Category: Nevin Manimala

Nutr J. 2025 May 22;24(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s12937-025-01143-3.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Prior evidence suggests that dietary lignans may mitigate inflammation, attenuate insulin resistance, and improve blood lipids. Little is known about the effects of lignans in pregnant women who are at elevated risk of glucose and lipid abnormalities, partially due to increase in estrogen levels during pregnancy. This study was designed to investigate the association between dietary lignan intake, measured as urinary enterolignans (enterodiol and enterolactone), with blood biomarkers of cardiometabolic risks in pregnant women.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed data from 480 pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010 and had data for urinary enterolignan concentrations. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between urinary enterolignan concentrations and cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. Cardiometabolic risk markers were log-transformed and geometric means were calculated by quartiles of urinary enterolignan concentrations.

RESULTS: Higher urinary enterolignan concentrations were associated with a more beneficial cardiometabolic profile: comparing women in the highest versus lowest quartiles of total enterolignan concentrations, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was 62 versus 54 mg/dL (P for trend = 0.01); triacylglycerol (TG) was 141 versus 171 mg/dL (P for trend = 0.004); TG/HDL-C ratio was 2.3 versus 3.2 (P for trend = 0.001); Total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C ratio was 3.4 versus 3.9 (P for trend = 0.03); C-reactive protein (CRP) was 0.4 versus 0.7 mg/dL (P for trend = 0.01); and fasting insulin was 7.7 versus 13.9 μU/mL (P for trend < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Lignan intake may have favorable effects on cardiometabolic risk markers in pregnant women.

KEY MESSAGES: The results of our study showed that urinary excretion of enterolignans were inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk markers in pregnant women. These findings support further investigation on the role of lignans in modifying lipid and glucose metabolism. Given the high prevalence of maternal insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia and its serious health consequences for both women and their offspring, the use of lignans, if demonstrated to be efficacious, could provide a cost-effective option for curbing this epidemic by prevention and early treatment.

PMID:40405289 | DOI:10.1186/s12937-025-01143-3

Genome Biol. 2025 May 22;26(1):139. doi: 10.1186/s13059-025-03609-3.

ABSTRACT

Statistical normalizations are used in differential analyses to address sample-to-sample variation in sequencing depth. Yet normalizations make strong, implicit assumptions about the scale of biological systems, such as microbial load, leading to false positives and negatives. We introduce scale models as a generalization of normalizations, which allows researchers to model potential errors in these modeling assumptions, thereby enhancing the transparency and robustness of data analyses. In practice, scale models can drastically reduce false positives and false negatives rates. We introduce updates to the popular ALDEx2 software package, available on Bioconductor, facilitating scale model analysis.

PMID:40405262 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-025-03609-3

Alzheimers Res Ther. 2025 May 22;17(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s13195-025-01758-y.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:40405255 | DOI:10.1186/s13195-025-01758-y

Microb Cell Fact. 2025 May 22;24(1):121. doi: 10.1186/s12934-025-02742-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Disaccharide polyene macrolides exhibit superior water solubility and significantly reduced hemolytic toxicity compared to their monosaccharide counterparts, making them promising candidates for safer antifungal therapeutics. In this study, we engineered a Streptomyces gilvosporeus (pSET152-nppY) capable of producing disaccharide-pimaricin (DSP) through heterologous expression of the nppY gene, which encodes a glycosyltransferase responsible for the second sugar extension in the biosynthetic pathway.

RESULTS: The novel compound was structurally characterized and designated disaccharide-pimaricin (DSP), featuring an aglycone identical to pimaricin and a unique disaccharide moiety (mycosaminyl-α1-4-N-acetylglucosamine). A purification protocol for DSP was established. Compared to pimaricin, DSP demonstrated a 50% reduction in antifungal activity, a 12.6-fold decrease in hemolytic toxicity, and a remarkable 107.6-fold increase in water solubility. Growth analysis revealed a delayed growth cycle in the mutant strain, suggesting that nppY expression may impose additional metabolic burden. Optimization of the fermentation medium using a statistical design identified an optimal formulation, with a maximum DSP titer of 138.168 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the potential of disaccharide polyene macrolides as safer antifungal agents and establishes a robust framework for engineering strains to produce these compounds. The findings provide critical insights into balancing biosynthetic efficiency and strain fitness, advancing the development of next-generation polyene antibiotics.

PMID:40405243 | DOI:10.1186/s12934-025-02742-9

BMC Med Educ. 2025 May 22;25(1):756. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07349-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Each year, the Food and Drug Administration receives over 2 million adverse event and medication error reports, which are likely underreported. Interprofessional education (IPE) is well positioned to provide team-based training regarding medication safety and related reporting tools. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a single IPE session designed to improve the completion and accuracy of healthcare professional students’ reporting of medication errors.

METHODS: An IPE session, with medical and pharmacy students, presented a case report involving a medication dispensing error that resulted in a patient’s death. The session included three components: the case presentation; a discussion of the implications of the medication error on the patient, family, and care providers; and a hands-on activity where students practiced error reporting using a simulated MedWatch platform. The students’ reports were analyzed for completeness and accuracy, based on data available from the case presentation. Individual versus team submissions across disciplines were compared.

RESULTS: Of the 701 participants who completed the session between 2021 and 2024, 225 submitted the simulated MedWatch report (32% response rate). This final sample included 111 medical students, 53 pharmacy students, and 61 interprofessional teams. The median form completion rate for teams was 88.9% compared to 55.6% for individuals. Teams demonstrated higher form accuracy rates (66.7%) compared with individuals (38.9%). Students agreed that practicing the reporting of an adverse drug event was a useful activity, while pharmacy students (p = 0.014) and teams (p = 0.043) felt more confident reporting an adverse drug event than medical students after this activity.

CONCLUSION: Following an IPE training session focused on error reporting, we observed that team-based submission of MedWatch forms resulted in improved completion and accuracy rates. Integrating an interprofessional training session focused on medication safety and error reporting in health professionals’ curricula appeared to be effective in the short term. Longer term studies are necessary to determine the impact and durability of this training.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

PMID:40405231 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-025-07349-7

Gut Pathog. 2025 May 22;17(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s13099-025-00709-0.

ABSTRACT

Diarrheal infection remains a major public health problem in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Prevention and control of diarrheal diseases are considered a global health priority. This case-control study aims to describe the prevalence of diarrhea etiologic agents and antimicrobial resistance in bacterial enteropathogens for acute diarrhea among children, adult civilians, and military personnel in Cambodia, detecting over 20 bacterial species, viruses, and parasites. A total of 918 subjects with acute diarrhea (cases), 791 aged-matched subjects without diarrhea (controls), and 675 follow-up cases were enrolled from five hospitals in Battambang and Oddor Meanchey provinces from 2020 to 2023. Pathogens were identified from collected stool samples via bacteriology, molecular techniques, immunoassays, and microscopy. Bacterial isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance patterns. From enrolled diarrhea cases, 533 stool samples (58%) were positive for enteric pathogens, compared to 389 samples (49%) in controls, underscoring the high carriage rate of enteric pathogens in this population as well as the difficulties in establishing the etiology of diarrhea cases. The most common enteric pathogens in cases were enteric bacteria with Aeromonas (15%), followed by Plesiomonas (12%), and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) (10%). Shigella (p < 0.05), enterotoxigenic E. coli with heat-stable toxins (ETEC-ST) (p < 0.01), and Plesiomonas (p < 0.01) had a statistically significant association with acute diarrhea cases. Rotavirus was the most common virus found (51% of cases with virus), followed by norovirus (19%), and sapovirus (16%). In terms of antimicrobial resistance, 84% of Shigella isolates were highly resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT), almost 80% of Campylobacter jejuni isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (82%) and nalidixic acid (85%). Over 50% of ETEC, Shigella, and EAEC isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and SXT, respectively. Overall, our study highlights the high endemicity of enteric bacterial pathogens and the significant carriage rates of these pathogens even in individuals without overt symptoms. Although the overall antimicrobial resistance was moderate, prevalent isolates harbor a significant resistance to the first-line of treatment. This highlights the importance of ongoing diarrhea etiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance efforts to guide the development and implementation of an effective AMR management program in diarrheal infections.

PMID:40405224 | DOI:10.1186/s13099-025-00709-0

Biomed Eng Online. 2025 May 22;24(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s12938-025-01396-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neurological disorders, ranging from common conditions like Alzheimer’s disease that is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and remains the most common cause of dementia worldwide to rare disorders such as Angelman syndrome, impose a significant global health burden. Altered facial expressions are a common symptom across these disorders, potentially serving as a diagnostic indicator. Deep learning algorithms, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have shown promise in detecting these facial expression changes, aiding in diagnosing and monitoring neurological conditions.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of deep learning algorithms in detecting facial expression changes for diagnosing neurological disorders.

METHODS: Following PRISMA2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published up to August 2024. Data from 28 studies were extracted, and the quality was assessed using the JBI checklist. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled accuracy estimates. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on neurological disorders, and heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic.

RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 24 studies from 2019 to 2024, with neurological conditions such as dementia, Bell’s palsy, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease assessed. The overall pooled accuracy was 89.25% (95% CI 88.75-89.73%). High accuracy was found for dementia (99%) and Bell’s palsy (93.7%), while conditions such as ALS and stroke had lower accuracy (73.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning models, particularly CNNs, show strong potential in detecting facial expression changes for neurological disorders. However, further work is needed to standardize data sets and improve model robustness for motor-related conditions.

PMID:40405223 | DOI:10.1186/s12938-025-01396-3

Int J Equity Health. 2025 May 22;24(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s12939-025-02485-4.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to analyze the changes in catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) and out-of-pocket expenditures (OOP) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to examine their determinants in Meta, Colombia, a region affected by armed conflict. We used data from the Conflicto, Paz y Salud (CONPAS) survey and applied mixed-effects logistic regression models. The analysis places particular emphasis on mental health as a key determinant, comparing the odds of incurring OOP and CHE between individuals with and without a tendency to present mental health disorders (SRQ + versus SRQ-).The results show that the odds of incurring CHE increased in 2020 compared to 2018, while the odds of incurring OOP decreased during the same period. Individuals living in less wealthy households (quintiles 1, 2, and 3 of the Household Wealth Index) have more odds of incurring CHE than those in the wealthiest group (quintile 5). Similarly, individuals aged 45 to 60 years or over 60 years and have more odds of incurring CHE than younger individuals (18 to 44 years). Those who fell sick or were hospitalized also have more odds of incurring CHE compared to those who did not. Additionally, we found that individuals with SRQ + have significantly higher odds of incurring OOP and marginally significantly higher odds of incurring CHE compared to SRQ- individuals. Additionally, those who have been displaced due to the conflict have higher odds of incurring OOP compared to those who have not.This study underscores the heightened vulnerability of regions impacted by violence; a situation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the need for targeted financial safeguards and comprehensive mental health programs to support marginalized communities, enhance economic resilience, and advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which aims to promote good health and well-being. The findings shed light on health disparities in violence-affected areas, highlighting the urgency of policies designed to improve financial security and healthcare access for individuals with mental health conditions.

PMID:40405222 | DOI:10.1186/s12939-025-02485-4

J Occup Med Toxicol. 2025 May 22;20(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12995-025-00462-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several industries were deemed essential. However, information on infection risk in occupational settings outside of healthcare workers and medical staff (HCWs) remain scarce. Thus, a systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to compile the risk of infection to SARS-CoV-2 in non-healthcare workers (non-HCWs).

METHODS: We screened three databases (EMBASE, PubMed, medRχiv) for studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in working population. Several stages of severity (infection, hospitalisation, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), mortality) were eligible. Occupational specifications were harmonised according to the German classification of professions (KldB). All reported risk estimators were considered. Studies were analysed for their risk of bias. Results of random-effects meta-analyses were assessed for their evidence according to GRADE. Subgroup analyses were run for ‘outcome’, ‘comparison group’, and ‘risk of bias’.

RESULTS: Of 9,081 publications identified, 25 were recognised as eligible, mainly describing the first year of the pandemic. For 20 occupations, we were able to carry out meta-analyses on KldB-4-level by integrating all stages of severity. Nine occupations were identified with a statistically significantly increased risk of infection for SARS-CoV-2, four of which had a relative risk (RR) of > 2: Occupations in meat processing (RR = 3.58 [95%-CI 1.46; 8.77]), occupations in building cleaning services (RR = 2.55 [95%-CI 1.51; 4.31]), occupations in cargo handling (RR = 2.52 [95%-CI 2.27; 2.79]) and cooks (RR = 2.53 [95%-CI 1.75; 3.67]). The certainty of evidence of eight results was found moderate or high.

CONCLUSIONS: The first systematic review and meta-analysis of occupational SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in occupations other than HCWs revealed a considerably elevated risk in individual related services as well as in commercial services.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021297572.

PMID:40405221 | DOI:10.1186/s12995-025-00462-9

Health Res Policy Syst. 2025 May 22;23(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s12961-025-01344-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In realization of the importance of health policy, several scholars have examined health policies, contributing to the development of the field of health policy and systems research (HPSR). A growing body of literature within HPSR systematically analyses published articles in journals to examine how specific topics are dealt with in HPSR journals. The focus has extensively been on how research shapes policies and transfer of research to policy and practice. The present study takes a new approach in thinking about policy documents by exploring how policy documents are positioned in HPSR publications. In other words, the study answers the question of how policy documents are positioned in HPSR journal articles.

METHODS: The study examined how policy documents were positioned in selected health policy journal articles. It analysed articles in Q1 journals indexed in Scopus under the journal subject health policy and published in 2022. A total of 52 articles were included in the full analysis. A data collection tool was created to tabulate extracted data which included data about journals, articles, and policy and methodological descriptions. Data were interpreted and analysed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Original research articles represented the majority of the analysed articles (72%). Multiple authorship was most common (63%), with authors from Western countries contributing the most to the publications. Analysed policies had a wide variety of foci and were mainly national-level policies (63%). Most of the articles included more than one policy for analysis (86%). Document analysis of policy documents was the only source of data in 33% of the articles. In addition, 27% of the articles lacked depth or details on how document analysis was conducted. The majority of the articles were aligned with policymaking as one phase of the policy process (31%).

CONCLUSIONS: The study reflects a primary effort to examine how policy documents are positioned in HPSR articles. The study’s findings contribute to the extant literature on the limited use of document analysis in HPSR. It further extends the research policy gap by understanding policy documents as a primary data source for researchers with a clear lack of its consideration for policy implementation or evaluation. The study’s findings introduce implications and provide recommendations for research, policy and practice.

PMID:40405213 | DOI:10.1186/s12961-025-01344-6