Nevin Manimala

J Environ Radioact. 2021 Mar 31;233:106603. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106603. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The main techniques of animal product sampling used in different time periods after the Chernobyl accident are summarised and lessons learned from this analysis are presented. It was shown that simple instruments for measurement γ-radiation in the environment can also be effectively implemented for measurement of γ-emitters in animal products even though these were not originally developed to measure radioactivity in food. The lessons learned related to the major tasks of the monitoring such “what to sample”, “where to sample” and “when to sample”. The role and example of application of supplementary data on radionuclide of concern properties for sampling planning are also discussed. Based on the statistical analysis of the data obtained in the affected settlement it was shown that radionuclide concentration in the animal products can be fitted by the log-normal distributions whilst the dispersion of the logarithms of the activity ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in milk is not dependent on the local settlement specific factors. Based on these findings the novel approach for justification of the number of samples that should to be taken to obtain the GM estimate with predefined precision for given variability of the data is suggested.

PMID:33812177 | DOI:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106603

J Autoimmun. 2021 Mar 26;120:102632. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102632. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 has substantial morbidity and mortality. We studied whether hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and chronic inflammatory diseases experienced worse outcomes compared to patients hospitalized with COVID-19 without chronic inflammatory diseases.

METHODS: Danish nationwide registers were used to establish a cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthropathy (SpA), or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (exposed), and a control cohort without these diseases (unexposed) between March 1, 2020, and October 31, 2020. We compared median length of hospital stay, used median regression models to estimate crude and adjusted differences. When estimating crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mechanical ventilation, in-hospital death, 14-day and 30-day mortality, we used logistic regression models.

RESULTS: We identified 132 patients with COVID-19 and IBD, RA, SpA, or PsA, and 2811 unexposed admitted to hospital with COVID-19. There were no differences between exposed and unexposed regarding length of hospital stay (6.8 days vs. 5.5 days), need for mechanical ventilation (7.6% vs. 9.4%), or CPAP (11.4% vs. 8.8%). Adjusted OR for in-hospital death was 0.71 (95% CI 0.42-1.22), death after 14-days 0.70 (95% CI 0.42-1.16), and death after 30-days 0.68 (95% CI 0.41-1.13).

CONCLUSION: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and chronic inflammatory diseases did not have statistically significant increased length of hospital stay, had same need for mechanical ventilation, and CPAP. Mortality was similar in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and chronic inflammatory diseases, compared to patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and no chronic inflammatory diseases.

PMID:33812171 | DOI:10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102632

Int J Food Microbiol. 2021 Mar 26;347:109172. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109172. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

About 40% of foodborne infections are acquired in the home. The aim of the present study was to track contamination of pathogens during domestic food preparation and link the contamination to preparation practices. Research participants from 87 households in six European countries were observed and interviewed during shopping and preparation of a chicken and vegetable meal. The presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and norovirus on raw chicken, kitchen surfaces, cloths and sponges was determined. The prevalence of Campylobacter on raw chicken varied from 8.3% in Norway (NO) to 80% in France (FR) and Portugal (PT), with a mean prevalence of 57%. Campylobacter was found on half of the products that had been frozen and appeared to be less prevalent on chicken from supermarkets than other sources. Salmonella was found in 8.6% of raw chicken samples, exclusively from Hungary (HU). A relationship between observed practices and spread of pathogens to kitchen surfaces was found only for the use of cutting boards for chicken and/or vegetables. After food preparation, Campylobacter and Salmonella were isolated from 23% (samples derived from HU, RO, UK) and 8.7% (HU), respectively of cutting boards. Research participants in France and Portugal were more likely to buy products that fitted their recipe, with less need for using cutting boards. Using the same board and knife for vegetables after using it for chicken and without washing with detergent was common in Portugal and Romania, but not in the other countries. Contamination with Campylobacter to other kitchen surfaces or washing utensils were found in five households (UK, RO, PT). Rinsing chicken in sinks was common in three countries (PT, HU, RO), and washing vegetables in the same sink was also usual. Prevalence of Norovirus was low, with detection in one out of 451 samples. The participants’ awareness of the risk posed by pathogens from raw chicken differed among the six countries, with higher awareness in Norway and the UK than the other countries studied. In conclusion, practices intended to avoid cross-contamination from chicken to kitchen surfaces and washing utensils are not established among consumers in all European countries. Nevertheless, cross-contamination events that disseminate infectious doses of pathogens seems to be rare, probably due to the relatively low levels of pathogens in food combined with food preferences. Food safety interventions must consider the national food culture, preferences, practices and the prevalence and levels of pathogens in food. Emphasis should be on providing and promoting chicken products with lower risk (prevalence of pathogens, ready-to-cook) and safe use of cutting boards.

PMID:33812164 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109172

Neuropeptides. 2021 Mar 4;87:102135. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2021.102135. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Schizophrenia is a serious long-term disorder in which the metabolic complications and abnormalities of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can be found. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of the relationship between BDNF, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in schizophrenic patients.

METHODS: Data were collected mainly from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. The keywords related to the BDNF, MetS, schizophrenia were searched. Two reviewers independently screened 1061 abstracts. And eventually, a total of 7 studies (6 observational and 1 interventional) was included in the systematic reviews.

RESULTS: Four of the 7 study ascertained statistically significant inverse relationship between serum BDNF levels and MetS in schizophrenic patients. While in the other two studies, there was no inverse relationship. In the last selected study, the researchers found a weak association between the Val66Met polymorphism in BDNF Gene and clozapine-induced MetS.

CONCLUSION: Although this relationship could not be determined but BDNF levels appear to be reduced in schizophrenic patients with MetS and factors such as sex and antipsychotic class differentiation, sampling and methodology and episodes of illness could play a role in the results and outcomes.

PMID:33812160 | DOI:10.1016/j.npep.2021.102135

J Environ Manage. 2021 Mar 31;289:112449. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112449. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Episodes of frequent flooding continue to increase, often causing serious damage and tools to identify areas affected by such disasters have become indispensable in today’s society. Using the latest techniques can make very accurate flood predictions. In this study, we introduce four effective methods to evaluate the flood susceptibility of Poyang County, in China, by integrating two independent models of frequency ratio and index of entropy with multilayer perceptron and classification and regression tree models. The flood locations of the study area were identified through the flood inventory process, and 12 flood conditioning factors were used in the training and validation processes. According to the results of the linear support vector machine, elevation, slope angle, and soil have the highest predictive ability. The experimental results of the four hybrid models demonstrate that between 20% and 50% of the study area has high and very high flood susceptibility. The multilayer perceptron-probability density hybrid model is the most effective among the six comparative methods.

PMID:33812150 | DOI:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112449

J Vet Cardiol. 2021 Feb 27;35:25-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2021.02.004. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: In the past few years, novel markers such as the interval between the peak and the end of T-wave (Tpte) and Tpte/QT ratio have been shown to have high sensitivity for ventricular arrhythmias and mortality. We analyzed these and other parameters of ventricular repolarization, such as QT interval, QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc), and QT dispersion (QTd) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Additionally, we investigated their relationship with the progression of the disease, echocardiographic parameters, and ventricular arrhythmias and assessed their prognostic value with development of clinical signs or mortality as the final outcome.

ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Epidemiological, clinical, echocardiographic, and electrocardiographic data were obtained from 236 dogs with MMVD and 15 healthy dogs. Prognostic and survival information was also recorded for the MMVD group. All ventricular repolarization indices were measured in 10 lead electrocardiographic recordings.

RESULTS: With the exception of the QT interval, most repolarization markers increased along with the frequency of arrhythmias and with the progression of MMVD. The parameters that best identified ventricular arrhythmias (AUC > 0.7) were Tpte (aVR, rV2, average rV2-V10, average rV2-V4) and Tpte/QT (II, aVR, rV2). In survival analysis, statistically significant markers with the highest differences in median survival were Tpte (maximum of any lead, maximum rV2-V10), QTc aVR, and Tpte rV2.

CONCLUSION: Tpte and Tpte/QT are good non-invasive markers for clinical risk stratification in dogs with MMVD.

PMID:33812131 | DOI:10.1016/j.jvc.2021.02.004

Pain Pract. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/papr.13012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate factors associated with early discontinuation of low-dose ketamine infusions due to adverse drug events (ADEs).

METHODS: A retrospective, matched case-control study of surgical patients who received low-dose ketamine infusions for postoperative pain over 6 years was conducted. Forty-seven study patients, who required early discontinuation of their infusion due to ADEs, were included and matched 1:1 with 47 controls, who did not experience ADEs, for a total of 94 patients. The two groups were compared based on surgery type, ASA classification, administration of specific perioperative anxiolytic, anesthetic, and analgesic medications, and use of regional anesthesia.

RESULTS: Of the study patients, 44.7% underwent spine procedures (vs 34% of controls), 27.6% underwent abdominal procedures (vs 8.5% of controls), 19.2% underwent orthopedic procedures (vs 46.8% of controls), and 8.5% underwent thoracic procedures (vs 6.4% of controls). There were no statistically significant differences in ASA classification, preoperative gabapentinoid and antidepressant use, average ketamine infusion dose, or postoperative use of peripheral nerve catheters, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, muscle relaxants and non-benzodiazepine sleep aides. Study patients had higher rates of intraoperative volatile anesthetic use (78.7% vs 57.7%, p=0.03) and more postoperative opioid PCA use (53.2% vs 29.8%, p=0.02) than controls. Control patients had higher rates of preoperative opioid use (76.7% vs 53.2%, p=0.02) and premedication with midazolam (89.4% vs 70.2%, p=0.02) than study patients.

CONCLUSION: Patients who required discontinuation of their low-dose ketamine infusion due to ADEs were more likely to be opioid naïve, received less preoperative benzodiazepines, and had greater postoperative opioid PCA requirements. Control patients, on the other hand, had higher rates of preoperative opioid use and experienced fewer ADEs despite greater total ketamine doses.

PMID:33811788 | DOI:10.1111/papr.13012

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14125. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intertrigo is an inflammatory skin-fold condition. Candida infections may occur concurrently or afterwards. Topical corticosteroids may reduce inflammation but exacerbate Candida infections. The treatment is contentious.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacies and safety of adsorbent lotion containing tapioca starch, spent grain wax, Butyrospermum parkii extract, argania spinosa kernel oil, aloe barbadensis, rosehip oil, and allantoin for the treatment of mild-to-moderate intertrigo, relative to 1% hydrocortisone cream.

METHODS: This randomized, double-blinded study enrolled 40 intertrigo patients. Twice daily, 20 patients applied adsorbent lotion while the remainder used 1% hydrocortisone cream. Efficacy evaluation, skin biophysical measurements, skin tolerability, safety and visual analog scale (VAS) patient-satisfaction scores were evaluated at baseline and Week 2.

RESULTS: The adsorbent lotion showed higher complete cure rates for color, partial epidermal loss, papules/pustules/vesicles/patches, dryness, and scaling than the corticosteroid without statistical significance. Adsorbent lotion demonstrated significantly higher reduction in pruritus than the corticosteroid treatment. Reduction of erythema level using Mexameter and VAS patient-satisfaction scores were not statistically different between adsorbent lotion and hydrocortisone cream. No adverse effects or superimposed infections were reported.

CONCLUSIONS: The anti-inflammatory efficacies of adsorbent lotion and low-potency steroid were equivalent. The lotion was safe and produced excellent pruritus reduction. Patient satisfaction was high.

PMID:33811776 | DOI:10.1111/jocd.14125

Int Endod J. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/iej.13525. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate the influence of ultraconservative access cavities (UltraAC) on canal shaping and filling ability and load capacity of mandibular molars after root canal preparation with XP-endo Shaper (XP) or Reciproc (RC), under simulated clinical conditions. Traditional access cavities (TradAC) were used for comparison.

METHODOLOGY: Forty mandibular molars were scanned by micro-computed tomographic and, based on similar anatomical features, were divided into four groups (n=10), according to the type of access cavity and canal instrumentation protocol: TradAC/RC, TradAC/XP, UltraAC/RC and UltraAC/XP. All root canal procedures were performed on a dental mannequin. Teeth were scanned after root canal instrumentation and filling. Unprepared area, dentine removed, accumulated hard tissue debris (AHTD), canal transportation, presence of voids and filling material remnants within the pulp chamber were analyzed. After restorative procedures, the teeth were subjected to thermomechanical cycling and to a load capacity test. Statistical analyses were performed using two-way ANOVA test, considering the randomized blocks design (P<0.05).

RESULTS: The percentage of unprepared canal area was significantly lower in TradAC groups when compared to UltraAC groups (P<0.05), regardless of the instrument used. The UltraAC/XP group had significantly lower percentage of radicular dentine removed when compared to other groups (P<0.05). UltraAC/XP and TradAC/XP groups had significantly lower percentage of AHTD than UltraAC/RC and TradAC/RC groups (P<0.05). Regarding canal transportation, in the MB root canals, the TradAC/XP group had significantly lower values than other groups (P<0.05). In general, in ML and distal root canals, TradAC/XP and UltraAC/XP groups had significantly lower values of canal transportation when compared to other groups (P<0.05). Moreover, the UltraAC/RC had the highest canal transportation values in MB and distal canals. The UltraAC groups had significantly greater percentage of voids and volume of remaining root filling material within the pulp chamber after cleaning procedures than TradAC groups (P<0.05). There was no difference in the load capacity among groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The UltraAC/XP and UltraAC/RC groups had significantly more unprepared canal area, significantly more voids and volume of root filling material remnants within the pulp chamber after canal filling. UltraAC/XP had been associated with a significantly less amount of dentine removal and a significantly AHTD while TradAC/XP had overall significantly less canal transportation. No differences were observed in the load capacity among groups.

PMID:33811762 | DOI:10.1111/iej.13525

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2021 Apr 3. doi: 10.1002/ccd.29685. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this analysis was to compare target-lesion failure (TLF) of a permanent polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent (PP-ZES) versus a polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stent (PF-AES) in diabetics.

BACKGROUND: The improvement of outcomes with new-generation drug-eluting stent as seen in the general population is less pronounced among diabetics. The PF-AES introduces an elution-technology with potential enhanced performance in diabetics.

METHODS: In this subanalysis of the ReCre8 trial, patients were randomized to either a PP-ZES or PF-AES after stratification for diabetes and troponin status. The primary device-oriented endpoint was TLF, a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction and target-lesion revascularization.

RESULTS: In the ReCre8 trial, 304 (20%) patients were diabetic and 96 (6%) had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. There was no statistically significant difference between the two study arms regarding the primary endpoint (PP-ZES 7.2% vs. PF-AES 4.0%; p = .21), although the composite of net adverse clinical events was higher in the PP-ZES arm (15.7 vs. 8.0%; p = .035). Stent thrombosis was low in both groups with no cases in the PP-ZES arm and 1 case in the PF-AES arm (p = .32). Regarding insulin-treated diabetics, TLF was higher in the PP-ZES arm (14.9 vs. 2.1%; p = .022).

CONCLUSIONS: Diabetics could potentially benefit from a dedicated stent, releasing sirolimus with a lipophilic carrier (amphilimus-formulation). Future trials should confirm the potential benefit of a PF-AES in this population.

PMID:33811730 | DOI:10.1002/ccd.29685