bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered gut microbiota is associated with the formation of occult hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Liu Bochao , Yang Hualong , Liao Qiao , Wang Min , Huang Jieting , Xu Ru , Shan Zhengang , Zhong Huishan , Li Tingting , Li Chengyao , Fu Yongshui , Rong Xia
Published: May 2024

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a common blood transmission pathogen worldwide, can lead to viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other liver diseases. In particular, occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) may be caused by an immune response leading to suppressed virus replication. Gut microbiota can change the immunity status of the human body and, therefore, affect the replication of HBV. Thus, to identify whether there are differences in gut microbiota between HBV carriers and OBI carriers, we collected fecal samples from 18 HBV carriers, 24 OBI blood donors, and also 20 healthy blood donors as negative control. After 16S sequencing, we found that the abundance of
Faecalibacterium
was significantly reduced in samples from OBI blood donors compared with those from healthy blood donors. Compared with samples from HBV carriers, the samples from OBI blood donors had a significantly increased abundance of
Subdoligranulum
, which might stimulate immune activation, thus inhibiting HBV replication and contributing to the formation of occult infection. Our findings revealed the potential role of gut microbiota in the formation of OBI and further provided a novel strategy for the treatment of HBV infection.

IMPORTANCE

Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is a special form of hepatitis B virus infection with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA negative. Gut microbiota may contribute to the immune response leading to suppressed virus replication and, thus, participates in the development of OBI. The study on gut microbiota of OBI blood donors provides novel data considerably advancing our understanding of the immune mechanism for the determination of occult hepatitis B virus infection, which is helpful for improving the strategy of the treatment of HBV infection.
Constraints on a long-lived Paleoproterozoic metamorphic process in a middle- to lower-grade metamorphic complex, Songshan area, southern North China craton: Evidence from minor- and trace-element thermometry and geochronology
Authors: Feng Qiang , Lu Junsheng , Kong Xu , Liu Gang , Li Yuting , Zhang Yiyi , Duan Zengyin , Li Juanjuan
Published: May 2024

The Dengfeng Complex and Songshan Group comprise a middle- to lower-grade metamorphic complex with abundant lithological associations in the Songshan area (central Henan, China), representing an excellent opportunity to investigate the thermal history of the North China craton. The polymetamorphic Dengfeng Complex is a typical granite-greenstone belt that records a late Paleoproterozoic metamorphic event (ca. 1.95–1.80 Ga) overprinting on a late Neoarchean metamorphic event (ca. 2.51–2.41 Ga). In contrast, the Songshan Group preserves well-developed stratigraphic sequences and sedimentary structures with greenschist-facies metamorphism. Numerous studies have focused on the late Neoarchean metamorphic event from the Dengfeng Complex, whereas the thermal evolution of ca. 1.95–1.80 Ga units from the Dengfeng Complex and Songshan Group has been largely overlooked. Quartzite of the Songshan Group unconformably overlies schists of the Dengfeng Group, and they show coherent NNE-SSW–striking schistosity structures with dip angles of ~50°–65°. Here, the metamorphic temperatures from the Dengfeng Group were constrained to be ~510–550 °C by the Ti-in-biotite geothermometer. The Ti-in-quartz and Zr-in-rutile geothermometers record metamorphic temperatures of ~480–550 °C or 520–555 °C for the Songshan Group, respectively. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry U-Pb dating of monazite and rutile constrains the timing of metamorphism of the Songshan Group to be ca. 1.94–1.83 Ga, while zircon constrains the timing of metamorphism of the Dengfeng Complex to be ca. 2.53 Ga and ca. 1.95–1.87 Ga. By integrating geochronologic data from the Dengfeng Complex and Songshan Group, the ca. 2.53 Ga metamorphic age of amphibolite may be connected with Neoarchean subduction-accretion processes, whereas the consistent temperature obtained in this study ca. 1.95–1.83 Ga indicates that the Songshan area may have experienced a long-lived metamorphic event, which could have resulted from the final collision between the Western and Eastern blocks of the North China craton in the late Paleoproterozoic. The persistence of a Paleoproterozoic hot orogen for millions of years was probably the norm in the North China craton, which provides new insights into the tectonic-thermal evolution in the southern North China craton.
Cancer-associated stroke from progressive acinic cell carcinoma
Authors: Garcia Jao Jarro Borromeo , Pascual Jose Leonard VR
Published: May 2024

Cancer-associated stroke is an evolving subgroup of embolic strokes of undetermined source. A man in his mid-20s with progressive follicular variant acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid was admitted because of new onset left-sided weakness. Neuroimaging confirmed a right middle cerebral artery infarction. After extensive diagnostics, stroke aetiology was deemed from cancer-induced hypercoagulability. Questions which arose regarding his management included (1) What was the best antithrombotic for secondary stroke prevention? (2) What was his risk for intracranial or tumorous bleeding once antithrombotics had been started? (3) How many days post-stroke could the antithrombotic be initiated? and (4) When could he be cleared for palliative chemotherapy and whole brain irradiation? The approach to address the abovementioned questions in the management of a rare cancer complicated by stroke is presented. Although treatments are guided by known pathomechanisms, additional studies are needed to further support current treatment strategies for this subgroup of patients.
Use of social network analysis in health research: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Grewal Eshleen , Godley Jenny , Wheeler Justine , Tang Karen L
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Social networks can affect health beliefs, behaviours and outcomes through various mechanisms, including social support, social influence and information diffusion. Social network analysis (SNA), an approach which emerged from the relational perspective in social theory, has been increasingly used in health research. This paper outlines the protocol for a scoping review of literature that uses social network analytical tools to examine the effects of social connections on individual non-communicable disease and health outcomes.

Methods and analysis

This scoping review will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for conducting scoping reviews. A search of the electronic databases, Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL, will be conducted in April 2024 using terms related to SNA. Two reviewers will independently assess the titles and abstracts, then the full text, of identified studies to determine whether they meet inclusion criteria. Studies that use SNA as a tool to examine the effects of social networks on individual physical health, mental health, well-being, health behaviours, healthcare utilisation, or health-related engagement, knowledge, or trust will be included. Studies examining communicable disease prevention, transmission or outcomes will be excluded. Two reviewers will extract data from the included studies. Data will be presented in tables and figures, along with a narrative synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review will synthesise data from articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The results of this review will map the ways in which SNA has been used in non-communicable disease health research. It will identify areas of health research where SNA has been heavily used and where future systematic reviews may be needed, as well as areas of opportunity where SNA remains a lesser-used method in exploring the relationship between social connections and health outcomes.
Moral distress among physicians in Norway: a longitudinal study
Authors: Miljeteig Ingrid , Førde Reidun , Rø Karin Isaksson , Bååthe Fredrik , Bringedal Berit Horn
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To explore and compare physicians’ reported moral distress in 2004 and 2021 and identify factors that could be related to these responses.

Design

Longitudinal survey.

Setting

Data were gathered from the Norwegian Physician Panel Study, a representative sample of Norwegian physicians, conducted in 2004 and 2021.

Participants

1499 physicians in 2004 and 2316 physicians in 2021.

Main outcome measures

The same survey instrument was used to measure change in moral distress from 2004 to 2021. Logistic regression analyses examined the role of gender, age and place of work.

Results

Response rates were 67% (1004/1499) in 2004 and 71% (1639/2316) in 2021. That patient care is deprived due to time constraints is the most severe dimension of moral distress among physicians, and it has increased as 68.3% reported this ‘somewhat’ or ‘very morally distressing’ in 2004 compared with 75.1% in 2021. Moral distress also increased concerning that patients who ‘cry the loudest’ get better and faster treatment than others. Moral distress was reduced on statements about long waiting times, treatment not provided due to economic limitations, deprioritisation of older patients and acting against one’s conscience. Women reported higher moral distress than men at both time points, and there were significant gender differences for six statements in 2021 and one in 2004. Age and workplace influenced reported moral distress, though not consistently for all statements.

Conclusion

In 2004 and 2021 physicians’ moral distress related to scarcity of time or unfair distribution of resources was high. Moral distress associated with resource scarcity and acting against one’s conscience decreased, which might indicate improvements in the healthcare system. On the other hand, it might suggest that physicians have reduced their ideals or expectations or are morally fatigued.
Contribution of youth sport participation to physical activity levels and cardiovascular disease risk factors in 5-year-old to 14-year-old children: a study protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fernández Solá Paola A , Watkins Janette M , Grube Aidrik , Greeven Sarah J , Dutta Sandeep , Coble Cassandra J , Evanovich Justin M , Martinez Kercher Vanessa M , Whitley Meredith A , Kercher Kyle A
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 18 million deaths per year, disproportionately burdens under-represented racial and ethnic groups, and has economic costs greater than any other health condition. Participation in youth sport may be an effective strategy to improve CVD-related risk factors but studies of youth sport participation have shown mixed results for improving health outcomes. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review is to examine how participation in youth sport contributes to physical activity levels and CVD risk factors in children aged 5–14 years old. A secondary objective is to determine if outcomes are different in racial and ethnic groups.

Methods and analysis

The search will encompass studies published in English, Spanish or Portuguese between January 1995 and April 2024, including five databases (PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and SPORTDiscus). Studies will be included if they are experimental or observational studies, conducted in youths of any health background and assess the relationship of sport participation to physical activity levels or CVD risk factors. Studies must report on at least one of the following outcomes: (1) physical activity levels, (2) blood pressure, (3) lipid fractions, (4) body mass index (5) central adiposity, (6) systemic inflammation and (7) glucose levels/insulin resistance. Study quality will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias version 1 tool. Narrative descriptions and summary tables will be created to describe studies, results and methodological quality and be synthesised by subsets of studies based on study design and outcomes. In the systematic review, we will categorise the included studies into two subgroups (ie, observational studies, experimental studies) and meta-analyse them separately prior to exploring sources of heterogeneity.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication and presentation at conferences relevant to this field.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023427219.
Defining, identifying and addressing problematic polypharmacy within multimorbidity in primary care: a scoping review
Authors: Tsang Jung Yin , Sperrin Matthew , Blakeman Thomas , Payne Rupert A , Ashcroft Darren
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Polypharmacy and multimorbidity pose escalating challenges. Despite numerous attempts, interventions have yet to show consistent improvements in health outcomes. A key factor may be varied approaches to targeting patients for intervention.

Objectives

To explore how patients are targeted for intervention by examining the literature with respect to: understanding how polypharmacy is defined; identifying problematic polypharmacy in practice; and addressing problematic polypharmacy through interventions.

Design

We performed a scoping review as defined by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

Setting

The focus was on primary care settings.

Data sources

Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Cochrane along with ClinicalTrials.gov, Science.gov and WorldCat.org were searched from January 2004 to February 2024.

Eligibility criteria

We included all articles that had a focus on problematic polypharmacy in multimorbidity and primary care, incorporating multiple types of evidence, such as reviews, quantitative trials, qualitative studies and policy documents. Articles focussing on a single index disease or not written in English were excluded.

Extraction and analysis

We performed a narrative synthesis, comparing themes and findings across the collective evidence to draw contextualised insights and conclusions.

Results

In total, 157 articles were included. Case-finding methods often rely on basic medication counts (often five or more) without considering medical history or whether individual medications are clinically appropriate. Other approaches highlight specific drug indicators and interactions as potentially inappropriate prescribing, failing to capture a proportion of patients not fitting criteria. Different potentially inappropriate prescribing criteria also show significant inconsistencies in determining the appropriateness of medications, often neglecting to consider multimorbidity and underprescribing. This may hinder the identification of the precise population requiring intervention.

Conclusions

Improved strategies are needed to target patients with polypharmacy, which should consider patient perspectives, individual factors and clinical appropriateness. The development of a cross-cutting measure of problematic polypharmacy that consistently incorporates adjustment for multimorbidity may be a valuable next step to address frequent confounding.
Epidemiological characteristics of chronic non-communicable diseases in Dongfang, China, 2021: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Song Meixuan , Zheng Liang , Chen Lan , Zhang Chunmei , Chen Xingyi , Zhao Chunyan
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The study aimed to understand the composition, epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of chronic non-communicable diseases and to evaluate the association between sociodemographic factors and chronic non-communicable diseases.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

Medical records of 196 761 residents were collected from Dongfang disease surveillance system from January to December 2021.

Primary outcome

Prevalence and disability burden were recorded. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between sociodemography factors and diseases.

Results

Cardiovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases and other upper respiratory tract diseases were the main chronic non-communicable diseases. In multivariable analysis, men were associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (OR=1.210, 95% CI 1.162 to 1.261) and chronic lower respiratory diseases (OR=1.128, 95% CI 1.079 to 1.180). Older age was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (OR=83.952, 95% CI 58.954 to 119.550), whereas was associated with decreased risk of chronic lower respiratory diseases (OR=0.442, 95% CI 0.415 to 0.471) and other upper respiratory tract diseases (OR=0.450, 95% CI 0.411 to 0.493). The unemployed and poor household were associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases (OR=0.463, 95% CI 0.412 to 0.521 and OR=0.390, 95% CI 0.342 to 0.444, respectively), whereas were associated with increased risk of chronic lower respiratory diseases (OR=12.219, 95% CI 6.343 to 23.539 and OR=10.954, 95% CI 5.666 to 21.177, respectively) and other upper respiratory tract diseases (OR=2.246, 95% CI 1.719 to 2.936 and OR=3.035, 95% CI 2.308 to 3.991, respectively). Gender and age moderated the association between personnel category and major diseases.

Conclusions

The spectrum and epidemiological characteristics of chronic diseases observed in Dongfang is good evidence for developing prevention guides and health policies for region.
Why do children under 5 years go to the GP in Lambeth: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Craven Eleanor May , Luck Gemma , Whitney David , Dodhia Hiten , Foster Shaneka , Stanke Carla , Seed Paul T , Crompton James , Brown Kerry Ann
Published: May 2024

Objectives

This study identifies the most common recorded reason for attendance to primary care for children under 5 years old, including a breakdown via age, ethnicity, deprivation quintile and sex.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

39 of 40 general practices in Lambeth, London, UK.

Participants

22 189 children under 5 years who had attended primary care between the 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2020 and had not opted out of anonymous data sharing within Lambeth DataNet.

Outcome measure

The primary objective was to identify the most frequently recorded complaint in general practice for children under 5 years old. The secondary objective was to understand how presenting complaint differs by age, ethnicity, sex and deprivation level. The third objective was to create a multivariate logistic regression with frequent attendance as the outcome variable.

Results

Nine conditions formed over 50% of all patient interactions: the most common reason was upper respiratory tract infections (14%), followed by eczema (8%) and cough (7%). While there was some variation by ethnicity and age, these nine conditions remained dominant. Children living in the most deprived area are more likely to be frequent attenders than children living in the least deprived area (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.27 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.41)). Children of Indian (AOR 1.47 (1.04 to 2.08)), Bangladeshi (AOR 2.70 (1.95 to 3.74)) and other white (AOR 1.18 (1.04 to 1.34)) ethnicities were more likely to be frequent attenders, compared with those of white British ethnicity.

Conclusions

Most reasons for attendance for children under 5 years to primary care are for acute, self-limiting conditions. Some of these could potentially be managed by increasing access to community care services, such as pharmacies. By focusing on the influence of the broader determinants of health as to why particular groups are more likely to attend, health promotion efforts have the opportunity to reduce barriers to healthcare and improve outcomes.
Determinants of COVID-19 severity in Ethiopia: a multicentre case–control study
Authors: Tadie Manayesh Bantie , Yimer Yimer Seid , Taye Girma
Published: May 2024

Objective

It was necessary to understand the determinants of severe COVID-19 in order to deliver targeted healthcare services to prevent further complications and mortality. Identifying the factors associated with severe COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is the aim of this study.

Design

A case–control study was conducted from October 2021 to March 2022.

Setting

The study was conducted at three public COVID-19 treatment centres including Ekka Kotebe General, St. Peter Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital.

Participants

The study participants were COVID-19 patients admitted to three COVID-19 treatment centres. Cases were patients admitted with severe COVID-19, and controls were patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. A total of 306 patients (153 cases and 153 controls) selected by simple random sampling technique participated in this study.

Outcome measures and analysis

Data were collected by a face-to-face or telephone interviewer using a structured questionnaire. COVID-19 admission category, clinical and biomedical characteristics and comorbidity-related data were extracted from the participant’s medical record. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of COVID-19 severity.

Results

The odds of being old were 4.54 times higher among severe COVID-19 cases (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=4.54, 95% CI=2.499 to 8.24), the odds of being male were 2.72 times higher among severe COVID-19 cases (AOR=2.72, 95% CI=1.46 to 5.057), being vaccinated for COVID-19 decreases the severity by 55.1% (AOR=0.449, 95% CI=0.251 to 0.801), having good knowledge about COVID-19 decreases by 65% (AOR=0.35%, 95% CI=0.195 to 0.63) among patients with severe COVID-19, the odds of being diabetic were 10.2 times higher among severe COVID-19 cases (AOR=10.2, 95% CI=4.596 to 22.61) and the odds of being hypertensive were 2.3 times higher among severe COVID-19 cases (AOR=2.26, 95% CI=1.092 to 4.685).

Conclusion

Male, older age, diabetes or hypertension comorbidity, COVID-19 vaccination and having inadequate knowledge about COVID-19 were determinant factors of severe COVID-19.
Effects of flipped classroom teaching in anaesthesiology residents: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Donghang , Xiang Jiaxin , Wei Yiyong
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The flipped classroom teaching model is widely used in medical education and is indicated to be better than traditional lecture approaches in many medical specialties. Emerging studies have evaluated the effects of the flipped classroom teaching model on anaesthesiology residents. This protocol aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether the flipped classroom teaching model is superior to traditional teaching methods for anaesthesiology residents.

Methods and analysis

Seven databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and the VIP database, will be systematically searched from their inception to 1 June 2024. Randomised controlled trials that compared the effects of flipped classrooms versus traditional teaching methods in anaesthesiology residents will be included. The primary outcome will be the theoretical knowledge score. The secondary outcomes will include skill scores and the proportion of anaesthesiology residents who preferred the flipped classroom model. RevMan V.5.4 software will be used to perform the statistical analysis. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach will assess the quality of evidence.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not applicable to this protocol. The results of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42024497935.
Evaluating the implementation of group empowerment and training (GREAT) for diabetes in South Africa: convergent mixed methods
Authors: Mash Robert James , Schouw Darcelle
Published: May 2024

Objective

Type 2 diabetes is a leading contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. Primary care is struggling to support self-management and lifestyle change. Group empowerment and training (GREAT) for diabetes is a feasible and cost-effective intervention in our setting. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of GREAT for diabetes.

Design

A convergent mixed-methods study evaluated a range of implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, reach and cost.

Setting

Ten primary care facilities from a district in all nine provinces of South Africa.

Participants

Descriptive exploratory individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 34 key stakeholders from national policy-makers to primary care providers. Three focus group interviews were held with 35 patients.

Results

The National Department of Health saw GREAT as an acceptable and appropriate intervention, but only five of the nine provinces adopted GREAT. District-level and facility-level managers also saw GREAT as an acceptable and appropriate intervention. Factors related to feasibility included physical space, sufficient staff numbers, availability of resource materials, the health information system, adaptation to the model of care (selection of facilities, patients, adjustment of patient flow and appointment systems, leadership from local managers and the whole clinical team) and inclusion in systems for quality improvement. No major changes were made to the design of GREAT and fidelity to the session content ranged from 66% to 94%. Incremental costs were US$494 per facility. Due to disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, only 14 facilities implemented and reached 588 patients at the time of evaluation.

Conclusion

Key lessons were learnt on how to implement GREAT for diabetes in a middle-income country setting. The findings informed the design of a programme theory using a health system framework. The programme theory will guide further scale-up in each province and scale-out to provinces that have not yet implemented.

Question

This study focused on evaluating how to implement GREAT for type 2 diabetes in primary care and to take it to scale in South Africa.

Finding

The findings led to a programme theory on how to successfully implement GREAT for diabetes in the South African context.

Meaning

The study demonstrates relevant contextual factors that need to be considered in the implementation of group diabetes education programme in a middle-income country.
Influencing factors of sedentary behaviour in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review
Authors: Harding Stefanie , Richardson Alan , Glynn Angela , Hodgson Luke
Published: May 2024

Background

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Increased sedentary behaviour is associated with adverse health consequences and reduced life expectancy.

Aim

This mixed-methods systematic review aimed to report the factors contributing to sedentary behaviour in people with COPD.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library) was conducted and supported by a clinician librarian in March 2023. Papers were identified and screened by two independent researchers against the inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by data extraction and analysis of quality. Quantitative and qualitative data synthesis was performed.

Results

1037 records were identified, 29 studies were included (26 quantitative and 3 qualitative studies) and most studies were conducted in high-income countries. The most common influencers of sedentary behaviour were associated with disease severity, dyspnoea, comorbidities, exercise capacity, use of supplemental oxygen and walking aids, and environmental factors. In-depth findings from qualitative studies included a lack of knowledge, self-perception and motivation. However, sedentarism in some was also a conscious approach, enabling enjoyment when participating in hobbies or activities.

Conclusions

Influencers of sedentary behaviour in people living with COPD are multifactorial. Identifying and understanding these factors should inform the design of future interventions and guidelines. A tailored, multimodal approach could have the potential to address sedentary behaviour.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023387335.
Child safety seat checks in Salt Lake County: protective and risk factors
Authors: Talbot Morgan , Miller Linsey , Hafoka Siosaia
Published: May 2024

Background

Older children are at an increased risk of injury due to less commonly being in an appropriate child safety seat (CSS). Proper installation and consistent use of CSSs can significantly reduce child and infant automobile injuries. While research exists around parent behaviours concerning CSS use (or lack), little research takes place at the county level to identify normative beliefs as they contribute to risk factors.

Methods

Through a mixed-methods approach, this evaluation retrospectively determines the Salt Lake County Health Department’s impact on CSS usage, as well as identify normative parent behaviours that impact CSS usage.

Results

Results indicated that parents’ level of education and being in the car with family/friends was significantly associated with overall CSS usage.

Discussion

More research is needed to specify parent normative beliefs around CSS use (or lack).
Prevalence of major adverse cardiovascular events among Saudi patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with the general population: updates from the national SLE and PURE cohorts
Authors: Almaghlouth Ibrahim , Bohuliga Kawther Ghassan , Alanazi Boshra , Alhawsa Bushra Khaled , Alabdulkareem Abdulaziz Mohammed , Alqarawi Wael , Asfina Kazi Nur , Khalil Najma , Ali Hebatallah Hamed , Bedaiwi Mohammed , Aboabat Aos , Su Jiandong , Alam Tariq Asef , Alanazi Fehaid Ghali , Omair Mohammed A , Alarfaj Abdurhman S , Almalag Haya M , Al Shamiri Mostafa , Alhabib Khalid F
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study examined the prevalence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among Saudi patients with SLE and the general population and considered factors associated with such outcomes were taken into consideration.

Methods

This is a cohort study evaluating the period prevalence of MACE from 2020 to 2023. The study used two datasets, namely the Saudi national prospective cohort for SLE patients and the Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiology Study Saudi subcohort (PURE-Saudi) for the general population. Participants in both studies were monitored using a standardised protocol. MACE was defined as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or angina. The analysis was adjusted for demographics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and SLE diagnosis through logistic regression models.

Results

The PURE and national SLE cohorts comprised 488 and 746 patients, respectively. Patients with SLE from the SLE cohort were younger (40.7±12.5 vs 49.5±8.6 years) and predominantly female (90.6% vs 41.6%). The prevalence of traditional risk factors was greater in the PURE cohort compared with the SLE cohort. These factors included dyslipidaemia (28.9% vs 49.4%), obesity (63% vs 85%) and diabetes (7.8% vs 27.2%), but not hypertension (19.3% vs 18.8%). MACE (defined as MI or stroke or venous thromboembolism or heart failure) occurred more frequently in patients with SLE (4.3% vs 1.6%, p=0.004). Older age and lupus diagnosis were independently associated with MACE after adjusting for conventional risk factors. The odds of MACE were significantly related to age and lupus diagnosis (p=0.00 and p=0.00, respectively), but not cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (p=0.83).

Conclusion

Patients with SLE have a significantly higher risk of developing MACE than the general population. This risk is not well explained by traditional risk factors, which may explain the failure of CVD risk scores to stratify patients with SLE adequately. Further studies are needed to understand CVD risk’s pathogenesis in SLE and mitigate it.
Cognitive–behavioural therapy effectiveness for fear of cancer recurrence: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wei Fangxin , He Ruiyao , Yang Xin , Hu Ziqi , Wang Yu
Published: May 2024

Objective

Fear of cancer recurrence is one of the psychological distresses for patients with cancer and cancer survivors, which poses a physical and psychological threat. There is scant evidence on the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioural therapy in reducing fear of cancer recurrence. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioural therapy for fear of cancer recurrence.

Method

The review was reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses statement. Seven databases were systematically searched from inception to 31 March 2023. Randomised controlled trials implementing cognitive–behavioural therapy interventions and studies reporting fear of cancer recurrence were included. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.

Results

A total of 32 randomised controlled trials involving 1515 cancer survivors and 1845 patients with cancer undergoing treatment were included. The meta-analysis indicated a significant effect of cognitive–behavioural therapy on fear of cancer recurrence in patients with cancer and cancer survivors compared with controls (g=−0.65; 95% CI=−0.86, –0.44; p<0.001). The results of the overall risk of bias indicated some concerns in 4 studies and a high risk in 28 studies.

Conclusion

The study indicated the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioural therapy intervention for fear of cancer recurrence in patients with cancer and cancer survivors, which should inform future clinical practice of interventions for the treatment of fear of cancer recurrence.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023404948.
Proposing a physical mechanism to explain various observed sources of QPOs by simulating the dynamics of accretion disks around the black holes
Authors: Donmez Orhan
Published: May 2024

We propose a mechanism to explain the low-frequency QPOs observed in X-ray binary systems and AGNs. To achieve this, we perturbed stable accretion disks around Kerr and EGB black holes at different angular velocities, revealing characteristics of shock waves and oscillations on the disk. By applying this perturbation to scenarios with varying alpha values for EGB black holes and different spin parameters for Kerr black holes, we numerically observed changes in the disk dynamic structure and its oscillations. Through various numerical models, we found that the formation of one- and two-armed spiral shock waves on the disk serves as a mechanism for generating QPOs. We compared the QPOs obtained from numerical calculations with the low-frequency QPOs observed in X-ray binary systems and AGN sources, finding high consistency with observations. We observed that the shock mechanism, leading to QPOs, explains the X-ray binaries and AGNs studied in this article. Our numerical findings indicate that QPOs are more strongly dependent on the EGB constant than on the black hole spin parameter. However, we highlighted that the primary impact on oscillations and QPOs is driven by the perturbation angular velocity. The results from the models showed that the perturbation asymptotic speed at $$V_{\infty }=0.2$$

V
∞

=
0.2

independently generates QPO frequencies, regardless of the black hole spin parameter and the EGB coupling constant. Therefore, for the moderate value of $$V_{\infty }$$

V
∞

, a two-armed spiral shock wave formed around the black hole is suggested as a decisive mechanism in explaining low-frequency QPOs.
Gold in eskers and gyttja overlying auriferous till, Regnault deposit, Quebec
Authors: Cummings Don I. , Orr Andy , MacDonald Francis
Published: May 2024

The Regnault gold deposit in Quebec, Canada, was discovered by Kenorland Minerals North America Ltd in 2020 following identification of a gold-in-till dispersal train. In 2022, two non-traditional media – eskers and organic lake-bottom mud (gyttja) – were sampled to determine if they likewise contained gold anomalies that vectored the mineral deposit. Striking, coherent (mappable) anomalies exist in both media. The gold-in-esker dispersal train has a similar pathfinder element association as the gold-in-till dispersal train (e.g. Te, W) but contains approximately twice the gold (average 73 ppb Au) in the <63 µm fraction. It is hypothesized to be a meltwater-sorted version of the gold-in-till train, sourced from the erosional esker corridor some 3 km upflow. By contrast, the gold-in-gyttja dispersal train is substantially different to both the gold-in-esker and gold-in-till dispersal trains. It has lost significant association with pathfinder elements, contains an order of magnitude less gold (average 4.2 ppb Au), and is tentatively hypothesized to have a hydromorphic origin, sourced primarily from the gold-in-till dispersal train. The main takeaway from the study is that the sampling of any of these three media – eskers, gyttja or till – could have conceivably led to the discovery.
Otoliths from the Lealt Shale Formation, Great Estuarine Group, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian), Inner Hebrides, Scotland
Authors: Schwarzhans Werner W. , Wakefield Matthew I.
Published: May 2024

The Lealt Shale Formation is known for its superb preservation of aragonitic molluscs. As fish otoliths are primarily composed of aragonite, and because of the semi-stable nature of this polymorph, records of otoliths become increasingly rare in deep time. Therefore, the Lealt Shale Formation provides a window through which to expand knowledge of Middle Jurassic otoliths. A total of 753 otoliths have been collected, representing 10 species: three in
Archaeotolithus
, five in
Leptolepis
, one
Archengraulis
and a teleost incertae sedis (juveniles only). Four species are new:
Archaeotolithus eiggensis, Archaeotolithus invernizziae, Leptolepis flexuosus
and
Leptolepis skyensis
. Two species remain in open nomenclature and the remaining species are known from the Middle Jurassic of southern England and continental Europe:
Archaeotolithus doppelsteini
,
Leptolepis densus
,
Leptolepis rotundatus
and
Archengraulis productus
. The Lealt Shale Formation was deposited in a low-salinity lagoonal environment with variable freshwater influx and a probably tenuous link to marine waters, resulting in a complex palaeosalinity history. The relevance of the specific environment for the composition of the fish fauna as documented by otoliths is discussed. The evolution of the otolith morphospace during the Jurassic is discussed in the light of the new finds.
Incremental Data Drifting: Evaluation Metrics, Data Generation, and Approach Comparison
Authors: Pai Yu-Tung , Sun Nien-En , Li Cheng-Te , Lin Shou-de
Published: May 2024

Incremental data drifting is a common problem when employing a machine-learning model in industrial applications. The underlying data distribution evolves gradually, e.g., users change their buying preferences on an E-commerce website over time. The problem needs to be addressed to obtain high performance. Right now, studies regarding incremental data drifting suffer from several issues. For one thing, there is a lack of clear-defined incremental drift datasets for examination. Existing efforts use either collected real datasets or synthetic datasets that show two obvious limitations. One is in particular when and of which type of drifts the distribution undergoes is unknown, and the other is that a simple synthesized dataset cannot reflect the complex representation we would normally face in the real world. For another, there lacks a well-defined protocol to evaluate a learner’s knowledge transfer capability on an incremental drift dataset. To provide a holistic discussion on these issues, we create approaches to generate datasets with specific drift types, and define a novel protocol for evaluation. Besides, we investigate recent advances in the transfer learning field, including Domain Adaptation and Lifelong Learning, and examine how they perform in the presence of incremental data drifting. The results unfold the relationships among drift types, knowledge preservation, and learning approaches.
Review—Challenges and Opportunities in Lithium Metal Battery Technology
Authors: Yang Li , Hagh Nader Marandian , Roy Jesse , Macciomei Eric , Klein J. R. , Janakiraman Umamaheswari , Fortier Mary E.
Published: May 2024

Lithium metal battery (LMB) technology is very attractive as it has the potential to offer energy densities greater than 1000 Wh L−1. A thorough investigation of cell performance against various vehicle operational requirements is required for the successful deployment of this technology in practical electric vehicle applications. For instance, there have been several reports on the high reactivity of Li metal with electrolyte leading to continuous electrolyte consumption in LMB. Due to these parasitic reactions, electrolyte dries out and Li metal morphological changes occur leading to reduced cycle life of lithium metal batteries. In contrast, there are also claims of stable and long cycle life of LMB in several publications, although most of the results were obtained in coin cells. In this report we will take a closer look at the LMB cell to understand its performance and manufacturability. Our goal is to investigate and provide a thorough report on advances and challenges starting from the cell level down to component design of LMB.
Advancing Frontiers: A High-Impact Study on the Synthesis, Characterization, and Superior Device Performance of AlCr2O4/MXene Nanocomposites
Authors: Akhtar Naseem , Rani Malika , Shah Aqeel Ahmad , Ibrahim A. , Sillanpää Mika , Ouladsmane Mohamed , Tariq Kashmala
Published: May 2024

Here we present the fabrication of a multilayer resistive memory device (ReRAM) utilizing AlCr2O4/MXene nanocomposite. Comprehensive investigations into the structural and morphological properties of the nanostructures were conducted using various characterization techniques. The fabricated device was tested by measuring I-V characteristics at different current applications which encompasses all previous results. The band gap value for the nanocomposite was reduced to 2.42 eV while that for AlCr2O4 was measured at 3.25 eV via photoluminescence spectrum. Average particle size of the AlCr2O4/MXene nanocomposite was determined to be 25 nm through powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystallographic analysis revealed that all crystal peaks conform to the R-3c (167) space group, indicative of a standard hexagonal crystal structure. Energy-dispersive X-ray readings provided further confirmation that all required elements are present in the sample, affirming successful synthesis of the nanocomposite. Notably, the nanocomposite demonstrated exceptional performance as an electrode material in ReRAM, as evidenced by its current-voltage characteristics, making the AlCr2O4/MXene nanocomposite suitable for a wide range of next-generation device applications.
Effect of acute intranasal insulin administration on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in healthy young adults
Authors: McMillan Neil J. , Jacob Dain W. , Shariffi Brian , Harper Jennifer L. , Foster Glen E. , Manrique-Acevedo Camila , Padilla Jaume , Limberg Jacqueline K.
Published: May 2024

Systemic insulin increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) via central actions within the brainstem and peripheral activation of the arterial baroreflex. In the absence of peripheral insulin action, whether central insulin stimulation increases MSNA and influences peripheral hemodynamics in humans was unknown. We provide the first evidence that intranasal insulin administration increases MSNA and blood pressure and reduces leg vascular conductance. These results enhance mechanistic understanding of the sympathetic and hemodynamic response to insulin.
Noninvasive assessment of human microvascular function in health and disease using incident dark-field microscopy
Authors: Katunaric Boran , SenthilKumar Gopika , Stehula Forrest J. , Werthman Alec , Bordas-Murphy Henry , Freed Julie K.
Published: May 2024

To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively characterize in vivo sublingual microvascular structure and function (endothelium-dependent and -independent) in healthy patients and those with CVD. Importantly, we used an easy-to-use handheld device that can be easily translated to clinical settings. Our results indicate that baseline microvascular impairments in structure and function can be detected using the CytoCam technology, although reactivity to acetylcholine may be maintained even during disease in the peripheral microcirculation.
Very low-density lipoprotein receptor mediates triglyceride-rich lipoprotein-induced oxidative stress and insulin resistance
Authors: Hajri Tahar , Gharib Mohamed , Fungwe Thomas , M’Koma Amosy
Published: May 2024

Obesity is associated with excess lipid deposition in muscles, which is considered as a leading cause of metabolic dysfunction and oxidative stress. Cellular uptake of lipids is regulated by several membrane receptors, among which is the very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR). This article provides information on the role of VLDLR in cardiac muscle and how its expression regulates insulin resistance and oxidative stress in the obese mouse model.
The Association between Rainfall and Taxi Travel Activities: A Case Study from Wuhan, China
Authors: Chen Rong , Liu Lingjia , Gao Yongping
Published: May 2024

Rainfall has a significant impact on urban population mobility, posing great challenges to traffic management and urban planning. An understanding of this influence from multiple perspectives is urgently needed. In this study, we devised a multiscale comparative research framework to explore the spatiotemporal effects of rainfall on taxi travel patterns, aiming to provide a new perspective on the investigation of rainfall’s impact on urban human mobility. More specifically, at the macroscopic scale, we computed taxi travel indicators across the entire study area and used kernel density estimates to observe the spatiotemporal distribution patterns influenced by rainfall. Subsequently, complex traffic networks were constructed by considering urban road intersections as nodes and combined with visualization methods to understand changes in taxi travel patterns visually at the microscopic level. We selected Wuhan City, a typical urban area in southern China with frequent rainfall, as the study area and used meteorological data along with a large volume of taxi spatiotemporal trajectory data for investigation. Results indicated a 4.16% decrease in weekly travel volume due to rainfall, with a 3.96% decrease on workdays and a 4.64% decrease on weekends. However, nighttime rainfall between 19:00 and 22:00 on weekdays increased the demand for taxi travel. Furthermore, the impact of rainfall on weekends exceeded that on workdays, restricting people’s mobility and leisure activities, resulting in reduced travel to recreational tourist spots and commercial pedestrian streets. Rainfall altered residents’ travel preferences to some extent, with more residents choosing taxis during rainy weather, which led to decreased transportation efficiency and increased traffic congestion. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between population mobility patterns and the urban ecological environment, providing valuable insights for planning resident travel and taxi dispatching under adverse weather conditions.