Tag: pubmed

Int Marit Health. 2026;77(1):23-30. doi: 10.5603/imh.106749.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Commercial fishing remains one of the most hazardous occupations globally, with smallscale fleets exhibiting persistent safety challenges. In Türkiye, fishing operations are characterized by low regulatory compliance, insufficient training, and fatigue-related risks.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed occupational health and safety (OHS) compliance levels among Turkish fishing vessel crews and identified key predictors of safety outcomes across vessel size categories.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted (June-August 2018) across Türkiye’s Aegean, Marmara, and Black Sea regions, involving 356 crew members from 180 vessels. Data collection included structured questionnaires, observational checklists, and interviews. Analyses employed descriptive statistics, χ² tests, independent t-tests, and multiple linear regression (SPSS v26).

RESULTS: Of all participants, 38.8% reported at least one occupational accident in the past year. The most frequent injuries were cuts (12.9%), falls (9.3%), and equipment-related trauma (5.9%). The main contributing factors were the hasty work pace in the workplace (52.2%), inadequate training (28.9%), and fatigue due to long working hours (19.0%). PPE compliance was low at 18%, and only 27% of participants had received formal safety training. A significant association was found between vessel size and accident occurrence (χ² = 12.45, p = 0.002), with smaller vessels having a significantly higher accident risk than larger vessels. Workers involved in accidents reported longer working hours (M = 14.3, SD = 1.8) than their counterparts (M = 13.1, SD = 2.2; p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified formal training (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), education level (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), and vessel size (β = 0.14, p = 0.01) as significant predictors of OHS compliance (R² = 0.29).

CONCLUSIONS: Occupational health and safety compliance in Türkiye’s fishing sector remains inadequate, particularly for small-scale vessels. Prioritizing training expansion, work-hour regulations, and targeted support for high-risk fleets is essential.

PMID:41914192 | DOI:10.5603/imh.106749

Int Marit Health. 2026;77(1):1-12. doi: 10.5603/imh.108038.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recreational diving creates risk for decompression sickness (DCS), which can occur in SCUBA diving even if current decompression algorithms are respected. The aim of this study was to identify the primary risk factors for decompression sickness in real-world regular recreational diving.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study analyzed 127,957 dives from 5,907 divers in the DAN DSL database (version 07/2024) to identify independent risk factors for DCS in recreational diving.

RESULTS: Decompression sickness was reported in 628 dives, yielding an incidence rate of 0.49%. The most critical predictor was the DAN Surface Supersaturation Gradient (DSSG), with significantly higher median values in DCS dives (0.866) compared to non-DCS dives (0.743, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression identified 12 independent predictors of DCS, including DSSG (logarithmic effect on odds ratio [OR]), leading compartment, female gender (OR = 4.63), lower BMI classification (OR = 0.85), reduced number of repetitive dives (OR = 0.94 per dive), shorter surface intervals (OR = 0.96 per hour), greater gas count (OR = 2.87), exercise before diving (OR = 2.06), perceived thermal comfort (OR = 2.83), workload during dive (OR = 1.61), technical dive purpose (OR = 1.36), and pre-dive fatigue perception (protective, OR = 0.30). The model showed excellent discrimination with an area under the ROC curve of 0.910 and Somer’s D = 0.8287. Notably, dives using more than one gas mixture and those performed by females carried substantially increased DCS risk.

CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that both physiological and operational factors influence DCS risk and provides a basis for personalized risk prediction tools in recreational diving.

PMID:41914190 | DOI:10.5603/imh.108038

J Pregnancy. 2026;2026(1):e8982438. doi: 10.1155/jp/8982438.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to identify risk factors associated with failed labor induction in obese pregnancies at term and evaluate related maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included obese pregnant women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) who underwent labor induction at 37-41 weeks’ gestation in two academic hospitals in Surabaya, Indonesia, during 2023. Participants were classified into successful and failed induction groups. Maternal characteristics, induction-related factors, and pregnancy outcomes were compared. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for induction failure.

RESULTS: A total of 159 women were included, comprising 53 failed and 106 successful inductions. Failed induction was significantly associated with primiparity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.10; 95% CI, 1.46-6.58), Bishop score < 3 (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.14-3.55), and higher maternal weight gain during pregnancy (aOR per kg increase, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.95). Maternal weight gain demonstrated a moderate effect size (standardized mean difference, 0.62). Compared with successful induction, failed induction was associated with higher rates of severe preeclampsia (18.9% vs. 1.9%), cesarean delivery (100% vs. 5.7%), longer hospitalization, and lower 1-min Apgar scores. No significant differences were observed in 5-min Apgar scores, fetal growth restriction, congenital anomalies, or NICU admission.

CONCLUSIONS: In obese pregnancies at term, primiparity, unfavorable cervical status, and excessive gestational weight gain are independently associated with failed labor induction. These findings highlight the importance of optimized patient selection, cervical assessment, and anticipatory counseling to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

PMID:41914186 | DOI:10.1155/jp/8982438

Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2026 Mar 23;18(1):46442. doi: 10.31083/FBS46442.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a well-known cause of infectious mononucleosisand it has also been linked to the development of various malignant tumors. EBV can be classified into two genotypes based on EBNA-2 and EBNA-3 polymorphisms, with further subclassification predominantly based on BNLF-1 and EBNA-1 variations. Currently, EBV subtyping has not been performed using EBER genes. Thus, this study aimed to determine EBV subtypes in various malignant tumors and to assess the potential of EBER polymorphisms for EBV classification.

METHODS: DNA was isolated from tissue samples of patients diagnosed with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Specific fragments of the BNLF-1, EBNA-1, EBNA-3C, and EBER genes were amplified, and population sequencing was conducted.

RESULTS: Based on EBNA-3C sequences, all tumor samples were genotype EBV-1, whereas the BNLF-1, EBNA-1, and EBER sequences indicated that the tumor tissues were infected with different EBV subtypes. The B95-8 subtype predominated in cHL, whereas North Carolina and P-ala were the most frequent subtypes in NPC. In addition, we propose a newly designed algorithm for EBER-based subclassification, which showed that the subtype Cro2 is more frequently present in cHL and AITL than in NPC.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study show characteristic pattern of EBV diversity based on the EBNA-3C, EBNA-1, and BNLF-1 gene sequences, as well as the EBER promoter sequence in AITL, NPC, and cHL cohorts specific for the Caucasian population of southeastern Europe; however, these results may not relate to the distribution of EBV variants in other geographic areas.

PMID:41914172 | DOI:10.31083/FBS46442

Front Biosci (Elite Ed). 2026 Feb 9;18(1):44274. doi: 10.31083/FBE44274.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are established vectors for efficient gene delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Increasingly, strategies aim to restrict transduction to specific neuronal subtypes defined by the associated functional properties, thereby enhancing precision and therapeutic potential.

METHODS: Recombinant AAV9 vectors carrying fluorescent reporters under the control of cytomegalovirus (CMV), human synapsin (hSyn), or homeobox 9 (Hb9) promoters were delivered intrathecally in Wistar rats. Transgene expression was evaluated 7 days post-injection by confocal microscopy. Neurons in laminae VII-X were quantified across cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord levels. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction.

RESULTS: In lamina VII, consistent neuronal expression was mediated by hSyn across all spinal levels, with significantly higher transduction at cervical compared to thoracic and lumbar regions (p < 0.01). CMV and Hb9 showed no detectable tropism for this lamina. In lamina VIII, CMV drove markedly higher expression than hSyn and Hb9, with a 2.8-fold difference at the lumbar level (p < 0.001). In lamina X, CMV expression exceeded hSyn at the lumbar and sacral levels (p < 0.05), while Hb9 showed no activity. In lamina IX, all promoters mediated motoneuron transduction, but only Hb9 restricted expression specifically to motoneuron somata. Notably, CMV induced off-target expression in glial cells.

CONCLUSIONS: AAV9-mediated expression patterns in the spinal cord are strongly shaped by promoter choice and segmental level. Hb9 provides high motoneuron specificity, hSyn supports broad neuronal activation across laminae VII-X, whereas CMV drives robust but non-specific expression with significant off-target activity. These findings highlight the importance of rational promoter selection for spinal cord gene therapy and strategies aimed at functional recovery in motor system disorders.

PMID:41914168 | DOI:10.31083/FBE44274

J Pediatr Orthop. 2026 Mar 31. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000003241. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Torsional abnormalities of the femur, such as femoral retrotorsion, can significantly impact gait and joint biomechanics in children and adolescents. However, the resulting gait patterns as well as the relationship between static imaging measurements and dynamic gait deviations remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate biomechanical differences in gait between young individuals with true femoral retrotorsion and typically developing peers, examining correlations between gait deviations, clinical measurements, and imaging data.

METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted, including 31 patients with unilateral or bilateral femoral retrotorsion and a control group of typically developing children. Femoral torsion was assessed using MRI or CT, while 3D motion capture was used for gait analysis. Clinical hip rotation was measured, and statistical analyses, including correlation assessments, were performed to evaluate relationships between imaging, clinical, and gait parameters.

RESULTS: Patients exhibited significantly increased hip external rotation and out-toeing gait compared with controls. However, no correlation was found between femoral torsion measured by imaging and hip rotation during gait or foot progression angle. In contrast, the midpoint of clinical hip rotation correlated moderately with both hip rotation and foot progression angle during gait. In addition, patients had higher BMI and demonstrated compensatory knee valgus, despite no radiologic evidence of knee malalignment.

CONCLUSION: Children and adolescents with femoral retrotorsion exhibit distinct gait deviations, but static imaging alone does not reliably predict dynamic gait patterns. This emphasizes the need for dynamic assessment in clinical decision-making.

PMID:41914160 | DOI:10.1097/BPO.0000000000003241

J Surg Oncol. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1002/jso.70245. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is debate regarding the optimal management of small-bowel neuroendocrine tumours (SBNETs), particularly concerning upfront resection in various clinical presentations. While symptom phenotypes are known to influence survival, their impact on technical surgical quality, especially in the emergency setting, remains poorly defined. This study evaluates whether symptom phenotype compromises the delivery of guideline-concordant surgical care.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 108 consecutive SBNET resections (2000-2023) at a specialized tertiary centre was performed. Patients were stratified into four phenotypes: obstructive/perforation (n = 54), carcinoid syndrome (22), asymptomatic/incidental (22), and other symptoms (9). Operative metrics, including lymph-node harvest (LNY) and margin status (R0/R1), were compared alongside overall survival (OS).

RESULTS: Symptom phenotype was a predictor of operative urgency and approach. Obstructive cases required emergency surgery in 50% of instances compared to ≤ 11% in all other groups (p < 0.001). Synchronous liver metastases were most prevalent in the carcinoid syndrome phenotype (50%) and lowest in the asymptomatic group (5%) (p = 0.002). Despite these disparities in presentation and urgency, technical quality markers were uniform across all groups: median LNY ranged from 10 to 13 (p = 0.426), R1/R2 margin rates were statistically similar (p = 0.290), and median length of stay was 8 days for all cohorts (p = 0.311). Multivariable analysis identified the asymptomatic phenotype as independently protective for OS (HR 0.42, p = 0.032), while liver metastasis was the strongest adverse prognostic factor (HR 3.25, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Symptom phenotype dictates operative urgency and reflects disease burden but does not compromise the technical standards of surgery in a specialized unit. These findings suggest that high-quality, guideline-concordant lymphadenectomy is achievable even in emergency obstructive presentations, and correspondingly, access to specialized surgical oncology expertise may be sought even in obstructed patients to ensure technical quality is maintained.

PMID:41913096 | DOI:10.1002/jso.70245

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1002/jmri.70318. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The neurostructural underpinnings of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), particularly integrated white matter and network alteration, remain unclear.

PURPOSE: To identify a core structural network in PMDD by integrating multiple diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived metrics and to develop a predictive model.

STUDY TYPE: Prospective case-control study.

SUBJECTS: Forty-two PMDD patients (age: 23.86 ± 1.32 years), diagnosed according to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-5, and 42 healthy controls (age: 23.79 ± 1.72 years).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T, T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo and echo planar imaging DTI sequences.

ASSESSMENT: Microstructural and connectivity features were extracted from DTI using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), network-based statistics (NBS), and graph theory analyses. A combined predictive model was constructed by integrating the most stable features from the three single-modality models via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression.

STATISTICAL TESTS: Group comparisons were performed using two-sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, with false discovery rate correction. Features were selected using LASSO and integrated to construct a combined model. Model performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using leave-one-out cross-validation. p < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: PMDD patients exhibited widespread microstructural and connectivity alterations, including elevated axial diffusivity in the right posterior limb of the internal capsule, enhanced edge connectivity, and altered network topology. The combined model achieved significantly superior predictive performance (AUC = 0.855) compared with the TBSS-based model (AUC = 0.699) and the network-based model (AUC = 0.727), and a higher AUC than the graph-based model (AUC = 0.790). Key predictive features included two enhanced edges originating from the left inferior frontal gyrus and reduced degree centrality of the left inferior occipital gyrus and sulcus.

DATA CONCLUSION: Our DTI-based predictive model showed alterations in brain connections and network properties in the left inferior frontal and inferior occipital regions of PMDD patients.

TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

PMID:41913094 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.70318

Hum Brain Mapp. 2026 Apr 1;47(5):e70491. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70491.

ABSTRACT

Quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) are objective measures derived from quantitative imaging that can differentiate pathological changes from healthy biological processes. Diffusion MRI parameters derived from Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) could serve as potential QIBs for studying both healthy neurodevelopment and various neurological conditions. However, quantitative neuroimaging studies often require large datasets collected across multiple scanners, which introduces variability. To ensure the reliability of multi-centre studies, the inter-centre reproducibility of DTI and NODDI parameters must be thoroughly assessed before data collection begins. Discrepancies between results reported by previous studies can be explained by other sources of variability. The inter-scanner reproducibility of diffusion parameters needs to be determined when the other sources of variability, such as differences in acquisition parameters, processing and ROI segmentation are controlled for. We assess the reproducibility of DTI and NODDI parameters in clinically relevant white matter (WM) tracts across three scanners of the same model, ensuring consistency in the acquisition scheme and pre-processing pipelines. WM tract regions of interest (ROIs) are automatically segmented to standardise the analysis. Additionally, we investigate ROI and signal-to-noise ratio differences to better understand the sources of variability in diffusion parameters. According to the Koo and Li classification system, our results demonstrate excellent reproducibility for fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity across scanners of the same model (ICC ≥ 0.964) when using identical acquisition schemes, pre-processing pipelines and automated ROI segmentation. NODDI orientation dispersion index and neurite density index exhibit a similar level of reproducibility (ICC ≥ 0.942 and ICC ≥ 0.911, respectively), while free water fraction (FWF) has ICC ≥ 0.862. However, statistically significant variability was observed in the FWF, specifically within the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (CoV 9.43%) and optic radiation (CoV 9.95%), even when scanning the same cohort across sites. If there is an error in the signal fraction in one compartment in the NODDI model, the signal fractions from other compartments may likely be misestimated. The reproducibility and variability of diffusion parameters reported in this study provide guidance for future QIB research involving datasets derived from multiple scanners. These findings can help determine whether observed changes in diffusion parameters reflect meaningful biological differences or are highly influenced by measurement variability.

PMID:41913049 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.70491

J Anim Sci. 2026 Mar 30:skag106. doi: 10.1093/jas/skag106. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Improving nutrient utilization in nutrient-restricted diets is an important strategy to reduce feed costs and maintain productivity in broiler production. Dietary emulsifiers are commonly used to improve lipid digestion and overall nutrient utilization in poultry diets. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a combination of lysophospholipids, synthetic emulsifier and monoglycerides (LEX) in energy- and amino acid-deficient broiler diets on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology from day 11 to 35. A total of 168 ten-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, with seven replicates and eight birds per cage. The dietary treatments were as follows: i) a positive control diet (PC) containing standard metabolizable energy and amino acid levels; ii) a negative control diet (NC) with 100 kcal/kg less metabolizable energy and 4.0% reduction in essential amino acids (lysine, methionine + cysteine, and threonine); iii) NC diet supplemented with 250 g/ton of LEX. Statistical analyses were conducted using the general linear model (GLM) procedure for one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with significance declared at P < 0.05. Broilers fed the LEX-supplemented NC diet exhibited improved (P < 0.001) growth performance, including body weight at day 35 (1737.14 to 1903.46 g), average daily gain (day 11-35; 58.49 to 64.95 g/day), and feed conversion ratio (1.60 to 1.41 g/g), compared to those fed the NC diet alone. Apparent digestibility of crude protein and crude fat in both the jejunum and ileum was higher (P < 0.001) in birds receiving the LEX-supplemented NC diet than in those on the NC diet. In addition, LEX improved intestinal morphology, evidenced by increased villus height (920.87 to 1086.84 µm), crypt depth (126.74 to 161.28 µm) on day 35 (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in carcass yield parameters, including breast and leg muscle weights and abdominal fat content, among the dietary treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of 250 g/ton of LEX to a broiler diet deficient in energy and amino acids effectively improved growth performance and nutrient utilization by enhancing protein and fat digestibility and promoting intestinal development. These findings suggest that a combination product based on lysophospholipids, synthetic emulsifier, and monoglycerides can serve as a practical and effective nutritional strategy to optimize production efficiency under nutrient-restricted feeding conditions in commercial broiler production.

PMID:41913048 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skag106