Tag: nevin manimala

Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2023 Sep 18;47(3):166-170. doi: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.42104.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the neglected tropical diseases announced by the World Health Organization. In the period entered with the Coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, the fight against such diseases has become even more difficult. In our study, we aimed to make inferences about the effects of the pandemic on the diagnosis of the disease by evaluating the number and results of CE indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) before and during the pandemic.

METHODS: The number of IHA test requests and positivity rates in the 30-month periods before and after March 11, 2020, when the first case was seen in our country, were evaluated retrospectively. Statistical analysis was made with SPSS version 23 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) program.

RESULTS: The results of 1444 patients before the pandemic and 870 patients during the pandemic period were examined. The difference between IHA positivity rates, which was found to be 18.49% before the pandemic and 14.6% during the pandemic, was statistically significant (p=0.016). The positivity rates of women and men were found to be statistically similar in both periods (p_before=0.621, p_after=0.238). The age group with the highest IHA positivity rate was 20-39 in both periods, and the difference between the positivity rates of the age groups was statistically significant (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: A significant decrease was observed in the rate of IHA positivity during the pandemic period. The status of no increase in positivity rates despite a significant decrease in IHA tests makes us think that the diagnosis may be missed in some patients or that there could be disruptions in their follow-up. For this reason, in order to continue the fight successfully against CE, which is an important public health problem for our country, early diagnosis and regular follow-ups should be emphasized with educations, and the laboratory-clinician communication should be strengthened in order to use tests more efficiently.

PMID:37724366 | DOI:10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.42104

Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2023 Sep 18;47(3):156-159. doi: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.39306.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In this study, it was aimed to reveal the frequency of fascioliasis in cattle slaughtered in the slaughterhouses of Ağrı province.

METHODS: The study was carried out on 230 cattle. The presence of Fasciola hepatica eggs in stool and bile fluid samples taken from each cattle was investigated by sedimentation-zinc sulfate flotation method, and the presence of adult parasites in the liver and bile ducts by postmortem examination.

RESULTS: The study was conducted on 230 cattle samples. Fasciola spp. eggs were observed in 43 (18.7%) of the stools examined. As a result of the postmortem examination of the liver and gall bladder, F. hepatica adults were found in 52 (22.6%) cattle. All cattle positive in stool examination were also positive in liver and gallbladder examination. Fasciola gigantica adults were not detected in any of the cattle, and there was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender and race.

CONCLUSION: In this study conducted on cattle in the Ağrı region, F. hepatica was found to be significantly common. The data obtained show that in order to prevent economic losses in animal husbandry, which is an important source of livelihood of the local people, effective prevention and control programs should be planned and implemented, and both sheep and cattle breeders should be made aware of the prevention of this infection.

PMID:37724364 | DOI:10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.39306

Aging Male. 2023 Dec;26(1):2255013. doi: 10.1080/13685538.2023.2255013. Epub 2023 Sep 19.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is known that even if spontaneous circulation returns after cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) in geriatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests(OHCA), the overall one-year survival rate of these patients is very low. In our study, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting survival in OHCA cases.

METHODS: OHCA patients over 18 years of age were examined in two different groups as 18-64 years old and over 65 years old. Demographic data, comorbidities, cardiac arrest rhythms and minutes, and the number of days they were hospitalized in the intensive care unit were recorded.

RESULTS: The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.8 years and 39.9% (n = 110) of the patients were female. The number of intensive care unit stays was significantly higher in the over-65 age group (p = 0.011). The mortality rate and one-year survival rate were significantly lower in the over-65 age group (p < 0.001). Median CPR time was 21 min (IQR:14-32) in the entire patient population. The duration of CPR was 22 min (IQR:14-35) in patients with in-hospital mortality, and 15 min (IQR:13-25) in patients discharged from the hospital. In this comparison, the difference is statistically significant (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION: In our study, it was determined that especially over 65 years of age, coronary artery disease, and post-arrest CPR duration were determinant and predictive factors in in-hospital and long-term survival.

PMID:37724359 | DOI:10.1080/13685538.2023.2255013

Isotopes Environ Health Stud. 2023 Sep 19:1-18. doi: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2252572. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A novel simplified method is presented for the estimation of the metabolism of plasma proteins (albumin, fibrinogen, α, β and γ-globulin, glycoprotein) with regard to the whole body protein metabolism in a young male volunteer (22 years, 81 kg body mass). This method is based on multiple oral administration of [¹⁵N]glycine followed by measurement of ¹⁵N in plasma proteins, total free amino acids, urea and excreted urinary N. The fractional synthesis rate of albumin was estimated to 6.8 % d^-1 based on amino acids and 3.3 % d^-1 based on urea, respectively. The fractional synthesis rate of the other plasma proteins ranged from 4.3 % d^-1 (γ-globulin) to 26.4 % d^-1 (α-globulin, fibrinogen). We conclude that the simplified approach using [¹⁵N]glycine provides results which are similar to results based on the simultaneously applied ¹³¹I-human serum albumin technique as ‘gold standard’ and to those reported in literature. The compartmental analysis considering comprehensive tracer kinetic data ensures reliable data treatment and enables statistical evaluation. The analytical effort is minimal because the ¹⁵N enrichment of plasma protein after chemical digestion may be directly used. Therefore, the novel stable isotope ¹⁵N method is suitable for studies in clinical and nutritional research and practice.

PMID:37724354 | DOI:10.1080/10256016.2023.2252572

Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Sep 19:1-11. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2259303. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Barriers to Physical Activity and Disability Survey (B-PADS) into the Thai context and to assess its inter- and intra-rater reliability.

METHODS: Participants were experts in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI, n = 3), linguistic experts (n = 7), Thai-English bilingual speakers (n = 40), Thai physiotherapists (n = 8), and people with SCI living in Thailand (n = 43). The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the B-PADS into the Thai context was conducted using a 6-step process; forward translation, reconciliation of the two translated versions, backward-translation, harmonisation, backward-translation of the revised version, and cognitive debriefing with potential users and target population. The reliability of the translated tool was assessed using Cohen’s kappa (K) and McNemar’s test.

RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability test demonstrated high-range agreement for the majority of statements (27 out of 38; Cohen’s K > 0.60) in the Thai-B-PADS final version. The intra-rater reliability test revealed that the majority of the statements (29 out of 38) in the Thai-B-PADS final version obtained substantial (Cohen’s K = 0.61-0.80, p < 0.05) to perfect agreement (Cohen’s K = 1.0, p < 0.05). McNemar’s test displayed no statistically significant differences amongst assessors (p > 0.05) for nearly all statements.

CONCLUSION: The Thai-B-PADS final version was successfully translated and culturally adapted for people with SCI.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMulti-stakeholders, including academic experts, researchers, translators, clinicians, target users and clients, should be involved in developing health-related questionnaires’ translation and cultural adaptation processes.The Thai version of Barriers to Physical Activity and Disability Survey (B-PADS) possessed high levels of inter- and intra-rater reliability to assess barriers related to undertaking physical activities or exercise in people with spinal cord injury.Interactional biases and perceived social status effects may not be avoided when deploying a face-to-face interview of health-related questionnaires in a culture where social hierarchy is present within the language.The translation and adaptation processes used in this study were thorough, systematic and comprehensive, providing a culturally competent exemplar for translating health-related questionnaires between languages of different root origins.

PMID:37724350 | DOI:10.1080/09638288.2023.2259303

Oman Med J. 2023 Jul 31;38(4):e524. doi: 10.5001/omj.2023.86. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzymopathy worldwide. The fluorescent spot test (FST) is the conventional method for screening neonates for G6PD. However, it has limitations and quantitative assays such as the CareStart Biosensor 1 are being increasingly recommended. This study aimed to compare FST and CareStart Bioensor 1 in their ability to detect G6PD levels in neonates.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 455 neonates between June and December 2020. Two milliliters of cord blood were analyzed with CareStart Biosensor 1 and dried cord blood spots with FST. Data was recorded and statistically analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated to determine the performance of FST at specific G6PD cut-off values; Cohen’s kappa analysis assessed the agreement between the two methods.

RESULTS: The sensitivity of FST at 30% cut-off G6PD activity level was 91.0%, (95% CI: 57.0-100) and specificity of 97.0% (95% CI: 95.0-98.0). At 60% cut-off, the FST sensitivity sharply declined to 29.0% (95% CI: 19.0-40.0) with a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 98.0-100). The overall prevalence of G6PD deficiency was 5.1% as measured by FST and 17.8% by Biosensor 1 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, FST missed a significant proportion of cases of intermediate G6PD levels. FST also misclassified several G6PD intermediate individuals as normal, rendering them susceptible to oxidative stress. Biosensor 1 reported a significantly higher prevalence of G6PD deficiency.

PMID:37724319 | PMC:PMC10505278 | DOI:10.5001/omj.2023.86

Clin Epidemiol. 2023 Sep 13;15:969-986. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S419481. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The primary aim of this work was to convert the Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) from Catalonia, Spain, to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM). Our second aim was to provide a descriptive analysis of COVID-19-related outcomes among the general population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We mapped patient-level data from SIDIAP to the OMOP CDM and we performed more than 3,400 data quality checks to assess its readiness for research. We established a general population cohort as of the 1st March 2020 and identified outpatient COVID-19 diagnoses or tested positive for, hospitalised with, admitted to intensive care units (ICU) with, died with, or vaccinated against COVID-19 up to 30th June 2022.

RESULTS: After verifying the high quality of the transformed dataset, we included 5,870,274 individuals in the general population cohort. Of those, 604,472 had either an outpatient COVID-19 diagnosis or positive test result, 58,991 had a hospitalisation, 5,642 had an ICU admission, and 11,233 died with COVID-19. A total of 4,584,515 received a COVID-19 vaccine. People who were hospitalised or died were more commonly older, male, and with more comorbidities. Those admitted to ICU with COVID-19 were generally younger and more often male than those hospitalised and those who died.

CONCLUSION: We successfully transformed SIDIAP to the OMOP CDM. From this dataset, a general population cohort of 5.9 million individuals was identified and their COVID-19-related outcomes over time were described. The transformed SIDIAP database is a valuable resource that can enable distributed network research in COVID-19 and beyond.

PMID:37724311 | PMC:PMC10505380 | DOI:10.2147/CLEP.S419481

Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 1;14:1253960. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253960. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Technostress (TS) represents a multidimensional phenomenon closely related to the pervasive use of information and communication technologies. This study aimed to validate a new psychometric tool for assessing TS in an Italian banking context, the Work-Related Technostress – Questionnaire (WRT-Q). Secondly, we analyzed the role of gender and age in modulating TS manifestations.

METHODS: A sample of 2,586 bank employees (51% females; age: 47.26 ± 8.6) underwent an online survey. Reliability, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), ANCOVA, independent sample t-test, and correlation analyses were performed.

RESULTS: The WRT-Q consisted of 17 items and a four-factor structure, supported by the following CFA indices: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.985; Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.985; Goodness of Fit (GFI) = 0.988; Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.071; and SRMR = 0.062. A significant difference in TS levels between age classes emerged (p < 0.001) with higher levels in the over 55-year-old subgroup, while no statistically significant difference emerged for gender. Moreover, the whole sample found a significant positive association between age and TS (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION: The WRT-Q is a new instrument to measure TS in the workplace, it can contribute to highlighting adverse outcomes in individuals due to a dysfunctional interaction with ICT.

PMID:37724293 | PMC:PMC10505406 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253960

Int J Ophthalmol. 2023 Sep 18;16(9):1527-1534. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2023.09.21. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate the trends and changes in the number and rates of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and prevalence of cataract in China between 1990 and 2019, and to predict the trends of cataract burden from 2020 to 2030.

METHODS: The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) database was employed to collect the data on DALYs and the prevalence of cataract in China, which was distinguished by age and sex during the past three decades from 1990 to 2019, and then changes in the number and rates of cataract from 2020 to 2030 were predicted. All data were analyzed by the R program (version 4.2.2) and GraphPad Prism 9.0 statistics software.

RESULTS: The number of DALYs of cataract increased from 449 322.84 in 1990 to 1 087 987.61 in 2019, number of cataract cases increased from 5 607 600.94 in 1990 to 18 142 568.96 in 2019. The age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) generally increased slightly [estimated annual percentage change (EAPC=0.1; 95%CI: -0.24 to 0.45), age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR) also increased (EAPC=0.88; 95%CI: 0.6 to 1.15). Cataract burden increased with age and female gender. Among the causes of cataract, air pollution was the most important, followed by smoking, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body mass index (BMI). The burden of cataract is predicted to grow persistently from 2020 to 2030, the number of DALYs and prevalence for cataract will rise to 2 336 431 and 43 698 620 respectively by 2030, the ASDR is predicted to be 85/100 000 and ASPR will be 1586/100 000 in 2030, females will still be at greater risk of suffering from cataract than males.

CONCLUSION: The burden of cataract in China kept rising from 1990 to 2019. Increasing age and female gender are risk factors for cataract. Air pollution, smoking, high fasting plasma glucose, and high BMI are associated with cataract. The burden of cataract in China will gradually increase from 2020 to 2030, the elderly women in particular need attention. Our results may be of help for providing reference strategies to reduce cataract burden in the near future.

PMID:37724286 | PMC:PMC10475628 | DOI:10.18240/ijo.2023.09.21

Int J Retina Vitreous. 2023 Sep 18;9(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s40942-023-00489-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant during a 12-month period in nondiabetic and diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) as a treatment for refractory pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) following prior treatment with topical nepafenac 0.1% and prednisolone 1%.

METHODS: Forty-two consecutive medical records of patients diagnosed with PCME after uneventful cataract surgery were included. The outcomes measured included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT). Linear regression analysis was statistically applied.

RESULTS: Following topical treatment, nondiabetic and diabetic subjects presented a mean ± SD gain of – 0.11 ± 0.11 and – 0.18 ± 0.11 BCVA logMAR and a CFT reduction of – 43.42 ± 53.66 µm and – 58.76 ± 36.28 µm, respectively. The mean BCVA gain at month 12 subsequent to DEX implantation was – 0.35 ± 0.17 in nondiabetic (p < 0.001) and – 0.55 ± 0.26 in diabetic patients (p < 0.001), with CFT reductions of – 195.71 ± 93.23 µm (p < 0.001) and – 260.81 ± 198.69 µm (p < 0.001), respectively. Patients who responded with better VA after topical treatment presented better visual outcomes at month 12 following DEX implantation (r² = 0.46; rho = – 0.71, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Nondiabetic and diabetic patients without DR demonstrated similar results after DEX implant after combined topical therapy, suggesting that selected diabetic patients may have a response comparable to that of nondiabetic patients with PCME.

PMID:37723594 | DOI:10.1186/s40942-023-00489-2