Category: Nevin Manimala

Anal Chim Acta. 2023 Jan 25;1239:340704. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340704. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

ABSTRACT

This work describes the analysis of formaldehyde using a 96-well microplate as multiple headspaces for the separation of sulfur dioxide gas generated from the sulfite remaining after its reaction with the formaldehyde in the sample. The quantitation of the gas is by colorimetric detection of an indicator paper placed over the microplate. The samples are aqueous extracts of various foods that are possibly adulterated with formaldehyde. A known excess amount of sulfite is added to the extract solution aliquoted in the well. The remaining sulfite is acidified with hydrochloric acid to generate sulfur dioxide gas which diffuses through the headspace above the solution to be absorbed at the moist strip of the indicator paper placed over the mouth of the wells. Anthocyanins extracted from the butterfly pea flower is used as the pH indicator giving a color change from the increase of hydrogen ions by hydrolysis of the absorbed sulfur dioxide gas. The exposed paper strip is scanned, and the digital images of the colored region analyzed using ImageJ software. The optimized method has a linear range of 200-1000 mg L^-1 formaldehyde with limit of detection ((2.57*SD of intercept)/(slope of calibration line)) of the aqueous extract of 40 mg L^-1 and coefficient of determination (r²) > 0.9979. Samples of fresh produce, such as seafood, meat, and vegetables, and various processed food were analyzed for their possible formaldehyde content. The results obtained from the headspace paper-based colorimetric detection are not statistically different from the values obtained from the titration method by paired t-tests.

PMID:36628712 | DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2022.340704

Anal Chim Acta. 2023 Jan 25;1239:340648. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340648. Epub 2022 Nov 21.

ABSTRACT

Glycated albumin (GA) in human serum is tested clinically as a short-term indicator for glucose monitoring. Here, we evaluated a candidate serum reference material (RM) at three different GA concentrations to help standardize serum GA measurements. Both albumin and GA were quantitatively determined using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with lysine-4,4,5,5-D₄·2HCl (D₄-lysine) and N^ε–^l3C₆-(l-deoxy-d-fructose-1-yl)-l-lysine (¹³C₆-DOF-lysine) as internal standards and lysine and synthetic DOF-lysine as calibration standards. The method was evaluated with the RM, JCCRM611-1, from the Reference Material Institute for Clinical Chemistry Standards. The homogeneity and stability of the candidate RMs were examined using a commercial biochemical analyzer. Fifteen units were randomly selected, and statistical analysis showed no inhomogeneity. The candidate RMs were stable for at least 6 months at -80 °C. The coefficients of variation (CVs) for the JCCRM611-1 RM ranged from 3.2% to 2.3%, and the biases ranged from 4.12% to -1.84%. GA was tested at low, medium, and high concentrations, which were quantified as 249.53 ± 13.29, 408.02 ± 11.70, and 637.22 ± 17.03 mmol/mol, respectively. The overall CVs ranged from 0.99% to 2.51%. The candidate RMs can potentially be used to develop a traceability chain to improve the accuracy of GA measurements.

PMID:36628699 | DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2022.340648

Arthroscopy. 2022 Dec 8:S0749-8063(22)00762-9. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2022.11.018. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report minimum 10-year follow-up survivorship, defined as non-conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), and patient-reported outcome scores (PROS) after primary hip arthroscopy with acetabular microfracture in the setting of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and acetabular chondral lesions, respectively.

METHODS: Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed on all patients who underwent a primary hip arthroscopy and received an acetabular microfracture between June 2009 and January 2011. Patients with a minimum 10-year follow-up for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were included. If available, the minimum 10-year follow-up for the Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific Subscale was reported. The demographics, intraoperative findings, surgical procedures, PROS, rate of achieving the minimal clinical important difference (MCID), and secondary surgeries were analyzed and reported.

RESULTS: Twenty-two hips (20 patients) were included in the study, and the mean follow-up time was 124.5 ± 2.2 months. There were 17 hips (77.3%) from males and 5 hips (22.7%) from females. The average patient age at the time of surgery was 42.3 years ± 9.6. All patients on average experienced statistically significant improvement (P < .05) between preoperative and minimum 10-year follow-up scores for all PROs. In total, 77.3% of the patients did not require conversion to THA. Additionally, 83.3% of the patients achieved the MCID for the mHHS, NAHS, and VAS for pain.

CONCLUSION: At a minimum 10-year follow-up, survivorship of 77.3% was reported for patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy with acetabular microfracture for the treatment of FAIS and focal/full-thickness acetabular cartilage lesions. Further, in the patients that did not require THA conversion, significant improvement in all PROS was demonstrated.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, case-series study.

PMID:36628692 | DOI:10.1016/j.arthro.2022.11.018

Hum Fertil (Camb). 2023 Jan 11:1-7. doi: 10.1080/14647273.2022.2156301. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

With the emergence of the age of information, the data on reproductive medicine has improved immensely. Nonetheless, healthcare workers who wish to utilise the relevance and implied value of the various data available to aid clinical decision-making encounter the difficulty of statistically analysing such large data. The application of artificial intelligence becoming widespread in recent years has emerged as a turning point in this regard. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) exhibit beneficial characteristics of comprehensive analysis and autonomous learning, owing to which these are being applied to disease diagnosis, embryo quality assessment, and prediction of pregnancy outcomes. The present report aims to summarise the application of ANNs in the field of reproduction and analyse its further application potential.

PMID:36628627 | DOI:10.1080/14647273.2022.2156301

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jan 10. doi: 10.1002/oby.23628. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Loss-of-control (LOC) eating is common in adults undergoing bariatric surgery. Agreement between real-time and retrospective assessment methods is unclear.

METHODS: Adults with severe obesity reported on LOC eating over the preceding 28 days via Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) items and in near real time over 10 days via ecological momentary assessment (EMA; involving daily repeated surveys delivered via smartphone in the natural environment), with both assessment forms completed before surgery and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Wilcoxon signed rank tests and generalized linear mixed models were used to compare participants’ EDE-Q and EMA reports of subjectively and objectively large LOC episodes across time points.

RESULTS: Participants reported subjectively large LOC episodes more frequently via EMA than EDE-Q across time points, although differences did not reach statistical significance (all p > 0.05). Conversely, objectively large LOC episodes were more frequently reported via EDE-Q than EMA, with differences reaching significance at 6 months post surgery only (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between real-time and retrospective assessments of LOC eating varied by episode size and time elapsed in the year following surgery. These findings should be considered when designing assessment batteries for bariatric surgery-seeking adults and when extrapolating research findings across studies with diverging methods of real-time versus retrospective self-report assessment of LOC eating in adults undergoing bariatric surgery.

PMID:36627731 | DOI:10.1002/oby.23628

Diagn Pathol. 2023 Jan 10;18(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s13000-022-01278-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Much is known about tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (Tils) in primary breast cancer, as this has been the focus of much research in recent years, but regarding recurrent breast cancer, only few studies have been done. Our aim was to compare the quantities of Tils in primary breast carcinomas and their corresponding recurrences and to analyze the differences in the tumor Tils compositions in correlations with recurrence-free times and the clinicopathology of the tumor.

METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven breast cancer patients self-paired for primary- tumor-recurrence were divided into three groups based on the length of the recurrence-free interval. H&E-staining and immunohistochemical staining with antiCD3, antiCD4, antiCD8 and antiCD56 were performed. Differences in Tils between primaries and recurrences, between the recurrence-free interval groups, and between different clinicopathologic parameters were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: Fewer stromal CD3+, CD8+ and CD56+ lymphocytes were found at recurrences compared to the primaries. No significant change in the percentage of CD4+ stromal lymphocytes. ER-negative primaries, PR-negative or HER2-positive tumors had more Tils in some subgroups. Ductal primaries had more Tils than lobular primaries and G3 tumors had more Tils than lower-grade tumors. The corresponding differences at recurrences could either not be detected or they were reversed. The fastest recurring group had generally more Tils than the slower groups.

CONCLUSIONS: CD4+ cell numbers did not decline from primary to recurrence in contrast to all other subclasses of lymphocytes. The proportion of CD4+ cells was higher in recurrences than in primaries. Tumors with a higher grade and proliferation rate had higher percentages of Tils. HER2+ and hormone receptor negative tumors tended to have higher Tils scores. In recurrences these differences were not seen or they were reversed.

PMID:36627701 | DOI:10.1186/s13000-022-01278-5

BMC Endocr Disord. 2023 Jan 10;23(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s12902-022-01234-w.

ABSTRACT

We investigated the prevalence and clinical metabolic characteristics of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in an elderly Chinese population and assessed the relevance of lipid markers and genetic variation. All 5,338 community subjects underwent detailed clinical and laboratory examinations and were divided into three groups: lean (Body mass index (BMI) < 23 kg/m², n = 2,012), overweight (BMI = 23-24.9 kg/m², n = 1,354), and obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m², n = 1,972). Single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected based on those reported in previous NAFLD or obesity genome-wide association studies. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were calculated and statistically analyzed with Pearson’s χ² tests. One-way ANCOVA was used to test the association between positive SNPs and metabolic parameters in lean NAFLD individuals. Our results showed that the C allele frequency of rs2279026, the G allele of rs2279028, the C allele of rs780093, and the C allele frequency of rs1260326 were higher in obese NAFLD than in lean NAFLD (P < 0.05). In addition, we observed an association between the CC of rs1421085, TT of rs3751812, AA of rs8050136, and AA of rs9939609 genotypes in the FTO gene and low-density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings provide a unique perspective on the prevalence, genetic characteristics, and metabolic profile of NAFLD in older lean individuals in China. This is the first study to examine the association between genetic variants in the FTO, TFAP2B and GCKR genes and NAFLD in a cohort of lean individuals.

PMID:36627697 | DOI:10.1186/s12902-022-01234-w

BMC Nutr. 2023 Jan 10;9(1):7. doi: 10.1186/s40795-023-00672-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breakfast is considered the day’s most important meal. Skipping breakfast consumption is detrimental to health and intellectual performance. University life has tight schedules and rigorous intellectual activities often very early in the morning. This study aimed at assessing breakfast intake and its associated factors among the students of Takoradi Technical University (TTU).

METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data was collected from 347 students in TTU using pre-tested questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using STATA v17. It employed descriptive and inferential statistics such as logistic regression. P-value less than 0.05 was set as statistical significance at 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS: Regular breakfast was taken by 35.7% of the students. Higher odds of regular breakfast intake were found among respondents aged 25-29 years (AOR = 3.13, 95%CI = 1.57-6.24) and those who buy their breakfast (AOR = 5.13, 95%CI = 2.16-12.19). However, lower odds of regular breakfast consumption were found among respondents who were females (AOR = 0.40, 95%CI = 0.18-0.85). Barriers to regular breakfast intake included negative mood, insufficient funds, health condition, weight management, religious reasons such as fasting, limited time/unfavourable academic schedules, daily activities/workload, and cost of food on campus.

CONCLUSION: The study stressed on the need for external and personal factors such as sex, age, religion, limited time/unfavourable academic schedules among others that hinder habitual breakfast intake to be addressed adopting innovative approach such as peer education and campaigns. University management should implement favourable policies on academic schedules, canteens/cafeterias, less stringent regulation on cooking at halls of residence.

PMID:36627687 | DOI:10.1186/s40795-023-00672-6

BMC Nutr. 2023 Jan 10;9(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s40795-023-00670-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In infant and young child feeding practice parents are the primary agents for childcare activities, such as feeding. Mothers’ role in infant and young child feeding practice has been the focus of previous research. The involvement of fathers in child-feeding practice has rarely been studied. Thus, this study aimed to assess fathers’ involvement in the complementary feeding of children and identify factors associated with it in Southern Ethiopia.

METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted which included a survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). The survey was conducted with 593 fathers who have at least one child of age 6-23 months. Four FGDs were conducted with fathers, and 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with fathers, mothers, and community health workers. The survey data were entered into Epi data software version 1.4.4.0 and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed and statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. All interviews and FGDs were transcribed, coded, categorized, and analyzed using open code software version 4.0.2.

RESULTS: Of the total sample of 593, 50.9% of the fathers in the study were involved in their children’s complementary feeding practices. Fathers with better household income (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.22) and good perception of child complementary feeding practice (AOR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.52) were more likely to be involved in their children’s complementary feeding practice. The majority of the fathers had better knowledge about the recommended complementary feeding practices.

CONCLUSIONS: Income-generating activities and behavioral change communication for fathers should be encouraged to improve their involvement in child feeding. Community-based nutrition programs should also give due attention to increasing the involvement of fathers.

PMID:36627682 | DOI:10.1186/s40795-023-00670-8

J Cardiothorac Surg. 2023 Jan 10;18(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13019-022-02080-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Stanford type A aortic dissection (T(A)AD) is one of the most dangerous cardiovascular diseases and morbid obesity is associated with the prognosis of many cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of morbid obesity on in-hospital mortality, total hospital costs and discover the prevalence of morbid obesity among inpatients with T(A)AD.

METHODS: Patients with a primary diagnosis of T(A)AD were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database (NIS) from 2008 to 2017. These patients were categorized into non-obesity, obesity and morbid obesity. Multivariable regression models were utilized to assess the association between obesity/morbid obesity and in-hospital mortality, total cost and other clinical factors. The temporal trend in prevalence of obesity/morbid obesity in T(A)ADs and the trend of in-hospital mortality among different weight categories were also explored.

RESULTS: From the NIS database 8489 T(A)AD inpatients were identified, of which 7230 (85.2%) patients were non-obese, 822 (9.7%) were obese and 437 (5.1%) were morbid obese. Morbid obesity was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.86), 8% higher total cost compared with the non-obese patients. From 2008 to 2017, the rate of obesity and morbid obesity in patients with T(A)AD have significantly increased from 7.36 to 11.33% (P < 0.001) and from 1.95 to 7.37% (P < 0.001). Factors associated with morbid obesity in T(A)ADs included age, female, elective admission, hospital region, dyslipidemia, smoking, rheumatoid arthritis/collagen vascular diseases, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes and hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS: Morbid obesity are connected with worse clinical outcomes and more health resource utilization in T(A)AD patients. Appropriate medical resource orientation and weight management education for T(A)AD patients may be necessary.

PMID:36627663 | DOI:10.1186/s13019-022-02080-6