Health Subjects Research Articles

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences in the subjects food and health, and outdoor life

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences in the subjects food and health, and outdoor life

Comparing 30 Versus 60min Cognitively Loaded Physical Exercise on Cognitive Function and Physical Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a mild decline in cognitive function and represents a risk stage for dementia in community-dwelling older adults. Exercise and dual-task training have been used to improve physical health, psychosocial health, and cognitive and learning functions in various subjects. However, the optimal time for these interventions has yet to be clearly identified. This study investigated the effects of cognitively loaded physical exercise (CLPE) on cognitive function and physical health in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment and compared the differences according to exercise time. Fifty-one community-dwelling aged 60years or older with MCI were randomly assigned to 30-min CLPE (30CLPE, n=17), 60-min CLPE (60CLPE, n=17), and control (n=17) groups. The CLPE program consisted of a twice-weekly exercise program for 8weeks. During the exercise, a dual task was performed to assess cognitive load. The control group performed a typical exercise program at a dementia center during the same period. The Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to evaluate cognitive function, and various physical health factors were assessed using the handgrip dynamometer and pinch gauge, Senior Fitness Test, dynamic and static balance abilities, and gait variables. After the intervention, both the 30CLPE and 60CLPE groups showed significant improvements in cognitive function, upper limb strength, senior fitness, balance, and gait (p<0.05), while the control group showed no significant changes in any of the variables (p>0.05). In between-group comparisons, both CLPE groups showed significantly improved cognitive and physical functions compared to the control group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the 30 CLPE and 60 CLPE groups (p>0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that cognitively loaded physical exercise is effective in improving cognitive and physical function in individuals with MCI. Both the 30-min and 60-min sessions resulted in significant improvements, with no statistically significant differences observed between the two durations. This suggests that persistence and consistency of exercise may be more important than the duration of individual sessions. Clinical Trials.gov: KCT0009053.

BrainSim: AI-Driven Brain MRI Simulation for Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

Alzheimer's Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure, presents a formidable challenge to global healthcare. The simulation of brain states, encompassing both rejuvenation and aging, aids clinicians in understanding disease progression and early detection. Recent advances in deep adversarial neural networks, effective in generating age-varied facial images, are now applied to brain MRI simulations across different time states. However, existing methods for brain MRI synthesis predominantly focus on aging simulation, lacking rejuvenation capabilities, and relying heavily on longitudinal data. Access to rejuvenated brain scans is essential as it can help researchers track the structural changes and biomarkers in the early stage of AD, facilitating AD research and personalized treatments. Additionally, previous methods are often 2D-based, failing to capture complex 3D spatial information obtained by 3D scans. To overcome these limitations, I propose BrainSim, a novel longitudinal brain MRI synthesis framework. Specifically, BrainSim leverages a bidirectional cycle-consistent generative neural network to generate rejuvenated and aged MRI scans simultaneously using cross-sectional scans only. BrainSim incorporates a 3D conditional U-Net as its fundamental model, facilitating the direct generation of 3D MRI scans conditioned on the subject's health state and sex. BrainSim was evaluated against benchmark models using longitudinal data and a pre-trained age predictor to assess the quality of generated images. Experiments using the ADNI dataset show BrainSim's state-of-the-art performance in brain aging and rejuvenation tasks, marking significant advancements in MRI synthesis for Alzheimer's research and drug development.

The effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis: Study protocol for a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Osteoarthritis (OA) knee is one of the most common chronic degenerative conditions that imposes clinical and economic burdens on individuals and societies worldwide. Previous studies showed vitamin D levels correlated positively with lean muscle mass and grip strength, implying that vitamin D supplementation may improve muscle health in knee OA subjects. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to compare the effects of vitamin D supplementation on knee muscle strength, physical function, pain, and sarcopenia status in patients with end-stage knee OA. Patients and outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation. Fifty-six end-stage knee OA patients with vitamin D insufficiency fulfilling our inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in this study. Patients will be randomly assigned to take vitamin D supplementation (4,000 IU capsule daily) or placebo for six months. Measurements will be taken at baseline, three and six-month after the commencement of the vitamin D supplement, and 6-month after the interventional period. The primary outcome includes the isometric quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength measured by a hand-held dynamometer. Secondary outcomes include pain, performance-based and self-reported physical function and sarcopenia status. The success of this study will provide scientific evidence of whether the relatively cheap and well-tolerated vitamin D supplement can improve quadriceps muscle strength, physical function, pain symptoms, and sarcopenia status of this increasingly large population for end-stage knee OA patients. The study has great clinical significance given Hong Kong's lengthy and growing waiting list for complete knee replacement procedures. Trial registration: The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05981534) on 31st July 2023.

Ultra-processed foods intake in relation to metabolic health status, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and adropin levels in adults

BackgroundIn recent years, there has been a lot of discussion over the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) intake on overall health of subjects. However, the association between UPFs intake and metabolic unhealthy (MU) status is still in a state of ambiguity. The current study assessed the relationship between UPFs intake and MU status with regard to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adropin levels.MethodsA sample of Iranian adults (aged 20–65 years) was selected to participate in this cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster random-sampling method. UPFs intake was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and NOVA classification. Concentrations of metabolic parameters, BDNF and adropin were determined through fasting blood samples. MU status was assessed according to the criteria proposed by Wildman.ResultsThe overall prevalence of MU phenotype among study participants (n = 527) was 42.5%. Higher intake of UPFs was associated with elevated odds of MU status in multivariable-adjusted model (ORT3 vs. T1=1.88; 95%CI: 1.02–3.45). Moreover, a positive association was observed between UPFs intake and hypertriglyceridemia after controlling all confounders (ORT3 vs. T1=2.07; 95%CI: 1.15–3.73). However, each tertile increase in UPFs intake was not significantly associated with serum BDNF (\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\:\\beta\\:$$\\end{document}=0.15; 95%CI: -0.05, 0.34; P = 0.14) and adropin (\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\:\\beta\\:$$\\end{document}=-1.37; 95%CI: -6.16, 3.42; P = 0.58) levels in multivariable-adjusted linear regression models.ConclusionOur findings suggested that higher consumption of UPFs was related to increased likelihood of MU status among a sample of Iranian adults. Further longitudinal studies are needed to verify the directionality and generalizability of the results to all adult populations.

12480 REMS Technology For The Bone Health Assessment After Hormonal Therapy In Transgender Subjects

Abstract Disclosure: F.A. Lombardi*: None. A. Russo: None. P. Pisani*: None. C. Stomaci*: None. F. Conversano*: None. R. Franchini*: None. M. Di Paola*: None. V. Racanelli*: None. S. Casciaro: None. Introduction: Sex steroid hormones play crucial roles in bone metabolism and the musculoskeletal system. These hormones interact with specific nuclear receptors, such as estrogen and androgen receptors, which are expressed in bone tissue. This interaction regulates the ongoing process of bone remodeling and induces positive effects on bone health.In this regard, it is crucial to examine the long-term impact of gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on bone metabolism. Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-spectrometry (REMS) is a radiation-free technology for assessing bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk prediction by the analysis of the reference axial sites: lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). REMS has been widely validated in comparison with Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), showing good accuracy and precision (&amp;gt;90%), thereby representing a valid technology to monitor bone health status (BHS) in a short-term period. In this context, the goal of this preliminary clinical study was to track the bone health of transgender subjects for one year after starting treatment, using REMS, in order to comprehend the effects of GAHT on BHS. Methods: 7 transgender patients were recruited at Endocrinology Unit of Internal Medicine Department of Santa Chiara Hospital Trento (Italy). Among them were 4 individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) undergoing therapy with oestradiol valerate 2 g/day and cyproterone acetate 25 mg/day, as well as 3 individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) undergoing therapy with testosterone 25 mg/day. Before starting GAHT, patients underwent LS-DXA scan, followed by monitoring of BHS by REMS technology after 12 months from the start of treatment. Results: The results show an increase of T-score values in AMAB (-0,3 ± 0,3 REMS vs -1,8 ± 1,8 DXA) after estrogen treatment starting, and no effect on bone in AFAB subjects after GAHT (0.5 ± 0.4 REMS vs 0.9 ± 0.4 DXA); this is due to:-the protective effect of estrogen therapy in AMAB subjects against bone loss;-the combined effect of the decrease of estrogen together with the increase of testosterone in AFAB ones. Conclusions In summary, these initial findings indicate that REMS could be appropriate for monitoring the bone health status of these individuals, confirming the anticipated beneficial effects of estrogen therapy on bone loss in AMAB individuals. The limitation of the study is the lack of REMS data at the beginning of the treatment, but the possibility of carrying out the technique in subsequent evaluation times will allow us to evaluate the change in bone mass during hormonal reaffirmation therapy and compare it with the progress of the measurements obtained with DXA data ones. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Long-term respiratory consequences of prematurity.

Approximately 10% of all children worldwide are born preterm and respiratory consequences are amongst the most common sequelae of preterm birth. Except for a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and hospital admissions, preterm birth is associated with lower lung function that may track into adulthood. Lung function impairment is not restricted to extreme or very preterm-born subjects as also children born moderate-late preterm have lower Z-scores for lung function. Given the heterogeneity of prematurity-associated lung disease, phenotype-based, multidisciplinary management is needed to improve respiratory health in preterm-born subjects.

Suicidal Crisis Negotiations: An Investigation of Situational Characteristics, Hooks and Triggers

Crisis negotiation teams have previously been described as “gatekeepers” to suicidal individuals, with research showing that these are amongst the most common calls negotiators attend to. Despite this, the situational features of these calls and the communicative dynamics that may lead to the safe resolution of suicidal crises, remain poorly understood. Using a mixed method approach, situational characteristics across four suicidal incident types were examined, and “hooks” and “triggers” that were common in each incident type were identified. The results revealed some consistencies across incident types regarding incident location, and the mental health and substance use histories of subjects. Inconsistencies were observed for communication method used, weapons involved, and resolution details. Numerous hooks and triggers were identified for each incident type. The findings increase our understanding of suicidal crises and have implications for negotiator training (e.g., the features of actual suicidal incidents can inform the content of scenario-based training).

Hypnos: A Contactless Sleep Stage Monitoring System Using UWB Signals

As a fundamental physiological process, sleep plays a vital role in human health. High-quality sleep requires a reasonable distribution of sleep duration over different sleep stages. Recently, contactless solutions have been used for in-home sleep stage monitoring via wireless signals as it enables monitoring daily sleep in a non-intrusive manner. However, various factors, such as the subject's physiological characteristics during sleep, the subject's health status, and even the sleep environment, pose challenges to wireless signal analysis. In this paper, we propose Hypnos, a contactless sleep monitoring system that identifies different sleep stages using an ultra-wideband (UWB) device. Hypnos enables automated bed localization and extracts signals containing coarse-grained body movements and fine-grained chest movements due to breathing and heartbeat from the subject, which acts as the preparation step for sleep staging. The key to our system is a seq2seq deep learning model, which adopts an attention-based sequence encoder to learn the patterns and transitions within and between sleep epochs and combines with contrastive learning to improve the generalizability of the encoder. Particularly, we incorporate sleep apnea detection as an auxiliary task into the model to reduce the interference of sleep apnea with sleep staging. Moreover, we design a two-step training for better adaptation of subjects with different severities of sleep disorders. We conduct extensive experiments on 100 subjects, including healthy individuals and patients with sleep disorders, and the experimental results show that Hypnos achieves excellent performance in multi-stage sleep classification (including 5-stage sleep classification), and outperforms other baseline methods.

Combinatorial effect of Apigenin-resveratrol on white adipocyte plasticity and trans-differentiation for activating lipid metabolism.

Inducing browning in white adipocytes has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for addressing obesity. Bioactive that modulate the WAT microenvironment to induce trans browning in white adipocytes have been explored as a strategy to control unregulated lipid storage. However, relying on a single bioactive for modulating lipid metabolism has proven insufficient in obese individuals during human trials, because these compounds primarily activate a single biochemical pathway in promoting browning. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on targeting multiple pathways to ensure a safe and effective browning process. The present study investigated the combinatorial effect of bioactives namely Apigenin and Resveratrol for activating multiple pathways for effective trans-browning of white adipocytes. The combination was seen to promote the browning more effectively than the single bioactive, as the combination simultaneously activated multiple signaling pathways to induce angiogenesis-mediated browning in primary white adipocytes isolated from obese mice. Activation of PI3K signaling via estrogen receptor-α-dependent pathway resulted in simultaneous activation of angiogenesis and trans browning in white adipocytes. The study provides valuable insights into the potential use of bioactives in combination with therapeutic intervention to improve the overall health of obese subjects by enhancing lipid metabolism by activating trans-differentiation of white adipocytes.

Lifestyle-associated health literacy in subjects with systemic arterial hypertension in a first-level unit

Introduction: Various factors can influence the control of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), one of the most widely demonstrated is lifestyle. The impact that various behavioral and psychological conditions can have on lifestyle has not been fully established, as is the case of Health Literacy, whose study is limited. Objective: To associate the degree of health and lifestyle literacy in subjects with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). Material and methods: Observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. During the period from November 2022 to November 2023 in a first-level care unit. The following questionnaires were applied: European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and the Fantastic Lifestyle Test. Single and multiple Prevalence Odds Ratios (PMRs) were calculated using a Multiple Logistic Regression (RLM) model. The multivariate model included: health literacy, male gender and basic schooling. Results: Of 424 subjects, 79.2% were women, with a median age of 48 years, with interquartile ranges (IQR) of 40 to 52 years. In the multivariate model, inadequate health literacy presented a PMR of 17.86 with a 95% CI (9.50-33.58), the male gender a WMR of 1.99 with a 95% CI (1.07-3.71) and basic schooling a WMR of 2.61 with a 95% CI (1.28-5.30). Conclusion: Inadequate literacy is a risk factor for an unhealthy lifestyle in subjects with SAH, in simple and adjusted analysis. Prospective cohort studies are required that can verify the findings shown here.

Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease: systematic literature review

Introduction: It is estimated that worldwide, 65.7 million people will live with the disease in 2030, with Alzheimer's disease being the most prevalent in the world, accounting for 60% of dementia cases. The hypothesis was then raised that through the neuroprotective effect of insulin and insulin resistance in the genesis of Metabolic Syndrome, the hypothetical relationship is made that metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Objective: The literature that verifies the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the quality of life of individuals undergoing bariatric surgery was reviewed. Methods: The search strategy was carried out in the virtual databases PubMed, Scielo, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, in addition to gray literature such as Google Scholar, OpenGrey, Ibict/BDTD (Brazilian digital library of theses and dissertations) and ProQuest using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) descriptors with the Boolean logical operators AND, OR and NOT. The studies considered eligible were those that presented metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Results: The online search found 216 studies in virtual bibliographic databases and 70 in gray literature. After removing duplicates, 282 articles remained and were read the title and abstract, with 25 articles chosen for full-text reading, leaving 13 that met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies included corroborated the hypothesis that metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Even the two studies that provide some results in which BMI showed a slower decline in cognitive function, stated that the phenotype studied was that of metabolically healthy obese individuals. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed the idea that there is an interaction between metabolic health and brain health. First, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress associated with metabolic syndrome can cause damage to blood vessels, compromising cerebral blood flow and impairing the supply of essential nutrients to the brain. Additionally, insulin resistance, one of the key components of metabolic syndrome, can hurt brain function by interfering with the absorption of glucose, a vital fuel for the brain. Finally, how changes in blood lipid levels can contribute to the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein plaques in the brain, one of the markers of Alzheimer's disease.

Acute Cannabis Administration Transiently Reduces Mitochondrial DNA in Young Adults: Findings from a Secondary Analysis of a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Cannabis is one of the world's most commonly used substances; however, many questions remain unanswered as to how cannabis impacts the body. Recently, there has been a resurgence of research into the effects of plant-derived cannabinoids on mitochondrial health. In particular, a number of studies implicate mitochondrial-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) interactions with altered memory, metabolism, and catalepsy in mice. Although the research in this field is expanding rapidly, there is little known about the effects of cannabis on mitochondria health in human subjects either in acute or chronic term use. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomized clinical trial in which adults who regularly use cannabis (1-4 days/week) aged 19-25 years were randomized 2:1 to receive either an active (12.5% Δ9-THC) cigarette or placebo (<0.01% Δ9-THC) cigarette containing 750 mg of cannabis before driving simulator testing. DNA was extracted from whole blood using commercial spin columns, followed by measurement of mt-ND1, mt-ND4, and β2M using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett's multiple comparisons test was used to observe changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number over time. A two-tailed Pearsons R test was used to assess correlations between mtDNA copy number and cannabinoid levels (Δ9-THC and metabolites) in blood. Results: We found that exposure to active cannabis containing Δ9-THC, as opposed to placebo, was associated with an acute reduction in mitochondrial DNA copy number in whole blood at 15 min and 1 h after smoking. The observed decrease in mtDNA copy number negatively correlated with blood concentrations of 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) and 11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), the two primary metabolites of Δ9-THC, but not Δ9-THC itself. Further, the negative correlation between 11-OH THC and THC-COOH concentrations and mtDNA copy number was found in only a subgroup of participants who use cannabis infrequently, suggesting a tolerance effect. Conclusions: These results illuminate mitochondrial alterations attributed to Δ9-THC consumption, which may be mediated by metabolites. These results appear to suggest stronger effects in individuals who consume cannabis less frequently, suggesting some form of tolerance to the effects of Δ9-THC and its metabolites on mtDNA content in whole blood. Keywords: Mitochondria; mtDNA; cannabis; THC; THC metabolites; blood; THC-COOH; 11-OH-THC.

Multi-Dimensional Healthy Aging Interventions: Evidence from an Age-Friendly Community Program in Italy

In this paper, we evaluate a pre-pandemic multi-dimensional healthy aging program promoted by an Italian private Foundation to provide new insights on interventions that address both health and social needs within an age-friendly community framework. Using propensity score matching and linear regression models, with specific controls for individuals’ self-selection into the program, we compare lifestyles, physical health, mental conditions, and healthy life expectancy of subjects enrolled into the program with those of similar, but non-enrolled, subjects. Our main finding is that, to be more effective, healthy aging interventions should target the key dimensions of aging - physical, mental, and social - in a holistic approach. Indeed, we show that the multi-dimensionality of the healthy aging intervention under study - the contemporaneous target of older adults’ physical, mental, and social health - is crucial in improving both quantity and quality of life.

ToPick: Time-of-Pickup Measurement for the Elderly using Wearables.

The ability to pick up objects off the floor can degrade over time with elderly individuals, leading to a reduced quality of life and an increase in the risk of falling. Healthcare professionals have expressed an interest in monitoring the decline in pickup ability of a subject over extended periods of time and intervening when it becomes hazardous to the subject's health. The current means of evaluating pickup ability involving in-clinic patient visits is both time and financially expensive. There is a clear need for a cost-effective, remote means of pickup evaluation to ease the burden on both patients and physicians. To address these challenges, we introduce a Time-of-Pickup (ToP) solution, called ToPick, designed for the automatic assessment of pickup ability over time. The practical performance of ToPick is evident, demonstrated by a minimal median error of approximately 100 milliseconds in evaluating 20 pickup events among 10 elderly individuals. Furthermore, ToPick exhibits a high level of reliability, achieving perfect accuracy, precision, and recall scores for pickup event detection. We actualize our research findings by designing an application intended for adoption by both healthcare practitioners and elderly individuals. The app aims to reduce both time and financial costs while enabling mobile treatment for users.

Impact of Dehydrated Anchovy Powder on the Growth and Nutritional Well-Being of the Human Undernourished Population: Assessing Bioavailability and Nutritional Effectiveness through In Vivo Experimental Models

AbstractThe research focuses on assessing the efficacy of dried anchovy powder as a dietary supplement, examining its bioavailability and impact on growth and nutritional status. The study, centered on Wistar male rats, acknowledges anchovies for their rich essential nutrients and potential health benefits. Employing a meticulously controlled experimental design, the research exposes experimental animals to various dietary interventions by integrating dried anchovy powder. This study investigates the availability of vital nutrients like proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in the dried anchovy powder to Wistar male rats. The effects of dried anchovy powder on growth parameters, encompassing body weight, length, organ development, and the nutritional status of the rats, are explored. Examining hematological and biochemical markers provide insights into the overall health of the experimental subjects. Additionally, the research delves into potential mechanisms underlying the observed effects, including nutrient absorption and metabolism. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into the potential of dried anchovy powder as a nutritional supplement and its role in enhancing the nutritional status of the malnourished people of India. These findings may have a direct impact on dietary interventions aimed at improving human nutrition and health.

Prebiotic Fucoidan Potentially Improves Gut Microbiota and Metabolism in Long-Cared Elderly People with Malnutrition

The gut-microbiota-targeted prebiotic intervention has been a hot topic in the study of health modulation. To examine the effect of fucoidan supplementation on the health of long-cared elderly subjects (88years ± 3.41) with malnutrition (MNA-SF score ≤ 7), an eight-week randomized, single-blind clinical trial was carried out in a community hospital. The subjects were divided into a test group (TG, n = 45), which received the fucoidan supplementation (1g/d) and a control group (CG, n = 20). Preliminary data on metagenomes, plasma metabolomes, prealbumin, twelve cytokines, and clinical records from six people were analyzed. The results showed that with prebiotic intervention, prealbumin, a sensitive nutrition marker slightly increased. Furthermore, in the test group, there were 42 significantly enriched gut microbial species (t-test, p &lt; 0.05), including multiple beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium breve, Roseburia hominis, and Lactobacillus acidipiscis), which positively correlated with Medium-Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA)-associated carnitines (octanoylcarnitine and decanoylcarnitine), and chenodeoxycholic acid. The defecation and neuropsychological activities of the participants in the test group also improved slightly. The preliminary data suggests that fucoidan has the potential to improve metabolism, gut function, and nutrition in elderly people by changing the gut microbiota and enriching beneficial bacteria. A larger sample size analysis is needed for a deeper understanding of the effects and mechanism.

Đánh giá tình trạng sức khoẻ tâm thần của người đang điều trị Methadone có HIV tham gia chương trình tư vấn can thiệp “băng ghế tình bạn” tại một số cơ sở điều trị Methadone ở Hà Nội, giai đoạn 2022-2023

Introduction: Mental health intervention counseling helps improve common mental disorders in people with HIV and/or substance abuse. However, there are very few mental health intervention programs for this population in Vietnam. This study was conducted to assess mental health in people who are on methadone maintenance treatment and live with HIV participating in the “Friendship Bench” intervention counseling program in some Methadone clinics in Hanoi in the period 2022-2023. Research subjects and methods: This is a randomized controlled trial. 75 people on methadone maintenance treatment and with HIV were individually randomized 1:1:1 to one of three arms: intervention by health providers, or intervention by lay counselors, or standard of care. Results: The intervention was effective immediately after 6 weeks of intervention in both intervention groups. The problems of depression, anxiety, and stress of subjects in all three study groups did not change much at 3 and 6 months after intervention. Conclusion: Mental health of all study subjects was improved after participating in the “Friendship Bench” program. Keywords: Common mental disorders, Methadone, HIV, intervention counseling.

Within-host influenza viral diversity in the pediatric population as a function of age, vaccine, and health status.

Seasonal influenza virus predominantly evolves through antigenic drift, marked by the accumulation of mutations at antigenic sites. Because of antigenic drift, influenza vaccines are frequently updated, though their efficacy may still be limited due to strain mismatches. Despite the high levels of viral diversity observed across populations, most human studies reveal limited intrahost diversity, leaving the origin of population-level viral diversity unclear. Previous studies show host characteristics, such as immunity, might affect within-host viral evolution. Here we investigate influenza A viral diversity in children aged between 6 months and 18 years. Influenza virus evolution in children is less well characterized than in adults, yet may be associated with higher levels of viral diversity given the lower level of pre-existing immunity and longer durations of infection in children. We obtained influenza isolates from banked influenza A-positive nasopharyngeal swabs collected at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia during the 2017-18 influenza season. Using next-generation sequencing, we evaluated the population of influenza viruses present in each sample. We characterized within-host viral diversity using the number and frequency of intrahost single-nucleotide variants (iSNVs) detected in each sample. We related viral diversity to clinical metadata, including subjects' age, vaccination status, and comorbid conditions, as well as sample metadata such as virus strain and cycle threshold. Consistent with previous studies, most samples contained low levels of diversity with no clear association between the subjects' age, vaccine status, or health status. Further, there was no enrichment of iSNVs near known antigenic sites. Taken together, these findings are consistent with previous observations that the majority of intrahost influenza virus infection is characterized by low viral diversity without evidence of diversifying selection.

Identifying Gut Microbiome Features that Predict Responsiveness Toward a Prebiotic Capable of Increasing Calcium Absorption: A Pilot Study.

Previously, we demonstrated that prebiotics may provide a complementary strategy for increasing calcium (Ca) absorption in adolescents which may improve long-term bone health. However, not all children responded to prebiotic intervention. We determine if certain baseline characteristics of gut microbiome composition predict prebiotic responsiveness. In this secondary analysis, we compared differences in relative microbiota taxa abundance between responders (greater than or equal to 3% increase in Ca absorption) and non-responders (less than 3% increase). Dual stable isotope methodologies were used to assess fractional Ca absorption at the end of crossover treatments with placebo, 10, and 20g/day of soluble corn fiber (SCF). Microbial DNA was obtained from stool samples collected before and after each intervention. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to taxonomically characterize the gut microbiome. Machine learning techniques were used to build a predictive model for identifying responders based on baseline relative taxa abundances. Model output was used to infer which features contributed most to prediction accuracy. We identified 19 microbial features out of the 221 observed that predicted responsiveness with 96.0% average accuracy. The results suggest a simplified prescreening can be performed to determine if a subject's bone health may benefit from a prebiotic. Additionally, the findings provide insight and prompt further investigation into the metabolic and genetic underpinnings affecting calcium absorption during pubertal bone development.