Category: Nevin Manimala

J Hum Nutr Diet. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12901. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The social isolation enforced due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may impact families’ lifestyle and eating habits.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the behavior and dietary patterns of Brazilian children and adolescents during the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: This study was conducted using an online, anonymous cross-sectional survey with 589 children and 720 adolescents from Brazil during a nationwide social isolation policy. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn post-hoc method and a radar chart were used to compare the weekly consumption of each food by age group and isolation status. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, and analyses were conducted using R statistical software, version 4.0.2.

RESULTS: We found isolated families to show breakfast eating habits and consumption of raw salad, vegetables, beans, and soft drinks. Lower-class isolated families and those from the Northeast region consumed fruits, juices, vegetables, and beans less frequently. When compared to children, adolescents were less isolated (p = 0.016), less active (p < 0.001), exposed to longer screen time (p < 0.001), showed inadequate sleeping pattern (p = 0.002), and were from lower-class families (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Social isolation affect the eating habits of children and adolescents. Non-isolated families present lower consumption of healthy food, especially those among the lower class, from Northeast Brazil, and adolescents.

PMID:33811690 | DOI:10.1111/jhn.12901

J Nurs Scholarsh. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12634. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To explore resilience in the context of whole-person health and the social determinants of health at the individual and community levels using large, standardized nursing datasets.

DESIGN: A retrospective, observational, correlational study of existing deidentified Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant data using the Omaha System and its equivalent, Simplified Omaha System Terms.

METHODS: We used three samples to explore for patterns of resilience: pre-COVID-19 community-generated data (N = 383), pre-COVID-19 clinical documentation data (N = 50,509), and during-COVID-19 community-generated data (N = 102). Community participants used the My Strengths + My Health (MSMH) app to generate the two community datasets. The clinical data were obtained from the Omaha System Data Collaborative. We operationalized resilience as Omaha System Status scores of 4 (minimal signs or symptoms) or 5 (no signs or symptoms) as a discrete strengths measure for each of 42 Omaha System problem concepts. We used visualization techniques and standard descriptive and inferential statistics for analysis.

FINDINGS: It was feasible to examine resilience, operationalized as strengths by problem concept, within existing Omaha System or Simplified Omaha System Terms (MSMH) data. We identified several patterns indicating strengths and resilience that were consistent with literature related to community connectedness for community participants, and sleep for individuals in the clinical data.

CONCLUSIONS: When used consistently, the Omaha System within MSMH enabled robust data collection for a comprehensive, holistic assessment, resulting in better whole-person data including strengths, and enabled us to discover a potentially useful approach for defining resilience in new ways using standardized nursing data.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The notion that how we assess individuals and communities (i.e., the completeness of our assessments in relation to whole-person health) determines what we can know about resilience is seemingly in opposition to the critical need to decrease documentation burden, despite the potential to shift from a problem deficit-based assessment to one of strengths and resilience. However, a patient-facing comprehensive assessment that includes resilience and the social determinants of health can provide a transformative, whole-person platform for strengths-based care and population management.

PMID:33811723 | DOI:10.1111/jnu.12634

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-13722-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study intends to consider the link among carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, real GDP, energy usage, trade, financial development, and construction sector activities in Turkey within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework by employing an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test procedure. The analysis includes the period of 1970-2015 in keeping with available data. The findings of the study show that an increase in construction sector activities plays a positive role in CO₂ emissions. The results also argue that CO₂ emissions have risen statistically significantly with real GDP and energy usage increases. Furthermore, trade openness positively contributes to carbon emissions, while financial development does not explain environmental pollution in the long term. The study also reveals that the EKC hypothesis holds for Turkey both in the long term and short term. The long-run findings of the study are supported through robustness analysis by applying the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), and the canonical cointegrating regression (CCR) methods. The study suggests that the government should take action against environmental deterioration with efficient policies that save energy and reduce emissions regarding the construction and residential sectors’ activities, such as providing financial support and tax cuts for relevant companies.

PMID:33811633 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-13722-y

J Pers. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12637. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Extraversion and conscientiousness are well-studied personality traits associated with reward processing and goal prioritization, respectively, and bear on individual differences in financial risk-taking. Using unique large datasets, we investigated the link between these traits and male online gamblers’ actual betting participation and intensity.

METHODS: We combined datasets containing online horse betting data (during 2015-2016) from the Finnish monopoly betting company; administrative registry data from Statistics Finland; and personality trait measures from the Finnish Defence Forces corresponding to extraversion and conscientiousness as defined in the five-factor model. We modelled associations between these traits and betting participation (n=471,968) and intensity (n=11,217) among male horse bettors (age=36-53).

RESULTS: Controlling for demographics and IQ, individuals scoring high on conscientiousness (or extraversion) were less (or more) likely to bet, and less (or more) intensive bettors – even when personality was measured 16-34 years before betting occurred. One SD personality score increase represented an annual decrease (conscientiousness) or increase (extraversion) of €570-754 in spending.

CONCLUSION: Extraversion and conscientiousness are implicated in real-life financial behavior with tangible consequences for individuals. These effects are stronger than for many known demographic variables used in gambling studies, and persist up to 34 years after personality has been measured.

PMID:33811638 | DOI:10.1111/jopy.12637

J Card Surg. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jocs.15527. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of remifentanil-based fast-track cardiac anesthesia (FTCA) combined with the postoperative serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) for transthoracic device closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) in pediatric patients.

METHODS: A total of 70 children who underwent transthoracic device closure of ASDs from January 2018 to June 2020 were divided into two groups according to different anesthesia strategies administered, namely group F (fast-track anesthesia, n = 38) and group R (routine anesthesia, n = 32), and relevant clinical data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in general preoperative data, intraoperative hemodynamics, and FLACC score 1 h after extubation (p > .05). FLACC score of Group F was significantly lower than that of group R at 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after extubation (p < .05). The number of postoperative PCA press and the dose of PCA infusion in group F were lower than those in group R (p < .05). The mechanical ventilation duration, the length of intensive care unit stay in group F were statistically significantly lower than those in group R (p < .05).

CONCLUSION: Remifentanil-based FTCA combined with the postoperative SAPB for transthoracic device closure of ASD in pediatric patients could effectively reduce postoperative pain of the children.

PMID:33811664 | DOI:10.1111/jocs.15527

Acta Parasitol. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s11686-021-00378-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Genotyping of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus for polymorphisms in deltamethrin-resistant loci of sodium channel gene by allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR).

METHODS: Adult R. (B.) microplus ticks were collected from naturally infested cattle in Kerala. The larval packet test (LPT) was performed with deltamethrin and dose response data were analysed by probit method. Adult and larval tick DNA were amplified by PCR and later sequenced to identify mutations, if any, in the domain II S4-5 linker and domain III S6 regions in para voltage-gated sodium channel gene, at loci that were previously documented to be associated with deltamethrin resistance. Allele-specific PCR was performed for the amplification of target gene locus (C190A and T2134C) to genotype 1000 larvae each, at these loci. Genotype frequency was statistically analysed by Chi-square test.

RESULTS: Bioassay using LPT revealed that LC₅₀ and LC₉₅ values of all the R. (B.) microplus isolates in this study were more than double the reported values of reference susceptible strain. Sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons of domain II S4-5 linker of voltage-gated sodium channel gene revealed C190A mutation, A271G mutation as well as A-G mutation at 217th position. AS-PCR done to genotype C190A mutations revealed a frequency of 6%, 15% and 64%, respectively for homozygous-susceptible (SS), heterozygous (RS) and homozygous-resistant (RR) genotypes. In domain III S6 region of the gene, C2121T and A2102T mutations were observed. AS-PCR to genotype the previously reported T2134C mutation revealed 100% SS genotype in R. (B.) microplus isolates of Kerala.

CONCLUSIONS: Genotyping of R. (B.) microplus isolates of Kerala for target site mutations reportedly associated with deltamethrin resistance revealed a significantly high frequency of resistant genotypes at II S4-5 linker of voltage-gated sodium channel gene. This study forms the first report of such mutations in Kerala, south India and demands serious attention in the light of increased prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasitic infection.

PMID:33811625 | DOI:10.1007/s11686-021-00378-4

Clin Transl Oncol. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s12094-021-02597-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Molecular mechanisms of uveal melanoma development in association with high pigmentation are unclear. Tyrosinase Related Protein (TYRP1) is not only one of the important melanogenesis marker that contributes to melanin synthesis, but can also prevents the melanocyte death. The induction of melanogenesis leads to induction of HIF-1α which can affect the behavior of melanoma cells and its surrounding environment. The aim of our study was to determine the expression of TYRP1 and HIF-1α at the protein and RNA level and determine its prognostic significance.

METHODS: In the present study, the expression of TYRP1 and HIF-1α was investigated on 61 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded choroidal melanoma samples by immunohistochemistry. Fresh 50 samples were validated by real-time PCR. Results were correlated with clinicopathological parameters and Kaplan-Meier was performed to determine the prognostic significance.

RESULTS: High immunoexpression of TYRP1 and HIF-1α was present in 61 and 54% of patients, respectively. Both TYRP1 and HIF-1α correlated well with high pigmentation and BAP1 (BRCA1 Associated Protein-1) loss (p < 0.05) at IHC level as well as transcriptional level. There was reduced metastatic free survival in patients with necrosis and this was statistically significant (p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that TYRP1 can be used as a potential biomarker in the development of targeted therapy in UM. Further studies on melanogenesis markers associated with TYRP1 could provide us a better understanding in this field.

PMID:33811629 | DOI:10.1007/s12094-021-02597-7

Interdiscip Sci. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s12539-020-00409-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a kind of neurological brain disease. It is an irretrievable, neurodegenerative brain disorder. There are no pills or drugs to cure AD. Therefore, an early diagnosis may help the physician to make accurate analysis and to provide better treatment. With the advent of computational intelligence techniques, machine learning models have made tremendous progress in brain images analysis using MRI, SPECT and PEI. However, accurate analysis of brain scans is an extremely challenging task. The main focus of this paper is to design a Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system using Long-Term Short Memory (LSTM) to improve classification rate and determine suitable attributes that can differentiate AD from Healthy Control (HC) subjects. First, 3D PET images are preprocessed, converted into many groups of 2D images and then grouped into many subsets at certain interval. Subsequently, different features including first order statistical, Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix and wavelet energy of all sub-bands are extracted from each group, combined and taken as feature vectors. LSTM is designed and employed for classifying PET brain images into HC and AD subjects based on the feature vectors. Finally, the developed system is validated on 18FDG-PET images collected from 188 subjects including 105 HC and 83 AD subjects from ADNI database. Efficacy of the developed CAD system is analyzed using different features. Numerical results revealed that the developed CAD system yields classification accuracy of 98.9% when using combined features, showing outstanding performance.

PMID:33811602 | DOI:10.1007/s12539-020-00409-0

Cell Biochem Biophys. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s12013-021-00978-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to investigate the impacts and underlying mechanisms of 14,15-DHETs on eNOS and vascular endothelial functions. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were treated with various concentrations of 14, 15-DHET. The expressions of eNOS protein and mRNA were observed at different time points. The eNOS expression and phosphorylation were subsequently detected administered with 8,9-DHET, 11,12-DHET, and 14,15-DHET, respectively. Meanwhile, 14,15-DHET action on tube formation was observed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Finally, the aorta of male C57BL/6 mice was injected with 14,15-DHET via the tail vein. The impacts of 14,15-DHET (0.4 mg/kg body weight) on the expressions of eNOS protein and mRNA and endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) were detected following 24 h. The expression of eNOS was greatly improved with the 14,15-DHET treatment compared with the BAECs, and eNOS phosphorylation sites at Ser1179, Ser635, and Thr497 were elevated. However, no statistically significant difference was revealed on total eNOS among the 8,9-DHET, 11,12-DHET, and 14,15-DHET treatment groups. Based on the upregulation of eNOS protein, eNOS mRNA levels were increased in BAECs and thoracic aorta of the male C57BL/6 mice treated with 14,15-DHET, suggesting that transcriptional activation was achieved in vascular eNOS. Moreover, 14,15-DHET enhanced tube formation abilities in HUVECs and acetylcholine(ACh)-induced EDV. These findings indicated that 14,15-DHET could improve the vascular endothelial diastolic functions of male C57BL/6 mice, and enhance the ability of tube formation, which might be related to the increase of eNOS expression.

PMID:33811614 | DOI:10.1007/s12013-021-00978-x

Neurochem Res. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s11064-021-03310-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Millions of people suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy. New therapeutic approaches for removing this life-affecting disease are required. The activation of T-type calcium channels (TTCC) is one of the epileptogenesis mechanisms that cause epilepsy. So, we researched the effects of Otilonium bromide (OB), an antisposmolytic drug that inhibits TTCC, on seizure activity in rats with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced convulsion. Randomly, 48 rats were divided into two groups; for electroencephalography (EEG) recordings and for behavioral assesment. Rats were treated with either intraperitoneal (IP) OB at two separate doses (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) or placebo, and then pentylenetetrazole (IP), a potent seizure-inducing chemical administered to them. In our model we have measured rat seizure activity with EEG, the convulsion scala of Racine (RCS), the time of first myoclonic jerk (FMJ) and MDA levels to assess if OB has antiepileptic properties. The mean EEG spike wave percentage score reduced from 79.5% (placebo) to 59.2% (lower-dose) and 35.2% (higher-dose). FMJ had increased from a mean of 67.2 s (placebo), to 105.2 (lower-dose), 150.6 (higher-dose). RCS reduced from a mean of 5.12 (placebo) to 4.4 (lower-dose), 3.8 (higher-dose). MDA leves reduced from 84.5 nmol/gr to 51.09 nmol/gr (lower-dose), 33.2 nmol/gr (higher-dose). Compared to placebo, OB reduced significantly seizure activity at both doses, probably through blocking T-type calcium channels. All these results were statistically significant with < 0.0001 p-values. Otilonium bromide reduced seizure activity in rats with PTZ-induced convulsion. Therefore, the clinical role of OB and other TTCC inhibitors as potential anti-seizure drugs should be further investigated.

PMID:33811624 | DOI:10.1007/s11064-021-03310-4