Tag: nevin manimala

Health Serv Insights. 2023 May 18;16:11786329231174745. doi: 10.1177/11786329231174745. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Long-term care (LTC) homes (“nursing homes”) were challenged during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on resident admission and discharge rates, resident health attributes, treatments, and quality of care.

DESIGN: Synthesis analysis of “Quick Stats” standardized data table reports published yearly by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. These reports are a pan-Canadian scorecard of LTC services rendered, resident health characteristics, and quality indicator performance.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: LTC home residents in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario, Canada that were assessed with the interRAI Minimum Data Set 2.0 comprehensive health assessment in fiscal years 2018/2019, 2019/2020 (pre-pandemic period), and 2020/2021 (pandemic period).

METHODS: Risk ratio statistics were calculated to compare admission and discharge rates, validated interRAI clinical summary scale scores, medication, therapy and treatment provision, and seventeen risk-adjusted quality indicator rates from the pandemic period relative to prior fiscal years.

RESULTS: Risk of dying in the LTC home was greater in all provinces (risk ratio [RR] range 1.06-1.18) during the pandemic. Quality of care worsened substantially on 6 of 17 quality indicators in British Columbia and Ontario, and 2 quality indicators in Manitoba and Alberta. The only quality indicator where performance worsened during the pandemic in all provinces was the percentage of residents that received antipsychotic medications without a diagnosis of psychosis (RR range 1.01-1.09).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled numerous areas to strengthen LTC and ensure that resident’s physical, social, and psychological needs are addressed during public health emergencies. Except an increase in potentially inappropriate antipsychotic use, this provincial-level analysis indicates that most aspects of resident care were maintained during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:37220547 | PMC:PMC10196682 | DOI:10.1177/11786329231174745

Drug Des Devel Ther. 2023 May 17;17:1453-1462. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S405963. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Oxidative stress has an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia. Boric acid (BA) contributes significantly to the protection of the brain by reducing lipid peroxidation and supporting antioxidant defense. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of BA treatment in AD rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four groups were formed as Control (C), Alzheimer’s (A), Alzheimer’s + Boric acid (ABA), Boric acid (BA). Intracerebroventricular injection of Streptozotocin (STZ) was preferred to create an AD. After 4 weeks, BA was applied 3 times every other day. The Radial Arm Maze Test (RAMT) was used to evaluate memory and learning abilities. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations were made in the hippocampus.

RESULTS: Initial RAMT inlet/outlet (I/O) numbers were similar. Two weeks after STZ injection, I/O numbers decreased in group A and ABA compared to group C and BA (p<0.05). After the second BA application, I/O numbers increased in the ABA group compared to the A group (p<0.05). In group A, PON-1, TOS and OSI levels were higher and TAS levels were lower than in groups BA and C. After BA treatment, PON-1 and OSI levels were lower in the ABA group than in the A group (p<0.05). Although there was an increase in TAS value and a decrease in TOS, this did not make a statistical difference. The thickness of the pyramidal cell in CA1 and the granular cell layers in the dentate gyrus, and the number of intact and degenerated neurons in the pyramidal cell layer were similar between the groups.

DISCUSSION: Significant improvement in learning and memory abilities after BA application is promising for AD.

CONCLUSION: These results show that BA application positively affects learning and memory abilities, and reduces oxidative stress. More extensive studies are required to evaluate histopathological efficacy.

PMID:37220543 | PMC:PMC10200114 | DOI:10.2147/DDDT.S405963

PeerJ. 2023 May 18;11:e15398. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15398. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a prevalent entrapment neuropathy resulting in hand pain, numbness and/or weakness, which significantly impairs hand function in daily activities. Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) is a potential therapeutic option for focal peripheral nerve disease and may be beneficial for CTS treatment. We aimed to compare the effects of rPMS and conventional therapy in the management of CTS.

METHODS: A blinded assessor randomly assigned 24 participants with electrodiagnostically-confirmed mild or moderate CTS to either rPMS or conventional therapy. Both groups were briefed on disease progression and tendon-gliding exercises. In the intervention group, the rPMS protocol, five sessions of rPMS-with a frequency of 10 Hz, 10 pulses/train, and 100 trains/session-were performed over a period of 2 weeks, with three sessions in the first week and two sessions in the second week. At baseline and the end of the second week, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, pinch strength, and electrodiagnostic results were evaluated.

RESULTS: The rPMS group demonstrated significantly greater within-group improvement in symptom severity scores (2.3 vs. 1.6, p = 0.009) and pinch strength (10.6 lbs vs. 13.8 lbs, p < 0.001). Regarding electrodiagnostic parameters, sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude was significantly increased (8.7 µV vs. 14.3 µV, p = 0.002) within the group treated with rPMS. With conventional therapy, there were no statistically significant within-group differences. Multiple linear regression models showed that there were no significant differences in other outcomes in between-group comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS: Five sessions of rPMS resulted in significant reduction in symptom severity, improvement in pinch strength and increase in SNAP amplitude. Future research should investigate the clinical utility of rPMS using a larger sample and longer treatment and follow-up durations.

PMID:37220528 | PMC:PMC10200096 | DOI:10.7717/peerj.15398

PeerJ. 2023 May 18;11:e15245. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15245. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease, which is mainly caused by coronary atherosclerosis, is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Gut microbiota likely play an important role in coronary atherosclerosis. This study aims to investigate the microbiota profile of adults with coronary atherosclerosis to provide a theoretical basis for future research.

METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from 35 adult patients diagnosed with coronary atherosclerosis and 32 healthy adults in Nanjing, China, and the V3-V4 region of 16S rDNA genes was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing. Differences in alpha diversity, beta diversity, and gut microbiota composition between the two groups were then compared.

RESULTS: A beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences between adults with coronary atherosclerosis and controls, but there was no statistical difference in alpha diversity between the two groups. There were also differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between the two groups. The genera, Megamonas, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Ruminococcus_torques_group, Prevotella_2, Tyzzerella_4, were identified as potential biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSION: There are some differences in the gut microbiota of adults with coronary atherosclerosis compared to healthy adults. The insights from this study could be used to explore microbiome-based mechanisms for coronary atherosclerosis.

PMID:37220524 | PMC:PMC10200099 | DOI:10.7717/peerj.15245

J Dev Phys Disabil. 2019;31(6):727-740. doi: 10.1007/s10882-019-09673-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention using an AAC app programmed with video visual scene displays (VSDs) embedded with hotspots with the Transition to Literacy (T2L) feature on single-word reading.

METHOD: Three school-aged children with multiple disabilities participated in a multiple baseline across participants design. Four names of characters in favorite movies and shows served as target words for each participant.

RESULTS: All three children demonstrated an increase in accurate identification of target words from baseline to intervention with Tau-U effect sizes for the participants of 0.69, 0.76, and 0.84, all of which were statistically significant (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians can consider including the intervention evaluated in the current study as one component of literacy intervention for school-aged children with multiple disabilities. Future research should further evaluate video VSDs and the T2L feature for use with individuals with multiple disabilities.

PMID:37220498 | PMC:PMC10202467 | DOI:10.1007/s10882-019-09673-5

Cureus. 2023 Apr 21;15(4):e37945. doi: 10.7759/cureus.37945. eCollection 2023 Apr.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, mainly in children. The signs and symptoms of ADHD include inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Consequently, Childhood Absence Epilepsy (CAE) tends to present in children with sudden and recurrent episodes of loss of awareness alongside symptoms that occasionally include clonic, atonic, and simple automatisms. The present study evaluates parents’ knowledge in Makkah regarding the difference between ADHD and CAE.

METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted among Saudi Arabian parents living in Makkah. Data were collected in April 2022 through the use of an online survey that was distributed electronically via social media platforms. The inclusion criteria entailed parents from different socio-economic backgrounds. In contrast, the exclusion criteria entailed parents who had not been involved in raising their children and those with children with intellectual disabilities. A group of consultants was tasked with validating all data collected through an original questionnaire. To effectively calculate the study sample size, OpenEpi Version 3.01 was used. Lastly, all statistical analyses were conducted with Stata Social Sciences (SPSS®) software for Mac, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

RESULTS: A total of 633 participants completed the survey. Of the total respondents, approximately 1% indicated having a good knowledge level, 15.17% indicated having moderate knowledge, and the remaining 84% indicated poor knowledge of the subject under study. Approximately 46% of the participants reported that social media was the primary source of information. One significant issue regards the observation that the parent’s level of education was statistically associated with the level of knowledge.

CONCLUSION: There is limited awareness of the difference between (ADHD) and (CAE) among parents in the pediatric population. These findings highlight an opportunity to raise awareness using well-organized education programs in Makkah City.

PMID:37220468 | PMC:PMC10200272 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.37945

Cureus. 2023 Apr 21;15(4):e37915. doi: 10.7759/cureus.37915. eCollection 2023 Apr.

ABSTRACT

Background Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus disease in Wuhan city of China in 2019 and its spreading worldwide and taking the form of a pandemic, many healthcare workers (HCWs) were affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Though we have used many types of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits while taking care of COVID-19 patients, we have seen COVID-19 susceptibility in different working areas were different. The pattern of infection in different working areas depended on HCWs following COVID-19 appropriate behavior. Therefore, we planned to estimate the susceptibility of front-line HCWs and second-line HCWs to getting COVID-19 infection. Aim To determine the risk of COVID-19 in front-line healthcare workers as compared to second-line healthcare workers. Method and materials We planned a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of COVID-19-positive healthcare workers from our institute within six months. Their nature of duty was analyzed and they were divided into two groups: 1) Front-line HCWs were defined as those who were working or who have worked in screening areas of the outpatient department (OPD) or COVID-19 isolation wards within the prior 14 days and provided direct care to patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. 2) Second-line HCWs were those who were working in the general OPD or non-COVID-19 areas of our hospital and did not have contact with COVID-19-positive patients. Results A total of 59 HCWs became COVID-19 positive during the study period, 23 as front-line and 36 as second-line HCWs. The mean (SD) duration of work as a front-line worker was 51 and as a second-line worker was 84.4 hours. Fever, cough, body ache, loss of taste, loose stools, palpitation, throat pain, vertigo, vomiting, lung disease, generalized weakness, breathing difficulty, loss of smell, headache, and running nose were present in 21 (35.6%), 15 (25.4%), 9 (15.3%), 10 (16.9%), 3 (5.1%), 5 (8.5%), 5 (8.5%), 1 (1.7%), 4 (6.8%), 2 (3.4%), 11 (18.6%), 4 (6.8%), 9 (15.3%), 6 (10.2%) and 3 (5.1%), respectively. To predict the risk of getting COVID-19 infection in HCWs, binary logistic regression with COVID-19 diagnosis as the output variable was modeled with hours of working in COVID-19 wards as front-line and second-line workers as independent variables. The results showed that there was a 1.18 times increased risk of acquiring the disease for every one-hour excess of working as a front-line worker, whereas, for second-line workers, it was slightly lower, with a 1.11 times increased risk for developing COVID-19 disease with every one hour increase in duty hours. Both these associations were statistically significant (p=0.001 for front-line and 0.006 for second-line HCWs). Conclusion COVID-19 has taught us the importance of COVID-19 appropriate behavior in preventing the spread of respiratory organisms. Our study has shown that both the front-line and second-line HCWs are at increased risk of getting the infection and proper use of a PPE kit or mask can decrease the spread of such respiratory pathogens.

PMID:37220464 | PMC:PMC10200018 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.37915

J Agric Food Chem. 2023 May 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00685. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Insect infestation of agricultural stored products is a significant challenge to food security across the globe. One common pest is Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle). In a new approach to addressing the threat of these beetles, Direct Analysis in Real Time-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry was used to examine infested and uninfested flour samples. These samples were then distinguished through statistical analysis techniques, including EDR-MCR, in order to highlight the important m/z values contributing to the differences in the flour profiles. A subset of these values responsible for the identification of infested flour (nominal m/z 135, 136, 137, 163, 211, 279, 280, 283, 295, 297, and 338) were further investigated, and compounds responsible for these masses included 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, palmitic acid, linolenic acid and oleic acid. These results have the potential to lead to a rapid technique by which flour and other grains can be tested for insect infestation.

PMID:37219919 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00685

JAMA Netw Open. 2023 May 1;6(5):e2312903. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.12903.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Cancer was a common noncommunicable disease in Syria before the present conflict and is now a major disease burden among 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Data to inform health care practice are needed.

OBJECTIVE: To explore sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes of Syrian patients with cancer residing in the southern border provinces of Turkey hosting more than 50% of refugees.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of all adult and children Syrian refugees diagnosed and/or treated for cancer between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2020, in hematology-oncology departments of 8 university hospitals in the Southern province of Turkey. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Demographic characteristics (date of birth, sex, and residence), date of first cancer-related symptom, date and place of diagnosis, disease status at first presentation, treatment modalities, date and status at last hospital visit, and date of death. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision and International Classification of Childhood Cancers, Third Edition, were used for the classification of cancer. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results system was applied for staging. The diagnostic interval was defined as the number of days from first symptoms until the diagnosis. Treatment abandonment was documented if the patient did not attend the clinic within 4 weeks of a prescribed appointment throughout the treatment.

RESULTS: A total of 1114 Syrian adult and 421 Syrian children with cancer were included. The median age at diagnosis was 48.2 (IQR, 34.2-59.4) years for adults and 5.7 (IQR, 3.1-10.7) years for children. The median diagnostic interval was 66 (IQR, 26.5-114.3) days for adults and 28 (IQR, 14.0-69.0) days for children. Breast cancer (154 [13.8%]), leukemia and multiple myeloma (147 [13.2%]), and lymphoma (141 [12.7%]) were common among adults, and leukemias (180 [42.8%]), lymphomas (66 [15.7%]), and central nervous system neoplasms (40 [9.5%]) were common among children. The median follow-up time was 37.5 (IQR, 32.6-42.3) months for adults and 25.4 (IQR, 20.9-29.9) months for children. The 5-year survival rate was 17.5% in adults and 29.7% in children.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Despite universal health coverage and investment in the health care system, low survival rates were reported in this study for both adults and children with cancer. These findings suggest that cancer care in refugees requires novel planning within national cancer control programs with global cooperation.

PMID:37219908 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.12903

JAMA Netw Open. 2023 May 1;6(5):e2314835. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14835.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Whether prediabetes is associated with fracture is uncertain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether prediabetes before the menopause transition (MT) is associated with incident fracture during and after the MT.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study used data collected between January 6, 1996, and February 28, 2018, in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation cohort study, an ongoing, US-based, multicenter, longitudinal study of the MT in diverse ambulatory women. The study included 1690 midlife women in premenopause or early perimenopause at study inception (who have since transitioned to postmenopause) who did not have type 2 diabetes before the MT and who did not take bone-beneficial medications before the MT. Start of the MT was defined as the first visit in late perimenopause (or first postmenopausal visit if participants transitioned directly from premenopause or early perimenopause to postmenopause). Mean (SD) follow-up was 12 (6) years. Statistical analysis was conducted from January to May 2022.

EXPOSURE: Proportion of visits before the MT that women had prediabetes (fasting glucose, 100-125 mg/dL [to convert to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0555]), with values ranging from 0 (prediabetes at no visits) to 1 (prediabetes at all visits).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Time to first fracture after the start of the MT, with censoring at first diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, initiation of bone-beneficial medication, or last follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the association (before and after adjustment for bone mineral density) of prediabetes before the MT with fracture during the MT and after menopause.

RESULTS: This analysis included 1690 women (mean [SD] age, 49.7 [3.1] years; 437 Black women [25.9%], 197 Chinese women [11.7%], 215 Japanese women [12.7%], and 841 White women [49.8%]; mean [SD] body mass index [BMI] at the start of the MT, 27.6 [6.6]). A total of 225 women (13.3%) had prediabetes at 1 or more study visits before the MT, and 1465 women (86.7%) did not have prediabetes before the MT. Of the 225 women with prediabetes, 25 (11.1%) sustained a fracture, while 111 of the 1465 women without prediabetes (7.6%) sustained a fracture. After adjustment for age, BMI, and cigarette use at the start of the MT; fracture before the MT; use of bone-detrimental medications; race and ethnicity; and study site, prediabetes before the MT was associated with more subsequent fractures (hazard ratio for fracture with prediabetes at all vs no pre-MT visits, 2.20 [95% CI, 1.11-4.37]; P = .02). This association was essentially unchanged after controlling for BMD at the start of the MT.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cohort study of midlife women suggests that prediabetes was associated with risk of fracture. Future research should determine whether treating prediabetes reduces fracture risk.

PMID:37219902 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14835