Nevin Manimala

J Allied Health. 2026 Spring;55(1):33-40. doi: 10.21091/jah.2026.01004.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Certified surgical technologists (CSTs) promote asepsis principles due to their specialized education, help¬ing to minimize surgical site infections (SSIs). However, closing the empathy gap could support understanding and commitment to aseptic technique and improve outcomes.

METHODS: A single intervention, randomized posttest control group design was used to study the effect of a patient experiential video on the state empathy and aseptic technique performance of a convenience sample of CSTs (n = 133). The predictive ability of empathy and safety on CST exam scores was also examined. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) controlling for CST exam scores, independent t-tests, and regression analysis.

RESULTS: Differences between the means for the experimental and control groups were not significant. There was a statistically significant increase in mean associative empathy scores between the groups of 1.18 points, 95% CI [-0.01, 2.36], t(131) = 1.96, p < 0.05, d = 0.341. Empathy and safety scores statistically significantly predicted CST score (adjusted R2 = 0.14, p < 0.005). The aseptic safety score added significantly to the prediction, p = 0.001.

CONCLUSION: The significant difference in associative empathy scores produced by a patient-presented video could reduce the empathy gap, reduce psychological reactance, and improve aseptic techniques for CSTs.

PMID:41802950 | DOI:10.21091/jah.2026.01004

J Allied Health. 2026 Spring;55(1):21-31. doi: 10.21091/jah.2026.01003.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Holistic admissions examine a broad range of academic and non-academic applicant factors to determine how an individual will contribute to the learning environment and their potential for success. Prior academic performance is an established indicator of future performance, but less is known about non-academic metrics such as sociodemographic factors and personal attributes, some of which could be considered in holistic admissions practices. This study explored how personal and sociodemographic attributes (age, sex, diversity characteristics) impact academic performance throughout a physical therapist (PT) education program.

SUBJECTS: Three cohorts of first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students at a single institution were invited to participate.

METHODS: In this prospective, observational cohort study, first-year DPT students completed 6 surveys: PROMIS® General Self-efficacy, PROMIS® Anxiety, 12-item Grit Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and PROMIS® Positive Affect. Investigators used a 3-step hierarchical regression to determine if these personal attributes, along with age, sex, and diversity characteristics, were predictors of first-semester grade point average (GPA), program GPA, and Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT) scores.

RESULTS: 145 students participated (80.7% female, 51% zero diversity characteristics). Age and diversity characteristics were negative predictors in models for first-semester and program GPA (R2=0.22, p<0.001; R2=0.22, p<0.01, respectively). Personal attributes did not contribute additional variance to GPA nor PEAT scores.

CONCLUSION: Of the variables studied, age and diversity characteristics can be useful for predicting GPA, but not PEAT scores. Older and more diverse DPT students have poorer academic outcomes in the didactic phase of their education. Personal attributes can be incorporated into holistic admissions; however, they may not be useful as indicators of academic performance.

PMID:41802949 | DOI:10.21091/jah.2026.01003

Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2026 Dec 31;22(1):2641328. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2026.2641328. Epub 2026 Mar 9.

ABSTRACT

Following the January 2025 approval of the first male HPV vaccine in the Chinese mainland, we investigated vaccination willingness and its influencing factors among community-dwelling men. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Beijing, recruiting 480 community-based male residents and 399 men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants completed a questionnaire assessing HPV knowledge and the Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify determinants of willingness. We found a high level of vaccination willingness, which was notably higher among MSM (90.73%) than the community-recruited male population (87.29%). Critically, willingness surpassed awareness, indicating significant latent demand despite low overall HPV knowledge. HBM analysis showed that perceived benefits promoted willingness in both groups, while self-efficacy of prevention paradoxically acted as an inhibitor. MSM reported higher perceived susceptibility and benefits, but lower severity, compared to community-recruited men. Determinants diverged significantly: income and sexual behavior were unique drivers for community-recruited men, whereas HPV knowledge and STI self-testing drove willingness in MSM. This study confirms high post-approval vaccination willingness but highlights distinct influencing factors. Findings suggest the need for differentiated strategies: universal approaches should highlight vaccine benefits to convert latent demand, while targeted education for MSM must focus on improving knowledge accuracy.

PMID:41802941 | DOI:10.1080/21645515.2026.2641328

N C Med J. 2025 Jul 30;86(2). doi: 10.18043/001c.141309.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We examined the association between driving time and receipt of single-visit long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in North Carolina.

METHODS: We characterized drive time with single-visit LARC placement across a state-wide cohort of 4319 patients who received LARC between March 15, 2019, and March 14, 2021. Drive time was calculated on ArcGIS Pro 3.0.

RESULTS: 68% of patients received a single-visit LARC. Patients who lived 30 minutes from their LARC appointment had 1.54 times the odds of single-visit LARC placement compared to patients who drove 10 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26 1.90).

LIMITATIONS: Our data are limited by the electronic medical record-based design, as well as the assumption that the patients home address is their drive time location of origin.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased driving time is associated with single-visit LARC placement. Understanding and addressing barriers to care, including geographic accessibility, is essential to enhancing access to high-quality, person-centered contraceptive care.

PMID:41802939 | DOI:10.18043/001c.141309

N C Med J. 2025 Jul 30;86(2). doi: 10.18043/001c.142245.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Geographic variation in state services and supports for caregivers warrants a closer examination of factors associated with caregiver distress at the state level. We examined factors associated with mentally unhealthy days and frequent mental distress among caregivers as compared to non-caregivers in North Carolina.

METHODS: We used data from the North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System optional caregiving modules (years 2011, 2017, and 2021). Multivariable zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) and logistic regression analyses incorporating sampling weights were used to predict the number of mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) out of the past month and the probability of frequent mental distress (FMD), defined as 14 or more MUDs in the past month. We provided socio-demographically adjusted marginal effects comparing caregivers to non-caregivers. We produced estimates using both the total sample and a subset of individuals without reported frequent physical distress (FPD), meaning those with less than 14 physically unhealthy days in the past month.

RESULTS: Caregivers had an average of 1.3 higher predicted number of mentally unhealthy days (95% CI, 0.81.9) and a 4 percentage-point higher probability of having frequent mental distress than non-caregivers (95% CI, 1.66.3) after controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Individuals with lower educational attainment and those unemployed had a higher average number of MUDs (P values < .05).

LIMITATIONS: Primary exposure and outcomes were self-reported measures, and study years were constrained to years that the caregiver module was implemented.

CONCLUSIONS: Further research is warranted to determine if improvements in long-term care services and supports (LTSS) and access may reduce caregiver distress. Useful strategies to support caregivers have been outlined by the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers initiative to address caregivers unmet needs.

PMID:41802936 | DOI:10.18043/001c.142245

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2026 Dec;39(1):2641844. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2026.2641844. Epub 2026 Mar 9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients commonly struggle with secondary infertility following a prior cesarean section due to factors related to the delivery. Distortions in the pelvic anatomy may complicate subsequent treatment attempts using assisted reproductive technology (ART) on different levels, including the myometrium, endometrium, and cervix, as well as intraperitoneal structures.

METHODS: In this narrative review, major databases were searched to examine the effect of a prior cesarean delivery (CD) on pregnancy outcomes from subsequent ART treatments.

FINDINGS: Some mechanisms for the detrimental effect of CD on subsequent ART success, such as the development of a cesarean scar defect (CSD), are well-supported by existing evidence. Other putative mechanisms, namely an increase in difficulty of subsequent embryo transfers, are more speculative at this time.

CONCLUSION/FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Rigorous standardization of CD technique as well as transparent meticulous reporting may mitigate the detrimental effect of prior CD on subsequent ART success.

PMID:41802929 | DOI:10.1080/14767058.2026.2641844

Am J Mens Health. 2026 Mar-Apr;20(2):15579883251414408. doi: 10.1177/15579883251414408. Epub 2026 Mar 9.

ABSTRACT

Although many forms of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI) are widely used in international literature, there is yet to be a Turkish version. The CMNI-30 is an instrument consisting of 30 statements developed to measure masculinity ideologies, with statements representing different behaviors associated with masculinity. The CMNI-30 has proven reliable and valid across different languages and cultures. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the CMNI-30. Tested with 1,091 Turkish men, data were collected after content validation with the 10-factor model of the CMNI-30, indicating good construct validity. Also, convergent validity, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, item-total score analysis, and test-retest analyses were applied. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the CMNI-30 was similar to its original structure, and all factor loadings were above 0.30. The fit indices were >0.85, and the root mean square error of approximation value was <0.05. Cronbach’s alpha value was calculated as 0.871. Item-total correlations ranged between .253 and .541, and the test-retest correlation was found to be r = .344 (p < .001). Convergent validity analysis showed a significant positive relationship between CMNI-30 and Male Role Norms Scale. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the CMNI-30.

PMID:41802928 | DOI:10.1177/15579883251414408

Brief Bioinform. 2026 Mar 1;27(2):bbag103. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbag103.

ABSTRACT

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been conducted primarily in European (EUR) populations, limiting insights into underrepresented groups such as East Asian (EAS), but cross-ancestry GWASs have demonstrated high trans-ethnic genetic similarity between EUR and non-EUR populations. To enhance association analysis power in EAS populations, we propose tranScore, a novel summary-statistics-based transfer learning method that leverages trans-ethnic genetic similarity through hierarchical modeling. By considering EUR as auxiliary population, tranScore performs joint testing of genetic effects in auxiliary and target populations via well-established P-value combination procedures. Simulations demonstrate that tranScore maintains control of type I error rates and provides substantial power gains for diverse genetic architectures, showing robustness against various challenges including incomplete SNP overlap and effect heterogeneity. In the real-data application of eight diseases from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), after incorporating the genetic information of the EUR population, tranScore identified significantly more genes than the traditional score test which ignored such information. Approximately 41.9% of discovered genes were replicated in the Biobank Japan cohort. Overall, tranScore represents a flexible and powerful statistical approach for association analysis of complex diseases and traits through transfer learning of shared genetic similarities between the auxiliary and target populations.

PMID:41802284 | DOI:10.1093/bib/bbag103

Brief Bioinform. 2026 Mar 1;27(2):bbag090. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbag090.

ABSTRACT

While traditional imaging techniques, such as histopathology, are often part of clinical workflows, molecular profiling remains more difficult to conduct and is less cost-effective. Thus, the prediction of molecular ‘omics’ data directly from imaging has emerged as an appealing alternative. While existing reviews have mentioned image-based prediction of biomarkers within specific disease contexts, this review provides a comprehensive overview of current methods that leverage imaging to predict (i) DNA-based aberrations, (ii) bulk transcriptomic profiles, (iii) single-cell transcriptomics, and (iv) spatial transcriptomics across disease contexts and imaging modalities. To address the complexity of these predictive tasks, we find that many studies employ cutting-edge deep learning strategies for image processing, feature extraction, feature aggregation, and downstream molecular prediction. In this review, we highlight the diverse applications of both deep learning-based and modern statistical frameworks designed for image-based omics prediction. The insights gleaned from these inferred molecular data have broad clinical relevance and will continue to improve our understanding of the relationships between molecular and visual features, paving the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

PMID:41802282 | DOI:10.1093/bib/bbag090

Brief Bioinform. 2026 Mar 1;27(2):bbag102. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbag102.

ABSTRACT

As genome-wide association studies (GWAS) studies move from array-based genotyping to whole exome and genome sequencing, there is a significant increase in cost. Applying an appropriate technique for the selection of which controls to include, in large studies where more potential controls are available than needed for the study, may be a useful technique for minimizing resource intensity whilst maintaining statistical power. We evaluated three control selection strategies in prostate cancer GWAS using 15 250 UK Biobank cases: (a) all controls, (b) matched controls, and (c) random selection. Both (b) and (c) achieved comparable power in detecting significant loci relative to (a), but matched controls (b) showed greater consistency in identifying leading single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, using (b) matched controls reduced discovery power by ~30% compared with (a) all controls, highlighting a trade-off. Matching controls (1:4 ratio) offers a cost-effective approach for targeted SNP analysis across phenotypes but may miss novel associations.

PMID:41802281 | DOI:10.1093/bib/bbag102