Tag: pubmed

Int J Phytoremediation. 2026 Jul 25:1-11. doi: 10.1080/15226514.2026.2703734. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Arsenic pollution of water and soil is a global environmental and public health issue that requires sustainable remediation. Metal-tolerant plant species are used in phytoremediation to significantly remove metals from contaminated locations. This study tested Hydrocotyle umbellata L. against five Arsenic concentrations (500,750,1000,1250,1500 µg L^-1 from T1 to T5 respectively,) in Hoagland solution for 10 days to assess its phytoextraction potential. This was done using triplicate randomized block design. Pearson Correlation analysis, ANOVA, Multivariate Regression, and CART models are used for statistical analyses. These statistical characteristics were used to examine H. umbellata’s Arsenic uptake and its effects on factors like fresh and dry weight, translocation factor (TF), bio-concentration factor (BCF), chlorophyll content (Chl.), and electrolyte leakage. All treatments had BCF greater than 1 and a maximum BCF value was shown by T5 as 32.65. The strong metal uptake, greatest BCF reduced dry weight indicates physiological stress in H. umbellata, which can collect and translocate Arsenic from roots to stolon. Highest BCF and TF values accompanying As translocation to shoots indicate H. umbellata’s phytoextraction capacity and adaptation to Arsenic stress.

PMID:42500851 | DOI:10.1080/15226514.2026.2703734

Cancer Control. 2026 Jan-Dec;33:10732748261470289. doi: 10.1177/10732748261470289. Epub 2026 Jul 25.

ABSTRACT

IntroductionIn Mexico, delays in pediatric cancer diagnosis remain a major barrier to timely care and are partly driven by inefficiencies in referral pathways. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a direct pathway on referral intervals for patients with suspected childhood cancer treated at a high-specialty hospital in Mexico.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational cohort study based on a comprehensive review of medical records of patients referred to a high-specialty hospital in Mexico between 2017 and 2022. Patients’ characteristics, along with dates from symptom recognition to diagnosis, were collected. The exposure was the referral pathway: standard versus direct (Golden Code strategy) pathway, which enables access to pediatric oncology through a zero-rejection policy. The primary outcome was the time attributable to oncological referral (TAOR), analyzed as a continuous variable and a dichotomous outcome. Secondary intervals were calculated using standardized definitions. Regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with untimely (>7 days) referral.ResultsA total of 399 patients were included. The direct pathway was associated with a shorter TAOR compared to the standard pathway (median 2.0 vs. 7.0 days; p<0.001). The proportion of timely referrals was substantially higher in the direct pathway (91.3%) than in the standard (50.6%) and reduced the likelihood of an untimely referral (OR = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.055-0.173; p<0.001). No differences were observed in other diagnostic intervals.ConclusionThe direct referral pathway improves the timeliness and consistency of access to pediatric oncology care by reducing referral delays and increasing the proportion of patients evaluated within recommended referral intervals. However, the absence of changes in the secondary intervals, such as time to oncological diagnosis, highlights the need for complementary actions targeting downstream diagnostic processes. Strengthening referral systems represents a feasible and impactful strategy to address delays in pediatric cancer care in middle-income settings.

PMID:42500849 | DOI:10.1177/10732748261470289

Nucleic Acids Res. 2026 Jul 17;54(14):gkag636. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkag636.

ABSTRACT

Copy number variations (CNVs) are genomic structural variants that are strongly linked to cancer progression and genetic disorders. CNVs can be highly heterogeneous at population and tissue scale; thus, single-cell resolution detection holds great promise for studying clonal evolution and CNV-driven changes. Despite advanced sc-RNA-seq CNV detection methods, accurate methods for epigenomic single-cell modalities lag behind. We developed RIDDLER; a robust, unsupervised method that uses outlier-aware statistical modeling to detect CNVs across multiple single-cell modalities and assays. RIDDLER utilizes a robust regression framework to model the expected distribution of reads genome-wide by accounting for assay-specific biases, identifying CNVs as outliers from that distribution. This versatile framing allows deployment of RIDDLER in multiple modalities with appropriate bias features. We demonstrate the accuracy of RIDDLER in calling single-cell CNVs and dissecting clonal heterogeneity in sc-ATAC-seq and sc-methylation. RIDDLER is more accurate and more robust to data sparsity than competing methods. We illustrate useful applications of RIDDLER for dissection of clonal structure, identification of subclonal accessibility peaks, and multimodal integration from CNV structure. RIDDLER stands out as a scalable, generalizable multi-modal method for accurate CNV detection, empowering studies aiming to link CNV dynamics to epigenetic alterations within the same cell.

PMID:42500822 | DOI:10.1093/nar/gkag636

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111412. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111412. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Background Cervical cancer remains a major public health problem, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with limited information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among urban adolescents. Objectives To assess KAP regarding cervical cancer and HPV vaccination among adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years and examine associations between sociodemographic factors and knowledge levels. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted over three months among 180 adolescent girls in the Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC) field practice area of Challapura, Datia, Madhya Pradesh. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests applied at P < 0.05. Results Late adolescents (aged 17 to 19 years) comprised 94 (52.22%) of participants. Only 42 (23.33%) had knowledge of HPV, while 138 (76.67%) were unaware. The internet was the main source of information, reported by 73 (40.48%), followed by friends (43, 23.81%) and health workers (30, 16.67%). Knowledge of cervical cancer (χ² = 39.09, p < 0.001), HPV infection (χ² = 21.00, p < 0.001), and HPV vaccination (χ² = 11.37, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with age. Attitudes indicated moderate perception of disease severity but lower acceptance of vaccination. The main barriers were lack of awareness reported by 126 (70.0%), lack of healthcare recommendations by 57 (31.7%), and high cost by 38 (21.1%). Conclusion HPV awareness among adolescent girls was low despite moderately favorable attitudes toward prevention. Targeted educational interventions and increased involvement of healthcare providers are needed to improve vaccine awareness and acceptance in urban primary care settings.

PMID:42500797 | PMC:PMC13397864 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111412

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111410. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111410. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Background and objective Congenital hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (CHH) is the leading cause of persistent hypoglycemia in neonates and infants. In high-resource settings, diagnosis and management depend on rapid genetic testing and advanced imaging to differentiate focal from diffuse disease. However, in low-resource settings, limited diagnostic capacity and lack of access to medications often necessitate early surgical intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, surgical intervention, and outcomes in infants undergoing pancreatectomy for congenital hyperinsulinism at Al Ribat University Hospital, Sudan. Methods A retrospective descriptive study was conducted, involving all pediatric patients who underwent pancreatectomy for CHH from January 2019 to December 2024. Data were extracted from operative logs and medical records, including demographics, diagnostic investigations, medical therapy, surgical procedures, postoperative complications, histopathology, and one-year outcomes. Descriptive statistics and appropriate inferential statistical tests were used for the analysis. Results Thirty-two patients were included, of whom 19 (59.4%) were female. The majority were diagnosed during the first week of life (n = 19, 59.4%). Diazoxide was administered to 30 (93.75%) patients, with only eight (26.7%) showing a therapeutic response. Restricted access to genetic testing (n = 8, 25%) and imaging (n = 6, 18.8%) resulted in the predominance of near-total pancreatectomy (n = 31, 96.9%). Intraoperative complications were minimal, with bleeding occurring in two cases (6.25%) and vascular injury in one case (3.1%). Early postoperative hypoglycemia was noted in 13 patients (40.6%), whereas hyperglycemia was noted in one patient (3.1%). Surgical complications included wound infection in seven patients (21.9%) and intestinal obstruction in one patient (3.1%). Histopathology confirmed CHH in all cases, with diffuse disease in 27 patients (84.4%). During a one-year follow-up period, three patients (9.4%) died, including two (6.3%) due to recurrent hypoglycemia. Conclusions Near-total pancreatectomy remains a practical and life-saving option for infants with medically unresponsive CHH in low-resource settings where diagnostic and pharmacologic limitations restrict individualized care. Despite limited access to preoperative localization and the predominance of diffuse disease, surgical outcomes were acceptable, with low intraoperative morbidity and manageable rates of postoperative complications. Persistent postoperative hypoglycemia and late mortality highlight the need for structured endocrine follow-up and improved access to medical therapy. Strengthening diagnostic capacity, ensuring medication availability, and establishing coordinated multidisciplinary care pathways are essential to improving long-term outcomes for children with CHH in resource-limited environments.

PMID:42500796 | PMC:PMC13397328 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111410

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111405. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111405. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Background Maternal health literacy is a key factor in helping women acquire, understand, and utilize health information during pregnancy. Poor health literacy may impede effective decision-making and impact maternal and newborn health. The objective of this study was to assess maternal health literacy and its association with pregnancy outcomes among postnatal women in Lahore, Pakistan. Methodology This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 374 postnatal women at the University of Lahore, Pakistan, between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2025. The Maternal Health Literacy and Pregnancy Outcome Questionnaire recorded data, socio-demographic data, and obstetric data. IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), was used for statistical analyses. Data did not satisfy the assumption of normality, so nonparametric tests were used to explore associations among the study variables. Results Women with live births demonstrated significantly higher maternal health literacy scores than those reporting neonatal deaths (Mann-Whitney U = 214.5, p < 0.001). Pregnancy outcomes were significantly associated with educational status, household income, parity, neonatal birth weight, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, APGAR score, and maternal comorbidities (all p < 0.05). Conclusions Maternal health literacy was positively associated with favorable pregnancy outcomes. Further prospective studies are required to determine whether interventions aimed at improving maternal health literacy can improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

PMID:42500794 | PMC:PMC13397089 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111405

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111404. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111404. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Background Ovarian neoplasms represent a heterogeneous category of tumors with different histogenesis, clinical behavior, and prognosis, thus presenting a major challenge in gynecological oncology. The most popular biomarker in ovarian cancer is serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125). Hence, the purpose of our study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of serum CA-125 to differentiate between benign and malignant ovarian tumors using clinicopathological correlation in a tertiary care institution. Methods This is an observational study, retrospective in nature, carried out in the Department of Pathology at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, over 18 months. A total of 76 histopathologically confirmed ovarian tumor cases with available clinical, radiological, and serum CA-125 data were included. Preoperative serum CA-125 levels were measured using a cutoff value of 35 U/mL. Tumors were categorized as benign, borderline, or malignant based on histopathological criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 27, Armonk, NY). Results Out of 76 ovarian tumors, 55 (72.4%) were benign, two (2.6%) were borderline, and 19 (25.0%) were malignant. Epithelial tumors (46, 60.5%) were the most common histological type. Serous cystadenoma (16, 21.1%) was the most frequent subtype. Elevated CA-125 levels were observed in all malignant tumors (19, 100%), while most benign tumors (49, 89.1%) showed normal levels. Serum CA-125 demonstrated sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 87.7%, positive predictive value of 73.1%, negative predictive value of 100%, and overall diagnostic accuracy of 90.7%. Conclusion The present study indicates that ovarian tumors are mainly benign, and most histological subtypes are epithelial tumors. Serum CA-125 demonstrated an excellent sensitivity in the detection of malignant tumors of the ovary, with all the malignant tumors portraying high levels of CA-125. These results show that CA-125 is a useful biomarker for identifying malignant ovarian tumors. However, its interpretation should be made in conjunction with clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings.

PMID:42500789 | PMC:PMC13399596 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111404

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111431. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111431. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has been increasingly associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, especially in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and IDA severity and to compare hematological parameters between H. pylori-positive and -negative adult patients attending a tertiary care hospital.

METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from January 2025 to December 2025. Consecutive non-probability sampling was used to recruit a total of 236 adult patients with IDA. Stool antigen testing was used to diagnose infection with H. pylori. Hematological parameters, such as hemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), were determined. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26, while the chi-square test and independent t-test were used to determine the association of the data.

RESULTS: H. pylori infection was positive in 136 (57.63%) patients and negative in 100 (42.37%). A significant association was observed between infection and moderate-to-severe anemia (p < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 2.58). Hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in infected patients (9.31 ± 1.42 vs. 10.72 ± 1.39 g/dL, p < 0.001). Similarly, serum ferritin (11.02 ± 5.10 vs. 19.48 ± 6.25 ng/mL, p < 0.001), serum iron (40.65 ± 11.02 vs. 59.37 ± 12.10 µg/dL, p < 0.001), TIBC (415.28 ± 39.21 vs. 354.62 ± 40.85 µg/dL, p < 0.001), and MCV (70.84 ± 6.72 vs. 78.91 ± 6.88 fL, p < 0.001) also showed statistically significant differences between groups.

CONCLUSION: IDA severity and hematologic parameters are significantly associated with H. pylori infection in adult patients.

PMID:42500788 | PMC:PMC13398527 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111431

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111443. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111443. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Background Assessment of facial dimensions provides valuable insights into craniofacial characteristics and population-based morphological diversity. The facial index (FI), calculated from the relationship between facial height and facial width, is commonly used to evaluate facial proportions and classify facial phenotypes. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the FI and determine the distribution of facial phenotypes among undergraduate medical students at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU), Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed among undergraduate medical students in the Department of Anatomy at IMS-BHU, Varanasi, India. A total of 200 undergraduate medical students (104 (52.0%) males and 96 (48.0%) females) were included. Morphological facial height (nasion-gnathion distance) and bizygomatic breadth (zygion-zygion distance) were measured using a standard spreading calliper. The FI was calculated. Participants were classified into facial phenotypes according to Bannister’s classification. Data processing and statistical evaluation were carried out using GraphPad Prism. Comparisons of quantitative variables were conducted using the independent-samples t-test, whereas associations between categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test. A p-value below 0.05 was considered indicative of statistical significance. Results The mean morphological facial height, bizygomatic breadth, and FI among males were 121.64 ± 6.47 mm, 138.38 ± 6.87 mm, and 88.15 ± 6.88, respectively. The corresponding values among females were 113.63 ± 4.61 mm, 132.77 ± 5.29 mm, and 85.74 ± 5.26, respectively. Male participants demonstrated significantly greater morphological facial height (p < 0.001), bizygomatic breadth (p < 0.001), and FI (p = 0.006) compared to females. The mesoprosopic phenotype was the predominant facial phenotype, observed in 69 (34.5%) participants, followed by the euriprosopic phenotype in 57 (28.5%), leptoprosopic phenotype in 30 (15.0%), and both hypereuriprosopic and hyperleptoprosopic phenotypes in 22 (11.0%) participants each. The pattern of facial phenotype distribution was comparable between sexes and did not demonstrate a statistically significant association with sex (χ² = 6.07, df = 4, p = 0.194). Conclusion Significant sexual dimorphism was observed in facial anthropometric measurements and the FI among undergraduate medical students at IMS-BHU, Uttar Pradesh, with the mesoprosopic phenotype being predominant in both sexes. The study provides valuable regional reference data for craniofacial assessment in clinical, forensic, and anthropological settings.

PMID:42500786 | PMC:PMC13399996 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111443

Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111415. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111415. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is frequently associated with impaired consciousness due to disruption of cortical, subcortical, and brainstem arousal networks. Reduced consciousness limits participation in rehabilitation and highlights the need for safe early interventions to facilitate responsiveness. Conventional multisensory stimulation provides visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory input to support arousal. Graded vestibular stimulation may offer additional benefit through head movements, positional changes, and visual-vestibular activities; however, its role in patients with ICH remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of adding graded vestibular stimulation exercises to conventional multisensory stimulation for improving the level of consciousness (LOC) in patients with ICH. Methods This randomized controlled parallel-group trial was conducted in the neuro-ICU of Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Karad. Thirty-six patients with ICH were randomly allocated to an experimental group or a control group (n = 18 each). Both groups received conventional multisensory stimulation. The experimental group additionally received a graded vestibular stimulation exercise protocol, modified according to the patient’s LOC, including head and head-trunk movements, head-end inclination and declination positioning, rocking-based vestibular stimulation, wheelchair mobilization, gaze stabilization, eye movement exercises, and optokinetic visual stimulation. Interventions were administered once daily for 14 consecutive days; total treatment exposure was greater in the experimental group because vestibular exercises were provided as an add-on intervention. LOC was assessed by a blinded assessor using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score at baseline (Day 1), Day 7, and Day 14. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in level-of-consciousness scores from baseline to Day 14 (p < 0.001). Baseline GCS and FOUR scores did not differ significantly between groups. On Day 7, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher GCS scores than the control group (9.2 ± 1.3 vs. 8.1 ± 1.2; p = 0.018) and significantly higher FOUR scores (11.0 ± 1.6 vs. 9.6 ± 1.5; p = 0.013). On Day 14, GCS scores remained significantly higher in the experimental group (11.3 ± 1.4 vs. 10.1 ± 1.3; p = 0.010), as did FOUR scores (13.4 ± 1.7 vs. 11.8 ± 1.6; p = 0.005). From Day 1 to Day 14, mean GCS and FOUR scores increased by 4.5 and 5.2 points, respectively, in the experimental group, compared with 3.4 and 3.7 points in the control group. Conclusions The addition of graded vestibular stimulation exercises to conventional multisensory stimulation was associated with significantly higher GCS and FOUR scores at Day 7 and Day 14 than conventional multisensory stimulation alone in patients with ICH. As total treatment exposure was greater in the experimental group, the findings reflect the effect of the add-on intervention rather than the isolated effect of vestibular stimulation alone.

PMID:42500765 | PMC:PMC13397862 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111415