Personalized Intervention Strategies Research Articles

Interpretation by narrative literature review of the factors involved in sleep disorders

Concern for identifying and understanding the variables that affect sleep quality has been increasing in recent years, although more studies are needed in this line of research. The aim of the study was to interpret, through a narrative literature review, the factors involved in sleep disorders. Methodologically, the study was classified as observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective. A hermeneutic approach was adopted to interpret and deeply understand the existing literature on factors influencing sleep quality and its effects on general health. The role of the glymphatic system in the elimination of brain metabolic wastes and how good sleep quality facilitates neuroprotective processes is highlighted. The findings highlight the importance of improving sleep hygiene and developing personalized interventions for its management, suggesting the adoption of innovative approaches in future research, such as the application of theories like neutrosophic. This review urges the adoption of innovative approaches to sleep research, including the application of theories such as neutrosophic, to address the complexity of these phenomena more effectively. In conclusion, this systematic review evidences the interconnectedness between multiple factors that impact sleep quality and underscores the need for multidisciplinary approaches to its management. Understanding these factors through a heuristic approach not only facilitates a better interpretation of the underlying mechanisms affecting sleep, but also guides the development of more effective and personalized intervention strategies

Resilience to aging drives personalized intervention strategies for Alzheimer's disease.

There has been little progress in reducing the incidence and mortality of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Prevention of onset, more accurate diagnostic tools, and prediction of health outcomes have all been identified as critical issues, but more and better basic research approaches are needed. The single greatest risk factor associated with AD is aging. It follows that if aging can be delayed, there should be an equivalent delay or even prevention of the onset of AD neuropathology. Therefore, targeting multiple pathways of aging would be a powerful way to enhance resilience to aging and slow or prevent the onset of AD neuropathology and dementia in a personalized manner. More effective and predictive animal models, such as the aging pet cat that spontaneously develops neuropathology similar to human AD patients, are necessary to help validate noninvasive and inexpensive biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk. Resilience to aging and its ability to delay or prevent the onset of age-related diseases should be the focus for preventing brain aging and enhancing resistance to AD.

Lasso Analysis of Gait Characteristics and Correlation with Spinopelvic Parameters in Patients with Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis.

This study quantifies the gait characteristics of patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) and patients with simple lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) by means of a three-dimensional gait analysis system, aiming to determine the image of spinal deformity on gait and the correlation between spinal-pelvic parameters and gait characteristics in patients with DLS to assist clinical work. From June 2020 to December 2021, a total of 50 subjects were enrolled in this study, of whom 20 patients with DLS served as the case group and 30 middle-aged and elderly patients with LSS were selected as the control group according to the general conditions (sex, age, and BMI) of the case group. Spinal-pelvic parameters were measured by full-length frontal and lateral spine films one week before surgery, and kinematics were recorded on the same day using a gait analysis system. Compared to the control group, DLS patients exhibited significantly reduced velocity and cadence; gait variability and symmetry of both lower limbs were notably better in the LSS group than in the DLS group; joint ROM (range of motion) across multiple dimensions was also lower in the DLS group; and correlation analysis revealed that patients with a larger Cobb angle, T1PA, and higher CSVA tended to walk more slowly, and those with a larger PI, PT, and LL usually had smaller stride lengths. The greater the PI-SS mismatch, the longer the patient stayed in the support phase. Furthermore, a larger Cobb angle correlated with worse coronal hip mobility. DLS patients demonstrate distinctive gait abnormalities and reduced hip mobility compared to LSS patients. Significant correlations between crucial spinopelvic parameters and these gait changes underline their potential influence on gait disturbances in DLS. Our study identifies a Cobb angle cut-off of 16.1 as a key predictor for gait abnormalities. These insights can guide personalized treatment and intervention strategies, ultimately improving the quality of life for DLS patients.

The Role of Neuroprediction and Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Criminal Procedure Support Science: A New Era in Neuroscience and Criminal Justice

Recent developments in the field of neuroimaging in the world of neuroscience, when combined with artificial intelligence and, more specifically, with the use of mechanical engineering, have resulted in the creation of brain reading technology that may soon be widely used in scientific fields in the world including detecting, for example, criminal lies. When used in forensic psychiatry, this approach can increase the precision of risk assessment and help determine areas where intervention can be most effective. Neuro prediction with artificial intelligence can be called AI. This neuroprotection is a method of predicting criminal behaviour by finding biomarkers of brain function that can indicate that someone is committing crimes in the future. Normative legal research or library legal research (library research), with a statute, conceptual, comparative, historical, or futuristic approach. The nature of the research used in this research is descriptive-prescriptive and uses content analysis. The result of this research is to dissect the development of AI Neuroprediction in forensic psychiatry and criminal justice with attention to this technology's legal and ethical implications and potential applications. In the future, AI neuroprediction may play an important role in integrating forensic psychology into the criminal justice system. Through in-depth analysis of neurological data, AI neuroprediction could assist in identifying behavioral patterns or tendencies that might influence a person's criminal propensity, thus enriching traditional forensic psychological evaluations. It may also contribute to creating more precise and personalized intervention strategies to prevent repeat crimes.

Constructing a prognostic tool for predicting the risk of non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy in discharged patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the incidence and influencing factors affecting the non-adherence behavior of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to antiplatelet therapy after discharge and to construct a personalized predictive tool. In this retrospective cohort study, 289 patients with CHD who were admitted to the Department of Cardiology of The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China between June 2021 and September 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data of all patients were retrospectively collected from the hospital information system, and patients were followed up for 1 year after discharge to evaluate their adherence level to antiplatelet therapy, analyze their present situation and influencing factors for post-discharge adherence to antiplatelet therapy, and construct a nomogram model to predict the risk of non-adherence. Based on the adherence level to antiplatelet therapy within 1 year after discharge, the patients were divided into the adherence (n=216) and non-adherence (n=73) groups. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of variable distribution, including age, education level, medical payment method, number of combined risk factors, percutaneous coronary intervention, duration of antiplatelet medication, types of drugs taken at discharge, and CHD type (P<0.05). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that, except for the medical payment method, all the seven abovementioned variables were independent risk factors for non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy (P<0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve before and after the internal validation of the predictive tool based on the seven independent risk factors and the nomogram were 0.899 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.858-0.941) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.847-0.933), respectively; this indicates that the tool has good discrimination ability. The calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test revealed that the tool exhibited good calibration and prediction consistency (χ2=5.17, P=0.739). In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the incidence and influencing factors affecting the non-adherence behavior of patients with CHD after discharge to antiplatelet therapy. For this, we constructed a personalized predictive tool based on seven independent risk factors affecting non-adherence behavior. The predictive tool exhibited good discrimination ability, calibration, and clinical applicability. Overall, our constructed tool is useful for predicting the risk of non-adherence behavior to antiplatelet therapy in discharged patients with CHD and can be used in personalized intervention strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Clinical Advances in Treatment Strategies for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder in Adults.

In the present article, we provide a comprehensive review of the treatment strategies for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a common, chronic, and often debilitating disorder, characterized by overwhelming obsessions and compulsions. OCD typically starts in childhood or adolescence and persists throughout life, causing functional impairment across multiple domains. The article begins by describing the historical concepts of OCD from religious and guilt-based explanations to psychoanalytic perspectives, and then explores the changing understanding of OCD as a treatable condition. Recent advances include the development of evidence-based psychological treatments, such as exposure and response prevention, and pharmacological treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the International Classification of Diseases, has removed OCD from the anxiety disorder grouping and regrouped it into obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. We conclude by highlighting the current state of knowledge and development in the clinical management of OCD, including recommendations for first- and second-line treatments, alternative, or augmentative strategies for and novel agents under investigation for OCD. In future, the latest advances in neuroimaging, electrophysiology, digital technology, and data-driven analysis will help elucidate the pathophysiology of OCD and develop personalized intervention strategies.

Gut microbiome in DLBCL patients undergoing first‐line R‐CHOP regimen—The Oncopassport Study

Introduction: The search of biomarkers that can predict and influence treatment outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is constantly evolving, especially in the front-line setting. Preclinical studies have shown that gut microbiome (GM) diversity and specific bacterial species can have a direct impact on drug efficacy and immune-related toxicity. Although R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) remains the gold standard as first-line treatment for DLBCL patients, about 40% of them relapsed or are refractory to this regimen. In addition, major adverse events (AEs) related to this combination, such as hematological toxicity, including febrile neutropenia (FN), and gastrointestinal (GI) AEs, do not affect all treated populations and could influence the role of GM in the tolerability and response to R-CHOP. Reconstructing GM dynamics in DLBCL patients from diagnosis to the end of R-CHOP may provide important information for patient management. Methods: Fifty DLBCL patients undergoing first-line R-CHOP regimen were enrolled (NCT03797170; RF-2016-02363730). Stools were collected at baseline, before each therapy cycle, and at response assessment (after 3 cycles and at the end of therapy), to profile GM compositional changes. Additional samples were collected upon occurrence of FN and GI AEs. GM was analyzed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results: Of 50 enrolled patients, 45 provided at least one fecal sample. Interim and final overall response rate were 91.1% (36 complete response). Specifically, 4 patients worsened their response between cycles 3 and 6, and 4 patients improved their response. At the end of treatment, only 3 patients had progression of disease. Three patients had FN (all grade 4) and 24 patients had at least one GI AE. Beta diversity analysis showed separation between baseline and end-of-therapy GM structures (Figure 1A). In particular, the phylum Tenericutes and the genus Gemmiger increased, while the family Bifidobacteriaceae and the genus Oscillospira decreased. Additionally, patients reporting GI AE or FN segregated at baseline from those who did not report them, being enriched in Bacteroidetes and Butyricimonas, while depleted in Actinobacteria, Peptostreptococcaceae, Dorea, and Coprobacillus (Figure 1B). Conclusions: Identifying factors that may modify the response and tolerance to first line is crucial to improving lymphoma patients outcome and adherence to therapy. To date, numerous efforts have been made to recognize biologic factors that can identify patients with DLBCL at increased risk of relapse and toxicity to R-CHOP, with poor results. Interestingly, in our series, putative early GM signatures of GI AE or FN were identified, paving the way for new personalized GM-based intervention strategies to improve patient prognosis. The research was funded by: Italian Ministry of Health, RF-2016-02363730 Keywords: Aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers

NEMoE: a nutrition aware regularized mixture of experts model to identify heterogeneous diet-microbiome-host health interactions

BackgroundUnrevealing the interplay between diet, the microbiome, and the health state could enable the design of personalized intervention strategies and improve the health and well-being of individuals. A common approach to this is to divide the study population into smaller cohorts based on dietary preferences in the hope of identifying specific microbial signatures. However, classification of patients based solely on diet is unlikely to reflect the microbiome-host health relationship or the taxonomic microbiome makeup.ResultsWe present a novel approach, the Nutrition-Ecotype Mixture of Experts (NEMoE) model, for establishing associations between gut microbiota and health state that accounts for diet-specific cohort variability using a regularized mixture of experts model framework with an integrated parameter sharing strategy to ensure data-driven diet-cohort identification consistency across taxonomic levels. The success of our approach was demonstrated through a series of simulation studies, in which NEMoE showed robustness with regard to parameter selection and varying degrees of data heterogeneity. Further application to real-world microbiome data from a Parkinson’s disease cohort revealed that NEMoE is capable of not only improving predictive performance for Parkinson’s Disease but also for identifying diet-specific microbial signatures of disease.ConclusionIn summary, NEMoE can be used to uncover diet-specific relationships between nutritional-ecotype and patient health and to contextualize precision nutrition for different diseases.7dNoGdMUXMX1VEgXMiTdDJVideo

Efficient and robust approaches for analysis of sequential multiple assignment randomized trials: Illustration using the ADAPT-R trial.

Personalized intervention strategies, in particular those that modify treatment based on a participant's own response, are a core component of precision medicine approaches. Sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs) are growing in popularity and are specifically designed to facilitate the evaluation of sequential adaptive strategies, in particular those embedded within the SMART. Advances in efficient estimation approaches that are able to incorporate machine learning while retaining valid inference can allow for more precise estimates of the effectiveness of these embedded regimes. However, to the best of our knowledge, such approaches have not yet been applied as the primary analysis in SMART trials. In this paper, we present a robust and efficient approach using targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) for estimating and contrasting expected outcomes under the dynamic regimes embedded in a SMART, together with generating simultaneous confidence intervals for the resulting estimates. We contrast this method with two alternatives (G-computation and inverse probability weighting estimators). The precision gains and robust inference achievable through the use of TMLE to evaluate the effects of embedded regimes are illustrated using both outcome-blind simulations and a real-data analysis from the Adaptive Strategies for Preventing and Treating Lapses of Retention in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Care (ADAPT-R) trial (NCT02338739), a SMART with a primary aim of identifying strategies to improve retention in HIV care among people living with HIV in sub-SaharanAfrica.

Nature and Effects of Autobiographical Memory Issues in Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

This comprehensive thematic review focuses on autobiographical memory (AM) in individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the overarching aim of informing and instructing stakeholders on this important memory structure that is often compromised in individuals with ASD. Accordingly, articles that best address the theme were selected from legitimate publishers with prime peer-reviewed journals. ASD is recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder, often impacting on many aspects of language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Considerable research has documented the problems children and adults with ASD frequently exhibit in language and its offshoots, the development of executive function, and theory of mind or the ability to reflect on the thoughts and feelings of self and others. These studies resulted in numerous assessments and intervention strategies designed to target the noted issues, among them problems with AM. Specialists in a variety of medical, psychological, and educational fields are exploring the nature and development of AM across the lifespan and the effects of AM weaknesses on cognitive and social-emotional factors such as self-regulation, social interactions, and self-identity. Researchers are reporting on the nature of AM deficits in persons with ASD and how AM deficits interact with or may explain other difficulties exhibited by these persons, but to date, little of this research has been incorporated into assessment and intervention strategies for persons with ASD. The aims of this article are to: 1. Describe the nature of AM, 2. Expound on assessments of AM, 3. Explain the effects of deficits in AMs on the personal narratives, self-regulation, and self-identity of persons with ASD, and 4. Explore intervention strategies to facilitate AM and the abilities of persons with ASD to tell coherent personal narratives.

Calcium, Its Regulatory Hormones, and Their Causal Role on Blood Pressure: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Vitamin D (Vit-D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) are the major calciotropic hormones involved in the regulation of blood calcium levels from the intestine, kidney, and bone through a tight endocrine feedback loop system. Altered levels of calcium itself or through the effect of its regulatory hormones could affect blood pressure (BP), but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. To evaluate whether a causal relationship exists between serum calcium level and/or the regulatory hormones involved in its homeostasis with BP, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. From 4 large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) we obtained independent (r2 < 0.001) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum calcium (119 SNPs), Vit-D (78 SNPs), PTH (5 SNPs), and FGF23 (5 SNPs), to investigate through MR their association with systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in a Swedish urban-based study, the Malmö Diet and Cancer study (n = 29 298). Causality was evaluated by the inverse variance weighted method (IVW) and weighted median, while MR Egger and MR-PRESSO were used as sensitivity analyses. Genetically predicted serum calcium level was found to be associated with DBP (IVW: beta = 0.10, SE = 0.04, P = 0.007) and SBP (IVW: beta = 0.07, SE = 0.04, P = 0.04). Genetically predicted Vit-D and PTH showed no association with the traits, while FGF23 was inversely associated with SBP (IVW: beta = -0.11, SE = 0.04, P = 0.01), although this association lost statistical significance in sensitivity analysis. Our study shows a direct association between genetically predicted calcium level and DBP, and a weaker association with SBP. No such clear association was found for genetically predicted calciotropic hormone levels. It is of interest to detect which target genes involved in calcium homeostasis mediate the effect of calcium on BP, particularly for improving personalized intervention strategies.

Anorexia nervosa and familial risk factors: a systematic review of the literature

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a psychological disorder involving body manipulation, self-inflicted hunger, and fear of gaining weight.We performed an overview of the existing literature in the field of AN, highlighting the main intrafamilial risk factors for anorexia. We searched the PubMed database by using keywords such as “anorexia” and “risk factors” and “family”. After appropriate selection, 16 scientific articles were identified. The main intrafamilial risk factors for AN identified include: increased family food intake, higher parental demands, emotional reactivity, sexual family taboos, low familial involvement, family discord, negative family history for Eating Disorders (ED), family history of psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, having a sibling with AN, relational trauma. Some other risk factors identified relate to the mother: lack of maternal caresses, dysfunctional interaction during feeding (for IA), attachment insecurity, dependence. Further studies are needed, to identify better personalized intervention strategies for patients suffering from AN.

Does Type A personality have a positive or negative impact on the delayed retirement intention of older workers?

To determine whether the effects of Type A personality were positive or negative on the intention to delay retirement when taking into account both its direct and indirect effects mediated by occupational stressors and psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey on the intention to delay retirement, psychological distress, occupational stressors, and Type A personality among 1752 older Chinese workers was conducted, and a structural equation approach was employed to examine these effects. The delayed retirement intention of Chinese workers was low (i.e., individuals were unwilling to delay retirement), and the expected retirement age was significantly lower than the official retirement age (i.e., the age when individuals become eligible for government pensions). Type A personality was directly associated with significantly higher intentions to delay retirement, but its indirect effects mediated by occupational stressors and psychological distress were insignificant. The total effects of Type A personality on the intention to delay retirement were positive. Personalized intervention strategies based on Type A personality may be beneficial in motivating the work potential of older workers.

Cognitive Frailty in Older Adult Patients with Coronary Heart Disease During Hospitalization

Cognitive frailty, characterized by physical weakness and impaired cognitive function, has garnered increasing attention with the global aging population. The study aimed to identify independent risk factors and their implications for developing personalized intervention strategies. A quantitative descriptive design among 564 participants utilizing a survey instrument was conducted among the elderly with congestive heart disease during hospitalization. This study focused on elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), investigating the interplay between age, duration of disease, and C-reactive protein as potential independent risk factors for cognitive frailty. Results showed that age emerged as a significant independent risk factor for cognitive frailty in elderly patients with coronary heart disease, with a direct correlation between age and cognitive frailty. The duration of the disease and elevated C-reactive protein levels were identified as independent risk factors, highlighting the cumulative effects of chronic conditions on cognitive function. The findings emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to intervention. The cumulative defect model was invoked to explain how chronic conditions and associated complications contribute to cognitive frailty. Age, duration of disease, and C-reactive protein levels independently contribute to cognitive frailty. The study advocates for a holistic approach to intervention, encompassing physical, psychological, and social aspects. A cognitive frailty management model is recommended for hospitalized older adult patients with coronary heart disease to provide multidisciplinary key areas interventions, activities, assessment, and evaluation. Keywords: cognitive frailty, coronary heart disease, older adult patients, disease duration, C-reactive protein

THE CAUSAL ROLE OF SERUM CALCIUM, PTH AND FGF23 ON BLOOD PRESSURE: A TWO-SAMPLE MENDELIAN RANDOMIZATION

Objective: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23) are among the calciotropic hormones involved in the regulation of blood calcium levels among the intestine, kidney, and bone through a tight endocrine feedback loop system. Altered levels of each of them could affect blood pressure either independently or not by the calcium, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. To evaluate whether a causal relationship exists between serum calcium level and its homeostasis’ regulatory hormones with blood pressure traits, we performed a Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization. Design and method: From three large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) we obtained independent (r2 &lt; 0.001) and GWAS-significant (p &lt; 5X10-8) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum calcium level (120 SNPs), PTH (5 SNPs), and FGF23 (5 SNPs), to investigate through MR their association with Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in a Swedish large-scale cohort study, the Malmö Diet and Cancer (n = 29,298). Causality was evaluated with the Inverse Variance Weighted Method (IVW), and sensitivity analyses through MR-Egger. Results: Serum calcium level was found to be associated with DBP (IWV: beta = 11.9, SE = 4.2, p = 0.004). Surprisingly PTH didn’t show any association with the traits, while FGF23 was inversely associated with the SBP (IWV: beta = -5.0, SE = 2.0, P = 0.01) even if the association lost its significance at sensitivity analysis with MR-Egger. Conclusions: Our study shows a strong direct association between serum calcium level, described by its genetic component, with diastolic blood pressure. These results underline the importance of understanding the target genes that could alter calcium homeostasis and that could bring harmful implications later in life, moreover, it will be relevant for improving personalized intervention strategies. Despite not showing a strong association as the one shown by serum calcium level, the genetically predicted FGF23 level confirms its involvement in the regulation of blood pressure. Further an alyses deserve to be performed to clarify involved gene pathways.

A randomized controlled trial for response of microbiome network to exercise and diet intervention in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Exercise and diet are treatments for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and prediabetes, however, how exercise and diet interventions impact gut microbiota in patients is incompletely understood. We previously reported a 8.6-month, four-arm (Aerobic exercise, n = 29; Diet, n = 28; Aerobic exercise + Diet, n = 29; No intervention, n = 29) randomized, singe blinded (for researchers), and controlled intervention in patients with NAFLD and prediabetes to assess the effect of interventions on the primary outcomes of liver fat content and glucose metabolism. Here we report the third primary outcome of the trial—gut microbiota composition—in participants who completed the trial (22 in Aerobic exercise, 22 in Diet, 23 in Aerobic exercise + Diet, 18 in No Intervention). We show that combined aerobic exercise and diet intervention are associated with diversified and stabilized keystone taxa, while exercise and diet interventions alone increase network connectivity and robustness between taxa. No adverse effects were observed with the interventions. In addition, in exploratory ad-hoc analyses we find that not all subjects responded to the intervention in a similar manner, when using differentially altered gut microbe amplicon sequence variants abundance to classify the responders and low/non-responders. A personalized gut microbial network at baseline could predict the individual responses in liver fat to exercise intervention. Our findings suggest an avenue for developing personalized intervention strategies for treatment of NAFLD based on host-gut microbiome ecosystem interactions, however, future studies with large sample size are needed to validate these discoveries. The Trial Registration Number is ISRCTN 42622771.

The COVID-19 Stress Perceived on Social Distance and Gender-Based Implications.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event entailing long-term consequences on population health and welfare. Those who contracted the coronavirus may have suffered from both physical and mental health issues that unfold the need for tailored intervention strategies. Hence, our study aims to investigate the psychological and social consequences of COVID-19 on a sample of 86 participants, encompassing 43 patients (clinical group; 25 women; mean age = 50.4 ± 10.1 years) recruited from Bari University Hospital, 19 of whom were hospitalized due to the disease. The remaining 43 were individuals not fallen ill with COVID-19 to date (control group; 25 women; mean age = 50.4 ± 10.1 years). The investigation yielded significant gender differences in post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and representation of interpersonal distance (IPD), evaluated through the IES-R, the BDI-II, and the IVAS task, respectively. This pattern of results was not replicated in the control group. In general, participants who reported having experienced the most intense post-traumatic symptoms also presented a greater mood deflection and, more specifically, within the clinical group women obtained the highest scores on both scales. Women reported higher IES-R and BDI-II scores compared to men, that could indicate that women who have contracted COVID-19 are more exposed to post-traumatic and depressive symptoms. Our results also showed a significant effect of COVID-19 on IPD with a tendency of disease-experienced individuals to increase their preferred IPD from adults, children, and elderly people. Regarding gender differences in mood and proxemic behavior, a correlation between depressive symptoms and probable PTSD and a further correlation between probable PTSD and greater IPD were found in women from both clinical and control group. Overall, these findings might contribute to a better understanding of gender-based implications of the current pandemic on mental health, also leading to the development of integrated yet personalized intervention strategies.

Fitness, Food, and Biomarkers: Characterizing Body Composition in 19,634 Early Adolescents.

Adolescent obesity persists as a major concern, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, yet evidence gaps exist regarding the pivotal early adolescent years. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive picture using a holistic approach of measured anthropometry in early adolescence, including body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and reported lifestyle characteristics. We aimed to elucidate potential sex/gender differences throughout and associations to biomarkers of disease risk for obese adolescents. Methods: Trained nurses measured 19,634 early adolescents (12–14-year-olds), we collected parental reports, and, for obese adolescents, fasting blood samples in four major Polish cities using a cross-sectional developmental design. Results: 24.7% boys and 18.6% girls were overweight/obese, and 2886 had BMI ≥ 90th percentile. With increasing age, there was greater risk of obesity among boys (p for trend = 0.001) and a decreasing risk of thinness for girls (p for trend = 0.01). Contrary to debate, we found BMI (continuous) was a useful indicator of measured fat mass (FM). There were 38.6% with CRF in the range of poor/very poor and was accounted for primarily by FM in boys, rather than BMI, and systolic blood pressure in girls. Boys, in comparison to girls, engaged more in sports (t = 127.26, p < 0.0001) and consumed more fast food (t = 188.57, p < 0.0001) and sugar-sweetened beverages (167.46, p < 0.0001). Uric acid, a potential marker for prediabetes, was strongly related to BMI in the obese subsample for both boys and girls. Obese girls showed signs of undernutrition. Conclusion: these findings show that overweight/obesity is by far a larger public health problem than thinness in early adolescence and is characterized differentially by sex/gender. Moreover, poor CRF in this age, which may contribute to life course obesity and disease, highlights the need for integrated and personalized intervention strategies taking sex/gender into account.

A Decade of Organs-on-a-Chip Emulating Human Physiology at the Microscale: A Critical Status Report on Progress in Toxicology and Pharmacology.

Organ-on-a-chip technology has the potential to accelerate pharmaceutical drug development, improve the clinical translation of basic research, and provide personalized intervention strategies. In the last decade, big pharma has engaged in many academic research cooperations to develop organ-on-a-chip systems for future drug discoveries. Although most organ-on-a-chip systems present proof-of-concept studies, miniaturized organ systems still need to demonstrate translational relevance and predictive power in clinical and pharmaceutical settings. This review explores whether microfluidic technology succeeded in paving the way for developing physiologically relevant human in vitro models for pharmacology and toxicology in biomedical research within the last decade. Individual organ-on-a-chip systems are discussed, focusing on relevant applications and highlighting their ability to tackle current challenges in pharmacological research.

Management of Childhood Obesity-Time to Shift from Generalized to Personalized Intervention Strategies.

As a major public health concern, childhood obesity is a multifaceted and multilevel metabolic disorder influenced by genetic and behavioral aspects. While genetic risk factors contribute to and interact with the onset and development of excess body weight, available evidence indicates that several modifiable obesogenic behaviors play a crucial role in the etiology of childhood obesity. Although a variety of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of several interventions in community-based, school-based, and home-based programs regarding childhood obesity, the prevalence of children with excess body weight remains high. Additionally, researchers and pediatric clinicians are often encountering several challenges and the characteristics of an optimal weight management strategy remain controversial. Strategies involving a combination of physical activity, nutritional, and educational interventions are likely to yield better outcomes compared to single-component strategies but various prohibitory limitations have been reported in practice. This review seeks to (i) provide a brief overview of the current preventative and therapeutic approaches towards childhood obesity, (ii) discuss the complexity and limitations of research in the childhood obesity area, and (iii) suggest an Etiology-Based Personalized Intervention Strategy Targeting Childhood Obesity (EPISTCO). This purposeful approach includes prioritized nutritional, educational, behavioral, and physical activity intervention strategies directly based on the etiology of obesity and interpretation of individual characteristics.