Temporal Patterns of Glucagon and Its Relationships with Glucose and Insulin following Ingestion of Different Classes of Macronutrients

Background: glucagon secretion and inhibition should be mainly determined by glucose and insulin levels, but the relative relevance of each factor is not clarified, especially following ingestion of different macronutrients. We aimed to investigate the associations between plasma glucagon, glucose, and insulin after ingestion of single macronutrients or mixed-meal. Methods: thirty-six participants underwent four metabolic tests, based on administration of glucose, protein, fat, or mixed-meal. Glucagon, glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured at fasting and for 300 min following food ingestion. We analyzed relationships between time samples of glucagon, glucose, and insulin in each individual, as well as between suprabasal area-under-the-curve of the same variables (ΔAUCGLUCA, ΔAUCGLU, ΔAUCINS) over the whole participants’ cohort. Results: in individuals, time samples of glucagon and glucose were related in only 26 cases (18 direct, 8 inverse relationships), whereas relationship with insulin was more frequent (60 and 5, p < 0.0001). The frequency of significant relationships was different among tests, especially for direct relationships (p ≤ 0.006). In the whole cohort, ΔAUCGLUCA was weakly related to ΔAUCGLU (p ≤ 0.02), but not to ΔAUCINS, though basal insulin secretion emerged as possible covariate. Conclusions: glucose and insulin are not general and exclusive determinants of glucagon secretion/inhibition after mixed-meal or macronutrients ingestion.

Suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts and the use of psychoactive substances by adolescents

Introduction: Suicidal behavior and substance abuse constitute a serious public health problem. Aim: The study was to analyze the relationships between suicidal behaviors (ideation, plans, attempts) and substance abuse in adolescents. The authors also took into account the respondents’ motivation to attempt suicide and use psychoactive substances, as well as some demographic variables. Participants: The study involved 3493 secondary school students aged 16-17 years. The group included 69.41% girls and 30.59% boys. Methods: The participants were surveyed with a self-report questionnaire designed by one of the authors. Results: Statistically significant relationships were found between the respondents’ suicidal behaviors and the risky use of alcohol, cannabis, amphetamine, and designer drugs. Conclusions: 1. The use of psychoactive substances increases the risk of suicidal ideation and plans, as well as suicidal attempts in adolescents and young adults. 2. Significantly more respondents who report suicidal ideation, plans and attempts, in comparison to those who do not report such thoughts and behaviours, abuse alcohol and consumer cannabis, amphetamine and designer drugs to cope with problems and olster self-confidence. 3. In the group of respondents who report suicidal behaviour, psychoactive substances are consumed by significantly more men than women and by significantly more city inhabitants than people living in the country. 4. Young people, who report suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, are initiated into alcohol consumption at an earlier age than their non-suicidal peers.

Relationship between CD-8 Expression to Treatment Response in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patient After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Hospital Palembang

Background. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common malignancy in head and neck in Indonesia with 19,943 new cases in 2020 resulting 13,399 deaths. Lymphocytes are cells that play a role in the anti-cancer immune response, especially CD-8 T-cells. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is chemotherapy given before radiotherapy that aims to kill primary tumors and micrometastasis tumors. This study aims to find out the relationship of CD-8 expression to treatment response in NPC undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Hospital Palembang. Methods. This study is an analytical observational research study on a retrospective cohort basis. Data collection from medical records using total sampling in 15 patients pilot study of NPC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and conducted CD-8 examination at ORLHNS polyclinic Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Hospital Palembang from December 2018 to December 2019 that met the criteria of inclusion and exclusion. Results. From 15 samples, the average CD-8 test result before neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 24.54 ng/μL and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 193.56 ng/μL. There was a tendency to increase the average CD-8 from before to after completion of neoadjuvan chemotherapy with a statistically significant difference of p =0.001. ROC analysis found CD-8 cut off points is 23.76 ng/μL with an area below the curve is 0.667. There were no significant relationships between CD-8 to performance status and treatment response with p values of 0.289 and 0.219, respectively. Conclusions. There was a significant change between CD-8 before neoadjuvant chemotherapy and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with increased CD-8 tendencies and trends from before to after 6 series neoadjuvant chemotherapy with CD-8 cut off points is 23.76 ng/μL. In this study there has not been a significant relationships between CD-8 to performance status and treatment response in NPC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Depression symptoms and associated factors among thalassemia patients in the Palestinian Territories: a cross-sectional study

Background Thalassemia is a condition that causes the human body to destroy red blood cells faster than they can be made. It causes physical symptomology as well as psychological distress. The current study aimed to identify the prevalence of depression symptoms among individuals with moderate to severe thalassemia. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design was applied utilizing the Beck Depression Inventory to assess the level of depression in the sample. Results Some significant relationships were demonstrated in the sample: males reporting severe depression symptoms than females by 6.0 times (95% CI 0.07–0.62, p 0.014), and reporting moderate depression symptoms (95% CI 0.00–0.47, p 0.05). Additionally, income was found to be a predictor of level of depression symptoms with low income reported higher incidence of severe depression symptoms than those whose monthly income was > 400$ by 18.4 times (95% CI 0.38–1.03, p ≤ 0.001), but not reporting a significant association between moderate depressive symptoms and monthly income (95% CI − 012–1.47, P 0.225). A significant association was found between the educational attainment and level of depression symptoms with lower levels of education predicting higher levels of severe depression symptoms (95% CI 0.069–0.89, p 0.022), but no significant association was reported between moderate depression symptoms and educational attainment (95% CI − 0.49–0.01, p 0.81). Related to disease characteristics a relationship was confirmed between severe depressive symptoms and medication level such as the individual needing tablets or pumps (95% CI 0.189–1.05, p 0.005 and 95% CI 0.52–1.44, p 0.001) respectively. Other disease related variables showed no significant correlation with depressive symptom levels. Additional significant relationships were found in environment whereas increased moderate depressive symptoms were experienced by individuals residing in rural areas as opposed to those living in IDP camps or cities by 4 times (95% CI − 0.30–0.01, p 0.04), but no significant association was found between severe depression and the place of residence. The other independent variables had no significant correlation with severe or moderate depressive symptoms. Conclusion In light of these findings addressing symptoms of depression directly and supporting patients with thalassemia with basic life needs unrelated to their disease maybe mitigating depressive symptoms which may negatively affect recovery.

Predicting change-of-direction performance in elite young badminton players: A multiple regression analysis on acceleration- and deceleration-related qualities

The aim of this study was to examine the interrelationships between direct (sprint and change-of-direction [COD] velocities) and indirect measures (COD-deficit [CODD], deceleration deficit [DD], and sprint momentum) of speed-related performances in young badminton players. Thirty young male badminton players (age: 16.8 ± 1.4 years; body-mass: 61.5 ± 7.9 kg; height: 170 ± 5.8 cm) performed a 20-m sprint followed by 505 COD tests, on the same day. A Pearson product moment test was applied to determine the relationships among variables. A multiple regression analysis was used to verify whether the combination of CODD and DD increased the capacity to predict COD performance. Large and significant relationships were observed between COD and linear sprint velocity and sprint momentum ( r ranging from 0.62 to 0.84; P < 0.05). COD velocity revealed a moderate significant ( r = −0.38) and a small non-significant ( r = 0.29) relationship with CODD and DD, respectively. The multiple regression model combining CODD and DD explained 44% of the variance in COD performance. In summary, young badminton players who sprint faster are equally faster in COD manoeuvres but present higher levels of CODD and DD. Coaches should be aware that faster badminton players may exhibit greater magnitudes of CODD-DD, thus requiring specific interventions to optimize the transition between high deceleration and (re) acceleration phases.

THE SPILLOVER, RISK AND LEVERAGE EFFECTS OF SMART BETA MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND (ETF)

This research uses two different GARCH models to measure spillover, risk, and leverage effects of active, passive, and smart beta management Exchange-traded Funds (ETFs). The increase in popularity of ETFs and new categories within them, specifically the growth of smart beta management, means asset managers and investors have new metrics to account for when determining portfolio exposure following the Adaptive Investment Approach (AIA). The results show significant relationships among all groups regarding the spillover. A trend of positive multi-lateral spillover of returns among the three management types including passive, active and small beta is observed with smart beta showing the highest percentage of a bi-lateral positive effect. The strongest spillover of volatility effects is among the actively managed ETFs. The testing of risk results is insignificant, but the leverage effect results are consistent with the past studies showing the significant negative bi-lateral effect.

Contrasting 20-year trends in NDVI at two Siberian larch forests with and without multiyear waterlogging-induced disturbances

The fate of a boreal forest may depend on the trend in its normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), such as whether the NDVI has been increasing significantly over the past few decades. In this study, we analyzed the responses of two Siberian larch forests at Spasskaya Pad and Elgeeii in eastern Siberia to various waterlogging-induced disturbances, using satellite-based NDVI and meteorological data for the 2000–2019 period. The forest at Spasskaya Pad experienced waterlogging (i.e., flooding events caused by abnormal precipitation) during 2005–2008 that damaged canopy-forming larch trees and increased the abundance of water-resistant understory vegetation. By contrast, the forest at Elgeeii did not experience any remarkable disturbance, such as tree dieback or changes in the vegetation community. Significant increasing NDVI trends were found in May and June–August at Elgeeii (p < 0.05), whereas no significant trends were found at Spasskaya Pad (p > 0.05). NDVI anomalies in May and June–August at Elgeeii were significantly associated with precipitation or temperature depending on the season (p < 0.05), whereas no significant relationships were found at Spasskaya Pad (p > 0.05). Thus, the 20-year NDVI trend and NDVI–temperature–precipitation relationship differed between the two larch forests, although no significant trends in temperature or precipitation were observed. These findings indicate that nonsignificant NDVI trends for Siberian larch forests may reflect waterlogging-induced dieback of larch trees, with a concomitant increase in water-resistant understory vegetation.

Relationships between young children’s early numeracy skills and the home learning environment in South Africa

A child’s home environment has been shown to be related to the development of earlynumeracy skills in some countries. However, significant relationships between home learningenvironment and math achievement have not consistently been found, and likely vary acrossdifferent cultural and socio-political contexts. Here we explored the home environment andearly numeracy skills of 187 children (3-5 years), who were not attending preschoolprogrammes in very low-income settings in Cape Town, South Africa. Caregiverscompleted a questionnaire including information regarding experiences of children in thehome; children completed a number identification task, a counting task and the Give-N task. The amount of resources in the home learning environment, frequency of home learning activities caregivers did with their children, and caregiver levels of education and income were not associated with number knowledge. While the home learning environment has been shown to be important for developing early numeracy skills in previous research, this study suggests that factors other than the home learning environment may also be important targets to foster numeracy skills and school readiness in low-income settings in South Africa.

Evaluating an E-Learning Application to Protect Vulnerable Users From Cyberbullying

This research project evaluates Let's Be Safe, an e-learning application. This application aims to educate young adults with intellectual disability about cyberbullying—an issue prevalent among this population—and cybersafety. Twenty-two individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disability took part in the research. The study employed a mixed-methods design including observational and inquiry methods of usability evaluation as well as focus groups. The evaluation investigated the relationships between perceived aesthetics, emotional response, and usability for the application. The focus group gathered information from the participants regarding their knowledge and experience of cyberbullying and cybersafety. The analyses found no significant relationships between aesthetics, emotional response, and usability for this user group. However, the research gathered data, which will contribute to the development of Let's Be Safe. The findings of the focus group revealed that cyberbullying is an issue among this population.