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Association between adverse childhood experiences and asthma: a meta-analysis
No full textAbstract Objective The study explored whether there is an association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and asthma through meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched up to May 20, 2024. Observational studies reporting associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and asthma were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model in Stata 15.0. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic, publication bias was assessed with Egger’s test and funnel plots, and study quality was evaluated using established assessment tools. Result Sixteen articles (n = 1,291,133) were included. Experiencing ≥ 1 ACE was associated with an increased risk of asthma [adjusted OR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.12–1.24); I²=86.7%, P < 0.001]. Exposure to 2–3 ACEs was associated with asthma [adjusted OR = 1.55, 95% CI (1.45–1.66); I²=38.2%, P = 0.138], and ≥ 4 ACEs showed the highest risk [adjusted OR = 1.98, 95% CI (1.72–2.27); I²=63.3%, P = 0.012]. Sensitivity analyses using the leave-one-out method indicated that the pooled estimates were robust and stable. Conclusion The current study found a positive relationship between ACEs and asthma, and as the number of ACEs experienced increases, the likelihood of asthma also rises. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and psychosocial support for children exposed to adversity, which may help reduce the long-term risk of asthma and improve overall respiratory health
Prognostic value of non-invasive fibrosis assessment scores in predicting mortality among individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
No full textAbstract Background To evaluate the prognostic value of nine non-invasive fibrosis scores in predicting all-cause and cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCD) mortality among individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Methods This study included 4,377 U.S. adults with MASLD, identified using the NHANES 1999–2018 fasting subsample, with follow-up through December 2019. The nine fibrosis scores evaluated were the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) fibrosis score, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), BARD score, aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), Forns score, hepatic steatosis index, NAFLD liver fat score, Steatosis-associated Fibrosis Estimator (SAFE) score, and metabolic dysfunction–associated fibrosis 5 (MAF-5). Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Cox proportional hazards models, and random survival forest (RSF) models were used to assess associations and predictive performance of these scores on mortality outcomes. Results The study cohort had a median age of 52.7 years and was 48.6% male. Over a median follow-up of 8.92 years, 868 deaths occurred, including 289 from CCD. Higher quartiles of fibrosis scores, especially the SAFE score, were significantly associated with elevated mortality risk among individuals with MASLD. Specifically, participants in the highest SAFE score quartile had a 4.4-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 4.39, 95% CI: 2.94–6.54) and a 3.9-fold higher risk of CCD mortality (HR = 3.91, 95% CI: 1.69–9.03) compared to those in the lowest quartile. RSF analysis ranked the SAFE score as the most important predictor among the nine fibrosis scores. Conclusion The SAFE score was the most robust predictor of both all-cause and CCD mortality, highlighting its prognostic utility in MASLD
Attitudes and beliefs of healthcare workers towards obese persons in occupied Palestinian territories: a cross-sectional study
No full textAbstract Background Obesity is a growing public health concern in Palestine and worldwide, associated with significant health risks and costs. Obesity stigma includes negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination toward individuals based on their weight and is common in healthcare settings. This study aims to assess healthcare workers’ attitudes and beliefs toward patients with obesity in the occupied Palestinian territories. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers in hospitals and outpatient facilities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Attitudes toward obesity were assessed using the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP-20) scale, while beliefs about obesity were measured using the Beliefs About Obese Persons (BAOP-8) scale. Results A total of 103 healthcare workers participated in the study (mean age: 32.1 ± 12.0 years; 60% female). Overall attitudes toward obesity were predominantly negative across professional roles. More than half of the participants attributed obesity to biological factors, lack of love, overeating, or food addiction. Female healthcare workers (-3.4 (-5.1, -1.7), p = 0.033) and obese participants (0.47 (0.31,0.63), p = 0.006) and the ones with BSc education (5.7 (3.1, 8.3), p = 0.029) demonstrated significantly more negative beliefs and less positive attitudes toward obesity (p < 0.05). In contrast, years of professional experience, department, and number of patients treated were not significantly associated with attitudes. Conclusion The study suggests healthcare workers may hold unconscious weight biases, especially females with less education, due to misconceptions about obesity. This underscores the need for education and awareness programs to reduce bias, promote understanding, and support compassionate, patient-centered care
Comparison of mandibular bone density and morphology in patients with Angle Class I, II, and III malocclusion using panoramic radiography: a cross-sectional study
No full textAbstract Background Variations in sagittal jaw relationships may be accompanied by adaptive changes in mandibular cortical thickness and contour, potentially affecting bone quality and the biomechanical response to orthodontic forces. In this context, the present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between different sagittal malocclusion types and mandibular bone morphology through comparison of radiomorphometric parameters obtained from panoramic radiographs. Methods A total of 150 female patients were included and equally divided into three groups according to their Angle malocclusion classification: Class I, Class II, and Class III. Measurements of mental index (MI), panoramic mandibular index (PMI), gonial index (GI), antegonial index (AI), antegonial notch depth (AND), mandibular cortical index (MCI), and grayscale value (GS) were performed using ImageJ software. Intergroup comparisons were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis tests followed by Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons. Results Significant differences were identified among groups in MI, PMI, and AND measurements. Specifically, Angle Class III subjects exhibited significantly lower MI and PMI values than Angle Class I and II groups (p 0.05). Mandibular cortical index (MCI) categorical distributions also showed no significant intergroup differences. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that mandibular cortical bone thickness and antegonial notch morphology vary with sagittal malocclusion, with Class III malocclusion associated with thinner cortical bone and altered mandibular contours. These morphological differences highlight the importance of considering bone quality and morphology during orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning, since they may influence treatment biomechanics and long-term stability
Absolutely Continuous Bivariate Modified Weibull Distribution: Properties and Estimation
No full textAbstract A Block-Basu bivariate exponential (BBBE) distribution is one of the most popular and widely used absolutely continuous bivariate distributions. Later, Kundu and Gupta (Stat Method 7:464–477, 2010) obtained the Block-Basu bivariate Weibull (BBBW) distribution. Extensive work has been done on the BBBW model over the past several decades. Interestingly, it is observed that the BBBW model can be extended to the modified Weibull model. We call this new model as the Block-Basu bivariate modified Weibull (BBBMW) distribution. We consider the properties of the BBBMW distribution and provide the associated copula function. The BBBMW model has five unknown parameters and the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) cannot be obtained in closed form. To compute the MLEs directly, one needs to solve a five-dimensional optimization problem. We propose to use the EM algorithm for computing the MLEs of the unknown parameters. The proposed EM algorithm can be carried out by solving a two-dimensional optimization problem at each EM step. An extensive simulation is carried out, which demonstrates that the proposed EM algorithm performs quite well. A real data set is analyzed for illustrative purposes
Rewiring melanoma cell fate: TRPM8 modulators trigger apoptosis and boost NK cell cytotoxicity
No full textAbstract Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with limited long-term treatment success due to therapeutic resistance and immune evasion. The transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) ion channel is overexpressed in melanoma but its role as therapeutic target remains unexplored. We investigated the anti-tumor effects of novel TRPM8 modulators in metastatic melanoma cells using viability assays, apoptosis markers, mitochondrial function analyses, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements and gene silencing. Their functional impact was further assessed in 3D melanoma organoids, clonogenic survival assays, and natural killer (NK) cell co-culture systems. TRPM8 is significantly overexpressed in metastatic melanoma, as compared with the normal counterparts. Its pharmacological inhibition with novel modulators selectively induces calcium-independent mitochondrial apoptosis characterized by ROS accumulation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation. This process involves activation of the ATM/p53 pathway and upregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins. Additionally, TRPM8 modulators increase expression of the NK cell-activating ligand ULBP1, enhancing melanoma susceptibility to NK-mediated cytotoxicity. Our study identifies TRPM8 as a promising biomarker in melanoma. Its targeting triggers mitochondrial cell death and simultaneously boosts NK cell recognition via ULBP1/NKG2D engagement. TRPM8 targeting in combination with immunotherapy might be, hence, further explored in clinical setting of advanced melanoma
Metal element drivers of rice sensory variation revealed by ICP-MS and electronic tongue predictive modeling
No full textAbstract Metal accumulation in rice grains influenced both nutritional composition and consumer-perceived eating quality. Concentrations of 26 metal elements were quantified in 36 rice samples by ICP-MS, and hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the samples into three categories. ANOVA revealed significant differences in essential elements (Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu) and non-essential or potentially toxic elements (Al, Ba, B), highlighting their contribution to classification. Sensory evaluation of representative samples demonstrated pronounced variation in odor, taste, palatability, and overall eating quality. Pearson correlation and PLSR-VIP analyses identified Ag, Al, B, Ba, Co, and V as strongly and negatively associated with sensory traits, whereas Ca and Fe exerted attribute-specific effects. Electronic tongue analysis with PCA achieved clear group separation, and a SVM model reached 93% overall accuracy. These results established a close linkage between elemental profiles and sensory performance, providing a framework for rapid, objective, and non-destructive rice quality assessment
Structural divergence of lentinula edodes polysaccharides is associated with distinct anti-hyperuricemia pathways
No full textAbstract Lentinula edodes (L. edodes) polysaccharides hold therapeutic potential for hyperuricemia (HUA), but their mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the anti-HUA effects and associated regulatory pathways of two structurally distinct polysaccharides (LEP20 and LEP50) from L. edodes. Structural analysis identified LEP20 as a (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan (M w , 1.96×106 g/mol) and LEP50 as a (1 → 4)-α-D-glucan (M w , 1.46×107 g/mol). In a HUA rat model, both LEP20 and LEP50 significantly reduced serum UA level, inhibited xanthine oxidase, and alleviated renal injury and inflammation. Mechanistically, LEP20 was linked to modulate the gut-kidney axis by regulating UA transporters, enriching beneficial gut microbiota (e.g., Blautia_luti), and promoting short-chain fatty acid production to restore intestinal barrier integrity. In contrast, LEP50 primarily regulated systemic purine metabolism, directly reducing hypoxanthine levels and modulating specific gut microbes (e.g., Romboutsia_ilealis). The distinct structural features of these polysaccharides are associated with different regulatory pathways, supporting their potential application in HUA management
Persistent stratospheric cold-season aerosols from the 1783 Laki eruption produced winter warming over Northern Eurasia
No full textAbstract Northern Eurasia tropospheric winter warming has been observed and modeled after major tropical volcanic eruptions. Here we show that a high-latitude eruption with a persistent stratospheric volcanic cloud from summer to early winter can also trigger winter warming. Our model simulations, incorporating updated volcanic forcing for the 1783 Laki eruption, closely align with two recent temperature reconstructions—whereas simulations of other eruptions lacking substantial cold-season aerosol loadings fail to produce such warming. The aerosol-induced mid-latitude stratospheric warming strengthens the meridional temperature gradient, enhances the polar vortex, and shifts both horizontal and vertical energy redistribution in favor of Northern Eurasia winter warming. Neutral or cold winters, nevertheless, remain possible in individual realizations due to internal variability. These findings help resolve model-observation discrepancies and highlight the crucial role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in shaping large-scale circulation patterns in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions
The growing threat of spatially synchronized dry-hot events to global ecosystem productivity
No full textAbstract Compound hazards, like simultaneous occurrence of unusually dry and hot (DH) weather, cause cascading socio-economic damages that surpass univariate hazards. In the context of agricultural production, DH events triggered by pressure and moisture flux anomalies are responsible for some of the most severe agricultural losses across the globe. Most analyses focus on characterizing compound events in individual regions, and the extent of spatial synchrony of DH events and their impacts on crop production has yet to be quantified. Here, using observation-based gridded precipitation and temperature data, we find that the frequency of widespread spatial synchrony–defined as five or more regions simultaneously experiencing DH events–has increased nearly ten-fold over the past four decades, while confined events are declining. This rapid synchronization, especially in recent decades, reflects a non-linear response to global warming. At global scale, substantially larger productivity losses are observed during widespread DH events as compared to the spatially confined DH events. Wheat cropland exhibits the strongest losses during synchronized DH events, followed by maize, with weaker effects for rice. The results highlight the importance of considering the growing occurrence of spatially widespread DH events in assessments of agricultural risk, alongside analyses of individual regional extremes
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