Nevin Manimala

J Urban Health. 2025 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11524-025-01004-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The escalating threat of depression demands urgent action from the research community. As a policy that prioritizes a people-centered approach, the New-type Urbanization Policy (NTU) holds promise for alleviating depression. However, whether and how NTU positively affects individual mental health remains underexplored. This study draws on three waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) and employs the difference-in-differences (DID) method as a quasi-natural experiment to empirically analyze the effects of NTU on individual depression. The results indicate that NTU significantly reduces depression, with environmental pollution serving as a mediator in this relationship. Moreover, NTU’s impact on depression reduction is more pronounced in non-resource-based cities and those with lower population concentration. Additionally, the ecosocial theory emphasizes that health arises from the biological embodiment of structural exposures embedded in social and ecological environments. Based on this theory, it serves as a theoretical framework for analyzing NTU’s impact on depression. This study expands the existing research on pilot policies related to individual health and provides concrete policy recommendations for mitigating depression in the context of NTU implementation.

PMID:40996606 | DOI:10.1007/s11524-025-01004-8

Acta Biotheor. 2025 Sep 25;73(4):15. doi: 10.1007/s10441-025-09506-3.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:40996605 | DOI:10.1007/s10441-025-09506-3

Mol Divers. 2025 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11030-025-11360-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals worldwide. The pathogenic mechanism of RSV is closely linked to the membrane fusion process mediated by its fusion glycoprotein (F protein), which has consequently emerged as a critical target for developing anti-RSV therapeutics. At present, there is a lack of specific clinical treatments for RSV, and traditional drug discovery approaches are often time-consuming and expensive. In this context, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR)-assisted drug design offers notable advantages. In this study, we collected a dataset consisting of 156 benzimidazole derivatives against F protein from publicly available sources. Transferable, reproducible, and interpretable 2D-QSAR inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity prediction models were constructed using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR). Following rigorous statistical validation, the best inhibitory activity model achieved R² = 0.8740, $Q_{\text{Loo}}^2$ = 0.8272, $R_{\text{test}}^2$ = 0.8273, $Q_{\text{Fn}}^2$ = 0.8033-0.8492, CCC_test = 0.8782, MAE_test = 0.3014; the best cytotoxicity model was of R² = 0.7573, $Q_{\text{Loo}}^2$ = 0.6926, $R_{\text{test}}^2$ = 0.7707, $Q_{\text{Fn}}^2$ = 0.7298-0.8656, CCC_test = 0.8639, MAE_test = 0.1342. The optimal inhibitory activity model was used to perform virtual screening on 912 benzimidazole derivatives retrieved from the PubChem, and identified 234 derivatives with better inhibitory activity than the reference JNJ-53718678. Among these, 152 derivatives were found to possess better docking binding energies than JNJ-53718678. Furthermore, we used the optimal toxicity model to assess their cytotoxicity, and identified 23 derivatives with predicted cytotoxicity lower than that of JNJ-53718678. Finally, through drug-likeness evaluation, ADMET analysis and molecular dynamics simulation, we obtained eight potential RSV inhibitors with higher inhibitory activity, lower cytotoxicity, and better pharmacokinetic properties compared to JNJ-53718678.

PMID:40996593 | DOI:10.1007/s11030-025-11360-x

Neotrop Entomol. 2025 Sep 25;54(1):98. doi: 10.1007/s13744-025-01319-w.

ABSTRACT

Insect pests in stor ed products cause qualitative and quantitative losses in seed lots, reducing their commercial value by directly compromising the physiological and sanitary quality of the seeds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological quality and perform a proximate analysis of rice seeds infested with Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), using radiographic images. The X-ray analysis was used to detect and identify the weevil development stages and quantify the percentage of infestation in rice seeds. The physiological quality and the proximate analysis were evaluated after the seeds were subjected to four levels of infestation by S. zeamais: 0%, 2%, 3%, and 5%. The radiographic images enabled efficient detection of infestation levels, identification of the weevil’s developmental stages, and assessment of damaged and empty seeds. The following physiological tests were performed: germination test, first germination count test, emergency test, retention capacity of the substrate, emergency speed index, and electrical conductivity test. For the physiological and proximate analysis, the experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and four replications. Statistical differences were observed in physiological assessments and proximate analysis across infestation levels, confirming that infestation intensity directly affects seed viability and nutritional value. This emphasizes the importance of effective monitoring methods to mitigate pest damage to stored seeds.

PMID:40996591 | DOI:10.1007/s13744-025-01319-w

Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2025 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11548-025-03503-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a common pulmonary condition that, in severe cases, can progress to right ventricular hypertrophy and failure, making it a critical health concern surpassed in severity only by myocardial infarction and sudden death. CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) is a standard diagnostic tool for detecting APE. However, for treatment planning and prognosis of patient outcome, an accurate assessment of individual APEs is required.

METHODS: Within this study, we compiled and prepared a dataset of 200 CTPA image volumes of patients with APE. We then adapted two state-of-the-art neural networks; the nnU-Net and the transformer-based VT-UNet in order to provide fully automatic APE segmentations.

RESULTS: The nnU-Net demonstrated robust performance, achieving an average Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 88.25 ± 10.19% and an average 95th percentile Hausdorff distance (HD95) of 10.57 ± 34.56 mm across the validation sets in a five-fold cross-validation framework. In comparison, the VT-UNet was achieving on par accuracies with an average DSC of 87.90 ± 10.94% and a mean HD95 of 10.77 ± 34.19 mm.

CONCLUSIONS: We applied two state-of-the-art networks for automatic APE segmentation to our compiled CTPA dataset and achieved superior experimental results compared to the current state of the art. In clinical routine, accurate APE segmentations can be used for enhanced patient prognosis and treatment planning.

PMID:40996587 | DOI:10.1007/s11548-025-03503-0

Int J Clin Pharm. 2025 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11096-025-02013-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are medications with an unfavourable risk-benefit profile for patients aged ≥ 65 years. Currently, several screening tools are available and are used in clinical practice to identify PIMs.

AIM: Our objective was to systematically synthesize the available evidence on the association between potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), as identified by various screening tools including STOPP/START and the Beers Criteria, and the outcomes of rehospitalization and mortality within three months in older patients.

METHOD: Adhering to Cochrane standards, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the outcomes of patients aged 65 years and older, comparing those with at least one PIM identified by any explicit screening tool to those without PIMs. Primary outcomes were readmission and/or death within three months. The databases of Embase, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL were searched for retrospective as well as prospective observational studies published between 1991 and May 17 2024. The risk of bias was assessed for all included studies.

RESULTS: In total, 1,642 studies were identified through the systematic search. Nine observational studies were included in this review. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the overall presence of PIMs and rehospitalisation; odds ratio (OR) 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 2.13, p = 0.045]. While stratification according to STOPP/START criteria yielded a statistically significant OR of 1.84 [CI 1.08 to 3.12, p = 0.024; n = 5], no statistically significant difference was seen according to Beers list [OR 1.25, CI 0.86 to 1.81, p = 0.235; n = 5]. Furthermore, no significant association was found between PIMs and mortality in either the overall analysis or the stratification according to the Beers and STOPP/START criteria. The risk of bias in the included studies was moderate to serious, and the certainty of evidence was very low.

CONCLUSION: The use of PIM screening tools during medication evaluations may reduce the risk of rehospitalisation and potentially lower mortality in older patients. However, further studies are warranted to confirm the association with adverse outcomes.

PMID:40996586 | DOI:10.1007/s11096-025-02013-y

Ir J Med Sci. 2025 Sep 25. doi: 10.1007/s11845-025-04093-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation associated with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) can adversely affect bone metabolism. This study aimed to explore the interactions between vitamin D status, inflammatory markers, and bone turnover in patients with rUTIs, with a focus on the differences between infections caused by Escherichia coli and those caused by non-E. coli pathogens.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 50 patients with rUTIs (25 with E. coli-induced infections and 25 with infections caused by non-E. coli pathogens) were evaluated. The serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL), and the bone resorption marker C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I) were measured. Statistical analyses included group comparisons, correlation assessments, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS: Patients in the E. coli group had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels and elevated levels of IL-6, RANKL, and CTX-I than those in the non-E. coli group (all p < 0.001). Vitamin D levels showed a strong inverse correlation with RANKL levels (r = – 0.593). In the multiple regression analysis, IL-6 and RANKL emerged as the only independent predictors of CTX-I, collectively accounting for 60% of the variance (R² = 0.60).

CONCLUSION: Recurrent urinary tract infections caused by E. coli are associated with a clinical profile characterized by vitamin D deficiency and inflammation-mediated bone resorption driven by the IL-6/RANKL signaling pathway. These findings highlight the previously underappreciated osteoimmunological impact of common bacterial infections and suggest that skeletal health should be an important consideration in the management of patients with rUTIs.

PMID:40996582 | DOI:10.1007/s11845-025-04093-1

Int Ophthalmol. 2025 Sep 25;45(1):383. doi: 10.1007/s10792-025-03756-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To examine the prevalence of retinal ischemic perivascular lesions (RIPLs) in the fellow eye of patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and investigate their relationship with systemic vascular diseases.

METHODS: In this retrospective case-control observational study, 91 fellow eyes of RVO patients (91 eyes) and the eyes of 63 age-matched healthy (63 eyes) volunteers were evaluated. RIPLs were assessed by examining cross-sectional scans from 6 × 6 mm optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Quadrantal superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were quantitatively analyzed in the RIPL areas. The relationship between vascular diseases (hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, carotid stenosis, atrial fibrillation, stroke, myocardial infarction) in participants and RIPL was also investigated.

RESULTS: RIPLs were found in 25 eyes (27.4%) of RVO patients and five eyes (7.9%) in the control group (p = 0.018). There were statistically significant differences in DCP VD (%) in the superior (p = 0.024) and inferior (p = 0.044) temporal quadrants, where RIPLs were more common. RVO in the fellow eye was associated with a 5-fold increase in the possibility of the presence of RIPL compared with controls (OR = 5.00, 95% CI = 1.01- 15.11). Presence of RIPLs was associated with 5.13-fold higher odds of carotid artery stenosis (OR = 5.13, 95% CI = 1.02- 28.25) and 4.94-fold higher odds of a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 4.94, 95% CI = 1.24- 58.25).

CONCLUSION: RIPL, a subclinical retinal ischemic lesion, was found at rates almost 3.5 times higher in the fellow eye of RVO patients. These lesions are significantly associated with carotid artery stenosis and a history of myocardial infarction. RIPL may be an ophthalmological indicator that can be used for systemic macrovascular disease.

PMID:40996561 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-025-03756-3

Brain Topogr. 2025 Sep 25;38(6):66. doi: 10.1007/s10548-025-01132-z.

ABSTRACT

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a valuable tool in the presurgical workup of refractory epilepsy patients. Ictal Magnetic Source Imaging (MSI) can more accurately localize the ictal onset zone, aiding presurgical planning. Nevertheless, the optimal approach for ictal MSI remains undetermined. To evaluate the effectiveness of distinct ictal MSI techniques, assessing their performance based on the ictal onset pattern (IOP). Design: Retrospective study. 16 ictal MEG events from 12 epilepsy patients were retrospectively analyzed. Techniques employed include the traditional sECD, and alternative approaches comprising the linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamforming, kurtosis beamforming, and dynamic statistical parametric mapping (dSPM). Seizures were classified into IOP groups: ictal discharge, rhythmic activity (RA), slow RA, and fast activity. Sublobar and lobar concordance and the minimum Euclidean distance (Dmin) were evaluated using SEEG data as ground truth. sECD fitting failed for three seizures, whereas alternative techniques demonstrated superiority. LCMV showed the highest sublobar concordance. No significant differences in Dmin across techniques were found. All techniques performed better in the ictal discharge group. Performance declined in the rhythmic activity IOP group, especially in lower frequencies, although LCMV performed better. ECD, beamforming, and dSPM are effective techniques for ictal MEG analysis. Beamforming techniques are particularly important when ECD is unsuitable. The IOP should be considered when selecting the appropriate ictal MSI technique. Optimizing MSI techniques and customizing them based on seizure characteristics can aid in invasive study planning and potentially improve post-surgical outcomes.

PMID:40996556 | DOI:10.1007/s10548-025-01132-z

Biotechnol Lett. 2025 Sep 25;47(5):114. doi: 10.1007/s10529-025-03657-6.

ABSTRACT

The engineered Aspergillus niger strain AnCALB005 was selected as the research strain, which is a high-yield strain of Candida antarctica B lipase constructed in our laboratory. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout was employed to construct the multiple protease-deficient strains targeting five genes (pepA, pepB, pepC, pepE and pepF) in the A. niger AnCALB005. Among the engineered variants, a triple-knockout strain lacking pepA, pepB, and pepF demonstrated 56% enhanced hydrolytic lipase activity relative to the parental strain. Fermentation culture conditions were initially screened through single-factor experiments. Building on these results, critical parameters were statistically determined via Plackett-Burman (PB) design. This was followed by a steepest ascent method combined with Box-Behnken (BB) response surface methodology. Key factors influencing lipase production (identified as maltose concentration, corn steep concentration, and shaking speed) were optimized. The final optimized fermentation conditions comprised: maltose (52 g/L), corn steep (52 g/L), K₂HPO₄ (5 g/L), soybean cake flour (30 g/L), initial pH 6.5, inoculation amount 10% (v/v), and shaking speed 220 rpm. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, Shake-flask validation of the engineered A. niger yielded a lipase activity of 46.66 U/mL, representing an increase of 92.01%. Scale-up fermentation in a 5 L bioreactor applying these optimized conditions over 120 h of cultivation achieved a lipase activity of 79.31 U/mL.

PMID:40996539 | DOI:10.1007/s10529-025-03657-6