Nevin Manimala

Brain Behav Immun Health. 2024 Dec 30;43:100942. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100942. eCollection 2025 Feb.

ABSTRACT

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a widespread psychiatric condition impacting social and occupational functioning, making it a leading cause of disability. The diagnosis of MDD remains clinical, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 criteria, as biomarkers have not yet been validated for diagnostic purposes or as predictors of treatment response. Traditional treatment strategies often follow a one-size-fits-all approach obtaining suboptimal outcomes for many patients who fail to experience response or recovery. Several studies have reported an association between MDD and immune system dysregulation, but few have focused on the deep characterization of circulating cells, during the acute phase of MDD. This work aimed at immunophenotyping peripheral blood cells in the relapse phase of the disorder, to identify relevant cell populations for clinical monitoring of patients. Multiparametric analysis was performed on the peripheral blood of 60 MDD patients using flow cytometry to identify lymphocytes (naïve/effector, memory, regulatory) and myeloid cells (dendritic cells, monocytes). We studied the associations between immunophenotype and depressive symptoms, social and working functioning, and subjective quality of life during the acute phase and after three months of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that CD4⁺ terminally differentiated effector memory (TEMRA) were associated with more depressive symptoms with a particular emphasis on anhedonic features and worse social and working functioning and quality of life. CD8⁺ TEMRA were associated with those depressive symptoms related to hopelessness. Conversely, ICOS + Tregs were associated with low-intensity suicidal ideation, suggestive of a protective role. Baseline T CD4⁺ effector memory (EM) was a negative predictor of reduction of depressive symptoms after three months of treatment, whilst plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) were predicting reduction of hopelessness. These results confirm the involvement of the immune system in MDD and demonstrate the existence of immunological signatures associated with the severity of major depressive episodes and treatment response that could guide clinical monitoring and future personalized therapies.

PMID:39877852 | PMC:PMC11773243 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100942

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2025 Feb;19(2):e70007. doi: 10.1111/eip.70007.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: A key factor influencing the duration of untreated psychosis is that young individuals typically do not seek help during their initial psychotic experiences. This online study aimed to explore the efficacy of preventive video interventions providing information on psychosis on the attitudes towards seeking mental health care among young adults from the general population.

METHODS: Participants (N = 147) were randomised to one of the following online conditions: a short 3-min video of an empowered patient or of a psychiatrist describing different aspects of mental illness, a short control video or no video. Then, participants answered the Inventory of Attitudes to Seeking Mental Health Services (IARSSM) to measure attitudes towards seeking mental health.

RESULTS: A Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA on the total IARSSM score revealed no significant effect of the group on attitude towards mental health care (χ2₍₃₎ = 6.52, p = 0.09). A small but statistically significant effect was found for the IARSSM factor “indifference to stigma” (χ2₍₃₎ = 8.50, p = 0.04), with slightly lower levels of indifference to stigma in the patient video group (M = 20.5, SD = 6.50) compared to the psychiatry video group (M = 24.5, SD = 4.35).

CONCLUSION: Emphasising nonconformity with mental health stereotypes, portraying positive aspects and utilising short video formats on social media platforms can potentially reduce stigma in the short term. Long-term effectiveness and identification of specific factors optimising attitudes towards mental health help-seeking warrant further investigation.

PMID:39876027 | DOI:10.1111/eip.70007

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2025 Jan 28:10406387241310900. doi: 10.1177/10406387241310900. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Compromised gill health is a critical cause of forfeited welfare in Atlantic salmon farming. Detecting and quantifying the early onset of gill disease is important to reveal initial inflicting stimuli. We collected gill samples of 45 Atlantic salmon from 2 commercial recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) spanning fry-to-market-size fish with no clinical signs of gill disease. Gill samples were assessed histologically by 3 independent raters with different levels of experience. Semiquantitative scoring for 7 types of gill changes was carried out for 10 filaments per gill (450 filaments total) over 3 rounds on anonymized samples. Scores were summarized for each type of gill change. The assumed clinical relevance for each change was transformed into a category score, followed by an assessment of agreement within (intra) and between (inter) raters. A generalized linear model estimated the difference in score levels between raters. For each rater, intra-rater agreement was high for 6 gill changes and moderate for 1 gill change. Inter-rater agreement was moderate to almost-perfect, except for 2 gill changes; generalized linear model regression revealed systematic differences in score usage between the raters. Our scoring protocol worked satisfactorily for mucous cell amount, lamellar clubbing, lamellar hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia, and aneurysms, despite different levels of expertise in histologic evaluation. Intra-rater agreement was consistent, but differences existed for interlamellar hypercellularity, lamellar inflammation, and degeneration. Scoring subclinical gill changes is a challenge, and our scoring system for mild-to-moderate lesions may enable early intervention to limit the detrimental effects of poor gill health in RAS farming.

PMID:39876026 | DOI:10.1177/10406387241310900

BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 28;25(1):161. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12219-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A key concern for global public health is nosocomial infections. Essential to the fight against nosocomial infection, is healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, this study investigated healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward nosocomial infection at the Kiruddu Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out at Kiruddu Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. We selected the participants using simple random sampling. Data were collected from a total of 78 healthcare personnel using pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaires. We used SPSS version 20.0 for data analysis and applied descriptive statistics to present the frequencies and percentages. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between independent factors and knowledge and attitude (KA) ratings on hospital-acquired infection (HAI) prevention. P-values less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.

RESULTS: Among the different categories of health workers, doctors exhibited the highest level of knowledge. There was a significant association between knowledge scores and occupation (χ²LR = 25.610; P = 0.000). The mean knowledge scores across different infection prevention aspects were as follows: hand hygiene (82.2 ± 18.9), PPE use (71.8 ± 23.1), sharp disposal and sharp injuries (59.2 ± 25.7), and waste management (57.4 ± 29.9). Notably, 20.5% of participants did not change PPE between patients, and 44.9% indicated that their workload negatively impacted their ability to follow infection prevention standards.

CONCLUSION: The study highlighted gaps in healthcare personnel’s knowledge and attitudes toward infection prevention. It is therefore important to provide regular targeted training programs emphasizing underrepresented areas, PPE availability, strengthen policy enforcement, and integrate infection prevention education into medical and nursing curricula.

PMID:39876017 | DOI:10.1186/s12913-025-12219-5

BMC Psychol. 2025 Jan 28;13(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02405-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major decision-making self-efficacy (MDMSE) is an important indicator of students’ ability to make effective decisions in specialty selection. It has implications for students’ personal growth and career counselling interventions. While the previous MDMSES has been widely used in the context of China’s New College Entrance Examination reform, the increased choice of majors and advancement of career planning necessitate a new scale to assess high school students’ MDMSE levels.

METHODS: Scale items were generated based on a literature review, student interviews, and expert reviews. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were used to assess the appropriateness of the scale’s structure, and network analysis was used to calculate concurrent validity. Retest reliability was calculated to evaluate stability.

RESULTS: The MDMSES contains 24 items with five factors (Information Acquisition, Decision Persistence, Self-Determination, Self-Evaluation, and Social Support). The results show that the scale has a good five-factor structure (χ²/df = 1.91, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.05, and SRMR = 0.06), and the internal consistency reliability of the total scale is 0.91.

CONCLUSION: The scale development results satisfied the psychometric and statistical criteria, allowing the scale to be used as a means of detection to support intervention efforts for individuals with low MDMSE levels.

PMID:39876007 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02405-9

World J Surg Oncol. 2025 Jan 28;23(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12957-024-03624-x.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The clinical benefits of neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer patients are controversial. This study intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in these patients.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, 71 locally advanced gastric cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone were divided into bevacizumab plus chemo group (N = 23) and chemo group (N = 48).

RESULTS: Objective response rate (52.2% vs. 35.4%), disease control rate (91.3% vs. 81.3%), surgical resection rate (95.7% vs. 85.4%), R0 resection rate (87.0% vs. 75.0%), and the proportion of patients with tumor regression grade 0-1 (31.8% vs. 17.1%) tended to increase in bevacizumab plus chemo group versus chemo group, although there was no statistical significance. The 48-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 58.3% and 33.4% in bevacizumab plus chemo group and chemo group. The 48-month overall survival (OS) rates were 65.1% and 46.5% in bevacizumab plus chemo group and chemo group, respectively. PFS tended to ascend, but OS did not vary in bevacizumab plus chemo group versus chemo group. Bevacizumab plus chemo (vs. chemo) independently related to longer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.263, P = 0.015], but not OS (HR = 0.207, P = 0.056) in locally advanced gastric cancer patients. The incidence of grade 3-4 adverse events did not vary between groups (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy achieves higher treatment response and longer survival to some extent, with tolerable adverse events versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in locally advanced gastric cancer patients, but its application needs further verification.

PMID:39875999 | DOI:10.1186/s12957-024-03624-x

BMC Nurs. 2025 Jan 28;24(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-02745-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Healthcare adverse events (AEs) significantly impact professionals, often leading to emotional distress and lasting effects. This study investigates the impact of AEs on healthcare professionals in Romania, focusing on nurses to examine their experiences within the patient safety culture and the psychological consequences of AEs. With a limited body of research on patient safety, adverse events, and second victims (SVs) in Romania, this study addresses a crucial gap, highlighting the need for enhanced safety culture and support mechanisms for SVs.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study in Romania targeted healthcare professionals, focusing on nurses. Utilizing online and onsite surveys facilitated by the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants in Romania, data were collected between April and June 2022, exploring AEs and related experiences. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, Student’s t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression, using SPSS version 29.0.

RESULTS: This study surveyed 995 nurses in Romania, primarily aged 31-50 (67.8%). Over half (57.9%) reported near-miss incidents, and 30.8% were aware of serious adverse events. Nurses over 50 scored higher on safety culture (20.98 vs. 20.45, p = .024) than younger nurses. Higher safety culture scores were associated with reduced negative emotional responses (e.g., guilt, anxiety, insomnia, tiredness) following AEs. Higher safety culture scores were associated with reduced negative emotional responses. Additionally, 88.9% of nurses showed interest in training for coping with adverse events, highlighting the need for supportive interventions in healthcare settings.

DISCUSSION: This study underscores the significant emotional and professional impact of AEs on nurses in Romania, highlighting ongoing challenges in healthcare environments. The positive perception of safety culture among nurses suggests a basis for improvement, while training needs underscore areas for intervention. Tackling the second victim phenomenon is crucial for maintaining patient safety.

PMID:39875993 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-02745-2

Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2025 Jan 28;20(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s13023-025-03570-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hepatic glycogen storage diseases (GSD) are inborn errors of metabolism with abnormal storage or utilization of glycogen, a complex disease with significant genetic heterogeneity and similar clinical manifestations. This study aimed to describe the gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic features of hepatic GSD, including types Ia, Ib, III, VI, and IX, to provide evidence for etiology and treatment.

METHODS: A national cohort survey questionnaire was distributed to patients diagnosed with GSD type Ia, Ib, III, VI, and IX through genetic testing or their parents in mainland China in May 2022. Expert gastroendoscopists performed endoscopic examinations and evaluations in 10 hospitals. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 315 patients with hepatic GSD were included in the study, including 191 males and 124 females, the median age at diagnosis was 1.42 years (range = 0.08-36.08 years), with a median age of 5.42 years at the time of investigation (range = 0.58-38.08 years). 95% of patients relied on uncooked corn starch (UCCS) for blood glucose maintenance, and the median age of initiation was 18.5 months (range = 4-360 months). The common characteristics of these GSDs were hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, anemia, liver enlargement, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and weakness. More than 60% of patients reported gastrointestinal symptom including anorexia, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and mucus or bloody stool. The incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with GSD type Ia, Ib, III, VI and IX were 68%, 68%, 48%, 59% and 48%, respectively. A total of 48 GSD patients underwent gastroenteroscopy, 54% (26/48, 24 patients with type Ib, 1 patient with type Ia and 1 with III) were diagnosed with GSD-associated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the endoscopic images showed mucosal edema, erythema, erosions, single or scattered multiple large, deep, round ulcers and strictures, without linear ulcers and cobblestone mucosal lesions.

CONCLUSION: Patients with GSD type Ia, Ib, III, VI and IX had different degrees of gastrointestinal complications, among which patients with type Ia, Ib and III were the most prominent, and the proportion of GSD-Ib patients had a higher proportion of GSD-associated IBD.

PMID:39875987 | DOI:10.1186/s13023-025-03570-1

BMC Oral Health. 2025 Jan 28;25(1):147. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05533-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and morphology of middle mesial canal (MMC) in mandibular first molar (M1M) among a Northwestern Chinese population, and to analyze their relationship with anatomical aspects of the mesial root.

METHODS: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was utilized to evaluate 898 M1Ms and assess the incidence and morphology of MMC. The following parameters for M1M with or without MMC were obtained: the vertical distance between the first appearance of MMC and canal orifices (D), the distance between mesiobuccal (MB) and mesiolingual (ML) canals (D1), the buccolingual width(L1) and mesiodistal width (L2) of mesial roots, and the flatness degree(L1/L2) of mesial roots. The results were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: The prevalence of MMC was 9.6% when considering the number of teeth and 7.2% when considering individuals. The presence of MMC was not significantly associated with sex (p = 0.993) or age (p = 0.211). Type 1-3-2 emerged as the most prevalent root canal morphology. MMC primarily manifested within 4 mm below the canal orifices. In cases where MMC was present, the MB-ML distance was significantly greater (p = 0.017). Conversely, no significant correlation was found between the presence of MMC and the length, width, or flatness degree of the mesial roots.

CONCLUSIONS: The morphology of MMCs is complex, and most of them exhibit confluent canals. In instances where MMCs are present, the MB-ML distance is significantly larger. For effective detection of MMC, a thorough examination of the area within 4 mm beneath the canal orifice is recommended.

PMID:39875974 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-025-05533-1

J Prosthodont. 2025 Jan 28. doi: 10.1111/jopr.14021. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the fracture resistance of long-span fixed provisional restorations fabricated using milling, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and conventional methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty specimens were prepared, divided into four groups of 15 each, corresponding to four fabrication methods: computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milled provisional resins, 3D-printed provisional resins, 3D-printed permanent resins, and conventional bis-acryl restorations reinforced with wire. The specimens underwent a three-point bending test using a universal testing machine to measure fracture resistance, quantified as maximum force (in Newtons). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post-hoc tests to compare the fracture resistance across the four groups.

RESULTS: Significant differences in fracture resistance were observed among the materials tested (p < 0.001). Both the CAD-CAM milled and 3D-printed resins exhibited significantly higher fracture resistance than the conventional bis-acryl method.

CONCLUSION: The results highlight the mechanical advantages of digital fabrication methods for long-span provisional applications in prosthodontics. These techniques may provide improved durability and reliability, addressing the mechanical demands of complex restorations.

PMID:39875969 | DOI:10.1111/jopr.14021