Category: Nevin Manimala

Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2023 Jan 24. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000775. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: The effect of serum lycopene on the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their longevity remains a controversial topic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations of different isomeric forms of serum lycopene with CVD and all-cause mortality in the American population. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a large population survey to investigate public health in the US. We analyzed data from 2003-2006 linked with mortality data obtained in 2015. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality caused by serum lycopene. Results: Among 7452 participants (aged 20-85 years, 46.7% male), 298 died from CVDs among the total 1213 deaths during a median follow-up of 10.7 years. Serum lycopene is a protective factor for all-cause and CVD mortality. In multivariable-adjusted models, the hazard ratio (with 95% confidence intervals) associated with Q4 compared to Q1 of serum total-lycopene, trans-lycopene and cis-lycopene was 0.49 (0.38,0.63), 0.49 (0.39,0.63) and 0.55 (0.43,0.70) for all-cause mortality (P_trend<0.05), and was 0.53 (0.32,0.96), 0.48 (0.32,0.72) and 0.63 (0.41,0.97) for CVD mortality (P_trend<0.05). The subgroup analyses showed that different isomeric forms of lycopene showed varied associations with CVD and all-cause mortality based on age, drinking status, history of hypertension and diabetes. Conclusions: Serum lycopene concentration was significantly associated with the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality. Cis-lycopene had a U-shaped relationship with mortality, while trans-lycopene had an inverse relationship with it.

PMID:36691936 | DOI:10.1024/0300-9831/a000775

J Anal Toxicol. 2023 Jan 24:bkad003. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkad003. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present work describes a practical application of Green Analytical Toxicology (GAT) during the development of an eco-friendly dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) avoiding the use of highly toxic chlorinated solvents that are commonly used in this type of technique. The purpose was to further consolidate GAT guidelines during method development. Thus, a full method optimization using a multivariate statistical approach and validation were performed. To that end, synthetic cathinones (SC), one of the major classes of new psychoactive substances, were the target analytes due to their relevance and chemical diversity. Furthermore, whole blood and urine samples were the matrices of choice due to their clinical relevance. The sample preparation step prior to DLLME consisted of protein precipitation of whole blood samples, while urine specimens were centrifuged and diluted with ultrapure water. Then, borate buffer, NaCl, and ethyl acetate:acetonitrile were added and vortexed. Finally, vials were centrifuged and the organic layer was transferred to autosampler vials, evaporated to dryness and resuspended with mobile phase prior to injection into the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) system. Once optimized, the proposed DLLME was fully validated: 0.2 and 1 ng/mL as LOD; and 1 and 10 ng/mL as LOQ for urine and blood samples, respectively. Linear range was established as 1-100 and 10-1000 ng/mL for urine and blood samples, respectively (r2 > 0.99), while bias and precision were within acceptable limits (≥ 80%). The matrix effect was of 1.9-260.2% and -12.3-139.6%; while recovery was of 27.4-60.0% and 13.0-55.2%; and process efficiency ranged from 45.0% to 192.0% and 17.9% to 58.4% for whole blood and urine, respectively. Finally, the method was applied to real case samples as proof of applicability. Thus, a simple, cheap, and fast eco-friendly technique to analyze SC in two biological specimens was described.

PMID:36691915 | DOI:10.1093/jat/bkad003

Gerodontology. 2023 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/ger.12673. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36691885 | DOI:10.1111/ger.12673

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2023 Jan 24:gbad010. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Both loneliness and use of psychotropic drugs are common in later life. While loneliness has been found to be associated with psychotropic drugs use, most studies have been cross-sectional, and we know less about their longitudinal associations.

METHODS: Drawing on five waves of data from Health and Retirement Study and two statistical approaches (fixed-effects and cross-lagged panel models), we examine longitudinal associations between loneliness and use of prescription pain and depression/anxiety medications.

RESULTS: Across 57,654 observations among 20,589 respondents, 22.8% reported regular use of pain prescription medications, 17.8% regular use of depression/anxiety prescription medication, and 15.6% feeling lonely in the past week. Loneliness and use of depression/anxiety medications were associated according to both modelling approaches, net of covariates. In years when a respondent reported feeling lonely, odds of regular use of depression/anxiety medications were 1.42 times higher (p<.001) than years when they did not feel lonely. Regarding reciprocation, odds of regular depression/anxiety medication use in a given wave range from 1.3 to 1.5 times higher if loneliness was reported in prior wave. Likewise, the odds of reporting loneliness in a given wave range from 1.5 to 1.8 times higher if regular depression/anxiety medication was reported in prior wave.

DISCUSSION: Prior loneliness predicts contemporaneous regular use of depression/anxiety prescription medications. While this confirms the directional association found in prior studies, we found prior use of depression/anxiety medications is also associated with increased odds of loneliness, suggesting further research is needed to understand mechanisms that explain their associations and potential interventions.

PMID:36691876 | DOI:10.1093/geronb/gbad010

Vet Rec. 2023 Jan 24:e2582. doi: 10.1002/vetr.2582. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The need for proper age determination in puppies has increased enormously due to the growing illegal trade in puppies that are too young to be removed from the litter or too young to have been properly vaccinated against rabies.

METHODS: Dorsopalmar and mediolateral radiographs of the (meta)carpal region, either taken from puppy cadavers or from the Faculty’s patient database, were studied in a cross-sectional study of 252 puppies of various sizes, aged 6-212 days. The appearance and development of ossification centres as a function of age in five regions of interest in the (meta)carpal region were scored using a two- to six-step scoring system based on shape and delineation.

RESULTS: A positive correlation with age was found for all investigated regions. Intra- and interrater agreement between two observers was excellent, except for the distal epiphyses of the metacarpal bones. Postnatal ossification started after the second week of life with the carpal bones, closely followed by the radial trochlea. All ossification centres were present in all puppies from 84 days, except for the sesamoid bone in the tendon of the long abductor muscle of the first digit. Timing of appearance differed significantly between different sized breeds. There were no significant differences between the sexes.

LIMITATIONS: Age distribution was not balanced for all breed size classes.

CONCLUSIONS: The radiographic timing of the appearance and development of ossification centres in the carpal region is a promising method for age estimation in puppies.

PMID:36691858 | DOI:10.1002/vetr.2582

J Osteopath Med. 2023 Jan 25. doi: 10.1515/jom-2022-0177. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that commonly affects joints. Although many treatment options exist, the most common, s (DMARDs), have been associated with pulmonary infections. These types of infections (specifically pneumonia) can be detrimental to RA patients. This leads providers to utilize other treatment modalities such as glucocorticoids (GCs). GCs are commonly utilized to treat RA; however, the role of GCs in the onset of pneumonia in RA patients is not fully understood.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to systematically review and statistically analyze pooled data documenting pneumonia as an adverse event in RA patients on DMARDs as a monotherapy vs RA patients on DMARDs and GCs as combination therapy utilizing the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) framework.

METHODS: On August 1, 2021, a search was conducted and completed on six databases: Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and ClinicalTrials.gov. A total of 12 researchers were involved with the search and screening of articles (K.E., P.R.; V.A., D.P.C.; C.B., D.C.; T.A., E.S.; S.H., L.B.; K.S., C.S.). Search terms were identified utilizing Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Emtree and included “glucocorticoids,” “rheumatoid arthritis,” “pneumonia,” and “respiratory tract infections,” Inclusion criteria included human subjects over the age of 18 with seropositive RA, on a combination of GC (prednisone, methylprednisolone, or prednisolone) with DMARD (methotrexate [MTX], hydroxychloroquine [HCQ], or sulfasalazine [SSZ]) and developed pneumonia of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin. The control groups were on a DMARD monotherapy regimen. Articles were excluded if they were not in English, had less than 20 participants, were case reports or literature reviews, included animal subjects, and did not adhere to the established PICO framework. Five teams of two researchers individually sorted through abstracts of articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The same teams individually sorted through full-text articles of selected abstracts based on the same criteria. Conflicts between each team were resolved by a separate researcher. Odds ratios were utilized to quantify the effect sizes of combined studies from a random effects model. Chi-square tests and I2 statistics were utilized to analyze heterogeneity.

RESULTS: A total of 3360 articles were identified from all databases, and 416 duplicate articles were removed. Thus, a total of 2944 articles abstracts were screened, of which 2819 articles either did not meet the inclusion criteria or did meet the exclusion criteria. A total of 125 articles were retrieved and assessed for full-text eligibility, of which only three observational articles were included for meta-analysis. Statistical results revealed that patients treated with DMARDs monotherapy are 95% (95% CI: 0.65-0.99) less likely to develop pneumonia compared to patients treated with a DMARD and GCs (p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that RA patients have a higher probability of developing pneumonia on combination therapy with GCs, compared to monotherapy with DMARDs. To our knowledge, our findings are the first to systematically review and statistically evaluate the relationship between the use of GCs and show an increased chance of developing pneumonia.

PMID:36691851 | DOI:10.1515/jom-2022-0177

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2023 Jan 24:1-18. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2023.20. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

India has already passed through two waves of the covid-19 pandemic losing many lives. The reason for losing lives may be due to the unpreparedness of the health care system of India for this unprecedented pandemic. To assess the government’s preparedness an Institutional based cross-sectional prospective survey was conducted among the adult population of selected states in India. A self-administered questionnaire having 30-item divided into five sections (demography of the participants, step to create awareness, prevent spread of infection, handle the emergency and prognosis) was distributed online through google survey. The responses were collected in an excel file. SPSS software was used to perform the descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Nearly a quarter of the participants strongly disagree/disagree about the government’s preparedness for the 3^rd wave. Considering their perception it cannot be assured that government is well prepared to handle the emergency. So the government has to maintain emergency fund and develop health infrastructure. Government should take steps to reduce social stigma, prevent spreading of unscientific propagation and make people aware of WHO as the reliable source of information for health emergencies to avoid a human crisis in the future.

PMID:36691775 | DOI:10.1017/dmp.2023.20

Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2023 Jan 17. doi: 10.5507/bp.2023.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially life-threatening diagnosis when a certain amount of thrombotic mass obstructs blood flow through the pulmonary circulation. The finding of acute and subacute ischaemic foci on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in a group of patients with this diagnosis in whom we demonstrate the presence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is surprisingly high.

METHODS: A total of 129 patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (confirmed by computed tomography with contrast agent, CTA) who consented to further examination were examined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with contrast agent, underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain according to a specific protocol, and underwent a comprehensive baseline laboratory examination.

RESULTS: In our group of 129 patients, we found the presence of PFO in 36.4% (n=47) of them. A total of 5.4% (n=7) patients had asymptomatic acute and subacute ischaemic changes on brain MRI; 6 of them had concomitant PFO. The statistically significant correlation between troponin levels and the presence of pathological findings on MRI and the trend of a similar correlation for NT-proBNP values is also very interesting finding.

CONCLUSIONS: The association between the presence of PFO and the occurrence of symptomatic or asymptomatic findings on brain MRI is a well-known fact (the issue of paradoxical embolism) but the high frequency of acute and subacute lesions on brain MRI in the group of patients with a diagnosis of acute PE is surprising.

PMID:36691764 | DOI:10.5507/bp.2023.005

Gigascience. 2022 Dec 28;12:giac126. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giac126.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) methods have been advantageous for quantifying cell-to-cell variation by profiling the transcriptomes of individual cells. For scRNA-seq data, variability in gene expression reflects the degree of variation in gene expression from one cell to another. Analyses that focus on cell-cell variability therefore are useful for going beyond changes based on average expression and, instead, identifying genes with homogeneous expression versus those that vary widely from cell to cell.

RESULTS: We present a novel statistical framework, scShapes, for identifying differential distributions in single-cell RNA-sequencing data using generalized linear models. Most approaches for differential gene expression detect shifts in the mean value. However, as single-cell data are driven by overdispersion and dropouts, moving beyond means and using distributions that can handle excess zeros is critical. scShapes quantifies gene-specific cell-to-cell variability by testing for differences in the expression distribution while flexibly adjusting for covariates if required. We demonstrate that scShapes identifies subtle variations that are independent of altered mean expression and detects biologically relevant genes that were not discovered through standard approaches.

CONCLUSIONS: This analysis also draws attention to genes that switch distribution shapes from a unimodal distribution to a zero-inflated distribution and raises open questions about the plausible biological mechanisms that may give rise to this, such as transcriptional bursting. Overall, the results from scShapes help to expand our understanding of the role that gene expression plays in the transcriptional regulation of a specific perturbation or cellular phenotype. Our framework scShapes is incorporated into a Bioconductor R package (https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/scShapes.html).

PMID:36691728 | DOI:10.1093/gigascience/giac126

Eur J Heart Fail. 2023 Jan 23. doi: 10.1002/ejhf.2781. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: The REDUCE-LAP II trial demonstrated adverse outcomes after interatrial shunt device (IASD) placement in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) attributed to latent pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). We hypothesized that exercise-stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging could provide non-invasive characterisation of cardiac and pulmonary physiology for improved patient selection.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The HFpEF-Stress Trial prospectively enrolled 75 patients with exertional dyspnoea and diastolic dysfunction. Patients underwent rest and exercise-stress right heart catheterisation (RHC), echocardiography and CMR imaging. Pulmonary artery and capillary wedge pressures, cardiac index (CI) and vascular resistance (PVR) were calculated. Latent PVD was defined as increased PVR≥1.74 Wood-Units during exercise-stress. CMR assessed long axis strains (LAS) and filling volumes of all cardiac chambers. Right ventricular (RV) function was further quantified by stroke and peak flow volumes. Patients with latent PVD (n = 24) showed lower RV function (rest TAPSE, p = 0.010; stress RV LAS, p < 0.001) compared to patients without (n = 43). During exercise-stress, RV stroke and peak flow volumes (p < 0.001) were reduced and led to impaired left atrial (p = 0.040) and with a strong statistical trend to impaired ventricular (LV) filling (p = 0.098). This subsequently resulted in reduced LV-CI (p < 0.001) despite preserved LV systolic function (LV LAS p ≥ 0.255). The degree of RV dysfunction during exercise-stress best predicted latent PVD (RV peak flow, AUC rest 0.73 vs. stress 0.89, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: Latent PVD is a feature of HFpEF and is associated with impaired RV functional reserve, global diastolic filling and LV-CI. This can be quantified by CMR and used to identify patients likely to benefit from IASD implantation.

PMID:36691723 | DOI:10.1002/ejhf.2781