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PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Choi HS, Lee HM, Kim MK

2. Fecal microbiota in congenital chloride diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Wedenoja S, Saarikivi A, Mälkönen J

3. Birth weight and nutritional status of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Aboagye RG, Ahinkorah BO, Seidu AA

INTRODUCTION: Over the past three decades, undernutrition has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years globally. Low birth weight has been identified as a risk factor for child morbidity and mortality, especially among children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa. There is, however, a paucity of empirical literature establishing the association between low birth weight and undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the association between birth weight and nutritional status of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Our analyses were performed on a weighted sample of 110,497 children under five years from 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Data were obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted from 2010 to 2019. We reported the prevalence of low birth weight and nutritional status (stunting, wasting, and underweight) for all the 32 countries using percentages. We used multilevel binary logistic regression to examine the association between birth weight and nutritional status (stunting, wasting, and underweight) of the children, controlling for covariates. The results of the regression analyses were presented using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of low birth weight was 5.4%, with the highest (13.1%) and lowest (0.9%) reportedin South Africa and Chad, respectively. The pooled prevalence of wasting, underweight, and stunting were 8.1%, 17.0%, and 31.3%, respectively. Niger had the highest prevalence of wasting (21.5%) and underweight (37.1%), whereas Burundi had the highest prevalence of stunting (51.7%). We found that children with low birth weight were more likely to be stunted [aOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.58-1.78], underweight [aOR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.70-1.94], and wasted [aOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.20-1.38] after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSION: Our study has demonstrated that low birth weight is a key determinant of undernutrition among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. Policymakers need to give special attention to improving the nutritional status of children under-five years in sub-Saharan Africa by implementing measures aimed at enhancing the weight of children. To accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 target of ending preventable deaths of newborns and under-five by 2030, it is imperative for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to intensify interventions aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition. Specific nutrition interventions such as dietary modification counselling should prioritized.

4. Emergence of power and complexity in obstetric teamwork.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Neuhaus C, Lutnæs DE, Bergström J.

BACKGROUND: Recently, increasing attention has been paid to team processes in peripartum care settings with the aim to improve fetomaternal outcomes. However, we have yet to understand how the perception of teamwork in peripartum care is shaped in a complex, multi-disciplinary environment. METHODS: The aim of this study was to approach the question using qualitative social-scientific methodology. The theoretical foundation of the study was that obstetric teamwork is the result of a balancing act in which multiple goal conflicts are continuously negotiated and managed right at the boundary of acceptable performance in a complex adaptive system. We explored this theory by gathering lived experiences of successful management of peripartum emergencies. Based on our analysis we generated an understanding of teamwork as a phenomenon emerging from interpersonal relationships, complex relations of power, and the enactment of current quality management practices. RESULTS: Caregivers define teamwork through the quality of their collaboration, defined by respect and appreciation, open communication, role distribution, and shared experiences. However, teamwork also becomes the framework for negotiation of many conflicts that originated elsewhere. Power was the core theme that emerged in the analysis of our participants' narratives, which is in stark contrast to the otherwise promoted egalitarian rhetoric of team training. While our participants generally reverted to explanations based on their professional identities, traditions or cultures, interesting dynamics become visible when work is viewed through the power lens. CONCLUSIONS: Our study paints the convoluted picture of a work environment with all its intricacies, constraints, interpersonal relations and hierarchical struggles that are much more representative of a complex system rather than the easily tractable environment that so many stakeholders would like healthcare practitioners to believe in. The issue of power emerged as a decisive factor in the social dynamics at the workplace, revealing hidden agendas in the teamwork discourse.

5. Visual tracking assessment in a soccer-specific virtual environment: A web-based study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Vu A, Sorel A, Faure C

The ability to track teammates and opponents is an essential quality to achieve a high level of performance in soccer. The visual tracking ability is usually assessed in the laboratory with non-sport specific scenarios, leading in two major concerns. First, the methods used probably only partially reflects the actual ability to track players on the field. Second, it is unclear whether the situational features manipulated to stimulate visual tracking ability match those that make it difficult to track real players. In this study, participants had to track multiple players on a virtual soccer field. The virtual players moved according to either real or pseudo-random trajectories. The experiment was conducted online using a web application. Regarding the first concern, the visual tracking performance of players in soccer, other team sports, and non-team sports was compared to see if differences between groups varied with the use of soccer-specific or pseudo-random movements. Contrary to our assumption, the ANOVA did not reveal a greater tracking performance difference between soccer players and the two other groups when facing stimuli featuring movements from actual soccer games compared to stimuli featuring pseudo-random ones. Directing virtual players with real-world trajectories did not appear to be sufficient to allow soccer players to use soccer-specific knowledge in their visual tracking activity. Regarding the second concern, an original exploratory analysis based on Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components was conducted to compare the situational features associated with hard-to-track virtual players in soccer-specific or pseudo-random movements. It revealed differences in the situational feature sets associated with hard-to-track players based on movement type. Essentially with soccer-specific movements, how the virtual players were distributed in space appeared to have a significant influence on visual tracking performance. These results highlight the need to consider real-world scenarios to understand what makes tracking multiple players difficult.

6. Are the benefits of prosocial spending and buying time moderated by age, gender, or income?

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Lok I, Dunn EW.

7. Causality of anthropometric markers associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome: Findings of a Mendelian randomization study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

De Silva K, Demmer RT, Jönsson D

INTRODUCTION: Using body mass index (BMI) as a proxy, previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies found total causal effects of general obesity on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Hitherto, total and direct causal effects of general- and central obesity on PCOS have not been comprehensively analyzed. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the causality of central- and general obesity on PCOS using surrogate anthropometric markers. METHODS: Summary GWAS data of female-only, large-sample cohorts of European ancestry were retrieved for anthropometric markers of central obesity (waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) and general obesity (BMI and its constituent variables-weight and height), from the IEU Open GWAS Project. As the outcome, we acquired summary data from a large-sample GWAS (118870 samples; 642 cases and 118228 controls) within the FinnGen cohort. Total causal effects were assessed via univariable two-sample Mendelian randomization (2SMR). Genetic architectures underlying causal associations were explored. Direct causal effects were analyzed by multivariable MR modelling. RESULTS: Instrumental variables demonstrated no weak instrument bias (F > 10). Four anthropometric exposures, namely, weight (2.69-77.05), BMI (OR: 2.90-4.06), WC (OR: 6.22-20.27), and HC (OR: 6.22-20.27) demonstrated total causal effects as per univariable 2SMR models. We uncovered shared and non-shared genetic architectures underlying causal associations. Direct causal effects of WC and HC on PCOS were revealed by two multivariable MR models containing exclusively the anthropometric markers of central obesity. Other multivariable MR models containing anthropometric markers of both central- and general obesity showed no direct causal effects on PCOS. CONCLUSIONS: Both and general- and central obesity yield total causal effects on PCOS. Findings also indicated potential direct causal effects of normal weight-central obesity and more complex causal mechanisms when both central- and general obesity are present. Results underscore the importance of addressing both central- and general obesity for optimizing PCOS care.

8. Improving outcomes for care partners of persons with traumatic brain injury: Protocol for a randomized control trial of a just-in-time-adaptive self-management intervention.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Carlozzi NE, Sander AM, Choi SW

9. Construction of sublingual trilaminated Eszopiclone fast dissolving film for the treatment of Insomnia: Formulation, characterization and In vivo clinical comparative pharmacokinetic study in healthy human subjects.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Teaima M, Yasser M, Elfar N

10. Empathy and teachers' fairness behavior: The mediating role of moral obligation and moderating role of social value orientation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Hong Y, Cai J, Lan R

11. Differential antibody production by symptomatology in SARS-CoV-2 convalescent individuals.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Saraf S, Zhu X, Shrestha R

12. Feasibility of a new multifactorial fall prevention assessment and personalized intervention among older people recently discharged from the emergency department.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Hepkema BW, Köster L, Geleijn E

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Falls among older people occur frequently and are a leading cause of Emergency department (ED) admissions, disability, death and rising health care costs. Multifactorial fall prevention programs that are aimed to target the population at risk have shown to effectively reduce the rate of falling and fall-related injuries in community-dwelling older people. However, the participation of and adherence to these programs in real life situation is generally low. OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of a transitionally organized fall prevention assessment with accompanying personalized intervention initiated at the ED. DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: A process evaluation, of a non-randomized controlled pilot trial for implementing a transitionally organized multifactorial fall prevention intervention, was performed using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to gain insight into the barriers and facilitators of implementation. Older fallers (>70yrs) presenting at the ED were selected based on ZIP-code and after obtaining informed consent, data for the evaluation was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Furthermore, feedback was collected from the healthcare providers. MAIN RESULTS: The consent was obtained by 24 (70%) of the patients approached directly at the ED and 17 (26%) of the patients approached later by phone. Adherence to the protocol by the participants, clinical assessors and family practice were all more than 90%. After three months, nine (26%) of the participants had at least one recurrent fall: three (20%) patients in the intervention group and six (32%) in the control group. CONCLUSION: ED presentation due to a fall in older persons provides a window of opportunity for optimizing adherence to a multifactorial fall prevention program as willingness to participate was higher when the patients were approached at the ED during their stay. Implementing a transitionally organized multidisciplinary fall prevention program was successful with a high protocol adherence. THE NETHERLANDS TRIAL REGISTER: NTR NL8142, November 8, 2019.

13. Age and sex effects on DNA methylation sites linked to genes implicated in severe COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Bohlin J, Page CM, Lee Y

14. Healthcare worker-based opportunistic screening for familial hypercholesterolemia in a low-resource setting.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Sharma S, Khudiwal A, Bhardwaj S

15. Dispositional optimism and business recovery during a pandemic.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Amore M, Garofalo O, Martin-Sanchez V.

16. The placement of foot-mounted IMU sensors does affect the accuracy of spatial parameters during regular walking.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Küderle A, Roth N, Zlatanovic J

17. Changes in the components of visual attention following traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

Alnawmasi MM, Mani R, Khuu SK.

PURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on visual attention and whether different components and processes of visual attention (such as selective, sustained, divided, and covert orientation of visual attention) are affected following brain injury. METHODS: A literature search between January 1980 to May 2021 was conducted using Medline, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases was undertaken for studies that assessed visual attention using different tasks that target specific or multiple components of visual attention. Three hundred twenty-nine potentially relevant articles were identified, and 20 studies met our inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 123 effect sizes (ES) were estimated from 20 studies that included 519 patients with TBI and 530 normal participants. The overall combined ES was statistically significant and large (ES = 0.92), but with high heterogeneity (Q = 614.83, p < 0.0001, I2 = 80.32%). Subgroup analysis showed that the impact of TBI severity, with the ES for moderate-severe TBI significantly higher than mild TBI (t (112) = 3.11, p = 0.002). Additionally, the component of visual attention was differentially affected by TBI (F (2, 120) = 10.25, p<0.0001); the ES for selective attention (ES = 1.13) and covert orientation of visual attention (ES = 1.14) were large, whilst for sustained attention, the ES was medium at 0.43. A subgroup analysis comparing outcome measures showed that reaction time (ES = 1.12) was significantly more affected compared to performance accuracy (ES = 0.43), F (1, 96) = 25.98, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Large and significant deficits in visual attention was found following TBI which can last for years after the initial injury. However, different components of visual attention were not affected to the same extent, with selective visual attention and orientation of visual attention most affected following TBI.

18. The FCG Editor: An innovative environment for engineering computational construction grammars.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 9

van Trijp R, Beuls K, Van Eecke P.

19. Use of expert elicitation in the field of occupational hygiene: Comparison of expert and observed data distributions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Lowry DM, Fritschi L, Mullins BJ

20. The role of stereotypical information on medical judgements for black and white patients.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Madeira F, Costa-Lopes R, Do Bú EA

21. Histological and histomorphometric aspects of continual intermittent parathyroid hormone administration on osseointegration in osteoporosis rabbit model.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Oki Y, Doi K, Kobatake R

22. Elevated Lp(a) and course of COVID-19: Is there a relationship?

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Pawlos A, Gorzelak-Pabiś P, Staciwa M

23. Evidence for a novel, effective approach to targeting carcinoma catabolism exploiting the first-in-class, anti-cancer mitochondrial drug, CPI-613.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Guardado Rivas MO, Stuart SD, Thach D

24. 400 million voting records show profound racial and geographic disparities in voter turnout in the United States.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Barber M, Holbein JB.

25. Oxidative stress and associated clinical manifestations in malaria and sickle cell (HbSS) comorbidity.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Aninagyei E, Tettey CO, Kwansa-Bentum H

26. Mapping HIV prevalence in Nigeria using small area estimates to develop a targeted HIV intervention strategy.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

O'Brien-Carelli C, Steuben K, Stafford KA

OBJECTIVE: Although geographically specific data can help target HIV prevention and treatment strategies, Nigeria relies on national- and state-level estimates for policymaking and intervention planning. We calculated sub-state estimates along the HIV continuum of care in Nigeria. DESIGN: Using data from the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) (July-December 2018), we conducted a geospatial analysis estimating three key programmatic indicators: prevalence of HIV infection among adults (aged 15-64 years); antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage among adults living with HIV; and viral load suppression (VLS) rate among adults living with HIV. METHODS: We used an ensemble modeling method called stacked generalization to analyze available covariates and a geostatistical model to incorporate the output from stacking as well as spatial autocorrelation in the modeled outcomes. Separate models were fitted for each indicator. Finally, we produced raster estimates of each indicator on an approximately 5×5-km grid and estimates at the sub-state/local government area (LGA) and state level. RESULTS: Estimates for all three indicators varied both within and between states. While state-level HIV prevalence ranged from 0.3% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 0.3%-0.5%]) to 4.3% (95% UI: 3.7%-4.9%), LGA prevalence ranged from 0.2% (95% UI: 0.1%-0.5%) to 8.5% (95% UI: 5.8%-12.2%). Although the range in ART coverage did not substantially differ at state level (25.6%-76.9%) and LGA level (21.9%-81.9%), the mean absolute difference in ART coverage between LGAs within states was 16.7 percentage points (range, 3.5-38.5 percentage points). States with large differences in ART coverage between LGAs also showed large differences in VLS-regardless of level of effective treatment coverage-indicating that state-level geographic targeting may be insufficient to address coverage gaps. CONCLUSION: Geospatial analysis across the HIV continuum of care can effectively highlight sub-state variation and identify areas that require further attention in order to achieve epidemic control. By generating local estimates, governments, donors, and other implementing partners will be better positioned to conduct targeted interventions and prioritize resource distribution.

27. Mental chronometry in big noisy data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Wascher E, Sharifian F, Gutberlet M

28. Development and validation of a case-finding algorithm for the identification of non-small cell lung cancers in a region-wide Italian pathology registry.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Spini A, Rosellini P, Bellan C

29. Pattern of tamoxifen-induced Tie2 deletion in endothelial cells in mature blood vessels using endo SCL-Cre-ERT transgenic mice.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Zwiers PJ, Jongman RM, Kuiper T

30. High-quality and easy-to-regenerate personal filter.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Fraenkl M, Krbal M, Houdek J

31. The impact of the strategic action plan to combat chronic non-communicable diseases on hospital admissions and deaths from cardiovascular diseases in Brazil.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Silva RAD, Fonseca LGA, Silva JPS

32. AMPLE: An R package for capacity building on fisheries harvest strategies.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Scott F, Yao N, Scott RD.

Fisheries harvest strategies are formal frameworks that represent a best-practice approach for sustainable fisheries management. A key component of a harvest strategy is a 'pre-agreed rule', known as a harvest control rule (HCR), that sets fishing opportunities, e.g. catch limits, based on an estimate of fish stock status, e.g. estimated stock biomass. The harvest strategy development process is driven by stakeholders who are required to make a range of informed decisions, including on the selection of the preferred HCR. Capacity building may be required to facilitate the stakeholder engagement, particularly regarding the technical components of harvest strategies, including HCRs. The AMPLE package for R provides three interactive apps that support capacity building and stakeholder engagement on HCRs. These apps have been used during in-country national workshops around the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) to support the development of harvest strategies for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. These apps include several novel features: they take users from a gentle introduction to how HCRs work, to using methods for testing, comparing and selecting a preferred HCR from a suite of candidates. They include an introduction to the impact of uncertainty on the performance of an HCR, introduce performance indicators and discuss methods for selecting the preferred HCR based on management objectives. As such they provide a more detailed overview of HCRs than currently existing alternatives. These apps provide an effective platform for hands-on learning and have proven to be successful at supporting capacity building on HCRs in the WCPO. For example, using them for group activities and competitions stimulated productive discussions and increased understanding. As the model fishery in AMPLE is generic and not based on a real example, the apps will also be of interest to scientists, managers and stakeholders developing harvest strategies in other regions.

33. Landscape connectivity among coastal giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) populations shows no association with land use, fire frequency, or river drainage but exhibits genetic signatures of potential conservation concern.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Auteri GG, Marchán-Rivadeneira MR, Olson DH

Determining the genetic consequences of both historical and contemporary events can clarify the effects of the environment on population connectivity and inform conservation decisions. Historical events (like glaciations) and contemporary factors (like logging) can disrupt gene flow between populations. This is especially true among species with specialized ecological requirements and low dispersal ability, like amphibians. We test for the genetic consequences of historical and contemporary disturbances in the coastal giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. We consider predictions based on the contemporary landscape (habitat connectivity, logging, forest fires, and topography), in addition to relatively ancient post-Pleistocene range expansion (following the last glacial retreat). To assess local versus larger-scale effects, we sampled 318 individuals across 23 sites, which were clustered in five sampling regions. Genetic variation was assessed using five microsatellite markers. We found evidence of (i) historical regional isolation, with decreased genetic diversity among more recently colonized northern sites, as well as (ii) high levels of inbreeding and loss of heterozygosity at local scales, despite relatively low overall population differentiation (FST) or strong evidence for population bottlenecks. Genetic diversity was not associated with contemporary disturbances (logging or fire), and there were no detectable effects on the genetic connectivity of populations based on intervening landscape features (habitat fragmentation and topography). However, lower genetic diversity in more northern regions indicates a lag in recovery of genetic diversity following post-Pleistocene expansion. Additionally, some populations had evidence of having undergone a recent genetic bottleneck or had high inbreeding (FIS) values. Lower genetic diversity in more northern sites means populations may be more vulnerable to future environmental changes, and managing for connectivity alone may not be sufficient given low mobility. Recent apparent reductions in some populations were not clearly linked to anthropogenic disturbances we examined. This suggests the type of disturbances this species is sensitive to may not be well understood.

34. I would have to sell things in order to get the money": A qualitative exploration of willingness to pay for the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in the Volta region, Ghana.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Darkwa S, de Wildt G, Dalaba M

BACKGROUND: Malaria morbidity and mortality remain a challenge in Ghana. A promising childhood vaccine is being piloted in Ghana, however with the loss of its low-income status, Ghana is losing associated donor co-funding. User fees have been considered an alternative financing method, so this study utilised qualitative methods and explored caregivers' willingness to pay for the malaria vaccine (RTS,S/AS01) to inform future service provision. METHODS: The study design was cross-sectional. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted between February 2020 and March 2020 amongst a purposive sample of caregivers of RTS,S/AS01 eligible children, in the Volta region, Ghana. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into English Language. Thematic analysis followed, using NVIVO12 to organise this data. RESULTS: Caregivers could distinguish between RTS,S/AS01 and routine vaccines and were willing to pay median GH₵5 (US$0.94), interquartile range GH₵3.75-5 (US$0.71-0.94) per dose of RTS,S/AS01. The maximum amount participants were willing to pay per dose was GH₵10 (US$1.88), interquartile range GH₵6-10 (US$1.13-1.88). Caregivers mentioned that they would work more to cover this cost because they were happy with services rendered to them during the RTS,S/AS01 pilot phase, and preferred vaccines over vector control measures. The results suggest that a willingness to pay was based on beliefs that the vaccine is fully effective. Although no participant declared that they would be unwilling to pay hypothetical user fees, there were still widespread concerns about affordability, with the majority feeling that the government should be responsible to pay for RTS,S/AS01. CONCLUSIONS: Participants expressed a willingness to pay due to an appreciation of vaccines, shaped by personal experiences with immunisations and disease. Participants' average income was lower than the national average, potentially affecting the perceived affordability of RTS,S/AS01. Because of the belief that RTS,S/AS01 is fully effective, caregivers may pay less attention to other preventative measures, thus unintentionally undermining malaria vector control.

35. Acetylsalicylic acid use is associated with reduced risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the general population: Real-world data from a population-based study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Eroglu TE, Blom MT, Souverein PC

36. Physiological aging around the World.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Dalgaard CJ, Hansen CW, Strulik H.

37. Probiotics for Reduction of Examination Stress in Students (PRESS) study: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 8

Slykerman RF, Li E, Mitchell EA.

38. Multimorbidity and depression among older adults in India: Mediating role of functional and behavioural health.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Ansari S, Anand A, Hossain B.

Researchers have long been concerned about the association between depression and the prevalence of multiple chronic diseases or multimorbidity in older persons. However, the underlying pathway or mechanism in the multimorbidity-depression relationship is still unknown. Data were extracted from a baseline survey of the Longitudinal Ageing Survey of India (LASI) conducted during 2017-18 (N = 31,464; aged ≥ 60 years). Depression was assessed using the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association. The Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method was adopted for mediation analysis. The prevalence of depression among older adults was nearly 29% (men: 26% and women 31%). Unadjusted and adjusted estimates in binary logistic regression models suggested an association between multimorbidity and depression (UOR = 1.28; 95% CIs 1.27-1.44 and AOR = 1.12; 95% CIs 1.12-1.45). The association was particularly slightly strong in the older men. In addition, the association was mediated by functional health such as Self Rated Health (SRH) (proportion mediated: 40%), poor sleep (35.15%), IADL disability (22.65%), ADL disability (21.49%), pain (7.92%) and by behavioral health such as physical inactivity (2.28%). However, the mediating proportion was higher among older women as compared to older men. Physical inactivity was not found to be significant mediator for older women. The findings of this population-based study revealed that older people with multimorbidity are more likely to suffer depressive symptoms in older ages, suggesting the need for more chronic disease management and research. Multimorbidity and depression may be mediated by certain functional health factors, especially in older women. Further longitudinal research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of this association so that future preventive initiatives may be properly guided.

39. Evaluation of subclinical ventricular systolic dysfunction assessed using global longitudinal strain in liver cirrhosis: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Ridjab DA, Ivan I, Budiman F

40. Mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming by SIRT3 regulation ameliorates drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Gu YR, Kim J, Na JC

41. A qualitative photo-elicitation study exploring the impact of falls and fall risk on individuals with subacute spinal cord injury.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Habib Perez OD, Martin S, Chan K

BACKGROUND: Individuals living with chronic spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) are at an increased risk of falling. However, little is known about the impact of falls and fall risk in the subacute phase of SCI/D, despite this being a time when fall prevention initiatives are delivered. Hence, we explored the impact of falls and fall risk in individuals with subacute SCI/D as they transitioned from inpatient rehabilitation to community living. METHODS: This qualitative photo-elicitation study used an inductive thematic analysis. Eight individuals (7 male) undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at a Canadian tertiary rehabilitation hospital due to a new SCI/D participated. Six months following discharge, photo-elicitation interviewing was used to understand the impact of falls and fall risk. Over 7-14 days, participants completed a photo-assignment that involved taking photographs in response to questions, such as what increases/decreases your likelihood of falling? A semi-structured interview followed, in which participants described their photographs and discussed their experiences with falls, fall risk and fall prevention training. RESULTS: Four themes were identified. 1) Risk factors and strategies identified through lived experience. Participants discovered their fall risk factors and fall prevention strategies through "trial and error". 2) Influences on the individual's perception of their fall risk. Prior experience with falls, including falls experienced by themselves as well as friends and family, influenced their perception of fall risk. 3) Experiencing life differently due to increased fall risk. A high fall risk reduced participation, increased negative emotions and decreased independence and quality of life. 4) Falls training in rehabilitation can be improved. Prior experiences with falls training varied; however, participants expressed a desire for comprehensive and individualized training. CONCLUSION: Although participants' experiences with falls and fall prevention varied, falls and the risk of falling can have a significant impact on the first year of living with a SCI/D.

42. Auxology of small samples: A method to describe child growth when restrictions prevent surveys.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Henneberg M, Żądzińska E.

43. Primary care experiences among Brazilian adults: Cross-sectional evidence from the 2019 National Health Survey.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Macinko J, Mullachery PH.

44. Genetic subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of HA and NA from avian influenza virus in wild birds from Peru reveals unique features among circulating strains in America.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Castro-Sanguinetti GR, Marques Simas PV, Apaza-Chiara AP

Avian influenza virus (AIV) represents a major concern with productive implications in poultry systems but it is also a zoonotic agent that possesses an intrinsic pandemic risk. AIV is an enveloped, negative-sense and single-stranded RNA virus with a segmented genome. The eight genomic segments, comprising the whole genome, encode for eleven proteins. Within these proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) are the most relevant for studies of evolution and pathogenesis considering their role in viral replication, and have also been used for classification purposes. Migratory birds are the main hosts and play a pivotal role in viral evolution and dissemination due to their migratory routes that comprise large regions worldwide. Altogether, viral and reservoir factors contribute to the emergence of avian influenza viruses with novel features and pathogenic potentials. The study aimed to conduct surveillance of AIVs in wild birds from Peru. A multi-site screening of feces of migratory birds was performed to isolate viruses and to characterize the whole genome sequences, especially the genes coding for HA and NA proteins. Four-hundred-twenty-one (421) fecal samples, collected between March 2019 and March 2020 in Lima, were obtained from 21 species of wild birds. From these, we isolated five AIV from whimbrel, kelp gull, Franklin's gulls and Mallard, which were of low pathogenicity, including four subtypes as H6N8, H13N6, H6N2 and H2N6. Genetic analysis of HA and NA genes revealed novel features in these viruses and phylogenetic analysis exhibited a close relationship with those identified in North America (US and Canada). Furthermore, H2N6 isolate presented a NA sequence with higher genetic relationship to Chilean isolates. These results highlight that the geographical factor is of major relevance in the evolution of AIV, suggesting that AIV circulating in Peru might represent a new site for the emergence of reassortant AIVs.

45. Big data-based risk assessment of poultry farms during the 2020/2021 highly pathogenic avian influenza epidemic in Korea.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Yoon H, Lee I, Kang H

Outbreaks of H5-type highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry have been reported in various parts of the world. To respond to these continuous threats, numerous surveillance programs have been applied to poultry raising facilities as well as wild birds. In Korea, a surveillance program was developed aimed at providing a preemptive response to possible outbreaks at poultry farms. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively present the risks of HPAI evaluated by this program in relation to actual outbreak farms during the epidemic of 2020/2021. A deep learning-based risk assessment program was trained based on the pattern of livestock vehicles visiting poultry farms and HPAI outbreaks to calculate the risk of HPAI for farms linked by the movement of livestock vehicles (such farms are termed "epidemiologically linked farms"). A total of 7,984 risk assessments were conducted, and the results were categorized into four groups. The proportion of the highest risk level was greater in duck farms (13.6%) than in chicken farms (8.8%). Among the duck farms, the proportion of the highest risk level was much greater in farms where breeder ducks were raised (accounting for 26.4% of the risk) than in farms where ducks were raised to obtain meat (12.8% of the risk). A higher risk level was also found in cases where the species of the outbreak farm and epidemiologically linked farms were the same (proportion of the highest risk level = 13.2%) compared to that when the species between the two farms were different (7.9%). The overall proportion of farms with HPAI outbreaks among epidemiologically linked farms (attack rate, AR) was 1.7% as HPAI was confirmed on 67 of the 3,883 epidemiologically linked farms. The AR was highest for breeder ducks (15.3%) among duck farms and laying hens (4.8%) among chicken farms. The AR of the pairs where livestock vehicles entered the inner farm area was 1.3 times (95% confidence interval: 1.4-2.9) higher than that of all pairs. With the risk information provided, customized preventive measures can be implemented for each epidemiologically linked farm. The use of this risk assessment program would be a good example of information-based surveillance and support decision-making for controlling animal diseases.

46. Improving work detection by segmentation heuristics pre-training on factory operations video.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Kataoka S, Ito T, Iwaka G

47. Mechanical nociceptive assessment of the equine hoof after navicular bursa anesthetic infiltration validated by bursography.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 7

Cota LO, Malacarne BD, Dias LA

48. Gestational age, birth weight, and perinatal complications in mothers with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: Japan Environment and Children's Study cohort.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Yokomichi H, Mochizuki M, Shinohara R

We aimed to determine the risk of perinatal complications during delivery in mothers with non-normal glucose tolerance in a large Japanese birth cohort. We analysed data of 24,295 neonate-mother pairs in the Japan Environment and Children's Study cohort between 2011 and 2014. We included 67 mothers with type 1 diabetes, 102 with type 2 diabetes (determined by questionnaire), 2,045 with gestational diabetes (determined by diagnosis), and 2,949 with plasma glucose levels ≥140 mg/dL (shown by a screening test for gestational diabetes). Gestational age, birth weight, placental weight, and proportions of preterm birth, and labour and neonatal complications at delivery in mothers with diabetes were compared with those in mothers with normal glucose tolerance. Mean gestational age was shorter in mothers with any type of diabetes than in mothers without diabetes. Birth weight tended to be heavier in mothers with type 1 diabetes, and placental weight was significantly heavier in mothers with type 1 and gestational diabetes and elevated plasma glucose levels (all p<0.05). The relative risks of any labour complication and any neonatal complication were 1.49 and 2.28 in type 2 diabetes, 1.59 and 1.95 in gestational diabetes, and 1.22 and 1.30 in a positive screening test result (all p<0.05). The relative risks of preterm birth, gestational hypertension, and neonatal jaundice were significantly higher in mothers with types 1 (2.77; 4.07; 2.04) and 2 diabetes (2.65; 5.84; 1.99) and a positive screening test result (1.29; 1.63; 1.12) than in those without diabetes (all p<0.05). In conclusion, placental weight is heavier in mothers with non-normal glucose tolerance. Preterm birth, gestational hypertension, and jaundice are more frequent in mothers with types 1 and 2 diabetes. A positive result in a screening test for gestational diabetes suggests not only a non-normal glucose tolerance, but also a medium (middle-level) risk of perinatal complications.

49. Changes in dynamics of tumor/endothelial cell adhesive interactions depending on endothelial cell growth state and elastic properties.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Xie L, Sun Z, Brown NJ

50. Vitamin D-mediated effects on airway innate immunity in vitro.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Stapleton EM, Keck K, Windisch R

51. Plain language summaries: A systematic review of theory, guidelines and empirical research.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Stoll M, Kerwer M, Lieb K

Plain language summaries (PLSs) have been introduced to communicate research in an understandable way to a nonexpert audience. Guidelines for writing PLSs have been developed and empirical research on PLSs has been conducted, but terminology and research approaches in this comparatively young field vary considerably. This prompted us to review the current state of the art of the theoretical and empirical literature on PLSs. The two main objectives of this review were to develop a conceptual framework for PLS theory, and to synthesize empirical evidence on PLS criteria. We began by searching Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo and PSYNDEX (last search 07/2021). In our review, we included empirical investigations of PLSs, reports on PLS development, PLS guidelines, and theoretical articles referring to PLSs. A conceptual framework was developed through content analysis. Empirical studies investigating effects of PLS criteria on defined outcomes were narratively synthesized. We identified 7,714 records, of which 90 articles met the inclusion criteria. All articles were used to develop a conceptual framework for PLSs which comprises 12 categories: six of PLS aims and six of PLS characteristics. Thirty-three articles empirically investigated effects of PLSs on several outcomes, but study designs were too heterogeneous to identify definite criteria for high-quality PLSs. Few studies identified effects of various criteria on accessibility, understanding, knowledge, communication of research, and empowerment. We did not find empirical evidence to support most of the criteria we identified in the PLS writing guidelines. We conclude that although considerable work on establishing and investigating PLSs is available, empirical evidence on criteria for high-quality PLSs remains scarce. The conceptual framework developed in this review may provide a valuable starting point for future guideline developers and PLS researchers.

52. A mixed methods expert opinion study on the optimal content and format for an occupational therapy intervention to improve sleep in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Faulkner SM, Drake RJ, Ogden M

INTRODUCTION: People with schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnoses commonly have poor sleep, which predicts various negative outcomes. The problems are diverse, including substantial circadian dysregulation, sleep-wake timing issues, hypersomnia (excessive sleep), and more classic insomnia. METHODS: This paper reports on a mixed methods expert opinion study based on the principles of Delphi methodology. The study examines and explores opinion on the optimal contents and format for an occupational therapy intervention to improve poor sleep in this population. Views of clinical and academic topic experts (n = 56), were elicited, examined and explored in three rounds, views from previous rounds being presented back to participants in subsequent rounds. Participants with relevant personal experience (n = 26) then rated and commented on suggestions, with a focus on acceptability. Descriptive statistics and graphs of ratings were triangulated with qualitative content analysis of free-text. RESULTS: Participants emphasised the central importance of intervention personalisation, although the manner and extent of personalisation suggested varied. Many components and domains were acknowledged as important, with the challenge being how to keep such an intervention simple, brief, and feasible for end-users, for sustainable implementation. The strongest consensus was to address evening routine, daytime activity, and environmental interventions. Relaxation, mindfulness, thermoregulation, sensory factors, and cognitive or psychological approaches were rated as less important. There was disagreement on whether to include time in bed restriction, and how to address napping, as well as how far to address medication timing. Clinicians and researchers advocated some version of stimulus control, but participants with personal experience reported low levels of acceptability for this, describing entirely negative experiences using 'the 15-minute rule' (part of stimulus control). CONCLUSION: These results are informative for clinicians treating sleep problems in people with schizophrenia and related conditions, as well as for decision makers considering the potential contribution of the profession of occupational therapy toward sleep treatment.

53. A convenient online desalination tube coupled with mass spectrometry for the direct detection of iodinated contrast media in untreated human spent hemodialysates.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Nabi MM, Sakamoto T, Mamun MA

BACKGROUND: Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis using direct infusion of biological fluids is often problematic due to high salts/buffers. Iodinated contrast media (ICM) are frequently used for diagnostic imaging purposes, sometimes inducing acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with reduced kidney function. Therefore, detection of ICM in spent hemodialysates is important for AKI patients who require urgent continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) because it allows noninvasive assessment of the patient's treatment. In this study, we used a novel desalination tube before MS to inject the sample directly and detect ICM. METHODS: Firstly, spent hemodialysates of one patient were injected directly into the electrospray ionization (ESI) source equipped with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF MS) coupled to an online desalination tube for the detection of ICM and other metabolites. Thereafter, spent hemodialysates of two patients were injected directly into the ESI source equipped with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (TQ-MS) connected to that online desalination tube to confirm the detection of ICM. RESULTS: We detected iohexol (an ICM) from untreated spent hemodialysates of the patient-administered iohexol for computed tomography using Q-TOF MS. Using MRM profile analysis, we have confirmed the detection of ICM in the untreated spent hemodialysates of the patients administered for coronary angiography before starting CHDF. Using the desalination tube, we observed approximately 178 times higher signal intensity and 8 times improved signal-to-noise ratio for ioversol (an ICM) compared to data obtained without the desalination tube. This system was capable of tracking the changes of ioversol in spent hemodialysates of AKI patients by measuring spent hemodialysates. CONCLUSION: The online desalination tube coupled with MS showed the capability of detecting iohexol and ioversol in spent hemodialysates without additional sample preparation or chromatographic separation. This approach also demonstrated the capacity to monitor the ioversol changes in patients' spent hemodialysates.

54. Noncommunicable diseases risk factors and the risk of COVID-19 among university employees in Indonesia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Widyahening IS, Vidiawati D, Pakasi TA

INTRODUCTION: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are still a major public health problem in Indonesia. Studies have shown that risk factors of NCDs are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality. However, it is unclear whether NCD risk factors are also risks for new COVID-19 cases. This study aimed to obtain an NCD risk profile among university employees and its associations with contracting COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2021. Participants were administrative employees of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok City, West Java. Assessment of NCD risk factors was based on the World Health Organization STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (WHO STEPS). Demographic, working, and medical-history data were obtained electronically by using a Google Form. Physical and laboratory examinations were done in the Integrated Post for NCDs. Risks were expressed as adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 613 employees were enrolled. Men were predominant (54.8%), and about 36% of them work in shift as security personnel. About 66.7% were overweight or obese and 77.8% had hypertension. There were 138 (22.8%) employees who had COVID-19. Nearly all (95.6%) had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At-risk waist circumference (ORadj 1.72, 95% CI 1.15-2.56, p = 0.008) and total cholesterol level of 200-239 mg/dL (ORadj 2.30, 95% CI 1.19-4.44, p = 0.013) were independent risk factors, but shift work (ORadj 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.80, p = 0.003) was protective against COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of NCD risk factors among university administrative employees was high, increasing the risk of contracting COVID-19. A behavioral intervention program to manage NCD risk factors at the university level is urgently needed according to the Health Promoting University framework.

55. Designing incentive mechanism in contract farming considering reciprocity preference.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Wang C, Liang Y.

Contract farming is a growing practice in agricultural economy. A well-designed crop-planting and buyout contract, offered by an enterprise, to a fraction of contract farmers brings benefit to farmers as well as to the enterprise itself. However, in the process of contract fulfillment, farmers possess private information about the degree of effort on fulfilling the contract of themselves. Thus, the more informed farmers may not work hard in the process of planting crops. This opportunistic behavior of farmers caused by asymmetric information has seriously affected the sustainability of contract farming. An enterprise with reciprocity preference tends to make a contract both improves farmers' welfare and brings enough profit to sustain its own operations, while a farmer with reciprocity will work hard in return for the enterprise's reward. In this paper, we develop a non-profit index principal-agent model between enterprises and farmers, assuming both have reciprocity preference, to investigate how to design an incentive mechanism in contract farming. We begin our analysis by establishing a non-profit index evaluation system to evaluate farmers' effort degree in contract fulfillment. Then we solve principal-agent problem with the assumption that farmers' expected certainty income premium (ECIP) is constant. We find that in the perfect Bayesian equilibrium, farmers with higher degree of reciprocity preference require less ECIP, and will improve efforts to complete contract tasks, even actively sacrifice their own interests to repay extra rewards from enterprises. Furthermore, we explore our model to the scenario in which farmers' ECIP is a function of enterprise payment difference (EPD). We find that the higher the degree of reciprocity preference of farmers, the greater the probability of enterprises to increase income. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the validity of the conclusions. Our study shows that the reciprocity preference behavior of enterprises and farmers improves the fulfillment rate of contract farming, which contributes to the realization of the incentive mechanism of contract farming.

56. The association between vitamin D status and COVID-19 in England: A cohort study using UK Biobank.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 6

Lin LY, Mulick A, Mathur R

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that vitamin D supplementation may decrease respiratory tract infections, but the association between vitamin D and COVID-19 is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between vitamin D status and infections, hospitalisation, and mortality due to COVID-19. METHODS: We used UK Biobank, a nationwide cohort of 500,000 individuals aged between 40 and 69 years at recruitment between 2006 and 2010. We included people with at least one serum vitamin D test, living in England with linked primary care and inpatient records. The primary exposure was serum vitamin D status measured at recruitment, defined as deficiency at <25 nmol/L, insufficiency at 25-49 nmol/L and sufficiency at ≥ 50 nmol/L. Secondary exposures were self-reported or prescribed vitamin D supplements. The primary outcome was laboratory-confirmed or clinically diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infections. The secondary outcomes included hospitalisation and mortality due to COVID-19. We used multivariable Cox regression models stratified by summertime months and non-summertime months, adjusting for demographic factors and underlying comorbidities. RESULTS: We included 307,512 participants (54.9% female, 55.9% over 70 years old) in our analysis. During summertime months, weak evidence existed that the vitamin D deficiency group had a lower hazard of being diagnosed with COVID-19 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77-0.95). During non-summertime, the vitamin D deficiency group had a higher hazard of COVID-19 compared with the vitamin D sufficient group (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01-1.30). No evidence was found that vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency was associated with either hospitalisation or mortality due to COVID-19 in any time strata. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of an association between historical vitamin D status and hospitalisation or mortality due to COVID-19, along with inconsistent results for any association between vitamin D and diagnosis of COVID-19. However, studies using more recent vitamin D measurements and systematic COVID-19 testing are needed.

57. Binary cutpoint and the combined effect of systolic and diastolic blood pressure on cardiovascular disease mortality: A community-based cohort study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Lee JY, Hong JH, Lee S

58. The association of prescription opioid use with suicide attempts: An analysis of statewide medical claims data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Luo C, Chen K, Doshi R

BACKGROUND: Suicides and opioid overdose deaths are among the most pressing public health concerns in the US. However direct evidence for the association between opioid use and suicidal behavior is limited. The objective of this article is to examine the association between frequency and dose of prescription opioid use and subsequent suicide attempts. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 4 years of statewide medical claims data from the Connecticut All-Payer Claims Database. Commercially insured adult patients in Connecticut (n = 842,773) who had any medical claims beginning in January 2012 were followed through December 2015. The primary outcome was suicide attempt identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD 9) diagnosis codes. Primary predictor variables included frequency of opioid use, which was defined as the number of months with claims for prescription opioids per year, and strength of opioid dose, which was standardized using morphine milligram equivalent (MME) units. We also controlled for psychiatric and medical comorbidities using ICD 9 codes. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the association between frequency, dose, and suicide attempts, adjusting for medical and psychiatric comorbid conditions. Interactions among measures of opioid use and comorbid conditions were analyzed. In this cohort study with follow-up time up to 4 years (range = 2-48 months, median = 46 months), the hazard ratios (HR) from the time-to-event analysis indicated that patients prescribed opioid medications for at least 6 months during the past year and at 20-50 MME levels or higher had 4.44 (95% CI: [3.71, 5.32]) to 7.23 (95% CI: [6.22, 8.41]) times the risk of attempted suicide compared to those not prescribed opioids. Risk of suicide attempt was sharply elevated among patients with psychiatric conditions other than anxiety who were prescribed more frequent and higher opioid doses. In contrast, more frequent and higher doses of prescription opioids were associated with lower risk of suicide attempts among patients with medical conditions necessitating pain management. This study is limited by its exclusive focus on commercially insured patients and does not include patients covered by public insurance. It is also limited to patients' receipt of prescription opioids and does not take into account opioids obtained through other means, nor does it include measures of actual patient opioid use. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides evidence of a complex relationship among prescription opioids, mental health, pain and other medical comorbidities, and suicide risk. Findings indicate the need for proactive suicide surveillance among individuals diagnosed with affective or psychotic disorders who are receiving frequent and high doses of opioids. However, appropriate opioid treatment may have significant value in reducing suicide risk for those without psychiatric comorbidities.

59. Psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial stressors among people initiating HIV care in Cameroon.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Parcesepe AM, Filiatreau LM, Ebasone PV

60. Driven by notifications - exploring the effects of badge notifications on user experience.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Bartoli N, Benedetto S.

61. A computational model of rabbit geometry and ECG: Optimizing ventricular activation sequence and APD distribution.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Moss R, Wülfers EM, Lewetag R

62. Response of upstream migrating juvenile European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to electric fields: Application of the marginal gains concept to fish screening.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Miller M, Sharkh SM, Kemp PS.

The decline in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) recruitment over the past half-century is partly due to river infrastructure that delays or blocks upstream migration to rearing habitat. Stimuli, such as electricity, can be used to modify the behaviour of downstream moving fish and guide them to preferred routes of passage at river infrastructure; but research on upstream migrating juvenile eel remains limited. The response of upstream migrating juvenile eel exposed to pulsed direct current (PDC) electric fields was investigated using a recirculatory flume. Eel were presented a choice of two routes upstream under either: (1) a treatment condition, in which the selection of one route resulted in exposure to High Electric Field (HEF) strength that was between 1.5-2 times stronger than the Low Electric Field (LEF) strength encountered in the alternative route; or (2) a control in which the electric field was absent in both routes. Under the treatment, five different mean HEF strengths (0.53, 0.77, 1.22, 2.17 and 3.74 Vcm-1) were tested at one of two frequencies (2 and 10 Hz). Route choice, distance downstream of the first set of electrodes at which an initial response was observed and avoidance behaviours (acceleration, retraction, switching and rejection) were compared among treatments. For the 1.22, 2.17 and 3.74 Vcm-1 and under 2 Hz, eel preferred to pass the LEF route. Avoidance was greater in the HEF route and positively related to field strength. The distance of the initial response did not differ between routes, field strengths or frequency. Upstream migrating eel avoided electric fields indicating potential to develop this approach for fish guidance. Further work is needed to test prototypes in field settings, particularly in combination with traditional physical screens to water intakes as part of a process of applying the concept of marginal gains to advance environmental impact mitigation technology.

63. How emotional changes affect skin odor and its impact on others.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Katsuyama M, Narita T, Nakashima M

64. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding tick-borne diseases among an at-risk population living in Niigata prefecture, Japan.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Narita T, Abeywickrama HM, Sato MO

65. Racial/Ethnic disparities in drug use during the COVID 19 pandemic: Moderating effects of non-profit substance use disorder service expenditures.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Ji H, Shin SH, Rogers A

66. Bayesian model averaging for nonparametric discontinuity design.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Hinne M, Leeftink D, van Gerven MAJ

67. Automating document classification with distant supervision to increase the efficiency of systematic reviews: A case study on identifying studies with HIV impacts on female sex workers.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Li X, Zhang A, Al-Zaidy R

68. Differential effects of obstructive sleep apnea on the corneal subbasal nerve plexus and retinal nerve fiber layer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Bussan KA, Stuard WL, Mussi N

69. Factors influencing the adoption and participation rate of nursing homes staff in a saliva testing screening programme for COVID-19.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Pétré B, Paridans M, Gillain N

70. Benefits and detriments of interdisciplinarity on early career scientists' performance. An author-level approach for U.S. physicists and psychologists.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Unger S, Erhard L, Wieczorek O

71. Patient experience and healthcare utilization for a COVID-19 telemedicine home monitoring program offered in English and Spanish.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Vartanian KB, Holtorf M, Cox EJ

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is a vital component of the healthcare system's response to COVID-19. In March of 2020, Providence health system rapidly implemented a telemedicine home monitoring program (HMP) for COVID-19 patients that included use of at-home pulse oximeters and thermometers and text-based surveys to monitor symptoms. By June 2020, Providence updated the HMP to be offered in Spanish. This program was implemented before COVID-19 testing was readily available and therefore was offered to all patients suspected of having COVID-19. This study examines engagement, experience, and utilization patterns for English and Spanish-speaking patients engaged in the COVID-19 HMP. METHODS: A retrospective review of program data was used to understand HMP patient engagement (responsiveness to three daily text to monitor symptoms), satisfaction with the program (likelihood to recommend the program) as well as comfort using home monitoring devices and comfort recovering from home. To understand impact on care for COVID-19 confirmed cases, we used electronic health records to measure patterns in healthcare use for COVID-19 positive HMP participants and non-HMP propensity weighted controls. All patients enrolled in the COVID-19 HMP from March-October 2020 were included in the study. Patients tested for COVID-19 during the time window and not enrolled in HMP were included in the propensity-weighted comparison group. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed overall and stratified by English and Spanish speakers. RESULTS: Of the 4,358 HMP participants, 75.5% identified as English speakers and 18.2% identified as Spanish speakers. There was high level of responsiveness to three daily text-based surveys monitoring symptoms engagement (>80%) and a high level of comfort using the home monitoring devices (thermometers and pulse oximeters) for English- and Spanish-speaking participants (97.3% and 99.6%, respectively). The majority of English (95.7%) and Spanish-speaking (100%) patients felt safe monitoring their condition from home and had high satisfaction with the HMP (76.5% and 83.6%, respectively). English and Spanish-speaking COVID-19 positive HMP participants had more outpatient and emergency departments (ED) encounters than non-participants 7 and 30 days after their positive test. CONCLUSION: This widely implemented HMP provided participants with a sense of safety and satisfaction and its use was associated with more outpatient care and ED encounters. These outcomes were comparable across English and Spanish-speakers, highlighting the importance and potential impact of language-concordant telemedicine.

72. Stem girth changes in response to soil water potential in lowland dipterocarp forest in Borneo: An individualistic time-series analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Newbery DM, Lingenfelder M.

Time-series data offer a way of investigating the causes driving ecological processes as phenomena. To test for possible differences in water relations between species of different forest structural guilds at Danum (Sabah, NE Borneo), daily stem girth increments (gthi), of 18 trees across six species were regressed individually on soil moisture potential (SMP) and temperature (TEMP), accounting for temporal autocorrelation (in GLS-arima models), and compared between a wet and a dry period. The best-fitting significant variables were SMP the day before and TEMP the same day. The first resulted in a mix of positive and negative coefficients, the second largely positive ones. An adjustment for dry-period showers was applied. Interactions were stronger in dry than wet period. Negative relationships for overstorey trees can be interpreted in a reversed causal sense: fast transporting stems depleted soil water and lowered SMP. Positive relationships for understorey trees meant they took up most water at high SMP. The unexpected negative relationships for these small trees may have been due to their roots accessing deeper water supplies (if SMP was inversely related to that of the surface layer), and this was influenced by competition with larger neighbour trees. A tree-soil flux dynamics manifold may have been operating. Patterns of mean diurnal girth variation were more consistent among species, and time-series coefficients were negatively related to their maxima. Expected differences in response to SMP in the wet and dry periods did not clearly support a previous hypothesis differentiating drought and non-drought tolerant understorey guilds. Trees within species showed highly individual responses when tree size was standardized. Data on individual root systems and SMP at several depths are needed to get closer to the mechanisms that underlie the tree-soil water phenomena in these tropical forests. Neighborhood stochasticity importantly creates varying local environments experienced by individual trees.

73. Simplified antibiotic regimens for young infants with possible serious bacterial infection when the referral is not feasible in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 30

Lokangaka A, Ishoso D, Tshefu A

INTRODUCTION: Neonates with serious bacterial infections should be treated with injectable antibiotics after hospitalization, which may not be feasible in many low resource settings. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a guideline for the management of young infants (0-59 days old) with possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI) when referral for hospital treatment is not feasible. We evaluated the feasibility of the WHO guideline implementation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to achieve high coverage of PSBI treatment. METHODS: From April 2016 to March 2017, in a longitudinal, descriptive, mixed methods implementation research study, we implemented WHO PSBI guideline for sick young infants (0-59 dyas of age) in the public health programme setting in five health areas of North and South Ubangi Provinces with an overall population of about 60,000. We conducted policy dialogue with national and sub-national level government planners, decision-makers, academics and other stakeholders. We established a Technical Support Unit to provide implementation support. We built the capacity of health workers and managers and ensured the availability of necessary medicines and commodities. We followed infants with PSBI signs up to 14 days. The research team systematically collected data on adherence to treatment and outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 3050 live births and 285 (9.3%) young infants with signs of PSBI in the study area, of whom 256 were treated. Published data have reported 10% PSBI incidence rate in young infants. Therefore, the estimated coverage of treatment was 83.9% (256/305). Another 426 from outside the study catchment area were also identified with PSBI signs by the nurses of a health centre within the study area. Thus, a total of 711 young infants with PSBI were identified, 285 (40%) 7-59 days old infants had fast breathing (pneumonia), 141 (20%) 0-6 days old had fast breathing (severe pneumonia), 233 (33%) had signs of clinical severe infection (CSI), and 52 (7%) had signs of critical illness. Referral to a hospital was advised to 426 (60%) infants with CSI, critical illness or severe pneumonia. The referral was refused by 282 families who accepted simplified antibiotic treatment on an outpatient basis at the health centres. Treatment failure among those who received outpatient treatment occurred in 10/128 (8%) with severe pneumonia, 25/147 (17%) with CSI, including one death, and 2/7 (29%) young infants with a critical illness. Among 285 infants with pneumonia, 257 (90%) received oral amoxicillin treatment, and 8 (3%) failed treatment. Adherence to outpatient treatment was 98% to 100% for various PSBI sub-categories. Among 144 infants treated in a hospital, 8% (1/13) with severe pneumonia, 23% (20/86) with CSI and 40% (18/45) with critical illness died. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the WHO PSBI guideline when a referral was not possible was feasible in our context with high coverage. Without financial and technical input to strengthen the health system at all levels, including the community and the referral level, it may not be possible to achieve and sustain the same high treatment coverage.

74. Emergency department utilisation among older adults-Protocol for a systematic review of determinants and conceptual frameworks.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Tang XR, Zarisfi F, Pek PP

BACKGROUND: Older adults aged 65 years and above have a disproportionately higher utilization of emergency healthcare, of which Emergency Department (ED) visits are a key component. They experience higher degree of multimorbidity and mobility issues compared to younger patients, and are consequently more likely to experience a health event which requires an ED visit. During their visit, older adults tend to require more extensive workup, therefore spending a greater amount of time in the ED. Compared to the younger population, older adults are more susceptible to adverse events following discharge. Considering these factors, investigating the determinants of ED utilisation would be valuable. In this paper, we present a protocol for a systematic review of the determinants of ED utilisation among communitydwelling older adults aged 65 years and above, applying Andersen and Newman's model of healthcare utilisation. Furthermore, we aim to present other conceptual frameworks for healthcare utilisation and propose a holistic approach for understanding the determinants of ED utilisation by older persons. METHODS: The protocol is developed in accordance with the standards of Campbell Collaboration guidelines for systematic reviews, with reference to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. Medline, Embase and Scopus will be searched for studies published from 2000 to 2020. Studies evaluating more than one determinant for ED utilisation among older adults aged 65 years and above will be included. Search process and selection of studies will be presented in a PRISMA flow chart. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) determinants of ED utilisation will be grouped according to individual and societal determinants. Quality of the studies will be assessed using Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). DISCUSSION: In Andersen and Newman's model, individual determinants include predisposing factors, enabling and illness factors, and societal determinants include technology and social norms. Additional conceptual frameworks for healthcare utilisation include Health Belief Model, Social Determinants of Health and Big Five personality traits. By incorporating the concepts of these models, we hope to develop a holistic approach of conceptualizing the factors that influence ED utilisation among older people. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This protocol is registered on 8 May 2021 with PROSPERO's International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021253770).

75. Identification of cardiovascular and molecular prognostic factors for the morbidity and mortality in COVID-19-sepsis (ICROVID): Protocol for a prospective multi-centre cohort study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Neu C, Baumbach P, Scherag A

76. International ring trial to validate a new method for testing the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic laundry products.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Monleón-Getino T, Cavalleri M.

Due to greater environmental awareness, domestic laundry habits are changing, and antimicrobial control by chemical methods has become an essential factor to compensate for the use of lower temperatures during washing machine cycles. Disinfectants added to laundry detergents are a preventive strategy to reduce the transmission of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the home, correct aesthetic damage (e.g., spotting, discolouration, and staining), and control the microbial contamination that leads to malodour. In Europe, disinfectants are regulated by the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (No. 528/2012), which stipulates that antimicrobial efficacy must be evaluated according to standardized methods. Current European standards for laundry sanitization only apply to clinical settings (EN 16616: 2015) and are restricted to the main wash cycle. Therefore, there is a gap in the EU standards regarding the testing of product efficacy in household laundering. With the aim of addressing this gap, an international ring trial was organized to evaluate the robustness of a new method (prEN 17658) designed to test the efficacy of antimicrobial laundry products in a domestic setting. The seven participating laboratories were equipped with 5 different laboratory-scale devices to simulate the washing process, and they evaluated 7 microbial parameters for 2 experimental conditions and 3 levels of active substance. The analysis of data according to ISO 5725-2 and ISO 13528 demonstrated that the method was robust. All reproducibility standard deviation values were between 0.00 and 1.40 and the relative standard deviation indicates satisfactory reproducibility. Values of logarithmic reduction ranged from less than 2 log10 for tests with water to more than 5 log10 when disinfectants were added. The evidence generated by the ring trial was presented in a proposal for a standardized method under CEN/TC 216, in which the SOP used in the ring trial is referred to as the prEN 17658 phase 2 step 2 test method covering chemothermal textile disinfection in domestic settings.

77. Potential role of conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in the screening of structural and functional cardiac abnormalities in elderly individuals: Baseline echocardiographic findings from the LOOP study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Olsen FJ, Diederichsen SZ, Jørgensen PG

BACKGROUND: Elderly individuals occupy an increasing part of the general population. Conventional and speckle-tracking transthoracic echocardiography may help guide risk stratification in these individuals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential utility of conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in the screening of cardiac abnormalities in the elderly population. METHODS: Two cohorts of elderly individuals (sample size: 1441 and 944) were analyzed, who were part of a randomized controlled clinical trial (LOOP study) and of an observational study (Copenhagen City Heart Study), recruiting participants from the general population >70 years of age with cardiovascular risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, or prior stroke) and sinus rhythm. Participants underwent a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination, including myocardial speckle tracking. Cardiac abnormalities were defined according to the ASE/EACVI guidelines. RESULTS: Structural cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular (LV) remodeling, mitral annular calcification (MAC), and aortic valve sclerosis (with or without stenosis) were highly prevalent in the LOOP study (40%, 39%, and 27%, respectively). Moreover, a high prevalence of functional cardiac alterations such as LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), abnormal LV longitudinal systolic strain (GLS), and abnormal left atrial (LA) reservoir strain was present in the LOOP study (27%, 18%, and 9%, respectively). Likewise, the rate of LVDD, abnormal GLS, and abnormal LA reservoir strain was comparable in the validation sample from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. In line with these findings, subjects with LV remodeling, MAC, and aortic valve changes had a higher prevalence of LVDD, abnormal GLS, and abnormal LA reservoir strain than those without structural cardiac alterations. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the potential clinical utility of conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in the screening of structural and functional cardiac abnormalities in the elderly population. Further studies are warranted to determine the prognostic relevance of these findings.

78. Treatment of waste stabilization pond effluent using natural zeolite for irrigation potential.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Meiramkulova K, Mkilima T, Baituk G

79. Incidence of educational mismatch and earning in Pakistan.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Khan MZ, Said R, Mazlan NS

80. Self-reported physical activity and different cardiovascular diseases-Results from updated measurements over 40 years.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Lind L, Zethelius B, Byberg L.

81. Cost-effectiveness analysis of patent foramen ovale closure versus medical therapy alone after cryptogenic stroke.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Shijoh Y, Saito S, Dai Z

BACKGROUND: Closure of a patent foramen ovale reduces the risk of recurrent stroke compared with medical therapy alone in young patients with cryptogenic strokes revealed by randomized control trials. Some cost-effectiveness analyses outside Japan have shown that patent foramen ovale closure is cost-effective, but no studies have examined cost-effectiveness in Japan. The objective of this study is to assess cost-effectiveness, from the perspective of a Japanese healthcare payer, of patent foramen ovale closure versus medical therapy alone for patients with patent foramen ovale related to cryptogenic strokes. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness study was conducted by developing a decision tree and a Markov model. Probabilities and a 5.9-year time horizon followed the RESPECT study. Utilities and costs were based upon published studies and assumptions. All assumptions were assessed by experts, including a cardiologist and a statistical expert. The target population comprised patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale, aged 60 years or younger. The model was discounted at 2.0% and its cycle was one month. A willingness-to-pay threshold is set at $50,000 / quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was evaluated. Then one-way sensitivity analyses as deterministic sensitivity analysis, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess data robustness. RESULTS: Incremental quality-adjusted life years, incremental costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were 0.464, $13,562, and $29,208 per QALY gained, respectively. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the stable state utility score difference between patent foramen ovale closure and medical therapy had the largest impact on incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Patent foramen ovale closure is cost-effective at a stable state utility score difference of >0.051, compared with medical therapy. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated that patent foramen ovale closure was 50.3% cost-effective. CONCLUSIONS: Patent foramen ovale closure was cost-effective compared with medical therapy for Japanese patients with cryptogenic stroke who were ≤60 years.

82. Sub-national variations in general service readiness of primary health care facilities in Ghana: Health policy and equity implications towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Ayanore M, Asampong R, Akazili J

BACKGROUND: Service availability and readiness are critical for the delivery of quality and essential health care services. In Ghana, there is paucity of literature that describes general service readiness (GSR) of primary health care (PHC) facilities within the national context. This study therefore assessed the GSR of PHC facilities in Ghana to provide evidence to inform heath policy and drive action towards reducing health inequities. METHODS: We analysed data from 140 Service Delivery Points (SDPs) that were part of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 survey (PMA2020). GSR was computed using the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) manual based on four out of five components. Descriptive statistics were computed for both continuous and categorical variables. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was fitted to assess predictors of scoring above the mean GSR. Analyses were performed using Stata version 16.0. Significance level was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: The average GSR index of SDPs in this study was 83.4%. Specifically, the mean GSR of hospitals was 92.8%, whereas health centres/clinics and CHPS compounds scored 78.0% and 64.3% respectively. The least average scores were observed in the essential medicines and standard precautions for infection prevention categories. We found significant sub-national, urban-rural and facility-related disparities in GSR. Compared to the Greater Accra Region, SDPs in the Eastern, Western, Upper East and Upper West Regions had significantly reduced odds of scoring above the overall GSR. Majority of SDPs with GSR below the average were from rural areas. CONCLUSION: Overall, GSR among SDPs is appreciable as compared to other settings. The study highlights the existence of regional, urban-rural and facility-related differences in GSR of SDPs. The reality of health inequities has crucial policy implications which need to be addressed urgently to fast-track progress towards the achievement of the SDGs and UHC targets by 2030.

83. Discrimination of pollen of New Zealand mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium agg.) and kānuka (Kunzea spp.) (Myrtaceae).

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Li X, Prebble JG, de Lange PJ

84. A value creation model from science-society interconnections: Archetypal analysis combining publications, survey and altmetric data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Ramos-Vielba I, Robinson-Garcia N, Woolley R.

85. Development, validation and evaluation of an online medication review tool (MedReview).

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Thiruchelvam K, Hasan SS, Pudmenzky A

OBJECTIVES: To develop, validate and evaluate a computerized clinical decision support system (MedReview) that aids medication reviewers with pharmacological decision-making. METHODS: This study included three phases; the development phase included computerizing a consolidated medication review algorithm (MedReview), followed by validation and evaluation of MedReview and responding to a web-based survey designed using patient scenarios. Participants had to be 'fully registered' with the Malaysian Pharmacy Board and work full-time at a community pharmacy. RESULTS: MedReview was developed as a web app. It was validated among 100 community pharmacists from May-July 2021 using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). There was acceptable content validity and fair inter-rater agreement, and good convergent and discriminant validity. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five domains to determine the attitude of pharmacists about using MedReview: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, trust, and personal initiatives and characteristics; the total variance explained by five factors was 76.36%. The survey questionnaire had a high overall reliability value of 0.96. Evaluation of MedReview was based on mean scores of survey items. Of all items included in the survey, the highest mean score (out of 7) was achieved for 'I could use MedReview if it is meaningful/relevant to my daily tasks' (5.78 ± 1.10), followed by 'I could use MedReview if I feel confident that the data returned by MedReview is reliable' (5.77 ± 1.21), and 'I could use MedReview if it protects the privacy of its users' (5.73 ± 1.20). CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists generally had a positive attitude towards MedReview. They found that MedReview is trustworthy and they had the intention to use it when conducting medication reviews. The adaptation of the TAM in the survey instrument was reliable and internally valid.

86. Discrimination and mental health in the minority sexual population: Cross-sectional analysis of the first peruvian virtual survey.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Soriano-Moreno DR, Saldaña-Cabanillas D, Vasquez-Yeng L

87. Digital economy, technological progress, and city export trade.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Zhang L, Pan A, Feng S

88. Feature ranking and network analysis of global financial indices.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Rakib MI, Hossain MJ, Nobi A.

89. The impact of laboratory staff training workshops on coagulation specimen rejection rates.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

du Toit M, Chapanduka ZC, Zemlin AE.

BACKGROUND: Pre-analytical variables can have a significant adverse impact on the quality and credibility of coagulation test results. Therefore, correct and consistent identification of pre-analytical variables that compromise coagulation specimen quality is of paramount importance. Lack of standardization and heterogeneity among laboratory staff when assessing coagulation specimens can lead to inconsistent identification of these variables. Failure to recognize such pre-analytical variables results in the analysis of poor quality specimens and the authorization of spurious test results. OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of a laboratory staff training workshop on coagulation specimen rejection rates and to ascertain the level of knowledge of laboratory personnel concerning coagulation specimen rejection criteria before and after the workshop. METHODS: A retrospective three-month audit was performed with rejection data of incorrect blood to additive ratio, clotted, aged and haemolysed specimens collected. Training workshops and evaluation sessions were subsequently presented. A revised standard operating procedure delineating coagulation specimen rejection criteria was implemented and a repeat three-month audit was conducted. RESULTS: In total, 13 162 coagulation specimens were received during the initial audit with 1 104 specimens (8.39%) rejected. Following the workshops, the rejection rate increased by 3.49% to 11.88% with 12 743 coagulation specimens received and 1 514 specimens rejected. Evaluation sessions performed before and after the workshops revealed that 95.2% of attendees attained improved knowledge. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the pivotal importance of regular laboratory staff training. The increase in specimen rejection following the workshops signifies their success in educating laboratory personnel regarding the correct identification of pre-analytical variables. Since most pre-analytical variables occur outside the laboratory, educational workshops need to be extended to non-laboratory personnel responsible for specimen collection and transport.

90. Mod3D: A low-cost, flexible modular system of live-cell microscopy chambers and holders.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Goss S, Barba Bazan C, Neuman K

91. Growth and development of succulent mixtures for extensive green roofs in a Mediterranean climate.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Di Miceli G, Iacuzzi N, Licata M

Green roof systems, aimed at reducing anthropic impact on the environment, are considered environmental mitigation technologies and adopted by many countries across the world to strengthen urban ecosystem services. This study evaluates two mixtures of succulent: one of Crassulaceae and the other of Aizoaceae, used in the creation of a continuous and homogenous plant groundcover in Mediterranean environments. To assess the species mixtures, the parameters plant height, growth index, cover percentage and flowering were observed. Hydrological observations were also carried out to evaluate the rainfall retained by the test system in any given month. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Growth indicators in the study showed trends characteristic of xeric plants, which tend to slow down in dry, summer climate conditions to the point of halting plant vertical growth and ground cover development completely. The Aizocaeae mix, during the initial stage, showed prevalent horizontal growth, confirmed by greater a greater growth index (13,21) and cover percentage (45%) compared to Sedum (Growth index: 3,61; Cover: 36%). In contrast, the Sedum mix recorded greater vertical growth at the beginning (Sedum mixture: 7.53 cm; Aizoaceae mixture: 6,11 cm). During the final stages of observations, however, greater vertical growth in the Aizoaceae (7,88 cm) became apparent together with a recovery in horizontal growth in the Sedum (79%), albeit not sufficient to outperform the Aizoaceae mixture (87%). Flowering in the two mixtures occurred between late spring and late summer. The Sedum mixture guaranteed a longer flowering period (130 days) compared to the Aizoaceae (93 days), with a gradual start followed by steady flower emission. Regarding rainfall water retention, a comparison of the mixtures in late winter/early spring revealed that the Sedum performed best (44.9 L m2 vs 37.4 L m2), whilst the Aizoaceae outperformed the Sedum in Autumn (63 L m2 vs 55 L m2), in conjunction with favorable growth rates in both species mixtures. Both mixtures demonstrated satisfying results and are considered suited to a Mediterranean environment. Furthermore, based on the different growth rates of the species in the two test mixtures, this study suggests that new combinations of Sedum and Aizoaceae together might prove more resilient in Mediterranean environments.

92. Feasibility and lessons learned on remote trial implementation from TestBoston, a fully remote, longitudinal, large-scale COVID-19 surveillance study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Naz-McLean S, Kim A, Zimmer A

Longitudinal clinical studies traditionally require in-person study visits which are well documented to pose barriers to participation and contribute challenges to enrolling representative samples. Remote trial models may reduce barriers to research engagement, improve retention, and reach a more representative cohort. As remote trials become more common following the COVID-19 pandemic, a critical evaluation of this approach is imperative to optimize this paradigm shift in research. The TestBoston study was launched to understand prevalence and risk factors for COVID-19 infection in the greater Boston area through a fully remote home-testing model. Participants (adults, within 45 miles of Boston, MA) were recruited remotely from patient registries at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the general public. Participants were provided with monthly and "on-demand" at-home SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and antibody testing using nasal swab and dried blood spot self-collection kits and electronic surveys to assess symptoms and risk factors for COVID-19 via an online dashboard. Between October 2020 and January 2021, we enrolled 10,289 participants reflective of Massachusetts census data. Mean age was 47 years (range 18-93), 5855 (56.9%) were assigned female sex at birth, 7181(69.8%) reported being White non-Hispanic, 952 (9.3%) Hispanic/Latinx, 925 (9.0%) Black, 889 (8.6%) Asian, and 342 (3.3%) other and/or more than one race. Lower initial enrollment among Black and Hispanic/Latinx individuals required an adaptive approach to recruitment, leveraging connections to the medical system, coupled with community partnerships to ensure a representative cohort. Longitudinal retention was higher among participants who were White non-Hispanic, older, working remotely, and with lower socioeconomic vulnerability. Implementation highlighted key differences in remote trial models as participants independently navigate study milestones, requiring a dedicated participant support team and robust technology platforms, to reduce barriers to enrollment, promote retention, and ensure scientific rigor and data quality. Remote clinical trial models offer tremendous potential to engage representative cohorts, scale biomedical research, and promote accessibility by reducing barriers common in traditional trial design. Barriers and burdens within remote trials may be experienced disproportionately across demographic groups. To maximize engagement and retention, researchers should prioritize intensive participant support, investment in technologic infrastructure and an adaptive approach to maximize engagement and retention.

93. Evaluation of strategies to modify Anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies for optimal functionality as therapeutics.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

House RV, Broge TA, Suscovich TJ

94. Multicow pose estimation based on keypoint extraction.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Gong C, Zhang Y, Wei Y

Automatic estimation of the poses of dairy cows over a long period can provide relevant information regarding their status and well-being in precision farming. Due to appearance similarity, cow pose estimation is challenging. To monitor the health of dairy cows in actual farm environments, a multicow pose estimation algorithm was proposed in this study. First, a monitoring system was established at a dairy cow breeding site, and 175 surveillance videos of 10 different cows were used as raw data to construct object detection and pose estimation data sets. To achieve the detection of multiple cows, the You Only Look Once (YOLO)v4 model based on CSPDarkNet53 was built and fine-tuned to output the bounding box for further pose estimation. On the test set of 400 images including single and multiple cows throughout the whole day, the average precision (AP) reached 94.58%. Second, the keypoint heatmaps and part affinity field (PAF) were extracted to match the keypoints of the same cow based on the real-time multiperson 2D pose detection model. To verify the performance of the algorithm, 200 single-object images and 200 dual-object images with occlusions were tested under different light conditions. The test results showed that the AP of leg keypoints was the highest, reaching 91.6%, regardless of day or night and single cows or double cows. This was followed by the AP values of the back, neck and head, sequentially. The AP of single cow pose estimation was 85% during the day and 78.1% at night, compared to double cows with occlusion, for which the values were 74.3% and 71.6%, respectively. The keypoint detection rate decreased when the occlusion was severe. However, in actual cow breeding sites, cows are seldom strongly occluded. Finally, a pose classification network was built to estimate the three typical poses (standing, walking and lying) of cows based on the extracted cow skeleton in the bounding box, achieving precision of 91.67%, 92.97% and 99.23%, respectively. The results showed that the algorithm proposed in this study exhibited a relatively high detection rate. Therefore, the proposed method can provide a theoretical reference for animal pose estimation in large-scale precision livestock farming.

95. Correlation between genetic and environmental risk factors for age-related macular degeneration in Brazilian patients.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Rim PHH, de Vasconcellos JPC, de Melo MB

PURPOSE: To analyze the correlations between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and genetic and environmental risk factors for in a Brazilian population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with a control group. METHODS: We collected data on 236 participants 50 years of age or older (141 with AMD and 95 controls without the disease). Data was obtained using a questionnaire and included information on demographics, ocular and medical history, family history of AMD, lifestyle, and smoking and drinking habits. Genetic evaluations included direct sequencing for the LOC387715 (rs10490924) variant, as well as PCR and enzymatic digestion for the CFH Y402H (rs1061170) and HTRA1 (rs11200638) variants. We performed a risk assessment of environmental risk factors and genetic variants associated with AMD and determined correlations between AMD and the data collected using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 141 AMD cases, 99 (70%) had advanced AMD in at least one eye (57% neovascular AMD and 13% geographic atrophy), and 42 (30%) had not-advanced AMD. Family history of AMD (OR: 6.58; 95% CI: 1.94-22.31), presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.08-5.28), low physical activity level (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 0.82-2.37), and high serum cholesterol (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.84-2.65) were associated with an increased risk for AMD. There was a significant association between CVD and incidence of advanced AMD (OR: 2.29; 95% CI 0.81-6.44). The OR for the risk allele of the LOC387715 gene, the CFH gene and the HTRA1 gene were 2.21 (95% CI: 1.47-3.35), 2.27 (95% CI: 1.52-3.37), and 2.76 (95% CI: 1.89-4.03), respectively. In the stepwise multiple linear regression analyses, the HTRA1 and CFH risk alleles, family history of AMD, the LOC387715 risk allele, and CVD were associated with an increased risk of AMD for a total of 25.6% contribution to the AMD phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis correlating environmental and genetic risk factors such as family history of AMD, and CVD and the variants of HTRA1, CFH, and LOC387715 genes showed an expressive contribution for the development of AMD among this admixed population.

96. Understanding factors that promote uptake of HIV self-testing among young people in Nigeria: Framing youth narratives using the PEN-3 cultural model.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Mason S, Ezechi OC, Obiezu-Umeh C

It is important to understand how to frame the formats for promoting HIV self-testing to increase uptake among young people. In this study, we used a culture-centered model to understand the narratives of HIV self-testing preferences among young people in Nigeria. We conducted a crowdsourcing contest to solicit ideas surrounding HIV self-testing promotion among young people (10-24 years) in Nigeria from October to November 2018 as part of the 2018 World AIDS Day event. We received 903 submissions and employed thematic content analysis to evaluate 769 eligible youth narratives. Thematic content analysis of the statements from the youth narratives was guided by the PEN-3 cultural model to examine the positive, existential, and negative perceptions (beliefs and values), enablers (resources), and nurturers (roles of friends and family) of HIV self-testing promotion among young people in Nigeria. Several themes emerged as factors that influence the uptake of HIV self-testing among young people in Nigeria. Specifically, seven themes emerged as perceptions: HIV testing accessibility, stigma reduction, and autonomy (positive); HIV self-testing kit packaging and advertisements (existential); lack of knowledge and increased stigma (negative). Seven themes emerged as enablers: social media, school, and government promotion (positive); gamification and animation (existential); high cost and access to linkage to care services (negative); And seven themes emerged as nurturers: peer, families, and faith-based communities (positive); parents and family-centered approach (existential); and partners and family (negative). Our data suggests that increased awareness around HIV self-testing on current youth-friendly platforms, de-stigmatization of HIV and HIV self-testing, decreased prices for HIV self-testing kits, reliability of testing kits, increased linkage to care services, and promotion of self-testing among family members and the community will be beneficial for HIV self-testing scale-up measures among young people in Nigeria.

97. Detection of infiltrating fibroblasts by single-cell transcriptomics in human kidney allografts.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Suryawanshi H, Yang H, Lubetzky M

98. Who tweets climate change papers? investigating publics of research through users' descriptions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Toupin R, Millerand F, Larivière V.

99. Severity of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Belgium.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Van Goethem N, Vandromme M, Van Oyen H

INTRODUCTION: The pathogenesis of COVID-19 depends on the interplay between host characteristics, viral characteristics and contextual factors. Here, we compare COVID-19 disease severity between hospitalized patients in Belgium infected with the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 and those infected with previously circulating strains. METHODS: The study is conducted within a causal framework to study the severity of SARS-CoV-2 variants by merging surveillance registries in Belgium. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 ('exposed') was compared to infection with previously circulating strains ('unexposed') in terms of the manifestation of severe COVID-19, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or in-hospital mortality. The exposed and unexposed group were matched based on the hospital and the mean ICU occupancy rate during the patient's hospital stay. Other variables identified as confounders in a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) were adjusted for using regression analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the influence of selection bias, vaccination rollout, and unmeasured confounding. RESULTS: We observed no difference between the exposed and unexposed group in severe COVID-19 disease or in-hospital mortality (RR = 1.15, 95% CI [0.93-1.38] and RR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.62-1.23], respectively). The estimated standardized risk to be admitted in ICU was significantly higher (RR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.03-1.68]) when infected with the B.1.1.7 variant. An age-stratified analysis showed that among the younger age group (≤65 years), the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 was significantly associated with both severe COVID-19 progression and ICU admission. CONCLUSION: This matched observational cohort study did not find an overall increased risk of severe COVID-19 or death associated with B.1.1.7 infection among patients already hospitalized. There was a significant increased risk to be transferred to ICU when infected with the B.1.1.7 variant, especially among the younger age group. However, potential selection biases advocate for more systematic sequencing of samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

100. The impairment of the deep vascular complex in prolonged type 2 diabetes patients without clinical diabetic retinopathy.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Kim TY, Song YY, Il-Jung

101. Effects of Drosophila melanogaster regular exercise and apolipoprotein B knockdown on abnormal heart rhythm induced by a high-fat diet.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 3

Ding M, Li QF, Yin G

102. Glucose level detection using millimetre-wave metamaterial-inspired resonator.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Qureshi SA, Abidin ZZ, Elamin NIM

103. Childhood trauma and schizotypy in non-clinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Toutountzidis D, Gale TM, Irvine K

104. Characterization of some fungal pathogens causing anthracnose disease on yam in Cross River State, Nigeria.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Okon NI, Markson AA, Okon EI

105. Pharmacological analysis of Empagliflozin: Acting through the CaMKII pathway in type 2 diabetes and acute cardiovascular events.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Shao G.

106. Detection of porphyrins in vertebrate fossils from the Messel and implications for organic preservation in the fossil record.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Siljeström S, Neubeck A, Steele A.

107. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as an early indicator for ureteral catheterization in patients with renal colic due to upper urinary tract lithiasis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Elsaraya N, Gordon-Irshai A, Schwarzfuchs D

108. What effect have NHS commissioners' policies for body mass index had on access to knee replacement surgery in England?: An interrupted time series analysis from the National Joint Registry.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

McLaughlin J, Kipping R, Owen-Smith A

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of local commissioners' policies for body mass index on access to knee replacement surgery in England. METHODS: A Natural Experimental Study using interrupted time series and difference-in-differences analysis. We used National Joint Registry for England data linked to the 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation for 481,555 patients who had primary knee replacement surgery in England between January 2009 and December 2019. Clinical Commissioning Group policies introduced before June 2018 to alter access to knee replacement for patients who were overweight or obese were considered the intervention. The main outcome measures were rate per 100,000 of primary knee replacement surgery and patient demographics (body mass index, Index of Multiple Deprivation, independently-funded surgery) over time. RESULTS: Rates of surgery had a sustained fall after the introduction of a policy (trend change of -0.98 operations per 100,000 population aged 40+, 95% confidence interval -1.22 to -0.74, P<0.001), whereas rates increased in localities with no policy introduction. At three years after introduction, there were 10.5 per 100,000 population fewer operations per quarter aged 40+ compared to the counterfactual, representing a fall of 14.1% from the rate expected had there been no change in trend. There was no dose response effect with policy severity. Rates of surgery fell in all patient groups, including non-obese patients following policy introduction. The proportion of independently-funded operations increased after policy introduction, as did the measure of socioeconomic deprivation of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index policy introduction was associated with decreases in the rates of knee replacement surgery across localities that introduced policies. This affected all patient groups, not just obese patients at whom the policies were targeted. Changes in patient demographics seen after policy introduction suggest these policies may increase health inequalities and further qualitative research is needed to understand their implementation and impact.

109. Colostrum management practices that improve the transfer of passive immunity in neonatal dairy calves: A scoping review.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Uyama T, Kelton DF, Winder CB

The objective of this scoping review was to describe the literature on the characteristics and management practices of colostrum feeding and their associations with the level of transfer of passive immunity (TPI) in dairy calves. Observational and experimental studies were searched in 5 electronic databases and 3 conference proceedings. Two reviewers independently screened primary studies, either analytic observational or experimental studies written in English. Studies on dairy or dual-purpose calves with passive immunity analyzed by blood sampling between 1 to 9 days of age were included. All studies had to compare at least one colostrum intervention or risk factor and their association with passive immunity. Of the 3,675 initially identified studies, 256 were included in this synthesis. One hundred and ninety-five were controlled trials, 57 were cohort studies, and 4 were cross-sectional studies. The effect of colostral quantity at first feeding was investigated in 30 controlled studies including studies that were comparable to each other. The effect of colostral quality was explored in 24 controlled studies with inconsistent criteria used to define the quality. The effect of the timing of first feeding of colostrum was investigated in 21 controlled studies, where the timing of feeding ranged widely from immediately after birth to 60 h of age. Only 4 controlled studies evaluated the relationship between bacterial load in the colostrum and TPI in dairy calves. Of the 256 total studies, 222 assessed blood IgG concentration while 107 measured blood total protein concentration. We identified a gap in knowledge on the association between passive immunity in dairy calves and the bacterial load in colostrum, or the timing of harvesting colostrum from the dam. A possible quantitative synthesis could be conducted among the studies that evaluated colostral quantity at the first feeding in relation to TPI in dairy calves.

110. Novel extreme regression-voting classifier to predict death risk in vaccinated people using VAERS data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Saad E, Sadiq S, Jamil R

COVID-19 vaccination raised serious concerns among the public and people are mind stuck by various rumors regarding the resulting illness, adverse reactions, and death. Such rumors are dangerous to the campaign against the COVID-19 and should be dealt with accordingly and timely. One prospective solution is to use machine learning-based models to predict the death risk for vaccinated people and clarify people's perceptions regarding death risk. This study focuses on the prediction of the death risks associated with vaccinated people followed by a second dose for two reasons; first to build consensus among people to get the vaccines; second, to reduce the fear regarding vaccines. Given that, this study utilizes the COVID-19 VAERS dataset that records adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination as 'recovered', 'not recovered', and 'survived'. To obtain better prediction results, a novel voting classifier extreme regression-voting classifier (ER-VC) is introduced. ER-VC ensembles extra tree classifier and logistic regression using soft voting criterion. To avoid model overfitting and get better results, two data balancing techniques synthetic minority oversampling (SMOTE) and adaptive synthetic sampling (ADASYN) have been applied. Moreover, three feature extraction techniques term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), bag of words (BoW), and global vectors (GloVe) have been used for comparison. Both machine learning and deep learning models are deployed for experiments. Results obtained from extensive experiments reveal that the proposed model in combination with TF-TDF has shown robust results with a 0.85 accuracy when trained on the SMOTE-balanced dataset. In line with this, validation of the proposed voting classifier on binary classification shows state-of-the-art results with a 0.98 accuracy. Results show that machine learning models can predict the death risk with high accuracy and can assist the authors in taking timely measures.

111. Uveitis prior to clinical presentation of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is associated with better MS prognosis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Raskin E, Achiron A, Zloto O

112. Does individual advocacy work?: A research and evaluation protocol for a youth anti-sex trafficking program.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Twis MK, Cimino A, Files M.

113. High-flow nasal cannula failure in critically ill cancer patients with acute respiratory failure: Moving from avoiding intubation to avoiding delayed intubation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 29

Saillard C, Lambert J, Tramier M

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is increasingly used in critically ill cancer patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) to avoid mechanical ventilation (MV). The objective was to assess prognostic factors associated with mortality in ICU cancer patients requiring MV after HFNC failure, and to identify predictive factors of intubation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from 2012-2016 in a cancer referral center. All consecutive onco-hematology adult patients admitted to the ICU treated with HFNC were included. HFNC failure was defined by intubation requirement. RESULTS: 202 patients were included, 104 successfully treated with HFNC and 98 requiring intubation. ICU and hospital mortality rates were 26.2% (n = 53) and 42.1% (n = 85) respectively, and 53.1% (n = 52) and 68.4% (n = 67) in patients requiring MV. Multivariate analysis identified 4 prognostic factors of hospital mortality after HFNC failure: complete/partial remission (OR = 0.2, 95%CI = 0.04-0.98, p<0.001) compared to patients with refractory/relapse disease (OR = 3.73, 95%CI = 1.08-12.86), intubation after day 3 (OR = 7.78, 95%CI = 1.44-41.96), number of pulmonary quadrants involved on chest X-ray (OR = 1.93, 95%CI = 1.14-3.26, p = 0.01) and SAPSII at ICU admission (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1-1.12, p = 0.019). Predictive factors of intubation were the absence of sepsis (sHR = 0.32, 95%CI = 0.12-0.74, p = 0.0087), Sp02<95% 15 minutes after HFNC initiation (sHR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.32-3.18, p = 0.0014), number of quadrants on X-ray (sHR = 1.73, 95%CI = 1.46-2.06, p<0.001), Fi02>60% at HFNC initiation (sHR = 3.12, 95%CI = 2.06-4.74, p<0.001) and SAPSII at ICU admission (sHR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.02-1.05, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Duration of HFNC may be predictive of an excess mortality in ARF cancer patients. Early warning scores to predict HFNC failure are needed to identify patients who would benefit from early intubation.

114. Assessing pyrethroid resistance status in the Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois using Cox regression of bottle bioassays and other detection tools.

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2022 Jun 29

Burgess ER 4th, Lopez K, Irwin P

115. Measuring spatial accessibility to refuge green space after earthquakes: A case study of Nanjing, China.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Liu W, Xu H, Wu J

116. Effect of 17β-estradiol on the daily pattern of ACE2, ADAM17, TMPRSS2 and estradiol receptor transcription in the lungs and colon of male rats.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Herichová I, Jendrisková S, Pidíková P

117. Identification of high-risk contact areas between feral pigs and outdoor-raised pig operations in California: Implications for disease transmission in the wildlife-livestock interface.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Patterson L, Belkhiria J, Martínez-López B

The US is currently experiencing a return to raising domestic pigs outdoors, due to consumer demand for sustainably-raised animal products. A challenge in raising pigs outdoors is the possibility of these animals interacting with feral pigs and an associated risk of pathogen transmission. California has one of the largest and widest geographic distributions of feral pigs. Locations at greatest risk for increased contact between both swine populations are those regions that contain feral pig suitable habitat located near outdoor-raised domestic pigs. The main aim of this study entailed identifying potential high-risk areas of disease transmission between these two swine populations. Aims were achieved by predicting suitable feral pig habitat using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt); mapping the spatial distribution of outdoor-raised pig operations (OPO); and identifying high-risk regions where there is overlap between feral pig suitable habitat and OPO. A MaxEnt prediction map with estimates of the relative probability of suitable feral pig habitat was built, using hunting tags as presence-only points. Predictor layers were included in variable selection steps for model building. Five variables were identified as important in predicting suitable feral pig habitat in the final model, including the annual maximum green vegetation fraction, elevation, the minimum temperature of the coldest month, precipitation of the wettest month and the coefficient of variation for seasonal precipitation. For the risk map, the final MaxEnt model was overlapped with the location of OPOs to categorize areas at greatest risk for contact between feral swine and domestic pigs raised outdoors and subsequent potential disease transmission. Since raising pigs outdoors is a remerging trend, feral pig numbers are increasing nationwide, and both groups are reservoirs for various pathogens, the contact between these two swine populations has important implications for disease transmission in the wildlife-livestock interface.

118. If it weren't for my traditional healer, I would be dead": Engaging traditional healers to support people living with HIV in rural Mozambique.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Audet CM, Pettapiece-Phillips M, Tian Y

119. Cost-effectiveness analysis of implementing screening on preterm pre-eclampsia at first trimester of pregnancy in Germany and Switzerland.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Mewes JC, Lindenberg M, Vrijhoef HJM.

120. Effect of different antidiabetic medications on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: A multicenter non-interventional observational study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Gillani SW, Syed Sulaiman SA, Menon V

121. Topological characteristics of international business cycle synchronization: A network analysis of the BRI economies.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 28

Qiu Z, Mai S.

122. Genome sequence diversity of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from clinical samples in Uzbekistan.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Abdullaev A, Abdurakhimov A, Mirakbarova Z

Tracking temporal and spatial genomic changes and evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are among the most urgent research topics worldwide, which help to elucidate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis and the effect of deleterious variants. Our current study concentrates genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Uzbekistan and their associations with COVID-19 severity. Thirty-nine whole genome sequences (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from PCR-positive patients from Tashkent, Uzbekistan for the period of July-August 2021, were generated and further subjected to further genomic analysis. Genome-wide annotations of clinical isolates from our study have revealed a total of 223 nucleotide-level variations including SNPs and 34 deletions at different positions throughout the entire genome of SARS-CoV-2. These changes included two novel mutations at the Nonstructural protein (Nsp) 13: A85P and Nsp12: Y479N, which were unreported previously. There were two groups of co-occurred substitution patterns: the missense mutations in the Spike (S): D614G, Open Reading Frame (ORF) 1b: P314L, Nsp3: F924, 5`UTR:C241T; Nsp3:P2046L and Nsp3:P2287S, and the synonymous mutations in the Nsp4:D2907 (C8986T), Nsp6:T3646A and Nsp14:A1918V regions, respectively. The "Nextstrain" clustered the largest number of SARS-CoV-2 strains into the Delta clade (n = 32; 82%), followed by two Alpha-originated (n = 4; 10,3%) and 20A (n = 3; 7,7%) clades. Geographically the Delta clade sample sequences were grouped into several clusters with the SARS-CoV genotypes from Russia, Denmark, USA, Egypt and Bangladesh. Phylogenetically, the Delta isolates in our study belong to the two main subclades 21A (56%) and 21J (44%). We found that females were more affected by 21A, whereas males by 21J variant (χ2 = 4.57; p ≤ 0.05, n = 32). The amino acid substitution ORF7a:P45L in the Delta isolates found to be significantly associated with disease severity. In conclusion, this study evidenced that Identified novel substitutions Nsp13: A85P and Nsp12: Y479N, have a destabilizing effect, while missense substitution ORF7a: P45L significantly associated with disease severity.

123. Nitric oxide versus epoprostenol for refractory hypoxemia in Covid-19.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Poonam PBH, Koscik R, Nguyen T

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and outcomes with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and inhaled epoprostenol (iEPO) in patients with refractory hypoxemia due to COVID-19. DESIGN: Retrospective Cohort Study. SETTING: Single health system multicenter academic teaching hospitals. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: Age group of 18-80 years admitted to the medical ICU. INTERVENTIONS: Mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 infection, who received either iNO or iEPO between March 1st, 2020, and June 30th, 2020. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was the change in the PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio 1 hour after initiation of pulmonary vasodilator therapy. Secondary outcomes include P/F ratios on days 1-3 after initiation, positive response in P/F ratio (increase of at least 20% in PaO2), total days of treatment, rebound hypoxemia (if there was a drop in oxygen saturation after treatment was stopped), ventilator free days (if any patient was extubated), days in ICU, days to extubation, days to tracheostomy, mortality days after intubation, 30-day survival and mortality. 183 patients were excluded, as they received both iNO and iEPO. Of the remaining 103 patients, 62 received iEPO and 41 received iNO. The severity of ARDS was similar in both groups. Change in P/F ratio at one hour was 116 (70.3) with iNO and 107 (57.6) with iEPO (Mean/SD). Twenty-two (53.7%) patients in the iNO group and 25 (40.3%) in the iEPO group were responders to pulmonary vasodilators n(%)(p = 0.152) (more than 20% increase in partial pressure of oxygen, Pao2), and 18 (43.9%) and 31 (50%) patients in the iNO and iEPO group (p = 0.685), respectively, had rebound hypoxemia. Only 7 patients in the cohort achieved ventilator free days (3 in the iEPO group and 4 in iNO group). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant difference between iNO and iEPO in terms of change in P/F ratio, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU, in-hospital mortality in this cohort of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. Larger, prospective studies are necessary to validate these results.

124. Psychotherapeutic interventions for burns patients and the potential use with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis patients: A systematic integrative review.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

O'Reilly P, Meskell P, Whelan B

125. Individualized prediction of risk of ascending aortic syndromes.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Saleh QW, Diederichsen ACP, Lindholt JS.

OBJECTIVES: Although ascending aortic diameter changes acutely after dissection, recommendation for prophylactic surgery of thoracic aortic aneurysms rely on data from dissected aortas. In this case-control study we aim to identify risk markers for acute and chronic aortic syndromes of the ascending aorta (ACAS-AA). Furthermore, to develop a predictive model for ACAS-AA. METHODS: We collected data of 188 cases of ACAS-AA and 376 controls standardized to age- and sex of the background population. Medical history and CT-derived aortic morphology were collected. For the dependent outcome ACAS-AA, potential independent risk factors were identified by univariate logistic regression and confirmed in multivariate logistic regression. As post-dissection tubular ascending aortic diameter is prone to expand, this factor was not included in the first model. The individual calculated adjusted odds ratios were then used in ROC-curve analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the model. To test the influence of post-ACAS-AA tubular ascending aortic diameter, this was added to the model. RESULTS: The following risk factors were identified as independent risk factors for ACAS-AA in multivariate analysis: bicuspid aortic valve (OR 20.41, p = 0.03), renal insufficiency (OR 2.9, p<0.01), infrarenal abdominal aortic diameter (OR 1.08, p<0.01), left common carotid artery diameter (OR 1.40, p<0.01) and aortic width (OR 1.07, p<0.01). Area under the curve was 0.88 (p<0.01). Adding post-ACAS-AA tubular ascending aortic diameter to the model, negated the association of bicuspid aortic valve, renal insufficiency, and left common carotid artery diameter. Area under the curve changed to 0.98 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A high performing predictive model for ACAS-AA, free of ascending aortic diameter, can be achieved. Furthermore, we have identified abdominal aortic ectasia as an independent risk factor of ACAS-AA. Integration of potential biomarkers and morphologic variables, derived from undissected aortas, would probably improve the model.

126. IL-2, IL-6 and chitinase 3-like 2 might predict early relapse activity in multiple sclerosis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Petržalka M, Meluzínová E, Libertínová J

127. Changes in choroidal circulation hemodynamics during the menstrual cycle in young, healthy women.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Haneda M, Hashimoto Y, Mishima A

128. Factors that influence older patients' participation in clinical communication within developed country hospitals and GP clinics: A systematic review of current literature.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Gaffney HJ, Hamiduzzaman M.

BACKGROUND: Engaging older adults in clinical communication is an essential aspect of high-quality elder care, patient safety and satisfaction in hospitals and GP clinics. However, the factors that influence older adults' participation during their appointments with health professionals from the older patient's perspective remain under-investigated. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to fill this knowledge gap by reviewing research articles that have examined older patients' involvement in clinical communication. In doing so, we hope to assist healthcare professionals and institutions in developing new strategies to improve older patients' participation and engagement in clinical communication. METHODS: A systematic review of nine databases was conducted for studies reporting identified influences on older patients' participation in clinical communication published from 2010. These studies were then subjected to thematic analysis for stratification. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles with a total of 36,797 participants were included and highlighted three major themes that influenced older patients' participation in the clinical communication. The first theme identified includes accessibility to appointments, support, health information and person-centred care, highlighting that access to appointments, person centred care and health information significantly influences clinical communication participation. Relevant and understandable healthcare information identified that communication factors [i.e. tailored health information, health literacy and patient language barriers, and communication impairments] influences older patients' participation. Older Patient perceptions of HCP credibility and trustworthiness highlighted how patient's perceptions of health professionals influence their willingness to participate in clinical communications. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This review demonstrates that there are several factors that contribute to insufficient or no participation of older patients in clinical communication in hospitals and GP clinics. These include accessibility to relevant and understandable health information, and the perceived health professional credibility and trustworthiness. Identifying ways to address these factors may improve patient participation, doctor-patient collaboration and overall health outcomes for older patients.

129. Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of sustained release oxycodone hydrochloride rectal administration for moderate to severe pain.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Hou XB, Chen DD, Cheng TF

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxycodone hydrochloride (OxyContin) rectal administration in cancer pain patients. This is geared towards providing the research evidence for a novel route of OxyContin administration. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). Moreover, unpublished academic data were obtained by contacting the colleague, professor, or Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The RCTs of transrectal Oxycodone administration of sustained-release tablets for moderate and severe pain patients were searched in the databases from inception to December 2020. RESULTS: According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 8 RCTs were included, with a total of 648 patients. Meta analysis results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of moderate to severe pain control between the rectal administration group and the oral administration group (RR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.99-1.10, p = 0.13>0.05). At the same time, the incidence of adverse reactions in the rectal administration group was low. In terms of constipation, the rectal administration group was less than the oral administration group, with a statistically significant difference (RR = 0.43, 95%CI: 0.31-0.58, p< 0.00001). In terms of nausea and vomiting, the rectal administration group was less than the oral administration group, and the difference was statistically significant(RR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.21-0.42, p<0.00001). In terms of sleepiness, there was no significant difference between the two groups(RR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.26-1.15, p = 0.11>0.05). In terms of dizziness, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (RR = 0.43, 95%CI:0.27-0.68, p = 0.31>0.05). In terms of dyuria, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (RR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.02-7.02, p = 0.51>0.05). In terms of KPS scores there was no significant difference was noted between the rectal and oral administration groups (RR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.89-1.21, p = 0.63>0.05). CONCLUSION: In summary, we found no significant differences in efficacy between rectal administration of OxyContin and oral administration. Thus, rectal administration should be considered in managing cancer pain among patients with difficulty in oral OxyContin administration. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021209660.

130. Researchers' perspective of real-world impact from UK public health research: A qualitative study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Lakin K, Meadmore K, Recio Saucedo A

131. Use of autobiographical stimuli as a mood manipulation procedure: Systematic mapping review.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 27

Fernández-Pérez D, Toledano-González A, Ros L

132. Bicarbonate concentration as a predictor of prognosis in moderately severe COVID-19 patients: A multicenter retrospective study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Sada KE, Yamamoto R, Yano A

133. Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) and other inflammatory mediators in malaria by Plasmodium vivax during enteroparasites coinfection.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

de Jesus MCS, Barbosa JHR, Menezes RAO

134. A study on a vehicle semi-active suspension control system based on road elevation identification.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Yang Z, Shi C, Zheng Y

135. The relationship between physical fitness and competitive performance of Taekwondo athletes.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Liu R, He L.

136. HBV seroprevalence and liver fibrosis status among population born before national immunization in Southern Thailand: Findings from a health check-up program.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Sono S, Sae-Chan J, Kaewdech A

137. Chlorophyll decomposition is accelerated in banana leaves after the long-term magnesium deficiency according to transcriptome analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Kan B, Yang Y, Du P

138. Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Aljuaid M, Alotair H, Alnajjar F

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia have not been well studied. Previous reports from other countries have highlighted the effect of age, gender, clinical presentation and health conditions on the outcome of COVID-19 patients. Saudi Arabia has a different epidemiological structure with a predominance of young population, which calls for separate study. The objective of this study is to assess the predictors of mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. This is a retrospective observational cohort study of hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients at two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia between May to July 2020. Electronic charts were retrospectively reviewed comparing survivors and non-survivors in terms of demographic and clinical variables and comorbid conditions. A total of 564 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 20%. The non-survivors were significantly older than survivors (59.4 ± 13.7 years and 50.5 ± 13.9 years respectively P< 0.001). Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart failure and ischemic heart disease were more prevalent among non-survivors (P< 0.001). The mean values of glycosylated hemoglobin HgA1C, D-dimer, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase LDH, Alanin aminotransferase ALT and creatinine were significantly higher among non-survivors (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (aOR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.08; P < 0.01), chronic kidney disease (aOR = 4.04; 95% CI 1.11-14.77; P < 0.05), acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS (aOR = 14.53; 95% CI 5.42-38.69; P < 0.01), Mechanical Ventilation (aOR = 10.57; 95% CI 5.74-23.59; P < 0.01), Shock (aOR = 3.85; 95% CI 1.02-14.57; P < 0.05), admission to intensive care unit (ICU) (aOR = 0.12; 95% CI 0.04-0.33; P < 0.01) and length of stay (aOR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.93-0.99; P < 0.05) were significant contributors towards mortality. The in-hospital mortality rate of COVID-19 patients admitted to tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia is high. Older age, chronic kidney disease and ARDS were the most important predictors of mortality.

139. The structural brain network topology of episodic memory.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Matyi MA, Spielberg JM.

140. Political orientation, moral foundations, and COVID-19 social distancing.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Tarry H, Vézina V, Bailey J

141. Socioeconomic status and stroke severity: Understanding indirect effects via risk factors and stroke prevention using innovative statistical methods for mediation analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Lindmark A, Eriksson M, Darehed D.

142. Metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiota in piglets either challenged or not with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli reveals beneficial effects of probiotics on microbiome composition, resistome, digestive function and oxidative stress responses.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Apiwatsiri P, Pupa P, Sirichokchatchawan W

This study used metagenomic analysis to investigate the gut microbiota and resistome in piglets that were or were not challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and had or had not received dietary supplementation with microencapsulated probiotics. The 72 piglets belonged to six groups that were either non-ETEC challenged (groups 1-3) or ETEC challenged (receiving 5ml of 109 CFU/ml pathogenic ETEC strain L3.2 one week following weaning at three weeks of age: groups 4-6). On five occasions at 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 days of piglet age, groups 2 and 5 were supplemented with 109 CFU/ml of multi-strain probiotics (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains 22F and 25F, and Pediococcus acidilactici 72N) while group 4 received 109 CFU/ml of P. acidilactici 72N. Group 3 received 300mg/kg chlortetracycline in the weaner diet to mimic commercial conditions. Rectal faecal samples were obtained for metagenomic and resistome analysis at 2 days of age, and at 12 hours and 14 days after the timing of post-weaning challenge with ETEC. The piglets were all euthanized at 42 days of age. The piglets in groups 2 and 5 were enriched with several desirable microbial families, including Lactobacillaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, while piglets in group 3 had increases in members of the Bacteroidaceae family and exhibited an increase in tetW and tetQ genes. Group 5 had less copper and multi-biocide resistance. Mobile genetic elements IncQ1 and IncX4 were the most prevalent replicons in antibiotic-fed piglets. Only groups 6 and 3 had the integrase gene (intl) class 2 and 3 detected, respectively. The insertion sequence (IS) 1380 was prevalent in group 3. IS3 and IS30, which are connected to dietary intake, were overrepresented in group 5. Furthermore, only group 5 showed genes associated with detoxification, with enrichment of genes associated with oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, and amino acid metabolism compared to the other groups. Overall, metagenomic analysis showed that employing a multi-strain probiotic could transform the gut microbiota, reduce the resistome, and boost genes associated with food metabolism.

143. Cross border project in China-Pakistan economic corridor and its influence on women empowerment perspectives.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Kumar J, Xi C, Imran M

144. Effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy on T1-2N1M0 triple-negative breast cancer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Xia LY, Xu WY, Zhao Y.

145. D-optimal mixture design optimized solid formulation containing fruits extracts of Momordica charantia and Abelmoschus esculentus.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Peter EL, Sesaazi CD.

Fruit extracts of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) and Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (Malvaceae) have shown promising antidiabetic activities in clinical trials. However, they remain underutilized due to insufficient standardization and lack of formulation containing their mixture. This study's overall purpose was to develop and optimize a capsule dosage form containing dried fruit extracts of M. charantia and A. esculentus. The design of the experiment involved two steps; first, response surface methodology (RSM) with a five-level two-factor central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was employed to determine the optimal dose of a mixture of extracts for adequate glycemic control. The extract of M. charantia and A. esculentus were the independent variables while fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was the dependent factor. In the second step, a D-optimal mixture design was applied to study the interaction effect of the optimal dose and selected excipients on granules flowability and capsules' disintegration time. Moreover, a second-order quadratic model determined the interrelationship of excipients and the desired capsules' quality attributes. The validity of the predicted models was confirmed. The findings indicated that a combined dose of 175 A. esculentus and 281 M. charantia (mg/kg) significantly reduced the FPG level compared to vehicle at day 14 (mean difference -2.7 ± 0.21, p < 0.001). This dose was used to make a 600 mg capsule (DM083) with 76% drug loading. The DM083 had 40.4 ± 0.62 mg GAE/gDW total polyphenols, 12 peaks HPLC fingerprint, and 26.6 ± 4.75 min average disintegration time. Together, these findings showed that a mixture of M. charantia and A. esculentus fruit extracts could be formulated in a stable capsule dosage form with acceptable quality standards. Further biological studies such as toxicity assays and long-term efficacy studies of the developed capsules could be carried out before large-scale commercial production.

146. The prevalence of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine side effects among Nigist Eleni Mohammed memorial comprehensive specialized hospital health workers. Cross sectional survey.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Desalegn M, Garoma G, Tamrat H

147. Characterization of a Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 mutant strain with mutation accumulation, including a lack of phage-derived genes.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Yokogawa T, Nagano K, Fujita M

148. The good, the bad, and the mixed: Experiences during COVID-19 among an online sample of adults.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Mills DJ, Petrovic J, Mettler J

149. Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of two imidocarb formulations in cattle after subcutaneous injection.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Wang H, Chen C, Liu M

150. Monitoring of wearing and occlusion times with smart shutter glasses-A proof of concept.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Ihmig FR, Januschowski K, Koch T

151. Spatiotemporal variation of potential evapotranspiration and its dominant factors during 1970-2020 across the Sichuan-Chongqing region, China.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Zheng Q, He J, Qin M

Analyzing the primary factors of potential evapotranspiration (PET) dynamic is fundamental to accurately estimating crop yield, evaluating environmental impacts, and understanding water and carbon cycles. Previous studies have focused on regionally average regional PET and its dominant factors. Spatial distributions of PET trends and their main causes have not been fully investigated. The Mann-Kendall test was used to determine the significance of long-term trends in PET and five meteorological factors (net radiation, wind speed, air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, relative humidity) at 56 meteorological stations in the Sichuan-Chongqing region from 1970 to 2020. Furthermore, this present study combining and quantitatively illustrated sensitivities and contributions of the meteorological factors to change in annual and seasonal PET. There was a positive trend in PET for approximately 58%, 68%, 38%, 73% and 73% of all surveyed stations at annual, spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. Contribution analysis exhibited that the driving factors for the PET variation varied spatially and seasonally. For stations with an upward PET trend, vapor pressure deficit was a dominant factor at all time scales. For stations with a downward PET trend, annual changes in PET mainly resulted from decreased wind speed, as did changes in spring, autumn and winter; decreasing net radiation was the dominant factor in summer. The positive effect of the vapor pressure deficit offset the negative effects of wind speed and net radiation, leading to the increasing PET in this area as a whole. Sensitivity analysis showed that net radiation and relative humidity were the two most sensitive variables for PET, followed by vapor pressure deficit in this study area. Results from the two mathematical approaches were not perfect match, because the change magnitude of the meteorological factors is also responsible for the effects of meteorological factors on PET variation to some extent. However, conducting sensitivity and contribution analysis in this study can avoid the uncertainties from using a single method and provides detailed and well-understood information for interpreting the influence of global climate change on the water cycle and improving local water management.

152. The missing bit in the middle: Implementation of the Nationals Health Services Standards for Papua New Guinea.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Schuele E, MacDougall C.

OBJECTIVE: This case study examined implementation of the National Health Services Standards (NHSSs) as a continuous quality improvement (CQI) process at three church-based health facilities in Papua New Guinea. This process was designed to improve quality of care and accredit the level three health centers to level four as district hospitals to provide a higher level of care. The aims of the paper are to critically examine driving and restraining forces in CQI implementation and analyses how power influences agenda setting for change. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine managers and eight health workers as well as three focus group discussions with health workers from three rural church-based health facilities in Morobe and Madang provinces. They included senior, mid-level and frontline managers and medical doctors, health extension officers, nursing officers and community health workers. Thematic analysis was used as an inductive and deductive process in which applied force field analysis, leadership-member exchange (LMX) theory and agenda setting was applied. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis showed how internal and external factors created urgency for change. The CQI process was designed as a collective process. Power relations operated at and between various levels: the facilities, which supported or undermined the change process; between management whereby the national management supported the quality improvement agenda, but the regional management exercised positional power in form of inaction. Theoretical analysis identified the 'missing bit in the middle' shaped by policy actors who exercise power over policy formulation and constrained financial and technical resources. Analysis revealed how to reduce restraining forces and build on driving forces to establish a new equilibrium. CONCLUSION: Multiple theories contributed to the analysis showing how to resolve problematic power relations by building high-quality, effective communication of senior leadership with mid-level management and reactivated broad collaborative processes at the health facilities. Addressing the 'missing bit in the middle' by agenda setting can improve implementation of the NHSSs as a quality improvement process. The paper concludes with learning for policy makers, managers and health workers by highlighting to pay close attention to institutional power dynamics and practices.

153. Factors associated with the diagnosis of COVID-19 among Brazilian health professionals COVID-19 and health professionals.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Gir E, Teles SA, Menegueti MG

154. Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of an exercise and behaviour change intervention in socioeconomically deprived patients with peripheral arterial disease: The textpad study protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Cucato G, Snowden C, McCone E

155. Inter-limb asymmetry in youth elite soccer players: Effect of loading conditions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Ascenzi G, Filetti C, Di Salvo V

156. The influence of blood donation before pregnancy on neonatal birth weight.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Lu G, Zhu Z, Lu Y

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of blood donation before pregnancy on neonatal birth weight. METHODS: A total of 14996 women with singleton pregnancies at full-term in Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital and Ningbo Women's and Children's Hospital from November 2019 to November 2020 were enrolled in this study. Detailed records of whole blood donation before pregnancy were obtained through Alipay software. The records were classified into three groups: nondonors, low-frequency donors and high-frequency donors according to the total numbers of blood donations in the 3-year period before pregnancy. The demographics and clinical information of the enrolled participants and their fetuses were collected from electronic medical records (EMRs). The effect of blood donations in the 3-year period before pregnancy on neonatal birth weight was analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in neonatal birth weight among the three groups (P = 0.373). In line with this, there was no association between the number of blood donations in the 3-year period before pregnancy and neonatal birth weight (β = 14.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.9, 31.4; P = 0.094) in the bootstrapped multivariate linear regression analysis models, adjusted for maternal age, number of pregnancies, number of deliveries, gestational age, mode of delivery, years of education and blood type in pregnant women. Compared to the nondonors, the risk of fetal macrosomia was higher in both low-frequency donors and all donors (OR: 1.539, 95% CI: 1.058, 2.134, P = 0.016; OR: 1.454, 95% CI: 1.033, 1.952, P = 0.021, respectively), in the bootstrapped binary logistic regression analysis models after adjusting for the variables mentioned above. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that maternal blood donation in the 3-year period before pregnancy may not lead to a reduction in neonatal birth weight, but may be associated with the incidence of fetal macrosomia.

157. Eradication of avian leukosis virus subgroups J and K in broiler cross chickens by selection against infected birds using multilocus PCR.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Borodin AM, Emanuilova ZV, Smolov SV

158. Modelling optimal use of temporarily restricted colonoscopy capacity in a FIT-based CRC screening program: Application during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

de Jonge L, van de Schootbrugge-Vandermeer HJ, Breekveldt ECH

159. 2D Short-Time Fourier Transform for local morphological analysis of meibomian gland images.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Ciężar K, Pochylski M.

160. Trpc6 gain-of-function disease mutation enhances phosphatidylserine exposure in murine platelets.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Boekell KL, Brown BJ, Talbot BE

161. Effects of Tai Chi on the quality of life, mental wellbeing, and physical function of adults with chronic diseases: Protocol for a single-blind, two-armed, randomised controlled trial.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Wang CC, Lo J, Geraghty S

INTRODUCTION: Quality of life (QoL), mental wellbeing, and physical function are often diminished among people with chronic disease. Tai Chi is a moderate form of exercise that may be effective in improving chronic disease management. This protocol paper outlines a trial to determine the therapeutic effects of a Tai Chi program on chronic disease management. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will be a pilot, interventional, single-blind, two-armed, randomised, parallel, and controlled trial involving a 12-week Tai Chi program for Australian adults. Forty people aged 18 years and older, diagnosed with one or more chronic disease from general community will be recruited. All participants will be randomised to either a 12-week Tai Chi program or a waiting list control group. The Tai Chi program will involve 12 weeks of group Tai Chi sessions, with 45 minutes per session, twice a week. The primary outcome will be QoL as measured by mean scores on the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2) and the EuroQoL (EQ-5D). The secondary outcomes will include anxiety as measured by mean score on the generalised anxiety disorder 7 (GAD-7) survey; depression as measured by mean score on the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9); work productivity and activity assessment (WPAI:SHP); pain (if any) as measured by mean scores on the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ). These primary and secondary outcomes will be self-administered via two online assessments prior to (T0) and post-intervention (T1). Objective measures as additional secondary outcomes, will also be carried out by the research team including flexibility as measured by the finger to floor distance (FFD); obesity as measured by mean scores on body mass index (BMI); vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperate, and oxygen saturation) as measured by a blood pressure monitor, tympanic, and pulse oximetry device, and these outcomes will be measured at T0 and T1 in the ECU Holistic Health Research Clinic. People diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, their glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) and fasting (before breakfast) blood glucose level (BGL) will also be measured via test kits at T0 and T1 in the clinic. Linear mixed modelling will be conducted to assess changes in outcomes. Statistical significance will be set at an alpha level of 0.05 with a medium effect size. All analyses will be conducted using R version 4.1. Qualitative data will be analysed using template thematic analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Edith Cowan University (ECU) Human Research Ethics Committee (2021-03042-WANG). Research findings will be disseminated to the public, health professionals, researchers, and healthcare providers through conference presentations, lay summaries, and peer-reviewed publications. This study will provide an updated evidence on a safe, sustainable, and inexpensive non-pharmacological approach in the management of chronic disease, the number one burden of disease in Australia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: ACTRN12622000042741p.

162. Effects of long-term childhood exercise and detraining on lipid accumulation in metabolic-related organs.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Nguyen ST, Fujita N, Oshima T

The preventive effects of regular exercise on obesity-related health problems are carried over to the non-exercise detraining period, even when physical activity decreases with aging. However, it remains unknown whether regular childhood exercises can be carried over to adulthood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term childhood exercise and detraining on lipid accumulation in organs to prevent obesity in adulthood. Four-week-old male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were used as obese animals. OLETF rats were allocated into sedentary and exercise groups: exercise from 4- to 12-week-old and detraining from 12- to 20-week-old. At 12-week-old immediately after the exercise period, regular exercise completely inhibited hyperphagia, obesity, enlarged pancreatic islets, lipid accumulation and lobular inflammation in the liver, hypertrophied adipocytes in the white adipose tissue (WAT), and brown adipose tissue (BAT) whitening in OLETF rats. Additionally, exercise attenuated the decrease in the ratio of muscle wet weight to body weight associated with obesity. Decreased food consumption was maintained during the detraining period, which inhibited obesity and diabetes at 20-week-old after the detraining period. Histologically, childhood exercise inhibited the enlargement of pancreatic islets after the detraining period. In addition, inhibition of lipid accumulation was completely maintained in the WAT and BAT after the detraining period. However, the effectiveness was only partially successful in lipid accumulation and inflammation in the liver. The ratio of muscle wet weight to body weight was maintained after detraining. In conclusion, early long-term regular exercise effectively prevents obesity and diabetes in childhood, and its effectiveness can be tracked later in life. The present study suggests the importance of exercise during childhood and adolescence to inhibit hyperphagia-induced lipid accumulation in metabolic-related organs in adulthood despite exercise cessation.

163. Stability evaluation of compounded hydroxyurea 100 mg/mL oral liquids using a novel analytical method involving chemical derivatization.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Coache D, Friciu M, Bernine Marcellin R

164. Comparative study on the performance of different classification algorithms, combined with pre- and post-processing techniques to handle imbalanced data, in the diagnosis of adult patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Albuquerque J, Medeiros AM, Alves AC

165. Increasing incidence of reported scabies infestations in the Netherlands, 2011-2021.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

van Deursen B, Hooiveld M, Marks S

166. Non-COVID outcomes associated with the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic effects study (COPES): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Lau VI, Dhanoa S, Cheema H

BACKGROUND: As the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, healthcare providers struggle to manage both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients while still providing high-quality care. We conducted a systematic review/meta-analysis to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with non-COVID illness and on healthcare systems compared to non-pandemic epochs. METHODS: We searched Ovid MEDLINE/EMBASE/Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews/CENTRAL/CINAHL (inception to December 31, 2020). All study types with COVID-pandemic time period (after December 31, 2019) with comparative non-pandemic time periods (prior to December 31, 2019). Data regarding study characteristics/case-mix/interventions/comparators/ outcomes (primary: mortality; secondary: morbidity/hospitalizations/disruptions-to-care. Paired reviewers conducted screening and abstraction, with conflicts resolved by discussion. Effect sizes for specific therapies were pooled using random-effects models. Risk of bias was assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, with evidence rating using GRADE methodology. RESULTS: Of 11,581 citations, 167 studies met eligibility. Our meta-analysis showed an increased mortality of 16% during the COVID pandemic for non-COVID illness compared with 11% mortality during the pre-pandemic period (RR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.28-1.50; absolute risk difference: 5% [95% CI: 4-6%], p<0.00001, very low certainty evidence). Twenty-eight studies (17%) reported significant changes in morbidity (where 93% reported increases), while 30 studies (18%) reported no significant change (very low certainty). Thirty-nine studies (23%) reported significant changes in hospitalizations (97% reporting decreases), while 111 studies (66%) reported no significant change (very low certainty). Sixty-two studies (37%) reported significant disruptions in standards-to-care (73% reporting increases), while 62 studies (37%) reported no significant change (very low certainty). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant increase in mortality during the COVID pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times for non-COVID illnesses. When significant changes were reported, there was increased morbidity, decreased hospitalizations and increased disruptions in standards-of-care. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020201256 (Sept 2, 2020).

167. Serial T-SPOT.TB responses in Tanzanian adolescents: Transient, persistent and irregular conversions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Amour MA, Rees CA, Munseri PJ

BACKGROUND: Prospective studies of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) on healthy subjects in tuberculosis-endemic regions have not examined the long-term variability of serial assays. This issue is relevant to the interpretation of tuberculosis (TB) vaccine trials based on prevention of infection. METHODS: T-SPOT.TB assays were performed manually on healthy adolescents during a tuberculosis vaccine trial in Tanzania at 5 intervals over 3 years. Assay results were defined as negative, positive, borderline or invalid. Subsequently, microtiter plates were analyzed by an automated reader to obtain quantitative counts of spot forming cells (SFCs) for the present analysis. RESULTS: 3387 T-SPOT.TB samples were analyzed from 928 adolescents; manual and automated assay results were 97% concordant. Based on the quantitative results 143 (15%) participants were prevalent IGRA-positives at baseline, were ineligible for further study. Among the remaining IGRA-negative participants, the annual rate of IGRA conversion was 2·9%. Among 43 IGRA converters with repeat assays 12 (28%) were persistent converters, 16 (37%) were transient converters, and 15 (35%) comprised a new category defined as irregular converters (≥2 different subsequent results). ESAT-6 and CFP-10 responses were higher in prevalent than incident positives: 53 vs 36 for CFP-10 (p < 0·007); 44 vs 34 for ESAT-6 (p = 0·12). CONCLUSIONS: Definitions of IGRA conversion, reversion, and persistence depend critically on the frequency of testing. Multiple shifts in categories among adolescents in a TB-endemic country may represent multiple infections, variable host responses in subclinical infection, or assay variation. These findings should to be considered in the design and interpretation of TB vaccine trials based on prevention of infection. Household contact studies could determine whether even transient IGRA conversion might represent exposure to an active case of M. tuberculosis disease.

168. Developing health and environmental warning messages about red meat: An online experiment.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Taillie LS, Prestemon CE, Hall MG

169. Adverse events related to ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia performed by Emergency Physicians: Systematic review protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Stickles SP, Kane DS, Kraus CK

170. Effects of dance therapy in women with breast cancer: A systematic review protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Silva da Costa N, Alves da Silva AS, de Melo-Neto JS.

171. Resveratrol inhibits the inflammatory response and oxidative stress induced by uterine ischemia reperfusion injury by activating PI3K-AKT pathway.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Wang Y, Wu Y, Peng S.

Uterus transplantation is a complex surgical procedure. Uterine ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury that occurs during this process may cause a loss of function of the uterus and the failure of transplantation. Resveratrol (RSV) is a naturally occurring polyphenol found abundantly in the skin of grapes and red wine, and it has also been used as a dietary supplement in clinical practice. RSV possesses strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, and exhibits a role in immune system regulation. However, the role of RSV in protecting the uterus against I/R-induced injury is yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms underlying RSV in I/R-induced uterus injury. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control (sham operation) group, the uterus I/R group, the 20 mg/kg RSV-pre-treated I/R (I/R+RSV/20) group and the 40 mg/kg RSV-pre-treated I/R (I/R+ RSV/40) group. A regular I/R model was established to induce uterus injury in rats. RSV at 20 or 40 mg/kg was intraperitoneally administrated into rats in both I/R+ RSV groups once per day for five consecutive days prior to ischemia. The control and I/R only groups received an intraperitoneal injection of the vehicle (ethanol) for the same period prior to ischemia. Samples from blood and uterine horns were collected 3 h after reperfusion. Changes in the levels of malondialdehyde, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-10 and IL-37 were determined using ELISA, the activity levels of myeloperoxidase, catalase, and superoxidase dismutase were also determined using ELISA, the protein expression levels of PI3K, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, AKT and p-AKT were determined using western blot analysis, and the uterine histology was investigated using H&E staining. Results of the present study demonstrated that treatment with RSV increased the capacity of antioxidants and suppressed uterine oxidative injury induced by I/R. Moreover, treatment with RSV decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, RSV promoted the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, thus activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, administration of RSV prior to uterine I/R effectively alleviated inflammatory response and oxidative stress via activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway, suggesting that RSV may play a protective role in I/R-induced uterus injury.

172. Recognition & management of varicella infections and accuracy of antimicrobial recommendations: Case vignettes study in the US.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 24

Fergie J, Pawaskar M, Veeranki P

BACKGROUND: In 1995, the CDC recommended one-dose routine varicella immunization for children <12 years of age, expanding its recommendation to two doses in 2006. Today, with widespread varicella vaccination coverage, an estimated 3.5 million cases of varicella, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths are prevented annually in the United States. Since varicella infections are now uncommon, health care providers (HCPs) may not recognize varicella infections and may prescribe inappropriate treatment. METHODS: An online survey of HCPs was conducted to assess recognition and management of varicella infections. Responses to eight varicella vignettes describing patients with varying varicella symptoms were analyzed and descriptive analyses performed. Stratified analysis comparing responses of those licensed before and in/after 1996 was also performed. RESULTS: 153 HCPs (50 nurse practitioners, 103 doctors) completed the survey. Mean age of respondents was 44 years. 62% were female, and 82% were licensed before 1996. Varicella infection was correctly diagnosed 79% of the time. HCPs correctly recognized uncomplicated varicella vignettes 85% of the time versus 61% of the time for complicated varicella vignettes. Antibiotics were recommended 17% of the time and antivirals 18% of the time, of which 25% and 69% (respectively) were not appropriate per guidelines. HCPs licensed before 1996 were better able to recognize varicella compared to those licensed later, but prescribed more antimicrobials medications to treat varicella. CONCLUSIONS: Although most HCPs recognized varicella infection, a sizable proportion could not recognize cases with complications, and some of the varicella cases were inappropriately treated with antibiotics and/or antivirals. Additional HCP training and high vaccination coverage are important strategies to avoid inaccurate diagnoses and minimize unnecessary exposure to antimicrobial/antiviral therapies.

173. Manual wheelchair biomechanics while overcoming various environmental barriers: A systematic review.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Rouvier T, Louessard A, Simonetti E

174. Hypolipidemic activity of lactic acid bacteria: Adjunct therapy for potential probiotics.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Ali SM, Salem FE, Aboulwafa MM

BACKGROUND: Individuals with hyperlipidemia are two times more likely to develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) as opposed to those with controlled serum total cholesterol (TC) levels. Considering the documented adverse events of the current lipid-lowering medications which ultimately affect patient's compliance, substantial efforts have been made to develop new therapeutic strategies. Probiotics, on the other hand, are reported to have lipid-lowering activity with the added benefit of being generally well-tolerated making it an appealing adjuvant therapy. METHODS: A total of fifty Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from raw milk (human and animal) and dairy products. Isolates demonstrating promising in vitro cholesterol removal capabilities were morphologically and biochemically characterized. Lastly, two bacterial candidates were selected for evaluation of their potential hypolipidemic activity using a laboratory animal model. Statistical differences between the means were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Most of the isolates demonstrated an in vitro cholesterol removal activity. The six LAB isolates showing the highest cholesterol removal activity (36.5-55.6%) were morphologically and biochemically identified as Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Lactococcus species. The results demonstrated two promising antihyperlipidemic candidates, a Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis with an in vivo significant reduction of serum triglycerides (TG) levels by 34.3%, and a Pediococcus sp. that was able to significantly reduce both the serum TC and TG levels by 17.3% and 47.0%, respectively, as compared to the diet-induced hyperlipidemic animal group. CONCLUSION: This study further supports the growing evidence regarding the antihyperlipidemic activity among probiotics, presenting them as a promising therapeutic approach for the management of hyperlipidemia.

175. Network pharmacology integrated molecular dynamics reveals the bioactive compounds and potential targets of Tinospora crispa Linn. as insulin sensitizer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Zuhri UM, Purwaningsih EH, Fadilah F

176. Characteristics of pigmentary glaucoma in Japanese individuals.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Yamashita T, Shiihara H, Terasaki H

177. Data-informed deep optimization.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Zhang L, Xu ZJ, Zhang Y.

178. What's governance got to do with it? Examining the relationship between governance and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Benzeev R, Wilson B, Butler M

179. Parsimonious root systems and better root distribution can improve biomass production and yield of soybean.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Noh E, Fallen B, Payero J

Enhancing the acquisition of belowground resources has been identified as an opportunity for improving soybean productivity worldwide. Root system architecture is gaining interest as a selection criterion in breeding programs for enhancing soil resource acquisition and developing climate-resilient varieties. Here we are presenting two novel characteristics of soybean root system architecture that improve aboveground growth and yield. Eleven selected soybean genotypes were tested under rain-fed conditions in 2019 and 2020 at two locations in South Carolina, in which one of the locations was characterized by compacted soils. The elite SC breeding line SC07-1518RR, exotic pedigree line N09-12854, and slow wilting line N09-13890 were superior genotypes in terms of biomass production, seed yield, and/or water use efficiency. Genotypes N09-12854 and N09-13890 demonstrated reduced root development (based on total root count and length), likely to restrict belowground growth and allocate more resources for shoot growth. This characteristic, which can be referred as a parsimonious root phenotype, might be advantageous for soybean improvement in high-input production systems (characterized by adequate fertilizer application and soil fertility) that exist in many parts of the world. Genotype SC07-1518RR exhibited a similar strategy: while it maintained its root system at an intermediate size through reduced levels of total root count and length, it selectively distributed more roots at deeper depths (53-70 cm). The increased root distribution of SC07-1518RR at deeper depths in compacted soil indicates its root penetrability and suitability for clayey soils with high penetration resistance. The beneficial root phenotypes identified in this study (parsimonious root development and selective root distribution in deeper depths) and the genotypes that possessed those phenotypes (SC07-1518RR, N09-12854, and N09-13890) will be useful for breeding programs in developing varieties for optimal, drought, and compacted-soil conditions.

180. Exploring EEG spectral and temporal dynamics underlying a hand grasp movement.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Bodda S, Diwakar S.

For brain-computer interfaces, resolving the differences between pre-movement and movement requires decoding neural ensemble activity in the motor cortex's functional regions and behavioural patterns. Here, we explored the underlying neural activity and mechanisms concerning a grasped motor task by recording electroencephalography (EEG) signals during the execution of hand movements in healthy subjects. The grasped movement included different tasks; reaching the target, grasping the target, lifting the object upwards, and moving the object in the left or right directions. 163 trials of EEG data were acquired from 30 healthy participants who performed the grasped movement tasks. Rhythmic EEG activity was analysed during the premovement (alert task) condition and compared against grasped movement tasks while the arm was moved towards the left or right directions. The short positive to negative deflection that initiated around -0.5ms as a wave before the onset of movement cue can be used as a potential biomarker to differentiate movement initiation and movement. A rebound increment of 14% of beta oscillations and 26% gamma oscillations in the central regions was observed and could be used to distinguish pre-movement and grasped movement tasks. Comparing movement initiation to grasp showed a decrease of 10% in beta oscillations and 13% in gamma oscillations, and there was a rebound increment 4% beta and 3% gamma from grasp to grasped movement. We also investigated the combination MRCPs and spectral estimates of α, β, and γ oscillations as features for machine learning classifiers that could categorize movement conditions. Support vector machines with 3rd order polynomial kernel yielded 70% accuracy. Pruning the ranked features to 5 leaf nodes reduced the error rate by 16%. For decoding grasped movement and in the context of BCI applications, this study identifies potential biomarkers, including the spatio-temporal characteristics of MRCPs, spectral information, and choice of classifiers for optimally distinguishing initiation and grasped movement.

181. Memory augmented recurrent neural networks for de-novo drug design.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 23

Suresh N, Chinnakonda Ashok Kumar N, Subramanian S

182. Under the influence of nature: The contribution of natural capital to tourism spend.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Fitch A, Kuyer J, Kharadi N

Tourism and outdoor leisure is an important economic sector for many countries, and has a substantial reliance on natural capital. Natural capital may be the primary purpose for tourism, or it may be a secondary factor, where the choice of location for a leisure activity is influenced by natural capital. Typically, when valuing tourism and outdoor leisure, all expenditure associated with the activity is assigned to the ecosystem it occurs in. However, this value illustrates the dependency on natural capital, rather than the contribution of natural capital. In natural capital accounting, a major challenge is to separately identify the contribution of natural capital from that of other forms of capital. In this study we develop a transparent and repeatable method that is able to attribute the contribution of natural capital (here defined as ecosystems) to the output of multiple tourism and outdoor leisure activities. Using national statistics from Great Britain, we calculate the natural capital contribution to tourism spend by activity at a national and regional scale, and for a case study map and value the contributing ecosystems. We estimated that, out of a total £36 billion spent on tourism and leisure activities in 2017, £22.5 billion was attributable to natural capital. This equates to 0.9% of the UK GDP. The Gross Value Added component of this attributable was £10.5 billion, equivalent to 0.4% of the UK GDP. Regions with the highest natural capital contribution in Great Britain were Scotland and Wales, with the lowest being Greater London and the West Midlands in England. For the case study, the ecosystems with the greatest contribution to terrestrial activities were marine and enclosed farmland. These methods can be applied worldwide for anywhere with aggregate economic statistics on expenditure associated with tourism and outdoor leisure, with the aid of open source GIS datasets.

183. Study on distribution characteristic of tourism attractions in international cultural tourism demonstration region in South Anhui in China.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Xu J, Wang P.

184. Female sex hormones and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in European women of a population-based cohort.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Sigurðardóttir ES, Gislason T, Benediktsdottir B

185. Sex differences in the effect of muscle fatigue on static postural control under different vision and task conditions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Jo D, Pannetier M, Drouin S

186. Teachers' perceptions of teaching physical education using online learning during the COVID-19: A quantitative study in Turkey.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Konukman F, Filiz B, Ünlü H.

187. Alleviation of cadmium toxicity in Zea mays L. through up-regulation of growth, antioxidant defense system and organic osmolytes under calcium supplementation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Kaleem M, Shabir F, Hussain I

188. Using deep-learning in fetal ultrasound analysis for diagnosis of cystic hygroma in the first trimester.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Walker MC, Willner I, Miguel OX

189. Bycatch and discards in the artisanal shrimp trawl fishery in Northern Peru.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 22

Mendo J, Mendo T, Gil-Kodaka P

This study analyses the bycatch composition of an artisanal shrimp trawl fleet operating between Cabo Blanco and Máncora in Northern Peru between April 2019 and March 2020. A total of 300 hauls were analysed with respect to target catch and bycatch (consisting of other commercial species, discards, and macroalgae). A total of 277 species were recorded including 111 species of fish, 65 species of molluscs, 51 species of crustaceans, 22 species of algae, 12 species of cnidarian, 9 species of echinoderms, 4 species of Bryozoa and 3 species of polychaeta. Capture per unit effort (CPUE, kg.h-1) was highest for fish, followed by crustaceans, algae and molluscs. The target species Penaeus californiensis coffee shrimp constituted 17.8% of the overall catch,82.2% represented bycatch, and 50.6% represented discards. Coffee shrimps were more abundant in June and November 2019 and in January and February 2020. Highest bycatch CPUE occurred in May, June and December 2019. The most abundant species in the bycatch throughout the study period were sand perch (Diplectrum conceptione, 16% weight of the total catch), the macroalgae caulerpa (Caulerpa filiformis, 13%), sole flounder (Etropus ectenes, 6.4%), Pacific drum (Larimus pacificus, 5.7%), and lumptail searobin (Prionotus stephanophrys, 5.1%). Overall, the contribution of sand perch and flounder, exceeded the weight of coffee shrimp, therefore the interpretation that shrimp is the sole target species needs to be revised. The number of discarded species per month increased towards the spring months with the highest value in November. This study represents the first characterisation of bycatch in the artisanal trawling fishery in the Piura region in northern Peru and reveals a high proportion of bycatch in the fishery but also hints at potential temporal management measures that could be imposed to reduce the levels of bycatch. For example, the months of May and December had the greatest bycatch to shrimp ratios and the fishery could potentially be closed to avoid high bycatch risk, however, longer term information is needed to assess if the trends observed in bycatch are similar over longer periods of time. The species characterisation of bycatch also provides information for the design of modified nets which would target the reduction of small fish present in the catch.

190. High throughput SARS-CoV-2 variant analysis using molecular barcodes coupled with next generation sequencing.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Cohen-Aharonov LA, Rebibo-Sabbah A, Yaacov A

191. Comparing artificial intelligence and human coaching goal attainment efficacy.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Terblanche N, Molyn J, de Haan E

192. The emergence of COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Community knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Kinshasa.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Akilimali PZ, Mashinda DK, Lulebo AM

BACKGROUND: The first COVID-19 case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was reported on 10 March 2020 in Kinshasa, prompting the government to promote internationally agreed non-pharmacological interventions for infection prevention and control. Public compliance to these measures is critical and depends on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of communities regarding COVID-19, for which there was no data. This study aimed to bridge that gap. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa in June 2020, during the emergency state, following a four-stage sampling process. Master's students from the Kinshasa School of Public Health conducted the survey. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The study enrolled 726 women and 600 men (mean age: 43; SD 16-85). Nearly everyone heard about COVID-19 (mainly through television, radio, and street reports), but only 17% were highly knowledgeable about its transmission modes, signs and symptoms, and preventive measures. More than 80% of participants believed in the disease's seriousness; however, only 21% found the total lockdown acceptable. Nonetheless, 86% reported regular hand cleaning and mask-wearing followed by physical distancing (72%). Poorer, younger, and non-Catholic participants were overall markedly less knowledgeable and had comparatively lower levels of health-protective attitudes, acceptance, and practices. The education level and household size did not matter. Female participants tended to show fewer enabling attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 prevention measures compared to men. CONCLUSION: Adequate public health information to improve the population's KAP related to COVID-19 is critical and must be designed with and delivered to the community-considering the specific needs of diverse sub-groups and contexts. Studies in Kinshasa and similar settings are necessary to understand the barriers to and enablers of acquiring, applying, and maintaining the optimal population's KAP for COVID-19 prevention and control.

193. Dynamics of reproductive genetic technologies: Perspectives of professional stakeholders.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

van Dijke I, van El CG, Lakeman P

Reproductive and genetic medicine are evolving rapidly, and new technologies are already impacting current practices. This includes technologies that can identify a couples' risk of having a child with a genetic disorder. Responsible implementation of new technologies requires evaluation of safety and ethics. Valuable insights for shaping governance processes are provided by various stakeholders involved, including healthcare professionals. Their willingness to adopt these technologies and guide the necessary systemic changes is required for the successful implementation of these technologies. In this study, twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from different disciplines in the field of reproductive and genetic healthcare in the Netherlands. Three emerging technologies were discussed: expanded carrier screening (ECS), non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) and germline genome editing (GGE). By probing stakeholders' views, we explored how culture, structure and practice in healthcare is being shaped by innovations and changing dynamics in genetic and reproductive medicine. The general consensus was that the implementation of reproductive genetic technologies nationwide is a slow process in Dutch healthcare. A "typical Dutch approach" emerged that is characterized by restrictive legislation, broad support for people living with disabilities, values of an egalitarian society and limited commercialisation. Different scenarios for embedding ECS in future practice were envisioned, while implementation of NIPD in clinical practice was considered obvious. Views on GGE varied among stakeholders. Previous implementation examples in the Netherlands suggest introduction of new technology involves an organized collective learning process, with pilot studies and stepwise implementation. In addition, introducing and scaling up new technologies is complex due to perceived barriers from the legislative framework and the complex relationship between the government and stakeholders in this area. This paper describes how the international trends and advances of technologies are expected to manifest itself in a national setting.

194. The Berlin Misophonia Questionnaire Revised (BMQ-R): Development and validation of a symptom-oriented diagnostical instrument for the measurement of misophonia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Remmert N, Schmidt KMB, Mussel P

195. The sustainable health Agenda in the Americas: Pre-pandemic gaps and 2030 estimates of the SDGs indicators.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Silveira F, da Matta Machado Fernandes L, Paes-Sousa R.

196. Changing attitudes towards female genital mutilation. From conflicts of loyalty to reconciliation with self and the community: The role of emotion regulation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 21

Agboli A, Richard F, Botbol-Baum M

197. Morbidity status and changes in difficulty in activities of daily living among older adults in India: A panel data analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Patel P, Muhammad T, Sahoo H.

INTRODUCTION: The study explored the socioeconomic and demographic factors that determine the onset of difficulty, recovery from difficulty and difficulty remaining in functional activity in later years of life. Additionally, the study examined the effects of several combinations of chronic diseases on the changes in later-life functional difficulty. METHODS: We used data from two rounds of India Human Development Survey (IHDS) conducted during 2004-2005 and 2011-2012. A sample of 13,849 respondents aged 55 years and above with a seven year follow-up was considered for this study. The Katz Index of Independence in activities of daily living (ADL) was used to measure the functional disability as an outcome variable. Multinomial logistic regression has been conducted to fulfil the study objectives. RESULTS: The overall functional difficulty among older adults was 27.3% and onset of functional difficulty (23.5%) was higher than the recovery from difficulty (2.1%) and remaining with difficulty (1.7%). Onset of functional difficulty in second round was higher among women (27.3%) than men (19.3%). Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that single and multi-morbidity had a positive significant association with all categories of functional difficulty. Female sex, increasing age and rural place of residence had positive association with onset of difficulty and difficulty remaining in second round. The combinations of morbidities were also found to have positive significant association with functional difficulty i.e., the relative risk (RR) of onset of difficulty in second round is higher among those who had diabetes with high blood pressure (RR-1.7; CI: 1.4-2.0), cataracts with high blood pressure (RR-2.0; CI: 1.5-2.6) and cataracts with asthma (RR-3.1; CI: 2.1-4.6) compared to those with no diabetes and cataract but with high blood pressure or asthma, respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the risk of onset of functional difficulty is higher among older individuals with single and multiple morbidities compared to their healthy counterparts. It is also found that functional difficulty increased with age and was more prevalent in older women and rural residents, suggesting the need for appropriate policy interventions with special focus on the vulnerable senior adults.

198. Influence of precedent drug on the subsequent therapy in the sequence of trifluridine/tipiracil with/out bevacizumab and regorafenib for unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Oshima K, Hirano H, Shoji H

199. Cost-utility analysis of adding abiraterone acetate plus prednisone/prednisolone to long-term hormone therapy in newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer in England: Lifetime decision model based on STAMPEDE trial data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Clarke CS, Hunter RM, Gabrio A

Adding abiraterone acetate (AA) plus prednisolone (P) to standard of care (SOC) improves survival in newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer (PC) patients starting hormone therapy. Our objective was to determine the value for money to the English National Health Service (NHS) of adding AAP to SOC. We used a decision analytic model to evaluate cost-effectiveness of providing AAP in the English NHS. Between 2011-2014, the STAMPEDE trial recruited 1917 men with high-risk localised, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic PC starting first-line androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), and they were randomised to receive SOC plus AAP, or SOC alone. Lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated using STAMPEDE trial data supplemented with literature data where necessary, adjusting for baseline patient and disease characteristics. British National Formulary (BNF) prices (£98/day) were applied for AAP. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3.5%/year. AAP was not cost-effective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was £149,748/QALY gained in the non-metastatic (M0) subgroup, with 2.4% probability of being cost-effective at NICE's £30,000/QALY threshold; and the metastatic (M1) subgroup had an ICER of £47,503/QALY gained, with 12.0% probability of being cost-effective. Scenario analysis suggested AAP could be cost-effective in M1 patients if priced below £62/day, or below £28/day in the M0 subgroup. AAP could dominate SOC in the M0 subgroup with price below £11/day. AAP is effective for non-metastatic and metastatic disease but is not cost-effective when using the BNF price. AAP currently only has UK approval for use in a subset of M1 patients. The actual price currently paid by the English NHS for abiraterone acetate is unknown. Broadening AAP's indication and having a daily cost below the thresholds described above is recommended, given AAP improves survival in both subgroups and its cost-saving potential in M0 subgroup.

200. Artificial intelligence-designed single molar dental prostheses: A protocol of prospective experimental study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Chau RCW, Chong M, Thu KM

201. Molecular mechanism of the anti-gastric cancer activity of 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose isolated from Trapa bispinosa Roxb. shell in vitro.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Wang L, Yin D, Fan Y

202. Nasogastric tube in mechanical ventilated patients: ETCO2 and pH measuring to confirm correct placement. A pilot study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Ceruti S, Dell'Era S, Ruggiero F

203. Super high-resolution single-molecule sequence-based typing of HLA class I alleles in HIV-1 infected individuals in Ghana.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Nii-Trebi NI, Matsuoka S, Kawana-Tachikawa A

204. Analysis of the saliva metabolic signature in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Li Z, Mu Y, Guo C

205. Resveratrol-nitric oxide donor hybrid effect on priapism in sickle cell and nitric oxide-deficient mouse.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Pinheiro AK, Pereira DA, Dos Santos JL

206. Perceived barriers and facilitators of physical activity in adults living in activity-friendly urban environments: A qualitative study in Sri Lanka.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Perera M, Arambepola C, Gillison F

BACKGROUND: Despite reforming health policies to create more enabling environments, insufficient physical activity in Sri Lanka remains a major public health issue. Socio-culture specific determinants underlying the physical activity of adults living in such environments need to be identified. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators for physical activity, as perceived by adult urban dwellers in activity-friendly environments in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. METHODS: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted among adults aged 20-60 years living in an urban area which has been recently re-designed for recreational and rejuvenating purposes in Sri Lanka. Recruitment targeted varying socio-economic status and risk of non-communicable diseases; and was continued until the data saturation point was reached. Interviews were conducted in homes, primary healthcare units and fitness centres, and were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. RESULTS: A total of 31 eligible and consenting adults were interviewed. Of the reported barriers to physical activity, lack of time was very common. Other frequently reported barriers included unpleasant experiences following exercise and misconceptions about exercise, whereas physical environmental factors, weather and road safety were reported less frequently. All participants reported at least one facilitator for engaging in exercise. Expectations of preventing diseases, improving health, physical fitness, psycho-social wellbeing, optimising body functions and increasing lifespan were frequently cited as reasons to be active, while social factors such as positive attitudes of family members and the influence of peers were found to be motivating. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that while participants valued the health benefits of physical activity and refurbished activity-friendly urban environments, these were not sufficient to support them to overcome key perceived barriers to being physically active.

207. The extant immunoglobulin superfamily, member 1 gene results from an ancestral gene duplication in eutherian mammals.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 2

Smith CL, Harrison PM, Bernard DJ.

208. Consumption of animal source food and associated factors among pregnant women in eastern Ethiopia: A community-based study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Fite MB, Tura AK, Yadeta TA

INTRODUCTION: Animal source foods contain quality nutrients, immunity, and behavioral outcome and are important for growth, and development. However, evidence on the level of animal source food consumption frequency and associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia, particularly rural residents are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the consumption frequency of animal source food and to identify associated factors among pregnant women in the Haramaya district. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 448 pregnant women. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by trained research assistants, using a validated frequency questionnaire. Consumption of animal food sources was assessed by counting the frequency of each food from animal sources that pregnant women ate over a seven-day reference period. The highest tertile for animal source food consumption was considered as the high frequency of animal source food consumption; whereas the two lower tertiles were taken as the low frequency of animal source food consumption. A binary logistic regression model was used to investigate the association of the independent variables with the animal source food consumption. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was reported to show an association using a p-value <0.05. RESULTS: The high frequency of animal source food consumption among the study participants was 24.78% (95% CI = 21%-29%). High animal source food consumption was more likely higher among respondents who were literate (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.048-3.095), and those who owned milk cows (ARO = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.003-2.863). However, respondent who reported chewing khat (AOR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.313-0.805) (AOR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.349-0.903), were less likely experienced animal source food consumption. CONCLUSION: We found low animal source food consumption among pregnant women in this predominantly rural setting. Women's educational level and milk cow ownership were positively associated with animal source food consumption. Additionally, a lower frequency of animal source food consumption was observed among women who reported chewing khat. Therefore, nutrition policy programs and interventions aimed at encouraging maternal nutritional guidance and counseling are recommended.

209. Risk factors for Fontan-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Kogiso T, Sagawa T, Taniai M

AIMS: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Fontan-associated liver disease (i.e., FALD-HCC) has increased over time. However, the risk factors for HCC development remain unclear. Here, we compared the levels of non-invasive markers to the survival rate of FALD-HCC patients. METHODS: From 2003 to 2021, 154 patients (66 men, 42.9%) developed liver disease after undergoing Fontan procedures. HCC was diagnosed in 15 (9.7%) (8 men, 53.3%) at a median age of 34 years (range, 21-45 years). We compared FALD-HCC and non-HCC cases; we generated marker level cutoffs using receiver operating characteristic curves. We sought to identify risk factors for HCC and mortality. RESULTS: The incidence of HCC was 4.9% in FALD patients within 20 years after the Fontan procedure. Compared with non-HCC patients, FALD-HCC patients exhibited higher incidences of polysplenia and esophageal varices. At the time of HCC development, the hyaluronic acid (HA) level (p = 0.04) and the fibrosis-4 index (p = 0.02) were significantly higher in FALD-HCC patients than in non-HCC patients; the total bilirubin (T-BIL) level (p = 0.07) and the model for end-stage liver disease score [excluding the international normalized ratio (MELD-XI)] (p = 0.06) tended to be higher in FALD-HCC patients. Within approximately 20 years of the Fontan procedure, 10 patients died (survival rate, 96.9%). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis indicated that patients with T-BIL levels ≥ 2.2 mg/dL, HA levels ≥ 55.5 ng/mL, and MELD-XI scores ≥ 18.7 were at high risk of HCC, a generally poor prognosis, and both polysplenia and esophageal varices. Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the complication of polysplenia [Hazard ratio (HR): 10.915] and a higher MELD-XI score (HR: 1.148, both p < 0.01) were independent risk factors for FALD-HCC. CONCLUSIONS: The complication of polysplenia and a MELD-XI score may predict HCC development and mortality in FALD patients.

210. Measuring re-identification risk using a synthetic estimator to enable data sharing.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Jiang Y, Mosquera L, Jiang B

211. Fibroblast growth factor 2 inhibits myofibroblastic activation of valvular interstitial cells.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Ground M, Waqanivavalagi S, Park YE

212. The flipped classroom is effective for medical students to improve deep tendon reflex examination skills: A mixed-method study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Uchida S, Shikino K, Ishizuka K

Deep tendon reflexes (DTR) are a prerequisite skill in clinical clerkships. However, many medical students are not confident in their technique and need to be effectively trained. We evaluated the effectiveness of a flipped classroom for teaching DTR skills. We recruited 83 fifth-year medical students who participated in a clinical clerkship at the Department of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, from November 2018 to July 2019. They were allocated to the flipped classroom technique (intervention group, n = 39) or the traditional technique instruction group (control group, n = 44). Before procedural teaching, while the intervention group learned about DTR by e-learning, the control group did so face-to-face. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate self-confidence in DTR examination before and after the procedural teaching (1 = no confidence, 5 = confidence). We evaluated the mastery of techniques after procedural teaching using the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS). Unpaired t-test was used to analyze the difference between the two groups on the 5-point Likert scale and DOPS. We assessed self-confidence in DTR examination before and after procedural teaching using a free description questionnaire in the two groups. Additionally, in the intervention group, focus group interviews (FGI) (7 groups, n = 39) were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the flipped classroom after procedural teaching. Pre-test self-confidence in the DTR examination was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (2.8 vs. 2.3, P = 0.005). Post-test self-confidence in the DTR examination was not significantly different between the two groups (3.9 vs. 4.1, P = 0.31), and so was mastery (4.3 vs. 4.1, P = 0.68). The questionnaires before the procedural teaching revealed themes common to the two groups, including "lack of knowledge" and "lack of self-confidence." Themes about prior learning, including "acquisition of knowledge" and "promoting understanding," were specific in the intervention group. The FGI revealed themes including "application of knowledge," "improvement in DTR technique," and "increased self-confidence." Based on these results, teaching DTR skills to medical students in flipped classrooms improves readiness for learning and increases self-confidence in performing the procedure at a point before procedural teaching.

213. Death and invasive mechanical ventilation risk in hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies and/or antiviral agents: A systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Saha S.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has claimed >4 million lives globally, and these deaths often occurred in hospitalized patients with comorbidities. Therefore, the proposed review aims to distinguish the inpatient mortality and invasive mechanical ventilation risk in COVID-19 patients treated with the anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies and/or the antiviral agents. METHODS: A search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus will ensue for the publications on randomized controlled trials testing the above, irrespective of the publication date or geographic boundary. Risk of bias assessment of the studies included in the review will occur using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). Frequentist method network meta-analyses (NMA) will compare each outcome's risk across both types of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents in one model and each in separate models. Additional NMA models will compare these in COVID-19 patients who were severely or critically ill, immunocompromised, admitted to the intensive care unit, diagnosed by nucleic acid amplification test, not treated with steroids, <18 years old, and at risk of infection due to variants of concern. The plan of excluding non-hospitalized patients from the proposed review is to minimize intransitivity risk. The acceptance of the network consistency assumption will transpire if the local and overall inconsistency assessment indicates no inconsistency. For each NMA model, the effect sizes (risk ratio) and their 95% confidence intervals will get reported in league tables. The best intervention prediction and quality of evidence grading will happen using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-based Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis approach, respectively. Sensitivity analysis will repeat the preliminary NMA while excluding the trials at high risk of bias. The Stata statistical software (v16) will be used for analysis. The statistical significance will get determined at p<0.05 and 95% confidence interval. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Registration No: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021277663.

214. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: The role of personality traits and emotion regulation strategies.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Kluwe-Schiavon B, De Zorzi L, Meireles J

Recent evidence suggests that both personality traits (PT) and emotion regulation (ER) strategies play an important role in the way people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was two folded. First, to longitudinally investigate the psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress levels) taking in consideration PT and ER strategies in 3 different moments: during the first lockdown period (April/20), at the first deconfinement (May/20) and 1-month after the first deconfinement (Jun/20)-Experiment I. Second, to cross-sectionally evaluate the impact of the pandemic in psychological distress and the correlates with PT and ER 6-months after the first deconfinement November/20 to February/21 -Experiment II. A total of 722 volunteers (Experiment I = 180; Experiment II = 542) aged 18 years or older participated in this online survey. The findings from Experiment I show that psychological distress decreased after the lockdown period, however, neuroticism traits predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, while difficulties in ER strategies were identified as a risk factor for depression and stress. For experiment II, neuroticism traits and being infected with COVID-19 were associated to higher levels of symptomatology, while unemployment and the use of emotional suppression strategies to cope with emotional situations were associated to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Although the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak decreased over time in our sample, the current findings suggest that difficulties in emotional regulation and high levels of neuroticism traits might be potential risk factors for psychiatric symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, people with difficulties in ER and neuroticism traits would benefit from psychological interventions that provide personality-appropriate support and promote emotion regulation skills during stressful events, such as the case of the global pandemic.

215. COVID-19 cases among medical laboratory services staff in South Africa, 2020-2021: A cohort study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Wilson KS, Ntlebi V, Made F

216. Total collagen content and distribution is increased in human colon during advancing age.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 17

Baidoo N, Crawley E, Knowles CH

217. Economic burden of sickle cell disease in Brazil.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Silva-Pinto AC, Costa FF, Gualandro SFM

218. A prospective trial investigating the role of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in diagnosis and prognosis of bladder cancer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Abdelgawad A, Hashem A, Mosbah A

PURPOSE: Higher levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OHD) are associated with better prognosis in breast and colorectal cancer. However, the evidence is still inconclusive for bladder cancer (BC). Herein, we investigated the diagnosis and prognosis roles of serum levels of 25(OHD) in suspected BC patients presented by hematuria. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved suspected patients of BC presented with hematuria. Patients were evaluated by CT urogram, office cystoscopy and urine cytology with subsequent inpatient biopsy for positive findings. Baseline blood samples were collected for measurement of 25(OHD) by electrochemiluminescence binding assay at the time of diagnosis. Patients with non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC) underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) and adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy or BCG instillation. Patients were followed up for their recurrence status during 10 to 24 months. Recurrence was defined as the first time of NMIBC pathological relapse during the follow up period. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients had proven pathological BC (64 with NMIBC, and 20 with muscle invasive) and 31 patients were considered as control group. Controls were those patients with BC-free workup (including cytology, cystoscopy, and upper tract imaging). BC group showed a lower level of 25(OHD) than control group 16.47±5.88 versus 28.99±3.19 ng/mL (p<0.001). In addition, muscle invasive group also showed a lower level than NMIBC group 13.17±4.5 versus 17.49±5.04 ng/mL (P = 0.003). During the follow-up period of, tumor recurrence occurred in 16 (25%) of NMIBC patients. The baseline 25(OHD) were decreased in patients who experienced early recurrence; without being statistically significant (15.99 ± 5.17 vs. 18.38 ± 5.14 ng/mL; p = 0.08). 25(OHD) deficiency/insufficiency occurred in 5 (16.1%) and 64 (76.2%) in control and BC patients, respectively, (odds-ratios (OR): 2.13; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.52-2.99; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Serum 25(OHD) is significantly decreased in BC patients especially those with tumor muscle invasive group. However, the baseline serum 25(OHD) does not predict the recurrence in the NMIBC patients.

219. Relationship between bisphenol A, bisphenol S, and bisphenol F and serum uric acid concentrations among school-aged children.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Lee YJ, Lim YH, Shin CH

220. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic by persons with ASD: Social aspects.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Błeszyński J, Rumińska A, Hamerlińska A

221. mTOR inhibition as a novel gene therapeutic strategy for diabetic retinopathy.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Lee SHS, Lee JY, Choi JS

222. Protocol for a sequential, prospective meta-analysis to describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the pregnancy and postpartum periods.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Smith ER, Oakley E, He S

223. Drug discovery of small molecules targeting the higher-order hTERT promoter G-quadruplex.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Monsen RC, Maguire JM, DeLeeuw LW

224. Spatiotemporal changes in net primary productivity before and after the development of unused land in the hilly areas of Hebei, China.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Zhao L, Chen Y, Wang X

Net primary productivity (NPP) plays an important role in the carbon cycle of an ecosystem. To explore the impact of unused land development on NPP, this study adopted an improved Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model to analyze the changes in NPP before and after the development of unused land in Tang County, Hebei Province, in 2000, 2007, and 2018. The results showed that, due to the changes in land use types from unused land, forestland, arable land with high NPP values to urban and rural residential land, traffic land with low NPP values, and the changes in precipitation and temperature, the NPP in the study area showed an overall trend of decreasing first and then rising from 2000 to 2018. Before the development of unused land in 2000, the total NPP was 38.45×1010 g C. After the development in 2007 and 2018, the total NPP was 36.44×1010 g C and 41.05×1010 g C, respectively. The NPP of each land type in 2018 was arable land (1046.18 g C m-2) > forestland (464.42 g C m-2) > unused land (356.34 g C m-2) > grassland (343.77 g C m-2) > waters (182.56 g C m-2) > urban and rural settlements (120.86 g C m-2) > traffic land (120.70 g C m-2). The distribution of NPP was generally high in the north and low in the south before and after development. NPP was mainly concentrated in the interval of 300 g C m-2 yr-1-400 g C m-2 yr-1, and the range of NPP change was mostly within 100 g C m-2. The influence of elevation, temperature and precipitation on the spatial distribution of NPP was significant. Elevation and precipitation were positively correlated with NPP, while temperature was negatively correlated with NPP. The increase in NPP mainly originated from the conversion of unused land to forestland and arable land. The loss of NPP was mainly due to the conversion from forestland with high vegetation productivity to a land use type with low vegetation productivity, such as the conversion from forestland to urban and rural residential land. The results can provide references for making reasonable land planning decisions and ecological environment construction.

225. Renal functional, transcriptome, and methylome adaptations in pregnant Sprague Dawley and Brown Norway rats.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Chen Z, Wang C, Blood A

Pregnancy induces maternal renal adaptations that include increased glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow which can be compromised in obstetrical complications such as preeclampsia. Brown Norway (BN) rat pregnancies are characterized by placental insufficiency, maternal hypertension, and proteinuria. We hypothesized that BN pregnancies would show renal functional, anatomical, or molecular features of preeclampsia. We used the Sprague-Dawley (CD) rat as a model of normal pregnancy. Pregnancy increased the glomerular filtration rate by 50% in CD rats and 12.2% in BN rats compared to non-pregnancy, and induced proteinuria only in BN rats. BN pregnancies showed a decrease in maternal plasma calcitriol levels, which correlated with renal downregulation of 1-alpha hydroxylase and upregulation of 24-hydroxylase. RNA sequencing revealed that pregnancy induced 297 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CD rats and 174 DEGs in BN rats, indicating a 70% increased response to pregnancy in CD compared to BN rats. Pregnancy induced activation of innate immune pathways such as 'Role of Pattern Recognition Receptors', and 'Interferon signaling' with interferon regulatory factor 7 as a common upregulated upstream factor in both rat strains. Comparison of rat strain transcriptomic profiles revealed 475 DEGs at non-pregnancy and 569 DEGs at pregnancy with 205 DEGs shared at non-pregnancy (36%), indicating that pregnancy interacted with rat strain in regulating 64% of the DEGs. Pathway analysis revealed that pregnancy induced a switch in renal transcriptomics in BN rats from 'inhibition of renal damage' to 'acute phase reaction', 'recruitment of immune cells' and 'inhibition of 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D synthesis'. Key upstream regulators included peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), platelet-derived growth factor B dimer (PDGF-BB), and NF-kB p65 (RELA). DNA methylome profiling by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing studies revealed that the DEGs did not correlate with changes in promoter methylation. In sum, BN rat kidneys respond to pregnancy-specific signals with an increase in pro-inflammatory gene networks and alteration of metabolic pathways including vitamin D deficiency in association with mild proteinuria and blunted GFR increase. However, the lack of glomerular endotheliosis and mild hypertension/proteinuria in pregnant BN rats limits the relevance of this rat strain for preeclampsia research.

226. Involvement of high school teachers in Health Promoting School program in selected township, Yangon Region, Myanmar: A cross-sectional mixed methods study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Naing KM, Htun YM, Tun KM

BACKGROUND: Schools provide a big opportunity for promoting the student's health, life skill, and behavior. Teachers play a fundamental role in the promotion and successful implementation of school health services. This study aimed to assess the level of involvement in the Health Promoting School program and its associated factors and to explore the benefits and barriers to involvement among high school teachers in Myanmar. METHODS: A mixed methods explanatory sequential study was conducted among 194 high school teachers in Thanlyin Township, Yangon Region, Myanmar, from June to August 2020. Quantitative data were collected with the pretested structural questionnaire and analyzed by Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests. A qualitative strand was added by conducting in-depth interviews (n = 15, five teachers from each level of involvement: poor, medium, and good), analyzed by thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Of the 194 teachers, 23.7% had a good level of involvement in the Health Promoting School program. The factor associated with involvement in Health Promoting School program were age (p value < 0.001), duration of services (p value = 0.001), and a number of accomplished training-related school health (p value = 0.008). Qualitative data revealed that improvement of the health knowledge and awareness on health problems, the progress of healthy behaviors, development of physical and mental health, prevention of the disease spread, achievement of healthy and productive learning environment, and development of academic achievement were major benefits of teachers' involvement. Moreover, the main barriers to involvement were insufficient materials and human resources, time constraints, incompetence of the teachers, poor cooperation of school health partnerships, and insufficient awareness of parents. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of good involvement in the Health Promoting School program among high school teachers was low in this study area. Providing sufficient human resources and material, conducting the on-the-job and refresher training, enhancing parent-teacher cooperation, and strengthening the community partnerships were crucial to improve the level of involvement and reduced the barriers for the achievement of the Health Promoting School program.

227. Clinical evaluation of the Diagnostic Analyzer for Selective Hybridization (DASH): A point-of-care PCR test for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Achenbach CJ, Caputo M, Hawkins C

228. What is a meaningful life for persons with acquired neurological impairments? A scoping review protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Steensgaard R, Hundborg MO, Pallesen H

229. A leaf reflectance-based crop yield modeling in Northwest Ethiopia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Tiruneh GA, Meshesha DT, Adgo E

230. Identification of homozygous missense variant in SIX5 gene underlying recessive nonsyndromic hearing impairment.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Kakar MU, Akram M, Zubair Mehboob M

231. Impact of the suboptimal communication network environment on telerobotic surgery performance and surgeon fatigue.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Akasaka H, Hakamada K, Morohashi H

BACKGROUND: Remote surgery social implementation necessitates achieving low latency and highly reliable video/operation signal transmission over economical commercial networks. However, with commercial lines, communication bandwidth often fluctuates with network congestion and interference from narrowband lines acting as bottlenecks. Therefore, verifying the effects on surgical performance and surgeon fatigue when communication lines dip below required bandwidths are important. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the communication bandwidth environment effects on image transmission and operability when bandwidth is lower than surgical robot requirements, and to determine surgeon fatigue levels in suboptimal environments. METHODS: Employing a newly developed surgical robot, a commercial IP-VPN line connected two hospitals 150 km apart. Thirteen surgical residents remotely performed a defined suturing procedure at 1-Gbps to 3-Mbps bandwidths. Communication delay, packet loss, time-to-task completion, forceps-movement distance, video degradation, and robot operability were evaluated before and after bandwidth changes. The Piper Fatigue Score-12 (PFS-12) was used to measure fatigue associated with surgeon performance. RESULTS: Roundtrip communication time for both 1-Gbps and 3-Mbps lines averaged 4 ms. Video transmission delay from camera to monitor was comparable, at 92 ms. Surgical robot signal transmission rate averaged 5.2 Mbps, so changing to 1-Gbps-3-Mbps lines resulted in significant packet loss. Surgeons perceived significant roughness, image distortion, diplopia, and degradation of 3D images (p = 0.009), but not changes in delay time or maneuverability. All surgeons could complete tasks, but objective measurement of task-completion time and forceps-travel distance were significantly prolonged (p = 0.013, p = 0,041). Additionally, PFS-12 showed post-procedure fatigue increase at both 1-Gbps and 3-Mbps. Fatigue increase was significant at 3-Mbps (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: In remote surgery environments with less than the optimal bandwidth, even when delay time and operability are equivalent, reduced surgical performance occurs from video degradation from packet loss. This may cause increased surgeon fatigue.

232. Human intracardiac SSEA4+CD34 cells show features of cycling, immature cardiomyocytes and are distinct from Side Population and C-kit+CD45- cells.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Sandstedt M, Vukusic K, Ulfenborg B

233. Lower CXCR3 expression in both patients with neovascular AMD and advanced stages of chronic myeloproliferative blood cancers.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Liisborg C, Skov V, Kjær L

PURPOSE: Peripheral T cell CXCR3 expression has been found uniquely lower in patients having neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) than in healthy individuals. The CXCR3-axis has been shown to have angiostatic and antifibrotic properties. We have recently investigated systemic markers in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) because of their higher prevalence of AMD, and we have observed higher systemic chronic low-grade inflammation and immunosenescence signs in MPNs with drusen (MPNd) compared to those with normal retinas (MPNn). The MPNs evolve in a biological continuum from early cancer-stages (essential thrombocytosis, polycythemia vera) to the advanced myelofibrosis stage. Especially myelofibrosis is characterized by bone marrow angiogenesis and fibrosis, similarly to retinal observations in nAMD. We speculate if we can find lower CXCR3 expression in MPNs, particularly myelofibrosis and if differences are seen between MPNd and MPNn. We also wanted to compare expression in nAMD and intermediate (i)AMD. METHODS: Patients in this cross-sectional study were 29 nAMD, 28 iAMD, 35 MPNd, and 27 MPNn. We performed flowcytometry on blood to measure CXCR3 expression. RESULTS: CD8+CXCR3 expression in nAMD was 6,1%, significantly lower than in iAMD 16%, MPNd 11%, MPNn 12% (p-values<0.05). Similar results were seen for CD4+CXCR3 expression. We also found CXCR3 expression decreasing over the MPN-continuum. For instance, in myelofibrosis, intermediate monocytes expression was 6.2%, significantly lower than 18% in ET and 18% in PV (p-values<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We find CXCR3 downregulation on T-cells and some monocyte subset in nAMD compared to iAMD, MPNd, and MPNn, in line with previous nAMD studies. We also find CXCR3 downregulation in most monocyte subsets over the MPN continuum. Systemic leukocyte CXCR3 expression could both be involved in changes seen in the retina and the bone marrow. Further understanding the CXCR3-axis in AMD and MPNs may elucidate underlying pathogenic mechanisms and reveal new targets for treatment.

234. Ability and accuracy of the smartphone-based O`VIEW-M® sperm test: Useful tool in the era of Covid-19.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Kim KS, Kim JH, Roh JH

235. PIF-independent regulation of growth by an evening complex in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Lagercrantz U, Billhardt A, Rousku SN

236. Increased cardiac Pi/PCr in the diabetic heart observed using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Valkovič L, Apps A, Ellis J

237. Characterizing genetic transmission networks among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infected individuals in eastern China: 2012-2016.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Ding X, Chaillon A, Pan X

We aimed to elucidate the characteristics of HIV molecular epidemiology and identify transmission hubs in eastern China using genetic transmission network and lineage analyses. HIV-TRACE was used to infer putative relationships. Across the range of epidemiologically-plausible genetic distance (GD) thresholds (0.1-2.0%), a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the optimal threshold, generating the maximum number of transmission clusters and providing reliable resolution without merging different small clusters into a single large cluster. Characteristics of genetically linked individuals were analyzed using logistic regression. Assortativity (shared characteristics) analysis was performed to infer shared attributes between putative partners. 1,993 persons living with HIV-1 were enrolled. The determined GD thresholds within subtypes CRF07_BC, CRF01_AE, and B were 0.5%, 1.2%, and 1.7%, respectively, and 826 of 1,993 (41.4%) sequences were linked with at least one other sequence, forming 188 transmission clusters of 2-80 sequences. Clustering rates for the main subtypes CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, and B were 50.9% (523/1027), 34.2% (256/749), and 32.1% (25/78), respectively. Median cluster sizes of these subtypes were 2 (2-52, n = 523), 2 (2-80, n = 256), and 3 (2-6, n = 25), respectively. Subtypes in individuals diagnosed and residing in Hangzhou city (OR = 1.423, 95% CI: 1.168-1.734) and men who have sex with men (MSM) were more likely to cluster. Assortativity analysis revealed individuals were more likely to be genetically linked to individuals from the same age group (AIage = 0.090, P<0.001) and the same area of residency in Zhejiang (AIcity = 0.078, P<0.001). Additionally, students living with HIV were more likely to be linked with students than show a random distribution (AI student = 0.740, P<0.01). These results highlight the importance of Hangzhou City in the regional epidemic and show that MSM comprise the population rapidly transmitting HIV in Zhejiang Province. We also provide a molecular epidemiology framework for improving our understanding of HIV transmission dynamics in eastern China.

238. Cost-effectiveness of Ezetimibe plus statin lipid-lowering therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cost-utility studies.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Sasidharan A, Bagepally BS, Kumar SS

239. You are not alone": Family-based HIV risk and protective factors for Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men in San Juan, PR.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Garcia M.

240. Burnout syndrome among healthcare workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Accra, Ghana.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Konlan KD, Asampong E, Dako-Gyeke P

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased the workload of health workers particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa predisposing them to extra job-related stress and its associated job-related burnout. Burnout reduces the number, distribution and productivity of health workers. This study sought to determine personal and job-related characteristics of health workers in Accra, Ghana that influenced their experience of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,264 health workers recruited from three public hospitals in Accra, Ghana between March to November, 2020. The participants were recruited using a proportionate stratified sampling technique and completed a pre-tested questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic and job-related factors. Also, the questionnaire assessed participants' level of resilience and job-related burnout. Pearson's chi-square test was used to determine the association between burnout and the socio-demographic as well as job-related factors. However, for variables with observations less than six, a Fisher's exact test, was used to determine the associations. After the binary analysis, multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the strength of association between the socio-demographic as well as job-related factors and burnout. Data analyses were conducted at a significant level (alpha 0.05) and power of 95% confidence with the aid of Stata 15.0. RESULTS: The prevalence of burnout among the participants was 20.57% with non-clinicians displaying higher burnout compared to clinicians (26.74&% v 15.64%, p< 0.001). Health workers with 1-5 years working experience were 26.81 more likely to experience burnout (AOR = 26.81, CI = 6.37-112.9). Night shifts defined as shifts between 8:00pm to 8:00am was associated with the 1.86 odds of experiencing burnout (OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.33-2.61; p<0.001). Also, participants of the primary level facility were 3.91 times more likely (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 2.39-6.41) to experience burnout on the job. Similarly, participants with additional jobs were 1.14 times more likely (AOR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.75-1.74) to experience burnout. In addition, participants harboring intentions of leaving their current jobs were 4.61 times more likely (AOR = 4.61, 95% CI = 2.73-7.78) to experience burnout. Furthermore, participants with perceived high workload were 2.38 times more likely (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.40-4.05) to experience burnt-out on the job. CONCLUSION: There is high prevalence of burnout among health workers in Accra particularly during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working on night shifts and at the primary level of healthcare is significantly associated with increased odds of experiencing burnout.We recommend shift rotation for staff and adequate resource provision for primary level hospitals. The high burnout in this study could be influenced by other factors such as the grief caused by multiple losses and also the limited supportive resources for health workers.

241. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expressing a BCMA-Specific chimeric antigen receptor inhibit multiple myeloma xenograft growth.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Zhang X, Ng YY, Du Z

242. Fairness in the use of limited resources during a pandemic.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 16

Schosser J.

243. Oral health knowledge, practice, and oral health status among rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Chowdhury S, Roy S, Hasan M

244. Prevalence of active trachoma and its associated factors among 1-9 years of age children from model and non-model kebeles in Dangila district, northwest Ethiopia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Genet A, Dagnew Z, Melkie G

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is the leading infectious disease that leads to blindness worldwide, especially in developing countries. Though Ethiopia had targeted a trachoma elimination program by 2020, the problem worsens, particularly in the Amhara Region. Even though sustained intervention measures are undertaken across the region, it is unclear why trachoma is still a significant public health problem. So, this study assessed the prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among 1-9 years of age children from model and non-model kebeles in Dangila district Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 20th September 2019 to 29th October 2019. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to reach 704 children from model and non-model kebeles. Samples were allocated proportionally to model and non-model kebeles. A structured and pretested data collection tool and observational checklist was used to manage the necessary data. Data were coded and entered in Epidata version 4.6, and further analysis was done using SPSS version 20 software. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with active trachoma. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR), p-value, and respected Confidence Interval (CI) were used to report the findings. RESULTS: Seven hundred four children were included in this study, with a response rate of 97.8%. The overall prevalence of active trachoma was 6% (95% CI: 4.5, 8.1). The prevalence of active trachoma among non-model and model Kebele was not significantly different. Still, the prevalence of active trachoma among children from model Kebele were [4.5%, (95% CI: 2.4%, 7.1%)] relatively lower compared with non-model kebeles, [7.6%, 95% CI: (4.9%, 10.9%)]. Moreover, not using latrine (AOR = 4.29, 95% CI: 1.96, 9.34), fly-eye contact (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.03), presence of sleep in eyes (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.10, 5.47), presence of ocular discharge (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.30, 6.00), presence of nasal discharges (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.90) and washing faces with soap (AOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.69) were found significantly associated with the prevalence of active trachoma among children 1-9 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of active trachoma in the model and non-model kebeles was high and did not show a statistical difference. Attention to be given to latrine utilization, washing face with soap, and other personal hygiene activities.

245. COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Petersburg, Russia: Combining population-based serological study and surveillance data.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Barchuk A, Skougarevskiy D, Kouprianov A

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic in Russia has already resulted in 500,000 excess deaths, with more than 5.6 million cases registered officially by July 2021. Surveillance based on case reporting has become the core pandemic monitoring method in the country and globally. However, population-based seroprevalence studies may provide an unbiased estimate of the actual disease spread and, in combination with multiple surveillance tools, help to define the pandemic course. This study summarises results from four consecutive serological surveys conducted between May 2020 and April 2021 at St. Petersburg, Russia and combines them with other SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data. METHODS: We conducted four serological surveys of two random samples (May-June, July-August, October-December 2020, and February-April 2021) from adults residing in St. Petersburg recruited with the random digit dialing (RDD), accompanied by a telephone interview to collect information on both individuals who accepted and declined the invitation for testing and account for non-response. We have used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay CoronaPass total antibodies test (Genetico, Moscow, Russia) to report seroprevalence. We corrected the estimates for non-response using the bivariate probit model and also accounted the test performance characteristics, obtained from independent assay evaluation. In addition, we have summarised the official registered cases statistics, the number of hospitalised patients, the number of COVID-19 deaths, excess deaths, tests performed, data from the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) surveillance, the vaccination uptake, and St. Petersburg search and mobility trends. The infection fatality ratios (IFR) have been calculated using the Bayesian evidence synthesis model. FINDINGS: After calling 113,017 random mobile phones we have reached 14,118 individuals who responded to computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and 2,413 provided blood samples at least once through the seroprevalence study. The adjusted seroprevalence in May-June, 2020 was 9.7% (95%: 7.7-11.7), 13.3% (95% 9.9-16.6) in July-August, 2020, 22.9% (95%: 20.3-25.5) in October-December, 2021 and 43.9% (95%: 39.7-48.0) in February-April, 2021. History of any symptoms, history of COVID-19 tests, and non-smoking status were significant predictors for higher seroprevalence. Most individuals remained seropositive with a maximum 10 months follow-up. 92.7% (95% CI 87.9-95.7) of participants who have reported at least one vaccine dose were seropositive. Hospitalisation and COVID-19 death statistics and search terms trends reflected the pandemic course better than the official case count, especially during the spring 2020. SARS-CoV-2 circulation showed rather low genetic SARS-CoV-2 lineages diversity that increased in the spring 2021. Local VOC (AT.1) was spreading till April 2021, but B.1.617.2 substituted all other lineages by June 2021. The IFR based on the excess deaths was equal to 1.04 (95% CI 0.80-1.31) for the adult population and 0.86% (95% CI 0.66-1.08) for the entire population. CONCLUSION: Approximately one year after the COVID-19 pandemic about 45% of St. Petersburg, Russia residents contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Combined with vaccination uptake of about 10% it was enough to slow the pandemic at the present level of all mitigation measures until the Delta VOC started to spread. Combination of several surveillance tools provides a comprehensive pandemic picture.

246. Factor quinolinone inhibitors disrupt spindles and multiple LSF (TFCP2)-protein interactions in mitosis, including with microtubule-associated proteins.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Yunes SA, Willoughby JLS, Kwan JH

Factor quinolinone inhibitors (FQIs), a first-in-class set of small molecule inhibitors targeted to the transcription factor LSF (TFCP2), exhibit promising cancer chemotherapeutic properties. FQI1, the initial lead compound identified, unexpectedly induced a concentration-dependent delay in mitotic progression. Here, we show that FQI1 can rapidly and reversibly lead to mitotic arrest, even when added directly to mitotic cells, implying that FQI1-mediated mitotic defects are not transcriptionally based. Furthermore, treatment with FQIs resulted in a striking, concentration-dependent diminishment of spindle microtubules, accompanied by a concentration-dependent increase in multi-aster formation. Aberrant γ-tubulin localization was also observed. These phenotypes suggest that perturbation of spindle microtubules is the primary event leading to the mitotic delays upon FQI1 treatment. Previously, FQIs were shown to specifically inhibit not only LSF DNA-binding activity, which requires LSF oligomerization to tetramers, but also other specific LSF-protein interactions. Other transcription factors participate in mitosis through non-transcriptional means, and we recently reported that LSF directly binds α-tubulin and is present in purified cellular tubulin preparations. Consistent with a microtubule role for LSF, here we show that LSF enhanced the rate of tubulin polymerization in vitro, and FQI1 inhibited such polymerization. To probe whether the FQI1-mediated spindle abnormalities could result from inhibition of mitotic LSF-protein interactions, mass spectrometry was performed using as bait an inducible, tagged form of LSF that is biotinylated by endogenous enzymes. The global proteomics analysis yielded expected associations for a transcription factor, notably with RNA processing machinery, but also to nontranscriptional components. In particular, and consistent with spindle disruption due to FQI treatment, mitotic, FQI1-sensitive interactions were identified between the biotinylated LSF and microtubule-associated proteins that regulate spindle assembly, positioning, and dynamics, as well as centrosome-associated proteins. Probing the mitotic LSF interactome using small molecule inhibitors therefore supported a non-transcriptional role for LSF in mediating progression through mitosis.

247. Simultaneous prediction of antibody backbone and side-chain conformations with deep learning.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Akpinaroglu D, Ruffolo JA, Mahajan SP

248. Cigarette smoke toxin hydroquinone and misfolding pancreatic lipase variant cooperatively promote endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell death.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Kassay N, Toldi V, Tőzsér J

249. Adherence barriers and interventions to improve ART adherence in Sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review protocol.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Buh A, Deonandan R, Gomes J

BACKGROUND: The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to be a major public health concern, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite efforts to reduce new infections and deaths with the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), SSA countries continue to bear the heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS globally, accounting for two-thirds of global new infections. The goal of this review is to identify common barriers to ART adherence as well as common effective interventions that can be implemented across SSA countries to improve ART adherence. METHODS: A systematic review of published studies on adult HIV-positive patients aged 15 or above, that have assessed the barriers to ART adherence and interventions improving patients' adherence to ART in SSA countries shall be conducted. We will conduct electronic searches for articles that have been published starting from January 2010 onwards. The databases that shall be searched will include Medline Ovid, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus. The review will include experimental and quasi-experimental studies such as randomized and non-randomized controlled trials as well as comparative before and after studies, and observational studies-cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, prospective and retrospective studies. Two independent reviewers will screen all identified studies, extract data and appraise the methodological quality of the studies using standard critical appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. The extracted data will be subjected to a meta-analysis and narrative synthesis. DISCUSSION: This review will synthesize existing evidence on ART adherence barriers and strategies for improving patient adherence to ART in SSA countries. It will identify common barriers to adherence and common interventions proven to improve adherence across SSA. We anticipate that the findings of this review will provide information policy makers and stakeholders involved in the fight against HIV, will find useful in deriving better ways of not only retaining patients on treatment but having them adhere to their treatment. REVIEW REGISTRATION: This protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); registration number CRD42021262256.

250. Decreased salivary α-amylase activity responding to citric acid stimulation in Myasthenia gravis with malnutrition.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Huang Y, Wang WK, Zheng XM

OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition, defined according to Nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002), is commonly observed in patients of Myasthenia gravis (MG), a neuromuscular disorder manifested by varied degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. Because biochemical composition of saliva changes in correspondence to alterations in nutritional status, we tested our hypothesis that a certain saliva component(s) might serve as a biomarker(s) for nutrition status of MG, particularly for those MG patients with high risk of malnutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 MG patients and 60 subjects belonging to the healthy control group (HCG) were enrolled in this case-control study. The salivary α-amylase (sAA) activity, salivary flow rate (SFR), pH, total protein density (TPD), and the concentrations of chloride and calcium ions in MG group with or without malnutrition were measured before and after citric acid stimulation. Thereafter, the relationship between sAA activity and BMI was determined in MG and HCG. RESULTS: Compared with HCG, more patients with malnutrition, increased TPD and chloride and calcium concentrations but decreased pH value and SFR both before and after acid stimulation, as well as reduced sAA activity, pH and TPD responses to acid stimulation. MG with malnutrition showed decreased sAA activity and TPD responding to acid stimulation compared with those without malnutrition. Compared with normal BMI, sAA activity response to acid stimulation was reduced in low BMI. There was a significant strong positive correlation between the ratio of sAA activity and BMI in MG. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary biochemical characteristics are abnormally altered in MG with malnutrition. Altered sAA activity responding to acid stimulation was associated with malnutrition. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Decreased sAA activity responding to acid stimulation can reflect malnutrition state and may be one potential screening marker for MG patients with high risk of malnutrition.

251. Towards precision ecology: Relationships of multiple sampling methods quantifying abundance for comparisons among studies.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Hoffmann BD, Pettit M.

252. Role of maternal and child health services on the uptake of contraceptive use in India: A reproductive calendar approach.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Bansal A, Shirisha P, Mahapatra B

253. Patterns of health service utilisation of mothers experiencing mental health problems and intimate partner violence: Ten-year follow-up of an Australian prospective mother and child cohort.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Gartland D, Hegarty K, Papadopoullos S

254. Referral challenges and outcomes of neonates received at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Kiputa M, Salim N, Kunambi PP

BACKGROUND: Functional referral system including pre referral care, access to emergency transport and ensuring continuity of care between facilities is critical for improved newborn health outcome. The neonatal transport system is quite undervalued in many sub Saharan countries, Tanzania included. This study assessed the pre referral care, transport process, ambulance characteristics, admission clinical status and outcomes of referred neonates at Muhimbili National Hospital Upanga, a tertiary facility in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional study with a longitudinal follow up was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021 including neonates referred to Muhimbili National Hospital. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics and transport factors including pre referral care extracted from the referral documents and through interviewing caregivers or escorting person/nurse. Ambulances were directly observed using a structured checklist on presence, absence and functionality of supportive equipment. All enrolled neonates had a clinical assessment at admission and 48 hours post admission to determine admission clinical status and 48 hours' clinical outcome as either survived/died. RESULTS: Out of the 348 neonates assessed during the study period, the median gestation age was 38 weeks (IQR 32, 39) with the mean birth weight of 2455 ± 938 g. Pre referral documentation showed that temperature was measured in 176 (57.1%), oxygen saturation and random blood glucose in only 143 (46.6%) and 116 (36.2%) neonates respectively. Ambulance was used as a means of transportation in 308 (88.5%) neonates. While no ambulance had an incubator only 7 (2.0%) neonates were kept on a Kangaroo Mother Care position. Monitoring enroute was done to only 94 (27%) of the transferred neonates with 169 (54.9%) of health care professionals escorting the neonates lacking training on essential newborn care. On arrival, 115 (33%) were hypothermic, 74 (21.3%) hypoxic, 30 (8.6%) with poor perfusion and 49 (14.1%) hypoglycemic. Hypothermic neonates had an increased chance of dying compared to those who were normothermic (OR = 2.09, 95% CI (1.05-4.20), p = 0.037). The chance of dying among those presenting with hypoxia was almost three times (OR = 2.88, 95%CI (1.44-5.74), p = 0.003) while those with poor perfusion was almost five times (OR = 4.76, 95%CI (1.80-12.58), p = 0.002). Additionally, neonates who had hyperglycemia (RBG > 8.3mmol/l) on arrival had a higher probability of dying compared to those who were euglycemic [(OR = 3.10, 95% CI (1.19-8.09) p = 0.021]. Overall mortality was 22.4% within 48 hours of admission and risk of dying increased as the presence of poor clinical status added on. CONCLUSION: Neonatal transportation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was observed to be challenging. Pre transfer care and monitoring during transportation was inadequate and this contributed to poor clinical status on admission. Hypothermia, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, hypoxia and poor perfusion on admission were associated with increased mortality. Effective referral network is needed for improved neonatal health outcomes. Pre referral supportive care, training of health care professionals, transportation with improved monitoring, clear communication protocol and referral documentation should be invested and effectively utilized.

255. Trace element concentrations in forage seagrass species of Chelonia mydas along the Great Barrier Reef.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Wilkinson A, Ariel E, van de Merwe J

256. The vicious circle of stereotypes: Teachers' awareness of and responses to students' gender-stereotypical behaviour.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Gajda A, Bójko A, Stoecker E.

257. Were there royal herds? Understanding herd management and mobility using isotopic characterizations of cattle tooth enamel from Early Dynastic Ur.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Greenfield TL, McMahon AM, O'Connell TC

258. Saliva molecular testing bypassing RNA extraction is suitable for monitoring and diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Alenquer M, Milheiro Silva T, Akpogheneta O

BACKGROUND: Adults are being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, but the longitudinal protection of these vaccines is uncertain, given the ongoing appearance of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Children remain largely unvaccinated and are susceptible to infection, with studies reporting that they actively transmit the virus even when asymptomatic, thus affecting the community. METHODS: We investigated if saliva is an effective sample for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies in children, and associated viral RNA levels to infectivity. For that, we used a saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR test, preceded or not by RNA extraction, in 85 children aged 10 years and under, admitted to the hospital regardless of COVID-19 symptomatology. Amongst these, 29 (63.0%) presented at least one COVID-19 symptom, 46 (54.1%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, 28 (32.9%) were under the age of 1, and the mean (SD) age was 3.8 (3.4) years. Saliva samples were collected up to 48 h after a nasopharyngeal swab-RT-qPCR test. RESULTS: In children aged 10 years and under, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of saliva-RT-qPCR tests compared to NP swab-RT-qPCR were, respectively, 84.8% (71.8%-92.4%), 100% (91.0%-100%), and 91.8% (84.0%-96.6%) with RNA extraction, and 81.8% (68.0%-90.5%), 100% (91.0%-100%), and 90.4% (82.1%-95.0%) without RNA extraction. Rescue of infectious particles from saliva was limited to CT values below 26. In addition, we found significant IgM positive responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children positive for SARS-CoV-2 by NP swab and negative by saliva compared to other groups, indicating late infection onset (>7-10 days). CONCLUSIONS: Saliva is a suitable sample type for diagnosing children aged 10 years and under, including infants aged <1 year, even bypassing RNA extraction methods. Importantly, the detected viral RNA levels were significantly above the infectivity threshold in several samples. Further investigation is required to correlate SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels to viral transmission.

259. Penalties for industrial accidents: The impact of the Deepwater Horizon accident on BP's reputation and stock market returns.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

McGuire W, Holtmaat EA, Prakash A.

260. A pilot study on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in the US.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 15

Gu M, Taylor B, Pollack HA

261. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment by aspects of social isolation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Ishikawa KM, Davis J, Chen JJ

262. Weiszfeld, tree-seed, and whale optimization algorithms comparison via locating transportation facilities with weightings considering the vulnerability and uncertainty.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Demir E.

263. Characteristics of 2-drug regimen users living with HIV-1 in a real-world setting: A large-scale medical claim database analysis in Japan.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Ruzicka DJ, Kamakura M, Kuroishi N

BACKGROUND: Regimen simplification to 2-drug antiretroviral therapy (2-ART) may address potential tolerability issues, increase adherence, and reduce toxicity and potential drug-drug-interactions among people living with HIV-1 (PLWH). However, real-world treatment patterns and characteristics of 2-ART users are unclear. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study employed a large-scale medical claim database of Japanese hospitals to extract data on 4,293 PLWH aged ≥18 years with diagnosis of HIV and treated with any ART regimens between April 2008 and April 2019. A 2-ART cohort was compared with a 3-drug antiretroviral therapy (3-ART) cohort in terms of population characteristics, comorbid conditions, and treatment patterns. Treatment switching rates were calculated for each cohort followed by sensitivity analysis to confirm the robustness of the findings. RESULTS: There were 94 individuals identified in the 2-ART cohort. Compared to the standard 3-ART cohort (n = 3,993), the 2-ART cohort was older (median age 53 [IQR 44-64] vs 42 years [IQR 35-50]), with a lower proportion of males (87.2% vs 93.8%), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (median score 6 [IQR 5-8] vs 5 [IQR 4-6]), more co-medications (median 6 [IQR 4-11] vs 3 [IQR 2-7]), and a higher percentage of AIDS-defining conditions (66.0% vs 42.8%). The most common 2-ART were protease inhibitor (PI) + integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) + INSTI (33.0% and 31.9%, respectively). Overall, most of the regimens were nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-sparing (71.3%), with a decreasing trend over time (76.2% to 70.2%). ART regimen switch occurred more often in the 2-ART cohort than in the 3-ART cohort (33.0% vs 21.2%). CONCLUSION: The profiles of individuals on 2-ART in Japan were demonstrated to be complex. Most were treated with NRTI-sparing regimens which may reflect an effort to reduce treatment-related toxicities.

264. The influence of active video game play upon physical activity and screen-based activities in sedentary children.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Ufholz KE, Flack KD, Roemmich JN.

265. Morpho-agronomic evaluation of native maize races associated with Mexican tropical climate agroforestry systems.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Hernández-Salinas G, Toledano-Toledano F, Pérez-García M

266. Effect of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on insomnia in convalescent patients with COVID-19: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Chen Y, Zhou X, Liu J

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made a serious public health threat worldwide. Recent evidence has indicated that COVID-19 patients in convalescence frequently experience insomnia, which reduces their quality of life and causes unknown risks. The positive effect of cognitive behavior on insomnia has been well addressed in previous studies. Given the high infectivity and epidemicity of COVID-19, Internet-delivered intervention may be safer than face-to-face treatment. However, whether Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy can effectively improve the insomnia of COVID-19 patients in convalescence has not been completely determined yet. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the effects of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on insomnia in COVID-19 patients in convalescence, with the aim to confer some guidance for its clinical application. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Two researchers will retrieve the relevant literature on Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in convalescent patients with COVID-19 in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials gov, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from inception to 11th of December. In addition, we will review the relevant trials and references of the included literature and manually searched the grey literature. The two researchers will independently extracted data and information and evaluated the quality of the included literature. The Review Manager software (version 5.3) and Stata software (version 14.0) will be used for data analysis. The mean difference or the standardized mean difference of 95% CI will be used to calculate continuous variables to synthesize the data. In addition, I2 and Cochrane will be used for heterogeneity assessment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number CRD42021271278.

267. Endorsement of gender stereotypes in gender diverse and cisgender adolescents and their parents.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

deMayo B, Kahn-Samuelson S, Olson KR.

268. Dynamical intervention planning against COVID-19-like epidemics.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 14

Oliva G, Schlueter M, Munetomo M

269. Improvement of liver fibrosis, but not steatosis, after HCV eradication as assessment by MR-based imaging: Role of metabolic derangement and host genetic variants.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Chuaypen N, Siripongsakun S, Hiranrat P

Significant liver fibrosis regression occurs after hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy. However, the impact of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on steatosis is less clear. This study was aimed at evaluating serial fibrosis and steatosis alterations in patients with HCV genotype 1, who achieved sustained virological response (SVR). We enrolled 55 HCV mono-infected and 28 HCV/HIV co-infected patients receiving elbasvir/grazoprevir from a clinical trial. Fibrosis and steatosis were assessed at baseline, follow-up week-24 (FUw24) and week-72 (FUw72) by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and proton density fat fraction (PDFF), respectively. Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409, transmembrane six superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) rs58542926 and membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing 7 (MBOAT7) rs641738 polymorphisms were determined by allelic discrimination. Overall, mean MRE decreased significantly from baseline to FUw24 and FUw72. At FUw72, patients with baseline F2-F4 had higher rate of ≥30% MRE decline compared with individuals with baseline F0-F1 (30.2%vs.3.3%, P = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, significant fibrosis was associated with MRE reduction. The prevalence of steatosis (PDFF≥5.2%) at baseline was 21.7%. Compared to baseline, there were 17 (20.5%) patients with decreased PDFF values at FUw72 (<30%), while 23 (27.7%) patients had increased PDFF values (≥30%). Regarding the overall cohort, mean PDFF significantly increased from baseline to FUw72, and displayed positive correlation with body mass index (BMI) alteration. In multivariate analysis, the presence of diabetes, PNPLA3 CG+GG genotypes and increased BMI at FUw72 were significantly associated with progressive steatosis after SVR. Other genetic variants were not related to fibrosis and steatosis alteration. This study concluded that HCV eradication was associated with fibrosis improvement. However, progressive steatosis was observed in a proportion of patients, particularly among individuals with metabolic derangement and PNPLA3 variants. The combined clinical parameters and host genetic factors might allow a better individualized strategy in this sub-group of patients to alleviate progressive steatosis after HCV cure.

270. Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Cyprus.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Papaneophytou C, Nicolaou A, Pieri M

271. Evaluation of the Amharic version of the London measure of unplanned pregnancy in Ethiopia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Olani AB, Bekelcho T, Woldemeskel A

BACKGROUND: Unplanned pregnancy is an important public health problem in both the developing and developed world, as it may cause adverse social and health outcomes for mothers, children, and families as a whole. London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP) has been formally and informally validated in multiple and diverse settings. However, there is a dearth of literature on the validation of LMUP in Ethiopia either in the Amharic version or other languages. OBJECTIVE: The general objective of this study was to translate the LMUP into Amharic and evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of Amharic-speaking women receiving antenatal care (ANC) service at public health facilities in Arbaminch and Birbir towns. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used for the study. Forward and backward translation of original English LMUP to Amharic was done. A cognitive interview using a pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from respondents. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, inter-item correlations, and corrected item-total correlations while construct validity was assessed using principal components analysis and hypothesis testing. RESULTS: Data was collected from 320 women attending antennal care services at selected public health care facilities. LMUP range of 1to 11 was captured. The prevalence of unplanned pregnancies was 19(5.9%), while 136(42.5 were ambivalent and 165(51.6%) were planned pregnancies. The reliability testing demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.799) and the validity testing confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale. In addition, all hypotheses were confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Amharic version of LMUP is a valid and reliable tool to measure pregnancy intention so that it can be used by Amharic speaking population in Ethiopia. It can also be used in research studies among Amharic-speaking women to measure unplanned pregnancy.

272. Do book consumers discriminate against Black, female, or young authors?

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Weinberg DB, Kapelner A.

The publishing industry shows marked evidence of both gender and racial discrimination. A rational explanation for this difference in treatment of both female and Black authors might relate to the taste-based preferences of book consumers, who might be less willing to pay for books by such authors. We ran a randomized experiment to test for the presence of discriminatory preferences by consumers based on authors' race, gender and/or age. We collected ratings of 25,201 book surveys across 9,072 subjects on Amazon's Mechanical Turk, making this study the largest experimental study of the book market to date. Subjects were presented with mocked-up book covers and descriptions from each of 14 fiction and non-fiction genres, with one of three possible titles per book randomly assigned. Using author names and photographs, we signaled authors' race, gender, and age and randomly assigned these combinations to each book presented to our subjects. We then asked subjects to rate their interest in purchasing the book, their evaluation of the author's credentials, and the amount they were willing to pay for the book. The experimental design of this study strived to eliminate the potential for proxy-based discrimination by providing book descriptions that detailed the authors' relevant professional experience. The large sample allowed for exploration of various types of taste-based discrimination observed in the literature, including discrimination against particular groups, homophily, and pro-social behavior. Overall, book consumers showed a willingness to pay approximately $0.50 or 3.5% more on average for books by Black authors and little, if any, practically meaningful discrimination based on age or gender. In other words, our study finds no and even contrary evidence of taste-based preferences by consumers that would rationalize the historic discriminatory treatment of Black or of female authors by publishers nor of discrimination based on an author's age.

273. Isolation and characterization of a mycosubtilin homologue antagonizing Verticillium dahliae produced by Bacillus subtilis strain Z15.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Lin R, Zhang Q, Yin L

274. Dynamics of macroeconomic factor effects on food assistance program participation in the United States.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Capps O Jr.

275. The significance of occupations, family responsibilities, and gender for working from home: Lessons from COVID-19.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Minkus L, Groepler N, Drobnič S.

276. Educational considerations for health professionals to effectively work with clients with complex regional pain syndrome.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 13

Johnston-Devin C, Oprescu F, Wallis M

277. Socioeconomic status differences in psychological responses to unfair treatments: Behavioral evidence of a vicious cycle.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Kim Y, Jung J, Na J.

278. Effects of plant diversity and abiotic factors on the multifunctionality of an arid desert ecosystem.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Shu Y, Jiang L, Liu F

Many studies suggest that species diversity and abiotic factors promote ecosystem multifunctionality. However, whether ecosystem multifunctionality is impacted by phylogenetic diversity remains controversial. The present study tested this in an arid desert ecosystem in Ebinur Lake Basin using soil C:N ratio, soil pH, and soil salinity as abiotic factors, and species diversity and phylogenetic diversity as indicators of plant diversity. The effects of plant diversity and abiotic factors on single ecosystem functions (nutrient cycling, carbon stocks, water regulation, and wood production) and ecosystem multifunctionality were studied. We used structural equation modeling to assess the relationships among different functional groups and factors. The results showed that: (1) abiotic factors, particularly pH and C:N ratio in soil, had the strongest positive impact on multifunctionality (P < 0.001). The phylogenetic diversity and species diversity showed inconsistent changes, and their contribution to multifunctionality were not outstanding. (2) Abiotic factors were closely related to different ecosystem functions. Soil C:N had a significant positive effect on carbon stocks (P < 0.001), with an effect index of 0.89. Soil pH significantly enhanced nutrient cycling and water regulation. The role of plant diversity varied with the combination of different ecosystem functions. Phylogenetic diversity and species diversity influenced wood production, but showed opposite functions. (3) The importance of four single-ecosystem functions in an arid region was ranked as follows: carbon stocks > water regulation > nutrient cycling > wood production, emphasizing the importance of carbon elements in these ecosystems. These results improve our understanding of the drivers of multifunctionality in arid ecosystems, facilitating the elucidation of the influence of abiotic factors and phylogenetic diversity.

279. Sex differences in the immediate extinction deficit and renewal of extinguished fear in rats.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Binette AN, Totty MS, Maren S.

280. The impact of economic policy uncertainty on corporate social responsibility: A new evidence from food industry in China.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Su F, Song N, Shang H

281. Stigma towards mental illness and help-seeking behaviors among adult and child psychiatrists in Hungary: A cross-sectional study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Őri D, Szocsics P, Molnár T

OBJECTIVE: Stigma towards people with mental health problems is a growing issue across the world, to which healthcare providers might contribute. The aim of the present study was to explore psychiatrists' attitudes towards their patients and link them to psychosocial and professional factors. METHODS: An online questionnaire was used to approach the in- and outpatient psychiatric services across Hungary. A total of 211 trainees and specialists in adult and child psychiatry participated in our study. Their overall stigmatizing attitudes were measured, with focus on attitude, disclosure and help-seeking, and social distance dimensions by using the self-report Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to elucidate the dimensions of stigma and its association with sociodemographic, professional and personal traits. RESULTS: Stigmatizing attitudes of close colleagues towards patients were statistically significant predictors of higher scores on the attitude [B = 0.235 (0.168-0.858), p = 0.004], the disclosure and help-seeking subscales [B = 0.169 (0.038-0.908), p = 0.033], and the total score of the OMS-HC [B = 0.191 (0.188-1.843), p = 0.016]. Psychiatrists who had already sought help for their own problems had lower scores on the disclosure and help-seeking subscale [B = 0.202 (0.248-1.925), p = 0.011]. The overall stigmatizing attitude was predicted by the openness to participate in case discussion, supervision or Balint groups [B = 0.166 (0.178-5.886), p = 0.037] besides the more favorable attitudes of their psychiatrist colleagues [B = 0.191 (0.188-1.843), p = 0.016]. CONCLUSIONS: The favorable attitudes of psychiatrists are associated with their own experiences with any kind of psychiatric condition, previous help-seeking behavior and the opportunity to work together with fellow psychiatrists, whose attitudes are less stigmatizing. The perception of fellow colleagues' attitudes towards patients and the openness to case discussion, supervision and Balint groups were the main two factors that affected the overall attitudes towards patients; therefore, these should be considered when tailoring anti-stigma interventions for psychiatrists.

282. Performance of the TaqMan COVID-19 Pooling Kit for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic and symptomatic populations.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Ganz T, Sanderson S, Baush C

283. Downsizing of COVID-19 contact tracing in highly immune populations.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Martignoni MM, Renault J, Baafi J

Contact tracing is a key component of successful management of COVID-19. Contacts of infected individuals are asked to quarantine, which can significantly slow down (or prevent) community spread. Contact tracing is particularly effective when infections are detected quickly, when contacts are traced with high probability, when the initial number of cases is low, and when social distancing and border restrictions are in place. However, the magnitude of the individual contribution of these factors in reducing epidemic spread and the impact of population immunity (due to either previous infection or vaccination), in determining contact tracing outputs is not fully understood. We present a delayed differential equation model to investigate how the immunity status and the relaxation of social distancing requirements affect contact tracing practices. We investigate how the minimal contact tracing efficiency required to keep an outbreak under control depends on the contact rate and on the proportion of immune individuals. Additionally, we consider how delays in outbreak detection and increased case importation rates affect the number of contacts to be traced daily. We show that in communities that have reached a certain immunity status, a lower contact tracing efficiency is required to avoid a major outbreak, and delayed outbreak detection and relaxation of border restrictions do not lead to a significantly higher risk of overwhelming contact tracing. We find that investing in testing programs, rather than increasing the contact tracing capacity, has a larger impact in determining whether an outbreak will be controllable. This is because early detection activates contact tracing, which will slow, and eventually reverse exponential growth, while the contact tracing capacity is a threshold that will easily become overwhelmed if exponential growth is not curbed. Finally, we evaluate quarantine effectiveness in relation to the immunity status of the population and for different viral variants. We show that quarantine effectiveness decreases with increasing proportion of immune individuals, and increases in the presence of more transmissible variants. These results suggest that a cost-effective approach is to establish different quarantine rules for immune and nonimmune individuals, where rules should depend on viral transmissibility after vaccination or infection. Altogether, our study provides quantitative information for contact tracing downsizing in vaccinated populations or in populations that have already experienced large community outbreaks, to guide COVID-19 exit strategies.

284. Effects of different stent wire mesh densities on hemodynamics in aneurysms of different sizes.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Masuda S, Fujimura S, Takao H

285. Quality of antenatal care and associated factors in public health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a cross-sectional study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Hailu GA, Weret ZS, Adasho ZA

BACKGROUND: Potentially, the risk of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and child birth can be prevented through comprehensive, quality antenatal care services. The high maternal mortality rate in developing countries, including Ethiopia, is related to poor quality of antenatal care services and is still a major public health problem. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of antenatal care and associated factors in public health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a quantitative method from December 10 to January 30, 2020. A total of 616 study participants were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected using pre-tested structured interview administered questionnaires. The data was entered into Epi-info version 7.2.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 24. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify the presence and strength of the association between the outcome and predictor variables. RESULTS: Overall, 33% of pregnant women received good-quality antenatal care. Satisfaction with antenatal care service, antenatal care initiation time, maintaining confidentiality, and waiting time become significant predictors of the quality of antenatal care. As a result, a lack of confidential care (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI, (0.40, 0.88)), a long waiting time (AOR = 0.6, 95% CI, (0.48, 0.88)), and no satisfaction with ANC services (AOR = 0.26; 95% CI, (0.109, 0.36)) were identified as factors impeding the quality of antenatal care. While starting ANC later than four months of pregnancy was found to be a positive predictor of the quality of antenatal care (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI: (1.21, 3.12)). CONCLUSION: Only one-third of pregnant mothers received good quality antenatal care. Lack of confidential care, long waiting time and no satisfaction with antenatal care services were factors hindering the quality of antenatal care. While initiation of antenatal care after four months of pregnancy was a positive predictor of the quality of antenatal care.

286. Bovine colostrum-derived antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 show great potential to serve as prophylactic agents.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Kangro K, Kurašin M, Gildemann K

287. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Bali, Indonesia.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Masyeni S, Nelwan EJ, Fatawy RM

288. Meta-analysis of studies on the impact of mobility disability simulation programs on attitudes toward people with disabilities and environmental in/accessibility.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Ma GYK, Mak WWS.

The reported equivocal evidence of the effectiveness of disability simulation programs in reducing ableist attitudes toward people with disabilities has led to a persistent debate about the suggested discontinuation of such simulation programs to avoid further reinforcement of ableism. The present research conducted a meta-analysis on 12 empirical studies evaluating the impact of mobility disability simulation programs on attitudes toward people with disabilities and environmental accessibility to better inform future research and practice. A citation search using keywords related to "disability" and "simulation" in the title and/or abstract in 11 major online databases (i.e., Cochrane, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, JSTOR, LearnTechLib, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted to retrieve relevant empirical articles that are published within the earliest dates of each database and June 2021 for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis using a random effects model revealed that participation in the simulation programs resulted in large effect sizes in increasing fear and anxiety [Cohen's d = -1.51, 95% CI (-2.98, -.05), n = 2] but small effect sizes in improving conceptions of social inclusion at postsimulation [Cohen's d = .24, 95% CI (.01, .47), n = 5] while reducing stereotypes toward people with disabilities at follow-up [Cohen's d = .57, 95% CI (.10, 1.03), n = 3]. Inconclusive changes in the behavioral tendency of inclusion-promoting actions and stereotypes at postsimulation were found. The three exploratory moderators (i.e., the program duration, the presence of facilitators with disabilities, and the debriefing arrangement) were not statistically significantly associated with between-subgroup differences in the program's effectiveness in reducing stereotypes toward people with disabilities. The findings informed a series of recommended reforms in the program message framing, formats of the simulation, scope and referents of outcome measures, incorporation of environmental perspectives and behavioral measures, and methodological quality of the program evaluation study.

289. Use of benzodiazepines is the risk factor for infection in patients aged 80 years or older with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A single-institution retrospective study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 10

Ogiso A, Mizuno T, Ito K

290. Machine learning predicts translation initiation sites in neurologic diseases with nucleotide repeat expansions.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Gleason AC, Ghadge G, Chen J

A number of neurologic diseases associated with expanded nucleotide repeats, including an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, have an unconventional form of translation called repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. It has been speculated that the repeat regions in the RNA fold into secondary structures in a length-dependent manner, promoting RAN translation. Repeat protein products are translated, accumulate, and may contribute to disease pathogenesis. Nucleotides that flank the repeat region, especially ones closest to the initiation site, are believed to enhance translation initiation. A machine learning model has been published to help identify ATG and near-cognate translation initiation sites; however, this model has diminished predictive power due to its extensive feature selection and limited training data. Here, we overcome this limitation and increase prediction accuracy by the following: a) capture the effect of nucleotides most critical for translation initiation via feature reduction, b) implement an alternative machine learning algorithm better suited for limited data, c) build comprehensive and balanced training data (via sampling without replacement) that includes previously unavailable sequences, and d) split ATG and near-cognate translation initiation codon data to train two separate models. We also design a supplementary scoring system to provide an additional prognostic assessment of model predictions. The resultant models have high performance, with ~85-88% accuracy, exceeding that of the previously published model by >18%. The models presented here are used to identify translation initiation sites in genes associated with a number of neurologic repeat expansion disorders. The results confirm a number of sites of translation initiation upstream of the expanded repeats that have been found experimentally, and predict sites that are not yet established.

291. Effects of habitat homogenisation on assemblages associated with mussel clumps.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Veiga P, Moreira J, Sampaio L

292. Performance barriers of Civil Registration System in Bihar: An exploratory study.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Kumar K, Saikia N, Diamond-Smith N.

OBJECTIVES: Vital statistics generated by the Civil Registration System (CRS) are essential for developing healthcare interventions at all administrative levels. Bihar had one of the lowest levels of mortality registration among India's states. This study investigates CRS's performance barriers from the perspective of CRS staff and community members in Bihar. METHODS: We conducted a primary qualitative survey in the two districts of Bihar during February-March 2020 with CRS staff (n = 15) and community members (n = 90). We purposively selected the Patna and Vaishali districts of Bihar for the survey. Thematic analysis was done to identify the pattern across the data using the Atlas-ti software. RESULTS: Most participants showed a good understanding of registration procedures and birth and death registration benefits. The perceived need for death registration is lower than birth registration. Birth registration was higher among female children than male children. We found that most participants did not report children or adult female death due to lack of financial or property-related benefits. Most participants faced challenges in reporting birth and death due to poor delivery of services at the registration centres, higher indirect opportunity cost, and demand of bribes by the CRS staff for providing certificates. We found a lack of adequate investment, shortage of dedicated staff, and limited computer and internet services at the registration centres. CONCLUSIONS: Poor data on birth and death registration could lead decision-makers to target health services inappropriately. Strengthening health institutions' linkage with the registration centres, mobile registration in far-flung areas and regular CRS staff training could increase death registration levels. An adequate awareness campaign on the benefits of birth and death registration is required to increase the reporting of vital events.

293. Dam deformation forecasting using SVM-DEGWO algorithm based on phase space reconstruction.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Li M, Pan J, Liu Y

294. Reference ranges of fetal mandible measurements: Inferior facial angle, jaw index, mandible width/maxilla width ratio and mandible length in Thai fetuses at 15 to 23 weeks of gestation.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Booncharoen P, Sawaddisan R, Suwanrath C

OBJECTIVES: To determine the normal distribution of 1) inferior facial angles (IFA), 2) jaw index, 3) mandible width/maxilla width ratio (MD/MX ratio), and 4) mandible length (ML) in second trimester Thai fetuses. METHODS: A prospective study was performed between April 1 and October 31, 2020, at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of Songklanagarind Hospital. Transabdominal ultrasonography was performed on Thai singleton pregnant women at 150/7 to 236/7 weeks of gestation to measure IFA, jaw index, MD/MX ratio and ML. All women received standard antenatal care and were followed up until delivery. The exclusion criteria were multifetal gestation, congenital anomaly, chromosomal abnormality, fetal growth restriction, abnormal amniotic fluid volume, suspected abnormality of fetal mandible, maxilla or jaws based on the proposed criteria from previous studies and suspected neonatal structural or genetic abnormalities postnatally. Quantile regression was used to estimate changes in the median, 5th and 95th percentiles of each parameter across gestational ages and to generate formulas for predicting the 5th percentile value for each parameter. RESULTS: The results of 291 women were analyzed. Scatter plots and reference ranges of each parameter were generated. IFA, jaw index and ML values significantly increased, while the MD/MX ratio value significantly decreased, with increasing gestational age. The formulas calculated for predicting the 5th percentile value for each parameter were IFA = 55.12 + 0.045*(GA in days-136) jaw index = 37.272 + 0.01693*(GA in days-136) MD/MX ratio = exp(0.027-0.00110*(GA in days-136)) ML = 20.83 + 0.243*(GA in days-136). CONCLUSIONS: The reference ranges and formulas to calculate the 5th percentile values of mandible parameters in Thai fetuses were developed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Thai Clinical Trials Registry with identification number TCTR20210602003.

295. A Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C (OspC) genotyping method using Luminex technology.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Pearson P, Skaltsis O, Luo CY

296. Bidirectional convolutional LSTM for the prediction of nitrogen dioxide in the city of Madrid.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Iskandaryan D, Ramos F, Trilles S.

297. Incorporating the effect of heterogeneous surface heating into a semi-empirical model of the surface energy balance closure.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Wanner L, Calaf M, Mauder M.

It was discovered several decades ago that eddy covariance measurements systematically underestimate sensible and latent heat fluxes, creating an imbalance in the surface energy budget. Since then, many studies have addressed this problem and proposed a variety of solutions to the problem, including improvements to instruments and correction methods applied during data postprocessing. However, none of these measures have led to the complete closure of the energy balance gap. The leading hypothesis is that not only surface-attached turbulent eddies but also sub-mesoscale atmospheric circulations contribute to the transport of energy in the atmospheric boundary layer, and the contribution from organized motions has been grossly neglected. The problem arises because the transport of energy through these secondary circulations cannot be captured by the standard eddy covariance method given the relatively short averaging periods of time (~30 minutes) used to compute statistics. There are various approaches to adjust the measured heat fluxes by attributing the missing energy to the sensible and latent heat flux in different proportions. However, few correction methods are based on the processes causing the energy balance gap. Several studies have shown that the magnitude of the energy balance gap depends on the atmospheric stability and the heterogeneity scale of the landscape around the measurement site. Based on this, the energy balance gap within the surface layer has already been modelled as a function of a nonlocal atmospheric stability parameter by performing a large-eddy simulation study with idealized homogeneous surfaces. We have further developed this approach by including thermal surface heterogeneity in addition to atmospheric stability in the parameterization. Specifically, we incorporated a thermal heterogeneity parameter that was shown to relate to the magnitude of the energy balance gap. For this purpose, we use a Large-Eddy Simulation dataset of 28 simulations with seven different atmospheric conditions and three heterogeneous surfaces with different heterogeneity scales as well as one homogeneous surface. The newly developed model captures very well the variability in the magnitude of the energy balance gap under different conditions. The model covers a wide range of both atmospheric stabilities and landscape heterogeneity scales and is well suited for application to eddy covariance measurements since all necessary information can be modelled or obtained from a few additional measurements.

298. Analysis of secondary metabolite gene clusters and chitin biosynthesis pathways of Monascus purpureus with high production of pigment and citrinin based on whole-genome sequencing.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Zhang S, Zeng X, Lin Q

299. Transcriptomic analysis reveals high ITGB1 expression as a predictor for poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

PLoS One

2022 Jun 1

Iwatate Y, Yokota H, Hoshino I

Newmer生物

Newmer生物