Tag: pubmed

Vet Med Sci. 2023 Sep 23. doi: 10.1002/vms3.1282. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rabies is a zoonotic disease transmitted mainly by animals, especially dogs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article was to examine reported cases of animal rabies in Ghana for trends to provide information that could be helpful to control the disease.

METHOD: Retrospective analyses of reported cases of rabies in Ghana from 2010 to 2017.

RESULTS: In all, 328 rabies cases were recorded in animals in the period under review. The predominant species involved were dogs (299; 91.2%) and cats (12; 3.7%). Other species included pigs (4; 1.2%), goats (4; 1.2%), monkeys (4; 1.2%), sheep (2; 0.6%), bats (2; 0.6%) and cattle (1; 0.3%). The numbers of reported cases in animals were markedly higher than those in humans except in 2013 and 2017. There was a positive but weak correlation between cases in animals and humans which could be due to lack of reporting collaboration between institutions responsible for these. Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions were identified as hotspots in the period under review, while January and August were the months with the highest peaks for cases reported. Cases reported in rainy season were significantly higher than those in dry season. Poisson regression for spatio-temporal analyses showed no statistical significance in predicting number of rabies cases (response variable) from year, month, season, region and affected species (predictor variables).

CONCLUSION: Rabies remained endemic in Ghana during 2010-2017 with cases reported in nearly every month of the year during this period. There was a significant seasonal pattern with higher proportion of cases reported in the rainy/wet season compared to the dry season.

PMID:37742084 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.1282

Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2023 Sep 23:17470218231203951. doi: 10.1177/17470218231203951. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Representing events in episodic memory in a coherent manner requires that their constituent elements are bound together. So far, only few moderators of these binding processes have been identified. Here we investigate whether the presence of an agentic element in an event facilitates binding. The results from six experiments provided no evidence for a facilitating effect of agency on the binding of event elements. In addition, binding effects were only found when event elements were presented simultaneously, but not when they were presented sequentially pairwise, contrary to previous findings. The results suggest that the presence of an agentic element in an event does not or only to a very limited extent contribute to the formation of coherent memory representations and that additional processes may be required when binding event elements across temporarily divided encoding episodes. These findings add to a growing body of research regarding moderators and processes relevant for the binding of event elements in episodic memory. Explanations of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

PMID:37742043 | DOI:10.1177/17470218231203951

J Environ Qual. 2023 Sep 23. doi: 10.1002/jeq2.20519. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Crop rotation is a management practice with high greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigating potential that is often neglected due to economic influences. Three long-term rotation studies in Wisconsin were selected to assess potential opportunities for mitigating GHG emissions by comparing temporal and spatial variability of N₂ O, CO_2, and CH₄ emissions in continuous corn (Zea mays L.) (CC), corn-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS), and corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CSW) using a static chamber method. Greenhouse gas emissions were influenced by weather conditions and following nitrogen (N) application during a 3-year measurement period. In high N input environments at Arlington and Lancaster, N₂ O emissions in CC were 5.80 and 4.40 kg N ha^-1 , respectively, which was much higher than the emissions in CS and CSW rotations that ranged from 1.52 to 3.33 kg N ha^-1 . In the low N input environment at Marshfield, N₂ O emissions were not statistically different among CC, CS, and CSW rotations (1.20 to 1.66 kg N ha^-1 ). Yield-scaled N₂ O emissions were not different among crop rotations. When pooled over locations, CO₂ emissions were highest in CC (4.16 Mg C ha^-1 ) and were similar in CS and CSW (3.71 and 3.50 Mg C ha^-1 , respectively). Soils either emitted or absorbed small and inconsistent amounts of CH₄ . These results provide important insights as to how weather conditions and differences among management practices affect GHG emissions and show that application of either 2-yr CS or 3-yr CSW rotation can be equally effective in reducing N₂ O emissions compared to CC, especially with high N applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:37742040 | DOI:10.1002/jeq2.20519

J Orthop Surg Res. 2023 Sep 23;18(1):720. doi: 10.1186/s13018-023-04218-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) primarily presents with symptoms of pain and compromised functionality. Pain is a subjective manifestation that necessitates the employment of reliable evaluation tools for practical assessment, thereby enabling the formulation of appropriate interventional strategies. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is a widely utilized questionnaire for evaluating the status of chronic pain. The purpose of the present study is to translate the short form of BPI into Chinese version (BPI-CV) and conduct cross-cultural adaptation to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of BPI-CV in KOA patients.

METHODS: BPI-CV was translated and cross-culturally adapted according to internationally recognized guidelines. A cohort comprising 150 patients diagnosed with KOA successfully completed the demographic questionnaire, BPI-CV, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the EuroQoL Group’s five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D). Internal consistency and test-retest analysis were used to evaluate the reliability. The internal consistency of the scale items was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach’s α value (> 0.7). We chose to employ two scales commonly used in the evaluation of KOA patients: the disease-specific WOMAC scale and the universal EQ-5D scale. Construct validity was determined through Pearson correlation analysis, comparing BPI scores with those obtained from the WOMAC and EQ-5D scales. Exploratory factor analysis was used to structural validity.

RESULTS: The BPI-CV was well accepted with no ceiling or floor effect. Cronbach’s α for assessing internal consistency was 0.894. Test-retest reliability was excellent with an ICC of 0.852 (95%CI 0.785-0.905). The BPI-CV showed moderate to strong correlations with the pain dimension (r = 0.496-0.860) and the functional interference dimension (r = 0.517-0.712) of the WOMAC and the EQ-5D (r = 0.527-0.743). Three factors resulted using exploratory factor analysis: pain severity, activity interference, and emotional interference, accounting for 79.0% of the total variance. Standard error of measurement was 0.539.

CONCLUSION: BPI-CV has good feasibility, reliability, and validity. It can be recommended for KOA patients in mainland China.

PMID:37742029 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-023-04218-1

BMC Oral Health. 2023 Sep 23;23(1):687. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03393-1.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The success of primary teeth pulpectomy is strongly reliant on instrumentation techniques and their impact on obturation quality & postoperative pain. Recently, pediatric rotary file systems have been implemented.

AIM: to compare two pediatric rotary file systems (Kedo-S-Square & Fanta AF™ Baby) with manual K-files concerning obturation quality, instrumentation time, and postoperative pain in root canal preparation of primary molars using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

METHODS: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with the trial registration number (TRN: NCT05619796 and date of registration: (17/11/2022) on sixty primary lower 2nd molars in healthy children aged 4-7 years. Molars were assigned randomly to three groups (n = 20). Group-I and -II were prepared with Kedo-S-Square & Fanta AF™Baby rotary systems respectively while group-III was prepared with a manual K-file. Instrumentation time was recorded using a stopwatch. CBCT was used to assess obturation quality immediately & recorded as optimal, underfilled, or overfilled. Postoperative pain was evaluated at 6, 12, 24, 48 h-time intervals using a four-point pain intensity scale. Statistical analysis was performed for the collected data.

RESULTS: Among the three groups, group-I revealed a greater number of optimally filled teeth (85%) & less instrumentation time (74.75 s) followed by group-II & manual-K file group (p < 0.05). The hand K-file group had significantly more postoperative pain than the two rotary groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: the tested rotary file systems resulted in better obturation quality, less instrumentation time, and less postoperative pain compared to manual-K files during primary teeth pulpectomy.

PMID:37742023 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-023-03393-1

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2023 Sep 23;24(1):752. doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-06880-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that pedicle screw placement using navigation can potentially reduce radiation exposure of surgical personnel compared to conventional methods. Spinal navigation is based on an interaction of a navigation software and 3D imaging. The 3D image data can be acquired using different imaging modalities such as iCT and CBCT. These imaging modalities vary regarding acquisition technique and field of view. The current literature varies greatly in study design, in form of dose registration, as well as navigation systems and imaging modalities analyzed. Therefore, the aim of this study was a standardized comparison of three navigation and imaging system combinations in an experimental setting in an artificial spine model.

METHODS: In this experimental study dorsal instrumentation of the thoracolumbar spine was performed using three imaging/navigation system combinations. The system combinations applied were the iCT/Curve, cCBCT/Pulse and oCBCT/StealthStation. Referencing scans were obtained with each imaging modality and served as basis for the respective navigation system. In each group 10 artificial spine models received bilateral dorsal instrumentation from T11-S1. 2 referencing and control scans were acquired with the CBCTs, since their field of view could only depict up to five vertebrae in one scan. The field of view of the iCT enabled the depiction of T11-S1 in one scan. After instrumentation the region of interest was scanned again for evaluation of the screw position, therefore only one referencing and one control scan were obtained. Two dose meters were installed in a spine bed ventral of L1 and S1. The dose measurements in each location and in total were analyzed for each system combination. Time demand regarding screw placement was also assessed for all system combinations.

RESULTS: The mean radiation dose in the iCT group measured 1,6 ± 1,1 mGy. In the cCBCT group the mean was 3,6 ± 0,3 mGy and in the oCBCT group 10,3 ± 5,7 mGy were measured. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant (p < 0.0001) difference between the three groups. The multiple comparisions by the Kruskall-Wallis test showed no significant difference for the comparison of iCT and cCBCT (p¹ = 0,13). Significant differences were found for the direct comparison of iCT and oCBCT (p² < 0,0001), as well as cCBCT and oCBCT (p³ = 0,02). Statistical analysis showed that significantly (iCT vs. oCBCT p = 0,0434; cCBCT vs. oCBCT p = 0,0083) less time was needed for oCBCT based navigated pedicle screw placement compared to the other system combinations (iCT vs. cCBCT p = 0,871).

CONCLUSION: Under standardized conditions oCBCT navigation demanded twice as much radiation as the cCBCT for the same number of scans, while the radiation exposure measured for the iCT and cCBCT for one scan was comparable. Yet, time effort was significantly less for oCBCT based navigation. However, for transferability into clinical practice additional studies should follow evaluating parameters regarding feasibility and clinical outcome under standardized conditions.

PMID:37742007 | DOI:10.1186/s12891-023-06880-2

J Cheminform. 2023 Sep 23;15(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s13321-023-00741-9.

ABSTRACT

Mass-Suite (MSS) is a Python-based, open-source software package designed to analyze high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based non-targeted analysis (NTA) data, particularly for water quality assessment and other environmental applications. MSS provides flexible, user-defined workflows for HRMS data processing and analysis, including both basic functions (e.g., feature extraction, data reduction, feature annotation, data visualization, and statistical analyses) and advanced exploratory data mining and predictive modeling capabilities that are not provided by currently available open-source software (e.g., unsupervised clustering analyses, a machine learning-based source tracking and apportionment tool). As a key advance, most core MSS functions are supported by machine learning algorithms (e.g., clustering algorithms and predictive modeling algorithms) to facilitate function accuracy and/or efficiency. MSS reliability was validated with mixed chemical standards of known composition, with 99.5% feature extraction accuracy and ~ 52% overlap of extracted features relative to other open-source software tools. Example user cases of laboratory data evaluation are provided to illustrate MSS functionalities and demonstrate reliability. MSS expands available HRMS data analysis workflows for water quality evaluation and environmental forensics, and is readily integrated with existing capabilities. As an open-source package, we anticipate further development of improved data analysis capabilities in collaboration with interested users.

PMID:37741995 | DOI:10.1186/s13321-023-00741-9

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Sep 23;23(1):688. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-06003-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Given the rapid growth of digital media resources, it is worth exploring childbearing women’s use of digital media to address their information needs. The aim of this study was to explore the use of digital media during pregnancy and birth in the local population of Western Victorian women in Melbourne, Australia.

METHODS: A descriptive exploratory approach was used. An online survey consisted of both quantitative and qualitative questions to identify and measure digital media use in pregnancy and the birthing period. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Chi-square test were used to analyse the quantitative data, while content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.

RESULTS: Digital media has become an integral part of the experience in pregnancy with increasing growth of digital media in labour. The most used medium for digital media use was pregnancy applications, followed by websites, social media, YouTube, podcasts, online discussion forums and lastly, labour applications. Information seeking was the main reason for using digital media, and two main themes emerged from the qualitative data; ‘connection with others for social support and reassurance’ and ‘information seeking and providing to assist decision making and providing reassurance’.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights the need for future midwifery practice to include digital media sources in antenatal education and care. There is a need for healthcare institutions to improve digital media technology to meet the needs of women. This is crucial as digital media is constantly evolving, and as healthcare providers, we need to integrate digital media with healthcare services.

PMID:37741990 | DOI:10.1186/s12884-023-06003-8

BMC Cancer. 2023 Sep 23;23(1):896. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-11228-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The dense stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas is a major barrier to drug delivery. To increase the local drug diffusion gradient, high doses of chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin can be released from thermally-sensitive liposomes (ThermoDox®) using ultrasound-mediated hyperthermia at the tumour target. PanDox is designed as a Phase 1 single centre study to investigate enhancing drug delivery to adult patients with non-operable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The study compares a single cycle of either conventional doxorubicin alone or ThermoDox® with focused ultrasound-induced hyperthermia for targeted drug release.

METHODS: Adults with non-resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are allocated to receive a single cycle of either doxorubicin alone (Arm A) or ThermoDox® with focused ultrasound-induced hyperthermia (Arm B), based on patient- and tumour-specific safety conditions. Participants in Arm B will undergo a general anaesthetic and pre-heating of the tumour by extra-corporal focused ultrasound (FUS). Rather than employing invasive thermometry, ultrasound parameters are derived from a patient-specific treatment planning model to reach the 41 °C target temperature for drug release. ThermoDox® is then concurrently infused with further ultrasound exposure. Tumour biopsies at the targeted site from all patients are analysed post-treatment using high performance liquid chromatography to quantify doxorubicin delivered to the tumour. The primary endpoint is defined as a statistically significant enhancement in concentration of total intra-tumoural doxorubicin, comparing samples from patients receiving liposomal drug with FUS to free drug alone. Participants are followed for 21 days post-treatment to assess secondary endpoints, including radiological assessment to measure changes in tumour activity by Positron Emission Tomography Response Criteria in Solid Tumours (PERCIST) criteria, adverse events and patient-reported symptoms.

DISCUSSION: This early phase study builds on previous work targeting tumours in the liver to investigate whether enhancement of chemotherapy delivery using ultrasound-mediated hyperthermia can be translated to the stroma-dense environment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. If successful, it could herald a new approach towards managing these difficult-to-treat tumours.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04852367 . Registered 21^st April 2022. EudraCT number: 2019-003950-10 (Registered 2019) Iras Project ID: 272253 (Registered 2019) Ethics Number: 20/EE/0284.

PMID:37741968 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-023-11228-z

BMC Pediatr. 2023 Sep 23;23(1):483. doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-04323-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The morbidity of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children is increasing and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the main microvascular complications of T1DM. The aim of this study was to explore sympathetic skin response (SSR) characteristics in children with T1DM and analyze the value of early diagnosis and follow-up in T1DM complicated with DPN.

METHODS: Our prospective study enrolling 85 participants diagnosed with T1DM and 30 healthy controls (HCs) in the Children’s Hospital of Hebei Province from 2017 to 2020. Compared the outcomes of SSR and nerve conduction study (NCS) in T1DM, and evaluated the variations in SSR and NCS of different durations, as well as changes after six months of therapy.

RESULTS: SSR latency of T1DM group showed statistical difference as compared to HCs (p < 0.05). The SSR test was more sensitive than the NCS test in the early diagnosis of T1DM with DPN (p < 0.05). The abnormal rates of SSR and NCS in long duration of disease were higher than those in short duration of disease (p < 0.05). Among 65 participants with diabetic neuropathy, the onset latencies of SSR were shortened and the NCS were improved after treatment (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: SSR could provide the accurate early diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

PMID:37741963 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-023-04323-4