Category: Nevin Manimala

Mol Biol Rep. 2026 Aug 29;53(1):1498. doi: 10.1007/s11033-026-12682-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is considered a potential contributor to cancer development. EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) plays a vital role in viral persistence. This study aimed to investigate the association among EBNA1 C-terminal variations and severity of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

METHOD: A total of 60 female participants, were included in this study. EBV positive biopsy samples (N = 30) were obtained from the breast cancer patients while 30 healthy females served as control. The C-terminal region of EBNA1 gene was amplified and sequenced. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS v25.

RESULT: Among the breast cancer patients, 97% had IDC and 3% had ductal carcinoma in situ. Regarding tumor grade, 3% of the patients had grade I, 63% had grade II and 33% had grade III tumors. The P-Thr (70%) and its co-infection with V-leu (30%) were observed predominantly in patients with higher grade; however, no significant association was observed. A total of 15 consensus single-nucleotide polymorphisms were observed along with six random mutations. No significant association was reported among random SNPs with breast cancer severity. Phylogenetic analysis shows that our sequences of P-Thr exhibited high similarity with reference sequence NC_009334. All control samples were EBV negative.

CONCLUSION: P-Thr was the predominant EBNA1 prototype in study population. However, no significant association was found between EBNA1 variations with breast cancer severity.

PMID:42667440 | DOI:10.1007/s11033-026-12682-1

Eur J Nutr. 2026 Aug 29;65(6):247. doi: 10.1007/s00394-026-04087-4.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The beneficial effects of Mediterranean Diet (MD) during pregnancy are well established. However, validated tools adapted to assess adherence to the MD during pregnancy and across different cultural contexts remain limited. This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate an Italian version of the pregnancy-adapted Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (ITpreg-MEDAS), derived from the original Spanish preg-MEDAS questionnaire. We hypothesized that the ITpreg-MEDAS would show adequate construct validity and would be associated with markers of diet quality during pregnancy.

METHODS: The preg-MEDAS is a 17-item questionnaire designed to assess adherence to the MD among pregnant women. The Italian version was developed following a six steps process in accordance with established methodological guidelines: forward translation, synthesis I, blind-back translation, synthesis II, pre-testing, and validation. Psychometric properties were evaluated by assessing internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity, in a sample of Italian pregnant women.

RESULTS: The preg-MEDAS was translated and cross-cultural adapted, requiring some semantic revisions. All 25 Italian pregnant women involved in the pre-testing in pre-testing found it clear and comprehensible. A total of 116 Italian pregnant women participated in the validation phase, with a mean ITpreg-MEDAS score of 7.2 ± 2.5 out of 17, indicating medium adherence to the MD. Reliability was confirmed by good test-retest correlation (r = 0.756) and acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.623).

CONCLUSION: The ITpreg-MEDAS is a reliable and valid Italian version of the preg-MEDAS questionnaire, providing a simple tool to assess adherence to the Mediterranean Diet during pregnancy in both clinical practice and research.

PMID:42667436 | DOI:10.1007/s00394-026-04087-4

Eur J Nutr. 2026 Aug 29;65(6):245. doi: 10.1007/s00394-026-04085-6.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Whereas an increasing number of families choose a vegan or a vegetarian diet, the effects of a plant-based nutrition on height and BMI of children and their IGF-1- and IGFBP-3-serum concentrations as measures for growth and development are not entirely described.

METHODS: 7344 serum samples were investigated from 2,508 healthy participants in the age of 3 months to 19 years. Anthropometric measurements as well as IGF-1-, and IGFBP-3-serum concentrations were compared between dietary groups using optimal 1:3 pair matching (from the age of 10).

RESULTS: Vegan children were shorter than vegetarians after adjustment for pubertal status (β = -0.59, p = 0.006) but the height of vegetarians was not different from omnivores. Vegans showed lower BMI-SDS than vegetarians, most prominently in the TS-adjusted model (β = -1.01, p = 0.009). Omnivores had the highest BMI-SDS (0.32 SDS). Vegans had lower IGF-1 levels than vegetarians and omnivores in the age-adjusted model (ß = -0.52, p = 0.031). Vegetarians exhibited lower IGF-1 concentrations than omnivores in age- and TS- adjusted models. Vegans showed significantly lower IGFBP-3-SDS than vegetarians in TS-adjusted models (β = -0.75, p = 0.042). IGFBP-3 values were lower in vegetarians than in omnivores after adjustment for age (β = -0.18, p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION: Children following a vegan diet are significantly smaller and have a lower BMI than their peers. Both, vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with lower BMIs and lower IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 values. These findings highlight the potential relevance of dietary composition for growth childhood.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: LIFE Child is registered with Clinical Trials.gov (NCT02550236) since October 2010. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02550236.

PMID:42667434 | DOI:10.1007/s00394-026-04085-6

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 Aug 29:S0735-1097(26)07510-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2026.08.027. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42667277 | DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2026.08.027

J Emerg Nurs. 2026 Aug 28:S0099-1767(26)00253-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jen.2026.07.015. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Emergency departments are high-stress clinical environments where health care workers are exposed to unpredictable patient acuity, trauma, workplace violence, and rapid decision making. Animal-assisted interventions have demonstrated benefits for patients, with emerging evidence suggesting potential value for reducing health care worker stress and improving emotional well-being. However, objective physiological outcomes and emergency department-specific data remain limited.

METHODS: This descriptive, interventional study examined the association between therapy dog visits and perceived and physiological stress among emergency department health care workers. Patient- and nonpatient-facing staff completed measures of salivary cortisol, perceived stress, and blood pressure immediately before and after dog interactions. Participants also provided qualitative descriptions of their feelings pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS: A total of 76 staff members participated, accounting for 100 therapy dog interactions. Overall, pre- to postintervention changes in salivary cortisol were not statistically significant. Perceived stress decreased significantly for all participants (P < .001), and mean arterial pressure decreased at the α = 0.10 level. Qualitative findings revealed a shift from negative emotional states (stressed and overwhelmed) before dog visits to more positive emotions (calmer, happier, and reenergized) afterward.

DISCUSSION: Results of this study suggest that therapy dog visits were associated with lower perceived stress and were well received by staff. Pet therapy may be considered as 1 component of broader organizational strategies to support health care workers in high-stress clinical environments. Therapy dog programs may represent a feasible, low-cost approach for promoting a supportive healing environment.

PMID:42667276 | DOI:10.1016/j.jen.2026.07.015

Semin Ophthalmol. 2026 Aug 29:1-7. doi: 10.1080/08820538.2026.2725223. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility, rationality, and safety of glaucoma surgery recommendations generated by three prominent large language models (LLMs) – ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini – when applied to real-world clinical scenarios.

METHODS: Retrospective records from a tertiary hospital were converted into standardized scenarios and stratified into “primary” and “complex” glaucoma groups. Each LLM was prompted to suggest a single surgical approach and provide a rationale. A blinded team of glaucoma specialists evaluated the outputs based on six criteria: appropriateness, rationale quality, specificity, adherence to guidelines, feasibility, and safety risk, using a normalized 0-100 scale.

RESULTS: Median overall quality scores across all cases were 80.7 for ChatGPT, 80.7 for Copilot, and 82.7 for Gemini, showing no statistically significant difference in general performance (p = .367). However, case complexity significantly affected performance. For Gemini, appropriateness and rationale quality scores dropped significantly in complex cases and were accompanied by a statistically significant increase in safety risk (p = .009). Although ChatGPT and Copilot demonstrated more stability across groups, their rationale quality was significantly lower in complex scenarios than in primary ones (p = .014 and <0.001, respectively). Pairwise analyses revealed that ChatGPT offered superior rationale quality compared to Copilot, while Gemini exhibited higher specificity.

CONCLUSIONS: LLM-based chatbots can provide acceptable surgical guidance for straightforward primary surgical cases, but their utility is limited in high-risk or complex clinical settings. The observed deficiencies in rationale and increased safety risks in complex cases suggest that LLMs should be integrated as auxiliary decision-support tools under expert supervision rather than used as autonomous decision-makers in glaucoma surgery planning.

PMID:42667272 | DOI:10.1080/08820538.2026.2725223

Semin Ophthalmol. 2026 Aug 29:1-13. doi: 10.1080/08820538.2026.2724546. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

TOPIC: To evaluate the visual and refractive outcomes of corneal refractive surgery (PRK, LASIK, and SMILE) for hyperopic and mixed astigmatism. The clinical question addressed was: in adults with hyperopic or mixed astigmatism, how effective and safe are modern corneal refractive procedures, without alternative surgical comparators, in reducing refractive cylinder and improving uncorrected distance visual acuity?

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hyperopic and mixed astigmatism are less predictable to correct than myopic errors due to biomechanical and ablation-profile complexity. Historically, these treatments showed higher regression and retreatment rates. With advances in excimer and femtosecond platforms, updated evidence is needed to inform clinical decision-making and patient counseling regarding expected efficacy, predictability, and safety.

METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 and Cochrane guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from January 2010 to March 2025. Eligible studies included prospective, retrospective, or randomized human studies evaluating PRK, LASIK, or SMILE for hyperopic or mixed astigmatism. Case reports, small series (<10 eyes), intraocular procedures, and presbyopia treatments were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Case Series Studies. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed, and heterogeneity was quantified with I² statistics.

RESULTS: Twenty-three studies (3,561 eyes) were included. Mean preoperative cylinder was 2.45 ± 1.23 D. Pooled residual astigmatism was 0.47 D (95% CI, 0.04-0.90) for hyperopic and 0.67 D (95% CI, 0.37-0.97) for mixed astigmatism. Approximately 66% (hyperopic) and 50% (mixed) achieved ≤ 0.50 D residual cylinder; 81% and 83%, respectively, were within ≤ 1.00 D. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20 or better was achieved in 60% (hyperopic) and 63% (mixed). Loss of ≥1 line of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) occurred in 6% (95% CI, 0.01-0.14) of hyperopic and 5% (95% CI, 0.03-0.15) of mixed eyes (pooled random-effects estimates). No significant differences were found between groups in comparative meta-analysis.

CONCLUSION: Modern corneal refractive surgery provides substantial cylinder reduction, high predictability, and excellent safety in hyperopic and mixed astigmatism. Although heterogeneity and predominantly non-randomized designs limit certainty, current laser technologies achieve clinically meaningful outcomes comparable between groups, supporting their use in appropriately selected patients.

PMID:42667270 | DOI:10.1080/08820538.2026.2724546

J Neuropsychol. 2026 Aug 29. doi: 10.1111/jnp.70075. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, and conventional therapies often struggle to facilitate the generalization of these skills to real-world settings. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR)-based communication rehabilitation intervention as a supplement to conventional treatment for improving the linguistic and social communication skills of Arabic-speaking Egyptian children with ASD. A clinical trial with a pretest-posttest control group design was employed, wherein 60 children aged 4-6 years with mild to moderate ASD were assigned to either VR plus conventional therapy (Group I, n = 30) or conventional therapy alone (Group II, n = 30). Over 6 months, participants received 2 weekly 30-min sessions. Outcomes were measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention and at a 3-month follow-up using the Preschool Language Scale-Fourth Edition, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition and an ASD Social Skills Scale. Group I demonstrated statistically significant improvements in receptive and expressive language ages (p < .001) and total social skills scores (p < .001) compared to Group II. Crucially, these therapeutic gains were sustained at the 3-month follow-up with no significant deterioration (p > .05). VR-based communication rehabilitation is a highly effective and sustainable intervention for supplementing language and social skills in young children with ASD. Its integration into clinical practice provides a scalable, engaging and culturally adaptable platform for neurodevelopmental care.

PMID:42667252 | DOI:10.1111/jnp.70075

Arthroscopy. 2026 Aug 29. doi: 10.1002/arj.70498. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare arthroscopic bone grafting (ABG) with autograft and allograft for the treatment of scaphoid nonunion.

METHODS: Between 2012 and 2024, this retrospective comparative study included patients with unstable scaphoid nonunion who underwent ABG with either autograft or allograft. Eligible patients had symptomatic scaphoid nonunion treated with ABG and internal fixation and were followed for a minimum of 12 months. Radiographic assessments included healing of the nonunion site, scaphoid length, scapholunate angle, and radiolunate angle. Functional assessments included wrist range of motion, grip and pinch strength, pain scores measured using the visual analog scale, and patient-reported outcomes evaluated using the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire and modified Mayo Wrist Score.

RESULTS: There were 47 and 27 patients in the autograft and allograft groups, respectively. The mean follow-up was 20.4 months (range, 12-76) and 18.7 months (range, 12-130), with no significant difference (P = .715). There were 3 cases of nonunion in each group (6.4% vs. 11.1%; P = .667), with no significant difference (P = .667). The mean healing times were 3.4 ± 0.7 and 3.7 ± 1.1 months in the autograft and allograft groups, respectively, with no significant difference (P = .266). No other postoperative complications or donor-site morbidity were observed. Both groups showed significant restoration of scaphoid length compared with preoperative measurements. The allograft group showed significant postoperative improvement and achieved a more favorable mean scapholunate angle than the autograft group. Moreover, both groups showed significant postoperative improvement in the radiolunate angle. In the autograft and allograft groups, respectively, visual analog scale decreased from 3.9 to 0.4 and from 4.3 to 0.5, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire improved from 28.9 to 8.4 and from 29.0 to 9.1, and modified Mayo Wrist Score improved from 68.9 to 89.3 and from 70.2 to 87.9 (all P < .001). Minimal clinically important difference was achieved in 93.6% of the autograft group and 96.3% to 100% of the allograft group, with no significant differences (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS: ABG using autograft or allograft resulted in satisfactory union and acceptable radiographic and functional outcomes. Most patients achieved clinically meaningful improvement based on minimal clinically important difference. However, there is a possibility of low statistical power and a risk of type II error.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative case series.

PMID:42667251 | DOI:10.1002/arj.70498

Schizophr Bull. 2026 Aug 20;52(5):sbag104. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbag104.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) confer increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes. Sleep disturbances are associated with PLEs, yet evidence largely relies on retrospective assessments and average sleep parameters, limiting insight into daily-life dynamics. Moreover, the roles of stress exposure in sleep-PLEs associations remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to address these gaps by examining sleep characteristics, momentary stress, and childhood trauma in relation to PLEs using experience sampling. We hypothesized that individuals with PLEs show poorer and more variable sleep, bidirectional sleep-PLEs associations, stronger stress-related sleep disturbances, and trauma-related alterations in sleep regulation.

STUDY DESIGN: Altogether, 99 individuals with PLEs and 102 controls completed the experience sampling across 7 consecutive days.

STUDY RESULTS: Individuals with PLEs reported poorer average sleep quality, shorter sleep duration, and greater variability in sleep quality, although differences in sleep quality and its variability were attenuated after adjustment for negative affect. Within the PLEs group, sleep quality, but not sleep duration, showed robust bidirectional within-person associations with PLEs. Daily stress fluctuations were not associated with next-morning sleep, whereas higher between-person stress exposure was related to poorer average sleep quality, with no moderation by PLEs group status. Childhood trauma was not significantly associated with sleep outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Reduced sleep duration might be a stable feature of PLEs independent of negative affect, while sleep quality is dynamically linked to momentary PLEs. Sleep disturbances in individuals with PLEs seem more closely related to symptom dynamics than to momentary stress and distal developmental risk factors.

PMID:42667249 | DOI:10.1093/schbul/sbag104