bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ten-Year Changes in the Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors of Adults: An Analysis of the 2 Cross-Sectional Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Luxembourg Studies
Authors: Christofoletti Marina , Collings Paul , Tharrey Marion , Perchoux Camille , Malisoux Laurent
Published: August 2023

Background: Monitoring population physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior over time is important to guide public health actions. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in PA and sedentary behavior of adult residents in Luxembourg over 10 years. We also investigated variations in change over time across sociodemographic subgroups. Methods: Two population-based cross-sectional studies of adults living in Luxembourg (Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Luxembourg [ORISCAV-LUX] [2007–2008] and ORISCAV-LUX 2 [2016–2018]) were considered. Multilevel mixed-effects models were used to investigate changes over time between the studies with regard to self-reported total PA (metabolic equivalent of task-min/week), PA levels (inactive/sufficiently active/highly active), total sitting time, recreational television viewing, and personal computer (PC) use outside of work (in minutes per day). Results: The ORISCAV-LUX study included 1318 participants and the ORISCAV-LUX 2 study involved 1477 participants; 573 adults took part in both studies. The proportion of participants categorized as highly active increased over time by 6.9%. Total PA (761 metabolic equivalent of task-min/wk), television viewing (12 min/d), and PC use outside of work (13 min/d) also increased, whereas the total sitting time decreased by 25 minutes per day. Variations in change over time were observed by sex, country of birth, education, employment status, and perceived financial difficulty. Conclusions: Over a 10-year period, PA increased and total sitting time decreased in adults living in Luxembourg. With regard to specific sedentary behaviors, television viewing, and PC use outside of work increased. Specific population subgroups will benefit the most from targeted efforts to increase PA and minimize sedentary behavior.
The African swine fever virus I10L protein inhibits the NF-
κ
B signaling pathway by targeting IKK
β
Authors: Chen Xing , Li Lian-Feng , Yang Zhong-Yuan , Li Meilin , Fan Shuai , Shi Lan-Fang , Ren Zi-Yu , Cao Xue-Jing , Zhang Yuhang , Han Shichong , Wan Bo , Qiu Hua-Ji , Zhang Gaiping , He Wen-Rui
Published: August 2023

Proinflammatory factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of African swine fever virus (ASFV), which is the causative agent of African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious and severe hemorrhagic disease. Efforts in the prevention and treatment of ASF have been severely hindered by knowledge gaps in viral proteins responsible for modulating host antiviral responses. In this study, we identified the I10L protein (pI10L) of ASFV as a potential inhibitor of the TNF-
α
- and IL-1
β
-triggered NF-
κ
B signaling pathway, the most canonical and important part of host inflammatory responses. The ectopically expressed pI10L remarkably suppressed the activation of NF-
κ
B signaling in HEK293T and PK-15 cells. The ASFV mutant lacking the
I10L
gene (ASFV
ΔI10L
) induced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines production in primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) compared with its parental ASFV HLJ/2018 strain (ASFV
WT
). Mechanistic studies suggest that pI10L inhibits IKK
β
phosphorylation by reducing the K63-linked ubiquitination of NEMO, which is necessary for the activation of IKK
β
. Morever, pI10L interacts with the kinase domain of IKK
β
through its N-terminus, and consequently blocks the association of IKK
β
with its substrates I
κ
B
α
and p65, leading to reduced phosphorylation. In addition, the nuclear translocation efficiency of p65 was also altered by pI10L. Further biochemical evidence supported that the amino acids 1–102 on pI10L were essential for the pI10L-mediated suppression of the NF-
κ
B signaling pathway. The present study clarifies the immunosuppressive activity of pI10L, and provides novel insights into the understanding of ASFV pathobiology and the development of vaccines against ASF.

IMPORTANCE

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is now widespread in many countries and severely affects the commercial rearing of swine. To date, few safe and effective vaccines or antiviral strategies have been marketed due to large gaps in knowledge regarding ASFV pathobiology and immune evasion mechanisms. In this study, we deciphered the important role of the ASFV-encoded I10L protein in the TNF-
α
-/IL-1
β
-triggered NF-
κ
B signaling pathway. This study provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of ASFV and thus contributes to the development of vaccines against ASF.
Complete, circular genome sequence of a
Bosea
sp
.
isolate from soil
Authors: Alvarez-Arevalo Maria , Sterndorff Eva Baggesgaard , Faurdal David , Mourched Anna-Sophie , Charusanti Pep , Jørgensen Tue Sparholt , Weber Tilmann
Published: August 2023

Here, we report the complete, circular genome sequence of a potential novel species from the underexplored Alphaproteobacterial genus
Bosea. Bosea
sp. NBC_00550 was isolated from a soil sample collected in Lyngby, Denmark. We explore the biosynthetic potential of
Bosea
sp. NBC_00550 and compare it with that of other
Bosea
species.
SARS-CoV-2 infection severity and mortality is modulated by repeat-mediated regulation of alternative splicing
Authors: Mehta Priyanka , Chattopadhyay Partha , Ravi Varsha , Tarai Bansidhar , Budhiraja Sandeep , Pandey Rajesh
Published: August 2023

Like single-stranded RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 hijacks the host transcriptional machinery for its own replication. Numerous traditional differential gene expression-based investigations have examined the diverse clinical symptoms caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The virus, on the other hand, also affects the host splicing machinery, causing host transcriptional dysregulation, which can lead to diverse clinical outcomes. Hence, in this study, we performed host transcriptome sequencing of 125 hospital-admitted COVID-19 patients to understand the transcriptomic differences between the severity sub-phenotypes of mild, moderate, severe, and mortality. We performed transcript-level differential expression analysis, investigated differential isoform usage, looked at the splicing patterns within the differentially expressed transcripts (DET), and elucidated the possible genome regulatory features. Our DTE analysis showed evidence of diminished transcript length and diversity as well as altered promoter site usage in the differentially expressed protein-coding transcripts in the COVID-19 mortality patients. We also investigated the potential mechanisms driving the alternate splicing and discovered a compelling differential enrichment of repeats in the promoter region and a specific enrichment of SINE (Alu) near the splicing sites of differentially expressed transcripts. These findings suggested a repeat-mediated plausible regulation of alternative splicing as a potential modulator of COVID-19 disease severity. In this work, we emphasize the role of scarcely elucidated functional role of alternative splicing in influencing COVID-19 disease severity sub-phenotypes, clinical outcomes, and its putative mechanism.

IMPORTANCE

The wide range of clinical symptoms reported during the COVID-19 pandemic inherently highlights the numerous factors that influence the progression and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While several studies have investigated the host response and discovered immunological dysregulation during severe infection, most of them have the common theme of focusing only up to the gene level. Viruses, especially RNA viruses, are renowned for hijacking the host splicing machinery for their own proliferation, which inadvertently puts pressure on the host transcriptome, exposing another side of the host response to the pathogen challenge. Therefore, in this study, we examine host response at the transcript-level to discover a transcriptional difference that culminates in differential gene-level expression. Importantly, this study highlights diminished transcript diversity and possible regulation of transcription by differentially abundant repeat elements near the promoter region and splicing sites in COVID-19 mortality patients, which together with differentially expressed isoforms hold the potential to elaborate disease severity and outcome.
Evolution of the Victoria Pipe Ultramafic Alkaline Melt (Anabar Region, Siberian Craton): Melt Inclusion within Olivine and Groundmass Minerals
Authors: Kargin A. V. , Prokopyev I. R. , Starikova A. E. , Kamenetsky V. S. , Golubeva Yu. Yu.
Published: August 2023

The results of studying primary and secondary melt inclusions within olivine macrocrysts and groundmass minerals from monticellite–nepheline damtjernites of the Victoria pipe (Anabar diamondiferous province, Siberia craton) are presented. They were used to reconstruct the evolution of the ultramafic alkaline melt during the formation of the pipe. It is shown that the primary damtjernite melts were K–Na bearing carbonate–silicate in composition. Here, K and Na in the primary melt inclusions within olivine macrocrysts enter the composition of essentially silicate daughter phases. According to this, they are different in composition from similar inclusions in olivine from aillikites and kimberlites and emphasize the more alkaline character of the damtjernitic parental melts. At the subsequent stages of melt evolution during pipe formation, Na and K in the studied inclusions not only enter silicate daughter phases but can also form alkaline phosphates, carbonates, sulfates, and halides. This leads to the formation of alkaline carbonate and saline sulfate–phosphate–chloride–carbonate solutions. According to this, the evolution of the damtjernitic melt is similar to that of aillikite and carbonatite melts and can serve as a uniform mechanism of evolution of alkaline–ultramafic melts. The further reactionary interaction of the fluid phase with olivine led to the formation of monticellite and processes of degassing.
Cyanobacteria in Hypolithic Horizons of Soils in the Larsemann Hills Oasis, East Antarctica
Authors: Velichko N. V. , Rabochaya D. E. , Dolgikh A. V. , Mergelov N. S.
Published: August 2023

The research is devoted to the analysis of biodiversity of Antarctic cyanobacteria in hypolithic organic-accumulative horizons of soils in the Larsemann Hills oasis. Studies of fouling glasses by the methods of light and confocal microscopy, as well as by fluorescent in situ hybridization, indicate that filamentous forms predominate among cyanobacteria in the upper layers of Antarctic hypolithic microbial communities. Strains of the genera Nostoc, Halotia, Leptolyngbya, Plectolyngbya, and Phormidesmis, as well as some new and previously undescribed cyanobacteria, were isolated from corresponding soil samples to clarify their taxonomic status. As a result, a unique collection of Antarctic cyanobacteria isolated from soils was obtained for the first time. The strains were described according to the modern polyphasic taxonomy methods based on an integrated assessment of morphological and molecular-genetic features. Phylogenetic analysis of primary 16S rRNA sequences and peculiarities of secondary structures of internal transcribed spacers enabled us to identify new taxa of potentially endemic cyanobacteria among the strains studied. The high level of similarity between the 16S rRNA gene sequences of soil strains and those previously found in benthic mats of water bodies in the Larsemann Hills confirmed the ability of cyanobacteria to expand beyond different ecological niches and to adapt to contrasting environmental conditions.
Deep venous thrombosis post mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Nevajda Branimir , Amin Jigisha , Zaman Ali , Bhogal Paul
Published: August 2023

A woman in her 20s presented with neck pain, slurred speech and left-sided weakness. She successfully underwent mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for total occlusion of the basilar artery and made full neurological recovery. Initial ultrasound Doppler of legs (USDL) did not show any deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, 2 days later, a repeat USDL revealed an extensive proximal DVT in the right common femoral vein. CT scan confirmed a haematoma arising from the femoral access site causing compression of the adjacent common femoral vein. This may have initiated DVT formation or exacerbated extension of a previously undetected DVT. Echocardiogram revealed a patent foramen ovale. As the patient was asymptomatic, delayed or missed diagnosis of DVT would have put her at risk of life-threatening pulmonary embolism or further strokes. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion of DVT as a direct procedural complication from MT so treatment can be initiated promptly.
Success of health cell approach in improving knowledge, attitude and practice related to COVID-19: difference-in-differences analyses of a community-based quasi-experimental trial
Authors: Das Subhasish , Rasul Md Golam , Khan Ar-Rafi , Fahim Shah Mohammad , Sanin Kazi Istiaque , Ahmed Tahmeed
Published: August 2023

Objectives

There remain hesitations and miscommunication regarding appropriate public health behaviours and conceptions related to COVID-19. We tested the effectiveness of the community-based health cell approach in improving knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to COVID-19.

Setting

Households of the Bauniabadh slum area in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Participants

Household heads (HHs) and homemakers (HMs) of intervention (n=211) and comparison households (n=209).

Interventions

Behaviour change communication delivered at the community level in a quasi-experimental manner through small-scale community meetings and home visits.

Outcome variables and methods

The outcomes of interest were before–after mean and per cent changes in KAP scores. Data were collected from HHs and HMs before and after the intervention and difference-in-differences (DID) analysis technique was applied.

Results

We found statistically significant (p<0.05) before–after differences in the responses to the KAP questions made by the intervention groups. The DID models estimated the improvements in COVID-19-related KAP of HHs by 16.58 (95% CI: 14.05, 19.12), 20.92 (95% CI: 18.17, 23.67) and 28.45 (95% CI: 23.84, 33.07) per cent points, respectively. The DID estimates of KAP in HMs were 17.8 (95% CI: 15.09, 20.51), 22.33 (95% CI: 19.47, 25.19) and 28.06 (95% CI: 23.18, 32.93) per cent points, respectively. Overall, 20.91 (95% CI: 18.87, 22.94) and 21.81 (95% CI: 19.68, 23.94) per cent points of improvement were observed among HHs and HMs, respectively. The DID estimates of before–after mean changes in different KAP domains ranged from 2.24 to 2.68 units and the overall changes in KAP scores among HHs and HMs were 7.11 (95% CI: 6.42, 7.8) and 7.42 (95% CI: 6.69, 8.14) units.

Conclusion

Scientifically valid information disseminated at the community level using the health cell approach could bring positive changes in KAP related to COVID-19.
Effect of single versus multiple prophylactic antibiotic doses on prosthetic joint infections following primary total hip arthroplasty in patients with osteoarthritis at public and private hospitals in Denmark: protocol for a nationwide cross-over, cluster randomised, non-inferiority trial [The Pro-Hip-Quality Trial]
Authors: Abedi Armita Armina , Varnum Claus , Pedersen Alma Becic , Gromov Kirill , Hallas Jesper , Iversen Pernille , Jakobsen Thomas , Jimenez-Solem Espen , Kidholm Kristian , Kjerulf Anne , Lange Jeppe , Odgaard Anders , Rosenvinge Flemming S , Solgaard Søren , Sperling Kim , Stegger Marc , Christensen Robin , Overgaard Søren
Published: August 2023

Introduction

A feared complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is prosthetic joint infection (PJI), associated with high morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic antibiotics can reduce the risk of PJI. However, there is no consensus on the dosages and current recommendations are based on a low evidence level. The objective is to compare the effect of a single versus multiple doses of prophylactic antibiotics administered within 24 hours on PJI.

Methods and analysis

The study is designed as a cross-over, cluster randomised, non-inferiority trial. All clinical centres use both antibiotic practices (1 year of each intervention). All Danish orthopaedic surgery departments will be involved: Based on quality databases, 2-year cohorts of approximately 20 000 primary THAs conducted at 39 public and private hospitals, will be included. Inclusion criteria: age ≥18 years, all indications for THA except patients operated due to acute or sequelae from proximal femoral or pelvic fractures or bone tumour or metastasis. The primary outcome is PJI within 90 days after primary THA. Secondary outcomes include (1) serious adverse events, (2) potential PJI, (3) length of hospitalisation stay, (4) cardiovascular events, (5) hospital-treated infections, (6) community-based antibiotic use, (7) opioid use and (8) use of acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. All outcome measures will be extracted from national databases. Analyses will be based on the intention-to-treat population. Non-inferiority will be shown if the upper limit of the two-sided 95% CI for the OR is less than 1.32 for the single dose as compared with multiple doses. The results will establish best practice on antibiotic prophylaxis dosages in the future.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by Committees on Health Research Ethics for The Capital Region of Denmark (21069108) and The Danish Medicines Agency (2021091723). All results will be presented in peer-reviewed medical journals and international conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT05530551.
Multicentric, observational, longitudinal study for the evaluation of nutritional management implications in newly diagnosed Italian cancer patients: the Italian Registry of Malnutrition in Oncology (IRMO)
Authors: Bosetti Cristina , Casirati Amanda , Da Prat Valentina , Masi Sara , Crotti Silvia , Ferrari Alessandra , Perrone Lorenzo , Serra Francesco , Santucci Claudia , Cereda Emanuele , Iannelli Elisabetta , De Lorenzo Francesco , Pedrazzoli Paolo , Caccialanza Riccardo
Published: August 2023

Background

Malnutrition is a frequent problem in oncology and is associated with reduced response to cancer treatments, increased drug-related toxicity, higher rates of clinical complications, reduced quality of life (QoL) and worse prognosis. Guidelines on clinical nutrition in oncology emphasise the usefulness of early assessment of nutritional status for a prompt identification of malnutrition and the implementation of effective interventions, but no real-world clinical data are available on the adequate management of nutritional support in patients with cancer in Italy.

Methods and analysis

This is an observational, longitudinal, multicentre registry of patients with a new diagnosis of cancer or metastatic disease, candidates for active treatment. They will be identified in at least 15 Italian oncological centres, members of the Alliance Against Cancer Working Group ‘Survivorship Care and Nutritional Support’. At least 1500 patients with cancer are expected to be enrolled each year. Detailed clinical and nutritional data will be collected by oncologists and clinical nutritionists during the visits foreseen in the clinical practice, through an ad hoc developed digital platform (e-Nutracare). The effects of malnutrition and nutritional support—at diagnosis and during follow-up—on overall survival and progression-free survival, as well as on patients’ symptoms and QoL, will be investigated.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy and from the Ethics Committees of all other participating centres. An informed consent will be obtained from each patient enrolled in the study. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and patients with cancer or professional associations. The registry will allow a better monitoring of the nutritional status of patients with cancer, promoting adequate and sustainable nutritional support, with the ultimate goal of improving the care and prognosis of these patients.
For health or for profit? Understanding how private financing and for-profit delivery operate within Canadian healthcare (4H|4P): protocol for a multimethod knowledge mobilisation research project
Authors: Hedden Lindsay , Spencer Sarah , Allin Sara , Contandriopoulos Damien , Gavin Frank , Grudniewicz Agnes , Lavergne M Ruth , Leaver Chad , Lexchin Joel , McKay Madeleine , Mathews Maria , McCracken Rita K , McGrail Kimberlyn , Palmer Karen S , Poitras Marie-Eve , Rudoler David , Spithoff Sheryl , Vanstone Meredith
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Privatisation through the expansion of private payment and investor-owned corporate healthcare delivery in Canada raises potential conflicts with equity principles on which Medicare (Canadian public health insurance) is founded. Some cases of privatisation are widely recognised, while others are evolving and more hidden, and their extent differs across provinces and territories likely due in part to variability in policies governing private payment (out-of-pocket payments and private insurance) and delivery.

Methods and analysis

This pan-Canadian knowledge mobilisation project will collect, classify, analyse and interpret data about investor-owned privatisation of healthcare financing and delivery systems in Canada. Learnings from the project will be used to develop, test and refine a new conceptual framework that will describe public-private interfaces operating within Canada’s healthcare system. In Phase I, we will conduct an environmental scan to: (1) document core policies that underpin public-private interfaces; and (2) describe new or emerging forms of investor-owned privatisation (‘cases’). We will analyse data from the scan and use inductive content analysis with a pragmatic approach. In Phase II, we will convene a virtual policy workshop with subject matter experts to refine the findings from the environmental scan and, using an adapted James Lind Alliance Delphi process, prioritise health system sectors and/or services in need of in-depth research on the impacts of private financing and investor-owned delivery.

Ethics and dissemination

We have obtained approval from the research ethics boards at Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and University of Victoria through Research Ethics British Columbia (H23-00612). Participants will provide written informed consent. In addition to traditional academic publications, study results will be summarised in a policy report and a series of targeted policy briefs distributed to workshop participants and decision/policymaking organisations across Canada. The prioritised list of cases will form the basis for future research projects that will investigate the impacts of investor-owned privatisation.
C1q+tumor-associated macrophages contribute to immunosuppression through fatty acid metabolic reprogramming in malignant pleural effusion
Authors: Zhang Siyu , Peng Wenbei , Wang Haolei , Xiang Xuan , Ye Linlin , Wei Xiaoshan , Wang Zihao , Xue Qianqian , Chen Long , Su Yuan , Zhou Qiong
Published: August 2023

Background

Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has shown remarkable benefits in cancers, a subset of patients with cancer exhibits unresponsiveness or develop acquired resistance due to the existence of abundant immunosuppressive cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as the dominant immunosuppressive population, impede the antitumor immune response; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated yet.

Methods

Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed to portray macrophage landscape and revealed the underlying mechanism of component 1q (C1q)+TAMs. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) of human and mouse was used to explore the phenotypes and functions of C1q+TAMs.

Results

C1q+TAMs highly expressed multiple inhibitory molecules and their high infiltration was significantly correlated with poor prognosis. C1q+TAMs promote MPE immunosuppression through impairing the antitumor effects of CD8+T cells. Mechanistically, C1q+TAMs enhance fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5)-mediated fatty acid metabolism, which activate transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, increasing the gene expression of inhibitory molecules. A high-fat diet increases the expression of inhibitory molecules in C1q+TAMs and the immunosuppression of MPE microenvironment, whereas a low-fat diet ameliorates these effects. Moreover, FABP5 inhibition represses the expression of inhibitory molecules in TAMs and tumor progression, while enhancing the efficacy of ICB therapy in MPE and lung cancer.

Conclusions

C1q+TAMs impede antitumor effects of CD8+T cells promoting MPE immunosuppression. Targeting C1q+TAMs effectively alleviates the immunosuppression and enhances the efficacy of ICB therapy. C1q+TAMs subset has great potential to be a therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy.
State of current management of the heightened risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular events in an established cohort of patients with lupus erythematosus
Authors: Zhao Megan , Feng Rui , Werth Victoria P , Williams Kevin Jon
Published: August 2023

Objective

Patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) are at heightened risk for clinical events, chiefly heart attacks and strokes, from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We recently proposed new guidelines to assess and manage ASCVD event risk specifically in LE. Here, we examined current cardiovascular management in light of these new recommendations.

Methods

We studied our entire UPenn Longitudinal Lupus Cohort of patients with cutaneous LE, without (CLE-only) or with (CLE+SLE) concurrent systemic LE, for whom we had full access to medical records (n=370, LE-ASCVD Study Cohort).

Results

Of our LE-ASCVD Study Cohort, 336 out of 370 (90.8%) had a designated primary-care physician. By the new guidelines, the most recent low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were above-goal for 249 out of 370 (67.3%). Two-hundred sixty-six (71.9%) had hypertension, which was undertreated or untreated in 198 out of 266 (74.4%). Of current smokers, 51 out of 63 (81.0%) had no documented smoking cessation counselling or referrals. Diabetes and triglyceridaemia were generally well managed. Of the cohort, 278 qualified for two widely used online estimators of ASCVD event risk in primary prevention: the ACC-ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus and QRisk3. We also stratified these 278 patients into our recently defined categories of ASCVD event risk in LE. These three methods for estimating ASCVD event risk showed clinically meaningful discordance for 169 out of 278 (60.8%). The documented rate of ASCVD events in the first 10 years after enrolment was 13.5% (95% CI 8.9%, 17.9%), similar between CLE-only and CLE+SLE, indicating an at-risk population despite the preponderance of women and an average age at enrolment of only 47 years.

Conclusion

Patients with CLE-only or CLE+SLE are undertreated compared with the new guidelines and, accordingly, they experience a significant burden of ASCVD events. Moreover, it is unclear how to accurately assess their future ASCVD event risk, except that it is substantial. Efforts are underway to improve ASCVD event risk estimation and guideline implementation in patients with lupus.
Existential distress in family caregivers: scoping review of meaning-making interventions
Authors: McAndrew Natalie S , Gray Tamryn F , Wallace Lyndsey , Calkins Kelly , Guttormson Jill , Harding Eric S , Applebaum Allison J
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Family and friend caregivers often feel overwhelmed by and ill-prepared for their responsibilities. Many feel helpless living with uncertainty about the outcome of the patient’s illness, which leads to existential distress. Supportive care interventions that address existential distress by promoting meaning and purpose buffer the negative effects of caregiver burden and promote resilience and growth. The purpose of this scoping review is to describe the depth and breadth of available interventions targeting caregiver existential distress.

Methods

We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute’s scoping review methods and applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension checklist. SCOPUS, Ovid MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched for interventions that targeted existential distress by promoting meaning-making, spiritual well-being, post-traumatic growth and/or benefit finding for caregivers of seriously ill adult patients.

Results

We screened 1377 titles/abstracts and 42 full-text articles. Thirty-one articles (28 unique studies) met inclusion criteria. Most interventions were designed for caregivers supporting patients with cancer (n=14) or patients receiving palliative care (n=9). Promising interventions included Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Cancer Caregivers, Meaning-Based Intervention for Patients and their Partners, Legacy Intervention for Family Enactment, Family Participatory Dignity Therapy and Existential Behavioural Therapy. More than half of the studies (n=20, 64%) were in the feasibility/acceptability/pilot stage of intervention testing.

Conclusion

Large randomised controlled trials with more diverse samples of caregivers are needed. Future research should explore the impact of delivering meaning-making interventions to caregivers throughout the illness trajectory. Developing strategies for scaling up and conducting cost analyses will narrow the research and practice gap for meaning-making interventions.
Melting heat transfer of micropolar nanofluid flow through porous medium
Authors: Alsulami M. D. , Hymavathi Dyapa
Published: August 2023

The study of melting heat transfer in micropolar nanofluid flow through porous media can provide insights into optimizing various industrial and engineering processes, as well as improve our understanding of fluid transport through porous media in environmental and biomedical applications. This study focuses on the impact of Brownian motion, thermophoresis, internal heat generation/absorption, chemical reaction and melting effects on two-dimensional micropolar nanofluid flow across a permeable stretchy surface with a stagnation point. Appropriate similarity transformations are chosen in order to convert the system of the nonlinear ordinary differential equation. The results for various parameters are examined by applying the shooting method with BVP5C technique. Furthermore, graphs and tables are used to explore the impact of significant factors that affected the velocity, microrotation, thermal behavior, and concentration of nanofluids. Results reveals that the increase in values of Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters caused a growth in the Sherwood number and drop in the Nusselt number. The upshot of the stretching parameter (SP) on velocity, temperature, concentration and microrotation is studied. Results reveal that the velocity and microrotation fields remain constant while thermal activity increases for SP[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]1. The higher value of the SP increases the concentration.
Hydrogen bond ferroelectric liquid crystal for tripartite temperature sensor: Experimental and computational (DFT) studies
Authors: Vijayakumar V. N. , Sundaram S. , Chitravel T. , Balasubramanian V.
Published: August 2023

The mesogenic behavior and electronic properties of hydrogen bond ferroelectric liquid crystal (HBFLC) complex are studied using experimental and theoretical techniques. HBFLC complex is synthesized from mesogenic 4-hexyloxy benzoic acid (6O BA) as the proton donor and nonmesogenic chiral DL-tartaric acid (DLTA) as the proton acceptor through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Molecular geometry of DLTA+6O BA HBFLC complex is optimized by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. An interesting observation is that polarizing optical microscope (POM) study confirms that the HBFLC complex exhibits thermochromic behavior in chiral nematic (N[Formula: see text] along with induced nontitled smectic G* phases. Another noteworthy observation is the manifestation of tripartite temperature stages. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis elucidate the intermolecular hydrogen bond between mesogenic (6O BA) and nonmesogenic (DLTA) compounds. Further, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) study and electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis explore the reactivity sites, intermolecular charge transfer and electronic behavior of HBFLC complex.
High-frequency stock return prediction using state-of-the-art deep learning models
Authors: Chen Sichong
Published: August 2023

Determining stock price movements is a challenging problem because stock prices are often influenced by multiple factors such as economic, political, business, and human behavior. In this paper, we will attempt different modeling methods for two types of data, a total of 40 Dow Jones Industrial Index components, to verify the effectiveness of daily and high-frequency data for stock price prediction. Furthermore, we will attempt to validate the performance of LSTM model in stock price prediction, and also try to improve its performance by incorporating an attention mechanism. We assume that adding an attention layer to LSTM model would improve model performance in our data sets, especially in high-frequency data, since the data set would contain a huge amount of noise. Our results indicate that the simple LSTM performs better than the attention-based LSTM for both data types of prediction tasks with a benchmark of the number of stock prediction outcomes that outperform the number of those in other model, which is 24 out 40 stocks, which refutes our initial assumptions and does not validate whether adding attention mechanism is useful for solving the shallow layers and gradient vanishing problem and thus improving the LSTM model performance.
An Investigation on Hardware-Aware Vision Transformer Scaling
Authors: Li Chaojian , Kim Kyungmin , Wu Bichen , Zhang Peizhao , Zhang Hang , Dai Xiaoliang , Vajda Peter , Lin Yingyan (Celine)
Published: August 2023

Vision Transformer (ViT) has demonstrated promising performance in various computer vision tasks, and recently attracted a lot of research attention. Many recent works have focused on proposing new architectures to improve ViT and deploying it into real-world applications. However, little effort has been made to analyze and understand ViT’s architecture design space and its implication for hardware costs on different devices. In this work, by simply scaling ViT’s depth, width, input size, and other basic configurations, we show that a scaled vanilla ViT model without bells and whistles can achieve comparable or superior accuracy-efficiency trade-off than most of the latest ViT variants. Specifically, compared with DeiT-Tiny, our scaled model achieves a ↑ 1.9% higher ImageNet top-1 accuracy under the same FLOPs and a ↑ 3.7% better ImageNet top-1 accuracy under the same latency on an NVIDIA Edge GPU TX2. Motivated by this, we further investigate the extracted scaling strategies from the following two aspects: (1)
can these scaling strategies be transferred across different real hardware devices
? and (2)
can these scaling strategies be transferred to different ViT variants and tasks
?. For (1), our exploration, based on various devices with different resource budgets, indicates that the transferability effectiveness depends on the underlying device together with its corresponding deployment tool. For (2), we validate the effective transferability of the aforementioned scaling strategies obtained from a vanilla ViT model on top of an image classification task to the PiT model, a strong ViT variant targeting efficiency as well as object detection and video classification tasks. In particular, when transferred to PiT, our scaling strategies lead to a boosted ImageNet top-1 accuracy of from 74.6% to 76.7% (↑ 2.1%) under the same 0.7G FLOPs. When transferred to the COCO object detection task, the average precision is boosted by ↑ 0.7% under a similar throughput on a V100 GPU.
DRIVE: Dockerfile Rule Mining and Violation Detection
Authors: Zhou Yu , Zhan Weilin , Li Zi , Han Tingting , Chen Taolue , Gall Harald
Published: August 2023

A Dockerfile defines a set of instructions to build Docker images, which can then be instantiated to support containerized applications. Recent studies have revealed a considerable amount of quality issues with Dockerfiles. In this article, we propose a novel approach, Dockerfiles Rule mIning and Violation dEtection (
DRIVE
), to mine implicit rules and detect potential violations of such rules in Dockerfiles.
DRIVE
first parses Dockerfiles and transforms them to an intermediate representation. It then leverages an efficient sequential pattern mining algorithm to extract potential patterns. With heuristic-based reduction and moderate human intervention, potential rules are identified, which can then be utilized to detect potential violations of Dockerfiles.
DRIVE
identifies 34 semantic rules and 19 syntactic rules including 9 new semantic rules that have not been reported elsewhere. Extensive experiments on real-world Dockerfiles demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.
Precision Nutrition: The Hype Is Exceeding the Science and Evidentiary Standards Needed to Inform Public Health Recommendations for Prevention of Chronic Disease
Authors: Bailey Regan L. , Stover Patrick J.
Published: August 2023

As dietary guidance for populations shifts from preventing deficiency disorders to chronic disease risk reduction, the biology supporting such guidance becomes more complex due to the multifactorial risk profile of disease and inherent population heterogeneity in the diet–disease relationship. Diet is a primary driver of chronic disease risk, and population-based guidance should account for individual responses. Cascading effects on evidentiary standards for population-based guidance are not straightforward. Precision remains a consideration for dietary guidance to prevent deficiency through the identification of population subgroups with unique nutritional needs. Reducing chronic disease through diet requires greater precision in ( a) establishing essential nutrient needs throughout the life cycle in both health and disease; ( b) considering effects of nutrients and other food substances on metabolic, immunological, inflammatory, and other physiological responses supporting healthy aging; and ( c) considering healthy eating behaviors. Herein we provide a template for guiding population-based eating recommendations for reducing chronic diseases in heterogenous populations.
The Placenta: A Maternofetal Interface
Authors: O'Brien Kimberly , Wang Yiqin
Published: August 2023

The placenta is the gatekeeper between the mother and the fetus. Over the first trimester of pregnancy, the fetus is nourished by uterine gland secretions in a process known as histiotrophic nutrition. During the second trimester of pregnancy, placentation has evolved to the point at which nutrients are delivered to the placenta via maternal blood (hemotrophic nutrition). Over gestation, the placenta must adapt to these variable nutrient supplies, to alterations in maternal physiology and blood flow, and to dynamic changes in fetal growth rates. Numerous questions remain about the mechanisms used to transport nutrients to the fetus and the maternal and fetal determinants of this process. Growing data highlight the ability of the placenta to regulate this process. As new technologies and omics approaches are utilized to study this maternofetal interface, greater insight into this unique organ and its impact on fetal development and long-term health has been obtained.
Osteocalcin: A Multifaceted Bone-Derived Hormone
Authors: Karsenty Gerard
Published: August 2023

Together, loss- and gain-of-function experiments have identified the bone-derived secreted molecule osteocalcin as a hormone with a broad reach in rodents and primates. Following its binding to one of three receptors, osteocalcin exerts a profound influence on various aspects of energy metabolism as well as steroidogenesis, neurotransmitter biosynthesis and thereby male fertility, electrolyte homeostasis, cognition, the acute stress response, and exercise capacity. Although this review focuses mostly on the regulation of energy metabolism by osteocalcin, it also touches on its other functions. Lastly, it proposes what could be a common theme between the functions of osteocalcin and between these functions and the structural functions of bone.
In Situ Raman Observation of Zinc-Induced Structural Dynamics and Charge Transfer of a Layered V2O5
Authors: Wang Chunjian , Xie Weiping , Cao Hongtao , Wang Qiang , Zhang Chengli , Xu Guanglong , Gao Junhua , Zhang Hongliang
Published: August 2023

In situ techniques to disclose electrochemical and interfacial behavior between electrode and electrolyte in a quantitative manner are in high demand in numerous fields including electrochromism, energy storage as well as basic science research. This work demonstrates a self-made in situ Raman spectra technique coordinating with an electrochemical workstation and its utility for zinc-induced structural dynamics and charge transfer of a layered V2O5. The increase or decrease of Raman activity modes of V–O3, O1–V–O2 and O1–V–O3 at applied low or high voltages is probably due to the presence of “free pathway” within layers. An interpretation is proposed where the two stages of bidirectional reversibility of Zn2+ intercalation and deintercalation from “free pathway” and V2O5 matrix occur via an electrochemical process, followed by Zn2+ continuous aggregation, fusion and possible transformation to ZnxV2O5. A distinct difference between Li+-based and Zn2+-based electrolytes is that the Raman active modes between V atom and apical oxygen are almost not enhanced or weakened for V2O5 in Zn2+-based electrolyte, most likely due to the greater Coulomb force of Zn2+ on V2O5 matrix than that of Li+. These observations have implications for understanding the performance and stability of electrochromic devices.
Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Mn3O4 Thin Films that are Grown Using SILAR for Room-Temperature Ozone Gas Sensors
Authors: Huang Wen-Chun , Chou Cheng-I , Yang Chun-Jen , Chen Yu-Min , Hsueh Wen-Jeng , Liao Su-Yu , Huang Chun-Ying
Published: August 2023

Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) is a promising technique to fabricate gas sensors at room temperature. However, the quality of the films is poor, leading to reduced surface area and increased defects within the film structure, thus decreasing the overall gas response. Inferior film quality also negatively affects the stability and reproducibility of the gas sensors over time. This study determines the effect of UV treatment on the structural, morphological, and ozone (O3) gas-sensing properties of p-type Mn3O4 thin films. As UV treatment time increases, the O3 gas-sensing characteristics increase because a porous structure with a higher surface area is formed and electrical conductivity is increased. Under a UV intensity of 20 mW cm−2, the Mn3O4 sensor exhibits gas response, response time, and recovery time of 1.62, 58, and 39 s, respectively, against 5 ppm concentration of O3 gas. Moreover, the Mn3O4 gas sensor exhibits excellent long-term stability showing around 3% variation in gas response over 60 d. This strategy allows the deposition of high-quality p-type Mn3O4 thin films using SILAR for applications in flexible gas sensors.
Hexosamine biosynthetic pathway and O-GlcNAc cycling of glucose metabolism in brain function and disease
Authors: Kim Dong Yeol , Park Jiwon , Han Inn-Oc
Published: August 2023

Impaired brain glucose metabolism is considered a hallmark of brain dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Disruption of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and subsequent O-linked N-acetylglucosamine ( O-GlcNAc) cycling has been identified as an emerging link between altered glucose metabolism and defects in the brain. Myriads of cytosolic and nuclear proteins in the nervous system are modified at serine or threonine residues with a single N-acetylglucosamine ( O-GlcNAc) molecule by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), which can be removed by β- N-acetylglucosaminidase ( O-GlcNAcase, OGA). Homeostatic regulation of O-GlcNAc cycling is important for the maintenance of normal brain activity. Although significant evidence linking dysregulated HBP metabolism and aberrant O-GlcNAc cycling to induction or progression of neuronal diseases has been obtained, the issue of whether altered O-GlcNAcylation is causal in brain pathogenesis remains uncertain. Elucidation of the specific functions and regulatory mechanisms of individual O-GlcNAcylated neuronal proteins in both normal and diseased states may facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets for various neuronal disorders. The information presented in this review highlights the importance of HBP/ O-GlcNAcylation in the neuronal system and summarizes the roles and potential mechanisms of O-GlcNAcylated neuronal proteins in maintaining normal brain function and initiation and progression of neurological diseases.
Mechanisms for hypothermia during anaphylactic hypotension in awake rats
Authors: Shibamoto Toshishige , Ono Munenori , Tanida Mamoru , Kuda Yuhichi , Kurata Yasutaka
Published: August 2023

Anaphylactic shock is a life-threatening systemic hypotension. Hypothermia is observed during systemic anaphylaxis of rats. We determined the mechanism as follows: decreased locomotor activity, but not tail heat dissipation or decreased BAT activity, may at least in part contribute to this hypothermia. PAF and histamine are involved mainly in hypotension, but only partly in hypothermia during rat anaphylaxis.
Treatment with gut-specific nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug attenuates metabolic inflammation but not body mass in fattening ground squirrels
Authors: Zur Tulod Jewel , Witman Nathan D. , Grond Kirsten , Duddleston Khrystyne N. , Kurtz Courtney C.
Published: August 2023

Adiposity and obesity are caused, at least in part, by inflammation of metabolic tissues. Hibernators, like ground squirrels, undergo this same metabolic inflammation during their summer fattening period. We attempted to curb this inflammation, and thus fattening, using mesalazine. We found that mesalazine did curb the inflammation but did not affect fattening, likely due to the strong drive to fatten in hibernators.