bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral health of chemotherapy patients before and after provision of oral hygiene instructions at a tertiary care hospital: pre-post design
Authors: Amin Mashal , Khan Farhan Raza , Allana Asad , Barolia Rubina , Azam Iqbal
Published: June 2024

Objective

Disturbances in the oral mucosa is a major concern among patients undergoing chemotherapy. One of the most significant barriers in the implementation of oral care is the lack of knowledge. The aim of the study was to assess gingival and periodontal health status of chemotherapy patients before and after the provision of oral hygiene instructions.

Methods

A single group, pre-post test was conducted to assess oral health status of patients at the daycare chemotherapy, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Oral hygiene instructions were given with study models and leaflets. Patients were followed for 6-weeks. Oral health was assessed by using Simplified-Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Differences in indices were analyzed in STATA version-15.0 using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) and Wilcoxon Signed-rank test.

Results

Out of 74, 53 (72%) patients completed study follow-up. Improvement in the OHI-S was found in 14 (26%) patients (p-value < 0.001). GEE showed that age [adjusted OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03–1.11], current chemotherapy cycle [adjusted OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 0.98–1.46], highest education level [Adjusted OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.08–12.7] and cancer therapy [Adjusted OR = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.24–0.55] were significantly associated with the change in OHI-S. Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed positive changes in the CPI (p-value < 0.001).

Conclusions

Basic oral hygiene instructional intervention can be effective in improving the oral hygiene of chemotherapy patients. Nurses should also play a key role in providing psychological and nutritional support to patients.
Use of dental care services among adolescents living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment in Kampala, Uganda: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nakyonyi Maria Gorretti , Birungi Nancy , Mwesigwa Catherine Lutalo , Åstrøm Anne Nordrehaug
Published: June 2024

Objective

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and socio-behavioral determinants of ever-use of dental care services among adolescents aged 10–18 years, living with HIV, on Antiretroviral treatment (ART), and attending selected HIV clinics in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out between March and September 2020. The study conveniently recruited 154 adolescents between 10 and 18 years old from 4 specific HIV clinics in Kampala. Andersen’s behavioral model guided the selection of variables, with the ever-use of dental care services as the outcome and predisposing, enabling, need-related factors and personal dental health practices as exposure variables. Data were analyzed using Fischer’s exact test for cross-tabulation and modified Poisson regression for multivariate analysis.

Results

The prevalence of ever-use of dental care services was 12.3%. The adolescents aged 14–18 had higher odds of using dental care services (Prevalence ratio (PR) of 3.35 than those aged 10–13 years. Fear of the spread of HIV was negatively associated with ever-use of dental care services (PR of 0.06). Participants who were afraid of going to the dentist had higher odds of using dental care services (PR of 2.98) than those not afraid. Failure to receive dental treatment because it was not part of the medical appointment had a positive association with the ever-use of dental care services (PR of 4.50). Those who were satisfied with their dental condition had lower odds of using dental care services. The bad oral odor was positively associated with the ever-use of dental care services (PR of 2.80). The use of soap for toothbrushing was positively associated with the ever-use of dental care services (PR of 2.51).

Conclusion

The study found a low frequency of dental care use among HIV-infected adolescents in Kampala, Uganda, with age being a predisposing factor. Enabling factors included fear of HIV spread, medical-dental appointment incoordination, and satisfaction with the dental condition and bad oral odor while under personal dental health practices. The use of soap for toothbrushing was an important association with dental care. Nevertheless, these study results cannot be generalized to the entire HIV adolescent population in Uganda.
Intrathecal gastrodin alleviates allodynia in a rat spinal nerve ligation model through NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition
Authors: Jin JunXiu , Kang Dong Ho , Lee Geon Hui , Kim Woong Mo , Choi Jeong Il
Published: June 2024

Background

Gastrodin (GAS), a main bioactive component of the herbal plant, Gastrodia elata Blume, has shown to have beneficial effects on neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease in animal studies and migraine in clinical studies. Inflammasome is a multimeric protein complex having a core of pattern recognition receptor and has been implicated in the development of neuroinflammatory diseases. Gastrodin has shown to modulate the activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. This study investigated the effects of GAS on the intensity of mechanical allodynia and associated changes in NLRP3 inflammasome expression at the spinal level using L5/6 spinal nerve ligation model (SNL) in rats.

Methods

Intrathecal (IT) catheter implantation and SNL were used for drug administration and pain model in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The effect of gastrodin or MCC950 (NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor) on mechanical allodynia was measured by von Frey test. Changes in NLRP3 inflammasome components and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and cellular expression were examined in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion.

Results

The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components was found mostly in the neurons in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion. The protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), caspase-1, and IL-1β were upregulated in SNL animals compared to Sham animals. IT administration of GAS significantly attenuated the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and the intensity of SNL-induced mechanical allodynia. NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, MCC950, also attenuated the intensity of allodynia, but the effect is less strong and shorter than that of GAS.

Conclusions

Expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β is greatly increased and mostly found in the neurons at the spinal level in SNL model, and IT gastrodin exerts a significant anti-allodynic effect in SNL model partly through suppressing the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome.
The knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses regarding ICU-acquired weakness: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Zhao Mingfeng , Qiu Anyun , Zhang Zhijing , Pan Fang , Gao Yongxia
Published: June 2024

Background

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is very common in ICU patients. It is important to understand the status quo of knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses about ICU-AW. This survey aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses about ICU-AW, to provide useful implications for clinical care.

Methods

ICU nurses from two tertiary hospitals in China from October 10 to November 15, 2023 were included. The ICU-AW knowledge, attitude and behavior questionnaire of ICU nurses with 31 items were used for survey. SPSS24.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.

Results

A total of 364 ICU nurses were included for survey. The ICU-AW knowledge of ICU nurses was 21.96 ± 5.72 (< 50% of the total knowledge score), the ICU-AW attitude of ICU nurses was 30.24 ± 5.05(< 75% of the total attitude score), the ICU-AW behavior of ICU nurses was 26.77 ± 5.81(< 75% of the total behavior score), the total score was 79.21 ± 12.69(< 75% of the total score). Nurses’ ICU-AW knowledge, attitude and behavior were all correlated (all P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that age, years of ICU work experience, professional ranks and titles, had received the training about the ICU-AW were the influencing factors of knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses about ICU-AW (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses’ ICU-AW needs to be improved, and there are many influencing factors. Hospital nursing administrators should strengthen the training of nurses’ ICU-AW knowledge and improve the cognitive and practical ability of ICU nurses on ICU-AW, so as to reduce the occurrence of ICU-AW.
Toxicological evaluation of microbial secondary metabolites in the context of European active substance approval for plant protection products
Authors: Paege Norman , Feustel Sabrina , Marx-Stoelting Philip
Published: June 2024

Risk assessment (RA) of microbial secondary metabolites (SM) is part of the EU approval process for microbial active substances (AS) used in plant protection products (PPP). As the number of potentially produced microbial SM may be high for a certain microbial strain and existing information on the metabolites often are low, data gaps are frequently identified during the RA. Often, RA cannot conclusively clarify the toxicological relevance of the individual substances. This work presents data and RA conclusions on four metabolites, Beauvericin, 2,3-deepoxy-2,3-didehydro-rhizoxin (DDR), Leucinostatin A and Swainsonin in detail as examples for the challenging process of RA. To overcome the problem of incomplete assessment reports, RA of microbial AS for PPP is in need of new approaches. In view of the Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA), the combination of literature data, omic-methods, in vitro and in silico methods combined in adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) can be used for an efficient and targeted identification and assessment of metabolites of concern (MoC).
The reliability and validity of a developed anxiety scale specific to primary focal hyperhidrosis symptoms
Authors: Ogawa Sayaka , Tayama Jun , Murota Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Masakazu , Kinoshita Hirohisa , Nakamichi Seiko
Published: June 2024

Background

Patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis (hyperhidrosis) are known to have higher levels of anxiety induced by sweating than those who do not. However, in hyperhidrosis, no scale has been developed to measure anxiety specific to hyperhidrosis symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an anxiety scale specific to hyperhidrosis symptoms (ASSHS) and to verify its reliability and validity.

Methods

Based on previous studies on hyperhidrosis and a preliminary survey conducted with 26 university students who met the diagnostic criteria for hyperhidrosis, 40 items that adequately reflected anxiety specific to hyperhidrosis symptoms were obtained. A survey was done to examine the internal consistency and validity of the our developed ASSHS. In total, 1,207 participants (680 male and 527 female; mean age ± standard deviation 18.7 ± 0.9 years) were included. A second survey (re-survey) was conducted three weeks later to verify the reliability. It included 201 participants (85 male and 116 female; mean age ± standard deviation 18.6 ± 0.7 years). The survey items included (1) the diagnostic criteria for hyperhidrosis, (2) our anxiety scale developed for primary focal hyperhidrosis symptoms (ASSHS), (3) Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS), (4) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), (5) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), (6) Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and (7) presence of anxiety induced by sweating.

Results

The results of the factor analysis revealed 10 items with one factor, “anxiety specific to hyperhidrosis symptoms.” The alpha coefficient of the ASSHS was α = 0.94. The correlation coefficient between the scores at re-test was r = 0.75. A moderate positive correlation was found between the ASSHS, HDSS (r = 0.53), and anxiety induced by sweating (r = 0.47) (all p < 0.001). Additionally, participants with hyperhidrosis symptoms had significantly higher ASSHS scores than did those without hyperhidrosis symptoms (p < 0.001). Those with mild/moderate hyperhidrosis and those with severe hyperhidrosis had significantly higher the ASSHS scores than did those without hyperhidrosis (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This scale has sufficient reliability and validity as an instrument to measure anxiety specific to hyperhidrosis symptoms.
Development and external validation of a machine learning model for the prediction of persistent acute kidney injury stage 3 in multi-centric, multi-national intensive care cohorts
Authors: Zappalà Simone , Alfieri Francesca , Ancona Andrea , Taccone Fabio Silvio , Maviglia Riccardo , Cauda Valentina , Finazzi Stefano , Dell’Anna Antonio Maria
Published: June 2024

Background

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to develop and validate on multiple international datasets a real-time machine learning model able to accurately predict persistent acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

We selected adult patients admitted to ICU classified as AKI stage 2 or 3 as defined by the “Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes” criteria. The primary endpoint was the ability to predict AKI stage 3 lasting for at least 72 h while in the ICU. An explainable tree regressor was trained and calibrated on two tertiary, urban, academic, single-center databases and externally validated on two multi-centers databases.

Results

A total of 7759 ICU patients were enrolled for analysis. The incidence of persistent stage 3 AKI varied from 11 to 6% in the development and internal validation cohorts, respectively and 19% in external validation cohorts. The model achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.94 (95% CI 0.92–0.95) in the US external validation cohort and 0.85 (95% CI 0.83–0.88) in the Italian external validation cohort.

Conclusions

A machine learning approach fed with the proper data pipeline can accurately predict onset of Persistent AKI Stage 3 during ICU patient stay in retrospective, multi-centric and international datasets. This model has the potential to improve management of AKI episodes in ICU if implemented in clinical practice.
Physical rehabilitation program for cardiorespiratory health and quality of life among breast cancer survivors in UAE: protocol for a randomized control trial
Authors: Rashid Fatima Abdul , Anwar Wajiha , Kandakurti Praveen Kumar , Hazari Animesh
Published: June 2024

Background

Cancer is a medical condition where some cells of the body reproduce uncontrollably and metastasize to other parts of the body. The burden of the disease is significantly high both at the global and national levels. In UAE, cancer was found to be the third leading cause of death. Breast cancer has been ranked first due to its prevalence, incidence, and mortality in UAE. Breast cancer survivors have significantly poor cardiovascular tolerance which affects their quality of life (QoL), even after the carcinoma has been treated or removed. Thus, the protocol aims to analyze the changes in cardiovascular endurance and QoL domains for breast cancer survivors in the United Arab Emirates using a long-term 2-month physical rehabilitation.

Methods

A total of 60 breast cancer survivors would be included in the study using a randomized controlled allocation of a 2-month physical rehabilitation intervention program with 3 months of follow-up. The intervention would target the cardiovascular endurance component of the participants to improve their physical well-being and quality of life ultimately.

Discussion

The findings of the study would have high clinical significance among breast cancer survivors in the UAE. The proposed physical rehabilitation program could be beneficial in improving cardiovascular endurance and thereby reduce the risk of mortality among breast cancer survivors. In addition, the physiological benefits of the exercise program could improve their quality-of-life domains including physical, mental, and social well-being. On a larger view, it could also help to reduce the economic burden on the health system due to associated complications.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06013527. Registered on 28 August 2023.
The opposing effect of acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection on tumor development
Authors: Song Yining , Yuan Hao , Yang Xiaoying , Yang Zipeng , Ren Zhaowen , Qi Shuting , He Houjing , Zhang Xiu-Xiang , Jiang Tiantian , Yuan Zi-Guo
Published: June 2024

Background

The interplay between Toxoplasma gondii infection and tumor development is intriguing and not yet fully understood. Some studies showed that T. gondii reversed tumor immune suppression, while some reported the opposite, stating that T. gondii infection promoted tumor growth.

Methods

We created three mouse models to investigate the interplay between T. gondii and tumor. Model I aimed to study the effect of tumor growth on T. gondii infection by measuring cyst number and size. Models II and III were used to investigate the effect of different stages of T. gondii infection on tumor development via flow cytometry and bioluminescent imaging. Mouse strains (Kunming, BALB/c, and C57BL/6J) with varying susceptibilities to tumors were used in the study.

Results

The size and number of brain cysts in the tumor-infected group were significantly higher, indicating that tumor presence promotes T. gondii growth in the brain. Acute T. gondii infection, before or after tumor cell introduction, decreased tumor growth manifested by reduced bioluminescent signal and tumor size and weight. In the tumor microenvironment, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell number, including their subpopulations (cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and Th1 cells) had a time-dependent increase in the group with acute T. gondii infection compared with the group without infection. However, in the peripheral blood, the increase of T cells, including cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and Th1 cells, persisted 25 days after Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell injection in the group with acute T. gondii. Chronic T. gondii infection enhanced tumor growth as reflected by increase in tumor size and weight. The LLC group with chronic T. gondii infection exhibited decreased percentages of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and Th1 cells 25 days post-LLC injection as compared with the LLC group without T. gondii infection. At week 4 post-LLC injection, chronic T. gondii infection increased tumor formation rate [odds ratio (OR) 1.71] in both KM and BALB/c mice.

Conclusions

Our research elucidates the dynamics between T. gondii infection and tumorigenesis. Tumor-induced immune suppression promoted T. gondii replication in the brain. Acute and chronic T. gondii infection had opposing effects on tumor development.

Graphical Abstract
HIV-1 virion lysis following centrifugation improves the sensitivity of the Fourth-Generation HIV Ag/Ab combo assay
Authors: Wandera Allan , Ssekatawa Kenneth , Kato Charles Drago , Kwizera Eliah , Mujinya Pastori , Siida Robert
Published: June 2024

Objective

Fourth-generation HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay is used for HIV screening of blood for transfusion in developing countries, however, the sensitivity of the assay is questionable during the acute phase of HIV infection. Thus, the study aimed to determine the effect of combining centrifugation with HIV-1 virion lysis on the sensitivity of the fourth-generation HIV Ag/Ab combo assay.

Results

When the 50 HIV-1 antibody-negative samples were run on the fourth-generation HIV Ag/Ab combo assay, 8 (16%) were positive following centrifugation, 13 (26%) were positive following lysis while 25 (50%) were positive after combining centrifugation with HIV-1 virion lysis.
Timely care for age-related macular degeneration: a qualitative study among retina specialists in Israel
Authors: Myers Vicki , Luxenburg Osnat , Wilf-Miron Rachel , Verbin Hani Levkovitch
Published: June 2024

Background

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects quality of life and independence, and its incidence and prevalence are increasing due to ageing of the population. Access to effective timely treatment can improve vision and reduce incidence of blindness. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of ophthalmologists in the Israeli public healthcare system regarding timely treatment of AMD patients.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2020-2021 with 22 senior ophthalmologists, from 10 general hospitals and from two HMOs, representing different geographic regions. All interviewees specialize in retinal diseases and work with AMD patients. Interviews discussed patient pathways involved in the diagnosis and treatment of AMD, access to care, and obstacles to timely care. Thematic analysis was conducted.

Results

Based on the interviews, we describe the usual referral and treatment pathways. Themes included regional disparities, long wait times in some areas, a lack of retina specialists, differences in referral pathways, inappropriate use of emergency department to obtain timely treatment, and second-line treatment not fully covered by insurance, most affecting the weakest segments of the population.

Conclusions

Loss of vision incurs high health and societal costs. In the context of insufficient medical manpower in Israel, the healthcare system will need to assess future resources to cope with accumulating burden of AMD cases over time in an ageing population. Precise referral information, and simultaneous referral to imaging and retinal clinics, may minimize delays in treatment. Awareness of AMD symptoms and the importance of early intervention could be highlighted by campaigns, particularly among high-risk groups.

Highlights

• Interviews with hospital-based and community ophthalmologists showed regional disparities in AMD treatment, with long wait times and a lack of retina specialists in some areas.

• Differences in referral pathways, inappropriate use of emergency department to obtain timely treatment, and second line treatment not fully covered by insurance were highlighted.

• The healthcare system will need to assess future resources to cope with accumulating burden of AMD cases over time in an ageing population

• Precise referral information, and simultaneous referral to imaging and retinal clinics, may minimize delays in treatment.

• Awareness of AMD symptoms and the importance of early intervention should be emphasized in high-risk groups.
The epidemiology of drug-related hospital admissions in paediatrics – a systematic review
Authors: Eberl Sonja , Heus Pauline , Toni Irmgard , Bachmat Igor , Neubert Antje
Published: June 2024

Background

Despite previous efforts, medication safety in paediatrics remains a major concern. To inform improvement strategies and further research especially in outpatient care, we systematically reviewed the literature on the frequency and nature of drug-related hospital admissions in children.

Methods

Searches covered Embase, Medline, Web of Science, grey literature sources and relevant article citations. Studies reporting epidemiological data on paediatric drug-related hospital admissions published between 01/2000 and 01/2024 were eligible. Study identification, data extraction, and critical appraisal were conducted independently in duplicate using templates based on the ’Joanna Briggs Institute’ recommendations.

Results

The review included data from 45 studies reporting > 24,000 hospitalisations for adverse drug events (ADEs) or adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Due to different reference groups, a total of 52 relative frequency values were provided. We stratified these results by study characteristics. As a percentage of inpatients, the highest frequency of drug-related hospitalisation was found with ‘intensive ADE monitoring’, ranging from 3.1% to 5.8% (5 values), whereas with ‘routine ADE monitoring’, it ranged from 0.2% to 1.0% (3 values). The relative frequencies of ‘ADR-related hospitalisations’ ranged from 0.2% to 6.9% for ‘intensive monitoring’ (23 values) and from 0.04% to 3.8% for ‘routine monitoring’ (8 values). Per emergency department visits, five relative frequency values ranged from 0.1% to 3.8% in studies with ‘intensive ADE monitoring’, while all other eight values were ≤ 0.1%. Heterogeneity prevented pooled estimates. Studies rarely reported on the nature of the problems, or studies with broader objectives lacked disaggregated data. Limited data indicated that one in three (median) drug-related admissions could have been prevented, especially by more attentive prescribing. Besides polypharmacy and oncological therapy, no other risk factors could be clearly identified. Insufficient information and a high risk of bias, especially in retrospective and routine observational studies, hampered the assessment.

Conclusion

Given the high frequency of drug-related hospitalisations, medication safety in paediatrics needs to be further improved. As routine identification appears unreliable, clinical awareness needs to be raised. To gain more profound insights especially for generating improvement strategies, we have to address under-reporting and methodological issues in future research.

Trial registration

PROSPERO (CRD42021296986)
Innovative perspective for the cleaning of historical iron heritage: novel bio-organogel for the combined removal of undesired organic coatings and corrosion
Authors: Passaretti Arianna , Cuvillier Luana , Sciutto Giorgia , Joseph Edith
Published: June 2024

An innovative green organogel was designed to simultaneously tackle inorganic compounds (i.e., iron corrosion) and organic substances (i.e., acrylic coatings) as undesired materials possibly present on the surface of altered indoor metal artworks. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), ethyl lactate (EL), and deferoxamine B (DFO) were employed in the formulation as thickening agent, organic solvent, and complexing agent, respectively, aiming to propose a sustainable and less harmful chemical cleaning method for metal care. The components were selected because they are bio-sourced, renewable, biodegradable, and non- or low-toxic materials. A multi-modal protocol of analysis was carried out to characterise the newly designed PHB-EL-DFO organogel. The cleaning performance of the novel formulation was assessed on mild steel mock-ups presenting both corrosion and organic coating to be removed. The conducted multi-analytical approach verified that the PHB-EL-DFO gel was able to tackle the two undesired materials simultaneously in an adjustable and easy-to-use way thanks to a modular application.
Date pomace polysaccharide: ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction, physicochemical properties, biological activities, gut microbiota modulation, and rheological properties
Authors: Bamigbade Gafar Babatunde , Subhash Athira Jayasree , Tarique Mohammed , al-Ramadi Basel , Abu-Jdayil Basim , Kamal-Eldin Afaf , Nyström Laura , Ayyash Mutamed
Published: June 2024

Background

This study utilized ultrasonication-assisted green extraction techniques to explore the physicochemical, rheological, biological, and prebiotic properties, alongside gut modulation abilities of novel polysaccharides extracted from date pomace. The extraction aimed at enhancing the utilization of date pomace, a by-product of date fruit processing, by investigating its potential as a functional food ingredient. The research focused on optimizing the extraction process, understanding the complex structure of the polysaccharides, and assessing their various health-related functionalities.

Results

The ultrasonically extracted polysaccharides (UPS) were identified as a mixture of significant bioactive compounds including galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, arabinose, and fructose, showcasing a high molecular weight of 537.7 kDa. The study found that UPS exhibited outstanding antioxidant activities, with scavenging abilities ranging from 59 to 82% at a concentration of 1000 mg/L. Additionally, UPS demonstrated potent inhibitory effects on α-amylase (83%), α-glucosidase (81%), and ACE-inhibition (45%), alongside strong antiproliferative activities against Caco-2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Remarkably, UPS also enhanced the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota, including Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, during in vitro fermentations and positively modulated gut metabolic pathways, promoting the production of major short-chain fatty acids. UPS had higher abundance in pathways related to cofactors, vitamins, electron carriers, and prosthetic groups biosynthesis compared to blank.

Conclusions

The findings affirm the potential of UPS extracted from date pomace as an innovative and promising functional food ingredient. Its high molecular weight, complex sugar composition, significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative activities, and prebiotic properties make it a valuable resource for promoting health and managing diseases. This study paves the way for further research on the bioavailability and physiological effects of UPS in vivo, highlighting the importance of sustainable utilization of agricultural by-products in developing functional foods that support human health.

Graphical Abstract
Exogenous proline regulates pectin demethylation by rescuing pectin methylesterase functioning of cell wall from Cr(VI) toxicity in rice plants
Authors: Ullah Abid , Lin Yu-Juan , Tian Peng , Yu Xiao-Zhang
Published: June 2024

Background

Plants are equipped with several sophisticated mechanisms to deal with heavy metals (HMs) toxicity. Cell walls, which are rich in pectin, are important in the sequestration and compartmentalization of HMs. Pectin demethylation is carried out by pectin methylesterase (PME), which is a crucial activity in cell walls for the adsorption of HMs. This study focused on the factors that contribute to chromium (Cr) adsorption in rice plants exposed to Cr(VI) treatments without proline (Pro) “Cr(VI)” and with Pro “Pro + Cr(VI)” application.

Results

The results exhibited that when rice plants were treated with Cr(VI), their PME activity decreased, because Cr(VI) was bound to certain isoforms of PME and prevented the demethylation of pectin. The application of Pro increased PME activity by promoting the transcription of several PME-related genes. These genes were recognized on the basis of their similarity with PME genes in Arabidopsis. Gene expression variation factors (GEVFs) between the “Cr(VI)” and “Pro + Cr(VI)” treatments revealed that OsPME7 and OsPME9 have the highest positive GEVF values than other OsPME genes of rice. In addition, Pro application increased pectin content significantly in rice plants exposed to Cr(VI) stress. Proline application also leads to an increased concentration of Cr in rice roots compared with “Cr(VI)” treatments alone.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that Pro increased Cr(VI) adsorption in cell walls of rice plants by enhancing the PME activity and pectin content when exposed to “Cr(VI)” treatments, mainly regulated by OsPME7 and OsPME9.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-view graph-based interview representation to improve depression level estimation
Authors: Agarwal Navneet , Dias Gaël , Dollfus Sonia
Published: June 2024

Depression is a serious mental illness that affects millions worldwide and consequently has attracted considerable research interest in recent years. Within the field of automated depression estimation, most researchers focus on neural network architectures while ignoring other research directions. Within this paper, we explore an alternate approach and study the impact of input representations on the learning ability of the models. In particular, we work with graph-based representations to highlight different aspects of input transcripts, both at the interview and corpus levels. We use sentence similarity graphs and keyword correlation graphs to exemplify the advantages of graphical representations over sequential models for binary classification problems within depression estimation. Additionally, we design multi-view architectures that split interview transcripts into question and answer views in order to take into account dialogue structure. Our experiments show the benefits of multi-view based graphical input encodings over sequential models and provide new state-of-the-art results for binary classification on the gold standard DAIC-WOZ dataset. Further analysis establishes our method as a means for generating meaningful insights and visual summaries of interview transcripts that can be used by medical professionals.
Morality matters: social psychological perspectives on how and why CSR activities and communications affect stakeholders’ support - experimental design evidence for the mediating role of perceived organizational morality comparing WEIRD (UK) and non-WEIRD (Russia) country
Authors: Chopova Tatiana , Ellemers Naomi , Sinelnikova Elena
Published: June 2024

Companies’ communications about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have become increasingly prevalent yet psychological reasons for why those communications might lead to positive reactions of the general public are not fully understood. Building on theories on impression formation and social evaluation, we assess how CSR communications affect perceived morality and competence of a company. We theorize that the organization’s CSR activities would positively impact on perceived organizational morality rather than on perceived organizational competence and that this increase in perceived organizational morality leads to an increase in stakeholders’ support. Two experimental design studies show support for our theorizing. We cross-validated the robustness and generality of the prediction in two countries with different business practices (UK (N = 203), Russia (N = 96)). We demonstrated that while the general perceptions of companies and CSR differ between the UK and Russia, the underlying psychological mechanisms work in a similar fashion. By testing our predictions in western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) and in non- WEIRD countries, we also extend current socio-psychological insights on the social evaluation of others. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.
Prevalence and determinants of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) among young adults in Indian households: an analysis of NFHS-5
Authors: Takale Geetanjali , Handore Avantika , Jeyakumar Angeline , Godbharle Swapnil
Published: June 2024

Background

Multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are defined as the presence of two or more chronic conditions, that significantly impact health status, functional capacity, quality of life, and overall healthcare management. Despite the significant evidence on chronic disease burden, the co-existence of MCC within a household in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is less studied. This study therefore estimates the prevalence of MCC and its determinants among adults in the Indian households.

Methods

Data used in this study were drawn from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in 2019–21. Data sets of men (15–54 years) and women (15–49 years) were used for the study. The total sample size of adults for this analysis was N = 239,848. The outcome variable of this study was multiple chronic conditions (MCC) in adults which included a total of nine chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disorders, cancer, thyroid disorders, obesity, and heart diseases, consuming alcohol, chewing tobacco, and smoking) documented in NFHS-5. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used to quantify the results.

Results

A prevalence of 5.5% of MCC in adults emerged from our study. Logistic regression analysis identified that younger age, males (AOR 0.36 (0.33–0.39)), urban areas (AOR 1.11 (1.02–1.17)) as the place of residence, and participants representing SC (AOR 0.89 (0.81–0.97)), and ST (AOR 1.30 (1.17–1.45)), had a higher risk of MCC irrespective of level of education, type of occupation, marital status, or wealth index, and states from any category of social progress.

Conclusion

A 5% prevalence of MCC specifically obesity, substance use, and hypertension calls for integrated efforts aiming at behavior change, and regulatory efforts to prevent further increase of MCC among young adults in India.
Frequency and intensity discrimination in children with cochlear implants
Authors: Negm Nahed Mohamed , Elmahalawy Trandil Hassan , Kolkaila Enaas Ahmad , Kotait Mona Ahmed
Published: June 2024

Background

Frequency discrimination underlies more complicated auditory activities like speech comprehension and interpretation. However, intensity differences indicate how far apart noises are. This study aimed to evaluate and compare results of frequency modulation and difference limen for intensity in children with cochlear Implants (CI) as well as normal hearing children.

Results

This case–control work was performed on 40 children, aged from 5–18 years, divided into two equal groups: a study group with unilateral CI and a control group with normal peripheral hearing. All patients were subjected to otological examination, audiological evaluation, frequency modulation difference limen (FMDL) and difference limen for intensity (DLI) tests. Patients with CI, as compared to normal hearing (NH) subjects, required significantly higher frequencies to discriminate FMDL and DLI respectively (P value = 0.001). At 2000 and 4000 Hz: FMDL had a significant diagnostic power for patients with CI (AUC = 0.980, 0.998 respectively, P < 0.001), at cut off 1.5, with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. While, at 4000 Hz: DLI had a significant diagnostic power for patients with CI (AUC = 0.999, P < 0.001), at cut off 1.5, with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Conclusion

A statistically substantial variation was observed among CI and NH children in FMDL and DLI at all frequencies tested. Patients with CI required significantly higher frequencies to discriminate as compared to NH subjects. Frequencies at 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz possess the best specificity and sensitivity of FMDL. While frequency 4000 Hz possess the best specificity and sensitivity of DLI.
Effect of different personal protective equipment on sound discrimination in children using unilateral cochlear implants during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sheikhany Ayatallah Raouf , Azzab Safinaz Nageib , Shawky Mohamed Ayman Mohamed , Abdelmonem Ahmed Ali
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic obliged people to wear personal protective equipment (PPEs), which can harm verbal communication and speech intelligibility. The first aim was to study the impact of wearing PPEs on the voice and speech parameters of phoniatricians during therapy sessions. The second aim was to study the effect of phoniatricians wearing these PPEs on auditory discrimination of the Ling’s six sounds in children using unilateral cochlear implants.

Methods

The study was a case–control one, done in the phoniatrics outpatient clinics at Beni-Suef University and Cairo University hospitals. Four phoniatricians participated in this study, and the Dr. Speech software analyzed their speech and voice parameters during utterance of the Ling’s six sounds. Each phoniatrician uttered each Ling sound individually four times to assess fundamental frequency and intensity: first time without wearing any mask, second time while wearing a surgical mask, third time while wearing a face shield, and fourth time while wearing an N95 mask. The study also included forty patients using unilateral cochlear implants (group A) and forty children with normal peripheral hearing (group B). The phoniatricians again uttered the Ling’s six sounds to assess auditory discrimination in both groups. This subjective auditory discrimination was also tested in both groups four times: first time without wearing any mask, second time while wearing a surgical mask, third time while wearing a face shield, and fourth time while wearing an N95 mask.

Results and conclusion

The intensity of Ling’s six sounds was significantly lowest in the face shield. Regardless of the PPE type, patients with unilateral cochlear implants showed less consonant discrimination of (mm) sound. Surgical masks and N95 provided the best acoustic performance, while face shields had the worst.
Indications and outcomes of subtotal petrosectomy: our experience and review of literature
Authors: Goyal Sunil , Chugh Rajeev , Madan Tanuj , Dwivedi Gunjan , Bhalla Vijay , Verma Parul
Published: June 2024

Background

Subtotal petrosectomy (STP) has attracted massive interest over last two decades. The aim is to present our experience of this uncommon surgery. The indications, outcomes, and our variation in surgical technique would be presented and literature reviewed.

Methods

A retrospective observational study of all patients who underwent STP at a tertiary care center in India was analyzed.

Results

A total of 9 ears (in 8 patients) underwent STP over last 5 years at our center. The pathological conditions for which STP was done included chronic otitis media squamous (four ears), middle ear tumors (three ears), petrous apicitis (one ear), and traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorhinorrhea (one ear). The indication of STP included disease clearance (eight ears), unserviceable hearing (seven ears), hearing rehabilitation with otological implants (six ears), and intraoperative CSF gusher (one ear). Intraoperative indications included CSF gusher, large tegmen defect with erosion of apical turn of cochlea, and erosion of anterior bony wall of external auditory canal. The mean follow-up period was 36 months (range of 6 months to 60 months). None of the patients had any dehiscence of blind sac closure or secondary acquired cholesteatoma on imaging.

Conclusions

STP facilitates disease clearance by providing unmatchable exposure in difficult otological scenarios and additionally isolates middle ear cleft from external environment, thereby eliminating problems of mastoid cavity. Furthermore, it also prepares ear for second stage otological implants. It is a safe surgery with minimal complications.
Comprehensive clinical characteristics and ctDNA mutational profile analysis of endocrine resistance/sensitivity to adjuvant ET therapy in luminal breast cancer from the GEICAM/2014-03_RegistEM registry.
Authors: Guerrero Angel , Alvarez Isabel , Antolín Novoa Silvia , Cruz Jurado Josefina , Rodriguez Sanchez CESAR Augusto , Martinez Purificacion , Falo Catalina , Hernández-Sosa María , Margelí Mireia , Gonzalez Maeso Iria , Rodríguez- Lescure Álvaro , Marin Alcalá Maria , Anton Antonio , Varela Ferreiro Silvia , Herranz Jesús , Caballero Rosalia , Fernández García Daniel , Tibau Ariadna , Lopez-Tarruella Cobo Sara , Rojo Todo Federico Gustavo
Published: June 2024

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Background: Patients (pts) with hormone receptor-positive (HR) early breast cancer (BC) may develop resistance to adjuvant endocrine therapies (ET), with relapse occurring months (m) to decades after surgery. Our study explores clinical characteristics, prognosis, and oncogenic drivers in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at relapse in HR+ BC pts, based on their sensitivity to adjuvant ET. Methods: In the REGISTEM study, we identified 805 primary HR-positive BC pts who developed metastatic relapse. These cases were classified based on their sensitivity to adjuvant ET, according to the 5th ESO-ESMO ABC Guidelines: 1ET-resistance (1ET-R, relapse within the first 2 years of adj ET; n=138), 2ET-resistance (2ET-R, relapse after the first 2 years or <12 m after completing adj ET; n=284), and ET-sensitive (ET-S, relapse after >12 m of completing adj ET; n=383). Out of this cohort, 139 individuals had plasma samples obtained prior to the initiation of the first-line treatment for advanced disease, and these samples were analyzed using the AVENIO ctDNA assay. Results: Pts with 1ET-R were significantly more likely to have grade 3, stage III, and highly proliferative tumors (Ki67>20%). The median time to distant relapse was 24 m for 1ET-R, 52.8 m for 2ET-R, and 124 m for ET-S cases. For first-line treatment, the median PFS was 8.1 m for 1ET-R, 13 m for 2ET-R, and 21.2 m for ET-S relapse (p<0.0001). With a median follow-up in the advanced setting of 34 m, median OS was 28 m for 1ET-R, 46 m for 2ET-R, and 55 m for ET-S relapses (p<0.0001). Pts with ET resistance had more mutations (mut) and higher mut allele frequency than ET-sensitive relapse. Pts with ET resistance showed higher incidence of mut in TP53, ESR1, PTEN, andhigh copy number in EGFRand ERBB2 than ET-sensitive, but similar incidence of mut in PIK3CA.Mut in ESR1 and high copy number in EGFR were correlated with poorer PFS, while ESR1 mut were additionally associated with worse OS, although these associations were not independent of the ET relapse groups (Table). Furthermore, mut in PIK3CA were associated to worse PFS only in ET-R pts. Conclusions: In HR-positive BC, both primary and secondary resistance to adjuvant ET represents a highly aggressive disease with enriched actionable genetic alterations detected at the time of diagnosis of metastatic relapse. Addressing these alterations has the potential to mitigate the unfavorable prognosis associated with these cases. Clinical trial information: NCT02819882 .[Table: see text]
H3B-6545 in women with locally advanced/metastatic estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), HER2 negative (–) breast cancer (BC).
Authors: Hamilton Erika P. , Pluard Timothy J. , Wang Judy S. , Morikawa Aki , Johnston Stephen R. D. , Dees Elizabeth Claire , Vaklavas Christos , Armstrong Anne C. , Munster Pamela N. , Unni Nisha , Wright Gail Lynn Shaw , Kayali Fadi , Song Tingting , Rong Yuanxin , Yamaguchi Kohei , Juric Dejan
Published: June 2024

1015

Background: H3B-6545 is a novel selective ER covalent antagonist (SERCA) that inactivates wild-type and mutant ERα. This phase 1/2 study aimed to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), and characterize safety and efficacy of H3B-6545 in women with advanced/metastatic ER+, HER2– BC. Methods: This multicenter, open-label study included dose-escalation [ph1] and -expansion [ph2] phases. Females (postmenopausal or concurrently receiving a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist) with ER+, HER2–BC who had disease progression on standard therapy were eligible. Prior therapy must have included a minimum of 2 hormonal therapies (HTs), or 1 HT + 1 chemotherapy, or 1 HT + a CDK4/6 inhibitor. H3B-6545 was administered orally QD at doses of 100-600 mg. The MTD was the highest dose at which ≤1 of 6 patients (pts) had a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). In ph2, efficacy of the RP2D was examined. The primary endpoints were determination of RP2D (ph1) and efficacy (ph2; including objective response rate [ORR], duration of response [DOR], and progression-free survival [PFS] per RECIST v1.1 by investigator, and overall survival [OS]). Safety and PK were secondary endpoints. Results: At data cutoff (30 Nov 22), 151 pts received ≥1 dose of H3B-6545 during ph1 or ph2. Pts had a median (m [range]) of 2 (1-7) prior endocrine- and 1 (1-6) non-endocrine–containing therapies; 90.1% of pts received prior CDK4/6 inhibitors. During ph1, DLTs of grade (G) 3 rash (n=1) and G 3 fatigue (n=1) were observed at 600 mg; thus, 450 mg was determined to be the MTD/RP2D. In the full analysis set (N=151), 100% and 50.3% of pts had any grade and G ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), respectively. TEAEs leading to drug interruption, dose reduction, and withdrawal occurred in 38.4%, 20.5%, and 8.6% of pts, respectively. Nausea (45.7% [2.0% G ≥3]), sinus bradycardia (44.4% [0% G ≥3]), and diarrhea (41.1% [1.3% G ≥3]) were the most common TEAEs. QT prolongation occurred in 9.9% [3.3% G ≥3] of pts. Among 94 response-evaluable pts treated at 450 mg, ORR was 20.2% (95% CI 12.6–29.8) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 41.5% (95% CI 31.4–52.1); mPFS (95% CI) was 5.06 (3.15–7.26) months. Among all pts treated at 450 mg (n=115), mOS (95% CI) was 21.52 (16.56–25.46) months. Plasma concentration of H3B-6545 increased as dose increased. Additional results are shown (Table). Conclusions: H3B-6545 had a low rate of G ≥3 TEAEs and showed clinically meaningful antitumor activity in heavily pretreated female patients with ER+, HER2– BC. Clinical trial information: NCT03250676 . [Table: see text]