Tag: nevin manimala

Infect Dis Poverty. 2022 Jun 21;11(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s40249-022-01001-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, considered as the worst global public health event in nearly a century, has severely affected more than 200 countries and regions around the world. To effectively prevent and control the epidemic, researchers have widely employed dynamic models to predict and simulate the epidemic’s development, understand the spread rule, evaluate the effects of intervention measures, inform vaccination strategies, and assist in the formulation of prevention and control measures. In this review, we aimed to sort out the compartmental structures used in COVID-19 dynamic models and provide reference for the dynamic modeling for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the future.

MAIN TEXT: A scoping review on the compartmental structures used in modeling COVID-19 was conducted. In this scoping review, 241 research articles published before May 14, 2021 were analyzed to better understand the model types and compartmental structures used in modeling COVID-19. Three types of dynamics models were analyzed: compartment models expanded based on susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model, meta-population models, and agent-based models. The expanded compartments based on SEIR model are mainly according to the COVID-19 transmission characteristics, public health interventions, and age structure. The meta-population models and the agent-based models, as a trade-off for more complex model structures, basic susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered or simply expanded compartmental structures were generally adopted.

CONCLUSION: There has been a great deal of models to understand the spread of COVID-19, and to help prevention and control strategies. Researchers build compartments according to actual situation, research objectives and complexity of models used. As the COVID-19 epidemic remains uncertain and poses a major challenge to humans, researchers still need dynamic models as the main tool to predict dynamics, evaluate intervention effects, and provide scientific evidence for the development of prevention and control strategies. The compartmental structures reviewed in this study provide guidance for future modeling for COVID-19, and also offer recommendations for the dynamic modeling of other infectious diseases.

PMID:35729655 | DOI:10.1186/s40249-022-01001-y

Stem Cell Res Ther. 2022 Jun 21;13(1):269. doi: 10.1186/s13287-022-02949-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aging disturbs the skin morphology and function, manifested as thinned epithelium and impaired wound healing. As a major type of skin cells, epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) are inevitably affected by aging. The effect of age on EpiSCs and wound healing needs to be further explored.

METHODS: Skin RNA-seq data of young (5 months) and old (30 months) CB6F1 mice were obtained from GEO Series GSE35322 with 10 in each age group. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed, and EpiSCs-related pathways were enriched by KEGG. The age-related changes of the screened PI3K/Akt pathway were validated by Western Blot and immunofluorescence of epidermis of SD rats (2, 17, and 23 months, n = 6). The expression of upstream protein EGFR was assessed by immunofluorescence in skin of mice (4, 13, and 23 months, n = 6) and human (respectively, 23, 28, 30 years old in the young group and 69, 73, 78 years old in the old group) skin. Inhibitors of EGFR were used to verify its effects on EpiSCs and wound healing. The small molecule drug Tideglusib was tested for its effects on signaling pathways of EpiSCs and wound healing of aged rats. Western Blot was used for the detection of signaling pathways in in vitro experiments. Cell migration assays were used to assess cell migration ability. Flow cytometry was used to detect changes in cell cycle and apoptosis levels. Sulforhodamine B assay and CCK-8 assay were used to evaluate cell proliferation and viability, respectively. Student’s t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the multiple comparisons Bonferroni test were used for statistical analysis. The 0.05 level of confidence was accepted as a significant difference.

RESULTS: EpiSCs-related PI3K/Akt pathway was enriched by KEGG and verified by decreased phosphorylation of Akt (32.1 ± 13.8%, P < 0.01) and mTOR (38.9 ± 11.8%, P < 0.01) in aged epidermis of rats. Furthermore, the expression of PI3K/Akt-upstream EGFR decreased with age in the epidermis of mouse (27.6 ± 5.5%, P < 0.01) and human (25.8 ± 9.3%, P < 0.01). With EGFR blocked by Erlotinib, EpiSCs showed reduced phosphorylation of Akt (30.4 ± 10.6%, P < 0.01) and mTOR (39.8 ± 12.8%, P < 0.01), impaired proliferation and migration after incubated for 24 h and 36 h (P < 0.05), and higher levels of apoptosis (11.9 ± 1.7%, P < 0.05), and rats showed slower wound healing from d7 to d14 after wounding (P < 0.01). In addition to slower wound healing rates, aged rats also showed a decrease in the efficacy of EGF, partly due to the downregulated EGFR expression. By activating PI3K/Akt pathway, Tideglusib promoted the proliferation and migration of EpiSCs with apoptosis inhibited (P < 0.01) and accelerated wound healing in aged rats from d7 to d14 after wounding (P < 0.05). Notably, the combined use of Tideglusib and EGF could further enhance wound healing in aged rats.

CONCLUSIONS: The decreased expression of EGFR in epidermis with age resulted in decreased activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway and limited EGF efficacy. Tideglusib could assist wound healing in aged rats via activating PI3K/Akt pathway, which may be considered as an ingredient for medical and cosmetics use.

PMID:35729652 | DOI:10.1186/s13287-022-02949-2

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 Jun 21;14(1):116. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00506-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sacroiliac joints (SIJs) transmitted trunk load to lower extremities through the lumbopelvis. External compression devices across the SIJs could provide stability to the SIJs. A previous study established that using a device known as Active Therapeutic Movement version 2 (ATM^®2) has been developed to improve pain and joint range of motion (ROM) in patients with LBP. However, no study has examined the physiological change in the muscle through ATM®2-based exercise thus far. This study aimed to determine the immediate effects of ATM^®2 exercise on the contraction timing, back extension endurance, muscle fatigue, and trunk ROM of lumbar and lower limb muscles in healthy subjects.

METHODS: Thirty-six healthy subjects (mean age = 23.16 ± 2.3) volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were instructed to perform ROM test using sit and reach test, back extensor endurance test using Biering-Sorensen test, erector spinae (ES), lumbar multifidus (LM) fatigue and onset time of Gluteus maximus (GM) in prone hip extension using electromyography before and after trunk flexion and extension isometric exercises.

RESULTS: The ROM in trunk flexion showed a significant increase of 7.9% after exercise compared to that before exercise (p < 0.05). Relative GM contraction onset timing significantly decreased after exercise (p < 0.05). The result of the Sorensen test after exercise showed a trend of increase in duration time. Muscle fatigue in the LM, however, showed a significant increase (p < 0.05), whereas muscle fatigue in the ES was reduced without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: The results base on this study showed that exercise-based on ATM®2 is an effective exercise protocol with an effect on the biomechanics of healthy subjects. Clinical trial registration numbers KCT0006728. Clinical trial registration date: 09/11/2021.

PMID:35729636 | DOI:10.1186/s13102-022-00506-1

Syst Rev. 2022 Jun 21;11(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s13643-022-02006-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health behaviour can change outcomes in both healthy and unhealthy populations and are particularly useful in promoting compliance to treatment and maintaining fidelity to care seeking and follow-up options in chronic diseases. Interventions to change health behaviour based on psychological theory are more often successful than those without any underlying theory. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is one such psychological theory which had been found to predict human behaviour with respect to disease prevention and when applied to interventions can change the outcomes of diseases. Most of the research evidence of TPB-based interventions have been from developed world. Evidence is required whether TPB-based interventions can be applied and works in low-resource, low health-literacy settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHODS: The protocol has been developed as per PRISMA-P guidelines and incorporates PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes) framework for describing the methodology. Population above 18 years of age and having any chronic disease (as defined for this systematic review) will be selected, while any health or educational intervention based on constructs of TPB will be included. Comparison will be with non-TPB-based interventions or treatment as usual without any intervention, and the primary outcome will be the behaviour change effected by the TPB-based intervention. Intervention studies will be considered, and relevant databases like MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and ProQuest will be explored. Data extraction will done in a standardised form, and risk-of-bias assessment will be done using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tools for such assessment. Narrative synthesis of the selected studies will be done to draw the conclusions, and meta-analysis will be done to calculate the effect estimates with I-squared statistics to describe the heterogeneity.

DISCUSSION: This systematic review will provide new evidence on fidelity and effectiveness of the TPB-based interventions among chronic disease patients from low health literacy, resource-poor background. It will inform of how to plan and use such interventions to change health behaviour in chronic disease patients, particularly in LMIC settings.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018104890 .

PMID:35729634 | DOI:10.1186/s13643-022-02006-2

J Nanobiotechnology. 2022 Jun 21;20(1):292. doi: 10.1186/s12951-022-01502-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that platelets play a central role in cancer progression, with altered storage and selective release from platelets of specific tumor-promoting proteins as a major mechanism. Fluorescence-based super-resolution microscopy (SRM) can resolve nanoscale spatial distribution patterns of such proteins, and how they are altered in platelets upon different activations. Analysing such alterations by SRM thus represents a promising, minimally invasive strategy for platelet-based diagnosis and monitoring of cancer progression. However, broader applicability beyond specialized research labs will require objective, more automated imaging procedures. Moreover, for statistically significant analyses many SRM platelet images are needed, of several different platelet proteins. Such proteins, showing alterations in their distributions upon cancer progression additionally need to be identified.

RESULTS: A fast, streamlined and objective procedure for SRM platelet image acquisition, analysis and classification was developed to overcome these limitations. By stimulated emission depletion SRM we imaged nanoscale patterns of six different platelet proteins; four different SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide factor attachment protein receptors) mediating protein secretion by membrane fusion of storage granules, and two angiogenesis regulating proteins, representing cargo proteins within these granules coupled to tumor progression. By a streamlined procedure, we recorded about 100 SRM images of platelets, for each of these six proteins, and for five different categories of platelets; incubated with cancer cells (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, EFO-21), non-cancer cells (MCF-10A), or no cells at all. From these images, structural similarity and protein cluster parameters were determined, and probability functions of these parameters were generated for the different platelet categories. By comparing these probability functions between the categories, we could identify nanoscale alterations in the protein distributions, allowing us to classify the platelets into their correct categories, if they were co-incubated with cancer cells, non-cancer cells, or no cells at all.

CONCLUSIONS: The fast, streamlined and objective acquisition and analysis procedure established in this work confirms the role of SNAREs and angiogenesis-regulating proteins in platelet-mediated cancer progression, provides additional fundamental knowledge on the interplay between tumor cells and platelets, and represent an important step towards using tumor-platelet interactions and redistribution of nanoscale protein patterns in platelets as a basis for cancer diagnostics.

PMID:35729633 | DOI:10.1186/s12951-022-01502-w

Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2022 Jun 21;21(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12991-022-00395-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This international online survey investigated the experience and impact of emotional blunting in the acute and remission phases of depression from the perspective of patients and healthcare providers (HCPs). This paper presents data on the history and severity of psychological trauma and its potential impact on emotional blunting in major depressive disorder (MDD); differences between patient and HCP perceptions are explored.

METHODS: Patient respondents (n = 752) were adults with a diagnosis of depression who were currently taking antidepressant therapy and reported emotional blunting during the past 6 weeks. HCPs provided details on two eligible patients: one in the acute phase of depression and one in remission from depression (n = 766). Trauma was assessed using questions based on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; emotional blunting was assessed using the Oxford Depression Questionnaire (ODQ). Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine the relationship between trauma and ODQ score.

RESULTS: A history of any childhood or recent traumatic event was reported by 97% of patients in the self-assessed cohort and for 83% of those in the HCP-assessed cohort (difference, p < 0.01). Patients were more likely than HCPs to feel that this trauma had contributed to their/the patient’s depression (58% vs 43%, respectively; p < 0.01) and that the depression was more severe because of trauma (70% vs 61%, respectively; p < 0.01). Emotional blunting was significantly worse in patients who reported severe trauma than in those who had not experienced severe trauma (mean total ODQ score, 90.1 vs 83.9, respectively; p < 0.01). In multivariate regression analyses, experiencing both severe childhood and recent trauma had a statistically significant impact on ODQ total score (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients with depression and emotional blunting self-reported exposure to childhood and/or recent traumatic events, and emotional blunting was more severe in patients who reported having experienced severe trauma. However, history of psychological trauma in patients with MDD appeared to be under-recognized by HCPs. Improved recognition of patients who have experienced psychological trauma and are experiencing emotional blunting may permit more targeted therapeutic interventions, potentially resulting in improved treatment outcomes.

PMID:35729621 | DOI:10.1186/s12991-022-00395-1

BMC Med. 2022 Jun 22;20(1):214. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02404-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The current genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Lewy body dementia (LBD) suffers from low power due to a limited sample size. In addition, the genetic determinants underlying LBD and the shared genetic etiology with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain poorly understood.

METHODS: Using the largest GWAS summary statistics of LBD to date (2591 cases and 4027 controls), late-onset AD (86,531 cases and 676,386 controls), and PD (33,674 cases and 449,056 controls), we comprehensively investigated the genetic basis of LBD and shared genetic etiology among LBD, AD, and PD. We first conducted genetic correlation analysis using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), followed by multi-trait analysis of GWAS (MTAG) and association analysis based on SubSETs (ASSET) to identify the trait-specific SNPs. We then performed SNP-level functional annotation to identify significant genomic risk loci paired with Bayesian fine-mapping and colocalization analysis to identify potential causal variants. Parallel gene-level analysis including GCTA-fastBAT and transcriptome-wide association analysis (TWAS) was implemented to explore novel LBD-associated genes, followed by pathway enrichment analysis to understand underlying biological mechanisms.

RESULTS: Pairwise LDSC analysis found positive genome-wide genetic correlations between LBD and AD (rg = 0.6603, se = 0.2001; P = 0.0010), between LBD and PD (rg = 0.6352, se = 0.1880; P = 0.0007), and between AD and PD (rg = 0.2136, se = 0.0860; P = 0.0130). We identified 13 significant loci for LBD, including 5 previously reported loci (1q22, 2q14.3, 4p16.3, 4q22.1, and 19q13.32) and 8 novel biologically plausible genetic associations (5q12.1, 5q33.3, 6p21.1, 8p23.1, 8p21.1, 16p11.2, 17p12, and 17q21.31), among which APOC1 (19q13.32), SNCA (4q22.1), TMEM175 (4p16.3), CLU (8p21.1), MAPT (17q21.31), and FBXL19 (16p11.2) were also validated by gene-level analysis. Pathway enrichment analysis of 40 common genes identified by GCTA-fastBAT and TWAS implicated significant role of neurofibrillary tangle assembly (GO:1902988, adjusted P = 1.55 × 10^-2).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide novel insights into the genetic determinants of LBD and the shared genetic etiology and biological mechanisms of LBD, AD, and PD, which could benefit the understanding of the co-pathology as well as the potential treatment of these diseases simultaneously.

PMID:35729600 | DOI:10.1186/s12916-022-02404-2

Int J Retina Vitreous. 2022 Jun 21;8(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s40942-022-00394-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: MMP-9 plays a prominent role in inflammation and MMP-14 take part in angiogenesis. The objective of this study is to compare MMP-9 and MMP-14 levels between diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

METHODS: The patients who scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy were included in our study. Patients are divided into 2 groups: the diabetic group and non-diabetic group. Age, gender, intraocular pressure(IOP), visual acuity (VA) were reported. Color fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography, optic coherence tomography (OCT) were performed before and after the operation. MMP-9 and MMP-14 levels in vitreous samples were analyzed with a reader device by ELISA method. Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regressions were used in statistical analysis, p < 0.05 accepted as statistically significant.

RESULTS: 70 eyes of 70 patients who received pars plana vitrectomy were enrolled in the study and divided into 2 groups: 34 patients in the diabetic group, 36 patients in the non-diabetic group. The average age of diabetic patients was 60.14 ± 10.20, and non-diabetic patients was 64.22 ± 11.16, respectively. The average MMP-9 (0.67 ± 0.66 ng/ml) and MMP-14 (0.16 ± 0.45 ng/ml) values in the diabetic group were significantly higher than the average MMP-9 (0.21 ± 0.05 ng/ml) and MMP-14 (and 0.07 ± 0.02 ng/ml) values in the non-diabetic group (P < 0.01). Also, it was observed that MMP-9 and MMP-14 levels increases as the diabetic disease duration increases. The risk of diabetes incidence increased with high levels of MMP-9 and MMP-14.

CONCLUSION: Due to the higher levels of MMP-9 and MMP-14 in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, these proteins may probably be among the therapeutic targets in the prevention and treatment of retinopathy.

PMID:35729613 | DOI:10.1186/s40942-022-00394-0

BMC Oral Health. 2022 Jun 21;22(1):247. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02278-z.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Older adults are a highly vulnerable group in their general health condition, including oral health that can be influenced by different factors, among them, changes in oral tissues inherent to the physiological processes of aging and by systemic condition. In El Salvador, it is a group that has received little attention at the public health level.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the profile of the oral health status and treatment needs of the elderly population in El Salvador.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of data from the last oral health survey in 471 Salvadorans aged 60 years and older. The variables under study were: sociodemographics, brushing frequency, oral hygiene according to simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), caries experience according to decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT) modified with international caries detection and assessment system (ICDAS) criteria, periodontal status through the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), edentulism and treatment needs. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square test, ANOVA, z-test and linear regression (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: The older adults presented poor oral hygiene, low brushing frequency, high tooth loss with an average of 16 missing teeth while one third presented total edentulism. Most of the older adults were categorized as having “poor or very Poor” oral hygiene. Almost all respondents presented some degree of periodontal disease and required restorative intervention.

CONCLUSION: The oral health status of elderly Salvadoran is poor. Furthermore, the development of public policies and specific oral health strategies aimed at this population is urgent.

PMID:35729598 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-022-02278-z

Ital J Pediatr. 2022 Jun 21;48(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s13052-022-01285-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The assessment of body composition is central in diagnosis and treatment of paediatric obesity, but a criterion method is not feasible in clinical practice. Even the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is limited in children. Body mass index (BMI) Z-score is frequently used as a proxy index of body composition, but it does not discriminate between fat mass and fat-free mass. We aimed to assess the extent to which fat mass and percentage of body fat estimated by a height-weight equation agreed with a BIA equation in youths with obesity from South Italy. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between BMI Z-score and fat mass or percentage of body mass estimated by these two models.

METHODS: One-hundred-seventy-four youths with obesity (52.3% males, mean age 10.8 ± 1.9) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Fat mass and percentage of body fat were calculated according to a height-weight based prediction model and to a BIA prediction model.

RESULTS: According to Bland-Altman statistics, mean differences were relatively small for both fat mass (+ 0.65 kg) and percentage of body fat (+ 1.27%) with an overestimation at lower mean values; the majority of values fell within the limits of agreement. BMI Z-score was significantly associated with both fat mass and percentage of body fat, regardless of the method, but the strength of correlation was higher when the height-weight equation was considered (r = 0.82; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: This formula may serve as surrogate for body fat estimation when instrumental tools are not available. Dealing with changes of body fat instead of BMI Z-score may help children and parents to focus on diet for health.

PMID:35729585 | DOI:10.1186/s13052-022-01285-8