Group Level Research Articles

Relationship between Hyperglycemia and Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Systematic Review

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the major cause of neonatal blindness and may account for up to 10% of juvenile blindness. This systematic review evaluates the relationship between hyperglycemia and ROP in VLBW infants. Methods: PRISMA guidelines were used to conduct a systematic review using an online database: Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Wiley Online Library. Original research studies examining the association between hyperglycemia and ROP were the inclusion criteria. Animal studies, a letter to the editor, a commentary report, a review, a meta-analysis not available in full text in English or Bahasa Indonesia, and data in the study insufficient for analysis were all excluded. Results: This systematic review includes nine studies, six cohorts and three case-control studies, involving a total of 1,566 infants. Six studies indicated that newborns in the ROP group had lower mean gestational age and birthweight than those in the non-ROP group. Five investigations found that the mean glucose level in the ROP group was greater than in the non-ROP group. Six studies found that the prevalence of glycemia was much higher than in the non-ROP group. Eight of the nine studies found a significant relationship between hyperglycemia in VLBW infants, and only one found no significant relationship between them. The highest odds ratio and relative risk of hyperglycemia causing ROP were 14.27 (5.16–39.50); p-value <0.001 and 28.062 (7.881–99.924); p-value <0.001, respectively. The overall range of values found across the studies was also considered. Conclusion: Hyperglycemia has a significant relationship with ROP and is also a risk factor for ROP in VLBW infants.

Comparison of Weight-Based Valproic Acid Dosing in Treatment of Mental Illness Among Obese and Nonobese Patients.

A weight-based dosing approach of 20-30 mg/kg per day of valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to achieve rapid attainment of mood symptom control. Due to interindividual pharmacokinetic variability, therapeutic drug monitoring may be a useful tool to avoid VPA toxicity. Limited research exists on the impact of patient body weight on VPA pharmacokinetic profiles. This analysis aims to explore the correlation between steady-state serum levels of VPA and weight-based dosing strategies, including total body weight (TBW), ideal body weight (IBW), and adjusted body weight (AdjBW), between obese and nonobese patients. This single-center, retrospective, observational cohort analysis evaluated weight-based dosing of VPA in obese and nonobese patients admitted to inpatient psychiatry at a large academic medical center between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2022. This analysis included 93 obese and 93 nonobese patients. No significant difference in median VPA serum concentrations was observed between groups (P = 0.82). However, the obese group received a lower median weight-based dose (15.6 mg/kg) compared with the nonobese group (19.5 mg/kg, P < 0.001). A stronger correlation was found between VPA dose and therapeutic serum levels in the obese group compared with the nonobese group regardless of weight-based dosing strategy. Dosing with AdjBW in obese patients most closely approximated dosing with TBW in nonobese patients. In obese patients, our analysis suggests dosing VPA using AdjBW may be considered as the preferred dosing strategy over IBW or TBW to minimize toxicity risk. Further research is needed with larger sample sizes and diverse patient populations to confirm these findings.

Occupational Hazard Exposure: Assessment of Hypogonadism and Dyslipidemia in House and Automobile Painters in Ilorin, Nigeria

Aims: To investigate the impact of human exposure to the constituents of paint on serum reproductive hormone and Lipid profile among occupationally exposed House and Automobile spray painters in Yakuba district of Ilorin East Local Government area of Kwara State. Nigeria. Study Design: Experimental./ Cross sectional. Place and Duration of Study: Yakuba district of Ilorin East Local Government area of Kwara State. Nigeria, 6months; between July 23 and January 2024. Methodology: 120 male participants were recruited for this study with the mean age 33.15±0.86 years. The participants included 40 automobile painters, 40 house painters, and male artisans who were not painters and served as the control group .Venous Blood samples were collected from both the test and control subjects for the measurement of serum lipids and testosterone using reference techniques. Results: Total Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HD and LDL cholesterol were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in the exposed automobile and house painters than the control groups. There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) between the serum lipid values of the automobile and the house painters. The serum testosterone level in both group of exposed painters was statistically similar(P&gt;0.05). There was no significant correlation (P&gt;0.05) between the frequency of cars or houses painted per month and work experience with the lipid profile parameters and testosterone levels in the occupationally exposed house and automobile painters. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to some chemical constituents of paint is associated with dyslipidemia and decrease serum testosterone which may precipitate adverse ill health among the painters.

Role and mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a rat model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia induced by hyperoxia exposure

To investigate the role and mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a rat model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The experiment consisted of two parts. (1) Forty-eight preterm rats were randomly divided into a normoxia group and a hyperoxia group, with 24 rats in each group. The hyperoxia group was exposed to 85% oxygen to establish a BPD model, while the normoxia group was kept in room air at normal pressure. Lung tissue samples were collected on days 1, 4, 7, and 14 of the experiment. (2) Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN) were randomly divided into a normoxia group (cultured in air) and a hyperoxia group (cultured in 95% oxygen), and cell samples were collected 12, 24, and 48 hours after hyperoxia exposure. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe alveolarization in preterm rat lungs, and immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-localization of surfactant protein C (SPC) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in preterm rat lung tissue and RLE-6TN cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and protein immunoblotting were used to detect the expression levels of EMT-related mRNA and proteins in preterm rat lung tissue and RLE-6TN cells. (1) Compared with the normoxia group, the hyperoxia group showed blocked alveolarization and simplified alveolar structure after 7 days of hyperoxia exposure. Co-localization of SPC and α-SMA was observed in lung tissue, with decreased SPC expression and increased α-SMA expression in the hyperoxia group at 7 and 14 days of hyperoxia exposure compared to the normoxia group. In the hyperoxia group, the mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, and N-cadherin were increased, while the mRNA and protein levels of SPC and E-cadherin were decreased at 7 and 14 days of hyperoxia exposure compared to the normoxia group (P<0.05). (2) SPC and α-SMA was observed in RLE-6TN cells, with decreased SPC expression and increased α-SMA expression in the hyperoxia group at 24 and 48 hours of hyperoxia exposure compared to the normoxia group. Compared to the normoxia group, the mRNA and protein levels of SPC and E-cadherin in the hyperoxia group were decreased, while the mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, and E-cadherin in the hyperoxia group increased at 48 hours of hyperoxia exposure (P<0.05). EMT disrupts the tight connections between alveolar epithelial cells in a preterm rat model of BPD, leading to simplified alveolar structure and abnormal development, and is involved in the development of BPD. Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2024, 26(7): 765-773.

Neutrosophic Inventory Management: A Cost-Effective Approach

Abstract Classical inventory models (IM) serve as quantitative tools for determining the optimal order quantities, timing of orders, and safety stock levels for specific inventory items or item groups. Zadeh (1965. Fuzzy sets. Information and Control, 8, 338–353) introduced fuzzy theory and Dubois and Parade (1988. Fuzzy logic in expert systems: The role of uncertainty management. Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 28, 3–17) presented the study of fuzzy inventory model, which, however, exhibits limitations in effectively handling uncertainty, inaccuracies, and imprecise data. In 1999, Smarandache presented the idea of neutrosophic set theory to handle uncertainty. Using trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers, this study extends the idea of neutrosophic sets to inventory management, concentrating on resolving the uncertainty associated with holding costs, ordering costs, and shortage costs. First time within the literature of the neutrosophic set, our new method not only addresses existing problems but can also tackle other issues that no other authors have successfully resolved so far. Additionally, we conduct a comparative analysis of our proposed model against existing models in this article. Based on this comparative study, our findings assert the superior performance of our proposed model in relation to some of the existing models. In conclusion, we wrap up our research by presenting graphical, logical, and tabular comparisons with the existing methods.

Landscape of scientific research on the problems of decarbonization and achieving carbon neutrality of national economies

Purpose: is to form a comprehensive understanding of the patterns of publication activity in the field of decarbonization that have developed in the global and Russian scientific space, in order to identify promising scientific areas on this basis that can define new research horizons in achieving carbon neutrality.Methods: the research methods involved bibliographic and bibliometric analyses of scholarly publications, utilizing data from the Scopus and eLibrary databases. The study encompasses the timeframe from 2012 to 2022. The research methodology is structured to address three key objectives. Firstly, it aims to identify the quantitative dynamics of global publication activity in the realm of decarbonization. Secondly, the investigation seeks to analyze publication patterns at the levels of research organizations, countries, keywords, related topics, scientific publications, subject areas, and thematic groups, including clusters of thematic groups. Thirdly, the research involves semantic analysis of publications and the identification of points of research interest within the contexts of both global and Russian scientific landscapes.Results: it has been established that bibliographic clustering of studies on decarbonization problems occurs not so much around technical and technological solutions, but in conceptually broader coordinates. It has been identified that the aspiration for carbon neutrality is predominantly observed in economies characterized by a high standard of living, where citizens exhibit a heightened sense of social responsibility and a greater commitment to enhancing the quality of life for future generations. It was revealed that if the global problems of decarbonization are the center of gravity of the most powerful researchers and scientific teams, but in Russia this topic is not yet characterized by a comparable positioning.Conclusions and Relevance: systematization of decarbonization research, which is rapidly developing both in terms of volume indicators and in terms of increasing its interdisciplinarity and social relevance, is the most important condition for effective scientific orientation and research routing in a highly fragmented and contradictory development space on the problems of the global energy transition.

Randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluating the impact of freeze-dried garlic extract capsules on blood pressure, lipid profile, and nitric oxide levels in individuals at risk for hypertension.

Hypertension, substantially heightens the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of freeze-dried garlic extract in blood pressure and lipid profiles in prehypertensive individuals. Participants (age of 30-70 years) were allocated to intervention (n=47) or control (n=49) groups. The intervention group received two capsules of freeze-dried garlic extract daily for eight weeks, while the control group received identical placebo capsules. Primary outcomes, SBP, DBP, PP, MAP, TC, TG, LDL and HDL levels, serum NO levels, were assessed at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. At the end of study, results showed significant changes in the values of SBP, DBP, and MAP except for PP. In comparison to those who received the placebo, a significant drop in SBP, DBP (p<0.001), and MAP (p<0.001) was observed in the intervention group. Also, there were significant changes in TG, LDL, TC, and HDL levels in the interventional group. A noticeable decline was reported in TG (p<0.001), LDL (p<0.001), and TC (p<0.001), while HDL levels increased (p<0.001) in the intervention group compared to those receiving the placebo. Following garlic supplementation, a significant increase in blood NO levels was reported in the intervention group (p<0.001). The study showed that garlic supplementation was effective in lowering blood pressure, improving lipid profile, and increasing nitric oxide levels in prehypertensive participants. These results indicate that garlic could be a valuable complementary therapy for managing prehypertension.

Investigation of some fertility indicators in Iraqi women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex, heterogeneous, multigenic disorder in women of childbearing age with multiple consequences. The exact mechanism of PCOS is not yet fully understood; There are several factors have a role such as genetic, environmental, nutritional, metabolic and other interactions Therefore, the existing study designed to estimate the levels of some biochemical tests and the sex hormones that have a role in PCOS progress. 100 Iraqi women were agreed to participate in the current study, divided into two groups included 50 clinically diagnosed with PCOS women that compared with 50 healthy women without PCOS as a control group (CTRL). The results showed different significant differences of the studied parameters between the PCOS and the CTRL. There was a significant increased level of FBG, HbA1c, insulin resistant, TG and LDL in the PCOS group in comparison to the CTRL, while a significant decreased level of HDL was appeared in PCOS group in comparison to the CTRL. Regarding the results of sex hormones, there were significant increased levels of LH, FSH, testosterone, estradiol hormones in the PCOS group in comparison to the CTRL. In addition, the results of thyroid hormones appeared a significant increased level of T3 hormone in the PCOS group in comparison to the CTRL. Also, the results of leptin hormone showed a significant increased level in the PCOS group in comparison to the CTRL. In conclusion, there was a significant relationship between FBG, HbA1c, insulin resistant, TG, LDL, HDL, LH, FSH and T3 parameters with PCOS.

Upper secondary school students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment

ABSTRACT Students’ perspectives of un/fairness in group work assessment are known to be related to the issues of varied contributions in group work and how to discern each student’s contribution or knowledge from the group’s joint work. Students’ perceptions of un/fairness in group work assessment are important since it relates to their motivation. This study aims to investigate upper secondary students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment. In the study, 129 upper secondary school students in Sweden between the ages of 15 and 16 years participated. The students were interviewed in 33 focus groups. The interviews were thematically analysed. The study’s findings illustrate how ambition, motivation and friendship relations in groups may vary and cause what students perceive as unfairness. Varied ambitions and motivations among group members also appear to breed situations where group members’ contributions to group work may vary, which also is perceived by students as unfair. Other factors that can contribute to a perception of unfairness are when knowledge levels vary among group members or friendship relations. How un/fairness is perceived also depends on the level at which the assessment is implemented, group or individual level. The greatest experience of unfairness is generated by implementing group assessment.

What is the structure of a Challenge Based Learning project? A shortitudinal trajectory analysis of student process behaviours in an interdisciplinary engineering course

ABSTRACT Challenge Based Learning (CBL) is an educational approach that has gained popularity in response to the need for authentic learning environments. While the CBL literature is predominantly focused on cases of pedagogical implementations, the actual processes by which students develop CBL projects remain under-investigated. This shortitudinal study seeks to examine the phases of CBL project development and associated process behaviours at group level, as they unfold. The participants are 6 interdisciplinary student groups totalling 22 students enrolled in a first-year course on ethics and data analytics. Data was collected weekly throughout 10 weeks via reflective diaries (n = 15 students) and observation of course sessions (n = 22) and is complemented by interviews after course completion (n = 15). The data was subject to a thematic trajectory analysis. The study identifies 7 distinct phases in the temporal structure of a CBL project: gaining client know-how, articulating a problem, mapping the problem context, setting the aim, proposing an action path, testing and evaluating it, and implementing the solution. The article concludes with recommendations for further research into CBL project development processes, which may support the growing adoption of real-life interdisciplinary projects in engineering education.

Product of Traditional Chinese Medicine Longgui Yangxinwan Protects the Human Body from Altitude Sickness Damage by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Preventing Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Yu Liu, Zhengyang Zhang, Yongting Luo, Peng An, Jingyi Qi, Xu Zhang, Shuaishuai Zhou, Yongzhi Li, Chong Xu, Junjie Luo, and Jiaping Wang. Product of traditional Chinese medicine longgui yangxinwan protects the human body from altitude sickness damage by reducing oxidative stress and preventing mitochondrial dysfunction. High Alt Med Biol. 00:00-00, 2024. Background: Plateau reaction, caused by high-altitude exposure, results in symptoms like headaches, dyspnea, palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, and insomnia due to reduced oxygen levels. Mitochondria are crucial for high-altitude acclimatization as they regulate oxygen metabolism and cellular energy, reducing oxidative stress and maintaining bodily functions. Methods: The study participants were randomly divided into placebo group, Rhodiola group and longgui yangxinwan (Original name: taikong yangxinwan) group, with 20 people in each group. Three groups of subjects were sampled at three time points (PI: pre-intervention; P-D1: high-altitude day 1; P-D7: high-altitude day 7), and blood pressure, blood oxygen, heart rate, hemoglobin, and red blood cell count were measured. The ATP content, mitochondrial DNA copy number, expression of mitochondria-related genes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and mitochondrial morphology were measured in blood at each time point. Results: Our study results demonstrate that longgui yangxinwan keeps the selected human physiological indicators stable and prevents mitochondrial dysfunction in the high altitude. Mechanically, longgui yangxinwan decreases the level of ROS in human serum, whereas increases the activity of the antioxidant enzyme GSH-PX. At high-altitude day 1 (P-D1) and high-altitude day 7 (P-D7), ROS in the placebo group were 1.5 and 2.2-fold higher than those of the longgui yangxinwan group, respectively. In addition, longgui yangxinwan enhances ATP production capacity, restores the levels of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, and effectively maintains mitochondrial morphology and integrity. At P-D1 and P-D7, the ATP levels in the longgui yangxinwan group were 19-fold and 26-fold higher than those in the placebo group, respectively. Conclusions: Our study highlights longgui yangxinwan as a potential drug for protecting humans from high-altitude damage by reducing oxidative stress and preventing mitochondrial dysfunction.

The effect of emergency department history on health literacy level and role of digital literacy: An observational study.

In this research, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of emergency department history on health literacy level and the role of digital literacy. A total of 454 participants were subjected to survey including health literacy scale, the digital literacy scale, and the demographic information form. Participants were divided into 2 groups as emergency medicine service (EMS) history (n = 269) and no EMS history (n = 185) groups. Health literacy, attitude, cognitive, and total digital literacy level of EMS history group were significantly higher than no EMS history group (P < .05). Social dimension of digital literacy scale was significantly higher in no EMS history group (P < .05). In no EMS history group, health literacy was significantly correlated with attitude (r = 0.298; P < .01), technical (r = 0.157; P < .01), cognitive (r = 0.369; P < .01), social (r = -0.302; P < .01) dimensions, and total score of digital literacy (r = 0.213; P < .01). In EMS history group, health literacy was significantly correlated with attitude (r = 0.553; P < .01), technical (r = 0.488; P < .01), cognitive (r = 0.555; P < .01) dimensions, and total score of digital literacy (r = 0.514; P < .01). Digital literacy had significant and positive effect on health literacy for all participants (OR = 0.126; P < .01), no EMS history (OR = 0.059; P < .01) and EMS history group (OR = 0.191; P < .01). People's health literacy skills are positively impacted if they have ever received medical attention from EMS units, regardless of the reason. Furthermore, among those who have used emergency medical services in the past, the impact of digital literacy on health literacy is statistically substantially larger.

Relationship between quantitative physical activity and deterioration of locomotive function: a cross-sectional study using baseline data from a cohort

BackgroundIn aged society, health policies aimed at extending healthy life expectancy are critical. Maintaining physical activity is essential to prevent the deterioration of body functions. Therefore, it is important to understand the physical activity levels of the target age group and to know the content and intensity of the required physical activity quantitatively. Especially we focused the role of non-exercise activity thermogenesis and sedentary time, which are emphasized more than the introduction of exercise in cases of obesity or diabetes.MethodsA total of 193 patients from 25 institutions were included. Participants underwent a locomotive syndrome risk test (stand-up test, 2-step test, and Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale-25 questionnaire) and were classified into three stages. Physical activity was quantitatively monitored for one week with 3-axial accelerometer. Physical activity was classified into three categories; (1) Sedentary behavior (0 ∼ ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs)), (2) Light physical activity (LPA:1.6 ∼ 2.9 METs), and (3) Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA: ≥3 METs). We investigated the relationship between physical activity, including the number of steps, and the stages after gender- and age- adjustment. We also investigated the relationship between social isolation using Lubben’s Social Network Scale (LSNS), as social isolation would lead to fewer opportunities to go out and less outdoor walking.ResultsComparison among the three stages showed significant difference for age (p = 0.007) and Body Mass Index (p < 0.001). After gender-and age-adjustment, there was a significant relation with a decrease in the number of steps (p = 0.002) and with MVPA. However, no relation was observed in sedentary time and LPA. LSNS did not show any statistically significant difference. Moderate to high-intensity physical activity and the number of steps is required for musculoskeletal disorders. The walking, not sedentary time, was associated to the locomotive stages, and this finding indicated the importance of lower extremity exercise.ConclusionsAdjusting for age and gender, the number of steps and moderate to vigorous activity levels were necessary to prevent worsening, and there was no effect of sedentary behavior. Merely reducing sedentary time may be inadequate for locomotive disorders. It is necessary to engage in work or exercise that moves lower extremities more actively.

Clinical Efficacy And Safety of Long-Term Treatment Of Tenofovir Alafenamide Vs Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for Chronic Hepatitis B in Vietnam.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a contagious condition posing a major public health risk in various nations including Vietnam. In 2019, the Ministry of Health introduced tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) to treat patients with chronic HBV infection and reduce the long-term toxicity of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of these two medications in individuals with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV. This retrospective cohort study included data collected from the medical records of patients with chronic HBV who visited the Liver Clinic at University Medical Center HCMC between 2018 and 2020. After two years of treatment, the proportion of HBeAg loss in the TAF group was twice that of the TDF group (22.4% vs. 11.2%), indicating a statistically significant difference in the probability of HBeAg loss (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.22; 95% CI 1.43 to 3.42; p < 0.01). Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference in the rate and ability of antiviral response between patients treated with TAF and TDF (65% vs. 54.5%, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio = 1.34; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.69; p < 0.01). 93.9% of patients achieved the goal of restoring ALT to normal, a higher percentage compared to the 81.2% in the TDF group, and the likelihood of achieving normal ALT levels with TAF was greater compared to those on TDF (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.67; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.01; p < 0.01). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in the variation in renal function between the TAF and TDF groups. Serum creatinine levels in the TAF group increased less than those in the TDF group by 0.03 mg/dL every 6 months (95% CI -0.04 to -0.01, p < 0.01), and the eGFR in the TAF group was higher than that in the TDF group every 6 months by 2.78 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 0.98 to 4.57, p < 0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of HBeAg seroconversion between chronic hepatitis B patients treated with TAF or TDF (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.79; 95% CI 0.91 to 3.53; p = 0.09), nor in the risk of adverse events between the two groups (adjusted odds ratio = 1.34; 95% CI 0.88 to 2.05; p = 0.17). Additionally, although the HBsAg concentration in the TAF group was lower than in the TDF group by an average of 0.05 log10 IU/mL every 6 months (95% CI -0.15 to 0.05), this difference also did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.35). TAF has been demonstrated to achieve some therapeutic efficacy goals and reduce nephrotoxicity better than TDF. However, no differences were found in seroconversion or adverse events between the patient groups.

Effects of "brain-gut coherence" method of acupuncture on motor function and intestinal microflora in the patients with cerebral ischemic stroke

To observe the clinical effect of "brain-gut coherence" method of acupuncture on cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) and explore its action mechanism. A total of 82 patients with CIS were randomly divided into an observation group (41 cases, 3 cases dropped out, 2 cases discontinued) and a control group (41 cases, 4 cases dropped out, 2 cases excluded). The conventional basic treatment was administered in the two groups. Additionally, in the observation group, "brain-gut coherence" method of acupuncture was delivered. The stimulating points included the parietal and temporal anterior oblique line on the affected side, Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39). In the control group, the routine acupuncture was operated at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24+), bilateral Fengchi (GB 20) and Zusanli (ST 36), and Hegu (LI 4), Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Waiguan (TE 5), Futu (ST 32), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3) on the affected side. Acupuncture stimulation lasted 30 min each time, once daily, and for 5 days a week. The intervention for 4 weeks was required. The scores of Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (FMA), Berg balance scale (BBS) and the modified Barthel index (MBI), as well as the score of gastrointestinal symptoms were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The neutrophil count (NUE) and the content of the serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the structure and relative abundance of intestinal microflora was detected before and after treatment; and with the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) adopted, the levels of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (iFABP), D-lactate (D-LA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the serum were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. After treatment, the scores of FMA, BBS and MBI were increased (P<0.05), and the scores of gastrointestinal symptoms were decreased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment in the two groups. Compared with the control group, the scores of FMA, BBS and MBI were higher (P<0.05) and the score of gastrointestinal symptoms was lower (P<0.05) in the observation group after treatment. NEU and the content of serum NT-proBNP were reduced in the two groups (P<0.05), and the content of serum NT-proBNP in the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) after treatment. Chao1, Ace, Sobs and Shannon indexes were increased after treatment compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); and these indexes in the observation group were higher when compared with the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the relative abundance of Bacteroidaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Oscillospiraceae, Streptococcaceae and Sutterellaceae was reduced in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); and the relative abundance of these microflora was lower in the observation group when compared with the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae and Coriobacteriaceae was increased in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); and the relative abundance of these microflora was elevated in the observation group when compared with the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of iFABP, D-LA, LPS, LBP, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were reduced when compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and these levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). "Brain-gut coherence" method of acupuncture can improve the motor function and gastrointestinal function of the patients with cerebral ischemic stroke, which may be related to modulating the structure of intestinal microflora, alleviating inflammatory reactions and accelerating the intestinal barrier repair.

Agreement Between the National Cancer Institute's diet history questionnaire II and III in a preconception cohort.

Food frequency questionnaires require updating over time, due to population changes in diet, posing analytical challenges in consistently measuring diet in prospective studies. We compared reliability and agreement between nutrients in two versions of the National Cancer Institute's web-based Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ, III vs. II) in an ongoing North American preconception study. We invited 51 consecutively-enrolled U.S. female participants aged 21-45 years to complete both DHQ versions within a 2-week period, in a randomized order. We compared 30 nutrients from both DHQ versions and calculated within-person reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were generated to assess nutrient agreement between DHQ versions. We observed highest reliability in percent energy from carbohydrates and cholesterol (ICCs: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.80-0.93) and lowest for percent energy from protein and vitamin D (ICCs: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34-0.72). At the group level, all nutrients had most observations within the LOA. Bland-Altman plots showed assessment differences between DHQs for protein, fat, monounsaturated fat, and vitamin D. The remaining nutrients showed good agreement and good-to-moderate reliability. Some nutrients may require adjustment and calibration analysis before using them interchangeably across DHQ versions.

Non-decision time: The Higgs Boson of decision.

Generative models of decision now permeate all subfields of psychology, cognitive, and clinical neuroscience. To successfully investigate decision mechanisms from behavior, it is necessary to assume the presence of delays prior and after the decision process itself. However, directly observing this "non-decision time (NDT)" from behavior long appeared beyond reach, the field mainly relying on models to estimate it. Here, we propose a biological definition of decision that includes perceptual discrimination and action selection, and in turn, explicitly equates NDT with the minimum sensorimotor delay, or "deadtime." We show how this delay is directly observable in behavioral data, without modeling assumptions, using the visual interference approach. We apply this approach to 11 novel and archival data sets from humans and monkeys gathered from multiple labs. We validate the method by showing that visual properties (brightness, color, size) consistently affect empirically measured visuomotor deadtime (VMDT), as predicted by neurophysiology. We then show that endogenous factors (strategic slowing, attention) do not affect VMDT. Therefore, VMDT consistently satisfies widespread selective influence assumptions, in contrast to NDT parameters from model fits. Last, contrasting empirically observed VMDT with NDT estimates from the EZ, drift diffusion, and linear ballistic accumulator models, we conclude that NDT parameters from these models are unlikely to consistently reflect visuomotor delays, neither at a group level nor for individual differences, in contrast to a widely held assumption. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation between serum cardiac troponin I level and PDAI score in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare, yet serious autoimmune disorder primarily affecting the skin and mucous membranes. While the dermatological and mucosal aspects of PV are well-documented, the potential for systemic involvement, particularly cardiac complications, remains under-explored. This study aimed to investigate the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) level in patients with PV versus healthy controls. The relationship between serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels and various demograpgics, clinical and laboratory characteristics in patients with PV was also dealt with. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 59 patients with pemphigus vulgaris and 59 age- and sex- matched healthy controls, visited at a tertiary care hospital from August 2021 to May 2023. After thorough history taking and physical examination, troponin level was measured by the ECL (Electrochemiluminescence) method. The correlation between serum cTnI level and various variables was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The mean serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) level in patient group was 0.104 ± 0.05 ng/mL, with a range of 0.01 to 0.25 ng/mL. Despite mean cTnI level in patients was greater than controls, this difference was not reach to the significance level (P value: 0.058). The analysis revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.52, p = 0.005310), suggesting that higher PDAI scores were associated with elevated cTnI level. The correlation between serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) level and PDAI score, even without any clinical sign or risk factor for cardiovascular disease suggests a potential link between the severity of PV and subtle cardiac involvement, highlighting the importance of cardiac monitoring in these patients.

Association between depression severity, mental health recovery and dropout from behavioral health care treatment

BackgroundUnderstanding the relationship between depression severity, patient recovery, and treatment continuity may help optimize the delivery of behavioral health services. MethodsUsing Cox proportional hazards regression, this study measures the association between treatment dropout and baseline depression severity, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the association between treatment dropout and baseline recovery, as measured by the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS). The study also explores heterogeneity by service line (general mental health, substance use disorder, and eating disorder), residential versus intermediate level of care setting, age groups (adolescent and adult), and dropout factors. The data include 14,689 patients treated at a multi-state behavioral health care provider, discharged between 2021 and 2022. Premature dropout from behavioral health care treatment for any cause, patient factors and administrative factors were used as separate outcomes. FindingsA unit increase in baseline PHQ-9 was associated with a 1.2% reduced treatment dropout risk (hazard ratio (HR): 0.988; 95% confidence interval [0.983–0.992]). A unit increase in baseline RAS score was associated with 0.5% increased dropout likelihood (HR: 1.005; 95% CI [1.004, 1.007]). Subgroup analyses show associations are driven by general mental health, adolescent, and intermediate level of care subgroups. Patients with higher baseline suicidality and lower willigness to ask for helphad a reduced risk of dropout. InterpretationPatients with greater depression severity and lower recovery scores at admission were more likely to stay in behavioral health treatment, especially among adolescents, patients with general mental health issues, and outpatients.

Riparian plant-soil-microbial C:N:P stoichiometry: are they conserved at plant functional group level?

As a consequence of the tight linkages between plants, soil, and microorganisms, we hypothesized the variations in plant species would change soil and microbial stoichiometry. Here, we examined the plant leaf carbon (C):nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) ratios of nine species coming from three plant functional groups (PFGs) in the riparian zones of Hulunbuir steppe during near-peak biomass. The soil C:N:P, microbial biomass carbon (MBC):microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and extracellular enzyme's C:N:P were also assessed using the soils from each species. We found that plant tissue, soil nutrient, microbial, and enzyme activity stoichiometry significantly differed among different PFGs. Plant leaf and soil nutrient ratios tended to be similar (p > 0.05) between different species within the same PFGs. The variations in leaf C:N:P significantly correlated with the changes in soil C:N:P and MBC:MBN ratios. The homeostatic coefficients (H) < 1 suggested the relationships between plants and their resources C:N:P ratios might be non-homeostatic in the examined riparian zone. By assessing plant tissue and its soil nutrient stoichiometry, this study provided a perspective to understand the linkages of plant community, soil nutrient, and microbial characteristics.