Tag: nevin manimala

Cogn Emot. 2025 May 28:1-15. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2025.2508400. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This experiment aimed to test whether FutureMe, a VR-tool combining positive mental imagery and dual tasking, is efficacious in increasing willingness to exposure, and decreasing distress, emotionality, and vividness, of children’s autobiographical fears, compared to an active VR control condition. Additionally, the moderating role of emotion regulation difficulties was investigated. Children (N = 557; 53.9% boys), with a mean age of 10.14 years (SD = 1.90), were randomly allocated to either the FutureMe (n = 281) or control (n = 276) condition. Willingness to exposure, distress, emotionality, and vividness were measured at pre- and posttest on a VAS from 0 (not at all) to 100 (very much). Parents (n = 437) filled out the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Parent Report, assessing their child’s emotion regulation difficulties. Willingness to exposure increased only in the FutureMe condition. Distress and emotionality decreased in both conditions. Vividness decreased only in the control condition. Emotion regulation difficulties moderated the pre-post change of distress and emotionality only within the control condition. This study shows that the FutureMe could improve children’s willingness to exposure, which in clinical practice could lead to less drop-out in anxiety therapy for children. More research is needed on the separate effects of dual tasking and positive mental imagery.

PMID:40435503 | DOI:10.1080/02699931.2025.2508400

PLoS One. 2025 May 28;20(5):e0324604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324604. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

Current predictive methods for dam failures in reservoirs remain limited, indicating that the underlying mechanisms of such failures are not yet fully understood. To further elucidate the interrelationships among safety monitoring data in the reservoir area, this study established 36 monitoring cross-sections distributed across upper, middle, and lower slope zones. Each cross-section was instrumented with eight different types of monitoring devices. A total of 4,320 samples were collected (432 samples per instrument type), resulting in an overall dataset of 34,560 measurements. The monitoring data were sequentially analyzed using: (1) descriptive statistics, (2) Welch/Brown-Forsythe post hoc One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and (3) cluster analysis. The results demonstrate that: (1) Significant correlations exist among monitoring variables, with the strongest positive correlation observed between loading and lean (r = 0.40), while the strongest negative correlation occurred between sedimentation and stress (r = -0.39). (2) Cluster analysis of the eight monitoring variables revealed two distinct clusters: soil displacement, stress, and water-level formed one cluster, while the remaining variables comprised the second cluster. In summary, variations in monitoring data and their correlations resulted from water-level and environmental changes in the reservoir area, with spatial differences across monitoring types. A thorough investigation of these variations and their causes will enable accurate safety assessments of the reservoir area and support tailored response strategies for different locations.

PMID:40435450 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0324604

PLoS One. 2025 May 28;20(5):e0324545. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324545. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

AIM: In the present study, we aimed to provide an epidemiological and descriptive overview of violence against healthcare workers in an Italian university hospital, presenting and characterizing the risk factors in the department where such events occur and to propose ways to prevent aggressive behaviors.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed violence against healthcare workers by patients and attendants at an Italian university hospital from 2020 to 2022. Aggressions were documented in anonymous incident reports collected by the hospital’s Clinical Risk Unit. The frequencies and percentages were calculated via a descriptive analysis. Chi-square tests were used to compare the wards with the most aggressions to other wards.

RESULTS: Of the 219 included cases, the aggressors were primarily male patients and the victims female nurses. Most of the aggressions occurred in the psychiatry and emergency department. Among the aggressors, 41.1%, had a psychiatric diagnosis or neurocognitive impairment. Over half the cases involved physical aggression. Compared to other wards, psychiatric wards showed an even distribution of aggressor gender, a higher proportion of male victims, fewer verbal aggressions, and less impact from environmental factors. Notably, female aggressor status (p < 0.001, OR = 8.687) and involvement in physical assaults (p < 0.001, OR = 15.236) were identified as independent risk factors associated with aggression in psychiatric settings.

CONCLUSION: Our findings align with the literature in that most of the incidents occurred in the psychiatry and emergency medicine departments and involved nurses. However, physical rather than verbal aggression predominated. Notable distribution, risk factor, and qualitative differences were observed between the psychiatric and non-psychiatric services, which warrants further investigation. Our results could be useful in implementing better prevention strategies based on the type of ward.

PMID:40435448 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0324545

JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2025 May;9:e2400324. doi: 10.1200/CCI-24-00324. Epub 2025 May 28.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recent advances in machine learning have led to the development of classifiers that predict molecular subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data. Although these models have shown promising results, they often lack robust performance guarantees. The aim of this study was three-fold: to quantify the uncertainty of these classifiers, to provide prediction sets that control the false-negative rate (FNR), and to perform implicit error reduction by transforming incorrect predictions into uncertain predictions.

METHODS: Conformal prediction (CP) is a distribution-agnostic framework for generating statistically calibrated prediction sets whose size reflects model uncertainty. In this study, we applied an extension called conformal risk control to three RNA-seq ALL subtype classifiers. Leveraging RNA-seq data from 1,227 patient samples taken at diagnosis, we developed a multiclass conformal predictor ALLCoP, which generates statistically guaranteed FNR-controlled prediction sets.

RESULTS: ALLCoP was able to create prediction sets with specified FNR tolerances ranging from 7.5% to 30%. In a validation cohort, ALLCoP successfully reduced the FNR of the ALLIUM RNA-seq ALL subtype classifier from 8.95% to 3.5%. For patients whose subtype was not previously known, the use of ALLCoP was able to reduce the occurrence of empty predictions from 37% to 17%. Notably, up to 34% of the multiple-class prediction sets included the PAX5alt subtype, suggesting that increased prediction set size may reflect secondary aberrations and biological complexity, contributing to classifier uncertainty. Finally, ALLCoP was validated on two additional RNA-seq ALL subtype classifiers, ALLSorts and ALLCatchR.

CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the potential of CP in enhancing the use of oncologic RNA-seq subtyping classifiers and also in uncovering additional molecular aberrations of potential clinical importance.

PMID:40435436 | DOI:10.1200/CCI-24-00324

Omega (Westport). 2025 May 28:302228251346910. doi: 10.1177/00302228251346910. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the levels of death literacy, death anxiety, and intolerance of uncertainty among family caregivers of elderly individuals and identify the factors influencing these variables. This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Statistically significant differences in the mean scores of death literacy and death anxiety were found among caregivers who were the patient’s spouse, provided care ≥5 days per week, perceived their health as poor during caregiving, had not received education regarding death, and had not engaged in discussions about death with the patient. A statistically significant negative relationship was identified between death literacy and both intolerance of uncertainty and death anxiety among caregivers. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the caregiver’s relationship to the patient, the frequency of caregiving, self-perceived health status during caregiving, receiving education about death, and having discussions about death with the patient were significant factors affecting death literacy.

PMID:40435405 | DOI:10.1177/00302228251346910

J Perinat Med. 2025 May 27. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2024-0361. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Optimal macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) values in human milk (HM) are essential for the healthy growth of infants, particularly those with very low birth weight. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between macronutrient content in HM and the characteristics of donations in the Croatian HM bank.

METHODS: A total of 211 pools of HM from 51 donors were included. Analysis of HM was performed on MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer (Miris AB, Uppsala, Sweden). Prior to routine use, a brief verification of MIRIS was performed (between-run and within-run precision).

RESULTS: In precision study the coefficients of variation were all below 10 %, as well as bias, with the exception of the between-run for crude proteins high control level (bias was 12 %). Storage temperature in the donor’s home positively correlated with fat (p=0.004) and energy content (p=0.009) and negatively correlated with carbohydrates (p=0.003). The duration of lactation (p<0.001) and the duration of HM storage (in donor’s home p=0.022; in the bank p=0.001; total duration of HM storage p<0.001) negatively correlated with proteins in HM. Statistically significant difference was obtained for all components (fat p=0.008, proteins p=0.006, carbohydrates p<0.001, energy content p=0.002) when comparing infant’s sex and milk macronutrients, with male infants having higher values.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that various factors can affect the macronutrient content of donated HM. It is important to monitor all factors that may impact on the quality of HM.

PMID:40435395 | DOI:10.1515/jpm-2024-0361

Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Jul;51(4):e70106. doi: 10.1111/cch.70106.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ensuring consistency in both conceptualization and operationalization of physical activity parenting practices is vital for translating insights on parental influences into effective intervention. This study aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure for comprehensively assessing Chinese parents’ parenting practices regarding early adolescents’ physical activity.

METHODS: A total of 70 measurement items were developed from translating, adapting and revising the Physical Activity Parenting Practice (PAPP) item bank. Content validity was assessed via consultation with 10 experts and cognitive interviews with six 7th graders. The psychometric properties assessed included structural validity via exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, predictive validity against adolescent-reported physical activity levels and test-retest reliability of construct scores over 2 weeks. The sample comprised 725 adolescents aged 12-15 years, of whom 114 completed the survey twice, 2 weeks apart.

RESULTS: Eight PAPP constructs from the control, structure and autonomy support domains were identified forming a set of 49 measurement items. The structure within each domain demonstrated good model fit and comparable alignment with the international conceptual framework. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of each construct ranged from 0.70 to 0.90. Five construct scores had significant positive associations with adolescents’ physical activity levels (β ranged from 0.14 to 0.43, p < 0.001). Test-retest construct scores generated moderate to large correlations with coefficients ranging from 0.60 to 0.80.

CONCLUSION: Psychometric testing supported the reliability and validity of the physical activity parenting practice questionnaire for Chinese youth (CYPAPP). This culturally adapted measure would enable cross-cultural comparisons to better understand parental influences on adolescents’ physical activity.

PMID:40435389 | DOI:10.1111/cch.70106

JMIR Infodemiology. 2025 May 28;5:e66081. doi: 10.2196/66081.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vaccine information and misinformation are spread through social media in ways that may vary by platform. Understanding the role social media plays in shaping vaccine preferences is crucial for policymakers and researchers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to test whether social media use is associated with changes in vaccine preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, and whether trust in sources of information has a moderating role.

METHODS: Our data consist of a balanced panel of 257 web-based respondents in New Zealand in August 2020, October-November 2020, and March-April 2021. We use a novel approach with stated choice panel data to study transitions between different vaccine preference groups. We analyze the associations between these transitions and social media use. We classify respondents as resistant (never chose a vaccine), hesitant (chose a vaccine between 1 and 5 times), and provaccine (chose a vaccine 6 out of 6 times) in each wave of data.

RESULTS: We found a positive or neutral association between social media use and vaccine uptake. Facebook, Twitter (pre-2022), and TikTok users who are provaccine are less likely to become hesitant or resistant. Facebook and Instagram users who are hesitant are more likely to become pro. Some social media platforms may have a more positive association with vaccine uptake preferences for those who do not trust the government.

CONCLUSIONS: The paper contributes to the wider literature, which shows social media can be associated with reinforcing both pro and antivaccination sentiment, and these results depend on where individuals get their information from and their trust in such sources.

PMID:40435386 | DOI:10.2196/66081

Anal Chem. 2025 May 28. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c00908. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a frequently diagnosed neurodegenerative condition, poses a major global challenge. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for PD treatment. This study proposes a diagnostic model for PD that analyzes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from ear canal secretions (ECS). Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to examine ECS samples from patients, four VOC components (ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane) were identified as biomarkers with statistically significant differences between PD and non-PD patients. Diagnostic models based on these VOC components demonstrate strong capability in identifying and classifying PD patients. To enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the PD diagnostic model, this study introduces a protocol for extracting features from chromatographic data. By integrating gas chromatography-surface acoustic wave sensors (GC-SAW) with a convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the system achieves an accuracy of up to 94.4%. Further enhancements to the diagnostic model could pave the way for a promising new PD diagnostic solution and the clinical use of a bedside PD diagnostic device.

PMID:40435384 | DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.5c00908

JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2025 May 28;11:e63960. doi: 10.2196/63960.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: As a potent opioid analgesic, fentanyl transdermal patches (FTDs) have been widely used in patients with moderate to severe pain. However, increasing concerns about the opioid epidemic have made it important to strengthen the rational use and management of FTDs.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the trends in the use of FTD and to evaluate potentially inappropriate FTD use in patients with noncancer pain, based on established evaluation criteria, referring various recommendations and guidelines.

METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted using a national insurance claims database from 2014 to 2020. The study included patients who were prescribed FTDs at least once a year in an outpatient setting, while excluding cancer or pediatric patients. To identify potentially inappropriate use, we developed evaluation criteria based on the established recommendations for the safe use of prescription opioids in patients with noncancer pain and assessed each patient’s compliance. The working-age and older adult groups were compared to evaluate the differences in FTD use, and modified Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients were used to assess the equality of FTD use.

RESULTS: A total of 5386 patients and their 19,800 reimbursements were included in the study. The number of patients with FTDs decreased from 58.6 to 53.7 per 100,000 registrants between 2014 and 2020. Meanwhile, the number of reimbursements increased by 7.4%, from 203.2 to 218.1 per 100,000 registrants during the same period. The working-age patients had an average of 3.9 reimbursements per year, with an average morphine milligram equivalent per day (MME/day) of 64.4 for each reimbursement. The older adult patients had an average of 3.5 reimbursements per year, and their average MME/day was 47.9. As a result of applying the evaluation criteria, 567 (24.5%) working-age patients and 531 (17.3%) older adult patients were identified as potentially inappropriate FTD users. Among patients with multiple FTD prescriptions, the working-age group with potentially inappropriate FTD use had significantly higher estimated MME/day than the older adult group (P<.001). The modified Lorenz curve showed that more than 70% of the total FTDs used in the working-age group were consumed by those with potentially inappropriate FTD use, while older adult group with potentially inappropriate FTD use accounted for less than 50% of the total older adult patients. The working-age patients also had a higher Gini coefficient than the older adult group, indicating unequal use of FTDs (0.461 vs 0.406).

CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of patients receiving FTD prescriptions has decreased during the study period, the total amount of FTDs consumed increased, suggesting that caution is warranted. This study also highlights the potential for inappropriate FTD use in working-age patients. Further research is needed to quantify and qualify the risk factors in patients with potentially inappropriate use, given the clinical rationale associated with prescribing FTDs.

PMID:40435380 | DOI:10.2196/63960