Category: Nevin Manimala

Surg Endosc. 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1007/s00464-026-13121-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) slow gastric emptying and may therefore increase the risk of retained gastric contents (RGC). The optimal duration of discontinuation before esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) under sedation or general anesthesia remains controversial.

METHODS: We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study of patients who underwent elective EGD between August 2023 and May 2025. According to GLP-1RA exposure, patients were classified as (i) no GLP-1RA use, (ii) GLP-1RA continued use, or (iii) GLP-1RA two-week hold. The primary outcome was the presence of RGC, defined as any solid residue or > 100 mL of fluid visualized during EGD. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between GLP-1RA use and RGC.

RESULTS: RGC occurred in 0.4% (63/15902) of patients with no GLP-1RA use, 5.83% (6/103) of patients with GLP-1RA continued use, and 1.61% (1/62) of patients with GLP-1RA two-week hold. GLP-1RA continued use was associated with a tenfold higher RGC risk versus no GLP-1RA use (odds ratio [OR] 10.68, 95% CI 3.74-30.55; p < 0.001), whereas a two-week hold reduced risk to a level statistically comparable with no GLP-1RA use (OR 2.99, 95% CI 0.37-23.89, p = 0.302). Obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m²) independently increased RGC risk and, even after a two-week hold, yielded a tenfold higher risk of RGC versus no GLP-1RA use. Additionally, concurrent colonoscopy exerted a strong protective effect of RGC, and no RGC events occurred in patients with GLP-1RA two-week hold and concurrent colonoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS: A two-week hold of GLP-1RA lowered RGC incidence to a low level comparable with no GLP-1RA use, especially in normal-weight or overweight patients and in those undergoing concurrent colonoscopy, but may be insufficient for obesity.

PMID:42426387 | DOI:10.1007/s00464-026-13121-9

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1007/s40615-026-03092-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Awareness of cancer risk factors and perceptions about cancer is necessary to identify appropriate targets for cancer prevention interventions. To date, studies examining these factors among Black individuals- a population that experiences disparities in cancer-related incidence, outcomes, and survivorship – have not explored differences within ethnic subgroups. This study examined the awareness of cancer risk factors and cancer perceptions among African Americans and Sub-Saharan African immigrant adults and their associations with sociodemographics.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that sampled African Americans and Sub-Saharan African immigrant adults aged 18-75 years between November 2020 and April 2022. Participants were recruited from the community using approved flyers and snowballing. We analyzed a self-administered survey that included measures of awareness of cancer risk factors, cancer perceptions, and sociodemographics. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression evaluated associations of sociodemographics with awareness of cancer risk factors and cancer risk perceptions variables.

RESULTS: A total of 197 adults completed the surveys, including 109 African Americans and 88 Sub-Saharan African Immigrants (mean age = 41.5; SD = 12.9) and 59.4% female. The mean score of participants’ awareness of cancer risk factors was 6.5 (SD = 3.3) on a scale range 0 to 13 and the cancer perceptions mean score was 13.8 (SD = 2.8) on a scale range 5 to 25. Educational attainment was associated with higher cancer risk factors awareness among African Americans but had no association among Sub-Saharan African immigrants. Every one-level increase in educational attainment among African Americans was associated with a 1.0-point increase in cancer risk awareness (b = 1.048, SE = 0.320, p = .001). The reported association is from a covariate adjusted model.

CONCLUSION: Interventions should target individuals at higher risk of limited awareness of cancer risk factors and cancer misconceptions by implementing culturally tailored, community-based educational programs that leverage trusted community settings and provide accessible, relevant cancer prevention information.

PMID:42426352 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-026-03092-x

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 9;16(1):21398. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-61611-6.

ABSTRACT

Previous work showed that physical fitness (PF) is more strongly related to body composition (BC) than self-reported physical activity (PA) in adults. In this study, we provide post-COVID BC statistics and evaluate the reproducibility of previously observed associations between PA, PF, and BC. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 320 adults aged 34-82 years collected in 2025 and compared them with data from 2021. PA was assessed using a validated questionnaire. PF was measured through a standardized performance test battery and BC was obtained via bioelectrical impedance analysis. Associations between PA, PF, and BC were analyzed using sex-specific linear regression models. No significant differences in BC were found between 2021 and 2025. Participants had higher PA and muscular strength but lower coordination in 2025 compared to 2021. PF showed stronger associations with BC than PA. Muscular strength remained the most important predictor of BC and showed the strongest association with phase angle (males: β = 0.40, p < .001; females: β = 0.31, p = .002). The consistency of these associations across two independent samples from 2021 to 2025 indicates a robust pattern under different societal conditions and highlights the importance of PF for supporting healthy aging with regard to BC.

PMID:42426330 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-61611-6

J Cancer Educ. 2026 Jul 10. doi: 10.1007/s13187-026-02938-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Community-engaged research (CEnR), a collaboration between academics and community partners, is an effective approach in addressing the social drivers of health (SDOH) and health disparities in local communities. Yet, CEnR training is often not a standard component of training programs in research or clinical programs. To meet the need for CEnR training, we developed and implemented a workshop to increase CEnR knowledge and skills among clinician-scientists and early-stage investigators (ESIs), and create opportunities for ongoing mentorship and professional development. In this manuscript, we discuss the organization of this workshop, learning objectives, supporting activities, and follow-up methods to facilitate a successful and engaging training experience. The workshop was developed through collaborative efforts with experts in CEnR, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), cancer disparities, and SDOH. The workshop focused on (1) an introduction to CEnR and the opportunity for attendees to develop their own CEnR research ideas; (2) varied presentations, interactive activities, experiential learning, and discussion topics to fulfill the workshop’s learning objectives; (3) year-long opportunities for professional development and continued mentorship; and (4) evaluations of the workshop. Twenty-four ESIs and 11 clinician-scientists participated in the workshop. Using survey methods and descriptive statistics, the workshop was evaluated positively by participants. This manuscript provides guidance for both in-person and virtual workshop formats, from inception to implementation, and recommendations for other workshop facilitators. The impact of these workshops has the potential to have positive downstream implications for community-engaged research.

PMID:42426323 | DOI:10.1007/s13187-026-02938-6

J Math Biol. 2026 Jul 9;93(2):16. doi: 10.1007/s00285-026-02434-x.

ABSTRACT

Strain evolution poses a global threat, yet medical resources often fall short of meeting the demands of such public health emergencies. To examine how constrained medical resources and random factors influence disease transmission dynamics, this study incorporates the limited number of hospital beds into a stochastic infectious disease model that accounts for strain evolution and transmission rate affected by the logarithmic Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. The primary contributions include deriving sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence, uniqueness and boundedness of the positive global solution for the stochastic model, identifying thresholds governing disease extinction and persistence and establishing sufficient conditions for the existence of a stationary distribution, based on which we compute the probability density function of the model to quantify the final size of the disease from a statistical perspective. Numerical simulations indicate that: (i) when strain 1 exhibits dominant transmissibility, it secures a dominant competitive position via its transmission advantage, while strain 2 sustains endemic transmission by exploiting recovered individuals, enabling the long-term coexistence of both strains. By contrast, when the two strains have comparable transmissibility, strain 1, which depends exclusively on susceptible individuals for transmission and survival, is eliminated via competitive exclusion by strain 2 (which can infect individuals recovered from strain 1), and is ultimately driven to extinction; (ii) for epidemic prevention and control, we should not only constrain the mean transmission rate of the disease below the epidemic threshold, but also reserve an adequate control safety margin against stochastic fluctuations in transmission rate; (iii) in the early stage of an epidemic when medical resources are scarce, it is necessary to rapidly expand hospital bed capacity. Once resource supply matches the epidemic demand, the focus of prevention and control should be shifted to optimizing the efficiency of resource scheduling. These results have certain significance for preventing and controlling diseases with such transmission patterns.

PMID:42426308 | DOI:10.1007/s00285-026-02434-x

Eye (Lond). 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1038/s41433-026-04713-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To compare the subjective treatment burden of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy (IVT) among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular oedema (DME), and macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (CME).

SUBJECTS/METHODS: This single-centre, cross-sectional study surveyed 393 patients at the Department of Ophthalmology, Hietzing Hospital, Vienna. All participants had received at least five anti-VEGF intravitreal injections and had been in treatment for at least six months. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire, assessing perceived treatment burden, sociodemographics, and treatment-related experiences. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with nonparametric tests applied due to ordinal data.

RESULTS: Of the 393 participants (nAMD: 305; CME: 55; DME: 33), 64% reported no or only slight burden from treatment frequency or injections. There was no statistically significant difference in overall treatment burden between disease groups (p > 0.4). However, the nature of the burden differed: nAMD patients most often cited fear of progressive vision loss, while CME and DME patients more frequently named the injection itself as the greatest burden. Better patient education significantly correlated with a lower perceived burden (p < 0.001). Nearly half of the patients required assistance with clinic visits.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall perceived burden of anti-VEGF treatment was similar across retinal diseases, patients’ specific concerns varied. Addressing these differences through personalised education and communication may help alleviate treatment-related anxiety and improve adherence. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring support strategies to individual patient experiences within long-term intravitreal treatment regimens.

PMID:42426273 | DOI:10.1038/s41433-026-04713-9

Eur Radiol. 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1007/s00330-026-12729-8. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42426246 | DOI:10.1007/s00330-026-12729-8

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2026 Jul 6;325:115288. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115288. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare cystectomy and ablative surgical techniques for the treatment of ovarian endometrioma, focusing on recurrence, ovarian reserve, and fertility outcomes.

METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261342497). PubMed and Scopus were searched from January 2000 to September 2025. Studies comparing cystectomy with ablative techniques (CO₂ laser, argon plasma coagulation, PlasmaJet, bipolar energy, or hybrid approaches) in women with ovarian endometrioma ≥3 cm were included. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes.

RESULTS: Twelve studies were included, with 4-6 studies contributing to each meta-analysis depending on outcome availability. Cystectomy showed a trend toward lower recurrence compared with ablative techniques (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-1.01; p = 0.054), although this did not reach statistical significance. Ablative techniques were associated with better preservation of ovarian reserve, with a significantly smaller decline in antral follicle count (MD – 1.96, 95% CI – 3.04 to – 0.88; p < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed in anti-Müllerian hormone levels (MD – 0.24, 95% CI – 0.69 to 0.21; p = 0.30). No significant differences were found in overall pregnancy (RR 1.02), spontaneous conception (RR 1.02), or ART/IVF pregnancy rates (RR 0.83).

CONCLUSION: Cystectomy may reduce recurrence risk, whereas ablative techniques better preserve ovarian reserve. However, neither approach appears to confer a significant advantage in fertility outcomes. Surgical management of ovarian endometrioma should be individualized based on patient characteristics and reproductive goals.

PMID:42424709 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115288

Public Health. 2026 Jul 9;258:106320. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106320. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and global cognitive function among older Chinese adults, and to assess the mediating role of depressive symptoms and moderating role of age in this association.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, survey-weighted analysis of CHARLS 2020.

METHODS: We analysed data from 5318 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years participating in the 2020 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). MVPA was derived from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, and global cognition was assessed using education-adjusted z-scores constructed from episodic memory, figure drawing, and mental status items. Depressive symptoms were measured with the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Survey-weighted linear regression models estimated associations between MVPA and cognition, progressively adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and behavioral covariates. Bias-corrected bootstrapped mediation analyses quantified the indirect association via depressive symptoms, and interaction terms with age tested moderation. All analyses incorporated survey weights, clustering, and stratification.

RESULTS: Weighted mean age was 69.8 years, and 50.1% of participants were women; 32.6% met education-adjusted criteria for cognitive impairment. Higher MVPA was positively associated with better cognitive performance in models adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and behavioral factors (standardized β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.34-0.42), with the direct association attenuating but remaining significant after further adjustment for depressive symptoms (β = 0.30, 95% CI 0.26-0.34). Depressive symptoms partially mediated the MVPA-cognition association (indirect effect = 0.08, 95% CI 0.06-0.10), accounting for 21.1% of the total association. Age strengthened the positive MVPA-cognition association (interaction β = 0.025, 95% CI 0.015-0.035), with conditional slopes ranging from β = 0.25 at ∼63 years to β = 0.45 at ∼77 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Among community-dwelling older Chinese adults, higher MVPA was associated with better global cognitive function, with a meaningful portion of this association statistically attributed to lower depressive symptom burden and stronger effects observed at older ages. Although the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, these findings support age-attuned MVPA promotion combined with routine mood assessment and support as a pragmatic strategy to help preserve late-life cognitive health.

PMID:42424706 | DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106320

Curr Opin Psychol. 2026 Jun 27;73:102351. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102351. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aesthetic pleasure is shaped by many visual attributes, including prototypicality, fluency, complexity, symmetry, and self-relevance, but it is unclear why such diverse factors all influence liking. I propose that a major component of visual aesthetic pleasure is an epiphenomenon of categorization in the visual system, constrained by the metabolic cost of neural activity. In this view, successfully recognizing a stimulus as a member of a category is intrinsically rewarding because it supports perception, generalization, and planning, and aesthetic pleasure partly reflects the summed effect of many local rewards for successful categorization across the visual hierarchy. At the same time, neural activity costs energy, so that strongly driven, cluttered, or statistically extreme displays incur costs that can make them aversive even when they are easily interpretable. The “sweet spot of seeing” (3S) model formalizes visual pleasure as a compromise between categorization-based reward and metabolic expense. It offers a unifying explanation for prototype effects, fluency and mere exposure, mid-level regularities such as symmetry and good continuation, and visual discomfort. The model links classic inverted-U relations between complexity and liking to a concrete trade-off between information and cost, and it makes specific predictions for how aesthetic preferences change due to expertise or fatigue. While integrating recent evidence that lower-cost representations in categorization-trained neural networks and human visual cortex predict higher aesthetic ratings, the 3S model leaves room for later, reflective, self-relevant, and culturally informed forms of aesthetic experience that recruit broader neural systems.

PMID:42424690 | DOI:10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102351