bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FBXO28 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion via upregulation of the TGF-beta1/SMAD2/3 signaling pathway in ovarian cancer
Authors: Song Gendi , Sun Zhengwei , Chu Man , Zhang Zihan , Chen Jiajia , Wang Zhiwei , Zhu Xueqiong
Published: January 2024

Background

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies due to the lack of early symptoms, early diagnosis and limited screening. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the occurrence and progression of ovarian cancer and to identify a basic biomarker for the early diagnosis and clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.

Methods

The association between FBXO28 and ovarian cancer prognosis was analyzed using Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis. The difference in FBXO28 mRNA expression between normal ovarian tissues and ovarian tumor tissues was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) cohorts. The expression levels of the FBXO28 protein in ovarian cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues were measured via immunohistochemical staining. Western blotting was used to determine the level of FBXO28 expression in ovarian cancer cells. The CCK-8, the colony formation, Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and motility.

Results

We found that a higher expression level of FBXO28 was associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. Analysis of the TCGA and GTEx cohorts showed that the FBXO28 mRNA level was lower in normal ovarian tissue samples than in ovarian cancer tissue samples. Compared with that in normal ovarian tissues or cell lines, the expression of FBXO28 was greater in ovarian tumor tissues or tumor cells. The upregulation of FBXO28 promoted the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Finally, we demonstrated that FBXO28 activated the TGF-beta1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway in ovarian cancer.

Conclusions

In conclusion, FBXO28 enhanced oncogenic function via upregulation of the TGF-beta1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway in ovarian cancer.
Social determinants of health during and after coronavirus: a qualitative study
Authors: Izadisabet Farideh , Aminbeidokhti Aliakbar , Jafari Sakineh
Published: January 2024

Background

Health has multiple dimensions influenced not only by individual factors but also by broader social, economic, cultural, and political structures. The widespread COVID-19 pandemic has multidimensional effects on people’s lives, which can have effects on individuals’ lifestyles after the COVID-19. This study aimed to speculate the social determinants of health during and after the COVID-19, which can lead to more effective planning for promoting community health.

Methods

The present study interviewed 21 experts in social and medical fields during four months. The sampling method was snowball. The interviews were semi-structured and administered in-person or electronic. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the Brown and Clarke’s six-stage framework to extract themes.

Results

the participants were 13 males, eight experts in social field, all had PhD, 17 were academic members, and 10 were members of the Social Determinants of Health Research Center. The qualitative content analysis induced seven different social themes that affect the health which included: justice (3 Subcategories), integration (4 Subcategories), acceptance (4 Subcategories), participation (2 Subcategories), adaptation (3 Subcategories), flourishing (4 Subcategories), and cohesion (3 Subcategories).

Conclusions

According to the present study, a grand plan to cover all positive and negative social effects of COVID-19 should have at least seven different dimensions. However, the present models of effective social determinants in health do not have such comprehensiveness. Future studies may provide a proper model to be used in clinical and research fields.
Alleviating effect of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and its major components on postherpetic pain: a randomized blinded controlled trial
Authors: You Jiyeong , Shin You Kyoung , Seol Geun Hee
Published: January 2024

Background

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) causes severe pain which can lead to decreased quality-of-life. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of inhalation of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) oil and its major components (linalool and linalyl acetate) on the pain in patients with PHN.

Methods

This study was performed at an outpatient clinic. Sixty-four patients with postherpetic neuralgia were randomly allocated to a control group (almond oil) or one of three experimental groups (lavender oil, linalool, or linalyl acetate diluted in almond oil at concentration of 1% v/v), and the participants inhaled the aroma by natural breathing. Quality, severity, and intensity of pain were measured before and after the intervention.

Results

Six patients discontinued the intervention for personal reasons; hence, data from 58 patients were analyzed (control group, n = 14; 1% lavender oil group, n = 15; 1% linalool, n = 15; 1% linalyl acetate, n = 14). Reduction in sensory pain was greater in the 1% lavender oil group, 1% linalool group, and 1% linalyl acetate group than in the control group (all P < 0.001). Reduction in affective pain was greater in the 1% lavender group (P < 0.001) and the 1% linalool group (P = 0.007) than in the control group. Decreases in pain severity and intensity were significantly greater in all three intervention groups than in the control group.

Conclusions

Inhalation of lavender oil and its major volatile components effectively reduced the quality, severity, and intensity of postherpetic pain, suggesting that lavender oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate may each be an effective intervention for reducing pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia.

Trial registration

This study was retrospectively registered on the Clinical Research Information Service. Registration number: KCT0007772, first registration 06/10/2022.
PARSID: a Python script for automatic analysis of local BLAST results for a rapid molecular taxonomic identification
Authors: Piccoli Costanza , Muñoz-Mérida Antonio , Crottini Angelica
Published: January 2024

Objective

A reliable taxonomic identification of species from molecular samples is the first step for many studies. For researchers unfamiliar with programming, running a BLAST analysis, filtering, and organizing results for hundreds of sequences through the BLAST web interface can be difficult. Additionally, sequences deposited in GenBank can have outdated taxonomic identification. The use of reliable Reference Sequences Library (RSL) containing accurate taxonomically-identified sequences facilitates this task. Pending the availability of a RSL with the user, we developed a tool that automates the molecular taxonomic identification of sequences.

Results

We developed PARSID, a Python script running through the command-line that automates the routine workflow of blasting an input sequence file against the user’s RSL, and retrieves the matches with the highest percentage of identity in five steps. PARSID accepts cut-off parameters and supplementary information in a.csv file for filtering the results. The final output is visualized in a spreadsheet. We tested its functioning using 10 input sequences simulating different situations of the molecular taxonomic identification of sequences against an example RSL containing 25 sequences. Step-by-step instructions and test files are publicly available at https://github.com/kokinide/PARSID.git.
Evaluating in vivo effectiveness of sotrovimab for the treatment of Omicron subvariant BA.2 versus BA.1: a multicentre, retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lo Carson K. L. , Lo Calvin K. F. , Komorowski Adam S. , Leung Victor , Matic Nancy , McKenna Susan , Perez-Patrigeon Santiago , Sheth Prameet M. , Lowe Christopher F. , Chagla Zain , Bai Anthony D.
Published: January 2024

Background

In vitro data suggested reduced neutralizing capacity of sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody, against Omicron BA.2 subvariant. However, limited in vivo data exist regarding clinical effectiveness of sotrovimab for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to Omicron BA.2.

Methods

A multicentre, retrospective cohort study was conducted at three Canadian academic tertiary centres. Electronic medical records were reviewed for patients ≥ 18 years with mild COVID-19 (sequencing-confirmed Omicron BA.1 or BA.2) treated with sotrovimab between February 1 to April 1, 2022. Thirty-day co-primary outcomes included hospitalization due to moderate or severe COVID-19; all-cause intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and all-cause mortality. Risk differences (BA.2 minus BA.1 group) for co-primary outcomes were adjusted with propensity score matching (e.g., age, sex, vaccination, immunocompromised status).

Results

Eighty-five patients were included (15 BA.2, 70 BA.1) with similar baseline characteristics between groups. Adjusted risk differences were non-statistically significant between groups for 30-day hospitalization (− 14.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI): − 32.6 to 4.0%), ICU admission (− 7.1%; 95%CI: − 20.6 to 6.3%), and mortality (− 7.1%; 95%CI: − 20.6 to 6.3%).

Conclusions

No differences were demonstrated in hospitalization, ICU admission, or mortality rates within 30 days between sotrovimab-treated patients with BA.1 versus BA.2 infection. More real-world data may be helpful to properly assess sotrovimab’s effectiveness against infections due to specific emerging COVID-19 variants.
Endometriosis MR mimickers: T1-hyperintense lesions
Authors: Ruaux Edouard , Nougaret Stéphanie , Gavrel Marie , Charlot Mathilde , Devouassoux-Shisheboran Mojgan , Golfier François , Thomassin-Naggara Isabelle , Rousset Pascal
Published: January 2024

Endometriosis is a chronic and disabling gynecological disease that affects women of reproductive age. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the cornerstone radiological technique for both the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. While MRI offers higher sensitivity compared to ultrasonography, it is prone to false-positive results, leading to decreased specificity. False-positive findings can arise from various T1-hyperintense conditions on fat-suppressed T1-weighted images, resembling endometriotic cystic lesions in different anatomical compartments. These conditions include hemorrhage, hyperproteic content, MRI artifacts, feces, or melanin. Such false positives can have significant implications for patient care, ranging from incorrect diagnoses to unnecessary medical or surgical interventions and subsequent follow-up. To address these challenges, this educational review aims to provide radiologists with comprehensive knowledge about MRI criteria, potential pitfalls, and differential diagnoses, ultimately reducing false-positive results related to T1-hyperintense abnormalities.

Critical relevance statement

MRI has a 10% false-positive rate, leading to misdiagnosis. T1-hyperintense lesions, observed in the three phenotypes of pelvic endometriosis, can also be seen in various other causes, mainly caused by hemorrhages, high protein concentrations, and artifacts.

Key points

• MRI in endometriosis has a 10% false-positive rate, leading to potential misdiagnosis.

• Pelvic endometriosis lesions can exhibit T1-hyperintensity across their three phenotypes.

• A definitive diagnosis of a T1-hyperintense endometriotic lesion is crucial for patient management.

• Hemorrhages, high protein concentrations, lipids, and artifacts are the main sources of T1-hyperintense mimickers.

Graphical Abstract
Clinical prediction models for the early diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in stroke patients: a systematic review
Authors: Yang Hualu , Lu Shuya , Yang Lin
Published: January 2024

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by repetitive cessation or reduction in airflow during sleep. Stroke patients have a higher risk of OSA, which can worsen their cognitive and functional disabilities, prolong their hospitalization, and increase their mortality rates.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive literature search in the databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and CNKI, using a combination of keywords and MeSH words in both English and Chinese. Studies published up to March 1, 2022, which reported the development and/or validation of clinical prediction models for OSA diagnosis in stroke patients.

Results

We identified 11 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Most of the studies used logistic regression models and machine learning approaches to predict the incidence of OSA in stroke patients. The most frequently selected predictors included body mass index, sex, neck circumference, snoring, and blood pressure. However, the predictive performance of these models ranged from poor to moderate, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve varying from 0.55 to 0.82. All the studies have a high overall risk of bias, mainly due to the small sample size and lack of external validation.

Conclusion

Although clinical prediction models have shown the potential for diagnosing OSA in stroke patients, their limited accuracy and high risk of bias restrict their implications. Future studies should focus on developing advanced algorithms that incorporate more predictors from larger and representative samples and externally validating their performance to enhance their clinical applicability and accuracy.
A new method of dynamic network security analysis based on dynamic uncertain causality graph
Authors: Dong Chunling , Feng Yu , Shang Wenqian
Published: January 2024

In the context of cloud computing, network attackers usually exhibit complex, dynamic, and diverse behavior characteristics. Existing research methods, such as Bayesian attack graphs, lack evidence correlation and real-time reflection of the network attack events, and high computational complexity for attack analysis. To solve these problems, this study proposes a Dynamic Uncertain Causal Attack Graph (DUCAG) model and a Causal Chain-based Risk Probability Calculation (CCRP) algorithm. The DUCAG model is constructed to represent the uncertain underlying causalities among network attack events, and the CCRP algorithm aims at dynamically updating the causality weights among different network attack events and attacker hypotheses based on alarm information and causal chain reasoning process. By causality simplification and causality reasoning methods, the CCRP efficiently predicts the attacker behaviors and potential attack likelihood under uncertain time-varying attack situations, and is robust to the incompleteness and redundancy in alarm information. Four experiments under different attack scenarios demonstrate that, the DUCAG model can effectively characterize and predict the complex and uncertain attack causalities, in a manner of high time efficiency. The proposed method has application significance on cloud computing platforms by dynamically evaluating network security status, predicting the future behaviors of attackers, and assisting in adjusting network defense strategies.
Numerical FE Modeling and Design Methods of CCES Columns with Normal-Weight Crushed Dolomite Coarse Aggregate Fully Embedded IPE Steel-Section
Authors: Mostafa Mostafa M. A.
Published: January 2024

The composite concrete-encased steel (CCES) column member is made by the steel section embedded and covered in concrete from all sides. Due to the ability of the composite sections to bear heavy loads while using smaller sections, CCES columns have been widely used. Analytical studies on the CCES columns’ behavior using crushed dolomite coarse aggregate (CDCA) with different shear connectors (SCs) types/shapes and sizes under axial loads are described here. This study also aims to evaluate the current design methods to determine the ultimate capacity of the CCES with CDCA concrete columns using nine available codes. The results show that the finite element (FE) analysis could accurately predict the ultimate capacity of the CCES columns; the column’s capacity improved by about 41.75% as fcu increased by 60%. Increasing the IPE-shaped steel strength (fss) strategy is not very effective and gives brittle behavior even though enhancing the fss improves the capacity. The column's capacity increased as the tie stirrups and steel bars ratios increased. The column’s capacity increased by about 17.63%, as steel bars ratios increased by 155.49%. The efficiency factors increased slightly as tie stirrups were raised but slightly decreased as steel bar ratios increased. Using the SCs system increases the columns’ capacity by an average value of about 4.9% of the specimen without SCs. The computed capacities using the nine available codes are conservative and safe. The closest estimates made by the YB9082-06 code are 26% less on average than the test results; in contrast, the safest predictions made by the ECP-LRFD code are 68% less, on average, than test results.

Graphical Abstract
How evaluative pairings improve body dissatisfaction in adult women: evidence from a randomized-controlled online study
Authors: Dumstorf Katharina , Halbeisen Georg , Paslakis Georgios
Published: January 2024

Background

Many young women are dissatisfied with their bodies. This study investigated the effect on current body dissatisfaction levels of a newly developed evaluative conditioning procedure that paired self-similar and self-dissimilar images of bodies with positive and neutral affective images, respectively. We hypothesized that learning the contingency that self-similar bodies predict positive affectivity is one process that could aid in explaining how these procedures function.

Methods

Adult women without disordered eating pathology participated in an online experiment with random assignment to an intervention or a control condition. All participants initially rated body images in self-similarity and were subsequently asked to categorize positive and neutral images by valence as quickly and accurately as possible. In the intervention condition, self-similar bodies systematically preceded positive images, and self-dissimilar images preceded neutral images, creating a similar body → positive contingency. Pairings in the control condition were unsystematic such that no contingency was present. We measured categorization latencies and accuracies to infer contingency learning as well as current body dissatisfaction immediately before and after exposure to the pairings. All participants further completed measures of trait body image concerns and disordered eating psychopathology at baseline, which we examined as moderators of an expected relation between condition assignment, contingency learning, and body dissatisfaction improvements.

Results

We analyzed data from N = 173 women fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Moderated mediation analyses showed that assignment to the intervention (vs. control) condition predicted increased similar body → positive contingency learning, which in turn predicted improved body dissatisfaction post-intervention, but only among women with higher pre-existing trait body image concerns or disordered eating levels.

Conclusions

The findings point toward the relevancy of further exploring the utility of pairing procedures. Similar body → positive contingency learning predicted improved body dissatisfaction in individuals with normatively high body image concerns, which suggests pairing procedures could help inform future research on reducing body dissatisfaction.
Evaluation and modelling of the environmental performance of archival boxes, part 1: material and environmental assessment
Authors: Novak Morana , Grau-Bove Josep , De Stefani Caroline , Checkley-Scott Caroline , Kraševec Ida , Cigić Irena Kralj , Elnaggar Abdelrazek
Published: January 2024

Archival boxes are used as a preventive measure to control the microenvironment in museums and archives storages. However, their efficiency in protecting valuable artefacts from fluctuations in relative humidity (RH) is not yet fully understood. In this study, the environmental performance of different archival boxes with different configurations (size, design, presence of holes/paper material, cardboard types, surface modification) was included in the evaluation of internal environment (RH). The effectiveness of archival boxes on reducing relative humidity fluctuations was investigated by testing various properties of boxes and boards, such as air exchange rates (AER), moisture sorption and water vapour transmission rates (WVTR). While most cardboard boxes showed only a limited buffering against the humidity ingress, strategies such as surface modification limited the interaction of a box with the external environment, resulting in a more stable internal environment. Material and box properties, such as moisture sorption, AER and WVTR proved to be useful quantitative tools for assessing the environmental performance of the selected archival boxes.
Demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzu dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK
Authors: Dale Fiona , Brodbelt Dave C. , West Gabriella , Church David B. , Lee Yan Hui , O’Neill Dan G.
Published: January 2024

Background

Shih Tzus are a popular dog breed in the UK although there is relatively little reported information on their health. This study aimed to characterise the demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzus under primary veterinary care during 2016 in the UK using de-identified clinical records from the VetCompass™ Programme.

Results

The study population of 336,865 dogs under veterinary care during 2016 included 11,082 Shih Tzus (3.3%). The median age was 4.1 years (IQR: 2.1–7.1, range: 0.3–20.4) and mean adult bodyweight was 7.9 kg (SD: 1.9 kg). Annual proportional births increased from 2.2% of all dog births in 2005 to 3.8% in 2013, dropping to 3.3% by 2016. From a random subset of 2,423 Shih Tzus that had information extracted on disorders diagnosed during 2016, the most prevalent fine-level precision disorders were periodontal disease (n = 229, prevalence 9.5%, 95% CI: 8.4–10.7), anal sac impaction (180, 7.4%, 95% CI: 6.5–8.5) and ear disorders (134, 5.5%, 95% CI: 4.7–6.5). The most prevalent grouped-level precision disorders were cutaneous (n = 402, prevalence: 16.6%, 95% CI: 15.2–18.1), dental (322, 13.3%, 95% CI: 12.0–14.7), and ophthalmological (289, 11.9%, 95% CI: 10.7–13.3). Males were more likely than females to be diagnosed with skin disorders (P = 0.007) and musculoskeletal disorders (P = 0.010) while females were more likely than males to be diagnosed with hernias (P = 0.005). The median age of death was 12.7 years (IQR 8.7–14.3, range 2.0–19.9) and did not differ statistically between males and females. The most common grouped causes of death were enteropathy (7.9%, 95% CI: 3.9–15.4), heart disease (7.9%, 95% CI: 3.9–15.4) and poor quality of life (7.9%, 95% CI: 3.9–15.4).

Conclusions

Periodontal disease, anal sac impaction and ear disorders were identified as common health issues. Shih Tzus had higher prevalence of anal sac impaction, umbilical hernias and eye problems than reported previously in dogs overall, suggesting potential predispositions. Shih Tzus appear to be relatively long-lived compared to previous reports of lifespan in dogs overall. The results can inform veterinarians and owners on priority disorders for monitoring to protect welfare. Oral hygiene was highlighted as a healthcare priority.
Interfering with sleep apnea
Authors: Pedersen Nigel Paul , Astorga Raul Castillo
Published: January 2024

The effects of electromagnetic interference have been hiding in plain sight for millennia and are now being applied to the non-invasive stimulation of deep tissues. In the article by Missey et al., the effect of non-invasive stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve by an interference envelope of interfering carrier waves is examined in mice and participants with sleep apnea. This stimulation is capable of activating the nerve and reducing apnea-hypopnea events. Temporally interfering electric fields have potential applications far beyond hypoglossal stimulation and may represent a revolutionary new approach to treating illness and understanding the functional organization of the nervous system.
Increased medial talar tilt may incite ankle pain and predispose ankle osteoarthritis after correction of severity of knee varus deformity among patients undergoing bilateral total knee arthroplasty: a prospective observation
Authors: Choudhury Arghya Kundu , Bansal Shivam , Pranav J. , Raja Balgovind S. , Gupta Tushar , Paul Souvik , Gupta Kshitij , Kalia Roop Bhushan
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Patients with varus knee osteoarthritis usually compensate at the ankle and typically walk with hindfoot valgus alignment. As the neutral weight-bearing axis of the lower limbs is restored with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), ankle and hindfoot biomechanics also acutely change. This study aims to investigate whether any ankle clinical-radiographical changes occur as a result of bilateral mechanical TKA in patients with bilateral Osteoarthritis knee at a minimum follow-up of 6 months.

Methods

The prospective observational study included 61 patients (122 knees) undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA (mechanical alignment). Tibio-talar angle(TTA), tibial Anterior Surface angle (TAS), lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA), talar-tilt angle (TT), anatomical talocrural angle (aTC), ground surface and distal tibial plafond angle (GP), ground surface and an upper surface of talus angle (GT)and tibial plateau and tibial plafond angle (PP) were measured on long-film radiographs to look for changes in the ankle, whereas functional assessment was done using American Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), and Forgotten Joint (FJS-12) scores. Patients were sub-grouped based on the Hip-Knee-Ankle (HKA) axis, and the effect of the severity of knee varus on the ankles after TKA was also analyzed. The minimum follow-up was 6 months.

Results

A significant decrease in the tibial plateau-tibial plafond (PP), ground-tibial plafond (GP), and ground-talar dome (GT) angles was noted after TKA (p-value < 0.05). Postoperative functional parameters were comparable to the preoperative status except for FADI, which significantly improved (p-value-0.03). Sub-group analysis based on the severity of knee varus (HKA) revealed GT to be most significantly reduced (p-value-0.036), while the talar tilt (TT) increased (p-value-0.044). Functional outcomes of the ankles clinically improved with the correction of severe knee varus after TKA. At a mean follow-up of 13.2 months post-TKA, 7 out of 61 (11.4%) patients complained of post-TKA ipsilateral ankle pain.

Conclusion

Mechanically aligned bilateral TKA in severe varus deformity of the knee significantly decreases the GT angle but increases the varus tilt of the talus with lateral talar incongruency and under-coverage. Although the acute correction of severe knee varus deformity aligns the tibia more neutrally, resulting in an overall clinically evident improvement in ankle functional outcome, the increased varus talar tilt remains a deep concern.

Level of Evidence

Prospective, observational, comparative study Level II.
CD36 gene variant rs1761667(G/A) as a biomarker in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus cases
Authors: Shukla Ashwin Kumar , Shamsad Amreen , Kushwah Atar Singh , Singh Shalini , Usman Kauser , Banerjee Monisha
Published: January 2024

Background

Several reports discussed a connection between CD36 genotypes associated with obesity, influencing the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, this study examines the prognostic value of CD36 polymorphism rs1761667 (G/A) in individuals with obese T2DM. The investigation also explores the correlation between this genetic variation and the clinical/biochemical parameters of the subjects.

Methods

Blood samples of a total of 475 subjects from north India were collected from the outpatient unit (OPD), Department of Medicine, KGMU, Lucknow as per inclusion/exclusion criteria. Anthropometric details of study subjects were recorded and biochemical parameters were estimated in 250 T2DM cases, 75 obese T2DM cases, and 150 controls. The CD36 gene variant rs1761667 (G/A) was subject to genotypic analysis using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) method, utilizing specific primers and HhaI enzyme. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS (ver. 21.0) and Prism (5.01) software.

Results

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), post-prandial glucose (PPG) were significant in T2DM subjects. Lipid profile such as Total Cholesterol (TC), Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) were also found significantly associated with obese T2DM cases. GA and AA genotypes of rs1761667 (G/A) showed significant associations in obese T2DM cases. The GA genotype demonstrated a considerable association (P < 0.001) with a 2.77-fold increased susceptibility to the high risk of T2DM. The AA genotype was found to be significantly associated (P = 0.008) with 2.94-fold higher risk of T2DM in obesity while 9.33 folds significant risk of developing obesity in T2DM cases.

Conclusions

The risk of obesity in T2DM cases can be assessed by genotyping the CD36 genetic variant rs1761667 (G/A). However, raised FPG, PPG, TC, LDL, and VLDL showed poor prognosis in obese T2DM cases. CD36 gene variant can be proposed as a prognostic biomarker for risk prediction of T2DM and obesity, while anthro-biochemical risk factors as preventive biomarker.
Prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression literacy (D-Lit) among Saudi postgraduate students
Authors: Alageel Asem Abdualziz S.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The prevalence of any disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) is 34.2% in Saudi Arabia over the course of a person's lifetime. Young Saudis are more likely to develop major depressive disorder than older Saudis. Globally, postgraduate students are more vulnerable to developing depression compared to the general population. According to a national study carried out in Saudi Arabia, a small proportion of individuals experiencing psychiatric disorders over a period of 12 months receive any kind of treatment. This highlights the importance of community education aimed at enhancing mental health awareness.

Methods

A web-based Arabic cross-sectional survey was conducted among Saudi postgraduate students from October 2019 to August 2020. The survey included questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, sources of information, depression literacy (D-Lit), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, and the participants’ attitudes toward depression.

Results

A total of 517 participants took part in the survey, with 46% of them screened positive for depression. The mean D-Lit score was 10.65, which was lower than that reported in studies conducted among medical students and hospital staff. No significant differences were found in D-Lit scores across all sociodemographic characteristics, except for gender and specialty (p = 0.002 and <0.001, respectively). The Internet, awareness posters, a doctor (previously diagnosed with depression), and awareness activities related to depression showed significant differences in the mean score of D-Lit (p < 0.001, 0.005, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

In Saudi Arabia, this study found that postgraduate students have a notably higher occurrence of depression compared to the general population. However, despite their higher educational level, these students lacked sufficient awareness and understanding of depression to recognize it and seek help. Consequently, it is important to initiate awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of postgraduate student
A hybrid deep learning technique for spoofing website URL detection in real-time applications
Authors: Ujah-Ogbuagu Bridget C. , Akande Oluwatobi Noah , Ogbuju Emeka
Published: January 2024

Website Uniform Resource Locator (URL) spoofing remains one of the ways of perpetrating phishing attacks in the twenty-first century. Hackers continue to employ URL spoofing to deceive naïve and unsuspecting consumers into releasing important personal details in malicious websites. Blacklists and rule-based filters that were once effective at reducing the risks and sophistication of phishing are no longer effective as there are over 1.5 million new phishing websites created monthly. Therefore, research aimed at unveiling new techniques for detecting phishing websites has sparked a lot of interest in both academics and business with machine and deep learning techniques being at the forefront. Among the deep learning techniques that have been employed, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) remains one of the most widely used with high performance in feature learning. However, CNN has a problem of memorizing contextual relationships in URL text, which makes it challenging to efficiently detect sophisticated malicious URLs in real-time applications. On the contrary, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning model has been successfully employed in complex real-time problems because of its ability to store inputs for a long period of time. This study experiments with the use of hybrid CNN and LSTM deep learning models for spoofing website URL detection in order to exploit the combined strengths of the two approaches for a more sophisticated spoofing URL detection. Two publicly available datasets (UCL spoofing Website and PhishTank Datasets) were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed hybrid model against other models in the literature. The hybrid CNN-LSTM model achieved accuracies of 98.9% and 96.8%, respectively, when evaluated using the UCL and PhishTank datasets. On the other hand, the standalone CNN and LSTM achieved accuracies of 90.4% and 94.6% on the UCL dataset, while their accuracies on the PhishTank dataset were 89.3% and 92.6%, respectively. The results show that the hybrid CNN-LSTM algorithm largely outperformed the standalone CNN and LSTM models, which demonstrates a much better performance. Therefore, the hybrid deep learning technique is recommended for detecting spoofing website URL thereby reducing losses attributed to such attacks.
The effects of music listening time with headphones on hearing thresholds among the young population
Authors: Osmanoğlu Hülya , Dizdar Handan Turan , Koçyiğit Azize Arzu
Published: January 2024

Background

Today, young people who listen to loud music, especially through headphones, are at an extremely high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The aim of this study was to investigate how young people’s listening habits affect their hearing thresholds. A total of 88 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 took part in the study, 44 of whom listened to music through headphones while the others did not. The control group was exposed to white noise at 55–65 dB with the Interacoustic AC 40 Hybrid Audiometer, and people who did not use headphones and said they were not exposed to higher levels of sound than the given sample were included in the study. Participants were given a survey to assess their music listening preferences. One hundred twenty-five to 18,000 Hz air conduction hearing thresholds were assessed for all participants.

Results

When the pure tone thresholds of the groups were compared, the independent t-test showed that the thresholds of the study group were significantly worse than those of the control group. Bilaterally in the 4000 Hz band and for the left ear in the 6000 Hz band (p < 0.05). There were also significant differences between the groups in the 14,000 Hz and 16,000 Hz bands in the right ear and the 14,000 Hz, 16,000 Hz, and 18,000 Hz bands in the left ear (p < 0.05). Twenty-two participants reported listening to music at a high level, 16 participants at a moderate level, and 6 participants at a very high level.

Conclusion

Although the hearing thresholds of the study group were worse than those of the control group in the 4000 Hz, 6000 Hz, 14,000 Hz, 16,000 Hz, and 18,000 Hz bands, the hearing thresholds of both groups were still within the hearing range and could be classified as normal. It should be remembered that hearing will deteriorate if a person listens to loud or very loud music continuously through headphones. The public, especially young people, should be made aware of this.
Bridging knowledge gaps: a bibliometric analysis of non-invasive ventilation in palliative care studies
Authors: Cascella Marco , Monaco Federica , Vittori Alessandro , Elshazly Mostafa , Carlucci Annalisa , Piazza Ornella
Published: January 2024

Background

Despite being a useful strategy for providing respiratory support to patients with advanced or terminal illnesses, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) requires in-depth investigation in several key aspects.

Objectives

This bibliometric analysis seeks to comprehensively examine the existing research on the subject. Its goal is to uncover valuable insights that can inform the prediction trajectory of studies, guide the implementation of corrective measures, and contribute to the improvement of research networks.

Methods

A comprehensive review of literature on NIV in the context of palliative care was conducted using the Web of Science core collection online database. The search utilized the key terms “non-invasive ventilation” and “palliative care” to identify the most relevant articles. All data were gathered on November 7, 2023. Relevant information from documents meeting the specified criteria was extracted, and Journal Citation Reports™ 2022 (Clarivate Analytics) served as the data source. The analysis employed literature analysis and knowledge visualization tools, specifically CiteScope (version 6.2.R4) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20).

Results

A dataset with bibliometric findings from 192 items was analyzed. We found a consistent upward of the scientific output trend over time. Guidelines on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis management received the highest number of citations. Most documents were published in top-ranked journals. Less than one-third of the documents pertain to clinical studies, especially retrospective analyses (25%). Key topics such as “decision making”, and “communication” were less addressed.

Conclusions

Given the substantial clinical implications, further high-quality studies on this subject are recommended. Encouraging international collaborations is needed. Despite the growing volume of documents in the field, this bibliometric analysis indicates a decline in collaborative networks.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceived changes in responsibilities for adult caregivers who support children and youth in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Chiang Madeline , Markoulakis Roula , Levitt Anthony
Published: January 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has created long-lasting changes in caregiving responsibilities, including but not limited to increased demands, loss of support, worsening mental and physical health, and increased financial worries. There is currently limited evidence regarding factors associated with perceived changes in caregiving responsibilities.

Aims

This observational study aimed to investigate factors (sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers and mental health and/or addiction concerns of the caregiver and their youth) that predict perceived negative changes in caregiving responsibilities among adult caregivers (aged 18+ years) of children and youth (aged 0–25 years) in Ontario, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

Data were collected from 1381 caregivers of children and youth between January and March of 2022 through a representative cross-sectional survey completed online. Logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors contributing to perceived negative changes in caregiving responsibilities.

Results

Among the sociodemographic characteristics, only ethnicity significantly predicted outcome. Higher caregiver strain (odds ratio [OR] = 10.567, 95% CI = 6.614–16.882, P < 0.001), worsened personal mental health (OR = 1.945, 95% CI = 1.474–2.567, P < 0.001), a greater number of children/youth cared for per caregiver (OR = 1.368, 95% CI = 1.180–1.587, P < 0.001), dissatisfaction with the availability of social supports (OR = 1.768, 95% CI = 1.297–2.409, P < 0.001) and negative changes in mental well-being in at least one child/youth (OR = 2.277, 95% CI = 1.660–3.123, P < 0.001) predicted negative changes in caregiving responsibilities.

Conclusion

These results support further exploration of the implications of negative perceptions of caregiving responsibilities and what processes might be implemented to improve these perceptions and the outcomes.
Virtual Cancer Care Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Patient and Staff Perspectives and Recommendations
Authors: Abdelmutti Nazek , Powis Melanie , Macedo Alyssa , Liu Zhihui , Bender Jackie L. , Papadakos Janet , Hack Saidah , Rajnish Nikki , Rana Palwasha , Kittuppanantharajah Shay , Lovas Mike , Melwani Sheena , Moody Lesley , Elliot Mary , Ashfaq Iqra , Avery Lisa , Mohammed Hiba , Berlin Alejandro , Krzyzanowska Monika K.
Published: January 2024

PURPOSE

COVID-19 catalyzed rapid implementation of virtual cancer care (VC); however, work is needed to inform long-term adoption. We evaluated patient and staff experiences with VC at a large urban, tertiary cancer center to inform recommendations for postpandemic sustainment.

METHODS

All physicians who had provided VC during the pandemic and all patients who had a valid e-mail address on file and at least one visit to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, in the preceding year were invited to complete a survey. Interviews and focus groups with patients and staff across the cancer center were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis and triangulated with survey findings.

RESULTS

Response rates for patients and physicians were 15% (2,343 of 15,169) and 41% (100 of 246), respectively. A greater proportion of patients than physicians were satisfied with VC (80.1 v 53.4%; P < .01). In addition, fewer patients than physicians felt that virtual visits were worse than those conducted in person (28.0 v 43.4%; P < .01) and that telephone and video visits negatively affected the human interaction that they valued (59.8% v 82.0%; P < .01). Major barriers to VC for patients were respect for care preferences and personal boundaries, accessibility, and equitable access. For staff, major barriers included a lack of role clarity, dedicated resources (space and technology), integration of nursing and allied health, support (administrative, clinical, and technical), and guidance on appropriateness of use.

CONCLUSION

Patient and staff perceptions and barriers to virtual care are different. Moving forward, we need to pay attention to both staff and patient experiences with virtual care since this will have major implications for long-term adoption into clinical practice.
Settler-Colonial Elimination and theDobbsDecision
Authors: Byrd Jodi A. , Pierce Joseph M.
Published: January 2024

Jodi A. Byrd and Joseph M. Pierce discuss the Supreme Court decisions Dobbs v. Jackson and Haaland v. Brackeen, which upheld the legality of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act. In this wide-ranging conversation, the authors reflect on “what Indigenous studies and queer studies can bring together,” considering Indigenous dispossession, kinship, settler colonialism, sovereignty, and reciprocity, among many other subjects.
Higher amyloid is associated with greater loneliness among cognitively normal older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kehrer-Dunlap Abigail , Bollinger Rebecca , Chen Szu-Wei , Keleman Audrey , Thompson Regina , Fagan Anne , Ances Beau , Stark Susan
Published: January 2024

Background Loneliness has been associated with several consequences, including increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD). Loneliness may arise during the preclinical phase of AD, but little is known about the relationship between loneliness and amyloid accumulation consistent with preclinical AD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between amyloid accumulation and subjective experiences of loneliness among cognitively normal older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A global Clinical Dementia Rating ® Scale score of 0 was required for enrollment. Cortical amyloid burden was measured using [11C] Pittsburgh compound B or [18F]-Florbetapir PET tracers. Centiloids were used to synchronize measures. Demographic characteristics and measures of loneliness, anxiety, and depression were collected via self-report. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the relationship between loneliness and amyloid accumulation. Results The 108 participants had a mean age of 75.0 and an average amyloid accumulation of 22.2 ± 31.9. Mean UCLA Loneliness Scale scores were 31.6 ± 10.8. A significant positive association was detected between loneliness and amyloid accumulation (β = 0.064, SE = 0.027, 95% CI = [0.011, 0.118], p = 0.018). Conclusions These findings highlight the relationship between higher amyloid accumulation and greater loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals should include routine assessments for characteristics of loneliness in routine clinical evaluations and integrate loneliness reduction and prevention treatments among older adults experiencing loneliness. Additional research is needed with a larger, more diverse sample to examine the relationship between loneliness and amyloid accumulation.
Librarian: A quality control tool to analyse sequencing library compositions
Authors: Vashishtha Kartavya , Gaud Caroline , Andrews Simon , Krueger Christel
Published: January 2024

Background Robust analysis of DNA sequencing data needs to include a set of quality control steps to ensure that technical bias is kept to a minimum. A metric easily obtained is the frequency of each of the nucleobases for each position across all sequencing reads. Here, we explore the differences in nucleobase compositions of various library types produced by standard experimental methodologies. Methods We obtained the compositions of nearly 3000 publicly available datasets and subjected them to Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction for a two-dimensional representation of their composition characteristics. Results We find that most library types result in a specific composition profile. We use this to give an estimate of how strongly the composition of a test library resembles the profiles of previously published libraries, and how likely the test sample is to be of a particular type. We introduce Librarian, a user-friendly web application and command line tool which enables checking base compositions of test libraries against known library types. Conclusions Library preparation methods strongly influence the per position nucleobase content. By comparing test libraries to a database of previously published library types we can make predictions regarding the library preparation method. Librarian is a user-friendly tool to access this information for quality assurance purposes as discrepancies can flag potential irregularities very early on.