Nevin Manimala

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2025 Nov;8(6):e70121. doi: 10.1002/edm2.70121.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recent human studies have indicated the beneficial effects of yacon on diabetes and metabolic syndrome; however, no meta-analysis has investigated the effects of yacon on glycemic control and lipid profiles.

METHODS: Searches were conducted in five databases-PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library-and relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) until June 2024. The random-effects model was employed to compute the effect size, thereafter represented as a weighted mean difference (WMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI). This study’s registration number in PROSPERO is CRD420251028504.

RESULTS: This study integrated seven RCTs with 239 participants. The results demonstrated that yacon consumption had no statistically significant effects on fasting blood sugar (FBS, p = 0.33), insulin levels (p = 0.76), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, p = 0.42), total cholesterol (TC, p = 0.17), low-density lipoprotein (LDL, p = 0.12), high-density lipoprotein (HDL, p = 0.42), or triglycerides (TG, p = 0.75). However, subgroup studies indicated that yacon consumption reduced FBS levels over an exceeding 8-week duration in both sexes and in persons over 40. Furthermore, yacon intake resulted in a decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels for more than 8 weeks, particularly in women and individuals over 40. Additionally, it led to a decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels among women and individuals over 40 who consumed yacon for more than 8 weeks, and HDL-cholesterol levels increased in those aged 40 and above.

CONCLUSION: Overall, this meta-analysis indicates that yacon use in adults does not lead to significant improvements in lipid profiles or glycemic parameters.

PMID:41152200 | DOI:10.1002/edm2.70121

Colorectal Dis. 2025 Nov;27(11):e70291. doi: 10.1111/codi.70291.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Individual components of surgical quality in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) – circumferential and distal resection margins and mesorectal completeness – are known prognostic factors. However, their combined prognostic value as a composite score remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a composite quality total mesorectal excision (TME) score on oncological outcomes, and how this effect may vary with intervals from neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) to surgery.

METHOD: This retrospective, multicentre cohort study included patients with LARC treated between 2005 and 2020 across six referral centres in the CRONOS study. Patients were categorised by the composite quality TME (successful/unsuccessful) and by the NAT-to-TME interval: short (≤8 weeks), intermediate (>8 to ≤12), or long (>12). Primary outcomes were locoregional recurrence (LR), systemic recurrence (SR), and overall survival (OS) in the unsuccessful group. The interaction between the composite score and NAT-to-TME interval was assessed as a secondary outcome.

RESULTS: Of 1485 patients, 191 (12.9%) had an unsuccessful composite quality TME. This was significantly associated with increased risk of LR (HR 4.63, 95% CI: 3.04-7.05), SR (HR 2.10, 95% CI: 1.56-2.81), and reduced OS (HR 2.31, 95% CI: 1.79-2.98). Short and intermediate intervals increased the risk of LR in the unsuccessful group (p_interaction = 0.06).

CONCLUSION: Patients with an unsuccessful composite quality TME are at high risk of recurrence and death. The link between shorter NAT-to-surgery intervals and poorer outcomes in this subgroup suggests that extending the interval beyond 12 weeks may help optimise results in selected patients.

PMID:41152188 | DOI:10.1111/codi.70291

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Oct;21(10):e70864. doi: 10.1002/alz.70864.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Evidence is needed to evaluate whether low vitamin B₁₂ from mid- to late life, either alone or in the presence of elevated folate, is associated with cognitive decline.

METHODS: Participants from the Framingham Heart Study without baseline dementia who had ≥ 2 measures of a three-component vitamin B₁₂ indicator (3cB₁₂) and neuropsychological factor scores were included (n = 1994; mean age: 60 years). Adjusted linear mixed effects models estimated annual changes in each factor score between 3cB₁₂ quartiles. Interaction by folate status was also evaluated.

RESULTS: Participants in the highest 3cB₁₂ quartile had slower declines in memory, executive function, and language compared to the lowest quartile (memory: β = 0.0071, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.003-0.01; executive function: β = 0.0056, 95% CI = 0.0009-0.01; and language: β = 0.0090, 95% CI = 0.004-0.01). Findings were largely robust by folate status (elevated: ≥ 20 ng/mL; non-elevated: 6-19 ng/mL).

DISCUSSION: Improving B₁₂ status in dementia-free older adults may help mitigate cognitive decline into later life.

HIGHLIGHTS: Higher vitamin B₁₂ status is associated with slower annual cognitive decline. Higher B₁₂ was linked with 0.05 to 0.09 standard deviation less cognitive decline over 10 years. B₁₂ and memory findings are robust for elevated, not non-elevated, folate status.

PMID:41152187 | DOI:10.1002/alz.70864

Clin Implant Dent Relat Res. 2025 Dec;27(6):e70099. doi: 10.1111/cid.70099.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the effectiveness of different bone grafting techniques, including unmasked meshes and graft-masked meshes approaches, for augmenting alveolar bone defects using 3D-printed titanium mesh (3D-TM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 34 patients (69 teeth with alveolar bone defects) who underwent guided bone regeneration (GBR) using 3D-printed titanium mesh (3D-TM). Patients were assigned to two groups: the unmasked meshes group (n = 17, 34 treatment sites) and the graft-masked meshes group (n = 17, 35 treatment sites). Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data of pre- and post-operative 3D-TM implantation were digitally reconstructed, with a minimum 6-month follow-up period. Clinical outcomes included titanium mesh exposure rates, pseudo-periosteum rates, and osteogenic efficiency metrics such as bone volume, vertical bone height/width, and bone contour. Bone volume was analyzed using samples t-tests, vertical bone height/width was analyzed using a generalized estimating equations (GEE) model, and bone contour was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical outcomes were evaluated via Fisher’s exact probability test.

RESULTS: Clinical complications analysis revealed distinct outcomes between the two groups. Titanium mesh exposure occurred in 7 cases overall, with no statistically significant difference between the unmasked meshes group (5/17, 29.4%) and the graft-masked meshes group (2/17, 11.8%) (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.398). In contrast, pseudo-periosteum demonstrated a significant discrepancy, observed in 14/17 cases (82.4%) in the unmasked meshes group compared to 4/17 cases (23.5%) in the graft-masked meshes group (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.002). Notably, no infections occurred in either group. Analysis of osteogenic efficacy revealed significant intergroup differences in bone volume ratio (Independent samples t-test, df = 32, p < 0.05), vertical bone height ratio, and width ratio (GEE, df = 1, p < 0.05), and bone contour accuracy at the minimum and 25% percentiles (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed at the 50%, 75% percentile, or maximum value.

CONCLUSION: The graft-masked meshes technique in 3D-TM guided bone regeneration surgery is a reliable and effective method for augmenting alveolar bone defects. This method effectively reduces procedure-related complications, including titanium mesh exposure and pseudo-periosteum, thereby improving osteogenic efficacy.

PMID:41152184 | DOI:10.1111/cid.70099

Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi. 2025 Oct 25;42(5):1076-1084. doi: 10.7507/1001-5515.202503075.

ABSTRACT

With the rising incidence of breast cancer among women, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is becoming increasingly crucial as a preoperative treatment modality, enabling tumor downstaging and volume reduction. However, its efficacy varies significantly among patients, underscoring the importance of predicting pathological complete response (pCR) following NAC. Early research relied on statistical methods to integrate clinical data for predicting treatment outcomes. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), traditional machine learning approaches were subsequently employed for efficacy prediction. Deep learning emerged to dominate this field, and demonstrated the capability to automatically extract imaging features and integrate multimodal data for pCR prediction. This review comprehensively examined the applications and limitations of these three methodologies in predicting breast cancer pCR. Future efforts must prioritize the development of superior predictive models to achieve precise predictions, integrate them into clinical workflows, enhance patient care, and ultimately improve therapeutic outcomes and quality of life.

PMID:41152181 | DOI:10.7507/1001-5515.202503075

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Oct;21(10):e70841. doi: 10.1002/alz.70841.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Older adults with cognitive impairment (CI) face challenges to aging in the community. Little is known about the housing characteristics of US older adults with CI.

METHODS: Using the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we describe housing characteristics of community-living older adults ≥ 65 years with CI (n = 968) using descriptive statistics (frequencies) and conduct chi-squared tests to compare characteristics of those who lived with others (n = 707) versus alone (n = 261).

RESULTS: Renting (41%), home modifications (59% had ≥ 2), and interior home disorder (45%) were prevalent among older adults with CI. Those living alone more commonly rented, lived in an apartment or mobile home (vs. house), and had more home modifications than those living with others (all p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION: Further study should examine how housing characteristics support or deter daily function and inform the long-term services and supports needed by this high-needs, understudied population.

HIGHLIGHTS: There are 5.5 million older adults living in the community with cognitive impairment (CI). Of this population, 26% live alone. Older adults living alone with CI are primarily female, older, with lower incomes. Nearly half of older adults living alone with CI are renters. Home accessibility modifications were very common in this population.

PMID:41152155 | DOI:10.1002/alz.70841

Magn Reson Med. 2025 Oct 28. doi: 10.1002/mrm.70161. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Spectral editing is the most common MRS approach for noninvasive in vivo measurement of low-concentration, strongly overlapped metabolites in the brain, such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutathione (GSH). Multi-metabolite editing methods, such as HERMES and HERCULES, enable the editing of multiple J-coupled metabolites in a single acquisition without increasing the total scan time. Yet little is known regarding the reliability of these methods. This study assessed the test-retest reliability of HERMES and HERCULES, where volume localization was achieved using both PRESS and sLASER.

METHODS: Sixteen healthy adult volunteers were scanned twice in two separate sessions. Single-voxel edited MRS data were acquired in the medial parietal lobe using the following sequences: (1) HERMES-PRESS; (2) HERMES-sLASER; (3) HERCULES-PRESS; (4) HERCULES-sLASER. Spectra were processed and metabolites were quantified relative to tCr. Data quality metrics and reliability statistics were estimated for all four acquisitions.

RESULTS: HERMES-sLASER produced lower within-subject coefficients of variation (CV_ws) for GABA + co-edited macromolecules (GABA+), GSH, glutamine (Gln), myo-inositol (mI), NAA, and total Cho (tCho), suggesting improved reliability compared to HERMES-PRESS. HERCULES-sLASER produced better reliability than HERCULES-PRESS for GABA+, GSH, aspartate, Gln, lactate, mI, NAA, and tCho with lower CV_ws. N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) showed higher CV_ws for HERCULES-sLASER, and Glu showed higher CV_ws for HERMES-sLASER and HERCULES-sLASER. Overall, these findings suggest that sLASER yields lower within-subject variability than PRESS for several metabolites for both HERMES and HERCULES, supporting improved measurement reliability.

CONCLUSION: sLASER yielded better test-retest reliability than PRESS for most metabolites than for multi-metabolite edited MRS.

PMID:41152151 | DOI:10.1002/mrm.70161

Magn Reson Med. 2025 Oct 28. doi: 10.1002/mrm.70162. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To create virtual liver models simulating the concurrent presence of hepatic iron overload and steatosis based on human liver histology and to assess the accuracy and precision of R2* and fat fraction (FF) estimation at 0.55T compared to 1.5T.

METHODS: Virtual liver models simulating the coexistence of iron overload and steatosis were created, encompassing clinical liver iron concentration (LIC) (0-20 mg/g) and FF (0%-30%) ranges, using morphological characteristics derived from human liver histology. MRI signals were synthesized via Monte Carlo simulations under varying SNR conditions (SNR original (SNR_orig) and SNR enhanced (SNR_enh)) at 0.55T (SNR_orig,0.55T = 20; SNR_enh,0.55T = 50) and 1.5T (SNR_orig,1.5T = 50). Simulation results were validated using iron-fat phantoms (FF: 0%-40%; iron concentration: 0-8 μg/mL) scanned across varying SNRs using different signal averages (SNR_orig,0.55T, SNR_orig,1.5T = 1; SNR_enh,0.55T = 4). Accuracy and precision of 0.55T for estimating R2* and FF compared to 1.5T were assessed using boxplots, heatmaps, and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests.

RESULTS: SNR_orig,0.55T demonstrated reduced or comparable FF estimation bias relative to SNR_orig,1.5T, with significantly lower bias for SNR_enh,0.55T, especially for severe iron overload and FF ≤ 20%. LIC estimation for SNR_orig,0.55T and SNR_enh,0.55T demonstrated higher accuracy compared to SNR_orig,1.5T with significant differences (p < 0.028) for all combinations of LIC and FF except for severe iron overload with FF > 10% (p > 0.183). Further, SNR_enh,0.55T showed improved precision for FF and LIC estimation compared to SNR_orig,1.5T. Phantom experiments showed reduced bias for both FF and LIC estimation for SNR_enh,0.55T compared to SNR_orig,1.5T.

CONCLUSION: 0.55T shows promising results for concurrent R2* and FF estimation, enhancing accuracy and precision compared to 1.5T, especially with enhanced SNR.

PMID:41152137 | DOI:10.1002/mrm.70162

Health Promot J Austr. 2026 Jan;37(1):e70123. doi: 10.1002/hpja.70123.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In Australia, the beach is a favoured destination for recreational activities linked to physical, psychological, and social health benefits. Unfortunately, older people and people with disability face barriers to beach access that limit their participation in recreational activities. This study aimed to identify beach use behaviours, preferred beach activities, and perceived benefits for older people and people with disability in Australia.

METHODS: A 39-item anonymous online survey was administered. Descriptive statistics reported beach use, preferences, and benefits.

RESULTS: The survey had 350 respondents (69% female; mean age 52 years, range 2-90). Almost half (44.8%) could not visit the beach due to accessibility issues. Those who could visit did so year-round, with one third (34%) visiting weekly and 94% spending ≥ 30 min per visit. Factors for beach selection related to accessibility (95%) and the environment (76%). Preferred activities were swimming (56%), walking (51%), and socialising (49%). Perceived benefits included enjoyment/wellbeing (99%), reduced stress (95%), and physical benefits (86%).

CONCLUSION: Despite limited access, older people and people with disability engage or want to engage in beach-based activities and self-report a range of perceived health benefits. SO WHAT?: Removing the barriers to beach access would improve participation in beach-based health-promoting activities for older people and people with disability.

PMID:41152132 | DOI:10.1002/hpja.70123

Acad Radiol. 2025 Oct 27:S1076-6332(25)00962-6. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2025.10.006. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate an interpretable radiomics model based on pituitary MRI to predict growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children with short stature.

METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study enrolled 202 children (105 GHD, 97 idiopathic short stature [ISS]) as an internal cohort (7:3 ratio for training/testing cohorts) from institution I, and 138 children (61 GHD, 77 ISS) from institution II and institution III as an external validation cohort. Radiomics features were selected by SelectKBest and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), subsequently used to construct six machine learning models. Diagnostic performance of model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and calibration curves. The interpretability of the model was assessed using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP).

RESULTS: A total of 17 radiomics features were selected. Among all classifiers, support vector machine (SVM)-based radiomics model exhibited the highest diagnostic performance, with AUCs of 0.877 (95% CI: 0.813, 0.928), 0.878 (95% CI: 0.786, 0.951), and 0.885 (95% CI: 0.833, 0.937) in training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively. The SVM-integrated clinical-radiomics model yielded comparable efficacy, with AUCs of 0.874 (95% CI: 0.812, 0.928), 0.878 (95% CI: 0.786, 0.952), and 0.889 (95% CI: 0.830, 0.939) across the same cohorts. Both radiomics-based models significantly outperformed the clinical model (all p<0.001), while no statistically significant difference was observed between the radiomics and clinical-radiomics models (all p>0.05). The SHAP analysis identified three key radiomics features with significant differences between GHD and ISS groups (all p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The interpretable radiomics-driven SVM model effectively predicts GH levels, providing a clinically viable, non-invasive alternative to GH stimulation test in children with short stature.

PMID:41152101 | DOI:10.1016/j.acra.2025.10.006