Difference In Frequency Research Articles

Comparison of the Efficacy of Clascoterone, Trifarotene, and Tazarotene for the Treatment of Acne: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Acne vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory condition, is associated with significant physical and psychosocial burden. Since 2019, three new topical agents for acne vulgaris have been approved in the USA and Canada. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy between twice-daily clascoterone cream 1%, once-daily trifarotene 0.005% cream, and once-daily tazarotene 0.045% lotion for acne treatment. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing clascoterone, trifarotene, or tazarotene with vehicle in patients with moderate-to-severe acne were identified from a systematic literature review and included in a meta-analysis. Primary outcomes were percentage reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion count (ILC and NILC, respectively) and treatment success rate (≥ 2-grade improvement in Investigator's Global Assessment or Evaluator's Global Severity Score and a rating of clear or almost clear) at week 12. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models with the inverse variance method were used to calculate the mean difference (MD) for percentage reduction in ILC and NILC, and odds ratios (ORs) for the rate of treatment success. Six Phase 3 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. The analyses showed robust differences favoring the interventions for ILC (MD: - 11.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: - 14.39, - 8.62), NILC (MD: - 12.25; 95% CI: - 15.21, - 9.29), and treatment success rate (OR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.81, 2.53). No differences were observed between clascoterone, trifarotene, and tazarotene for ILC (MD: - 12.8, - 11.2, and - 10.1, respectively), NILC (MD: - 11.6, - 13.9, and - 12.8, respectively), or treatment success rate (OR: 2.9, 1.9, and 2.1, respectively (all P > 0.05). No significant differences in efficacy were observed between clascoterone, trifarotene, and tazarotene after 12weeks of treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe acne. Differences in application frequency and safety profile should also be taken into consideration when making treatment decisions.

Invasive freshwater snails are less sensitive to population density than native conspecifics.

Understanding how and why some species or lineages become invasive is critically important for effectively predicting and mitigating biological invasions. Here, we address an important unanswered question in invasion biology: do key life-history traits of invasive versus native lineages within a species differ in response to key environmental stressors? We focus on the environmental factor of population density, which is a fundamental characteristic of all populations, and investigate how changes in density affect native versus invasive Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mudsnail). P. antipodarum has invaded 39 countries and detrimentally affects invaded environments. Previous studies of native and invasive populations and from laboratory experiments have demonstrated that growth and reproduction of P. antipodarum is sensitive to population density, though whether and how this sensitivity varies across native versus invasive lineages remains uncharacterized. We quantified individual growth rate and reproduction in P. antipodarum from multiple distinct native and invasive lineages across three different population density treatments. The growth of native but not invasive lineages decreased as density increased. There was no differential effect of density treatment on embryo production of invasive versus native snails, but a significantly higher proportion of snails were reproductive in high density compared to intermediate density for invasive lineages. In native lineages, there were no significant differences in the relative frequency of reproductive snails across density treatments. While the extent to which these results from our laboratory study can be extrapolated to the more complex natural world remain unclear, our findings are consistent with a scenario where differential sensitivity to population density could help explain why some lineages become successful invaders. Our findings also align with previous studies that show that invasive P. antipodarum lineages exhibit a relatively wide range of tolerance to environmental stressors.

Conditional activity of parabrachial Tac1 neurons turns on rapid breathing

Breathing is regulated automatically to preserve homeostasis. This reflex regulation of breathing is achieved through neural circuits that function as negative feedback loops. Similar to how a thermostat regulates temperature in a room, the activity of these circuits can be adjusted up or down to fine tune breathing and restore a homeostatic set-point. Yet, breathing is also conditionally altered by behaviors and emotions, requiring dissociation of breathing frequency and pattern from its underlying automatic control. Relatively little is known about the circuits that mediate this “state-dependent'' control. We previously found that optogenetic activation of a Tac1, but not Calca, expressing subpopulation of lateral parabrachial (PBN) neurons drives breathing frequencies that far exceed those relevant for the homeostatic control of breathing. Here, we combine cell-type-specific silencing and multi-unit recording approaches to further test the hypothesis that this circuit plays an important role in state-dependent, but not automatic, respiratory control. To render Tac1 PBN neurons non-functional, the PBN of adult Tac1Cre mice was injected bilaterally with an AAV that drives Cre-dependent expression of tetanus light chain. After allowing ~4 weeks for viral expression, plethysmography did not reveal any differences in breathing frequency or pattern compared to mice injected with control AAV. Changes in breathing were also absent during acute optogenetic inhibition of Tac1+; Calca- neurons following injection of AAV that expresses iC++ in neurons that contain Cre but not FlpO in the PBN of Tac1Cre; CalcaFlpO mice. To assess the spiking activity of Tac1 PBN neurons relative to ongoing breathing patterns, the PBN of Tac1Cre; CalcaFlpO mice was injected with an AAV that expresses ChRmine in neurons containing Cre but not FlpO, a cranial window was created dorsal to the PBN and a head bar secured to the skull. After 2 weeks, mice were head-fixed and a high-density neuropixels probe was inserted into the PBN via the cranial window. Multi-unit activity was recorded from awake, freely breathing mice during simultaneous recording of respiratory pattern. Illumination of the cranial window with red light was suffcient for ChRmine mediated deep brain activation of Tac1+;Calca- PBN neurons, producing a robust increase in breathing frequency. Recorded PBN units were then optically tagged by assessing their response latency and fidelity to repeated 10 ms light pulses. Based on our preliminary observations, “optotagged” Tac1+; Calca- neurons were mostly quiescent during resting breathing but switched to tonic spiking during bouts of sniffng/rapid breathing. Thus, we predict that Tac1 PBN neurons do not regulate breathing via thermostat-like changes in activity similar to breathing reflexes. Instead, Tac1 PBN neurons represent a switch-like mechanism where these neurons are primarily inactive with minimal respiratory role under normal conditions, but when activated they turn on rapid breathing. R01HL166317. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Driveline Infection in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices Implanted as Destination Therapy

Donor organ shortages cause increasing demand for mechanical circulatory support in patients with end-stage heart failure not only as a bridge to heart transplantation but mainly as a destination therapy. Improved results and increased applicability and durability of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have established this treatment option as an alternative to heart transplantation in selected patients. One of the most common complications after LVAD implantation is driveline infections (DLIs). This study aimed to expand the understanding of DLI epidemiology and potential changes in implantation techniques regarding optimizing DLI prevention and treatment among all patients undergoing LVAD (Medtronic's Heartware HVAD and HeartMate 3 Abbott LVAD system) implantation with at least 12 months of follow-up time between 2015 and 2022. There were 120 individuals with LVAD implantation, of whom 90 had 12 months of follow-up (85 men [94%], 5 women [6%]) with a median age of 58 years (50.25-63.75). The median body mass index was 27.12 kg/m2 (25.27-29.68). Of the 90 patients, 43 had ischemic heart failure (48%), 43 had dilated cardiomyopathy (48%), and the remaining 3 had other etiologies (3%), such as postinflammatory, and the remaining 1 had congenital heart defect (1%). Preoperative echocardiography revealed a mean left ventricle ejection fraction of 13.8% and a median left ventricle dimension of 7.55 cm (6.92-8.2). Imaging confirmed pulmonary hypertension in 61 patients (68%). Thirty-four of the 90 patients had diabetes (38%), and 16 were active smokers (18%). Median follow-up was 30 months (17.25-42), with the longest period being 82 months. More than half of the patients (n = 52; 57%) experienced a DLI. The median time to the first episode of DLI was 13 months (6-25). The most common pathogen revealed in wound swab culture was methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (n = 23; 44%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 9; 17%), Proteus mirabilis (n = 4; 7%), and others. We observed that deeper driveline implantation below the left rectus muscle and just above the posterior rectus sheath resulted in fewer DLIs and longer free-from-DLI follow-up time. There was no statistically significant difference in DLI frequency between patients with or without diabetes mellitus. Appropriate selection of candidates and timing of LVAD implantation are critical for improved outcomes of destination therapy. DLI is the most common complication after LVAD implantation. Optimal surgical techniques and early implementation of targeted antibiotics are crucial. Significant challenges remain in optimizing DLI prevention and treatment.

Forecasting stock volatility using time-distance weighting fundamental’s shocks

The effect of low-frequency fundamentals on high-frequency volatility is assumed to be constant over a low-frequency period in the GARCH-MIDAS model, but this is unrealistic, especially for datasets with large differences in sampling frequencies. We propose a new GARCH-MIDAS model, which innovatively employs a time-distance weighted (TDW) function that can generate time-varying shocks to high-frequency volatility from fundamentals within the same low-frequency period. The empirical results for the Chinese stock market show that the GARCH-MIDAS-TDW model outperforms the GARCH-MIDAS model in both in-sample fitting and out-of-sample forecasting performance, and this finding is also robust to the S&P 500 stock index.

The Effect of Fundamental Frequency on Gender Perception in Prepubertal Children: Insights from the LoKiS Database

This study examines the impact of fundamental frequency on gender perception in prepubertal children in the LoKiS database – a longitudinal project collecting and analyzing recordings of approximately 60 German primary school children aged six to ten years. Spontaneous and content-controlled audio recordings were collected in two German primary schools. Three distinct listening experiments with over 100 listeners were conducted. In the first experiment, listeners judged the gender of the voices on a seven-point scale. The second experiment explored the relationships between perceptual attribute ratings and corresponding acoustic parameters associated with fundamental frequency. The third experiment utilized voice morphing techniques to investigate the influence of fundamental frequency on gender perception while controlling for other acoustic parameters.About one third of the children receive unambiguous gender attributions. The perceived gender difference between children assigned female at birth (AFAB) and assigned male at birth (AMAB) increases from first to third grade. The feminine-sounding children were perceived as significantly higher pitched and more melodious. A strong correlation between perceived pitch and measured fundamental frequency was found. While the acoustic analysis revealed only a few significant differences between AFAB and AMAB children in general, the feminine-sounding children exhibited markedly higher values than the masculine-sounding ones. Stronger differences of fundamental frequency and semitone range occur as AFAB and AMAB children get older. Linear mixed models confirm a significant influence of fundamental frequency and semitone range on gender perception. Other interacting factors include the speech material used, as well as the gender of the listener. The influence of fundamental frequency was even more pronounced when controlling for other acoustic parameters.

Experimental investigation on gap resonance between two floating vessels

This paper explains the influence of gap resonance phenomena in floating vessels having unequal draughts. Two separate model configurations are considered here: one is a vessel having a shallow draught at the weather side (SW), and the other is a deep draught vessel that comes at the weather side. An experimental investigation was carried out in beam sea conditions, where the vessel could only move freely in the heave and roll directions. By beam sea, we mean the incident waves come at a right angle to the broadside of the vessels. Regular wave tests reveal that even though only a slight difference in the gap resonance frequency is observed for the two configurations, the wave amplification at resonance is 57% higher for SW. The reason for this behavior is explained using the instantaneous velocity and vorticity obtained from the particle image velocimetry analysis for a selected test case. Furthermore, the turbulent characteristics of the flow inside the gap for the configurations are compared at different time instances. The horizontal force acting on the vessels and motions (heave and roll) of the vessels in the beam sea condition are also reported in the study.

Molecular Profile of Important Genes for Radiogenomics in the Amazon Indigenous Population.

Radiotherapy is focused on the tumor but also reaches healthy tissues, causing toxicities that are possibly related to genomic factors. In this context, radiogenomics can help reduce the toxicity, increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy, and personalize treatment. It is important to consider the genomic profiles of populations not yet studied in radiogenomics, such as the indigenous Amazonian population. Thus, our objective was to analyze important genes for radiogenomics, such as ATM, TGFB1, RAD51, AREG, XRCC4, CDK1, MEG3, PRKCE, TANC1, and KDR, in indigenous people and draw a radiogenomic profile of this population. The NextSeq 500® platform was used for sequencing reactions; for differences in the allelic frequency between populations, Fisher's Exact Test was used. We identified 39 variants, 2 of which were high impact: 1 in KDR (rs41452948) and another in XRCC4 (rs1805377). We found four modifying variants not yet described in the literature in PRKCE. We did not find any variants in TANC1-an important gene for personalized medicine in radiotherapy-that were associated with toxicities in previous cohorts, configuring a protective factor for indigenous people. We identified four SNVs (rs664143, rs1801516, rs1870377, rs1800470) that were associated with toxicity in previous studies. Knowing the radiogenomic profile of indigenous people can help personalize their radiotherapy.

Microbiological Effects of Sodium Hypochlorite/-Amino Acids and Cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid Adjunctive to Non-surgical Periodontal Treatment.

To investigate the microbiological outcomes obtained with either subgingival debridement (SD) in conjunction with a gel containing sodium hypochlorite and amino acids followed by subsequent application of a cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel (xHyA) gel, or with SD alone. Forty-eight patients diagnosed with stages II-III (grades A/B) generalised periodontitis were randomly treated with either SD (control) or SD plus adjunctive sodium hypochlorite/amino acids and xHyA gel (test). Subgingival plaque samples were collected from the deepest site per quadrant in each patient at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Pooled sample analysis was performed using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for the identification of detection frequencies and changes in numbers of the following bacteria: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g), Tannerella forsythia (T.f), Treponema denticola (T.d), and Prevotella intermedia (P.i). In terms of detection frequency, in the test group, statistically significant reductions were found for P.g, T.f, T.d and P.i (p < 0.05) after 6 months. In the control group, the detection frequencies of all investigated bacterial species at 6 months were comparable to the baseline values (p > 0.05). The comparison of the test and control groups revealed statistically significant differences in detection frequency for P.g (p = 0.034), T.d (p < 0.01) and P.i (p = 0.02) after 6 months, favouring the test group. Regarding reduction in detection frequency scores, at 6 months, statistically significant differences in favour of the test group were observed for all investigated bacterial species: A.a (p = 0.028), P.g (p = 0.028), T.f (p = 0.004), T.d (p <0.001), and P.i (p = 0.003). The present microbiological results, which are related to short-term outcomes up to 6 months post-treatment, support the adjunctive subgingival application of sodium hypochlorite/amino acids and xHyA to subgingival debridement in the treatment of periodontitis.

Circadian changes of autonomic function in patients with zoster-associated pain: A heart rate variability analysis.

To investigate the circadian changes of the autonomic function in patients with zoster-associated pain (ZAP). A total of 37 patients with ZAP from April 2022 to October 2022 were enrolled as the observation group, and 37 normal volunteers at the same time were selected as the control group. All participants were required to wear a 24-h Holter, which was used to compare the heart rate variability (HRV) between the two groups. HRV analysis involved time- and frequency-domain parameters. There was no statistically significant difference in general information between two groups. Patients with ZAP had an increased mean heart rate and decreased the standard deviation of normal-to-normal (SDNN) R-R interval, the root mean square of the differences (RMSSD) in successive RR interval, low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF) compared with control groups in all periods (p<.05). The ratio of LF/HF between two groups had no significant difference (p=.245). SDNN had no significant difference between day and night in the control group (p>.05), whereas SDNN of ZAP patients in night period was reduced than that in day period (p<.001). The level of RMSSD during the day was lower than those at night in the control group (p<.05), whereas no significant difference of RMSSD between two periods was observed in patients with ZAP (p>.05). The results of this study indicated that ZAP contributes to the decline of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function, especially parasympathetic components. The patients with ZAP lost parasympathetic advantage and had a worse ANS during the night.

Oral Hygiene Habits and Knowledge Among Dentistry Students and Patients: A Questionnaire Study

Purpose: This study aimed to the compare oral hygiene habits, awareness, and knowledge dental students and patients. Materials &amp; Methods: This study was conducted at Xxx University, Faculty of Dentistry. The study included 266 participants divided into groups of dental students (n=127) and patients (n=127). A structured questionnaire with 65 multiple-choice questions covering demographic information, oral hygiene habits, awareness, and knowledge about dental care was used. All the statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and independent sample t-tests, were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26.0). Results: There were significant differences in tooth brushing frequency, time and toothpaste type, tooth brushing technique, product they used for dentures, and frequency of toothbrush replacement between dental students and patients (p

Understanding the determinants of sweet taste liking in the African and East Asian ancestry groups in the U.S.-A study protocol.

The liking for sweet taste is a powerful driver for consuming added sugars, and therefore, understanding how sweet liking is formed is a critical step in devising strategies to lower added sugars consumption. However, current research on the influence of genetic and environmental factors on sweet liking is mostly based on research conducted with individuals of European ancestry. Whether these results can be generalized to people of other ancestry groups warrants investigation. We will determine the differences in allele frequencies in sweet-related genetic variants and their effects on sweet liking in 426 adults of either African or East Asian ancestry, who have the highest and lowest average added sugars intake, respectively, among ancestry groups in the U.S. We will collect information on participants' sweet-liking phenotype, added sugars intake (sweetness exposure), anthropometric measures, place-of-birth, and for immigrants, duration of time living in the U.S. and age when immigrated. Ancestry-specific polygenic scores of sweet liking will be computed based on the effect sizes of the sweet-related genetic variants on the sweet-liking phenotype for each ancestry group. The predictive validity of the polygenic scores will be tested using individuals of African and East Asian ancestry from the UK Biobank. We will also compare sweet liking between U.S.-born individuals and immigrants within each ancestry group to test whether differences in environmental sweetness exposure during childhood affect sweet liking in adulthood. Expanding genetic research on taste to individuals from ancestry groups traditionally underrepresented in such research is consistent with equity goals in sensory and nutrition science. Findings from this study will help in the development of a more personalized nutrition approach for diverse populations. This protocol has been preregistered with the Center for Open Science (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WPR9E).

Temporal pattern of dental caries at the western flank of the Central Plateau of Iran, c. 2700 BCE – 1600 CE

ObjectiveTo analyze the overall frequency and inter-tooth patterns of caries in three populations from ancient cemeteries located along the western border of the Central Iranian Plateau as a means to explore whether the populations of Iran had greater access to fermentable sugars after the establishment of the great empires. MaterialsDental collections from Kafarved-Varzaneh (Early Bronze Age, MNI=66), Estark-Joshaqan (Iron Age, MNI=57), Tappeh Poustchi (Timurid and Safavid Period, MNI=34), together with comparative data from NE Syria. MethodsFrequencies of dental caries per tooth categories, location and size of carious lesions are analyzed using Smith’s Mean Measure of Divergence, Correspondence Analysis, χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests. ResultsThere are minimal differences in overall frequencies of carious lesions at Iranian sites, regardless of the chronology, but notable differences at Syrian sites. The inter-tooth pattern at the Iron Age cemetery in Estark appears distinctly different than the other Iranian sites and the comparative samples from Syria. ConclusionsDivergent subsistence strategies may be linked with different inter-tooth patterns since people buried at Estark were mobile herders, while the other cemeteries were used by settled farmers. SignificanceThis comprehensive research on dental caries in three chronologically diverse populations in Iran sheds light on the association between dental caries and subsistence strategies, and introduces the Smith’s Mean Measure of Divergence to explore inter-tooth carious patterns, which may prove useful to other researchers seeking to understand the relationships between subsistence, diet, and the presence of carious lesions. LimitationsThe studied sample size is relatively small and therefore its temporal/regional distribution produces low-resolution results. Suggestions for further researchMore systematic research on the patterns of dental caries is necessary to produce more fine-grained reconstructions of diet and subsistence in Iran and around the globe.

Trends in RSV testing patterns among infants presenting with bronchiolitis: Results from four United States health systems, 2015-2023

BackgroundBronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization among American infants. The overall burden of RSV among infants has been historically under-estimated due to variable testing practices, particularly in the outpatient setting. Universal masking and social distancing implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic altered RSV seasonality, however potential consequences on RSV testing practices across different healthcare settings and sociodemographic groups have not been described. Variable testing practices could also affect accurate assessment of the effects of two recently approved RSV preventative agents targeting infants. MethodsUtilizing real-time clinical and viral surveillance, we examined RSV testing practices among infants with bronchiolitis within four United States healthcare systems across different healthcare settings and sociodemographic groups pre- and post-COVID-19. ResultsRSV testing among infants with bronchiolitis increased since 2015 within each healthcare system across all healthcare settings and sociodemographic groups, with a more dramatic increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. Outpatient testing remained disproportionately low compared to hospital-based testing, although there were no major differences in testing frequency among sociodemographic groups in either setting. ConclusionsAlthough RSV testing increased among infants with bronchiolitis, relatively low outpatient testing rates remain a key barrier to accurate RSV surveillance.

Multifrequency topological interface modes in a nonlocal acoustic system with large winding numbers

Topological interface states have wide applications for their robustness and energy localization. Multiple topological interface states in 1D acoustic systems are preferred for signal enhancement at specific frequencies. However, previous 1D topological systems with local interactions can realize only one topological interface state in a bandgap. Here, we find that connected acoustic Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) chains with nonlocal interactions can achieve two or more topological interface states at different frequencies in a single bandgap, even in the subwavelength region. The difference in frequency can be modulated by merely adjusting the structural design at the interface. A mechanical metamaterial with a large winding number is designed to realize multiple nondegenerate topological interface states. This metamaterial can enhance weak acoustic signals at multiple specific frequencies simultaneously and has applications in the fields of acoustic detecting and color imaging.

Mind the ramp: Association between early life ramp use and spatial cognition in laying hen pullets.

Ramps facilitate earlier access to complex environments and increase early life voluntary exercise, which may positively affect the cognitive development of chickens. This study focused on quantifying individual differences in ramp use and its impact on spatial cognition of laying hen pullets. Sixteen identical pens were housed with Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) chicks of which eight chicks from each pen were colour marked from one day of age (DoA) to serve as focal birds. We quantified overall ramp use (walk/run, wing-assisted incline running, and jump/fly to and from ramps) by scan sampling recorded videos for 6, 10, 12, 20, 27, 41, and 55 DoA for all focal birds. From 56 to 95 DoA, long and short-term spatial memory of three focal birds per pen were assessed in a holeboard test in three consecutive phases: cued, uncued and reversal. Mixed model analysis showed that the spatial cognitive abilities of the birds were linked to differences in ramp use frequency averaged across all observation days. Birds with higher ramp use made fewer reference (Estimate ± Confidence Interval = 0.94 [0.88, 0.99], p = 0.08) and working memory errors (Est ± CI = 0.77 [0.59, 1.00], p = 0.06) in the cued phase than birds with lower ramp use. In contrast, birds with higher ramp use made more reference memory errors (Est ± CI = 1.10 [1.01, 1.20], p = 0.05) in the reversal phase. Birds with higher ramp use also made more reference memory errors compared to birds with lower ramp use as the phases changed from cued to uncued (p = 0.001). Our results indicate that there might be a relationship between early life ramp use and spatial cognition of laying hens.

MMP-1, MMP-8, and MMP-13 Gene Polymorphisms and Haplotype Is a Risk Factor for Dupuytren Contracture: A Case-Control Study.

There is an increased tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) on Dupuytren contracture (DC). Genetic polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphism [SNPs]) in genes of these enzymes may individually influence these transcriptions. Haplotype analysis, which is the observation of a group of alleles, could be more useful to identify the association between SNPs and DC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of MMP-1 g.-1607 G>GG (rs1799750), MMP-8 g.-799 C>T (rs11225395), and MMP-13 g.-77 A>G (rs2252070) SNPs individually and in haplotype on DC. A total of 60 patients with a clinical diagnosis of DC were evaluated and matched, according to age and gender, with the control group of 100 patients without this clinical diagnosis. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva samples, and genotypes were obtained by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Statistical analysis of the results included Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-squared test, and PHASE and R software, with a significance level of 5%. The 3 SNPs studied showed significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies between the groups: 2G in MMP-1 (P = .018; odds ratio [OR] 1.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-2.88)), T in MMP-8 (P = .015; OR 0.53 (95% CI, 0.33-0.88)), and A in MMP-13 (rs2252070) SNPs (P = .040, OR 0.54 (95% CI, 0.33-0.90)) are risk alleles. The global haplotype analysis indicated a significant difference between both groups. In conclusion, MMP-1 g.-1607 G>GG (rs1799750), MMP-8 g.-799 C>T (rs11225395), and MMP-13 g.-77 A>G (rs2252070) SNPs, individually and in haplotype, are a risk factor for DC, indicating that these SNPs may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic factor for DC.

Characteristics of self-harm on an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit based on neurodevelopmental diagnoses

IntroductionEngagement in self-harm is common among youth in psychiatric inpatient units, however the nature of self-harm may be different in psychiatric care due to the increased supervision and theoretically decreased access to typical means of self-harm. This study aims to describe daily reports of self-harm experienced during psychiatric inpatient stays among adolescents and compare these inpatient self-harm experiences based on neurodevelopmental diagnoses (NDDs, including autism) given that self-harm methods differ across NDD diagnostic groups outside of the inpatient unit. MethodsData were derived from a larger study of risk factors among a sample of 119 suicidal adolescent inpatients, recruited from a large, urban adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit. Participants answered a daily series of self-report questions, including items about self-harm engagement, frequency, and methods used since the last survey. ResultsThere was no difference in the number of participants who reported any engagement in self-harm based on diagnostic group (χ2 = 0.08, p = .96). There were also no differences in the frequency of self-harm across diagnostic groups (F = 2.40, p = .12). There were no differences in the use of any method across diagnostic groups (ps > 0.05). ConclusionsFindings revealed that in an inpatient unit where patients are presenting for self-harm risk, there are no significant differences in engagement, frequency, or methods used for self-harm based on autism and NDD status. These analyses provide valuable clinical information regarding a lack of differences in self-harm by these diagnostic subgroups. Future research should seek to further explore functional purposes of self-harm on inpatient unit and how this differs by diagnoses.

Bayesian modeling of binomial experiments in sociology: problem analysis

The article is devoted to Bayesian modeling of simple comparative binomial experiments with binary data sets (of “hit” and “miss” format) in sociology and other social sciences. The main methodological foundations of application of Bayesian approach in statistics are briefly reviewed: the use of priors in analysis, features of Bayesian statistical inference, differences in frequency and Bayesian confidence intervals, features of hypothesis testing in Bayesian statistics. A Bayesian model of a comparative binomial experiment has been constructed. It supports comparison of independent and dependent samples of binomial variables, and also allows for differences in sizes of the compared samples. The capabilities of the model, as well as the principles of the Bayesian hypothesis testing, were demonstrated on test data using PyMC and ArviZ, contemporary free packages of the Bayesian modeling and analysis. The use of these tools allows implementing direct tensor operations with the obtained posterior distributions and provides the researcher with an effective way to calculate the effect size when comparing two binomial samples without having to resort to complicated forms of calculating this parameter. The possibilities and limitations of the Bayesian approach are shown in the context of comparative analysis of the results of binomial experiments in social sciences by estimating the probability of hypotheses via finding and comparing the area of intervals of posterior distributions

Anatomical variation is the norm: A novel curriculum framework.

Anatomical variation is an inherent part of every health curriculum, due in large to the negative clinical consequences that can ensue if anatomical variation is not thoroughly understood. However, current literature fails to describe any structured whole-of-course pedagogy for the teaching of anatomical variation in higher education. This study therefore aimed to (i) propose a whole-of-course curriculum framework to guide academic development and implementation of anatomical variation resources and assessment; and (ii) assess the depth of anatomical variation knowledge in a multiyear undergraduate health-science cohort (n = 152) at the Queensland University of Technology. Current anatomical variation pedagogy, and subsequently the need for the curriculum framework, were explored using a scoping review protocol. As part of this study, anatomical variation was novelly defined as macroscopic differences in morphology (shape and size), topography (location), developmental timing, or frequency (number) of an anatomical structure between individuals that form during embryological or subadult development and result in no substantive, observable interruption to physiological function. The framework incorporated three themes of anatomical variation learning outcomes: description of anatomical variation, theories of the professional implications of variation, and investigation of variant formation. These themes were strongly aligned with the concepts recommended for teaching identified through the scoping review. Significant deficits in anatomical variation student knowledge were identified, with the third-year cohort recording a mean total score of only 54.6%. A strong recommendation to implement the anatomical variation curriculum framework in all medical and health-science curricula is made to intentionally develop student understanding of anatomical variation and improve future clinical practice.