Category: Nevin Manimala

Int J Numer Method Biomed Eng. 2021 May 8:e3496. doi: 10.1002/cnm.3496. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is a faction of metabolic ailments distinguished by hyperglycemia which is the consequence of a defect ,in the action of insulin, insulin secretion, or both and producing various abnormalities in the human body. In recent years, the utilization of intelligent systems has been expanded in disease classification and numerous researches have been proposed. In this research article, a variant of Convolutional Neural Network i.e. Functional Link Convolutional Neural Network (FLCNN) is proposed for the diabetes classification. The main goal of this article is to find the potential of a computationally less complex deep learning network like FLCNN and applied the proposed technique on a real dataset of diabetes for classification. This article also presents the comparative studies where various other machine learning techniques are implemented and outcomes are compared with the proposed FLCNN network. The performance of each classification techniques have been evaluated based on standard measures and also validated with a non-parametric statistical test such as Friedman. Data for modelling diabetes classification is collected from Bombay Medical Hall, Upper Bazar, Ranchi, India. Accuracy achieve by the proposed classifier is more than 90 percent which is closer to the other state-of-the-art implemented classifiers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:33964103 | DOI:10.1002/cnm.3496

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14263-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we analyzed variations in bacterial community structure along a salinity gradient in a tropical monsoonal estuary (Cochin estuary [CE]), on the southwest coast of India, using Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS). Water samples were collected from eight different locations thrice a year to assess the variability in the bacterial community structure and to determine the physico-chemical factors influencing the bacterial diversity. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phyla in the estuary followed by Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Statistical analysis indicated significant variations in bacterial communities between freshwater and mesohaline and euryhaline regions, as well as between the monsoon (wet) and nonmonsoon (dry) periods. The abundance of Betaproteobacteria was higher in the freshwater regions, while Alphaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobactera were more abundant in mesohaline and euryhaline regions of the estuary. Gammaproteobacteria was more abundant in regions with high nutrient concentrations. Various bacterial genera indicating the presence of fecal contamination and eutrophication were detected. Corrplot based on Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated the important physico-chemical variables (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and inorganic nutrients) that influence the distribution of dominant phyla, class, and genera. The observed spatio-temporal variations in bacterial community structure in the CE were governed by regional variations in anthropogenic inputs and seasonal variations in monsoonal rainfall and tidal influx.

PMID:33963997 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-14263-0

Braz J Microbiol. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s42770-021-00517-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Brazil has a herd of over 9 million goats, and the northeast of Brazil is home to over 93% of this herd. Caprine mycoplasmosis are widely disseminated worldwide, being highly contagious with high rates of morbidity and mortality, causing considerable economic loss to goat herders. In addition, there has been a lack of research using molecular testing to monitor the health and detect Mollicutes in this herd in Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this study is to associate animal management with the presence of the caprine origin Mollicutes in goats, in the southwest region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted on twelve farms, and statistical analyses were performed to identify associations between the presence of Mollicutes and the management of goats. Molecular testing identified Mollicutes class, Mycoplasma agalactiae (Ma) and M. conjunctivae (Mc), in the samples analyzed. Statistical associations were observed between animals from intensive livestock facilities and the presence of Mollicutes in nasal samples and dairy ranch animals and the presence of Mollicutes in ocular samples and animals from extensive ranching sites and positive results of Mollicutes in genital samples. We conclude that mycoplasmas are present in goat herds in the southwestern region of Bahia, which supports the need for more focused studies of mycoplasmas throughout the country. Our research also demonstrated the presence of two important opportunistic bacteria, Mc and Ma, and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that M. conjunctivae was detected in Brazilian goats by molecular testing.

PMID:33964005 | DOI:10.1007/s42770-021-00517-z

Mycoses. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1111/myc.13299. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Onychomycosis is the general term to define fungal nail infections that arise from dermatophytes, non-dermatophytic molds, and yeasts. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis is a new indicator of oxidative stress. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of thiol/disulfide balance in the pathogenesis of onychomycosis.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included adult patients with onychomycosis who were admitted to the dermatology department and healthy adult volunteers without any dermatologic or systemic condition. The patients and controls were evaluated in terms of native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels, and disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, and native thiol/total thiol ratios. The possible association between these parameters and clinical subtypes of onychomycosis and demographic characteristics was also investigated.

RESULTS: A total of 52 patients with onychomycosis and 50 healtyh subjects were enrolled in the study. The patient group showed lower levels of total thiol, native thiol, and native thiol/total thiol ratio, and higher ratios of disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol. No statistically significant relationship was found between the parameters, clinical subtypes of onychomycosis, and demographic characteristics (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Patients with onychomycosis showed a shifted thiol/disulfide homeostasis towards oxidative stress with a reduction in thiols and an increase in disulfide/native thiol, and disulfide/total thiol ratios. These findings may indicate the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of onychomycosis.

PMID:33964024 | DOI:10.1111/myc.13299

Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s10802-021-00823-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Deficient reward functioning, including reward-related personality, is implicated in depression’s etiology. A dopaminergic genetic multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) has previously been associated with neural reward responsivity but, despite theoretical basis, has not been studied with reward-related personality. Such research is needed to elucidate associations between genetic variation and reward-related personality in a developmentally sensitive population. In the present study, we examined associations between dopaminergic MGPS’s and self-report reward-related personality in two young adolescent samples aged 10-15 years old (Sample 1: N = 100 girls, 82% White, 18% Other; Sample 2: N = 141, 65 girls, 76 boys, 89.36% White, 10.64% Other) using an established MGPS and an augmented MGPS. A “mini” meta-analysis synthesized results across samples. In Sample 1, an exploratory mediation analysis intended to gauge effect size for future work tested a path between the MGPS and depression through significant reward traits. In each independent sample, both MGPS’s showed significant associations with sensation-seeking but not social drive, a pattern that persisted following correction. Effect sizes of novel variants were at least as robust as established variants, suggesting their added utility. Additionally, the exploratory mediation analysis suggested no noteworthy indirect effect, but a small (R² = 0.022), statistically non-significant direct effect of the MGPS predicting prospective depressive symptoms. Results suggest that dopaminergic genetic variation is associated with the reward-related personality trait of sensation seeking but not social drive. Additional work is needed to probe whether sensation seeking may be a path through which this genetic variation confers depression risk.

PMID:33963956 | DOI:10.1007/s10802-021-00823-y

Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s12024-021-00375-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Since the beginning of March 2020, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been the cause of millions of deaths worldwide. The need to better define the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19) as well as to provide the correct statistical records concerning deaths related to this virus, inevitably involves the role of forensic pathology and routine autopsy practice. Currently, some data on macroscopic and microscopic features in autopsies performed in suspected Covid-19 cases are reported in the literature. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in cadavers has not yet been elucidated and only a few reports have emphasized the importance of evaluating the Virus RNA in post-mortem tissues. In this preliminary study, we observed that SARS-CoV-2 survives in multiple cadaver tissues many days after death despite some extreme conditions of post-mortem body preservation. The results of this on-going analysis could help improve the safety of working practices for pathologists as well as understanding the possible interaction between microbiological agents and the cadaver tissue’s supravital reactions.

PMID:33963967 | DOI:10.1007/s12024-021-00375-z

Odontology. 2021 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s10266-021-00610-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) solution and thermal cycling on the bond strength (BS) of fiber posts to the root dentin using two different resin cements (conventional or self-adhesive). One hundred and forty-four bovine roots were endodontically treated. After post space preparation, specimens were randomly divided into six groups (n = 24) according to dentin pretreatment [distilled water, 0.05% EGCG solution or 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) solution] and resin luting agent used for fiber post cementation (RelyX ARC or RelyX U200-3 M ESPE). Then, the samples were separated into two subgroups (n = 12): storage in distilled water at 37 °C for 24 h and thermal cycling (5 °C/55 °C, dwell time 30 s-12,000 cycles) during 6 months. After that, the specimens were subjected to the pull-out BS test (Universal Testing Machine-0.5 mm/min) and the failures pattern was analyzed in a stereomicroscope. According to the BS results (three-way ANOVA, Tukey’s test, α = 0.05), the highest values were reported in the group EGCG + RelyX U200, showing significant statistical differences compared to all the other experimental groups. For Control and CHX groups BS values, there was no significant difference (p > .05) between the resin cements. For conventional resin cement, there was no significant difference among treatment solutions (p > .05). The thermal cycling did not influence the BS results (p > .05). As reported by the failure mode analysis, adhesive failure was predominant in all groups. EGCG solution improved the bond strength of self-adhesive resin cement to root dentin.

PMID:33963943 | DOI:10.1007/s10266-021-00610-7

World J Emerg Surg. 2021 May 7;16(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s13017-021-00364-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in healthcare demands leading to significant restructuring of hospital emergency departments worldwide. The aim of the present study is twofold: firstly, to discern any differences in regard to reason for surgical emergency department (SED) attendance and hospital admission during the pandemic and pre-pandemic eras in Greece, and secondly, to assess the impact of the lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic on SED patient attendance.

METHODS: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece (1 March 2020) and up to 15 December 2020, the charts of all adult patients arriving at the SED of the third surgical department of the “Attikon” University Hospital (a tertiary referral center for surgical and COVID-19 cases) were retrospectively reviewed and broken down in four periods reflecting two nationwide lockdown (period A 1/3/2020 to 30/4/2020 and period D 16/10/2020 to 15/12/2020) and two interim (period B 1/5/2020 to 15/6/2020 and period C 15/9/2020 to 30/10/2020) periods. Demographic and clinical data were compared to those obtained from the same time periods of the year 2019.

RESULTS: The total number of patients attending the SED decreased by 35.9% during the pandemic (from 2839 total patients in 2019 to 1819 in 2020). During the first lockdown, there was statistically significant reduction of motor vehicle accidents (p=0.04) and torso injuries (p=0.01). Contrarily, the rate of head injuries (p<0.001) and abdominal pain (p=0.04) were significantly increased. The same effect was observed regarding the rate of hospital admissions (p=0.002), although in terms of absolute numbers, admissions remained unchanged. During the second lockdown, there was a reduction in the number of perianal abscess cases (p=0.04) and hernia-related problems (p=0.001). An increase in the rate of fall injuries was also demonstrable (p=0.02). Overall, application of the lockdown led to a significant decrease in minor (p<0.001) and torso (p=0.001) injuries.

CONCLUSION: The burden of the new COVID-19 disease has left a noticeable imprint in the function of emergency departments worldwide. In Greece, SED attendance was significantly reduced during the pandemic, an effect that was even more pronounced during the lockdown implementation; nevertheless, the overall rate of hospital admissions remained the same, denoting that patient care was not altered.

PMID:33962622 | DOI:10.1186/s13017-021-00364-1

BMC Oral Health. 2021 May 7;21(1):244. doi: 10.1186/s12903-021-01602-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) has been used successfully in medicine both as a distraction tool during procedures, and as an acclimatisation tool to prepare for a procedure or experience. It has not yet become widely used in dentistry, but could theoretically have a role in exposure-based acclimatisation for dental experiences.

METHODS: To examine the use of VR or bespoke dental smartphone applications pre- or perioperatively in dentistry, to decrease anxiety in a paediatric population attending for dental examination or treatment, compared with children/adolescents who receive no intervention, or more conventional behavioural management techniques. Searches were made of eight electronic databases: the Cochrane Oral Health Group’s Trials Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE(PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science. Further searches reference cross-checks were performed to identify studies that were not discovered online.

RESULTS: Systematic reviews and randomised control trials have demonstrated the successful use of VR to both distract patients perioperatively during medical procedures, and also preoperatively to prepare them for these interventions. However, to date, VR has only been applied to dentistry in a very limited number of studies. Three studies using virtual reality in a dental setting demonstrated decreased pain and anxiety compared with no intervention. All three of these studies were carried out in the perioperative period. A fourth study used a bespoke dental app and imagery to prepare patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for dental treatment, finding statistically significant decreases in both the number of appointments and number of attempts required to carry out a procedure.

CONCLUSION: VR is a promising tool which to date has been under-utilised in dentistry. High quality, clinical studies are required to assess the use of preoperative VR and smartphone applications to prepare patients for dental examination and procedures under local or general anaesthetic.

PMID:33962624 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-021-01602-3

Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2021 May 7;20(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12933-021-01290-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Women with type 2 diabetes are disproportionally affected by macrovascular complications; we here investigated whether this is also the case for microvascular complications and retinal microvascular measures.

METHODS: In a population-based cohort study of individuals aged 40-75 years (n = 3410; 49% women, 29% type 2 diabetes (oversampled by design)), we estimated sex-specific associations, and differences therein, of (pre)diabetes (reference: normal glucose metabolism), and of continuous measures of glycemia with microvascular complications and retinal measures (nephropathy, sensory neuropathy, and retinal arteriolar and venular diameters and dilatation). Sex differences were analyzed using regression models with interaction terms (i.e. sex-by- (pre)diabetes and sex-by-glycemia) and were adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Men with type 2 diabetes (but not those with prediabetes) compared to men with normal glucose metabolism, (and men with higher levels of glycemia), had significantly higher prevalences of nephropathy (odds ratio: 1.58 95% CI (1.01;2.46)) and sensory neuropathy (odds ratio: 2.46 (1.67;3.63)), larger retinal arteriolar diameters (difference: 4.29 µm (1.22;7.36)) and less retinal arteriolar dilatation (difference: – 0.74% (- 1.22; – 0.25)). In women, these associations were numerically in the same direction, but generally not statistically significant (odds ratios: 1.71 (0.90;3.25) and 1.22 (0.75;1.98); differences: 0.29 µm (- 3.50;4.07) and: – 0.52% (- 1.11;0.08), respectively). Interaction analyses revealed no consistent pattern of sex differences in the associations of either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes or glycemia with microvascular complications or retinal measures. The prevalence of advanced-stage complications was too low for evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that women with type 2 diabetes are not disproportionately affected by early microvascular complications.

PMID:33962619 | DOI:10.1186/s12933-021-01290-x