Category: Nevin Manimala

Fam Pract. 2022 Apr 8:cmac024. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmac024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) were victims of workplace violence (WPV). There are no reliable statistics on the occurrence and consequences of WPV against HCWs in Turkey throughout the pandemic period.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the rates of WPV against HCWs in Turkey in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, variables associated with WPV, and the relationship between these variables and job satisfaction and burnout.

METHODS: A structured online questionnaire was disseminated through social media channels to HCWs in various healthcare settings. All the respondents also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Job Satisfaction Scale. Based on the data obtained, we determined the frequency, causes, and consequences of WPV against HCWs before and during the pandemic.

RESULTS: There were 701 completed questionnaires. 68.2% of participants were female, and 65.6% of them were doctors. The rate of WPV was 54.1% and 24.3% before and during the pandemic, respectively. Verbal abuse was the most common kind of WPV. Female HCWs were more likely to be physically assaulted than their male counterparts, especially those working in COVID-19 units. The majority of HCWs who were exposed to the violence at least once did not report WPV. HCWs exposed to WPV during the pandemic reported more emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a lower perceived level of personal achievement.

CONCLUSION: HCWs were exposed to significant levels of violence both before and during the pandemic. Preventing WPV against HCWs and removing barriers to reporting abuse is crucial.

PMID:35395085 | DOI:10.1093/fampra/cmac024

J Anim Sci. 2022 Apr 8:skac114. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac114. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) Ile, Leu, and Val are three dietary essential amino acids for lactating sows; however, effects of dietary BCAA on sow and litter growth performance in the literature are equivocal. Thus, a meta-regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of BCAA and their interactions in lactating sow diets to predict litter growth performance, sow bodyweight change, and sow feed intake. Thirty-four publications that represented 43 trials from 1997 to 2020 were used to develop a database that contained 167 observations. Diets for each trial were reformulated using NRC (2012) nutrient loading values in an Excel-based spreadsheet. Amino acids were expressed on a standardized ileal digestible (SID) basis. Regression model equations were developed with the MIXED procedure of SAS (Version 9.4, SAS Institute, Cary, NC) and utilized the inverse of reported squared SEM with the WEIGHT statement to account for heterogeneous errors across studies. Predictor variables were assessed with a step-wise manual forward selection for model inclusion. Additionally, statistically significant (P < 0.05) predictor variables were required to provide an improvement of at least 2 Bayesian information criterion units to be included in the final model. Significant predictor variables within three optimum equations developed for litter ADG included the count of weaned pigs per litter, NE, SID Lys, CP, sow ADFI, Val:Lys, Ile:Lys, and Leu:Val. For sow BW change, significant predictor variables within two developed models included litter size at 24 h, sow ADFI, Leu:Lys, and Ile+Val:Leu. The optimum equation for sow ADFI included Leu:Trp, SID Lys, NE, CP, and Leu:Lys as significant predictor variables. Overall, the prediction equations suggest that BCAA play an important role in litter growth, sow BW change, and feed intake during lactation; however, the influence of BCAA on these criteria is much smaller than that of other dietary components such as NE, SID Lys, sow ADFI, and CP.

PMID:35395081 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skac114

J Anim Sci. 2022 Apr 8:skac117. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac117. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to determine the energy utilization responses of growing pigs and broiler chickens to poultry meal that was autoclaved at 134°C for 0 to 180 min. Poultry meal from the same batch was autoclaved at 134°C for 7 autoclaving times of 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, or 180 min to generate 7 samples. Eight experimental diets consisting of a basal diet based on corn and soybean meal, and 7 test diets in which 15% of energy-contributing ingredients in the basal diet was replaced with each of the 7 poultry meal samples were used. In experiment 1, there were 64 barrows (initial body weight = 19.4 ± 1.0 kg) allotted to 8 experimental diets in a randomized complete block design with body weight as a blocking factor. Each pig received experimental diet during 5 d of adaptation followed by 5 d of quantitative total, but separate, collection of urine and feces. In experiment 2, a total of 512 male broiler chickens at d 17 post hatching (initial body weight = 660 ± 80 g) in 8 replicate cages were allotted to 8 experimental diets in a randomized complete block design with body weight as a blocking factor. Excreta were collected from d 20 to 22 post hatching, and birds were euthanized by CO2 asphyxiation for ileal digesta collection. Data from experiments 1 and 2 were pooled together for statistical analysis as a 2 × 7 factorial treatment arrangement with the effect of species (pigs or broiler chickens) and autoclaving time of poultry meal (7 autoclaving times between 0 and 180 min). An interaction between species and linear effect of autoclaving time was observed (P < 0.05) in metabolizable energy (ME) of poultry meal. Specifically, linear decrease in ME values in poultry meal with increasing autoclaving time was greater (P < 0.05) in growing pigs (4,792 to 3,897 kcal/kg dry matter) compared with broiler chickens (3,591 to 3,306 kcal/kg dry matter). The ME value of unautoclaved poultry meal was greater (P < 0.01) for pigs than broiler chickens at 4,792 vs. 3,591 kcal/kg dry matter. Although decrease in ME values with autoclaving time of poultry meal was greater in growing pigs than in broiler chickens, the ME in autoclaved poultry meal fed to pigs was greater than ME in non-autoclaved poultry meal fed to broiler chickens. Furthermore, the ratio of cysteine to crude protein concentration is a potential indicator for estimating the ratio of ME to gross energy in poultry meal for growing pigs (r 2 = 0.81) and broiler chickens (r 2 = 0.84).

PMID:35395084 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skac117

Eur J Orthod. 2022 Apr 8:cjac012. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjac012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of clear aligner treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) compared to fixed appliance treatment.

TRIAL DESIGN: Two-arm parallel group single-centre randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: Forty-four adult patients (8 males, 36 females) were randomly and equally assigned to either the fixed appliances group (FA) or the clear aligners group (CA). Randomization with an allocation ratio of 1:1 was performed by a researcher who is not involved in the study using a random sample table. Non-extraction cases were included in this study. Outcome measures were the OHRQoL of patients and the duration of orthodontic treatment. The OHRQoL of patients was assessed by the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) at the following assessment times: before the start of treatment (T0), 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) after the start of orthodontic treatment and post-treatment (T5). The assessor was blinded during outcomes assessment and statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Two hundred and eighteen patients were evaluated for eligibility, 44 of them fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were randomly allocated to treatment groups. None of the patients was lost to follow-up. Accordingly, the results of 44 patients were statically analysed. The total OHIP-14 score was not statistically different between the FA and the CA groups at T0 (P = 0.91) and T5 (P = 0.16), whereas it was significantly lower in the CA group as compared to the FA group at T1 (mean difference [MD] = 11.04, 95% CI 8.7 to 13.42, P < 0.001), T2 (MD = 6.00, 95% CI: 4.3 to 7.7, P < 0.001), T3 (MD = 3.37, 95% CI: 1.5 to 5, P < 0.01), and T4 (MD = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.7 to 4.9, P < 0.001). Treatment duration in the CA group was significantly shorter than in the FA group (MD = 4.18, 95% CI: 2.8 to 5.5, P < 0.001). No harms were observed.

LIMITATIONS: The results were limited to the non-extraction treatment of mild to moderate crowding cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with clear aligners reported higher OHRQoL and shorter treatment duration as compared to those treated with fixed appliances.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered (DRKS-ID: DRKS00023977).

PMID:35395075 | DOI:10.1093/ejo/cjac012

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266447. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266447. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Spinal deformity is a serious economic and animal welfare problem in intensive fish farming systems, which will be a significant unsolved problem for the fish sector. The aim of this study was to determine the relative expression of genes (Akt1 substrate 1, Calreticulin, Collagen type I alpha 2 chain, Corticotropin-releasing hormone, Chromodomain-Helicase DNA-binding, Growth hormone, Insulin like growth factor 1, Myostatin, Sine oculis-related homeobox 3, Toll-like receptor 2) in different tissues associated with spinal deformity and to determine the macroelement (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur) and microelement (barium, copper, iron, manganese, strontium, zinc) content of spine in healthy and deformed common carps (Cyprinus carpio) in Hungary. The mRNA levels of the genes were measured in 7 different tissues (abdominal fat, blood, brain, dorsal muscle, genitals, heart, liver) by qRT-PCR. Correlations between gene expression and element content were analyzed by using linear regression and Spearman rank correlation. In a total of 15 cases, we found a statistically significant connection between gene expression in a tissue and the macro- or microelement content of the spine. In these contexts, the genes Akt1 substrate 1 (3), Collagen type I alpha 2 chain (2), Corticotropin-releasing hormone (4), Insulin-like growth factor 1 (4), and Myostatin (2), the tissue’s blood (3), brain (6), heart (5), and liver (1), the macroelements sodium (4), magnesium (4), phosphorus (1) and sulfur (2) as well as the microelement iron (4) were involved. We also found statistically significant mRNA level differences between healthy and deformed common carps in tissues that were not directly affected by the deformation. Based on our results, genes regulating the nervous system and growth, elements, and tissues are the most associated components in the phenomenon of spinal deformity. With our study, we wish to give direction to and momentum for the exploration of these complex processes.

PMID:35395053 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266447

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266350. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266350. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Item response theory (IRT) is the statistical paradigm underlying a dominant family of generative probabilistic models for test responses, used to quantify traits in individuals relative to target populations. The graded response model (GRM) is a particular IRT model that is used for ordered polytomous test responses. Both the development and the application of the GRM and other IRT models require statistical decisions. For formulating these models (calibration), one needs to decide on methodologies for item selection, inference, and regularization. For applying these models (test scoring), one needs to make similar decisions, often prioritizing computational tractability and/or interpretability. In many applications, such as in the Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB), tractability implies approximating an individual’s score distribution using estimates of mean and variance, and obtaining that score conditional on only point estimates of the calibrated model. In this manuscript, we evaluate the calibration and scoring of models under this common use-case using Bayesian cross-validation. Applied to the WD-FAB responses collected for the National Institutes of Health, we assess the predictive power of implementations of the GRM based on their ability to yield, on validation sets of respondents, ability estimates that are most predictive of patterns of item responses. Our main finding indicates that regularized Bayesian calibration of the GRM outperforms the regularization-free empirical Bayesian procedure of marginal maximum likelihood. We also motivate the use of compactly supported priors in test scoring.

PMID:35395055 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266350

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266828. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266828. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder that causes significant social and functional impairment. Currently, the diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on information gleaned from the patient’s self-report, what the clinician observes directly, and what the clinician gathers from collateral informants, but these elements are prone to subjectivity. Utilizing computer vision to measure facial expressions is a promising approach to adding more objectivity in the evaluation and diagnosis of schizophrenia.

METHOD: We conducted a systematic review using PubMed and Google Scholar. Relevant publications published before (including) December 2021 were identified and evaluated for inclusion. The objective was to conduct a systematic review of computer vision for facial behavior analysis in schizophrenia studies, the clinical findings, and the corresponding data processing and machine learning methods.

RESULTS: Seventeen studies published between 2007 to 2021 were included, with an increasing trend in the number of publications over time. Only 14 articles used interviews to collect data, of which different combinations of passive to evoked, unstructured to structured interviews were used. Various types of hardware were adopted and different types of visual data were collected. Commercial, open-access, and in-house developed models were used to recognize facial behaviors, where frame-level and subject-level features were extracted. Statistical tests and evaluation metrics varied across studies. The number of subjects ranged from 2-120, with an average of 38. Overall, facial behaviors appear to have a role in estimating diagnosis of schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms. When studies were evaluated with a quality assessment checklist, most had a low reporting quality.

CONCLUSION: Despite the rapid development of computer vision techniques, there are relatively few studies that have applied this technology to schizophrenia research. There was considerable variation in the clinical paradigm and analytic techniques used. Further research is needed to identify and develop standardized practices, which will help to promote further advances in the field.

PMID:35395049 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266828

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266840. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266840. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

In Hungary, West Nile virus (WNV) has been responsible for 459 laboratory confirmed human cases between 2004 and 2019, while the first human Usutu virus (USUV) infection was confirmed only in 2018. A comprehensive serosurvey was conducted among blood donors to assess the WNV and USUV seroprevalence in 2019, one year after the largest European WNV epidemic. Altogether, 3005 plasma samples were collected and screened for WNV and USUV specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All reactive samples were further tested for tick-borne encephalitis virus IgG antibodies by ELISA. Indirect immunofluorescence test and microneutralization assay were used as confirmatory methods. Overall, the WNV seroprevalence was 4.32%, and in five blood donors USUV seropositivity was confirmed. The highest seroprevalence was measured in Central, Eastern and Southern Hungary, while the Western part of the country proved to be less affected. There was a statistically strong association between the WNV seroprevalence of 2019 and the cumulative incidence in the period of 2004 and 2019 calculated for every NUTS 3 region. The last WNV serological screening was performed in 2016 and the prevalence of anti-WNV IgG proved to be 2.19%. One year after the 2018 WNV outbreak, a significant increase in seroprevalence was observed in the Hungarian population and evidence for USUV seropositivity was also obtained. The spatial pattern of seroprevalence can support the identification of high-risk areas raising awareness of the need for increased surveillance, such as screening vector, equine, and avian populations. The communication with general practitioners and other professionals in primary health care services can support the early identification of acute human cases. Education and awareness-raising on the importance of protection against mosquito vectors amongst residents are also important parts of preventive measures.

PMID:35395048 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266840

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266723. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266723. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medication counselling is an important activity that improves patient therapeutic outcomes. After this activity has been carried out, patients should be satisfied with counselling, and possess adequate knowledge about their medications.

OBJECTIVES: To describe outpatient/caregiver medication knowledge and satisfaction with medication counselling at the main outpatient pharmacies of eight public secondary and tertiary hospitals located in two states in Northwestern Nigeria.

METHODS: Exit interviews were conducted from December 2019 to March 2020 with randomly sampled patients/caregivers who had just been dispensed one or more prescription medications from the main pharmacies of the hospitals. The questionnaire used contained 31 questions in three sections. The first section collected demographic information. The second section assessed respondents’ experiences and overall satisfaction with the counselling they had received. The last section evaluated respondents’ knowledge of one randomly selected prescription medication that had been dispensed to them. Data collected were coded and analyzed to generate descriptive statistics. To explore associations between respondent characteristics and overall satisfaction, non-parametric tests were used, and statistical significance set at p<0.05.

RESULTS: A total of 684 patients/caregivers were interviewed. Majority of respondents agreed that the time spent (97.1%) and quantity of information (99.1%) provided during counselling was adequate. However, over 60% of them also agreed that dispensers did not assess their understanding of information provided or invite them to ask questions. Despite this, their average overall satisfaction with counselling on a 10-point scale was 8.6 ± 1.6. Over 90% of them also correctly identified the routes and frequency of administration of the prescribed medication selected for the knowledge assessment. Although, more than 60% of respondents did not know the duration of therapy or names of these medications.

CONCLUSION: Respondents’ satisfaction with medication counselling was fairly high even though they did not seem to know much about their medication.

PMID:35395046 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266723

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 8;17(4):e0266838. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266838. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Tennis is a popular sport, and professional tennis matches are probably the most watched games globally. Many studies consider statistical or machine learning models to predict the results of professional tennis matches. In this study, we propose a statistical approach for predicting the match outcomes of Grand Slam tournaments, in addition to applying exploratory data analysis (EDA) to explore variables related to match results. The proposed approach introduces new variables via the Glicko rating model, a Bayesian method commonly used in professional chess. We use EDA tools to determine important variables and apply classification models (e.g., logistic regression, support vector machine, neural network and light gradient boosting machine) to evaluate the classification results through cross-validation. The empirical study is based on men’s and women’s single matches of Grand Slam tournaments (2000-2019). Our analysis results show that professional tennis ranking is the most important variable and that the accuracy of the proposed Glicko model is slightly higher than that of other models.

PMID:35395047 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266838