Browse Articles

Contribution of walking to and from school on overall physical activity: a one-year follow up study

This study is the first in Japan to prospectively examine the relationship between walking to and from school and physical activity in primary school children. A total of 76 participants completed baseline and follow-up assessments, and their mean age was 9.6 ±  1.0 years at baseline and 10.6 ±  1.0 years at follow-up. The participants’ mode of school commute was measured by a questionnaire. Step counts, sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed using an accelerometer. Comparisons of physical activity variables at baseline and follow-up and tracking of physical activity were analyzed. Overall physical activity levels decreased at follow-up compared to baseline. However, the contribution of commuting school activities to overall physical activity significantly increased at follow-up compared to baseline, especially in step counts and MVPA. Walking to and from school contributed to the participants’ overall physical activity in MVPA were 39.6 ±  15.3% and 49.1 ±  13.8% for all participants at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Tracking correlation coefficients were high for the steps counts (r =  0.80–0.89) and MVPA (r =  0.71–0.75) in commuting school. In conclusions, walking to and from school significantly contributed to overall physical activity in primary school students. Physical activity during the school commute in short-term exhibited a low-to-strong association. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting physical activity interventions and implementing school policies that encourage walking to and from school. Future research will need to examine other populations and countries over a long-term period.

Predictive framework to evaluate ternary nanocomposite over surface subjected to novel physical perspective

Clinical and functional significance of SPATA2 in cancer particularly in LIHC

Correlation of sdLDL-C and Apob with the degree of cerebral artery stenosis in posterior circulation stroke

Correction for Mayo et al., Band asymmetry–driven nonreciprocal electronic transport in a helimagnetic semimetal α-EuP ₃

Combined utility of genomic breakpoints and frame is a reliable predictor of ALK transcript function

Assessing Hepatitis B virus infection, risk factors and immunization among particularly vulnerable tribal groups in Eastern India

Choroidal thickness as predictor of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in adults with type 1 diabetes

Burnout and stress: new insights and interventions

Association of whole blood heavy metal concentrations with kidney function

Abstract Relatively elevated concentrations of arsenic, lead, and mercury are toxic to the kidneys. However, it is unknown whether kidney function is influenced by these metals in the general population without kidney diseases and without known exposure to these metals. We did a retrospective analysis of data collected from 58,864 outpatients in Germany from January 2014 to October 2022 undergoing measurements of arsenic, lead, and mercury. Routine clinical laboratory parameters were entered into the database if they were analyzed in the same patient within +/- four weeks of the metal analysis. The estimated glomerular filter rate (eGFR) was calculated using the 2021 CKD-EPI equation. The mean age of the study participants was 50.3 ± 17.1, of which 61.8% were women. Complete blood count, CRP, fasting glucose, liver and lipid values, and thyroid function parameters were within the normal range. Median (IQR) eGFR level was 92.14 (79.44-103.85) mL/min/1.73m2. Median (IQR) whole blood values for arsenic were 0.8 (0.4–1.5) µg/l, median (IQR) level for lead was 13.6 (9.5–19.5) µg/l, median (IQR) values for mercury were 0.8 (0.3–1.5) µg/l in whole blood. Arsenic (r= -0.131, p < 0.001, N = 11,211), lead (r = 0.318, p < 0.001, N = 21,733), and mercury (r= -0.149, p < 0.001, N = 22,670) levels correlate all inversely with eGFR. When plotting eGFR against whole blood metal concentrations, no lower safety thresholds were found. Multivariate analysis, considering age, sex, CRP, and fasting glucose as confounding factors, confirmed findings of independent associations of arsenic, lead, and mercury on eGFR. Subgroup analysis revealed that this inverse relationship was particularly pronounced in the lowest age tertile of all study participants. Concentrations of arsenic, lead, and mercury correlated independently inversely with eGFR in a German cohort that largely had a normal kidney function with no known exposure to heavy metals.

Retraction Note: Experimental design and analysis of advanced three phase converter for PV application with WCO-P&O MPPT controller

Relating the molecular phenotype of ulcerative colitis to the clinical course

Abstract The expanding portfolio of targeted therapies for ulcerative colitis (UC) suggests that a more precise approach to defining disease activity will aid clinical decision-making. This prospective study used genome-wide microarrays to characterize gene expression in biopsies from the most inflamed colon segments from patients with UC and analyzed associations between molecular changes and short-term outcomes while on standard-of-care treatment. We analyzed 141 biopsies—128 biopsies from 112 UC patients and 13 biopsies from eight inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) patients. Endoscopic disease was associated with expression of innate immunity transcripts, e.g. complement factor B (CFB); inflammasome genes (ZBP1 and PIM2); calprotectin (S100A8 and S100A9); and inflammation-, injury-, and innate immunity-associated pathway analysis terms. A cross-validated molecular machine learning classifier trained on the endoscopic Mayo subscore predicted the endoscopic Mayo subscore with area-under-the-curve of 0.85. A molecular calprotectin transcript score showed strong associations with fecal calprotectin and the endoscopic Mayo subscore. Logistic regression models showed that molecular features (e.g. molecular classifier and molecular calprotectin scores) improved the prediction of disease progression over conventional, clinical features alone (e.g. total Mayo score, fecal calprotectin, physician global assessment). The molecular features of UC showed strong correlations with disease activity and permitted development of machine-learning predictive disease classifiers that can be applied to expanded testing in diverse cohorts.

Correction for Patel et al., Aspirin binds to PPARα to stimulate hippocampal plasticity and protect memory

Correction for Liu et al., Cytoskeleton remodeling mediated by circRNA-YBX1 phase separation suppresses the metastasis of liver cancer

Correction for Ganley et al., Iron limitation triggers roseoceramide biosynthesis and membrane remodeling in marine roseobacter

Correction for Qian et al., Chemoptogenetic damage to mitochondria causes rapid telomere dysfunction

Correction for Manik et al., Structural basis for TIR domain–mediated innate immune signaling by Toll-like receptor adaptors TRIF and TRAM

Cross-cultural validation of acculturation measures: Expanding the East Asian acculturation framework for global applicability

In a globalised world, understanding acculturation, the process by which individuals adapt to new cultural environments, is crucial, especially in multicultural societies experiencing increased migration. The East Asian Acculturation Measure (EAAM), based on Berry’s acculturation model, has been a cornerstone for assessing acculturation strategies among East Asian populations in the United States; however, its cultural specificity limits utility in broader contexts. This study addresses this gap by adapting and validating the EAAM for diverse populations, producing the Shortened Adapted Acculturation Scale (SAAS). Across two phases involving 490 university students from 87 nationalities in Germany and 329 university students from 25 nationalities in South Africa, both Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified a five-factor structure: Social Disconnection, cultural adaptation, Social Perception, Interpersonal Comfort, and Language Integration. The SAAS showed high internal consistency and measurement invariance across genders. These results highlight the importance of culturally adapting psychological measures to ensure their relevance and reliability in global contexts. The SAAS offers practical benefits for clinicians, educators, and policymakers who serve multicultural populations. By illuminating specific dimensions of acculturation, the scale can help identify areas where targeted interventions such as mental health counselling, cultural orientation programs, or inclusive campus policies may foster better social integration and well-being. Although the present study focused on structural validity, future research should examine the SAAS’s predictive utility for mental health and social integration outcomes. These findings contribute to cross-cultural psychology and underline the need to refine and validate tools for assessing acculturation in an increasingly interconnected world.

Development of new bilingual oral health behavior social support (OHBSS) scales in English and Spanish

This paper describes the simultaneous co-development of Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) scales in English and Spanish. OHBSS scales assess social support for toothbrushing, flossing, and dental care utilization, which are targets for interpersonal-level interventions to promote oral health among Hispanic/Latino adults. The focus was on Mexican-origin adults, who comprise the largest United States Hispanic/Latino subgroup and experience a high oral disease burden. All participants self-identified as Mexican-origin adults (ages 21–40 years old), living along the California-Arizona-Mexico border. Independent samples were recruited for each study partnering with Federally Qualified Health Centers. First, we conducted semi-structured interviews about social support for oral health behaviors in August to November 2018 (Study 1, N = 72). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed (in original language, Spanish or English), and qualitative data were coded and analyzed in Dedoose following three topical codebooks; excerpts were used to co-create the large bilingual item data bank (OHBSSv1). The item bank was pre-tested via 39 cognitive interviews between December 2019 to March 2020, reviewed by an expert panel with several bilingual members, reduced to 107 Spanish/109 English items (OHBSSv2), then pilot tested in January to December 2021 (Study 2, N = 309). Pilot survey data were analyzed through Exploratory Factor Analysis and Horn’s parallel analysis, overall and by language, to examine response patterns and inform item selection (OHBSSv3). The scales queried social support for toothbrushing, flossing, and dental care utilization across 39 items from three sources (family, health providers, others/friends), plus up to nine optional dental care-related items (Study 3, conducted April 2022 to February 2023, N = 502). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) assessed model fit, overall and by language (multiple group CFA). Final OHBSS scales include 37 items, plus seven optional items. Acceptable model fit for three-factor structures for each oral health behavior was found, providing evidence of the scales’ construct validity. Cronbach’s alphas and McDonald’s omegas were tabulated; all were above 0.95, overall and by language, supporting scales’ internal consistency.

A cross-sectional survey analysis of patient and family knowledge, confidence, and perceived barriers to reporting patient deterioration

Background The knowledge, confidence, and skills of healthcare consumers to identify acute clinical deterioration and appropriately escalate concerns remain largely undetermined. This gap is despite the widespread international introduction of consumer escalation systems intended to provide patients and family an avenue to escalate their concerns if worried about deterioration in their own or relative’s condition during a hospital stay. Aim To explore patient and family knowledge of acute clinical deterioration, and their confidence and perceived barriers to escalating their concerns. Design Cross-sectional, in-person, consumer surveys across an Australian acute adult hospital. The study specific survey tool was developed through a multistage process with healthcare consumer input during creation and testing. Methods Questions explored healthcare consumer knowledge, confidence, and perceived barriers in association with acute clinical deterioration, recognising deterioration, and escalating concerns. Descriptive and inferential analysis was completed, and knowledge, confidence, and barrier scores established. Association between scores and consumer type, gender, age, education level, prior experience with clinical deterioration or rapid response team review, and hospitalisation history in the last 12 months were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Results 133 surveys were completed. Knowledge scores varied across respondents. Awareness of the local consumer escalation system was low. A positive association was identified between knowledge and confidence that diminished with increasing barrier scores. A strong negative correlation was present between barriers and confidence. No significant difference existed in knowledge, confidence, or barrier scores based on consumer type, gender, education level, previous experience with deterioration or rapid response team review, or hospitalisation history. Conclusions Limitations in patient and family knowledge may impede consumer escalation system success. Increasing knowledge may enhance patient and family confidence to identify deterioration and escalate concerns. However, barriers to consumer escalation decrease this potential. Interventions to increase consumer knowledge should therefore be accompanied by strategies to minimise barriers.