Tag: nevin manimala

JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Apr 3;6(4):e238707. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.8707.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Recent information on the prevalence of prescription stimulant therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NUPS) at the school-level among US secondary school students is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the school-level prevalence of and association between stimulant therapy for ADHD and NUPS among US secondary school students.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used survey data collected between 2005 and 2020 as part of the Monitoring the Future study (data collected annually via self-administered survey in schools from independent cohorts). Participants were from a nationally representative sample of 3284 US secondary schools. The mean (SD) response rates were 89.5% (1.3%) for 8th-grade students, 87.4% (1.1%) for 10th-grade students, and 81.5% (1.8%) for 12th-grade students. Statistical analysis was performed from July to September 2022.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Past-year NUPS.

RESULTS: The 3284 schools contained 231 141 US 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students (111 864 [50.8%, weighted] female; 27 234 [11.8%, weighted] Black, 37 400 [16.2%, weighted] Hispanic, 122 661 [53.1%, weighted] White, 43 846 [19.0%, weighted] other race and ethnicity). Across US secondary schools, the past-year prevalence of NUPS ranged from 0% to more than 25%. The adjusted odds of an individual engaging in past-year NUPS were higher at secondary schools with higher proportions of students who reported stimulant therapy for ADHD, after controlling for other individual-level and school-level covariates. Students attending schools with the highest rates of prescription stimulant therapy for ADHD had approximately 36% increased odds of past-year NUPS compared with students attending schools with no medical use of prescription stimulants (adjusted odds ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.20-1.55). Other significant school-level risk factors included schools in more recent cohorts (2015-2020), schools with higher proportions of parents with higher levels of education, schools located in non-Northeastern regions, schools located in suburban areas, schools with higher proportion of White students, and schools with medium levels of binge drinking.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study of US secondary schools, the prevalence of past-year NUPS varied widely, highlighting the need for schools to assess their own students rather than relying solely on regional, state, or national results. The study offered new evidence of an association between a greater proportion of the student body that uses stimulant therapy and a greater risk for NUPS in schools. The association between greater school-level stimulant therapy for ADHD and other school-level risk factors suggests valuable targets for monitoring, risk-reduction strategies, and preventive efforts to reduce NUPS.

PMID:37071423 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.8707

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2023 Apr;23(4):247-255. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0049. Epub 2023 Jan 27.

ABSTRACT

Background: In Poland, Lyme borreliosis (LB) has been subject to mandatory public health surveillance since 1996 and, in accordance with EU regulations, Lyme neuroborreliosis has been reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control since 2019. In this study, the incidence, temporal trends, and geographic distribution of LB and its manifestations in Poland are described for the period 2015-2019. Methods: This retrospective incidence study of LB and its manifestations in Poland was based on data sent to the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene-National Research Institute (NIPH-NIH-NRI) by district sanitary epidemiological stations using the electronic Epidemiological Records Registration System and data from the National Database on Hospitalization. Incidence rates were calculated using population data from the Central Statistical Office. Results: During 2015-2019, Poland reported 94,715 cases of LB with an overall average incidence of 49.3 cases per 100,000 population. Cases increased from 2015 (11,945) to 2016 (20,857) and then remained stable through 2019. Hospitalization due to LB also rose during these years. LB was more common among women (55.7%). Erythema migrans and Lyme arthritis were the most common manifestations of LB. The highest incidence rates occurred among >50-year-olds, with a peak in 65-69-year-olds. The highest number of cases was recorded in the third and fourth quarters of the year (July-December). Incidence rates in the eastern and northeastern regions of the country were higher than the national average. Conclusions: LB is endemic in all regions of Poland, and many regions reported high incidence rates. Large variations in spatially granular incidence rates highlight the need for targeted prevention strategies.

PMID:37071404 | DOI:10.1089/vbz.2022.0049

Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol. 2023 May 1. doi: 10.1107/S2059798323002474. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

26 well selected oxidized P-clusters (P²⁺) from the crystallographic data deposited in the Protein Data Bank have been analysed statistically by the bond-valence sum method with weighting schemes for MoFe proteins at different resolutions. Interestingly, the oxidation states of P²⁺ clusters correspond to Fe₂³⁺Fe₆²⁺ with high electron delocalization, showing the same oxidation states as the resting states of P-clusters (P^N) in nitrogenases. The previously uncertain reduction of P²⁺ to P^N clusters by two electrons was assigned as a double protonation of P²⁺, in which decoordination of the serine residue and the peptide chain of cysteine take place, in MoFe proteins. This is further supported by the obviously shorter α-alkoxy C-O bond (average of 1.398 Å) in P²⁺ clusters and longer α-hydroxy C-O bond (average of 1.422 Å) in P^N clusters, while no change is observed in the electronic structures of Fe₈S₇ Fe atoms in P-clusters. Spatially, the calculations show that Fe3 and Fe6, the most oxidized and most reduced Fe atoms, have the shortest distances of 9.329 Å from the homocitrate in the FeMo cofactor and 14.947 Å from the [Fe₄S₄] cluster, respectively, and may well function as important electron-transport sites.

PMID:37071394 | DOI:10.1107/S2059798323002474

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s13555-023-00922-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Eosinophils, basophils, and the molecule CD23 on B cells are involved in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD). The molecule CD23 is involved in the regulation of IgE synthesis and is expressed by activated B cells. The molecule CD16 is used to assess the activation of eosinophils and CD203 of basophils. The association between the count of eosinophils, basophils, CD16⁺ eosinophils, CD203⁺ basophils and the expression of the activation marker CD23 on B cells in patients with AD (with and without dupilumab therapy) is not described.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the association between the blood count of eosinophils, basophils, relative CD16⁺ eosinophils, relative CD203⁺ basophils, and the expression of molecule CD23 on B cells and on their subsets (total, memory, naive, switched, non-switched) in patients suffering from AD (with and without dupilumab therapy) and in control group.

METHODS: A total of 45 patients suffering from AD were examined; 32 patients without dupilumab treatment (10 men, 22 women, average age 35 years), 13 patients with dupilumab treatment (7 men, 6 women, average age 43.4 years), and 30 subjects as a control group (10 men, 20 women, average age 44.7 years). Immunophenotype was examined by flow cytometry in which monoclonal antibodies with fluorescent molecules were used. For statistical analysis we used non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis one-factor analysis of variance with post hoc by Dunn’s test with Bonferroni modification and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient; for coefficients higher than 0.41, we report R² (percent of variation explained).

RESULTS: The absolute count of eosinophils was significantly higher in patients with AD (with and without dupilumab) in comparison to healthy subjects. The difference in the relative count of CD16⁺ eosinophils in patients with AD (with and without dupilumab therapy) compared with control is not statistically significant. In patients with dupilumab therapy the significantly lower count of relative CD203⁺ basophils was confirmed compared with control. The higher association between the count of eosinophils (absolute and relative) and the expression of CD23 marker on B cells was confirmed in patients with dupilumab therapy; in contrast, this association was low in patients with AD without dupilumab therapy and in healthy subjects.

CONCLUSION: The higher association between the count of eosinophils (absolute and relative) and the expression of CD23 marker on B cells was confirmed in patients with AD under dupilumab therapy. It suggests that IL-4 production by eosinophils may play a role in B lymphocyte activation. The significantly lower count of CD203⁺ basophils has been demonstrated in patients with dupilumab therapy. This reduction of CD203⁺ basophil count may contribute to the therapeutic effects of dupilumab by reducing the inflammatory response and allergic reactions in patients with AD.

PMID:37071375 | DOI:10.1007/s13555-023-00922-2

J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s44197-023-00099-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Stomach (gastric) cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers worldwide and most gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas. Based on prior research, there is an association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection together with the frequency of duodenal ulcer, distal gastric adenocarcinoma, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and antral gastritis. Helicobacter pylori virulence and toxicity factors have been identified before that significantly influence the clinical outcomes of H. pylori infection and gastric adenocarcinoma. However, it remains unclear exactly how different strains of H. pylori affect gastric adenocarcinoma. Current research suggests this involves tumor suppressor genes, like p27 but also H. pylori toxic virulence proteins. Therefore, we quantified known H. pylori genotypes within adenocarcinoma patients to establish the prevalence of known toxins that include cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA) as well as vacuolating cytotoxin A (vacA) within patients of variable adenocarcinoma diagnosis. This analysis used gastrectomy samples validated for DNA viability. The incidence of H. pylori in adenocarcinoma patients in Jordan was established to be 54.5% positive (ureA gene positive) with cagA genotype occurrence at 57.1%, but also in this population study vacA gene ratios found to be 24.7%:22.1%:14.3%:14.3%. (vacAs1:vacAs2:vacAm1:vacAm2). Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we confirmed with statistical significance that p27 was dysregulated and suppressed, within nearly all H. pylori vacA genotypes. In addition, within 24.6% of H. pylori samples analyzed was a different bacterial genotype, and curiously that p27 protein expression was retained in 12% of tested adenocarcinoma H. pylori samples. This is suggestive that p27 could be used as a prognostic indicator but also that an unknown genotype could be contributing to the regulatory effects of p27 protein within this bacterial and cellular environment that may include other virulence factors and unknown immune system regulatory changes.

PMID:37071369 | DOI:10.1007/s44197-023-00099-z

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26898-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The study projects climate over the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), covering geographic areas in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, under the two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), viz., RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 by the late twenty-first century using the best-fit climate model validated against the climate observations from eight meteorological stations. GFDL CM3 performed better than the other five evaluated climate models in simulating the climate of the UIB. The model bias was significantly reduced by the Aerts and Droogers statistical downscaling method, and the projections overall revealed a significant increase in temperature and a slight increase in precipitation across the UIB comprising of Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus sub-basins. According to RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the temperature and precipitation in the Jhelum are projected to increase by 3 °C and 5.2 °C and 0.8% and 3.4% respectively by the late twenty-first century. The temperature and precipitation in the Chenab are projected to increase by 3.5 °C and 4.8 °C and 8% and 8.2% respectively by the late twenty-first century under the two scenarios. The temperature and precipitation in the Indus are projected to increase by 4.8 °C and 6.5 °C and 2.6% and 8.7% respectively by the late twenty-first century under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The late twenty-first century projected climate would have significant impacts on various ecosystem services and products, irrigation and socio-hydrological regimes, and various dependent livelihoods. It is therefore hoped that the high-resolution climate projections would be useful for impact assessment studies to inform policymaking for climate action in the UIB.

PMID:37071365 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-26898-2

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26903-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Bacterial communities play an important role in maintaining the normal functioning of ecosystems; therefore, it is important to understand the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the bacterial community. In addition, understanding the metabolic potential of bacterial communities for PAHs is important for the remediation of PAH-contaminated soils. However, the deep relationship between PAHs and bacterial community in coking plants is not clear. In this study, we determined the bacterial community and the concentration of PAHs in three soil profiles contaminated by coke plants in Xiaoyi Coking Park, Shanxi, China, using 16S rRNA and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, respectively. The results show that 2 ~ 3 rings PAHs are the main PAHs and Acidobacteria (23.76%) was the dominant bacterial community in three soil profiles. Statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities at different depths and different sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) illustrate the influence of environmental factors (including PAHs, soil organic matter (SOM), and pH) on the vertical distribution of soil bacterial community, and PAHs were the main factors affecting the bacterial community in this study. The co-occurrence networks further indicated correlations between bacterial community and PAHs and found that Nap has the greatest effect on bacterial community compared with other PAHs. In addition, some operational taxonomic units (OTUs, OTU2, and OTU37) have the potential to degrade PAHs. PICRUSt2 (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) was used for further study on the potential of microbial PAHs degradation from a genetic perspective, which showed that different PAH metabolism genes were present in the genomes of bacterial communities in the three soil profiles, and a total of 12 PAH degradation-related genes were isolated, mainly dioxygenase and dehydrogenase genes.

PMID:37071357 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-26903-8

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-27084-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Accurate estimation of wind speed (WS) data, which greatly influences meteorological parameters, plays a vital role in the safe operation and optimization of the power system and water resource management. The study’s main aim is to combine artificial intelligence and signal decomposition techniques to improve WS prediction accuracy. Feed-forward back propagation neural network (FFBNN), support vector machine (SVM) and Gaussian processes regression (GPR) models, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and empirical mode decomposition (EMD) were used to forecast the WS values ​​1 month ahead in Burdur meteorology station. Statistical criteria such as Willmott’s index of agreement, mean bias error, mean squared error, determination coefficient, Taylor diagram and regression analysis, and graphical indicators were used to evaluate the prediction success of the models. As a result of the study, it was determined that both wavelet transform and EMD signal processing increased the WS prediction performance of the stand-alone ML model. The best performance was obtained with the hybrid EMD-Matern 5/2 kernel GPR with test (R²:0.802) and validation (R²:0.606). The most successful model structure was obtained using input variables with a delay of up to 3 months. The study’s results contribute to wind energy-related institutions in terms of practical use, planning, and management of wind energy.

PMID:37071355 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-27084-0

Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00607-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Forensic age assessments are crucial in the evaluation of criminal responsibility and preventing false age claims. Of all the methods available, the Greulich and Pyle (GP) atlas is most commonly used for age estimation purposes. Therefore, the current study sought to analyze the reliability and applicability of the GP standard and, additionally, to determine any possible association between the socioeconomic status (SES), food habits, and estimated skeletal maturity in the North Indian population. The study included 627 (334 males and 293 females) healthy children up to 19 years of age with varying SES and food habits. The skeletal age (SA) was estimated by three different evaluators using the GP atlas. The chronological mean age (CA) and SA were compared in different age cohorts. A paired t-test and a Pearson chi-square test were applied to show the difference between CA and estimated SA and the association of skeletal maturity with SES and food habits. The estimated skeletal age in males was retarded by 0.142 years or 1.72 months (p ≤ 0.05), whereas in females, it was retarded by 0.259 years or 3.12 months (p ≤ 0.05). In males, the GP method has significantly underestimated SA in age cohorts 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 7-8, 8-9, and 12-13, whereas it overestimated in 10-11 and 18-19 years. However, in females, the SA was significantly underestimated in age groups 10-11, 12-13, and 14-15, respectively. Estimated skeletal maturity had no significant association with SES and food habits. The current study concludes that the GP atlas may not be applicable to North India’s population. The observed difference in assessed skeletal maturity may be due to geographical region, genetics, hormonal effects, etc., which require further investigation. Hence, population-specific standards are necessary to determine the bone age of Indian children accurately.

PMID:37071347 | DOI:10.1007/s12024-023-00607-4

Int Ophthalmol. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.1007/s10792-023-02723-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of combined phacoemulsification and viscogoniosynechialysis (VGSL) with and without endoscopic cyclophtocoagulation (ECP) in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).

METHODS: In this prospective interventional case series 52 eyes of 50 patients were enrolled. Twenty-seven eyes underwent combined phacoemulsification and VGSL (PV group) and 25 eyes underwent the same procedure plus circumferential ECP (PVE group). All eyes were followed 1 day, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the procedure. Intraocular pressure and antiglaucoma medications were compared between and within groups using generalized estimating equations. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out to compare intensity to failure between groups.

RESULTS: The mean ± SD age was 63.23 ± 6.87 years and 50% of the cases were male in the entire group. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and antiglaucoma medications were significantly reduced at all time points in comparison with the baseline in both groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups in either IOP or medications at specific time points (p > 0.05). One eye in each group developed a fibrinous reaction in the postoperative period. There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding the intensity to failure (P = 0.169).

CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in IOP and medication reduction between groups. Also, the complications were comparable between groups.

PMID:37071345 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-023-02723-0