Liver Transpl. 2024 Sep 1;30(9):873-874. doi: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000406. Epub 2024 May 21.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:39159308 | DOI:10.1097/LVT.0000000000000406
Category: Nevin Manimala
Sex Health. 2024 Aug;21:SH24083. doi: 10.1071/SH24083.
ABSTRACT
Background Mouthwash is a commonly used product with the potential to prevent STIs. This study aimed to determine the association between mouthwash use frequency with sexual behaviours and STIs among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among MSM in Xi’an, China, from January to September 2022. Participants were categorised into non-mouthwash users, occasional (used it less than once every week) and frequent (used it more than once every week) mouthwash users. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify the association between mouthwash use frequency with sexual behaviours. Results Of 838 MSM included in the analysis, 621 (74.11%) reported never using mouthwash, whereas 47 (5.60%) used it occasionally and 170 (20.29%) used it frequently. Frequent mouthwash users had a lower prevalence of chlamydia compared with occasional users (8.33% vs 23.93%, P Conclusion MSM with more sexual partners or lower condom use frequency were more likely to be frequent mouthwash users. However, frequent mouthwash users had a lower chlamydia prevalence.
PMID:39159291 | DOI:10.1071/SH24083
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Aug 19;18(8):e0011991. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011991. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Culex quinquefasciatus is one of the most important carriers of human pathogens. Using the insecticides is one of the most important methods of combating this vector. But the genetic resistance created in Culex quinquefasciatus led to disruption in the fight against this pest. Consequently, it is necessary to know the level of resistance to fight this vector. Based on this, the present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of kdr resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus against organochlorine insecticides in the world.
METHODS: This study was conducted by systematic review, and meta-analysis on the prevalence of kdr resistance and mortality rate in Culex quinquefasciatus against organochlorine insecticides in the world. All pertinent articles were extracted and analyzed in accordance with this information during an unrestricted search of the scientific databases Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, biooan.org, Embase, ProQuest, and Google Scholar until the end of November 2023. Statistical analysis of data was done using fixed and random effects model in meta-analysis, I2 index, Cochran’s test, and meta-regression by STATA version 17 software.
RESULTS: Seventy articles were included in the meta-analysis process. Based on the findings, the prevalence of Kdr in Culex quinquefasciatus against organochlorine insecticide was estimated at 63.1%. Moreover, the mortality rate against the insecticide deltamethrin was 46%, DDT 18.5%, permethrin 42.6%, malathion 54.4% and lambdacyhalothrin 53%.
CONCLUSION: More than half of Cx. quinquefasciatus had Kdr. This vector was relatively resistant to DDT and permethrin insecticides and sensitive to malathion, deltamethrin and lambdacyhalothrin. In order to prevent the development of resistance to alternative insecticides, it is consequently critical to combat this vector with efficacious insecticides.
PMID:39159258 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0011991
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 19;19(8):e0307895. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307895. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Construction workers are a population that is at risk for mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide due to the high stress and physical demands of their work. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for depression, anxiety, and stress among Bangladeshi construction workers.
METHODS: From February 2022 to June 2022, community-based cross-sectional research was conducted among construction workers. Survey data was gathered using interviewer administered questionnaires with 502 participants from the construction sites. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, lifestyle, occupation, health hazards, and mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). The results were interpreted using the chi-square test and logistic regression utilizing SPSS statistical software.
RESULTS: The study revealed the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress among construction workers to be 17.9%, 30.3%, and 12%, respectively. Key findings indicate that construction workers who maintained a healthy sleep duration were 64% less likely to be depressed compared to those with poor sleep (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.21-0.61, p<0.001). Workers who did not experience breathing issues upon starting construction work had a 45% lower likelihood of experiencing depression (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32-0.97, p = 0.037) and an 82% lower likelihood of experiencing anxiety (AOR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.11-0.30, p<0.001). Bricklayer construction workers were 72% less likely to experience stress (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.08-0.95, p = 0.041), and workers without breathing issues after starting construction work were 66% less likely to experience stress (AOR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.17-0.66, p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The study found that depression, anxiety, and stress are prevalent among construction workers in Bangladesh, with breathing issues as a significant risk factor. Thus, there is a need for effective measures to reduce these problems and provide a safe working environment for construction workers to ensure their productivity and the country’s overall growth.
PMID:39159238 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0307895
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 19;19(8):e0308830. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308830. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We investigated the vertical implantation of a toric implantable collamer lens (ICL) and compared the rotational stability with that of horizontal implantation.
METHODS: This matched comparative study retrospectively reviewed and analyzed data from patients who underwent ICL implantation from 2003-2022 by 1:1 matching vertical and horizontal (V and H toric groups, respectively) implantation patients according to preoperative astigmatism, spherical equivalent, sulcus-to-sulcus, anterior chamber depth, and ICL size. Visual acuity, manifest refraction, vaulting, and rotation were measured 3 months postoperatively.
RESULTS: We included 646 eyes (323 each in the V and H toric groups). No statistically significant difference was observed between groups in postoperative visual acuity, refractive error, and astigmatism. Vaulting was lower in the V toric group. (P < 0.001). The mean lens rotation in the V toric group was less than that in the H toric group (1.11 ± 2.84° versus 3.02 ± 10.34°, P = 0.001). The proportion of eyes in the V and H toric groups showing ≥10° of rotation was 2.5% (8 eyes) and 6.5% (21 eyes), respectively (P = 0.014). Despite repositioning from rotation, three (0.9%) and eight (2.5%) eyes required removal owing to lens re-rotation in the V and H toric groups, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Toric ICL vertical implantation showed good rotational stability, and appropriate visual acuity correction results with relatively low vaulting. This procedure therefore presents an effective novel method that could replace horizontal toric ICL implantation.
PMID:39159219 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0308830
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 19;19(8):e0307258. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307258. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved ejection fraction (EF) and the mortality and morbidity of patients with HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) are high. Patients with HFpEF are often elderly and their primary chronic symptom is severe exercise intolerance. Due to the frequent coexistence of hypertension in HFpEF patients, the use of anti-hypertensive medications is common in their treatment. While many cohort studies and several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the effectiveness of various anti-hypertensive drugs such as beta-blockers and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in HFpEF, the role of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) remains uncertain. Despite several RCTs and cohort studies exploring the effects of CCBs on prognosis and exercise capacity in HFpEF patients, the findings have been inconsistent, likely due to limited statistical power and/or variations in study design. Therefore, our aim is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the effects of CCBs in these patients.
METHODS: This meta-analysis will include RCTs and cohort studies on the effect of CCBs in HFpEF patients. Information of studies will be collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The primary outcome of interest will be prognosis. The secondary outcome of interest will be exercise capacity.
DISCUSSION: Synthesizing our meta-analytical results with expert consensus could contribute to the formulation of updated clinical guidelines. Our systematic review and meta-analysis will provide directions for future research on the use of CCBs in HFpEF patients.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202430097.
PMID:39159218 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0307258
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 19;19(8):e0309154. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309154. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The incidence of varicella in Canada has decreased by almost 99% since vaccination was introduced. However, variation in the timing and eligibility of vaccination programs across the country has resulted in some cohorts being under-vaccinated and therefore potentially susceptible to infection.
METHODS: We used nationally representative specimens from the Biobank of Statistics Canada’s Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) as well as residual specimens from Ontario collected between 2009-2014 to estimate population immunity across age-groups and geography, and identify any groups at increased risk of varicella infection.
RESULTS: The weighted proportion of specimens with antibody levels above the threshold of protection was 93.6% (95% CI: 92.4, 95.0). Protection was lowest among those aged 3-5 years (54.3%; 95% CI: 47.3, 61.4), but increased with age. Individuals born outside Canada had more than twice the odds of varicella susceptibility than those born in Canada (aOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.4, 5.0; p = 0.004). There were no differences by sex or geography within Canada, and there were no statistically significant differences when Ontario CHMS sera were compared to Ontario residual sera, apart from in participants aged 12-19 year age-group, for whom the CHMS estimate (91.2%; 95% CI: 86.7, 95.7) was significantly higher (p = 0.03) than that from residual specimens (85.9%, 95% CI: 81.1, 90.8).
DISCUSSION: Varicella immunity in Canada is changing. Children appear to have low population immunity, placing them at greater risk of infection and at increased risk of severe disease as they age. Our results underscore the importance of performing periodic serosurveys to monitor further population immunity changes as the proportion of vaccine-eligible birth-cohorts increases, and to continually assess the risk of outbreaks.
PMID:39159217 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0309154
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2024 Aug 19:glae202. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glae202. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This observational study aimed to investigate associations between dietary live microbe intake and mortality, as well as biological aging.
METHODS: Adults from the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were categorized into low, medium, and high dietary live microbe groups. Foods with medium and high live microbe content were aggregated into a medium-high consumption category. The outcomes included all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, along with biological age (BA) acceleration assessed by the Klemera-Doubal method (KDM) and PhenoAge. Multiple regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted to assess associations, adjusting for potential confounders.
RESULTS: A total of 34,133 adults were included in our analyses. Over an average follow-up period of 9.92 years, 5,462 deaths occurred. In multivariate adjusted models, every 100 grams of medium-high group foods consumed was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 0.97, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.96, P < 0.001), but not with cancer mortality (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.07, P = 0.768). Every 100 grams medium-high group foods consumption was associated with decreased KDM BA acceleration (fully adjusted regression coefficient -0.09, 95% CI -0.15 to -0.04, P = 0.001) and PhenoAge acceleration (fully adjusted regression coefficient -0.07, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.03, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that BA acceleration partially mediated live microbes-mortality associations.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that higher dietary live microbe intake is associated with lower mortality risk and slower biological aging. However, further research is needed to verify these findings.
PMID:39158955 | DOI:10.1093/gerona/glae202
JMIR Med Inform. 2024 Aug 19;12:e57153. doi: 10.2196/57153.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Leveraging electronic health record (EHR) data for clinical or research purposes heavily depends on data fitness. However, there is a lack of standardized frameworks to evaluate EHR data suitability, leading to inconsistent quality in data use projects (DUPs). This research focuses on the Medical Informatics for Research and Care in University Medicine (MIRACUM) Data Integration Centers (DICs) and examines empirical practices on assessing and automating the fitness-for-purpose of clinical data in German DIC settings.
OBJECTIVE: The study aims (1) to capture and discuss how MIRACUM DICs evaluate and enhance the fitness-for-purpose of observational health care data and examine the alignment with existing recommendations and (2) to identify the requirements for designing and implementing a computer-assisted solution to evaluate EHR data fitness within MIRACUM DICs.
METHODS: A qualitative approach was followed using an open-ended survey across DICs of 10 German university hospitals affiliated with MIRACUM. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following an inductive qualitative method.
RESULTS: All 10 MIRACUM DICs participated, with 17 participants revealing various approaches to assessing data fitness, including the 4-eyes principle and data consistency checks such as cross-system data value comparison. Common practices included a DUP-related feedback loop on data fitness and using self-designed dashboards for monitoring. Most experts had a computer science background and a master’s degree, suggesting strong technological proficiency but potentially lacking clinical or statistical expertise. Nine key requirements for a computer-assisted solution were identified, including flexibility, understandability, extendibility, and practicability. Participants used heterogeneous data repositories for evaluating data quality criteria and practical strategies to communicate with research and clinical teams.
CONCLUSIONS: The study identifies gaps between current practices in MIRACUM DICs and existing recommendations, offering insights into the complexities of assessing and reporting clinical data fitness. Additionally, a tripartite modular framework for fitness-for-purpose assessment was introduced to streamline the forthcoming implementation. It provides valuable input for developing and integrating an automated solution across multiple locations. This may include statistical comparisons to advanced machine learning algorithms for operationalizing frameworks such as the 3×3 data quality assessment framework. These findings provide foundational evidence for future design and implementation studies to enhance data quality assessments for specific DUPs in observational health care settings.
PMID:39158950 | DOI:10.2196/57153
Clin Transplant. 2024 Aug;38(8):e15435. doi: 10.1111/ctr.15435.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Delayed graft function (DGF) after kidney transplantation is associated with adverse patients and allograft outcomes. A longer duration of DGF is predictive of worse graft outcomes compared to a shorter duration. Posttransplant serum β2-microglobulin (B2M) is associated with long-term graft outcomes, but its relationship with DGF recovery is unknown.
METHODS: We included all kidney-only transplant recipients with DGF enrolled in the E-DGF trial. Duration of DGF was defined as the interval between the transplant and the last dialysis session. We analyzed the association of standardized serum creatinine (Scr) and B2M on postoperative Days (POD) 1-7 during the subsequent days of DGF with the recovery of DGF.
RESULTS: A total of 97 recipients with DGF were included. The mean duration of DGF was 11.0 ± 11.2 days. Higher Scr was not associated with the duration of DGF in unadjusted or adjusted models. Higher standardized B2M, in contrast, was associated with a prolonged duration of DGF. This association remained in models adjusting for baseline characteristics from POD 2 (3.19 days longer, 95% CI: 0.46-5.93; p = 0.02) through Day 6 of DGF (4.97 days longer, 95% CI: 0.75-9.20; p = 0.02). There was minimal change in mean Scr (0.01 ± 0. 10 mg/dL per day; p = 0.32), while B2M significantly decreased as the time to recovery approached (-0.14 ± 0.05 mg/L per day; p = 0.006), among recipients with DGF.
CONCLUSION: B2M is more strongly associated with DGF recovery than Scr. Posttransplant B2M may be an important biomarker to monitor during DGF.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03864926.
PMID:39158946 | DOI:10.1111/ctr.15435