Tag: pubmed

MethodsX. 2026 Feb 20;16:103840. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2026.103840. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Dermatophytosis is an emerging public health concern in developing countries, with rising infection rates and persistent disease burden. Reliable isolation of dermatophytes is essential for effective treatment, surveillance, and downstream analyses, yet it remains challenging in low-resource clinical settings. We evaluated three mycological sampling approaches, including one conventional and two modified techniques to improve the recovery of pure dermatophytes while reducing contamination. The modified approaches comprised a heat-assisted aseptic sampling method to limit airborne contamination and a paper-zip transport approach using heat and sterile filter paper sealed in zip-lock bags before inoculation into the culture medium. The outcomes of all sampling approaches were subsequently assessed using conventional culture techniques. A total of 198 clinical specimens from 66 individuals generated 276 culture outcomes. Statistical analysis showed significant differences among methods in recovery of pure isolates and contamination control, with the Paper-Zip method exhibiting the highest selectivity (p < 0.05). Sensitivity analysis using conventional culture techniques showed similar diagnostic performance across the approaches, reflecting improvements in dermatophytes recovery. Heat-assisted and Paper-Zip sampling improve recovery of pure dermatophytes while minimizing contamination. Diagnostic sensitivity is consistent across all sampling approaches. The study demonstrates practical, low-cost implementable options for routine diagnostics in resource-limited clinical settings.

PMID:41778257 | PMC:PMC12950414 | DOI:10.1016/j.mex.2026.103840

MethodsX. 2026 Feb 20;16:103838. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2026.103838. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Plants are known to generate various types of electrical signals, which have been observed ever since Darwin’s times. We studied the electrical signals acquired in tomato plants infected with the fungal pathogen Oidium neolycopersici (On), the causative agent of powdery mildew, and applied statistical analyses to detect the differences in electrical responses between healthy and infected plants, as reported in [1].•The underlying mechanism in the generation and transmission of electrical signals is not fully understood, yet it’s generally accepted that they can be classified according to functional properties. Action potentials (APs) and slow wave potentials, in particular, are elicited by biotic and abiotic stimuli, thus are interesting as a hallmark of plant health status.•To analyse the application of these potentials in plant disease detection, voltages from electrodes inserted in plants were acquired periodically by a scanning multimeter and recorded under control of a dedicated custom Python program running on a Raspberry Pi board.•Here we describe the design of the experiment and analyse in some detail the solutions adopted for specific issues found in the measurements, such as electrode’s material and placement; immunity to electromagnetic noise; data logging over long periods of time with intermediate monitoring of results.

PMID:41778256 | PMC:PMC12950449 | DOI:10.1016/j.mex.2026.103838

Cancer Diagn Progn. 2026 Mar 1;6(2):291-302. doi: 10.21873/cdp.10528. eCollection 2026 Mar-Apr.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is a precursor lesion with variable malignant potential. Due to its heterogeneity, optimal treatment strategies remain controversial, especially regarding surgical resection and surveillance indications. We reviewed our institutional outcomes to reassess the current postoperative strategy and refine management guidelines.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively and consecutively analyzed the data of 49 IPMN patients who underwent pancreatectomy at an academic institution from 2015 to May 2025.

RESULTS: Diagnostic mismatch between preoperative and final pathological findings was observed in 39% of cases, with overdiagnosis (downgrade group) being more common than underdiagnosis. Overdiagnosed cases were significantly associated with main pancreatic duct dilation (>5 mm) (p=0.012) and elevated amylase levels (p=0.031), while the only upgraded case involved invasive carcinoma with mural nodule and Sonazoid enhancement. Histological grade strongly influenced prognosis: Patients with adenoma or carcinoma in situ showed favorable outcomes (5-year OS ≥89%), whereas those with invasive IPMN had markedly worse survival (5-year OS 36%; p<0.001). Elevated CA19-9 was a significant negative prognostic factor (p=0.031), while lymph node metastasis (p=0.035) and advanced tumor stage (p=0.0014) were also associated with poor outcomes. Tumors located in the pancreatic tail and those classified as mixed-type IPMN tended to have inferior survival, though without statistical significance. Cancer recurrence occurred in 18% of patients, primarily via peritoneal and hepatic routes.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnostic inaccuracies remain common in IPMN, and invasive transformation, elevated CA19-9, lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage are key prognostic factors. A multimodal diagnostic approach is needed to improve risk stratification and guide appropriate surgical management.

PMID:41778248 | PMC:PMC12951388 | DOI:10.21873/cdp.10528

Cancer Diagn Progn. 2026 Mar 1;6(2):199-213. doi: 10.21873/cdp.10519. eCollection 2026 Mar-Apr.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. While low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening improves survival, radiological detection is increasingly challenged by a shortage of radiologists. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a novel, precise, and computationally efficient AI-based algorithm for lung cancer diagnosis using chest CT scans.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 156 patient chest CT scans were utilized to form Databases I and II. We then conducted extensive feature extraction [statistics, histograms, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Walsh-Hadamard Transform (WHT)] and optimized classifiers [Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP), Generalized Feed Forward Neural Network (GFF-NN), Modular Neural Network (MNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM)] with genetic algorithms. Performance evaluation measures employed were classification accuracy, Mean Squared Error (MSE), Area under the ROC curve (AUC), and computational efficiency.

RESULTS: The MNN (Topology II) classifier employing FFT-based features with momentum learning achieved 100% classification accuracy during cross-validation for both Database I and Database II, consistently yielding perfect average classification accuracy across both datasets.

CONCLUSION: The genetically optimized MNN (Topology II) classifier shows remarkable performance in lung cancer diagnosis from CT scan images. Its ability to achieve perfect classification accuracy suggests strong potential for clinical application, offering both diagnostic precision, acting as a triage, and workload reduction in healthcare settings.

PMID:41778236 | PMC:PMC12951378 | DOI:10.21873/cdp.10519

Neurol Res Int. 2026 Mar 2;2026:8882884. doi: 10.1155/nri/8882884. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a neurological disorder in older adults, characterized by gait disturbance, urinary incontinence, and cognitive impairment, along with ventriculomegaly and normal intracranial pressure. The management of NPH often involves ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS), which can be programmable (P-VPS) or nonprogrammable (NP-VPS). While P-VPS offers the advantage of adjustable pressure settings, its impact on clinical outcomes and complications remains debated, particularly in resource-limited settings like Jordan.

METHOD: A retrospective review was conducted of 38 adult patients diagnosed with idiopathic NPH who underwent VPS placement between 2018 and 2024. Patients were classified into two groups: P-VPS and NP-VPS. Clinical outcomes, including symptom improvement, complication rates, hospital stay duration, and shunt revisions, were analyzed. Statistical comparisons were made using SPSS, with p values < 0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS: The study found no significant differences between the two groups in symptom improvement. However, the NP-VPS group had a significantly shorter hospital stay (5.7 ± 3.2 days vs. 14.1 ± 11.9 days, p = 0.007). Complication rates, including infection and shunt revision, were higher in the P-VPS group (20.0% vs. 7.7% for infection; 32.0% vs. 15.4% for revision), though differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Both P-VPS and NP-VPS resulted in similar symptom improvements, with NP-VPS showing a trend toward shorter hospital stays and comparable complication rates. Further multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings and refine management strategies for NPH.

PMID:41778232 | PMC:PMC12951206 | DOI:10.1155/nri/8882884

Data Brief. 2026 Feb 14;65:112592. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2026.112592. eCollection 2026 Apr.

ABSTRACT

This data article presents high-resolution airflow and turbulence measurements obtained in and around a 1:50 scaled asymmetric dairy barn model using a boundary layer wind tunnel. The datasets are organized into two categories: (1) measurement data of boundary layer profile in the empty wind tunnel to assess flow stability, Reynolds number independence, and characterize vertical wind profile, and (2) airflow measurements at a cross-sectional plane inside and outside of the scaled model under the established boundary layer, comprising a total of 233 measurement positions. All air velocity measurements were acquired using a two-dimensional Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) system to ensure a sufficiently long sampling duration for robust statistical analysis. The datasets are primarily designed for validation and refinement of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models as an essential step prior to following CFD applications. A validated CFD model can then be employed to estimate airflow and emission. Therefore, those datasets provide pivotal references for numerical modelling, and are valuable for further investigations of wind-driven ventilation performance as well as emission characterization in naturally-ventilated livestock buildings.

PMID:41778231 | PMC:PMC12950470 | DOI:10.1016/j.dib.2026.112592

Data Brief. 2026 Feb 16;65:112600. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2026.112600. eCollection 2026 Apr.

ABSTRACT

In hatcheries, hatching eggs are commonly stored before incubation in order to facilitate the synchronization of hatchings and to meet customer demand for chicks. Recommendations for long storage (>15 days) is to store egg at temperature ≤12 °C, 80 % relative humidity to maintain internal egg quality without affecting embryo viability. In this data paper, we provide data related to the evolution of quality parameters of hatching eggs from the day of lay up to seven days of storage at 12 °C, 80 % relative humidity, with or without 2 % CO₂. Several egg quality parameters including albumen pH, Haugh units, yolk index and color, eggshell breaking strength, and percentage of eggshell. The distribution of eggs by batch, the description of quality parameters and their raw values are available as excel files (Research Data Gouv repository). The quality parameters of eggs (n = 15 per condition) were measured on the day of lay, and after one, three, five, six, and seven days of storage. The article also includes a comparison of the quality of eggs stored for six days with or without a 24-hour thermal acclimatization. Statistical analysis (Kruskal-Wallis followed by Dunn tests for multiple comparisons, p < 0.05) showed that the overall quality of albumen was higher for eggs stored under CO₂ conditions compared to control eggs (higher Haugh units, lower pH). These values were not significantly different from those from eggs analyzed on the day of lay. While the pH of eggs stored at 12 °C and 80 % relative humidity (control conditions) gradually increased over storage, the pH of eggs stored in the same thermal conditions than controls but with 2 % CO₂ remained stable throughout the storage period. Haugh units were significantly lower in eggs stored under control conditions from day three of storage onwards compared with 2 % CO₂ eggs and unstored eggs (freshly laid eggs). Regardless of the condition, eggs exhibited a loss in egg weight during storage with no significant difference observed between conditions. None of the other parameters (yolk index and color, eggshell strength and thickness) showed any statistically significant differences between groups. Furthermore, the statistical analysis showed that a 24-hour thermal acclimatization induced a higher loss of egg weight than in eggs stored for six and seven days under control or under 2 % CO₂. None of the other parameters was affected when comparing values of acclimated eggs to those of the eggs stored under control conditions or under 2 % CO₂ for six or seven days. These data can be reused as a reference to optimize the storage conditions of fertilized eggs from chicken layer breeds, in order to maintain egg quality during storage and improve the viability of chicken embryos and their hatchability. It also highlights the effect of thermal acclimatization for 24 h on the internal quality of eggs.

PMID:41778227 | PMC:PMC12950466 | DOI:10.1016/j.dib.2026.112600

Ecancermedicalscience. 2025 Nov 19;19:2039. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2025.2039. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Delays in the treatment of cervical cancer may be associated with lower survival rates and a higher risk of disease progression. In low- and middle-income countries, the functioning of health systems may exacerbate this problem.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the initial point of care led to delays in the treatment of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer in Quito between 2012 and 2015, and to assess its impact on survival.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyse the survival of patients with cervical cancer treated at the SOLCA Quito Hospital. Patients were classified according to their initial point of contact (Group 1: initial care in the public health system with subsequent referral to SOLCA. Group 2: comprehensive care at SOLCA) and in relation to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 clinical staging at the time of diagnosis. The time to treatment initiation was compared using the Student’s t-test. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves, estimating the probability of survival over time for both groups, stratified by clinical stage and performing an overall comparison of groups. In addition, the log-rank test was used to compare both survival curves and determine statistical significance using a significant value of p < 0.05.

RESULTS: A total of 1,363 cases were analysed. Group 1 had a mean waiting time of 162 days, while in group 2 it was 62 days to start treatment (p < 0.01). In terms of survival, group 2 versus 1 had a hazard ratio of 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.73-1). In terms of subgroups, the results favoured Group 2 in stages III and IV, the latter with an HR of 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.37-0.63) p < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS: Delays in the referral of cervical cancer patients from the public system led to delays in the start of treatment, affecting survival in patients with more advanced stages. Significant disparities in access to care highlight the need for future research aimed at identifying the causes of these delays and proposing possible interventions.

PMID:41778185 | PMC:PMC12950885 | DOI:10.3332/ecancer.2025.2039

Ecancermedicalscience. 2025 Dec 2;19:2053. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2053. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, its uptake remains sub-optimal across all the eligible age groups in sub-Saharan Africa countries. The vaccine hesitancy is driven partly by a lack of information regarding the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine. This study evaluated the use of text messaging to improve HPV vaccine uptake in most at-risk population of adolescent girls living with HIV.

METHODOLOGY: We enrolled 152 vaccine naïve adolescent girls and randomised them to either an intervention or a control arm. The intervention arm received weekly messages containing information about cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccination. The participants were follow-up for 6 months, with their vaccination status recorded at every clinic visit. The difference in the vaccination rates between the intervention and the control arms of the study was analysed using t-test to determine statistical significance.

RESULTS: Of the 151 participants who completed the study, 35 (23.2%) received the first dose of the HPV vaccine by the time the study closed at 6 months. Among these, 9 (25.7%) were respondents in the control arm and 26 (74.3%) in the intervention arm. This difference in HPV vaccine uptake was statistically significant p = 0.001. A Kaplan-Meier plot showed a shorter time to vaccination in the intervention arm compared to the control arm.

CONCLUSION: The use of short text messaging services is a viable communication channel for sharing information about HPV and HPV vaccination with both parents and adolescent girls. This approach has the potential to improve uptake of HPV vaccination.

PMID:41778181 | PMC:PMC12950874 | DOI:10.3332/ecancer.2053

J Ophthalmol. 2026 Mar 1;2026:5436368. doi: 10.1155/joph/5436368. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To assess the application of an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) for stripping proliferative membranes during vitrectomy in patients with complex proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study that enrolled 28 patients (30 eyes) diagnosed with complex PDR at the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The patients were randomly divided into two groups based on different surgical procedures: The patients who received vitrectomy combined with OVD-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling were assigned to Group A (15 eyes of 13 patients), while Group B patients (15 eyes of 15 patients) underwent vitrectomy without OVD-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling. The primary outcomes measured included intraoperative bleeding, operation duration, electrocoagulation for hemostasis, occurrence of iatrogenic retinal holes, postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and complications such as recurrent retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage.

RESULTS: Compared with the mean preoperative BCVA, the mean postoperative BCVA at the last follow-up improved significantly in both groups (all p < 0.05), but no significant difference in mean BCVA improvement was found between the two groups (p > 0.05). Regarding intraoperative complications, no iatrogenic retinal tears or retinal detachments occurred in any group. Intraoperative observations revealed that the preretinal injection of OVD facilitated the rapid separation of fibrous vascular membranes from the retina, while also serving a hemostatic function, thus maintaining a clear visual field. In Group A, photocoagulation was utilized for hemostasis in two eyes, whereas in Group B, it was employed in 9 cases, with a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.05). The average surgical duration was 37.47 ± 4.69 min for Group A and 52 ± 6.26 min for Group B, with a statistically significant difference noted (p < 0.05). No iatrogenic retinal holes, recurrent vitreous hemorrhages, retinal detachments, choroidal hemorrhages, or endophthalmitis were observed in both groups.

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates a new application of OVD in proliferative membrane removal during vitrectomy, particularly in patients with PDR characterized by strong adhesions and complex structures. This method offers a potentially safer and more effective option for treating patients with PDR.

PMID:41778174 | PMC:PMC12950999 | DOI:10.1155/joph/5436368