Nevin Manimala

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Mar 3;234:113371. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113371. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in gut microbiota after exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy and its mediation effect in inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs).

METHODS: Participants (n = 916) were enrolled between 2017 and 2018 from a prospective cohort study of pregnant women in Guangzhou, China. The relative abundance of fecal microbiota was profiled using 16SrRNA V4 region sequencing. Exposure to air pollutants in each trimester of pregnancy was assessed using measurements from the nearest monitoring station. APOs including pre-term birth (PTB), post-term birth (POTB), low birth weight (LBW), macrosomia fetus (MF), birth defects (BDs), pathological cesarean section (PCS) and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)) were determined by referring to reliable clinical records and diagnostic criteria. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis and mediation analysis were performed to estimate the association among air pollutants, gut microbiota and APOs.

RESULTS: Air pollutants exposure during pregnancy was significantly correlated with the alterations in the gut microbiota, and increased risks of various APOs by 1.07-1.36-fold (P < 0.05). The mediation analyses indicated that alterations in Eggerthella, Phascolarctobacterium and Clostridium partially mediated the effects of air pollutants exposure (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, NO₂ and SO₂) on APOs. The relative abundance of f_Micrococcaceae explained 11.39%, 64.90% and 54.80% of the correlation between SO₂, PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and POTB, respectively; whereas g_Rothia explained 11.97%, 67.80% and 54.50%, respectively. g_Parabacteroides explained 53.0% of the correlation between PM_2.5 and PTB.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased air pollutants exposure during pregnancy may induce adverse pregnancy outcomes via alteration of the gut microbiota.

PMID:35248925 | DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113371

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2022 Feb 26;101:104668. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2022.104668. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study examined whether the hemoglobin concentration is correlated with the hippocampal volume using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1923 community dwellers, aged 40‒89 years, from the sixth wave of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging. The hemoglobin levels were determined through blood examination. The regional cortical volumes were evaluated using three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Following preprocessing with a statistical parametric mapping software, a VBM analysis of covariance design was implemented to identify the regional gray matter volumes related to hemoglobin concentration, while adjusting for age, sex, education, body mass index, depressive symptoms, alcohol consumption status, smoking status, medical history, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate.

RESULTS: VBM analysis revealed a significantly positive correlation between the hemoglobin concentration and gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior hippocampus and the amygdala clusters as well as in the cingulate and middle temporal gyri, cerebellum, and superior sagittal and transverse sinuses.

CONCLUSIONS: The hemoglobin concentration could be positively associated with the hippocampal volume among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults, which highlights the importance of monitoring the hemoglobin concentration in older adults to decrease the possibility of neurodegeneration.

PMID:35248921 | DOI:10.1016/j.archger.2022.104668

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2022 Mar 2;1195:123204. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123204. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A specific and sensitive thin layer chromatographic method coupled with fluorescence detection for determination of flibanserin (FLN) that treats woman hypoactive sexual desire disorder was developed. The proposed method depends on the enhancement of FLN native fluorescence intensity via the exposure of the developed TLC plate to concentrated hydrochloric acid vapors. Herein, an evaporation setup needed for HCl vapors exposure step was designed for the first time to ensure a uniform distribution of the vapors throughout the developed bands on the plate. Chloroform: methanol (9.5: 0.5, v/v) was the optimum mobile phase that gave a compact band (R_f= 0.44 ± 0.02) using TLC aluminium plates precoated with silica gel G 60F₂₅₄ as a stationary phase. After exposure of the developed TLC plate to HCl vapors, the FLN bands emission intensities were measured after excitation at 275 nm. Conferring ICH guidelines, the linearity range was 20.0 – 1500.0 ng/band with a good linear relationship (r= 0.9998). Detection and quantitation limits were 5.12 and 15.50 ng/band, respectively. Also, the method was validated for accuracy, precision, robustness, specificity and selectivity. Statistical analysis verified the suitability of the proposed method for estimation of FLN in tablets and in human plasma with acceptable recoveries (98.07-101.45%).

PMID:35248898 | DOI:10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123204

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 Mar 3:cebp.0724.2021. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-0724. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a strong epigenetic component that is accompanied by frequent DNA methylation (DNAm) alterations in addition to heritable genetic risk. It is of interest to understand the interrelationship of germline genetics, DNAm, and CRC risk.

METHODS: We performed a genome-wide methylation quantitative trait locus (meQTL) analysis in 1355 people, assessing the pairwise associations between genetic variants and lymphocytes methylation data. In addition, we used penalized regression with cis-genetic variants +/- 1Mb of methylation to identify genome-wide heritable DNAm. We evaluated the association of genetically predicted methylation with CRC risk based on GWAS of over 125,000 cases and controls using the multivariate sMiST as well as univariately via examination of marginal association with CRC risk.

RESULTS: Of the 142 known CRC genome-wide association studies (GWAS) loci, 47 were identified as meQTLs. We identified 4 novel CRC associated loci (NID2, ATXN10, KLHDC10 and CEP41) that reside over 1Mb outside of known CRC loci and 10 secondary signals within 1Mb of known loci.

CONCLUSIONS: Leveraging information of DNAm regulation into genetic association of CRC risk reveals novel pathways in CRC tumorigenesis. Our summary statistics-based framework sMiST provides a powerful approach by combining information from the effect through methylation and residual direct effects of the meQTLs on disease risk. Further validation and functional follow-up of these novel pathways are needed.

IMPACT: Using genotype, DNA methylation, GWAS, we identified four new CRC risk loci. We studied the landscape of genetic regulation of DNA methylation via single-SNP and multi-SNP meQTL analyses.

PMID:35247911 | DOI:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-0724

Biosens Bioelectron. 2022 Feb 24;206:114117. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114117. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The innovation of this work lies in the trace detection of inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, hs-CRP) in human exhaled breath condensate on the developed EBC-SURE platform as a point-of-care aid for respiratory disorder diagnosis. The unique design of the EBC-SURE leverages non-faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to capture target-specific biomolecular interactions for highly sensitive biomarker detection. For sensor calibration, EBC-SURE’s performance is assessed to measure the response of the sensor to a known concentration by spike and recovery analysis with a recovery error of <20% and an extended dynamic range over 3-log orders. The lowest detection limits for IL-6 and hs-CRP detection in EBC were found to be 3.2 pg/mL and 4 pg/mL respectively. The intra-assay and inter-assay efficacy of EBC-SURE for its usage as a diagnostic device was established through repeatability and reproducibility (over 48 h s) performance testing. The percentage variations (<20%) met the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards (CLSI) indicating a highly stable performance for robust biomarker detection. EBC-SURE generated highly selective IL-6 and hs-CRP responses in the presence of other non-specific cytokines. Statistical validation methods- Correlation and Bland Altman analysis established the one-to-one agreement between EBC-SURE and the reference method. Correlation analysis generated a Pearson’s R value of 0.99 for IL-6 and hs-CRP. Bland-Altman analysis indicated a good agreement between both the methods with all data points confined within the ±2SD limits. We have demonstrated EBC-SURE’s ability in detecting inflammatory biomarkers in human breath condensate towards developing a non-invasive technology that can quantify biomarker levels associated with healthy and acute inflammatory conditions.

PMID:35247857 | DOI:10.1016/j.bios.2022.114117

Epilepsy Behav. 2022 Mar 2;129:108624. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108624. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Seizures and epilepsy are very common neurologic disorders, yet knowledge of how to help a person having a seizure is sorely lacking, increasing the potential for injury and early death for people with seizures. We developed a standardized seizure first aid (SFA) training certification for the general public and evaluated its impact on knowledge and self-efficacy about SFA and program satisfaction.

METHODS: The Epilepsy Foundation’s SFA certification was developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts, with extensive review, feasibility testing, and analysis of pilot tests from 10 sessions with 177 participants. Pre/post assessments were conducted immediately prior to and after participation in the 60-90-min program. Data from 94 people with complete pre/post assessments were used for analysis of demographics, program outcomes, and satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, paired sample T-tests, and Cronbach α coefficients were conducted.

RESULTS: Participants were over age 18, primarily female, and white/Caucasian. Significant improvements were seen in both SFA knowledge and self-efficacy on pre/post assessments across all pilot sites. Fourteen of 23 scale items had significant pre/post improvements. Training satisfaction was rated high by almost all participants.

CONCLUSIONS: The Epilepsy Foundation’s Seizure First Aid certification focuses on ability to recognize seizure symptoms, respond with correct first aid steps, and know when emergency help is needed. Pilot assessments support increased knowledge and self-confidence, critical to promoting positive behavior change. This program offers an easy and scalable way for the general public to learn SFA and enhance seizure recognition and safety of people with seizures.

PMID:35247833 | DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108624

Appl Ergon. 2022 Mar 2;102:103738. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103738. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of workstation adjustment to reduce postural exposure and perceived discomfort among office workers in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Experimental (EG, n = 31) and control groups (CG, n = 30) were compared before (pre-intervention), immediately (post-intervention), and 3 months after (follow up) the intervention. EG received workstation adjustments and CG did not received the intervention. Postural exposure of head, upper back and upper arms was objectively measured by inclinometers. Overall level of perceived discomfort for the whole body was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (0-100 mm). EG showed a statistically significant reduction on the head (pre: 10.1°, SD 5.7°; post: 6.6°, SD 4.7°) and upper back flexion (pre: 15.4°, SD 10.7°; post: 10.4°, SD 8.4°) from pre to post-intervention. EG also showed a statistically significant reduction from pre (50.7°, SD 9.5°) to post-intervention (42.1°, SD 7.6°) and from pre to follow up (41.6°, SD 6.5°) on upper arm elevation. CG did not show any difference between evaluations. Perceived discomfort increased 7.2 (SD 2.0) mm in CG and decreased 22.1 (SD 2.2) mm in EG between pre and post intervention. The variation between pre intervention and follow up was 4.5 (SD 1.2) mm increase for the CG and 24.1 (SD 1.5) mm of reduction for the EG (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference for the post intervention and follow up for both groups (P > 0.05). The results show evidence of the workstation adjustment to reduce postural exposure and perceived discomfort among office workers.

PMID:35247831 | DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103738

Gait Posture. 2022 Feb 25;94:51-57. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.02.030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Older adults benefit most from engaging in higher-intensity physical activity, which is often determined using step rate thresholds. Fixed step rate thresholds that correspond to moderate (MPA) and vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) have been developed for heuristic activity promotion. The activPAL monitor uses step rate thresholds to determine activity intensity. Stepping thresholds may also vary based on body mass index (BMI) or aerobic fitness level in older adults. Despite the various thresholds used in the literature, it is unclear whether they produce similar outcomes.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How does time spent in physical activity intensities compare between different step rate thresholds in older adults?

METHODS: Thirty-eight participants (24♀; 67 ± 4 years; BMI: 26.6 ± 4.4 kg/m²) wore an activPAL monitor 24-hr/day for up to 7-d (total: 205-d). Aerobic fitness (V̇O₂max: 23 ± 8 ml/kg/min) was determined via indirect calorimetry during a maximal, graded cycling test. Time spent in each intensity category (light-physical-activity [LPA], MPA, VPA) was determined using the fixed (MPA/VPA) 100/130, 110/130, and activPAL step rate thresholds (74/212), as well as BMI-adjusted absolute (108.5 ± 2.5/134.0 ± 4.8) and BMI-adjusted relative (40%/60% V̇O₂max; 111.4 ± 14.7/132.0 ± 19.0) cut-offs. Times spent in each intensity category were compared between methods.

RESULTS: The activPAL and 100/130 thresholds yielded less LPA and more MPA than all other methods. The activPAL had no time spent in VPA at all. The BMI-adjusted absolute and relative thresholds produced statistically equivalent time in LPA and MPA (via equivalence testing), but not VPA. No two methods yielded similar time spent in LPA, MPA, or VPA.

SIGNIFICANCE: The choice of step rate threshold has a major impact on physical activity intensity outcomes in older adults. Inherently, strategies that adjust for older adults’ body size and/or aerobic fitness level provide a more individualized data processing strategy than fixed thresholds that assume the same threshold for all older adults.

PMID:35247825 | DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.02.030

Gait Posture. 2022 Feb 17;94:45-50. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.02.020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) may have difficulties under dual-task conditions. Spatiotemporal gait parameters have deteriorated with concurrent tasks in children with CP. However, how dual-task training affects gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic CP has not been clarified.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How does dual-task training program effect gait, functional skills, and health-related quality of life in children with spastic diplegic CP?

METHODS: Eleven children with spastic diplegic CP (median age 11 y, range 7-16 y; 4 female; 7 male) Gross Motor Function Classification System level 1-2 and obtained 27 and higher scores from Modified Mini Mental Test included in the study. The study was planned as a self-controlled clinical research design. Children were recruited to conventional physiotherapy program for 8 weeks and dual-task training program added to conventional physiotherapy program for following 8 weeks. Children were evaluated at baseline, after conventional physiotherapy program, and after dual-task training program. Children’s gait was evaluated with Zebris™ FDM-2 device and Edinburgh Visual Gait Score, functional mobility skills with 1 min Walk Test (1MWT), and health-related quality of life with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) – CP module.

RESULTS: The difference in step length, step time, stride time, cadence and gait speed of spatiotemporal parameters of gait during dual-task performance were found statistically significant in children with spastic diplegic CP, after dual-task training program (p < 0,05). After dual-task training, statistically significant gains were found in 1MWT, movement and balance subtitle of PedsQL-CP module Parent Form (p < 0,05).

SIGNIFICANCE: Dual-task training program added to a conventional physiotherapy program provides more gains in terms of functionality of children with spastic diplegic CP will contribute to the improvement of the motor functional level.

PMID:35247824 | DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.02.020

Poult Sci. 2022 Jan 18;101(5):101735. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101735. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Exogenous β-glucanase (BGase) improves nutrient digestibility and production performance in laying hens fed barley-based diets, but the effect of enzyme and the dosage on β-glucan depolymerization and fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract is poorly understood. The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of hulless barley (HB) and BGase levels on digestive tract β-glucan depolymerization and fermentation in laying hens. A total of 108 Lohman-LSL Lite hens were housed in cages and fed 2 levels of HB (CDC Fibar; 0 and 73%) by substituting wheat in the diet and graded levels of BGase (Econase GT 200 P from ABVista; 0, 0.01 and 0.1% – 0, 20,000, and 200,000 BU/kg) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Birds were fed experimental diets for 8 weeks, starting at 35 wk of age. Digestive tract samples were collected at the end of the experiment. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Beta-glucan peak molecular weight was lower with the 0.1 compared to both 0 and 0.01% BGase levels, whereas weight average molecular weight was lower with the 0.1 compared to 0% BGase for 73% HB. The maximum molecular weight for the smallest 10% β-glucan molecules decreased with the increasing BGase. Overall, β-glucan molecular weight in the ileum was higher when the birds were given 73 in comparison to 0% HB diets. Total and major short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the ileum were lower with 0.1 and 0.01 (except propionic acid) compared to 0% BGase in the birds fed 73% HB, but not 0% HB. Interactions between the main effects were found for the cecal acetic and isobutyric acids. In conclusion, exogenous BGase depolymerized high molecular weight β-glucan in HB and wheat. The effects of HB and BGase on carbohydrate fermentation were not apparent, although it appears ileal SCFA concentrations were lower with increasing levels of BGase.

PMID:35247816 | DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2022.101735