bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acceptance of healthy lifestyle nudges in the general population of Singapore
Authors: Tan Yeow Wee Brian , Tan Edward Ryan , Sin Koh Yen , AshaRani P. V. , Abdin Edimansyah , Roystonn Kumarasan , Wang Peizhi , Devi Fiona , Vaingankar Janhavi , van Dam Rob M , Sum Chee Fang , Lee Eng Sing , Chow Wai Leng , Chong Siow Ann , Subramaniam Mythily
Published: July 2022

Background

In recent years, behaviourally driven policies such as nudges have been increasingly implemented to steer desired outcomes in public health. This study examines the different nudges and the socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviours that are associated with public acceptance of lifestyle nudges.

Methods

The study used data from the nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study (KAP) on diabetes in Singapore. Three types of nudges arranged in increasing order of intrusiveness were examined: (1) information government campaigns, (2) government mandated information and (3) default rules and choice architecture. Acceptance was assessed based upon how much respondents ‘agreed’ with related statements describing heathy lifestyle nudges. Multivariable linear regressions were performed with socio-demographics and lifestyle behaviours using scores calculated for each nudge.

Results

The percentage of respondents who agreed to all statements related to each nudge were: 75.9% (information government campaigns), 73.0% (government mandated information), and 33.4% (default rules and choice architecture). Respondents of Malay/Others ethnicity (vs. Chinese) were more likely to accept information government campaigns. Respondents who were 18 – 34 years old (vs 65 years and above), female, of Malay/Indian ethnicity (vs Chinese), were sufficiently physically active, and with a healthier diet based on the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) score were more likely to accept nudges related to government mandated information. Respondents of Malay/Indian ethnicity (vs Chinese), and who had a healthier diet were more likely to accept default rules and choice architecture.

Conclusion

Individuals prefer less intrusive approaches for promoting healthy lifestyle. Ethnicity and lifestyle behaviours are associated with acceptance of nudges and should be taken into consideration during the formulation and implementation of behaviourally informed health policies.
Cross-cultural validation of the Chinese version of the EmPHasis-10 questionnaire in connective tissue disease patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and its relationship with risk stratification
Authors: Shi Yue , Dong Xingbei , Hu Xiaoyun , Weng Li , Liu Yongtai , Lai Jinzhi , Tian Zhuang , Zhao Jiuliang , Li Mengtao , Peng Jinmin , Wang Qian , Zeng Xiaofeng
Published: July 2022

Backgrounds

The EmPHasis-10 questionnaire is a disease-specific quality of life (QoL) measurement in patients with pulmonary hypertension. We report the results of cross-cultural validation of the Chinese version of the EmPHasis-10 and its relationship with risk stratification in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH).

Methods

The Emphasis-10 was administered to 75 CTD-PAH patients along with the 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey (SF-36) and EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). The diagnosis of PAH was confirmed by right heart catheterization. Demographic and clinical data were obtained. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted based on the low risk profile assessed by a 4-strata risk assessment model (COMPERA 2.0) at follow-up.

Results

Date from 75 patients with CTD-PAH were analysed. The EmPHasis-10 demonstrated satisfactory reliability (Cronbach α = 0.95) and convergent validity showed by the significant relationship with WHO Functional Class (P = 0.003), SF-36 (P < 0.001) and EQ-5D (P = 0.002). EmPHasis-10 was significantly associated with achieving the low risk profile at 12 months of follow-up (Odds ratio: 0.928, P = 0.029) after adjusting for WHO Functional Class.

Conclusion

EmPHasis-10 has acceptable reliability and validity in CTD-PAH patients and may serve as an additional parameter in risk stratification.
Hip Pain Associated with Acetabular Dysplasia in Patients with Suspected Axial Spondyloarthritis: DESIR Cohort Data
Authors: Guellec Dewi , Prado Guillaume , Miceli-Richard Corinne , Carvajal-Alegria Guillermo , Saraux Alain
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To determine whether acetabular dysplasia is associated with hip pain at physical examination among adults with recent-onset inflammatory back pain (IBP) suggesting axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods

This cross-sectional ancillary study was conducted on the prospective DESIR cohort, which enrolled patients aged 18–50 years who had recent-onset IBP. Two readers used antero-posterior pelvic radiographs to assess the Tönnis angle, acetabular angle (AA), lateral centre-edge angle (LCEA), and femoral head extrusion index (FHEI). Abnormality of one or more of these four variables defined acetabular dysplasia. Hip pain upon physical examination was assessed based on Ritchie’s articular index.

Results

The overall prevalence of acetabular dysplasia was 22% (139/636). The proportion of females was higher in the group with acetabular dysplasia. Hip pain was found in 21% (29/139) of patients with versus 12% (59/497) without acetabular dysplasia (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.20 to 3.20); the association was significant in males (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.44 to 6.86) but not females (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.74 to 2.62). Results were similar when acetabular dysplasia was defined on the basis of LCEA alone (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.62).

Conclusion

Among patients with recent-onset IBP suggesting axSpA, acetabular dysplasia was significantly associated with hip pain in males. Hip pain related to acetabular dysplasia might result in overdiagnosis of hip involvement by axSpA.
The experience of unmarried mothers raising their children in residential facilities: a phenomenological qualitative study
Authors: Kim Sungjae , Bang Kyung-Sook , Jeong Yeseul , Lee Gumhee , Shin Da-Ae , Kim Misook
Published: July 2022

Background

Birth outside of marriage has been gradually increasing in Korea. However, social perception of unmarried mothers is still negative, and a number of them are not accepted by their family. Therefore, the Korean government has implemented a policy to provide financial aid and communal residence to unmarried mothers who cannot raise children with their family, or afford residence. Unmarried young mothers who rely on this government policy have low economic independence and social adaptation skills. Additionally, they have a high chance of encountering numerous challenges in raising children due to their living conditions in residential facilities and social prejudice. This study was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of unmarried mothers raising children in residential facilities.

Methods

Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine unmarried mothers living in residential facilities with their children. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to analyze the data.

Results

The findings revealed that unmarried mothers struggled with various difficulties given the limitations of living in the facility, but attempted to navigate their uncertain future with the determination to be good mothers. Three main themes and eight sub-themes emerged: (1) adaptation to the identity of “unmarried mother”, (2) willingly undertaking the heavy burden of childrearing, (3) indispensable but insufficient supports from facilities. Participants had childrearing responsibilities, and tried to be good mothers for their children while struggling to adapt to their new identities. However, their self-doubt as a “good mother” and the absence of the child's father made them feel sorry for their child. Their daily experiences raising children and simultaneously preparing for their own independence were exhausting. The supports from the facilities were helpful but unsatisfactory and led to various psychosocial difficulties such as anxiety, depression, fear, guilty, and anger in unmarried mothers.

Conclusions

Besides information and resources for parenting and independence, active approaches are needed to improve the psychological stability of unmarried mothers raising their children in facilities, and sustain a long-term socioeconomic support system. Thoughtful services tailored to mothers and children are also needed, instead of standardized services.
The effect of My Health Record use in the emergency department on clinician-assessed patient care: results from a survey
Authors: Mullins Alexandra , O’Donnell Renee , Morris Heather , Ben-Meir Michael , Hatzikiriakidis Kostas , Brichko Lisa , Skouteris Helen
Published: July 2022

Background

The emergency department has been a major focus for the implementation of Australia’s national electronic health record, known as My Health Record. However, the association between use of My Health Record in the emergency department setting and patient care is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of emergency department clinicians regarding My Health Record use frequency, the benefits of My Health Record use (with a focus on patient care) and the barriers to use.

Methods

All 393 nursing, pharmacy, physician and allied health staff employed within the emergency department at a tertiary metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne were invited to participate in a web-based survey, between 1 May 2021 and 1 December 2021, during the height of the Delta and Omicron Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria, Australia.

Results

Overall, the survey response rate was 18% (70/393). Approximately half of the sample indicated My Health Record use in the emergency department (n = 39, 56%, confidence interval [CI] 43–68%). The results showed that users typically only engaged with My Health Record less than once per shift (n = 15, 39%, CI 23–55%). Just over half (n = 19/39, 54%, CI 32–65%) of all participants who use My Health Record agreed they could remember a time when My Health Record had been critical to the care of a patient. Overall, clinicians indicated the biggest barrier preventing their use of My Health Record is that they forget to utilise the system.

Conclusion

The results suggest that My Health Record has not been adopted as routine practice in the emergency department, by the majority of participants. Close to half of self-identified users of My Health Record do not associate use as being critical to patient care. Instead, My Health Record may only be used in scenarios that clinicians perceive will yield the greatest benefit—which clinicians in this paper suggest is patients with chronic and complex conditions. Further research that explores the predictors to use and consumers most likely to benefit from use is recommended—and strategies to socialise this knowledge and educate clinicians is desperately required.
Association of ideal cardiovascular health with cardiovascular events and risk advancement periods in a Mediterranean population-based cohort
Authors: Fernandez-Lazaro Cesar I. , Sayon-Orea Carmen , Toledo Estefania , Moreno-Iribas Conchi , Guembe María J. ,   for the RIVANA Study Investigators, Cosials Joaquín Barba , Reyero Jesús Berjón , Martínez Javier Díez , Diego Paulino González , Uche Ana Mª. Grijalba , Setas David Guerrero , Vila Eduardo Martínez , Martínez Manuel Serrano , Tornos Isabel Sobejano , Rueda José Javier Viñes
Published: July 2022

Background

The American Heart Association recommends Life’s Simple 7 as ideal cardiovascular health (ICVH) to reduce cardiovascular risk. Rate advancement period (RAP), a useful tool to quantify and communicate exposure impact on risks, may enhance communication about the benefits of achieving ICVH. We aimed to examine whether greater adherence to ICVH metrics was associated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular risk in a population-based cohort and estimate its impact on the timing of occurrence using RAP.

Methods

Prospective analyses of 3826 participants, initially free from cardiovascular disease at baseline, enrolled in the Vascular Risk in Navarra Study (RIVANA), a Mediterranean population-based cohort of Spanish adults. ICVH metrics were defined using participants’ baseline information as follows: never-smoker or quitting > 12 months ago, body mass index < 25 kg/m2, ≥ 150 min/week of moderate physical activity or equivalent, healthy dietary pattern (≥ 9 points on a validated 14-item Mediterranean diet adherence screener), untreated cholesterol < 200 mg/dL, untreated blood pressure < 120/80 mmHg, and untreated fasting blood glucose < 100 mg/dL. Participants were assigned 1 point for each achieved metric and were grouped according to their number of accumulated metrics in ≤ 2, 3, 4, and ≥ 5. The primary endpoint was major cardiovascular events (composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) and RAPs with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusted for potential confounders were calculated.

Results

During a median follow-up of 12.8 years (interquartile range 12.3–13.1), a total of 194 primary endpoints were identified. Compared to participants with ≤ 2 ideal metrics, HR (95% CI) for major cardiovascular events among participants meeting ≥ 5 metrics was 0.32 (0.17–0.60) with RAP (95% CI) of − 14.4 years (− 22.9, − 5.9).

Conclusions

Greater adherence to ICVH metrics was associated with lower cardiovascular risk among Spanish adults of the RIVANA cohort. Adherence to ideal metrics may substantially delay cardiovascular risk.
Enhancement of critical-sized bone defect regeneration using UiO-66 nanomaterial in rabbit femurs
Authors: Sadek Ahmed Abdelrahiem , Abd-Elkareem Mahmoud , Abdelhamid Hani Nasser , Moustafa Samia , Hussein Kamal
Published: July 2022

Background

Repair of large-sized bone defects is a challengeable obstacle in orthopedics and evoked the demand for the development of biomaterials that could induce bone repair in such defects. Recently, UiO-66 has emerged as an attractive metal–organic framework (MOF) nanostructure that is incorporated in biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, porosity, and stability. In addition, its osteogenic properties have earned a great interest as a promising field of research. Thus, the UiO-66 was prepared in this study and assessed for its potential to stimulate and support osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo in a rabbit femoral condyle defect model. The nanomaterial was fabricated and characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Afterward, in vitro cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays were performed to investigate UiO-66 biocompatibility. Furthermore, the material in vitro capability to upregulate osteoblast marker genes was assessed using qPCR. Next, the in vivo new bone formation potential of the UiO-66 nanomaterial was evaluated after induction of bone defects in rabbit femoral condyles. These defects were left empty or filled with UiO-66 nanomaterial and monitored at weeks 4, 8, and 12 after bone defect induction using x-ray, computed tomography (CT), histological examinations, and qPCR analysis of osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OP) expressions.

Results

The designed UiO-66 nanomaterial showed excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility and stimulated the in vitro osteoblast functions. The in vivo osteogenesis was enhanced in the UiO-66 treated group compared to the control group, whereas evidence of healing of the treated bone defects was observed grossly and histologically. Interestingly, UiO-66 implanted defects displayed a significant osteoid tissue and collagen deposition compared to control defects. Moreover, the UiO-66 nanomaterial demonstrated the potential to upregulate OC and OP in vivo.

Conclusions

The UiO-66 nanomaterial implantation possesses a stimulatory impact on the healing process of critical-sized bone defects indicating that UiO-66 is a promising biomaterial for application in bone tissue engineering.
A review on the role of MCM3AP-AS1 in the carcinogenesis and tumor progression
Authors: Ghafouri-Fard Soudeh , Khoshbakht Tayyebeh , Hussen Bashdar Mahmud , Taheri Mohammad , Samadian Mohammad
Published: July 2022

Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3 Associated Protein Antisense 1 (MCM3AP-AS1) is an RNA gene located on 21q22.3. The sense transcript from this locus has dual roles in the pathogenesis of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. MCM3AP-AS1 has been shown to sequester miR-194-5p, miR-876-5p, miR-543-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-93, miR-545, miR-599, miR‐193a‐5p, miR-363-5p, miR-204-5p, miR-211-5p, miR-15a, miR-708-5p, miR-138, miR-138-5p, miR-34a, miR-211, miR‐340‐5p, miR-148a, miR-195-5p and miR-126. Some cancer-related signaling pathway, namely PTEN/AKT, PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 are influenced by this lncRNA. Cell line studies, animal studies and clinical studies have consistently reported oncogenic role of MCM3AP-AS1 in different tissues except for cervical cancer in which this lncRNA has tumor suppressor role. In the current manuscript, we collected evidence from these three sources of evidence to review the impact of MCM3AP-AS1 in the carcinogenesis.
Lipid metabolism in tumor microenvironment: novel therapeutic targets
Authors: Liu Xingkai , Zhang Ping , Xu Jing , Lv Guoyue , Li Yan
Published: July 2022

Bioactive lipid molecules have been proposed to play important roles linking obesity/metabolic syndrome and cancers. Studies reveal that aberrant lipid metabolic signaling can reprogram cancer cells and non-cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, recurrence, and poor therapeutic response. Existing evidence indicates that controlling lipid metabolism can be a potential strategy for cancer prevention and therapy. By reviewing the current literature on the lipid metabolism in various cancers, we summarized major lipid molecules including fatty acids and cholesterol as well as lipid droplets and discussed their critical roles in cancer cells and non-cancer in terms of either promoting- or anti-tumorigenesis. This review provides an overview of the lipid molecules in cellular entities and their tumor microenvironment, adding to the existing knowledge with lipid metabolic reprogramming in immune cells and cancer associated cells. Comprehensive understanding of the regulatory role of lipid metabolism in cellular entities and their tumor microenvironment will provide a new direction for further studies, in a shift away from conventional cancer research. Exploring the lipid-related signaling targets that drive or block cancer development may lead to development of novel anti-cancer strategies distinct from traditional approaches for cancer prevention and treatment.
Implementation and sustainability of safe consumption sites: a qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis
Authors: Yoon Grace H. , Levengood Timothy W. , Davoust Melissa J. , Ogden Shannon N. , Kral Alex H. , Cahill Sean R. , Bazzi Angela R.
Published: July 2022

Background

Safe consumption sites (SCSs) serve diverse populations of people who use drugs (PWUD) and public health objectives. SCS implementation began in the 1980s, and today, there are at least 200 known SCSs operating in over twelve countries. While a growing literature supports their effectiveness as a harm reduction strategy, there is limited information on contextual factors that may support or hinder SCS implementation and sustainability. We aimed to fill this gap in knowledge by reviewing existing qualitative studies on SCSs.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. We identified all peer-reviewed, English-language qualitative studies on SCSs containing original data in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct as of September 23, 2019. Two authors independently screened, abstracted, and coded content relating to SCS implementation and sustainment aligned with the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) implementation science framework.

Results

After removing duplicates, we identified 765 unique records, of which ten qualitative studies met inclusion criteria for our synthesis. Across these ten studies, 236 total interviews were conducted. Overall, studies described how SCSs can (1) keep drug use out of public view while fostering a sense of inclusion for participants, (2) support sustainment by enhancing external communities’ acceptability of SCSs, and (3) encourage PWUD utilization. Most studies also described how involving PWUD and peer workers (i.e., those with lived experience) in SCS operation supported implementation and sustainability.

Discussion

Our thematic synthesis of qualitative literature identified engagement of PWUD and additional factors that appear to support SCS planning and operations and are critical to implementation success. However, the existing qualitative literature largely lacked perspectives of SCS staff and other community members who might be able to provide additional insight into factors influencing the implementation and sustainability of this promising public health intervention.
Adrenal hemorrhage following direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy: two case reports and literature review
Authors: Sheklabadi Elahe , Sharifi Yasaman , Tabarraee Mahdi , Tamehrizadeh Seyed Saeed , Rabiee Parham , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: July 2022

Background

Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a rare condition that can result in a life-threatening medical emergency. This medical condition could be caused by several underlying factors, one of which is the use of anticoagulants. As far as we are aware, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents are a rare but possible cause of AH.

Case presentation

Herein, we described two cases of AH due to DOACs. The first case was a 35-year-old Iranian woman with a past medical history of Hashimoto thyroiditis who was being treated with apixaban due to the previous thrombosis. Her first symptoms of AH (November 2021) were strangely similar to symptoms of autoimmune Addison disease (AAD) which led to a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 (APS-2). An abdominal MRI revealed an oval shape well-encapsulated cystic mass with a diameter of 20 × 14 mm with a thick and low signal intensity rim in the left adrenal gland, highly suggestive of sub-acute left-sided AH. Our second case was an 89-year-old Iranian woman who had been admitted to the hospital (August 2021) with low blood pressure and disorientation. At the beginning of her admission, the evaluation showed hyponatremia, and further evaluations confirmed adrenal insufficiency (AI). The patient reported rivaroxaban usage for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis after femur fixation surgery. Her abdominal CT scans showed bilateral adrenal masses highly suggestive of AH. Her follow-up examination showed persistent AI after three months.

Conclusion

Given the history of our cases, physicians should be aware of AH in patients receiving DOACs, particularly in elderly patients who are at high risk of bleeding. It is also worth noting that AH can occur in any patient with any medical history and history of DOAC use, which is why patients must be closely monitored.
Immune response and safety to inactivated COVID-19 vaccine: a comparison between people living with HIV and HIV-naive individuals
Authors: Zou Shi , Wu Mengmeng , Ming Fangzhao , Wu Songjie , Guo Wei , Marley Gifty , Xing Zhongyuan , Zhang Zhiyue , Zeng Minxia , Sun Chao , Zhang Jianfeng , Tang Weiming , Liang Ke
Published: July 2022

Background

Multi-types COVID-19 vaccines have shown safety and efficacy against COVID-19 in adults. Although current guidelines encourage people living with HIV (PLWH) to take COVID-19 vaccines, whether their immune response to COVID-19 vaccines is distinct from HIV-free individuals is still unclear.

Methods

Between March to June 2021, 48 PLWH and 40 HNC, aged 18 to 59 years, were enrolled in the study in Wuchang district of Wuhan city. All of them received inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (Sinopharm, WIBP-CorV, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd) at day 0 and the second dose at day 28. The primary safety outcome was the combined adverse reactions within 7 days after each injection. The primary immunogenicity outcomes were SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) responses by chemiluminescence and total specific IgM and IgG antibodies responses by ELISA and colloidal gold at baseline (day 0), day 14, day 28, day 42, and day 70.

Results

In total, the study included 46 PLWH and 38 HNC who finished 70 days’ follow-up. The frequency of adverse reactions to the first and second dose was not different between PLWH (30% and 11%) vs. HNC (32% and 24%). NAbs responses among PLWH peaked at day 70, while among HNC peaked at day 42. At day 42, the geometric mean concentration (GMC) and seroconversion rate of nAbs among PLWH were 4.46 binding antibody units (BAU)/mL (95% CI 3.18–5.87) and 26% (95% CI 14–41), which were lower than that among HNC [GMC (18.28 BAU/mL, 95% CI 10.33–32.33), seroconversion rate (63%, 95% CI 44–79)]. IgG responses among both PLWH and HNC peaked at day 70. At day 70, the geometric mean ELISA units (GMEU) and seroconversion rate of IgG among PLWH were 0.193 ELISA units (EU)/mL (95% CI 0.119–0.313) and 51% (95% CI 34–69), which was lower than that among HNC [GMEU (0.379 EU/mL, 95% CI 0.224–0.653), seroconversion rate (86%, 95% CI 64–97)]. There were no serious adverse events.

Conclusions

Early humoral immune response to the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was weaker and delayed among the PLWH population than that among HNC. This observation remained consistent regardless of a high CD4 count with effective antiretroviral therapy.
Dietary protein intake during pregnancy and birth weight among Chinese pregnant women with low intake of protein
Authors: Yang Jiaomei , Chang Qianqian , Tian Xueye , Zhang Binyan , Zeng Lingxia , Yan Hong , Dang Shaonong , Li Yue-Hua
Published: July 2022

Background

Previous studies have yielded inconsistent results on the association between maternal dietary protein intake and birth weight. Moreover, little is known about the effects of dietary protein intake from different sources on fetal growth. This study aimed to investigate the associations of different dietary protein sources (total protein, animal protein, plant protein, and major dietary protein sources) during pregnancy with birth weight and the related adverse birth outcomes.

Methods

7310 women were recruited using a stratified multistage random sampling method at 0–12 months (median: 3; 10–90th percentile: 0–7) after delivery in Shaanxi, China. Maternal diets were gathered by a validated FFQ and other characteristics were collected by a standard questionnaire. Multilevel linear or logistic regression models were used to estimate birth weight changes or ORs (95% CIs) for adverse birth outcomes associated with different dietary protein sources during pregnancy.

Results

The mean percentage of energy from total protein was 11.4% (SD 2.2), with only 27.4% of total protein derived from animal protein. Per 3% increase in energy from total protein, animal protein, and dairy protein was associated with birth weight increases of 19.4 g (95% CI 6.0–32.9), 20.6 g (4.8–36.5), and 18.2 g (4.7–31.7), respectively. Per 3% increase in energy from total protein, animal protein, and dairy protein was also associated with lower risks of low birth weight (LBW) (total protein: OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.64–0.94; animal protein: 0.79, 0.65–0.96; dairy protein: 0.71, 0.56–0.91), small for gestational age (SGA) (total protein: 0.88, 0.79–0.98; animal protein: 0.87, 0.78–0.97; dairy protein: 0.81, 0.68–0.96), and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (total protein: 0.84, 0.72–0.98; animal protein: 0.86, 0.75–0.98; dairy protein: 0.78, 0.66–0.92). We observed no associations of plant protein and other major dietary protein sources with birth weight and the above birth outcomes. The results did not change when maternal protein was substituted for fat or carbohydrate.

Conclusions

Among Chinese pregnant women with low intake of protein, higher intake of dietary protein, in particular animal protein and dairy protein, is associated with higher birth weight and lower risks of LBW, SGA, and IUGR.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy extends the clinical benefit of PD-1 inhibitors in refractory recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Lin Jing , Guo Qiaojuan , Guo Zengqing , Lu Tianzhu , Chen Gang , Lin Shaojun , Chen Mei , Chen Chuanben , Lu Jianping , Zong Jingfeng , Tang Lina , Chen Yu , Pan Jianji
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Emerging evidence shows that immune checkpoint inhibitors lead to durable responses in a variety of cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), however, combination approaches (i.e., stereotactic body radiation therapy, SBRT) are required to extend this benefit beyond a subset of patients. This study retrospectively evaluated eight recurrent/metastatic NPC patients, to investigate how radiation could potentiate PD-1 checkpoint inhibition therapy.

Methods

Between September 2016 and July 2017, eight consecutive cases with histologically confirmed PDL1-positive status, for which prior standard therapy had been ineffective (five patients), were treated at our institution and Macao Clinics and two patients had disease progression within 6 months of completion of definitive chemoradiation, or one patient refused to receive chemoradiotherapy. All received PD-1 inhibitors first, seven of them accepted SBRT with an unmodified PD-1 inhibitors regimen after first evaluation as they were unresponsive to PD-1 inhibitors alone. Treatment was discontinued as long as patients were experiencing a clinical benefit in the opinion of the physicians and at least five cycles were given before stoppage.

Results

Median follow-up time was 56.7 months. The confirmed objective response rate based on RECIST-v1.1 at first evaluation was 12.5% (1/8). For the seven cases who received SBRT, six of them experience an objective response (6/7, 85.7%) after SBRT. Only one patient showed rapid progress and die within 95 days after the initiation of SBRT intervention. Three patients who did not have all lesions exposed to irradiation were available to evaluate the incidence of an abscopal effect, however, it did not occur as expected. Median PFS and OS for the seven patients were 8.0 and 30.8 months after SBRT intervention, respectively. Two-year OS as indicated was 71.0%.

Conclusions

PD-1 inhibitors combined with SBRT demonstrated promising antitumor activity in patients with PD-L1 positive RM-NPC. Patients may benefit from continue immunotherapy beyond disease progression when SBRT was introduced.
Minos: variant adjudication and joint genotyping of cohorts of bacterial genomes
Authors: Hunt Martin , Letcher Brice , Malone Kerri M. , Nguyen Giang , Hall Michael B. , Colquhoun Rachel M. , Lima Leandro , Schatz Michael C. , Ramakrishnan Srividya ,   CRyPTIC consortium, Iqbal Zamin
Published: July 2022

There are many short-read variant-calling tools, with different strengths and weaknesses. We present a tool, Minos, which combines outputs from arbitrary variant callers, increasing recall without loss of precision. We benchmark on 62 samples from three bacterial species and an outbreak of 385 Mycobacterium tuberculosis samples. Minos also enables joint genotyping; we demonstrate on a large (N=13k) M. tuberculosis cohort, building a map of non-synonymous SNPs and indels in a region where all such variants are assumed to cause rifampicin resistance. We quantify the correlation with phenotypic resistance and then replicate in a second cohort (N=10k).
On secrecy outage probability for downlink NOMA systems with relay–antenna selection
Authors: Xu Shu , Liu Chen , Wang Hong , Qian Mujun , Sun Wenfeng
Published: July 2022

Secure transmission is essential for future non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system. This paper investigates relay–antenna selection to enhance physical-layer security of cooperative NOMA system in the presence of an eavesdropper, where multiple antennas are deployed at the relays, the users, and the eavesdropper. In order to reduce expense on radio frequency chains, selection combining (SC) is employed at both the relays and the users, whilst the eavesdropper employs either maximal-ratio combining or SC to process the received signals. Under the condition that the channel state information of the eavesdropping channel is available or unavailable, two effective relay–antenna selection schemes are proposed. Additionally, the closed-form expressions of secrecy outage probability (SOP) are derived for the proposed relay–antenna selection schemes. In order to gain more deep insights on the derived results, the asymptotic performance of the derived SOP is analyzed. In simulations, it is demonstrated that the theoretical results match well with the simulation results and the SOP of the proposed schemes is less than that of the conventional orthogonal multiple access scheme obviously.
Fasciola spp. in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Hoang Quang Vinh , Levecke Bruno , Do Trung Dung , Devleesschauwer Brecht , Lam Binh Vu Thi , Polman Katja , Callens Steven , Dorny Pierre , Dermauw Veronique
Published: July 2022

Background

Fascioliasis is an emerging public health threat in a number of regions worldwide, including Southeast Asia. Up to now, a summary of current knowledge on the occurrence and the distribution in Southeast Asia is lacking. We therefore aim to gather recent information on the distribution and prevalence of and the associated risk factors for Fasciola spp. infections in humans, animals, and plant carriers in Southeast Asia.

Methods

Bibliographic and gray literature databases as well as reference lists of important review articles will be searched for relevant records that are published between January 1, 2000, and the search date. The systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting systematic reviews. The primary outcomes will be both the prevalence of Fasciola spp. in the human and animal hosts, and on plant carriers in Southeast Asia, and the risk factors for occurrence of Fasciola spp. Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of Fasciola spp. in subpopulations (e.g., children and patients visiting clinics), the mapping of different diagnostic tests used, and the occurrence of the different Fasciola spp. in the study region. A descriptive statistical analysis will be conducted, and a meta-analysis will be run to estimate the prevalence of human and animal fascioliasis respectively, in Southeast Asia.

Discussion

This systematic review will summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology of Fasciola spp. infections in Southeast Asia.

Systematic review registration

This systematic review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), reference number: CRD42021261104.
Neuromuscular junction pathology is correlated with differential motor unit vulnerability in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy
Authors: Molotsky Elana , Liu Yuhong , Lieberman Andrew P. , Merry Diane E.
Published: July 2022

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked, neuromuscular neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure. The disease is characterized by a selective decrease in fast-muscle power (e.g., tongue pressure, grip strength) accompanied by a selective loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers. However, the relationship between neuromuscular junction (NMJ) pathology and fast-twitch motor unit vulnerability has yet to be explored. In this study, we used a cross-model comparison of two mouse models of SBMA to evaluate neuromuscular junction pathology, glycolytic-to-oxidative fiber-type switching, and cytoskeletal alterations in pre- and postsynaptic termini of tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius, and soleus hindlimb muscles. We observed significantly increased NMJ and myofiber pathology in fast-twitch, glycolytic motor units of the TA and gastrocnemius compared to slow-twitch, oxidative motor units of the soleus, as seen by decreased pre- and post-synaptic membrane area, decreased pre- and post-synaptic membrane colocalization, increased acetylcholine receptor compactness, a decrease in endplate area and complexity, and deficits in neurofilament heavy chain. Our data also show evidence for metabolic dysregulation and myofiber atrophy that correlate with severity of NMJ pathology. We propose a model in which the dynamic communicative relationship between the motor neuron and muscle, along with the developmental subtype of the muscle, promotes motor unit subtype specific vulnerability, metabolic alterations, and NMJ pathology.
Textile-type triboelectric nanogenerator using Teflon wrapping wires as wearable power source
Authors: Kim Seonghyeon , Cho Woosung , Won Dong-Joon , Kim Joonwon
Published: July 2022

Wearable electronic devices such as mobile communication devices, portable computers, and various sensors are the latest significant innovations in technology which use the Internet of Things (IoT) to track personal data. Wearable energy harvesters are required to supply electricity to such devices for the convenience of users. In this study, a textile-type triboelectric nanogenerator (T-TENG), produced using commercial electrode fibers, was fabricated to generate electrical energy using external mechanical stimulation. The commercial fiber was an electrode coated with Teflon on a copper wire with a diameter of ~ 320 μm. Using this commercial fiber, a T-TENG was easily fabricated by knitting and weaving. The performance of the T-TENG was analyzed to understand the effect of force and frequency. It was observed that the performance of the T-TENG did not degrade even under harsh conditions and treatment. The textile-type TENG possessed an energy harvesting capability with an output power density of ~ 0.36 W/m2 and could operate electronic devices by charging a capacitor.
Do Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, room acoustics and radio astronomy have anything in common?
Authors: Kulowski Andrzej
Published: July 2022

After introducing Leonardo da Vinci’s (LdV) predecessors in the field of light propagation research, his drawings on the topic of reflecting light by a spherical mirror are analysed. The discovery of LdV is presented, according to which, at an infinitely distant source of rays, a small fragment of the canopy is enough to generate a focus, while the rest of the mirror forms a caustic for which LdV did not indicate an application. An analytical description of the energy concentration in the focus and on the caustic is given, together with its reference to the geometric representation of the acoustic field in rooms. Based on the general principles of wave motion, symmetry is shown in the description of energy relations in acoustics and electromagnetism. It is explained why in the sound field in existing halls, instead of a whole caustic only its cusp is observed, which is perceived as a point-like sound focus. The size of the mirror aperture, shown graphically by LdV, is determined. How the development of receiving techniques increased the mirror aperture compared to the LdV estimate is also shown. The implementation of these improvements is presented via the example of the Arecibo and FAST radio telescopes.
Actions of N-acetylcysteine, daptomycin, vancomycin, and linezolid on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in the ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections: an experimental study
Authors: Kuruoglu Tuba , Altun Gamze , Kuruoglu Enis , Turan Derya Bayırlı , Önger Mehmet Emin
Published: July 2022

Background

Shunt systems are used to provide cerebrospinal fluid drainage in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Recently, antibiotic-impregnated shunt systems are used to prevent colonization in the ventriculoperitoneal catheters. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common causative microorganism of shunt infections. The aim of the study is to investigate effects of several substances on MRSA biofilms in the ventriculoperitoneal catheters.

Methods

The present study consists of mainly eight groups (each has two subgroups as antibiotic-impregnated and nonantibiotic-impregnated catheters). In addition, each group contains six molds using MRSA strains. In this study, daptomycin (DAPT) (2 mg/ml), vancomycin (VAN) (10 mg/ml), linezolid (LIN) (2 mg/ml), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) (6 mg/ml), and various combinations of these substances were used to evaluate the treatment against MRSA using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and microbiological enumeration.

Results

The colony count in the antibiotic-impregnated samples significantly decreased compared to nonantibiotic-impregnated samples in the MRSA, MRSA + DAPT, and MRSA + LIN groups (p < 0.01), respectively. Conversely, the colony count in antibiotic-impregnated samples significantly increased compared to nonantibiotic-impregnated samples in NAC + DAPT and NAC + VAN groups (p < 0.01), respectively.

Conclusions

The results showed that the use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters has a significant impact on the prevention of infection whereas the combination of NAC and DAPT showed better antibiofilm and antibacterial effects than other combinations on the prevention and treatment of nonantibiotic-impregnated catheter infections.
Fast 3D transient electromagnetic forward modeling using BEDS-FDTD algorithm and GPU parallelization
Authors: Liu Shangbin , Chen Chengdong , Sun Huaifeng
Published: July 2022

The time-step sizes of the conventional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are severely restricted by the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy stability condition. This may result in excessive iterations, high cost and large runtime, and increasing late-stage cumulative errors in 3D transient electromagnetic (TEM) forward modeling. At present, forward modeling speed is a major obstacle in the development of 3D TEM inversion. To address this issue, a new 3D TEM forward modeling algorithm is presented. In the new algorithm, the backward Euler (BE) scheme is used with a view toward relaxing the stability constraint. However, after using the BE approach, a huge sparse matrix needs to be inverted in each iteration. Directly solving such matrices by Gaussian elimination or an iterative method is still time-consuming and requires large amounts of computer memory. To improve computational efficiency, the direct-splitting (DS) strategy is adopted to transform the large sparse matrices into a series of small diagonally dominant tridiagonal matrices, which are easier to solve. Then, the complex-frequency-shifted perfectly matched layer boundary condition is implemented using the bilinear transform method to reduce the size of the model. To further speed up the calculation process, the codes are then programmed to run on graphics processing unit (GPU) devices. Three models are used for calculations, and the results are compared with other numerical methods to verify the accuracy of our algorithm. After that, to demonstrate the BEDS-FDTD algorithm’s ability to model complex earth structures, a model with a very complex shape is used for the calculation via the conformal mesh technique. In addition, the modeling speed is tested using different GPU devices. We find that an NVIDIA Tesla A100 is able to calculate the 50 × 50 × 50 cell model in only 8 s.
Deep Bayesian inference for seismic imaging with tasks
Authors: Siahkoohi Ali , Rizzuti Gabrio , Herrmann Felix J.
Published: July 2022

We use techniques from Bayesian inference and deep neural networks to translate uncertainty in seismic imaging to uncertainty in tasks performed on the image, such as horizon tracking. Seismic imaging is an ill-posed inverse problem because of bandwidth and aperture limitations, which are hampered by the presence of noise and linearization errors. Many regularization methods, such as transform-domain sparsity promotion, have been designed to deal with the adverse effects of these errors; however, these methods run the risk of biasing the solution and do not provide information on uncertainty in the image space and how this uncertainty impacts certain tasks on the image. A systematic approach is developed to translate uncertainty due to noise in the data to the confidence intervals of automatically tracked horizons in the image. The uncertainty in the seismic image is characterized by a convolutional neural network (CNN) that is used to reparameterize the image. To assess these uncertainties, samples are drawn from the posterior distribution of the CNN weights. Compared with traditional priors, it is argued in the literature that these CNNs introduce a flexible inductive bias that is a surprisingly good fit for a diverse set of problems, including medical imaging, compressive sensing, and diffraction tomography. The method of stochastic gradient Langevin dynamics is used to sample from the posterior distribution. This method is designed to handle large-scale Bayesian inference problems with computationally expensive forward operators as in seismic imaging. Aside from offering a robust alternative to the maximum a posteriori estimate that is prone to overfitting, access to these samples allows us to translate uncertainty in the image, due to noise in the data, to uncertainty on the tracked horizons. For instance, it admits estimates for the pointwise standard deviation on the image and for confidence intervals on its automatically tracked horizons.
Nuclear speckles – a driving force in gene expression
Authors: Faber Gabriel P. , Nadav-Eliyahu Shani , Shav-Tal Yaron
Published: July 2022

Nuclear speckles are dynamic membraneless bodies located in the cell nucleus. They harbor RNAs and proteins, many of which are splicing factors, that together display complex biophysical properties dictating nuclear speckle formation and maintenance. Although these nuclear bodies were discovered decades ago, only recently has in-depth genomic analysis begun to unravel their essential functions in modulation of gene activity. Major advancements in genomic mapping techniques combined with microscopy approaches have enabled insights into the roles nuclear speckles may play in enhancing gene expression, and how gene positioning to specific nuclear landmarks can regulate gene expression and RNA processing. Some studies have drawn a link between nuclear speckles and disease. Certain maladies either involve nuclear speckles directly or dictate the localization and reorganization of many nuclear speckle factors. This is most striking during viral infection, as viruses alter the entire nuclear architecture and highjack host machinery. As discussed in this Review, nuclear speckles represent a fascinating target of study not only to reveal the links between gene positioning, genome subcompartments and gene activity, but also as a potential target for therapeutics.