Category: Nevin Manimala

J Hazard Mater. 2026 Feb 22;506:141575. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141575. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The impacts of microplastics (MPs) are becoming increasingly concerning. Although many ecotoxicological studies have examined potential effects of MPs on organisms, most have tested only a limited range of pristine plastic types, which do not reflect the properties of environmentally conditioned plastics. This limits the extent to which the results can be applied to real-world situations. Additionally, understanding the ecological impact of MPs requires studies that begin at the lower levels of the food web. In freshwater ecosystems, unicellular ciliophora are a key part of these trophic levels. Studying the effects of MPs on this group is essential for understanding their overall impact on the ecosystem. This study aimed to address both issues by examining MP uptake and the impact of environmentally conditioned MPs on the ciliophora Paramecium caudatum. A 72-hour exposure was conducted using six petroleum-based (PB-) and four biodegradable bio-based (BB-) MP types at three concentrations, albeit higher than those found in the environment, along with three types of particle controls. All particles were incubated in ultrapure and freshwater to compare the effects of pristine versus environmentally conditioned MPs. Verification of particle uptake was performed with µ-Raman spectroscopy, confirming particle uptake without the need for fluorescent dyes, except for two control particles. The exposure experiments showed increased reproduction in all treatments with BB-MPs and control particles, except for one, whereas results for PB-MPs were inconsistent. No significant differences were observed between different particle incubation conditions. Our findings indicate that MP effects depend on plastic type, regardless of environmental conditioning, and that uptake by P. caudatum alters the Raman spectra of BB-MPs and PET particles.

PMID:41762458 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141575

Accid Anal Prev. 2026 Feb 26;230:108477. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2026.108477. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Graduated drivers licensing (GDL) programs are being simplified across Canada. In April 2023, Alberta removed advanced road testing for full (Class 5) licenses and lifted previous restrictions on alcohol use, nighttime driving, and passengers for learners (Class 7). As of June 25, 2023, ∼700,000 drivers gained full licensure without advanced testing. New Alberta drivers are younger, less restricted, and have higher motor vehicle collision (MVC) rates than other provinces.

MATERIALS & METHODS: We used interrupted time series analysis with publicly available data from January 2022 to January 2025. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate immediate and longer-term effects of the policy change on emergency department (ED) visits due to MVCs, adjusting for age, gender, and seasonality, with subgroup analyses by road user type.

RESULTS: Following the changes to GDL programming, drivers and passengers experienced modest increases in visit rates immediately after the intervention (driver IRR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.11; passenger IRR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.21). Motorcycle drivers showed larger increases, though estimates for motorcycle passengers were imprecise due to small sample size (motorcycle driver IRR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.09-1.78; motorcycle passenger IRR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.81-2.73).

DISCUSSION: Removing GDL restrictions in Alberta led to immediate increases in MVC-related ED visits, particularly among motorcycle users, younger age groups, and males. Minimal ongoing trends suggest the effects were largely immediate and no statistically significant lasting impacts are noted. These findings highlight potential safety risks from relaxing licensing restrictions and the need for targeted interventions for high-risk groups as other provinces consider similar policy changes.

PMID:41762447 | DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2026.108477

Accid Anal Prev. 2026 Feb 26;230:108479. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2026.108479. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Road traffic safety assessment is critical for mitigating traffic accidents, safeguarding human life and property, and fostering socioeconomic development. Existing methods, which rely on the statistical analysis of historical traffic accidents and conflicts as well as the evaluation of road design parameters, play a pivotal role in assessing road traffic safety. Driving visibility acts as a critical indicator of the driver’s field of view and serves as a significant supplement to these methods. Consequently, this study proposes a method for quantifying 3D driving visibility utilizing LiDAR point cloud data. The approach establishes a computational framework for 3D visible space from the driver’s perspective and introduces a novel Driving Visibility Index (DVI) to enable visibility-based safety evaluation. The proposed method consists of three primary components: road point cloud acquisition and preprocessing, driving visibility field computation, and DVI computation. We validated the proposed method along Yixian Avenue at Sun Yat-sen University’s Zhuhai Campus, generating a driving safety map. The results revealed that the overall DVI for bidirectional travel on Yixian Avenue ranges from 0.2 to 0.6, indicating suboptimal safety conditions. Further comparative analysis with field-collected data subsequently confirmed the robustness of our proposed method. The proposed method’s objective and intuitive quantification of 3D visible space from the driver’s perspective provides a novel basis for traffic management, with significant applications spanning road design, traffic facility layout, and the validation of intelligent transportation networks.

PMID:41762446 | DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2026.108479

Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s12602-025-10738-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Growing evidence has suggested that probiotic consumption can decrease the incidence of Atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants and children. However, even meta-analyses have reported uncertain findings. The current umbrella meta-analysis aimed to assess the findings of multiple meta-analyses on the efficacy of probiotic supplementation on AD and other atopic manifestations in infants and children. A systematic search of the Literature was carried out in PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane Central Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from inception up to September 2024. Random-effects model was utilized when there was a significant between-study heterogeneity; otherwise, fixed-effects model was employed. The quality of the selected meta-analyses was assessed using a measurement tool to assess multiple systematic reviews 2 (AMSTAR2). Of the 1302 articles identified in the search, 22 articles that met the criteria were included in the present comprehensive umbrella meta-analysis. Findings indicated a notable decrease in AD severity based on WMD (ES = -4.16; 95%CI: -6.75, -1.57, p < 0.000) and Eczema (ES = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.69,0.81, p < 0.000) among infants. Subgroup analysis showed that factors such as type of probiotic, sample size, duration, and population were not significant sources of heterogeneity. Our research suggests that probiotics could play a beneficial role in managing AD and eczema. However, we found no statistically significant link between probiotic use and IgE levels, wheezing, allergies, or asthma.

PMID:41762435 | DOI:10.1007/s12602-025-10738-5

Sports Med. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s40279-026-02401-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Concurrent training (CT), the combination of resistance training (RT) and endurance training (ET), is widely used in athletic and clinical settings. However, concerns about a potential interference effect have prompted ongoing debate regarding its impact on strength, power, hypertrophy, and aerobic capacity.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and PsycNet following PRISMA guidelines and the four-eyes principle (28th February 2025). Main outcomes included aerobic capacity, muscle strength, power, and hypertrophy. Subgroup analyses were performed based on training modality, performance level, age, resistance training load, and endurance intensity.

RESULTS: Seventeen meta-analyses comprising 144 individual studies and 1492 healthy participants were included. Umbrella data revealed comparable improvements in aerobic capacity for CT and ET. CT revealed significantly greater strength adaptations compared with ET (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.59; p < 0.001). Compared with RT, CT significantly improved aerobic capacity (SMD 0.77; p = 0.02), while strength, power, and hypertrophy outcomes were comparable. No significant effects of training sequence were found; however, trends suggest performing RT before ET may favor strength (SMD 1.69; p < 0.001) and hypertrophy (SMD 0.83; p = 0.36) gains.

CONCLUSION: CT improves both aerobic capacity and strength-related outcomes, making it a valuable strategy for comprehensive fitness development for recreationally trained individuals. While no relevant differences were found regarding the training sequence, performing RT before ET may enhance strength and hypertrophy adaptations. However, data from highly trained to elite athletes remain scarce and warrant further investigation.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42025646460.

PMID:41762427 | DOI:10.1007/s40279-026-02401-y

Pulm Ther. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s41030-026-00353-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Small airways disease (SAD) is increasingly recognized as a relevant trait in severe asthma, but its influence on outcomes with biologic therapies remains uncertain. We assessed the prevalence of SAD and its association with real-world treatment response in a severe asthma cohort. We hypothesized that baseline SAD, particularly when identified by oscillometry, would be associated with non-response to biologic therapy over 12 months.

METHODS: This single-center, retrospective cohort included adult severe asthma outpatients initiating biologic therapy. At enrolment, participants underwent clinical and biomarker evaluation, complete lung function testing (spirometry/plethysmography), and the Forced Oscillation Technique. SAD was defined by the coexistence of ≥ 1 oscillometry abnormality and ≥ 1 spirometry/plethysmography abnormality. “Non-responders” were defined as patients experiencing ≥ 2 exacerbations during 12-month follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of response, adjusting for biologic therapy and key confounders (including BMI).

RESULTS: The analytic sample comprised 156 patients (aged 55 ± 18 years, 91 females) treated with omalizumab (n = 60), benralizumab (n = 23), mepolizumab (n = 32), or dupilumab (n = 41). After 12 months, 24/156 patients (15%) were classified as non-responders. At baseline, SAD was present in 69/156 patients (44%) and was more prevalent in non-responders than in responders (75% vs. 40%, p < 0.01). Non-responders showed worse spirometric indices (FEV₁% and FEV₁/VC) and more abnormal oscillometry (lower X5exp and higher ΔXrs, R5exp, and R5-R19). In multivariable models adjusted for biologic and key confounders, baseline oscillometry abnormalities were independently associated with a reduced odds of response (adjusted OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02-0.37; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world severe asthma cohort, baseline SAD, particularly when identified by oscillometry, was associated with subsequent non-response to biologic therapy, suggesting potential value for risk stratification.

PMID:41762423 | DOI:10.1007/s41030-026-00353-2

J Prev (2022). 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s10935-026-00900-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To develop effective health policies and prevention strategies for reducing lung cancer mortality, it is essential to understand its associations with contextual factors, yet prior studies have produced inconsistent results suggesting the associations might vary over space. Very few studies have explicitly examined gender-specific spatial variations in the associations and investigated how the spatial patterns are shaped by community socioeconomic characteristics. This study aimed to examine spatial variations and gender differences in associations of lung cancer mortality rate with contextual environmental, socioeconomic, and health factors in response to the varying socioeconomic characteristics across 159 counties in Georgia, USA for 2019-2023. Following a cross-sectional ecological study design based on county-level aggregated data, this study linked three environmental, fifteen socioeconomic, and fourteen health factors to lung cancer mortality rates for males and females, and conducted various statistical and spatial analyses including Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to explore the spatially varying associations of lung cancer mortality rate with those contextual factors. As an explanatory local spatial statistical technique, GWR revealed that the associations varied across space and gender, with significant links observed in fewer counties than nonsignificant ones. No significant spatial autocorrelation was detected in the residuals from the GWR models of lung cancer mortality rate for either males or females (I=-0.121, p = 0.064 for males; I=-0.110, p = 0.098 for females). Key findings include: (1) radon was a more consistent factor associated with elevated lung cancer mortality rates than PM_2.5 and ozone, particularly for males in urban and suburban areas, while air pollutants were significant only in some rural counties; (2) higher socioeconomic and household vulnerabilities increased risks for both genders in rural counties, whereas higher minority populations and greater housing density were linked to lower risks, especially for males in northern urban/suburban counties; (3) prevalences of chronic diseases and smoking were significant factors associated with elevated lung cancer mortality rate for both genders, with chronic diseases showing more spatially consistent effects among females, while annual checkup was a stronger factor associated with reduced lung cancer mortality rate for females, especially in less socioeconomically vulnerable urban/suburban counties; and (4) health factors had the strongest and most spatially consistent effects on mortality rate, followed by socioeconomic and then environmental factors. These findings suggest that effective lung cancer control requires public health policies and preventive measures to be locally tailored, gender-sensitive, emphasizing chronic disease management, smoking cessation, regular preventive care, and socioeconomic development.

PMID:41762417 | DOI:10.1007/s10935-026-00900-2

Adv Ther. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s12325-026-03522-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Olutasidenib and ivosidenib are isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) inhibitors approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) IDH1 mutant (IDH1m) acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODS: A matching-adjusted indirect comparison estimated relative treatment effects using registrational Phase I/II data for olutasidenib (Study 2102-HEM-101; individual patient data) and ivosidenib (Study AG120-C-001; study-level data) since a head-to-head trial is unlikely. Weights were estimated using a logistic propensity score model adjusted for pre-defined covariates identified from a literature review, validated by clinical experts. Eight covariates were determined to be the most important prognostic factors/effect modifiers for the target population as reported in the Food and Drug Administration labels: number of prior systemic therapies, age, prior hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, AML type, relapse type, cytogenetic risk, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and IDH1 mutation.

RESULTS: Olutasidenib versus ivosidenib adjusted rates of complete remission (CR; odds ratio [OR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-2.08), CR plus CR with partial hematologic recovery (CR + CRh; OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.46-1.50), and median CR duration (difference in medians 11.18 months, 95% CI – 4.30 to 22.72) were not significantly different. Median CR + CRh duration was significantly longer for olutasidenib (difference in medians 9.84 months, 95% CI 3.24-22.28), accompanied by a numerical non-significant trend in overall survival that should be considered exploratory (hazard ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.53-1.07).

CONCLUSION: While not confirmatory, these findings may be clinically relevant in the context of this difficult-to-treat R/R IDH1m AML population.

PMID:41762374 | DOI:10.1007/s12325-026-03522-6

Adv Ther. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s12325-026-03520-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease often accompanied by musculoskeletal symptoms and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Early identification of PsA remains challenging, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary care between dermatology and rheumatology. To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of an interdisciplinary dermatology-rheumatology board (IDRB) for patients with psoriasis, we initiated a non-randomized, prospective bicentric study.

METHODS: A total of 182 patients with psoriasis were enrolled at baseline (V0), of whom 111 completed the 12-month follow-up (V2). Forty-seven (25.8%) patients participated in the IDRB, and 135 (74.2%) patients received standard dermatological care. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A/D), pain, systemic inflammation, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) diagnosis, and systemic therapy courses were analyzed. Group differences and changes over time were assessed using non-parametric and parametric tests, and predictors of therapy modification were explored using univariate logistic regression.

RESULTS: Over 12 months, patients in the IDRB group showed statistically significant improvements in PASI, DLQI, and HADS-A (all p ≤ 0.05). Among participants without PsA at baseline and with complete PsA documentation at follow-up, new PsA diagnoses occurred more often in the IDRB cohort (31%) than in standard care (9.8%) (Fisher’s exact p = 0.0295; χ² p = 0.0360; OR = 4.14). In univariate analyses, higher baseline PASI, DLQI, and HADS-A values were each associated with subsequent therapy modification. Within the IDRB group, biologic treatments shifted over time toward IL-17- and IL-23-targeted agents, indicating a move toward more streamlined and targeted systemic therapy patterns compared with standard care.

CONCLUSION: An IDRB may contribute to more structured PsA assessment and to more informed therapeutic decisions in patients with psoriasis. Integrating objective clinical measures together with patient-reported burden appears crucial for guiding treatment modification and optimizing outcomes. Given the non-randomized, self-selected design, these findings should be interpreted as associations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: DRKS-Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien listing: DRKS00037907.

PMID:41762372 | DOI:10.1007/s12325-026-03520-8

Lifetime Data Anal. 2026 Feb 28;32(2):17. doi: 10.1007/s10985-026-09695-0.

ABSTRACT

Current methodological research on randomized controlled trial design has predominantly focused on studies with a single primary endpoint. However, many trials in practice involve multiple competing target events. The optimal designs for survival trials with competing target events have not been systematically addressed in the statistical literature. This paper fills this significant gap by developing design methodologies for randomized discrete-time-to-event trials with competing endpoints. We derive the Fisher information matrix for the general discrete-time survival model (DTSM) by transforming the original discrete-time survival data into proper multinomial responses. By introducing a cost-based generalized [Formula: see text]-optimal design criterion, we identify various types of optimal designs for estimating the treatment effects. Under the assumption of a parametric competing risks model for the underlying survival process, we demonstrate that the optimal treatment allocation scheme is critically influenced by the parameter values within this model. Our methodology is applied to the redesign of the SANAD trial, which examines withdrawal times from anti-epileptic drugs, thereby highlighting the advantages of our optimal design strategies. A key finding is that assigning subjects equally to the different groups in a two-arm DTSM trial with competing risks is generally a favorable choice, unless the hazard rates over the duration of the trial in both groups are low.

PMID:41762364 | DOI:10.1007/s10985-026-09695-0