bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Janus kinase inhibitors before and after European Medicines Agency safety recommendations: a retrospective study
Authors: Strunz Patrick-Pascal , Risser Linus Maximilian , Englbrecht Matthias , Witte Torsten , Froehlich Matthias , Schmalzing Marc , Gernert Michael , Hueper Sebastian , Bartz-Bazzanella Peter , von der Decken Cay , Karberg Kirsten , Gauler Georg , Späthling-Mestekemper Susanna , Kuhn Christoph , Vorbrüggen Wolfgang , Welcker Martin , Kleinert Stefan
Published: August 2024

Background

Safety recommendations for Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) issued by the European Medical Agency (EMA) in 2023 could potentially influence treatment patterns for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs, but little is known about the impact of these recommendations in routine clinical care.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the German RHADAR rheumatology database for adult patients with RA and documentation of a new therapy with a JAKi, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), or interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor (IL-6Ri). Data were grouped into half-yearly intervals from quarter (Q)2/2020 to Q3/2023. The period from Q4/2022 to Q1/2023 immediately followed the initial EMA endorsement of Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) recommendations and Q2/2023-Q3/2023 immediately followed the direct healthcare provider communication (DHPC) containing the new safety JAKi recommendations.

Results

Between April 1, 2020 and September 23, 2023, 3008 newly initiated therapies for TNFi (1499 [49.8%]), JAKi (1126 [37.4%]), and IL-6Ri (383 [12.7%]) were documented by the treating physicians. JAKi were increasingly used in the first two half-year periods (from 29.7% of these therapies in Q2/2020-Q3/2020 to 46.7% in Q2/2021-Q3/2021; odds ratio [OR] 2.08; p<0.001). The proportion of initiated JAKi therapies decreased significantly after the PRAC recommendations (32.9%; OR vs peak 0.56; p=0.001) and the DHPC letter (26.1%; OR vs peak 0.40; p<0.001). JAKi were more likely to be used as >3rd-line therapy in later time periods.

Conclusions

This exploratory study suggests that EMA safety recommendations for JAKi influenced treatment patterns of RA patients who received JAKi in Germany. Additional studies will be needed to confirm these findings.
Ginkgolic Acid as a carbapenem synergist against KPC-2 positive Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Song Yuping , Zou Yinuo , Xu Lei , Wang Jianfeng , Deng Xuming , Zhou Yonglin , Li Dan
Published: August 2024

The successful evolution of KPC-2 in bacteria has limited the clinical practice of carbapenems. This dilemma deteriorated the prognosis of associated infections and hence attracted increasing attention from researchers to explore alternative therapeutic options. Here, the enzyme inhibition assay was first performed to screen for a potent KPC-2 inhibitor. The synergistic effect of the candidate with carbapenems was further confirmed by checkboard minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, time-killing assay, disk diffusion method, and live/dead bacteria staining analysis. The mechanisms by which the candidate acts were subsequently explored through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, etc. Our study found that Ginkgolic Acid (C13:0) (GA) exhibited effective KPC-2 inhibitory activity in both laboratory strain and clinical strain containing KPC-2. It could potentiate the killing effect of carbapenems on KPC-2-positive Klebsiella pnenmoniae(K. pnenmoniae). Further explorations revealed that GA could competitively bind to the active pocket of KPC-2 with meropenem (MEM) via residues Trp104, Gly235, and Leu166. The secondary structure and functional groups of KPC-2 were subsequently altered, which may be the main mechanism by which GA exerted its KPC-2 inhibitory effect. In addition, GA was also found to synergize with MEM to disrupt membrane integrity and increase membrane permeability, which may be another mechanism by which GA reinforced the bactericidal ability of carbapenems. Our study indicated that GA was a significant KPC-2 inhibitor that could prolong the lifespan of carbapenems and improve the prognosis of patients.
Bibliometric analysis of research on gut microbiota and bile acids: publication trends and research frontiers
Authors: Li Xin , Lu Can , Mao Xue , Fan Jiahong , Yao Jianting , Jiang Jingjie , Wu Lele , Ren Jingjing , Shen Jun
Published: August 2024

The gut microbiota is widely regarded as a “metabolic organ” that could generate myriad metabolites to regulate human metabolism. As the microbiota metabolites, bile acids (BAs) have recently been identified as the critical endocrine molecules that mediate the cross-talk between the host and intestinal microbiota. This study provided a comprehensive insight into the gut microbiota and BA research through bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2022. The publications on this subject showed a dramatic upward trend. Although the USA and China have produced the most publications, the USA plays a dominant role in this expanding field. Specifically, the University of Copenhagen was the most productive institution. Key research hotspots are the gut–liver axis, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), cardiovascular disease (CVD), colorectal cancer (CRC), and the farnesoid x receptor (FXR). The molecular mechanisms and potential applications of the gut microbiota and BAs in cardiometabolic disorders and gastrointestinal cancers have significant potential for further research.
Exploring the population interaction of Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) based on the variations in gut microbiota across diverse geographic populations
Authors: Zhang Jingjie , Song Pengfei , Jiang Feng , Zhang Tongzuo
Published: August 2024

The differences in gut microbiota among different populations, to a certain extent, reflect the degree of interaction between individuals within populations. To assess the interaction levels among several small populations of Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) (n = 105, from seven different regions) based on differences in gut microbiota, we used the closely related Tibetan gazelle (P. picticaudata) (n = 52, from seven different regions) as a control. We then compared the gut microbial communities between different populations of the two species using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that within a 100 km geographical distance, the intergroup differences in relative abundance of dominant bacteria, α-diversity, β-diversity, and functional metabolism abundance were higher or significantly higher in Przewalski’s gazelle (narrowly distributed species) compared to the Tibetan gazelle (widely distributed species). Additionally, the proportion of shared OTUs between groups in Przewalski’s gazelle was significantly lower than in Tibetan gazelle (p < 0.05). Additionally, neutral community model results also showed lower dispersal limitation in the Tibetan gazelle compared to Przewalski’s gazelle. Therefore, based on the above results, we comprehensively speculate that the spatial interaction degree of Przewalski’s gazelle in different habitat patches is relatively low. This study, starting from the perspective of gut microbiota, adopts a non-genetic perspective or method to assess whether there is, or to what extent there is, close interaction between species populations.
Predictive value analysis of the interaction network of Tks4 scaffold protein in colon cancer
Authors: Tilajka Álmos , Kurilla Anita , László Loretta , Lovrics Anna , Novák Julianna , Takács Tamás , Buday László , Vas Virag
Published: August 2024

Background

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) has emerged as one of the most widespread cancers and was the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in 2020. The role of the podosomal protein Tks4 in tumor formation and progression is well established, including its involvement in gastric carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma; however, exploration of Tks4 and its associated EMT-regulating interactome in the context of colon cancer remains largely unexplored.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis to investigate the mRNA and protein expression levels of Tks4 and its associated partner molecules (CD2AP, GRB2, WASL, SRC, CTTN, and CAPZA1) across different tumor types. We quantified the expression levels of Tks4 and its partner molecules using qPCR, utilizing a TissueScan colon cancer array. We then validated the usefulness of Tks4 and its associated molecules as biomarkers via careful statistical analyses, including Pearson’s correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), multiple logistic regression, confusion matrix analysis, and ROC analysis.

Results

Our findings indicate that the co-expression patterns of the seven examined biomarker candidates better differentiate between tumor and normal samples compared with the expression levels of the individual genes. Moreover, variable importance analysis of these seven genes revealed four core genes that yield consistent results similar to the seven genes. Thus, these four core genes from the Tks4 interactome hold promise as potential combined biomarkers for colon adenocarcinoma diagnosis and prognosis.

Conclusion

Our proposed biomarker set from the Tks4 interactome shows promising sensitivity and specificity, aiding in colon cancer prevention and diagnosis.
Chronic subdural hematoma that may be caused by nephrotic syndrome: a case report and literature review
Authors: Xue Hang , Xue Kun , Wang Xiaohui , Xu Weidong , Zhang Weitao , Xia Guangwen
Published: August 2024

Background

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common complication of neurosurgery. Craniocerebral trauma is the likely cause. There are no reports relating CSDH with nephrotic syndrome. Its pathogenesis is very rare, and there are no previous reports on treatments for this disease. We report a case of chronic subdural hematoma that may be caused by nephrotic syndrome and review the previous literature on this subject.

Case summary

We report a rare case of chronic subdural hematoma that may be caused by nephrotic syndrome. After the patient was admitted to the hospital, relevant laboratory tests were conducted, and a large amount of protein was detected in the patient’s urine, indicating hypoproteinaemia and hyperlipidemia. The patient was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. After the exclusion of related surgical contraindications, the patient underwent trepanation and drainage of the chronic subdural hematoma. Subsequent treatment with oral atorvastatin was provided after surgery. The patient was transferred to the nephrology department for further treatment of nephrotic syndrome if his neurological condition improved. No neurological sequelae were detected at the follow-up visit 3 months after the operation.

Conclusion

Chronic subdural hematomas are rarely caused by nephrotic syndrome. Trepanation and drainage may be considered for patients confirmed to have adequate hematoma liquefaction on imaging and who can tolerate craniotomy. Atorvastatin should be supplemented as prophylactic treatment after the operation. Nephrotic syndrome should be treated as soon as the patient’s neurological condition is stable.
Development of an ic-CLEIA for precise detection of 3-CQA in herbs and patent medicines: ensuring quality control and therapeutic efficacy
Authors: Wu Longjiang , Dang Mei , Wu Rao , Isah Murtala Bindawa , Zhang Xiaoying
Published: August 2024

Background

3-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), a member of the chlorogenic acid family, possesses diverse pharmacological properties, such as scavenging, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic activity, rendering substantial value to alimentary consumables and therapeutic substances. However, the pervasiveness of non-standard practices, notably the misuse and abuse of indigenous botanicals, coupled with the inherent susceptibility of 3-CQA to degradation under light and heat exposure, engenders discernible disparateness in the quality profiles of the same kinds of herbs. Consequently, precise quantification of 3-CQA becomes imperative.

Methods

In this context, an artificial antigen was synthesized as a specific conjugate of 3-CQA and bovine serum albumin (3-CQA-BSA), followed by the generation of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the conjugate. Through optimization, a mAb-based indirect competitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (ic-CLEIA) was developed.

Results

It demonstrated an IC50 and the calibration range of 2.97 ng/mL and 0.64–13.75 ng/mL, respectively, outperforming the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Notably, the ic-CLEIA displayed 10.71% cross-reactivity with 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, alongside minimal cross-reactivity toward other isomeric counterparts and analogs. Validation experiments on herbs and Chinese patent medicines using ic-CLEIA, confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, revealed a robust correlation coefficient of 0.9667 between the two modalities.

Conclusion

These findings unequivocally demonstrated that the proposed ic-CLEIA represents a viable and reliable analytical method for 3-CQA determination. This method holds significant potential for ensuring the quality control and therapeutic efficacy germane to herbs and patent medicines, spanning diverse therapeutic milieus and applications.
Development of a prognostic nomogram for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients received radiotherapy based on clinical risk factors
Authors: Li Yang , Shao Xian , Dai Li-Juan , Yu Meng , Cong Meng-Di , Sun Jun-Yi , Pan Shuo , Shi Gao-Feng , Zhang An-Du , Liu Hui
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The goal of the study was to create a nomogram based on clinical risk factors to forecast the rate of locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who underwent radiotherapy (RT).

Methods

In this study, 574 ESCC patients were selected as participants. Following radiotherapy, subjects were divided into training and validation groups at a 7:3 ratio. The nomogram was established in the training group using Cox regression. Performance validation was conducted in the validation group, assessing predictability through the C-index and AUC curve, calibration via the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test, and evaluating clinical applicability using decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

T stage, N stage, gross tumor volume (GTV) dose, location, maximal wall thickness (MWT) after RT, node size (NS) after RT, Δ computer tomography (CT) value, and chemotherapy were found to be independent risk factors that impacted LRFS by multivariate cox analysis, and the findings could be utilized to create a nomogram and forecast LRFS. the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve and C-index show that for training and validation groups, the prediction result of LRFS using nomogram was more accurate than that of TNM. The LRFS in both groups was consistent with the nomogram according to the H-L test. The DCA curve demonstrated that the nomogram had a good prediction effect both in the groups for training and validation. The nomogram was used to assign ESCC patients to three risk levels: low, medium, or high. There were substantial variations in LRFS between risk categories in both the training and validation groups (p<0.001, p=0.003).

Conclusions

For ESCC patients who received radiotherapy, the nomogram based on clinical risk factors could reliably predict the LRFS.
Prevalence, risk factors, psychological effects of children and adolescents with lower urinary tract symptoms: a large population-based study
Authors: Liu Xingchen , Wang Zhan , Zhou Zhaokai , Yang Shuai , Yang Jing , Wen Yibo , Zhang Yanping , Lv Lei , Hu Jinhua , Wang Qingwei , Lu Wei , Wen Jian Guo
Published: August 2024

Background

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are clinically frequent and seriously affect the psychological and mental health of children and adolescents. However, most studies on LUTS and its influence on the psychological behavior and mental health have focused on adults. This study aimed to investigate LUTS prevalence and associated factors in children and adolescents and explore its impact on psychological behavior.

Materials and methods

From October 2019 to November 2021, an epidemiological LUTS survey was carried out on 6,077 children aged 6–15 years old in 12 primary and secondary schools in China by using anonymous questionnaires.

Results

A total of 5,500 valid questionnaires were collected, and the total prevalence of four representative symptoms of LUTS: urgency, frequency, daytime urinary incontinence, and nocturnal enuresis was 19.46%, 14.55%, 9.75%, and 8.4%, respectively. The prevalence decreased with age, which decreased rapidly in children aged 6–12 years old. The incidence of LUTS in those who did not continue to use disposable diapers (DD) and began to perform elimination communication (EC) after the age of 1 was significantly higher than that of those who stopped using DD and started EC before 1 year of age (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the occurrence of LUTS without toiled training (TT) (P < 0.05). The prevalence of LUTS in males was significantly higher than in females (P < 0.05). LUTS in children and adolescents with constipation was significantly higher compared to those without constipation (P < 0.05). The detection rate of abnormal psychological behavior in the LUTS group was 44.6%, which was significantly higher than that in the no LUTS group (21.4%, P < 0.05). The scores of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer communication problems were significantly higher in the LUTS group than the control group.

Conclusions

In Mainland China, the prevalence of LUTS in children and adolescents is high. Continued use of DD after 1 year of age, history of urinary tract infection, lack of TT, and constipation were risk factors for LUTS. EC before 1 year of age is a protective factor for LUTS. The prevalence of psychological behavioral abnormalities is high in children and adolescents with LUTS, which needs to be more concerned.
The therapeutic targets and signaling mechanisms of ondansetron in the treatment of critical illness in the ICU
Authors: Tao Lili , Zhang Zhenhui , Li Chuang , Huang Minxuan , Chang Ping
Published: August 2024

Background

There is accumulating evidence regarding the benefits of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron for the treatment of critical illness due to its potential anti-inflammatory effect. This study attempted to determine the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of ondansetron’s action against critical illnesses.

Methods

A bioinformatics analysis of network pharmacology was conducted to demonstrate screening targets and the signaling pathways of ondansetron action against the most common critical illnesses such as acute kidney injury (AKI), sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Experiments of LPS-stimulated rat neutrophils with ondansetron treatment were conducted to further validate the relevant hypothesis.

Results

A total of 198, 111, and 26 primary causal targets were identified from the data for the action of ondansetron against AKI, sepsis, and ARDS respectively. We found that the pathway of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation is statistically significantly involved in the action of ondansetron against these three critical illnesses. In the pathway of NETs formation, the common drug-disease intersection targets in these three critical illnesses were toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8), mitogen-activated protein kinase-14 (MAPK14), nuclear factor kappa-B1 (NFKB1), neutrophil elastase (NE), and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Considering these bioinformatics findings, we concluded that ondansetron anti-critical illness effects are mechanistically and pharmacologically implicated with suppression of neutrophils-associated inflammatory processes. It was also showed that after treatment of LPS-stimulated rat neutrophils with ondansetron, the key proteins NE, MPO, and Peptide Arginine Deaminase 4 (PAD4) in the NETs formation were significantly reduced, and the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and chemokine receptor (CXCR4) were also significantly decreased.

Conclusion

The excessive formation of NETs may have important research value in the development and progression of critical illness. Ondansetron may reduce excessive inflammatory injury in critical diseases by reducing the formation of NETs via influencing the five targets: TLR8, NFKB1, MAPK14, NE, and MPO. Ondansetron and these primary predictive biotargets may potentially be used to treat critical illness in future clinical practice.
The role of the miR-30a-5p/BCL2L11 pathway in rosmarinic acid-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231-derived breast cancer stem-like cells
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhang Yuefen , Huang Xiaomin , Li Dan , Lin Qi , Zhuang Hailin , Li Hong
Published: August 2024

Background

Rosmarinic acid (RA), a natural phenolic acid, exhibits promising anti-cancer properties. The abnormal expression of microRNA (miRNA) regulates the gene expression and plays a role as an oncogenic or tumor suppressor in TNBC. However, the biological role of RA in miR-30a-5p on BCL2L11 during MDA-MB-231 induced breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) progression and its regulatory mechanism have not been elucidated.

Objective

To investigate whether RA inhibited the silencing effect of miR-30a-5p on the BCL2L11 gene and promoted apoptosis in BCSCs.

Materials and Methods

We assessed the migration, colony formation, proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of BCSCs after RA treatment using the wound-healing assay, colony formation assay, CCK-8 assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of mRNA and protein levels of BCL-2, Bax, BCL2L11, and P53 genes in BCSCs after RA treatment was obtained by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Differential miRNA expression in BCSCs was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. Targetscan was utilized to predict the targets of miR-30a-5p. The dual luciferase reporter system was used for validation of the miR-30a-5p target.

Results

Wound-healing assay, colony formation assay, CCK-8 assay, and cell cycle assay results showed that RA inhibited migration, colony formation and viability of BCSCs, and cell cycle arrest in the G0-G1 phase. At the highest dose of RA, we noticed cell atrophy, while the arrest rate at 100 μg/mL RA surpassed that at 200 μg/mL RA. Apoptotic cells appeared early (Membrane Associated Protein V FITC+, PI−) or late (Membrane Associated Protein V FITC+, PI+) upon administration of 200 μg/mL RA, Using high-throughput sequencing to compare the differences in miRNA expression, we detected downregulation of miR-30a-5p expression, and the results of dual luciferase reporter gene analysis indicated that BCL2L11 was a direct target of miR-30a-5p.

Conclusion

RA inhibited the silencing effect of miR-30a-5p on the BCL2L11 gene and enhanced apoptosis in BCSCs.
Research progress on the natural products in the intervention of myocardial infarction
Authors: Guo Qiuting , Wang Jinhui , Ni Caixia , Pan Jiaojiao , Zou Junbo , Shi Yajun , Sun Jing , Zhang Xiaofei , Wang Deng , Luan Fei
Published: August 2024

Coronary heart disease is a prevalent cardiovascular ailment globally, with myocardial infarction (MI) being one of its most severe manifestations. The morbidity and mortality of MI are escalating, showing an increasing trend among younger, highly educated individuals, thereby posing a serious threat to public health. Currently, thrombolysis, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass grafting are the primary clinical treatments for MI. Although these methods significantly reduce patient mortality, complications often result in poor prognoses. Due to limitations in chemical synthetic drug research, the focus has shifted towards developing herbs based on natural substances. Natural medicines represent a novel approach for safer and more effective MI management and treatment. They can control multiple pathogenic variables by targeting various pathways and systems. This paper investigates the molecular mechanisms of MI and evaluates the application of natural products and medicinal plants in MI treatment over the past 5 years, demonstrating their specific good therapeutic potential and superior tolerance. These natural therapies have been shown to mitigate myocardial cell damage caused by MI through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, myocardial fibrosis, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitophagy, and pyroptosis. This review offers the latest insights into the application of natural products and medicinal plants in MI treatment, elucidating their mechanisms of action and serving as an important reference for MI prevention.
A review of the fernane-type triterpenoids as anti-fungal drugs
Authors: Liu Chun-Yue , Zhang Lu , Liu Si-Xuan , Lu Yong-Fu , Li Chang , Pei Yue-Hu
Published: August 2024

Human fungal pathogens could cause a broad plethora of infections in both the immunocompetent and immunocompromised host. Fungal infections have become important causes of morbidity and mortality in recent years, the current arsenal of anti-fungal therapies was restricted. Ibrexafungerp was a novel, highly bioavailable glucan synthase inhibitor formulated for both intravenous and oral administration being developed by Scynexis; it was also the first novel anti-fungal drug class approved in more than 20 years. Ibrexafungerp was one semi-synthetic derivative of enfumafungin, a natural product isolated from fungi. This review reported the discovery of enfumafungin and ibrexafungerp, their anti-fungal mechanism, summed up 63 fernane-type triterpenoids from natural products, including 49 from plants, 9 from fungi and 5 from lichen. In addition, the review summarized the progress of enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of type II fernane triterpenoid (enfumafungin skeleton) and type I fernane triterpenoid (polytolypin skeleton). The good example kept our confidence up for searching for new leading compounds and discovering drugs from fungi.
Driving forces of herbaceous species diversity in natural broadleaf forests from in Maoershan from Northeast China
Authors: Sheng Qi , Dong Lingbo , Liu Zhaogang
Published: August 2024

The understory herbaceous flora plays a pivotal role in regulating the structural stability, complexity, and ecological function of forest communities. It is crucial to investigate the impact of the intricate connections between these factors and the forces driving the diversity of herbaceous species within natural broadleaf understory forests can assist forest managers in developing optimal forest structure optimization techniques, allowing them to adjust the forest species diversity. In this study, Pearson correlation analysis, conventional correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were employed to elucidate the relationship between stand structure, soil nutrients, and understory herbaceous species richness in natural broadleaved forests. Structural equation modeling was utilized to ascertain the influence of multiple factors on understory herbaceous species diversity and to evaluate the underlying pathways. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between stand closure and the Simpson’s and Shannon-Wiener’s indices, and between the mixing degree and the Pielou evenness index, Simpson’s index, and Shannon-Wiener’s index (p<0.05). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between soil nutrients, specifically organic matter and total phosphorus, and the Pielou evenness index and Shannon-Wiener’s index (p<0.05). It was found that total phosphorus was significantly positively correlated with both the Pielou evenness index and the Shannon-Wiener index (p<0.05). The correlation coefficients of the first group of typical variables in the typical correlation analysis were 0.498 and 0.585, respectively (p<0.05). From the set of typical variables of stand structure, it can be seen that the Hegyi competition index and the canopy density affected the diversity of understory herbaceous plants. The composite index demonstrated the greatest impact, with loadings of 0.872 and -0.506, respectively. The Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices exhibited the most sensitive loadings of -0.441 and -0.408, respectively. The soil nutrients of SOM and TN affected the understory herbaceous plant species diversity composite index, with greater loadings of -0.184 and 1.002, respectively. The path coefficient of the understory herbaceous diversity stand structure was 0.35. The path coefficient with soil nutrient content was found to be 0.23 following structural equation analysis and the path coefficient between stand structure and soil nutrient content was 0.21, which indirectly affect the diversity of understory herbaceous species. To enhance the diversity of herbaceous species, it is recommended that the canopy density and tree density of the upper forest be reduced appropriately, while the degree of mixing and the level of spatial distribution of trees be adjusted in a manner that maintains a reasonable stand structure. Furthermore, a comprehensive forest management program for improving soil nutrients should be considered.
Re-analyzing and confirming a differential use of redintegration in students with mild and borderline intellectual disabilities
Authors: Bruns Gunnar
Published: August 2024

While numerous studies on verbal working memory have investigated the capacity of the phonological loop and the effectiveness of rehearsal as one core process for maintaining the memory trace, the reconstruction of the memory trace from long-term memory, called redintegration, has been studied less thoroughly. This holds particularly for the population of students with special educational learning needs and mild and borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID). In a previous study, we found a differential developmental relation between the effectiveness of redintegration and vocabulary size, counter-intuitively suggesting that students with MBID tend to show less effective redintegration with higher vocabulary size. However, differential item functioning (DIF) in the picture naming task may have biased the result. Therefore, the current study is a re-analysis of this interaction controlling for DIF in the vocabulary measure. To this end, the items of the picture naming task (k = 95) were analyzed through a Rasch model, and k = 29 biased items were excluded. The resulting corrected vocabulary score was used to predict the redintegration effectiveness, comparing students with and without MBID. The interaction remains significant, supporting the original finding that students with MBID have a differential developmental pattern and are less able to make adequate use of a growing vocabulary when reconstructing traces in their working memory. Implications of this result for the understanding of MBID and further research directions are discussed.
Age-related changes in connected speech production: evidence from eye-tracking in the culturally adapted picture description task
Authors: Lee Hyeri , Choi Yoomi , Sung Jee Eun
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Age-related changes in connected speech production remain a subject of debate, yielding inconsistent findings across various tasks and measures. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aging on picture description tasks using two types of pictures: a standardized picture (the Beach picture) and a culturally and linguistically modified picture tailored for Korean speakers (the Han River picture).

Method

Twenty-four young adults and 22 older adults participated in two picture description tasks while their eye movements were recorded. Word-level linguistic variables were used to assess informativeness (Correct Information Units per minute) and productivity (noun and verb counts per utterance) of connected speech production. Eye-movement measures were employed to evaluate real-time cognitive processing associated with planning connected speech (pre-speech fixation counts and durations; eye fixations before the speech onset of each utterance).

Results and conclusions

The findings revealed age-related declines in linguistic measures, with older adults exhibiting decreased CIUs per minute and smaller counts of nouns and verbs per utterance. Age-related changes in eye movement measures were evident in that older adults displayed longer pre-speech fixation durations. Unlike younger adults, older adults exhibited higher pre-speech fixation counts on the Han River picture compared to the Beach picture, suggesting cognitive challenges in performing the task that requires producing more words and detailed descriptions. These results suggest that aging is associated with reduced informativeness and productivity of connected speech, as well as a decline in cognitive processing efficiency.
What do adults with visual impairment mean by well-being? Identifying the building blocks of well-being in the context of visual impairment
Authors: Heinze Nikki , Davies Ffion , York Sarah , Chan Stephanie Hoi-Ying , Farrell Derek , Gomes Renata S. M.
Published: August 2024

Background

Well-being has become a key outcome of health and support services for adults with visual impairment (V.I.). However, there is a lack of consensus on how well-being is conceptualized and assessed in V.I. research, if it is defined at all. A shared understanding of what well-being means in the context of adult V.I. is essential to enable comparison of findings across studies and collaboration between support organizations.

Methods

This article reports findings from a series of four online focus groups with adults with V.I. and one with practitioners working in the field of adult V.I. The focus groups explored what participants meant by well-being and which factors impacted their well-being. A total of 17 adults with V.I. and five practitioners took part. A list of all components of well-being, factors that impact well-being, and items in the protective buffer that may mitigate the impact of factors on well-being were extracted from the data.

Results

Despite the noted difficulty in defining well-being and disagreement around the extent to which well-being was universal or individual, a preliminary model of well-being emerged from the focus group discussions. The core of well-being reflects an overall feeling of contentment arising from a positive evaluation of how one is feeling, how one is feeling within oneself, and how one is feeling about one’s life. Factors relating to balance/equilibrium, health, mood, other people, the self, and a sense of security and purpose can positively or negatively impact well-being. This impact may be mitigated by a protective buffer consisting of one’s mood, mindset, ability to cope, resilience, and acceptance. Many items were discussed in multiple roles, e.g., as a component of well-being or factor.

Conclusion

This research took a bottom-up approach to explore what well-being means in the context of adult V.I. The role of certain items and the structure of the proposed model of well-being will need to be confirmed in future research with stakeholders across the V.I. sector.
Implementing an integrated family approach in mental health care for families experiencing complex and multiple problems: a case example in Amsterdam
Authors: Zegwaard Agnes H. , Koop Frederieke J. , Beuk Nico , Broeks Carlinde W. , Van Rien L. , Konijn Carolien , Franken Aart , Middeldorp Christel M. , Hein Irma M.
Published: August 2024

For youth care professionals who work with families with complex needs, we implemented an interagency, family-focused approach involving child and adult mental health care services and child protection services. The primary objective of the collaboration was to minimize fragmentation in service delivery and to improve practitioners’ self-efficacy in supporting families. A total of 50 families were enrolled between 2020 and 2023. Quantitative descriptive analysis was conducted to map the sample characteristics and the correlations between the practitioners’ consultation requests and the recommendations they received. We evaluated the applicability of the model using semi-structured interviews. Results revealed the frequent socioeconomic and psychosocial challenges and co-current mental health issues faced by the families. As expected, practitioners who work with families experiencing complex and multiple problems encountered a range of difficulties in their service delivery. These related to barriers such as poor role demarcation between organizations, practitioners’ unrealistic expectations of other services, the impact of multiple problems on family well-being, and complicated family dynamics. The interprofessional collaboration improved the practitioners’ self-efficacy in supporting families. They also perceived improvements in child safety. The study emphasizes the need for clear pathways for youth care practitioners to obtain assistance from adult mental health services and to liaise with community support and services. It proposes including adults and young people with lived experiences in the interprofessional collaboration. The study data provides initial evidence that the interagency model has added value for youth care professionals who struggle with issues in family-focused care.
Excess death estimates compared with state-reported and observed COVID-19 deaths, New Jersey and the United States, 2020–2022
Authors: Reichbind Diana , Mehari Lemlem , Ojo Mojisola , Bayoumi Nagla , Lifshitz Edward
Published: August 2024

Deaths associated with COVID-19 in the United States are currently estimated to be over 1.2 million, but the true burden of mortality due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus is unknown. Methods for identifying and reporting deaths related to COVID-19 differ between jurisdictions, and concerns about overreporting and underreporting exist. Excess death estimates for the pandemic period, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, may be used to approximate the number of COVID-19-associated deaths. In this analysis, we first describe the process by which the New Jersey Department of Health identified, classified, and reported COVID-19-associated deaths from January 2020 through December 2022. The National Center for Health Statistics’ excess deaths estimates are first compared with New Jersey’s reported COVID-19-associated deaths, and then with the observed COVID-19-associated deaths in the entire United States, by month, from January 2020 through December 2022. New Jersey’s reported COVID-19-associated deaths (n = 35,555) accounted for (and slightly exceeded) the state’s excess deaths estimated by the National Center for Health Statistics for 2020–2022 (n = 30,365). However, the overall number of United States observed COVID-19 deaths for 2020–2022 (n = 1,094,230) for the study period did not account for all estimated excess deaths in the nation for the same period (n = 1,233,366). The general congruence of New Jersey’s reported COVID-19 deaths and the National Center for Health Statistics’ excess death estimates may be due in part to New Jersey’s early detailed classification system for identifying and reporting deaths associated with COVID-19, leading to more accurate COVID-19 death reporting by the state.
Impact of education and income inequalities on life expectancy: insights from the new EU members
Authors: Sart Gamze , Bayar Yilmaz , Danilina Marina
Published: August 2024

Life expectancy is one of the primary population health indicators and in turn increases in life expectancy indicate improvements in population health and human welfare. Therefore, one of the ultimate goals of the countries is to increase the life expectancy. This article studies the effect of education and income inequalities, ICT indicators, CO2 emissions, and real GDP per capita on life expectancy in the new EU members for the period of 2010–2022 by employing fixed effects regression. The coefficients of panel regression uncover that education and income inequalities and CO2 emissions negatively impact life expectancy, but ICT indicators of internet usage and mobile cellular subscriptions and real GDP per capita positively affects the life expectancy. The findings of the panel regression analysis indicate that public policies to decrease the inequalities in education and income will make a contribution to life expectancy.
The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in pediatric type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hu Catherine , Cioana Milena , Saini Amandeep , Ragganandan Stephanie , Deng Jiawen , Nadarajah Ajantha , Hou Maggie , Qiu Yuan , Chen Sondra Song Jie , Rivas Angelica , Pal Toor Parm , Banfield Laura , Thabane Lehana , Samaan M. Constantine
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is on the rise in the pediatric population. One of the main associations of T2DM is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet the full burden of NAFLD in T2DM is unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in pediatric patients with T2DM. We also aimed to evaluate the association of sex, race/ethnicity, geographic location, NAFLD diagnostic methods, and glycemic control with NAFLD prevalence in this population.

Methods

Literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Web of Science Core Collection from database inception to 11 May 2023. This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42018091127). Observational studies with ≥10 participants reporting the prevalence of NAFLD in pediatric patients with T2DM were included. Four teams of two independent reviewers and one team with three reviewers screened articles and identified 26 papers fulfilling the eligibility criteria. Data extraction, risk of bias assessment, level of evidence assessment, and meta-analysis were performed.

Results

The pooled prevalence of NAFLD was 33.82% (95% CI: 24.23–44.11), and NASH prevalence was 0.28% (95% CI: 0.00–1.04). The Middle East had the highest NAFLD prevalence of 55.88% (95% CI: 45.2–66.29), and Europe had the lowest prevalence of 22.46% (95% CI: 9.33–38.97). The prevalence of NAFLD was 24.17% (95% CI, 17.26–31.81) when only liver function tests were used, but it increased to 48.85% (95% CI, 34.31–63.48) when the latter tests were combined with ultrasound. Studies reporting solely on an ultrasound-based diagnosis of NAFLD reported a prevalence of 40.61% (95% CI, 17.25–66.42) compared to 54.72% (95% CI, 34.76–73.95) in studies using magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy. No differences in prevalence were noted based on glycemic control. Heterogeneity was high among studies.

Conclusion

NAFLD is a common comorbidity in pediatric T2DM. Further understanding of the optimal screening approaches for NAFLD diagnosis and evaluating its determinants and natural history are warranted to help establish its exact burden and to aid in the development of targeted screening, management, and prevention strategies for NAFLD in pediatric T2DM patients.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42018091127, PROSPERO CRD42018091127.
Forms and correlates of child maltreatment among autistic children involved in child protection services
Authors: Dion Jacinthe , Paquette Geneviève , De La Sablonnière-Griffin Mireille , Argumedes Malena , Martin-Storey Alexa , Bolduc Marie-Louise , Hélie Sonia , Bussières Ève-Line
Published: August 2024

Background

Child maltreatment is a significant social problem impacting both health and society, with severe and enduring consequences. Certain children, such as those with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, may be more at risk of experiencing maltreatment. However, little research has examined the characteristics of these children. This study aimed to compare child maltreatment and child protection services experienced by autistic children to those of non-autistic children.

Method

Drawing from a representative selection of verified cases of child abuse investigated by child protection services in Quebec, Canada, a sample of 1,805 substantiated child maltreatment cases were analyzed.

Results

Overall, 4.0% (n = 73) of children had child protection services-reported autism diagnoses. Attention-deficit (OR = 2.207) and attachment problems risk (OR = 2.899) were higher among autistic children compared to non-autistic children. They were more likely to be boys (OR = 5.747), and to present with an intellectual disability (OR = 11.987), but less likely to have previously been investigated by child protection services (OR = 0.722).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that autistic children who have been maltreated are facing specific challenges that require protective interventions tailored to their specific needs.
Social robots as skilled ignorant peers for supporting learning
Authors: Nasir Jauwairia , Bruno Barbara , Dillenbourg Pierre
Published: August 2024

When designing social robots for educational settings, there is often an emphasis on domain knowledge. This presents challenges: 1) Either robots must autonomously acquire domain knowledge, a currently unsolved problem in HRI, or 2) the designers provide this knowledge implying re-programming the robot for new contexts. Recent research explores alternative, relatively easier to port, knowledge areas like student rapport, engagement, and synchrony though these constructs are typically treated as the ultimate goals, when the final goal should be students’ learning. Our aim is to propose a shift in how engagement is considered, aligning it naturally with learning. We introduce the notion of a skilled ignorant peer robot: a robot peer that has little to no domain knowledge but possesses knowledge of student behaviours conducive to learning, i.e., behaviours indicative of productive engagement as extracted from student behavioral profiles. We formally investigate how such a robot’s interventions manipulate the children’s engagement conducive to learning. Specifically, we evaluate two versions of the proposed robot, namely, Harry and Hermione, in a user study with 136 students where each version differs in terms of the intervention strategy. Harry focuses on which suggestions to intervene with from a pool of communication, exploration, and reflection inducing suggestions, while Hermione also carefully considers when and why to intervene. While the teams interacting with Harry have higher productive engagement correlated to learning, this engagement is not affected by the robot’s intervention scheme. In contrast, Hermione’s well-timed interventions, deemed more useful, correlate with productive engagement though engagement is not correlated to learning. These results highlight the potential of a social educational robot as a skilled ignorant peer and stress the importance of precisely timing the robot interventions in a learning environment to be able to manipulate moderating variable of interest such as productive engagement.