Browse publications by year: 2024

Risk of major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events following BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection: A self-controlled case-series study

Ab Rahman N, King TL, Peariasamy KM, Sivasampu S, SAFECOVAC study group

Vaccine, 2024 Dec 02;42(26):126465.
PMID: 39447251 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126465

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential risk of major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events (MACCE) associated with COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
METHODS: This self-controlled case series study used nationwide health database from Malaysia. The study included individuals aged ≥18 years who were hospitalised between 24 February 2021 and 30 June 2022. Outcomes were composite of MACCE: stroke, acute ischaemic heart disease, and cardiovascular death. Exposures were COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The risk period was day 1 to day 21 following exposure. Conditional Poisson regression model was used to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) comparing the outcomes in the risk and control periods.
RESULTS: The risk of MACCE within 21 days after vaccination per 100,000 doses administered were 12.0 (95% CI 11.9-12.1) (BNT162b2), 9.2 (95% CI 9.1-9.3) (CoronaVac), and 6.8 (95% CI 6.6-7.0) (ChAdOx1). The incidence rate ratios showed no increased risk of MACCE associated with the first, second, or third doses of BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccines for individuals without prior cardiovascular disease (CVD). This finding was consistent for individuals with CVD. Vaccine booster dose, whether in a homologous or heterologous schedule, did not show increased risk of MACCE. Analysis by ethnic groups detected a slightly elevated risk of MACCE in Indian after the first dose of ChAdOx1 (IRR 1.64; 95% CI 1.08-2.48) in those without CVD. No significant association were observed in other subgroup analyses. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with significantly increased risk of MACCE in individuals without CVD (IRR 3.54; 95% CI 3.32-3.76) and with CVD (IRR 1.98; 95% CI 1.61-2.34).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the favourable safety profile of these COVID-19 vaccines and indicate that the overall benefit-risk ratio of the COVID-19 vaccines remains positive.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Vaccination/adverse effects; Vaccines, Inactivated; Incidence; Stroke/etiology; Stroke/epidemiology; Young Adult
Metabolic engineering of Mucor circinelloides to improve astaxanthin production

Naz T, Saeed T, Ullah S, Nazir Y, Assefa M, Liu Q, et al.

World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2024 Nov 02;40(12):374.
PMID: 39487367 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04181-x

Astaxanthin is a bioactive natural pigment with antioxidant properties. It has extensive applications within the industrial sector as well as in human and animal health. Mucor circinelloides is a zygomycete fungus that accumulates β-carotene as the main carotenoid compound. M. circinelloides is a well-known model organism among Mucorales for studying carotenogenesis in fungi, which makes it a promising candidate for the biotechnological production of carotenoids. In this study, β-carotene hydroxylase (crtR-B) and ketolase (bkt) genes (codon-optimized) were coexpressed from Haematococcus pluvialis in M. circinelloides using two potent promoters gpd1 and zrt1 respectively to generate an astaxanthin-producing biofactory. Following 72 h of cultivation, the recombinant M. circinelloides Mc-57 obtained in this study produced 135 ± 8 µg/g of astaxanthin. This is the highest reported amount in M. circinelloides to date. The mRNA levels of crtR-B and bkt in Mc-57 were assayed using RT-qPCR. These levels showed a 5.7-fold increase at 72 h and a 5.5-fold increase at 24 h, respectively, compared to the control strain. This demonstrated the successful overexpression of both genes, which correlated with the production of astaxanthin in the Mc-57. Moreover, the addition of glutamate (2 g/L) and mevalonate (15 mM) resulted in an increase in astaxanthin production in the recombinant strain. The results showed that the combined addition of these metabolic precursors resulted in 281 ± 20 µg/g of astaxanthin, which is 2.08-fold higher than the control medium (135 ± 8 µg/g). The addition of metabolic precursors also positively impacted the biomass growth of Mc-57, reaching 11.2 ± 0.57 g/L compared to 9.1 ± 0.23 g/L (control medium). The study successfully addressed the challenge of balancing the accumulation of astaxanthin with biomass growth, which has been regarded as common bottleneck in the metabolic engineering of microbial cells. The development of a recombinant fungal strain of M. circinelloides not only increased astaxanthin content. Additionally, it provided a foundation for further improvement of the biotechnological production of astaxanthin in M. circinelloides.

MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics; Fungal Proteins/metabolism; Oxygenases/genetics; Oxygenases/metabolism; Promoter Regions, Genetic
Fulltext A review on optimization of Wilms tumour management using radiomics

Alhashim M, Anan N, Tamal M, Altarrah H, Alshaibani S, Hill R

BJR Open, 2024 Jan;6(1):tzae034.
PMID: 39483333 DOI: 10.1093/bjro/tzae034

BACKGROUND: Wilms tumour, a common paediatric cancer, is difficult to treat in low- and middle-income countries due to limited access to imaging. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been introduced for staging, detecting, and classifying tumours, aiding physicians in decision-making. However, challenges include algorithm accuracy, translation into conventional diagnosis, reproducibility, and reliability. As AI technology advances, radiomics, an AI tool, emerges to extract tumour morphology and stage information.
OBJECTIVES: This review explores the application of radiomics in Wilms tumour management, including its potential in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Additionally, it discusses the future prospects of AI in this field and potential directions for automation-aided Wilms tumour treatment.
METHODS: The review analyses various research studies and articles on the use of radiomics in Wilms tumour management. This includes studies on automated deep learning-based classification, interobserver variability in histopathological analysis, and the application of AI in staging, detecting, and classifying Wilms tumours.
RESULTS: The review finds that radiomics offers several promising applications in Wilms tumour management, including improved diagnosis: it helps in classifying Wilms tumours from other paediatric kidney tumours, prognosis prediction: radiomic features can be used to predict both staging and response to preoperative chemotherapy, Treatment response assessment: Radiomics can be used to monitor the response of Wilms and to predict the feasibility of nephron-sparing surgery.
CONCLUSIONS: This review concludes that radiomics has the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of Wilms tumours. Despite some challenges, such as the need for further research and validation, AI integration in Wilms tumour management offers promising opportunities for improved patient care.
ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of radiomics in Wilms tumour management and highlights the significant role AI can play in improving patient outcomes. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment of paediatric cancers.
Comparable and sustained levels of S1-RBD-IgG and S1-RBD-IgA in BNT162b2 homologous and CoronaVac-BNT162b2 heterologous booster vaccination: A 22-month prospective study in Malaysia

Mohd Hisham AA, Mat Yassim AS, Suppian R, Azlan M, Mohamad Asri AA, Idris NS, et al.

Vaccine, 2024 Dec 02;42(26):126471.
PMID: 39490114 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126471

This prospective cohort study examines the long-term humoral immune responses post-COVID-19 vaccination in 146 individuals who received either a homologous three-dose BNT162b2 vaccine regimen (PPP) or two primary doses of CoronaVac followed by BNT162b2 booster (SSP) in Malaysia. The study focuses on serum anti-S1-RBD-IgG, -IgA, and -IgM, using the ELISA method. The results show that BNT162b2 outperformed CoronaVac in the two dose primary vaccination series. BNT162b2 booster dose significantly raised serum anti-S1-RBD-IgG and -IgA levels, sustaining this increase from 26 to 52 weeks after administration, regardless of the vaccine regimen. This leads to equivalent levels of anti-S1-RBD-IgG and -IgA after boosting with BNT162b2 in both groups. Breakthrough infections, particularly with the emergence of the Omicron variant, did not result in increased anti-S1-RBD-IgG and -IgA levels. No significant induction of anti-S1-RBD-IgM was observed following multiple vaccine doses. The long-term investigation revealed that PPP and SSP groups had comparable humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the advantage of mRNA booster dose in our cohort.

MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin A/blood; Immunoglobulin A/immunology; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Vaccination/methods; Vaccines, Inactivated; Young Adult; Immunity, Humoral
Strengthened d-p Orbital Hybridization on Metastable Cubic Mo2C for Highly Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Chen K, Zhu Y, Huang Z, Han B, Xu Q, Fang X, et al.

ACS Nano, 2024 Dec 13.
PMID: 39668735 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c11701

Suppressing the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttling as well as accelerating the conversion kinetics is extremely crucial yet challenging in designing sulfur hosts for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Phase engineering of nanomaterials is an intriguing approach for tuning the electronic structure toward regulating phase-dependent physicochemical properties. In this study, a metastable phase δ-Mo2C catalyst was elaborately synthesized via a boron doping strategy, which exhibited a phase transfer from hexagonal to cubic structure. The hierarchical tubular structure of the metastable cubic δ-Mo2C-decorated N-doped carbon nanotube (δ-B-Mo2C/NCNT) endows fast electron transfer and abundant polar sites for LiPSs. First-principles calculations reveal the strengthened chemical adsorption capability and hybridization between the d orbital of Mo metal and the p orbital of S atoms in LiPSs, contributing to higher electrocatalytic activity. Moreover, in situ Raman analysis manifests accelerated redox conversion kinetics. Consequently, δ-B-Mo2C/NCNT renders the Li-S battery with a high specific capacity of 1385.6 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and a superior rate property of 606.3 mAh g-1 at 4 C. Impressively, a satisfactory areal capacity of 6.95 mAh cm-2 is achieved under the high sulfur loading of 6.8 mg cm-2. This work has gained crucial research significance for metastable catalyst design and phase engineering for Li-S batteries.
Fulltext Exploring Chinese secondary students' behaviors towards online homework based on the UX model: Does homework completion relate to academic performance?

Chen L, Wong SL, Zeng S, How SP

Heliyon, 2024 Dec 15;10(23):e40472.
PMID: 39669131 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40472

The benefits of online homework are widely acknowledged for student learning. Numerous studies have provided evidence supporting the notion that the completion of an adequate amount of traditional homework is associated with enhanced academic success. However, there are inconsistent conclusions on the effect of homework completion on academic performance among the students who were exposed to online homework, particularly in China. In order to explore the behaviors of Chinese secondary students towards online homework, a correlational analysis is employed to determine the relationship between homework completion and academic performance among 103 students from China. Findings suggest a positive yet moderate association between online homework completion and academic performance. A follow-up qualitative interview with 10 purposefully selected students, based on the UX model by Topolewski, Krawczyk, Pallot & Huotari (2020), reveals that the cognitive and emotional factors are most influential on their behaviors towards online homework. Further studies are recommended to delve into the factors influencing students' intention to engage with online homework. Additionally, limitations of this study are outlined.
Fulltext Provenance, environments, and tectonic signatures of Tanjong-Sandakan Formations, Northeast Sabah, Malaysia: Implications from sedimentology, palynology, and geochemistry

Abd Halim MF, Zainal Abidin NS, Arifullah E

Heliyon, 2024 Dec 15;10(23):e39969.
PMID: 39669147 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39969

This study investigates marginal marine deposits found in the Tanjong and Sandakan formations from the Early to Late Miocene in Northeast Sabah. It examines sedimentology, trace elements (TE), rare earth elements (REE), hydrocarbon generation potential, and palynology to understand provenance, depositional environments, and paleoenvironmental conditions. Facies analysis identified four associations in the Tanjong and three in the Sandakan Formation, ranging from fluvial-deltaic to shallow marine environments. Mangrove-associated taxa, herbaceous and tree ferns typical of freshwater swamps, and coastal plants indicate a transition zone between terrestrial and marine environments. Siliciclastic deposits in the Northeast Sabah basin show varying redox conditions, ranging from dysoxic to oxic, as indicated by the Ni/Co, V/Cr, and U/Th ratios. These fluctuations may be linked to the tectonic evolution of the Sulu Sea and related sea-level lowstands. The low abundance of marine dinoflagellate cysts, along with high levels of rainforest and peat swamp pollen, suggests periods of subaerial exposure that contributed to the redox conditions. C-values and Sr/Cu ratios in the mudstone samples indicate semihumid to humid and warm conditions during the Miocene. Additionally, the distribution patterns of rare earth elements (REE) and the (La/Yb)N and Th/U ratios reveal consistent sedimentation rates in marginal marine environments. Palynofacies analysis indicates water column fluctuations, leading to oxidation during transport, resulting in low TOC values and kerogen types III and IV. Ternary diagrams of immobile TEs indicate that mudstone samples originate from active continental margins, linked to the rifting of the Sulu Sea during the Early to Middle Miocene. In contrast, sandstone samples exhibit characteristics of passive margins, likely due to recycled sediments from the early "Rajang Group Accretionary Complex." The plots for immobile TEs in the mudstones suggest intermediate and mafic sources, supporting the idea of uplift and erosion from deepwater sediments, as well as volcanic activity from the Cagayan and Sulu Arc systems. Sandstone samples may be sourced from acidic rocks associated with felsic intrusions in the Segama Valley, indicating a significant continental basement beneath the ophiolite. Keywords: Marginal marine, trace element, provenance, palynology, tectonic setting, Northeast Sabah.
Fulltext Polarization-selective metamaterial absorber using tailored Y-shaped SRR for UWB device and Doppler navigation aids applications

Mahmud S, Chowdhury AR, Hannan S, Tariqul Islam M, Alshammari AS, Soliman MS

Heliyon, 2024 Dec 15;10(23):e40102.
PMID: 39669167 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40102

In this paper, we present an unprecedented metamaterial absorber design exhibiting exceptional characteristics in electromagnetic wave absorption. The proposed bent Y-shaped structure, fabricated on an FR-4 substrate with copper patches, showcases remarkable performance across a diverse frequency spectrum. Through exhaustive simulations in CST, this design manifests eight distinct resonant frequencies, achieving absorption rates exceeding 90 % at each resonance. The resonances, strategically spanning from L-band (3.728 GHz) through S-band, C-band, X-band, Ku-band, and K-band up to 22.664 GHz, signify unparalleled versatility and efficacy in mitigating electromagnetic radiation. It investigates the equivalent circuit parameters of a proposed metamaterial absorber design, focusing on inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R). This paper investigates the applications of UWB devices at 3.728 GHz and Doppler navigation aids at the 13.4 GHz frequency as regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. It includes a discussion on near-zero refractive Index Metamaterials (NZRIM), highlighting their potential utilization in achieving extraordinary control over wave behaviour. Notably, the absorber's inherent polarization insensitivity fortifies its adaptability in various applications. Additionally, the metamaterial exhibits near-zero or negative permittivity, altering electric response, while simultaneously demonstrating permeability absolute zero throughout all frequency bands sparking new avenues for exploration and challenging conventional electromagnetic theories.
Fulltext Identification of significant features and machine learning technique in predicting helpful reviews

Sadeek Quaderi SJ, Varathan KD

PeerJ Comput Sci, 2024;10:e1745.
PMID: 39669454 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1745

Consumers nowadays rely heavily on online reviews in making their purchase decisions. However, they are often overwhelmed by the mass amount of product reviews that are being generated on online platforms. Therefore, it is deemed essential to determine the helpful reviews, as it will significantly reduce the number of reviews that each consumer has to ponder. A review is identified as a helpful review if it has significant information that helps the reader in making a purchase decision. Many reviews posted online are lacking a sufficient amount of information used in the decision-making process. Past research has neglected much useful information that can be utilized in predicting helpful reviews. This research identifies significant information which is represented as features categorized as linguistic, metadata, readability, subjectivity, and polarity that have contributed to predicting helpful online reviews. Five machine learning models were compared on two Amazon open datasets, each consisting of 9,882,619 and 65,222 user reviews. The significant features used in the Random Forest technique managed to outperform other techniques used by previous researchers with an accuracy of 89.36%.
Fulltext Enhancing traditional Chinese medical named entity recognition with Dyn-Att Net: a dynamic attention approach

Hou J, Saad S, Omar N

PeerJ Comput Sci, 2024;10:e2022.
PMID: 39669466 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.2022

Our study focuses on Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) named entity recognition (NER), which involves identifying and extracting specific entity names from TCM record. This task has significant implications for doctors and researchers, as it enables the automated identification of relevant TCM terms, ultimately enhancing research efficiency and accuracy. However, the current Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers-Long Short Term Memory-Conditional Random Fields (BERT-LSTM-CRF) model for TCM NER is constrained by a traditional structure, limiting its capacity to fully harness the advantages provided by Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and long short term memory (LSTM) models. Through comparative experiments, we also observed that the straightforward superimposition of models actually leads to a decrease in recognition results. To optimize the structure of the traditional BERT-BiLSTM-CRF model and obtain more effective text representations, we propose the Dyn-Att Net model, which introduces dynamic attention and a parallel structure. By integrating BERT and LSTM models with the dynamic attention mechanism, our model effectively captures semantic, contextual, and sequential relations within text sequences, resulting in high accuracy. To validate the effectiveness of our model, we compared it with nine other models in TCM dataset namely the publicly available PaddlePaddle dataset. Our Dyn-Att Net model, based on BERT, outperforms the other models, achieving an F1 score of 81.91%, accuracy of 92.06%, precision of 80.26%, and recall of 83.76%. Furthermore, its robust generalization capability is substantiated through validation on the APTNER, MSRA, and EduNER datasets. Overall, the Dyn-Att Net model not only enhances NER accuracy within the realm of traditional Chinese medicine, but also showcases considerable potential for cross-domain generalization. Moreover, the Dyn-Att Net model's parallel architecture facilitates efficient computation, contributing to time-saving efforts in NER tasks.
Fulltext Enhancing software defect prediction: a framework with improved feature selection and ensemble machine learning

Ali M, Mazhar T, Al-Rasheed A, Shahzad T, Yasin Ghadi Y, Amir Khan M

PeerJ Comput Sci, 2024;10:e1860.
PMID: 39669467 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1860

Effective software defect prediction is a crucial aspect of software quality assurance, enabling the identification of defective modules before the testing phase. This study aims to propose a comprehensive five-stage framework for software defect prediction, addressing the current challenges in the field. The first stage involves selecting a cleaned version of NASA's defect datasets, including CM1, JM1, MC2, MW1, PC1, PC3, and PC4, ensuring the data's integrity. In the second stage, a feature selection technique based on the genetic algorithm is applied to identify the optimal subset of features. In the third stage, three heterogeneous binary classifiers, namely random forest, support vector machine, and naïve Bayes, are implemented as base classifiers. Through iterative tuning, the classifiers are optimized to achieve the highest level of accuracy individually. In the fourth stage, an ensemble machine-learning technique known as voting is applied as a master classifier, leveraging the collective decision-making power of the base classifiers. The final stage evaluates the performance of the proposed framework using five widely recognized performance evaluation measures: precision, recall, accuracy, F-measure, and area under the curve. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework outperforms state-of-the-art ensemble and base classifiers employed in software defect prediction and achieves a maximum accuracy of 95.1%, showing its effectiveness in accurately identifying software defects. The framework also evaluates its efficiency by calculating execution times. Notably, it exhibits enhanced efficiency, significantly reducing the execution times during the training and testing phases by an average of 51.52% and 52.31%, respectively. This reduction contributes to a more computationally economical solution for accurate software defect prediction.
Sensitivity analysis and thermodynamic evaluation of a combined cooling, heating and power system utilizing exhaust gases of smelting furnace

Hassanlue S, Mukhtar A, Yasir ASHM, Eldin SM, A Nazari M, Ahmadi MH, et al.

Heliyon, 2024 Mar 15;10(5):e26797.
PMID: 39669487 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26797

Exhaust gases from the smelting furnace have high temperature and mass flow rate, and there is huge potential to use them for energy-related purposes such as electricity generation, cooling and heating. Utilization of the gases for energy-related purposes would lead to fuel savings and emissions reduction. To use this potential, it is necessary to design proper systems and cycles and apply a heat recovery unit. Several technologies are useable for heat recovery depending on the characteristics of exhaust gases, such as their mass flow rate, temperature and compositions. Due to the higher potential of combined heating, cooling and power (CCHP) generation systems compared with the systems with a single output, a CCHP is designed and investigated in the present study by consideration of the specifications of the exhaust gases. The applied system in this study comprises a Supercritical CO2 (SCO2) cycle, heat exchanger and single-stage absorption chiller for simultaneous heating, cooling and power production. Engineering Equation Solver (EES) is employed to model the proposed system by considering the properties of the flows and characteristics of the components. To get deep insight into the effective parameters on the outputs of the designed system, the impact of three factors, namely the mass flow rate of the gases, the effectiveness of heat exchanger and temperature of exhaust gases, are analyzed and investigated by the implementation of sensitivity analysis. As one of the main conclusions, it is found that an increment in the mass flow rate of exhaust gases from 30 kg/s to 70 kg/s causes augmentation in the power generation from 2037 kW to 4754 kW. Furthermore, exergy analysis is carried out, and it is found that an increase in the temperature or mass flow rate of exhaust gases or a decrease in the effectiveness of heat exchangers would lead to decrement in the exergy efficiency of the system. According to the performed sensitivity analysis, the mass flow rate of exhaust gases has the most remarkable influence on the heating and cycle-generated power among the considered factors.
Fulltext Antibody Response Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Malaysian Cancer Patients and Healthy Individuals

Song CV, Ahmad Bustamam RS, Gin Gin G, Saad M, Abdul Satar NF, Ramasamy AM, et al.

Cureus, 2024 Nov;16(11):e73528.
PMID: 39669806 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.73528

INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of real-world evidence on direct comparisons between COVID-19 vaccines in multiethnic low- and middle-income settings. Cancer patients have an impaired vaccine response due to the disease itself or the effects of treatment. Hence, identifying the best vaccine to use for cancer patients is important. We aimed to compare the antibody response between cancer patients and healthy individuals following COVID-19 vaccination and assess seroconversion rates, vaccine efficacy, and the impact of sex on antibody response, as well as document adverse events in cancer patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study of cancer patients and healthy individuals receiving vaccines was conducted in Malaysia. All participants were aged 18 or above at recruitment and received at least two doses of vaccine. We excluded patients who had missing serum antibody data post-first dose and post-second dose. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected at baseline, prior to vaccination. Data on self-reported breakthrough infection was collected at six months. Multivariable linear mixed-effects regression models were used to investigate the association between the type of vaccine and serum IgG titer.
RESULTS: A total of 389 patients with solid (n=276, 71.0%) or hematologic cancers (n=113, 29.0%) were included, along with 246 healthy individuals. Most cancer patients received BNT162b2 (n=358, 92.0%), followed by AZ1222 (n=19, 4.9%) and Coronavac (n=12, 3.1%). Most healthy individuals received BNT162b2 (n=151, 61.4%), followed by Coronavac (n=95, 38.6%). Vaccination, after adjustment for confounders (pre-vaccine infection, age, ethnicity, comorbidity, timepoint, income, cancer type, and booster), with Coronavac was associated with lower log IgG titer (-3.09 U/ml, 95% confidence interval=-4.37 to -1.80, p<0.01) than that of BNT162b2 in patients with cancer and also lower log IgG titer (-2.64 U/ml, 95% confidence interval=-2.97 to -2.30, p<0.01) than that of BNT162b2 in healthy individuals. No effect modification by sex was observed. Among the cancer cohort, 76 patients (19.5%) reported breakthrough infections after vaccination, while 33 (13.4%) participants in the healthy cohort reported breakthrough infections after vaccination. Coronavac was associated with greater odds of breakthrough infection among healthy individuals (odds ratio=7.34 compared to BNT162b2, confidence interval=1.40 to 33.49, p=0.02).
CONCLUSION: Vaccination with BNT162b2 yields higher IgG titer than Coronavac in all groups and fewer breakthrough infections in healthy subjects. The effect of vaccination is not modified by sex.
Fulltext Brain health is essential for smooth economic transitions: towards socio-economic sustainability, productivity and well-being

Nail-Beatty O, Ibanez A, Ayadi R, Swieboda P, Njamnshi AK, Occhipinti JA, et al.

Brain Commun, 2024;6(6):fcae360.
PMID: 39670109 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae360

Optimal brain health is essential to smoothing major global skill-intensive economic transitions, such as the bioeconomy, green, care economy and digital transitions. Good brain health is vital to socio-economic sustainability, productivity and well-being. The care transition focuses on recognizing and investing in care services and care work as essential for economic growth and social well-being. The green transition involves shifting towards environmentally sustainable and fairer societies to combat climate change and environmental degradation. The digital transition aims to unlock digital growth potential and deploy innovative solutions for businesses and citizens, and to improve the accessibility and efficiency of services. The bioeconomy transition refers to the shift towards an economy based on products, services and processes derived from biological resources, such as plants and microorganisms. Brain capital, which encompasses brain health and brain skills, is a critical economic asset for the success of economies of the future. The brain economy transition from a brain-negative (brain-unhealthy) economy, which depletes brain capital, to a brain-positive (brain-healthy) economy, which arrests and reverses the loss of brain capital, will be foundational to these major transitions. Increased brain capital is vital to educational attainment, upskilling and reskilling. In this paper, we provide a detailed roadmap for the brain economy transition.
Fulltext Calcium-atom-modified boron phosphide (BP) biphenylene as an efficient hydrogen storage material

Abdullahi YZ, Djebablia I, Yoon TL, Leng LT

RSC Adv, 2024 Dec 10;14(53):39268-39275.
PMID: 39670161 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra07271e

Porous nanosheets have attracted significant attention as viable options for energy storage materials because of their exceptionally large specific surface areas. A recent study (Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2024, 66, 33-39) has demonstrated that Li/Na-metalized inorganic BP-biphenylene (b-B3P3) and graphenylene (g-B6P6) analogues possess suitable functionalities for hydrogen (H2) storage. Herein, we evaluate the H2 storage performance of alkaline earth metal (AEM = Be, Mg, Ca)-decorated b-B3P3 and g-B6P6 structures based on first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our investigations revealed that individual Be and Mg atoms are not stable on pure b-B3P3 and g-B6P6 sheets, and the formation of aggregates is favored due to their low binding energy to these surfaces. However, the binding energy improves for Ca-decorated b-B3P3 (b-B3P3(mCa)) and g-B6P6 (g-B6P6(nCa)) structures, forming stable and uniform mCa(nCa) (m and n stand for the numbers of Ca atom) coverages on both sides. Under maximum hydrogenation, the b-B3P3(8Ca) and g-B6P6(16Ca) structures exhibited the ability to adsorb up to 32H2 and 48H2 molecules with average adsorption energy (E a) values of -0.23 eV per H2 and -0.25 eV per H2, respectively. Gravimetric H2 uptakes of 7.28 wt% and 5.56 wt% were found for b-B3P3(8Ca)@32H2 and g-B6P6(16Ca)@48H2 systems, exceeding the target of 5.50 wt% set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to be reached by 2025. Our findings indicate the importance of these b-B3P3 and g-B6P6 sheets for H2 storage technologies.
Prostate cancer burden in South Asia: A systematic analysis of global burden of disease data (1990-2021)

Kumar V, Jena D, Zahiruddin QS, Roopashree R, Kaur M, Srivastava M, et al.

Int J Urol, 2024 Dec 13.
PMID: 39670291 DOI: 10.1111/iju.15641

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to analyze trends in prostate cancer incidence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021 via data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in South Asia. Additionally, the study projects future prostate cancer incidence rates up to 2031 to inform public health interventions in South Asia.
METHODS: Data covering South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan were obtained from the GBD 2021 portal. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) for prostate cancer metrics, including incidence (ASIR), prevalence (ASPR), mortality (ASMR), and DALYs (ASDR), were analyzed via joinpoint and ARIMA modeling techniques. Geographic variations in ASRs were mapped via QGIS software.
RESULTS: The prostate cancer ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR significantly increased from 1990 to 2021, particularly among individuals aged 60-65 years. The highest incidence and mortality rates were observed in Pakistan. The total percentage change in incidence in India was the highest at 61%. Projections indicate a continued rise in prostate cancer incidence, with South Asia's ASIR expected to reach 9.34 per 100 000 by 2031.
CONCLUSIONS: The growing burden of prostate cancer in South Asia highlights the need for enhanced screening programs, public awareness, and healthcare infrastructure improvements. Without intervention, the increasing incidence and mortality rates could strain healthcare resources, emphasizing the urgency of region-specific public health strategies.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Effective Therapy Regime for Oral Cancer

Lakshmipriya T, Gopinath SCB

Curr Stem Cell Res Ther, 2024 Dec 12.
PMID: 39670492 DOI: 10.2174/011574888X358204241208161841
Fulltext Factors affecting the elderly's behavioral intention toward smart home systems: A cross-sectional study from China's eastern coast

Wang Y, Sani NM, Hua Y, Jiang Q, Zhao L

PLoS One, 2024;19(12):e0311280.
PMID: 39671431 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311280

As China's population continues to age rapidly, smart elderly care has become a crucial strategy for addressing this societal challenge. Smart home systems have the potential to significantly enhance the quality of life, safety, and autonomy of the elderly. However, the adoption rate of these systems in this demographic remains relatively low, requiring an exploration of the key factors influencing the behavioral intention to use such systems. This study developed a comprehensive model based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Through empirical analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this study systematically examined the pathways through which various factors affected the behavioral intentions of the elderly. The findings revealed that perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions, compatibility, and perceived cost had significant direct effects on behavioral intention. Additionally, social influence, perceived trust, facilitating conditions, and compatibility indirectly influenced behavioral intention through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Although perceived trust did not directly affect behavioral intention, it exerted an indirect influence through perceived usefulness. This comprehensive model provides theoretical insights into the behavioral intentions of the elderly toward smart home systems and offers practical guidance for developers, designers, and policymakers in the development, design, and promotion of these systems.

MeSH terms: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Intention*
RCS Edinburgh launches Membership in Implant Dentistry in Edinburgh, Dubai and Malaysia

Patel M

Br Dent J, 2024 Dec;237(11):829-830.
PMID: 39672842 DOI: 10.1038/s41415-024-8194-x
CYP14 family in Caenorhabditis elegans: Mitochondrial function, detoxification, and lifespan

Lim SYM, Pan Y, Alshagga M, Lim W, Cin K, Alshehade SA, et al.

J Appl Toxicol, 2024 Nov;44(11):1647-1656.
PMID: 38472099 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4597

CYP-14 members of the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family, plays important roles in mitochondrial dysfunction, detoxification, lipid metabolism, defense and lifespan regulation. The review identifies CYP-14 members: cyp-14A1, cyp-14A2, cyp-14A3, cyp-14A4, cyp-14A5 and their homology with human CYP families. Despite limited studies on C. elegans cyp-14 members, the findings unraveled their complex crosstalk between mitochondrial stress, detoxification mechanisms, and lifespan regulation, emphasizing the complexity of these interconnected pathways as well as how their regulation depends on environmental cues changes including pH, nutrients, ROS and chemical stressors. The review underscores the translational relevance to human health, shedding light on potential human homologues and their implications in age-related, metabolic and respiratory diseases. Among other genes, cyp-14A2 and cyp-14A4 predominate the mitochondrial function, heat resistance, lipid metabolism, detoxification and lifespan pathways. In conclusion, these insights pave the way for future research, offering promising avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting CYP-14 activity to address age-related diseases and promote healthy aging.

MeSH terms: Animals; Humans; Longevity*; Inactivation, Metabolic; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/metabolism; Lipid Metabolism

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