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Primary Liver Cancers : Connecting the Dots of Cellular Studies and Epidemiology with Metabolomics
(2023)
Liver cancers are rising worldwide. Between molecular and epidemiological studies, a research gap has emerged which might be amenable to the technique of metabolomics. This review investigates the current understanding of liver cancer’s trends, etiology and its correlates with existing literature for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and hepatoblastoma (HB). Among additional factors, the literature reports dysfunction in the tricarboxylic acid metabolism, primarily for HB and HCC, and point mutations and signaling for CCA. All cases require further investigation of upstream and downstream events. All liver cancers reported dysfunction in the WNT/β-catenin and P13K/AKT/mTOR pathways as well as changes in FGFR. Metabolites of IHD1, IDH2, miRNA, purine, Q10, lipids, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, acylcarnitine, 2-HG and propionyl-CoA emerged as crucial and there was an attempt to elucidate the WNT/β-catenin and P13K/AKT/mTOR pathways metabolomically.
Objectives: Among varied challenges of COVID-19, challenges in food and nutrition security world-over are critical. We compared the nutritional policy responses in India and Germany since both countries differ on the Human Development Index, yet both have committed to the G20 common policy response to COVID-19, besides the comparability of two large and heterogeneously populated countries, both having democratic governments.
Methods: Policy research publications were reviewed using qualitative meta-policy approach. We used comparative case-study. Recent food and nutrition policies of G20 nations of India and Germany were evaluated.
Results: India has primarily targeted her public distribution system and Germany has primarily targeted her food markets in order to manage the food and nutrition security in response to COVID-19. Both countries are coordinating additional associated nutritional policies, policies and strategies to effect an integrated sectoral approach to COVID-19 management. Both are using corrective measures of the process management strategies as well. However, the Indian management of micronutrient security for her population has over COVID-19 times acerbated and the German loan management to nutrition and agricultural small-scale industry appears to be functioning sub-optimally.
Conclusions: Our analysis indicates both India and Germany have responded to COVID-19 in a timely and appropriate manner regarding the food and nutrition security measures. Even so not all measures employed to tackle COVID-19 food and nutrition security have been effectively implemented, It appears, that both countries are using integrated policy in their nutrition and food security response to COVID-19.
Objectives
Among varied challenges of COVID-19, challenges in food and nutrition security world-over are critical. We compared the nutritional policy responses in India and Germany since both countries differ on the Human Development Index, yet both have committed to the G20 common policy response to COVID-19, besides the comparability of two large and heterogeneously populated countries, both having democratic governments. Policy research publications were reviewed using
Methods
qualitative meta-policy approach. We used comparative case-study. Recent food and nutrition policies of G20 nations of India and Germany were evaluated. India has primarily targeted her public distribution system and Germany has primarily targeted her food markets in order to
Results
manage the food and nutrition security in response to COVID-19. Both countries are coordinating additional associated nutritional policies, policies and strategies to effect an integrated sectoral approach to COVID-19 management. Both are using corrective measures of the process
management strategies as well. However, the Indian management of micronutrient security for her population has over COVID-19 times acerbated and the German loan management to nutrition and agricultural small-scale industry appears to be functioning sub-optimally.
Conclusions
Our analysis indicates both India and Germany have responded to COVID-19 in a timely and appropriate manner regarding the food and nutrition security measures. Even so not all measures employed to tackle COVID-19 food and nutrition security have been effectively implemented, It appears, that both countries are using integrated policy in their nutrition and food security response to COVID-19.
Longitudinal analysis investigates period (P), often as years. Additional scales of time are age (A) and birth cohort (C) Aim of our study was to use ecological APC analysis for women breast cancer incidence and mortality in Germany. Nation-wide new cases and deaths were obtained from Robert Koch Institute and female population from federal statistics, 1999–2008. Data was stratified into ten 5-years age-groups starting 20–24 years, ten birth cohorts starting 1939–43, and two calendar periods 1999–2003 and 2004–2008. Annual incidence and mortality were calculated: cases to 100,000 women per year. Data was analyzed using glm and apc packages of R. Breast cancer incidence and mortality increased with age. Secular rise in breast cancer incidence and decline in mortality was observed for period1999-2008. Breast cancer incidence and mortality declined with cohorts; cohorts 1950s showed highest incidence and mortality. Age-cohort best explained incidence and mortality followed by age-period-cohort with overall declining trends. Declining age-cohort mortality could be probable. Declining age-cohort incidence would require future biological explanations or rendered statistical artefact. Cohorts 1949–1958 could be unique in having highest incidence and mortality in recent time or future period associations could emerge relatively stronger to cohort to provide additional explanation of temporal change over cohorts.
Background
We explore the association between bone T-scores, used in osteoporosis diagnosis, and functional status since we hypothesized that bone health can impact elderly functional status and indirectly independence.
Methods
In a cross-sectional study (2005–2006) on community dwelling elderly (> = 75 years) from Herne, Germany we measured bone T-scores with Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry, and functional status indexed by five geriatric tests: activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, test of dementia, geriatric depression score and the timed-up-and-go test, and two pooled indexes: raw and standardized. Generalized linear regression was used to determine the relationship between T-scores and functional status.
Results
From 3243 addresses, only 632 (19%) completed a clinical visit, of which only 440 (male∶female, 243∶197) could be included in analysis. T-scores (−0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.1–0.9) predicted activities of daily living (95.3 CI, 94.5–96.2), instrumental activities of daily living (7.3 CI, 94.5–96.2), and timed-up-and-go test (10.7 CI, 10.0–11.3) (P< = 0.05). Pooled data showed that a unit improvement in T-score improved standardized pooled functional status (15 CI, 14.7–15.3) by 0.41 and the raw (99.4 CI, 97.8–101.0) by 2.27 units. These results were limited due to pooling of different scoring directions, selection bias, and a need to follow-up with evidence testing.
Conclusions
T-scores associated with lower functional status in community-dwelling elderly. Regular screening of osteoporosis as a preventive strategy might help maintain life quality with aging.
Studies on nutrition have historically concentrated on food-shortages and over-nutrition. The physiological states of feeling hungry or being satiated and its dynamics in food choices, dietary patterns, and nutritional behavior, have not been the focus of many studies. Currently, visual analytic using easy-to-use tooling offers applicability in a wide-range of disciplines. In this interdisciplinary pilot-study we tested a novel visual analytic software to assess dietary patterns and food choices for greater understanding of nutritional behavior when hungry and when satiated. We developed software toolchain and tested the hypotheses that there is no difference between visual search patterns of dishes 1) when hungry and when satiated and 2) in being vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Results indicate that food choices can be deviant from dietary patterns but correlate slightly with dish-gazing. Further, scene perception probably could vary between being hungry and satiated. Understanding t he complicated relationship between scene perception and nutritional behavioral patterns and scaling up this pilot-study to a full-study using our introduced software approaches is indispensable.
Background
The aim of this qualitative study was to identify a practice level model that could explain a sustained change in nutritional behavior.
Methods
The study used three data inputs from four interviewees, one merged input from a married couple, as narrative interviews. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory.
Results
Coexistence of a certain suffering and a triggering episode lead to the decision to change nutritional life-style by all interviewed. Maintenance of the self-determined newly learned nutritional behavior was supported by subject-related intrinsic motivation, the ability to reflect, and a low expectation of success from the behavioral change. Environment-related factors were identified as support from life-partner and peers. Subjects reported that the sustained nutritional behavior change impacted their holistic health through subject-perceived improved life quality, increase in the number of social contacts, and a change in personal attitudes and perception. The analysis remains limited, and at best hypothesis generating, in that only three data inputs from four interviewees were used.
Conclusion
In this hypothesis-generating narrative interview study of four study subjects, volition, personal decision making, and long-term motivation (though not external determination) seemed to sustain a change in newly learned nutritional behavior.
Hyperhydricity (HH) is one of the most important physiological disorders that negatively affects various plant tissue culture techniques. The objective of this study was to characterize optical features to allow an automated detection of HH. For this purpose, HH was induced in two plant species, apple and Arabidopsis thaliana, and the severity was quantified based on visual scoring and determination of apoplastic liquid volume. The comparison between the HH score and the apoplastic liquid volume revealed a significant correlation, but different response dynamics. Corresponding leaf reflectance spectra were collected and different approaches of spectral analyses were evaluated for their ability to identify HH-specific wavelengths. Statistical analysis of raw spectra showed significantly lower reflection of hyperhydric leaves in the VIS, NIR and SWIR region. Application of the continuum removal hull method to raw spectra identified HH-specific absorption features over time and major absorption peaks at 980 nm, 1150 nm, 1400 nm, 1520 nm, 1780 nm and 1930 nm for the various conducted experiments. Machine learning (ML) model spot checking specified the support vector machine to be most suited for classification of hyperhydric explants, with a test accuracy of 85% outperforming traditional classification via vegetation index with 63% test accuracy and the other ML models tested. Investigations on the predictor importance revealed 1950 nm, 1445 nm in SWIR region and 415 nm in the VIS region to be most important for classification. The validity of the developed spectral classifier was tested on an available hyperspectral image acquisition in the SWIR-region.
Within the consortium “Experimentation Field Agro-Nordwest”, a practical concept for knowledge and technology transfer of digital competence in agriculture was created. For this purpose, the web-based e-learning system “SensX” was set up, consisting of videos, presentations and instructions. In addition, the classical e-learning concept was extended by data sets, student experiments and sensor data of plants acquired by a remote phenotyping robot. This resulted in a massive open online course (MOOC), which was tested with agricultural and biotechnology students in higher education at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück over two years. The evaluation process of “SensX” included an empirical survey, qualitative interviews of the participating students by an external institution and an evaluation of the concept by the lecturers.
Background
The current development of sensor technologies towards ever more cost-effective and powerful systems is steadily increasing the application of low-cost sensors in different horticultural sectors. In plant in vitro culture, as a fundamental technique for plant breeding and plant propagation, the majority of evaluation methods to describe the performance of these cultures are based on destructive approaches, limiting data to unique endpoint measurements. Therefore, a non-destructive phenotyping system capable of automated, continuous and objective quantification of in vitro plant traits is desirable.
Results
An automated low-cost multi-sensor system acquiring phenotypic data of plant in vitro cultures was developed and evaluated. Unique hardware and software components were selected to construct a xyz-scanning system with an adequate accuracy for consistent data acquisition. Relevant plant growth predictors, such as projected area of explants and average canopy height were determined employing multi-sensory imaging and various developmental processes could be monitored and documented. The validation of the RGB image segmentation pipeline using a random forest classifier revealed very strong correlation with manual pixel annotation. Depth imaging by a laser distance sensor of plant in vitro cultures enabled the description of the dynamic behavior of the average canopy height, the maximum plant height, but also the culture media height and volume. Projected plant area in depth data by RANSAC (random sample consensus) segmentation approach well matched the projected plant area by RGB image processing pipeline. In addition, a successful proof of concept for in situ spectral fluorescence monitoring was achieved and challenges of thermal imaging were documented. Potential use cases for the digital quantification of key performance parameters in research and commercial application are discussed.
Conclusion
The technical realization of “Phenomenon” allows phenotyping of plant in vitro cultures under highly challenging conditions and enables multi-sensory monitoring through closed vessels, ensuring the aseptic status of the cultures. Automated sensor application in plant tissue culture promises great potential for a non-destructive growth analysis enhancing commercial propagation as well as enabling research with novel digital parameters recorded over time.
Positive factors are increasingly recognized in the field of psychology, however, few studies have investigated the longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) and reciprocal associations of positive core constructs, such as happiness, life satisfaction and positive mental health. This study evaluated the LMI of these constructs over four years in a Chinese Student Sample (n = 4400) using the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale). The longitudinal reciprocal associations of the constructs were examined within a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). The results show that the SHS, SWLS and PMH-scale are measurement invariant over time and that the constructs are positively inter-related, but show different reciprocal patterns over time.
Research into positive aspects of the psyche is growing as psychologists learn more about the protective role of positive processes in the development and course of mental disorders, and about their substantial role in promoting mental health. With increasing globalization, there is strong interest in studies examining positive constructs across cultures. To obtain valid cross-cultural comparisons, measurement invariance for the scales assessing positive constructs has to be established. The current study aims to assess the cross-cultural measurement invariance of questionnaires for 6 positive constructs: Social Support (Fydrich, Sommer, Tydecks, & Brähler, 2009), Happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999), Life Satisfaction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), Positive Mental Health Scale (Lukat, Margraf, Lutz, van der Veld, & Becker, 2016), Optimism (revised Life Orientation Test [LOT-R]; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) and Resilience (Schumacher, Leppert, Gunzelmann, Strauss, & Brähler, 2004). Participants included German (n = 4,453), Russian (n = 3,806), and Chinese (n = 12,524) university students. Confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance testing demonstrated at least partial strong measurement invariance for all scales except the LOT-R and Subjective Happiness Scale. The latent mean comparisons of the constructs indicated differences between national groups. Potential methodological and cultural explanations for the intergroup differences are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Objectives
To develop a time-efficient motor control (MC) test battery while maximising diagnostic accuracy of both a two-level and three-level classification system for patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Design
Case–control study.
Setting
Four private physiotherapy practices in northern Germany.
Participants
Consecutive males and females presenting to a physiotherapy clinic with non-specific LBP (n=65) were compared with 66 healthy-matched controls.
Primary outcome measures
Accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, positive/negative likelihood ratio, area under the curve (AUC)) of a clinically driven consensus-based test battery including the ideal number of test items as well as threshold values and most accurate items.
Results
For both the two and three-level categorisation system, the ideal number of test items was 10. With increasing number of failed tests, the probability of having LBP increases. The overall discrimination potential for the two-level categorisation system of the test is good (AUC=0.85) with an optimal cut-off of three failed tests. The overall discrimination potential of the three-level categorisation system is fair (volume under the surface=0.52). The optimal cut-off for the 10-item test battery for categorisation into none, mild/moderate and severe MC impairment is three and six failed tests, respectively.
Conclusion
A 10-item test battery is recommended for both the two-level (impairment or not) and three-level (none, mild, moderate/severe) categorisation of patients with non-specific LBP.
DIGI4Teach - Handbook
(2023)
One of the important outputs of our DIGI4Teach consortium is this Handbook, which consists of two parts. Part A contains an analysis of the most important descriptive research results conducted within the DIGI4Teach Erasmus+ project regarding the use of digital technology in teaching economic disciplines in partner countries. Part B contains twelve case studies from different areas of economics and business (accounting, finance, marketing, tourism and trade) that were prepared using various digital tools and they can be freely used in classes or other forms of education.
Introduction:
Many patients with cerebral palsy (CP) suffer chronic pain as one of the most limiting factors in their quality of life. In CP patients, pain mechanisms are not well understood, and pain therapy remains a challenge. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) might provide unique information about the functional status of the somatosensory system and therefore better guide pain treatment.
Objectives:
To understand better the underlying pain mechanisms in pediatric CP patients, we aimed to assess clinical and pain parameters, as well as QST profiles, which were matched to the patients' cerebral imaging pathology.
Patients and methods:
Thirty CP patients aged 6–20 years old (mean age 12 years) without intellectual impairment underwent standardized assessments of QST. Cerebral imaging was reassessed. QST results were compared to age- and sex-matched controls (multiple linear regression; Fisher's exact test; linear correlation analysis).
Results:
CP patients were less sensitive to all mechanical and thermal stimuli than healthy controls but more sensitive to all mechanical pain stimuli (each p < 0.001). Fifty percent of CP patients showed a combination of mechanical hypoesthesia, thermal hypoesthesia and mechanical hyperalgesia; 67% of CP patients had periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), which was correlated with mechanic (r = 0.661; p < 0.001) and thermal (r = 0.624; p = 0.001) hypoesthesia.
Conclusion:
The combination of mechanical hypoesthesia, thermal hypoesthesia and mechanical hyperalgesia in our CP patients implicates lemniscal and extralemniscal neuron dysfunction in the thalamus region, likely due to PVL. We suspect that extralemniscal tracts are involved in the original of pain in our CP patients, as in adults.
Introduction:
Due to demographic change and lack of health care personnel new solutions like preventive home visits (PHV) are necessary. PHV reduces the risk of long-term care and therefore, enables older people to live in their home as long as possible.
Aim of the study:
The aim of this study is to analyse the acceptance of PHV and the effect of PHV on health status of the older people.
Methods:
In this mixed method study PHV as a nursing intervention will be offered to people older than 65 years, not yet eligible for benefits from the long-term care insurance and living in Emlichheim, a region in the northwestern part of Lower Saxony. A sample of 75 people is determined. The health status will be recorded with the Short Form 12 questionnaire. Fifteen semi-structured interviews will be performed to investigate acceptance of the PHV intervention. Quantitative data will be analysed using inferential statistics, qualitative data will be analysed using content analysis. Ethical approval has been obtained.
Results:
It is expected that the findings of this study complete current knowledge about the concept of PHV.
Practical relevance:
This study is of high practical relevance, because additional insights of acceptance might enable the adaption of the PHV concept. Furthermore, increased knowledge and motivation for preventive behaviour of the older people is anticipated in order to extend their autonomy. The results of this study could contribute to the implementation of PHV in Germany, especially in rural areas. It tends to allow a self-determined life in their familiar environment for the older people, as the biggest need of this group.
Aims and Objectives:
Preventive home visits are a low-threshold counselling and support approach. They have been reported to achieve heterogeneous effects. However, preventive home visits have the potential to reduce the risk of becoming dependent on long-term care. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of preventive home visits as a nursing intervention on health-related quality of life of older people in a longitudinal survey and to develop recommendations for which target groups preventive home visits have the highest benefit. The sample consisted of 75 people, aged between 65 and 85, who were able to understand and speak German, had not yet been eligible for benefits from the long-term care insurance and lived in the municipality under study.
Methodological Design and Justification:
A quantitative longitudinal study in order to investigate the effects of preventive home visits.
Ethical Issues and Approval:
There were no ethical concerns. Accordingly, ethical approval was granted.
Research Methods, Results and Conclusions:
The health-related quality of life was recorded four times between 01/2017 and 08/2020 with the Short-Form- Health- Survey- 12 and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results reveal that the physical health status cannot be easily influenced over a short period of time. The main effect, however, is that preventive home visits have a significant positive effect on the mental health status. The main topics during the home visits were mobility, nutrition and social participation. Increased knowledge and motivation for preventive behaviour extended the autonomy of older people. Accordingly, preventive home visits can support a self-determined life in a familiar environment. The results of the present study show that preventive home visits as a nursing intervention in rural areas are successful. In Germany, preventive home visits have not yet been implemented on a regular basis. In order to do so, a general definition of the concept is needed. Preventive home visits should be officially included in the regular health care services in Germany.
In recent years, ISO, IFS, BRC and FSSC 22000 standards in the areas of quality, environment and occupational health and safety have been increas-ingly implemented in companies in various industries. The main focus of these developed standards are the processes. But the past shows that the factor human is another very important factor, which should be much more in the middle in organization. The new developed guideline has the human factor in the foreground. In particular, the attitude and awareness of occupational safe-ty and health protection in the behaviour of employees at all levels of the or-ganisation are at the centre of consideration.
Inspired by this approach, a group of experts from the fields of quality scienc-es, standardisation and certification as well as consulting for system-relevant companies in the agricultural and food industry came together to form a committee during the Corona crisis in spring 2020. The common goal is to develop a new standard. The first step is to establish criteria for a guideline.
and establish an evaluation system for several pillars of a House of Total Safety Culture (HSC) tailored to the entire value chains of the agri-food sec-tor. In addition, the essential building blocks of the guideline must be defined. The attitude of managers and employees, their behaviour and their compe-tence form the roof of the standard. The integrated management system with a continuous improvement process forms the foundation of the House of To-tal Safety Culture across the company in value chains. Qualification and communication are the main pillars and thus further elements of the HSC. Particular attention is paid to the fields of action of occupational safety and health protection, food safety, animal and environmental protection as well as sustainability and digitisation. They form the four inner pillars of the House of Total Safety Culture. The design of the respective certification levels is con-sidered as a “construction phase”. As part of the standardisation process, the coordination of the respective requirements for safety culture has not yet been completed. This article first provides an overview of the state of knowledge in relation to the established standards and norms of the agri-food industry with special consideration of the Safety Culture Ladder model. The procedure for developing and establishing the new guideline is then ex-plained. For this purpose, the composition of the expert forum is presented before the concrete steps to establish the guideline are presented. The model of the House of Total Culture is presented below. Building on this, the proce-dure for assessing the degree of maturity and possible concepts of continuing training are explained before the conclusion of this article.
The development of non-precious metal-based electrodes that actively and stably support the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis systems remains a challenge, especially at low pH levels. The recently published study has conclusively shown that the addition of haematite to H2 SO4 is a highly effective method of significantly reducing oxygen evolution overpotential and extending anode life. The far superior result is achieved by concentrating oxygen evolution centres on the oxide particles rather than on the electrode. However, unsatisfactory Faradaic efficiencies of the OER and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) parts as well as the required high haematite load impede applicability and upscaling of this process. Here it is shown that the same performance is achieved with three times less metal oxide powder if NiO/H2 SO4 suspensions are used along with stainless steel anodes. The reason for the enormous improvement in OER performance by adding NiO to the electrolyte is the weakening of the intramolecular O─H bond in the water molecules, which is under the direct influence of the nickel oxide suspended in the electrolyte. The manipulation of bonds in water molecules to increase the tendency of the water to split is a ground-breaking development, as shown in this first example.