Analysis Effect Size Research Articles

Circulating free T3 associates longitudinally with cardio-metabolic risk factors in euthyroid children with higher TSH.

Thyroid hormones play major roles in the regulation of body composition and metabolism, and therefore, the relationship between thyroid hormones and cardio-metabolic risk has been extensively studied in adults. In this study, we aimed to test whether free triiodothyronine (fT3) associates longitudinally with cardio-metabolic risk factors in euthyroid children. A prospective study cohort of 599 apparently healthy school-age children were assessed at baseline (mean age 8.1 ± 2.1 years), of whom 270 children were also assessed at follow-up (4 years later). Circulating thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), and fT3 were measured, and cardio-metabolic risk was assessed by means of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, visceral fat (by ultrasound), blood pressure, circulating lipids, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, both at baseline and at follow-up. All studied children had normal thyroid function tests. Independent associations between baseline fT3 and both baseline and follow-up BMI, systolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR were found using multivariate regression analysis (adjusting for sex and baseline age and BMI). Analyses of effect sizes showed that for each 1 unit-increase in baseline fT3 (pg/ml), follow-up BMI-standard deviation score (SDS) increased by 0.31 units (z-score) and systolic blood pressure by 6.6 units (mmHg). The observed longitudinal associations were more robust in children belonging to the upper TSH tertile who showed higher TSH levels and were characterized by weighing more and having the highest fT3 levels. In these children, for each 1 unit-increase in baseline fT3 (pg/ml), follow-up BMI-SDS increased by 0.67 units (z-score) and systolic blood pressure by 10.2 units (mmHg). Circulating fT3 associates longitudinally with cardio-metabolic risk factors in euthyroid children with higher TSH. The observed associations of thyroid hormones in these children could conceivably respond to a homeostatic attempt to reduce their cardio-metabolic risk.

Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota between Wild and Captive Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys.

Environmental shifts and dietary habits could directly affect the gut microbiota of animals. In this study, we investigated the gut microbiota of golden snub-nosed monkeys under two different conditions: captive and wild. Our study adopted a non-invasive sampling method, using full-length 16S rRNA Pacbio SMAT sequencing technology to compare the gut microbiota of wild and captive golden snub-nosed monkeys. The results showed that the captive populations had higher alpha diversity than the wild populations, and there were also significant differences in beta diversity. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed 39 distinctly different taxonomic units. At the phylum level, the most dominant bacteria under captive and wild conditions were Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. This study revealed that the different fiber intake between wild and captive populations might be the main reason for the difference in the gut microbiota. We found that captive golden snub-nosed monkeys had less beneficial bacteria and more potentially pathogenic bacteria than wild ones. Functional predictions showed that the most significant functional pathway at the second level between the captive and wild monkeys was carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, our results indicate that diet changes caused by captivity could be the main reason impacting the gut microbiota of captive golden snub-nosed monkeys. We further highlight the potential impact of diet changes on the health of captive golden snub-nosed monkeys and offer some suggestions for the feeding of captive golden snub-nosed monkeys.

Identification of intestinal microbiome associated with lymph-vascular invasion in colorectal cancer patients and predictive label construction.

To identify differences between the composition, abundance, and biological function of the intestinal microbiome of patients with and without lymph-vascular invasion (LVI) colorectal cancer (CRC) and to construct predictive labels to support accurate assessment of LVI in CRC. 134 CRC patients were included, which were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of LVI, and their intestinal microbiomes were sequenced by 16SrRNA and analyzed for differences. The transcriptome sequencing data of 9 CRC patients were transformed into immune cells abundance matrix by CIBERSORT algorithm, and the correlation among LVI-associated differential intestinal microbiomes, immune cells, immune-related genes and LVI-associated differential GO items and KEGG pathways were analyzed. A random forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model were constructed to predict the LVI of CRC patients based on the differential microbiome. There was no significant difference in α-diversity and β-diversity of intestinal microbiome between CRC patients with and without LVI (P > 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis showed 34 intestinal microbiomes enriched in CRC patients of the LVI group and 5 intestinal microbiomes were significantly enriched in CRC patients of the non-lymph-vascular invasion (NLVI) group. The RF and XGB prediction models constructed with the top 15% of the LVI-associated differential intestinal microbiomes ranked by feature significance had good efficacy. There are 39 intestinal flora with significantly different species abundance between the LVI and NLVI groups. g:Alistipes.s:Alistipes_indistinctus is closely associated with colorectal cancer vascular invasion. LVI-associated differential intestinal flora may be involved in regulating the infiltration of immune cells in CRC and influencing the expression of immune-related genes. LVI-associated differential intestinal flora may influence the process of vascular invasion in CRC through a number of potential biological functions. RF prediction models and XGB prediction models constructed based on microbial markers of gut flora can be used to predict CRC-LVI conditions.

Qualifying Method-Centered Teaching Approaches through the Reflective Teaching Model for Reading Comprehension

The purpose of this study was to qualify method-centered teaching approaches by investigating the effects of the reflective teaching model for reading comprehension (RTMRC) on ninth-grade students’ English reading comprehension achievement in Myanmar. Three kinds of method-centered teaching approaches, namely reciprocal teaching, interactive teaching, and questioning, were qualified, compared, and examined while using the RTMRC. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The participants included 458 ninth-grade students, five English teachers, and 10 peer observers. Pre- and post-tests, a student questionnaire, and an observation scheme were used to assess the effectiveness of the RTMRC over 15 weeks. Structural equation modeling, Rasch analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), effect size (Cohen’s d), and various descriptive statistics revealed that the teachers’ reflections on the instructional context were very effective for student reading comprehension achievement, the students appreciated interactive teaching the most, students’ achievements for the literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions were the highest, and the RTMRC was more effective than other traditional teaching methods. In essence, the RTMRC can assist English language teachers in improving their students’ reading comprehension.

0734 Gender Differences in US Military Personnel with Insomnia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Comorbid Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract Introduction Women constitute approximately 17% of the military. Yet, relatively little is known regarding sleep disorders and comorbid diagnoses effecting this gender. The aim of this study was to determine if there were gender-related differences in symptoms of sleep disorders and sleep-related impairment, comorbid sleep, behavioral medicine, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses and polysomnographic (PSG) variables in military personnel with insomnia, OSA, and comorbid insomnia and OSA (COMISA). Methods Participants were 372 military personnel (46.2% females, 53.8% males) with an average age of 37.7±7.46 years and median BMI of 28.4 (5.50) kg/m2. Based on clinical evaluation and video-PSG, participants were diagnosed with insomnia (n = 118, 71.2% female), OSA (n = 118, 28.8% female) and COMISA (n = 136, 39.7% female). Insomnia severity, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, nightmare disorder, sleep impairment, fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression symptoms, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were evaluated with validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric pairwise comparisons and effect-size analyses were used to assess differences between sexes in terms of variables of interest. Results Female service members had significantly greater symptoms of nightmare disorder, PTSD, anxiety, and depression than their male counterparts. There were no significant differences between males and females with insomnia or OSA in sleep-related symptoms, impairment, or PSG based apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Male service members with COMISA had a significantly greater AHI; females with COMISA had significantly greater symptoms of nightmare disorder, PTSD and anxiety. Conclusion In the largest study to date to clinically evaluate sleep disorders in military personnel, COMISA was the most frequent diagnosis. Surprisingly, there were minimal differences in self-reported symptoms of sleep disorders and PSG characteristics. However, male servicemembers with COMISA have more severe sleep disordered breathing while female servicemembers with COMISA have greater mental health morbidity. Military service may result in distinct sleep disorder phenotype(s). Support (if any) This work was supported by the Defense Health Agency, Defense Medical Research and Development Program, Clinical Research Intramural Initiative for Military Women’s Health (DM170708; Mysliwiec) and the US Air Force (USAF) Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (FA8650-18-2-6953; Peterson).

AWARENESS AMONG PEOPLE BASED ON NEURO ONCOLOGY

Limitations in trial design, accrual, and data reporting impact efficient and reliable drug evaluation in cancer clinical trials. These concerns have been recognized in neuro-oncology but have not been comprehensively evaluated. We conducted a semi- automated survey of adult interventional neuro-oncology trials, examining design, interventions, outcomes, and data availability trends. Trials were selected programmatically from ClinicalTrials.gov using primary malignant CNS tumour classification terms. Regression analyses assessed design and accrual trends; effect size analysis utilized survival rates among trials investigating survival.

The effectiveness of the anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy infliximab in neuro-Behçet's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To study the effectiveness of infliximab for the treatment of refractory central neuro-Behçet's disease. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the research question was designed using the 'Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes' (PICO) model and the search methodology was developed according to the PRISMA statement. The study was registered on PROSPERO. Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published in English between January 2000 and January 2020. Data were analysed using Meta-Essentials software, version 10.12. Treatment effect size was determined by a random effects model. Interstudy heterogeneity was explored using I2 statistics. Cumulative meta-analysis was conducted to assess the temporal trend for accumulating evidence. Twenty-one studies, comprising 64 patients (mean age, 38 .21 years and mean disease duration, 84.76 months) were included. Effect-size analysis showed that 93.7% of the treated patients in the analysis were responders to infliximab therapy (95% confidence interval 0.88, 0.993). There was no significant inter-study heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Cumulative analysis showed accumulating evidence favoring increasing effectiveness over the last 20 years. Infliximab showed considerable therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of refractory neuro-Behçet's disease.

Using self‐monitoring to increase on‐task behaviors of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in inclusive classrooms in Turkey (Türkiye)

AbstractSelf‐monitoring interventions have been found to be effective in improving the on‐task behaviors of students with a wide range of disabilities. However, there are ongoing limitations in the literature, including the (a) lack of planning in generalization and maintenance, (b) interventions are predominantly conducted in segregated settings, and (c) inadequate number of data points collected in each condition. In the current study, self‐monitoring was used to improve the on‐task behavior of three elementary school students with ADHD in inclusive classrooms in Turkey. A concurrent multiple‐baseline across‐participants design was used. Generalization and maintenance were programmed via sequential modification, partial withdrawal, and continuous data collection. Additionally, classroom teachers rated the students' overall classroom behaviors in each data collection session. Based on the visual and the effect size analyses (i.e., performance criteria‐based effect size [PCES]), the intervention was effective in improving the students' on‐task behaviors. The self‐monitoring intervention had 1.18 (high effect), 1.06 (effective) in generalization, and 1.14 (effective) in the first maintenance set and 1.03 (effective) in the second maintenance data set. The teacher ratings aligned with the increased on‐task behaviors of the students. Implications for practice are discussed.

Bacterial diversity of middle ear cholesteatoma by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in China

In this study, the bacterial diversity of acquired middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC) was evaluated to reveal its pathogenesis and provides a guide for the use of antibiotics. Twenty-nine cases of acquired MEC and eight cases of healthy middle ears undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) were evaluated. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to profile the bacterial communities in lesions and healthy tissues of the middle ear. ACE (P = 0.043) and Chao1 (P = 0.039) indices showed significant differences in alpha diversity (P < 0.05). Analysis of PERMANOVA/Anosim using the Bray–Curtis distance matrix results suggested that the between-group differences were greater than the within-group differences (R = 0.238, P < 0.05, R2 = 0.066, P < 0.05). Bacterial community analysis revealed that Alphaproteobacteria at the class level and Caulobacterales and Sphingomonadales at the order level were significantly different (P < 0.05). In the LefSe (Linear discriminant analysis effect size) analysis, Porphyromonas bennonis was elevated, and Bryum argenteum and unclassified Cyanobacteriales were reduced at the species level in MEC (P < 0.05). Fifteen metabolic pathways were found to be significantly different between the two groups by analysing the abundance of metabolic pathways in level 2 of the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Seven and eight metabolic pathways were significantly elevated in the MEC and control groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of acquired MEC was further refined through analysis of metabolic pathways. These findings indicate that the acquired MEC and healthy middle ear contain more diverse microbial communities than previously thought.

A global assessment of the ‘island rule’ in bats based on functionally distinct measures of body size

AbstractAimThe ‘island rule’ postulates that on islands large continental animals become smaller, and small continental animals become larger. Its generality has been supported by some studies but contested by others. Bats are cosmopolitan and speciose mammals thus are ideal to test ecogeographic patterns. Based on three functionally distinct measures of body size, I compare mainland and island variation in bats at the order to subspecies level.LocationGlobally.TaxonChiroptera.MethodsI compiled information from literature on the skull length, forearm length, and body mass of 251 bat species in 840 locations. For conspecific bats from different locations, I calculated size divergences, and categorized them as within‐mainland (M–M), mainland‐to‐island (M–I), or island‐to‐island (I–I). I used a modified size ratio to quantify divergences, analysis of variance, non‐parametric tests, and effect sizes to complement statistical significances.ResultsOn islands, cranial size increases, wing length becomes more uniform, and body mass decreases more often than not. The first trend would support the island rule, but had a small effect size. Families differ considerably in how they vary geographically. Species are ranked very differently based on functionally distinct size measures. Divergences are uniform across M–M, M–I, and I–I ranges, and large between bats of different subspecies.Main ConclusionsLikely owing to limitations imposed by flight and echolocation, bats do not follow the island rule. The absence of correlation between how bats are ranked based on them indicates that functionally distinct size measures are not necessarily coadaptive. High vagilities may lead to low local differentiation, but interfamilial variation shows this differentiation to also depend on other factors. Body sizes converge to species‐specific optima, not to supraspecific optima as predicted by theoretical studies. Size differences are reflected in taxonomy more often if observed across M–I ranges.

Exploration of the Gut Microbiome in Thai Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Shows a Specific Bacterial Profile with Depletion of the Ruminococcus Genus as a Putative Biomarker.

Maes et al. (2008) published the first paper demonstrating that major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by abnormalities in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, as evidenced by elevated serum IgM/IgA to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria, such as Morganella morganii and Klebsiella Pneumoniae. The latter aberrations, which point to increased gut permeability (leaky gut), are linked to activated neuro-immune and oxidative pathways in MDD. To delineate the profile and composition of the gut microbiome in Thai patients with MDD, we examined fecal samples of 32 MDD patients and 37 controls using 16S rDNA sequencing, analyzed α- (Chao1 and Shannon indices) and β-diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), and conducted linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) analysis. Neither α- nor β-diversity differed significantly between MDD and controls. Rhodospirillaceae, Hungatella, Clostridium bolteae, Hungatella hathewayi, and Clostridium propionicum were significantly enriched in MDD, while Gracillibacteraceae family, Lutispora, and Ruminococcus genus, Ruminococcus callidus, Desulfovibrio piger, Coprococcus comes, and Gemmiger were enriched in controls. Contradictory results have been reported for all these taxa, with the exception of Ruminococcus, which is depleted in six different MDD studies (one study showed increased abundance), many medical disorders that show comorbidities with MDD, and animal MDD models. Our results may suggest a specific profile of compositional gut dysbiosis in Thai MDD patients, with increases in some pathobionts and depletion of some beneficial microbiota. The results suggest that depletion of Ruminococcus may be a more universal biomarker of MDD that may contribute to increased enteral LPS load, LPS translocation, and gut-brain axis abnormalities.

Predictors of attitude toward substance users: a field study in Turkey

ABSTRACT Objectives We determine the factors related to the attitudes toward substance users and how these factors predict attitudes. Methods The research was a field study. The control variables were gender and occupation. Health workers, teachers, prison guards, shopkeepers, university students, bartenders, and professional athletes were chosen by lottery method of simple random sampling. 350 people were reached. Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test, Addiction Profile Index Risk Scanning Scale-Alcohol, and Addictive Material Attitude Scale were used. T-test, ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test, analysis of effect size, and linear regression model were used. Results Gender (1%), marital status (2%), residence (4%), occupation (9%), NUD (2%), risky alcohol use (12%), having people with AUD in the social circle (1%), having a substance user in the social circle (20%), being in a substance use environment (16%); neighborhood characteristics as crime (9%), drug use (5%), illicit drug selling (7%) were found predictors of the attitude. Conclusions Demographical factors like being single, being a bartender, living with friends; substance-related risk factors; neighborhood characteristics like high crime, substance use, and illicit drug selling were predictors of positive attitude. Identifying the factors explaining the positive attitude will guide the determination of prevention and protection programs for society.

Continuance intention in financial technology: a framework and meta-analysis

PurposeAlthough many studies have sought to address the topic of continuance intention among Fintech customers, the reported findings are fragmented. Therefore, the present study proposes a research model that integrates the main constructs involved in Fintech continuance intention.Design/methodology/approachThe current study uses a meta-analytic-based correlation analysis of effect sizes, meta-regression analysis and meta-analytic structural equation modeling, with 247 effect sizes in 69 studies involving 26,140 respondents.FindingsThe results reveal continuance intention is driven by satisfaction and trust, with ease of use and usefulness being antecedents of satisfaction and trust. The authors also found evidence to show satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between ease of use and continuance intention and that trust fully mediates the relationship between ease of use and continuance intention and partially mediates the relationship between usefulness and continuance intention. In addition, the authors found that in Western countries, with higher Human Development Index levels and greater of use of electronic payment, satisfaction has more impact on continuance intention.Practical implicationsFrom a theoretical standpoint, this meta-analytic study has implications for the literature on Fintech by offering an empirical generalization on the strength of the antecedents of Fintech continuance intentions and by testing possible moderators in a wide range of countries and studies. In other words, this study’s goal is to broaden the scope of the research. Regarding managerial implications, it is important to listen to user opinions regarding the positive and negative points of their experience with these technologies and take them into consideration when planning improvements. Additionally, the analysis shows the importance of using data from user interaction with technology, obtained, for example, through big data analytics, whereby companies can see how users behave, how much time they spend accessing certain functions and which technological features they use most, and thus seek to improve whatever is needed.Originality/valueThis meta-analytic study advances the understanding of Fintech continuance intentions. Using the proposed approach, it is possible to generate accurate estimates of the effect size of each analyzed antecedent as the meta-analytic method jointly evaluates the results produced by a wide variety of studies performed in different contexts, allowing more accurate conclusions to be drawn.

Determining Stroke and Movement Profiles in Competitive Tennis Match-Play From Wearable Sensor Accelerometry.

Perri, T, Reid, M, Murphy, A, Howle, K, and Duffield, R. Determining stroke and movement profiles in competitive tennis match-play from wearable sensor accelerometry. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1271-1276, 2023-This study determined stroke and movement accelerometry metrics from a wearable sensor and compared between court surface (grass vs. hard) and match outcome (win vs. loss) during competitive tennis match-play. Eight junior high-performance tennis players wore a trunk-mounted global positioning system, with in-built accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope during singles matches on hard and grass courts. The manufacturer software calculated accelerometer-derived total player load (tPL). A prototype algorithm classified forehands, backhands, serves, and "other" strokes, thereby calculating stroke PL (sPL) from individual strokes. Movement PL (mPL) was calculated as the difference between tPL and sPL, with all metrics reported as absolute and relative (min -1 , %, and ·stroke). Analysis of accelerometer load and stroke count metrics was performed through a two-way (surface [grass vs. hard] × match outcome [win vs. loss]) analysis of variance ( p < 0.05) and effect sizes (Cohen's d ). No interaction effects for surface and match outcome existed for absolute tPL, mPL, and sPL ( p > 0.05). Increased mPL% featured on grass courts, whereas sPL% was increased on hard courts ( p = 0.04, d = 1.18[0.31-2.02]). Elevated sPL·min -1 existed on hard courts ( p = 0.04, d = 1.19[0.32-2.04]), but no differences in tPL·min -1 and mPL·min -1 were evident for surface or outcome ( p > 0.05). Relative forehand sPL (FH-sPL·min -1 ) was higher on hard courts ( p = 0.03, d = 1.18[0.31-2.02]) alongside higher forehand counts ( p = 0.01, d = 1.29[0.40-2.14]). Hitting demands are heightened on hard courts from increased sPL and counts. Conversely, increased mPL% on grass courts likely reflects the specific movement demands from point-play. Physical preparation strategies during training blocks can be tailored toward movement or hitting loads to suit competitive surfaces.

Serum Metabolomics Combined With 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing to Analyze the Changes of Intestinal Flora in Rats With MI and the Intervention Effect of Fuling-Guizhi

Objective: This research aimed to assess the relationship between intestinal flora and metabolites in rats with myocardial ischemia (MI) and to offer a new perspective to elucidate the pathological mechanisms of MI and Fuling-Guizhi (FLGZ). Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control check (CK), model (MX), propranolol (XDAZ), and FLGZ groups. Metabolomic analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to obtain differential metabolites and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis to obtain differential intestinal flora and perform functional prediction. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to reveal the correlation between different metabolites and altered intestinal flora. Results: By serum metabolomics, 14 different metabolites were identified, mainly involving amino acid, lipid, carbohydrate, and energy metabolic pathways. Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis indicated that at the genus level, MI was associated with Phascolarctobacterium, Oscillospira, Allobaculum, and Ruminococcus, involving amino acids, carbohydrates, energy, lipids, cofactors and vitamins, other amino acids, terpenoids, and polyketides metabolism. Correlation analysis showed that ethanolamine, phosphate, L-glutamine, L-threonine, oxalic acid, and linoleic acid were closely associated with Phascolarctobacterium, Oscillospira, Allobaculum, and Ruminococcus. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results tentatively confirm that MI is closely tied to the dysregulation of metabolites and intestinal flora. FLGZ may affect amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, and energy metabolism through Phascolarctobacterium, Oscillospira, Allobaculum, and Ruminococcus to attenuate inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

Dynamics of oral microbiome acquisition in healthy infants: A pilot study.

The human oral microbiota is one of the most complex bacterial communities in the human body. However, how newborns initially acquire these bacteria remains largely unknown. In this study, we examined the dynamics of oral microbial communities in healthy infants and investigated the influence of the maternal oral microbiota on the acquisition of the infant's oral microbiota. We hypothesized that the infant oral microbial diversity increases with age. One hundred and sixteen whole-salivary samples were collected from 32 healthy infants and their biological mothers during postpartum and 9- and 15-month well-infant visits. Bacterial genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced by Human Oral Microbe Identification using Next Generation Sequencing (HOMINGS) methods. The Shannon index was used to measure the microbial diversity of the infant-mother dyads (alpha diversity). The microbial diversity between the mother-infant dyads (beta-diversity) was calculated using the weighted non-phylogenetic Bray-Curtis distance in QIIME 1.9.1. Core microbiome analysis was performed using MicrobiomeAnalyst software. Linear discriminant analysis coupled with effect size analysis was used to identify differentially abundant features between mother and infant dyads. A total of 6,870,571 16S rRNA reads were generated from paired mother-infant saliva samples. Overall, oral microbial profiles significantly differed between the mother and infant groups (p < 0.001). The diversity of the salivary microbiomes in the infants increased in an age-dependent manner, whereas the core microbiome of the mothers remained relatively stable during the study period. Breastfeeding and gender did not affect the microbial diversity in infants. Moreover, infants had a greater relative abundance of Firmicutes and a lower abundance of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria than their mothers. The SparCC correlation analysis demonstrated constant changes in infants' oral microbial community network (p < 0.05). This study provides new evidence that the oral cavities of infants are colonized by a distinct group of bacterial species at birth. The acquisition and diversity of changes in oral microbial composition are dynamic during the first year of an infant's life. Before reaching the second birthday, the composition of the oral microbial community could be more similar to that of their biological mothers.

Discover boy specific-biomarkers and reveal gender-related metabolic differences in central precocious puberty

The incidence of central precocious puberty (CPP) in boys is rising, but lack of effective molecular biomarkers often leads to delayed treatment and thus the terrible clinical complications in adulthood. This study aims to identify the specific-biomarkers of CPP boys and understand the gender-related differences in metabolic characteristics of CPP. The specific-biomarkers of CPP boys were identified from serum by cross-metabolomics combined with linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis after age correction, and union receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were perform to optimize the combination of specific-biomarkers. The differences in metabolic characteristics between boys and girls with CPP were explored by cross-metabolomics and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Results show that CPP activated in advance the HPG axis and induced gender-related clinical phenotypes. Seven serum metabolites were identified as specific-biomarkers of CPP boys, including acetoacetate, aspartate, choline, creatinine, myo-inositol, N,N-dimethylglycine and N-Acetyl-glycoprotein. The combination of aspartate, choline, myo-inositol and creatinine achieved an optimized diagnosis, where AUC is 0.949, prediction accuracy for CPP boys is 91.1%, and the average accuracy is 0.865. The metabolic disorders of CPP boys mainly involve in glycerophospholipid metabolism, and synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies. Betaine, glutamine, isoleucine, lactate, leucine, lysine, pyruvate, α-&β-glucose were identified as gender-related biomarkers for CPP, and they are mainly involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate metabolism, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Biomarkers combination provides a promising diagnostic potential for CPP boy with a favorite sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the differences of metabolic characteristics between boys and girls with CPP will contribute to the development of individualized clinical treatments in CPP.

How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model.

Trust exerts an impact on essentially all forms of social relationships. It affects individuals in deciding whether and how they will or will not interact with other people. Equally, trust also influences the stance of entire nations in their mutual dealings. In consequence, understanding the factors that influence the decision to trust, or not to trust, is crucial to the full spectrum of social dealings. Here, we report the most comprehensive extant meta-analysis of experimental findings relating to such human-to-human trust. Our analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of the factors that influence interpersonal trust, the initial propensity to trust, as well as an assessment of the general trusting of others. Over 2,000 relevant studies were initially identified for potential inclusion in the meta-analysis. Of these, (n = 338) passed all screening criteria and provided therefrom a total of (n = 2,185) effect sizes for analysis. The identified dependent variables were trustworthiness, propensity to trust, general trust, and the trust that supervisors and subordinates express in each other. Correlational results demonstrated that a large range of trustor, trustee, and shared, contextual factors impact each of trustworthiness, the propensity to trust, and trust within working relationships. The emphasis in the present work on contextual factors being one of several trust dimensions herein originated. Experimental results established that the reputation of the trustee and the shared closeness of trustor and trustee were the most predictive factors of trustworthiness outcome. From these collective findings, we propose an elaborated, overarching descriptive theory of trust in which special note is taken of the theory's application to the growing human need to trust in non-human entities. The latter include diverse forms of automation, robots, artificially intelligent entities, as well as specific implementations such as driverless vehicles to name but a few. Future directions as to the momentary dynamics of trust development, its sustenance and its dissipation are also evaluated.

Host-Specific Differences in Gut Microbiota Between Cricetulus barabensis and Phodopus sungorus.

Gut microbiota plays an important role in the health of the host and is usually associated with the physiological processes of animals. Both host-specific factors and environmental factors are involved in the shaping of the gut microbial community, and it is necessary to identify the host-dominated differences in gut microbiota among animal species to better explain how they affect the choice of life history strategies in hosts. Here, striped hamsters Cricetulus barabensis and Djungarian hamsters Phodopus sungorus were housed under the same controlled conditions, and fecal samples were collected to compare gut microbiota. A higher Shannon index was observed in striped hamsters than in Djungarian hamsters. Linear discriminant analysis of effect size showed enrichment of the family Lachnospiraceae and genera Muribaculum and Oscillibacter in striped hamsters, with the enrichment of family Erysipelotrichaceae and genus Turicibacter in Djungarian hamsters. Among the top 10 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), eight showed significantly different relative abundance between the two hamster species. The positive correlations and average degree in the co-occurrence network of striped hamsters were less than those of Djungarian hamsters, showing different complexity of synergistic effects among the gut bacteria. The gut microbial community of striped hamsters had a higher R2 value than that of Djungarian hamsters when fitted with a neutral community model. These differences have a degree of consistency with the variation in the lifestyles of the two hamster species. The study provides insights into the understanding of gut microbiota and its connections with rodent hosts.

Bidirectional effects of oral anticoagulants on gut microbiota in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The imbalance of gut microbiota (GM) is associated with a higher risk of thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Oral anticoagulants (OACs) have been found to significantly reduce the risk of thromboembolism and increase the risk of bleeding. However, the OAC-induced alterations in gut microbiota in patients with AF remain elusive. In this study, the microbial composition in 42 AF patients who received long-term OAC treatment (AF-OAC group), 47 AF patients who did not (AF group), and 40 volunteers with the risk of AF (control group) were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal bacterial DNA. The metagenomic functional prediction of major bacterial taxa was performed using the Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) software package. The gut microbiota differed between the AF-OAC and AF groups. The abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus decreased in the two disease groups at the genus level, but OACs treatment mitigated the decreasing tendency and increased beneficial bacterial genera, such as Megamonas. In addition, OACs reduced the abundance of pro-inflammatory taxa on the genus Ruminococcus but increased certain potential pathogenic taxa, such as genera Streptococcus, Escherichia-Shigella, and Klebsiella. The Subgroup Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analyses revealed that Bacteroidetes, Brucella, and Ochrobactrum were more abundant in the anticoagulated bleeding AF patients, Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in the non-anticoagulated-bleeding-AF patients. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was lower in the AF-OAC group compared with the AF group (P < 0.05). Ruminococcus was positively correlated with the NLR and negatively correlated with the CHA2DS2-VASc score (P < 0.05), and the OACs-enriched species (Megamonas and Actinobacteria) was positively correlated with the prothrombin time (PT) (P < 0.05). Ruminococcus and Roseburia were negatively associated with bleeding events (P < 0.05). Our study suggested that OACs might benefit AF patients by reducing the inflammatory response and modulating the composition and abundance of gut microbiota. In particular, OACs increased the abundance of some gut microbiota involved in bleeding and gastrointestinal dysfunction indicating that the exogenous supplementation with Faecalibacterium and Akkermansia might be a prophylactic strategy for AF-OAC patients to lower the risk of bleeding after anticoagulation.