Tag: pubmed

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2025 Jan 2;66(1):31. doi: 10.1167/iovs.66.1.31.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehensively assess visual performance in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM). Additionally, it sought to explore the associations between optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging biomarkers and visual performance in patients with iERM.

METHODS: In this prospective, non-interventional study, 57 participants with treatment-naïve iERM from the University of Turin, between September 2023 and March 2024 were enrolled. Visual performance was measured using distance best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), near BCVA, and maximum reading speed (MaxRS). Structural retinal imaging biomarkers were obtained from OCT, focusing on retinal layer thicknesses and epiretinal membrane characteristics. Statistical analyses, including linear regression and multivariate analysis, were used to determine relationships between visual function and imaging metrics.

RESULTS: Monocular distance BCVA (0.37 ± 0.23 LogMAR), near BCVA (0.59 ± 0.18 LogMAR), and MaxRS (108.88 [68.38] words per minute [wpm]) in patients with iERM were significantly reduced compared with reference values. Both near BCVA and reading speed exhibited a greater percentage reduction than distance visual acuity. Patients with phakic showed worse visual acuity than patients with pseudophakia, although their reading performance was similar. Higher outer plexiform layers thickness and inner retinal thickness were associated with decreased distance and near visual acuity and reduced reading speed (beta, P value).

CONCLUSIONS: The iERM predominantly impacts near visual performance, with near visual acuity and reading speed being more affected than distance visual acuity. Structural OCT biomarkers, particularly retinal thickness in specific regions, correlate with worse functional impairments. This highlights the importance of near vision assessments and imaging biomarkers for a comprehensive evaluation of visual impairment in iERM.

PMID:39804627 | DOI:10.1167/iovs.66.1.31

Sleep Breath. 2025 Jan 13;29(1):73. doi: 10.1007/s11325-024-03231-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Fatigue, sleep disorders, and daytime sleepiness are interconnected, posing significant risks to occupational health and workplace safety. However, the literature on their relationships remains fragmented, with notable gaps, particularly concerning working populations. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate sleep quality (SQ), daily sleep time in hours (DST), daytime sleepiness, fatigue levels among employees in an automotive workplace, and their interrelationships.

METHODS: This study assessed fatigue, DST, SQ, and daytime sleepiness (DTS) among employees aged 21-51 years working under the same conditions. Data were collected using questionnaires and two validated scales: the Check Individual Strength Scale (CIS) for fatigue and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for excessive daytime sleepiness.

RESULTS: None of the Check Individual Strength Scale (CIS), or SQ points, mean values or DST hours values significantly differ due to any sociodemographic independent variables. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) points mean values differ significantly due to BMI values. However, statistically significant relationships were identified among CIS, ESS, SQ points, and DST hours. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between ESS and CIS scores. These findings suggest reciprocal effects among fatigue, SQ, DST, and daytime sleepiness.

CONCLUSION: While sleep problems cause fatigue also chronic fatigue syndrome may be the reason of worse SQ. Further research is necessary to emphasize the importance of addressing the interplay between fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, SQ, and DST in hours to improve workplace safety and employee well-being.

PMID:39804542 | DOI:10.1007/s11325-024-03231-w

Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Jan 13. doi: 10.1007/s10620-024-08828-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pouchitis is common among patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Antibiotics are first-line therapy for pouch inflammation, increasing the potential for gut colonization with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO). Fecal microbial transplant (FMT) is being studied in the treatment of pouchitis and in the eradication of MDRO. Prior work using aerobic antibiotic culture disks suggests that some patients with chronic pouchitis may regain fluoroquinolone sensitivity after FMT. However, gut MDRO include anaerobic, fastidious organisms that are difficult to culture using traditional methods.

AIM: We aimed to assess whether FMT reduced the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) or affected resistome diversity, evenness, or richness in patients with chronic pouchitis.

METHODS: We collected clinical characteristics regarding infections and antibiotic exposures for 18 patients who had previously been enrolled in an observational study investigating FMT as a treatment for pouchitis. Twenty-six pre- and post-FMT stool samples were analyzed using FLASH (Finding Low Abundance Sequences by Hybridization), a CRISPR/Cas9-based shotgun metagenomic sequence enrichment technique that detects acquired and chromosomal bacterial ARGs. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to assess differences in clinical characteristics, ARG counts, resistome diversity and ARG richness, pre- and post-FMT.

RESULTS: All 13 of the patients with sufficient stool samples for analysis had recently received antibiotics for pouchitis prior to a single endoscopic FMT. Fecal microbiomes of all patients had evidence of multi-drug resistance genes and ESBL resistance genes at baseline; 62% encoded fluoroquinolone resistance genes. A numerical decrease in overall ARG counts was noted post-FMT, but no statistically significant differences were noted (P = 0.19). Richness and diversity were not significantly altered. Three patients developed infections during the 5-year follow-up period, none of which were associated with MDRO.

CONCLUSION: Antibiotic resistance genes are prevalent among antibiotic-exposed patients with chronic pouchitis. FMT led to a numerical decrease, but no statistically significant change in ARG, nor were there significant changes in the diversity, richness, or evenness of ARGs. Further investigations to improve FMT engraftment and to optimize FMT delivery in patients with inflammatory pouch disorders are warranted.

PMID:39804518 | DOI:10.1007/s10620-024-08828-5

Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2025 Jan 13;410(1):37. doi: 10.1007/s00423-025-03605-y.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The impact of body-cavity depth on open (OLR) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) of segment 7 remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the influence of body-cavity depth at the upper-right portion of the abdomen on LLR and OLR of segment 7.

METHODS: In total, 101 patients who underwent segment-7 liver resection over 2010-2023 were included. Body-cavity depth was measured from the abdominal-wall surface to the deepest site on the right side of the liver. Patients were categorized into shallow (< 18.4 cm) and deep (≥ 18.4 cm) populations based on median body-cavity depth. We compared surgical outcomes between OLR and LLR in shallow and deep populations after propensity-score adjustments.

RESULTS: In OLR and LLR groups, 27 and 22 patients in the shallow population, respectively, and 26 and 26 patients were included in the deep population, respectively, were included. The OLR group in the deep population had significantly greater blood loss than the corresponding LLR group (difference: 144 mL, 95% confidence interval (CI): [50, 238], P = 0.004). Other surgical outcomes, including operative time, were similar between groups. In the shallow population, the OLR group had significantly shorter operative time (difference: – 54 mL, 95% CI: [-101, – 6], P = 0.028) and similar blood loss than the LLR group.

CONCLUSIONS: For segment-7 liver resection, LLR is likely favorable for patients with a deep body cavity, with similar operative time and lower blood loss compared to OLR. Body-cavity depth could be a useful indicator for determining the suitable surgical approach for segment-7 liver resection.

PMID:39804508 | DOI:10.1007/s00423-025-03605-y

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2025 Jan;31(1):e70198. doi: 10.1111/cns.70198.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by olfactory dysfunction (OD) and cognitive deficits at its early stages, yet the link between OD and cognitive deficits is also not well-understood. This study aims to examine the changes in the olfactory network associated with OD and their relationship with cognitive function in de novo PD patients.

METHODS: A total of 116 drug-naïve PD patients and 51 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for this study. Graph theoretical approaches were employed to reveal the abnormalities of topological characteristics in the olfactory network. Network-based statistics (NBS) analysis was employed to identify the abnormal subnetworks within the olfactory network. Moreover, partial correlation analysis and mediation analysis were performed to examine the relationship between the abnormal network metrics, olfactory function, and cognitive function.

RESULTS: Graph theoretical approaches revealed reduced betweenness centrality of the left insula in PD patients with OD. NBS analysis identified a disrupted subnetwork with decreased functional connectivity, primarily involving limbic regions. The average functional connectivity of this subnetwork partially mediated the relationship between olfactory and cognitive performance. Higher-granularity network analysis further highlighted the insula’s key role and revealed reduced efficiency of information integration within the olfactory network.

CONCLUSIONS: OD was associated with specific changes in the functional olfactory network, which, in turn, affects cognitive function. These findings underscore the importance of assessing and addressing OD. Understanding the neural correlates of OD could provide novel insights into the management and comprehension of cognitive impairment in PD.

PMID:39803685 | DOI:10.1111/cns.70198

J Eval Clin Pract. 2025 Feb;31(1):e14304. doi: 10.1111/jep.14304.

ABSTRACT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, it was aimed to determine nursing students’ attitudes towards clinical practice and their perceptions of occupational risk.

METHOD: The research is descriptive and cross-sectional. The population of this study consisted of second-, third- and fourth-year students studying in the Department of Nursing affiliated to the Faculty of Health Sciences of a university located in Turkey. The analysis was conducted using JASP 0.19.1.0 and SPSS 25 software. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied. The Bonferroni test was performed to identify the group causing the difference.

RESULTS: A significant positive correlation was found between nursing students’ perception of occupational risk and nursing students’ attitude toward clinical practice (r = 0.434, p = 0.000). The mean score of the nursing students’ perception of occupational risk in nursing students was 68.74 ± 15.04. The mean score of attitude towards clinical practice in nursing students was 100.04 ± 24.83. A statistically significant difference was found between the presence of attitude towards clinical practice in nursing students and perception of occupational risk in nursing students in the gender variable (p < 0.05), whereas a statistically significant difference was found between adequate information about the nursing profession and attitude towards clinical practice in nursing students (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: In the findings of the study, nursing students’ perception of occupational risk and attitudes towards clinical practice were found at a high level. A statistically significant difference was found between the presence of perception of occupational risk in nursing students and attitude towards clinical practice in nursing students in the gender variable. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between adequate knowledge and nursing profession about the nursing profession and attitude towards clinical practice in nursing students.

PMID:39803679 | DOI:10.1111/jep.14304

Br J Clin Psychol. 2025 Jan 13. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12525. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Compared to their exclusively gay/lesbian or heterosexual identifying peers, young people identifying as bisexual+ (e.g. bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer or questioning) are at elevated risk for suicidal ideation (SI) and attempts (SA). The present study aimed to establish whether the prevalence of, and psychosocial risk factors for, SI and SA vary as a function of sexual identity.

METHODS: Young adults (N = 274; 18-29 years old) were recruited via online crowdsourcing. They completed questionnaires assessing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, depression symptoms and lifetime history of SI and SA. Spearman correlations, Kruskal-Wallis H-tests and binomial logistic regression models were used.

RESULTS: No variable was associated with SI. Bisexual+ individuals reported greater SA than the heterosexual group, though statistically similar to the gay/lesbian group. A similar pattern emerged for ACEs. The bisexual+ group reported greater depression symptoms than the gay/lesbian group. Impulsivity and emotion dysregulation did not vary by sexual identity. Controlling for these psychosocial and sociodemographic variables did not alter results: bisexual+ individuals were almost three times more likely to report SA than heterosexual individuals, OR = 2.93 95% CI [1.16, 7.44]; gay/lesbian and heterosexual individuals had a statistically similar likelihood of reporting SA, OR = 1.09, 95% CI [0.27, 4.37].

CONCLUSION: This is the first study to establish that young adults identifying as bisexual+ are at greater risk for SA after controlling for well-established psychosocial correlates; this was not the case for SI. Further work is needed to establish the aetiology of this risk.

PMID:39803671 | DOI:10.1111/bjc.12525

Am J Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 15;14(12):5909-5920. doi: 10.62347/MUCQ4129. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

The combination of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and doublet chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for patients with wild-type RAS/BRAF metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Some patients may require secondary resection after first-line treatment. However, it remains unclear whether targeted therapy should be continued after liver resection. To investigate whether targeted therapy can be spared after secondary resection, we retrospectively analyzed data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC who received first-line anti-EGFR mAb plus doublet chemotherapy. Between 2013 and 2018, 5694 mCRC patients were screened, with 174 meeting the eligibility criteria and being enrolled in this study. Among them, 153 patients continued anti-EGFR mAb after secondary resection. These patients demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) but not in time to treatment failure. Postresection anti-EGFR mAb conferred OS benefits compared to no anti-EGFR mAb (43.17 vs. 31.41 months; P = 0.0064). When stratified by assessment period, OS was longer in patients assessed between 2016 and 2018 than in those assessed between 2012 and 2015 (not reached vs. 39.87 months; P = 0.1819). However, no significant difference was observed in time to treatment failure when stratified by assessment period or primary tumor location. A multivariate analysis revealed that postresection anti-EGFR mAb was an independent predictor of prolonged OS. In conclusion, for mCRC patients who have undergone secondary resection after first-line anti-EGFR mAb plus doublet chemotherapy, continuing anti-EGFR mAb may significantly extend OS, regardless of the primary tumor location.

PMID:39803663 | PMC:PMC11711520 | DOI:10.62347/MUCQ4129

Am J Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 15;14(12):5717-5733. doi: 10.62347/SSPI9013. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated cancer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown efficacy in its treatment. The combination of chemotherapy and ICIs represents a new trend in the standard care for metastatic NPC. In this study, we aim to clarify the immune cell profile and related prognostic factors in the ICI-based treatment of metastatic NPC. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was measured in 81 metastatic tissue samples that had not received prior ICI treatment. The combined positive score (CPS) was positive in 58.0% of the samples, with a statistically significant correlation to median overall survival (OS) (CPS ≥ 1 vs. CPS < 1: 28 vs. 16 months, P = 0.004). For the combination treatment of metastatic NPC, 62 patients were enrolled in a retrospective analysis, yielding a median OS of 39.3 months. The objective response rate for this combination therapy was 71%, with a complete response rate of 45.2%. With a cutoff value of 4.8 for the pre-treated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood (PB), the difference in median OS was statistically significant (P = 0.021). Thirty-seven patients received local treatment following the combination therapy of ICIs and chemotherapy, which provided additional survival benefits. Most hyper-responders exhibited a prolonged low NLR (< 3), a high total lymphocyte count, and an undetectable or stable EBV DNA load in PB during treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from most patients receiving the combination treatment were rich in PD-1+CD8+ lymphocytes, which showed high expression of both IFN-γ and Granzyme B, demonstrating the ability to kill the EBV-positive NPC cell line and xenografts in vitro and in vivo. Responders also displayed increased levels of CD4+CD45RA-CCR7-CD28+CD57- cells (effector memory cell subset) in peripheral blood. These results indicate that in the context of combined chemotherapy and ICIs, high PD-L1 expression in pre-treated metastatic tumor tissue, a low NLR before treatment, a decrease in NLR after treatment, and local treatment can provide significant benefits for patients with metastatic NPC.

PMID:39803661 | PMC:PMC11711527 | DOI:10.62347/SSPI9013

Am J Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 15;14(12):5851-5862. doi: 10.62347/ZWAM1063. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and molecular biomarkers of adult T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) to identify prognostic factors, and to evaluate the efficacy of different chemotherapy regimens, providing a basis for optimizing treatment strategies for T-LBL.

METHODS: A total of 89 Patients aged 18-72 years with T-LBL, confirmed via histopathological examination of lymph nodes, extranodal tissues, or bone marrow, were retrospectively included. Clinical data, treatment details, and mutational profiles were collected. Prognostic factors were assessed based on clinical and molecular characteristics, and the efficacy and safety of two chemotherapy regimens were compared. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the disease spectrum.

RESULTS: Most patients (84.00%) presented with advanced disease (stages III-IV). Mediastinal invasion was observed in 63 patients (70.80%), and 59 patients (66.30%) exhibited B symptoms. Bone marrow involvement occurred in 19 patients (21.20%), and bulky mediastinum (>10 cm) was present in 50 patients (56.18%). Mutations were detected in 29 patients, with NOTCH1 being the most frequently mutated gene, followed by PHF-6, JAK-1, JAK-3, IL-7R, and TP53. The complete response (CR) rate was 51.69%. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 74.9% and 58.80%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified female sex, lack of CR, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (>2× normal) as independent predictors of poor OS (58.25%). Chemotherapy regimens, LDH levels, and sex were independent prognostic factors for PFS (21.24%).

CONCLUSION: T-LBL is characterized by high-frequency gene mutations across multiple signaling pathways. Mediastinal invasion (70.80%) and extranodal involvement (39.33%) were prevalent in Chinese patients and were associated with poor prognosis. Combined assessment of clinical and molecular features allows for improved prognostic stratification and facilitates the development of targeted therapies for high-risk patients.

PMID:39803658 | PMC:PMC11711535 | DOI:10.62347/ZWAM1063