Nevin Manimala

Infect Drug Resist. 2022 Apr 29;15:2339-2345. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S358464. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate related factors affecting the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) by modified quadruple therapy.

METHODS: Between September 2020 and March 2021, 341 patients who were diagnosed with Hp infection and whose infections were confirmed by gastroscopy, a histological examination, and a C13-UBT without culturing and antimicrobial susceptibility studies received a two-week anti-Hp treatment, a modified quadruple therapy, in our department. The result of C13-UBT was rechecked 4 weeks after the drug withdrawal, and the patients were divided into two groups-a success group and a failure group-according to the final breath result. The general clinical information and related laboratory indexes of each patient were collected, and the factors affecting the eradication rate were analyzed.

RESULTS: The total clinical eradication rate was 80.06% (273/341), and the failure rate was 19.94% (68/341), correspondingly. Univariate analysis identified statistically significant differences between the two groups in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, presence of oral diseases, positive cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA), and medical compliance (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) and antibiotics was statistically different (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that vitamin D level (<20 ng/mL) [OR = 98.56, 95% CI (29.01-334.83), P < 0.001] and medical compliance [OR = 148.18, 95% CI (37.64-583.33), P < 0.001] were independent effecting factors for eradication rate.

CONCLUSION: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level lower than 20 ng/mL may affect the success of eradication of Hp and is an independent risk factor for eradication failure.

PMID:35517896 | PMC:PMC9063792 | DOI:10.2147/IDR.S358464

South Afr J Crit Care. 2021 Dec 31;37(3). doi: 10.7196/SAJCC.2021.v37i3.446. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A prospective cohort study sought to measure the incidence and outcomes of failed extubation in Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital intensive care unit (ICU), as well as to identify possible factors associated with failed extubation.

METHODS: Data were collected over a 6-month period from 1 July 2015 to 31 December 2015. Pre-intubation parameters recorded on the data collection sheet included secretions, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), fluid balance, Tobin index, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂ ), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂ ), comorbidities and weaning method.

RESULTS: A total of 242 patients were enrolled over the 6-month study period. Of the 242 patients, 86 were excluded owing to pre-set exclusion criteria (death before extubation; tracheostomy before extubation; re-intubation >72 hours post extubation). An extubation failure rate of 16.7% (n=26) was observed. The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the failed extubation group was 19.23%, whereas death was recorded in 42.31% of patients who failed extubation. The average length of ICU stay in the reintubated group was 11.58 days, and 4.04 days for successfully extubated patients. Only low GCS had a statistically significant impact on failed extubation: p=0.0025; odds ratio (OR) for low v. normal 5.13 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.78 – 14.79). Other predictor variables measured did not reach statistical significance. Weaning method: p=0.3737, OR for No T-piece v. T-piece 1.65 (95% CI 0.547 – 4.976); comorbidities: p=0.5914, OR for two or more comorbidities v. no comorbidities 2.079 (95% CI 0.246 – 17.539), no comorbidities v. single comorbidity 0.802 (95% CI 0.211 – 3.043); fluid balance: p=0.6625, OR for negative v. positive fluid balance 0.571 (95% CI 0.170 – 1.916), OR for neutral v. positive fluid balance <0.001 (95% CI <0.001 – >999.999); pCO₂ : p=0.7510, OR for high v. normal pCO₂ 1.344 (95% CI 0.346 – 5.213), OR for low v. normal pCO₂ 1.515 (95% CI 0.501 – 4.576); PaO₂ : p=0.4405, OR for high v. normal 1.156 (95% CI 0.382 – 3.494); OR for low v. normal PaO₂ 2.638 (95% CI 0.553 – 12.587); Tobin index (Fischer’s exact test): p=0.7476.

CONCLUSION: Low pre-extubation GCS is a predictor of failed extubation.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY: The study is a prospective observational study conducted in a high-volume referral hospital. It adds valuable scientific information to a growing body of data on the topic of extubation failure. It further reinforces the importance of extubation failure and the requirement for due diligence to be paid before a patient is extubated.

PMID:35517852 | PMC:PMC9053415 | DOI:10.7196/SAJCC.2021.v37i3.446

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Apr 19;10:875155. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.875155. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) exhibits a diverse range of plasticity across vertebrates and is a potential source of cells for the regeneration of retinal neurons. Embryonic amniotes possess a transitory ability to regenerate neural retina through the reprogramming of RPE cells in an FGF-dependent manner. Chicken RPE can regenerate neural retina at embryonic day 4 (E4), but RPE neural competence is lost by embryonic day 5 (E5). To identify mechanisms that underlie loss of regenerative competence, we performed RNA and ATAC sequencing using E4 and E5 chicken RPE, as well as at both stages following retinectomy and FGF2 treatment. We find that genes associated with neural retina fate remain FGF2-inducible in the non-regenerative E5 RPE. Coinciding with fate restriction, RPE cells stably exit the cell cycle and dampen the expression of cell cycle progression genes normally expressed during regeneration, including E2F1. E5 RPE exhibits progressive activation of gene pathways associated with mature function independently of retinectomy or FGF2 treatment, including retinal metabolism, pigmentation synthesis, and ion transport. Moreover, the E5 RPE fails to efficiently repress OTX2 expression in response to FGF2. Predicted OTX2 binding motifs undergo robust accessibility increases in E5 RPE, many of which coincide with putative regulatory elements for genes known to facilitate RPE differentiation and maturation. Together, these results uncover widespread alterations in gene regulation that culminate in the loss of RPE neural competence and implicate OTX2 as a key determinant in solidifying the RPE fate. These results yield valuable insight to the basis of RPE lineage restriction during early development and will be of importance in understanding the varying capacities for RPE-derived retinal regeneration observed among vertebrates.

PMID:35517508 | PMC:PMC9062105 | DOI:10.3389/fcell.2022.875155

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Apr 20;10:897989. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.897989. eCollection 2022.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:35517507 | PMC:PMC9065439 | DOI:10.3389/fcell.2022.897989

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2022 Apr 29;15:1055-1066. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S355326. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Based on trait activation theory, this study validates the boundary effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on employee empowerment (EE) to sustain employee’s taking charge behaviour (TCB). It hypothesizes that EE has a strongly significant and positive relationship with TCB when POS is high.

METHODOLOGY: The authors selected a time-lagged cross-sectional study and collected data from two sources in manufacturing firms in China where 290 team members and 56 supervisors participated in the survey. In a questionnaire, team members self-reported employee empowerment, taking charge behaviour, and perceived organizational support, whereas supervisors rated employees’ taking charge behaviour at individual-level to avoid common method bias. In addition, for meeting the study objectives statistically, we used SPSS-Process Macro for hypotheses testing.

FINDINGS: The study findings were significant, in which employee empowerment demonstrated positive relationship with TCB under the boundary condition of POS but under low POS. This empirical result endorses that employee empowerment accelerated by perceptions of low organizational support demonstrates a positive impact on the development of taking charge behaviour.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Receivers’ reactions to organizational support are not constantly positive; sometimes, they might feel vulnerable or incapable, and sometimes “overhelped”. Our study outcomes extend these streams of work by concentrating on support from the organization and authenticating an exclusive outline associating employee empowerment with perceived organizational support on employee’s taking charge behaviour- specifically organizations might, rather counterintuitively, attain greater levels of empowered employee’s taking charge behaviour by delivering less is more-oriented organizational support programs. More specifically, it is not always high, but sometimes low POS performs as a resilient situational factor or contextual moderator that is capable of activating and encouraging employee empowerment on their taking charge behaviour.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study highlights the importance of taking charge as trait-relevant behaviour by empowered employees (a trait in our case) and organizational support as a trait-relevant cue for sustainable performance in the manufacturing industry of China.

PMID:35517430 | PMC:PMC9064171 | DOI:10.2147/PRBM.S355326

J Glaucoma. 2022 May 6. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002046. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PRECIS: In a retrospective cohort study, serum vitamin D levels were not associated with rates of structural or functional loss in glaucoma patients, suggesting that low vitamin D level is not a risk factor for progression.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between serum vitamin D level and rates of functional and structural glaucomatous loss over time.

METHODS: This study included 826 eyes of 536 glaucoma or suspect patients with an average follow-up of 4.8±1.9 years. All patients had at least 1 serum vitamin D measurement, and all eyes had at least 2 reliable standard automated perimetry (SAP) tests and 2 spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) tests with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Multivariable linear mixed effects models were used to estimate the association of vitamin D level with rates of change in SAP mean deviation (MD) and OCT retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness over time while adjusting for potential confounding factors.

RESULTS: Patients had an average of 3.4±1.7 SAP tests, 4.8±1.9 SD OCT tests, and 2.3±1.9 vitamin D measurements. Average serum vitamin D level was 33.9±13.2▒ng/mL. Mean rates of MD and RNFL change were -0.03±0.08 dB/year and -0.68±0.64▒µm/year, respectively. After controlling for confounding factors, there was no statistically significant association between mean vitamin D level and rates of MD (β = 0.038, 95% CI: [-0.006, 0.082], P = 0.09) or RNFL loss over time (β = -0.018, 95% CI: [-0.092, 0.055], P = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a significant association between vitamin D level and rates of visual field or RNFL loss over time in individuals with glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients.

PMID:35513898 | DOI:10.1097/IJG.0000000000002046

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 May 5;14(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00475-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Handball is a high-intensity game, during which players run, change directions with or without the ball, interact with the opponent and make different decisions in both offensive and defensive actions. Players’ performance may depend on a number of factors, including explosive force, power, speed and agility. Players’ results may be significantly influenced by their, psychomotor abilities. This article presents an analysis of selected psychomotor abilities of female handball players at different level of competition.

METHODS: Test2Drive computer tests were used. The following four tests were used to measure psychomotor abilities: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SIRT), the Choice Reaction Time Test (CHORT), the Hand-Eye Coordination Test and the Spatial Anticipation Test (SPANT). The study covered a group of 118 female handball players (average age 19.6 ± 3.16), playing in the PGNiG Polish Women’s Superliga, the Polish 1st Handball League and 2nd the Polish 2nd Handball League, in the playing positions: goalkeepers, centre players, pivot players and wing players. The study also included analyses of the players’ body composition and aerobic capacity through the use of the multistage 20-m shuttle run test. In addition, the players’ psychomotor abilities were analysed depending on the level of competition and playing position.

RESULTS: The analysis of the reaction time and movement time showed statistically significant differences between the results obtained by the female handball players on different levels of competition. Moreover the female players from the Polish Women’s Superliga exhibited the fastest reaction times according to the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT. Additionally, on the basis of the linear Pearson correlation coefficient, a statistically significant relationship was determined between the players’ psychomotor abilities (movement time in the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT) and elements of their body composition or aerobic capacity.

CONCLUSIONS: The analysis showed that the higher the level of competition (leagues), the shorter the female handball players’ reaction times. The study also revealed that the players’ body mass index and percentage of fat content reassociated with movement times, while their aerobic capacity (measured in the multistage 20-m shuttle run test) had a significant influence on their reaction times. This study shows that reaction time it’s one of ability which should be consider to develop in training of female handball players.

PMID:35513886 | DOI:10.1186/s13102-022-00475-5

BMC Med Genomics. 2022 May 5;15(Suppl 2):104. doi: 10.1186/s12920-022-01253-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive, especially the urine-based diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) remains challenging. Although prostate cancer antigen (PSA) is widely used in prostate cancer screening, the false positives may result in unnecessary invasive procedures. PSA elevated patients are triaged to further evaluation of free/total PSA ratio (f/t PSA), to find out potential clinically significant PCa before undergoing invasive procedures. Genomic instability, especially chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) were proved much more tumor specific. Here we performed a prospective study to evaluate the diagnostic value of CNV via urine-exfoliated cell DNA analysis in PCa.

METHODS: We enrolled 28 PSA elevated patients (≥ 4 ng/ml), including 16 PCa, 9 benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and 3 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Fresh initial portion urine was collected after hospital admission. Urine exfoliated cell DNA was analyzed by low coverage Whole Genome Sequencing, followed by CNV genotyping by the prostate cancer chromosomal aneuploidy detector (ProCAD). CNVs were quantified in absolute z-score (|Z|). Serum free/total PSA ratio (f/t PSA) was reported altogether.

RESULTS: In patients with PCa, the most frequent CNV events were chr3q gain (n = 2), chr8q gain (n = 2), chr2q loss (n = 4), and chr18q loss (n = 3). CNVs were found in 81.2% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 53.7-95.0%) PCa. No CNV was identified in BPH patients. A diagnosis model was established by incorporating all CNVs. At the optimal cutoff of |Z|≥ 2.50, the model reached an AUC of 0.91 (95% CI 0.83-0.99), a sensitivity of 81.2% and a specificity of 100%. The CNV approach significantly outperformed f/t PSA (AUC = 0.62, P = 0.012). Further analyses showed that the CNV positive rate was significantly correlated with tumor grade. CNVs were found in 90.9% (95% CI 57.1-99.5%) high grade tumors and 60.0% (95% CI 17.0-92.7%) low grade tumors. No statistical significance was found for patient age, BMI, disease history and family history.

CONCLUSIONS: Urine exfoliated cells harbor enriched CNV features in PCa patients. Urine detection of CNV might be a biomarker for PCa diagnosis, especially in terms of the clinically significant high-grade tumors.

PMID:35513884 | DOI:10.1186/s12920-022-01253-5

BMC Pediatr. 2022 May 5;22(1):252. doi: 10.1186/s12887-022-03319-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pain is a common symptom in children receiving hospital care. Adequate pain management in paediatric patients is of the utmost importance. Few studies have investigated children’s own experiences of pain during hospitalization.

AIM: To describe the prevalence of pain, self-reported pain intensity at rest and during movement, pain management and compliance with pain treatment guidelines in children and adolescents receiving hospital care. Furthermore, to examine self-reported statements about pain relief and how often staff asked about pain.

METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study with descriptive statistics as the data analysis method was conducted at a county hospital in western Sweden. Sixty-nine children/adolescents aged 6-18 years who had experienced pain during their hospital stay were included. A structured, verbally administered questionnaire was used to obtain pain reports. The participants were also asked what they considered alleviated pain and how often they told staff about pain. Patient demographics, prescribed analgesics and documentation of pain rating were obtained from medical records.

RESULTS: Fifty children/adolescents (72%) experienced moderate to severe pain in the previous 24 hours. At the time of the interview 36% reported moderate to severe pain at rest and 58% during movement. Seven participants (10%) reported severe pain both at rest and during movement. About one-third were on a regular multimodal analgesic regimen and 28% had used a validated pain rating scale. Thirty children/adolescents (43%) reported that they had experienced procedural pain in addition to their underlying pain condition. Most of the children/adolescents (74%) reported that analgesics provided pain relief. Forty (58%) stated that various non-pharmacological methods were helpful.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence-based guidelines, half of the children/adolescents experienced moderate to severe pain, highlighting the need for improvement. Pain levels should be assessed both at rest and during movement. Response to treatment should be evaluated to prevent undertreatment of pain. Compliance with guidelines and professional communication are of the utmost importance for pain management in children/adolescents. Non-pharmacological methods are a valuable part of a pain management strategy. This study shows that it is important to evaluate and improve pain care also outside specialised tertiary clinics.

PMID:35513880 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-022-03319-w

Environ Health. 2022 May 6;21(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00856-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most U.S. studies that report racial/ethnic disparities in increased risk of low birth weight associated with air pollution exposures have been conducted in California or northeastern states and/or urban areas, limiting generalizability of study results. Few of these studies have examined maternal racial/ethnic groups other than Non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White and Hispanic, nor have they included paternal race. We aimed to examine the independent effects of PM_2.5 on birth weight among a nationally representative sample of U.S. singleton infants and how both maternal and paternal race/ethnicity modify relationships between prenatal PM_2.5 exposures and birth outcomes.

METHODS: We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a longitudinal nationally representative cohort of 10,700 U.S. children born in 2001, which we linked to U.S.EPA’s Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ)-derived predicted daily PM2.5 concentrations at the centroid of each Census Bureau Zip Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for maternal residences. We examined relationships between term birthweight (TBW)_, term low birthweight rate (TLBW) and gestational PM_2.5 pollutant using multivariate regression models. Effect modification of air pollution exposures on birth outcomes by maternal and paternal race was evaluated using stratified models. All analyses were conducted with sample weights to provide national-scale estimates.

RESULTS: The majority of mothers were White (61%). Fourteen percent of mothers identified as Black, 21% as Hispanic, 3% Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and 1% American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN). Fathers were also racially/ethnically diverse with 55% identified as White Non-Hispanic, 10% as Black Non-Hispanic, 19% as Hispanic, 3% as AAPI and 1% as AIAN. Results from the chi-square and ANOVA tests of significance for racial/ethnic differences indicate disparities in prenatal exposures and birth outcomes by both maternal and paternal race/ethnicity. Prenatal PM_2.5 was associated with reduced birthweights during second and third trimester and over the entire gestational period in adjusted regression models, although results did not reach statistical significance. In models stratified by maternal race and paternal race, one unit increase in PM_2.5 was statistically significantly associated with lower birthweights among AAPI mothers, -5.6 g (95% CI:-10.3, -1.0 g) and AAPI fathers, -7.6 g (95% CI: -13.1, -2.1 g) during 3^rd trimester and among births where father’s race was not reported, -14.2 g (95% CI: -24.0, -4.4 g).

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that paternal characteristics should be used, in addition to maternal characteristics, to describe the risks of adverse birth outcomes. Additionally, our study suggests that serious consideration should be given to investigating environmental and social mechanisms, such as air pollution exposures, as potential contributors to disparities in birth outcomes among AAPI populations.

PMID:35513869 | DOI:10.1186/s12940-022-00856-w