Category: Nevin Manimala

Environ Geochem Health. 2023 Dec 12;46(1):4. doi: 10.1007/s10653-023-01795-2.

ABSTRACT

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice is a global health concern that has received increased attention in recent years. In this study, 12 rice genotypes were cultivated at four As-contaminated paddy sites in Taiwan. According to the different crop seasons and As levels in the soil, the sites were further divided into 18 environmental conditions. For As in soils, results showed that 67% of the studied environments were likely to represent As contamination. For As in rice, the mean total As concentration in brown rice grains ranged from 0.17 to 0.45 mg kg^-1. The analysis of variance for the environment effect indicated that grain As concentration was mainly affected by the environmental conditions, suggesting that there was a remarkable degree of variation across the trial environments. According to the combination of the GGE biplot and cumulative distribution function of order statistics (CDFOS) analysis, five genotypes-TCS17, TCS10, TT30, KH139, and TC192-were regarded as stable, low-risk genotypes because the probability of grain As concentration exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) was lower for these genotypes across all environmental conditions. Particularly, TCS17 was recommended to be the safest rice genotype. Thus, grain As levels in the selected genotypes were applied to assess the health risk to Taiwanese residents associated with As exposure through rice consumption. Results showed that the upper 75th percentile values of the hazard quotient were all less than unity. This suggested that the health risk associated with consuming the selected rice genotypes was acceptable for most of the residents. The methodology developed here would be applicable to screen for stable, low-As-risk rice genotypes across multiple field environments in other regions or countries.

PMID:38085345 | DOI:10.1007/s10653-023-01795-2

Arch Microbiol. 2023 Dec 12;206(1):17. doi: 10.1007/s00203-023-03736-0.

ABSTRACT

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in women worldwide. It is widely accepted that the main cause of cervical cancer, especially in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan, is the infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The current screening and diagnostic methods face several challenges in accurately detecting the various types of lesions caused by HPV. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis as a diagnostic method in samples of cervical biopsies. One hundred cervical biopsy samples were obtained from female patients across various age groups (> 20- ≤ 30, > 31- ≤ 40, > 41- ≤ 50, > 51- ≤ 60 years). These samples were subsequently prepared for subsequent examination. All samples were analyzed using automated tissue processing followed by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) staining, and p16 IHC tumour marker staining. The H & E slides showed changes in normal cervical tissues, while four cervical abnormalities were identified statistically significant using p16 marker including chronic cervicitis, nabothian cyst formation, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and cervical cancers (P value 0.014). Furthermore, among females of different age groups (> 31- ≤ 40, > 41- ≤ 50, > 51- ≤ 60 years) were found statistically significant suffering from cervical cancer (P value 0.04), HPV with cervical cancer (P value 0.01), HPV with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (P value 0.01). Based on the available data, it can be inferred that the incorporation of the p16 tumor marker may be a valuable method for detecting high-risk HPV in cervical biopsies samples.

PMID:38085340 | DOI:10.1007/s00203-023-03736-0

Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2023 Dec;72(13):1-115.

ABSTRACT

Objectives-This report presents final 2020 data on the 10 leading causes of death in the United States by age, race and Hispanic origin, and sex. Leading causes of infant, neonatal, and postneonatal death are also presented. This report supplements “Deaths: Final Data for 2020,” the National Center for Health Statistics’ annual report of final mortality statistics. Methods-Data in this report are based on information from all death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2020. Causes of death classified by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) are ranked according to the number of deaths. Cause-of-death statistics are based on the underlying cause of death. Race and Hispanicorigin data are based on the Office of Management and Budget’s 1997 standards for reporting race and Hispanic origin. Results-In 2020, many of the 10 leading causes of death changed rank order due to the emergence of COVID-19 as a leading cause of death in the United States. The 10 leading causes of death in 2020 were, in rank order: Diseases of heart; Malignant neoplasms; COVID-19; Accidents (unintentional injuries); Cerebrovascular diseases; Chronic lower respiratory diseases; Alzheimer disease; Diabetes mellitus; Influenza and pneumonia; and Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis. They accounted for 74.1% of all deaths occurring in the United States. Differences in the rankings are evident by age, race and Hispanic origin, and sex. Leading causes of infant death for 2020 were, in rank order: Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities; Disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, not elsewhere classified; Sudden infant death syndrome; Accidents (unintentional injuries); Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy; Newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord and membranes; Bacterial sepsis of newborn; Respiratory distress of newborn; Diseases of the circulatory system; and Neonatal hemorrhage.

PMID:38085308

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 Dec 12. doi: 10.1007/s00405-023-08349-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on complicated upper respiratory tract infections requiring surgical intervention in a tertiary referral center. The aim is to understand the consequences of pandemic-related measures and their subsequent relaxation on the incidence and characteristics of upper respiratory tract infection-related complications.

METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery as a complication of upper respiratory tract infections between December 2014 to February 2023 were included. Demographic information, surgical procedures, microbiological findings, and clinical outcomes were assessed and analyzed comparing pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic groups.

RESULTS: 321 patients were enrolled, including 105 patients (32.7%) in the pediatric population. Comparison of pre-pandemic (n = 210), pandemic (n = 46) and post-pandemic periods (n = 65) revealed a statistically significant increase in complicated otologic infections requiring surgical intervention in the post-pandemic period compared to the pandemic period (p value = 0.03). No statistically significant differences in other surgical procedures or demographic parameters were observed. A statistically significant increase in urgent ear surgery in the pediatric population between the pandemic and the post-pandemic period (p value = 0.02) was observed. Beta-hemolytic group A streptococcal infections showed a statistically significant increase in the post-pandemic period compared with the pandemic period (p value = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Relaxation of COVID-19-related restrictions was associated with an increase of upper respiratory tract infection-related otologic infections requiring surgical intervention with an increasing rate of beta-hemolytic group A streptococcal infections. These findings highlight the importance of considering the impact of the pandemic on upper respiratory tract infection complications and adapting management strategies accordingly.

PMID:38085305 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-023-08349-3

Clin Res Cardiol. 2023 Dec 12. doi: 10.1007/s00392-023-02360-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess sarcopenia and its components as prognostic factors in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS: From inception to December 2022, a systematic literature search was carried out utilizing PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. A meta-analysis employing a random-effects model was performed to assess the pooled effects.

RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis included 32 and 18 longitudinal studies, respectively. The prediction of 1- to 2-year all-cause mortality in sarcopenia was not statistically significant (hazard ratio (HR): 1.35, 95% CI 0.76-2.38, I² = 54%, P = 0.31). The lowest combined quartile and quantile of the population were used to define low handgrip strength that showed identical results (HR: 1.24, 95% CI 0.94-1.62, I² = 0%, P = 0.13). Low L3-L4 psoas muscle mass (HR: 2.20, 95% CI 1.26-3.83, I² = 87%, P < 0.01) and slow gait speed (HR: 1.45, 95% CI 1.20-1.74, I² = 0%, P < 0.01) were significant contributors to all-cause mortality risk. Additionally, a 0.1 m/s increase in gait speed demonstrated a significant reduction of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.90, I2 = 60%, P < 0.01). Our narrative synthesis also described appendicular lean mass (ALM) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores as significant prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to patients with higher overall functional performance, those with HF and low ALM, low psoas muscle mass, low SPPB, and slow gait speed are at an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Early prevention and/or treatment of lower limb physical function deterioration may be an essential strategy to reduce the risk of premature death in HF.

PMID:38085294 | DOI:10.1007/s00392-023-02360-8

Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2023 Dec 12. doi: 10.1007/s00420-023-02029-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common respiratory sleep disorder, related to increased mortality, poor quality of life, and higher risk of work accidents and injuries. Studies on the risk of OSA (rOSA) among health workers (HW) are scant. The aims of this study were to investigate this issue in a large University Hospital and to assess the effectiveness of a screening program.

METHODS: The STOP-BANG questionnaire (SBQ) was sent via e-mail to the 5031 HW employed at the University Hospital of Verona. HW who completed the SBQ were classified at low, moderate, and high rOSA. HW at high rOSA were invited to undergo nocturnal polygraphy. The determinants of rOSA were studied by non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson’s chi-squared, and multinomial logistic model.

RESULTS: Of 5031 HW, 1564 (31.1%) completed the online questionnaire. Responders with low, moderate, and high rOSA were 72.7%, 13.7%, and 13.6%. Male gender, older age, and higher body mass index (BMI) were significant predictors of high rOSA, as expected. Physicians had the lowest probability of being in the high-risk category. Polygraphy was performed in 64 subjects. The positive predictive value of the self-administered SBQ was 68.8% (95%C.I. 55.9-79.8%) but raised to 96.9% (95%C.I. 89.2-99.6%) when re-administered by medical staff.

CONCLUSION: SBQ showed its effectiveness as a screening tool in detecting undiagnosed OSA in HW. Systematic screening for OSA in work settings could allow early diagnosis and treatment, reducing short- and long-term health effects of OSA.

PMID:38085278 | DOI:10.1007/s00420-023-02029-9

Nicotine Tob Res. 2023 Dec 12:ntad246. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntad246. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Rural American communities are heavily affected by tobacco-related health disparities. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of quit attempts (QA) and factors that promote or impede QA among rural adults who smoke daily.

METHODS: Data from Wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with quit attempt. Backwards selection was used to identify variables included in the final model with statistical significance set at p <0.05.

RESULTS: Among 1,610 rural adults who smoked daily, the prevalence of a quit attempt in the past 12 months was 25.6% (95% CI: 23.2, 28.2). Factors associated with greater QA odds: having greater education (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.77), e-cigarette use (aOR=1.35 95% CI: 1.03, 1.80), disapproval of smoking from friends/family (aOR= 1.46, 95% CI: 1.09-1.94), greater frequency of thinking about the harm of tobacco (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.28, 1.71), fair/poor physical health (aOR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.70), and being advised to quit by a doctor (aOR =1.63 , 95% CI:1.25, 2.13). Smokeless tobacco use (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.96) and greater cigarettes per day (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.96) were associated with QA lower odds.

CONCLUSION: Only 1 in 4 rural adults who smoke made a past year quit attempt. Interventions that promote provider advice to quit smoking, tobacco health harms, and normative beliefs may increase quit attempts in rural communities.

IMPLICATIONS: Along with higher smoking rates and lower quitting attempts, rural communities face limited access to programs, medication, and health care professionals as tools to help them quit smoking. Public Health initiatives should focus on developing cultural sensitivity training targeting health care professionals to advise patients to quit smoking and the role of multiple tobacco products use. Furthermore, given the low rates of smoking quitting attempts future mixed methods research is needed to inform policies and interventions targeted at eliminating tobacco-related health disparities.

PMID:38085266 | DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntad246

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 Dec 12. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0799. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), of which Mexico is a large consumer, has been associated with the risk of breast cancer. We assessed the association between SSBs consumption and breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter population-based case-control study in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Veracruz. We recruited 1,000 cases and 1,074 controls; all participants were pre- or postmenopausal women between 35 and 69 years of age. Diet before symptoms onset was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. We conducted a multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression analysis stratified by menopausal status.

RESULTS: For premenopausal women, after adjusting for matching characteristics, total energy intake and all potential confounders, the odds of having breast cancer in women who drank one or more SSBs servings per day showed 1.78 times the odds of those who drank one or fewer SSBs servings per month (OR=1.78, 95% CI 1.06-3.01). For postmenopausal women, the corresponding model was not statistically significant (OR=1.38, 95% CI 0.84-2.25). We also observed higher consumption of SSBs among pre- than in postmenopausal women (23.3% and 17.4%, respectively among controls in the highest consumption category (≥ 1 per day).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SSBs consumption increases the risk of developing breast cancer, particularly in premenopausal women.

IMPACT: Given the consumption of SSBs, of which Mexico is a large consumer, these results can support public policies to discourage the consumption of SSBs.

PMID:38085259 | DOI:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0799

Histopathology. 2023 Dec 12. doi: 10.1111/his.15112. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in cancer may predict clinical response to immunotherapeutic treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Within the vulvar cancer field, PD-L1 expression has only been assessed by a few studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of PD-L1 positivity in vulvar cancer. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for articles reporting on PD-L1 expression in vulvar cancer. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two authors. We extracted data on PD-L1 prevalence in vulvar cancer according to combined positive score (CPS) and tumour proportion score (TPS). Cutoff values for positivity were ≥1 or ≥10 for CPS and ≥1% and ≥5% for TPS. Random-effects models were used to estimate pooled PD-L1 prevalence, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Tests of between-study heterogeneity were evaluated by the I² statistics. Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analyses and meta-regression. In total, 19 studies were included. Pooled PD-L1 prevalence in vulvar cancer was 83.4% (95% CI: 70.8-91.3; I² = 80.0) and 53.9% (95% CI: 37.4-69.6; I² = 93.0) according to CPS and TPS, respectively. Based on TPS, human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated vulvar squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) showed a lower PD-L1 prevalence (39.9%; 95% CI: 13.3-74.2) compared with HPV-independent SCC (62.6%; 95% CI: 33.7-84.6), but meta-regression showed no significant variation in PD-L1 prevalence by HPV status. PD-L1 prevalence was similar in advanced (44.9%; 95% CI: 29.8-61.1) and localized vulvar cancer (56.7%; 95% CI: 18.9-76.7). In conclusion, PD-L1 expression in vulvar cancer is frequent but between-study heterogeneity was high. Based on a subgroup of heterogenous studies, we found no strong variation in PD-L1 prevalence according to HPV status and stage.

PMID:38084642 | DOI:10.1111/his.15112

Ugeskr Laeger. 2023 Dec 11;185(50):V202310.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Christmas-themed scientific articles are becoming increasingly popular and may represent a shortcut to scientific demise due to their demand for time better spent on “serious” research. We aimed to investigate whether authorship on Christmas-themed medical articles could damage the scientific careers of authors. We hypothesized that Christmas-authorships had a negative impact on core bibliometric outcomes such as publication rates. Methods We extracted demographic and bibliometric data on first- and last authors of medical papers written for the Christmas edition of Journal of The Danish Medical Association through the years 2010-2012. These cases were compared with controls representing authors of original “serious” research papers written in the same years. We performed a negative binomial regression with the number of publications ten years after the index date (defined as the publication year of Christmas/”serious” article) as the outcome and adjusted models for sex and age. Results We found that first authors of Christmas-themed papers had a publication rate ratio (PRR) of 3.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-12.4) in unadjusted analysis and last authors had a PRR of 0.6 (95% CI: 0.2-1.6). The associations weakened and were statistically insignificant in adjusted analyses. Conclusion Our results indicate that first authors publish more in the years following the publication of a Christmas article, although the association may be entirely driven by sex and age. Causality remains uncertain and further studies (such as RCTs) which randomize authors to produce Christmas-themed (preferably in a Santa’s workshop setting) or serious articles are needed. Funding. None. Trial registration. None.

PMID:38084624