Tag: nevin manimala

Sci Rep. 2026 Apr 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-47594-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The primary objective of this research is to explore changes in brain activity among astigmatism patients, employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). A prospective cross-sectional study comprising 57 participants (99 eyes) was conducted and segmented into three distinct sections. In PART I, 24 participants (48 eyes) with astigmatism (Group A) and 18 participants (36 eyes) without astigmatism (Group B) were assessed using fNIRS to investigate the variations across different brain regions and channels. PART II involved 15 participants with monocular astigmatism (15 eyes), who received complete spherical optical correction, followed by fNIRS assessments after visual stimulation using E-Prime software. The study examined the activation levels of the occipital visual cortex and the functional connectivity strength of the brain, comparing these metrics pre- and post-cylindrical correction.

PART III: Following the correction of the initial refractive error in Group A, + 2.00 diopter cylinder (DC) lenses were employed to induce astigmatism at various axes. These axes were categorized into three groups: oblique astigmatism group, with-the-rule astigmatism (WTR), and against-the-rule astigmatism (ATR). fNIRS was conducted during task performance to assess the strength and activation level of brain functional connectivity across different astigmatism axes of the same diopter.

PART I: The functional connectivity strength of HbO₂-based occipital cortex was stronger in group B than in group A (P < 0.001).

PART II: Significant differences in the β values of the left and right visual cortex were detected in cases of monocular astigmatism before and after astigmatism correction. (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004). The functional connectivity strength in the post-cylindrical correction condition exceeded that in the pre-cylindrical correction condition; nevertheless, this variation did not attain statistical significance (P > 0.05).

PART III: The functional connectivity strength and activation level of the HbO₂-based occipital visual cortex exhibited significant variations across different astigmatism axes (P < 0.001 and P = 0.045). Specifically, the functional connectivity strength in the oblique astigmatism group was greater than that observed in both the WTR and ATR groups. Conversely, the degree of brain activation in the oblique astigmatism group was lower compared to the ATR group (P = 0.042). These observations imply that astigmatism may decrease both the activation of the occipital visual cortex and the strength of brain functional connectivity. The functional activities of the occipital cortex can be enhanced to a certain degree following optical correction of astigmatism. The strength of functional connectivity and the degree of activation in the occipital visual cortex vary with different axes of astigmatism.Trial Registration This study was registered in the China Clinical Trials Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2300070613, date of registration: 2023-04-18), and the study followed the ethical principles required by the Declaration of Helsinki, and the subjects were informed and signed the informed consent form, and it has been reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (Approval No. 2022ER541-1).

PMID:41951802 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-47594-4

J Perinatol. 2026 Apr 8. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02648-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We sought to characterize bedside nurses’ perceptions of providing intensive care to patients with trisomy 18 (T18) in a level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). NICU nurses were anonymously surveyed with an electronic, mixed-methods survey. Items included quantitative questions about whether T18 is “incompatible with life,” whether interventions should be offered, open-ended free-text questions, and demographic items. Survey results were analyzed with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. There were 145 responses (response rate 46%). Most (53%) agreed that T18 was “incompatible with life”, and 59% felt that this diagnosis should impact interventions offered. Two major themes emerged from 114 free-text responses, including “perceptions of prognosis” and “ethical considerations.” Though most nurses believe that T18 is “incompatible with life” and interventions should be restricted, a substantial minority endorse other perspectives. A range of ethical considerations shape nurses’ diverse views, suggesting that they are morally rooted and may contribute to ethical distress.

PMID:41951800 | DOI:10.1038/s41372-026-02648-3

Sci Rep. 2026 Apr 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-47790-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adolescent depression is a public development crisis that needs to be paid attention to and addressed under the rapid development of the Internet. It is of great significance to investigate the associations among adolescent depression, family relationship and physical activity (PA) for promoting adolescent mental health. A total of 3990 valid questionnaires were obtained through self-reports from adolescents. Data were collected using measurement tools for adolescent depression, parental marital conflict (PMC), and PA, followed by statistical analysis. Adolescent depression and PMC was significantly positive correlation (β = 0.315, p < 0.001) and PA is significantly negatively correlated (β = – 0.093, p < 0.001). After introducing moderating variables, PMC is still a significant positive correlation and adolescent depression (β = 0.303, p < 0.001). The study provides preliminary support for the association between PMC and adolescent depression, as well as the potential moderating roles of gender and PA in this association. These findings generate hypotheses for future research on the roles of PA and family relationships in adolescent depression, rather than providing direct evidence for prevention or intervention strategies.

PMID:41951798 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-47790-2

J Nutr Health Aging. 2026 Apr 7;30(5):100837. doi: 10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100837. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effects of exercise snacks interventions on physical function in healthy or sub-healthy adults remain unclear. Exercise snacks intervention is defined as breaking up daily physical activity into brief, frequent bouts performed intermittently throughout the day (e.g., 1-2 min of stair climbing or bodyweight training hourly). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise snacks interventions in improving physical function in this population.

METHODS: The systematic search covered the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journals (VIP), Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases, screening relevant randomized controlled trials published up to July 31, 2025. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and data analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3.

RESULTS: This study included 11 eligible randomized controlled trials involving 472 participants. Meta-analysis results demonstrated that exercise snacks interventions significantly increased absolute peak power output [MD = 16.53, 95%CI (2.93, 29.77), P = 0.02], maximal oxygen uptake [MD = 0.19, 95%CI (0.02, 0.36), P = 0.03], the number of repetitions in the 60-second sit-to-stand test [MD = 4.38, 95%CI (1.00, 7.77), P = 0.01], while significantly reducing body fat percentage [MD = -3.12, 95%CI (-5.51, -0.73), P = 0.01]. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in improving fatigue levels or BMI.

CONCLUSION: Among healthy and sub-healthy adults, exercise snacks interventions enhance cardiorespiratory endurance by increasing Wpeak and VO_2max. Concurrently, they improve functional movement capacity by increasing the number of 60-second sit-to-stand repetitions and reducing body fat percentage. As a feasible, convenient, and easily integrated exercise method, exercise snacks demonstrate significant potential for health promotion.

PMID:41950555 | DOI:10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100837

Arch Oral Biol. 2026 Mar 25;187:106576. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2026.106576. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling in lipoteichoic acid-induced NF-κB activation and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in primary human dental pulp stromal cells (DPSCs).

DESIGN: Primary human DPSCs were cultured with lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus (LTA-SA; 10, 25, 50 µg/ml) for up to 72 h to assess time- and concentration-dependent IL-6 production. IL-6 secretion was quantified by ELISA, while cell counts were determined via cell counter. To evaluate TLR2-dependent signaling, cells were pre-incubated with the TLR2 inhibitor C29 (100 µM) prior to LTA-SA stimulation. IL6 gene expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR, and NF-κB nuclear translocation was assessed by Western blot analysis. Non-parametric statistical analyses were applied to compare all groups and time points (Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test; α = 0.05).

RESULTS: LTA-SA stimulation induced a significant, time- and concentration-dependent increase in IL6 gene expression and IL-6 secretion, accompanied by enhanced NF-κB nuclear translocation. Inhibition of TLR2 with C29 reduced nuclear translocation of NF-κB, along with a decrease in IL6 gene expression and IL-6 secretion, exhibiting both time- and concentration-dependent effects.

CONCLUSIONS: LTA induces IL-6 production in DPSCs via TLR2-mediated activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway. Targeted modulation of TLR2 signaling may represent a potential strategy for controlling pulpal inflammation.

PMID:41950554 | DOI:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2026.106576

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2026 Apr 5;322:115095. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115095. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) impairs quality of life in aging women. Vaginal hysterectomy (VH) is a standard approach for advanced POP, yet large single-center series are limited. We evaluated concomitant procedures and perioperative outcomes of VH and explored associations of age, parity, and concomitant adnexal or reconstructive surgery with perioperative measures.

STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort included 416 patients who underwent VH for POP between 2017 and 2025. Demographics, prolapse stage, concomitant procedures, perioperative complications, length of hospital stay, perioperative hemoglobin change, and pathological/specimen characteristics were recorded. Subgroup analyses compared patients undergoing additional reconstructive and/or adnexal surgery. Statistical analyses included t-test/ANOVA and Spearman correlation, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Mean age was 62.6 ± 9.2 years and mean parity 3.2 ± 1.7. POP was stage 3 in 41.6% and stage 4 in 34.6%. Anterior colporrhaphy was performed in 69.7%. Apical suspension accompanied VH in 72.4% of cases, including McCall culdoplasty (52.4%) and sacrospinous fixation (20.2%). Increasing age was associated with higher prolapse stage (p = 0.033). Vaginal deliveries were associated with cystocele and rectocele (p = 0.027 and p = 0.028). Concomitant adnexal surgery was associated with longer hospitalization and lower postoperative hemoglobin (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03). Postoperative complications occurred in 1.4% and were associated with lower mean age (p = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS: VH for advanced POP demonstrated favorable perioperative outcomes with a low complication rate. Age, parity, and concomitant procedures influenced perioperative measures, supporting VH with apical suspension as a reliable real-world surgical option.

PMID:41950546 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115095

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2026 Apr 8. doi: 10.1021/jasms.5c00444. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Imidacloprid (IMI) is a widespread neonicotinoid insecticide of environmental concern because of its ecotoxicity and persistence. Tracing its commercial sources and environmental transformation is difficult with concentration-based approaches. We explored electrospray ionization Orbitrap isotope ratio mass spectrometry ((ESI) Orbitrap MS-Based Isotope Ratio Analysis) for compound- and fragment-specific stable isotope analysis of IMI at natural abundance. This approach enables direct measurement of ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ³⁷Cl, and multiple substituted isotopologue ratios. Experimental parameters were optimized to control sources of bias in isotopologue ratios. A dual-inlet bracketing protocol enabled normalization and drift correction. IMI from seven different commercial sources could be distinguished by their isotopic fingerprints. We demonstrate that principal component analysis (PCA) can exploit the expanded set of isotopic variables. Two PCAs with distinct variable sets were performed: a fragment-only, nonoverlapping isotopologue subset for source material attribution, and a combined molecular-average and fragment-level subset to maximize manufacturer discrimination. Alkaline hydrolysis (pH ≈ 12, 30 °C) based on compound-average δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values measured by (ESI) Orbitrap MS-Based Isotope Ratio Analysis revealed significant carbon isotope fractionation (ε_C = -4.3 ± 1.4 ‰) and a statistically negligible nitrogen fractionation (ε_N = 0.6 ± 1.6 ‰), consistent with initial OH^– attack at the nitroimine carbon as the primary pathway. (ESI) Orbitrap MS-Based Isotope Ratio Analysis can elucidate transformation mechanisms in analytically challenging polar analytes. The chemometric approach of using MS¹/MS² data can be transferred to other (agro-)chemicals either to enhance isotopic discrimination or to discover patterns.

PMID:41950525 | DOI:10.1021/jasms.5c00444

JMIR Med Educ. 2026 Apr 8;12:e82136. doi: 10.2196/82136.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in medical education for training and examination purposes; yet, learners’ performance in VR-based assessments may be influenced by more than clinical competence alone. Immersive competence (IC) has been proposed as a relevant factor in VR-based performance assessment. While general IC captures application-independent VR interaction skills, domain-specific applications may require an additional construct, specific immersive competence (specific IC), reflecting context-dependent interaction proficiency.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and examine the initial psychometric characteristics of a newly developed in situ checklist for assessing specific IC, to explore the relationship between specific and general IC as well as related human abilities and characteristics, and to capture preliminary associations between both IC measures and medical performance in a VR-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) station.

METHODS: In this observational follow-up study, 21 final-year medical students who had previously completed a curricular OSCE including a VR-based emergency medicine station were recruited. General IC was assessed using the VR competence app, and specific IC using a checklist embedded in the original VR simulation. Additional measures included self-reported technological affinity, spatial ability, and OSCE performance scores. Analyses focused on descriptive statistics and exploratory associations, including item difficulty, item-total correlations, and internal consistency for the specific IC checklist. Pearson r was used to examine associations among variables.

RESULTS: The final 13-item specific IC checklist demonstrated acceptable internal consistency for an early-stage instrument (Cronbach α=0.79) and balanced item difficulty (mean P 0.56, SD 0.28). Specific IC showed a strong exploratory association with general IC (r=0.56; P=.008) and with prior 3D application experience (r=0.57; P=.007), but no relevant association with spatial ability. Both general and specific IC showed borderline, moderate associations with VR-OSCE performance (r=0.41; P=.06 and r=0.37; P=.09, respectively), while neither was related to overall analog OSCE performance.

CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot sample, specific IC emerged as a psychometrically accessible construct aimed to capture context-sensitive VR interaction skills. The proposed in situ approach offers a feasible and scalable method to assess this construct within domain-specific VR applications. Although associations with medical performance were exploratory and limited by sample size, the findings suggest the relevance of IC as a potential source of construct-irrelevant variance in VR-based assessments and support further investigation in larger, confirmatory studies.

PMID:41950510 | DOI:10.2196/82136

JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2026 Apr 8;12:e81412. doi: 10.2196/81412.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ambient ozone (O3) exposure has been found to be associated with gestational hypertension, which, in turn, increases the risk of term low birth weight (LBW). As such, gestational hypertension acts as a potential mechanism mediating restricted fetal growth; however, few epidemiological studies have quantified this specific mediation pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine whether gestational hypertension serves as a mediator of the association between prenatal O3 exposure and term LBW.

METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Cheeloo Lifespan Electronic Health Research Data-library, including 3,394,739 singleton term live births in Shandong Province, China, from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022. We used high-resolution spatiotemporal models based on residential addresses for exposure assessment. In addition to term LBW, we examined term small for gestational age (SGA) to capture fetal growth restriction while accounting for gestational age at birth. Given the low prevalence of these outcomes, we used logistic regression models where odds ratios approximated relative risks. A 4-step mediation analysis using logistic regression was conducted, followed by a counterfactual-based causal mediation analysis, to test the mediating role of gestational hypertension.

RESULTS: The mean (SD) O3 concentration was 113.90 (13.03) μg m-3. Each IQR increase in O3 was positively associated with the risks of term LBW (relative risk 1.055, 95% CI 1.034-1.077) and term SGA (relative risk 1.037, 95% CI 1.026-1.048). Using the traditional approach, gestational hypertension mediated 19.94% of the risk for term LBW and 13.41% for term SGA. Under the counterfactual framework, the contribution rates were 38.82% (term LBW) and 19.96% (term SGA) when excluding exposure-mediator interaction, and 35.15% (term LBW) and 18.82% (term SGA) when accounting for such interaction.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that gestational hypertension was a significant mediator of the association between O3 exposure and risks of term LBW. Consequently, a multitiered strategy-encompassing stricter air quality standards, integrating O3 risk education into routine prenatal care, and taking proactive measures to minimize personal exposure-is essential to prevent potential adverse impacts on developing fetuses and mothers.

PMID:41950506 | DOI:10.2196/81412

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2026 Apr 8;14:e56824. doi: 10.2196/56824.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Problematic social media use has been linked to reduced well-being and impulse control difficulties. While digital self-control apps show potential for reducing general app usage, they often lack customization, leading to limited effectiveness and increased user resistance. Their impact on problematic social media use remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Wellspent app, a customizable mobile intervention app designed to promote self-regulated social media use by targeting user-defined problematic app use and offering tailored behavioral nudges.

METHODS: In a 3-week randomized controlled trial, 70 iPhone users (mean age 26.2, SD 5.6 years; 47/70, 67% female), regularly using at least 1 social media app, were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=35) or control group (n=35). The intervention group received personalized full-screen reminders with the option to quit or continue social media app use whenever an app session exceeded a self-defined time limit. Participants completed weekly online surveys measuring problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, self-efficacy, and daily screen time on their most problematic app. Linear mixed models tested intervention effects.

RESULTS: While no significant reduction in problematic social media use or increase in self-efficacy was observed, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in daily screen time on their most problematic app by approximately 29 minutes (estimate=-29.35, SE 6.84, 95% CI -42.79 to -15.99; P<.001), and a significant decrease in perceived problematic smartphone use (estimate=-0.46, SE 0.18, 95% CI -0.80 to -0.11; P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS: The Wellspent app demonstrated short-term efficacy in reducing problematic smartphone use. By allowing users to tailor interventions to their personal goals, the app shows promise as a self-directed tool to support healthier digital habits. Further research should explore long-term effects and feature-specific impacts.

PMID:41950504 | DOI:10.2196/56824