Nevin Manimala

J Chem Phys. 2022 Apr 28;156(16):164104. doi: 10.1063/5.0086640.

ABSTRACT

We present our blind predictions for the Statistical Assessment of the Modeling of Proteins and Ligands (SAMPL), ninth challenge, focusing on the binding of WP6 (carboxy-pillar[6]arene) with ammonium/diammonium cationic guests. Host-guest binding free energies have been calculated using the recently developed virtual double system single box approach, based on the enhanced sampling of the bound and unbound end-states followed by fast switching nonequilibrium alchemical simulations [M. Macchiagodena et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput. 16, 7160 (2020)]. As far as Pearson and Kendall coefficients are concerned, performances were acceptable and, in general, better than those we submitted for calixarenes, cucurbituril-like open cavitand, and beta-cyclodextrines in previous SAMPL host-guest challenges, confirming the reliability of nonequilibrium approaches for absolute binding free energy calculations. In comparison with previous submissions, we found a rather large mean signed error that we attribute to the way the finite charge correction was addressed through the assumption of a neutralizing background plasma.

PMID:35490003 | DOI:10.1063/5.0086640

J Fr Ophtalmol. 2022 Apr 27:S0181-5512(21)00473-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jfo.2021.06.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of systemic anti-androgen drugs on tear function tests and the ocular surface.

METHODS: Sixty-four male subjects were included in this study. Subjects who were on anti-androgen treatment for prostate cancer (Group A, n: 31) and those who had received only surgical treatment for prostate cancer (Group B, n: 17) were recruited from the department of urology. Age-matched subjects who had never received anti-androgen treatment (Group C, n: 16) constituted the control group. Group A was divided into two subgroups according to the number of anti-androgen drugs used (Group A1: one drug, Group A2: two drugs). All cases underwent a complete ocular examination, including tear film break up time (TBUT), corneal and conjunctival staining, Schirmer 1 test, conjunctival impression cytology, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire.

RESULTS: The mean Schirmer’s values were 6.87mm, 11.41mm, and 13.03mm in Groups A, B, and C, respectively (P=0.001). TBUT was 5.45±2.01, 9.85±2.52 and 9.81±1.96seconds in Groups A, B, and C, respectively (P=0.001). Schirmer and TBUT were significantly lower, and corneal staining and OSDI questionnaire scores were higher in Group A compared to groups B and C (P<0.01). Conjunctival impression cytology results according to the Nelson grading system revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups (P=0.422).

CONCLUSION: Anti-androgen drugs alter tear function tests, cause increased corneal and conjunctival staining scores and worsen complaints of dry eye in patients with prostate cancer.

PMID:35489988 | DOI:10.1016/j.jfo.2021.06.007

Matern Child Nutr. 2022 Apr 30:e13368. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13368. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The introduction of fluids other than breast milk during the first few days of life or later neonatal period has been identified as a risk factor for suboptimal breastfeeding (BF) outcomes in numerous studies using varying study designs. However, the relationship between early introduction of fluids other than breast milk and BF outcomes has not been systematically assessed using only prospective studies that can establish temporality, which is critical for determining whether observed associations are causal. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to assess if there is a difference in BF outcomes as a result of the introduction of: (a) milk-based prelacteals, (b) water-based prelacteals and (c) breast milk substitutes (BMS) between 4 days and 4 weeks postpartum. We searched PubMed, Lilacs, Web of Science and other repositories for original research investigating the relationship between early introduction of prelacteals and/or BMS and BF outcomes. Forty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Of the 39 prelacteal feeding studies, 27 had the prerequisite statistical information for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Findings from the meta-analysis showed a relationship between prelacteals and exclusive BF cessation (RR 1.44; 1.29-1.60) and any BF cessation (2.23; 1.63-3.06) among infants under 6 months old. Nine studies focusing on the introduction of BMS during the neonatal period identified this practice as a statistically significant risk factor for a shorter BF duration. Effective interventions are needed to prevent the introduction of unnecessary milk-based prelacteals and BMS during the perinatal and neonatal periods to improve BF outcomes.

PMID:35489107 | DOI:10.1111/mcn.13368

Phys Ther Sport. 2022 Apr 22;55:196-204. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.04.010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the proportion of adolescents at moderate/high risk for Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms (PPCS) who develop PPCS when randomized to early aerobic exercise or standard-of-care and examine exercise volume/intensity between groups.

METHODS: Using a randomized clinical trial design, we enrolled patients 10-18 years of age who obtained a “Predicting/Preventing Postconcussive Problems in Pediatrics” (5P) risk score ≥6 and enrolled/tested ≤ one-week post-concussion (mean = 5.5 ± 1.5 days post-concussion). Participants were randomized to “Exercise” (5 days/week, 20 min/day aerobic exercise at individualized intensity [80% HR at exercise test cessation]) or “Standard-of-Care” (no exercise recommendations). They returned for re-testing one-month post-concussion, and we remotely monitored exercise between assessments.

RESULTS: Sixteen participants enrolled (intervention: n = 9, 56% female, 14.2 ± 2.1 years; standard-of-care: n = 7, 57% female, 13.6 ± 1.7 years). A smaller proportion of the early aerobic exercise group developed PPCS when compared to the standard-of-care group (44% vs. 86%; relative risk = 0.52; 95% confidence interval = 0.34-1.36; number-needed-to-treat = 2.4).

CONCLUSION: We observed that participants randomized to early aerobic exercise had a lower risk of PPCS compared to standard-of-care. Although not statistically significant, these results suggest early/individualized aerobic exercise among those at moderate/high PPCS risk may be effective at reducing that risk, and early aerobic exercise is not detrimental to recovery outcomes.

PMID:35489100 | DOI:10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.04.010

Iran J Kidney Dis. 2022 Mar;16(2):88-95.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) may accompany chronic kidney disease (CKD), resulting in additional complications and increased death rate. This study was performed to evaluate cardiac structure and function and several risk factors in hospitalized CKD children.

METHODS: Seventy-four children with CKD were enrolled in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Two-dimensional and M-mode ultrasonography, Doppler flow velocity and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) were used to evaluate cardiac chamber size, left ventricular mass (LVM) and echocardiographic indices of ventricular function.

RESULTS: Advanced stages of CKD showed statistically insignificant increased LVM and LVM indexed to height2.7 (LVMI), and mildly reduced diastolic function. Hypertensive patients had an insignificant increase in the incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) defined as LVMI greater than 95th percentile for age and sex and LVH2 as LVMI2 more than 95 gr/m2 for girls and more than 115gr/ m2 for boys older than 8 years. Patients with LVH had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and abnormal right ventricular (RV) function based on the tricuspid valve systolic velocity (TV S’) survey. LVH2 cases, however, revealed decreased LV systolic function according to ejection fraction (EF) and abnormal mitral valve systolic velocity (MV S’).

CONCLUSION: LVH related to hypertension and mild systolic and diastolic dysfunction were more prevalent in advanced CKD cases, however TDI showed no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of MV S’ and TV S’. We recommend strict blood pressure control and prevention of renal function deterioration as effective tools for cardiac protection in CKD children. DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.6643.

PMID:35489077

Dev Med Child Neurol. 2022 Apr 30. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15252. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To identify 5-week pain intensity trajectories and their association with physical and psychological well-being in children/young people with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHOD: A cohort study was conducted with 101 Canadian children/young people with CP, of whom 49 were female, with an overall mean age of 12 years 11 months (SD 3 years 1 month), range of 8 to 18 years, and classified in any Gross Motor Function Classification System level. Self-reported pain intensity (Faces Pain Scale – Revised) was collected weekly for 5 weeks and physical and psychological well-being (KIDSCREEN-27) at baseline and 5 weeks. Statistical analyses included latent class growth and general linear models.

RESULTS: All Gross Motor Function Classification System levels were represented (I = 40.6%; II = 15.8%; III = 20.8%; IV = 13.9%; V = 8.9%). Five pain intensity trajectories were identified. Three trajectories had very low (35.4%), low (32.4%), or high (4.9%) mean stable pain. Two trajectories had moderate changing pain (16.8%) and high pain decreasing to moderate levels (10.5%) respectively. Trajectory participants with stable high pain had the lowest physical well-being (adjusted β = -10.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -19.37 to -0.66). Those in the three trajectories with the highest mean baseline pain intensity (>3 out of 10) had the lowest psychological well-being (adjusted β = -8.27, 95% CI = -14.84 to -1.70; β = -6.74, 95% CI = -12.43 to -1.05; β = -5.82, 95% CI = -15.34 to 3.71).

INTERPRETATION: Almost one-third of participants had moderate-to-high pain intensity trajectories. Membership in the higher pain intensity trajectories was associated with lower physical and psychological well-being.

PMID:35489074 | DOI:10.1111/dmcn.15252

J Med Entomol. 2022 Apr 30:tjac033. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjac033. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Host feeding patterns and the prevalence of infection with Rickettsia parkeri were determined for the primary vector, Amblyomma maculatum Koch as well as sympatric tick species A. americanum (Linnaeus) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) collected from a reconstructed prairie in the Piedmont region of North Carolina during 2011 and 2012. The occurrence of R. parkeri among A. maculatum adults and nymphs was 36.9% (45/122) and 33.3% (2/6), respectively. Rickettsia parkeri was detected in a single male A. americanum 2.3% (1/43). A PCR-reverse line blot hybridization assay of a 12S rDNA fragment amplified from remnant larval and nymphal bloodmeals of host-seeking ticks was used to identify bloodmeal hosts. Of the tick samples tested, bloodmeal host identification was successful for 29.3% (12/41) of adult A. americanum and 39.2% (20/51) of adult D. variabilis. For A. maculatum, bloodmeal host identification was successful for 50% (61/122) of adults collected from vegetation and 100% (4/4) of nymphs removed from cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord). The cotton rat was the most common bloodmeal host with 59.0% (36/61) identified for adult A. maculatum. No statistically significant association was observed, however, between bloodmeal host and pathogen prevalence for any tick species. While the cotton rat was an important bloodmeal host for A. maculatum nymphs, this vertebrate did not appear to be the primary source of R. parkeri infection for A. maculatum.

PMID:35489062 | DOI:10.1093/jme/tjac033

West Afr J Med. 2022 Apr 29;39(4):388-393.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adherence to standard precautions in hospitals is vital to control the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of compliance to standard precautionary measures by clinical students and doctors in a Nigerian tertiary hospital to curb spread of infectious diseases, with focus on uptake of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccine.

METHODS: This study which involved 228 participants used self-administered questionnaire to obtain data on respondents’ biodata, history of exposure to patient’s body fluids (PBF) in the last six months, HBV vaccination status, use and recapping of needles, handwashing, and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Data analysis was done using SPSS version18; associations were tested with Chi-square statistics, and p<0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: Of the 228 respondents, 113(49.6%) were clinical students and 115 (50.4%) doctors with mean age of 27.61±7.48 years. A total of 140 (61.4%) respondents had been exposed to PBF: [89 (63.6%) doctors, 51(36.4%) students]. Age, student/doctor category, and number of years of practice all affected exposure to PBF (p<0.05). Recapping of needles was practiced by 167 (73.2%); hand-washing by 225 (98.7%), and lack of running water was the commonest reason for non-compliance. Also, 218 (95.6%) and 123 (53.9%) wore handgloves and face-masks respectively when attending to patients while 111 (48.7%) received at least a dose of HBV vaccine: [72 (64.9%) doctors, 39 (35.1%) students; p<0.05] but only 60.3% completed their doses.

CONCLUSION: Majority had good hand-washing practice, but only about half wore face-masks while working, and recapping of needles was prominent. Doctors had more occupational exposure to PBF but received more HBV vaccine although many were yet to complete their doses. With COVID-19 added to existing list of HAIs, there is need to scale-up compliance to infection control practices through sustained training programs and better health policies which would also drive vaccine coverage in this population.

PMID:35489043

West Afr J Med. 2022 Apr 29;39(4):375-380.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome contributes to the burden of non-communicable diseases and is a growing public health problem in both developed and developing countries. We determined the prevalence and predictors of metabolic syndrome among adults in Benue State, North-Central, Nigeria to guide targeted interventions.

METHODS: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in Benue State, North-Central, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 823 respondents. We defined metabolic syndrome using the National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III guideline and adapted a component of the WHO Stepwise questionnaire for data collection. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the associated risk factors were estimated using Chi square test and logistic regression at 5% level of significance. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0.

RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 40.1± 15.7 years. Most of the respondents were literate (86.8%) and married (67.0%). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 19.4%. One in every four of the respondents had pre-metabolic syndrome (25.6%) and this was more in females (28.2%) compared to males (22.9%). Thirty-four percent of the respondents had only one whereas 20.7% did not have any of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Age [aOR:10.3; 95%CI: 4.8-22.2], sex [aOR:2.4; 95% CI: 1.7-3.5] and education [aOR:2.9; 95%CI: 1.4-6.1] were significantly associated with metabolic syndrome among the respondents.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high. The associated risk factors were age, gender and educational status. Therefore, interventions should be targeted at young adults to reduce the long-term impact of the disease.

PMID:35489039

West Afr J Med. 2022 Apr 29;39(4):369-374.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Globally, peripartum or puerperal infections account for about one tenth of maternal mortality, most of which occur in low income countries. Therefore, vaginal preparation with an antiseptic prior to a caesarean delivery could be considered an additional measure to prevent subsequent infectious morbidities.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate vaginal preparation with 0.3% chlorhexidine solution in the prevention of endometritis, surgical site infection and post-operative fever following emergency caesarean section.

METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted among 240 participants planned for emergency caesarean sections (CS) at term in the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Ondo State, Nigeria. Participants were randomised into either group “A” (study) or “B” (control). The former had vaginal preparation with 0.3% chlorhexidine gluconate immediately after anaesthesia while the latter received normal saline. Participants were followed up post-operatively during which clinical features of puerperal infectious morbidities were observed for each during admission as well as 8th and 14th days after delivery.

RESULTS: The rate and risk of endometritis were significantly lower in the study group compared to the control; 5.0% versus 13.3%, respectively (chi squared =5.004; p=0.042, RR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.15-0.94; p = 0.042; RRR = 0.62). Post-operative fever and surgical site infection, were also lower in the study group compared to the controls, but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: When compared to placebo, pre-caesarean section vaginal preparation with 0.3% chlorhexidine solution significantly reduced only the rate and risk of post-operative endometritis among infectious morbidities.

PMID:35489037