Category: Nevin Manimala

Int Microbiol. 2026 Jul 4. doi: 10.1007/s10123-026-00847-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Talaromyces purpurogenus is a filamentous fungus capable of producing red polyketide-like pigments with potential as natural alternatives to synthetic colorants. This study investigated the ecological distribution, phylogenetic diversity, and relative pigment-producing capacity of T. purpurogenus isolates recovered from agricultural soils, decaying fruits, spoiled grains/cereals, and stored feed/food materials. A total of 35 isolates were obtained, with the highest isolation frequencies observed in agricultural soils and spoiled grains/cereals. Molecular identification based on ITS rDNA and β-tubulin sequence similarity supported the assignment of the isolates to T. purpurogenus. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis revealed well-supported intraspecific subclades, suggesting notable genetic diversity among the examined isolates. Pigment production, semi-quantitatively evaluated spectrophotometrically at 500 nm (OD₅₀₀) following ethyl acetate extraction, varied significantly among isolates. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between phylogenetic clustering and relative pigment production (p < 0.001), as well as between ecological origin and pigment production levels (p < 0.01), indicating that pigment-associated phenotypes are influenced by both genetic background and environmental factors. Strain PP05 exhibited the highest relative pigment production and was selected for optimization studies. Experimental analysis showed that pH, temperature, carbon and nitrogen sources, and incubation period significantly affected pigment production (p < 0.001), with maximum relative pigment production recorded at pH 5.0 and 24 °C in sucrose-peptone medium after 7 days. These findings provide an eco-phylogenetic perspective on pigment-associated variability in T. purpurogenus and highlight its relevance for future strain-selection and biotechnological studies.

PMID:42400698 | DOI:10.1007/s10123-026-00847-8

J Med Syst. 2026 Jul 4;50(1):107. doi: 10.1007/s10916-026-02434-w.

ABSTRACT

Medically specialized AI systems that have obtained regulatory clearance as medical devices can be deployed for patient-specific clinical decision support under defined compliance requirements. However, it remains unclear whether medical specialization and regulatory status translate into higher-quality breast cancer treatment recommendations than those produced by a general-purpose large language model (LLM). This blinded, multicenter study compared the performance of two medically specialized AI systems with a general-purpose model in breast cancer care. Two medically specialized (Prof. Valmed and OpenEvidence) and one general-purpose system (ChatGPT-5 Thinking) were prompted to generate treatment plans for 20 standardized breast cancer patient cases. Outputs were rated and ranked by blinded, board-certified breast cancer specialists from seven university breast cancer centers for safety, guideline adherence, medical adequacy, completeness, overall quality, and logical coherence. Statistical analyses comprised descriptive statistics, inter-rater reliability assessment, non-parametric performance comparisons of rating and ranking outcomes, and correlation analyses. Mean (± standard deviation) processing time for ChatGPT-5 Thinking (159 ± 58 s) was more than fourfold higher than that of Prof. Valmed (35 ± 4) and OpenEvidence (9 ± 1). ChatGPT-5 Thinking achieved significantly higher ratings across all evaluation categories, with no significant differences between the two medically specialized systems. Treatment plans generated by ChatGPT-5 Thinking were ranked as the top choice in 96.4% of rater-case combinations, compared with 3.6% for OpenEvidence, while Prof. Valmed was never ranked first. In this blinded, multicenter evaluation, a general-purpose LLM outperformed two medically specialized, retrieval-augmented systems in generating breast cancer treatment plans across all assessed categories. These results indicate that while regulatory clearance and domain specialization address key requirements for AI-enabled clinical decision support systems, these factors alone do not translate into superior performance in breast cancer care. At present, medically specialized systems may be best used as supportive tools under expert oversight, while further optimization and real-world validation are needed.Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

PMID:42400697 | DOI:10.1007/s10916-026-02434-w

Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2026 Jul 4;54(4):87. doi: 10.1007/s10802-026-01473-8.

ABSTRACT

Externalising behaviour-such as aggression, impulsivity, and defiance-is a persistent form of childhood maladjustment, yet the mechanisms linking early risk factors to later outcomes remain debated. Research has focused on harsh parenting practices and children’s emotion regulation difficulties as key processes shaping conduct problems across early childhood. However, while prior research has predominantly examined parent-driven pathways, transactional models suggest that parent and child influences may be bidirectional. Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (N = 16,328; 51% male), this study examined reciprocal longitudinal associations between harsh parenting, emotional dysregulation, and conduct problems across ages 3, 5, and 7. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to test whether emotional dysregulation mediates associations between harsh parenting and conduct problems in both directions. Results provided evidence for reciprocal mediation processes: harsh parenting was associated with subsequent increases in emotional dysregulation and later conduct problems, and early conduct problems were associated with later emotional dysregulation and harsher parenting practices. Both indirect effects were statistically significant. The child-driven pathway (β = 0.055) was larger than the parent-driven pathway (β = 0.013), although both effects were modest in magnitude. Findings were robust to sensitivity analyses addressing measurement overlap and unmeasured time-varying confounding. These results extend prior research by demonstrating that emotional dysregulation mediates bidirectional parent-child processes, with asymmetry favouring child-driven effects. Findings are consistent with transactional models of parent-child dynamics and suggest that interventions targeting both harsh parenting and children’s emotion regulation difficulties may help disrupt escalating cycles of risk in early childhood.

PMID:42400690 | DOI:10.1007/s10802-026-01473-8

Cancer Causes Control. 2026 Jul 4;37(8):122. doi: 10.1007/s10552-026-02184-7.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to elucidate life-course and current exercise levels among women aged 50-69 who participated in BreastScreen Norway during the period from 2006 to 2015, and to estimate the risk of breast cancer based on exercise trajectory classes and current exercise level.

METHODS: Self-reported data from 325,953 women were utilized for descriptive and exploratory analyses. Retrospective information about exercise levels at ages 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, and 40-49 was used to establish exercise trajectory classes, while reported exercise at ages 50-69 was considered as current activity. Hazard Ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for age, educational level and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS: Adjusted HR of breast cancer was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.98) for women in the stable high class and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89-0.99) for those in the increasing trajectory class compared to the stable low class. The HRs was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97) for 4.5 h current exercise per week and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.62-0.84) for ≥ 6 h, compared to those reporting no current exercise. Statistically significant results were observed for asymptomatic (screen-detected) and symptomatic cancers. Stratification by BMI and smoking status did not reveal substantial differences in the risk estimates.

CONCLUSION: Engaging in high-level exercise throughout one’s lifetime significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer. This study highlights the importance of maintaining or increasing physical activity levels throughout life to mitigate breast cancer risk.

PMID:42400682 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-026-02184-7

J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia. 2026 Jul 4. doi: 10.1007/s10911-026-09611-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recent multicenter studies aim to define the effects of mothers’ blood glucose levels during pregnancy on mammary gland function and breast milk composition. Gene expression measured in cells in milk can serve as a liquid biopsy to evaluate the molecular biology of the mammary gland. Critical to this aim is reproducible and high-quality extraction of RNA from milk and harmonized collection protocols from across centers. To address this, we performed a study to optimize milk RNA quality metrics where samples are collected at multiple centers and shipped to a central laboratory for processing and analysis.

METHODS: Lactating mothers provided breast milk following informed consent. The treatments of the samples were as follows: (1) 200 µL of fresh, never frozen milk used as control (FRESH); (2) 1.7 or 5 mL of milk frozen and thawed on ice before adding TRIzol (FRZ); (3) 200 µL of milk frozen and thawed after adding TRIzol (FRZ 200); and (4) 200 µL of milk with 20 µL of RNA preservative added, frozen and thawed after adding TRIzol (FRZ + INH). In all scenarios, RNA was extracted using TRIzol followed by purification with a Qiagen RNeasy Mini kit. For the FRZ 200 and FRZ 200 + INH samples, TRIzol was directly added at the start of thawing, before extraction. Outcomes included RNA concentration, RNA purity (260/280 ratio), RNA fragmentation (DV 200), RNA integrity number (RIN), quantification via Qubit fluorescence-based assays, and visualization of RNA size on an Agilent TapeStation. A RIN cut-off value ≥ 7 indicated acceptable quality for transcriptomics studies. RNA quality metrics were modeled as continuous outcomes using linear mixed-effects regression models.

RESULTS: For FRESH milk (n = 15) the estimated marginal mean (EMM) RIN was 7.48 (SE 0.29). For FRZ 200, (n = 22), the EMM RIN was 6.94 (SE 0.26). Samples of FRZ 200 + INH (n = 21) had an EMM RIN of 7.81 (SE 0.26). However, FRZ (n = 19) samples demonstrated markedly reduced RNA integrity with an EMM RIN of 1.92 (SE 0.26). RIN was not significantly different in FRESH versus FRZ 200 or FRZ 200 + INH milk. FRZ 200 + INH samples showed a statistically significant improvement in RIN compared to FRZ 200 (p = 0.0038). RNA quantities were sufficient for sequencing across all treatments.

CONCLUSIONS: The addition of TRIzol directly to a 200 µL aliquot of milk at the start of thawing provided the highest integrity of extracted milk RNA, as measured by RIN. Adding RNase inhibitor at the time of sample collection, prior to freezing, also enhanced RNA integrity. We have developed a method to optimize the integrity of RNA from frozen human milk samples. This is a crucial methods improvement for multi-center studies where freezing of milk samples is often required prior to RNA extraction and analysis. These results can inform reproducible research protocols for evaluating the use of breastmilk as a liquid biopsy for mammary gland function.

PMID:42400681 | DOI:10.1007/s10911-026-09611-0

Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2026 Jul 4;36(1):273. doi: 10.1007/s00590-026-04854-3.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether incorporation of arterial injury into CT-based zone-of-injury (ZOI) models improves complication prediction after open tibial shaft fractures.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at an urban multicenter academic hospital (2012-2024). Patients ≥ 18 years with open OTA 42A-C tibia fractures, preoperative CT, and ≥ 6 months follow-up were included. Arterial injury and wound location within the anterior tibial, posterior tibial, or peroneal angiosomes were identified on CT angiography. Soft-tissue ZOI (longitudinal extent of soft-tissue air) and fracture ZOI (fracture span) were normalized to tibial length. The primary outcome was a composite complication of fracture-related infection, nonunion, or amputation. Logistic regression identified predictors, and ROC analysis compared discrimination of (1) an angiosome-augmented ZOI model, (2) a standard ZOI model, and (3) Gustilo-Anderson classification.

RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were included: 32 (39.0%) developed major complications. Arterial injury was present in 11 patients and significantly associated with complications (72.7% vs 33.8%, p = 0.020). The augmented ZOI model included arterial injury, anterior angiosome involvement, number of angiosomes affected, normalized soft-tissue ZOI, and BMI (AUROC 0.777), outperforming the standard ZOI model (AUROC 0.707) and Gustilo-Anderson classification (AUROC 0.592). DeLong testing showed no significant difference between ZOI and the augmented model.

CONCLUSION: The original CT-based ZOI model, which incorporates soft-tissue injury measurements normalized to tibial length and BMI, remains a robust objective predictor of complications following open tibial shaft fractures, consistent with prior published work. While arterial injury is associated with adverse outcomes, its addition to ZOI-based models does not significantly improve predictive performance. Notably, only the arterial-augmented ZOI model demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in discrimination over the Gustilo-Anderson classification, whereas the standard ZOI model did not reach significance in this cohort, suggesting that augmentation may be necessary to meaningfully surpass subjective wound grading.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID:42400670 | DOI:10.1007/s00590-026-04854-3

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2026 Jul 4:1-15. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2026.2697724. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To compare the facial emotion recognition (FER) accuracy and reaction time (RT) of patients with performance-type social anxiety disorder (pSAD) and generalized-type social anxiety disorder (gSAD) with healthy controls (HCs).

METHOD: A total of 56 patients who were diagnosed as having SAD (31 gSAD and, 25 pSAD) according to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) were included in the study. Forty individuals with no psychiatric disorders were included as the HCs. FER skills were assessed using a task that included Ekman’s basic emotions and a neutral face. Additionally, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) were administered to all participants.

RESULTS: FER performances of patients with pSAD were similar to the HC group. The accuracy rates for emotions other than sadness in patients with gSAD were similar to those in the HC group. The RT to all facial expressions in patients with gSAD was statistically significantly shorter than in the HCs (p < 0.005). The RT given to facial emotions other than sadness was shorter in the pSAD patient group compared with the HC group. A negative correlation was found between STAI-state anxiety and neutral face recognition. (r = -0.308, p < 0.05). However, except for neutral face recognition, no significant correlation was observed between the BDI, STAI-state, STAI-trait, LSAS-fear, LSAS-avoidance, and FERT subscales.

CONCLUSION: The current study casts doubt on some of the effects reported in the literature on SAD’s FER ability. In this study, no significant difference was found in FER ability among SAD subtypes; this may suggest that a common mechanism exists in both subtypes.

PMID:42400335 | DOI:10.1080/13803395.2026.2697724

Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2026 Aug;18(4):e70184. doi: 10.1111/aphw.70184.

ABSTRACT

Savoring has been identified as a promising strategy to foster emotional and psychological well-being and to reduce depression in elders. However, research on online savoring interventions for this population remains limited. This registered RCT aimed to examine the effectiveness of a 3-week online intervention (six activities), Savor-Aging, in promoting subjective and psychological well-being and reducing depressive symptoms. Seventy-six healthy older adults (M = 69.9, SD = 4.8) were randomly assigned to a savoring group or a positive emotion (PE) group. Life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, flourishing, and depression were assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 1-month follow-up (T2) to test psychological changes. Longitudinal quantitative data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, whereas qualitative feedback was thematically analyzed. Significant overall time effects emerged for negative affect and depressive symptoms. Although most time × group interactions were not significant, the savoring condition showed more consistent improvements over time, including reductions in negative affect and depressive symptoms that were maintained at follow-up. Significant time effects emerged for flourishing only in the savoring group immediately after the intervention. Participants described the savoring intervention as pleasant, engaging, and meaningful. Overall, Savor-Aging appears to be a feasible and effective self-help intervention to support emotional well-being and reduce depression in older adults, offering an accessible approach to positive aging.

PMID:42400304 | DOI:10.1111/aphw.70184

HLA. 2026 Jul;108(1):e70817. doi: 10.1111/tan.70817.

ABSTRACT

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a cornerstone therapy for haematological and genetic disorders. Owing to the limited availability of HLA-identical related donors, umbilical cord blood (UCB) has become a valuable alternative source of haematopoietic progenitors. However, many UCB units are excluded from banking based on quality criteria, despite potentially harbouring rare and underrepresented HLA profiles, particularly within certain demographic groups. This study evaluated the strategic value of immunogenetically rare but low-quality UCB units in expanding donor options for patients with uncommon HLA profiles. HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 typing was performed on 577 UCB units, and allelic, haplotypic, and genetic diversity analyses were conducted using the HLA-net GENE[RATE] tool. Units were categorised using the Search Prognosis Application as good (6/6), fair (5/6), or poor (< 5/6 matches). Genotype frequency was used as a proxy for immunogenetic rarity and evaluated as an operational criterion for defining retention thresholds. ROC analyses were interpreted as concordance analyses between genotype frequency and Search Prognosis classification rather than as independent predictive validation. Statistical significance was assessed by chi-square and residual analyses. The cohort displayed remarkable allelic diversity, particularly at the HLA-B locus, strong linkage disequilibrium among loci, and a large proportion of unique genotypes. Matching-prognosis classification identified 66.72% of units as good, 31.54% as fair, and 1.73% as poor. Caucasian genotypes were overrepresented in the good category, whereas Asian-Pacific-Islander and African-American haplotypes were enriched in poorer matching-prognosis categories. ROC analysis showed strong concordance between genotype frequency and Search Prognosis classification (AUC 0.80-0.99) and population-specific genotype frequency thresholds. Our findings suggest that immunogenetic rarity provides complementary value to conventional quality metrics. While low-cell-dose units may have limited direct clinical utility, those with rare HLA genotypes may retain strategic importance, particularly for patients with uncommon immunogenetic profiles. Integrative approaches combining biological and immunogenetic parameters may improve cord blood banking strategies.

PMID:42400301 | DOI:10.1111/tan.70817

J Health Psychol. 2026 Jul 4:13591053261462435. doi: 10.1177/13591053261462435. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study examined the current status of dietary management behavior in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and explored factors associated with these behaviors using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, guided by the Temporal Self-regulation Theory. Validated scales were employed to assess dietary beliefs, consideration of future consequences, intention, habit, self-regulation capacity and dietary management behaviors in patients with IBD. The results indicated that intention was associated with dietary management behaviors and showed indirect associations between dietary beliefs and dietary management behaviors, as well as between consideration of future consequences and dietary management behaviors. The moderating effects of habit and self-regulation capacity on the association between intention and dietary management behaviors were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that dietary beliefs, consideration of future consequences, intention, habit, and self-regulation capacity are associated with dietary management behaviors among patients with IBD. These results provide implications for the development of supportive strategies for dietary self-management in patients with IBD.

PMID:42400280 | DOI:10.1177/13591053261462435