Nevin Manimala

JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Sep 2;13:e56772. doi: 10.2196/56772.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The introduction of complementary foods during the first year of life influences the diversity of the gut microbiome. How this diversity affects immune development and health is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effect of consuming kūmara or kūmara with added banana powder (resistant starch) compared to a reference control at 4 months post randomization on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections and the development of the gut microbiome.

METHODS: This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of mothers and their 6-month-old infants (up to n=300) who have not yet started solids. Infants are randomized into one of 3 groups: control arm (C), standard kūmara intervention (K), and a kūmara intervention with added banana powder product (K+) to be consumed daily for 4 months until the infant is approximately 10 months old. Infants are matched for sex using stratified randomization. Data are collected at baseline (prior to commencing solid food) and at 2 and 4 months after commencing solid food (at around 8 and 10 months of age). Data and samples collected at each timepoint include weight and length, intervention adherence (months 2 and 4), illness and medication history, dietary intake (months 2 and 4), sleep (diary and actigraphy), maternal dietary intake, breast milk, feces (baseline and 4 months), and blood samples (baseline and 4 months).

RESULTS: The trial was approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health, New Zealand (reference 20/NTA/9). Recruitment and data collection did not commence until January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection and analyses are expected to conclude in January 2024 and early 2025, respectively. Results are to be published in 2024 and 2025.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will help us understand how the introduction of a specific prebiotic complementary food affects the microbiota and relative abundances of the microbial species, the modulation of immune development, and infant health. It will contribute to the expanding body of research that aims to deepen our understanding of the connections between nutrition, gut microbiota, and early-life postnatal health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000026921; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378654.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56772.

PMID:39222346 | DOI:10.2196/56772

Genetics. 2024 Sep 2:iyae145. doi: 10.1093/genetics/iyae145. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recombination breaks down genetic linkage by reshuffling existing variants onto new genetic backgrounds. These dynamics are traditionally quantified by examining the correlations between alleles, and how they decay as a function of the recombination rate. However, the magnitudes of these correlations are strongly influenced by other evolutionary forces like natural selection and genetic drift, making it difficult to tease out the effects of recombination. Here we introduce a theoretical framework for analyzing an alternative family of statistics that measure the homoplasy produced by recombination. We derive analytical expressions that predict how these statistics depend on the rates of recombination and recurrent mutation, the strength of negative selection and genetic drift, and the present-day frequencies of the mutant alleles. We find that the degree of homoplasy can strongly depend on this frequency scale, which reflects the underlying timescales over which these mutations occurred. We show how these scaling properties can be used to isolate the effects of recombination, and discuss their implications for the rates of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria.

PMID:39222343 | DOI:10.1093/genetics/iyae145

EFORT Open Rev. 2024 Sep 2;9(9):883-895. doi: 10.1530/EOR-23-0198.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Intra-articular corticosteroid (CS) injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA) management are endorsed by several scientific societies, while the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is more controversial. Aim of the study was to quantify and compare the clinical effectiveness of CS injections with respect to HA and PRP in patients with knee OA.

METHODS: The search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science following the PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the comparison of CS injections and HA or PRP injections for the treatment of knee OA were included. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was used to interpret the clinical relevance of the improvements at different follow-ups up to 12 months. The study quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB-2 tool and the GRADE guidelines.

RESULTS: Thirty-five RCTs were included (3348 patients). The meta-analysis comparing CS and HA revealed no difference in terms of WOMAC improvement, while HA showed superior VAS pain improvement at long-term follow-up (P = 0.011), without reaching the MCID. PRP offered a superior WOMAC improvement compared to CS at short- (P = 0.002), mid- (P < 0.001, exceeding the MCID), and long-term (P < 0.001, exceeding the MCID) follow-ups. PRP offered a superior VAS improvement at mid- (P < 0.001, exceeding the MCID) and long-term (P = 0.023) follow-ups.

CONCLUSION: CS injections for knee OA offer similar results to HA and PRP only at short term, while there is an overall superiority of PRP at longer follow-ups. This difference is not only statistically significant but also clinically relevant in favour of PRP.

PMID:39222336 | DOI:10.1530/EOR-23-0198

Maxillofac Plast Reconstr Surg. 2024 Sep 2;46(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s40902-024-00442-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Relapses following orthognathic surgery have been reported to exceed 2% to 50%, depending on multiple factors. This study aimed to analyze the stability after orthognathic surgery in patients with mandibular ramus height asymmetry through 3D reconstruction using Cone-beam CT.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study investigated patients who underwent mandibular setback surgery using bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy. Three-dimensional CT scans were taken at three different time points. Evaluation of the postoperative stability involved measuring changes in the x, y, and z axes as well as roll and yaw rotations of the mandible at specific landmarks (B point, mental foramen) on 3D CT scans obtained immediately after surgery and 6-12 months postoperatively. They were categorized into four groups based on bilateral mandibular height asymmetry through Asymmetry index (AI). The one-way ANOVA was implemented to compare the intergroup differences and Tukey’s post hoc test was employed. Additionally, the Pearson correlation coefficient was also calculated.

RESULTS: A total of 24 patients were included in this study. The corresponding AI, representing the degree of asymmetry in both mandibles, were calculated as Group 1 was 1.25 ± 0.64%, Group 2 was 2.89 ± 0.47%, Group 3 was 5.03 ± 0.51%, and Group 4 was 9.40 ± 1.99%. The x-axis change in Group 4 was significantly larger at 1.71 mm compared to Group 1 at 0.64 mm. The mandibular roll, Group 4 showed a statistically significant increase at 1.33° compared to Group 1 at 0.35°. And there was a significant positive correlation observed between x-axis change and AI (p = 0.019), as well as between mandibular roll and AI (p = 0.025).

CONCLUSION: After orthognathic surgery, stability was influenced by numerous factors, with the findings of this study suggesting that the degree of ramus height asymmetry in the mandible can be considered one contributing factor.

PMID:39222303 | DOI:10.1186/s40902-024-00442-9

J Cancer Educ. 2024 Sep 2. doi: 10.1007/s13187-024-02491-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Secure messaging (SM) is an important aspect of communication for patients with cancer. SM fosters patient-clinician communication and helps patients with symptom management and treatment support. However, patients are uncertain about how to phrase messages appropriately and have expressed the need for guidance. In response, we designed a user-centered, web-based application named SEND The application focuses on specificity, expression, needs, and directness through interactive video tutorials and quizzes. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate SEND based on its levels of engagement, satisfaction, acceptability, and appropriateness. We recruited 101 patients with various cancer diagnoses to use SEND and then fill out a survey 1 to 2 weeks later about their experience. Patients’ mean age was 64 years; most were male (55%), white (83%), diagnosed with cancer in 2020 with high levels of self-efficacy, and 51% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. 65% were engaged in the application, and respondents spent an average of 15 min interacting with SEND Satisfaction was 90.4%, 85.4% found it acceptable, and 88.6% appropriate. There were no statistically significant differences across age, sex, race, education, or year of diagnosis. Results underscore the potential of eHealth interventions, like SEND, in enhancing patient-clinician communication in cancer care. By empowering patients with effective message-writing techniques, SEND has the potential to improve the quality of SM, which can lead to faster response times and more patient-centered responses.

PMID:39222291 | DOI:10.1007/s13187-024-02491-0

Vet Med Sci. 2024 Sep;10(5):e70022. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, ticks are the major threat to cattle productivity and production, leading to considerable economic losses. The current study was designed to estimate the prevalence of ixodid tick infestation, identify species, assess major risk factors associated with tick infestation and assess public awareness.

METHODS: A cross-sectional and questionnaire-based study was conducted from January 2022 to June 2022 in the Aleltu district. The study animals were selected using a simple random sampling method.

RESULTS: Of the 400 cattle examined, 303 (75.8%) were found to be infested by one or more tick species. Six species of ticks were identified that belonged to three genera: Amblyomma, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus, and the subgenus Rhipicephalus (Boophilus). The most common tick species identified in terms of their prevalence and dominance were Rh. (Bo) decoloratus, Rh. evertsi, Am. variegatum, Hy. rufipes, Rh. bergeoni and Rh. praetextatus. In the present study, Rh. (Bo) decoloratus was the most prevalent (56.8%) in the study area. Among the risk factors considered, the prevalence of tick species had a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association with the age, production systems and body condition of animals. Out of 110 people interviewed, 107 (97.3%) believed there was a tick infestation in their village, and almost all farmers 103(93.6%) in the study area were unaware that ticks serve as vectors.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides preliminary information on the prevalence of tick infestation and the composition of ticks in the Aleltu district. Ticks are a major problem for the cattle in the study area. Therefore, the problem observed in the study area alarms the district and calls for a comprehensive control strategy.

PMID:39222286 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.70022

Environ Geochem Health. 2024 Sep 2;46(10):411. doi: 10.1007/s10653-024-02181-2.

ABSTRACT

The increase in heavy metal concentration in water bodies due to rapid industrial and socio-economic development significantly threatens ecological and human health. This study evaluated metal pollution and related risks to ecology and human health in the Maroon-Jarahi river sub-basin in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea basin, southwest Iran, using various indicators. A total of 70 water samples were taken from the sampling sites in the Maroon, Allah, and Jarahi sub-basins and analyzed for nine heavy metals. According to the results, the mean concentration of metals in the sampling locations across the entire sub-basin of Maroon-Jarahi was observed as follows Iron (528.22 µg/L), zinc (292.62 µg/L), manganese (56.47 µg/L), copper (36.23 µg/L), chromium (11.78 µg/L), arsenic (7.09 µg/L), lead (3.43 µg/L), nickel (3.23 µg/L), and cadmium (1.38 µg/L). Most of the metals were detected at the highest concentration in the sub-basin of the Jarahi River. The Water Quality Index (WQI) index in the basin varied from 18.74 to 22.88, indicating well to excellent quality. However, the investigation of the pollution status at the monitoring stations, based on the classification of Degree of Contamination (CD) and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) indices, revealed that they are in the category of relatively high pollution (16 < CD < 32) to very high (32 ≤ CD), and in the low pollution category (HPI < 15) to high pollution (HPI < 30), respectively. According to the three sub-basins, the highest amount of WQI, HPI, and Cd was observed in the stations located in the sub-basins of the Jarahi River. The calculation of Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) also indicated that only 10% of the monitoring stations are in moderate pollution (10 < HEI < 20), while in other monitoring stations the HEI level is less than 10. The Potential ecological risk factors ( E r i ) of an individual metal was obtained as follows: Cd (173.70) > As (131.99) > Zn (57.52) > Cu (55.39) > Ni (48.98) > Cr (21.57) > Pb (0.71), revealing that Cd and As are the main elements responsible for creating ecological risk in the studied area. The Maroon-Jarahi watershed included areas with ecological risks that ranged from low (PERI ≤ 150) to very high (PERI ≥ 600). HI and ILCR health indicators indicated that consumption and long-term contact with river water in the study area can cause potential risks to human health, especially children. Moreover, the findings, the highest level of pollution and health risk for both children and adults, considering both exposure routes, occurred in the Jarahi River sub-basin, suggesting that those who live in the vicinity of the Jarahi River are likely to face more adverse health effects. In addition, the findings of the evaluation of the relationship between land use patterns and water quality in the studied basin showed that agricultural lands acts as a main source of pollutants, but forest lands play an important role in the deposition of pollutants and the protection of water quality at the basin scale. In general, the results of pollution indicators, risk assessment, and statistical techniques suggest that the lower sub-basin, the Jarahi area, and the Shadegan wetland are the most polluted areas in the investigated sub-basin due to excessive discharge of agricultural runoff, industrialization, and rapid urbanization. Thus, special measures should be considered to reduce the risks of HMs pollution in the sub-basin of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed, especially its downstream and the impact of agricultural land use on water quality should be taken into consideration in basin management plans.

PMID:39222283 | DOI:10.1007/s10653-024-02181-2

Int J Cancer. 2024 Sep 2. doi: 10.1002/ijc.35162. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cancer patients are at a higher risk to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population and regularly show an impaired immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In our oncological center, 357 patients with hematological and oncological diseases were monitored for neutralizing antibodies from October 2021 over 12 months. All patients had received three anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations with an mRNA-(Comirnaty/BionTech or Spikevax/Moderna) or a vector vaccine (Vakzevria/AstraZeneca or JCOVDEN/Johnson&Johnson). Neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the patients’ sera were detected within 3 months before, 3-10 weeks and 5-7 months after the booster vaccination (third vaccination). 112 patients developed a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection during the observation period. High anti-SARS-Cov-2 antibody levels before infection significantly protected against symptomatic Covid-19 disease (p = .003). The median antibody titer in patients with asymptomatic Covid-19 disease was 2080 BAU/ml (binding antibody units per Milliliter) and 765 BAU/ml in symptomatic patients. 98% of the solid tumor patients reached seroconversion after the booster vaccination in comparison to 79% of the hematological patients. High antibody titers of >2080 BAU/ml after the booster vaccination were detected in 61% of the oncological and 34.8% of the hematological patients. 7-10 months after the booster vaccination, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titer declined to an average of 849 BAU/ml. Considering the heterogenous humoral immune response of cancer patients observed in this study, an individual vaccination strategy based on regular measurement of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels should be considered in contrast to fixed vaccination intervals.

PMID:39222267 | DOI:10.1002/ijc.35162

Support Care Cancer. 2024 Sep 2;32(9):627. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08816-5.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Clinical guidelines recommend early palliative care for patients with advanced lung cancer. In rural and underserved community oncology practices with limited resources, both primary palliative care from an oncologist and specialty palliative care are needed to address patients’ palliative care needs. The aim of this study is to describe community oncology clinicians’ primary palliative care practices and perspectives on integrating specialty palliative care into routine advanced lung cancer treatment in rural and underserved communities.

METHODS: Participants were clinicians recruited from 15 predominantly rural community oncology practices in Kentucky. Participants completed a one-time survey regarding their primary palliative care practices and knowledge, barriers, and facilitators to integrating specialty palliative care into advanced-stage lung cancer treatment.

RESULTS: Forty-seven clinicians (30% oncologists) participated. The majority (72.3%) of clinicians worked in a rural county. Over 70% reported routinely asking patients about symptom and physical function concerns, whereas less than half reported routinely asking about key prognostic concerns. Roughly 30% held at least one palliative care misconception (e.g., palliative care is for only those who are stopping cancer treatment). Clinician-reported barriers to specialty palliative care referrals included fear a referral would send the wrong message to patients (77%) and concern about burdening patients with appointments (53%). Notably, the most common clinician-reported facilitator was a patient asking for a referral (93.6%).

CONCLUSION: Educational programs and outreach efforts are needed to inform community oncology clinicians about palliative care, empower patients to request referrals, and facilitate patients’ palliative care needs assessment, documentation, and standardized referral templates.

PMID:39222247 | DOI:10.1007/s00520-024-08816-5

Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Sep 2;196(10):874. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13004-3.

ABSTRACT

The present study deals with the assessment of different physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (E.C.), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and dissolved oxygen) in different surface water such as pond, river, and canal water in four different seasons, viz. March, June, September, and December 2023. The research endeavors to assess the impact of a cationic polyelectrolyte, specifically poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), utilized as a coagulation aid in conjunction with lime for water treatment. Employing a conventional jar test apparatus, turbidity removal from diverse water samples is examined. Furthermore, the samples undergo characterization utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The study also conducts correlation analyses on various parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity of raw water, polyelectrolyte dosage, and percentage of turbidity removal across different water sources. Utilizing the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, these analyses aim to establish robust relationships among initial turbidity, temperature, percentage of turbidity removal, dosage of coagulant aid, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) in pond water, river water, and canal water. A strong positive correlation could be found between the percentage of turbidity removal and the value of initial turbidity of all surface water. However, a negative correlation could be observed between the polyelectrolyte dosage and raw water’s turbidity. By elucidating these correlations, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of PDADMAC and lime in water treatment processes across diverse environmental conditions. This research enhances our comprehension of surface water treatment methodologies and provides valuable insights for optimizing water treatment strategies to address the challenges posed by varying water sources and seasonal fluctuations.

PMID:39222246 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-024-13004-3