Tag: nevin manimala

Crit Care. 2023 Mar 9;27(1):100. doi: 10.1186/s13054-023-04351-7.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36894967 | DOI:10.1186/s13054-023-04351-7

BMC Res Notes. 2023 Mar 10;16(1):33. doi: 10.1186/s13104-023-06300-7.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the study was to describe and compare the feasibility of using fractional CO₂ laser to the usual treatment with Clobetasol. Randomized clinical trials brought together 20 women from a Brazilian university hospital, 9 of them were submitted to Clobetasol treatment and 11 to laser therapy. Sociodemographic data were obtained and quality of life parameters, vulvar anatomy, self-perception and histopathological analysis of vulvar biopsies were evaluated. Evaluations were made before the beginning of the treatment, during its implementation, right after its completion (3 months), and 12 months after. The SPSS 14.0 software was used, obtaining descriptive measurements. The level of significance adopted was 5%.

RESULTS: The clinical/anatomical characteristics of the vulva did not differ between the treatment groups, as much before as after its performance. There was no statistically significant difference between the treatments performed regarding the impact on the life quality of the patients. A higher satisfaction degree with the treatment was obtained with the patients in the Laser group in the third month of evaluation. Laser therapy also revealed higher occurrence of telangiectasia after treatment completion. Fractional CO2 laser has proven to be well accepted and is a promising therapeutic option. Registration number and name of trial registry The institutional review board status was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of HU/ UFJF under advisory number 2881073 and registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials, with consent under registration RBR-4p9s5y. Access link: https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-4p9s5y.

PMID:36894959 | DOI:10.1186/s13104-023-06300-7

Plant Methods. 2023 Mar 9;19(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13007-023-00995-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The rapidly advancing corn breeding field calls for high-throughput methods to phenotype corn kernel traits to estimate yield and to study their genetic inheritance. Most of the existing methods are reliant on sophisticated setup, expertise in statistical models and programming skills for image capturing and analysis.

RESULTS: We demonstrated a portable, easily accessible, affordable, panoramic imaging capturing system called Corn360, followed by image analysis using freely available software, to characterize total kernel count and different patterned kernel counts of a corn ear. The software we used did not require programming skills and utilized Artificial Intelligence to train a model and to segment the images of mixed patterned corn ears. For homogeneously patterned corn ears, our results showed accuracies of 93.7% of total kernel count compared to manual counting. Our method allowed to save an average of 3 min 40 s per image. For mixed patterned corn ears, our results showed accuracies of 84.8% or 61.8% of segmented kernel counts. Our method has the potential to greatly decrease counting time per image as the number of images increases. We also demonstrated a case of using Corn360 to count different categories of kernels on a mixed patterned corn ear resulting from a cross of sweet corn and sticky corn and showed that starch:sweet:sticky segregated in a 9:4:3 ratio in its F2 population.

CONCLUSIONS: The panoramic Corn360 approach enables for a portable low-cost high-throughput kernel quantification. This includes total kernel quantification and quantification of different patterned kernels. This can allow for quick estimate of yield component and for categorization of different patterned kernels to study the inheritance of genes controlling color and texture. We demonstrated that using the samples resulting from a sweet × sticky cross, the starchiness, sweetness and stickiness in this case were controlled by two genes with epistatic effects. Our achieved results indicate Corn360 can be used to effectively quantify corn kernels in a portable and cost-efficient way that is easily accessible with or without programming skills.

PMID:36894953 | DOI:10.1186/s13007-023-00995-2

BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 9;23(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04618-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a heterogenous brain disorder, with potentially multiple psychosocial and biological disease mechanisms. This is also a plausible explanation for why patients do not respond equally well to treatment with first- or second-line antidepressants, i.e., one-third to one-half of patients do not remit in response to first- or second-line treatment. To map MDD heterogeneity and markers of treatment response to enable a precision medicine approach, we will acquire several possible predictive markers across several domains, e.g., psychosocial, biochemical, and neuroimaging.

METHODS: All patients are examined before receiving a standardised treatment package for adults aged 18-65 with first-episode depression in six public outpatient clinics in the Capital Region of Denmark. From this population, we will recruit a cohort of 800 patients for whom we will acquire clinical, cognitive, psychometric, and biological data. A subgroup (subcohort I, n = 600) will additionally provide neuroimaging data, i.e., Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Electroencephalogram, and a subgroup of patients from subcohort I unmedicated at inclusion (subcohort II, n = 60) will also undergo a brain Positron Emission Tomography with the [¹¹C]-UCB-J tracer binding to the presynaptic glycoprotein-SV2A. Subcohort allocation is based on eligibility and willingness to participate. The treatment package typically lasts six months. Depression severity is assessed with the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) at baseline, and 6, 12 and 18 months after treatment initiation. The primary outcome is remission (QIDS ≤ 5) and clinical improvement (≥ 50% reduction in QIDS) after 6 months. Secondary endpoints include remission at 12 and 18 months and %-change in QIDS, 10-item Symptom Checklist, 5-item WHO Well-Being Index, and modified Disability Scale from baseline through follow-up. We also assess psychotherapy and medication side-effects. We will use machine learning to determine a combination of characteristics that best predict treatment outcomes and statistical models to investigate the association between individual measures and clinical outcomes. We will assess associations between patient characteristics, treatment choices, and clinical outcomes using path analysis, enabling us to estimate the effect of treatment choices and timing on the clinical outcome.

DISCUSSION: The BrainDrugs-Depression study is a real-world deep-phenotyping clinical cohort study of first-episode MDD patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at clinicaltrials.gov November 15th, 2022 (NCT05616559).

PMID:36894940 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-023-04618-x

Int J Equity Health. 2023 Mar 9;22(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12939-023-01847-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Out-of-pocket health expenditure is the proportion of total health expenditure that is paid by individuals and households at the time of health service. Hence, the objective of this study is to assess the incidence and intensity of catastrophic health expenditure and associated factors among households in non-community-based health insurance districts in the Ilubabor zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia.

METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed in the Ilubabor zone on non-community-based health insurance scheme districts from August 13 to September 2, 2020, and 633 households participated in the study. A multistage one cluster sampling method was used to select three districts out of seven districts. Data was collected by using a structured mix of open and close-ended pre -tested questionnaires by face-to-face interviewing. A micro-costing/bottom up approach was used for all household expenditure. After checking its completeness, all household consumption expenditure was done by mathematical analysis using Microsoft Excel. Binary and multiple logistic were done using 95%CI and significance was declared at P < 0.05.

RESULTS: The number of households that participated in the study was 633, with a response rate of 99.7%. Out of 633 households surveyed, 110 (17.4%) were in catastrophe, which exceeds 10% of total household expenditure. After medical care expenses, about 5% of the households moved downward from the middle poverty line to extreme poverty. Out-of-pocket payment AOR: 31.201: 95% CI (12.965-49.673), daily income less than 1.90 USD AOR: 2.081: 95% CI (1.010-3.670), living a medium distance from a health facility AOR: 6.219: 95% CI (1.632-15.418), and chronic disease AOR: 5.647: 95% CI (1.764-18.075.

CONCLUSION: In this study, family size, average daily income, out of pocket payment and chronic diseases were statistically significant and independent predictors for household catastrophic health expenditure. Therefore, to overcome financial risk, the Federal Ministry of Health should develop different guidelines and modalities by considering household per capita and income to improve the enrolment of community-based health insurance. Also, the regional health bureau should improve their budget share of 10% to increase the coverage of poor households. Strengthening financial risk protection mechanisms, such as community-based health insurance, could help to improve healthcare equity and quality.

PMID:36894937 | DOI:10.1186/s12939-023-01847-0

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2023 Mar 9;20(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s12986-023-00736-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The associations between obesity and abnormalities of upper and lower extremity arteries remain to be elucidated. This study is aimed to investigate whether general obesity and abdominal obesity are associated with upper and lower extremity artery diseases in a Chinese community population.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 13,144 participants in a Chinese community population. The associations between obesity parameters and abnormalities of upper and lower extremity arteries were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independence of associations between obesity indicators and abnormalities of peripheral arteries. Nonlinear relationship between body mass index (BMI) and risk of ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤ 0.9 was evaluated using a restricted cubic spline model.

RESULTS: The prevalence of ABI ≤ 0.9 and interarm blood pressure difference (IABPD) ≥ 15 mmHg in the subjects was 1.9% and 1.4% respectively. Waist circumference (WC) was independently associated with ABI ≤ 0.9 (OR 1.014, 95% CI 1.002-1.026, P = 0.017). Nevertheless, BMI was not independently associated with ABI ≤ 0.9 using linear statistical models. Meanwhile, BMI and WC were independently associated with IABPD ≥ 15 mmHg respectively (OR 1.139, 95% CI 1.100-1.181, P < 0.001, and OR 1.058, 95% CI 1.044-1.072, P < 0.001). Furthermore, prevalence of ABI ≤ 0.9 was displayed with a U-shaped pattern according to different BMI (< 20, 20 to < 25, 25 to < 30, and ≥ 30). Compared with BMI 20 to < 25, risk of ABI ≤ 0.9 was significantly increased when BMI < 20 or ≥ 30 respectively (OR 2.595, 95% CI 1.745-3.858, P < 0.001, or OR 1.618, 95% CI 1.087-2.410, P = 0.018). Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a significant U-shaped relationship between BMI and risk of ABI ≤ 0.9 (P for non-linearity < 0.001). However, prevalence of IABPD ≥ 15 mmHg was significantly increased with incremental BMI (P for trend < 0.001). Compared with BMI 20 to < 25, the risk of IABPD ≥ 15 mmHg was significantly increased when BMI ≥ 30 (OR 3.218, 95% CI 2.133-4.855, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity is an independent risk factor for upper and lower extremity artery diseases. Meanwhile, general obesity is also independently associated with upper extremity artery disease. However, the association between general obesity and lower extremity artery disease is displayed with a U-shaped pattern.

PMID:36894935 | DOI:10.1186/s12986-023-00736-1

JMIR Med Educ. 2023 Mar 9;9:e43988. doi: 10.2196/43988.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Teaching medicine is a complex task because medical teachers are also involved in clinical practice and research and the availability of cases with rare diseases is very restricted. Automatic creation of virtual patient cases would be a great benefit, saving time and providing a wider choice of virtual patient cases for student training.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored whether the medical literature provides usable quantifiable information on rare diseases. The study implemented a computerized method that simulates basic clinical patient cases utilizing probabilities of symptom occurrence for a disease.

METHODS: Medical literature was searched for suitable rare diseases and the required information on the respective probabilities of specific symptoms. We developed a statistical script that delivers basic virtual patient cases with random symptom complexes generated by Bernoulli experiments, according to probabilities reported in the literature. The number of runs and thus the number of patient cases generated are arbitrary.

RESULTS: We illustrated the function of our generator with the exemplary diagnosis “brain abscess” with the related symptoms “headache, mental status change, focal neurologic deficit, fever, seizure, nausea and vomiting, nuchal rigidity, and papilledema” and the respective probabilities from the literature. With a growing number of repetitions of the Bernoulli experiment, the relative frequencies of occurrence increasingly converged with the probabilities from the literature. For example, the relative frequency for headache after 10.000 repetitions was 0.7267 and, after rounding, equaled the mean value of the probability range of 0.73 reported in the literature. The same applied to the other symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: The medical literature provides specific information on characteristics of rare diseases that can be transferred to probabilities. The results of our computerized method suggest that automated creation of virtual patient cases based on these probabilities is possible. With additional information provided in the literature, an extension of the generator can be implemented in further research.

PMID:36892938 | DOI:10.2196/43988

JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2023 Mar 9;9:e43893. doi: 10.2196/43893.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A life-course immunization approach would enhance the quality of life across all age groups and improve societal well-being. The herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine is highly recommended for older adults to prevent HZ infection and related complications. The proportions of willingness to receive the HZ vaccine varies across countries, and various kinds of factors, including sociodemographics and individual perceptions, influence the willingness to vaccinate.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to estimate the HZ vaccination willingness rate and identify factors associated with vaccine uptake willingness across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions.

METHODS: A global systematic search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for all papers related to the HZ vaccine published until June 20, 2022. Study characteristics were extracted for each included study. Using double arcsine transformation, vaccination willingness rates with 95% CIs were pooled and reported. The willingness rate and associated factors were analyzed by geographical context. Associated factors were also summarized based on Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs.

RESULTS: Of the 26,942 identified records, 13 (0.05%) papers were included, covering 14,066 individuals from 8 countries in 4 WHO regions (Eastern Mediterranean Region, European Region, Region of the Americas, and Western Pacific Region). The pooled vaccination willingness rate was 55.74% (95% CI 40.85%-70.13%). Of adults aged ≥50 years, 56.06% were willing to receive the HZ vaccine. After receiving health care workers’ (HCWs) recommendations, 75.19% of individuals were willing to get the HZ vaccine; without HCWs’ recommendations, the willingness rate was only 49.39%. The willingness rate was more than 70% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and approximately 55% in the Western Pacific Region. The willingness rate was the highest in the United Arab Emirates and the lowest in China and the United Kingdom. The perception of HZ severity and susceptibility was positively associated with vaccination willingness. The perceived barriers to vaccination willingness (main reasons for unwillingness) included low trust in the effectiveness of the HZ vaccine, concerns about safety, financial concerns, and being unaware of the HZ vaccine’s availability. Older individuals, those having lower education, or those having lower income levels were less likely to willing to be vaccinated.

CONCLUSIONS: Only 1 in 2 individuals showed a willingness to be vaccinated against HZ. The willingness rate was the highest in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Our findings show the critical role HCWs play in promoting HZ vaccination. Monitoring HZ vaccination willingness is necessary to inform public health decision-making. These findings provide critical insights for designing future life-course immunization programs.

PMID:36892937 | DOI:10.2196/43893

Psychol Aging. 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.1037/pag0000735. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the use of implicit mechanisms based on statistical learning (SL) has emerged as a strong factor in biasing visuospatial attention, so that target selection is improved at frequently attended locations and distractor filtering is facilitated at frequently suppressed locations. Although these mechanisms have been consistently described in younger adults, similar evidence in healthy aging is scarce. Therefore, we studied the learning and persistence of SL of target selection and distractor suppression in younger and older adults in visual search tasks where the frequency of target (Experiment 1) or distractor (Experiment 2) was biased across spatial locations. The results show that SL of target selection was preserved in the older adults so, similar to their younger counterparts, they showed a strong and persistent advantage in target selection at locations more frequently attended. However, unlike young adults, they did not benefit from implicit SL of distractor suppression, so that distractor interference was maintained throughout the experiment independently of the contingencies associated with distractor locations. Taken together, these results provide novel evidence of distinct developmental patterns for SL of task-relevant and task-irrelevant visual information, likely reflecting differences in the implementation of proactive suppression attentional mechanisms between younger and older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:36892906 | DOI:10.1037/pag0000735

J Appl Physiol (1985). 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00739.2022. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Young non-Hispanic Black adults have reduced microvascular endothelial function compared with non-Hispanic White counterparts, but the mechanisms are not fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endothelin-1 A receptor (ET_AR) and superoxide on cutaneous microvascular function in young non-Hispanic Black (n=10) and White (n=10) adults. Participants were instrumented with four intradermal microdialysis fibers: 1) lactated Ringer’s (control), 2) 500 nM BQ-123 (ET_AR antagonist), 3) 10 μM tempol (superoxide dismutase mimetic), and 4) BQ-123 + tempol. Skin blood flow was assessed via laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and each site underwent rapid local heating from 33°C to 39°C. At the plateau of local heating, 20 mM L-NAME [nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor] was infused to quantify NO-dependent vasodilation. Data are mean ± standard deviation. NO-dependent vasodilation was decreased in non-Hispanic Black compared with non-Hispanic White young adults (p < 0.01). NO-dependent vasodilation was increased at BQ-123 sites (73 ± 10% NO) and at BQ-123 + tempol sites (71 ± 10 %NO) in non-Hispanic Black young adults compared with control (53 ± 13 %NO, p = 0.01). Tempol alone had no effect on NO-dependent vasodilation in non-Hispanic Black young adults (63 ± 14 %NO, p = 0.18). NO-dependent vasodilation at BQ-123 sites was not statistically different between non-Hispanic Black and White (80 ± 7 %NO) young adults (p = 0.15). ET_AR contribute to reduced NO-dependent vasodilation in non-Hispanic Black young adults independent of superoxide, suggesting a greater effect on NO synthesis rather than NO scavenging via superoxide.

PMID:36892887 | DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.00739.2022