Tag: nevin manimala

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2456898. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.56898.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Climate change can adversely affect mental health, but the association of ambient temperature with psychiatric symptoms remains poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of ambient temperature exposure with internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems in adolescents from 2 population-based birth cohorts in Europe.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study analyzed data from the Dutch Generation R Study and the Spanish INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) Project. Generation R recruited 9898 women during pregnancy or shortly after birth, with children born between 2002 and 2006. INMA recruited 2270 pregnant women from Gipuzkoa, Sabadell, and Valencia, Spain, with children born between 2003 and 2008. Individuals born from live singleton births with available outcome and exposure data were included in the study. Data were analyzed between October 2023 and November 2024.

EXPOSURE: Daily ambient temperature 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months preceding outcome assessment was calculated between December 2015 and November 2022 at the residence at 100 × 100 m resolution utilizing the UrbClim model.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcomes were internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems, measured with the maternal-reported Child Behavioral Checklist for ages 6 to 18 years; raw scores were square-root transformed, with higher scores indicating more problems. Distributed lag nonlinear models evaluated the associations of temperature exposure with problem scores in each country and region. For Spain, results from the 3 INMA regions were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. Results show the accumulated temperature association over each exposure period.

RESULTS: A total of 3934 participants from Generation R (mean [SD] age at assessment, 13.6 [0.4] years; 1971 female [50%]) and 885 from INMA (mean [SD] age at assessment, 14.9 [1.0] years; 458 female [52%]) were included. Most parents in both cohorts were native to the respective countries of each cohort and had relatively high socioeconomic status. Daily temperatures ranged from -5.2 °C to 32.6 °C in the Netherlands and 3.3 °C to 33.9 °C in Spain. In Generation R, the mean (SD) square-root transformed scores were 2.0 (1.2) for internalizing problems, 1.6 (1.3) for externalizing problems, and 1.5 (1.0) for attention problems, while in INMA these were 2.4 (1.2), 2.1 (1.3), and 1.5 (1.1), respectively. In the Netherlands, cumulative exposure to cold was associated with more internalizing problems (eg, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.20-1.32] higher square-root points at 5.5 °C exposure over a 2-month exposure). In Spain, cumulative exposure to heat was associated with more attention problems (eg, 1.52 [95% CI, 0.39-2.66] higher square-root points at 21.7 °C exposure over a 2-month exposure).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, exposure to cold in the Netherlands and heat in Spain were associated with more psychiatric symptoms, highlighting distinct temperature exposure and mental health associations among adolescents. Future studies should explore this across diverse climates to further quantify the intricate and multifactorial association of climate change with mental health.

PMID:39874035 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.56898

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2457069. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57069.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Cannabis use has increased globally, but its effects on brain function are not fully known, highlighting the need to better determine recent and long-term brain activation outcomes of cannabis use.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of lifetime history of heavy cannabis use and recent cannabis use with brain activation across a range of brain functions in a large sample of young adults in the US.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data (2017 release) from the Human Connectome Project (collected between August 2012 and 2015). Young adults (aged 22-36 years) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), urine toxicology, and cannabis use data were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from January 31 to July 30, 2024.

EXPOSURES: History of heavy cannabis use was assessed using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism, with variables for lifetime history and diagnosis of cannabis dependence. Individuals were grouped as heavy lifetime cannabis users if they had greater than 1000 uses, as moderate users if they had 10 to 999 uses, and as nonusers if they had fewer than 10 uses. Participants provided urine samples on the day of scanning to assess recent use. Diagnosis of cannabis dependence (per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria) was also included.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Brain activation was assessed during each of the 7 tasks administered during the functional MRI session (working memory, reward, emotion, language, motor, relational assessment, and theory of mind). Mean activation from regions associated with the primary contrast for each task was used. The primary analysis was a linear mixed-effects regression model (one model per task) examining the association of lifetime cannabis and recent cannabis use on the mean brain activation value.

RESULTS: The sample comprised 1003 adults (mean [SD] age, 28.7 [3.7] years; 470 men [46.9%] and 533 women [53.1%]). A total of 63 participants were Asian (6.3%), 137 were Black (13.7%), and 762 were White (76.0%). For lifetime history criteria, 88 participants (8.8%) were classified as heavy cannabis users, 179 (17.8%) as moderate users, and 736 (73.4%) as nonusers. Heavy lifetime use (Cohen d = -0.28 [95% CI, -0.50 to -0.06]; false discovery rate corrected P = .02) was associated with lower activation on the working memory task. Regions associated with a history of heavy use included the anterior insula, medial prefrontal cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Recent cannabis use was associated with poorer performance and lower brain activation in the working memory and motor tasks, but the associations between recent use and brain activation did not survive false discovery rate correction. No other tasks were associated with lifetime history of heavy use, recent use, or dependence diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study of young adults, lifetime history of heavy cannabis use was associated with lower brain activation during a working memory task. These findings identify negative outcomes associated with heavy lifetime cannabis use and working memory in healthy young adults that may be long lasting.

PMID:39874032 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57069

Arch Environ Occup Health. 2025 Jan 28:1-5. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2025.2451903. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Following a legionnaire’s disease outbreak in Barcelona in 2022, sport fields’ sprinklers were identified as potential sources of Legionella infection. The Agency of Public Health of Barcelona inspected all 40 urban municipal sports fields in the city. Legionella was found in 55% of them, including Legionella pneumophila serotype 1 in 11 samples. There were no statistically significant differences for Legionella detection according to the installation characteristics.These findings prompted the implementation of a set of preventive measures for risk mitigation and a specific control plan for sport fields.

PMID:39874031 | DOI:10.1080/19338244.2025.2451903

Future Cardiol. 2025 Jan 28:1-9. doi: 10.1080/14796678.2025.2458414. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Decreased left atrial appendage emptying velocity (LAAV) is a marker for thrombus formation. This study evaluates the association between LAAV and inflammatory indices in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.

METHODS: The study population was 1428 patients with AF, 875 of whom enrolled. Based on the LAAV, patients were divided into three groups of 262 patients with a velocity of <25 cm/s, 360 patients with a velocity of 25 to 55 cm/s, and 253 patients with a velocity of >55 cm/s to assess and compare in terms of inflammatory indices, including the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune inflammation index, neutrophil – to – platelet ratio and white blood cell-to-platelet ratio (WPR).

RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in the level of inflammatory indices between the three groups, and none of them were related to LAAV (p > .05) except WPR with a weak negative correlation (p = 0.01, r = -0.10). Patients with lower LAAV were found to have a higher age (p = 0.001), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.001) and greater left atrial volume index (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: This study did not show any association between inflammatory indices and LAAV in non-valvular AF patients except for the WPR.

PMID:39874020 | DOI:10.1080/14796678.2025.2458414

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):347-358. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.347.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The case-control study aims to identify the potential risk and protective factors contributing to breast cancer risk in the high-incidence Aizawl population and the low-incidence Agartala population, using age-specific prevalence data of established reproductive factors and body mass index (BMI) among healthy women.

METHODS: A risk profile survey was conducted on asymptomatic women aged 30-64 in Aizawl and Agartala towns. Data was analysed using SPSS software. A descriptive statistical analysis characterised variable distribution, and bivariate inferential analyses of variable differences including birth cohort study across two states were conducted. Logistic regression determined odds ratios of mean values of reproductive factors and BMI.

RESULTS: The study reports that in Aizawl, a high prevalence of delayed marriages, late pregnancies, postmenopausal obesity and family history are potential risk factors for breast cancer in women, while an elevated mean age at menarche, high parity, and extended breastfeeding are protective factors. Conversely, in Agartala, early marriage, early first childbirth, high parity, prolonged breastfeeding, and healthy BMI are associated with low breast cancer risk in women. The study underscores the potential risk factors of early menarche and an extended reproductive period for women in Agartala.

CONCLUSION: The study emphasizes the importance of conducting age-specific prevalence studies in healthy women to identify critical risk and protective factors for breast cancer. Such information is crucial for healthcare professionals to develop prevention strategies, raise public awareness, and facilitate early detection of breast cancer in different populations. The study results will also set the stage for more extensive research on risk and protective factors for breast cancer in the Northeast region of India.

PMID:39874018 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.347

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):293-299. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.293.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude and practices towards the Tobacco Cessation Counselling and Nicotine Replacement Therapy and identify the possible barriers towards the implementation of these practices amongst Private dental practitioners of North, India. Methodology: A cross sectional web based survey using 33 item pre-tested self administered questionnaire was conducted. A total of 250 valid responses were received and were available for analysis. Using the statistical package SPSS Version 23 the statistical analysis was done. The survey results was disseminated in accordance with the CHERRIES criteria for sharing E-survey results.

RESULTS: There was a response rate of 78.12 %. 69% of the subjects were offering tobacco cessation counseling while only 20.4% were actually practicing NRT. 52% believed that NRT along with counseling increases the rate of successful quitting the habit. 98% believed that they lacked formal training to introduce NRT for patients.

CONCLUSION: Though study subjects had a positive attitude towards tobacco cessation and Nicotine Replacement Therapy, it does not reflect their current practice. Dental practitioners must get ongoing education in order to enhance their skills in prescription NRT, as a major obstacle to providing NRT is a lack of formal training.

PMID:39874012 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.293

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):225-231. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.225.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The progress made in cancer immunology has led to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. However, despite these advances, the superficial characteristics of immune cells have been frequently overlooked: This oversight may be attributed to a limited understanding of the intricate relationships between immune cells and their microenvironment. This study seeks to address this limitation by comprehensively examining cell size and granularity in breast cancer (BC) patients and healthy donors (HD).

METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were isolated from BC patients and HD. We examined the size (FSC-A%rCV) and granularity (SSC-A%rCV) of immune cell subsets in both patient groups and HD using flowcytometry.

RESULTS: Despite the absence of statistically significant variations in cell size between BC and HD, visual examination reveals noticeable discrepancies. There is a substantial decrease in granularity in CD8 and CD4 T-cell populations in BC compared to HD which is not observed in B cells.

CONCLUSION: Our analysis shows that while the size of immune cells may not be significantly altered in breast cancer patients compared to healthy donors, a closer examination of cell granularity reveals a distinct pattern. Specifically, the T-cell populations, including CD8 and CD4 cells, exhibit a substantial decrease in granularity in BC compared to HD. In contrast, B cells remain unaffected, suggesting that the granularity of T cells is uniquely susceptible to perturbations in breast cancer. This observation highlights the importance of considering cell granularity as a critical aspect of immune cell function, particularly in the context of cancer development.

PMID:39874005 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.225

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):181-187. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.181.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori bacteria colonize the gastric mucosa and contribute to the occurrence and development of gastrointestinal diseases. According to the WHO, H. pylori bacteria are considered class I carcinogen.

OBJECTIVES: To detect Helicobacter pylori organisms by IHC expression of anti-H. Pylori antibodies in the explanted liver tissue; and enlarged perihepatic lymph nodes of cirrhotic liver; to detect any relation between the presence of the organism and histopathological findings in the liver tissue.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included forty cases of cirrhotic patients with decompensated end-stage liver, recruited for liver transplantation based on combined clinical, radiological, and histological data. Samples were immunohistochemically analyzed for anti-H-Pylori antibodies to detect Helicobacter pylori organisms in the explanted liver tissue and enlarged perihepatic lymph nodes. The presence of the organism was correlated with clinic-pathologic variables.

RESULTS: Eighty-five percent (34 cases) and seventy percent (28 cases) of cases were positive for anti-H-Pylori antibodies in the liver and lymph nodal tissues, respectively. More than eighty percent (14 cases) and half of the studied cases (8 cases) showed dysplasia in liver tissue expressing anti-H-Pylori-antibody in the liver tissue and the lymph nodes, respectively. All HCC cases expressed anti-H-Pylori antibody in the liver tissue and the lymph nodes. The relation between anti-H-Pylori antibody expression in lymph nodes and the presence of dysplasia or HCC in liver tissue was statistically significant (p-value = 0.037 and p-value = 0.041 respectively).

CONCLUSION: Our results conclude that there is a pathogenic role of extra-gastric H-Pylori colonization in lymph nodal tissue and in liver tissue, and it may be preventable by treating H. pylori, especially if treatment can be started very early.

PMID:39874000 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.181

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):171-179. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.171.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To apply the Toronto Childhood Cancer Staging Guidelines (TG) and Estimate the Observed Survival Probabilities for Pediatric Patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma.

METHODS: Staging at diagnosis was conducted according to tier 2 of the TG. The study cohort included patients aged 0 -19 years from the Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) of Mato Grosso, diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma between 2008 and 2017, with follow-up until December 31, 2022. Observed 60-month survivals were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS: Staging was assigned in 67.3% of cases (n=239), while in 32.7% (n=116), staging could not be applied due to incomplete data. Among the cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 70.7% (n=133) were staged as CNS1, with an observed survival probability of 75.0%. For acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 42.2% (n=21) were staged as CNS-, with an estimated survival of 60.0%. Most Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases were staged as IIA/B (37.7%, n=23) and IIIA/B (21.3%, n=13), with survival probabilities of 91.3% and 91.7%, respectively. Among non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cases, 32.1% (n=18) were staged as stage III, with a survival probability of 70.6%.

CONCLUSION: The application of TG in the PBCR in Mato Grosso proved feasible, allowing for comparability of survival estimates across different stages. However, collecting tier 2 staging information will be a challenge for the PBCR due to incomplete information in medical records.

PMID:39873999 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.171

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jan 1;26(1):147-151. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.147.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones via capillary sprouting, is a crucial process in tumor growth and metastasis. As a tumor’s angiogenic capacity increases, its microvasculature, measured by micro vessel density (MVD), also increases. This study aims to evaluate the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and CD34 in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma through immunohistochemical methods.

METHODS: The study analyzed a total of 40 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples. These included 10 cases of normal buccal mucosa, 15 cases of oral epithelial dysplasia, and 15 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using monoclonal anti-VEGF and anti-CD34 antibodies. The intensity and area of staining for VEGF were assessed, and the mean MVD was calculated. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson’s chi-square test and one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS: The expression of VEGF and MVD (indicated by CD34 staining) were significantly higher in oral squamous cell carcinoma compared to oral epithelial dysplasia and normal buccal mucosa.

CONCLUSION: As tumors grow, angiogenesis increases proportionally with tumor volume and disease progression, contributing to tumorigenesis. VEGF serves as a critical mitogen for tumor vascularization, and MVD can be a useful indicator of disease progression.

PMID:39873996 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.1.147