Nevin Manimala

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2026 Jul 9;20:e128. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2026.10397.

ABSTRACT

Rapid mass displacement can transform active conflict into a broader public health emergency by compressing shelter demand and continuity-of-care needs into a narrow time frame. The March 2026 escalation in Lebanon provides a timely case to examine these dynamics within a health system already operating under severe constraints. This paper analyzes the early response phase, focusing on how displacement reshaped shelter operations, access to primary care, continuity of medications, and referral pathways. Much of the resulting health risk emerges from treatment interruption and weakened linkage to essential services. Beyond being a humanitarian outcome, displacement should be understood as a health systems event that can amplify secondary morbidity. In fragile settings, preparedness must prioritize health-protective sheltering, continuity of care, and coordinated referral mechanisms under conditions of disruption.

PMID:42423003 | DOI:10.1017/dmp.2026.10397

Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2026 Jul;50(7):e70369. doi: 10.1111/acer.70369.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alcohol elimination rate is associated with acute alcohol consequences, yet it remains difficult to measure reliably in real-world settings. Wearable transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) sensors provide a feasible option through passive, continuous monitoring of biological alcohol exposure. This facilitates precise testing of whether alcohol elimination rate predicts alcohol-related consequences in naturalistic environments. Additionally, a faster alcohol elimination rate may buffer or reduce the risk of alcohol-related consequences following high and/or rapid consumption.

METHOD: Two observational studies (Alcohol Habits Study [n = 222] and Project ACE [n = 79]), each using a different alcohol sensor, were used in this study. Participants of both studies were young adults from universities who frequently engaged in heavy episodic drinking. Alcohol-related consequences were collected through daily self-reports the morning after drinking days and included metrics across multiple domains such as physical symptoms, interpersonal conflict, safety risk, sexual risk, and miscellaneous. Alcohol elimination rate and other dynamics were extracted from TAC-positive trajectories for each day. Associations were tested using multilevel modeling.

RESULTS: Both studies showed that days with faster elimination rates were associated with more alcohol-related consequences, although statistical significance was observed only in Project ACE. In the Alcohol Habits Study, a significant day-level interaction indicated that the association between peak TAC and alcohol-related consequences was reduced on days with faster alcohol elimination rates. Similar findings emerged in Project ACE but did not reach significance. Both studies demonstrated the same pattern of conditional association: as the daily fall rate increased, the simple association between peak TAC and alcohol-related consequences diminished to the point of non-significance.

CONCLUSION: Our results provide novel evidence that alcohol elimination may have (a) an independent association with alcohol-related consequences in natural settings and (b) a buffering impact on the association between peak TAC and alcohol-related consequences. The results span two studies using two separate wearable sensors, supporting the validity of findings. Future research testing these associations in larger and more diverse samples is warranted.

PMID:42422987 | DOI:10.1111/acer.70369

Ecol Lett. 2026 Jul;29(7):e70403. doi: 10.1111/ele.70403.

ABSTRACT

Habitat selection analyses, which discern the environmental conditions individuals select, often inform conservation planning. Through a literature review, we demonstrate that recent habitat selection studies rarely include fitness and health information. With a simulation study, we show that ignoring such information could support the protection of sink habitats. Our case studies demonstrate how health and fitness proxies can modify our understanding of habitat selection: (1) incorporating mass gain of thick-billed murres shows the energetic benefit of areas deemed secondary by a naive resource selection function; (2) including number of chicks in a step selection function (SSF) exposes the complex relationships glaucous-winged gulls have with landscapes impacted by humans; and (3) including external signs of trauma in the movement kernel of SSFs demonstrates other ways in which narwhal distribution can be altered. We urge movement ecologists to collect and use health and fitness data to improve ecological inference and conservation action.

PMID:42422971 | DOI:10.1111/ele.70403

Eur J Dent Educ. 2026 Jul 9. doi: 10.1111/eje.70204. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the affordances of the Mobile Performance Support System (MPSS) in paediatric dentistry clinical practice through fourth-year dental students’ clinical performance and technology acceptance.

METHODS: The study involved 95 fourth-year students engaged in paediatric dentistry clinical training. The control group continued with their regular clinical practice training without any changes, whereas the experimental group received performance support through the MPSS. A time-series quasi-experimental design was employed to examine the impact of MPSS on students’ clinical performance. The researchers developed authentic analytical rubrics for all applications, which were designed to assess clinical performance. A post-test control group quasi-experimental design was employed to investigate the participants’ technology acceptance regarding the MPSS. Upon completion of the clinical training term, the researchers administered the Technology Acceptance Scale to all participants. The MPSS recorded the participants’ interaction logs in order to ascertain their use patterns. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS 25.0.

RESULTS: The experimental group demonstrated superior performance to the control group across all performance measures. The interaction logs showed that students used the MPSS not only during clinical hours, but also for clinical preparation. In addition, multi-stage implementations, such as the application of glass ionomer fissure sealant, were observed to receive higher visit rates.

CONCLUSION: The MPSS significantly improved fourth-year dental students’ clinical performance and received high technology acceptance, making it a scalable and effective tool for pediatric dentistry education.

PMID:42422970 | DOI:10.1111/eje.70204

Cancer Control. 2026 Jan-Dec;33:10732748261466117. doi: 10.1177/10732748261466117. Epub 2026 Jul 9.

ABSTRACT

IntroductionMantle cell lymphoma (MCL) constitutes an aggressive subtype of B-cell lymphoma and demonstrates significant clinical and biological heterogeneity. B symptoms are important clinical indicators in tumors. In the present study, we investigated the frequency and prognostic significance of B symptoms among different primary sites of MCL.MethodWe conducted an observational study of 2,025 MCL patients from the SEER database. We analyzed the frequency of B symptoms at different primary sites and evaluated their impact on prognosis.ResultsThe highest incidence of B symptoms was observed in the small intestine (35.29%), and the lowest in the nasopharynx (6.67%). Among patients with primary lymph node involvement, the intrathoracic and abdominal lymph nodes showed the highest proportion of B symptoms (both 40%), while the head, face, and neck lymph nodes showed the lowest (9.3%). In patients with primary site involvement of lymph nodes or nasopharynx, those with B symptoms had a worse prognosis than those without B symptoms (P < 0.05). Similarly, patients with primary lesions involving multiple regional lymph nodes, lymph node not otherwise specified (NOS), or inguinal/leg lymph nodes exhibited worse prognosis when B symptoms were present (P < 0.05).ConclusionIn summary, our study highlights the heterogeneity in both the frequency and prognostic significance of B symptoms across different primary sites in MCL patients.

PMID:42422964 | DOI:10.1177/10732748261466117

Circ Genom Precis Med. 2026 Jul 9:e005666. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGEN.125.005666. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Genetic differences may contribute to interindividual variability in LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) lowering with statin therapy. Polygenic risk scores may help identify individuals unlikely to achieve guideline-concordant LDL-C targets on statins, enabling earlier therapy intensification.

METHODS: We developed a multiancestry polygenic risk score for statin nongoal response (PRS-NGR) and evaluated its association with failure to achieve an on-statin LDL-C level of ≤70 mg/dL and with percent LDL-C reduction. This longitudinal cohort study used genotyping and electronic health record-linked data from the All of Us Research Program (2018-2025), the UK Biobank (2014-2023), and the Biobank Japan (2003-2008). Participants were statin users with at least 1 prestatin and 1 on-statin LDL-C measurement. Associations were assessed overall and by genetic ancestry, with replication in the UK Biobank and Biobank Japan.

RESULTS: The study included 46 564 participants from All of Us, 37 009 from the UK Biobank, and 3613 from Biobank Japan. In All of Us, higher PRS-NGR was associated with increased odds of nongoal response (odds ratio per SD, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.37-1.49]). Compared with the middle quintile, individuals in the top 1% had a higher risk, whereas those in the bottom 1% had a lower risk of nongoal response. Associations of PRS-NGR were consistent across African, European, and Latin American ancestry groups. Each SD increase in PRS-NGR corresponded to a 1.2-percentage-point smaller LDL-C reduction. Findings were replicated in the UK Biobank (odds ratio per SD, 2.39 [95% CI, 2.23-2.57]) and in Biobank Japan (odds ratio per SD, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.17-1.46]). Integration of PRS-NGR with guideline-based criteria identified individuals who derived a higher LDL-C% change and increased identification of statin-eligible individuals.

CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated a multiancestry polygenic risk score that estimates the risk of nongoal LDL-C response to statin therapy. Incorporation of polygenic risk into lipid-lowering treatment paradigms may improve risk stratification and support more tailored therapy intensification strategies.

PMID:42422963 | DOI:10.1161/CIRCGEN.125.005666

J Med Eng Technol. 2026 Jul 9:1-16. doi: 10.1080/03091902.2026.2698512. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Reliable differentiation between cancer and non-cancer states using minimally invasive approaches remains a significant challenge. Most currently available biomarkers are cancer-type specific and may not capture systemic alterations associated with malignancy. This study evaluates the feasibility of microwave-assisted thermal profiling of blood as a method to distinguish cancer from non-cancer conditions. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 232 participants (87 cancer patients and 145 non-cancer individuals). A custom-built device was used to perform microwave heating of 0.5 mL venous blood samples. Temperature rise patterns were recorded using an infra-red thermal imager. Key parameters, including the time taken to reach the maximum temperature and maximum gradient time, temperature increase and rate of temperature increase, were extracted and statistically analysed. Significant differences in thermal profiles between cancer and non-cancer groups were observed. Cancer patients exhibited a higher Gradient time ratio (GTR) and lower Z_blood value, which indicates an alteration in thermal profile of blood due to cancer. The non-probabilistic prediction rule achieved 96.10 accuracy, with a sensitivity of 96.54 and specificity of 95.86. The microwave-based thermal profiling method demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and has the potential to serve as a reliable cancer biomarker. Further validation in larger cohorts is required.

PMID:42422931 | DOI:10.1080/03091902.2026.2698512

Stat Med. 2026 Jul;45(15-17):e70649. doi: 10.1002/sim.70649.

ABSTRACT

Panel count data occurs in a wide variety of applications, ranging from biomedical research to business, such as the number of accidents, product defects, and insurance claims. For such data under the FDA investigation, millions of reported adverse events (AEs) associated with thousands of drugs are monitored in the post-market drug safety surveillance systems worldwide. Evaluating the AEs of the associated drugs is an important public health concern and motivates our method. One statistical challenge in such systems is handling the excessive number of zero AE counts. Most existing methods utilize Poisson count models that cannot incorporate covariates nor account for the excessive zero counts adequately. This article proposes a novel semiparametric nonhomogeneous panel count model to detect AE signals by accounting for covariates, background AE occurrences, and excessive zero counts. The model is estimated using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm iteratively, where in each M-step, the maximization of the nonparametric component is reformulated as an optimization problem, as in the isotonic regression. The strong consistency and the asymptotic distributions of the estimators are formally derived. We conduct extensive simulation studies to evaluate the finite sample performance of the proposed method and to demonstrate the apparent advantage of the proposed method in signal detection with high power, high specificity, and sensitivity. We apply the method to a VigiBase dataset to detect the AE signals as an application of the proposed method.

PMID:42422929 | DOI:10.1002/sim.70649

J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2026 Aug;17(4):e70342. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.70342.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major acute cardiovascular condition with high mortality, affecting nearly 10 million individuals worldwide each year. Identifying novel and modifiable risk factors is crucial for advancing prevention strategies. Intramuscular fat infiltration (IMFI), a modifiable condition linked to inflammation and muscle weakness, both established contributors to VTE risk, has not been previously studied in relation to incident VTE. We aimed to examine the association between thigh IMFI and incident VTE, including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

METHODS: This population-based cohort study included 24 529 UK Biobank participants with baseline IMFI assessed using magnetic resonance imaging of the thigh muscles. The primary outcome was incident VTE. Secondary outcomes included incident PE and DVT. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of IMFI with incident VTE, PE and DVT, adjusting for potential confounders. Dose-response relationships were evaluated using restricted cubic spline regression models.

RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 4.92 years, 227 participants developed incident VTE. The incidence rates across increasing age- and sex-specific anterior thigh IMFI quartiles were 1.34, 1.28, 1.58 and 3.34 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Compared with the lowest anterior thigh IMFI quartile, adjusted HRs for incident VTE were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.37), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.67, 1.55) and 1.88 (95% CI: 1.26, 2.80) for the second, third and fourth quartiles, respectively. Similar associations were observed for incident PE and DVT. Restricted spline regression models revealed that VTE risk increased progressively across higher IMFI levels. PE and DVT risk showed similar patterns. Analyses using posterior thigh IMFI showed generally consistent associations with incident VTE, PE and DVT.

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated thigh IMFI was associated with higher risks of VTE, PE and DVT. These findings identify thigh IMFI as a potential modifiable risk factor for VTE and support further investigation of strategies targeting muscle fat infiltration for thrombotic disease prevention.

PMID:42422920 | DOI:10.1002/jcsm.70342

Trends Hear. 2026 Jan-Dec;30:23312165261465030. doi: 10.1177/23312165261465030. Epub 2026 Jul 9.

ABSTRACT

The dynamic interplay between source-specific spectral features and spatial cues is central to auditory inference. While sagittal-plane localization relies on direction-dependent spectral cues shaped by the listener’s anatomy, sound sources themselves introduce spectral patterns that can obscure these cues, creating an ill-posed inference problem. We tested whether listeners can mitigate that problem by statistically learning a source’s spectral shape over the short term. In a free-field localization task, participants localized ripple-spectrum sounds under two conditions: within a block, source spectra were either fixed (predictable) or randomized (unpredictable). Predictability reduced large-scale localization errors – such as front-back reversals and quadrant confusions – by up to 5% within minutes. These findings demonstrate that listeners exploit spectral consistency across stimulus history to adapt spatial decoding, providing empirical evidence for short-term updating of spectral priors and underscoring the adaptive nature of auditory inference.

PMID:42422899 | DOI:10.1177/23312165261465030