Category: Nevin Manimala

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Feb 4;155:111060. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2022.111060. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Clinical experience shows that children with functional dysphonia often present disorders that are associated with abnormal auditory and emotional development. These children also struggle with voice therapy, perhaps because of difficulties with auditory control during speech. It has been hypothesized that difficulties in auditory processing in children may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of childhood dysphonia.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess selected auditory functions in children with hyperfunctional dysphonia.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study group consisted of 331 children aged from 7 to 12 years suffering from hyperfunctional dysphonia. The control group consisted of 213 children aged 7-12 years. All patients underwent ENT and phoniatric examination. All children underwent two standardized psychoacoustic tests: the Frequency Pattern Test (FPT) and the Duration Pattern Test (DPT).

RESULTS: In the examined material, 223 children had edematous vocal fold nodules. The largest statistically significant differences were seen in the acoustic parameters describing relative frequency changes. FPT and DPT showed statistically significant differences in children with hyperfunctional dysphonia compared to the control group. At all ages the percentage of correctly identified tone sequences was significantly lower in children with dysphonia.

CONCLUSION: Children with hyperfunctional dysphonia have difficulties in judging the pitch and duration of auditory stimuli. Difficulties in auditory processing appear to be important in the pathomechanism of functional voice disorders. Impaired hearing processes in children with hyperfunctional dysphonia can make it difficult to obtain positive and lasting effects from voice therapy.

PMID:35202899 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2022.111060

World Neurosurg. 2022 Feb 21:S1878-8750(22)00208-X. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.061. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Malignant ischemic stroke occurs in a subgroup of patients with cerebrovascular accident who suffer massive/significant cerebral infarction. It is characterized by neurological deterioration due to progressive edema, raised intracranial pressure, and cerebral herniation. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a surgical technique that can be used in treating select cases of this condition in the presence of medically refractory intracranial hypertension. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors associated with clinical outcome, such as timing of the procedure, and post-operative lethality. We analyzed surgical characteristics associated with the prognosis in 145 patients who underwent DC secondary to Malignant Ischemic Stroke (MIS) between 2013 and 2018, associating clinical outcome in discharge, 6 and 12 months after discharge. Our inclusion criteria were DC secondary to MIS in adult patients with raised intracranial pressure signs. This study reviewed a total of 145 patients who underwent DC to treat MIS. Our analysis showed that; even though patients from cities with more than 100 km from the neurosurgical center have a worse prognosis, only the surgical head side (left versus right,p=0.001), hospitalization length (p<0.001) and earlier timing of procedure (p<0.001) were statistically relevant in having worse outcomes. Patients who took more time to get started with the neurosurgical procedure, such as living in a distant city or taking more time to be seen by a specialist, tended to have a worse prognosis. The timing of procedure, surgical side, and hospitalization length were independent predictors in determining the prognosis of the patient who underwent DC after an MIS.

PMID:35202880 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.061

Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2022 Feb 21:S1050-4648(22)00089-4. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.02.027. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In aquatic animals, dietary protein plays a crucial role in their growth and immunity. A feeding trial was conducted on soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) to assess the effects of various levels of protein on the specific growth rate (SGR), ambient water quality (total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)), hematological parameters (respiratory burst (RB), red blood cell count (RBC), albumin content (Alb), hemoglobin level (Hb) and osmolality), plasma immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels and lysozyme activity. Soft-shelled turtles weighing about 4.02 g were fed fish meal-based diets with 14.38%, 20.41%, 26.19%, 32.23%, 37.63% and 45.23% protein for 8 weeks. SGR, RBC, Hb, Alb, RB, IgM and lysozyme activity were enhanced as the dietary protein was increased from 14.38% to 26.19%, then reached a plateau. For identical feeding times, TAN and TN were increased with elevating dietary protein levels. While, no statistically significant differences were observed among the 26.19%, 32.23% and 37.63% groups. When the turtles were cultivated for 56 days and fed with 45.23% protein, the TP in the culturing water was higher than that in the other groups. An increase in dietary protein level up to 26.19% increased the RNA/DNA ratio, which subsequently plateaued at a steady level. The levels of dietary protein had no impact on osmolality or alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity. On the basis of broken-line analyses derived from SGR, the optimum dietary protein level for soft-shelled turtles was found to be 27.11% protein.

PMID:35202804 | DOI:10.1016/j.fsi.2022.02.027

J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022 Feb 21:S2468-7855(22)00040-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jormas.2022.02.009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lateral midface fractures occasionally require open reduction and internal fixation to restore function and facial symmetry. However, some patients retain facial asymmetry despite undergoing surgery due to hard tissue displacement or soft tissue sagging. This study aimed to determine the influence of soft tissue sagging on the postoperative facial symmetry.

METHODS: We examined the medical records of 590 patients who underwent planned plate removal after lateral midface or zygomatic bone fractures. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we analyzed 106 cases of lateral midface fractures for hard tissue displacement and soft tissue sagging using pre- and postoperative radiological imaging and postoperative face scanning.

RESULTS: We observed significantly larger soft tissue sagging (p<0.001) and hard tissue displacement (p=0.006) on the fractured side than on the non-fractured side. There was no correlation between differences in the soft tissue sagging and those in the hard tissue displacement (|rho|=0). Linear regression analysis showed no statistical influence of sex or age group on the soft tissue sagging and hard tissue displacement.

CONCLUSION: Therefore, we recommend treating soft tissue sagging as a discrete aspect of midfacial fracture treatment to achieve optimal postoperative facial symmetry. From a clinical perspective, we recommend better soft tissue management during open fracture treatment than focusing mainly on the reduction of bony hard tissues.

PMID:35202862 | DOI:10.1016/j.jormas.2022.02.009

Methods. 2022 Feb 21:S1046-2023(22)00036-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2022.02.006. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Interpreting observed changes over time in Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) measures is still considered a challenge. Indeed, concluding an observed change at group level is statistically significant does not necessarily equate this change is meaningful from the perspective of the patient. To help interpret within and/or between group changes in the measure over time, the estimation of the Minimal Important Difference (MID) of the instrument – the smallest value that patients consider as a perceived change – is useful. In the last 30 years, a plethora of methods and estimators have been proposed to derive this MID value using clinical data from sample of patients. MIDs for hundreds of PROs have been estimated, with frequently a substantial variability in the results depending on the method used. Nonetheless, a rigorous assessment of the statistical performances of numerous proposed methods for estimating MIDs by experimental design such as Monte-Carlo study has never been performed. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly depict a protocol for a large-scale simulation study designed to investigate the statistical performances, especially bias against a true populational value, of the common proposed estimators for MID. This paper depicts how investigated methods and estimators were retained after the conduct of a systematic review, the design of a conceptual model that formally defines what is the true populational MID value and the translation of the conceptual model into a model allowing the simulation of responses of items to a hypothetical PRO at two times of measurement along with the response to a Patient Global Rating of Change at the second time under the constraint of a known true MID value. A statistical analysis plan is depicted in order to conclude if working hypotheses on what could be appropriate MID estimators will be verified. Strengths, assumptions, and limits of the simulation model are exposed. Finally, we show how this protocol could be the basis for fostering future methodological research on the issue of interpreting changes in PRO measures.

PMID:35202798 | DOI:10.1016/j.ymeth.2022.02.006

Biotechnol Prog. 2022 Feb 24:e3247. doi: 10.1002/btpr.3247. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

As third generation feedstock, microalgae are microorganisms that can grow only in the optimum conditions. There are parameters including the concentration of macro and microelements in nutrient solution, pH, temperature, and light intensity that have significant impact on microalgal growth. In recent years, various sensing devices has been developed for sensitive measurement of these parameters during microalgal growth. In this study, a new potentiometric nitrate selective sensor was developed to indicate the nitrate uptake of microalgae and the effect of nitrate nutrient on microalgal growth, specifically, and this sensor was successfully applied to determine nitrate concentration in medium during microalgal growth. Moreover, the effects of nitrate, carbonate and phosphate concentration in the growth medium on biomass production of Chlorella minutissima were investigated by using Box-Behnken design method, and optimum conditions were determined for the highest biomass production of microalgae. As a result of the experiments, it was seen that the highest C. minutissima production was achieved using the medium consist of 2.63 g/L NaNO₃ , 0.35 g/L Na₂ CO₃ and 0.4 g/L KH₂ PO_4. Statistically, it was observed that there was a proportional relationship between the microalgae production and investigated parameters such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphate amounts of culture mediums. The electrode showed a wide linear range between 1.0×10^-1 and 5.0×10^-5 M with a detection limit of the 5×10^-6 M and the response time was found as 10 s. The results showed that developed nitrate selective sensor could be successfully applied for continuous measurement of nitrate in microalgal productions at reduced cost. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:35202519 | DOI:10.1002/btpr.3247

Equine Vet J. 2022 Feb 24. doi: 10.1111/evj.13570. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea is a common adverse effect of antimicrobial treatment in horses and has been reported following the administration of oral doxycycline. The administration of antimicrobials has also been associated with changes in the equine intestinal microbiota diversity yet has not been explored under doxycycline treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the dynamics of the faecal microbial diversity following a 5-day oral administration of doxycycline in healthy horses with Streptococcus zooepidemicus infected tissue chambers.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental prospective cohort study in a single horse group.

METHODS: Seven healthy adult horses with S. zooepidemicus infected tissue chambers received oral doxycycline at 10 mg/kg q 12h for 5-days following the tissue chamber inoculation. Faeces were collected prior to the tissue chamber inoculation and until 28-days post inoculation. Faecal microbiota was characterised by high throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. Bioinformatic analysis was performed with Mothur and statistical analysis were conducted on R Studio.

RESULTS: A significant decrease in alpha diversity, characterised by a decrease of richness and diversity, and a decrease in beta diversity, characterised by changes in relative abundance, occurred after initiation of and during the administration of doxycycline. A decrease in Verrucomicrobia and increase in Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio occurred following the initiation of treatment, with a return to initial Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio during the treatment. It took 23 days after discontinuing the treatment for the faecal microbiota to return close to the initial state.

MAIN LIMITATIONS: Lack of control population within the study.

CONCLUSIONS: Transitory intestinal dysbiosis occurs under oral administration of doxycycline in horses.

PMID:35202500 | DOI:10.1111/evj.13570

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 24;17(2):e0264341. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264341. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Genetically regulated gene expression has helped elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying complex traits. Improved high-throughput technology allows similar interrogation of the genetically regulated proteome for understanding complex trait mechanisms. Here, we used the Trans-omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Multi-omics pilot study, which comprises data from Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), to optimize genetic predictors of the plasma proteome for genetically regulated proteome-wide association studies (PWAS) in diverse populations. We built predictive models for protein abundances using data collected in TOPMed MESA, for which we have measured 1,305 proteins by a SOMAscan assay. We compared predictive models built via elastic net regression to models integrating posterior inclusion probabilities estimated by fine-mapping SNPs prior to elastic net. In order to investigate the transferability of predictive models across ancestries, we built protein prediction models in all four of the TOPMed MESA populations, African American (n = 183), Chinese (n = 71), European (n = 416), and Hispanic/Latino (n = 301), as well as in all populations combined. As expected, fine-mapping produced more significant protein prediction models, especially in African ancestries populations, potentially increasing opportunity for discovery. When we tested our TOPMed MESA models in the independent European INTERVAL study, fine-mapping improved cross-ancestries prediction for some proteins. Using GWAS summary statistics from the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study, which comprises ∼50,000 Hispanic/Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Native Americans, we applied S-PrediXcan to perform PWAS for 28 complex traits. The most protein-trait associations were discovered, colocalized, and replicated in large independent GWAS using proteome prediction model training populations with similar ancestries to PAGE. At current training population sample sizes, performance between baseline and fine-mapped protein prediction models in PWAS was similar, highlighting the utility of elastic net. Our predictive models in diverse populations are publicly available for use in proteome mapping methods at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4837327.

PMID:35202437 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0264341

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 24;17(2):e0264306. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264306. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Many preventive approaches in dentistry aim to improve oral health through behavioural instruction or intervention concerning oral health behaviour. However, it is still unknown which factors have the highest impact on oral health behaviours, such as toothbrushing or regular dental check-ups. Various external and internal individual factors such as education, experience with dentists or influence by parents could be relevant. Therefore, the present observational study investigated the influence of these factors on self-reported oral heath behaviour. One hundred and seventy participants completed standardized questionnaires about dental anxiety (Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), and dental self-efficacy perceptions (dSEP)). They also answered newly composed questionnaires on oral hygiene behaviours and attitudes, current and childhood dental experiences as well as parental oral hygiene education and care. Four independent factors, namely attitude towards oral hygiene, attitude towards one’s teeth, sense of care and self-inspection of one’s teeth were extracted from these questionnaires by rotating factor analysis. The results of the questionnaires were correlated by means of linear regressions. Dental anxiety was related to current negative emotions when visiting a dentist and negative dental-related experiences during childhood. High DAS scores, infantile and current negative experiences showed significant negative correlations with the attitude towards oral hygiene and one’s teeth. Dental anxiety and current negative dental experiences reduced participants’ dental self-efficacy perceptions as well as the self-inspection of one’s teeth. While parental care positively influenced the attitude towards one’s teeth, dental self-efficacy perceptions significantly correlated with attitude towards oral hygiene, self-inspection of one’s teeth and parental care. Dental anxiety, dental experiences, parents’ care for their children’s oral hygiene and dental self-efficacy perceptions influence the attitude towards oral hygiene and one’s own oral cavity as well as the autonomous control of one’s own dental health. Therefore, oral hygiene instruction and the development of patient-centred preventive approaches should consider these factors.

PMID:35202439 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0264306

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 24;17(2):e0264164. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264164. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are various religions in Ethiopia, of which the Orthodox Tewahido Christian accounts for 44% of the population. According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido practice close to 200 days annually are dedicated to fasting. During this time, all followers who are above seven years old are expected to abstain from all types of food, including animal source foods and water for up to some hours daily. It is possible that such practice by mothers or caregivers could affect children’s dietary practice. However, whether mothers/caregivers’ fasting status influences dietary diversity of children during these periods remained uninvestigated.

METHODS: A community-based longitudinal study was conducted in Debrebirhan, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia in seven randomly selected kebeles. We collected data in a sample of 218 mothers/caregivers, from January 29 to February 25, 2019 in the pre-fasting period and from March 18 to April 10, 2019, during fasting period on same participants. Data was entered on Epi-Data version 4.4.2.1 and analyzed using STATA 15 software. Children’s dietary diversity was measured using the World Health Organization (WHO) standardized questionnaire for infant and young child feeding. The McNemar paired test was used for comparison of baseline and end line measurements. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

RESULT: A total of 218 and 216 mothers/caregivers with children 6-23 months participated in the study before and during fasting season with a response rate of 100.0% and 99.0% respectively. The median age of children was 14 months. The proportion of children who met the minimum dietary diversity before the fasting season was significantly higher (23.4%) compared to during the fasting period (5.5%). (P<0.001). The proportion of children who consumed dairy product was significantly higher (55.5%) before the fasting period compared to consumption during the fasting period (42.6%) (p<0.001). Similarly, consumption of flesh food was significantly higher before the fasting period (17.9%) compared to consumption during the fasting period (0.46%) (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: The study revealed that mothers/caregivers’ fasting status negatively affect the dietary diversity of children aged 6-23 months in the household by decreasing their consumption of animal source food. Intervention strategies in promoting children’s dietary diversity should be designed in a way that considers Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Christian mothers/caregivers’ fasting practice.

PMID:35202436 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0264164