bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Vortioxetine in the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Epilepsy—Case Series
Authors: Siwek Marcin , Gorostowicz Aleksandra , Bosak Magdalena , Dudek Dominika
Published: March 2022

Epilepsy and depression are both serious and potentially disabling conditions which often coexist—bidirectional relationship between the two disorders has been observed. Comorbidity between depression and epilepsy can be attributed to: underlying common pathophysiological mechanisms, psychiatric side effect of antiepileptic medications and psychological response to stress in people with chronic, neurological condition. Despite high prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy, current evidence of the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy in this group of patients is very limited. Vortioxetine is an antidepressant with multimodal activity, very good treatment tolerability, low risk of inducing pharmacokinetic interactions, relative safety of treatment in patients with somatic comorbidities, low risk of causing: sedation, sexual dysfunctions and metabolic side effects. Vortioxetine seems to be a promising treatment option for depressed patients with cognitive dysfunctions, anhedonia and anxiety. In this case series, we report nine cases of patients with epilepsy and depressive symptoms treated with vortioxetine. Seven cases are patients with secondary focal and generalized epilepsy and two with unclassified epilepsy. Three patients presented with depressive episode in the course of bipolar disorder and six patients had depressive symptoms due to organic mood disorder. The dose range of vortioxetine was between 10 and 20 mg. In all of the presented cases effectiveness and tolerability of treatment were very good. Remission of depressive symptoms was achieved in all patients. No epilepsy seizures after switch to vortioxetine were observed in seven cases. In two patients seizures occurred during the first months of vortioxetine treatment but this most probably was due to suboptimal antiepileptic treatment—satisfactory seizure control was achieved after optimization of antiepileptic pharmacotherapy. Vortioxetine was discontinued in two of the presented cases due to pregnancy planning. The duration of observation period during vortioxetine therapy ranged from 2 to 48 months. In conclusion, vortioxetine can be a promising treatment option in patients with epilepsy and comorbid depressive symptoms.
Efficacy of Resveratrol Supplementation on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: Zhou Qian , Wang Yanmei , Han Xuke , Fu Shunlian , Zhu Chan , Chen Qiu
Published: March 2022

Background

Lipids are ubiquitous metabolites with diverse functions. Excessive lipid accumulation can trigger lipid redistribution among metabolic organs such as adipose, liver and muscle, thus altering the lipid metabolism. It has been revealed that disturbed lipid metabolism would cause multiple disease complications and is highly correlated with human morbidity. Resveratrol (RSV), a phytoestrogen with antioxidant, can modulate insulin resistance and lipid profile. Recently, research on RSV supplementation to improve glucose and lipid metabolism has been controversial. A meta-analysis may provide a scientific reference for the relationship between lipid metabolism and RSV supplementation.

Methods and Analysis

We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases from inception to October 2021 using relevant keywords. A comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed. For calculating pooled effects, continuous data were pooled by mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Adopting the method of inverse-variance with a random-effect, all related statistical analyses were performed using the Rev Man V.5.3 and STATA V.15 software.

Results

A total of 25 articles were incorporated into the final meta-analysis after removal of duplicates by checking titles and abstracts and excluding non-relevant articles. The selected articles had a total of 1,171 participants, including 578 in the placebo group and 593 in the intervention group. According to the current meta-analysis, which demonstrated that there was a significant decrease in waist circumference (SMD = –0.36; 95% CI: –0.59, –0.14; P = 0.002; I2 = 88%), hemoglobin A1c (–0.48; –0.69, –0.27; P ≤ 0.001; I2 = 94%), total cholesterol (–0.15; –0.3, –0.01; P = 0.003; I2 = 94%), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (–0.42; –0.57, –0.27; P ≤ 0.001; I2 = 92%), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.16; –0.31, –0.02; P = 0.03; I2 = 81%) following resveratrol administration.

Conclusion

These results suggest that RSV has a dramatic impact on regulating lipid and glucose metabolism, and the major clinical value of resveratrol intake is for obese and diabetic patients. We hope that this study could provide more options for clinicians using RSV. Furthermore, in the future, large-scale and well-designed trials will be warranted to confirm these results.

Systematic Review Registration

Website [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails], identifier [CRD42021244904].
An Alternative Prediction Equation for Evaluation of Six-Minute Walk Distance in Stable Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Authors: Lenasi Helena , Novak Ana , Jug Borut , Dervišević Edvin , Karpljuk Damir , Videmšek Mateja , Sorić Maroje , Hadžić Vedran
Published: March 2022

Background: As cardio-vascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, establishing measures to improve cardiovascular health is of crucial importance. Exercise plays an essential role in cardiac rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), in whom an evaluation of the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is necessary. CRF of CAD patients could be assessed using 6-min walk test (6MWT), and the results interpreted by using Enright-Sherill prediction equation which has mainly been designed and evaluated for a healthy population. Hypothesizing that the Enright-Sherill prediction equation might not be best suited for CAD patients, our aim was to reevaluate this equation in CAD patients, and potentially establish a more accurate 6MWD prediction equation to be applied in these patients.

Methods: 6MWD was measured in a cross-sectional study in 67 CAD patients (44 women) who were members of the Coronary club Ljubljana, Slovenia. In addition, the predicted 6MWD was calculated for men and women using Enright-Sherill gender specific regression equation. Multivariate regression analysis was used to obtain a new prediction equation, and the agreement between the measured and the predicted 6MWD analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: Men achieved 451 ± 122 m and women 485 ± 69 m without significant differences between sexes (F = 0.022, p = 0.882) when adjusted for age, height, body mass, and waist circumference. When comparing the measured (473 ± 91 m) and the predicted (422 ± 57 m) values of 6MWD in CAD patients we found that the Enright-Sherill prediction equation significantly (F = 27.734, p < 0.001) underestimated the 6MWD by 52 ± 81 m. A significant regression equation was established [F (3,63) = 44.663, p < 0.001], with a R2 of 0.680 where 6MWD equals 1,057 m—4.966 x age (years)—0.614 x WC (cm)–68.629 x NYHA class.

Conclusion: The results of this study stress the importance of regular and actual walking ability testing in patients with stable CAD to obtain their CRF, rather than simply predicting it from regression equations obtained from non-representative or non-comparable samples. Our developed prediction equation warrants additional validation and may represent a good substitute for currently used predictions obtained from a healthy population.
Insights Into MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of Flowering Time in Cotton Through Small RNA Sequencing
Authors: Zhou Yu , Myat Aye Aye , Liang Chengzhen , Meng Zhigang , Guo Sandui , Wei Yunxiao , Sun Guoqing , Wang Yuan , Zhang Rui
Published: March 2022

The timing of flowering is a key determinant for plant reproductive. It has been demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in transition from the vegetative to reproductive stage in cotton; however, knowledge remains limited about the regulatory role of miRNAs involved in flowering time regulation in cotton. To elucidate the molecular basis of miRNAs in response to flowering time in cotton, we performed high-throughput small RNA sequencing at the fifth true leaf stage. We identified 56 and 43 miRNAs that were significantly up- and downregulated in two elite early flowering cultivars (EFC) compared with two late flowering cultivars (LFC), respectively. The miRNA targets by RNA sequencing analysis showed that GhSPL4 in SBP transcription factor family targeted by GhmiR156 was significantly upregulated in EFCs. Co-expression regulatory network analysis (WGCNA) revealed that GhSOC1, GhAP1, GhFD, GhCOL3, and GhAGL16 act as node genes in the auxin- and gibberellin-mediated flowering time regulatory networks in cotton. Therefore, elucidation of miRNA-mediated flowering time regulatory network will contribute to our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying flowering time in cotton.
Effects on Photosynthetic Response and Biomass Productivity of Acacia longifolia ssp. longifolia Under Elevated CO2 and Water-Limited Regimes
Authors: Javaid Muhammad Mansoor , Wang Xiukang , Florentine Singarayer K. , Ashraf Muhammad , Mahmood Athar , Li Feng-Min , Fiaz Sajid
Published: March 2022

It is known that the impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2) will cause differential photosynthetic responses in plants, resulting in varying magnitudes of growth and productivity of competing species. Because of the aggressive invasive nature of Acacia longifolia ssp. longifolia, this study is designed to investigate the effect of eCO2 on gas exchange parameters, water use efficiency, photosystem II (PSII) activities, and growth of this species. Plants of A. longifolia ssp. longifolia were grown at 400 ppm (ambient) and 700 ppm (elevated) CO2 under 100 and 60% field capacity. Leaf gas exchange parameters, water use efficiency, intrinsic water use efficiency, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, and PSII activity were measured for 10 days at 2-day intervals. eCO2 mitigated the adverse effects of drought conditions on the aforementioned parameters compared to that grown under ambient CO2 (aCO2) conditions. A. longifolia, grown under drought conditions and re-watered at day 8, indicated a partial recovery in most of the parameters measured, suggesting that the recovery of this species under eCO2 will be higher than that with aCO2 concentration. This gave an increase in water use efficiency, which is one of the reasons for the observed enhanced growth of A. longifolia under drought stress. Thus, eCO2 will allow to adopt this species in the new environment, even under severe climatic conditions, and foreshadow its likelihood of invasion into new areas.
Low Fluence Ultraviolet-B Promotes Ultraviolet Resistance 8-Modulated Flowering in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zioutopoulou Anna , Patitaki Eirini , O’Donnell Liz , Kaiserli Eirini
Published: March 2022

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation (280–320 nm) is an integral part of sunlight and a pivotal environmental cue that triggers various plant responses, from photoprotection to photomorphogenesis and metabolic processes. UV-B is perceived by ULTRAVIOLET RESISTANCE 8 (UVR8), which orchestrates UV-B signal transduction and transcriptional control of UV-B-responsive genes. However, there is limited information on the molecular mechanism underlying the UV-B- and UVR8-dependent regulation of flowering time in plants. Here, we investigate the role of UV-B and UVR8 in photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings suggest that UV-B controls photoperiodic flowering in an ecotype-specific manner and that UVR8 acts as a negative regulator of UV-B-induced flowering. Overall, our research shows that UV-B modulates flowering initiation through the action of UVR8 at the transcriptional level.
Using the Knowledge of Post-transcriptional Regulations to Guide Gene Selections for Molecular Breeding in Soybean
Authors: Ku Yee-Shan , Cheung Ming-Yan , Cheng Sau-Shan , Nadeem Muhammad Azhar , Chung Gyuhwa , Lam Hon-Ming
Published: March 2022

The omics approaches allow the scientific community to successfully identify genomic regions associated with traits of interest for marker-assisted breeding. Agronomic traits such as seed color, yield, growth habit, and stress tolerance have been the targets for soybean molecular breeding. Genes governing these traits often undergo post-transcriptional modifications, which should be taken into consideration when choosing elite genes for molecular breeding. Post-transcriptional regulations of genes include transcript regulations, protein modifications, and even the regulation of the translational machinery. Transcript regulations involve elements such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) for the maintenance of transcript stability or regulation of translation efficiency. Protein modifications involve molecular modifications of target proteins and the alterations of their interacting partners. Regulations of the translational machinery include those on translation factors and the ribosomal protein complex. Post-transcriptional regulations usually involve a set of genes instead of a single gene. Such a property may facilitate molecular breeding. In this review, we will discuss the post-transcriptional modifications of genes related to favorable agronomic traits such as stress tolerance, growth, and nutrient uptake, using examples from soybean as well as other crops. The examples from other crops may guide the selection of genes for marker-assisted breeding in soybean.
Transcriptome Analysis of Stephania tetrandra and Characterization of Norcoclaurine-6-O-Methyltransferase Involved in Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Biosynthesis
Authors: Li Kunlun , Chen Xuefei , Zhang Jianbo , Wang Can , Xu Qiwei , Hu Jiangning , Kai Guoyin , Feng Yue
Published: March 2022

Stephania tetrandra (S. Moore) is a source of traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used to treat rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, edema, and hypertension. Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are the main bioactive compounds. However, the current understanding of the biosynthesis of BIAs in S. tetrandra is poor. Metabolite and transcriptomic analyses of the stem, leaf, xylem, and epidermis of S. tetrandra were performed to identify candidate genes associated with BIAs biosynthesis. According to the metabolite analysis, the majority of the BIAs accumulated in the root, especially in the epidermis. Transcriptome sequencing revealed a total of 113,338 unigenes that were generated by de novo assembly. Among them, 79,638 unigenes were successfully annotated, and 42 candidate structural genes associated with 15 steps of BIA biosynthesis identified. Additionally, a new (S)-norcoclaurine-6-O-methyltransferase (6OMT) gene was identified in S. tetrandra, named St6OMT2. Recombinant St6OMT2 catalyzed (S)-norcoclaurine methylation to form (S)-coclaurine in vitro. Maximum activity of St6OMT2 was determined at 30°C and pH 6.0 in NaAc-HAc buffer. Its half-life at 50°C was 22 min with the Km and kcat of 28.2 μM and 1.5 s−1, respectively. Our results provide crucial transcriptome information for S. tetrandra, shedding light on the understanding of BIAs biosynthesis and further gene functional characterization.
Balancing Work Life: Job Crafting, Work Engagement, and Workaholism in the Finnish Public Sector
Authors: Nissinen Terhi Susanna , Maksniemi Erika Ilona , Rothmann Sebastiaan , Lonka Kirsti Maaria
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate how job crafting, work engagement, and workaholism were related in public sector organizations. The participants (N = 213) were civil servants from three Finnish public organizations, representing different professions, such as school personnel, secretaries, directors, parking attendants, and ICT specialists. We duly operationalized job crafting, work engagement, and workaholism by using the Job Crafting Scale, the UWES-9, and the Work Addiction Risk Test. The current study focused on the Finnish public sector, since work engagement is recognized at the governmental level and has been shown to be strongly and positively associated with economic activity and productivity, while workaholism is associated with poor wellbeing. We analyzed the data by using structural equation modeling and found that three job crafting dimensions were strongly intertwined with one another. These dimensions were increasing structural job resources, increasing social job resources, and increasing challenging job demands. In the structural model, dimension “increasing structural job resources” was positively related to work engagement, whereas dimension “decreasing hindering job demands” was negatively associated with workaholism. This study highlighted the relevance of employees learning to balance their job resources and demands. We recommend that, in the public sector, employees be systematically encouraged to practice job crafting behavior by enabling them to increase structural job resources. These results are of high relevance, considering the heavy workload of public sector employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Lubricant” or “Stumbling Block”?: The Paradoxical Association Between Team Authoritarian Leadership and Creative Deviance
Authors: Xu Jing , Li Yong-Zhou , Zhu De-Qun , Li Jing-Zhi
Published: March 2022

Recently, creative deviance has been lauded to be an innovation-enhancing approach with applications in many new and high-tech domains. Previous study on antecedents to creative deviance remains scattered and vague. Our research conceptualizes creative deviance from the perspective of independent innovation and explores its antecedents, mechanisms, as well as conditions. Team authoritarian leadership is conceptualized as a contradictory unity as it mixes advantages and disadvantages. However, it is surprising to find that there are very few researches that have examined its relevant influence mechanisms and boundary conditions for authoritarian leadership. Contributing to an advanced understanding of authoritarian leadership in research and development teams, we investigated whether team authoritarian leadership is positively or negatively related to creative deviance. Drawing on social information processing theory and regulatory focus theory, we supposed that team authoritarian leadership facilitates creative deviance when the degree is low and inhibits it when the degree is high; dual occupational stress and prevention regulatory focus play mediation roles between team authoritarian leadership and creative deviance respectively, both variables play a chain mediation role in that relationship; and the mindfulness characteristic of an individual moderates the inverted-U team authoritarian leadership-creative deviance association, such that this association is weaker with low individual mindfulness. With two-phase questionnaire data collected from 433 members in 82 R&D teams of high-tech enterprises in electronic information technology, new material technology, new medical technology, resource and environment technology and advanced manufacturing technology randomly selected from five provinces in eastern China, these hypotheses are supported empirically. Overall, we find that, our study broadens antecedents and the relevant occurrence mechanisms of creative deviance when studied through a leadership management lens. Moreover, our research enriches the cognate studies on authoritarian leadership by empirically demonstrating that team authoritarian leadership may function as an double-edged sword of creative deviance in the R&D workplace. These above findings offer insightful thoughts to scholars in the field of authoritarian leadership and bring practical suggestions for team superiors who seek to implement best innovation practice.
The Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Anxiety and Depression Among Working-Age Adults in Mainland China at the Early Remission Stage of the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic
Authors: Xie Haixia , Huang Xiaowei , Zhang Qi , Wei Yan , Zeng Xuheng , Chang Fengshui , Wu Shuyin
Published: March 2022

Background

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has led to a considerable proportion of adverse psychological symptoms in different subpopulations. This study aimed to investigate the status of anxiety and depression and their associated factors in the adult, working-age population in Mainland China at the early remission stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An online study was conducted among 1,863 participants in 29 provinces in Mainland China from March 23 to 31, 2020. Their mental health was evaluated by the generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Descriptive analysis, Chi-square, and multiple logistic regressions were applied.

Results

About 44.5% of the participants had anxiety, 49.2% had depression, and 37.9% showed a combination of depression and anxiety. Around 83.7% of the participants claimed that the pandemic had a negative impact on their medical needs, which was the primary predictor of mental health, the degree of impact being positively related to the prevalence of anxiety and depression. More chronic diseases, moderate to bad self-rated health, severe perceived infection risk, and younger age group were the common risk factors for anxiety and depression. Having no children, unemployment, and a college-level educational background were associated with higher anxiety prevalence, whereas unmarried participants were correlated with higher depression prevalence.

Conclusion

The working-age population showed a relatively high risk of anxiety and depression in Mainland China at the early remission stage of the pandemic. To improve medical services capacity for routine and delayed medical service needs should be a part of policy-makers’ priority agenda during this period of crisis.
The Assessment of Cognitive Reserve: A Systematic Review of the Most Used Quantitative Measurement Methods of Cognitive Reserve for Aging
Authors: Nogueira Joana , Gerardo Bianca , Santana Isabel , Simões Mário R. , Freitas Sandra
Published: March 2022

The cognitive reserve (CR) is widely accepted as the active ability to cope with brain damage, using preexisting cognitive and compensatory processes. The common CR proxies used are the number of formal years of education, intelligence quotient (IQ) or premorbid functioning, occupation attainment, and participation in leisure activities. More recently, it has employed the level of literacy and engagement in high-level cognitive demand of professional activities. This study aims to identify and summarize published methodologies to assess the CR quantitatively. We searched for published studies on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science between September 2018 and September 2021. We only included those studies that characterized the CR assessment methodology. The search strategy identified 1,285 publications, of which 25 were included. Most of the instruments targeted proxies individually. The lack of a gold standard tool that incorporates all proxies and cognitive tests highlights the need to develop a more holistic battery for the quantitative assessment of CR. Further studies should focus on a quantitative methodology that includes all these proxies supported by normative data to improve the use of CR as a valid measure in clinical contexts.
Board Faultlines, Innovation Strategy Decisions, and Faultline Activation: Research on Technology-Intensive Enterprises in Chinese A-Share Companies
Authors: Zhang Yan , Ma Lianfu
Published: March 2022

In the context of social norms, based on faultline theory, using samples of Chinese A-share listed companies of technology-intensive industries from 2009 to 2015, this paper studies how board faultlines influence innovation strategy decisions and test the influences of a dual chairman/CEO and board ownership on that relationship. The results of the study are as follows. Social-related faultlines have a significant negative influence on innovation strategy decisions. Cognitive-related faultlines have a significant positive influence on innovation strategy decisions. A dual chairman/CEO has no moderating effect between social-related faultlines and innovation strategy decisions, but weakens the positive effect between cognitive-related faultlines and innovation strategy decisions. Board ownership weakens the negative effect between social-related faultlines and innovation strategy decisions but enhances the positive effect between cognitive-related faultlines and innovation strategy decisions.
Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms During the Perinatal Period: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study in China
Authors: Bao Ciqing , Jin Dongzhen , Sun Shiyu , Xu Ling , Wang Chaoyue , Tang Weina , Zhang Wenmiao , Bao Yin , Xu Dongwu , Zhou Siyao , Yu Xin , Zhao Ke
Published: March 2022

Most women in the perinatal period face sleep issues, which can affect their mental health. Only a few studies have focused on sleep trajectories and depressive symptoms of women during the perinatal period in China. This study aims to explore the development trajectory of sleep quality by classifying pregnant women according to the changes in their sleep quality during pregnancy and postpartum and investigate the correlation between different sleep quality trajectory groups and depressive symptoms. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess the symptoms of depression. Participants (n = 412) completed the assessment of sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and some sociodemographic and obstetric data at 36 weeks of gestation, 1 week after delivery, and 6 weeks after delivery. The group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to complete the trajectory classification, and logistic regression was used to analyze the predictive factors of postpartum depressive symptoms. Four different sleep quality trajectories were determined: “stable-good,” “worsening,” “improving,” and “stable-poor” groups. The results demonstrate that poor sleep trajectories, social support and parenting experience during the perinatal period are related to postpartum depression. Screening for prenatal sleep problems is crucial for identifying the onset of perinatal depressive symptoms.
The Relationship Between the NSP and the Individual and Work Organizational Variables: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yuan Sue , Li Yunxia , Zhang Lihui , Wang Honghong
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To investigate the characteristics of neck–shoulder pain (NSP) and explore the potentional relationship between the NSP and the individual and work organizational variables.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed in the tertiary general hospitals in Hunan Province, China between May 2019 and July 2019. A total of 2,030 healthcare workers were enrolled randomly in this study based on a three-stage stratified sampling method. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to measure disability in subjects with neck pain. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the characteristics of individual and work organizational variables. The Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis H test were applied to analyze the prevalence of pain intensity among groups. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to explore the potentional relationship between NSP and individual and work organizational variables using the NDI score as the dependent variable.

Results

2,008 of 2,030 healthcare workers filled out the survey questionnaires online. In the past 12 months, 1,489 participants (74.2%) complained of pain in the cervical–shoulder region. NDI score increased by 0.10 for each year of age, with healthcare workers working in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Operating Room less likely to have NSP than those working in other departments. In contrast, female healthcare workers with a history of pregnancy were more likely to have NSP. In terms of organizational factors, workers who received concern from their supervisor about their health, who had the choice to change their shift status to off duty when they were not feeling well, or who were informed about WMSDs were less likely to have NSP.

Conclusion

The prevalence of NSP within the previous year was high in this population. Individual factors including history of neck–shoulder diseases, age, and history of pregnancy and organizational factors including being adequately informed regarding WMSDs, concern from supervisors about workers' health, and the ability of workers to change their shift status to off duty when they were not feeling well were shown to induce significant effects to NSP.
Female Off-Farm Employment and Fertility Timing in Rural China
Authors: Shen Zheng , Zhao Zhao , Ren Qisheng , Yan Mingwei
Published: March 2022

Background

Advanced maternal age is associated with fetal outcomes such as higher risks of birth defects and very low birth weight. Off-farm employment is an important factor in fertility transition in many developing countries. This study investigated the association between off-farm employment and fertility timing among Chinese rural women.

Method

Using data from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS), we employed the ordinary least squares and instrumental variable approaches to estimate the effect of female off-farm employment on fertility timing decisions as well as the differences in the effect across groups.

Results

The results show that off-farm employment participation is significantly associated with a later age at first birth, and the effect is stronger for women participating in wage employment than in off-farm self-employment. The delayed effects on fertility timing are also more pronounced for less-educated women and low-income families, implying a heterogeneous effect in terms of women's socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

Studies of the relationship between women's off-farm employment and fertility timing in rural areas of developing countries remain limited. This study provides important insights on this topic, and it lends support to efforts to design effective policies and practices to facilitate female employment, childbearing, and health promotion.
Perspective: Utilizing High Amylose Wheat Flour to Increase Dietary Fiber Intake of Children and Adolescents: A Health by Stealth Approach
Authors: Harris Kathryn , Overcash Francine , Belobrajdic Damien , Slavin Joanne
Published: March 2022

Children and adolescents have consistently failed to meet recommended levels of dietary fiber consumption, thus making fiber a nutrient of concern. The importance of adequate dietary fiber intake to attain a healthy diet necessitates the identification of fiber-rich and readily consumed food sources by youth. Grain-based foods derived from whole grains represent a strategic initiative to increase dietary fiber consumption and is consistent with the American diet pattern. Increased intake of foods made from whole grains have been positively associated with improved health outcomes but are also less preferred among youth compared to refined grain products, which make up the majority of their carbohydrate intake. Advances in the commercialization and availability of high amylose wheat flour, a source of resistant starch fiber, provides an opportunity to remedy the suggested acceptability issues of whole grain products indicative of sensory factors, without compromising the amount of fiber ingested. Resistant starch fiber consumption has been associated with health benefits including improved blood sugar management, improved markers of digestive and gut health, increased satiety, and a reduced inflammatory response among adults. The limited studies that indicate fiber's direct benefit among youth are largely observational, thereby necessitating the need for more controlled trials for these age groups. Replacing traditional refined wheat flour with refined high amylose wheat flour has the unique ability to increase dietary fiber consumption without compromising desired sensory and finished product characteristics and thus can help increase dietary fiber consumption in children and adolescents who struggle to meet adequate intakes of fiber.
Association of Metals and Metalloids With Urinary Albumin/Creatinine Ratio: Evidence From a Cross-Sectional Study Among Elderly in Beijing
Authors: Li Ang , Zhao Jiaxin , Liu Liu , Mei Yayuan , Zhou Quan , Zhao Meiduo , Xu Jing , Ge Xiaoyu , Xu Qun
Published: March 2022

Background

Environmental exposure to toxic elements contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Few studies focus on the association of urinary metals and metalloids concentrations with the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) among elderly, especially in areas and seasons with severe air pollution.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the associations of urinary metals and metalloids concentration with UACR, which is an early and sensitive indicator of CKD.

Method

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 275 elderly people in Beijing from November to December 2016, which has experienced the most severe air pollution in China. We measured 15 urinary metals and metalloids concentration and estimated their association with UACR using a generalized linear model (GLM). Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (qgcomp) models were also conducted to evaluate the combined effect of metal and metalloid mixtures concentration.

Results

Of the 275 elderly people included in the analysis, we found that higher urinary Cu concentration was positively associated with UACR using GLM (β = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.46). Using the BKMR model, we found that the change in UACR was positively associated with a change in urinary Cu concentration from its 25th to 75th percentile value with all other metals and metalloids concentration fixed at their 25th, 50th, or 75th percentile levels. Urinary Cu concentration had the most significant positive contribution (59.15%) in the qgcomp model. Our finding was largely robust in three mixture modeling approaches: GLM, qgcomp, and BKMR.

Conclusion

This finding suggests that urinary Cu concentration was strongly positively associated with UACR. Further analyses in cohort studies are required to corroborate this finding.
The Quality of Life and Its Relationship With Systemic Family Dynamics and Mental Health in Senior High School Students From Shaanxi, China
Authors: Yang Zhe , Shang Yijiang , Liang Ying , Zhang Haiyue , Yang Yifan , Wang Yue , Shang Lei , Zhang Yuhai
Published: March 2022

Objective

To explore the quality of life (QoL) status of senior high school students in the Shaanxi Province and the relationship of the QoL with systemic family dynamics and mental health.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 1,402 senior high school students; students were asked to complete a questionnaire which comprised the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess the QoL, the Self-rating Scale of Systemic Family Dynamics (SSFD) for assessing family functioning, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) for assessing mental health and general demographic variables.

Results

Grades of senior high school students were defined as Grade 1 (first year), Grade 2 (second year), and Grade 3 (third year). Compared to Grade 3 students, Grade 1 students had higher scores in physical functioning, role-emotional, bodily pain, and reported health transition of the QoL over the last 1 year (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that the place of residence, subscales of systemic family dynamics, somatization, and depression significantly affected the total QoL score. The results of SEM show that the SCL-90-R score fully mediated the association between the SSFD score and SF-36 score (indirect effect coefficient 0.055; 95% CI, 0.012–0.106; P = 0.042).

Conclusion

The QoL score of senior high school students was low, particularly that of Grade 3 students, who consequently need more emotional support. By improving and enhancing systemic family dynamics, the QOL of high school students will improve and discovering and addressing their mental health problems will be easier.
System Architecture of a European Platform for Health Policy Decision Making: MIDAS
Authors: Shi Xi , Nikolic Gorana , Fischaber Scott , Black Michaela , Rankin Debbie , Epelde Gorka , Beristain Andoni , Alvarez Roberto , Arrue Monica , Pita Costa Joao , Grobelnik Marko , Stopar Luka , Pajula Juha , Umer Adil , Poliwoda Peter , Wallace Jonathan , Carlin Paul , Pääkkönen Jarmo , De Moor Bart
Published: March 2022

Background

Healthcare data is a rich yet underutilized resource due to its disconnected, heterogeneous nature. A means of connecting healthcare data and integrating it with additional open and social data in a secure way can support the monumental challenge policy-makers face in safely accessing all relevant data to assist in managing the health and wellbeing of all. The goal of this study was to develop a novel health data platform within the MIDAS (Meaningful Integration of Data Analytics and Services) project, that harnesses the potential of latent healthcare data in combination with open and social data to support evidence-based health policy decision-making in a privacy-preserving manner.

Methods

The MIDAS platform was developed in an iterative and collaborative way with close involvement of academia, industry, healthcare staff and policy-makers, to solve tasks including data storage, data harmonization, data analytics and visualizations, and open and social data analytics. The platform has been piloted and tested by health departments in four European countries, each focusing on different region-specific health challenges and related data sources.

Results

A novel health data platform solving the needs of Public Health decision-makers was successfully implemented within the four pilot regions connecting heterogeneous healthcare datasets and open datasets and turning large amounts of previously isolated data into actionable information allowing for evidence-based health policy-making and risk stratification through the application and visualization of advanced analytics.

Conclusions

The MIDAS platform delivers a secure, effective and integrated solution to deal with health data, providing support for health policy decision-making, planning of public health activities and the implementation of the Health in All Policies approach. The platform has proven transferable, sustainable and scalable across policies, data and regions.
The Effects of BITs on Contract Execution in Developing Countries: Some Implications for the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Yu Zhihan , Zhou Chao , Wang Qin , Hu Ke , Su Ke , Zhang Mengqi
Published: March 2022

Bilateral investment agreements are bilateral treaties between capital exporting countries and host countries, which is specially used to protect international investment, and the contract execution is directly related to the daily operation of multinational enterprises. Based on the panel data of 73 developing countries from 2005 to 2019, this paper examines the improvement effect of BITs on the contract execution of host countries. The study found that both the overall bilateral investment agreements and the bilateral investment agreements in force can significantly improve the contract execution of the host country. Due to the differences between the civil law system and the common law system in many aspects, such as the source of evidence and trial mode, the effect of BITs on the improvement of contract execution in host countries of the common law system is more prominent. In terms of specific impact, the improvement effect of BITs on time is significantly better than cost. The core conclusion is still valid after changing the estimation method and eliminating abnormal samples.
Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses and Breakthrough Infections After Two Doses of BNT162b Vaccine in Healthcare Workers (HW) 180 Days After the Second Vaccine Dose
Authors: Mangia Alessandra , Serra Nicola , Cocomazzi Giovanna , Giambra Vincenzo , Antinucci Stefano , Maiorana Alberto , Giuliani Francesco , Montomoli Emanuele , Cantaloni Paolo , Manenti Alessandro , Piazzolla Valeria
Published: March 2022

Background

Immunity and clinical protection induced by mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to decline overtime. To gather information on the immunity profile deemed sufficient in protecting against hospitalization, we tested IgG levels, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion, and neutralizing antibodies 180 days (d180) after the second shot of BNT162b vaccine, in HW.

Methods

A total of 392 subjects were enrolled. All received BioNTech/Pfizer from February 2020 to April 2021. The vaccine-specific humoral response was quantitatively determined by testing for IgG anti-S1 domain of SARS-CoV-spike protein. Live virus microneutralization (MN) was evaluated by an assay performing incubation of serial 2-fold dilution of human serum samples, starting from 1:10 to 1:5120, with an equal volume of Wuhan strain and Delta VOC viral solution and assessing the presence/absence of a cytopathic effect. SARS-CoV-2-spike protein-specific T-cell response was determined by a commercial IFN-γ release assay.

Results

In 352 individuals, at d180, IgG levels decreased substantially but no results below the assay's positivity threshold were observed. Overall, 22 naive (8.1%) had values above the highest threshold. Among COVID-naive, the impact of age, which was observed at earlier stages, disappeared at d180, while it remained significant for 81 who had experienced a previous infection. Following the predictive model of protection by Khoury, we transformed the neutralizing titers in IU/ml and used a 54 IU/ml threshold to identify subjects with 50% protective immunity. Overall, live virus MN showed almost all subjects with previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 neutralized the virus as compared to 33% of naive double-dosed subjects (p < 0.0001). All previously exposed subjects had strong IFN-γ secretion (>200 mIU/ml); among 271 naive, 7 (2.58%) and 17 (6.27%) subjects did not show borderline or strong secretion, respectively.

Conclusions

In naive subjects, low IgG titers are relatively long-lasting. Only a third of naive subjects maintain neutralizing responses. After specific stimulation, a very limited number of naive were unable to produce IFN-γ. The results attained in the small group of subjects with breakthrough infection suggest that simultaneous neutralizing antibody titers <20, binding antibody levels/ml <200, and IFN-γ <1,000 mIU/ml in subjects older than 58 may identify at-risk groups.
Social, Economic, and Regional Determinants of Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Waldecy , da Costa Frizzera Humberto , Trevisan Daniela Mascarenhas de Queiroz , Prata David , Reis Geovane Rossone , Resende Raulison Alves
Published: March 2022

On May 10, 2021, Brazil ranked second in the world in COVID-19 deaths. Understanding risk factors, or social and ethnic inequality in health care according to a given city population and political or economic weakness is of paramount importance. Brazil had a seriousness COVID-19 outbreak in light of social and economic factors and its complex racial demographics. The objective of this study was to verify the odds of mortality of hospitalized patients during COVID-19 infection based on their economic, social, and epidemiological characteristics. We found that odds of death are greater among patients with comorbidities, neurological (1.99) and renal diseases (1.97), and immunodeficiency disorders (1.69). While the relative income (2.45) indicates that social factors have greater influence on mortality than the comorbidities studied. Patients living in the Northern macro-region of Brazil face greater chance of mortality compared to those in Central-South Brazil. We conclude that, during the studied period, the chances of mortality for COVID-19 in Brazil were more strongly influenced by socioeconomic poverty conditions than by natural comorbidities (neurological, renal, and immunodeficiency disorders), which were also very relevant. Regional factors are relevant in mortality rates given more individuals being vulnerable to poverty conditions.
Planning as Inference in Epidemiological Dynamics Models
Authors: Wood Frank , Warrington Andrew , Naderiparizi Saeid , Weilbach Christian , Masrani Vaden , Harvey William , Ścibior Adam , Beronov Boyan , Grefenstette John , Campbell Duncan , Nasseri S. Ali
Published: March 2022

In this work we demonstrate how to automate parts of the infectious disease-control policy-making process via performing inference in existing epidemiological models. The kind of inference tasks undertaken include computing the posterior distribution over controllable, via direct policy-making choices, simulation model parameters that give rise to acceptable disease progression outcomes. Among other things, we illustrate the use of a probabilistic programming language that automates inference in existing simulators. Neither the full capabilities of this tool for automating inference nor its utility for planning is widely disseminated at the current time. Timely gains in understanding about how such simulation-based models and inference automation tools applied in support of policy-making could lead to less economically damaging policy prescriptions, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Prediction, Knowledge, and Explainability: Examining the Use of General Value Functions in Machine Knowledge
Authors: Kearney Alex , Günther Johannes , Pilarski Patrick M.
Published: March 2022

Within computational reinforcement learning, a growing body of work seeks to express an agent's knowledge of its world through large collections of predictions. While systems that encode predictions as General Value Functions (GVFs) have seen numerous developments in both theory and application, whether such approaches are explainable is unexplored. In this perspective piece, we explore GVFs as a form of explainable AI. To do so, we articulate a subjective agent-centric approach to explainability in sequential decision-making tasks. We propose that prior to explaining its decisions to others, an self-supervised agent must be able to introspectively explain decisions to itself. To clarify this point, we review prior applications of GVFs that involve human-agent collaboration. In doing so, we demonstrate that by making their subjective explanations public, predictive knowledge agents can improve the clarity of their operation in collaborative tasks.
Perspective: Narrative Storyliving in Virtual Reality Design
Authors: Vallance Michael , Towndrow Phillip A.
Published: March 2022

The development and relative affordability of Virtual Reality in recent years have provided opportunities to experience representations of both concrete and abstract situations; from nuclear engineering to particle physics, art galleries to three-dimensional prehistoric paintings, person-to-person communication to artificial agent collaboration, and 360-degree journalism to animated movies. Yet, it still remains challenging for participants to create personal narratives within a virtual world beyond that structured by its original designers. Setting aside technological considerations, we attribute this limitation largely to a restricted conceptualization of time and space that is fixed to present events, emotions and experiences. Consequently, Virtual Reality scenarios, as immersive and plausible as they might be, are nonetheless prone to a thin and static view of the (virtual) world where growth and experiential learning are not always possible or privileged. In this Perspective we propose a recasting of Virtual Reality that combines novelistic storytelling in the physical world with “narrative storyliving” as a mechanism for meaning-making within and across large dialogic arenas. This involves us drawing on ideas from the Russian philosopher and theorist, Mikhail Bakhtin, relating to the literary artistic chronotope. Ultimately, we intend to advance the discourse about what Virtual Reality is at present, and where it could go as seen through a critical literary lens.