Tag: nevin manimala

J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2023 Oct 23;6(17):CASE23465. doi: 10.3171/CASE23465. Print 2023 Oct 23.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Three well-defined methods for pelvic fixation are used for biomechanical support in spine fusion constructs: iliac, recessed iliac, and S2-alar-iliac (S2AI) screws. The authors compared the maximum screw sizes that could be placed with these techniques by using image-guidance software and high-resolution computed tomography scans from 20 randomly selected patients. Six trajectories were plotted per side, beginning at recognized starting points (standard or recessed posterior superior iliac spine [PSIS] or S2AI screw) and ending at the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) or supra-acetabular notch (SAN).

OBSERVATIONS: The mean maximum screw length and width ranged from 80.0 ± 32.2 mm to 140.8 ± 22.6 mm and from 8.25 ± 1.2 mm to 13.0 ± 2.7 mm, respectively, depending on the trajectory. Statistically significant differences in length were found between the standard and recessed PSIS trajectories to the AIIS (p < 0.001) and between the standard PSIS-to-AIIS trajectory and the S2AI-to-AIIS (p = 0.007) or S2AI-to-SAN (p < 0.001) trajectories. The most successful trajectory was the PSIS to SAN (95%, 38/40).

LESSONS: The traditional iliac screw trajectory enabled the longest and widest screw trajectories and highest rate of successful screw placement with the fewest theoretical breaches more reliably than recessed and S2AI trajectories. These findings may help surgeons plan for maximum screw purchase for pelvic fixation.

PMID:37871336 | DOI:10.3171/CASE23465

J Comput Biol. 2023 Oct;30(10):1075-1088. doi: 10.1089/cmb.2022.0487.

ABSTRACT

Rare variant association studies with multiple traits or diseases have drawn a lot of attention since association signals of rare variants can be boosted if more than one phenotype outcome is associated with the same rare variants. Most of the existing statistical methods to identify rare variants associated with multiple phenotypes are based on a group test, where a pre-specified genetic region is tested one at a time. However, these methods are not designed to locate susceptible rare variants within the genetic region. In this article, we propose new statistical methods to prioritize rare variants within a genetic region when a group test for the genetic region identifies a statistical association with multiple phenotypes. It computes the weighted selection probability (WSP) of individual rare variants and ranks them from largest to smallest according to their WSP. In simulation studies, we demonstrated that the proposed method outperforms other statistical methods in terms of true positive selection, when multiple phenotypes are correlated with each other. We also applied it to our soybean single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data with 13 highly correlated amino acids, where we identified some potentially susceptible rare variants in chromosome 19.

PMID:37871292 | DOI:10.1089/cmb.2022.0487

Epigenetics. 2023 Dec;18(1):2268834. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2268834. Epub 2023 Oct 23.

ABSTRACT

The current study was designed to use an epigenome-wide association approach (EWAS) to identify potential systemic DNA methylation alterations that are associated with obesity using 22 discordant twin pairs. Buccal cells (from a cheek swab) were used as a non-obesity relevant purified marker cell for the epigenetic analysis. Analysis of differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) was used to identify epigenetic associations with metabolic and dietary measures related to obesity with discordant twins. An edgeR analysis provided a DMR signature with p < 1e-04, but statistical significance was reduced due to low sample size and known multiple origins of obesity. A weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed and identified modules (p < 0.005) of epigenetic sites that correlated with different metabolic and dietary measures. The DMR and WGCNA epigenetic sites were near genes (e.g., CIDEC, SPP1, ZFPG9, and POMC) with previously identified obesity associated pathways (e.g., metabolism, cholesterol, and fat digestion). Observations demonstrate the feasibility of identifying systemic epigenetic biomarkers for obesity, which can be further investigated for clinical relevance in future research with larger sample sizes. The availability of a systemic epigenetic biomarker for obesity susceptibility may facilitate preventative medicine and clinical management of the disease early in life.

PMID:37871278 | DOI:10.1080/15592294.2023.2268834

ACS Sens. 2023 Oct 23. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01316. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Breath analysis is emerging as a universal diagnostic method for clinical applications. The possibility of breath analysis is being explored vigorously using different analytical techniques. We have designed and assembled a multiwavelength UV photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) sensor for the said application. To optimize laser wavelength for sample excitation, photoacoustic signals from disease and normal conditions are recorded with different laser excitations (213, 266, 355, and 532 nm) on exhaled breath samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the PA signals has shown that 213, 266, and 355 nm laser excitations are suitable for breath analysis, with reliable descriptive statistics obtained for 266 nm laser. The study has, therefore, been extended for breath samples collected from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and normal subjects, using 266 nm laser excitation. PCA of the PA data shows good classification among asthma, COPD, and normal subjects. Match/No-match study performed with asthma, COPD, and normal calibration set has demonstrated the potential of using this method for diagnostic application. Sensitivity and specificity are observed as 88 and 89%, respectively. The area under the curve of the ROC curve is found to be 0.948, which justifies the diagnostic capability of the device for lung diseases. The same samples were studied using a commercial E-Nose, and the measurement outcome strongly supports the PAS results.

PMID:37871260 | DOI:10.1021/acssensors.3c01316

Nano Lett. 2023 Oct 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02770. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Efficient Auger recombination (AR) presents a significant challenge for the advancement of colloidal quantum dot (QD)-based devices involving multiexcitons. Here, the AR dynamics of near-infrared Ag₂Se QDs were studied through transient absorption experiments. As the QD radius increases from 0.9 to 2.5 nm, the biexciton lifetime (τ₂) of Ag₂Se QDs increases from 35 to 736 ps, which is approximately 10 times longer than that of comparable-sized CdSe and PbSe QDs. A qualitative analysis based on observables indicates that the slow Auger rate is primarily attributed to the low density of the final states. The biexciton lifetime and triexciton lifetime (τ₃) of Ag₂Se QDs follow R³ and R^2.6 dependence, respectively. Moreover, the ratio of τ₂/τ₃ is ∼2.3-3.2, which is markedly lower than the value expected from statistical scaling (4.5). These findings suggest that environmentally friendly Ag₂Se QDs can serve as excellent candidates for low-threshold lasers and third-generation photovoltaics utilizing carrier multiplication.

PMID:37871258 | DOI:10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02770

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Oct 23;38(5):e20230145. doi: 10.21470/1678-9741-2023-0145.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In this study, it was aimed to compare the clinical results and complications of rigid titanium plate reinforcement and only conventional wire methods for sternum fixation in morbidly obese patients who underwent sternotomy for open-heart surgery.

METHODS: The study was planned as a retrospective case-control study. Morbidly obese patients who underwent open-heart surgery with median sternotomy between 2011 and 2021 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of characteristics of the patients (P≥0.05). Sternal dehiscence, sternum revision, wound drainage, and mediastinitis were significantly less common in the titanium plate group (P≤0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of 30-day mortality (P≥0.05).

CONCLUSION: Rigid titanium plate reinforcement application produced more positive clinical results than only conventional wire application. In addition, it was determined that although the rigid titanium plate application prolonged the operation time, it did not make a significant difference in terms of mortality and morbidity compared to the conventional wire applied group.

PMID:37871255 | DOI:10.21470/1678-9741-2023-0145

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Oct 23;38(5):e2023144. doi: 10.21470/1678-9741-2023-0144.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for predicting atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) detected by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).

METHODS: A total of 140 patients with CIED in our hospital from June 2013 to June 2018 were included and were followed up to observe whether they had AHREs. AHRE are defined as atrial rate ≥ 175 times/minute, lasting > 5 minutes, and reviewed by an experienced electrophysiologist with unclear clinical diagnosis. The patients fasted for 12 hours after implantation, and blood samples were collected for biochemical, lipid, and whole blood count detection. Follow-up was regular after discharge to record follow-up data of each patient and conduct statistical analysis.

RESULTS: One hundred and forty patients were implanted with dual-chamber pacemakers, their median age was 70 years old, 44.29% were male, 27 patients had AHRE within one year, and AHRE incidence rate was 19.29%. The microcytic to hypochromic (M/H) ratio was calculated for all AHRE patients and compared with the patients without AHRE; the M/H value of AHRE patients was significantly higher. Throughout the entire follow-up period, a total of 44 patients developed AHRE; when adjusted by multivariate analysis, only M/H ratio ≥ 4.5 vs. < 4.5 had statistical significance, and the adjusted hazard ratio value was 4.313 (1.675-11.105).

CONCLUSION: As an indicator, M/H ratio may play an important role in the occurrence and development of atrial fibrillation and can be used as a predictor of AHRE in patients with CIED.

PMID:37871254 | DOI:10.21470/1678-9741-2023-0144

Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2023 Oct 23:1-11. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2023.2271978. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Food additives are ingredients added to food and beverages in order to modify physical, chemical, biological or sensory characteristics, contributing to the development of products that are safer and more convenient and attractive. Although they are widely used by food industries, little is known about the distribution of the food additives currently employed in products marketed in Brazil. Therefore, this study aimed to use labelling information of commercial food and beverages in order to identify the substances currently used by the Brazilian industry. For this, 3300 labels of 426 food items described in the Personal Food Consumption module of the Household Budget Survey (POF 2017/2018) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) were searched on websites of supermarket chains and food companies as well as by visits to commercial establishments. According to the ingredient lists of the evaluated samples, 186 distinct food additives were identified. The average number of declared substances per product was between 4 and 5, with most of the labels indicating the presence of 2 or 3 additives. Considering the identified substances, 93 had an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) not specified or not limited and 89 were additives with a numerical ADI. Citric acid and lecithin were the most frequent substances with ADI not specified or not limited while potassium sorbate and pentasodium triphosphate were the most frequent food additives with numerical ADI. The most frequent combinations found in the evaluated samples were of potassium sorbate and citric acid, and also sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, and sodium diphosphate. This study demonstrates the distribution of food additives in products marketed in Brazil, allowing the creation of a comprehensive and unprecedented database, which will contribute to the evaluation of usage trends and future exposure studies for health risk assessment.

PMID:37871248 | DOI:10.1080/19440049.2023.2271978

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Oct 31;120(44):e2310708120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2310708120. Epub 2023 Oct 23.

ABSTRACT

Analyses of genome sequence data have revealed pervasive interspecific gene flow and enriched our understanding of the role of gene flow in speciation and adaptation. Inference of gene flow using genomic data requires powerful statistical methods. Yet current likelihood-based methods involve heavy computation and are feasible for small datasets only. Here, we implement the multispecies-coalescent-with-migration model in the Bayesian program bpp, which can be used to test for gene flow and estimate migration rates, as well as species divergence times and population sizes. We develop Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for efficient sampling from the posterior, enabling the analysis of genome-scale datasets with thousands of loci. Implementation of both introgression and migration models in the same program allows us to test whether gene flow occurred continuously over time or in pulses. Analyses of genomic data from Anopheles mosquitoes demonstrate rich information in typical genomic datasets about the mode and rate of gene flow.

PMID:37871206 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2310708120

Nano Lett. 2023 Oct 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02318. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Spectral diffusion (SD) represents a substantial obstacle toward implementation of solid-state quantum emitters as a source of indistinguishable photons. By performing high-resolution emission spectroscopy for individual colloidal quantum dots at cryogenic temperatures, we prove the causal link between the quantum-confined Stark effect and SD. Statistically analyzing the wavelength of emitted photons, we show that increasing the sensitivity of the transition energy to an applied electric field results in amplified spectral fluctuations. This relation is quantitatively fit to a straightforward model, indicating the presence of a stochastic electric field on a microscopic scale, whose standard deviation is 9 kV/cm, on average. The current method will enable the study of SD in multiple types of quantum emitters such as solid-state defects or organic lead halide perovskite quantum dots, for which spectral instability is a critical barrier for applications in quantum sensing.

PMID:37871158 | DOI:10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02318