bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical therapy in addition to occlusal splint in myogenic temporomandibular disorders: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Romeo Antonio , Incorvati Cristina , Vanti Carla , Turolla Andrea , Marinelli Francesco , Defila Luca , Gulotta Chiara , Marchetti Claudio , Pillastrini Paolo
Published: May 2024

Background

Myogenic temporomandibular disorders (M‐TMD) commonly involve occlusal splint (OS) therapy and musculoskeletal physiotherapy (MPT).

Objectives

To compare the effects of combining OS with MPT and education (EG) against OS and education (CG), in chronic M‐TMD patients.

Methods

In this double‐blind randomised controlled trial, 62 participants were assigned to either EG or CG. The primary outcomes, pain levels at rest (VAS rest), maximum oral opening (VAS open) and during chewing (VAS chew), were measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in cm. The secondary outcome was the range of motion (ROM) for maximum oral opening. Both interventions lasted 3 months, with outcomes assessed at baseline (T0), post‐treatment (T1) and 3 months post‐treatment (T2).

Results

Intention‐to‐treat analysis revealed significant improvements favouring EG (VAS rest = −1.50 cm [CI95%: −2.67, −0.32], p = .04; VAS open = −2.00 cm [CI95%: −3.23, −0.75], p < .01; VAS chew = −1.71 cm [CI95%: −2.90, −0.52], p = .01; ROM = 4.61 [CI95%: 0.93, 8.30], p = .04). Additionally, VAS measures were influenced by follow‐up times (VAS rest = −0.73 cm [CI95%: −1.30, −0.17], p = 0.03; VAS open = −0.97 cm [CI95%: −1.57, −0.37], p < .01; VAS chew = −1.15 cm [CI95%: −1.73, −0.58], p < .01). At T1, EG demonstrated higher number of responders compared to CG for VAS open (χ2(1) = 4.39, p = .04) and VAS chew (χ2(1) = 11.58, p < .01).

Conclusion

Adding MPT to education and OS yields better outcomes in terms of pain reduction and ROM improvement, in chronic M‐TMD.

Trial Registration Number

NCT03726060.
Cost‐effectiveness of nasal high‐flow in children with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure
Authors: Gannon Brenda , Franklin Donna , Vo Vinh , Babl Franz E , Schibler Andreas
Published: May 2024

Aim

A pilot randomised controlled trial assessed the early application of nasal high‐flow (NHF) therapy compared with standard oxygen therapy (SOT), in children aged 0 to 16 years presenting to paediatric emergency departments with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF). The study estimated the need to escalate therapy and hospital length of stay in the NHF group compared with SOT. This sub‐study then assessed the subsequent cost‐effectiveness.

Methods

A decision tree‐based model was developed, alongside the clinical study, to estimate cost‐effectiveness, from the healthcare sector perspective. The primary health economics outcome is measured as incremental cost per length of hospital stay avoided. Incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICER) measuring change in cost per change in length of stay, were obtained for four samples, depending on responder status and obstructive airways disease. These were (1) obstructive and responder, (2) non‐obstructive and responder, (3) obstructive and non‐responder and (4) non obstructive and non‐responder. Bootstrapping of parameters accounted for uncertainty in estimates of cost and outcome.

Results

The ICER for patients randomised to NHF, indicated an additional A$367.20 for a lower hospital length of stay (in days) in the non‐obstructive/non‐responder sample. In the bootstrap sample, this was found to be cost effective above a willingness to pay threshold of A$10 000. The ICER was A$440.86 in the obstructive/responder sample and A$469.56 in the non‐obstructive/responder sample – but both resulted in a longer length of stay. The ICER in the obstructive/non‐responder sample was A$52 167.76, also with a longer length of stay, mainly impacted by a small sample of severe cases.

Conclusion

As first‐line treatment, NHF is unlikely to be cost‐effective compared with SOT, but for non‐obstructive patients who required escalation in care (non‐obstructive non‐responder), NHF is likely to be cost‐effective if willingness‐to‐pay per reduced hospital length of stay is more than A$10 000 per patient.
Photosynthate transfer from an autotrophic orchid to conspecific heterotrophic protocorms through a common mycorrhizal network
Authors: Read David J. , Haggar John , Magkourilou Emily , Durant Emily , Johnson David , Leake Jonathan R. , Field Katie J.
Published: May 2024

The minute ‘dust seeds’ of some terrestrial orchids preferentially germinate and develop as mycoheterotrophic protocorms near conspecific adult plants. Here we test the hypothesis that mycorrhizal mycelial connections provide a direct pathway for transfer of recent photosynthate from conspecific green orchids to achlorophyllous protocorms.

Mycelial networks of Ceratobasidium cornigerum connecting green Dactylorhiza fuchsii plants with developing achlorophyllous protocorms of the same species were established on oatmeal or water agar before the shoots of green plants were exposed to 14CO2. After incubation for 48 h, the pattern of distribution of fixed carbon was visualised in intact entire autotrophic/protocorm systems using digital autoradiography and quantified in protocorms by liquid scintillation counting.

Both methods of analysis revealed accumulation of 14C above background levels in protocorms, confirming that autotrophic plants supply carbon to juveniles via common mycorrhizal networks. Despite some accumulation of plant‐fixed carbon in the fungal mycelium grown on oatmeal agar, a greater amount of carbon was transferred to protocorms growing on water agar, indicating that the polarity of transfer may be influenced by sink strength.

We suggest this transfer pathway may contribute significantly to the pattern and processes determining localised orchid establishment in nature, and that ‘parental nurture’ via common mycelial networks may be involved in these processes.
Evolutionary pathways to lower biomass allocation to the seed coat in crops: insights from allometric scaling
Authors: Milla Rubén , Westgeest Adrianus J. , Maestre‐Villanueva Jorge , Núñez‐Castillo Sergio , Gómez‐Fernández Alicia , Vasseur François , Violle Cyrille , Balarynová Jana , Smykal Petr
Published: May 2024

Crops generally have seeds larger than their wild progenitors´ and with reduced dormancy. In wild plants, seed mass and allocation to the seed coat (a proxy for physical dormancy) scale allometrically so that larger seeds tend to allocate less to the coats. Larger seeds and lightweight coats might thus have evolved as correlated traits in crops.

We tested whether 34 crops and 22 of their wild progenitors fit the allometry described in the literature, which would indicate co‐selection of both traits during crop evolution. Deviations from the allometry would suggest that other evolutionary processes contribute to explain the emergence of larger, lightweight‐coated seeds in crops.

Crops fitted the scaling slope but deviated from its intercept in a consistent way: Seed coats of crops were lighter than expected by their seed size. The wild progenitors of crops displayed the same trend, indicating that deviations cannot be solely attributed to artificial selection during or after domestication.

The evolution of seeds with small coats in crops likely resulted from a combination of various pressures, including the selection of wild progenitors with coats smaller than other wild plants, further decreases during early evolution under cultivation, and indirect selection due to the seed coat‐seed size allometry.
Interactive effects of predation and climate on the distributions of marine shellfish in the Northwest Atlantic
Authors: Zabihi‐Seissan Sana , Baker Krista D. , Stanley Ryan R. E. , Tunney Tyler D. , Beauchamp Brittany , Benoit Hugues P. , Brickman David , Chabot Denis , Cook Adam , Deslauriers David , Koen‐Alonso Mariano , Lawlor Jake , Le Bris Arnault , Mullowney Darrell R. J. , Roux Marie‐Julie , Skanes Katherine R. , Wang Zeliang , Pedersen Eric J.
Published: May 2024

As climate change transforms marine environments globally, species distributions correspondingly shift to locations where conditions have become or remain favourable. The ability to model these distributional shifts has been facilitated by species distribution models (SDMs). However, current SDM approaches have largely ignored climate‐driven changes in species interactions, which ultimately can have an important influence on species distributions. In this study, we utilize a long‐term, large‐scale dataset spanning 48 years and approximately 30 degrees latitude across the Canadian Atlantic shelf. We examine how climate influences the distribution and predation patterns of two invertebrates, northern shrimp Pandalus borealis and snow crab Chionoecetes opilio, aiming to evaluate the impacts of climate change on prey distributions. We found that both invertebrate species have a pronounced predicted response to climate change, with a northern shift in the distribution of northern shrimp and an overall reduction in abundance of both snow crab and shrimp associated with warming temperatures. Including predatory interactions as predictors in the SDMs (either directly via predator densities or via estimated predation rates) improved prediction accuracy for northern shrimp but not for snow crab. This is consistent with the ecology of these two species, as northern shrimp is more vulnerable to predation than snow crab. We found that the projections of future northern shrimp distributions are sensitive to the predicted spatial distribution and abundance of predators, highlighting the inherent complexity of predicting species response to climate change. Collectively, these results contribute to a broader literature that seeks to improve the capabilities of models to predict the effects of species interactions on species distributions under changing ecological conditions.
The delivery and challenges of Pediatric Anesthesia within the humanitarian sector: Médecins Sans Frontières and Mercy Ships
Authors: Holt Francesca , Kwok Sarah , Garuba Kehinde , Kolawole Israel , White Michelle C.
Published: May 2024

Access to healthcare is inequitable. Poverty, natural disasters and war disproportionally effect those most vulnerable, including children. Non‐governmental organizations (NGO) hold a vital role in providing pediatric care in these contexts. Here we describe the delivery and challenges of Pediatric Anesthesia with two such non‐governmental organizations; Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Mercy Ships. Descriptions of both are followed by case studies.
Public health nurse perspectives on predicting nonattendance for cervical cancer screening through classification, ensemble, and deep learning models
Authors: Devi Seeta , Gangarde Rupali , Deokar Shubhangi , Muqeemuddin Sayyed Faheemuddin , Awasthi Sanidhya Rajendra , Shekhar Sameer , Sonchhatra Raghav , Joshi Sonopant
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Women's attendance to cervical cancer screening (CCS) is a major concern for healthcare providers in community. This study aims to use the various algorithms that can accurately predict the most barriers of women for nonattendance to CS.

Design

The real‐time data were collected from women presented at OPD of primary health centers (PHCs). About 1046 women's data regarding attendance and nonattendance to CCS were included. In this study, we have used three models, classification, ensemble, and deep learning models, to compare the specific accuracy and AU‐ROC for predicting non‐attenders for CC.

Results

The current model employs 22 predictors, with soft voting in ensemble models showing slightly higher specificity (96%) and sensitivity (93%) than weighted averaging. Bagging excels with the highest accuracy (98.49%), specificity (97.3%), and ideal sensitivity (100%) with an AUC of 0.99. Classification models reveal Naive Bayes with higher specificity (97%) but lower sensitivity (91%) than Logistic Regression. Random Forest and Neural Network achieve the highest accuracy (98.49%), with an AUC of 0.98. In deep learning, LSTM has an accuracy of 95.68%, higher specificity (97.60%), and lower sensitivity (93.42%) compared to other models. MLP and NN showed the highest AUC values of 0.99.

Conclusion

Employing ensemble and deep learning models proved most effective in predicting barriers to nonattendance in cervical screening.
Torn between living or dying—analyses of influencing factors on suicide ambivalence and its longitudinally impact on suicidal ideation and behavior in a high‐risk sample
Authors: Höller Inken , Forkmann Thomas , Glaesmer Heide , Teismann Tobias , Spangenberg Lena , Schreiber Dajana , Hallensleben Nina , Kraiss Jannis
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Findings on the role of suicide ambivalence, an individual's wish to live (WL), and wish to die (WD) in the development of suicidality have been heterogenous. The main goal of this study was to examine associations of these constructs within the past week with sociodemographic factors and to longitudinally investigate their predictive power for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA).

Methods

N = 308 patients (54% female; M = 36.92 years, SD = 14.30), admitted to a psychiatric ward due to suicidality, were assessed for all constructs after admission, after six, nine, and 12 months. Data were analyzed with univariate fixed‐effect models and lagged mixed‐effect regression models.

Results

Decreased, WL increased post‐baseline. Gender showed no significant link to ambivalence, WD, and WL. Ambivalence and WD correlated negatively with age and positively with depressiveness. More participants in a relationship showed a WL compared with single/divorced/widowed participants. More single participants or those in a relationship showed ambivalence than divorced/widowed participants. More single participants showed a WD than participants in a relationship/divorced/widowed. Longitudinally, ambivalence and WD predicted SI and SA.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the importance of taking suicide ambivalence and WD into account in risk assessment and treatment.
Osteosarcoma with widespread metastasis in a 1‐year‐old crossbred rabbit
Authors: Lye Gordon , Dittmer Keren , Pemberton Sarah , Lockhart Kezia , Pollard Rachel
Published: May 2024

A 14‐month‐old female spayed, small crossbred rabbit presented for assessment of a small, hard subcutaneous nodule in the right axilla. Serum biochemistry showed markedly increased serum ALP activity. A whole‐body CT revealed an aggressive, monostotic osteolytic, and productive lesion within the left alveolar process of the maxilla, with erosion of the alveolar bone and secondary premolar depression. Innumerable metastatic osseous masses were present throughout the body, including cerebral, pulmonary, hepatic, subcutaneous, and skeletal muscular metastases. Postmortem findings confirmed widespread, metastatic osteosarcoma, with the primary lesion within the left maxilla.
Mitochondrial ACSS1-K635 acetylation knock-in mice exhibit altered metabolism, cell senescence, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Xu Guogang , Quan Songhua , Schell Joseph , Gao Yucheng , Varmazyad Mahboubeh , Sreenivas Prethish , Cruz Diego , Jiang Haiyan , Pan Meixia , Han Xianlin , Palavicini Juan Pablo , Zhao Peng , Sun Xiaoli , Marchant Erik D. , Rasmussen Blake B. , Li Guannan , Katsumura Sakie , Morita Masahiro , Munkácsy Erin , Horikoshi Nobuo , Chocron E. Sandra , Gius David
Published: May 2024

Acetyl-CoA synthetase short-chain family member 1 (ACSS1) uses acetate to generate mitochondrial acetyl-CoA and is regulated by deacetylation by sirtuin 3. We generated an ACSS1-acetylation (Ac) mimic mouse, where lysine-635 was mutated to glutamine (K635Q). Male

Acss1
K635Q/K635Q

mice were smaller with higher metabolic rate and blood acetate and decreased liver/serum ATP and lactate levels. After a 48-hour fast,

Acss1
K635Q/K635Q

mice presented hypothermia and liver aberrations, including enlargement, discoloration, lipid droplet accumulation, and microsteatosis, consistent with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). RNA sequencing analysis suggested dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism, cellular senescence, and hepatic steatosis networks, consistent with NAFLD. Fasted

Acss1
K635Q/K635Q

mouse livers showed increased fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), both associated with NAFLD, and increased carbohydrate response element–binding protein binding to
Fasn
and
Scd1
enhancer regions. Last, liver lipidomics showed elevated ceramide, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and lysophosphatidylcholine, all associated with NAFLD. Thus, we propose that ACSS1-K635-Ac dysregulation leads to aberrant lipid metabolism, cellular senescence, and NAFLD.
Secondary production and priming reshape the organic matter composition in marine sediments
Authors: Zhu Qing-Zeng , Yin Xiuran , Taubner Heidi , Wendt Jenny , Friedrich Michael W. , Elvert Marcus , Hinrichs Kai-Uwe , Middelburg Jack J.
Published: May 2024

Organic matter (OM) transformations in marine sediments play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. However, secondary production and priming have been ignored in marine biogeochemistry. By incubating shelf sediments with various
13
C-labeled algal substrates for 400 days, we show that ~65% of the lipids and ~20% of the proteins were mineralized by numerically minor heterotrophic bacteria as revealed by RNA stable isotope probing. Up to 11% of carbon from the algal lipids was transformed into the biomass of secondary producers as indicated by
13
C incorporation in amino acids. This biomass turned over throughout the experiment, corresponding to dynamic microbial shifts. Algal lipid addition accelerated indigenous OM degradation by 2.5 to 6 times. This priming was driven by diverse heterotrophic bacteria and sulfur- and iron-cycling bacteria and, in turn, resulted in extra secondary production, which exceeded that stimulated by added substrates. These interactions between degradation, secondary production, and priming govern the eventual fate of OM in marine sediments.
Phenotypic amikacin resistance may not indicate poor response to amikacin in
Mycobacterium avium
complex pulmonary disease
Authors: Minuk L. M. , Brode S. K. , Mehrabi M. , Sharma M. K. , Stobart M. , Soualhine H. , Marras T. K.
Published: May 2024

When using amikacin to treat
Mycobacterium avium
complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD), a minimum inhibitory concentration resistance breakpoint of ≥64 mcg/mL is recommended. We explored whether amikacin resistance characterized by phenotypic drug susceptibility testing was associated with clinical outcomes or mutational resistance in a retrospective cohort of patients with MAC-PD. Despite little aminoglycoside exposure, amikacin resistance was common in our MAC-PD patients but was not associated with worse outcomes or
rrs
gene mutations.
Parascedosporium putredinis
NO1 tailors its secretome for different lignocellulosic substrates
Authors: Scott Conor J. R. , McGregor Nicholas G. S. , Leadbeater Daniel R. , Oates Nicola C. , Hoßbach Janina , Abood Amira , Setchfield Alexander , Dowle Adam , Overkleeft Herman S. , Davies Gideon J. , Bruce Neil C.
Published: May 2024

Parascedosporium putredinis
NO1 is a plant biomass-degrading ascomycete with a propensity to target the most recalcitrant components of lignocellulose. Here we applied proteomics and activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) to investigate the ability of
P. putredinis
NO1 to tailor its secretome for growth on different lignocellulosic substrates. Proteomic analysis of soluble and insoluble culture fractions following the growth of
P. putredinis
NO1 on six lignocellulosic substrates highlights the adaptability of the response of the
P. putredinis
NO1 secretome to different substrates. Differences in protein abundance profiles were maintained and observed across substrates after bioinformatic filtering of the data to remove intracellular protein contamination to identify the components of the secretome more accurately. These differences across substrates extended to carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) at both class and family levels. Investigation of abundant activities in the secretomes for each substrate revealed similar variation but also a high abundance of “unknown” proteins in all conditions investigated. Fluorescence-based and chemical proteomic ABPP of secreted cellulases, xylanases, and β-glucosidases applied to secretomes from multiple growth substrates for the first time confirmed highly adaptive time- and substrate-dependent glycoside hydrolase production by this fungus.
P. putredinis
NO1 is a promising new candidate for the identification of enzymes suited to the degradation of recalcitrant lignocellulosic feedstocks. The investigation of proteomes from the biomass bound and culture supernatant fractions provides a more complete picture of a fungal lignocellulose-degrading response. An in-depth understanding of this varied response will enhance efforts toward the development of tailored enzyme systems for use in biorefining.

IMPORTANCE

The ability of the lignocellulose-degrading fungus
Parascedosporium putredinis
NO1 to tailor its secreted enzymes to different sources of plant biomass was revealed here. Through a combination of proteomic, bioinformatic, and fluorescent labeling techniques, remarkable variation was demonstrated in the secreted enzyme response for this ascomycete when grown on multiple lignocellulosic substrates. The maintenance of this variation over time when exploring hydrolytic polysaccharide-active enzymes through fluorescent labeling, suggests that this variation results from an actively tailored secretome response based on substrate. Understanding the tailored secretomes of wood-degrading fungi, especially from underexplored and poorly represented families, will be important for the development of effective substrate-tailored treatments for the conversion and valorization of lignocellulose.
A randomised controlled trial of a duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve device (EndoBarrier) compared with standard medical therapy for the management of obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Glaysher Michael Alan , Mohanaruban Aruchuna , Prechtl Christina Gabriele , Goldstone Anthony P , Miras Alexander Dimitri , Lord Joanne , Chhina Navpreet , Falaschetti Emanuela , Johnson Nicholas Andrew , Al-Najim Werd , Smith Claire , Li Jia V , Patel Mayank , Ahmed Ahmed R , Moore Michael , Poulter Neil , Bloom Stephen , Darzi Ara , Le Roux Carel , Byrne James P , Teare Julian P
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is increasing. Exclusion of the foregut, as occurs in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, has a key role in the metabolic improvements that occur following bariatric surgery, which are independent of weight loss. Endoscopically placed duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve devices, such as the EndoBarrier (GI Dynamics, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA), have been designed to create an impermeable barrier between chyme exiting the stomach and the mucosa of the duodenum and proximal jejunum. The non-surgical and reversible nature of these devices represents an attractive therapeutic option for patients with obesity and T2DM by potentially improving glycaemic control and reducing their weight.

Methods and analysis

In this multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-blinded trial, male and female patients aged 18–65 years with a body mass index 30–50 kg/m2and inadequately controlled T2DM on oral antihyperglycaemic medications (glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 58–97 mmol/mol) will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the EndoBarrier device (n=80) for 12 months or conventional medical therapy, diet and exercise (n=80). The primary outcome measure will be a reduction in HbA1c by 20% at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures will include percentage weight loss, change in cardiovascular risk factors and medications, quality of life, cost, quality-adjusted life years accrued and adverse events. Three additional subgroups will investigate the mechanisms behind the effect of the EndoBarrier device, looking at changes in gut hormones, metabolites, bile acids, microbiome, food hedonics and preferences, taste, brain reward system responses to food, eating and addictive behaviours, body fat content, insulin sensitivity, and intestinal tissue gene expression.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN30845205, ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT02459561.
Impact of UV-irradiation on electrical impedance spectroscopy of benign nevi: study protocol for a prospective, controlled, clinical study
Authors: Fink Christine , Schweizer Anissa , Uhlmann Lorenz , Haenssle Holger A
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The clinical and histological changes of nevi after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation have been studied in detail. In contrast, the impact of UV irradiation on electrical impedance spectroscopy scores of nevi has not been investigated. However, for physicians, it is essential to know the extent to which changes in electrical impedance spectroscopy scores of nevi may be attributed to seasonal effects of UV irradiation.

Methods

This is a prospective, controlled, clinical study evaluating the impact of UV irradiation on the electrical impedance spectroscopy scores of benign nevi in 50 patients undergoing phototherapy. To this end, benign nevi of patients with a medical indication for phototherapy will be measured by electrical impedance spectroscopy before, during and after UV irradiation. At the same time, non-irradiated nevi of the same patient will be measured to account for changes over time that are independent of direct UV irradiation.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the medical faculty of the University of Heidelberg (ethics approval number S-279/2017). The design and the final results of the study will be published and made available to the public.

Trial registration number

DRKS00012456; Pre-results.
Cohort profile of an early life observational cohort in China: Bone and MicroBiOme onset (BAMBOO) study
Authors: Wang Jing , Jiang Chang , Wang Shuo , Feng Lingyan , Zhang Yu , Guo Yuanyuan , Liu Gongshu , Li Xi , Zhang Guohong , Zhu Xiaowei , Ren Fangyi , Guan Lingyao , Chen Jiayu , Gao Ya , Chen Mo , Darwish Noura , Mottaz Sara Colombo , Horcajada Marie Noelle , Bonnet Nicolas , Dogra Shaillay Kumar , Wang Dantong
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The Bone And MicroBiOme Onset (BAMBOO) study is an ongoing prospective observational cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China, aiming to determine age-appropriate trajectories for microbiome maturation and bone development and to identify the influence of dietary factors in the process.

Participants

The recruitment started in September 2021 and was completed in February 2023. A total of 1380 subjects were recruited, 690 at birth (group 1) and 690 at 6 months of age (group 2). Groups 1 and 2 will be followed up for 12 months and 36 months, respectively.

Findings to date

The age of the mothers was 31.1±3.7 (mean±SD), and the birth weight of infants was 3.3±0.5 kg with an incidence of caesarean section 50.4%. Food diary information of the first 100 subjects showed that 64 food items were introduced by 6 months. A pilot microbiome analysis revealed that at the species level, bacterial communities were composed of mostlyBacteroides dorei, Bacteroides vulgatusandEscherichia coli, which were consistent with that of previous reports. Feasibility assessments of breast milk vitamin D and human milk oligosaccharides were validated through certified reference measurements. The early data assessment showed a high reliability of the data generated from this study.

Future plans

Data collection will be completed in August 2025. Four stage-statistical analyses will be performed as the cohort reaches certain age thresholds before the final report. Analysis of BAMBOO data will be used to develop age-appropriate trajectories for microbiome maturation and bone development for children aged 0–3 years and investigate the contribution of dietary factors in the process.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2100049972
Feasibility and acceptability of a tailored health coaching intervention to improve type 2 diabetes self-management in Saudi Arabia: a mixed-methods randomised feasibility trial
Authors: Almulhim Abdullah N , Alhowaish Atheer , Madani Alaa , AlQaddan Munirah , Altuwalah Abdulaziz S , Goyder Elizabeth
Published: May 2024

Background

Around one-third of the population of Saudi Arabia have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition often requiring lifestyle changes. Personalised health coaching, a strategy developed to assist individuals in overcoming challenges to adopt healthy behaviours, has not yet been widely applied in the country.

Aims

We aim to explore the feasibility and acceptability of tailored health coaching in Saudi Arabia, in order to help those with type 2 diabetes to more effectively manage their condition.

Methods

Using a mixed-methods approach, this research involved a randomised controlled trial with 30 Saudi adults who have type 2 diabetes. They were randomly allocated into either the intervention or control arm for 12 weeks. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour framework was used to guide the intervention implementation along with the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy V.1. The primary goal was to assess the suitability and duration of the intervention, recruitment, retention and completion rates. The secondary outcome focused on the preliminary efficacy of the health coaching measured by the glycaemic index, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, weight, patient self-efficacy and diabetes self-management.

Results

The results showed high rates of eligibility, recruitment and retention (a screening rate of 90%, a recruiting rate of 79% and a retention rate of 97%). Notable improvements were observed in the health coaching group across five outcomes: haemoglobin A1c, BMI, waist circumference, patient self-efficacy and diabetes self-care. Qualitative findings highlighted the participants’ perceived benefits from the intervention, including enhanced motivation, better understanding of diabetes management and a supportive coaching relationship. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the intervention and advocated for its expansion.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrated positive outcomes, supporting the need for a larger randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of health coaching in improving diabetes self-management among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia.
DIALOR (DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty): protocol for a single-arm mixed-methods feasibility study of a digital health coaching intervention for older people with frailty in primary care
Authors: Sait Matthew I , Christie Rachel A , Cox Chantel , Board Michele , Thomas Sarah , O'Sullivan Cheryl , Davies Cheryl , Walker Dawn-Marie , Vassallo Michael , Sadler E A , Allen-Pick Mark , Moore Patrick , Bradbury Katherine , Murphy Jane
Published: May 2024

Background

Multidomain interventions in older adults offer the best opportunity to prevent, delay or reverse existing symptoms in the earlier stages of frailty and improve independence but can be costly, and difficult to deliver at scale. However, digital health interventions enable personalised care and empowerment through self-management of long-term conditions, used at any time and when combined with health coaching offer the potential to enhance well-being and facilitate the achievement of health-related goals. We aim to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a digital health platform for long-term disease management combined with health coaching for people living with mild-moderate frailty, targeting self-identified goals—activity, nutrition, mood, enhancing social engagement and well-being.

Methods and analysis

This is a non-randomised feasibility, single-group, pretest/post-test study, using qualitative and quantitative methods. The digital health coaching intervention (DIALOR—DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty) has been developed for implementation to older adults, aged 65 years or older with mild to moderate frailty and diagnosis of one or more long-term health conditions in the community. Participants will receive 12 weeks of health coaching and have access to a mobile health platform for 6 months. The primary outcome measure is the acceptability and feasibility of DIALOR along with a range of secondary outcome measures (including frailty, functioning measures, quality of life, social engagement, diet quality and self-reported indicators) collected at baseline and at 6 months. The findings will inform whether a wider effectiveness trial is feasible and if so, how it should be designed.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been granted by the Southeast Scotland Research Ethics Committee 02 (reference: 22/SS/0064). Research findings will be disseminated in a range of different ways to engage different audiences, including publishing in open-access peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media, dissemination workshop with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals and on institution websites.
Investigating consumer preferences and experiences of telehealth services in Australian allied health practice: a study protocol
Authors: Frith Madison , Boyd James , Savira Feby , Senyel Deniz , Norman Richard , Jones Janelle , Robinson Suzanne
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Telehealth service provision and uptake has rapidly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing healthcare to be delivered safely and reducing non-essential face-to-face (F2F) contact. In Australia, the expansion of subsidisation of telehealth during COVID has led to its permanent installation within Australian primary care in 2022. However, little is known about consumer preferences and experiences with these services, particularly in relation to allied health practice (AHP). Previous studies on telehealth services have focused on general practice rather than allied health (AH) and broader primary care. Given that AH professionals make up a large proportion of the Australian healthcare workforce, the purpose of this study is to explore consumer preferences and experiences with telehealth AHP healthcare.

Methods and analysis

This study uses a mixed methods research design that incorporates three independent but interrelated phases. Phase 2 of the study will use a focus group methodology to discuss consumer attitudes and experiences via a semistructured interview format. Phase 3 involves a discrete choice experiment (DCE) involving a large online survey conducted across the general population. The DCE will be informed by the qualitative findings from phases 1 and 2. The experiment aims to elicit consumer preferences in relation to AH services delivered through telehealth or F2F consultations, based on several hypothetical scenarios and preferences over several different dimensions.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been obtained from La Trobe University (approval number HEC23404). Findings will be disseminated as reports, presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Preferred sources of information on diabetes prevention programmes: a population-based cross-sectional study in Poland
Authors: Grudziąż-Sękowska Justyna , Sękowski Kuba , Pinkas Jarosław , Jankowski Mateusz
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study aimed to analyse preferred sources of information on diabetes prevention programmes and to identify sociodemographic determinants influencing these preferences among adults in Poland.

Design

A cross-sectional survey was carried out between 15 and 18 September 2023 using a computer-assisted web interview. A self-prepared questionnaire included 10 questions on sources of information on type 2 diabetes prevention.

Participants

Data were obtained from 1046 adults (18–82 years); 53.4% were females.

Results

Most respondents preferred email communication (46.4%), followed by a doctor or nurse (33.5%), and a letter or leaflet directly delivered to the mailbox (25.8%) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) prevention information. Younger respondents were more likely to indicate mass media (OR=1.81, 95% CI=1.12 to 2.95, p=0.01) and digital media (OR=1.65, 95% CI=1.02 to 2.67, p=0.04) as a source of information on DM2 prevention. Those who had higher education (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.16 to 1.96, p=0.002), as well as those with chronic diseases (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.14 to 1.97, p=0.004), were more likely to indicate digital media. Out of 10 different variables analysed in this study, passive occupational status (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.96, p=0.03) as well as having chronic diseases (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.16 to 1.96, p=0.002) were associated with higher odds of indicating healthcare workers as a preferred source of information. Marital status, having children, place of residence, household characteristics and financial status do not significantly decide communication preferences.

Conclusion

Communication on DM2 prevention should be adjusted to public preferences and expectations. Tailoring interventions to different demographic groups can enhance outreach and engagement. Email emerged as a popular choice, suggesting the potential of digital communication in preventive health programmes.
Do studies evaluating early-life policy interventions fully adhere to the critical conditions of difference-in-differences? A systematic review
Authors: Klootwijk Anouk , Struijs Jeroen , Petrus Annelieke , Leemhuis Marlin , Numans Mattijs , de Vries Eline
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To assess the reporting and methodological quality of early-life policy intervention papers that applied difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis.

Study design

Systematic review.

Data sources

Papers applying DiD of early-life policy interventions in high-income countries as identified by searching Medline, Embase and Scopus databases up to December, 2022.

Study eligibility criteria, participants and interventions

Studies evaluating policy interventions targeting expectant mothers, infants or children up to two years old and conducted in high income countries were included. We focused on seven critical conditions of DiD as proposed in a comprehensive checklist: data requirements, parallel trends, no-anticipation, standard statistical assumptions, common shocks, group composition and spillover.

Results

The DiD included studies (n=19) evaluating early-life policy interventions in childhood development (n=4), healthcare utilisation and providers (n=4), nutrition programmes (n=3) and economic policies such as prenatal care expansion (n=8). Although none of the included studies met all critical conditions, the most reported and adhered to critical conditions were data requirements (n=18), standard statistical assumptions (n=11) and the parallel trends assumption (n=9). No-anticipation and spillover were explicitly reported and adhered to in two studies and one study, respectively.

Conclusions

This review highlights current deficiencies in the reporting and methodological quality of studies using DiD to evaluate early-life policy interventions. As the validity of study conclusions and consequent implications for policy depend on the extent to which critical conditions are met, this shortcoming is concerning. We recommend that researchers use the described checklist to improve the transparency and validity of their evaluations. The checklist should be further refined by adding order of importance or knock-out criteria and may also help facilitate uniform terminology. This will hopefully encourage reliable DiD evaluations and thus contribute to better policies relating to expectant mothers, infants and children.
Improving the care of children with GENetic Rare disease: Observational Cohort study (GenROC)—a study protocol
Authors: Low Karen Jaqueline , Watford Amy , Blair Peter , Nabney Ian , Powell John , Wynn Sarah L , Foreman Julia , Firth Helen , Ingram Jenny
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Around 2000 children are born in the UK per year with a neurodevelopmental genetic syndrome with significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Often little is known about expected growth and phenotypes in these children. Parents have responded by setting up social media groups to generate data themselves. Given the significant clinical evidence gaps, this research will attempt to identify growth patterns, developmental profiles and phenotypes, providing data on long-term medical and educational outcomes. This will guide clinicians when to investigate, monitor or treat symptoms and when to search for additional or alternative diagnoses.

Methods and analysis

This is an observational, multicentre cohort study recruiting between March 2023 and February 2026. Children aged 6 months up to 16 years with a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in a specified gene will be eligible. Children will be identified through the National Health Service and via self-recruitment. Parents or carers will complete a questionnaire at baseline and again 1 year after recruitment. The named clinician (in most cases a clinical geneticist) will complete a clinical proforma which will provide data from their most recent clinical assessment. Qualitative interviews will be undertaken with a subset of parents partway through the study. Growth and developmental milestone curves will be generated through the DECIPHER website (https://deciphergenomics.org) where 5 or more children have the same genetic syndrome (at least 10 groups expected).

Ethics and dissemination

The results will be presented at national and international conferences concerning the care of children with genetic syndromes. Results will also be submitted for peer review and publication.
Compressive taping to prevent postmastectomy seroma: patient adherence and satisfaction
Authors: Fernandes Maíra Carneiro , Fabro Erica Alves Nogueira , Ximenes Matheus Albino , Costa Rejane Medeiros Medeiros , Soares Nathalia Bordinhon , Aguiar Suzana Sales de , Thuler Luiz Claudio Santos , Bergmann Anke
Published: May 2024

Objective

Evaluate patient adherence and satisfaction concerning postmastectomy compressive taping.

Methods

This comprises a preintervention and postintervention study carried out with women ≥18 years old who underwent taping during the first 7 postoperative days at the Cancer Hospital III/National Cancer Institute. Good adherence was considered as taping maintenance for 7 days. Satisfaction levels were classified as satisfied and dissatisfied.

Results

A total of 124 women with a mean age of 56.54 (±11.24) were included in the study. Most lived without a partner (58.1%), had more than 8 years of study (59.7%), referred to themselves as white (68.5%) and considered their health status to be good or very good (69.4%). Regarding treatment adherence, 90.3% patients displayed adherence. Patients with no bullous lesions were more likely to adhere to taping (OR 7.00; 95% CI 1.98 to 24.74; p=0.003). Regarding satisfaction, 78.2% of the patients felt satisfied. The absence of local discomfort (OR 4.51; 95% CI 1.73 to 11.74; p=0.002) and non-existence of self-reported oedema (OR 5.81; 95% CI 1.81 to 18, 66; p=0.003) were associated with greater patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

Patients exhibited good adherence and felt very satisfied with the use of postmastectomy compressive taping.

Trial registration number

NCT04471142.
Video Surveillance System-Based Human Activity Recognition Using Hierarchical Auto-Associative Polynomial Convolutional Neural Network with Garra Rufa Fish Optimization
Authors: Thiruvenkatam Prasanth , Thangavel Prabu , Balasubramanian Krishnasamy , Sekar Sridhar
Published: May 2024

Nowadays, video surveillance systems are gaining increasing attention in the computer vision fields due to user demands for security purposes. Observing human movement and predicting such movement perception are promising due to video surveillance systems. In this work, Hierarchical Auto-Associative Polynomial Convolutional Neural Networks (HA-PCNN) with Garran Rufa Fish Optimization (GRFO) is proposed for Human Activity Recognition (HAR) using a video surveillance system. Initially, video surveillance systems-based human activity images are obtained, which are collected by video camera by recording daily human activities. After that, the input images are fed to a pre-processing approach named as Switched Mode Fuzzy Median Filter (SMFM) method. In this, the noise presented in the input images is reduced by applying the SMFM model to normalize the dataset and improve the image quality. After that, the pre-processed images are given to the developed Fast Discrete Curvelet Transform with Wrapping (FDCT-WRP)-based feature extraction method to extract the relevant features. Moreover, the extracted features are given to the HA-PCNN model for HA classification. Generally, the HA-PCNN method does not express any adoption of optimization methods for scaling the ideal parameters and classification. Here, Garra Rufa Fish Optimization (GRFO) is proposed to enhance the parameters of HA-PCNN. Thus, the proposed HA-PCNN-GRFO methodology can classify human activities like standing, sitting, running, walking and sleeping. By then the performance of the proposed HA-PCNN-GRFO methodology is evaluated using Python Platform, and metrics like recall, accuracy, F-measure, precision, and specificity are analyzed. Thus, the proposed HA-PCNN-GRFO approach achieved 97.3% average accuracy rate, 96.5% average recall, 97.2% average precision, 95.9% average specificity, and 96.8% average F1-score for classifying human activities using UCI HAR dataset. Also, the proposed HA-PCNN-GRFO approach is outperformed in HAR than the conventional approaches.
Identification of User Requirements and their Influencing Factors Based on Online Reviews and Operational Data
Authors: Zhang Ruijie , Chen Yu , Wang Keqin , Shen Dagang , Zhang Kailong , Xia Weili
Published: May 2024

It is crucial for enterprises to clearly identify user needs during the process of formulating product design improvement plans. Therefore, it is essential to comprehensively and accurately identify user needs, explore the reasons behind the emergence of these needs, and incorporate user opinions into the process of product design improvement. A method is proposed to comprehensively and accurately capture user requirements and address the challenge of identifying the underlying causes of user requirements. This method utilizes online comments and operational data to identify user requirements and their influencing factors. First, text sentiment analysis techniques are employed to quantify the importance and performance values of product feature topics. Second, we construct a quadrant model to identify product features requiring improvement, and the original negative comments related to these features are traced. However, the quadrant model alone is insufficient to reflect specific product issues that users are concerned about. Therefore, a functional structure model based on product issues is designed to filter and identify factors that influence user requirements using operational data. Finally, a Bayesian network inference approach is utilized to identify the key influencing factors on user requirements, enabling analysis of the causes behind user requirements and the proposal of product design improvement strategies. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated through experiments conducted on heavy-duty truck data. By analyzing the original negative comments related to the power characteristics, specific user demands regarding the insufficient power of the product were identified, such as “obviously insufficient power when climbing slopes” and other issues. Based on the vehicle power system functional structure model, combined with expert knowledge and operational data, factors related to the state of parts and user behavior that may affect “insufficient vehicle power” were identified. Based on the analysis results, suggestions were made to improve the engine intake air temperature control strategy and to enhance vehicle performance by promoting correct user behavior through informational campaigns.