bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of a social network-based physical activity intervention targeting vocational students
Authors: Guenther L , Schleberger S , Pischke CR
Published: October 2022

Background

Globally, four of five adolescents do not meet the recommendations for physical activity (PA). This is a public health concern because moving large segments of young adults from inactivity to activity, is essential to reach the global target of a 15% relative reduction of inactivity by 2030 worldwide. This study aimed to pilot a social network-based PA intervention in a sample of young adults enrolled at vocational schools.

Methods

Fourteen students from one vocational school located in Duesseldorf were encouraged to walk 10.000 steps per day over an intervention period of six weeks. In the WALK2gether intervention, students received general information on PA in a Facebook group and were instructed to use the pedometer app Pacer to monitor their individual steps and compare their daily step count with fellow participants. The framework by Thabane et al. (2010) was was taken as a basis for examining the feasibility of the methods and procedures employed and for estimating the magnitude of potential intervention effects.

Results

The WALK2gether intervention turned out to be minimally resource intensive with, in total, 92 hours spent by the study staff on development and implementation. The recruitment rate was 19.2% and loss-to-follow was 28.6%. Descriptively analysed data revealed no noteworthy changes from baseline to follow-up neither in PA nor in other health outcomes, such as body mass index and quality of life. The target population did not interact in the Facebook group, while a moderate interaction with Pacer was noted.

Conclusions

This pilot study and intervention were only partially feasible. Although the results ought to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, our results suggest that the target group would rather benefit from a structured PA regimen with regular check-ins and PA counselling, possibly by vocational school teachers, than the very autonomous approach piloted in this study.

Key messages

• Results of this pilot study can inform the development and implementation of future social media-based PA interventions targeting young adults in vocational schools.

• Optimization of the intervention and studies on a larger scale are necessary.
Making Every Contact Count with people with MSK conditions: Exploring physiotherapist acceptability
Authors: Parchment A , Lawrence W , Rahman E , Townsend N , Wainwright E , Wainwright D
Published: October 2022

There are known risk factors that are associated with the onset and exacerbation of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and pain. Physiotherapists are uniquely placed to deliver brief interventions with their patients. Healthy Conversation Skills is the main training component of the Wessex approach to Making Every Contact Count. Despite its potential for promoting MSK health and wellbeing, there is no evidence to support its acceptability within MSK services. This is the first known study to explore the use and perceptions of the Wessex model of MECC HCS within MSK services. A mixed method design was used. Phase one employed an online questionnaire, open to all professionals trained in MECC HCS, consisting of items relating to implementation outcomes. Barriers and facilitators to delivery were explored and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Phase two invited physiotherapists for a follow-up interview and qualitatively explored their acceptability of delivering MECC HCS to patients with MSK conditions. MECC HCS was found to be highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. Physiotherapists reported using their skills at least daily but missed opportunities for delivering MECC HCS were evident. Barriers mapped mostly to ‘Environmental Context and Resources’ on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Qualitative themes developed during phase two were: ‘Recognising the patient as the expert supports change', ‘MECC HCS improves physiotherapy practice', ‘MECC HCS shared problem solving reduces workload', ‘time as a perceived barrier to MECC HCS’ and ‘system-level support needed to sustain MECC HCS'. MECC HCS is a promising brief intervention for supporting people with MSK conditions. Further rollout of this intervention may be beneficial for meeting the goals of the NHS and Public Health England in prevention of MSK conditions and promotion of MSK health. Barriers associated with sustainability must, however, be addressed.

Key messages

• Making Every Contact Count Healthy Conversation Skills is considered a highly acceptable brief intervention for supporting behaviour change in people with musculoskeletal conditions.

• Organisational, system-level barriers to implementation must be addressed in order to increase sustainability and enhance future roll out of the brief intervention.
Use of TikTok by nutrition healthcare professionals: analysis of the Italian context
Authors: Durbano A , Bert F , Pivi A , Lo Moro G , Scaioli G , Siliquini R
Published: October 2022

Background

Over the past 20 years, Social Media (SM) have become fundamental tools for quickly and effectively spreading health information in Europe. One of the most popular topics in the health sector is food and nutrition. TikTok is one of the most recent-born and most popular SM. Our study aims to analyze how healthcare professionals in the nutrition sector communicate through TikTok, and to assess characteristics of their accounts and videos.

Methods

We included in the present study 53 Italian healthcare professionals who post videos on TikTok through a search on this SM using nutrition-related keywords. For each tiktoker, we described the characteristics of their last 10 videos, through an ad hoc checklist. We performed multilevel multivariable linear regression models in order to identify factors (healthcare professional or video related) that could be associated with a higher popularity of the video.

Results

The 67.7% of the tiktokers considered were female; 46% had more than 30 years, 62.3% were biologists. The median number of likes was 300 (IQR 75 - 1070). The linguistic register was “formal” in the 11.3% of the videos. In the 31.9% of them, the location was the office of the healthcare professional. In the 67.3%, the topic was “diet-related”. Multilevel multivariable linear regression models showed that “diet-related” topics were associated with more likes (coeff 1111.63, p = 0.048), and comments (coeff 13.42, p = 0.018).

Conclusions

Many Italian nutrition professionals are present on TikTok, and perform videos in their offices discussing mainly diet-related topics. There are no specific factors associated with the popularity of their videos, other than the presence of “diet-related” topics. Since the TikTok audience is very young, and wrong messages on this topic could lead to serious health-related consequences, there is the need to pay a specific attention on the contents of the videos, to avoid the spread of potentially dangerous information.

Key messages

• Italian healthcare nutrition professionals are present on TikTok and perform videos with diet-related contents in their workplaces.

• Since wrong information on diet and nutrition could lead to serious health consequences for the audience, it is important to monitor the content of the videos to avoid the spread of dangerous messages.
Training Needs and Quality of Public Health Inspectors in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Adamopoulos I , Lamnisos D , Syrou N , Boustras G
Published: October 2022

Background

Public Health Inspectors (PHI) task is to promote health, respond to emerging threats in Public Health and prevent and control of the communicable and environmental diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PHI and other Healthcare Workers faced greater biological risks of infections and therefore personal protection was of great importance for their health and safety. Staff education and training is an important factor of disaster management capability and may help prevent and control pandemics. This study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to investigate the training needs and training quality of Greek Public Health Inspectors.

Methods

A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2021 in Greece. An online survey was distributed to respondents by email through the National Public Health Inspectorate Administration. The survey included seven Likert scale items for assessing the training needs (health and safety of work, stress management, health services administration, crisis management in the health sector, natural disasters, personal protective equipment and protection against biological agents and protection from chemical agents) and two Likert scale items for assessing the training quality.

Results

The response rate was 30.5 % (185/606 PHI). The 62.2% were females with a mean age of 49 years old (sd = 8.2) and a mean work experience of 15.9 years (sd = 8.5). Most participants (64.51%) reported high training needs on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment. Most participants (43.78%) also reported low training quality. Training needs were higher for women and in urban and semi-urban workplace environments.

Conclusions

High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for PHI in all workplace environments. PHI need training in health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment.

Key messages

• High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for Public Health Inspectors in all workplace environments in Greece.

• Future training for Greek Public Health Inspectors should focus on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment.
Associations between social support and physical activity among postpartum women: a cohort study
Authors: Bennetter KE , Waage CW , Richardsen KR , Jenum AK , Vøllestad NK , Robinson HS
Published: October 2022

Background

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) enhances postpartum women’s health, and social support is associated with higher self-reported physical activity (PA) postpartum. It is unknown if this association exist across ethnic groups. Our research questions are: are overall family or friends’ support associated with objectively recorded MVPA postpartum, 2) are specific types of family or friends’ support associated with MVPA and 3) does the association differ across ethnic groups?

Methods

We used data from 662 women participating in the STORK Groruddalen cohort study (2008-2010). MVPA in bouts ≥ 10 minutes was recorded by SenseWear ArmbandTM Pro3 14 weeks postpartum. Family and friends’ support was measured by the Social Support for Exercise Scale. We used single items and mean score for family (6 items) and friends’ (6-items) support in separate linear regression models, and adjusted for age, ethnicity, education, parity, weeks since birth and body mass index. We tested for interactions between social support and ethnicity. Analyses were performed on complete cases and imputed data due to missing MVPA data.

Results

Based on imputed data we observed an association between family support and MVPA (β = 4.0, 95% CI, 0.18 to 7.74, p = 0.040). Women reporting high family support on two specific items spent 9 MVPA minutes/day more than women reporting low support (‘discuss PA': β = 8.6, 95% CI: 0.37 to 16.87 and ‘co-participation': β = 8.8, 95% CI: 1.79 to 15.86). Associations were not modified by ethnicity. No statistically significant association between friends’ support and MVPA was observed. Similar results were found in complete case analyses, with few exceptions.

Conclusions

Overall family support and specific form of family support (i.e., PA discussion and co-participation) were associated with MVPA postpartum across ethnic groups. Friends’ support was not associated with MVPA.

Key messages

• Postpartum health may be improved across ethnic groups through increased PA facilitated through overall family support for PA and specifically through PA discussions and co-participation from family.

• Friends’ support for PA was not associated with PA.
Removing barriers to utilisation of support services for abused female adolescents in Nigeria slums
Authors: Ikuteyijo OO , Akinyemi AI , Merten S , Fetters MD
Published: October 2022

Background

Female adolescents in urban slums experience a plethora of violence. The inherent health inequalities in the urban slums also present barriers to adolescents’ access to support services that can alleviate the impact of violence and bring perpetrators to justice. Health facilities can play key proactive roles in facilitating effective responses to address the problems of violence. This research sought to answer the questions: what support services are available to female adolescents in the event of violence; what are the barriers to accessing these services; and what roles can health workers play in removing these barriers?

Methods

The study used an ethnographic approach involving 40 in-depth interviews and 9 focus group discussions with female adolescents, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with health providers and community leaders. The study setting comprised intentionally sampled slum communities in Lagos and Oyo states, southwest Nigeria. Thematic data analysis was conducted to address the study questions.

Results

Potential support services available to female adolescents in the study setting included the Community Development Association, police, family members, and health facilities. Identified barriers to utilizing available support services included stigmatization, non-formalization of police reports of violence, ambiguous attitudes of health workers to abused adolescents, and unfamiliarity on the part of adolescents. Although resources are available to adolescents in the event of violence, the lack of coordination of services has led to gross inefficiency for intervening.

Conclusions

To address the inefficiency of services, the health sector is best positioned to ensure synergy among the key stakeholders to reduce stigma and stop abuse experience among adolescent girls. Beyond a reactionary, curative approach, health providers need to play a preventive role through education, advocacy, and coordination of interventions at the community level.

Key messages

• Health workers at primary health facilities need to support adolescents who experience violence, especially those who using their services.

• In addition, health workers are best positioned to create synergy among available support services to alleviate and mitigate the impact of violence on female adolescents in the community.
Co-production in public health research grant writing: engaging underserved migrant mothers in the UK
Authors: Stevenson K , Ogunlana K , Ciftici Y , Knight M , Aldridge R , Stevenson F
Published: October 2022

Background

In the UK, one in three births is to a non-UK born woman, but there is a gap in co-produced research to explore their experiences. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) defines co-production as ‘an approach in which researchers, practitioners, and members of the public work together, sharing power and responsibility'. This project co-produced a grant proposal to improve maternity care for underserved migrant women in the UK. We reflect on transferrable learning for engaging those whose voices are less often heard in grant writing.

Methods

An expert by experience, an underserved migrant woman who gave birth in the UK, joined the research team. Four online engagement workshops were conducted; two involved only migrant women, two were multi-disciplinary. 26 underserved migrant women attended. NIHR INVOLVE public involvement guidance was consulted.

Results

Women said they were often asked about negative experiences which felt disempowering, and rarely asked about solutions. Thus, we shifted the focus of our work to co-designing solutions. Women said that having an expert by experience co-host workshops encouraged engagement, so we integrated this into our methods. Some women were uncomfortable in professional groups. Thus, our proposed steering and focus groups will have an expert by experience subgroup with elected members attending multi-disciplinary groups. We will engage mostly online as women preferred this to enable flexibility with childcare. The lead expert by experience helped form the proposal through brainstorming, co-drafting, and feedback; experts by experience commented on the draft via email and workshops. The lead expert by experience wished to gain further experience of research methods, for which we requested additional funding.

Conclusions

This project highlights the immense potential for co-production in public health research, and the value of adapting research planning to maximise the voices of the less often heard.

Key messages

• Engaging experts by experiences in public health research planning is key to ensuring our work addresses the needs of underserved communities.

• Co-Production of research requires determination to involve those whose voices are less often heard from the beginning of the research process, and to commit to joined working throughout.
Implementation of integrated knowledge translation in NCD research: Examining intervention components
Authors: Sell K , Rehfuess EA , Pfadenhauer LM
Published: October 2022

Background

Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) has been a cornerstone of the Collaboration for Evidence-based Healthcare and Public Health in Africa (CEBHA+) with partners in Ethiopia, Germany, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. The consortium conducts research on preventing and treating non-communicable diseases as well as road traffic injuries. IKT is understood as the continuous engagement of decision-makers throughout the research process in order to build equitable, mutually beneficial partnerships to conduct policy-relevant research and, ultimately, strengthen evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). Gradually, a structured “CEBHA+ IKT approach” was developed, including systematic stakeholder mapping and analysis, and the development of local IKT strategies.

Methods

We conducted a mixed-methods process and outcome evaluation of this IKT intervention. This comprised structured interviews, an online survey, and document analyses at two time points, two and four years after IKT initiation.

Results

Preliminary results show that partnerships with decision-makers were successfully established or strengthened. While continuous engagement was implemented, fidelity to formalised IKT strategies was variable. The development, monitoring and updating of the IKT strategies, originally conceptualised as an essential intervention component, has been helpful for some CEBHA+ researchers and may facilitate implementation. However, the vision for decision-maker engagement as well as emphasis on continuous engagement (defined as a deliverable) emerged as more important intervention drivers and may be conceptualised as intervention components.

Conclusions

A strong vision and continuous engagement with decision-makers are critical for strengthening EIDM. Formalised IKT strategies proved to be of moderate importance in current CEBHA+ research activities, but may turn out to be an essential intervention component if implemented from the start of a research project.

Key messages

• Continuous engagement with decision-makers has successfully strengthened or established partnerships between researchers and decision-makers.

• Formal IKT strategies to plan stakeholder engagement were developed but continuous stakeholder engagement and a strong vision proved to be of greater importance.
Response to the Ukrainian war: Support to the Ukrainian health professionals – war refugees
Authors: Petráková A , Veselá N , Ponomarenko M , Hrdličková S , Barták M , Dlouhý M
Published: October 2022

Issue/problem

There are currently more than 300,000 war refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic, including several hundred health workers of various health professions, including physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and others. The Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education (IPVZ) on behalf of the Ministry of Health prepares and organizes the approbation exams of physicians, dentists and pharmacists who as foreign nationals have obtained medical qualification outside the EU and wish to practice their profession in the Czech Republic or the EU.

Description of the problem

To follow up on new legislation of the Czech Republic, valid from 21 March 2022, focused on the Ukrainian war refugees and their stay in the Czech Republic, IPVZ immediately formulated its strategic response and support to an urgent needs of the Ukrainian refugees with a focus on health professionals and their integration to the Czech health system. IPVZ and its School of Public Health (SPH) work on capacities development courses, in particular on the Czech language courses and on introduction to the Czech health system.

Results

First 3 Czech language courses, held on 2 May -1 July 2022, were completed by 34 attendees. Next 10 courses will start on 1 August 2022. There is an interest in both face-to-face and online Czech language courses. In parallel, we provide the introduction to the Czech health system through consistent creation of bilingual cycle of short videos, first videos are available free of charge on IPVZ web site at https://ua.ipvz.cz.

Lessons

Interest in the Czech language classes indicates its importance for all Ukrainian health professionals - war refugees, who plan to stay in the Czech Republic and to work in the Czech health system in their health professions -physicians, nurses and others. Cycle of short bilingual videos is an important support tool for adoption of the Czech health system terminology and for their preparation for the approbation exams.

Key messages

• Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education in Prague formulated its immediate strategic response to the Ukrainian war and needs of the Ukrainian war refugees with a focus on health workers.

• Intensive Czech language courses supplemented by the cycle of short bilingual videos, introducing the Czech health system, available free of charge at https://ua.ipvz.cz, fully support MoH CZ policy.
A Caenorhabditis elegans model of autosomal dominant adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis identifies ethosuximide as a potential therapeutic
Authors: Barker Eleanor , Morgan Alan , Barclay Jeff W
Published: October 2022

Autosomal dominant adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (ANCL) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive dementia and premature death. Four ANCL-causing mutations have been identified, all mapping to the DNAJC5 gene that encodes cysteine string protein α (CSPα). Here, using Caenorhabditis elegans, we describe an animal model of ANCL in which disease-causing mutations are introduced into their endogenous chromosomal locus, thereby mirroring the human genetic disorder. This was achieved through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of dnj-14, the C. elegans ortholog of DNAJC5. The resultant homozygous ANCL mutant worms exhibited reduced lifespans and severely impaired chemotaxis, similar to isogenic dnj-14 null mutants. Importantly, these phenotypes were also seen in balanced heterozygotes carrying one wild-type and one ANCL mutant dnj-14 allele, mimicking the heterozygosity of ANCL patients. We observed a more severe chemotaxis phenotype in heterozygous ANCL mutant worms compared with haploinsufficient worms lacking one copy of CSP, consistent with a dominant-negative mechanism of action. Additionally, we provide evidence of CSP haploinsufficiency in longevity, as heterozygous null mutants exhibited significantly shorter lifespan than wild-type controls. The chemotaxis phenotype of dnj-14 null mutants was fully rescued by transgenic human CSPα, confirming the translational relevance of the worm model. Finally, a focused compound screen revealed that the anti-epileptic drug ethosuximide could restore chemotaxis in dnj-14 ANCL mutants to wild-type levels. This suggests that ethosuximide may have therapeutic potential for ANCL and demonstrates the utility of this C. elegans model for future larger-scale drug screening.
Deletion ofSmad7Ameliorates Intestinal Inflammation and Contributes to Fibrosis
Authors: Schuler Cordelia , Foti Federica , Perren Leonie , Mamie Céline , Weder Bruce , Stokmaier Michelle , de Vallière Cheryl , Heuchel Rainer , Ruiz Pedro A , Rogler Gerhard , Hausmann Martin
Published: October 2022

Background

Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) express increased mucosal levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β compared with non-IBD controls. SMAD7 negatively regulates TGF-β signaling. An earlier study aiming to target Smad7 showed a lack of clinical benefit. It remains unknown whether inhibition of SMAD7 is beneficial in specific settings of IBD. We evaluated the effect of Smad7 deficiency on inflammation, fibrogenesis, and wound healing.

Methods

For the initiation of fibrosis in Smad7-/- (Smad7Δex-I) CD-1 mice, the dextran sodium sulfate–induced chronic colitis model and the heterotopic transplantation model of fibrosis were used. Wound closure of fibroblasts from Smad7-/- mice was determined using culture inserts and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing in vitro.

Results

In dextran sodium sulfate–induced chronic colitis, Smad7 deficiency was associated with ameliorated inflammation, as evidenced by decreased clinical score, histological score, and myeloperoxidase activity. Absence of SMAD7 decreased T-cell accumulation in colonic tissue and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA expression levels. Smad7-/- mice showed a significant increase in hydroxyproline and collagen content, as well as ColIVa1 mRNA expression. Wild type mice transplanted with terminal ileum from Smad7-/- mice in the heterotopic animal model for intestinal fibrosis showed a significant increase in collagen content and protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin.

Conclusions

Smad7 deficiency is associated with a decrease in intestinal inflammation and an increase in fibrosis. Targeting SMAD7 constitutes a potential new treatment option for IBD; progression of disease-associated fibrosis should be considered.
Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Image Signature in Virologically Stable HIV Individuals
Authors: Strain Jeremy F , Cooley Sarah A , Tomov Dimitre , Boerwinkle Anna , Ances Beau M
Published: October 2022

Background

With implementation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), changes to brain integrity in people with HIV (PWH) are subtle compared to those observed in the pre-cART era. T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) ratio has been proposed as a measure of cortical myelin. This study examines T1w/T2w values between virologically controlled PWH and persons without HIV (PWoH).

Methods

Virologically well-controlled PWH (n = 164) and PWoH (n = 120) were compared on global and regional T1w/T2w values. T1w/T2w values were associated with HIV disease variables (nadir and current CD4 T-cell count, and CNS penetration effectiveness of cART regimen) in PWH, and as a function of age for both PWoH and PWH.

Results

PWH had reduced global and regional T1w/T2w values compared to PWoH in the posterior cingulate cortex, caudal anterior cingulate cortex, and insula. T1w/T2w values did not correlate with HIV variables except for a negative relationship with CNS penetration effectiveness. Greater cardiovascular disease risk and older age were associated with lower T1w/T2w values only for PWH.

Conclusions

T1w/T2w values obtained from commonly acquired MRI protocols differentiates virologically well-controlled PWH from PWoH. Changes in T1w/T2w ratio do not correlate with typical HIV measures. Future studies are needed to determine the biological mechanisms underlying this measure.
Pediatric Infection-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Increases and Seroprevalence by Type of Clinical Care—September 2021 to February 2022
Authors: Clarke Kristie E N , Kim Yun , Jones Jefferson , Lee Adam , Deng Yangyang , Nycz Elise , Iachan Ronaldo , Gundlapalli Adi V , MacNeil Adam , Hall Aron
Published: October 2022

Background

Trends in estimates of US pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced seroprevalence from commercial laboratory specimens may overrepresent children with frequent health care needs. We examined seroprevalence trends and compared seroprevalence estimates by testing type and diagnostic coding.

Methods

Cross-sectional convenience samples of residual sera September 2021-February 2022 from 52 US jurisdictions were assayed for infection-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; monthly seroprevalence estimates were calculated by age group. Multivariate logistic analyses compared seroprevalence estimates for specimens associated with International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes and laboratory orders indicating well-child care with estimates for other pediatric specimens.

Results

Infection-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence increased in each age group, from 30% to 68% (1–4 years), 38% to 77% (5–11 years), and 40% to 74% (12–17 years). On multivariate analysis, patients with well-child ICD-10 codes were seropositive more often than other patients aged 1–17 years (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.07); children aged 9–11 years receiving standard lipid screening were seropositive more often than those receiving other laboratory tests (aPR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08).

Conclusions

Infection-induced seroprevalence more than doubled among children younger than 12 years between September 2021 and February 2022, and increased 85% in adolescents. Differences in seroprevalence by care type did not substantially impact US pediatric seroprevalence estimates.
An Approach for Evaluating Potential Screening Thresholds Using Biomarker Population Distribution and Analytical Imprecision
Authors: Henderson Matthew P A , Chakraborty Pranesh
Published: October 2022

Background

A common approach in laboratory medicine is to use a simple but sensitive test to screen samples to identify those that require additional investigation with a more complex and informative method. Selection of screening thresholds can be guided by biomarker distribution in the tested population and the analytical imprecision of the method.

Methods

A simulation using joint probabilities derived from the population distribution for galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GALT) activity and the analytical imprecision for the GALT assay was used to estimate the number of samples that would require repeat analysis and the number of samples with possibly false-negative screening determinations due to analytical imprecision.

Results

In the case of GALT activity, screening a conservative initial threshold 6 standard deviations from the confirmation threshold can essentially eliminate the chance of a false-negative screening determination due to analytical imprecision. The trade-off is a greater number of samples requiring follow-up testing (n = 222, equivalent to 0.15% of samples annually).

Conclusions

Selection of thresholds in a screening algorithm is informed by estimates of the number of samples that would require repeat testing and the number that could be false negative due to analytical imprecision.
Risk Analysis for Quality Control Part 2: Theoretical Foundations for Risk Analysis
Authors: Moore Ryleigh A , Rudolf Joseph W , Schmidt Robert L
Published: October 2022

Background

Risk analysis can be used to determine control limits for quality control (QC). The Parvin model is the most commonly used method for risk analysis; however; the Parvin model rests on assumptions that have been shown to produce paradoxical results and to underestimate risk. There is a need for an improved framework for risk analysis.

Methods

We developed a dynamic model (Markov Reward Model) to analyze the long-term behavior of an assay under the influence of a QC monitoring system. The model is flexible and accounts for different patterns of assay behavior (shift frequency, shift distribution) and the impact of error on patient outcomes. The model determines the distribution of undetected reported errors and the frequency of false-positive laboratory results as a function of QC settings. The model accounts for the competing risks (false detections, shifts in the mean) that cause an assay to move from an in-control state to an out-of-control state.

Results

The model provides a tradeoff curve that expresses the cost to prevent an unacceptable reported result in terms of laboratory cost (false-positive QC). The model can be used to optimize settings of a particular QC method or to compare the performance of different methods.

Conclusions

We developed a method to evaluate that determines the cost to reduce the risk to patients (reported results with unacceptable errors) in terms of laboratory costs (false-positive QC).
Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation improves intestinal morphology, mucosal barrier function of broilers subjected to chronic heat stress
Authors: Peng Xu Y , Xing Tong , Li Jiao L , Zhang Lin , Jiang Yun , Gao Feng
Published: October 2022

The current study is designed to investigate dietary guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, and jejunum mucosal barrier function of broilers that are subjected to chronic heat stress (HS). A total of 192 male broilers (28-d old) were randomly allocated to four groups. A chronic HS model (at a temperature of 32 °C and 50%–60% relative humidity for 24 h daily) was applied in the experiment. Normal control (NC, ad libitum feeding, 22 °C), HS group (HS, ad libitum feeding, 32 °C), pair-fed group (PF, received food equivalent to that consumed by the HS group on the previous day, 22 °C), guanidinoacetic acid group (HG, ad libitum feeding, supplementing the basal diet with 0.6 g/kg GAA, 32 °C). The experiment lasted from 28 to 35 and 28 to 42 d of age of broilers. Our results showed that broilers subjected to HS had lower average daily feed intake and average daily gain (P < 0.05), higher feed-to-gain ratio and relative length of the small intestine (P < 0.05), as well as lower relative weight and weight per unit length of the small intestine (P < 0.05). HS damaged the small intestinal histomorphology by decreasing the small intestinal VH and the VH/CD (P < 0.05). Compared with the HS group, supplementation with 0.6 g/kg GAA increased jejunal VH and VH/CD (P < 0.05), but decreased relative weight and relative length of the small intestine (P < 0.05). Moreover, in comparison with NC, HS elevated intestinal permeability (D-Lactic acid concentration and diamine oxidase activity) and mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), reduced jejunal mucus thickness, number of goblet cells, IgA + cell density, and mucin2 mRNA expression level of broilers (P < 0.05). Compared with the HS group, dietary GAA elevated jejunal mucus thickness, goblet cell number and IgA+ cell density (P < 0.05), and up-regulated jejunal mRNA expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HS impaired growth performance, and the intestinal mucosal barrier function of broilers. Dietary supplementation with 0.6 g/kg GAA alleviated HS-induced histomorphology changes of small intestine and jejunal mucosal barrier dysfunction.
Development and Validation of Seven Phosphatidylethanol Homologues in Dried Blood Spots Including Preliminary Results after Excessive Use of an Ethanol-Based Hand Sanitizer
Authors: Herzog Josefine , Skopp Gisela , Musshoff Frank
Published: October 2022

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) has become a widespread marker offering an up to 4-week retrospective window to detect alcohol use. Due to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, ethanol-based hand sanitizers are frequently used. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for the determination of up to seven different homologues of PEth from dried blood spots (DBSs) after use of an ethanol-based hand sanitizer. The objectives of its preliminary application were to prove whether a threshold of 20 ng/mL for PEth 16:0/18:1 is reached and whether other homologues are formed as well as if positive findings of urinary ethyl glucuronide (UEtG) can be observed with respect to assess monitoring of abstinence control programs. Ten volunteers (8 occasional and 2 regular drinkers) were recruited to excessively use an ethanol-based hand sanitizer on 5 successive days. DBSs and urine samples were collected daily. PEth and UEtG were determined by liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry. In total, two volunteers with initial PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations of 19.3 and 14.6 ng/mL exceeded the threshold of 20 ng/mL six times. Subjects drinking daily or almost daily had starting PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations of 242 and 354 ng/mL, showing a decline of PEth concentrations in six out of the seven homologues over 5 days. In teetotalers, formation of PEth species could not be observed. Thus, not satisfying requirements in an alcohol monitoring program with initial PEth-negative blood cannot be explained by a frequent use of ethanol-based hand sanitizer only. In cases of regular alcohol consumption, PEth homologues are not likely to be further influenced. However, results indicated that individuals with a PEth concentration close to 20 ng/mL are at risk of exceeding the threshold by using ethanol-based hand sanitizer.
N-Terminal Prohormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide as a Prognostic Biomarker for the Risk of Complications in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ramzi Zhian Salah
Published: October 2022

Objective

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at summarizing the existing clinical evidence to evaluate the prognostic performance of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in predicting cardiovascular events, cardiovascular-related mortality, and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Searches were performed in Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases before August 1, 2021. The data were recorded as adjusted hazard ratio (HR).

Results

An increase in NT-proBNP increases the risk of cardiovascular events (HR = 1.63), cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.86) and all-cause mortality (HR = 1.54). Seemingly, the best cutoffs for predicting cardiovascular events (HR = 2.30) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 3.77) are levels greater than 100 pg/mL. The best cutoff of NT-proBNP in predicting all-cause mortality is levels greater than 225 pg/mL (HR = 4.72).

Conclusion

A moderate level of evidence demonstrated that NT-proBNP serum levels can predict future cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Thus, it can be used as risk stratification for type 2 diabetes.
Stability of Hemoglobin Constant Spring Identified by Capillary Electrophoresis
Authors: Jaitheang Jidapa , Suksusut Amornchai , Settapiboon Rung , Amornsiriwat Supaporn , Sutcharitchan Pranee , Uaprasert Noppacharn , Rojnuckarin Ponlapat
Published: October 2022

Objective

Hemoglobin Constant Spring (HbCS) is often missed by routine hemoglobin analysis. The aim of this research was to study HbCS stability as identified by capillary electrophoresis (CE) to determine the specimen storage time limit.

Methods

The EDTA blood of 29 HbCS samples were kept at 4°C and analyzed every workday until CE could not detect HbCS or until 7 weeks after blood collection. The genotypes were confirmed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The median subject age was 27 years and 10 subjects were male. The HbCS levels were stable during the first 7 days but became undetectable in 5 cases (17.2%) after 1 week. All of them were heterozygous HbCS. Longer detection times were correlated with the higher baseline HbCS levels, with a correlation coefficient of 0.582 (P  ≤ 0.001)

Conclusion

Routine hemoglobin typing and quantitation should be performed within 1 week after blood collection to detect low HbCS levels, especially in heterozygous HbCS.
Did Mary Shelley writeFrankenstein? A stylometric analysis
Authors: Suddaby Lee , Ross Gordon J
Published: October 2022

The novel Frankenstein was published anonymously in 1818 and was first credited to Mary Shelley in a French translation of 1821. Since its publication, several claims—both contemporaneous and recent—have been made suggesting that Frankenstein was written by Mary’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. We review the background of this controversy and then apply modern techniques from computational stylometry to determine who the true author is. Based on our analysis, we find extremely substantial evidence that Mary Shelley is indeed the true author of Frankenstein, and it is very improbable that Percy Shelley played a heavy role in composing the text. While our finding confirms mainstream scholarly opinion regarding Frankenstein, our analysis is the first application of stylometric techniques to this question and provides strong objective grounds for favouring Mary Shelley by freeing the question from some of the politics which have traditionally accompanied it.
When is the processing of data from medical implants lawful? The legal grounds for processing health-related personal data from ICT implantable medical devices for treatment purposes under EU data protection law
Authors: Lindstad Sarita , Ludvigsen Kaspar Rosager
Published: October 2022

Medicine is one of the biggest use cases for emerging information technologies. Data processing brings huge advantages but forces lawmakers and practitioners to balance between privacy, autonomy, accessibility, and functionality. ICT-connected Implantable Medical Devices plant themselves firmly between traditional medical equipment and software that processes health-related personal data, and these implants face many data management challenges. It is essential that healthcare providers and others can identify and understand the legal grounds they rely on to process data. The European Union is currently updating its framework, and the special provisions in the GDPR, the current ePrivacy Directive, and the coming ePrivacy Regulation all provide enhanced thresholds for processing data. This article provides an overview and explanation of the applicability of the rules and the legal grounds for processing data. We find that only a cumulative application of the GDPR and the ePrivacy rules ensure adequate protection of this data and present the legal grounds for processing in these cases. We discuss the challenges in obtaining and maintaining valid consent and necessity as a legal ground for processing and offer use case-specific discussions of the role of consent long-term and the lack of an adequate ‘vital interest’ exception in the ePrivacy rules.
Cloud-scale radio surveys of star formation and feedback in Triangulum Galaxy M 33: VLA observations
Authors: Tabatabaei F S , Cotton W , Schinnerer E , Beck R , Brunthaler A , Menten K M , Braine J , Corbelli E , Kramer C , Beckman J E , Knapen J H , Paladino R , Koch E , Camps Fariña A
Published: October 2022

Studying the interplay between massive star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM) is paramount to understand the evolution of galaxies. Radio continuum (RC) emission serves as an extinction-free tracer of both massive star formation and the energetic components of the ISM. We present a multiband RC survey of the Local Group galaxy M 33 down to ≃30 pc linear resolution observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We calibrate the star formation rate surface density and investigate the impact of diffuse emission on this calibration using a structural decomposition. Separating the thermal and non-thermal emission components, the correlation between different phases of the ISM, and the impact of massive star formation are being investigated. Radio sources with sizes ≲200 pc constitute about 36 per cent (46 per cent) of the total RC emission at 1.5 GHz (6.3 GHz) in the inner 18 × 18 arcmin2 (or 4 kpc × 4 kpc) disc of M 33. The non-thermal spectral index becomes flatter with increasing star formation rate surface density, indicating the escape of cosmic ray electrons from their birth places. The magnetic field strength also increases with star formation rate following a bi-modal relation, indicating that the small-scale turbulent dynamo acts more efficiently at higher luminosities and star formation rates. Although the correlations are tighter in star-forming regions, the non-thermal emission is also correlated with the more quiescent molecular gas in the ISM. An almost linear molecular star formation law exists in M 33 when excluding diffuse structures. Massive star formation amplifies the magnetic field and increases the number of high-energy cosmic ray electrons, which can help the onset of winds and outflows.
Probing fragmentation with ALMA continuum and spectral line observations of the dense clumps in the ℓ = 224° region
Authors: Olmi Luca , Brand J , Elia D
Published: October 2022

We report observations, performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of 1 mm dust continuum emission and molecular line emission in 13CO(2–1) and C18O(2–1), towards a sample of starless and protostellar clumps selected from a region, towards the ℓ = 224° field, of the Herschel Infrared GALactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL). Using the ALMA images and a source extraction algorithm we have analysed the small-scale (∼1000 AU) structure of the clumps and their population of cores (or fragments). We find in general multiple cores in each Hi-GAL clump, both in the continuum and spectral lines, but we do not find a dominant fragmentation mode and the morphologies are very different among the various sources. Our results suggest that during the transition phase from clump to core, those sources with a higher core formation efficiency are also associated with parent clumps that are more likely to convert a higher fraction of their initial mass into a single or a few cores. We were able to obtain a core mass function, or CoMF, covering masses in the range ∼2 × 10−3 to ∼1 M⊙ for the C18O cores, and ∼4 × 10−2 to ∼10 M⊙ for the continuum cores. We find that the CoMF in our sample is much shallower than the higher mass ($\gtrsim 1$ M⊙) IMF, thus indicating that while approaching the final phase of fragmentation the mass function does not resemble the IMF more closely.
IFU observations of the inner 200 pc of NGC 4546: gas rotation, non-circular motions, and ionized outflows
Authors: Heckler Kelly F , Ricci Tiago V , Riffel Rogemar A
Published: October 2022

We present a detailed analysis of the ionized gas distribution and kinematics in the inner ∼ 200 pc of NGC 4546, host of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN). Using GMOS−IFU observations, with a spectral coverage of 4736–6806 Å  and an angular resolution of 0.7 arcsec, we confirm that the nuclear emission is consistent with photoionization by an AGN, while the gas in the circumnuclear region may be ionized by hot low-mass evolved stars. The gas kinematics in the central region of NGC 4546 presents three components: (i) a disc with major axis oriented along a position angle of 43° ± 3°, counter rotating relative to the stellar disc; (ii) non-circular motions, evidenced by residual velocities of up to 60 km s−1, likely associated with a previous capture of a dwarf satellite by NGC 4546; and (iii) nuclear outflows in ionized gas, identified as a broad component (σ ∼ 320 km s−1) in the line profiles, with a mass outflow rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm out} = 0.3 \pm 0.1$ M⊙ yr−1 and a total mass of Mout = (9.2 ± 0.8) × 103 M⊙ in ionized gas, corresponding to less than 3 per cent of the total mass of ionized gas in the inner 200 pc of NGC 4546. The kinetic efficiency of the outflow is roughly 0.1 per cent, which is smaller than the outflow coupling efficiencies predicted by theoretical studies to AGN feedback become efficient in suppressing star formation in the host galaxy.