Tag: pubmed

J Sex Res. 2023 Jul 24:1-12. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2232354. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sexual harassment affects a large percentage of higher education students in the US. A previous study identified several risk factors for sexual harassment using hurdle models and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses. The purpose of the present study was to assess the robustness of these findings by replicating the analyses with a new sample of students. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 9,552 students from two- and four-year colleges. Hurdle model coefficients were assessed for replicability based on statistical significance and consistency of the replication effect size relative to the original effect size. Kotzé et al.’s findings were robust, with 91% of all tested effects meeting at least one of two replication criteria in the hurdle models and 88% of the variables replicating in the CARTs. Being younger, consuming alcohol more frequently, attending a four-year college, and having experienced more prior victimization and adversity were important predictors of peer harassment whereas being LGBQ+ was an important predictor of sexual harassment from faculty/staff. These findings can inform targeted prevention and intervention programs. More research is needed to understand why certain demographic and contextual variables are associated with greater harassment risk.

PMID:37487179 | DOI:10.1080/00224499.2023.2232354

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023 Jul 24. doi: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001270. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of allogenic corneal inlays designed to increase the depth of focus in treated eyes.

SETTINGS: Medipol University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

DESIGN: Prospective case series.

METHODS: This study includes 50 eyes of 25 patients with a follow-up of 3 years. Emmetropic patients with presbyopia had implantation of allogenic corneal inlays (Allotex) in the nondominant eye. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) were evaluated in all eyes. A subjective visual acuity test system (Multifocal Lens Analyzer 3.0 application, Q Vision Academy, Spain) was used to analyze the depth of focus by measuring the defocus curves.

RESULTS: No significant difference between the treated and fellow eyes in UDVA and CDVA was found, whereas UNVA was significantly better in the treated eyes (p=0.20, p=0.07, p<0.01, respectively). Comparing to the preoperative CDVA, there was a 1-line decrease in CDVA in 6 (%24) patients. The mean defocus curves reveal a depth of focus of 1.1D for the untreated eye at the logMAR=0.2 threshold. By contrast, the mean depth of focus of the treated eye and binocularly was 2.8D. The areas under the curve were significantly better in the near, intermediate, and total distances in the treated eyes, whereas it was better for the far distances in the untreated eyes. All values were significant (p=0.023 total, p<0.01 others).

CONCLUSIONS: Allogenic presbyopic inlay implantation may be safe and provided a clinically and statistically significant increase in the depth of focus leading to good far, intermediate, and near-visual acuity in emmetropic presbyopic patients.

PMID:37487178 | DOI:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001270

Cornea. 2023 Jul 17. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003348. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability of keratometry parameters obtained using the Eye Surface Profiler (ESP) system and their agreement with the IOL Master 500 device.

METHODS: Seventy-one eyes of 71 healthy participants were evaluated. Three repeated measurements were performed using the ESP system. Simulated keratometry in the flat (SimKf) and steep (SimKs) meridians, astigmatism, and axis were obtained. The same parameters were measured using the IOL Master 500 device. The J0 and J45 vector components of the astigmatism were calculated. The intrasession repeatability was analyzed using within-subject SD (Sw) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement was assessed using paired statistical tests and the Bland-Altman method.

RESULTS: The Sw was 0.07 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.51 D, 0.33 D, and 0.22 D, and the ICC was 0.96, 0.98, 0.74, 0.61, and 0.55 for SimKf, SimKs, astigmatism, J0, and J45, respectively. The mean difference and limits of agreement when comparing the ESP system with the IOL Master 500 device were 0.37 mm (0.08/0.66) for SimKf (P < 0.001), 0.18 mm (0.00/0.35) for SimKs (P < 0.001), -0.93 D (-2.42/0.56) for astigmatism (P < 0.001), 0.51 D (-0.22/1.24) for J0 (P < 0.001), and 0.06 D (-0.48/0.60) for J45 (P = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS: The ESP system provides consistent values for simulated keratometry, showing moderate consistency for astigmatism parameters. Contact lens practitioners should be aware that the ESP system and IOL Master 500 device provide different simulated keratometry from a clinically viewpoint.

PMID:37487176 | DOI:10.1097/ICO.0000000000003348

J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2023 Jul 20. doi: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000001010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Exercise rehabilitation is conducive to increasing functional ability and improving health outcomes, but its effectiveness in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is still controversial.

PURPOSE: In this study, our aim was to systematically examine the efficacy of exercise rehabilitation in people with AHF.

METHODS: A search was conducted for randomized controlled trial studies on exercise rehabilitation in patients with AHF up to November 2021. Two investigators conducted literature selection, quality assessments, and data extractions independently. The primary outcome was 6-minute walk distance, and the secondary outcomes were left ventricular ejection fraction, quality of life, Short Physical Performance Battery, readmission, and mortality. RevMan (version 5.3) software was used for the meta-analysis.

RESULTS: Twelve studies with 1215 participants were included. Exercise rehabilitation significantly improved the 6-minute walk distance (mean difference [MD], 33.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 31.37-34.70; P < .001; I2 = 0%), quality of life (MD, -11.57; 95% CI, -19.25 to -3.89; P = .003; I2 = 98%), Short Physical Performance Battery (MD, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.36-1.44; P < .001; I2 = 0%), and rate of readmission for any cause (risk ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.88; P = .02; I2 = 7%), compared with routine care. However, no statistically significant effects on left ventricular ejection fraction (MD, 0.94; 95% CI, -1.62 to 3.51; P = .47; I2 = 0%) and mortality (risk ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.64-1.80; P = .79; I2 = 0%) were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with routine care, exercise rehabilitation improved functional ability and quality of life, reducing readmission in patients with AHF.

PMID:37487171 | DOI:10.1097/JCN.0000000000001010

JCO Precis Oncol. 2023 Jul;7:e2300087. doi: 10.1200/PO.23.00087.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recently, the strategy for dose optimization in oncology has shifted toward conducting phase II randomized controlled trials with multiple doses. Optimal biologic dose (OBD) selection from phase I trial data to determine candidate doses for phase II trials has been gaining attention. Trials to identify the OBD have a fixed cohort size, which increases the trial duration. We propose a method to increase the cohort size using trial data and shorten the trial duration while maintaining accuracy.

METHODS: We propose a novel adaptive cohort size determination method in which the increase of cohort size is determined using desirability probability on the basis of toxicity and efficacy data. The desirability probability is a measure of how desirable a dose is and thus how close it is to the OBD. However, during the trial, the desirability probability does not need to be calculated. Instead, the cohort size expansion can be determined by a simple table generated in advance from toxicity and efficacy data. An illustrated example is provided and the performance was evaluated in a simulation study with 16 scenarios.

RESULTS: In the simulation study, the trial duration was reduced by an average of 20% compared with the conventional design. The percentages of correct OBD selection are almost the same as those with the conventional design.

CONCLUSION: The proposed adaptive cohort size determination method described in this study reduces trial duration while maintaining accuracy.

PMID:37487148 | DOI:10.1200/PO.23.00087

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Aug;120(31):e2216543120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2216543120. Epub 2023 Jul 24.

ABSTRACT

Most phenylpropanoid pathway flux is directed toward the production of monolignols, but this pathway also generates multiple bioactive metabolites. The monolignols coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol polymerize to form guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) units in lignin, components that are characteristic of plant secondary cell walls. Lignin negatively impacts the saccharification potential of lignocellulosic biomass. Although manipulation of its content and composition through genetic engineering has reduced biomass recalcitrance, in some cases, these genetic manipulations lead to impaired growth. The reduced-growth phenotype is often attributed to poor water transport due to xylem collapse in low-lignin mutants, but alternative models suggest that it could be caused by the hyper- or hypoaccumulation of phenylpropanoid intermediates. In Arabidopsis thaliana, overexpression of FERULATE 5-HYDROXYLASE (F5H) shifts the normal G/S lignin ratio to nearly pure S lignin and does not result in substantial changes to plant growth. In contrast, when we overexpressed F5H in the low-lignin mutants cinnamyl dehydrogenase c and d (cadc cadd), cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1, and reduced epidermal fluorescence 3, plant growth was severely compromised. In addition, cadc cadd plants overexpressing F5H exhibited defects in lateral root development. Exogenous coniferyl alcohol (CA) and its dimeric coupling product, pinoresinol, rescue these phenotypes. These data suggest that mutations in the phenylpropanoid pathway limit the biosynthesis of pinoresinol, and this effect is exacerbated by overexpression of F5H, which further draws down cellular pools of its precursor, CA. Overall, these genetic manipulations appear to restrict the synthesis of pinoresinol or a downstream metabolite that is necessary for plant growth.

PMID:37487096 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2216543120

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Aug;120(31):e2305573120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2305573120. Epub 2023 Jul 24.

ABSTRACT

Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit an adsorption-induced structural transition known as “gate opening” or “breathing,” resulting in an S-shaped adsorption isotherm. This unique feature of flexible MOFs offers significant advantages, such as a large working capacity, high selectivity, and intrinsic thermal management capability, positioning them as crucial candidates for revolutionizing adsorption separation processes. Therefore, the interest in the industrial applications of flexible MOFs is increasing, and the adsorption engineering for flexible MOFs is becoming important. However, despite the establishment of the theoretical background for adsorption-induced structural transitions, no theoretical equation is available to describe S-shaped adsorption isotherms of flexible MOFs. Researchers rely on various empirical equations for process simulations that can lead to unreliable outcomes or may overlook insights into improving material performance owing to parameters without physical meaning. In this study, we derive a theoretical equation based on statistical mechanics that could be a standard for the structural transition type adsorption isotherms, as the Langmuir equation represents type I isotherms. The versatility of the derived equation is shown through four examples of flexible MOFs that exhibit gate opening and breathing. The consistency of the formula with existing theories, including the osmotic free energy analysis and intrinsic thermal management capabilities, is also discussed. The developed theoretical equation may lead to more reliable and insightful outcomes in adsorption separation processes, further advancing the direction of industrial applications of flexible MOFs.

PMID:37487093 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2305573120

Circulation. 2023 Jul 25;148(4):e4. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001167. Epub 2023 Jul 24.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37486999 | DOI:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001167

PLoS Med. 2023 Jul 24;20(7):e1004242. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004242. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements are promising interventions to prevent intrauterine growth retardation in low- and middle-income countries. On the other hand, one concern with blanket prenatal supplementation programs using energy-dense supplements is that they could lead to more maternal and/or infant overweight. However, evidence is lacking on the potential effect of BEP on maternal and offspring body composition. This study evaluates the effects of micronutrient-fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy on body composition of mothers and their newborns in rural Burkina Faso.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: The MISAME-III study is an open label individually randomized controlled trial where pregnant women (n = 1,897) of gestational age <21 weeks received either a combination of micronutrient-fortified BEP and iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets (i.e., intervention) or IFA alone (i.e., control). The prenatal phase of the MISAME-III study was conducted between the first enrollment in October 2019 and the last delivery in August 2021. In a sub-study nested under the MISAME-III trial, we evaluated anthropometry and body composition in newborns who were born starting from 17 November 2020 (n: control = 368 and intervention = 352) and their mothers (n: control = 185 and intervention = 186). Primary study outcomes were newborn and maternal fat-free mass (FFMI) and fat-mass (FMI) indices. We used the deuterium dilution method to determine FFMI and FMI and %FFM and %FM of total body weight within 1 month postpartum. Our main analysis followed a modified intention-to-treat approach by analyzing all subjects with body composition data available. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were fitted to compare the intervention and control arms, with adjusted models included baseline maternal age, height, arm fat index, hemoglobin concentration and primiparity, household size, wealth and food security indices, and newborn age (days). At study enrollment, the mean ± SD maternal age was 24.8 ± 6.13 years and body mass index (BMI) was 22.1 ± 3.02 kg/m2 with 7.05% of the mothers were underweight and 11.5% were overweight. Prenatal micronutrient-fortified BEP supplementation resulted in a significantly higher FFMI in mothers (MD (mean difference): 0.45; 95% CI (confidence interval): 0.05, 0.84; P = 0.026) and newborns (MD: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.50; P = 0.012), whereas no statistically significant effects were found on FMI. The effect of micronutrient-fortified BEP on maternal FFMI was greater among mothers from food secure households and among those with a better nutritional status (BMI ≥21.0 kg/m2 or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥23 cm). Key limitations of the study are the relatively high degree of missing data (approximately 18%), the lack of baseline maternal body composition values, and the lack of follow-up body composition measurements to evaluate any long-term effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Micronutrient-fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy can increase maternal and newborn FFMI, without significant effects on FMI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier NCT03533712.

PMID:37486952 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004242

PLoS One. 2023 Jul 24;18(7):e0288964. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288964. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

The performance and reliability of semiconductor devices scaled down to the sub-nanometer regime are being seriously affected by process-induced variability. To properly assess the impact of the different sources of fluctuations, such as line edge roughness (LER), statistical analyses involving large samples of device configurations are needed. The computational cost of such studies can be very high if 3D advanced simulation tools (TCAD) that include quantum effects are used. In this work, we present a machine learning approach to model the impact of LER on two gate-all-around nanowire FETs that is able to dramatically decrease the computational effort, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the study, while obtaining great accuracy. Finally, we demonstrate that transfer learning techniques can decrease the computing cost even further, being the carbon footprint of the study just 0.18 g of CO2 (whereas a single device TCAD study can produce up to 2.6 kg of CO2), while obtaining coefficient of determination values larger than 0.985 when using only a 10% of the input samples.

PMID:37486944 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0288964