bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review on Nano Fluid Production, Mathematical Modelling and Applications
Authors: Jahnavi K. R. , Hegde Ganesh Shridhar
Published: April 2024

Recently, nano fluids have taken on a significant role in many human endeavours. A fluid called a nanofluid includes nanoparticles, also called nanoparticles. Colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles in a base fluid are what these fluids are made of. The numerous production procedures
and mathematical interpretation models for nanofluids are examined in this review study. Marangoni convection’s advantages, which enhance heat transfer and balance temperature distribution, are underlined. The effects of thermophoresis on surface tension as well as surface tension in
laminar natural convection are also discussed in this work. The characteristics of carbon nanotubes and their prospective medical uses are covered in the article. The study covers electrochemical double layer capacitors, which offer greater safety, longer cycle stability, and better power
densities. The study explores the impact of magnetic fields on entropy formation and natural convection in a hybrid nanofluid enclosure, revealing four distinct models based on thermal conductivity and viscosity correlations. The information review work is relevant. The review information
work is relevant to flow tracers, prosthetic heart valves, oil pipelines, chemical industry separation methods, and oil recovery.
A Comparative Study of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Nanofluids with Variable Thermal Conductivity Over a 3-D Stretching Surface
Authors: Manoj Kumar C. , Jasmine Benazir A.
Published: April 2024

This study presents a comprehensive numerical and statistical analysis of the flow, heat/mass transfer management of Newtonian and non-Newtonian nanofluid over a bidirectional Darcy-Forchheimer stretching sheet. The external effects of MHD, Joule heating, thermal radiation, heat generation/absorption,
Brownian motion, thermal diffusion and chemical reaction are taken into account. It is presumed that the thermal conductivity of fluid varies linearly with temperature. The non-linear coupled P.D.Es are converted into nonlinear coupled O.D.Es using similarity transformation. These equations
are solved using MATLAB by implementing four-stage Lobatto IIIa formula and the outcomes of numerous flow parameters are presented graphically. In addition to numerical investigations, a comprehensive statistical analysis is performed using R-software to evaluate the sensitivity of key input
parameters towards variable thermal conductivity. The values of local wall friction, local wall heat flux, and wall mass flux for various parameters are tabulated. The study reveals that the heat transmission is significant for dilatant fluids (156.8%) when compared to the pseudoplastic fluids
(113.8%). Enriching the values of the Brownian motion parameter suppresses the molecular diffusion while a contrary nature is observed for the thermal diffusion parameter. Further, the mass transfer coefficient shows a very strong negative correlation with variable thermal conductivity parameter
for Shear thinning fluids, whereas for Newtonian and Shear thickening fluids it shows a very strong positive correlation.
Employability skills in engineering from the perspective of three interest groups
Authors: Yepes Zuluaga Sara Maria
Published: April 2024

In recent years, various international organizations in the field of higher education have taken on the task of defining the skills that professionals in different disciplines should develop to succeed in the labor market. As a result, universities have started to transform their curricular structures. Consequently, the aim of this study was to assess the relevance of employability skills from the perspective of students, graduates, and employers, aiming to bridge the university–industry gap. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was carried out to evaluate the perceived importance attached to these dimensions by the three groups. There is a significant difference in the importance of employability skills perceived by employers or immediate supervisors in relation to the perception of students/graduates. The findings provide a useful insight into the importance of employability skills from three points of view, considering that not many previous studies compare an employability model from multiple perspectives. The research was carried out in times of a pandemic, which made it difficult to have contact with people. This allows Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to rethink their educational projects according to the current needs of the economic, social, and productive sectors in the post–COVID-19 era.
How Geographically Accessible is Tertiary Care in Low- and Middle-income Countries: The Bangladesh Case
Authors: Rahman Mamunur , Islam Zasharatul , Alamgir Hasnat M.
Published: April 2024

Receiving adequate, timely and effective medical care at the tertiary level hospitals can be a challenge because of the difficulty to reach these hospitals. Many of these facilities are located in central or certain geographic areas. This study describes the geographic distribution of tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh and assesses their accessibility. Several data sources including the Directorate General of Health Services, National Population Census and Google Maps were used. Geographic inaccessibility ranking was calculated by a method that used data on population and area of the district, travel time and distance to the hospital. Among 35 hospitals, 16 are situated in Dhaka district comprising 10,424 beds, which is almost 41% of the total tertiary care beds. Among the 64 total districts, 46 do not have any such hospital. Around 6.4 million people need to travel more than 3 hours and another 25.4 million need between 2 and 3 hours to reach tertiary care hospitals. Geographic inaccessibility score was found to be high for 5 districts, moderate for 5 districts and low for 19 districts. High centrality of location and skewed distribution of these hospitals may have created health inequity and disparity for a large population segment in Bangladesh.
Shikonin Attenuate Behavioral Defects, Oxidative Stress, and Neuroinflammation During Aluminum Chloride-induced Alzheimer’s Disease Condition in an in vivo Experimental Model
Authors: Li Danni , Wang Min
Published: April 2024

Background

Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) is an environmental neurotoxin that affects cerebral functions and causes health complications. However, the role of AlCl3 in arbitrating glia homeostasis and pathophysiology remains obscure.

Objectives

In this study, we analyzed the role of AlCl3 in causing reactive gliosis in the brain of rats and the ability of Shikonin to attenuate reactive gliosis and neuronal inflammation.

Materials and Methods

In our study, animals were divided into five different groups. The status of AlCl3-induced alterations in neurobehavioral status, estimation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Aβ1 peptide in rat brain, oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation [LPO] and nitric oxide [NO]), antioxidant levels (superoxide dismutase [SOD], Catalase [CAT], and glutathione [GSH]), inflammatory marker levels (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]), and histopathological changes were analyzed and the neuroprotective effect of Shikonin investigated.

Results

Treatment with Shikonin significantly restored the changes in the open field test, Morris water maze test, and Y-maze spontaneous alteration test in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rats induced by AlCl3. Shikonin treatment significantly reduced levels of AChE and Aβ1 peptide content in AD rat brain tissues induced with AlCl3. Furthermore, Shikonin treatment significantly reduced the levels of oxidative stress markers and restored the levels of endogenous antioxidants in AlCl3-induced AD rats. Levels of inflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced upon Shikonin treatment in AD rats induced with AlCl3. In accordance with the aforementioned benefits, treatment with Shikonin significantly restored the histological aberrations and infiltration of granular cells white blood cells (WBCs) in brain tissues of AD rats induced with AlCl3.

Conclusion

Collectively, our results showed that Shikonin significantly restored altered neurobehavioral changes and antioxidant levels, and reduced oxidative stress and the inflammatory milieu. Additionally, histological abnormalities support its neuroprotective effectiveness under experimentally induced Alzheimer’s disease conditions caused by AlCl3 in rats.
Clearing the Highest Hurdles: Intragroup Conflicts and Cooperation in Large Groups
Authors: Khandan Abbas
Published: April 2024

The literature pessimistically predicts that large groups will fail in pursuing their common interests and blame free-riders in general. However, not all players outside the coalition are free-riders. In order to avoid intragroup conflicts, leaders of coalitions may create a kind of bureaucracy and exclude some players as well. Therefore, from the outsiders’ viewpoint, there is an agency problem as their preferences will not be considered by insiders. This study explores the conflict between coalition insiders and outsiders in a theoretical model and using the Coase theorem seeks a middle ground on which both sides can compromise. It shows that by designing a mechanism for indirect cooperation insiders and outsiders can reach a Pareto superior win-win solution that is efficient, saves on organizational costs, partly overcomes free-riding, and avoids agency problems and the under-provision of collective goods. The key to success is to design cooperation mechanisms in different but complete and compatible forms. Finally, real-world examples are provided showing how large groups can resolve their group conflicts by defining cooperation on a ‘continuum of collective action’.

JEL: D7; D2; C7
GbyE: an integrated tool for genome widely association study and genome selection based on genetic by environmental interaction
Authors: Liu Xinrui , Wang Mingxiu , Qin Jie , Liu Yaxin , Wang Shikai , Wu Shiyu , Zhang Ming , Zhong Jincheng , Wang Jiabo
Published: April 2024

Background

The growth and development of organism were dependent on the effect of genetic, environment, and their interaction. In recent decades, lots of candidate additive genetic markers and genes had been detected by using genome-widely association study (GWAS). However, restricted to computing power and practical tool, the interactive effect of markers and genes were not revealed clearly. And utilization of these interactive markers is difficult in the breeding and prediction, such as genome selection (GS).

Results

Through the Power-FDR curve, the GbyE algorithm can detect more significant genetic loci at different levels of genetic correlation and heritability, especially at low heritability levels. The additive effect of GbyE exhibits high significance on certain chromosomes, while the interactive effect detects more significant sites on other chromosomes, which were not detected in the first two parts. In prediction accuracy testing, in most cases of heritability and genetic correlation, the majority of prediction accuracy of GbyE is significantly higher than that of the mean method, regardless of whether the rrBLUP model or BGLR model is used for statistics. The GbyE algorithm improves the prediction accuracy of the three Bayesian models BRR, BayesA, and BayesLASSO using information from genetic by environmental interaction (G × E) and increases the prediction accuracy by 9.4%, 9.1%, and 11%, respectively, relative to the Mean value method. The GbyE algorithm is significantly superior to the mean method in the absence of a single environment, regardless of the combination of heritability and genetic correlation, especially in the case of high genetic correlation and heritability.

Conclusions

Therefore, this study constructed a new genotype design model program (GbyE) for GWAS and GS using Kronecker product. which was able to clearly estimate the additive and interactive effects separately. The results showed that GbyE can provide higher statistical power for the GWAS and more prediction accuracy of the GS models. In addition, GbyE gives varying degrees of improvement of prediction accuracy in three Bayesian models (BRR, BayesA, and BayesCpi). Whatever the phenotype were missed in the single environment or multiple environments, the GbyE also makes better prediction for inference population set. This study helps us understand the interactive relationship between genomic and environment in the complex traits. The GbyE source code is available at the GitHub website (https://github.com/liu-xinrui/GbyE).
Genetic potential and inheritance pattern of agronomic traits in faba bean under free and infested Orobanche soil conditions
Authors: Soliman Alaa A. , Ibrahim Mohamed A. , Mousa Manar I. , Mansour Elsayed , He Yuhua , Yu Haitian
Published: April 2024

Background

Orobanche is an obligate parasite on faba bean in the Mediterranean region, causes considerable yield losses. Breeding tolerant faba bean genotypes to Orobanche is pivotal to sustain production and ensuring global food security, particularly considering the challenges posed by population growth. In the present study, seven faba bean lines and four testers were used in a line×tester mating design during 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons. The eleven parents and their 28 F1 crosses were evaluated under Orobanche free and naturally infested soils.

Results

The results demonstrated considerable variations among the evaluated genotypes, wide diversity among the parental materials, and heterotic effects for all studied agronomic traits under Orobanche-free and infested soils. Orbanche infestation displayed a significant adverse impact on all the studied agronomic traits. The genotypes Line1, Line2, Line3, and Line5 displayed superior performance under Orobanche-infested conditions and recorded the highest values of all studied agronomic traits. Additionally, Line1, Line2, Line3, Line5, and Line7 exhibited desirable significant GCA for most evaluated traits under the two infestation conditions. The obtained crosses displayed significant negative or positive heterosis for studied agronomic characters such as plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, and seed weight per plant were observed. Furthermore, specific cross combinations such as Line2×Sakha3, Line3×Nubaria5, Line7 × Nubaria5, Line6×Nubaria1, Line5×Sakha3, Line1×Sakha3, and Line1 × Nubaria5 exhibited superior performance in seed yield and contributing traits under Orobanche-infested conditions. Moreover, these specific crosses showed superior efficacy in reducing dry weight of Orobanche spikes. The results obtained from GGE biplot analysis closely aligned with those from the line×tester procedure, affirming the significance of GGE biplot as a valuable statistical tool for assessing genotype combining ability in line× tester data. Both additive and non-additive gene actions were reported to be predominantly involved in the inheritance of the studied agronomic traits in faba bean.

Conclusions

The detected genetic diversity within the evaluated faba bean genotypes and their developed crosses exhibits substantial potential for improving faba bean productivity under Orobanche-infested conditions. The parental genotypes, Line1, Line2, Line3, Line5, and Line7, were identified as effective and promising combiners. Moreover, the developed crosses Line2×Sakha3, Line3×Nubaria5, Line7×Nubaria5, Line6×Nubaria1, Line5×Sakha3, Line1×Sakha3, and Line1×Nubaria5 could be considered valuable candidates for developing high-yielding and tolerant faba bean genotypes to Orobanche.
Role of family medicine physicians in providing nutrition support to older patients admitted to orthopedics departments: a grounded theory approach
Authors: Ohta Ryuichi , Nitta Tachiko , Shimizu Akiko , Sano Chiaki
Published: April 2024

Background

Care of older adults requires comprehensive management and control of systemic diseases, which can be effectively managed by family physicians. Complicated medical conditions in older patients admitted to orthopedic departments (orthopedic patients) necessitate interprofessional collaboration. Nutrition is one of the essential components of management involved in improving the systemic condition of older patients. Nutrition support teams play an important role in nutrition management and can be supported by family physicians. However, the role of family physicians in nutrition support teams is not well documented. This study aimed to investigate the role of family physicians in supporting nutrition management in orthopedic patients.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted between January and June 2023 using constructivist grounded theory methodology. Eight family medicine physicians, three orthopedic surgeons, two nurses, two pharmacists, four rehabilitation therapists, four nutritionists, and one laboratory technician working in Japanese rural hospitals participated in the research. Data collection was performed through ethnography and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was performed iteratively during the study.

Results

Using a grounded theory approach, four theories were developed regarding family physicians’ role in providing nutrition support to orthopedic patients: hierarchical and relational limitation, delay of onset and detection of the need for geriatric care in orthopedic patients, providing effective family medicine in hospitals, and comprehensive management through the nutrition support team.

Conclusions

The inclusion of family physicians in nutrition support teams can help with early detection of the rapid deterioration of orthopedic patients’ conditions, and comprehensive management can be provided by nutrition support teams. In rural primary care settings, family physicians play a vital role in providing geriatric care in community hospitals in collaboration with specialists. Family medicine in hospitals should be investigated in other settings for better geriatric care and to drive mutual learning among healthcare professionals.
Deep learning model for pleural effusion detection via active learning and pseudo-labeling: a multisite study
Authors: Chang Joseph , Lin Bo-Ru , Wang Ti-Hao , Chen Chung-Ming
Published: April 2024

Background

The study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning-based Computer Aided Triage (CADt) algorithm for detecting pleural effusion in chest radiographs using an active learning (AL) framework. This is aimed at addressing the critical need for a clinical grade algorithm that can timely diagnose pleural effusion, which affects approximately 1.5 million people annually in the United States.

Methods

In this multisite study, 10,599 chest radiographs from 2006 to 2018 were retrospectively collected from an institution in Taiwan to train the deep learning algorithm. The AL framework utilized significantly reduced the need for expert annotations. For external validation, the algorithm was tested on a multisite dataset of 600 chest radiographs from 22 clinical sites in the United States and Taiwan, which were annotated by three U.S. board-certified radiologists.

Results

The CADt algorithm demonstrated high effectiveness in identifying pleural effusion, achieving a sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI: [0.92, 0.97]) and a specificity of 0.97 (95% CI: [0.95, 0.99]). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.97 (95% DeLong’s CI: [0.95, 0.99]). Subgroup analyses showed that the algorithm maintained robust performance across various demographics and clinical settings.

Conclusion

This study presents a novel approach in developing clinical grade CADt solutions for the diagnosis of pleural effusion. The AL-based CADt algorithm not only achieved high accuracy in detecting pleural effusion but also significantly reduced the workload required for clinical experts in annotating medical data. This method enhances the feasibility of employing advanced technological solutions for prompt and accurate diagnosis in medical settings.
Application of a specific clinical pathway can affect the choice of trial of labor in patients with a history of cesarean delivery
Authors: Psenkova Petra , Tedla Miroslav , Minarcinova Lenka , Zahumensky Jozef
Published: April 2024

Background

Mode of delivery in women with previous history of cesarean delivery (CD) is highly modifiable by the practices of the delivery unit. Vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC) delivery is a safe and preferred alternative in most cases. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of adopting a complex set of measures aimed at the mode of delivery in this group.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study comparing two birth cohorts before and after the implementation of a series of quality improvement (QI) interventions. The study cohorts comprised women with a history of cesarean delivery who gave birth in the period before (January 2013 – December 2015) and after (January 2018 – December 2020) the adoption of the QI measures. The measures were focused on singleton term cephalic pregnancies with a low transverse incision in the uterus. Measures included approval of all planned CDs by a senior obstetrician, re-training staff on the use of the FIGO classification for intrapartum fetal cardiotocogram, establishing VBAC management guidelines, encouraging epidural analgesia during trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC), establishing a labor ward team and introducing a monthly maternity audit.

Results

Term singleton cephalic pregnancies with previous history of CD accounted for 12.55% of all births in the pre-intervention period and 12.01% in the post-intervention period. The frequency of cesarean deliveries decreased from 89.94% in the pre-intervention period to 64.47% in the post-intervention period (p < 0.0001). We observed a significant increase in TOLAC from 13.18 to 42.12% (p<0.0001) and also an increase in successful VBAC from 76.27 to 84.35% (p < 0.0001). All changes occurred without statistically significant change in overall perinatal mortality.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the feasibility to safely increase trial of labor and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery by implementing a series of quality improvement interventions and clinical pathway changes.
Effect of Day 3 cell number on the live birth rate of vitrified-warmed Day 5 single blastocyst transfer in young women
Authors: Qiu Pingping , Ye Ronghui , Li Ping , Huang Hui , Ding Lu
Published: April 2024

Background

Previous studies have reported inconsistent results regarding blastocyst selection with a high day 3 (D3) cell number and the eventual pregnancy outcomes. Thus, in this study, the relationship between the D3 cell number and clinical outcomes of day 5 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) in vitrified-warmed transfer cycles was investigated.

Methods

Our retrospective study included 1144 day 5 SBT in vitrified-warmed cycles between February 2016 and February 2021. All cycles were the first vitrified-warmed cycles, and the female patients were less than 35 years of age. Based on the D3 cell number, the cycles were divided into four groups, as follows: group A (3–7 cells, n = 130); group B (8–9 cells, n = 621); group C (10–12 cells, n = 328); and group D (13–16 cells, n = 65). The differences in the live birth rate (LBR), clinical pregnancy rate, and miscarriage rate were examined among the four groups.

Results

The LBR and clinical pregnancy rate increased with the D3 cell number (P < 0.01). No significant difference was found in the miscarriage rate among the groups (P = 0.055). After adjusting for confounding factors, the LBR was significantly higher in groups C (odds ratio [OR] = 1.477, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.124–1.941, P = 0.005) and D (OR = 2.000, 95% CI: 1.166–3.429, P = 0.012) than in group B.

Conclusions

A high D3 cell number (> 9 cells) was associated with a high LBR in the vitrified-warmed day 5 SBT cycles of patients < 35 years of age. The cell number of D3 embryos can be an important reference indicator for blastocyst selection. Among blastocysts with the same morphological score, those with > 9 cells on D3 can be preferentially selected for transplantation.
Central venous access device terminologies, complications, and reason for removal in oncology: a scoping review
Authors: Curtis Kerrie , Gough Karla , Krishnasamy Meinir , Tarasenko Elena , Hill Geoff , Keogh Samantha
Published: April 2024

Background

Lack of agreed terminology and definitions in healthcare compromises communication, patient safety, optimal management of adverse events, and research progress. The purpose of this scoping review was to understand the terminologies used to describe central venous access devices (CVADs), associated complications and reasons for premature removal in people undergoing cancer treatment. It also sought to identify the definitional sources for complications and premature removal reasons. The objective was to map language and descriptions used and to explore opportunities for standardisation.

Methods

A systematic search of MedLine, PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL Complete and Embase databases was performed. Eligibility criteria included, but were not limited to, adult patients with cancer, and studies published between 2017 and 2022. Articles were screened and data extracted in Covidence. Data charting included study characteristics and detailed information on CVADs including terminologies and definitional sources for complications and premature removal reasons. Descriptive statistics, tables and bar graphs were used to summarise charted data.

Results

From a total of 2363 potentially eligible studies, 292 were included in the review. Most were observational studies (n = 174/60%). A total of 213 unique descriptors were used to refer to CVADs, with all reasons for premature CVAD removal defined in 84 (44%) of the 193 studies only, and complications defined in 56 (57%) of the 292 studies. Where available, definitions were author-derived and/or from national resources and/or other published studies.

Conclusion

Substantial variation in CVAD terminology and a lack of standard definitions for associated complications and premature removal reasons was identified. This scoping review demonstrates the need to standardise CVAD nomenclature to enhance communication between healthcare professionals as patients undergoing cancer treatment transition between acute and long-term care, to enhance patient safety and rigor of research protocols, and improve the capacity for data sharing.
Non-surgical treatment of stage 4A retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Namvar Ehsan , Attar Alireza
Published: April 2024

Background

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of visual impairment in premature infants, often requiring surgical interventions in advanced stages. This retrospective case series study investigates non-surgical management for Stage 4A ROP, specifically the use of combined laser therapy and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections.

Methods

Ten eyes from five infants with Stage 4A ROP were treated with a combined laser and anti-VEGF approach. Comprehensive follow-up examinations were conducted to evaluate the treatment outcomes.

Results

The study demonstrated successful retinal attachment without complications, showcasing the efficacy and safety of this non-surgical method. A comparison with surgical interventions highlighted the potential benefits in terms of reduced adverse effects.

Discussion

This combined treatment emerges as a promising first-choice option for Stage 4A ROP, offering rapid regression without surgical intervention, particularly in early stages. However, larger randomized clinical trials are necessary to validate these findings and establish definitive guidelines for managing this complex condition.

Conclusion

Combined laser and anti-VEGF therapy proved to be an effective and safe non-surgical approach for Stage 4A ROP, with the potential to reduce the need for surgery, especially in its early presentation. Further research is required to confirm these findings and provide comprehensive recommendations for clinical practice.
Asparagine reduces the risk of schizophrenia: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study of aspartate, asparagine and schizophrenia
Authors: Liu Huang-Hui , Gao Yao , Xu Dan , Du Xin-Zhe , Wei Si-Meng , Hu Jian-Zhen , Xu Yong , Sha Liu
Published: April 2024

Background

Despite ongoing research, the underlying causes of schizophrenia remain unclear. Aspartate and asparagine, essential amino acids, have been linked to schizophrenia in recent studies, but their causal relationship is still unclear. This study used a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to explore the causal relationship between aspartate and asparagine with schizophrenia.

Methods

This study employed summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted on European populations to examine the correlation between aspartate and asparagine with schizophrenia. In order to investigate the causal effects of aspartate and asparagine on schizophrenia, this study conducted a two-sample bidirectional MR analysis using genetic factors as instrumental variables.

Results

No causal relationship was found between aspartate and schizophrenia, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.221 (95%CI: 0.483–3.088, P-value = 0.674). Reverse MR analysis also indicated that no causal effects were found between schizophrenia and aspartate, with an OR of 0.999 (95%CI: 0.987–1.010, P-value = 0.841). There is a negative causal relationship between asparagine and schizophrenia, with an OR of 0.485 (95%CI: 0.262-0.900, P-value = 0.020). Reverse MR analysis indicates that there is no causal effect between schizophrenia and asparagine, with an OR of 1.005(95%CI: 0.999–1.011, P-value = 0.132).

Conclusion

This study suggests that there may be a potential risk reduction for schizophrenia with increased levels of asparagine, while also indicating the absence of a causal link between elevated or diminished levels of asparagine in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. There is no potential causal relationship between aspartate and schizophrenia, whether prospective or reverse MR. However, it is important to note that these associations necessitate additional research for further validation.
Racial/ethnic differences in the associations between trust in the U.S. healthcare system and willingness to test for and vaccinate against COVID-19
Authors: Nanaw Judy , Sherchan Juliana S. , Fernandez Jessica R. , Strassle Paula D. , Powell Wizdom , Forde Allana T.
Published: April 2024

Background

Trust in the healthcare system may impact adherence to recommended healthcare practices, including willingness to test for and vaccinate against COVID-19. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the associations between trust in the U.S. healthcare system and willingness to test for and vaccinate against COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from the REACH-US study, a nationally representative online survey conducted among a diverse sample of U.S. adults from January 26, 2021-March 3, 2021 (N = 5,121). Multivariable logistic regression estimated the associations between trust in the U.S. healthcare system (measured as “Always”, “Most of the time”, “Sometimes/Almost Never”, and “Never”) and willingness to test for COVID-19, and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Racial/ethnic differences in these associations were examined using interaction terms and multigroup analyses.

Results

Always trusting the U.S. healthcare system was highest among Hispanic/Latino Spanish Language Preference (24.9%) and Asian (16.7%) adults and lowest among Multiracial (8.7%) and Black/African American (10.7%) adults. Always trusting the U.S. healthcare system, compared to never, was associated with greater willingness to test for COVID-19 (AOR: 3.20, 95% CI: 2.38–4.30) and greater willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.97–3.65).

Conclusions

Trust in the U.S. healthcare system was associated with greater willingness to test for COVID-19 and receive the COVID-19 vaccine, however, trust in the U.S. healthcare system was lower among most marginalized racial/ethnic groups. Efforts to establish a more equitable healthcare system that increases trust may encourage COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
A methodology for estimating SARS-CoV-2 importation risk by air travel into Canada between July and November 2021
Authors: Milwid Rachael M. , Gabriele-Rivet Vanessa , Ogden Nicholas H. , Turgeon Patricia , Fazil Aamir , London David , de Montigny Simon , Rees Erin E.
Published: April 2024

Background

Estimating rates of disease importation by travellers is a key activity to assess both the risk to a country from an infectious disease emerging elsewhere in the world and the effectiveness of border measures. We describe a model used to estimate the number of travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2 into Canadian airports in 2021, and assess the impact of pre-departure testing requirements on importation risk.

Methods

A mathematical model estimated the number of essential and non-essential air travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2, with the latter requiring a negative pre-departure test result. The number of travellers arriving infected (i.e. imported cases) depended on air travel volumes, SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk in the departure country, prior infection or vaccine acquired immunity, and, for non-essential travellers, screening from pre-departure molecular testing. Importation risk was estimated weekly from July to November 2021 as the number of imported cases and percent positivity (PP; i.e. imported cases normalised by travel volume). The impact of pre-departure testing was assessed by comparing three scenarios: baseline (pre-departure testing of all non-essential travellers; most probable importation risk given the pre-departure testing requirements), counterfactual scenario 1 (no pre-departure testing of fully vaccinated non-essential travellers), and counterfactual scenario 2 (no pre-departure testing of non-essential travellers).

Results

In the baseline scenario, weekly imported cases and PP varied over time, ranging from 145 to 539 cases and 0.15 to 0.28%, respectively. Most cases arrived from the USA, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and France. While modelling suggested that essential travellers had a higher weekly PP (0.37 – 0.65%) than non-essential travellers (0.12 – 0.24%), they contributed fewer weekly cases (62 – 154) than non-essential travellers (84 – 398 per week) given their lower travel volume. Pre-departure testing was estimated to reduce imported cases by one third (counterfactual scenario 1) to one half (counterfactual scenario 2).

Conclusions

The model results highlighted the weekly variation in importation by traveller group (e.g., reason for travel and country of departure) and enabled a framework for measuring the impact of pre-departure testing requirements. Quantifying the contributors of importation risk through mathematical simulation can support the design of appropriate public health policy on border measures.
Association of dietary calcium intake at dinner versus breakfast with cardiovascular disease in U.S. adults: the national health and nutrition examination survey, 2003–2018
Authors: Zhang Ting , Zhuang Sijia , Yu Yue , Fan Zizhuo , Ren Xiyun
Published: April 2024

Background

Currently, it is still largely unknown whether the proportion of calcium intake at breakfast and dinner is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary calcium intake at dinner versus breakfast with CVD in a nationally representative sample of US adults.

Methods

The study population consisted of 36,164 US adults (including 4,040 CVD cases) from the NHANES 2003 to 2018. According to the ratio of dietary calcium intake at dinner and breakfast (Δ = dinner/breakfast), 36,164 participants were divided into five groups. After adjustment for a series of confounder factors, logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between Δ and CVD. Dietary substitution models were used to explore the changes in CVD risk when a 5% dietary calcium intake at dinner was substituted with dietary calcium intake at breakfast.

Results

Compared with participants in the lowest quintile, participants in the highest quintile were more likely to have CVD, with an adjusted OR of CVD of 1.16 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.31). When the total calcium intake remained constant, replacing a 5% dietary calcium intake at dinner with dietary calcium intake at breakfast was associated with a 6% lower risk of CVD.

Conclusions

Compared to the lowest quintile of Δ, participants in the highest quintile of Δ were likely to experience CVD in the general population. It is necessary to scientifically allocate dietary calcium intake at breakfast and dinner.
Asthma medication adherence, control, and psychological symptoms: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Alqarni Abdullah A. , Aldhahir Abdulelah M. , Siraj Rayan A. , Alqahtani Jaber S. , Alghamdi Dana A. , Alghamdi Sarah K. , Alamoudi Abeer A. , Mohtaseb Majduleen A. , Majrshi Mansour , AlGarni Abdulkareem A. , Badr Omaima I. , Alwafi Hassan
Published: April 2024

Background

Nonadherence to therapies and psychological disorders are associated with poor asthma control. This study aims to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, asthma control, and adherence to inhalers and to investigate whether there is an association of anxiety and depressive symptoms with adherence to inhalers and asthma control.

Methods

We measured anxiety and depressive symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in patients with asthma. Asthma Control Test and the 10-Item Test of Adherence to Inhalers Scale were used to assess levels of asthma control adherence to inhalers, respectively. Univariate and multivariate regression models assessed the associations of anxiety and depressive symptoms with adherence to inhalers and asthma control.

Results

A total of 287 patients completed the study, of whom 72% were female. The mean ± SD age and body mass index of our study population were 44 ± 13 years and 29 ± 7.2 kg/m2, respectively. Poor adherence to inhaler use was highly prevalent (49.8%; 95% CI: 43.8 to 55.7). The prevalence of anxiety, depression and poor asthma control was 27.2% (95% CI: 22.1 to 32.7), 20.9% (95% CI: 16.3 to 26.1), and 22.7% (95% CI: 17.9 to 27.9), respectively. We found a negative relationship between asthma control and anxiety, and depressive symptoms (adjusted β: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.36 to -0.14; p < 0.001 and adjusted β: -0.29; 95% CI: -0.40 to -0.18; p < 0.001, respectively). A negative relationship was also observed between adherence to inhalers and anxiety and depressive symptoms (adjusted β: -0.34; 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.22; p < 0.001 and adjusted β: -0.36; 95% CI: − 0.48 to − 0.24; p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

The high prevalence of uncontrolled asthma symptoms and poor adherence to inhalers and their impact on anxiety and depression levels among patients with asthma point to the need for early screening for psychological symptoms and recognition of nonadherence as part of asthma assessment and management plan in primary care in Saudi Arabia to avoid further worsening of asthma symptoms. Further studies are needed to explore the effectiveness of specific psychoeducational interventions and investigate the long-term impact of early psychological symptom detection on asthma outcomes.
Global burden of osteoarthritis in adults aged 30 to 44 years, 1990 to 2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: He Yixiang , Jiang Wenkai , Wang Wenji
Published: April 2024

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common orthopedic disorder, and its incidence has been increasing among young adults in recent years. The purpose of this study is to investigate the global, regional, and national trends in OA burden and variation among individuals aged 30 to 44 from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

Data on the incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) related to OA were sourced from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 among individuals aged 30 to 44. These measures were stratified by gender, region, country, and socio-demographic index (SDI). Additionally, we analyzed YLDs attributable to risk factors.

Results

In 2019, there were a total of 32,971,701 cases of OA among individuals aged 30 to 44 years worldwide, with an additional 7,794,008 new incident cases reported. OA of the knee was the primary contributor to both incidence and prevalence rates over the past three decades. From 1990 to 2019, both males and females in countries with high SDI and high-middle SDI showed upward trends in age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and YLDs rates. In 2019, the United States of America had the highest age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and YLDs rates. Elevated body-mass index (BMI) was found to be the most prevalent risk factor for osteoarthritis-related YLDs. Age-standardized YLDs rates were positively associated with SDI.

Conclusions

OA remains a significant disease burden on individuals aged 30 to 44, with modifiable risk factors such as unhealthy lifestyle and obesity representing key targets for future interventions aimed at reducing the impact of this condition on younger generations.
Exploring the use of ChatGPT to analyze student course evaluation comments
Authors: A. Fuller Kathryn , Morbitzer Kathryn A. , Zeeman Jacqueline M. , M. Persky Adam , C. Savage Amanda , McLaughlin Jacqueline E.
Published: April 2024

Background

Since the release of ChatGPT, numerous positive applications for this artificial intelligence (AI) tool in higher education have emerged. Faculty can reduce workload by implementing the use of AI. While course evaluations are a common tool used across higher education, the process of identifying useful information from multiple open-ended comments is often time consuming. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of ChatGPT in analyzing course evaluation comments, including the time required to generate themes and the level of agreement between instructor-identified and AI-identified themes.

Methods

Course instructors independently analyzed open-ended student course evaluation comments. Five prompts were provided to guide the coding process. Instructors were asked to note the time required to complete the analysis, the general process they used, and how they felt during their analysis. Student comments were also analyzed through two independent Open-AI ChatGPT user accounts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the themes generated by instructors and ChatGPT. Percent agreement between the instructor and ChatGPT themes were calculated for each prompt, along with an overall agreement statistic between the instructor and two ChatGPT themes.

Results

There was high agreement between the instructor and ChatGPT results. The highest agreement was for course-related topics (range 0.71-0.82) and lowest agreement was for weaknesses of the course (range 0.53-0.81). For all prompts except themes related to student experience, the two ChatGPT accounts demonstrated higher agreement with one another than with the instructors. On average, instructors took 27.50 ± 15.00 min to analyze their data (range 20–50). The ChatGPT users took 10.50 ± 1.00 min (range 10–12) and 12.50 ± 2.89 min (range 10–15) to analyze the data. In relation to reviewing and analyzing their own open-ended course evaluations, instructors reported feeling anxiety prior to the process, satisfaction during the process, and frustration related to findings.

Conclusions

This study offers valuable insights into the potential of ChatGPT as a tool for analyzing open-ended student course evaluation comments in health professions education. However, it is crucial to ensure ChatGPT is used as a tool to assist with the analysis and to avoid relying solely on its outputs for conclusions.
Autonomous fetal morphology scan: deep learning + clustering merger – the second pair of eyes behind the doctor
Authors: Belciug Smaranda
Published: April 2024

The main cause of fetal death, of infant morbidity or mortality during childhood years is attributed to congenital anomalies. They can be detected through a fetal morphology scan. An experienced sonographer (with more than 2000 performed scans) has the detection rate of congenital anomalies around 52%. The rates go down in the case of a junior sonographer, that has the detection rate of 32.5%. One viable solution to improve these performances is to use Artificial Intelligence. The first step in a fetal morphology scan is represented by the differentiation process between the view planes of the fetus, followed by a segmentation of the internal organs in each view plane. This study presents an Artificial Intelligence empowered decision support system that can label anatomical organs using a merger between deep learning and clustering techniques, followed by an organ segmentation with YOLO8. Our framework was tested on a fetal morphology image dataset that regards the fetal abdomen. The experimental results show that the system can correctly label the view plane and the corresponding organs on real-time ultrasound movies.

Trial registration

The study is registered under the name “Pattern recognition and Anomaly Detection in fetal morphology using Deep Learning and Statistical Learning (PARADISE)”, project number 101PCE/2022, project code PN-III-P4-PCE-2021–0057. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, unique identifying number NCT05738954, date of registration 02.11.2023.
Patient perceived quality of cirrhosis care– adjunctive nurse-based care versus standard medical care: a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled study
Authors: Hjorth Maria , Svanberg Anncarin , LoMartire Riccardo , Kaminsky Elenor , Rorsman Fredrik
Published: April 2024

Background

Cirrhosis treatment implies prevention and alleviation of serious disease events. Healthcare providers may, however, fail to meet patients’ expectations of collaboration and specific needs of information and support. Individualised nursing care could meet patients’ needs. The aim was thus to measure patient-perceived quality of care after adjunctive registered nurse-based intervention Quality Liver Nursing Care Model (QLiNCaM) compared with standard medical care.

Methods

This pragmatic multicentre study consecutively randomised patients to either adjunctive registered nurse-based care, or standard medical care for 24 months (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02957253). Patients were allocated to either group at an equal ratio, at six Swedish outpatient clinics during 2016–2022. Using the questionnaire ‘Quality of care from the patient’s perspective’, patients rated their perceived lack of quality for the adjunctive registered nurse-based intervention compared with the control group at 12 and 24 months, respectively.

Results

In total, 167 patients were recruited. Seven out of 22 items in the questionnaire supported the finding that ‘lacking quality’ decreased with adjunctive registered nurse-based care (p < 0.05) at 12 months follow-up; however, these differences could not be established at 24 months.

Conclusion

Additional structured registered nurse-based visits in the cirrhosis outpatient team provided support for improved patient-perceived quality of care during the first 12 months. Registered nurses increase patient involvement and present easy access to cirrhosis outpatient care. Patients express appreciation for personalised information. This study reinforces registered nurses’ role in the outpatient cirrhosis team, optimising patient care in compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.

Trial registration

Registered at Clinical Trials 18th of October 2016, [https://www.clinicaltrials.gov], registration number: NCT02957253.