

Methods

This review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched Embase, PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool and Newcastle–Ottawa scale, and the strength of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) criteria. Trial sequential analysis was performed on the primary outcome (transfusion rate) to confirm whether firm evidence was reached.

Results

Six RCTs (936 patients) and 5 observational studies (1350 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The IV iron group and the control group were comparable in terms of transfusion rate [55.1% vs 60.9%, risk ratio (RR) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81–1.03, P = 0.13, low quality]. There were no significant differences in units transfused per patient, ICU stay and hospital length of stay between the two groups. And pooled data showed a benefit of IV iron compared to the control group on mortality (2.76% vs 3.75%, RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.36–0.95, P = 0.03, moderate quality) and no mortality reduction existed when including only RCTs.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggested that IV iron treatment for patients with anemia before cardiac surgery did not reduce the transfusion requirement (low quality), but it was associated with decreased mortality (moderate quality). More large-scale, high-quality randomized clinical trials are warranted to confirm or refute our findings.

PROSPERO registry reference: CRD42022331875.
Retraction Note: SP1-induced lncRNA AGAP2-AS1 expression promotes chemoresistance of breast cancer by epigenetic regulation of MyD88
Authors: Dong Huaying , Wang Wei , Mo Shaowei , Chen Ru , Zou Kejian , Han Jing , Zhang Fan , Hu Jianguo
Published: January 2023

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-018-0875-3.
Insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome across various tissues: an updated review of pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment
Authors: Zhao Han , Zhang Jiaqi , Cheng Xiangyi , Nie Xiaozhao , He Bing
Published: January 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder characterized by chronic ovulation dysfunction and overabundance of androgens; it affects 6–20% of women of reproductive age. PCOS involves various pathophysiological factors, and affected women usually have significant insulin resistance (IR), which is a major cause of PCOS. IR and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia have differing pathogeneses in various tissues, and IR varies among different PCOS phenotypes. Genetic and epigenetic changes, hyperandrogenaemia, and obesity aggravate IR. Insulin sensitization drugs are a new treatment modality for PCOS. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, and UpToDate databases in this review, and focused on the pathogenesis of IR in women with PCOS and the pathophysiology of IR in various tissues. In addition, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the current progress in the efficacy of insulin sensitization therapy in the management of PCOS, providing the latest evidence for the clinical treatment of women with PCOS and IR.
Sequre: a high-performance framework for secure multiparty computation enables biomedical data sharing
Authors: Smajlović Haris , Shajii Ariya , Berger Bonnie , Cho Hyunghoon , Numanagić Ibrahim
Published: January 2023

Secure multiparty computation (MPC) is a cryptographic tool that allows computation on top of sensitive biomedical data without revealing private information to the involved entities. Here, we introduce Sequre, an easy-to-use, high-performance framework for developing performant MPC applications. Sequre offers a set of automatic compile-time optimizations that significantly improve the performance of MPC applications and incorporates the syntax of Python programming language to facilitate rapid application development. We demonstrate its usability and performance on various bioinformatics tasks showing up to 3–4 times increased speed over the existing pipelines with 7-fold reductions in codebase sizes.
The effects of a moderate physical activity intervention on physical fitness and cognition in healthy elderly with low levels of physical activity: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Galle Sara A. , Deijen Jan Berend , Milders Maarten V. , De Greef Mathieu H. G. , Scherder Erik J. A. , van Duijn Cornelia M. , Drent Madeleine L.
Published: January 2023

Background

Increasing physical activity is one of the most promising and challenging interventions to delay or prevent cognitive decline and dementia.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of a physical activity intervention, aimed at increasing step count, in elderly with low levels of physical activity on measures of strength, balance, aerobic capacity, and cognition. Participants were assigned to 9 months of exercise counseling or active control.

Results

The intention-to-treat analyses show that the intervention, compared to control, increases the level of physical activity, but has no significant effect on physical fitness and cognition. Those who increased their physical activity with 35% or more show significant improvements in aerobic capacity, gait speed, verbal memory, executive functioning, and global cognition, compared to those who did not achieve a 35% increase.

Limitations

The number of participants that achieved the intended improvement was lower than expected.

Conclusion

Responder analyses suggest an improvement of physical fitness and cognition in those who achieved an increase in physical activity of at least 35%.

Trial registration

The trial protocol is registered at the Dutch Trial Register NL5675, August 1, 2016.
Deep learning and radiomic feature-based blending ensemble classifier for malignancy risk prediction in cystic renal lesions
Authors: He Quan-Hao , Feng Jia-Jun , Lv Fa-Jin , Jiang Qing , Xiao Ming-Zhao
Published: January 2023

Background

The rising prevalence of cystic renal lesions (CRLs) detected by computed tomography necessitates better identification of the malignant cystic renal neoplasms since a significant majority of CRLs are benign renal cysts. Using arterial phase CT scans combined with pathology diagnosis results, a fusion feature-based blending ensemble machine learning model was created to identify malignant renal neoplasms from cystic renal lesions (CRLs). Histopathology results were adopted as diagnosis standard. Pretrained 3D-ResNet50 network was selected for non-handcrafted features extraction and pyradiomics toolbox was selected for handcrafted features extraction. Tenfold cross validated least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression methods were selected to identify the most discriminative candidate features in the development cohort. Feature’s reproducibility was evaluated by intra-class correlation coefficients and inter-class correlation coefficients. Pearson correlation coefficients for normal distribution and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for non-normal distribution were utilized to remove redundant features. After that, a blending ensemble machine learning model were developed in training cohort. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy score (ACC), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were employed to evaluate the performance of the final model in testing cohort.

Results

The fusion feature-based machine learning algorithm demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance in external validation dataset (AUC = 0.934, ACC = 0.905). Net benefits presented by DCA are higher than Bosniak-2019 version classification for stratifying patients with CRL to the appropriate surgery procedure.

Conclusions

Fusion feature-based classifier accurately distinguished malignant and benign CRLs which outperformed the Bosniak-2019 version classification and illustrated improved clinical decision-making utility.
Harnessing electromagnetic fields to assist bone tissue engineering
Authors: Zhao Hongqi , Liu Chaoxu , Liu Yang , Ding Qing , Wang Tianqi , Li Hao , Wu Hua , Ma Tian
Published: January 2023

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) emerged as one of the exceptional means for bone defects owing to it providing mechanical supports to guide bone tissue regeneration. Great advances have been made to facilitate the success of BTE in regenerating bone within defects. The use of externally applied fields has been regarded as an alternative strategy for BTE. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), known as a simple and non-invasive therapy, can remotely provide electric and magnetic stimulation to cells and biomaterials, thus applying EMFs to assist BTE would be a promising strategy for bone regeneration. When combined with BTE, EMFs improve cell adhesion to the material surface by promoting protein adsorption. Additionally, EMFs have positive effects on mesenchymal stem cells and show capabilities of pro-angiogenesis and macrophage polarization manipulation. These advantages of EMFs indicate that it is perfectly suitable for representing the adjuvant treatment of BTE. We also summarize studies concerning combinations of EMFs and diverse biomaterial types. The strategy of combining EMFs and BTE receives encouraging outcomes and holds a promising future for effectively treating bone defects.
Multimodal data fusion for supervised learning-based identification of USP7 inhibitors: a systematic comparison
Authors: Shen Wen-feng , Tang He-wei , Li Jia-bo , Li Xiang , Chen Si
Published: January 2023

Ubiquitin-specific-processing protease 7 (USP7) is a promising target protein for cancer therapy, and great attention has been given to the identification of USP7 inhibitors. Traditional virtual screening methods have now been successfully applied to discover USP7 inhibitors aiming at reducing costs and speeding up time in several studies. However, due to their unsatisfactory accuracy, it is still a difficult task to develop USP7 inhibitors. In this study, multiple supervised learning classifiers were built to distinguish active USP7 inhibitors from inactive ligands. Physicochemical descriptors, MACCS keys, ECFP4 fingerprints and SMILES were first calculated to represent the compounds in our in-house dataset. Two deep learning (DL) models and nine classical machine learning (ML) models were then constructed based on different combinations of the above molecular representations under three activity cutoff values, and a total of 15 groups of experiments (75 experiments) were implemented. The performance of the models in these experiments was evaluated, compared and discussed using a variety of metrics. The optimal models are ensemble learning models when the dataset is balanced or severely imbalanced, and SMILES-based DL performs the best when the dataset is slightly imbalanced. Meanwhile, multimodal data fusion in some cases can improve the performance of ML and DL models. In addition, SMOTE, unbiased decoy selection and SMILES enumeration can improve the performance of ML and DL models when the dataset is severely imbalanced, and SMOTE works the best. Our study established highly accurate supervised learning classification models, which would accelerate the development of USP7 inhibitors. Some guidance was also provided for drug researchers in selecting supervised models and molecular representations as well as handling imbalanced datasets.

Graphical Abstract
Metabolic disorder and intestinal microflora dysbiosis in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
Authors: Fu Jiafang , Shan Jingli , Cui Yazhou , Yan Chuanzhu , Wang Qinzhou , Han Jinxiang , Cao Guangxiang
Published: January 2023

Objective

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare acquired immune-mediated neuropathy. Although microbial infection is potentially a contributing factor, a causative link between CIDP and microbial infection remains unclear. There is also no definitive biomarker for CIDP diagnostics and therapies. The present study aimed to characterize the serum metabolic profile and gut microbiome structure in CIDP.

Methods

Targeted metabolomics profiling of serum, using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and metagenomics sequencing of stool samples from a cohort of CIDP and non-CIDP subjects were performed to evaluate serum metabolic profiles and gut microbiome structure in CIDP subjects relative to healthy controls.

Results

Metabolome data revealed that the bile acids profile was perturbed in CIDP with bile acids and arachidonic acid enriched significantly in CIDP versus non-CIDP controls. Metagenome data revealed that opportunistic pathogens, such as Klebsiella pneumonia and Megamonas funiformis, and genes involved in bacterial infection were notably more abundant in CIDP subjects, while gut microbes related to biotransformation of secondary bile acids were abnormal in CIDP versus non-CIDP subjects. Correlation analysis revealed that changes in secondary bile acids were associated with altered gut microbes, including Bacteroides ovatus, Bacteroides caccae, and Ruminococcus gnavus.

Conclusion

Bile acids and arachidonic acid metabolism were disturbed in CIDP subjects and might be affected by the dysbiosis of gut microbial flora. These findings suggest that the combination of bile acids and arachidonic acid could be used as a CIDP biomarker and that modulation of gut microbiota might impact the clinical course of CIDP.
On the application of generalized linear mixed models for predicting path loss in LTE networks
Authors: Cohen Achraf , Alqudah Yazan A.
Published: January 2023

To meet the ever-growing demand for higher data rates, accurate channel models are needed for optimal design and deployment of mobile wireless networks. This work proposes a new method for addressing path loss modeling at 800 MHz of suburban environment based on field measurements. Using generalized linear mixed models, we develop a new statistical model that accounts for the autocorrelation among measurements at the same distance at different times. The proposed method allows linear, quadratic, and cubic relationship forms between the path loss measurements and the natural logarithm of the distance, which is almost unexplored as existing models use a straight line relationship. A comparison study consists of comparing nine propagation models in terms of the mean absolute prediction error. The new model performs over $$30\%$$

30
%

better than the existing models for the considered measurements. We also show that a cubic relationship form between path loss measurements and the logarithm of distance could be more suitable than a straight line form for prediction purposes. The results show that the generalized linear mixed models significantly improve the prediction power regardless of the form of the model (linear, quadratic, or cubic).
Exploring adolescents’ perspectives on and experiences with post-primary school-based suicide prevention: a meta-ethnography protocol
Authors: Walsh Eibhlin H. , Herring Matthew P. , McMahon Jennifer
Published: January 2023

Background

Globally, suicide is the fourth leading cause of adolescent mortality. Although post-primary school-based suicide prevention (PSSP) interventions are an evidence-based strategy for targeting adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), PSSP effectiveness does not easily translate to school settings. Adolescents’ perspectives on PSSP are particularly important for (1) intervention effectiveness and implementation in both research and practice, (2) addressing PSSP evidence-practice gaps, and (3) enhancing meaningful adolescent involvement in PSSP, yet there is a gap in understanding adolescents’ experiences of engaging with PSSP. As such, this protocol outlines a meta-ethnography which will explore and synthesize adolescents’ perspectives on engaging with PSSP interventions, as participants/end-users, intervention advisors, facilitators, and co-designers and co-researchers.

Methods

The meta-ethnography protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The protocol was guided by the seven-stage process for meta-ethnography proposed by Noblit and Hare. Searches of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, ERIC, Scopus, and study reference lists will identify peer-reviewed studies. Gray literature will be identified by searches in ProQuest, British Library EThOS, and DART-Europe E-theses Portal. The main reviewer will initially assess the eligibility of studies based on title and abstract, with full texts reviewed by at least two reviewers. Findings of the included studies will be synthesized in line with Noblit and Hare’s stages and evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first proposed meta-ethnography to explore and integrate the findings of qualitative studies exploring adolescents’ perspectives on engaging with PSSP interventions. Understanding adolescents’ experiences of engaging with PSSP will impact the field of PSSP in several ways by (1) enhancing research processes and intervention effectiveness and implementation, (2) informing decision-making and policymaking relevant to practice, (3) guiding meaningful adolescent involvement in PSSP, and (4) contributing to knowledge on the safety implications of engaging adolescents in PSSP. Finally, it is expected that the insights from this meta-ethnography will be widely applicable, given the growing demand for meaningful youth involvement in health-related fields.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42022319424.
On convexity analysis for discrete delta Riemann–Liouville fractional differences analytically and numerically
Authors: Baleanu Dumitru , Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Srivastava Hari Mohan , Al-Sarairah Eman , Abdeljawad Thabet , Hamed Y. S.
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we focus on the analytical and numerical convexity analysis of discrete delta Riemann–Liouville fractional differences. In the analytical part of this paper, we give a new formula for the discrete delta Riemann-Liouville fractional difference as an alternative definition. We establish a formula for the $\Delta ^{2}$

Δ
2

, which will be useful to obtain the convexity results. We examine the correlation between the positivity of $({}^{\mathrm{RL}}_{w_{0}}\Delta ^{\alpha} \mathrm{f} )( \mathrm{t})$
(

w
0

RL

Δ
α

f
)
(
t
)
and convexity of the function. In view of the basic lemmas, we define two decreasing subsets of $(2,3)$
(
2
,
3
)
, $\mathscr{H}_{\mathrm{k},\epsilon}$

H

k
,
ϵ

and $\mathscr{M}_{\mathrm{k},\epsilon}$

M

k
,
ϵ

. The decrease of these sets allows us to obtain the relationship between the negative lower bound of $({}^{\mathrm{RL}}_{w_{0}}\Delta ^{\alpha} \mathrm{f} )( \mathrm{t})$
(

w
0

RL

Δ
α

f
)
(
t
)
and convexity of the function on a finite time set $\mathrm{N}_{w_{0}}^{\mathrm{P}}:=\{w_{0}, w_{0}+1, w_{0}+2,\dots , \mathrm{P}\}$

N

w
0

P

:
=
{

w
0

,

w
0

+
1
,

w
0

+
2
,
…
,
P
}
for some $\mathrm{P}\in \mathrm{N}_{w_{0}}:=\{w_{0}, w_{0}+1, w_{0}+2,\dots \}$
P
∈

N

w
0

:
=
{

w
0

,

w
0

+
1
,

w
0

+
2
,
…
}
. The numerical part of the paper is dedicated to examinin the validity of the sets $\mathscr{H}_{\mathrm{k},\epsilon}$

H

k
,
ϵ

and $\mathscr{M}_{\mathrm{k},\epsilon}$

M

k
,
ϵ

for different values of k and ϵ. For this reason, we illustrate the domain of solutions via several figures explaining the validity of the main theorem.
Existence of triple solutions for elliptic equations driven by p-Laplacian-like operators with Hardy potential under Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Liu Jian , Zhao Zengqin
Published: January 2023

In this article, we focus on triple weak solutions for some p-Laplacian-type elliptic equations with Hardy potential, two parameters, and mixed boundary conditions. We show the existence of at least three distinct weak solutions by using variational methods, the Hardy inequality, and the Bonanno–Marano-type three critical points theorem under suitable assumptions, and the existence of solutions to some particular cases of this type of elliptic equations are also obtained.
Understanding eating disorder symptoms in same-gender couples: social environmental factors
Authors: Rosenbaum Diane L. , August Kristin J. , Gillen Meghan M. , Markey Charlotte H.
Published: January 2023

Background

Sexual minority individuals are at disproportionately greater risk for eating disorders, yet little is known about the ways in which factors in the social environment relate to eating disorder symptoms in this population. Utilizing an ecological systems theory framework, we investigated the relative relationships of macro level (i.e., internalization of sociocultural attitudes about appearance) and micro level (i.e., quality of romantic relationship) social environment influences.

Methods

Men (n = 144) and women (n = 144) in committed same-gender relationships were recruited as a dyad and completed study questionnaires, including multiple measures of eating disorder symptoms. Multilevel models controlling for key variables (e.g., body mass index) were used to examine gender differences, main effects, and interactions.

Results

Men reported greater internalization of sociocultural attitudes and uncontrolled eating. Greater internalization of sociocultural attitudes was related to greater eating pathology across all measures. For men, greater relationship quality was related to less uncontrolled eating.

Conclusions

Individuals in same-gender relationships experience macro (e.g., sociocultural) level vulnerability factors in relation to disordered eating; however, internalization of sociocultural attitudes may be greater for men. Support at the microsystem level in the form of a high quality committed romantic relationship appears to be helpful protection against uncontrolled eating for men.
A new type of retropancreatic fascia hernia in the supramesocolic space preoperatively misdiagnosed as a diaphragmatic hernia: report of two cases
Authors: Nakagawa Yoichi , Uchida Hiroo , Makita Satoshi , Yokota Kazuki , Hinoki Akinari , Shirota Chiyoe , Tainaka Takahisa , Sumida Wataru , Amano Hizuru , Ogata Seiya , Takimoto Aitaro , Takada Shunya , Maeda Takuya , Gohda Yousuke
Published: January 2023

Background

We encountered two cases of a new type of retroperitoneal hernia. We herein report the unique features of these cases.

Case presentation

Case 1: A Japanese girl was born at a gestational age of 37 weeks, weighing 2550 g. She underwent laparotomic left diaphragmatic hernia repair for a left Bochdalek hernia at the age of one day. The postoperative course was uneventful; however, chest radiography at the age of 35 days revealed bowel gas in the mediastinum, while computed tomography exhibited intestinal prolapses from the medial side of the mesh into the thoracic cavity. Reoperation was performed at the age of 77 days, showing that the defect hole was not at the diaphragm but in the absence of retropancreatic fascia, which was connected to the posterior mediastinum from the supramesocolic space. The mediastinum space was closed with a suturing spine and artificial mesh, and the defect hole in the pancreatic body was sutured. Case 2: A Japanese boy was born at a gestational age of 40 weeks, weighing 3502 g. He was diagnosed with a left diaphragmatic hernia at birth and underwent laparotomy at the age of two days. Operative findings showed no defect hole in the diaphragm, and no intestine was observed in the abdominal cavity. After close observation of the abdominal cavity, the intestine was found around the pancreatic body, and manual reduction of the intestine was performed. The defect hole existed in the absence of the retropancreatic fascia, which was connected to the extra-pleural space. The defect hole in the pancreatic body was sutured and closed with a non-absorbable thread.

Conclusions

We assumed that our cases were a new type of retroperitoneal hernia, which we named “retropancreatic fascia hernia”.
In silico prediction of potential indigenous microbial biomarkers in Penaeus vannamei identified through meta-analysis and genome-scale metabolic modelling
Authors: Devika Neelakantan Thulasi , Katneni Vinaya Kumar , Jangam Ashok Kumar , Suganya Panjan Nathamuni , Shekhar Mudagandur Shashi , Jithendran Karingalakkandy Poochirian
Published: January 2023

Background

Understanding the microbiome is crucial as it contributes to the metabolic health of the host and, upon dysbiosis, may influence disease development. With the recent surge in high-throughput sequencing technology, the availability of microbial genomic data has increased dramatically. Amplicon sequence-based analyses majorly profile microbial abundance and determine taxonomic markers. Furthermore, the availability of genome sequences for various microbial organisms has prompted the integration of genome-scale metabolic modelling that provides insights into the metabolic interactions influencing host health. However, the analysis from a single study may not be consistent, necessitating a meta-analysis.

Results

We conducted a meta-analysis and integrated with constraint-based metabolic modelling approach, focusing on the microbiome of pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, an extensively cultured marine candidate species. Meta-analysis revealed that Acinetobacter and Alteromonas are significant indicators of "health" and "disease" specific taxonomic biomarkers, respectively. Further, we enumerated metabolic interactions among the taxonomic biomarkers by applying a constraint-based approach to the community metabolic models (4416 pairs). Under different nutrient environments, a constraint-based flux simulation identified five beneficial species: Acinetobacter spWCHA55, Acinetobacter tandoii SE63, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum 49 D6, Brevundimonas pondensis LVF1, and Lutibacter profundi LP1 mediating parasitic interactions majorly under sucrose environment in the pairwise community. The study also reports the healthy biomarkers that can co-exist and have functionally dependent relationships to maintain a healthy state in the host.

Conclusions

Toward this, we collected and re-analysed the amplicon sequence data of P. vannamei (encompassing 117 healthy and 142 disease datasets). By capturing the taxonomic biomarkers and modelling the metabolic interaction between them, our study provides a valuable resource, a first-of-its-kind analysis in aquaculture scenario toward a sustainable shrimp farming.
Judging the possibility of the onset of diabetes mellitus type 2 from reported behavioral changes and from family history
Authors: Sastre María Teresa Muñoz , Sorum Paul Clay , Kpanake Lonzozou , Mullet Etienne
Published: January 2023

Background

Undiagnosed type 2 diabetes is common and can lead to unrecognized health complications. Given that earlier detection can reduce the damage to vital organs, it is important for all persons to be able to make the connection between certain new manifestations in their bodies and the possibility of diabetes. This study examined the extent to which people use the behavioral changes they observe in others (or in themselves), as well as relevant family history, to judge the possibility of the onset of diabetes.

Methods

One hundred and fifty-six adults living in France examined a set of realistic vignettes describing a person with (or without) signs suggestive of diabetes (e.g., increased thirst, family antecedents) and judged the possibility of the disease in each case.

Results

Overall, 36% of participants focused on reported symptoms when judging the possibility of diabetes, 37% focused on family history, and 29% were not able to use the information or tended systematically to minimize the possibility of diabetes.

Conclusions

People in France and probably around the world need a greater awareness not only of the factors putting them at risk of diabetes, but also of the specific signs and symptoms suggesting that they might be developing it.
Is pass-through of the exchange rate to restaurant and hotel prices asymmetric in the US? Role of monetary policy uncertainty
Authors: Alola Uju Violet , Usman Ojonugwa , Alola Andrew Adewale
Published: January 2023

This study examines the exchange rate pass-through to the United States (US) restaurant and hotel prices by incorporating the effect of monetary policy uncertainty over the period 2001:M12 to 2019:M01. Using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model, empirical evidence indicates asymmetric  pass-through of exchange rate and monetary policy uncertainty. Moreover, a stronger pass-through effect is observed during depreciation and a negative shock in monetary policy uncertainty, corroborating asymmetric pass-through predictions. Our results further show that a positive shock in energy prices leads to an increase in restaurant and hotel prices. Furthermore, asymmetric causality indicates that a positive shock in the exchange rate causes a positive shock to restaurant and hotel prices. We found feedback causal effects between positive and negative shocks in monetary policy uncertainty and positive and negative shocks in the exchange rate. Additionally, we detected a one-way asymmetric causality, flowing from a positive (negative) shock to a positive (negative) shock in energy prices. Therefore, these findings provide insights for policymakers to achieve low and stable prices in the US restaurant and hotel industry through sound monetary policy formulations.
Foreign exchange trading and management with the stochastic dual dynamic programming method
Authors: Reus Lorenzo , Sepúlveda-Hurtado Guillermo Alexander
Published: January 2023

We present a novel tool for generating speculative and hedging foreign exchange (FX) trading policies. Our solution provides a schedule that determines trades in each rebalancing period based on future currency prices, net foreign account positions, and incoming (outgoing) flows from business operations. To obtain such policies, we construct a multistage stochastic programming (MSP) model and solve it using the stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) numerical method, which specializes in solving high-dimensional MSP models. We construct our methodology within an open-source SDDP package, avoiding implementing the method from scratch. To measure the performance of our policies, we model FX prices as a mean-reverting stochastic process with random events that incorporate stochastic trends. We calibrate this price model on seven currency pairs, demonstrating that our trading policies not only outperform the benchmarks for each currency, but may also be close to ex-post optimal solutions. We also show how the tool can be used to generate more or less conservative strategies by adjusting the risk tolerance, and how it can be used in a variety of contexts and time scales, ranging from intraday speculative trading to monthly hedging for business operations. Finally, we examine the impact of increasing trade policy uncertainty (TPU) levels on our findings. Our findings show that the volatility of currencies from emerging economies rises in comparison to currencies from developed markets. We discover that an increase in the TPU level has no effect on the average profit obtained by our method. However, the risk exposure of the policies increases (decreases) for the group of currencies from emerging (developed) markets.
Awareness, knowledge, attitude, and skills of telemedicine among mental healthcare providers
Authors: Fouad Amira Ahmed , Osman Mahmood Ahmed , Abdelmonaem Yasmin Mohamed Mohamed , Karim Nashwa Ahmed Hussein Abdel
Published: January 2023

Background

Telemedicine plays a vital role in patient-centered healthcare delivery in the diagnosis, management, and development of future treatment plans for chronic diseases.

Results

This study revealed that attitude toward telemedicine was high among the studied mental healthcare providers, while it was average among the other studied variables (awareness, knowledge, and skills). Psychiatrists had a high percentage in the studied variables (awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills). There were statistically significant differences in the dimensions of the telemedicine questionnaire according to age, profession, and academic degree. There was a statistically significant relation between the levels of awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward telemedicine.

Conclusions

This study concluded that the studied mental healthcare providers had high attitudes while the other studied variables (awareness, knowledge, and skills) were average. Psychiatrists had a high percentage in the studied variables (awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills), followed by psychologists, while nurses had the lowest level in all studied variables.
Prevalence and correlates of health anxiety among medical students: a cross-sectional study from the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Abdel Aziz Karim , Stip Emmanuel , Al-Sanadi Afra , Al-Shamsi Alreem , Al-Sharqi Hessah , Eisa Al-Zaabi Mariam , Al-Shehhi Noora , El-Gabry Dina Aly
Published: January 2023

Background

It is often reported that medical students repeatedly develop health anxiety related to the diseases that they are studying. To the best of our knowledge, health anxiety has not been investigated in medical students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of health anxiety among a sample of medical students attending the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 193 undergraduate medical students (68 males, 125 females) across the 6 years of the College of Medicine at the UAEU. Students were screened for health anxiety using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI).

Results

Eighteen students (9.3%) reached the threshold for clinically significant health anxiety on the SHAI (score ≥ 27). There was no statistically significant difference between those with and those without health anxiety in age, gender, place of origin, or year of study. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups as regards a past history of medical or mental health conditions influencing their choice of college. No specific student demographic or background characteristics significantly predicted the occurrence of clinically significant health anxiety.

Conclusions

Health anxiety was prevalent in a significant proportion of subjects in our sample (almost one in every ten students). Individual experiences of medical and mental illness may play a role in the development of health anxiety and in the choice of studying medicine.
Sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms cooccurring with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Uytun Merve Cikili , Yurumez Esra , Babayigit Tugba Mentese , Efendi Gokce Yagmur , Kilic Birim Gunay , Oztop Didem Behice
Published: January 2023

Background

In the current study, the main aim was investigating the sociodemographic features and sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and followed at an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-specific outpatient clinic.

Results

The data of 200 boys and 200 girls who were followed up at the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outpatient clinic were retrospectively compared. The scores of Turgay’s Scale-Disruptive Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale, the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo subscale of the Children Behavior Checklist, and Conners Rating Scales Revised-Parent and Teacher Forms were analyzed. Among the group with Sluggish Cognitive Tempo scores, the ratio of girls was higher and the mean age at which symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were recognized and treatment was offered was significantly older than that of the children with <4 scores. Both internalizing and externalizing symptoms were more frequent among the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children who had Sluggish Cognitive Tempo scores ≥4.

Conclusions

There is increasing evidence distinguishing sluggish cognitive tempo from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and in this study, we would like to highlight the appearance and clinical manifestation of these disorders together. Further research, including Sluggish Cognitive Tempo children from the general population, is warranted to understand the characteristics that accompany and differentiate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
An unusual cardiac magnetic resonance finding in a patient with syphilis presenting with heart block
Authors: Nandagopal Akshay , Sathyanathan Babu Peter
Published: January 2023

Background

Syphilis is caused by Treponema pallidum either via sexual exposure or vertical transmission during pregnancy. The disease course of infected individuals is divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary stages over a period of years. Latent syphilis most commonly involves the central nervous system and the aorta. Here we present a case of late latent syphilis presenting as heart block with evidence of myocardial fibrosis involving the septum and lateral wall in cardiac MRI.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old female patient, who was clinically diagnosed with late latent syphilis, presented with multiple episodes of syncopal attacks and was rushed to an outside hospital where ECG revealed a complete heart block. She was referred to our tertiary care centre. The patient was received in the Cardiac Care Unit and then referred for a cardiac MRI to identify a potential cause for the complete heart block. Recently published new Lake Louise criteria (nLLC) (Li et al. in Front Cardiovasc Med, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.739892), following the introduction of myocardial mapping, redefined imaging diagnosis according to the combined presence of a T1 criterion [presence of LGE (late gadolinium enhancement) or increased T1 mapping or extracellular volume values] and a T2 criterion (hyperintensity in T2 weighted STIR or increased T2 mapping values). Cardiac MRI features in our case were consistent with myocarditis based on the above criteria.

Conclusions

Myocarditis as a manifestation of late latent syphilis is very rare. Cardiac complications of late syphilis have so far been described in terms of ascending aortitis and dissection with coronary artery rupture. Syphilitic myocarditis occurs most commonly as a coincidental finding of endomyocardial biopsies. Targeted screening for involvement using CMR can be instrumental in elucidating this rare, but treatable diagnosis. We hereby report a rare case of myocarditis with heart block in a patient with late latent syphilis, hitherto unreported in the literature as of date.
CsPbBr3/graphene nanowall artificial optoelectronic synapses for controllable perceptual learning
Authors: Li Runze , Dong Yibo , Qian Fengsong , Xie Yiyang , Chen Xi , Zhang Qiming , Yue Zengji , Gu Min
Published: January 2023

The rapid development of neuromorphic computing has stimulated extensive research interest in artificial synapses. Optoelectronic artificial synapses using laser beams as stimulus signals have the advantages of broadband, fast response, and low crosstalk. However, the optoelectronic synapses usually exhibit short memory duration due to the low lifetime of the photo-generated carriers. It greatly limits the mimicking of human perceptual learning, which is a common phenomenon in sensory interactions with the environment and practices of specific sensory tasks. Herein, a heterostructure optoelectronic synapse based on graphene nanowalls and CsPbBr3 quantum dots was fabricated. The graphene/CsPbBr3 heterojunction and the natural middle energy band in graphene nanowalls extend the carrier lifetime. Therefore, a long half-life period of photocurrent decay - 35.59 s has been achieved. Moreover, the long-term optoelectronic response can be controlled by the adjustment of numbers, powers, wavelengths, and frequencies of the laser pulses. Next, an artificial neural network consisting of a 28 × 28 synaptic array was established. It can be used to mimic a typical characteristic of human perceptual learning that the ability of sensory systems is enhanced through a learning experience. The learning behavior of image recognition can be tuned based on the photocurrent response control. The accuracy of image recognition keeps above 80% even under a low-frequency learning process. We also verify that less time is required to regain the lost sensory ability that has been previously learned. This approach paves the way toward high-performance intelligent devices with controllable learning of visual perception.