Tag: nevin manimala

J Neurovirol. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s13365-021-01047-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are highly prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) despite successful treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). HAND pathogenesis is complex and definitive surrogate biomarkers are not clearly defined. Brain function has been assessed through the evaluation of cortical source rhythms with delta waves associated with neurological impairment. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between EEG cortical sources, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, and neurocognitive tests in PLWH with HAND. PLWH with HAND without significant comorbidities were enrolled. Baseline rsEEG-LORETA waves, CSF biomarkers (t-tau, p-tau, β-amiloid₄₂, neopterin, S100β), and neurocognitive tests were correlated and compared through non-parametric tests (Spearman’s rho and Mann-Whitney); data are presented as medians (interquartile ranges). Fifty-four patients were enrolled. Median time of suppressed HIV-RNA and CD4⁺ T-lymphocyte were 10 years (5.5-15) and 691/uL (477-929). Thirty-nine participants (72%) underwent CSF collection: abnormal biomarkers were found in a small percentage. Only neopterin showed a statistically significant correlation with delta activity [parietal (rho 0.579; p < 0.001), occipital (rho 0.493; p = 0.007), and global sources (rho 0.464 p = 0.011)]. Seven patients (12.9%) showed an abnormal neopterin level (> 1.5 ng/mL) with significantly higher delta source activity compared to the ones with in-range concentrations. We observed a statistically significant correlation between working memory test Trail Making B with both CSF neopterin levels and delta waves (p values < 0.05). In a small sample of PLWH with HAND, we observed that higher CSF neopterin levels were associated with higher EEG delta waves and worse working memory tests.

PMID:35044644 | DOI:10.1007/s13365-021-01047-y

Hum Cell. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s13577-022-00673-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

As one of important components of tumor microenvironment, CAFs (cancer-associated fibroblasts) play a vital role in the development and metastasis of bladder cancer. The present study aimed to develop a CAFs-related gene signature to predict the prognosis of patients and the response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy based on research of multidatabase. Expression data and clinical information were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. Different bioinformatic and statistical methods were combined to construct the robust CAFs-related gene signature for prognosis. The model was explored from four aspects: single-cell source, immune infiltration, correlation with cancer-related genes and pathways, and prediction of drug response. After screening, five genes (BNC2, LAMA2, MFAP5, NID1, and OLFML1) related to CAFs were used for constructing the signature to divide patients into high- and low-risk groups. Patients in low-risk group had better prognosis and multidatabase analysis confirmed the predictive value. The five genes were mainly expressed by fibroblasts and involved in regulation of pathways related with glycolysis, hypoxia, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). BNC2, LAMA2, and NID1 were strongly associated with drug sensitivity. Moreover, the immunological status was different between high- and low-risk groups. High-risk patients had poor response to chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The CAFs-related gene signature might help to optimize risk stratification and provide a new insight in individual treatment for bladder cancer.

PMID:35044630 | DOI:10.1007/s13577-022-00673-w

Indian J Pediatr. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s12098-022-04081-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To systematically identify and critically appraise the methodological quality of pediatric guidelines applicable to management of COVID-19 in India.

METHODS: Pediatric COVID-19 guidelines applicable to India, published until 30 April 2021, were identified through a systematic search across ten databases. Each was critically appraised for methodological quality using the AGREE-II tool, by at least two appraisers. Median (interquartile range) of the total score and domain-wise scores were calculated, and compared for Indian vs. foreign guidelines, updated vs. original versions of guidelines, and those developed earlier vs. later in the pandemic.

RESULTS: A total of 62 guidelines was identified. Only 8 (12.9%) were published in India. The overall AGREE-II score ranged from 4.7% to 72.8%; with median (IQR) 37.9% (29.4, 48.6). This suggested overall low(er) methodological quality. The median (IQR) domain-wise scores were as follows: Scope and Purpose 66.7% (58.3, 83.3), Stakeholder Involvement 41.7% (30.6, 83.3), Rigor of Development 23.4% (14.8, 37.5), Clarity of Presentation 59.7% (50.0, 75.0), Applicability 27.1% (18.8, 33.3), and Editorial Independence 8.3% (0.0, 45.8). This suggested diversity in quality of different aspects of the guidelines, with very low quality in the critical domain of methodological rigor. There were no statistically significant differences in the overall scores of Indian vs. foreign guidelines, updated versions vs. original versions, and those developed earlier vs. later in the pandemic.

CONCLUSION: The currently available pediatric COVID-19 guidelines have low methodological quality, adversely affecting their credibility, validity, and applicability. Urgent corrective strategies are presented for consideration.

PMID:35044617 | DOI:10.1007/s12098-022-04081-8

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10554-022-02523-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Mitral valve area (MVA) measurement by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) has a crucial role in the evaluation of mitral stenosis (MS) severity. Three-dimensional direct (3D-direct) planimetry has been proposed as a new technique to measure mitral valve area. This study aimed to compare the 3D-direct mitral valve planimetry to conventional three-dimensional multiplanar reconstruction (3D-MPR) in severe MS using 3D-TEE. In this cross-sectional, prospective study; 149 patients with severe MS who were referred for transesophageal echocardiography in Shahid Madani Hospital (Tabriz Iran), just before percutaneous transmitral commissurotomy (PTMC), recruited consecutively. All patients underwent 2D transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) and 3D-TEE in a single session before PTMC. During 2D-TTE planimetry, pressure half time (PHT), and proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) were applied to measure the MVA. Transmitral mean pressure gradient (MPG) was measured. During 3D-TEE, MVA planimetry was carried out with both 3D-direct and 3D-MPR methods. 3D-direct was applied from both atrial and ventricular views. The consistency of MVA measurements with 3D-direct, 3D-MPR, and 2D-TTE methods was statistically investigated. Our sample consisted of 109 (73.2%) women and 40 (26.8%) men. The mean age was 51.75 ± 9.81 years. The agreement between 3D-direct and 3D-MPR planimetry was significant and moderate (0.99 ± 0.29 cm² vs. 1.12 ± 0.26 cm², intraclass correlation = 0.716, p value = 0.001).The accuracy of the 3D-direct method reduced significantly compared to the MPR method at MVA > 1.5 cm². The maximum difference between two methods was observed in cases with MVAs larger than 1.5 cm². MVA measured with the 3D-MPR method was significantly correlated with a 2D-TTE method, with a moderate agreement (intraclass correlation = 0.644, p value = 0.001). Also, 2D-TTE and 3D-direct TEE techniques yielded significantly consistent measurements of the MVA (1.06 ± 0.026 cm² vs. 0.99 ± 0.29 cm², intraclass correlation = 0.787, p value = 0.001); however, with a slight overestimation of the MVA by the former with a net difference of 0.06 ± 0.013 cm². Mitral valve pressure gradient (MPG) had no significant correlation with planimetry results. A significant inverse correlation was seen between the MVA and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure. 3D-direct planimetry has an acceptable agreement with 3D-MPR planimetry at MVA less than 1.5 cm², but their correlation decreases significantly at MVA above 1.5 cm². 3D-direct planimetry underestimates MVA compared to 3D-MPR, especially at MVA above 1.5 cm². It seems that the saddle shape of mitral valve, interferes with 3D-direct measurement of commissures at moderate MS. The 2D-TTE planimetry has generally acceptable accuracy, but its correlation to the 3D-TEE methods is significantly reduced in cases with moderate to severe MS (i.e. MVA > 1.0 cm²).

PMID:35044628 | DOI:10.1007/s10554-022-02523-0

J Gambl Stud. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10899-021-10103-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Past work has demonstrated that presenting statistical information in a foreground-background icon array can improve risk understanding, reduce decision-making biases, and decrease the salience of low-probability risks. In the present study, we assess whether presenting readily available gambling information within a foreground-background icon array influences individuals’ gambling-related judgments (e.g., their perceived likelihood of winning a prize). Across two experiments (N = 1151), we find that using icon arrays to present gambling information reduces the appeal of scratch card games. That is, participants presented with gambling information in a foreground-background icon array, as opposed to a non-graphical numerical format, reported feeling less likely to win a prize, less excitement to play, and less urge to gamble on a scratch card game presented in a hypothetical gambling task. Overall, we conclude that presenting gambling information in an icon array format represents a simple yet promising tool for correcting gamblers’ often overly-optimistic perceptions and reducing the appeal of negative expected value scratch card games.

PMID:35044578 | DOI:10.1007/s10899-021-10103-5

J Fluoresc. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10895-022-02889-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study is set out to determine the photocatalytic degradation potential of ZnO nanoparticles for effective degradation of Eosin dye. The heterogeneous photocatalytic experiments were carried out by irradiating aqueous dye solutions with ultraviolet light. The influence of effective parameters like flow rate, pH, catalyst dose, and dye concentration was examined. The best degradation efficiency (66.82%) of ZnO Nanoparticles against Eosin dye was achieved within 90 min of reaction time. The Box-Behnken design under the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was chosen as a statistical tool to obtain the correlation of influential parameters. The optimum values were recorded as follows: 0.59 g, 15.75 ppm and 136.12 ml/min for amount of catalyst, dye concentration and flow rate, respectively. The maximum percent degradation achieved at these conditions was 71.44%.

PMID:35044574 | DOI:10.1007/s10895-022-02889-3

Odontology. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10266-022-00686-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the root perforation repair with mineral aggregate-based cements affects the retention of customized fiberglass posts to bovine intraradicular dentin. Sixty-four bovine mandibular incisors had their root canals endodontically treated and prepared for fiberglass posts luting. Teeth were randomly distributed into four groups (n = 16), according to the cement used for the perforations repair (MTA HP; calcium aluminate cement-CAC; and CAC + calcium carbonate nanoparticles-nano-CaCO₃) and control group (no perforation). The groups were redistributed according to the fiberglass posts luting protocol (n = 8): total-etching (TE) (MTA HP/TE; CAC/TE; CAC + CaCO₃/TE and control/TE) and self-etching (SE) (MTA HP/SE; CAC/SE; CAC + CaCO₃/SE and control/SE). Roots were sectioned into 1.3 mm-thick dentin slices obtaining samples that were submitted to the push-out test in Universal Testing Machine (Instron, Model 4444-0.5 mm/min). The fractured samples were analyzed under stereomicroscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). CAC/TE and CAC/SE groups had significant difference between the cervical and middle thirds (p < 0.05). When the root thirds were not considered, CAC/SE had the lowest bond strength and differed statistically from CAC/TE and CAC + CaCO₃/TE groups, which had the highest mean bond strength values (p < 0.05). The root perforations repair did not affect the bond strength of resin cement/customized fiberglass posts to bovine dentin. The increase in bond strength is luting protocol dependent.

PMID:35044577 | DOI:10.1007/s10266-022-00686-9

Neurol Sci. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10072-022-05877-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to review the scientific literature published until April 18, 2021, to summarize existing knowledge on the efficacy and safety of erythropoietin (EPO) for traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on the efficacy and safety of EPO in the treatment of TBI were systematically searched in relevant electronic databases according to a pre-designed search strategy. The primary outcomes are the mortality; and secondary outcomes are the good functional outcome (GFO) and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS: A total of 10 RCTs involving 2,402 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results showed that there is a significant difference in terms of the mortality (RR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.54-0.84, P = 0.0003) and seizure rate (RR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.29-0.96, P = 0.04) between the EPO groups compared to those in the control groups. However, compared with the control groups, the GFO in the EPO groups was not statistically significant (RR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.93-1.48, P = 0.17).

CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the present meta-analysis suggest that the use of EPO could reduce mortality rate in patients with TBI, without increasing the incidence of AEs. EPO has potential research and application value in the treatment of TBI.

PMID:35044560 | DOI:10.1007/s10072-022-05877-4

Ann Biomed Eng. 2022 Jan 19. doi: 10.1007/s10439-022-02918-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Severe predictions have been made regarding osteoporotic fracture incidence for the next years, with major economic and social impacts in a worldwide greying society. However, the performance of the currently adopted gold standard for fracture risk prediction, the areal Bone Mineral Density (aBMD), remains moderate. To overcome current limitations, the construction of statistical models of the proximal femur, based on three-dimensional shape and intensity (a hallmark of bone density), is here proposed for predicting hip fracture in a Caucasian postmenopausal cohort. Partial Least Square (PLS)-based statistical models of the shape, intensity and their combination were developed, and the corresponding modes and components were identified. Logistic regression models using the first two shape, intensity and shape-intensity PLS components were implemented and tested within a 10-fold cross-validation procedure as predictors of hip fracture. It emerged that (1) intensity components were superior to shape components in stratifying patients according to their fracture status, and that (2) a combination of intensity and shape improved patients risk stratification. The area under the ROC curve was 0.64, 0.85 and 0.92 for the models based on shape, intensity and shape-intensity combination respectively, against a 0.72 value for the aBMD standard approach. Based on these findings, the presented methodology turns out to be promising in tackling the need for an enhanced fracture risk assessment.

PMID:35044572 | DOI:10.1007/s10439-022-02918-z

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2022 Jan 19;54(1):68. doi: 10.1007/s11250-022-03078-x.

ABSTRACT

Identification of breeding practices and trait preferences by livestock keepers for the selection of breeding animals to be parents of the next generations is the crucial step to the successful implementation of community-based breeding program (CBBPs). The study aimed to detect breeding practices and trait preferences by farmers at Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality, South Africa to determine their relevance in establishing a CBBP. A well-structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 183 randomly selected goat keepers from four villages. Chi-square statistics were used to compare categorical variables among villages. Socio-economic factors and reasons for keeping goats were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the four villages. Methods of controlling mating, reasons for not controlling mating, keeping breeding bucks, source of breeding bucks, reasons for culling, and culling methods were significantly different (P < 0.05) among villages. The most common trait preferences of goat keepers among the surveyed villages were twinning ability, mothering ability, and body size in breeding does, while in breeding bucks were mating ability, growth rate, and body size. The results from this study are useful for designing CBBPs for goat production in the communal areas of Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality.

PMID:35044543 | DOI:10.1007/s11250-022-03078-x