bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
6.X.2. Food Insecurity in Europe: Voices from across Europe
Authors:   Organised by: EUPHA-ENV,   Chair persons: Christina Lampl (Austria), Anja Simmet (Germany)
Published: October 2024

Food insecurity (FI), “lack of regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life”, is a global public health issue. The United Nations (UN) have identified achieving food security as a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), where all people should “have access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.” However, disasters related to the consequences of changing climates, pandemics, wars, displacement of populations, high inflation rates, changes in social protection systems, and food system changes challenge the achievement of this SDG. FI persists even in high-income countries including Europe. This workshop session will foster a knowledge, research and experience exchange on the situation of individuals / different population groups in the context of FI in different European countries. Starting with a contribution from Austria, the term food poverty is introduced and considered from a food system perspective / from an equity perspective. The second contribution illuminates the relationships between FI, shopping behaviours and social support among food bank users in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final third contribution comes from the Netherlands and explores the needs and perceptions regarding healthy eating among people at risk of FI. In all three studies, standardized measurement tools were applied to measure FI but recruiting methods and data collection methods varied considerably between and within the studies. The session enhances the knowledge on FI in Europe from different perspectives.

Key messages

• Food insecurity does exist in Europe: there is a need for regular, consistent monitoring across European countries.

• Food insecurity involves more than just access to food; it also considers nutritious and climate-friendly options, addressing the link between climate, health, and equity.
Defining, measuring, and reducing low-value care – proposing a new comprehensive definition and framework
Authors: Achstetter K , Steinbeck V , Panteli D , Busse R
Published: October 2024

Despite intensified efforts to address waste and inefficiencies in healthcare in the last decade, the ability of health systems in Europe to identify and reduce low-value care varies. Through the EU Expert Group on Health System Performance Assessment’s work, a new comprehensive definition was proposed and a framework to distinguish different types of low-value care was developed as a basis for identifying and tackling low-value care in EU Member States. Indicators to measure low-value care as well as measures to reduce it were collected. This presentation will provide a brief introduction on the definition, framework, obstacles and solutions for reducing the use of low-value care in Europe.

Speakers/Panelists

Reinhard Busse

Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, Germany

Isabel de La Mata

DG SANTE, European Commission, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Pacal Meeus

Institut National d’assurance Maladie-Invalidité, Brussels, Belgium

Ingrid Schmidt

National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden
Burden of disease and socioeconomic deprivation in Germany – regional patterns and variations
Authors: Wengler A , Rommel A , Porst M , Leddin J , Anton A , von der Lippe E
Published: October 2024

Within the scope of the BURDEN 2020 project (Burden of disease in Germany at the National and Regional Level) carried out by Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in collaboration with the German Environmental Agency and AOK Scientific Institute, burden of disease estimates for Germany and its regions become available for the first time. The national estimates of YLL, YLD and DALY are provided not only stratified by age and sex, but also by detailed regional level (96 spatial planning regions). The regional estimates provide valuable information and support the evidence-based decisions in health policies aiming at reducing the burden of disease in the country. To facilitate further the interpretation and usability of these estimates, the provided indicators were linked to the regional information on deprivation. For this purpose, the German index of socioeconomic deprivation (GISD) was used. The index was developed at the RKI and the last revised version was published in 2022. It is based on nine indicators which reflect the three subdimensions of deprivation: education, employment, and income. That is why GISD is a very suitable index for evaluating regional health disparities. Connecting both informations on BoD and deprivation, gives deeper insides in the regional differences within the country. Some diseases exhibit east/west differences, while others show north/south patterns or rural/urban distinctions. These differences reflect the variation in the prevention and health care needs for the different diseases in Germany. The results underline the necessity to study the regional inequalities separately for each disease. Different health conditions are connected to variations in settings and outline different needs in intervention programs and allocation of means.
7.Y.1. Health Literacy in a multi-modal world: innovation challenges
Authors:   Organised by: HeLiCA, EUPHA-HP, Freiburg University of Education (Germany), IPC of Coimbra (Portugal),   Chair persons: Luís Saboga-Nunes (EUPHA-HP), Sukran Peker (Türkiye)
Published: October 2024

Good Governance, Healthy Cities and Health Literacy (HL) (The Shanghai Declaration, WHO 2016) are presented as the three pillars of Health Promotion. In order to pursue these pillars as a global strategy to ensure that citizens can make healthy choices, there is a need to explore innovative ways that are accessible and affordable to all, that will ensure that all have the right to health. In this workshop five presentations will trigger a discussion that is proposed to be developed around the consequences of innovating from the health literacy perspective: Floriane Silvestri from Portugal, will focus on health literacy and health coaching as a node towards health promotion; Juliana Bertani from Basil will address Health literacy & somatic education from a salutogenic self-resource critical health intervention; Alcina Ilharco will focus on mental health and the health literacy of university students; Paula Vital will consider the role of social prescription multi-modal approach and Sukran Peker from Turkey will present a qualitative study of the relationship between health information and behaviors. The discussion that will follow these presentations is aimed at providing new perspectives on the topic of health literacy with participants interaction and networking.

Key messages

• Innovative ways to bring health promotion into effectiveness needs to be established from health literacy focused initiatives.

• Salutogenesis is a structural paradigm to drive innovative mechanisms to help improve wellbeing and quality of life by health literacy innovative approaches.
Co-creation in public health: innovations and considerations
Authors: Agnello Danielle
Published: October 2024

Danielle will delve into the essence of co-creation and its application in navigating the complexities of public health challenges. Delegates will gain insights into how co-creation fosters innovative solutions and discover key considerations essential when designing co-creation projects. Join us to explore the transformative potential of co-creation in addressing the pressing issues of public health.
Social Cohesion in Different Periods of the Pandemic: What Works in Reducing COVID-19 Mortality
Authors: Chuang Y
Published: October 2024

Background

Inconsistent results were reported regarding the effects of social cohesion dimensions on COVID-19 mortality rate (MR). Most studies have indicated that trust in civil services, but not participating in social activities, reduces COVID-19 MR, possibly because of the highly contagious nature of this disease. In this study, we investigated how the effects of various dimensions of social cohesion on COVID-19 MR vary across different phases of the pandemic.

Methods

This longitudinal study was conducted using data from 86 countries that participated in the 2017-2020 World Values Survey. The measures of social cohesion were identified by aggregating survey responses to the country level. COVID-19 MR was calculated-using data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-separately for three distinct periods during the pandemic (January 2021-June 2022). A factor analysis was conducted to identify the dimensions of social cohesion, and negative binomial regression models were constructed to analyze data for each period.

Results

The factor analysis revealed three dimensions of social cohesion: social participation and inclusion, health service equality, and trust in civil services and democracy. Our findings suggest that each dimension of social cohesion uniquely affected COVID-19 outcomes in different periods of the pandemic. Trust in civil services and a positive attitude toward democracy are strongly associated with a low COVID-19 MR. However, this association was observed only in the early and middle stages of the pandemic. By contrast, our study demonstrated that in the late stage of the pandemic, increased social participation and inclusion helped combat COVID-19.

Conclusions

This study underscores the importance of collective cohesion and solidarity in mobilizing public responses against pandemic situations. This study emphasizes that preventive or regulatory interventions should be tailored to different phases of a pandemic.

Key messages

• COVID-19 mortality rate was negatively associated with trust in civil services during the early two periods and with social participation and social inclusion during the late period of the pandemic.

• This study emphasizes that preventive or regulatory interventions should be tailored to different phases of a pandemic.
Comparison of perinatal hospital services of women living in Roma settlements in Slovenia
Authors: Krajnc Nikolić T , Rostohar K , Ranfl M
Published: October 2024

Background

Women living in Roma settlements in Slovenia had worse perinatal health indicators comparing with women from the rest of population. They gave more births in younger age and used fewer preventive services and later in pregnancy. Roma children had higher chances to be born earlier and with lower birth weight. We explored the differences in provided hospital services between pregnant Roma and the rest of female population in Slovenia.

Methods

We identified the female inhabitants of Roma settlements from the national registry of population and separated from the rest of the population data. Health indicators were provided from the national health register - Perinatal Information System for the years from 2018 to 2022. The frequency statistics, ANOVA and comparison of column proportion tests were used (p-value<0.005, 95% CI) to compare the differences in categories of services in those two groups.

Results

Statistically significant differences were found in several hospital services comparing treatments of pregnant females from Roma settlements comparing to the rest of female population. Women from Roma settlements had higher ratio of gynecologic history without remarks, fewer treatments and less prevention investigations in prenatal period and higher ratio of natural start of delivery. In addition, by Roma females was used less medication during delivery, less episiotomies and fewer caesarean section were performed.

Conclusions

There are significant differences in provision of hospital services between female inhabitants of Roma settlements and the rest of population. Some of them could be explained by younger average age of delivery in Roma, but additional research would bring more light in possible impact of socio-economic and cultural determinants on both the use and provision of health services.

Key messages

• There are differences in provided health services between Roma women and the rest of female population. In depth research of prenatal and hospital services would bring additional explanations.

• Considering the health inequalities which start by birth, targeted and tailored actions to improve health of Roma women and their new-borns are appropriate and necessary.
Improving the rights of people with mental disorders in the Republic of Croatia
Authors: Štimac Grbić D , Štimac L , Štrkalj Ivezić S
Published: October 2024

The mental health care system in the Republic of Croatia, despite the ongoing reform, is still based on hospital treatment. Hospitalizations due to mental disorders are in first place according to the length of stay. According to the annual report of the Ombudsman in the Republic of Croatia, 2% of hospitalizations due to mental disorders are involuntary hospitalization. Coercive measures and deprivation of business capacity are also often used. In order to reduce the number of coercive measures, involuntary hospitalizations and deprivation of professional capacity, it is necessary to increase mental health literacy and knowledge about human rights and the rights of persons with mental disorders, both among mental health experts and among patients and their families, as well as the general public. In order to increase knowledge and skills related to the rights of people with mental disorders, the Croatian Institute of Public Health, has been conducting WHO Quality Rights workshops in Croatian counties since 2019. The two-day workshops include all stakeholders: local politicians and decision-makers, associations of people with mental disorders and their families, employees in the mental health care system with the involvement of the media. So far, the training has been conducted in five major Croatian counties. The Quality Rights e-training platform has been translated into Croatian and the link to access the training is available online. In order to ensure the sustainability of the program and expand knowledge and skills, obtaining a certificate of completed Quality Right training became a requirement for passing the specialist exam in public health and in psychiatry. In five years of implementation of the program, the number of coercive measures in psychiatric hospitals decreased by 58%. Respect for human rights is a prerequisite for improving the mental health care system and the mental health. of both patients and the entire population.

Key messages

• Respect for human rights is necessary for the mental health of the population.

• Knowledge and skills about the rights of patients with mental disorders reduce the rate of coercive measures.
Depression and its risk factors in a conflict-affected population: findings from a nationwide survey
Authors: Musheghyan L , Sargsyan Z , Agopian A , Abrahamian D , Dorian A
Published: October 2024

Introduction

The impact of armed conflict and war on mental health is well documented, with limited data on populations living in unrecognized states. In this study, we examined the prevalence and risk factors of symptoms of depression among the Nagorno-Karabakh population during a ceasefire period, prior to a blockade, full-scale military attack, and their forced displacement.

Methods

A total of 1023 women, aged 18-49 years, from all regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, participated in a population-based household survey in 2022, which included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) 16-item scale to assess their depression symptoms. Simple and multivariable linear regression analyses explored the socio-demographic factors associated with CES-D score.

Results

The mean CES-D score was 8.90 (SD = 8.93), and 13.1% of the respondents had a score >18 (presence of depressive symptoms). The adjusted linear regression showed that CES-D score was higher among divorced (2.66, SE = 1.15, p-value=0.021) or widowed (3.09, SE = 1.57, p-value=0.049) vs. married, and among those having war-related deaths in the household in the previous 2 years (8.60, SE = 1.65, p-value<0.001) vs. not having. Conversely, a vocational/university level (-2.33, SE = 0.70, p-value=0.001) or post-graduate education (-3.81, SE = 1.72, p-value=0.027) vs less than secondary/secondary level, and 3-5 members in the household (-2.71, SE = 1.16, p-value=0.020) vs.1-2 members were significantly associated with lower CES-D score.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that depression symptoms are highly prevalent among women in conflict-affected areas, with specific socio-demographic factors increasing the risk of depression symptoms. These results highlight the importance of providing mental health support and interventions for women in conflict-affected areas, particularly for those who experienced loss in the family due to war, are divorced or widowed, live in small households, and have lower education.

Key messages

• Depression symptoms are highly prevalent among women of reproductive age in areas affected by armed conflict and war.

• Mental health intervention is recommended for women in conflict-affected areas who experienced loss due to war, are divorced or widowed, live in small households and/or have lower education.
Family: cornerstone for young people to be victims of violence in the university stage
Authors: Villegas-Dominguez J , Estrada Cancino A , Hernandez Hernandez R A , Caldare Ojeda A E , Viñaz Dozal J C , Ruiz Garcia F , Sosa Gonzalez Y R
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Violence is a pervasive issue that wreaks havoc within communities, with the family serving as a cornerstone for the development of individuals, thereby influencing their behavior within society.

Objectives

To determine the association between a history of family violence and being a victim of violence among university students.

Methodology

This is a cross-sectional, prospective study that included university students of both sexes. Family function was measured using the Family APGAR test, while the dependent variable was experiencing any type of violence during the university stage.

Results

A total of 1148 participants were included, with an average age of 20.47 (±3.3) years, 63.9% were women, 94.9% were cisgender, and 77.3% were heterosexual; 45.3% of participants identified with family dysfunction, 45.3% had witnessed a violent act in their family, and 46% of participants experienced violence at university. When evaluating factors associated with experiencing violence, a positive association (OR/CI95%) was identified for attending a private school (1.4/1.1-1.9), alcohol consumption (2.4/1.7-3.5), having family disfunction (1.5/1.2-1.9) living in a family with violence (2.3/1.8-2.9), knowing friends who experienced partner violence (2.1/1.6-2.7) or family violence (1.9/1.4-2.5). Conversely, a negative association was found for being heterosexual (0.6/0.4-0.8), never witnessing sexual (0.3-0.2-2.5), physical (0.5/0.4-0.65), or psychological (0.3/0.2-0.4) violence in the family, nor experiencing violence during childhood (0.4/0.3-0.5), middle school (0.4/0.3-0.5), or high school (0.4/0.3-0.5) (p < 0.001), likewise, not exercising physical, psychological, sexual, digital or other types of violence during college presents OR = 0 (p < 0.001) in each of these items.

Conclusions

The social environment, alcohol consumption, a history of witnessing violence in family and friends, as well as the perpetration of violence are associated with receiving violence.

Key messages

• Evidence indicates the importance of the family for the development of its members, since, just by witnessing behaviors, they favor the development of social roles.

• The first contact physician must return to his essence, focusing on the care of the patient in a comprehensive manner, including the environment in which he develops.
Towards more effective health monitoring: a comparison of different data sources
Authors: Huhtala-Hedman L , Palosaari T , Reinikainen J , Lundqvist A , Jääskeläinen T
Published: October 2024

Background

Monitoring the prevalences of chronic diseases and their risk factors at the population level is important to support effective prevention measures, health service planning and health policy-making. The utilization of register information is cost-effective in population health monitoring, but the validity of information is important to assess. The aim of this study was to compare the information on most common chronic diseases and risk factors collected from a population-based Healthy Finland survey and national health registers.

Methods

The study population comprised of 4785 individuals aged 20 years or over from the nationally representative Healthy Finland Health Examination Survey conducted in 2023. Information on the most common chronic diseases were derived from both survey data (including measured and self-reported data) and the national registers. The prevalence in survey data were compared with prevalence in register data for those individuals who participated in the survey. Register data was examined for the previous five years and was obtained from the Care Register for Health Care and medical registers, depending on availability of data. Weighted prevalences were calculated taking into account the sampling design and non-response.

Results

For all examined risk factors and diseases, the prevalence was higher in survey data than in register data. The difference was the greatest for elevated blood pressure: the prevalence in survey data was 48.6% (95% CI 46.5, 50.7) versus 17.3% (15.6, 19.0) in register data. The prevalence of diabetes was 11.5% (10.4, 12.5) in survey and 6.9% (5.9, 7.9) in register data. For sleep apnea, the prevalence in survey data was 8.4% (7.4, 9.3) and 4.4% (3.7, 5.1) in register data.

Conclusions

Register-based information provides more reliable prevalences on diseases needing urgent treatment. Survey data brings out also previously unidentified diseases cases that do not show in registers.

Key messages

• Register data is cost-effective in health monitoring, but surveys are needed for monitoring risk factors.

• Utilizing diverse data sources enhances getting reliable information to support decision-making.
Medicare transitional care management services’ association with readmissions and mortality
Authors: Reid Rachel O , Sood Neeraj , Lu Ruolin , Damberg Cheryl L
Published: October 2024

In 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced codes to reimburse outpatient providers for post-discharge transitional care management (TCM). Understanding the implications of TCM reimbursement on outcomes is crucial for evaluating CMS's investment and guiding future policy. We analyzed the association between physician organization (PO) TCM code use and post-discharge readmissions and mortality using 100% fee-for-service Medicare claims. Using a difference-in-differences approach we compared 1131 “high-TCM” POs (top quartile of TCM code use from 2015–2017) to 1133 “low-TCM” POs (bottom quartile) from before (2012) and after (2015–2017) TCM code implementation, controlling for PO and beneficiary attributes and readmission risk. TCM code use was associated with decreased 30- and 90-day readmissions (−0.31 [95%CI: −0.52, −0.09] and −0.42 [95% CI: −0.71, −0.14] percentage points, respectively), but no significant difference in mortality. Year-by-year, 2017 saw greatest readmission reduction, with a slight mortality reduction in that year only. Readmission reductions were greatest in POs not affiliated with health systems, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), or academic medical centers, and least in those with fewer primary care physicians. Narrow, indirect interventions like fee-for-service TCM billing code reimbursement may have limited potential to improve post-discharge outcomes overall. However, small independent practices may derive somewhat greater benefit from this support for post-discharge care.
Impact of Dolutegravir Plus Lamivudine as First-line Antiretroviral Treatment on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reservoir and Inflammatory Markers in Peripheral Blood
Authors: Bailón Lucía , Puertas Maria C , García-Guerrero Maria C , Moraes-Cardoso Igor , Aparicio Ester , Alarcón-Soto Yovaninna , Rivero Angel , Rosen Elias P , Estes Jacob D , Blanco Julià , Olvera Alex , Mothe Beatriz , Martinez-Picado Javier , Moltó José ,   for the DUALITY Study Group, Blai Lidia , Caballero Albert , Julian Joan Francesc , Alarcón-Soto Yovaninna , Bailón Lucía , Benet Susana , Coll Pep , Moltó José , Mothe Beatriz , Miranda Cristina , Nieto Aroa , Paredes Roger , Rivero Angel , Sabato Sofia , Aparicio Ester , Blanco Julià , Brander Christian , García-Guerrero Maria C , Marfil Silvia , Martinez-Picado Javier , Moraes-Cardoso Igor , Olvera Alex , Pradenas Edwards , Puertas Maria C , Urrea Victor , Desyaterik Yury , Rosen Elias P , White Nicole , Bondoc Stephen , Busman-Sahay Kathleen , Estes Jacob D
Published: October 2024

Background

To compare the effects of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) with dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG + 3TC) versus dolutegravir plus emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (DTG + FTC/TAF) on the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoir and immune activation biomarkers in people with HIV (PWH).

Methods

DUALITY was a 48-week, single-center, randomized, open-label clinical trial in ART-naive PWH, randomized (1:1) to receive ART with DTG + 3TC (2DR group) or DTG + FTC/TAF (3DR group). We measured total and intact proviral HIV-1 DNA, cell-associated RNA in CD4+ T cells, frequency of HIV-infected CD4+ T cells able to produce p24, plasma soluble inflammatory markers, and activation and exhaustion markers in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

Results

Forty-four participants (22 per study arm) were enrolled, with baseline mean (standard deviation) log10 plasma viral load (pVL) 4.4 (0.7) copies/mL and CD4+ T-cell counts of 493 (221) cells/μL. At week 48, all participants had pVL <50 copies/mL at week 48, except for 1 participant in the 2DR group who was resuppressed after treating syphilis. Changes from baseline in reservoir parameters and immune biomarkers were comparable between groups.

Conclusions

First-line ART with DTG + 3TC showed similar reductions of HIV-1 persistence parameters and immune markers as DTG + FTC/TAF, supporting DTG/3TC among preferred first-line ART options for PWH.
MMV 1804559 is a potential antistaphylococcal and antibiofilm agent targeting the clfA gene of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Brahma Umarani , Singothu Siva , Suresh Akash , Vemula Divya , Munagalasetty Sharon , Sharma Paresh , Bhandari Vasundhra
Published: October 2024

Aims

Staphylococcus aureus, a high-priority pathogen proclaimed to cause infections ranging from mild to life-threatening, presents significant challenges in treatment. New therapies can be developed quicker using open drug discovery platforms offering a distinct approach to expedite the development of innovative antibacterial and anti-biofilm therapeutics. This study set out to address these issues by finding new uses for current medications to find compounds that are effective against S. aureus.

Methods and results

In this study, we screened the global priority health box, launched by Medicines for Malaria Ventures containing 240 compounds, for their effectiveness against S. aureus. MMV1795508, MMV1542799, MMV027331, MMV1593278, and MMV1804559 showed potential antibacterial activity at 10 µM concentration. These compounds underwent further evaluation for their ability to clear intracellular bacteria, disrupt biofilm formation, and eradicate existing biofilms. MMV1804559 demonstrated strong efficacy across all tested parameters, achieving 94% inhibition of intracellular bacteria, 79.19% disruption of biofilm cells, and 66.18% inhibition of biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed notable membrane perforations and blebbing in MMV1804559-treated cells, indicating its impact on bacterial membranes. Gene expression analysis of cells treated with MMV1804559 showed downregulation of clfA and clfB genes, critical for biofilm formation. Additionally, docking studies confirmed the binding affinity of MMV1804559 with clfA, supported by favorable docking scores, MM/GBSA binding energy, and increased hydrogen bond interactions in the binding pocket, suggesting clfA as a target for MMV1804559.

Conclusions

MMV1804559 could serve as a potential therapy for S. aureus by targeting biofilm development and cell adhesion processes.
Down-regulation of the rice HRS1 HOMOLOG3 transcriptional repressor gene due to N deficiency directly co-activates ammonium and phosphate transporter genes
Authors: Yang Mailun , Sakuraba Yasuhito , Yanagisawa Shuichi
Published: October 2024

Rice HRS1 HOMOLOG3 (OsHHO3) acts as a transcriptional repressor of AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER1 (OsAMT1) genes in rice; thus, reduced OsHHO3 expression in nitrogen (N)-deficient environments promotes ammonium uptake. In this study, we show that OsHHO3 also functions as a repressor of a specific subset of phosphate (Pi) transporter (PT) genes involved in the uptake and root-to-shoot translocation of Pi, including OsPT2, OsPT4, and OsPHO1;1. Disruption of OsHHO3 increased Pi uptake and Pi contents in shoots and roots, while overexpression of OsHHO3 caused the opposite effects. Furthermore, phosphorus (P) deficiency slightly decreased OsHHO3 expression, up-regulating a specific subset of PT genes. However, N deficiency was more effective than P deficiency in suppressing OsHHO3 expression in roots, and unlike N deficiency-dependent activation of PT genes under the control of OsHHO3, the P deficiency-dependent activation of OsAMT1 genes was minimal. Interestingly, the simultaneous deficiency of both N and P promoted the OsHHO3-regulated expression of PT genes more significantly than the deficiency of either N or P, but diminished the expression of genes regulated by OsPHR2, a master regulator of Pi starvation-responsive transcriptional activation. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the inactivation and overexpression of OsHHO3 improved and reduced plant growth, respectively, under N-deficient and P-deficient conditions. These results indicate that OsHHO3 regulates a specific subset of PT genes independently of OsPHR2-mediated regulation and plays a critical role in the adaptation to diverse N and P environments.
The mass profiles of dwarf galaxies from Dark Energy Survey lensing
Authors: Thornton Joseph , Amon Alexandra , Wechsler Risa H , Adhikari Susmita , Mao Yao-Yuan , Myles Justin , Geha Marla , Kallivayalil Nitya , Tollerud Erik , Weiner Benjamin
Published: October 2024

We present a novel approach to extracting dwarf galaxies from photometric data to measure their average halo mass profile with weak lensing. We characterize their stellar mass and redshift distributions with a spectroscopic calibration sample. By combining the ${\sim} 5000\,\mathrm{deg}^2$ multiband photometry from the Dark Energy Survey and redshifts from the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs Survey with an unsupervised machine learning method, we select a low-mass galaxy sample spanning redshifts $z\lt 0.3$ and divide it into three mass bins. From low to high median mass, the bins contain [146 420, 330 146, 275 028] galaxies and have median stellar masses of $\log _{10}(M_*/\text{M}_\odot)=\left[8.52\substack{+0.57 -0.76},\, 9.02\substack{+0.50 -0.64},\, 9.49\substack{+0.50 -0.58}\right]$ . We measure the stacked excess surface mass density profiles, $\Delta \Sigma (R)$, of these galaxies using galaxy–galaxy lensing with a signal-to-noise ratio of [14, 23, 28]. Through a simulation-based forward-modelling approach, we fit the measurements to constrain the stellar-to-halo mass relation and find the median halo mass of these samples to be $\log _{10}(M_{\rm halo}/\text{M}_\odot)$ = [$10.67\substack{+0.2 -0.4}$, $11.01\substack{+0.14 -0.27}$, $11.40\substack{+0.08 -0.15}$]. The cold dark matter profiles are consistent with NFW (Navarro, Frenk, and White) profiles over scales ${\lesssim} 0.15 \, {h}^{-1}$ Mpc. We find that ${\sim} 20$ per cent of the dwarf galaxy sample are satellites. This is the first measurement of the halo profiles and masses of such a comprehensive, low-mass galaxy sample. The techniques presented here pave the way for extracting and analysing even lower mass dwarf galaxies and for more finely splitting galaxies by their properties with future photometric and spectroscopic survey data.
Maroon Rice Genomic Diversity Reflects 350 Years of Colonial History
Authors: van de Loosdrecht Marieke S , Pinas Nicholaas M , Dongstra Evanne , Tjoe Awie Jerry R , Becker Frank F M , Maat Harro , van Velzen Robin , van Andel Tinde , Schranz Michael Eric
Published: October 2024

Maroons in Suriname and French Guiana descend from enslaved Africans who escaped the plantations during colonial times. Maroon farmers still cultivate a large diversity of rice, their oldest staple crop. The oral history and written records of Maroons by colonial authorities provide contrasting perspectives on the origins of Maroon rice. Here, we analyzed the genomic ancestry of 136 newly sequenced Maroon rice varieties and found seven genomic groups that differ in their geographical associations. We interpreted these findings in light of ethnobotanical and archival investigations to reconstruct the historical contexts associated with the introduction of rice varieties to the Guianas. We found that two rice groups trace to West Africa, which we propose are linked to the transatlantic slave trade (c. 1526 to 1825). We posit that the Maroon rice stock additionally contains varieties that derive from rice introduced by indentured laborers from Java (1890 onwards), USA rice breeders (1932 onwards), and Hmong refugees who fled the Vietnam War (1991). Furthermore, on the Maroon fields, we found rice types never documented before that were derived from crosses. Overall, our results demonstrate that the Maroon farmers prioritize maintenance of a high stock diversity, which we posit reflects the expertise they inherited from their (African) ancestors. Ignored by agricultural modernization initiatives, Maroon farmers today are custodians of a unique cultural heritage. Notably, the genomic findings underline many Maroon stories about their past. We anticipate that a similar study approach can be applied to other heirloom crops of (Indigenous) communities that may have preserved their history on their farms to reconstruct, acknowledge, and honor the past.
Employment and mental health for adults on probation, 2002–2021
Authors: Morrison Maria , Hai Audrey Hang , Bandaru Yohita Shraddha , Salas-Wright Christopher P , Vaughn Michael G
Published: October 2024

Background

The 21st century has seen a decline in employment rates in the US at the same time that it has experienced a historically unprecedented rise in the numbers of adults under criminal justice system control. Both low employment and high incarceration have posed serious challenges for public health.

Methods

Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002–2021, we estimated employment rates by community supervision status. Variations by sociodemographic subgroups were explored as well as correlations between employment and a range of mental and behavioural health variables.

Results

Those on probation were twice as likely as those not to live in poverty. They experienced higher rates of poor mental and behavioural health, including three times the rate of substance use. Employment rates varied little by community supervision status. Health risk factors were associated with more risk and protective factors did less to mitigate risk for those under community supervision.

Conclusions

Despite the range of adversities faced by individuals under criminal justice system control, their employment rates are remarkably close to those not. Despite near equivalent involvement in the labour force, this population has substantially poorer health and substantially reduced likelihood of escaping poverty.
Watering the Seeds of the Rural Economy: Evidence from Groundwater Irrigation in India
Authors: Boudot-Reddy Camille , Butler André
Published: October 2024

This study explores the impact of private investment in groundwater extraction for irrigation on the spatial and sectoral distribution of rural economic activity in India. Exploiting a kink in access to groundwater, generated from an absolute technological constraint on the operational capacity of irrigation pumps with depth of the water table, there is evidence of a significant improvement in agricultural production accompanied with modest consumption gains. Groundwater extraction causes a substantial increase in population density, but has no effect on the employment rate or labor reallocation between sectors of the economy. Furthermore, irrigated agriculture appears to provide additional employment opportunities for waged labor from surrounding non-irrigated villages.
Retinal G‐protein‐coupled receptor deletion exacerbates AMD‐like changes via the PINK1–parkin pathway under oxidative stress
Authors: Guo Yue , Chen Sitong , Guan Wenxue , Xu Ningda , Zhu Li , Du Wei , Liu Zhiming , Fong Henry K. W. , Huang Lvzhen , Zhao Mingwei
Published: October 2024

The intake of high dietary fat has been correlated with the progression of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), affecting the function of the retinal pigment epithelium through oxidative stress. A high‐fat diet (HFD) can lead to lipid metabolism disorders, excessive production of circulating free fatty acids, and systemic inflammation by aggravating the degree of oxidative stress. Deletion of the retinal G‐protein‐coupled receptor (RGR‐d) has been identified in drusen. In this study, we investigated how the RGR‐d exacerbates AMD‐like changes under oxidative stress, both in vivo and in vitro. Fundus atrophy became evident, at 12 months old, particularly in the RGR‐d + HFD group, and fluorescence angiography revealed narrower retinal vessels and a reduced perfusion area in the peripheral retina. Although rod electroretinography revealed decreasing trends in the a‐ and b‐wave amplitudes in the RGR‐d + HFD group at 12 months, the changes were not statistically significant. Mice in the RGR‐d + HFD group showed a significantly thinner and more fragile retinal morphology than those in the WT + HFD group, with disordered and discontinuous pigment distribution in the RGR‐d + HFD mice. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a thickened Bruch's membrane along the choriocapillaris endothelial cell wall in the RGR‐d + HFD mice, and the outer nuclear layer structure appeared disorganized, with reduced nuclear density. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated significantly lower levels of 25(OH)‐vitamin D3 metabolites in the RGR‐d + HFD group. Under oxidative stress, RGR‐d localized to the mitochondria and reduced the levels of the PINK1–parkin pathway. RGR‐d mice fed an HFD were used as a new animal model of dry AMD. Under high‐fat‐induced oxidative stress, RGR‐d accumulated in the mitochondria, disrupting normal mitophagy and causing cellular damage, thus exacerbating AMD‐like changes both in vivo and in vitro.
Cryo‐EM reveals transition states of the Acinetobacter baumanniiF1‐ATPase rotary subunits γ and ε, unveiling novel compound targets
Authors: Le Khoa Cong Minh , Wong Chui Fann , Müller Volker , Grüber Gerhard
Published: October 2024

Priority 1: critical WHO pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii depends on ATP synthesis and ATP:ADP homeostasis and its bifunctional F1FO‐ATP synthase. While synthesizing ATP, it regulates ATP cleavage by its inhibitory ε subunit to prevent wasteful ATP consumption. We determined cryo‐electron microscopy structures of the ATPase active A. baumannii F1‐αßγεΔ134–139 mutant in four distinct conformational states, revealing four transition states and structural transformation of the ε's C‐terminal domain, forming the switch of an ATP hydrolysis off‐ and an ATP synthesis on‐state based. These alterations go in concert with altered motions and interactions in the catalytic‐ and rotary subunits of this engine. These A. baumannii interacting sites provide novel pathogen‐specific targets for inhibitors, with the aim of ATP depletion and/or ATP synthesis and growth inhibition. Furthermore, the presented diversity to other bacterial F‐ATP synthases extends the view of structural elements regulating such a catalyst.
The Preferential Use of Subcutaneous Arteries (SCIA-SB and SIEA) in Abdominal-based Autologous Breast Reconstruction with a Modified Flap Design
Authors: Franchi Alberto , Patanè Luca , Hummel Carmen Elena , Walber Jonas , Najaf Zadeh Shadi , Jandali Abdul Rahman , Jung Florian
Published: October 2024

Background:

Despite its many advantages, the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap requires fascial incision and intramuscular dissection, which can lead to pain and weakening of the abdominal wall. The superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap offers an alternative to avoid this damage but is often considered unreliable due to its variable anatomy. In this study, we report our experience in autologous breast reconstruction using either the superficial branch of the superficial circumflex iliac artery (SCIA-SB) or the SIEA as the sole flap pedicle.

Methods:

A retrospective study was conducted from August 2022 to December 2023. A total of 17 patients underwent breast reconstruction with 18 flaps (1 bilateral and 16 unilateral reconstructions). The SCIA-SB (14 flaps) or SIEA (4 flaps) served as the exclusive arterial sources. Preoperative vessel identification was performed using color-coded duplex sonography, and the flap design was adjusted accordingly. Intraoperative flap perfusion was assessed via indocyanine green angiography. Demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded.

Results:

The mean follow-up was 5.7 months (range: 3–17 mo). Of the 18 flaps, 1 was lost due to arterial insufficiency. Partial flap necrosis requiring revision occurred in 1 case, whereas minor complications (seroma, wound dehiscence, mastectomy skin necrosis, and infection) were observed in 7 patients.

Conclusion:

In our experience, either the SCIA-SB or SIEA can be successfully used as a pedicle in autologous breast reconstruction, provided that the abdominal flap design is modified to include their functional angiosomes.
Liver transplantation for primary and secondary liver tumors: Patient-level meta-analyses compared to UNOS conventional indications
Authors: Ciria Ruben , Ivanics Tommy , Aliseda Daniel , Claasen Marco , Alconchel Felipe , Gaviria Felipe , Briceño Javier , Berardi Giammauro , Rotellar Fernando , Sapisochin Gonzalo
Published: October 2024

Background and Aims:

Liver transplant (LT) for transplant oncology (TO) indications is being slowly adopted worldwide and has been recommended to be incorporated cautiously due to concerns about mid-long-term survival and its impact on the waiting list.

Approach and Results:

We conducted 4 systematic reviews of all series on TO indications (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma [phCC]) and liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and colorectal cancer (CRLM) and compared them using patient-level meta-analyses to data obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database considering conventional daily-practice indications. Secondary analyses were done for specific selection criteria (Mayo-like protocols for phCC, SECA-2 for CRLM, and Milan criteria for NET). A total of 112,014 LT were analyzed from 2005 to 2020 from the UNOS databases and compared with 345, 721, 494, and 103 patients obtained from meta-analyses on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and phCC, and liver metastases from NET and CRLM, respectively. Five-year overall survival was 53.3%, 56.4%, 68.6%, and 53.8%, respectively. In Mantel-Cox one-to-one comparisons, survival of TO indications was superior to combined LT, second, and third LT and not statistically significantly different from LT in recipients >70 years and high BMI.

Conclusions:

Liver transplantation for TO indications has adequate 5-year survival rates, mostly when performed under the selection criteria available in the literature (Mayo-like protocols for phCC, SECA-2 for CRLM, and Milan for NET). Despite concerns about its impact on the waiting list, some other LT indications are being performed with lower survival rates. These oncological patients should be given the opportunity to have a definitive curative therapy within validated criteria.
Health beliefs model to explore older adults’ dementia prevention and health promotion from 2021 to 2022 in Taiwan: A cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Tsai Fu-Ju , Shen Sheng-Wei , Hu Yih-Jin , Tseng Chie-Chien
Published: October 2024

One person suffers from dementia every 3 seconds globally. Thirteen older adults aged 65 and older will have dementia, and 1 in 5 older adults over the age of 80 years will have dementia in Taiwan. Older adults should be equipped with demonstrated health beliefs regarding dementia prevention and health promotion about Ascertain Dementia 8-item Questionnaire (AD8), cues to action, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention in daily life. The purpose of this study was to survey older adults’ demographic background, AD8, cues to action, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention for dementia prevention and health promotion. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Convenience sampling was performed. A total of 330 older adults participated in the study. The questionnaire used in this study included questions on older adults’ demographic background, AD8, cues to action, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention. The researcher collected complete data by receiving the sampling on paper or by interview from October 8, 2021, to February 12, 2022. The SPSS 23.0 statistical package was employed for quantitative analysis. Data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation (SD), Spearman’s rho correlation, and simple regression analysis. The findings showed that older adults had the following mean scores on health beliefs (perceived susceptibility 13.45 ± SD 2.34, perceived severity 13.54 ± SD 2.69, perceived benefits 16.57 ± SD 2.84, perceived barriers 8.20 ± SD 3.69), self-efficacy 16.96 ± SD3.52, and behavioral intention 19.56 ± SD 3.51. Older adults’ demographic background, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy explained 56.1% of the variance in behavioral intention. The conclusions of the study indicated that older adults’ demographic background, AD8, cues to action, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention constituted the main factors for effective dementia prevention and health promotion. In the future, the research team will continue to explore older adults’ dementia prevention and develop many strategies on health promotion, as well as slowing the aging brain process.