bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ATI-2341 TFA promotes repair of damaged endometrium by mediating the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Guo Shiying , Chen Hong , Xu Ying , Ding Doudou , Chen Aihua
Published: December 2023

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a common complication in endometrial disorder. This study investigated the role of ATI-2341, a functionally selective allosteric regulator of CXCR4 in IUAs, and its interaction with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Following establishment
of endometrial injury model, rats BMSCs were treated with ATI-2341 TFA (100 ng/mL). Endometrial tissues of rats with IUA were treated with BMSCs and estrogen, or untreated which was taken as controls. The endometrium thickness was examined and endometrial BMSC proliferation was detected by
MTT assay. Levels of MMP-9, TIMP-1, CK, and VIM were determined by Western blot analysis. Treatment with ATI-2341 TFA resulted in significantly decreased level of MMP-9 (0.346±0.036 ng/mL), compared with estrogen treatment (0.467±0.029 ng/mL) and control treatment. Both BMSCs
carrying ATI-2341 TFA and estrogen induced increased expression of TIMP-1 (0.734±0.034 ng/mL, 0.618±0.035 ng/mL) and enhanced endometrim growth with thicker endometrium in ATI-2341 TFA group (294.21±59.97 μm). 48 h and 72 h after treatment, ATI-2341 TFA group
and estrogen group exhibited increased proliferation rate (P <0.05), and higher rate appeared upon ATI-2341 TFA treatment. Cells in ATI-2341 TFA100 ng/mL and estrogen group were greatly positive for keratin and negative for vimentin. Collectively, ATI-2341 TFA promotes the differentiation
of BMSCs into endometrial epithelial cells, enhances repair of damaged endometrium, and alleviate IUA. These findings might underlie a foundation for BMSC-based treatment for endometrial disorder.
miR-760 inhibits lung cancer cells through mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway
Authors: He Jiao , Zhen Yaolan , Liu Lei
Published: December 2023

Our study assesses miR-760’s role in the proliferation, invasion and migration of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Lung cancer A549 cells were assigned into BL group (no transfection), ZN group (transfection of NC), and ZM group (transfection of miR-760 mimics). The miR-760
level, cell viability, apoptosis, invasion, migration ability, ERK1, JNK, and p38MAPK protein expression were analyzed using Real Time Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), MTT, Hoechst33258 fluorescence staining, Transwell cell, cell scratch test, and Western blot. Compared with
other groups, miR-760 expression in ZM group was the highest, indicating a successful transfection (P <0.05). 48, 72, and 96 hours later, A549 cell viability in ZM group was the lowest with a significant difference from other groups (P <0.05). The cell viability reached
a peak after 96 hours of culture (P <0.05) with higher cell viability of BL group than ZN group (P >0.05). A549 cells in ZM group showed significantly higher cell apoptosis rate and lower cell invasion rate than ZN and BL group (P <0.05). The number of cell invasion
(220.71±15.37) and migration in BL group (220.37±17.60) is similar to ZN group (215.32±15.62 and 217.26±15.94) (P >0.05). In addition, cell migration number in ZM group (99.62±12.01) was less than ZN and BL group (P <0.05). ERK1, JNK and
p38MAPK protein expression in ZM group was the lowest (P <0.05) and those in BL group was close to ZN group (P >0.05). Upregulating miR-760 in A549 cancer cells can inhibit cell proliferation via regulation of MAPK signaling pathway.
Reduction of inflammatory response after ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats with panax notoginseng saponins by regulating nucleotide-bound oligomerized domain-like receptor protein 1(NLRP1)/Caspase-1 signaling via Cezanne
Authors: Zong Shoujian , Hu Xiaojie , Zong Shouwei , Sun Guizhi
Published: December 2023

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is featured as damage of blood-brain barrier in severe cases, which leads to brain tissue damage. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), because of its anti-inflammatory effect, can reduce the inflammatory response caused by ischemia-reperfusion, thereby reducing
the degree of damage to the blood-brain barrier. Studies on AIS have confirmed that, Cazenne has an anti-inflammatory effect, but specific mechanism by which PNS regulates Cazenne to reduce the inflammatory response after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is still unclear. Therefore,
this study explored PNS’ role in inhibiting the inflammatory response after cerebral IRI through Cezanne. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly grouped and then assigned into sham operation group (sham), model group (MCAO), model+PNS (MCAO+PNS), model+PNS+Cezanne silencing lentivirus
(MCAO+PNS+shCezanne), and model+PNS+empty carrier (MCAO+PNS+shNC). Neurological function was scored by mNSS while cerebral infarction volume was tested by TCC staining. The brain was tested by dry and wet method, while levels of inflammatory factors and NLRP1 and Caspase-1 were detected by
ELISA, Western blot, and Cazenne expression was detected by immunofluorescence. PNS reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors in MCAO rats, by mainly downregulating NLRP-1 and Caspase-1. By upregulating Cezanne and inflammatory factors downstream NLRP1/Caspase-1 pathway was inhibited,
thereby improving the inflammation in the rats after IRI. PNS inhibited the activity of NLRP1/Caspase-1 signaling pathway through Cezanne, thereby reducing inflammatory factors in the brain after cerebral IRI, and reducing inflammatory response.
Effects of surface scratches on thermal damage characteristics of SiO2
Authors: Xie Sisi , Dong Wenze , Wu Wenming , Xie Yanxin , Du Fangfang
Published: December 2023

Explore the effect of surface scratches on material properties, Two analytical models for thermal damage were established. The modulated light field generated by scratches at different relative positions was calculated. By analyzing the distribution of surface temperatures, we delve
into the thermal damage thresholds of SiO2. Results show that, for parallel scratches, the thermal damage threshold will vary with the interval of the scratches, the damage threshold also affected by the depth-width ratio of the scratch. For cross-scratches defects, both the cross
angle and depth-width ratio have effects on the thermal damage threshold. And for the two kinds scratches the depth-width ratio is easier to make the material damaged.
Simvastatin mitigates vascular cognitive impairment in rat’s hippocampus in lacunar cerebral infarction
Authors: Chen Sihan , Zhu Yening , Li Zhuqin , Chen Donger
Published: December 2023

Simvastatin is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease with impaired cognitive function through blocking of PI3K/Akt signaling to inhibit survival of new neurons and growth of neurons. This study investigated the potential of simvastatin on vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) caused
by lacunar cerebral infarction (LCI) in the hippocampus of rats. After establishment of LCI models, rats were administered with NaOH solution (model group), simvastatin (simvastatin group), and PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor (inhibitor group), respectively, and 10 healthy rats served as control
group. Upon treatment, Y-maze and Morris water maze detected spatial cognition ability of rats; while cleaved caspase-3 staining was used to assess apoptosis in the hippocampus. Western blot analysis detected Akt and ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA)
determined the content of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The Y maze Morris water maze confirmed impairment of long-term memory abilities in the LCI rats from the model group. Treatment with simvastatin significantly improved correct rate of arm alternates in rats and shorted the
stage latency in the hidden platform experiment. The number of apoptotic cells increased in the hippocampal DG sub-granular area of rats with LCI, and BDNF level was significantly reduced. Administration of simvastatin suppressed cell apoptosis and increased BDNF level when improving phosphorylation
level of Akt and ERK1/2 as well. Cerebral ischemia following LCI affects short and long-term memory, which leads to VCI. Simvastatin increases Akt and ERK1 in PI3K/Akt pathway, and hence up-regulates hippocampal BDNF levels, which promotes the regeneration of rat hippocampal nerve cells to
relieve VCI.
The quality of family relationships in dementia: Mixed methods to unravel mixed feelings
Authors: Marques Maria J. , Gonçalves-Pereira Manuel , de Vugt Marjolein , Verhey Frans , Woods Bob ,   The Actifcare Consortium
Published: December 2023

Objective: Close relationships influence health and quality of life outcomes for people with dementia and their families. Yet, we know little on the role of different relationship domains with quantitative methods having proved to have limitations in this research field. We aimed to study these relationship domains over time, contrasting the views of people with dementia and their family carers, making use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was adopted, analysing longitudinal data (four time points over three years) from 66 dyads of Portuguese community-dwelling people with dementia and their primary carers, from the EU-Actifcare project sample. Quantitative assessments used sociodemographic and clinical variables, and Positive Affect Index scores, with descriptive and inferential analyses. Qualitative data, collected through individual and joint semi-structured interviews, were explored using thematic analysis.

Results: Both quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that some domains of relationship quality are affected in different ways, with changes occurring at different stages. Some (e.g., ‘communication’) may even improve after initial decline. ‘Closeness’ was consistently altered over time, from carers’ perspectives, and played an important protective role regarding institutionalisation. Overall, changes in the relationship quality were perceived differently by people with dementia and their carers, and these divergent perspectives often led to tension. Qualitative data revealed that ‘mixed feelings’ (ambivalence) involve complex experiences, arguably more difficult to manage than negative feelings alone. Furthermore, perceived informal support, particularly from the extended family, and receiving formal services’ assistance, seemed to facilitate positive (re)appraisals of the relationship.

Conclusions: A deeper understanding of relationship quality and its domains as dementia progresses may help tailoring interventions to tackle modifiable aspects of relationships, meeting the needs and cherishing the resources of dyads and families. Timely assessments could identify relationships at risk and need for support, including for alternative caring arrangements.
Automatic annotation of the bHLH gene family in plants
Authors: Thoben Corinna , Pucker Boas
Published: December 2023

Background

The bHLH transcription factor family is named after the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain that is a characteristic element of their members. Understanding the function and characteristics of this family is important for the examination of a wide range of functions. As the availability of genome sequences and transcriptome assemblies has increased significantly, the need for automated solutions that provide reliable functional annotations is emphasised.

Results

A phylogenetic approach was adapted for the automatic identification and functional annotation of the bHLH transcription factor family. The bHLH_annotator, designed for the automated functional annotation of bHLHs, was implemented in Python3. Sequences of bHLHs described in literature were collected to represent the full diversity of bHLH sequences. Previously described orthologs form the basis for the functional annotation assignment to candidates which are also screened for bHLH-specific motifs. The pipeline was successfully deployed on the two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions Col-0 and Nd-1, the monocot species Dioscorea dumetorum, and a transcriptome assembly of Croton tiglium. Depending on the applied search parameters for the initial candidates in the pipeline, species-specific candidates or members of the bHLH family which experienced domain loss can be identified.

Conclusions

The bHLH_annotator allows a detailed and systematic investigation of the bHLH family in land plant species and classifies candidates based on bHLH-specific characteristics, which distinguishes the pipeline from other established functional annotation tools. This provides the basis for the functional annotation of the bHLH family in land plants and the systematic examination of a wide range of functions regulated by this transcription factor family.
Transcriptome-wide N6-methyladenosine methylation profile of atherosclerosis in mice
Authors: Zheng Xinbin , Zhou Bo , Li Yuzhen , Zhong Hengren , Huang Zhengxin , Gu Minhua
Published: December 2023

Background

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a critical pathological event during the progression of cardiovascular diseases. It exhibits fibrofatty lesions on the arterial wall and lacks effective treatment. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common modification of eukaryotic RNA and plays an important role in regulating the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of m6A modification in AS remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we explored the transcriptome distribution of m6A modification in AS and its potential mechanism.

Methods

Methylation Quantification Kit was used to detect the global m6A levels in the aorta of AS mice. Western blot was used to analyze the protein level of methyltransferases. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were used to obtain the first transcriptome range analysis of the m6A methylene map in the aorta of AS mice, followed by bioinformatics analysis. qRT-PCR and MeRIP-qRT-PCR were used to measure the mRNA and m6A levels in target genes.

Results

The global m6A and protein levels of methyltransferase METTL3 were significantly increased in the aorta of AS mice. However, the protein level of demethylase ALKBH5 was significantly decreased. Through MeRIP-seq, we obtained m6A methylation maps in AS and control mice. In total, 26,918 m6A peaks associated with 13,744 genes were detected in AS group, whereas 26,157 m6A peaks associated with 13,283 genes were detected in the control group. Peaks mainly appeared in the coding sequence (CDS) regions close to the stop codon with the RRACH motif. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that m6A-containing genes were significantly enriched in AS-relevant pathways. Interestingly, a negative correlation between m6A methylation abundance and gene expression level was found through the integrated analysis of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq data. Among the m6A-modified genes, a hypo-methylated but up-regulated (hypo-up) gene Fabp5 may be a potential biomarker of AS.

Conclusions

Our study provides transcriptome-wide m6A methylation for the first time to determine the association between m6A modification and AS progression. Our study lays a foundation for further exploring the pathogenesis of AS and provides a new direction for the treatment of AS.
A comprehensive assessment of exome capture methods for RNA sequencing of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples
Authors: Zong Liang , Zhu Yabing , Jiang Yuan , Xia Ying , Liu Qun , Jiang Sanjie
Published: December 2023

RNA-Seq analysis of Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) samples has emerged as a highly effective approach and is increasingly being used in clinical research and drug development. However, the processing and storage of FFPE samples are known to cause extensive degradation of RNAs, which limits the discovery of gene expression or gene fusion-based biomarkers using RNA sequencing, particularly methods reliant on Poly(A) enrichment. Recently, researchers have developed an exome targeted RNA-Seq methodology that utilizes biotinylated oligonucleotide probes to enrich RNA transcripts of interest, which could overcome these limitations. Nevertheless, the standardization of this experimental framework, including probe designs, sample multiplexing, sequencing read length, and bioinformatic pipelines, remains an essential requirement. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive comparison of three main commercially available exome capture kits and evaluated key experimental parameters, to provide the overview of the advantages and limitations associated with the selection of library preparation protocols and sequencing platforms. The results provide valuable insights into the best practices for obtaining high-quality data from FFPE samples.
Quantifying and reducing inequity in average treatment effect estimation
Authors: Nieser Kenneth J. , Cochran Amy L.
Published: December 2023

Background

Across studies of average treatment effects, some population subgroups consistently have lower representation than others which can lead to discrepancies in how well results generalize.

Methods

We develop a framework for quantifying inequity due to systemic disparities in sample representation and a method for mitigation during data analysis. Assuming subgroup treatment effects are exchangeable, an unbiased sample average treatment effect estimator will have lower mean-squared error, on average across studies, for subgroups with less representation when treatment effects vary. We present a method for estimating average treatment effects in representation-adjusted samples which enables subgroups to optimally leverage information from the full sample rather than only their own subgroup’s data. Two approaches for specifying representation adjustment are offered—one minimizes average mean-squared error for each subgroup separately and the other balances minimization of mean-squared error and equal representation. We conduct simulation studies to compare the performance of the proposed estimators to several subgroup-specific estimators.

Results

We find that the proposed estimators generally provide lower mean squared error, particularly for smaller subgroups, relative to the other estimators. As a case study, we apply this method to a subgroup analysis from a published study.

Conclusions

We recommend the use of the proposed estimators to mitigate the impact of disparities in representation, though structural change is ultimately needed.
The long-term effect on surgery-free survival of biological compared to conventional therapy in Crohn’s disease in real world-data: a retrospective study
Authors: Valvano M. , Vinci A. , Cesaro N. , Frassino S. , Ingravalle F. , Ameli M. , Viscido A. , Necozione S. , Latella G.
Published: December 2023

Background

The introduction of biological drugs has led to great expectations and growing optimism in the possibility that this new therapeutic strategy could favourably change the natural history of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and, in particular, that it could lead to a significant reduction in surgery in the short and long term.

This study aims to assess the impact of biological versus conventional therapy on surgery-free survival time (from the diagnosis to the first bowel resection) and on the overall risk of surgery in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who were never with the surgical option.

Methods

This is a retrospective, double-arm study including CD patients treated with either biological or conventional therapy (mesalamine, immunomodulators, antibiotics, or steroids). All CD patients admitted at the GI Unit of the S. Salvatore Hospital (L’Aquila. Italy) and treated with biological therapy since 1998 were included in the biological arm. Data concerning the CD patients receiving a conventional therapy were retrospectively collected from our database. These patients were divided into a pre-1998 and post-1998 group. Our primary outcome was the evaluation of the surgery-free survival since CD diagnosis to the first bowel resection. Surgery-free time and event incidence rates were calculated and compared among all groups, both in the original population and in the propensity-matched population.

Results

Two hundred three CD patients (49 biological, 93 conventional post-1998, 61 conventional pre-1998) were included in the study. Kaplan-Meier survivorship estimate shows that patients in the biological arm had a longer surgery-free survival compared to those in the conventional arm (p = 0.03). However, after propensity matching analysis, conducted on 143 patients, no significant difference was found in surgery-free survival (p = 0.3). A sub-group analysis showed shorter surgery-free survival in patients on conventional therapy in the pre-biologic era only (p = 0.02; Hazard Ratio 2.9; CI 1.01–8.54) while no significant difference was found between the biologic and conventional post-biologic groups (p = 0.15; Hazard Ratio 2.1; CI 0.69–6.44).

Conclusion

This study shows that the introduction of biological therapy has only a slight impact on the eventual occurrence of surgery in CD patients over a long observation period. Nevertheless, biological therapy appears to delay the first intestinal resection.
Financial stress, health and malnourishment among older adults in India
Authors: Banerjee Kajori , Sahoo Harihar , Govil Dipti
Published: December 2023

As India’s elderly population grows rapidly, there is a demand for robust policy tools for geriatric health management. This study focuses on unveiling the impact of financial stress and insecurity in diverse economic sectors on adult malnutrition in India. Further, we explore the connections of adult malnourishment with mental and physical health outcomes. Analysis has been done using data of 59,764 respondents aged 45 years and above from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI- Wave I) (2017-19). A modified Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) has been used to assess the risk of adult malnutrition. It categorizes malnutrition into Low Risk, High Risk Group 1 (HRG1-undernourished), and High Risk Group 2 (HRG2-over-nourished). Approximately 26% of adults were classified in HRG1, characterized by low body mass index, recent hospital admissions, and affiliation with food-insecure households. Around 25% adults belonged to HRG2 characterized by high body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The relative risk ratios from the multinomial logit generalized structural equation model indicate that the risk of being in HRG1 was 20–40% higher among respondents not presently working or receiving pension benefits, as well as those involved in agricultural work. The risk of being in HRG2 doubles if the respondent was diagnosed with some chronic disease during the last 12 months. A higher composite cognition score reduces the risk of being in HRG1 by 4%, while it increases the risk of being in HRG2 by 3%. Additionally, experiencing episodic depression raises the risk of being in HRG1 by 10%. Financial insecurity, particularly in the informal and agricultural sectors, coupled with poor mental health, hinders positive nutritional outcomes. Extending universal pro-poor policies to fortify food security in resource poor households and integrating mental health variables in nutrition policies can be beneficial to address adult malnourishment in India.
Clinical pharmacist-led assessment and management of anticholinergic burden and fall risk in geriatric patients
Authors: Saz Hilal Gökçay , Yalçın Nadir , Demirkan Kutay , Halil Meltem Gülhan
Published: December 2023

Background

The aim of this study was to examine the risk of fall with the surrogate outcome of the Aachen Falls Prevention Scale and to assess the clinical pharmacist interventions in order to minimize anticholinergic drug burden and associated risk of fall according to a fall risk assessment scale in the older adults.

Methods

Patients who admitted to the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital and taking at least one anticholinergic drug were evaluated both retrospectively and prospectively as groups of different patients by the clinical pharmacist. Patients’ anticholinergic burden was assessed using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale. For fall risk assessment, the Aachen Falls Prevention Scale was also administered to each patient whose anticholinergic burden was determined in the prospective phase of the study.

Results

A total of 601 patients were included. Risk of falls increased 2.50 times in patients with high anticholinergic burden (OR (95% CI) = 2.503 (1.071–5.852); p = 0.034), and the existing history of falls increased the risk of high anticholinergic burden 2.02 times (OR (95%CI) = 2.026 (1.059–3.876); p = 0.033). In addition, each unit increase in the fall scale score in the prospective phase increased the risk of high anticholinergic burden by 22% (p = 0.028). Anticholinergic burden was significantly reduced as a result of interventions by the clinical pharmacist in the prospective phase (p = 0.010).

Conclusion

Our study revealed that incorporating a clinical pharmacist in the handling of geriatric patients aids in the detection, reduction, and prevention of anticholinergic adverse effects.
Mental workload classification using convolutional neural networks based on fNIRS-derived prefrontal activity
Authors: Park Jin-Hyuck
Published: December 2023

Background

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a tool to assess brain activity during cognitive testing. Despite its usefulness, its feasibility in assessing mental workload remains unclear. This study was to investigate the potential use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-derived signals to classify mental workload in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods

Spatial images by constructing a statistical activation map from the prefrontal activity of 120 subjects with MCI performing three difficulty levels of the N-back task (0, 1, and 2-back) were used for CNNs. The CNNs were evaluated using a 5 and 10-fold cross-validation method.

Results

As the difficulty level of the N-back task increased, the accuracy decreased and prefrontal activity increased. In addition, there was a significant difference in the accuracy and prefrontal activity across the three levels (p’s < 0.05). The accuracy of the CNNs based on fNIRS-derived spatial images evaluated by 5 and 10-fold cross-validation in classifying the difficulty levels ranged from 0.83 to 0.96.

Conclusion

fNIRS could also be a promising tool for measuring mental workload in older adults with MCI despite their cognitive decline. In addition, this study demonstrated the feasibility of the classification performance of the CNNs based on fNIRS-derived signals from the prefrontal cortex.
Electroretinography and suicidal behaviors: a systematic review
Authors: Kaggwa Mark Mohan , Prat Sebastien , Davids Arianna , Robbins Amara , Erb Bailea , Mamak Mini , Chaimowitz Gary Andrew , Olagunju Andrew T.
Published: December 2023

Background

Electroretinogram (ERG) is one of the tools used to investigate the electrophysiological underpinnings of mental health illnesses and major clinical phenomena (e.g., suicide) to improve their diagnosis and care. While multiple studies have reported specific ERG changes among individuals with suicidal behaviors, we know of no review that has been done to characterize their findings to inform future research.

Methods

This review included available literature concerning ERG and suicidal behaviors. The paper’s first section briefly overviews the theoretical basis of ERG and neurotransmitters involved in suicidal behaviors. The second section describes the findings of a review of studies reporting ERG findings among individuals with suicidal behaviors.

Results

Most reviewed studies reported normal amplitude and implicit time of the a-waves, but the latency in individuals with suicidal behaviors was lower than normal. Additionally, the b-waves amplitude was reduced, but the implicit time and latency were increased. The b-a amplitude ratio and oscillatory potential were decreased.

Conclusion

Despite identifying certain ERG correlates with suicidal behaviors in the existing studies, there is a need for adequately powered and methodologically robust studies to advance clinical translation.
Reducing dietary intake of added sugars could affect the nutritional adequacy of vitamin A in adolescents: the Costa Rica case
Authors: Monge-Rojas Rafael , Barboza Luis A. , Vargas-Quesada Rulamán
Published: December 2023

Background

In countries where sugar fortification with vitamin A is mandatory, strategies to reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents that involve lowering added sugar intake could lead to vitamin A inadequate intakes, since vitamin A-fortified sugar for home consumption contributes to a high proportion of this vitamin intake in the adolescent diet.

Methods

The study employed a hierarchical linear model to perform a mediation analysis on a cross-sectional sample of adolescents (13–18 years old) in the province of San José, Costa Rica.

Results

Lowering the total energy intake derived from added sugars to less than 10% significantly increases the prevalence of vitamin A inadequate intake in adolescents by 12.1% (from 29.6% to 41.7%). This is explained by the mediation model in which, the reduced adequacy of vitamin A intake is mediated by a reduction in total energy intake derived from added sugars fortified with vitamin A.

Conclusions

The vitamin A fortification of sugar for household consumption should be reassessed according to the current epidemiological profile in Costa Rica to promote strategies that reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents by lowering the consumption of added sugars without affecting vitamin A intake.
Comparative analysis of temporal trends of obesity and physical inactivity in Brazil and the USA (2011–2021)
Authors: Barboza Luciana Leite Silva , Pierangeli Costa Américo , de Oliveira Araujo Raphael Henrique , Barbosa Ossian Guilherme Scaf , Leitão João Luis Anwar El Sadat Paula , de Castro Silva Mayda , Molina Guilherme Eckhardt , Grossi Porto Luiz Guilherme
Published: December 2023

Background

The prevalence of obesity is rising in all subregions of America, including Brazil. To understand the obesity problem in Brazil better, a possible approach could be to analyze its obesity trend by comparing it with the reality of a country that went previously through the epidemiological transition, such as the USA. In addition, the obesity trend must be analyzed in comparison with obesity risk factors trends, such as the physical inactivity (PI) trend. Our aim was comparatively to analyze the temporal trends of obesity between Brazil and the USA from the perspective of temporal trends of PI.

Methods

We conducted a temporal trend study based on data from national cross-sectional surveys: the VIGITEL (Surveillance System for Factors of Health Risk and Protection for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey) for Brazil and the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) for the USA, comparing the annual prevalence of obesity and PI between 2011 and 2021. For the analysis of each temporal variation, linear regressions were performed with the Prais-Winsten test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was conducted to correlate the trends of the same variables between countries and of different variables within each country.

Results

Considering the total sample, Brazil [coefficient (95%CI) 0.6 (0.4;0.7), p = 0.000] and the USA [coefficient (95%CI) 0.5 (0.5;0.6), p = 0.000] showed increasing trends in obesity. The tendency of PI was of stabilization in the two countries [Brazil: coefficient (95%CI) -0.03 (-0.3;0.2), p = 0.767 and USA coefficient (95%CI) -0.03 (-0.2;0.1), p = 0.584]. In addition, there was a correlation between obesity trends between Brazil and the USA (r = 0.971; p = 0.000), but there was no correlation between PI trends between the two countries, nor with obesity and PI trends within each country.

Conclusions

In the last decade, there was a trend towards increasing obesity and stabilization in PI, both in Brazil and the USA. However, there was no association between temporal trends in obesity and physical inactivity in both countries. Our data reinforce a call to action to prevent and control obesity, going with and beyond PI reduction.
Undergraduate college students’ awareness and perception of nature - a photovoice study
Authors: Migl Whitlee , Mathis Haley , Spencer Matthew , Hernandez Ruby , Maddock Jay E.
Published: December 2023

Background

There has been limited research on college campus’ green spaces and their benefits to students. This study aimed to identify relationships between a Texas campus’s green spaces and students’ knowledge of their health benefits and their perception of their health compared to the campus’ indoor built environments.

Methods

Photovoice was utilized to answer this study’s research questions. Participants were instructed to take a photograph inside a building on campus and one outdoors anywhere on campus. Participants answered a questionnaire containing health-related questions, demographics, and nature relationship questions. Additionally, there was an in-class analysis and discussion to characterize overarching themes, knowledge, and evoked emotions. Frequencies, percentages, and a paired t-test were utilized to investigate the hypothesis that through the application of photovoice, participants would display more knowledge of nature’s health benefits and a better perception of areas providing emotional, mental, physical, and social health benefits when in these green spaces compared to the indoor built environments on campus.

Results

122 students took photographs and answered the questionnaire. 91 students participated in the in-class discussion. Most students felt more positive (80%) and perceived better health with their outdoor location compared to their indoor. They also responded higher to having more positive overall health benefits (63%) outdoors than indoors.

Conclusions

These findings further solidified nature improves overall mood, there is a positive relationship between health and nature, and people are aware of it. Future studies should attempt to identify barriers accessing campus green spaces and develop interventions to encourage students to utilize these spaces.
Production of a potential multistrain probiotic in co-culture conditions using agro-industrial by-products-based medium for fish nutrition
Authors: Valle-Vargas Marcelo Fernando , Ruiz-Pardo Ruth Yolanda , Villamil-Díaz Luisa , Quintanilla-Carvajal María Ximena
Published: December 2023

Background

Probiotics are viable microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits to the host. In fish, probiotic administration has improved growth, and immunological parameters. For this reason, it is necessary production of probiotic bacteria, however, commercial culture mediums used for probiotic growth are expensive, so the design of a “low” cost culture medium is necessary. Therefore, this research aimed to produce a potential multistrain probiotic preparation composed of L. lactis A12 and Priestia species isolated from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) gut using an agro-industrial by-products-based culture medium.

Results

A Box-Behnken design with three factors (whey, molasses, and yeast extract concentration) was used. As the main results, a high concentration of three components enhanced the viability of L. lactis A12, however, viable cell counts of Priestia species were achieved at low molasses concentrations. The Optimal conditions were 1.00% w/v whey, 0.50% w/v molasses, and 1.50% w/v yeast extract. L. lactis A12 and Priestia species viable counts were 9.43 and 6.89 Log10 CFU/mL, respectively. L. lactis A12 concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in the proposed medium compared to commercial broth.

Conclusions

It was possible to produce L.lactis A12 and Priestia species in co-culture conditions. Whey and molasses were suitable components to produce the multistrain preparation. The cost of the proposed culture medium was 77.54% cheaper than the commercial medium. The proposed culture medium could be an alternative to commercial mediums for the production of this multistrain probiotic.
Performance measures of 8,169,869 examinations in the National Breast Cancer Screening Program in Taiwan, 2004–2020
Authors: Yao Melissa Min-Szu , Vy Vu Pham Thao , Chen Tony Hsiu-Hsi , Hsu Hsian-He , Hsu Giu-Cheng , Lee Cindy S. , Lin Li-Ju , Chia Shu-Li , Wu Chao-Chun , Chan Wing P. , Yen Amy Ming-Fang
Published: December 2023

Background

The benefits of mammographic screening have been shown to include a decrease in mortality due to breast cancer. Taiwan’s Breast Cancer Screening Program is a national screening program that has offered biennial mammographic breast cancer screening for women aged 50–69 years since 2004 and for those aged 45–69 years since 2009, with the implementation of mobile units in 2010. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance results of the program with changes in the previous (2004–2009) and latter (2010–2020) periods.

Methods

A cohort of 3,665,078 women who underwent biennial breast cancer mammography screenings from 2004 to 2020 was conducted, and data were obtained from the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan. We compared the participation of screened women and survival rates from breast cancer in the earlier and latter periods across national breast cancer screening programs.

Results

Among 3,665,078 women who underwent 8,169,869 examinations in the study population, the screened population increased from 3.9% in 2004 to 40% in 2019. The mean cancer detection rate was 4.76 and 4.08 cancers per 1000 screening mammograms in the earlier (2004–2009) and latter (2010–2020) periods, respectively. The 10-year survival rate increased from 89.68% in the early period to 97.33% in the latter period. The mean recall rate was 9.90% (95% CI: 9.83–9.97%) in the early period and decreased to 8.15% (95%CI, 8.13–8.17%) in the latter period.

Conclusions

The evolution of breast cancer screening in Taiwan has yielded favorable outcomes by increasing the screening population, increasing the 10-year survival rate, and reducing the recall rate through the participation of young women, the implementation of a mobile unit service and quality assurance program, thereby providing historical evidence to policy makers to plan future needs.
Interaction between CETP Taq1B polymorphism and dietary patterns on lipid profile and severity of coronary arteries stenosis in patients under coronary angiography: a cross-sectional study
Authors: AhmadiVasmehjani Azam , SeyedHosseini SeyedMostafa , Khayyatzadeh SayyedSaeid , Madadizadeh Farzan , Mazaheri-Naeini Mahta , Yavari Mahdie , Darabi Zahra , Beigrezaei Sara , Taftian Marzieh , Arabi Vahid , Motallaei Maryam , Salehi-Abargouei Amin , Nadjarzadeh Azadeh
Published: December 2023

Aim

Evidence indicates there are still conflicts regarding CETP Taq1B polymorphism and coronary artery disease risk factors. Current findings about whether dietary patterns can change the relationship of the Taq1B on lipid profile and the severity of coronary arteries stenosis appears to be limited. The present research made an attempt to investigate this possible relationship.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 453 male and female participants with a mean age of 57 years. A validated 178-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary usual intake. Dietary patterns were extracted through principal component analysis (PCA). Taq1B variant was genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Two-way ANOVA was used to test the interaction between Taq1B polymorphism and dietary patterns.

Results

Two dietary patterns were detected: the western dietary pattern (WDP) and the traditional dietary pattern (TDP). The frequency of Taq1B genotypes turned out to be 10.4, 72.4, and 17.2% for B1B1, B1B2, and B2B2, respectively. A significant difference was observed in TG and TG/HDL-C levels among TaqIB genotypes in higher adherence to TDP (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively). Taq1B showed a significant interaction with TDP for modulating TG levels and TG/HDL-C ratio (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04, respectively). Greater compliance to WDP demonstrated a significant difference in TG and TG/HDL-C levels across rs708272 genotypes (P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding factors. Other lipid components and coronary arteries stenosis scores failed to show any relationship or significant difference across Taq1B genotypes or dietary patterns.

Conclusion

Adherence to TDP may adjust the association between the Taq1B variant and TG and TG/HDL-C levels in patients undergoing coronary angiography. To better understand the relationships, we suggest prospective studies in different race groups with multivariate approaches.
Wireless capsule endoscopy multiclass classification using three-dimensional deep convolutional neural network model
Authors: Bordbar Mehrdokht , Helfroush Mohammad Sadegh , Danyali Habibollah , Ejtehadi Fardad
Published: December 2023

Background

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a patient-friendly and non-invasive technology that scans the whole of the gastrointestinal tract, including difficult-to-access regions like the small bowel. Major drawback of this technology is that the visual inspection of a large number of video frames produced during each examination makes the physician diagnosis process tedious and prone to error. Several computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems, such as deep network models, have been developed for the automatic recognition of abnormalities in WCE frames. Nevertheless, most of these studies have only focused on spatial information within individual WCE frames, missing the crucial temporal data within consecutive frames.

Methods

In this article, an automatic multiclass classification system based on a three-dimensional deep convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) is proposed, which utilizes the spatiotemporal information to facilitate the WCE diagnosis process. The 3D-CNN model fed with a series of sequential WCE frames in contrast to the two-dimensional (2D) model, which exploits frames as independent ones. Moreover, the proposed 3D deep model is compared with some pre-trained networks. The proposed models are trained and evaluated with 29 subject WCE videos (14,691 frames before augmentation). The performance advantages of 3D-CNN over 2D-CNN and pre-trained networks are verified in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

Results

3D-CNN outperforms the 2D technique in all evaluation metrics (sensitivity: 98.92 vs. 98.05, specificity: 99.50 vs. 86.94, accuracy: 99.20 vs. 92.60). In conclusion, a novel 3D-CNN model for lesion detection in WCE frames is proposed in this study.

Conclusion

The results indicate the performance of 3D-CNN over 2D-CNN and some well-known pre-trained classifier networks. The proposed 3D-CNN model uses the rich temporal information in adjacent frames as well as spatial data to develop an accurate and efficient model.
Radiotranscriptomics of non-small cell lung carcinoma for assessing high-level clinical outcomes using a machine learning-derived multi-modal signature
Authors: Trivizakis Eleftherios , Koutroumpa Nikoletta-Maria , Souglakos John , Karantanas Apostolos , Zervakis Michalis , Marias Kostas
Published: December 2023

Background

Multi-omics research has the potential to holistically capture intra-tumor variability, thereby improving therapeutic decisions by incorporating the key principles of precision medicine. The purpose of this study is to identify a robust method of integrating features from different sources, such as imaging, transcriptomics, and clinical data, to predict the survival and therapy response of non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Methods

2996 radiomics, 5268 transcriptomics, and 8 clinical features were extracted from the NSCLC Radiogenomics dataset. Radiomics and deep features were calculated based on the volume of interest in pre-treatment, routine CT examinations, and then combined with RNA-seq and clinical data. Several machine learning classifiers were used to perform survival analysis and assess the patient’s response to adjuvant chemotherapy. The proposed analysis was evaluated on an unseen testing set in a k-fold cross-validation scheme. Score- and concatenation-based multi-omics were used as feature integration techniques.

Results

Six radiomics (elongation, cluster shade, entropy, variance, gray-level non-uniformity, and maximal correlation coefficient), six deep features (NasNet-based activations), and three transcriptomics (OTUD3, SUCGL2, and RQCD1) were found to be significant for therapy response. The examined score-based multi-omic improved the AUC up to 0.10 on the unseen testing set (0.74 ± 0.06) and the balance between sensitivity and specificity for predicting therapy response for 106 patients, resulting in less biased models and improving upon the either highly sensitive or highly specific single-source models. Six radiomics (kurtosis, GLRLM- and GLSZM-based non-uniformity from images with no filtering, biorthogonal, and daubechies wavelets), seven deep features (ResNet-based activations), and seven transcriptomics (ELP3, ZZZ3, PGRMC2, TRAK1, ATIC, USP7, and PNPLA2) were found to be significant for the survival analysis. Accordingly, the survival analysis for 115 patients was also enhanced up to 0.20 by the proposed score-based multi-omics in terms of the C-index (0.79 ± 0.03).

Conclusions

Compared to single-source models, multi-omics integration has the potential to improve prediction performance, increase model stability, and reduce bias for both treatment response and survival analysis.
Resource allocation in public sector programmes: does the value of a life differ between governmental departments?
Authors: Cubi-Molla Patricia , Mott David , Henderson Nadine , Zamora Bernarda , Grobler Mendel , Garau Martina
Published: December 2023

Background

The value of a life is regularly monetised by government departments for informing resource allocation. Guidance documents indicate how economic evaluation should be conducted, often specifying precise values for different impacts. However, we find different values of life and health are used in analyses by departments within the same government despite commonality in desired outcomes. This creates potential inconsistencies in considering trade-offs within a broader public sector spending budget. We provide evidence to better inform the political process and to raise important issues in assessing the value of public expenditure across different sectors.

Methods

Our document analysis identifies thresholds, explicitly or implicitly, as observed in government-related publications in the following public sectors: health, social care, transport, and environment. We include both demand-side and supply-side thresholds, understood as societies’ and governments’ willingness to pay for health gains. We look at key countries that introduced formal economic evaluation processes early on and have impacted other countries’ policy development: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. We also present a framework to consider how governments allocate resources across different public services.

Results

Our analysis supports that identifying and describing the Value of a Life from disparate public sector activities in a manner that facilitates comparison is theoretically meaningful. The optimal allocation of resources across sectors depends on the relative position of benefits across different attributes, weighted by the social value that society puts on them. The value of a Quality-Adjusted Life Year is generally used as a demand-side threshold by Departments of transport and environment. It exceeds those used in health, often by a large enough proportion to be a multiple thereof. Decisions made across departments are generally based on an unspecified rationing rule.

Conclusions

Comparing government expenditure across different public sector departments, in terms of the value of each department outcome, is not only possible but also desirable. It is essential for an optimal resource allocation to identify the relevant social attributes and to quantify the value of these attributes for each department.