Tag: nevin manimala

J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2023 Jun 26:S1058-2746(23)00485-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.05.025. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Phenotypic differences and functional limitations in children with congenital radial and ulnar longitudinal deficiencies (RLD/ULD) are well understood for the forearm and hand. However, anatomical features of shoulder elements in these pathologies have only been scarcely reported. Moreover, shoulder function has not been assessed in this patient population. Therefore, we aimed to define radiologic features and shoulder function of these patients at a large tertiary referral center.

METHODS: We prospectively enrolled all patients with RLD and ULD (minimum age: 7 years) for this study. Eighteen patients (12 RLD, 6 ULD) with a mean age of 17.9 years (range, 8.5-32.5) were evaluated using clinical examination (shoulder motion and stability), patient-reported outcome measures (Visual Analogue Scale [VAS], Pediatric/Adolescent Shoulder Survey [PASS], Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument [PODCI]), and radiologic grading of shoulder dysplasia (including length and width discrepancy of the humerus, glenoid dysplasia in the anteroposterior and axial view [Waters classification], and scapular and acromioclavicular dysplasia assessment). Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Despite five (28%) cases having anterioposterior shoulder instability and five (28%) cases with decreased motion, outcome scores indicated an overall excellent function of the shoulder girdle, with mean VAS of 0.3 (range, 0-5), mean PASS of 97 (range, 75-100), and mean PODCI Global Functioning Scale of 93 (range, 76-100). The humerus was, on average, 15 mm shorter (range, 0-75), and metaphyseal and diaphyseal diameters both reached 94% of the contralateral side. Glenoid dysplasia was detected in nine (50%) cases, with increased retroversion evident in 10 (56%) cases. However, scapular (n=2) and acromioclavicular (n=1) dysplasia were rare. Based on radiographic findings, a radiologic classification system for dysplasia types IA, IB, and II was developed.

CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent and adult patients with longitudinal deficiencies exhibit various mild-to-severe radiologic abnormalities around the shoulder girdle. Nevertheless, these findings did not seem to negatively affect shoulder function as the overall outcome scores were excellent.

PMID:37379966 | DOI:10.1016/j.jse.2023.05.025

Virology. 2023 Jun 15;585:186-195. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.06.006. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Infection with Senecavirus A (SVA) causes differential phenotypes in cells. In this study, cells were inoculated with SVA for culture. At 12 and 72 h post infection, cells were independently harvested for high-throughput RNA sequencing, and further methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing. The resultant data were comprehensively analyzed for mapping N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A)-modified profiles of SVA-infected cells. More importantly, m⁶A-modified regions were identified in the SVA genome. A dataset of m⁶A-modified mRNAs was generated for screening out differentially m⁶A-modified mRNAs, further subjected to a series of in-depth analyses. This study not only showed statistical differentiation of m⁶A-modified sites between two SVA-infected groups, but also demonstrated that SVA genome, as a positive-sense, single-stranded mRNA, itself could be modified through the m⁶A pattern. Out of the six samples of SVA mRNAs, only three were identified to be m⁶A-modified, implying that the epigenetic effect might not be a crucial driving force for SVA evolution.

PMID:37379620 | DOI:10.1016/j.virol.2023.06.006

Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2023 Jun 28:zwad214. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwad214. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: To assess the sex- and age- specific trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality in the modern European Union (EU-27) member states between years 2012 and 2020.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for each country of the EU-27 were retrieved through publicly available European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) dataset for the years 2012 to 2020. AMI-related deaths were ascertained when codes for AMI (ICD-10 codes I21.0-I22.0) were listed as the underlying cause of death in the medical death certificate. Deaths occurring before the age of 65 years were defined as premature deaths. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average (AAPC) annual percent change with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Joinpoint regression. During the study period, 1,793,314 deaths (1,048,044 males and 745,270 females) occurred in the EU-27 due to of AMI. The proportion of AMI-related deaths per 1,000 total deaths decline from 5.0% to 3.5% both in the entire population (p for trend <0.001) and in males or females, separately. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a continuous linear decrease in age-adjusted AMI-related mortality from 2012 to 2020 among EU-27 members [AAPC: -4.6% (95% CI: -5.1 to -4.0), p < 0.001]. The age-adjusted mortality rate showed a plateau in some Eastern European countries and was more pronounced in EU-27 females and in subjects aged ≥ 65 years old.

CONCLUSIONS: Over the last decade, the age-adjusted AMI-related mortality has been continuously declining in most of the in EU-27 Member States. However, some disparities still exist between western and eastern European countries.

PMID:37379577 | DOI:10.1093/eurjpc/zwad214

Biochemistry. 2023 Jun 28. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00279. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The disordered and basic C-terminal 14 residues of human troponin T (TnT) are essential for full inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity at low Ca²⁺ levels and for limiting activation at saturating Ca²⁺. In previous studies, stepwise truncation of the C-terminal region of TnT increased activity in proportion to the number of positive charges eliminated. To define key basic residues more closely, we generated phosphomimetic-like mutants of TnT. Phosphomimetic mutants were chosen because of reports that phosphorylation of TnT, including sites within the C terminal region, depressed activity, contrary to our expectations. Four constructs were made where one or more Ser and Thr residues were replaced with Asp residues. The S275D and T277D mutants, near the IT helix and adjacent to basic residues, produced the greatest activation of ATPase rates in solution; the effects of the S275D mutant were recapitulated in muscle fiber preparations with enhanced myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity. Actin filaments containing S275D TnT were also shown to be incapable of populating the inactive state at low Ca²⁺ levels. Actin filaments containing both S275D/T284D were not statistically different from those containing only S275D in both solution and cardiac muscle preparation studies. Finally, actin filaments containing T284D TnT, closer to the C-terminus and not adjacent to a basic residue, had the smallest effect on activity. Thus, the effects of negative charge placement in the C-terminal region of TnT were greatest near the IT helix and adjacent to a basic residue.

PMID:37379571 | DOI:10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00279

Medicina (B Aires). 2023;83(3):420-427.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of physical rehabilitation therapies on patients who required prolonged mechanical ventilation and were discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with post-COVID-19 neuromuscular weakness is known in the acute period. The objective of this study was to characterize the functional recovery in people hospitalized with post-ICU neuromuscular weakness due to COVID-19 admitted to rehab.

METHODS: Retrospective study which included 42 patients with post-COVID-19 neuromuscular weakness, who were admitted to two tertiary care rehabilitation centers, from April 2020 to April 2022.

RESULTS: We found statistically significant differences between the functional evaluations of admission and discharge. The Functional Independence Measure improved from 49 [41-57] a 107 [94-119] (p < 0.001). The Berg scale from 4 [1-6] a 47 [36-54] (p < 0.001), the 6-minute test from 0 [0-0] a 254 [167-400] (p < 0.001), and the 10-meter test from 0 [0-0] a 0.83 [0.4-1.2] (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the admission and discharge total score of the functional assessments with age and respiratory complexity.

DISCUSSION: Treatment for functional recovery in a tertiary and long-term center is beneficial for people with severe post-ICU neuromuscular weakness due to COVID-19, even though 43% did not reach the previous level of mobility. Age and respiratory complexity are variables that did not impact the final recovery.

PMID:37379539

Omega (Westport). 2023 Jun 28:302228231186360. doi: 10.1177/00302228231186360. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: The mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this, spirituality and religious coping mechanisms have been suggested as a way to maintain well-being and reduce anxiety levels. Additionally, vaccination has been shown to play an essential role in lowering anxiety levels, including death anxiety. However, there is a lack of evidence on how positive religious coping strategies and COVID-19 immunization affect death anxiety levels. To fill this gap, this study uses a Pakistani HCWs sample. Methods: This study collected cross-sectional data from 389 HCWs on socio-demographics, positive religious coping strategies, vaccine acceptance, and death anxiety. Hypothesis testing was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) by adopting the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. Results: The results showed that the positive religious coping strategy and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine reduced death anxiety among HCWs in Pakistan. HCWs practicing the positive religious coping strategy and vaccine acceptance had lower levels of death anxiety symptoms. Thus, the positive religious coping strategy has a direct effect on reducing death anxiety. Conclusion: In conclusion, COVID-19 immunization positively affects individual mental health by reducing death anxiety. Vaccines protect individuals from COVID-19 infection, providing a sense of security that reduces the chance of death anxiety among HCWs attending to COVID-19 patients.

PMID:37379515 | DOI:10.1177/00302228231186360

J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jun 28:JCO2202424. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.02424. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the utility of integrating a panel of circulating protein biomarkers in combination with a risk model on the basis of subject characteristics to identify individuals at high risk of harboring a lethal lung cancer.

METHODS: Data from an established logistic regression model that combines four-marker protein panel (4MP) together with the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) risk model (PLCO_m2012) assayed in prediagnostic sera from 552 lung cancer cases and 2,193 noncases from the PLCO cohort were used in this study. Of the 552 lung cancer cases, 387 (70%) died of lung cancer. Cumulative incidence of lung cancer death and subdistributional and cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated on the basis of 4MP + PLCO_m2012 risk scores at a predefined 1.0% and 1.7% 6-year risk thresholds, which correspond to the current and former US Preventive Services Task Force screening criteria, respectively.

RESULTS: When considering cases diagnosed within 1 year of blood draw and all noncases, the area under receiver operation characteristics curve estimate of the 4MP + PLCO_m2012 model for risk prediction of lung cancer death was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.86 to 0.90). The cumulative incidence of lung cancer death was statistically significantly higher in individuals with 4MP + PLCO_m2012 scores above the 1.0% 6-year risk threshold (modified χ², 166.27; P < .0001). Corresponding subdistributional and lung cancer death-specific HRs for test-positive cases were 9.88 (95% CI, 6.44 to 15.18) and 10.65 (95% CI, 6.93 to 16.37), respectively.

CONCLUSION: The blood-based biomarker panel in combination with PLCO_m2012 identifies individuals at high risk of a lethal lung cancer.

PMID:37379494 | DOI:10.1200/JCO.22.02424

J Cogn Neurosci. 2023 Aug 1;35(8):1301-1311. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_02016.

ABSTRACT

The envelope of a speech signal is tracked by neural activity in the cerebral cortex. The cortical tracking occurs mainly in two frequency bands, theta (4-8 Hz) and delta (1-4 Hz). Tracking in the faster theta band has been mostly associated with lower-level acoustic processing, such as the parsing of syllables, whereas the slower tracking in the delta band relates to higher-level linguistic information of words and word sequences. However, much regarding the more specific association between cortical tracking and acoustic as well as linguistic processing remains to be uncovered. Here, we recorded EEG responses to both meaningful sentences and random word lists in different levels of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) that lead to different levels of speech comprehension as well as listening effort. We then related the neural signals to the acoustic stimuli by computing the phase-locking value (PLV) between the EEG recordings and the speech envelope. We found that the PLV in the delta band increases with increasing SNR for sentences but not for the random word lists, showing that the PLV in this frequency band reflects linguistic information. When attempting to disentangle the effects of SNR, speech comprehension, and listening effort, we observed a trend that the PLV in the delta band might reflect listening effort rather than the other two variables, although the effect was not statistically significant. In summary, our study shows that the PLV in the delta band reflects linguistic information and might be related to listening effort.

PMID:37379482 | DOI:10.1162/jocn_a_02016

Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2023 Jun 28. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli is a well-characterized micro-organism in scientific literature. Similarly, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are historical sanitizers in food processing. However, the use of QACs has been questioned due to bacterial resistance in some studies. Therefore, this study aimed to compare effects of single and mixed cultures of E. coli strains of different serogroups with either high (six strains) or low (five strains) resistance to QACs. Twenty-five combinations of strains with either high (H)- or low (L)-QAC resistance were analyzed (H + H vs. L + L). After exposure to QAC, combinations with statistical differences (p < 0.05) compared with individuals were selected and an inactivation model determined using GInaFit^®. Only one combination of two strains (C23 and C20) with low-QAC resistance (mixture T18) had greater resistance (p < 0.05) than the individual isolates. The combination T18 and individual strain C23 presented a Weibull model, whereas the other isolated strain (C20) presented a biphasic inactivation model with a shoulder. Whole genome sequencing determined that unlike C20, C23 carried yehW, which may have led to Weibull inactivation. Possibly, very rapid interaction of C20 with the QAC favored increased survival of C23 and overall persistence of the T18 mixture. Consequently, our results indicate that individual E. coli with low-QAC resistance can synergistically interfere with QAC inactivation.

PMID:37379475 | DOI:10.1089/fpd.2023.0005

Multivariate Behav Res. 2023 Jun 28:1-13. doi: 10.1080/00273171.2023.2217662. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In many psychometric applications, the relationship between the mean of an outcome and a quantitative covariate is too complex to be described by simple parametric functions; instead, flexible nonlinear relationships can be incorporated using penalized splines. Penalized splines can be conveniently represented as a linear mixed effects model (LMM), where the coefficients of the spline basis functions are random effects. The LMM representation of penalized splines makes the extension to multivariate outcomes relatively straightforward. In the LMM, no effect of the quantitative covariate on the outcome corresponds to the null hypothesis that a fixed effect and a variance component are both zero. Under the null, the usual asymptotic chi-square distribution of the likelihood ratio test for the variance component does not hold. Therefore, we propose three permutation tests for the likelihood ratio test statistic: one based on permuting the quantitative covariate, the other two based on permuting residuals. We compare via simulation the Type I error rate and power of the three permutation tests obtained from joint models for multiple outcomes, as well as a commonly used parametric test. The tests are illustrated using data from a stimulant use disorder psychosocial clinical trial.

PMID:37379399 | DOI:10.1080/00273171.2023.2217662