bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neural circuits for binocular vision: Ocular dominance, interocular matching, and disparity selectivity
Authors: Cang Jianhua , Fu Jieming , Tanabe Seiji
Published: February 2023

The brain creates a single visual percept of the world with inputs from two eyes. This means that downstream structures must integrate information from the two eyes coherently. Not only does the brain meet this challenge effortlessly, it also uses small differences between the two eyes’ inputs, i.e., binocular disparity, to construct depth information in a perceptual process called stereopsis. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the neural circuits underlying stereoscopic vision and its development. Here, we review these advances in the context of three binocular properties that have been most commonly studied for visual cortical neurons: ocular dominance of response magnitude, interocular matching of orientation preference, and response selectivity for binocular disparity. By focusing mostly on mouse studies, as well as recent studies using ferrets and tree shrews, we highlight unresolved controversies and significant knowledge gaps regarding the neural circuits underlying binocular vision. We note that in most ocular dominance studies, only monocular stimulations are used, which could lead to a mischaracterization of binocularity. On the other hand, much remains unknown regarding the circuit basis of interocular matching and disparity selectivity and its development. We conclude by outlining opportunities for future studies on the neural circuits and functional development of binocular integration in the early visual system.
Learning and change in a dual lexicon model of speech production
Authors: Davis Maya , Redford Melissa A.
Published: February 2023

Speech motor processes and phonological forms influence one another because speech and language are acquired and used together. This hypothesis underpins the Computational Core (CC) model, which provides a framework for understanding the limitations of perceptually-driven changes to production. The model assumes a lexicon of motor and perceptual wordforms linked to concepts and whole-word production based on these forms. Motor wordforms are built up with speech practice. Perceptual wordforms encode ambient language patterns in detail. Speech production is the integration of the two forms. Integration results in an output trajectory through perceptual-motor space that guides articulation. Assuming successful communication of the intended concept, the output trajectory is incorporated into the existing motor wordform for that concept. Novel word production exploits existing motor wordforms to define a perceptually-acceptable path through motor space that is further modified by the perceptual wordform during integration. Simulation results show that, by preserving a distinction between motor and perceptual wordforms in the lexicon, the CC model can account for practice-based changes in the production of known words and for the effect of expressive vocabulary size on production accuracy of novel words.
Sincere praise and flattery: reward value and association with the praise-seeking trait
Authors: Fujiwara Shotaro , Ishibashi Ryo , Tanabe-Ishibashi Azumi , Kawashima Ryuta , Sugiura Motoaki
Published: February 2023

Sincere praise reliably conveys positive or negative feedback, while flattery always conveys positive but unreliable feedback. These two praise types have not been compared in terms of communication effectiveness and individual preferences using neuroimaging. Through functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured brain activity when healthy young participants received sincere praise or flattery after performing a visual search task. Higher activation was observed in the right nucleus accumbens during sincere praise than during flattery, and praise reliability correlated with posterior cingulate cortex activity, implying a rewarding effect of sincere praise. In line with this, sincere praise uniquely activated several cortical areas potentially involved in concern regarding others’ evaluations. A high praise-seeking tendency was associated with lower activation of the inferior parietal sulcus during sincere praise compared to flattery after poor task performance, potentially reflecting suppression of negative feedback to maintain self-esteem. In summary, the neural dynamics of the rewarding and socio-emotional effects of praise differed.
Predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest by combining computational parameters extracted from standard and deviant responses from auditory evoked potentials
Authors: Floyrac Aymeric , Doumergue Adrien , Legriel Stéphane , Deye Nicolas , Megarbane Bruno , Richard Alexandra , Meppiel Elodie , Masmoudi Sana , Lozeron Pierre , Vicaut Eric , Kubis Nathalie , Holcman David
Published: February 2023

Background

Despite multimodal assessment (clinical examination, biology, brain MRI, electroencephalography, somatosensory evoked potentials, mismatch negativity at auditory evoked potentials), coma prognostic evaluation remains challenging.

Methods

We present here a method to predict the return to consciousness and good neurological outcome based on classification of auditory evoked potentials obtained during an oddball paradigm. Data from event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded noninvasively using four surface electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes in a cohort of 29 post-cardiac arrest comatose patients (between day 3 and day 6 following admission). We extracted retrospectively several EEG features (standard deviation and similarity for standard auditory stimulations and number of extrema and oscillations for deviant auditory stimulations) from the time responses in a window of few hundreds of milliseconds. The responses to the standard and the deviant auditory stimulations were thus considered independently. By combining these features, based on machine learning, we built a two-dimensional map to evaluate possible group clustering.

Results

Analysis in two-dimensions of the present data revealed two separated clusters of patients with good versus bad neurological outcome. When favoring the highest specificity of our mathematical algorithms (0.91), we found a sensitivity of 0.83 and an accuracy of 0.90, maintained when calculation was performed using data from only one central electrode. Using Gaussian, K-neighborhood and SVM classifiers, we could predict the neurological outcome of post-anoxic comatose patients, the validity of the method being tested by a cross-validation procedure. Moreover, the same results were obtained with one single electrode (Cz).

Conclusion

statistics of standard and deviant responses considered separately provide complementary and confirmatory predictions of the outcome of anoxic comatose patients, better assessed when combining these features on a two-dimensional statistical map. The benefit of this method compared to classical EEG and ERP predictors should be tested in a large prospective cohort. If validated, this method could provide an alternative tool to intensivists, to better evaluate neurological outcome and improve patient management, without neurophysiologist assistance.
Development and validation of a nomogram to evaluate the therapeutic effects of second-line axitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Lin Dengqiang , Lai Peng , Zhang Wen , Lin Jinglai , Wang Hang , Hu Xiaoyi , Guo Jianming
Published: February 2023

The unpredictable biological behavior and tumor heterogeneity of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) cause significant differences in axitinib efficacy. The aim of this study is to establish a predictive model based on clinicopathological features to screen patients with mRCC who can benefit from axitinib treatment. A total of 44 patients with mRCC were enrolled and divided into the training set and validation set. In the training set, variables related with the therapeutic efficacy of second-line treatment with axitinib were screened through univariate Cox proportional hazards regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses. A predictive model was subsequently established to assess the therapeutic efficacy of second-line treatment with axitinib. The predictive performance of the model was evaluated by analyzing the concordance index and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic, calibration, and decision curves. The accuracy of the model was similarly verified in the validation set. The International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) grade, albumin, calcium, and adverse reaction grade were identified as the best predictors of the efficacy of second-line axitinib treatment. Adverse reaction grade was an independent prognostic index that correlated with the therapeutic effects of second-line treatment with axitinib. Concordance index value of the model was 0.84. Area under curve values for the prediction of 3-, 6-, and 12-month progression-free survival after axitinib treatment were 0.975, 0.909, and 0.911, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good fit between the predicted and actual probabilities of progression-free survival at 3, 6, and 12 months. The results were verified in the validation set. Decision curve analysis revealed that the nomogram based on a combination of four clinical parameters (IMDC grade, albumin, calcium, and adverse reaction grade) had more net benefit than adverse reaction grade alone. Our predictive model can be useful for clinicians to identify patients with mRCC who can benefit from second-line treatment with axitinib.
Breastfeeding and respiratory, ear and gastro-intestinal infections, in children, under the age of one year, admitted through the paediatric emergency departments of five hospitals
Authors: Branger Bernard , Bainier Amaïa , Martin Laureen , Darviot Estelle , Forgeron Aude , Sarthou Laurent , Wagner Anne-Claire , Blanchais Thomas , Brigly Thomas , Troussier Françoise
Published: February 2023

Background

Breastfeeding is a protective factor against respiratory and intestinal infections in developing countries. In developed countries, proof of this protection is more difficult to show. The objective of the study is to compare the proportion of children breastfed during their first year in groups of children with infectious pathologies supposedly prevented by breastfeeding and children free of these infectious pathologies.

Method

Questionnaires about diet, socio-demographic data and the motive for consultation were given to the parents upon arrival in the paediatric emergency departments of 5 hospitals located in Pays de Loire (France) in 2018 and 2019. Children with lower respiratory tract infections, acute gastroenteritis and acute otitis media were included in the case group (A), children admitted for other reasons were included in the same control group (B). Breastfeeding was classified as exclusive or partial.

Results

During the study period, 741 infants were included, of which 266 (35.9%) in group A. In this group, children were significantly less likely to have been breastfed at the time of admission than children in group B: for example, for children under 6 months, 23.3% were currently breastfed in group A, vs. 36.6% (weaned BF or formula diet) in group B [OR = 0.53 (0.34–0.82); p = 0.004]. Similar results were found at 9 and 12 months. After taking into account the age of the patients, the same results were confirmed with an aOR = 0.60 (0.38–0.94) (p = 0.02) at 6 months, but with when considering six variables six variables, aOR was not significative aOR = 0.65 (0.40–1.05); p = 0.08), meaning that factors such as the childcare out of home, socio-professional categories, and the pacifier decrease the protective effect of breastfeeding. Sensitivity analyses (age-matching, analysis by type of infection) showed the same protection effect provided by breastfeeding when it was pursued for at least 6 months and also that the protective effect of breastfeeding is especially true against gastro-enteritis.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding is a protective factor against respiratory, gastrointestinal and ear infections when pursued at least 6 months after birth. Other factors such as collective childcare, pacifiers and low parental professional status can reduce the protective effect of breastfeeding.
A multicenter clinical study on parent-implemented early intervention for children with global developmental delay
Authors: Dong Ping , Xu Qiong , Zhang Ying , Li Dong-yun , Zhou Bing-rui , Hu Chun-chun , Liu Chun-xue , Tang Xin-rui , Fu Shi-yun , Zhang Lan , Li Hai-feng , Jia Fei-yong , Tong Xiu-bin , Wang Jie , Li Hui-ping , Xu Xiu
Published: February 2023

Objective

Early identification and intervention for children with global developmental delay (GDD) can significantly improve their prognosis and reduce the possibility of developing intellectual disability in the future. This study aimed to explore the clinical effectiveness of a parent-implemented early intervention program (PIEIP) for GDD, providing a research basis for the extended application of this intervention strategy in the future.

Methods

During the period between September 2019 and August 2020, children aged 3 to 6 months diagnosed with GDD were selected from each research center as the experimental group and the control group. For the experimental group, the PIEIP intervention was conducted for the parent-child pair. Mid-term and end-stage assessments were performed, respectively, at 12 and 24 months of age, and parenting stress surveys were completed.

Results

The average age of the enrolled children was 4.56 ± 1.08 months for the experimental group (n = 153) and 4.50 ± 1.04 months for the control group (n = 153). The comparative analysis of the variation in the progress between the two groups by independent t-test showed that, after the experimental intervention, the developmental quotient (DQ) of locomotor, personal-social, and language, as well as the general quotient (GQ) of the Griffiths Mental Development Scale-Chinese (GDS-C), the children in the experimental group demonstrated higher progress than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in the mean standard score of dysfunctional interaction, difficult children and the total level of parental stress in the term test for the experimental groups (P < 0.001 for all).

Conclusions

PIEIP intervention can significantly improve the developmental outcome and prognosis of children with GDD, especially in the areas of locomotor, personal-social, and language.
Oral exploration and food selectivity: A case-control study conducted in a multidisciplinary outpatient setting
Authors: Bellaïche Marc , Leblanc Véronique , Viala Jérôme , Jung Camille
Published: February 2023

Background

Pediatric feeding disorders (PFDs) are common, and their great phenotypic variability reflects the breadth of the associated nosological profiles. PFDs should be assessed and managed by multidisciplinary teams. Our study aimed to describe clinical signs of feeding difficulties in a group of PFD patients assessed by such a team, and to compare them with children in a control group.

Methods

In this case-control study, case group patients 1 to 6 years old were consecutively recruited through the multidisciplinary unit for the treatment of pediatric feeding difficulties based at Robert Debré Teaching Hospital in Paris, France. Children with an encephalopathy, severe neurometabolic disorder, or genetic syndrome (suspected or confirmed) were excluded. Members of the control group, consisting of children with no feeding difficulties (i.e., Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale scores below 60) or severe chronic diseases, were recruited from a day care center and 2 kindergartens. Data from medical histories and clinical examination related to mealtime practices, oral motor skills, neurodevelopment, sensory processing, and any functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) were recorded and compared between groups.

Results

In all, 244 PFD cases were compared with 109 controls (mean ages: cases, 3.42 [±1.47]; controls, 3.32 [±1.17]; P = 0.55). Use of distractions during meals was much more among PFD children (cases, 77.46%; controls, 5.5%; P < 0.001), as was conflict during meals. While the groups did not differ in their members’ hand-mouth coordination or ability to grab objects, cases began exploring their environments later; mouthing, especially, was less common in the case group (cases, n = 80 [32.92%]; controls, n = 102 [94.44%]; P < 0.001). FGIDs and signs of visual, olfactory, tactile, and oral hypersensitivity were significantly more frequent among cases.

Conclusion

Initial clinical assessments showed that, in the children with PFDs, normal stages of environmental exploration were altered, and that this was often associated with signs of sensory hypersensitivity and digestive discomfort.
Case Report: Novel rare mutation c.6353C > G in the ABCA12 gene causing harlequin ichthyosis identified by whole exome sequencing
Authors: Tran Van Khanh , Diep Quang Minh , Zilong Qiu , Phuong Le Thi , Tran Hai Anh , Van Tung Nguyen , Lien Nguyen Thi Kim , Xuan Nguyen Thi , Ha Le Thi , Van Ta Thanh , Tran Thinh Huy , Hoang Nguyen Huy
Published: February 2023

Background

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe rare genetic disease that mainly affects the skin. Neonates with this disease are born with thick skin and large diamond-shaped plates covering most of their bodies. Affected neonates lose the ability to control dehydration and regulate temperature and are more susceptible to infections. They also face respiratory failure and feeding problems. These clinical symptoms are factors associated with high mortality rates of neonates with HI. Until now, there are still no effective treatments for HI patients and most patients die in the newborn period. Mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which encodes an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, has been demonstrated as the major cause of HI.

Case presentation

In this study, we report the case who is one infant that was born prematurely at 32 gestational weeks with the whole body covered with thick plate-like scales of skin. The infant was severely infected with mild edema, multiple cracked skins full of the body, yellow discharge, and necrosis of fingers and toes. The infant was suspected to be affected by HI. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed as a tool for detecting the novel mutation in one prematurely born Vietnam infant with HI phenotype. And after that, the mutation was confirmed by the Sanger sequencing method in the patient and the members of his family. In this case, one novel mutation c.6353C > G (p.S2118X, Hom) in the ABCA12 gene, was detected in the patient. The mutation has not been reported in any HI patients previously. This mutation was also found in a heterozygous state in the members of the patient's family, including his parents, an older brother, and an older sister who are no symptoms.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified a novel mutation in a Vietnamese patient with HI by whole exome sequencing. The results for the patient and the members of his family will be helpful in understanding the etiology of the disease, diagnosing carriers, assisting in genetic counseling, and emphasizing the need for DNA-based prenatal screening for families with a history of the disease.
Celastrol-regulated gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism alleviate hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation by regulating the interaction between FXR and RXRα in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Zeng Dequan , Zhang Lipen , Luo Qiang
Published: February 2023

Celastrol, a triterpene derived from Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f; Celastraceae), a traditional Chinese herb, has promising anticancer activity. The present study aimed to elucidate an indirect mechanism of celastrol-mediated alleviation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via gut microbiota-regulated bile acid metabolism and downstream signaling. Here, we constructed a rat model of orthotopic HCC and performed 16S rDNA sequencing and UPLC-MS analysis. The results showed that celastrol could regulate gut bacteria; suppress the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis; raise the levels of glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA), a bile acid; and alleviate HCC. We found that GUDCA suppressed cellular proliferation and induced the arrest of mTOR/S6K1 pathway-associated cell cycle G0/G1 phase in HepG2 cells. Further analyses using molecular simulations, Co-IP, and immunofluorescence assays revealed that GUDCA binds to farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and regulates the interaction of FXR with retinoid X receptor a (RXRα). Transfection experiments using the FXR mutant confirmed that FXR is essential for GUCDA-mediated suppression of HCC cellular proliferation. Finally, animal experiments showed that the treatment with the combination of celastrol/GUDCA alleviated the adverse effects of celastrol alone treatment on body weight loss and improved survival in rats with HCC. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that celastrol exerts an alleviating effect on HCC, in part via regulation of the B. fragilis-GUDCA-FXR/RXRα-mTOR axis.
Mutual fund net flows in China: A co-holding network perspective
Authors: Ma Yue , Zhao Jichang , Lu Shan
Published: February 2023

As the largest part of the mutual fund, open-end funds play a critical role in the Chinese mutual fund market. In this work, we construct an undirected weighted fund network of Chinese open-end funds based on the asset co-holding and explore whether funds’ co-holdings influence their net flows. The network structure traits are introduced into a panel data model to examine the impact of the asset co-holding network on fund flow changes. It is revealed that when a fund has more connections with other funds, indicated by a higher degree in the co-holding network, it receives more net flows. However, when the average co-holding value of a fund increases, its outflows outnumber the inflows. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis suggests that this effect particularly exists for low-performance funds. The implications of these findings for fund investor behavior and the fund market are also discussed.
Mitochondrial dysfunction in animal models of PTSD: Relationships between behavioral models, neural regions, and cellular maladaptation
Authors: Kaplan Gary B. , Dadhi Neysa A. , Whitaker Carius S.
Published: February 2023

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related condition that produces distressing fear memory intrusions, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, stress responses, insomnia and other symptoms. This review of rodent models of PTSD examines trauma effects on fear-related learning, cognition, and avoidance, emotional and arousal behaviors and on mitochondrial dysfunction in relevant neural pathways. The review focuses on research that includes four elements: consensus PTSD rodent models, behavioral phenotyping, mitochondrial dysfunction within key neural regions. This approach allows for the integration of behavioral, neural and cellular findings in PTSD models. The PTSD models reviewed include fear conditioning, predator/social stress, chronic restraint stress, single prolonged stress, social isolation, chronic unpredictable stress and early life stress. These models produce a variety of PTSD-related behaviors that include associative and non-associative fear- and stress-related responses, hyperarousal, avoidance behaviors, cognitive disturbances, social withdrawal, compulsive behaviors, anhedonia-, anxiety- and depression-related behaviors. Neural regions included fear- and stress-related regions of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampal, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus. PTSD models produced mitochondrial dysfunction that includes dysregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and other metabolic pathways including β-oxidation of fatty acids and the tricarboxylic acid pathway. These models generated neural reactive oxygen species that damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. Trauma models further altered mitochondrial structure and replication and affected neuroinflammatory responses, signal transduction and apoptosis. Antidepressant medications used for the treatment of PTSD reversed stress-induced changes in some PTSD-like behaviors and many elements of brain mitochondrial dysfunction. Future studies can develop PTSD models which are ecologically valid and result in a broader manifestation of PTSD-related behaviors as it is clinically defined. This review highlights mitochondrial mechanisms associated with PTSD-like behaviors that have been produced in an array of consensus PTSD models and identifies putative circuit-based targets for more effective treatment for this debilitating disorder.
Risk of psychiatric readmission in the homeless population: A 10-year follow-up study
Authors: Herrera-Imbroda Jesús , Guzmán-Parra José , Bordallo-Aragón Antonio , Moreno-Küstner Berta , Mayoral-Cleríes Fermín
Published: February 2023

Homelessness continues to be a major social and clinical problem. The homeless population has a higher burden of disease that includes psychiatric disorders. In addition, they have a lower use of ambulatory health services and a higher use of acute care. Few investigations analyze the use of services of this population group in the long term. We analyzed the risk of psychiatric readmission of homeless individuals through survival analysis. All admissions to a mental health hospitalization unit in the city of Malaga, Spain, from 1999 to 2005, have been analyzed. Three analyses were carried out: two intermediate analyses at 30 days and 1 year after starting follow-up; and one final analysis at 10 years. In all cases, the event was readmission to the hospitalization unit. The adjusted Hazard Ratio at 30 days, 1-year, and 10-year follow-ups were 1.387 (p = 0.027), 1.015 (p = 0.890), and 0.826 (p = 0.043), respectively. We have found an increased risk of readmission for the homeless population at 30 days and a decreased risk of readmission at 10 years. We hypothesize that this lower risk of long-term readmission may be due to the high mobility of the homeless population, its low degree of adherence to long-term mental health services, and its high mortality rate. We suggest that time-critical intervention programs in the short term could decrease the high rate of early readmission of the homeless population, and long-term interventions could link them with services and avoid its dispersion and abandonment.
Caudate gray matter volumes and risk of relapse in Type A alcohol-dependent patients: A 7-year MRI follow-up study
Authors: Martelli Catherine , Artiges Eric , Miranda Rubén , Romeo Bruno , Petillion Amélie , Aubin Henri-Jean , Amirouche Ammar , Chanraud Sandra , Benyamina Amine , Martinot Jean-Luc
Published: February 2023

Background

Whether alteration in regional brain volumes can be detected in Type A alcoholics both at baseline and after a long follow-up remains to be confirmed. Therefore, we examined volume alterations at baseline, and longitudinal changes in a small follow-up subsample.

Methods

In total of 26 patients and 24 healthy controls were assessed at baseline using magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry, among which 17 patients and 6 controls were re-evaluated 7 years later. At baseline, regional cerebral volumes of patients were compared to controls. At follow-up, three groups were compared: abstainers (n = 11, more than 2 years of abstinence), relapsers (n = 6, <2 years of abstinence), and controls (n = 6).

Results

The cross-sectional analyses detected, at both times, higher caudate nuclei volumes bilaterally in relapsers compared to abstainers. In abstainers, the longitudinal analysis indicated recovery of normal gray matter volumes in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus, and in the middle cingulate, while white matter volumes recovery was detected in the corpus callosum and in anterior and superior white matter specific regions.

Conclusions

Overall, the present investigation revealed larger caudate nuclei in the relapser AUD patient group both at baseline and at follow-up in the cross-sectional analyses. This finding suggest that a higher caudate volume could be a candidate risk factor of relapse. In patients with specific type A alcohol-dependence, we showed that long-term recovery in fronto-striato-limbic GM and WM volumes occurs during long-term abstinence. These results support the crucial role of frontal circuitry in AUD.
Attentional vigilance of food information in disordered eating behaviors
Authors: Jin Luyao , Han Wenyue , Zheng Zheng
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) are very common among female college students, which seriously endanger their health and well-being. Therefore, the study of the mechanism of DEBs can provide effective evidence for early detection and intervention.

Methods

In total of 54 female college students were recruited and assigned to DEB group (n = 29) and healthy control (HC) group (n = 25) according to their scores in the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Then, the Exogenous Cueing Task (ECT) was used to evaluate their reaction time (RT) to the location of a target dot preceded by a food or neutral cue.

Results

The study found that compared with HC group, DEB group showed more attentional engagement to food stimuli, indicating that attentional vigilance to food information could be considered as a specific attentional bias of DEBs.

Discussion

Our findings not only provide evidence of the potential mechanism of DEBs from the perspective of attentional bias, but also can be considered as an effective and objective indicator for early screening of subclinical eating disorders (EDs).
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A meta-analysis
Authors: Abu El Kheir-Mataria Wafa , Saleh Basma M. , El-Fawal Hassan , Chun Sungsoo
Published: February 2023

Background

Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, vaccine hesitancy has been an issue. Parental hesitancy toward vaccines is a major part of the problem. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is no different, it poses another challenge in facing the pandemic. In Low- and Middle-Income Countries (L&MICs) several studies measured parents' acceptance to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and resulted in different acceptance proportions.

Aims

The paper aims at obtaining a precise estimate of the overall proportion of L&MICs' parents accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and identifying the main determinant of their decisions.

Methods

This meta-analysis follows the PRISMA 2020 statement on updated guidelines and the checklist for reporting systematic reviews. Studies published between December till February 2022 were assessed for inclusion. The final effect size (i.e., the proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19) was measured using the Arcsine proportions method. Analysis was done using R program.

Results

The proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is 49%. The major reason for their acceptance is their belief that COVID-19 vaccine is fundamental to the fight against the pandemic while the most common factor for parents' hesitancy to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is their concerns about vaccine efficacy, safety, and possible side effects.

Conclusion

The proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is lower than the global level. To increase parental acceptance, responsible authorities should concentrate on increasing their population's trust in the government and in vaccine manufacturers. As well as concentrating on increasing acceptance of the vaccine idea in general.
Risk communication and community engagement as an emerging pillar of health emergency management in Iran: Achievements and the way forward
Authors: Senga Mikiko , Kouhestani Marzieh , Hosseini Boroujeni Sayed Mohsen , Ghaderi Ebrahim , Parchami Peyman , Hussain Syed Jaffar
Published: February 2023

This article is part of the Research Topic Health Systems Recovery in the Context of COVID-19 and Protracted Conflict.

Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) is an essential component of emergency preparedness and response. In Iran, RCCE is a relatively new area of public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, the national task force relied on conventional methods, which is to utilize existing primary health care (PHC) structure to implement RCCE activities around the country. The PHC network and the community health volunteers embedded in it enabled the country to bridge the health system and communities from the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RCCE strategy to respond to COVID-19 was adapted over time with the development of a national program, commonly known as the “Shahid Qassem Soleimani” project. This project consisted of six steps including case detection, laboratory testing through the establishment of sampling centers, scale up of clinical care to vulnerable groups, contact tracing, home care for vulnerable population, and COVID-19 vaccination roll out. Nearly 3 years into the pandemic, the importance of designing RCCE for all types of emergencies, allocating a dedicated team to RCCE, coordinating with different stakeholders, improving the capacity of RCCE focal points, practicing more efficient social listening, and using social insight for better planning were identified as some lessons learned. Further, Iran's RCCE experience during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of continuing to invest in the health system, particularly PHC.
A systematic review of barriers and facilitators for hepatitis B and C screening among migrants in the EU/EEA region
Authors: Moonen Chrissy P. B. , den Heijer Casper D. J. , Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H. T. M. , van Dreumel Ragni , Steins Sabine C. J. , Hoebe Christian J. P. A.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Hepatitis B and C are a threat to public health. Screening of high-risk groups, such as migrants from high-endemic areas, enables early identification and treatment initiation. This systematic review identified barriers and facilitators for hepatitis B and C screening among migrants in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA).

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, databases PubMed, Embase via Ovid, and Cochrane were searched for English articles published between 1 July 2015 and 24 February 2022. Articles were included, not restricted to a specific study design, if they elaborated on HBV or HCV screening in migrant populations from countries outside Western Europe, North America, and Oceania, and residing in EU/EEA countries. Excluded were studies with solely an epidemiological or microbiological focus, including only general populations or non-migrant subgroups, or conducted outside the EU/EEA, without qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Data appraisal, extraction, and quality assessment were conducted and assessed by two reviewers. Barriers and facilitators were categorized into seven levels based on multiple theoretical frameworks and included factors related to guidelines, the individual health professional, the migrant and community, interaction, the organization and economics, the political and legal level, and innovations.

Results

The search strategy yielded 2,115 unique articles of which 68 were included. Major identified barriers and facilitators to the success of screening related to the migrant (knowledge and awareness) and community level (culture, religion, support) and the organizational and economic level (capacity, resources, coordinated structures). Given possible language barriers, language support and migrant sensitivity are indispensable for facilitating interaction. Rapid point-of-care-testing is a promising strategy to lower screening barriers.

Discussion

The inclusion of multiple study designs provided extensive insight into barriers, strategies to lower these barriers, and facilitators to maximize the success of screening. A great variety of factors were revealed on multiple levels, therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach for screening, and initiatives should be adopted for the targeted group(s), including tailoring to cultural and religious beliefs. We provide a checklist of facilitators and barriers to inform adapted interventions to allow for optimal screening impact.
Coronavirus diagnosis using cough sounds: Artificial intelligence approaches
Authors: Askari Nasab Kazem , Mirzaei Jamal , Zali Alireza , Gholizadeh Sarfenaz , Akhlaghdoust Meisam
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused irreparable damage to the world. In order to prevent the spread of pathogenicity, it is necessary to identify infected people for quarantine and treatment. The use of artificial intelligence and data mining approaches can lead to prevention and reduction of treatment costs. The purpose of this study is to create data mining models in order to diagnose people with the disease of COVID-19 through the sound of coughing.

Method

In this research, Supervised Learning classification algorithms have been used, which include Support Vector Machine (SVM), random forest, and Artificial Neural Networks, that based on the standard “Fully Connected” neural network, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks have been established. The data used in this research was from the online site sorfeh.com/sendcough/en, which has data collected during the spread of COVID-19.

Result

With the data we have collected (about 40,000 people) in different networks, we have reached acceptable accuracies.

Conclusion

These findings show the reliability of this method for using and developing a tool as a screening and early diagnosis of people with COVID-19. This method can also be used with simple artificial intelligence networks so that acceptable results can be expected. Based on the findings, the average accuracy was 83% and the best model was 95%.
A novel approach for automatic annotation of human actions in 3D point clouds for flexible collaborative tasks with industrial robots
Authors: Krusche Sebastian , Al Naser Ibrahim , Bdiwi Mohamad , Ihlenfeldt Steffen
Published: February 2023

Manual annotation for human action recognition with content semantics using 3D Point Cloud (3D-PC) in industrial environments consumes a lot of time and resources. This work aims to recognize, analyze, and model human actions to develop a framework for automatically extracting content semantics. Main Contributions of this work: 1. design a multi-layer structure of various DNN classifiers to detect and extract humans and dynamic objects using 3D-PC preciously, 2. empirical experiments with over 10 subjects for collecting datasets of human actions and activities in one industrial setting, 3. development of an intuitive GUI to verify human actions and its interaction activities with the environment, 4. design and implement a methodology for automatic sequence matching of human actions in 3D-PC. All these procedures are merged in the proposed framework and evaluated in one industrial Use-Case with flexible patch sizes. Comparing the new approach with standard methods has shown that the annotation process can be accelerated by 5.2 times through automation.
Think outside the box: Incorporating secondary cognitive tasks into return to sport testing after ACL reconstruction
Authors: Chaaban Courtney R. , Turner Jeffrey A. , Padua Darin A.
Published: February 2023

The optimal set of return to sport (RTS) tests after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and ACL reconstruction (ACLR) remains elusive. Many athletes fail to pass current RTS test batteries, fail to RTS, or sustain secondary ACL injuries if they do RTS. The purpose of this review is to summarize current literature regarding functional RTS testing after ACLR and to encourage clinicians to have patients “think” (add a secondary cognitive task) outside the “box” (in reference to the box used during the drop vertical jump task) when performing functional RTS tests. We review important criteria for functional tests in RTS testing, including task-specificity and measurability. Firstly, tests should replicate the sport-specific demands the athlete will encounter when they RTS. Many ACL injuries occur when the athlete is performing a dual cognitive-motor task (e.g., attending to an opponent while performing a cutting maneuver). However, most functional RTS tests do not incorporate a secondary cognitive load. Secondly, tests should be measurable, both through the athlete’s ability to complete the task safely (through biomechanical analyses) and efficiently (through measures of performance). We highlight and critically examine three examples of functional tests that are commonly used for RTS testing: the drop vertical jump, single-leg hop tests, and cutting tasks. We discuss how biomechanics and performance can be measured during these tasks, including the relationship these variables may have with injury. We then discuss how cognitive demands can be added to these tasks, and how these demands influence both biomechanics and performance. Lastly, we provide clinicians with practical recommendations on how to implement secondary cognitive tasks into functional testing and how to assess athletes’ biomechanics and performance.
Determinants of food security in Nigeria: Empirical evidence from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries rice farmers of the Kano River Irrigation Project
Authors: Wudil Abdulazeez Hudu , Ali Asghar , Aderinoye-Abdulwahab Sidiqat , Raza Hafiz Ali , Mehmood Hafiz Zahid , Sannoh Andrew Borboh
Published: February 2023

Introduction

While the prevalence of hunger decreased globally, it has risen in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years mainly due to rapid population growth, low agricultural productivity, and economic downturns. This study was conducted to examine food security determinants at the household levels among the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries rice farmers of the Kano river irrigation project in Nigeria.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were used for the analysis while multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain data from 382 respondents, out of which 217 were project beneficiaries and 165 non-beneficiaries; using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Household food security index and Logit regression model.

Results and discussion

The results showed that 72.6% of the beneficiaries' households were food secure, against the non-beneficiaries, who had 65.4% food secure households. The findings also revealed that the beneficiaries have 11 and 4% food insecurity depth and severity respectively. Non-beneficiaries, on the other hand, had 17 and 8% food insecurity depth and severity, respectively. Extension contact, farm size, rice output, and educational attainment were the positive determinants of food security. Similarly, determinants that could increase food insecurity identified were; credit constraints and household size. It is recommended that the design of a food security strategy should be multi-dimensional and should encompass social, institutional and economic transformation of small scale farmers. Addressing the identified determinants is also crucial for enhancing the food security status in the study area.
O pojęciu kultury politycznej. Uwagi na marginesie książki Karola B. Janowskiego Kultura polityczna Polaków… Pomiędzy integracją a konfliktem
Authors: Czajowski Andrzej
Published: February 2023

I join those who claim that the category of political culture in science is confusing and useless, and that its isolation for research purposes is pointless2. I omit the history of the notion of political culture, I do not deal with its definitions, I do not refer to the classification, I do not consider what should be adapted to political culture from one or another understood culture in a general sense. My focus is on showing that what is called “political culture” is essentially nothing other than politics, policy, polity or the selected elements that contribute it.
Authoritarianism as a “Wicked Problem” in Contemporary International Relations
Authors: Ficek Ryszard
Published: February 2023

This study aims to explore the concept of authoritarianism, which – presented in terms of the “wicked problem” of the contemporary world – seems to be a severe challenge to present-day International Relations (IR), both in theoretical and practical dimensions. The author of the article defines the concept of authoritarianism as a form of the political system in which the power and material resources of the state have been centralized, appropriated, and put at the disposal of either an individual or an elitist group “in power.” In this way, the possibilities of integrating the authoritarian state – both in the political and economic dimension – with the global system of international relations are limited, and the vital administrative institutions of the state have been manipulated and appropriated. The applied research method allows for interpreting the discussed issues in a complex – albeit specific – systemic form, characteristic not only for politically fragile or declining countries and regions but also for politically stable and economically developed ones. The author’s analysis allows for the presentation and reinterpretation of the issue of contemporary authoritarian regimes concerning international relations in terms that not only define but often legitimize – and repeatedly even validate – some of the most despotic, autocratic, and hegemonistic forms of the political systems in modern times.
Становление и развитие многопартийной системы Узбекистана
Authors: Джавакова Каринэ Владимировна
Published: February 2023

The article discusses the formation and development of a multi-party system in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The state and problems of the formation and development of a multiparty system are analyzed. The practice of consistent improvement of the national electoral legislation and a new level of election conduct is reflected. The process of democratic transformations is considered, which has an impact on the political parties of the country and is constantly deepening as the political and legal culture increases, the socio-political activity of the population increases. The author has put forward proposals and recommendations to activate the activities of political parties and strengthen the multi-party system.
„To ńyma nasz fajer!”, czyli o śląskiej polityczności. Elementy integracji i dezintegracji w procesie kształtowania się fenomenu śląskiej etniczności
Authors: Ozimek-Hanslik Magdalena
Published: February 2023

The subject of this paper is an analysis of the element of integration and desintegration in process of creating of Silesian ethnicity. The author proposes the political theory interpretation of processes, which took place on Upper Silesia in last three decades. For this purpose propose a category of Silesian politics, which is a term to named a specific of political life in this region. This political life is based on multi-directional relationship of politcal subjectivities, which expressed in dyad integration-desintegration. This dyad is an interpration scheme, which allows to describe negative dependence, when integration of first subject is conditioned of desintegration of second subject. In this paper the author propose to structuring of political life by pointing three levels (the organised subjects, public sphere, individual) of political life participants action, and in frame of this levels problems planes, which are include a issue, to which they relate.
Specyfika propagandy politycznej, marketingu politycznego i reklamy politycznej z punktu widzenia procesów integracji, dezintegracji, reintegracji. Studium porównawcze
Authors: Zylak Karolina
Published: February 2023

The article describes the specificity of political propaganda, political marketing and political advertising from the point of view of the processes of integration, disintegration and reintegration. It shows the directions of the evolution of these communication and mobilization interactions on communities and citizens. The article presents the influence of political propaganda, political marketing and political advertising on the political awareness and decisions of citizens (including ideas, principles and views expressed by citizens), as well as the influence on the shaped and used type of socio-political ties.