Tag: nevin manimala

Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2022 Jul 29. doi: 10.11236/jph.21-118. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objectives Some young adults often tend to perceive interpersonal relationships and social interactions as stressful, and as such, avoid them. Seeking help from parents and interactions with neighbors during childhood are known to be important in forming positive impressions of people, thereby influencing help-seeking behavior in adulthood. However, it remains unclear how these experiences are related and how they influence interpersonal relationships in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate whether childhood experience(s) of social interactions in the community has any modifying effect on the association between seeking support from parents in childhood and avoidance of interpersonal relationships in adulthood.Methods Data pertaining to 1,274 individuals (aged 18 to 39 years) were collected from a questionnaire survey conducted in 2018 by Nagoya City of Japan. Modified Poisson regression analyses were performed to estimate the prevalence ratio of current avoidance of interpersonal relationships depending on the experience(s) of seeking help from a parent (father/mother analyzed respectively) and participating in community events in childhood. Data were stratified according to gender, and adjusted for age, parents’ educational background, mother’s working status in childhood, subjective recognition of economic status in childhood and seeking help from the other parent. Effect estimates were calculated to evaluate the existence of any modifying effect.Results No modifying effect of participating in community events in childhood was seen in the association between experience of seeking help from the father and current avoidance of interpersonal relationships, in either gender. Regarding experience of seeking help from the mother, a modifying effect was seen in men. Among men who had sought help from their mother, those who had participated in community events were less likely to avoid interpersonal relationships in adulthood.Conclusion In order to reduce the tendency to avoid interpersonal relationships in adulthood, childhood experiences of seeking help from the mother and participating in community events may be important, particularly for men. In addition to appropriate parental support, promoting interactive events for children in communities may mitigate the problem of poor social skills later in life.

PMID:35908927 | DOI:10.11236/jph.21-118

Biol Pharm Bull. 2022;45(8):1198-1202. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b22-00136.

ABSTRACT

Trastuzumab (herceptin) is an effective drug for human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive cancer. However, cardiotoxicity remains a serious complication. In our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified potential associations for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity in a Japanese population. To validate this association, here we performed replication studies using Japanese and Singaporean case-control cohorts (Japan: 6 cases and 206 controls; Singapore: 22 cases and 178 controls). Although none of the SNPs showed a statistically significant association with trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity, we show that three (rs8032978, rs7406710 and rs9316695) and four (rs8032978, rs7406710, rs28415722 and rs11932853) SNPs had an effect in the same direction in the Japanese and the Singaporean cohort, respectively, as that in our previous study. Combining the previous study with the current replication studies, we find a strong association for two SNPs, rs8032978 and rs7406710, with trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity (P_combined = 4.92 × 10^-5 and 5.50 × 10^-5, respectively). These data suggest that rs8032978 and rs7406710 could be predictive markers of trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity in Japanese and Singaporean populations, and support their potential use in clinical risk assessment. These findings offer a first step toward the development of clinically available markers for the potential risk of trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity as well as an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of this complication.

PMID:35908902 | DOI:10.1248/bpb.b22-00136

Jpn J Infect Dis. 2022 Jul 29. doi: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2022.181. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Candidemia is an important clinical condition that prolongs the period of hospitalization and increases morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of patients with candidemia, between January 2013 and December 2019. Two hundred forty-one candidemia episodes were observed in the 230 patients, of whom 45% were female. The median age was 63 and 53.9% of the episodes were in the ICU. Frequently observed predisposing factors for candidemia included the use of antibiotics (71.3%), urinary catheterization (56.3%), Central venous catheter placement (50.3%), total parenteral nutrition (47.9%), solid-organ malignancy (46%), a surgical intervention (48.6%), chemotherapy (37%), steroid treatment (25.5%). The crude mortality rate was 52.7%. A significant difference was found between survivors and non-survivors (p = 0.007) with the Charlson comorbidity index. However, no statistically significant association was found between mortality and age, sex, surgical intervention, catheter-related candidemia, or Candida spp. The most frequently isolated Candida spp. was C. albicans (51%). Overall resistance to fluconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin, micafungin and flucytosine was 3.7%, 0%, 2.5%, 1.8%,1.8%, respectively. Consequently, there is a need for tests that yield higher success rates and rapid in diagnosis candidemia and local epidemiological data for antifungal resistance.

PMID:35908875 | DOI:10.7883/yoken.JJID.2022.181

Clin Respir J. 2022 Jul 31. doi: 10.1111/crj.13529. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Cough is one of the most common presenting symptoms of COVID-19, which can persist for weeks or months.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of gabapentin (GBT) alone and in combination with montelukast (MTL) for improving cough.

METHODS: In this open-label randomized controlled clinical trial, eligible cases were patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 who had cough with a Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum Scale (BCSS) score of at least 2 based on its cough subscale. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups including two experimental groups and one control group. The first and second experimental groups received GBT and GBT/MTL, respectively, whereas the control group received dextromethorphan (DXM). Treatment duration was 5 days in all groups. Before and after the interventions, the severity of cough was evaluated using BCSS scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

RESULTS: A total of 180 patients were included; GPT, GPT/MTL, and DXM consisted of 76, 51, and 53 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of age, gender, and comorbidities (P > 0.05). Regarding BCSS and VAS scores, there was significant reduction from the baseline values in all groups (P < 0.0001), with the change rate being significantly higher in DXM group. The amount of reduction of BCSS in the GPT/MTL group was significantly more than the GPT group, whereas there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding VAS score. Although the duration of hospitalization differed between the groups with the GPT/MTL group having the shortest duration, the difference was statistically significant only between the GPT and GPT/MTL groups (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: GPT, both alone and in combination with MTL, improves cough frequency and severity in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, with the combination being more efficacious. This regimen may be useful in patients who cannot tolerate opioids.

PMID:35908849 | DOI:10.1111/crj.13529

Ecol Lett. 2022 Jul 31. doi: 10.1111/ele.14074. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The dynamics of cyclic populations distributed in space result from the relative strength of synchronising influences and the limited dispersal of destabilising factors (activators and inhibitors), known to cause multi-annual population cycles. However, while each of these have been well studied in isolation, there is limited empirical evidence of how the processes of synchronisation and activation-inhibition act together, largely owing to the scarcity of datasets with sufficient spatial and temporal scale and resolution. We assessed a variety of models that could be underlying the spatio-temporal pattern, designed to capture both theoretical and empirical understandings of travelling waves using large-scale (>35,000 km² ), multi-year (2011-2017) field monitoring data on abundances of common vole (Microtus arvalis), a cyclic agricultural rodent pest. We found most support for a pattern formed from the summation of two radial travelling waves with contrasting speeds that together describe population growth rates across the region.

PMID:35908289 | DOI:10.1111/ele.14074

Phys Ther. 2022 Jul 31:pzac086. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzac086. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effect of an abdominal hypopressive exercise (AHE) on linea alba morphology among women who are primiparous and to compare this effect to that of other common abdominal exercise modalities.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 46 women 3 months after first delivery was conducted. B-mode ultrasound imaging of interrectus distance (IRD) and linea alba distortion was performed 2 cm below (I-point) and above (S-point) the umbilicus and at the mid-point between the umbilicus and xiphoid process (X-point). Images were recorded at rest, during an AHE performed in a supine position, during a semi curl-up (SCU), an abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) and a SCU performed after an initial ADIM (ADIM+SCU).

RESULTS: The SCU exercise narrows IRD at X- and S-point. Compared with SCU, AHE and ADIM widened IRD at S- and X-point. No significant differences were found when comparing IRD at rest, during AHE and ADIM, but AHE tends to narrow I-point IRD more than ADIM but to widen S-point IRD more than ADIM+SCU. No participant showed linea alba distortion during the AHE or ADIM. When compared, SCU increased the occurrence of distortion with respect to AHE and ADIM. The isolated hypopressive posture did not change IRD or linea alba distortion.

CONCLUSIONS: Among women who were postpartum, AHE seemed to narrow IRD below the umbilicus compared with ADIM, without either of these 2 modalities generating linea alba distortion, as SCU or ADIM+SCU do. Thus, although no significant differences were found when comparing IRD at rest and during AHE, the AHE could improve the tensile response of the linea alba without increasing the IRD.

PMID:35908286 | DOI:10.1093/ptj/pzac086

Aust Endod J. 2022 Jul 31. doi: 10.1111/aej.12672. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This retrospective cone-beam computed tomography study aimed to investigate the possible associations of apical periodontitis (AP) with missed/unmissed second mesiobuccal (MB2) canals. MB2 canals and AP were investigated in 257 endodontically treated and 673 untreated maxillary molars, and the former were analyzed regarding missed/unmissed MB2 canals. The chi-squared test and odds ratio (OR) were used for statistics. The prevalence of MB2 canals in maxillary first molars was higher than that in second molars (p = 0.001). MB2 canals were 1.751 times more common in males than in females (OR: 1.751; 95% CI: 1.334-2.297), with a significant difference in the 18-39 age groups (p = 0.005). The risk for AP was 5.5 times greater in endodontically treated maxillary molars with missed MB2 canals than in those with unmissed MB2 canals (p = 0.012) (OR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.549-19.527). The findings of this study reveal that the likelihood of the MB2 canal is higher in the maxillary first molars of young adult males.

PMID:35908285 | DOI:10.1111/aej.12672

Epilepsia Open. 2022 Jul 31. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12635. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a once-daily (QD), oral anti-seizure medication for the treatment of focal (partial-onset) seizures. Here, we evaluate risk factors for the development of psychiatric treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in clinical trials of adjunctive ESL in adults with focal seizures.

METHODS: This post-hoc analysis evaluated data pooled from three Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (BIA-2093-301, -302, -304). After an 8-week baseline period, patients were randomized equally to receive placebo, ESL 400 mg (not reported here), 800 mg, or 1200 mg QD (up to 2-week titration; 12-week maintenance; optional open-label extension [OLE]). Incidences of psychiatric TEAEs were evaluated according to three separate criteria: medical history of psychiatric disorders (yes/no); baseline use of psychotropic drugs (yes/no); Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score at baseline (0-6: normal; 7-19: mild depression; 20-34: moderate depression).

RESULTS: The analysis populations comprised 1251 patients for the controlled study period and 1137 patients for the 1-year OLE. Psychiatric TEAE incidence was similar between patients taking ESL and placebo in the controlled and OLE study periods and was not related to ESL dose. Psychiatric TEAEs generally occurred more frequently in patients with a medical history of psychiatric disorders, using psychotropic drugs, or with depressive symptoms than in those without a history, not using psychotropic drugs, or with no depressive symptoms. Depression and anxiety were the most frequently reported psychiatric TEAEs.

SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, in clinical trials of ESL in adults with focal seizures, incidences of psychiatric events were not statistically different between patients taking ESL and placebo, were not related to ESL dose, and generally occurred more frequently in patients with baseline psychiatric symptoms or a history of psychiatric disorders. Long-term exposure to ESL was not associated with a marked increase in the incidence of psychiatric TEAEs.

PMID:35908275 | DOI:10.1002/epi4.12635

J Biophotonics. 2022 Jul 31:e202200121. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202200121. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

High-dose-rate-brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is an increasingly attractive alternative to external beam radiation-therapy for patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer. Despite this, no bio-marker based method currently exists to monitor treatment response, and the changes which take place at the biochemical level in hypo-fractionated HDR-BT remain poorly understood. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the capability of Raman spectroscopy (RS) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and random-forest classification (RF) to identify radiation response profiles after a single dose of 13.5 Gy in a cohort of 9 patients. We here demonstrate, as a proof-of-concept, how RS-PCA-RF could be utilised as an effective tool in radiation response monitoring, specifically assessing the importance of low variance PCs in complex sample sets. As RS provides information on the biochemical composition of tissue samples, this technique could provide insight into the changes which take place on the biochemical level, as result of HDR-BT treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:35908273 | DOI:10.1002/jbio.202200121

Int J Clin Oncol. 2022 Jul 31. doi: 10.1007/s10147-022-02209-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC) must ensure a radical cure of cancer and prevent over/under treatment. Biopsy specimens used for the definitive diagnosis of T1 CRC were analyzed using artificial intelligence (AI) to construct a risk index for lymph node metastasis.

METHODS: A total of 146 T1 CRC cases were analyzed. The specimens for analysis were mainly biopsy specimens, and in the absence of biopsy specimens, the mucosal layer of the surgical specimens was analyzed. The pathology slides for each case were digitally imaged, and the morphological features of cancer cell nuclei were extracted from the tissue images. First, statistical methods were used to analyze how well these features could predict lymph node metastasis risk. A lymph node metastasis risk model using AI was created based on these morphological features, and accuracy in test cases was verified.

RESULTS: Each developed model could predict lymph node metastasis risk with a > 90% accuracy in each region of interest of the training cases. Lymph node metastasis risk was predicted with 81.8-86.3% accuracy for randomly validated cases, using a learning model with biopsy data. Moreover, no case with lymph node metastasis or lymph node risk was judged to have no risk using the same model.

CONCLUSIONS: AI models suggest an association between biopsy specimens and lymph node metastases in T1 CRC and may contribute to increased accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.

PMID:35908272 | DOI:10.1007/s10147-022-02209-6