Category: Nevin Manimala

BMC Oral Health. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):215. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05497-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders (SDs), a public health concern, can lead to critical physiological conditions, and are associated with mental and behavior problems such as psychosocial stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, etc. This study aimed to investigate the cross-sectional associations between dentofacial deformities and sleep quality in young adults in China.

METHODS: Data were collected from 2,479 young adults (aged 17-25 years) enrolled at Fudan University across various regions of China. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire that included general information and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) under standardized guidance. Dentofacial characteristics were examined by experienced orthodontists. Data analysis employed one-way ANOVA, student’s t-test, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS: The study revealed a median PSQI score of 5.92 ± 1.66, with 16.3% of participants classified as SDs. Higher PSQI scores were reported by females, underweight individuals, and participants from southern regions. Among the subjects, 44.36% exhibited protruding profiles, 6.86% had concave profiles, and various dentofacial abnormalities were prevalent. Logistic regression analysis identified protruding lateral profiles (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.18-3.16, p = 0.008) and anterior crossbite (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.01-2.04, p = 0.043) as significant risk factors for SDs. Additionally, reduced anterior overbite was associated with a higher prevalence of SDs, while deep overbite acted as a protective factor. Moderate overbite demonstrated statistical significance (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.35-0.76, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a significant association between dentofacial characteristics and sleep quality in young adults. Protruding facial profiles and anterior crossbites were identified as independent predictors for SDs. These findings underscore the importance of screening for SDs in individuals with dentofacial deformities and highlight the potential benefits of early correction of such dentofacial abnormalities to reduce the risk of SDs in adulthood.

PMID:39930404 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-025-05497-2

BMC Med Educ. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):214. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06389-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: AI-powered chatbots have spread to various fields including dental education and clinical assistance to treatment planning. The aim of this study is to assess and compare leading AI-powered chatbot performances in dental specialization exam (DUS) administered in Turkey and compare it with the best performer of that year.

METHODS: DUS questions for 2020 and 2021 were directed to ChatGPT-4.0 and Gemini Advanced individually. DUS questions were manually entered into AI-powered chatbot in their original form, in Turkish. The results obtained were compared with each other and the year’s best performers. Candidates who score at least 45 points on this centralized exam are deemed to have passed and are eligible to select their preferred department and institution. The data was statistically analyzed using Pearson’s chi-squared test (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: ChatGPT-4.0 received 83.3% correct response rate on the 2020 exam, while Gemini Advanced received 65% correct response rate. On the 2021 exam, ChatGPT-4.0 received 80.5% correct response rate, whereas Gemini Advanced received 60.2% correct response rate. ChatGPT-4.0 outperformed Gemini Advanced in both exams (p < 0.05). AI-powered chatbots performed worse in overall score (for 2020: ChatGPT-4.0, 65,5 and Gemini Advanced, 50.1; for 2021: ChatGPT-4.0, 65,6 and Gemini Advanced, 48.6) when compared to overall scores of the best performer of that year (68.5 points for year 2020 and 72.3 points for year 2021). This poor performance also includes the basic sciences and clinical sciences sections (p < 0.001). Additionally, periodontology was the clinical specialty in which both AI-powered chatbots achieved the best results, the lowest performance was determined in the endodontics and orthodontics.

CONCLUSION: AI-powered chatbots, namely ChatGPT-4.0 and Gemini Advanced, passed the DUS by exceeding the threshold score of 45. However, they still lagged behind the top performers of that year, particularly in basic sciences, clinical sciences, and overall score. Additionally, they exhibited lower performance in some clinical specialties such as endodontics and orthodontics.

PMID:39930399 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-024-06389-9

BMC Cancer. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):227. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-13632-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion (MPE) often have poor prognoses. Accurate prognostic tools are needed to guide interventions and improve outcomes.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and imaging data from MPE patients at two medical centers. A nomogram was developed and externally validated. Clinical and imaging features were refined using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and independent predictors were identified via multivariate logistic regression. Predictors were integrated into the nomogram, whose predictive performance, calibration, and clinical utility were evaluated using statistical analyses, including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, Hosmer-Lemeshow tests, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Survival curves illustrated prognostic differences among risk groups.

RESULTS: The final nomogram included five variables: Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in pleural fluid, clarity of pleural effusion, treatment regimen, presence of pericardial effusion, and total volume of pleural effusion. In both cohorts, the nomogram demonstrated strong predictive accuracy (Area Under the Curve (AUC): 0.929 and 0.941, respectively) and excellent calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test p-values: 0.944 and 0.425, respectively). DCA confirmed the nomogram’s clinical utility. Risk stratification revealed significant survival disparities among patients.

CONCLUSION: Our nomogram accurately predicts the prognosis of lung cancer patients with MPE at initial diagnosis, incorporating key variables such as LDH levels in pleural fluid, clarity of pleural effusion, treatment regimen, pericardial effusion, and total volume of pleural effusion. Its robust predictive performance, calibration, and clinical utility support its use in guiding clinical decision-making for this patient population.

PMID:39930396 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-025-13632-z

BMC Public Health. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):529. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21754-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted national tuberculosis programs in high-burden countries. We hypothesize that COVID-19 occurrence had a delayed effect on tuberculosis case reports from the Indonesia Ministry of Health, also known as the tuberculosis case notification. The objectives of this study are: (1) to describe the potential effect of the reported COVID-19 cases on the spatial distribution of tuberculosis in four provinces of Sumatra Islands (Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Riau Provinces), Indonesia; (2) to estimate the temporal lag effect of the occurrence of COVID-19 on tuberculosis case notifications.

METHODS: We retrieved data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Indonesia COVID-19 Task Force. We also examined the monthly tuberculosis and COVID-19 case notifications. We identified time series clusters of tuberculosis case notifications and used lag non-linear model to assess the delayed effect of the occurrence of COVID-19 cases on tuberculosis case notifications.

RESULTS: The secondary data included 217,593 tuberculosis case notifications (January 2019 to December 2022) and 373,671 reported COVID-19 cases (January 2020 to December 2022). Time series cluster analysis revealed 5 clusters each for monthly tuberculosis case notifications and monthly reported COVID-19 cases. There was a negative association with a 0-month lag in more than 10,000 reported COVID-19 cases (RR = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.91-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that Indonesia’s national tuberculosis program in four provinces of Sumatra Island was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lag analysis showed that COVID-19 case occurrence had an immediate effect on tuberculosis case notifications.

CLINICAL TRIAL: Not applicable.

PMID:39930380 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-21754-z

BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):108. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06516-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare the differences in clinical features and inflammatory factors between unipolar depression and bipolar depression, and to investigate potential clinical characteristics and peripheral blood biomarkers that could be used to differentiate between these two conditions. Furthermore, the study seeks to establish a predictive model.

METHODS: Inpatients from the Shanghai Mental Health Center, admitted between June 2022 and June 2024, were selected as study participants. Based on diagnosis records, 274 patients were assigned to the unipolar depression group, and 128 patients to the bipolar depression group. A total of 128 patients were matched between the two groups using the propensity score matching method. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and biological indicators were compared between the two groups. The biological markers assessed included neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), complement 3 (C3), complement 4 (C4), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin M (IgM). Binomial logistic regression analysis was employed to control for confounding factors and to explore the predictors of bipolar depression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of clinical features and biological markers for bipolar depression.

RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between the unipolar depression and bipolar depression groups with respect to life events (χ² = 15.397, P = 0.000), CRP (Z = 6.717, P = 0.000), TSH (Z = 1.988, P = 0.047), C3 (Z = 5.682, P = 0.000), C4 (Z = 4.216, P = 0.000), and IgM (Z = 2.304, P = 0.021). Logistic regression analysis indicated that life events (OR = 4.552, 95% CI = 2.238-9.257), CRP (OR = 13.886, 95% CI = 5.290-36.452), and IgM (OR = 0.561, 95% CI = 0.325-0.970) were associated with bipolar depression. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for the logistic regression model predicting bipolar depression was 0.806, with a sensitivity of 61.7% and a specificity of 85.9%.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to unipolar depression, bipolar depression was associated with the absence of life events, elevated CRP levels, and reduced IgM levels. The combined diagnostic model proved more effective in distinguishing bipolar depression from unipolar depression.

PMID:39930379 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-06516-w

BMC Public Health. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):553. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21631-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The relationship between iron status and visual field loss (VFL) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential association between iron deficiency (ID) and the prevalence of VFL among females aged 40-49 in the United States.

METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2005 and 2008. Participants provided detailed information on iron status and visual field measurements. Several statistical approaches, including survey-weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis, were employed to explore the association between iron status and VFL.

RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounding factors, a negative association was observed between transferrin saturation (TS) and the prevalence of VFL (odds ratio [OR] = 0.313, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.158-0.619, P = 0.010). Similarly, RCS analysis demonstrated a significant negative correlation between TS and VFL prevalence (P for overall = 0.017). ID, as defined by either the ferritin model (OR = 4.350, 95% CI = 1.702-11.114, P = 0.015) or the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) model (OR = 3.301, 95% CI = 1.066-10.219, P = 0.037), was associated with an increased risk of VFL.

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a negative association between TS and the prevalence of VFL among females aged 40-49 in the United States. Furthermore, ID, defined by both ferritin and MCV models, is linked to an elevated risk of VFL. Nevertheless, due to the limitations inherent in cross-sectional design, establishing a causal relationship between iron status and VFL remains challenging.

PMID:39930374 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-21631-9

BMC Microbiol. 2025 Feb 10;25(1):71. doi: 10.1186/s12866-025-03768-0.

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to optimize the L-citrulline production process using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. L-citrulline-producing bacterium BH-01 was isolated from raw buffalo milk. The isolate was tested for probiotic activities such as tolerance to simulated gastric and intestinal juices, antagonistic activity against six antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and temperature tolerance. L-citrulline production and arginine deiminase (ADI) activity were optimized using statistical designs. The bacterial isolate was molecularly identified as Bacillus subtilis strain AUMC B-498 (accession number PP574248.1). The strain exhibited resistance at pH 2.0 and bile salt 0.5% for a two-hour exposure period. It could inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Serratia sp., Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus pneumoniae. From the results of statistical optimization, the Plackett-Burman design identified temperature, L-arginine, incubation period, and peptone as the most effective factors among the eight selected variables. Based on these, the Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the factors required to maximize citrulline production. The maximum L-citrulline was 632.5 µg/L, and ADI activity was 1.42 U/mL. Therefore, BH-01 isolated from Buffalo milk might be a promising candidate in food, biotechnological, and pharmaceutical applications due to its dual functionality for citrulline production and probiotic characteristics.

PMID:39930373 | DOI:10.1186/s12866-025-03768-0

J Therm Biol. 2025 Jan 31;127:104069. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104069. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

White sturgeon inhabit large rivers and estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America and play important ecological and cultural roles. As with other poikilotherms, the expected rise in global temperatures will create physiological challenges for sturgeon, including direct effects on physiological rates, and may also cause changes in behaviour that impact survival. In this study, we investigated ‘carryover effects’ in white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) by incubating fish at one of three embryological temperatures (12 °C, 15 °C, or 18 °C) from fertilization to hatch, and then holding them at 15 °C for the following 30 days post-hatch (dph). We investigated the effect of these incubation temperatures on subsequent behaviours, including locomotion and anxiety-like behaviour, at 18, 24 and 30 dph. The open field test was used to quantify distance moved by the fish and time spent near the outer wall of the arena (to quantify thigmotaxis, an indicator of anxiety-like behaviour) and recorded with motion-tracking software. This test was also used to compare behaviour during the day versus night (at 21 dph) and hourly at night (at 28 dph). Additionally, a light/dark test commonly used in rodents and other fish species was performed for the first time on larval sturgeon at 24 dph. We found a significant family effect; the impact of embryo rearing temperature on locomotion and thigmotaxis varied depending on the family lineage of the fish. Furthermore, we provide evidence that larval sturgeon exhibit greater locomotion at 24 and 30 dph compared to 18 dph, and have a preference for the light zone of the light/dark test. Our findings identify a more nuanced effect of incubation temperature on later life stages that varies with family lineage and underscores the need to consider such variation in research and conservation programs.

PMID:39928998 | DOI:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104069

Biomed Phys Eng Express. 2025 Feb 10. doi: 10.1088/2057-1976/adb434. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Increasing the central dose for large, locally advanced, drug-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (LADR-GIST) has consistently been a significant challenge. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using stereotactic ablation radiotherapy to enhance the radiation dose delivered to the center of large LADR-GISTs.&#xD;Methods and Materials: This study involved five patients with large LADR-GIST who were treated with CyberKnife. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was delineated as a multi-shell structure. Five dose escalation plans (SIB-SBRT) were created for each patient, varying the dose escalation gradients. The radiation doses for the center of the GTV (GTVcenter) in these plans ranged from 49 Gy to 70 Gy. Parameter evaluations were conducted comparing the SIB-SBRT plans with conventional SBRT plans (Con-SBRT), focusing on equivalent uniform dose (EUD), relative equivalent uniform dose (rEUD), dose volume parameters, conformal index (CI), new conformal index (nCI), gradient index (GI), and monitor unit (MU). The Friedman Test was employed to determine statistical differences (P < 0.05), followed by pairwise comparisons.&#xD;Results: When the dose escalation gradient reached 25% of the prescribed dose, the average rEUD increased to 6.92, and the proportion of the GTV volume with BED > 100 Gy increased to 30.69%. At a dose gradient of 30% of the prescribed dose, the rEUD stabilized, but the radiation dose received by the bladder, colon, and duodenum significantly increased.&#xD;Conclusions: The method of synchronously increasing the dose using a multi-shell structure is feasible for stereotactic ablation in the treatment of LADR-GISTs using CyberKnife. The results indicate that a dose escalation gradient of 25% of the prescribed dose can provide a satisfactory ablation dose (BED > 100 Gy), covering 31% of the large tumor volume.

PMID:39928989 | DOI:10.1088/2057-1976/adb434

Nurs Health Sci. 2025 Mar;27(1):e70058. doi: 10.1111/nhs.70058.

ABSTRACT

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic gastrointestinal condition with a multifactorial etiology. It significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, particularly, in rural areas where access to specialized care is limited. Challenges such as increased travel costs, social isolation, and restricted healthcare access are recognized, but their specific impact on rural Italian patients remains underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap. Using Cohen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 IBD patients from rural areas. Thematic analysis identified key patterns and themes. Two main themes emerged: “challenges of rural living,” including economic concerns and social isolation, and “communication that bridges distances.” Rural IBD patients face unique challenges extending beyond disease management, with economic hardship and social isolation being prominent. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to bridge healthcare gaps and improve the quality of life for rural patients, offering novel insights into their lived experiences in Italy.

PMID:39928987 | DOI:10.1111/nhs.70058