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BMJ Open May 2024The Bone And MicroBiOme Onset (BAMBOO) study is an ongoing prospective observational cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China, aiming to determine age-appropriate... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
PURPOSE
The Bone And MicroBiOme Onset (BAMBOO) study is an ongoing prospective observational cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China, aiming to determine age-appropriate trajectories for microbiome maturation and bone development and to identify the influence of dietary factors in the process.
PARTICIPANTS
The recruitment started in September 2021 and was completed in February 2023. A total of 1380 subjects were recruited, 690 at birth (group 1) and 690 at 6 months of age (group 2). Groups 1 and 2 will be followed up for 12 months and 36 months, respectively.
FINDINGS TO DATE
The age of the mothers was 31.1±3.7 (mean±SD), and the birth weight of infants was 3.3±0.5 kg with an incidence of caesarean section 50.4%. Food diary information of the first 100 subjects showed that 64 food items were introduced by 6 months. A pilot microbiome analysis revealed that at the species level, bacterial communities were composed of mostly and , which were consistent with that of previous reports. Feasibility assessments of breast milk vitamin D and human milk oligosaccharides were validated through certified reference measurements. The early data assessment showed a high reliability of the data generated from this study.
FUTURE PLANS
Data collection will be completed in August 2025. Four stage-statistical analyses will be performed as the cohort reaches certain age thresholds before the final report. Analysis of BAMBOO data will be used to develop age-appropriate trajectories for microbiome maturation and bone development for children aged 0-3 years and investigate the contribution of dietary factors in the process.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ChiCTR2100049972.
Topics: Humans; China; Infant; Female; Prospective Studies; Infant, Newborn; Male; Bone Development; Milk, Human; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Adult; Child, Preschool; Vitamin D; Diet; Cohort Studies
PubMed: 38760054
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075417 -
BMJ Open May 2024(STEPS) is a digital application (app) designed to help parents manage behaviour of their children who are referred to mental health services and are waiting for an...
INTRODUCTION
(STEPS) is a digital application (app) designed to help parents manage behaviour of their children who are referred to mental health services and are waiting for an assessment or treatment. STEPS is currently being evaluated in the Online Parent Training for the Initial Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder randomised controlled trial. Alongside the examination of STEPS' clinical and cost-effectiveness, we are conducting a process evaluation to better understand the contextual factors that may influence study outcomes. The purpose of this protocol is to describe the aims, objectives and methodology of the process evaluation prior to it taking place to add to the fidelity and rigour of the trial process and outcomes. Our goal is to adapt STEPS to optimise its benefits in future applications.
METHODS
In line with the Medical Research Council guidelines for evaluating complex interventions, the process evaluation will adopt a mixed method design using qualitative data collected from clinicians and parent interviews and app usage data from participants assigned to the intervention arm.
ANALYSIS
Qualitative data from semistructured interviews and free text box responses included in trial questionnaires will be analysed thematically using framework analysis to better understand how parents use STEPS, how it works and key factors that could aid or hinder its effective implementation in routine clinical practice.
ETHICS
The application for ethical approval for the study was submitted to the North West-Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee and received a favourable opinion on further information on 26 November 2021, reference number 21/NW/0319.
DISSEMINATION
The process evaluation aims to explore how a digital app might support parents in managing their child's behaviour. Implications for policy and research will be explored and the clinical implications of offering the app to a wider audience to address the lack of support to parents as highlighted in this paper. We plan to publish findings in international, peer-reviewed journals as well as present at conferences.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
The trial has been prospectively registered on 18 November 2021; ISRCTN816523503. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16523503.
Topics: Humans; Parenting; Parents; Child; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Mobile Applications; Research Design
PubMed: 38760045
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081563 -
BMJ Global Health May 2024In Indonesia, a country with around 280 million people and the second-highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in the world, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB...
"I pity the TB patient": a mixed methods study assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB services in two major Indonesian cities and distilling lessons for the future.
INTRODUCTION
In Indonesia, a country with around 280 million people and the second-highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in the world, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB care needs careful assessment so that future response strategies can be strengthened. We conducted a study comparing TB testing and treatment rates before and during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, and the reasons for any disruptions to care.
METHODS
We conducted retrospective secondary data analysis and qualitative interviews in Yogyakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Routine data on TB testing and treatment were sourced from the national TB information system operated by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. TB testing and treatment outcomes were compared between two time periods: pre-COVID (2018-19); and during COVID-19 (2020-21). In-depth interviews were conducted with patients and health workers to explore their experiences in accessing and providing TB services during the pandemic.
RESULTS
There was a 45% (21 937/39 962) reduction in the number of patients tested for TB during the pandemic compared with pre-COVID-19, while the proportion of TB tests returning a positive result increased from 12% (4733/39 962) to 50% (10 945/21 937). The proportion of TB patients completing treatment increased by 2.6% during the pandemic, yet the proportion cured and the number of patients successfully treated both decreased (by 7% and 4.4%, respectively). Our qualitative interviews highlighted several factors influencing TB service access and delivery, including fear of being diagnosed with COVID-19 during TB-related clinic visits, fear of COVID-19 exposure among patients and health workers, healthcare facilities prioritising COVID-19 over other services, and mandatory mobility restrictions affecting both patients and health workers.
CONCLUSION
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB testing and treatment outcomes in Bandung and Yogyakarta. Policymakers should consider these findings in designing strategies to ensure TB services are maintained and supported during future health crises.
Topics: Humans; Indonesia; COVID-19; Female; Male; Retrospective Studies; Adult; Tuberculosis; Middle Aged; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Young Adult; Qualitative Research; Health Services Accessibility; Adolescent; Cities
PubMed: 38760026
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014943 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2024In the last few years, the number of studies on feline hepatozoonosis has increased, but our knowledge on the actual species of Hepatozoon and/or different genotypes...
In the last few years, the number of studies on feline hepatozoonosis has increased, but our knowledge on the actual species of Hepatozoon and/or different genotypes affecting felines is still incipient. At least three species, namely Hepatozoon felis, H. canis, and H. silvestris, have been isolated from domestic cats in various countries. Additionally, there are indications that other species and genotypes may affect felines in given geographic areas. This study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp. in cats from Niterói, a municipality within the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Individual blood samples were collected from 28 cats enrolled in a spaying/castration program. DNA was extracted from all samples and subjected to sequencing specific for Hepatozoon spp. DNA of H. felis was found in 21/28 cats (75%), and four genetic polymorphisms never described thus far were detected. This is the first report of H. felis in cats living in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and the present data confirm that H. felis is a species complex encompassing different genotypes circulating within cat populations. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether different genotypes have different biology or pathogenicity for felids.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Brazil; Cat Diseases; Coccidiosis; Eucoccidiida; Male; DNA, Protozoan; Female; Genotype; Polymorphism, Genetic; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38759154
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024026 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2024Eimeria tenella is an obligate intracellular parasite which causes great harm to the poultry breeding industry. Protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in host...
Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of chicken DF-1 cells infected with Eimeria tenella, using tandem mass tag (TMT) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectrometry.
Eimeria tenella is an obligate intracellular parasite which causes great harm to the poultry breeding industry. Protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in host cell-E. tenella interactions. However, no comprehensive phosphoproteomic analyses of host cells at various phases of E. tenella infection have been published. In this study, quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of chicken embryo DF-1 fibroblasts that were uninfected (UI) or infected with E. tenella for 6 h (PI6, the early invasion phase) or 36 h (PI36, the trophozoite development phase) was conducted. A total of 10,122 phosphopeptides matched to 3,398 host cell phosphoproteins were identified and 13,437 phosphorylation sites were identified. Of these, 491, 1,253, and 275 differentially expressed phosphorylated proteins were identified in the PI6/UI, PI36/UI, and PI36/PI6 comparisons, respectively. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that E. tenella modulated host cell processes through phosphorylation, including focal adhesion, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and FoxO signaling to support its early invasion phase, and modulating adherens junctions and the ErbB signaling pathway to favor its trophozoite development. These results enrich the data on the interaction between E. tenella and host cells and facilitate a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying host-parasite relationships.
Topics: Animals; Eimeria tenella; Chickens; Proteomics; Phosphoproteins; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Phosphorylation; Fibroblasts; Cell Line; Poultry Diseases; Host-Parasite Interactions; Coccidiosis; Chick Embryo; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 38759153
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024027 -
PloS One 2024In the context of the digital information era, the impact of "The Internet Plus," "Big Data," and other technologies on urban social development has been far beyond any...
In the context of the digital information era, the impact of "The Internet Plus," "Big Data," and other technologies on urban social development has been far beyond any preceding era, under the influence of information technology, urban agglomeration space exhibits a new layout. Based on the search engine data of eleven cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from 2012 to 2021, this research constructs the inter-city information network strength linkage matrix to examine the evolution characteristics of city network structure and its driving causes. The results reveal that (1) the overall information linkage strength exhibits a pattern of steadily growing the radiating effect from the leading cities of Guangdong, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong to the surrounding cities, and a closer and more balanced information linkage network is gradually built. (2) Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area information linkage absolute control advantage, four cities Foshan, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Macao regional hub position steadily highlighted. The entire information connection network of the urban agglomerations tends to be flat and polycentric at the same time. (3) The regional core-edge hierarchy is well established, with the four cities of Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong creating a northwest-southeast orientation. The core metropolis regions of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in the Greater Bay Area increasingly exert a radiation spreading effect to the northeast and southwest. (4) The urban economy, transportation distance, and information infrastructure have substantial effects on the information connection intensity network of urban clusters.
Topics: Hong Kong; China; Cities; Humans; Macau; Bays
PubMed: 38758951
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298410 -
PloS One 2024Paddlefish has high economic and ecological value. In this study, microbial diversity and community structure in intestine, stomach, and mouth of paddlefish were...
Paddlefish has high economic and ecological value. In this study, microbial diversity and community structure in intestine, stomach, and mouth of paddlefish were detected using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the diversity and richness indices decreased along the digestive tract, and significantly lower proportion of those were observed in intestine. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla. In top 10 phyla, there was no significant difference in mouth and stomach. But compared with intestine, there were significant differences in 8 of the 10 phyla, and Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased significantly, while Proteobacteria decreased significantly. There was no dominant genus in mouth and stomach, but Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and uncultured_bacterium_o_Bacteroidales was predominant in intestine. In conclusion, the species and abundance of microbiota in the mouth and stomach of paddlefish were mostly the same, but significantly different from those in intestine. Moreover, there was enrichment of the dominant bacteria in intestine.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Fishes; Gastrointestinal Tract; Bacteria; Mouth; Stomach; Proteobacteria; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Intestines; Bacteroidetes; Firmicutes; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Biodiversity
PubMed: 38758940
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302522 -
PloS One 2024Development of novel biodosimetry assays and medical countermeasures is needed to obtain a level of radiation preparedness in the event of malicious or accidental mass...
Development of novel biodosimetry assays and medical countermeasures is needed to obtain a level of radiation preparedness in the event of malicious or accidental mass exposures to ionizing radiation (IR). For biodosimetry, metabolic profiling with mass spectrometry (MS) platforms has identified several small molecules in easily accessible biofluids that are promising for dose reconstruction. As our microbiome has profound effects on biofluid metabolite composition, it is of interest how variation in the host microbiome may affect metabolomics based biodosimetry. Here, we 'knocked out' the microbiome of male and female C57BL/6 mice (Abx mice) using antibiotics and then irradiated (0, 3, or 8 Gy) them to determine the role of the host microbiome on biofluid radiation signatures (1 and 3 d urine, 3 d serum). Biofluid metabolite levels were compared to a sham and irradiated group of mice with a normal microbiome (Abx-con mice). To compare post-irradiation effects in urine, we calculated the Spearman's correlation coefficients of metabolite levels with radiation dose. For selected metabolites of interest, we performed more detailed analyses using linear mixed effect models to determine the effects of radiation dose, time, and microbiome depletion. Serum metabolite levels were compared using an ANOVA. Several metabolites were affected after antibiotic administration in the tryptophan and amino acid pathways, sterol hormone, xenobiotic and bile acid pathways (urine) and lipid metabolism (serum), with a post-irradiation attenuative effect observed for Abx mice. In urine, dose×time interactions were supported for a defined radiation metabolite panel (carnitine, hexosamine-valine-isoleucine [Hex-V-I], creatine, citric acid, and Nε,Nε,Nε-trimethyllysine [TML]) and dose for N1-acetylspermidine, which also provided excellent (AUROC ≥ 0.90) to good (AUROC ≥ 0.80) sensitivity and specificity according to the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis. In serum, a panel consisting of carnitine, citric acid, lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) (14:0), LysoPC (20:3), and LysoPC (22:5) also gave excellent to good sensitivity and specificity for identifying post-irradiated individuals at 3 d. Although the microbiome affected the basal levels and/or post-irradiation levels of these metabolites, their utility in dose reconstruction irrespective of microbiome status is encouraging for the use of metabolomics as a novel biodosimetry assay.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Female; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Radiation Exposure; Microbiota; Metabolomics; Metabolome; Radiation, Ionizing
PubMed: 38758927
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300883 -
Medicine May 2024Microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, coexist in the human body, forming a symbiotic microbiota that plays a vital role in human health and disease.... (Review)
Review
Microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, coexist in the human body, forming a symbiotic microbiota that plays a vital role in human health and disease. Intratumoral microbial components have been discovered in various tumor tissues and are closely linked to the occurrence, progression, and treatment results of cancer. The intratumoral microbiota can enhance antitumor immunity through mechanisms such as activating the stimulator of interferon genes signaling pathway, stimulating T and NK cells, promoting the formation of TLS, and facilitating antigen presentation. Conversely, the intratumoral microbiota might suppress antitumor immune responses by increasing reactive oxygen species levels, creating an anti-inflammatory environment, inducing T cell inactivation, and enhancing immune suppression, thereby promoting cancer progression. The impact of intratumoral microbiota on antitumor immunity varies based on microbial composition, interactions with cancer cells, and the cancer's current state. A deep understanding of the complex interactions between intratumoral microbiota and antitumor immunity holds the potential to bring new therapeutic strategies and targets to cancer immunotherapy.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Immunotherapy; Microbiota; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 38758914
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038078 -
Medicine May 2024The recovery of upper limb function is of great significance for stroke patients to regain their self-care ability, yet it is still a difficult point in clinical... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
The recovery of upper limb function is of great significance for stroke patients to regain their self-care ability, yet it is still a difficult point in clinical practice of neurological rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Maitland joint mobilization technique on the recovery of upper extremity function in patients with spasticity after stroke.
METHODS
From August to December 2023, 71 patients with upper extremity flexor spasm after stroke were recruited and randomly divided into experimental group (n = 35) and control group (n = 36). The control group was given conventional rehabilitation treatment, while the experimental group was treated with Maitland mobilization technique treatment of upper extremity joints on the basis of the control group. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. Participants of the 2 groups were observed for Fugl-Meyer motor assessment-upper extremity (FMA-UE), box and block test (BBT) and Brunnstrom stage, modified Ashworth scale (MAS), and functional independence measure (FIM) at pre- and post-8 weeks study.
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in gender distribution, hemiplegic side, diagnosis, past history, age, duration, body mass index, and mini-mental state examination between the 2 groups (P > .05). After 8 weeks of intervention, both groups showed significant improvement in FMA-UE, Brunnstrom stage, BBT, FIM, and MAS of the shoulder (P < .05); however, there was no significant change in MAS of the elbow, wrist, and finger joints (P > .05). The posttreatment values showed a significant improvement in FMA-UE, BBT, and FIM in the experimental group compared to the control group. Comparing the changes in pretreatment and posttreatment, FMA-UE, BBT, and FIM in the experimental group were significantly improved compared with those in the control group (P < .05).
CONCLUSION
Maitland joint mobilization can improve the motor function of upper extremity and the spasticity of shoulder joint complex in patients with stroke.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Spasticity; Upper Extremity; Stroke Rehabilitation; Stroke; Recovery of Function; Aged; Treatment Outcome; Adult
PubMed: 38758885
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038184