Tag: pubmed

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0271911. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271911. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Although researchers and practitioners have suggested that the quality of family planning services impacts contraceptive discontinuation, establishing a causal relationship has been challenging, primarily due to data limitations and a lack of agreement on how to measure quality. This longitudinal study estimated the relationship of the dissatisfaction with family planning services on contraceptive discontinuation for a sample of 797 female clients who sought family planning services at urban facilities across Kenya, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. Clients who sought family planning services were first interviewed in person at private and public health facilities and received a follow-up phone interview four to six months later. In our sample, 18.2% of clients who were using a modern contraceptive at baseline stopped using it by follow-up. At baseline, nearly 14% of clients reported experiencing a problem with service convenience, nearly 12% with the availability of medicines and contraceptives, and nearly 6% with facility cleanliness and/or staff treatment. We hypothesized that client dissatisfaction with the family planning services received informed their decision to discontinue contraception and estimated univariate and bivariate probit regression models, controlling for individual and health facility characteristics. We found that client’s perceptions of staff treatment and facility cleanliness informed their expectations about service and contraceptive standards, affecting subsequent contraceptive discontinuation. The difference in the probability of discontinuing contraception was 8.2 percentage-points between dissatisfied and satisfied clients. Examining client dissatisfaction with family planning services can inform the family planning community on needed improvements to increase contraceptive adherence for women in need, which can prevent unplanned pregnancies and unwanted births in the long run.

PMID:35994479 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0271911

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0272584. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272584. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The adaptive exponentially weighted moving average (AEWMA) control charts are the advanced form of classical memory control charts used for efficiently monitoring small-to-large shifts in the process parameters (location and/or dispersion). These AEWMA control charts estimate the unknown shifts using exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) or cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts statistics. The hybrid EWMA (HEWMA) control chart is preferred over classical memory control charts to detect early shifts in process parameters. So, this study presents a new auxiliary information-based (AIB) AEWMA (IAEWMAAIB) control chart for process location that estimates the unknown location shift using HEWMA statistic. The objective is to develop an unbiased location shift estimator using HEWMA statistic and then adaptively update the smoothing constant. The shift estimation using HEWMA statistic instead of EWMA or CUSUM statistics boosts the performance of the proposed IAEWMAAIB control chart. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to get the numerical results. Famous performance evaluation measures like average run length, extra quadratic loss, relative average run length, and performance comparison index are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed chart with existing counterparts. The comparison reveals the superiority of the proposed control chart. Finally, two real-life applications from the glass manufacturing industry and physicochemical parameters of groundwater are considered to show the proposed control chart’s implementation procedure and dominance.

PMID:35994483 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272584

PLoS Genet. 2022 Aug 22;18(8):e1010376. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010376. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The class I histone deacetylases are essential regulators of cell fate decisions in health and disease. While pan- and class-specific HDAC inhibitors are available, these drugs do not allow a comprehensive understanding of individual HDAC function, or the therapeutic potential of isoform-specific targeting. To systematically compare the impact of individual catalytic functions of HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3, we generated human HAP1 cell lines expressing catalytically inactive HDAC enzymes. Using this genetic toolbox we compare the effect of individual HDAC inhibition with the effects of class I specific inhibitors on cell viability, protein acetylation and gene expression. Individual inactivation of HDAC1 or HDAC2 has only mild effects on cell viability, while HDAC3 inactivation or loss results in DNA damage and apoptosis. Inactivation of HDAC1/HDAC2 led to increased acetylation of components of the COREST co-repressor complex, reduced deacetylase activity associated with this complex and derepression of neuronal genes. HDAC3 controls the acetylation of nuclear hormone receptor associated proteins and the expression of nuclear hormone receptor regulated genes. Acetylation of specific histone acetyltransferases and HDACs is sensitive to inactivation of HDAC1/HDAC2. Over a wide range of assays, we determined that in particular HDAC1 or HDAC2 catalytic inactivation mimicks class I specific HDAC inhibitors. Importantly, we further demonstrate that catalytic inactivation of HDAC1 or HDAC2 sensitizes cells to specific cancer drugs. In summary, our systematic study revealed isoform-specific roles of HDAC1/2/3 catalytic functions. We suggest that targeted genetic inactivation of particular isoforms effectively mimics pharmacological HDAC inhibition allowing the identification of relevant HDACs as targets for therapeutic intervention.

PMID:35994477 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010376

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0272956. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272956. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Road accidents are one of the primary causes of death worldwide; hence, they constitute an important research field. Taiwan is a small country with a high-density population. It particularly has a considerable number of locomotives. Furthermore, Taiwan’s traffic accident fatality rate increased by 23.84% in 2019 compared with 2018, primarily because of human factors. Road safety has long been a challenging problem in Taiwanese cities. This study collected public data pertaining to traffic accidents from the Taoyuan city government in Taiwan and generated six datasets based on the various accident frequencies at the same location. To find key attributes, this study proposes a three-stage dimension reduction to filter attributes, which includes removing multicollinear attributes, the integrated attribute selection method, and statistical factor analysis. We applied five rule-based classifiers to classify six different frequency datasets and generate the rules of accident severity. The order of top ten key attributes was hit vehicle > certificate type > vehicle > action type > drive quality > escape > accident type > gender > job > trip purposes in the maximum accident frequency CF ≥ 10 dataset. When locomotives, bicycles, and people collide with other locomotives or trucks, injury or death can easily occur, and the motorcycle riders are at the highest risk. The findings of this study provide a reference for governments and stakeholders to reduce the road accident risk factors.

PMID:35994471 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272956

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0272920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272920. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the global prevalence of occult hepatitis B in blood donors. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, and Excerpta Medica Database. Study selection and data extraction were performed by at least two independent investigators. Heterogeneity (I2) was assessed using the χ2 test on the Cochran Q statistic and H parameters. Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analyses. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021252787. We included 82 studies in this meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of OBI was 6.2% (95% CI: 5.4-7.1) in HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive blood donors. Only sporadic cases of OBI were reported in HBsAg negative and anti-HBc negative blood donors. The overall prevalence of OBI was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.4) in HBsAg negative blood donors. The prevalence of OBI was generally higher in countries with low-income economic status. The results of this study show that despite routine screening of blood donors for hepatitis B, the transmission of HBV by blood remains possible via OBI and/or a seronegative window period; hence there is a need for active surveillance and foremost easier access to molecular tests for the screening of blood donors before transfusion.

PMID:35994469 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272920

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0270061. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270061. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Although three monovalent EV-A71 vaccines have been launched in mainland China since 2016, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) still causes a considerable disease burden in China. Vaccines’ use may change the epidemiological characters of HFMD. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and space-time scan statistics analysis were used to explore the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of this disease at the provincial level in mainland China. The effects of meteorological factors, socio-economic factors, and health resources on HFMD incidence were analyzed using Geodetector. Interrupted time series (ITS) was used to analyze the impact of the EV-A71 vaccine on the incidence of HFMD. This study found that the median annual incidence of HFMD was 153.78 per 100,000 (ranging from 120.79 to 205.06) in mainland China from 2011 to 2018. Two peaks of infections were observed per year. Children 5 years and under were the main morbid population. The spatial distribution of HFMD was presented a significant clustering pattern in each year (P<0.001). The distribution of HFMD cases was clustered in time and space. The range of cluster time was between April and October. The most likely cluster appeared in the southern coastal provinces (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan) from 2011 to 2017 and in the eastern coastal provinces (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) in 2018. The spatial heterogeneity of HFMD incidence could be attributed to meteorological factors, socioeconomic factors, and health resource. After introducing the EV-A71 vaccine, the instantaneous level of HFMD incidence decreased at the national level, and HFMD incidence trended downward in the southern coastal provinces and increased in the eastern coastal provinces. The prevention and control policies of HFMD should be adapted to local conditions in different provinces. It is necessary to advance the EV-A71 vaccination plan, expand the vaccine coverage and develop multivalent HFMD vaccines as soon as possible.

PMID:35994464 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270061

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0271348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271348. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Currently, sub-second monitoring of neurotransmitter release in humans can only be performed during standard of care invasive procedures like DBS electrode implantation. The procedure requires acute insertion of a research probe and additional time in surgery, which may increase infection risk. We sought to determine the impact of our research procedure, particularly the extended time in surgery, on infection risk.

METHODS: We screened 602 patients who had one or more procedure codes documented for DBS electrode implantation, generator placement, programming, or revision for any reason performed at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center between January 2011 through October 2020 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for infection. During this period, 116 patients included an IRB approved 30-minute research protocol, during the Phase 1 DBS electrode implantation surgery, to monitor sub-second neurotransmitter release. We used Fisher’s Exact test (FET) to determine if there was a significant change in the infection rate following DBS electrode implantation procedures that included, versus those that did not include, the neurotransmitter monitoring research protocol.

RESULTS: Within 30-days following DBS electrode implantation, infection was observed in 1 (0.21%) out of 486 patients that did not participate in the research procedure and 2 (1.72%) of the 116 patients that did participate in the research procedure. Notably, all types of infection observed were typical of those expected for DBS electrode implantation.

CONCLUSION: Infection rates are not statistically different across research and non-research groups within 30-days following the research procedure (1.72% vs. 0.21%; p = 0.0966, FET). Our results demonstrate that the research procedures used for sub-second monitoring of neurotransmitter release in humans can be performed without increasing the rate of infection.

PMID:35994460 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0271348

JMIR Aging. 2022 Aug 22;5(3):e38172. doi: 10.2196/38172.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is vital for attenuating the aging-related physiological and functional declines in women aged 60 years or above. However, little is known about the objectively assessed PA behavior in older women during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with sociodemographics, health and physical function, and COVID-19 related factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the objectively measured PA levels and associated factors among older US women who were living under the physical distancing guidelines during the second year of the pandemic.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we collected free-living PA data from 94 community-dwelling older women aged between 60 and 96 years (mean age 75.1 years, SD 7.3) using wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X accelerometers between February and August 2021. We examined whether their daily duration spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) varied by sociodemographic characteristics, health and physical function, and COVID-19 related factors.

RESULTS: On average, participants accumulated 12.4 (SD 1.9) hours/day in SB, 218.6 (SD 64.3) minutes/day in LPA, and 42.4 (SD 31.0) minutes/day in MVPA, exhibiting overall reduced PA levels than previously published pre-COVID-19 norms of older US women. Among participants aged ≥80 years, sedentary time was 7.5% (P=.003) higher and the time spent in LPA and MVPA was, respectively, 13.3% (P=.03) and 44.9% (P<.001) lower than those aged 60-79 years. More MVPA participation and a less sedentary lifestyle were observed in those who had a higher self-rated health score (MVPA: P=.001, SB: P=.04) and lower fear of falling (FOF; MVPA: P=.003, SB: P=.04). Poorer performance in the 30-second sit-to-stand (STS) test was independently associated with more SB (P=.01) and less LPA (P=.04) and MVPA (P=.001) time among participants. In addition, sedentary time was 5.0% higher (P=.03) in frail and prefrail participants than their healthy counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, older women spent the majority of their waking time being sedentary, while LPA accounted for a larger portion of their daily PA. Therefore, replacing SB with LPA (rather than MVPA) might provide a more feasible PA target for older women, particularly those aged ≥80 years or who have reduced physical function. In addition, targeted interventions might be beneficial in promoting an active lifestyle for those who live alone, are prefrail or frail, and have a high FOF in older age.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/27381.

PMID:35994346 | DOI:10.2196/38172

JMIR Serious Games. 2022 Aug 22;10(3):e37079. doi: 10.2196/37079.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Preschool-aged children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receive long-term treatment according to the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)-ALL 2013 protocol. Severe anxiety and noncompliance ahead of frequent invasive therapies leads to an increase in health care costs. Previous studies have shown that therapeutic video games (TVGs) can decrease the anxiety experienced by children who are ill. To our knowledge, no existing TVG has been designed specifically for preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a TVG using the popular Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics (MDA) framework for game design and to investigate the effect of this TVG on the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among preschool-aged children with ALL.

METHODS: This study used a mixed methods approach over three phases: (1) develop a TVG using the MDA framework, (2) test the reliability of the TVG among three certified children’s art therapists, and (3) evaluate the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among participants after using the TVG for 6 weeks, using a two-group, stratified randomized controlled trial at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Eligible preschool-aged children with ALL were randomly assigned 1:1 into an experimental group or a control group. The two groups of subjects received the same usual care, and only the experimental group had access to and used the TVG. The children’s anxiety responses were reported by their family caregivers using the face rating scale (FRS). Descriptive analyses, the Fisher exact test, the Pearson chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to statistically analyze the variables.

RESULTS: Six mechanics rules supported the dynamics of the TVG using four main features-character, nursery, tasks, and market-in order to complete all of the therapy-related anxiety reduction scenarios and to achieve eight aesthetics goals. The results of reliability test showed that participants found the TVG to be useful and trustworthy for preschool-aged children with ALL (Cronbach α=.98). A total of 15 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to the experimental group (n=7) or the control group (n=8). The average number of TVG log-ins was 37.9 (SD 15.30, range 14-62) in the experimental group. The demographic data showed homogeneity across the two groups regarding age (3 to 5 years), sex (male), risk classification (standard risk), and treatment status (continuation therapy). The mean FRS score was 6.16 (SD 3.31) for the experimental group as compared to 7.45 (SD 2.71) for the control group (P=.04), which represented a significant difference between the groups at the 6-week follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: This research provides evidence that using a TVG can decrease anxiety in preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan. The TVG could be used to support clinical professionals before they perform invasive therapies. However, it is recommended to increase the statistical power for inference.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04199637; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04199637.

PMID:35994340 | DOI:10.2196/37079

J Thorac Imaging. 2022 Sep 1;37(5):292-299. doi: 10.1097/RTI.0000000000000642. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to elucidate the prevalence and factors associated with follow-up chest computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients undergoing stress-perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (sCMR) and coronary CT angiography (cCTA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cardiac imaging encounters between January 1, 2015 and May 16, 2020 were selected for analysis. Follow-up was tracked within 1-year of initial cardiac imaging, up to May 16, 2021. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and cardiopulmonary outcomes were also analyzed.

RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2020, there were 4024 cCTA and 837 sCMR imaging procedures on unique patients with 1.1% and 0.5% of patients having follow-up CT chest studies within 1 year, respectively. When controlling for patient demographic factors, body mass index, insurance status, smoking history, and comorbid diagnostic codes, there was statistically significant increased odds (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.864 [1.129-7.265]) of undergoing follow-up within the cCTA cohort. Pulmonary nodules represented the most common incidental finding, with cCTA associated with higher rates of pulmonary nodules detected on imaging (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 5.947 [4.136-8.552]). sCMR was associated with higher rates of MI, percutaneous coronary intervention, and lung malignancy within 1 year, with no difference in all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing either cCTA and sCMR demonstrated a low prevalence of follow-up CT chest imaging; however, follow-up was 2 times greater after cCTA due to greater pulmonary nodule detection. Potential for follow-up should be considered when evaluating the comparative effectiveness of these modalities, including the impact of follow-up imaging on cost and patient outcomes. Strategies to improve lung nodule detection and characterization at the time of sCMR may provide added value in these patients.

PMID:35994335 | DOI:10.1097/RTI.0000000000000642