Tag: nevin manimala

Patient Educ Couns. 2025 Sep 13;141:109350. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2025.109350. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: National estimates of the quality of care received by Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals are unknown. Perceptions of patient-centered care (PCC) are important indicators of quality of care that differ by racial/ethnic minority groups. Our study aimed to estimate differences in parents’ perceptions of patient- and family-centered care (PFCC), an indicator of quality of care perceived by parents, between foreign-born MENA and other racial and ethnic groups.

METHODS: Data from 2000 to 2017 National Health Interview Survey and 2001-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was combined and analyzed at a federal statistical research data center, using the Head and Bute’s extension of Street’s ecological model as theoretical lens. The sample included 33,677 parents of foreign-born MENA children who reported visiting a health care provider within the past 12 months. Dependent variables included parent reports of communication variables related to how often providers: listened; showed respect; spent enough time; and explained things well. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the odds of receiving PFCC using a composite measure of PFCC quality and separate domains.

RESULTS: Parents of foreign-born MENA children had higher odds of reporting all PFCC qualities compared to foreign-born White (OR=2.49; 95 %CI=1.04-5.97) and Asian (OR=2.54; 95 %CI=1.13-5.68) groups. When separated by PFCC quality, parents of foreign-born MENA children had 3.23 times higher odds (95 %CI= 1.18-8.81) of reporting that their provider spent enough time with them compared to foreign-born Hispanics.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first estimates of PFCC among MENA adults. Future studies can be designed to test unique health interventions and make recommendations for providers to deliver more culturally responsive care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Findings add to the timely dialog advocating for a separate racial/ethnic category for MENA populations recently proposed by the US government and acknowledged by scientists for more rigorous and accurate assessments of health equity for all US populations.

PMID:40972075 | DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2025.109350

J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Sep 17;191:47-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.023. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aggressive behaviors associated with schizophrenia are important determinants of the functional outcomes of the illness. Investigational transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures provide direct assessments of motor cortical inhibition, excitability, and plasticity, and these measures are known to be altered in individuals with schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine the association between these TMS measures and aggressive behavior in individuals with schizophrenia.

METHODS: 79 minimally treated patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia as per DSM-5 were recruited for the study from Central Institute of Psychiatry, India. Short Interval Cortical Inhibition (SICI), Long Interval Cortical Inhibition (LICI), Cortical Silent Period (CSP), a proxy measure of recruitment gain (SI1mV – RMT), and measures of cortical plasticity were recorded, along with basic clinical data. The Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) was used to quantify total aggression scores.

RESULTS: CSP (R = 0.322, p = 0.004), SICI (R = -0.33, p = 0.003) and SI1mV – RMT (R = 0.367, p = 0.0008) were significantly correlated with total MOAS scores. A multivariate linear regression model including CSP, SICI, and SI1mV – RMT explained 17 % of the variance in total MOAS scores (p = 0.0036, Cohen’s f² = 0.2), indicating moderate predictive utility for clinical risk assessment. A multivariate logistic regression model with the same predictors achieved an AUC of 0.704 (p = 0.005) in distinguishing high aggressors (total MOAS score ≥10) from low aggressors. Despite the overall model being significant, none of the individual predictors reached statistical significance, suggesting possible interaction effects that warrant further exploration. Including other TMS measures and various clinical and sociodemographic variables did not improve the model fit.

CONCLUSION: TMS measures of cortical inhibition (SICI, CSP) and excitability (SI1mV – RMT) provide neurophysiological biomarkers for predicting aggressive behaviour in schizophrenia. This can potentially enable clinicians to identify high-risk patients for targeted interventions. Cross sectional design and moderate sample size are important limitations of the study.

PMID:40972066 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.023

J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Sep 15;191:39-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Family members of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are a population that is often overlooked. Studies have found that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression are the most common psychological disturbances in family members. However, the interrelationship between the three common psychological disturbances and the core performance is still unclear.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 579 family members of ICU patients in Hunan Province, China, from February 2023 to October 2023. The self-reported questionnaires used to evaluate were the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). SPSS 26.0 and R 4.3.2 software were used for statistical analyses and network analyses, and the EBICglasso model was employed to estimate the network.

RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty-seven cases were included in the final analysis after screening. The incidence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression was 27.72 %, 43.73 %, and 50.51 %, respectively. Network analysis indicated that negative alterations in cognition and mood (NACM), alterations in arousal and reactivity (AAR), trouble relaxing, and restlessness were core symptoms. The PTSD, anxiety, and depression networks were connected by AAR, irritability, feeling afraid, and restlessness. Moreover, in the depression network, the main manifestations are motor tension and fatigue in males and sad mood and guilt in females.

CONCLUSION: PTSD is the most prominent psychological disturbance among the three studied disorders. NACM and AAR may need close attention to reduce or prevent psychological disturbances in family members.

PMID:40972065 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.020

Res Vet Sci. 2025 Sep 16;196:105899. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105899. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Mastitis, a multifactorial production disease, poses a significant challenge to dairy farming, necessitating the adoption of integrated and precision-based diagnostic approaches. This study explores the potential of thermal imaging combined with deep learning to enhance mastitis detection in lactating dairy cows. In this study, thermal images of the udder region of Sahiwal cows were captured using a handheld thermal camera and analyzed to classify udder quarters as healthy, Sub-clinical Mastitis (SCM), and Clinical Mastitis (CM). The classification was based on California Mastitis Test (CMT) scores, Somatic Cell Count (SCC) values, and thermal image analysis. Further, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were developed to distinguish between healthy udder quarters and those affected by CM or SCM. The CNN model differentiating healthy quarters from CM achieved training, validation, and testing accuracies of 99 %, with precision, recall, and F1-score all at 0.99. Similarly, the model distinguishing healthy quarters from SCM recorded training and validation accuracies of 89 % and 85 %, respectively, while testing results showed an accuracy of 84 %, a precision of 0.87, a recall of 0.79, and an F1-score of 0.83. These findings highlight the potential of CNN-based thermal imaging for accurate mastitis detection, contributing to advancements in precision dairy farming and livestock health management.

PMID:40972062 | DOI:10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105899

Geriatr Nurs. 2025 Sep 18;66(Pt B):103636. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.103636. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A prospective cohort study was conducted to describe the current pressure injury (PI) prevention strategies in Sri Lankan nursing homes. A consecutive sample of 210 older residents (≥ 60 years) was recruited from nine nursing homes. Over twelve weeks, data on 19 PI prevention strategies were gathered using weekly semi-structured observations, self-report data, and chart audits. PI prevention strategies were summarised using descriptive statistics, and the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare two subsamples according to PI risk (at-risk vs not-at-risk) using the Braden scale. Of the 210 recruited participants, 62 (29.5 %) and 148 (70.5 %) were assessed as at-risk (Braden score 6-18) and not-at-risk (Braden score 19-23), respectively. Use of PI preventive strategies was not associated with the risk of PI (U = 5188.5, z = 1.49, p = 0.13). Most frequently used prevention strategies were skin care, continence management (for those who required it), and mobilisation. This study highlights a potential gap in targeted prevention efforts and underscores the need for improved risk-based clinical decision-making in PI prevention.

PMID:40972059 | DOI:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.103636

Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Sep 18;175:103658. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2025.103658. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Chlamydomonas is a haploid, unicellular green alga that serves as an excellent model system for studying ciliary biology. It possesses two motile cilia of equal length, making it ideal for investigating both ciliogenesis and ciliary motility, as well as cilia-based signaling. The organism’s ease of cultivation, the simplicity of cilia isolation, and the availability of well-established experimental systems for rapid and synchronous cilia regeneration and disassembly contribute to its utility in laboratory research. Furthermore, Chlamydomonas is highly amenable to a variety of genetic approaches, enhancing its value as a model organism. Due to the high degree of conservation in the core mechanisms governing ciliary structure and function, discoveries made in Chlamydomonas have significantly advanced our understanding of cilia across species and have provided important insights into cilia-related human disorders. In this overview, we summarize the key cellular features, life cycle stages, ciliary architecture and dynamics, ciliary behavior, biochemical and genetic advantages of Chlamydomonas as a model organism. Our goal is to provide a foundational perspective for those new to ciliary research in Chlamydomonas – including early-career scientists, experienced researchers transitioning from other fields, and cilia experts working with alternative model systems.

PMID:40972053 | DOI:10.1016/j.semcdb.2025.103658

Res Dev Disabil. 2025 Sep 18;165:105109. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105109. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

An accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be complex due to the high degree of phenotypical variation and the necessity to integrate information from multiple assessments by various professionals. This paper examines the implementation and effectiveness of a specialized Autism ASD Assessment Clinic within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The clinic addresses a critical service gap in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by offering structured, comprehensive evaluations for ASD using a multidisciplinary team (MDT) model, aiming to provide comprehensive and standardized assessments for children and adolescents aged 6-17 years suspected of having ASD. The methodology involved obtaining feedback from parents/caregivers through a Likert-scale questionnaire following the completion of the assessment for children and adolescents referred to the clinic between January 2022 and December 2024. Out of 48 families who attended the appointments and completed the assessment, 27 parents/caregivers completed the feedback. High satisfaction rates with the assessment’s thoroughness, professionalism of the MDT, and clarity of feedback were observed. A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between a child’s age and parental satisfaction with assessment thoroughness and clarity of feedback, suggesting higher satisfaction among parents of younger children. The findings highlight the clinic’s effectiveness in delivering quality care, improving early support for diagnosed individuals, and providing enhanced experience to families.

PMID:40972052 | DOI:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105109

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf248. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf248. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Natural killer (NK) cells are pivotal innate lymphoid cells in anti-tumor immunity. However, the contribution of the Y chromosome-encoded epigenetic regulator UTY (also known as KDM6C) to male NK cell development and effector function remains poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrated that conditional deletion of UTY in NK cells (Ncr1-iCre) in male mice led to a statistically significant but modest increase in total NK cell numbers (P < 0.05) and an elevated frequency of terminally differentiated CD27-CD11b+ subset in the spleen. Strikingly, UTY-deficient NK cells displayed impaired cytotoxic function, with significantly reduced granzyme B expression (P < 0.05) and attenuated control of B16F10 melanoma pulmonary metastases in vivo (P < 0.05). Importantly, combined UTX-UTY deficiency exacerbated these phenotypes, causing further increase in NK cell abundance, and decline in CD27+CD11b+ subset proportions and granzyme B expression level compared with UTX single knockout in male mice. RNA-sequencing combined with qRT-PCR validation uncovered significant downregulation of key genes involved in NK cell maturation (Cd27), cytotoxicity (Gzmb), survival (Bax, Casp3) and transcriptional regulation (Socs3, Tcf7, Fos) in UTY-deficient NK cells. Notably, dual UTX-UTY depletion synergistically repressed Casp3 expression, potentially contributing to the altered NK cell abundance (P < 0.05). These findings establish UTY as a sex-specific epigenetic modulator that restricts NK cell maturation while promoting cytotoxic function. Our data further reveal a cooperative role for UTY and UTX in orchestrating NK cell development via transcriptional regulation.

PMID:40972042 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf248

PLoS One. 2025 Sep 19;20(9):e0332909. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0332909. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

This paper employs the mixed-frequency Granger causality test, reverse unconstrained mixed-frequency data sampling models, and Chinese data from January 2006 to June 2024 to test the nexus between consumer confidence and the macroeconomy. The results show that changes in the real estate market, GDP, and urban unemployment rate are Granger causes of consumer confidence. In reverse, consumer confidence is a Granger cause of the CPI. Second, GDP and the real estate market (CPI and urban unemployment rate) have a significant positive (negative) impact on consumer confidence, while the conditions of industrial production, interest rate, and stock market do not. Third, the “animal spirits” extracted from consumer confidence cannot lead to noticeable fluctuations in China’s macroeconomy. This suggests that the “animal spirits” will not dominate economic growth, even though they affect the macroeconomy slightly and inevitably. The results are robust after replacing the dependent variable and considering the influence of the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:40972021 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0332909

Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2025 Sep 16:gfaf175. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfaf175. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: In clinical trials, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), herein referred to as guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), alone or in combination, provide cardio-renal protection in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, data from real-world clinical practice on the impact of GDMT on clinical outcomes are limited.

METHODS: DISCOVER CKD (NCT04034992) is a multinational, observational cohort study in adults with CKD. We used the prospective cohort (enrollment: September 2019 to June 2022) to assess patient characteristics and outcomes up to 15 months by baseline GDMT use, including: a composite renal outcome (initiation of dialysis, kidney transplantation, estimated glomerular filtration rate < 15 ml/min/1.73 m2, or death attributable to renal causes); all-cause mortality and new cardiovascular (CV) events; and all-cause hospitalization. Inverse probability of treatment weighting method was employed in controlling confounding variables and estimating the effect of GDMT use.

RESULTS: Of 1052 prospectively enrolled patients (62.5 ± 13.6 years, 36.9% female), most had CKD stage 3a (31.6%) or 3b (29.3%); 8.4% were receiving dialysis. At baseline, 643 (61.1%) were receiving GDMT (RASi only, n = 496; SGLT2i only, n = 25; both, n = 122; range 42.7% [USA] to 82.2% [Spain, Sweden]). Patients receiving GDMT had a higher comorbidity burden than those without GDMT. In patients with CKD stage 3-4, GDMT use was associated with significantly lower incidence of the composite renal outcome [propensity score (PS)-weighted hazard ratio (HR) 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27-0.84, P = 0.01]. There was no significant difference between those receiving GDMT versus not in composite all-cause mortality and new CV events (PS-weighted HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.23-1.09; P = 0.08) or all-cause hospitalization rate (PS-weighted rate ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.52-1.16; P = 0.216).

CONCLUSIONS: GDMT use was associated with reduced adverse renal outcomes in real-world patients with CKD, underscoring the need to address large gaps in GDMT implementation.

PMID:40972017 | DOI:10.1093/ndt/gfaf175