Nevin Manimala

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 May 31;68(5):103-110. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.14.

ABSTRACT

The study focused on the role of mitophagy in neonatal ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Immunoassays were used to study the TLR9 signaling pathway of neonatal VILI, expected to provide a feasible solution for neonatal VILI. The mice were randomly divided into four groups, group A: spontaneous breathing group; group B: normal tidal volume (VT) group (VT=9mL/kg); group C: high VT group (VT=39mL/kg); and group D: ODN2088 (400μg/ Only) intervention + high VT group. The four groups were compared for the expression of inflammatory factors. It was found that as the culture time increased, the expression of TLR9, MyD88, and NF-κBp65 in the lung tissue of the large VT group was significantly higher than those in the spontaneous breathing group and normal VT group, and the differences were statistically significant; and TLR9 inhibitors could activate the TLR9-MyD88 signaling pathway to up-regulate the expression of NF-κB, mediating the release of inflammatory factors to cause VILI.

PMID:36029492 | DOI:10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.14

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 May 31;68(5):186-191. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.25.

ABSTRACT

Intra Venous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a plasma-derived product used to treat many autoimmune diseases, including thrombocytopenia, immunodeficiency, and infectious diseases. In this study, the effect of IVIG injection was evaluated on the number of white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets. The effect of IVIG was also considered on the percentage of CD4 and CD8 positive cells T cell lymphocytes and their absolute number in pediatric patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura. The study was a cross-sectional study performed on 32 patients with ITP. In these patients, a blood sample was taken before and one hour after the start of the IVG injection. For all samples, a complete blood cell, platelet count, and differential blood leukocyte count were performed by Sysmex kx-21. Then labeled anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 markers were used to evaluate the type of lymphocytes. SPSS software version 15 and a t-test with a significant level of p <0.05 were used for statistical analysis of the obtained results. Pearson correlation coefficient was also used to evaluate the relationship between patients’ age and the total volume of injected IVIG results. Examination of blood cell counts showed a significant decrease in the mean of white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes after intravenous immunoglobulin injection. However, these changes were not statistically significant for platelets. A comparison of the mean percentage of CD4 and CD8 cells shows a significant increase in the CD4 / CD8 cell ratio after injection. The absolute number of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes one hour after IVIG injection was significantly decreased, but their proportion increased after injection. Generally, IVIG reduces the absolute number of neutrophils, but this reduction is not associated with infection problems. This decrease is also seen in the number of lymphocytes. However, the change in the number and percentage of CD4 and CD8 cells depends on the sampling time following IVIG injection.

PMID:36029490 | DOI:10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.25

Rev Med Virol. 2022 Aug 27:e2390. doi: 10.1002/rmv.2390. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

With COVID-19 still hovering around and threatening the lives of many at-risk patients, an effective, quick, and inexpensive prognostic method is required. Few studies have shown fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) to be promising as prognostic markers for COVID-19 disease. However, their implications remain unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the prognostic role of FAR and CAR in COVID-19 disease. A systematic literature search was undertaken using PubMed and Embase till April 2022. Inverse variance standardised mean difference (SMD) was calculated to report the overall effect size using random effect models. The generic inverse variance random-effects method was used to pool the area under the curve (AUC) values. All statistical analyses were performed on Revman and MedCalc Software. A total of 23 studies were included. COVID-19 non-survivors had a higher CAR on admission compared with survivors (SMD = 1.79 [1.04, 2.55]; p < 0.00001; I² = 97%) and patients with a severe COVID-19 infection had a higher CAR on admission than non-severe patients (SMD = 1.21 [0.54, 1.89]; p = 0.0004; I² = 97%). Similarly, higher mean FAR values on admission were significantly associated with COVID-19 mortality (SMD = 0.55 [0.32, 0.78]; p < 0.00001; I² = 82%). However, no significant association was found between mean FAR on admission and COVID-19 severity (SMD = 0.54 [-0.09, 1.18]; p = 0.09; I² = 91%). The pooled AUC values found that CAR had a good discriminatory-power to predict COVID-19 severity (AUC = 0.81 [0.75, 0.86]; p < 0.00001; I² = 80%) and mortality (AUC = 0.81 [0.74, 0.87]; p < 0.00001; I² = 86%). FAR had a fair discriminatory-power to predict COVID-19 severity (AUC = 0.73 [0.64, 0.82]; p < 0.00001; I² = 89%). Overall, CAR was a good predictor of both severity and mortality associated with COVID-19 infection. Similarly, FAR was a satisfactory predictor of COVID-19 mortality but not severity.

PMID:36029484 | DOI:10.1002/rmv.2390

Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2022 Aug 27. doi: 10.1111/inm.13056. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Stigma attached to schizophrenia among patients is a global concern to mental health advocates. The extent of internalized stigma experienced by consumers with schizophrenia living in the community and its correlates have not been fully explored. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of high internalized stigma and its association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, personality traits and aspects of health-related quality of life among community-dwelling consumers with schizophrenia. A descriptive, correlational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted with 149 consumers from outpatient psychiatric clinics of two hospitals in Taiwan. Face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires were adopted. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, chi-squares tests, independent t-tests and a binary logistic regression analysis. Approximately 41.6% of consumers with schizophrenia experienced high internalized stigma. In the subscales, a high experience of discrimination experience (43.6%) was reported, followed by alienation (34.2%), social withdrawal (28.2%), stereotype endorsement (24.8%) and stigma resistance (20.8%). Being younger at the onset of schizophrenia, attaining lower education, having a history of suicidality, fewer positive personality traits and poor aspects of health-related quality of life were significantly associated with high internalized stigma. Personality traits in the domains of emotional stability and conscientiousness and social and environmental aspects of health-related quality of life appeared to be the most relevant to risk of high internalized stigma. Anti-stigma initiatives coupled with personality-traits modules and modifications of health-related quality of life are suggested for mental health professionals and policy makers to ameliorate internalized stigma among community-dwelling consumers with schizophrenia.

PMID:36029474 | DOI:10.1111/inm.13056

Mil Med. 2022 Aug 27:usac257. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usac257. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Veterans and service members (V/SM) may have more risk factors for arrest and felony incarceration (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder and at-risk substance use) but also more protective factors (e.g., access to health care) to mitigate behaviors that may lead to arrest. As such, understanding which factors are associated with criminal justice involvement among V/SM could inform prevention and treatment efforts. The current study examined relationships between lifetime history of arrests and felony incarceration and sociodemographic, psychological, and brain injury characteristics factors among combat V/SM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was a secondary data analysis from the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium multicenter cohort study, approved by local institutional review boards at each study site. Participants were V/SM (N = 1,540) with combat exposure (19% active duty at time of enrollment) who were recruited from eight Department of Veterans Affairs and DoD medical centers and completed a baseline assessment. Participants were predominantly male (87%) and white (72%), with a mean age of 40 years (SD = 9.7). Most (81%) reported a history of at least one mild traumatic brain injury, with one-third of those experiencing three or more mild traumatic brain injuries (33%). Participants completed a self-report measure of lifetime arrest and felony incarceration history, a structured interview for all potential concussive events, the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption. Three groups were compared on self-reported level of lifetime history of criminal justice system involvement: (1) no history of arrest or incarceration (65%); (2) history of arrest but no felony incarceration (32%); and (3) history of felony incarceration (3%).

RESULTS: Ordinal regression analyses revealed that hazardous alcohol consumption (β = .44, P < .001; odds ratio = 1.56) was positively associated with increased criminal justice involvement after adjusting for all other variables. Being married or partnered (β = -.44, P < .001; odds ratio = 0.64) was negatively associated with decreased criminal justice involvement.

CONCLUSIONS: The rate of lifetime arrest (35%) in this V/SM sample was consistent with rates of arrests in the U.S. general population. One modifiable characteristic associated with lifetime arrest and felony incarceration was hazardous alcohol consumption. Alcohol use should be a top treatment target for V/SM at risk for arrest and those with history of criminal justice involvement.

PMID:36029468 | DOI:10.1093/milmed/usac257

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-22720-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Land use in uplands is an important factor affecting water quality in its respective catchment, and its influences at the different spatial scales and configurations warrant further investigation. Here, we selected 26 catchments in the upper Han River (China) and sampled the surface water at the outlet of each catchment in four seasons during 2019. Multivariate statistics were used to identify the relationships between land use characteristics in uplands and water quality in river system. The results indicated that chemical oxygen demand (COD_Mn); pH; dissolved oxygen; electrical conductivity; nutrient, i.e., NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^–-N; and dissolved phosphorus (DP) in rivers displayed significant seasonal variations. Stepwise regression revealed that landscape metrics such as patch density, landscape shape index, and splitting index were important factors influencing water quality in rivers regardless of their spatiality and seasonality. Urban was the most frequently chosen land-use type in the best prediction models, and forest area showed a negative correlation with water quality parameters in most cases for example, DP. Overall, the influence of land use on river water quality was slightly stronger at reach scale than at catchment and riparian scales. Also, nutrients (i.e., NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^–-N, and DP) in rivers were primarily impacted by the land use characteristic at catchment and riparian scales. Our results suggested that multi-scale explorations would help to achieve a fully understanding on the impacts of land use on river water quality.

PMID:36029448 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-022-22720-7

AIDS Behav. 2022 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s10461-022-03829-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To date, there are no established scales to assess PrEP stigma among youth. We validated the Youth PrEP Stigma Scale within the Adolescent Trials Network P3 study (2019-2021). Data from sexual and gender minority youth (16-24 years) who were prescribed PrEP across nine domestic sites were evaluated (N = 235). Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and correlation coefficients are reported. Results yielded a three-factor solution (PrEP Disapproval by Others, Enacted PrEP Stigma, and PrEP User Stereotypes) with strong factor loadings and Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.83 to 0.90, suggesting excellent internal consistency. Correlations between this Scale, anticipated HIV stigma, perceived HIV risk, and disclosure of sexual identity were significant, indicating potential for robust application. Given the persistence of HIV infections among youth, stigma as a barrier to prevention, and expansion of PrEP modalities, the Youth PrEP Stigma Scale could enhance intervention and mechanistic research among youth at elevated risk for HIV acquisition.

PMID:36029425 | DOI:10.1007/s10461-022-03829-9

Bull Math Biol. 2022 Aug 27;84(10):108. doi: 10.1007/s11538-022-01064-w.

ABSTRACT

As the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, it is badly needed to develop vaccination guidelines to prioritize the vaccination delivery in order to effectively stop COVID-19 epidemic and minimize the loss. We evaluated the effect of age-specific vaccination strategies on the number of infections and deaths using an SEIR model, considering the age structure and social contact patterns for different age groups for each of different countries. In general, the vaccination priority should be given to those younger people who are active in social contacts to minimize the number of infections, while the vaccination priority should be given to the elderly to minimize the number of deaths. But this principle may not always apply when the interaction of age structure and age-specific social contact patterns is complicated. Partially reopening schools, workplaces or households, the vaccination priority may need to be adjusted accordingly. Prematurely reopening social contacts could initiate a new outbreak or even a new pandemic out of control if the vaccination rate and the detection rate are not high enough. Our result suggests that it requires at least nine months of vaccination (with a high vaccination rate > 0.1%) for Italy and India before fully reopening social contacts in order to avoid a new pandemic.

PMID:36029391 | DOI:10.1007/s11538-022-01064-w

Psychometrika. 2022 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s11336-022-09883-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Wald, likelihood ratio, score, and the recently proposed gradient statistics can be used to assess a broad range of hypotheses in item response theory models, for instance, to check the overall model fit or to detect differential item functioning. We introduce new methods for power analysis and sample size planning that can be applied when marginal maximum likelihood estimation is used. This allows the application to a variety of IRT models, which are commonly used in practice, e.g., in large-scale educational assessments. An analytical method utilizes the asymptotic distributions of the statistics under alternative hypotheses. We also provide a sampling-based approach for applications where the analytical approach is computationally infeasible. This can be the case with 20 or more items, since the computational load increases exponentially with the number of items. We performed extensive simulation studies in three practically relevant settings, i.e., testing a Rasch model against a 2PL model, testing for differential item functioning, and testing a partial credit model against a generalized partial credit model. The observed distributions of the test statistics and the power of the tests agreed well with the predictions by the proposed methods in sufficiently large samples. We provide an openly accessible R package that implements the methods for user-supplied hypotheses.

PMID:36029390 | DOI:10.1007/s11336-022-09883-5

Clin Oral Investig. 2022 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s00784-022-04680-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to compare xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) versus subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) to increase soft tissue thickness at implant site.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a randomized, parallel-group controlled investigation. Thirty patients underwent buccal soft tissue thickness augmentation at the stage of implant placement by two different methods: SCTG (control group) and XCM (test group). Primary outcome was the amount of buccal soft tissue thickness gain, 3 months after the intervention. Secondary outcomes were the operation time, the amount of keratinized mucosa (KM), pain syndrome (PS), and patients’ quality of life (QL). Histologic evaluation was also performed.

RESULTS: The amount of soft tissue thickness gain was 1.55±0.11 mm in SCTG group, and 1.18±0.11mm in XCM group. The difference between the SCTG and XCM was -0.366 (-0.66 to -0.07; p=0.016). Operation time with XCM was 8.4 (3.737 to 13.06) min shorter than that with the SCTG (p=0.001). KT, PS, and QL for both groups were not statistically significantly different at any time point (p>0.05). At histological examination, the general picture in both groups was similar. No significant differences between the studied groups in most indices, except for the average and maximum formation thickness, cellularity of the basal, mitotic activity and also maximum length of rete ridges.

CONCLUSION: Within limitations, this study demonstrates that the use of SCTG provides a statistically significant superior soft tissue thickness gain than XCM for soft tissue augmentation procedures around implants.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: XCM can be used as the method of choice for increasing the thickness of soft tissues.

PMID:36029335 | DOI:10.1007/s00784-022-04680-x