Nevin Manimala

J AOAC Int. 2022 Jun 23:qsac069. doi: 10.1093/jaoacint/qsac069. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) method is based on gene amplification by the use of real time loop-mediated isothermal amplification when used with the 3M Molecular Detection System for the rapid and specific detection of Shiga toxin gene (stx1 and/or stx2) from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in enriched products. The 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) was approved as AOAC® Performance Tested MethodSM Certificate No. 071903.

OBJECTIVE: This matrix extension study evaluated the 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) method for detection of STECs in dried cannabis flower [>0.3% delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)] and dried hemp flower (≤0.3% THC) at a 10 g test portion size.

METHODS: Testing followed procedures outlined in 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) Product Instructions and Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®) for Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Cannabis and Cannabis Products (AOAC SMPR 2020.012). The method was evaluated at low, high, and non-inoculated levels.

RESULTS: Results showed no statistically significant difference between the presumptive positive 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) results and the SMPR 2020.012 recommended cultural confirmations.

CONCLUSION: This study provides data that demonstrate the 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) is a reliable method for the rapid and specific detection of STECs in dried cannabis flower and dried hemp flower.

HIGHLIGHT: The 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 – STEC Gene Screen (stx) method is suitable for the rapid and specific detection of STECs in dried cannabis flower and dried hemp flower.

PMID:35737394 | DOI:10.1093/jaoacint/qsac069

JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2218337. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18337.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Since the 1990s, reporting guidelines have developed that uniformly require authors to report a measure of precision (confidence intervals [CIs]) in addition to effect size.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the time trend of statistical inference and statistical reporting style in abstracts of major cancer journals.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study reviewed all abstracts published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2020, in 10 high-ranking cancer journals (Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Discovery, Cancer Cell, JAMA Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Molecular Cancer, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and Trends in Cancer) using a previously validated computerized algorithm to search the PubMed database. For the time trend analyses, 2 journals with only a few years of existence (JAMA Oncology and Trends in Cancer) were excluded.

EXPOSURES: Calendar year, journal, and type of abstract (randomized clinical trial or other).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Proportions of abstracts containing CIs, P values without CIs, and qualitative expressions of statistical significance only were compared over time among journals.

RESULTS: Overall, 24 034 of 42 509 abstracts (56.5%) contained statistical inference. Reporting of CIs increased over time in 5 of 8 journals. From 2016 to 2020, the most prevailing statistical reporting style was the presentation of CIs (3070 of 4895 [62.7%]). However, the proportion of abstracts reporting statistical inference based solely on the terms significant or nonsignificant was still 1195 of 4895 (24.4%) during this period and was most prevalent among basic science-oriented cancer journals (eg, 63 of 66 [95.5%] in Cancer Cell). A higher prevalence of CI reporting was associated with reporting of results from randomized clinical trials and the requirement to report according to guidelines (eg, 522 of 574 [90.9%] in Lancet Oncology).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that the reporting style of statistical inference in abstracts of major cancer journals has improved over time. A requirement in journals’ instructions for authors to present statistical inference in accordance with reporting guidelines and the implementation of these guidelines in submitted manuscripts on the part of journal editors may improve reporting.

PMID:35737386 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18337

JAMA Oncol. 2022 Jun 23. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1990. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Diagnostic delays in breast cancer detection may be associated with later-stage disease and higher anxiety, but data on multilevel factors associated with diagnostic delay are limited.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate individual-, neighborhood-, and health care-level factors associated with differences in time from abnormal screening to biopsy among racial and ethnic groups.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study used data from women aged 40 to 79 years who had abnormal results in screening mammograms conducted in 109 imaging facilities across 6 US states between 2009 and 2019. Data were analyzed from February 21 to November 4, 2021.

EXPOSURES: Individual-level factors included self-reported race and ethnicity, age, family history of breast cancer, breast density, previous breast biopsy, and time since last mammogram; neighborhood-level factors included geocoded education and income based on residential zip codes and rurality; and health care-level factors included mammogram modality, screening facility academic affiliation, and facility onsite biopsy service availability. Data were also assessed by examination year.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The main outcome was unadjusted and adjusted relative risk (RR) of no biopsy within 30, 60, and 90 days using sequential log-binomial regression models. A secondary outcome was unadjusted and adjusted median time to biopsy using accelerated failure time models.

RESULTS: A total of 45 186 women (median [IQR] age at screening, 56 [48-65] years) with 46 185 screening mammograms with abnormal results were included. Of screening mammograms with abnormal results recommended for biopsy, 15 969 (34.6%) were not resolved within 30 days, 7493 (16.2%) were not resolved within 60 days, and 5634 (12.2%) were not resolved within 90 days. Compared with White women, there was increased risk of no biopsy within 30 and 60 days for Asian (30 days: RR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.31-2.10; 60 days: RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.15-2.18), Black (30 days: RR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.30-1.78; 60 days: 1.39; 95% CI, 1.22-1.60), and Hispanic (30 days: RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.24-1.81; 60 days: 1.38; 95% CI, 1.11-1.71) women; however, the unadjusted risk of no biopsy within 90 days only persisted significantly for Black women (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11-1.47). Sequential adjustment for selected individual-, neighborhood-, and health care-level factors, exclusive of screening facility, did not substantially change the risk of no biopsy within 90 days for Black women (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12-1.44). After additionally adjusting for screening facility, the increased risk for Black women persisted but showed a modest decrease (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08-1.34).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study involving a diverse cohort of US women recommended for biopsy after abnormal results on screening mammography, Black women were the most likely to experience delays to diagnostic resolution after adjusting for multilevel factors. These results suggest that adjustment for multilevel factors did not entirely account for differences in time to breast biopsy, but unmeasured factors, such as systemic racism and other health care system factors, may impact timely diagnosis.

PMID:35737381 | DOI:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1990

JAMA Oncol. 2022 Jun 23. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.2286. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: It is unclear whether ERBB2-low breast cancer should be considered an individual biologic subtype distinct from ERBB2-0 breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether low ERBB2 expression is associated with distinct clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis among patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study was conducted using data from a prospectively maintained institutional database on all consecutive patients with breast cancer undergoing surgery between January 2016 and March 2021 at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. The study included 5235 patients with stage I through III, ERBB2-negative invasive breast cancer. Tumors were classified as ERBB2-low if they had an ERBB2 immunohistochemical (IHC) score of 1+ or 2+ with negative in situ hybridization assay and ERBB2-0 if they had an ERBB2 IHC score of 0. Data were analyzed from September 2021 through January 2022.

EXPOSURES: Standard treatment according to institutional guidelines.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Comparison of clinicopathologic characteristics and disease outcomes (pathologic complete response rate [pCR], disease-free survival, distant disease-free survival, and overall survival) between patients with ERBB2-low and ERBB2-0 breast cancer.

RESULTS: Among 5235 patients with ERBB2-negative invasive breast cancer (5191 [99.2%] women; median [range] age at primary surgery, 59.0 [21.0-95.0] years), 2917 patients (55.7%) and 2318 patients (44.3%) had ERBB2-low and ERBB2-0 tumors, respectively. Expression of HR was significantly more common among ERBB2-low compared with ERBB2-0 tumors (2643 patients [90.6%] vs 1895 patients [81.8%]; P < .001). The rate of ERBB2-low tumors increased progressively, from 296 of 739 estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors (40.1%) to 31 of 67 ER-low (ie, ER 1%-9%) tumors (46.3%), 37 of 67 ER-moderate (ie, ER, 10%-49%) tumors (55.2%), 2047 of 3542 ER-high (ie, ER, 50%-95%) tumors (57.8%), and 499 of 803 ER-very high (ie, ER > 95%) tumors (62.1%) (P < .001). Among 675 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those with ERBB2-0 tumors experienced higher pCR rates (95 patients [26.8%] vs 53 patients [16.6%]; P = .002). However, there were no statistically significant differences in pCR rate between ERBB2-low and ERBB2-0 tumors when separately analyzing HR-positive, ER-low, HR-positive without ER-low, or TNBC tumors. In exploratory survival analysis, no differences by ERBB2-low expression in disease-free survival, distant disease-free survival, or overall survival were observed among patients with HR-positive tumors or TNBC.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of this cohort study did not support the interpretation of ERBB2-low breast cancer as a distinct biologic subtype. ERBB2-low expression was positively associated with level of ER expression, and ER-low tumors were enriched among ERBB2-0 tumors, suggesting that, given the worse prognosis of ER-low tumors, they may be associated with confounding of prognostic analyses of ERBB2-low expression.

PMID:35737367 | DOI:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.2286

Vet Sci. 2022 Jun 14;9(6):295. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9060295.

ABSTRACT

Chronic enteropathy (CE) is a severe multifactorial gastrointestinal disease that affects dogs and is driven by poorly characterized inflammatory pathways. Imbalance of pro-inflammatory response regulators, including IL-1R8, may be due to different factors, among which the infection with Helicobacteraceae is known to lead to a vicious circle in which excessive pro-inflammatory signaling and gastrointestinal injury reinforce each other and boost the disease. We investigated the expression of IL-1R8 in large intestine biopsies of dogs with or without clinical signs of CE and with previously assessed enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. colonization status by mean of quantitative real-time PCR. Our study revealed that IL-1R8 is downregulated in both acutely (p = 0.0074) and chronically (p = 0.0159) CE affected dogs compared to healthy controls. The data also showed that IL-1R8 expression tends to decrease with colonization by Helicobacter spp. Interestingly, a negative correlation was detected between the level of expression of IL-1R8 and the severity of macroscopic lesions identified by endoscopy and the crypt hyperplasia score. We further compared the expression levels between males and females and found no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No significant difference was observed in IL-1R8 expression profiles with the age of the animals either. Interestingly, an association was uncovered between IL-1R8 expression level and dog breed. Together, our data advance knowledge on gastrointestinal pathoimmunology in dogs and highlight the potential utilization of IL-1R8 as a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarker for canine chronic enteropathy.

PMID:35737347 | DOI:10.3390/vetsci9060295

Vet Sci. 2022 Jun 7;9(6):277. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9060277.

ABSTRACT

Glucocorticoid administration is a common clinical practice that attempts to decrease the inflammation associated with and improve the resectability of canine mast cell tumors (MCTs). However, the impact of neoadjuvant glucocorticoids on the histological features and proliferation indices of canine MCTs is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in tumor grade, mitotic count, Ki67, AgNOR, and AgNORxKi67 scores following short-course anti-inflammatory neoadjuvant prednisone in canine patients with MCTs. This was a prospective single-arm pilot study. Client-owned dogs with treatment-naïve cytologically confirmed MCTs were enrolled. Patients underwent an initial incisional biopsy followed by a 10-14-day course of anti-inflammatory prednisone and surgical resection. All histological samples were randomized, masked, and evaluated by a single pathologist. Unstained paired pre- and post-treatment samples were submitted to a commercial laboratory for Ki67 and AgNOR immunohistochemical analysis. There were 11 dogs enrolled with 11 tumors. There were no statistical differences between the pre- and post-treatment histological parameters of mitotic index, Ki67, AgNOR, or Ki67xAgNOR. There were no clinically significant alterations between pre-treatment and post-treatment in the assignment of tumor grades. A short course of anti-inflammatory prednisone does not appear to alter the histological parameters that affect grade determination or significantly alter the proliferation indices in canine MCTs.

PMID:35737330 | DOI:10.3390/vetsci9060277

Vet Sci. 2022 May 30;9(6):260. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9060260.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to determine uterine blood flow indices by transabdominal Doppler ultrasound in sows (n = 18) under different conditions: (i) sows after estrus detection (day 0, D0); (ii) sows 2 h after artificial insemination (AI), performed 24 h after detection of estrus (day 1, D1); (iii) sows in early diestrus (day 5, D5). Moreover, three different types of seminal doses were used for AI depending on the ejaculate fraction included (F1: doses containing only the rich fraction of the ejaculate; F2: F1 + the transition fraction between rich and poor fractions; F3: F2 and poor fraction). The statistical analysis revealed significant differences in some indices regarding the period of analysis (D0, D1, and D5). Diastolic velocity and mean velocity showed lower values at D5 in comparison with D0 and D1 (p &lt; 0.01). On the other hand, the pulsatility index and the relationship systolic velocity/diastolic velocity indicated higher values at D5 in comparison with D0 and D1 (p &lt; 0.01). No differences were observed regarding the type of seminal dose used in any of the time points analyzed (p &gt; 0.05). Neither insemination per se nor the type of ejaculate fraction used immediately modified the uterine vascularity, but some indices are affected by the stage of the estrus cycle (estrus vs. early diestrus).

PMID:35737312 | DOI:10.3390/vetsci9060260

J Clin Pharm Ther. 2022 Jun 23. doi: 10.1111/jcpt.13714. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: There are no validated self-report measures to assess extent of and reasons for medication nonadherence in the Turkish language. The aim of this study is to evaluate validity and reliability of the Domains of Subjective Extent of Nonadherence Scale, which assesses extent of and reasons for nonadherence in Turkish patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and/or dyslipidaemia in community pharmacy settings.

METHODS: The Turkish version of the DOSE-Nonadherence scale was developed through translation and cultural adaption. Psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated in a cross-sectional study among 203 patients who visited six community pharmacies located in Istanbul, Turkey between November 2020 and March 2021. For the extent of nonadherence domain, reliability was estimated through Cronbach’s alpha, and convergent validity was evaluated with Spearman’s rank correlation with the validated Turkish version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS). Reasons for nonadherence were characterized among participants reporting nonadherence to the extent of nonadherence items. The measure was administered at baseline and 2 weeks later to 30 patients to estimate stability of extent scores using the Wilcoxon test and intraclass correlation coefficient. p < 0.05 was set as the level of statistical significance.

RESULTS: Among the 203 participants (65 male), the median (25th-75th percentiles) age was 59.0 years [51.0-67.0]. Cronbach’s alpha for the extent of nonadherence scale was 0.86. A moderate negative correlation (r = -0.58; p < 0.001) was found between the extent of nonadherence scores and MARS, supporting convergent validity. The most common reasons for medication nonadherence were forgetfulness (22.5%) and mismatch between the patients’ daily routine and medication taking (17.5%). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97 for extent of nonadherence scores at baseline and 2 weeks (p < 0.001).

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The DOSE-Nonadherence Scale could be used to identify nonadherent patients and their reasons for nonadherence in Turkish patients with chronic cardiometabolic conditions. This scale can be used to evaluate clinical pharmacist-led services to reduce medication nonadherence. Nonadherence could be recorded longitudinally in electronic health records to provide a more accurate picture of medication use. Pharmacists or other providers could administer interventions tailored to patients’ reasons for nonadherence.

PMID:35735120 | DOI:10.1111/jcpt.13714

Aging Ment Health. 2022 Jun 23:1-9. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2089628. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Previous investigations of cognitive aging have mainly focused on structural aspects of social relations (e.g. network size and composition), thereby neglecting the role of qualitative aspects of social relations. The current longitudinal study examined sex-specific differences in verbal memory decline by measures of perceived relationship quality (social support/strain) by relationship type.

METHOD: In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), 10,109 participants aged 50-89 years were assessed at wave 1 (baseline: 2002-03) and followed to wave 9 (2017-18). Verbal memory was assessed by immediate and delayed word-recall tasks. Social support/strain was measured by relationship type (spouse; children; family; friends). Random effects within-between (REWB) modelling was used to separate between- and within-person effects. We estimated associations between social support/strain and (1) baseline levels of memory (main effects), and (2) rate of decline in memory (interaction with time-since-baseline).

RESULTS: Longitudinal associations were most prominent for men, specific to relationship type, and showed between- rather than within-person effects. Among men, higher spousal strain was associated with faster memory decline (β_{between-effect×time} = -0.043; 95% CI [-0.084, -0.002]; p = .039), whilst greater support from children was associated with slower decline (β_{between-effect×time} = 0.020; 95% CI [0.002, 0.039]; p = .033). Men with higher strain from friends showed lower baseline memory (β_{between-effect} = -0.382; 95% CI [-0.627, -0.137]; p=.002) and faster decline (β_{between-effect×time} = -0.047; 95% CI [-0.095, 0.000]; p = .051).

CONCLUSION: Between-person differences in social support/strain were modestly associated with memory decline, especially among men.

PMID:35735097 | DOI:10.1080/13607863.2022.2089628

Aging Ment Health. 2022 Jun 23:1-8. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2087207. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether latent subgroups with distinct patterns of factors associated with self-rated successful aging can be identified in community-dwelling adults, and how such patterns obtained from analysis of quantitative data are associated with lay perspectives on successful aging obtained from qualitative responses.

METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,510 community-dwelling Americans aged 21-99 years. Latent class regression was used to identify subgroups that explained the associations of self-rated successful aging with measures of physical, cognitive, and mental health as well as psychological measures related to resilience and wisdom. Natural language processing was used to extract important themes from qualitative responses to open-ended questions, including the participants’ definitions of successful aging.

RESULTS: Two latent subgroups were identified, and their main difference was that the wisdom scale was positively associated with self-rated successful aging in only one subgroup. This subgroup had significantly lower self-rated successful aging and worse scores for all health and psychological measures. In the subgroup’s qualitative responses, the theme of wisdom was only mentioned by 10.6%; this proportion was not statistically different from the other subgroup, for which the wisdom scale was not statistically associated with the self-rated successful aging.

CONCLUSION: Our results showed heterogeneous patterns in the factors underpinning successful aging even in community-dwelling adults. We found the existence of a latent subgroup with lower self-rated successful aging as well as worse health and psychological scores, and we suggest a potential role of wisdom in promoting successful aging for this subgroup, even though individuals may not explicitly recognize wisdom as important for successful aging.

PMID:35735096 | DOI:10.1080/13607863.2022.2087207