Tag: pubmed

Lupus. 2026 Jan 7:9612033261415985. doi: 10.1177/09612033261415985. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

ObjectivesThe occurrence of a birth-cohort pattern underlying the time trends of any given disease is indicative of exposure to environmental risk factors during early life with long-lasting consequences that influence the disease occurrence during patients’ subsequent lifetime. The present analysis serves to test whether the time trends of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) in England & Wales and the United States are characterized by a similar birth-cohort patterns as other autoimmune diseases associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).MethodsIn an observational study using the Vital Statistics of England & Wales and the United States from 1951 to 2022, the mortality trends of SLE were compared to those of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn’s disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC).ResultsMortality from SLE rose among generations born during the 19^th century and decreased among generations born subsequently during the 20^th century. This birth-cohort pattern of SLE was matched by almost identical patterns underlying the occurrence of MS and CD, whereas mortality from HL and UC were similarly characterized by a birth-cohort patterns with a rise and fall in mortality that were shifted by 10-20 years towards earlier generations when compared to SLE, MS, and CD.ConclusionThe similarities in the birth-cohort patterns of SLE and other EBV-associated diagnoses suggest that they all share a common risk factor, such as EBV infection. The trends of SLE may have been shaped by underlying trends in the acquisition of EBV infection during adolescence or early adulthood.

PMID:41498141 | DOI:10.1177/09612033261415985

Clin Chem Lab Med. 2026 Jan 8. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2025-1126. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of robotic venipuncture in clinical settings and compare its performance with manual venipuncture in terms of blood specimen quality and test results.

METHODS: From March to April 2025, 63 participants (35 females, 28 males), aged 23-73 years, were recruited at Zoucheng People’s Hospital Medical Laboratory Center. Blood samples were collected using both robotic venipuncture and manual venipuncture on April 8, 2025. Specimen quality was assessed pre-testing, and coagulation/biochemical parameters were analyzed.

RESULTS: Robotic venipuncture demonstrated advantages in reducing venipuncture pain and achieving more consistent blood sample mixing. Compared with manual venipuncture, the robotic system enables more precise control of blood collection volume and anticoagulant ratio. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in fibrinogen (Fib), prothrombin time (PT), plasminogen activity (PTA), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), International Normalized Ratio (INR), thrombin time (TT), potassium (K⁺), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH) levels between the two methods.

CONCLUSIONS: Robotic venipuncture technology demonstrates clinical feasibility, offering more precise blood collection volumes and accurate anticoagulant-to-blood ratios compared to manual venipuncture, thereby enhancing specimen stability (Lippi G, Salvagno GL, Montagnana M, Lima-Oliveira G, Guidi GC, Favaloro EJ. Quality standards for sample collection in coagulation testing. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2012;38:565-75; Reneke J, Etzell J, Leslie S, Ng VL, Gottfried EL. Prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time due to underfilled specimen tubes with 109 mmol/L (3.2 %) citrate anticoagulant. Am J Clin Pathol. 1998;109:754-7). However, challenges remain, including longer procedure times and initial user acceptance barriers.

PMID:41498135 | DOI:10.1515/cclm-2025-1126

J Toxicol. 2025 Dec 30;2025:6638848. doi: 10.1155/jt/6638848. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute toxicity of essential oils with repellent potential, diethyltoluamide (DEET), and cypermethrin on Porcellio laevis.

METHODS: Randomized preclinical trial with a factorial and controlled arrangement on three essential oils (Eucalyptus globulus, Mentha piperita, and Cymbopogon citratus) at 0.1%, 1%, and 10%, respectively, DEET at 10% and cypermethrin at 0.1%. Each experimental group consisted of 10 specimens, 2-3-mm-long, of P. laevis. Toxicity was measured by specimen mortality at 3, 24, and 48 h postexposure. Nonparametric inferential statistics were used to compare mortality between the groups. The InfoStat/E software, Version 2020, was used for analysis.

RESULTS: Essential oils at concentrations of 0.1% and 1% showed similar toxicity to each other (mortality of 10%-20%) but significantly lower compared to cypermethrin and DEET (mortality of 100%). However, essential oils at 10% reached median mortality rates above 70%. Likewise, similar effects were observed at concentrations of 0.1% and 1.0% and at 24 and 48 h. The LC 50 at 24 h was 7.8% (CI 95%: 5.2-9.8), 6.1% (CI 95%: 4.9-7.4), and 9.8% (CI 95%: 8.9-10.6) for E. globulus, M. piperita, and C. citratus, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The evaluated essential oils showed lower acute toxicity compared to DEET and cypermethrin, depending on concentration and time.

PMID:41498104 | PMC:PMC12767039 | DOI:10.1155/jt/6638848

Osteoporos Sarcopenia. 2025 Dec;11(4):137-144. doi: 10.1016/j.afos.2025.11.002. Epub 2025 Nov 29.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of combining romosozumab (ROMO) with denosumab (Dmab) remains uncertain. We compare the six-month effects of Dmab plus monthly ROMO versus Dmab plus daily teriparatide (TPTD) on bone mineral density (BMD) in treatment-naïve postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 26 treatment-naïve postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis. Participants received either a monthly regimen of ROMO and Dmab (N = 14) or a daily regimen of TPTD plus Dmab (N = 12). BMD at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck was measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum levels of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) were assessed at the same intervals.

RESULTS: Both regimens significantly improved lumbar spine BMD at 6 months (ROMO + Dmab: +9.75%; TPTD + Dmab: +7.42%). Improvements in total hip and femoral neck BMD were modest and similar between groups (∼2%). Serum CTX and P1NP were significantly suppressed in both groups at 3 months, but P1NP suppression waned in the TPTD + Dmab group by 6 months. No statistically significant differences in BMD or marker changes were detected between the two regimens.

CONCLUSIONS: Both combination therapies effectively improve lumbar spine BMD over 6 months. The ROMO + Dmab regimen yielded numerically greater increases with fewer injections.

PMID:41498097 | PMC:PMC12766607 | DOI:10.1016/j.afos.2025.11.002

Cancer Manag Res. 2025 Dec 31;17:3349-3358. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S556061. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the development trend of prognostic nutritional index and psychosomatic symptom clusters (multidimensional fatigue, generalized anxiety, difficulty in emotional regulation) in patients with lung cancer, and to analyze their correlation and predictive relationship.

METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five patients with lung cancer were selected as the research objects using the convenience sampling method. The prognostic nutritional index and psychosomatic symptom cluster were followed up at T1, T2, and T3 after the operation. Repeated measures ANOVA and cross – lag model were used for statistical testing.

RESULTS: A total of 185 questionnaires were distributed, and 7 invalid questionnaires were excluded, with an effective recovery rate of 96.22%. The results of repeated measurement showed the scores of prognostic nutritional index (F = 3.342, P = 0.031), multidimensional fatigue (F = 5.362, P < 0.001), generalized anxiety (F = 6.003, P < 0.001), and emotional regulation difficulties (F = 0.885, P = 0.420) at the three time points. Results of the cross – lag model: The level of prognostic nutritional index negatively predicted multidimensional fatigue symptoms (T1→T2: β = – 0.415, P = 0.003; T2→T3: β = – 0.433, P = 0.005) and generalized anxiety symptoms (T1→T2: β = – 0.364, P = 0.007; T2→T3: β = – 0.350, P = 0.012). The prognostic nutritional index at T2 significantly and negatively predicted emotional adjustment difficulties at T3 (T1→T2: β = 0.158, P = 0.151; T2→T3: β = – 0.233, P = 0.024). While in the psychosomatic symptom cluster, only multidimensional fatigue negatively predicted the prognostic nutritional index at the next node (T1→T2: β = – 0.314, P = 0.003; T2→T3: β = – 0.342, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The prognostic nutritional index of patients with lung cancer after surgery is closely related to the psychosomatic symptom cluster. The prognostic nutritional index has a negative predictive effect on the psychosomatic symptom cluster, and the multidimensional fatigue symptom also has a negative predictive effect on the prognostic nutritional index.

PMID:41498094 | PMC:PMC12766116 | DOI:10.2147/CMAR.S556061

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2025 Dec 31;30(6):804-815. doi: 10.5603/rpor.109846. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The main treatment method for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) is surgery in combination with radiotherapy or chemoradiation. However, the tumor heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment are issues of radiotherapy success. Due to this fact, the radioresistance process is not fully understood and seems to be a challenge for current oncology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiotherapy treated HNSCC patients were divided into two groups based on the overall survival and excluding those with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or treated with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Next, groups were compared based on the clinical-pathological and transcriptome data (RNAseq) from The Cancer Genome Atlas Project (TCGA) using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) software and GraphPad Prism toll.

RESULTS: A model was created, consisting of two contrasting groups of patients: effective treatment group (ETG, n = 34) and ineffective treatment group (ITG, n = 31) for radiotherapy. Patients in the ITG group had a significantly shorter progression-free interval (PFI) than the ETG group, with a median of 266 days (p < 0.0001). Between the ETG and ITG groups, no differences (p > 0.05) were observed in clinical and pathological parameters, except perineural invasion (p = 0.0068) and the presence of a new tumor event after initial treatment (p < 0.0001). Molecular pathway analysis showed that ITG patients had statistically significantly increased expression of genes associated with DNA repair.

CONCLUSIONS: We observed that our model, consisting of two groups, differed at the molecular level in genetic changes. Moreover, the presented model and its characterization showed that it was potentially useful for searching for potential biomarkers.

PMID:41498084 | PMC:PMC12768031 | DOI:10.5603/rpor.109846

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2025 Dec 31;30(6):796-803. doi: 10.5603/rpor.108577. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the extremities has a particularly poor prognosis compared to other primary sites due to an increased rate of alveolar histology, higher rate of metastasis, and the extent of regional lymph node involvement. To date there are few assessments comparing upper extremity (UE) to lower extremity (LE) RMS of the extremities using population-based registry, so we sought to compare survival between UE and LE RMS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, cases of RMS of the UE and LE diagnosed between 2000-2020 were collected. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were completed for one-and five-year survival. Log-rank and Cox regression analyses were completed to compare UE versus LE survival.

RESULTS: A total of 641 cases were included, of which 221 (34.5%) were UE and 420 (65.5%) were LE. On log-rank tests, UE survival was longer than LE survival (p = 0.021). The one-year survival rate was greater for the UE (88.7%) compared to the LE (81.4%) (p = 0.020) but similar at five-years. Cox regression analysis showed no difference in survival between UE and LE primary site (hazard ratio = 1.172, p = 0.322).

CONCLUSIONS: In comparing UE and LE RMS survival, UE survival was greater at one-year, but not on adjusted analyses. These findings contribute to the few prior assessments of outcomes between UE and LE RMS, though direct comparisons between UE and LE should be included in future prospective studies.

PMID:41498078 | PMC:PMC12767979 | DOI:10.5603/rpor.108577

J Pediatr Clin Pract. 2025 Oct 16;18:200190. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedcp.2025.200190. eCollection 2025 Dec.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) has dramatically increased, and illegally manufactured fentanyl may be a significant contributor. The optimal treatment approach for an infant experiencing severe withdrawal from fentanyl is unknown. Our aim was to decrease the mean length of stay (LOS) by 20% over 19 months for infants with NOWS by implementing a transitional phase before establishing our modified Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) model of care.

STUDY DESIGN: A multidisciplinary team used quality improvement methodology to improve treatment of NOWS in 2 phases, each adapted to fentanyl’s complex pharmacology. Beginning May 2023, a hybrid Finnegan/ESC protocol was implemented to address hospital barriers for a year before initiating full ESC management. Data were collected on infants >35 weeks of gestational age admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit. Primary metrics included LOS and total days/doses of morphine. Rates of apnea and naloxone were used as balancing measures. The LOS was plotted on a statistical process control chart and the data were summarized with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Outcomes were analyzed for 217 infants. The aim was exceeded with a mean LOS reduction of 29% (hybrid) and 49% (ESC). On average, decreased morphine days (22.5, 11.2, 6.9, P < .001) and doses (162, 63, 14, P < .001) also were observed. No significant apnea occurred, nor was naloxone used.

CONCLUSIONS: This quality improvement project provides a successful fentanyl-adapted ESC model that may be adopted to decrease postnatal morphine usage and LOS.

PMID:41498060 | PMC:PMC12766099 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpedcp.2025.200190

J Biomed Opt. 2026 Jan;31(1):018001. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.31.1.018001. Epub 2026 Jan 5.

ABSTRACT

SIGNIFICANCE: Pleural photodynamic therapy (PDT) faces significant dosimetry challenges due to complex light distribution patterns within the pleural cavity, where integrating sphere effects dominate light propagation. Accurate prediction of light fluence rate distributions is essential for optimizing treatment protocols and improving therapeutic outcomes in this emerging clinical application.

AIM: The aim is to quantitatively analyze light fluence rate distributions in pleural PDT using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in various cavity geometries and tissue optical properties, providing essential data for treatment planning.

APPROACH: Graphics processing unit-accelerated MC simulations ( ${10}^8\text{photons}$ ) using MCmatlab analyzed light distribution in spherical cavities (radii 0.2 to 10 cm) and anatomically realistic lung cavity models (volume = 2 L) with point sources. Simulations include a range of tissue optical properties ( ${\mu }_a$ : 0.1 to $1.0{\mathrm{cm}}^{–1}$ ; ${\mu }_s^{‘}$ : 5 to $40{\mathrm{cm}}^{–1}$ ) for a flat-cut fiber source inside a realistic three-dimensional (3D) lung geometry, including realistic thoracotomy access openings and different fill media (air versus saline). Experimental validation is made using isotropic detectors in the same 3D-printed lung phantom with varying optical properties.

RESULTS: MC statistical uncertainties averaged 1.9% across all voxels. Spherical cavities ( $r=4\mathrm{cm}$ ) demonstrated highly uniform scattered light distribution along cavity-tissue boundaries (distribution uniformity 4.9%), whereas anatomically realistic lung phantoms showed greater heterogeneity (49.9%). Scattered light fluence rate per source power ( ${\varphi }_s/S$ ) strongly correlated with tissue optical properties, particularly scattering coefficients. Source position minimally affected scattered light patterns, though direct components remained position-dependent. Side openings reduced scatter fluence near access points, with saline-filled cavities showing slightly higher fluence rates than air-filled cavities.

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that patient-specific factors including cavity geometry, tissue optical properties, and surgical access considerations significantly influence light distribution in pleural PDT. The quantitative relationships established between these parameters and fluence patterns provide essential data for developing personalized treatment planning protocols to optimize therapeutic light delivery.

PMID:41498054 | PMC:PMC12768299 | DOI:10.1117/1.JBO.31.1.018001

Occup Ther Int. 2026 Jan 4;2026:4450215. doi: 10.1155/oti/4450215. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The prospective, historically controlled study evaluated whether a collaborative practice (CP) model between nurses and occupational therapists improves activities of daily living (ADLs) and reduces the use of disposable absorbent products and physical restraints in hospitalized older patients.

METHODS: Data from the historical control group (n = 72), who received usual care, were collected from medical records, and the intervention group (n = 46), who participated in the CP-based intervention, was recruited in a community-based care ward in a regional hospital. The CP model was designed to facilitate collaborative planning for improving ADLs between nurses and occupational therapists. Outcome measures included disposable absorbent product use, physical restraint use, and the functional independence measure (FIM). Assessments were conducted at admission and discharge. Propensity score matching was applied to balance baseline characteristics between groups and to reduce potential confounding factors.

RESULTS: Propensity score matching generated 45 pairs (“historical controls,” n = 45, and “interventions,” n = 45). Although physical restraint use was reduced in both groups (p ≤ 0.007), the use of disposable absorbent products in the intervention group was significantly reduced compared to the historical control group (p = 0.020). Additionally, significant interaction effects were observed between time and group for all FIM scores, indicating greater improvements in ADLs in the intervention group, with moderate to large effect sizes (p ≤ 0.013, partial η ² ≥ 0.068).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the positive impact of a CP model between nurses and occupational therapists in improving ADLs and reducing disposable absorbent product use in older patients. These findings suggest that this model of CP enhances the quality of geriatric care. Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry number: UMIN000047072.

PMID:41498052 | PMC:PMC12765810 | DOI:10.1155/oti/4450215