Category: Nevin Manimala

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2025 Aug 13:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2025.2545521. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D), total IgE, eosinophil levels, and outdoor exposure time in relation to disease severity in children with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). It also assessed these parameters across VKC subtypes.

METHODS: The study included 40 VKC patients and 43 healthy controls. Ophthalmologic examinations, serum 25-OH D, total IgE, eosinophil levels, and outdoor exposure times were evaluated. Disease severity was graded using Bonini’s system. Multinomial logistic regression was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: VKC patients had significantly lower 25-OH D (16.70 ± 5.50 vs. 23.98 ± 7.83 ng/ml, p < 0.001), higher IgE (248.52 ± 161.16 vs. 34.86 ± 17.38 ng/ml, p < 0.001), elevated eosinophils (365.72 ± 182.43 vs. 152.06 ± 80.23 cells/ml, p < 0.001), and reduced outdoor time (136.50 ± 42.39 vs. 210.0 ± 44.40 minutes, p < 0.001) compared to controls. 25-OH D negatively correlated with IgE (r = -0.505, p < 0.001) and eosinophils (r = -0.643, p < 0.001). Elevated IgE was significantly linked to mild-to-moderate VKC severity (OR = 1.120, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: VKC patients exhibited lower serum 25-OH D and reduced daytime outdoor exposure, likely due to photophobia, compared to controls. No significant association was found between vitamin D or outdoor time and VKC severity. High IgE and eosinophil levels support VKC’s allergic origin. The inverse correlations between 25-OH D, IgE, and eosinophil may suggest an immunomodulatory role. Large-scale, prospective interventional studies are warranted to validate these findings and elucidate causal relationships.

PMID:40802791 | DOI:10.1080/09273948.2025.2545521

PLoS One. 2025 Aug 13;20(8):e0328980. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328980. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 10% of the global population and is closely linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), a key hematological parameter, has been associated with various clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between MCV and mortality in CKD patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) has not been thoroughly investigated, with previous studies primarily limited to single-center designs.

METHODS: This retrospective multicenter cohort study analyzed data from the eICU-CRD and MIMIC-IV databases. Statistical analyses involved Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to assess the potential nonlinear relationships between MCV and mortality.

RESULTS: A total of 23,724 patients were included in the analysis. Higher MCV levels were significantly associated with increased 30-day and 90-day in-hospital mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a higher mortality risk in patients with the highest MCV levels. Cox models confirmed that MCV was a significant risk factor for mortality, with hazard ratios indicating an increased risk with each unit increase in MCV. Subgroup analyses consistently showed that elevated MCV levels were associated with a higher mortality risk across different patient groups.

CONCLUSION: This first multicenter study demonstrated that elevated MCV levels are significantly associated with higher short-term mortality in CKD ICU patients, suggesting that MCV could serve as a potential biomarker for risk stratification. Future research should validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

PMID:40802782 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0328980

Sci Adv. 2025 Aug 15;11(33):eadt9311. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adt9311. Epub 2025 Aug 13.

ABSTRACT

In topology, averaging over local geometrical details reveals robust global features. These are crucial in physics for understanding quantized bulk transport and exotic boundary effects of linear wave propagation in (meta-)materials. Beyond linear Hamiltonian systems, topological physics strives to characterize open (non-Hermitian) and interacting systems. Here, we establish a framework for the topological classification of driven-dissipative nonlinear systems by defining a graph index for their Floquet semiclassical equations of motion. Our index builds upon the topology of vector flows and encodes the particle-hole nature of excitations around all out-of-equilibrium stationary states. Thus, we uncover the topology of nonlinear resonator’s dynamics under external and parametric forcing. Our framework sheds light on the topology of driven-dissipative phases, including under- to overdamped responses and symmetry-broken phases linked to population inversion. We therefore expose the pervasive link between topology and nonlinear dynamics, with broad implications for interacting topological insulators, topological solitons, neuromorphic networks, and bosonic codes.

PMID:40802767 | DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adt9311

PLoS One. 2025 Aug 13;20(8):e0329557. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329557. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The rise in global temperatures due to climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of heat waves, disproportionately affecting outdoor workers. This is particularly concerning in low- and middle-income countries like Nepal, where inadequate policies and limited awareness leave outdoor workers highly vulnerable. This study explores the knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP), and perceived risks of heatwaves among outdoor workers in Nepal.

METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted across eight districts in five provinces of Nepal, surveying 356 outdoor workers from five occupational groups: street vendors, agricultural workers, rickshaw drivers/pullers, laborers, and service workers. Eleven focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to gain deeper insights. Descriptive statistics were used to assess KAP scores, while Kernel-Based Regularized Least Square (KRLS) analysis examined the variations in practice scores among groups. Thematic analysis was applied to FGDs. The quantitative analysis was done in STATA-14, and the qualitative analysis was conducted manually.

RESULTS: The average age of participants in the study was 37.2 years (SD = 10.5), and just over half (57%) were male. On average, they had worked outdoors for about 10.7 years (SD = 8.6). Among all participants, 43% had heard of heatwaves, 86.2% were aware of heat-related incidents, and 78.6% had personally experienced them. Awareness about heatwave was positively associated with the practices of heat protection for the overall sample (practice score = 1.46, p < 0.001). Age was found to be negatively associated with the practices of heat protection (practice score = -0.03, p < 0.001). Compared to females, males had lesser practices of heat protection (practice score = -0.97, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Heatwaves pose significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable outdoor workers who often lack knowledge about protective measures. This highlights an urgent need for government-led interventions and awareness programs at both community and policy levels to address and mitigate heat stress.

PMID:40802719 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0329557

Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2025 Aug 13:1-8. doi: 10.1080/00365513.2025.2546318. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential metabolic markers related to gestational hypothyroidism in early diagnosis, to find new intervention targets, and to provide metabolic pathway information for elucidating the pathogenesis of gestational hypothyroidism.

METHODS: Sixteen patients with gestational hypothyroidism treated in a tertiary hospital of China were enrolled. 20 normal pregnant women and 20 healthy women of childbearing age were also selected as control groups. Fasting serum samples were collected from all participants. The platform of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was applied for detecting. The principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models were constructed for metabolic profile analysis. Characteristic metabolites were screened and statistically studied by Mann-Whitney test, and the biological functions and metabolic pathways of characteristic metabolites were further analyzed.

RESULTS: 13 characteristic metabolites were screened. Palmitic acid, phytosphingosine, sphinganine, phytanic acid, palmitic amide, behenic acid, cetoleic acid, cerebronic acid, N-Palmitoylsphingosine, octadecanamidein in gestational hypothyroidism group were significantly higher than those in normal pregnancy group and healthy control group (p < 0.05). The serum levels of three kinds of lysophosphatidylcholine in gestational hypothyroidism group were significantly lower than those in normal pregnancy group and healthy control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: A total of 13 characteristic metabolites were screened, whose serum levels in the gestational hypothyroidism group had the same changing trend compared to those in the normal pregnancy group and the healthy control group, with statistical differences. This may provide new ideas for early diagnosis and finding new treatment targets for gestational hypothyroidism.

PMID:40802697 | DOI:10.1080/00365513.2025.2546318

Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2025 Aug 8;46:e20240401. doi: 10.1590/1983-1447.2025.2024-0401.en. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To map scientific evidence on the (in)adequacy of the Technical Safety Index provided by the Federal Nursing Council to cover absenteeism rates in Brazilian hospital nursing.

METHOD: Scoping review conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. The search was carried out in February 2024, in the sources: Virtual Health Library, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, CAPES Periodical Portal and Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. Cross-sectional studies conducted in the hospital environment, published between 2004 and 2024, were included. After selecting the recruited material (n=1,297), the sample (n=29) was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Of the selected studies, 86.2% indicated superiority in the percentage of absence coverage recommended by the entity. Absenteeism rates ranged from 0% to 44.7% among nurses and from 0.47% to 46% among technicians/assistants. The estimated technical safety index ranged from 8.3% to 53% for nurses and from 8.77% to 54.3% for mid-level professionals.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: There is evidence to support that the minimum percentage of absenteeism coverage (6.7%) provided for by the regulatory entity is not sufficient, especially in the context of public hospitals.

PMID:40802427 | DOI:10.1590/1983-1447.2025.2024-0401.en

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Aug 8;71(7):e20250109. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20250109. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the conditioned pain modulation of patients with fibromyalgia and compare it to that of healthy individuals before and after 3 months of strength training.

METHODS: This is a prospective experimental study consisting of two independent, non-randomized groups: fibromyalgia (n=10) and healthy control (n=10). The research was conducted in person at the Unidade Saúde Escola of the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, during the period of June 2023-June 2024. The conditioned pain modulation test was administered to all patients in both groups. Twice a week (for 3 months), patients with fibromyalgia performed three sets of each exercise, with 10 repetitions, 40 s of muscle tension, and a 60-s interval between the sets. Subsequently, we compared the conditioned pain modulation test using the Student’s t-test.

RESULTS: Significant between-groups differences (p≤0.05) and large effect sizes (d≥0.8) that were observed at baseline (at times 2, 3, and 4) were not observed after 3 months of strength training, indicating that the intervention was able to improve the conditioned pain modulation in patients with fibromyalgia. Although the within-group comparisons (pre- and posttreatment) showed an absolute difference of 6.35 in central sensitization, this was not statistically significant (p≥0.05) and had a small effect size (d=0.27).

CONCLUSIONS: The conditioned pain modulation of fibromyalgia patients appears to become similar to that of healthy individuals after 3 months of strength training.

PMID:40802413 | DOI:10.1590/1806-9282.20250109

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Aug 8;71(7):e20250088. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20250088. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective cross-sectional study was to determine serum D-dimer and fibrinogen concentrations in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum and compare them with those of healthy pregnant women.

METHODS: The study group consisted of 50 patients diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. The control group consisted of 50 healthy pregnant women. Maternal characteristics such as age, gestational age, body mass index, gravida, and parity were recorded. Following a 12-h fasting period, venous blood samples of 10 cc were collected. The blood samples were centrifuged, and serum was stored at -80°C until assay. Blood count, coagulation profiles, and biochemical analyses were performed, and the results were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.

RESULTS: The data of 45 patients in the hyperemesis gravidarum group and 47 patients in the control group were analyzed. Serum levels of hemoglobin, white blood cell and platelet counts, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and international normalized ratio were similar between groups (p>0.05). There was a positive association between serum D-dimer levels and serum fibrinogen levels (p=0.039, r=0.215). Also, a positive association was observed between serum D-dimer levels with the degree of ketonuria (p=0.008, r=0.274) and the number of vomitings per day (p=0.02, r=0.346) in hyperemesis gravidarum patients.

CONCLUSION: Serum D-dimer levels were not different in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum versus healthy women during the first trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women tend to have higher D-dimer concentrations as hyperemesis gravidarum severity increases. Serum D-dimer levels cannot be used for the evaluation of potential venous thromboembolism in patients diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum.

PMID:40802411 | DOI:10.1590/1806-9282.20250088

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Aug 8;71(7):e20250075. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20250075. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anticholinergic drug burden and clinical frailty in patients with urinary incontinence.

METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 197 patients who were aged ≥60 years old and admitted to Family Medicine and Urology Departments of Kırıkkale Faculty of Medicine between May 2024 and August 2024. Anticholinergic burden was calculated using anticholinergic burden calculator, frailty was assessed using the clinical frailty scale, and these patients were assigned a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill).

RESULTS: The mean age of the 197 participants in our study was 67.71±6.85 and 92 (46.7%) were female. The mean anticholinergic burden score was 2.43±1.77 and clinical frailty scale score was 4.75±1.05. There was a statistically significant difference between age groups, gender, marital status, educational status, anticholinergic burden status, and clinical frailty scale score (p<0.001, p=0.001, p=0.033, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). There was also a statistically significant distance between age groups, gender, marital status, educational status, and anticholinergic aurden score (p=0.001, p=0.023, p=0.013, p=0.042, respectively). A strong, positive, and significant correlation was found between anticholinergic burden and frailty (r=0.728, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlighted that it is useful to evaluate the anticholinergic burden and reconsider treatment options when prescribing to elderly patients with urinary incontinence.

PMID:40802409 | DOI:10.1590/1806-9282.20250075

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Aug 8;71(7):e20242031. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20242031. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum and compare them with healthy pregnant women.

METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, sample size calculation using G*Power determined a minimum of 40 participants per group, totaling 80 participants. The study included 43 pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum and 43 healthy pregnant controls. Hyperemesis gravidarum diagnosis was based on clinical and laboratory criteria, including weight loss, ketonuria, and electrolyte imbalance. Exclusion criteria included pre-existing cardiovascular or systemic diseases, multiple pregnancies, and smoking. Serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels and various biochemical parameters were measured using standard laboratory techniques. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: B-type natriuretic peptide levels were significantly higher in the hyperemesis gravidarum group compared to the control group (HG: 9.6±2.5 pg/mL [95%CI 8.9-10.3]; control: 8.1±1.8 pg/mL [95%CI 7.5-8.6]; Cohen’s d=0.70, p=0.016). No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of age, body mass index, and other biochemical parameters, including hemoglobin, electrolytes, and inflammatory markers. B-type natriuretic peptide levels were not significantly correlated with gestational week, maternal age, body mass index, or hemoglobin levels.

CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that B-type natriuretic peptide levels are elevated in hyperemesis gravidarum, and we believe that this may be associated with increased cardiac stress. B-type natriuretic peptide may serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring cardiovascular changes in hyperemesis gravidarum. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore the role of B-type natriuretic peptide in the clinical management of hyperemesis gravidarum.

PMID:40802403 | DOI:10.1590/1806-9282.20242031