Category: Statistics

Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2021 Oct 9. doi: 10.1007/s00420-021-01801-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Secondary metalworking carries exposure to relatively heavy levels of respirable particulate. We investigated the extent to which metalworking is associated with increased exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), an established inflammatory biomarker.

METHODS: We studied 80 metalworking factory employees in Kazakhstan. Informed by industrial hygiene data, we categorized them into three groups: (1) machine operators (41%); (2) welders or assemblers (33%); and (3) all others, including administrative and ancillary staff (26%). Participants completed questionnaires covering occupational history, smoking, home particulate sources, respiratory symptoms, and comorbidities. We measured exhaled carbon monoxide (CO), exhaled fractional nitric oxide (FeNO), and spirometric function. We used mixed-effects modeling to test the associations of occupational group with FeNO, adjusted for covariates.

RESULTS: The median age was 51.5 (interquartile range 20.5) years; 7% were women. Occupational group (p < 0.01), daily current cigarette smoking intensity (p < 0.05), and age (p < 0.05), each was statistically associated with FeNO. Welders, or assemblers (Group 2), who had intermediate particulate exposure, manifested significantly higher exhaled FeNO compared to machinists (Group 1, with the highest particulate exposure) and all others (Groups 3, the lowest particulate): adjusted Group 2 mean 44.8 ppb (95% confidence interval (CI) 33.8-55.9) vs. Group 1 24.6 ppb (95% 20.5-28.7) and Group 3, 24.3 ppb (95% CI 17.7-30.9). Secondhand smoking and height were not associated with FeNO.

CONCLUSION: In a metalworking industrial cohort, welders/assemblers manifested significantly higher levels of FeNO. This may reflect respiratory tract inflammation associated with airborne exposures specific to this group.

PMID:34626220 | DOI:10.1007/s00420-021-01801-z

Mil Med. 2021 Oct 9:usab413. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab413. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: As the number of U.S. veterans over age 65 has increased, interest in whether military service affects late-life health outcomes has grown. Whether military employment is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from 4,370 participants of the longitudinal Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) cohort study, enrolled at age 65 or older, to examine whether military employment was associated with greater cognitive decline or higher risk of incident dementia in late life. We classified persons as having military employment if their first or second-longest occupation was with the military. Cognitive status was assessed at each biennial Adult Changes in Thought study visit using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, scored using item response theory (CASI-IRT). Participants meeting screening criteria were referred for dementia ascertainment involving clinical examination and additional cognitive testing. Primary analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and APOE genotype. Secondary analyses additionally adjusted for indicators of early-life socioeconomic status and considered effect modification by age, gender, and prior traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness TBI with LOC.

RESULTS: Overall, 6% of participants had military employment; of these, 76% were males. Military employment was not significantly associated with cognitive change (difference in modeled 10-year cognitive change in CASI-IRT scores in SD units (95% confidence interval [CI]): -0.042 (-0.19, 0.11), risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI]: 0.92 [0.71, 1.18]), or risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia (HR [95% CI]: 0.93 [0.70, 1.23]). These results were robust to additional adjustment and sensitivity analyses. There was no evidence of effect modification by age, gender, or traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness.

CONCLUSIONS: Among members of the Adult Changes in Thought cohort, military employment was not associated with increased risk of cognitive decline or dementia. Nevertheless, military veterans face the same high risks for cognitive decline and dementia as other aging adults.

PMID:34626181 | DOI:10.1093/milmed/usab413

Mil Med. 2021 Oct 9:usab389. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab389. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: A 6-week mindfulness training course, the Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) pilot program for staff, was implemented at a large military treatment facility to examine the preliminary efficacy of the program in reducing stress and burnout in military healthcare professionals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of data collected from a single-arm prospective MBM pilot program. The program was designed to help staff members increase their awareness of burnout and its consequences and to learn how to utilize mindfulness-based self-care practices as a means for reducing stress and preventing burnout at work. Participants attended a 2-hour MBM group each week for a total duration of 6 weeks. Assessments of stress, resilience, anxiety, somatic symptoms, functional impairment, sleep quality, quality of life, and burnout were administered at baseline (T1), upon completion of the 6-week program (T2), and at least 3 months after program completion (T3). Multilevel modeling was used as the primary statistical model to assess changes in outcomes. Fifty-nine staff members completed assessments at T1, 31 (52.5%) at T2, and 17 (28.8%) at T3.

RESULTS: Participants showed improvements on scores of perceived stress, resilience, anxiety, somatic symptoms, quality of life, and burnout variables from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3 (P < .05). Additionally, they reported improvements in their knowledge, understanding, and utilization of MBM concepts and practices from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3 (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Results from this pilot suggest that the MBM program has the potential to reduce occupational stress and burnout and improve well-being in military healthcare professionals.

PMID:34626185 | DOI:10.1093/milmed/usab389

Sci Rep. 2021 Oct 8;11(1):20029. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-99187-y.

ABSTRACT

Inhibiting sprouting of potatoes is an interesting subject needed for potato storage and industry. Sprouting degrades the quality of tuber along with releasing α-solanine and α-chaconine, which are harmful for health. Sprout suppressants, available in the market, are either costly or toxic to both health and environment. So, there is a need for developing countries to explore new sprouting suppressant compound which is cheap, non-toxic and reasonably efficient in comparison to commercial ones. We have established that simple maleic acid and L-tartaric acid are effective sprout suppressing agents. Both can hinder sprouting up to 6 weeks and 4 weeks post treatment respectively at room temperature in dark. These do not affect the quality parameters, retain the moisture content and maintain the stout appearance of the tubers along the total storage period. Thus maleic acid and L-tartaric acid would qualify as alternative, cheap, efficient sprout suppressant for potato storage and processing.

PMID:34625595 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-99187-y

Sci Rep. 2021 Oct 8;11(1):20030. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-99138-7.

ABSTRACT

In this article, the primary focus is to investigate the heat transfer effects with viscous compressible laminar flow in the permeable elliptic cylinder. The Reynolds number is kept 100 for flow to be laminar. The physics of heat transfer is selected to be coupled with the laminar flow. The results for particular step-size time for Velocity distribution, pressure profile, temperature profile, isothermal temperature contours, and drag coefficient have been analyzed. Mesh has been generated through COMSOL, mesh entities have been elaborated statistically. The maximum and minimum velocity profile is observed at the elliptical cylinder’s walls and upper, lower boundary respectively. The maximum velocity observed is 2.22 m/s. Pressure profile around elliptic corners is found maximum, distinct patterns are observed even under the influence of applied heat. Temperature is observed maximum at walls but it gradually increases as moving from the upper boundary towards the lower boundary. The isothermal contour patterns are observed maximum near the walls, drag coefficient of gradual decrease is observed. COMSOL multi-physics is utilized for mathematical modeling of problems and the Backward-Differentiation-Formula has been exploited to handle problems numerically. The results will help greatly to understand the characterizations of viscous fluids and in industries like air furnaces and automobile cooling systems.

PMID:34625588 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-99138-7

Sci Rep. 2021 Oct 8;11(1):20000. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-99282-0.

ABSTRACT

Peoples’ recreation and well-being are closely related to their aesthetic enjoyment of the landscape. Ecosystem service (ES) assessments record the aesthetic contributions of landscapes to peoples’ well-being in support of sustainable policy goals. However, the survey methods available to measure these contributions restrict modelling at large scales. As a result, most studies rely on environmental indicator models but these do not incorporate peoples’ actual use of the landscape. Now, social media has emerged as a rich new source of information to understand human-nature interactions while advances in deep learning have enabled large-scale analysis of the imagery uploaded to these platforms. In this study, we test the accuracy of Flickr and deep learning-based models of landscape quality using a crowdsourced survey in Great Britain. We find that this novel modelling approach generates a strong and comparable level of accuracy versus an indicator model and, in combination, captures additional aesthetic information. At the same time, social media provides a direct measure of individuals’ aesthetic enjoyment, a point of view inaccessible to indicator models, as well as a greater independence of the scale of measurement and insights into how peoples’ appreciation of the landscape changes over time. Our results show how social media and deep learning can support significant advances in modelling the aesthetic contributions of ecosystems for ES assessments.

PMID:34625594 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-99282-0

Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2021 Oct 7:fetalneonatal-2021-321633. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-321633. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Neonatal-onset mitochondrial disease has not been fully characterised owing to its heterogeneity. We analysed neonatal-onset mitochondrial disease in Japan to clarify its clinical features, molecular diagnosis and prognosis.

DESIGN: Retrospective observational study from January 2004 to March 2020.

SETTING: Population based.

PATIENTS: Patients (281) with neonatal-onset mitochondrial disease diagnosed by biochemical and genetic approaches.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Disease types, initial symptoms, biochemical findings, molecular diagnosis and prognosis.

RESULTS: Of the 281 patients, multisystem mitochondrial disease was found in 194, Leigh syndrome in 26, cardiomyopathy in 38 and hepatopathy in 23 patients. Of the 321 initial symptoms, 236 occurred within 2 days of birth. Using biochemical approaches, 182 patients were diagnosed by mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activity rate and 89 by oxygen consumption rate. The remaining 10 patients were diagnosed using a genetic approach. Genetic analysis revealed 69 patients had nuclear DNA variants in 36 genes, 11 of 15 patients had mitochondrial DNA variants in five genes and four patients had single large deletion. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed the effects of Leigh syndrome (HR=0.15, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.63, p=0.010) and molecular diagnosis (HR=1.87, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.96, p=0.008) on survival.

CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal-onset mitochondrial disease has a heterogenous aetiology. The number of diagnoses can be increased, and clarity regarding prognosis can be achieved by comprehensive biochemical and molecular analyses using appropriate tissue samples.

PMID:34625524 | DOI:10.1136/archdischild-2021-321633

Nat Commun. 2021 Oct 8;12(1):5913. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25944-2.

ABSTRACT

OTULIN is a deubiquitinase that specifically cleaves linear ubiquitin chains. Here we demonstrate that the ablation of Otulin selectively in keratinocytes causes inflammatory skin lesions that develop into verrucous carcinomas. Genetic deletion of Tnfr1, knockin expression of kinase-inactive Ripk1 or keratinocyte-specific deletion of Fadd and Mlkl completely rescues mice with OTULIN deficiency from dermatitis and tumorigenesis, thereby identifying keratinocyte cell death as the driving force for inflammation. Single-cell RNA-sequencing comparing non-lesional and lesional skin reveals changes in epidermal stem cell identity in OTULIN-deficient keratinocytes prior to substantial immune cell infiltration. Keratinocytes lacking OTULIN display a type-1 interferon and IL-1β response signature, and genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of these cytokines partially inhibits skin inflammation. Finally, expression of a hypomorphic mutant Otulin allele, previously shown to cause OTULIN-related autoinflammatory syndrome in humans, induces a similar inflammatory phenotype, thus supporting the importance of OTULIN for restraining skin inflammation and maintaining immune homeostasis.

PMID:34625556 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-021-25944-2

J Neurointerv Surg. 2021 Oct 8:neurintsurg-2021-017936. doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-017936. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pediatric neurointervention is challenged by the appropriateness of adult catheters and devices. This multicenter report on the smallest groin access sheaths offers technical notes and clinical outcomes in the pediatric neurointerventional population.

METHODS: All pediatric neurointerventional cases from 2019 to 2021 were reviewed for use of a 3.3F Pediavascular or a 4F Merit Prelude Ideal low profile sheath. Hospital records were reviewed for complications and technical notes and compared with arterial groin access with the 4F Terumo Pinnacle in infants less than 1 year old, before the low profile sheaths at one author’s institution were introduced.

RESULTS: From January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021 there were 347 procedures performed at Boston Children’s Hospital and University of Wisconsin. Forty-four procedures in 26 patients were identified in which a 3.3F (38 cases, 20 patients) or 4F (6 cases, 6 patients) sheath was used. The average age was 2.2 years (1.5 days to 18 years). Retinoblastoma intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion (18 of 44) was the most common indication. The remaining procedures comprised vein of Galen embolization (12), diagnostic cerebral angiography (13), and one preoperative tumor embolization. Morbidity included a groin hematoma and decreased pulses (4.5%). No major groin complications occurred. There was no statistically significant difference compared with the historical cohort (132 procedures), which had seven instances of decreased pulses (5.3%, p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: The 3.3F Pediavascular and 4F Merit Prelude Ideal sheaths are easily incorporated into the pediatric neurointerventionalist’s armamentarium for infants and readily accommodate various microcatheters for distal embolization and catheterization.

PMID:34625510 | DOI:10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-017936

J Epidemiol Community Health. 2021 Oct 8:jech-2021-217607. doi: 10.1136/jech-2021-217607. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most studies on the health impact of occupational stress use single-point measures of stress at work. This study analyses the associations of properties of entire employment trajectories over an extended time period with a composite score of allostatic load (AL).

METHODS: Data come from the French CONSTANCES cohort, with information on adverse employment histories between ages 25 and 45 and a composite score of AL (based on 10 biomarkers, range 0-10) among people aged 45 or older (47 680 women and 45 035 men). Data were collected by questionnaires (including retrospective employment histories) or by health examinations (including blood-based biomarkers). We distinguish six career characteristics: number of temporary jobs, number of job changes, number of unemployment periods, years out of work, mode occupational position and lack of job promotion.

RESULTS: For both men and women, results of negative binomial regressions indicate that adverse employment histories are related to higher levels of AL, particularly histories that are characterised by a continued disadvantaged occupational position, repeated periods of unemployment or years out of work. Findings are adjusted for partnership, age and education, and respondents with a health-related career interruption or early retirement are excluded.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights physiological responses as a mechanism through which chronic stress during working life is linked to poor health and calls for intervention efforts among more disadvantaged groups at early stages of labour market participation.

PMID:34625518 | DOI:10.1136/jech-2021-217607