Tag: pubmed

JMIR Med Inform. 2022 Sep 7. doi: 10.2196/35622. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 disease has multiple symptoms, being anosmia, varying from 75-95%, and ageusia, varying from 50-80% of infected patients, the most prevalent ones. An automatic assessment tool for these symptoms will help monitor the disease in a fast and non-invasive manner.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that people with Covid-19 experiencing anosmia and ageusia had different voice features than those without such symptoms. Our objective was to develop an artificial intelligence pipeline to identify and internally validate a vocal biomarker of these symptoms for remotely monitoring them.

METHODS: This study is made on population-based data. Participants were assessed daily through an online questionnaire and asked to register two different types of voice recordings, they were adults (older than 18 years old) that were confirmed by a PCR test to be positive for Covid-19 in Luxembourg and that passed through the exclusion criteria. Statistical methods like Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) for dimensionality reduction, multiple statistical learning methods, and hypothesis tests were used throughout this study. The TRIPOD Prediction Model Development checklist was used to structure the research.

RESULTS: This study included 259 participants. Young (<35 years old) and females showed a higher rate of ageusia and anosmia. Participants were 41 (SD = 13) years old on average and the dataset was balanced for sex (134 females (52%) and 125 males (48%) out of 259). The analyzed symptom was present in 94 out of 259 (36%) participants of the population and in 450 out of 1636 (28%) audio recordings. Two machine learning models were built, one for Android and one for iOS devices and both had high accuracy, being 88% for Android and 85% for iOS. The final biomarker was then calculated using these models and internally validated.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that people with Covid-19 who have anosmia and ageusia have different voice features from those without it. Upon further validation, these vocal biomarkers could be nested in digital devices to improve symptom assessment in clinical practice and enhance telemonitoring of Covid-19-related symptoms.

CLINICALTRIAL: Approved by the National Research Ethics Committee of Luxembourg (study number 202003/07) in April 2020 and is registered Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04380987, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04380987.

PMID:36265042 | DOI:10.2196/35622

JMIR Form Res. 2022 Sep 22. doi: 10.2196/38562. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly boosted working from home as a way of working, which is likely to continue for most companies in the future, either in fully remote or hybrid form. To manage stress levels in employees working from home, insights into the stressors and de-stressors in a home office first need to be studied. We present an international remote study with employees working from home by making use of state-of-the-art technology, i.e. smartwatches and questionnaires through smartphones.

OBJECTIVE: Firstly, to determine stressors and de-stressors in people working from home. Secondly, to identify smartwatch measurements that could represent these stressors and de-stressors.

METHODS: Employees working from home from three regions of the world (United States, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong) were asked to wear a smartwatch continuously for seven days, fill in five questionnaires each day and two additional questionnaires before and after the measurement week. The entire study was done remotely. Univariate statistical analyses comparing variable distributions between low and high stress levels were followed by multivariate analysis using logistic regression, considering multicollinearity by using Variance Inflation Factor filtering.

RESULTS: A total of 202 people participated, with 198 participants finishing the experiment. Stressors found are other people and daily life getting in the way of work (P=.05), job intensity (P=.007), a history of burn-out (P=.03), anxiety towards the pandemic (P=.04) and environmental noise (P=.008). De-stressors found are access to sunlight (P=.02) and fresh air (P<.001) during the workday and going outdoors (P<.001), having breaks (P<.001), exercising (P<.001), and having social interactions (P<.001). The smartwatch measurements positively related to stress were number of active intensity periods (P<.001), number of highly active intensity periods (P=.04), steps (P<.001) and the standard deviation in heart rate (P<.001). In a multivariate setting only history of burn-out (P<.001) and family and daily life getting in way of work (P<.001) were positively associated with stress, while self-reports of social activities (P<.001) and going outdoors (P=.03) were negatively associated with stress. Stress prediction models based on questionnaire data had similar performance (F1=.51) compared to models based on automatic measurable data alone (F1=.47).

CONCLUSIONS: The results show that there are stressors and de-stressors when working from home that should be considered when managing stress in employees. Some of these stressors and de-stressors are (in)directly measurable with unobtrusive sensors, and prediction models based on this data show promising results for the future of automatic stress detection and management.

CLINICALTRIAL: This study is registered under Registration ID NL9378 in the Dutch Trial Register (NTR).

PMID:36265030 | DOI:10.2196/38562

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276313. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276313. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The XRCC3 p.Thr241Met (rs861539) polymorphism has been extensively studied for its association with glioma risk, but results remain conflicting. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to resolve this inconsistency.

METHODS: Studies published up to June 10, 2022, were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, VIP, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases and screened for eligibility. Then, the combined odds ratio (OR) of the included studies was estimated based on five genetic models, i.e., homozygous (Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr), heterozygous (Thr/Met vs. Thr/Thr), dominant (Thr/Met + Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr), recessive (Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr + Thr/Met) and allele (Met vs. Thr). The study protocol was preregistered at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021235704).

RESULTS: Overall, our meta-analysis of 14 eligible studies involving 12,905 subjects showed that the p.Thr241Met polymorphism was significantly associated with increased glioma risk in both homozygous and recessive models (homozygous, OR = 1.381, 95% CI = 1.081-1.764, P = 0.010; recessive, OR = 1.305, 95% CI = 1.140-1.493, P<0.001). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity also revealed a statistically significant association under the two aforementioned genetic models, but only in the Asian population and not in Caucasians (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the XRCC3 p.Thr241Met polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of glioma only in the homozygous and recessive models.

PMID:36264998 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276313

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276210. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276210. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The Equilibrium Optimizer (EO) is a recently proposed intelligent optimization algorithm based on mass balance equation. It has a novel principle to deal with global optimization. However, when solving complex numerical optimization problems and engineering problems, the algorithm will get stuck into local optima and degrade accuracy. To address the issue, an improved Equilibrium Optimizer (IEO) based on multi-strategy optimization is proposed. First, Tent mapping is used to generate the initial location of the particle population, which evenly distributes the particle population and lays the foundation for diversified global search process. Moreover, nonlinear time parameter is used to update the position equation, which dynamically balances the exploration and exploitation phases of improved algorithm. Finally, Lens Opposition‑based Learning (LOBL) is introduced, which avoids local optimization by improving the population diversity of the algorithm. Simulation experiments are carried out on 23 classical functions, IEEE CEC2017 problems and IEEE CEC2019 problems, and the stability of the algorithm is further analyzed by Friedman statistical test and box plots. Experimental results show that the algorithm has good solution accuracy and robustness. Additionally, six engineering design problems are solved, and the results show that improved algorithm has high optimization efficiency achieves cost minimization.

PMID:36264991 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276210

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0274738. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274738. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The laboratory mouse is a key player in preclinical oncology research. However, emphasis of techniques reporting at the expense of critical animal-related detail compromises research integrity, animal welfare, and, ultimately, the translation potential of mouse-based oncology models. To evaluate current reporting practices, we performed a cross-sectional survey of 400 preclinical oncology studies using mouse solid-tumour models. Articles published in 2020 were selected from 20 journals that specifically endorsed the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) preclinical reporting guidelines. We assessed reporting compliance for 22 items in five domains: ethical oversight assurance, animal signalment, husbandry, welfare, and euthanasia. Data were analysed using hierarchical generalised random-intercept models, clustered on journal. Overall, reporting of animal-related items was poor. Median compliance over all categories was 23%. There was little or no association between extent of reporting compliance and journal or journal impact factor. Age, sex, and source were reported most frequently, but verifiable strain information was reported for <10% of studies. Animal husbandry, housing environment, and welfare items were reported by <5% of studies. Fewer than one in four studies reported analgesia use, humane endpoints, or an identifiable method of euthanasia. Of concern was the poor documentation of ethical oversight information. Fewer than one in four provided verifiable approval information, and almost one in ten reported no information, or information that was demonstrably false. Mice are the “invisible actors” in preclinical oncology research. In spite of widespread endorsement of reporting guidelines, adherence to reporting guidelines on the part of authors is poor and journals fail to enforce guideline reporting standards. In particular, the inadequate reporting of key animal-related items severely restricts the utility and translation potential of mouse models, and results in research waste. Both investigators and journals have the ethical responsibility to ensure animals are not wasted in uninformative research.

PMID:36264974 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0274738

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276549. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276549. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial diseases/disorders (MDs), for decades, have been identified as a key underlying condition for many chronic diseases globally. However, data on the knowledge and prevalence of MDs in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are lacking. This study assessed the knowledge, and awareness, of MDs among senior medical doctors in the five tertiary hospitals in Ghana.

METHOD: Data were collected from one hundred and twenty-eight (128) medical doctors in the five Tertiary Hospitals in Ghana using both closed and open-ended questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Of the 128 respondents, 70.32% were senior medical officers and above, 87% of them indicated that they were aware of MDs and over 90% said physicians do not often diagnose MDs in Ghana. About 81% indicated that MDs are associated with chronic illnesses whilst 72% said the disease is diagnosed in both males and females. About 45% of the respondents alluded to the fact that MDs are difficult to diagnose, are associated with mutations in both the mitochondrial and the nuclear DNA, and are non-infectious diseases. Approximately 85% said nervous system dysfunction and muscle weakness are some of the symptoms associated with MDs whilst 77% said fatigue is also one of the symptoms. About 38% of the respondents specified that they encounter myopathies. A majority (70%) did not know about the availability of any consensus or standard diagnostic procedure and/or drugs for MDs.

CONCLUSION: There is a high level of knowledge and awareness of MDs among the respondents. However, there is a low disease encounter, which could be due to a lack of diagnostic protocols or a low disease prevalence. It is, therefore recommend that a patient perspective study, which looks at clinical records and laboratory data be conducted to fully ascertain the prevalence of MDs in Ghana and that appropriate educational strategies and interventions aimed at improving the diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases in Ghana be put in place.

PMID:36264964 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276549

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276429. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276429. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Several studies confirm multiple complications after COVID-19 infection, including men’s sexual health, which is caused by both physical and psychological factors. However, studies focusing on long-term effects among recovered patients are still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the erectile function at three months after COVID-19 recovery along with its predicting factors.

METHODS: We enrolled all COVID-19 male patients, who were hospitalized from May to July 2021, and declared to be sexually active within the previous two weeks. Demographic data, mental health status, and erectile function were collected at baseline and prospectively recollected three months after hospital discharge. To determine changes between baseline and the follow-up, a generalized linear mixed effect model (GLMM) was used. Also, logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associating factors of erectile dysfunction (ED) at three months.

RESULTS: One hundred fifty-three men with COVID-19 participated. Using GLMM, ED prevalence at three months after recovery was 50.3%, which was significantly lower compared with ED prevalence at baseline (64.7%, P = 0.002). Declination of prevalence of major depression and anxiety disorder was found, but only major depression reached statistical significance (major depression 13.7% vs. 1.4%, P < 0.001, anxiety disorder 5.2% vs. 2.8% P = 0.22). Logistic regression, adjusted for BMI, medical comorbidities, and self-reported normal morning erection, showed a significant association between ED at three months and age above 40 years and diagnosis of major depression with adjusted OR of 2.65, 95% CI 1.17-6.01, P = 0.02 and 8.93, 95% CI 2.28-34.9, P = 0.002, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed a high ED prevalence during the third month of recovery from COVID-19. The predicting factors of persistent ED were age over 40 years and diagnosis of major depression during acute infection.

PMID:36264947 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276429

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276440. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUNDS: Congestive heart failure is a serious chronic condition when the heart’s muscles become too damaged and a condition in which one or both ventricles cannot pump sufficient blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the complications time of congestive heart failure patients treated from January 2016 to December 2019 at Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialized referral hospital in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

METHODS: A hospital-based retrospective data collection was collected from the medical charts of 218 randomly selected congestive heart failure patients. The Kaplan-Meier curve and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare and identify the factors associated with time to complication in patients with congestive heart failure.

RESULTS: The median complication time of congestive heart failure patients was 22 months [95% CI: 21.98-28.01]. About 194 (88.99%) of the patients were complicated. The Kaplan-Meier curve depicts the survival probability of complicated patients decreasing as the complication time increases. The hazard ratios for serum sodium concentration, left ventricular ejection fraction, patients from rural areas, age of patients, serum hemoglobin concentration, and New York heart association classes I, II, and III were given 0.94 [95% CI: 0.90-1.00], 0.74 [95% CI: 0.65-0.85], 0.75 [95% CI: 0.68-0.84], 1.28 [95% CI: 1.12-1.46], 0.89 [95% CI: 0.85-0.94], 0.44 [95% CI: 0.36-0.53], 0.54 [95% CI: 0.47-0.62] and 0.73 [95% CI: 0.65-0.81] respectively, and they are statistically associated with the complication time of congestive heart failure patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The median complication time of congestive heart failure patients was 22 months. This study strongly suggests that healthcare awareness should be strengthened earlier about the potential complications for patients with lower serum sodium concentrations below the threshold and aged congestive heart failure patients to reduce the risk of developing complications.

PMID:36264946 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276440

PLoS One. 2022 Oct 20;17(10):e0276071. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276071. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Contact allergy is a common skin allergy, which can be studied utilising contact hypersensitivity (CHS) animal model. However, it is not clear, whether CHS is a suitable model to investigate skin microbiota interactions. We characterised the effect of contact dermatitis on the skin microbiota and studied the biological effects of oxazolone (OXA) -induced inflammation on skin thickness, immune cell numbers and changes of the microbiota in CHS mouse model (n = 72) for 28 days. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing we defined the composition of bacterial communities and associations of bacteria with inflammation. We observed that the vehicle solution of acetone and olive oil induced bacterial community changes on day 1, and OXA-induced changes were observed mainly on day 7. Many of the notably enriched bacteria present in the OXA-challenged positive group represented the genus Faecalibaculum which were most likely derived from the cage environment. Additionally, skin inflammation correlated negatively with Streptococcus, which is considered a native skin bacterium, and positively with Muribacter muris, which is typical in oral environment. Skin inflammation favoured colonisation of cage-derived faecal bacteria, and additionally mouse grooming transferred oral bacteria on the skin. Due to the observed changes, we conclude that CHS model could be used for certain skin microbiome-related research set-ups. However, since vehicle exposure can alter the skin microbiome as such, future studies should include considerations such as careful control sampling and statistical tests to account for potential confounding factors.

PMID:36264944 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0276071

Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2022;79(5):293-299. doi: 10.24875/BMHIM.21000230.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Premature loss of deciduous teeth is the exfoliation or extraction before physiological replacement with < 50% or < 75% of the root of the substitute tooth formed or if there is > 1 mm of alveolar bone covering the permanent successor tooth organ. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of premature tooth loss in children and identify associated factors in a health center in Acapulco, Guerrero.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in which we collected information from 109 clinical records of children examined from January 2019 to August 2021. Sociodemographic data of the children and parents were collected: socioeconomic level, non-pathological personal history, and the history of premature deciduous tooth loss. Multivariate analysis to identify factors associated with premature deciduous tooth loss was performed with CIETmap statistical software. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to estimate the strength of the association.

RESULTS: The prevalence of premature loss of primary teeth was 40% (43/109). The leading cause was caries (84%, 36/43). The tooth organ with the highest loss occurrence was the lower right second molar (33%, 14/43). Gender was identified as an associated factor, with males having a higher risk of loss (ORa = 2.97; CI95% = 1.33-6.65).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results were similar to those reported in other studies. Strategies aimed at health promotion directed at parents and children should be reinforced.

PMID:36264924 | DOI:10.24875/BMHIM.21000230