Tag: nevin manimala

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Feb 25. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-19401-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To better understand Africa’s banks and the environment, this study investigates the impact of financial performance on environmental performance in Africa. We examined financial performance, environmental performance, and some control indicators dated from 2000 to 2016 by applying panel quantile regression and panel vector autoregressive techniques. Our results indicate that (i) in North African countries, carbon emission had a significant negative impact on financial performance on the 25th quantile and (ii) in the South, carbon emission had a statistically positive impact on financial performance on the 25th and 50th quantiles with the marginal effect increases from the lower quantile to the highest quantile. Also, bank deposits statistically negatively impacted financial performance on the 25th and 50th quantiles for both North and South economies. The dynamic panel quantile results show dissimilar effects at different quantiles. Also, the panel vector autoregressive results show that in North Africa carbon emission had a positive impact. Our results validate the stability test of the panel vector autoregressive model. The granger causality results in the North show a bilateral causal link between carbon emission and bank credit, carbon emission, and bank deposit. Since sustainability has become one of our era’s most thorny issues, this paper provides extensive policy directives to assist African nations in boosting a greener future.

PMID:35217950 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-022-19401-w

J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022 Feb 25. doi: 10.1007/s10815-022-02442-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess oncofertility content on fertility clinic websites as indicated by eight relevant keywords. Additionally, we sought to describe the relationship between oncofertility content and five predetermined clinic characteristics.

METHODS: We examined 381 fertility clinic websites that are members of the Society for Associated Reproductive Technology (SART). Extracted data included clinic location, practice type (private vs academic), size (cycles/year), type of NCI designated center (cancer center vs comprehensive cancer center), and distance from the nearest NCI center. Additionally, we documented whether the clinic was located in a state mandating reproductive and infertility services and/or included fertility preservation for “iatrogenic infertility” as reported by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and compared using chi-squared or t-test as appropriate.

RESULTS: Of the 381 fertility clinic websites analyzed, 322 (85%) contained at least one oncofertility-related keyword. Most frequently used terms included cancer (79%) and fertility preservation (78%), while less frequently used terms included suppression (9.4%) and shielding (5.0%). Practices that initiated ≥ 501 cycles per year were more likely to mention one of the oncofertility keywords (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1-1.3). The associations of oncofertility website content with practice type, state-mandated fertility insurance coverage, and distance from an NCI-designated cancer center were not statistically significant. Large clinic size was the only predictive factor for inclusion of oncofertility website content. Further studies are required to evaluate whether inclusion of oncofertility content on clinic websites impacts the use of these services by patients with cancer.

CONCLUSION: This is the first study correlating availability of oncofertility content on SART fertility clinic websites with consideration of geographic proximity to NCI designated cancer centers. Large clinic size was the only predictive factor for inclusion of oncofertility website content.

PMID:35217946 | DOI:10.1007/s10815-022-02442-y

Int J Nurs Educ Scholarsh. 2022 Feb 24;19(1). doi: 10.1515/ijnes-2021-0148.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among demographics, doctoral teaching preparation, nurse faculty institutional support, faculty job satisfaction, and intent to leave current nursing academic position in PhD- and DNP-prepared faculty.

METHODS: Using a survey research design, invitations to a Qualtrics survey were emailed to nursing program directors. Independent samples t-tests and logistic regression models were used to determine the nature of the relationships.

RESULTS: In total, 149 participants completed the survey. Degree type, age, and job satisfaction were significant predictors related to intent to leave nursing academia. Doctoral program teaching preparation and institutional support were not statistically associated with intent to leave nursing academia.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest older age, PhD-prepared faculty, and job dissatisfaction were significant factors influencing decisions to leave nursing academia among the doctoral prepared new nursing faculty. Efforts to retain or increase the number of nurse faculty must be prioritized.

PMID:35213799 | DOI:10.1515/ijnes-2021-0148

Radiat Res. 2022 Feb 25. doi: 10.1667/RADE-21-00059.1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent analysis of all solid cancer incidence (1958-2009) in the Life Span Study (LSS) revealed evidence of upward curvature in the radiation dose response among males but not females. Upward curvature in sex-averaged excess relative risk (ERR) for all solid cancer mortality (1950-2003) was also observed in the 0-2 Gy dose range. As reasons for non-linearity in the LSS are not completely understood, we conducted dose-response analyses for all solid cancer mortality and incidence applying similar methods [1958-2009 follow-up, DS02R1 doses, including subjects not-in-city (NIC) at the time of the bombing] and statistical models. Incident cancers were ascertained from Hiroshima and Nagasaki cancer registries, while cause of death was ascertained from death certificates throughout Japan. The study included 105,444 LSS subjects who were alive and not known to have cancer before January 1, 1958 (80,205 with dose estimates and 25,239 NIC subjects). Between 1958 and 2009, there were 3.1 million person-years (PY) and 22,538 solid cancers for incidence analysis and 3.8 million PY and 15,419 solid cancer deaths for mortality analysis. We fitted sex-specific ERR models adjusted for smoking to both types of data. Over the entire range of doses, solid cancer mortality dose-response exhibited a borderline significant upward curvature among males (P = 0.062) and significant upward curvature among females (P = 0.010); for solid cancer incidence, as before, we found a significant upward curvature among males (P = 0.001) but not among females (P = 0.624). The sex difference in magnitude of dose-response curvature was statistically significant for cancer incidence (P = 0.017) but not for cancer mortality (P = 0.781). The results of analyses in the 0-2 Gy range and restricted lower dose ranges generally supported inferences made about the sex-specific dose-response shape over the entire range of doses for each outcome. Patterns of sex-specific curvature by calendar period (1958-1987 vs. 1988-2009) and age at exposure (0-19 vs. 20-83) varied between mortality and incidence data, particularly among females, although for each outcome there was an indication of curvature among 0-19-year-old male survivors in both calendar periods and among 0-19-year-old female survivors in the recent period. Collectively, our findings indicate that the upward curvature in all solid cancer dose response in the LSS is neither specific to males nor to incidence data; its evidence appears to depend on the composition of sites comprising all solid cancer group and age at exposure or time. Further follow up and site-specific analyses of cancer mortality and incidence will be important to confirm the emerging trend in dose-response curvature among young survivors and unveil the contributing factors and sites.

PMID:35213725 | DOI:10.1667/RADE-21-00059.1

Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Feb 25. doi: 10.1002/alz.12631. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: We examined baseline differences in depression and antidepressant use among cognitively normal older adults in five ethnoracial groups and assessed whether depression predicted a faster progression to incident cognitive impairment across groups.

METHODS: Data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (n = 8168) were used to examine differences between non-Hispanic Whites (nHW), African Americans (AA), Hispanics, Asians, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives in cross-sectional and longitudinal models.

RESULTS: AA had a lower risk of depression compared to nHW at baseline. No statistical interactions were noted between ethnoracial groups and depression. However, depression independently predicted a faster progression to incident cognitive impairment. Hispanics and Asian participants had a higher hazard for progression compared to nHW.

DISCUSSION: Previously established risk factors between depression and dementia were not found among AA and nHW participants. The relationship between depression and ethnoracial groups is complex and suggests differential effects on progression from cognitive normality to impairment.

PMID:35213795 | DOI:10.1002/alz.12631

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Feb 25:dgac110. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac110. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Subclinical hypothyroidism is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. However, the longitudinal association between subclinical hypothyroidism and incident metabolic syndrome remains unclear yet.

METHODS: A total of 3,615 participants from Beijing Health Management Cohort (BHMC) were enrolled from 2012 to 2014, and followed through 2019. People were grouped into subclinical hypothyroidism and euthyroidism according to serum free thyroxine and thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to investigate the relationship between TSH level and incident metabolic syndrome considering the modification effect of sex and age.

RESULTS: Of 3,615 participants, 1,929 were men (53.4%); mean (SD) age was 43.51 (11.73) years. Through out follow-up (median [interquartile range], 3.0 [2.8-3.2] years), 738 individuals developed metabolic syndrome. Subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly associated with metabolic syndrome development only in men, and the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.87 (95% CI: 1.21-2.90) compared with euthyroidism group. Of note, there was no increased risk of metabolic syndrome in people aged 50 years or older with subclinical hypothyroidism.

CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with incident metabolic syndrome in young men. Further studies are needed to evaluate the targeted threshold and benefit of thyroid hormone replacement therapy for metabolic health.

PMID:35213715 | DOI:10.1210/clinem/dgac110

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2022 Feb 25:ezac124. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezac124. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The comparative effectiveness and safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) versus histamine-2 receptor blockers for stress ulcer prophylaxis in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit population is uncertain. Although the Proton Pump Inhibitors versus Histamine-2 Receptor Blockers for Ulcer Prophylaxis Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit (PEPTIC) trial reported a higher risk of mortality in the PPI arm with no difference in gastrointestinal bleeding, detailed information on surgical variables and clinically relevant surgical subgroups was not available.

METHODS: The analysis included all Canadian cardiac surgery patients enrolled in the PEPTIC trial. Data were electronically linked using unique patient identifiers to a clinical information system. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, gastrointestinal bleeding, Clostridium difficile infections, ventilator-associated conditions and length of stay.

RESULTS: We studied 823 (50.6%) randomized to PPIs and 805 (49.4%) to histamine-2-receptor blockers. In the intention-to-treat analysis, there were no differences in hospital mortality [PPI: 4.3% vs histamine-2 receptor blockers: 4.8%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-1.70], gastrointestinal bleeding (3.9% vs 4.8%, aOR 1.09, 95% CI 0.66-1.81), C. difficile infections (0.9% vs 0.1%, aOR 0.18, 95% CI 0.02-1.59), ventilator-associated conditions (1.6% vs 1.7%, aOR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-1.00) or median length of stay (9.2 vs 9.8 days, adjusted risk ratio 1.06, 85% CI 0.99-1.13). No significant treatment differences were observed among subgroups of interest or per-protocol populations.

CONCLUSIONS: In a secondary analysis of cardiac surgery patients enrolled in the PEPTIC trial in Canada, no differences in effectiveness or safety were observed between use of PPIs and histamine-2 receptor blockers for stress ulcer prophylaxis.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: anzctr.org.au identifier: ACTRN12616000481471.

PMID:35213716 | DOI:10.1093/ejcts/ezac124

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Feb 25:dgac105. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac105. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Acylated ghrelin (AG) stimulates appetite and is elevated compared to its unacylated (UAG) counterpart in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). GLWL-01 is a selective, reversible inhibitor of ghrelin-O-acyltransferase (GOAT), the enzyme that converts UAG into AG.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of GLWL-01 in the treatment of PWS patients.

DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 crossover study with two active treatment periods of 28-days in 19 patients (16 to 65 years; body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m 2) with genetically confirmed PWS.

SETTING: Seven hospital-based study centers in the US and Canada.

INTERVENTION: Patients received placebo or GLWL-01 (450 mg twice daily) orally after lead-in placebo and washout periods.

MAIN OUTCOME: The Hyperphagia Questionnaire for Clinical Trials (HQ-CT) and Caregiver Global Impression of Change (CGIC) were used to measure reductions in hyperphagia. Plasma concentrations of AG and UAG were evaluated as correlates.

RESULTS: Treatment resulted in significant differences compared to placebo in plasma AG (p=0.0002), UAG (p=0.0488), and AG/UAG (p=0.0003). GLWL-01 did not significantly reduce hyperphagia-related behavior or bring about changes in global clinical endpoints, as assessed by caregivers. Anthropometric and clinical parameters correlated with obesity did not significantly change in response to treatment. Less than half of patients reported a treatment emergent adverse event (TEAE). No deaths, serious adverse events, or severe TEAEs were reported.

CONCLUSIONS: GLWL-01 was safe and well-tolerated. Pharmacological parameters confirmed the inhibition of GOAT following administration of GLWL-01. Patients’ eating behaviors, BMI, blood glucose, and total cholesterol, among other similar measures, were not modified.

PMID:35213714 | DOI:10.1210/clinem/dgac105

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 25;17(2):e0264441. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264441. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS set an ‘ambitious’ 90-90-90 target for 2020. By 2016, there were disparities observed among countries in their progress towards the targets and some believed the targets were not achievable. In this report, we present the results of data from the Ethiopia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment survey analyzed to assess progress with the targets and associated factors.

METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative survey in urban areas of Ethiopia. Socio-demographic and behavioural data were collected from consenting participants using a structured interview. HIV testing was done following the national HIV rapid testing algorithm and seropositivity confirmed using a supplemental laboratory assay. HIV viral suppression was considered if the viral load was <1,000 RNA copies/ml. Screening antiretroviral drugs was done for efavirenz, lopinavir, and tenofovir, which were in use during the survey period. In this analysis, we generated weighted descriptive statistics and used bivariate and logistic regression analysis to examine for associations. The 95% confidence interval was used to measure the precision of estimates and the significance level set at p<0.05.

RESULTS: Of 19,136 eligible participants aged 15-64 years, 614 (3% [95% CI: 0.8-3.3]) were HIV-positive, of which 79.0% (95% CI: 4.7-82.7) were aware of their HIV status, and 97.1% (95% CI: 95.0-98.3 were on antiretroviral therapy, of which 87.6% (95% CI: 83.9-90.5) achieved viral load suppression. Awareness about HIV-positive status was significantly higher among females (aOR = 2.8 [95% CI: 1.38-5.51]), significantly increased with age, the odds being highest for those aged 55-64 years (aOR = 11.4 [95% CI: 2.52-51.79]) compared to those 15-24 years, and was significantly higher among those who used condom at last sex in the past 12 months (aOR = 5.1 [95% CI: 1.68-15.25]). Individuals with secondary education and above were more likely to have achieved viral suppression (aOR = 8.2 [95% CI: 1.82-37.07]) compared with those with no education.

CONCLUSION: Ethiopia made encouraging progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. The country needs to intensify its efforts to achieve the targets. A particular focus is required to fill the gaps in knowledge of HIV-positive status to increase case identification among population groups such as males, the youth, and those with low education.

PMID:35213668 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0264441