Tag: pubmed

Genome Med. 2025 Apr 1;17(1):33. doi: 10.1186/s13073-025-01457-1.

ABSTRACT

Unraveling the spatial configuration of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial for elucidating tumor-immune interactions based on immuno-oncology. We present STopover, a novel approach utilizing spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) data and topological analysis to investigate the TME. By gradually lowering the feature threshold, connected components (CCs) are extracted based on spatial distance and persistence, with Jaccard indices quantifying their spatial overlap, and transcriptomic profiles are permutated to assess statistical significance. Applied to lung and breast cancer SRT, STopover revealed immune and stromal cell infiltration patterns, predicted key cell-cell communication, and identified relevant regions, shedding light on cancer pathophysiology (URL: https://github.com/bsungwoo/STopover ).

PMID:40170080 | DOI:10.1186/s13073-025-01457-1

Infect Dis Poverty. 2025 Apr 2;14(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s40249-025-01276-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Malaria and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) represent significant public health challenges in tropical regions, particularly affecting children and impeding development. This study investigates the co-morbidity of malaria, caused by Plasmodium spp., and STH infections, including Ascaris lumbricoides(roundworm), Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus (hookworm), and Trichuris trichiura(whipworm), in Nigeria.

METHODS: We utilized malaria prevalence data from the Nigeria Malaria Indicators Survey (NMIS) for the years 2010 and 2015 and STH prevalence data from the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) portal, covering the years 1978-2014. A Bayesian coregionalization model was employed to analyze the prevalence and incidence of malaria and STH, linking these data to climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation. The study’s findings highlight significant co-morbidity between malaria and STH, particularly in the southsouth and southeast regions.

RESULTS: Our analysis reveals notable regional disparities: malaria prevalence is highest in the northwest and north-central regions, while Ascaris lumbricoides is widespread in both northern and southern states. Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus(Hookworm) are predominantly found in the southwest, and Trichuris trichiura, though less prevalent, is significant in specific areas. Substantial co-morbidity between malaria and STH was observed, particularly in the South-South and southeast regions, indicating a compounded health burden. Furthermore, climatic factors significantly influence disease distribution; higher temperatures correlate with increased malaria prevalence, although temperature has a minimal effect on STH prevalence and incidence. In contrast, precipitation is positively associated with both malaria and STH incidence.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings enhance our understanding of the spatial distribution and risk factors associated with malaria and STH in Nigeria, providing vital insights for the development of public health policies and targeted intervention strategies.

PMID:40170071 | DOI:10.1186/s40249-025-01276-x

Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2025 Apr 1;17(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s13098-025-01664-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To date, no meta-analysis has reported on the role of transdermal estrogens combined with Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in postmenopausal women. To fill this knowledge gap, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to assess the effects of transdermal estrogens and MPA on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in major databases including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Embase, from inception to 12 February 2025. The combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and non-MeSH keywords was used.

RESULTS: A total of 14 trials were included in the meta-analysis. The combined eligible trials found that transdermal estrogens combined with MPA significantly decreased total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: -13.37 mg/dL, 95% CI: -21.54 to -5.21, p = 0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: -12.17 mg/dL, 95% CI: -23.26 to -1.08, p = 0.031), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) (WMD: -7.26 mg/dL, 95% CI: -11.48 to -3.03, p = 0.001) compared to the control. No statistically significant associations were observed between transdermal estrogens combined with MPA on triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoAI).

CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the current meta-analysis, transdermal estrogens combined with oral MPA administration had a beneficial effect on certain CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women, as evidenced by the significant reductions in TC, LDL-C, and ApoB.

PMID:40170070 | DOI:10.1186/s13098-025-01664-1

J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2025 Apr 2;16(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s40104-025-01188-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Supplementation of choline chloride in culture medium programs the preimplantation bovine embryo to increase weaning weight of the resultant calf. Here, it was hypothesized that similar programming actions of choline can be induced by feeding rumen-protected choline (RPC) to beef cows during the periconceptional period.

RESULTS: A preliminary experiment was conducted to determine changes in circulating concentrations of choline and its metabolites after RPC supplementation. Suckled beef cows were individually fed 0, 30, 60, and 90 g of RPC (i.e., 0, 8.6, 17.3 and 25.9 g choline chloride) and blood samples were collected at random times after feeding. There were no differences in plasma concentrations of choline or its metabolites between groups. In the second experiment, effects of feeding 60 g/d RPC from d -1 to 7 relative to timed artificial insemination were examined for suckled beef cows. Feeding RPC did not affect pregnancy or calving rates, pregnancy losses, plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins, gestation length or calf birth weight. Calves from RPC fed dams were lighter than control calves at ~118 days of age (range 75-150; age included in the statistical model) and at weaning at ~248 days of age. There was no effect of treatment on hip height at ~118 days of age although there was a trend for RPC calves to be shorter at weaning. Weight/height ratio was lower for RPC than control at both 118 and 248 days of age. Treatment did not affect testis weight at ~118 days of age.

CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of RPC during the periconceptional period programmed development to alter calf phenotype in the postnatal period. The net result, reduced body weight, was the opposite of the phenotype caused by the addition of choline to embryo culture medium.

PMID:40170061 | DOI:10.1186/s40104-025-01188-8

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2025 Apr 2;17(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01101-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the effects of SAQ training on sprint, change-of-direction, and jump performance in soccer players. However, further research is needed to assess its broader impact on different athletic populations and performance metrics. This study aims to expand the existing evidence by incorporating a wider range of outcomes and providing a more comprehensive analysis of SAQ training effects.

METHODS: A thorough search of databases, including Web of Science Core, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and SCOPUS, was conducted, with data up to July 2024. The PEDro scale assessed study quality and RevMan 5.3 evaluated bias risk. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated from means and standard deviations, with heterogeneity assessed using the I² statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using an extended Egger test.

RESULTS: Eleven RCTs involving 499 healthy athletes from sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, and handball met the inclusion criteria. The SAQ interventions lasted between 4 and 12 weeks, with a frequency of two to three sessions per week. The analysis revealed significant improvements in 5-meter sprint (ES = 0.63, p < 0.01), 20-meter sprint (ES = 0.49, p < 0.01), 30-meter sprint (ES = 0.55, p = 0.015), change of direction (COD) performance (ES = 0.39, p < 0.01), reaction time (ES = 0.52, p = 0.01), lower limb power (ES = 0.96, p < 0.01), and flexibility (ES = 0.57, p < 0.01), with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. Subgroup analysis indicated that only session duration had a near-significant effect on COD performance (≤ 60 min: ES = 0.58; >60 min: ES = 0.24; p = 0.059).

CONCLUSIONS: SAQ training effectively enhances sprint performance, COD ability, reaction time, lower limb strength, and flexibility, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. The findings suggest that shorter training durations (≤ 60 min) may be more beneficial for improving COD performance, although this effect did not reach statistical significance. Further trials are recommended to determine the optimal training dosage, along with high-quality studies covering a broader range of sports, particularly in athletes aged 14 to 18.

PMID:40170059 | DOI:10.1186/s13102-025-01101-w

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2025 Mar 24;252:108863. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2025.108863. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty is performed to repair the cranium after injury or surgery. Cerebrospinal fluid shunts are commonly required to treat associated hydrocephalus. Single-stage shunt and cranioplasty surgery have been associated with increased risks compared with a staged approach. We aimed to assess whether the timing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting (pre- or post-cranioplasty) affects complication rates.

METHODS: We retrospectively identified all cranioplasty procedures conducted between 11/2017-12/2021 and 1/2004-3/2022 from the Cambridge and Oulu University Hospitals, respectively. The primary and secondary outcomes were implant removal and complications, respectively.

RESULTS: Four-hundred-and-thirty-three cranioplasties were performed in 379 patients. Sixty-eight (16 %) cranioplasties were performed in patients requiring a shunt. Forty-three (63 %) shunts were inserted before, three (4 %) during, and 22 (32 %) after cranioplasty. Overall complication rates excluding hydrocephalus were 47 % and 41 % among those shunted before and after cranioplasty, respectively (OR 0,74, 95 % CI 0,24-2,28). SSIs (26 % vs. 18 %) and CSF leaks (7 % vs. 0 %) were slightly more common among those shunted before cranioplasty compared to those shunted after cranioplasty, respectively, but rates of post-operative haematomas were similar (5 % vs. 5 %, respectively). Overall implant removal rates were statistically similar between patients with shunts cited pre-cranioplasty and those with shunts cited after cranioplasty (26 % vs. 32 %, respectively, OR 1,26, 95 % CI 0,44-3,55).

CONCLUSION: Although patients who underwent CSF shunting before cranioplasty had 6 % more complications than those who had been shunted after cranioplasty, those shunted after cranioplasty had 6 % more implant failures. Delaying CSF shunt insertion after cranioplasty should be preferable, not least because CSF absorption can improve on cranioplasty insertion. Single-stage surgery should be avoided.

PMID:40168698 | DOI:10.1016/j.clineuro.2025.108863

Psychol Health Med. 2025 Apr 1:1-12. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2025.2486503. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Psychoeducation after a traumatic event can help reduce negative effects by providing a cognitive framework for one’s experience. It can also enable trauma survivors to increase their ability to help coping. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of psychoeducation on hope, loneliness and depression in nursing students who experienced 6 February 2023 Turkey earthquake. The study, which was conducted in experimental design, included 40 students who experienced the February 6 earthquake. 20 students were assigned to the psychoeducation group and 20 students to the control group. Students in the psychoeducation group received six sessions of psychoeducation, while students in the control group were not intervened. ‘Personal Information Form’, ‘Beck Hopelessness Scale’, ‘UCLA Loneliness Scale’ and ‘Beck Depression Scale’ were used to collect the data. Mean, standard deviation and percentage calculations, chi-square test and t test were used to analyze the data. Sociodemographic characteristics of the students in the psychoeducation and control groups were similar except for the place of residence (p > 0.05). It was determined that the mean score of the hope sub-dimension of the ‘Beck Hopelessness Scale’ was statistically significantly higher in the control group (p < 0.05). It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the students in the psychoeducation and control groups in terms of hopelessness levels and mean scores of ‘UCLA Loneliness Scale’ and ‘Beck Depression Scale’ (p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the students in the psychoeducation and control groups in terms of depression levels (p < 0.05). In conclusion, psychoeducation was partially effective on hope and depression and not on loneliness in students who experienced the earthquake. Students in the psychoeducation group had lower levels of depression. It is recommended that students experiencing natural disasters such as earthquakes should be monitored by a specialized psychologist and the duration of psychoeducation should be regulated.

PMID:40168674 | DOI:10.1080/13548506.2025.2486503

J Nurs Care Qual. 2025 Apr 1. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000859. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are prevalent among patients with cancer, impacting their quality of life and treatment outcomes. Nurse-led interventions are promising but show variable effectiveness.

PURPOSE: This review assessed the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions in reducing depression and anxiety in patients with cancer.

METHODS: A systematic search identified studies evaluating nurse-led approaches for depression and anxiety. Meta-analysis used Cohen’s d with a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.

RESULTS: Eighteen studies (n = 2054) showed significant reductions in depression (-1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.52 to -1.06) and anxiety (-1.31, 95% CI: -1.55 to -1.07). Effective strategies included self-care education, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and peer support. Moderate to high heterogeneity (I2 = 70%-75%) was partly resolved through sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led interventions effectively reduce depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. Integrating these strategies into oncology care and standardizing protocols can further improve outcomes.

PMID:40168670 | DOI:10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000859

JMIR Form Res. 2025 Apr 1;9:e65000. doi: 10.2196/65000.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In the modern economy, shift work is prevalent in numerous occupations. However, it often disrupts workers’ circadian rhythms and can result in shift work sleep disorder. Proper management of shift work sleep disorder involves comprehensive and patient-specific strategies, some of which are similar to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to develop and evaluate machine learning algorithms that predict physicians’ sleep advice using wearable and survey data. We developed a web- and app-based system to provide individualized sleep and behavior advice based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia for shift workers.

METHODS: Data were collected for 5 weeks from shift workers (N=61) in the intensive care unit at 2 hospitals in Japan. The data comprised 3 modalities: Fitbit data, survey data, and sleep advice. After the first week of enrollment, physicians reviewed Fitbit and survey data to provide sleep advice and selected 1 to 5 messages from a list of 23 options. We handcrafted physiological and behavioral features from the raw data and identified clusters of participants with similar characteristics using hierarchical clustering. We explored 3 models (random forest, light gradient-boosting machine, and CatBoost) and 3 data-balancing approaches (no balancing, random oversampling, and synthetic minority oversampling technique) to predict selections for the 7 most frequent advice messages related to bedroom brightness, smartphone use, and nap and sleep duration. We tested our predictions under participant-dependent and participant-independent settings and analyzed the most important features for prediction using permutation importance and Shapley additive explanations.

RESULTS: We found that the clusters were distinguished by work shifts and behavioral patterns. For example, one cluster had days with low sleep duration and the lowest sleep quality when there was a day shift on the day before and a midnight shift on the current day. Our advice prediction models achieved a higher area under the precision-recall curve than the baseline in all settings. The performance differences were statistically significant (P<.001 for 13 tests and P=.003 for 1 test). Sensitivity ranged from 0.50 to 1.00, and specificity varied between 0.44 and 0.93 across all advice messages and dataset split settings. Feature importance analysis of our models found several important features that matched the corresponding advice messages sent. For instance, for message 7 (darken the bedroom when you go to bed), the models primarily examined the average brightness of the sleep environment to make predictions.

CONCLUSIONS: Although our current system requires physician input, an accurate machine learning algorithm shows promise for automatic advice without compromising the trustworthiness of the selected recommendations. Despite its decent performance, the algorithm is currently limited to the 7 most popular messages. Further studies are needed to enable predictions for less frequent advice labels.

PMID:40168666 | DOI:10.2196/65000

J Med Internet Res. 2025 Apr 1;27:e52694. doi: 10.2196/52694.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: As the number of people diagnosed with cancer continues to increase, self-management has become crucial for patients recovering from cancer surgery or undergoing chemotherapy. Technology has emerged as a key tool in supporting self-management, particularly through interventions that promote physical activity, which is important for improving health outcomes and quality of life for patients with cancer. Despite the growing availability of digital tools that facilitate physical activity tracking, high-level evidence of their long-term effectiveness remains limited.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of long-term physical activity on patients with cancer by categorizing them into active and inactive groups based on step count time-series data using the mobile health intervention, the Walkon app (Swallaby Co, Ltd.).

METHODS: Patients with cancer who had previously used the Walkon app in a previous randomized controlled trial were chosen for this study. Walking step count data were acquired from the app users. Biometric measurements, including BMI, waist circumference, blood sugar levels, and body composition, along with quality of life (QOL) questionnaire responses (European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Level version and Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items), were collected during both the baseline and 6-month follow-up at an outpatient clinic. To analyze step count patterns over time, the concept of sample entropy was used for patient clustering, distinguishing between the active walking group (AWG) and the inactive walking group (IWG). Statistical analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, with paired t tests for parametric data, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for nonparametric data, and chi-square tests for categorical variables.

RESULTS: The proposed method effectively categorized the AWG (n=137) and IWG (n=75) based on step count trends, revealing significant differences in daily (4223 vs 5355), weekly (13,887 vs 40,247), and monthly (60,178 vs 174,405) step counts. Higher physical activity levels were observed in patients with breast cancer and younger individuals. In terms of biometric measurements, only waist circumference (P=.01) and visceral fat (P=.002) demonstrated a significant improvement exclusively within the AWG. Regarding QOL measurements, aspects such as energy (P=.01), work (P<.003), depression (P=.02), memory (P=.01), and happiness (P=.05) displayed significant improvements solely in the AWG.

CONCLUSIONS: This study introduces a novel methodology for categorizing patients with cancer based on physical activity using step count data. Although significant improvements were noted in the AWG, particularly in QOL and specific physical metrics, differences in 6-month change between the AWG and IWG were statistically insignificant. These findings highlight the potential of digital interventions in improving outcomes for patients with cancer, contributing valuable insights into cancer care and self-management.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service by Korea Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Republic of Korea KCT0005447; https://tinyurl.com/3zc7zvzz.

PMID:40168661 | DOI:10.2196/52694