Individual Target Research Articles

Association of serum klotho level with albuminuria in middle‑aged and elderly participants without diabetes mellitus: a cross‑sectional study

BackgroundThe relationship between serum klotho level and albuminuria is unknown in middle-aged and elderly participants without diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, we will investigate the association between serum klotho level and albuminuria in middle-aged and elderly participants without DM.MethodsParticipants (aged 40–79) were from the five continuous cycles (2007–2016) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multiple logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between serum klotho level and albuminuria.Results9217 participants were included in the present study. 47.6% of the participants were male. The average age of the overall participants was 56.3 years (40–79 years). Overall, 823 participants with albuminuria were identified. After adjusted confounders (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, family income to poverty ratio, education, body mass index, smoke, charlson comorbidity index, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotonin receptor blocker, and estimated glomerular filtration rate), participants with a high serum klotho level had a decreased risk for albuminuria. Compared with the lowest serum klotho level (Tertile 1), participants in Tertile 2 (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.70–0.99, P = 0.044) and Tertile 3 (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.63–0.91, P = 0.003) had a lower risk of albuminuria (P for trend = 0.002). The stratified analysis showed that serum klotho level was still negatively associated with albuminuria in the subgroups, and statistically significant interactions were not observed in the subgroups (all P values for interactions > 0.05, except for the hypertension subgroup).ConclusionsIn middle-aged and elderly participants without DM, a high serum klotho level is associated with a decreased risk of albuminuria. In the future, the mechanism of the interaction between klotho and albuminuria needs to be elucidated to find new treatment targets for individuals without DM who suffer from albuminuria.

Real-world effectiveness and safety of fixed-ratio combination insulin glargine 100 u/ml plus lixisenatide in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM): subanalysis of the international, multicentre, prospective observational study SUCCESS in the Russian population

AIM: To evaluate the impact a fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine(100U/ml) and lixisenatide(iGlarLixi) on the glycemic control in Russian study T2D population uncontrolled on OAD ± insulin therapy in real-world settings.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Russian subanalysis of international, multicentre, prospective, observational SUCCESS study included 160 T2DM patients who had initiated iGlarLixi within 1 month prior to study inclusion from 11 regions of the Russian Federation. The primary endpoint — HbA1c change from baseline to month 6. Secondary endpoints: HbA1c change after 12 months, achievement of target HbA1c levels after 6 and 12 months; change in FPG and PPG, change in body weight after 6 and 12 months, iGlarLixi dose dynamics. Safety endpoints: adverse events, serious adverse events, adverse events of special interest, frequency of hypoglycemia during the study period.RESULTS: The average age of patients in the Russian population was 60.8±9.4 years; average duration of T2DM was 11.4 years, mean HbA1c — 9.3±1.5%; mean BMI 33.3 kg/m2. Prior to the study, most patients were on 2 (36.3%) and 3 OADs (27.5%), 32.5% — on insulin therapy. The mean change of HbA1c at month 6 was -1.81%, and -2.03% at month 12. 51.3% patients achieved individual HbA1c targets at month 12, 46.7% of patients achieved the HbA1c target without hypoglycemia and weight gain. The decrease of body weight in 12 months was -3.3±4.4 kg. During the study period, 17 cases of hypoglycemia were recorded (0.11 events per patient-year); 1 severe hypoglycemia (0.01 events per patient-year). The total number of adverse events (AEs) was 43(26.9%), serious AEs - 10 (6.3%).CONCLUSION: According to the results of this prospective real world sub-group analysis, initiation of iGlarLixi in Russian adults with T2DM uncontrolled on OADs ± insulin significantly improves glycemic control with low risk of hypoglycemia and no body weight increase.

Enhanced Fishing Monitoring in the Central-Eastern North Pacific Using Deep Learning with Nightly Remote Sensing

The timely and accurate monitoring of high-seas fisheries is essential for effective management. However, efforts to monitor industry fishing vessels in the central-eastern North Pacific have been hampered by frequent cloud cover and solar illumination interference. In this study, enhanced fishing extraction algorithms based on computer vision were developed and tested. The results showed that YOLO-based computer vision models effectively detected dense small fishing targets, with original YOLOv8 achieving a precision (P) of 89% and a recall (R) of 79%, while refined versions improved these metrics to 93% and 99%, respectively. Compared with traditional threshold methods, the YOLO-based enhanced models showed significantly higher accuracy. While the threshold method could identify similar trend changes, it lacked precision in detecting individual targets, especially in blurry scenarios. Using our trained computer vision model, we established a dataset of dynamic changes in fishing vessels over the past decade. This research provides an accurate and reproducible process for precise monitoring of lit fisheries in the North Pacific, leveraging the operational and near-real-time capabilities of Google Earth Engine and computer vision. The approach can also be applied to dynamic monitoring of industrial lit fishing vessels in other regions.

Single-Molecule Detection of Serum MicroRNAs for Medulloblastoma with Biphasic Sandwich Hybridization-Assisted Plasmonic Resonant Scattering Imaging.

MicroRNA (miRNA) dysregulation is closely related to the occurrence and progression of medulloblastoma (MB). However, the full potential of serum circulating miRNAs in MB diagnosis is restricted by their ultralow abundance in peripheral blood due to blood-brain barrier. Here, we report the direct preamplification-free detection of aberrant expression of oncogenic miRNAs in serum from MB patients by proposing a simple yet robust single-molecule assay that combines biphasic sandwich hybridization in nucleic acids and the dark-field single-particle plasmonic imaging (B2S2PI). In this strategy, signal DNA was prehybridized with target miRNA in homogeneous solution to form sDNA-RNA complexes. Then the captured DNA strands with rationally adjusted surface densities could efficiently capture the sDNA-RNA complexes to generate a well-separated DNA-RNA sandwich structure. The combination of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions enabled interface-mediated hybridization reactions to maintain molecular stability with fewer bases, making it suitable for the direct amplification-free assays of short miRNA targets. Labeling the DNA-RNA hybrids with plasmatic gold nanotags allowed nondestructive recognition and imaging of individual miRNA targets under mild conditions with high signal-to-noise ratio. By digitally counting and analyzing the bright plasmonic resonant scattering spots, B2S2PI enabled both the measurement of a low femtomolar concentration of circulating miRNA-21 in 5 μL sample volume within a turnaround of 2 h and the discrimination of single base mismatches. Moreover, B2S2PI was universal for detecting miRNAs with different sequences and secondary structures. Further analysis of clinical serum samples revealed that B2S2PI was capable of accurately distinguishing MB patients from noncancer controls with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.99, which was superior to that of qRT-PCR. B2S2PI holds promise as a novel alternative means for single-molecule miRNA assay and sheds light on the circulating nucleic acid-based liquid biopsy of intracranial malignant tumors.

Teacher implementation of an individualised vocabulary intervention programme for dual language learners in a preschool classroom

Purpose This study explored the feasibility of implementing an individualised vocabulary intervention for dual language learners through teachers, who leverage their knowledge about their students to address each child’s diverse needs. Method Participants were 32 Cantonese-English pre-school dual language learners and 16 teacher implementers from eight classrooms of a Head Start Programme. During the 3-week programme, teacher implementers were given an individualised set of 12 target words for each student. Implementation was measured using daily logs, questionnaires, and interviews. Children’s immediate word learning was reported by teachers and word retention was measured two weeks after the intervention. Result Teacher implementers were able to teach the individual target words to each participant in one-on-one interactive sessions 94% of the time. Various teaching strategies were used along with culturally relevant teaching materials. On average, children learned 92% of the target words and retained 42% of the target words. Conclusion The study highlights the practicability of implementing an individualised intervention programme by harnessing teachers’ knowledge of the children they work with. The results have implications for building a high-quality and culturally-responsive intervention programme for dual language learners.

Feasibility of Big Data Analytics to Assess Personality Based on Voice Analysis.

(1) Background: As far back as the 1930s, it was already thought that gestures, clothing, speech, posture, and gait could express an individual's personality. Different research programs, some focused on linguistic cues, were launched, though results were inconsistent. The development of new speech analysis technology and the generalization of big data analysis have created an opportunity to test the predictive power of voice features on personality dimensions. This study aims to explore the feasibility of an automatic personality assessment system in the context of personnel selection. (2) Methods: One hundred participants were recorded during an individual interview for voice analysis. They also completed the NEO-FFI and were required to ask and collect the assessment of their personality by a close significant other. Furthermore, an expert estimated participants' personality dimensions based on the viewing of the recorded interviews. (3) Results: Results showed there are specific voice features related to the externalization of individuals' personalities (predictions ranging from 0.3 to 0.4). Voice features also predicted significant others' estimations and expert ratings of the target individual's personality, though the features were not exactly the same. (4) Conclusions: It is noteworthy that predictions were made based on voice recordings obtained using ordinary devices in controlled but not restricted speech situations, which may make such an approach a promising tool for personality assessment in contexts such as personnel selection.

Untangling the Exposure-Response Relationship of Allopurinol in the Setting of Chronic Kidney Disease and Diuretic Use: Implications for Dosing.

Allopurinol dose reduction proportional to creatinine clearance (CLcr) results in suboptimal urate lowering in patients with gout. Similarly, diuretic therapy reduces oxypurinol clearance but is unexpectedly associated with the need for higher allopurinol doses to achieve the serum urate target (<0.36 mmol/L). The authors aimed to clarify the relationship between oxypurinol exposure and urate-lowering response in patients with gout at different stages of chronic kidney disease and those taking diuretics to determine the implications for maintenance dose selection. Oxypurinol and urate data from 5 clinical studies were available. Model-derived steady-state oxypurinol areas under the concentration-time curves (AUCss0-tau) were estimated using a Bayesian methodology. The observed response metrics included the percentage reduction in urate from baseline and achievement of the target urate level. Exposure-response was explored graphically and using logistic regression. In addition, the influence of chronic kidney disease and diuretic use on the allopurinol dose and oxypurinol AUCss0-tau requirements to achieve the serum urate target were explored. Data from 258 patients with gout taking allopurinol representing 1288 paired steady-state oxypurinol and serum urate measurements were available. Higher oxypurinol exposure seems to be required for urate-lowering response normalization and achieve the serum urate target in individuals with reduced kidney function and those taking diuretics. However, allopurinol dose requirements were reduced by 2-fold at the extremes of kidney function and unchanged in those taking or not taking diuretics. A lower allopurinol maintenance dose was required in patients with reduced kidney function (CLcr <30 mL/min), but this was not proportional to CLcr. Diuretic therapy did not influence allopurinol dose requirements.

Are older adults perceived as morally better than middle-aged persons? Focus on the stereotype content model

Identifying and improving existing morality perceptions regarding older adults is crucial for fostering intergenerational cooperation and constructing an inclusive society. In this study, we conducted two online experiments with Japanese participants to investigate the degrees to which older adults are perceived as moral. We predicted that older adults are more likely to be perceived as morally good compared to middle-aged individuals (Hypothesis 1), and that regardless of the target person's age, individuals perceived as warm (Hypothesis 2) and competent (Hypothesis 3) are more likely to be regarded as morally good. In Study 1, participants were instructed to freely describe a typical older (aged 80 years) or middle-aged (aged 50 years) target individual. Contrary to expectations, the middle-aged target individual was perceived as morally better than the older counterpart. Meanwhile, regardless of the target individual's age, the target individuals perceived as warm and competent were more likely to be viewed as morally good. In Study 2, participants were presented with a simple vignette describing an older (aged 80 years) or middle-aged (aged 50 years) target individual, manipulating their warmth (warm/cold) and competence (competent/incompetent). The results indicated no effect of target age on moral perceptions, but warmer and/or more competent target individuals elicited higher moral perceptions. Thus, Hypothesis 1 was not supported in either study, whereas Hypotheses 2 and 3 were supported across both studies. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing moral perceptions, warmth, and competence regarding older adults to facilitate appropriate assistance from other generations.

Contextual influences on individual targets' perceived contributions to group diversity.

Many organizations want to achieve diversity, yet who "counts" as contributing to diversity is malleable. Across four experiments, we explore how contextual influences shape perceptions of diversity, including what happens when information at different contextual levels conflicts. In Study 1 (N = 160) and Study 2 (N = 69, preregistered), we find that when participants believe White women, White men, and Black men to be overrepresented in a profession at the national level, individuals with those identities are rated as contributing less to the diversity of a group of workers within that profession. In Study 3 (N = 164), participants were asked to make diversity judgments within the same profession (American elementary school teachers), but the composition of the target group under evaluation was either White female-dominated (aligned with the profession) or White male-dominated (diverged from the profession). Presenting the group as White male-dominated (compared to White female-dominated) increased perceptions of White women's contributions to diversity and decreased perceptions of White men's, and men of color's, contributions to diversity. In Study 4 (N = 216, preregistered), we attempted to call participants' attention to representation at a single level only (i.e., national vs. target group), when representation information conflicted across levels. However, perceived contributions to diversity did not shift based on experimental conditions. It appears that Americans' judgments of who increases a group's diversity can be affected by representation at multiple levels, although it may be difficult for perceivers to prioritize one contextual level only when such information conflicts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Subjective well-being and attitudes toward outgroup members

There is a large body of literature on the effect of negative attitudes toward outgroup members on target individuals and groups. However, less attention was devoted to their effects on those who hold these attitudes. The current study hypothesized that there would be a bidirectional relationship between subjective well-being and attitudes toward outgroup members. In Study 1, data from the Integrated Values Surveys, the Ecology-Culture Dataset, and the World Happiness Report 2022 were used. In Study 2, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model was implemented using longitudinal data over a six-year period from the GESIS Panel (n = 6783 people living in Germany). Results of Study 1 demonstrated a significant negative relationship between subjective well-being and negative attitudes toward outgroup members both at the country level (118 countries) and at the individual level (663,965 participants in 120 countries around the world). In Study 2, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model revealed significant within-person reciprocal relations between life satisfaction and negative attitudes toward refugees. This study provides evidence for a bidirectional relationship between subjective well-being and negative attitudes toward outgroup members.

Safety and efficacy of individual target transcranial magnetic stimulation to stimulate the most negative correlate of DLPFC-pgACC in the treatment of major depressive disorder: study protocol of a double-blind, randomised controlled trial

IntroductionMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder that is characterised by high morbidity, high rates of relapse, high rates of disability and, in severe cases, suicide ideas or...

Deghosting method for cross localization in distributed high frequency surface wave radar

AbstractIn this article, the challenging problem of multi‐target cross localization within a novel distributed high‐frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) is tackled. This system consists of two transmitter‐receiver pairs, each of which can correspondingly generate a set of Range‐Doppler measurements. By associating the Range‐Doppler measurements from the same target, the individual target location can be derived using the associated measurements. However, when multiple targets are involved, it is unknown which measurements originate from the same target, leading to ambiguities in the measurement‐to‐measurement association. False associations can result in ghosts, ultimately degrading the overall system performance. To deal with the ghosts, a three‐stage deghosting method is proposed that incorporates the geometric characteristics of the system, the velocity features of the targets, and the motion features of the targets across multiple frames. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method compared with the other investigated deghosting algorithms. The proposed approach exhibits robust target detection capability while significantly reducing both the OSPA error and the cardinality error.

Linguistic models of abusive language

ABSTRACT Abusive language and hate speech that incites violence is a growing problem for governments trying to manage social media posts on the internet. Such language incites civil disorder by angering target individuals and groups, and tends to reinforce the identity and cohesiveness of those who use it. Abusive language is an intelligence target because it can be a leading indicator of violence. Black box predictors can achieve high accuracy but they reveal nothing about the structures, both social and technical, that underlie abusive language. We build a set of abusive language predictors leveraging both social constructs such as otherness, and linguistic properties. A stacking predictor then determines the most significant component predictors. We achieve prediction accuracy of 96.5%, with an 88% accuracy for abusive documents. This is an improvement of more than 16% points in detecting abusive documents compared to a popular empirically derived predictors, and provides insights into the mechanics of abusive language.

Lysine deacetylase inhibitors have low selectivity in cells and exhibit predominantly off-target effects.

Lysine deacetylases (KDACs or HDACs) are metal-dependent enzymes that regulate lysine acetylation, a post-translational modification that is present on thousands of human proteins, essential for many cellular processes, and often misregulated in diseases. The selective inhibition of KDACs would allow for understanding of the biological roles of individual KDACs and therapeutic targeting of individual enzymes. Recent studies have suggested that purportedly specific KDAC inhibitors have significant off-target binding, but the biological consequences of off-target binding were not evaluated. We compared the effects of treatment with two of the reportedly most KDAC-selective inhibitors, Tubastatin A and PCI-34051, in HT1080 cells in which the endogenous KDAC6 or KDAC8 gene has been mutated to inactivate enzyme catalysis while retaining enzyme expression. Genetic inactivation results in much stronger deacetylation defects on known targets compared to inhibitor treatment. Gene expression analysis revealed that both inhibitors have extensive and extensively overlapping off-target effects in cells, even at low inhibitor doses. Furthermore, Tubastatin A treatment led to increased histone acetylation, while inactivation of KDAC6 or KDAC8 did not. Genetic inactivation of KDAC6, but not KDAC8, impaired tumor formation in a xenograft model system, in contrast to previous reports with KDAC inhibitors suggesting the reverse. We conclude that the majority of observed biological effects of treatment with KDAC inhibitors are due to off-target effects rather than the intended KDAC inhibition. Developing a truly specific KDAC6 inhibitor could be a promising therapeutic avenue, but it is imperative to develop new inhibitors that selectively mimic genetic inactivation of individual KDACs.

Multigeographic clinical assessment of a molecular diagnostic assay for detection of key codons to predict decreased susceptibility or resistance to cephalosporins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Cephalosporin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has severely compromised the efficacy of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended therapies. This study aimed to methodologically evaluate the optimized Six-CodonPlus assay, and additionally conducted a multicenter evaluation to assess its clinical application, especially for predicting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). For methodological evaluation, 397 sequence-known N. gonorrhoeae isolates were evaluated for specificity, 17 nongonococcal isolates were assessed for cross-reactivity, 159 uncultured urogenital swabs and urine samples were evaluated for sensitivity at the clinical level. For multicenter evaluation, 773 isolates with confirmed phenotypic data and 718 clinical urogenital swabs collected from four geographical cities were, respectively, utilized for the evaluation of AMR-prediction strategies and the clinical application of the assay. The assay accurately identified specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms in resistance-associated genes, the detection limits dropped to 10 copies/reaction for individual targets. The specificity reached 100% and no cross-reactivity occurred with double-target confirmation. The assay could be directly applied to clinical samples containing over 20 copies/reaction. Multicenter evaluation formulated two optimal strategies for decreased susceptibility prediction in specific scenarios, and one tactic for prediction of resistance and identification of FC428-like strains. High sensitivity of 86.84% (95% CI, 71.11-95.05) and specificity of 99.59% (95% CI, 98.71-99.89) for resistance prediction were demonstrated for ceftriaxone (CRO). Regarding N. gonorrhoeae identification among multicenter swabs, specificity reached 97.53% (95% CI, 95.49-98.69), and sensitivity reached 93.77% (95% CI, 90.04-96.22). The Six-CodonPlus assay exhibited excellent detection performance and formulated optimal AMR-related prediction strategy with regional adaptability, providing critical information for population screening and clinical treatment.

Investigating factors influencing AI customer service adoption: an integrated model of stimulus–organism–response (SOR) and task-technology fit (TTF) theory

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) customer service has grown rapidly in recent years due to the emergence of COVID-19 and the growth of the e-commerce industry. Therefore, this study employs the integration of the stimuli–organism–response (SOR) and the task-technology fit (TTF) frameworks to understand the factors that affect individuals’ intentions towards AI customer service adoption in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilised a survey-based research approach to investigate the factors that affect individuals’ intentions towards AI customer service adoption in Malaysia. The data were collected by conducting an online survey targeting individuals aged 18 or above who had prior customer service interaction experience with human service agents but had not yet adopted AI customer service. A sample of 339 respondents was used to evaluate the hypotheses, adopting partial least squares structural equation modelling as a symmetric analytic technique.FindingsThe PLS-SEM analysis revealed that social influence and anthropomorphism have a positive direct relationship with emotional trust. Furthermore, communicative competence, technology characteristics and perceived intelligence were positively correlated with TTF. Moreover, emotional trust significantly impacts AI customer service adoption. In addition, AI readiness positively moderates the association between task technology fit and AI customer service adoption.Practical implicationsThe study provides insights to individuals, organisations, the government and educational institutions to improve the features of AI customer service and its development in Malaysia.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is found in its adoption of the SOR theory and TTF to understand the factors affecting AI customer service adoption. Additionally, it incorporates moderating variables during the analysis, adding depth to the findings. This approach introduces a new perspective on the factors that impact the adoption of AI customer service and offers valuable insights for practitioners seeking to formulate effective strategies to promote its adoption.

Arterial hypertension in the era of obesity bias: the impact of obesity status on pharmacological treatment intensification in patients with diabetes

Abstract Background Obesity is recognized as a significant risk factor for several chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. Despite the growing healthcare needs of individuals with obesity, they often encounter obesity bias, potentially impacting the quality of medical care they receive. Purpose The aim of this study was to explore the impact of obesity on the appropriateness of antihypertensive treatment decisions in individuals with concurrent diabetes and hypertension. Methods In this multicenter cross-sectional study, patients with type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension who were receiving outpatient care across four centers in Southern Brazil were enrolled. Participants were categorized into two groups based on their Body Mass Index (BMI): eutrophic (BMI &amp;lt;25.0 kg/m²) and patients with obesity (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²). The primary outcome evaluated was the difference in pharmacological treatment decisions for hypertension between groups, considering individualized hypertension targets from American Diabetes Association (ADA), European Society of Hypertension (ESH), and European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Analysis was conducted on whether patients failed to receive necessary treatment intensification, comparing groups through multivariable logistic regression. Results The study comprised 204 individuals with type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension, including 53 eutrophic and 151 patients with obesity. It was observed that patients with obesity more frequently fail to receive appropriate treatment intensification when compared to eutrophic individuals. This finding was statistically significant across the hypertension targets set by the ESH (adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] 2.03 [95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.08-3.83], p = 0.022), ESC (adjusted OR 1.94 [95% CI 1.03-3.65], p = 0.035), and ADA (adjusted OR 2.01 [95% CI 1.07-3.79], p = 0.021). Conclusion The study indicates that obesity may contribute to disparities in the management of hypertension, suggesting a link between obesity status and therapeutic inertia in treating arterial hypertension among these patients.

How do external environmental stimuli and internal psychological cultural identity affect tourists’ behavioral intentions in public cultural spaces?

The role of cities and regions is becoming increasingly crucial in the process of global localization. As vital carriers of urban activities, public spaces are receiving widespread attention; however, the substantial impact of multidimensional experiences of public cultural spaces on urban tourism and the role of cultural identity within these spaces have yet to be extensively studied. This study establishes a framework based on scenescape and stimulus-organism-response theories to explore how external stimuli influence tourists’ behavioral intentions. We developed and conducted a questionnaire survey targeting individuals who have visited the “Most Beautiful Public Cultural Spaces” in Nanjing, China. A total of 287 valid samples were collected for analysis. Four types of external environmental stimuli—physical, activity, mechanism, and virtual spaces—were found to have direct and indirect effects on tourists’ behavioral intentions with cultural identity playing an intermediary role. These new insights provide theoretical enlightenment and practical recommendations for enhancing tourism experiences in public cultural spaces.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Ethiopia: a latent class analysis

BackgroundDespite evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major challenge for vaccine uptake. The objective of this study was to classify latent typologies of vaccine hesitant adults in Ethiopia and identify predictors of the latent classes.MethodsWe employed a cross-sectional household survey among 1,112 individuals aged 18 and above who were partially vaccinated (one dose) or not vaccinated at the time of the survey. Data was collected in August 2022. We collected information on participant socio-demographics, COVID-19 knowledge, prevention practices, disease history, and vaccine hesitancy. Latent class analysis was used to classify individuals into categories of vaccine hesitancy. We conducted multinomial logistic regression to test the associations between latent typologies and different demographic and COVID-19 related characteristics of study participants.ResultsUsing latent class analysis we found a four-class solution for vaccine hesitancy typologies. The identified classes were strong vaccine acceptors (30%); vaccine acceptors with some concerns (7%); vaccine sceptics (13%); and vaccine rejectors (50%). In adjusted models with vaccine sceptics as the referent group, those with high COVID-19 vaccine knowledge were significantly more likely to belong to the strong vaccine acceptors class compared to those with low vaccine knowledge (adj. RRR: 17.36, 95% CI: 10.94–27.55). Better COVID-19 prevention practices were also significantly associated with belonging to the vaccine acceptors with some concerns class than the vaccine sceptics class (adj. RRR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.09–4.16). Those who had one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly more likely to belong in the vaccine acceptors class than the vaccine sceptics class compared to those who had no dose (adj. RRR: 6.82, 95% CI: 3.06–15.21).ConclusionsHalf of the study participants were in the vaccine rejectors class. Individuals in the vaccine sceptics and rejector classes evidenced lower vaccine knowledge and worse COVD-19 prevention practices and were less likely to have been partially vaccinated. Future program interventions should focus on improving knowledge around the vaccine, decrease rumors and misconceptions, and target individuals who may be more amenable to changing their vaccination attitudes or behaviors like vaccine sceptics or acceptors with some concerns.

Factors associated with acquiring exercise habits through health guidance for metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese workers: A machine learning approach

ObjectivePhysical inactivity increases the risk of mortality and chronic morbidity. Therefore, it is crucial to establish strategies to encourage individuals to increase their physical activity and develop exercise habits. The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with acquiring exercise habits using machine learning algorithms. MethodsThe analyzed dataset was obtained from the Specific Health Guidance for metabolic syndrome systematically implemented by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. We selected target individuals for health guidance without exercise habits in 2017 and assessed whether the participants acquired exercise habits through health guidance in 2018. We applied ten machine learning algorithms to build prediction models for acquiring exercise habits. ResultsThis study included 16,471 middle-aged Japanese workers (age, 49.5 ± 6.2 years). Among the machine learning algorithms, the Boosted Generalized Linear Model was the best for predicting the acquisition of exercise habits based on the receiver operating characteristic curve on the test set (ROC-AUCtest, 0.68). According to the analyses, the following factors were associated with the acquisition of exercise habits: being in the maintenance or action stage of changing exercise and eating behaviors based on the transtheoretical model; regular physical activity or walking; normal high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and high alcohol consumption. ConclusionsOur findings can be used to establish an efficient strategy for encouraging individuals to acquire exercise habits through Specific Health Guidance or other health guidance. However, the lower ROC-AUCtest suggests that additional variables are necessary to enhance the prediction model.