Category: Nevin Manimala

Psychiatry Res. 2026 Mar 2;360:117067. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117067. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Differentiating bipolar depression (BPD) from unipolar depression (UPD) is clinically challenging due to symptom overlap. This study explores eye-movement differences between UPD, BPD, and healthy controls (HCs) using a multi-task eye-tracking approach.

METHODS: Eye-movement data were collected from 228 participants (60 UPD, 56 BPD, 112 HCs) across four tasks: fixation stability, free-viewing, visual search, and smooth pursuit. A total of 155 eye-movement features were extracted and analyzed using robust analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and machine learning for classification.

RESULTS: Significant differences were identified in 53 features. BPD was characterized by shorter total, average, and first fixation durations across all fixation stability conditions. During free-viewing task, attention to happy images showed a graded decline (HC > UPD > BPD), while BPD exhibited increased fixation allocation to threatening images and reduced saccade velocity and amplitude to negative stimuli. UPD demonstrated reduced efficiency in processing happy faces in the visual search task. Machine learning achieved good discrimination (mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.78 for HC vs. UPD; 0.88 for HC vs. BPD; 0.87 for UPD vs. BPD), with key contributing features overlapping with those identified as significant in statistical analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: Eye-movement patterns reveal both shared and disorder-specific features in UPD and BPD, supporting the potential of eye-tracking as an objective and scalable tool for differentiating mood disorders.

PMID:41793797 | DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117067

Psychiatry Res. 2026 Feb 26;360:117027. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117027. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the predictive validity of the Subjective Trauma Outlook (STO) in conjunction with the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for the diagnostics and statistical manual for mental disorders (DSM-5) checklist (PCL-5) Short Form (PCL-5 SF) and the full PCL-5 for identifying probable PTSD within the context of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel. Specifically, we examine the effectiveness of the STO in predicting PTSD and the utility of the PCL-5 SF as an alternative to the full PCL-5 in wartime.

METHOD: A national sample of 4097 Israelis was assessed following the October 7 attack. Participants completed the PCL-5 questionnaire alongside the STO. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the predictive validity and diagnostic utility of the STO when used with both PTSD assessment tools. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to establish optimal STO cutoff scores for PTSD risk classification.

RESULTS: Our findings indicate a strong similarity between the STO’s predictive validity when paired with either the PCL-5 SF or the full PCL-5. The STO demonstrated robust associations with PTSD symptoms across both models, with comparable explained variance. The identified cutoff scores for the STO reinforce its utility in distinguishing individuals at risk for PTSD.

CONCLUSION: Our research contributes to the growing evidence supporting the STO as a valid screening tool for PTSD. It highlights the practical advantages of the PCL-5 SF as a viable alternative to the full PCL-5, particularly in crisis settings where rapid assessment is essential.

PMID:41793796 | DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117027

Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Dec 17;81:103082. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.103082. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to determine the effect of Reiki performed on children with leukemia between the ages of 5-7 years on pain, vital signs, oxygen saturation, and quality of life.

METHODS: The research was a double-blind, pre-test-post-test randomized controlled experimental study. The research sample consisted of 66 children with leukemia aged 5-7 years who were hospitalized in pediatric oncology wards of a university hospital between December 2020 and November 2021. The balanced block randomization method was used for randomization. The data were collected using Information Form, Wong-Baker FACES Pain Scale (W-BPS), Vital Signs Follow-up Form, The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 3.0 Cancer Module. Reiki was performed to the Reiki group for 20-30 min once per day, for 3 consecutive days and pseudo-Reiki was applied to the pseudo-Reiki group by an independent nurse during the same application period.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature) and SpO₂ values among the groups (p > 0.05). However, both children’s and mothers’ evaluations on days 1, 2, and 3 after the intervention showed that pain scores in the Reiki group were significantly lower than in the pseudo-Reiki and control groups (p < 0.001), and quality of life was significantly higher (child:p < 0.001; mother:p < 0.01) compared to the pseudo-Reiki and control groups.

CONCLUSION: Reiki did not affect the vital signs of the children but was effective in reducing pain and increasing the quality of life compared with the pseudo Reiki and control groups. It is recommended that Reiki therapy be used in addition to medical treatment to reduce pain and improve quality of life in children with leukemia aged 5-7 years.

PMID:41793784 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejon.2025.103082

Vision Res. 2026 Mar 5;243:108795. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2026.108795. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Natural scenes are full of textures, enabling us to recognize surface materials and bringing richness and realism to our perceptual experience. While models have represented texture perception using high-dimensional statistical features, final perceptual appearance of a natural texture may be determined by more compact neural representations. Previous attempts derived such a compact space from verbal descriptors, but it captures a semantic rather than a perceptual space. Here, we derived the space directly from natural images using an unsupervised generative model. We show that the resulting ‘texture’ space, with only 12-16 dimensions, was able to generate perceptual metamers, and that distances in the space accurately aligned with human perceptual similarity judgments. While individual dimensions of the space were difficult to verbally describe, specific coordinate regions in the space corresponded to semantic descriptions such as glossiness. Furthermore, VEP analysis confirmed that visual cortical responses share a similar underlying structure, which allowed us to reconstruct the original texture stimuli. These results demonstrate that rich natural texture impressions-often resistant to linguistic description-are supported by a shared, low-dimensional structure that governs perceptual similarity, semantic interpretation, and neural encoding.

PMID:41793782 | DOI:10.1016/j.visres.2026.108795

J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2026 Mar 15;34(6):e841-e849. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-25-00325. Epub 2025 Sep 4.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: There is a burgeoning body of research suggesting a possible relationship between thyroid function and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between various aspects of thyroid function and CTS using a two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) approach. However, their causal relationship has yet to be conclusively determined.

METHODS: Using summary data from extensive genome-wide association studies, we conducted a two-sample MR analysis to investigate the potential genetic causal relationship between thyroid function-encompassing hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine, total triiodothyronine, and their ratios (free triiodothyronine/FT4 and total triiodothyronine/FT4)-and CTS. Our analytical strategy included the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, supplemented by MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode analyses, with the IVW method regarded the primary analytical approach. Sensitivity analyses were done using Cochran Q test, the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test, MR-Egger regression, and the leave-one-out method.

RESULTS: Robust sets of genetic instrumental variables were identified for different aspects of thyroid function using stringent selection criteria (including F-statistics >10). The IVW method, relying on genome-wide association studies summary data for thyroid function, did not provide evidence a supporting causal effect of genetically predicted thyroid function on CTS (all P > 0.05). Despite observed heterogeneity and pleiotropy in some relationships, the overall findings were consistent and robust across all sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION: Our two-sample MR analysis did not establish a potential causal relationship between thyroid function and CTS, highlighting the necessity for further studies to clarify the complex interplay between these two entities.

PMID:41793772 | DOI:10.5435/JAAOS-D-25-00325

Plant Dis. 2026 Mar 7. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-12-25-2489-RE. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) is the causal agent of olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), a devastating disease threatening olive groves in Apulia, Italy. Efforts are underway to identify effective strategies to limit its spread. In this study, two biopesticide formulations, one derived from an onion extract rich in organosulfur compounds and the other based on the bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN, were tested under field conditions. Treatments were applied eight times per year over a four-year period to assess their potential to reduce Xylella populations and disease progression. The results indicated that neither formulation lowered Xylella populations. Nonetheless, after four years of experimentation, the formulated PsJN treatment reduced both newly developed and pre-existing Xfp symptoms when applications started at the early stages of infection. In contrast, no effect was observed when treatments were applied to trees already exhibiting widespread infection and severe symptoms. Physiological analyses of stomatal conductance revealed that both treatments alleviated the drought stress associated with Xfp infection, with the formulated PsJN treatment showing statistically significant improvements. Consistently, treated olive trees exhibited higher stomatal conductance and lower canopy temperatures compared with untreated controls. Based on these encouraging results, further studies are needed to explore the use of these products under different conditions and application timings, as well as in combination with other treatments, to support the development of an integrated management strategy for controlling infections.

PMID:41793768 | DOI:10.1094/PDIS-12-25-2489-RE

Syst Biol Reprod Med. 2026 Dec;72(1):168-184. doi: 10.1080/19396368.2026.2637454. Epub 2026 Mar 7.

ABSTRACT

Unexplained infertility (UI) affects ∼10% of infertile couples, yet standard diagnostic protocols fail to identify a cause. Follicular fluid (FF), which supports oocyte development, contains metabolites that may reflect underlying molecular disturbances. In this exploratory study, we investigated the FF metabolome of women with UI and compared it with controls to explore metabolic alterations associated with UI. FF was collected during oocyte retrieval from 20 women undergoing IVF (ten with UI, ten with male factor infertility), matched for age, BMI, stimulation, and fertilization protocols. Metabolomic profiling was performed using hydrophilic interaction and reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to Q-TOF-MS/MS, followed by metabolite identification (XCMS Online and MetaboAnalyst) and KEGG pathway analysis. Approximately 2000 features were detected. Differential metabolites were identified by OPLS-DA (VIP > 2) and validated using univariate metrics such as fold change (|log₂FC| > 1), statistical significance (p < 0.05), and ROC analysis (AUC > 0.8). Twelve metabolites, including diacylglycerols, phosphatidic acids, vitamin D3 derivatives (VitD3-glucosiduronate, 1α-hydroxy-2β-(5-hydroxypentoxy)-VitD3), asparaginyl-asparagine, 3α-hydroxy-6-oxo-5β-cholan-24-oic acid, Leu-Pro-Ala-Ser-Phe, triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholine, and lactosyl-ceramide were significantly decreased, while Ile-Lys-Val-Val was increased in women with UI. Pathway analysis highlighted disruptions in glycerophospholipid, glycerolipid, steroid, and linoleic acid metabolism. Consistent with the untargeted findings, targeted analysis demonstrated significantly reduced levels of follicular 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in women with UI despite uniform oral supplementation, indicating dysregulated follicular vitamin D availability. Whilst the study was limited by sample size, the metabolome analysis was performed in triplicate for each sample, thus providing preliminary insights into the metabolic disruptions in FF from women with UI.

PMID:41793761 | DOI:10.1080/19396368.2026.2637454

Occup Med (Lond). 2026 Mar 7:kqag007. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqag007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Occupational Medicine is driven by evidence-based practice. A focus on country-specific research is crucial to inform local healthcare policy and service delivery.

AIMS: To descriptively analyse research carried out in Ireland between 2014 and 2023, use this analysis to identify priority areas for future research and practical solutions to current difficulties in Occupational Health (OH) research practice.

METHODS: A literature search was performed on medical databases, generating a list of research articles published from 2014 to 2023 using appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing directly on the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate whether a change in research output was seen from 2014 to 2019 versus 2020 to 2023 (following the COVID-19 pandemic), with independent t-tests.

RESULTS: A total of 101 articles were identified as per the inclusion/exclusion criteria for these 10 years. Of the articles, 60% (n = 61) had no listed author affiliated with an OH department, 3% (n = 3) listed ageing as a major theme, and one article presented economic evaluation or cost-effectiveness as a major theme.

CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study highlight the need for research in OH to be directed towards areas which have been recently overlooked, and the need for greater collaboration between OH multidisciplinary team professionals in research. The creation of a research guide by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, aligned to the faculty’s pro-active advocacy OH strategy, could direct research towards overlooked areas. This will better inform healthcare policy and service delivery in OH in Ireland, conferring wider applicability in other countries.

PMID:41793748 | DOI:10.1093/occmed/kqag007

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Mar 7:27986. doi: 10.4317/medoral.27986. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rhinocerebral mucormycosis (RCM) is a severe, rapidly progressing opportunistic fungal infection with a high mortality rate, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients with diabetes mellitus or haematological malignancies. Its incidence has increased in recent years, particularly since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, coinciding with population ageing and the growing prevalence of immunocompromised patients. Data regarding survival rates and the most effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in Spain are limited. This study analyses the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and prognosis of RCM at a tertiary care centre in southern Spain.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 36 patients treated for RCM between 2009 and 2023. Clinical-epidemiological variables, history of immunosuppression, extent of infection, diagnostic and therapeutic management, and survival outcomes were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square tests and regression models (p<0.05).

RESULTS: Males predominated (66.7%), with a mean age of 58 years (range 17-83). The primary risk factors were haematological malignancies (61.1%), solid tumours (16.6%), and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (22.2%). The most common clinical presentation was orbital involvement (86.1%), followed by sinusitis (47.2%), neurological symptoms (36.1%), and palatal necrosis (25%). Imaging studies revealed pansinusitis in 97.2% of cases and periorbital/nasomaxillary cellulitis in 66.7%. Treatment consisted of combined antifungal therapy (liposomal amphotericin B/azoles) and management of the underlying disease. Twenty-seven patients (75%) underwent surgical intervention, including endoscopic sinus surgery, maxillectomy, or orbital exenteration. Overall mortality was 66.7% (24 deaths), which was significantly associated with advanced age and the absence of surgical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: RCM is a rare but highly lethal infection in our setting. Early diagnosis and prompt combined treatment, involving multidisciplinary management and standardised protocols, are essential to improve outcomes. The main prognostic factors identified were age, control of immunosuppression, and timely surgical intervention. Further multicentre studies are needed to optimise treatment strategies.

PMID:41793736 | DOI:10.4317/medoral.27986

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Mar 7:27887. doi: 10.4317/medoral.27887. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Minor salivary gland carcinomas of the tongue are rare tumors with diverse clinical and histological features and poor prognosis. Evidence regarding their characteristics and survival is limited. This study aimed to describe their clinical presentation, histology, and survival.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 29 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of minor salivary gland carcinoma of the tongue, treated at a referral cancer center between January 1990 and December 2024. Clinical, histological, therapeutic, and survival data were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS: The median age was 61 years (range, 21-99), with a female predominance (62.1%). The base of the tongue was the most common site (65.5%). Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the most frequent histology (48.3%), followed by adenocarcinoma (27.6%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (24.1%). Most patients were diagnosed at advanced stages (III-IV, 65.4%), with node involvement in 41.4% of cases. Surgery was the primary treatment modality (38%), and radiotherapy was administered in 48.3% of cases. Five-year disease-free survival was 70%, while overall survival was 35%, with a median of 87 months. Moderately differentiated tumors showed a trend toward better survival, without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: Minor salivary gland carcinomas of the tongue are rare and frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. Prognosis is largely influenced by histology and tumor differentiation, highlighting the importance of long-term follow-up and multicenter studies to more reliably identify prognostic factors.

PMID:41793734 | DOI:10.4317/medoral.27887