Tag: nevin manimala

Pediatr Phys Ther. 2021 Aug 19. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000816. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe the scope of practice of physical therapists (PTs) working with children worldwide.

METHODS: PTs working with children in any context and country were invited via social media and email campaigns to complete an online survey containing 42 questions about work context and service delivery. Descriptive statistics were computed.

RESULTS: Of the 1133 participants from 77 countries, most worked with children full-time (51.8%), and in government-funded work settings (57.5%). Modalities of access to services varied across countries, work settings, and children’s conditions, yet 46.7% of PTs reported that most children had direct access to services. PTs provided services to children with a variety of conditions, with cerebral palsy being most reported (83.3%). Interventions focused primarily on improving body function (42.0%) and on providing face-to-face individual treatment (96.6%).

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an international portrait of pediatric PT practice and illustrates the diversity of services in pediatric PT.

PMID:34417425 | DOI:10.1097/PEP.0000000000000816

Sci Rep. 2021 Aug 20;11(1):16932. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-95833-7.

ABSTRACT

Knowledge without awareness, or implicit knowledge, influences a variety of behaviors. It is unknown however, whether implicit knowledge of statistical structure informs visual perceptual decisions or whether explicit knowledge of statistical probabilities is required. Here, we measured visual decision-making performance using a novel task in which humans reported the orientation of two differently colored translational Glass patterns; each color associated with different orientation probabilities. The task design allowed us to assess participants’ ability to learn and use a general orientation prior as well as a color specific feature prior. Classifying decision-makers based on a questionnaire revealed that both implicit and explicit learners implemented a general orientation bias by adjusting the starting point of evidence accumulation in the drift diffusion model framework. Explicit learners additionally adjusted the drift rate offset. When subjects implemented a stimulus specific bias, they did so by adjusting primarily the drift rate offset. We conclude that humans can learn priors implicitly for perceptual decision-making and depending on awareness implement the priors using different mechanisms.

PMID:34417478 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-95833-7

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2021 Aug 19. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001406. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study is aimed to identify the effect of gratitude as an adaptive regulating mechanism from suicidal ideation (SI) for veterans with mental illness (study 1) and student veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (study 2) in the United States. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to examine sociodemographic characteristics and relationships between gratitude and SI. Our study 1 consisted of 156 veterans with mental illness. The mean age for study 1 was 37.85. Our study 2 consisted of 232 student veterans with PTSD symptoms. The mean age for study 2 was 28.43. Higher gratitude scores in study 1 and study 2 were significantly associated with lower SI scores after adjusting for demographics and depression. This study partially supports the association between gratitude and SI in veterans with mental illness. Based on the results from this study, gratitude interventions may be effective in reducing SI when working with veterans with mental illness.

PMID:34417422 | DOI:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001406

Cereb Cortex. 2021 Aug 20:bhab296. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab296. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Literatures have reported considerable heterogeneity with atypical functional connectivity (FC) pattern of psychiatric disorders. However, traditional statistical methods are hard to explore this heterogeneity pattern. We proposed a “brain dimension” method to describe the atypical FC patterns of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (BD). The approach was firstly applied to a simulation dataset. It was then utilized to a real resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging dataset of 47 individuals with major depressive disorder, 32 individuals with BD, and 52 well matched health controls. Our method showed a better ability to extract the FC dimensions than traditional methods. The results of the real dataset revealed atypical FC dimensions for major depressive disorder and BD. Especially, an atypical FC dimension which exhibited decreased FC strength of thalamus and basal ganglia was found with higher severity level of individuals with BD than the ones with major depressive disorder. This study provided a novel “brain dimension” method to view the atypical FC patterns of major depressive disorder and BD and revealed shared and specific atypical FC patterns between major depressive disorder and BD.

PMID:34416760 | DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhab296

J AOAC Int. 2021 Aug 20;104(4):924-934. doi: 10.1093/jaoacint/qsab049.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The SureFast® SARS-CoV-2 PLUS Test is a reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) assay for the direct, qualitative detection of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) RNA from stainless-steel environmental sample swabs.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the SureFast SARS-CoV-2 PLUS Kit as part of the AOAC Research Institute’s Emergency Response Validation Performance Tested Method(s)SM program.

METHOD: The SureFast SARS-CoV-2 PLUS Kit was evaluated for specificity using in silico analysis of 15 764 SARS-CoV-2 sequences and 65 exclusivity organisms (both near neighbors and background organisms) using the ThermoBLAST program. The candidate method was evaluated in an unpaired study design for one environmental surface (stainless steel) and compared to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, Instructions for Use (Revision 4, Effective 6/12/2020).

RESULTS: Results of the in silico analysis demonstrated 99.99% selectivity of the method in being able to detect target sequences of the known CoV-2 genomes and discriminate them from near neighbors. In the matrix study, the candidate method demonstrated statistically significant better recovery of the target analyte than the PCR detection reference method.

CONCLUSIONS: The SureFast SARS-CoV-2 PLUS Kit is a rapid and accurate method that can be utilized by food producers to detect the causative agent of COVID-19 on stainless-steel contact surfaces.

HIGHLIGHTS: SureFast SARS-CoV-2 PLUS test method is highly specific for primer/probe binding to the E target genome region for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 99.99% binding specificity using in silico analysis.

PMID:34416762 | DOI:10.1093/jaoacint/qsab049

J Surg Oncol. 2021 Aug 20. doi: 10.1002/jso.26655. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommended for resection of oral cancer define a free margin of ≥5 mm as clear and safe (R0). This statement was questioned recently based on the assumption that different surgical margins may hold different risk categories. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of stratification of the surgical margins on the survival outcome of patients with oral cancer.

METHODS: In a cohort of 753 patients, the hazard ratio for local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), and oral cancer-specific survival (OCSS) were estimated for R0 resection, the close margin of 1-4 mm, involved resection borders but with free frozen sections. Competing risk factors were considered in the statistical regression model.

RESULTS: One hundred seventy-three (23%) patients developed local recurrence and 316 (42%) died in the 5 follow-up years. There was a gradual improvement in the LRFS, OCSS, OS with the increase of clear margin. OS showed a similar tendency.

CONCLUSION: Not all patients with an R0cm status carry the same risk for impaired LRFS, OCSS, and OS. Their risk to develop recurrence is higher than those patients with R0 ≥5 mm but stratified risk management can be recommended according to the presented results.

PMID:34416792 | DOI:10.1002/jso.26655

Biol Reprod. 2021 Aug 20:ioab158. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab158. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Emerging evidence suggests that exposures in pre-puberty, particularly in fathers-to-be, may impact the phenotype of future offspring. Analyses of the RHINESSA cohort find that offspring of father’s exposed to tobacco smoking or overweight that started in pre-puberty demonstrate poorer respiratory health in terms of more asthma and lower lung function. A role of pre-puberty onset smoking for offspring fat mass is suggested in the RHINESSA and ALSPAC cohorts, and historic studies suggest that ancestral nutrition during pre-puberty play a role for grand-offspring health and morbidity. Support for causal relationships between ancestral exposures and (grand-)offspring health in humans has been enhanced by advancements in statistical analyses that optimize the gain while accounting for the many complexities and deficiencies in human multi-generation data. The biological mechanisms underlying such observations have been explored in experimental models. A role of sperm small RNA in the transmission of paternal exposures to offspring phenotypes has been established, and chemical exposures and overweight have been shown to influence epigenetic programming in germ cells. For example, exposure of adolescent male mice to smoking led to differences in offspring weight and alterations in small RNAs in the spermatozoa of the exposed fathers. It is plausible that male pre-puberty may be a time window of particular susceptibility, given the extensive epigenetic reprogramming taking place in the spermatocyte precursors at this age. In conclusion, epidemiological studies in humans, mechanistic research and biological plausibility, all support the notion that exposures in the pre-puberty of males may influence the phenotype of future offspring.

PMID:34416759 | DOI:10.1093/biolre/ioab158

J Neurosurg. 2021 Aug 20:1-10. doi: 10.3171/2021.2.JNS204333. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) direct bypass is a commonly used procedure for ischemic vasculopathy. A previously described variation of this technique is to utilize one donor artery to supply two recipient arteries, which the authors designate as 1D2R. The purpose of this study is to present a single surgeon’s series of 1D2R direct bypasses for moyamoya and ischemia using detailed clinical, angiographic, and intraoperative blood flow measurement data. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest series reported to date.

METHODS: Hospital, office, and radiographic imaging records for all patients who underwent cerebral revascularization using a 1D2R bypass by the senior author were reviewed. The patients’ demographic information, clinical presentation, associated medical conditions, intraoperative information, and postoperative course were obtained from reviewing the medical records.

RESULTS: A total of 21 1D2R bypasses were performed in 19 patients during the study period. Immediate bypass patency was 100% and was 90% on delayed follow-up. The mean initial cut flow index (CFI(i)) was 0.64 ± 0.33 prior to the second anastomosis and the mean final value (CFI(f)) was 0.94 ± 0.38 after the second anastomosis (p < 0.001). The overall bypass flow increased on average by 50% (mean 17.9 ml/min, range -10 to 40 ml/min) with the addition of the second anastomosis. There was no significant difference in the overall flow measurements when the end-to-side anastomosis or side-to-side anastomosis was performed first. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 or 1 postoperatively compared to preoperatively (p < 0.01). Through the application of Poiseuille’s law, the authors analyzed flow dynamics, deduced the component vascular resistances based on an analogy to electrical circuits and Ohm’s law, and introduced the new concepts of “second anastomosis relative augmentation” and “second anastomosis sink index” in the evaluation of 1D2R bypasses.

CONCLUSIONS: The application of the 1D2R technique in a series of 19 consecutive patients undergoing direct EC-IC bypass for flow augmentation demonstrated high patency rates, statistically significantly higher CFIs compared to 1D1R, and improved mRS scores at last clinical follow-up. Additionally, the technique allows a shorter dissection time and preserves blood flow to the scalp. The routine utilization of intraoperative volumetric flow measurements in such surgeries allows a deeper understanding of the hemodynamic impact on individual patients.

PMID:34416732 | DOI:10.3171/2021.2.JNS204333

Biomed Mater. 2021 Aug 20. doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ac1f9e. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The development of “smart” scaffolds has achieved notoriety among current prospects for bone repair, especially for chronic osteopathies, such as osteoporosis. Millions of individuals in the world suffer from poor bone healing due to osteoporosis. The objective of this work was to produce and characterize castor polyurethane scaffolds (Ricinus communis L.), as well as to evaluate its in vitro biocompatibility with stem cells and osteoinductive effect in vivo on bone failures in a leporid model of osteoporosis. The material was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and porosity analysis. Then, biocompatibility was assessed by adhesion using scanning electron microscopy and cytotoxicity in a 3- (4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl) -2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium assay. The osteoinductive effect in vivo was determined in bone defects in rabbit tibias (Oryctolagus cuniculus) submitted to castor bean scaffold, castor bean scaffold associated with stem cells and negative control, after four and eight weeks, evaluated by computed microtomography and histopathology. The scaffolds were porous, with an average pore size of 209.5 ± 98.2 µm, absence of cytotoxicity and positive cell adhesiveness in vitro. All the animals presented osteoporosis, characterized by multifocal osteoblastic inactivity and areas of mild fibrosis. There were no statistical differences between these treatments in the fourth week of treatment. In the eighth week, the treatment with castor bean scaffold alone induced greater bone formation when compared to the other groups, followed by treatment with an association between castor bean scaffold and stem cells. The castor bean scaffold was harmless to cell culture, favoring cell adhesiveness and proliferation, in addition to inducing bone neoformation in osteoporotic rabbits.

PMID:34416741 | DOI:10.1088/1748-605X/ac1f9e

J Neurosurg Spine. 2021 Aug 20:1-7. doi: 10.3171/2021.2.SPINE202133. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative infection remains prevalent after spinal surgical procedures. Institutional protocols for infection prevention have improved rates of infection after spine surgery. However, prior studies have focused on only elective surgical patients. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a multiinstitutional intraoperative sodium oxychlorosene-based infection prevention protocol for decreasing rate of infection after instrumented spinal surgery.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed at two tertiary care institutions with level I trauma programs, and patients who underwent posterior instrumented spinal fusion between January 1, 2011, and May 31, 2019, were included. Postoperative deep wound infection rates were captured before and after implementation of a multiinstitutional infection prevention protocol. Possible adverse outcomes related to infection prevention techniques were also examined. In addition, consecutive patients treated from January 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019, were prospectively included in a database to collect preoperative and postoperative spine-specific quality of life measures and to assess the impact of postoperative infection on quality of life.

RESULTS: A total of 5047 patients fit the inclusion criteria. Of these, 1043 patients underwent surgery prior to protocol implementation. The infection rate of this cohort (3.5%) decreased significantly after protocol implementation (1.2%, p < 0.001). Postoperative sterile seroma rates did not differ between the preprotocol and postprotocol groups (0.7% vs 0.7%, p = 0.5). In the 1031 patients who underwent surgery between January 2018 and May 2019, the fusion rate was 89.2%. Quality of life outcomes between patients with infection and those without infection were similar, although statistical power was limited owing to the low rate of infection. Notably, 2 of 10 patients who developed deep wound infection died of infection-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS: An intraoperative sodium oxychlorosene-based infection prevention protocol helped to significantly decrease the rate of infection after spine surgery without negatively impacting other postoperative procedure-related metrics. Postoperative wound infection may be associated with higher-than-expected rate of postoperative mortality.

PMID:34416716 | DOI:10.3171/2021.2.SPINE202133