bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family planning interventions in Jordan: A scoping review
Authors: AlHamawi Rana , Khader Yousef , Al Nsour Mohannad , AlQutob Raeda , Badran Eman
Published: April 2023

Background:

Despite all efforts in Jordan to increase the demand and use of family planning services, many challenges have likely influenced fertility and contraceptive use outcomes. Improving accessibility and availability of family planning services and interventions to married women and their spouse is essential to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Objectives:

This study reviewed the gray and peer-reviewed literature published between January 2010 and June 2022 that described family planning interventions implemented in Jordan and highlighted the gaps identified in the literature.

Eligibility criteria:

For inclusion, primary studies that included information regarding family planning interventions implemented in Jordan were retained.

Sources of evidence:

PubMed database was searched between 2010 till June 2022, as well as bibliographies of the retrieved literature were screened for the relevant literature.

Charting methods:

Information extracted from the interventions included author, publication year, study design and purpose, intervention name, aim of the intervention, population descriptor and sample size of the intervention, and impact of the intervention.

Results:

A total of 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The studies described/assessed 10 different interventions including communication interventions, child preparation programs, evidence-based educational program, counseling interventions, pharmacist booklet on effective use of oral contraceptive pills and Village Health Center project. Five family planning interventions targeted women and five targeted health care providers. Three interventions targeted men, two targeted religious leaders, and two targeted community health committees. Many of the interventions suffered from a lack of a robust methodological framework.

Conclusion:

This scoping review showed that there is scarce information on the implementation of High Impact Practices in Family Planning in Jordan. The review identified a lack of robust evidence on the impact and effectiveness of family planning interventions on the access to and use of family planning services and methods. There is a need for developing, implementing, and evaluating family planning interventions that elicit a positive environment and encourage the use of family planning services.
A novel, simple, and facile synthesis of 3-(3-benzyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione derivatives
Authors: Nassiri Mahmoud
Published: April 2023

Novel 3-(3-benzyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[ d]thiazol-2-yl)benzo[ d]oxazole-2(3 H)-thione derivatives are efficiently synthesized in excellent yields by reactions of benzothiazoles, benzyl bromides, and 2-mercaptobenzoxazole in acetone under catalyst-free conditions in the presence of triethylamine. The structures of the products are confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, electron ionization mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses.
Financial Literacy Confidence and Gambling Intensity among Informal Labor
Authors: Amonhaemanon Dalina
Published: April 2023

This paper aimed to investigate whether financial literacy (knowledge and confidence) affects the level of gambling intensity among informal laborers in southern Thailand. Multistage sampling was applied, and a semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview the subjects face-to-face. There were in total 995 questionnaires used in the analysis that applied logistic regression. The results reveal that there was an inconsistency between what the subjects actually know and what they think they know. Their actual financial literacy was poor, while their financial literacy confidence was high. Females had higher financial literacy confidence than males. In addition, it was found that the higher the financial literacy confidence, the higher the gambling intensity. If the subject possessed good financial literacy, the gambling intensity was not increased. Thus, providing financial education could be one approach to reducing gambling intensity. Besides financial education, training with the purpose to achieve a healthy dose of financial literacy confidence is also no less crucial.

JEL: G53; G59; G40
Preoperative Opioid Use Predicts Poorer Outcomes of Total Ankle Arthroplasty and Hindfoot Fusions
Authors: Newton William , Hoch Caroline , Chen Caroline , Scott Daniel J. , Gross Christopher E.
Published: April 2023

Background

This study aimed to determine the impact of preoperative opioid use on outcomes of patients undergoing ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis, or total ankle arthroplasty (TAA).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of 190 patients undergoing an ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis (n=122) or TAA (n=68) between December 2015 and September 2020 with a single fellowship-trained orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at an academic medical center. Data collected included demographics, medical comorbidities, treatment history, complications and reoperation rates, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (eg, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score [FAOS]), and opioid use.

Results

Patients with preoperative opioid use were more likely to continue usage at 90 (r = 0.931, P < .001) and 180 (r = 0.940, P < .001) days postoperatively. For the entire cohort, complication and reoperation rates were 48.9% and 13.2%, respectively. While preoperative opioid use groups did not differ in the overall complication rate, users had significantly more infections (user = 12.5%, nonuser = 3.3%; P = .036) and reoperations (user = 22.5%, nonuser = 10.7%; P = .049). When analyzing postoperative opioid prescriptions, there were many significant correlations with preoperative PROMs, mainly FAOS, such that increased postoperative opioid use was associated with worse subjective outcomes.

Conclusion

Preoperative opioid users are more likely to continue postoperative opioid use, experience infections, and undergo reoperations.

Level of Evidence:

Level III: Retrospective cohort study
Lifetime risk, life expectancy, loss-of-life expectancy, and lifetime healthcare expenditures for psoriasis in Taiwan: a nationwide cohort followed from 2000 to 2017
Authors: Chiu Hsien-Yi , Lan Joung-Liang , Chiu Ying-Ming
Published: April 2023

Background:

Patients with psoriasis have a significant disease burden throughout the life course. Nevertheless, the lifetime risk and disease burden of psoriasis across the entire lifespan is rarely quantified in an easily understandable way.

Objective:

To estimate the cumulative incidence rate, life expectancy, loss-of-life expectancy, and lifetime healthcare expenditures for incident psoriasis.

Design and methods:

Using real-world nationwide data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for 2000–2017, along with the life tables of vital statistics, we estimated cumulative incidence rate, life expectancy, loss-of-life expectancy, and lifetime healthcare expenditures for those with psoriasis using a semi-parametric survival extrapolation method.

Results:

A total of 217,924 new psoriasis cases were identified. The lifetime risk of psoriasis in patients aged 18–80 for both sexes decreased in Taiwan with a cumulative incidence rate of 7.93% in 2000 to 3.25% in 2017. The mean (±standard error) life expectancy after diagnosis was 27.11 (± 1.15) and 27.14 (±1.17) years for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, respectively. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis had a mean (±standard error) loss-of-life expectancy of 6.41 (±1.16) and 6.48 (±1.17) due to psoriasis, respectively. Male patients have higher lifetime and annual lifetime healthcare expenditures than female. Mean life expectancy, loss-of-life expectancy, and lifetime cost were relatively higher for younger patients.

Conclusion:

Among psoriatic patients, patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis had substantial years of life lost, particularly for younger patients. Our results provide a reliable estimation of lifetime disease burden, and these estimates will help health authorities in cost-effectiveness assessments of public health interventions and allocation of services resources to minimize loss-of-life expectancy, and lifetime healthcare expenditures in patients with psoriasis.
The Discursive Construction of Populist and Misogynist Nationalism: Digital Vigilantism Against Unpatriotic Intellectual Women in China
Authors: Huang Qian
Published: April 2023

The phenomenon of nationalist digital vigilantism targeting Chinese intellectual women is rising in China. To illustrate how national identities and social exclusion are discursively constructed, as well as the potential vulnerabilities experienced by Chinese female intellectuals, four high-profile cases that took place between 2017 and 2021 are chosen. Critical discourse analysis is conducted on collected Sina Weibo comments, WeChat public account articles, and news articles published by state-run media. The research identifies three main discourses: the ungrateful traitor, the corrupt elite, and the ugly slut. These discursive interactions demonstrate the fluidity of both discursive and operational conditions in nationalist digital vigilantism, which amplifies the targets’ vulnerability. This research contributes to the study of misogynist populist nationalism by providing an empirical analysis in an under-studied social context—China, and to the study of Chinese populist nationalism by foregrounding an under-studied perspective—misogyny.
The Benefits of Social Media Comments to L2 Listening Comprehension
Authors: Aldukhayel Dukhayel
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a rich repertoire of meaningful, relevant comments posted on social media sites can facilitate or increase L2 listeners’ comprehension of videos. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design with an experimental group ( n = 29) that watched two YouTube videos and read comments, as well as a control group ( n = 31) that watched the same videos without comments. After watching each video, students in both groups wrote summaries of the video content, and only the experimental students responded to brief questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the video’s comments. T-tests revealed that summaries written by the experimental group had significantly more, and also more informed and accurate, unit ideas. Results of the questionnaires revealed that there is a generally positive attitude toward comments as an L2 listening help option. These findings suggest that social media comments may be a useful tool to assist or enrich listening comprehension of videos. Pedagogically, when social media videos are selected for teaching or learning L2 listening, the richness, relevance, and meaningfulness of comments should be among the video’s selection criteria.
Servitization and Performance in Manufacturing Firms: The Mediating Role of Radicalness
Authors: Nguyen Gia Ninh
Published: April 2023

Drawing on the knowledge-based view and insights from a literature review, the author built up a conceptual framework aiming at investigating the complex relationships between three learning processes and servitization and, more importantly, the interplay between servitization, radicalness, and firm performance. This conceptual framework was tested using data gathered from senior managers of manufacturing firms in Vietnam. PLS-SEM was utilized to analyze the measurement and structural models. The results illustrate that exploitative learning has a positive impact on servitization. Additionally, servitization was found to influence firm performance through radicalness. To that end, manufacturing firms are encouraged to develop an acceptable level of exploratory learning and a significant level of exploitative learning to facilitate servitization. Particularly, servitization was found to be a promising strategy for manufacturing firms in developing countries and could help these manufacturing firms obtain substantial benefits. Given that manufacturing firms in developing countries normally lack critical resources and capabilities, servitization has an even more critical role to play in bringing about a competitive advantage. Managers in manufacturing firms should also offer a variety of integrated services because these services could bring firms novel ideas for innovations that can result in considerable competitive advantage.
Scale Development Procedures in the Context of Online Consumers: Key Recommendations
Authors: Dastane Omkar , Goi Chai Lee
Published: April 2023

Scales are developed with rigorous theoretical and statistical procedures, and they play a paramount role in the predictions of the outcome of constructs. However, it was found in the extant literature that the development of several scales was done without adherence to standard practices. This article aims to critically review the procedures used for the scales developed in the context of online consumers, highlight limitations, discuss their implications, and recommend the best practices for future research. Scale development studies published in journals indexed in reputed international databases were selected for meta-synthesis. The present study analysis was divided according to the primary stages of the scale development process namely development, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Common issues, such as unsuitable qualitative analysis methods, improper sampling technique, sample size, sample composition, and non-adherence to the reporting standards were recorded. At the end of this study, 15 recommendations were formulated, which would help strengthen the future scale development process in the context of online consumers.
Market-based Financing Through Municipal Bond in India: Investor’s Checklist Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
Authors: Gaur Pali , Singh Anurag Bhadur
Published: April 2023

This paper aims to analyze the investor’s perspective toward municipal bonds and to inspect the success potential of municipal bonds in India from 2010 to 2020. The research’s conceptual model is drawn using PLS-SEM for the factors impacting investor decisions toward investment in bonds issued by urban local bodies in India. Results show that “credit rating,” “yields,” “tax benefit,” and “financial soundness” significantly affect the choice of investment in municipal bonds by retail investors. However, “transparency,” “liquidity,” and “investor awareness” are not found to be significant. Bond issuers can use the model to recognize the factors impacting investors’ prioritization for investments in municipal bonds, which can also help them target a bigger investor base. The study relies on subjective data provided by retail investors and may not be the clear-cut performance indicators. The limitation of the time frame for the study over 10 years will restrict the results specifically for that period. The importance of retail investors in developing countries’ municipal bond markets has been overlooked. The study’s key contribution will be to assist and empower new retail investors to have confidence in participating in this fixed-income financial instrument.
An Unusual Case of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Healthy Teenager
Authors: Ugonabo Onyinye , Pulipati Yochita , Elghezewi Adnan , Miller Virginia , Logan Lawrence , Pramod Pantangi
Published: April 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver malignancy known to occur majorly in patients with liver cirrhosis or those with a harbinger of risk factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alcoholic liver disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The incidence of HCC has risen in the past 2 decades and currently ranks as the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Most cases are seen in adulthood, and only a very small percentage have been reported in adolescents with risk factors. The 2 pathologic subtypes of pediatric HCC are classic and fibrolamellar. Here, we discussed a very interesting rare case of a healthy male teenager with no apparent liver disease or risk factor who presented with right-upper-quadrant pain, normal alpha-fetoprotein level, and abdominal ultrasound showing a large hepatic mass. A liver biopsy was positive for HCC with fluorescent in situ hybridization showing a PRKACA complex gene pattern, favoring the fibrolamellar type.
Hybrid quantitative mesoscale analyses for simulating pedestrians’ visual perceptions: Comparison of three New York City streets
Authors: Yosifof Roei , Fisher-Gewirtzman Dafna
Published: April 2023

To improve pedestrians’ wellbeing and walkability in urban environments, designs must address a range of factors. To enhance such designs, spatial assessments of urban attributes are important, as they may contribute to our understanding of the impact of the urban setting on peoples’ perceptions when traversing these areas. This research proposes a novel hybrid tool for conducting mesoscale analyses that enables the capturing of parameters that influence pedestrians’ visual perceptions, and in turn, generates opportunities for examining specific urban attributes. Such analysis is based on empirical, data-driven methodologies, bridging the gap between microscale and macroscale evaluations. A comparative analysis of three walkable New York City case studies is conducted to demonstrate the hybrid analysis tool, that is comprised of three models: dynamic visibility analysis for predicting perceived density (DVA-D); dynamic visibility analysis for predicting potential interactions with the defining street facades (DVA-I); and dynamic enclosure street section analysis (DESSA). Combined, these models simulate the pedestrians’ perceptions of the urban scape. While all three environments are similarly ranked in Walk Score®, they inherently differ in their perceived density, potential interactions, and enclosure. The hybrid assessment highlights the physical urban attributes of each case study with regards to pedestrians’ visual perception. The readability and visibility of this analysis results may provide architects, urban planners, and stakeholders with a valuable tool for urban decision-making.
An open-source program for spatial decomposition of bus transit networks
Authors: Caros Nicholas S , Stewart Anson F , Attanucci John
Published: April 2023

Comparing transit operations and performance over time is often challenging due to changes in route identifiers and service patterns. It is particularly difficult if the analysis period spans a major network design change where bus routes are realigned and renamed. This paper presents a new open-source software package that simplifies longitudinal transit performance analysis by decomposing a bus network into block-length segments that remain stable over time. The package then matches transit networks across time periods using segment geometry rather than potentially unstable route or stop identifiers. This package provides an efficient method for transit planners, advocacy groups, policy makers and urban scientists to analyze changes in transit performance over time without any prior knowledge of network design changes.
‘Intensive palliative care’: a qualitative study of issues related to nurses’ care of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at end-of-life
Authors: Daneau Stéphanie , Bourbonnais Anne , Allard Émilie , Asri Myriam , Ummel Deborah , Bolduc Elliot
Published: April 2023

Background:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is currently an incurable and fatal disease, which often comes with a high symptom burden at the end-of-life stage. Little is known about nurses’ experiences in this context.

Objective:

To explore the experience of nurses caring for people with ALS at end-of-life.

Design:

A qualitative multiple-case study design.

Method:

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between February and August 2022 with nurses from Quebec, Canada, who had provided care to at least one person living with ALS at the end-of-life in the past 12 months. The content analysis method was used for data analysis and within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted, as well as comparative analyses according to the type of position held by the participants that determined the cases: (1) home care, (2) hospital and (3) palliative care home.

Results:

Participating in the study were 24 nurses: 9 were from home care, 8 from hospitals and 7 from palliative care homes. Five main themes were identified: (1) identifying the end-of-life period, (2) communication issues, (3) supporting the need for control, (4) accompanying in the fight culture and (5) the extent of the need for care. A sixth theme was also added in order to report the need expressed by nurses to improve their care of patients living with ALS at end-of-life.

Conclusions:

Although nurses’ experiences varied among the different settings, the study identifies the pressing need for better education and, above all, more resources when caring for a person living with ALS at end-of-life. Future research should explore the experiences of other members of the healthcare team and test interventions designed to improve the quality of life and end-of-life of people living with ALS.
Impact of chronic comorbidities on hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and death among adult vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 confirmed cases during the Omicron wave
Authors: Simard Marc , Boiteau Véronique , Fortin Élise , Jean Sonia , Rochette Louis , Trépanier Pierre-Luc , Gilca Rodica
Published: April 2023

Background

Comorbidities are important risk factors of severe COVID-19 complications. Their impact during the Omicron wave among vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 cases is not well documented.

Purpose

The objective of this study was to estimate the association between the number of comorbidities and the risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death among vaccinated and unvaccinated confirmed adult COVID-19 cases during the Omicron wave.

Research Design and Study sample

We performed a cohort study of COVID-19 adult cases of primo-infection occurring during the Omicron wave, from December 5, 2021 to January 9, 2022 using surveillance database of the province of Québec, Canada. The database included all laboratory-confirmed cases in the province and the related information on 21 pre-existing comorbidities, hospitalization, ICU admission, death related to COVID-19 and vaccination status.

Analysis

We performed a robust Poisson regression model to estimate the impact of the number of comorbidities on each complication by vaccination status adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and living environment.

Results

We observed that the risk of complication increased for each additional comorbidity in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and that this risk was systematically higher among unvaccinated individuals. Compared with vaccinated individuals without comorbidities (reference group), the risks of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death were respectively: 9X (95% CI [7.77–12.01]), 13X (95% CI [8.74–18.87]), and 12X (95% CI [7.57–18.91]) higher in vaccinated individuals with ≥3 comorbidities; 22X (95% CI [19.07–25.95]), 45X (95% CI [29.06-69.67]) and 38X (95% CI [23.62-61.14]) higher in unvaccinated individuals with ≥3 comorbidities.

Conclusion

Our results support the importance of promoting vaccination in all individuals, and especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, to reduce severe complications, even during the Omicron wave.
Possibility space: The role of social sciences in understanding, mapping and shaping the future
Authors: Mulgan Geoff
Published: April 2023

Social science no longer does enough to map out the possibilities for the future, at a time when there is a serious need for more options. There are many reasons for this including the structure of incentives within universities, and the impact of an otherwise healthy focus on evidence and data. This piece describes both how social sciences can better understand the future and their role in helping to shape options, including methods for creativity, and the relationship between broad goals and experimental methods to find pathways. It addresses the problems of ‘materiality bias’, a bias towards exaggerating the influence of material over non-material factors and concludes with a discussion of how to think about future consciousness.
Evaluation of Bacillus aryabhattai B8W22 peroxidase for phenol removal in waste water effluents
Authors: Elmetwalli Alaa , Allam Nanis G. , Hassan Mervat G. , Albalawi Aisha Nawaf , Shalaby Azza , El-Said Karim Samy , Salama Afrah Fatthi
Published: April 2023

Environmental contamination by phenol has been reported in both aquatic and atmospheric environments. This study aimed to separate and purify the peroxidase enzyme from bacteria that degrade phenol from wastewater sources. An enrichment culture of MSM was used to screen 25 bacterial isolates from different water samples for peroxidase production, six of the isolates exhibited high levels of peroxidase enzyme activity. Qualitative analysis of peroxidase revealed that isolate No. 4 had the highest halo zones (Poly-R478: 14.79 ± 0.78 mm, Azure B: 8.81 ± 0.61 mm). The promising isolate was identified as Bacillus aryabhattai B8W22 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing with accession number OP458197. As carbon and nitrogen sources, mannitol and sodium nitrate were utilized to achieve maximum peroxidase production. A 30-h incubation period was used with pH 6.0, 30 °C, mannitol, and sodium nitrate, respectively, for maximal production of peroxidase. Purified peroxidase enzyme showed 0.012 U/mg specific activity, and SDS-PAGE analysis indicated a molecular weight of 66 kDa. The purified enzyme exhibits maximum activity and thermal stability at pH values of 4.0 and 8.0, respectively, with maximum activity at 30 °C and complete thermal stability at 40 °C. In the purified enzyme, the Km value was 6.942 mg/ml and the Vmax value was 4.132 mol/ml/hr, respectively. The results demonstrated that Bacillus aryabhattai B8W22 has promising potential for degrading phenols from various phenol-polluted wastewater sources.
The fruit morphometric variation and fruit type evolution of the stone oaks (Fagaceae, Lithocarpus)
Authors: Chen Xi , Qin Yuanyi , Jia Dongrui
Published: April 2023

Background

The great species diversity of Lithocarpus is associated with interspecific fruit morphological variation, represented by acorn (AC) and enclosed receptacle (ER) fruit types. Species representing both fruit types co-occur in the same forests and share two distribution centers in southern China and southeastern Asia. The predation selection hypothesis suggests that the fruit morphological mechanical trade-off between two fruit types could represent divergent dispersal strategies under varied predation pressures. By integrating phylogenetic construction with fruit morphometric study, we tried to verify the predation selection hypothesis and elucidate the fruit type evolution of Lithocarpus, which is critical in interpreting the distribution and diversification of the genus.

Results

We identified the functional trade-off between the two fruit types: ER species have bigger seeds which are enclosed mainly by receptacle representing stronger physical defense; whereas the seeds of AC species are smaller and enclosed mainly by thin pericarp representing lower mechanical protection. Despite some reversals from ER back to AC, the ancestral state reconstruction in combination with thermal analysis supports the hypothesis that ER is the derived fruit type from AC-like ancestors independently across all clades.

Conclusion

Our results support the predation selection hypothesis by verifying the mechanical trade-off between the two fruit types. We propose a divergent selection theory for the two fruit types: the seed size and mechanical defense of AC species become smaller, whereas those of ER species become larger and require more morphological modifications in the receptacle. This signified the importance of the receptacle in differentiating the two fruit types and in the fruit morphological modification through evolutionary time. We found that the ER-type species evolved independently in all clades and across varied climates from tropical to warm temperate regions. As ER fruits are products of convergent evolution, we propose to examine the predation and dispersal variation between two fruit types in the future to verify whether predation selection is the reason behind fruit type evolution of the stone oaks.
A high-quality assembled genome of a representative peach landrace, ‘Feichenghongli’, and analysis of distinct late florescence and narrow leaf traits
Authors: Li Miao , Li Jian , Nie Peixian , Li Guixiang , Liu Wei , Gong Qingtao , Dong Xiaomin , Gao Xiaolan , Chen Wenyu , Zhang Anning
Published: April 2023

Background

Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. Although the reference genome of ‘Lovell’ peach has been released, the diversity of genome-level variations cannot be explored with one genome. To detect these variations, it is necessary to assemble more genomes.

Results

We sequenced and de novo assembled the genome of ‘Feichenghongli’ (FCHL), a representative landrace with strict self-pollination, which maintained the homozygosity of the genome as much as possible. The chromosome-level genome of FCHL was 239.06 Mb in size with a contig N50 of 26.93 Mb and only 4 gaps at the scaffold level. The alignment of the FCHL genome with the reference ‘Lovell’ genome enabled the identification of 432535 SNPs, 101244 insertions and deletions, and 7299 structural variants. Gene family analysis showed that the expanded genes in FCHL were enriched in sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoid biosynthesis. RNA-seq analyses were carried out to investigate the two distinct traits of late florescence and narrow leaves. Two key genes, PpDAM4 and PpAGL31, were identified candidates for the control of flower bud dormancy, and an F-box gene, PpFBX92, was identified as a good candidate gene in the regulation of leaf size.

Conclusions

The assembled high-quality genome could deepen our understanding of variations among diverse genomes and provide valuable information for identifying functional genes and improving the molecular breeding process.
Trichloroethanol, an active metabolite of chloral hydrate, modulates tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channels in rat nociceptive neurons
Authors: Kim Gimin , Kim Hyunjung , Jang Il-Sung
Published: April 2023

Background

Chloral hydrate is a sedative-hypnotic drug widely used for relieving fear and anxiety in pediatric patients. However, mechanisms underlying the chloral hydrate-mediated analgesic action remain unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 2′,2′,2′-trichloroethanol (TCE), the active metabolite of chloral hydrate, on tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) Na+ channels expressed in nociceptive sensory neurons.

Methods

The TTX-R Na+ current (INa) was recorded from acutely isolated rat trigeminal ganglion neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Results

Trichloroethanol decreased the peak amplitude of transient TTX-R INa in a concentration-dependent manner and potently inhibited persistent components of transient TTX-R INa and slow voltage-ramp-induced INa at clinically relevant concentrations. Trichloroethanol exerted multiple effects on various properties of TTX-R Na+ channels; it (1) induced a hyperpolarizing shift on the steady-state fast inactivation relationship, (2) increased use-dependent inhibition, (3) accelerated the onset of inactivation, and (4) retarded the recovery of inactivated TTX-R Na+ channels. Under current-clamp conditions, TCE increased the threshold for the generation of action potentials, as well as decreased the number of action potentials elicited by depolarizing current stimuli.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that chloral hydrate, through its active metabolite TCE, inhibits TTX-R INa and modulates various properties of these channels, resulting in the decreased excitability of nociceptive neurons. These pharmacological characteristics provide novel insights into the analgesic efficacy exerted by chloral hydrate.
A case report of isolated right ventricular noncompaction with mutation of ACVRL1: a new cause of noncompaction of ventricular myocardium?
Authors: Yu Bo , Shi Kun , Wen Yang , Yang Yanfeng
Published: April 2023

Background

Noncompaction of ventricular myocardium(NVM) is a rare kind of cardiomyopathy associated with genetic mutations and nongenetic factors, among which the isolated right ventricular noncompaction (iRVNC) is the most rare type. ACVRL1 is the pathogenic gene of type 2 hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT2), and there’s no NVM reported to be associated with ACVRL1 mutation.

Case presentation

This is a rare case diagnosed as iRVNC and pulmonary hypertention with ACVRL1 mutation detected.

Conclusion

iRVNC in this case may be due to ACVRL1 mutation, secondary to pulmonary hypertention and right ventricular failure caused by ACVRL1 mutation, or they happened in the same case coincidently.
Effects of obesity on short-term mortality in patients with acute heart failure under different nutritional status
Authors: Liu Linlin , Qian Jun , Li Yuanyuan , Ni Ye , Zhao Ya , Che Lin
Published: April 2023

Background

Increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with better survival in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), which is a paradoxical phenomenon. However, it is unclear whether different nutritional status affects this association.

Methods

1325 patients with AHF from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database were retrospectively included. Nutritional status was assessed by serum albumin (SA) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI). Patients were divided into High-SA (≥ 3.5 g/dL) and Low-SA groups (< 3.5 g/dL), and they also were divided into High-PNI (≥ 38) and Low-PNI groups (< 38). Propensity-score matching (PSM) was used to control for the effect of baseline confounding factors, multifactor regression model was adopted to assess the association of nutritional status, BMI, and outcomes in AHF patients.

Results

Of the 1325 patients (mean age 72.4 ± 13.1 years), 52.1% (n = 690) were male, 13.1% (n = 173) died in hospital and 23.5% (n = 311) died within 90 days. Before PSM, after adjusting for potential confounders, in the High-SA population, compared with the under/normal BMI group, overweight and obesity were negatively correlated with 90-day mortality, with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.30–0.74), P = 0.001; HR 0.45, 95%CI (0.28–0.72), P = 0.001, respectively. However, this correlation was much attenuated in the Low-SA group (overweight BMI: HR 1.06, 95%CI 0.75–1.50, P = 0.744; obese BMI: HR 0.86, 95%CI 0.59–1.24, P = 0.413). After PSM, those who were overweight or obese in the High-SA group had a 50–58% reduction in 90-day risk of death, while the protective effect disappeared in the Low-SA group (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.70–1.71; HR 1.02, 95%CI 0.66 − 0.59). Similarly, results were similar in analyses using PNI as a nutritional assessment criterion.

Conclusion

Overweight or Obesity was associated with lower short-term mortality in well-nourished AHF patients, whereas this association was significantly attenuated or even disappeared in malnourished patients. Therefore, further research is needed for weight loss recommendations for malnourished obese patients with AHF.
Functional genomics in stroke: current and future applications of iPSCs and gene editing to dissect the function of risk variants
Authors: Granata Alessandra
Published: April 2023

Stroke is an important disease with unmet clinical need. To uncover novel paths for treatment, it is of critical importance to develop relevant laboratory models that may help to shed light on the pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology has enormous potential to advance our knowledge into stroke by creating novel human models for research and therapeutic testing. iPSCs models generated from patients with specific stroke types and specific genetic predisposition in combination with other state of art technologies including genome editing, multi-omics, 3D system, libraries screening, offer the opportunity to investigate disease-related pathways and identify potential novel therapeutic targets that can then be tested in these models. Thus, iPSCs offer an unprecedented opportunity to make rapid progress in the field of stroke and vascular dementia research leading to clinical translation. This review paper summarizes some of the key areas in which patient-derived iPSCs technology has been applied to disease modelling and discusses the ongoing challenges and the future directions for the application of this technology in the field of stroke research.
Bayesian regularization to predict neuropsychiatric adverse events in smoking cessation with pharmacotherapy
Authors: Truong Van Thi Thanh , Green Charles , Pedroza Claudia , Hwang Lu-Yu , Rajan Suja S. , Suchting Robert , Cinciripini Paul , Tyndale Rachel F. , Lerman Caryn
Published: April 2023

Background

Research on risk factors for neuropsychiatric adverse events (NAEs) in smoking cessation with pharmacotherapy is scarce. We aimed to identify predictors and develop a prediction model for risk of NAEs in smoking cessation with medications using Bayesian regularization.

Methods

Bayesian regularization was implemented by applying two shrinkage priors, Horseshoe and Laplace, to generalized linear mixed models on data from 1203 patients treated with nicotine patch, varenicline or placebo. Two predictor models were considered to separate summary scores and item scores in the psychosocial instruments. The summary score model had 19 predictors or 26 dummy variables and the item score model 51 predictors or 58 dummy variables. A total of 18 models were investigated.

Results

An item score model with Horseshoe prior and 7 degrees of freedom was selected as the final model upon model comparison and assessment. At baseline, smokers reporting more abnormal dreams or nightmares had 16% greater odds of experiencing NAEs during treatment (regularized odds ratio (rOR) = 1.16, 95% credible interval (CrI) = 0.95 – 1.56, posterior probability P(rOR > 1) = 0.90) while those with more severe sleep problems had 9% greater odds (rOR = 1.09, 95% CrI = 0.95 – 1.37, P(rOR > 1) = 0.85). The prouder a person felt one week before baseline resulted in 13% smaller odds of having NAEs (rOR = 0.87, 95% CrI = 0.71 – 1.02, P(rOR < 1) = 0.94). Odds of NAEs were comparable across treatment groups. The final model did not perform well in the test set.

Conclusions

Worse sleep-related symptoms reported at baseline resulted in 85%—90% probability of being more likely to experience NAEs during smoking cessation with pharmacotherapy. Treatment for sleep disturbance should be incorporated in smoking cessation program for smokers with sleep disturbance at baseline. Bayesian regularization with Horseshoe prior permits including more predictors in a regression model when there is a low number of events per variable.
Is shared decision-making a determinant of polypharmacy in older patients with chronic disease? A cross-sectional study in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Zong Qiao , Feng Zhanchun , Wang Jia , Zheng Zehao , Chen Chaoyi , Feng Da
Published: April 2023

Background

Shared decision-making(SDM) is recognized as an important means of managing polypharmacy among older people with chronic diseases. However, no studies have quantitatively measured the effect of SDM on polypharmacy. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of SDM and other factors on polypharmacy in inpatients and community patients. Additionally, the study aimed to compare the impact of different decision types on polypharmacy in community patients.

Methods

This is a population-based multicenter retrospective study conducted in Hubei Province, China. A cluster sampling approach was used to recruit 536 chronic disease inpatients from March to April 2019, and 849 community patients were recruited from April to June 2021. Propensity score weighting was used to control the confounding variables and determine the net effect of SDM on polypharmacy.

Results

Among the 536 hospitalized patients, the prevalence of polypharmacy was 56.3%. A high level of SDM was significantly associated with a lower risk of polypharmacy. Patients with chronic illnesses aged 76 years and older and with an annual family income of 24,001–36,000 yuan were associated with a lower likelihood of polypharmacy (p < 0.05). Multimorbidity was often accompanied by the occurrence of multiple medication use. Among 849 community patients, the prevalence of polypharmacy was 21.8%. Among types of decision-making, informed and paternalistic decision-making showed a higher likelihood of polypharmacy compared with shared decision-making (P < 0.05). Male, older patients over 76 years of age, urban residents, annual household income of 12,001–24,000 yuan, and multimorbidity were associated with higher likelihood of polypharmacy (P < 0.05). Patients with an annual household income of 24,001–36,000 yuan, 36,001 yuan or more, and good medication compliance showed a lower likelihood of polypharmacy (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The prevalence of polypharmacy is high among China's older population with chronic disease who should be paid more atthention by the healthcare providers. Additionaly, encouraging the patients' attendance in SDM, reducing paternalistic and informed decision-making during prescribing, improving patient medication compliance, and increasing the promotion and guidance of rational medication use for patients are essential to reduce polypharmacy in Chinese chronic disease patients.
The association between cognition and gait disturbance in central nervous system demyelinating disorder with mild disability
Authors: Chang Min Cheol , Lee Byung Joo , Yang Dongseok , Kim Chung Reen , Park Donghwi , Kim Sunyoung
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Gait disturbance in central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is one of the most troublesome problems that has a direct impact on the quality of life. However, the associations between gait disturbance and other clinical variables of these two diseases have not been fully elucidated.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate gait disturbance using a computerized gait analysis system and its association with various clinical variables in patients with MS and NMO.

Methods

A total of 33 patients (14 with MS and 19 with NMO) with minor disabilities, who were able to walk independently and had passed their acute phase, were enrolled in the study. Gait analysis were performed using a computer-based instrumented walkway system. (Walk-way MG-1000, Anima, Japan) Clinical variables, such as disease duration, medication, body mass index (BMI), hand grip power, and muscle mass were recorded. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), Beck Depression Inventory score-II (BDI), and fatigue scale were measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-fatigue scale (FACIT-fatigue) scale. A trained neurologist scored the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Results

Gait speed was the single parameter that showed a significant positive correlation with MOCA (p < 0.001). The stance phase time was the single parameter that showed a significant negative correlation with EDSS (p < 0.001). Hand grip strength showed a significant positive correlation with skeletal muscle mass as assessed by bioimpedance analysis (p < 0.05). The FACIT-fatigue scale score showed a significant negative correlation with the BDI (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In our patients with MS/NMO with mild disability, cognitive impairment was significantly correlated with gait speed, and the degree of disability was significantly correlated with stance phase time. Our findings may imply that early detection of a decrease in gait speed and an increase in stance phase time can predict the progression of cognitive impairment in patients with MS/NMO with mild disability.
Risk factors for postpartum maternal mortality and hospital readmission in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Symonds Nicola E. , Vidler Marianne , Wiens Matthew O. , Omar Shazmeen , English L. Lacey , Ukah U. Vivian , Ansermino J. Mark , Ngonzi Joseph , Bebell Lisa M. , Hwang Bella , Christoffersen-Deb Astrid , Kissoon Niranjan , Payne Beth A.
Published: April 2023

Background

In low- and middle-income countries, approximately two thirds of maternal deaths occur in the postpartum period. Yet, care for women beyond 24 h after discharge is limited. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize current evidence on socio-demographic and clinical risk factors for (1) postpartum mortality and (2) postpartum hospital readmission.

Methods

A combination of keywords and subject headings (i.e. MeSH terms) for postpartum maternal mortality or readmission were searched. Articles published up to January 9, 2021 were identified in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases, without language restrictions. Studies reporting socio-demographic or clinical risk factors for postpartum mortality or readmission within six weeks of delivery among women who delivered a livebirth in a low- or middle-income country were included.

Data were extracted independently by two reviewers based on study characteristics, population, and outcomes. Included studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias using the Downs and Black checklist for ratings of randomized and non-randomized studies.

Results

Of 8783 abstracts screened, seven studies were included (total N = 387,786). Risk factors for postpartum mortality included Caesarean mode of delivery, nulliparity, low or very low birthweight, and shock upon admission. Risk factors for postpartum readmission included Caesarean mode of delivery, HIV positive serostatus, and abnormal body temperature.

Conclusions

Few studies reported individual socio-demographic or clinical risk factors for mortality or readmission after delivery in low- and middle-income countries; only Caesarean delivery was consistently reported. Further research is needed to identify factors that put women at greatest risk of post-discharge complications and mortality. Understanding post-discharge risk would facilitate targeted postpartum care and reduce adverse outcomes in women after delivery.

Trial registration

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018103955.