Nevin Manimala

Physiother Res Int. 2023 Jun 18:e2029. doi: 10.1002/pri.2029. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Studies that analyze gait without physical assistance recovery post-stroke are scarce. There are few of the studies that analyze longitudinally the recovery of balance during the subacute post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between balance recovery during subacute stroke inpatient rehabilitation and gait without physical assistance achievement. Secondarily, to analyze the association between balance at admission of inpatient rehabilitation and gait without physical assistance achievement.

METHODS: An observational, longitudinal, and retrospective cohort study was conducted. Subacute stroke subjects with an admission Berg Balance Scale below or equal to 4 points were included (n = 164). Two logistic regression models were developed. Model 1 analyzes the association between balance recovery during inpatient rehabilitation and gait without physical assistance at discharge. Model 2 analyzes the association between balance at the admission and gait without physical assistance at discharge.

RESULTS: Of 164 severe post-stroke patients, 60 (36.5%) achieved gait without physical assistance. Although the two models developed a statistically significant association (p < 0.001), Model 1 evinced better discrimination performance (Model 1: area below the curve was of 0.987 -CI 95%: 0.975-0.998- vs. Model 2: area below the curve 2 was of 0.705 -CI 95%: 0.789-0.601-).

DISCUSSION: Balance recovery during rehabilitation was strongly associated with gait without physical assistance achievement at the time of discharge in severe subacute post-stroke patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE: The longitudinal analysis of motor recovery in severe subacute post-stroke patients may be helpful in the decision making process during inpatient rehabilitation.

PMID:37330694 | DOI:10.1002/pri.2029

Urol J. 2023 Jun 18. doi: 10.22037/uj.v20i.7378. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation (HIFU) is emerging as more data on its efficacy arises for prostate cancer (PCa). However, it is indefinite whether to combine endoscopic resection and uncertain to say who the ideal candidates are for the combined treatment. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to compare outcomes of sole HIFU therapy with that of HIFU in combination with endoscopic resection in patients with localized PCa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases were searched following the PRISMA guidelines and PICOS formats. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) studies on HIFU for PCa patients; 2) comparative studies on HIFU in combination with endoscopic resection for localized PCa men. Exclusion criteria include non-comparative studies and salvage HIFU therapy. Meta-analysis results were mainly present using forest plots. Sensitivity analysis and Egger’s test were adopted to determine the stability and assess the publication bias.

RESULTS: Six comparative studies with 767 patients were eligible, including 487 cases in the combination therapy group and 280 cases in the monotherapy group. There was no statistical difference in age, preoperative PSA levels, and prostate volume between two groups. No statistical difference was found in postoperative PSA nadir (MD=-0.02, 95%CI: -0.35 to 0.31, P=0.90), disease-free survival rate (RR=0.95, 95%CI: 0.83 to 1.09, P=0.47), and preoperative IPSS score (MD=-0.69, 95%CI: -1.63 to 0.26, P=0.15; I2=8%) between two groups. The combination therapy group had significantly lower postoperative IPSS score (MD=-5.49, 95%CI: -6.47 to -4.51, P<0.001) and shorter catheterization time (MD=-13.70, 95%CI: -19.24 to -8.16, P<0.001) than the monotherapy group. The rates of urinary incontinence (7.4% vs. 13.9%, RR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.29 to 0.70, P=0.0004; I2=4%), acute urinary retention (6.8% vs. 10.5%, RR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.14 to 0.89, P=0.03; I2=0%), urinary tract infection (10% vs. 33%, RR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.4, P<0.001; I2=0%), epididymitis (1.2% vs. 15.7%, RR=0.11, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.59, P=0.01; I2=0%), and urethral stricture (7.1% vs. 23.2%, RR=0.3, 95%CI: 0.18 to 0.51, P<0.001; I2=0%) in the combination therapy group were all significantly lower than that in the monotherapy group. Sensitivity analysis revealed findings were convincing and no publication bias (P=0.62) was observed using Egger’s test.

CONCLUSION: It appears that the addition of endoscopic resection to the HIFU operation might not impact oncologic outcomes and could show better functional outcomes compared to the HIFU monotherapy in localized PCa patients.

PMID:37330689 | DOI:10.22037/uj.v20i.7378

J Anim Sci. 2023 Jun 18:skad202. doi: 10.1093/jas/skad202. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) is commonly used to induce intestinal (i.e., colonic) inflammation in a variety of animal models. However, DSS is known to cause interference when using quantitative-real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) methods, thereby invalidating accurate and precise measurement of tissue gene expression. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine whether different mRNA purification methods would reduce DSS-interference. Colonic tissue samples were collected at postnatal d (PND) 27 or 28 from pigs that had not been administered DSS (Control), and 2 independent groups of pigs that received 1.25 g of DSS/kg of BW/d (DSS-1 and DSS-2) from PND 14-18. Tissue samples collected were subsequently stratified into 3 purification methods (i.e., 9 total treatment x method combinations), including: 1) No Purification, 2) purification with lithium chloride (LiCl), or 3) purification using Spin Column filtration. All data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA in the Mixed procedure of SAS. The average ribonucleic acid (RNA) concentrations across all treatments were between 1,300 and 1,800 µg/µL for all 3 in vivo groups. Although there were statistical differences among purification methods, the 260/280 ratio and 260/230 ratio fell between acceptable limits of 2.0-2.1 and 2.0-2.2, respectively, for all treatment groups. This confirms the RNA quality was adequate and not influenced by purification method in addition to suggesting the absence of phenol, salts, and carbohydrate contamination. For pigs in the Control group that did not receive DSS, qRT-PCR Ct values of 4 cytokines were achieved, though these values were not altered by purification method. For pigs that had undergone DSS dosing, those tissues subjected to either no purification or purification using LiCl did not generate applicable Ct values. However, when tissues derive from DSS-treated pigs underwent spin column purification, half of the samples from DSS-1 and DSS-2 groups generated appropriate Ct estimates. Therefore, spin column purification appeared to be more effective than LiCl purification, but no method was 100% effective, so caution should be exercised when interpreting gene expression results from studies where animals are exposed to DSS-induced colitis.

PMID:37330677 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skad202

J Biopharm Stat. 2023 Jun 18:1-12. doi: 10.1080/10543406.2023.2220398. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

An in vitro diagnostic device (IVD) that is essential for the safe and effective use of a corresponding therapeutic product is commonly referred to as companion diagnostic device. Clinical trials using companion diagnostic devices (tests) together with therapies can yield the information necessary to address whether both products are safe and effective. A clinical trial ideally assesses safety and effectiveness of a therapy, where the clinical trial enrolls subjects based on the final market ready companion diagnostic test (CDx). However, such a requirement may be difficult to accomplish or impractical to achieve at the time of the clinical trial enrollment, due to unavailability of the CDx. Instead, clinical trial assay(s) (CTA), which are not the final marketable product, are often used in enrollment of patients in a clinical trial. When CTA is used for subject enrollment, a clinical bridging study provides a mechanism to bridge the clinical efficacy of the therapeutic product from CTA to CDx. This manuscript reviews some issues and challenges commonly associated with clinical bridging studies, including missing data, use of local tests for enrollment, prescreening before enrollment, and evaluation of CDx for low positive rate biomarkers, with particular focus on clinical trials using a binary endpoint and provide alternative statistical methodologies to assess effectiveness of CDx.

PMID:37330676 | DOI:10.1080/10543406.2023.2220398

Nutr Rev. 2023 Jun 18:nuad058. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad058. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Adolescence is a critical stage for improving nutrition. The popularity of smartphones makes them an ideal platform for administering interventions to adolescents. A systematic review has yet to assess the impact of smartphone app-based interventions exclusively on adolescents’ dietary intake. Furthermore, despite the impact of equity factors on dietary intake and the claim for mobile health of increased accessibility, there is minimal research on the reporting of equity factors in the evaluation of smartphone app-based nutrition-intervention research.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review examines the effectiveness of smartphone app-based interventions on adolescents’ dietary intake and the frequency with which equity factors and statistical analyses specific to equity factors are reported in these intervention studies.

DATA SOURCES: Databases (ie, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Cochrane Central Register for Randomized Control Trials) were searched for studies published from January 2008 to October 2022. Smartphone app-based intervention studies that were nutrition focused, evaluated at least 1 dietary intake variable, and included participants with a mean age between 10 and 19 years were included. All geographic locations were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Study characteristics, intervention results, and reported equity factors were extracted. Because of the heterogeneity of dietary outcomes, findings were reported as a narrative synthesis.

CONCLUSION: In total, 3087 studies were retrieved, 14 of which met the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies reported a statistically significant improvement in at least 1 dietary outcome because of the intervention. Reporting of at least 1 equity factor across articles’ Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections was minimal (n = 5), and statistical analyses specific to equity factors were rare, occurring in only 4 of the 14 included studies. Future interventions should include a measurement of intervention adherence and report the impact of equity factors on the effectiveness and applicability of interventions for equity-deserving groups.

PMID:37330675 | DOI:10.1093/nutrit/nuad058

Plant Dis. 2023 Jun 17. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2445-RE. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Options for managing southern blight of processing tomato (caused by Athelia rolfsii) in California are limited. The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate grafting with the resistant rootstock Maxifort for southern blight management in processing tomato; and (ii) evaluate increasing the height of the graft union to further reduce incidence of southern blight in grafted plants. We evaluated two cultivars (Heinz 5608 or Heinz 8504) and a grafting factor with three levels (grafted to Maxifort rootstock with standard scion height, grafted to Maxifort rootstock at a tall height, and non-grafted) in a field study with natural inoculum or in inoculated greenhouse experiments. Southern blight severity was low in both greenhouse experiments in 2018 and 2019 and no consistent trends were observed. In field experiments in 2018 and 2019, mean incidence in non-grafted plots was 6.2 to 17.0 times higher when compared to either the standard or tall grafted treatments. Southern blight was numerically lower in tall grafted plots compared to standard, but the magnitude was small and not statistically significant. Based on our studies, grafting can reduce losses of processing tomato in California to southern blight but increasing the height of the graft union does not offer a tangible benefit.

PMID:37330632 | DOI:10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2445-RE

Gerontologist. 2023 Jun 18:gnad070. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad070. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The immigrant population, the primary driver of U.S. population growth, is aging and many immigrants remain uninsured. Lack of health insurance limits access to care, aggravating the already high level of depression for older immigrants. However, there is scarce evidence on how health insurance, particularly Medicare, affects their mental health. Using the Health and Retirement Study, this study examines the effect of Medicare coverage on depressive symptoms of older immigrants in the U.S.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Exploiting the fact that many immigrants are not covered by Medicare after passing age 65, we use a difference-in-difference model with propensity score weighting to compare differences in depressive symptoms pre- and post-age-65. We further stratify the sample by socioeconomic status and by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS: Medicare coverage was significantly associated with a reduction in the probability of reporting depressive symptoms for immigrants with low socioeconomic status, especially for those below median wealth levels. The beneficial effect of Medicare coverage was also statistically significant for non-White immigrants – Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander – even when holding socioeconomic status constant.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings imply that immigration policies that expand healthcare protection to older immigrants can lead to further health benefits and reduce existing disparities for the aging population. Policy reforms such as providing limited Medicare access to immigrants who paid sufficient taxes but are still awaiting permanent residency status could increase coverage for the uninsured and improve participation of immigrants in the payroll system.

PMID:37330627 | DOI:10.1093/geront/gnad070

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2023 Jun 18:gbad091. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad091. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Older adults often have difficulty remembering the details of recently encountered objects. We (Davidson et al., 2019) found this with the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST). Surprisingly, the older adults’ MST lure discrimination index (LDI) was significantly correlated with visual acuity but not with memory or executive function. Here we ran a replication with new, larger samples of young (N=45) and older adults (N=70). We then combined the original and replication older adult samples (N=108) to critically examine the relative contributions of visual acuity, memory, and executive function composite scores to LDI performance using dominance analysis. This provided, to our knowledge, the first direct statistical comparison of all three of these factors and their interactions on LDI.

METHOD: Participants completed the MST and a battery assessing visual acuity, memory, and executive function. We examined age group differences on MST performance in the new (i.e., replication) young and older adult samples and performed multiple regression and dominance analysis on the combined older adult sample.

RESULTS: Consistent with previous findings, the older adults showed significantly poorer LDI but preserved item recognition. LDI was significantly correlated with both memory and executive function but not with visual acuity. In the combined older adult sample, all three composites predicted LDI, but dominance analysis indicated that executive function was the most important predictor.

DISCUSSION: Older adults’ MST LDI difficulty may be predicted by their executive function and visual acuity. These factors should be considered when interpreting older adults’ MST performance.

PMID:37330622 | DOI:10.1093/geronb/gbad091

Int J Paediatr Dent. 2023 Jun 17. doi: 10.1111/ipd.13095. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Panoramic radiographs (PRs) are used in the detection and diagnosis of developmental dental anomalies and pathologies (DDAP) in children.

AIM: The primary objective of this observational cohort study was to evaluate the age-based prevalence of DDAP on PRs while the secondary objective was to determine a threshold age for detection of DDAP to provide supportive evidence for prescription of PR in pediatric dental practice.

DESIGN: The study examined diagnostic PRs from 581 subjects from ages 6-19 years. All PRs were reviewed by experienced, calibrated, masked examiners for identification or presence of anomalies of size, shape, position, structure, and other developmental anomalies and pathologies (ODAP) of face-neck region in a standardized condition. The data was statistically analyzed for interpretation.

RESULTS: Overall, 74% (n=411) of the cohort had at least one anomaly (shape anomaly: 12%, number anomaly: 17%, positional anomaly: 28%, structural anomaly: 0%, and ODAP: 63%). The optimal Youden index cutoff for any anomaly was 9 years. Twelve and 15 years also showed predictive ability.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that PRs should be prescribed at ages 9, 12, and 15 years for the diagnosis of DDAP.

PMID:37330621 | DOI:10.1111/ipd.13095

Sci Rep. 2023 Jun 17;13(1):9846. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37132-x.

ABSTRACT

The carbon stock function of harvested wood products (HWPs) is attracting attention among climate change countermeasures. Among HWPs, particle board (PB) and fiberboard (FB) mainly use recycled materials. This study estimated carbon stocks of PB and FB and their annual changes over the past 70 years in Japan using three methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines: Tiers 1-3. Tier 1 uses first order decay (FOD), a 25-year half-life, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations database. Tier 2 uses FOD, a 25-year half-life, and Japan-specific statistics. Tier 3 uses a log-normal distribution for the decay function and a 38-63-year half-life of building PB/FB. Japan’s PB and FB carbon stocks have increased for the past 70 years. The latest carbon stock in early 2022 and the annual change in carbon stock in 2021 was 21.83 million t-C and 0.42 million t-C/year, respectively for Tier 3. Tier 3 has the highest estimation accuracy by using decay functions and half-lives that match the actual conditions of building PB and FB, whereas Tiers 1 and 2 were underestimates. Approximately 40% of the carbon stock is derived from waste wood, which extends its utilization.

PMID:37330597 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-37132-x