Background & Aims Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection has been reported to reduce the risk of gastric cancer among asymptomatic individuals in high-risk areas. The magnitude of benefit of H ...pylori eradication in populations with different levels of gastric cancer risk and in different clinical scenarios is unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies to investigate the effects of H pylori eradication on the incidence of gastric cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov , reviewing titles and abstracts of studies of the effects of eradication of H pylori infection on risk of gastric cancer, through May 2015. We also searched bibliographies of included studies, related reviews, and abstracts presented at Digestive Disease Week. Twenty-four eligible studies (22 research manuscripts and 2 abstracts) were included in our meta-analysis (715 incident gastric cancers among a total of 48,064 individuals/340,255 person-years). We assessed the effects, as well as their modification by baseline gastric cancer incidence, study design (randomized trial vs observational study), clinical scenario (asymptomatic infected individuals vs individuals after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer), demographic characteristics of patients (age and sex), and duration of follow-up. Results After adjustment for baseline gastric cancer incidence, individuals with eradication of H pylori infection had a lower incidence of gastric cancer than those who did not receive eradication therapy (pooled incidence rate ratio = 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.44−0.64). There was little heterogeneity among studies. Baseline gastric cancer incidence modified the benefit of H pylori eradication ( P = .037 for interaction); the incidence rate ratio of gastric cancer decreased in a nonlinear fashion with increasing baseline incidence of gastric cancer ( P = .018, in comparison with the linear model). The benefit also modestly increased with age ( P = .023 for interaction), but this might be due to correlation between age and baseline gastric cancer incidence. Eradication provided significant benefit for asymptomatic infected individuals (pooled incidence rate ratio, 0.62; 95% CI: 0.49−0.79) and individuals after endoscopic resection of gastric cancers (pooled incidence rate ratio, 0.46; 95% CI: 0.35−0.60). The benefits of H pylori eradication did not differ with study design, sex, or follow-up period. Conclusions In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we associated eradication of H pylori infection with a reduced incidence of gastric cancer. The benefits of eradication vary with baseline gastric cancer incidence, but apply to all levels of baseline risk.
The CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) receptor and its ligand, CXCL12, are overexpressed in various cancers and mediate tumor progression and hypoxia-mediated resistance to cancer therapy. While ...CXCR4 antagonists have potential anticancer effects when combined with conventional anticancer drugs, their poor potency against CXCL12/CXCR4 downstream signaling pathways and systemic toxicity had precluded clinical application. Herein, BPRCX807, known as a safe, selective, and potent CXCR4 antagonist, has been designed and experimentally realized. In in vitro and in vivo hepatocellular carcinoma mouse models it can significantly suppress primary tumor growth, prevent distant metastasis/cell migration, reduce angiogenesis, and normalize the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by reducing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration, reprogramming TAMs toward an immunostimulatory phenotype and promoting cytotoxic T cell infiltration into tumor. Although BPRCX807 treatment alone prolongs overall survival as effectively as both marketed sorafenib and anti-PD-1, it could synergize with either of them in combination therapy to further extend life expectancy and suppress distant metastasis more significantly.
Poor oral health affects quality of life; oral health literacy studies are increasing as it plays an essential role in promoting oral health. However, little is known regarding the gender differences ...in oral health literacy and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults. This study aimed to explore the gender differences in oral health literacy and OHRQoL among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan.
A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling was undertaken to recruit participants at two community service centres. Data were collected using a structured survey consisted of the demographic characteristics, instrumental activities of daily living, nutrition assessment, oral health literacy and OHRQoL. The logistic regression was used to examine the gender differences in the relationship between oral health literacy and OHRQoL.
A total of 202 participants completed the survey. Of which 56.4% (n = 114) were female. Logistic regression analyses showed that after controlling for age, instrumental activities of daily living, nutrition, education level, and average monthly income, better oral health literacy was associated with better oral health quality of life (p = 0.006) in men.
The relationship between oral health literacy and OHRQoL was only significant for men. No significant relationship between women's oral health literacy and their OHRQoL. However, good OHRQoL is an integral part of overall health, but it is affected by differences in oral health and the accessibility of healthcare services. We suggest that gender-specific oral health literacy education should be offered through community health-education programs.
Background
We aimed to assess the latest prevalence and secular trend of Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in Taiwan.
Materials and ...Methods
Adults naive to H. pylori eradication received 13C‐urea breath test (13C‐UBT), H. pylori stool antigen test, and serology test during 2019–2020 in this prospective screening program. Children and adolescent aged between 7 and 19 years received 13C‐UBT for H. pylori screening. We also conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the secular trend of prevalence of H. pylori from 1990 to 2020 in Taiwan. The secular trends of age‐standardized incidence and mortality of gastric cancer were obtained from the Taiwan Cancer Registry.
Results
A total of 1494 participants were enrolled, including 294 children or adolescents and 1200 adults. The overall prevalence of active H. pylori infection by 13C‐UBT was 26.6% (397/1494), which was 30.8% in adults and 9.5% in adolescents/children. The age‐standardized prevalence of active H. pylori infection was 32.3% in adults after adjustment of the population structure in Taiwan. Of the 29 studies including 38,597 subjects eligible for the meta‐analysis, the pooled prevalence of H. pylori infection decreased from 63.8% (95% CI: 55.9%–71%) in 1990–2000 to 28.2% (95% CI:21.8%–35.6%) in 2016–2020. The age‐standardized incidence and mortality of gastric cancer have also declined from 15.2 to 10.75 per 100,000, respectively, in 1999 to 9.29 and 5.4 per 100,000, respectively, in 2019.
Conclusions
The prevalence of H. pylori infection has declined in Taiwan, which correlates with the declining trends of age‐standardized incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in Taiwan.
CXCR4 antagonists have been claimed to reduce mortality after myocardial infarction in myocardial infarction (MI) animals, presumably due to suppressing inflammatory responses caused by myocardial ...ischemia-reperfusion injury, thus, subsequently facilitating tissue repair and cardiac function recovery. This study aims to determine whether a newly designed CXCR4 antagonist DBPR807 could exert better vascular-protective effects than other clinical counterparts (e.g., AMD3100) to alleviate cardiac damage further exacerbated by reperfusion. Consequently, we find that instead of traditional continuous treatment or multiple-dose treatment at different intervals of time, a single-dose treatment of DBPR807 before reperfusion in MI animals could attenuate inflammation via protecting oxidative stress damage and preserve vascular/capillary density and integrity via mobilizing endothelial progenitor cells, leading to a desirable fibrosis reduction and recovery of cardiac function, as evaluated with the LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) in infarcted hearts in rats and mini-pigs, respectively. Thus, it is highly suggested that CXCR4 antagonists should be given at a single high dose prior to reperfusion to provide the maximal cardiac functional improvement. Based on its favorable efficacy and safety profiles indicated in tested animals, DBPR807 has a great potential to serve as an adjunctive medicine for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) therapies in acute MI patients.
A series of readily accessible and scalable benzo1,2-b:4,5-b′dithiophene (BDT)-2,5-dithienyl-thieno3,4-cpyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD-T2)-based donor polymers are utilized in organic photovoltaic (OPV) ...cells blended with the non-fullerene acceptor IT-4F. All polymers readily dissolve in chlorine-free solvents such as xylene, and the corresponding photoactive blend films can be processed in ambient from this solvent to fabricate cells with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) >12%–14%. Furthermore, the blend processing and OPV metrics are remarkably insensitive to the processing methodology (spin coating versus blade coating), processing solvent, polymer molecular mass and dispersity index, and the results were rationalized by UV-vis, PL, fsTA, AFM, TEM, GIWAXS, and SCLC measurements. These properties enable the first OPV modules, processed in ambient from a benign solvent, with a certified PCE of 10.1% for an area of 20.4 cm2 and >7% after light soaking. The same module also delivers a power of ∼40 μW/cm2 (PCE ∼22%) under indoor lighting.
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•A series of readily accessible polymers are utilized in organic photovoltaics•Inverted devices exhibit a high efficiency of 14% using a non-fullerene acceptor•The certified efficiency of 10.1% has been demonstrated for a module area of 20.4 cm2•The module fabricated by blade coating exhibits a PCE of 10.40%
Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have attracted broad research attention, because organic semiconductors offer advantages, including mechanical flexibility, light weight, and facile module manufacture by high-throughput printing methodologies, vis-a-vis conventional inorganic solar materials. In this study, we report the realization of new, readily accessible donor polymers and their implementation in high-efficiency solar cells and modules. These polymers yield OPV cells with certified PCEs of >14% and values of 12%–14% when the photoactive blend is processed in ambient and/or without halogenated solvents. Finally, we demonstrate the fabrication of a large active-area module (>20 cm2) with certified PCE of 10.1% (22% indoor lighting), which is by far the highest PCE reported to date. This work represents an important step forward in the development of OPV materials for fabricating large-scale OPV modules with extremely high figures of merit, inferring that OPV cells can reach commercialization.
A large-area module (active area > 20 cm2) with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.4% (certified at 10.1%) using a non-fullerene blend was demonstrated, which is by far the highest PCE reported to date. The same module also delivers a power of ∼40 μW/cm2 (PCE ∼22%) under indoor lighting. Equally important, PCEs of 12%–14% were achieved for blends processed in ambient and/or without halogenated solvent.
The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the impact of total quality management, institutional pressure, and organizational citizenship behavior on project performance moderated by project ...governance in ongoing construction projects. Empirical data were collected from 162 respondents engaged in ongoing construction projects in Oman using a self-administered questionnaire. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data. The findings show that TQM significantly impacts project performance. In contrast, organizational citizenship behavior did not mediate between total quality management and project performance. Project governance partially moderated the impact of total quality management on project performance. This study offers practical implications for the construction industry that wants to improve its project performance. This paper recognizes the significance of TQM practices by developing an industry-wide culture of successful project performance. It is vital to support the ongoing efforts of the project managers to promote and apply quality management principles, particularly in the construction industry.
Battery lifetime is critical for wireless video sensors. To enable battery-powered wireless video sensors, low-power design is required. In this paper, we consider applying multi-view summarization ...to wireless video sensors to remove redundant contents such that the compression and transmission power can be reduced. A low-complexity online multi-view video summarization scheme is proposed. Experiments show that the proposed summarization method successfully reduces the video content while keeping important events. A power analysis of the system also shows that a significant amount of energy can be saved.
Maternal immune activation (MIA) increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Microbial dysbiosis is associated with ASD symptoms. However, the alterations in the ...brain-gut-microbiota axis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MIA offspring remain unclear. Here, we examined the social behavior, anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, microbiota profile, and myelination levels in LPS-induced MIA rat offspring. Compared with control offspring, MIA male rat offspring spent less time in an active social interaction with stranger rats, displayed more anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, and had more hypomyelination in the prefrontal cortex and thalamic nucleus. A fecal microbiota analysis revealed that MIA offspring had a higher abundance of
,
, and
and a lower abundance of
,
, and
than control offspring, which is consistent with that of humans with ASD. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied to determine the relative importance of the microbiota, which indicated that the abundance of
and
was the most relevant for the profile of defective social behavior, whereas
and
was associated with anxiety-like and repetitive behavior. In summary, LPS-induced MIA offspring showed an abnormal brain-gut-microbiota axis with social behavior deficits, anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, hypomyelination, and an ASD-like microbiota profile.
PurposeThe main parties in construction projects are the engineers, clients, architects, contractors, material suppliers, and consultants such as the project managers. They play the most important ...roles in implementing construction projects, and their activities have a significant impact on their risk attitudes during the execution of projects. Because each participant has their particular interests, by proprietary information, each participant is driven to achieve maximum benefit, which can result in improper behaviour concerning each other. The risk in this situation is that there would be a moral hazard and adverse selection based on information asymmetry among principal construction participants especially contractors; this outcome is called risk attitudes. Behaviour is affected by various risk factors and the successful implementation of construction projects depends on effective management of the key risk factors part of which is a personal factor. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical factors affecting contractors’ risk attitudes among Malaysian construction companies with the moderating role of government policy. Organizational control theory and expected utility theory were used to develop the theoretical framework. The study investigated G7 contractors in the Malaysian construction industry. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire.Design/methodology/approachThe research analysis was based on structural equation modelling (SEM), and the research model was ascertained through the Smart PLS 3.0 software (Ringle et al., 2012). Partial least square-SEM is an appropriate analysis that was used to assess the results in the current research because its algorithm permits the unrestricted computation of cause-effect relationship models that use both reflective and formative measurement models. This study uses the quantitative method to identify the individual factors influencing contractors’ risk attitude and the moderating role of government policy among construction companies in Malaysia. This study also focussed on the G7 contractors operating in the Malaysia construction industry that specializes in building, bridge and road construction projects. The duration of the data collection was between two and three weeks. The questionnaire was prepared both in Malay and English languages to allow the respondents to respond most conveniently. Before the copies of the questionnaire were distributed, the selected contractors’ committees were duly informed about the details of the survey procedures. The adopted Likert scale was originally a five-point scale that ranges from “very low” to “very high” with “low or high” in between.FindingsThe result of this study moderately supports the hypothesized relationships proposed in the theoretical model. In particular, the results recommended that personal factors that affect risk attitudes (working experience, emotional intelligence, professional competence and physical health) have a significant relation with contractors’ risk attitudes in the construction companies in Malaysia. Also, it has been found that government policy (rules and regulations) are important determinants of risk attitudes.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focussed on individual factors affecting contractors’ risk attitudes in the construction company’s in Malaysia. Therefore, the dimensions of factors affecting risk attitudes can be used in another aspect of construction projects such as management factors, economic factors and technical factors. Therefore, further research might investigate other grades of Malaysian construction companies apart from Grade 7 contractors to know if there is a similarity in the results; other grades of the contractors might have potential positive contributions to the construction industry as well.Practical implicationsWith consider to the practical, the current research findings have several contributions for the contractors and project managers. The research results demonstrate that government policy plays an important role in the construction industry and organizational support will also help contractors to control their attitudes in working place. Individual factor has a direct relationship with contractor risk attitudes (CRA), project managers must ensure that the government policy has an impact in all their workers and offered is competitive, fair and by their employees’ contribution. Apart from that managers should also focus on organizational goals especially in managing professional and skilled contractors in the companies. Employees who perceived their employers as uncaring or not supporting their needs and well-being may not be happy working with the organization and the tendency for them to change their attitudes towards risk will be high.Social implicationsThis study also contributes knowledge by lending empirical support to the organizational control theory and expected utility theory system’s effect on CRA and confirming that changing one individual attitude will change the whole equilibrium. This is useful to aid in further synthesis of organizational control theory and expected utility theory in construction companies.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt at evaluating the direct and moderating effect relationships among individual factor affecting risk attitudes, government policy and CRA in Malaysian construction companies. These findings also prop up the applicability of the organizational control theory and expected utility theory within the context of construction companies in Malaysia. Also, this study contributed to the literature on psychology by subjective (psychological) measures of individuals’ behaviour and decisions. In the CRA literature, there has been much discussion on personal characteristics to understand behaviours such as attitudes of a contractor towards risk and morals.
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