Category: Nevin Manimala

BMC Res Notes. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s13104-026-07666-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Sub-Saharan Africa produces less than 4% of global scientific output, despite significant health and development challenges. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a pilot scientific writing workshop in Cameroon aimed at building writing skills and publication readiness of early career researchers. We conducted two workshops’ sessions in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in April and November 2023. A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were obtained via pre- and post-workshop questionnaires designed to capture participants’ self-assessed knowledge, skills, and confidence related to the workshop content. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the survey data, and thematic content analysis was used to assess qualitative responses.

RESULTS: A total of 86 participants completed both the pre- and post-workshop surveys (response rate: 86.9%). The majority had never published scientific papers (62.8%) nor had they received formal writing training (61.6%). The quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in participants’ overall understanding of scientific writing and publishing (mean difference = 0.93, p < 0.001) and confidence regarding writing skills (mean difference = 0.94, p < 0.001). Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed high satisfaction with the learning environment, perceived knowledge gains, and a strong demand for mentorship and sustained training opportunities.

PMID:41580813 | DOI:10.1186/s13104-026-07666-0

Environ Health. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s12940-026-01266-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastic tumours (neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma) are the most common childhood solid tumours outside the central nervous system, with a median age of diagnosis of 2 years. Temporal clustering of neuroblastic tumours in northern England and Ontario, Canada has been previously reported.

METHODS: We extracted data from the Scottish Cancer Registry to determine whether there was evidence of temporal clustering of neuroblastic tumours. Cases diagnosed in children and young adults aged 0-24 years between 2000 and 2020 were analysed. A modified version of the Potthoff-Whittinghill method was used to test for temporal clustering. Estimates of extra-Poisson variation (EPV) and standard errors (SE) were derived.

RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-one cases of neuroblastic tumours, aged 0-24 years, were diagnosed during the study period. Overall, there was statistically significant temporal clustering between years within the full study period (EPV = 9.13, SE = 0.22, P < 0.001). In addition, for cases aged < 18 months, there was significant temporal clustering between months within quarters (EPV = 0.77, SE = 0.41, P = 0.044). For cases aged 18 months – 24 years, there was significant temporal clustering between fortnights within months (EPV = 1.00, SE = 0.47, P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS: The finding of temporal clustering is consistent with the involvement of one or more, as yet unknown, transient environmental agents in the aetiology of neuroblastic tumours.

PMID:41580800 | DOI:10.1186/s12940-026-01266-y

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01519-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: HIIT is a time-efficient aerobic exercise with potential for obesity prevention and control, as it achieves comparable or superior effects to traditional exercise in a shorter duration. This meta-analysis examines the differential effects of HIIT and MICT on body fat composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults, providing evidence for optimized exercise prescriptions.

METHODS: Searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for RCTs assessing HIIT cycling’s effects on fat reduction and cardiorespiratory fitness. Data were pooled using SMD in Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 18. Heterogeneity was evaluated via the I² statistic, with subgroup analyses stratified by population (disease, obese, sedentary).

RESULTS: Nineteen RCTs were included. Compared to MICT, HIIT significantly reduced BMI in obese populations (SMD = -0.59 kg/m², 95% CI: -0.84 to -0.34, P < 0.001), but slightly increased BMI in disease populations (SMD = 0.40 kg/m², 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.77, P = 0.042). For cardiorespiratory fitness, HIIT outperformed MICT in improving VO₂peak in obese populations (SMD = 0.23 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.45, P = 0.041) and sedentary populations (SMD = 6.21 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, 95% CI: 4.68 to 7.74, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: HIIT cycling demonstrates comparable efficacy to MICT for improving body composition, including body fat percentage, fat mass, and lean body mass in adults, while outperforming MICT in reducing BMI among obese individuals and enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness VO₂peak across obese and sedentary populations.

PMID:41580784 | DOI:10.1186/s13102-025-01519-2

BMC Womens Health. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s12905-026-04284-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Infertility is a major reproductive health issue affecting childbearing-age couples worldwide. Factors contributing to its increasing prevalence include delayed marriage and childbearing decisions, as well as exposure to environmental pollutants. In addition to directly causing fertility problems, infertility also negatively affects family relationships by causing psychological trauma, such as anxiety and depression, thereby reducing quality of life. Emotional state, fertility-related stress, fertility quality of life (FertiQoL), and coping strategies are associated with psychological resilience. However, according to existing studies, the relationships among coping strategies, FertiQoL, and psychological resilience, as well as the synergistic pathways between the former two and psychological resilience, remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the associations among coping strategies, FertiQoL, and psychological resilience. Additionally, it aims to investigate whether different coping strategies serve as a mediator between FertiQoL and psychological resilience.

METHOD: This study employed a cross-sectional research design and purposive sampling method. A total of 222 patients with infertility who visited a tertiary-level hospital in Hunan Province between January and December 2019 were selected as the study subjects. We measured psychological resilience specifically in those who reported an unfulfilled wish for a child. Additionally, FertiQoL and coping strategies were assessed. We used Pearson’s product moment correlation to examine the association of psychological resilience, FertiQoL and coping strategies. Using the Process v4.1 model, we examined the mediating function of various coping strategies in the association between psychological resilience and FertiQoL, and employed stratified multiple regression analysis to investigate the factors influencing psychological resilience.

RESULTS: In total, 222 patients with infertility presented psychological resilience scores that were below the Chinese norm (M = 66.34; SD = 13.90) and were moderately low (M = 60.42; SD = 12.18). Pearson’s correlation analyses revealed significant bivariate associations among the study variables. FertiQoL demonstrated a weak but statistically significant negative correlation with psychological resilience (r =-.149, p < .05), whereas both positive coping (r = .261, p < .05) and meaning-based coping strategies (r = .377, p < .05) showed moderate positive correlations. In contrast, neither active avoidance (r =-.029, p > .05) nor passive avoidance strategies (r = .115, p > .05) were significantly associated with psychological resilience. In the mediation analysis adjusted for covariates, introducing positive and meaning-based coping strategies as mediators significantly attenuated the standardized coefficient of the FertiQoL-resilience association, which decreased from B=-0.172 to B=-0.329. These results demonstrate that both coping strategies play a significant mediating role in the relationship between FertiQoL and psychological resilience, with positive coping strategies having an indirect effect on psychological resilience of 0.074 (95% CI [0.010, 0.140]) and meaning-based coping strategies having an indirect effect of 0.083 (95% CI [0.030, 0.149]). The magnitude of the mediated effect was 34.81% overall.

CONCLUSION: Infertility patients’ psychological resilience and FertiQoL are related, and positive coping and meaning-based coping strategies have some mediating effects on this relationship, indicating that these strategies may be important in reducing the detrimental effects of FertiQoL on psychological resilience. Positive coping and meaning-based coping strategies have been shown to be effective at preserving patients’ psychological well-being. These findings serve as a foundation for future research into focused intervention programs.

PMID:41580777 | DOI:10.1186/s12905-026-04284-7

Mov Ecol. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s40462-025-00621-x. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41580766 | DOI:10.1186/s40462-025-00621-x

Arthritis Res Ther. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s13075-026-03745-6. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41580764 | DOI:10.1186/s13075-026-03745-6

BMC Womens Health. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s12905-026-04283-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to identify the spatial distribution and its associated factors of unmet need for family planning among women of reproductive age in administrative woredas of Ethiopia, using data from 8,716 married or in-union women in the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. Spatial analyses, including autocorrelation, hotspot identification, and interpolation, were employed to examine geographical patterns, while a multilevel multinomial logistic regression model identified associated factors. The overall prevalence of unmet need was 21.04% (12.84% for spacing, 8.2% for limiting). Spatial analysis revealed that unmet need for limiting was dispersed, while spacing needs were randomly distributed. Key determinants included knowledge of family planning (spacing: aOR = 1.76, 95% CI:1.21-2.57; limiting: aOR = 2.45, 95% CI:1.41-4.23), having more than four living children (spacing: aOR = 1.40, 95% CI:1.05-1.86; limiting: aOR = 10.04, 95% CI:5.45-18.50), husband’s employment (spacing: aOR = 0.44, 95% CI:0.28-0.71; limiting: aOR = 0.35, 95% CI:0.20-0.61), and the interaction of rural residency with husband’s employment (spacing: aOR = 1.98, 95% CI:1.17-3.36; limiting: aOR = 2.42, 95% CI:1.28-4.55). The findings indicate that the prevalence of unmet need for family planning in Ethiopia’s administrative woredas remains high, greater the acceptable standard defined by global benchmarks. Key factors include women’s knowledge of family planning, the number of living children, the husband’s occupation, and the contextual influence of rural residency. The spatial heterogeneity, particularly for limiting births, underscores the need for geographically targeted interventions. Therefore, national strategies and woreda-specific programs aimed at reducing unmet need must move beyond uniform approaches. They should prioritize enhancing comprehensive family planning education, addressing high-parity concerns, engaging male partners, and tailoring service delivery to mitigate the specific socio-contextual barriers prevalent in rural settings to ensure equitable access to family planning services across all administrative woredas.

PMID:41580755 | DOI:10.1186/s12905-026-04283-8

BMC Psychol. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03938-9. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41580742 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-03938-9

BMC Vet Res. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-05160-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and Bluetongue (BT) are vector-borne diseases that commonly circulate among wild and domestic ruminants. The epidemiological situation of EHD in Tunisia remains poorly documented, despite several studies having been conducted on BT. To assess the seroprevalence of the EHD and BT in northern Tunisia, 394 bovine serum samples were collected and tested for anti-VP7 antibodies using a competitive ELISA. The seroprevalence of EHD and BT at the individual level was estimated 51.2% and 81% respectively. Herd-level seroprevalence reached 93% for EHD and 100% for BT. No statistically significant differences in prevalence were observed between governorates for EHD (p-value = 0.169). However, the prevalence of BT across governorates was found to be statistically significant (p-value = 0.00000). A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors for EHD and BT. The final model revealed the only significant risk factor identified for both EHD and BT seroprevalence was age. Local animal husbandry practices and herd management were not found to be associated with the dynamics of the two diseases. The findings of this study highlight the geographical extent of the disease in the northwestern region and its associated risk factors. It is therefore imperative that further investigations be conducted on vectors and their abudance in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current situation.

PMID:41580738 | DOI:10.1186/s12917-025-05160-6

Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1186/s13049-026-01560-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ambulance professionals operate in dynamic, time-pressured environments where patient safety is paramount, with medication administration errors (MAEs) being a particular concern. While pediatric-focused interventions have addressed dosing errors, few studies have explored strategies to reduce MAEs in prehospital settings. Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is an evidence-based team training program that has demonstrated positive outcomes in various in-hospital contexts. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a TeamSTEPPS intervention on MAE frequency in ambulance services.

METHODS: This quasi-experimental, pre-post study was conducted within a Norwegian ambulance service across seven ambulance stations split into two groups as part of the TEAM-AMB project. The intervention consisted of a nine-month TeamSTEPPS team training program. Two independent reviewers assessed randomly selected electronic patient journals from pre- and post-intervention periods for MAEs, defined as deviations from the “five rights” of medication administration according to ambulance service protocols. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariable logistic regression. Cohen’s Kappa evaluated interrater reliability.

RESULTS: Overall, 30.6% of ambulance missions contained at least one MAE, with wrong dose (17.5%) and wrong drug (15.1%) being the most common error subcategories. There was no significant change, combined or for either group, in MAE frequency between pre-intervention (28.9%) and post-intervention (32.2%) periods (p = 0.17). Wrong drug errors significantly increased from 11.2% to 19.1% post-intervention (p < 0.01). The number of different medications administered was the strongest predictor of errors, with each additional medication type increasing error odds by 47% (p < 0.01). Patient and mission characteristics showed no association with MAEs in multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: This Norwegian ambulance service study found MAEs in 30.6% of 1,499 missions. The TeamSTEPPS team training intervention did not reduce overall error frequency. The results suggest that team training alone is not sufficient to address the multifaceted causes of MAEs. Future interventions should focus on organizational improvements, particularly enhanced standard operating procedure adherence and electronic documentation systems, to improve accuracy and enable reliable medication error detection.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov-ID: NCT05244928.

PMID:41580728 | DOI:10.1186/s13049-026-01560-1