Nevin Manimala

BMC Glob Public Health. 2026 Apr 24;4(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s44263-026-00270-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is a lifelong sexually transmitted infection with substantial disease and economic burdens. Despite its global impact, key features of its transmission dynamics-including sex-specific biological susceptibility (the inherent likelihood of acquiring infection upon exposure, independent of behavioral factors) and sexual mixing patterns (how individuals form sexual partnerships across age and risk groups)-remain poorly quantified.

METHODS: A population-level mathematical model of HSV-2 transmission dynamics was applied to heterosexual transmission in the USA and calibrated to nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted between 1988 and 2016. Bayesian inference was used to estimate: (1) relative biological susceptibility of women compared to men, (2) degree of assortativity in age group mixing, and (3) degree of assortativity in sexual risk behavior group mixing. Assortativity reflects the tendency of individuals to form partnerships with others who share similar characteristics, such as age or level of sexual risk behavior, and was quantified on a scale from 0 (no preferential mixing) to 1 (exclusive within-group mixing).

RESULTS: The model demonstrated robust fits to sex-specific, age-specific, and temporal trends in HSV-2 prevalence across NHANES rounds, supporting the validity of the inferred transmission dynamics. Women were estimated to be 7.12 times (95% credible interval (Crl) 4.36-10.17) more biologically susceptible to HSV-2 infection than men, indicating a substantially higher likelihood of acquiring infection upon exposure. The degree of assortativity in age group mixing was high at 0.83 (95% Crl 0.75-0.88), indicating that most transmission occurs between individuals of similar age. In contrast, assortativity in sexual risk behavior group mixing was moderate at 0.49 (95% Crl 0.43-0.55), indicating that transmission frequently occurs across different risk groups rather than being confined within the same group.

CONCLUSIONS: Women are much more biologically susceptible to HSV-2 infection than men. HSV-2 transmission mostly occurs within similar age groups but often crosses different sexual risk groups, reflecting strong age-assortative and moderate risk-assortative mixing patterns.

PMID:42026694 | DOI:10.1186/s44263-026-00270-1

Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2026 Apr 24. doi: 10.1186/s40814-026-01826-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lumbar spinal stenosis is characterized by walking limitations that often lead to physical inactivity and potentially associated health risks. This trial aimed to examine whether a person-centered digital program targeting physical activity (Get Back feasibility) was feasible and whether it contributed to clinically meaningful improvements in intervention outcomes among patients with LSS who were undergoing surgery.

METHODS: A two-arm randomized feasibility trial included physically inactive patients ≥ 18 years with central lumbar spinal stenosis scheduled for decompression surgery. The participants were randomized to Get Back or usual physical therapy. The 12-week intervention comprised person-centered support for behavioral changes in physical activity through video and telephone calls with a physical therapist. The feasibility outcomes included process feasibility, resource feasibility, and treatment fidelity, based on data from screening lists, study-specific questions, patient-reported outcome measures, and semi-structured interviews. The outcomes related to the intervention content included objectively assessed steps per day and physical activity, as well as self-reported fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, and general self-efficacy. Process and resource feasibility, as well as tentative changes in post-intervention outcomes, were assessed and reported using descriptive statistics. The temporal relationships of variables during the intervention were analyzed exploratively using cross-lagged correlations. Treatment fidelity, including treatment dose and adherence to the person-centered approach, was evaluated using descriptive statistics and a mixed-methods approach, respectively.

RESULTS: Of the 226 screened patients, 43% (n = 98) fulfilled the screening criteria. Of those, 67 were asked to participate, and 29 were randomized. The most common reason for declining participation was not wanting a digital intervention. The participants found the video format and outcome measures relevant and useful. The response rates were high (92-100%), except for the accelerometer follow-up (76%). The planned primary outcome for the future randomized controlled trial, steps per day, showed tentative between-group differences in favor of the intervention group. In both groups, fear of movement and pain catastrophizing decreased. The intervention participants attended four video sessions and a median of four telephone sessions (3-5). The physical therapists performed the intervention as planned, with fidelity to the person-centered approach, and behavior-change techniques were used.

CONCLUSIONS: Get Back was feasible for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who were receiving decompression surgery, with some modifications to strengthen the overall study procedure and intervention before proceeding to a full-scale randomized controlled trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, 04/08/2023, registration no. NCT05806593.

PMID:42026690 | DOI:10.1186/s40814-026-01826-6

Microbiologyopen. 2026 Apr;15(2):e70298. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.70298.

ABSTRACT

The oral cavity may act as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to directly isolate and identify phenotypically resistant bacteria from the oral biofilm of healthy individuals and patients with periodontitis, using tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin containing selective agar. Furthermore, resistance of selected bacteria towards ampicillin was also evaluated. Plaque samples were collected from 12 patients (six healthy, six with periodontitis). Bacteria were cultured on selective agar containg defined antibiotic concentration and non-selective media under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 16S rDNA sequencing. The selected bacteria were subsequently tested for susceptibility using disk diffusion, E-test, and β-lactamase assay. 495 strains representing 106 species were isolated, including 54 aerobes/facultative anaerobes and 52 obligate anaerobes. Antibiotic resistance was observed in all subjects: 15.2% of isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 32.9% to ciprofloxacin, and 0.6% to ampicillin, with no significant differences between healthy and periodontitis groups. Tetracycline resistance was most frequent in the Streptococcus mitis group and Eubacterium spp., while ciprofloxacin resistance was dominated by Actinomyces-Schaalia group. Concluding, prevalence of antibiotic-resistance was comparable between healthy and periodontitis patients. Resistance was most prevalent against ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, highlighting the oral cavity as a relevant reservoir for antibiotic resistance.

PMID:42026669 | DOI:10.1002/mbo3.70298

Mob DNA. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s13100-026-00400-4. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42026652 | DOI:10.1186/s13100-026-00400-4

Genome Biol. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s13059-026-04066-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

High-throughput single-cell sequencing is widely used to study cell identity. We present SEAGALL (Single-cell Explainable Geometry-Aware Graph Attention Learning pipeLine), a deep learning method to quantify the impact of molecular features on cellular phenotype, based on geometry-regularised autoencoders (GRAE) and explainable graph attention networks (X-GAT). The GRAE embeds the data into a latent space to build a reliable cell-cell graph. The GAT is trained to learn the annotations and XAI is used to explain the predictions, unravelling the features driving cell identity. SEAGALL extracts specific and stable signatures from multiple omics experiments, going beyond differential marker genes.

PMID:42026624 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-026-04066-2

BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07973-7. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42026587 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-026-07973-7

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s12903-026-08440-1. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42026580 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-026-08440-1

BMC Health Serv Res. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s12913-026-14607-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers are exposed to sustained occupational stressors that may lead to heterogeneous patterns of psychological distress and resilience, with potential implications for job satisfaction. Person-centered approaches may help identify subgroups with distinct mental health profiles.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between December 2024 and March 2025 among healthcare workers employed in a single Italian Local Health Authority (ASL 1 Abruzzo). Participants completed measures of anxiety (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), insomnia (ISI), resilience (RSA-11), perceived stress (PSS-10), and job satisfaction (JSS). K-means clustering on standardized mental health measures was used to identify profiles; the optimal number of clusters was selected using multiple internal validation indices (Gap statistic, average silhouette width, elbow method, and NbClust majority rule). Clusters were compared on sociodemographic variables and job satisfaction using non-parametric tests and chi-square tests.

RESULTS: Of 383 respondents, five were excluded (n = 2 for invalid response patterns, n = 3 for incomplete data), yielding N = 378. A two-cluster solution emerged. Cluster 1 (n = 145) showed higher psychological distress and perceived stress and lower resilience; Cluster 2 (n = 233) showed lower anxiety, depressive symptoms, insomnia and perceived stress, alongside higher resilience. Job satisfaction was significantly higher in Cluster 2 than Cluster 1 (Wilcoxon W = 21521, p < 0.001, r = 0.23). Cluster membership also differed by gender and work site.

CONCLUSIONS: Two distinct mental health profiles were identified within a single health authority, highlighting a subgroup characterized by high distress, low resilience and lower job satisfaction. Targeted psychosocial and organizational interventions may be warranted to support this vulnerable group and sustain workforce wellbeing.

PMID:42026564 | DOI:10.1186/s12913-026-14607-x

BMC Public Health. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-27331-2. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42026562 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-27331-2

BMC Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 23. doi: 10.1186/s12879-026-13375-7. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42026521 | DOI:10.1186/s12879-026-13375-7