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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Chronic Health Risk for Chinese Adults and Breastfed Infants on Dietary Exposure to Chlorothalonil and Its Main Metabolite

J Agric Food Chem. 2023 Jun 21. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02512. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study presents the first nationwide study on the chronic health risks of chlorothalonil and its metabolite (4-OH-chlorothalonil) for Chinese adults and breastfed infants via dietary intake. The determination of chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil in dietary samples was accomplished by cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction using liquid chromatography─high-resolution mass spectrometry. Chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil were detected in 43.1 and 46.1% of total dietary samples, respectively, while only 4-OH-chlorothalonil was detected in 100% of breast milk samples. Chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil residues in dietary samples of Northwest China and Shandong regions were higher in comparison to those of other regions. No correlation between 4-OH-chlorothalonil residues in breast milk and adult daily dietary intake to total chlorothalonil indicates the presence of other exposure routes besides dietary exposure. Furthermore, a residue analysis of 4-OH-chlorothalonil in breast milk between urban and rural areas in all sampling locales showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05). The findings of this study reveal that the chronic health risks caused by dietary exposure to chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil are low for Chinese adults and breastfed infants.

PMID:37342977 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02512

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The Effects of MBSR Programme on Prenatal Comfort and Fetal Health Anxiety in Pregnant Women

J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2023 Jun 21:1-15. doi: 10.1080/02646838.2023.2227219. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the effect of the online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme applied to pregnant women on their prenatal comfort and foetal anxiety levels.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: This randomised controlled study was conducted between July and October 2022, with 89 pregnant women registered in a Family Health Centre of Adiyaman, located in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. In the study, a total of eight sessions of MBSR programme, one session per week for eight weeks, were applied to the pregnant women in the experimental group. Data of the study was collected with the ‘Personal Information Form’, ‘Prenatal Comfort Scale (PCS)’, and ‘Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory (FHAI)’. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test for independent and dependent samples were utilised in the analysis of the data.

RESULTS: It has been determined that the PCS total mean score after the intervention is 58.91 ± 7.18 in the experimental group and 50.56 ± 15.78 in the control group; the post-test FHAI total mean score is 4.52 ± 1.66 in the experimental group and 9.76 ± 5.00 in the control group, and the difference between the groups is statistically significant (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: It has been determined that the MBSR programme applied to pregnant women has increased the prenatal comfort levels of pregnant women and has decreased foetal health anxieties. In line with these results, it is recommended that the MBSR programme may be used as an alternative method to relieve pregnant women.

PMID:37342975 | DOI:10.1080/02646838.2023.2227219

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Expanding the stdpopsim species catalog, and lessons learned for realistic genome simulations

Elife. 2023 Jun 21;12:RP84874. doi: 10.7554/eLife.84874.

ABSTRACT

Simulation is a key tool in population genetics for both methods development and empirical research, but producing simulations that recapitulate the main features of genomic datasets remains a major obstacle. Today, more realistic simulations are possible thanks to large increases in the quantity and quality of available genetic data, and the sophistication of inference and simulation software. However, implementing these simulations still requires substantial time and specialized knowledge. These challenges are especially pronounced for simulating genomes for species that are not well-studied, since it is not always clear what information is required to produce simulations with a level of realism sufficient to confidently answer a given question. The community-developed framework stdpopsim seeks to lower this barrier by facilitating the simulation of complex population genetic models using up-to-date information. The initial version of stdpopsim focused on establishing this framework using six well-characterized model species (Adrion et al., 2020). Here, we report on major improvements made in the new release of stdpopsim (version 0.2), which includes a significant expansion of the species catalog and substantial additions to simulation capabilities. Features added to improve the realism of the simulated genomes include non-crossover recombination and provision of species-specific genomic annotations. Through community-driven efforts, we expanded the number of species in the catalog more than threefold and broadened coverage across the tree of life. During the process of expanding the catalog, we have identified common sticking points and developed the best practices for setting up genome-scale simulations. We describe the input data required for generating a realistic simulation, suggest good practices for obtaining the relevant information from the literature, and discuss common pitfalls and major considerations. These improvements to stdpopsim aim to further promote the use of realistic whole-genome population genetic simulations, especially in non-model organisms, making them available, transparent, and accessible to everyone.

PMID:37342968 | DOI:10.7554/eLife.84874

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Self-reported concussions in Canada: A cross-sectional study

Health Rep. 2023 Jun 21;34(6):17-28. doi: 10.25318/82-003-x202300600002-eng.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a major public health concern impacting the lives of many Canadians. Among all TBIs, concussions are the most common. However, to date, the incidence of concussions among the Canadian population, has remained unknown. To address this data surveillance gap, this study presents national estimates on the percentage of Canadians aged 12 years or older (excluding those living in the territories) who sustained one or more concussions in 2019.

DATA AND METHODS: This study used data collected from the Traumatic Brain Injury Rapid Response (TBIRR) module of the 2020 Canadian Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional health survey. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were conducted to summarize the information in the TBIRR module.

RESULTS: This study found that approximately 1.6% of Canadians aged 12 years or older reported sustaining one or more concussions in 2019. Age was significantly associated with concussion incidence after controlling for sex and annual household income, and the locations and activities surrounding respondents’ most serious concussions varied by age group. Over one-third of respondents sustained multiple concussions.

INTERPRETATION: The results suggest that certain populations, particularly younger individuals, may be more affected by concussions. While circumstances surrounding concussions vary by age group, the most important contributing factors were sports or physical activities among youth and falls among the adult population. Monitoring concussions among the national population is an important activity in injury surveillance, as it can help evaluate the efficacy of injury prevention intervention and better understand knowledge gaps and the burden of this injury.

PMID:37342962 | DOI:10.25318/82-003-x202300600002-eng

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Clinical characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia in children caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae with or without myocardial damage: A single-center retrospective study

World J Clin Pediatr. 2023 Jun 9;12(3):115-124. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v12.i3.115. eCollection 2023 Jun 9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a prevalent pathogen that causes respiratory infections in children and adolescents.

AIM: To assess the differences in the clinical features of MP-associated community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children who presented with mild or severe mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP); to identify the incidence of myocardial damage between the two groups.

METHODS: This work is a retrospective study. We identified children between 2 mo and 16 years of age with clinical and radiological findings consistent with CAP. We admitted patients to the inpatient department of the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China, from January 2019 to December 2019.

RESULTS: A total of 409 hospitalized patients were diagnosed with MPP. Among them were 214 (52.3%) males and 195 (47.7%) females. The duration of fever and cough was the longest in severe MPP cases. Similarly, plasma levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (t = -2.834, P < 0.05), alanine transaminase (t = -2.511, P < 0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (t = -2.939, P < 0.05), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (t = -2.939, P < 0.05) were all elevated in severe MPP cases compared with mild MPP cases, and these elevations were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conversely, the neutrophil percentage was significantly lower in severe MPP cases than in mild MPP cases. The incidence of myocardial damage was significantly higher in severe MPP cases than in mild MPP cases (χ2 = 157.078, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the main cause of CAP. The incidence of myocardial damage was higher and statistically significant in severe MPP cases than in mild MPP cases.

PMID:37342450 | PMC:PMC10278075 | DOI:10.5409/wjcp.v12.i3.115

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Drug-coated balloon therapy is more effective in treating late drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis than the early occurring one-a systematic review and meta-analysis

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 Jun 5;10:1062130. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1062130. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES-ISR) remains one of the important assignments to be resolved in interventional cardiology, as it is present in 5%-10% of total percutaneous coronary intervention cases. Drug-coated balloon (DCB) utilization is promising, as it comes with long-term protection from recurrent restenosis in optimal conditions without the hazard of higher risk for stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. We aim to reduce the need for recurrent revascularization in DES-ISR, specifying the population in which the DCB therapy should be used. In this meta-analysis, the results of studies containing data on the time frame between drug-eluting stent implantation and the clinical presentation of in-stent restenosis and concomitant drug-coated balloon treatment were summarized. A systematic search was performed in Medline, Central, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase databases on November 11th, 2021. The QUIPS tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. The occurrence of a major cardiac adverse events (MACE) composite endpoint, containing target lesion revascularization (TLR), myocardial infarction, and cardiac death, and each of these separately, was assessed at 12 months after the balloon treatment. Random effects meta-analysis models were used for statistical analysis. Data of 882 patients from four studies were analyzed. Across the included studies, a 1.68 OR (CI 1.57-1.80, p < 0.01) for MACE and a 1.69 OR (CI 1.18-2.42 p < 0.01) for TLR were observed, both in favor of late DES-ISR. The main limitation of the study is the relatively low patient number. Nevertheless, this analysis shows the first statistically significant results for the effect of DCB treatment in the early or late presentation of DES-ISR. As to date, intravascular imaging (IVI) remains limitedly accessible, other landmarks as the time frame of in-stent restenosis development are to be pursued to advance therapeutic outcomes. In consideration of other biological, technical and mechanical factors, time frame of occurrence as a prognostic factor could reduce the burden of recurrent revascularization in patients at an already high risk. Systematic Review Registration: identifier [CRD42021286262].

PMID:37342438 | PMC:PMC10277682 | DOI:10.3389/fcvm.2023.1062130

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Radiographic Analysis of Morphological Variations of Sella Turcica in Different Skeletal Patterns Among Saudi Subpopulations

Int J Gen Med. 2023 Jun 15;16:2481-2491. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S413903. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Size and shape of the sella turcica is considered vital for many radiographic analyses.

OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare the linear dimensions and shape of sella turcica on digital lateral cephalograms in Saudi subpopulation with different skeletal patterns, age groups and genders.

METHODOLOGY: A total of 300 digital lateral cephalograms were retrieved from the hospital archive. The selected cephalograms were grouped based on the age, gender, and skeletal types. The linear dimensions and shape of sella turcica were measured on each radiograph. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test and a one-way ANOVA. To test the inter-relationship of age, gender, and skeletal type with the dimensions of sella turcica, regression analyses were used. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.01.

RESULTS: Significant differences in linear dimensions between the age groups (P < 0.001) and genders (P < 0.001) were noted. On comparing sella size with different skeletal types, a significant difference was found for all sella dimensions (P < 0.001). The mean length, depth and diameter among skeletal class III were significantly higher than that among classes I and II. On comparing age, gender, and skeletal type with size of sella, age and skeletal type were significantly related to the change of length, depth and diameter (P < 0.001), whereas gender was found to be significantly related only to a change in length of the sella (P < 0.01). For the sella shape, normal morphology was noted in 44.3% of patients.

CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, the measurements of sella can be used as reference standards for future studies in Saudi subpopulation.

PMID:37342405 | PMC:PMC10278862 | DOI:10.2147/IJGM.S413903

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Yarning about pain: Evaluating communication training for health professionals at persistent pain services in Queensland, Australia

Br J Pain. 2023 Jun;17(3):306-319. doi: 10.1177/20494637221149831. Epub 2023 Jan 30.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Providing cultural education to health professionals is essential in improving the quality of care and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. This study reports the evaluation of a novel training workshop used as an intervention to improve communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients of persistent pain services.

METHODS: In this single-arm intervention study, health professionals undertook a one-day workshop, which included cultural capability and communication skills training based on a clinical yarning framework. The workshop was delivered across three adult persistent pain clinics in Queensland. At the end of the training, participants completed a retrospective pre/post evaluation questionnaire (5 points Likert scale, 1 = very low to 5 = very high), to rate their perceived importance of communication training, their knowledge, ability and confidence to communicate effectively. Participants also rated their satisfaction with the training and suggested improvements for future trainings.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven health professionals were trained (N = 57/111; 51% participation rate), 51 completed an evaluation questionnaire (n = 51/57; 90% response rate). Significant improvements in the perceived importance of communication training, knowledge, ability and confidence to effectively communicate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were identified (p < 0.001). The greatest increase was in the perceived confidence pre-training mean of 2.96 (SE = 0.11) to the post-training mean of 4.02 (SE = 0.09).

CONCLUSION: This patient-centred communication training, delivered through a novel model that combines cultural capability and the clinical yarning framework applied to the pain management setting, was highly acceptable and significantly improved participants’ perceived competence. This method is transferrable to other health system sectors seeking to train their clinical workforce with culturally sensitive communication skills.

PMID:37342393 | PMC:PMC10278454 | DOI:10.1177/20494637221149831

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

An exploration of the relationship between wastewater viral signals and COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ottawa, Canada

Infect Dis Model. 2023 Sep;8(3):617-631. doi: 10.1016/j.idm.2023.05.011. Epub 2023 Jun 7.

ABSTRACT

Monitoring of viral signal in wastewater is considered a useful tool for monitoring the burden of COVID-19, especially during times of limited availability in testing. Studies have shown that COVID-19 hospitalizations are highly correlated with wastewater viral signals and the increases in wastewater viral signals can provide an early warning for increasing hospital admissions. The association is likely nonlinear and time-varying. This project employs a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) (Gasparrini et al., 2010) to study the nonlinear exposure-response delayed association of the COVID-19 hospitalizations and SARS-CoV-2 wastewater viral signals using relevant data from Ottawa, Canada. We consider up to a 15-day time lag from the average of SARS-CoV N1 and N2 gene concentrations to COVID-19 hospitalizations. The expected reduction in hospitalization is adjusted for vaccination efforts. A correlation analysis of the data verifies that COVID-19 hospitalizations are highly correlated with wastewater viral signals with a time-varying relationship. Our DLNM based analysis yields a reasonable estimate of COVID-19 hospitalizations and enhances our understanding of the association of COVID-19 hospitalizations with wastewater viral signals.

PMID:37342365 | PMC:PMC10245285 | DOI:10.1016/j.idm.2023.05.011

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Association between radiomics features of DCE-MRI and CD8+ and CD4+ TILs in advanced gastric cancer

Pathol Oncol Res. 2023 Jun 5;29:1611001. doi: 10.3389/pore.2023.1611001. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to explore the correlation between the levels of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and the quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 103 patients with histopathologically confirmed advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Three pharmacokinetic parameters, Kep, Ktrans, and Ve, and their radiomics characteristics were obtained by Omni Kinetics software. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine CD4+ and CD8+ TILs. Statistical analysis was subsequently performed to assess the correlation between radiomics characteristics and CD4+ and CD8+ TIL density. Results: All patients included in this study were finally divided into either a CD8+ TILs low-density group (n = 51) (CD8+ TILs < 138) or a high-density group (n = 52) (CD8+ TILs ≥ 138), and a CD4+ TILs low-density group (n = 51) (CD4+ TILs < 87) or a high-density group (n = 52) (CD4+ TILs ≥ 87). ClusterShade and Skewness based on Kep and Skewness based on Ktrans both showed moderate negative correlation with CD8+ TIL levels (r = 0.630-0.349, p < 0.001), with ClusterShade based on Kep having the highest negative correlation (r = -0.630, p < 0.001). Inertia-based Kep showed a moderate positive correlation with the CD4+ TIL level (r = 0.549, p < 0.001), and the Correlation based on Kep showed a moderate negative correlation with the CD4+ TIL level, which also had the highest correlation coefficient (r = -0.616, p < 0.001). The diagnostic efficacy of the above features was assessed by ROC curves. For CD8+ TILs, ClusterShade of Kep had the highest mean area under the curve (AUC) (0.863). For CD4+ TILs, the Correlation of Kep had the highest mean AUC (0.856). Conclusion: The radiomics features of DCE-MRI are associated with the expression of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in AGC, which have the potential to noninvasively evaluate the expression of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs in AGC patients.

PMID:37342362 | PMC:PMC10277864 | DOI:10.3389/pore.2023.1611001