bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decline of instrumental activities of daily living is a risk factor for nutritional deterioration in older adults: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Nagai Koutatsu , Komine Takuya , Ikuta Miho , Gansa Mako , Matsuzawa Ryota , Tamaki Kayoko , Kusunoki Hiroshi , Wada Yosuke , Tsuji Shotaro , Sano Kyoko , Shinmura Ken
Published: August 2023

Background

The association between functional capacity and the subsequent risk of nutritional deterioration is yet to be understood. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between functional capacity, comprising instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), intellectual activity, and social function, and future decline in nutritional status.

Methods

The current study is a two-year prospective cohort study. A total of 468 community-dwelling older adults without nutritional risks were enrolled. We used the Mini Nutritional Assessment Screening Form. Functional capacity, including IADL, intellectual activity, and social function, was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence at baseline. The nutritional status was reassessed at a 2-year follow-up. Risk ratios (RR) of functional capacity for the incidence of nutritional decline were estimated.

Results

Low functional capacity was significantly associated with future deterioration of nutritional status (RR 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.25). Of the subdomains of functional capacity, IADL decline (adjusted RR 2.21, 95% CI 1.18–4.13) was an independent risk factor for the incidence of nutritional risk. Intellectual and social activities were not significant.

Conclusion

Decline in functional capacity, especially IADL, is a risk factor for future deterioration in nutritional status. Further studies are required to elucidate the effect of interventions for IADL decline on maintaining nutritional status in older adults.
The significance of green exercise for the health and wellbeing of Italian immigrants in Norway: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Calogiuri Giovanna , Petersen Evi , Rossi Alessio , Terragni Laura
Published: August 2023

Background

Green exercise (physical activity in presence of nature) has beneficial effects for health and wellbeing. Green exercise is a popular form of recreation in the Nordic countries, but participation is lower among the immigrant population from non-Western countries. However, no attention has been given to immigrants from the European Economic Area regarding this topic. Given the cultural and structural differences that surround green exercise in Italy and Norway, the case of the Italian immigrants in Norway is of interest to enrich our understanding of green exercise and its significance for health and wellbeing among immigrants in the Nordic countries.

Methods

This convergent mixed methods study investigated the pathways that link green exercise to health and wellbeing among Italian immigrants in Norway. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (n = 321), which was oversampled to better reflect the sociodemographic profile of the reference population. Logistic regression was used to model the association of green exercise with self-rated health (SRH) or satisfaction with life (SWL) before and after controlling for selected confounders (age, gender, educational level, language proficiency, social support, and childhood experiences with green exercise). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14) and analysed thematically. Merging of the two strands was done using a simultaneous bidirectional approach.

Results

The logistic regression found a significant bivariate association of green exercise with both SRH and SWL, though the association remained significant only for SWL after controlling for confounders. From the thematic analysis, three themes were identified: Green exercise opportunities contributing to overall satisfaction, Closeness to nature, and Embracing a new lifestyle. The integrated findings indicate that green exercise supported the immigrants’ wellbeing, especially by providing stress relief, though socioeconomic status and acculturation may have a major impact on general health. Familiarity, appreciation of nature benefits, social support, and acculturation were identified as facilitating factors.

Conclusions

This study provides novel insights into how green exercise supports health, wellbeing, and inclusion among immigrants to the Nordic countries and emphasizes the importance of developing culturally adapted strategies to enhance this health-promoting activity among immigrant populations.
A topic models analysis of the news coverage of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom press
Authors: Mayor Eric , Miani Alessandro
Published: August 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous casualties, overloaded hospitals, reduced the wellbeing of many and had a substantial negative economic impact globally. As the population of the United Kingdom was preparing for recovery, the uncertainty relating to the discovery of the new Omicron variant on November 24 2021 threatened those plans. There was thus an important need for sensemaking, which could be provided, partly, through diffusion of information in the press, which we here examine.

Method

We used topic modeling, to extract 50 topics from close to 1,500 UK press articles published during a period of approximately one month from the appearance of Omicron. We performed ANOVAs in order to compare topics between full weeks, starting on week 48 of 2021.

Results

The three topics documenting the new variant (Omicron origins, Virus mutations, News of a new variant) as well as mentions of vaccination excluding booster, Scotlands First minister statement (Communications) travel bans and mask wearing (Restrictions) and the impact of market and investing (Domains and events) decreased through time (all ps < .01). Some topics featured lower representation at week two or three with higher values before and after: Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies recommendations (Communications), Situation in the US, Situation in Europe (Other countries and regions), all ps < .01. Several topics referring to symptoms and cases—e.g., rises of infections, hospitalisations, the pandemic the holidays, mild symptoms and care; restrictions and measures—e.g., financial help, Christmas and Plan B, restrictions and New Year; and domains of consequences and events—e.g., such as politics, NHS and patients, retail sales and airlines, featured increasing representation, (all ps < .01). Other topics featured less regular or non-significant patterns. Conclusion. Changes in sensemaking in the press closely matched the changes in the official discourse relating to Omicron and reflects the trajectory of the infection and its local consequences.
All-cause mortality attributable to sitting time and physical inactivity in chilean adults
Authors: Stingl-Zúñiga Ignacio , Farías‑Valenzuela Claudio , Ferrero‑Hernández Paloma , Marques Adilson , Rezende Leandro F. M. , Castillo-Paredes Antonio , Cristi-Montero Carlos , Sadarangani Kabir P. , Ferrari Gerson
Published: August 2023

Background

Evidence on all-cause mortality attributable to joint sitting time and physical inactivity is lacking. In this study, we estimated the proportion and number of deaths attributable to sitting time and physical inactivity in Chilean adults.

Methods

A sample of 5834 adults aged 20–96 years from a 2016–2017 Chilean National Health Survey was included to describe the prevalence of 16 joint categories of sitting time and physical activity. Relative risks for the joint association of sitting time and physical inactivity were obtained from a meta-analysis of individual participant data. We retrieved the number of deaths in adults ≥ 20 years in 2019 from the Chilean Ministry of Health.

Results

Participants with high sitting time (> 8 h/day) and low physical activity (< 2.5 MET-hour/week) were more likely to be women, 20–64 years, non-indigenous ethnicity, lived in the urban areas, had middle education level and monthly household income, and had public health insurance. Reducing sitting time and increasing physical activity to a theoretical minimum risk exposure level could prevent up to 11,470 deaths or 10.4% of all deaths. Increasing physical activity to >35.5 MET-hour/week and maintaining sitting time could prevent approximately 10,477 deaths or 9.5% of all deaths. Reducing sitting time to < 4 h/day and maintaining physical activity would not reduce the number of deaths (-3.4% or 38 deaths).

Conclusion

Reducing sitting time may be ancillary for preventing mortality. Therefore, increasing physical activity should be the primary focus of interventions and policies in Chile.
A rare case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia induced by vaping-associated lung injury: a case report
Authors: Alsaid Abir Hamad , Elfaki Alaeldin , Alkhouzaie Moath Thamer , Alghamdi Raghad Abdullah
Published: August 2023

Background

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is well-known as one of the primary eosinophilic pulmonary diseases of unknown etiology. It’s defined as a febrile illness along with acute onset respiratory failure that is commonly misdiagnosed at the initial presentation as infectious pneumonia. Despite the fact that AEP sometimes classified as idiopathic as no exact cause can be identified in most cases, it has been suggested recently to be linked with electronic cigarette or vaping products and associated with electronic cigarette or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI). Therefore, history of recent tobacco smoking or vaping exposure along with peripheral eosinophilia are crucial clinical findings suggestive of AEP.

Case presentation

A previously healthy 17-year-old female presented to the Emergency Room with one day history of progressively worsening shortness of breath accompanied by left sided pleuritic chest pain and fever. She wasn’t taking any medications, denied traditional cigarette smoking, exposure to pulmonary irritants, recent travel and had no history of close contact with sick patient. She recently started vaping 20 days prior to the presentation. Initially, she was admitted with a presumptive diagnosis of atypical pneumonia but was found to have AEP due to a recent vaping exposure.

Conclusion

Vaping is a well-known health hazard that has become a growing trend among adolescents and have been promoted as a safe and effective alternative to traditional cigarettes. The etiology of AEP remains unclear, but many studies suggest a possible link with recent tobacco smoking or vaping. A key challenge for this clinical entity is to reach the diagnosis after excluding all other pulmonary eosinophilia causes, and it has an excellent prognosis if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.
Determinants of pneumonia among under-five children at Hiwot Fana specialized hospital, Eastern Ethiopia: unmatched case-control study
Authors: Kifle Mokanint , Yadeta Tesfaye Assebe , Debella Adera , Mussa Ibsa
Published: August 2023

Background

Globally, pneumonia is a serious public health issue. Clear evidence is necessary for the early detection and treatment of pneumonia's causes. Yet, there is limited data on this issue in the current study area. Thus, this study aimed to pinpoint the determinants of pneumonia among under-five children at Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A hospital-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among a sample of 348 (116 cases and 232 controls) children at Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital from October 1 to November 30, 2022. A consecutive sampling technique was employed, and data were collected with a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data was entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were fitted. Variables with a 95% confidence interval having a p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

An overall total of 347 (115 cases and 232 controls) among under-five children was included in this study. Factors such as hand washing before child feeding [AOR: 3.11 (1.74-5.57)], birth to 6 months breastfeeding [AOR: 2.76 (1.35-5.25)], zinc supplementation [AOR: 2.5 (1.33-4.40)], diarrhea in the last 2 weeks [AOR: 4.7 (2.64-8.33)], and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in the last 2 weeks [AOR: 5.46 (3.21-10.92)] were found to be determinants of pneumonia.

Conclusions

This study pointed out that the under-five pneumonia was relatively large. Factors such as hand washing before child feeding, birth to 6 months of breastfeeding, zinc supplementation of the child, diarrhea in the last 2 weeks, and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in the last 2 weeks were determinants of under-five pneumonia. In this study, the primary risk factors for pneumonia may be preventable with no or minimal cost. Therefore, we advise suitable and sufficient health education addressing the prevention and management of pneumonia.
Associations between chronic widespread pain, pressure pain thresholds, leptin, and metabolic factors in individuals with knee pain
Authors: Andersson Maria L.E. , Thorén Emelie , Sylwander Charlotte , Bergman Stefan
Published: August 2023

Objective

The aim was to study associations between chronic widespread pain, widespread pain sensitivity, leptin, and metabolic factors in individuals with knee pain. A secondary aim was to study these associations in a subgroup of individuals with normal BMI.

Method

This cross-sectional study included 265 individuals. The participants were categorised into three different pain groups: Chronic widespread pain (CWP), chronic regional pain (ChRP), or no chronic pain (NCP). The pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed using computerised pressure algometry. Low PPTs were defined as having PPTs in the lowest third of all tender points. Leptin and metabolic factors such as BMI, visceral fat area (VFA), lipids, and glucose were also assessed.

Result

Sixteen per cent reported CWP, 15% had low PPTs, and 4% fulfilled both criteria. Those who fulfilled the criteria for CWP were more often women, more obese, and had increased leptin levels. In logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, leptin was associated with fulfilling criteria for CWP, OR 1.015 (95% CI 1.004–1.027, p = 0.008). In logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, leptin was associated with low PPTs, OR 1.016 (95% CI 1.004–1.029, p = 0.012). Leptin was also associated with fulfilling both criteria, adjusted for age, sex, and visceral fat area (VFA), OR 1.030 (95% CI 1.001–1.060), p = 0.040.

Conclusion

Leptin was associated with fulfilling the combined criteria for chronic widespread pain and low PPTs, even after adjusting for the visceral fat area (VFA). Longitudinal studies are needed to study the causal relationships between leptin and the development of widespread pain.

Trial registration

clinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04928170.
Association between anion gap and all-cause mortality of critically ill surgical patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sun Xu , Lu Jianhong , Weng Wenqian , Yan Qiang
Published: August 2023

Background

There are few widely accepted and operationally feasible models for predicting the mortality risk of patients in surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Although serum anion gap (AG) is known to be correlated with severe metabolic acidosis, no investigations have been reported about the association between AG level and the outcome during hospitalization in SICU. This study aimed to explore the predictive power of AG for 90-day all-cause mortality in SICU.

Methods

Data of the eligible patients in SICU from 2008 to 2019 was obtained from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV version 2.0 (MIMIC-IV v2.0) database. Baseline clinical data of the selected patients was compared in different groups stratified by the outcome during their admission via univariate analysis. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was drawn to confirm the relationship of AG and the short-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted in different AG level groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed, and Cox proportional-hazards models were built to investigate an independent role of AG to predict 90-day all-cause mortality risk in SICU. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of AG on the 90-day prognosis of patients.

Results

A total of 6,395 patients were enrolled in this study and the 90-day all-cause mortality rate was 18.17%. Univariate analysis showed that elevated serum AG was associated with higher mortality (P < 0.001). RCS analysis indicated a positively linear relationship between serum AG and the risk of 90-day all-cause mortality in SICU (χ2 = 4.730, P = 0.193). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that low-AG group (with a cutoff value of 14.10 mmol/L) had a significantly higher cumulative survival rate than the counterpart of high-AG group (χ2 = 96.370, P < 0.001). Cox proportional-hazards models were constructed and confirmed the independent predictive role of AG in 90-day all-cause mortality risk in SICU after adjusting for 23 confounding factors gradually (HR 1.423, 1.246–1.625, P < 0.001). In the further subgroup analyses, a significant interaction was confirmed between AG and sepsis as well as surgery on the risk for the 90-day mortality. The ROC curve showed that the optimal cut-off value of AG for predicting 90-day mortality was 14.89 with sensitivity of 60.7% and specificity of 54.8%. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.602. When combined with SOFA score, the AUC of AG for predicting 90-day prognosis was 0.710, with a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 62.5% respectively.

Conclusions

Elevated AG (≥ 14.10 mmol/L) is an independent risk factor for predicting severe conditions and poor prognosis of critical ill surgical patients.
Differentiation of neurogenic tumours and pleomorphic adenomas in the parapharyngeal space based on texture analysis of T2WI
Authors: Zheng Xuewei , Huang Chencui , Yu Baoting , Liu Shuo , Li Tong , Guan Yuyao , Ding Jun
Published: August 2023

Background

The purpose of this study was to identify neurogenic tumours and pleomorphic adenomas of the parapharyngeal space based on the texture characteristics of MRI-T2WI.

Methods

MR findings and pathological reports of 25 patients with benign tumours in the parapharyngeal space were reviewed retrospectively (13 cases with pleomorphic adenomas and 12 cases with neurogenic tumours). Using PyRadiomics, the texture of the region of interest in T2WI sketched by radiologists was analysed. By using independent sample t-tests and Mann‒Whitney U tests, the selected texture features of 36 Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Gray Level Dependence Matrix (GLDM) were tested. A set of parameters of texture features showed statistically significant differences between the two groups, which were selected, and the diagnostic efficiency was evaluated via the operating characteristic curve of the subjects.

Results

The differences in the three parameters – small dependence low level emphasis (SDLGLE), low level emphasis (LGLE) and difference variance (DV) of characteristics – between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the other indices. ROC curves were drawn for the three parameters, with AUCs of 0.833, 0.795, and 0.744, respectively.

Conclusions

There is a difference in the texture characteristic parameters based on magnetic resonance T2WI images between neurogenic tumours and pleomorphic adenomas in the parapharyngeal space. For the differential diagnosis of these two kinds of tumours, texture analysis of significant importance is an objective and quantitative analytical tool.
Posttraumatic stress symptoms and postpartum anxiety among palestinian women: the mediating roles of self-esteem and social support
Authors: Bdier Dana , Mahamid Fayez , Fallon Vicky , Amir Moath
Published: August 2023

Background

Women are estimated to develop several mental disorders during pregnancy and/or for up to a year postpartum, with anxiety and depression being the most common co-morbidities. Postpartum anxiety is less well studied compared with postpartum depression in the Palestinian context in terms of risk factors, mental health outcomes and protective factors.

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether self-esteem and social support mediated the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and postpartum anxiety among Palestinian women.

Methods

Berlin Social Support Scales, Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale, Impact of the Event Scale, and Rosenberg self-esteem scale were administered to 408 Palestinian women recruited from health centers in northern of the West Banks/ Palestine using a convenience sample.

Results

The findings of our study revealed that postpartum anxiety positively correlated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (r = .56, p < .01), and negatively correlated with social support (r = − .30, p < .01), and self-esteem (r = − .27, p < .05). Moreover, posttraumatic stress symptoms negatively correlated with social support (r = − .24, p < .01), and self-esteem (r = − .25, p < .01). Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed a good fit of the hypothesized model.

Conclusions

Given this, it is recommended to conduct similar studies with diverse samples in the Palestinian society. It would also be useful for health professionals who work with Palestinian pregnant women (i.e., mental health providers, nurses, midwives, physicians) to assess self-esteem and social support in an effort to identify women who may be at greater risk of developing postpartum anxiety. It may also be worthwhile to develop and implement interventions during pregnancy which serve to enhance a women’s sense of self-esteem during this particularly stressful period.
Women’s sexual empowerment and utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptives in Ghana: evidence from the 2014 demographic and health survey
Authors: Adde Kenneth Setorwu , Appiah Emmanuel Ayetey , Glozah Franklin N. , Tabong Philip T-N.
Published: August 2023

Background

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) contribute significantly to a decline in unintended pregnancies globally. However, not much is known about women’s sexual empowerment and their utilization of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Ghana. The main objective of this study was to examine the association between women’s sexual empowerment and LARC utilization in Ghana.

Methods

We used data from 5116 sexually active women who participated in the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Women’s sexual empowerment was defined as women’s perception of their right to self-determination and equity in sexual relations, and their ability to express themselves in sexual decision-making. A sum of scores was created with four dichotomous items as sexual empowerment score (0 = low sexual empowerment; 1, 2, and 3 = medium sexual empowerment; and 4 = high sexual empowerment). Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to establish the association between women’s sexual empowerment and the use of LARC. Pearson Chi-square test was used in data analysis. The results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR), with their respective confidence intervals (CIs) at a statistical significance of p < 0.05.

Results

The prevalence of LARC utilization among sexually active women in Ghana was 6%. Majority of the women had medium sexual empowerment (91%). Although not statistically significant, the likelihood of utilizing LARC was lowest among women with high level of sexual empowerment (aOR = 0.62; CI = 0.27–1.43). On the other hand, Utilization of LARC increased with an increase in age. Women with parity four or more had higher odds of utilizing LARC as compared to women with zero birth (aOR = 9.31; CI = 3.55–24.39). Across religion, women who belong to the Traditional religion (aOR = 0.17; CI = 0.04–0.71) and Islam religion (aOR = 0.52; CI = 0.36–0.76) had lower odds of LARC utilisation as compared to Christian women. Women who make health decisions with someone else (aOR = 1.52; CI = 1.12–2.09) had higher odds of LARC utilisation as compared to women who make health decision alone.

Conclusion

Age, health decision maker, parity and religion were found to have a significant relationship with LARC utilization. Specifically, uneducated women, unemployed women and women who practice traditional religion were less likely to utilise LARC. However, women’s sexual empowerment did not have a significant relationship with LARC. There is therefore the need for planning interventions for LARC utilization in line with educating women on the benefits and potential side effects of LARC. Also, there is a need for interventions targeted at increasing access to LARC among sexually active women.
Global achievement of maternal health-related sustainable development goals targets among women exposed to intimate partner violence
Authors: Refaat Amany
Published: August 2023

Health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) aims to ensure healthy lives. This study investigates the influence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on achieving maternal health related SDG3 targets among exposed women globally.

Methodology

This study used secondary data analysis of Domestic Violence Modules from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 40 countries. IPV was defined by women ever exposed to emotional, physical, severe, or sexual violence from the spouse. Achieving maternal health related SDG3 targets among women was measured by: Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel; Antenatal care (women received antenatal care eight or more times from any provider); and the need for family planning satisfied with modern methods. The influence of IPV was estimated through adjusted OR after controlling for socioeconomic factors using logistic regression.

Results

Exposure to IPV was among one-third of the women (37%) mainly physical (29%) and emotional (24%). Adjusted OR with 95%CI for the influence of IPV on women’s utilization of skilled birth attendants was 0.81 (0.79–0.83)); having eight or more antenatal care visits 0.61 (0.59–0.63); and the needs for family planning with modern methods satisfied was 0.85 (0.83–0.87). Achievement of maternal health services was among 57% of the women. Women exposed to IPV were less to achieve maternal health services (50% VS 61%) with adjusted OR 0.71; 95%CI: 0.70–0.73 and it was not confounded by the positive effect of socioeconomic factors.

Conclusion & Recommendation

Exposure to IPV had a statistically significant negative influence on all the maternal health related SDG3 services among women. Programs working in facilitating the achievement of the SDGs related maternal health targets should include prevention of women’s exposure to IPV and support for those who are exposed to it.
Pain assessment in intensive care units of a low-middle income country: impact of the basic educational course
Authors: Siddiqui Ali Sarfraz , Ahmed Aliya , Rehman Azhar , Afshan Gauhar
Published: August 2023

Background

Patients admitted to ICU usually have moderate-to-severe pain at rest and during care-related activities. The “Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT)” is a reliable and validated objective assessment tool for those patients who cannot self-report pain in ICU. The objectives of the educational course were to assess the baseline knowledge, and practice of pain assessment in critically ill patients and reassess the same in all participants of the course by comparing the results of pre and post-test.

Methods

The educational course of six hours of contact time on the use of CPOT for pain assessment in ICU patients was designed and conducted by the authors after approval from the Ethics Review Committee, Aga Khan University. This educational course was delivered at five different tertiary care hospitals in the Sindh province of Pakistan. A pre-test consisting of 25 true/false multiple-choice questions was conducted at the beginning of the course to assess the baseline knowledge, and practice of participants regarding pain assessment in critically ill patients and the same test was taken at the end of the course.

Results

A total of 205 critical care physicians and nursing staff attended the courses. Both pre-test and post-test were completed by 149 (72.6%) participants, of which 53 (35.6%) were female and 96 (64.4%) were male. The mean pre-test score of participants was 57.83 ± 11.86 and the mean post-test score of participants was 67.43 ± 12.96 and this was statistically significant (p = < 0.01). In univariate analysis, the effect of training was significantly higher in the female gender (p = 0.0005) and in those participants, who belong to the metropolitan city (p = 0.010). In multivariate analysis, participants from non-metropolitan cities showed less improvement in post-test scores compared to those who come from the metropolitan city (p = 0.038).

Conclusions

The participating physicians and nurses showed a positive impact on the knowledge and clinical skills regarding pain assessment in CIPs. The participants from hospitals in metropolitan cities showed a significant improvement over those who were from non-metropolitan cities.
HMGB1 is involved in viral replication and the inflammatory response in coxsackievirus A16-infected 16HBE cells via proteomic analysis and identification
Authors: Hu Yajie , Liu Chen , Yang Jinghui , Zhong Mingmei , Qian Baojiang , Chen Juan , Zhang Yunhui , Song Jie
Published: August 2023

Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) is still an important pathogen that causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in young children and infants worldwide. Previous studies indicated that CV-A16 infection is usually mild or self-limiting, but it was also found that CV-A16 infection can trigger severe neurological complications and even death. However, there are currently no vaccines or antiviral compounds available to either prevent or treat CV-A16 infection. Therefore, investigation of the virus‒host interaction and identification of host proteins that play a crucial regulatory role in the pathogenesis of CV-A16 infection may provide a novel strategy to develop antiviral drugs. Here, to increase our understanding of the interaction of CV-A16 with the host cell, we analyzed changes in the proteome of 16HBE cells in response to CV-A16 using tandem mass tag (TMT) in combination with LC‒MS/MS. There were 6615 proteins quantified, and 172 proteins showed a significant alteration during CV-A16 infection. These differentially regulated proteins were involved in fundamental biological processes and signaling pathways, including metabolic processes, cytokine‒cytokine receptor interactions, B-cell receptor signaling pathways, and neuroactive ligand‒receptor interactions. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed the characteristics of the protein domains and subcellular localization of these differentially expressed proteins. Then, to validate the proteomics data, 3 randomly selected proteins exhibited consistent changes in protein expression with the TMT results using Western blotting and immunofluorescence methods. Finally, among these differentially regulated proteins, we primarily focused on HMGB1 based on its potential effects on viral replication and virus infection-induced inflammatory responses. It was demonstrated that overexpression of HMGB1 could decrease viral replication and upregulate the release of inflammatory cytokines, but deletion of HMGB1 increased viral replication and downregulated the release of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, the results from this study have helped further elucidate the potential molecular pathogenesis of CV-A16 based on numerous protein changes and the functions of HMGB1 Found to be involved in the processes of viral replication and inflammatory response, which may facilitate the development of new antiviral therapies as well as innovative diagnostic methods.
The solution surface of the Li-Stephens haplotype copying model
Authors: Jin Yifan , Terhorst Jonathan
Published: August 2023

The Li-Stephens (LS) haplotype copying model forms the basis of a number of important statistical inference procedures in genetics. LS is a probabilistic generative model which supposes that a sampled chromosome is an imperfect mosaic of other chromosomes found in a population. In the frequentist setting which is the focus of this paper, the output of LS is a “copying path” through chromosome space. The behavior of LS depends crucially on two user-specified parameters, $$\theta $$
θ
and $$\rho $$
ρ
, which are respectively interpreted as the rates of mutation and recombination. However, because LS is not based on a realistic model of ancestry, the precise connection between these parameters and the biological phenomena they represent is unclear. Here, we offer an alternative perspective, which considers $$\theta $$
θ
and $$\rho $$
ρ
as tuning parameters, and seeks to understand their impact on the LS output. We derive an algorithm which, for a given dataset, efficiently partitions the $$(\theta ,\rho )$$

(
θ
,
ρ
)

plane into regions where the output of the algorithm is constant, thereby enumerating all possible solutions to the LS model in one go. We extend this approach to the “diploid LS” model commonly used for phasing. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method by studying the effects of changing $$\theta $$
θ
and $$\rho $$
ρ
when using LS for common bioinformatic tasks. Our findings indicate that using the conventional (i.e., population-scaled) values for $$\theta $$
θ
and $$\rho $$
ρ
produces near optimal results for imputation, but may systematically inflate switch error in the case of phasing diploid genotypes.
Comparison of medial tibiofemoral joint mechanics between all-suture anchors and transtibial pullout technique for posterior medial meniscal root tears
Authors: Saengpetch Nadhaporn , Noowan Sutip , Boonrod Artit , Jaruwanneechai Khananut , Sumanont Sermsak , Vijittrakarnrung Chaiyanun
Published: August 2023

Background

The posterior medial meniscal root tear (PMMRT) seriously impacts the tibiofemoral joint biomechanics. Two available techniques for PMMRT repair include the transtibial pullout (TPO) repair and all-suture anchor (ASA) repair techniques. These techniques have not been compared biomechanically.

Methods

A total of 20 fresh porcine cadaveric knee specimens were used. All 20 knees were randomly and evenly distributed into four groups (five specimens per group): (1) intact posterior meniscal root, (2) PMMRT, (3) TPO repair technique for PMMRT, and (4) ASA repair technique for PMMRT. The tibiofemoral contact mechanics were investigated using a pressure sensor. All knee specimens were tested by being loaded with 600 N axial compressive force at three different flexion angles (0°, 45°, and 90°). The contact surface area, contact pressure, peak pressure, and time-zero displacement were recorded.

Results

The PMMRT caused a significant decrease in contact surface area, an increase in contact pressure, and peak pressure from the reference values observed in the intact meniscus group (P = 0.05, 0.016, and 0.008, respectively). After fixation, no significant difference was observed between the ASA and intact group. Meanwhile, significant differences were found between the TPO and intact group in terms of contact surface area, contact pressure, and peak pressure. In the comparison between the two techniques, the ASA group demonstrated higher contact surface area than the TPO group at the average knee flexion angle (p = 0.05).

Conclusion

For most testing conditions, the ASA technique demonstrated superior biomechanical property in terms of contact surface area compared with the TPO technique under compressive loading conditions. The ASA technique could also restore the tibiofemoral contact mechanics to be comparable with those of the native intact knee. Meanwhile, a significant difference in tibiofemoral mechanics, compared with the intact knee, could be observed in the TPO technique.
Tau deficiency inhibits classically activated macrophage polarization and protects against collagen-induced arthritis in mice
Authors: Chen Meng , Fu Wenyu , Xu Huiyun , Liu Chuan-ju
Published: August 2023

Background

Tau protein serves a pro-inflammatory function in neuroinflammation. However, the role of tau in other inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less explored. This study is to investigate the role of endogenous tau and the potential mechanisms in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis.

Methods

We established collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model in wild-type and Tau-/- mice to compare the clinical score and arthritis incidence. Micro-CT analysis was used to evaluate bone erosion of ankle joints. Histological analysis was performed to assess inflammatory cell infiltration, cartilage damage, and osteoclast activity in the ankle joints. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of macrophage markers were determined by immunohistochemistry staining and quantitative real-time PCR.

Results

Tau expression was upregulated in joints under inflammatory condition. Tau deletion in mice exhibited milder inflammation and protected against the progression of CIA, evidenced by reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and attenuated bone loss, inflammatory cell infiltration, cartilage damage, and osteoclast activity in the ankle joints. Furthermore, tau deficiency led to the inhibition of classically activated type 1 (M1) macrophage polarization in the synovium.

Conclusion

Tau is a previously unrecognized critical regulator in the pathogenesis of RA and may provide a potential therapeutic target for autoimmune and inflammatory joint diseases.
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell derived exosomes (HUCMSC-exos) recovery soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)-induced endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia
Authors: Chang Xinwen , He Qizhi , Wei Mengtian , Jia Linyan , Wei Yingying , Bian Yiding , Duan Tao , Wang Kai
Published: August 2023

Background

Preeclampsia is a unique multisystem disorder that affects 5–8% of pregnancies. A high level of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) is a hallmark of preeclampsia that causes endothelial dysfunction. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been indicated to improve endothelial performances by transporting signals to target cells. We hypothesized that exosomes derived from MSCs have potential effects against preeclampsia.

Methods

We collected human umbilical cord MSC-derived exosomes (HUCMSC-exos) by ultracentrifugation. The size and morphology of the exosomes were examined using a transmission electron microscope and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Pregnant mice were injected with murine sFlt-1 adenovirus to build the preeclampsia-like mouse model and then treated with HUCMSC-exos. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were infected with lentiviruses expressing tet-on-sFlt-1 to obtain cells overexpressing sFlt-1. Cell proliferation and migration assays were used to measure the endothelial functions. The exosomes enriched proteins underlying mechanisms were explored by proteomic analysis.

Results

In the current study, we successfully collected the cup-shaped HUCMSC-exos with diameters of 30–150 nm. In the sFlt-1-induced preeclampsia mouse model, HUCMSC-exos exhibited beneficial effects on adverse birth events by decreasing blood pressure and improving fetal birth weight. In addition, preeclamptic dams that were injected with HUCMSC-exos had rebuilt dense placental vascular networks. Furthermore, we observed that HUCMSC-exos partially rescued sFlt-1-induced HUVECs dysfunction in vitro. Proteomics analysis of HUCMSC-exos displayed functional enrichment in biological processes related to vesicle-mediated transport, cell communication, cell migration, and angiogenesis.

Conclusion

We propose that exosomes derived from HUCMSCs contain abundant Versican and play beneficial roles in the birth outcomes of sFlt-1-induced preeclamptic mice by promoting angiogenesis.

Graphical Abstract
Experimental study on the effect of CO2 storage on the reservoir permeability in a CO2-based enhanced geothermal system
Authors: Li Pan , Hao Yang , Wu Yu , Wanniarachchi Ayal , Zhang Hongxue , Cui Zhili
Published: August 2023

A CO2-based Enhanced Geothermal System (CO2-EGS) has dual benefits of heat extraction and CO2 storage. Mineralization storage of CO2 may reduce reservoir permeability, thereby affecting heat extraction. Solutions require further research to optimize and balance these two benefits. In this study, CO2 storage and heat extraction were simulated by alternating cyclic injection of water and supercritical CO2 into fractured granite. By analyzing the changes of ion composition in water samples and the minerals of fracture surface, the mechanisms controlling the fracture permeability with and without proppant were obtained. The results suggest that monticellite and vaterite were formed besides montmorillonite, calcite and illite after increasing the injection cycles. This promotes mineralization storage of CO2 but reduces reservoir permeability. Without proppant, the permeability decreased in three stages and the reduction rate exhibited a sharp-slow–fast–slow trend. While the use of proppant caused an increase of two orders of magnitude in permeability. Therefore, increasing the non-contact area of the main fracture and the CO2 flow velocity can avoid a large decrease in permeability, which will increase the heat extraction and mineralization storage of CO2. The findings provide solutions for the CO2 emission reduction and the efficient exploitation of hot dry rock.
Enough hot air: the role of immersion cooling
Authors: Haghshenas Kawsar , Setz Brian , Blosch Yannis , Aiello Marco
Published: August 2023

Air cooling is the traditional solution to chill servers in data centers. However, the continuous increase in global data center energy consumption combined with the increase of the racks’ power dissipation calls for the use of more efficient alternatives. Immersion cooling is one such alternative. In this paper, we quantitatively examine and compare air cooling and immersion cooling solutions. The examined characteristics include power usage efficiency (PUE), computing and power density, cost, and maintenance overheads. A direct comparison shows a reduction of about 50% in energy consumption and a reduction of about two-thirds of the occupied space, by using immersion cooling. In addition, the higher heat capacity of used liquids in immersion cooling compared to air allows for much higher rack power densities. Moreover, immersion cooling requires less capital and operational expenditures. However, challenging maintenance procedures together with the increased number of IT failures are the main downsides. By selecting immersion cooling, cloud providers must trade-off the decrease in energy and cost and the increase in power density with its higher maintenance and reliability concerns. Finally, we argue that retrofitting an air-cooled data center with immersion cooling will result in high costs and is generally not recommended.
Managing the clinical encounter with patients with personality disorder in a general psychiatry setting: key contributions from neuropsychoanalysis
Authors: Lee Tennyson , Solms Mark
Published: August 2023

Patients view their negative emotions as troublesome and they expect psychiatrists to deal with them, often wanting them taken away. We present a neuropsychoanalytical understanding of the essential biological function of emotion and how it influences behaviour. Through a vignette, we demonstrate how this understanding can contribute to the psychiatrist's management of the clinical encounter, in particular regarding the patient's expectations about their emotions and the pressures placed on the clinician.
REPRESENTATION OF THE MEMORIAL CULTURE IN CHECHEN PAINTING (2000-2012)
Authors: Yarychev Nasrudi U. , Khamzatova Zarema R.
Published: August 2023

The object of the research is the memorial culture in Chechen painting, the subject being its representation in the works of Chechen artists. The purpose of the study is to consider the representation of the phenomenon of memorial memory in the work of Chechen artists. The paintings of national artists of Chechnya served as empirical material in the work. The methodology is based on comparative studies, art history and the system-constructive analysis.

The authors construct the concepts of memorial heritage in the paintings of Chechen artists, revealing the universal characteristics of their work. For the authors, memorial culture comes down to a variety of ways to materialize the socio-cultural ethnic context, including the visualization of mythological and religious meanings, as well as the translation of mental characteristics and ethnic archetypes. The deep memory of the people includes historical and cultural areas, which include artistic images born in a creative way. In turn, ethnic art serves as a kind of reflection of ethnophilosophy, the mentality of the people, national traditions and a means of conveying the deep memory of the people.
AS APROXIMAÇÕES ESTÉTICAS ENTRE CONTOS FANTÁSTICOS DE LYGIA FAGUNDES TELLES E SILVINA OCAMPO
Authors: Gerotto de Freitas Valentim Laís , Antonietti Lopes Tânia Mara
Published: August 2023

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar os contos: “Um chá bem forte e três xícaras”, do livro Antes do baile verde (2009), “Noturno Amarelo”, do livro O seminário dos ratos (2018), de Lygia Fagundes Telles; “A lebre dourada”, do livro A fúria e outros contos (2019) e “O diário de Porfíria Bernal. Relato de Miss Antonia Fielding”, do livro As convidadas (2022),  de Silvina Ocampo, pelo viés do fantástico, levando em conta os elementos que colaboram para a presença do sobrenatural em cada narrativa. Para tal análise, utilizamos o livro Introdução à literatura fantástica (1981), de Tzvetan Todorov; o artigo “La literatura fantástica y la representación de la realidad”, de Martha J. Nandorfy, do livro Teorías de lo fantástico (2001), de David Roas (org.), o artigo “A literatura fantástica: gênero ou modo” (2013), de Marisa Martins Gama Khalil, entre outros. Dividimos o estudo da seguinte forma: a primeira parte é um recorte da abordagem teórica referente ao gênero fantástico; a segunda parte oferece uma breve apresentação de Lygia Fagundes Telles e de Silvina Ocampo; a terceira se concentra na análise dos contos e, por fim, apresentamos uma breve conclusão.
CULTURA POP E PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS: UMA REFLEXÃO PARA A EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA
Authors: Silva Gleyton de Moura Ferreira , Gomes Edilene Batista
Published: August 2023

O uso de equipamentos tecnológicos está cada vez mais presente no quotidiano do ser humano, seja para uso pessoal ou realização de alguma tarefa.  Na educação esse uso tem se ampliado rapidamente, diante desse contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar novas possibilidades de práticas pedagógicas para a educação básica, ancoradas na Cultura pop. Utilizou-se como aporte metodológico a revisão literária de textos já publicados, buscando refletir sobre a importância do uso de elementos presentes na cultura pop para o desenvolvimento de trabalhos pedagógicos na educação básica. A partir da pesquisa desenvolvida foi possível perceber que os gêneros da cultura pop são ferramentas que têm muito a contribuir com a prática pedagógica, no decorrer do texto destacamos alguns deles: animes, fanfics e mangás que consideramos ferramentas cruciais para a motivação e desenvolvimento no processo de ensino e aprendizagem.Palavras-Chave: cultura pop; tecnologias; educação; práticas pedagógicas.