Browse Articles

Parental preferences for sex of children in Nigeria: Cultural influences and family structure

Background Nigeria is characterized by deeply rooted traditional practices that often amplify gender bias. Despite this, there is limited research examining the relationship between cultural and family characteristics and parental sex preference in Nigeria. To address this gap, we investigated how cultural factors and family structure is associated with parental sex preferences in the country. Methods This study utilized data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS). Parental sex preference for children served as the outcome variable, while family structure and cultural background were the explanatory variables. Descriptive analyses, including frequencies, percentages, and cross-tabulations, were used to characterize the sample. Due to the unordered categorical nature of the outcome variable, a multinomial logistic regression model was employed to assess the impact of culture and family structure on parental sex preference. Results A higher proportion of women preferred more girls compared to men (15.64% vs 6.85%), while more men expressed a preference for boys than women (52.48% vs 26.2%). Men with more sons were significantly more likely (RRR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.23–1.78) to prefer more boys over an equal number of boys and girls, compared to men with equal numbers of sons and daughters. Similarly, women with more sons were more likely (RRR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.45–1.77) to prefer more boys rather than an equal number of boys and girls, compared to women with equal numbers of sons and daughters. Conclusion These findings shed light for understanding gender dynamics and informing policies that promote gender equality and balanced family structures. Such policies are critical for enhancing family planning practices and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. With only six years left to meet these targets, we urge all stakeholders to collaborate and intensify efforts to drive meaningful progress.

Willingness of patients with chronic diseases to use telepharmacy services in Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract The COVID-19 is known to be a severe pandemic that has accelerated the adoption of telepharmacy services. However, little is known about the current practices and willingness of patients with chronic diseases in the new-norm, specifically in a setting where such services are not properly established before the pandemic. The main objective of this study was to assess the current practices and willingness to use telepharmacy services as well as to identify factors associated with low willingness among patients with chronic diseases in Bandung City in Indonesia. A multisite cross-sectional survey was conducted in seven community health centers (CHCs) and one hospital in Bandung City, in Indonesia, which were selected based on the highest number of patients with chronic diseases. The survey utilized a purposive sampling method among patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), and/or chronic kidney diseases. Current practices and willingness to use telepharmacy services were evaluated through a paper-based questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with low willingness to use telepharmacy services. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. A total of 443 patients with chronic diseases were participated, with most having hypertension. Overall, both current practices and willingness to use telepharmacy services were low. Factors associated with low willingness included being 50 years or older (OR = 3.41; 95%CI = 1.46–7.97), inability to use the internet (OR = 3.92; 95% CI = 1.12–13.76), using smartphones independently (OR = 3.64; 95% CI = 1.13–11.72) or with assistance (OR = 6.75; 95% CI = 1.47–31.07), and daily phone usage of less than an hour (OR = 5.50; 95% CI = 1.08–27.89). The study indicated low practices and willingness to use telepharmcy services among patients with chronic diseases. As a result, patients-specific factors such as older age, inability to use the internet, as well as low daily use of smartphones that associated with the low willingness to use telepharmacy services should be considered in order to facilitate telepharmacy implementation in Indonesia.

Neural dynamics of spontaneous memory recall and future thinking in the continuous flow of thoughts

Spontaneous recanalization of extracranial internal carotid occlusion: A systematic scoping review

Introduction The spontaneous recanalization of an occluded extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) is thought to be an uncommon etiology of ischemic stroke. However, a growing number of reports describe this phenomenon. We sought to perform a scoping review of the literature to assess the prevalence of spontaneous ICA recanalization and its timing in relation to occlusion, and any patterns in imaging and treatment. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 2024 for studies that included adults with spontaneous recanalization or transient occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid artery. Two investigators independently screened the studies and extracted data around recanalization proportion, timepoints, imaging, and treatment. These results were described qualitatively, and descriptive statistics were calculated where appropriate. Results Of 2807 studies screened, 53 met inclusion criteria, of which 17 were cohort studies and 36 were case studies, including a total of 818 patients. The proportion of recanalization was reported in 17 cohort studies for a median of 21.2% (IQR 9.2–37.5%). Amongst the studies which reported recanalization, 46.7% of those within the cohort studies recanalized within 6 months, whereas case studies reported that 66.7% of recanalizations occurred in that same timeframe. When reported, antiplatelet treatment was the most common medical treatment pre- and post-recanalization. Doppler imaging was used to identify recanalization in 67.9% of studies, and angiography was used in 54.7%. Twenty-one studies reported a revascularization procedure following spontaneous recanalization. Conclusions Spontaneous recanalization of an occluded extracranial carotid artery may occur, and possibly within 6 months after documented occlusion. However, clear data are lacking regarding a standard approach to imaging or treatment of patients with occluded carotid arteries.

An investigation of simple neural network models using smartphone signals for recognition of manual industrial tasks

Abstract This article addresses the challenge of human activity recognition (HAR) in industrial environments, focusing on the effectiveness of various neural network architectures. In particular, simpler Feedforward Neural Networks (FNN) are focused on with an aim to optimize computational performance without compromising accuracy. Three FNN configurations—FNN1, FNN2, and FNN3—were evaluated alongside the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN 1D) model for comparative analysis. The results indicate that the FNN achieved accuracy rates ranging from 94.28 to 99.19%, while the CNN 1D exhibited an accuracy of 98.12%. Despite the CNN 1D’s efficiency for real-time applications, the FNN’s fast training times and high accuracy make them particularly valuable in resource-constrained environments such as mobile devices. The findings suggest that while more complex models such Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-Auto-Encoder configurations, that have been tried by the same research group before, may offer better adaptability, simpler architectures can provide effective results in HAR tasks. Notably, these simpler models can be adopted in cascading systems operating online, serving as detectors of known activities for real-time monitoring and classification.

TRF1 relies on fork reversal to prevent fragility at human telomeres

Retraction: MMP-9, uPAR and Cathepsin B Silencing Downregulate Integrins in Human Glioma Xenograft Cells In Vitro and In Vivo in Nude Mice

Experimental, theoretical and digital image correlation methods to assess bending performance of RC beams with recycled glass powder replacing cement

On meta-analytic models and the effect of hydroxychloroquine use in COVID-19

Inflammatory burden index predicts long term mortality in a nationally representative population from NHANES

Short-range charge transfer for efficient ultra-narrowband deep blue afterglow

Trends in mobile phone ownership, frequency of number changes, and implications for public health service delivery in Uganda, 2010–2020

Abstract Mobile phones significantly improve access to healthcare, public health services, and disease surveillance globally. However, challenges related to reachability and accessibility persist, especially when individuals change or drop telephone numbers affecting continuity in public health interventions such as HIV follow-ups and vaccine reminders. We explored trends in phone ownership, changes in mobile phone numbers, associated factors, and the time it takes to better understand how these might affect the ability of phone-based public health services to reach targeted recipients. We used data from the Rakai Community Cohort Study, a population-based prospective open cohort in rural Uganda. Between 2010 and 2020, data on phone ownership and individuals’ phone numbers were collected for six consecutive visits. We assessed trends in phone ownership using descriptive statistics. Factors associated with the number of times individuals changed their phone numbers were assessed using a Poisson multivariable regression model. We used Anderson Gill Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the time-to-change of phone numbers. In total 41,922 participants contributed 97,034 visits. A majority (61.8%) of participants owned a mobile phone at some point from 2010 to 2020. Phone ownership increased over the study period from 51.2% in 2010 to 68.2% in 2020 (p < 0.001). Phone ownership was lower among women participants (versus men; adjPR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.78–0.83) and younger persons < 25 years (versus ≥ 25 years; adjPR = 0.69; 95% CI 0.65–0.72), but there were no differences by HIV serostatus. The rate of change in phone numbers was significantly lower among women participants (adjusted prevalence ratio [adjIRR] = 0.88; 0.83–0.95) and those with secondary education or above (versus primary or none; adjIRR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.87–0.98). In contrast, it was higher among young persons aged 15-24-years old (versus 45 + years; adjIRR = 2.52; 95% CI 2.13–2.76), those living in lake Victoria fishing communities (versus trading centers, adjIRR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.17–1.40), persons with lower SES (versus higher SES; adjIRR:1.30; 95% CI 1.19–1.42), and persons living with HIV (versus HIV negative participants; adjIRR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.03–1.20). In this Ugandan cohort, mobile phone ownership increased over time, although by 2020 nearly 30% of the population still did not own a phone, and participants frequently changed phone numbers. Being a man, living with HIV, and lower socioeconomic status were all associated with changing phone numbers, a community peer system to maintain contact with these groups may be required to supplement phone-based initiatives.

A tactile discrimination task to study neuronal dynamics in freely-moving mice

Abstract Sensory discrimination tasks are valuable tools to study neuronal mechanisms of perception and learning, yet most rodent paradigms rely on head fixation. Here, we present a whisker-dependent go/no-go discrimination task for freely moving mice, compatible with high-resolution electrophysiology and calcium imaging. Adult male mice rapidly learned to discriminate aperture widths while foraging on a linear platform, enabling investigations of tactile thresholds, rule reversals, and behavioral flexibility. Neural recordings revealed distributed tactile coding across the thalamocortical system, with units tuned to both sensory and motor features, including whisking, head angle, and spatial position. Aperture selectivity emerged in the barrel cortex during learning, and cortical lesions impaired performance, highlighting cortical involvement in learning and task execution. The setup is modular, automated, and supports simultaneous recordings and imaging aligned to naturalistic behavior. This platform provides a powerful tool to dissect sensory processing and learning in ethologically relevant conditions.

Spatiotemporal pattern evolution and quantitative prediction of electrical carbon emissions from a demand-side perspective in urban areas

Targeting climate finance for global forests

Effect of attention bias modification on depressive affect

Abstract Cognitive interventions targeting depressive mood and major depressive disorder have emerged as a critical focus in mental health research. While studies on anxiety disorders, social phobia, eating disorders, and addiction have consistent findings, research on attentional bias modification in depression yields conflicting results depending on factors such as the severity of depression, the type and content of the modification, sample characteristics, and research design. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of attentional bias modification (ABM) on depressive mood and attentional bias levels using a randomized controlled design. In this study, a total of 45 volunteer participants, aged 18–40, were randomly assigned to experimental, placebo, and non-intervention groups. Pretest and posttest measurements of participants’ depression levels were taken using the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Mood-State Adjective Pairs List, while attentional bias was assessed using the Dot Probe Task. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the levels of attentional bias and depressive mood in the experimental group (F(2, 42) = 6.73, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.24). A significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test scores on the Mood-State Adjective Pairs List in the experimental group, but no such effect was observed in the control groups (F(2,42) = 6.12, p = 0.005, η2 = 0.23). In the Dot Probe Task results, the experimental group showed a quicker improvement in reaction time to the positive stimulus compared to the placebo group (F(2, 42) = 5.18, p = 0.01, η2 = 0.20). The findings of this study highlight the effectiveness of attentional bias modification in significantly reducing both attentional bias and depressive mood levels in the experimental group, underscoring its potential as a powerful intervention for alleviating depression.

Luminescence-enabled three-dimensional temperature bioimaging

Evaluating breast cancer screening performance without registries using medico-administrative data

A foundational model for in vitro fertilization trained on 18 million time-lapse images

Impact of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) on renal function in human

Abstract Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy (HBOT) is a widely used therapeutic option. It involves cycles with administration of 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues. The application of HBOT may affect all organs and tissues including kidneys which may be sensitive to the changes during HBOT. As underlying mechanisms for HBOT, the production of reactive oxygen species including superoxide, antioxidant reactions, increased plasma levels of growth factors and nuclear hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression are discussed. Although HBOT is frequently used in man, knowledge about effects of HBOT on kidney function is still lacking in humans. The aim of this pilot study was to monitor changes in renal function parameters, including hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and erythropoietin and employing urinary EV´s to document renal alterations. Test persons (n = 23) enrolled presented healthy renal status and received 10 HBOT sessions. Blood and urine samples were taken at the first, the fifth and the tenth HBOT session. Heart rate decreased during HBOT in male and female test persons which may be due to a stimulation of vagal nerve activity. Serum HIF-1α and erythropoietin values, blood pressure, blood and urine values for renal function parameter except for urine osmolality remained unaffected by HBOT. Urine osmolality together with the trend of renal Na+/K+/2Cl−-cotransporter expression on isolated urinary extracellular vesicles during HBOT significantly increased in both female in male test persons. Most likely, the generation of superoxide may account for the trend in the augmented renal NKCC2 expression and urine osmolality. HIF-1α downstream targets including renal sodium transporter affected by HIF-1α alteration remained unchanged suggesting the relative hypoxia after end of HBOT may not be sufficient. Overall, renal function upon HBOT remained largely unaffected with only minor alterations in urine osmolality.