Tag: nevin manimala

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 12;16(7):e0254391. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254391. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUNDS: Health professionals are among the frontline of COVID-19 pandemic exposure and identified as a priority target group that need to receive COVID-19 vaccines. However, intention to receive vaccine is still matters the extent of COVID-19 vaccinations among health professionals. This study aimed to assess intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine and the factors that will determine their intention among health professionals working at public hospitals of Illu Aba Bora and Buno Bedelle zone hospitals.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was applied to assess the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines among health professionals working in public health hospitals of Illu Aba Bora and Buno Bedelle zone hospitals. Self-administered questionnaire were used for assessing intention to receive COVID-19 Vaccine. Multiple linear regressions were performed to identify factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine with p-value< 0.05 as cutoff point for statistical significance at 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULT: In this study, almost half of respondents 217(53.1% [95.0%: CI 49.3-58.9]) of study participants scored above the mean. Attitude (β = 0.54, 95% CI: [0.49, 0.63], p<0.01), knowledge (β = 0.27, 95% CI: [0.21, 0.35], p<0.01, perception (β = 0.43, 95% CI: [0.39, 0.56], p = 0.02 and age (β = 0.64, 95% CI: [0.51, 0.72], p<0.01 were variables associated with intention to receive vaccine against COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS: This study result indicated that the overall magnitude of intention to receive COVID-19 is low. increasing attitudes, knowledge and perception among health professionals related to COVID-19 vaccine will helps to increase the overall intention to receive vaccine against COVID-19.

PMID:34252143 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0254391

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 12;16(7):e0254603. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254603. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

DS (David’s site) is one of the new archaeological sites documented in the same paleolandscape in which FLK 22 was deposited at about 1.85 Ma in Olduvai Gorge. Fieldwork in DS has unearthed the largest vertically-discrete archaeological horizon in the African Pleistocene, where a multi-cluster anthropogenic accumulation of fossil bones and stone tools has been identified. In this work we present the results of the techno-economic study of the lithic assemblage recovered from DS. We also explore the spatial magnitude of the technological behaviors documented at this spot using powerful spatial statistical tools to unravel correlations between the spatial distributional patterns of lithic categories. At DS, lavas and quartzite were involved in different technological processes. Volcanic materials, probably transported to this spot from a close source, were introduced in large numbers, including unmodified materials, and used in percussion activities and in a wide variety of reduction strategies. A number of volcanic products were subject to outward fluxes to other parts of the paleolandscape. In contrast, quartzite rocks were introduced in smaller numbers and might have been subject to a significantly more intense exploitation. The intra-site spatial analysis has shown that specialized areas cannot be identified, unmodified materials are not randomly distributed, percussion and knapping categories do not spatially overlap, while bipolar specimens show some sort of spatial correlation with percussion activities.

PMID:34252171 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0254603

PLoS Comput Biol. 2021 Jul 12;17(7):e1009146. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009146. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the world, causing high mortality and unprecedented restrictions on social and economic activity. Policymakers are assessing how best to navigate through the ongoing epidemic, with computational models being used to predict the spread of infection and assess the impact of public health measures. Here, we present OpenABM-Covid19: an agent-based simulation of the epidemic including detailed age-stratification and realistic social networks. By default the model is parameterised to UK demographics and calibrated to the UK epidemic, however, it can easily be re-parameterised for other countries. OpenABM-Covid19 can evaluate non-pharmaceutical interventions, including both manual and digital contact tracing, and vaccination programmes. It can simulate a population of 1 million people in seconds per day, allowing parameter sweeps and formal statistical model-based inference. The code is open-source and has been developed by teams both inside and outside academia, with an emphasis on formal testing, documentation, modularity and transparency. A key feature of OpenABM-Covid19 are its Python and R interfaces, which has allowed scientists and policymakers to simulate dynamic packages of interventions and help compare options to suppress the COVID-19 epidemic.

PMID:34252083 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009146

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 12;16(7):e0253480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253480. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous work has shown differential predominance of certain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) lineages and sub-lineages among different human populations in diverse geographic regions of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, how strain diversity is evolving under the ongoing rapid socio-economic and environmental changes is poorly understood. The present study investigated factors associated with M. tb lineage predominance and rate of strain clustering within urban and peri-urban settings in Ethiopia.

METHODS: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) and Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) patients who visited selected health facilities were recruited in the years of 2016 and 2017. A total of 258 M. tb isolates identified from 163 sputa and 95 fine-needle aspirates (FNA) were characterized by spoligotyping and compared with international M.tb spoligotyping patterns registered at the SITVIT2 databases. The molecular data were linked with clinical and demographic data of the patients for further statistical analysis.

RESULTS: From a total of 258 M. tb isolates, 84 distinct spoligotype patterns that included 58 known Shared International Type (SIT) patterns and 26 new or orphan patterns were identified. The majority of strains belonged to two major M. tb lineages, L3 (35.7%) and L4 (61.6%). The observed high percentage of isolates with shared patterns (n = 200/258) suggested a substantial rate of overall clustering (77.5%). After adjusting for the effect of geographical variations, clustering rate was significantly lower among individuals co-infected with HIV and other concomitant chronic disease. Compared to L4, the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (AOR; 95% CI) indicated that infections with L3 M. tb strains were more likely to be associated with TBLN [3.47 (1.45, 8.29)] and TB-HIV co-infection [2.84 (1.61, 5.55)].

CONCLUSION: Despite the observed difference in strain diversity and geographical distribution of M. tb lineages, compared to earlier studies in Ethiopia, the overall rate of strain clustering suggests higher transmission and warrant more detailed investigations into the molecular epidemiology of TB and related factors.

PMID:34252107 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0253480

Ophthalmic Genet. 2021 Jul 12:1-14. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2021.1933544. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To correlate clinical features, molecular genetic findings, and visual acuity in a cohort of patients clinically diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism.Design: Retrospective chart reviewMethods: 58 charts met the inclusion criteria. Clinical examination, ancillary testing, and molecular genetic diagnoses were extracted. A novel clinical albinism score (CAS) was developed.Results: A least one likely pathogenic mutation was found in 44/58 (75.9%) patients. Mutations in the OCA1 gene were the most common (52.3%), followed by OCA2 (34%), OCA4 (2.3%), OA1 (6.8%), and HPS (4.5%). Thirty-four percentage of patients had a complete genotype, 41% had one mutation found and 24% had negative genetic testing. CAS was statistically significantly higher in patients with complete genotype, versus patients with one or no mutations found (p < .01). Better visual acuity was associated with lower CAS and fewer disease-causing mutations (p < .01). Foveal defects and iris transillumination were associated with a higher number of mutations (p < .01). Patients with nystagmus or anomalous optic nerves had worse visual acuity than those who did not (p < .01, p < .05).Conclusions: Patients with a complete genotype were more likely to have higher CAS. Vision loss correlated with complete phenotype and higher CAS, the presence of nystagmus and anomalous optic nerves. Patients with features of albinism in whom an incomplete genotype was found had better vision than those with complete genotype, suggesting a mild occult mutation or modifier variant. Genetic diagnosis is vital for complete diagnosis, counseling, and family planning.

PMID:34251969 | DOI:10.1080/13816810.2021.1933544

Ophthalmic Genet. 2021 Jul 12:1-5. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2021.1946702. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Genetic factors have been studied to be associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aimed to investigate the association between the polymorphisms in the osteoproterin (OPG) gene and DR in a Han Chinese population.

METHODS: There were 475 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 478 type 2 diabetes mellitus without retinopathy (DNR) and 469 healthy controls collected in this study. OPG single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2073618 and rs3134069 were genotyped by Mass ARRAY MALDI-TOF system. The genotype and allele frequencies were evaluated using the χ² tests. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the risk of genotype and allele.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference for OPG SNP rs3134069 between DR cases and healthy controls in the allelic model (P = .036, OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.02-1.73). The C allele frequency of this polymorphism was 0.154 in the DR cases, whereas it was 0.120 in healthy controls, suggesting a risk effect for DR. SNP rs3134069 had a significant association with DR in the dominant model (P = .038, OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02-1.84), indicating that the CC/AC genotype was more likely to suffer from DR. For rs2073618, no significant difference was identified in the allelic model (P = .632, OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.78-1.16) and the four genetic models.

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that OPG SNP rs3134069 was associated with DR in the dominant model, suggesting that the OPG gene variant may be involved in the development of DR.

PMID:34251978 | DOI:10.1080/13816810.2021.1946702

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2021 Jul 12:1-7. doi: 10.1080/13625187.2021.1946500. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the effect of breastfeeding support through social media on women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy.

METHODS: A randomised controlled trial was conducted in the maternity unit of Aksaray University Education and Research Hospital, Turkey. Education and counselling on breastfeeding were given via WhatsApp to women in the intervention group. Women in the control group received routine breastfeeding teaching before discharge from hospital. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) was administered to both groups immediately after birth and at 3 and 6 months postpartum. The study was completed by 31 women in the intervention group and 37 women in the control group.

RESULTS: At 3 and 6 months there was a statistically significant difference in BSES-SF mean scores between the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). BSES-SF scores in the intervention group were higher at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline, while BSES-SF scores in the control group were lower at 6 months compared with baseline.

CONCLUSION: Women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy was improved through a social media-based teaching and counselling intervention. Health care professionals should make use of social media tools to improve women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy and encourage continuity of breastfeeding.

PMID:34251949 | DOI:10.1080/13625187.2021.1946500

Free Radic Res. 2021 Jul 12:1-7. doi: 10.1080/10715762.2021.1942464. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Various biomarkers of oxidative stress and redox status have been used in a number of clinical and epidemiological studies related to diseases and conditions that involve disturbances of the redox balance. However, a comprehensive study of diurnal variations of a set of biomarkers has not been conducted so far. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate circadian rhythm and time-of-day-effects of a set of frequently used biomarkers of oxidative stress, redox and antioxidant status in serum/plasma. These biomarkers include Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (ROM), Biological Antioxidant Potency (BAP), Total Thiols in Proteins (TTP), high-sensitive C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Uric Acid (UA). During a 24-hr study, blood sampling was conducted 6 times at 4-hr intervals. The presence of circadian rhythm was analyzed with CircWave analysis, whereas the effect of time was analyzed with Repeated Measures ANOVA (RM-ANOVA). Thereby, the main focus was on the time points in working hours (8, 12 and 16 hr), which are used frequently in practice. Of all investigated biomarkers, only TTP in males demonstrated statistically significant circadian rhythm (p = 0.040). A statistically significant effect between all six time points with RM-ANOVA was observed for ROM, TTP and UA in both genders, and for BAP in females only. No statistically significant differences were observed between the time points 8 hr and 12 hr for any of the biomarkers that were assessed in our study. In conclusion, diurnal variations in some of the studied biomarkers that we demonstrate here should be taken into account when designing and conducting clinical and epidemiological studies. It is advised to standardize the time of sampling with a preference in the morning hours.

PMID:34251957 | DOI:10.1080/10715762.2021.1942464

Immunol Invest. 2021 Jul 12:1-9. doi: 10.1080/08820139.2021.1948564. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the more limiting complications to the quality of life of diabetes mellitus patients. Studies including cultured cells, animal models, and case-control studies highlight the role of human β-defensin-1 (hBD-1) in diabetes.This study assessed the association of hBD-1 gene (DEFB1) functional variations -52 G/A (rs1799946), -44 C/G (rs1800972) and -20 G/A (rs11362) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in order to investigate its effects on genetic susceptibility and progression to DKD in a Mexican population. A total of 214 T2DM patients with and without DKD (n = 102 and n = 112, respectively) and 117 healthy subjects participated in this case-control study. Genotyping was made by PCR-RFLPs. Clinical and biochemical parameters of all patients were measured. There was no statistically significant difference in genotype or allele frequencies between patients and healthy individuals. Nevertheless, compared with patients without DKD, DKD patients have a reduced prevalence of AA genotype of -52 G/A (OR = 0.307, 95% CI = 0.104-0.905, p =.026), as well as a higher frequency of GA genotype of -20 G/A variant (OR = 1.875, 95%CI = 1.031-3.409, p = .038). Our results suggest that rs1799946 and rs11362 could be useful variants to stratify T2DM Mexican patients in order to prescribe closer follow-up to prevent or retard DKD. Further tests in different ethnic groups are encouraged.

PMID:34251960 | DOI:10.1080/08820139.2021.1948564

Isr Med Assoc J. 2021 Jul;23(7):408-411.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Our hospital used to perform cesarean delivery under general anesthesia rather than neuraxial anesthesia, mostly because of patient refusal of members of the conservative Bedouin society. According to recommendations implemented by the Israeli Obstetric Anesthesia Society, which were implemented due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, we increased the rate of neuraxial anesthesia among deliveries.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the rates of neuraxial anesthesia in our cesarean population before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

METHODS: We included consecutive women undergoing an elective cesarean delivery from two time periods: pre-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (15 February 2019 to 14 April 2019) and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (15 February 2020 to 15 April 2020). We collected demographic data, details about cesarean delivery, and anesthesia complications.

RESULTS: We included 413 parturients undergoing consecutive elective cesarean delivery identified during the study periods: 205 before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and 208 during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We found a statistically significant difference in neuraxial anesthesia rates between the groups: before the pandemic (92/205, 44.8%) and during (165/208, 79.3%; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that patient and provider education about neuraxial anesthesia can increase its utilization. The addition of a trained obstetric anesthesiologist to the team may have facilitated this transition.

PMID:34251121