bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultra-high optical contrast of the plasmonic memory based on Fabry-Perot cavity and phase change materials
Authors: Lu Yegang , Yan Xu
Published: January 2024

Phase-change photonic memory, as a promising technology to realize the tunability and non-volatility of optical storage and information processing systems, has attracted extensive attention in recent years. However, existing phase-change photonic devices face significant challenges such as limited switching contrast and high switching energy. This study introduces an innovative approach to tackle these issues by leveraging Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity resonance and plasmon resonance techniques to enhance the modulation effect of phase change materials (PCMs) on the light. A novel device structure is proposed, featuring an elliptic nano-antenna placed on an F-P cavity waveguide composed of symmetric Bragg grating. This design exploits the enhanced electric field to achieve low power consumption and high contrast. The device enables crucial functions, including read, write, and erase operations, under all light conditions. Write and erase operations are accomplished using light pulses of 0.9 pJ and 3 pJ, respectively. Through the synergistic utilization of plasma and F-P cavity effects, an ultra-high switching contrast of 70.6% is achieved, revolutionizing the interaction pattern between light and PCM and establishing the device as the plasma device with the low power consumption and the large switching contrast. By modulating the multiple intermediate states of the phase change material, the device exhibits an outstanding accuracy of 96% in handwritten digit recognition using a three-layer perceptron. With its wide range of applications in optical storage and computing, the device holds significant potential for advancing these fields.
Care pathways of individuals with tuberculosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bandung, Indonesia
Authors: Huria Lavanya , Lestari Bony Wiem , Saptiningrum Eka , Fikri Auliya Ramanda , Oga-Omenka Charity , Kafi Mohammad Abdullah Heel , Daniels Benjamin , Vasquez Nathaly Aguilera , Sassi Angelina , Das Jishnu , Jani Ira Dewi , Pai Madhukar , Alisjahbana Bachti
Published: January 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have undone years’ worth of progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). For instance, in Indonesia, a high TB burden country, TB case notifications decreased by 14% and treatment coverage decreased by 47% during COVID-19. We sought to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on TB case detection using two cross-sectional surveys conducted before (2018) and after the onset of the pandemic (2021). These surveys allowed us to quantify the delays that individuals with TB who eventually received treatment at private providers faced while trying to access care for their illness, their journey to obtain a diagnosis, the encounters individuals had with healthcare providers before a TB diagnosis, and the factors associated with patient delay and the total number of provider encounters. We found some worsening of care seeking pathways on multiple dimensions. Median patient delay increased from 28 days (IQR: 10, 31) to 32 days (IQR: 14, 90) and the median number of encounters increased from 5 (IQR: 4, 8) to 7 (IQR: 5, 10), but doctor and treatment delays remained relatively unchanged. Employed individuals experienced shorter delays compared to unemployed individuals (adjusted medians: -20.13, CI -39.14, -1.12) while individuals whose initial consult was in the private hospitals experienced less encounters compared to those visiting public providers, private primary care providers, and informal providers (-4.29 encounters, CI -6.76, -1.81). Patients who visited the healthcare providers >6 times experienced longer total delay compared to those with less than 6 visits (adjusted medians: 59.40, 95% CI: 35.04, 83.77). Our findings suggest the need to ramp up awareness programs to reduce patient delay and strengthen private provide engagement in the country, particularly in the primary care sector.
Acceptability of short message service reminders as the support tool for PrEP adherence among young women in Mukono district, Uganda
Authors: Laban Muteebwa , Nakku Edith Joloba , Nangendo Joan , Muramuzi Dan , Akello Faith , Bakeera Sabrina Kitaka , Semitala Fred Collins , Semeere Aggrey S. , Karamagi Charles
Published: January 2024

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) have a disproportionately high incidence of HIV compared to males of the same age in Uganda. AGYW are a priority sub-group for daily oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), but their adherence has consistently remained low. Short Message Service (SMS) reminders could improve adherence to PrEP in AGYW. However, there is paucity of literature about acceptability of SMS reminders among AGYW using PrEP. We assessed the level of acceptability of SMS reminders as a PrEP adherence support tool and the associated factors, among AGYW in Mukono district, Central Uganda. We consecutively enrolled AGYW using PrEP in Mukono district in a cross sectional study. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to participants by three trained research assistants. Data were analyzed in STATA 17.0; continuous variables were summarized using median and interquartile range (IQR) while categorical variables were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Acceptability of SMS was defined as willingness to accept SMS reminders to support PrEP adherence and was assessed using the seven constructs of the theoretical framework of acceptability. The relationship between the outcome and independent variables was assessed using a modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors. During the month of August 2022, 142 AGYW with median age 22 years (IQR; 18, 24) of whom 80.3% owned a personal mobile phone were assessed. SMS reminders were highly acceptable [90.9%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [84.9, 95.0]]. Rural residence was negatively associated with acceptability of SMS reminders (aPR: 0.92, 95% CI (0.84, 0.99)) and having belief that SMS cannot breach individual’s privacy (aPR: 1.40, 95% CI (1.07, 1.84)) was positively associated with acceptability of SMS reminders. The acceptability of SMS reminders was high in this sub-population. SMS reminder can be leveraged to support AGYW to adhere to PrEP but should be designed in a way that maintains confidentiality, and supports AGYW living in rural settings.
Effectiveness of a positive deviance approach to improve appropriate feeding and nutritional status in South West Region, Ethiopia: A study protocol for a cluster randomized control trial
Authors: Gizaw Abraham Tamirat , Sopory Pradeep , Sudhakar Morankar N.
Published: January 2024

Background

Non-optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCFP) are linked to malnutrition and infant mortality in poor countries, notably in Ethiopia. The majority of growth stalls occur within the first two years of life; hence, there is a need to discover interventions that enhance appropriate IYCFP for improving nutritional outcomes during this critical period. Using the experience of mothers who have come up with solutions to their IYCFP problems to educate others, is a potential pathway to initiate and sustain behavioral changes in resource-limited areas. However, such interventions are not widely implemented in Ethiopia.

Objective

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a positive deviance approach (PDA) to improve appropriate feeding and nutritional status in South West region, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted to compare the effect of positive deviant intervention versus routine health education. The intervention will be provided by positive deviant mothers based on uncommon practices that potentially benefit IYCFP will be identified. Training of the trainers manual on counselling and supporting non-positive deviant mothers based on the uncommon practices identified and WHO IYCFP guidelines will be provided for facilitating change. Culturally appropriate and scientifically acceptable operational packages of information will be developed. A total of 516 mothers will be recruited from 36 zones. The intervention arm will receive 12 demonstration sessions in groups and every 15th day home visit by positive deviant mothers. Data will be entered into epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using STATA version 16.0. All analyses will be done as intention-to-treat. We will fit the mixed effects linear regression model for continuous outcomes and mixed effects linear probability model for the binary outcomes in the study zone as a random intercept to estimate study arm difference (intervention vs. routine health education) adjusted for the baseline values of the outcome and additional relevant covariates.

Discussion

We expect that the trial will generate findings informing IYCFP and nutritional policies and practices in Ethiopia.

Trial registration

This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as PACTR202108880303760, 30/8/2021.
Link prediction based on spectral analysis
Authors: Gui Chun
Published: January 2024

Link prediction in complex network is an important issue in network science. Recently, various structure-based similarity methods have been proposed. Most of algorithms are used to analyze the topology of the network, and to judge whether there is any connection between nodes by calculating the similarity of two nodes. However, it is necessary to get the extra attribute information of the node in advance, which is very difficult. Compared to the difficulty in obtaining the attribute information of the node itself, the topology of the network is easy to obtain, and the structure of the network is an inherent attribute of the network and is more reliable. The proposed method measures kinds of similarity between nodes based on non-trivial eigenvectors of Laplacian Matrix of the network, such as Euclidean distance, Manhattan distance and Angular distance. Then the classical machine learning algorithm can be used for classification prediction (two classification in this case), so as to achieve the purpose of link prediction. Based on this process, a spectral analysis-based link prediction algorithm is proposed, and named it LPbSA (Link Prediction based on Spectral Analysis). The experimental results on seven real-world networks demonstrated that LPbSA has better performance on Accuracy, Precision, Receiver Operating Curve(ROC), area under the ROC curve(AUC), Precision and Recall curve(PR curve) and balanced F Score(F-score curve) evaluation metrics than other ten classic methods.
GAN-based medical image small region forgery detection via a two-stage cascade framework
Authors: Zhang Jianyi , Huang Xuanxi , Liu Yaqi , Han Yuyang , Xiang Zixiao
Published: January 2024

Using generative adversarial network (GAN) Goodfellow et al. (2014) for data enhancement of medical images is significantly helpful for many computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tasks. A new GAN-based automated tampering attack, like CT-GAN Mirsky et al. (2019), has emerged. It can inject or remove lung cancer lesions to CT scans. Because the tampering region may even account for less than 1% of the original image, even state-of-the-art methods are challenging to detect the traces of such tampering. This paper proposes a two-stage cascade framework to detect GAN-based medical image small region forgery like CT-GAN. In the local detection stage, we train the detector network with small sub-images so that interference information in authentic regions will not affect the detector. We use depthwise separable convolution and residual networks to prevent the detector from over-fitting and enhance the ability to find forged regions through the attention mechanism. The detection results of all sub-images in the same image will be combined into a heatmap. In the global classification stage, using gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) can better extract features of the heatmap. Because the shape and size of the tampered region are uncertain, we use hyperplanes in an infinite-dimensional space for classification. Our method can classify whether a CT image has been tampered and locate the tampered position. Sufficient experiments show that our method can achieve excellent performance than the state-of-the-art detection methods.
Vehicle re-identification based on dimensional decoupling strategy and non-local relations
Authors: Li Xi , Pang Xiyu , Meng Qinglan
Published: January 2024

Vehicle re-identification (Re-ID) is a challenging task that aims to recognize the same vehicle across different non-overlapping cameras. Existing attention mechanism-based methods for vehicle Re-ID often suffer from significant intra-class variation and inter-class variation due to various factors such as illumination, occlusion, viewpoint, etc. In this paper, we propose a novel network architecture for vehicle Re-ID, named Dimensional Decoupling Strategy and Non-local Relationship Network (DMNR-Net), which uses three modules to extract complementary features: global feature extraction module, non-local relationship capture module(NRCM), and dimensional decoupling module (DDS). The global feature extraction module captures complete and coarse-grained features from the whole image; the NRCM module extracts saliency information from feature maps in both spatial and channel dimensions; and the DDS decouples spatial and channel features into two branches to extract fine-grained features and focus on specific subspaces. We conduct extensive experiments on two popular publicly datasets, VeRi-776 and VehicleID, to evaluate the effectiveness of our method. The experimental results show that our DMNR-Net outperforms state-of-the-art methods by a large margin on both datasets.
Coping self-efficacy and social support as predictors of adolescent sex trafficking exit: Results of a secondary analysis
Authors: Twis Mary K. , Cimino Andrea , Plunk Marilyn
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Social work case management services are increasingly available to youth who want to exit commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). However, few empirical studies investigate the efficacy of such services, particularly whether these services promote an exit from CSE. Guided by ecological systems theory and the Intentions to Exit Prostitution (IEP) model, this study investigates the efficacy of social work case management services for youth CSE survivors.

Methods

Youth survivors of CSE (n= 95) participated in a one-group, quasi-experimental double pre/posttest design study. Measures included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (Cop-SE), and a modified version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) surveys at zero- and six-months following study commencement. The research team also collected demographic and victimization data, the number and type of social work case management services received, and goal plan data. Analyses included repeated measures tests and linear and multinomial logistic regressions to determine if doses of social work case management are predictive of the positive short-term outcomes that are linked to increased readiness to exit CSE.

Results

Youth CSE survivors experienced upward trends in perceived social support and coping self-efficacy scores between zero- and six-months following study commencement. Linear and logistic regressions demonstrated that variables like months of service time, trafficking classification, goal counts, race, and age can predict outcomes like survivor social support, coping self-efficacy, and intention to change behaviors that can lead to revictimization.

Implications

Results suggest social work case management services that improve coping self-efficacy and perceived social support can lead to cognitive changes that promote an exit from CSE. Practitioners should target services that adhere to dimensions of the IEP as these improvements are likely to support positive outcomes for youth survivors of CSE.
Assessment of reporting quality of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of inulin-type fructans supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A systematic survey
Authors: Talukdar Jhalok Ronjan , Chu Alexandro , Garg Anika , Chowdhury Fariha , E. Harnack Hope , Huang Louise , Sikorski Claudia , Mbuagbaw Lawrence , de Souza Russell J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Transparent and detailed reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is essential to judge its validity and generalizability. We assessed the reporting quality of RCTs examining the effects of inulin-type fructans supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors, before and after the publication of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) in 2010.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Emcare, AMED, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL from inception to May 15, 2022, including the reference lists of selected RCTs. We screened titles and abstracts and extracted the data independently and in duplicate. We included RCTs that investigated the effects of inulin-type fructans on cardiovascular disease risk factors (e.g., low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose) in adults (18 years or older). The primary outcomes of this study were: the overall reporting quality of RCTs (defined as the total number of items [0 to 36] present from the CONSORT checklist) published before and after CONSORT; and the study characteristics (e.g., sample size, significance of primary outcome) predictive of the CONSORT score. The secondary outcome was the reporting of each specific item of the CONSORT checklist during pre- and post-CONSORT periods. The mean difference in the total number of reported items in studies published before and after CONSORT were compared using a t-test and Poisson regression to explore the factors associated with overall reporting quality of RCTs. We used Fisher’s exact test to compare the adherence to each of the 36 items during pre- and post-CONSORT periods.

Results

We identified 1,767 citations from our systematic search, of which 55 were eligible. There was a significant increase in the reporting of CONSORT items (mean difference 8.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.24 to 11.71) between studies published before and after publication of CONSORT. The sole variable that was predictive of better reporting quality of RCTs was whether the study was published before or after CONSORT (incidence rate ratio 1.67, 95% CI 1.40 to 2.02). Completeness of reporting of RCTs only improved in 15 out of 36 items (41.6%) after the publication of CONSORT.

Conclusion

The completeness of reporting in RCTs investigating inulin-type fructans supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors remains inadequate after the publication of CONSORT. Greater adherence to CONSORT by authors and enforcement of CONSORT by journals may improve the quality of reporting among RCTs.
Quantitative evaluation of the biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of the dog patellar tendon in response to neuromuscular blockade at different stifle angles
Authors: Anggoro Dito , Purba Melpa Susanti , Nishida Norihiro , Itoh Harumichi , Itamoto Kazuhito , Nemoto Yuki , Nakaichi Munekazu , Sunahara Hiroshi , Tani Kenji
Published: January 2024

The patellar tendon (PT) is crucial for maintaining stability and facilitating movement in the stifle joint. Elastography has been recognized as a prominent method for evaluating PT properties in humans and dogs. The utilization of oscillation methods in canine studies remains limited despite their extensive documentation in human studies. Our study represents the first effort to quantitatively assess and compare the effects of muscle relaxant on the biomechanical and viscoelastic characteristics of the PT at varying stifle angles in living dogs. Five healthy female beagles were used in this study. Biomechanical (tone, stiffness, and decrement) and viscoelastic (relaxation time and creep) properties of the PT were measured using MyotonPRO (Myoton Ltd, Estonia) prior to and following administration of rocuronium (0.5 mg/kg/body weight) at normal, extended, and flexed positions. Rocuronium was selected for its safety, controllability, and widespread clinical use in veterinary anesthesia. Two-way analysis of variance showed that tone, stiffness, and decrement were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the control group than in the muscle relaxation group. At the same time, relaxation time and creep were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the control group than in the muscle relaxation group. The findings indicate that stifle angle position and muscle rexalant administration fundamentally alter the biomechanical loading conditions of the PT, leading to changes in its viscoelastic properties. Therefore, this novel quantitative data could benefit clinical settings that necessitate accurate and objective methods for risk identification and monitoring PT biomechanics in dogs.
An investigation into mothers’ experiences of their children’s functional tic-like behaviour and tic attacks
Authors: Ludlow Amanda K. , Anderson Seonaid , Robinson Sally , Owen Tamsin , Hedderly Tammy
Published: January 2024

Objective

This is the first study to systematically explore the lived experiences of sudden and new onset of severe functional tics from the perspective of the mother’s experiences and describes their attempts to access support services in the United Kingdom.

Method

Twenty-One mothers of young people aged between 12 to 17 years with functional tic-like behaviour (FTLB) took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed gaps and inconsistencies within the process of gaining access to professional services and a lack of support for the management of tics and functional tic-like movements, in addition to highlighting the impact it had on daily family life.

Results

The themes generated included the occurrence and development of tics, the severity and intensity of symptoms, the psychological impact on the family and the need to make recommendations for a clear care pathway. Managing the impact of the FTLB and co-occurring conditions such as suicidal ideation and self-harm, as well as the physical and emotional trauma, commonly contributed to feelings of isolation and helplessness, which impacted negatively on the family’s ability to function and participate in society.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize the urgent need to create a clear management pathway for those experiencing FTLB, including the need for more professionals with relevant knowledge, to improve the dialogue with families during the referral process, whilst prioritising the treatment of anxiety and other identified mental health concerns.
Analysis of the coupling degree between regional logistics efficiency and economic development coordination
Authors: Li Na , Ma Tianxing , Deng Xiaochun
Published: January 2024

This paper aims to study the relationship between regional logistics efficiency and economic development in 31 provinces of China and analyze their coupling coordination. To comprehensively evaluate the coordination between logistics and the economy, we introduced external indicators, such as carbon emissions, based on traditional evaluation indicators. We constructed an evaluation index system to coordinate regional logistics efficiency and economic development. The research approach used in this paper is the cross-DEA method, and data from 2010 to 2019 were selected for empirical calculation. The research findings indicate that Eastern and Northern regions of China show higher logistics efficiency, while Northwestern and Southwestern regions exhibit lower logistics efficiency. Coastal areas have relatively higher economic development levels compared to inland areas. Regarding the coupling coordination between logistics efficiency and economic development, different regions show temporal fluctuations and spatial disparities. Some regions demonstrate higher coordination between logistics efficiency and economic development, while others show lower coordination. Additionally, as the economy experiences rapid growth, logistics efficiency also improves, but the level of coordination varies among different provinces.
Geometry and evolution of Hasimoto surface in Minkowski 3-space
Authors: Abdel-Aziz H. S. , Serry H. M. , El-Adawy F. M. , Saad M. Khalifa
Published: January 2024

The main goal of this paper is to introduce the evolution equations for a timelike Hasimoto surface from its fundamental form coefficients in Minkowski 3-space E 1 3. By utilizing the evolved quasi-curve (q-curve), we present and analyze three types of Hasimoto surfaces, attributed to the quasi-tangent, quasi-normal, and quasi-binormal vectors of the curve. Finally, we provide an illustrated example to strengthen our main results.
Clinical factors associated with the therapeutic efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter prospective observational study
Authors: Kai Machiko , Hikita Hayato , Kazuki Maesaka , Tahata Yuki , Shinkai Kazuma , Doi Akira , Ohkawa Kazuyoshi , Miyazaki Masanori , Ishida Hisashi , Matsumoto Kengo , Nozaki Yasutoshi , Yakushijin Takayuki , Sakamori Ryotaro , Kaneko Akira , Iio Sadaharu , Nawa Takatoshi , Kakita Naruyasu , Morishita Naoki , Hiramatsu Naoki , Usui Takeo , Imanaka Kazuho , Doi Yoshinori , Sakakibara Mitsuru , Yoshida Yuichi , Oze Tsugiko , Kodama Takahiro , Tatsumi Tomohide , Takehara Tetsuo
Published: January 2024

The treatment efficiency and predictors of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in real-world practice have not been established. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and to investigate predictors of progression-free survival and overall survival. Patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy in 19 hospitals were enrolled before treatment and observed prospectively. The outcomes of 222 patients in this cohort were analyzed. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 22.0% and 70.6%, respectively, whereas the median progression-free survival was 5.7 months. Independent risk factors for shortened progression-free survival were younger age (<75 years; 3.9 months vs. 8.6 months), higher number of intrahepatic tumors (≥5; 4.0 months vs. 7.9 months), macrovascular invasion (2.3 months vs. 6.7 months), and higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥3.03; 3.0 months vs. 7.8 months). The median overall survival was not reached; however, independent risk factors for shortened overall survival were absence of hyperlipidemia, higher number of intrahepatic tumors (≥5), macrovascular invasion, higher α-fetoprotein level (≥400 ng/mL), worse Child–Pugh score (≥6), and higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥3.03). Severe adverse events (grade ≥3) were observed in 96 patients (36.0%), with proteinuria being the most frequent. In conclusion, patients with older age, lower number of intrahepatic tumors, absent macrovascular invasion, and lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are expected to have better progression-free survival with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
Role of Influenza A virus protein NS1 in regulating host nuclear body ND10 complex formation and its involvement in establishment of viral pathogenesis
Authors: Das Ujjal , Chawla-Sarkar Mamta , Gangopadhyay Swati Roy , Dey Sanjit , Sharma Rakhi Dey
Published: January 2024

Influenza viral infection is a seasonal infection which causes widespread acute respiratory issues among humans globally. This virus changes its surface receptor composition to escape the recognition process by the host’s immune cells. Therefore, the present study focussed to identify some other important viral proteins which have a significant role in establishment of infection and having apparent conserved structural composition. This could facilitate the permanent vaccine development process or help in designing a drug against IAV (influenza A virus) infection which will eliminate the seasonal flu shot vaccination process. The NS1 (Non-structural protein 1) protein of IAV maintains a conserved structural motif. Earlier studies have shown its significant role in infection establishment. However, the mechanism by which viruses escape the host’s ND10 antiviral action remains elusive. The present study clearly showed that IAV infection and NS1 transfection in A549 cells degraded the main component of the ND10 anti-viral complex, PML and therefore, inhibited the formation of Daxx-sp100-p53-PML complex (ND10) at the mid phase of infection/transfection. PML degradation activated the stress axis which increased cellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, IAV/NS1 increased cellular stress and p53 accumulation at the late phase of infection. These collectively activated apoptotic pathway in the host cells. Along with the inactivation of several interferon proteins, IAV was found to decrease p-IKKε. A549 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1-NS1 showed a similar effect in the interferon axis and IKKε. Moreover, NS1 induced the disintegration of the host’s ND10 complex through the changes in the SUMOylation pattern of the PML nuclear body. These findings suggest the possible mechanism of how NS1 helps IAV to establish infection in the host cells. However, it demands further detailed study before targeting NS1 to develop permanent vaccines or novel drugs against IAV in future.
Identification of the feature genes involved in cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19
Authors: Yang Bing , Pan Meijun , Feng Kai , Wu Xue , Yang Fang , Yang Peng
Published: January 2024

Objective

Screening of feature genes involved in cytokine release syndrome (CRS) from the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19).

Methods

The data sets related to COVID-19 were retrieved using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to CRS were analyzed with R software and Venn diagram, and the biological processes and signaling pathways involved in DEGs were analyzed with GO and KEGG enrichment. Core genes were screened using Betweenness and MCC algorithms. GSE164805 and GSE171110 dataset were used to verify the expression level of core genes. Immunoinfiltration analysis was performed by ssGSEA algorithm in the GSVA package. The DrugBank database was used to analyze the feature genes for potential therapeutic drugs.

Results

This study obtained 6950 DEGs, of which 971 corresponded with CRS disease genes (common genes). GO and KEGG enrichment showed that multiple biological processes and signaling pathways associated with common genes were closely related to the inflammatory response. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that transcription factors that regulate these common genes are also involved in inflammatory response. Betweenness and MCC algorithms were used for common gene screening, yielding seven key genes. GSE164805 and GSE171110 dataset validation revealed significant differences between the COVID-19 and normal controls in four core genes (feature genes), namely IL6R, TLR4, TLR2, and IFNG. The upregulated IL6R, TLR4, and TLR2 genes were mainly involved in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway of the inflammatory pathway, while the downregulated IFNG genes primarily participated in the necroptosis and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Moreover, immune infiltration analysis indicated that higher expression of these genes was associated with immune cell infiltration that mediates inflammatory response. In addition, potential therapeutic drugs for these four feature genes were identified via the DrugBank database.

Conclusion

IL6R, TLR4, TLR2, and IFNG may be potential pathogenic genes and therapeutic targets for the CRS associated with COVID-19.
Spiritual health practitioners’ contributions to psychedelic assisted therapy: A qualitative analysis
Authors: Peacock Caroline , Mascaro Jennifer S. , Brauer Erin , Zarrabi Ali John , Dunlop Boadie W. , Maples-Keller Jessica L. , Grant George H. , Raison Charles L. , Rab Fayzan , Palitsky Roman
Published: January 2024

Background

Psychedelic-assisted therapies hold early promise for treating multiple psychiatric conditions. However, absent standards for the care, teams providing psychedelic-assisted therapy pose a major roadblock to safe administration. Psychedelics often produce spiritually and existentially meaningful experiences, and spiritual health practitioners have been involved in administering psychedelic-assisted therapies in multiple settings, suggesting important qualifications for delivering these therapies. However, the roles and competencies of spiritual health practitioners in psychedelic-assisted therapies have not been described in research.

Method

This study examined interviews with 15 spiritual health practitioners who have facilitated psychedelic-assisted therapy. Thematic analyses focused on their contributions, application of expertise and professional background, and roles in administering these therapies.

Results

Seven themes emerged, comprising two domains: unique and general contributions. Unique contributions included: competency to work with spiritual material, awareness of power dynamics, familiarity with non-ordinary states of consciousness, holding space, and offer a counterbalance to biomedical perspectives. General contributions included use of generalizable therapeutic repertoire when conducting PAT, and contributing to interdisciplinary collaboration.

Implications

Spiritual health practitioners bring unique and specific expertise to psychedelic-assisted therapy based on their training and professional experience. They are skilled at interprofessional collaboration in a way that complements other clinical team members. Psychedelic-assisted therapy teams may benefit from including spiritual health practitioners. In order to ensure rigorous standards and quality care, further efforts to delineate the roles and necessary qualifications and training of spiritual health clinicians for psychedelic-assisted therapy are needed.
Home-based lifestyle intervention for breast cancer survivors: A surprising improvement in the quality of life during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Vagnini Denise , Natalucci Valentina , Moi Sara , Vallorani Luciana , Pietrelli Alice , Panico Andrea Rocco , Ferri Marini Carlo , Lucertini Francesco , Annibalini Giosuè , Sisti Davide , Rocchi Marco Bruno Luigi , Catalano Vincenzo , Saita Emanuela , Emili Rita , Barbieri Elena
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic induced an extraordinary impact on public mental health to a degree not completely understood, especially in vulnerable populations such as breast cancer (BC) survivors. In this study, we described the short- (after 3-month) and long- (after 12-month) term effects of a multidisciplinary home-based lifestyle intervention in Italian women BC survivors during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods

In total, 30 Italian BC survivors with risk factors for recurrence took part in the ongoing MoviS trial (protocol: NCT 04818359). Between January 2020 and January 2021, a 3-month lifestyle intervention based on psychological counseling, nutrition, and exercise was carried out. Participants were asked to fill out psychological questionnaires for the assessment of quality of life (QoL) indicators (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL, EORTC-QLQ-C30) and psychological health measures such as fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory, BFI), distress (Distress Thermometer, DT and Psychological Distress Inventory, PDI), cancer-related fatigue (Verbal Rating Scale, VRS), and mood states (Profile of Mood States Questionnaire, POMS). IBM SPSS Statistical Software version 27.0 and R Project for Statistical Computing version 4.2.1 were used to process data. All participants were assessed at four time points: T0 (baseline), T1 (3-month), and follow-up at T2 and T3 (6- and 12-month, respectively) to measure primary (quality of life indicators) and secondary (psychological health) outcomes. Friedman non parametric test and Wilcoxon signed rank test (with Bonferroni correction) were conducted to investigate the statistically significant differences in psychometric scores and between assessment times.

Results

Compared to baseline (T0), at T1 most of the QoL indicators (i.e., symptoms of fatigue and general health) were improved (p < 0.017) with the exception of a worsening in participants’ social functioning ability. Also, perception of severity of fatigue, distress, cancer-related fatigue, depression, and anger enhanced. Compared to baseline (T0), at T3 we mainly observed a stable condition with T0-T1 pairwise comparison, however other secondary outcomes (i.e., fatigue mood state, confusion, and anxiety) significantly improved.

Discussion

Our preliminary findings support the proposal of this lifestyle intervention for BC survivors. Despite the home-confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the intervention surprisingly improved QoL indicators and psychological health of the participants.
Advantages and disadvantages of mobile applications for workplace health promotion: A scoping review
Authors: Junker Maren , Böhm Markus , Krcmar Helmut
Published: January 2024

Different interventions and methods are used for workplace health promotion (WHP) programmes, including mobile applications (apps), which have proven effective among different health outcomes if properly communicated and developed. However, knowledge is lacking on the potential advantages and disadvantages of using this technology for WHP compared with nontechnical WHP programmes to support employers in their decision making and effective development of such an intervention. To obtain an overview of factors that decision-makers should consider when deciding whether to implement an WHP app, we conducted a scoping review of studies that have evaluated WHP apps. Potential advantages and disadvantages of using mobile apps for WHP were summarised using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. Articles were included if they focussed on a WHP app, were published between 2007 and 2022 in German or English, and evaluated an app for the general employee population. Altogether, 38 studies were included in the review, demonstrating WHP apps’ effectiveness among various use cases in terms of content, e.g., mindfulness or sleep, and target groups, e.g., office workers, nurses or pilots. Strengths were found in the context of adoption, convenience for users, the targeted employee group’s reach and cost-effectiveness. However, the review also identified some disadvantages in apps, including technical difficulties and usage barriers, as well as challenges, e.g., privacy issues and maintenance costs. Generally, our review found that different factors need to be considered when deciding whether to implement a WHP app based on the individual company situation, e.g., shift work, content to be communicated, and expectations for health parameter screening, among many others. By summarising recent literature on WHP apps, this review uses scientific knowledge to give employers an overview of potential factors to consider in their decision making.
Lack of local genetic representation in one of the regions with the highest bird species richness, the Peruvian Amazonia
Authors: Arana Alejandra , Arana César , Watsa Mrinalini , Tobler Mathias W. , Pacheco Víctor , Esteves Juan , Mena José Luis , Salinas Letty , Ramirez Jorge L.
Published: January 2024

Peru ranks among the three countries with the highest bird species diversity globally and a majority of those species are found in the Peruvian Amazon. However, birds in this area are currently facing serious anthropogenic threats. Genetic and genomic methods are becoming important tools for avian biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning. Comprehensive molecular libraries that are publicly available are key to the effective deployment of these tools. We analyze the information gaps for four molecular markers in the most important genetic sequence databases, Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) and NCBI GenBank, for bird species of the Peruvian Amazonia. We found that 64% of Peruvian Amazonian bird species have gene sequences for COI, 59.5% have CYTB sequences, 16.4% have 12S sequences, and only 0.6% have 18S sequences. However, these numbers decrease drastically to 4.3% for COI sequences when we only consider specimens sampled in Peru. Our data also showed that 43.8% of Peruvian Amazonian endemic species (n = 32) are missing sequences of any screened marker uploaded to GenBank or BOLD. Our results will encourage and guide efforts of the scientific community to complete reference libraries for Peruvian avian species that will be useful for future DNA-based monitoring projects that include birds.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in Arab Countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Alalawi Mai , Alsalloum Muath A. , Garwan Yusuf M. , Abuzeid Mya , Alalawi Hassan , Eljaaly Khalid , Thabit Abrar K. , Jose Jimmy
Published: January 2024

Background

Vaccine hesitancy is a major obstacle to the large efforts made by governments and health organizations toward achieving successful COVID-19 vaccination programs. Healthcare worker’s (HCWs) acceptance or refusal of the vaccine is an influencing factor to the attitudes of their patients and general population. This study aimed to report the acceptance rates for COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs in Arab countries and identify key factors driving the attitudes of HCWs in the Arab world toward vaccines.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched using pre-specified keywords. All cross-sectional studies that assessed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and/or acceptance among HCWs in Arab countries until July 2022, were included. The quality of the included studies and the risk of bias was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tool. The pooled acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was assessed using a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval.

Results

A total of 861 articles were identified, of which, 43 were included in the study. All the studies were cross-sectional and survey-based. The total sample size was 57,250 HCWs and the acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was 60.4% (95% CI, 53.8% to 66.6%; I2, 41.9%). In addition, the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among males was 65.4% (95% CI, 55.9% to 73.9%; I2, 0%) while among females was 48.2% (95% CI, 37.8% to 58.6%; I2, 0%). The most frequently reported factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were being male, higher risk perception of contracting COVID-19, positive attitude toward the influenza vaccine, and higher educational level. Predictors of vaccine hesitancy most frequently included concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety, living in rural areas, low monthly income, and fewer years of practice experience.

Conclusion

A moderate acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccines was reported among HCWs in the Arab World. Considering potential future pandemics, regulatory bodies should raise awareness regarding vaccine safety and efficacy and tailor their efforts to target HCWs who would consequently influence the public with their attitude towards vaccines.
Medicine for the soul: (Non)religious identity, coping, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Peneycad Claire , Ysseldyk Renate , Tippins Emily , Anisman Hymie
Published: January 2024

Although the threat and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant source of distress, using religion to cope may be associated with more positive health. Given the severity and chronicity of the pandemic, religious individuals may also have relied on a variety ofnon-religious coping methods. Much of the existing COVID-19 research overlooks the role of religious group membership and beliefs in relation to coping responses and associated mental health, with an additional lack of such research within the Canadian context. Thus, this cross-sectional study investigated relations among religiosity, stressor appraisals, (both religious and non-religious) coping strategies, mental and physical health in a religiously-diverse Canadian community sample (N= 280) during the pandemic’s 2ndwave from March to June 2021. Numerous differences were apparent in appraisal-coping methods and health across five (non)religious groups (i.e., Atheists, Agnostics, “Spiritual but not religious”, Christians, and those considered to be religious “Minorities” in Canada). Religiosity was also associated with better mental health, appraisals of the pandemic as a challenge from which one might learn or grow, and a greater reliance on problem-focused, emotional-engagement, and religious coping. Moreover, both problem-focused and emotional-engagement coping mediated the relations between religiosity and health. Taken together, this research has implications for individual-level coping as well as informing culturally-sensitive public health messages promoting targeted self-care recommendations with integrated religious or spiritual elements during times of threat and uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
A machine learning approach to assess Sustainable Development Goals food performances: The Italian case
Authors: Castelli Tommaso , Mocenni Chiara , Dimitri Giovanna Maria
Published: January 2024

In this study, we introduce an innovative application of clustering algorithms to assess and appraise Italy’s alignment with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on those related to climate change and the agrifood market. Specifically, we examined SDG 02: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Change, to evaluate Italy’s performance in one of its most critical economic sectors. Beyond performance analysis, we administered a questionnaire to a cross-section of the Italian populace to gain deeper insights into their awareness of sustainability in everyday grocery shopping and their understanding of SDGs. Furthermore, we employed an unsupervised machine learning approach in our research to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of SDGs across European countries and position Italy relative to the others. Additionally, we conducted a detailed analysis of the responses to a newly designed questionnaire to gain a reasonable description of the population’s perspective on the research topic. A general poor performance in the SDGs indicators emerged for Italy. However, from the questionnaire results, an overall significant interest in the sustainability of the acquired products from italian citizens.