bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of eating behavior with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders in middle-aged women: An observational study
Authors: Kuutti Mari A , Hyvärinen Matti , Lankila Hannamari , Aukee Pauliina , Hietavala Enni-Maria , Laakkonen Eija K
Published: December 2024

Background:

Estrogen deficiency during menopause, aging, reproductive history, and factors increasing intra-abdominal pressure may lead to structural and functional failure in the pelvic floor. Lifestyle choices, such as eating behavior, may contribute to pelvic floor disorders.

Objectives:

The objective of the study was to investigate associations of eating behavior with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, that is, stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and constipation or defecation difficulties among middle-aged women.

Design:

A cross-sectional, observational study was performed using a population sample of 1098 Finnish women aged 47–55 years.

Methods:

Eating behavior, food consumption frequency, demographical, gynecological, and physical activity variables were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of eating behavior, food frequency, and symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. Models were adjusted with demographical, gynecological, and physical activity variables.

Results:

In adjusted models, middle-aged women with disordered eating style were more likely to experience the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (odds ratio (OR) 1.5, p = 0.002), and constipation or defecation difficulties (OR 1.4, p = 0.041). Adding body mass index into the models abolished associations. Of the studied food items, more frequent consumption of ready-made, highly processed foods (OR 1.5, p = 0.001), and fast foods (OR 1.5, p = 0.005) were independently associated with symptoms of stress urinary incontinence regardless of eating style, whereas consuming ready-made foods (OR 1.4, p = 0.048) was associated with symptoms of urgency urinary incontinence. Daily consumption of fruits (OR 0.8, p = 0.034) was independently associated with symptoms of stress urinary incontinence. Furthermore, we observed that daily consumption of porridge was associated with symptoms of constipation or defecation difficulties (OR 1.7, p = 0.010) independently of eating style. Alcohol consumption (OR 0.9, p = 0.015) was inversely associated with constipation and defecation difficulties. Women with overall higher quality diet had lower odds for stress urinary incontinence (OR 0.9, p = 0.002).

Conclusion:

This study provides proof-of-concept evidence to the hypothesis that eating behavior and consuming certain food items are associated with perceived pelvic floor disorders. As a preventive action, eating behavior of women with the risk of these symptoms should be assessed, and guidance toward healthy eating patterns should be provided.
Physicians’ acceptance and adoption of mobile health applications during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model
Authors: Alsahli Sultan , Hor Su-yin , Lam Mary K
Published: December 2024

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of mobile health applications in the management of health crises. Despite the promising outcomes of these technologies, however, their acceptance and use among physicians in the developing world such as Saudi Arabia are notably low. Objective: The study aimed to explore the factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of mobile health applications by physicians in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The study employed a qualitative research method, guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study collected data through semi-structured interviews with 16 physicians to delve into the determinants of their readiness to adopt m-health technologies. Data were analysed using template analysis to identify key themes and patterns. Results: In line with the UTAUT, the study identified performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions as significant influencing factors of the acceptance and adoption of mobile health applications by physicians in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic. This study also inquired into context-specific determinants, such as data privacy concerns, patient engagement, organisational support and compatibility with religious and cultural norms, which are especially relevant in Saudi Arabia and similar developing countries, where these factors, alongside the exigencies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, have shaped the landscape of mobile health applications utilisation. Conclusions: This study enriches the literature by expanding the UTAUT model to include context-specific drivers of acceptance and adoption. It highlights the need for tailored adoption frameworks to fit local contexts for successful m-health integration. Implications: This research broadens the UTAUT model by including cultural compatibility and data privacy concerns, offering deeper insights into mHealth adoption during crises. It highlights the need for policies and practices that support culturally sensitive app design, strengthen data privacy measures and provide improved training and patient engagement to enhance mHealth adoption.
Exploring the impact of developmental dysplasia of the hip on refugees with temporary protected status in Türkiye
Authors: Bingöl Izzet , Taşcı Murat , Yaşar Niyazi Erdem , Ata Naim , Ülgü M Mahir , Birinci Şuayip , Sağlam Yavuz , Söylemez Mehmet Salih
Published: December 2024

Objective:

In this study, we examined whether there was a change in the number of children who had been screened by hip ultrasound, the age of first diagnosis, and the number of invasive and conservative treatments applied due to developmental dysplasia of the hip between 2016 and 2022 among refugees who were in “Temporary Protection Status” in Türkiye?

Methods:

The records were collected via the e-health database of the Turkish Ministry of Health. Over 1 month old were included in the study.

Results:

The number of ultrasonography (USG) that was performed for developmental dysplasia of the hip survey had significantly increased over time. The incidence for 5 years was 6 cases per 100 babies. However, the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip needing intervention was 0.4 cases per 1000 babies. In 2016, the most used diagnosis method was X-ray. By contrast, the use of USG has increased from 2016 to 2022. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was significantly high in 2016, 2017, and 2020. The number of invasive treatment modalities including closed reduction under anesthesia, open reduction alone, or open reduction with pelvic and/or femoral osteotomies had significantly decreased from 2016 to 2022. However, the number of abduction orthosis used for treatment also increased significantly.

Conclusions:

Free access to health services is effective in promoting families’ compliance with screening programs for developmental dysplasia of the hip. But is not enough for initial periods of mass migrations. To increase sensitivity to screening programs for possible diseases, further efforts are needed to prevent low compliance in early cases of mass migrations.
Diagnostic efficacy of aldosterone-to-renin ratio to screen primary aldosteronism in hypertension: a systemic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kao Ting-Wei , Chen Jui-Yi , Liu Jung-Hua , Tseng Wen-Hsin , Hsieh Chih-Chia , Wu Vin-Cent , Lin Yen-Hung , Chen Zheng-Wei
Published: December 2024

Background:

The aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) is commonly used for screening primary aldosteronism (PA) in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension. Various thresholds have been proposed for the confirmatory tests, leading to inconsistency in the results.

Objectives:

This study aimed to elucidate the performance of ARR screening in hypertensive patients.

Design:

Systemic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources and methods:

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception to January 2024. Studies that used the ARR to screen for PA and provided a comprehensive probability panel specifically focusing on hypertensive individuals were considered for enrollment. Pooled diagnostic efficacy was evaluated, and subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted based on different demographic and clinical parameters.

Results:

Eighteen observational studies encompassing 7150 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of PA in the hypertensive cohort was 15.2%, and pooled sensitivity and specificity were 81.6% and 93.3%, respectively, resulting in a diagnostic odds ratio of 62.0. Fagan’s nomogram showed that a positive ARR increased the post-test probability to 80% from a pre-test probability of 25%. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 94.7%. Notably, analysis of variability demonstrated that the diagnostic performance was consistent across either ARR based on plasma renin activity or direct renin concentration, geographic region, sex, mean age, potassium level, and systolic blood pressure.

Conclusion:

ARR was validated as a viable screening methodology for PA in hypertensive individuals. Moreover, its diagnostic efficacy remained unchanged across diverse clinical contexts. Future studies are warranted to refine ARR methodologies and enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Trial registration:

PROSPERO ID number CRD42023493680.

Infographics

Performance of PA screening by ARR. ARR, aldosterone-to-renin ratio; BP, blood pressure; DRC, direct renin concentration; hsROC, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic; PA, primary aldosteronism; PRA, plasma renin activity. [Formula: see text]
Evaluating the precision and reliability of real-time continuous glucose monitoring systems in ambulatory settings: a systematic review
Authors: Dávila-Ruales Valentina , Gilón Laura F. , Gómez Ana M. , Muñoz Oscar M. , Serrano María N. , Henao Diana C.
Published: December 2024

Background:

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with minimally invasive devices plays a key role in the assessment of daily diabetes management by detecting and alerting to potentially dangerous trends in glucose levels, improving quality of life, and treatment adherence. However, there is still uncertainty as to whether CGMs are accurate enough to replace self-monitoring of blood glucose, especially in detecting episodes of hypoglycemia.

Objectives:

Evaluate clinical, numerical accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CGM devices commercially available when compared to the reference standard of arterial or venous blood glucose.

Data sources and methods:

We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and LILACS databases. The quality was assessed with the Quality Assessment Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Clinical and numerical accuracy data were extracted. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using Review Manager software. Heterogeneity was assessed by visual examination of forest plot and summary receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results:

Twenty-two studies with a total of 2294 patients were included. The average mean absolute relative difference for overall diagnostic accuracy was 9.4%. None of the devices evaluated with ISO 15197:2013 criteria achieved values ⩾95% of measurements in the stipulated ranges in hypoglycemia (±15 mg/dL), but two devices did achieve it in hyperglycemia (±15%; Dexcom G6 and G7). Most of the devices evaluated with consensus error grids reached values above 99% in zones A and B only in overall accuracy and hyperglycemia. For hypoglycemia, the average sensitivity was 85.7% and specificity 95.33%, and for hyperglycemia was 97.45% and 96% respectively.

Conclusion:

Currently available CGM devices have adequate accuracy for euglycemia and hyperglycemia; however, it is still inadequate for hypoglycemia, although it has improved over time.

Trial registration:

Prospero registration ID CRD42023399767.
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis mimicking multisystem pyoderma gangrenosum: A case report
Authors: Gormley Amanda , Green Peter
Published: December 2024

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, a type of small-medium vessel vasculitis, can pose diagnostic challenges due to its diverse clinical manifestations. We present a case that mimicked multisystem pyoderma gangrenosum with cutaneous ulceration, renal sparing, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody negativity. Although antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody is positive in approximately 90% of cases of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, its negativity should not exclude the diagnosis. Additionally, pyoderma gangrenosum-like cutaneous ulcers should prompt consideration of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, especially in the context of multisystem disease presentation. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a high suspicion for granulomatosis with polyangiitis in patients presenting with cutaneous ulceration and respiratory tract disease.
Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Yeo Joey , Tay Laura , Pua Yong Hao , Mah Shi Min , Tay Ee Ling , Wang Min Xian , Ng Yee Sien
Published: December 2024

Objective:

This study compares dual task (DT) gait speed between robust and frail older adults in the setting of a community-based frailty screening program.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving older adults aged 50 years or older. Participants were categorized as robust, pre-frail or frail using the FRAIL phenotype. Gait speed was measured under single task (ST) and 2 DT conditions: arithmetic (DT1) and verbal fluency (DT2) tasks. For the arithmetic task, participants counted upwards in multiples of 2, starting from 16. For the verbal fluency task, they named different animals as they walked.

Results:

A total of 976 participants were recruited, of which 779 were robust, 181 were pre-frail and 16 were frail. Robust participants exhibited significantly faster DT gait speeds (DT1: 1.12 (0.25)m/s; DT2: 0.97 (0.27)m/s than pre-frail/frail (PFF) participants (DT1: 0.88 (0.30)m/s); DT2: 0.78 (0.30)m/s). Robust participants also demonstrated a significantly faster ST gait speed (1.31 (0.22)m/s) vs 1.05 (0.31)m/s).

Conclusion:

DT gait assessment combines both physical and cognitive domains and may serve as a more holistic tool for early frailty detection in the community. The significant differences observed in DT gait speeds highlight the need for integrating cognitive assessments into frailty screening protocols, supporting timely interventions to improve health outcomes.
Sustainability and Green Practices in Restaurants: Dilemma in Adapting by QSRs in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Dutta Kirti , Gupta Kavita
Published: December 2024

Raising concerns about the adverse environmental effects of plastic-based products is fueling the demand for biodegradable tableware and other products. Greeno Magic—is a brand that produces compostable tableware and packaging material that can be used by Quick Service Restaurants in their quest to go green. Data shows that sustainable packaging is fast becoming the consumption choice of conscious consumers. Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains have the resources to go green; however, independent QSRs are facing major challenges. How can Greeno Magic convince them to adopt green practices? The other dilemma was that though it was positioned as a green alternative to plastic products, the question was whether the biodegradable tableware fulfills this objective. Studies show that biodegradable products are added to landfills, thereby not realizing the desired purpose. So how can Greeno Magic ensure that the biodegradable products achieve their mission of being environmentally friendly?
HR Analytics in Human Resource Department: Role, Opportunities and Challenges Faced by Employees of Private Banks
Authors: Gohain Angkita Borpatra , Sanyal Joyjit
Published: December 2024

In the modern era, overseeing employees within a company has evolved beyond traditional methods. With business expansion and technological advancements, managing employees and monitoring their performance can now be done online using human resource (HR) analytics tools. The utilisation of HR analytics leads to enhanced employee performance and improved business efficiency, including more effective recruitment, talent management, employee performance and decreased employee turnover. The assessment of different functions and the insights into employee performance provided by HR analytics are crucial for improving decision-making and giving the organisation a competitive advantage. This research seeks to investigate how HR analytics tools are used and highlight the benefits they provide to employees. Organisations can leverage existing data to address issues such as performance, employee turnover and employee attitudes using analytics tools. The motivation behind this research is the shortage of human resources in many organisations. Despite the challenges faced by human resources, the technological landscape has given rise to numerous analytical tools that are being adopted by large companies. The findings of the study underscore the pivotal role played by HR analytics in shaping office behaviour and the work environment.
Identifying Hip Arthroscopy Trends in Turkey
Authors: Cirdi Yigit Umur , Bingol Izzet , Kamacı Saygın , Bayram Sinem , Ata Naim , Ulgu M. Mahir , Birinci Suayip , Kayaalp Asim , Gursoy Safa
Published: December 2024

Background:

Hip arthroscopy (HA) procedures have continued to increase worldwide. However, no data are currently available regarding the increasing HA case volume and trends in Turkey.

Purpose:

To identify trends in postoperative care habits and incidence of HA in Turkey using data from the national Health Coding Reference Server (SKRS) database.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Methods:

Patients who underwent HA and were recorded in the SKRS database between 2016 and 2023 were identified and retrospectively analyzed. Age, sex, institution type, geographic zone, and number of procedures were determined. The incidence of HA, overall annual case volume, chemoprophylaxis prescriptions, and postoperative care habits were also evaluated. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes for femoral neck fracture after the index procedure and total hip arthroplasty conversion rate were analyzed. The authors utilized Poisson regression to determine the ratios of before and after periods in comparison with the same periods. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS software.

Results:

In total, 1580 HA procedures were identified. The mean age of the included patients was 39.2 ± 11.0 years (range, 18-65 years). Throughout the research period, an 833% increase in the number of surgeries was observed, whereas the incidence increased from 0.37 to 2.86 per 100,000 cases ( P = .001). A significant annual increase in incidence was noted from 2017, 2018 and 2021 compared with the respective prior year. Moreover, 56.1% of all HA cases were performed in the Marmara region, whereas 47.7% of the cases were treated in private hospitals. Femoral neck fractures were encountered in 2 (0.1%) cases throughout the study duration. Enoxaparin sodium was the most preferred chemoprophylactic drug (99.4%). The 2-year total hip arthroplasty conversion rate was 3.5%.

Conclusion:

This study describes the current trends in HA across Turkey and provides a perspective on physician preferences. Notably, HA procedure counts, the ratio between HA and other orthopaedic procedures, and the incidence of HA demonstrated an increasing trend, with enormous potential for further advancement. These findings highlight the need for the creation of a national registry capable of obtaining more specific and accurate data.
Urban scaling theory: Answers to frequent questions
Authors: Lobo José , Bettencourt Luís , Ortman Scott G
Published: December 2024

Since its start about 15 years ago, urban scaling research has become a vibrant component of the emerging field of urban science. Initially, this work focused on the identification of nonlinear relationships in urban quantities relative to population size, but more recently it has expanded to include efforts to explain observed scaling relationships in terms of new theory. We find that some misunderstandings have arisen in the literature concerning the nature and purpose of this work. Here, we address several persistent questions that have been raised with respect to urban scaling theory, clarify what we perceive to be its achievements and distinctiveness, and highlight questions and areas of opportunity for future work.
Investigation of the effect of green walking and intelligence games on the cognitive skills of individuals between the ages of 50–70 survived COVID-19 disease: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Akeren Zahide , Hintistan Sevilay
Published: December 2024

Background

Mild cognitive impairment can be considered as the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. With the addition of COVID-19 disease to the cognitive decline that occurs with aging, it may cause dementia with severe cognitive losses such as Alzheimer's disease in some people. Physical activity and brain-occupying practices can significantly improve the risk factors for cognitive disorders and Alzheimer's disease.

Objective

The aim of study was to examine the effect of green walking and intelligence game on the cognitive skills of individuals aged 50–70 years with COVID-19.

Methods

The randomized controlled study was completed with 40 individuals, 20 in the experimental and 20 in the control group. Individuals in the experimental group green walking for 30 min three days a week for one month in two groups of 10 people, accompanied by the researcher. In addition, these individuals played intelligence games (brain games-memory thinking and brain exercise) via their smartphones for 15 min every day for a month.

Results

The cognitive skills and cognitive dimensions of “attention, concentration, memory, language and orientation” of the individuals in the experimental group were significantly increased compared to the control group individuals (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

It was found that green walk and intelligence game practice increased the cognitive skills of individuals aged 50–70 years who had outpatient COVID-19.
MRI-based mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease classification using an algorithm of combination of variational autoencoder and other machine learning classifiers
Authors: Bit Subhrangshu , Dey Pritam , Maji Arnab ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Khan Tapan K
Published: December 2024

Background

Correctly diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important for patient selection in drug discovery. Research outcomes on stage diagnosis using neuroimages combined with cerebrospinal fluid and genetic biomarkers are expensive and time-consuming. Only structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) scans from two internationally recognized datasets are employed as input as well as test and independent validation to determine the classification of dementia by the machine learning algorithm.

Objective

We extract the reduced dimensional latent feature vector from the sMRI scans using a variational autoencoder (VAE). The objective is to classify AD, MCI, and control (CN) using MRI and without any other information.

Methods

The extracted feature vectors from MRI scans by VAE are used as input conditions for different advanced machine-learning classifiers. Classification of AD/CN/MCI are conducted using the output of VAE from MRI images and different artificial intelligence/machine learning classifier models in two cohorts.

Results

Using only MRI scans, the primary goal of the study is to test the ability to classify AD from CN and MCI cases. The current study achieved classification accuracies of AD versus CN 75.45% (F1-score = 79.52%), AD versus MCI 81.41% (F1-Score = 87.06%), and autopsy-confirmed AD versus MCI 92.75% (F1-Score = 95.52%) in test sets and AD versus CN 86.16% (F1-score = 92.03%) and AD versus MCI 70.03% (F1-Score = 82.1%) in validation data set.

Conclusions

By overcoming the data leakage problem, the autopsy-confirmed machine learning classification model is tested in two independent cohorts. External validation by an independent cohort improved the quality and novelty of the classification algorithm.
Do We Really Need Employee Engagement?
Authors: Chakraverti Gangapriya , Shekar Keerthana Shashi
Published: December 2024

The article flows from a fundamental premise, namely, employees seek work to address their needs—psychological, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem and, finally, self-actualisation. Depending on where the employee is situated on this hierarchy of needs, specific engagement initiatives may be required. The authors explore what leads to real employee engagement and question the prevalent actions that organisations and managers take to enhance it. They ask about the need for any employee engagement actions when work can be motivating and challenging on its own. Work and workplace dynamics play a significant role in ensuring an employee remains motivated, enthusiastic and challenged to deliver to and beyond the expectations of her role. Careful crafting of interventions that connect employees to what they care about most, including fundamental job redesign, could result in the employee owning and seeing meaning and purpose in fulfilling work responsibilities.
Determinants of adequate antenatal care among immediate postpartum mothers in Eastern Uganda: a multicenter cross-sectional study
Authors: Lee Seungwon , Nantale Ritah , Wani Solomon , Kasibante Samuel , Kanyike Andrew Marvin
Published: December 2024

Background:

Antenatal care is essential for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, particularly in low-income regions. However, the adequacy of the care provided is crucial for achieving maternal health goals. Maternal mortality rates in Uganda are still among the highest globally. Thus, evaluating the adequacy of antenatal care (ANC) services, especially in high-risk regions is imperative.

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of adequate ANC and associated factors in Eastern Uganda.

Design:

A multicenter quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at four healthcare facilities in Eastern Uganda from July to August 2022.

Methods:

We included immediate postpartum mothers who had given birth within 48 h with a record of their ANC information on a card or book. Adequate ANC was measured by a composite index of 10 core components per WHO guidelines on ANC for a positive pregnancy experience. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed with Kobo Toolbox and analyzed using Stata 15.0. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed factors associated with receiving adequate ANC. Statistical significance was determined by a p value <0.05.

Results:

We recruited 1104 postnatal mothers, most aged 20–34 years ( n = 805, 72.9%). Only 5.9% received adequate ANC, with most mothers receiving an average of 6.9 (±2.0) of the 10 assessed ANC components. Receiving adequate ANC was associated with urban residency (AOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.16–4.38, p = 0.017), age between 20 and 34 years (AOR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.07–11.30, p = 0.038), current or previous complications (AOR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.02–3.29, p = 0.043), and delivery at a general hospital (AOR: 4.8; 95% CI: 2.60–8.83, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

There is a critical gap in providing adequate ANC in Eastern Uganda, especially for rural and younger mothers. Policy efforts should focus on expanding access, enhancing maternal education, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure to meet the recommended ANC standards.
Performance assessment of near-fault buildings subjected to physics-based simulated earthquake ground motions with fling step
Authors: Kenawy Maha , Pitarka Arben
Published: December 2024

The effects of the co-seismic static offset (known as fling step) and associated velocity pulses on civil structures have been difficult to study because the static offset is typically removed during the processing of earthquake ground motion records. Simulated ground motions contain fling features and require no processing; therefore, they create new opportunities for representing fling features in seismic hazard analysis and assessing their influence on the seismic demands on near-fault structures. We use physics-based fault rupture simulations to study the characteristics of ground motions with fling step and the sensitivity of the near-fault structural demands to strong fling features. We uncover that simulated ground motions with a large fling step tend to have higher spectral intensity than those without a fling step at the same rupture distance, especially at periods longer than 2 s. As a result, the structural demands on flexible buildings tend to be the most sensitive to the fling features. Statistical analysis suggests that the ground motion spectral shape (represented by spectral accelerations at multiple periods) is—in most cases—a sufficient predictor of the structural demands on near-fault low-rise and mid-rise buildings at locations that are susceptible to strong fling effects. Finally, ground motion record selection experiments reveal that representing the spectral shape features at periods that are most relevant to a given structure may be an effective strategy to reduce the bias in the estimated demands on near-fault long-period structures when the available database of records is considered deficient in fling features.
Alternative splicing induces sample-level variation in gene–gene correlations
Authors: Lu Yihao , Pierce Brandon L. , Wang Pei , Yang Fan , Chen Lin S.
Published: December 2024

Background

The vast majority of genes in the genome are multi-exonic, and are alternatively spliced during transcription, resulting in multiple isoforms for each gene. For some genes, different mRNA isoforms may have differential expression levels or be involved in different pathways. Bulk tissue RNA-seq, as a widely used technology for transcriptome quantification, measures the total expression (TE) levels of each gene across multiple isoforms in multiple cell types for each tissue sample. With recent developments in precise quantification of alternative splicing events for each gene, we propose to study the effects of alternative splicing variation on gene–gene correlation effects. We adopted a variance-component model for testing the TE–TE correlations of one gene with a co-expressed gene, accounting for the effects of splicing variation and splicing-by-TE interaction of one gene on the other.

Results

We analyzed data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project (V8). At the 5% FDR level, 38,146 pairs of genes out of ∼10 M examined pairs from GTEx lung tissue showed significant TE-splicing interaction effects, implying isoform-specific and/or sample-specific TE–TE correlations. Additional analysis across 13 GTEx brain tissues revealed strong tissue-specificity of TE-splicing interaction effects. Moreover, we showed that accounting for splicing variation across samples could improve the reproducibility of results and could reduce potential confounding effects in studying co-expressed gene pairs with bulk tissue data. Many of those gene pairs had correlation effects specific to only certain isoforms and would otherwise be undetected. By analyzing gene–gene co-expression variation within functional pathways accounting for splicing, we characterized the patterns of the “hub” genes with isoform-specific regulatory effects on multiple other genes.

Conclusions

We showed that splicing variation of a gene may interact with TE of the gene and affect the TE of co-expressed genes, resulting in substantial tissue-specific inter-sample variability in gene–gene correlation effects. Accounting for TE-splicing interaction effects could reduce potential confounding effects and improve the robustness of estimation when estimating gene–gene correlations from bulk tissue expression data.
Prediction of gene expression-based breast cancer proliferation scores from histopathology whole slide images using deep learning
Authors: Ekholm Andreas , Wang Yinxi , Vallon-Christersson Johan , Boissin Constance , Rantalainen Mattias
Published: December 2024

Background

In breast cancer, several gene expression assays have been developed to provide a more personalised treatment. This study focuses on the prediction of two molecular proliferation signatures: an 11-gene proliferation score and the MKI67 proliferation marker gene. The aim was to assess whether these could be predicted from digital whole slide images (WSIs) using deep learning models.

Methods

WSIs and RNA-sequencing data from 819 invasive breast cancer patients were included for training, and models were evaluated on an internal test set of 172 cases as well as on 997 cases from a fully independent external test set. Two deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were optimised using WSIs and gene expression readouts from RNA-sequencing data of either the proliferation signature or the proliferation marker, and assessed using Spearman correlation (r). Prognostic performance was assessed through Cox proportional hazard modelling, estimating hazard ratios (HR).

Results

Optimised CNNs successfully predicted the proliferation score and proliferation marker on the unseen internal test set (ρ = 0.691(p < 0.001) with R2 = 0.438, and ρ = 0.564 (p < 0.001) with R2 = 0.251 respectively) and on the external test set (ρ = 0.502 (p < 0.001) with R2 = 0.319, and ρ = 0.403 (p < 0.001) with R2 = 0.222 respectively). Patients with a high proliferation score or marker were significantly associated with a higher risk of recurrence or death in the external test set (HR = 1.65 (95% CI: 1.05–2.61) and HR = 1.84 (95% CI: 1.17–2.89), respectively).

Conclusions

The results from this study suggest that gene expression levels of proliferation scores can be predicted directly from breast cancer morphology in WSIs using CNNs and that the predictions provide prognostic information that could be used in research as well as in the clinical setting.
Effect of GFRP Stirrup Confinement on the Bond Strength of GFRP-RC Beams
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Ortiz Jesús D. , Hosseini Seyed Arman , Benmokrane Brahim , Nanni Antonio
Published: December 2024

The current provisions for development length in the ACI 440.11 code disregard the confinement effect provided by stirrups on the bond strength of longitudinal bars and require splice lengths that pose implementation challenges. Given the significant improvement in GFRP material properties, this study investigated the bond strength of sand-coated GFRP bars and proposed a new factor to include the effect of stirrup confinement on the bond-strength provisions. The experimental program involved 16 GFRP-reinforced concrete (RC) beams having a width of 300 mm, and depth 440 mm, consisting of two repetitions for every configuration, subjected to four-point loading. The test parameters comprised lap-splice length and stirrup spacing in the lap-spliced zone. Out of 16 GFRP-RC beams, two beams were reinforced with two M16 (No. 5) continuous bars and six with varying lap-splice lengths [i.e., 40, 60, and 80 bar diameters (db)] without confining stirrups. To evaluate the effect of confining stirrups, eight beams were reinforced with two M16 (No. 5) lap-spliced longitudinal bars (i.e., 40 and 60 db) and M13 (No. 4) stirrups spaced at 100 mm (4 in.) and 200 mm (8 in.) center-to-center. Based on experimental results, stirrup confinement clearly increased the bond strength, reduced longitudinal bar slippage, and increased splitting stress. The beams with a splice length of 60 db and stirrups on 100 mm (4 in.) centers achieved 57% higher capacity than those with the same lap-splice length but without stirrups. Further, the ACI 440.11 equation overestimated the bond strength of sand-coated GFRP bars but yielded conservative results with closely spaced stirrups. CSA S6:25 predicted bond-strength values that were close to the experimental results compared to CSA S6:19, and CSA S806:12.
Impact of meteorological and processing factors on metabolite composition of Darjeeling tea
Authors: De Dwaipee , Sarkar Sreerupa , Chhetri Himashree , Chatterjee Jhelam , Sinha Nitu , Das Sujit , Sarkar Abhijit , Das Susmita , Ray Sonali
Published: December 2024

Meteorological and edaphic factors significantly affect the first flush metabolite composition of Darjeeling tea, impacting flavor, nutrition, and customer preferences. The Camellia sinensis var. sinensis grown in the Darjeeling hills was sampled at different stages of processing. 75 metabolites were identified using a GC/MS-based metabolomic and chemometric technique. The study aimed to pinpoint quality markers and create a database for Darjeeling tea authenticity, India’s first geographical indication product. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed changes in tea metabolites during processing, while the chemometric study demonstrated variations in key compounds. Antioxidant activity exhibited significant variations among the samples with final processed showing highest antioxidant potential. The concentration of amino acids increased significantly (p < 0.05) from fresh tea leaves to the final processed product. Conversely, the content of organic acids, inorganic acids, and fatty acids was observed to decrease. Additionally, caffeic acids, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, chlorogenic acid, 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid increased in concentration, while catechin, (-)-epicatechin, gallic acid, pyrogallol, quinic acid, shikimic acid, and arbutin decreased significantly in concentration in the final processed tea. Meteorological parameters were documented during the study period, showing variation in the levels of PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, and SO2. The findings of this study offer insightful information on the variables influencing Darjeeling tea metabolite composition, which tea producers and processors can use to raise the standard and authenticity of this beverage.

Graphical abstract
Predictors of VILI risk: driving pressure, 4DPRR and mechanical power ratio—an experimental study
Authors: Galizia Mauro , Ghidoni Valentina , Catozzi Giulia , Giovanazzi Stefano , Nocera Domenico , Donati Beatrice , Pozzi Tommaso , D’Albo Rosanna , Busana Mattia , Romitti Federica , Herrmann Peter , Moerer Onnen , Meissner Konrad , Quintel Michael , Camporota Luigi , Gattinoni Luciano
Published: December 2024

Background

Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is one of the side effects of mechanical ventilation during ARDS; a prerequisite for averting it is the quantification of its risk factors associated with a given ventilatory setting. Many clinical variables have been proposed as predictors of VILI, of which driving pressure is the most widely used. In this study, we compared the performance of driving pressure, four times the driving pressure added to respiratory rate (4DPRR) and mechanical power ratio.

Results

In a study population of 121 previously healthy pigs exposed to harmful ventilation, we compared the association of driving pressure, 4DPRR and mechanical power ratio to lung weight, lung wet-to-dry and total histological score. All the three variables were associated with these outcomes. Driving pressure, 4DPRR and mechanical power ratio increase linearly with the lung weight (adjusted R2 of 0.27, 0.36 and 0.40, respectively), the lung wet-to-dry ratio (adjusted R2 of 0.19, 0.25 and 0.37) and the total histological score (adjusted R2 of 0.26, 0.38 and 0.26). Using a multiple linear regression model with forward analysis, starting with tidal volume and progressively adding respiratory rate and positive end-expiratory pressure, and comparing the topic with the outcome variables, we obtained R2 values, respectively, of 0.07, 0.20, 0.42 for lung weight, 0.09, 0.19, 0.26 for lung wet-to-dry ratio and 0.07, 0.27, 0.43 for total histological score.

Conclusions

Driving pressure, 4DPRR and mechanical power ratio, were all associated with lung injury in healthy animals undergoing mechanical ventilation.
Enhancing synthetic vinasse treatment efficiency using an integrated UASB-Modified Bardenpho Process
Authors: Mazaheri Afsaneh , Doosti Mohamad Reza , Zoqi Mohammad javad
Published: December 2024

Vinasse poses considerable environmental problems due to its complex composition of organic matter, minerals, and toxic compounds. If discharged into the environment without treatment, it can cause adverse impacts on ecosystems. This research investigated the effectiveness of an integrated treatment system involving an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and the modified Bardenpho process (MBP) for purifying synthetic vinasse. The study lasted for 167 days, during which the integrated UASB-MBP system processed untreated synthetic vinasse with organic loading rates (OLR) ranging from 1.6 to 12.5 kgCOD/m3 day. The UASB-MBP system impressively achieved a COD removal efficiency of 99.41%. Removal efficiencies of approximately 98.14, 99.91, and 99.63% were also achieved for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total ammonium (NH4+-N), respectively. The final discharge was 51.06 mg/L. The concentrations of NH4+-N and TN in the outflow of the settlement tank were 0.8–1.2 mg/L and 5.1–7.9 mg/L, respectively. Optimal performance was achieved when the HRT and nitrate recycle ratio were 15.5 h and 200%, respectively. The temperature was kept in the mesophilic range (33–35 °C) during the experiments. These results underscores the potential of the integrated UASB reactor and modified Bardenpho process to provide an effective and eco-friendly approach for concurrent removal of COD and nutrients from vinasse treatment, offering broad prospects for implementation in wastewater treatment.
Susceptibility of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to pyrethroid insecticides and characterization of breeding habitats in selected districts of Mwanza, Tanzania
Authors: Emidi Basiliana , Kiwanuka Ziada , Antony Selina , Kajeguka Debora , Manjurano Alphaxard
Published: December 2024

Background

Tanzania has experienced outbreaks of dengue fever in major cities. The main vectors of the dengue virus in Tanzania are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The control of this mosquito vector is based on insecticide, and yet, the insecticide susceptibility of this species is not well known in many places in Tanzania. Conversely, the breeding habitats mostly preferred by this species are not well documented in the study area. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the pyrethroid insecticide susceptibility status and breeding habitats preference of Ae. aegypti mosquito in the three sites from three districts in Mwanza, Tanzania. The assessment of Ae. aegypti mosquito 24-h percentage mortality was based on WHO criteria.

Results

A total of 850 Ae. aegypti were exposed to three pyrethroid insecticides. In Bwiru site, 100% mortality was observed for all three pyrethroids, indicating full susceptibility. At Igekemaja and Mwagagala villages, Ae. aegypti were resistant to all the three pyrethroid insecticides tested. In Igekemaja, there were variations in Ae. aegypti mortality rates induced by different insecticides, with mortality rates ranging from 72% for alphacypermethrin to 86% for deltamethrin. Although the mortality rates were lower than in Bwiru site, they were still substantial and statistically significant. The mortality rates in Mwagagala were lowest across the three insecticides, with mortality rates ranging from 60% for deltamethrin to 86% for alphacypermethrin. In Mwagagala, the Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were less susceptible to the insecticides tested. Aedes aegypti mosquito prefer breeding in abandoned old tires in urban area and in small containers and uncovered water storage containers in rural settings.

Conclusion

The study has revealed pyrethroid insecticide susceptibility status and breeding habitats of Ae. aegypti in the rural and urban settings in Mwanza, Tanzania. The study findings imply the need for public health interventions with focus on community education on mosquito control.
Impact of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Elshebawy Haidy , Kishk Nirmeen A. , Alaa Nouran , Hussein Mona , Abdelghaffar Mohamed , Magdy Rehab
Published: December 2024

Background

The risk of seizure aggravation following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is a major cause behind vaccine hesitancy among patients with epilepsy (PWE), resulting in lower immunization rates. This work aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 different vaccines on seizure control in PWE.

Results

This study was conducted on 110 PWE who received at least the first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. Sixty-one (55.5%) patients did not develop any side effects from vaccination. There was no statistically significant change in seizure frequency following receiving COVID-19 vaccines, either adenoviral vector vaccines, inactivated vaccines, or mRNA vaccines (P = 0.733, 0.778, respectively). Twelve patients (10.9%) experienced seizure exacerbation following COVID-19 vaccination; seizure occurrence in the first 24 h immediately after the vaccine was reported in only one patient. There were no statistically significant differences between patients who developed seizure exacerbation following COVID-19 vaccination and those who did not develop regarding age, age at onset, seizure etiology, type of vaccine, or seizure exacerbation following COVID-19 infection.

Conclusions

There is a low likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine-related seizure exacerbations in PWE. This data can be utilized to counsel PWE regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccination.
On the nonexistence of SP head waves at a solid-vacuum interface
Authors: Kuznetsov Sergey V.
Published: December 2024

The theoretical study of geometric SP head waves propagating in an isotropic homogeneous traction-free half-space or half-plane reveals that these waves can satisfy the traction-free condition at the boundary plane if and only if the Lamé parameter λ vanishes, which makes the existence of this type of head wave almost impossible. The analysis is based on the Helmholtz decomposition of the displacement field, coupled with the stress and strain tensor decomposition into spherical and deviatoric parts. It can be anticipated that the obtained result on the nonexistence of this type of head wave can have applications in geophysics and earthquake engineering due to the exclusion of geometric SP head waves from consideration.
Study on nonlinear elastic behavior in diurnal surface velocity variations caused by temperature using distributed acoustic sensing
Authors: Wang Xin , Feng Xuan , Nilot Enhedelihai Alex , Bai Han , Ding Mengyan
Published: December 2024

High-temporal resolution seismic velocity variations are crucial for detecting potential small precursor signals before hazardous geologic events, thus aiding in the prediction of catastrophic geologic events. Therefore, the study of the mechanisms underlying high-temporal resolution seismic velocity relative variations ([Formula: see text]) is of great importance. Using a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) array, we obtain diurnal [Formula: see text] variation curves through coda wave interferometry and carefully analyze potential environmental factors that might affect velocity. We find that as the thermal strain rate decreases, [Formula: see text] indicates a significant increasing trend, whereas as the thermal strain rate increases, [Formula: see text] indicates a decreasing trend. In ultrasonic laboratory experiments on rocks, we observe similar patterns during the thermal cycling of the rocks. Based on previous studies, we believe that this phenomenon is due to the inherent nonlinear elastic properties of rocks. Using higher-order nonlinear elastic parameters, we successfully reconstruct the trends in near-surface [Formula: see text] variations and analyze the underlying physical mechanisms. We recommend that the observations of seismic velocity variations be interpreted within the framework of nonlinear elasticity.