Tag: pubmed

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Feb 26;176:113473. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113473. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to establish the intensity of microplastic pollution in demersal fish species, Johnius dussumieri, from the north eastern coastal waters of the Arabian sea. MP recovered were analysed for size, morphology, colour, and polymer type. The study results indicated that the GI tract and gills of individual fishes had 6.6 ± 1.7 and 6.2 ± 1.7 items, respectively. The microplastics having a size of <100 μm consisting of beads were found to be most predominant. Black and blue were the most present colours of microplastic in the tissues. Among the different studied months, a higher number of MP incidence was observed in the post monsoon period. There is no significant correlation observed between the microplastic numbers in gills and guts tissue. The present study shows that there is a potential risk of microplastic bioaccumulation in the fish body and subsequent risk to the consumers and organisms sharing the food chain.

PMID:35231784 | DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113473

Eur J Cancer. 2022 Feb 26;165:116-124. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.01.025. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: No biomarkers are currently available to predict the efficacy of trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer. The multicohort REGOLAND study aims at exploring and validating circulating markers potentially able to predict benefit from regorafenib in this setting.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the retrospective ‘regorafenib exploratory cohort’, including 105 patients treated with regorafenib, baseline (d1) plasma levels of angiogenesis-related biomarkers and their early modulation after 15 days (d15) of treatment were investigated for correlation with clinical outcome. Based on a pre-specified statistical hypothesis, main retrospective findings were prospectively challenged in the ‘regorafenib validation cohort’, including 100 patients treated with regorafenib. Prospectively validated putative biomarkers were then assessed in the control ‘FTD/TPI cohort’, including 93 patients treated with FTD/TPI.

RESULTS: In the ‘regorafenib exploratory cohort’, the early (d15) increase of Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) was associated with longer progression-free survival (HR:0.57 [95%CI:0.38-0.88], P = 0.004) and a trend towards longer OS (HR:0.74 [95%CI:0.48-1.14], P = 0.165), than the early decrease. Similar results were prospectively confirmed in the ‘regorafenib validation cohort’ (HR for progression-free survival:0.72 [95%CI:0.48-1.08], P = 0.095; HR for OS:0.77 [95%CI:0.51-1.16], P = 0.204). No predictive impact was shown for the early modulation of Ang-2 in the ‘FTD/TPI cohort’. High baseline Ang-2 levels predict poor prognosis in all the investigated cohorts, independently of other clinical prognostic variables.

CONCLUSIONS: The early modulation of circulating Ang-2 predicts the efficacy of regorafenib. Baseline Ang-2 plasma levels are an independent prognostic biomarker in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer.

PMID:35231767 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejca.2022.01.025

Asian J Psychiatr. 2022 Feb 15;70:103026. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103026. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Early acknowledgment of developmental difficulties in young children strengthens both preventive and therapeutic approaches. Despite their feasibility, early intervention services are limited in Low-and-Middle-Income (LAMI) countries compared to high income countries. The aim of this study was to examine the evidence for early childhood intervention programs for developmental difficulties in children below five years in LAMI countries through a systematic review and meta-analysis. In this background, original studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 2010 to 2019 with a focus on developmental difficulties including delays and deviances; randomized research design with a clear description of the intervention and measurable outcomes, and conducted in LAMI countries were considered for the systematic review. Electronic databases, including ProQuest, PubMed, Ovid, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar, were searched using a combination of specific keywords. PRISMA guidelines were followed to include the studies. Each of the selected study was assessed for quality before applying appropriate statistics to synthesize the data. Fourteen publications were identified from 2697 publications for the systematic review, out of which four were found compatible for a meta-analysis. The studies reviewed were conducted in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia. A meta-analysis of four studies provided considerable evidence for the effects of early developmental intervention. This systematic review provides an evidence for early childhood intervention programs in LAMI countries. Implications of these findings for the early childhood programs are discussed in this article.

PMID:35231776 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103026

Res Vet Sci. 2022 Feb 5;145:188-192. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.02.009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

There is a need to develop cost-effective and non-invasive approaches to sample large populations to evaluate the disease status of breeding herds. In this study we assessed the detection of the M. hyopneumoniae genetic material in environmental surfaces and air of farrowing rooms, and skin (udder, snout and vagina) of lactating sows at weaning, in farms having different M. hyopneumoniae infection status (negative, positive sub-clinically infected and positive clinically affected). Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was detected in air, air deposition particles, dam and stall surfaces of the positive clinically affected herd. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae could only be detected in dam and stall surfaces in sub-clinically infected herds. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was not detected in all samples collected in the negative herd. The cycle threshold of the positive PCR samples were not statistically different between sample types or farms. However, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the percentage of positive samples between the positive clinically affected farm and the rest. Likewise, M. hyopneumoniae was detected in the environment and surfaces at weaning in positive breeding herds. Further testing and validation is recommended for environmental and surface samples before they can be employed as part of the M. hyopneumoniae diagnostic process. In addition, results from this study highlight potential sources of M. hyopneumoniae infection for piglets in breeding herds, especially during an outbreak.

PMID:35231720 | DOI:10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.02.009

EBioMedicine. 2022 Feb 26;77:103901. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103901. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of mortality, particularly for men. Few interventions have focused on protecting specifically men. Emerging evidence may implicate testosterone. Neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) antagonists, an existing class of drugs being considered as treatments for reproductive conditions in women, affect testosterone; this study addresses genetic validation of their use to prevent IHD in men.

METHODS: A one-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study using the UK Biobank cohort study, based on independent (r² < 0.005) genetic variants predicting testosterone in men (n = 157738) at genome wide significance in the target gene for NK3R antagonists (TACR3), was used to assess associations with IHD (cases=15056, non-cases=151964) and positive control outcomes (relative age voice broke, children fathered, hypertension) in men and a negative control outcome (IHD) in women using summary statistics. A two-sample MR study using the PRACTICAL consortium was used for the positive control outcome of prostate cancer.

FINDINGS: Two relevant TACR3 genetic variants (rs116646027 and rs1351623) were identified in men. Genetically mimicked NK3R antagonists were inversely associated with IHD (odds ratio 0.54 per standard deviation lower testosterone, 95% confidence interval 0.31, 0.94) and with control outcomes (older relative age voice broke, fewer children and lower risk of hypertension and prostate cancer) as expected in men and in women (unrelated to IHD).

INTERPRETATION: Genetic validation of a role of NK3R antagonists in IHD suggests their consideration as a new means of preventing IHD in men. Whether they protect against prostate cancer might bear further consideration.

PMID:35231698 | DOI:10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103901

J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022 Feb 26:S2212-2672(22)00108-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.02.016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Voices for Food was a longitudinal community, food pantry-based intervention informed by the social ecological model, and designed to improve food security, dietary intake and quality among clients, that was carried out in 24 rural food pantries across six Midwestern states.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate changes in adult food security, dietary intake, and quality from baseline (2014) to follow-up (2016), and to assess the role of adult food security on dietary outcomes.

DESIGN: A multistate, longitudinal, quasi-experimental intervention with matched treatment and comparison design was used to evaluate treatment versus comparison group changes over time and changes in both groups over time.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Adult food pantry clients (n = 617) completed a demographic, food security survey, and up to three 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline (n = 590) and follow-up (n = 160).

INTERVENTION: Community coaching served as the experimental component that only “treatment” communities received while a food council guide and food pantry toolkit were provided to both “treatment” and matched “comparison” communities.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in adult food security status, mean usual intakes of nutrients and food groups, and Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) scores were the main outcome measures.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Linear mixed models estimated changes in outcomes by intervention group and by adult food security status over time.

RESULTS: Improvements in adult food security (-0.7 ± 0.3, p = 0.01), HEI-2010 total score (4.2 ± 1.1, p < 0.0001), and empty calories component scores (3.4 ± 0.5, p < 0.0001) from baseline to follow-up were observed in treatment and comparison groups but no statistically significant changes were found for adult food security status, dietary quality and usual intakes of nutrients and food groups between the two groups over time. The intervention effect on dietary quality and usual intake changes over time by adult food security status were also not observed.

CONCLUSIONS: Food pantry clients in treatment and comparison groups had higher food security and dietary quality at the follow-up evaluation of the VFF intervention trial compared to baseline despite the lack of difference among the groups as a result of the experimental coaching component.

PMID:35231664 | DOI:10.1016/j.jand.2022.02.016

Mol Oncol. 2022 Mar 1. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13204. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been previously characterized, but the genomic landscape of metastatic ccRCC is largely unexplored. Here, we performed Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) in 68 samples from 44 patients with ccRCC, including 52 samples from a metastatic site. SETD2, PBRM1, APC and VHL were the most frequently mutated genes in the metastatic ccRCC cohort. RBM10 and FBXW7 were also among the 10 most frequently mutated genes in metastatic tissues. Recurrent somatic copy number variations (CNV) were observed at the previously identified regions 3p25, 9p21 and 14q25, but also at 6p21 (CDKN1A) and 13q14 (RB1). No statistically significant differences were found between samples from therapy-naïve and pretreated patients. Clonal evolution analyses with multiple samples from 13 patients suggested that early appearance of CNVs at 3p25, 9p21 and 14q25 may be associated with rapid clinical progression. Overall, the genomic landscapes of primary and metastatic ccRCC seem to share frequent CNVs at 3p25, 9p21 and 14q25. Future work will clarify the implication of RBM10 and FBXW7 mutations and 6p21 and 13q14 CNVs in metastatic ccRCC.

PMID:35231161 | DOI:10.1002/1878-0261.13204

Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 1:ciac168. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac168. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although human case numbers of variant influenza viruses have increased worldwide, the epidemiology of human cases and human-to-human transmissibility of different variant viruses remain uncertain.

METHODS: We used descriptive statistics to summarize the epidemiologic characteristics of variant virus infections. The hospitalization rate, case-fatality and hospitalization-fatality risks were used to assess disease severity. Transmissibility of variant viruses between humans was determined by the effective reproductive number (Re) and probability of infection following exposure to human cases.

RESULTS: We identified 707 cases of variant viruses from 1959-2021, and their spatiotemporal/demographic characteristics changed across subtypes. The clinical severity of cases of variant viruses was generally mild; cases older than 18 years with underlying conditions were associated with hospitalization. Of 69 clusters of human infections with variant viruses (median cluster size: 2), the upper limit of Re was 0.09 (H1N1v, H1N2v and H3N2v: 0.20 vs. 0.18 vs. 0.05), while it was not significantly different from the pooled estimates for avian influenza A(H7N9) and A(H5N1) viruses (0.10). Moreover, contacts of H5N1 cases (15.7%) had a significantly higher probability of infection than contacts of individuals with H7N9 (4.2%) and variant virus infections (4.2-7.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology of cases of variant viruses varied across time periods, geographical regions and subtypes during 1959-2021. The transmissibility of different variant viruses between humans remains limited. However, given the continuous evolution of viruses and the rapidly evolving epidemiology of cases of variant viruses, improving the surveillance systems for human variant virus infections is needed worldwide.

PMID:35231106 | DOI:10.1093/cid/ciac168

Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Mar 1;24(4):529-535. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab220.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Macroeconomic studies have shown that young individuals who smoke, and have a low socioeconomic status respond more strongly to price increases. Most of this evidence stems from research on factory-made (FM) cigarettes. With the rising popularity of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco, there is a need for studies on cigarette demand that distinguish between both.

AIMS AND METHODS: This study examined whether individual demand differed for FM and RYO tobacco, and across age, and socioeconomic (income and education) groups. Purchase tasks for FM and RYO cigarettes were included in the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey. Adults who smoke daily (n = 1620) stated how many cigarettes they would smoke in 24 hours across eight prices. Four demand indices were derived: intensity (consumption at zero costs), alpha (rate of change in elasticity), Pmax (turning point elasticity), and breakpoint (lowest price where consumption equals zero). The indices were tested for subgroup differences.

RESULTS: Individuals who smoke RYO tobacco indicated higher intensity, and greater alpha than individuals who smoke FM cigarettes. Participants aged 25-39 had lower Pmax, and 18-24 year olds displayed higher breakpoints. Participants with low income displayed higher intensity, and lower Pmax than other income groups. No associations were found with education.

CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who smoke RYO tobacco indicated higher price sensitivity than those smoking FM cigarettes, supporting the need to harmonize tobacco taxation. Taxation may be especially beneficial to reducing consumption among individuals with a low income or smoke RYO tobacco. Substantially higher prices are needed in the Netherlands to achieve the desired results.

IMPLICATIONS: Individuals who smoke daily were willing to pay substantially higher prices than the current market prices, indicating the room and need for much higher taxation levels. Demand for RYO tobacco was more sensitive to price changes than demand for FM cigarettes. Taxation should be raised at equivalent rates for FM and RYO cigarettes. Taxation appears to be especially effective in reducing consumption among people who smoke RYO tobacco and low-income individuals. It remains important to combine increased taxation with other tobacco control measures.

PMID:35231115 | DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntab220

Age Ageing. 2022 Mar 1;51(3):afac011. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afac011.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: ad hoc approaches are used to create composite indexes of intrinsic capacity (IC) based on five domains recommended by the World Health Organization for healthy ageing. We examined how combinations of domain-specific measures determine measurement performances of composite IC indexes.

METHODS: in this population-based prospective cohort study, community-dwelling older persons (N = 2,906) aged 55 years and above were recruited. We used 12 domain-specific measures: cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE), psychological (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS), locomotion (Timed Up-and Go [TUG], GV, Knee Extension Strength, Performance Orientated Mobility Assessment), sensory (logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution [LogMAR] vision and Whisper Test hearing) and vitality (forced expiratory volume in 1 second pulmonary function, Elderly Nutritional Indicators for Geriatric Malnutrition Assessment [ENIGMA], Nutritional Screening Initiative) to derive 144 composite 2- to 5-domain functional health indexes (FHI), and evaluated their abilities to predict 9-year mortality and their associations with health determinants.

RESULTS: with 5-domain FHI, TUG, logMAR and MMSE showed the largest factor loadings (0.65-0.75). All single-domain FHI were significantly associated with mortality risks. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of mortality prediction increased with the number of domains (from mean 0.615 for single-domain FHI to mean 0.705 for 5-domain FHI), but the difference between 3-domain versus 4-domain FHI (P = 0.082) or versus 5-domain FHI (P = 0.109) was not statistically significant. Highest AUCs (P < 0.001) of best performing FHI were single-domain TUG: 0.735; 2-domain TUG + ENIGMA: 0.743; 3-domain TUG + LogMAR + ENIGMA: 0.762; 4-domain TUG + MMSE + LogMAR + ENIGMA: 0.757; 5-domain TUG + MMSE + GDS + LogMAR + ENIGMA: 0.751. FHI showed excellent construct validity based on correlations with known health determinants.

CONCLUSIONS: among Singaporean older adults, cognition, sensory and locomotion are predominant IC domains. A multi-domain IC index performs better with more domain measures, but a minimalist 3-domain index performs just as robustly as a 4- or 5-domain index.

PMID:35231090 | DOI:10.1093/ageing/afac011