Extensive loss of natural wetlands caused by changes in land use largely diminishes the food resources essential for the survival of migratory waterbirds. Globally, the decline in waterbird ...populations in East Asia is the most serious, with 64% of these populations showing a decreasing trend. In this study, we applied DNA metabarcoding to examine the spatiotemporal variations and diversities in the dietary compositions of migratory waterbirds in a natural/artificial wetland complex in Asia. By investigating 110 fecal samples from the endangered black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) wintering in the wetland, our results show that P. minor had a broad dietary spectrum. The birds fed on at least 26 species in the classes Actinopterygii and Malacostraca, with Mugiliformes, Cichliformes, and Gobiiformes being the main taxa in their diets. Our results also demonstrated clear patterns of the spatiotemporal variations between the roosting groups and intraspecific variations between the individuals, which potentially reflect some of their feeding habits, and the probable usage of different habitat types in the wetland complex. Using high-throughput sequencing, we were able to elucidate the food resources that are critical to P. minor non-invasively, this method can also be used to provide invaluable information for the conservation of many other waterbird species.
Global declines in shorebird populations resulting from foraging habitat loss have been recently reported, and the situation within the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) is particularly ...concerning. Despite previous studies that analyzed the foraging niches of shorebirds worldwide, the dietary niche dynamics of shorebirds coexisting in Asia are very poorly understood. This study is therefore among the early few that aim to unveil the trophic organization of shorebirds in a subtropical wetland within the EAAF which is vital for species conservation. Our study first determined the dietary spectra of more than 10 shorebird species, such as Calidris ferruginea (near threatened), Charadrius leschenaultii, and Pluvialis squatarola, by applying DNA metabarcoding with 18S and COI markers to fecal DNA. The diet of Tringa stagnatilis was also characterized, which was previously undescribed. Shorebirds that occurred in the wetland consumed a variety of food items, primarily a high abundance of malacostracans, mollusks, annelids, insects, and some arachnids. Different proportions of plant materials were also detected in many shorebird species. Using the data, we then revealed clear patterns of inter‐ and intraspecific variations between these shorebirds. Importantly, we specifically compared the similarities of the spring diets among seven sympatric shorebird species. We found that the dietary compositions of the seven species have segregated from each other to varying levels, but the many similar taxa we identified in the diets among these shorebirds imply that these populations of shorebirds could be competing at different levels. Thus, any reductions in the abundance and diversity of these important food resources would likely intensify their inter‐ and intraspecific competition, and simultaneously threaten the survival of multiple species. With these findings, conservation measures must be taken to protect and monitor the vital food resources for these energy‐deprived shorebirds during migration.
Despite previous studies that analyzed the foraging niches of shorebirds worldwide, the dietary niche dynamics of shorebirds coexisting in Asia are very poorly known. This study is therefore the early few that aim to unveil the trophic organization of shorebirds in a subtropical wetland within the EAAF. Our study determined the dietary spectra of more than 10 shorebird species by applying DNA metabarcoding on fecal DNA. Using the data, we revealed clear patterns of the interspecific and intraspecific variations between these shorebirds. We also specifically compared the similarities of the spring diets between seven sympatric shorebirds species. The understanding on their dietary niche dynamics is vital for species conservation.
To develop and validate an accelerated free-breathing 3D whole-heart magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique using a radial k-space trajectory with compressed sensing and curvelet transform.
A ...3D radial phyllotaxis trajectory was implemented to traverse the centerline of k-space immediately before the segmented whole-heart MRA data acquisition at each cardiac cycle. The k-space centerlines were used to correct the respiratory-induced heart motion in the acquired MRA data. The corrected MRA data were then reconstructed by a novel compressed sensing algorithm using curvelets as the sparsifying domain. The proposed 3D whole-heart MRA technique (radial CS curvelet) was then prospectively validated against compressed sensing with a conventional wavelet transform (radial CS wavelet) and a standard Cartesian acquisition in terms of scan time and border sharpness.
Fifteen patients (females 10, median age 34-year-old) underwent 3D whole-heart MRA imaging using a standard Cartesian trajectory and our proposed radial phyllotaxis trajectory. Scan time for radial phyllotaxis was significantly shorter than Cartesian (4.88 ± 0.86 min. vs. 6.84 ± 1.79 min., P-value = 0.004). Radial CS curvelet border sharpness was slightly lower than Cartesian and, for the majority of vessels, was significantly better than radial CS wavelet (P-value < 0.050).
The proposed technique of 3D whole-heart MRA acquisition with a radial CS curvelet has a shorter scan time and slightly lower vessel sharpness compared to the Cartesian acquisition with radial profile ordering, and has slightly better sharpness than radial CS wavelet. Future work on this technique includes additional clinical trials and extending this technique to 3D cine imaging.
Dementia is a long‐term and progressive syndrome that not only influences the person with dementia (PWD) but also the caregiver. However, informal caregivers are not always empathic and understand ...the symptoms of dementia, leading to destructive caregiving relationships and poor quality of caregiving. VR‐based simulation interventions can provide a more realistic and memorable learning experience for caregivers to walk in PWDs' shoes. This review aimed to provide practitioners and researchers with insights on developing and/or adopting an effective VR‐based simulation intervention for enhancing the empathy of informal caregivers of PWD. A mixed‐methods systematic review was conducted. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed‐methods studies were searched from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library updating. Standard JBI critical appraisal instruments were used for the quality appraisal. A convergent segregated approach was used to synthesize and integrate the data. A total of seven studies were included. Inconsistent quantitative results were reported on the effects of VR‐based simulation on empathy enhancement. Significant effects were reported on knowledge of dementia and emotion‐focused coping strategies. Two themes were generated from the qualitative studies, including “Informal caregivers gained better insight into problems encountered by older people with dementia” and “Thinking from the perspective of older people with dementia, leading to changes in attitudes and behaviours towards dementia”. The qualitative synthesized evidence showed that informal caregivers gained better insight into problems encountered by PWD, but the quantitative synthesized results are inconsistent. Yet, informal caregivers experienced a change in attitude by thinking from the perspective of PWD.
Real-time detection of fatigue in the elderly during physical exercises can help identify the stability and thus falling risks which are commonly achieved by the investigation of kinematic ...parameters. In this study, we aimed to identify the change in gait variability parameters from inertial measurement units (IMU) during a course of 60 min brisk walking which could lay the foundation for the development of fatigue-detecting wearable sensors. Eighteen elderly people were invited to participate in the brisk walking trials for 60 min with a single IMU attached to the posterior heel region of the dominant side. Nine sets of signals, including the accelerations, angular velocities, and rotation angles of the heel in three anatomical axes, were measured and extracted at the three walking times (baseline, 30th min, and 60th min) of the trial for analysis. Sixteen of eighteen participants reported fatigue after walking, and there were significant differences in the median acceleration (
= 0.001), variability of angular velocity (
= 0.025), and range of angle rotation (
= 0.0011), in the medial-lateral direction. In addition, there were also significant differences in the heel pronation angle (
= 0.005) and variability and energy consumption of the angles in the anterior-posterior axis (
= 0.028,
= 0.028), medial-lateral axis (
= 0.014,
= 0.014), and vertical axis (
= 0.002,
< 0.001). Our study demonstrated that a single IMU on the posterior heel of the dominant side can address the variability of kinematics parameters for elderly performing prolonged brisk walking and could serve as an indicator for walking instability, and thus fatigue.
Evaluation of potential fatigue for the elderly could minimize their risk of injury and thus encourage them to do more physical exercises. Fatigue-related gait instability was often assessed by the ...changes of joint kinematics, whilst planar pressure variability and asymmetry parameters may complement and provide better estimation. We hypothesized that fatigue condition (induced by the treadmill brisk-walking task) would lead to instability and could be reflected by the variability and asymmetry of plantar pressure. Fifteen elderly adults participated in the 60-min brisk walking trial on a treadmill without a pause, which could ensure that the fatigue-inducing effect is continuous and participants will not recover halfway. The plantar pressure data were extracted at baseline, the 30th minute, and the 60th minute. The median of contact time, peak pressure, and pressure-time integrals in each plantar region was calculated, in addition to their asymmetry and variability. After 60 min of brisk walking, there were significant increases in peak pressure at the medial and lateral arch regions, and central metatarsal regions, in addition to their impulses (
< 0.05). In addition, the variability of plantar pressure at the medial arch was significantly increased (
< 0.05), but their asymmetry was decreased. On the other hand, the contact time was significantly increased at all plantar regions (
< 0.05). The weakened muscle control and shock absorption upon fatigue could be the reason for the increased peak pressure, impulse, and variability, while the improved symmetry and prolonged plantar contact time could be a compensatory mechanism to restore stability. The outcome of this study can facilitate the development of gait instability or fatigue assessment using wearable in-shoe pressure sensors.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic facilitated the rapid development of digital detection surveillance (DDS) for outbreaks. This qualitative study examined how DDS for infectious ...diseases (ID) was perceived and experienced by primary care physicians and patients in order to highlight ethical considerations for promoting patients' autonomy and health care rights.
In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected group of 16 primary care physicians and 24 of their patients. The group was reflective of a range of ages, educational attainment, and clinical experiences from urban areas in northern and southern China. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated. Two researchers coded data and organized it into themes. A third researcher reviewed 15% of the data and discussed findings with the other researchers to assure accuracy.
Five themes were identified: ambiguity around the need for informed consent with usage of DDS; importance of autonomous decision making; potential for discrimination against vulnerable users of DDS for ID; risk of social inequity and disparate care outcomes; and authoritarian institutions' responsibility for maintaining health data security. The adoption of DDS meant some patients would be reluctant to go to the hospital for fear of either being discriminated against or forced into quarantine. Certain groups (older people and children) were thought to be vulnerable to DDS misappropriation.
These findings indicate the paramount importance of establishing national and international ethical frameworks for DDS implementation. Frameworks should guide all aspects of ID surveillance, addressing privacy protection and health security, and underscored by principles of social equity and accountability.
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article.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The primary pathology of Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR, colon aganglionosis) is the absence of ganglia in variable lengths of the hindgut, resulting in functional obstruction. HSCR is attributed to a ...failure of migration of the enteric ganglion precursors along the developing gut. RET is a key regulator of the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and the major HSCR-causing gene. Yet the reduced penetrance of RET DNA HSCR-associated variants together with the phenotypic variability suggest the involvement of additional genes in the disease. Through a genome-wide association study, we uncovered a ∼350 kb HSCR-associated region encompassing part of the neuregulin-1 gene (NRG1). To identify the causal NRG1 variants contributing to HSCR, we genotyped 243 SNPs variants on 343 ethnic Chinese HSCR patients and 359 controls. Genotype analysis coupled with imputation narrowed down the HSCR-associated region to 21 kb, with four of the most associated SNPs (rs10088313, rs10094655, rs4624987, and rs3884552) mapping to the NRG1 promoter. We investigated whether there was correlation between the genotype at the rs10088313 locus and the amount of NRG1 expressed in human gut tissues (40 patients and 21 controls) and found differences in expression as a function of genotype. We also found significant differences in NRG1 expression levels between diseased and control individuals bearing the same rs10088313 risk genotype. This indicates that the effects of NRG1 common variants are likely to depend on other alleles or epigenetic factors present in the patients and would account for the variability in the genetic predisposition to HSCR.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Hirschsprung disease (HSCR, congenital colon aganglionosis) is a relatively common complex genetic condition caused by abnormal development of the enteric nervous system (ENS). Through a recent ...genome-wide association study conducted on Chinese HSCR patients, we identified a new HSCR contributing locus, neuregulin 1 (
NRG1
; 8p12), a gene known to be involved in the development of the ENS. As genes in which disease-associated common variants are found are to be considered as candidates for the search of deleterious rare variants (RVs) in the coding sequences, we sequenced the
NRG1
exons of 358 sporadic HSCR patients and 333 controls. We identified a total of 13 different heterozygous RVs including 8 non-synonymous (A28G, E134K, V266L, H347Y, P356L, V486M, A511T, P608A) and 3 synonymous amino acid substitutions (P24P, T169T, L483L), a frameshift (E239
fs
X10), and a c.503-4insT insertion. Functional analysis of the most conserved non-synonymous substitutions, H347Y and P356L, showed uneven intracellular distribution and aberrant expression of the mutant proteins. Except for T169T and V486M, all variants were exclusive to HSCR patients. Overall, there was a statistically significant over-representation of
NRG1
RVs in HSCR patients (
p
= 0.008). We show here that not only common, but also rare variants of the
NRG1
gene contribute to HSCR. This strengthens the role of
NRG1
.
The influences of rocker shoes on foot biomechanics were controversial because the interaction between two design factors—rocker angle and apex location, was usually omitted. This study investigated ...the interaction effects of rocker angle and apex location on plantar foot pressure, metatarsophalangeal/ankle angle, and Achilles tendon force during walking. Ten participants performed walking trials under six rocker shoe conditions: 2 rocker angles (mild and severe) × 3 apex locations (distal, standard, and proximal), wherein the plantar foot pressure was measured and the movement data were processed by musculoskeletal modeling to report joint angle and Achilles tendon force. A two-way ANOVA repeated measures was used for statistics. Significant interaction effects were reported in examinations of forefoot pressure, midfoot pressure, and metatarsophalangeal dorsiflexion. The standard apex significantly reduced peak forefoot and midfoot pressures (p = 0.008–0.034, Hedges'g = 0.75–0.84), which was further decreased by a severe rocker angle (p = 0.006, Hedges'g = 0.51–0.81). Moving the apex proximally reduced Achilles tendon forces (p < 0.001, Hedges' g = 0.80) and facilitated both metatarsophalangeal dorsiflexion and ankle plantarflexion during push-off (p = 0.003–0.006, Hedges' g = 0.03–0.82). Rocker angle seemed to have fewer effects on ankle joint angle and Achilles tendon force. We concluded that apex location was likely the dominant design factor of the rocker sole in influencing foot biomechanics, yet its interactions with rocker angle should be considered. The configuration of the two features could be varied to possess different therapeutic merits and adapt to specific application purposes.
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