Nevin Manimala

BMC Public Health. 2022 Aug 5;22(1):1495. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13888-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the UK government enforcing lockdown restrictions to control virus transmission. Such restrictions present opportunities and barriers for physical activity and healthy eating. Emerging research suggests that in the early stages of the pandemic, physical activity levels decreased, consumption of unhealthy foods increased, while levels of mental distress increased. Our aims were to understand patterns of diet, physical activity, and mental health during the first lockdown, how these had changed twelve-months later, and the factors associated with change.

METHODS: An online survey was conducted with UK adults (N = 636; 78% female) during the first national lockdown (May-June 2020). The survey collected information on demographics, physical activity, diet, mental health, and how participants perceived lifestyle behaviours had changed from before the pandemic. Participants who provided contact details were invited to complete a twelve-month follow-up survey (May-June 2021), 160 adults completed the survey at both time-points. Descriptive statistics, T-tests and McNemar Chi Square statistics were used to assess patterns of diet, physical activity, and mental health at baseline and change in behaviours between baseline and follow-up. Linear regression models were conducted to explore prospective associations between demographic and psycho-social variables at baseline with change in healthy eating habit, anxiety, and wellbeing respectively.

RESULTS: Between baseline and follow-up, healthy eating habit strength, and the importance of and confidence in eating healthily reduced. Self-rated health (positively) and confidence in eating healthily (negatively) were associated with change in healthy eating habit. There were no differences between baseline and follow-up for depression or physical activity. Mean anxiety score reduced, and wellbeing increased, from baseline to follow-up. Living with children aged 12-17 (compared to living alone) was associated with an increase in anxiety, while perceiving mental health to have worsened during the first lockdown (compared to staying the same) was associated with reduced anxiety and an increase in mental wellbeing.

CONCLUSIONS: While healthy eating habits worsened in the 12 months since the onset of the pandemic, anxiety and mental wellbeing improved. However, anxiety may have increased for parents of secondary school aged children.

PMID:35932040 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-13888-1

BMC Endocr Disord. 2022 Aug 5;22(1):196. doi: 10.1186/s12902-022-01112-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prevalence rates of hyperuricemia and gout are increasing. Clinical investigations of hyperuricemia-related risk factors aid in the early detection, prevention, and management of hyperuricemia and gout. Ongoing research is examining the association of obesity, dietary patterns, and blood pressure (BP) with serum uric acid (sUA).

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The exposures included body mass index (BMI), dietary patterns, and BP. The outcome variable was sUA level. The weighted multivariate linear regression models and smooth curve fittings were used to assess the association of BMI, dietary patterns, and BP with sUA.

RESULTS: There was a significantly positive correlation between BMI and sUA (β = 0.059, 95% CI: 0.054 to 0.064, P < 0.00001). Overweight and obese individuals had higher sUA levels than those with the normal BMI (β = 0.451, 95% CI: 0.357 to 0.546, P < 0.00001; β = 0.853, 95% CI: 0.760 to 0.946, P < 0.00001; respectively). Dietary energy intake was positively correlated with sUA (β = 0.000, 95% CI: 0.000 to 0.000, P = 0.01057). Dietary intake of carbohydrate and fiber were negatively correlated with sUA (β = – 0.001, 95% CI: – 0.002 to – 0.000, P < 0.00001; β = – 0.008, 95% CI: – 0.011 to – 0.004, P = 0.00001; respectively). Moreover, systolic BP was positively correlated with sUA (β = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.009, P = 0.00002). However, no statistical differences were found about the associations of dietary intake of total sugars, protein, total fat, cholesterol, and diastolic BP with sUA.

CONCLUSIONS: The current cross-sectional investigation of a nationally representative sample of US participants showed that BMI, dietary energy intake, and systolic BP were positively correlated with sUA levels; dietary carbohydrate and fiber intake were negatively correlated with sUA levels. The findings might be helpful for the management and treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.

PMID:35932038 | DOI:10.1186/s12902-022-01112-5

J Phys Chem Lett. 2022 Aug 5:7462-7468. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01872. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Water is the matrix of life and serves as a solvent for numerous physical and chemical processes. The origins of the nature of inhomogeneities that exist in liquid water and the time scales over which they occur remains an open question. Here, we report femtosecond elastic second harmonic scattering (fs-ESHS) of liquid water in comparison to an isotropic liquid (CCl₄) and show that water is indeed a nonuniform liquid. The coherent fs-ESHS intensity was interpreted, using molecular dynamics simulations, as arising from charge density fluctuations with enhanced nanoscale polarizabilities around transient voids having an average lifetime of 300 fs. Although voids were also present in CCl₄, they were not characterized by hydrogen bond defects and did not show strong polarizability fluctuations, leading to fs-ESHS of an isotropic liquid. The voids increased in number at higher temperatures above room temperature, in agreement with the fs-ESHS results.

PMID:35930807 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01872

Am J Vet Res. 2022 May 28;83(7):ajvr.21.03.0031. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.21.03.0031.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the enhancement accuracy of a triple-phase abdominal CT angiography (CTA) protocol in dogs and explore the patient, scan, and contrast parameters associated with accuracy of enhancement.

ANIMALS: 233 client-owned dogs that underwent routine abdominal CTA.

PROCEDURES: During each CTA study, the subjective timing accuracy (early, ideal, late) of the 3 obtained vascular phases (arterial, venous, delayed) was scored by consensus (2 reviewers) at 4 target organs (liver, pancreas, left kidney, and spleen). These scores were evaluated for statistical associations with 21 study variables (patient, scan, and contrast medium). The objective enhancement (HU) for each target organ was also compared statistically with subjective timing accuracy scores and the study variables.

RESULTS: The study protocol performed best for the pancreas, moderately for the liver, and worse for the spleen and left kidney. Measurements of scan length and time were associated positively with phase lateness for most target organs and phases. Increased heart rate was the most significant patient factor associated positively with phase lateness within the liver (all phases), pancreas (arterial and venous phases), and kidney (arterial phase). Contrast medium variables were less associated with timing accuracy in this protocol. Objective enhancement (HU) correlated poorly with subjective phase timing accuracy and study variables.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Scan time, scan length, and heart rate were the predominant variables contributing to lateness in this canine abdominal CTA protocol. The findings of this exploratory study may aid in protocol adjustment and choice of included anatomy for dogs undergoing routine abdominal CTA.

PMID:35930776 | DOI:10.2460/ajvr.21.03.0031

Age Ageing. 2022 Aug 2;51(8):afac175. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afac175.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: exergaming-based interventions (EbIs) have been proposed to improve older adults’ mobility and balance performance. However, the effectiveness of such interventions for older adults with Parkinson’s disease (OAPD) remains unclear.

METHODS: seven databases (Web of Science, Medline, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, PsychARTICLE and PubMed) were searched up to 7 April 2022. We assessed mobility and balance performance between EbIs groups and control groups or traditional physical training interventions (TPTIs) groups by comparing the outcomes of the Timed Up and Go (TUG), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), gait velocity, stride length and Functional Gait Assessment (FGA).

RESULTS: we scanned 1,190 articles and meta-analysed 19 trials (sample size = 781). In general, the results revealed statistical differences between EbIs groups and TPTIs groups in the TUG [mean difference (MD) = -1.030 s; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -2.029 to -0.031; P = 0.043; high quality of evidence], 6MWT (MD = 63.483 m; 95% CI = 9.542 to 117.425; P = 0.021; moderate quality of evidence), BBS (MD = 2.129; 95% CI = -1.293 to 2.965; P < 0.001; high quality of evidence) and FGA (MD = 2.099 95% CI = -0.306 to 3.893; P = 0.022; moderate quality of evidence). No significant difference was discovered between EbIs groups and TPTIs groups in enhancing gait velocity and stride length.

CONCLUSIONS: EbIs are statistically better than TPTIs in improving OAPD’s performance in TUG, 6MWT, BBS and FGA, whereas only the change between EbIs and TPTIs in 6MWT can reach the value of minimal clinically important difference. Further studies are needed to better assess the effectiveness of exergaming-based interventions.

PMID:35930726 | DOI:10.1093/ageing/afac175

J Chem Theory Comput. 2022 Aug 5. doi: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00400. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The study of the thermodynamics, kinetics, and microscopic mechanisms of chemical reactions in solution requires the use of advanced free-energy methods for predictions to be quantitative. This task is however a formidable one for atomistic simulation methods, as the cost of quantum-based ab initio approaches, to obtain statistically meaningful samplings of the relevant chemical spaces and networks, becomes exceedingly heavy. In this work, we critically assess the optimal structure and minimal size of an ab initio training set able to lead to accurate free-energy profiles sampled with neural network potentials. The results allow one to propose an ab initio protocol where the ad hoc inclusion of a machine-learning (ML)-based task can significantly increase the computational efficiency, while keeping the ab initio accuracy and, at the same time, avoiding some of the notorious extrapolation risks in typical atomistic ML approaches. We focus on two representative, and computationally challenging, reaction steps of the classic Strecker-cyanohydrin mechanism for glycine synthesis in water solution, where the main precursors are formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. We demonstrate that indistinguishable ab initio quality results are obtained, thanks to the ML subprotocol, at about 1 order of magnitude less of computational load.

PMID:35930696 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00400

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 5;17(8):e0271562. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271562. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Soil water soluble base ion salt-based ion concentrations are critical parameters for estimating soil buffer capacity and vegetation productivity. Ionic content clearly covaries with the distribution of plant communities. Previous studies on salt-based ions in soils focused primarily on ion migration and its relationships with vegetation growth. Few studies have sought to characterize larger scale spatial distribution of salt-based ions or correlation with climatic and plant community characteristics. This study used ion chromatography to analyze the salt-based ion content (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+) of surface soils from the Hunshandake sandy lands. Statistical methods were used interpret spatial variation. Results showed that the average content of salt-based ions in Hunshandake sandy land was 86.57 mg/kg. Average values ranked as Ca2+ > Na+ > K+ > Mg2+ but concentrations also exhibited uneven spatial distributions. Horizontal spatial variation in Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ ions showed these ions gradually decrease from northwest to southeast. Potassium ions (K+) showed no obvious spatial variation trends. Ions varied significantly across different soil layers but their average concentrations ranked as K+>Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+ (from shallow to deep). The 20-30 cm soil layer contained the highest salt ion concentrations. Of the four base ions, only K+ ions appeared in surface samples. In terms of water soluble base ion available salt-based ions, Ca2+ occurred in the highest concentrations along the north and west side of the study area. K+ ions occurred in the highest concentrations along the south and east sides of the study area. Na+ concentrations did not show a consistent spatial pattern. Statistical analysis detected significant correlations of normalized ion concentration parameters (Ca2+/CECT, K+/CEC, effective water soluble base ion salt-based ions) and the total species number, average species number and total biomass of the plant communities (P <0.05). This study can help inform understanding of soil water transport in sandy areas and provide a reference for interpreting ecosystems in arid regions.

PMID:35930614 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0271562

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 5;17(8):e0272809. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272809. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

In the United States (U.S.), a hepatitis E virus (HEV) seroprevalence between 6 and 21% has been described, with a decreasing trend. We aimed to investigate HEV infection in the U.S. population from 2009 to 2016, and examine the differences in seroprevalence using different assays. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-CDC) to estimate HEV seroprevalence and analyze demographic variables related to the infection. Additionally, we compared 4 serological tests used. The estimated HEV seroprevalence between 2009-2016 was 6.1% (95% CI: 5.6%-7.0%) for IgG and 1.02% (0.8%-1.2%) for IgM. Higher HEV IgG prevalences were found in older people, females, non-Hispanic Asians and those born outside of the U.S. The in-house immunoassay and the Wantai HEV-IgG ELISA presented the highest sensitivity values in the tested population. The highest specificity values corresponded to the DSI-EIA-ANTI-HEV-IgG assay. The kappa statistical values showed concordances no greater than 0.64 between the assays. HEV prevalence in our study was similar to previously reported, and a decline in the prevalence was observed through the NHANES assessments (from 1988 to 2016). The sensitivity and specificity of the assays varied widely, making comparisons difficult and highlighting the need to develop a gold standard assay.

PMID:35930611 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272809

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 5;17(8):e0272711. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272711. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at investigating the preventive role of exercise intervention during pregnancy, in high-risk women for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, and Scopus for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated exercise interventions during pregnancy on women at high risk for GDM. Data were combined with random effects models. Between study heterogeneity (Cochran’s Q statistic) and the extent of study effects variability [I2 with 95% confidence interval (CI)] were estimated. Sensitivity analyses examined the effect of population, intervention, and study characteristics. We also evaluated the potential for publication bias.

RESULTS: Among the 1,508 high-risk women who were analyzed in 9 RCTs, 374 (24.8%) [160 (21.4%) in intervention, and 214 (28.1%) in control group] developed GDM. Women who received exercise intervention during pregnancy were less likely to develop GDM compared to those who followed the standard prenatal care (OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.52, 0.93; P-value 0.02) [Q 10.08, P-value 0.26; I2 21% (95%CI 0, 62%]. Studies with low attrition bias also showed a similar result (OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.51, 0.97; P-value 0.03). A protective effect was also supported when analysis was limited to studies including women with low education level (OR 0.55; 95%CI 0.40, 0.74; P-value 0.0001); studies with exercise intervention duration more than 20 weeks (OR 0.54; 95%CI 0.40, 0.74; P-value 0.0007); and studies with a motivation component in the intervention (OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.50, 0.96; P-value 0.03). We could not exclude large variability in study effects because the upper limit of I2 confidence interval was higher than 50% for all analyses. There was no conclusive evidence for small study effects (P-value 0.31).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study might support a protective effect of exercise intervention during pregnancy for high-risk women to prevent GDM. The protective result should be corroborated by large, high quality RCTs.

PMID:35930592 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272711

Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Jan-Dec;21:15330338221118718. doi: 10.1177/15330338221118718.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the value of computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy (CT-PLB) combined with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). Methods: A total of 108 patients who diagnosed with PPLs by chest CT examination were prospectively collected and randomly divided into ROSE group (n = 56) and No-ROSE group (n = 52). Both groups received CT-PLB and pathological examination. The smear submitted for ROSE was stained using Diff Quik dye. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), number of punctures, puncture time and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the ROSE group were 89.29%, 87.50%, 91.67%, 93.33%, and 84.62%, respectively. The number of punctures in the ROSE group was significantly lower than that in the No-ROSE group (P < .05). The incidence of pneumothorax and hemoptysis in the ROSE group were lower than those in the No-ROSE group, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P > .05). ROSE has good concordance with routine pathological examination in the diagnosis of unidentified PPLs (Kappa = 0.786, P < .01). Conclusions: CT-PLB combined with ROSE is a safe and effective method for the diagnosis of PPLs.

PMID:35930585 | DOI:10.1177/15330338221118718