Tag: pubmed

Health Educ Res. 2022 May 18:cyac011. doi: 10.1093/her/cyac011. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Designing corrective messages to debunk misinformation online is an important practice toward ending the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as health-related misinformation has proliferated on social media misguiding disease prevention measures. Despite research on the use of statistical evidence and message modality in persuasion, the effects of evidence type (assertions with versus without statistical evidence) and presentation mode (text-only versus image-only versus text-plus-image) have been understudied. This study examined the impact of evidence type and presentation mode on individuals’ responses to corrective messages about COVID-19 on social media. The results showed that the presence of statistical evidence in assertions reduced message elaboration, which in turn reduced the effects of the message in correcting misperceptions, decreased perceived message believability and lowered social media users’ intentions to further engage with and disseminate the corrective message. Compared to the text-only modality and the text-plus-image modality, the image-only modality triggered significantly lower levels of message elaboration, which subsequently heightened message believability and increased user engagement intentions. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

PMID:35582892 | DOI:10.1093/her/cyac011

Health Educ Res. 2022 May 18:cyac012. doi: 10.1093/her/cyac012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Managing hypertension is not only concerned with lowering blood pressure (BP) by using antihypertensive medications but also aims at minimizing its consequences through adopting self-care. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of mobile application on self-care, BP control, self-efficacy and hypertension-related knowledge among adult patients with hypertension. A randomized design, two groups, pretest-posttest, between subjects with a 1:1 allocation ratio was used. The sample was selected from cardiology clinics has completed the study. Using a block randomization method, 57 of the participants were assigned to the intervention group receiving the educational application intervention, and 59 of them were assigned to the control group receiving usual care. The study’s findings showed that participants in the intervention group reported statistically significant higher self-care and knowledge scores than the participants in the control group after 8 weeks of receiving the study intervention. Additionally, compared with the control group participants, more participants in the intervention group demonstrated BP control. The educational application is effective in improving knowledge, self-care and BP control. The positive results indicate the value of integrating mobile applications in the care of patients with hypertension.

PMID:35582884 | DOI:10.1093/her/cyac012

J Viral Hepat. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1111/jvh.13702. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is characterized by progression through different phases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and disease. Although not necessary for HBV replication, there is increasing evidence that HBV splice variants are associated with liver disease progression and pathogenesis. However there have been no studies to date on the frequency or diversity of splice variants for different HBV genotypes across the phases of CHB. Next generation sequencing data from 404 patient samples of HBV genotype A, B, C, or D in Phase I, Phase II or Phase IV of CHB was analysed for HBV splice variants using an in house bioinformatics pipeline. HBV splice variants differed in frequency and type by genotype and phase of natural history. Splice variant Sp1 was the most frequently detected (206/404 51% of patients), followed by Sp13 (151/404 37% of patients). The frequency of variants was generally highest in Phase II (123/165 75% of patients), a phase typically associated with enhanced immune activation, followed by Phase I (69/99 70% of patients). Splice variants were associated with reduced hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) levels and statistically reduced likelihood of achieving HBsAg loss (functional cure) in Phase II patients for Sp1 and Sp13 (p=0.0014 and 0.0156, respectively). The frequency of HBV splice variants in patient serum differed markedly by HBV genotype and phase of CHB natural history. The increased levels of HBV splice variants detected in CHB phase II patients compared to the higher replicative Phase I in particular warrants further investigation.

PMID:35582878 | DOI:10.1111/jvh.13702

Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1080/14737167.2022.2079497. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Many diseases have a sequential treatment pathway. Compared with patients without previous treatment, patients who fail initial treatment may have lower success rates with a second treatment. This phenomenon can be explained by a correlation between treatment effects.

METHODS: We developed a statistical model of covariance for the underlying unobserved correlation between treatments and established a mathematical expression for the magnitude of the latent correlation term. We conducted a simulation study of clinical trials to investigate the correlation between two treatments and explored clinical examples based on published literature to illustrate the identification and evaluation of these correlations.

RESULTS: Our simulation study confirmed that a treatment correlation reduces the probability of success for the second treatment, compared with no correlation. We found that treatment correlations may be observable in clinical trials, such as for depression and lung cancer, and the magnitude of correlation may be estimated. We illustrated that treatment correlations can be incorporated into an economic model, with possible impacts on cost-effectiveness results. Additional applications of correlation concepts are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS: We evaluated the correlation between treatment effects and our approach can be applied to clinical trial design and economic modelling of sequential clinical treatment pathways.

PMID:35582876 | DOI:10.1080/14737167.2022.2079497

Psychiatr Hung. 2022;37(2):133-149.

ABSTRACT

Low sexual desire, also called Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder or Sexual Interest/ Arousal Disorder, is a type of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD). This article reviews diagnostic considerations, a historical overview of how current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria was developed, including a crossover from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) to DSM-5, diagnostic considerations in pharmaceutical treatments for low female sexual desire as well as the predominant sexual response cycle models that DSM-5 criteria was built on. It provides a historical overview of the two majorly divergent camps of perspective, namely the DSM-5 and the ICSM/ ICD classification systems, their theoretical and research basis. It concludes that female sexual desire is a rather complex phenomenon and a mechanism set in motion by intricate hormonal, emotional, relational and biological processes. Psychiatrists are well-suited in both recognizing, diagnosing and treating female sexual desire problems. Authors of this review encourage flexibility and a patient focused approach in clinical practice, which would both require utilizing a biopsychosocial perspective and the use of a multi-specialty team.

PMID:35582867

Subst Use Misuse. 2022 May 18:1-16. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2076878. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Computer-based and telecommunication technology has become increasingly common to address addiction among women. This review assessed the effect of technology-based interventions on substance misuse, alcohol use, and smoking outcomes among women.

METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline was used to conduct the scoping review. Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were used to search for peer-reviewed articles published in English on computer-based and telecommunication technology use to address substance misuse, alcohol use, and smoking among women.

RESULTS: A total of 30 articles were selected after the final full-text review from the U.S., England, Japan, and the Netherlands. The types of technology used in the interventions included computer software (standalone or web-based), mobile applications, video calling, phone, and text messaging. Intervention outcomes included alcohol and other substance misuse reduction as polysubstance misuse (n = 5), smoking cessation (n = 10), substance misuse reduction only (n = 6), and alcohol use reduction only (n = 9). The populations reached included women who were pregnant (n = 13), postpartum (n = 4), or non-pregnant (n = 14) ranging from adolescent to adulthood. Interventions that targeted polysubstance misuse showed statistically significant reductions (p < .05).

CONCLUSION: Although effective in reducing alcohol and other substance misuse, mixed findings were identified for other outcomes targeting a single substance. Technology-based interventions might maximize their effects by targeting polysubstance misuse and addressing associated contextual issues in the form of a computer-delivered module(s).

PMID:35582861 | DOI:10.1080/10826084.2022.2076878

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1002/ccd.30178. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The natural history of peridevice leak (PDL) following left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is unknown. This study sought to investigate changes of PDL from 2 until 12 months after LAAO, using cardiac computed tomography (CT), and to assess the potential association between persistent PDL and clinical outcomes METHODS: Single-center observational study of Amplatzer LAAO implants between 2010 and 2017 (n = 206). Patients with 2 and 12 months cardiac CT were included in the study (n = 153). Images were blindly analyzed. PDL was characterized by frequency and size at the device disc, lobe, and left atrial appendage contrast patency. Patients were followed for the composite outcome of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, systemic embolism, or all-cause death. Median follow up from LAAO was 3.1 (2.3-4.3) years.

RESULTS: Contrast patency was present in 101 (66%) and 72 (47%) (p < 0.001) at 2 and 12 months, respectively. PDL was identified at the disc in 103 (67%) patients at 2 months versus 93 (61%) at 12 months (p = 0.08), and at the lobe in 29 (19%) at both time points. PDL area at the disc did not change significantly over time, $∆$ area: -8.95 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: -18.9; 1.01) p = 0.08. Permanent atrial fibrillation was independently associated with persistent PDL. Persistent versus no PDL was associated with a 62% worse clinical outcome, however not statistically significant, hazard ratio (HR): 1.62 (95% CI: 0.9-2.93), p = 0.11.

CONCLUSION: Persistent PDL was frequently observed following LAAO with Amplatzer devices. The PDL frequency and size appeared unchanged between 2 and 12 months. Persistent PDL was not significantly associated with worse clinical outcomes, yet this needs further delineation in future studies.

PMID:35582829 | DOI:10.1002/ccd.30178

Ann Hum Genet. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12470. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

One of the critical issues in genetic association studies is to evaluate the risk of a disease associated with gene-gene or gene-environment interactions. The commonly employed procedures are derived by assigning a particular set of scores to genotypes. However, the underlying genetic models of inheritance are rarely known in practice. Misspecifying a genetic model may result in power loss. By using some potential genetic variables to separate the genotype coding and genetic model parameter, we construct a model-embedded score test (MEST). Our test is free of assumption of gene-environment independence and allows for covariates in the model. An effective sequential optimization algorithm is developed. Extensive simulations show the proposed MEST is robust and powerful in most of scenarios. Finally, we apply the proposed method to rheumatoid arthritis data from the Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 to further investigate the potential interaction effects.

PMID:35582845 | DOI:10.1111/ahg.12470

Bioconjug Chem. 2022 May 18;33(5):948-955. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00159. Epub 2022 May 3.

ABSTRACT

d-Xylonic acid (XA), derived from pentose sugar xylose, is a multifunctional high-value chemical with a wide range of applications in the fields of medicines, food, agriculture and is a valuable chemical reagent for the synthesis of other useful commodity chemicals. In the bacterial system, xylose dehydrogenase (XDH) catalyzes the oxidation of d-xylose into d-xylonolactone, consuming NAD⁺ or NADP⁺ as a cofactor. The d-xylonolactone then undergoes auto-oxidation into d-xylonic acid. Herein, the XDH enzyme overexpressed in Escherichia coli is purified and immobilized on ferromagnetic nanoparticles, effectively converting xylose into xylonic acid. Parameters deciding the bioconversion were statistically optimized and obtained a maximum of 91% conversion rate. Kinetic parameters of immobilized xylose dehydrogenase showed a 2-fold increase in the maximum velocity of the reaction and catalytic efficiency compared to free enzyme. The operational stability test for the enzyme-nanoparticle conjugate retained 93% relative activity after 10 successive experiments, exhibiting the good recyclability of the biocatalyst for XA production.

PMID:35582818 | DOI:10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00159

Stat Med. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1002/sim.9440. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Correlated phenotypes often share common genetic determinants. Thus, a multi-trait analysis can potentially increase association power and help in understanding pleiotropic effect. When multiple traits are jointly measured over time, the correlation information between multivariate longitudinal responses can help to gain power in association analysis, and the longitudinal traits can provide insights on the dynamic gene effect over time. In this work, we propose a multivariate partially linear varying coefficients model to identify genetic variants with their effects potentially modified by environmental factors. We derive a testing framework to jointly test the association of genetic factors and illustrated with a bivariate phenotypic trait, while taking the time varying genetic effects into account. We extend the quadratic inference functions to deal with the longitudinal correlations and used penalized splines for the approximation of nonparametric coefficient functions. Theoretical results such as consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimates are established. The performance of the testing procedure is evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation studies. The utility of the method is demonstrated with a real data set from the Twin Study of Hormones and Behavior across the menstrual cycle project, in which single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with emotional eating behavior are identified.

PMID:35582816 | DOI:10.1002/sim.9440