bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unmet supportive care needs and associated factors: Evidence from 4195 cancer survivors in Shanghai, China
Authors: Chen Minxing , Li Ruijia , Chen Yujie , Ding Gang , Song Jie , Hu Xiaojing , Jin Chunlin
Published: November 2022

Background

Cancer survivors at different stages of life often have different needs that make it challenging for services to provide satisfactory care. Few studies have considered whether services are truly meeting the needs of cancer patients by exploring and identifying their perspectives on unmet needs.

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify the unmet needs of cancer survivors and to further determine the potential impact of socio-demographic factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study that included 4195 cancer patients was conducted in Shanghai, China. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory as a conceptual framework, the questionnaire included five dimensions: information, life and finances, continuing care, emotions, and self-actualization. Correlation analysis and ordered logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between demographic sociological factors and unmet needs for supportive care.

Results

The most common unmet supportive care needs include information needs (2.91 ± 1.32), self-actualization needs (2.69 ± 1.32) and continuing care needs (2.59 ± 1.30). Unmet needs for life and finances were more pronounced among cancer participants in the 45-69 age group. After adjusting for confounders, we found that each 6-month increase in the time since diagnosis was associated with a 0.8% (OR: 0.992, 95% CI: 0.985-0.998) reduction in high need for continuing care and a 0.9% (OR:0.991, 95% CI: 0.983-0.999) reduction in high need for self-actualization, respectively.

Conclusions

Information needs are the most important concern among the diverse unmet needs of cancer survivors. Time since diagnosis is associated with unmet supportive care needs of cancer survivors. The findings highlight the large gap between actual health services and patients’ unmet need for supportive care, which will provide the basis for a patient-centered supportive care system for cancer survivors.
Pan-Cancer analysis shows that ACO2 is a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker for multiple cancer types including hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zheng Wanqun , Chen Zhen , Wu Shilun , Chang Haoxiao , Cai Ming , Cai Heping
Published: November 2022

Background

Recent evidence increasingly suggests key roles for the tricarboxylic acid cycle and fatty acid metabolism in tumor progression and metastasis. Aconitase 2 (ACO2) is a component of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and represents a key cellular metabolic hub that promotes de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. However, there have been few reports on the role of ACO2 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression.

Methods

Through the comprehensive use of datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression Project, cBioPortal, Human Protein Atlas, UALCAN, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, DNA Methylation Interactive Visualization Database, and TIMER2, we adopted bioinformatics methods to uncover the potential carcinogenic roles of ACO2, including by analysing ACO2 expression and correlations between prognosis, genetic mutations, immune cell infiltration, DNA methylation, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite instability in different tumors. Additionally, the expression level and tumor-promoting effect of ACO2 were verified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. To explore the underlying mechanisms of ACO2 in human cancer, ACO2-related gene enrichment analysis and lipid metabolomics were performed using LM3 cells with or without ACO2 knockdown.

Results

The results indicated that ACO2 was highly expressed in most cancers, showing early diagnostic value in six tumor types, and was positively or negatively associated with prognosis in different tumors. Moreover, ACO2 expression was associated with immune cell infiltration, such as CD8+ T cells and tumor-associated neutrophils, in some cancers. For most cancer types, there was a significant association between immune checkpoint-associated genes and ACO2 expression. Compared with normal hepatocytes, ACO2 was upregulated in HCC cells, which promoted their proliferation and migration. Furthermore, to explore the underlying molecular mechanism, we performed KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of ACO2-associated genes and lipidomics using LM3 cells with or without ACO2 knockdown, which screened 19 significantly altered metabolites, including 17 with reduced levels and 2 with increased levels.

Conclusion

Through pan-cancer analysis, we discovered for the first time and verified that ACO2 could be a useful diagnostic biomarker for cancer detection. Additionally, ACO2 could be used as an auxiliary prognostic marker or as a marker for immunotherapy in some tumor types.
The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
Authors: Dixley Allison , Ball Helen L.
Published: November 2022

Background

Western parents swaddle infants to promote sleep and reduce night-waking, however recent evidence of the effects of swaddling on the sleep of healthy infants has not been systematically reviewed.

Objective

To investigate the effect of swaddling on the sleep of infants up to 1 year of age using a narrative synthesis approach.

Data Sources

We systematically searched five academic databases, including the Cochrane trial registry (Pubmed, PsycINFO, Embase, the Cochrane library, and Blackwell Synergy). We manually searched reference lists and citations of included studies and reference lists of existing reviews.

Study Selection

Studies of any type, published since 2007, reporting primary data whose subjects were humans up to 12 months of age with outcome measures relating to the impact of swaddling on sleep and arousal.

Data Extraction

By hand using a customized template. A narrative synthesis is used to present the results.

Results

In total 171 studies were retrieved with 115 studies discarded at title. A further 43 were discarded at abstract, and six were discarded at full text. Two papers were combined as they reported on the same study giving a total of 6 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the review. An evidence hierarchy was used to assess Risk of Bias in the included studies; the results are presented via a narrative synthesis. Swaddling was associated with increased duration of quiet sleep in infants and a significantly reduced number of sleep state changes among infants naïve to the intervention.

Limitations

The integrity of the intervention (swaddling) including its baseline characteristics, was defined broadly across the included studies limiting the interpretation and transferability of the results of this review.

Conclusions

Swaddling appears to increase quiet sleep duration in infants and reduces the number of sleep state changes among infants naïve to the intervention. Parents should be made aware that implementing conditions unfavorable to arousability may increase SUDI risk among infant who have not previously been swaddled. This review has relevance for informing future practice recommendations and parent advice as well as in designing future studies.
Incidence of central precocious puberty more than doubled during COVID-19 pandemic: Single-center retrospective review in the United States
Authors: Trujillo Marcela Vargas , Rungvivatjarus Tiranun , Klein Karen O.
Published: November 2022

Background and aim of the study

The frequency of new visits for precocious puberty increased during the Covid-19 pandemic in the pediatric endocrinology clinic at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, CA, US. A few recent studies have shown an increase in the frequency of Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) in other centers during this pandemic. This study evaluated the change in incidence of new CPP cases requiring treatment with GnRH agonist (GnRHa) at Rady Children's Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and compared it to pre-pandemic years.

Methods

Data were reviewed retrospectively to compare the number of visits of children newly diagnosed with CPP treated with GnRHa during the Covid-19 pandemic (5/2020–4/2021) and before the pandemic (5/2018–4/2019). Clinical and bone maturation data were evaluated as well as differences in timing from diagnosis to onset of treatment. The incidence of CPP requiring treatment for 5 years prior to the pandemic was also reviewed to evaluate for trends over time.

Results

A total of 92 subjects were included. During pre-Covid year, 28 children (1 boy, 27 girls) were treated with GnRHa for CPP out of 2,340 new endocrinology visits (1.2% of patients seen). During Covid-19 year, 64 children (7 boys, 57 girls) were treated out of 2,261 new visits (2.8%). The incidence of new CPP cases requiring GnRHa during the pandemic more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic. Age at onset of treatment, degree of bone age (BA) advancement, time from diagnosis to onset of treatment, and changes in BMI during the pandemic were not different from pre-pandemic.

Conclusion

CPP cases requiring GnRHa treatment significantly increased during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was not related to increased BMI or delay in onset of treatment. Age at diagnosis, degree of bone age advancement, and time from diagnosis to onset of treatment were all similar during the first year of the pandemic compared to the prior year.
Human papillomavirus infection-related cancer risk for kidney transplant recipients during adult life can be reduced by vaccination during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Nailescu Corina , Shew Marcia L.
Published: November 2022

Malignancies are found between the first three reasons of mortality in pediatric and adult kidney transplant recipients, who overall have disproportionately higher rates of cancer compared to the general population, including human papillomavirus (HPV)-related genital, anal and oropharynx region cancers. Therefore, preventing HPV in this patient population is extremely important. HPV-vaccine was demonstrated to prevent HPV infection in individuals with intact immune systems. In addition, recent data reported less precancerous HPV lesions and cervical cancers with use of HPV vaccine. Since HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that is typically acquired shortly after the onset of sexual activity, it is best to administer the HPV vaccine immunization prior to the onset of sexual activity. This article reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the HPV infection, as well as its role in the development of HPV-related pre-cancerous lesions and cancers in both general population and kidney transplant recipients. The focus is on the most effective primary prophylactic strategy, which is the HPV vaccination. The particularities of HPV vaccination strategies in kidney transplant recipients are compared to the general population. In addition, the article analyzes the various causes of suboptimal HPV immunization rates in kidney transplant candidates and recipients and discusses vaccination optimization strategies that can be applied during childhood and adolescence to reduce the burden of HPV-related disease states and cancer among adult kidney transplant recipients.
Molecular and hematological studies in a cohort of beta zero South East Asia deletion (β°-thal SEA) from Malaysian perspective
Authors: Yasin Norafiza Mohd , Abdul Hamid Faidatul Syazlin , Hassan Syahzuwan , Sudin Aziee , Yassim Haiyuni , Mohd Sahid Ermi Neiza , Mat Yusoff Yuslina , Esa Ezalia , Saleem Mohamed
Published: November 2022

We report the haematological parameters and molecular characterization of beta zero (β°) South East Asia (SEA) deletion in the HBB gene cluster with unusually high levels of Hb F compared to a classical heterozygous beta zero (β°)-thalassaemia.

Methods

Retrospective study on 17 cases of (β°) South East Asia (SEA) deletion from 2016 to 2019 referred to Institute for Medical Research were conducted. The clinical information and haematological profiles were evaluated. The mutation was analyzed, and the results were compared with other β°-thalassaemia groups. For HBB gene genotyping, all the cases were subjected for multiplex gap-PCR, 5 cases were subjected for HBB gene sequencing for exclusion of compound heterozygous with other beta variants. Co-inheritance of α-thalassaemia were determined using multiplex gap-PCR and multiplex ARMS-PCR.

Results

Seventeen cases were positive for β°-thal SEA deletion. Fifteen cases were heterozygous and two were compound heterozygous for β°-thal SEA deletion. The results were compared with 182 cases of various heterozygous β° deletions and mutations. The mean Hb for heterozygous β°-thal SEA deletion (13.44 ± 1.45 g/dl) was normal and significantly higher than heterozygous IVS 1-1 and Codon 41/42 (post hoc test, p < 0.05). The medians for the MCV and MCH of β°-thal SEA deletion were significantly higher than for all heterozygote β°-thalassaemia traits (Mann Whitney test, p < 0.05). Patients with β°-thal SEA deletion had elevated levels of Hb A2 consistent with β-thalassaemia traits, with Hb F levels consistent with HPFH or δβ-thalassaemia carriers. The median for Hb A2 was 4.00 + 1.00%, similar to that observed in other β°-thalassaemia groups except for IVS 1-1 mutation (median 5.30 + 0.45%) and β°-Filipino (∼45 kb deletion) deletion (median 6.00 + 0.58). Interestingly, we found that Hb F levels for β°-thal SEA deletion were statistically higher than other β°-thalassaemia mutations (median 19.00 + 5.50%, p < 0.05), except for the β°-thal 3.5 kb deletion group.

Conclusion

We conclude that β°-thal SEA deletion has a unique haematological parameters of beta zero thalassaemia trait. We affirm to classifying this deletion as SEA-HPFH based on previous studies considering the phenotype features rather than the molecular defect of β°-thal SEA deletion, as this will make it easier to offer genetic counselling to affected individuals.
Evolution of the orbital angular momentum flux density of partially coherent vortex beams in atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Zhang Yongtao , Yu Jiayi , Gbur Greg , Korotkova Olga
Published: November 2022

We investigate the behavior of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) flux density of partially coherent vortex (PCV) beams in atmospheric turbulence. It is shown that for PCV beams with different spatial coherence structures, the OAM flux density distribution exhibits rich variations along the propagation path. Our findings provide insight into the use of the OAM in free-space optical communications when turbulence effects are significant.
Effects of kinesio taping therapy on gait and surface electromyography in stroke patients with hemiplegia
Authors: Chen Ze , Li Min , Cui Hongxing , Wu Xipeng , Chen Fangmin , Li Wei
Published: November 2022

Background: The application of Kinesio Taping (KT) on the lower extremity of stroke patients can improve the quality of somatosensory information by activating lower extremity muscles involved in postural control. Gait analysis and surface electromyography (SEMG) are valuable in assessing the motor ability of the lower extremities.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of KT therapy on gait and SEMG in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Methods: Twenty-one stroke patients were included in the study. KT was applied to the lower extremities of the hemiplegic side. Quantitative gait parameters were measured by a gait analysis system (IDEEA, by MiniSun, United States) and activation of the lower extremity muscles were evaluated by the SEMG (Trigno™ Wireless Systems, Delsys Inc., United States) before and after taping. Step length, stride length, pulling acceleration, swing power, ground impact, and energy expenditure were used to evaluate when patients walk as usual. SEMG signals were collected from the anterior bilateral tibialis (TA) and the lateral gastrocnemius (LG). The root mean square (RMS) value was used to assess muscle activity. SEMG signals were examined before and after KT treatment in three different locomotor conditions of the patients: walking at a natural speed, walking with a weight of 5 kg, dual-tasking walking (walking + calculation task) while carrying a weight of 5 kg. The calculation task was to ask the patients to calculate the result of subtracting 7 from 100 and continuing to subtract 7 from the resulting numbers. Comparisons between two normally distributed samples (before and after KT treatment) were evaluated using the two-tailed, paired Student’s t-test.

Results: Stride length (0.89 ± 0.19 vs. 0.96 ± 0.23; p = 0.029), pulling acceleration (0.40 ± 0.21 vs. 1.11 ± 0.74; p = 0.005), and swing power (0.42 ± 0.24 vs. 1.14 ± 0.72; p = 0.004) improved in the hemiplegia side after KT treatment. The RMS value of TA SEMG signals in the limbs on the hemiplegia side decreased after KT treatment during dual-tasking walking carrying a weight of 5 kg (3.65 ± 1.31 vs. 2.93 ± 0.95; p = 0.030).

Conclusion: KT treatment is effective in altering gait and SEMG characteristics in stroke patients with hemiplegia.
ERF subfamily transcription factors and their function in plant responses to abiotic stresses
Authors: Wu Ying , Li Xiang , Zhang Jinnan , Zhao Haiqing , Tan Shaolin , Xu Wanhao , Pan Jiaqi , Yang Fan , Pi Erxu
Published: November 2022

Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF) subfamily comprise the largest number of proteins in the plant AP2/ERF superfamily, and have been most extensively studied on the biological functions. Members of this subfamily have been proven to regulate plant resistances to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, chilling and some other adversities. Under these stresses, ERFs are usually activated by mitogen-activated protein kinase induced phosphorylation or escape from ubiquitin-ligase enzymes, and then form complex with nucleic proteins before binding to cis-element in promoter regions of stress responsive genes. In this review, we will discuss the phylogenetic relationships among the ERF subfamily proteins, summarize molecular mechanism how the transcriptional activity of ERFs been regulated and how ERFs of different subgroup regulate the transcription of stress responsive genes, such as high-affinity K+ transporter gene PalHKT1;2, reactive oxygen species related genes LcLTP, LcPrx, and LcRP, flavonoids synthesis related genes FtF3H and LhMYBSPLATTER, etc. Though increasing researches demonstrate that ERFs are involved in various abiotic stresses, very few interact proteins and target genes of them have been comprehensively annotated. Hence, future research prospects are described on the mechanisms of how stress signals been transited to ERFs and how ERFs regulate the transcriptional expression of stress responsive genes.
Carbon isotope discrimination as a key physiological trait to phenotype drought/heat resistance of future climate-resilient German winter wheat compared with relative leaf water content and canopy temperature
Authors: Kunz Karolin , Hu Yuncai , Schmidhalter Urs
Published: November 2022

Climate change is expected to influence crop growth through frequent drought and heat extremes, and thus, drought and heat tolerance are of increasing importance as major breeding goals for cereal crops in Central Europe. Plant physiological water status traits are suitable for phenotyping plant drought/heat tolerance. The objective of this study was to determine whether relative leaf water content (RLWC), plant canopy temperature (CT), and carbon isotope discrimination (CID) are suitable for phenotyping the drought/heat resistance of German winter wheat for future climate resilience. Therefore, a comprehensive field evaluation was conducted under drier and warmer conditions in Moldova using a space-for-time approach for twenty winter wheat varieties from Germany and compared to twenty regionally adapted varieties from Eastern Europe. Among the physiological traits RLWC, CT, and CID, the heritability of RLWC showed the lowest values regardless of year or variety origin, and there was no significant correlation between RLWC and grain yield regardless of the year, suggesting that RLWC did not seem to be a useful trait for distinguishing origins or varieties under continental field conditions. Although the heritability of CT demonstrated high values, the results showed surprisingly low and nonsignificant correlations between CT and grain yield; this may have been due to a confounding effect of increased soil temperature in the investigated dark Chernozem soil. In contrast, the heritability of CID in leaves and grain was high, and there were significant correlations between grain yield and CID, suggesting that CID is a reliable indirect physiological trait for phenotyping drought/heat resistance for future climate resilience in German wheat.
Resilience of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) to salinity, heat and drought stresses: A mini-review
Authors: Marceddu Roberto , Carrubba Alessandra , Sarno Mauro
Published: November 2022

Over recent years, the cultivation of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) has spread widely in the Mediterranean, also affecting the southern regions of Spain and Italy with a typical semi-arid climate. Several and recent studies have investigated the responses of this species to the main abiotic stresses, which is an aspect of absolute relevance to the knowledge of the adaptive capacity of hops to the growing conditions of a new cultivation environment. Moreover, given the fact that hops’ phytochemical composition is determined primarily by genetic and environmental factors, and that the species is perennial, the lack of knowledge on the effects of abiotic stress could be reflected in subsequent years, which means multi-year economic risks. This review work therefore aims to showcase, based on an in-depth investigation of the available literature, the response of hop to the main abiotic stresses, and the effect of these on productive and qualitative crop performances. The data presented will be useful to the understanding of constraints and to the identification of useful coping strategies to the cultivation of hops in semi-arid Mediterranean environments.
Populism and the affective partisan space in nine European publics: Evidence from a cross-national survey
Authors: Fuller Sam , Horne Will , Adams James , Gidron Noam
Published: November 2022

While scholars increasingly link affective polarization to the rise of populist parties, existing empirical studies are limited to the effects of radical right parties, without considering the possible effects of leftist populist parties or of parties' varying degrees of populism. Analyzing novel survey data across eight European publics, we analyze whether citizens' affective party evaluations broadly map onto these parties' varying degrees of populism, along with their Left-Right ideologies. We scale survey respondents' party feeling thermometer evaluations and social distance ratings of rival partisans using multidimensional scaling (MDS) to estimate a two-dimensional affective partisan space for each mass public, finding that in most (though not all) publics our mappings are strongly related to the parties' varying degrees of populism, as well as to Left-Right ideology. We substantiate these conclusions via analyses regressing respondents' affective ratings against exogenous measures of the parties' Left-Right ideologies and their degrees of populism. Our findings suggest that in many European publics, populism structures citizens' affective ratings of parties (and of their supporters) to roughly the same degree as Left-Right ideology.
The abortion divide: Exploring the role of exclusion, loss of significance and identity in the radicalization process
Authors: Knapton Holly , Renström Emma , Lindén Magnus
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Recently, the abortion issue has entered the spotlight in the USA, leading to potential radical actions. As the majority opinion on the abortion issue vary with state, some individuals will be in the numerical minority within their state, possibly evoking feelings of exclusion. Social exclusion can motivate a radicalization process. The aim of this paper is to explore how individuals in a numerical minority experience feelings of exclusion and significance loss and how this may drive radicalization in the context of the abortion issue.

Methods

A quasi-experimental design was used and 534 respondents from naturally occurring numerical minority and majority groups based on state abortion opinion participated in an online survey.

Results

Results showed that those in the numerical minority experienced exclusion and were more willing to engage in and endorse radical actions compared to those in the majority, regardless of position on the abortion issue. Serial mediation analysis revealed that the pathway between minority group status and engagement and endorsement of extreme actions was fully mediated by need-threat and ingroup identity.

Discussion

Being in the numerical minority is associated with feelings of social exclusion, which may trigger a radicalization process. The results advance our understanding of when and who is vulnerable to radicalization and that social structures that perpetuate marginalization and inequality may contribute to radicalization. Results highlight the need to continue to explore radicalization from a group-based perspective and emphasize exploring mediating factors as a pathway from social experiences to willingness to engage with radical groups.
English-learning stress and performance in Chinese college students: A serial mediation model of academic anxiety and academic burnout and the protective effect of grit
Authors: Xu Liling , Wang Zhenhai , Tao Zhiyuan , Yu Chengfu
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Having to adapt to a new environment with various other challenges while completing their studies, Chinese college students experience intense stress related to the study of the English language. However, there has been little research on the serial mediating mechanism of English-learning stress on English academic performance.

Methods

Present study recruited 1130 undergraduate students to finish self-report online questionnaire to collect the information about their English-learning stress, academic anxiety and burnout, English academic performance and grit. We constructed a moderated serial mediation model to test the effect of academic anxiety and academic burnout and explored whether grit can restrict the decrease in academic performance caused by English-learning stress.

Results

Results show that: (1) both academic anxiety and academic burnout mediate the relationship between English-learning stress and performance; (2) academic anxiety and academic burnout show a significant serial mediating role between academic pressure and English academic performance; and (3) grit significantly moderates the relationship between academic burnout and English academic performance.

Discussion

These results lead us to believe that cultivating the grit of Chinese college students may be an effective way to improve the academic performance of those experiencing high English-learning stress.
Impact of internet plus health education on urinary stoma caregivers in coping with care burden and stress in the era of COVID-19
Authors: Fan XuFei , Li HaiYan , Lai LiYa , Zhou XiaoFeng , Ye XiangXiang , Xiao HaiNiao
Published: November 2022

Objective

To explore the impact of “Internet Plus Health Education” on coping with care burden and pressure in urinary stoma caregivers in the era of COVID-19.

Materials and methods

Eighty caregivers of patients with urinary ostomy were equally randomized to experimental and control groups. Caregivers in the experimental group received digital nursing education intervention, which involved nursing intervention of Internet Plus Health Education (IPHE), and those in the control group received conventional care instructions. Six months later, care burden and emotional pressure were assessed in all caregivers using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ).

Results

Before the intervention, the ZBI and SCSQ scores were comparable between both groups (p > 0.05). After the intervention, the ZBI scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group and vice versa for SCSQ scores (p < 0.01). Furthermore, after the intervention, the family care satisfaction scale (FCSS) of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group.

Conclusion

Providing “Internet Plus Health Education” to urinary stoma caregivers can reduce their care burden and enhance their pressure-coping ability in the COVID-19 era.
Influencing factors of users’ shift to buying expensive virtual gifts in live streaming: Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Cao Junwei , Zhang Guihua , Liu Dong , Shang Meng
Published: November 2022

The market size of live streaming on the Internet, in which the streamer earns profit by prompting users to give virtual gifts through emotional labor, is getting bigger and bigger. However, most users will only buy cheap virtual gifts in live streaming, therefore exploring how to promote users to buy expensive virtual gifts is a valuable topic in live commerce research. Based on social presence theory and information overload theory, this study used the PLS-SEM method to investigate the factors influencing live streaming users to shift from buying cheap virtual gifts to buying expensive virtual gifts, and analyzed the moderating role of information overload in these relationships. The results show that immediate interaction anxiety, verbal intimacy, and virtual physical intimacy positively influence users’ shift to purchasing expensive virtual gifts, and that perceived network size and perceived financial risk are negative factors in users’ shift to purchasing expensive virtual gifts. Information overload has a moderating role in the relationship between immediate interaction anxiety and switch intention, and it also plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceived network size and perceived financial risk on users’ switch intention.
Mental health-related stigma discrimination and prejudices among Greek healthcare professionals
Authors: Porfyri Georgia-Nektaria , Athanasiadou Maria , Siokas Vasileios , Giannoglou Sofia , Skarpari Sofia , Kikis Michail , Myroforidou Artemis , Anoixa Maria , Zerakis Nikolaos , Bonti Eleni , Konsta Anastasia , Diakogiannis Ioannis , Rudolf Jobst , Deretzi Georgia
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Research shows that mental health-related stigma, stereotypes, and prejudices have a negative impact on the patients themselves as well as on their families and social entourage. Healthcare professionals, whose expertise and professional ethos are historically acknowledged by public opinion, are expected to play a major role in combating discrimination against psychiatric patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the attitudes of Greek healthcare professionals toward mental illness and people suffering from it.

Materials and methods

It is a non-interventional, analytic study, in which 479 health workers from a tertiary hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece, participated. Every single hospital service –except the personnel of the Psychiatric Clinic– was included in our study: from the cleaning service to the administrative staff and the auxiliary staff such as stretcher carriers, food and nutrition services’ staff, and social workers, the nursing staff, and finally the attending physicians, taking into consideration that the psychiatric patient, from the moment he/she enters the hospital, consecutively gets in contact with every work grade of the healthcare establishment. Participants’ attitudes concerning mental illness have been evaluated using the Opinions about Mental Illness Scale (OMI), the Social Distance Scale (SDS), and the Level of Contact Report (LCR-12).

Results

Despite the high level of familiarity [as evaluated with LCR-12; mean score (μ): 8.82 ± 1.73], the employees displayed a rather poor willingness to interact with psychiatric patients (as measured with SDS; μ:11.68 ± 4.28), and endorsed significant prejudice toward individuals with mental disorders (assessed using OMI subscales; Social Discrimination μ: 22.99 ± 12.08, Social Restriction μ: 17.45 ± 9.07, Social Care μ: 21.04 ± 4.12, Social Integration μ: 16.38 ± 4.68, Etiology μ: 9.80 ± 4.95). Age and education stood out as the main determinants of participants’ attitudes, with younger and highly educated participants to have shown a relatively refined profile.

Conclusion

These results are not significantly improved compared to those of previous decades in Greek healthcare professionals and call for critical reflection and targeted stigma-reduction efforts.
Assessing alexithymia across negative and positive emotions: Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire
Authors: Larionow Paweł , Preece David A. , Mudło-Głagolska Karolina
Published: November 2022

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a 24-item self-report measure of alexithymia. Originally developed in English, it was designed to try to enable more comprehensive (i.e., facet-level and valence-specific) alexithymia assessments. This study aimed to introduce and validate a Polish version of the PAQ. Our sample were 1,008 people (69.44% females, 30.06% males and 0.50% non-binary) aged 18–78 (M = 29.69, SD = 14.15) from the general community. The PAQ's factor structure was verified with confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent and divergent validity were assessed via relationships with other measures of alexithymia and mental health symptoms. Our results indicated strong factorial validity, conforming to the intended subscale structure. As expected, all PAQ subscales correlated in expected directions with another established alexithymia measure, and markers of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The PAQ showed good discriminant validity in terms of measuring an alexithymia construct that was separable from people's current level of distress. Test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were also good. Overall, the Polish PAQ therefore appears to have strong psychometric properties. Our findings add to a growing body of literature supporting the validity of the PAQ, and the multidimensional nature of the alexithymia construct, across different nations and languages.
Parental pre-pregnancy body mass index and risk of low birth weight in offspring: A prospective cohort study in central China
Authors: Wei Jianhui , Wang Tingting , Shu Jing , Liu Yiping , Song Xinli , Sun Mengting , Zhong Taowei , Chen Qian , Luo Manjun , Zhang Senmao , Huang Peng , Zhu Ping , Xie Donghua , Qin Jiabi
Published: November 2022

Background

Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes. Previous studies have consistently shown that maternal body mass index (BMI) status before and during pregnancy is associated with LBW. However, previous studies lacked an association between paternal BMI and the conjunction effect of a couple's BMI and LBW in the offspring. Therefore, we established a cohort of pre-pregnancy couples to prospectively assess the relationship between maternal and paternal pre-pregnancy BMI and offspring LBW, very low birth weight (VLBW), and extremely low birth weight (ELBW).

Methods

A prospective cohort study was established in Central China. A total of 34,104 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies at 8–14 gestational weeks and their husbands were finally enrolled and followed to 3 months postpartum. The multivariate logistic regression and restrictive cubic spline model were used to explore the relationship between parental pre-pregnancy BMI and the risk of LBW, VLBW, and ELBW in offspring.

Results

Of the 34,104 participants, maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were associated with a higher risk of LBW (overweight: OR = 1.720, 95% CI = 1.533 ~ 1.930; obesity: OR = 1.710, 95% CI = 1.360 ~ 2.151), VLBW (overweight: OR = 2.283, 95% CI = 1.839 ~ 2.834; obesity: OR = 4.023, 95% CI = 2.855 ~ 5.670), and ELBW (overweight: OR = 3.292, 95% CI = 2.151 ~ 5.036; obesity: OR = 3.467, 95% CI = 1.481 ~ 8.115), while underweight was associated with a higher risk of LBW (OR = 1.438, 95% CI = 1.294 ~ 1.599) and a lower risk of ELBW (OR = 0.473, 95% CI = 0.236 ~ 0.946). Paternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were associated with a higher risk of LBW (overweight: OR = 1.637, 95% CI = 1.501 ~ 1.784; obesity: OR = 1.454, 95% CI = 1.289 ~ 1.641) and VLBW (overweight: OR = 1.310, 95% CI = 1.097 ~ 1.564; obesity: OR = 1.320, 95% CI = 1.037 ~ 1.681), while underweight was associated with a lower risk of LBW (OR = 0.660, 95% CI = 0.519 ~ 0.839). Parents who were both excessive-weights in pre-pregnancy BMI, as well as overweight mothers and normal-weight fathers before pre-pregnancy, were more likely to have offspring with LBW, VLBW, and ELBW. Dose-response relationship existed between parental pre-pregnancy and LBW, VLBW, and ELBW, except for paternal BMI and ELBW.

Conclusions

Parental pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with the risk of LBW in offspring. Management of weight before pregnancy for couples might help reduce their adverse pregnancy outcomes in future intervention studies.
Sex difference in the associations among risk factors with hepatitis B and C infections in a large Taiwanese population study
Authors: Wang Angela Chiunhsien , Geng Jiun-Hung , Wang Chih-Wen , Wu Da-Wei , Chen Szu-Chia
Published: November 2022

Background

The prevalence rates of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV/HCV) infection are high in Taiwan, and both are common causes of chronic liver disease and its related complications. Therefore, the early detection of factors associated with HBV/HCV infection is important. The aim of this study was to explore these factors in a large cohort of Taiwanese participants in the Taiwan Biobank, and also to identify sex differences in these risk factors.

Methods

It was an observational cohort study. The study enrolled 121,421 participants, and divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of HBV or HCV infection. Associations between risk factors with HBV or HCV infection were examined using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

The mean age of the 121,421 enrolled participants (43,636 men and 77,785 women) was 49.9 ± 11.0 years. The participants were stratified into four groups according to those with (n = 13,804; 11.4%) and without HBV infection (n = 107,617; 88.6%), and those with (n = 2,750; 2.3%) and without HCV infection (n = 118,671; 97.7%). Multivariable analysis revealed that male sex [vs. female sex; odds ratio [OR] = 1.346; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.282–1.414; p < 0.001] was significantly associated with HBV infection, whereas female sex (vs. male sex; OR = 0.642; 95% CI = 0.575–0.716; p < 0.001) was significantly associated with HCV infection. Furthermore, there were significant interactions between sex and age (p < 0.001), body mass index (p < 0.001), total cholesterol (p = 0.002), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.024), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.012) on HBV infection. There were also significant interactions between sex and age (p < 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.010), fasting glucose (p = 0.031), and uric acid (p = 0.001) on HCV infection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, sex differences were found among the risk factors for HBV and HCV infections in a large cohort of Taiwanese volunteers. When dealing with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, the physicians may need to pay attention to the differences between men and women to do different treatments.
Can a chatbot enhance hazard awareness in the construction industry?
Authors: Zhu Xiaoe , Li Rita Yi Man , Crabbe M. James C. , Sukpascharoen Khunanan
Published: November 2022

Safety training enhances hazard awareness in the construction industry. Its effectiveness is a component of occupational safety and health. While face-to-face safety training has dominated in the past, the frequent lockdowns during COVID-19 have led us to rethink new solutions. A chatbot is messaging software that allows people to interact, obtain answers, and handle sales and inquiries through a computer algorithm. While chatbots have been used for language education, no study has investigated their usefulness for hazard awareness enhancement after chatbot training. In this regard, we developed four Telegram chatbots for construction safety training and designed the experiment as the treatment factor. Previous researchers utilized eye-tracking in the laboratory for construction safety research; most have adopted it for qualitative analyses such as heat maps or gaze plots to study visual paths or search strategies via eye-trackers, which only studied the impact of one factor. Our research has utilized an artificial intelligence-based eye-tracking tool. As hazard awareness can be affected by several factors, we filled this research void using 2-way interaction terms using the design of experiment (DOE) model. We designed an eye-tracking experiment to study the impact of site experience, Telegram chatbot safety training, and task complexity on hazard awareness, which is the first of its kind. The results showed that Telegram chatbot training enhanced the hazard awareness of participants with less onsite experience and in less complex scenarios. Low-cost chatbot safety training could improve site workers' danger awareness, but the design needs to be adjusted according to participants' experience. Our results offer insights to construction safety managers in safety knowledge sharing and safety training.
Surgical treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs using Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or Tibial Tuberosity Advancement–A systematic review with a meta-analytic approach
Authors: Wemmers Annika Christina , Charalambous Marios , Harms Oliver , Volk Holger Andreas
Published: November 2022

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) or Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) are commonly used surgical techniques for correction of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture in dogs. This systematic review aims to investigate whether one technique is superior to the other. Seventy-two studies on surgical management of CCL rupture have been identified and evaluated in regard of subjective and objective gait analysis criteria, development of osteoarthritis (OA), thigh circumference measurements, goniometry, joint stability, pain and complication rates. Almost half (47.2 %) of the studies were considered of low quality of evidence, leading to high heterogeneity in quality among studies; this posed a major limitation for an evidence-based systematic review of both surgical techniques. Out of 72 studies, there were only eleven blinded randomized clinical trials, of which five were rated with a low overall risk of bias. However, both techniques were considered to be successful management options. Subjective and objective gait analysis revealed no lameness at long-term evaluation for the majority of the patients. However, it appeared that TTA lead to better OA scores up to 6 months postoperatively, while TPLO had a lower rate of surgical site infections. In summary, no method can be clearly preferred, as most of the study evaluated were subpar. Studies with a high level of evidence are therefore urgently needed for such a common surgical procedure.
Browse or browsing: Investigating goat preferences for feeding posture, feeding height and feed type
Authors: Cellier Marjorie , Nielsen Birte L. , Duvaux-Ponter Christine , Freeman Hannah B. R. , Hannaford Rina , Murphy Briar , O'Connor Emma , Cote Kevan R. L. , Neave Heather W. , Zobel Gosia
Published: November 2022

Goats naturally browse different forages in various postures; this differs from typical farm practice, thus there are opportunities to improve goat welfare by understanding what and how they like to eat. We investigated if feeding preference was related to posture, feeder height relative to the ground, and type of feed. Sixteen adult, Saanen cross females participated in two experiments comparing a floor-level feeder (grazing posture; farm standard), with an elevated feeder (browsing posture; Exp1) and a platform-level feeder (raised, grazing posture; Exp2), when two forages (leaves, grass) were offered. Measurements included feed intake (g of DM/feeder), feeder switching frequency, first feeder visited, latency to visit first feeder and exploration and non-feeding activity time. Effects of posture (Exp1), height (Exp2) and feed type were analyzed. Type of feed affected preference for feeding posture and height. All goats consumed leaves over grass (Exp1: POP: 188 ± 6.52 g, GRA: 20.3 ± 7.19 g; Exp2: POP: 191 ± 6.15 g, GRA: 0.231 ± 6.91 g; P < 0.001), and the feeder containing leaves was often visited first (Exp 1: GRA/POP: 94% of visits, P < 0.001, POP/GRA: 53%, P = 0.724; Exp 2: GRA/POP: 91%, P < 0.001; POP/GRA: 69%, P = 0.041). When goats received only leaves, they consumed more from the floor-level (162 ± 22.2 g) vs. elevated level (102 ± 21.9 g) feeder (P = 0.039). When goats received only grass, there was no posture or height preference; however, they changed feeders more frequently (at least 4x (Exp1) and 2x (Exp2) more than other combinations; P > 0.01). Feed intake was negatively affected by exploring time (Exp1 only: r = −0.541; P < 0.001) and performing non-feeding activities (Exp1: r = −0.698; P < 0.001; Exp2: r = −0.673; P < 0.001). We did not identify a preference for elevated feeding posture; however, we suggest that our short test (compared to previous work) encouraged goats to make choices based on line-of-sight and also that the elevated feeder design (replicated from previous work) made leaf access harder. Nonetheless, we highlight that some goats actively used the elevated feeder; this coupled with the clear preference for leaves over grass, suggests that offering feed type and presentation diversity would allow individuals to express their natural feeding behavior more fully.
Opportunistic Community Screening of Chronic Chagas Disease Using a Rapid Diagnosis Test in Pharmacies in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain): Study Protocol and Pilot Phase Results
Authors: Silgado Aroa , Bosch-Nicolau Pau , Sánchez-Montalvá Adrián , Cervià Ariadna , Gomez-i-Prat Jordi , Bagaria Guillermo , Rodriguez Cristina , Goterris Lidia , Serre-Delcor Núria , Oliveira-Souto Inés , Salvador Fernando , Molina Israel , Sulleiro Elena
Published: November 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to report the protocol and results from the pilot phase of an opportunistic CP-based CD screening program in Barcelona, Spain.

Methods: Three strategies according to recruitment approach were designed: passive, active and active-community. The study process consisted of signing the informed consent form, recording the patient’s data in a web-based database system, and performing the rapid test and blood collection on dry paper.

Results: Nineteen pharmacies participated and 64 patients were included during the pilot phase of the study. The rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was positive in 2/64 (3.13%) cases. Of the 49 DBS samples that arrived at the laboratory, 22 (45%) were collected incorrectly. After quantitative and qualitative assessment of the program, the dry paper sample and passive strategy were ruled out.

Conclusion: DBS sampling and the passive strategy are not suitable for CD screening in community pharmacies. There is a need to expand the number of participating pharmacies and individuals to determine whether conducting a RDT in community pharmacies is an effective screening method to increase access to CD diagnosis in a non-endemic area.