Category: Nevin Manimala

Int J Phytoremediation. 2022 Aug 8:1-16. doi: 10.1080/15226514.2022.2106940. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The novel biosorbents prepared by surface modification from leaves of Juglans regia plant were exploited for removal of methyl orange dye from aqueous solution. The leaves in the form of dust and charcoal were separately impregnated with 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium bromide (I) to obtain adsorbents namely J. regia dust/charcoal impregnated with I (JRDI/JRCI) which were characterized using advanced analytical approaches. The impregnation of ionic liquid was confirmed by the appearance of new bands. Langmuir isotherm fitted well; the calculated adsorption capacity being 59.37 (JRDI) and 102.72 mg g^-1 (JRCI). The kinetic study revealed that sorption obeyed the pseudo-first order model; the experimental adsorption capacity being 53.53 (JRDI) and 86.82 mg g^-1 (JRCI) at selected conditions of pH 3, initial dye concentration 100 ppm, dosage of adsorbent 0.3 g and contact time 70 min. The mathematical models which predicted adsorption capacity as 51.5 (JRDI) and 82.1 mg g^-1 (JRCI) were found at par with experimental values. Fukui condensed functions revealed that adsorbents had electron deficient electrophilic reaction sites while dye had electron-rich nucleophilic reaction sites. The structural properties and good adsorption capability of adsorbents indicate that they could be used as potential, eco-friendly adsorbents for the treatment of negatively charged dye pollutants.

PMID:35939852 | DOI:10.1080/15226514.2022.2106940

J Glaucoma. 2022 Aug 3. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002089. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE/AIM OF THE STUDY: To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements measured based on Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), Tonopen XL, and Pascal Dynamic Contour Tonometry (DCT) in patients who had undergone Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) and to appraise the influence of central corneal thickness (CCT) on IOP measurements.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four eyes (from 34 patients) who underwent DMEK at least one month prior to the study were included. We performed Tonopen XL, GAT, and DCT IOP measurements at 10 min intervals. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement between GAT, Tonopen XL, and DCT. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to calculate the deviation from GAT readings by each device and correlate the readings with the CCT variable.

RESULTS: The mean IOP values with GAT, Tonopen XL, and DCT were 14.9±5.8, 16.2±5.5, and 19.2±5.0, respectively. Statistically significant differences between GAT and Tonopen XL and between GAT and DCT were noted (r=0.942 [0.885-0.971]; P=0.0001 and r=0.942 [0.885-0.971]; P=0.0001, respectively). DCT tended to return a higher IOP relative to GAT and Tonopen XL. CCT and IOP readings obtained by GAT, Tonopen XL, and DCT did not show a statistically significant correlation with each other.

CONCLUSION: IOP as measured with both Tonopen and DCT was found to be higher than GAT in eyes that underwent DMEK surgery although the techniques showed a good correlation. After DMEK surgery, all three measurement techniques can be practical in routine postoperative examinations, however it is recommended to measure IOP with the same device during patient follow-up.

PMID:35939831 | DOI:10.1097/IJG.0000000000002089

J Glaucoma. 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002090. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PRCIS: Trabeculectomy surgery reduces the intraocular pressure (IOP) more than the XEN45 implant over 3 years. There is no difference in the number of antiglaucoma medications between the two procedures. The decision to perform either trabeculectomy or XEN45 implantation must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the high rate of needling of the XEN45.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the differences between the efficacy and safety of the XEN45 implant and trabeculectomy (TRAB), either alone or in combination with phacoemulsification (PHACO), in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) at 36 months.

METHODS: A retrospective, single-center and comparative study conducted on OAG patients that underwent XEN45 implantation or trabeculectomy from 2016 to 2018. Patients were divided into four groups: group 1 (XEN45 alone); group 2 (XEN45+PHACO); group 3 (TRAB alone); group 4 (TRAB+PHACO). For statistical purposes, groups 1 and 2 were combined (XEN45 implant), while groups 3 and 4 were also combined (TRAB surgery). Intraocular pressure (IOP), number of antiglaucoma medications (NOAM) and adverse events were evaluated. The main outcome measure was the reduction in IOP at 36 months postoperatively.

RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four patients (134 eyes; 63 XEN45 and 71 TRAB) were included. The mean (95% CI) IOP reduction at the end of the study follow-up was-6.3 (-11.0 to -1.6 mmHg, P=0.025, XEN45 alone),-8.9 (-11.0 to-6.8 mmHg, P<0.001, TRAB alone),-2.5 (-4.5 to -0.4 mmHg, P=0.019, XEN45+PHACO), and-5.6 (-7.7 to-3.4 mmHg, P<0.001, TRAB±PHACO). The proportion of patients achieving an IOP≥6 and≤16 mmHg without treatment at the end of the 36-month follow-up were 50.8% (32/63) in the XEN45 implant and 49.3% (35/71) in the TRAB surgery group, P=0.863. The mean number of antiglaucoma medications was significantly reduced in all the study groups. The needling rate was 19% in XEN45 versus 5.6% in the TRAB group (P=0.030), and 2.81% and 36.6% of eyes in the TRAB group presented anterior chamber (AC) flattening and hyphema, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Trabeculectomy surgery lowered IOP significantly more than XEN45 implant with or without phacoemulsification over 3 years and had a significantly lower need for additional needling surgery. Both procedures reduce the number of antiglaucoma medications to a similar rate. These findings are relevant to the informed consent process and patient decisions for one procedure over the other.

PMID:35939830 | DOI:10.1097/IJG.0000000000002090

Perspect Psychol Sci. 2022 Aug 8:17456916221091830. doi: 10.1177/17456916221091830. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Considerable research has been carried out in the last two decades on the putative benefits of cognitive training on cognitive function and academic achievement. Recent meta-analyses summarizing the extent empirical evidence have resolved the apparent lack of consensus in the field and led to a crystal-clear conclusion: The overall effect of far transfer is null, and there is little to no true variability between the types of cognitive training. Despite these conclusions, the field has maintained an unrealistic optimism about the cognitive and academic benefits of cognitive training, as exemplified by a recent article (Green et al., 2019). We demonstrate that this optimism is due to the field neglecting the results of meta-analyses and largely ignoring the statistical explanation that apparent effects are due to a combination of sampling errors and other artifacts. We discuss recommendations for improving cognitive-training research, focusing on making results publicly available, using computer modeling, and understanding participants’ knowledge and strategies. Given that the available empirical evidence on cognitive training and other fields of research suggests that the likelihood of finding reliable and robust far-transfer effects is low, research efforts should be redirected to near transfer or other methods for improving cognition.

PMID:35939827 | DOI:10.1177/17456916221091830

J Phys Chem Lett. 2022 Aug 8:7490-7496. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01807. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Simulations with adaptive time-dependent bias enable an efficient exploration of the conformational space of a system. However, the dynamic information is altered by the bias. Infrequent metadynamics recovers the transition rate of crossing a barrier, if the collective variables are ideal and there is no bias deposition near the transition state. Unfortunately, these conditions are not always fulfilled. To overcome these limitations, and inspired by single-molecule force spectroscopy, we use Kramers’ theory for calculating the barrier-crossing rate when a time-dependent bias is added to the system. We assess the efficiency of collective variables parameter by measuring how efficiently the bias accelerates the transitions. We present approximate analytical expressions of the survival probability, reproducing the barrier-crossing time statistics and enabling the extraction of the unbiased transition rate even for challenging cases. We explore the limits of our method and provide convergence criteria to assess its validity.

PMID:35939819 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01807

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2022 Aug 8. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2021-0200-OA. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT.—: Burnout affects 44% of physicians, negatively impacts physicians and the patient care that they provide, and can be assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Forces contributing to physician burnout have been identified and grouped into 7 dimensions. Burnout within pathology has not been well studied.

OBJECTIVE.—: To identify the prevalence of burnout within Canadian pathology, drivers of burnout important in pathology, and pathologist burnout mitigation strategies at an individual and departmental level.

DESIGN.—: An electronic survey was disseminated by participating departmental chiefs and the Canadian Association of Pathologists. Survey content included the Maslach Burnout Inventory and 3 free-text questions, including: “What do you find most stressful about your work?” and “What is working for you, at an individual or departmental level, to mitigate against burnout?” Comparative statistics were performed by using Pearson χ2. Significant relationships were sought between pathologist burnout and potential drivers, using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Responses to the qualitative questions were themed and mapped onto the 7 dimensions of burnout.

RESULTS.—: Four hundred twenty-seven pathologists participated in the survey from all 10 Canadian provinces. The prevalence of burnout in Canadian pathology was 58% (246 respondents), and there were significant differences by gender and years in practice. Drivers of pathologist burnout included workload and chronic work-related pain. The most frequently reported effective departmental strategy to mitigate against burnout mapped to “organizational culture,” and the approach that most individual pathologists have taken to mitigate against burnout involves work-life integration.

CONCLUSIONS.—: Burnout within Canadian laboratory medicine is prevalent, and workload is a major driver.

PMID:35939795 | DOI:10.5858/arpa.2021-0200-OA

JCO Precis Oncol. 2022 Jul;6:e2200060. doi: 10.1200/PO.22.00060.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with a poor prognosis. Multianalyte signatures, including liquid biopsy and traditional clinical variables, have shown promise for improving prognostication in other solid tumors but have not yet been rigorously assessed for PDAC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) or metastatic PDAC (mPDAC) who were planned to undergo systemic therapy. We collected peripheral blood before systemic therapy and assessed circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA concentration (cfDNA), and circulating tumor KRAS (ctKRAS)-variant allele fraction (VAF). Association of variables with overall survival (OS) was assessed in univariate and multivariate survival analysis, and comparisons were made between models containing liquid biopsy variables combined with traditional clinical prognostic variables versus models containing traditional clinical prognostic variables alone.

RESULTS: One hundred four patients, 40 with LAPC and 64 with mPDAC, were enrolled. CTCs, cfDNA concentration, and ctKRAS VAF were all significantly higher in patients with mPDAC than patients with LAPC. ctKRAS VAF (cube root; 0.05 unit increments; hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.21; P = .01), and CTCs ≥ 1/mL (hazard ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.34 to 3.69; P = .002) were significantly associated with worse OS in multivariate analysis while cfDNA concentration was not. A model selected by backward selection containing traditional clinical variables plus liquid biopsy variables had better discrimination of OS compared with a model containing traditional clinical variables alone (optimism-corrected Harrell’s C-statistic 0.725 v 0.681).

CONCLUSION: A multianalyte prognostic signature containing CTCs, ctKRAS, and cfDNA concentration outperformed a model containing traditional clinical variables alone suggesting that CTCs, ctKRAS, and cfDNA provide prognostic information complementary to traditional clinical variables in advanced PDAC.

PMID:35939771 | DOI:10.1200/PO.22.00060

Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2022 Jul 25;26(4):406-412. doi: 10.1188/22.CJON.406-412.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Individuals who provide care to older adult women with breast cancer can experience distressing caregiver strain.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether functional status and depression in older adult women with breast cancer relates to strain in their caregivers. Relationships among caregiver characteristics and strain were also evaluated.

METHODS: This multivariate, cross-sectional study used activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, Timed Up and Go Test, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI). Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and Spearman rank correlations. Logistic regression was used to predict MCSI scores.

FINDINGS: Patient Timed Up and Go Test and Geriatric Depression Scale scores had the greatest impact on MCSI, with lower function and greater depression associated with increased caregiver strain. Advanced disease was associated with increased caregiver strain. When cancer stage is controlled for, caregiver employment is associated with increased strain.

PMID:35939723 | DOI:10.1188/22.CJON.406-412

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 16;119(33):e2110416119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2110416119. Epub 2022 Aug 8.

ABSTRACT

Prior work has shown that there is substantial interindividual variation in the spatial distribution of functional networks across the cerebral cortex, or functional topography. However, it remains unknown whether there are sex differences in the topography of individualized networks in youth. Here, we leveraged an advanced machine learning method (sparsity-regularized non-negative matrix factorization) to define individualized functional networks in 693 youth (ages 8 to 23 y) who underwent functional MRI as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Multivariate pattern analysis using support vector machines classified participant sex based on functional topography with 82.9% accuracy (P < 0.0001). Brain regions most effective in classifying participant sex belonged to association networks, including the ventral attention, default mode, and frontoparietal networks. Mass univariate analyses using generalized additive models with penalized splines provided convergent results. Furthermore, transcriptomic data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas revealed that sex differences in multivariate patterns of functional topography were spatially correlated with the expression of genes on the X chromosome. These results highlight the role of sex as a biological variable in shaping functional topography.

PMID:35939696 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2110416119

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 16;119(33):e2207436119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2207436119. Epub 2022 Aug 8.

ABSTRACT

In scientific research, collaboration is one of the most effective ways to take advantage of new ideas, skills, and resources and for performing interdisciplinary research. Although collaboration networks have been intensively studied, the question of how individual scientists choose collaborators to study a new research topic remains almost unexplored. Here, we investigate the statistics and mechanisms of collaborations of individual scientists along their careers, revealing that, in general, collaborators are involved in significantly fewer topics than expected from a controlled surrogate. In particular, we find that highly productive scientists tend to have a higher fraction of single-topic collaborators, while highly cited-i.e., impactful-scientists have a higher fraction of multitopic collaborators. We also suggest a plausible mechanism for this distinction. Moreover, we investigate the cases where scientists involve existing collaborators in a new topic. We find that, compared to productive scientists, impactful scientists show strong preference of collaboration with high-impact scientists on a new topic. Finally, we validate our findings by investigating active scientists in different years and across different disciplines.

PMID:35939670 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2207436119