Nevin Manimala

Eat Weight Disord. 2021 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01218-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The construct of food addiction has been gaining increased attention as a research topic. Currently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 is the only measure to operationalize the addictive-like eating behavior according to addiction criteria proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The present study aimed at examining the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, as well as investigating the convergent and divergent validity between this scale and the following measures: Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, Body Investment Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. We also sought to explore the moderator role of difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between food addiction and binge eating METHODS: A sample of 302 female college students (M_age = 21.37, SD = 3.24) completed self-report measures.

RESULTS: Sixteen (5.3%) participants were diagnosed as having food addiction. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the original one-dimensional structure is adequate to represent the Portuguese Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. The symptom count scores of the scale were correlated with body mass index, eating disordered behavior, body investment, and difficulties in emotion regulation. The severity level of the scale also discriminated the severity of eating disordered behaviors, body investment, and difficulties in emotion regulation. Finally, the relationship between food addiction and binge eating was moderated by difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when experiencing negative emotions.

CONCLUSION: The Portuguese version of the Yale Food Addiction Questionnaire 2.0 may be a useful tool to investigate food addiction.

LEVEL: IV descriptive studies.

PMID:34053016 | DOI:10.1007/s40519-021-01218-0

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 May 29. doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06261-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To explore the relationship between physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QOL) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white breast cancer (BC) cases and population-based controls from the New Mexico ‘Long-Term Quality of Life Study’.

METHODS: Self-reported PA (low, moderate, vigorous MET hours/week) at baseline and follow-up interviews (12-15 years) were available for 391 cases and controls and modeled using multiple linear regressions with SF-36 mean composite scores for physical and mental health. The change in PA from baseline to follow-up and interactions with ethnicity were also examined. Models were adjusted for age at diagnosis/baseline interview, education, comorbidities, body mass index, and change in PA.

RESULTS: PA intensities at each timepoint did not differ by case/control status; however, the change in vigorous PA was lower among cases (p = 0.03). At follow-up, low intensity PA increased mental health QOL scores among cases; however, the interaction between low intensity PA and ethnicity was statistically significant among controls indicating decreased mental health among Hispanics (p = 0.02). Change in moderate PA was associated with increased physical and mental health among cases (physical: β = 0.186, p = 0.008; mental: β = 0.225, p = 0.001) and controls (physical: β = 0.220, p < 0.0001; mental: β = 0.193, p = 0.002), when controlling for confounders.

CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that all levels of PA are important for mental health among BC cases, while activities of higher intensity are important for physical health among women overall. The statistical interaction observed between ethnicity and low intensity PA among controls for mental health warrants further research to provide a meaningful interpretation.

PMID:34052975 | DOI:10.1007/s10549-021-06261-0

Cerebellum. 2021 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s12311-021-01276-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of ataxia in children is challenging in clinical practice. This is particularly true for highly heterogeneous conditions such as primary mitochondrial disorders (PMD). This study aims to explore cerebellar and brain abnormalities identified on MRI as potential predictors of ataxia in patients with PMD and, likewise, to determine the effect of the patient’s genetic profile on these predictors as well as determination of the temporal relationship of clinical ataxia with MRI findings. We evaluated clinical, radiological, and genetic characteristics of 111 PMD patients younger than 21 years of age at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Data was extracted from charts. Blinded radiological evaluations were carried out by experienced neuroradiologists. Multivariate logistic regression and generalized equation estimates were used for analysis. Ataxia was identified in 41% of patients. Cerebellar atrophy or putaminal involvement with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.1-1.3, p < 0.001) and nuclear DNA mutation with no atrophy of the cerebellum (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.0-1.3, p = 0.007) predicted an increased likelihood of having ataxia per year of age. Central tegmental tract predicted the presence of ataxia independent of age and pathogenic variant origin (OR 9.8, 95% CI 2-74, p = 0.009). Ataxia tended to precede the imaging finding of cerebellar atrophy. Cerebellar atrophy and putaminal involvement on MRI of pediatric-onset PMD may predict the presence of ataxia with age in patients with mtDNA mutations. This study provides predicted probabilities of having ataxia per year of age that may help in family counseling and future research of the population.

PMID:34052969 | DOI:10.1007/s12311-021-01276-1

West Afr J Med. 2021 May 29;38(5):472-477.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders often pose significant limitation to activities of daily living due to pain or disability. These disorders often arise as a result of the normal aging process, but most have some predisposing factors that are lifestyle-related, especially in younger people as a result of repeated mal- posturing/ misuse of parts of the body in the course of their jobs or recreations. These disorders cause more functional limitations in the older adult population than any other group of disorders. Thus, with increasing aging of most populations of the world, it is expected that the burden of these disorders will continue to rise. There is paucity of epidemiological data on this subject and no published study showing the ease of affordability of treatment for these conditions in Nigeria, hence this study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross -sectional study of patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions attending the orthopaedic outpatient clinic of Ahmadu Bello university Teaching Hospital between 1st July 2019 and 31st December 2019, involving physical interview of new patients and review of case notes of old patients seen within the period. Statistical analysis was done with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0, and descriptive statistics were employed to summarize data. Pearson Chi- square test was used to examine for association between age, occupational ergonomic factors and chronic musculoskeletal conditions.

RESULTS: Forty-six percent of the outpatients suffered from chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Chronic low back pain accounted for the greatest burden (64.9%), followed by osteoarthritis of the weight bearing joints (27%), chronic neck pain (4.8%) and rheumatoid arthritis (2.8%). 51.8% of the patients with chronic low back pain, 64.5% of chronic neck pain and 68.5% of osteoarthritis were in the middle-age group. Occupational ergonomic factors as an entity was a significant risk factor identified in almost all the conditions except rheumatoid arthritis (P = 0.0001). Only 121(18.7%) of the patients enjoyed health insurance, while majority do not. Also, 56.0% of the patients had the means of footing the cost of their treatment (either by way of health insurance coverage or out-of-pocket payment).

CONCLUSION: The burden of chronic musculoskeletal disorders is high in our region. There is a need for the government to organize ergonomic educational programs through seminars and workshops as part of public health education, and a wider, well funded health insurance policy that covers both the formal and informal sectors and the full extent of the management of these chronic disorders to make such care accessible to all.

PMID:34051720

West Afr J Med. 2021 May 29;38(5):454-459.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The advent of laparoscopy has been a notable landmark in surgery; however, there is a slow progress to widespread utilization in West Africa.

AIMS: To study the awareness and practice of laparoscopic surgery among trainee surgeons in Nigerian tertiary hospitals while highlighting measures to mitigate challenges.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted during a 2-week West African College of Surgeons update course in September 2018 at Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was distributed to registered trainee surgeons for completion. Data collated included demographics, cognitive knowledge, common procedures in centres, referrals, routine practice, performing laparoscopic surgeon, and routine practice. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 20 Armonk NY USA.

RESULTS: There were 184 registered trainee surgeons with 80 respondents from 26 Nigerian tertiary health facilities. The age range was 29 -51 years (mean 35.0 ± 4.4) and a mean training duration of 3.3 years (R2= 0.12). Seven (63.6%) senior registrars and 54(76.3%) registrars were reported as first assistants in laparoscopic surgeries performed but no unassisted surgery. Four (15.4%) represented centres had no laparoscopy equipment or expertise. A non-referral rate of 52/80(65.0%) for laparoscopic surgery was recorded.

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic surgery is practiced in some Nigerian tertiary hospitals with trainee surgeons actively involved in performing these surgeries. However, there is limited unassisted experience by trainee surgeons in the basic laparoscopic surgeries predominantly performed.

PMID:34051717

West Afr J Med. 2021 May 29;38:445-453.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Globally, childhood malnutrition remains a major public health issue. It is thus imperative to contextually analyse Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices in resource-poor settings like Nigeria.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study assessed key complementary feeding indicators among 6-23-month-old children attending the immunization clinic of Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY: Cross-Sectional design was employed, and Systematic Random Technique used to recruit 198 consenting caregivers. Validated interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out.

RESULTS: Mean±SD age of the children was 11.27±5.16 months. Only 57.6% of the infants had breastfeeding within 1-hour of life. Not less than 91.4% of the infants had Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) but Infant formula was the main breastmilk substitute among children without EBF. In all, 83.0% of the infants had Minimum Meal Diversity, 90.4% had Minimum Meal Frequency but only 57.6% had Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD). The significant predictors of MAD were early commencement of breastfeeding, reception of complementary feeding counselling during pregnancy, EBF practice and whether the child had MUAC which was at least 11cm.

CONCLUSION: IYCF practices was sub-optimal in the studysetting. There is urgent need for policy makers to design evidence-informed strategic framework for effective implementation and evaluation of the existing IYCF policy in Nigeria. Emphasis should be placed on complementary feeding education/counselling using relevant Information, Education and Communication (IEC) channels/materials. Good IYCF practices ensure optimum child growth/ development, prevent childhood diseases, and can ultimately help Nigeria to attain SDG-3 by 2030.

PMID:34051716

Radiol Oncol. 2021 May 31. doi: 10.2478/raon-2021-0024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to derive and compare metabolic parameters relating to benign and malignant pulmonary nodules using dynamic 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) PET/CT, and nodule perfusion parameters derived through perfusion computed tomography (CT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with 21 pulmonary nodules incidentally detected on CT underwent a dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and a perfusion CT. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max) was measured on conventional ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT images. The influx constant (K_i ) was calculated from the dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT data using Patlak model. Arterial flow (AF) using the maximum slope model and blood volume (BV) using the Patlak plot method for each nodule were calculated from the perfusion CT data. All nodules were characterized as malignant or benign based on histopathology or 2 year follow up CT. All parameters were statistically compared between the two groups using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS: Twelve malignant and 9 benign lung nodules were analysed (median size 20.1 mm, 9-29 mm) in 21 patients (male/female = 11/9; mean age ± SD: 65.3 ± 7.4; age range: 50-76 years). The average SUV_max values ± SD of the benign and malignant nodules were 2.2 ± 1.7 vs. 7.0 ± 4.5, respectively (p = 0.0148). Average K_i values in benign and malignant nodules were 0.0057 ± 0.0071 and 0.0230 ± 0.0155 min^-1, respectively (p = 0.0311). Average BV for the benign and malignant nodules were 11.6857 ± 6.7347 and 28.3400 ± 15.9672 ml/100 ml, respectively (p = 0.0250). Average AF for the benign and malignant nodules were 74.4571 ± 89.0321 and 89.200 ± 49.8883 ml/100g/min, respectively (p = 0.1613).

CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and perfusion CT derived blood volume had similar capability to differentiate benign from malignant lung nodules.

PMID:34051709 | DOI:10.2478/raon-2021-0024

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 May 26;220:112375. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112375. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

129 Shenzhen residents’ hair samples were collected and the metal/metalloid concentrations of Hg, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe and Ni were detected. Meanwhile, the relationships between metal/metalloid contents in human hair and gender, age, seafood diet habit, smoking habit, as well as the housing type (dwelling environment) were analyzed. Results showed that the average content of Hg, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe and Ni in human hair of Shenzhen residents was 0.76 ± 0.96, 0.10 ± 0.04, 5.25 ± 4.88, 0.25 ± 0.33, 0.60 ± 0.31, 13.84 ± 3.67, 2.82 ± 2.01, 196.90 ± 145.01, 12.20 ± 5.10 and 0.34 ± 0.32 μg/g, respectively. Compared with other regions at home and abroad, most metal/metalloids in Shenzhen residents were at a moderate level, and the highly toxic elements (i.e. Pb, Cd, As and Hg) didn’t exceed the upper limit of normal values in China. Statistical analysis showed that the young male people contained significantly higher (p < 0.05) level of Pb (in age group of 20-30 years old) and Fe (in age group of 20-40 years old) in hair than the female people. Smokers had significantly (p < 0.05) higher level of Cd (0.35 μg/g) but lower level of Zn (101.24 µg/g) than non-smokers (Cd: 0.17 μg/g; Zn: 252.63 µg/g). Hg and Pb contents in hair of Shenzhen people were positively related with the frequencies of seafood consumption and the age, respectively. Moreover, residents lived in private buildings (well decorated house) accumulated significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of Pb, Cr, Fe and Ni as compared with those lived in public rental house and village house (no decoration or simple decoration), suggesting that decoration material was also an important way for human exposure to heavy metals.

PMID:34051662 | DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112375

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2021 May 15;77:101665. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101665. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of 10 suspicious pathogenic bacteria in 250 stomach contents of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses in 2019. The 155 positive samples obtained from PCR consisted of 53 (58.88 %) bacteria from 90 lamb samples, 10 (43.47 %) bacteria from 23 goat samples, and 92 (67.15 %) bacteria from 137 calf samples. The five most common bacteria associated with abortions were Brucella melitensis, 52 (20.9 %); B. abortus, 13 (5.2 %); Leptospira spp., 34 (13.6 %); Campylobacter fetus, 52 (20.9 %); and Coxiella burnetii, 4 (1.6 %). The highest rate of B. melitensis (65.4 %), B. abortus (69.2 %), Leptospira spp. (67.6 %), and C. fetus (50 %) was detected in the aborted calf samples. The highest individual rate was that of C. fetus (5.2 %). The flock-herd rates of B. melitensis, B. abortus, Leptospira spp., C. fetus, and C. burnetii infections in the 29 farms studied were 34.48 %, 20.69 %, 62.06 %, 82.75 %, and 3.44 %, respectively, with a confidence level and interval of 95 %. The frequency of abortions caused by Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter fetus may be related to increasing in B. melitensis. The rates of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses among the various sampling periods and regions were significantly (P < 0.01) different. In conclusion, precautions should be applied to reduce the spread of these bacterial agents in high-risk areas and to eliminate the risk of harbouring these zoonotic infections in humans. Therefore, these results must be taken into account in the development of control and protection strategies against abortions in animals.

PMID:34051649 | DOI:10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101665

Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2021 May 25;129:102086. doi: 10.1016/j.tube.2021.102086. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) sRNAs are abundant. However, the level of MTB sRNA in peripheral blood remains elusive.

METHODS: Twenty MTB sRNAs annotated in the reference genome of H37Rv were detected in the plasma of 170 active pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 124 healthy people by qRT-PCR detection system. The differential expression of sRNAs were analyzed in two groups. The value of sRNAs for diagnosis of active tuberculosis were evaluated by ROC curve analysis.

RESULTS: Eight of the 20 sRNAs (MTS2823, MTS0997, MTS1338, ASdes, G2, C8, mcr15 and MTS1082) were found in at least 50% of the samples detected. The relative expression levels of MTS2823, MTS0997, MTS1338 and ASdes in plasma of tuberculosis patients were statistically higher than those in healthy controls. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of MTS0997, MTS1338, MTS2823 and ASdes were 0.8935 (95% CI 0.8109-0.9760), 0.8722 (95% CI 0.7862-0.9581), 0.8208 (95% CI 0.7246-0.9170) and 0.5792 (95% CI 0.4240-0.7344), respectively. The AUC value of combination of MTS0997, MTS1338 and MTS2823 was 0.914 (95% CI 0.8281-0.9926).

CONCLUSIONS: MTB sRNAs MTS2823, MTS0997 and MTS1338 have the potential to be plasma biomarkers for active pulmonary tuberculosis.

PMID:34051642 | DOI:10.1016/j.tube.2021.102086