Category: Nevin Manimala

Drug Alcohol Rev. 2023 Feb 14. doi: 10.1111/dar.13623. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Community pharmacists (CP) are among the health professionals with closest contact to the general population. They play a key role in delivering public health programs. The aim of this study was to analyse the attitudes, knowledge, preparedness and ability to screen and advise on alcohol of CP in Catalonia and their perceptions about the provision of alcohol screening and brief interventions (SBI) in community pharmacies.

METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. An online survey on attitudes, knowledge and behaviours was sent to all registered CP in Catalonia, and bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: The response rate was 7.96% (639/8027), more than two-thirds of respondents were 41 years of age or older and 79.9% were female. Results showed that CP readiness to offer advice on alcohol problems was higher than their preparedness to screen (37.5% vs. 31.8%, respectively). They also showed that having received 1 h or more of training on alcohol and drug-related health promotion and prevention during the last 5 years increased CP perception of role security and therapeutic commitment related to alcohol.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study showed that involving CP in the provision of alcohol SBIs may be feasible in Catalonia. Furthermore, this and previous research show an association between CP training in alcohol or drugs and preparedness to screen and advise on alcohol use. Consequently, promoting alcohol-related training programs to enhance CP skills is recommended to support successful implementation of alcohol SBI in community pharmacy settings.

PMID:36788307 | DOI:10.1111/dar.13623

Hypertens Res. 2023 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41440-023-01201-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

There is some evidence that nighttime blood pressure varies between seasons. In the present analysis, we investigated the seasonal variation in ambulatory nighttime blood pressure and its associations with target organ damage. In 1054 untreated patients referred for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, we performed measurements of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR, n = 1044), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV, n = 1020) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI, n = 622). Patients referred in spring (n = 337, 32.0%), summer (n = 210, 19.9%), autumn (n = 196, 18.6%) and winter (n = 311, 29.5%) had similar 24-h ambulatory systolic/diastolic blood pressure (P ≥ 0.25). However, both before and after adjustment for confounding factors, nighttime systolic/diastolic blood pressure differed significantly between seasons (P < 0.001), being highest in summer and lowest in winter (adjusted mean values 117.0/75.3 mm Hg vs. 111.4/71.1 mm Hg). After adjustment for confounding factors, nighttime systolic/diastolic blood pressure were significantly and positively associated with ACR, cfPWV and LVMI (P < 0.006). In season-specific analyses, statistical significance was reached for all the associations of nighttime blood pressure with target organ damage in summer (P ≤ 0.02), and for some of the associations in spring, autumn and winter. The association between nighttime systolic blood pressure and ACR was significantly stronger in patients examined in summer than those in winter (standardized β, 0.31 vs 0.11 mg/mmol, P for interaction = 0.03). In conclusion, there is indeed seasonality in nighttime blood pressure level, as well as in its association with renal injury in terms of urinary albumin excretion. Our study shows that there is indeed seasonal variability in nighttime blood pressure, highest in summer and lowest in winter, and its association with renal injury in terms of urinary albumin excretion varies between summer and winter as well.

PMID:36788302 | DOI:10.1038/s41440-023-01201-5

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 14;13(1):2635. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29659-w.

ABSTRACT

We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for graft rejection after keratoplasty in Japanese patients. We enrolled 730 cases (566 patients) of penetrating keratoplasty (PK, N = 198), Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK, N = 277), non-Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (nDSAEK, N = 138), and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK, N = 117). The incidence, clinical characteristics, and possible risk factors for graft rejection were analyzed. Graft rejection occurred in 65 cases (56 patients, 8.9%). The incidence rate of rejection was highest with PK (3.45/100 person-years), followed by DSAEK (2.34), nDSAEK (1.55), and DMEK (0.24). Cox regression analysis revealed keratoplasty type, younger age, indications (such as failed keratoplasty and infection), and steroid eyedrop use as possible risk factors. In the multivariate model adjusting baseline characteristics, PK and DSAEK had significantly higher hazard ratios (HRs) than DMEK (HR = 13.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.83, 101] for PK, 7.77 [1.03, 58.6] for DSAEK). Although not statistically significant, the HR estimate of nDSAEK to DMEK (HR = 7.64, 95% CI [0.98, 59.6]) indicated higher HR in nDSAEK than in DMEK. DMEK is the favorable option among the four surgical procedures to avoid graft rejection after keratoplasty.

PMID:36788300 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-29659-w

Mov Disord. 2023 Feb 14. doi: 10.1002/mds.29337. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies that examined the association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and cancers led to inconsistent results, but they face a number of methodological difficulties.

OBJECTIVE: We used results from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to study the genetic correlation between PD and different cancers to identify common genetic risk factors.

METHODS: We used individual data for participants of European ancestry from the Courage-PD (Comprehensive Unbiased Risk Factor Assessment for Genetics and Environment in Parkinson’s Disease; PD, N = 16,519) and EPITHYR (differentiated thyroid cancer, N = 3527) consortia and summary statistics of GWASs from iPDGC (International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium; PD, N = 482,730), Melanoma Meta-Analysis Consortium (MMAC), Breast Cancer Association Consortium (breast cancer), the Prostate Cancer Association Group to Investigate Cancer Associated Alterations in the Genome (prostate cancer), International Lung Cancer Consortium (lung cancer), and Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (ovarian cancer) (N comprised between 36,017 and 228,951 for cancer GWASs). We estimated the genetic correlation between PD and cancers using linkage disequilibrium score regression. We studied the association between PD and polymorphisms associated with cancers, and vice versa, using cross-phenotypes polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses.

RESULTS: We confirmed a previously reported positive genetic correlation of PD with melanoma (G_corr = 0.16 [0.04; 0.28]) and reported an additional significant positive correlation of PD with prostate cancer (G_corr = 0.11 [0.03; 0.19]). There was a significant inverse association between the PRS for ovarian cancer and PD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89 [0.84; 0.94]). Conversely, the PRS of PD was positively associated with breast cancer (OR = 1.08 [1.06; 1.10]) and inversely associated with ovarian cancer (OR = 0.95 [0.91; 0.99]). The association between PD and ovarian cancer was mostly driven by rs183211 located in an intron of the NSF gene (17q21.31).

CONCLUSIONS: We show evidence in favor of a contribution of pleiotropic genes to the association between PD and specific cancers. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

PMID:36788297 | DOI:10.1002/mds.29337

Pediatr Res. 2023 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41390-023-02479-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Oncometabolism can be targeted for the development of less myelotoxic oncotherapeutics. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is central to the Warburg effect, a potential oncometabolic shift in neuroblastoma (NBL). Advanced surgical, cytotoxic and cell-differentiating therapies improved survival of children with NBL. Anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) effectively targeting NBL are also incorporated into complex therapies. However, poor clinical outcomes of high-risk NBL require improvements. Here, we verified the pre-reported prognostic value of LDHA expression in NBL using the R2 onco-genomics platform. Kaplan-Meier curves re-demonstrated that higher tumor LDHA expression correlates with worse survival. Multivariate statistics confirmed LDHA is independent from age, stage, and MYCN amplification. In conclusion, a molecular construct is proposed with anti-GD2 mAbs utilized for the targeted delivery of liposomes containing an LDHA inhibitor, Oxamate. Development and preclinical testing of this immunoliposome may validate targeted inhibition of the Warburg effect for NBL. IMPACT: Development of therapeutics against oncometabolism. Targeted specified drug-delivery with mAb. Sparing normal tissues from profound LDHA inhibition. Immunoliposome loaded with an anti-metabolite. If preclinically successful, has translational potential.

PMID:36788290 | DOI:10.1038/s41390-023-02479-4

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 14;13(1):2617. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29767-7.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36788260 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-29767-7

Nat Commun. 2023 Feb 14;14(1):832. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36544-7.

ABSTRACT

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) calculated from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Europeans are known to have substantially reduced predictive accuracy in non-European populations, limiting their clinical utility and raising concerns about health disparities across ancestral populations. Here, we introduce a statistical framework named X-Wing to improve predictive performance in ancestrally diverse populations. X-Wing quantifies local genetic correlations for complex traits between populations, employs an annotation-dependent estimation procedure to amplify correlated genetic effects between populations, and combines multiple population-specific PRS into a unified score with GWAS summary statistics alone as input. Through extensive benchmarking, we demonstrate that X-Wing pinpoints portable genetic effects and substantially improves PRS performance in non-European populations, showing 14.1%-119.1% relative gain in predictive R² compared to state-of-the-art methods based on GWAS summary statistics. Overall, X-Wing addresses critical limitations in existing approaches and may have broad applications in cross-population polygenic risk prediction.

PMID:36788230 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-36544-7

J Agromedicine. 2023 Feb 14:1-11. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2023.2180124. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Agriculture in the United Kingdom (UK) continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, accounting for around a fifth of fatal workplace injuries and many other injuries, both major and minor. This study examines young farmers’ awareness of, attitude to and behaviors around safety practices on-farm.

METHOD: A survey was undertaken amongst a group of young farmers aged 16-years and over who were actively engaged in farming in Northern Ireland, focusing on attitudes and behaviors towards safety on-farm. Drawing on previous literature, this study examined whether younger farmers demonstrate a higher degree of risk tolerance and are more likely to engage in risk taking behavior when undertaking routine farming practices leading to potential injuries and lost working days. The young farmers surveyed were classified into three groups and differences in risk perception were examined.

RESULTS: The results indicate that, statistically, farmer age, intensity of farming alongside the level of farming experience contribute to incident occurrence. Our results indicate a need for attitudinal and behavioral change, particularly around risk-taking behaviors that ultimately result in farm incidents, impacting on both the performance of the farm business and individual farmer well-being.

CONCLUSION: Policies aimed at addressing perception and acceptance of risks among farmers are recommended.

PMID:36788204 | DOI:10.1080/1059924X.2023.2180124

Infection. 2023 Feb 15. doi: 10.1007/s15010-023-01995-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The Co-HCW study is a prospective, longitudinal, single-center observational study that aims to assess the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection status in staff members of Jena University Hospital (JUH) in Jena, Germany.

METHODS: This follow-up study covers the observation period from 19th May 2020 to 22nd June 2021. At each of the three voluntary study visits, participants filled out a questionnaire regarding their SARS-CoV-2 exposure and provided serum samples to detect specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Participants who were tested positive for antibodies against nucleocapsid and/or spike protein without previous vaccination and/or reported a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test were regarded to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was applied to identify potential risk factors for infected compared to non-infected participants.

RESULTS: Out of 660 participants that were included during the first study visit, 406 participants (61.5%) were eligible for the final analysis as their COVID-19 risk area (high-risk n = 76; intermediate-risk n = 198; low-risk n = 132) did not change during the study. Forty-four participants [10.8%, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 8.0-14.3%] had evidence of a current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by serology (n = 40) and/or PCR (n = 28). No association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 risk group according to working place was detected. However, exposure to a SARS-CoV-2 positive household member [adjusted OR (AOR) 4.46, 95% CI 2.06-9.65] or colleague (AOR 2.30, 95%CI 1.10-4.79) was found to significantly increase the risk of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that non-patient-related SARS-CoV-2 exposure posed the highest infection risk for hospital staff members of JUH.

PMID:36788173 | DOI:10.1007/s15010-023-01995-z

Updates Surg. 2023 Feb 14. doi: 10.1007/s13304-023-01453-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to compare the functional, oncological, and complication outcomes of perineoscopic radical prostatectomy (PeRP) and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) operations. Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) between October 2018 and June 2020 for localized prostate cancer (N0, < T3) were retrospectively screened. After the exclusion criteria, 56 patients who underwent PeRP and 67 patients who underwent RARP remained in the study. Demographic, perioperative, and postoperative data were collected. In functional outcomes, continence and potency status were compared at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The mean age of the patients was 61.3 ± 5.9 years in the PeRP group and 62.2 ± 5.7 years in the RARP group. No statistically significant differences were present between preoperative and postoperative values. Among the perioperative findings, the mean operation time was 90.4 ± 11.2 min for the PeRP group and 114.6 ± 14.7 min for the RARP group. The operation time was shorter in the PeRP group. The average hospital stay was 2 ± 0.6 days in the PeRP group and 2.3 ± 0.5 days in the RARP group. It was significantly shorter in the PeRP group. There is no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the oncological and functional results. PeRP is a surgical procedure safe in low-risk patients with medium-risk prostate cancer (PCa) who do not require lymph-node dissection. Moreover, PeRP minimizes the difficulties of perineal surgery.

PMID:36788157 | DOI:10.1007/s13304-023-01453-3