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The Lancet. Public Health Jul 2024Alcohol health-warning labels are a policy option that can contribute to the reduction of alcohol-related harms, but their effects and public perception depend on their...
Effect of alcohol health warning labels on knowledge related to the ill effects of alcohol on cancer risk and their public perceptions in 14 European countries: an online survey experiment.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol health-warning labels are a policy option that can contribute to the reduction of alcohol-related harms, but their effects and public perception depend on their content and format. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of health warnings on knowledge that alcohol causes cancer, the perceptions of three different message topics (responsible drinking, general health harm of alcohol, and alcohol causing cancer), and the role of images included with the cancer message.
METHODS
In this online survey experiment, distributed in 14 European countries and targeting adults of the legal alcohol-purchase age who consumed alcohol, participants were randomly allocated to one of six label conditions using a pseudorandom number generator stratified by survey language before completing a questionnaire with items measuring knowledge and label perceptions. Effect on knowledge was assessed as a primary outcome by comparing participants who had increased knowledge after exposure to labels with the rest of the sample, for the six label conditions. Label perceptions were compared between label conditions as secondary outcomes.
FINDINGS
19 110 participants completed the survey and were eligible for analysis. Our results showed that a third of the participants exposed to the cancer message increased their knowledge of alcohol causing cancer (increase for 1131 [32·5%, 95% CI 29·8 to 35·2] of 3409 participants [weighted percentage] for text-only message; increase for 1096 [33·3%, 30·4 to 36·2] of 3198 [weighted percentage] for message inlcuding pictogram; and increase for 1030 [32·5%, 29·6 to 35·4] of 3242 [weighted percentage] for message including graphic image), compared with an increase for 76 (2·4%, -1·2 to 6·0) of 3018 participants who viewed the control message. Logistic regression showed that cancer messages increased knowledge compared with the control label (odds ratio [OR] 20·20, 95% CI 15·88 to 26·12; OR 21·16, 16·62 to 27·38; OR 20·61, 16·19 to 26·68). Cancer messages had the highest perceived impact and relevance, followed by general health harm and responsibility messages. Text-only and pictogram cancer messages were seen as clear, comprehensive, and acceptable, whereas those including an image of a patient with cancer had lower acceptability and the highest avoidance rating of all the labels. The only identified interaction between perceptions and experimental conditions (with gender) indicated higher comprehensibility and acceptability ratings of cancer labels than responsibility messages and control labels by women, with the results reversed in men.
INTERPRETATION
Health warnings are an effective policy option to increase knowledge of alcohol causing cancer, with a generalisable effect across several countries. Europeans consider alcohol health-warning labels to be comprehensible and acceptable, with cancer-specific health warnings having the highest perceived impact and relevance.
FUNDING
EU4Health.
Topics: Humans; Europe; Male; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Adult; Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Product Labeling; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Adolescent; Public Opinion; Alcoholic Beverages; Aged
PubMed: 38942558
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00102-6 -
Cell Jun 2024A number of species have recently recovered from near-extinction. Although these species have avoided the immediate extinction threat, their long-term viability remains...
A number of species have recently recovered from near-extinction. Although these species have avoided the immediate extinction threat, their long-term viability remains precarious due to the potential genetic consequences of population declines, which are poorly understood on a timescale beyond a few generations. Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) became isolated on Wrangel Island around 10,000 years ago and persisted for over 200 generations before becoming extinct around 4,000 years ago. To study the evolutionary processes leading up to the mammoths' extinction, we analyzed 21 Siberian woolly mammoth genomes. Our results show that the population recovered quickly from a severe bottleneck and remained demographically stable during the ensuing six millennia. We find that mildly deleterious mutations gradually accumulated, whereas highly deleterious mutations were purged, suggesting ongoing inbreeding depression that lasted for hundreds of generations. The time-lag between demographic and genetic recovery has wide-ranging implications for conservation management of recently bottlenecked populations.
PubMed: 38942016
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.033 -
Poultry Science Jun 2024Salmonella and Campylobacter are major foodborne pathogens that cause outbreaks associated with contaminated chicken liver. Proper cooking is necessary to avoid the risk...
Salmonella and Campylobacter are major foodborne pathogens that cause outbreaks associated with contaminated chicken liver. Proper cooking is necessary to avoid the risk of illness to consumers. This study tested the thermal inactivation of a 4-strain Salmonella cocktail and a 3-strain Campylobacter cocktail in chicken livers separately at temperatures ranging from 55.0 to 62.5°C. Inoculated livers were sealed in aluminum cells and immersed in a water bath. The decimal reduction time (D-values) of Salmonella in chicken livers were 9.01, 2.36, 0.82, and 0.23 min at 55.0, 57.5, 60.0, and 62.5°C, respectively. The D-values of Campylobacter ranged from 2.22 min at 55.0°C to 0.19 min at 60.0°C. Salmonella and Campylobacter had similar z-values in chicken livers of 4.8 and 4.6°C, respectively. Chicken livers can be heated to internal temperatures of 70.0 to 73.9°C for at least 1.6 to 0.2 s to achieve a 7-log reduction of Salmonella. Validation tests demonstrated that heating chicken livers to internal temperatures of 70.0 to 73.9°C for 2 to 0 s resulted in a reduction of Salmonella exceeding 7 logs. Collectively, these data show that Salmonella exhibits higher heat resistance than Campylobacter in chicken livers. Therefore, Salmonella could be considered as the target pathogen when designing thermal treatments or cooking instructions for liver products. These findings will aid in designing effective thermal processing for both industrial and home cooking to eliminate Salmonella and Campylobacter, ensuring consumer safety when consuming chicken liver products.
PubMed: 38941761
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103961 -
Science Advances Jun 2024Light-driven oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) for multi-carbon (C) product evolution is a promising approach toward the sustainable production of value-added...
Light-driven oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) for multi-carbon (C) product evolution is a promising approach toward the sustainable production of value-added chemicals, yet remains challenging due to its low intrinsic activity. Here, we demonstrate the integration of bismuth oxide (BiO) and gold (Au) on titanium dioxide (TiO) substrate to achieve a high conversion rate, product selectivity, and catalytic durability toward photocatalytic OCM through rational catalytic site engineering. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the lattice oxygen in BiO is effectively activated as the localized oxidant to promote methane dissociation, while Au governs the methyl transfer to avoid undesirable overoxidation and promote carbon─carbon coupling. The optimal Au/BiO-TiO hybrid delivers a conversion rate of 20.8 millimoles per gram per hour with C product selectivity high to 97% in the flow reactor. More specifically, the veritable participation of lattice oxygen during OCM is chemically looped by introduced dioxygen via the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, endowing superior catalyst stability.
PubMed: 38941471
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4390 -
Medicine Jun 2024This study investigated recurrence rates and treatment efficacy based on tomographic findings during a long-term follow-up after primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP)...
Is there a change in the view of treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax?: The effect of thoracic CT and autologous blood pleurodesis: a retrospective cohort study.
This study investigated recurrence rates and treatment efficacy based on tomographic findings during a long-term follow-up after primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) treatment. We retrospectively analyzed patients with PSP treated at our hospital between 2003 and 2020. Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on computed tomography (CT) findings: group 1 (no bulla/bleb) and group 2 (bullae-bleb <3 cm). Data on demographics, recurrence, treatment methods, and outcomes were also collected and compared. A total of 251 PSP cases were evaluated, predominantly male (93.6%) with a mean age of 29.23 ± 1.14 years. Most cases (57%) occurred on the right side. Recurrence rates were highest within the first year (77.8%), with the first and second recurrences occurring at rates of 26% and 27.3%, respectively. In group 1 (n = 117), conservative treatment was applied in 15 cases, tube thoracostomy in 81, autologous blood pleurodesis (ABP) in 19, and surgery in 12. Recurrence rates were 46.6%, 21%, 5.3%, and 8.3%, respectively. In group 2 (n = 134), the recurrence rates were 50%, 32.7%, 20%, and 3.1%, respectively (P < .001). No mortality was observed for any patient. The treatment groups included conservative (n = 19), thoracostomy (n = 179), ABP (n = 34), and surgical (n = 44) groups. Recurrence rates were 47.3%, 27.4%, 11.8% (group 1: 5.3%, group 2: 20%, P = .035), and 4.5% (0% vs 6.3%), respectively. ABP effectively reduced recurrence in group 1 PSP patients without bullae or blebs on CT, potentially avoiding surgery. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery should be preferred in group 2 cases with bullae or blebs to minimize recurrence. These results underscore the importance of tailoring treatment strategies based on CT findings to optimize PSP management outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Pneumothorax; Male; Pleurodesis; Female; Retrospective Studies; Adult; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome; Thoracostomy
PubMed: 38941434
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038639 -
PloS One 2024Many newborn screening programs worldwide have introduced screening for diseases using DNA extracted from dried blood spots (DBS). In Germany, DNA-based assays are...
BACKGROUND
Many newborn screening programs worldwide have introduced screening for diseases using DNA extracted from dried blood spots (DBS). In Germany, DNA-based assays are currently used to screen for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and sickle cell disease (SCD).
METHODS
This study analysed the impact of pre-analytic DNA carry-over in sample preparation on the outcome of DNA-based newborn screening for SCID and SMA and compared the efficacy of rapid extraction versus automated protocols. Additionally, the distribution of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) on DBS cards, commonly used for routine newborn screening, was determined.
RESULTS
Contaminations from the punching procedure were detected in the SCID and SMA assays in all experimental setups tested. However, a careful evaluation of a cut-off allowed for a clear separation of true positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications. Our rapid in-house extraction protocol produced similar amounts compared to automated commercial systems. Therefore, it can be used for reliable DNA-based screening. Additionally, the amount of extracted DNA significantly differs depending on the location of punching within a DBS.
CONCLUSIONS
Newborn screening for SMA and SCID can be performed reliably. It is crucial to ensure that affected newborns are not overlooked. Therefore a carefully consideration of potential contaminating factors and the definition of appropriate cut-offs to minimise the risk of false results are of special concern. It is also important to note that the location of punching plays a pivotal role, and therefore an exact quantification of TREC numbers per μl may not be reliable and should therefore be avoided.
Topics: Humans; Neonatal Screening; Infant, Newborn; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency; DNA; Dried Blood Spot Testing; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 38941330
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306329 -
JAMA Network Open Jun 2024While most patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) fulfill diagnostic criteria with characteristic abdominal pain and serum lipase levels of at least 3 times the upper...
IMPORTANCE
While most patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) fulfill diagnostic criteria with characteristic abdominal pain and serum lipase levels of at least 3 times the upper limit of normal (reference range) at presentation, early imaging is often used for confirmation. A prior prediction model and corresponding point-based score were developed using nonimaging parameters to diagnose AP in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of the prediction model to diagnose AP in a prospective patient cohort.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This prospective diagnostic study included consecutive adult patients presenting to the ED between January 1, 2020, and March 9, 2021, at 2 large academic medical centers in the northeastern US with serum lipase levels at least 3 times the upper limit of normal. Patients transferred from outside institutions or with malignant disease and established intra-abdominal metastases, acute trauma, or altered mentation were excluded. Data were analyzed from October 15 to October 23, 2023.
EXPOSURES
Participants were assigned scores for initial serum lipase level, number of prior AP episodes, prior cholelithiasis, abdominal surgery within 2 months, presence of epigastric pain, pain of worsening severity, duration from pain onset to presentation, and pain level at ED presentation.
MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES
A final diagnosis of AP, established by expert review of hospitalization records.
RESULTS
Prospective scores in 349 participants (mean [SD] age, 53.0 [18.8] years; 184 women [52.7%]; 66 Black [18.9%]; 199 White [57.0%]) demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.91. A score of at least 6 points achieved highest accuracy (F score, 82.0), corresponding to a sensitivity of 81.5%, specificity of 85.9%, positive predictive value of 82.6%, and negative predictive value of 85.1% for AP diagnosis. Early computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging was performed more often in participants predicted to have AP (116 of 155 [74.8%] with a score ≥6 vs 111 of 194 [57.2%] with a score <6; P < .001). Early imaging revealed an alternative diagnosis in 8 of 116 participants (6.9%) with scores of at least 6 points, 1 of 93 (1.1%) with scores of at least 7 points, and 1 of 73 (1.4%) with scores of at least 8 points.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this multicenter diagnostic study, the prediction model demonstrated excellent AP diagnostic accuracy. Its application may be used to avoid unnecessary confirmatory imaging.
Topics: Humans; Pancreatitis; Female; Male; Prospective Studies; Middle Aged; Adult; Lipase; Emergency Service, Hospital; Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Acute Disease; Abdominal Pain
PubMed: 38941094
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.19014 -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to direct and deliberate suicidal actions that damage the body but are not recognized by society and culture. Adolescence is the...
BACKGROUND
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to direct and deliberate suicidal actions that damage the body but are not recognized by society and culture. Adolescence is the transition period when children change into adult roles. At this time, teenagers are in the critical development period of physical and mental intelligence, and all aspects of their development have not yet been fully developed, so there are fierce inner conflicts. If the psychological problems of teenagers do not get timely counseling, it is very likely to choose self-injury suicide behavior, in such an extreme way to vent their bad emotions. The prevalence rate of NSSI among adolescents is much higher than that of other age groups. Studies have shown that psychological nursing is safe and effective, which can alleviate patients' negative emotions and avoid NSSI.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the impact of group psychological nursing with guardian participation on reducing NSSI behaviors and improving psychological well-being among adolescents.
DESIGN
This was a retrospective study.
SETTING
This study was performed in the Departments of the Third Psychiatry, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
132 adolescent patients with NSSI admitted to our center from August 2020 to July 2022 were selected as subjects and divided into 2 groups according to the time of admission, with 66 patients in each group.
INTERVENTIONS
Patients in the control group (CG) received drug therapy and commonly used cognitive behavioral therapy. Patients in the observation group (OG) received group psychological nursing with guardian participation. The participation of the guardian strengthens the level of understanding, tolerance and support of both parties, and helps to enhance the strength of family support, which in turn relives negative emotions.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES
(1) Ottawa self-injury inventory (OSI) scores were used to assess NSSI behavior severity; (2) Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores were used to assess anxiety and depression; (3) General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES) scores were used to assess self-efficacy; (4) Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ) scores were used to assess the quality of life; (5) social function Assessment Scale (SSPI) scores were used to assess social function; (6) Adolescent Life Events Scale (ASLEC) scores were used to evaluate the stress intensity of coping with life events; (7) multidimensional sub-health questionnaire assessment (MSQA) scores were used to assess adolescents' physical and psychological sub-health.
RESULTS
Before intervention, there were no significant differences in OSI, SAS, SDS, GSES, TCSO, SSPI ASLEC, and MSQA scores in both groups (P > .05). Compared to before intervention, the scores of OSI, SAS, SDS, GSES, TCSO, SSPI ASLEC and MSQA in both groups were improved after intervention (P < .05). The observation group showed significant improvements across all measures compared to the control group, indicating a reduction in NSSI behaviors and improvements in mental health.
CONCLUSION
Application of group psychological nursing with guardian participation in adolescent patients with NSSI behavior can better reduce NSSI behavior and improve physical and mental health, underline the importance of family support in treating NSSI, which also highlights the importance of family support in the treatment of NSSI.
PubMed: 38940803
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of the Korean Association of... Jun 2024Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a rare, asymptomatic, slow-growing benign tumor that can be divided into three variants: follicular, extrafollicular, and...
Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a rare, asymptomatic, slow-growing benign tumor that can be divided into three variants: follicular, extrafollicular, and peripheral. By treating AOT using an enucleation and curettage approach, recurrence can be avoided. We report a case of a 24-year-old female who presented with a lump in the right mandibular premolar area along with diastema between displaced teeth #43 and #44 and was diagnosed with extrafollicular AOT. The patient was managed with enucleation-curettage surgery without additional bone graft procedure along with routine follow-up. A successful outcome without recurrence was achieved, and diastema closure with repositioning of the displaced teeth did not require orthodontic treatment. AOT should be managed via enucleation and curettage to obtain successful outcomes without recurrence. Spontaneous bone regeneration following enucleation can be achieved without guided bone regeneration. Also, diastema closure and repositioning of displaced teeth can occur without orthodontic interventions through physiologic drift.
PubMed: 38940655
DOI: 10.5125/jkaoms.2024.50.3.170 -
MSphere Jun 2024The adaptation of gene deletion methods based on the CRISPR-Cas9 system has facilitated the genetic manipulation of the pathogenic yeast , because homozygous mutants of...
Probing gene function in wild-type strains by Cas9-facilitated one-step integration of two dominant selection markers: a systematic analysis of recombination events at the target locus.
UNLABELLED
The adaptation of gene deletion methods based on the CRISPR-Cas9 system has facilitated the genetic manipulation of the pathogenic yeast , because homozygous mutants of this diploid fungus can now be generated in a single step, allowing the rapid screening of candidate genes for their involvement in a phenotype of interest. However, the Cas9-mediated double-strand breaks at the target site may result in an undesired loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on the affected chromosome and cause phenotypic alterations that are not related to the function of the investigated gene. In our present study, we harnessed Cas9-facilitated gene deletion to probe a set of genes that are constitutively overexpressed in strains containing hyperactive forms of the transcription factor Mrr1 for a possible contribution to the fluconazole resistance of such strains. To this aim, we used gene deletion cassettes containing two different dominant selection markers, and , which confer resistance to nourseothricin and hygromycin, respectively, for simultaneous genomic integration in a single step, hypothesizing that this would minimize undesired LOH events at the target locus. We found that selection for resistance to both nourseothricin and hygromycin strongly increased the proportion of homozygous deletion mutants among the transformants compared with selection on media containing only one of the antibiotics, but it did not avoid undesired LOH events. Our results demonstrate that LOH on the target chromosome is a significant problem when using Cas9 for the generation of gene deletion mutants, which demands a thorough examination of recombination events at the target site.
IMPORTANCE
is one of the medically most important fungi and a model organism to study fungal pathogenicity. Investigating gene function in this diploid yeast has been facilitated by the adaptation of gene deletion methods based on the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system, because they enable the generation of homozygous mutants in a single step. We found that, in addition to increasing the efficiency of gene replacement by selection markers, the Cas9-mediated double-strand breaks also result in frequent loss of heterozygosity on the same chromosome, even when two different selection markers were independently integrated into the two alleles of the target gene. Since loss of heterozygosity for other genes can result in phenotypic alterations that are not caused by the absence of the target gene, these findings show that it is important to thoroughly analyze recombination events at the target locus when using Cas9 to generate gene deletion mutants in .
PubMed: 38940507
DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00388-24