Tag: nevin manimala

BMC Public Health. 2023 May 30;23(1):1010. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15987-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has become an important and widespread concern, there are few studies on the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption frequency and muscle strength in Chinese adolescents. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption frequency and muscle strength in Chinese adolescents.

METHODS: A stratified whole-group sampling method was used to survey 25,893 adolescents aged 13-15 years old in China for sugar-sweetened beverage consumption frequency and muscle strength for grip strength and standing long jump. The subjects’ basic information, body mass index (BMI), and covariates were investigated. The association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption frequency and muscle strength was analyzed by multivariate logisitc regression analysis.

RESULTS: The proportions of Chinese adolescents who consumed sugar-sweetened beverage ≥ 3 times/week, 1-2 times/week, and < 1 time/week were 12.23%, 52.79%, and 34.98%, respectively. The differences in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption frequency were statistically significant when compared across gender, parental education, duration of physical activity, snacks, and mode of commuting to school (χ² values = 228.570, 51.422, 275.552, 3165.656, 10.988, P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that overall Chinese adolescents with sugary drinks 1-2 times/week (OR = 1.207, 95% CI:1.132-1.287) and sugary drinks ≥ 3 times/week (OR = 1.771, 95% CI:1.611-1.947) were associated with lower muscle strength compared to sugary drinks < 1 time/week showed a positive association (P < 0.01). The same trend was found for boys and girls.

CONCLUSION: Chinese adolescents’ sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is common, and high-frequency sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is associated with lower muscle strength. In the future, we should control the use of sugar-sweetened beverages and increase muscular strength training in Chinese adolescents to promote healthy growth.

PMID:37254093 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-023-15987-z

BMC Bioinformatics. 2023 May 30;24(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12859-023-05352-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a significant role in some diseases by acting as transcription templates. Therefore, analyzing the interaction mechanism between circRNA and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) has far-reaching implications for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Existing models for circRNA-RBP identification usually adopt convolution neural network (CNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), or their variants as feature extractors. Most of them have drawbacks such as poor parallelism, insufficient stability, and inability to capture long-term dependencies.

METHODS: In this paper, we propose a new method completely using the self-attention mechanism to capture deep semantic features of RNA sequences. On this basis, we construct a CircSSNN model for the cirRNA-RBP identification. The proposed model constructs a feature scheme by fusing circRNA sequence representations with statistical distributions, static local contexts, and dynamic global contexts. With a stable and efficient network architecture, the distance between any two positions in a sequence is reduced to a constant, so CircSSNN can quickly capture the long-term dependencies and extract the deep semantic features.

RESULTS: Experiments on 37 circRNA datasets show that the proposed model has overall advantages in stability, parallelism, and prediction performance. Keeping the network structure and hyperparameters unchanged, we directly apply the CircSSNN to linRNA datasets. The favorable results show that CircSSNN can be transformed simply and efficiently without task-oriented tuning.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, CircSSNN can serve as an appealing circRNA-RBP identification tool with good identification performance, excellent scalability, and wide application scope without the need for task-oriented fine-tuning of parameters, which is expected to reduce the professional threshold required for hyperparameter tuning in bioinformatics analysis.

PMID:37254080 | DOI:10.1186/s12859-023-05352-7

BMC Psychiatry. 2023 May 30;23(1):376. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04816-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Academic pressure is a prevalent stressor among Chinese adolescents and is often linked to anxiety symptoms, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between NR3C1 gene methylation, academic pressure, and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents.

METHODS: This nested-case control study included 150 adolescents (boys: 38.7%; baseline age: 12-17 years) from a school-based longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents. Cases (n = 50) were defined as those with anxiety symptoms at both baseline and follow-up, while controls (n = 100) were randomly selected from those without anxiety symptoms at both timepoints. The cases and controls were 1:2 matched by age. Academic pressure, anxiety symptoms, and potential covariates were measured using a self-report questionnaire. Peripheral whole blood samples were collected from each participant for the detection of cortisol level (i.e., morning serum cortisol level) and DNA methylation. The methylation analysis included a total of 27 CpG units at the NR3C1 promoter region.

RESULTS: The final adjusted models showed that students with heavy academic pressure at baseline were at a higher risk of anxiety symptoms at follow-up compared to those with mild academic pressure (β estimate: 6.24 [95% CI: 3.48 ~ 9.01]). After adjusting for covariates, the methylation level of one CpG unit (NR3C1-16 CpG10) in NR3C1 differed significantly between cases and controls (F = 6.188, P = 0.014), and the difference remained significant after correction for multiple testing (P < 0.025). The adjusted regression models showed that moderate (β estimate = 0.010 [95% CI: 0.000 ~ 0.020], P = 0.046) and heavy (β estimate = 0.011 [95% CI: 0.001 ~ 0.020], P = 0.030) academic pressure were significantly associated with the methylation level of NR3C1-16 CpG 10. Further mediation analysis demonstrated that the association of academic pressure and anxiety symptoms was significantly mediated by the methylation of NR3C1-16 CpG 10 (β estimate for indirect effect = 0.11 [95% CI: 0.005 ~ 0.32]; indirect/total effect = 8.3%).

CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that NR3C1-16 CpG 10 DNA methylation might be a potential mechanism that partially explains the lasting effects of academic pressure on subsequent anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to replicate this finding.

PMID:37254074 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-023-04816-7

BMC Infect Dis. 2023 May 30;23(1):362. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08347-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although tuberculosis (TB) patients coinfected with HIV are at risk of poor treatment outcomes, there is paucity of data on changing trends of TB/HIV co-infection and their treatment outcomes. This study aims to estimate the burden of TB/HIV co-infection over time, describe the treatment available to TB/HIV patients and estimate the effect of TB/HIV co-infection on TB treatment outcomes.

METHODS: This was a retrospective data analyses from TB surveillance in two counties in Kenya (Nyeri and Kilifi): 2012‒2020. All TB patients aged ≥ 18 years were included. The main exposure was HIV status categorised as infected, negative or unknown status. World Health Organization TB treatment outcomes were explored; cured, treatment complete, failed treatment, defaulted/lost-to-follow-up, died and transferred out. Time at risk was from date of starting TB treatment to six months later/date of the event and Cox proportion with shared frailties models were used to estimate effects of TB/HIV co-infection on TB treatment outcomes.

RESULTS: The study includes 27,285 patients, median (IQR) 37 (29‒49) years old and 64% male. 23,986 (88%) were new TB cases and 91% were started on 2RHZE/4RH anti-TB regimen. Overall, 7879 (29%, 95% 28‒30%) were HIV infected. The proportion of HIV infected patient was 32% in 2012 and declined to 24% in 2020 (trend P-value = 0.01). Uptake of ARTs (95%) and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (99%) was high. Overall, 84% patients completed six months TB treatment, 2084 (7.6%) died, 4.3% LTFU, 0.9% treatment failure and 2.8% transferred out. HIV status was associated with lower odds of completing TB treatment: infected Vs negative (aOR 0.56 (95%CI 0.52‒0.61) and unknown vs negative (aOR 0.57 (95%CI 0.44‒0.73). Both HIV infected and unknown status were associated with higher hazard of death: (aHR 2.40 (95%CI 2.18‒2.63) and 1.93 (95%CI 1.44‒2.56)) respectively and defaulting treatment/LTFU: aHR 1.16 (95%CI 1.01‒1.32) and 1.55 (95%CI 1.02‒2.35)) respectively. HIV status had no effect on hazard of transferring out and treatment failure.

CONCLUSION: The overall burden of TB/HIV coinfection was within previous pooled estimate. Our findings support the need for systematic HIV testing as those with unknown status had similar TB treatment outcomes as the HIV infected.

PMID:37254064 | DOI:10.1186/s12879-023-08347-0

Lung Cancer. 2023 May 24;181:107254. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2023.107254. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

KRAS G12C mutations are found in about 12-13% of LUAD samples and it is unclear whether they are associated with worse survival outcomes in resected, stage I LUAD. We assessed whether KRAS-G12C mutated tumours had worse DFS when compared to KRAS-nonG12C mutated tumours and to KRAS wild-type tumours in a cohort of resected, stage I LUAD (IRE cohort). We then leveraged on publicly available datasets (TCGA-LUAD, MSK-LUAD⁶⁰⁴) to further test the hypothesis in external cohorts. In the stage I IRE cohort we found a significant association between the KRAS-G12C mutation and worse DFS in multivariable analysis (HR: 2.47). In the TCGA-LUAD stage I cohort we did not find statistically significant associations between the KRAS-G12C mutation and DFS. In the MSK-LUAD⁶⁰⁴ stage I cohort we found that KRAS-G12C mutated tumours had worse RFS when compared to KRAS-nonG12C mutated tumours in univariable analysis (HR 3.5). In the pooled stage I cohort we found that KRAS-G12C mutated tumours had worse DFS when compared to KRAS-nonG12C mutated tumours (HR 2.6), to KRAS wild-type tumours (HR 1.6) and to any other tumours (HR 1.8); in multivariable analysis, the KRAS-G12C mutation was associated with worse DFS (HR 1.61). Our results suggest that patients with resected, stage I LUAD with a KRAS-G12C mutation may have inferior survival outcomes..

PMID:37253296 | DOI:10.1016/j.lungcan.2023.107254

ACS Synth Biol. 2023 May 30. doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00093. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Context independent gene expression is required for genetic circuits to maintain consistent and predicable behavior. Previous efforts to develop context independent translation have leveraged the helicase activity of translating ribosomes via bicistronic design translational control elements (BCDs) located within an efficiently translated leader peptide. We have developed a series of bicistronic translational control elements with strengths that span several orders of magnitude, maintain consistent expression levels across diverse sequence contexts, and are agnostic to common ligation sequences used in modular cloning systems. We have used this series of BCDs to investigate several features of this design, including the spacing of the start and stop codons, the nucleotide identity upstream of the start codon, and factors affecting translation of the leader peptide. To demonstrate the flexibility of this architecture and their value as a generic modular expression control cassette for synthetic biology, we have developed a set of robust BCDs for use in several Rhodococcus species.

PMID:37253269 | DOI:10.1021/acssynbio.3c00093

Eur J Orthod. 2023 May 30:cjad024. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjad024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To compare the long-term skeletal effects of tooth-borne (TB) and tooth-bone-borne (TBB) rapid maxillary expansion in growing children, using 3D imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 52 consecutive patients who met the eligibility criteria were recruited and allocated to either the TB group, mean age 9.3 years (SD 1.3), or the TBB group, mean age 9.5 years (SD 1.2). Cone-beam computed tomography records and plaster models were taken before (T0), directly after (T1), 1 year after (T2), and 5 years after expansion (T3).

RANDOMIZATION: Participants were randomly allocated in blocks of different sizes, using the concealed allocation principle in a 1:1 ratio. The randomization list was also stratified by sex to ensure homogeneity between groups.

BLINDING: Due to clinical limitations, only the outcome assessors were blinded to the groups to which the patients were allocated.

RESULTS: At T1, the midpalatal suture at its anterior part showed a statistically significant difference between the groups with a mean of 0.6 mm (CI 0.2-1.1) more expansion in the TBB group (P < 0.01). This difference was also more evident in boys at T1 with a mean of 0.8 mm (CI 0.2-1.4) (P < 0.01). These differences, however, blotted out at T2 and T3. The nasal width also showed similar differences between the groups, with a significantly larger expansion in the TBB group by a mean of 0.7 mm (CI 0.1-1.4) (P = 0.03). This group difference in favour of the TBB group was maintained at T2 (1.6 mm) and T3 (2.1 mm) (P < 0.01 T2 and T3, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal expansion in the midpalatal suture was significantly higher in the TBB group; however, the magnitude of this expansion was around 0.6 mm more and may not be clinically significant. Skeletal expansion at the level of the nasal cavity was significantly higher in the TBB group. There were no differences between boys and girls with regard to skeletal expansion.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was not registered on any external sites.

PMID:37253126 | DOI:10.1093/ejo/cjad024

PLoS Pathog. 2023 May 30;19(5):e1011219. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011219. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI) including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis; yet research into the immunologic effects of these infections is typically pursued in siloes. Here, we employed a syndemic approach to understand potential interactions of these infections on the rectal mucosal immune environment among YMSM. We enrolled YMSM aged 18-29 years with and without HIV and/or asymptomatic bacterial STI and collected blood, rectal secretions, and rectal tissue biopsies. YMSM with HIV were on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) with preserved blood CD4 cell counts. We defined 7 innate and 19 adaptive immune cell subsets by flow cytometry, the rectal mucosal transcriptome by RNAseq, and the rectal mucosal microbiome by 16S rRNA sequencing and examined the effects of HIV and STI and their interactions. We measured tissue HIV RNA viral loads among YMSM with HIV and HIV replication in rectal explant challenge experiments among YMSM without HIV. HIV, but not asymptomatic STI, was associated with profound alterations in the cellular composition of the rectal mucosa. We did not detect a difference in the microbiome composition associated with HIV, but asymptomatic bacterial STI was associated with a higher probability of presence of potentially pathogenic taxa. When examining the rectal mucosal transcriptome, there was evidence of statistical interaction; asymptomatic bacterial STI was associated with upregulation of numerous inflammatory genes and enrichment for immune response pathways among YMSM with HIV, but not YMSM without HIV. Asymptomatic bacterial STI was not associated with differences in tissue HIV RNA viral loads or in HIV replication in explant challenge experiments. Our results suggest that asymptomatic bacterial STI may contribute to inflammation particularly among YMSM with HIV, and that future research should examine potential harms and interventions to reduce the health impact of these syndemic infections.

PMID:37253061 | DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1011219

Eur J Orthod. 2023 May 30:cjad007. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjad007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To assess the changes in compliance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four orthodontic journals. To assess whether reporting of randomization, concealment, and blinding has improved.

METHODS: Electronic hand searching was undertaken to identify orthodontic RCTs published in four orthodontic journals from January 2016 to June 2017 (T1) and from January 2019 to June 2020 (T2). The journals were the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics (AJO-DO), Angle Orthodontist (AO), European Journal of Orthodontics (EJO), and Journal of Orthodontics (JO). Each item on the CONSORT checklist was scored as either reported, not reported, or not applicable for each paper reporting an RCT.

RESULTS: The study included 69 papers reporting an RCT published in T1 and 64 RCTs published in T2. The median CONSORT score in T1 was 48.7% (interquartile range [IQR] 27.6%, 68.6%) and 67% in T2 (IQR 43.9%, 79.5%). This increase was statistically significant (P = 0.001) and largely attributable to improved reporting in AO (P = 0.016) and EJO (P = 0.023). Reporting did not change significantly in AJO-DO (P = 0.13) or in JO (P = 1.0). Reporting of random allocation sequence generation (OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.01, 4.29) and concealment of allocation (OR 2.27%, 95% CI 1.12, 4.57) were significantly higher in T2 compared with T1. Reporting of blinding did not change significantly.

CONCLUSION: Overall reporting of CONSORT items in reports of orthodontic RCTs published in the AJO-DO, AO, EJO, and JO, improved significantly from 2016-17 to 2019-20. This could be improved further by authors, journal referees, and editors adhering to the guidelines.

PMID:37253055 | DOI:10.1093/ejo/cjad007

PLoS One. 2023 May 30;18(5):e0286321. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286321. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 caused severe effects on the psychological well-being of Chinese students overseas (COS). Physical activity (PA) is critical to strengthen immunity, prevent infection, and reduce the psychological burden caused by COVID-19. However, there is a severe lack of effective PA intervention for mental health in most countries, and COS have limited access to mental healthcare during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine the effects of PA on COS’ mental health during the pandemic abroad and to better understand that certain types of PA might be associated with a greater reduction in psychological burdens during the pandemic.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In a multi-country cross-sectional analysis, a questionnaire was distributed to COS living in 37 foreign countries via WeChat Subscription using a snowball sampling strategy. A total of 10,846 participants were included. Descriptive statistics and Binary logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. We found that COS had negative psychology during the pandemic, especially with fear (2.90, 95% CI 2.88-2.92), anxiety (2.84, 95% CI 2.82-2.85), and stress (2.71, 95% CI 2.69-2.73). PA had meaningful effects on reducing COS self-reported mental health burdens (3.42, 95% CI 3.41-3.44) during the pandemic. The largest associations were seen for recreational and home-based PA (i.e., family games, home aerobic exercise), individual outdoor PA (i.e., walking or running, rope skipping), and PA with a duration of 30 to 70 min per session at frequencies of 4 to 6 times and a total of 150 to 330 min of moderate and vigorous intensity per week tends to be an optimal choice during social distancing times.

CONCLUSIONS: COS had several poor mental health conditions during the pandemic. The improvement of PA on COS’ psychology was positively effective during the pandemic. Specific types, intensities, durations, and frequencies of PA might have advantages over others for improving COS’ mental health during periods of public health emergencies, and the topic may merit interventional study to reveal multiple factors causing COS’ psychological burdens and enrich the PA forms for all COS’ mental health improvement (i.e., infected, recovered, and asymptomatic COS).

PMID:37253054 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0286321