Tag: pubmed

Acta Epileptol. 2025 Jan 15;7(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s42494-024-00192-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Electronic medical records (EMR) can be utilized to understand the impact of the disruption in care provision caused by the pandemic. We aimed to develop and validate an algorithm to identify persons with epilepsy (PWE) from our EMR and to use it to explore the effect of the pandemic on outpatient service utilization.

METHODS: EMRs from the neurology specialty, covering the period from January 2018 to December 2023, were used. An algorithm was developed using an iterative approach to identify PWE with a critical lower bound of 0.91 for negative predictive value. Manual internal validation was performed. Outpatient visit data were extracted and modeled as a time series using the autoregressive integrated moving average model. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 14.2 (Statacorp, USA).

RESULTS: Four iterations resulted in an algorithm, with a negative predictive value 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99), positive predictive value of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.85-0.99), and an F-score accuracy of 0.96, which identified 4474 PWE. The outpatient service utilization was abruptly reduced by the pandemic, with a change of -902.1 (95%CI: -936.55 to -867.70), and the recovery has also been slow, with a decrease of -5.51(95%CI: -7.00 to -4.02). Model predictions aligned closely with actual visits with median error of -3.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: We developed an algorithm for identifying people with epilepsy with good accuracy. Similar methods can be adapted for use in other resource-limited settings and for other diseases. The COVID pandemic appears to have caused a lasting reduction of service utilization among PWE.

PMID:40217558 | DOI:10.1186/s42494-024-00192-1

J Act Sedentary Sleep Behav. 2025 Feb 13;4(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s44167-025-00072-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) in childhood is critical for establishing a healthy lifestyle across the lifespan, particularly to treat and prevent obesity. This study aimed to explore PA and sedentary behaviour (SED) in 6-12-year-old children with obesity and their parents, and possible associations in these behaviours between children and parents.

METHODS: Children referred to outpatient paediatric healthcare for obesity treatment and one of their parents wore accelerometers (Axivity) on their hip during seven consecutive days. Accelerometer data were processed using the 10 Hz frequency extended method. Correlations between child and parent PA and SED, respectively, were analysed using intra-class correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: Thirty-nine children (19 female) and 38 parents (20 female) were included. The mean age of the children was 9.7 years (SD 2.0) and the mean parent age was 42.2 years (SD 6.1). The mean child BMI-SDS was 3.0 (SD 0.4). Fifty-seven % of the parents were born in Sweden, 16% in other European countries, and 27% outside Europe. Children spent an average of 9.8 h/day in SED, while parents spent an average of 12.3 h/day. The mean daily time spent in low-intensity PA was 3.9 h for children and 3.4 h for parents, while moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA averaged 0.7 h/day for children and 0.3 h/day for parents. Only six of the children (15%) reached the recommended minimum of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA per day and only two parents (5%) reached the recommended weekly minimum of 150 min of moderate intensity PA. Child and parent SED was significantly correlated, although the correlation was weak (ICC 0.14; p = 0.017). No statistically significant correlations were found for any of the analysed PA intensity levels.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate an association between children’s and parents’ SED in this sample of school-aged children with obesity, while no association was observed in PA behaviour. Generalisability of our findings is limited and more research is needed- in larger samples, other settings, and using longitudinal designs- to better understand the potential links between the PA patterns of children with obesity and that of their parents.

PMID:40217557 | DOI:10.1186/s44167-025-00072-0

J Act Sedentary Sleep Behav. 2024 Jul 3;3(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s44167-024-00055-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is a prevalent metabolic disease. While single component movement behaviors have been related to its development, comprehensive assessments of their joint associations are scarce.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the single-component and multi-component associations of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep with prevalent SLD in Brazilian adults.

METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis using data from the third wave of the ELSA-Brasil cohort (2017-2019). Participants wore an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT in the waist for seven days and completed a sleep diary. SLD was defined by a Fatty Liver Index ≥ 60. To investigate single-component and multi-component associations, we used three exposure modeling approaches based on Poisson models: multivariable-adjusted regression, restricted cubic splines, and compositional data analysis.

RESULTS: Among 8569 participants (55.7% women, mean age 59.2 ± 8.60), 43.9% had SLD. Total activity volume adjusted for covariates was inversely associated with prevalent SLD. Every 1 mg/day increase in total activity volume was associated with a PR of 0.95 in individuals sleeping < 7 h/day (95% CI 0.94-0.97) and 0.95 (95% CI 0.93-0.96) in those sleeping ≥ 7 h/day. Increasing 30 min/day of MVPA was associated with decreasing prevalence of SLD (sleep ≥ 7 h/day [PR 0.83; 95% CI 0.77-0.89]; sleep ≥ 7 h/day [PR 0.78; 95% CI 0.74-0.83]). Sleep, SB, and LPA were not associated with SLD. Associations of total activity volume and MVPA were more pronounced among females. Adjustment with adiposity markers attenuated the associations.

CONCLUSIONS: In adults, total activity volume and MVPA were inversely associated with SLD in a dose-response fashion. Substituting lower-intensity behaviors with MVPA was associated with a lower prevalence of SLD independent of sleep duration, sex, and age.

PMID:40217540 | DOI:10.1186/s44167-024-00055-7

BMC Psychol. 2025 Apr 11;13(1):370. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02698-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression during pregnancy poses significant challenges for both the mother and fetus, especially in cases where pregnancy complications become life-threatening. Recognizing the prevalence and risk factors associated with prenatal depression in critically ill pregnant women is essential, particularly in resource-limited settings like Palestine.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 304 critically ill pregnant women in eight Palestinian hospitals between January and March 2024. Data were collected through the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) and analyzed using SPSS Version 25. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were applied to identify significant factors associated with depression severity.

RESULTS: The study found high levels of prenatal depression, with a mean CUDOS score of 55.72. Frequent crying (51%) and persistent fatigue (42.4% always, 41.1% sometimes) were common symptoms. Financial instability (p = 0.003), history of miscarriage (p = 0.005), unintended pregnancies (p = 0.001), and residing in rented housing (p = 0.004) were significant predictors, explaining a substantial variance in depression scores (adjusted R² = 0.56, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the importance of routine mental health evaluations for critically ill pregnant women. Early detection and targeted interventions can improve outcomes for both mothers and their babies, offering essential insights for healthcare providers and policymakers.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Incorporating mental health screening and support within maternal care programs in Palestine can help mitigate depression among high-risk pregnant women, improving maternal and fetal health outcomes.

PMID:40217530 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02698-w

Int J Health Geogr. 2025 Apr 11;24(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12942-025-00394-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Emissions from wildfire plumes are composed of modified biomass combustion by-products, including carcinogens. However, studies of the association between wildland fires (WF; includes wildfires, prescribed burns, and resource management fires) exposure and lung cancer are scant. We evaluated geographic patterns in these exposures and their association with lung cancer mortality (LCM) rates across the conterminous United States (US).

METHODS: We extracted data from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program (1997-2003) and derived county-level exposure metrics: WF density by area, WF density by population, the ratio between total burned land area and county area, and the ratio between total burned land area by population. We obtained sex-specific, county-level LCM rates for 2016-2020 from the National Center for Health Statistics. Counties with fewer than 10 cases were suppressed. To account for cigarette smoking, we first modeled residual values from a Poisson regression between cigarette smoking prevalence and sex-specific, age-adjusted LCM rates. We then used Lee’s L statistic for bivariate spatial association to identify counties with statistically significant (p < 0.05) associations between WF exposures and these residuals. In a sensitivity analysis, we applied a false discovery rate correction to adjust for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS: We observed geographic variation in bivariate associations between large WFs and subsequent LCM rates across US counties while accounting for ever cigarette smoking prevalence. There were positive (high WF exposures and high LCM rate) clusters for males and females in counties within the mid-Appalachian region and Florida, and modest differences across WF metrics in the cluster patterns were observed across the Western US and Central regions. The most positive clusters were seen between WF density by area and LCM rates among women (n = 82 counties) and a similar geographic pattern among men (n = 75 counties). Similar patterns were observed for males and females in the western US, with clusters of high WF exposures and low LCM rates. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, a positive cluster pattern among both sexes persisted in Kentucky and Florida with area-based exposure metrics.

DISCUSSION: Our analysis identified counties outside the western US with wildfires associated with lung cancer mortality. Studies with individual-level exposure-response assessments are needed to evaluate this relationship further.

PMID:40217528 | DOI:10.1186/s12942-025-00394-x

Acta Epileptol. 2024 Apr 3;6(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s42494-024-00154-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to evaluate the stigma and quality of life (QoL) in adult patients with epilepsy (PWEs) and explore the relationship between stigma and QoL.

METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-eight PWEs admitted to the Epilepsy Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University during September 2020 and March 2021 were enrolled in this study. All participants completed self-reported questionnaires including the Stigma Scale for Epilepsy and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31).

RESULTS: A total of 146 (49%) PWEs reported an experience of stigma. The total score of QOLIE-31 and the individual scores of seven subscales (worry about new seizures, emotion, well-being, energy and fatigue, cognitive impairment, medication effect, and social function) were significantly decreased in these patients (P < 0.001). Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the annual household income per capita, the number of antiseizure medications and stigma had statistically significant effects on QoL (P < 0.05). Among them, stigma had the most significant negative effect.

CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of PWEs have experienced stigma. Stigma, lower household income per capita, and polypharmacy treatment are associated with poorer QoL. Stigma has the most obvious negative impact.

PMID:40217523 | DOI:10.1186/s42494-024-00154-7

J Act Sedentary Sleep Behav. 2023 Aug 1;2(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s44167-023-00024-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep are key components to health and well-being. Compositional data analysis of activity data overcomes the limitations of traditional statistical approaches and comprehensively assesses the association of all activities throughout a 24-hour day. Few studies have used compositional analysis to explore associations between movement behaviours and mental health. This study examined the association between 24-hour activity compositions and mental health in middle-aged Australian adults.

METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data from participants (n = 322; mean age 40.4 years; 58.1% female; 47.8% university degree; 84.8% partnered) in the longitudinal Annual Rhythms in Adults’ lifestyle and health study (Adelaide, Australia). Activity composition (sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) was derived using 24-hour Fitbit accelerometry from the first month of participation (December). Mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, and stress) were obtained from the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21-item short-form (DASS-21). The associations between activity composition (conveyed as isometric log ratios) and DASS-21 scores were examined using compositional multi-level linear regression models with a random intercept for clustering of individuals within families. Using the compositional time reallocation model, expected differences in mental health were examined for hypothetical time reallocations between individual activities.

RESULTS: Favourable associations were observed when time (15 min) was reallocated to light physical activity from sleep (depression: -0.31 [95% CI=-0.57: -0.06]; anxiety: -0.20 [95% CI=-0.37: -0.03] and from sedentary behaviour (depression: -0.29 [95% CI=-0.46: -0.13]; anxiety: -0.14 [95% CI=-0.25: -0.03]; stress: -0.16 [95% CI=-0.31: -0.01]). Detrimental associations were observed when time was reallocated away from light physical activity to sleep (depression: 0.32 [95% CI = 0.07: 0.58]; anxiety: 0.20 [95% CI = 0.03: 0.37]) and to sedentary behaviour (depression: 0.30 [95% CI = 0.13: 0.48); anxiety: 0.15 [95% CI = 0.03: 0.26]; stress: 0.17 [95% CI = 0.01: 0.32]). There were no associations when time was allocated to or from moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

CONCLUSION: The way adults spend their time across a 24-hour day is associated with their mental health. Spending more time in light physical activity appears favourable if this time is taken from sleep and sedentary behaviour. These findings provide support for “move more, sit less” public health messages.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ACTRN12619001430123) on the 16/10/2019.

PMID:40217512 | DOI:10.1186/s44167-023-00024-6

Exp Hematol Oncol. 2025 Apr 11;14(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s40164-025-00649-0.

ABSTRACT

We aimed to identify a profile of urine microRNAs (miRNAs) with diagnostic and stratification potential in the whole range of bladder cancer (BC) categories, to avoid current invasive, harmful and expensive procedures. We collected a first morning urine sample from the screening (35 BC patients and 15 age- and gender-matched controls) and validation cohorts (172 BC and 94 controls). In the screening stage we analyzed the expression level of 179 miRNAs by real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR in urine supernatants. miRNA levels in each sample were normalized by the levels of the previously identified and stably expressed miR-29c-3p. We performed an ordinal regression for each miRNA with False Discovery Rate (FDR) adjustment to identify dysregulated miRNAs, and an ordinal elastic net logistic regression model to identify a miRNA profile for BC diagnosis and stratification with the software R (v3.5.1). Next, we validated the most dysregulated miRNAs, and empirically identified the real miRNA targets in BC cells by miR-eCLIP immunoprecipitation and sequencing. We identified 70 dysregulated miRNAs in BC patients (p < 0.05 FDR-adjusted). With the expression level of 7 miRNAs in urine (miR-221-3p, miR-93-5p, miR-362-3p, miR-191-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-192-5p, miR-21-5p) we could stratify BC patients and control subjects. To enable the global use of our model, we developed the free BladdermiRaCan online tool. Furthermore, we identified miR-21-5p, miR-425-5p and miR-99a-5p as follow-up markers for BC relapse, and miR-21-5p and miR-221-3p as markers for metastasis. These miRNAs were also dysregulated in BC tissue sections from a subgroup of patients from which urine samples were studied. In conclusion, we have validated and patented a 7-miRNAs urine profile able to diagnose and stratify BC patients; BladdermiRaCan will enable the global use of our model. The experimentally verified target proteins identified for these miRNAs may unravel novel therapeutic targets.

PMID:40217499 | DOI:10.1186/s40164-025-00649-0

BMC Oral Health. 2025 Apr 11;25(1):549. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05841-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: With the advent of clear aligner therapy and their increasing popularity across the orthodontic field, many software packages have been introduced that implement the concept of virtual setups and consequently, the fabrication of in-house aligners. The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the differences in the resultant tooth movements when the same tooth movement values of virtual setups are implemented into four different software packages for clear aligner treatment, in patients with various degrees of dental crowding.

METHODS: Forty-four stereolithography (STL) files of adult Invisalign^®-treated patients were included in this in silico study and were divided according to the amount of existent dental crowding into 2 groups; Moderate (2.5-5 mm), and Severe (> 5 mm). Initial STL files were imported into the other three tested software programs (Ortho Analyzer^®, Maestro 3D Ortho Studio^®, Blue Sky Plan^®), and the teeth were moved to replicate those performed in the virtual setup from ClinCheck^® Pro. The final outcome was then exported from the four software packages, with ClinCheck^® Pro STL files used as references, whereas those from the remaining software considered targets. Superimpositions were performed afterwards using Medit Link software between reference and target STL files to calculate the overall deviation.

RESULTS: Statistically significant deviation values were recorded between ClinCheck-Ortho Analyzer, and those recorded with both ClinCheck-Maestro and ClinCheck-Blue Sky in the moderate crowding group for the upper and lower models (p < 0.05). However, the differences in ClinCheck-Maestro and ClinCheck-Blue Sky deviation values were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In the severe crowding group, statistically significant variances were documented among the investigated software programs, in contrast to the benchmark (p < 0.05). As per the reported outcomes, the highest deviation was attributed to ClinCheck-Ortho Analyzer, followed by ClinCheck-Blue Sky and ClinCheck-Maestro (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: With the same tooth movement values provided, the four examined programs produced diverse final virtual tooth setups, with greater variance in cases of severe dental crowding. This deviation arises since every software operates using a distinct algorithm, with a different segmentation method and rotation center for the moving teeth.

PMID:40217478 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-025-05841-6

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2025 Apr 11;17(1):79. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01125-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by disturbances in glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism, including dyslipidemia and dysregulation of metabolic peptides like spexin; however, the effects of combined interventions, such as aerobic training and nutritional intervention, on these parameters are not fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the influences of aerobic training (AT) and vitamin D (Vit D) supplementation on the lipid profile and spexin levels in a model of rats with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS: A total of 56 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: SHAM (non-diabetic control; n = 8) and diabetic (n = 48). The diabetic rats were further divided into six groups: AT with high doses of vitamin D (D + AT + HD; 10,000 IU/kg/week), AT with moderate doses of vitamin D (D + AT + MD; 5,000 IU/kg/week), high doses of vitamin D (D + HD; 10,000 IU/kg/week), moderate doses of vitamin D (D + MD; 5,000 IU/kg/week), AT receiving vehicle (sesame oil; D + AT + oil), and control (oil-receiving; D + C). To induce type 2 diabetes, rats were first fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 weeks to induce obesity, followed by an intraperitoneal injection of 110 mg/kg nicotinamide and 55 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 4.5). Blood samples were collected 48 h after the last training session under anesthesia for measuring spexin levels, and lipid profile parameters. Statistical analyses were performed using the paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey post hoc test.

RESULTS: Compared to the SHAM rats, there were significant increases in body weight, BMI, FI, and WC in the diabetic rats (p < 0.001). Also, there was a significant decrease in body weight, BMI, FI, and WC of the diabetic groups who received interventions, especially in D + AT + HD (body weight: -11.07%, BMI: -10.25%, FI: -19.16%, WC: -16.54%). The lipid profiles were significantly improved, with the lowest total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and the highest high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels being found in the D + AT + HD group compared with the D + C group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the D + AT + HD group had elevated spexin levels compared with the other diabetic groups, which may play a metabolic role.

CONCLUSION: AT and Vit D supplementation effectively normalized serum lipids and increased spexin levels in T2D rats. These findings suggest that AT and Vit D supplementation may serve as potential therapeutic strategies for managing T2D and its associated complications. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to evaluate the long-term effects of these interventions in humans.

PMID:40217474 | DOI:10.1186/s13102-025-01125-2