Browse Articles

Impact of technology- and parent-based psychosocial interventions on family dynamics factors in children with cancer: A systematic review

Objective This systematic review aimed to examine the impact of technology- and parent-based psychosocial interventions on family factors among children with cancer, focusing on family dynamics. Methods Data were sourced from ten databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sinomed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL) up to August 2024. The PRISMA statement guidelines, the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool, and the non-randomized controlled trial risk bias assessment tool were used in this study and experimental and quasi-experimental studies were included. The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023435402). Results Twelve studies, including seven randomized controlled trials and five quasi-experimental studies, involving 1,309 parents of children with cancer, were included in the review. These studies utilized various theoretical models and delivered interventions through different modes, such as Internet-based platforms and telehealth. Overall, technology- and parent-based interventions have demonstrated positive effects on family dynamics factors, including family function, communication, coping ability, and family burden. Conclusions Technology- and parent-based psychosocial interventions showed promise in enhancing family dynamics factors although intervention methods varied across studies. This review recommends larger-scale randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of technology- and parent-based psychosocial interventions on family dynamics factors among this vulnerable population and highlights the potential of such interventions to improve care quality, treatment outcomes, and resource allocation in pediatric oncology.

Short-term real-world outcomes of diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal faricimab

Faricimab, a new drug for diabetic macular edema (DME), was made available in Japan in 2022. However, few reports have been published about its treatment outcomes in clinical practice. To assess the short-term outcomes of intravitreal faricimab (IVF) in patients with DME, the records of patients with DME receiving IVF therapy between July 2022 and July 2023 at Juntendo University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Their best-corrected visual acuities in the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units and central macular thicknesses were compared at baseline and one month after the final IVF. Eighteen patients and 22 eyes were included and allocated to the naïve and switched groups: 12 cases (15 eyes) and 6 cases (7 eyes), respectively. The best-corrected visual acuity improved for the naïve group, but no difference was observed for the switched group. In contrast, the central macular thickness improved for both the naïve and switched groups. IVF demonstrated good short-term outcomes for DME, suggesting that it is effective for DME in clinical practice.

Seamless incorporation of artificial water channels in defect-free polyamide membrane for desalination of brackish water

Tumour-associated macrophages in human meningiomas

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are regarded as potential therapeutic targets due to “pro-tumoral” and “anti-tumoral” phenotypes. Human meningiomas contain considerable number of TAMs, but their clinical impact is sparsely investigated in these tumours. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the presence, morphology, and distribution of TAMs in human meningiomas, and relate these findings to histopathology, meningioma subtypes, World Health Organization (WHO) grade, risk of recurrence, and overall survival. In this study, 147 WHO grade 1 and 2 primary meningiomas prepared as tissue micro arrays were included. Standard immunohistochemistry, with the antibodies Iba1 as a pan-marker for “all TAMs”, iNOS for M1 and Arginase 1 for M2 TAMs, was performed to investigate their infiltration in the meningioma tissue. The immunostainings were scanned and analysed digitally. TAMs were found in most of the meningiomas with varying amount of ramified and amoeboid appearances. The quantity of total TAMs (Iba1-stained) was found to be significantly higher in the age group ≥ 60 years compared with the younger age group. M2 cell dominated over M1 cell quantity, and a higher quantity of M2 TAMs was found in skull-base compared with non-skull base tumours. Meningothelial subtypes had a higher quantity of M2 TAMs compared with transitional and atypical ones. Furthermore, the M1/M2-ratio was higher in meningiomas linked to the convexities compared with tumours in the basal. No relations between TAMs and histological WHO grade or prognosis (time to recurrence and overall survival) were found. TAMs were common in our series of meningiomas. However, their infiltration showed no clinicopathological significance. Due to their complex dynamic characteristics and shifting phenotypes, the investigation of these immune cells is demanding. Therefore, the TAMs’ definite role in human meningiomas in relation to clinicopathological parameters and prognosis need to be further investigated.

Control of spatiotemporal activation of organ-specific fibers in the swine vagus nerve by intermittent interferential current stimulation

Effect of perioperative lidocaine infusion on the subjective quality of recovery after surgery: Protocol for an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Lidocaine is increasingly used for surgical patients requiring general anesthesia. However, its clinical benefits on postoperative recovery quality are not well established. Our main objective aims to summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of perioperative lidocaine infusion on postoperative subjective quality of recovery (QoR). Methods and analysis This protocol will be conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guideline. This systematic review will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from their inception until December 31st, 2024 with no language restrictions. The major databases including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library will be comprehensively searched and supplemented by a hand searching reference lists of all included articles. Searches will involve studies assessing the efficacy of the perioperative lidocaine infusion for improving postoperative QoR, in comparison to placebo, or on treatment. The two authors will independently screen studies, extract study data and assess bias risk of the studies. The subjective QoR (QoR-15, QoR-40) on postoperative day 1–3 will be defined as primary outcome, whereas secondary outcomes will include morphine consumption, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to first bowel movement, time to first flatus, and length of hospital stay. A meta-analysis will be performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Sensitivity analyses, subgroup analysis and publication bias will also be conducted. The evidence quality of pooled results will be assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Discussion This review and meta-analysis is anticipated to provide the evidence for the role of intravenous lidocaine on the subjective quality of recovery after surgery. In addition, the findings from this review will help clinicians with developing effective and safe perioperative anesthetic management regimens for surgery patients. Study registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024585866

Engineered Spirulina platensis for treating rheumatoid arthritis and restoring bone homeostasis

High NE dose trajectory is associated with new onset of acute kidney injury patients: A group-based trajectory modeling analysis

Background Norepinephrine (NE) is a first line and effective vasopressor for septic shock management, but its impact on newonset acute kidney injury (AKI) in those patients remains controversial. This study sought to investigate the relationship between norepinephrine dose trajectories and the new occurrence of AKI during the management of septic shock by using NE. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the MIMIC-IV database, which includes 3,462 patients diagnosed with septic shock during the initial 96 hours following their admission to the ICU. The unique patterns of trajectory analysis of NE were characterized by using group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) during the initial four days of ICU admission. We employed multivariable logistic regression analysis and subgroup analysis to evaluate the association between NE dose trajectories and new-onset AKI in patients with septic shock. Results Three NE dose trajectories were identified: low NE dose (47.3%), middle NE dose (41.5%), and high NE dose (11.2%). The high NE dose trajectory had significantly higher risks for new onset of AKI (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.43–3.99), MAKE-30 (OR 3.82, 95% CI 2.97–4.91), and for 28-day mortality (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.70–2.37) compared to the low NE dose trajectory. Despite over 90% of patients in the middle NE dose trajectory developing AKI, patients in this trajectory exhibited a lower risk of MAKE-30 and 28-day mortality. After comprehensive adjustment for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, acute physiological status, laboratory indicators, and fluid management, high NE dose trajectory remained independently associated with increased risk of new-onset AKI (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04–1.86, P = 0.024), this association persisted across multiple subgroup analyses. Conclusion During the management of septic shock, high dose of NE trajectory was associated with high likelihood of new onset of AKI, high possibility of MAKE-30 and high 28-day mortality in patients with septic shock. High NE dose trajectory serves as an independent predictor for assessing the risk of new-onset AKI in patients with septic shock.

Liquid-like versus stress-driven dynamics in a metallic glass former observed by temperature scanning X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

Abstract Since several decades, the dynamics and vitrification kinetics of supercooled liquids are the subject of active research in science and engineering. Profiting from modern detector technology and highly brilliant fourth-generation synchrotron radiation, we apply temperature scanning X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) to probe the dynamics of a Pt-based metallic glass former in the glass, glass transition region, and supercooled liquid, covering up to six orders of magnitude in timescales. Our data demonstrates that the structural α-relaxation process is still observable in the glass, although it is partially masked by a faster source of decorrelation observed at atomic scale. We present an approach that interprets these findings as the superposition of heterogeneous liquid-like and stress-driven ballistic-like atomic motions. This work not only extends the dynamical range probed by standard isothermal XPCS but also adds a different view on the α-relaxation across the glass transition and provides insights into the anomalous, compressed temporal decay of the density-density correlation functions observed in metallic glasses and many out-of-equilibrium soft materials.

A novel methodological approach to SaaS churn prediction using whale optimization algorithm

Customer churn is a critical concern in the Software as a Service (SaaS) sector, potentially impacting long-term growth within the cloud computing industry. The scarcity of research on customer churn models in SaaS, particularly regarding diverse feature selection methods and predictive algorithms, highlights a significant gap. Addressing this would enhance academic discourse and provide essential insights for managerial decision-making. This study introduces a novel approach to SaaS churn prediction using the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) for feature selection. Results show that WOA-reduced datasets improve processing efficiency and outperform full-variable datasets in predictive performance. The study encompasses a range of prediction techniques with three distinct datasets evaluated derived from over 1,000 users of a multinational SaaS company: the WOA-reduced dataset, the full-variable dataset, and the chi-squared-derived dataset. These three datasets were examined with the most used in literature, k-nearest neighbor, Decision Trees, Naïve Bayes, Random Forests, and Neural Network techniques, and the performance metrics such as Area Under Curve, Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and F1 Score were used as classification success. The results demonstrate that the WOA-reduced dataset outperformed the full-variable and chi-squared-derived datasets regarding performance metrics.

Author Correction: Risk-stratified treatment for drug-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis

Economic impact and disease burden of COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital: A three-year analysis

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has increased morbidity and mortality, along with substantial economic repercussions for healthcare systems and communities worldwide. This study describes the costs incurred by one of the biggest university hospitals in Finland during the first three years of the pandemic, from 2020 to 2022. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted at a 950-bed tertiary care hospital, encompassing data from 2020 to 2022. Hospitalized COVID-19 cases were identified from an automated surveillance program that integrated microbiological and administrative data. Patient-level data, including hospitalization demographics, vaccination status, and outcomes, were collected. Billing costs, indirect costs, and operational data were obtained to assess hospital costs comprehensively. Results During 2020–2022, 2 555 COVID-19-positive patients were treated at the hospital. Of them, 57% were hospitalized primarily for COVID-19 with the hospital billing costs of 14 492 399 € (median 4 137 €/ patient), and 47% of these costs were due to intensive care. Including ER visits of COVID-19 outpatients, admission screening and isolation costs of COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized for other reasons and indirect expenses, the total costs reached 28 899 298 € over three years. Additionally, the hospital incurred losses of income due to postponed elective surgeries. Discussion The economic burden of COVID-19 at the considered university hospital was substantial. Intensive care costs were a significant driver. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the economic and disease burden of COVID-19 at a tertiary care hospital, highlighting the need for strategic planning and financial readiness to address the costs associated with pandemics.

FABP4 inhibition suppresses bone resorption and protects against postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized mice

Assessment of consumer perspectives on the use of paper packaging in Trinidad

Background Paper packaging is increasingly being used to replace single use plastics to mitigate the negative effects of plastic pollution on the environment. While many developed countries have made considerable strides in this transition, developing countries, like Trinidad, have lagged behind, partly, due to no stringent legislation for types of packaging at commercial outlets. Objectives The objectives of this study were to investigate the demand for and assess public perceptions of sustainable paper packaging in Trinidad. Methodology Data were collected using a Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices (KAP) survey supplemented by interviews, packaging stress testing, and analysis via SPSS. Results A majority of participants demonstrated awareness of recycling knowledge (79%) and deforestation awareness (84%); which aligns with the 71% of participants who considered themselves environmentally conscious. The attitudes and practices of participants did not correlate directly with their environmentally conscious behaviour such as willingness to purchase paper-based food containers (67%), finding paper packaging more aesthetically pleasing than plastic (73%) and willingness to pay more for paper packaging (53%). The interviews highlighted a demand for sustainable paper packaging while also identifying challenges such as waterlogging of packaging, sustainable raw materials sourcing, packaging strength, and the need for customer testing and feedback. The stress test showed good appearance and durability. Conclusions Overall, the sustainable paper packaging stress test received favourable feedback and there were varying levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices related to sustainable packaging. Future research can build on the current findings and the questionnaire can be replicated after the introduction of replacement of single use plastics with non-wood paper packaging.

Single amino acid mutations in histone H3.3 illuminate the functional significance of H3K4 methylation in plants

Editorial Note: Extensive culturomics of 8 healthy samples enhances metagenomics efficiency

High-efficiency and long-lifetime deep-blue phosphorescent OLEDs using deuterated exciplex-forming host

Malicious traffic prediction model for ResNet based on Maple-IDS dataset

In light of the increasing threat posed by cyberattacks, it is imperative for organizations to accurately identify malicious network traffic. However, the imbalance among various attack categories diminishes the accuracy of model predictions. To address this issue, we propose the Maple-IDS dataset as an innovative solution. We utilize DPDK along with its zero-copy (ZC) technology and BPF compiler to compile filtering rules. Additionally, a headless client is employed to generate control traffic, thereby preventing overfitting. Our data collections are sourced from a variety of operating systems and middleware platforms, ensuring broad applicability and relevance. By comparing our dataset with the CIC-IDS-2017 dataset, we achieve a more balanced representation of attack data, which enhances the model’s learning performance. To tackle the challenges of low accuracy and slow convergence speed in existing network security situation predictions, we propose a network situation awareness prediction model that integrates a residual network with an improved attention mechanism. This model leverages the attention mechanism to assign greater weight to abnormal data, thereby facilitating the accurate identification of anomalies within large data streams. Furthermore, the residual network accelerates convergence speed, enhances the model’s expressive capability, and improves the efficiency of rapid response to attacks. Experimental results indicate that the accuracy of predicting attack data flows reaches an impressive 99.83%, which significantly aids in the early detection of network security threats and enables preemptive measures to maintain normal network operations.

ATP functions as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern to activate the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF213

Abstract The giant E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF213 is a conserved component of mammalian cell-autonomous immunity, limiting the replication of bacteria, viruses and parasites. To understand how RNF213 reacts to these unrelated pathogens, we employ chemical and structural biology to find that ATP binding to its A TPases A ssociated with diverse cellular A ctivities (AAA) core activates its E3 function. We develop methodology for proteome-wide E3 activity profiling inside living cells, revealing that RNF213 undergoes a reversible switch in E3 activity in response to cellular ATP abundance. Interferon stimulation of macrophages raises intracellular ATP levels and primes RNF213 E3 activity, while glycolysis inhibition depletes ATP and downregulates E3 activity. These data imply that ATP bears hallmarks of a danger/pathogen associated molecular pattern, coordinating cell-autonomous defence. Furthermore, quantitative labelling of RNF213 with E3-activity probes enabled us to identify the catalytic cysteine required for substrate ubiquitination and obtain a cryo-EM structure of the RNF213-E2-ubiquitin conjugation enzyme transfer intermediate, illuminating an unannotated E2 docking site. Together, our data demonstrate that RNF213 represents a new class of ATP-dependent E3 enzyme, employing distinct catalytic and regulatory mechanisms adapted to its specialised role in the broad defence against intracellular pathogens.

Research on low-Impact development layouts in old urban residential communities based on multi-objective optimization

Challenges such as poor drainage systems and limited space for renovation often arise during the sponge city transformation of old urban residential communities. This research focuses on an old residential community in Beijing utilizing the SWMM in combination with the NSGA-II algorithm. A Pareto optimal curve was identified iteratively, with construction costs, runoff reduction effects, and node overload time as the optimization objectives and the maximum area for the low impact development (LID) layout as a constraint. After transformation using LID measures, the runoff reduction rate is directly proportional to the construction cost. However, the rate of runoff reduction increases marginally when the construction cost exceeds 1.4 million yuan. Additionally, the average node overload time decreases as the construction cost and runoff reduction rate increase. Therefore, selecting a transformation scheme requires comprehensive consideration of factors such as budget and land use type in practice.