Nevin Manimala

Adv Clin Exp Med. 2025 Mar 18. doi: 10.17219/acem/193825. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a procedure commonly used in the treatment of various hematological disorders with the aim of curing the patient or prolonging life. The vast majority of patients must have antineoplastic therapy before HSCT, which can result in weight loss, sarcopenia or cachexia. Additionally, there is a high risk of malnutrition and physical deterioration during HSCT. By assessing physical fitness prior to HSCT, a physical therapist can individualize an exercise program, which in turn may speed up recovery after HSCT.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the physical fitness of patients with hematological malignancies qualified for HSCT as an indication for prehabilitation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 65 patients with hematological malignancies who were qualified for HSCT between September 1, 2022, and September 1, 2023. The reference group consisted of 219 healthy adults. The clinical study protocol involved participants performing 3 tests: the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), the timed-up and go test (TUG) and the 30-second chair-stand test (30CST).

RESULTS: Patients with hematological malignancies were characterized by significantly lower endurance capacity (median (Me) = 420.50 (IQR 110.25) vs Me = 580.00 (IQR 133.00); p < 0.001) and significantly lower body strength (Me = 11.00 (IQR 6.00) vs Me = 15.00 (IQR 5.00); p < 0.001). There was also a statistically significant difference in the diagnosis and in the number of lines of systemic therapy. Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed between the outcomes of the physical fitness level, particularly for TUG and 30CST, and the time from diagnosis to transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS: The presented results suggest a negative consequence of hematological disease and its treatment on the functional status of patients qualified for HSCT and indicate the need for individualized rehabilitation management depending on the type of diagnosis, the number of lines of systemic therapy, and the time between diagnosis and transplantation.

PMID:40099316 | DOI:10.17219/acem/193825

Cancer Med. 2025 Mar;14(6):e70738. doi: 10.1002/cam4.70738.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUNDS: Cancer fatalism, the belief that cancer is predetermined and unpreventable, is associated with lower uptake of cancer prevention. Little is known about cancer fatalism prevalence within various Asian origin groups.

METHODS: We conducted a disaggregated analysis of cancer fatalism among Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, and other Asian respondents using the 2012-2022 Health Information National Trends Survey. Pairwise comparisons were conducted to assess differences between each racial and ethnic group.

RESULTS: Significantly lower proportions of Indian respondents (40.36%) endorsed the statement “It seems like everything causes cancer,” when compared with Vietnamese (74.59%, p = 0.0002) and Filipino (75.18%, p = 0.0009) respondents. Lower proportions of Indian and Chinese respondents endorsed the statement “There’s not much you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer” when compared with Vietnamese and Filipino respondents, though these differences were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the heterogeneity among Asian origin groups and emphasize the importance of disaggregated data collection by origin group, which can inform culturally tailored interventions.

PMID:40099315 | DOI:10.1002/cam4.70738

Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2023 May 1;25(3):104060. doi: 10.15446/rsap.V25n3.104060. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Identify the prevalence of suicide and carry out an educational initiative with adolescents from a public school to strengthen Life Skills (HPV) that allow them to face critical situations in daily life.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Study conducted from September 2017 to July 2018, with a quantitative and qualitative approach and educational initiative with pre-posttest measurements of a single group, in first-year high school students from a public school located in Morelos. Two questionnaires were applied 1) Questionnaire of Psychosocial Indicators for Depression and Suicidal Risk and 2) Questionnaire of HpV, in addition to focus groups (FG) and ethnographic registry. Twelve educational sessions focused on four HPVs were held.

RESULTS: 26 students participated. The prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt was 12.5% (95% CI 3.5-28.9). There was statistical significance in the ability “Self-knowledge” for men and women, in addition to the latter in “Managing emotions” and “Global Scores”. In the FG it was established that the HPVs were supporting them in their daily life.

CONCLUSIONS: Working with adolescents through the HpV proposal, provides them with elements for a better management of daily life and can contribute to the prevention of suicidal behavior.

PMID:40099294 | PMC:PMC11648379 | DOI:10.15446/rsap.V25n3.104060

Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2023 May 1;25(3):107641. doi: 10.15446/rsap.V25n3.107641. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To identify the barriers in health care in patients with visual and auditory congenital defects (CD) treated through the Comprehensive Care Program for Families with Orphan Diseases with Visual and/or Auditory Compromise (AIVA), in Bogotá D. C., Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study carried out in 58 children diagnosed with CD with possible visual or auditory compromise. The study population was selected from the AIVA program database, and to obtain the data, parents or legal representatives were asked to take the children for an initial medical evaluation and answer an interview. The barriers were classified according to Tanahashi’s effective coverage model and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; absolute and relative frequencies were calculated for the qualitative variables, and means and standard deviations or medians and interquartile ranges (according to the distribution of the data determined with the Shapiro-Wilk test) for the quantitative variables.

RESULTS: 81.03% of parents or legal representatives expressed at least one barrier, the most frequent being availability (49.38%), followed by accessibility (32.24%), acceptability (11.83%) and contact (6.53%).

CONCLUSION: The majority of parents or legal representatives interviewed reported barriers to accessing health services. Given that these have a negative impact on the health of children with CI, joint interventions are required to reduce them and thus guarantee better health conditions in children with CI and auditory or visual impairment.

PMID:40099291 | PMC:PMC11648372 | DOI:10.15446/rsap.V25n3.107641

Glossa Psycholinguist. 2025;4(1):2. doi: 10.5070/G60116584. Epub 2025 Jan 13.

ABSTRACT

Vowel letters are a source of difficulty in reading English words, for they have both long and short pronunciations. In two studies, we examined how vowels are pronounced before different types of medial consonants in the words of English and the degree to which skilled readers follow those vocabulary statistics in their behavior. We found more short vowels before sequences beginning with ‹s› than before those such as ‹pl›, regardless of whether the letter after ‹s› corresponded to a stop consonant (e.g., ‹sp›) or a sonorant (e.g., ‹sl›). These results show that pronunciation of vowels is influenced by the nature and not just the number of following consonants, contrary to the assumptions that commonly underlie phonics instruction. Although the results support a statistical learning view of reading, in that participants showed an implicit use of untaught patterns, participants’ pronunciations differed in some ways from those expected, given the vocabulary statistics.

PMID:40099278 | PMC:PMC11912810 | DOI:10.5070/G60116584

J Pain Res. 2025 Mar 12;18:1191-1204. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S498728. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is an overarching term that encompasses a broad spectrum of degenerative conditions affecting the cervical spine. Cervical Spondylosis Radiculopathy (CSR) represents a prevalent yet particularly severe type within the broader spectrum of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM). Currently, conservative treatments, such as acupuncture, traction, physical therapy, and medication, are the standard methods used. As a widely applied physical therapy for musculoskeletal disease, Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling (FSN) therapy could be considered when choosing treatment interventions for complement. Electroacupuncture, a commonly used acupuncture treatment, has been proven effective by multiple studies. The comparative analysis with electroacupuncture is specifically aimed at assessing the potential advantages and therapeutic efficacy of FSN therapy in the management of CSR. This is particularly pertinent in instances where conventional conservative interventions and traditional acupuncture techniques may fall short in providing adequate symptom relief.

METHODS: The study was a single-centered study without blinding. 80 eligible patients were randomly assigned into two groups, with 40 in each group. The study group received FSN combined with Kinematic acupuncture, the control group received electroacupuncture treatment.

RESULTS: The results after treatment demonstrated that the study group had significantly higher scores in VAS (P=0.001), NPQ (P=0.000), NDI (P=0.000), TY (P=0.000), SF-36 (P=0.000), Hand-numbness (P=0.004), total effective rate (P=0.004) and Analgesic effect time (P=0.001) compared to the control group. The follow-up results also indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in VAS (P=0.000), NPQ (P=0.000), NDI (P=0.000), TY (P=0.000), SF-36 (P=0.000), however, the results of Hand-numbness scoring showed no significant statistical difference between both two groups (P=0.302), neither did Relieve duration (P=0.562).

CONCLUSION: In general, Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling combined with Kinematic acupuncture method is more effective in relieving symptoms and promoting recovery of CSR.

TRAIL REGISTRATION: The clinical trial has been registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (NO. ChiCTR2300068507).

PMID:40099277 | PMC:PMC11911824 | DOI:10.2147/JPR.S498728

J Pain Res. 2025 Mar 13;18:1231-1239. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S492380. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to explore the effect of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on the gastrointestinal function in patients after traumatic lumbar fracture surgery and the effects of different levels of block approach.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from electronic medical records of patients who underwent traumatic lumbar spine fracture surgery (September 2022-June 2023). Eligible patients were divided into three groups: group L (bilateral ESPB at L3 level), group T (bilateral ESPB at T12 level) and group C (no block). The primary outcomes were the incidence and the time of occurrence postoperative bloating. We also recorded the time of the first flatus and bowel movement, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), gastrointestinal medications, enema, intraoperative opioid dosage, number of rescue analgesia within 48 h postoperatively, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively, inflammatory mediators, complications and hospital length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS: 145 patients were included, including 32 in group L, 33 in group T and 80 in group C. Patients in group L and T experienced less bloating compared to group C (P < 0.05). Patients in group T presented bloating significantly later than group L (log rank P < 0.0167). Patients in group L and group T had a significantly shorter time to first flatus and bowel movement, lower incidence of PONV, gastrointestinal medications and enema, and a lower dose of opioid and VAS scores at 24 h postoperatively compared to group C (all P < 0.05), the difference between group L and T was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Bilateral ESPB improved postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients with traumatic lumbar spine fracture, where the T12 level of ESPB was more favorable than the L3 level.

PMID:40099275 | PMC:PMC11912902 | DOI:10.2147/JPR.S492380

Clin Chem Lab Med. 2025 Mar 19. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2024-1360. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Human tear analysis holds promise for biomarker discovery, but its clinical utility is hindered by the lack of standardized reference values, limiting interindividual comparisons. This study aimed at developing a protocol for normalizing metabolomic data from human tears, enhancing its potential for biomarker identification.

METHODS: Tear metabolomic profiling was conducted on 103 donors (64 females, 39 males, aged 18-82 years) without ocular pathology, using the AbsoluteIDQ™ p180 Kit for targeted metabolomics. A predictive normalization model incorporating age, sex, and fasting time was developed to correct for interindividual variability. Key metabolites from six compound families (amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines, and sphingomyelins) were identified as normalization references. The approach was validated using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to test its ability to classify donor sex based on metabolite concentrations.

RESULTS: Metabolite concentrations exhibited significant interindividual variability. The normalization model, which predicted metabolite concentrations based on a reference “concomitant” metabolite from each compound family, successfully reduced this variability. Using the ratio of observed-to-predicted concentrations, the model enabled robust comparisons across individuals. LDA classification of donor sex using acylcarnitine C4 achieved 78 % accuracy, correctly identifying 92 % of female donors. This approach outperformed traditional statistical and machine learning methods (Lasso logistic regression and Random Forest classification) in sex discrimination based on tear metabolomics.

CONCLUSIONS: This novel normalization protocol significantly improves the reliability of tear metabolomics by enabling standardized interindividual comparisons. The approach facilitates biomarker discovery by mitigating variability in metabolite concentrations and may be extended to other biological fluids, enhancing its applicability in precision medicine.

PMID:40097363 | DOI:10.1515/cclm-2024-1360

Prenat Diagn. 2025 Mar 17. doi: 10.1002/pd.6779. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in women undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for two indications (PGT2) differ from PGT for one autosomal dominant indication (PGT1).

METHOD: This retrospective cohort study summarizes data from 44 PGT patients treated between 2015 and 2023. Data were divided into PGT2 (n = 22 patients, 113 treatment cycles) and PGT1 (n = 22 patients, 108 treatment cycles) groups. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, mixed models, and multivariable mixed logistic regressions.

RESULTS: The groups did not differ in clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. PGT2 patients had more fresh embryos per cycle than the PGT1 group (4.84 vs. 3.18 respectively; p = 0.067) and a significantly lower number of frozen embryos after biopsy (0.29 vs. 0.60 respectively; p = 0.037). No difference was found regarding the mean suitable embryos for biopsy. The PGT2 group had fewer embryos to transfer per cycle (1.30 vs.1.89; p = 0.007), yet there was no difference regarding the number of transferred embryos per cycle.

CONCLUSION: Testing for two genetic indications in one biopsy is feasible yet yields a lower proportion of embryos genetically suitable for transfer but with a similar live birth rate.

PMID:40097348 | DOI:10.1002/pd.6779

Psychooncology. 2025 Mar;34(3):e70120. doi: 10.1002/pon.70120.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Financial toxicity (FT) refers to cancer-related economic distress and hardship, and disproportionately affects adolescent/young adult (AYA) survivors and minoritized groups. This study explored the FT experiences of AYA survivors of childhood cancer and their parents, and the perspective of staff members of a community-based cancer support organization in a rural region with majority Hispanic/Latino (H/L) residents and high rates of non-English language preference.

METHODS: A needs assessment study was conducted in partnership with Jacob’s Heart, a nonprofit organization that serves predominantly H/L families of childhood cancer in a rural region in California. English- and Spanish-speaking AYA survivors, parents, and Jacob’s Heart staff members completed semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using an applied thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS: Participants included 12 AYAs, 11 parents, and 7 organization staff. Material hardship was characterized by direct and indirect medical costs (e.g., time, transportation), which impacted parents’ employment, required balancing caregiving and financial needs, and caused economic strain. Behavioral effects of FT included adaptations to meet basic needs; cost-coping behaviors included skipping medical visits. Parents and survivors experienced financial stress and worry, exacerbated by disruption in parents’ employment and income, transportation pressures of living in a rural area, challenges obtaining or maintaining insurance coverage, and lack of a safety net. Support needs and resources were described.

CONCLUSIONS: AYA survivors of childhood cancer and their parents experience long-lasting FT across multiple domains, which is exacerbated by socioeconomic and structural factors. Interventions targeting FT should partner with community-based organizations to reach vulnerable populations.

PMID:40097346 | DOI:10.1002/pon.70120