Tag: nevin manimala

J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2023 Jun 9. doi: 10.1007/s44197-023-00125-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have assessed the socioeconomic inequalities caused by COVID-19 in several health outcomes, there are numerous issues that have been poorly addressed. For instance, have socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from COVID-19 increased? What impact has the pandemic had on inequalities in specific causes of mortality other than COVID-19? Are the inequalities in COVID-19 mortality different from other causes? In this paper we have attempted to answer these questions for the case of Spain.

METHODS: We used a mixed longitudinal ecological design in which we observed mortality from 2005 to 2020 in the 54 provinces into which Spain is divided. We considered mortality from all causes, not excluding, and excluding mortality from COVID-19; and cause-specific mortality. We were interested in analysing the trend of the outcome variables according to inequality, controlling for both observed and unobserved confounders.

RESULTS: Our main finding was that the increased risk of dying in 2020 was greater in the Spanish provinces with greater inequality. In addition, we have found that: (i) the pandemic has exacerbated socioeconomic inequalities in mortality, (ii) COVID-19 has led to gender differences in the variations in risk of dying (higher in the case of women) and (iii) only in cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer did the increased risk of dying differ between the most and least unequal provinces. The increase in the risk of dying was different by gender (greater in women) for cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

CONCLUSION: Our results can be used to help health authorities know where and in which population groups future pandemics will have the greatest impact and, therefore, be able to take appropriate measures to prevent such effects.

PMID:37294460 | DOI:10.1007/s44197-023-00125-0

Swiss Dent J. 2023 Jun 9;133(11). Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This evaluation assessed the influence of a new implant shoulder design on cleanability using a now established in-vitro study model. Eight test (Botticelli, Di Meliora AG, Basel, Switzerland) and eight control implants (T3 Osseotite, ZimVie, Winterthur, Switzerland), were embedded in standardized defects in simulated bone. The implant surfaces were painted to be visually distinguishable and debrided with ultrasonic instruments (US) and an air powder waterjet device (AIR). Uncleaned implants served as positive controls. After the standardized cleaning, the implants were photographed and divided into three zones (upper marginal shoulder zone (A); lower marginal shoulder zone (B); fully threaded sub-shoulder zone (C)), and analyzed with an image processing software. On test implants, AIR was almost 100% efficacious compared to 80-90% with US, in both upper zones (A/B). In control implants, results of both AIR and US were almost 100% in zone A, but only 55-75% in zone B. In both implants, AIR showed statistically significant higher efficacy than US (P<0.05). Within the limitations of the present in-vitro model, a new macro-structured micro-rough dental implant shoulder with a new coronal vertical groove design shows similar cleanability in comparison to a smooth and machined surface.

PMID:37293828

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2023 Jun 9. doi: 10.1111/jce.15965. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) represent a challenging population for rhythm control therapies. Catheter ablation (CA) with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective treatment option for the reduction of the arrhythmic burden. Data regarding the comparability between radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon ablation (CRYO) in persistent AF are limited.

METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, single-center study designed to compare the efficacy in terms of rhythm control between RF and CRYO in persistent AF. Eligible participants were randomized 2:1 in two arms: RF and CRYO. The primary endpoint of the study was arrhythmia relapse in the early postprocedural period (first 3 months) and in the middle term follow-up (3 months to 12 months). Secondary endpoints included procedure duration, fluoroscopy time, and complications.

RESULTS: A total of 199 patients participated in the study (133 patients in the RF arm, 66 in the CRYO arm). No statistically significant difference occurred between the two groups regarding the primary endpoint (recurrences ≤3 months: 35.5% RF vs. 37.9% CRYO, p .755, recurrences >3 months: 26.3% RF vs. 27.3% CRYO, p .999). From the secondary endpoints, CRYO was a procedure of significantly shorter duration (75.15 ± 17.21 in CRYO vs. 136.6 ± 43.33 in RF group, p < .05).

CONCLUSION: CRYO and RF ablation appear to be equally effective for rhythm control in patients with persistent AF. CRYO ablation is advantageous in terms of procedure duration.

PMID:37293822 | DOI:10.1111/jce.15965

Stat Med. 2023 Jun 9. doi: 10.1002/sim.9802. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Researchers often work with treatments and outcomes that vary over time. For example, psychologists are interested in the curative effect of cognitive behavior therapies on patients’ recurrent depression symptoms. While there are various causal effect measures designed for one-time treatment, the causal effect measures for time-varying treatment and recurrent events are relatively under-developed. In this article, a new causal measure is proposed to quantify the causal effect of time-varying treatments on recurrent events. We suggest estimators with robust standard errors that are based on various weight models for both conventional causal measures and the proposed measure in different time settings. We outline the approaches and describe how using some stabilized inverse probability weight models are more advantageous than others. We demonstrate that the proposed causal estimand can be consistently estimated for study periods of moderate length, and the estimation results are compared under different treatment settings with various weight models. We also find that the proposed method is suitable for both absorbing and nonabsorbing treatments. The methods are applied to the 1997 National Longitudinal Study of Youth as an illustrative example.

PMID:37293813 | DOI:10.1002/sim.9802

Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2023 Jun 9. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12893. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D analogues and NBUVB are both well-recognised modes of therapy in the treatment of chronic stable plaque psoriasis. The objective of this open label intraindividual, left right study was to compare two different vitamin D analogues, calcipotriol and calcitriol, in combination with NBUVB phototherapy in psoriasis.

METHODS: Thirty patients with stable plaque psoriasis were enrolled for a 12-week clinical trial. The target lesion on the left side was treated topically with calcitriol ointment, while that on the right side was treated with calcipotriol ointment once daily. The whole body was irradiated with narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy (NBUVB) three times per week. Efficacy was assessed by target plaque scoring.

RESULTS: Both therapies resulted in a statistically significant reduction in erythema, scaling, thickness, and target plaque score, seen as early as 2 weeks into therapy. However, the calcipotriol combination led to an earlier clearance of plaques and a lesser relapse rate than the calcitriol combination. The number of treatment sessions and cumulative NBUVB doses were significantly lower in the calcipotriol-treated group.

CONCLUSION: Both vitamin D analogues appear to be safe, effective, and cosmetically acceptable, with calcipotriol being more efficacious, well tolerated, with a rapid onset of action and a better maintenance of response.

PMID:37293775 | DOI:10.1111/phpp.12893

Am J Bot. 2023 Jun 9:e16190. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.16190. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PREMISE: Reproductive fitness in plants is often determined by the quantity and quality of pollen transferred by pollinators. However, many fitness studies measure only female fitness or rely on proxies for male fitness. Here we assessed how five bee taxon groups affect male fitness in a prairie plant by quantifying pollen removal, visitation, and siring success using paternity assignments and a unique pollinator visitation experiment.

METHODS: In Echinacea angustifolia, we measured per-visit pollen removal for each pollinator taxon and estimated the number of pollen grains needed for successful ovule fertilization. Additionally, we directly measured pollinator influence on siring by allowing only one bee taxon to visit each pollen-donor plant, while open-pollinated plants acted as unrestricted pollen recipients. We genotyped the resulting offspring, assigned paternity, and used aster statistical models to quantify siring success.

RESULTS: Siring success of pollen-donor plants differed among the five pollinator groups. Nongrooming male bees were associated with increased siring success. Bees from all taxa removed most of the flowering head’s pollen in one visit. However, coneflower-specialist bee Andrena helianthiformis removed the most pollen per visit. Female fitness and proxy measures of male fitness, such as pollinator visitation and pollen removal, did not align with our direct quantifications of male fitness.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate the need for more studies to directly quantify male fitness, and we caution against using male fitness proxy measures. In addition, conservation efforts that preserve a diverse pollinator community can benefit plants in fragmented landscapes.

PMID:37293762 | DOI:10.1002/ajb2.16190

Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 Jun 9:1-7. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2216324. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Proton Pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed to cancer patients to prevent gastric mucosal damage. Post-diagnostic PPI use in patients with solid tumors may be associated with increased cancer mortality. However, the hazardous impact of PPIs in patients with hematologic malignancies remains unknown. This association was investigated in a large, retrospective cohort study using data from the Danish nationwide health registries. The outcomes were cancer-specific or non-cancer deaths. We identified 15,320 patients with hematologic malignancies and of these 1811 were identified as post-diagnostic PPI users. PPI users had significantly increased HRs for cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.44) and 1-year cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.29-1.74) as compared to nonusers. The association between PPI use and increased cancer-specific mortality in Danish patients with hematologic malignancies supports the raised concerns regarding the frequent use of PPIs in cancer patients.

PMID:37293759 | DOI:10.1080/10428194.2023.2216324

Waste Manag Res. 2023 Jul;41(7):1255-1266. doi: 10.1177/0734242X231155102. Epub 2023 Mar 2.

ABSTRACT

The low efficiency and selectivity limitations of biohydrometallurgy technique compel the researchers to explore novel microbial strains acclimated to metal existence site with higher toxicity tolerance and bioleaching capability in order to improve the role of bioleaching process for e-waste management. The current study aimed to explore bioleaching potential of indigenous Bacillus sporothermodurans ISO1; isolated from metal habituated site. The statistical approach was utilized to optimize a variety of culture variables including temperature, pH, glycine concentration and pulp density that impact bio-cyanide production and leaching efficiency. The highest dissolution of Cu and Ag, 78% and 37% respectively, was obtained at 40 °C, pH 8, glycine concentration 5 g L^-1, and pulp density 10 g L^-1 through One Factor at a Time (OFAT), which was further increased up to 95% Cu and 44% Ag recovery through the interactive effect of key factors in the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach. Furthermore, Chemo-biohydrometallurgy approach was utilized to overwhelm the specificity limitation; as higher concentration of Cu in computer printed circuit boards (CPCBs) causes interference to recover other metals. The sequential leaching through ferric chloride (FeCl₃), recovered Cu prior to bio-cyanidation by B. sporothermodurans ISO1 and resulted in the improved leaching of Ag (57%), Au (67%), Pt (60%), etc. The current work reports on B. sporothermodurans ISO1, a new Bacillus strain that exhibits highest toxicity tolerance (EC50 = 425 g L^-1) than earlier reported stains and has higher leaching potential that can be implemented to large-scale biometallurgical process for e-waste treatment to achieve the agenda of sustainable development goal (SDG) under the strategies of urban mining.

PMID:37293749 | DOI:10.1177/0734242X231155102

Vet Med Sci. 2023 Jun 8. doi: 10.1002/vms3.1171. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in outcomes in dogs treated for extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (EHPSS) by either complete suture ligation, partial suture ligation or medical management.

STUDY DESIGN: This wasa retrospective, single institutional study.

SAMPLE POPULATION: Dogs (n = 152) with EHPSS treated with suture ligation (n = 62), surgery with no ligation (n = 2), or medical management (n = 88).

METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for data on signalment, treatment variables, complications, and outcome. Kaplan-Meier plots were generated to assess survival across groups. Cox’s proportional hazard models were used to assess the relationship between survival times and multiple predictor variables. For outcomes of interest, backwards, stepwise regression was performed (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: Complete suture ligation was possible in 46/64 (71.9%) of dogs where surgical attenuation was attempted. One dog was euthanized following partial suture ligation due to suspected portal hypertension. Dogs with complete suture ligation of the EHPSS had a significantly longer median survival time (MST) compared to the medical management group (MST not reached vs. 1730 days [p < 0.001]). Complete resolution of clinical signs (without the need for further medical treatment or dietary changes) was achieved in 16/20 (80.0%) dogs with complete suture ligation and 4/10 (40.0%) dogs with partial suture ligation of their EHPSS.

CONCLUSION: Suture ligation (complete or partial) for the treatment of EHPSS, where clinically possible, yielded the best clinical outcome and increased longevity compared to medical management in this study.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: While medical management for the treatment of EHPSS in dogs is a valid treatment option, better clinical outcomes are achieved with surgical intervention.

PMID:37291685 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.1171

Microbiome. 2023 Jun 8;11(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s40168-023-01555-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Humans emit approximately 30 million microbial cells per hour into their immediate vicinity. However, sampling of aerosolized microbial taxa (aerobiome) remains largely uncharacterized due to the complexity and limitations of sampling techniques, which are highly susceptible to low biomass and rapid sample degradation. Recently, there has been an interest in developing technology that collects naturally occurring water from the atmosphere, even within the built environment. Here, we analyze the feasibility of indoor aerosol condensation collection as a method to capture and analyze the aerobiome.

METHODS: Aerosols were collected via condensation or active impingement in a laboratory setting over the course of 8 h. Microbial DNA was extracted from collected samples and sequenced (16S rRNA) to analyze microbial diversity and community composition. Dimensional reduction and multivariate statistics were employed to identify significant (p < 0.05) differences in relative abundances of specific microbial taxa observed between the two sampling platforms.

RESULTS: Aerosol condensation capture is highly efficient with a yield greater than 95% when compared to expected values. Compared to air impingement, aerosol condensation showed no significant difference (ANOVA, p > 0.05) in microbial diversity. Among identified taxa, Streptophyta and Pseudomonadales comprised approximately 70% of the microbial community composition.

CONCLUSION: The results suggest that condensation of atmospheric humidity is a suitable method for the capture of airborne microbial taxa reflected by microbial community similarity between devices. Future investigation of aerosol condensation may provide insight into the efficacy and viability of this new tool to investigate airborne microorganisms.

IMPORTANCE: On average, humans shed approximately 30 million microbial cells each hour into their immediate environment making humans the primary contributor to shaping the microbiome found within the built environment. In addition, recent events have highlighted the importance of understanding how microorganisms within the built environment are aerosolized and dispersed, but more importantly, the lack in development of technology that is capable of actively sampling the ever-changing aerosolized microbiome, i.e., aerobiome. This research highlights the capability of sampling the aerobiome by taking advantage of naturally occurring atmospheric humidity. Our novel approach reproduces the biological content in the atmosphere and can provide insight into the environmental microbiology of indoor spaces. Video Abstract.

PMID:37291673 | DOI:10.1186/s40168-023-01555-5