Science Council Research Articles

Prevalence and determinants of constipation in children in Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Constipation is prevalent worldwide, significantly increasing healthcare costs and diminishing the quality of life in children affected. Current studies have yielded mixed results regarding the factors associated with constipation, and mainly focusing on patients outside of Asia. Moreover, most of these studies lack focus on the paediatric population. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and associated factors of constipation among children in Asia. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane for cohort and cross-sectional studies published from database inception up to October 12, 2022, and continued with manual searching until September 2, 2023. Eligible studies were those that included children in Asia aged 0-18 years old suffering from idiopathic constipation, with prevalence value provided in the English abstract. The analysis included clinical and general population. Children with organic constipation, who had undergone gastrointestinal surgery, or with congenital defects were excluded, as these factors affect the incidence of constipation. Data included in the analysis were extracted from published reports only. The extracted data were pooled using random-effects model to analyse the prevalence of constipation in children in Asia. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022367122. Out of 4410 systematically searched studies and 36 manually searched ones, a total of 50 studies were included in the final analysis, encompassing data from 311,660 children residing in Asia. The pooled prevalence of constipation was 12.0% (95% CI 9.3-14.6%, I2=99.8%). There was no significant difference in constipation prevalence observed by sex and geographical location. Nonetheless, adolescents and children aged 1-9 years exhibited a significantly higher prevalence constipation compared to infants (p<0.0001) Additionally, significant differences in constipation rates were observed across various diagnostic methods, population sources, and mental health conditions. Despite the high heterogeneity resulting from varying diagnostic tools or definitions used among studies, our review adds to the literature on constipation among children in Asia. It reveals a notably high prevalence of constipation in this demographic. Diagnostic methods, age, and compromised mental health emerged as significant influencers of constipation among children in Asia, highlighting potential strategies to mitigate constipation prevalence in children in Asia. The National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan.

Yogesh Dwivedi: Pre-clinical and translational research focusing on gene regulation through epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms and their implications in mood disorders and suicidal behavior

Dr. Yogesh Dwivedi is the Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He joined UAB in 2013 after working at the University of Illinois at Chicago for about 20 years, where he rose to tenured Professor. He is the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, Co-Director of the UAB Depression and Suicide Center, Director of Translational Research of the UAB Mood Disorder Program, and the Director of the Alabama Brain Bank. He has published over 160 papers in peer-reviewed journals and serves on the editorial board of several scientific journals. He leads multiple National Institute of Mental Health-funded studies and has also edited a book entitled The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide. The recipient of several national and international awards, Dr. Dwivedi is a member of the Scientific Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), and International Neuropsychiatric Association. His research broadly elucidates the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with early-life stress, mood disorders, and suicidal behavior by integrating basic and clinical neuroscience. More specifically, his studies focus on gene regulation through epigenetic, epitranscriptomic, and non-coding RNAs and whether these mechanisms play a role in mood regulation and suicidal behavior. He is also working on translating these findings into biomarkers for depression, suicidality, and treatment response. Dr. Yogesh Dwivedi kindly agreed to engage in the Genomic Press Interview, sharing his distinctive blend of personal and professional narratives.

Test Assessment, Due Motivation and Legal Intellectual Capital, 2012- 2022

The investigation aims to verify a relationship between better evidence assessment and due motivation in the legal intellectual capital in Peru, 2012 -2022. It is primary research, not an experiential design, and a relational, quantitative approach through the observation method in this research. The sample, 47 files, evaluated 122 magistrates of prosecutors and judges with file, experience and training according to information published on the portal of the National Superintendence of Higher Education University (SUNEDU), National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) and National Council of Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (CONCYTEC), interviewed 136 procedural subjects with a questionnaire of 17 questions, the results revealed nullity of 47 records by default of motivation, affectation of the due process through defective evidentiary assessment, showed a positive correlation between the failure to provide adequate written justification in the jurisdictional field with a Chi-square value of 47,785, and a sig. 0.000. It is concluded that there is correspondence between better intellectual capital of judges and assessment of evidence and motivation.

Fostering scientific integrity and research ethics in a science-for-policy research organisation

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission’s in-house science and knowledge service, employing a substantial staff of scientists devoted to conducting research to provide independent scientific advice for EU policy. Focussed on various research areas aligned with EU priorities, the JRC excels in delivering scientific evidence for policymaking and has published numerous science-for-policy reports and scientific articles. Drawing on a scientific integrity statement, surveys among JRC’s research staff, and thematic discussions with JRC’s research leaders, the JRC has developed a comprehensive Scientific Integrity and Research Ethics (SIRE) framework, including instruments, procedures, and guidelines to ensure high standards and independence in its research. Key components of the SIRE framework include a Scientific Integrity Officer, an Editorial Review Board, a Research Ethics Board, and guidelines for responsible conduct of research. This article provides an overview of the JRC’s SIRE framework and how it was developed, emphasising the importance of maintaining independence, integrity, and ethics in scientific research that supports EU policy. The article also discusses potential gaps in the framework and where additional efforts may be needed, comparing with the recent U.S. National Science and Technology Council report on Protecting the Integrity of Government Science.

Labour Care Guide implementation as a decision-making tool for monitoring labour among healthcare providers in Uganda: protocol for a mixed-methods study

IntroductionThe new WHO Labour Care Guide (LCG), also regarded as the ‘next-generation partograph’, is a core component of 2018 WHO consolidated guidelines on intrapartum care for positive childbirth experience. The...

Science as a Global Public Good

Abstract In December 2023, the International Science Council (ISC) appointed 100 new Fellows, in recognition of outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good. Among them is former IUPAC President, now Past President, Professor Javier García Martínez, and former Bureau member Professor Ghada Bassioni. The Fellowship is the highest honour that can be conferred on an individual by the ISC. Together with the 123 individuals that were appointed in 2022, the new ISC Fellows will support the ISC Council in its mission at a critical moment for science and sustainability for science as we enter the UN’s International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) in 2024.

Developing technology policy in Africa

This article suggests a revised perspective for technology policies in Africa, one that focuses more on the direct facilitation of economic production at domestic levels. Up until now there has been a strong tendency for public investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) to be confined to national science councils and higher education bodies with little direct impact on national production. The article argues that STI investment as conventionally understood needs to be supplemented by policies that stress facilitation of its use, an argument also made strongly by a recent World Bank publication and indirectly by UNCTAD in its recently published report on African development. This is likely to be especially important in small-scale and informal sectors and will certainly require support on the part of local and national governments (and aid related bodies). Hopefully we will then begin to enjoy a scenario in which the gross financial inequalities that have beset Africa for so long will begin to be modified to the ultimate benefit of all.

On the anniversary of honorary president of Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders Vladimir Konstantinovich Shumny

On February 12, 2024, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Konstantinovich Shumny turned 90 years old. V.K. Shumny from 1985 to 2007 headed the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS). For more than 30 years he was the head of the Department of Cytology and Genetics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University and the chairman of the dissertation council of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS. Since 1980, he was a member of the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences / RAS, since 1986 he became deputy chairman, and since 1992 - chairman of the Joint Scientific Council of the SB RAS for biological sciences. Since 2004 V.K. Shumny headed the Vavilov Society of Genetics and Breeders (VOGiS) for 10 years, and since 2014 he has been the honorary president of this society. For more than 20 years V.K. Shumny was the editor-in-chief of the periodical scientific publication “VOGiS Herald” (now the Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Selection). The scientific activity of V.K. Shumny is related to plant genetics. He is the head of one of the largest scientific schools in this field. Under his leadership, 6 doctors and 24 candidates of science defended their dissertations. He has published more than 500 scientific papers and received 12 copyright certificates for plant varieties. V.K. Shumny is co-author and editor of several school textbooks on biology.

Making geoscientific lab data FAIR: a conceptual model for a geophysical laboratory database

Abstract. The term of geoscientific laboratory measurements involves a variety of methods in geosciences. Accordingly, the resulting data comprise many different data types, formats, and sizes, respectively. Handling such a diversity of data, e.g. by storing the data in a generally applicable database, is difficult. Some discipline-specific approaches exist, but a geoscientific laboratory database that is generally applicable to different geoscientific disciplines has been lacking up to now. However, making research data available to scientists beyond a particular community has become increasingly important. Global working groups such as the Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) put effort in the development of tools to improve research data handling. International standards (e.g. ISO 19156) and ontologies (e.g. UCUM) provide a general framework for certain aspects that are elemental for the development of database models. However, these abstract models need to be adapted to meet the requirements of the geoscientific community. Within a pilot project of the NFDI4Earth initiative, we developed a conceptual model for a geoscientific laboratory database. To be able to handle the complex settings of geoscientific laboratory studies, flexibility and extensibility are key attributes of the presented approach. The model is intended to follow the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) data principles to facilitate interdisciplinary applicability. In this study, we consider different procedures from existing database models and include these methods in the conceptual model.

Methodology to analyse cybersecurity in tourism

&lt;p&gt;Nowadays hyperconnectivity provides an opportunity for tourism industry to benefit from big data analytics as determining competitive factor, for decision making, product design and assertive marketing strategies for target segments; but at the same time, having financial, organizational and personal information stored in cyberspace and available to many users makes vulnerable to security risks like phishing and hacking, both common cybercrimes that affect tourism sector. This paper, introduces representation and model design stages of our own methodology based on self-organization approach that we propose to reinforce cybersecurity in tourism, as part of a research project founded by National Council for Science and Technology postdoctoral scholarship for Mexico.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10-Day versus 14-day bismuth quadruple therapy for first-line eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection: a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial

Bismuth quadruple therapy is currently consensus recommendation for first-line Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment; however, the optimal duration is unknown. We compared the efficacy of 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy with that of 14-day bismuth quadruple therapy for first-line eradication. For our multicentre, parallel randomised, open-label, and non-inferiority study, we recruited H.pylori treatment-naïve patients from one medical centre and one teaching hospital in Taiwan. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 10-day (PBMT-10) or 14-day (PBMT-14) bismuth quadruple therapy. The primary outcome was the eradication rate as determined by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. The eradication rates between the two groups were compared using a one-sided α value of 0.025 and a non-inferiority margin of 7%. The secondary outcomes were the rate of adverse effects. The trial is registered with ClincialTrials.gov (NCT04527055). From August 3, 2020 to April 28, 2023, 313H.pylori treatment-naïve patients (PBMT-10=157; PBMT-14=156) were enrolled. 35 patients were excluded from PP analyses. The eradication rates (95% CI) for PBMT-10 and PBMT-14 were respectively 92.4% (88.2%-96.5%) and 92.9% (88.9%-97.0%) by ITT analyses, and 97.9% (95.5%-100.0%) and 99.3% (97.8%-100.0%) by PP analyses. The eradication rates for PBMT-10 were non-inferior to those for PBMT-14 (absolute difference [lower boundary of the one-sided 97.5% CI]-0.6% [-6.7%], PNI=0.020 in ITT analyses,-1.4% [-5.8%], PNI=0.007 in PP analyses). The rates of overall adverse effects (54.1% versus 57.1%, P=0.604) were similar between the two groups; nevertheless, the rates of dizziness (18.5% versus 34.0%, P=0.003) and vomiting (4.5% versus 12.8%, P=0.008) were lower in PBMT-10 than in PBMT-14. The 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy was non-inferior to the 14-day therapy as a first-line treatment for eradicating H.pylori infection and had no different rates of overall adverse effects, but less serious adverse events in terms of dizziness and vomiting. The National Science and Technology Council and Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan.

Drop the shortcuts: image augmentation improves fairness and decreases AI detection of race and other demographics from medical images

It has been shown that AI models can learn race on medical images, leading to algorithmic bias. Our aim in this study was to enhance the fairness of medical image models by eliminating bias related to race, age, and sex. We hypothesise models may be learning demographics via shortcut learning and combat this using image augmentation. This study included 44,953 patients who identified as Asian, Black, or White (mean age, 60.68 years±18.21; 23,499 women) for a total of 194,359 chest X-rays (CXRs) from MIMIC-CXR database. The included CheXpert images comprised 45,095 patients (mean age 63.10 years±18.14; 20,437 women) for a total of 134,300 CXRs were used for external validation. We also collected 1195 3D brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the ADNI database, which included 273 participants with an average age of 76.97 years±14.22, and 142 females. DL models were trained on either non-augmented or augmented images and assessed using disparity metrics. The features learned by the models were analysed using task transfer experiments and model visualisation techniques. In the detection of radiological findings, training a model using augmented CXR images was shown to reduce disparities in error rate among racial groups (-5.45%), age groups (-13.94%), and sex (-22.22%). For AD detection, the model trained with augmented MRI images was shown 53.11% and 31.01% reduction of disparities in error rate among age and sex groups, respectively. Image augmentation led to a reduction in the model's ability to identify demographic attributes and resulted in the model trained for clinical purposes incorporating fewer demographic features. The model trained using the augmented images was less likely to be influenced by demographic information in detecting image labels. These results demonstrate that the proposed augmentation scheme could enhance the fairness of interpretations by DL models when dealing with data from patients with different demographic backgrounds. National Science and Technology Council (Taiwan), National Institutes of Health.

Rural trauma team development training amongst medical trainees and traffic law enforcement professionals in a low-income country: a protocol for a prospective multicenter interrupted time series.

Road traffic injuries and their resulting mortality disproportionately affect rural communities in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) due to limited human and infrastructural resources for postcrash care. Evidence from high-income countries show that trauma team development training could improve the efficiency, care, and outcome of injuries. A paucity of studies have evaluated the feasibility and applicability of this concept in resource constrained settings. The aim of this study protocol is to establish the feasibility of rural trauma team development and training in a cohort of medical trainees and traffic law enforcement professionals in Uganda. Muticenter interrupted time series of prospective interventional trainings, using the rural trauma team development course (RTTDC) model of the American College of Surgeons. A team of surgeon consultants will execute the training. A prospective cohort of participants will complete a before and after training validated trauma related multiple choice questionnaire during September 2019-November 2023. The difference in mean prepost training percentage multiple choice questionnaire scores will be compared using ANOVA-test at 95% CI. Time series regression models will be used to test for autocorrelations in performance. Acceptability and relevance of the training will be assessed using 3 and 5-point-Likert scales. All analyses will be performed using Stata 15.0. Ethical approval was obtained from Research and Ethics Committee of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Ref: MUREC 1/7, 05/05-19) and Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (Ref: SS 5082). Retrospective registration was accomplished with Research Registry (UIN: researchregistry9490).

Decentralising chronic disease management in sub-Saharan Africa: a protocol for the qualitative process evaluation of community-based integrated management of HIV, diabetes and hypertension in Tanzania and Uganda

IntroductionSub-Saharan Africa continues to experience a syndemic of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Vertical (stand-alone) HIV programming has provided high-quality care in the region, with almost 80% of people living...

Blastocyst telomere length predicts successful implantation after frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

Do embryos with longer telomere length (TL) at the blastocyst stage have a higher capacity to survive after frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET)? Digitally estimated TL using low-pass whole genome sequencing (WGS) data from the preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) process demonstrates that blastocyst TL is the most essential factor associated with likelihood of implantation. The lifetime TL is established in the early cleavage cycles following fertilization through a recombination-based lengthening mechanism and starts erosion beyond the blastocyst stage. In addition, a telomerase-mediated slow erosion of TL in human fetuses has been observed from a gestational age of 6-11 weeks. Finally, an abnormal shortening of telomeres is likely involved in embryo loss during early development. Blastocyst samples were obtained from patients who underwent PGT-A and FET in an IVF center from March 2015 to May 2018. Digitally estimated mitochondrial copy number (mtCN) and TL were used to study associations with the implantation potential of each embryo. In total, 965 blastocysts from 232 cycles (164 patients) were available to investigate the biological and clinical relevance of TL. A WGS-based workflow was applied to determine the ploidy of each embryo. Data from low-pass WGS-PGT-A were used to estimate the mtCN and TL for each embryo. Single-variant and multi-variant logistic regression, decision tree, and random forest models were applied to study various factors in association with the implantation potential of each embryo. Of the 965 blastocysts originally available, only 216 underwent FET. While mtCN from the transferred embryos is significantly associated with the ploidy call of each embryo, mtCN has no role in impacting IVF outcomes after an embryo transfer in these women. The results indicate that mtCN is a marker of embryo aneuploidy. On the other hand, digitally estimated TL is the most prominent univariant factor and showed a significant positive association with pregnancy outcomes (P < 0.01, odds ratio 79.1). We combined several maternal and embryo parameters to study the joint effects on successful implantation. The machine learning models, namely decision tree and random forest, were trained and yielded classification accuracy of 0.82 and 0.91, respectively. Taken together, these results support the vital role of TL in governing implantation potential, perhaps through the ability to control embryo survival after transfer. The small sample size limits our study as only 216 blastocysts were transferred. The number was further reduced to 153 blastocysts, where pregnancy outcomes could be accurately traced. The other limitation of this study is that all data were collected from a single IVF center. The uniform and controlled operation of IVF cycles in a single center may cause selection bias. We present novel findings to show that digitally estimated TL at the blastocyst stage is a predictor of pregnancy capacity after a FET cycle. As elective single-embryo transfer has become the mainstream direction in reproductive medicine, prioritizing embryos based on their implantation potential is crucial for clinical infertility treatment in order to reduce twin pregnancy rate and the time to pregnancy in an IVF center. The AI-powered, random forest prediction model established in this study thus provides a way to improve clinical practice and optimize the chances for people with fertility problems to achieve parenthood. This study was supported by a grant from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (MOST 108-2321-B-006-013 -). There were no competing interests. N/A.

Формирование универсальных компетенций на занятиях по физическому воспитанию у студентов образовательных организаций высшего образования

The article is devoted to the analysis of organization of the educational process for physical education of students in universities, which is obliged to ensure the formation of students with the necessary universal competencies in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education. According to many authors, the existing organization of physical education does not allow students to form those universal competencies that should motivate them to regularly perform physical exercises to maintain a proper level of physical fitness and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Olympiads conducted by the authors to assess students’ knowledge of the basics of health-improving physical culture and an online survey of students about self-training classes in physical culture showed that the residual level of necessary knowledge among students is low, and most of them are not engaged in physical self-training. In order to improve the current situation in universities, the Scientific and Methodological Council for the Development and Disciplines (Modules) on Physical Culture and Sports of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation needs to consider improving the educational process for physical education of students.

Formation Enthalpies of C3 and C4 Brominated Hydrocarbons: Bringing Together Classical Thermodynamics, Modern Mass Spectrometry, and High-Level Ab Initio Calculations.

The enthalpies of formation of brominated C3-C4 hydrocarbons were critically evaluated using experimental data sources ranging from classical thermodynamics methods to modern high-precision mass spectrometry and reported in a time span of a century. The experimental data were used in conjunction with the results of modern high-level ab initio calculations. To facilitate quantitative analysis, a recently developed local coupled cluster-based computational protocol was extended to organic compounds containing univalent Br. Several erroneous data sources were identified in a course of the study. Possible reasons for the inconsistency between the ΔfHm° values recommended by the Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) and Active Thermochemical Tables for HBr in the gas and aqueous solution were discussed. The most up-to-date recommendations based on the comprehensive analysis of collected information are provided for 23 brominated hydrocarbons. For several compounds under consideration, the recommended values were previously lacking, while improved values and uncertainties were obtained for those with existing recommendations.

Bibliometric analysis on positive work–family interface

PurposeResearch on work–family interface (WFI) is almost two decades old. It is widely believed that the archetype of work and family after COVID has changed. Post-COVID emphases and outcomes would be different. Accordingly, a bibliometric analysis of the research would help to understand the state of the research and positive WFI patterns that guide further investigations. The present study used measures such as journals, citations, etc. to determine the bibliometric patterns from 2003 to August 2023 using VOSviewer software.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained from Scopus. 1,601 works were found in the first search. This figure was narrowed down to 525 based on a few conditions. The most commonly referenced journals, sources, authors, etc. were used for the analysis.FindingsResearch on positive WFI has increased in recent years. The total number of articles in positive WFI was 525 between 2003 and August 2023. Greenhaus, Powell and Carlson were the most cited authors in this field. Carlson had produced the highest number of documents in WFI. Most WFI authors focused on antecedents, treating positive WFI as the outcome variable.Research limitations/implicationsThis is the first bibliometric analysis conducted on a positive WFI, although there have been a few on work–family conflict. However, other sources such as the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) and Web of Science may throw different results on journals, citations, etc. Hence, future researchers might emphasize if the same results originate from data in other databases. Other analytical tools may be used in the place of VOSviewer.Originality/valueThis is the first article on bibliometric analysis of positive WFI. This paper’s primary objective is to understand the patterns of literature available on positive WFI and its significance comprehensively.

Good School Toolkit-Secondary Schools to prevent violence against students: protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial

IntroductionNo whole-school interventions which seek to reduce physical, sexual and emotional violence from peers, intimate partners and teachers have been trialled with adolescents. Here, we report a protocol for a...

Designing Audible Safety with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System for Commercial Vehicles

Abstract: Electric and hybrid vehicles, known for their environmental benefits, also present a unique challenge because of their quiet operation. In urban settings, this lack of noise increases the potential for accidents with pedestrians who rely heavily on auditory cues. In response to this concern, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) have been introduced and many countries, including the US and EU, have mandated the installation of Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems. These systems produce sounds to alert pedestrians of an approaching vehicle by increasing the audibility of electric and hybrid vehicles to ensure pedestrian safety [1]. In this paper, we dive deep into designing an effective AVAS for commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses. Any AVAS must conform the international regulations such as the ECE-R138 regulation by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and FMVSS 141 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), so our design adheres to guidelines set by key global bodies. This endeavour was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye. Our AVAS not only offers a variety of sound options but also includes self-diagnostic features to ensure its consistent performance. An integral part of our study was the utilization of an ASIL-B functional safety-compliant embedded MCU system to generate and manipulate psychoacoustic sounds. The regulations regarding the acoustic characteristics of AVAS sounds, such as minimum sound level, frequency spectrum, and frequency shift, have been instrumental in improving awareness of the AVAS sounds of quiet vehicles[2]. The ultimate aim is to showcase a versatile, compliant, and efficient AVAS, beneficial for the future landscape of electric and hybrid commercial vehicles