Nevin Manimala

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28185. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79571-0.

ABSTRACT

Acute hydrocephalus is a severe complication that may occur early after an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, clinical factors predicting the occurrence of acute hydrocephalus have rarely been studied. This study aimed to establish a nomogram model to predict early acute hydrocephalus after ICH. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 930 patients with ICH who were treated at our hospital between January 2017 and May 2024. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to screen for risk factors for acute hydrocephalus, and stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to construct the prediction model, which was visualized using a nomogram. Data were randomly divided into training (n = 652) and test (n = 278) sets at a 7:3 ratio. A total of 930 patients were included, of whom 123 (13.2%) developed acute hydrocephalus within 6 h of being diagnosed with ICH. Univariate analysis revealed that 11 indicators were associated with acute hydrocephalus. In the training set, LASSO and stepwise logistic regression analyses identified four independent risk factors that were used to establish a prediction model. These were the modified Graeb score, age, infratentorial hemorrhage > 15 mL, and thalamic hemorrhage > 15 mL. A graphical nomogram was then developed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.974 (95% confidence interval 0.961-0.987). In the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, the p-value was 0.887. The mean absolute error of the calibration plot was 0.012. The decision curve analysis (DCA) validated the fitness and clinical application value of this nomogram. Internal validation showed the test set was in good accordance with the training set. The nomogram prediction model showed good accuracy and could be used to predict the risk of early acute hydrocephalus after ICH, thereby aiding neurologist in making rapid clinical decisions.

PMID:39548258 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79571-0

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28245. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79486-w.

ABSTRACT

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome characterized by the acute decompensation of chronic liver disease, resulting in organ failure and high short-term mortality. The progression of ACLF is dynamic and reversible in a considerable proportion of patients during hospitalization. Early detection and accurate assessment of ACLF are essential; however, ideal methods for this purpose are still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a new score for predicting the onset of ACLF in patients with various chronic liver diseases.A total of 6,188 patients with various chronic liver diseases were included in the study. Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and the occurrence of ACLF within 28 days was recorded. The Lasso-Cox regression method was employed to develop prediction models for the onset of ACLF at 7, 14, and 28 days. Among 5,221 patients without ACLF, 477 progressed to ACLF within 28 days. Seven predictors were identified as significantly associated with the occurrence of ACLF at 7, 14, and 28 days. A new scoring system was developed as follows: [NEUT ≥ 7, 10⁹/L; 1 or 0] × 0.49 + [PLT < 100, 10⁹/L; 1 or 0] × 0.44 + [TBIL ≥ 35, µmol/L; 1 or 0] × 0.05 + [HDL-C < 0.5, mmol/L; 1 or 0] × 1.04 – Ln[Hb, g/L] × 0.89 + [BUN > 7, mmol/L; 1 or 0] × 0.51 + Ln[INR] × 0.87 + 3.40. This new score demonstrated superior discrimination, with the C-indexes of 0.958, 0.944, and 0.938 at 7, 14, and 28 days, respectively, outperforming those of four other scores (CLIF-C-ACLF-Ds, MELD, MELD-Na, and CLIF-C-ADs score; all P < 0.001). Additionally, the new score improved in predictive accuracy, time-dependent receiver operating characteristics, probability density function evaluations, and calibration curves, making it highly predictive for the onset of ACLF at all time points. The optimal cut-off value of 9.6 effectively distinguished between high- and low-risk patients for ACLF onset. These findings were further validated in a separate cohort of patients. A new progressive score, based on seven predictors, has been developed to accurately forecast the occurrence of ACLF within 7, 14, and 28 days in patients with various chronic liver diseases. This tool may be utilized to identify high-risk patients, tailor follow-up management, and guide the escalation of care, prognostication, and transplant evaluation.

PMID:39548240 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79486-w

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28107. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79477-x.

ABSTRACT

In this study, polymer composite nanofibers and thin membranes were synthesized using Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) as fillers in a Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) matrix, aiming to evaluate their electrical and mechanical properties. The composite nanofibers and thin membranes were prepared by incorporating different weight ratios of CNTs and ZnO into the PVA matrix using electrospinning and solution casting techniques, respectively. Solutions were prepared by mixing specific weight ratios of PVA, ZnO, and CNTs, followed by magnetic stirring and ultrasonication for homogenization. Electrospinning was performed at 20 kV with a syringe-to-collector distance of 14.5 cm at flow rate of 2.4 ml/hr. The composites were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The PVA/5%ZnO/0.5%CNT composite exhibited the highest dielectric constant of 10.3 at high frequencies, while PVA/5%CNT showed the highest capacitance of 31.1 pF at 2 MHz. The maximum AC conductivity of 2.72 × 10^{– 7}S/m was also observed for the PVA/5%ZnO/0.5%CNT composite. Mechanical testing revealed significant improvements in Young’s modulus, stress yield, and load yield, with PVA/5%CNT achieving a Young’s modulus of 387.12 MPa and a stress yield of 6.92 MPa. The addition of ZnO and CNT fillers resulted in enhanced electrical and mechanical properties, making these composites suitable for applications in microelectronic devices and packaging materials.

PMID:39548235 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79477-x

Eye (Lond). 2024 Nov 15. doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-03454-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) focuses on comparing monovision and bilateral multifocal lenses (bMFIOL) implantation methods in treating presbyopia, a common age-related condition often seen in post-cataract surgery patients. This review focuses on evaluating the efficacy, user satisfaction and limitations of these two approaches through direct or indirect comparison. A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library, considering studies up to 15 July 2022, with direct or indirect comparisons between any monovision and bMFIOL implantation with bilateral cataract surgery. The study protocol has been published in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42022340257). Thirty-two studies (3082 patients) were included in the NMA for the primary outcome, complete post-operative spectacle independence. NMA showed monovision to be inferior to bMFIOLs, as bMFIOL was more likely to provide complete spectacle independence (RR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.34 to 3.15, p = 0.002) compared to monovision. Monovision resulted in less glare compared to bMFIOL (RR = 0.343, 95% CI = 0.181 to 0.651, p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between monovision and bMFIOL for binocular unadjusted distance visual acuity (MD = 70.01, 95% CI = -19.88 to 4.60, p = 0.437) and binocular unadjusted near visual acuity (MD = 5.46, 95% CI = -5.24 to 10.94, p = 0.191). When compared to monovision, bMFIOL provided greater complete spectacle independence at the expense of greater glare. This study was limited by data heterogeneity, and further studies with standardized reporting would be useful.

PMID:39548216 | DOI:10.1038/s41433-024-03454-x

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28154. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78924-z.

ABSTRACT

The rapid changes in the shipping fleet during the last decades has increased the ship-induced loads and, thus, their impact on infrastructures, margin protections and ecosystems. Primary waves have been pointed out as the cause of those impacts, with heights that can exceed 2 m and periods around 2 minutes. Consequently, extensive literature can be found on their estimation mainly from a deterministic perspective with methods based on datasets limited to one location, making difficult their generalization. These studies propose either computationally expensive numerical models or empirical equations which often underestimate the extreme primary waves, hindering their use for design purposes. Moreover, a framework to allow the design of infrastructure under ship-wave attack based on probabilistic concepts such as return periods is still missing. In this study, a probabilistic model based on bivariate copulas is proposed to model the joint distribution of the primary wave height, the peak of the total energy flux, the ship length, the ship width, the relative velocity of the ship and the blockage factor. This model, a vine-copula, is developed and validated for four different deployments along the Savannah river (USA), with different locations and times. To do so, the model is quantified using part of the data in one deployment and validated using the rest of the data from this deployment and data of the other three. The vine-copula is validated from both a predictive performance point of view and with respect to the statistical properties. We prove that the probabilistic dependence of the data is preserved spatially and temporally in the Savannah river.

PMID:39548207 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-78924-z

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28191. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79115-6.

ABSTRACT

The loss of germination, viability, and vigor of seeds under storage conditions are the main causes of the need to multiply the seed material for leguminous crops. For crop establishment, seeds obtained in propagation fields are usually used, and the coating comes from the basic seed. In the case of leguminous species, the seeds quickly lose their viability, and in accordance with international regulations, for legumes, the number of seeds increases only in the first year of propagation. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the effects of variations in the storage period, temperature and humidity on the morphophysiological and chemical traits of two pea seed varieties (Gloriosa and Kelvedon Wonder). The pea seeds were harvested at the end of June 2017, 2018 and 2019 and stored for 32, 20 and 8 months at T = 4 °C and H = 8%; T = 4 °C and H = 12%; T = 8 °C and H = 8%; T = 8 °C and H = 12%; and T = 22 °C and H = 65%. The results of the morphological, chemical, and biochemical analyses showed that the highest germination rate; hypocotyl length; radicle length; lipid content; dietetic fiber content; caloric value; and Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe and Zn contents were detected in the Gloriosa and KW seeds stored for 8 months at 4 °C and 8% humidity. Analysis of the experimental data by statistical methods revealed that increasing the storage time had an individual significant negative influence only on the germination rate of both pea varieties and on the hypocotyl length and radicle length of the KW variety, while humidity and temperature variation had individual significant influences on the lipid content. The significant effects of humidity and temperature on the germination rate, hypocotyl length and root length of KW plants were also determined. For the remaining morphophysiological and chemical traits of pea seeds, the individual and combined effects of the factors were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the comparison of means using the Tukey test showed that storage conditions related to temperature and humidity generally used by farmers (T = 22 °C × H = 65%) did not significantly affect the majority of the nutritional properties of the pea seeds. However, maintaining pea seeds under these conditions for a longer period of time significantly affects seed germination and vigor.

PMID:39548205 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79115-6

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28125. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79442-8.

ABSTRACT

In the face of an infectious disease, a key epidemiological measure is the basic reproduction number, which quantifies the average secondary infections caused by a single case in a susceptible population. In practice, the effective reproduction number, denoted as $R_t$ , is widely used to assess the transmissibility of the disease at a given time t. Real-time estimating this metric is vital for understanding and managing disease outbreaks. Traditional statistical inference often relies on two assumptions. One is that samples are assumed to be drawn from a homogeneous population distribution, neglecting significant variations in individual transmission rates. The other is the ideal case reporting assumption, disregarding time delays between infection and reporting. In this paper, we thoroughly investigate these critical factors and assess their impact on estimating $R_t$ . We first introduce negative binomial and Weibull distributions to characterize transmission rates and reporting delays, respectively, based on which observation and state equations are formulated. Then, we employ a Bayesian filtering for estimating $R_t$ . Finally, validation using synthetic and empirical data demonstrates a significant improvement in estimation accuracy compared to conventional methods that ignore these factors.

PMID:39548195 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79442-8

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28120. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79641-3.

ABSTRACT

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer globally, with 20-60% of patients experiencing nutritional deficiencies. Recent studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) may serve as molecular markers for malnutrition. This study evaluated miR-22-3p as a potential predictor of nutritional deficiencies and a prognostic factor in HNC patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). From 2014 to 2017, fifty-six advanced HNC patients at the Medical University of Lublin received IMRT, with miR-22-3p levels measured from peripheral blood before treatment. Statistical analysis using MedCalc 15.8 revealed that underweight patients had significantly lower miR-22-3p expression compared to non-underweight patients (0.89 vs. 2.47; p = 0.0233). Moderately or severely malnourished patients also showed reduced miR-22-3p levels compared to well-nourished individuals (1.42 vs. 11.04; p = 0.026). Additionally, patients with critical weight loss (CWL) had significantly lower miR-22-3p levels than those without CWL (0.96 vs. 4.91; p = 0.0015). Weak correlations were found between miR-22-3p levels, cancer stage, body mass index (BMI), and C-reactive protein (CRP), with lower miR-22-3p levels linked to advanced tumor stages and higher CRP levels. This study suggests miR-22-3p as a biomarker for nutritional deficiency risk in HNC patients, though further research is needed to validate its predictive capacity.

PMID:39548174 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79641-3

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28161. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78609-7.

ABSTRACT

The early microbiota of neonates is crucial for developing the postnatal immune system and establishing normal physiological, metabolic, and neurological functions. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the diversity of the neonatal oral microbiome, including mother-to-newborn microbial transmission. The study includes a prospective cohort comprising 73 mothers and 87 neonates and a retrospective cohort comprising 991 mothers and 1,121 neonates. Samples from the maternal cervix and neonatal gastric, bronchial, and oral cavities were analyzed using culture-based methods. Neonatal oral swab samples were also analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize microbial diversity and composition. Similar genera were detected in the neonatal gastric, bronchial, and oral samples, and the neonatal gastric culture was the most similar to the maternal cervical culture. In addition to mother-to-newborn microbial transmission, various natal factors including birth type, birth weight, delivery mode, maternal chorioamnionitis, maternal diabetes and the presence of microbes in other sites influenced neonatal oral microbiome diversity. Among these factors, the birth type was the most significant, and preterm neonates exhibited decreased oral microbiome diversity, with fewer beneficial bacteria and more pathogens. These findings could serve as a baseline for research on the establishment of the oral microbiota in preterm neonates and its health implications.

PMID:39548168 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-78609-7

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28177. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78271-z.

ABSTRACT

Architect-HIV Ag/Ab combo chemiluminescence assay is globally recognized for its sensitivity but has a notable false-positive rate. In this study, we aim to evaluate the performance of a new cost-effective screening alternative, the chemiluminescence Ag/Ab combo assay (CL-900i-HIV) from Mindray, China. We selected 195 archived samples categorized according to the INNO-LIA™ HIV I/II, the gold standard confirmatory assay. These samples included true positive (n = 38; positive by Architect-HIV & INNO-LIA-HIV), true negative (n = 101; negative by Architect-HIV & INNO-LIA-HIV), false positive (n = 20; positive by Architect-HIV & negative by INNO-LIA-HIV), and indeterminate results (n = 26). We tested all samples using the Mindray CL-900i-HIV and all positive Architect-HIV samples (n = 80) were confirmed by PCR. Compared to INNO-LIA™ HIVI/II line immunoassay confirmatory assay, Mindray CL-900i-HIV demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 90.7-100), specificity of 100% (95% CI 97.0-100), overall percent agreement (OPA) of 100% (95% CI 97.7-100.0), and perfect agreement with the INNO-LIA confirmatory assay (κ = 1.00). Additionally, Mindray’s CL-900i-HIV exhibited a significantly lower false-positive rate (8.75%) compared to Architect-HIV’s (55%). Mindray CL900i demonstrated high sensitivity and very low false-positive rate, thus, has the potential to serve as an excellent, cost-effective surrogate for HIV screening, overcoming the limitations of existing automated assays.

PMID:39548153 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-78271-z