Category: Nevin Manimala

Cogn Res Princ Implic. 2026 May 21. doi: 10.1186/s41235-026-00733-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study used a between-subjects experimental design to examine how five spoiler conditions, including a complete scene without spoiler, a chaotic scene without spoiler, a video spoiler, a verbal spoiler, and a written spoiler, influenced viewers’ narrative engagement, heart rate synchrony measured by inter-subject correlation, and task performance while watching suspenseful film clips. Seventy-six university students were randomly assigned to one of the spoiler groups and viewed clips from the film Revenge. Narrative engagement was assessed using the Narrative Engagement Scale (NES), and ECG signals were recorded to derive heart rate time series for ISC-HR analyses. Key cue search task was indexed by a sticker-counting task during viewing. Results indicated that the video spoiler group showed the most consistent advantages, including higher narrative engagement, more frequent key cue search task, and the highest ISC-HR during the spoiler exposure phase. In contrast, the chaotic scene without spoiler group showed the weakest subjective engagement profile, with differences most evident in comprehension-related engagement and partially attentional focus. ISC-HR varied by spoiler modality primarily during the spoiler exposure phase, with the video spoiler group eliciting the highest synchrony, whereas ISC-HR during movie watching did not show clear group differences. Overall, these findings suggest that spoiler modality and narrative coherence shape viewers’ cognitive processing and cue monitoring during film viewing, and that ISC-HR can be used as a complementary physiological indicator to support the interpretation of immersion-related self-reports by indexing shared response dynamics among viewers.

PMID:42166072 | DOI:10.1186/s41235-026-00733-x

Environ Geochem Health. 2026 May 21;48(8):366. doi: 10.1007/s10653-026-03260-2.

ABSTRACT

Many environmental pollutants are released during the dismantling of electronic waste (e-waste). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and heavy metals are representative pollutants of persistent and hazardous contaminants that are known to pose threats to human health. In an e-waste dismantling area, 149 mothers with singleton births and their infants were recruited in 2021 to investigate associations between heavy metals and PFAS concentrations in postpartum breast milk and infant birth outcomes. The concentrations of six heavy metals and six PFAS compounds were measured in breast milk. The median concentration of chromium (Cr) in breast milk was 1.27 μg/L, whereas the median perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentration was 0.28 ng/mL. Birth weight and length were recorded and were subsequently used in stratified analyses via multiple regression models. Exploratory evidence suggests that higher log-transformed Cr (β = 0.371, 95% CI: 0.082-0.660) and PFOA (β = 0.163, 95% CI: 0.009-0.317) concentrations in breast milk were associated with greater birth length among female infants. These findings suggest that concentrations of Cr and PFOA in breast milk are associated with sex-specific infant growth patterns. Furthermore, quantile g-computation analyses did not identify any statistically significant mixture effects. However, the cross-sectional design and the sample size both limit the interpretation of these results. Therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and to clarify their potential biological and health implications.

PMID:42166065 | DOI:10.1007/s10653-026-03260-2

J Orofac Orthop. 2026 May 21. doi: 10.1007/s00056-026-00644-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Dental caries (DC), a biofilm-mediated permanent disease, affects approximately 50% of the global population. Diet is an important modifiable factor among many factors affecting DC. At present, the health benefits of foodborne microbe intake are widely recognized. We aimed to study the association of dietary active microbe intake with the occurrence of DC among American adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of adults with complete clinical information were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2015-2020. Occurrence of untreated DC was the primary outcome and DC experience was the secondary outcome. Dietary active microbe intake was divided into three groups: G1 (low), G2 (medium), and G3 (high). Logistics models were performed to test the association of dietary DC with untreated DC and DC experience. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Further subgroup analyses were performed to verify whether the association between them remained robust.

RESULTS: A total of 12,762 subjects were included; among them, 3458 (27.10%) had untreated DC. After adjusting all covariates, we observed subjects with G2 and G3 levels of dietary active microbe intake had lower occurrence of untreated DC (G2, OR = 0.81, 95%CI 0.69-0.94; G3, OR = 0.72, 95%CI 0.61-0.84). Subjects with G3 level of dietary active microbe intake were linked to a lower incidence of DC experience (OR = 0.72, 95%CI 0.55-0.94). Subgroup analysis suggested a robust association of dietary active microbe intake and untreated DC and DC experience.

CONCLUSION: Our study suggested the potential advantage of high levels of dietary active microbe intake for the prevention of DC in American adults.

PMID:42166043 | DOI:10.1007/s00056-026-00644-y

Eur Radiol. 2026 May 21. doi: 10.1007/s00330-026-12641-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric breast MRI combining dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for differentiating benign from malignant non-mass enhancement (NME) breast lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective diagnostic accuracy study recruited patients from seven tertiary centers with centralized imaging over a 20-month period. The index test was multiparametric MRI, including morphological assessment, kinetic curve analysis, and DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. The reference standard was histopathological confirmation. Nine experienced radiologists from participating centers independently evaluated examinations while blinded to clinical history and outcomes.

INCLUSION CRITERIA: female patients aged ≥ 18 years with BI-RADS 3-5 NME lesions. Statistical analyses included ROC curve analysis, logistic regression, and inter-reader agreement (IRA) assessment.

RESULTS: A total of 351 female patients (mean age, 44.2 ± 11.1 years; 189 malignant, 162 benign lesions) were enrolled. Consensus-based multiparametric MRI achieved 98.4% (95% CI: 95.6-99.7) sensitivity, 86.4% (95% CI: 80.2-91.3) specificity, 89.4% (95% CI: 84.5-92.9) positive predictive value, 97.9% (95% CI: 94.0-99.6) negative predictive value (NPV), and 92.9% (95% CI: 89.6-95.3) accuracy (AUC = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.91-0.96). Individual reader performance averaged 97.1% sensitivity and 84.8% specificity. Five independent predictors were identified: Type III washout curves (OR = 26.84; p = 0.001), segmental distribution (OR = 9.12; p = 0.001), Type II plateau curves (OR = 6.58; p = 0.008), ADC values ≤ 1.3 × 10⁻³ mm²/s (OR = 6.24; p = 0.001), and regional distribution (OR = 5.34; p = 0.032). IRA was almost perfect (κ = 0.847; 95% CI: 0.801-0.893). High NPV was maintained across all BI-RADS categories (96.8-98.5%).

CONCLUSION: Multiparametric breast MRI demonstrates superior diagnostic accuracy for NME lesions with high NPV, supporting potential reduction of unnecessary biopsies while maintaining excellent sensitivity.

KEY POINTS: Question Can multiparametric MRI combining dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging improve diagnostic accuracy for non-mass enhancement breast lesions compared to individual imaging parameters? Findings Multiparametric MRI achieved 92.9% accuracy, 98.4% sensitivity, and 86.4% specificity with five independent malignancy predictors, significantly outperforming individual parameters, with almost perfect inter-reader agreement. Clinical relevance Multiparametric breast MRI demonstrates superior diagnostic performance for non-mass enhancement lesions, potentially reducing unnecessary biopsies while maintaining excellent sensitivity for malignancy detection.

PMID:42166016 | DOI:10.1007/s00330-026-12641-1

Eur Radiol. 2026 May 21. doi: 10.1007/s00330-026-12636-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To compare prenatal imaging-based subjective assessment of the ganglionic eminence (GE) on fetal MRI with three-dimensional volumetric analysis in patients with structural central nervous system anomalies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study investigated 17 fetuses (undergoing 20 fetal MRIs, mean gestational age 26.3 weeks, SD 3.3, range 21.7-33.4 weeks) with enlarged GE based on subjective assessment of fetal neuroimaging experts and concurrent structural brain anomalies. Three-dimensional volumetry of super-resolution MRI was performed and compared to age-matched neurotypical controls (94 fetuses, 100 MRIs, mean age 27.2 weeks, SD 3.6, range 21.7-34.0 weeks).

RESULTS: Among 20 MR examinations, in only 5 cases (25%) GE hyperplasia was confirmed, while 12 (60%) were found to show normal GE volumes. In 3 (15%), GE volumes were smaller compared to controls. Most patients (80%) were found to have increased total brain volume, while only 30% had an increased intracranial volume-ventriculomegaly (75%) seemingly being the most common underlying cause. Brain parenchyma volume was enlarged in only 20%. No correlation was found between GE volumes and volumes of 10 other substructures of the fetal head in pathological cases.

CONCLUSION: The study suggests the unreliability of expert visual assessment of GE size, despite excellent examination conditions, emphasizing the need for three-dimensional volumetric GE measurements. Specifically in patients with structural brain anomalies, quantitative fetal neuroimaging serves as an emerging tool to identify abnormalities in GE size and complement current diagnostic techniques by objectifying subjective impressions.

KEY POINTS: Question To evaluate the reliability of expert visual assessment of ganglionic eminence size in fetal MRI compared to super-resolution brain volumetry. Findings Expert visual assessment and 2D fetal brain biometry were insufficient to provide correct volumetric quantification of the ganglionic eminence in the investigated patient collective. Clinical Relevance This study highlights the value of volumetric quantification of the ganglionic eminence in fetal MRI to provide an objective, reproducible and valid quantitative tool for assessment of the fetal brain, specifically in the presence of CNS anomalies.

PMID:42166015 | DOI:10.1007/s00330-026-12636-y

Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2026 May 20. doi: 10.4081/aiua.2026.14954. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of two similar groups of patients who underwent three-component penile prosthesis implantation under spinal versus local anaesthesia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of twenty consecutive patients who underwent three-component penile prosthesis implantation for erectile dysfunction under spinal anaesthesia (S-PPI) versus local anaesthesia (L-PPI) in the period between January 2023 and January 2025. As regards the assessment of the pain, the patient’s requests of sedation due to pain complaining during the induction of the anesthesia and the following surgical procedure were assessed. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was also used for pain assessment six hours and one day after the surgical procedure. A modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) validated questionnaire was used to evaluate patient satisfaction after the prosthesis implantation. Perioperative and postoperative complications were also assessed.

RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in terms of age, BMI and etiology of erectile dysfunction among the two groups. As regards the assessment of the pain, a significantly higher request of sedation was assessed in the S-PPI group than in the L-PPI group of patients (10% versus 40%) due to discomfort during the local anaesthesia or the surgical procedure (p < 0.05). On the contrary, mean VAS scores of 6.0 and 6.5, 5.5 and 5 were reported by the S-PPI and L-PPI groups at 6 and 24 hours after surgery respectively, showing a similar degree of postoperative pain among the two groups of patients. The EDITS questionnaire scores showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of patient satisfaction. As regards the complications, no significant difference was assessed between the two groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary outcomes showed that a threecomponent penile prosthesis implantation under local anesthesia can be successfully performed in terms of postoperative pain control, acceptable complication rates and remarkable satisfaction scores with respect to the same procedure under spinal anaesthesia. Concerning the perioperative pain control, a significantly higher request of sedation was reported in the L-PPI group of patients with respect to the S-PPI group due to discomfort during the induction of local anesthesia or the implant procedure. Basing on these aspects, we think that a three-component penile prosthesis implantation in local anaesthesia could be proposed in selected patients with comorbidities which contraindicated spinal or general anesthesia or in patients unwilling to undergo these types of anesthesia after a preoperative counselling regarding the pain control and the possible need of sedation.

PMID:42165155 | DOI:10.4081/aiua.2026.14954

Nucleic Acids Res. 2026 May 20;54(10):gkag485. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkag485.

ABSTRACT

Enhancer-promoter interactions (EPIs) play a central role in gene regulation, but experimental techniques such as Hi-C for mapping these interactions remain costly and labor-intensive. Computational methods have been developed to predict EPIs in silico from DNA sequence and chromatin information; however, there are major challenges with the generalizability and accuracy of predictions by existing methods across cell types and conditions unseen during model training. We developed and validated UniversalEPI, an attention-based deep ensemble model that predicts EPIs up to 2 Mb apart using only DNA sequence and chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) data. Unlike models that reconstruct full Hi-C contact maps, UniversalEPI focuses on biologically relevant, sparse chromatin interactions between accessible regulatory elements. It generalizes across both bulk and single-cell ATAC-seq-derived pseudo-bulk datasets, delivering state-of-the-art performance while using fewer input modalities than existing approaches. By modeling predictive uncertainty, UniversalEPI enables statistically robust differential analysis of chromatin interactions across conditions. We demonstrate its utility by tracking dynamic EPIs during human macrophage activation and identifying regulatory differences between cancer cell states in esophageal adenocarcinoma. By providing precalculated Hi-C predictions for 157 ENCODE datasets, UniversalEPI expands the scope and applicability of in silico 3D genome modeling for studying gene regulation in development and disease.

PMID:42165138 | DOI:10.1093/nar/gkag485

Angiology. 2026 May 21:33197261453467. doi: 10.1177/00033197261453467. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) are central to advanced heart failure management but are complicated by right ventricular failure (RVF) in up to 40% of patients, increasing morbidity and mortality and underscoring the need for robust prediction tools. We performed a single-center retrospective study of CF-LVAD recipients from March 2009 to May 2024. Of 326 patients, 205 met inclusion criteria; RVF was defined as need for inotropes or right ventricular assist device support. We compared established RVF risk scores (Michigan, Penn/Fitzpatrick, European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support [EUROMACS], Central venous pressure, severe Right ventricular dysfunction, preoperative Intubation, severe Tricuspid regurgitation, Tachycardia [CRITT]) using receiver operating characteristic analysis, logistic regression, and internal validation. Among 205 patients, 81 (39.5%) developed post-LVAD RVF. The EUROMACS score had the highest predictive value (C-statistic 0.670, P < .001), followed by CRITT (0.653, P < .001), Penn (0.616, P = .004), and Michigan (0.606, P = .005). Youden-optimized cutoffs were derived to summarize sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Mortality analysis was performed as a secondary exploratory endpoint. Overall, discrimination of existing RVF scores remained modest. EUROMACS performed best but highlighted the need to refine models with contemporary hemodynamic and echocardiographic metrics and to pursue rigorous external validation.

PMID:42165115 | DOI:10.1177/00033197261453467

Glob Health Action. 2026 Dec;19(1):2675098. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2026.2675098. Epub 2026 May 21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Timely and consistent digital payment of health workers is crucial for improving the effectiveness of immunization campaigns and achieving the polio eradication goals by 2026. However, evidence on the enablers and barriers to digital payments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the enablers and barriers to digital payments for immunization campaign health workers in eight selected SSA countries.

METHODS: An exploratory case study using qualitative methods was conducted in eight SSA countries: four English-speaking (Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana) and four French-speaking (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo). A scoping review and in-depth interviews were conducted between March and May 2022 in each country. Data were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS: Digital payments are rapidly expanding in SSA, including during large-scale immunization campaigns. Key enablers included supportive regulatory frameworks, increasing mobile phone and digital platform coverage, and the benefits of digital payments. Barriers included inadequate telecom infrastructure, cybercrime, challenges with customer registration, higher transaction costs, and payment delays.

CONCLUSION: This study identifies key enablers of digital payments in eight SSA countries, including supportive regulations, growing mobile phone ownership, and expanding digital platforms. Persistent challenges – such as limited infrastructure, verification constraints, and payment delays – affect implementation. Findings, while context-specific, offer valuable insights for policymakers to strengthen digital payment systems, improve verification, and enhance coordination to optimize health worker payments during immunization and public health campaigns.

PMID:42165113 | DOI:10.1080/16549716.2026.2675098

Glob Health Action. 2026 Dec;19(1):2675808. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2026.2675808. Epub 2026 May 21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Retention is especially critical in rural and underserved areas of East Africa, such as Turkana County in Kenya, where resource limitations, harsh conditions, and a lack of professional development opportunities deter nurses from staying. In addition, female nurses face unique challenges shaped by systemic inequities and gendered expectations, influencing their retention.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing retention of female nurses in Turkana and to offer new perspectives on the concept of retention from underserved regions in East Africa.

METHODS: This quasi-ethnographic study was conducted in an arid rural setting in Turkana, in 2024. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 female nurses and 8 local health administrators and through participant observations at 4 health facilities. We used thematic network analysis guided by an abductive approach.

RESULTS: Female nurses in Turkana navigate a paradox of staff shortages alongside high unemployment, leaving many feeling stuck in occupational limbo or permanent liminality, hoping, and working toward better opportunities for themselves and their families. Although the motivation to work as nurses persists, challenging working conditions lead many to aspire to migrate abroad.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the complex interplay of local and global dynamics driving retention of female nurses in Turkana. Perceived workforce stability is largely due to immobility caused by limited alternatives and systemic constraints. This immobility masks dissatisfaction, making the healthcare system in Turkana vulnerable to outmigration. Findings highlight the need for holistic, gender-sensitive policies that enhance rural career pathways for female nurses.

PMID:42165109 | DOI:10.1080/16549716.2026.2675808